Aashi, my seven-year-old student

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 41 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

অন্যব্রত অন্যদান,        নাহি কর বস্তুজ্ঞান,

অন্যসেবা অন্যদেব-পূজা ।

হা! হা! কৃষ্ণ! বলি বলি,        বেড়াব আনন্দ করি,

মনে আর নাহি যেন দুজা ॥ ৪১ ॥

anya-brata anya-dāna,        nāhi kara bastu-jñāna,

anya-sebā anya-deba-pūjā |

hā! hā! kṛṣṇa! bali bali,        beḍāba ānanda kari,

mane āra nāhi yena dujā || 41 ||

     Give up other vows, other charity, the pursuit of worldly knowledge, other sevā and the worship of other gods. Crying “Alas, O Kṛṣṇa!” again and again, I shall wander about in joy, my mind free from all hesitation or doubt.

The Greatest Joy

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is saying that after giving up a few other anarthas or impediments to bhajana, he will get the greatest joy by incessantly crying, “Alas, O Kṛṣṇa!” First, he describes some worldly involvements that must be abandoned: anya-brata anya-dāna, nāhi kara bastu-jñāna, anya-sebā anya-deba-pūjā. Anya-vrata means the Vaiṣṇava must give up all vratas (vows) concerning other devas and devīs and observe only Vaiṣṇava vows like harivāsara (ekādaśī) and so on. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas observe vows like ekādaśī, śrī-kṛṣṇāṣṭamī, śrī-rādhāṣṭamī, śrī-rāma-navamī, vāmana-dvādaśī, nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī, śiva-rātri, śrī-gaura-pūrṇimā, nityānanda-trayodaśī and advaita-jayantī. In his instructions to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīman Mahāprabhu said, ei sabera biddhā-tyāga abiddhā-karaṇa, akaraṇe doṣa kaile bhaktira lambhana (Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta Madhya 24.342). “Those holy days that do not extend from sunrise to sunrise should not be observed, whereas those that are complete should be. If one does not observe these complete holy days, it is a flaw in one’s practice. If one does, bhakti can be attained.” The following is written in the Śrī Nāradīya-Purāṇa regarding the fault or harm of not observing these vows: yāni kāni ca pāpāni brahma-hatyā-samāni ca, annam āśritya tiṣṭhanti samprānte harivāsare, tāni pāpāny avāpnoti bhuñjāno harivāsare. “There are so many kinds of sins in the world, including the killing of a brāhmaṇa. During harivāsara (ekādaśī), all sins take shelter in food and remain there. If one eats on that day, all those sins are taken into oneself.” The following is seen in the Skanda-Purāṇa: mātṛhā pitṛhā caiva bhrātṛhā guruhā tathā, ekādaśyāṁ tu yo bhuṅkte viṣṇulokāc cyuto bhavet. “Whoever eats food on ekādaśī is swallowed by the sins of killing his mother, father, brother and guru and is deprived of viṣṇuloka for a very long time.” In regard to obtaining bhakti by observing the vows of ekādaśī and so on, the following is written in the vaiṣṇava-tantra: ekādaśī mahāpuṇyā viṣṇor īśasya vallabhā, tasyām upoṣito yas tu dvādaśyāṁ pūjayed dharim, tasya pāpāni naśyanti viṣṇau bhaktiś ca jāyate. “The auspicious day of śrī-ekādaśī is most dear to Śrī Viṣṇu. For one who fasts on ekādaśī and worships Śrī Hari on dvādaśī, all sins are destroyed and viṣṇu-bhakti is born.” Hundreds of scriptural statements like this have been quoted in Śrī Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa, and in the twelfth vilāsa, the glory of the vaiṣṇava-vratas has been extolled. To abandon the Vaiṣṇava vows and instead follow other vows has also been called a fault: ekādaśīṁ parityajya yo’nya-vratam upāsate, sa kara-sthaṁ mahāratnaṁ tyaktvā loṣṭraṁ hi yācate (Tattva-Sāgara). “Whoever gives up ekādaśī (meaning other vaiṣṇava-vratas as well) and observes some other vow gives up the great jewel in his hand and instead asks for a lump of clay.” Therefore, the sādhaka who desires happiness must abandon other vows.

     Other kinds of charity (anya-dāna) must also be given up by the sādhaka who desires bhakti. Anya-dāna means charity given for some reason other than to please Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the Vaiṣṇavas, or charity given to an undeserving person. Vaiṣṇavas must give in charity with the desire to please Śrī Viṣṇu. tasmād viṣṇu-prasādāya vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet, tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjya yathā hy aham. “Desiring the mercy of Śrī Viṣṇu, one must satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas. One must give in charity to the Vaiṣṇavas and then accept charity from them. The Vaiṣṇavas are to be honored like me.” Thus, from scriptural statements like these, the glory of giving charitably to the Vaiṣṇavas is understood. Charity to viṣṇu-bhaktas is transcendental, produces bhakti and is devoid of mundane qualities. Bhagavad-Gītā 17.20-22 describes charity that is sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa:

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate’nupakāriṇe |

deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam ||

yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśya vā punaḥ |

dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam ||

adeśa-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaś ca dīyate |

asat-kṛtam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam ||

     “Charity given as duty, with consideration for the appropriate place, time and recipient, and which is given with no expectation of return is called sāttvika charity, or charity in the mode of goodness. Charity given with a hope for something in return, grudgingly or with a desire for results such as attaining the heavenly worlds is called rājasa charity, or charity in the mode of passion. Charity given in an improper place, at an improper time and to an improper recipient, without care and respect is called tāmasa charity, or charity in the mode of ignorance.” All these types of charity connected to the three guṇas are considered anya-dāna. Through them, it is impossible to attain kṛṣṇa-bhakti, so the bhakta-sādhaka must abandon them all. Charity given to the Vaiṣṇavas with the desire to please Śrī Viṣṇu is transcendental charity, as a result of which, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is attained.

     Moreover, nāhi kara bastu-jñāna. In this context, vastu-jñāna means that there is no need for a bhakta to pursue knowledge of anything other than the three spiritual truths of (1) Śrī Kṛṣṇa, (2) devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and (3) Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Pursuing knowledge of the illusory world, beginning with that of the body and things related and reaching up to knowledge of absolute brahma, is unnecessary. A thing is imperishable and transcendental if when understood, nothing more remains to be understood, and when attained, nothing more remains to be attained. vinācyutād vastu tarāṁ na vācyam (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.46.43). That thing is the truth propounded by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the essence of all the Vedas: vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadam (1.1.2). This supreme subject matter is understood by sādhana, bhajana and residence in Vraja. After experiencing that transcendental subject matter in Vṛndāvana, Śrīla Līlāśuka says the following in his Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛtam, verse 2:

asti svas-taruṇī-karāgra-vigalat-kalpa-prasūnāplutaṁ

vastu prastuta-veṇu-nāda-laharī-nirvāṇa-nirvyākulam |

srasta-srasta-niruddha-nīvi-vilasad-gopī-sahasrāvṛtaṁ

hasta-nyasta-natāpavargam akhilodāraṁ kiśorākṛti ||

     “In Śrī Vṛndāvana resides a being in the form of an adolescent boy who is generous to all and who bestows liberation upon those who bow before him. He is bathed with desire-tree flowers dropped from the fingertips of heavenly damsels; surrounded by countless gopīs with loosened sashes; and calmed and pleased by the charming, sweet waves of sound flowing from his flute.” If the mind is submerged in the sweetness of this incomparably charming subject matter, indifference arises toward all other subjects.

     Anya-sevā: For the Vaiṣṇavas, service to anyone other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his devotees, as well as the worship of other devas, is forbidden. For the sādhaka, service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa or to the arcā-vigraha is constant. Along with that, vaiṣṇava-sevā is also to be regularly performed. Śrī Bhagavān has mentioned to Uddhava that it is even more important to serve the Vaiṣṇavas than to serve the Lord himself: mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.19.21). abhyadhikā mat-pūjāto’pi tatra mama santoṣa-viśeṣāt (Krama-Sandarbha ṭīkā). “Having understood that I am even more satisfied by service to my bhaktas than to myself, one must serve them with great care.” tasmād viṣṇu-prasādāya vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet, prasādaṁ sumukho viṣṇus tenaiva syān na saṁśayaḥ (Itihāsa-Samuccaya). “You should please the Vaiṣṇavas with the desire to obtain Śrī Viṣṇu’s mercy. In this way, you will no doubt gain Śrī Viṣṇu’s complete blessings.” Therefore, the sādhaka should not serve anyone other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his devotees and should never worship other devatās. How many times before has he spoken of this prohibition regarding the pūjā of other devas? Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has repeatedly warned the exclusively-devoted bhaktas about this by mentioning again and again how particularly harmful it is to ananya-bhakti.

     Finally, he says, hā! hā! kṛṣṇa! bali bali, beḍāba ānanda kari, mane āra nāhi yena dujā. “Having abandoned any connection with these matters unrelated to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and singlemindedly dedicating my life to him, I shall wander about, crying, ‘Alas, Kṛṣṇa! Where are you? Let me see you!’ thinking the world to be empty without him. In this way, if my mind and heart forget the world and become absorbed in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, my soul will be blessed with a taste of the truly highest joy.” Crying and lamenting in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa should be understood as the most desirable goal and a state of intense joy for the bhakta. Regarding the statement that crying in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a condition of great happiness, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, mane āra nāhi yena dujā: “By this, no hesitation or doubt will remain in my mind.”

Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ, Prātaḥ 211

This verse is about Kṛṣṇa's appearance while being bathed:

ज्योत्स्नाभिर्नवनीरदः किमथवा शुक्लेन नीलो गुणः

शुद्धस्फटिकरत्नकान्तिसलिलैः किं वेन्द्रनीलाङ्कुरः ।

मुक्ताभिः किमु वा तमालतरुणः स्नातः समुद्भ्राजते

किं वा श्यामसरोजमुज्ज्वलविधुक्षोदैर्मुरारेर्वपुः ॥ २११ ॥

jyotsnābhir nava-nīradaḥ kim athavā śuklena nīlo guṇaḥ

śuddha-sphaṭika-ratna-kānti-salilaiḥ kiṁ vendranīlāṅkuraḥ |

muktābhiḥ kim u vā tamāla-taruṇaḥ snātaḥ samudbhrājate

kiṁ vā śyāma-sarojam ujjvala-vidhu-kṣodair murārer vapuḥ || 211 ||

     “Murāri’s body shines like a newly formed raincloud bathed in moonlight; the color blue bathed in whiteness; a flower bud made of sapphires bathed in pure crystal water; a young tamāla tree bathed in pearls; or a blue lotus bathed in lustrous particles of camphor.”