Rasika Darshan

nine9 · 04-21-2004, 08:47 AM

Rasika Darsana

Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari

"On numerous occasions my Guru Maharaja expressed an affinity for
sakhya rasa, and in my experience many of his disciples have an
undeveloped but natural attraction for this spiritual sentiment."

Q. We commonly hear that all the gurus in the line of Sri Rupa Goswami
(the Gaudiya sampradaya) are in a type of conjugal love with Krsna
known as manjari bhava. However some devotees point to the following
prayer written by Srila Prabhupada as evidence that his spiritual
identity in Krsna lila was that of a cowherd boy in sakhya bhava
(friendly love). What are your thoughts on this?

"O my dear brother! Meeting you again I will experience great joy.
Wandering about the pastures and fields, I will pass the entire day
with you tending the cows. Joking with you and frolicking throughout so
many forests of Vraja, I will roll upon the ground in spiritual
ecstasy. When, oh when will that day be mine?" (Prayer to the Lotus
Feet of Krsna)

A. Most of the gurus and siddhas in our sampradaya have an affinity for
manjari bhava, but there are some exceptions. Siddhas such as Vamsidasa
babaji and Srila Prabhupada's godbrother, Akincana Krsnadasa babaji are
examples. The diksa guru of Syamananda dasa, Hrdaya Caitanya, was in
sakhya rasa. Indeed, the Gaudiya sampradaya began when the dvadasa
gopalas (twelve cowherd friends of Krsna) appeared with Nitai and Gaura
and began initiating disciples. So there is no prohibition in the
Gaudiya sampradaya against having a guru in sakhya rasa, and if you
have a sat guru who is situated in sakhya rasa, it is not a problem.

On numerous occasions my Guru Maharaja expressed an affinity for sakhya
rasa, and in my experience many of his disciples have an undeveloped
but natural attraction for this spiritual sentiment. Pujyapada Sridhara
Deva Goswami considered him to be in sakhya-rati. However, to harmonize
the sentiments of some of his disciples, Srila Sridhara Maharaja also
said it is possible that Srila Prabhupada veiled his sentiments for
manjari bhava out of deference to Nityananda Prabhu, who empowered him
to preach, and while under the influence of Nityananda Prabhu expressed
sentiments for sakhya bhava. Such a possibility exists, although it
seems unlikely because almost the entire Nityananda parivara openly
express affinity for manjari bhava.

[Editors note: More on this topic can be found in the Sanga entitled:
Highest Rasa: "Fools Rush In"]

Q. According to Rupa Gosvami, sakhya-rati is presided over by Upendra.
Can you offer an explanation of this?

A. Upendra is another name for Govinda. Upendra means either one who
comes after Indra, as in the case of Vamanadeva who appears as Indra's
younger brother, or one who is above Indra, as in the case of Govinda.
It was Indra, chief of the gods, who crowned Krsna as the Lord of the
gods and, in conjunction with Surabhi and the other gods present, gave
him the name Govinda. In Sri Hari Vamsa (2.19.46) and Visnu Purana
(5.12.12), Indra gives Krsna the name Upendra at the end of the
Govardhana lila. In Sri Hari Vamsa, Indra says, sa mamopari yathendras
tvam sthapito gobhir isvarah, upendra iti krsna tvam gasyanti divi
devatah: "O Krsna, because the cows have established you as the Indra
above me, the supreme controller, the devas in heaven will call you
Upendra." In the same lila described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Surabhi
under Indra's direction names Krsna "Govinda" instead of Upendra.
Govinda means he who gives pleasure to or is known by the cows, or he
who is the Lord of the cows. The cows are said to be the source of the
gods--gobhyo devah samutthitah. Thus the name Govinda--Lord of the
cows--is synonymous with the name Upendra--he who is above Indra. So it
is this Upendra--Govinda--not the Upendra who is the younger brother of
Indra, that is the personification of sakhya rati. Furthermore, in
Gopala-tapani Upanisad it is revealed that the name Govinda in the
eighteen-syllable Krsna mantra is identified with sakhya-rati. He who
gives pleasure to the cows, Sri Govinda, does so in his eternal lila by
taking them into the forest along with his comrades, all of whom love
him as their dearest friend. This lila and this name and form of God
are all about sakhya-rati.

Q. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's principal associate Sri Nityananda Prabhu
is known as akrodha paramananda nityananda-raya, which means that he is
always joyful in transcendental bliss and never becomes angry. However
it is narrated in the book Nityananda-caritamrta that Nityananda Prabhu
visited a Buddhist monastery and found the Buddhists all sitting
together. The Lord then asked a question and when no one replied he
became angry and kicked the Buddhists in the head. I find this quite
confusing. Why did such an uncharacteristic display of anger come from
Nityananda Prabhu?

A. The text you mention is originally from Caitanya Bhagavata
(1.9.145). It goes on to say that the Buddhists smiled in return,
paldila bauddha-gana hasiya hasiya. So Nityananda Prabhu somehow made
them happy. This is his principal characteristic. Therefore Locana dasa
prays to him thus, ha ha prabhu nityananda premananda sukhi,
krpabalokana koro ami baro duhkhi: "My dear Lord Nityananda, you are
always joyful in spiritual bliss. Since you always appear very happy, I
have come to you because I am most unhappy. If you kindly cast your
glance upon me, I may also become happy." It appears that the followers
of Nityananda Prabhu often speak of kicking in the head people who do
not take advantage of Mahaprabhu's mercy. This is a peculiar expression
of their particular bhava (sakhya bhava/fraternal love), in which the
eagerness for heroism and a good fight that is prominent in sakhya
bhava is transformed into an expression of religious heroism in
Caitanya lila. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura said that this is an
example of their special mercy, for it immediately draws Krsna's
sympathy to those whom they insult.

However, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has cautioned that while great
devotees may sometimes speak like this out of bhava, less advanced
devotees should not imitate them.

Q. Souls emanating from Balarama are said to be replete with knowledge
(nitya siddha), while those emanating from Maha-Visnu are lacking in
knowledge (nitya-baddha). Is this due to Balarama being a greater
manifestation of Krsna?

A. There are different types of souls. Souls emanating from Maha-Visnu
are called tatastha-sakti (marginal energy); these souls can lose sight
of themselves and become inhabitants of the material world. They are
part of the Lord's play known as srsti lila, the lila of creation.
Souls emanating from Baladeva, Sri Radha, Subala, and so on are never
subject to material illusion. They are not involved with the material
energy because their source is not involved, as is Maha-Visnu in the
case of the nitya-baddha jivas.

Q. Some saints in Krsna lila or Caitanya lila are described as
combinations of different personalities; for example, Ramananda Raya,
the associate of Sri Chaitanya, is said to be Arjuna and Visaka sakhi
simultaneously. How are we to understand this and which Arjuna is being
referred to, the cowherd friend of Krsna in Vraja lila or the warrior
friend of Krsna of Bhagavad-gita fame?

A. Eternal associates (nitya parsada) of Krsna like Ramananda Raya are
constituted of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, unlike the jiva souls in the
material world who are constituted of his tatastha-sakti. Nitya parsada
souls often appear with the Lord in his various incarnations in
appropriate forms or in more than one form. For that matter when the
jiva comes under the influence of Krsna's svarupa-sakti, it can realize
more than one spiritual form in which to serve Krsna. For example, it
is taught in the Gaudiya tradition that the jiva can attain a form as a
young brahmana boy in Gaura lila and a corresponding form as a gopi or
gopa in Krsna lila.

Sri Jiva Goswami cites a passage from the Candogya Upanisad in his
Priti-sandarbha in this regard, interpreting it in an interesting way.
Sri Jiva says, "By his own will a liberated soul can manifest many
different forms. This is described in these words of Candogya Upanisad
(7.26.2): sa ekadha bhavati, dvidha bhavati, tridha bhavati: 'The
liberated soul may manifest one form, two forms, three forms, or more
forms than that.' "

He cites this passage while speaking about the highest liberation, as
described in the preceding chapter of the same Upanisad. Sri Jiva says,
"The highest state of liberation is described in these words of
Candogya Upanisad (7.25.2): sa va evam pasyann evam manvana evam
vijanann atma-ratir atma-krida atma-mithuna, 'In this way the liberated
soul sees God, thinks of him, understands him, delights in him, and
enjoys pastimes with him.' " Candogya 7.26.2 cited above is referring
to spiritual forms and the potential of the liberated to have more than
one such form for the sake of lila with Bhagavan.

Regarding Ramananda Raya in particular, various devotees have
identified him differently. Kavi Karnapura identified him with the gopi
Lalita and the Pandava Arjuna based upon the Ramananda-samvada's being
roughly analogous to the Bhagavad-gita. He also identifies him as the
priyanarma sakha Arjuna of Vraja-lila based on his pacifying Sri
Caitanya when he assumed the bhava of Krsna in separation from Radha.
Priyanarma sakhas are confidential friends of Krsna who are involved in
service within the romantic life of Radha-Krsna.

Others such as Bhaktivinoda Thakura have identified Ramananda Raya with
Visakha gopi based on Visakha's being so similar to Radha, having been
born on the same day, and so on. Because of this similarity, she (as
Ramananda Raya) is eminently qualified to help Caitanya Mahaprabhu
enter Radha's bhava. Such is the rasika darsana (visionary ecstasy) of
different devotees, and such is the potential of the nitya parsadas of
Sri Krsna.

[Editor's note: More information on priyanarma sakhas can be found in
the Sanga entitled "The Dearmost Friend of Krsna."]

Questions or comments may be submitted at the Q&A Forum
http://www.swami.org/sanga/ or email sangaeditor@swami.org.