Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 72 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

প্রেমভক্তি সুধানিধি,        তাহে ডুব নিরবধি,

আর যত ক্ষারনিধি প্রায় ।

নিরন্তর সুখ পাবে,        সকল সন্তাপ যাবে,

পরতত্ত্ব কহিনু উপায় ॥ ৭২ ॥

prema-bhakti sudhā-nidhi,        tāhe ḍuba nirabadhi,

āra yata kṣāra-nidhi prāya |

nirantara sukha pābe,        sakala santāpa yābe,

para-tattva kahinu upāya || 72 ||

     Prema-bhakti is like an ocean of nectar; submerge yourself in it continuously. Everything else is like an ocean of salt. You will get endless happiness and all your afflictions will go away. I shall explain the method for attaining the supreme truth.

The Prema-Bhakti Ocean of Nectar

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya rejected everything that covers or opposes bhakti, such as puṇya and mukti. In this verse he urges his mind to taste the blessed sweetness of prema-bhakti-rasa. prema-bhakti sudhā-nidhi, tāhe ḍuba nirabadhi, āra yata kṣāra-nidhi prāya. Prema-bhakti is like an ocean of nectar. Bhakti is a special faculty of the hlādinī-śakti, the essence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-śakti, and is therefore naturally most enjoyable. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following in his Śrī-Paramātma-Sandarbhaḥ: kiṁca parama-sāra-bhūtāyā api svarūpa-śakteḥ sāra-bhūtā hlādinī nāma yā vṛttis tasyā eva sāra-bhūto vṛtti-viśeṣo bhaktiḥ. “The principal faculty of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti is called hlādinī. The principal faculty of the hlādinī-śakti is called bhakti.”

     Echoing this conclusion, Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has written the following in his book Siddhānta-Ratna: bhagavad-vaśīkāra-hetu bhaktiḥ kiṁ svarūpeti; kiṁ prākṛta-sattva-maya-jñānānanda-rūpā kiṁvā bhagavad-jñānānanda-rūpā athavā jaiva-jñānānanda-rūpā uta hlādinī-sāra-samaveta saṁvit-sāra-rūpeti? nādyaḥ bhagavato māyā-vaśyatvāśravaṇāt, svataḥ pūrṇatvāc ca, na dvitīya atiśayāsiddheḥ nāpi tṛtīya jaivayos tayoḥ kṣodiṣṭatvāt. kintu caturtha evāsau bhaved iti. “What is the nature of bhakti, which is the only cause of Śrī Bhagavān’s subjugation? Is bhakti the prākṛta-sattva-jñānānanda-rūpā, or the bhagavat-jñānānanda-rūpā, or the jaiva-jñānānanda-rūpā or the hlādinī-sāra-samaveta-saṁvit-sāra-rūpā? Meaning, is bhakti the dharma of the heart and mind, or the dharma born of the nature of Paramātmā, or the natural dharma of the jīvātmā, or is it another state wherein the essence of the hlādinī-śakti born of Śrī Bhagavān’s nature is combined with the essence of his saṁvit-śakti? These are four questions produced by doubt regarding bhakti. The cause of the doubt is that while there is joy and realization in bhakti, there is also joy and realization in ordinary sattva-guṇa. Because of this similarity, the question arises as to whether bhakti is the form of happiness coming from awareness of ordinary sattva-guṇa. Or, there is knowledge and joy in Śrī Bhagavān’s form, which is composed of sac-cid-ānanda. When that knowledge and joy are reflected in the heart of the jīva, is it called bhakti? Or is bhakti the happiness of the jīva, whose form is atomic consciousness? Or is bhakti the result of the combined essences of the hlādinī-śakti and the saṁvit-śakti, which are faculties of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti?

     If we say that bhakti is the dharma of the heart and mind, which are faculties of sattva-guṇa, one may conclude that Śrī Bhagavān suffers the defect of being enchanted by māyā. In all śāstras it is seen that Bhagavān is submissive to bhakti, but nowhere is it seen or heard that he is controlled by the illusory sattva-guṇa. Therefore, after rejecting the first thesis, he mentions the second. The second thesis is that bhakti is the knowledge and joy born of Śrī Bhagavān’s nature; but how is that possible? In this, the fault of too little proof occurs because there is more ānanda or joy in bhakti than even Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpānanda (natural joy). Abandoning his svarūpānanda, he longs to experience the joy of bhakti. The third thesis is also not reasonable because the knowledge and happiness of the jīva is by nature atomic and therefore insignificant. It is never possible to attract the powerful, sac-cid-ānanda-maya Śrī Bhagavān with such insignificant knowledge and happiness. Thus, after one sees the inconsistencies or improbabilities in these three propositions, he must accept the fourth, based on the evidence. Bhakti is the state wherein the essences of the hlādinī and saṁvit-śaktis, which are born of the essence of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti, have been combined.

     eṣā tu bhaktis tan-nitya-parikara-gaṇād-ārabhyedānīṁ taneṣv api tad-bhakteṣu mandākinīva pracarati. atas tad-bhakta-kṛpayaiva labhyeti bhāgavatādi saṁvādaḥ. sā tathābhūtā nitya-dhāmni nitya-pārṣadeṣu nityaṁ cakāsti sura-sarid iva tad-bhakta-praṇālyā prapañce’vatarati (Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa). Prema-bhakti exists within Śrī Bhagavān’s eternal companions. If a sādhaka’s heart is cleansed by hearing, chanting and so on, prema-bhakti descends like the current of the Mandākinī River through the channel of bhaktas (śrī-guru-praṇālī) into the material world. When that eternally perfect kṛṣṇa-prema appears in the sādhaka’s heart and mind, it blesses him with boundless transcendental joy.

     There is no comparison anywhere to the taste of prema-bhakti. Still, to give the worldly people a little idea of that spiritual joy, it has been compared to the taste of nectar, which is the most enjoyable thing in this world. But he does not just say sudhā, or nectar; he says, prema-bhakti sudhā-nidhi: the enjoyment of prema-bhakti-rasa is like an ocean of nectar. The taste of one drop makes all other happiness insignificant. Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmipāda has written the following in the auspicious invocation of his Dig-Darśinī commentary on Śrī-Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam:

bhaktir yā nikhilārtha-varga-jananī yā brahma-sākṣāt-kṛter

ānandātiśaya-pradā viṣaya-jāt saukhyād vimuktir yayā |

śrī-rādhā-ramaṇaṁ padāmbuja-yugaṁ yasyā mahānāśrayo

yā kāryā vrajalokavad-gurutara-premṇaiva tasyai namaḥ ||

     “I bow to Śrī Bhakti Devī, the goddess of devotion, who is the mother of virtue, wealth, enjoyment and liberation; who gives joy beyond that of brahman; who makes all sense-enjoyments insignificant; whose great shelter is the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā-Ramaṇa; whose every action is heavy with love like that of the residents of Vraja.” In this verse, the enjoyment of sādhana-bhakti has been discussed. There is no lack of enjoyment even in sādhana-bhakti because of its homogeneity with prema-bhakti. Sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti and prema-bhakti are the primary, comparative and superlative states of the same condition. The difference is that the enjoyment of sādhana-bhakti is watery whereas the enjoyment of prema-bhakti is very thick. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has instructed his mind to submerge itself in the ocean of the nectar of prema-bhakti. tāhe ḍuba nirabadhi. There is no need for an entire ocean of prema-bhakti in order for one to always be submerged in it; one drop of prema-bhakti can drown the whole world. In Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 2.49, Śrīman Mahāprabhu says, śuddha-prema-sukha-sindhu, pāi tāra eka-bindu, sei bindu jagat ḍubāya. The meaning is that in śuddha-prema (pure love), there is immeasurable rasa or enjoyment. By tasting only one drop of it, one realizes that the happiness derived from worldly sense-pleasures, wealth, accomplishments and so on, as well as the bliss of liberation, are both insignificant. They are not only insignificant; they are considered contemptible and extremely harsh. For this reason, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said, āra yata kṣāra-nidhi prāya. “Everything else is like an ocean of salt.”

     After that, he said, nirantara sukha pābe, sakala santāpa yābe, para-tattva kahinu upāya. The enjoyment of prema-bhakti is everlasting; prema-bhakti keeps the loving devotee submerged in an ocean of unabated delight. Concomitantly, it destroys all kinds of afflictions. This is the only way to thoroughly experience Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, the supreme reality (para-tattva-vastu).

pañcama-puruṣārtha sei prema-mahādhana |

kṛṣṇera mādhurya-rasa karāya āsvādana ||

premā haite kṛṣṇa haya nija-bhakta-baśa |

premā haite pāya kṛṣṇa-sebā-sukha-rasa ||

     “The fifth goal of life is the great treasure of prema, which causes one to taste Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya-rasa. Because of prema, Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes under the control of his devotees. Because of prema, the devotees experience the nectarous joy of serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 7.144-145)

     Or, para-tattva means the specific svarūpa-śakti called parā which is to be ascertained by the self-evident, unparalleled śruti and smṛti. When the para-tattva is manifested in its preeminent state, it acquires the name puruṣottama or supreme person. When the śakti called parā is manifested in its preeminent state, it bears names like dharma and so on. For example, the parā-śakti is personally revealed in the form of dharma, expressed as knowledge, happiness, compassion and sweetness. If expressed as sound, it is Śrī Bhagavān’s names and statements; if as the earth, it is the dhāma; if as the ideal woman composed of the essence of hlādinī (joy) combined with saṁvit (consciousness), it is Śrī Rādhā and others.* By saying ‘the means of attaining the supreme truth,’ it has also been implied that one who is submerged in prema-bhakti spontaneously enjoys the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s forms, names and qualities; the sweetness of the dhāma; the sweetness of compassion and so on.

*The conclusion of Govinda-Bhāṣya on sūtra 3.3.42 of Vedānta-Darśana

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 71 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

পাপ না করিহ মন,       অধম সে পাপী-জন,

তারে মুই দূরে পরিহরি ।

পুণ্য যে সুখের ধাম,        তার না লইহ নাম,

পুণ্য মুক্তি দুই ত্যাগ করি ॥ ৭১ ॥

pāpa nā kariha mana,       adhama se pāpī-jana,

tāre mui dūre parihari |

puṇya ye sukhera dhāma,        tāra nā laiha nāma,

puṇya mukti dui tyāga kari || 71 ||

     O mind, do not sin! Sinful people are most wicked; I stay away from them. Do not speak of puṇya, which is the abode of happiness. I give up both virtue and liberation.

Giving up Sin, Virtue and Liberation

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya instructs his mind to give up sin, virtue and even the desire for liberation, all of which are impediments to bhakti. First, he says, pāpa nā kariha mana, adhama se pāpī-jana, tāre mui dūre parihari. If one remains engaged in sinful actions, his heart and mind become contaminated. Śrī Bhagavān’s name, qualities and pastimes never appear in such an impure citta. The desire to sin can never awaken in the mind of a faithful bhakta. Though the longing to enjoy may remain in his heart, it never produces sin. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.28 states, juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan, meaning, if a faithful bhakta is unable to give up sensual pleasures, he should continue to enjoy them while condemning them as sources of pain. In his commentary on this verse, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following: sahasā tyaktum asamarthatvāt kāmān juṣamāṇaś ca garhayaṁś ca. garhaṇe hetuḥ duḥkhodarkāṁ śokādi-kṛd uttara-phalān iti. atra kāmā apāpa-karā eva jñeyāḥ. śāstre kathaṁcid api anyānuvidhānāyogāt. pratyuta–‘parapatnī-paradravya-parahiṁsāsu yo matim. na karoti pumān bhūpa toṣyate tena keśavaḥ.’ iti viṣṇu-purāṇa-vākyādau karmārpaṇāt pūrvam eva tan niṣedhāt. ‘vikarma yac cotpatitaṁ kathaṁcid dhunoti sarvaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ’ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.5.42) ity atrāpi kathaṁcit-śabda-prayogeṇa labdha-bhaktīnāṁ ca svatas tat pravṛtty-ayogāt. ‘nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir na vidyate tasya yamair iha śuddhiḥ’ iti pādma-padye nāmāparādha-bhañjana-stotrādau hari-bhakti-balenāpi tat-pravṛttāv aparādhāpātāc ca. ‘api cet sudurācāraḥ’ (Gītā 9.30) iti tu tad-anādara-doṣa-para eva, na tu durācāratā-vidhāna-paraḥ, ‘kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā (Gītā 9.31) ity anantara-vākye durācāratāpagamasya śreyastva-nirdeśād iti (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 172). “‘If a faithful person is unexpectedly unable to give up sensual desires, he should engage in enjoyment while condemning it as ultimately being a source of misery or grief.’ Here, the word ‘desire’ should be understood to mean that it does not produce sin, because no recommendations for actions that produce sins have been given anywhere in śāstra. Rather, śāstra says, ‘O King, Śrī Hari is pleased with one who has no desire for another’s wife or possessions or to cause harm to him.’ That has been forbidden in this instruction, which is found in Viṣṇu-Purāṇa prior to the section on assignment of duties. ‘Even though sinful actions may somehow be performed by a bhakta who is devoted to worshiping the Lord’s lotus feet, those actions are destroyed by Śrī Hari situated within his heart.’ The word kathaṁcit (somehow) has been used in this statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to indicate the bhaktas’ lack of voluntary engagement in sinful activities. ‘One who engages in sinful behavior by the power of the Holy Name cannot be purified even by the rules of self-restraint.’ Statements such as this in the Nāmāparādha-Bhañjana-Stotra of Padma-Purāṇa proclaim that engagement in sinful acts on the strength of bhakti is an aparādha or offense. In Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā, Śrī Bhagavān has said in the api cet sudurācāraḥ verse that he considers a person who practices bhajana to be a sādhu, though he may indulge in unsavory practices. He is not giving a prescription to behave badly, as he has criticized wicked behavior as inauspicious. The reason is that in the next verse the Lord says that such a person quickly becomes righteous. By this statement he clearly indicates the absence of bad behavior.” Therefore, after humbly thinking of himself as sinful and suffering, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said to his own mind, “Do not sin.”

     Not to speak of sinful behavior itself, the bhakta-sādhaka must also keep his distance from sinful people. adhama se pāpī-jana, tāre mui dūre parihari. Sinful people are adhama, meaning lowest or most wicked. Just as a sādhaka undoubtedly attains the supreme good fortune through the power of good association (sat-saṅga), in the same way, extreme degradation is seen to occur as a result of bad association (asat-saṅga). The bodies and minds of the powerful, highly-qualified sādhu-mahātmās are so pure that their great qualities can sanctify the cittas of people nearby. In the same way, the cittas of corrupt and sinful people are so defiled by their evil mentalities that through their association the cittas of people around them are also defiled. A sick person who wants to get well understands that he must completely abandon harmful diets and so forth that cause the growth of disease and ultimately destroy the body. In the same way, sādhakas who have entered the path of bhakti and desire to practice bhajana must keep their distance from people who are sinful and suffering from it. For this reason, the abandonment of evil company has been included among the virtuous behaviors of a Vaiṣṇava. asat-saṅga tyāga ei baiṣṇaba-ācāra (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.87). Therefore, though one may be a sādhu, he should always remain cautious regarding such asat-saṅga.

     One may ask what the fate is of those who are sinful, suffering and distressed if the great sādhus remain at a distance, not giving them the holy association that would stop their sins and suffering and engage them in bhajana. Truly, the sādhu must through his association introduce them to the path of bhakti and turn them into virtuous people. But that requires that one have sufficient power. It is unwise to associate with a cobra while relying on medicine meant for a scorpion’s sting. Nothing beneficial can come from this. One should leave a place where he is not happy or where there is the likelihood of personal harm. To teach this to the society of sādhakas, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya, the embodiment of prema, has requested that we avoid the company of sinful people.

     Then he said, puṇya ye sukhera dhāma, tāra nā laiha nāma, puṇya mukti dui tyāga kari. Here, the word puṇya means performing activities such as worship, sacrifice, charity, generosity and so on to attain mundane happiness in this life and heavenly happiness in the next. This puṇya is the abode of worldly happiness or the producer of material sense-enjoyment. It is possible that after experiencing misery for some time as the result of sinful actions and reactions, a jīva may become disinterested in worldly affairs and eager for the path of bhakti and the association of devotees. But as a result of puṇya, the jīva becomes intoxicated by sense-enjoyment and cannot give up his interest in the world. Absorption in Bhagavān is hardly possible for a citta absorbed in sense objects. From Śrī-Viṣṇu-Purāṇa: viṣayāviṣṭa-cittānāṁ viṣṇv-āveśaḥ sudūrataḥ, vāruṇī dig-gataṁ vastu vrajan naindrīṁ kim āpnuyāt. “It is very difficult for people whose minds are absorbed in sense-objects to direct them toward Bhagavān Śrī Viṣṇu. How can a person traveling toward the east obtain an object located in the west?” By these words we understand that absorption in Bhagavān is the complete opposite of absorption in sense-enjoyment. Moreover, for a person submerged in sense-enjoyment and blinded by the pride of wealth, the primary causes of bhakti, namely mahat-saṅga (the association of great souls) and mahat-kṛpā (the mercy of great souls), are difficult to attain. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.10.18 says, sādhūnāṁ sama-cittānāṁ mukunda-caraṇaiṣiṇām, upekṣyaiḥ kiṁ dhana-stambhair asadbhir asad-āśrayaiḥ. “Why should even-minded sādhus who long only to serve Śrī Mukunda’s lotus feet associate with wealthy people who are proud of their riches, attached to bad company, contemptible and dishonest?” Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya therefore says to his own mind, puṇya ye sukhera dhāma, tāra nā laiha nāma. For the faithful bhakta, it is inappropriate to even speak of puṇya, which is the cause of sense-enjoyment. The rāgānugīya-sādhakas must give up all connection with sin and virtue brought about by dharma and adharma and perform abundant sevā to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Vrajadhāma. na dharmaṁ nādharmaṁ śruti-gaṇa-niruktaṁ kila kuru vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pracura-paricaryām iha tanu (from Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda’s Manaḥ-Śikṣā). “O mind! Give up completely the dharma and adharma of the Vedas and offer profuse service to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.”

     Those bhaktas who seek the highest benefit must abandon like seashells the desires for both bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (liberation): puṇya mukti dui tyāga kari. Not to speak of the desire for enjoyment, even the desire for liberation, which brings an end to birth, death and other worldly miseries, is a hindrance to the desire for bhakti. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has written the following: bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat piśācī hṛdi vartate, tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra katham abhyudayo bhavet? (Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 1.2.22). “As long as the demoness of longing for enjoyment or liberation remains in one’s heart, the joy of devotion cannot arise there.” Those who are free from the desire for mukti are especially blessed with the mercy of bhakti-devī: tatrāpi ca viśeṣeṇa gatim aṇvīm anicchataḥ, bhaktir hṛta-manaḥ-prāṇān premṇā tān kurute janān (Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 1.2.23). “Bhakti Devī particularly steals with love the hearts, souls and senses of people who are devoid of the desire for liberation.” Therefore he said, puṇya mukti dui tyāga kari.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 70 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাজার যে রাজ্য-পাট,        যেন নাটুয়ার নাট,

দেখিতে দেখিতে কিছু নয় ।

হেন মায়া করে যেই,        পরম ঈশ্বর সেই,

তারে মন সদা কর ভয় ॥ ৭০ ॥

rājāra ye rājya-pāṭa,        yena nāṭuyāra nāṭa,

dekhite dekhite kichu naya |

hena māyā kare yei,        parama īśvara sei,

tāre mana sadā kara bhaya || 70 ||

     The royal activities of a king are like the dramatic performance of an actor, but the king is unaware. O mind! You must at all times fear Parameśvara, the lord of māyā.

The Performance of an Actor

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya described the impermanence of the body and related things as well as the unbearable miseries of the various hells after death. Then, under the pretext of instructing his own mind, he gave directions to help the worldly people refrain from misdeeds. In this verse, he states that a king’s attachment for his kingdom and wealth, not to mention that of ordinary people, is like the dramatic performance of an actor and nothing more. Then, under the guise of giving instructions to his own mind, he teaches the misbehaving people to refrain from sinful actions by maintaining fear of Śrī Hari, the lord of māyā. rājāra ye rājya-pāṭa, yena nāṭuyāra nāṭa, dekhite dekhite kichu naya. When an actor plays the part of a king on stage, he wears garments and jewelry like a king, makes statements about the administration of the kingdom or about his wealth and property, and displays the pride and arrogance of a king. He converses with his ministers, gives orders to his generals and so on, but none of it is real. The actors know it and the audience knows it. During the performance, he doesn’t acquire anything like a kingdom or wealth, and at the end, he takes off the garments and leaves them. Then only ordinary people like Rāma, Śyāma and Yadu remain; no one is a king or minister. In the same way, a king, his kingdom and his wealth are all like components of a dramatic performance and nothing more. The only difference is that the performance of an actor lasts for a few hours or one night and the performance of a king lasts for several years. When the play of his life comes to an end and his bodily covering detaches and falls away, all connections with his kingdom and wealth disappear. Taking on his head the burden of the results of his karma, he wanders on a journey through endless wombs and miserable worldly deserts and forests. Everyone can understand that an actor is not a real king, and that his royal activities are merely a dramatic performance. But in the play of māyā, her bewildering power is such that she gives the playactor king or other bewildered jīvas no understanding at all. Perhaps if this knowledge is given, the drama will not unfold in a proper way.

     Alternatively, nāṭuyāra nāṭa can mean ‘only the conjuring of a magician.’ The kingdom and wealth of a monarch are like the conjuring of a magician: momentary and illusory only. The great magician Śrī Bhagavān has cast a splendid spell over the world through his māyā-śakti composed of the three guṇas. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs and bhogīs have no means of escape from the bewildering power of the great enchanter’s magic. A magician’s acts of conjuring cannot perplex his close friends, relatives or sheltered servants. In the same way, bhaktas sheltered at Śrī Bhagavān’s feet do not feel the influence of the actions of māyā. In Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 7.14, Śrī Bhagavān says, 

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā |

mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te ||

     “Composed of the three guṇas, this external energy of mine bewilders the jīvas and is very difficult to overcome. Only those who take shelter of me can cross over this ocean of illusion.” The person who renounces everything and takes shelter at Śrī Hari’s lotus feet obtains the treasure of śrī-bhagavad-bhajana and is forever blessed. Therefore, Śrī Bhagavān has taught us in Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 18.66 to give up our attachment to all illusory things and take shelter at his lotus feet:

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja |

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||

     “O Arjuna, abandon all dharmas, including varṇāśrama, and take refuge in me. I will free you from all sin; do not lament.” Here, the kingdom and wealth of a monarch have been called ‘a dramatic play’ or ‘the conjuring of a magician.’ No one should think that this universe created by māyā is an illusion like magic. This is the conclusion of the māyāvādīs. The universe is the illusory energy of Śrī Bhagavān. Therefore, though being transitory, it is not false. Actually, it is the mentality of ‘I and mine’ regarding the body and related things that is illusory like magic or simply delusion.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, hena māyā kare yei, parama īśvara sei, tāre mana sadā kara bhaya. Though Śrī Bhagavān is the lord of māyā, or beyond māyā, and is reality composed of existence, consciousness and joy, under his shelter māyā is able to display her power to the jīvas who have turned away from his lotus feet. With the authority gained by taking shelter of Śrī Bhagavān and remaining dependent upon him, māyā performs the work of bewildering the jīvas who are disinterested in Bhagavān. Because of that, he says, hena māyā kare yei, parama īśvara sei. In the discussion of the characteristics of māyā in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.33, Śrī Bhagavān personally said,

ṛte’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta na pratīyeta cātmani |

tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ ||

     Śrī Bhagavān said to Brahmā, “O Brahmā, I am the embodiment of the highest truth. The belief that something is outside of me or independent of me is known as my māyā. It is like a reflection, or darkness.” When something is believed to be outside of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-tattva, and at the same time cannot be perceived without svarūpa-tattva, that is māyā. This māyā is understood to be of two kinds: jīva-māyā and guṇa-māyā. By using the two examples of ābhāsa and tamas, Śrī Bhagavān has indicated the actions of jīva-māyā and guṇa-māyā. Jīva-māyā is like an ābhāsa. The radiant reflected image of a luminous object far away is called an ābhāsa. For example, if the sun’s reflection appears in a mirror, that reflection is called an ābhāsa. That reflection or ābhāsa manifests at a great distance from the sun, but if the sun did not exist, it would be impossible for the reflection to exist. In the same way, jīva-māyā is also situated outside of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa. It has authority over the jīvas who have turned away from Śrī Bhagavān, but not over his svarūpa. Still, if Śrī Bhagavān did not exist, neither would māyā.

     If a person happens to see the lustrous mass of splendor of the reflected sun in the mirror, his power of sight is covered, his vision goes black and he sees colors like blue, yellow and so on before him. Moreover, these colors are sometimes seen to appear in various specific shapes. In the same way, jīva-māyā covers the knowledge of the jīva and causes guṇa-māyā, composed of sattva, rajas and tamas, to appear before him. After depositing the ignorance of these three guṇas over the jīva’s intelligence, it creates the vast universe. Although the original light is not situated in a shadow, without its support, darkness cannot exist. In the same way, guṇa-māyā is not perceived without Śrī Bhagavān, the embodiment of ultimate truth. Jīva-māyā has the faculty of being the instrumental or efficient cause while guṇa-māyā is the operative or material cause.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has therefore said, hena māyā kare yei, parama īśvara sei, tāre mana sadā kara bhaya. “O mind! You must at all times fear Parameśvara, the lord of māyā.” The inclination to perform sinful acts may awaken in those who have no fear of God. The minds of those who fear God can never go to sinful thoughts. The purport is that the all-containing, all-pervading Parameśvara is the seer of everyone’s heart, mind, intellect and soul. No one can perform some misdeed and then avoid his sight. Someone may secretly commit a sinful act, and by avoiding the eyes of the worldly people, he can externally pretend to be a good person. But no one can throw dust in the eyes of the all-seeing Śrī Hari. Therefore, if one maintains this fear of God, it will be impossible for his sinful inclinations to awaken. Actually, God is the object of love, not of fear.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 69 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

পাপ-পুণ্যময় দেহ,        সকলই অনিত্য এহ,

ধন জন সব মিছা ধন্দ ।

মরিলে যাইবে কোথা,        ইহাতে না পাও ব্যথা,

তবু নিতি কর কার্য মন্দ ॥ ৬৯ ॥

pāpa-puṇyamaya deha,        sakalai anitya eha,

dhana jana saba michā dhanda |

marile yāibe kothā,        ihāte nā pāo byathā,

tabu niti kara kārya manda || 69 ||

     Bodies are made of sin and virtue; all are transitory. Wealth, followers, all such things are illusion or confusion of reality. Where will you go after death? Does this not trouble you? Yet you still perform harmful acts every day.

Illusion and Confusion

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya proclaimed that all discussions other than those about the love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or the related bhajana are only useless noise, and he has forbidden the hearing or speaking of such topics. Now, a question may arise: Are philosophical discussions about the transitory nature of the body and all related to it, or about the distinction between matter and spirit, or other such discussions also only useless noise? If that were the case, why would our ācāryas have introduced so many philosophical conclusions, and why are the high-minded bhaktas seen to engage in so much discussion about philosophy? The author has presented this verse in response to such a question.

     Hari-bhajana never occurs if one maintains attachment for the body and things related, meaning spouse, children, wealth, other people and so on. The reason is that the mind cannot be attached to worldly sense-objects and Śrī Bhagavān at the same time. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.27 says, viṣayān dhyāyataś cittaṁ viṣayeṣu viṣajjate, mām-anusmarataś cittaṁ mayy eva pravilīyate. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Śrī Uddhava, “The mind of a person who thinks of sense-objects becomes attached to those sense-objects. The mind absorbed at every moment in thinking of me becomes submerged in me.” Furthermore, Śrī Bhagavān has also said this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.21.22: viṣayābhiniveśena nātmānaṁ veda nāparam, vṛkṣa-jīvikayā jīvan vyarthaṁ bhastreva yaḥ śvasan. “A person whose mind is absorbed in sense-objects can know neither himself nor the Supreme Self. As though unconscious like a tree, he uselessly consumes sense-objects to sustain his life and breathes with futility like a blacksmith’s bellows. Therefore, he is as good as dead.” Needless to say, if a person absorbed in the body and related things is unable to worship even in vidhi-bhakti, then rāga-bhakti, the highest and most confidential worship of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, is never possible for him. For this reason, discussions regarding the impermanence of the body and related things along with discussions about the distinction between spirit and matter remain essential.

     One may ask, “All those philosophical discussions may be necessary in the beginning stages of bhajana, but why do we see that great devotees who are deeply absorbed in bhajana also discuss those tattvas?” The logical reply to this question is that even those who have understood, by the influence of good association and study of śāstra, that everything other than Śrī Bhagavān is transient are still susceptible to becoming attached to the body and related things by the influence of materialists and by contact with the sense-objects. Therefore, occasional discussions about the utter unreality of all these impermanent things diminish one’s attachment for them. Sometimes the minds of rāgānugā-sādhakas are stolen away from smaraṇa and other limbs of bhajana and they become absorbed in the body and things related to it. If at that time the sādhakas engage with virtuous people in discussions about the impermanence of all these things, they can give up their attachment to transient sense-objects and engage their minds in smaraṇa. Therefore, from time to time, rāgānugā-sādhakas also discuss philosophical topics such as the impermanence of worldly things and so on among their discussions of yugala-bhajana.

     Having ascertained this spiritual truth, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya advises his own mind: pāpa-puṇyamaya deha, sakalai anitya eha, dhana jana saba michā dhanda. As the result of sins, a person obtains a body subjected to distress and poverty and pained by endless diseases, bereavement and other afflictions. As the result of piety, one obtains a body suitable for the enjoyment of sense-objects. All these bodies are transitory, like water bubbles that last only for a moment. An intelligent person must constantly remain prepared to give up his perishable body and must always bear in mind that all his wealth, property, friends, relatives and so on are nothing but an illusion or confusion of reality. The work of illusion is to cause the intellect to perceive spirit where there is none. Because of such deception and confusion, a person thinks the source of instability, impermanence, difficulty, suffering, pain and grief is actually the cause of stability, constancy and joy. He claims “my and mine” regarding wealth, people and other perishable things that never belonged to him and to which he has not even the slightest right. In the absence of these things, the person who is captivated by illusion becomes unstable. Always thinking of various sense-objects, he squanders the years of this rare lifetime, which is suitable for sādhana and difficult for even the gods to attain. Śrī Bhagavān spoke to Śrī Arjuna about the poisonous fruit of contemplating the sense-objects in Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 2.62-63:

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate |

saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho’bhijāyate ||

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ |

smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati ||

     When a person contemplates objects that are perceivable to the senses, attachment appears. From attachment, the desire to enjoy those objects appears. If the desire for enjoyment is obstructed, anger appears. From anger, illusion appears in the form of loss of judgement regarding what is to be done and what is not. From illusion, loss of memory or forgetfulness of the beneficial instructions of śāstra occurs. From that, intelligence is lost and everything is ruined, meaning the person rotates repeatedly through various wombs and suffers terribly in miserable hells.

     Therefore Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, marile yāibe kothā, ihāte nā pāo byathā, tabu niti kara kārya manda. There is nothing in life more certain than death. Everyone knows that death may swallow the jīva at any moment, and that with death, all connections with this world are completely obliterated. Still, māyā has such bewildering power over the world of the jīva that even though a person gets a human body possessed of wisdom and intellect, he forgets death, of which there is nothing more certain. Enchanted by the wonders of the world, he is repeatedly devoured by the dreadful jaws of birth and death. The māyā-bound jīva worries about where he will go after death, fearful about what condition he might fall into in some dark realm. It is appropriate for a māyā-bound person to feel distressed after contemplating these things. Having learned from śāstra about the terrible miseries of hell and so on, he should give up all unfavorable actions and take shelter at the death-preventing lotus feet of Śrī Govinda. A description has been given at the end of the fifth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regarding the sinful jīva’s horrible torments in hell.

     If one is able to always keep death in mind, it will be impossible for him to ever perform bad actions. I have heard a beautiful example of this: A king was nearly dead after having been stricken by some fatal disease. Though he received different kinds of treatments, he could not be cured and thus gave up hope in living. Meanwhile, a sādhu arrived in the kingdom. To cure the king and help him regain his strength, the sādhu made him drink some juice made from the leaves of a tree. Every day, in the presence of the king, the sādhu would himself drink three times the amount of juice the king drank. By drinking the juice, the king’s disease was eliminated as though by the power of a mantra and he gradually regained his health and strength. His body slowly got stronger, but along with the increase in strength, extremely impure thoughts began to appear in his mind. Gradually, his heart and mind became unsteady from the excitation of his wicked inclinations. One day as he was drinking the juice, he said to the sādhu, “O revered one, because I drank the juice you gave me, my disease is gone and no doubt my body is healthy and strong, but impure thoughts have come to my mind and I am slowly going down the path of destruction. I want to ask you a question: Every day you drank three times the amount of juice that I did; how have you kept your brahmacarya intact?” When he heard the king’s words, the sādhu immediately said, “Mahārāja, I will reply to your question later. Just now I saw your death time in the lines on your palm: you will die one month from today.” After hearing this, the king became extremely alarmed and asked the sādhu if it could somehow be prevented. The sādhu replied, “Mahārāja, your death is certain; if there is a way to prevent it, it will only be with this juice. So you must increase the amount you drink fourfold.” As directed by the sādhu, the king began to drink four times the amount of juice. By the power of the juice, his body began to quickly increase in strength. The bad thoughts were no longer in his mind because it had become so restless from thinking about his death. Two days later, the sādhu asked the king, “Mahārāja, are your evil inclinations oppressing you now? Are you drinking four times the amount of juice?” The king replied, “O saintly one, my mind is now constantly unsteady because I always think of my death; therefore, how can any more wicked inclinations arise in it?” The sādhu said, “Mahārāja, your death will still come in one month; because of this, your bad mentality has vanished. I always see death in front of me, so how can evil thoughts find a place in my mind? Mahārāja, if one always keeps in mind the transitory nature of the body, there will be no place there for evil propensities. To help you realize this, I said you had only one month to live, but actually, you will live for a long time.” By following the instructions of the sādhu, the king was cured of his bodily sickness and he understood the transient nature of the body and all related to it. By taking shelter of Śrī Govinda’s lotus feet, he even obtained freedom from worldly disease.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 68 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

ব্রজপুর-বনিতার,        চরণ-আশ্রয় সার,

কর মন একান্ত করিয়া ।

অন্য বোল গণ্ডগোল,        না শুনহ উতরোল,

রাখ প্রেম হৃদয়ে ভরিয়া ॥ ৬৮ ॥

brajapura-banitāra,        caraṇa-āśraya sāra,

kara mana ekānta kariyā |

anya bola gaṇḍagola,        nā śunaha utarola,

rākha prema hṛdaye bhariyā || 68 || 

     O mind! Take exclusive shelter at the feet of the girls of Vrajapura. All other talk is just noise; do not listen to it. Keep the surge of love within your heart.

     टीका–उतरोल उत्तरलः ॥

Exclusive Shelter

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is absorbed again in the mood of a sādhaka, his mystic vision having faded. He is giving to his own mind the most essential or most substantial instruction regarding rāgānugā-bhajana: brajapura-banitāra, caraṇa-āśraya sāra, kara mana ekānta kariyā. “O mind! Take exclusive shelter at the feet of the girls of Vrajapura.” We have said that in rāgānugā-bhajana, the sādhaka must contemplate the loving service he performs to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his companions in his siddha-deha, which has been given by the guru and is suitable for the particular mood of service. During that meditation, the primary focus should be on the bhāva (mood). Without concentrating on the bhāva, a suitable body will be very difficult to attain. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sādhaka worships in gopī-bhāva; therefore, he is able to progress in bhajana to the extent that his longing for gopī-bhāva grows and to the extent his heart and mind are affected by it. Eagerness for the Vrajadevīs’ sweet bhāva and eagerness to know about their method of tasting Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya are characteristics of rāgānugā-bhajana. The Vrajadevīs’ sweet mood and their way of tasting Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is their personal treasure. Among countless bhaktas, none but them has this unique wealth of bhāva. Therefore, without their mercy, it is impossible to generate a desire for that treasure. To attain their mercy, the sādhaka must take exclusive shelter at their lotus feet. By doing so, he will also become familiar with their bhāva. What can be said of others who don’t follow this bhāva? Even Svayaṁ Vaikuṇṭheśvarī Śrī Lakṣmīdevī does not get to touch the dust of Śrī Vrajendranandana’s lotus feet. On the other hand, the śrutis followed the gopīs. After attaining gopī-bhāva, they became qualified to perform the rāsa dance with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in their gopī bodies. In Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 9.133-136, Śrīman Mahāprabhu said to Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa,

śruti-saba gopī-gaṇera anugata haiyā |

brajeśvarī-suta bhaje gopī-bhāba laiyā || 

bāhyāntare gopī-deha braje yabe pāila |

sei dehe kṛṣṇa-saṅge rāsa-krīḍā kaila ||

gopa-jāti kṛṣṇa–gopī preyasī tāṅhāra |

debī bā anya strī kṛṣṇa na kare aṅgīkāra ||

lakṣmī cāhe sei dehe kṛṣṇera saṅgama |

gopikā anugā hañā nā kaila bhajana ||

     The śrutis performed bhajana in allegiance to the gopīs and obtained gopī forms, along with the right to serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vraja. This is celebrated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.23:

nibhṛta-marun-mano’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan

munaya upāsate tad arayo’pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt |

striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇḍa-viṣakta-dhiyo

vayam api te samāḥ sama-dṛśo’ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ ||

     The śrutis said to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “O Lord! The spiritual truth that is worshiped in the hearts of great sages who have controlled their breath, mind and senses is attained even by your enemies simply by remembering you. Moreover, your eternally beloved gopīs, who long for your large, serpentine arms, as well as we who have attained equal vision and a bhāva like theirs, have obtained the nectar of your lotus feet. Meaning, just as the gopīs have obtained the right to serve you in the form of Śrī Nandanandana, we also, in allegiance to them, have obtained gopī forms and have been blessed to taste the sweetness of your sevā.” ‘sama-dṛśaḥ’-śabde kahe sei bhābe anugati, ‘samā’-śabde kahe śrutira gopī-deha prāpti (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.225). Therefore, there is no way to taste Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s ujjvala-rasa-mādhurī than by taking shelter at the lotus feet of the gopīs.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has instructed his own mind to take exclusive shelter at the feet of the gopikās. Taking exclusive shelter means giving up the mind’s attachment or absorption in any other subject and taking shelter with one’s body, mind and words solely and thoroughly at the feet of the gopīs. Exclusive shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the crown-jewel of all gopikās, is the ultimate goal of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas who are devoted to rādhā-dāsya. Their ekāntitva or deep attachment for their object of devotion is truly amazing. Because the worshipers of Śrī Hari are superior to those worshipers who desire some reward, they are called ekāntī or devoted to one aim. For this reason, they only have faith in spiritual truths. Moreover, those devotees whose hearts and minds are attracted to the form of Śrī Nandanandana are greater than the devotees of any other form of Śrī Hari. Just as Śrī Hari has with deep love accepted exclusive dependence upon them, in the same way, no form of Śrī Hari but Śrī Nandanandana can capture their hearts and minds. Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has written the following in Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 1.2.58:

tatrāpy ekāntināṁ śreṣṭhā govinda-hṛta-mānasāḥ |

yeṣāṁ śrīśa-prasādo’pi mano hartuṁ na śaknuyāt ||

     “Among the exclusive devotees of the various forms of Śrī Hari, the bhaktas whose minds and hearts have been stolen by Śrī Nandanandana are the best, because even the graciousness of the great Śrī Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of the spiritual sky, cannot attract them.” Moreover, those bhaktas who have offered their lives at the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the crown-jewel of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s girlfriends, and are devoted to mañjarī-bhāva, have such amazing single-mindedness that without Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the magnanimity of Śrī Vrajendranandana alone cannot steal their minds. When Śrī Rādhārāṇī wanted to give him (in his mañjarī form) to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda said, tvaṁ cet kṛpāṁ mayi vidhāsyasi naiva kiṁ me, prāṇair vrajena ca varoru bakāriṇāpi (Vilāpa-Kusumāñjali 102). “O Śrī Rādhā! O one with beautiful thighs! If you do not give me your mercy, then what use is my life, my staying in Vraja or even Śrī Kṛṣṇa?” Their faith is only tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vinā (Vilāpa-Kusumāñjali 96): “O Rādhā! I am yours! I am yours! I cannot live without you!” There is no comparison anywhere to the single-minded devotion in this state of exclusive shelter or highest śaraṇāgati. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said, brajapura-banitāra, caraṇa-āśraya sāra, kara mana ekānta kariyā. Those who have accepted engrossment in the body and all related to it, or bear the self-concept of being a physical woman or man, do not take exclusive shelter at Śrī Rādhā’s feet or devote themselves to her. The awakening of one’s own guru-given mañjarī-svarūpa is essential. This svarūpa self-concept does not accept any connection with anyone in the material world. For the sādhaka absorbed in mañjarī-bhāva, the universe is empty without the presence of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet. To the degree of the sādhaka’s devotional practices and mercy from the great souls, his sādhana will be slight, moderate or intense. Accordingly, his eternally perfect, sevā-suitable pārṣada body will at first be indistinct, then gradually somewhat clear and finally very clear. The sādhaka’s self-concept in that pārṣada body also awakens in a similar fashion and he takes shelter at the feet of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the crown-jewel of the Vraja girls, in the same single-minded way.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, anya bola gaṇḍagola, nā śunaha utarola, rākha prema hṛdaye bhariyā. “All other talk is just noise; do not listen to it. Keep the surge of love within your heart.” Other than discussions about bhajana in allegiance to the gopīs, all other news is simply useless noise. When we hear and repeat information about some object, it causes our hearts and minds to become absorbed in that object. Thus, for those who practice rāgānugā-bhakti with profound absorption in their cherished object, any discussion about something else is a distraction to their minds. Therefore, after giving up the association of incompatible people and ceasing to hear, speak or think of other news, the mañjarī-bhāva-sādhaka must hear and speak of topics related to his object of desire in the association of affectionate rasika-bhaktas who have similar aspirations.

     Moreover, he said, “Keep the surge of love within your heart.” The meaning is that if the love in your heart overflows and is about to manifest externally, you must endeavor to restrain its force within. It is inappropriate to display symptoms of prema like tears, horripilation or other sāttvika-bhāvas, or anubhāvas like dancing, rolling about and so on, in an assembly of worldly-minded people. Intelligent bhaktas should keep their prema hidden like a great treasure when in the presence of worldly people. Furthermore, if a bhakta allows a surge of prema to manifest externally even in an assembly of virtuous people, his humility will be diminished and he will become famous as a respected premika. Therefore, you must keep your prema hidden safely in your heart at all times. It is seen that if steam is confined in some type of apparatus, it builds up powerful pressure and can help move even a very large machine. In the same way, if powerful prema is confined within a bhakta’s heart, it forces the body-machine to move and very soon brings him to the lotus feet of his cherished object. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written the following in Prema-Sampuṭa 68 regarding Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s mutual love:

premā dvayo rasikayor ayi dīpa eva

hṛd-veśma bhāsayati niścala eva bhāti |

dvārād ayaṁ vadanatas tu bahis-kṛtaś cet

nirvāti śīghram athavā laghutām upaiti ||

     “The lamp of prema illumines the heart abodes of both the charming lovers and shines without flicker. But if it were to escape through the door of the mouth, it would be extinguished quickly or become diminished.” It is understood by this example that prema is also harmed if it is revealed externally. Therefore, thoughtful, magnanimous bhaktas do not expose their prema; they always keep it within their hearts.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 67 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

শীতল-কিরণ-কর,        কল্পতরু গুণধর,

তরু-লতা ছয়-ঋতু সেবা ।

গোবিন্দ আনন্দময়,        নিকটে বনিতাচয়,

মধুর বিহার অতিশোভা ॥ ৬৭ ॥

śītala-kiraṇa-kara,        kalpa-taru guṇa-dhara,

taru-latā chaya-ṛtu sebā |

gobinda ānanda-maya,        nikaṭe banitā-caya,

madhura bihāra atiśobhā || 67 ||

     Śrī Vṛndāvana is illumined by the soothing rays of the moon. Her trees and creepers are like desire trees; she is served by the six seasons. The sweet pastimes of joyful Govinda with his girlfriends are very beautiful.

The Beauty of Śrī Vṛndāvana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: By saying tribhubane śobhā-sāra, hena sthāna nāhi āra in the last half of the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has given a hint of the splendor of Śrī Vṛndāvana, the most beautiful place in the three worlds. In this verse, he gives a brief description of that beauty: śītala-kiraṇa-kara, kalpa-taru guṇa-dhara, taru-latā chaya-ṛtu sebā. Śītala-kiraṇa-kara means Śrī Vṛndāvana is illumined by the soothing rays of the moon. In the previous verse it was said, bṛndābana-bhūmi tejomaya. The self-luminous Vrajabhūmi personally appears here. Because of this, there is no need for the sun or moon, so they rise only to nourish the earthly līlā. But that sun and moon are not like the material universe; they are cinmaya or spiritual and constantly drop beams of sweetness and charm. In his commentary on the śriyaḥ kāntāḥ verse of Śri-Brahma-Saṁhitā, Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following regarding the words cid-ānandaṁ jyotiḥ param api tad-āsvādyam api ca: jyotir laukika-līlā-mādhuryāya mahāpralaye’py anaśvaraṁ sūryādi-rūpaṁ yat tatra vartate, tathā teṣām āsvādyam api yat kiñcit tat sarvaṁ cid-ānanda-rūpaṁ param api parama-tattvam eva, na tu prākṛtam. candrārkayoḥ sthitiś ca tatra vilakṣaṇatvenaiva gautamīya-tantre kathitā. samānodita-candrārkam iti hi vṛndāvana-viśeṣaṇam. samānatvaṁ ca rātrau rātrau rākā-candramayatvād iti (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Sandarbhaḥ 172 anuḥ). “Even though the dhāma is self-manifest and self-luminous, still, to reveal the sweetness of the humanlike pastimes, an indestructible sun and moon shine there even after the universal dissolution. That light and everything else to be enjoyed by the residents of that cinmaya-dhāma is spiritual, of the nature of consciousness and joy. Nothing there is material. The uncommon existence of the sun and moon there has been described in the Gautamīya-Tantra. Vṛndāvana has a samānodita-candrārkam or ‘uniformly risen moon and sun.’ There, the full moon rises every night!” The soothing halo of that full moon spreads across the heavens and falls upon the bosom of Vṛndāvana’s spiritual form, keeping the place of Śrī Gopīnātha’s pastimes with the gopīs pleasant, charming and radiant with joy.

     All of Śrī Vṛndāvana’s trees and creepers bear the qualities of a kalpa-taru or kalpa-latā (wish-fulfilling tree or creeper). In Śrī-Brahma-Saṁhitā, the words kalpa-taravo drumāḥ mean that every tree in Vṛndāvana is a kalpa-taru. In the Rudra-Yāmala-Tantra, Śrīman Mahādeva said to Śrī Gaurī Devī,

vīthyāṁ vīthyāṁ nivāso’dhara-madhu-suvacas tatra santānakānām

eke rākendu-koṭy-ātapa-viśada-karās teṣu caike kamante |

rāme rātrer virāme samudita-tapana-dyoti-sindhūpameya

ratnāṅgānāṁ suvarṇa-cita-mukura-rucas tebhya eke drumendrāḥ ||

yat-kusumaṁ yadā mṛgyaṁ yat phalaṁ ca varānane |

tat tadaiva prasūyante vṛndāvana-sura-drumāḥ ||

     After quoting these two verses in Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Sandarbhaḥ 172 anuḥ, Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda gives an explanation, the gist of which is, “O one who speaks sweetly! O fair one! Bejeweled wish-fulfilling trees line the paths to Śrī Vṛndāvana. Among them, some of these excellent trees are as brilliant as a full moon with millions of rays. O charming one! Others are splendorous like the newly risen sun. Some trees possess a luster greater than all the rest; they are like mirrors made of gold. O lovely one! When one searches for a particular fruit or flower, the kalpa-vṛkṣas of Śrī Vṛndāvana immediately bring forth that very fruit or flower.” The kalpa-vṛkṣas of Śrī Vṛndāvana are able to give any object of human pursuit to those who desire them. But because such aiśvarya is an obstacle to mādhurya-līlā, it does not manifest itself. Nor do any of the residents there desire it. kalpa-bṛkṣa latāra yāṅhā sāhajika bana, phala-phula binā keho nā māge anya dhana (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14.222). “In this natural forest, no one asks for riches other than the fruits and flowers of the desire trees and creepers.” Though bearing all the qualities of kalpa-vṛkṣas and kalpa-latās, the trees and creepers of Śrī Vṛndāvana simply decorate Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastime places with great beauty, thus giving them much delight in their amorous play. The following is written in Śrī-Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛtam 10.83-84:

vicitra-patra-pallava-prasūna-guccha-jālakair

apāram ullasan mahāmaranda-sindhu-nirjharam |

vicitra-rociṣācitaṁ sudhā-rasātmakaiḥ phalaiḥ

smarāmi kṛṣṇa-kānane vicitra-śākhi-maṇḍalam ||

ananta-hari-rādhikā-praṇaya-phulla-vallī-drumaṁ

tad-aṅghri-rasa-vihvalaiḥ khaga-mṛgādibhir maṇḍitam |

tad adbhuta-vilāsavan-nava-nikuñja-puṣpodayaṁ

smarāmy atimahojjvalan madhura-vṛnda-vṛndāvanam ||

     “I meditate upon the amazing trees of Śrī Vṛndāvana. They are jubilant with endless varieties of leaves, sprouts and clusters of flowers. They are great fountains of nectar, pervaded by multicolored splendor and filled with nectarous fruits.

     “I meditate upon Śrī Vṛndāvana, forever decorated with brilliant and charming qualities. Its ever-new bowers are always filled with the astonishing pastimes of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. It is beautified by trees and creepers blooming with boundless love for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and adorned with animals and birds overwhelmed by the rasa from their lotus feet.”

     The six seasons always serve Śrī Vṛndāvana. The moon, sun, wind and time are all servants of the līlā. To aid in making Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes pleasant, some groves in Śrī Vṛndāvana are beautified by one season, some by two seasons and some by all six at once, wherein the climates of every season appear simultaneously along with beautiful animals, birds, trees, fruits and flowers.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, gobinda ānanda-maya, nikaṭe banitā-caya, madhura bihāra atiśobhā. Śrī Vṛndāvana is illuminated by the cooling rays of its spiritual moon and constantly served by the six seasons. Joyful Śrī Govinda looks very beautiful submerged in the sweeter than sweet rasa of his pastimes in the kalpa-vṛkṣa groves with the girls of Vraja. In this half-verse, the author has indicated the great and inconceivable meeting place of Śrī Gopīnātha with the gopīs in the transcendentally beautiful Śrī Vṛndāvana. In the conversation between Īśvara and Devī in the Svāyambhuvāgama, there is a meditation on the yogapīṭha within the halo of Śrī Vṛndāvana’s incomparable beauty.

pīyūṣa-latikā-kīrṇāṁ nānā-sattva-niṣevitām |

sarvartu-sukhadāṁ svacchāṁ sarva-jantu-sukhāvahām ||

nīlotpala-dala-śyāmāṁ vāyunā cālitāḥ mṛdu |

vṛndāvana-parāgais tu vāsitāṁ kṛṣṇa-vallabhām ||

sīmni kuñja-taṭāṁ yoṣit-krīḍā-maṇḍapa-madhyamām |

kālindīṁ saṁsmared dhīmān suvarṇa-taṭa-paṅkajām ||

nitya-nūtana-puṣpādi-rañjitaṁ sukha-saṅkulam |

svātmānanda-sukhotkarṣa-śabdādi viṣayātmakam ||

nānā-citra-vihaṅgādi-dhvanibhiḥ parirañjitam |

nānā-ratna-latā-śobhi mattāli-dhvani-maṇḍitam ||

cintāmaṇi-paricchannaṁ jyotsnā-jāla-samākulam |

sarvartu-phala-puṣpāḍhyaṁ pravālaiḥ śobhitaṁ pari ||

kālindī-jala-saṁsargī-vayunā kampitaṁ muhuḥ |

vṛndāvanaṁ kusumitaṁ nānā-vṛksa-vihaṅgamaiḥ ||

saṁsmaret sādhako dhīmān vilāsaika-niketanam |

ekī-bhāvo dvayor yatra vṛkṣayor madhya-deśataḥ ||

tad-adhaś cintayed devi maṇi-maṇḍapam uttamam |

trilokī-sukha-sarvasvaṁ suyantraṁ keli-vallabham ||

tatra siṁhāsane ramye nānā-ratnamaye sukhe |

sumano’dhika-mādhurya-komale sukha-saṁstare ||

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

tatra prema-bharākrāntaṁ kiśoraṁ pīta-vāsanam |

kalāya-kusuma-śyāmaṁ lāvaṇyaika-niketanam ||

līlā-rasa-sukhāmbhodhi-saṁmagnaṁ sukha-sāgaram |

navīna-nīradābhāsaṁ candrikāñcita-kuntalam ||

     “An intelligent person should deeply contemplate the River Yamunā. She is like a creeper filled with nectar; she is always being served by many kinds of creatures; she bestows pleasure in all seasons; her water is crystal clear; she gives happiness to all living beings; she is dark in color, like the petals of a blue lotus; her waves roll gently in the wind; she is perfumed by the pollen of Vṛndāvana’s flowers; she is very dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In a bower on the Yamunā’s bank lies the pastime pavilion of the vraja-sundarīs. The earth on her shores is golden, and beautiful golden lotuses grow from her waters.

     “An intelligent sādhaka should deeply contemplate the flower-covered Śrī Vṛndāvana, the sole abode of amorous sports. That Vṛndāvana is brightly colored with ever-fresh flowers; is always filled with happiness; is full of sense objects that increase the pleasure born of one’s realization of his own true nature; brings delight with the sounds of her different kinds of birds and so on; is beautified by various kinds of jeweled creepers; is adorned with the humming sounds of drunken bees; is decorated with cintāmaṇi (desire-fulfilling gems); is pervaded by moonlight; is filled with fruits and flowers of all seasons; green and tender leaves abound everywhere; a gentle Malayan breeze always blows across the waters of the Kālindī; many different kinds of beautiful trees and birds reside there.

     “O Devī! At one place in Vṛndāvana a pair of kalpa-vṛkṣas have grown together. Imagine beneath them a pavilion decorated with exquisite gems. It is the abode of happiness for the three worlds, a beautiful yantra and a favorite place for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Within that lies a charming, jewel-studded throne, covered by a cushion soft as a flower, elegant and comfortable. On that throne sits a love-struck teenage boy dressed in yellow cloth. His complexion is dark blue, like a grass-pea flower. He is the singular abode of charm. He is submerged in an ocean of happiness born of his nectarous pastimes; he is himself an ocean of happiness. His complexion is the color of a new cloud and his hair is always adorned with a peacock feather.” He plays his flute softly and sweetly with his flower-bud lips, and when the countless loving young girls of Vraja hear this subtle madhura sound, they are attracted and come to him from all sides. Vṛndāvana is inundated with a flood of the sweet nectar of the Vraja girls’ loving pastimes with Śrī Govinda, the direct embodiment of the erotic sentiment. Like this, they remain immersed in the play of ever-fresh rasa. The poet Vidyāpati has sung the following:

naba bṛndābana, naba naba taru-gaṇa, naba naba bikasita phula |

nabala basanta, nabala malayānila, mātāla naba ali-kula ||

biharai nabala-kiśora |

kālindī-pulina, kuñja naba śobhana, naba naba prema bibhora ||

nabala rasāla, mukula-madhu-mātiyā, naba kokila-kula gāya |

naba yubatī-gaṇa, citta umatāyai, naba rase kānane dhāya ||

naba yubarāja, nabala naba nāgarī, mīlaye naba naba bhāti |

niti niti aichana, naba naba khelana, bidyāpati-mati māti ||

     “In fresh Vṛndāvana, a fresh adolescent boy sports among fresh trees bearing freshly blooming flowers. Springtime is fresh, fresh Malayan breezes blow gently and drunken young bees buzz about. Overwhelmed by fresh love, he wanders in a beautiful fresh bower on the banks of the Yamunā, filled with the singing of young cuckoos high on the nectar from fresh mango blooms. Fresh young girls, with hearts excited by fresh rasa, run through the forest. The young prince meets his young lover and their splendor is doubly fresh. Fresh pastimes like this always bewilder Vidyāpati’s mind.”

     In some books, another verse is seen either before or after the current one: pūrṇacandra, samajyoti, cid-ānandamaya-mūrti, mahālīlā-daraśana lobhā; duṅhu preme ḍagamagi, doṅhe doṅhā anurāgī, duṅhu-rūpe duṅhu-mana lobhā. “In this supremely beautiful Vṛndāvana, Śrī Govinda, whose bodily splendor is more radiant and cooling than a full moon, who is the condensed form of consciousness and joy, who is eager to witness his wonderful pastimes, this Śrī Govinda is submerged in līlā-rasa with the girls of Vraja. Moreover, in Śrī Vṛndāvana, Śrī Rādhārāṇī surpasses all in love, beauty and sweetness; she is the crest-jewel of all the girls of Vraja. Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava are submerged in mutual love; they are deeply devoted to each other and their hearts and minds are allured solely by their love for each other.”