The Nectar of Instruction

vaikuT_l,!htij janito vara madhu-puri tatrapi riisotsavad vrndaraT_l,yam udara-paT_l,i-ramal'_l,dt tatrapi govardhana/:t radha-kuw;lam ihapi gokula-pate/:1, premamrtaplavanat kuryad asya virajato giri-ta!e sevam viveki na ka/:t vaiku,_,!htit-than Vaikul)�ha, the spiritual world; janita/:1,-because of birth; vara-better; madhu-puri-the transcendental city known as Mathurii; tatra api-superior to that; rasa-utsavat-because of the performance of the rasa-lila; vrnda-aral'_l,yam-the forest of V:rndavana; udara-paT_l,i-of Lord K:r�l)a; ramal'_l,dt-because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api-superior to that; govardhana/:1,-Govardhana Hill; radha-ku,_,(lam-the place known as Radha-km.1�a; iha api-superior to this; gokulapate/:1,-of K:r�l)a, the master of Gokula; prema-amrtawith the nectar of divine love; aplavanat-because of being overflooded; kurydt-wou!d do; asya-of this (Radhakul)�a); virajata/:1,-situated; giri-ta!e-at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevdm-service; viveki-who is intelligent; na-not; ka/:1,-who.

Translation

The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikur;I!ha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurapuri is the transcendental forest of Vrndavana because of Kr�IJ.a's rasa-lila pastimes. Andsuperior to the forest of Vrndavana is Gov!ll'dhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Kr�J).a and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha-ku:J).«;{a stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Kr�J).a. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-ku:J).«;{a, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?

Purport

The spiritual world is three fourths of the total creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is the most exalted region. The spiritual world is naturally superior to the material world; however, Mathura and the adjoining areas, although appearing in the �aterial world, are considered superior to the spiritual world because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appeared at Mathura. The interior forests of V:rndavana are considered superior to Mathma because of the presence of the twelve forests (dvadaSa-vana), such as Talavana, Madhuvana and Bahulavana, which are famous for the various pastimes of the Lord. Thus the interior V:rndavana forest is considered superior to Mathura, but superior to these forests is the divine Govardhana Hill because K:r�Q.a lifted Govardhana Hill like an umbrella, raising it with His lotuslike beautiful hand to protect His associates, the denizens of Vraja, from the torrential rains sent by the angry lndra, King of the demigods. It is also at Govardhana Hill that l<:r�?Q.a tends the