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Plate 109

Kṛṣṇa Speaks with the Creatures of Vṛndāvana

In the transcendental land of Vṛndāvana, every living creature is established in his eternal loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And the Lord can reciprocate with each one perfectly. Not only does He respond to their loving mood heart-to-heart, but He can also communicate in their own language. This is so because He is the most wonderful linguist. As Srila Rūpa Gosvāmī explains in the Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu, " A person who knows the languages of different countries, especially the Sanskrit language, which is spoken in the cities of the demigods—as well as other, worldly languages, including those of the animals—is called a wonderful linguist. It appears from this statement that Kṛṣṇa can also speak and understand the languages of the animals. An old woman in Vṛndāvana, present at the time of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, once stated in surprise, 'How wonderful it is that Kṛṣṇa, who owns the hearts of all the young girls of Vrajabhūmi, can nicely speak the language of Vrajabhūmi to the gopīs, while in Sanskrit He speaks with the demigods, and in the language of the animals he can even speak with the cows and buffalo! Similarly, in the language of the Kashmir province, and with the parrots and other birds, as well as in most common languages, Kṛṣṇa is so expressive!' She inquired from the gopīs as to how Kṛṣṇa had become so expert in speaking so many different types of languages."

Painting by PUṢKARA DĀSA (1980)

Kṛṣṇa Speaks with the Creatures of Vṛndāvana