“the mellow taste of His service”

July 22, 2006

Dear Jayadvaita Swami!

Accept my humble obeisances to the dust of Your lotus feet.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I’m a devotee and writing to You at the instance of group of devotees.

Here it is an extract from Caitanya Caritamrita: translation of Adi-lila, 1 chapter, text 4 (old edition):

"May that Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service."

In new edition of CC “the mellow taste of His service” replaced by “mellow of conjugal love”. Lord Caitanya brings more lofty mood than sambhoga of Krishna-lila, that is why and not by chance Srila Prabhupada uses here “the mellow taste of His service”.

By changing “mellow taste of His service” for “mellow of conjugal love” you were changing the inner meaning of the text.

Srila Prabhupada established the highest goal of devotional service as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mood of separation and that what is this text about. Although vipralambha bhava of Gaura lila and sambhoga of Krihna lila formally are in madhurya rasa, nevertheless Srila Prabhupada didn’t write here “the mellow of conjugal love”, he write “mellow taste of His service”, because here “His” indicates Lord Caitanya and it is more lofty mood than sambhoga of Krishna lila.

The devotees’ opinion is that “mellow of conjugal love” changes the inner meaning of Srila Prabhupada’s writing and we want to humble ask You to bring old edition’s text back.

Thank You, truly Yours

July 22, 2006

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I thought long and hard about this change, and here I will explain why I made it. I hope it satisfies you and those on behalf of whom you have written.

First I went back to the original manuscript for this verse. In this case it is Volume 3, Part 20, of Back to Godhead, published by Srila Prabhupada in India on May 20, 1960. Here is the translation he gave for this verse:

"Let that Lord known as the son of Shreemati Sachi Devi be transcendentally situated unto the heart of you all as He has appeared Himself by His causeless mercy in order to bestow the HIGHEST STANDARD OF ILLUMINATED TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOW OF HIS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. Such endowment was never before offered by any other incarnation. He is the Lord colourfully beautiful with the of golden texture in its fullness of manifestation."

While it is true that the words "conjugal love" are not in the capitalized phrase, this is also a far cry from "the most sublime and radiant

spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service." Srila Prabhupada never used "mellow" as an adjective but always as a noun, following his Guru Maharaja in giving this English equivalent of rasa. In the synonyms given by Srila Prabhupada it is clear that ujjvala-rasa is the conjugal mellow, and in fact this is a standard epithet for the conjugal mellow, like

madhurya-rasa.

Further support for the change comes from Srila Prabhupada's other translations of this verse in the CC, at Adi 3.4 and Antya 1.132, both of which give "conjugal love." In addition, in the purport to Adi 9.37, Srila Prabhupada writes this as an explanation of this verse:

"There were many previous incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but none were so generous, kind and magnanimous as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for He distributed the most confidential aspect of devotional service, namely, the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna.

Therefore Sri Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada desires that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu live perpetually in the hearts of all devotees, for thus they can understand and relish the loving affairs of Srimati Radharani and Krsna."

Srila Prabhupada again quotes this verse in the purport to Madhya 11.31, and again focuses on the importance of conjugal love:

"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this Age of Kali to exhibit the superexcellence of madhurya-rasa, a gift never previously bestowed by any acarya or incarnation. Consequently Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is accepted as the most magnanimous incarnation. It is He only who

distributed love of Krsna while exhibiting the superexcellence of loving Krsna in the conjugal rasa."

With all of this weight on the side of he necessity of having "conjugal love" in the translation of anarpita-carim cirat, I made the change.

Your servant,

Dravida dasa

PS: see below

At 06:22 PM 7/22/2006 +0400, you wrote:

Dear Dravida Prabhu!
Accept my humble obeisances to the dust of Your lotus feet.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I'm a devotee and writing to You at the instance of group of devotees.

Here it is an extract from Caitanya Caritamrita:

translation of Adi-lila, 1 chapter, text 4 (old edition):

"May that Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi be

transcendentally situated in theinnermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of moltengold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestowwhat no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service."

In new edition of CC "the mellow taste of His service" replaced by "mellow

of conjugal love". Lord Caitanya brings more lofty mood than sambhoga of Krishna-lila, that is why and not by chance Srila Prabhupada uses here "the mellow taste of His service".

By changing "mellow taste of His service" for "mellow of conjugal love"

you were changing the inner meaning of the text.

Srila Prabhupada established the highest goal of devotional service as Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mood of separation and that what is this text about. Although vipralambha bhava of Gaura lila and sambhoga of Krihna lila formally are in madhurya rasa, nevertheless Srila Prabhupada didn't write here "the mellow of conjugal love", he write "mellow taste of His service", because here "His"

I beg to differ here. "His" refers to Hari. Hari, Krsna, in the form of Lord Caitanya, is bestowing His (Krsna's) own devotional service (that is, service to Himself) in the most elevated mood of conjugal rasa. This is confirmed in the vairagya-vidya verse in the phrase nija-bhakti-yoga. The same ancient person, purusah puranah, has come as Lord Caitanya to

teach us devotional service to Himself (nija-bhakti-yoga).

indicates Lord Caitanya and it is more lofty mood than sambhoga of Krishna lila.

The devotees' opinion is that "mellow of conjugal love" changes the inner

meaning of Srila Prabhupada's writing I think it brings out the inner meaning of his writing.

ys

dd

and we want to humble ask You to
bring old edition's text back.

Thank You, truly Yours

July 22, 2006

Dear Dravida Prabhu!

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

First I went back to the original manuscript for this verse. In this case it is Volume 3, Part 20, of Back to Godhead, published by Srila Prabhupada in India on May 20, 1960. Here is the translation he gave for this verse:

" Let that Lord known as the son of Shreemati Sachi Devi be transcendentally situated unto the heart of you all as He has appeared Himself by His causeless mercy in order to bestow the HIGHEST STANDARD OF ILLUMINATED TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOW OF HIS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. Such endowment was never before offered by any other incarnation. He is the Lord colourfully beautiful with the of golden texture in its fullness of manifestation. "

Tell then what is necessity in general to change an initial variant? That an initial variant of the text so much time varies, it causes doubts about authenticity of all FOLIO. In fact we want to hear Srily Prabhupada's words.

So Srila Prabhupada describes the ULTIMATE GOAL of all devoted service

Here thus Shrila Prabhupada describes a way of devoted service and a ultimate goal devoted services Adi 7.17

- By attachment to the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu one immediately comes to the ecstatic position.

- When he develops his love for Nityananda Prabhu he is freed from all attachment to the material world, and at that time he becomes eligible to understand the Lord's pastimes in Vrndavana.

- In that condition, when one develops his love for the six Gosvamis, he can understand the conjugal love between Radha and Krsna.

- These are the different stages of a pure devotee's promotion to conjugal love in the service of Radha and Krsna in an intimate relationship with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Prabhupada does not preach sambhoga Krishna lila as the prime target, He preaches vipralambha Gaura lila (gaura vani).

" Worship in separation is considered by the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dina-dayardra natha, as did Madhavendra Puri. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. "

" In the final portion of His pastimes, Lord Caitanya was obsessed with the madness of separation from Lord Krsna. "

" Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught everyone that one should not be overly anxious to see the Lord, but should rather feel separation from Him in ecstasy. It is actually better to feel separation from Him than to desire to see Him face to face. "

Therefore the word "His" well if it stands there specifies on

" conjugal love in the service of Radha and Krsna in an intimate relationship with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu "

Therefore, " HIGHEST STANDARD OF ILLUMINATED TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOW OF HIS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE " this mood Lord Caitanya. It also is the PURPOSE of all gaudiya vaisnavism. And IT was brought by Lord Caitanya.

And absolutely not clear what for in general to change the primary text which was written by Srila Prabhupada?

" Let that Lord known as the son of Shreemati Sachi Devi be transcendentally situated unto the heart of you all as He has appeared Himself by His causeless mercy in order to bestow the HIGHEST STANDARD OF ILLUMINATED TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOW OF HIS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. Such endowment was never before offered by any other incarnation. He is the Lord colourfully beautiful with the of golden texture in its fullness of manifestation. "

Thanks, yours faithfully to you.

July 26, 2006

By changing “mellow taste of His service” for “mellow of conjugal love” you were changing the inner meaning of the text.

Srila Prabhupada established the highest goal of devotional service as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mood of separation and that what is this text about. Although vipralambha bhava of Gaura lila and sambhoga of Krihna lila formally are in madhurya rasa, nevertheless Srila Prabhupada didn’t write here “the mellow of conjugal love”, he write “mellow taste of His service”, because here “His” indicates Lord Caitanya and it is more lofty mood than sambhoga of Krishna lila.

The devotees’ opinion is that “mellow of conjugal love” changes the inner meaning of Srila Prabhupada’s writing and we want to humble ask You to bring old edition’s text back.

Thank You, truly Yours

Please show some direct reference where HDG says that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mood of viyogini Radha in separation in the gambhira is the "highest" aspect of his manifested lila, or that such separation mood is "more lofty" than sambhoga of Krsna lila. Sambhoga of Krsna lila is fully manifest in Nabadwipa lila as it is also manifest eternally in the pastime of Sri Krsna with Vrsabanu-nandini Radha in braja. Krsna never really leaves brndavana, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never really leaves Nabadwipa. There are subtle yet meaningful differences between the prakat and aprakat lilas of Sri Sri Radha And Krsna. Srila Prabhupada wrote in the beginning of Ch 46 of The Krsna Book:

"Nanda Maharaja returned to Vrndavana without Krsna and Balarama. He was accompanied only by the cowherd boys and men. It was certainly a very pathetic scene for the gopis, mother Yasoda, Srimati Radharani and all the residents of Vrndavana. Many devotees have tried to make adjustments to Krsna’s being away from Vrndavana because, according to expert opinion, Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, never goes even a step out of Vrndavana. He always remains there. The explanation of expert devotees is that Krsna was actually not absent from Vrndavana; He came back with Nanda Maharaja as promised.

When Krsna was starting for Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrura and the gopis were blocking the way, Krsna assured them that He was coming back just after finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not to be overwhelmed and in this way pacified them. But when He failed to come back with Nanda Maharaja, it appeared that He either cheated them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however, have decided that Krsna was neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krsna, in His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaja and stayed with the gopis and mother Yasoda in His bhava expansion. Krsna and Balarama remained in Mathura not in Their original forms but in Their expansions as Vasudeva and Sankarsana. The real Krsna and Balarama were in Vrndavana in Their bhava manifestation, whereas in Mathura They appeared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert opinion of advanced devotees of Krsna. Externally, however, They were absent from Vrndavana. Therefore, when Nanda Maharaja was preparing to return to Vrndavana, there was some discussion between him and the boys concerning how they could live in separation. The conclusion to separate was reached by mutual agreement. . ."

The vipralamba and sambhoga moods manifest in Kuruksetra simultaneously in Krsna lila and separately in the Gambhira and on the banks of the Godavari when Mahaprabhu discusses with Ramananda Raya are no doubt important aspects of why Mahaprabhu manifested. But you cannot limit the siddhanta of Mahaprabhu's reasons for manifesting to only the mood of vipralamba. He came to experience the mood of Sri Radha, not just viyogini radha and samyogini Radha, but also Vrsabanu nandini Rahda, who is only seperated from Sri Krsna for short periods of the asta kaliya lila eternally in brndavana; and only to enhance Their Union. In the same way that Sri Krsna enacts pastimes with Candravali and other gopis to increase the mood of Sri Radha's mana,only to increase the mood of sambhoga when it takes place.

There are no linear equations when it comes to Sri Krsna's enjoyment. Jiva souls should not try to deny Sri Krsna the pleasure of Sri Radha's company or think that such parakiya mood is immoral, illegal or anything but worshipable. We cannot fathom what it means when Sri Krnsa touches Sri Radha because our only experience is of material bodies touching. That is why we have to hear about these pastimes from a bona fide acarya who has sufficient realization and can give sufficient guidance. No doubt the mood of separation is correct for the sadhaka, because he is trapped in the material energy and has forgotten his realtionshp with the Divine couple. However that mood of separation is meant to bring the sadhaka to the point of aspiring for the service of the divine couples' sambhoga in spontaneous loving devotion. That causeless devotion in the mod of the gopis is the "highest" according to His Divine Grace's use of the word throughout Cc. Adi lila: some examples:

"Lord Caitanya also recommended that the highest mode of worship in the highest perfectional stage is the method practiced by the damsels of Vraja. These damsels (gopis, or cowherd girls) simply loved Krsna without a motive for material or spiritual gain. Lord Caitanya also recommended Srimad-Bhagavatam as the spotless narration of transcendental knowledge, and He pointed out that the highest goal in human life is to develop unalloyed love for Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

" However, Lord Caitanya's greatest gift was His teaching that Krsna can be actually treated as one's lover. In this relationship the Lord is so much attached that He expresses His inability to reciprocate. Krsna was so obliged to the gopis, the cowherd girls of Vrndavana, that He felt unable to return their love. "I cannot repay your love," He told them. "I have no more assets to return." Thus devotional service is performed on this excellent platform, and knowledge of the devotee's relationship to Krsna as lover and beloved was given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore Rupa Gosvami wrote of Lord Caitanya: "Devotional service in the relationship of lover and beloved is the highest platform, the glorious platform Lord Caitanya has contributed, and it was never given by any previous incarnation or acarya. "

"

July 26, 2006

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

MEETING IS HIGHER THAN SEPARATION

Hilo, Hawaii: January 13, 2003 part 2

[sripad Padmanabha Maharaja:] There is another topic that requires proper reconciliation and correct understanding. Certain persons have written a paper in which they suggest that there is a difference of opinion between Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and Srila Narayana Maharaja, regarding the relative spiritual exaltation in the moods of separation and meeting in conjugal love. These persons give a quotation from Srila Prabhupada’s book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, from the conversation between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Raya.

I am reading Srila Prabhupada's first quote, as presented in the above-mentioned paper: "Upon hearing of these transcendental activities, Lord Caitanya said, ‘O My dear Ramananda, what you have explained regarding the transcendental pastimes of Sri Radha and Krsna is perfectly correct. Yet there is something more I would like to hear from you.' 'It is very difficult for me to express anything beyond this,' Raya Ramananda replied to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 'but I can say only that there is an emotional activity called prema-vilasa-vivarta, which I may try to explain. But I don’t know whether you would be happy to hear it.’"

The authors of the paper then quote Srila Prabhupada's short comment there: "In prema-vilasa there are two kinds of emotional activities—separation and meeting. That transcendental separation is so acute that it is actually more ecstatic than meeting." With this quotation the paper has attempted to assert that Srila Prabhupada is saying that separation (vipralambha) is on a higher level and brings more ecstasy than the meeting (sambhoga) between Radha and Krsna.* [see Endnote 1]

The paper then presents the idea that Srila Narayana Maharaja has said the opposite, and that he is incorrect. I am now reading their quotations from an English translation of Srila Maharaja's Hindi talks during Vraja Mandala Parikrama: "Those who have not scrutinizingly studied the scripture Srimad Bhagavatam, and who have not conscientiously comprehended Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, and who have not properly understood books like Bhakti-rasamrita-sindu, Brhad-bhagavamrta, Ujjvala-nilamani, Krsna-karnamrta and other literatures of this nature, consider vipralambha, the mood of separation, to be the highest level of ecstasy. Our previous acaryas havealso considered vipralambha to be an exalted state; but after much reflection they perceived vipralambha as a pre-requisite to highlight and more fully embellish and amplify the ecstasy of reunion. If there would be only vipralambha for all of eternity, what would be its use? What would be its service? Vipralambha is necessary only because it intensifies the ecstatic feelings of reunion."

That is one quotation. Then the paper quoted one more short statement from Srila Maharaja's Vraja Mandala Parikrama book: "So you cansee that the mood of vipralambha is much more complex than the way you envisioned it before. Those who still persist in advocating that vipralambha is the highest do not yet have the spiritual maturity and understanding to realize that it is not possible for anything to be more elevated than Srimati Radharani and Krsna’s ecstatic loving exchanges in reuniting (samboga)."

Does everyone understand clearly?

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] I have clarified this topic in the above-mentioned quotes – separation is only needed because it serves to increase the enjoyment of meeting; it helps in that. Still, I want to explain this further:

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written that in madanakya-mahabhava there is the experience of the highest intensity of separation in meeting and the experience of the highest intensity of meeting in separation. All moods, in their extreme exaltation, are presentin Srimati Radhika in her madanakya-mahabhava. Also, in intense separation (divya-viraha), Krsna reveals Himself totally. In that mood of separationthe gopis are fully absorbed in Krsna, in all His qualities and in all His pastimes. Yet, at the same time, they want to embrace Krsna right then and there. They do not want to burn in the fire of separation.

The gopis are not satisfied in their mood of separation; they cannot be satisfied. Their desire is this: "Krsna should come directly in front of us – face to face – so that He can put His very softand gentle lotus feet on our breasts." They lament that because their breasts are very hard, they must place His lotus feet there with the utmost gentle care. To whose lotus feet are they referring? The lotus feet of that Krsna, which even Brahma, Sri Narada Rsi, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, and Sri Bhismadeva cannot bring in their trance of meditation. It is those feet that the gopis wanted to place on their breasts.

yat te sujata-caranamburuham stanesu

bhitah sanaih priya dadhimahi karkasesu

tenatavim atasi tad vyathate na kim svit

kurpadibhir bhramati dhir bhavad-ayusam nah

["O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.19)]

The gopis lament in this connection, "Oh, what shall we do? Krsna likes that His feet are placed on our breasts, but we are afraid we are hurting Him." The gopis don't want to meditate on Krsna. They desire this: "Krsna should come out from within our hearts so that we can embrace Him.Only in this way will our fire of separation be extinguished."

Some persons say that vipralambha is higher than sambhoga. Onlya neutral person can say this. Such neutral persons alone can say that it is good if the gopis only see Krsna in their trance. Such persons can say that although the gopis want to embrace Krsna, it is better if Krsna's association comes to them by their mood of separation. It is better that they always meeting Him in their mood of separation, as they close their eyes and remember Him in their hearts. Such neutral persons think that the gopis' separation is very good, and such persons are like Akrura and Kamsa, who have no desirefor the meeting of Radha and Krsna. Akrura can say, "Take Krsna from Vraja. Let the Vrajavasis feel separation; they should be always feeling separation." And Kamsa will be very happy to say, "Bring Krsna here to Mathura, and I will kill Him there."

These two persons can speak in this way, but no Vrajavasi wants Krsna to be separated from Vraja. Not even a plant, creeper, or bird of Vrndavana wants Krsna to leave Vraja. No one there wants the Vrajavasis to feel separation. None of them think, "Separation is so high." And what to speak of the gopis? What to speak of Lalita and Visakha, and Rupa Manjariand Rati Manjari?

Those who are confidential servants of Srimati Radhika, and who have more affection for Her than for Krsna, never desire Her separation from Krsna. In fact, Vrajavasis like Lalita and Visakha, and palya-dasis like Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari, and Kamala Manjari, cannot tolerate the separationof Radhika from Krsna at all. Do you know who is Kamala Manjari? In her sadhaka form she (he) is Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

In his song, Sri Krsna Virahe, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes: "I cannot bear to see the feelings of separation of Radhika":

sri krsna-virahe, radhikara dasa, ami to sahite nari

yugala milana, sukerea karana, jivana chadite pari

["I am absolutely unable to tolerate Sri Radhika's pitiable condition when She is suffering in separation from Sri Krsna, but I am fully prepared to immediately give up my life for the sake of Their happy reunion."]

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is weeping as he writes, "When Radhika laments in divyon-mada, in the transcendental madness of separation from Krsna she displayed in Brahmara-gita (Radhika speaking with a bumblebee) and at other times, I cannot bear it. I don’t want Krsna to leave Radhika.He should always remain with Her in Vraja." He continues, "I cannot tolerate the separation of Radhika for Krsna, but I can easily give up my life if thatwill help to bring Krsna to Her." This is the mood of the palya-dasis of Radhika.

Then, in another song, called Vrsabhanu-Suta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:

radha-paksa chadi, je jana se jana

je bhave se bhave thake

ami to Radhika-paksa pati sada

kabhu nahi heri ta-ke

["I am always in Radhika's entourage and I never look upon the faces of those who leave Her, no matter who they are or what is their mood."]

In other words, he is saying, "If someone thinks that the separation mood of Srimati Radhika is very good, I don’t want to see that person’s face! It would be a sinful act to see the face of such a person!"

Only Mathuravasis – only for those who are not able to appreciate vraja lila – like Akrura and Kamsa will want Radhika and Krsna to be separated. A rupanuga Vaisnava understands that everyone in Vraja is acting in such a way as to increase the happiness of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Uddhava went to Vraja, realized the separation ofthe gopis to a certain extent, and then returned to Krsna and said, "You mustgo at once; otherwise, if You do not go, Nanda and Yasoda, all the gopis, and all the cows and calves will soon be dead. You must go there." Even Baladeva and Rohini-maiya told Krsna, "Why don't you go to Vraja? All will die if You do not go." Baladeva told Him, "If You do not go there, then I must go; and I will tell them that You are coming very soon." Thus, all the Vrajavasis want Krsna to be with the gopis and with His father and mother in Vraja.

If vipralambha is higher than meeting, then Lalita and the other sakhis and manjaris would have been trying to keep Krsna out of Vraja. They would have tried to be very far away from Him. But have they done this? They can never do so. Do you want this? Do any of you want Krsna to be separated from Radhika? Do you want Radhika to weep and roll on the ground?

You may know that Lalita once sent a swan to Mathura. When she sent him off, she told him, "Go and tell Krsna about the dasami-dasa, the tenth stage, of Radhika's condition. In the eleventh stage she would surely die. Nowadays she is often unconscious, and she engages like a mad personin varieties of crazy talks (divyonmada). Go and tell Krsna, 'You must come in a day – or just now. Otherwise, if you go to Vraja later, You will not be able to meet with Radhika at all. You should always keep this in mind. If You want to be happy, and if You want to make all others happy, then come here at once."

Thus, according to the explanations of our previous acaryas, what I have told is correct. Vipralambha is only needed to help nourish meeting. If this is not accomplished there is no necessity of vipralambha. It is stated in Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, "Na vina vipralambhena sambhoga pustimasnute – without vipralambha, meeting will not be nourished."

Does meeting come first or does vipralambha come first? If the gopis had not met with Krsna, how would they have experienced vipralambha? First there is meeting, and then separation. Without meeting, the mood of separation cannot come and Srimati Radharani cannot weep for Krsna. Why are you not weeping? Can you weep for Krsna from the core of your heart? You cannot – because you have never seen Him. If you will see His beauty, His qualities, His affection, and His love and mercy, then you can cry for Him. So first is meeting, sambhoga, then separation in the middle, and then meeting again. There are four kinds of separation, and they are purva-raga, mana, pravasa and prema-vaicittya.

vipralambha catur-vidha--purva-raga, mana

pravasakhya, ara prema-vaicittya-akhyana

["Vipralambha has four divisions-purva-raga, mana, pravasa and prema-vaicittya."]

(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 23.63)

When Krsna goes to the forest, the gopis feel separation. They weep for Krsna and discuss among themselves His pastimes in the forest. The ultimate stage of conjugal love is madanakya-mahabhava, which is present only in Radhika. All varieties of the moods of meeting and all varieties of the moods of separation reside in madhanakya, and this is the monopoly of Srimati Radhika. This wonderful mood of Radhika is such that even the highest moods of separation are enclosed in it. This mood cannot occur at the time of separation; it occurs only in meeting. It occurs for example, when Radhika is sitting on the lap of Krsna at Prema Sarovara. Imagining that Krsna has left and will never return, Radhika laments, "Where is Krsna?" This is very wonderful and tasteful.

We should try to know all these truths, and that understanding will reconcile all the statements of your Srila Prabhupada.

[syamarani dasi:] In case someone has any doubt, and thinks that our Srila Prabhupada considers separation higher than meeting, they can look in his books and see the many quotes confirming exactly what Srila Gurudeva has said tonight. * [see Endnote 1]

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] I very humbly request those who have doubts to discuss with me personally this very deep subject. I welcome them, and I think that by such discussion, reconciliation will come.

[Jagadhatri dasi:] I don’t know philosophy and I'm not a scholar, but I remember that in the Krsna book Krsna told the gopis, "I have neverleft you." So the gopis are in the mood of separation, but actually Krsna never left them.

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] If He never left, then why were the gopis always lamenting and suffering due to Him? The idea that Krsna never left, that He is everywhere, and therefore there was no need for the gopis to lament is the version of Uddhava. This was not the version of the gopis. Rather, the gopis defeated all of Uddhava's arguments.

I know that your Prabhupada is a philosopher and a rasika-bhakta as well. He realizes both vipralambha and sambhoga. Like his predecessor acaryas, he is a servant of Srimati Radhika. Will he say that Radha should always be far away from Krsna? Never. I know him. I have been with him since 1947, and I am still serving him. If he has written, on a rare occasion, that separation is higher than meeting, he has done this only for beginners. We must feel separation for Krsna, and we must lament that we have been separated from Him for a long time. It is essential for a sadhaka to feel that he is separated form Krsna, and thus he should lament in separation.* [see Endnote 2] On the other hand, for the mature devotee, Srila Swami Maharaja has written in his many books that separation is only accepted if it helps increase the enjoyment of meeting.

Now kindly digest all these truths.

NEXT MORNING, AT A DARSANA

All the sakhas (cowherd boys) also used to feel great separation from Krsna. Even when Krsna would hide behind a tree, they used to run very quickly to find him; and the gopis especially used to experience grievous separation. It has been written in Srimad Bhagavatam's Gopi-gita:

atati yad bhavan ahni kananam

truti yugayate tvam apasyatam

kutila-kuntalam sri-mukham ca te

jada udiksatam paksma-krd drsam

["When You go off to the forest during the day, a tiny fractionof a second becomes like a millennium for us because we cannot see You. And even when we can eagerly look upon Your beautiful face, so lovely with its adornment of curly locks, our pleasure is hindered by our eyelids, which were fashioned by the foolish creator." (SB 10.31.15)]

The meaning is clear. When Krsna used to go for cow-grazing, and also when He returned from cow grazing, the gopis used to see Him. At that time they wanted a way to be free from the impediment of the eyelids covering their eyes. They wanted thousands of eyes without eyelids – all over their bodies – because they wanted to see Krsna unimpeded. They cursed the creator, "O Brahma, because of the blinking of the eyelids that were created by you, our vision of Krsna is disturbed. We cannot tolerate separation from Krsna for even a fraction of a second. Each fraction of a second seems to us to be thousands and thousands of yugas." How would the Vrajavasis be able to tolerate the suffering of gopis, and especiallyof Radhika?

NEXT NIGHT, DURING CLASS

January 14, 2003

It was only for beginners and sadhakas that Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja said that one must adapt the mood of separation. We have been forgetful of Krsna since the beginning of time. Thus, a sadhaka-bhakta should always lament, weep, and feel separation in his bhajana. He should weep like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, like Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, and like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Beginners must know that wehave forgotten Krsna and we have been separated from Him from time immemorial,and therefore their bhajana should be full with feelings of separation.

The mature devotees will also feel separation, but moreover they will not want Srimati Radhika to feel separation from Krsna.

atati yad bhavan ahni kananam

truti yugayate tvam apasyatam

kutila-kuntalam sri-mukham ca te

jada udiksatam paksma-krd drsam

["When You go off to the forest during the day, a tiny fractionof a second becomes like a millennium for us because we cannot see You. And even when we can eagerly look upon Your beautiful face, so lovely with its adornment of curly locks, our pleasure is hindered by our eyelids, which were fashioned by the foolish creator." (SB 10.31.15)]

The gopis criticized Brahma thus: "You don't know how to create. You have made us with only two eyes, and you have also given us eyelids that continue to blink. You don't know anything. If any new Brahma will come and follow our instructions, he will make thousands and thousands of eyes throughout our limbs – without lids. At that time we will vividly see Krsna when He comes home from grazing cows in the evening and when He leaves again in the morning. At present, however, we eagerly wait for Krsna to return throughout the day. Then, when He comes home and we try to see Him, two things obstruct our vision. One obstruction is the tears that fall from our eyes, and second, we have eyelids. When Krsna is in front of us, if for a second we cannot see Him because of our tears or our eyelids, that second seems as long as thousands and millions of yugas (milleniums). We feel great separationat this time."

If you want the gopis to always be separated because this is higher, then what will become of them? They will die very soon. If you are happy to make them die, then you can say that the mood of separation is higher. If I ask those who have written that paper which tries to prove that separation is higher, "Do you want Radha and Krsna to always be separatedand to always feel separation?" – I think they will not answer in the affirmative. Only one who has no bhakti at all can say, "Yes" to this.

The highly respected Srila Kavi Karnapura is an exalted devotee. When he was very young he sucked the toe of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and by that act he became one of the greatest Vaisnava poets and writers. He has written a famous book called Sri Ananda Vrndavana Campu, which is similarto Sri Gopala Campu of Srila Jiva Gosvami, and he is more senior than Jiva Gosvami in the sense that he met with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu before Jiva Gosvami did. He wrote about the activities of Krsna up to rasa-lila, holi-lila, the swinging pastimes, and so on, and he never described how Krsna went with Baladeva to Mathura and how He sent Uddhava to Vraja. He never told this because he could not tolerate the thought of separation between Radha and Krsna. He thinks that if Krsna will leave his Svaminiji Radhika and go to Mathura, Radhika will die. In Vraja, when Krsna used to go to the forest for cow-grazing, the gopis hardly felt any separation in comparison to what they felt when Krsna left for Mathura. When Krsna left for cow-grazing, groupsof gopis used to assemble together to sing Gopi-gita and Venu-gita, and thusthey maintained their lives. We should be happy by the meeting of Radha and Krsna, and we should be sad in Their separation. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has therefore written:

sri krsna-virahe, radhikara dasa, ami to' sahite nari

yugali-milana, sukhera karana, jivana chadite pari

["I am absolutely unable to tolerate Sri Radhika's pitiable condition when She is suffering in separation from Sri Krsna, but I am fully prepared to immediately give up my life for the sake of Their happy reunion." (Sri Krsna-Virahe, verse 1)]

radhikara tare, sata bara mari, se duhkha amar soya

["For Radhika's sake I will gladly tolerate the pain and agony of death hundreds of times." (Sri Krsna-Virahe, verse 2)]

"If I see Radhika feeling separation, I will die in anguish hundreds and thousands of times over. On the other hand, I can do anything for Radhika's pleasure. For Her pleasure, I will happily die hundreds and hundreds of times."

This is the essence of all our discussion of yesterday.

[Endnote 1:

"When the lover and the beloved meet, they are called yukta (connected). Previous to their meeting, they are called ayukta (not connected). Whether connected or not connected, the ecstatic emotion arising due to not being able to embrace and kiss each other as desired is called vipralambha. This vipralambha helps nourish emotions at the time of meeting." (Srila Prabhupada's purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 23.60)

"On the sambhoga platform, the dresses are unlimited, and on the vipralambha they are four in number. The ecstasy exhibited before the lover and beloved meet, the ecstasy experienced between them after meeting, the state of mind experienced by not meeting, and the state of mind experienced after meeting fearing separation are called vipralambha. That vipralambha serves as a nourishing element for future meetings." (Prabhupada's explanation in Teachings of Lord Caitanya)

Endnote 2:

"Lord Caitanya taught people in general the method of vipralambha-seva, which is the method of rendering service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the feeling of separation. The six Gosvamis also taught worship of Krsna in the feeling of the gopis in separation. The prayers of Srinivasacarya about the Gosvamis explain these matters very clearly." (Krsna Book, Chapter 47)

"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-seva. Not that "Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Krsna. He was snatching my cloth." These are sahajiyas. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvamis also taught us like that." (Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture: SB1.10.14)

"So for advanced devotee everything is possible, as described by this gentleman. But that is not for everyone. That is not a common thing. Exceptional. For the common person, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised and as He has practically shown in His life, that is devotional service in separation: "Where is Krsna?" Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. "I am seeing everything vacant because I cannot see Krsna." The same thing was followed by the Gosvamis." (Prabhupada's lecture of Canto Five Srimad-Bhagavatam)

"Our, this Gaudiya-sampradaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's descendants, our line of God realization is that separation, feeling of separation. Not that we have got Krsna within our hand. No. The feeling of separation, worship of Krsna by feeling of separation is better than the worship by directly meeting. Vipralambha-seva." (Prabhupada's lecture of Feb.2,1968)

"Direct contact is not possible. Neither that is the way of worshiping by the method of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is sahajiya-vada. "I am talking with Krsna. Krsna is snatching my cloth." There is a book, one lady has written,her experience that Krsna comes, He talks with her and snatches her cloth. She has written openly. But this is not Caitanya Mahaprabhu's way…

"Real Caitanya Mahaprabhu sampradaya is that he should be feeling like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, separation. Not sambhoga. Vipralambha. Vipralambha-seva: "Oh, I am so wretched, I could not serve Krsna. How I can see Krsna? It is not possible." In this way. That is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. "But even though I do not see Him, neither it is possible for me to see Him..." This means: "What I am? I am insignificant person. Why should Krsna come and seeme?" This is right. "Why shall I aspire after seeing Krsna? What qualification Ihave got?" This is bhajana. This is bhajana. Why should I be proud that "Now I shall see Krsna"? What I am? That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu…Krsna may not come. I may not see Krsna for thousands and thousands of lives. I may rot in the hellish condition of life for many, many births. That doesn't matter. Still, I cannot give up Krsna consciousness." This is required. I may be sent to hell, heaven; it doesn't matter. What qualification I have got that I want to seeback to home, back to Godhead? It is not so easy thing." (Mayapura: June 27, 1973)]

July 26, 2006

The Purpose of Lord Caitanya's Descent

[Excerpted from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja's "Nectar Sprinkles on Australia"]

We shall continue our reading from Caitanya-caritamrta, Third Chapter, which explains who Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is, and how and why He came to this world.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja tells us that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari, is Krsna Himself, Svayam Krsna. He is not only Bhagavan, but Svayam Bhagavan 1, Vrajendranandana Krsna. This Krsna is eternally situated with all His attributes, and with His power, which is personified in the form of Srimati Radhika. Even if the sun could be separated from its heat and light, Radha and Krsna can never be separated.

Krsna played in Vrndavana for ten years.

He took birth in Mahavana Gokula and played there for His first few years.

Then both His family and Sri Radha's family moved to Vrndavana, where They enjoyed unlimited pastimes. Later both families moved near Radha-kunda, where Nanda Baba stayed at Calgrama. They then moved to Kamyavana, then Kelanvana, and finally to Nandagaon Gokula and Varsana respectively. In each dwelling place They made a new village, and so Their villages were always side-by-side. Radha and Krsna met at these places and eternally performed Their topmost pastime of rasa-lila, as well as other pastimes there.

When Krsna comes to this world, the whole of Vraja comes with Him: His associates, the Yamuna river, Govardhana hill, Bhandiravana forest, and the entire 84 krosas of Vrndavana. He comes once in a day of Brahma, in order to taste the five rasas of His pastimes-santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya. Although he enjoys these rasas, He still has three unfulfilled desires; and to fulfill these is the essential reason for His appearance as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Also, because He is an ocean of causeless mercy and an ocean of rasa, He wanted to sprinkle drops of special mercy on the jivas, so that they would come to Him and serve Him forever.

Devotee reads: In this chapter of the epic Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has stressed that Lord Caitanya appeared for three principal purposes of His own. The first purpose was to relish the position of Srimati Radharani, who is the prime reciprocator of transcendental love of Sri Krsna. Lord Krsna is the reservoir of transcendental loving transactions with Srimati Radharani. The subject of those loving transactions is the Lord Himself, and Radharani is the object. Thus the subject, the Lord, wanted to relish the loving mellow in the position of the object, Radharani.

The second reason for His appearance was to understand the transcendental mellow of Himself. Lord Krsna is all sweetness.

Radharani's attraction for Krsna is sublime, and to experience that attraction and understand the transcendental sweetness of Himself, He accepted the mentality of Radharani.

The third reason that Lord Caitanya appeared was to enjoy the bliss tasted by Radharani. The Lord thought that undoubtedly Radharani enjoyed His company and He enjoyed the company of Radharani, but the exchange of transcendental mellow between the spiritual couple was more pleasing to Srimati Radharani than to Sri Krsna. Radharani felt more transcendental pleasure in the company of Krsna than He could understand without taking Her position, but for Sri Krsna to enjoy in the position of Srimati Radharani was impossible because that position was completely foreign to Him. Krsna is the transcendental male, and Radharani is the transcendental female. Therefore, to know the transcendental pleasure of loving Krsna, Lord Krsna Himself appeared as Lord Caitanya, accepting the emotions and bodily luster of Srimati Radharani.

Lord Caitanya appeared to fulfill these confidential desires and also to preach the special significance of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and to answer the call of Advaita Prabhu. These were secondary reasons.

Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami was the principal figure among Lord Caitanya's confidential devotees. The records of his diary have revealed these confidential purposes of the Lord. These revelations have been confirmed by the statements of Srila Rupa Gosvami in his various prayers and poems.

This chapter also specifically describes the difference between lust and love. The transactions of Krsna and Radha are completely different from material lust.

Therefore the author has very clearly distinguished between them. [C-c, Adi-lila, Ch. 4 introduction]

Srila Maharaja: While Krsna was thinking how to fulfill His desires, the time came in Kali-yuga to preach the yuga-dharma, the religion of the age. At the same time, Advaita Acarya came to prepare a platform for the descent of Krsna and His associates.

Advaita Acarya wanted to give krsna-prema, but He could not-because this was not the function of Mahavisnu.

This was not even possible for Rama, Nrsimha, Kalki, Vamana, or Parasurama.

All of these avataras could establish the yuga-dharma, but they could not give to plants, animals, creepers, or anyone what Svayam Bhagavan, Vrajendranandana Krsna could give-prema-bhakti.

Baladeva Prabhu can give this special prema, but does not. He reserves it for Krsna to give and He, Himself, simply assists. Similarly in the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu can also distribute that special krsna-prema, madhurya-prema but He never does. He leaves it for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates like Sri Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and others like them. Sri Nityananda Himself distributed general prema.

So there are four reasons for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance-two external and two internal. The external reasons were firstly to establish yuga-dharma, and secondly to satisfy Advaita Acarya who, offering tulasi leaves, called for Krsna to descend.

By his love, Advaita Acarya induced Krsna to come to this world. If any devotee takes very soft leaves of tulasi, with a manjari in the middle, and offers it to Krsna, while weeping and praying to Him, Krsna will not be able to refuse that devotee. He will have to leave Goloka Vrndavana, and at once come to him. To inspire Krsna to hear us, we should also worship tulasi daily, as Advaita Acarya has done. By this method we can certainly please Krsna, even if we are unable to please Him in other ways. By this method Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and all Their associates will enter our hearts.

Actually, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari is Krsna Himself, and Sri Nityananda is Baladeva Prabhu.

Through sankirtana, the yuga-dharma, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestowed His prema to all types of living entities. Even Krsna could not have induced the forest inhabitants to chant and dance as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did. Serpents, elephants, tigers, she-goats-everyone became inspired by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He sang, "Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna he.

Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, raksa mam. Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, pahi mam. Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava, raksa mam.

Krsna Kesava, Krsna Kesava, Krsna Kesava, pahi mam." At this time Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not in His external senses. He was weeping and sometimes rolling on the ground. Overwhelmed, all the animals, creepers, and trees began to chant along with Him.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed this rare prema, which He did not even give to Brahma, Sankara, Uddhava, and Narada, to all who came to Him. He made serpents into Vraja serpents, deers into Vraja deers, and cows into Vraja cows.

After receiving Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy they all developed intense affection for Krsna.

When Krsna came to this world He was also merciful, but He gave krsna-prema according to the quality of the devotee's surrender and devotional practice-not less, not more, but in the same quantity, like a scale.

ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha. [b-g. 4.11]

An analogy may be given about a pot. This pot represents our qualification for krsna-prema. When Krsna was present He never gave a pot to anyone. He said, "O, bring your pot. According to the type and size of your pot I will give you that much prema."

Without your qualification, Krsna will not give you prema. If you have committed many offenses He will not give prema. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving the pot-and the prema. He and Sri Nityananda Prabhu are so merciful. They have no scale at all. Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sacinandana Gaurahari is the son of Sacidevi, He is so merciful that whoever comes to Him receives His mercy.

Without a scale He says, "O, come on, come on. Do you have a pot?No, I have no pot. No qualification.Oh, alright then. I will give you the pot and also this nectar, krsna-prema."

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave prema to so many, but this is only a secondary reason for His appearance. The primary cause for Krsna's descent as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to taste the three moods of Srimati Radhika, which only She could taste. He therefore borrowed Her internal mood and beauty, and became tadatma with Her. Tadatma means oneness. For example, when iron is placed in fire it can burn.

Iron does not burn; only fire has this power. But, when placed in fire, the iron becomes tadatma with it, and can therefore also burn. Similarly, Krsna became tadatma with Radhika, and forgot that He is Krsna.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Raya Ramananda at Godavari, He learned rasa-tattva from him. Raya Ramananda is Visakha, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. Krsna, in the form of Caitanya, made Srimati Visakha-devi His guru, to help Him develop the mood and beauty of Radha. After that, Krsna, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, became mahabhava-rasaraja-svarupa. Without accepting Visakha as His guru, this would not have been possible. So, after meeting with Raya Ramananda, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu tasted these three moods in the Gambhira at Jagannatha Puri. He is therefore very grateful to Visakha and also to Lalita. Without their help Krsna cannot taste Radhika's three moods.

Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, He can distribute vraja-prema, especially parakiya-bhava (love between a paramour and the beloved). This is called unnata-ujjvala-rasa. Unnata means highest, and ujjvala means brilliantly shining. Rasa means the mellow of a specific relationship with Krsna.

The brilliance of unnata-ujjvala-rasa is unparalleled. All of our acaryas in the Gaudiya sampradaya have come to this world to teach this. They did not come to taste what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to taste, but to distribute this same rasa which Mahaprabhu came to distribute.

The distribution of unnata-ujjvala-rasa is the main reason, but not the foremost supreme reason for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advent. It is the second internal reason. The first was to taste Radha's mood, and the second internal reason was to distribute the service to that mood. He wanted to distribute that prema which is rare even for Brahma, Sankara and Narada upon the jivas. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission and can only be done by the power of Krsna in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Similarly, all our acaryas, like Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Srila Syamananda Prabhu, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srila Srinivasa Acarya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja-they have not come only to preach the glories of chanting the holy name. This can also be done by the associates of Mahavisnu. Try to understand this point. The expansions or manifestations of Mahavisnu, like Advaita Acarya, can preach and distribute the holy name, but they cannot preach vraja-prema through nama-prema-sankirtana. There is a vast difference between the nama-sankirtana of this Kali-yuga and that of other Kali-yugas. This is a specialty of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and His followers, His associates.

Incarnations of Mahavisnu, like Advaita Acarya and associates like Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanat Kumara, Visvaksena, and all the associates of Visnu, can perform and establish nama-sankirtana, and yuga-dharma, but that nama-sankirtana will not give krsna-prema, vraja-prema. The nama-sankirtana of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates has a special power that can give this.

Unnata-ujjvala-rasa is the special mood of Srimati Radhika. It can be tasted by Krsna as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but cannot be distributed.

What then did Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu give? He did give unnata-ujjvala-rasa, but unnata-ujjvala-rasa is of two kinds: kamatmika (which He tasted) and tad-tad-bhava-icchatmika (which He distributed). Kamatmika is the mood of Srimati Radhika, Lalita, Visakha, and the other eight principle gopis, and all other gopis like them.

Srimati Radhika has five kinds of sakhis (gopi friends): sakhi, nitya-sakhi, prana-sakhi, priya-sakhi and priya-narma-sakhis.

1. Sakhis--Danistha is an example.

These sakhis love and serve Srimati Radhika and Krsna, but they are slightly more inclined towards Krsna.

2. Nitya--sakhis and 3. prana--sakhis are the only two kinds of sakhis who are in the category of tad-tad-bhava-icchatmika.

It is their service that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ultimately came to give the jivas. These sakhis serve both Radha and Krsna, with a tendency to favor Srimati Radhika and render service to Her. They obey only Her. The prana-sakhis, like Rupa manjari and Rati manjari, being even more intimately connected with Her, are naturally the leaders of the nitya-sakhis.

4. Priya-sakhis and 5. priya-narma-sakhis--Lalita and Visakha are examples.

Among the sakhis the priya-sakhis and the priya-narma-sakhis are most dear, and they both serve yugala-kisora, the divine youthful couple, but with a slight tendency towards Srimati Radhika. Both these sakhis have so much power that they can sometimes chastise Radhika and at other times chastise Krsna.

The difference between the nitya and prana-sakhis, and the priya and priya-narma-sakhis is that the nitya-sakhis and prana-sakhis are called manjaris. They do not do anything for their own personal relationship with Krsna. They do everything for Srimati Radhika. They have no desire to taste anything for themselves. This bhava, which is called tad-tad-bhava-icchatmika, is also unnata-ujjvala-rasa. It is this type of unnata-ujjvala-rasa that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to distribute.

This is a very high topic and I am speaking it for only a very few, rare persons.

One may ask why I am speaking about it at all. In this sloka it is explained that to do sadhana we must first be clear about our objective. For example, if we want money we may have to serve the government, get a job, or do business. If you do not do business you might steal, and if you are not expert in stealing, you might get a group of dacoits and forcefully attack with swords like the asuras (demons). Krsna also forcefully attacked Bhismaka's kingdom, where lakhs and lakhs of kings and their armies waited in full force to protect Rukmini from Krsna. But Krsna, like a lion entering a group of jackals took Rukmini on His chariot and rode to Dvaraka where He married her.

If someone's goal is to accumulate money, and if, by begging, he doesn't get it, he will get it by hook or by crook. Outside a sweet shop a dog will drool as he watches people eat rasagulla and rasam alai. He will not enter the shop, which the owner guards with a stick, but runs to lick from the leaf cups when they have been thrown away. And while he is licking the cups he will try to guard them from any other dog in the vicinity.

Similarly, in spiritual life our objective should first be fixed, and then we can decide how to achieve it. This practice is called sadhana and the goal is called sadhya. Without the sadhya one cannot determine his sadhana. This is why Krsnadasa Kaviraja presents the sadhya in the first sloka after the mangalacarana of Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi-lila: 1.4).

Is your objective to accept what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give-that vraja-prema, that unnata-ujjvala-bhava? If it is, then come to me. You should go to the school of Rupa Gosvami, read all the Gosvami's literature, and learn how to develop greed for it. There are no rules and regulations for how this greed will come. By associating with and hearing from a bona fide Vaisnava, greed can come. By sastric arguments alone, this greed will not come.

A very ordinary, ugly, deformed, and poor person may see Princess Diana of England.

He may have some greed to make her his wife. Although to make her his wife is absurd, to have this greed, no wealth, no qualification is required. Greed cannot be controlled. Spiritual greed is acquired by hearing. Hearing about what? The beauty of Krsna and the affection of the gopis for Him as described by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Srimad-Bhagavatam also describes how Krsna was controlled by the gopis, praying to place His head on Their feet and beg for mercy.

By hearing the topics of Caitanya-caritamrta and the books of Srila Rupa Gosvami, from a pure devotee, a greed may come whether one is otherwise qualified for it or not, whether one is a pure devotee or not. When greed comes one becomes qualified to choose his means of practice (sadhana). He immediately achieves ruci and gallops toward his goal.

Those who practice sadhana-bhajana of Krsna out of fear of going to hell are practicing what is called vaidhi-bhakti-pravrtti. Practicing because greed has arisen in the heart is called raganuga.

There is a difference between ragatmika and raganuga devotees. Those in this world who have raga (attachment) and who are just reaching the stage of bhava, are raganuga. And those devotees who have not reached this stage, but who are developing some greed (raganuga-pravrtti), will eventually be qualified to practice raganuga-bhakti.

They are not practicing raganuga yet, but they are approaching it. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came only to give this greed; and to those who already have greed, to give them bhava; and to those who have bhava, to give them prema. What kind of prema does He give? Not Radha's mood. Not unnata-ujjvala-kamatmika-bhava, but unnata-ujjvala-tad-tad-bhava-iccha-tmika.

Try to understand. Although all of you will not understand, try to understand.

After ten years or twenty years, or in a future life, by being in the association of unnata (elevated) Vaisnavas you can realize something. I am also trying to develop this greed. I am not a raganuga Vaisnava but I pray that in this life, or if I am not qualified, then in a thousand lives from now, that I may receive the mercy of a raganuga Vaisnava. I want nothing other than this-nothing else. I don't mind dying, but I do mind taking water from anywhere other than Kesi ghata or Manasi Ganga ghata-or any ghatas, or bathing places of the gopis-tad-tad-bhava-icchatmika-gopis.

Now I will explain the mula-sloka:

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah

May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service. [C-c, Adi-lila: 1.4]

This sloka is from the mangalacarana of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Vidagdha-madhava.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu inspired Rupa Gosvami in Prayaga to fulfill His desire to distribute unnata-ujjvala-parakiya-bhava and along with this, to distribute knowledge to the jivas about what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu tasted. This bhava is unparalleled even in Goloka Vrndavana, what to speak of this world. This prema is the nitya-dharma (eternal religion) of all living entities-not just those in human bodies.

If a husband who has affection for his wife sees that his wife has affection for another man, he will be upset. Similarly if the wife knows that her husband internally loves someone else, she will be upset. Either way, their whole life together will be upset. We see this relationship between husband and wife, lover and beloved, not only in humans, but creatures, creepers, and trees.

Without this love one cannot live.

The perverted reflection of prema is the desire to satisfy the body, and this is called kama (lust). Because it is not pure, it will cause pain, suffering, and problems. In this world it is seen that a man cannot fully satisfy any woman and vice versa. After one month, two months, or one or two days, he or she will look for someone else. Because of lust we are imprisoned in the material world, seeking satisfaction in wife, husband, children, mother, father, friends and worldly objects. And Krsna arranges for us to taste the result of material attachment and lust.

When Rama came with Sita He taught us the result of lust. Sometimes a husband becomes controlled by his wife's lust.

When Rama, Sita and Laksmana were in the jungle, the demon Marici came in the shape of a golden deer. Sita saw him and told Rama, "I want this deer. You can catch it alive, or You can shoot it and bring his skin." Laksmana warned Rama not to follow the deer. "He is actually a demon, and he will cause You many problems. Don't go. Disobey Your wife." Although Rama is Bhagavan Himself, and is therefore not controlled by maya, He is showing what can happen when a man comes under the control of a woman. Rama said, "I must carry out the order of My wife, even if the deer is a demon."

Rama went after the deer, and as a result, He had to leave Sita twice.

Finally He left Her forever, only due to others doubting Her purity after her being with Ravana for some days. She was pure, but because others doubted, Rama had to follow them. He sent Her into the forest and lamented deeply. Although he lived in a royal palace and Sita lived in the forest in the asrama of Valmiki, sleeping on a grass mat, and cutting wood for cooking, it was Rama who repented. "I have sent Sita to the jungle, so I will also live as a renunciate and not taste any pleasures." He stayed alone in His palace but slept on a mat on the floor.

Sita, slept easily. Rama could not. He would always weep, "Site, Site, Site, I have made a mistake by trying to satisfy my subjects." Sita was consoled by Valmiki, but there was no one to console Rama, no one to wipe His tears. So He wept constantly, and one who knows the heart of Rama will also weep bitterly.

Once, Rama performed a rajasuya yajna (sacrifice) on the bank of the river near Naimisaranya. All of His subjects, including His mothers, brothers, monkeys (including Hanuman and Sugriva), and Vibhisana etc. were assembled there. The yajna would be conducted from early morning to ten o'clock and again in the middle of the day all assembled to hear katha from the Puranas.

One day the twin sons of Rama and Sita, Lava and Kusa, arrived in that assembly.

They were eight or nine years old, very beautiful, and closely resembling Rama Himself. No one knew who they were or from where they had come. Playing a vina they began to recite the Ramayana that they had heard in the asrama of Valmiki.

They sang in such a marvelous melodious tune, as with a vina, where high sounds trembled down to low ones in a raga suitable for karuna-rasa (spiritual lamentation). The tune was so sweet that all present were stunned in pin-drop silence as they sang the pastime where Sita, Rama, and Laksmana in the dress of sannyasis, left Ayodhya for the forest under the order of Kaikeyi-and where Dasaratha, lamenting, "Ha Rama! Ha Rama!" died immediately.

As Lava and Kusa sang, Rama, Laksmana, Bharata, Kaikeyi, Hanuman and Sugriva and the entire audience were moved, and wept bitterly, as if the pastime was taking place before their eyes.

As the day drew to a close, Rama sent Laksmana to give Lava and Kusa a donation of a pot of golden coins, silken cloth, and golden ornaments. Laksmana descended from his throne and called, "My dear boys, please tell me your father's name and where you are from. Lord Rama wants to know your identity."

The boys first became silent, and then said, "You know the Vedas. You are a learned person, You must therefore know that it is not proper etiquette to inquire from a brahmacari or sannyasi about their father and mother, wife, daughters or sons. We are two brahmacaris. You may therefore inquire about the name of our Gurudeva, the whereabouts of our asrama, or request us to speak hari-katha. We are disciples of Valmiki."

Laksmana became silent and felt ashamed that he had asked this question. "Please accept these golden pots containing jewels and golden ornaments."

The boys replied, "We are simple brahmacaris. What use do we have of such opulent gifts? We eat fruit and without the use of a vessel we drink water from our hands. Please return these gifts to Rama, Who is a king and has use for them.."

Lava and Kusa returned to their mother Who had been anxiously waiting for them.

Taking the boys in Her arms, one in Her left, the other in Her right, She caressed them and asked, "O sons, why have you come home so late today?"

"Today, Mother, we went far away to the assembly of a king." They did not know the king's name. "There we sang the pastimes of Sita and Rama. We don't know why, but everyone present was weeping-the king Himself, His brother, and even the monkeys. While there, we saw something very unusual-a golden statue that looked exactly like You-the same face, and same beauty-but whereas You speak, this statue did not."

Sita began to weep bitterly but could not explain to Lava and Kusa Rama's banishment of Her.

The next day Rama said to Valmiki, " I know Sita is staying in your asrama.

Bring Her to Ayodhya immediately. I can't live without Her."

The next day Sita arrived in Ayodhya.

Looking down at the ground as She walked, and with Lava and Kusa holding Her hands, they followed Valmiki and silently entered Rama's kingdom, wondering what was going to happen. Rama, Laksmana, Hanuman, Kausalya and others eagerly gazed at the sight of Sita returning to Ayodhya. They assumed that the two boys must be the sons of Rama. Because they were so beautiful, they could be the sons of no other.

Rama spoke to Sita, "I want proof that You are pure, that You have never been touched by Ravana."

Sita responded in a mild voice with honor for Rama, "Do you not accept the proof of my purity from Dasaratha Maharaja and Agni deva? I will now give you proof." And She prayed, "O Prthivi, you are My mother. If I am pure, if I have never known anyone except Rama, if My heart has never been attracted even for a moment to someone else, please open and take Me in your lap." She said this three times. At once the earth divided in two and a beautiful golden chariot appeared.

Prthivi-devi took Sita on her lap and the earth closed.

Rama immediately jumped up crying, "Site! Site! Site! You have left Me! O mother-in-law, Prthivi-devi, return My Sita or I will shoot you and break you into pieces. I want to see Sita at once!"

Valmiki appeared and said, "Rama, don't be so distressed. You should go to Sita.

She is waiting for You."

So Rama is showing the world the result of lust. "Don't do as I have done, or there will be so many problems." To be happy, try to attain pure love for Krsna.

Material love is an endeavor to gratify selfish desires, whereas pure krsna-prema is the opposite, free from the slightest taint of selfishness. To distribute our sva-bhava-nitya-dharma (eternal religion), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu descended to this world. Don't waste this good opportunity to practice bhakti-yoga in the association of pure devotees who are free from politics, hypocrisy, duplicity, and diplomacy. We should understand that this prema is our sva-bhava-nitya-dharma and, to be happy forever, we will have to achieve it.

Don't let lust create a disturbance in your life. If you are married that is alright, there is no harm. Treat your wife as Krsnapriya, serving her with love and affection, but reserving your real inner affection for Krsna. This world is a training center. Take training but don't become entangled or you will have so many problems. Do your duty, maintain your wife and children. Wealth is not bad if properly utilized. Don't think your family is there to fulfill your lust.

Practice bhakti, serve your family and make this world like Vaikuntha

Footnotes

1 Svayam Bhagavan means the original form of Godhead, from Whom all other incarnations emanate.

Nectar Sprinkles on Australia

The Purpose of Lord Caitanya's Descent

July 26, 2006

Who Is That Sri Radha?

Berlin, Germany: July 6, 2003

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

We will continue to explain about Ratha-yatra, but before that I want to tell you something important – and you should listen carefully. There is a guarantee given by Krsna, and sastra also confirms this when it says, “Vrndavanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati – Krsna is always in Vrndavana” (Brahmana-samhita, 5.37). He never goes one step beyond Vrndavana. Does His power, hladini sakti Srimati Radhika, go? Even if Krsna would go outside Vrndavana, She doesn’t go. She will always be there; neither She nor Krsna will go even one inch out of Vrndavana. Vrndavana and Mathura are very near to each other, and they share the same border. There is only a fine line between them, yet Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krsna cannot go, and Srimati Radhika also cannot go, to Mathura.

Still, we see that there is a viyoga, a separation mood. Sri Krsna weeps bitterly in Dvaraka and Srimati Radhika, in Her separation mood, rolls on the earth and weeps bitterly in Nandagaon. Since They are always in Vrndavana, how does this separation mood come? There should not be any separation mood, yet we see that Srimati Radhika and Her sakhis feel such intense separation in Nandagaon that they roll down on the earth, weep bitterly, and do not take any meals. The sakhis must even test, by placing a cotton swab under Her nose, to see whether or not Srimati Radhika is alive. Within their minds and hearts, the sakhis suffer in unbearable separation.

For whom are they weeping? When Sri Krsna Bhagavan went to Kuruksetra for the meeting which was later celebrated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during the Ratha-yatra festival, all of the Vrajavasis also went there. Srimati Radhika, along with all of Her sakhis, went there and met with Him. Radhika told Him there, "You are the same Krsna and I am the same Radha, and this is the same spring season and We are meeting here, but now I am not happy. I want to be with You in a nikunja (secluded grove) on the shore of the Yamuna, where the peacocks dance and cuckoos sing. I want to meet You in that beautiful sweet Vrndavana, where there are very fragrant kadamba trees and the breeze of Yamuna. There are no controllers there – no father, mother, or anyone else like them in that kunja; only My sakhis are there, in parakiya mood.” Who is lamenting there, in Kuruksetra?

Another question may arise. Rohini-nandana Rama (Balarama) is always with Yasoda-nandana Krsna. He also cannot go an inch from Vrndavana. So who is that Sri Baladeva who went to Mathura with Lord Krsna? Who is that Sri Krsna and Baladeva? After spending some time in Mathura, Baladeva went with Krsna to Dvaraka-puri; so who is that Sri Baladeva and Sri Krsna who went to Dvaraka? Rohini-nandana Rama will not go an inch out of Vrndavana. He is always with Yasoda-nandana, Radha-kanta Krsna. So who is there in Dvaraka making Bhagavan Krsna weep (as described in both Srimad Bhagavatam and Brhat Bhagavatamrta). Lord Krsna wept so much that He fainted. Who is that Lord Baladeva? There are so many questions in this regard.

I think that most devotees will not be able to understand this subject, even if I continually speak about it. Only a high class of devotee can realize something – and yet I am explaining it. I don’t know why I am telling you this. This is my “bad habit”. I want to forget management and other external activities. I want to immerse myself and weep bitterly like the gopis do for Krsna. I want to serve Srimati Radhika and be very happy to control Krsna. I want that She will order me, "Be at the door of the kunja and don't let Krsna come in." These pastimes are in my heart.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Rupa Gosvami have given an indication, an outline, explaining who they are, in reply to these questions. If They would go out of Vrndavana, then sastra’s (the scriptures’) guarantee cannot be kept and all sastra will be false. Also, regarding Mathura, sastra states: “yatra nityah sannihito harih – Hari is always in Mathura.” If He never goes out of Mathura, who was in Vrndavana and who came from Vrndavana to Mathura? The same thing has also been told for Lord Dvarakadhisa Krsna: He never goes out of Dvaraka; He always resides there. All these truths are very mysterious.

You should know that Yogamaya Paurnamasi is very “tricky”; she can perform magic. She is an expert magician, but who is she? She is simply the wish of Krsna. Krsna’s wish becomes Srimati Paurnamasi devi. Controlled by Himself, Krsna is dancing. He is dancing, Radha is dancing, and all the Vrajavasis are dancing – under the control or indication of Yogamaya – as puppets dance according to the puppeteer. An ordinary person in the audience cannot see how the puppet is dancing. Similarly, Sri Krsna, Srimati Radhika and all the Vrajavasis, and also Dvarakadhisa and Mathuresa and all their associates are dancing – by the indication of Yogamaya Paurnamasi.

Now we will return to the point. Sri Krsna and Srimati Radhika never go out of Vrndavana, so why are They feeling separation? Who did Uddhava see with his own eyes in Nandagaon? She is Viyogini Sri Radha. Who met with Lord Krsna in Kuruksetra and was weeping and wanted to bring Him from Kuruksetra to Vraja? She is Samyogini Radhika. She and Sri Krsna were meeting after a long time, and She is therefore called Samyogini. When She manifests as Viyogini, She is in Nandagaon and feeling separation from Krsna when He is not in Vrndavana.

When Srimati Radhika has expanded as Viyogini and Samyogini, She is in Vraja, and Krsna is in Vraja, but in a hidden way. There in Nandagaon, Viyogini Radhika always laments. All gopis lament there, but She especially So who will be meeting with Sri Krsna in Vraja? Vrsabhanu-nandini Radhika Herself. The Radhika who feels great separation for Krsna is Viyogini Radhika. The Radhika who meets with Him in Kuruksetra after a long time, but was not satisfied and thus wanted to bring Him to Vrndavana – and who brought Him on the chariot of Her heart – is called Samyogini Radhika. In the same way, Krsna, that is, Nanda-nandana Yasoda-nandana Radha-kanta, is always in Vrndavana.

Who goes to Mathura? Vasudeva-nandana goes to Mathura. In Mathura and Dvaraka, Krsna is Viyogi Krsna, and the Krsna who went to Kuruksetra is Samyogi Krsna. Viyogi – Viyogini, Samyogi – Samyogini.

And what about Sri Baladeva Prabhu? He is the son of Rohini-nandana, He never goes out of Vrndavana, and he is always with Krsna. Who is the Baladeva Prabhu that goes to Mathura and Dvaraka? He is Devaki-nandana, not Rohini-nandana. One can say that he was first in the womb of Devaki and went to Rohini Maiya as Sankarsana. The Baladeva Prabhu who was in Mathura is Devaki-nandana, and the Baladeva Prabhu who was in Vrndavana is Rohini-nandana. Baladeva Prabhu is the amsi, the complete personality from who others expand. He and his other two manifestations are different by nature. When He is in Vrndavana he is Rohini-nandana Himself, the origin of all. So who is in Mathura and Dvaraka? He is Devaki-nandana, and he is also known as mula-Sankarsana. When he goes to Dvaraka He becomes Mula Sankarsana, and in Vaikuntha he becomes Maha-Sankarsana., and when He manifests on the Causal Ocean, he becomes Maha Visnu or Karanadakasayi-Visnu from whom the tatastha jivas emanate After that he becomes Garbodakasayi-visnu and at last he becomes Khirodakasayi-visnu. And each incarnation has so many functions. You should know all these truths and then you will be able to understand this class; but I think that when you leave class you will forget what I am telling you. Try to know these teachings; otherwise you will mix all the information in a hodgepodge.

In the same way, Sri Gaurasundara, Sacinandana Gaurahari, is Sacinandana in Gaura-mandala, Sri Navadvipa-dhama When He goes to Puri, then, in the mood of Viyogini Radhika, He is always lamenting and weeping. Then, when He goes to Godavari and Sundaracala – the place of Gundica mandira –He becomes like Samyogini Radhika. At that time, during the Ratha-yatra festival, in the mood of Srimati Radhika, He is weeping and dancing and singing when He again meets that prananatha, Lord Jagannatha. You should note down these truths in your heart and then do bhajana.

gaura yadi pache cale, syama haya sthire

gaura age cale, syama cale dhire-dhire

[When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dramatically enacting the song, He would sometimes fall behind in the procession. At such times, Lord Jagannatha would come to a standstill. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu again went forward, Lord Jagannatha's car would slowly start again. (Madhya 13.119)]

When Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu was dancing in front of the chariot, Lord Jagannatha would slowly move forward. He would watch the dance very happily with a side long glance. On the other hand, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced behind, Jagannatha would stop, and think, "Why should I go? For whom should I go?"

Ratha-yatra continued, and here, Sri Krsna as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in the mood of Samyogini Radhika feeling separation though meeting. He was singing continually and very happy as he was bringing Jagannatha deva to Gundica. He became tired from dancing for a long time, but still He continued. Sri Svarupa Damodara and Sri Raya Ramananda saw that He was tired, and thought, “We should give Him a rest.” They stopped the chariot and desired that He take rest in the garden of Jagannatha.

Sri Svarupa Damodara told the head pujari and others that anyone in the crowd can offer their bhoga from anywhere they desired. The thousands upon thousands of devotees assembled then began to give their offerings to Lord Jagannatha, and He began to accept everything by His eyes. In this way, by trick, Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda, and Sri Nityananda Prabhu took Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to that garden. Sriman Mahaprabhu was very tired and laid down at the base of a tree, keeping His head on the tree’s root. As He lay there He remembered the pastimes of Vrndavana and wept.

In the meantime, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Svarupa Damodara, and especially Raya Ramananda told King Prataparudra, “This is the time. Leave your royal dress and be like a simple devotee wearing a simple dhoti. Go to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and recite the verses of the Bhagavatam from Gopi-gita. He will then be merciful to you. He will embrace you and fulfill all your desires.” King Prataparudra offered his obeisances to Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acarya, the other devotees. Then he slowly went to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, sat near His lotus feet, and began to recite Gopi-gita. He began from the first sloka and gradually came to this sloka:

tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam

kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham

sravana-mangalam srimad atatam

bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah

[The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent. (SB 10.31.9)]

He sang this in a very sweet tone. You are now hearing my tune, but you cannot compare mine with his. His tune was millions of times superior and His eyes were full of tears. As he sang he massaged Mahaprabhu’s feet, and when the Lord heard this verse especially, He regained consciousness and exclaimed, "Who are you? Who are you? Without My asking you are giving Me so much high class of nectar. I cannot repay you; I am a street beggar. Be merciful and continue."

In this verse beginning “tava katamrtam tapta jivanam,” the gopis are telling Krsna, “We are about to die without You.” Krsna appeared to them, as a spurti, and told them, "You should die at once Don’t delay." Then the gopis said, "How can we die? You are the reason we are not dying."

“Tava katamrtam – discussions of Your sweet pastimes is greater then nectar, and even greater then heavenly nectar and moksamrta, the nectar of liberation. If we die, who will hear that harikatha of Your nama, form and pastimes? Tapta jivanam – those who are greatly suffering will get life by hearing these discussions. They will at once be relieved. This harikatha is so much cooler then a cool breeze.

“The word kavibhir is used because Lord Brahma, Lord Sankara, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, Sri Narada Gosvami, and Srila Vyasadeva have all told the glories of Your harikatha. They have said that one who hears it cannot die, and that is why we have not died. “Kalmasapaham:” If anyone will hear your katha, all kinds of karma, anarthas, sins and suffering will go away at once. This statement is not a poet’s imagination; it is true to the fullest extent.

“Sravanam mangalanam. When one begins to hear your pastimes, from that very moment all kinds of qualifications and all kinds of auspiciousness will come to that person. The whole world will know of him; his glories will be everywhere. Bhuri da jana. Those who discuss and explain your sweet pastimes are the greatest donors in the entire world.”

Harikatha is the largest donation; the greatest charity. You should realize this. You can never repay me and my associates – never.

Who is telling this? Candravali or her sakhis. They are praying to Krsna, "Please come at once. You have disappeared from us, so please come at once.” They pray in this way, but another group of gopis, Srimati Radhika and her sakhis, are very angry by this cruel action of Krsna. Srimati Radhika wants to forget Krsna, but She cannot. Krsna told Her in the form of a sphurti, "Why are You not dying in My separation? She replied with anger “Tava katamrtam. Why are we not dying? You are responsible for that. You are most cruel, and the pastimes we are discussing are more then cruel.

“We were very happy in our family life, serving our husbands, children, fathers and mothers, but when we heard Your pastimes our lives were at once changed. From that time onward we began to die. Your pastimes are therefore like mrtya, very strong poison; more poisonous than snakes.

“We realize this. Tapta jivanam. Your katha gives our lives so much suffering – because You are not here. It is therefore more poisonous then a snake’s venomous poison. Your glories are only the imagination of poets.”

A poet may write a poem saying, "Jagannatha-deva's chariot was touching the sky." The chariot was not touching the sky, but this has been written in exaggeration. Even in Srimad Bhagavatam a poet wrote: "The horses of Arjuna where running in the sky." What is this? Can it be? Similarly, the gopis in Srimati Radhika’s group are telling Lord Krsna, “Poets have glorified Your harikatha, but actually it is very painful. Its glories are only the imagination of poets like Srila Vyasadeva and Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. Kalmasapaham: some suffering goes away, but it is replaced by more and more suffering. No one should hear the sweet pastimes of Krsna, or that person will always suffer. If you want to be happy with your family, don't chant Krsna’s name. Try to forget that black cheater; don't hear harikatha. Sravana-mangalam. This is quite false. By hearing, inauspicity will come. We have realization of this. At first we were happy, but when we heard His katha our life became upset and full of suffering. We have realization of this.

Srimad atatam. According to Srimati Radhika and Her group, this point is more dangerous. If any devotee, with a shaven head, wearing tilaka, kanti-mala and harinama-mala, holding a book under his arm, announces, "Come on. Come here. Without any price, free of cost, I will tell this harikatha,” he is the greatest and most dangerous cheater. He will spoil your life forever. Don't hear from him; remember this always. If you see a devotee wearing tilaka, kanti mala, and carrying a book, and especially in saffron cloth, you should offer dandavat pranama from afar – and run away.

This gopi, Srimati Radhika, is saying, “Be careful to avoid this dangerous person. Be far away. Don't chant; from today, stop.” There may be so many more meanings of this verse – depending on the nature of the different groups of gopis uttering it.

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami is explaining that if Sri Krsna Bhagavan is always with gopis, dancing, singing and playing with them, then His katha is amrta; otherwise it is mrtya.

Gaura Premanande!

So now the gopis are in Kuruksetra and Srimati Radhika is telling Krsna, “You are a great cheater.”

ahus ca te nalina-nabha padaravindam

yogesvarair hrdi vicintyam agadha-bodhaih samsara-kupa-patitottaranavalambam

geham jusam api manasy udiyat sada nah

[The gopis spoke thus: Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogis and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs. (SB 10.82.48)]

What Sri Krsna is saying and Sri Radha is saying, and what He then replies to Her, has been explained in a beautiful way in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.

On the fifth day, Hera Pancami, Bimala devi, Laksmi, came in search of Krsna in Sundaracala, (Gundica Temple) and bound and punished all of the associates of Jagannatha. They had to promise that, “Very soon, tomorrow, we will bring your husband.” This is Hera Pancami. So much sweet harikatha is there. Five days after the Hera Pancami festival, Krsna returned to His own Jagannatha temple, and the same krsna-katha, hari-kirtana and Mahaprabhu’s dancing continued. If Jagannatha was going to Jagannatha Puri, that is, Dvaraka or Kuruksetra, why did Mahaprabhu do so? Don’t think that He was returning. Even on that day, Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought, “I am taking My most beloved to Vrndavana.” In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta it has been written, “In the same way …”. After completing the Chariot festival Sriman Mahaprabhu was invited by many devotees to their homes, to honor great varieties of very sweet preparations of prasadam.

We have thus explained the essence of the Jagannatha festival, so try to remember all of these topics and to do bhajana. Don't be weak.

I want to give so many thanks and blessing to those persons who invited us to be here in Berlin. Especially, my blessing to the boy, Radha-madhava brahmacari. Day and night he did so much hard labor. And Radha-vinoda, you will have to make the same chariot for our Vrndavana temple. It should have a very beautiful shape.

July 26, 2006

Please show some direct reference where HDG says that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mood of viyogini Radha in separation in the gambhira is the "highest" aspect of his manifested lila, or that such separation mood is "more lofty" than sambhoga of Krsna lila. "

Prabhupada write -

" Worship in separation is considered by the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dina-dayardra natha, as did Madhavendra Puri. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. "

" In the final portion of His pastimes, Lord Caitanya was obsessed with the madness of separation from Lord Krsna. "

" Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught everyone that one should not be overly anxious to see the Lord, but should rather feel separation from Him in ecstasy. It is actually better to feel separation from Him than to desire to see Him face to face. "

Madhavendra Puri show own example, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all obvious.

July 26, 2006

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

He is not unerstand.

Read Srila Prabhupada books.

July 26, 2006

Prabhupada write -
" Worship in separation is considered by the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dina-dayardra natha, as did Madhavendra Puri. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. "

Yes

Kailasa you don't know English very well but yes you do understand what Srila Prabhupada taught.

tathapi sambhoga-sukhad api stutah

so ko py' anirvacya-tamo mano-ramah

promoda-rasih parinamato dhruvam

tatra sphuret tad-rasikaika-vedyah

The anguish of separation (viraha bhava) is praised as greater than the happiness of sambhoga (meeting, union). Separation is so pleasing to the mind (mano-ramah) that it cannot be described (anirvacya-tamah). It always transforms into an abundance of ecstatic joy (promoda-rasih). Only actual rasiks know that separation is higher than union (rasika vedyah).

(Brhad Bhagavatamrta 1.7.126)

In his Dig-darsini-tika commentary to this verse Srila Sanatana Goswami says:

The so-called bliss of merging into the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth is often said to be indescribable, but the bliss of pure prema is even harder to describe. And most hard to describe is the inconceivable ecstasy of transcendental love in separation, which is born in pain but grows into the greatest possible pleasure. The ecstasy of separation is not the miserable experience it seems to outsiders; it is mano-rama, the cause of full satisfaction for the heart. If someone still asks how one can feel happy within misery, he should know that only the rasikas, those who have spontaneous eagerness to taste this prema, can understand it.

We must ask Narayana Maharaja, was Srila Sanatana Goswami mistaken when he said this?

raga · July 26, 2006

This topic seems to come up every so often, especially thanks to the dedicated efforts of comrad Kailasa.

There is little chance any of this will be conclusive if people don't first of all do a comprehensive study of Ujjvala-nilamani, which is the book you should be looking at with a discussion like this. Most statements being made and quotes being quoted are so uncontextualized. People are comparing apples and oranges.

July 26, 2006

Essentially both statements are identical,

"the mellow taste of His service" or "mellow of conjugal love".

and while I am not in any way an advocate of posthumous editing of His Divine Grace's books in anyway, in this case, Dravida is clearer on the meaning of the sloka than you are.

Unless you can also hear from higher Vaisnavas, how will you ever understand the depth of what is written in His Divine Grace's books? whichever version, edited or unedited?

In Adi-lila

Lord Caitanya also recommended that the highest mode of worship in the highest perfectional stage is the method practiced by the damsels of Vraja. These damsels (gopis, or cowherd girls) simply loved Krsna without a motive for material or spiritual gain. Lord Caitanya also recommended Srimad-Bhagavatam as the spotless narration of transcendental knowledge, and He pointed out that the highest goal in human life is to develop unalloyed love for Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When one is situated on the transcendental stage, one attains the most coveted position--the stage of loving God. Lord Caitanya taught that this is the highest stage of perfection for human beings.

Actually, the Caitanya-caritamrta is not intended for the novice, for it is the postgraduate study of spiritual knowledge. Ideally, one begins with the Bhagavad-gita and advances through Srimad-Bhagavatam to the Caitanya-caritamrta. Although all these great scriptures are on the same absolute level, for the sake of comparative study the Caitanya-caritamrta is considered to be on the highest platform

." Rupa Gosvami thus praises Lord Caitanya as the most munificent incarnation of all, for He gives the greatest gift by indicating the highest form of devotional service. In other words, He answers the most important inquiries that anyone can make.

"Devotional service in the relationship of lover and beloved is the highest platform, the glorious platform Lord Caitanya has contributed, and it was never given by any previous incarnation or acarya. Lord Caitanya is Krsna in a yellow complexion, and He is Sacinandana, the son of mother Saci. May you always keep Him in your hearts. It will be easy to understand Krsna through Him." Thus Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to deliver Krsna. His method of deliverance was not meditation, fruitive activities or scriptural study, but love.

We have often heard the phrase "love of Godhead." How far this love of Godhead can actually be developed can be learned from the Vaisnava philosophy. Theoretical knowledge of love of God can be found in many places and in many scriptures, but what that love of Godhead actually is and how it is developed can be found in Vaisnava literature. It is the unique and highest development of love of God that is given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Next considered are the potencies of the Lord, of which three principal manifestations are described: the consorts in the kingdom of God (Vaikuntha), the queens of Dvaraka-dhama and, highest of all, the damsels of Vrajadhama. Finally, there is the Supreme Lord Himself, who is the fountainhead of all these manifestations

July 26, 2006

This topic seems to come up every so often, especially thanks to the dedicated efforts of comrad Kailasa.

There is little chance any of this will be conclusive if people don't first of all do a comprehensive study of Ujjvala-nilamani, which is the book you should be looking at with a discussion like this. Most statements being made and quotes being quoted are so uncontextualized. People are comparing apples and oranges.

You are reading Ujjvala-nilamani since you are very advanced, Raga.

But we are simply reading the books of Srila Prabhupada and that is sufficient, we feel.

July 26, 2006

"Sri Sanatana Gosvami Prabhu, the teacher of the science of devotional service, wrote several books, of which the Brhad-bhagavatamrta is very famous; anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service and Krsna must read this book."

HDGACBSP Cc. Adi-lila 5.203 purport

July 26, 2006

You are reading Ujjvala-nilamani since you are very advanced, Raga.

But we are simply reading the books of Srila Prabhupada and that is sufficient, we feel.

so true.

we iskcon types are just the most little of devotees.

we don't know sanskrit.

we feel no need to learn it because we have complete faith in Srila Prabhupada.

we are still in the same boat.

we trust Srila Prabhupada.

we don't need to learn Sanskrit.

we are little people.

we like it that way.

July 26, 2006

This topic seems to come up every so often, especially thanks to the dedicated efforts of comrad Kailasa.

There is little chance any of this will be conclusive if people don't first of all do a comprehensive study of Ujjvala-nilamani, which is the book you should be looking at with a discussion like this. Most statements being made and quotes being quoted are so uncontextualized. People are comparing apples and oranges.

OK, we can play this game.

If you want to understand the quotes I gave before of Srila Sanatana Goswami in their <b>full and proper context<b> then Raga you should very carefully read Brhad Bhagavatamrta 1.7.122-131 and pay careful attention to what Srila Sanatana Goswami says in his very lengthy tika (commentary) to verse 128.

Gopiparanadhana's translation to that verse is as follows:

<b>

One may want to feel that separation again, amy may indeed feel distressed if one cannot. Thus a person who can remind one of a beloved not present is considered the most sincere and helpful friend.

</b>

I have a Bengali original of the text and Gopiparanadhana's translation is perfectly accurate.

And where does this understanding given by Srila Sanatana Goswami take us to next?

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura once revealed the importance

of Kuruksetra in a unique way. The words of our guru maharaja were

mostly very revolutionary. When I was a beginner with only two years

or so in the Gaudiya Math, I was in charge of the Kuruksetra temple.

Once, I came to the Calcutta headquarters at the hired house in Ulta

Danga for the yearly preaching festival. After the festival I was to

return to Kuruksetra. Srila Prabhupada was thinking of opening a

"Theistic Exhibition" in Kuruksetra, showing with dioramas

how Krishna and His friends came there from Dvaraka, and the gopis

came there from Vrndavana.

It is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam that during the solar eclipse,

they came to bathe in Brahma-kunda, a sacred lake in Kuruksetra. Srila

Prabhupada wanted to show that pastime with a diorama, and so the

exhibition was arranged. He ordered handbills to be printed, and

twenty thousand circulated in the area, inviting people to come for

the exhibition.

In this connection, he told us, "You all know that only the

bogus, hollow people and men of shallow thinking like Vrndavana."

I was very much perplexed to hear this. I had been told that Vrndavana

is the highest place of spiritual perfection. I had heard that one who

has not mastered his senses cannot enter Vrndavana. Only the liberated

souls can enter Vrndavana and have the opportunity of discussing

krsna-lila. Vrndavana is for the liberated souls. Those who are not

liberated from the demands of their senses may live in Navadwipa, but

the liberated souls may live in Vrndavana. Now Prabhupada was saying

tha the shallow thinkers appreciate Vrndavana, but a man of real

bhajana, real divine aspiration, will aspire to live in

Kuruksetra.

Hearing this, I felt as if I had fallen from the top of a tree.

"What is this?" I thought. I am a very acute listener, so I

was very keen to catch the meaning of his words. The next thought he

gave us was that Bhaktivinoda Thakura, after visiting many different

places of pilgrimage, remarked, "I would like to spend the last

days of my life in Kuruksetra. I shall construct a cottage near

Brahma-kunda and pass the rest of my life there. Kuruksetra is the

real place of bhajana."

Why? Service is more valuable according to the intensity of its

necessity. Shrewd merchants seek a market in wartime because in that

dangerous position, money is spent like water, without any care for

its value. They can earn more money if a war comes. In the same way,

when Srimati Radharani's necessity reaches its zenith, service to

Her becomes extremely valuable. According to its necessity, service is

valued. And in Kuruksetra, Srimati Radharani is in the highest

necessity because Krishna is so close, but Their Vrndavana lila is

impossible. in a football game, if the ball is just inches from the

goal, but again comes back, it is considered a great loss. In the same

way, after a long separation, Krishna is there in Kuruksetra, so the

hankering for union felt by His devotees must come to its greatest

point, but because He is in the role of a king, they cannot meet

intimately. The circumstances do not allow the Vrndavana lila to take

place. So at that time, Srimati Radharani needs the highest service

from Her group, the sakhis.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that in that situation, a drop of service

will draw the greatest amount of prema, divine love. In the pastimes

of Radha-Govinda, there are two aspects: sambhoga, divine union, and

vipralambha, divine separation. When Radha and Krishna are very near

to each other, but can't meet intimately, service at that time can

draw the greatest gain for the servitors. Therefore, Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "I shall construct a hut on the banks

of Brahmakunda in Kuruksetra and contemplate rendering service to the

Divine Couple. If I can achieve that standard where the prospect of

service is so high, then there is no possibility of returning to this

mundane plane at any time."

July 26, 2006

"Sri Sanatana Gosvami Prabhu, the teacher of the science of devotional service, wrote several books, of which the Brhad-bhagavatamrta is very famous; anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service and Krsna must read this book."
HDGACBSP Cc. Adi-lila 5.203 purport

Srila Prabhupada did not translate that book.

I guess that means that none of the followers of Srila Prabhupada can ever know about devotees and devotional service?

Srimad Bhagavatam is insufficient?

Nectar of Devotion?

Bhagavad-gita?

Caitanya Caritamrita?

Even if we learn these four books we will not understand about devotees and devotional service?

(sorry, I am not buying that load)

Puru, your fanaticism is very unbecoming.

July 26, 2006

". . . False devotees, lacking the conclusion of transcendental knowledge, think that artificially shedding tears will deliver them. Similarly, other false devotees think that studying books of the previous acaryas is unadvisable, like studying dry empiric philosophies. But Srila Jiva Gosvami, following the previous acaryas, has inculcated the conclusions of the scriptures in the six theses called the Sat-sandarbhas. False devotees who have very little knowledge of such conclusions fail to achieve pure devotion for want of zeal in accepting the favorable directions for devotional service given by self-realized devotees. Such false devotees are like impersonalists, who also consider devotional service no better than ordinary fruitive actions."

Cc. Adi lila 2.117

July 26, 2006

". . . False devotees, lacking the conclusion of transcendental knowledge, think that artificially shedding tears will deliver them. Similarly, other false devotees think that studying books of the previous acaryas is unadvisable, like studying dry empiric philosophies. But Srila Jiva Gosvami, following the previous acaryas, has inculcated the conclusions of the scriptures in the six theses called the Sat-sandarbhas. False devotees who have very little knowledge of such conclusions fail to achieve pure devotion for want of zeal in accepting the favorable directions for devotional service given by self-realized devotees. Such false devotees are like impersonalists, who also consider devotional service no better than ordinary fruitive actions."

Cc. Adi lila 2.117

so, now the followers of Srila Prabhupada are sahajiyas because they are satisfied with the books of Srila Prabhupada and do not need to read Ujjvala Nilamani and other books tha Narayana Maharaja has translated that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta has forbidden.

ok, it's ok.

You can fool your self, but your cannot fool everyone.

Gadadhar Pandit never read Ujjvala-nilamani, Gita-Govinda or the other books that Narayana Maharaja insists are necessary.

Gadadhar Pandit was absorbed in Srimad Bhagavatam.

If Srimad Bhagavatam was good enough for Gadadhar Pandit, then it is sufficient for us.

July 26, 2006

Srila Prabhupada had only praise for the books written by Srila Rupa Gosvami.

TEXT 41

TEXT

laghu-bhagavatamrtadi ke karu ganana

sarvatra karila vraja-vilasa varnana

SYNONYMS

laghu-bhagavatamrta-adi--another list, containing Laghu-bhagavatamrta; ke--who; karu ganana--can count; sarvatra--everywhere; karila--did; vraja-vilasa--of the pastimes of Vrndavana; varnana--description.

TRANSLATION

Who can count the rest of the books (headed by the Laghu-bhagavatamrta) written by Srila Rupa Gosvami? He has described the pastimes of Vrndavana in all of them.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati has given a description of these books. The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu is a great book of instruction on how to develop devotional service to Lord Krsna and follow the transcendental process. It was finished in the year 1463 Sakabda (A.D. 1542). This book is divided into four parts: purva-vibhaga (eastern division), daksina-vibhaga (southern division), pascima-vibhaga (western division) and uttara-vibhaga (northern division). In the purva-vibhaga, there is a description of the permanent development of devotional service. The general principles of devotional service, the execution of devotional service, ecstasy in devotional service and ultimately the attainment of love of Godhead are described. In this way there are four laharis (waves) in this division of the ocean of the nectar of devotion.

In the daksina-vibhaga (southern division) there is a general description of the mellow (relationship) called bhakti-rasa, which is derived from devotional service. There are also descriptions of the stages known as vibhava, anubhava, sattvika, vyabhicari and sthayi-bhava, all on this high platform of devotional service. Thus there are five waves in the daksina-vibhaga division. In the western division (pascima-vibhaga) there is a description of the chief transcendental humors derived from devotional service. These are known as mukhya-bhakti-rasa-nirupana, or attainment of the chief humors or feelings in the execution of devotional service. In that part there is a description of devotional service in neutrality, further development in love and affection (called servitude), further development in fraternity, further development in parenthood, or parental love, and finally conjugal love between Krsna and His devotees. Thus there are five waves in the western division.

In the northern division (uttara-vibhaga) there is a description of the indirect mellows of devotional service--namely, devotional service in laughter, devotional service in wonder, and devotional service in chivalry, pity, anger, dread and ghastliness. There are also mixing of mellows and the transgression of different humors. Thus there are nine waves in this part. This is but a brief outline of the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.

The Vidagdha-madhava is a drama of Lord Krsna's pastimes in Vrndavana. Srila Rupa Gosvami finished this book in the year 1454 Sakabda (A.D. 1533). The first part of this drama is called venu-nada-vilasa, the second part manmatha-lekha, the third part radha-sanga, the fourth part venu-harana, the fifth part radha-prasadana, the sixth part sarad-vihara, and the seventh and last part gauri-vihara.

There is also a book called Ujjvala-nilamani, a transcendental account of loving affairs that includes metaphor, analogy and higher bhakti sentiments. Devotional service in conjugal love is described briefly in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, but it is very elaborately discussed in the Ujjvala-nilamani. This book describes different types of lovers, their assistants, and those who are very dear to Krsna. There is also a description of Srimati Radharani and other female lovers, as well as various group leaders. Messengers and the constant associates, as well as others who are very dear to Krsna, are all described. The book also relates how love of Krsna is awakened and describes the ecstatic situation, the devotional situation, permanent ecstasy, disturbed ecstasy, steady ecstasy, different positions of different dresses, feelings of separation, prior attraction, anger in attraction, varieties of loving affairs, separation from the beloved, meeting with the beloved, and both direct and indirect enjoyment between the lover and the beloved. All this has been very elaborately described.

Similarly, Lalita-madhava is a description of Krsna's pastimes in Dvaraka. These pastimes were made into a drama, and the work was finished in the year 1459 Sakabda. The first part deals with festivities in the evening, the second with the killing of the Sankhacuda, the third with maddened Srimati Radharani, the fourth with Radharani's proceeding toward Krsna, the fifth with the achievement of Candravali, the sixth with the achievement of Lalita, the seventh with the meeting in Nava-vrndavana, the eighth with the enjoyment in Nava-vrndavana, the ninth with looking over pictures, and the tenth with complete satisfaction of the mind. Thus the entire drama is divided into ten parts.

The Laghu-bhagavatamrta is divided into two parts. The first is called "The Nectar of Krsna" and the second "The Nectar of Devotional Service." The importance of Vedic evidence is stressed in the first part, and this is followed by a description of the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Sri Krsna and descriptions of His pastimes and expansions in svamsa (personal forms) and vibhinnamsa. According to different absorptions, the incarnations are called avesa and tad-ekatma. The first incarnation is divided into three purusavataras--namely, Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Then there are the three incarnations of the modes of nature--namely, Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva). All the paraphernalia used in the service of the Lord is transcendental, beyond the three qualities of this material world. There is also a description of twenty-five lila-avataras, namely Catuh-sana (the Kumaras), Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-narayana Rsi, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayagriva, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prthu, Nrsimha, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Dasarathi, Krsna-dvaipayana, Balarama, Vasudeva, Buddha and Kalki. There are also fourteen incarnations of Manu: Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rsabha, Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhama, Yogesvara and Brhadbhanu. There are also four incarnations for the four yugas, and their colors are described as white, red, blackish and black (sometimes yellow, as in the case of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu). There are different types of millenniums and incarnations for those millenniums. The categories called avesa, prabhava, vaibhava and para constitute different situations for the different incarnations. According to specific pastimes, the names are spiritually empowered. There are also descriptions of the difference between the powerful and the power, and the inconceivable activities of the Supreme Lord.

Sri Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one is greater than Him. He is the source of all incarnations. In the Laghu-bhagavatamrta there are descriptions of His partial incarnations, a description of the impersonal Brahman effulgence (actually the bodily effulgence of Sri Krsna), the superexcellence of Sri Krsna's pastimes as an ordinary human being with two hands and so forth. There is nothing to compare with the two-armed form of the Lord. In the spiritual world (vaikuntha-jagat) there is no distinction between the owner of the body and the body itself. In the material world the owner of the body is called the soul, and the body is called a material manifestation. In the Vaikuntha world, however, there is no such distinction. Lord Sri Krsna is unborn, and His appearance as an incarnation is perpetual. Krsna's pastimes are divided into two parts--manifest and unmanifest. For example, when Krsna takes His birth within this material world, His pastimes are considered to be manifest. However, when He disappears, one should not think that He is finished, for His pastimes are going on in an unmanifest form. Varieties of humors, however, are enjoyed by the devotees and Lord Krsna during His manifest pastimes. After all, His pastimes in Mathura, Vrndavana and Dvaraka are eternal and are going on perpetually somewhere in some part of the universe.

Cc. Madhya lila 1.41

July 26, 2006

TEXT 13

TEXT

'adhirudha bhava' yanra, tanra e vikara

manusyera dehe dekhi,----bada camatkara

SYNONYMS

adhirudha bhava--an ecstasy technically known as adhirudha; yanra--of whom; tanra--of Him; e--this; vikara--transformation; manusyera--of a human being; dehe--in the body; dekhi--I see; bada camatkara--very wonderful.

TRANSLATION

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya considered, "The uncommon ecstatic symptoms of adhirudha-bhava are appearing in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is very wonderful! How are they possible in the body of a human being?"

PURPORT

Adhirudha-bhava, or adhirudha-mahabhava, is explained in the Ujjvala-nilamani, by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura quotes Rupa Gosvami as follows: "The loving propensity of the asraya (devotee) toward the visaya (Lord) becomes so ecstatic that even after enjoying the company of the beloved the devotee feels that his enjoyment is insufficient. At such a time, the lover sees the beloved in different ways. Such a development of ecstasy is called anuraga. When anuraga reaches its highest limit and becomes perceivable in the body, it is called bhava. When the bodily symptoms are not very distinct, however, the emotional state is still called anuraga, not bhava. When bhava ecstasy is intensified, it is called maha-bhava. The symptoms of maha-bhava are visible only in the bodies of eternal associates like the gopis."

Cc. Madhya lila 6.13

TEXT 66

TEXT

unmadera laksana, karaya krsna-sphurana,

bhavavese uthe pranaya mana

solluntha-vacana-riti, mana, garva, vyaja-stuti,

kabhu ninda, kabhu va sammana

SYNONYMS

unmadera laksana--the symptoms of madness; karaya--causes; krsna--Lord Krsna; sphurana--impetus; bhava-avese--in an ecstatic condition; uthe--awakens; pranaya--love; mana--disdain; solluntha-vacana--of disrespect by sweet words; riti--the way; mana--honor; garva--pride; vyaja-stuti--indirect prayer; kabhu--sometimes; ninda--blasphemy; kabhu--sometimes; va--or; sammana--honor.

TRANSLATION

The symptoms of madness served as an impetus for remembering Krsna. The mood of ecstasy awoke love, disdain, defamation by words, pride, honor and indirect prayer. Thus Sri Krsna was sometimes blasphemed and sometimes honored.

PURPORT

The word unmada is explained in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu as extreme joy, misfortune and bewilderment in the heart due to separation. Symptoms of unmada are laughing like a madman, dancing, singing, performing ineffectual activities, talking nonsense, running, shouting and sometimes working in contradictory ways. The word pranaya is explained thus: When there is a possibility of receiving direct honor but it is avoided, that love is called pranaya. Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his Ujjvala-nilamani, explains the word mana thus: When the lover feels novel sweetness by exchanging hearty loving words but wishes to hide his feelings by crooked means, mana is experienced.

Cc. Madhya 6.66

July 26, 2006

Originally Posted by Sanatana Goswami
The anguish of separation (viraha bhava) is praised as greater than the happiness of sambhoga (meeting, union). Separation is so pleasing to the mind (mano-ramah) that it cannot be described (anirvacya-tamah). It always transforms into an abundance of ecstatic joy (promoda-rasih). Only actual rasiks know that separation is higher than union (rasika vedyah).

(Brhad Bhagavatamrta 1.7.126)

Good. I'm take this sloka in me memory. jaya

Originally Posted by Sanatana Goswami
The so-called bliss of merging into the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth is often said to be indescribable, but the bliss of pure prema is even harder to describe. And most hard to describe is the inconceivable ecstasy of transcendental love in separation, which is born in pain but grows into the greatest possible pleasure. The ecstasy of separation is not the miserable experience it seems to outsiders; it is mano-rama, the cause of full satisfaction for the heart. If someone still asks how one can feel happy within misery, he should know that only the rasikas, those who have spontaneous eagerness to taste this prema, can understand it.

Yes, it is real rasikas. For sahajiyas very hard understand mood Lord Caitanya.

Srila Prabhupada -

"In answer to one of Lord Mahaprabhu's questions, Ramananda Raya described the wonderful bliss the devotee feel in separation from Krsna, a bliss he called 'vivarta'. Therefore what seems here to be suffering is in truth the highest spiritual bliss."

"While thus living at Jagannatha Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu floated all day and night in an ocean of separation from Kеслa."

Srila Prabhupada -

"Just like if I am taken as the origin of this Krsna consciousness movement, that means I know everything directly and indirectly of all this movement. If I do not know directly or indirectly everything of this movement, then I cannot be called the founder-acarya."

------------------

Raga wery glad see to you! as Jagat? me respect for Jagat.

July 26, 2006

PURPORT

Adhirudha-bhava, or adhirudha-mahabhava, is explained in the Ujjvala-nilamani, by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura quotes Rupa Gosvami as follows: "The loving propensity of the asraya (devotee) toward the visaya (Lord) becomes so ecstatic that even after enjoying the company of the beloved the devotee feels that his enjoyment is insufficient. At such a time, the lover sees the beloved in different ways. Such a development of ecstasy is called anuraga. When anuraga reaches its highest limit and becomes perceivable in the body, it is called bhava. When the bodily symptoms are not very distinct, however, the emotional state is still called anuraga, not bhava. When bhava ecstasy is intensified, it is called maha-bhava. The symptoms of maha-bhava are visible only in the bodies of eternal associates like the gopis."

AND

PURPORT

Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his Ujjvala-nilamani, explains the word mana thus: When the lover feels novel sweetness by exchanging hearty loving words but wishes to hide his feelings by crooked means, mana is experienced.

Cc. Madhya 6.66

Did Srila Prabhupada ever say he himself had read Ujjvala Nilamani?

Here he quotes what Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said about this book Ujjvala Nilamani but is there any proof that Srila Prabhupada ever read Ujjvala Nilamani?

What do you have to say about that Puru?

July 27, 2006

Did Srila Prabhupada ever say he himself had read Ujjvala Nilamani?

Here he quotes what Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said about this book Ujjvala Nilamani but is there any proof that Srila Prabhupada ever read Ujjvala Nilamani?

What do you have to say about that Puru?

No need discuss Ujjvala Nilamani. It is not needs. Ra do not understand matter

July 27, 2006

It is abundantly clear that His Divine Grace was familiar with the subjects discussed in Ujjvala-nilamani. If he did not know what is in the book then kindly tell us how he could write this purport:

TEXT 52

krsnera viyoge gopira dasa dasa haya

sei dasa dasa haya prabhura udaya

SYNONYMS

krsnera viyoge--by separation from Krsna; gopira--of the gopis; dasa dasa--ten kinds of transcendental transformations of the body; haya--there are; sei--those; dasa dasa--ten kinds of transcendental transformations; haya--are; prabhura udaya--visible in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TRANSLATION

When the gopis felt separation from Krsna, they experienced ten kinds of bodily transformations. These same symptoms appeared on the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 53

TEXT

cintatra jagarodvegau

tanavam malinangata

pralapo vyadhir unmado

moho mrtyur dasa dasa

SYNONYMS

cinta--anxiety; atra--here (because of separation from Krsna); jagara--wakefulness; udvegau--and mental agitation; tanavam--thinness; malina-angata--an unclean, almost dirty state of the body; pralapah--talking like a madman; vyadhih--disease; unmadah--madness; mohah--illusion; mrtyuh--death; dasa--conditions; dasa--ten.

TRANSLATION

"The ten bodily transformations resulting from separation from Krsna are anxiety, wakefulness, mental agitation, thinness, uncleanliness, talking like a madman, disease, madness, illusion and death."

PURPORT

This verse is part of a description of Srimati Radharani's different traits from Ujjvala-nilamani by Srila Rupa Gosvami. In this book, he elaborately explains the ten symptoms as follows.

Cinta. As stated in the Hamsaduta:

yada yato gopi-hrdaya-madano nanda-sadanan

mukundo gandinyas tanayam anurundhan madhu-purim

tadamanksic cinta-sariti ghana-ghurnaparicayair

agadhayam vadhamaya-payasi radha virahini

"At the request of Akrura, Krsna and Balarama left the house of Nanda Maharaja for Mathura. At that time, Srimati Radharani's mind was disrupted, and She became almost mad because of extreme separation from Krsna. She experienced great mental pain and agitation, which caused Her to drown in mental speculation in the river of anxiety. She thought, 'Now I am going to die, and when I die, Krsna will surely come back to see Me again. But when He hears of My death from the people of Vrndavana, He will certainly be very unhappy. Therefore I shall not die.' " This is the explanation of the word cinta.

Jagara. As stated in the Padyavali:

yah pasyanti priyam svapne

dhanyastah sakhi yositah

asmakam tu gate krsne

gata nidrapi vairini

Thinking Herself very unfortunate, Srimati Radharani addressed Her very dear friend Visakha, "My dear friend, if I could see Krsna in My dreams, I would certainly be glorified for My great fortune. But what can I do? Sleep also plays mischievously with Me. Indeed, it has become My enemy. Therefore I have not slept since the departure of Krsna."

Udvega. This word is also explained in the Hamsaduta as follows:

mano me ha kastam jvalati kim aham hanta karavai

na param navaram sumukhi kalayam yasya jaladheh

iyam vande murdhna sapadi tam upayam kathaya me

paramrsye yasmad dhrti-kanikayapi ksani-kaya

Srimati Radharani addressed Lalita, "My dear beautiful-faced Lalita, I cannot express how My heart is burning. It is a great, unfathomable ocean of anxiety. Still, I wish to offer My obeisances at your lotus feet. What shall I do? Please consider My condition and advise Me how I can become peaceful. That is My desire."

Tanava is described as follows:

udancad-vaktrambhoruha-vikrtir antah-kulasita

sadaharabhava-glapita-kucakoka yadu-pate

visusyanti radha tava viraha-tapad anudinam

nidaghe kuly eva krasima-paripakam prathayati

When Uddhava returned to Mathura after visiting Vrndavana, Lord Krsna inquired from him about Radharani and Visakha. Uddhava replied as follows: "Consider the condition of the gopis! Srimati Radharani especially is in a very painful condition because of separation from You. She has grown skinny, and Her bodily luster is almost gone. Her heart is immersed in pain, and because She has given up eating, Her breast has become black, as if diseased. Because of separation from You, all the gopis, especially Radharani, appear like dried-up water holes under the scorching heat of the sun."

Malina-angata is described as follows:

hima-visara-visirnambhoja-tulyanana-srih

khara-marud-aparajyad-bandhu-jivopamausthi

agha-hara sarad-arkottapitendivaraksi

tava viraha-vipatti-mlapitasid visakha

Uddhava said to Krsna, "O most auspicious Krsna, please hear me. The tribulation caused by Your absence has made Visakha languid. Her lips tremble like trees in a strong wind. Her beautiful face is like a lotus flower that has withered under the snow, and Her eyes are like lotus petals scorched by the heat of the autumn sun."

Pralapa is explained in Lalita-madhava as follows:

kva nanda-kula-candramah kva sikhi-candra-kalankrtih

kva manda-murali-ravah kva nu surendra-nila-dyutih

kva rasa-rasa-tandavi kva sakhi jiva-raksausadhir

nidhir mama suhrttamah kva tava hanta ha dhig-vidhih

This is Srimati Radharani's lamentation for Her beloved Krsna, who was away from home. A woman whose husband has left home and gone to a foreign land is called prosita-bhartrka. Lamenting for Krsna in the same way as such a woman laments for her husband, Srimati Radharani said, "My dear friend, where is the glory of the family of Maharaja Nanda, who wears a half-moon ornament on His head? Where is Krsna, whose hue is like that of the indranila jewel and who plays so nicely on His flute? Where is your friend, the best of all men, so expert in dancing in the circle of the rasa dance? Where is He who is the real medicine to save Me from dying of heart disease? I must condemn Providence, for he has caused Me so many tribulations by separating Me from Krsna."

Vyadhi is also described in Lalita-madhava:

uttapi puta-pakato 'pi garala-gramad api ksobhano

dambholer api duhsahah katur alam hrn-magna-sulyad api

tivrah praudha-visucikani-cayato 'py uccair mamayam bali

marmany adya bhinatti gokula-pater vislesa-janma jvarah

Being greatly afflicted by the pain of separation from Krsna, Srimati Radharani said, "My dear Lalita, kindly hear Me. I cannot bear suffering the fever of separation from Krsna, nor can I explain it to you. It is something like gold melting in an earthen box. This fever produces more distress than poison, and it is more piercing than a thunderbolt. I suffer exactly like someone almost dead from cholera. To be giving Me so much pain, this fever must be very strong indeed."

Unmada is explained as follows:

bhramati bhavana-garbhe nirnimittam hasanti

prathayati tava vartam cetanacetanesu

luthati ca bhuvi radha kampitangi murare

visama-viraha-khedodgari-vibhranta-citta

Uddhava said to Krsna, "My dear Krsna, all the gopis are so afflicted by Your absence that they have become almost mad. O Murari, at home Srimati Radharani laughs unnecessarily and, like a madwoman, inquires about You from every entity without distinction, even from the stones. She rolls on the ground, unable to bear the agony of Your absence."

Moha is explained as follows:

nirundhe dainyabdhim harati guru-cinta paribhavam

vilumpaty unmadam sthagayati balad baspa-laharim

idanim kamsare kuvalaya-drsah kevalam idam

vidhatte sacivyam tava viraha-murccha-sahacari

Lalita wrote Krsna the following letter on Srimati Radharani's behalf: "My dear Krsna, separation from You has greatly agitated Srimati Radharani's mind, and She has fallen unconscious on the ground. O enemy of Kamsa, You have now become a first-class politician, and therefore You can supposedly give relief to everyone. Therefore please consider the plight of Srimati Radharani, or very soon You will hear of Her death. Maybe at that time You will lament, although now You are jubilant."

Mrtyu is explained in the Hamsaduta:

aye rasa-krida-rasika mama sakhyam nava-nava

pura baddha yena pranaya-lahari hanta gahana

sa cen muktapeksas tvam asi dhig imam tulasakalam

yad etasya nasa-nihitam idam adyapi calati

In the following letter, Lalita chastised Krsna for staying in Mathura: "Simply by dancing in the circle of the rasa dance, You attracted Srimati Radharani's love. Why are You now so indifferent to my dear friend Radharani? She is lying nearly unconscious, thinking of Your pastimes. I shall determine whether She is alive by putting a cotton swab under Her nostrils, and if She is still living, I shall chastise Her."

Hiis Divine Grace knew that this earlier verse in Cc. was from Srila Rupa Gosvami's book and he could say exactly which part of the book it comes from and what exact verse it is.

TEXT 16

TEXT

etasya mohanakhyasya

gatim kamapy upeyusah

bhramabha kapi vaicitri

divyonmada itiryate

udghurna-citra-jalpadyas

tad-bheda bahavo matah

SYNONYMS

etasya--of this; mohana-akhyasya--mood known as mohana, or enchanting; gatim--progress; kamapi--inexplicable; upeyusah--having obtained; bhrama-abha--resembling bewilderment; kapi--some; vaicitri--condition bringing about astonishment; divya-unmada--transcendental madness; iti--thus; iryate--it is called; udghurna--of the name udghurna; citra-jalpa--of the name citra-jalpa; adyah--and so on; tat-bhedah--different features of that; bahavah--many; matah--described.

TRANSLATION

"When the ecstatic emotion of enchantment gradually progresses, it becomes similar to bewilderment. Then one reaches the stage of astonishment [vaicitri], which awakens transcendental madness. Udghurna and citra-jalpa are two among the many divisions of transcendental madness."

PURPORT

This is a quotation from the Ujjvala-nilamani (Sthayibhava-prakarana 190).

Cc. Antya lila Ch. 14.

In the Teachings of Lord Caitanya he indicates more knowledge of what is found in Srila Rupa Gosvami's book:

"As described in Ujjvala-nilamani: "The path of loving affairs is just like the movement of a snake. Amongst young lovers, there are two kinds of mentality--causeless and causal." Thus when Radharani left the area of the rasa dance out of anger at not receiving special treatment, Krsna became very sorrowful to see Her absent. The perfection of the rasa dance was considered to be complete due to Radharani's presence, and in Her absence Krsna considered the dance to be disrupted. Therefore He left the arena to search Her out. When He could not find Radharani after wandering in several places, He became very distressed. Thus it is understood that Krsna could not enjoy His pleasure potency even in the midst of all the gopis. But in the presence of Radharani He was satisfied."

"In this regard, in Ujjvala-nilamani (4.3) Rupa Gosvami states that there are two competitors in love with Krsna, Radharani and Candravali. When they are compared, it appears that Radharani is superior, for She possesses mahabhava-svarupa. Mahabhava-svarupa, the personification of mahabhava, is applicable to Radharani only. Mahabhava is full of the pleasure potency, and it is an exhibition of the highest love for Krsna. Radharani is therefore known throughout the world as the most beloved of Krsna, and Her name is always associated with Krsna as Radha-Krsna."

"Ramananda Raya then began to explain Radharani as the supreme emblem of Krsna's pleasure potency. Radharani expands Herself in different forms, known as Lalita, Visakha and Her other confidential associates. In his book Ujjvala-nilamani, Rupa Gosvami explains the characteristics of Srimati Radharani. He points out that the body of Radharani is in itself an actual evolution of transcendental pleasure. That body is decorated with flowers and fragrant aromas and is complete with transcendental love for Krsna. That is the personification of His pleasure potency. That transcendental body takes bath three times: first in the water of mercy, second in the water of youthful beauty, and third in the water of youthful luster. After taking bath three times in that way, Her body is covered with shining garments and decorated with Krsna's personal beauty, which is compared to cosmetics. Thus Her beauty constitutes the highest artistry. Her body is also decorated with the ornaments of spiritual ecstasy--trembling tears, petrification, perspiration, choking, cessation of all bodily functions due to transcendental pleasure, stumbling, high blood pressure and madness."

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