Vrajavāsīs and Vṛṣṇis' distinction confirmed

 

In the famous Śrīmad-Bhāgavat-verse mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān (10.43.17), which describes how all the spectators to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s entry into King Kaṁsa’s arena had different feelings towards Kṛṣṇa, the Vṛṣṇis have a clearly different vision of Kṛṣṇa than the Vrajavāsīs - that shows that the distinction between their attitudes is not newly made up by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. About the Vrajavāsīs the verse says gopānāṁ sva-jano - “The cowherds saw Him as their own”, meaning gopānāṁ śrīdāmādīnāṁ svajano vayasyaḥ (Vaiṣṇava Toṣaṇī ṭīkā), “The cowherd boys like Śrīdāma saw Him as a friend”, while vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito, "The Vṛṣṇis saw Him as the Supreme Lord." vṛṣṇīnāṁ paramārādhya iti, „The Vṛṣṇis saw Him as their most worshipable Lord” (Vaiṣṇava Toṣaṇī ṭīkā). In other words, the Vrajavāsīs clearly show a sweet, intimate human-like attitude towards Kṛṣṇa, while the Vṛṣṇis show a reverent attitude of awe towards Him. Everything the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas teach about the difference between aiśvarya (reverential worship of Kṛṣṇa) and mādhurya (a sweet, intimate attitude towards Him) is anchored in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata! Hence Śrīnātha Cakravartīpāda, the disciple of Śrī Advaita Ācārya, says: śāstraṁ bhāgavataṁ pramāṇam amalam – “The scripture Śrīmad-bhāgavata is the spotless authority.”