In the realm of spirituality, seekers often tread different paths—each with its unique rhythm. Among these, Gyan (knowledge) and Bhakti (devotion) have long drawn spiritual aspirants.
While the former comprehends the Divine through intellectual pursuit, the latter craves a profound connection with the Divine. Yet, these paths are not at odds, but more like distinct notes in the symphony of one’s soul. But what unfolds when the light of knowledge meets the warmth of devotion? Here, we journey through such a confluence—where insight transforms into immersion, and intellect merges into love.
Shree Krishna’s Playful Plan
Before we step into Shree Krishna’s divine mischief, let us explore the scriptural descriptions of the Lord’s manifestations.
As per the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Supreme Lord manifests as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. These are not three separate entities, but three manifestations of the One. Much like steam, water, and ice are all the same in different physical forms.
Brahman is the all-pervading, Nirakar, formless aspect—Sat, Chit, and Anand (existence, consciousness, bliss). In this form, God does not reveal His attributes. The same Brahman also resides in everybody's hearts as Paramatma. Sitting within, God notes our karmas, keeps an account, and gives the fruit. When God descends in His personal divine form and displays sweet pastimes or lilas, interacting with His intimate associates, He is Bhagavan. He then manifests His Names, Forms, Pastimes, Qualities, Abodes, Saints, thereby revealing the sweetest form of divine love bliss.
One such manifestation of Bhagavan was in the form of Shree Krishna, who, after spending eleven years and fifty-two days in Braj, had taken residence in Mathura.
Once, Shree Krishna was taking a stroll with his friend Uddhav at the tranquil banks of River Yamuna. Uddhav was no ordinary man—he was a disciple of Brihaspati, (the guru of the celestial gods). He was a scholar, a worshipper of the formless Brahman. His meditations had reached the zenith of knowledge, but his heart had never tasted the nectar of devotion.
Krishna had a playful yet profound plan—to awaken Uddhav to the glory of bhakti. As they walked, a flower floated by in the Yamuna. Krishna saw it... and fainted. Uddhav rushed to him. “What happened?” On regaining consciousness, Krishna whispered, “This flower was sent by Radha.”
Radha ji, in distant Braj, would release flowers daily into the Yamuna, wondering if her beloved ShyamSundar still remembered her.
Uddhav wondered: How could a simple flower cause a loss of senses, that too in Shree Krishna?
Krishna turned to Uddhav, urging him to visit his parents, the gopis, and Radha in Braj, to offer words of wisdom and console them in his absence.
So, Uddhav made his way to Braj.
Witnessing Devotion
Uddhav first arrived at Nand Baba and Yashoda's humble abode, where they welcomed him with open arms, their eyes brimming with tears. Yashoda showed him Krishna’s bed, where He used to sleep, the corners of the home where He would run, laugh, cry— “Look, Uddhav, this is where He called out 'Baba! Baba!'...” Her voice cracked as she recalled her little Krishna’s innocent cries.
Uddhav was awestruck. Here were simple cowherds, yet their hearts glowed with a richness of love he had never known.
From there, Uddhav set out to meet the gopis.
As he approached, the gopis gathered with Radha among them; her eyes lost in thoughts of her beloved Shree Krishna. Suddenly, a bumblebee buzzed nearby. Radha turned to it—speaking not to Uddhav, but through the bee, as if it were Krishna's emissary:
“You black bee, just like ShyamSundar, flitting from flower to flower. You sang love songs with us in Braj, and now You buzz around others in Mathura. Go away!” She recalled tales from His previous avatar— “He struck down Bali from the shadows, rejected Surpanakha’s love; He was cruel then too. But what can I do? Still... He alone is mine.”
Uddhav listened, stunned at her words—piercing her like arrows, yet soaked in deep love.
Uddhav’s Transformation
To comfort the hearts yearning for their beloved Shree Krishna, Uddhav shared a sermon on the oneness of Brahman— “You are Brahman, he is Brahman, and everything is ONE. Just meditate with a fixed mind and chant ‘Aham Brahmasmi.’ You don't need Krishna; you are Krishna."
One gopi responded innocently, "Uddhavji, if everything is just one entity and there is nothing else in creation, then whom are you addressing?”
Uddhav was taken aback, pondering to himself: In Advait consciousness, where all is one, I would not see anyone as separate. A lecture indeed requires at least two.
The other gopi asked, “And how can we meditate on Brahman with the mind when our mind is taken by Shree Krishna?" Another gopi added, "We are not grieving because of separation from Krishna, as you think. He is right here with us."
Uddhav was perplexed: How can that be? He sent me from Mathura.
The gopis pointed in different directions. "Look by the side of that tree," one said. "Look in front of the bush," another said. "Shree Krishna is right here," a third gopi chimed in.
वाटन में, घाटन में,
वीथिन में, बागन में,
बेलिन में, वाटिका में,
फूलन में, वन में,
दरन में, दीवारन में,
देहरी-दरीचन में—
जह-जह देखूं, तह श्याम ही दिखाई देत।
मेरो श्याम छाय रहयो नैनन में, मन में|
Uddhav was baffled, unable to perceive what the gopis saw so clearly. They explained, "Maharaj, you don't accept the existence of God's personal form, which is why you cannot see Him. For us, wherever we cast our glance, we see our beloved ShyamSundar."
“जित देखूं तित श्याममयी है|”
Uddhav realized that no intellectual explanation could match the profundity of the gopis' love. Seeing their exalted state, he understood the paradox: While Uddhav spoke of non-duality (Advait), his words were rooted in duality (Dvait). Whereas the gopis, in their devotion, lived the non-duality of seeing Brahman in His personal divine form as Shree Krishna everywhere.
It dawned on him—Shree Krishna had not sent him to teach, but to learn.
Overwhelmed, Uddhav fell to the ground and rolled in the dust of the Braj Bhoomi. His gyan melted like butter on a hot pan, and what remained was devotion—pure, sweet, all-consuming. Uddhav’s perspective shifted from non-duality to divine duality, from “I am the Lord” to "the Lord is mine and I am His." Uddhav received the grace of the gopis and a drop of devotion, bhakti, in his heart.
That Uddhav who had come from Mathura to Vrindavan in two hours, returned in six months. He glorified the Brajwasis (residents of Braj). Clinging to tree trunks, he called out, “Radhe... Shyamsundar...”
On reaching Mathura, Krishna embraced His friend and asked playfully, “Did you teach yog to the gopis?” And with newfound humility, Uddhav prayed, “Don’t give me human birth again. Make me a blade of grass in Your land of Braj, so I can receive the foot dust of those gopis, and my heart becomes eligible for Your divine love.”
Melting Point for Janak
A similar transformation took place in the kingdom of Mithila.
There, among scholars and sages, in a land steeped in Tattvagyan (Vedantic wisdom), lived a king whose detachment was legendary—Videhraj Janak. The world called him Videh, the one beyond the body, whose mind floated in Samadhi, untouched by the dust of desire. His intellect was so sharp that he could grasp the subtlest truths of Brahm Gyan.
Once, while he sat in his guru’s ashram engrossed in Brahm Vidya, a word spread that his kingdom had caught fire. Servants rushed in saying, “Maharaj, your palace is burning!”, but Janak calmly turned to his guru, and said, please continue your exposition of Brahman.” When news came that even his chambers were ablaze, his response was, “Nothing of mine is burning.” His guru was impressed by his thirst for divine knowledge and unshakable spirit of renunciation.
Then, one day, the revered sage Vishwamitra arrived in Mithila with the young princes Ram and Lakshman. As King Janak welcomed them, his eyes fell on Ram. Janak’s heart skipped a beat and his gaze froze.
“मूर्ति मधुर मनोहर देखी, भयेउ विदेह-विदेह विशेषी"
In that moment, the overpowering sweetness of the divine form of Lord Ram swept over the otherwise unshakable king.
“इनहीं विलोकत अति अनुरागा,
बरबस ब्रह्मसुखहि मनु त्यागा।"
Janak was overwhelmed with ati anurāga—not just attachment, but extreme, irresistible love. In meditating on the formless, the bliss he had cherished for so long—Brahmanand—began to pale in front of the exquisite beauty of Ram. He wondered: What is this storm stirring within me?
He felt an inexplicable shift within him as if the light of knowledge was melting into the warmth of devotion. Janak looked again at Ram in awe—gentle eyes, glowing skin, gait like a royal swan. Afterall, the Absolute Infinite had taken on a personal form and stood there in all His glory.
Watch the video to witness this divine moment:
Sweet Surprise to Shukadev
A similar epiphany had dawned on Shukadev.
Shukadev, son of Ved Vyas, was born a gyani, situated in Nirvikalp Samadhi. He was beyond the body, the mind, the intellect; in that supreme state, even thoughts did not arise. Yet, when Ved Vyas recited a verse describing the beauty of Shree Krishna, the formless light of Shukadev’s deep meditation suddenly took on form:
बर्हा पीडं नटवरवपुः कर्णयोः कर्णिकारं,
विभ्रद्वासः कनककपिशं वैजयन्तीं च मालाम्।
Krishna strolling through Vrindavan, cows trailing behind Him, their dust settling gently on His divine form. The peacock feather on His crown swaying in the breeze, and His yellow pitambar (silk cloth) flowing gracefully over His shoulders. With soft curls around His face, Krishna raising the murli (flute) to His lips, and playing a tender melody that beckoned the gopis.
That single divine verse shattered the stillness of his samadhi. His meditation cracked. He became so irresistibly drawn to the Lord’s personal form that he ran to hear the whole Shrimad Bhagwatam from Ved Vyas.
The Shrimad Bhagvatam states,
आत्मारामाश्च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्था अप्युरुक्रमे।
कुर्वन्त्यहैतुकीं भक्तिम् इत्तम्भूतगुणो हरिः॥
“Even the self-satisfied sages, who are free from all material bonds, engage in causeless, pure devotional service to Lord Hari, whose transcendental qualities are so wonderful."
Thus, as the intellect bows to love, the seeker discovers a deeper, richer realm of spiritual experience—Premanand.
Conclusion
The journey of Uddhav, Janak, and Shukadev reveals the transformation that occurs when knowledge meets devotion. God in His all-powerful nature, has the ability to exist both as formless and in a personal form. The Vedas state:
द्वे वाव ब्रह्मणो रूपे—मूर्तं चैवामूर्तं च ~Bṛihadāraṇyak Upaniṣhad 2.3.1
“God is formless and all-pervading, but he also manifests in a personal form.”
While worshippers of Brahman experience God in their minds, those who worship Bhagavan, can see Him, serve Him, and revel in His sweet pastimes. It is like the difference between carrying a child in the womb and lovingly cradling the newborn in one's arms—one is cherished only mentally, while the other is tangibly, joyfully experienced. Similarly, worshipping the formless as well as the personal form—both paths lead to infinite bliss, but Premanand, the love-bliss of Bhagavan, surpasses Brahmanand in sweetness, much like how sugar candy exceeds jaggery in delight.
Resources
● When Bhakti Wins Gyan - Radha's Love that Made Krishna Faint | Swami Mukundananda
● The Highest Level of Krishna Consciousness - Make this the Goal of your Life | Swami Mukundananda
Call to Action
● Join the upcoming Bhakti Kirtan Retreat with Swami Mukundananda, happening April 18-20, 2025, at RKT Dallas (or join online). Immerse yourself in divine discourses, guided meditations, Q&A sessions, soulful kirtans, and blissful celebrations.
● Read the book, Spiritual Secrets from Hinduism by Swami Mukundananda to uncover more such profound spiritual treasures.