Jaṭās in the Bhāgavata and the absence of jugupsā rati

 

JAṬĀS IN THE BHĀGAVATA

 

Bhakta - "Is it proper for a Vaiṣṇava to wear Jaṭās (dreadlocks)? I thought this was māyāvādī or Śivaite practice?"

Advaitadās – “Though Nārada is usually depicted with straight black hair, the Bhāgavata (10.70.32) says vibhrad piṅga-jaṭā-bhāram, he wears golden matted locks.

The four Kumāras were not shaved up either - SB 3.8.5 - svardhuny-udārdraiḥ sva-jaṭā-kalāpair - ‘Their matted locks were moistened by the water from the celestial Gangā’

Apart of course from Lord Śiva, the following great souls or avatāras were said to have had jaṭās, either full time or during times of tapasyā, according to Śrīmad Bhāgavata –

5.7.13 vāsasānusavanābhiṣekārdra-kapiśa-kuṭila-jaṭā-kalāpena ca  - “Jada Bharat’s brown matted locks were wet.”

5.17.3 sabahu-mānam adyāpi jaṭājūṭair udvahanti - ‘To this day the seven rishis wear the Ganga water on their matted locks.”

7.12.4 jaṭā-daṇḍa-kamaṇḍalūn - Any brahmacārī in the Vedic system had matted locks.

9.4.46 jaṭāṁ roṣa pradīpita - Durvāsā Muni

9.10.49 jaṭā nirmucya vidhivat – Lord Rāma in exile [during tapasya]

9.15.29 yutaṁ jaṭābhir dadṛśe puriṁ viśan - Bhagavān Paraśurāma

10.70.32 vibhrad piṅga-jaṭā-bhāram - Nārada Muni

12.9.15 babhrāma vikṣipya jaṭā jaḍāndhavat - Mārkaṇḍeya Rishi

I have blogged on this issue earlier too.

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THE ABSENCE OF JUGUPSĀ RATI

 

In the discussion on Vilāpa Kusumānjali’s verse 18, in which Raghunātha dās Goswāmī prays that he/she can clean Rādhārāṇī’s toilet with her hair, and the Bhāgavata-verse (10.8.31) which describes Kṛṣṇa passing stool and urine (kurute mehanādīni vāstau) in His parents’ room of worship (deva-pūjārtham āmṛṣṭa lipta bhūmau) it must be remembered that there is no jugupsa rasa or vībhatsa rasa (the mellow of disgust) in relation to Kṛṣṇa. na tu kṛṣṇa-vibhāvatvam, tad-ayogyatvāt (Jīva Gosvāmī’s ṭīkā on BRS 2.5.41) In the story of Ṛṣabha-deva in Śrīmad Bhāgavata (5.5.33) is is said: tasya ha yaḥ purīṣa-surabhi-saugandhya-vāyus taṁ deśaṁ daśa-yojanaṁ samantāt surabhiṁ cakāra:  “The wind, fragrant from the smell of his stool, made the place fragrant for ten yojanas around.”

Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comments: tasya cinmaya-śarīrasyaitad-bībhatsitam ity āśaṅkyāha—tasyeti. purīṣasya surabhinā gandhena saugandhyaṁ yasya sa vāyuḥ - “One may think that this condition is disgusting for a spiritual body.  This verse explains. The air became fragrant with the smell of his stool.”

Added to my blog of october 24,2010