Page 29 - OPIHI (English)

nAthdwArA 15

the Lord’s neck appears a flower Him both as Çré Rädhänätha (the
garland, resembling a black snake. Lord of Rädhä) and as child Kåñëa.
The Deity, therefore, is sometimes
Here is how the devotees entertained with childish toys like
understand these markings. The spinning tops and silver animals
parrot symbolizes the sage Çukadeva and sometimes offered a herding
Gosvämé or the great poet Léläçuka stick meant for a cowherd boy.
(Bilvamaìgala Öhäkura). The Çrénäthajé is most renowned for
snake is the divine serpent Ananta His amorous pastimes with the
Çeña, the sages are the devotees of gopés, the dairymaids of Våndävana.
the Lord, and the two cows stand Although much of the poetry sung
for religion and the earth. The lion before Him tells of His childhood
protects the Deity from being seen pastimes, most of it depicts these
except through devotional service, exchanges with the gopés.
and the peacocks symbolize pure
love for the Lord and detachment temple mAnAgement
from material things. The stone
slabs represent Govardhana Hill The temple is under the
and the groves of Våndävana. management of the main äcärya
of the Vallabha sampradäya. He
Once when Çré Vallabhäcärya is called the Tilakayata and is the
defeated a large group of head of the temple. He is assisted by
impersonalist scholars at a committee of prominent devotees
Vidyanagara, King Krishnadeva who help him run the temple and
Raya gave him a gift of many gold make major decisions. He is the
coins. Çré Vallabhäcärya gave most chairman of the committee. They
of these to the local brähmaëas and approve most of the expenses.
kept only seven. Those seven coins
were then made into an ornament The monthly expenses of the temple
for Çrénäthajé. It is still used to come to some 500,000 rupees, but
adorn the Lord today. the income is more. At least ten
million rupees are kept as a savings
The servitors of Çrénäthajé say that fund.
the Deity is the original form of Çré
Kåñëa, known as Nikuïja-näyaka, In recent times the government of
“the Lord of the Celestial Bower.” Rajasthan has taken charge of the
Since this form of Lord Kåñëa temple, but the Tilakayata is still
includes all others, His devotees see the authority on all the details of
worship.