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.”

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 80 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

জল বিনু যেন মীন,        দুঃখ পায় আয়ুহীন,

প্রেম বিনু সেই মত ভক্ত ।

চাতক জলদগতি,        এমতি একান্তরীতি,

যেই জানে সেই অনুরক্ত ॥ ৮০ ॥

jala binu yena mīna,        duḥkha pāya āyu-hīna,

prema binu sei mata bhakta |

cātaka jalada-gati,        emati ekānta-rīti,

yei jāne sei anurakta || 80 ||

     Like a fish without water, a bhakta without prema becomes miserable and lifeless. One who understands the ways of an ekānti-bhakta becomes devoted to prema, like a cātaka bird taking refuge of the clouds.

The Nature of the Singleminded Bhakta

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has previously given instructions to the eager sādhakas regarding how to become fixed in prema after giving up all other desires. Here, in this verse, he firmly demonstrates that through the example of ekānti-bhaktas (singleminded devotees). jala binu yena mīna, duḥkha pāya āyu-hīna, prema binu sei mata bhakta. Those who have completely given up all desires for anything other than prema, and have been able to devote themselves singlemindedly to prema, are qualified to attain prema. Fish are only truly satisfied in the water; water is their life. If removed from the water, they flop about in great misery and soon die. Bhaktas who are devoted to prema must be like that. Prema must be their life, and they must desire nothing else in the world. Nārada said to Śrī Vyāsa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.18:

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido 

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ |

tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ 

kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā ||

     “A wise person should endeavor for bhagavat-prema, which cannot be attained by wandering from the highest wombs, such as of the gods, to the lowest, like the immobile trees. Because of ancient karma, sensual pleasure is obtained in due course without effort, as is misery.” Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following in his Prīti-Sandarbha: tasmāt tat-tad-bhaktānāṁ tat-prīti-manoratha evopādeyaḥ. tad-anyas tu sarvo’pi heya ityāha–kim alabhyaṁ bhagavati prasanne śrī-niketane, tathāpi tat-parā rājann iha vāñchanti kiñcana. yathaivāha–punaś ca bhūyād bhagavaty anante rati-prasaṅgaś ca tad-āśrayeṣu. mahatsu yāṁ yām upayāmi sṛṣṭaṁ maitras tu sarvatra namo dvijebhyaḥ. ataevāha–na vai mukundasya padāravindayoḥ rajo-juṣas tāta bhavādṛśā janāḥ. vāñchanti tad-dāsyam ṛte’rtham ātmano yadṛcchayā labdha-manaḥ samṛddhayaḥ. yadṛcchayā ānāyāsenaiva labdhā manaḥ samṛddhir yeṣāṁ te. svato bhakti-māhātmya-balena sarva-puruṣārtha-pratīkṣita-kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-leśā apīty arthaḥ. The bhagavad-bhaktas’ desire for bhagavat-prīti (love of Bhagavān) is admirable; everything else is insignificant to them. Śrī Śukadeva Muni said to Parīkṣit, “If one satisfies Bhagavān Śrīnivāsa, what remains unattainable for him? Still, those who are devoted to Bhagavān desire nothing.” Consumed by the brāhmaṇa’s curse, Mahārāja Parīkṣit petitioned the munis: “O brāhmaṇas, bowing at your feet, I ask the blessing that in whatever life I may take birth, my love for Bhagavān will remain and I will have the association of great devotees and friendship with all creatures.” The bhaktas’ only desire is for love of Bhagavān. Therefore, Śrī Maitreya Ṛṣi said to Vidura, “Dear one, bhaktas like you who worship the pollen of Śrī Mukunda’s lotus feet desire nothing but the nectar of his service. They are satisfied by whatever is easily obtained; no perception of scarcity remains in their minds.” The word yadṛcchayā means ‘by chance, unexpectedly, spontaneously.’ Other than prema, what more can be desired by those who are satisfied by that which is easily obtained? Due to the power of bhakti, all puruṣārthas (objects of human pursuit)* spontaneously wait for the merciful glance of such a devotee. Because bhaktas are most thirsty for prema and their lives are devoted to prema, which is the parama-puruṣārtha, a bhakta without prema has been compared to a fish without water.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, cātaka jalada-gati, emati ekānta-rīti, yei jāne sei anurakta. A cātaka bird is attached to drinking drops of water released from clouds. Though being thirsty, they do not drink water from rivers, streams, ponds and so on. Parched from the severe summer heat, they look toward the sky. When the rainy season arrives, they quench their intense thirst by drinking raindrops. In the same way, the ekānti-bhaktas desire nothing but prema at the feet of their cherished deity. Though there are various kinds of sensual pleasures and accomplishments that are desired by worldly people, like bhukti (enjoyment), mukti (liberation) and siddhi (supernatural powers), the ekānti-bhakta’s bird of life constantly thirsts only for a drop of prema.

     The following is written in Śrī-Garuḍa-Purāṇa in the discussion regarding the characteristics of an ekānti-bhakta: ekāntena sadā viṣṇau yasmād eva parāyaṇāḥ; tasmād ekāntinaḥ proktā tad-bhāva-gata-cetasaḥ. “Because the bhaktas whose hearts and minds are absorbed in love of Bhagavān are singlemindedly devoted to him, they are called ekāntī.” In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.3.20, Gajendra says, ekāntino yasya na kañcanārthaṁ vāñchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannāḥ. “Those who have taken exclusive shelter of Śrī Hari do not want anything else from him.” In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.24.55, Śrī Rudra says, taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā ekānta-bhaktyā ko vāñchet pāda-mūlaṁ vinā bahiḥ. “O Bhagavān! You are difficult to appease, but who desires anything other than the soles of your feet after having worshiped you with ekānta-bhakti, which is rarely attainable for even the virtuous?”

     In Śrī-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa, four kinds of exclusive devotion have been mentioned along with examples of each: neglect of dharma; complete disinterest in karma, jñāna and so on; devotion to love in spite of obstacles; and devotion to nothing but love. 

     (1) Examples of neglect of dharma:

ājñāyaiva guṇān doṣān 

mayādiṣṭān api svakān |

dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān 

māṁ bhajet sa ca sattamaḥ ||

     Śrī Bhagavān said, “O Uddhava! One who abandons all dharmas and worships me, though understanding that performance of one’s own dharma as taught in my Vedas leads to virtue and non-performance leads to vice; who considers the performance of such duties to be a distraction from his meditation on me; and who has the firm conviction that he will attain all success through bhakti, such a person is regarded as an uttama-sādhu (highest-level saint).” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.11.32)

sarva-dharmān parityajya 

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja |

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo 

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||

     “O Arjuna, abandon all duties prescribed by varṇāśrama and take refuge only in me. I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.” (Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 18.66)

     (2) Disinterest in karma, jñāna and everything else:

santo’napekṣā mac-cittāḥ 

praśāntāḥ sama-darśinaḥ |

nirmamā nirahaṅkārā 

nirdvandvā niṣparigrahāḥ ||

     Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, “O Uddhava! The sages are free from desire; their hearts and minds are devoted to me; they are peaceful, impartial, free from attachment and egotism; they are indifferent to the pairs of opposites and have no possessions.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.26.27)   

     (3) Devotion to love in spite of obstacles:

yasya kṛcchra-gatasyāpi-

keśave ramate manaḥ |

na vicyutā ca bhaktir vai 

sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||

āpadgatasya yasyeha 

bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī |

nānyatra ramate cittaṁ 

sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ ||

     “One who never abandons his attachment to Śrī Keśava even in times of difficulty, and whose devotion never falters, is without doubt a bhagavad-bhakta. Moreover, one who worships Śrī Kṛṣṇa with singleminded devotion even though in danger, and whose heart and mind are attracted nowhere else, is called a bhāgavata.” (Skanda-Purāṇa)

     (4) Devotion only to love:

ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā 

janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu |

gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu 

na prīti-yuktā yāvad arthāś ca loke ||

     Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva said, “Those who develop affection for me consider it to be the highest attainment of life; they are not attached to friends or relatives, nor to the worldly-minded, nor to home, spouse or children. These great souls desire only enough wealth to sustain their lives.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.3) Those who come to know the manners and customs of an ekānti-bhakta become singlemindedly devoted to prema, the fifth goal of life.

* Dharma (virtue), artha (wealth), kāma (enjoyment) and mokṣa (liberation)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 79 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাধাকৃষ্ণ কর ধ্যান,        স্বপ্নেও না বল আন,

প্রেম বিনা আন নাহি চাউ ।

যুগলকিশোর-প্রেম,        যেন লক্ষবান-হেম,

আরতি পীরিতি রসে ধ্যাউ ॥ ৭৯ ॥

rādhā-kṛṣṇa kara dhyāna,        svapneo nā bala āna,

prema binā āna nāhi cāu |

yugala-kiśora-prema,        yena lakṣa-bāna-hema,

ārati pīriti rase dhyāu || 79 ||

  Meditate upon Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa; do not speak of anything else, even in dreams. Desire nothing but prema. Yugala-Kiśora’s love is like gold smelted a hundred thousand times. Contemplate them with longing and love.

टीका–आरति पीरिति रसे ध्याउ–आर्त्या प्रीति-सुख-स्वरूपत्वेन ध्यानं कुरु । हे मन! इति शेषः ॥

Meditation Filled with Intense Longing

  Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is speaking of the internal sādhana of a rāgānugīya-mañjarī-bhāva-sādhaka. First he says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa kara dhyāna, svapneo nā bala āna. We see the following in Śrī-Padma-Purāṇa: dhyāyanti puruṣaṁ divyam acyutaṁ ca smaranti ye, labhante te’cyuta-sthānaṁ śrutir eṣā purātanī. “One who remembers or meditates on the divine person Śrī Acyuta attains the abode of Śrī Acyuta. This is the ancient teaching.” This verse has been quoted in the glorification of meditation in Śrī-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa 3.75. Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his commentary: dhyāyanti śrī-pādābja-talam ārabhya śrī-keśāgra saundaryādi-sahitaṁ cintayanti. apy arthe cakāraḥ. dhyāyantīty etad astu ye smaranty api yathākathaṁcit bhagavati manaḥ saṁyojayanti te’pi. evaṁ dhyāne smaraṇayor abhedaḥ kalpanīyaḥ dhyāyantīti smarantīti pṛthak prayogāt. The purport is that dhyāna means the contemplation of Śrī Acyuta’s beauty, from the soles of his lotus feet to the top of his head. In the phrase acyutaṁ ca in the above-mentioned śloka, the word ca is used in the sense of api (also, moreover). By performing smaraṇa, or by concentrating the mind on Śrī Bhagavān through some other means, the abode of Acyuta is attained. There is no particular distinction here between dhyāna and smaraṇa, but because deep smaraṇa becomes dhyāna, they have been differentiated. 

  Deeply focusing the mind in a specific way is called meditation or dhyāna. This dhyāna is the life force of sādhana. The result of dhyāna or deep concentration is astonishing in that even the shape of the material body undergoes transformation. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.9.23:

kīṭaḥ peśaskṛtaṁ dhyāyan 

kuḍyāṁ tena praveśitaḥ |

yāti tat-sātmatāṁ rājan 

pūrva-rūpam asantyajan ||

  Śrī Avadhūta Mahāśaya said to Yadurāja, “When a wasp or kumārikā insect attacks a worm, it confines it within a hole. Then, because of fear, that weakened worm always meditates upon the wasp. As a result of this, without even dying, the worm obtains a form similar to the wasp’s. In other words, the worm’s body is transformed into the body of a wasp.” The body of a meditator becomes similar in form to the object of meditation. This is the inconceivable power of dhyāna. If this kind of transformation of the material body is possible through dhyāna, is there any doubt that as a result of meditating upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of condensed sac-cid-ānanda, the body of the sādhaka will attain the state of spiritual cognition and joy? In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it has been described that by the power of continuous meditation on Śrī Bhagavān, Śrīla Dhruva Mahārāja’s sādhaka body attained a state of spiritual bliss.

  Undisturbed contemplation of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s forms, qualities, pastimes, sevā and so on is called dhyāna. Therefore, there are four kinds of dhyāna: rūpa-dhyāna, guṇa-dhyāna, līlā-dhyāna and sevā-dhyāna. Rūpa-dhyāna means meditation on the rūpa-mādhurī or boundless beauty of every part of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s bodies, from the tips of their toes to the tops of their heads. For example, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has described Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s rūpa-mādhurī at the end of Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Sandarbha:

gaura-śyāma-rucojjvalābhir amalair akṣṇor vilāsotsavair 

nṛtyantībhir aśeṣa-mādana-kalā-vaidagdhya-digdhātmabhiḥ |

anyonya-priyatā-sudhā-parimala-stomonmadābhiḥ sadā 

rādhā-mādhava-mādhurībhir abhitaś cittaṁ mamākramyatām ||

  “Let my heart and mind be constantly invaded from all sides by Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madhava’s sweetness. Their fair and dark complexions are radiant; their eyes dance in a festival of pure love-play; their bodies are anointed with infinite expertise in the art of love and they are always intoxicated by the nectarous aroma of their mutual affection.” The purport is that Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are radiantly beautiful, with golden and dark-blue complexions. The horizon is illumined by the molten gold gaura luster of Śrī Rādhā and the sapphire-conquering śyāma luster of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Animated by the wonderful movements of Śrī Rādhā’s right eye and Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s left eye when the two lovers meet, the indescribable beauty of the Divine Couple appears to dance. Their incomparably beautiful bodies are covered with infinite expertise in the pastimes of mādanākhya-mahābhāva, meaning that by the influence of the god of love, their bodies are adorned with endless astonishing sweetness in the form of embraces, kisses and so on. They are intoxicated by the sweet, enchanting fragrance of the kuṅkuma of their mutual love. Let that indescribable united form of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava thus appear in my heart such that no trace of any other manifestation remains. The purport of the root of the word ākramyatām (let it be invaded) above is ‘so that form never leaves my heart or mind by any means.’ By this it is understood that the merciful, self-manifesting rūpa-mādhurī of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is spontaneously revealed in the citta of the pure-hearted meditating bhakta. Now, guṇa-dhyāna: Even though Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are possessed of endless good qualities, for the bhakta who has taken shelter of madhura-rasa, there are twenty-five qualities of madhura-rasa to be contemplated. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s qualities are as follows: he is delightful, sweet, bears all auspicious characteristics, is powerful, ever-youthful, eloquent, speaks pleasantly, is intelligent, well-educated, talented, calm, witty, skillful, happy, grateful, dextrous, submissive to love, deep, a leader, famous, charming to women, ever-fresh, has incomparable pastimes, is handsome and is the best flutist. Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s qualities are that she is sweet and ever-youthful, has restless eyes, is adorned with a lovely smile, has a beautiful mark of auspiciousness on her forehead, her bodily fragrance is intoxicating to Mādhava, she is expert in music, speaks pleasantly, is skilled in joking, is polite and filled with compassion, is intelligent, dextrous, modest, has a good reputation, is patient, deep, charming and playful, is filled with mahābhāva, is the dwelling place of the Gokulīs’ love, her fame has spread throughout the universe, she is devoted to her elders, is subservient to the love of her sakhīs and is chief among those dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always subservient to her. Deep contemplation of all these qualities is called guṇa-dhyāna. Now, līlā-dhyāna: In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, līlā-dhyāna means the process of meditating on the aṣṭa-kālīya pastimes of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. With the help of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda’s brief līlā-sūtras, and after viewing Kavi Karṇapūra’s Kṛṣṇāhnika-Kaumudī, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda composed his book Śrī-Govinda-Līlāmṛtam, wherein he described Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s aṣṭa-kālīya-līlās in a more detailed way. After that, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Ācārya Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda, in his Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam, gave expanded descriptions of the abridged parts of Śrī-Govinda-Līlāmṛtam, thus further enriching the storehouse of meditations upon Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. In more recent times, after receiving the direct merciful order of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, Govardhana resident Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Siddha Bābā composed Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta-Guṭikā in which he introduced the method of meditating on the pastimes of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava along with those of Śrī Gaura. After that, he compiled a huge anthology named Śrī-Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ so the līlās described in the Guṭikā could be experienced and enjoyed through the words of the mahājanas. Because the forms, qualities and so on to be contemplated in līlā-dhyāna are also ever connected to sevā-dhyāna, there is a distinct method of līlā meditation for rāgānugīya-sādhakas. 

  Sevā-dhyāna is also known as mānasa-sevā. A system has been introduced in the Gauḍīya Sampradāya for serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and their sakhīs within the yoga-pīṭha. Līlā is of two kinds: svārasikī and mantramayī. Svārasikī is like a river and mantramayī is like a lake. There is no difference between a lake and a river, but we see that they still have different natures and names. Aṣṭa-kālīna-līlā is svārasikī; the yoga-pīṭha-milana-līlā is mantramayī. This mantramayī-yoga-pīṭha-milana-līlā consists of contemplating the service of Śrī Yugala using mentally conceived articles of worship while absorbed in one’s siddha-svarūpa. In his commentary on Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has related one story from the Brahma-Vaivarta-Purāṇa to demonstrate the glory of mānasa-sevā. A poor brāhmaṇa from Pratiṣṭhānapura intensely desired to perform sevā and pūjā, but because of his poverty, he was unable to collect the materials for pūjā and thus couldn’t do the sevā. One day, as he was listening to a discussion about bhāgavata-dharma in a gathering of Vaiṣṇavas, he heard the statement, “If one serves a mental mūrti of Śrī Hari with mental articles of worship, Śrī Hari becomes pleased.” After hearing this, he resolved to perform mānasa-sevā. One day, after completing his bath and daily prayers in the Godavari River, he sat down in a solitary place. He established an image of Śrī Hari in his mind and mentally served him with kingly articles. This gave the brāhmaṇa great joy, so every day he performed sevā-dhyāna of Śrī Hari with ever-new mental articles and he began to feel extremely happy. Some time passed in this way and then one day he mentally prepared some excellent sweet-rice and placed it in a golden vessel. To cool it, he began to mentally fan it with palmyra leaves. After a little while, the brāhmaṇa stuck his finger into the sweet-rice to test whether it had cooled down yet. When he did this, his finger was burned by the heat of the mental sweet-rice. He considered that since his finger had been burned, the sweet-rice was unsuitable for offering to Śrī Hari. Feeling distressed, he was unable to sustain his samādhi. Then he discovered that externally also his finger had been burned and was now giving him pain. He didn’t mind the pain, but he began to lament that the materials for the Lord’s sevā had been wasted and that he had been unable to complete the sevā. Seeing his misery, Śrī Hari dispatched an aircraft that brought the brāhmaṇa to him in cinmaya-dhāma (the spiritual world).

  Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, svapneo nā bala āna, meaning that not only in the awakened state, but even in dreams you must not consider any topic unrelated to Śrī Hari. Hearing or speaking about information regarding something other than Kṛṣṇa causes the citta to be distracted or scattered. Concentrated meditation on Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is never possible if the citta is distracted by other topics. If one is to contemplate the pastimes of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with a concentrated mind, concern for any other news must be abandoned in every respect and one must become devoid of any desire other than for prema. Prema binā āna nāhi cāu: the sādhaka who wants to attain prema must give up all desires for anything other than prema. Bhakti means service; therefore the bhakta desires nothing more than to serve his or her Deity. Without prema, that sevā is never pleasing to the Deity. Accordingly, the longing for prema awakens in the pure bhakta’s heart and mind. One who desires prema keeps his mind concentrated on sādhana-bhajana, which is the method to attain prema. He rejects things that are antagonistic to attaining prema. Therefore, the sādhaka’s thirst for attaining prema is one cause of his success.

  Then he says, yugala-kiśora-prema, yena lakṣa-bāna-hema, ārati pīriti rase dhyāu. After extracting the impurities from gold, goldsmiths heat it in fire for further refinement. In current vernacular, this is called bāna. Gold is graded according to the number of times it is heated in fire. With every bāna, the gold becomes purer and more lustrous. In pañca-bāna gold (heated five times), no more contaminants remain and it is as pure as it will get. So gold is never lakṣa-bāna (heated a hundred thousand times). The term lakṣa-bāna-hema denotes a state of being incomparable. Śrī Yugala-Kiśora’s love is so pure and glorious that it has no comparison. As there is no gold refined a hundred thousand times, so there is nothing comparable to the purity of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s love. Thus, it can easily be deduced that if the desire for anything other than prema still exists in the sādhaka’s heart, there is no worship of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one must meditate with intense longing upon Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. The bhakta’s longing causes Śrī Bhagavān’s abundant mercy to flow. Intense yearning or longing for Śrī Bhagavān is called prema. The ultimate state of intense longing occurs in the sādhana of madhura-rasa, the highest vraja-rasa. To make the ocean of longing overflow, Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava have accepted parakīya-bhāva. Therefore, deep meditation filled with longing is a suitable sādhana for obtaining prema at the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, the embodiment of sweet love.