Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 87 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

বচনের অগোচর,        বৃন্দাবন হেন স্থল,

স্বপ্রকাশ প্রেমানন্দঘন ।

যাহাতে প্রকট সুখ,        নাহি জরা-মৃত্যু-দুখ,

কৃষ্ণলীলারস অনুক্ষণ ॥ ৮৭ ॥

bacanera agocara,        bṛndābana hena sthala,

svaprakāśa premānanda-ghana |

yāhāte prakaṭa sukha,        nāhi jarā-mṛtyu-dukha,

kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa anukṣaṇa || 87 ||

     Vṛndāvana is a place beyond the reach of words. It is self-manifesting, a condensed form of the joy of love, where happiness is conspicuous. No one suffers the miseries of old age and death. Everyone enjoys the sweet rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at every moment.

टीका—श्रीवृन्दावनं विशिनष्टि “বচনের অগোচর” इत्यादिना । বচনের অগোচর—अनिर्वचनीयं निर्वक्तुमशक्यमित्यर्थः ।।

The True Nature of Śrī Vṛndāvana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In order to reveal the truth of Śrī Vṛndāvana, in this verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya first says, bacanera agocara, bṛndābana hena sthala. Just as the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas have established the spirituality and eternality of Śrī Bhagavān’s identities, pastimes, forms, associates and so on, in the same way they have ascertained the spirituality and eternality of his abodes. The material world is a transformation of prakṛti or the external māyā-śakti, but Śrī Dhāma is a transformation of the internal cit-śakti, though residing in the manifest world. Śrī Dhāma’s foundation is in the sandhinī-śakti. Although Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is situated in the visible world, it is spiritual or beyond the world. Therefore, it is in all respects detached from the material part of prakṛti. There is much scriptural evidence that Śrī Vraja Dhāma is beyond the material world, eternal, transcendental, imperceptible to the physical eyes and outside the reach of the mind and words. Chāndogya-Upaniṣad 7.24 says, sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti sve mahimni. “Where is the Supreme Being called Hari situated?” The reply: “He is situated in his own inconceivable glory.” Śrī-Gopāla-Tāpanī Śruti says, sākṣād-brahma-gopāla-purīhīti. “Vraja Dhāma, the abode of Śrī Gopāla, is directly brahma.” In the Varāha-Purāṇa, there is a narration regarding Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma’s transcendental state: anyera kācit sā sṛṣṭir vidhātu-vyatirekiṇa. “Brahmā creates everything in the universe, but Mathurā is created independent of Brahmā; that is another kind of creation.” The following is seen in the Pātāla-Khaṇḍa of Padma-Purāṇa regarding Vraja’s eternality: ṛṣir māthura-nāmātra tapaḥ kurvati śāśvata iti. “The ṛṣi named Māthura perpetually performs austerities here (in Mathurā).” There is no reason to doubt the eternality of the place where Māthura Ṛṣi incessantly performs austerities. Incessant austerities are not possible in a place that is not eternal. The transcendental nature of Vraja has been described in the Ādi-Varāha-Purāṇa: bhūr bhuvaḥ svas talenāpi na pātāla-tale’malam; nordhvaloke mayā dṛṣṭaṁ tādṛk kṣetraṁ vasundhare. Śrī Varāhadeva said to Śrī Dharaṇī, “O Mother Earth! I do not see anywhere within Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka or Svargaloka, in Pātāla or even the higher worlds a place so pure as Mathurā.” There is a statement in the Pātāla-Khaṇḍa of Padma-Purāṇa in regard to Vraja being imperceptible to the physical eye: tejomayam idaṁ ramyam adṛśyaṁ carma-cakṣuṣā. “This radiant and delightful Vṛndāvana Dhāma is invisible to the physical eye.” By implication we can understand that Śrī Dhāma is also beyond the range of speech. Therefore Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, bacanera agocara, bṛndābana hena sthala.

     Then he says, svaprakāśa premānanda-ghana. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s vigraha (body) is self-manifested, Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma, which is a transformation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sandhinī-śakti, is similarly self-manifested. For this reason, the following has been written in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 5.18: sarba-ga ananta bibhu kṛṣṇa-tanu sama, upary-adho byāpi āche nāhika niyama. “Like Kṛṣṇa’s body, his dhāma is all-pervasive, boundless and eternal. It extends above and below without restriction.” Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-vibhūti, an expansion of his own form and nature. Therefore, like Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body, it is also self-manifested. Because it is self-manifesting, it exists in the highest realm of the spiritual sky while also being always present in that same form on earth. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, tad evaṁ tad-dhāmnām upary-adhaḥ prakāśa-mātratvenobhaya-vidhatvaṁ prasaktam; vastutas tu śrī-bhagavan-nityādhiṣṭhānatvena tac-chrī-vigrahavad ubhayatra prakāśāvirodhāt samāna-guṇa-nāma-rūpatvenāmnātatvāl lāghavāc caika-vidhatvam eva mantavyam;…eka-vidhatvaṁ tasyācintya-śakti-svīkāreṇa sambhāvitam eva (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Sandarbhaḥ 106 anuḥ). “Śrī Bhagavān’s dhāmas are self-manifesting; they are famous for appearing in both the upper part and lower part, meaning in Paravyoma as well as on earth. Actually, because Śrī Bhagavān’s eternal abode appears in both places, one should think of the dhāmas as identical. Just as Śrī Bhagavān’s vigraha appears in many places at once, so should his dhāma be understood. The qualities, names, forms and so on of both dhāmas are celebrated as being identical or of one kind. Moreover, if this identity is accepted, it becomes easy to understand the tattva. Otherwise, the existence of endless dhāmas in the spiritual sky as well as in endless material universes is beyond imagination.”

     That transcendental Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is the playground of Svayaṁ Bhagavān Vrajendranandana and Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the embodiment of mahābhāva. Is there any doubt that it is a condensed form of the joy of love? Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has written the following in Śrī-Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 6.10:

premānanda-rasātivihvalatame nānā-camatkāra-bhṛd-

divyāneka-maṇi-sthale bahula-sad-vallī-dru-gulmādike |

divyaiḥ pakṣi-mṛgaiḥ sarovara-saric-chailādibhiś cādbhute 

śrī-vṛndā-vipine kadā nu lalitaikātmyaṁ kiśoraṁ bhaje ||

     “When shall I worship the most charming, inseparably united Śrī Yugala-Kiśora in the wonderful Śrī Vṛndāvana, which is filled with lakes, rivers and mountains, pervaded by beautiful birds and animals, decorated with many kinds of splendid trees and creepers, adorned with astonishing and delightful bejeweled locations, and always overwhelmed by the nectar of joyful love?”

     Then he says, yāhāte prakaṭa sukha, nāhi jarā-mṛtyu-dukha, kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa anukṣaṇa. Both the manifest and unmanifest displays of Śrī Vṛndāvana, the place of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s confidential pastimes, are truly inexpressible, made of sat, cit and ānanda, and are the condensed forms of the joy of love. Hence, cinmayānanda-rasa is always present there. All the mobile and immobile beings there are joyful. Because it is beyond māyā, no one suffers the miseries of old age, death and so on. Everyone enjoys the sweet rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nectarous pastimes at every moment. 

     In the visible manifestation, meaning the Vṛndāvana we can see with our physical eyes, we encounter old age, death, disease, grief and other miseries. The eyes of common people are shown these things so their worldly view of Śrī Dhāma is not disturbed. The purport is that if the outward-looking people of the world do not see the old age, death, sickness and sorrow of the residents of Vṛndāvana, they will all come to Vṛndāvana seeking immortality or freedom from misery. But this is not of true benefit to them because they are not qualified for either bhakti or residence in Vraja. If they take up residence there, their worldly view will be disturbed and the mystical nature of bhakti will also be harmed. We see all kinds of humans, animals, birds, trees and creepers in the visible manifestation of Vraja. By the power of Śrī Dhāma, they inevitably obtain a saccidānanda body and proximity to Śrī Bhagavān. Because of this, Śrī Bhagavān says the following in Padma-Purāṇa: idaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ ramyaṁ mama dhāmaiva kevalam. atra ye paśavo pakṣi-vṛkṣāḥ kīṭā narāmarāḥ. ye vasanti mamādhiṣṇe mṛtā yānti mamālayam. Therefore, all living beings of Vṛndāvana must be understood to be saccidānanda in nature. If someone considers the Vrajavāsīs to be like creatures of the material world, ordinary jīvas bound by karma and afflicted by old age and death, then because of that offense he will not attain the supreme path of service to Śrī Rādhā. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written the following in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 17.83-84:

svānanda-sac-cid-ghana-rūpatā-matir

yāvan na vṛndāvana-vāsi-jantuṣu |

tāvat praviṣṭo’pi na tatra vindate

tato’parādhāt padavīṁ parātparām ||

yadaiva sac-cid-rasa-rūpa-buddhir

vṛndāvana-stha-sthira-jaṅgameṣu |

syān nirvyalīkaṁ puruṣas tadaiva

cakāsti rādhā-priya-sevi-rūpaḥ ||

     “Even though one has entered Vṛndāvana, as long as he does not think of its residents as embodiments of condensed saccidānanda or filled with transcendental rasa, he will due to this offense be unable to attain the ultimate state of rādhā-dāsya. When a person free from deceit understands the transcendental nature of the mobile and immobile creatures of Vṛndāvana, he or she obtains a mañjarī form that is suitable for Śrī Rādhā’s intimate service and becomes radiant.” Then, blessed to constantly enjoy the līlā-rasa of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, who are supremely joyful, the sādhaka is crowned with success.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 86 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

নরোত্তম দাস কহে,        সদা মোর প্রাণ দহে,

হেন ভক্ত-সঙ্গ না পাইয়া ।

অভাগ্যের নাহি ওর,        মিছাই হইনু ভোর,

দুঃখ রহে অন্তরে জাগিয়া ॥ ৮৬ ॥

narottama dāsa kahe,        sadā mora prāṇa dahe,

hena bhakta-saṅga nā pāiyā |

abhāgyera nāhi ora,        michāi hainu bhora,

duḥkha rahe antare jāgiyā || 86 ||

     Narottama Dāsa says, “My heart always burns from the lack of devotee association. There is no limit to my misfortune; I am engrossed in illusion. Misery has awakened within me.”

Desiring the Association of Devotees

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Through his instructions to his mind in the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya revealed his wish to always keep awake in his heart the desire to give up all aspirations but prema and to serve Parama Īśvara Hari Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He further wishes to always long for rasika-vara Śrī Govinda or Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in Śrī Vṛndāvana. Now, overcome by humility, he is thinking that these qualities which are common to the great devotees have no possibility of appearing in his mind, which is deeply attached to sense objects. But if he could get the association of some great bhakta who possesses such devotional qualities, the power of the bhakta’s association and compassion could cause those qualities to be transmitted into even his mind. Without the association of such a great soul, the fault of being averse to Śrī Bhagavān is not removed, the self-concept of being connected to the body and all related to it is not destroyed, and the powerful desire to attain śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema and taste the Divine Couple’s sweetness is not produced. Śrī Bhagavān’s compassion appears within the jīva through the channel of a great soul’s mercy, not independently. For a jīva afflicted by worldly life, the mercy of a sādhu is paramount; getting Bhagavān’s direct mercy is secondary. Moreover, the mercy of the sādhus is not attainable without getting their association. We therefore see the following in Mahārāja Mucukunda’s words to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.51.54:

bhavāpavargo bhramato yadā bhavej 

janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samāgamaḥ |

sat-saṅgama yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau 

parāvareśe tvayi jāyate ratiḥ ||

     “O infallible Lord! When the time arrives for a worldly person’s earthly bondage to end, he encounters a sādhu. When this holy association occurs, attachment arises in him for you, the sole refuge of the saintly and ruler of the high and low.” When the jīva repeatedly hears the naturally God-related narrations from the mouths of great souls, faith in Śrī Bhagavān appears in his heart. Gradually some taste develops from hearing these discussions and then the practice of śravaṇa, kīrtana and the rest of the nine kinds of bhakti causes prema, the fifth goal of life, to begin to unfold.

     Feeling very humble, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya laments, narottama dāsa kahe, sadā mora prāṇa dahe, hena bhakta-saṅga nā pāiyā. He feels a powerful burning sensation in his heart due to the lack of devotee association. He thinks that it is very difficult for him to obtain such mahat-saṅga, which is the most desirable of all things. In the Ādi-Purāṇa (as quoted in Śrī-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa), Śrī Kṛṣṇa says the following to Śrī Arjuna:

mad-bhakto durlabho yasya sa eva mama durlabhaḥ |

tat-paro durlabho nāsti satyaṁ satyaṁ dhanañjaya ||

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

ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ |

mad-bhaktānāṁ ca ye bhaktās te me bhaktatamā matāḥ ||

ye kecit prāṇino bhaktā mad-arthe tyakta bāndhavāḥ |

teṣām ahaṁ parikrīto nānya-krīto dhanañjaya ||

     “O Pārtha! One who is dear to my bhakta is very dear to me; truly, no one in the world is more dear to me. Those who are devoted only to me are not my true bhaktas; those who are the bhaktas of my bhaktas are the best of all. I am purchased by those devotees who renounce their friends and relatives for my sake, not by others.” One of the best ways to attain Bhagavān’s mercy is to consider the association of devotees to be precious. This is substantiated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words above. The mercy of a bhakta is obtained through bhakta-saṅga. The more a great soul’s compassion falls upon a fortunate jīva, the more the jīva becomes qualified to obtain Bhagavān’s mercy and prema.

     Then he says, abhāgyera nāhi ora, michāi hainu bhora, duḥkha rahe antare jāgiyā. Though being the embodiment of prema, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya ascertains with deep humility that he has been deprived of the association of devotees because of his own misfortune. He says, abhāgyera nāhi ora, meaning, “There is no limit to my misfortune, yet I madly think I have the good fortune to be a bhakta. In fact, though being unfortunate, I deceive myself by thinking I am fortunate. After awakening in my heart, this misery has remained to sting it.” Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s humble words remind us that we often think of ourselves as actual bhaktas or bhajanānandīs, resulting in self-complacency. In fact, the nature of bhakti is insatiability. premera svabhāva—yāṅhā preme sambandha, sei māne—kṛṣṇe mora nāhi prema-gandha (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 20.28). “The nature of prema is that wherever a relationship of prema occurs, the devotee thinks, ‘I have not even the scent of love for Kṛṣṇa.’” By causing an insatiable desire to awaken within the sādhaka, bhakti ensures that humility, the life of bhajana, remains active in his heart and mind. The sādhaka then reflects upon his wretched condition and prays to Bhagavān with a sorrowful heart:

mat-tulyo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī ca kaścana |

parihāre’pi lajjā me kiṁ bruve puruṣottama ||

     “O Puruṣottama! There is no one in the world as sinful and offensive as I. I can only ask that you forgive my transgressions. I feel ashamed to offer such a prayer at your lotus feet.” Because the sādhaka possesses all good qualities, his lamentation causes Śrī Bhagavān’s compassionate heart to tremble and release a ceaseless flow of mercy upon him. After that, nothing is unattainable for the sādhaka.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 85 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

আর সব পরিহরি,        পরম ঈশ্বর হরি,

সেব মন! প্রেম করি আশ ।

এক ব্রজরাজপুরে,        গোবিন্দ রসিকবরে,

করহ সদাই অভিলাষ ॥ ৮৫ ॥

āra saba parihari,        parama īśvara hari,

seba mana! prema kari āśa |

eka braja-rāja-pure,        gobinda rasika-bare,

karaha sadāi abhilāṣa || 85 ||

     O mind! Give up everything else and hope only for the loving service of the Supreme Lord Śrī Hari. Always long for Śrī Govinda, the best of rasikas, in the village of the king of Vraja.

टीका–एक व्रजराजपुरे–मर्त्य व्रजमण्डल इत्यर्थः ।*

Cherishing the Hope for Loving Service

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Through giving instructions to his own mind, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is encouraging the sādhaka-bhaktas of the world to give up all other aspirations and hope only for the loving service of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. First he says, āra saba parihari, parama īśvara hari, seba mana! prema kari āśa. Bhakti means sevā or service: bhaj ity eṣa vai dhātu sevāyāṁ parikīrtitaḥ (Garuḍa-Purāṇa). Therefore, a bhakta who has firm faith in bhajana has no other desire in his heart than to serve Śrī Bhagavān. As a result of forgetting Śrī Bhagavān from beginningless time, the jīva has become bound to worldly life. From beginningless time, an empire built upon the desire for various kinds of sense enjoyment has continued in the hearts of the jīvas bound by māyā. Consequently, when a sādhaka first enters the path of bhakti, it is natural that some desires other than for service to Bhagavān remain. If other desires remain in the heart, bhakti has only a faint presence and does not produce its fruit of prema. By taking shelter of sādhu and śāstra, one understands the true nature of bhakti, gives up all desires other than for Śrī Kṛṣṇa and performs bhajana. For this reason, in the discussion of the nature of bhakti in the Śāṇḍilya-Bhakti-Sūtra it has been said that sā parānuraktir īśvare. “Bhakti means transcendental love for God.” In his commentary on this sūtra, Śrīpāda Svapneśvarācārya says, anus tu na lakṣaṇāntargataḥ kintu bhagavan-mahimādi-jñānād anu paścāj jāyamānatvād anuraktir ity uktam. “The word anu is not included in the definition, but bhakti is the attachment to Śrī Hari that arises after a person learns of the Lord’s glory and the nature of devotion.” (Anu means after and rakti means attachment or affection.) Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya thus says, āra saba parihari: Understanding that all other desires are impediments to pure bhakti, the sādhaka should just abandon them and perform bhajana.

     Because he is giving instructions about the worship of Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he says parama īśvara hari. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the cream of all vedānta, has described Śrī Kṛṣṇa as sarva-avatārī, the mūla-tattva or fundamental principle of all the forms of Śrī Bhagavān, or as the svayaṁ-rūpa, the natural form. Not only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but all the śruti-śāstras have confirmed Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord or the source of all incarnations. kṛṣṇa eva paro devas taṁ dhyāyet taṁ raset (Śruti): “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is indeed the Supreme God; meditate upon him, love him.” kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (Bhāgavata): “Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān himself.” mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (Gītā): “O conqueror of wealth, there is nothing beyond me.” īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Brahma-Saṁhitā): “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, the embodiment of being, consciousness and joy,” and so on.

     Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s status as Supreme Lord is also known in another way. To give us a hint of the nature of God, the Vedas have said, raso vai saḥ. “Bhagavān’s svarūpa (true form or nature) is rasa,” meaning he is rasamaya, made of nectar. Rasa is Bhagavān’s svarūpa, so manifestations of various rasas are seen in his various avatāras, but in no avatāra do all rasas gather simultaneously. In contrast, Svayaṁ Bhagavān Parameśvara Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrti: all rasas are fully manifested in him. This is because he has so many qualities that nourish rasa. The Gosvāmīs have described those qualities as his mādhurya or sweetness. This extraordinary sweetness is only revealed in his Vraja. Because Śrī Kṛṣṇa completely steals everyone’s heart and mind through this mādhurya, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has described him as parama īśvara hari, the Supreme Lord Hari.**

     Then he says, seba mana! prema kari āśa. As we mentioned, bhakti means sevā or service, so the bhakta’s heart is always filled with the hope or desire for service to his chosen deity. But sevā without love is not pleasing to the deity, so the hope for obtaining love is deeply rooted in the sādhaka’s heart. The hope to attain love is the hope for service. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not pleased by service devoid of love, so without it, sevā cannot be attained. Therefore, Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 7.145 says, premā haite pāya kṛṣṇera sebā-sukha-rasa. “From prema he gets the nectar of joyful service to Kṛṣṇa.” Previously, in verse 79, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, prema binā āna nāhi cāu. “Desire nothing but prema.”

     Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas are not devoted to Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone; they worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa together. Earlier it was said, yugala caraṇa sebā, yugala-caraṇa dhyebā, yugalei manera pirīti (43): “I shall serve Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, meditate upon their feet and dedicate the love in my heart to them.” rādhā-kṛṣṇa sebana, ekānta kariyā mana (76): “O mind! Just worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa exclusively.” rādhā-kṛṣṇa kara dhyāna, svapneo nā bala āna (79): “Meditate upon Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa; do not speak of anything else, even in dreams,” and so on. For this reason, in the current verse he says, eka braja-rāja-pure, gobinda rasika-bare, karaha sadāi abhilāṣa. We have said that Śrī Bhagavān is the rasa-svarūpa, the embodiment of rasa. Being the rasa-svarūpa, he is also the enjoyer of rasa. Śrī Bhagavān’s natural enjoyment of prīti-rasa (the joy of love) is his personal treasure. Time, karma, māyā and jīva know nothing of such love. An extraordinary natural quality of Bhagavān is that he is a rasika, a person of taste and feeling, who appreciates excellence and beauty. Without this rasa-relishing nature, Śrī Bhagavān would not be able to perform his līlās. The reason is that it is impossible for any kind of desire to arise in Bhagavān, who is ātmārāma (rejoicing in himself) and āpta-kāma (satisfied). Though Bhagavān is pūrṇa-kāma (one whose wishes have been fulfilled), his self-evident nature is that he wants to taste prīti-rasa. Because other forms of Bhagavān are satisfied by tasting the prīti-rasa mixed with aiśvarya-jñāna*** in a bhakta’s heart, they are known as rasikas. But Svayaṁ Bhagavān Vrajendranandana relishes the prīti-rasa of the residents of Vraja, which is devoid of even the scent of aiśvarya-jñāna. He is therefore known as rasika-śekhara, the chief of all rasikas. Because he above all enjoys the mādanākhya-rasa of Premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī, he is called rasika-vara, the greatest of rasikas.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, “O mind! Always long for that best of rasikas, Śrī Govinda, your long-desired, beloved deity Śrī Govinda, who is devoted to his loving pastimes with Śrī Rādhārāṇī.” The object of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas’ worship is the graceful Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava among their friends. The bhaktas always carry in their hearts the desire to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava directly. At the time of bhajana, along with śravaṇa, kīrtana and so on, they think of their own siddha-svarūpas in Vraja Dhāma. They contemplate their cherished sevās while meditating on Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s aṣṭa-kāla-līlā. Then, at the time of siddhi or complete maturity: sādhane bhābiba yāhā, siddha-dehe pāba tāhā. “Whatever I contemplate during sādhana, I shall attain in my siddha-deha.” By faithfully following this psychological system, the bhakta attains in the siddha-svarūpa the long-desired sevā she contemplated during sādhana and is thus blessed with success.

*Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda notes that this village of the king of Vraja is the earthly one.

**Hari is a name of Kṛṣṇa that means ‘one who takes away or removes evil or sin.’

***Knowledge of God’s majesty

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 83-84 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

মধ্যে মধ্যে আছে দুষ্ট,        দৃষ্টি করি হয় রুষ্ট,

গুণ বিগুণ করি মানে ।

গোবিন্দ-বিমুখজন,        স্ফূর্তি নহে হেন ধন,

লৌকিক করিয়া সব জানে ॥ ৮৩ ॥

অজ্ঞান-বিমুগ্ধ যত,        নাহি লয় সত মত,

অহঙ্কারে না জানে আপনা ।

অভিমানী ভক্তিহীন,        জগমাঝে সেই দীন,

বৃথা তার অশেষ ভাবনা ॥ ৮৪ ॥

madhye madhye āche duṣṭa,        dṛṣṭi kari haya ruṣṭa,

guṇa biguṇa kari māne |

gobinda-bimukha-jana,        sphūrti nahe hena dhana,

laukika kariyā saba jāne || 83 ||

ajñāna-bimugdha yata,        nāhi laya sata mata,

ahaṅkāre nā jāne āpanā |

abhimānī bhakti-hīna,        jaga-mājhe sei dīna,

bṛthā tāra aśeṣa bhābanā || 84 ||

     Occasionally, a malicious person sees the activities of a bhakta and becomes angry. He regards the bhakta’s good qualities as faults. The treasure of bhakti is never revealed to one averse to Śrī Govinda. Such a person considers devotional activities to be worldly. He is so bewildered by ignorance that he does not understand the truth of his own demise. Due to egotism, he has forgotten his true self. A prideful person, devoid of bhakti, is the most miserable creature in the world. His endless thoughts are useless.

टीका–दृष्टि करि–श्रीकृष्णभक्तानां प्रेमाचरणं दृष्ट्वा ।

Words of Caution

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has taught us how to become free from the rasa of material sense enjoyment by tasting the rasa of things related to Śrī Govinda in the association of devotees and by accepting prema-bhakti as genuine. Now he speaks a few words of caution regarding protecting oneself from bad association. First he says, madhye madhye āche duṣṭa, dṛṣṭi kari haya ruṣṭa, guṇa biguṇa kari māne. Besides asat-saṅga, or bad association, sādhakas occasionally encounter another type of sinful person. By exposing the nature of such people, the author urges us to also remain cautious of their association.

     Here, the word duṣṭa means an extremely sinful, depraved or wicked person. When these people see the devotional practices of a sādhaka, or even a premika’s loving behavior and anubhāvas* caused by the joy of prema, including tears, goosebumps, dancing and singing, laughing and crying and so on, they become angry or envious. Considering all these great qualities to be faults, they become hostile: guṇa biguṇa kari māne. Those sinful and wicked people consider the sādhaka’s abandonment of varṇāśrama-dharma, or the pursuit of material desires, and his performance of śravaṇa, kīrtana and other types of bhajana as activities of the ignorant or lazy. When they see the loving behavior of a premika, such as dancing, singing, crying and other anubhāvas risen from the joy of love, they regard him as insane and feel angry. The high-minded bhaktas must always protect themselves from the malicious behavior of such people by avoiding their association. All of Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s statements come from his personal experience. He and other devotees of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda, the embodiments of prema, have been subjected to such hostility many times. This can be seen in his biography in the beginning of this book. 

     The question arises that if the magnanimous bhaktas avoid all contact with these bad people, and if they do not purify them through spiritual teachings, how will they give up their wickedness? Expecting such a question, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, gobinda-bimukha-jana, sphūrti nahe hena dhana, laukika kariyā saba jāne. These people are averse to Govinda, meaning they are nāstika or atheistic; they do not accept the authority of the Vedas. pālanāc ca trayī-dharmaḥ ‘pā’ śabdena nigadyate; ṣaṇḍayanti tu taṁ yasmāt pāṣaṇḍas tena kīrtitaḥ. “The observance of veda-dharma is called pā; those who have an independent mentality and disregard veda-dharma are called pāṣaṇḍīs. Therefore, giving them scriptural teachings will not be fruitful. They will show contempt for the instructions, and the teacher will attain nothing but suffering and aparādha. For this reason, śāstra forbids us to even see a pāṣaṇḍī. There are stories of bhaktas suffering terribly as a result of doing so.”

     The treasure of bhakti is never revealed to sinful, atheistic people who are averse to Govinda. Therefore, this treasure must be kept hidden from them. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has written the following in Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 2.5.129-131:

phalgu-vairāgya-nirdagdhāḥ śuṣka-jñānāś ca hetukāḥ |

mīmāṁsakā viśeṣeṇa bhakty-āsvāda-bahirmukhāḥ ||

ity eṣa bhakti-rasikaś caurād iva mahānidhiḥ |

jaran-mīmāṁsakād rakṣyaḥ kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasaḥ sadā ||

sarvathaiva durūho’yam abhaktair bhagavad-rasaḥ |

tat-pādāmbuja-sarvasvair bhakter evānurasyate ||

     “Those whose cittas are burnt by useless asceticism or indifference to bhakti; who are seekers of dry jñāna; the logicians; the pūrva (ancient)-mīmāṁsakas or proponents of ritual sacrifice; and the uttara (later)-mīmāṁsakas, who believe that duality is illusion; none of these is interested in tasting bhakti. Like a householder who hides his great treasure from thieves, the bhakti-rasika devotees must also hide the great treasure of śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa from all these types of people. It should in particular be hidden away from the ancient mīmāṁsakas because they are completely averse to tasting bhakti and argue against it with mundane logic. Bhakti-rasa is in every way difficult for non-devotees to comprehend; the only enjoyers of the nectar of devotion are the bhaktas for whom the lotus feet of Śrī Hari are everything.” Therefore, bhakti should be kept well-hidden from people who are wicked and averse to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Of this, there is no doubt. Because these are all worldly people, they consider the transcendental practices of the path of bhakti to also be worldly and materialistic like the actions of jīvas bound by the fruit of karma. They are unable to understand anything about the activities of transcendental devotion.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says that it is useless to teach bhakti to those who are bewildered by ignorance. ajñāna-bimugdha yata, nāhi laya sata mata, ahaṅkāre nā jāne āpanā. “Those who are bewildered by ignorance” means that because of their aversion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they have fallen into illusion and delusion and have entered a state of ignorance. Their hearts and minds are always engrossed in worldly enjoyment. For this reason, people who possess the five faults of ajñāna, viparyāsa, bheda, bhaya and śoka are said to be bewildered by ignorance. Ajñāna: forgetfulness of one’s true nature; viparyāsa: an attitude of “I” and “mine” regarding the body and things related to it; bheda: the desire for sense enjoyment; bhaya: fear of opposition to one’s desire for enjoyment; and śoka: at the loss of the desire for sense enjoyment, one feels like, “I have died.” Therefore, people who are bewildered by ignorance can never understand the mysteries of the teachings given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. 

     Someone may think that those who are bewildered by ignorance, or attached to the body and other perishable things, are also directly perceiving the transience of it all. So if the devotees always gave them information about Bhagavān or eternal bhakti, why would they not accept it as true? In response, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, ahaṅkāre nā jāne āpanā. Intoxicated by egotism, they have forgotten who they are. They are drunk with pride. Therefore, even though seeing the transience of the body and all related things, they do not see it. Forget about them trying to understand the transience of their bodies or inquiring into their true natures; the hearts of arrogant people are playgrounds for many vile and brutal tendencies. From the Udyoga-Parva of Śrī-Mahābhārata:

mado’ṣṭādaśa-doṣaḥ syāt purā yaḥ sa prakīrtitaḥ |

loka-dveṣyaṁ prātikūlyam abhyasūyā mṛṣā-vacaḥ ||

kāma-krodhau pāratantraṁ parivādo’tha paiśunam |

artha-hāni-vivādaś ca mātsaryaṁ prāṇi-pīḍanam ||

īrṣyā-moho’tivādaś ca saṁjñānāśo’bhyasūyitā |

tasmāt prājño na mādyeta sadā hy etad vigarhitam ||

     “Eighteen faults are clearly seen within egotistic people. A person overcome by pride or arrogance is the object of the world’s contempt. He often imagines his dignity has been or will be attacked, so he exhibits hostility toward others in his everyday affairs. Envious of successful people, he continually finds fault with them to establish that no one is as respectable as he. To this end, he has no hesitance in speaking a myriad of lies. He is very proud of whatever object of enjoyment he acquires and he becomes extremely attached to it. If anyone says something against the things he desires, his anger flares up like fire. He becomes subjugated by anyone who stokes his inferno of egotism. A prideful person always comments on others’ faults. He is a vessel of various kinds of hypocrisy and deception. He vainly spends great amounts on lawsuits and such to keep the objects of his pride intact. He always starts arguments with others. His heart is pervaded by envy. His arrogance leads him to torment other creatures. His heart always burns in the fire of envy. His citta is confounded by illusion. A proud person always ignores others’ boundaries and lacks the power to discriminate between propriety and impropriety. Hostility toward others is inherent in him. Intelligent people should always avoid egotism, which is the cause of all these many faults and detestable actions.”

     If they consider the above-mentioned eighteen faults of a prideful person, everyone can easily understand that even the scent of bhakti cannot come near such a person. No one in the world is as miserable as he. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, abhimānī bhakti-hīna, jaga-mājhe sei dīna, bṛthā tāra aśeṣa bhābanā. Because of this pride only, all thoughts of such a person are burned to ashes in the fire of egotism. In Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā, Śrī Bhagavān has for this reason called an egotistical person a vimūḍhātmā or bewildered soul: ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. A person bewildered by egotism considers himself the doer of all actions. Therefore this pride is the root of a human being’s downfall.

     Through their personal behavior, the mahājanas have taught the worldly people how to give up their egotism. The five Pāṇḍavas were ascending to heaven. First, Sahadeva fell to the earth. When Bhīma asked Yudhiṣṭhira why Sahadeva had fallen, the righteous king replied, ātmanaḥ sadṛśaṁ prājñaṁ naiṣo’manyata kañcana. tena doṣeṇa patitas tasmād eṣa nṛpātmajaḥ.** “This prince fell because he did not consider anyone to be as intelligent as himself.” The remaining four brothers then continued onward. After some time had passed, Nakula fell. When Bhīma inquired about the cause of Nakula’s fall, Yudhiṣṭhira replied, rūpeṇa mat-samo nāsti kaścid ity asya darśanam. adhikaś cāham evaika ity asya manasi sthitam. nakulaḥ patitas tasmād āgaccha tvaṁ vṛkodara. “He thought that no one was as handsome as he; this was the cause of his falldown. O Vṛkodara, you must continue.” When Arjuna fell, Dharmarāja was questioned as before. He replied, ekāhnā nirdaheyaṁ vai śatrūn ity arjuno’bravīt; na ca tat-kṛtavān eṣa śūramānī tato’patat. avamene dhanur-grāhān eṣa sarvāṁś ca phalgunaḥ; tathā caitan na tu kathā*** kartavyaṁ bhūtim icchatā. “Arjuna, who was proud of his strength and courage, once boasted that he would destroy all his enemies within one day, but was unable to do so. As the foremost of bowmen, he insulted the other archers by his remark and thus fell. One who desires auspiciousness for himself should never do this.” Then, after a few more steps, Bhīma also began to succumb. When he asked about the cause of his fall, Yudhiṣṭhira replied, atibhuktaṁ ca bhavatā prāṇena tu vikatthase; anavekṣya paraṁ pārtha tenāsi patitaḥ kṣitau. “O Bhīma, you have fallen to the ground because you ate excessively and praised your own strength while dismissing the strength of others.” Only the humble Yudhiṣṭhira was able to ascend to the heavenly world.

     Actually, the five Pāṇḍavas are not just some ordinary karma-bound jīvas; they are companions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, their pride cannot remain. Still, after observing the downfall of Bhīma and the others, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira has taught the people of the world the valuable lesson that egotism is the root cause of failure. By taking shelter of humility, the bhakta-sādhaka always stays far away from this great enemy in the form of pride.

*Anubhāvas are external manifestations of inner emotions.

**See Mahābhārata, Mahāprasthānika-Parva 10-25.

***Another reading here is yathā coktaṁ tathā caiva.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 82 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

বিষয় গরলময়,        তাতে মান সুখচয়,

সেই সুখ দুঃখ করি মান ।

গোবিন্দ-বিষয়-রস,        সঙ্গ কর তার দাস,

প্রেমভক্তি সত্য করি জান ॥ ৮২ ॥

biṣaya garalamaya,        tāte māna sukhacaya,

sei sukha duḥkha kari māna |

gobinda-biṣaya-rasa,        saṅga kara tāra dāsa,

prema-bhakti satya kari jāna || 82 ||

     Sense objects are filled with poison, which you consider to be pleasure. That pleasure is misery. Just meditate on the rasa of things related to Govinda, associate with his servants and know that prema-bhakti is real.

The Rasa of Things Related to Govinda

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has described the nature of prema-bhakti. Now he is informing those people whose hearts and minds are devoted to sense enjoyment of the way to obtain bhakti. biṣaya garalamaya, tāte māna sukhacaya, sei sukha duḥkha kari māna. The five kinds of objects to be enjoyed by the senses, namely sound, touch, form, taste and smell, along with money, property, amorous partners, gold and so on are made of poison, meaning they are filled with unbearable pain and are immediately life-destroying. Because people blinded by illusion cannot understand the burning poison of sense objects, they continue to enjoy them, regarding them as pleasure-giving nectar. From the Śānti-Śataka of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura:

ajānan dāhārtiṁ viśati śalabho dīpa-dahanaṁ 

na mīno’pi jñātvā vṛta-baḍiśam aśnāti piśitam |

vijānanto’py etān vayam iha vipaj-jāla-jaṭilān 

na muñcāmaḥ kāmān ahaha gahano moha-mahimā ||

     “A moth knows nothing of the pain of burning to death, so he enters the flame of a lamp. A fish also is unaware that his death waits inside the piece of meat he is eating, so he swallows the hook. But we know that the objects of our enjoyment are filled with great troubles. If we engage in sense enjoyment, we must wander for countless births through the miserable wombs of sub-human creatures and suffer the torments of hell. Still, we don’t give them up. Alas, how frightening is the power of illusion!” An ignorant jīva destroys his life by indulging in merely one sense object. Is there any doubt that those intelligent and educated humans who enjoy five sense objects at once will be caught in the snare of great misfortune? Garuḍa-Purāṇa says the following:

kuraṅga-mātaṅga-pataṅga-bhṛṅga-

mīnāḥ hatāḥ pañcabhir eva pañca |

ekaṁ pramādī sa kathaṁ na hanyate 

yaḥ sevate pañcabhir eva pañca ||

     “Life is destroyed for the deer, elephant, moth, bee and fish by their enjoyment of one sense object each. If this happens as the result of enjoying only one sense object, why will the life of a foolish person enjoying all five at once not be destroyed?” When a deer hears the sound of a hunter’s flute, he becomes fascinated by it and is eager to hear more. Being ignorant, he runs toward the hunter and falls to his death in the hunter’s trap. Those who catch elephants take one of their domesticated elephants to the forest. When a forest elephant desires to touch the domesticated one, he goes close to her and is captured, which is like being dead. When a moth sees the beauty of a flame, she gets excited and flies into it. Enticed by the fragrance of a lotus, the bee plunges inside the lotus bud. At sunset, the petals close. When the lotus blooms the next morning the bee is seen to be dead. Allured by the flavor of a piece of food on a fish-hook, the fish swallows it and falls immediately into the mouth of death. Each of these creatures destroys its life by indulging in one particular sense object. On the other hand, humans simultaneously enjoy all five sense objects to the fullest extent. Is there any doubt they will die from such poison?

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, biṣaya garalamaya, tāte māna sukhacaya. Even though sense enjoyment is painful to a sādhaka, it is actually thought to be pleasurable by a person attached to sense objects. Poison is present within poisonous serpents, but they feel no distress from it. Rather, the poison is a source of pleasure and nourishment; if it were not present, they would be powerless and would suffer. But when they bite other creatures, the creatures experience the burning pain of the serpents’ venom. In the same way, people attached to sense enjoyment experience no suffering from their poison; rather, they would be miserable without it. Like a person bitten by a snake, a sādhaka bitten by sense enjoyment experiences its burning poison. After death, the searing pain of poison is allayed, but the pain brought by the poison of sense enjoyment oppresses the body and mind for lives to come. As a result of indulging in sense enjoyment, humans acquire in their hearts a saṁskāra or impression of the desire for sense enjoyment. They then rotate through the wombs of various miserable and tormented jīvas and suffer dreadful hells. The sādhakas have realized this, but those attached to sense enjoyment feel happiness through such indulgence. Due to illusion, they forget the poisonous consequences of enjoying sense objects. Because they experience happiness in this, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, biṣaya garalamaya, tāte māna sukhacaya, sei sukha duḥkha kari māna. The illusory happiness derived from sense objects is the only cause of the endless journey through various miserable wombs and the suffering of terrible hells. Can that be called happiness? Therefore, every intelligent person should consider sensual pleasure as misery. Through the enjoyment of worldly sense objects since beginningless time, the jīva’s senses have become greedy for pleasure. The bhaktas are very intelligent: yei jana kṛṣṇa bhaje, se baḍa catura. “Whoever worships Śrī Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent.” Therefore, unlike the jñānīs and yogīs, they do not endeavor to conquer the senses through flavorless, difficult and dry jñāna, vairāgya and so on. The bhaktas try to engage their senses in relishing the very pleasant and superior rasa of things related to Śrī Govinda rather than in detestable or inferior enjoyment. If the senses get to taste just one drop of the billowy ocean of rasa comprised of the delightful sound, touch, form, flavor and aroma of Śrī Govinda, they will perceive ordinary sense enjoyment as extremely repulsive. In fact, the love in a person’s heart, the mind and intellect, as well as the eyes, ears and other outer senses all desire rasa related to Śrī Govinda. If they are unable to obtain this rasa, they become depraved and eager for repugnant sense enjoyment, which, like a thief, steals the good propensities from a person’s heart. The following is found in Brahmā’s prayer in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.36: tāvad rāgādayaḥ stenās tāvat kārā-gṛhaṁ gṛham, tāvan moho’ṅghri-nigaḍo yāvat kṛṣṇa na te janāḥ. Brahmā said, “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa! As long as the attachment and so on in a person’s heart are not surrendered to you, that attachment is a thief, the home is a prison and infatuation is like shackles on the feet.” In his Laghu-Toṣaṇī commentary on this verse, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following: tatra nirupādhi-premāspadasyātmano’py ātmatvena tvam eva rāgasya svābhāvika-parama-yogyāśrayaḥ, atas tal-lakṣaṇa-nija-svāminam anupalabhyaiva bhramann asau janānāṁ śubha-vāsanā-rūpāṁ tvad-bhajana-sāmagrīṁ haraṁś caura eva, tata tad-anuvartino’pi tādrśāḥ. “You are the abode of perfect love and are a million times dearer to the jīvas than even their own souls. You are the most suitable recipient of their love. Therefore, if the attachment in the heart does not attain you, its master, it steals the person’s auspicious desires, which are his implements for worshiping you. Then the senses and so on, which follow the heart’s inclinations, also become corrupt.”

     If the senses get even a little taste of the sweetness of the sound, touch, form, flavor and aroma of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they will be forever blessed with immersion in the unequalled ocean of rasa. Because he attracts everyone’s heart and mind with the sweetness of his form, flavor and so on, his name is Kṛṣṇa. We are informed of the astonishing power of attraction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form, flavor and so on by Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s lamentation in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 15.15-23:

kṛṣṇa-rūpa-śabda-sparśa, saurabhya adhara-rasa, yāra mādhurya kahana nā yāya |

dekhi lobhi pañca-jana, eka aśva mora mana, caḍi pañca pāñca-dige dhāya ||

sakhi he! śuna mora duḥkhera kāraṇa |

mora pañcendriya-gaṇa, mahālampaṭa dasyu-gaṇa, sabhe kare hare para-dhana ||

eka aśva eka-kṣaṇe, pāñca pāñca-dike ṭāne, eka mana kon dige yāya |

eka-kāle sabhe ṭāne, gela ghoḍāra parāṇe, ei duḥkha sahana nā yāya ||

indriye nā kari roṣa, ihā sabhāra kāñhā doṣa, kṛṣṇa-rūpādi mahā ākarṣaṇa |

rūpādi pāñca pāñce ṭāne, gela pāñcera parāṇe, mora dehe nā rahe jībana ||

kṛṣṇa-rūpāmṛta-sindhu, tāhāra taraṅga-bindu, eka-bindu jagata ḍubāya |

tri-jagate yata nārī, tāra citta ucca-giri, tāhā ḍubāya āge uṭhi dhāya ||

kṛṣṇera bacana-mādhurī, nānā-rasa-narma-dhārī, tāra anyāya kahana nā yāya |

jagatera nārīra kāṇe, mādhurī-guṇe bāndhi ṭāne, ṭānāṭāni kāṇera prāṇa yāya ||

kṛṣṇa aṅga suśītala, ki kahiba tāra bala, chaṭāya jine koṭīndu candana |

saśaila nārīra bakṣa, tāhā ākarṣite dakṣa, ākarṣaye nārī-gaṇa mana ||

kṛṣṇāṅga-saurabhya-bhara, mṛga-mada-mada-hara, nīlotpalera hare garba-dhana |

jagata-nārīra nāsā, tāra bhitara kare bāsā, nārī-gaṇera kare ākarṣaṇa ||

kṛṣṇera adharāmṛta, tāte karpūra manda-smita, svamādhurye hare nārī-mana |

chāḍāya anyatra lobha, nā pāile mane kṣobha, braja-nārī-gaṇera mūla-dhana ||

     “The sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s form, sound, touch, aroma and the flavor of his lips is indescribable. After experiencing this sweetness and being greedy for more, five riders mount the horse of my mind and speed off in five directions. O friend! Listen to the cause of my suffering. My five senses are greedy thieves; all they do is steal from others. Five riders pull one horse in five directions at once. In which direction will the mind go? If all pull at once, the horse will die! Such misery is intolerable. I am not angry at my senses; it is not their fault. Kṛṣṇa’s form and so on are very attractive. They pull on the five senses. If the senses perish, the life will not remain in my body. Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is an ocean of nectar; one drop from its waves drowns the entire universe. The hearts of all women in the three worlds are like high mountains engulfed by this ocean. Kṛṣṇa’s sweet words are filled with humor and play, and their impropriety is beyond description. When the ears of a woman of the world are bound by the rope of the sweetness of his words, a tug of war begins and the vitality of her ears departs. Kṛṣṇa’s body is very pleasant and cooling. How shall I describe its power? Its luster is more cooling than the finest sandal-paste or even millions of moons. His body is adept at attracting women’s mountain-like breasts as well as their minds. Kṛṣṇa’s fragrance steals the pride of both musk and the blue lotus. It makes its home within the noses of the women of the world and pulls them to him. The sweet nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips mixed with the camphor of his gentle smile allures their minds. It makes them abandon their desires for anything else. Without it, their minds are distressed. His body is the foremost treasure of the women of Vraja.”

     Or, Śrī Govinda is the object of enjoyment for all rasika-bhaktas, who are skilled in contemplating rasa, because he is himself rasa or the embodiment of rasa. The statements raso vai saḥ, rasānāṁ rasatamaḥ, ānandaṁ brahma and so on from the śruti proclaim him to be the rasa-svarūpa. Having experienced Govinda, a jīva can be truly joyful: rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati (śruti).

     A question may arise here. If a person obtains with her internal and external senses even a slight experience of the sweetness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form, taste and so on, the experience of worldly sense enjoyment will no doubt be perceived as detestable. But how is it possible for a jīva to taste Govinda’s transcendental sweetness when she is attached to worldly sense objects? Anticipating such a question, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya describes a sādhana or method for tasting Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurī: saṅga kara tāra dāsa, prema-bhakti satya kari jāna. As a result of the association of great souls and the receipt of their mercy, a taste of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya can be experienced even in the hearts and minds of ordinary people and they will lose interest in anything other than Kṛṣṇa. The purifying power that comes from tasting Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya is present in the bodies and minds of the high-souled śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhaktas who are joyfully engaged in bhajana. To the extent of its presence, this power spreads from their bodies in all directions and infuses the people around them with the ability to taste Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. Just as dirty iron is at once converted into gold by the touch of a philosopher’s stone, a person’s materially contaminated citta shines like gold when he longs for bhakti as a result of the association of great Vaiṣṇavas. Therefore, associating with the servants of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the best means to become free from the desire for mundane sense objects and to taste the transcendent rasa of Govinda’s form, taste and other things related to him. For the jīva, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant, there is no other truly worthy object than the attainment of prema-bhakti. Thus, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said, prema-bhakti satya kari jāna. “Realize that prema-bhakti is genuine.”

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 81 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

লুবধ ভ্রমর যেন,        চকোর চন্দ্রিকা তেন,

পতিব্রতাজন যেন পতি ।

অন্যত্র না চলে মন,        যেন দরিদ্রের ধন,

এই মত প্রেমভক্তি রীতি ॥ ৮১ ॥

lubadha bhramara yena,        cakora candrikā tena,

patibratā-jana yena pati |

anyatra nā cale mana,        yena daridrera dhana,

ei mata prema-bhakti rīti || 81 ||

     Like a bee hungry for flower nectar or a cakora bird longing for moonlight; like a wife devoted to her husband or a poor person always thinking of money, the bhakta’s mind never wanders. Such is the nature of prema-bhakti.

The Nature of Prema-Bhakti

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: After discussing the nature of the ekānti-bhakta, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya now addresses  the nature of prema-bhakti. lubadha bhramara yena, cakora candrikā tena, patibratā-jana yena pati; anyatra nā cale mana, yena daridrera dhana, ei mata prema-bhakti rīti. One who has love for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is like a bee hungry for flower nectar, a cakora bird longing for moonlight and a wife devoted to her husband. Just as a bee hungry for flower nectar constantly searches with his body and mind for clusters of lotuses, in the same way, the bhakta’s mind-bee is ever eager to taste the nectar of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Just as a cakora bird longs to taste the light of the full moon, in the same way, the bhakta’s heart-cakora always longs to taste the sweetness of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda’s moonlike faces. A loving, devoted wife perceives nothing but her husband while awake, dreaming or deeply asleep. Always engaged in service to him, she is unaware of when day turns to night. In the same way, a premika-bhakta always engages his body, mind and words in singleminded service to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava.

     Or, just as the thirsty bee, the cakora and the devoted wife have profound attachment for the lotus, the moon and the husband respectively, in the same way, the loving bhakta has profound attachment to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s lotus feet. In Śrī-Govinda-Bhāṣya, Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has written that bhaktas who are devoted to the worship of Śrī Hari are better ekāntīs than those who desire some reward because the hari-bhaktas only have faith in spiritual substance. Moreover, better than this type of ekāntī are those bhaktas whose hearts and minds are devoted to the form of Vrajendranandana. Even the kindness and serenity of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa cannot steal their minds. Among the devout ekāntīs, those bhaktas who are devoted to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava are the highest of all because Vrajendranandana alone, without Śrī Rādhārāṇī, is not able to please their hearts and minds.

     In Śrī-Prīti-Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has differentiated the ekānti-bhaktas and shown comparisons of their devotion: ekāntinas tāvad dvividhāḥ, ajāta-jāta-prītis tv abhedena. jāta-prītayaś ca trividhāḥ eke tadīyānubhava-mātra-niṣṭhāḥ śānta-bhaktādayaḥ anye tadīya-darśana-sevanādi-rasamayāḥ parikara-viśeṣābhimāninaḥ, svayaṁ parikara-viśeṣāś ca. tatra teṣu ajāta-prītibhiḥ sarva-puruṣārthatvena tat-prītir eva prārthanīyā. atha jāta-prītiṣu śānta-bhaktādayas tu kadācid darśanādikaṁ vā prārthayante sevādikaṁ vinaiva; tad-vāsanāyā abhāvāt. sakṛd api kṛpā-dṛṣṭyādi-lābhena tṛptāś ca bhavanti; ‘nātikṣāmaṁ bhagavataḥ snigdhāpāṅga-vilokanād iti’ śrī-kardama varṇanāt ataeva tat-sāmīpyādike’pi teṣām anāgrahaḥ. ye tat-parikara-viśeṣābhimāninas te khalu tat-tat-prīti-viśeṣotkaṇṭhito yadā bhavanti tadā tat-tat-sevā-viśeṣecchayā prārthayanta eva tat-sāmīpyādikam. tat-prārthanā ca prīti-vilāsa-rūpaiva. puṣṇāti ca tām iti guṇa eva. yadā ca teṣāṁ dainyena tat-prāpty-asambhāvanā jāyate tadāpi ca tat-prīty-aviccheda-mātraṁ prārthayante. so’pi ca guṇa eva. yat tu kevala-saṁsāra-mokṣa-tat-sāmīpyānanda-viśeṣa-prārthanaṁ prīti-vikāratā-śūnyaṁ tat, punaḥ sarvathā keśāñcid apy ekāntināṁ nābhirucitam (51 anuh).

     The purport is that there are two kinds of ekānti-bhaktas: those in whom love has arisen (jāta-prīti) and those in whom it has not (ajāta-prīti). There are three kinds of jāta-prīti devotees: (1) the śānta-bhaktas and so on who have faith only in the majesty of Śrī Bhagavān; (2) those who conceive of themselves as Śrī Bhagavān’s companions or assistants during darśana, sevā and so on; and (3) those who are Śrī Bhagavān’s personal companions. The ajāta-prīti-bhaktas always pray for Bhagavān’s love in the form of attaining the goals of human life. The jāta-prīti-śānta-bhaktas will at some time or other pray for darśana only, without sevā. They have no desire for sevā; they are satisfied by simply once receiving Bhagavān’s merciful glance. We see in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.21.46 that although Śrī Kardama Muni had been weakened by austerities, he didn’t appear overly emaciated because he had obtained Śrī Bhagavān’s affectionate glance and had been drinking the nectar of his moonlike words. By this it is understood that he never desired sevā, only darśana. Such bhaktas always perceive the Lord in their hearts, but they have no inclination to serve him in person. 

     When the bhaktas who conceive of themselves as Śrī Bhagavān’s companions or assistants become eager for dāsya, sakhya and the other types of love, they pray for suitable services to perform in his presence. Their prayers are filled with the play of love and they nourish love; therefore, they are ornaments, not defilements. Moreover, out of humility, they sometimes feel it is impossible for them to attain Bhagavān, so they also pray for divine love that is never interrupted. This is also a quality rather than a fault. On the other hand, prayers only for liberation from material life and the joy of living near Bhagavān, but which are devoid of love, are never pleasing to the ekānti-bhaktas. For this reason, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said, anyatra nā cale mana, yena daridrera dhana, ei mata prema-bhakti rīti. “Like a poor person always thinking of money, the bhakta’s mind goes nowhere else. Such is the nature of prema-bhakti.”