Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 9 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

প্রেমভক্তি-রীতি যত,        নিজ গ্রন্থে সুবেকত,

লিখিয়াছে দুই মহাশয় ।

যাহার শ্রবণ হৈতে,         প্রেমানন্দে ভাসে চিতে,

যুগল মধুর রসাশ্রয় ॥ ৯ ॥

     These two great souls have written books that clearly reveal all the practices of prema-bhakti. The minds and hearts of those who hear these descriptions float in premānanda and become vessels for yugala-madhura-rasa.

Yugala-Madhura-Rasāśraya

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: After singing the glories of the premamaya books written by Śrī Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura Mahāśaya then discusses their noble contribution---prema-bhakti-rīti yata, nija granthe subekata, likhiyāche dui mahāśaya. Both Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana are known as mahāśaya, meaning high-minded or magnanimous. Even though they were always floating in the ocean of divine contemplation and deeply absorbed in tasting rasa, they were still overcome with compassion for the jīvas of the world. Due to their kind and benevolent natures, they stored their most profound feelings and realizations within the books they composed. Or mahāśaya can also mean bhakti-rasa-lampaṭa, always yearning for bhakti-rasa. Just as they tasted bhajana-rasa or bhakti-rasa by hearing, chanting, remembering and meditating, they also tasted it by writing books. Those who are engaged in the work of composing books about bhakti or rasa certainly understand how extraordinarily enjoyable it can be! Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya himself has suggested a very beautiful explanation of the word mahāśaya: rādhikā caraṇāśraya, ye kare se mahāśaya. “One who has taken shelter of Śrī Rādhikā is a great soul.” Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have earnestly taken shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, and as her eternal maidservants, they are truly one at heart with their affectionate Śrīmatī. Therefore they are indeed well-qualified for composing such wonderful premamaya books.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya here alludes to the incomparable quality of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana’s books: prema-bhakti-rīti yata, nija granthe subekata, likhiyāche dui mahāśaya. There are several types of meanings found in the dictionaries for the word rīti, such as krama, prakāra, svabhāva, paddhati, guṇa, dharma and so on, and the utility of all these meanings has been preserved here. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is so extraordinarily eloquent that with this one small word, rīti, comprised of only two syllables, he has encapsulated the far-reaching subject matters described in Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana’s many books. 

     Concerning the word rīti as meaning krama, or sequence, in his books Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu and Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi, Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has given very transcendental and thoughtful descriptions of the steps to attaining prema-bhakti. He begins with śraddhā, sādhu-saṅga and bhajana-kriyā, continuing up through the higher levels of sneha, māna, praṇaya and finally mahābhāva. He also discusses the many profound amorous sentiments displayed within mahābhāva, such as rūḍha, adhirūḍha, modana, mohana and mādana. In the first section of his Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta, Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda has given a wonderful description of the gradual development of bhakti within those who are the objects of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s compassion. In the second section he describes the evolution of prema-bhakti in the various dhāmas, such as Vaikuṇṭha, according to the type of rasa.

     Similarly, rīti can mean prakāra, or type. In various books, Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have skillfully written about the different types of prema-bhakti-rasa, namely śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and madhura, and have given examples of each. They have also given extensive descriptions of the svabhāva, or nature, of prema-bhakti, which is that the mind becomes completely focused on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with all other thoughts cast away. In the same way, they have provided elaborate descriptions of the paddhati, or system, of prema-bhakti, namely the particular set of rules pertaining to sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti and prema-bhakti, as well as discussions about its transcendental guṇa (quality) and dharma (virtue). Besides this, Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda has written about the practices and various doctrines of bhakti in his Śrī Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa, Līlā-Stava or Daśama-Carita, and in his Bṛhad-Vaiṣṇava-Toṣaṇī commentary. In Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta, Vidagdha-Mādhava, Lalita-Mādhava, Stava-Mālā, Dāna-Keli-Kaumudī and other books, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has described the methods and mysteries of prema-bhakti to make a very difficult subject easily understood by mankind.

     Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have clearly and in great detail explained the method of prema-bhakti in their books. Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has written, śrīmat-prabhupadāmbhojaiḥ sarvā bhāgavatāmṛte, vyaktī-kṛtāsti gūḍhāpi bhakti-siddhānta-mādhurī (Bh. R. 1.4.20). “Although the sweetness of the doctrine of bhakti is a very profound subject matter, my master Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmipāda has described it very clearly in his book Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta.” This is also the case with Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda’s books. For the benefit of mankind, they openly discussed the tenets of bhakti, and one shining example of this is Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda’s commentary on his Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta. Even though he described the philosophical conclusions of bhakti in great detail by quoting extensive examples from the Purāṇas and other ancient texts,  he also gave a personal commentary to each verse so the doctrines could be easily understood by everyone. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has appropriately said, prema-bhakti-rīti yata, nija granthe subekata, likhiyāche dui mahāśaya!

     Then he said, yāhāra śrabaṇa haite, premānande bhāse cite, yugala-madhura rasāśraya. “The minds and hearts of those who have heard these descriptions float in premānanda and become vessels for yugala-madhura-rasa.” By hearing the books of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana (which also implies by chanting and remembering), one’s heart and mind are flooded with premānanda-rasa. The meaning is that in śāstra and the words of the mahājanas it has been stated that association with great souls who are of a similar nature to oneself, affectionate and more spiritually advanced is the topmost sādhana for obtaining śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema or tasting bhakti-rasa. This most desirable type of association is very rare in this world. Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have fully deposited within their books the sādhana that is the treasure of their hearts, along with their own vast realizations. Secondly, every syllable of these books is filled with prema. Therefore, chanting and hearing the words of these books is a very powerful and unfailing sādhana for obtaining prema and tasting prema-rasa. Moreover, for the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas who worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, this collection of books is like a necklace filled with yugala-madhura-rasa. All of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana’s books are filled with discussions of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s forms, qualities, and līlā-rasa, as well as of the methods of prema-sādhana and compatible philosophical doctrines. Therefore, when the worshipper savors the contents of all these books, his or her heart fills with premānanda-rasa. Another reading, parānanda haya cite, meaning ‘the heart becomes supremely joyful,’ is also sometimes found. The meaning is the same in both readings because premānanda and parānanda are the same. There is no greater joy in the world than prema. On the other hand, it has also been made clear that experiencing or studying these books with an argumentative attitude will never allow one to become a receptacle for Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s madhura-rasa, or even have any realization of it.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 8 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

জয় সনাতনরূপ,        প্রেমভক্তি রস-কূপ,

যুগল উজ্জ্বলময় তনু ।

যাঁহার প্রসাদে লোক,        পাসরিল সব শোক,

প্রকট কলপতরু জনু ॥ ৮ ॥

Jaya Śrī Sanātana! Jaya Śrī Rūpa! You are like deep wells filled with prema-bhakti-rasa and are the embodiment of the sweetest pure love for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You have appeared like the fabled wish-fulfilling trees before the people of the world, and by your mercy, they have forgotten all their sorrows.

Yugala-Ujjvalamaya Tanu

Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, after proclaiming victory for the chief Gauḍīya Sampradāya ācāryas, Śrī Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya speaks of their transcendental achievements. He first says, jaya sanātana-rūpa. By using the word jaya, he indicates the prominency of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana over all others. Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s unique contribution was that highest of all forms of bhakti, mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā, also called rādhā-dāsya, which has the lofty ujjvala-rasa as its nature and which was never given before. In the practice and teaching of that bhāva, Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana stand above all. Knowing their uncommon capacity for disseminating bhakti, Śrīman Mahāprabhu personally gave Śrī Sanātana, in Kāśī, and Śrī Rūpa, in Prayāga, detailed instructions concerning bhakti-tattva and rasa-tattva. Then he mercifully infused them with the power and inspiration to practice and spread these teachings. In Śrī Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 9.48, Śrī Kavi Karṇapūra has written,

कालेन वृन्दावनकेलिवार्त्ता लुप्तेति तां ख्यापयितुं विशिष्य ।

कृपामृतेनाभिषिषेच देवस्तत्रैव रूपं च सनातनं च ॥

“When, by the influence of time, the stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana pastimes had faded away, Śrīman Mahāprabhu bathed Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana in the nectar of his mercy to once again bring that līlā clearly to light.” Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are particularly known for this development in the Gauḍīya Sampradāya.

Besides this, Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana were without equals in Śrī Vṛndāvana. Like the steadfast Pole Star, their sādhana-bhajana, renunciation, asceticism and their tasting of prema-rasa all served as a model for everyone. In his discussion of their ideal examples of bhajana (C.C. Mad. 19.123-132), Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda has written,

মহাপ্রভুর যত বড় বড় ভক্ত মাত্র । রূপ সনাতন সবার কৃপা-গৌরব-পাত্র ॥

কেহ যদি দেশে যায় দেখি বৃন্দাবন । তারে প্রশ্ন করেন প্রভুর পারিষদগণ ॥

‘কহ---তাঁহা কৈছে রহে রূপ সনাতন? । কৈছে রহে বৈরাগ্য, কৈছে বা ভোজন? ॥

কৈছে অষ্টপ্রহর করেন শ্রীকৃষ্ণভজন?’ । তবে প্রশংসিয়া কহে সেই ভক্তগণ ॥

‘অনিকেতন দোঁহে রহে, যত বৃক্ষগণ । একেক-বৃক্ষের তলে একেক রাত্রি শয়ন ॥

বিপ্রগৃহে স্থূলভিক্ষা কাঁহা মাধুকরী । শুষ্ক রুটি চানা চিবায় ভোগ পরিহরি ॥

করোঁয়া মাত্র হাতে কাঁথা ছিঁডা বহির্বাস । কৃষ্ণকথা কৃষ্ণনাম নর্তন উল্লাস ॥

অষ্টপ্রহর কৃষ্ণভজন---চারিদণ্ড শয়নে । নামসংকীর্তনে সেহো নহে কোন দিনে ॥

কভু ভক্তিরসশাস্ত্র করয়ে লিখন । চৈতন্য কথা শুনে, করে চৈতন্য চিন্তন’ ॥

এই কথা শুনিয়া মহান্তের মহাসুখ হয় । চৈতন্যের কৃপা যাঁহে, তাঁহে কি বিস্ময় ॥

  “Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana were the deserving recipients of kindness and honor from all of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s eminent bhaktas. If someone returned to his native land after visiting Śrī Vṛndāvana, he would be questioned by Mahāprabhu’s followers. They would say, ‘Please tell us; how are Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana living there? Tell us about their asceticism. How are they eating? How do they perform śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana all day long?’ Then he would tell them of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana’s glories. ‘Neither of them have homes; they rest underneath a different tree every night. To get food, they practice mādhukarī by begging from the houses of brāhmaṇas, like a bee gathering honey from flower to flower. Shunning all types of sense enjoyment, they eat foods like dry bread and fried chickpeas. They carry only a waterpot in hand and wear torn cotton quilts as their outer garments. Always talking about Śrī Kṛṣṇa and chanting his name, they sometimes dance in great joy. They engage in śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana for almost twenty-four hours a day, sleeping only about an hour and a half. Some days, absorbed in chanting, they don’t even sleep that much. Sometimes they write books about bhakti-rasa, and sometimes they listen to stories about Caitanya Mahāprabhu or meditate upon him.’ Hearing this narration, the devotees would become very happy. Nothing is astonishing for one who has received the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” From this, some details of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana’s eminence can be known. Alternatively, the word jaya implies an obeisance. Lying at the feet of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya sings of their greatness.

First he says that Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are prema-bhakti-rasa-kūpa, or deep wells of prema-bhakti-rasa. In the above statements, their excellent examples of renunciation, asceticism and bhajana were pointed out. But because someone may think they are only ordinary sādhakas, it is stated here that they are deep wells of prema-bhakti-rasa. As nitya-siddha residents of Vraja, Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana exist as Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and Śrī Lavaṅga Mañjarī. They incarnated on earth as associates of Śrīman Mahāprabhu to propagate the vraja-rasa-sādhanā. Even though Śrīman Mahāprabhu is the direct form of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined and remains continuously immersed in tasting the prema-mādhurī of Śrī Rādhā, he thought of himself as a disciplined sādhaka and joyfully drank the nectar of this vraja-rasa-sādhanā. In the same way, even though Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are eternal residents of Vraja, like sādhaka-bhaktas they tasted the rasa of bhajana. Truly they are deep wells of prema-bhakti-rasa.

It may be asked that since one hears about the boundless, unfathomable prema in the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and since Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have produced such a vast treasury of books filled with syllables dripping in prema, why were they not called “oceans” of prema-bhakti-rasa? Why has Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya used the word “wells” instead? In an ocean, there is a mixture of the water from different rivers and streams; in a well, on the other hand, the water is not mixed but is rather in its pure, natural state. In the same way, the prema-bhakti-rasa propagated by Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana is of the highest purity, and within it there is no mixture of jñāna, yoga or aiśvarya-bhāva. It is supremely pure and sweet. Secondly, ocean water is salty and therefore not fit for drinking; and during the summer, the water in rivers, streams and ponds becomes too warm and muddy to be drinkable. But well water is cool and very enjoyable. In the same way, jñāna and yoga are incapable of mitigating the grief and suffering of the jīvas in kali-yuga, who are continuously burnt by the fire of the three types of misery. Only prema-bhakti-rasa has the capacity to make their lives cool and pleasant. This prema-bhakti alleviates the sorrow and misery of the jīvas’ painful worldly lives and blesses them with a taste of the sweet nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Because Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are the embodiments of that wonderfully cool and sweet prema-bhakti-rasa, they have been described as deep wells of nectar. Actually, the measure of their prema-bhakti is not like a well at all, but rather vast and deep like an ocean. The prema-bhakti-rasa in their hearts has also been manifest in the books they composed. Even today, countless people have immersed themselves in those wells of nectar in the form of books and have not only avoided the blazing fire of worldly miseries, but have also been blessed with a personal taste of rasa, an experience they will cherish for eternity. Of this there is no doubt.

Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya then describes Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana as yugala-ujjvalamaya tanu, which means that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s ujjvala-rasa has manifested itself in their bodies, or that their bodies have been formed by this yugala-ujjvala-rasa. Among all types of rasa, yugala-ujjvala-rasa reigns supreme. Bhakti-rasa is primarily of five types: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and madhura, or ujjvala-rasa. Among these, madhura or ujjvala-rasa is preeminent because all the qualities and moods contained within the previous four rasas are also included within it. Concerning this, in Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, during his instructions to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, Śrīman Mahāprabhu says,

কৃষ্ণনিষ্ঠা, তৃষ্ণা ত্যাগ---শান্তের দুই গুণে । এই দুইগুণ ব্যাপে সব ভক্তজনে ॥

শান্তের স্বভাব কৃষ্ণে মমতাগন্ধহীন । পরংব্রহ্ম-পরমাত্মা-জ্ঞান-প্রবীণ ॥

কেবল স্বরূপজ্ঞান হয় শান্তরসে । পূর্ণৈশ্বর্য-প্রভুজ্ঞান অধিক হয় দাস্যে ॥

ঈশ্বর-জ্ঞান সম্ভ্রম গৌরব প্রচুর । সেবা করি কৃষ্ণে সুখ দেন নিরন্তর ॥

শান্তের গুণ দাস্যে আছে অধিক ‘সেবন’ । অতএব দাস্য রসের হয় দুই গুণ ॥

শান্তের গুণ, দাস্যের সেবন---সখ্যে দুই রয় । দাস্যের সম্ভ্রম গৌরব সেবা, সখ্যে বিশ্বাস ময় ॥

কান্ধে চড়ে কান্ধে চড়ায়, করে ক্রীড়া রণ । কৃষ্ণে সেবে কৃষ্ণে করায় আপন সেবন ॥

বিশ্রম্ভপ্রধান সখ্য---গৌরব সম্ভ্রম-হীন । অতএব সখ্যরসের তিন গুণ চিন ॥

মমতা-অধিক কৃষ্ণে আত্মসম জ্ঞান । অতএব সখ্যরসে বশ ভগবান্ ॥

বাৎসল্যে শান্তের গুণ, দাস্যের সেবন । সেই সেই সেবনের ইহা নাম ‘পালন’ ॥

সখ্যের গুণ, অসঙ্কোচ অগৌরব আর । মমতা-আধিক্যে তাড়ন-ভর্ৎসন ব্যবহার ॥

আপনাকে ‘পালক’ জ্ঞান কৃষ্ণে ‘পাল্য’ জ্ঞান । চারি রসের গুণে বাৎসল্য অমৃত-সমান ॥

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মধুররসে---কৃষ্ণনিষ্ঠা, সেবা অতিশয় । সখ্যের অসঙ্কোচ লালন মমতাধিক্য হয় ॥

কান্ত-ভাবে নিজাঙ্গ দিয়া করেন সেবন । অতএব মধুররসে হয় পঞ্চগুণ ॥

আকাশাদির গুণ যেন পর-পর ভূতে । এক দুই তিন ক্রমে পঞ্চ পৃথিবীতে ॥

এইমত মধুরে সব ভাব-সমাহার । অতএব স্বাদাধিক্যে করে চমৎকার ॥

“The two qualities of śānta-rasa, or the peaceful mood, are deep attachment for Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the renunciation of desire and greed. These two qualities pervade all bhaktas. The nature of śānta-rasa is that there is no trace of the feeling that ‘Kṛṣṇa is mine.’ Bhaktas in this mood are very knowledgeable about Paraṁbrahma and Paramātmā. Only svarūpa-jñāna, or realization of one’s own nature, is present in śānta-rasa. 

  “In dāsya-rasa, or servitude, there is more knowledge of God with all his opulences. The bhakta is filled with reverence mixed with awe and submission in the presence of God’s majesty. Always engaged in serving, he gives great happiness to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In dāsya-rasa, besides the qualities in śānta-rasa, sevana or service is included. Therefore dāsya-rasa contains two qualities.

“In sakhya-rasa, or friendship, we find the qualities of both śānta and dāsya, except that whereas in dāsya, the service is done in awe and reverence, in sakhya, one serves as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s confidante. Sometimes, while play-fighting, the bhakta climbs on Kṛṣṇa’s shoulders and sometimes he makes Kṛṣṇa climb on his. Sometimes he serves Kṛṣṇa and sometimes he makes Kṛṣṇa serve him. Rather than reverence, playful familiarity is the primary mood. Thus, in sakhya-rasa there are three qualities. There is more of a sense that ‘Kṛṣṇa is mine,’ and that ‘I am Kṛṣṇa’s equal.’ Therefore, sakhya-rasa has the power to influence or even subjugate Śrī Bhagavān.

“Vātsalya-rasa, or parental love, contains the qualities of śānta, dāsya and sakhya, as well as a mood of service known as pālana, or protecting and nourishing. This mood has no sense of hesitation or reverence, and with the increased feeling that ‘Kṛṣṇa belongs to me,’ the bhakta sometimes scolds and chastises him. The vātsalya-bhakta feels himself or herself to be the protector and Kṛṣṇa to be the one who needs protected. This mood is just like nectar because it contains all the qualities of the first four rasas.

“In madhura-rasa, or the sweet and amorous mood, there is a deep attachment for Kṛṣṇa as well as an increase in the quantity and quality of service. It contains the friendliness of sakhya and the nourishing mood of vātsalya. The feeling of mamatā, that ‘Kṛṣṇa is mine,’ is at its highest. In the mood of a lover, the bhakta serves Kṛṣṇa with her own body. Therefore, madhura-rasa includes five moods. Just as the qualities of the elements, beginning with subtle space, successively increase in number up to the five qualities present in earth, in the same way, all the emotions are included within madhura-rasa. This superabundance of flavor is truly amazing!” (C.C. Mad. 19. 215...234)

In the madhura-rasa or ujjvala-rasa of Vraja, there is complete absorption in the wondrous parakīya-bhāva, wherein an endless variety of enjoyment is revealed. In that highest yugala-ujjvala-rasa, meaning in the incomparable sweetness of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s union, lies the pinnacle of enjoyment. The sakhīs in Śrī Rādhā’s group have been blessed with the good fortune of tasting that unequalled sweetness. And among them, those kiṅkarīs or mañjarīs who serve with more affection toward their beloved Śrī Rādhā than Śrī Kṛṣṇa experience a taste that is sweeter and more diverse than any others. The reason is that even the sakhīs don’t get the privilege of seeing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s most confidential pastimes. Only the minnow-like eyes of the mañjarīs happily swim as they please in that sea of līlā-rasa. By getting the good fortune of this sublimely delightful sevā, they truly receive the highest blessing of all. Their natures and moods are so amazingly attuned to Śrīmatī’s that she considers them to be identical with her own body. Therefore, during times of intimacy, Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava feel no hesitation or shyness before the mañjarīs as they perform their personal sevās. Moreover, as a result of their extraordinary oneness of mood with Śrīmatī, the marks left on Śrī Rādhā’s body after lovemaking also appear unchanged upon their bodies! For this reason, as Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and Śrī Lavaṅga Mañjarī, the leaders of the nitya-siddhā-mañjarīs in vraja-līlā, and as Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana in gaura-līlā, they have been called yugala-ujjvalamaya-tanu: those within whom an abundance or brightness of yugala-ujjvala-rasa is seen. 

It may be asked why those who are nitya-siddhā-mañjarīs in Vraja were engaged in such sādhana-bhajana like ordinary sādhakas troubled by poverty and illness. To explain this, a specific reference is given: yāṅhāra prasāde loka, pāsarila saba śoka, prakaṭa kalapa-taru janu. “You have appeared like the fabled wish-fulfilling trees before the people of the world, and by your mercy, they have forgotten all their sorrows.” In fact, Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and Śrī Lavaṅga Mañjarī, eternal maidservants in Vraja, incarnated as associates of Śrī Gaurāṅga, the combined form of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. The purpose of their appearance, by means of their personal examples and the vast treasury of books they published, was to introduce to the world the sādhanā of Vraja’s madhura-rasa-prema. By their mercy, they have shown themselves as living examples of vraja-rasa-sādhanā, and in their books, they have given information about sambandha-abhidheya-prayojana-tattva, thus providing the people with eternal relief from the blazing fire of worldly miseries. But the removal of this misery and sorrow is only a secondary result. In reality, the people of this world have been blessed with prema-sevā at the feet of their most cherished Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. To express this, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says prakaṭa kalapa-taru janu, which means that Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana have incarnated as desire trees bearing the fruit of Vraja’s madhura-rasa-mañjarī-bhāva. To perceive a kalpa-taru in this world is truly rare, but Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are called prakaṭa kalpa-taru, meaning that they blessed mankind at that time by appearing personally before them, and that for all eternity they shall bless mankind with the gift of prema by placing them on the path of prema-sādhanā through their books, lovingly written by their own lotus hands.

Or, another meaning of the word prakaṭa could be śreṣṭha (greatest). Compared to a kalpa-taru of the world, Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are even greater. The reason is that a desire-fulfilling tree of this world can only give some material substance to its supplicant; it isn’t capable of bestowing prema. But Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are prema-kalpa-tarus because they can bless anyone who takes shelter of them with vraja-prema, the highest gift of all. Therefore, they are the śreṣṭha (greatest) or prakaṭa (clearly revealed) kalpa-tarus. Moreover, if due to lack of knowledge a person prays for something that could be harmful to him or her, a kalpa-taru will still grant that wish. When fulfilling a supplicant’s wish, a kalpa-taru doesn’t normally consider whether the wish is harmful or helpful. But even though someone may desire something other than Kṛṣṇa from that śreṣṭha-kalpa-taru Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, they bless him instead with the gift of prema. For example, after receiving instructions from Śrī Viśvanātha in a dream, the poor brāhmaṇa Kāśīśvara of the village named Mānakara obtained a philosopher’s stone from Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmipāda. But after associating with Śrīla Gosvāmipāda and seeing his example, he abandoned that stone and was then blessed with the treasure of prema, for which he is known as kṛtārtha, or one who has reached his goal. Compared to a kalpa-taru of this world, the prakaṭa or śreṣṭha-kalpa-tarus Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana are vastly different.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 7 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

বৈষ্ণব-চরণরেণু,        ভূষণ করিয়া তনু,

যাহা হৈতে অনুভব হয় ।

মার্জন হয় ভজন,        সাধুসঙ্গে অনুক্ষণ,

অজ্ঞান অবিদ্যা পরাজয় ॥ ৭ ||

     By ornamenting one’s body with dust from the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas, one gains spiritual realization. Continuously performing bhajana in the association of advanced devotees, one becomes purified and conquers illusion and ignorance.

Dust from the Bhakta’s Feet and Sādhu-Saṅga

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya first of all glorifies the dust from the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas. baiṣṇaba-caraṇa-reṇu, bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu, yāhā haite anubhaba haya. In the matter of obtaining bhakti or fruition of one’s bhajana, all the śāstras have with one voice proclaimed the extraordinary power of the dust from the Vaiṣṇavas’ lotus feet. In verse 5.12.12 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the essence of all vedānta, the great sage Jaḍabharata says to Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa,

रहूगणैतत्तपसा न याति न चेज्यया निर्वपणाद् गृहाद्वा ।

न च्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्निसूर्यैर्विना महत्पादरजोऽभिषेकम् ॥

     “O Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa! If one is never anointed with the foot-dust of a great soul, even though he may perform austerities or Vedic rituals, give food and other goods in charity or build houses for the benefit of others, study the Vedas, worship the gods of water, fire or the sun, or perform any other type of sādhana, he will not be able to acquire true knowledge of God.”

     In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.32, Śrīla Prahlāda Mahāśaya says to his father Hiraṇyakaśipu,

नैषां मतिस्तावदुरुक्रमाङ्घ्रिं स्पृशत्यनर्थापगमो यदर्थः ।

महीयसां पादरजोऽभिषेकं निष्किञ्चनानां न वृणीत यावत् ॥

     “So long as a worldly man has not been sprinkled with the foot-dust of the great souls, who are devoid of materialistic egotism, his thoughts are unable to touch the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When the intellect is firmly fixed at Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet, all of one’s anarthas spontaneously disappear.”

     When Bhṛgu Muni kicked Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s chest to test his true nature (Bhāg. 10.89.11-12), Śrī Nārāyaṇa replied, 

पुनीहि सहलोकं मां लोकपालांश् च मद्गतान् । पादोदकेन भवतस्तीर्थानां तीर्थकारिणा ॥

अद्याहं भगवँल्लक्ष्म्या आसमेकान्तभाजनम् । वत्स्यत्युरसि मे भूतिर्भवत्पादहतांहसः ॥

     In his Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura has given a very beautiful Bengali translation of these verses:

এইযে তোমার পাদোদক পুণ্যজল । তীর্থেরে করয়ে তীর্থ হেন সুনির্মল ॥

যতেক ব্রহ্মাণ্ড বৈসে আমার দেহেতে । যত লোকপাল সব আমার সহিতে ॥

পাদোদক দিয়া আজি করিলা পবিত্র । অক্ষয় হৈয়া রহ তোমার চরিত্র ॥

এইযে তোমার শ্রীচরণচিহ্নধূলি । বক্ষে রাখিলাম আমি হই কুতূহলী ॥

লক্ষ্মীসঙ্গে নিজবক্ষে দিল আমি স্থান । বেদে যেন শ্রীবৎস-লাঞ্ছন বলে নাম ॥

     “The water from your feet is so sacred and pure that it sanctifies even the holy places. All the universes and their presiding deities reside within my body, and today you have purified us with the water from your feet. Your good name will be known forever. Having your footprints upon my chest delights me so much that I keep them alongside Lakṣmīdevī, who resides there as the curl of hair known in the Vedas as śrīvatsa.”

     Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Uddhava, anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ (Bhāg. 11.14.16). “O Uddhava! I shall purify the whole universe with the dust from the feet of the bhaktas, to whom I’m forever devoted, thus blessing everyone with the gift of bhakti” (Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary). In this current kali-yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu, the combined form of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, eager for the taste of bhakti-rasa, has himself taken the dust from the Vaiṣṇavas’ lotus feet. sabāra caraṇa-dhūli laya biśvambhara (Caitanya-Bhāgavata). “Viśvambhara has taken everyone’s foot-dust.” Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda has written,

ভক্তপদধূলি আর ভক্তপদজল । ভক্তভুক্ত-অবশেষ---তিন মহাবল ॥

এইতিন সেবা হৈতে কৃষ্ণপ্রেমা হয় । পুনঃপুনঃ সর্বশাস্ত্রে ফুকারিয়া কয় ॥

     “These three substances are very powerful: the dust from the bhakta’s feet, the water from his feet, and the remnants from his meal. By accepting them, one develops kṛṣṇa-prema. This is repeatedly proclaimed in every śāstra.” (Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 16.60-61)

     About adorning one’s body with the Vaiṣṇavas’ foot-dust, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, baiṣṇaba-caraṇa-reṇu bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu. Just as men and women of the world very meticulously adorn themselves with ornaments for decorating their bodies, in the same way, for beautifying one’s own soul, one must very carefully and lovingly serve the foot-dust of Vaiṣṇavas. By this, we are being advised to have the highest regard for the Vaiṣṇavas. vaiṣṇavānāṁ parā bhaktiḥ (Nārada-Pañcarātra). “The highest reverence shall be shown toward the Vaiṣṇavas.” The Vaiṣṇavas are to be honored by the sādhakas of the bhakti-mārga just as they honor Śrī Viṣṇu. vaiṣṇavā viṣṇuvat pūjyāḥ. If a bhakta-sādhaka doesn’t show respect for the Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Bhagavān is never pleased by that person’s sādhana-bhajana.

ये मे भक्तजनाः पार्थ न मे भक्ताश्च ते जनाः । मद्भक्तानां च ये भक्तास्ते मे भक्ततमा मताः ॥ (Ādi-Purāṇa)

तस्माद्विष्णुप्रसादाय वैष्णवान् परितोषयेत् । प्रसादसुमुखो विष्णुस्तेनैव स्यान्न संशयः ॥ (Itihāsa-Samuccaya)

  

     Śrī Bhagavān said to Arjuna, “O Pārtha! Those who worship me alone are not my true bhaktas; I consider those who are the bhaktas of my bhaktas to be the highest of all. Therefore, for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu, all arrangements must be made to satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas. If the Vaiṣṇavas are pleased, then Viṣṇu is also pleased. Of this there is no doubt.” On the other hand, if the Vaiṣṇavas are disrespected even a little, though one may worship the soul of the universe Śrī Viṣṇu hundreds of times, the Lord will not be satisfied: prasīdati na viśvātmā vaiṣṇave cāpamānite. Therefore, Śrī Bhagavān eloquently said to Śrī Uddhava, mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.19.21). abhyadhikā-mat-pūjāto’pi tatra mama santoṣa-viśeṣāt (from Śrī Jīva’s commentary). “Seeing my bhakta being worshipped gives me more satisfaction than receiving worship myself. Therefore, great honor shall be given to the bhaktas.” In the matter of obtaining bhakti, the service of great souls has certainly been mentioned in many śāstras and in the writings of the mahājanas. Consequently, it has been said, yāhā haite anubhava haya, meaning that if the sādhaka’s body is adorned with dust from the feet of Vaiṣṇavas, he will acquire realization concerning his sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana.

     After this, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, mārjana haya bhajana, sādhu-saṅge anukṣaṇa, ajñāna abidyā parājaya. If one decorates his body with the Vaiṣṇava’s foot-dust, or places that dust upon his head, with great devotion and faith, and with the understanding that it can fulfill all desires, one obtains the good fortune of constant sādhu-saṅga. In that continual sādhu-saṅga, one’s bhajana becomes purified, and as a secondary result, ignorance and illusion are also destroyed. Concerning the importance of sādhu-saṅga, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.26.31 we find yathopaśrayamāṇasya bhagavantaṁ vibhāvasum, śītaṁ bhayaṁ tamo’py eti sādhūn saṁsevatas tathā. “Just as under the shelter of Bhagavān Agnideva, cold, fear and darkness are destroyed, in the same way, under the shelter of the sādhus, the stupefying effect of the jīva’s karma, his fear of worldly life and the ignorance born of worldly life are all destroyed.” In his commentary on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written, svīyaudana-siddhy-artham upāśrayamāṇasya apy eti naśyati. tathaiva bhajana-siddhy-arthaṁ sādhūn saṁsevyamānasya karmādi-jāḍyaṁ saṁsāra-bhayaṁ bhajana-vighnaś ca. “When one lights a fire in the stove for cooking rice and vegetables, besides the food being cooked, a natural consequence is that cold, fear and darkness are also dispelled. In the same way, for attaining success in bhajana, if one associates with and serves the sādhus, a concomitant result of this bhajana-siddhi is the destruction of the stifling effect of karma, the fear of worldly life, illusion, ignorance and any other impediment to bhajana.” And why is that satsaṅga direct bhakti? Because it has the power to captivate Śrī Bhagavān.

अथैतत् परमं गुह्यं शृण्वतो यदुनन्दन । सुगोप्यमपि वक्ष्यामि त्वं मे भृत्यः सुहृत्-सखा ॥ (Bhāg. 11.11.49)

न रोधयति मां योगो न साङ्ख्यं धर्म एव च । न स्वाध्यायस्तपस्त्यागो नेष्टापूर्तं न दक्षिणा ॥

व्रतानि यज्ञश्छन्दांसि तीर्थानि नियमा यमाः । यथावरुन्धे सत्सङ्गः सर्वसङ्गापहो हि माम् ॥ (Bhāg. 11.12.1-2)

     Śrī Bhagavān said to Śrī Uddhava, “O Yadunandana! You are my best friend, servant and ally. Therefore, I’m telling you a very confidential secret; please listen. Aṣṭāṅga-yoga, truth-discerning sāṅkhya, varṇāśrama-dharma or other dharmas such as nonviolence, reciting the Vedas, performing austerities, renunciation, doing public welfare work such as performing the agniṣṭoma-yāga and constructing wells and gardens, giving charity, making vows, worshipping the gods, chanting mantras, going on pilgrimages, self-restraint,  fire sacrifices and so on---none of these have the power to capture me. Only sādhu-saṅga can remove all other attachments and bring me under its control.” Therefore, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.10.7 says, ayaṁ hi paramo lābho nṛṇāṁ sādhu-samāgamaḥ. “This sādhu-saṅga is indeed the greatest attainment for everyone.” The indescribable importance of such sādhu-saṅga has been repeatedly extolled in all the spiritual śāstras. 

সাধুসঙ্গ সাধুসঙ্গ সর্বশাস্ত্রে কয় । লবমাত্র সাধুসঙ্গে সর্বসিদ্ধি হয় ॥

     “In all the śāstras it is said that merely a moment’s association with a sādhu can bring about all success.” (CC. Mad. 22.54)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 6 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

শ্রীগুরু করুণাসিন্ধু,        অধম জনার বন্ধু,

লোকনাথ লোকের জীবন ।

হা হা! প্রভু! কর দয়া,        দেহ মোরে পদছায়া,

এবে যশঃ ঘুষুক ত্রিভুবন ॥ ৬ ||

     “Śrī Guru, you are an ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor and humble. O Lokanātha, you are the life of your followers. Master! Please be kind to me; give me the shade of your lotus feet. May your glory be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.”

The Quality of Śrī Guru’s Mercy

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: After singing the glories of Śrī Gurudeva and describing his qualities of compassion and kindness, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is himself humbly praying for that compassion. Śrī Guru is a boundless ocean of mercy: śrī-guru karuṇā-sindhu. We have already characterized Śrī Guru as the embodiment of the Lord’s concentrated mercy. When one’s heart melts upon seeing another’s suffering, and one feels anxiety until that other’s misery has been removed, that is called karuṇā, or compassion. To understand the importance of Śrī Gurudeva’s compassion, it must first be understood what Bhagavān’s compassion is, because the manifest form of the Lord’s compassion is Śrī Guru. In a discussion about determining the nature of the Lord’s compassion, Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written about the mercy of Śrī Bhagavān: anukampā ca pūrṇe’pi svasmin sevādyabhilāṣaṁ sampādya sevakādiṣu sevādi-saubhāgya-sampādikā bhagavac-cittārdratāmayī tad-upakārecchā. “Though the Lord is complete within himself, because of the softness of his heart, he first establishes the desire for sevā in the sevaka, and then he wants to help him attain it. This is called his karuṇā.” The significance is that even though Śrī Bhagavān is self-pleased, self-satisfied and complete within himself, due to the pleasure of prema, he cannot under any circumstance be indifferent toward the bhakta who has taken shelter of his lotus feet. First, he causes the desire for sevā to awaken within the heart of the bhakta, because without this longing the bhakta’s mind can never become completely absorbed in serving the Lord. Such longing for sevā is called bhakti. bhaj ityeṣa vai dhātuḥ sevāyāṁ parikīrtitaḥ. The Lord’s karuṇā, or compassion, is the yearning in his softened heart to help the bhakta by awakening the desire for sevā within the bhakta’s mind so he may bless him with that great treasure of direct service. The manifest form of that compassion is Śrī Gurudeva. In the Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta (2.4.85-86), Śrīman Nārāyaṇa speaks to Gopakumāra: 

तत्ते मय्यकृपां वीक्ष्य व्यग्रोऽनुग्रहकातरः । अनादिं सेतुमुल्लङ्घ्य त्वज्जन्मेदमकारयम् ॥

श्रीमद्गोवर्धने तस्मिन् निजप्रियतमास्पदे । स्वयमेवाभवं तात जयन्ताख्यः स ते गुरुः ॥

     “Dear boy, seeing your indifference toward me, I became anxious and wanted to help you. Breaking my own eternal rules of dharma, I caused you to take birth at my beloved Śrī Govardhana, where I incarnated as your guru named Jayanta.” When Śrī Bhagavān sees the miserable state of the jīva, in the form of Śrī Guru he blesses the jīva by giving him the precious treasure of prema. Because Śrī Bhagavān’s compassion has no limit in the form of Śrī Guru, Śrī Guru is known as karuṇā-sindhu, an ocean of mercy. The importance of Śrī Guru’s mercy can also be seen in another way: If Śrī Hari becomes angry, Śrī Guru can give one protection; but if Śrī Guru becomes angry, no one can give protection! Therefore, Śrī Guru must be satisfied to the best of one’s ability. harau ruṣṭe gurus trātā gurau ruṣṭe na kaścana tasmāt sarva-prayatnena gurum eva prasādayet. Among the prayers of Śrī Devahūti Devī in the Padma-Purāṇa we find bhaktir yathā harau me’sti tad-variṣṭhā gurau yadi mamāsti tena satyena sandarśayatu me hariḥ. “If there exists within me more devotion to my guru than to Śrī Hari, on the strength of that virtue please bless me with the vision of Śrī Hari!” Just as in the above words tad-variṣṭhā the position of guru-bhakti is indicated to be higher than that of even bhagavad-bhakti, by implication, the mercy embodied within the form of Śrī Guru is even greater than that within the form of Śrī Bhagavān. Because Śrī Gurudeva is the most compassionate person, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has described him as an ocean of mercy.

     One other quality of Śrī Gurudeva has been mentioned: adhama-janāra bandhu.  Though Śrī Gurudeva is an ocean of mercy, his surrendered bhakta must feel himself lowly, because the guru is the friend of the poor and humble. This adhama state of mind is a fitting vessel for the compassion of his guru and other sādhus. Concerning mahat-kṛpā, the mercy of a great person, Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, satāṁ kṛpā ca duravasthā-darśana-mātrodbhavā na svopāsanādy apekṣā, yathā śrī-nāradasya nalakūvara-maṇigrīvayoḥ (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 193 anu). “When sādhus see the miserable condition of the jīvas, they shower their mercy upon them without expectation of worship or service, just as Śrī Nārada bestowed his mercy upon Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva.” The mercy of Śrī Guru is also like that. Some people who are intoxicated with pride in their wealth, followers and noble birth serve Śrī Gurudeva by giving as much as possible of their money and property. Seeing the natural happiness of Śrī Guru, who is the embodiment of perpetual joy, they consider themselves to have been amply blessed with his mercy. Therefore, they think, “Why not let our intoxication with sense enjoyment and wealth continue? Guru-kṛpā will one day carry us to Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet.” These people should give close attention to the great words of Ṭhākura Mahāśaya: Gurudeva is adhama-janāra bandhu, “the friend of the poor and humble.” This humble, lowly state of mind is the perfect receptacle for the compassion of Śrī Gurudeva. Guru-kṛpā will never allow its recipient to remain in the terrible, hellishly fetid pit of worldly life.  A person who has obtained genuine kṛpā repeatedly cries, “How wonderful is my guru’s mercy!” That mercy causes more humility to surge within his heart, bathes him in a stream of bhakti-rasa nectar, and keeps him always absorbed in thinking of Śrī Guru’s lotus feet. Therefore it has been said that Śrī Gurudeva is adhama-janāra bandhu. 

     Another quality has also been described: lokanātha lokera jīvana. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s dīkṣā-guru is Śrīpāda Lokanātha Gosvāmī, a dear associate of Śrīman Mahāprabhu. By mentioning Śrī Gurudeva’s holy name, the author is expressing his appreciation for the spiritual treasure, referred to in previous verses, that he has attained by Śrī Guru’s mercy. He is also implying that even though he has been Śrī Gurudeva’s servant for many births, carrying his order and serving with both body and mind, he has yet to repay Śrī Guru for even a tiny amount of that treasure. The meaning of Lokanātha Prabhu as lokera jīvana is that, by his own ideal example, he has introduced the people of the world to the highest level of bhajana-mārga (bhakti-mārga). For the jīva to be situated in this path of devotion is jīvana, or life; not to be so situated means death.

     Another meaning of lokanātha lokera jīvana is that Śrī Gurudeva is the master, protector and life of everyone in the universe. In this interpretation, two other esoteric qualities of Śrī Guru are being disclosed, specifically referring to the samaṣṭi-guru, or aggregate guru. Śrī Bhagavān is always present in the eternal realm as the samaṣṭi-guru. This samaṣṭi-guru is a direct incarnation of the Lord. The worldly-minded jīvas of the universe are covered by ignorance, constantly scorched by the three kinds of miseries, and bound by the chains of sensual enjoyment. To free them from this net of illusion and lead them to his own lotus feet, the infinitely and causelessly compassionate Śrī Bhagavān assumes the form of samaṣṭi-guru. From that most compassionate samaṣṭi-guru, the guru-śakti appears in this world in the body of the greatest bhakta, who is always deeply absorbed in bhagavad-bhajana, while also entering into everyone’s individual vyaṣṭi-guru. Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, ya eva bhagavān atra vyaṣṭi-rūpatayā bhaktāvatāratvena śrī-guru-rūpo vartate, sa eva tatra samaṣṭi-rūpatayā svavāma-pradeśe sākṣād-avatāratvenāpi tad-rūpo vartate iti (Bhakti-sandarbhaḥ 286 anuḥ). The samaṣṭi-guru manifests himself in all the vyaṣṭi-gurus of this world and rescues mankind from the grip of māyā by bestowing the gift of bhagavad-bhakti. Thus, he remains lokanātha lokera jīvana.

     After such an expression of Śrī Guru’s great magnanimity, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya prays with transcendental anguish for the mercy of Śrī Guru:  hā hā! prabhu! kara dayā, deha more pada-chāyā, ebe yaśaḥ ghuṣuka tribhuvana. “Master! Please be kind to me; give me the shade of your lotus feet. May your glory be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.” Ṭhākura Mahāśaya, considering himself with deep humility to be a person bound to the world, reflects, “How unlimited Śrī Bhagavān’s compassion is in the form of Śrī Guru! But alas, for a person like me, fettered by illusion, misfortune is also without limit. How shall I ever be showered with even a drop of his mercy?” Thinking like this, he has used the words hā hā, conveying a feeling of profound anguish. Then he considers, “Śrī Guru is most competent; it is his līlā to rescue the fallen. Therefore, in spite of the countless ways in which I am unworthy, by his power everything is possible.” For this reason, the word prabhu, or master, has been used, meaning ‘competent.’ “Hā hā Prabhu! Please be merciful and give me shelter in the shade of your lotus feet!” He is praying for refuge within the cooling shade of Śrī Guru’s lotus feet, which are like a tree that fulfills all wishes, and which free one from being burnt again by the agonizing fire of saṁsāra. With great humility welling up within him he says, “Hā hā Prabhu! If you bless an unworthy and insignificant person like me with the shelter of your lotus feet, your glory as purifier of the fallen will be proclaimed throughout the three worlds. ebe yaśaḥ ghuṣuka tribhuvana.