284 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

as your own children at a time when We were just like orphans. For certain
reasons We were rejected by Our father and mother, and you protected
Us. My dear father and mother, 1 know you will be feeling separation
by returning to Vrndavana and leaving Us here, but please rest assured
that I shall be coming back to Vrndavana just after giving some satisfaction
to My real father and mother, Vasudeva and Devaki, My grandfather, and
other relatives and family members.” Krsna and Balarama satisfied Nanda
and Yasoda by sweet words and by presentation of various clothing,
ornaments and properly made utensils. They satisfied them, along with
their friends and neighbors who had come with them from Vrndavana to
Mathura, as fully as possible. On account of his excessive parental affection
for Balarama and Krsna, Nanda Maharaja felt tears in his eyes, and he
embraced Them and started with the cowherd men for Vrndavana.

After this, Vasudeva had his son initiated by sacred thread as the token
of second birth, which is essential for the higher castes of human society.
Vasudeva called for his family priest and learned brahmanas, and the
sacred thread ceremony of Krsna and Balarama was duly performed.
During this ceremony, Vasudeva gave various ornaments in charity to the
bradhmajas and endowed them with cows decorated with silken cloths and
golden ornaments. Previously, during the birth of Krsna and Balarama,
Vasudeva had wanted to give cows in charity to the brahmanas, but being
imprisoned by Kamsa, he was able to do so only within his mind. With
the death of Kamsa the actual cows were given to the brahmanas. Then
Balarama and Krsna were duly initiated with the sacred thread ceremony,
and They repeated the chanting of the Gayatri mantra. The Gayatri mantra
is offered to the disciples after the sacred thread ceremony, and Balarama
and Krsna properly discharged the duties of chanting this mantra. Anyone
who executes the chanting of this mantra has to abide by certain principles
and vows. Although Balarama and Krsna were both transcendental person-
alities, They strictly followed the regulative principles. Both were initiated
by Their family priest Gargacarya, usually known as Gargamuni, the
acarya of the Yadu dynasty. According to Vedic culture, every respectable
person has an acarya, or spiritual master. One is not considered to be a
perfectly cultured man without being initiated and trained by an @carya.
It is said, therefore, that one who has approached an acarya is actually
in perfect knowledge. Lord Krsna and Balarama were the Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead, the master of all education and knowledge. There was
no need for Them to accept a spiritual master or a@carya, yet for the
instruction of ordinary men, They also accepted a spiritual master for
advancement in spiritual knowledge.
