Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 78 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

সখীগণ চারি পাশে,        সেবা করি অভিলাষে,

সে সেবা পরম সুখ ধরে ।

এই মন-তনু মোর,        এই রসে সদা ভোর,

নরোত্তম সদাই বিহরে ॥ ৭৮ ॥

sakhī-gaṇa cāri pāśe,        sebā kari abhilāṣe,

se sebā parama sukha dhare |

ei mana-tanu mora,        ei rase sadā bhora,

narottama sadāi bihare || 78 ||

     Śrī Rādhā’s girlfriends are always near her, serving her with affection from all sides. Such service holds the highest joy. My mind-body is always immersed in this rasa. Narottama endlessly sports here.

The Joy of Service

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: The eminent author has revealed his desire to longingly weep for a vision of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s sweet forms. In Śrī Rādhā’s presence, Śyāma’s ocean of sweetness surges, and Śyāma’s form causes Śrī Rādhā’s sweetness to overflow! Śrī Kṛṣṇa says the following in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.140-142:

yadyapi nirmala rādhāra sat-prema-darpaṇa |

tathāpi svacchatā tāra bāḍe kṣaṇe kṣaṇa ||

āmāra mādhuryera nāhi bāḍite abakāśe |

e darpaṇera āge naba naba rūpe bhāse ||

man-mādhurya rādhā-prema doṅhe hoḍa kari |

kṣaṇe kṣaṇe bāḍe doṅhe keha nāhi hāri ||

     “Though the mirror of Śrī Rādhā’s love is spotless, its purity increases moment by moment. There is no room for my sweetness to expand, yet before this mirror it shines with ever-fresh beauty. My sweetness and Rādhā’s love both overflow and increase at every moment; neither can surpass the other.”

     Moreover, the strong winds of the sakhīs’ and mañjarīs’ services and their erotic jokes and laughter around Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa churn the ocean of yugala-mādhurī. In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya reveals his desire to become deeply absorbed in the service of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa along with their sakhīs in his internally conceived siddha-deha, submerged in the ocean of their sweetness. He first says, sakhī-gaṇa cāri pāśe, sebā kari abhilāṣe, se sebā parama sukha dhare. Though Īśvara (God) is eternal reality, without the assistance of the cit-śakti he does not attain full development. In the same way, Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love, though being eternal reality, does not fully develop without the help of the sakhīs. The sakhīs and mañjarīs can be regarded as blossoms on the branches of the wish-fulfilling creeper Śrī Rādhā, bestower of kṛṣṇa-prema. Just as the branches and blossoms of a creeper increase the creeper’s beauty, in the same way, the sakhīs and mañjarīs increase the beauty of the golden creeper Śrī Rādhā, attached by love to the tamāla tree Śyāma.

     Śrī Lalitā, Śrī Viśākhā and the other sakhīs along with Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, Śrī Rati Mañjarī and the other mañjarīs always surround Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, serving them with ever-fresh desire. To understand the gradations of yugala-sevā among the sakhīs and mañjarīs, their classifications must first be known. Though Śrī Rādhā’s sakhīs are countless, they have been divided into five groups. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ 4.50:

asyāḥ vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ sakhya pañca-vidhā matāḥ |

sakhyaś ca nitya-sakhyaś ca prāṇa-sakhyaś ca kāścana |

priya-sakhyaś ca parama-preṣṭha-sakhyaś ca viśrutāḥ ||

     Vṛndāvaneśvarī Śrī Rādhā has five kinds of sakhīs, namely sakhī, nitya-sakhī, prāṇa-sakhī, priya-sakhī and parama-preṣṭha-sakhī. These are again divided according to three kinds of temperaments: kṛṣṇa-snehādhikā (more affection for Kṛṣṇa), sama-snehā (equal affection for both) and rādhā-snehādhikā (more affection for Rādhā). Sakhīs such as Dhaniṣṭhā, Vindhyā and others have more affection for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Priya-sakhīs like Kuraṅgākṣī and others, along with the parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs including Lalitā and the rest of the aṣṭa-sakhīs, have equal affection for both. Although among these sama-snehā-sakhīs, Śrī Lalitā, Viśākhā and the rest of the eight parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs bear equal love for Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they maintain the mentality that, “We belong to Rādhā.” Because of the high level of their love for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, under certain circumstances, for a short time they may show more love for one than the other. For example, they show their love for Śrī Rādhā when she feels betrayed and angered by Kṛṣṇa’s infidelity. When she is in a bad mood and ignores Kṛṣṇa, they show their love for him. The prāṇa-sakhīs and nitya-sakhīs like Kasturī, Maṇi Mañjarī and others have more affection for Śrī Rādhā. They are also known as mañjarīs. The following is written in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 16.94 regarding the differences between the rādhā-snehādhikā-mañjarīs and all the other sakhīs:

ananya śrī-rādhā-pada-kamala-dāsyaika-rasa-dhī

hareḥ saṅge raṅgaṁ svapana-samaye nāpi dadhatī |

balāt kṛṣṇe kūrpāsaka-bhidi kim apy ācarati kā-

py adaśrur meveti pralapati mamātmā ca hasati ||

     “One who serves Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet with undivided attention will not engage in romantic pastimes with Śrī Kṛṣṇa even in her dreams. If Śrī Kṛṣṇa does something such as trying to remove her bodice by force, she will cry out, ‘No! No!’ with tearful eyes. Seeing this, my dearest Rādhā begins to laugh.” It should be understood that Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s laughter here arises from her seeing the mañjarī’s extraordinary devotion. Because of the firmness of their love, the mañjarīs have been blessed with the most confidential service of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. This sevā is rare or unobtainable for even Lalitā and the other parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs, not to mention the other sakhīs. Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his Vraja-Vilāsa-Stava:

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payo-dānābhisārādibhir 

vṛndāraṇya-maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ |

prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhī-kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā bhūmikāḥ 

kelī-bhūmiṣu rūpa-mañjarī-mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye ||

     “I take shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants led by Rūpa Mañjarī. By actions such as offering tāmbūla, massaging her feet, bringing water, arranging trysts and so on, they provide perpetual satisfaction to Vṛndāvaneśvarī Śrī Rādhā. They are less hesitant than even Lalitā and the other prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhīs when entering and leaving the places of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.” Śrīman Mahāprabhu and the ācāryas who have taken shelter of his lotus feet have propagated this mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā in the world. Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava obtain the greatest happiness from the mañjarīs’ pure and selfless service, and when the mañjarīs see them so happy, they float in an ocean of happiness themselves. se sebā parama-sukha dhare. There is no comparison anywhere to the joy they receive from seeing the playful couple at the time of their sevā. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda wrote the following in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 1.54:

rādhā-nāgara-keli-sāgara-nimagnālī-dṛśāṁ yat-sukham |

no tal-leśa-lavāyate bhagavataḥ sarvo’pi saukhyotsavaḥ ||

     “All the happiness available in the kingdom of God cannot compare to even a tiny particle of the happiness of the sakhīs, whose eyes are submerged in Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s ocean of amorous play.”

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, ei mana-tanu mora, ei rase sadā bhora, narottama sadāi bihare. He prays, “May my mind-body, meaning my mentally conceived siddha-deha, be absorbed in mañjarī-bhāva-rasa so that it attains the great fortune of roaming with Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in their pastime places, always engaged in their service.” The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sādhakas establish their sense of self in this mind-body, the guru-given siddha-deha, and contemplate the service of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa during the eight daily time periods. This is the method of bhajana on the rāga-mārga. Externally, in their sādhaka-dehas, they perform śravaṇa, kīrtana, arcana, vandana and the rest of the nine processes of bhakti. Along with that, they always contemplate performing sevā in their mentally conceived siddha-svarūpas.

bāhya antara ihāra dui ta sādhana |

bāhya–sādhaka-dehe kare śrabaṇa-kīrtana ||

mane–nija siddha-deha kariyā bhābana |

rātri-dine kare braje kṛṣṇera sebana ||

     “There are two kinds of sādhana on this path, namely external and internal. Externally, in the sādhaka body, the sādhaka performs śravaṇa and kīrtana. Mentally, he contemplates his own siddha body and in it serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa day and night in Vraja.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.156-157)

     The revered author has used the words ei rase sadā bhora: always immersed in this rasa. The purport is that only those who have identified somewhat with their siddha-deha can understand the extraordinary degree of rasa-enjoyment here. Not to mention those who have obtained the great fortune of contemplating the sevā of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava while absorbed in their siddha-deha, siddhi comes to one who simply identifies with the siddha-deha, according to the doctrine of the Gosvāmīs: astu tāvad-bhajana-prayāsaḥ kevala tādṛśatvābhimānenāpi siddhir bhavati (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 344 anuḥ). Therefore, the rāgānugīya-sādhaka must give up any absorption in or reliance upon the material body made of five elements and remain absorbed in her own mind-body or siddha-deha. During the time of bhakti-sādhana, the sādhaka-bhakta must think, “I am the eternal servant of Śrī Bhagavān, and Śrī Bhagavān is my eternal master.” These truths remain inseparable in all circumstances. This master-servant relationship defines bhakti-dharma. Therefore, it is characteristic for an uttama-bhakta who is very dear to Śrī Hari to have established his or her sense of identity in a siddha-deha suitable for service to Śrī Bhagavān.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 77 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

হেম গৌরী-তনু রাই,        আঁখি দরশন চাই,

রোদন করিব অভিলাষ ।

জলধর ঢর ঢর,        অঙ্গ অতি মনোহর,

রূপে ভুবন পরকাশ ॥ ৭৭ ॥

hema gaurī-tanu rāi,        āṅkhi daraśana cāi,

rodana kariba abhilāṣa |

jaladhara ḍhara ḍhara,        aṅga ati manohara,

rūpe bhubana parakāśa || 77 ||

     I shall weep constantly, longing for a vision of the golden-hued Śrī Rādhā. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is beautiful like a dark new raincloud. In this captivating form, he manifests himself on earth.

Longing to See the Beloved

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Filled with love, and longing to see his beloved Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, in this verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, hema gaurī-tanu rāi, āṅkhi daraśana cāi, rodana kariba abhilāṣa. “I shall weep constantly, longing for a vision of the golden-hued Śrī Rādhārāṇī.” The poets have compared Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s complexion to the luster of gold. But really, how can there be any comparison between the divine complexion of mahābhāvamayī Śrī Rādhā and gold, which is just an altered form of some mundane metallic substance? In his Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhi, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda said, gātre koṭi-taḍic-chavi, meaning the luster from Śrī Rādhā’s body is like that of ten million lightning bolts. But lightning is a transformation of extremely bright light. A flash of lightning can dazzle the eyes and cause distress, whereas Śrī Rādhārāṇī bears the luster of love; the sight of her is cooling to one’s eyes. For this reason, Śrīla Prabodhānandapāda has used the word chavi (luster). Actually, all these descriptions of premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s bodily radiance being a brilliant yellow color like gold or extremely bright like lightning have only been endeavors to help the worldly people understand. The description of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s bodily luster as being like gold or lightning is not intended to be an example. The splendor of the mahābhāva in Śrīmatī’s body is incomparable. Śrīla Prabodhānandapāda has written the following in his Saṅgīta-Mādhava 1.2:

nava-campaka-gaurī-kāntibhiḥ

kṛta-vṛndāvana-hema-rūpatām |

bhaja kām api viśva-mohinīṁ

madhura-prema-rasādhidevatām ||

     “Just worship Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the enchantress of the world and presiding deity of the indescribably sweet rasa of love. With her fair complexion, yellowish like a fresh campaka flower, she transforms green Vṛndāvana into gold Vṛndāvana.” There is no comparison anywhere to the anxiety that awakens in a premika when he cannot see the youthful Goddess of Sweet Love, the world-captivating, gold-complexioned Śrī Rādhārāṇī, at whose lotus feet he has taken exclusive shelter and devoted his life. Not to mention Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Raghunātha and the other nitya-pārṣadas, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, a sādhana-siddha resident of Śrī Govardhana, wrote the following regarding his anxiety to see Śrī Rādhā:

hāhā prāṇeśvari tuyā biccheda anale |

nirabadhi prāṇa mora dhikidhiki jvale ||

e duḥkha-sāgara haite uddhāra kariyā |

śrī-caraṇe rākha more kiṅkarī kariyā ||

hena dina ki habe taba śrī-mukhera bāṇī |

karṇete śuniba āra nūpurera dhvanī ||

tomāra lābaṇyāmṛta nayana-caṣake |

kabe bā kariba pāna parānanda-sukhe ||

āghrāṇa kariba taba aṅga parimala |

pulake pūrṇita habe mora kalebara ||

kabe tabocchiṣṭāmṛta dibe kṛpā kari |

pāiyā kṛtārthā habe e naba kiṅkarī ||

tumi mora japa tapa tumi mora dhyāna |

janmābadhi tomā binā nāhi jāni āna ||

kāntāli sahita tumi yathāya bihara |

kṛpā kari sei-sthāne more dāsī kara ||

kāñde dīna kṛṣṇadāsa dante tṛṇa dhari |

abhilāṣa pūrṇa mora kara hema-gauri ||

     “Alas, Goddess of my life! The fire of separation from you smolders endlessly in my heart. Rescue me from this ocean of misery and keep me as a maidservant at your lotus feet. When shall I hear the words from your lotus mouth, along with the jingling of your anklets? When shall I joyfully drink the nectar of your charm through the chalices of my eyes? I will smell the sweet fragrance of your limbs and my body will be filled with delight. When will you mercifully give me the nectarous remnants of your food? Receiving them, this new kiṅkarī will consider herself blessed. You are my silent prayer, my austerity and my meditation. Since birth, I have known no one but you. Please let me serve you wherever you sport with your lover and your friends. Weeping, poor Kṛṣṇadāsa holds a straw in his teeth. Please fulfill my desire, O fair one.”

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya, the embodiment of prema, is vowing to weep longingly for a vision of the golden-hued Śrī Rādhā. Crying in separation from one’s cherished deity is the best way to get a vision of the deity, and such crying is also most enjoyable. Crying in separation from ordinary friends and relatives of the world is miserable; but crying for premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī is of the nature of joy and pleasure. The Gosvāmīs have designated this feeling of separation as a rasa. Prema has two forms: union and separation. It goes without saying that when prema is an ingredient, a type of enjoyment will be deposited even in the feeling of separation. Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda has ascertained in Śrī-Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam 1.7.126 that the enjoyment of viraha-rasa (separation) is greater and more plentiful than even the joy of union.

tathāpi sambhoga-sukhād api stutaḥ

sa ko’py anirvācyatamo manoramaḥ |

pramoda-rāśiḥ pariṇāmato dhruvaṁ

tatra sphuret tad-rasikaika-vedyaḥ ||

     “There is no doubt profound misery in the terrible grief and anxiety of one burning in the fire of separation from a loved one. Still, upon reflection of the matter, it seems that the misery born of separation is more praiseworthy than even the joy of union, because ultimately some indescribably delightful pleasure appears within it. This is only knowable by a rasika person who feels separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is therefore revealing his desire to cry longingly for a vision of Śrī Rādhārāṇī.

     Then he says, jaladhara ḍhara ḍhara, aṅga ati manohara, rūpe bhubana parakāśa. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is not desiring to see Śrī Rādhārāṇī alone; he wants to cry longingly for a vision of yugala-kiśora Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, in the last half of this verse he describes the sweetness of Śrī Śyāmasundara’s form. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful body, which is the color of a new raincloud, is radiant, charming and beautiful. The example is given that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s incomparable complexion bears several similarities with a new raincloud. We see the following in the words of Śrīman Mahāprabhu in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya-Līlā 15.64-68:

naba-ghana snigdha-barṇa,        dalitāñjana-cikkaṇa, 

indībara-nindi-sukomala |

jini’ upamāna-gaṇa,        hare sabāra netra mana,

kṛṣṇa-kānti parama prabala ||

kaha sakhi ki kari upāya |

kṛṣṇādbhuta balāhaka,        mora netra-cātaka,

nā dekhi piyāse mari yāya ||

saudāminī pītāmbara,         sthira rahe nirantara,

muktāhāra baka-pāñti bhāla |

indra-dhanu śikhi-pākhā,        upare diyāche dekhā,

āra dhanu baijayantī-māla ||

muralīra kala-dhvani,        madhura garjana śuni,

bṛndābane nāce mauracaya |

akalaṅka pūrṇa-kala,        lābaṇya jyotsnā jhalamala,

citra-candrera tāhāte udaya ||

līlāmṛta bariṣaṇe,        siñce caudda-bhubane,

hena megha yabe dekhā dila |

durdaiba-jhañjhā-pabane,        megha nila anya-sthāne,

mare cātaka pīte nā pāila ||

     The meaning is that although the poets have likened Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s complexion to a new raincloud, ground collyrium, a blue lotus and so on, in truth, his complexion is incomparable. Having defeated all analogies, he steals with his own amazing power the eyes and mind of one who sees him. In the example of a cloud, it says that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is an extraordinary cloud and his yellow clothing is lightning; but lightning of the world is inconstant. In this amazing cloud, the lightning in the form of his yellow cloth is permanent. His pearl necklace is a row of beautiful white herons on the chest of this cloud. The peacock-feather crown on his head and his garland of wildflowers are rainbows. The soft tones of his muralī flute, the enchanter of the three worlds, are the sweet rumblings of this astonishing cloud. When the peacocks of Vṛndāvana see this cloud and hear its thunder, they spread their tail feathers and dance in joy. Above this cloud, his flawless, full-moon face always remains risen, shimmering with moonlight charm. An ordinary cloud soaks the earth with showers of rainwater, but this amazing Kṛṣṇa-cloud soaks the fourteen worlds with showers of the nectar of his pastimes. The thirsty eyes of the gopīs are cātakī birds longing for a drop of the beauty of this amazing cloud. 

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, sei ḍhala ḍhala, meaning, the body of playful and charming Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which is the hue of a dark new raincloud, is very captivating. It is his nature to steal the minds of everyone in the world; for this reason, one of his names is Śyāma. śyāyate gacchati mano’sminn iti śyāmaḥ. The one in whose direction all minds go is named Śyāma. puruṣa yoṣit kibā sthābara jaṅgama; sarba-cittākarṣaka sākṣāt manmatha-madana (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.139). The entire world is attracted by the transcendental beauty, sweetness, form and rasa of Śyāmasundara, the embodiment of joyful pastimes and enchanter of the god of love. The contemplative rasika devotees of the world are unable to remain tranquil because of that powerful attraction. When they arrive in Śrī Vṛndāvana, the līlā-dhāma of that transcendental cloud bank of sweetness, Śyāmasundara, they get to see śyāmera rūpe bhubana parakāśa, his earthly manifestation in the form of Śyāma. Those who become submerged in that ocean of beauty try to describe it, but language falls short. Still, that world-illuminating dark form awakens a great excitation in their hearts, so they must say something. Bathed in tears, that form-enchanted premika (in Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛtam 92) said,

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vapur asya vibhor

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vadanaṁ madhuram |

madhu-gandhi madhu-smitam etad aho 

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram ||

     “Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is sweeter than sweet; his face is even sweeter. His fragrance is sweet; his smile is sweet. Ah! Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet!”

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 76 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাধাকৃষ্ণ-সেবন,        একান্ত করিয়া মন,

চরণকমল বলি যাঁউ ।

দোঁহার নাম গুণ শুনি,        ভক্ত মুখে পুনি পুনি,

পরম আনন্দ সুখ পাঁউ ॥ ৭৬ ॥

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sebana,        ekānta kariyā mana,

caraṇa-kamala bali yāñu |

doṅhāra nāma guṇa śuni,        bhakta mukhe puni puni,

parama ānanda sukha pāñu || 76 ||

     O mind! Just worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa exclusively. I am astonished by the sweetness of their lotus feet. By repeatedly hearing about their names, qualities and so on from the mouths of bhaktas, I shall attain the highest joy.

Dedicated Service

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya expresses his desire to obtain the highest joy by hearing from the mouths of bhaktas about the names and qualities of his beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and to engage in dedicated service to their lotus feet. First he says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sebana, ekānta kariyā mana. “O mind! Just worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa exclusively.” Or, “I shall worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with a focused mind.” Singleminded worship means devoting one’s life to exclusively worshiping Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in a focused way or with deep love. In Śri-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa, four kinds of exclusive devotion (ekāntitva) have been mentioned: (1) indifference toward dharma (meaning varṇāśrama-dharma), (2) complete disinterest in karma, jñāna and so on, (3) devotion to love even during difficult times, and (4) devotion to nothing but love. In this way, service to one’s beloved deity is ekānta-sevana. The goal of worship is a life devoted to prema with no interest in anything else. upāsanaṁ tu yathā-śāstra-samāpitaṁ kiñcid ālambanam upādāya tasmin samāna-citta-vṛtti-santāna-karaṇam–tad-vilakṣaṇa pratyayāntaritam iti (from the preface of Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya’s commentary on Chāndogyopaniṣad). “After adopting an object of meditation established according to śāstra, one must thus establish continuous harmony, like a stream of oil, of the faculty of the mind with that object so that other, dissimilar conceptions cannot arrive in the form of obstructions or interruptions.” This is the goal of singleminded service to one’s chosen deity. In his Siddhānta-Ratna, Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has explained the word sevana as constant pursuit of a goal with one’s body, mind and words. In Prīti-Sandarbha 129 anuḥ, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written sevanaṁ cittānuvṛttiḥ, meaning, the word sevana is defined as performing service after having understood the mind of the one to be served. This is true singleminded sevana. Externally, in one’s sādhaka-deha, perform arcana, vandana, śravaṇa, kīrtana and so on with love and devotion to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. In one’s mind, after understanding the mind of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, contemplate sevā in one’s siddha-deha while remembering the aṣṭa-kāla-līlā (eightfold daily pastimes).

     Then he says, caraṇa-kamala bali yāñu. “I am astonished by the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s lotus feet.” My mind, like a greedy bee, is constantly absorbed in tasting the sweet nectar of their beautiful feet. The toes of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s lotus feet are their petals; the beams of radiance coming from their nails are the stamens; their beauty is the nectar; their fragrance continuously perfumes the horizon. The bee-like eyes of the sakhīs and mañjarīs always relish with deep love the nectarous beauty of their lotus feet.

     Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava sādhakas cool their burning hearts by always remembering the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, which are adorned with nineteen symbols. The method of meditation upon the symbols on their lotus feet is as follows: There are eleven marks on the sole of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s right foot, namely a barleycorn near the joint of his big toe; beneath that, a wheel; beneath that, an umbrella; a line running from between the big toe and the index toe to the middle of the foot; a lotus at the base of the middle toe; below that, a flag; an elephant goad at the base of the little toe; below that, a thunderbolt, and on the heel, an octagon surrounded by four swastikas between four ripened rose apples. On his left foot, there are eight symbols: a conch-shell at the base of the big toe; a symbol for the sky at the base of the middle toe; below that, a bow; below that, a cow’s hoofprint; below that, a triangle surrounded by four waterpots; below that, a crescent moon; below that, a fish. Thus, there are a total of nineteen different symbols on the soles of his feet.

     There are eleven symbols on the sole of Śrī Rādhā’s left foot: a barleycorn below her big toe; below that, a wheel; below that, an umbrella; a line running from between the big toe and the index toe to the middle of the foot; a lotus at the base of the middle toe; beneath that, a flag; beneath that, a flower; to its right, a bracelet; beneath that, a flower creeper; beneath that, a crescent moon; and an elephant goad at the base of the little toe. There are eight symbols on the sole of her right foot: a conch-shell beneath the big toe; a mountain beneath the middle toe; an altar beneath the ring toe and the little toe; below that, an earring; a chariot beneath the mountain, with a club to its right; a spear on the chariot’s left side, and on the heel, a fish. Thus, there are a total of nineteen different symbols on the soles of her feet. In the Skanda-Purāṇa, several specific marks on the soles of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are mentioned along with the reason for remembering them.

dakṣiṇasya pado’ṅguṣṭha-mūle cakraṁ vibharty ajaḥ |

tatra namra-janasyāri-ṣaḍ-varga-cchedanāya saḥ ||

madhyamāṅguli-mūle tu dhatte kamalam acyutaḥ |

dhātṛ-citta-dvirephānāṁ lobhanāyātiśobhanam ||

padmasyādho dhvajaṁ dhatte sarvānartha-jaya-dhvajam |

kaniṣṭhā-mūlato vajraṁ bhakta-pāpādri-bhedanam ||

pārṣṇi-madhye’ṅkuśaṁ bhakta-cittebha-vaśa-kāriṇam |

bhoga-sampan-mayaṁ dhatte yavam aṅguṣṭha-parvaṇi ||

tathā vāma-padāṅguṣṭha-mūlatas tan-mukhodaram |

sarva-vidyā-prakāśāya dadhāti bhagavān asau ||

padmādīny api cihnāni tatra dakṣiṇa-pādavat ||

     “Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s right foot bears a wheel-symbol (cakra) at the base of the big toe. By that, kāma and the other five enemies of the one who has taken shelter are destroyed. Remembrance of the lotus symbol at the base of his middle toe causes the bee of the bhakta’s mind to be allured. Remembrance of the flag symbol below the lotus causes the bhakta’s victory flag to fly, signifying his conquest over all anarthas. Remembrance of the thunderbolt symbol at the base of his little toe pulverizes the bhakta’s mountain of sins. Remembrance of the elephant goad symbol in the middle of the heel brings the elephant of the bhakta’s mind under control. Remembrance of the barleycorn symbol near the joint of his big toe endows the bhakta with enjoyment and prosperity. Remembrance of the conch-shell symbol at the base of the big toe of his left foot reveals all knowledge to the bhakta. In this way, the glory of the other symbols on both feet can also be understood.” Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is saying that the beauty, qualities and glory of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are indescribable.

     Then he says, doṅhāra nāma guṇa śuni, bhakta mukhe puni puni, parama ānanda sukha pāñu. The illustrious author is revealing that having heard repeatedly from the mouths of bhaktas about Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s names, qualities, pastimes and so on, he now desires to obtain such happiness. The greatness of hearing śrī-hari-kathā from the mouth of a high-minded bhakta has been repeatedly proclaimed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the cream of all vedānta. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.25, Bhagavān Śrī Kapiladeva said the following to his mother, Devahūti:

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama-vīrya-saṁvido

bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ |

taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani

śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati ||

     “O Mother, those who obtain the auspicious association of sādhus will receive the good fortune of hearing talks about my glories from them. Discussions about me heard from the mouths of such holy persons become an elixer for the listener’s heart and ears. As a result of this, faith, attachment and devotion to me gradually appear, accompanied by the destruction of ignorance, illusion and so on.” Repeated hearing of the naturally God-related conversations among the infinitely great kṛṣṇa-bhakta-mahāpuruṣas causes faith in Śrī Bhagavān to awaken in the jīva’s heart. The pure tan-mātras* issuing from the body of a sādhu bless even ordinary, non-religious persons with the extraordinary treasure of bhajana. Gradually, by hearing hari-kathā, ruci (taste) appears; then from the performance of the nine kinds of bhakti-sādhana, the eternally perfect kṛṣṇa-prema, the highest goal of life, appears in the citta (heart/mind). In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.25, Śrīla Pṛthu Mahārāja says he wants no other boon from Śrī Bhagavān than to hear śrī-hari-kathā from the mouths of great souls:

sa uttamaśloka mahan-mukha-cyuto

bhavat-padāmbhoja-sudhā-kaṇānilaḥ |

smṛtiṁ punar vismṛta-tattva-vartmanāṁ

kuyogināṁ no vitaraty alaṁ varaiḥ ||

     “O illustrious one! Bearing drops of nectar from your lotus feet, the air flowing from the mouths of great souls, meaning the nectarous talk about you streaming from their mouths, bestows remembrance of you again to fallen yogīs like me who have forgotten the truth about you. Therefore, there is no need for any other boon.” However, please give me this blessing (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.24):

na kāmaye nātha tad apy ahaṁ kvacin

na yatra yuṣmac-caraṇāmbujāsavaḥ |

mahattamāntar-hṛdayān mukha-cyuto

vidhatsva karṇāyutam eṣa me varaḥ ||

     “O Lord! I do not desire the boon of liberation in which there is no hope of getting the nectar of your lotus feet, which flows from within the hearts of the greatest sādhus and out through their mouths. Therefore, please give me ten thousand ears for drinking the nectarous talks about you that pour from the mouths of these great souls. This is my request.” By this we are informed of his deep longing to relish śrī-hari-kathā from the mouth of a bhakta and the profound wonder and joy he experiences.

     Or, in the first half of this verse, which says rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sebana, ekānta kariyā mana, caraṇa-kamala bali yāñu, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya reveals his desire to serve Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with a focused mind and to taste the sweetness of their lotus feet. Then he describes the means to attain that: doṅhāra nāma guṇa śuni, bhakta mukhe puni puni, parama ānanda sukha pāñu. If the names, qualities, pastimes and so on of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda are repeatedly heard with a joyful heart (or with enjoyment) from the mouth of a bhakta, resolute service to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is easily performed externally with body, mind and words and internally by loving contemplation of one’s service in the mentally conceived siddha-deha. This is an unfailingly powerful sādhana for attaining success or prema through rāga-bhajana.

*A subtle and primary element, such as sound, taste, touch, sight and smell from which the five mahābhūtas or grosser elements are produced.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 75 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

প্রার্থনা করিব সদা,        শুদ্ধভাবে প্রেমকথা,

নাম মন্ত্রে করিয়া অভেদ ।

নৈষ্ঠিক করিয়া মন,        ভজ রাঙ্গা শ্রিচরণ,

পাপগ্রন্থি হবে পরিচ্ছেদ ॥ ৭৫ ॥

prārthanā kariba sadā,        śuddha-bhābe prema-kathā,

nāma mantre kariyā abheda |

naiṣṭhika kariyā mana,        bhaja rāṅgā śri-caraṇa,

pāpa-granthi habe pariccheda || 75 ||

     I shall always pray to hear talks of prema in a pure state of mind. I make no distinction between nāma and mantra. O mind! If you worship the crimson feet of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava with firm faith, the knot of sin will be completely severed.

Devout Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, while teaching his own mind about devout bhajana, the high-souled author is also alluding to some valuable information regarding the practice. He first says, prārthanā kariba sadā, śuddha-bhābe prema-kathā. “I shall always pray to hear talks of prema in a pure state of mind.” In a pure state means in a singleminded way devoid of any desire for one’s own happiness. Though we always talk about pure bhajana or desireless bhajana, in fact, pure bhajana free from any search for personal happiness is very rare and is dependent on the mercy of Śrī Guru, the Vaiṣṇavas and Śrī Hari. Because of being absorbed in desires for women, gold, profit, adoration, high position and other things related to the body, various kinds of subtle desires for personal happiness have secretly pervaded the heart. At the end of Śrī-Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa it is written that the hope for high position and fame exists even in the heart of one who has renounced everything.

sarva-tyāge’py aheyāyāḥ 

sarvānartha-bhuvaś ca te |

kuryuḥ pratiṣṭhā-viṣṭhāyā 

yatnam asparśane varam ||

     “Even by renouncing everything, the hope for pratiṣṭhā (high rank or celebrity), which is the root of all anarthas, is not abandoned. The sādhaka must be particularly careful not to touch this excrement.” Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda has called this hope for name and fame ‘the unchaste wife of a dog-eater.’ pratiṣṭhāśā–dhṛṣṭā śvapaca-ramaṇī me hṛdi naṭet kathaṁ sādhu-premā spṛśati śucir etan nanu manaḥ (Manaḥ-Śikṣā 7). “O mind! An unchaste wife of a dog-eater dances in my heart in the form of yearning for fame. How can pure, holy love ever touch such a heart?” To benefit the sādhakas, the great souls cast light in various ways upon the sādhakas’ hidden desires for personal happiness. Śrīla Premānanda Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has written the following in his Manaḥ-Śikṣā:

ore mana ki tora bujhibāra bhula |

kahicha bedera pāra, karicha niṣiddhācāra, bhāba dekhi āpanāra mūla ||

muktike aiśvarya bali, dūrete diyecha pheli, iṅgite bujhāo ei tattva |

anitya asāra artha, se bhāla sadāi prārthya, yā lāgi rajanī dibā matta ||

nirhetu yājana kara, hetu se chāḍite nāra, kathāya birakta e saṁsāra |

sarbasva balicha yāra, dite eka baṭa tāra, se cāhile kaha āpanāra ||

kaha bhaji bṛndābana, ghare sukha bāsa mana, bhālabāsa basana-bhūṣaṇe |

santuṣṭa mānicha māne, mahākrodha apamāne, ātma-sukha ghucila kemane ||

kahicha gopīra dharma, ki bujhicha tāra marma, svabhāba chāḍite nāra tile |

dekhiyā pāicha sukha, prakṛti bāghinī mukha, sarbātmā sahite yei gile ||

śuna kahe premānanda, bicārile saba dhanda, kahile śunile kibā haya |

‘hari hari’ abirata, kaha ei prema-patha, nirmala haibe suniścaya ||

     “O mind! Have you misunderstood? You said that you are beyond the Vedas, yet you engage in forbidden acts. I see your essence and your origin. You have said that true freedom is to possess great wealth, and yet you squander it away. Help me to somehow understand this. Wealth is temporary and unsubstantial. Thinking it beneficial and always to be desired, you madly chase after it, day and night. You say you perform religious rituals without any motive, but the real reason is that you are unable to give them up, while saying you have no attachment to this world. You said you would give away all your possessions, but if someone asks for even one cowrie, you tell them it all belongs to you. O mind, you say ‘I worship Vṛndāvana in my home, where I live very happily, satisfied with love, nice clothes and ornaments.’ But you have acknowledged that through pride, anger and contempt you lost that happiness. How did this happen? You talk about the dharma of a gopī; have you understood the spirit of it? You are unable to even slightly let go of your own nature. Seeing that you have found some happiness, the tigress of material nature swallows that along with your entire self. Premānanda says, ‘Please listen; if you think about it, you will see it is all a trick. What is the point of speaking or hearing of it? Just chant hari hari constantly. Without doubt, you will become pure on this path of love.’”

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, “I shall always pray at the feet of my beloved deity to be able to hear, sing and remember the stories about Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love with a pure and desireless heart, free from the expectation of personal happiness.” Prayer removes the barriers to Śrī Bhagavān’s compassion. A person whose citta (mind/heart) is pervaded by the impressions of various kinds of hopes and longings cannot by the power of his own sādhana give up the desire for personal happiness and attain pure consciousness. If Śrī Hari’s compassion falls upon a devotee as a result of prayer, he is able to easily get the blessing of continuously hearing with a pure heart discussions about the love of his cherished deity. This should be the understanding in this context.

     Then he says, nāma mantre kariyā abheda. In becoming mantras, the names of Śrī Bhagavān, such as Kṛṣṇa, Govinda and so on, have been given dative case endings and combined with words such as namaḥ and svāhā by the sages, and are comprised of six parts including ṛṣi. Therefore, in reality there is no difference between mantras and Śrī Bhagavān’s names. The question may be asked that if there is no difference between mantra and nāma, and that without relying on dīkṣā-puraścaryā, nāma impartially gives prema to one who performs kīrtana, then what is the need for mantra-dīkṣā? Regarding this, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda says, nanu bhagavan-nāmātmakā eva mantrāḥ. tatra viśeṣeṇa namaḥ-śabdādy-alaṅkṛtāḥ śrī-bhagavatā śrīmad-ṛṣibhiś cāhita-śakti-viśeṣāḥ śrī-bhagavatā-samamātma-sambandha-viśeṣa-pratipādakāś ca, tatra kevalāni bhagavan-nāmāny api nirapekṣāny eva parama-puruṣārtha-phala-paryanta-dāna-samarthāni; tato mantreṣu nāmato’py adhika-sāmarthye’labdhe kathaṁ dīkṣādy apekṣā? ucyate–yadyapi svarūpato nāsti, tathāpi prāyaḥ svabhāvato dehādi sambandhena kadarya-śīlānāṁ vikṣipta-cittānāṁ janānāṁ tat saṁkocīkaraṇāya śrīmad-ṛṣi-prabhṛtibhir atrārcana-mārge kvacit kācin-maryādā sthāpitāsti. tatas tad-ullaṅghane śāstraṁ prāyaścittam ubhāvayati (Krama-Sandarbhaḥ commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.18). It may be said, “Because mantras are composed of Śrī Bhagavān’s various names, each mantra is specific. According to Bhagavān’s desire, Śrī Nārada and other ṛṣis have adorned his names with namaḥ and other words and deposited a particular śakti in each mantra. Therefore, mantras establish a specific relationship between the mantra-chanter and Śrī Bhagavān. But Śrī Bhagavān’s names do not depend on anything else and can by themselves even give prema, the parama-puruṣārtha, the supreme goal of life. Therefore, we see more power in nāma than in mantra. So why does one who performs nāma-kīrtana need mantra-dīkṣā?” In reply to this question, he says, “In principle, it may not be necessary to accept dīkṣā due to the power or influence of Śrī Harināma, as in the case of Śrī Ajāmila. Still, to curtail the engagement of scatterbrained humans in frequently abominable actions related to the body, which is naturally devoted to enjoyment, Śrī Nārada and other ṛṣis have established some guidelines in various places on the arcana-mārga. For those who do not comply with those guidelines, śāstra has prescribed various kinds of penance. Therefore, the need for mantra-dīkṣā must certainly be recognized.” Specifically, when a person accepts mantra-dīkṣā from a sad-guru who has the characteristics mentioned in śāstra, the gloom is driven out from his māyā-darkened mind by Śrī Guru’s mercy. After his mind becomes steady, no longer distracted by sense-objects, he can engage in bhajana. Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Nandanandana has in the form of Śrī Gaurāṅga accepted mantra-dīkṣā from Śrīpāda Īśvara Purī. At the beginning of his instructions to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī regarding the sixty-four components of bhajana, he says, śrī-guru-pādāśraya, dīkṣā, gurura sebana; sad-dharma-śikṣā-pṛcchā, sādhu-mārgānugamana (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.115). “Shelter at the feet of Śrī Guru, initiation, service to Śrī Guru; receiving instructions in transcendental dharma and asking questions; following the path of the holy ones.” By these words he has pointed out the instruction or guideline that mantra-dīkṣā comes from a guru who has received it through a true paramparā. This is also seen to be the practice of the great souls.

     Or, nāma mantre kariyā abheda means there is no difference between nāma and mantra, in the sense that nāma has also been called a mantra. For example, the thirty-two-syllable hare-kṛṣṇa-nāma has been called a mahāmantra. Regarding this, we see the following in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.19, in the description of the glories of the Holy Name:

yathāgadaṁ vīryatamam 

upayuktaṁ yadṛcchayā |

ajānato’py ātma-guṇaṁ 

kuryān mantro’py udāhṛtaḥ ||

     In the narration of the deliverance of Ajāmila, the viṣṇudūtas said to the yamadūtas, “Just as a powerful medicine destroys the disease of someone who ingests it, though the person may not understand how it works, in the same way, if one even ignorantly chants a mantra consisting of Bhagavān’s names, the fruit of nāma is spontaneously obtained. The power of a thing is never dependent on intellect or knowledge.” In his Krama-Sandarbha commentary on this verse, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, mantra-śabdenātra nāmoktiḥ–mantrasya tathā prabhāve śraddhādy-apekṣatvād asya tu tad-anapekṣatvād atraiva mantra-śabdasya mukhyā-vṛttir ity abhiprāyeṇa jñeyā. “Here, the word mantra is understood to mean nāma. Though by nature, nāma and mantra are one, still, mantras rely on faith and so on. Because in nāma there is no such reliance, it is to be understood that nāma bears primary significance among the words of a mantra.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, naiṣṭhika kariyā mana, bhaja rāṅgā śri-caraṇa, pāpa-granthi habe pariccheda. “O mind! If you worship the crimson feet of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava with firm faith, the knot of sin or ignorance will be completely severed.” When niṣṭhā (firm faith) appears, bhajana-śaithilya (bhajana-fatigue) completely disappears; even during incessant bhajana, no weariness is felt. These five kinds of anarthas are also removed: laya (drowsiness at the time of śravaṇa-kīrtana and so on), vikṣepa (distraction, concern about news of worldly matters at the time of bhajana), apratipatti (even though no drowsiness or distractions are present, one is still incapable of doing bhajana), kaṣāya (impurities, saṁskāras of anger, greed, pride and so on) and rasāsvāda (lack of mental absorption in bhajana due to thoughts of sense enjoyment). Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has referred to dhruvānusmṛti, or remembrance of Śrī Bhagavān that is continuous like a stream of oil, as naiṣṭhikī-bhakti or firm devotion: naiṣṭhikī-bhakti-dhyānākhyā dhruvānusmṛtir ity ucyate (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 198). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17-18 says that hearing and chanting śrī-hari-kathā is the only way to obtain naiṣṭhikī-bhakti:

śṛṇvatāṁ svakathāṁ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |

hṛdy-antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi 

vidhunoti suhṛt-satām ||

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu 

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā |

bhagavaty uttamaśloke 

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī ||

     “Situated in the heart, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa destroys the inauspicious desires for worldly pleasure in the minds of those devout souls who listen to his stories, which bestow virtue when heard or sung. In this way, when inauspiciousness has been mostly destroyed through continuous bhāgavata-sevā (service to the bhaktas and/or study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam), firm devotion to the preeminent Śrī Kṛṣṇa appears.” The reading āstika kariyā mana is also seen. āstikyam asti vedaika-gamyaṁ vastv iti niścayaḥ. “Āstikyam (theism) is the conviction that truth can only be obtained through the Vedas.” This means one must worship Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with śraddhā or faith in the words of śāstra and the mahājanas. Some people have interpreted āstikyam as having established a self-concept of one’s own siddha-svarūpa and one’s own relationship with Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. In this context, this is also a good interpretation.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 74 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

কর্মী জ্ঞানী মিছাভক্ত,        না হবে তাতে অনুরক্ত,

বিশুদ্ধ ভজন কর মন ।

ব্রজজনের যেই রীত,        তাহাতে ডুবাও চিত,

এই সে পরমতত্ত্ব ধন ॥ ৭৪ ॥

karmī jñānī michā-bhakta,        nā habe tāte anurakta,

biśuddha bhajana kara mana |

braja-janera yei rīta,        tāhāte ḍubāo cita,

ei se parama-tattva dhana || 74 ||

     O mind! Do not be attached to the karmīs, jñānīs and false bhaktas. Perform pure bhajana. Immerse your thoughts in the ways of the Vraja people. This is a great treasure of the supreme reality.

A Treasure of the Highest Truth

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is again teaching the sādhakas the method of vraja-bhajana through varjanātmaka (abandoning) and grahaṇātmaka (accepting) instructions to his own mind. First, he gives a varjanātmaka instruction, saying, karmī jñānī michā-bhakta, nā habe tāte anurakta. In the previous verse, the exalted author has forbidden the association of karmīs, jñānīs and so on even in times of difficulty. Again in this verse he says to abandon any attachment for them. It seems that the statements in the previous verse refer to pure or exclusive karmīs and jñānīs, meaning those who consider karma, jñāna and so on as capable of bestowing svarga (heaven) and mokṣa (liberation) without the help of bhakti. Actually, bhakti binu kona sādhana dite nāre phala, saba phala deya bhakti svatantra prabala; ajā-gala-stana nyāya anya sādhana, ataeba hari bhaje buddhimān jana (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 24.92-93). “Without bhakti, no sādhana can give any result. Bhakti is independent and powerful and brings all success. Other sādhanas are like the nipples on a goat’s neck. Therefore, intelligent people worship Śrī Hari.” Because karma, jñāna, yoga and so on are similar to sādhanas, they are referred to as such, but in fact they are not. The method by which a desired object is obtained is rightly called a sādhana, but karma, jñāna and so on cannot bestow any fruit without the help of bhakti. For this reason, independent of bhakti, all other sādhanas are like the nipples on a goat’s neck. The nipple-shaped lumps of flesh on the neck of a goat are called nipples, but they never actually produce milk. Like that, karma, jñāna and so on are never able to produce results without the help of bhakti. But because the external religious activities of those paths resemble sādhanas, they have been called sādhanas. In truth, bhakti-mukha-nirīkṣaka karma-yoga-jñāna (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.17). “Karma, yoga and jñāna gaze upon the face of bhakti.”

     For this reason, those karmīs and jñānīs who are relatively intelligent practice karma, jñāna and so on mixed with bhakti to obtain the fruits of the respective sādhanas as mentioned in the śāstras. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya had seen the bhajana of these mixed bhaktas and, in his wisdom as a pure bhakta, is cautioning the bhakta-sādhaka who is devoted to bhajana to not develop attachment for them because their association is harmful to pure bhakti. In some books, the reading karmī, jñānī, miśra-bhakta, nā habe tāya anurakta is seen. Michā-bhakta means those who are deceitful or hypocritical. A pure bhakta must not become attached to those dishonest people who externally wear the dress, tilaka and mālā of a bhakta but whose bhajana is pretense only. In fact, they are attached to women and wealth. They must be avoided because their association is dangerous. Such Vaiṣṇava behavior has been indicated in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.87: asat-saṅga tyāga ei baiṣṇaba-ācāra, strī-saṅgī eka asādhu kṛṣṇābhakta āra. “It is a Vaiṣṇava practice to abandon the association of dishonest or immoral people. One such person is attached to women and another has no faith in Kṛṣṇa.”

     Or, karmī jñānī michā-bhakta can mean that if at any time bhakti is seen among the karmīs, who engage in fruitive work, and the jñānīs, who contemplate undifferentiated brahman, they should be known as michā-bhaktas. If the mercy of some great soul falls upon them, they can become bhaktas in the future, but for now, associating with them in their current condition can hinder one’s advancement in bhakti. Therefore, the sādhaka should give up any attachment for them.

     Then, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya gives a grahaṇātmaka instruction by saying, biśuddha bhajana kara mana. After taking shelter of the path of śuddha-bhakti, one’s bhajana becomes pure and genuine. In determining the nature of śuddha-bhakti, the Śrī-Gopāla-Tāpanī-Śruti says, bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ kalpanam etad eva hi naiṣkarmyam. Bhakti means worship of Śrī Bhagavān that is devoid of all kinds of desires regarding this life and the next, with the mind and all the senses continuously devoted to him. This constant absorption in meditation upon him is known as naiṣkarmya.

     Here, by the correlation of bhajana and naiṣkarmya it is indicated that if a bhakta is engaged in bhajana, all of his past desires for fruitive actions as well as his present ones are destroyed, and his mind, free of any unessential relations, remains fully absorbed in the service of Śrī Bhagavān. This is called viśuddha or pure bhajana. Smṛti also says, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (Śrī-Nārada-Pañcarātra). “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is known as hṛṣīkeśa, controller of the senses. When a devotee, after abandoning all desires regarding this life and the next, serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa with his senses, intending only to please him, this is called uttamā-bhakti.”

     After deliberating upon all such statements from śruti and smṛti, Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has revealed a complete definition of viśuddha-bhakti in a single verse of his Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ. It should be known that this definition extends everywhere, whether in vaidhī-mārga, rāga-mārga, sādhana-bhakti, sādhya-bhakti, bhāva or prema. The verse is,

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam |

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā ||

     “Favorable, devoted service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa that is devoid of any other desire and is not covered by jñāna or karma is called uttamā-bhakti.” The word anuśīlanam here is, like the verb, understood immediately by the meaning of its root. Verbal roots have two kinds of meanings: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. These two kinds of actions are manifested in the form of bodily, verbal and mental endeavors. Endeavors of the body, mind and speech originating from pravṛtti (desire to act) are described as serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa with one’s body; singing his names and about his qualities, pastimes and so on with the power of one’s speech; contemplating his forms, qualities and pastimes with one’s mind and always keeping love for him in one’s heart. Endeavors of the body, mind and speech that originate in nivṛtti (renunciation) include giving up nāmāparādha (offenses to the Holy Name) and sevāparādha (offenses while performing service).

     Bhakti is also divided into sopādhika (with material qualities) and nirupādhika (without material qualities). Bhakti has two kinds of upādhis or defining qualities: one is anyābhilāṣa (other desires) and the other is anya-miśraṇa (mixing with something else). Other desires means desire for sense-enjoyment, desire for liberation and so on. Mixing with something else means being covered by karma, jñāna and so on. If service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is devoid of the desire for anything else, is free from admixture, and is practiced by absorption in pure hearing and chanting, it is called nirupādhika-bhakti. This is viśuddha-bhajana.

     The karma alluded to above means regular and occasional actions such as acts of charity and taking of vows, as mentioned in the smṛti-śāstras. Jñāna here means nirviśeṣa-brahma-jñāna, or knowledge that establishes the unity of the jīva and brahma. But in śuddha-bhakti also the acts of worship and praise are absolutely necessary, as is knowledge related to the goal and the method (siddhānta-jñāna). Without these, there is no bhajana. Such karma and jñāna is direct bhakti.

     The word ānukūlya implies a favorable inclination toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It has been used in regard to attaining the state of bhakti because even though hostile behavior can be pleasing to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is no devotion in it. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the narration of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastime of being tied with a rope, it is described that Mother Yaśodā put him down from her lap, though he was hungry and irritable, to go stir the milk that had boiled over. Mother Yaśodā’s action was not pleasing to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but because it was done for his benefit, it has been called bhakti. On the other hand, when the asuras fight with the great hero Śrī Kṛṣṇa, they cause him to taste yuddha-rasa (the pleasure of combat). This is pleasing to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but because of the inherent hostility involved, it does not attain the nature of bhakti. Therefore, viśuddha-bhajana is the repeated practice of actions that please Śrī Kṛṣṇa, such as hearing and chanting about him, worshiping him, praising him and so on without a trace of desire for one’s own sense-pleasure.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, braja-janera yei rīta, tāhāte ḍubāo cita, ei se parama-tattva dhana. Also within viśuddha-bhajana, rāgānugā-bhajana is practiced in allegiance to Vraja’s madhura-rasa type of rāgātmikā-bhakti. The glorious gift of Śrīman Mahāprabhu in this particular kali-yuga, it is a very mystical type of bhakti-yoga also practiced and preached by his dear companions Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Sanātana and others. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, braja-janera yei rīta, tāhāte ḍubāo cita. Here, braja-jana (people of Vraja) means in a broader context that all his nitya-siddha companions in Vraja have given up thinking of him as God and just consider him to be an ordinary dear friend or relative. mora putra, mora sakhā, mora prāṇapati (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta): “My son, my friend, my lover.” They have become wholly absorbed in him, submerged in the rasa of love for him. In the same way, the sādhaka must become submerged in the sweet worship of Vraja in allegiance to them. The meaning is that in Vraja, the nitya-siddha companions in dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and madhura-bhāvas eternally perform loving service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the mood of an ordinary dear friend or relative. Devotees in the Vraja mood perform bhajana in allegiance to the nitya-siddha-pārṣadas of the respective bhāvas, in dāsya and the other rasas, according to the ruci (taste) born of their association with a great soul or from the mercy of a great soul. When they achieve success in bhajana, they will obtain the loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Śrī Vṛndāvana in that particular bhāva. This is the method of Vraja’s pure rāga-mārga-bhajana. In Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 9.128-131, Śrīman Mahāprabhu said the following to Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa:

braja-lokera bhābe pāi tāṅhāra caraṇa |

tāṅre ‘īśvara’ kari nāhi jāne braja-jana ||

keho tāṅre putra-jñāne udūkhale bāndhe |

keho tāṅre sakhā-jñāne jini caḍe kāndhe ||

‘brajendra-nandana’ tāṅre jāne braja-jana |

aiśvarya-jñāna nāhi–nija sambandha manana ||

braja-lokera bhābe yei karaye bhajana |

sei jana pāya braje brajendra-nandana ||

     “One can attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet through the moods of the residents of Vraja. They do not perceive him as God. Someone considers him her son and ties him to a grinding mortar; someone else considers him a friend, and after defeating him, rides on his shoulders. They know him as Vrajendra-nandana, the son of the king of Vraja. They do not consider his divinity; they only think of him in terms of their relationships with him. Whoever performs bhajana in the mood of the Vrajavāsīs gets Vrajendra-nandana in Vraja.”

     The goal of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas is to worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the mood of a mañjarī or maidservant of Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, they worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in rādhā-snehādhikā-bhāvollāsā-rati (having more affection for Śrī Rādhā than Śrī Kṛṣṇa), submerged in the stream of love flowing from Vraja’s nitya-siddhās Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, Śrī Rati Mañjarī and so on; or in other words, by dedicating their hearts and minds to following the moods of the mañjarīs. This is the highest level of rāga-mārga-bhajana. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is Campaka Mañjarī, who is most dear to Śrī Rādhārāṇī, and is an ācārya of mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā. Therefore, braja-janera yei rīta, tāhāte ḍubāo cita means to absorb the citta (mind, heart) in following the moods of the nitya-siddhā-mañjarīs of Vraja. This is the highest level the jīva-śakti can attain in the realm of bhakti. Therefore he says, ei se parama-tattva dhana. “This is a great treasure of the supreme reality.”