Madhurya rasa -conjugal love (in Jaiva Dharma)

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What is Madhura rasa

(Jaiva Dharma)

 

Gosvami: Madhura-rasa has been called mukhya rati. The living entity has taken shelter of the material rasas but when he become devoted to the Supreme Lord he may thus gradually turn from the things of the material world and thus attain renunciation.

A person who is not renounced in this way is not qualified to understand the spiritual rasas.

Therefore the people in general are not qualified to understand the madhura-rasa.

Madhura-rasa is very difficult to understand.

It is not easy to find a person qualified to understand it.

This rasa is very confidential.

Therefore it is appropriate to keep it hidden from general view.

Therefore, even though many things could be said about madhura-rasa, I will describe it only briefly.

Vrajanatha: O master, I am a follower of the cowherd boy Sri Subala. Please consider what I am qualified to hear, and tell me only that much.

Gosvami: The priya-narma-sakha friends of Krsna are to a certain extent aware of the activities of madhura-rasa. Taking this into consideration, I will tell you what is right for you to hear, and I will not tell you what is not appropriate for you to hear.

Vrajanatha: What are the alambanas of this rasa?

Gosvami: In this rasa the visaya is Sri Krsna, the hero whose handsomeness has no equal. The transcendental asraya is the devotees who relish pastimes with Him. Therefore the vraja-gopis are the asraya in this rasa. Of all the dear gopis, Sri Radha is the best. Of the many uddipanas in this rasa, the sound of Krsna's flute is the first. The anubhavas of this rasa include sidelong glances and smiles. All the sattvika-bhavas are gloriously present in this rasa. All the vyabhicaris, except for laziness and ferociousness, are also present in this rasa.

Vrajanatha: What are the sthayi-bhavas of this rasa?

Gosvami: The appropriate vibhavas act to increase the love present in madhura-rasa. No vijatiya or svajatiya bhavas can break the love that Sri Radha and Sri Madhava feel for each other.

Vrajanatha: How many are the different varieties of madhura-rasa?

Gosvami: Madhura-rasa is of two kinds: 1. vipralambha (separation) and sambhoga (meeting).

Vrajanatha: What is vipralambha?

Gosvami: Vipralambha is of many kinds, including purva-raga (the beginning of love), mana (jealous anger), and pravasa (the beloved goes far away).

Vrajanatha: What is purva-raga?

Gosvami: Purva-raga is said to be the situation before the lover's have met.

Vrajanatha: What are mana and pravasa?

Gosvami: Mana is well known. Pravasa is when the lover loses the association of the beloved.

Vrajanatha: What is sambhoga?

Gosvami: When the two lovers meet and enjoy (bhoga) together, that is called sambhoga. I will not say anything more about madhura-rasa. Persons qualified to understand madhura rasa should study the confidential description of it in the book Sri Ujjvala-nilamani.

 

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Every day Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha discussed the spiritual truth with Sri Dhyanacandra Gosvami. They would also accept the caranamrta from Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami's feet and the nectar remnants of the prasadam foods that had touched his lips. Some days they stayed in their own bhajana-kutira. Other days they would visit Sri Haridasa Thakura's samadhi. Other days they would visit the temple of Sri Gopinatha. Other days they would see the many pure Vaisnavas performing devotional service under the siddha bakula tree. In these ways the two devotees became plunged in the nectar ocean of devotional service. Sometimes they would see the places where Lord Mahaprabhu was overcome with ecstatic love, places described in Srila Rupa Gosvami's Stava-mala and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's Stavavali. Sometimes they would join the pure Vaisnavas in chanting the holy names of Lord Hari. In this way Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha gradually became advanced in devotional service. Vijaya-kumara thought, "Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami briefly described madhura-rasa to us. I should hear a more detailed explanation of it from his mouth. Let Vrajanatha remain plunged in his mellows of sakhya rasa. I will go alone and learn all the truths of madhura-rasa." By the kind help of Dhyanacandra Gosvami, Vijaya-kumara got a copy of Sri Ujjvala-nilamani. He studied that book. When any doubts arose, he placed his questions before Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami.

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Something must be wrong.

 

One afternoon Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha were sitting by the seashore, looking at the waves, and observing how the wave-filled ocean was like life. Vijaya-kumara said, "No one could say what would happen next in life. We should learn about the path of raga-marga (raganuga-bhakti) from Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami." Vrajanatha said, "Sri Dhyanacandra Gosvami has written a book about raga-marga. I have seen it. If our spiritual master teaches us that book we will gain a great result. Good. I will make a copy of that book." After coming to this conclusion, he approached Sri Dhyanacandra and requested a copy of the book. Sri Dhyanacandra replied, "I cannot give you a copy. You must first get permission from Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami.

Then the two of them approached Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami and placed their request before him. He said, "Good. Get a copy and then return." With these words as their permission, Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha got a copy of the book. They thought that at appropriate times they would approach Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami and learn the book under his guidance.

 

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Thinking them good candidates for devotional service, he taught Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha everything about the path of devotional service. Again and again they approached Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami's holy feet, and again and again Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha had their doubts answered.

They learned about Lord Mahaprabhu's daily activities

and Lord Krsna's daily pastimes.

Following these pastimes, they worshipped the Lord during the eight portions of the day.

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Madhura-rasa-vicara

 

Autumn came. After five hours of night, the moon rose. Vijaya-kumara thought, "I should see Sraddhavali and Sundaracala. Vijaya-kumara had studied the method of worshipping the Lord in pure madhura-rasa. He liked only Lord Krsna's pastimes in Vraja and nothing else. He was always rapt in thinking of Lord Krsna's pastimes with the gopis in Vraja. He had heard that Lord Mahaprabhu saw Sundaracala as the land of Vraja. Vijaya-kumara set out for Sundaracala. He crossed the Balagandi and began to proceed toward Sraddhavali. AS he walked he saw gardens on both sides. Finally Vrndavana appeared before him. Plunged in an ocean of spiritual love, Vijaya-kumara said, "Ah! How fortunate I have become today! Today I can see Vraja Puri, which even Brahma and the demigods cannot easily attain. Here is a forest garden. Here, in a bower of malati and madhavi vines, Sri Krsna, the master of my life, is joking with the gopis." Pushing aside all feelings of awe and veneration, agitated Vijaya-kumara ran to that place. As he was running, Vijaya-kumara fainted and fell unconscious to the ground. A gentle breeze blew on Vijaya-kumara. After a short time Vijaya-kumara became conscious again. He looked in one direction and then another. Not seeing the Lord's pastimes, he became unhappy at heart.

 

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It is discription Krisna lila. I am take late citation SBT for another case from jaiva dharma.

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Under guidance

 

Eventually Vijaya-kumara returned home. He went to bed. He did not tell anyone what he had seen. The sight of Lord Krsna's pastimes in Vraja made Vijaya-kumara's heart blossom with joy. In his heart Vijaya-kumara thought, "Today I have seen something very confidential. Tomorrow I will tell my spiritual master." After a few moments he remembered that a person who sees the Lord's confidential pastimes should not reveal that fact to anyone. Thinking about this again and again, he gradually fell asleep. When he rose in the morning he could think of nothing else. He honoured prasadam, went to the home of Kasi-misra and offered dandavat obeisances to his spiritual master. His spiritual master respectfully embraced him and asked about his welfare. Vijaya-kumara kept his eyes on his spiritual master's lotus feet. With a steady heart he asked about the madhura-rasa.

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Vijaya-kumara, "O master, you have been merciful to me without limit. I would like to ask a question about the confidential truths of the splendid madhura-rasa. I have been reading Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, and some parts of it I do not understand." Hearing this, the spiritual master replied, "Baba, you are a very dear disciple of mine. You may place your questions before me. I will answer as far as I am able.

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Vijaya-kumara said, "O master, it is said that among the five primary rasas, the madhura rasa is the most confidential. And why not? Madhura rasa eternally possesses all the virtues present in santa, dasya, sakhya and vatsalya rasas.

Madhura rasa is the most wonderful and beautiful of all rasas.

How can there be any doubt? Persons who follow the path of dry renunciation are completely unqualified to understand the truth of madhura rasa. On the other hand, the path followed by the materialists is not a good path to follow. The Vraja madhura rasa is completely different from material sexual activities.

 

The reality is that the Supreme is the resting place of all rasas.

Therefore wonderful variety exists in Him.

The great variety of material rasas are all reflected from Him.

Therefore, by looking at the material rasas we can understand something of the original spiritual rasa, which cannot be perceived by the material senses.

A great variety of rasas exist within the Supreme. That much may be understood.

The lowest rasa in the spiritual world is the peaceful rasa called santa-rasa. Above that is dasya-rasa. Above dasya rasa is sakhya rasa. Above sakhya rasa is vatsalya rasa. Then, above them all, is madhura rasa.

However, when these rasas are reflected in the material world, their positions are all inverted.

Thus, in the material world the madhura rasa is in the lowest position.

Above that is vatsalya rasa.

Above vatsalya rasa is sakhya rasa.

Above sakhya rasa is dasya rasa.

Then, above them all, is santa rasa.

 

They who analyse the different rasas in the material world come to the conclusion that madhura rasa is the lowest of all.

 

That is why the activities of madhura rasa in the material world are very unimportant and are a source of embarrassment.

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However, in the spiritual world the madhura rasa is the most pure of all the rasas.

It is filled with purity,

splendour and

wonderful sweetness.

In the spiritual world when Krsna, the supreme male (purush), meets with His potencies, who are all female, Their activities are supremely pure.

 

Their activities are the root of spiritual reality.

 

However, the perverted reflection of those activities in the material world is degraded and a source of embarrassment

 

because they are opposed to fundamental tattva.

In tattva, one jiva is not the enjoyer of another jiva.

The truth is that Krsna is the only enjoyer,

and all the jivas are to be enjoyed by Him.

The situation in which the jiva becomes the enjoyer is against his eternal dharma.

In this way the

material madhura rasa

contradicts the original spiritual reality.

 

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Gosvami: Baba, please listen carefully, and I will speak.

In madhura rasa Krsna is the visaya (the object of love) and His dearly beloved gopis are the asraya (the containers of love). And both together are the alambana of this rasa.

Vijaya-kumara: What are the features of Krsna when He is the visaya in madhura rasa?

Gosvami: Ah! What a sweet question.

Krsna's complexion is the hue of a monsoon cloud.

He is charming.

All His features are sweet and auspicious.

He is a strong budding youth.

His youthfulness is always new and fresh.

He speaks eloquently and sweetly.

He is intelligent,

splendid,

skilful,

clever,

sober, happy, grateful, sincere and

He is controlled by love.

He is profound

super excellent and famous.

He steals the hearts of young damsels,

and He is ever fresh,

the enjoyer of incomparable transcendental pastimes, He is extremely beautiful,

and He is the most deary and beloved who plays upon His vamsi.

Krsna is the only person who has these qualities.

The glory of all the Kamadevas is at once eclipsed by a mere glimpse of the glory of Krsna's feet.

Lord Krsna's sidelong glance enchants the hearts of all.

Krsna is the great treasure of transcendental pastimes.

He is the good fortune attained by the gopis.

 

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and Mathura or Dvaraka Krsna too, somewhat.

This realization comes by the mercy of bhajan shiksa guru.

 

Vijaya-kumara:

Krsna has a great host of wonderful spiritual qualities.

Krsna is the only hero (nayaka) of the wonderful and spiritual madhura rasa.

Now I can fully understand all this.

Through your mercy my heart has become purified, and

bhakti based on ruci has arisen within it.