Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 111 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

অহঙ্কার অভিমান,        অসৎসঙ্গ অসৎজ্ঞান,

ছাড়ি ভজ গুরু-পাদপদ্ম ।

করি আত্ম-নিবেদন,        দেহ গেহ পরিজন,

গুরু-বাক্য পরম-মহত্ত্ব ॥ ১১১ ॥

ahaṅkāra abhimāna,        asat-saṅga asat-jñāna,

chāḍi bhaja guru-pāda-padma |

kari ātma-nibedana,        deha geha parijana,

guru-bākya parama-mahattva || 111 ||

     Give up false ego, pride, unwholesome association and false knowledge. Worship the lotus feet of Śrī Guru, offering yourself, your body, home and family. Śrī Guru’s words are most sublime.

     टीका—अहङ्कार अभिमान इत्यादि–“विद्याधनागार कुलाभिमानिनो देहादिदायात्मज नित्यबुद्ध्ययः । इष्टान्यदेवान् फलकाङ्क्षिणो ये जीवन्मृतास्ते न लभन्ति केशवम् ।” “ततो दुःसङ्गमुत्सृज्य सत्सु सज्जेत बुद्धिमान्” इति श्रीमद्भागवतोक्तेः ॥

Śrī Guru’s Words Are Most Sublime

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has given another valuable lesson on how to attain one’s desired success. First he says, ahaṅkāra abhimāna, asat-saṅga asat-jñāna, chāḍi bhaja guru-pāda-padma. Here, the words ahaṅkāra and abhimāna are not synonymous. Ahaṅkāra means the pure-souled jīva’s “I and my” psychology regarding the inanimate body and things related. Abhimāna means the self-concept born of that in regard to wealth, people, noble birth and so on. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.11.10 says,

daivādhīne śarīre’smin guṇa-bhāvyena karmaṇā |

vartamāno’budhas tatra kartāsmīti nibadhyate ||

     “An ignorant person, situated in a body controlled by its previous karma, thinks ‘I am the doer.’ Because of this ego, he is bound to the body by actions born of the guṇas.” Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 3.27 says,

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ |

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate ||

     “A person bewildered by ego thinks he performs actions which are actually executed by the constituents of nature.” As a result of this, he becomes intoxicated by the pride of controlling wealth, people and so on. This is the jīva’s state of bondage. Those sādhakas who are awake in knowledge of their svarūpa and who desire their own well-being must abandon this illusory self-concept. There is a śloka in Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda’s commentary on this verse regarding the harmful effects of ahaṅkāra and abhimāna:

vidyā-dhanāgāra-kulābhimānino 

dehādidārātmaja-nitya-buddhyayaḥ |

iṣṭānya-devān phala-kāṅkṣiṇo ye 

jīvan-mṛtās te na labhante keśavam ||

     “Those whose self-concept is rooted in materialistic knowledge, wealth, home, family and so on; whose minds are always fixed on the body and body-related spouses and children; those who desire other devatās and those who desire material success, they are the living dead. They are unable to attain Śrī Keśava.” Previously it was said, abhimānī bhakti-hīna, jaga-mājhe sei dīna, vṛthā tāra aśeṣa bhābanā. “A prideful person, devoid of bhakti, is the most miserable creature in the world. His endless thoughts are useless.” 

     Just as a sādhaka who desires auspiciousness must give up egotism and false pride, he must also abandon unwholesome company. Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.87 says, asat-saṅga tyāga ei baiṣṇaba-ācāra. “A Vaiṣṇava must give up unfavorable association.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.26.26 says, tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān, santa evāsya chindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ. “An intelligent person must abandon bad company completely and associate with saintly people, because the sādhus’ teachings sever the adverse attachments of the mind.” santa evety eva-kāreṇa sukṛta-tīrtha-deva-śāstra-jñānādīnāṁ na tādṛśaṁ sāmarthyam iti jñāpitam (from Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda’s commentary). In the phrase santa eva it should be understood by the word eva (indeed, truly) that performing pious deeds, visiting holy places, worshiping gods, learning śāstra and so on do not have such power. Therefore, along with abandoning the association of unwholesome people, the sādhaka must associate with saintly people. Even though giving up asat-saṅga, if one fails to engage in sat-saṅga, there will be neither loss nor gain on the path of bhakti. Incidentally, it should be understood that progress on the path of bhakti is undoubtedly very quick in the association of like-minded sādhus.

     In the same way, the bhakta-sādhaka must also give up asat-jñāna, or false knowledge. The word sat is derived from the verbal root as. The root as denotes existence, so whatever is real is called sat. Illusory or māyika things have no existence in the past, present or future without the power of Bhagavān and his cit-śakti, his dhāma, bhakti and bhaktas. Therefore, asat-jñāna is knowledge of transitory things created by māyā. If the mind remains absorbed in this asat-jñāna, it does not become absorbed in sat-jñāna, meaning knowledge related to Bhagavān, bhakti and the bhaktas. Hence, the sādhaka who seeks well-being must also give up the study of asat-jñāna.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, chāḍi bhaja guru-pāda-padma, kari ātma-nibedana, deha geha parijana, guru-bākya parama-mahattva. Having abandoned all this, the bhakta-sādhaka will devote himself to Śrī Guru’s lotus feet, the source of all sādhya-sādhana (end and means). In verse four of this book, he said, śrī-guru-caraṇe rati, ei se uttamā-gati, ye prasāde pūre sarba āśā. “Attachment to Śrī Guru’s lotus feet is the best way to achieve success. By his mercy, all your hopes will be fulfilled.” When the sādhaka who is fully devoted to Śrī Guru’s lotus feet awakens to the sublimity of Śrī Guru’s words, he takes complete shelter of Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet as instructed by Śrī Guru. He offers his pure soul, body, home and family at Śrī Bhagavān’s feet and constantly worships Śrī Hari without worry.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 110 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

কৃষ্ণনাম-গানে ভাই,        রাধিকা-চরণ পাই,

রাধানাম-গানে কৃষ্ণচন্দ্র ।

সংক্ষেপে কহিনু কথা,        ঘুচাও মনের ব্যথা,

দুঃখময় অন্য-কথা ধন্দ ॥ ১১০ ॥

kṛṣṇa-nāma-gāne bhāi,        rādhikā-caraṇa pāi,

rādhā-nāma-gāne kṛṣṇacandra |

saṁkṣepe kahinu kathā,        ghucāo manera byathā,

duḥkhamaya anya-kathā dhanda || 110 ||

     O brother! By singing Kṛṣṇa’s name you will get Rādhikā’s lotus feet. By singing Rādhā’s name, you will get Kṛṣṇacandra. I spoke briefly about this. End the troubles of your mind. All other topics are full of misery and confusion.

The Method of Yugala-Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, the illustrious author said he did not want to even hear the name of a person who neglects Śrī Rādhā and worships Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone. Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī has also called such people arrogant and insincere; he is determined to abandon their impure association. Now the question will be, are we to also abandon the company of those who worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone following one of his nitya-siddha companions in Vraja, in either dāsya, sakhya or vātsalya-rasa? Anticipating this kind of question, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, kṛṣṇa-nāma-gāne bhāi, rādhikā-caraṇa pāi. Aversion or neglect toward Śrī Rādhā can never appear in those who have taken shelter of authentic śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana. This is because by singing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name, they attain Śrī Rādhikā’s lotus feet and then get the corresponding bhāva. It should be understood that the words rādhikā-caraṇa have been placed here reverentially; therefore, to get Śrī Rādhikā’s lotus feet means to get Śrī Rādhikā. Those who are bhaktas of Vraja’s dāsya and sakhya-rasas worship Śrī Rādhā by thinking of her as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s greatest devotee. Among the bhaktas of sakhya-rasa, Subala, Madhumaṅgala and the other priya-narma-sakhas have a particular role in serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beloved Śrī Rādhā in madhura-rasa. The bhaktas of vātsalya-rasa, following Nanda and Yaśodā, feel parental affection toward Śrī Rādhā. Therefore, it is certain that those who worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa but are averse to Śrī Rādhā or disrespectful to her are not doing śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana at all. For this reason, the mahājana has said, kṛṣṇa-nāma-gāne bhāi, rādhikā-caraṇa pāi. 

     Moreover, if someone worships Śrī Rādhā but not Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even that person’s rādhā-bhajana is not appropriate because by singing rādhā-nāma, one inevitably attains Śrī Kṛṣṇa. rādhā-nāma-gāne kṛṣṇacandra. Yugala-nāma is a type of mahāmantra that attracts both of them. In this yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas who are sheltered at his lotus feet blessed the people of the world by introducing the most profound and esoteric worship of the Divine Couple, which was unattainable for humans of other yugas. Chanting rādhā-kṛṣṇa-nāma is an easily accessible way for them to worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Śrīman Mahāprabhu personally taught people to chant day and night the thirty-two-syllabled hare-kṛṣṇa-nāma-bhajana, an invocation consisting of sixteen names of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. We have mentioned this previously.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, saṁkṣepe kahinu kathā, ghucāo manera byathā, duḥkhamaya anya-kathā dhanda. “I briefly spoke of this most important topic, the essence of which is that nāma-saṅkīrtana is the yuga-dharma of the age of Kali.” Like Śrī Bhagavān himself, his name is by nature saccidānanda because there is no difference in the name and the named. In that respect, all of Śrī Bhagavān’s names are equal, but if one judges in terms of the magnanimity of nāma, the preeminence of śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma can be understood. It is known that the name of Rāma is greater than the names of Matsya, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana and so on because śrī-rāma-nāma is equal to a thousand names of Viṣṇu. In Padma-Purāṇa, Śrīman Mahādeva said to Śrī Gaurīdevī, sahasra-nāmabhis tulyaṁ rāma-nāma varānane. In Brahmāṇḍa-Purāṇa it is seen that by speaking Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name once a jīva receives the result of reciting the thousand names of Viṣṇu three times. sahasra-nāmnāṁ puṇyānāṁ trir āvṛtyā tu yat phalam, ekāvṛtyā tu kṛṣṇasya nāmaikaṁ tat prayacchati. Therefore, Śrīman Mahāprabhu said, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, which is a brief statement teaching the importance of śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Moreover, it teaches the importance of yugala-nāma-kīrtana, or chanting Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name along with Śrī Rādhā’s name, which is very attractive to him. Therefore, abandon all mental anguish produced by the body and things related, or all mental anguish regarding sādhya-sādhana, meaning unfavorable thoughts regarding whether sādhya-sādhana on the path of bhajana is possible, and give up all other misery-filled topics that are untrue, full of mistakes and confusion. The only way to get your desired object is to sing the names of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. This is the most essential teaching.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 109 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

তার ভক্ত-সঙ্গে সদা,        রসলীলা-প্রেম-কথা,

যে করে সে পায় ঘনশ্যাম ।

ইহাতে বিমুখ যেই,        তার কভু সিদ্ধি নাই,

না শুনিয়ে তার যেন নাম ॥ ১০৯ ॥

tāra bhakta-saṅge sadā,        rasa-līlā-prema-kathā,

ye kare se pāya ghanaśyāma |

ihāte bimukha yei,        tāra kabhu siddhi nāi,

nā śuniye tāra yena nāma || 109 ||

     One who, in the company of Śrī Rādhikā’s devotees, always hears, sings or discusses her nectarous pastimes and topics describing her love undoubtedly attains Ghanaśyāma Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Those who are averse to this will never attain success. We should not even hear their names.

Discussing Their Nectarous Pastimes of Love

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has proclaimed the glory of hearing and singing about Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s names, qualities and so on, taking shelter of her lotus feet and serving the dust of her lotus feet. Someone may say, “If a person does this, will he or she have no desire to worship and attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa?” In reply, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, tāra bhakta-saṅge sadā, rasa-līlā-prema-kathā, ye kare se pāya ghanaśyāma. “One who, in the association of Śrī Rādhikā’s bhaktas, always hears, sings or discusses her nectarous līlā-kathā and topics describing the greatness of her love undoubtedly attains Ghanaśyāma Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” A question may arise here. It is a scriptural rule that one attains the deity to whom worship is offered. It is not possible to attain one devatā by worshiping another. In reply it can be said that the greatness of Śrī Rādhā’s pastimes and love is that they include Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is impossible to speak of Rādhā without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, by worshiping Śrī Rādhārāṇī through hearing and singing her stories, the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is also naturally accomplished. Not only that, but the kind of joy that Kṛṣṇa gets when Rādhā is worshiped, and the satisfaction he feels toward her devotees, he never feels toward those who worship only him. Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his commentary to Śrī-Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam 2.7.11: śrī-rādhājñā-pratipālanenaiva śrī-kṛṣṇasya vaśīkaraṇāt svayam evādhikādhika-tat-saṅga-sukha-saṁsiddher iti dik. In Śrī-Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam, Gopakumāra was a devotee of Vraja’s sakhya-rasa (friendship), but he obeyed Rādhā’s order instead of waiting to get the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa’s company. In this context, Śrīla Gosvāmipāda has concluded that Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes thoroughly obedient to someone who follows Śrī Rādhā’s order. Therefore, even though not waiting for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s company, Gopakumāra attained the happiness of getting it to an even greater degree. Like this, the worship of Rādhārāṇī causes Kṛṣṇa to be more submissive than from even his own worship. Through it, the worship of Kṛṣṇa himself is accomplished.

     It is most pleasant and enjoyable, when in the company of devoted and earnest rasika-bhaktas, to hear and sing Śrī Rādhā’s delightful līlā-kathā, meaning Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s charming amorous pastimes, and Śrī Rādhā’s prema-kathā, meaning stories of separation and union with an endless variety of mohana (infatuation), modana (joy) and mādana-bhāva (intoxication), which are the ultimate expressions of mahābhāva, the transcendental essence of prema. The most intimate bhajana of the rāgānugīya-bhakta is to take up residence in Vraja and to hear and sing these confidential stories in the company of great souls who are singularly devoted to Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, who have a similar intention, are more advanced and are friendly. This is the thing most desired by rāga-bhaktas. Not to speak of the bhaktas, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself previously accepted rādhā-bhāva and incarnated in the form of Śrī Gaurāṅga. He was submerged day and night in relishing prema-kathā and Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s rasa-kathā in the company of rasika-bhaktas.

caṇḍidāsa bidyāpati, rāyera nāṭaka-gīti, 

karṇāmṛta śrī-gīta-gobinda |

svarūpa-rāmānanda-sane, mahāprabhu rātri-dine,

gāya śune parama ānanda ||

     “Along with Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrīman Mahāprabhu would sing and hear Śrī-Gīta-Govinda, Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛta and the songs and dramas of Rāmānanda Rāya, Vidyāpati and Caṇḍidāsa throughout the day and night.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 2.77)

     Then he said, ihāte bimukha yei, tāra kabhu siddhi nāi, nā śuniye tāra yena nāma. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has determined that by taking shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet and worshiping her whole-heartedly, Ghanaśyāma Śrī Kṛṣṇa will be duly obtained. Now he says that those who are averse to taking shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet or worshiping her may continue trying to experience Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness, but they have no chance of success. The best way to experience Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the condensed form of śṛṅgāra-rasa (amorous love), is to worship Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Other than this, there is no way for someone to relish Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. We have nothing to do with those who try to relish Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurī but disregard Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Not to speak of seeing or touching, we should never even hear their names. nā śuniye tāra yena nāma. Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his Svaniyama-Daśakam, verse 6:

anādṛtyodgītām api muni-gaṇair vaiṇika-mukhaiḥ 

pravīṇāṁ gāndharvām api ca nigamais tat-priyatamām |

ya ekaṁ govindaṁ bhajati kapaṭī dāmbhikatayā

tad-abhyarṇe śīrṇe kṣaṇam api na yāmi vratam idam ||

     “They are insincere and arrogant who worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone, neglecting his beloved Śrī Rādhārāṇī, who is a skillful singer and is celebrated by the Vedas and the sages led by Nārada. I will not remain in their impure company for even a moment.”

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 108 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

জয় জয় রাধা-নাম,        বৃন্দাবন যার ধাম,

কৃষ্ণসুখ-বিলাসের নিধি ।

হেন রাধা-গুণগান,        না শুনিল মোর কান,

বঞ্চিত করিল মোরে বিধি ॥ ১০৮ ॥

jaya jaya rādhā-nāma,        bṛndābana yāra dhāma,

kṛṣṇa-sukha-bilāsera nidhi |

hena rādhā-guṇa-gāna,        nā śunila mora kāna,

bañcita karila more bidhi || 108 ||

     Glory to the name of Rādhā, whose abode is Vṛndāvana. She is an ocean of playful pastimes that bring happiness to Kṛṣṇa. My ears have never heard the singing of Rādhā’s virtues; providence has deprived me.

The Ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s Happy Pastimes

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: To reveal the glory of Śrī Rādhā’s name, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya then said, jaya jaya rādhā-nāma, bṛndābana yāra dhāma, kṛṣṇa-sukha-bilāsera nidhi. The word jaya denotes excellence and obeisance. “Śrī Rādhā’s name is preeminent above all; therefore I bow to rādhā-nāma again and again.” Why is rādhā-nāma so excellent and glorious? Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda wrote the following in Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 95:*

yaj-jāpaḥ sakṛd eva gokula-pater ākarṣakas tat-kṣaṇād

yatra premavatāṁ samasta-puruṣārtheṣu sphuret tucchatā |

yan-nāmāṅkita-mantra-jāpana-paraḥ prītyā svayaṁ mādhavaḥ 

śrī-kṛṣṇo’pi tad adbhutaṁ sphuratu me rādheti varṇa-dvayam ||

     “Let the two astonishing syllables rā and dhā always appear on my tongue. If someone chants them once only, Nandanandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa is immediately attracted. If one develops love for them, all other goals of life seem insignificant. Even Mādhava Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself lovingly chants a mantra adorned with her name.” The favorite mantra of Svayaṁ Bhagavān Vrajendranandana, the supreme deity of the entire creation, is rādhā-nāma. Therefore, Rādhā’s name is filled with excellence and glory. We see the following in Brahma-Vaivarta-Purāṇa:

rā-śabdoccāraṇād eva 

sphīto bhavati mādhavaḥ |

dhā-śabdoccārata paścād

dhāvaty eva sasambhramaḥ ||

     “If someone speaks the syllable rā, Kṛṣṇa is overjoyed and immediately rises to go to him. When the person says dhā, Kṛṣṇa eagerly runs after him without delay.”

     Vṛndāvana is the abode of rādhā-nāma—bṛndābana yāra dhāma. Vṛndāvana is the land of Rādhā’s supremely sweet pastimes and the home of the sweeter than sweet rādhā-nāma. Because rādhā-nāma is Kṛṣṇa’s favorite mantra, the residents of Vṛndāvana consider it worthy of worship, to be sung, chanted, heard and remembered. Rādhā-nāma is in everyone’s mouth in Vṛndāvana. They speak it when addressing each other, when conversing, when paying respects, in commercial transactions—everyone says rādhā-nāma during all activities. Sweet rādhā-nāma is written on the walls of houses, on trees and so on. It is said that when the illustrious poet Śrī Tulasī Dāsa, author of Rāma-Carita-Mānasa, arrived in Vṛndāvana, he was astonished to hear śrī-rādhā-nāma coming from everyone’s mouth. Thoughts of Rāmacandra’s abode Ayodhyā came to his mind. He mused that in Ayodhyā, everyone speaks the name of Rāma. There, no one utters the pure name of Śrī Sītā, although they do say Sītā-Rāma. The difference is that in Vṛndāvana everyone always speaks the pure name of Śrī Rādhā. jaya jaya rādhā-nāma, bṛndābana yāra dhāma.

     Once, a Bengali lady came for darśana of Śrī Vṛndāvana. Her name was Rādhā. When she was out on the street, she heard some residents of Vṛndāvana calling out jaya rādhe, jaya rādhe to each other. Startled, she looked in that direction to see if someone was addressing her. Then she could understand that everyone here, whether woman or man, greets each other by saying rādhe rādhe. It is the custom for everyone to invoke rādhā-nāma in all activities and conversations. One day she asked a devotee the reason for this. The Vaiṣṇava said to her, “Mother! On this earth there is a place where the custom is to speak sweet words before saying anything else. For example, if a person goes there to reprimand someone, he must first speak pleasantly to him. Vṛndāvana is that place. Here, there is nothing so sweet as rādhā-nāma. Therefore, everyone addresses each other with rādhā-nāma before speaking or doing anything else.” Truly, there is nothing in the world as sweet as rādhā-nāma. Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda has said, rādheti nāma nava-sundara-sīdhu-mugdham. “This name Rādhā is fresh, beautiful and nectarous.” For this reason, rādhā-nāma is dearer to a Vrajavāsī than his or her own life. jaya jaya rādhā-nāma, bṛndābana yāra dhāma. Śrī Vṛndāvana is the abode of rādhā-nāma.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, kṛṣṇa-sukha-bilāsera nidhi. Śrī Rādhā is an ocean of playful pastimes that bring happiness to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa no doubt sports with Candrāvalī and the other beautiful girls of Vraja. But just as the ocean is the source of all rivers, streams, lakes and so on, in the same way, Śrī Rādhā is the source of pastimes that make Śrī Kṛṣṇa happy. The other gopīs exist only to nourish Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes with Rādhā. Śrī Rādhā is an inexhaustible storehouse of ingredients for sporting with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of the deep erotic sentiment (śṛṅgāra-rasa). kimbā kṛṣṇa-krīḍā-pūjāra basati nagarī (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.84). She is the abode of Kṛṣṇa’s worship and play. Śrī Rādhā’s name is also an ocean of pastimes meant for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure because the name and the named are one. We see the following in the sixth act of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda’s Vidagdha-Mādhava-Nāṭakam: After going to Vṛndāvana to search for Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa mistakenly ran to embrace a group of land-lilies and yellow amaranths he mistook to be her. Then, Kṛṣṇa’s dear friend Madhumaṅgala joked that he would give him Rādhā in the palm of his hand, so he wrote her name on a leaf and placed it in Kṛṣṇa’s hand, saying, “Here is Rādhā.” When Kṛṣṇa saw Rādhā’s name, he said to Madhumaṅgala, “Friend, I have truly obtained the highest satisfaction from this gift, because—

kramāt kakṣām akṣṇoḥ parisara-bhuvaṁ vā śravaṇayor

manāg adhyārūḍhaṁ praṇayi-jana-nāmākṣara-padam |

kam apy antas toṣaṁ vitarad avilambād anupadaṁ

nisargād viśveṣāṁ hṛdaya-padavīm utsukayati || (VMN 6.45)

     “If a man sees or hears the letters of his lover’s name, then naturally those letters immediately create satisfaction and great eagerness in his heart.” A mahājana sang the following in Kṛṣṇa’s words:

śuna rādhe ei rasa, āmi se tomāra baśa, tomā bine nāhi bhāya mane |

japite tomāra nāma, dhairaja nā dhare prāṇa, tuyā rūpa kariye dheyāne ||

‘śrī-rādhe’ śrī-rādhe’ bāṇī, ye dike yāra mukhe śuni, sei dike dhāya mora mana |

cātaka phukāre yena, ghana cāhe bariṣaṇa, tena heri o cānda-badana ||

karete muralī thāke, ghana rādhā bali ḍāke, yata-kṣaṇa nā pāya dekhite |

tomāra nūpura-dhvani, āpana śrabaṇe śuni, tabe mora kṣamā haya cite ||

rādhā-kṛṣṇa duṭi nāma, tāhe tumi āguyāna, āmi kari tomāri bharasā |

tabe se saphala haba, tuyā pada parasiba, dāsa bṛndābanera e āśā ||

     “Listen, O Rādhā, to this rasa. I am under your control; without you, there is no light in my mind. My heart becomes restless when I say your name or think of your form. My mind races toward those who say the words ‘Śrī Rādhā, Śrī Rādhā.’ I gaze at you, O Moonface, like a weeping cātaka gazes at a raincloud. My flute stays in my hand; it constantly cries out ‘Rādhā!’ so long as it cannot see you. My mind becomes tranquil when I hear the sound of your anklets. Of the two names Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, you come first. I rely upon you. I will attain success when I touch your feet.” Vṛndāvana Dāsa dreams of this.

     This desire has been expressed: May that most excellent, sweeter than sweet nectar-filled rādhā-nāma appear constantly on my tongue. Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, hena rādhā-guṇa-gāna, nā śunila mora kāna, bañcita karila more bidhi. Even though his heart has gone to Rādhā, due to humility or the non-sating nature of bhakti, he says, “My ears have not heard the singing of the virtues of Śrī Rādhā, whose name is glorious. Alas, it is nothing more than a trick of providence on an unfortunate creature like me.” Actually, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is teaching something to the sādhakas of the world. The great goal of life for the sādhakas is to hear and sing of the names, qualities, pastimes and so on of Śrī Rādhā, who is the embodied presiding deity of prema, and whose names, qualities and pastimes are the supreme attractor and great enchanter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In this, the tongue, ear and other senses attain true success. One who has been deprived of the hearing and singing of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s names, qualities and pastimes shall be known in the world as having truly been deceived by fate.

*(Author’s note) See the Rasa-Varṣiṇī commentary on this verse in my edition of Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhi.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 107 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাধিকা-চরণ-রেণু,        ভূষণ করিয়া তনু,

অনায়াসে পাবে গিরিধারী ।

রাধিকা-চরণাশ্রয়,        যে করে সে মহাশয়,

তারে মুই যাই বলিহারী ॥ ১০৭ ॥

rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇu,        bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu,

anāyāse pābe giridhārī |

rādhikā-caraṇāśraya,        ye kare se mahāśaya,

tāre mui yāi balihārī || 107 ||

     After decorating your body with the dust from Rādhikā’s lotus feet, you will easily get Giridhārī. Those who take refuge in Rādhikā’s lotus feet are great souls. I sing their praises.

The Dust from Śrī Rādhā’s Lotus Feet

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Beginning from this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya will for three verses discuss the worship of Vṛndāvaneśvarī Śrī Rādhā. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas sheltered at the lotus feet of Śrīman Mahāprabhu have more affection for Rādhā than for Kṛṣṇa. For them, these three verses are like a life-giving elixir that bestows the highest good. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya first says, rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇu, bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu, anāyāse pābe giridhārī. “If you accept the dust from Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet as a bodily ornament, you will easily obtain Giridhārī Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” The only way to obtain Kṛṣṇa is through prema; this is the conclusion of all the śāstras. The astonishing power of serving the foot-dust of great souls to attain bhakti or Bhagavān can be seen in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other śāstras. Brahmarṣi Bharata said the following to King Rahūgaṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.12.12:

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti 

na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā |

na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair 

vinā mahat-pāda-rajo’bhiṣekam ||

     “O King Rahūgaṇa! Without being sprinkled with the foot-dust of a great soul, one does not obtain knowledge of Bhagavān even by performing austerities or Vedic rituals, making charitable donations, building houses for others, studying the Vedas, worshiping water, fire and the sun, or by any other sādhana.” Śrīla Prahlāda Mahāśaya said the following in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.32:

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrīṁ 

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ |

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo’bhiṣekaṁ 

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat ||

     “If one does not bathe in the foot-dust of the great devotees who claim nothing as their own, the desire to abandon all anarthas at the lotus feet of Bhagavān never appears.” Great souls are differentiated by the amount of prema they have. prema-tāratamyenaiva bhakta-mahat-tāratamyaṁ mukham (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 187 anuḥ). Therefore, it should be understood that the power of the great souls’ foot-dust to bestow bhakti is also differentiated according to the degree of their prema. Śrī Rādhā’s prema is supreme. Therefore, nothing equals the power of her foot-dust to bestow bhakti or to enchant Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda wrote the following in Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 4:

yo brahma-rudra-śuka-nārada-bhīṣma-mukhyair

ālakṣito na sahasā puruṣasya tasya |

sadyo-vaśīkaraṇa-cūrṇam ananta-śaktiṁ 

taṁ rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum anusmarāmi ||

     “Great souls led by Brahmā, Mahādeva, Śukadeva, Nārada and Bhīṣmadeva are unable to perceive the Supreme Person by their own power. I always remember the dust of the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, which has unlimited potency. It is like a magical powder that immediately brings Svayaṁ Bhagavān Vrajendranandana under her control.” Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has said in Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 5 that Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes thoroughly subjugated by prema and that Śrī Rādhā’s foot-dust is like a kāmadhenu* who gives realization of prema-rasa—bhāvotsavena bhajatāṁ rasa-kāmadhenuṁ taṁ rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum ahaṁ smarāmi.

     Now the question will be, how can the sādhakas render service to Śrī Rādhā’s lotus foot-dust and how can they decorate their bodies with it? This Vrajadhāma is the site of Śrī Rādhā’s eternal pastimes. She forever sports in Vraja along with her girlfriends and her beloved Śrī Govinda. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written, rādhā-padāṅka-vilasan madhura-sthalīke, meaning, “Śrī Rādhā’s footprints adorn Vṛndāvana, the abode of sweetness.” Therefore, the dust of Vraja is the dust from Śrī Rādhikā’s lotus feet. If it were not so, why would a companion of Bhagavān like Śrī Uddhava Mahāśaya, a direct embodiment of knowledge, pray to take birth as a blade of grass or a shrub in Vraja to serve the dust of Vraja? Śrī Uddhava says the following in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.61:

āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ 

vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām |

yā dustyajaṁ svajanam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā 

bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām ||

     “Oh, I wish for such a rare thing! The shrubs, creepers and herbs in this Vṛndāvana are most fortunate because they always bear the gopīs’ foot-dust, the dust of Vraja, on their heads. These girls have with difficulty relinquished their own people and the noble path (loyal devotion of a wife to her husband) to follow the path of Mukunda, which is to be sought even by the śrutis. Alas, will I ever be blessed with birth in Vṛndāvana as a blade of grass or a shrub like these?” To adorn oneself with Śrī Rādhā’s lotus foot-dust means to settle in Vraja and serve the dust of Vraja with intense devotion. This implies devotion to Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. Through this, Giridhārī is easily obtained: anāyāse pābe giridhārī.

     We have previously discussed how prema is obtained by serving the foot-dust of great souls and Kṛṣṇa is obtained through prema. The nectar of mahābhāva flows in an incessant stream from Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. Wherever she places her feet in Vraja, the dust particles there are saturated in the sentiment of love known as mahābhāva. There is no doubt that service to those particles of dust is a powerful sādhana for obtaining Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the lifter of Govardhana Hill. There are some intriguing connotations here in the use of the name Giridhārī rather than another name of Kṛṣṇa. On the advice of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja and the other Vrajavāsīs canceled the sacrifice to Indra and established a sacrifice to Govardhana Hill. Indra was blinded by anger and began a great rainstorm using Sāṁvartaka and other clouds of destruction to annihilate Vraja. Śrī Kṛṣṇa could have crushed Indra’s pride by other means, but eager to proclaim the glory of Śrī Girirāja and to see the elusive Śrī Rādhā and the other gopīs for an extended time without restriction, he held Govardhana, king of mountains, on one finger of his left hand for seven days and seven nights. Having seen Śrī Rādhā for seven long days and nights, he felt so much joy that he conversed with the great offender Indra, being satisfied by his humble prayers. Brahmā is superior in position to Indra; he is Kṛṣṇa’s son and the creator of the world, but in the brahma-mohana-līlā he kidnapped Kṛṣṇa’s beloved cowherd boys. Even though he begged for Kṛṣṇa’s forgiveness with a long prayer filled with glory and sweetness, Kṛṣṇa did not converse with him at all. Longing to see Śrī Rādhā, he held the huge Girirāja for seven days and nights, forgetting to eat or sleep. Needless to say, if someone imbued with devotion decorates his body with Śrī Rādhā’s foot-dust, he can easily obtain Giridhārī—anāyāse pābe giridhārī. It should be understood that in this case pābe means that along with experiencing Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī’s sweetness, the bhakta will also be blessed to serve them. To get the good fortune of tasting Giridhārī’s sweetness is to truly attain him.

     On the other hand, there is no way to taste Śyāma’s sweetness without worshiping Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s foot-dust. Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in the first verse of his Svasaṅkalpa-Prakāśa-Stotra:

anārādhya rādhā-padāmbhoja-reṇum 

anāśritya vṛndāṭavīṁ tat-padāṅkām |

asambhāṣya tad-bhāva-gambhīra-cittān 

kutaḥ śyāma-sindhoḥ rasasyāvagāhaḥ ||

     “How can one bathe in the sweet nectar of the Śyāma ocean without worshiping the lotus foot-dust of Śrī Rādhā, without taking shelter of Śrī Vṛndāvana, which is marked with her footprints, and without conversing with the bhaktas who deeply love Śrī Rādhā?”

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, rādhikā-caraṇāśraya, ye kare se mahāśaya, tāre mui yāi balihārī. One who takes shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet is called mahāśaya, meaning, mahāmanā vā mahātmā, athavā atisūkṣma-buddhiḥ (Śrī-Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam 2.5.178 ṭīkā). “Those whose minds have been offered to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or those who are his devotees, are high-minded, magnanimous souls.” But Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself has said, ye me bhakta-janāḥ pārtha na me bhaktāś ca te janāḥ, mad-bhaktānāṁ ca ye bhaktās te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 11.28). “O Pārtha! One who is devoted to me alone is not my bhakta. One who is devoted to my bhakta is my true bhakta.” If even a slight inclination toward the hlādinī-śakti appears within a jīva, that person is called a bhakta. Śrī Rādhā is the embodiment and presiding deity of that hlādinī-śakti. Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa depends most on those who take shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. Hence, a bhakta who has surrendered to Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet is truly a mahāśaya or high-souled person.

     Moreover, one meaning of the word mahāśaya is bhakti-rasa-lampaṭa, or “greedy for the nectar of devotion.” Those who are eager to taste bhakti-rasa are blessed to do so under the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, the presiding deity of prema. They are indeed mahāśaya. Seeing Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s eagerness for bhakti-rasa and understanding him to be surrendered exclusively to the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda gave him the title mahāśaya. Finally, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, tāre mui yāi balihārī. The great souls of this world who have taken refuge in Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet truly deserve our gratitude. I praise them hundreds of times.

* A heavenly cow yielding all desires (Apte)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 106 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

বিষয় বিপত্তি জান,        সংসার স্বপন মান,

নরতনু ভজনের মূল ।

অনুরাগে ভজ সদা,        প্রেমভাবে লীলা-কথা,

আর যত হৃদয়ের শূল ॥ ১০৬ ॥

biṣaya bipatti jāna,        saṁsāra svapana māna,

nara-tanu bhajanera mūla |

anurāge bhaja sadā,        prema-bhābe līlā-kathā,

āra yata hṛdayera śūla || 106 ||

     O mind! You must understand that sense-enjoyment brings trouble. Consider the world to be a dream. The human form is the foundation of bhajana. Always worship with love. Listen with delight to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; everything else brings pain to the heart.

The Human Form is the Foundation of Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya spoke about the afflictions of the heart. The source of those afflictions is attachment to sense-objects. Recollecting that, he now says, biṣaya bipatti jāna, saṁsāra svapana māna, nara-tanu bhajanera mūla. A person experiences the five worldly sense-objects, meaning form, sound, taste, smell and touch, with respectively the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin. As a result of enjoying these sense-objects, the person develops attachment for them. From that, countless more desires are born and he remains constantly engaged in the enjoyment of worldly sense-objects. He engages in various kinds of good and bad actions in order to accumulate more sense-objects. Then, taking those karma-saṁskāras with him, he rotates through 8.4 million wombs. Sense-enjoyment is the only reason one suffers the burning afflictions of birth in countless wombs, death, old age, disease, grief and so on, as well as the terrible miseries of various hells. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, biṣaya bipatti jāna, meaning, “You must understand that sense-enjoyment brings agony.” The human form is suitable for bhajana, is possessed of knowledge and intelligence, and is difficult for even the gods to obtain. Though acquiring such a human form, a person influenced by saṁskāras of past sense-enjoyment engages in various kinds of impious activities to accumulate sense-objects. In this way he becomes like an animal. A person who desires to obtain good fortune must always abstain from sense-enjoyment, understanding it to be merely a source of trouble.

     Then he says, saṁsāra svapana māna. saṁ dehaṁ samyak prakāre smarati cintayatīti saṁsāraḥ. This body made of five elements is known as sam,* meaning the māyā-bound jīva has forgotten his own true nature and considers this perishable body created by māyā to be himself. Though being pure spiritual substance and innately joyful, he has forever suffered the pain of saṁsāra, pleased when the body is pleased and miserable when it is suffers. This is the state of the jīva in material bondage. Instructions have been given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for giving up the illusory ego by means of discernment. There, the word māyāmaya (illusory) is an adjective describing the word ahaṅkāra (ego). Discernment is used to separate the svarūpa (true form and nature) from the ahaṅkāra. Otherwise, the adjective would have no purpose. It is like saying, “Bring me a white flower,” when there are many kinds of flowers to choose from in the garden. The jīva’s true nature is that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but having forgotten this, he has established the consciousness of “I and mine” in his illusory body and things related to it. Thinking that the happiness, misery, old age and death of that body are his own, he has become a worldly person. This world is like a dream for him. The only difference between this and a dream is that an ordinary dream lasts for a few hours while the saṁsāra dream lasts for a few years. This saṁsāra dream will be shattered along with the destruction of the body. The māyā-bound jīva, burdened by the fruits of endless karma, wanders through various miserable wombs and suffers unbearable hardships and sorrows.

     Therefore he says, “O mind! Consider the world to be illusory and transitory like a dream. After investigating your true nature under the shelter of sādhus and śāstra, engage yourself in the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” Nara-tanu bhajanera mūla. This human body is the foundation or principal support of śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana. Animals and so on obtain subhuman bodies due to ignorance. Though possessing knowledge, the form of a deva or god is unsuitable for bhajana and sādhana because of a powerful obsession with sensual enjoyment. Only the human form is suitable for bhajana. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.7.74 says, yaḥ prāpya mānuṣaṁ lokaṁ mukti-dvāram apāvṛtam; gṛheṣu khagavat saktas tam ārūḍha-cyutaṁ viduḥ. The purport is that while rotating through 8.4 million wombs in the material world, the jīva eventually obtains a human body, which is difficult for even the gods to attain. Understand that it is like the door to the cage of worldly life has been opened in this birth. If he so desires, a person can easily be liberated from saṁsāra and then go to the realm of Bhagavān. If the cage door is opened for a bird who has been confined for a long time, he has no desire to leave the cage and fly freely in the sky because he is accustomed to a state of bondage or attached to his few grains of rice. In the same way, though getting a human body, which is like a doorway to liberation from māyā, a person attached to worldly life makes no effort to become free due to the influence of saṁskāras from a former birth and the allure of insignificant worldly happiness. A person who is attached to household life is said to be like a bird who ascends to a great height and then falls. Though obtaining a human form, which is the foundation of bhajana, those who do not try to cross the difficult ocean of material life by adopting the path of bhajana are true killers of the soul. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said the following to Uddhava in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.17:

nṛ-deham ādyaṁ sulabhaṁ sudurlabhaṁ

plavaṁ sukalpaṁ guru-karṇadhāram |

mayānukūlena nabhasvateritaṁ

pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā ||

     “The excellent boat of the human body is the source of all desired blessings and is very rare. It has an unwavering helmsman in the form of Śrī Guru, and I propel it as the favorable wind. A person who easily obtains such a body through fate, but makes no endeavor to cross the ocean of material life, is truly a killer of the soul.” Also, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.9.29, Śrī Bhagavān said the following to Śrī Uddhava:

labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte 

mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ |

tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anumṛtyu yāvan 

niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt ||

     “Having obtained after many births this transitory human form, which bestows spiritual knowledge and is very rare, an intelligent person must without delay seek the highest good before the fall of his ever-dying body. Sense-enjoyment can be obtained everywhere, meaning also in the wombs of animals and so on, but only in the human form is it possible to attain the highest truth.” Śrīla Premānanda Ṭhākura sang the following in verse 16 of his Manaḥ-Śikṣā:

e mana! tu baḍa kalira bhūta | 

kara bala jāri, śūnye diyā bāḍi, hāsaye tapana-suta ||

bhūtera bāpera, śrāddha kara niti, bhūtera begāra khāṭa |

lāja nāhi mukhe, kāla kāṭa sukhe, calicha yamera bāṭa ||

kāminī-kāñcana, hṛdaya-rañjana, tāhāte magana thāka |

o dike tomāra, ki daśā ghaṭeche, tāra kichu khoṅja rākha? ||

caurāśī narake, yābe eke eke, patha pariṣkāra prāya |

kapālera jora, baḍa baṭe tora, bāhādūrī habe tāya ||

mūrakha barbara, suyukuti dhara, yadi taribāre cāo |

kahe premānanda, manera ānanda, sadā hari-guṇa gāo ||

     “O mind! You are thoroughly a creature of kali-yuga. Yamarāja, the god of death, laughs as he plunders your home. You make offerings to the ghosts of your ancestors, serving them without reward. You shamelessly pass your time enjoying pleasures as you tread the path of death. Your desire for charming women and gold overwhelms you. Do you inquire into the things that happen to you? You will go through eighty-four hells, one by one; your path is unambiguous. Moreover, you will no doubt be wealthy and achieve great things. Fool! Barbarian! Accept some good advice. Premānanda says, ‘If you want to go beyond all this, then always sing the glories of Śrī Hari with a joyful heart.’”

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, anurāge bhaja sadā, prema-bhābe līlā-kathā, āra yata hṛdayera śūla. If one earnestly longs to attain his cherished service to Bhagavān, his bhajana becomes filled with love. Intense yearning for Bhagavān is called prema. As much as possible, the sādhaka’s bhajana should also be filled with yearning. Bhagavān cannot remain calm after seeing his poor bhakta’s intense longing. Those who worship him with true love, filled with enthusiasm and eagerness, belong only to him and he belongs only to them. Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 9.29:

samo’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu 

na me dveṣyo’sti na priyaḥ |

ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā

mayi te teṣu cāpy aham ||

     Śrī Bhagavān said, “O Arjuna! I am equal to all creatures. No one is my enemy and no one is my friend, but those who worship me with love become devoted to me and I to them.” From that loving service, higher and higher states are manifest according to the degree of bhakti in the sādhaka’s heart. The sādhaka attains the highest goal of human life and is forever blessed. Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s dear companions Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Raghunātha and the other Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas took shelter of Vraja Dhāma and performed bhajana with extraordinary dedication and eagerness. This is the highest ideal of loving bhajana.

     Rāgānugīya-sādhakas engaged in devout bhajana should always remember and meditate on the pastimes of their cherished deity with great delight. Other than this, everything else is a cause of great suffering for the heart. Having understood this, one should let it all go.

*I think that, in this instance, sam must mean ‘junction,’ as the body connects the soul with the world.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 105 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

সার্থক ভজন-পথ,        সাধুসঙ্গে অবিরত,

স্মরণ ভজন কৃষ্ণকথা ।

প্রেমভক্তি হয় যদি,        তবে হয় মনঃশুদ্ধি,

তবে যায় হৃদয়ের ব্যথা ॥ ১০৫ ॥

sārthaka bhajana-patha,        sādhu-saṅge abirata,

smaraṇa bhajana kṛṣṇa-kathā |

prema-bhakti haya yadi,        tabe haya manaḥ-śuddhi,

tabe yāya hṛdayera byathā || 105 ||

     A devotee’s bhajana becomes fruitful through the constant association of sādhus. If she attains prema-bhakti through the processes of meditation, worship and hearing stories about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, then her mind is purified and her heartache goes away.

The Fruitful Path of Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya teaches that the path of bhajana will bless the bhakta’s life with prema. He first says, sārthaka bhajana-patha, sādhu-saṅge abirata, smaraṇa bhajana kṛṣṇa-kathā. A devotee’s bhajana becomes fruitful through the constant association of sādhus. Those who bear the message of bhakti come to the doors of worldly jīvas because they feel compassion for such ones who have fallen into a pit of sense enjoyment and are bound by the fetters of māyā. They cool them with a nectar stream of bhagavat-kathā and rescue them from the well of material life with the rope of bhakti. Eager to lead the jīvas to Bhagavān, they are true sādhus and great souls. The association of such high-minded ones is potent like a philosopher’s stone. By the touch of a philosopher’s stone, iron is at once transformed into gold. In the same way, by the association of a great sādhu, a person’s desire-contaminated mind develops a longing for bhakti and becomes bright like gold. Through keeping company with sādhus and receiving their mercy, a person becomes eager for Bhagavān or shelter on the path of bhajana. Similarly, by constant sādhu-saṅga, the sādhaka’s bhajana-wealth increases and quickly produces prema. The reason is that by constant sādhu-saṅga, the sādhaka is blessed with smaraṇa, bhajana and the hearing and speaking of kṛṣṇa-kathā. The bhaktas who are devoted to rāgānugā-bhajana have no taste for anything other than kīrtana and smaraṇa. The following is written at the end of Śrī-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa (20.382):

evam ekāntināṁ prāyaḥ 

kīrtanaṁ smaraṇaṁ prabho |

kurvatāṁ parama-prītyā 

kṛtyam anyaṁ na rocate ||

     “Exclusively devoted rāgānugā-bhaktas worship with deep love through the kīrtana and smaraṇa limbs of bhakti. They have no taste for anything else.” Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, smaraṇa bhajana kṛṣṇa-kathā. If a person hears, sings and remembers the stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with an innocent heart, prema-bhakti will quickly appear. At the appearance of prema-bhakti, the mind becomes pure and all the heart’s distress or misery born of worldly troubles is destroyed: prema-bhakti haya yadi, tabe haya manaḥ-śuddhi, tabe yāya hṛdayera byathā.

     We see in the bhakti-śāstras that the sādhaka’s mind becomes pure at the stage of anartha-nivṛtti. In that purified mind, he realizes his svarūpa and the afflictions of his heart are destroyed. Prema appears in the sādhaka’s purified heart and mind after he passes through the stages of niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti and rati. But here, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has stated that mental purity comes after the appearance of prema and the afflictions of the heart are destroyed after that. The purport is that if a sādhaka obtains through constant sādhu-saṅga the good fortune of hearing about, singing about and remembering Śrī Kṛṣṇa, then prema appears in the person’s heart so quickly that it seems to first enter the impure mind, then purify it and finally end the misery caused by ignorance. For example, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.40, at the end of his discussion of the rāsa-līlā, the crown-jewel of all pastimes, Śrīpāda Śuka Muni described the effect of hearing about the rāsa-līlā.

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ

śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |

bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ

hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||

     “One who continuously listens with faith to narrations of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance and other romantic pastimes with the vraja-gopīs, and who then repeats and meditates upon them, soon obtains the ever-fresh, constant, supreme loving devotion that follows the gopikā’s mood of love for Kṛṣṇa. She then abandons her material desires, which are the disease of the heart, and quickly becomes steadfast.”

     In this verse also, he first speaks of attaining parā-bhakti or following the mood of the gopikās and then mentions the destruction of material desires, the disease of the heart. Regarding this, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his Laghu-Toṣaṇī commentary: atra tu hṛd-rogāpahānāt pūrvam eva parama-bhakti-prāptiḥ; tasmāt parama-balavad evedaṁ sādhanam iti bhāvaḥ. Generally it is understood that prema appears after the heart-disease of material desire is destroyed through bhajana-sādhana. But there are also statements saying that through hearing and reciting the rāsa-līlā, parama-bhakti is attained before the destruction of material desires. Therefore, this should be understood as the best and most powerful sādhana for obtaining prema. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda wrote the following in his Sārārtha-Darśinī: parāṁ prema-lakṣaṇāṁ prāpyeti ktvā pratyayena hṛd-rogavaty apy adhikāriṇi prathamata eva premṇaḥ praveśas tatas tat-prabhāvenaivācirato hṛd-roga-nāśa iti premāyaṁ jñāna-yoga iva na durbalaḥ para-tantraś ceti bhāvaḥ. “By the use of the ktvā suffix, it is understood that prema first enters the hearts of those who still have material desires. Then, by the power of prema, those desires are soon destroyed like  darkness is destroyed by the light of a lamp. Therefore, bhakti-sādhana is completely independent. Unlike jñāna-sādhana and so on, it is not weak or dependent on anything else.”

     Some people may think that this benediction is for those who have firm faith, not for ordinary people of tender faith. Does the original verse not use the word śraddhānvitaḥ, meaning possessed of faith? But that is not what the Gosvāmīs mean. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda wrote, śraddhayā viśvāsenānvita iti; tad-viparītāvajñārūpāparādha-nivṛtty-arthaṁ ca nairantaryārthaṁ ca. “Here the word śraddhānvitaḥ has been used to indicate the cessation of actions that are offensive and contrary to faith, joined with the uninterrupted practice of hearing, chanting and so on. If, due to material consciousness, someone criticizes Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā and other pastimes as being like the meetings of ordinary lovers, and if he also abstains from hearing and chanting, then he will develop no faith in those līlās. Though having taken shelter of the path of yugala-bhajana, those who, based on the word śraddhānvitaḥ, think themselves unqualified for such a powerful sādhana are unnecessarily deprived of it. Know that the only cause for this is their misfortune. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda wrote, ataeva śraddhānvita iti śāstrāviśvāsinaṁ nāmāparādhinaṁ premāpi nāṅgīkarotīti bhāvaḥ. “A person who has no faith in śāstra or is offensive to the Holy Name will never be accepted by prema.” Therefore, those who practice chanting śrī-nāma and have faith in the words of śāstra regarding the transcendental nature of śrī-nāma and līlā, meaning those who abandon nāmāparādha and accept śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma, can obtain prema. People who make an unnecessary uproar by saying that we are not qualified to hear rāsa-līlā, and who infuse excessive fear in the minds of the faithful who want to hear, are merely foolish or unfortunate.

     Anyway, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya first stated that kīrtana and smaraṇa of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are the most powerful sādhanas for attaining prema-bhakti, and then he discussed the purification of the mind and the destruction of the heart’s afflictions.