Ujjvala Nilamani part 4

This is the fourth blog on my readings of Srila Rupa Goswamipada's Ujjvala Nilamani and its commentaries -

Chapter 10 deals with uddeepan, or incitements of ecstatic love.

Un 10.28 Visvanath Cakravarti tika -

chAyAyAH kAntes taralatvaM taraGgAyamAnatvam - Labanya is like a wave of luster.

atha abhirUpatA—

yad AtmIya-guNotkarSair vastv anyan nikaTa-sthitam |

sArUpyaM nayati prAjJair AbhirUpyaM tad ucyate ||33||

AbhirUpatA: "When, due to its excellent qualities, an object makes a nearby object assume similar qualities, the wise call it abhirupata."

vakSoje tava campaka-cchavim avaSTambhoru-kumbhopame

rAdhe kokanada-zriyaH karatale sindUrataH sundare |

drAg indindira-bandhureSu cikureSv indIvarAbhAM vahann

ekaH kairava-korako vitanute puSpa-trayI-vibhramam ||35||

FOR INSTANCE-

"O Radhe! When it rests on your golden breasts shaped like large pots, this white lotus bud appears like a golden campaka flower. When you hold it in your beautiful palm it appears like a red lotus because of the hand’s redness, and when it is placed in your locks of hair, black like a bee, it at once appears like a blue lotus. In this way this white lotus bud assumes the beauty of three different flowers."

UN 10.40 Both Jiva Goswami and Visvanath Cakravarti mention China, showing that the acaryas were aware of the outside world.

UN 10.41 Visvanath Cakravarti tika - Discoloring due to separation does not make the gopis ugly, on the contrary – suffering separation in the spiritual world is the greatest happiness and such happiness enhances the gopis’ luster.

UN 10.59 Some argue that the gopis did not cover their heads with their veils, but in his tika Visvanath Cakravarti writes kezeSu vastrAcchAditeSv. Krishna says: ‘Her hairs are covered by Her garment’.

UN 11.7 Visvanath Cakravarti tika - prAkRta-vastunApy aprAkRta-padArthasyopamA nAsamaJjasA | meghAdineva zrI-kRSNasya aprAkRta-vastUnAM loke sAkSAd anupalabdher iti

It is not improper to use a material example for a spiritual subject, since people cannot grasp spiritual objects directly. Thus Krishna is compared to a cloud and other material objects.

tene brahma hRdA ya Adi-kavaye muhyanti yat sUrayaH, tejo-vAri-mRdAM yathA vinimayaH [bhA.pu. 1.1.1] iti | ya Adyasya rasyasya kavayaH kAvya-kRto muhyanti | bhrameNAlakSye`pi prAkRta-rasa-lakSaNasya saGgamanAt | tatra dRSTAntas tejo-vArIti

Visvanath Cakravarti compares the mistaking of spiritual eros for material eros with the phrase in the first verse of the Bhagavat, tejo vari mridam – mistaking fire or earth for water.

UN 13.96 Visvanath Cakravarti tika - kiM cAtra kusuma-padena zleSeNAnyo bIbhatsito`rtho na vyaJjitavyaH sarvAsAm eva vraja-bAlAnAM zrI-kRSNa-nitya-saGgArthaM yogamAyayaiva strI-dharma-rUpasya rajasaH sarvathaivAnutpAditatvAt | prakRte`rthe ca rajasvalA kiM punaH sambhogAnukUlA bhavatIti tan-niSedho`pi nopapadyate svid iti ca vicAryam „The other meaning of the word kusuma, menstruation, can not be used because it is disgusting. So that they can be eternally [always] enjoyed by Sri Krishna, Yogamaya has arranged for them never to menstruate, though this is natural for fertile women. Thus, though it is forbidden in the material world to have intercourse during menstruation, this needs not even be considered in relation to the gopis.”

It makes sense because fertile girls are contaminated about 1/7 part of the time, so if 100 gopis would go out to meet Krishna every day, about 14 of them would be unsuitable for His enjoyment. The babies of the gopis mentioned in the Bhagavat are said by our acaryas to be babies of their sisters and nieces, not their own. Other than that there is no mentioning of the gopis ever having children, whereas in Vedic culture it is natural that the young bride has a child within a year of marriage.

UN 14.31 nirhetutvam eveti siddhAnte vyaJjite lokokti-rItyaivaite hetava uktA iti – Though rati has no cause it is said to have a cause for popular understanding, in popular parlance. In other words, causeless matters are explained in causal terms, to make it understandable for the common man. Just as God has never created anything or anyone because both matter and spirit are beginningless (prakritam purusam caiva viddhy anAdi ubhAv api, Gita 13.19), he is still often called the creator (as in aham sarvasya prabhavo in Gita 10.8, or agre narayanam asit).

UN 14.32, Sri Jiva Goswami tika - tathA ca sati bahubhir janmabhiH sucira-siddhatvAt | sudRDho yo madhuravatyA AbhAsaH punaH punar Adhikyenodayas tasya janmAntara-bAhulyAdinA tirodhAne`pi taj-janyas tadIyo yaH saMskAraH sUkSmatayA sthitaH sa nisarga ity arthaH „Madhura rati reaches perfection only after many births. Firm practise of madhura rati appears repeatedly with increased intensity. It may disappear for many births but it maintains a subtle samskara (impression). This is called nisarga.”

This statement confirms that bhakti with the quest of prema is not a question of going back to Godhead in this lifetime, for rati or bhava is just not attainable in a single birth. Sri Rupa Goswami teaches the same thing in his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu.

Jiva Goswami’s tika continues -

yathA suSuptau zubhAzubha-tat-karmaNa iti bhAvaH | tataz ca tasya saMskAra-rUpeNa sthitasya madhura-ratyAkhyasya bhAvasyodbodhe vardhamAnAvasthatve zrI-kRSNa-guNa-rUpa-zrutir yad-dhetuH syAt tan manAg eva syAd anAvazyakatayaiva syAd ity evArthaH | bahir-hetv-anapekSIti sAmAnya-lakSaNasyAvyApter iti bhAvaH „It is like the impressions of good and bad karma in deep sleep. The awakening and increase of madhura rati, which was situated in the form of samskaras [impressions], makes the hearing about Sri Krishna’s form and attributes unnecessary as its cause. It does not depend on external causes.”

Visvanatha’s tika - nanu bahir-hetavaH para-sambandhagA upamA tadIya-janAdayaH | antar-hetavaz cAnuSaGgika-tac-chravaNAdayaH | ta eva nirhetv-anapekSIty ukte antar-hetum apekSata iti labhyate | satyam asya nisarga-rUpe`ntar-hetv-AbhAsasyApekSA kvacit syAd eva ity ata Aha—tad udbodhasyeti | tadIyodbodhasya hetur api tasyApi hetur ity arthaH | sudRDhAbhyAsa-janya iti | sudRDhAbhyAso`pi nitya-siddha eva jJeyaH | taj-janya-saMskAro`pi pravAha-paramparayaiva | tathA sa ca lIlA-zakti-dvAraiva zrI-kRSNa-rUpa-guNa-zravaNam upasthApayatIti | nAma-mAtreNaiva hetor hetutety arthaH | ata eva manAg iti pada-prayogaH

“External causes of rati are qualities (sambandha), similar items (upamA) or dear objects of the Lord (tadIya). Internal causes are hearing about the Lord and other processes. Though rati is said to be causeless and independent, it depends on these internal causes. That is true. In the portion called nisarga there is some dependence on a semblance of internal cause. Thus the verse says “the cause of its arousal, the cause of nisarga, is hearing about the Lord. The impression is created by firm practice, but it is actually nitya-siddha.”

In Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (1.2.2) bhava is said to be nitya siddha

Visvanath continues: “The impressions created by this practice are actually a continuous stream (not created)."

Probably "continuous stream" refers to Jiva's statement on the verse: “That very firm practice of madhura-rati which appears repeatedly with increased strength, and which, though disappearing for many lifetimes, remains as a subtle impression to produce rati later on, is called nisarga.” The impression is actually continuous, though it may appear to disappear at times.

Visvanath continues: The impressions bring about hearing of Krishna’s form and qualities by means of the lila-shakti. Thus it is caused in name only. Therefore the word manAg (slight) is added.”

The lila sakti is the REAL cause of hearing about the Lord (and even of the impressions), though the impressions are the apparent or visible cause. We could equate lila sakti with mercy in general, but by specifying lila sakti he probably indicates that the Lord (or his pastimes) is eager for us to enter his pastimes. Lilasakti causes inclination to hear , as in Bhagavad Gita chapter 6 - purvabhyasena purvadehinam "One is automatically attracted to yoga."

(The commentaries on this verse’s tika are by HH Bhanu Swami)

September 4, 2011 reply from Dr. Satyanarayan Das to a query on 14.32-

AD - Prabhuji Radhe Radhe

I have a question about Visvanath's tika of Ujjval Nilamani 14.32, dealing with nisarge type of rati. He writes -

nanu bahir-hetavaH para-sambandhagA upamA tadIya-janAdayaH | antar-hetavaz cAnuSaGgika-tac-chravaNAdayaH | ta eva nirhetv-anapekSIty ukte antar-hetum apekSata iti labhyate | satyam asya nisarga-rUpe`ntar-hetv-AbhAsasyApekSA kvacit syAd eva ity ata Aha—tad udbodhasyeti | tadIyodbodhasya hetur api tasyApi hetur ity arthaH | sudRDhAbhyAsa-janya iti | sudRDhAbhyAso`pi nitya-siddha eva jJeyaH | taj-janya-saMskAro`pi pravAha-paramparayaiva | tathA sa ca lIlA-zakti-dvAraiva zrI-kRSNa-rUpa-guNa-zravaNam upasthApayatIti | nAma-mAtreNaiva hetor hetutety arthaH | ata eva manAg iti pada-prayogaH

“External causes of rati are qualities (sambandha), similar items (upamA) or dear objects of the Lord (tadIya). Internal causes are hearing about the Lord and other processes. Though rati is said to be causeless and independent, it depends on these internal causes. That is true. In the portion called nisarga there is some dependence on a semblance of internal cause. Thus the verse says “the cause of its arousal, the cause of nisarga, is hearing about the Lord. The impression is created by firm practice, but it is actually nitya-siddha. The impressions created by this practice are actually a continuous stream (not created). The impressions bring about hearing of Krishna’s form and qualities by means of the lila-shakti. Thus it is caused in name only. Therefore the word manAg (slight) is added.”

My questions are about the highlighted parts - it is created by firm practise but is actually nitya siddha - does this refer to the BRS 1.2.2 verse and the nitya siddha krishna prema verse, or does it mean something else?

SND - Yes it refers to nitya-siddha krsna-prema .... verse

AD - What does he mean with the pravAha paramparA [continuous stream]?

SND - He means that it is nitya like the pravaha of a river, not an outcome of one's practice. In other words there is no cause and effect relation in the ordinary sense.

AD - And how is the lila shakti bringing about the hearing of Krishna's attributes?

SND - Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyiah.... You know this verse. It happens by lila-sakti.

AD - What does lila shakti mean here?

SND - The antaranga-sakti which manifests Lord's names, attributes, pastimes.

AD - And how is it thus caused in name only?

SND - Well it appears as if it has been caused by the efforts of the devotte but it is nitya-siddha. That is what i said above - there appears to be a cause and effect relation, as in oridinary actions and their results. I make an effort to speak and the sound is produced. The sound is an effect of my effort. In case of chanting the name it appears that i produced the name(in sound) by the movement of my tongue. But in reality it is not so. the name is nitya-siddha, ever-existent. It is not a product of movement of tongue. It becomes manifest when tongue is moved to pronounce it and gives the illusion that the tongue made the sound. sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eve sphuratyadah.

Jai radhe