Monday, July 04, 2016

Free will in rāgānugā-bhakti?


Question - In your audio comments on Rāga-vartma-candrikā 11, quoting Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.294 you said “Following the Vrajavāsīs of “your choice” is an empty shell. There’s a principle of bestowal. Anarpita carim cirāt. Mahāprabhu came especially to GIVE this amorous love for Kṛṣṇa. If it is given or placed in the heart by mercy of Lord Caitanya or Śrī Guru, we cannot say it is our own choice.”
Questions:
1. Could you please cite the Sanskrit phrases of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmīpāda's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.294 and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda’s ṭīkā of Rāga-vartma candrikā #11 which mean, “of the sādhaka’s liking or personal choice, favorite etc.?

Advaitadās –
1. The word is Samīhita –
समीहित samIhita adj. desired
समीहित samIhita adj. longed for
समीहित samIhita adj. wished
समीहित samIhita adj. undertaken
समीहित samIhita adj. striven after
समीहित samIhita adj. longed or wished for
समीहित samIhita n. great effort to obtain anything
समीहित samIhita n. longing
समीहित samIhita n. wish
समीहित samIhita n. desire

Viśvanātha Cakravarti’s ṭīkā: atha rāgānugāyāḥ paripāṭīm āha kṛṣṇam ity ādinā. preṣṭhaṁ sva-priyatamaṁ kiśoraṁ nanda-nandanaṁ smaran evam asya tādṛśa-kṛṣṇasya bhakta-janam. atha ca svasya samyag-īhitaṁ sva-samāna-vāsanam iti yāvat.

Bhanu Swāmi translation –
“Now starts the description of the method of rāgānuga-sādhana. One should remember the most dear form of Kṛṣṇa (preṣṭham kṛṣṇam), the son of Nanda of kaiśora age, and the devotees of that particular form of Kṛṣṇa (asya janam), who have the same type of desires (for serving Kṛṣṇa) as oneself (nija-samīhitam).”

This does not indicate a free choice. You aptly quoted anarpita carim…samarpayita’ 


anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

(Vidagdha-mādhava I.2, Rūpa Goswāmī)

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.
– it is bestowed by Mahāprabhu.

2. It appears that there are in reality only two role models for a sādhaka to “choose” from - either Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmīpāda or Śrī Rūpa-manjarī, or Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmīpāda and Tulasī/Rati manjarī. True or false? 

Advaitadās - As far as there is a choice, yes that is true. rūpa-raghunātha pade yāra aśa.

3. Or is the fact that in reality the rāgānugā-bhakti sādhaka has NO choice, since it’s all given by higher personalities like Gaurāṅga and Śrī Guru? Yes or no?

Advaitadās – Yes.

4.  As far as which Vrajavāsī to follow, it is decided by one’s Guru when he receives siddha deha and praṇālī. For example, the Guru tells his disciple, “your yutheśvarī is Viśākhā and your main manjarī is Tulasī/Rati-manjarī. OK, now it’s settled, given or bestowed and they become “my favorite or chosen ones.” Is this true or false? 

Advaitadās – It is true.

5. About the color of Kṛṣṇa’s gunjā-mālā: some say only white, others red and black ones. Can you please cite references proving which color Kṛṣṇa wears?

Advaitadās - Please see the most beautiful Govinda-lilāmṛta 11.99 –

rādhāyā nayanāñjanādhara rucā vyāptaṁ nu guñjāyate 
nāsā mauktikam etad ityaviduṣāṁ kāvyaṁ mamaitan matam   
śaśvat kṛṣṇa virāji rāgi hṛdaya śvāsānilair bhāvitaṁ 
tat tad varṇatayāśu tat pariṇataṁ teṣāṁ hi tat tad guṇaiḥ 

"How has the pearl on Rādhā's nose become black-and-red just like guñjā-beads? Ignorant poets say it is a reflection of Her black eyeliner above it and Her red lips shining under it, but I think that the red colour is Her passion for Kṛṣṇa and the black colour represents Kṛṣṇa Himself. These colours come out when Rādhikā breathes out through Her nose and this colors Her nose-pearl!"

6. I well know and respect that Kṛṣṇa’s activities are all alaukika, divya and acintya, but still could you explain this a little more clearly with quotes from śāstra? I saw in Śrīmad-bhāgavata 10.55.2: pradyumna jāto vaidarbhyam kṛṣṇa-vīrya samudbhavam, “Pradyumna was born from the seed of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” We have also read that in bhauma vraja gokula līlā, angry naughty little Gopāl would sometimes pass stool or urine in a gopī’s home.
a. So does 10.55.2 above prove that Kṛṣṇa passed semen into womb of His wife to beget a son, and thereby has sexual union like all of us?
b. Are there other references to Kṛṣṇa doing this, or having union with a consort as we understand in the mundane sphere? 
c. The question asked often is, “Is Kṛṣṇa’s sex enjoyment same as ours, or merely pinching, fondling. Kissing and embracing, BUT without the union of “two bodies” like here?

Advaitadās – see Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi-līlā 4.163-176.

a. Yes, externally Kṛṣṇa’s sex act is like ours, or rather ours is like His.
b. And c. the Bhāgavata verse 10.55.2 you quoted is the evidence.

6 comments:

  1. Virya does not only mean semen. Sri Jiva Gosvami explains that it only means His potency,which means His expansion.

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  2. Could please the devotee who has written that''in bhauma vraja gokula lila,little Gopal would sometimes pass stool or urine in a gopi,s home quote the exact sanscrit words and the exact canto? chapter? and verse?

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  3. The word used in S.B. 10.8.31 is 'MEHANA'which can mean to pass urine or it can mean to sprinkle.Sri Jiva Gosvami gives the second meaning.Thus he says
    that it means that Krishna breaks a pot full of milk and sprinkles it.
    So either you take the second meaning and then there is no problem,or you say that He is doing nara -lila,human -like pastime.

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  4. Śrīdhara Swami - mehanādi purīṣotsarga - passing stool.
    Vaiṣṇava Toṣini, Jīva Goswāmi - vāstau mūtrādini ca kurute - passing urine in the house.
    Viśvanātha Cakravartī - mehanādinī - mūtra-purīṣotsarga - passing stool and urine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As for SB 10.55.2, Sanātan Goswāmi glosses vīrya as aurasa, semen.

    ReplyDelete