Download - Rasa Lila In Brief: Saptasloki Rasa Lila

of 57

Rasa-Leela in Brief: Saptasloki

The twelve Cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam can be likened to the twelve limbs

of the body. The tenth Canto, which describes the glories of Lord, is the heart. In

this tenth Canto, five chapters, from 29 to 33, describe the Raas-Leela (or Rasa

Lila). These five chapters of the Raas-Lila represent the five life breaths of this

Divine Leelaa. Five slokas from these chapters are given here, along with the first

sloka of the first chapter (no. 29) and the last sloka of the last chapter (no. 33).

l

र l RasO vai sah l

Rasagg hyavaayam labdvaanandee bhavati l Ko hyEvaanyaat kah praaNyaat l

of 57

Yadesha aakosha anandO na syaat l Esha evaanandayaati l Yadaa hyEvaisha etasmin nadrushyE anaatmyE aniruktE anilayanE

abhayam pratishthaam vindate l Atha sObhayam gatO bhavati l

Yadaa hyEvaisha etasmin udaram antaram kurte l Atha tasya bhayam

bhavati l Tat tveva bhayam vidushO amanvaan asya l Tadyesha shloka bhavati ll 7 ll Taittareeyopanishad – Abhaya pratishthaa

The word “Raas” is derived from “ra-sa” which means taste, a delicacy, what

which we enjoy. We enjoy with all our senses, the sensory organs and perceptions.

We enjoy the taste of food of many different kinds. We enjoy the sensations of

smell of many different kinds. In the same way, here we can enjoy the divinity of

Krishna, in many different ways. The Taittareeyopanishad states “RasO vai sahaa,

He is the rasa.”

http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume11/sss11-31.pdf

Taittiriya Upanishad says: 'Raso vai sah. Rasam hyevayam labdhvanandi bhavati'

– 'He the Highest Self is Bliss in itself. The individual soul becomes blissful after

attaining that Bliss' II-7. http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_1/1-1-06.html

Every part of Krishna was Krishna. His lotus-like face was Krishna. Even the nail

of the toes of His feet was Krishna. Every part of Krishna was capable to doing

anything and everything He pleased. His ears could see. His hands could see. He

could walks with His eyes. And, so He is the Supreme since every bit of Him is

Him. (This paragraph is my translation of a small part of the notes to the Rasa-lila

chapter in Hindi given in the Gorakhpur Press edition of Srimad Bhagavatam.)

http://www.salagram.net/BVTBhajanRahasya8.htm

http://harmonist.us/2009/07/a-transcendental-dialectic/

http://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume11/sss11-31.pdf

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_1/1-1-06.html

http://www.salagram.net/BVTBhajanRahasya8.htm

http://harmonist.us/2009/07/a-transcendental-dialectic/

of 57

The Five Stages of Rasa-Lila, as described in the five

chapters, are:

1. Bhagavan’s Sankalpam: Rasa-lila Prarambham

and Bhagavan’s Antardhaanam

2. Gopi viraham

3. Gopi geetam

4. Punar prakatanam and santvanam

5. Maharasa

Bhagavaan api taa raatreeh

sharadot phulla mallikaah l

Veekshya rantum manashcakre

Yogamaayaam upaashritahaa ll 10.29.1 ll

l

ll १०.२९.१ ll

of 57

Sri Shukaacarya (Śrī dar ya i) said: Shri Krishna, is Bhagvan Himself, the

Supreme Personality (with ALL six of His Opulences, aishwaryam, veeryam,

yashah, shriyah, jnanam, and vairaagyam). He saw that on that lovely autumn night

the air filled with the sweet fragrance of blossoming, scented, jasmine flowers and

decided in His mind to make it an unforgettable night filled with loving affairs. To

fulfill this purpose He or decided to resort to (employed) His Yogamaaya – His

internal potency --- Raasa aarambham (Beginning of Rasa-lila).

Shreer yat padaambuja rajash-cakame Tulasyaah

Labdwaapi vakshasi padam kila bhrutyajushttam l

Yasyaah swaveekshaNa-krutEnya sura-prayaasas-

tadvad vayam ca tava paada rajah prapannaah ll 10.29.37 ll

l

ण S - -

च ll १०.२९ .३७ ll

Goddess Lakshmi (Shri), whose mere glance is eagerly sought after by all the

celestials with great effort (sura prayaasah), has achieved the envied and unique

position of always remaining within the chest of Her Lord, r ya a. Yet, She too

desires the dust of His lotus feet, even though She has to share that dust with

Tulasī-devī and indeed with the Lord's many other servants. Similarly, we (the

gopis) too have now approached You and eternal seek the shelter of dust of Your

lotus feet (Raasaarambham – the start of the Rasa-Lila).

Haa Naatha RamaNa Preshtha kvaasi kvaasi Mahaabhuja l

Daasyaaste krupaNaayaa may Sakhe darshaya sannidhim ll 10.30.40 ll

http://vedabase.net/s/sri

http://vedabase.net/n/narayana

http://vedabase.net/t/tulasi

http://vedabase.net/d/devi

of 57

ण l

ण ll १०.३०.४० ll

The gopi (Radha) who had been carried away by Krishna and felt very proud of

Herself, prompting Krishna to disappear (so she can be taught a lesson in humility)

cried out: O master! My lover! O the dearest of all, where are You? Where are

You? Please, O mighty-armed one, O dear friend, I am totally helpless (without

You). I am Your servant. Please show Yourself to Me! - Gopeeviraham (Pining

of the gopis after separation from Him with Krishna’s disappearance).

Tava kathamrutam tapta-jeevanam

kavibhir eeditam kalmashaapaham l

Shravana-mangalam Srimad aatatam

Bhuvi grunanti ye bhurida janah ll 10.31.9 ll

l

ण ण ll१०.३१ .९ ll

of 57

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 messages of Godhead are most munificent beings of all.

Gopikaa geetam (The song of the gopis)

Taasaam aavirabhoot Shaurih

Swayamaana mukhaambhujah l

Peetambaradharah Sragvee sakshaat

Manmatha Manmathahaa ll 10.32.2 ll

l

ll १०.३२.२ ll SB

And then suddenly amongst them He reappeared, the descendant of the Shurus

(son of Shura, Vasudeva). His lotus-like face was beaming with a gentle

enchanting smile. He was dressed in lovely yellow robes. He had a garland of

flowers around His neck. It appeared as if the God of Love Himself (Cupid) had

arrived. He was the indeed God of Love, literally churning up their hearts.

Prakatanam saantvanam ca (Reunion with Krishna’s reappearance).

Gopeenaam tat-pateenaam ca

Sarveshaam eva dehinaam l YOntashcarati SOdhyakshah

kreedhaneneha dehabaak ll 10.33.36 ll

च ए l

S S ll १०.३३.३६ ll

of 57

He who lives as the Indweller and the overseeing witness within all of the gopīs

and also within their husbands, and indeed also within all embodied living beings,

it is He who is the Master, the Witness to all and it is He who has assumed these

forms in this world to enjoy His transcendental pastimes. Maharasa-Lila (The

Great Rasa dance)

Vikreeditam vraja-vadhoobhir idam ca VishNnoh

ShraddhanvitO-nushruNuyaat atha varNayet yah l

Bhaktim paraam bhagavati pratilabhya kaamam

Hrud-rogam aashu apahinot-yacireNa dheerah ll 10.33.40 ll

च ण

S ण ण l

च ण ll १०.३३.४० ll

If one, who is filled with faith, continuously hears or describes Bhagavan Sri

Krsna’s transcendental rasa-lila with the damsels of Vraja, that person will first

easily, and at will, attain para-bhakti (Supereme devotion) for the lotus feet of

Bhagavan and, thereafter, will quickly conquer the senses and become forever free

from the afflictions of the heart – worldly lust.

http://www.purebhakti.com/resources/harmonist-monthly/67-year-4-special-

editions/1301-continuously-hear-about-rasa-lila.html

**************************THE END******************************

http://www.purebhakti.com/resources/harmonist-monthly/67-year-4-special-editions/1301-continuously-hear-about-rasa-lila.html

http://www.purebhakti.com/resources/harmonist-monthly/67-year-4-special-editions/1301-continuously-hear-about-rasa-lila.html

of 57

The Five Rasas are:

1. Shantam

2. Daasyam

3. Sakhyam

4. Vaatsalyam

5. Madhuryam

Continuously hearing (anu-shruNuyaat) and describing (varNayet) Rasa-lila takes

us to this final state of madhuryam and will confer upon the devotee the status of

becoming a gopi. http://www.be-pure.info/Bhaktisub/Stages-of-bhakti.html

http://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-discourses-mainmenu-61/21-

discourses-2002/252-the-vrajavasis-never-know.html

http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Raghava_Pandita_Goswami/H

ari_Bhakti_Ratna_Prakash/Sixth_Ray_of_Light.htm

http://krishnascience.info/Vaisnava%20Library/Courses%20-

%20seminars/VOW%20compl.htm

******************************************************************

See also http://vedabase.net/sb/10/33/39/en and extract below.

Canto 10: The Summum Bonum Chapter 33: The Rāsa Dance

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad h gavatam 10.33.39

vi rī ita vraja-vadhūbhir ida ca vi o

raddh nvito nu uy d atha var ayed ya l

bha ti par bhagavati pratilabhya ma

h d-rogam v apahinoty acire a dhīra ll

http://www.be-pure.info/Bhaktisub/Stages-of-bhakti.html

http://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-discourses-mainmenu-61/21-discourses-2002/252-the-vrajavasis-never-know.html

http://www.purebhakti.com/teachers/bhakti-discourses-mainmenu-61/21-discourses-2002/252-the-vrajavasis-never-know.html

http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Raghava_Pandita_Goswami/Hari_Bhakti_Ratna_Prakash/Sixth_Ray_of_Light.htm

http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Raghava_Pandita_Goswami/Hari_Bhakti_Ratna_Prakash/Sixth_Ray_of_Light.htm

http://krishnascience.info/Vaisnava%20Library/Courses%20-%20seminars/VOW%20compl.htm

http://krishnascience.info/Vaisnava%20Library/Courses%20-%20seminars/VOW%20compl.htm

http://vedabase.net/sb/10/33/39/en

http://vedabase.net/sb/10/en

http://vedabase.net/sb/10/33/en

http://vedabase.net/en

http://vedabase.net/sb/en

http://vedabase.net/v/vikriditam

http://vedabase.net/v/vraja

http://vedabase.net/i/idam

http://vedabase.net/c/ca

http://vedabase.net/v/visnoh

http://vedabase.net/a/atha

http://vedabase.net/y/yah

http://vedabase.net/b/bhaktim

http://vedabase.net/p/param

http://vedabase.net/b/bhagavati

http://vedabase.net/p/pratilabhya

http://vedabase.net/k/kamam

http://vedabase.net/r/rogam

http://vedabase.net/a/acirena

http://vedabase.net/d/dhirah

of 57

SYNONYMS

vi rī itam — the sporting; vraja-vadhūbhi — with the young women of

nd vana; idam — this; ca — and; vi o — by Lord i u; raddh -anvita —

faithfully; anu uy t — hears; atha — or; var ayet — describes; ya — who;

bhaktim — devotional service; par m — transcendental; bhagavati — unto the

Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratilabhya — obtaining; mam — material

lust; h t — in the heart; rogam — the disease; a u — quickly; apahinoti — he

drives away; acire a — without delay; dhīra — sober.

TRANSLATION

Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord's playful affairs with the young

gopīs of nd vana will attain the Lord's pure devotional service. Thus he will

quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.

PURPORT

The extraordinary power of Lord K a's conjugal pastimes is clearly revealed

here. Qualitatively, the Lord's spiritual, loving pastimes are the diametric opposite

of material, lusty affairs, so much so that simply by hearing about the Lord's

pastimes a devotee conquers sex desire. By reading pornographic literature or

hearing about material romance, we certainly do not conquer sex desire but rather

increase our lust. But hearing or reading about the Lord's conjugal affairs has

exactly the opposite effect because they are of the opposite nature, being purely

spiritual. Therefore it is by the causeless mercy of Lord K a that He exhibits His

r sa-līl within this world. If we become attached to this narration, we will

experience the bliss of spiritual love and thus reject the perverted reflection of that

love, which is called lust. As nicely put by Lord K a in the Bhagavad-gīt (2.59),

para d v nivartate: "Once having directly experienced the Supreme, one will

not return to material pleasures."

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.

ha tivedanta Swami Prabhup da to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, of the

Śrīmad- h gavatam, entitled "The R sa Dance."

http://vedabase.net/v/vikriditam

http://vedabase.net/v/vraja

http://vedabase.net/v/vadhubhih

http://vedabase.net/v/vrndavana

http://vedabase.net/i/idam

http://vedabase.net/c/ca

http://vedabase.net/v/visnoh

http://vedabase.net/v/visnu

http://vedabase.net/s/sraddha

http://vedabase.net/a/anvitah

http://vedabase.net/a/anusrnuyat

http://vedabase.net/a/atha

http://vedabase.net/v/varnayet

http://vedabase.net/y/yah

http://vedabase.net/b/bhaktim


http://vedabase.net/b/bhagavati

http://vedabase.net/p/pratilabhya

http://vedabase.net/k/kamam

http://vedabase.net/h/hrt

http://vedabase.net/i/in

http://vedabase.net/r/rogam

http://vedabase.net/a/asu

http://vedabase.net/a/apahinoti

http://vedabase.net/h/he

http://vedabase.net/a/acirena

http://vedabase.net/d/dhirah

http://vedabase.net/v/vrndavana

http://vedabase.net/k/krsna


http://vedabase.net/r/rasa

http://vedabase.net/l/lila


http://vedabase.net/g/gita

http://vedabase.net/bg/2/59/en


http://vedabase.net/d/drstva

http://vedabase.net/n/nivartate

http://vedabase.net/s/srimad

http://vedabase.net/b/bhagavatam

http://vedabase.net/r/rasa

of 57

Ten thousand saw I at a glance

Dear All:

In an earlier email, during the week of April 8, 2012, during the Masters (golf)

tournament, I had mentioned how "thousand" is used even in a non-spiritual

context. The writer was referring to a difficult to pronounce last name of a golfer

who was among the top two (2) who were poised to win the tournament going into

the final day. He said there were a "thousand" mispronunciations of his last name

(Louis Oosthuizen, or Oosti, for short http://louis57oosthuizen.com/ ).

Now, here's another example, used by the famous English poet William

Wordsworth. Now, we come across "ten thousand". The poet is using this to refer

to an unimaginably large number. We use Sahasra, in our scriptures, in the same

way - it actually means Infinite, or unimaginably large - not EXACTLY one

thousand - Sahasra Sheershaah Purushahaa.....

Several of Wordsworth's poems were prescribed in our English classes when I was

in high school. I used to remember most of them but, for some reason, Daffodils

came to my mind this morning when I was thinking about the description of the

night of Rasa-lila and Krishna's sudden appearance in front of the Gopis.

Taasaam avirabhoot Shaurih

Smayamaana mukhaambhujah l Peetamabara-dharah Sragvee

sakshaat Manmatha Manmathahaa ll 10.32.2 ll SB

I keep thinking about Manmatha Manmathaahaa here and the impact His sudden

reappearance would have had on the gopis who were pining from His separation

and singing His glories after Rasa-lila was initiated and He disappeared, when each

gopi started feeling very proud of herself and felt as if she was all alone with

Krishna. They did not see the other gopis, or see Krishna with the others.

It is said that only Radha could see them all and she saw Krishna with each one of

them and also Herself with Krishna. However, the name Radha is NOT mentioned

explicitly in the Srimad Bhagavatam. (There is a reason for it and it is a long story

that we cannot get into here; see articles cited at end of this document.)

http://louis57oosthuizen.com/

of 57

Manmatha means the Madana - the god of love - Cupid. It also means one who is

churning your heart like we churn milk to produce butter using what is known as

the "matha" (or "matthu" in Tamil). A "matha" was used to churn the Ocean of

Milk to produce nectar. The Meru mountain was used for this purpose by the gods

and the demons but, since it did not have a peg to hold it, it fell off and Bhagavan

then appeared as a giant Koorma (tortoise) with a nice cavity in the shell to be able

to hold the "matha" in place to facilitate the churning. In the Bhagavad Gita,

Krishna says (chapter 18, verse 61),

Eeshwarah sarva bhootaanaam hrud deshErjuna tishthati l Bhraamayan sarva bhootaani yantraaroodhaani maayayaa ll 18.61 ll BG

I am seated in everyone's heart and churn it up like a "matha" is doing - yantra

actually means a machine, or tool, like a "matha". Because of all this "churning",

with His Maayaa, we cannot see Him clearly within our heart.

So, here in Srimad Bhagavatam, He appears saakshaat Manmatha Manmathahaa.

That is how Shukaacarya describes it. One can only imagine what the scene might

have been like on that night of Rasa-lila.

Now read about what Wordsworth says about the Daffodils. He says he saw ten

thousand of them. Daffodils also have a yellow color. They were dancing in the

breeze. Krishna is described here as being wearing a yellow (peeta) dress (ambara).

May be that is why I remembered the poem. Everyone was dancing with Krishna.

May be that is why I remembered that poem.

I want to remember the Rasa-Lila scene and enjoy it although I have never seen

Krishna, like the gopis did, with their own eyes, that is what Saakshaat means, with

one's own eyes, or even unlike Swami Desikan who saw Him as Venugopalan (at

one of the 108 Diva desams) and describes Him (in Gopala Vimshati, verse 12).

Swami Desikan wants to retain that vision forever in his heart, like Wordsworth

did of the daffodils and used to remember it always (for oft when on my couch

recline….). Desikan also says he wants to remember that vision again and again,

and wants that vision even at the very last moment of his life - anthima smurthi.

http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/desika-stotramaala/gopaalavimshati.pdf

Now, enjoy also the Daffodils. Wordswoth says, he saw ten thousand of them

dancing in the breeze. There were thousands upon thousands of Krishnas in

Peetambaras dancing during Rasa-lila. I want to enjoy that scene, that Saakshaat

Manmatha Manmathahaa. I can only think about it. This has been haunting me


of 57

ever since I started writing about Rasa-lila. This is one verse that I now remember

over and over again.

It is also a verse that is recited every week, during the Saturday Thirumanjanam at

the Sri Balaji Temple, in Sterling Heights. I am quite sure I will be heard reciting

this one aloud, like people hear me reciting other slokas, very soon, at the temple.

Peetamabara-dharah Sragvee Saakshaat Manmatha Manmathahaa..... oh, to just

imagine that ... and remember at that last moment!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/91224441/Rasa-Lila-In-Brief-Saptasloki-Rasa-Lila

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90505011/Duration-of-Rasa-Lila

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90582950/RasaLilaKrishnaCelibate

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

April 26, 2012

******************************************************************

Daffodils - a poem by by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills, (hills and dales?)

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/91224441/Rasa-Lila-In-Brief-Saptasloki-Rasa-Lila

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90505011/Duration-of-Rasa-Lila

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90582950/RasaLilaKrishnaCelibate

of 57

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling leaves (waves?) in glee;

A poet could not be but gay, (gay = happy)

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought (never thought?)

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie (recline?)

Awakened or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

***************************************

Masters set for fitting finale

Originally Published: April 7, 2012

By Gene Wojciechowski | ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&pa

ge=wojciechowski-120407&sportCat=golf

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- At 4:52 p.m. Masters Standard Time on Saturday, the ground

shook, the pines covered their ears and scoreboard operators all across Augusta

National reached for more red numbers. Phil Mickelson was tied for the lead! For

about 24 minutes.

And then an ego-free Swede named Peter Hanson, whose own country club in

Orlando won't talk about him, moved ahead. He was joined by Louis Oosthuizen,

who has a Claret Jug (i.e, he has won a major championship, the British Open) and

a last name with seemingly 1,000 incorrect pronunciations.

http://search.espn.go.com/gene-wojciechowski/

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski-120407&sportCat=golf

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski-120407&sportCat=golf

http://espn.go.com/golf/player/_/id/308/phil-mickelson

http://espn.go.com/golf/player/_/id/1414/peter-hanson

http://espn.go.com/golf/player/_/id/1293/louis-oosthuizen

of 57

Deshikan’s Gopala Vimshati Verse 12

Composed at the Divya Desam at Thiruvahindrapuram


http://keshavonline.tumblr.com/post/14594279254/vishwaroopam-this-is-

based-on-swami-vedanta

Adharaahita caaru vamsha naalaah

Makuthaalambi mayoora piccha maalaah l

Hari neela shilaa vibhanga neelaah

Pratibhaa santu mamaantima prayaaNe ll 12 ll

च

- - l

-

ण ll १२ ll


http://keshavonline.tumblr.com/post/14594279254/vishwaroopam-this-is-based-on-swami-vedanta

http://keshavonline.tumblr.com/post/14594279254/vishwaroopam-this-is-based-on-swami-vedanta

of 57

http://www.sundarasimham.org/ebooks/GopalaVimsati.pdf

Vamsha naalaa means a slender tube, or a pipe, made from bamboo. This

refers to the flute held by Krishna. Adhara means lips. The flute resonates

with the movement of Krishna’s lips. Enchanting divine music emanates

from the flute and Swami Desikan is able to experience this and feel it. He

can also see the crown worn by Krishna and the string of peacock feathers

that adorn the crown. He can see the blue lustre and resplendence of the

gemstone (sapphire) around His neck and the blue hue emanating from all

over His Divine body. The soft blue radiance is all pervading and Swami

Desikan wants to remember this forever, even at his last moments.

In verse 12 above of the Gopala Vimshati (which means 20 verses on

Gopala), we see Swami Desikan pleading for Anthima Smruthi. As he is

describing all the Krishna Leelas throughout in this stotram, Desikan is

completely overwhelmed and wants to retain this vision of Venugopalan

THROUGHOUT his life and also at the LAST MOMENTS of his life on this

earth. Notice also that he is using the same word "PrayaaNe" used by


of 57

Krishna in chapters 7 and 8 of the Gita. (PrayaaNa kaale, chapter 7, verse

30 and chapter 8, verse 10, anta kaale in chapter 8, verse 5).

If Swami Desikan can so desire - ALL of US must ALSO desire the same -

and this is also consistent with Krishna's message in chapter 8 of the Gita

(and in others chapters of the Gita, as well). For those who may not be

familiar, Swami Desikan is the leading acarya of SriVaishnavism, following

in the footsteps of Ramanujacarya. He also laid the modern foundations for

what is known as Prapatti in this Vaishnavite tradition of South India.

SriVaishnavite scholars generally seem to feel, see links below, that the

desire for ‘anthima smruthi’ expressed here by Swami Desikan is merely

his own personal prayer and not in any way contrary to the very profound

Prapatti doctrine, or to Ramanujaacarya’s six dictums, received through

Thirukkatchi Nambi (one of which is Anthima Smruthi Varjanam).


http://desikastotras.blogspot.com/2007/02/gopala-vimsati.html

http://www.saranagathi.org/

http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/psekaram/psekaram03.html

Even if one is a true “prapanna”, i.e., if one who has recognized the utter

helplessness and inability to follow any type of prescribed yoga to achieve

moksha and so decides to “surrender” (as opposed to a bhakta, who is a

devotee, and is still “striving” in the path of Bhakti Yoga, with his or her

“own” efforts), why stress “varjanam” (which means to abandon, banish,

etc., i.e., not required, or not necessary, or not mandatory in this context)?

Can one be a “true prapanna” and yet long for anthima smruthi? There is

no need to hold the two as being in opposition. The two need not be

contrary viewpoints. “Varjanam”, as in abandonment, certainly appears to

be too strong and harsh a sentiment to express in this regard.


http://desikastotras.blogspot.com/2007/02/gopala-vimsati.html


of 57

In the accepted versions of the dictum of Anthima Smruthi Varjanam, with

no contradictions to Krishna’ teachings in the Gita (see, for example, links),

http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/psekaram/psekaram03.html

http://ramanuja.wetpaint.com/page/Antimastriti+Varjanam

one seems to be (conveniently? with full realization of one’s helplessness?)

shifting the burden on to Emperuman (or Krishna). Is that really the intent of

performing Prapatti? Or, is one refusing to take responsibility a la the

famous markata-marjara nyaaya? This refers to the observations by the

wise on the markata (monkey) and the marjara (cat).

Observe monkeys in the forest, or even in a zoo. The monkey baby is

scared to death and clings on to the mother for dear life as the mother goes

about swinging carefree from branch to branch as opposed to the baby cat

which is utterly unafraid as the mother cat very carefully picks up the baby,

making sure not to hurt it while grabbing tightly at the baby’s “throat” or

“neck”, with the same grip used to kill a prey but leaving the baby

unharmed!

And, so it is in the Anthima Smruthi Varjanam.

Are the prapannas marjara babies and bhaktas the markata babies – still

tightly holding on to bhakti, with fear in their hearts, like the markata baby,

in the ultimate hope of success sometime in attaining moksha – at some

distant time in the past, perhaps, after many many janmas?

Chaturvidhaah bhajante Maam janaah sukrutinOrjuna l

AartO jinyaasur arthaarthee jnaanee ca Bharatarshabha ll 7.16 ll BG

Bahoonaam janmaanaam ante jnanavaan maam prapadyate l

Vaasudevah sarvam iti sa Mahaatma sudurlabhahaa ll 7.19 ll BG

http://ramanuja.wetpaint.com/page/Antimastriti+Varjanam

of 57

“To be or not to be”, said Hamlet. “To be a prapanna, or not to be”, says the

SriVaishnava neophyte while hanging on to every word of Krishna from the

Gita for dear life!

Durlabham maanusham janma…., says Prahalada to his fellow students

at the demon school he was sent to by his father Hiranyakashyapu (Srimad

Bhagavatam, Canto 7, chapter 6, verse 1 http://vedabase.net/sb/7/6/1/en1

He is advocating Harinaama smaraNam. To Hiranyakashyapu himself,

Prahalada said fearlessly, in the previous chapter (verse 23) when asked

what he had learned from his teachers in the demon school.

ShravaNam keertanam VishNoh smaraNam paadasevanam l

Arcanam vandanam daasyam sakhyam aatma nivedanam ll 7.5.23 ll

Hiranyakashyapu was amused and laughed at Prahalada’s innocence

when he heard the above. At this stage in the story, the demon king has

not yet reached the fury point. He sent his son back to school and advised

the demon teachers that they should teach something useful to his son –

like sing the glories of Hiranyakashyapu!

It is up to us to make the most of this manusham janma --- this human body

with all of its blessed faculties. Bhakta or Prapanna? Markata or marjaara?

Vrajanam or Varjanam? or

SharaNam Vraja but Smruthi Varja? Prahalada says SmaraNam Vraja.

Your choice! ☺or may be there is no choice!

See also discussion of Varaha Charama Slokam

http://www.scribd.com/doc/56368141/The-Three-Charama-Slokas-An-

Introductory-Discussion

http://vedabase.net/sb/7/6/1/en1

http://www.scribd.com/doc/56368141/The-Three-Charama-Slokas-An-Introductory-Discussion


of 57

The Varaha Charama Sloka of Varaha Purana

l

च ll

ण - ण- l

ll

Sthite manasi susvasthe shareere sati yo narahaa l Dhaatu-saamye sthite smartaa Vishwaroopam ca Maamajam ll Tatas-tam mriyamaaNam tu kaashtta-paashaaNa-sannibham l Aham smaraami madbhaktam nayaami paramaam gatim ll

Lord Varahaswamy Addresses Mother Earth or Bhumi Devi:

Three main characteristics of His bhaktaa, mentioned in the second sloka, are listed

in the first sloka.

1. Sthite manasi: Sound mind, literally “in” sound mind, i.e., having sound

mind.

2. Suswasthe shareere: Healthy body, “in” a healthy body, i.e., being healthy.

3. Dhaatu saamye: Essential ingredients being in full equilibrium. The word

‘dhaatu’ literally means the basic ingredients of Pra riti; see chapter 7, verse

4 of the Bhagavad Gita. It is also used in many Indian languages for basic

minerals, ores, etc. that we find on the earth.

If any man (sati yo narah) who is with a sound mind, situated in good health, with

all physical and mental faculties which one is made up of) in functioning in full

equilibrium (saamye) were to think of Me (smarthaa) as being the cause of this

Universe (Viswaroopam, having the form of this Universe) and as the One without

birth (Ajam), I will think of that devotee of Mine (madbhaktam) when he is on his

of 57

death bed (mriyamaaNam), lying helplessly like a stone (paashaaNa) or a log of

wood (kaashtta) and take him (nayaami) to the Ultimate Abode (Paraam gatim).

In the other words, the Merciful Lord has already taken a vow to grant Anthima

Smurthi to the Prapanna and will liberate the Prapanna (moksha via transport to

His Abode). This is the widely accepted interpretation, except that Varahaswamy

uses the word “ ha ta” to describe this person, not a “Prapanna”.

Hence, it is my humble opinion that one must ALWAYS continue down the path

of Bhakti yoga, even after becoming a Prapanna. The spirit of "Ten thousand saw I

at a glance" appeals more to me, personally speaking, and also Swami Desikan's

own desire for anthima smurthi (memory of the Lord during the final moments).

May I be blessed to be forgiven by Acaryas and Prapannas for any offenses in this

regard.

What is the position of a Prapanna? Is the person now assured of the Lord’s Grace?

Interestingly, we find Yamunaacarya, whom Ramanujacarya sought as a guru,

pleading with the Lord (verse 64 of Stotra Ratna, English rendition by Dr. MS

Rajajee, published by Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams, 2004 Edition), as follows.

He says, “O Lord, my Master (naatha), I have indeed truly (nanu) sought Your

refuge (prapannah). I am begging You (yaacamaanah) with the entreaty that I am

but Yours (tavaaham asmeeti). You have promised that if one surrenders to You

but once (sakrudeva prapannaaya..) that person shall without any doubt be

protected by You. Is that not Your own vow (kimidam vratam te)? I surely deserve

Your mercy and compassion (tava anukampyahaa). So, why are You now

seemingly going to make one (eka) exception (varjam) in my case? What kind of

(kim idam) a vow (vratam) of Yours (te) would that be (if You made the exception,

in my case)?

Nanu prapannah sakrudeva Naatha

Tavaahamasmi iti ca yaacamaanahaa l

Tavaanumkamyah smaratah pratijnaam

Madeka varjam kimidam vratam te ll 64 ll

of 57

च च l

ll ६४ ll

Readers can consult Professor Rajajee’s full translation and nice explantion of this

verse further. The text is still available at the TTD bookstore, right across from the

Venkateswara’s temple atop the seven hills.

Here Yamunacarya is careful to use EXACTLY the same words used by Lord

Rama Himself (in Valmiki Ramayanam) to explain to Sugreeva (who is the King

and His ally in the war against Ravana) and other vanara and ruksha warriors and

elders why He is bound by His own vow (vratam ma-ma) of providing (dadaami)

protection to all beings (abhayam sarva bhootebhyO) who have sought His shelter

and have surrendered to Him (sakrudeva prapannaya) and is pleading (yaacate)

with the words “I am Yours” (tava asmi iti), see link for an introductory discussion

of the three charama slokas http://www.scribd.com/doc/56368141/The-Three-

Charama-Slokas-An-Introductory-Discussion

Sakrudeva prapannaaya tavaasmeeti ca yaacate l

Abhayam sarvabhootebhyO dadaamyetad vratam ma-ma ll

च च l

ll YK, Canto 18, verse 33

Interestingly, notice that this revered charama slokam from Ramavataram is found

in chapter 18 of the Yuddha kandam (YK) of Valmiki Ramayanam and is verse 33

(Gorakhpur Press, Part II, Reprint 2011), just as the better known charama slokam



of 57

from Krishnaavataram (Sarva dharmaan parityajya maamekam sharaNam vraja) is

also found in chapter 18 (verse 66, ah, double of 33).

The exact same words “prapanna”, “sakrudeva”, and “tavaasmi”, are again used by

Yamunacarya in his stotra ratna. But the pleading continues. The entreaty

continues. The doubts seem to persist as to the Lord’s intent (even after becoming

a Prapanna) as to whether His grace shall be forthcoming. Why should there be

any doubt when Lord Rama has said “sarva bhootebhyO”, ALL beings? NO ONE

has been excluded by Lord Rama. He promises to protect all beings, regardless of

their offense, if they seek His refuge. Hence, the Lord protected Kakaasura (demon

in the form of a crow, mentioned by Sita to Hanuman, in Sundara Kandam) and

even Shishupala (who is mentioned the preceding verse 63 by Yamunacarya).

The prapanna, Yamunaacarya himself, is even taking the liberty to remind the Lord

of His own vow (as if the Lord cannot remember, but that is okay and what

“vatsalya bhaavam”, the sense of deep intimacy like a dear kin, is all about).

Perhaps, most important of all is the significance and the meaning of the word

“varjam” as used in Yamunacarya’s slokam. This is the same as “varjanam”.

However, varjam, or varjanam, as we just saw above, also means “one exception”

or “to the exclusion of”.

This is one of several meanings of “varjanam” found in the dictionary, in addition

to the commonly understood meaning of “to abandon, to banish”, not necessary,

not needed, etc.

So, anthima smruthi “varjanam”, as conveyed via Thirukkachi Nambi (at

Kanchipuram to Ramanuja) might simply mean that He is happy to grant ONE

EXCEPTION – at that last moment, IF the prapanna cannot remember Him. But,

the prapanna must remain a Bhakta and remember Him at all other times. One

exception shall certainly be made. SmaraNam of the Lord must continue at all

other times, as recommended by Prahalada Himself, to none other than

Hiranyakashyapu.

of 57

And so, today, at a much older age, I will now rephrase what I learned when I first

read Wordworth’s famous poem when I just a teenager.

For oft when on my couch recline

Awakened or in pensive mood

He, My Gopala, flashes upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the gopis and thrills

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

April 27, 2012

******************************************************************

Quotes: Six Principles of Srivaishnavam

Extracted from http://www.saranagathi.org/

Sriman Narayana is the Supreme Self; unparalled and unsurpased -

Ahameva Param Tatvam. The Lord has all the insentient and sentient as his body, and He is the soul of

everything - Darsanam Bhedam Eva Cha.

The way to get salvation is surrendering to the feet of the Lord - Upayeshu

Prapatisyaat.

There is no need to adopt contemplation on the Lord during our final breath

- Anthima Smruthi Varjanam.

After the soul departs from the material body, it gets salvation if he/she

adopted the means of surrender (saranagathi) - Dehaavasaane

Mukthisyaat. One should approach a fully qualified Vaishnava acharya and get

enlightened - (Poorna)achaaryam Samaasraya.

Lord of Kanchi (Sri Varadaraja Perumal) told these six statements to Sri Ramanuja

through Sri Thirukachi Nambi (Kanchi Poorna).


of 57

UNDERSTANDING Rasa-Lila

The following is copied and pasted in entirety (see link given below) and must be

read by all true devotees to fully understand Rasa-Lila.

http://www.be-pure.info/files/Articles/Article77.html

The Structure of the Srimad Bhagavatam

Sri Prem Prayojan Prabhu

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sastra that will free one from the endless chain

of birth and death. It is the very svarupa of Krsna Himself. Just as we love

Krsna and serve Him with the utmost deep attachment, caring about

how He feels and what He desires, in the same way we should approach

Srimad-Bhagavatam. Prema maya bhagavata krsnera sri anga: Caitanya

Bhagavat says that this Bhagavatam is full of love, and it is non-different

from the limbs of Krsna Himself. Actually Bhagavatam is transcendental,


of 57

and no one, but no one, can understand Bhagavatam by their own mind, by

their own effort. Vedanta Sutra gives the instruction that the absolute truth

is ‘tarka apratistanat’; it is not understood by logic or argument. Mahabarata

gives us information:

acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet

prakrtibhyah param yac ca, tad acintyasya laksanam

For that subject matter which is transcendental, you cannot apply your

logic, reason or experience. Why not? All transcendental subject matters

are acintya, inconceivable. So Bhagavatam is like that. Why? What

language is Bhagavatam written in? It appears to be written in Sanskrit, it

appears to be so, but no. Vyasadeva, having received blessings from his

guru Narada Rsi, who ordered him to manifest Bhagavatam in this plane,

went into trance.

bhakti-yogena manasi

samyak pranihite ’male

apasyat purusam purnam

mayam ca tad-apasrayam

(SB 1.7.4)

Vyasadeva went into trance, bhakti-yoga samadhi, and then, what

manifested in his heart by the blessings of his Gurudeva, he wrote down in

the form of syllables. Our Acaryas explained that this Bhagavatam is

written in samadhi-bhasa, trance language. If you are Israeli, you speak

Hebrew; if you are Japanese, you speak Japanese; but who can

understand samadhi-bhasa? That person who lives in the world of trance,

who lives in the land of samadhi can speak and understand samadhi-

bhasa. Those who do not spend a very significant portion of their day in

trance cannot understand a word of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

If we want to know the nature or structure of Bhagavatam, we have to go to

its roots. We find its roots explained within itself, in the Second Canto,

chapter nine. At the beginning of creation, Brahmaji was existing,

of 57

but he could not understand where he had come from, what was the

meaning of his existence, what he should do, or anything. He searched

here and there, but to no avail. However, because he was very sincere, the

Supreme Lord inspired him by the vibration of two syllables ‘ta-pa’. Then he

began to search within himself, instead of searching outside up and down

the lotus stem. He began to do ta-pa, not austerity, but sadhana, a

practice to understand the purpose of his existence. He began supplicating,

“Is there someone superior to me who can help me and teach me who am I

and why am I here?” In this mood he performed his austerity. By his

meditation Brahmaji came into trance, and there the Supreme Lord came

and instructed him. What did He give him? He gave him Bhagavatam.

At the beginning of the creation, the Bhagavatam was only four slokas; this

is called Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam. If we want to understand the essence, or

structure, of Bhagavatam, the format or dialectic of this sastra, we can

find it in a nutshell, summarized in the Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam. Before

speaking Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam, the Supreme Lord told two more

verses which should be taken along with Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam, because

they give the key to opening the mystery of Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam. What

are they? First Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Himself, said:

jnanam parama-guhyam me

yad vijnana-samanvitam

sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca

grhita gaditam mayam

yavan aham yatha-bhavo

yad-rupa-guna-karmaka

tathaiva tattva-vijnanam

astu te mad-anugrahat

(SB 2.9.31-32)

These slokas are very important. The first instruction explains ‘parama-

guhya’, the highest and most confidential knowledge. Now Bhagavan does

not want to speak of any relative understanding, any general conception, or

of 57

any step on the path to finding out what the ultimite reality is. He is saying,

“Now I want to instruct you on parama-guhya, the most confidential

mystery.” If you can reference this to Bhagavad-Gita, there you will see

find ‘guhya vidya’, ‘guhya’, ‘guhyatara”, and ‘guhyatamam’. Guhya-vidya is

knowledge of ‘brahma bhuta prasanatma, na socati na kancati’. Guhyatara

is knowledge of ‘isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati’

(the Paramatma), and then, ‘sarva guhyatamam bhuya srinume paramam

bacha…’, Know that I am telling you the most secret thing. What is parama

guhya?

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaisyasi satyam te, pratijane priyo 'si me

Bhagavad-Gita 18.65—“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship

Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I

promise you this because you are My very dear friend.”

Your mind should be ‘man mana bhava’. What does it mean to be ‘man

mana bhava’? It is explained in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krsna told

Uddhava when He wanted to send him to Vrndavana: Tara matamana

sarmat prana.

Here, ‘man mana’ has been explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam in this way:

The hearts of the gopis of Vrndavana are totally absorbed only in Me. They

don’t know anything except for Me. Inside and out, they only see Me. Thus,

the gopis are the example of ‘man mana bhava’. This is called ragatmika

bhakti, the bhakti of the residents of transcendental Vraja.

Krsna told Arjuna, ‘mana mana bhava’. Be like this, but if you cannot be like

a ragatmika, then be like a devotee in this world and try to follow the

ragatmikas. If you cannot be ragatmika, then be raganuga, following them.

But raganuga is very rare, very few are qualified. If you cannot do

raganuga, then ‘mad yaji’, this means to do puja, arcana. Arcana is not in

raga-marga; it is in vaidhi-marga. So, if cannot do raganuga-bhakti, you

should do vaidhi-bhakti. OK, if you cannot do vaidhi-bhakti, then

of 57

‘namaskuru’; if you cannot follow so many rules and regulations in your life,

then at least bow down. Namaskuru means ‘namah’: ‘na’ means ‘nivritti’

and ‘ma’ means ‘aham mameti’, give up your false ego. Try to give up the

fruit of your work and your enjoying mood, the false ego that “I am this

body,” give up this bodily identification and, bowing down to the Supreme

Lord, start your spiritual life. In this way, Krsna is so kind. If you cannot do

the highest thing, Krsna gives you another option—if you cannot do this,

then do this, if you cannot do that, do this, and so on. If you can start your

spiritual life somewhere, gradually, gradually, one day you will attain the

goal. So understanding this word ‘parama guhya’ with reference to parama

guhya in Gita, that parama guhya is ‘man mana bhava’—be like the gopis,

totally absorbed in prema.

But here the Lord is saying, “Take up ‘grhana gaditam maya’. On my order

you should take up this knowledge, this process.” What is that? It consists

of four types of knowledge. The first one is called ‘jnanam’. Tad-vijnana

samanvitam: this knowledge is samanvit, it is also related to, or imbued

with vijnana. Then sa-rahasyam, and also rahasya, a mystery. ‘Tad angam

ca’, and it has anga. Grhana gaditam maya. In other words, He is saying,

“The knowledge I am about to impart to you is of four types: jnana, vijnana,

rahasya and tad anga. Each word, or each ingredient, of this introduction to

Catuhsloki Bhagavatam tells you its content. You have the four slokas of

Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam, but before the four slokas is the page of contents,

listing four types of knowledge: jnana, vijnana, rahasya and tadanga.

Actually, ‘tad anga’ means the angas of that rahasya. What is that? First

jnana, this means sambandha-jnana; vijnana also refers to same jnana.

Rahasya refers to premabhakti, the mystery is prema, the prayojana, and

tadanga, or the angas of bhakti, is abhideya. So there are three things:

sambandha, abhideya and prayojana. Bhagavatam is presented in this

format, as is all Vedasastra. The first verse of Catuhsloki Bhagavatam is:

aham evasam evagre

nanyad yat sad-asat param

paccad aham yad etac ca

yo ’vasisyeta so ’smy aham

of 57

(SB 9.2.93)

Krsna is saying here, “Before the creation, before there were any material

developments at all, I existed. When the creation was finishd, ‘paccad

aham yad etac ca yo ’vacisyeta so ’smy aham’, when everything is

annihilated, dissolved, only I exist. And in the middle only I exist.” What

kind of knowledge is this? sambandha, abhideya or prayojana? This is

sambandha-jnana. Why? Sambandha means knowing the relation with the

Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna. Are you related with brahma, paramatma

or Bhagavan? Here is a description of Bhagavan, because brahma never

gives any instruction—He never speaks before, after, in-between, or

anything. This is sambandha-jnana. Then:

rte ’rtham yat pratiyeta

na pratiyeta catmani

tad vidyad atmano mayam

yathabhaso yatha tamah

Here He is saying, “Whatever you see which apears to be true but is

separate from Me, you should know that this is My Maya.” My energy has

two features: yathabhaso yatha tamah—abhasa and tamah. What

knowledge is this? Sambandha, abhideya or prayojana? This is also

sambandha. Why? Here there is knowledge of three things: Bhagavan and

His realation with Maya and the Jivas. Here the semblence, ‘My abhasa’,

that means jiva-maya, jiva-tattva. Why? Because the jivas are also

conscious like Me; they are bhokta-svarupa (the embodiment

of enjoyment), they are jnata-svarupa (they are the knower), they are

jnana-svarua (they are the embodiment of knowledge), they are mantra-

svarupa (they are thoughtful), they have independence, free will (sveccha

mayata).

All these qualities are in Bhagavan, and are also in the jiva. Jivas are like

the semblence of Bhagavan, and ‘yatha tamah’, this means darkness. The

material energy is not conscious of anything; Therefore it is called tamah,

darkness, because there is no feeling there. This constitutes sambandha-

of 57

jnana. The jivas and Maya are not separate from Bhagavan. There, like

reflection and darkness, the reflection depends on the real thing, and

the darkness is only the absence of the real object. Everything depends on

the real object. So everything is related to, created by and dependent on

the Supreme Lord. This is also sambandha-jnana. So here when Krsna

said, “I existed before, during, and after,” this is related to His own svarupa.

If He is speaking, that means He has senses, and this also means that He

has intelligence. Therefore He is a person. To emphasize that He is a

person, He uses the word ‘aham’ three times:

aham evasam evagre

nanyad yat sad-asat param

paccad aham yad etac

yo ’vasisyeta so ’smy aham

Three times in this verse He says ‘aham’, to emphasize that “I am a

person—I can speak; My senses are transcendental.” Why? “Because

when the material world is completely collapsed, I am still there. My senses

are not material, My individuality is not material, My intelligence is not

material. Everything about Me is transcendental.” In fact, in the previous

verse leading up to Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam, Bhagavan told Brahma:

yavan aham yatha-bhavo. “As much as I am ‘yad-rupa-guna-karmaka’, My

form, My qualities and My activities, there is no question of impersonalism.

Oh, may this be awakened in your heart, ‘tathaiva tattva-vijnanam, astu

te mad-anugrahat’, by My mercy.”

Previously, the Lord had said that you should take up this knowledge,‘grhita

gaditam mayam’. This is your sadhana, and then He said it will be

awakened in your heart ‘by My mercy’. In other words, the process to know

the truth is sadhana-bhakti, and sadhana is not independent of krpa

(mercy)—you need both. You will have to do sadhana, and seeing your

hard endeavors, Bhagavan will give you mercy. Then you will realize

something. Without sadhana, you will not realize anything, and without

mercy you cannot realize, but when both come together, then you can

realize something.

of 57

So here the first sloka of Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam is called jnana. Jnana

means the direct perception of the svarupa of the Supreme Lord. And

vijnana generally means science, or visaya-jnana, but here visesa-jnana,

visesata means specialities, or distinctions. To understand the distinctions,

and the relation between Bhagavan and the Jiva and Maya, is called

vijnana. How Bhagavan relates with His sakti is called vijnana. So, jnanam

parama-guhyam me yad vijnana-samanvitam: these two are sambandha-

jnana. The third sloka of Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam is:

yatha mahanti bhutani

bhutesucavacesv anu

pravistany apravistani

tatha tesu na tesv aham

“As the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do

not enter into the cosmos, similarly, I Myself also enter within everything

created, and at the same time I remain separate from everything.” What is

this verse? Sambandha, abhideya or prayojana? This is prayojana-tattva,

prema-tattva. Why? Follow the content page: first come jnana and vijnana.

What comes next? Rahasya, confidential mystery. That is prema; prema is

the mystery of Bhagavatam. How is it so?

The mood of the Maha-Bhagavata devotee has been described in

Bhagavatam:

sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed

bhagavad-bhavam atmanah

bhutani bhagavaty atmany

esa bhagavatottamah

(SB 11.2.45)

That person who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me, and who sees

his own mood in everyone else, is called Maha-Bhagavata. This is prema-

tattva. Mahaprabhu told Ramananda Raya: stavara jamgam na dekhiya

of 57

amurti. You are Maha-Bhagavata, so you see your beloved Lord

everywhere, in every moving and non-moving object. Here Krsna is saying,

“I am in everything and also separate”—this is prema-tattva. This is

demonstrated by Srimati Radhika—in the madness of mahabhava, what

happens? When She sees a tamal tree, She embraces it, and thinks, “Now

My life is successful.” Why? She is not seeing a tamala tree; She actually

thinks, “I am embracing Krsna.” When Her braided hair falls over Her

shoulder, She brushs it off, and chastizes, “Don’t touch Me!” Why? She

thinks this is Krsna’s arm. When She sees the dark clouds in the sky, She

has mana and turns Her face, as if Her lover has made an offense. This is

called prema-tattva, ‘sa rahasya’.

The last verse of Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam is:

etavad eva jijyasya

tattva-jijyasunatmanah

anvaya-vyatirekabhyah

yat syat sarvatra sarvada

One must search for this rahasya (mystery) in all times, all places, all

circumstances, both directly and indirectly.

This verse is what? Tad angam, abhideya-tattva, bhakti. What is the first

anga of bhakti out of 64? Gurupada asraya diksa guru asevam sad dharma

preta sisksa sadhu maganugamum. Like this, the first ten angas come,

but the first anga is gurupada asraya, so here it is given ‘atavad eva

jijyasya’, you have to inquire. By asking questions, you can realize this truth

that you have to approach a person who knows the truth. Otherwise, if you

approach any ordinary person, what is the use of asking him any question?

He cannot give you the answer.

Thus, here bhakti-tattva has been indicated beginning with the first anga of

bhakti, gurupada asraya.

of 57

‘Jijyasya’ also means sadhana-bhakti. Sadhana-bhakti means to engage in

the angas of bhakti in order to discover the beautiful transcendental form of

Krsna. Krsna can only be seen by bhava-netra, the eyes of bhava.

Therefore, sadhana-bhakti is what you do to attain bhava:

krti-sadhya bhavet sadhya-bhava sa sadhanabhida

nitya-sidhasya bhavasya prakatyam hrdi sadhyata

The engagemant of the senses in the angas of bhakti to awaken your

eternaly latent loving mood, to manifest that mood in your heart, is called

sadhana. By this you can have darsana of Bhagavan. Here it is said,

‘anvaya-vyatirekabhyah’, directly and indirectly. This means that in

sadhana, you will have to accept what is favorable for bhakti, and you will

have to reject that which is unfavorable. This is direct and indirect. And it

also means that this bhakti as two aspects, sambhoga and vipralambha,

meeting and separation.

In this way, in Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam the essence of Bhagavatam has

been given, and the rest of Bhagavatam is only elaborating on that. The

Bhagavatam is giving us sambandha-jnana. How has it been elaborated?

Ete ca amsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Krsna is

Bhagavan.

That Bhagavan is the ultimate feature in the Absolute Truth. Why?

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti

bhagavan iti sabdyate

(SB 1.2.11)

Those who know the truth, who are tattva-vit, say that truth is advaya, it is

one, non-dual, but it is sometimes called brahma, paramatma, or

Bhagavan, according to one’s approach. If you will approach the truth with

bhakti, then you can realize Bhagavan—there is no other method. Thus,

of 57

sambandha and especially abhideya, the process of bhakti, have been

given in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Why? Krsna told Uddhava: bhaktya hum

ekeagrajam. “I am known only by bhakti.” After being bewildered by the

sakti of Bhagavan, Lord Brahma said: jnane prayasam udapasya namanta

eva. “Give up this process of jnana.” Sristirstitibhaktya udasyate vibho—

those who gave up the path of bhakti to follow the path of jnana, what

happens to them? It is like the hard work of threshing husk. If you have rice

padi, and you beat the rice out from the husk, then you have rice, but if you

beat the husk, then what is that? Hard work for nothing. So here in

Bhagavatam, the abhideya-tattva has been defined: don’t go in the path of

nirvisesa jnana. Why? This is only threshing empty husk. Jnane prayasam

udapasya namanta eva—give it up. Jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-

vartam—just hear the pastimes of Krsna from the lips of a pure devotee. In

this way impersonalism is completely rejected. Kapila-deva told his mother:

salokya-sarsti i-samipya-

sarupyaikatvam apy uta

deyamanam na grhnanti

vina mat-sevanam janah

The devotees reject all types of liberation, what to speak ‘ekatva’ (oneness

of brahma), they even reject salokya, samipya, sarsti and svarupya, going

to Vaikunta, all the five types of liberation. Deyamanam na grhnanti: if I try

to give My devotees, they do not accept it. So Bhagavatam is even

rejecting the four types of personal liberation. If someone will try to

establish that the Supreme Truth is nirguna, then yes, Kapila-deva is

saying, “We like nirguna.” What is nirguna? Laksanam bhakti-yogasya

nirgunasya hy udahrtam: this devotional service is nirguna, and by this

devotional service, what will happen?

mad-guna-sruti-matrena

mayi sarva-guhasaye

mano-gatir avicchinna

yatha gangambhaso ’mbudhau

(SB 3.29.11)

of 57

“I am very confidentially hidden in the hearts of all living entities, and when

they hear about Me, simply by hearing My qualities, by their heart they

come running and meet with Me.” This is called nirguna bhakti—simply

by hearing about Krsna, in his heart one comes running to meet Krsna face

to face.

So those who want to establish that the Absolute Truth is nirguna, to them

we say, “Yes, we say ‘nirguna’, but that does not mean

that He has no qualities.” And just to make sure that you don’t think that the

Absolute Truth is impersonal, or that the impersonal aspect is superior, the

Bhagavatam gives us the example of the four Kumaras, who were

Brahmavadis, absorbed in brahma. But what happened?

tasyaravinda-nayanasya padaravinda-

kinjalka-misra-tulasi-makaranda-vayuh

antar-gatah sva-vivarena cakara tesam

sanksobham aksara-jusam api citta-tanvoh

(SB 3.15.43)

The four Kumaras were absorbed in impersonal brahma, but when they

went to the gate of Vaikuntha, and the fragrance of the Tulasi leaves on the

feet of Nararyana entered into their nostrals, they lost all interest in

nirvisesa brahma and became devotees.

From birth Sukadeva Gosvami was absorbed in nirvisesa brahma, but what

happened to him? When he heard the description of Krsna’s form,

‘barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram’, he was attracted to

Krsna and went mad. And when he heard of Krsna’s qualities in the verse

‘aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam’, he ran from the forest and returned to the

asrama of Vyasadeva, who taught him Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The sages of Naimisaranya asked Suta Gosvami, “Sukadeva Gosvami was

atmarama, self-satisfied. Why did he undergo the hard endeavor to hear

1,800 verses of Bhagavatam?” What did Suta Gosvami say? He

answered, “My Gurudeva heard why:

of 57

atmaramas ca munayo

nirgrantha apy urukrame

kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim

ittham-bhuta-guno harih

(SB 1.7.10)

“Don’t you know? Even those who are atmarama, liberated from this world,

are attracted to the pastimes of Krsna. Why? Ittham bhuta guno harih: Hari

has ‘adbhuta guna’, astonishing transcendental qualities. Therefore,

the sambandha of Srimad-Bhagavatam is only with the transcendental sat,

cit, ananda svarupa of Krsna. And the process is never jnana; the process

is only bhakti.” If one will hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is be the result?

yasyam vai sruyamanayam

krsne parama-puruse

bhaktir utpadyate pumsah

soka-moha-bhayapaha

(SB 1.7.7)

By hearing Bhagavatam, what happens? Bhagavatam itself is saying that

bhakti will arise in the heart. The impersonalists say that bhakti is one kind

of illusion—one does bhakti only to realize brahma, but here it is said

that when bhakti comes in your heart, then ‘soka-moha-bhayapaha’, your

lamentation, fear, and illusions are all vanquished. This can happen only by

bhakti. What is that bhakti? That sadhana-bhakti has been described in

Srimad-Bhagavatam: it is called raganuga-bhakti. When Pariksit Maharaja

heard that Krsna was bound by Mother Yasoda, he was struck with

wonder. He could not believe it and Sukadeva Gosvami was also

overwhelmed with bliss. Pariksit Maharaja asked Sukadeva Gosvami:

nandah kim akarod brahman

sreya evam mahodayam

yasoda ca maha-bhaga

papau yasyah stanam harih

of 57

(SB 10.8.46)

He asked him, “O Brahmana, what did mother Yasoda do to be so

fortunate that the Supreme Lord, who maintains the whole universe, is

crying, and she is maintaining Him by her breast milk?” In reply Sukadeva

said:

nayam sukhapo bhagavan

dehinam gopika-sutah

jnaninam catma-bhutanam

yatha bhaktimatam iha

(SB 10.9.21)

Here he is saying, “Hey Pariksit Maharaja, you should know one thing—you

cannot attain a love like the residents of Vrndavana if you have dehatma

budhi, if you have bodily idenification. If you are a jnani, you cannot

know their prema. Even the other expansions of Bhagavan cannot know

this prema, and Krnsa’s associates like Uddhava, Laksmi devi, and the

devotees on the path of aisvarya—like Prahlada Maharaja, Druva Maharaja

and Bharata Maharaja—cannot understand it. Only those who follow the

moods of the Vrajavasis can know.” This verse is giving the

recommendation—only raganuga-bhakti is the way to attain this prema.

The Vedas personified also in their prayers to Krsna said:

nibhrta-marun-mano-’ksa-drdha-yoga-yujo hrdi yan

munaya upasate tad arayo ’pi yayuh smaranat

striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-visakta-dhiyo

vayam api te samah sama-drso ’nghri-saroja-sudhah

(SB 10.87.23)

Here the Vedas personified said, “What is the use of yogis’ yoga-

sadhana? Even the demons who are killed by Krsna attain what the yogis

achieve after meditatating for 60,000 years. So, if even those who hate

Krsna receive the same destination as those doing meditation for

of 57

thousands of years, then what is the use of yoga?

Then what do the Vedas say? Striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-

visakta-dhiyo: The gopis of Vrndavana, who day and night were only

thinking of what it would be like to be embraced by the snake-like arms of

Krsna, directly met with Him—they attained the highest destination.

Therefore, vayam api te samah sama-drso ’nghri-saroja-sudhah: we will

also attain the nectar of Krsna’s lotus feet by being sama-drsa. Sama-drsa

means that the Vedas say they are going to do the sadhana of following the

moods of the gopis of Vrndavana. So here Srimad-Bhagavatam is

recommending raganuga-bhakti. How do we enter into this raganuga-

bhakti? Guru will have to give you kama-gayatri. Caitanya Mahaprabhu

heard this from Ramananda Raya on the bank of the Godavari, and

Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself instructed Sanatana Gosvami:

vrndavane ‘aprakrta navina madana’

kama-gayatri kama-bije yanra upasana

The upasana of the “vrndavane ‘aprskrta navina madana’” is achieved by

the kama-bija and the kama-gayatri. Therefore, Srimad-Bhagavatam gives

the instruction, “Take shelter of kama-bija and kama-gayatri.” Where is

Bhagavatam giving this instruction? Where is it explained that you should

chant kama-gayatri? It is very difficult to detect. Only those who are in

samadhi can realize, because it is written in samadhi bhasa.

In the beginning of Rasa-pancadhyayi (the five chapters in the Tenth Canto

describing the Rasa-lila), Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.29.2) gives a beautiful

description of Vrndavan as Rasa-lila was about to begin:

drstva kumudvantam akhanda-mandalam

ramananabham nava-kunkumarunam

vanam ca tat-komala-gobhi ranjitam

jagau kalam vama-drsam manoharam

Here it is said that the night time came, and the moon began to rise. The

of 57

moon was coloring the horizon with a reddish tint, and it seemed as if a

lover had decorated the face of his beloved with kunkuma powder. This is

stimulation for parikiya-rasa. Why? Because Candra is the moon, and the

eastern horizon is purva drsa; the eastern horizon, purva drsa, is the wife of

Indra. So if the Moon God is having some erotic lila with the wife of

Indra, this indicates parikiya, because the moon is consorting with

someone else’s wife. So when Krsna said this, He was inspired within His

heart, “Now I should taste parakiya rasa. I will enter the forest and the rasa

dance will begin.” Vanam ca tat-komala-gobhi ranjitam: the moon was

gracing the forest with its soft touch and causing the flowers to blossom—

this is all uddipana (stimulation) for parakiya rasa. And there in the forest,

jagau kalam, Krsna played ‘kalam’, sweet notes, on the flute, and what did

that sound do? Vama-drsam manoharam: this means that the gopis, whose

restless eyes were looking here and there, ‘manoharam’, were

enchanted by the sound of His flute. This is the beginning of Rasa-

pancadhyayi.

Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura explains two things here, kalam vama-

drsam: ka-la, the first symbal is ka, the second syllable is la; this is followed

by vama-drsam. In the Sanskrit alphabet, the vowels are listed first: a, aa

(long), i, ii (long), u, uu (long). The fourth letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, ii

(long i), is called vama-drsam. Why? Vama-drsam means that which looks

on the left-hand side. The short i looks to the right side, and the long ii

looks to the left side, so ka-la-ii, manoharam, this means ‘who controls the

mind’. Who controls the mind? Candra-deva is the god who controls the

mind. In Sanskrit grammar the anusvara is called candra bindu, so ka-la-

ing becomes “kling”, kama-bija.

In other words, the playing of Krsna’s flute is the kama-bija, which attracts

all living entities to His lotus feet. When Krsna plays His flute, what sound

comes out? Brahma Samhita tells us—kling, the kama-bija, and from this

seed comes kama-gayatri. Kama-gayatri has the potency to awaken the

jivas and attract them to meet with Krsna in gopi-bhava, parakiya bhava.

This is written here in Srimad-Bhagavatam for those who are in samadhi;

only they can read this. The scholars have no idea; they cannot understand

of 57

this.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the commentary on gayatri, and it is also the

commentary on Vedanta Sutra. Why? Garuda Purana states:

artho ’yam brahma-sutranam

bharatartha-vinirnayah

gayatri-bhasya-rupo ’sau

vedartha-paribrmhitah

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the meaning of brahma-sutra; it defines the purpose

of Mahabarata; it is also a commentary on gayatri—brahma-gayatri and

kama-gayatri both. Why? Because brahma-gayatri is called Veda Mata, the

mother of the Vedas. She is a person who did austerities to become a gopi,

and when her bhava was mature, then brahma-gayatri transformed into

kama-gayatri. This is mentioned in Skanda Purana. This is told also in

Gopala Tapani Upanisad and in Tattva-Sandarbha.

In his Brahma Samhita commentary, Jiva Gosvami explains that omkara

and kling are the same, and that they are the meeting of prakrti and purusa,

that means Radha and Krsna.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta, because the

author of Vedanta is Vyasa, who has given his own commentary. How do

we know? Just see, ‘janmadasyata’ is the beginning of Vedanta Sutra. And

how does Srimad-Bhagavatam begin? Janmady asya yato ’nvayad itaratas

carthesv abhijnah svarat.

And inside Srimad-Bhagavatam itself, it is directly written: sarva vedeti

hasanam saram saram sumumdritum. “This Bhagavatam is the essence of

the Vedas.” That means the end result of the Vedas, ved-anta.

Suta Govami, in glorifying his Gurudeva before speaking the Bhagavatam,

said: ya svanubhavam akila srutisara ekam. “This purana guyum,

confidential Purana, is srutisaram ekam, the one essence of Veda, that is,

Vedanta.” And right at the end of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated:

of 57

sarva vedanta-saram hi

sri-bhagavatam isyate

tad-rasamrta-trptasya

nanyatra syad ratih kvacit

(SB 12.13.15)

“Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of Vedanta. If you will have a taste in

this Bhagavatam, you will lose taste in all other scriptures.” There is no

doubt about the position of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and this Bhagavatam is

giving very confidential knowledge, para-guhya, of sambandha, abhideya

and prayojana.

I have spoken about sambandha and abidehya, but I have not yet

mentioned prayojana. What is the prayojana? It is prema.

Bhagavatam establishes this by presenting different types of bhakti. It

shows the bhakti of Druva Maharaja, who engaged in chanting his

mantra, following the instruction of Narada, but what happened to him? He

had darsana of Narayana, and then went to Druva-loka, which is not even

outside the coverings of this universe. So, because Druva did sakama-

bhakti (bhakti with a material desire), he could not come out from the

coverings of the material universe.

In Bhagavatam the bhakti of Prahlada Maharaja has been explained, but

what happened to Prahlada Maharaja? He had darsana of Nrsimhadeva for

a moment, who then disappeared. He never served Lord Nrsimhadeva,

gave Him a glass of water, or massaged Him—he never did anything for

Him. Why? Because in his idea, Lord Nrsimhadeva is not hungry, not

thirsty, not tired or anything, so he never does any service for Him. He

offered prayers, but he never performed paricarya seva.

Prahlada Maharaja’s bhakti is good, but Bhagavatam is saying, “Go

further.” It tells us about the bhakti of whom? Ambarisa Maharaja. Sa vai

manah krsna-padaravindayorvacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Ambarisa

Maharaja is not only offering prayers, he is doing all the angas of bhakti,

of 57

and he is serving by all his senses, so he is superior. In Bhagavatam we

see next the bhakti of Citraketu, who in his next life became Vrtrasura.

When, as Vrtrasura, he was being killed by Indra, he prayed:

ajata-paksa iva mataram khagah

stanyam yatha vatsatarah ksudh-artah

priyam priyeva vyusitam visanna

mano ’ravindaksa didrksate tvam

(SB 6.11.26)

“O my Lord! I want bhakti.” How? “Just like a newly born bird cries for his

mother.” Actually, the baby bird is only opening his mouth, and meditating

on the mother. He cannot make any sound even; he is only opening his

mouth wide, with eyes closed, totally absorbed. Then Vrtrasura said, “No,

better then that, I want to be like a calf, very eager to take milk from its

mother.” If the calf is tied close by, calling “mooo!” it is remembering and

doing kirtana at the same time. The baby bird does not want the mother; it

wants the food that the mother is bringing, so this is not a good example.

So then Vrtrasura gave the example of the calf, because at lease the

calf wants the milk, which is in the mother. But then he said, “No. Priyam

priyeva vyusitam visanna: I want to be like a woman who is pining for her

beloved who went has gone to a distant place, and is only waiting for him to

come back. She is crying, calling his name, remembering, doing kirtana,

and also thinking, “When he comes, I will give him a seat. I will wash his

feet and massage him with oil. I will fan him and give him something to eat.

I will please him in all ways, with my whole body.” This prayer is in the

mood of a lover.

Here Citraketu has gopi-bhava-abhasa. This is the most excellent and

highest mood you can find in all nine cantos, before the tenth canto.

The love of Hanuman has been described in the ninth canto. He is a

gret servant in dasya-rasa, superior to Ambarisa Maharaja, who is in the

stage of sadhaka, while Hanunam is siddha. In other words, Ambarisa

Maharaja has this body, and when he leaves this world, he will have a

of 57

spiritual body in that world, but Hanuman is already in his spiritual form, so

he is superior to Ambarisa Maharaja. This is Sanatana Gosvami’s

commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam. Hanuman is superior to Ambarisa

Maharaja, but the Pandavas are superior to Hanuman.

Why are the Pandavas superior? Because Hanuman cannot sleep on the

same bed as Ramacandra. Krsna and Arjuna lie on the same bed together.

They even eat from the same plate. Hanuman cannot tell Ramacandra,

“Drive my chariot,” but Arjuna can.

When Arjuna is firing his arrows, he is telling Krsna which way to go. How?

If Arjuna is absorbed in firing arrows, he has both hands holding his bow.

Then how will he tell Krsna which way to go? By his feet, he kicks Him, “Go

left! Go right!” and Krsna, feeling the touch of Arjuna’s feet, is steering the

chariot. Can Hanuman steer Ramacandra by his feet? No, so how Arjuna

and the Pandavas are suprerior to Hanuman!

But do you know who is superior to Arjuna? Uddhava. When Krsna was

feeling separation from the residents of Vrndavana and wanted to send

someone there with a message, he had to choose the most qualified

person. Who did he choose? Uddhava.

vrsninam pravaro mantri krsnasya dayitah sakha

sisyo brhaspateh saksad uddhavo buddhi-sattamah

(SB 10.46.1)

The six qualifications of Uddhava have been given in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Krsna Himself said: na tata me priyatama. “No one is as dear to me as you

are, not even Laksmi-devi, not even Brahma who is like my own son,

not even Lord Siva, not even my own expansions.”

So Uddhava is superior, but what happened to Uddhava when Krsna sent

him to Vrndavana? He never sent Uddhava to Vrndavana so he could

deliver His message; this was not His main reason. His real reason was

that in Mathura, He had no one to talk to. There was no one who

could understand the way He felt, because no one can understand

of 57

Vrajavasis. So Krsna thought, “If I send Uddhava there, he will see their

love. At least he will have some experience, and when he comes back,

then at least I will have someone to talk to.”

A problem shared is a problem halved. The gopis felt separation from

Krsna, but at least they could talk to each other, but Krsna was alone in

Mathura, and He could not tell anyone how He was feeling, so that is why

He sent Uddhava. He wanted to send Uddhava to become a student in the

gopis’ school of prema so that Uddhava could learn something about the

meaning of real love. So, although Uddhava is the highest devotee outside

of Vraja, when he reached Vrndavana, what does Srimad-Bhagavatam

say? Uddhava was rolling on the ground, calling out:

asam aho carana-renu-jusam aham syam

vrndavane kim api gulma-latausadhinam

ya dustyajam sva-janam arya-patham ca hitva

bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir vimrgyam

“I want to leave this life and take birth as a blade of grass in Vrndavana.”

So what is the position of Radharani? Actually Uddhava said this after he

saw Radharani speaking with the bumblebee. Thus, if Uddhava wants to be

a blade of grass in Vrndavana, then how superior are the friends of Krsna?

How superior are the parents of Krsna? And the lovers of Krsna? And

among all of them, the gopis—Lalita and Visaka—and among them,

Radharani? So Bhagavatam is establishing the prema of Radharani as the

prayojana.

Uddhava is saying, “I want to be grass in Vrndavana.” Why?

Because “if I will become a grass, then maybe Radharani will step on me,

and some dust from Her feet may touch my head.” This means that without

the mercy of Radharani, you cannot realize the prayojana of Srimad-

Bhagavatam. Therefore, the process is to engage in the bhajana of the

lotus feet of Srimati Radhika—this is the abhideya. And Her prema is the

prayojana, But actually no jiva can have prema like Radharani. This is only

of 57

in Her. We can only have a drop of that, the beauty of Her love, the paraga

(the pollen), a particle of fragrant pollen from the lotus of Radharani’s

heart—this is manjari-bhava, the mood of Her maidservants. No one can

be like Radharani, but those who serve the dust of Her lotus feet are

fortunate to have Her moods reflect in their heart. Thus, they can realize

Her moods. Others, who do not become Her dasis, cannot realize how She

feels, and therefore the ultimate conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam is the

mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who entrusted His mission in the hands

of Rupa Gosvami.

sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam

sthapitam yena bhu-tale

svayam rupah kada mahyam

dadati sva-padantikam

Only Rupa Gosvami realized what Mahaprabhu came to give. And through

Rupa Gosvami it was distributed in this world.

yan kali rupa sarira na dharata?

tan vraja prema mahanidhi kutharika, kaun kapat udarata

One Vaisnava poet said, “Mahaprabhu brought the treasure of prema to

this world but it was locked, and He gave the key to Rupa Gosvami.

Therefore, only those in this rupanuga sampradaya, who are doing bhajana

in manjari-bhava, can realize the actual purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

What does Uddhava say in Srimad-Bhagavatam? He is praying for the foot

dust of the gopis, but one could ask, “Why are you praying for this? They

left all Veda dharma—ya dustyajam sva-janam. They left ‘arya-patha, they

left Vedic dharma, the path of the Vedas.”

Uddhava gave his reply to this: bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir

vimrgyam. The way that they serve the lotus feet of Mukunda—srutibir

vimrgyum—the Vedas themselves are doing research to discover that. This

is Vedanta; this is the end of the Vedas. The Vedas personified said, “We

of 57

want to follow the gopis by our mood,” and Uddhava, in this verse of the

Bhagavatam, is saying the same thing. The Vedas are searching for

(vimgmyam) those lotus feet which the gopis are serving directly. How?

Bhagavatam (10.31.19) tells us:

yat te sujata-caranamburuham stanesu

bhitah sanaih priya dadhimahi karkasesu

tenatavim atasi tad vyathate na kim svit

kurpadibhir bhramati dhir bhavad-ayusam nah

In the last verse of Gopi Gita, Radharani said, “O Krsna, why are You

wandering alone in the forest, stepping on the brambles in the forest with

Your soft lotus feet? We cannot tolerate this. We will die. Come back and

meet with us at once. What to speak about treading on thorns in the forest,

when we take Your lotus feet upon our breast, we are afraid.” What is the

meaning? It is very confidential. The Bhagavatam is explaining that the

prema of the gopis is the highest type of love. That prema is called prema,

sneha, pranaya, mana, raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava, rudha-bhava,

adirudha-bhava, modana-bhava, mohana-bhava, madhanakya

mahabhava—all these stages of prema have been proven where? In

Bhagavatam. This verse is what mood?

This is rudha-bhava. In Ujjvala Nilamani, Rupa Gosvami described the

symptoms of rudha-bhava:

nimesasahatasana janata hrd vilolayan,

kalpa ksanatvam ksinnatvam tat sukhe ’py’ arti sankayam

This means when Krsna is completely happy, His beloved is worried. She

fears that Her lover is not satisfied, not happy. It means that when Radha

and Krsna meet together in the kunjas of Vrndavana, Radharani pleases

Him in all ways, and now Krsna is lying completely tired, and perspiring. He

is so happy, but His beloved is very eager to again enjoy sweet rati-keli

with Him, so She will have to make His tiredness go away. How? If you will

of 57

massage someone’s feet, his fatigue will abate. Serving Krsna’s lotus feet,

Radhika takes those lotus feet on Her breast, very slowly, and this gives

the utmost happiness to Krsna. But when Krsna is tasting the utmost

happiness, and rudha-bhava comes, then the beloved worries, “Perhaps

He is not fully satisfied. Maybe He is feeling some inconvenience.” Why?

“My breast is hard.” This mood, called rudha-bhava, is explained in Srimad-

Bhagavatam.

After rudha-bhava comes adirudha-bhava. In this adirudha-bhava, there

are moods like mohan, divyonmad, ten types of citra-jalpa—prajalpa,

parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, sanjalpa, abhijalpa, avaljapla, sujalpa, ajalpa and

pratijalpa. Where do we find them? Bhagavatam Canto Ten, chapter 47,

Bhramara Gita, but this will take hours and hours to explain. This is the

prayojana-tattva that is clearly shown in Bhagavatam, not anywhere else.

This love is so high that even though Krsna said in Gita, ‘ye yatha mam

prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham’, “I reciprocate with My

devotees,” but in Bhagavatam (10.32.22) He said something completely

different to the gopis:

na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam

sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah

ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srikhalah

samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna

With you I cannot reciprocate—this mahabhava conquers Krsna and

makes Him want to be the servant of those gopis. Among the gopis,

Radharani is supermost. Uddhava said:

vande nanda-vraja-strinam

pada-renum abhiksnasah

yasam hari-kathodgitam

punati bhuvana-trayam

(SB 10.47.63)

“I am praying to one partical of dust, ‘renum’ (this is singular).” One particle

of 57

of dust cannot be on two different gopis’ feet; one partical of dust can only

be on one person’s feet. Uddhava has just seen Radharani speaking

with the bumblebee. Here Uddhava is glorifying only the prema of

Radharani—this is the prayojana. But Radharani’s prema is unattainable

for the jiva, who can only become Her dasi, the servant of Her foot dust.

Even the Vedas are doing research trying to discover Her foot dust.

This is Vedanta; this is what Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give, and He

distributed it through the parampara of Rupa Gosvami. Therefore, those

who are rupanuga, who are doing bhajana in manjari-bhava, following the

mood of Rupa Manjari, are actually the Vedantists, those who know the

end of Veda—others cannot know.

There is an episode of Svarupa Damodara censoring some poetry which

was to be read to Mahaprabhu. One time a brahmana came from Bengal.

He had written some poetry that he wanted to read to Mahaprabhu, but no

one can read to Mahaprabhu without going through His secretary first.

Therefore, he read the poetry to all the devotees, who unanimously replied,

“Bravo, bravo. You should read this to Mahaprabhu, but first you should

read it to Svarupa Damodara, so he can check everything first.” When

Svarupa Damodara heard his poetry, he became angry and said,

yaha, bhagavata pada vaisnavera sthane

ekanta asraya kara caitanya-carane

(CC Antya 5.131)

He was angry with him and told him, “What are you doing? Why are you

writing about Krsna and Bhagavatam?

You don’t know anything. If you want to know the Bhagavatam, then sit at

the lotus feet of a pure Vaisnava.”

caitanyera bhakta-ganera nitya kara ‘sanga’

tabeta janiba siddhanta-samudra-taranga

(CC Antya 5.132)

of 57

If every day you associate with the devotees of Mahaprabhu, svarupa-

rupananuga line—tabeta janiba siddhanta-samudra-taranga—only then can

you enter the waves in the ocean of siddhanta, the conclusion. Otherwise,

you cannot find that ocean; it is not possible at all.

What happened to Vallabhacarya? When his pride had been cut by

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he realized that he had made an offence to

Gadadhara Pandita. Therefore, he surrendered to Him, and Gadadhara

Pandita initiated him into Yugala mantra, the worship of Radha and Krsna.

In this way Vallabhacarya also ended up worshiping Radha and Krsna by

the mercy of Gadadhara Pandita. And though in their line they do upasana

in vatsalya rasa, actually, many of their acaryas were secretly doing

bhajana in madhurya rasa. Just see what Vallabhacarya’s son, Vitalacarya,

has written:

syamasundara sikhanda-sekhara

smera-hasa murali-manohara

radhika-rasika mam krpa-nidhe

sva-priya-carana-kinkarim kuru

“O Krsna, be merciful to me!” “What mercy do you want?” “I want to be the

dasi of Radharani.” Vitalacarya is the son and disciple of Vallabhacarya,

of 57

but where did this mood come from? From Vallabhacarya, who was

initiated by Gadadhara Pandita in Yugala mantra—not publicly but secretly.

Those who are Gaudiya, those who are rupanuga, know Vedanta. Others

cannot know. And that Vedanta has been explained explicitly and deeply

in Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have given some external shape to the message

of Bhagavatam, but this subject is so deep. It cannot be explained in less

than seven days and nights continuously.

There is one more thing that I would like to say, because I think it would be

of great interest to you. You have an interest in the structure, or the way

that the Bhagavatam unfolds piece by piece. This also cannot be

understood by an ordinary person—Bhagavatam is transcendental. I would

like to give some examples. At the time of the Gopi Gita, when Krsna left

the gopis on the bank of Yamuna, the gopis were crying:

visa-jalapyayad vyala-raksasad varsa-marutad vaidyutanalat

vrsa-mayatmajad visvato bhayad, rsabha te vayam raksita muhuh

The gopis are saying, “O Krsna, you are a hypocrite. From our childhood

You saved us many times, and now You are killing us by this separation.

Why did You save us again and again, and now You are killing us? This

behavior is irrational and inconsistent.”

Why? Visa-jalapyayad—You saved us from the poisoned waters of the

Yamuna, Kaliya-naga. Vyala-raksasad—You saved us from the very

dangerous serpent, Agasura. Varsa-marutad—You saved us from the rain

sent by Indra, you saved us from Marutat, the wind sent by Trinavarta.

Vaidyutanalat—and from the thunderbolts of Indra. Vrsa-mayatmajad—You

saved us from Aristasura—and mayatmajat—from the son of Maya

Danava, that is, Vyomasura. You saved us so many times so why are You

killing us now? You are very inconsistent in Your behavior, You restless

boy.” In this way, the gopis are crying in Gopi Gita.

Know one thing—Krsna had not yet killed Aristasura and Vyomasura. They

had not yet come to Vrndavana, so how were the gopis crying and saying,

of 57

“O Krsna, You killed Aristasura and Vyomasura”? I am bringing this up

because our topic is the structure of the Bhagavatam, the chronology and

how it unfolds. Don’t think that there is some fault in Bhagavatam, because

the gopis are saying Krsna killed these demons who had not yet come to

Vrndavana. In Vraja Paurnamasi, the grandmother of Madhumangala and

Nandi-mukhi, lives in Nandagaon by Uddhava Kyari. Paurnamasi knows all

Veda sastra. It was written in different Puranas that Krsna killed so many

demons, so she already knows what will happen. Sometimes she tells the

gopis pastimes that Krsna has not performed yet. Therefore, they know in

advance what will come to pass. So we can understand how it is possible

that the gopis criticize Him in this way. Unless one understands the internal

workings of this village, gramya katha (village talk), you cannot answer the

questions of Bhagavatam.

When Uddhava was about to leave Vrndavana, the gopis said to him,

“Don’t tell Krsna what you saw here. If you tell Him that we are crying and

fainting on the ground, it will break His heart.” The gopis have so much

love; they don’t want Krsna to feel any pain at all. So they ordered Uddhava

not to tell Krsna how they were feeling. The gopis said, “We know that

Krsna is doing very well there. He has married so many queens and has so

many children. Surrounded by so many family members, He is doing very

well, so don’t disturb Him.” Now just think, at this time when Uddhava came

to visit the gopis, where was Krsna? He was in Mathura. He had not

married yet.

He manifested Dvaraka when He got married, and then He had children

and everything. So how are the gopis saying this? How is it possible? At

the time of separation, by the influence of lila-sakti Yogamaya, all the

pastimes manifest in the hearts of the gopis—all previous pastimes, all the

present pastimes, and all the future pastimes. Therefore they are speaking

like this.

Our rupanuga acaryas have explained this verse in their commentaries.

There are many secrets in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam does not

of 57

seem to be in any chronological order; it seems to move here and there,

especially the tenth canto. There is some chronology but not throughout.

The Mahabharata war and the meeting of the gopis and Krsna at

Kuruksetra do not come in chronological order. There is a reason for this.

Before speaking Bhagavatam, Suta Gosvami glorified his Gurudeva,

Sukadeva. Suta Gosvami, who was speaking to the sages of

Naimisaranya, heard the Bhagavatam directly from Sukadeva. He will not

speak anything without first giving pranama to his Gurudeva—this is edict.

In his pranama to his Gurudeva, he said:

yah svanubhavam akhila-sruti-saram ekam

adhyatma-dipam atititirsatam tamo ’ndham

samsarinam karunayaha purana-guhyam

tam vyasa-sunum upayami gurum munina

(SB 1.2.3)

“I offer my pramana to the Guru of all the munis, that is, my Guru Sukadeva

Gosvami. He spoke this essence of all the Vedas, Srimad-Bhagavatam,

which is like a light that gives all transcendental knowledge.” He said:

samsarinam karunayaha purna-guhyam. “This confidential Purana was

spoken by him due to krpa-sakti.” The meaning is this—if someone has not

seen the pastimes of Krsna, how can he explain it? Apani na koilo dharma

sikhana na yaya: you cannot preach what you do not practice, so unless

you have seen Krsna, how can you describe Him? You are disqualified.

And those who have seen Krsna, how can they tell hari-katha? Because if

they have seen Him, when they go to speak about Him, they becoem

overwhelmed with emotion—nayanam galad-asru-dharaya vadana

gadgada-ruddhaya gira—their throat will be choked, and they will not be

able to speak.

Thus, those who have not seen cannot speak, and those who have seen

cannot speak, so how will hari-katha manifest in this world?

Only when Krsna’s krpa-sakti goes into the heart of the devotee who has

seen Krsna, and is now speaking about Him in separation. That krpa-sakti

of 57

enters his heart and acts as dharya-dharana-sakti—the power to hold his

patience, the power to steady his heart from trembling, the power to stop

him from fainting in separation.

Only then hari-katha comes into this world; otherwise no hari-katha can

come here. The words of those who are not realized are like blank bullets.

Bang! A sound comes, but no bullet comes out; it has no effect. The words

of those who are realized are live amunition, but those who are realized

cannot speak unless the krpa-sakti comes in their heart. This gives them

the power to control their bhavas so they will not faint.

It is asked, “Why did Sukadeva Gosvami not take the name of Radharani in

Bhagavatam?” Sukadeva is Radharani’s parrot; he misses Her so much. If

he will chant “Radhe, Radhe, Radhe,” what will happen? Sanmasik

murcchita bhavet—he will faint for six months. Pariksit Maharaja only had

seven days left to live, so if Sukadeva would faint for six months, what

would happen to Pariksit Maharaja? Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami did not

openly, not directly, chant the name of his Guru, Radharani, in the

Bhagavatam. But indirectly he has described Her in so many places.

Only when the krpa-sakti came in the heart of Sukadeva Gosvami could his

bhavas be controlled so that he would not faint while describing Srimad-

Bhagavatam. Therfore, we see a strange order in the verses, because

when his mood was going too high, then the krpa-sakti diverted his mind,

and took him into another topic so that he would not faint. Our acaryas like

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura have explained this.

In Bhramara Gita, Sukadeva Gosvami is explaining how Radharani is

speaking with the bumblebee. This Bhramara Gita is not just ten verses—it

is hundreds of verses—but as Sukadeva Gosvami was speaking, his

bhava was going higher and higher and higher, and when he had spoken

ten verses, he was about to faint in ecstasy. At once, in order that the rest

of Bhagavatam could be manifest in this world, and Pariksit Maharaja

could be saved, the krpa-sakti came into Sukadeva Gosvami’s heart and

diverted his attention. At this point, he had only spoken ten verses of

Bhramara Gita, when all of a sudden he started talking about Kubja in

of 57

Mathura, with no rasa at all. She has only sadarani rati—there is no prema

rasa at all in Kubja. Why did his mood suddenly go high and then come

right down again? Because if he had continued on, he would have fainted,

but the krpa-sakti diverted his attention so that he could carry on

speaking—samsarinam karunayaha purna-guhyam.

In the beginning of Bhagavatam, Suta Gosvami explains how this

Bhagavatam came by the influence krpa-sakti.

Why? He had to tell about Krsna’s pastimes in Mathura and Dvaraka.

Some people think that the love of Rukmini and Satyabhama is superior to

the love of the gopis, because He married them and had children by them.

The love of the queens is legitimate, and the gopis’ love is illegitimate.

Don’t think like this. The gopis’ love is highest, so he had to tell the

pastimes of Dvaraka to prove this. At the time of the solar eclipse, the

queens of Dvaraka came to Kuruksetra, and the gopis also came there.

When the queens of Dvaraka saw the love of the gopis, they were struck

dumb. The flow of a river is powerful and cannot be checked, but when the

rivers meet the ocean, they begin to spin here and there. In the same way,

when the love of the queens of Dvaraka, who were only like rivers, met with

the ocean of the love of the gopis, their heads began to spin. And what did

the queens say to Draupadi?

kamayamaha etasya

srimat-pada-rajah sriyah

kuca-kunkuma-gandhadhyam

murdhna vodhum gada-bhrtah

(SB 10.83.42)

“O chaste lady, we don’t want liberation. We don’t want to be the king of

heaven. We don’t want to be like Brahma. We don’t want to live in

Vaikuntha. We only want to carry upon our heads the dust the feet of Krsna

when it is mixed with the kunkuma from the breast of Radharani.” So the

Vrndavana-lila was described, but then afterwards the Dvaraka-lila had to

be described to show that even the queens are praying for the dust of

of 57

Krsna’s lotus feet when it is mixed with the kunkuma from the breast of

Radharani. This is Vedanta, the conclusion of all the Vedas.

What is the kunkuma from the breast of Radharani? Do you think it is iron

oxide? What is it? Kunkuma comes from flowers but now they make it from

iron oxide, but it actually comes from flowers. No, this kunkuma is

Radharani’s anuraga.

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes in his sastra, also Jayadeva

Gosvami in the beginning of Gita Govinda: vyaktyanuragam iva khelad

ananga kedaih. “The anuraga in the heart of Radharani has manifest as the

kunkuma on Her breast.”

Here the queens are praying, “We want to have a love like the gopis of

Vrndavana. We don’t want anything else.” Srimad-Bhagavatam is giving

this conclusion, but only those who come in the line of Rupa Gosvami can

understand this. Bhagavatam itself said (12.13.18):

srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaisnavanam priyam

yasmin paramahamsyam ekam amalam jnanam param giyate

tatra jnana-viraga-bhakti-sahitam naiskarmyam aviskrtam

tac chrnvan su-pathan vicarana-paro bhaktya vimucyen narah

This Bhagavatam is not dear to the Saivites or to the Brahmavadis. To

whom is it dear? Only the Vaisnavas Padma Purana explains that

Vaisnavas come in four sampradayas: sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te

nisphala matah. In Kali-yuga there are only four sampradayas, so first of all

for whom is Bhagavatam meant?

Not for anyone, only for Vaisnavas, and among Vaisnavas there are four

sampradayas, and among four sampradayas, only those in Mahaprabhu’s

line, and the line of Rupa Gosvami, can know this conclusion, because the

pratipadya visaya, the subject established by Bhagavatam, is only the

prema of Radharani. Only the rupanuga sampradaya is dedicated to

serving the lotus feet of Radhika in manjari-bhava.

of 57

So you are very lucky, very fortunate to come in contact with the line of

Rupa Gosvami. Therefore, some door is open for you, but you will

have to walk through the door. Krsna may also send someone to hold your

hand, and take you through.

Gaura Premanande!!


****************************************************

Druva Maharaja, sakama-bhakti (bhakti with a material desire) Prahlada Maharaja (did not serve Narasimha, only got darshan) Ambarisa Maharaja (Stage of sadhaka) Citraketu (later became Vrtrasura) dasyam – gopi bhavam Hanuman (9th Canto) dasya bhavam Pandavas, Arjuna – sakhyam Uddhava Gopis Radharani

**********************************************************

Krishna and Rasa leela.

http://www.krishnamrutam.net/rasaleela.php


http://www.krishnamrutam.net/rasaleela.php

http://www.krishnamrutam.net/festivalsofkrishna/holi.php

of 57

The gopis of Brindavan were highly evolved Rishis in their previous births. They

longed for the union of God. To satisfy them, during Krishna avatar, Rasalila was

enacted. Shri Krishna was hardly seven years old. The Rishis were born as Gopis.

By dancing with each Gopi as a separate Krishna, he fulfilled their desires of

previous birth. In fact, the Love and longings of Gopis towards Shri Krishna was

not a physical affinity. It was the longing for the individual soul to the Supersoul.

But, the worldly minded people imagine according to their own views and treat

Krishna as One with a body consciousness and criticize him in a vulgar manner. In

fact, Jayadeva's Gita Govindam is a depiction that sans any sensuality. But the

ordinary people who read those verses imagine those Divine Verses as though they

pertain to the ordinary Human beings. It has been clarified this aspect in one of His

discourses. Let us not commit the sin of equating of Divine Love with that of

ordinary mortals.

Gopikas (Great female devotees of God) were the sages who were trying to cut the

worldly bonds from the past three Yugas. By the end of the third Yuga, they have

become all mot successful in their spiritual efforts.

They requested Lord Rama to give final salvation from all the worldly bonds.

They were having still the effect of three bonds viz., caste, sex and knowledge. To

remove these three effects, they were born as illiterate women in the backward

caste as Gopikas by the will of Lord. The six strong worldly bonds (Eshanas) are

with body (Deheshana), life (Prashena), life-partner (Dareshana), children

(Putreshana), wealth (Dhaneshana) and traditional justice (Dharmeshana).

1. By saluting Lord in naked condition, they have cut the bond with body.

2. After Krishna, they jumped into fire and thus could cut the bond with life.

3. They left their husbands to dance with Krishna and thus could cut the bond

with life-partners.

4. They even left their Stree-dharma to be with Krishna and thus could cut the

bond with traditional justice.