Hare Krishna. As I start this blog, I offer my sincere obeisances to the Dust of Vraja, the divine land of Krishna and His pure devotees. This dust of Vraja is no ordinary dust. This dust has the fortune of Krishna walking on it barefoot. When Krishna moves around in Vraja, He doesn't wear shoes. Consequently, the dust of Vraja is imprinted with marks of His footprints. These footprints are forever preserved as no one in Vraja walks over them, including even the animals like cows and dear. This dust is walked on not only by Krishna, but also by his innumerable pure devotees, even until today. It t is therefore, mixed with their blessings. Just smearing this dust on our body pleases Krishna and one makes rapid spiritual advancement.
When Akrura first came to take Krishna back to Mathura and saw these footprints upon entering Vraja, he immediately jumped down from his chariot and rolled in this dust begging for Krishna's mercy. When Krishna's cousin, Uddhava visited Vrindavan, he was completely humbled by the pure selfless devotion of the gopis. Consequently, he prayed to become just a bush outside Vrindavan so that the dust from the gopis feet can fall on him when they walk around.
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.38.25
padāni tasyākhila-loka-pāla-
kirīṭa-juṣṭāmala-pāda-reṇoḥ
dadarśa goṣṭhe kṣiti-kautukāni
vilakṣitāny abja-yavāńkuśādyaiḥ
"In the cowherd pasture Akrūra saw the footprints of those feet whose pure dust the rulers of all the planets in the universe hold on their crowns. Those footprints of the Lord, distinguished by such marks as the lotus, barleycorn and elephant goad, made the ground wonderfully beautiful."
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.38.26
tad-darśanāhlāda-vivṛddha-sambhramaḥ
premṇordhva-romāśru-kalākulekṣaṇaḥ
rathād avaskandya sa teṣv aceṣṭata
prabhor amūny ańghri-rajāḿsy aho iti
"Increasingly agitated by ecstasy at seeing the Lord's footprints, his bodily hairs standing on end because of his pure love, and his eyes filled with tears, Akrūra jumped down from his chariot and began rolling about among those footprints, exclaiming, "Ah, this is the dust from my master's feet!"
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.47.61
āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaḿ syāḿ
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaḿ sva-janam ārya-pathaḿ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīḿ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
Uddhava said: "The gopīs of Vṛndāvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vṛndāvana, because the gopīs trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet."
Following in the footsteps of these pure devotees, devotees roll in this transcendental dust when they visit Vrindavan. This dust is capable of fulfilling all our spiritual desires. As sage Narada says in Srimad Bhagavatam, disease caused by milk can be cured by another form of milk, namely the curd. Similarly, our material disease is caused by the dust of material desires on our heart. How do we remove this dust? Taking Narada muni's (sage) advice, this dust can be removed by another dust, i.e. the dust of Vraja. When we spread this Vraja dust on our heart and mind, then only it becomes a fit and attractive place for Krishna to come and walk, sit, rest and play his pastimes.
As I open this blog, I'm listening to a lecture by Jagattarni mataji (a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. She was a famous actor in Australia and acted with Mick Jagger. Later she came in contact with devotees and become one herself.) given in Govardhan, in Vraja. She is talking about cows moving around Govardhan and mooing. They are raising this spiritual dust from their hooves in the air around and some of that is reaching the devotees sitting nearby and falling on them. This inspired me to name this blog - Dust of Vraja (or Vraja Raja). Raja means dust in Sanskrit.
I pray to this holy dust of Vraja that may it be always be smeared over my mind and consciousness. I pray to the dear devotees of Krishna that may I also one day become a particle of dust there so Krishna and His dear devotees can walk over me one day and every day.
your servant
Lokadhyaksa dasa
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