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Srimad Bhagavat, Canto 11, part 3

2012-01-23T07:05:00.002+01:00

The eleventh canto of the Bhagavat is the most philosophical one. Apart from the disappearance pastimes of Sri Krishna there is practically only philosophy in it. Most Bhagavat-verses that are quoted by the acaryas in their philosophical books come from the eleventh canto. Like in the previous 11th canto blog, this time too we briefly hark back to earlier verses that were not thoroughly discussed yet.

11.6.30 Bhanu Swami translates the tika as saying “Earth could not even bear the weight of Krishna”, but the tika does not speak in such extreme terms. It just says pRthivyA duHsaha eva, the weight was hard to bear for mother Earth.

11.10.12 The guru is the wood base, the disciple is the wood on top, and the teachings are the kindling stick. It is not that the Guru needs to be put on fire [figuratively of course] – the fire is present within the wood but it needs to be kindled with pariprasnena sevayA, humble service and submissive inquiry. A better and more popular example is the sugarcane. It has a very hard bark, so one cannot extract the sugar-juice from the cane with one’s bare teeth. A mill is needed to crush the cane to extract the sugar juice. That mill is the submissive service the sisya renders to Guru. It is not enough that there is just a Guru and a sisya – there must be interaction between them, a rubbing of wood which produces spiritual knowledge, leading to the sisya’s enlightenment.

11.10.30 As mentioned in the previous blog, while discussing SB 11.21.23, shastras sometimes entice simple souls, for their own benefit. Visvanatha’s tika: yac ca tuSyatu durjana iti nyAyenAGgIkRtaM svargAdInAM nityatvaM tan nirAkaroti—lokAnAm iti | svarga-lokasya tat-pAlAnAM ca naiva nityatvam ity Aha—lokAnAm iti. There is a nyAya (maxim): „ Let the wicked be satisfied” , so sometimes the shastras proclaim the heavens to be eternal, to satisfy materialistic people, but actually they are not. The shastras do this in order to regulate society, enticing people to act piously and not be a menace to society, by promising them mountains of gold in the afterlife. This is not on the platform of pure selfless devotional service, but if such simpletons come to Mount Govardhan to do parikrama for their heavenly rewards, they may get attracted to Krishna bhakti too, even.

A second important point of this commentary is that one should not take all promises of shastra of rewards in the afterlife too seriously - „As a reward for digging a well here for thirsty people one goes to Vaikuntha for billions of kalpas, along with billions of generations of one’s ancestors”, or „ Anyone who snorts his nose in a mile’s distance from a brahmin goes to hell for as long as the sun and the moon hang in the sky”. Parents use the bogey-man too to frighten their children into good behaviour.

11.21.36 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti discusses the 4 levels of sound in his tika - The Veda is difficult to understand regarding its true nature and function. It has two forms, gross and subtle. The subtle form of the Vedas is difficult to understand. First, the Veda is parA, related to prANa, situated in the mUlAdhAra-cakra. Then it becomes pashyantI, related to mind, situated in the navel in the manIpUra-cakra. Then it becomes madhyamA, related to intelligence, situated in the heart in the anAhata-cakra. Then it becomes vaikharI, related to the senses. In using speech, the sense organ called the voice is prominent. Moreover the Veda, made of material and spiritual prANa, is infinite, not divided by space or time.

11.22.39 explains why one cannot remember one’s previous lives: viSayAbhinivezena nAtmAnaM yat smaret punaH jantor vai kasyacid dhetor mRtyur atyanta-vismRtiH Since the jéva does not remember his previous body because of absorption in his new body, the forgetfulness of that body by the jéva because of termination of present karmas is called death.

11.22.47, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - yauvanam A-paJcacatvAriMzataH, tato vayo-madhyam A-SaSTi-varSAt, tato yAvaj jIvanaM jaraiva tato mRtyur iti – „Youth lasts till forty-five years. Middle age continues till sixty years. The rest of life till death is called old age.”

11.22.56, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - Though things related to imposition by false identity have no factual existence, the suffering arising from relationship with saMsAra does not disappear. It does not disappear for a jIva who meditates on sense objects with intelligence directed at enjoying. An example is given of something which gives real suffering, though it is insubstantial. In a dream, one is bitten by a snake and feels pain.

10.25.24 Knowledge in the mode of sattva is not about Brahman, because Brahman is transcendental (SB 1.2.11), rather all the acaryas comment on this verse that knowledge in the sattva mode is knowledge about the difference between body and soul.

11.27.25-26, in their comments, Jiva Goswami and Visvanatha Cakravarti mention the yogapith puja with an 8-petalled lotus - tan-madhye navabhiH zaktibhir vimalAdyAbhiz ca mamAsanaM yoga-pIThaM tatrASTa-dalaM padmaM ca kalpayitvA veda-tantrAbhyAM vedoktena tantroktena ca. The original blueprint of the yogapitha features Lord Narayan’s 9 shaktis, nowadays it has the eight sakhis surrounding Radha-Krishna. This means the practise was not a later concoction by Bengali Vaishnavas.

11.28.14 - Sridhar Swami and Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti comment: nanu tarhi vivekino jIvan-muktasyApi yat kiJcid viSaya-dhyAnaM durvAram ity anirmokSa-prasaGgas tatrAha—yathA hIti | prasvApaH svapnaH bahUn anarthAn bibharti, pratibuddhasya prApta-jAgarasya na mohAya, tasya mithyAtva-nizcayAt - “Even a person with discrimination, a jIvan-mukta, has difficult avoiding some meditation on sense objects. This means he cannot get liberation.” Though a dream produces many bad experiences for the sleeper, for a person who has woken up, the dream does not produce bewilderment since he understands the dream was false.

11.28.17 ahankara is called amula here, without root. Causeless and beginningless, so no prior fall or envy of Krishna. Jiva Goswami comments that ahankara is cut by the sharp sword of worshipping the Guru.

Srimad Bhagavat, Canto 11, part 2

2012-01-08T12:37:00.003+01:00

In this second installment of the 11th canto review we return briefly to verse 11.6.31, where Sri Jiva and Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti (inspired by ancient commentator Vamsidhara) interpret the word ‘ nAza’ to mean nigUdhAyAm dvArakAyAm praveza, that Krishna entered an invisible Dwarka Dham after disappearing from this world. This may hint at the prakaTAprakaTa state Sri Jiva tells us about (the station of Krishna and His associates in this material world in which He eternally revels outside of the view of anyone who is not on the level of bhava bhakti or higher)

11.13.8 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - “Those who have no knowledge enjoy material life. But even those who know that one can attain the ultimate goal by employing sattva, still enjoy material life. They enjoy just as a dog, though scolded, eats leftovers, just as a donkey though kicked, enjoys a female donkey, and just as the goat, though about to be killed, enjoys the grass.

11.13.35 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - “Will saMsAra recur because of inability to withdraw continuously from the state of duality while possessing a body?” Even if one observes the world in necessary daily actions, one will not be bewildered again by what one has given up, based on previous mistaken identity (avastu-buddhyA). However, until death of the body, remembrance, a shadow of saMsAra, will remain. deha-pAta-paryantaM smRtir iva smRtiH saMsAra-mAtreNAvabhAso bhaved

11.14.18 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - Though the devotee is distressed by (attached to) sense objects, he is not overcome. Because both verbs are in the present tense, it implies that even while being harassed by sense objects, he is not really harassed since bhakti is present. A person who is attacked by the weapons of an enemy cannot be defeated because of the presence of his bravery. Or, on the day that a powerful medicine is taken to prevent fever, though the fever still causes suffering, it is not a real cause of suffering, since the fever is in a state of being destroyed and will be completely destroyed the next day.

11.16.26 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - Shruti says ardho ha vA eSa Atmano yat patnI: half of his self is his wife. (BaudAyana shrauta-sutra 29.9.381.2)

11.17.22 Sridhar Swami and Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti comment - dvijas traivarnika - the three upper castes are dwijas.

11.17.27 The most famous acaryaM mAM vijAniyan sloka, glorifying the Guru as Bhagavan Himself, carries no tika at all by any acarya – most astonishing!

11.17.38 gRhaM vanaM vopavizet pravrajed vA dvijottamaH “A second born person (brahmacArI) becomes a householder, vAnaprastha or sannyAsI, in the case of a brAhmaNa”.

From this it’s clear that sannyAsa is only for Brahmins and it explains the almost unanimous falldown of low-caste or outcaste sannyasis.

Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - "One should not enter the Ashrams in a reverse order, and one should not be without Ashram, unless one is my devotee. If one is a devotee, then one does not have to follow the rules of Ashram. This will be explained later. If the devotee enters Ashrams in a different order, or has no Ashram, there is no fault.“

Still Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu banished Chota Haridas, who paid with his life for transgressing the law of the vairagi ashram, so one cannot just give up sannyas to marry.

11.17.51 yadRcchayopapannena - A householder should comfortably maintain his dependents either with money that comes of its own accord or with that gathered by honest execution of his duties.

11.19.7 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - "It is also well known that the relationship of the jIva with avidyA is without beginning, through the power of mAyA. One could argue that if the ignorance was without beginning it would mean this ignorant condition would be the svarUpa of the jIva, which could therefore not be removed even by jnAna. The jIva`s svarUpa would have to be destroyed to destroy avidyA. But the idea that liberation means destruction of the jIva`s svarUpa is not accepted by the authorities."

11.20.11 If one attains association with karma-mizra-bhaktas or jJAna-mizra-bhaktas, by that type of bhakti one attains zAnti-rati.

11.20.17 mayAnukUlena nabhasvateritaM Means pushed by the favorable wind of serving me

In his tika of 11.20.31, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 3.1.15, anujjhita-mumukSA ye bhajante te tu tApasAH - The practitioners of austerity in bhakti are those who worship the Lord while practicing yukta-vairAgya without giving up the desire for liberation, since obstacles to bhakti are destroyed by attaining liberation.

11.21.15 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - “Purification of mantra is described. Suitable knowledge from the mouth of the pure guru purifies a mantra.“ In other words, one must take diksa in person, not by sms, skype, youtube or e-mail.

11.21.23 phala-zrutir iyaM nqNAM na zreyo rocanaM param zreyo-vivakSayA proktaM yathA bhaiSajya-rocanam - The rewards promised in scripture are not the ultimate benefit for man but are merely enticements for liberating him. They are like promises of candy spoken to induce a child to take beneficial medicine.

Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - “How can one fall from one’s interest from hearing results like Svarga in the Vedas?” The results described in the scriptures for performing karmas are not beneficial for man. Narada says: zreyas tvaM katamad rAjan karmaNAtmana Ihase duHkha-hAniH sukhAvAptiH zreyas tan neha ceSyate O King! What benefit do you want for yourself by doing these karmas? It is not possible to destroy suffering and attain happiness by performance of karma. SB 4.25.4 “One hears that the results of karma are eternal: let us then enjoy with the Apsaras.” This is only enticement. Wanting to liberate material people, by stating intermediate results (enjoyment), people develop a taste for doing karmas. Similarly a doctor entices a person to take medicine. The father says “If you drink the neem juice I will give you a sweet.” The child drinks the juice. However the goal is not to eat the sweet.

Srimad Bhagavat, Canto 11, part 1

2011-12-23T21:53:00.004+01:00

This is the last canto of the Bhagavat I studied with the commentaries of Sri Visvanath Cakravartipad, that are very summary in this Canto.

11.2.37 bhayaM dvitIyAbhinivezataH syAd IzAd apetasya viparyayo'smRtiH, is often quoted to show the jiva fell from the spiritual world, but the apeta, or turning away from God by the jIva is anAdi, beginningless and that also counts for fear bhaya. asmRti means, according to Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti, not forgetting Krishna, but the own spiritual nature. viparyaya means taking something for what it isn't, like identifying oneself with the body, which one is not.

11.3.22 the word sikset is in imperative case - one must learn and teach bhagavat dharma. A Guru should not just give diksa and then walk away, nor should the sisya just take diksa and then walk away.

11.3.48 labdhvAnugraha AcAryAt tena sandarzitAgamaH mahA-puruSam abhyarcen mUrtyAbhimatayAtmanaH “Having obtained the mercy of his guru, who reveals to the disciple the injunctions of Vedic scriptures, the devotee should worship the Supreme Lord in the particular personal form of the Lord the devotee finds most attractive.”

This clearly refutes the theory that one must just do any service the Lord orders one.

11.5.41 – Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - That (debt to the ancestors or devatAs) is not so for the devotee who has surrendered completely to Mukunda. It is just like a person who, on being accepted as the servant of the emperor of the earth, cannot be the servant of the ruler of one state.

11.7.20 Atmano gurur Atmaiva puruSasya vizeSataH yat pratyakSAnumAnAbhyAM zreyo `sAv anuvindate “An intelligent person, acting as his own guru, can achieve great benefit by perception and logic.”

Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika – One can attain benefit by sense perception to some degree and by reflection or inference to some degree.

11.7.39, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - The mind and speech will be agitated by food which is too oily, because of increase in laziness and semen.

11.8.20 , Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - The moth is destroyed by attraction to form. The bee is destroyed by attraction to smell. The elephant is destroyed by attraction to touch. The deer is destroyed by attraction to sound. The fish is destroyed by attraction to taste. It has been said:

kuraGga-mAtaGga-pataGga-bhRGga-mInA hatAH paJcabhir eva paJca

ekaH pramAdI sa kathaM na hanyate yaH sevate paJcabhir eva paJca

The deer, elephant, moth, bee and fish are destroyed by the five sense objects. How can an insane person who engages all senses in the five sense objects not be destroyed? Garuda Purana 1.115.21

11.9.31 na hy ekasmAd guror jJAnaM su-sthiraM syAt su-puSkalam brahmaitad advitIyaM vai gIyate bahudharSibhiH - "Although the Lord is one without a second, the sages have described him in many different ways. Therefore one may not be able to acquire firm and complete knowledge from one guru."

Gaudiya Vaishnavas are eka-guru vadis though - Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - “It is said mad abhijJaM guruM zAntam upAsIta: one should worship a peaceful guru who knows me (SB 11.10.5) and tasmAd guruM prapadyeta jijJAsuH zreya uttamam: the inquisitive person should surrener to the superior guru. (SB 11.3.21) From these statements it is understood that one should accept only one guru. Shwetaketu, Bhrigu and others did not accept many gurus. And true, I also have accepted one guru who gives instruction on mantra. But considering things which act as examples of what is favorable or unfavorable for performing worship, I have made those things my gurus. They are my siksa-gurus, teaching by negative or positive example. »

11.10.7 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - The son of Citraketu said:

yathA vastUni paNyAni hemAdIni tatas tataH

paryaTanti nareSv evaM jIvo yoniSu kartRSu

nityasyArthasya sambandho hy anityo dRzyate nRSu

yAvad yasya hi sambandho mamatvaM tAvad eva hi

Just as commodities and coins pass among many people, the jiva wanders into various wombs with various fathers and mothers. It is seen that the relationships of one object with many people are temporary. As long as the relationship lasts, one has possessiveness of the object. SB 6.16.6-7

But one should not lack possessiveness of guru and the Lord. Thus it is said one should have firm attachment to them (dridah-sauhridah).

11.11.4 ekasyaiva mamAMzasya jIvasyaiva mahA-mate bandho `syAvidyayAnAdir vidyayA ca tathetaraH – “O intelligent Uddhava! The bondage of the jIva, who is my one part or taTastha-zakti, by avidyA, is without beginning. By vidyA, he achieves liberation which has a beginning.”

This is clear and unmistakable. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika - asya jIvasya avidyayA bandhaH sa ca karmaNo`nAdiH The jIva is bound by avidyA. AvidyA is beginningless because karma is beginningless.

Though Guru Purnima is sometimes called a karmi-or mayavadi festival, in his tika of 11.11.24 Visvanatha writes mat-svarUpa-sri guru-devArAdhana-divase ca, (Krishna says: ) «My worship means worshipping My swarup Sri Gurudeva, on the day of his worship. »

It can also refer to Gurudev’s birthday.

11.12.8 Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti’s tika – “The cows attained me by vAtsalya-rasa. The mountains like Govardhana attained me with sakhya-rasa. The animals, the trees and shrubs, though unintelligent, snakes like Kaliya attained me with dAsya-rasa."

Sometimes it is said that the cows, mountains and trees are in shanta rasa, but this makes it clear there is no shanta rasa in Vraja at all. Cari bhava diye nacaimu tribhuvana – Mahaprabhu declares that he bestows four bhavas [excluding shanta rasa].

Sahasra phal and a surprise for a teen hippy.

2011-12-07T15:56:00.004+01:00

In my blog of July 4, 2009 I made a point that shastra says nothing about severe reactions to sins in the holy dhama. There are, however, definite statements about the positive effects of living in the Dhama. In Srimad Bhagavata (7.14.29-33) it is said:

yatra yatra harer arcA

sa dezaH zreyasAM padam

yatra gaGgAdayo nadyaH

purANeSu ca vizrutAH

The best places are places where there are forms of the Lord, and where the celebrated sacred rivers mentioned in the PurANas flow.

sarAMsi puSkarAdIni

kSetrANy arhAzritAny uta

kurukSetraM gaya-ziraH

prayAgaH pulahAzramaH

naimiSaM phAlgunaM setuH

prabhAso `tha kuza-sthalI

vArANasI madhu-purI

pampA bindu-saras tathA

nArAyaNAzramo nandA

sItA-rAmAzramAdayaH

sarve kulAcalA rAjan

mahendra-malayAdayaH

ete puNyatamA dezA

harer arcAzritAz ca ye

etAn dezAn niSeveta

zreyas-kAmo hy abhIkSNazaH

dharmo hy atrehitaH puMsAM

sahasrAdhi-phalodayaH

The sacred lakes like PuSkara, places where saintly persons live, KurukSetra, GayA, PrayAga, PulahAzrama, NaimiSAraNya, the PhAlgu River, Setubandha, PrabhAsa, DvArakA, VArANasI, MathurA, PampA, Bindu-sarovara, BadarikAzrama, the NandA River, the places where Lord RAmacandra and mother SItA took shelter, such as CitrakUTa, and also Mahendra and Malaya mountain ranges—all of these, and places having deities, are to be considered most pure. One who intends to advance in spiritual life should visit all these places again and again. Acts performed here give a thousand times the result of the same activities performed in other places.

The above photos are taken in the Vondelpark in Amsterdam, on July 26, 1972, during Swami Bhaktivedanta's second and last visit to the Netherlands. It was his only major public engagement in Holland. I was there, in the crowd, ' by accident' as a 16-year old boy, but I can not spot myself in the photos. Especially the scene of Swamiji sitting on the Uttamasan (Vyasasana, bottom pic) I can remember as if it were yesterday, though it is almost 40 years ago.

Ujjvala Nilamani part 5

2011-12-03T07:57:00.005+01:00

The final part of my reading of Ujjval Nilamani by Srila Rupa Goswamipada -

14.38 svarUpaM lalanA-niSThaM svayam udbuddhatAM vrajet |

dRSTe’py azrute’py uccaiH kRSNe kuryAd drutaM ratim

Focus on the svarupa of a gopi will automatically and swiftly produce rati for Krishna, though He has not been seen or heard before.

14.52 – The desire for rati and the desire for enjoyment merge. Even in samartha rati there is no complete selflessness. See this blog.

14.55 Visvanatha Cakravartipada tika - tathA hy asyA rateH svarUpa-siddhatvAd guNAdi-zravaNAnapekSitatvena prAbalyAd vayaH-sandheH pUrvam eva vraja-bAlAsu kAsucit tathAparAsu nanda-pura-nikaTa-vartinISu rateH svarUpa-siddhatve`pi zrI-kRSNena saha dhUli-khelanAdibhiH paricayAdhikyenApi prAdurbhAvaH | sAmAnyAkAreNa prAdurbhUtAyAM ca tasyAM tAsAM zrI-kRSNa evaM prIti-matInAM sarvendriya-vRttayaH zrI-kRSNa-sukha-tAtparyavatya evAbhuvan | athAyAte vayaH-sandhau kandarpodgamena yA sambhoga-tRSNA raty-AkrAnte manasy ajaniSTa sApi tat-sukha-tAtparyavaty evAbhUd iti sambhoga-tRSNAyA ratyA saha tAdAtmyam | tAm avasthAm Arabhyaiva tAsAM svAGga-saGga-ditsayaiva tat-sukha-vizeSotpAdane saGkalpavatInAM ratir madhurAbhidhAnAbhUt | ity ata eva sambhoga-tRSNA pRthaktayA na bhAsate

“samartha rati or selfless gopibhava is eternal, so even before puberty the gopis were in love with Krishna, even without hearing about His attributes. When they played in the dust near Nanda Maharaja’s abode, as little girls, they had samartha rati already, because it is svarupa siddha. When they attained adolescence and lust entered into their bodies, it [lust] merged with their rati [selfless love for Krishna]. Then they vowed to offer their bodies to Him to give Him happiness. The desire for personal enjoyment does not manifest separately.”

This, and verse 52, confirms Sadhu Baba’s teaching which confused me for so long that the gopis also have a little desire.

14.82 anga-sange viloke ca zravaNAdau ca sa kramAt | kaniSTho madhyamaH zreSThas trividho’yaM manodravah

The heart melts in three grades: low through direct meeting, medium through seeing and high, through hearing.

Visvanatha: Contacting Krishna’s limbs is matched with the lowest grade of melting the heart.

14.88 Visvanatha: Ghrita-sneha has more respect than madhu-sneha. There some amount of respect in madhu-sneha also. Radha has slightly more respect for Krishna than her sakhis or the priya-sakhis or Subala.

14.94 Visvanatha tika: Candravali is not respectful towards Krishna because He is God but because He is a prominent person in Vraja.

14.106 Visvanatha comments that women's left limbs are stronger than their right limbs.

14.108 Visvanatha comments: "Visrambha means confidentiality, without reverence. This is caused by uniting one’s life airs, mind, intelligence, body and clothing with those of the beloved."

14.127 Visvanatha's commentary on the famous verse which describes how Radhika does not feel the heat of the rocks of Govardhana on which She stands, due to Her raga - [One may argue:] “During one's sleep one does not experience the pain of mosquitoes biting, but in the morning on waking up, one sees blood oozing from the bites. Similarly, Radhika does not feel pain in her tender feet now, but later she will.” That is not so. By seeing Krishna she is submerged in bliss. From Her toe-nails to Her crown, Her body becomes cooler than millions of moons. She became very cool, not that she should be heated up. The moon can never be heated by the sun's rays. Since a piece of cotton cannot be defeated by a sharp rock, her feet which are very tender, more so than cotton, cannot be defeated by the rocks. Or yoga-maya, solver of all problems, remains always awake in the pastimes.

14.137 - Raga which never vanishes, does not depend on other elements, and increases its beauty constantly is called manjistha-raga, which is seen in Radha and Madhava.

Visvanatha' s tika: "Manjistha dye cannot be removed by water (ahAryaH). In terms of prema, mAnjistha-rAga cannot be agitated by samcari-bhavas. It is svatah-siddha, independent. It is not like shyAmA-rAga, dependent on herbs (or timidity). It increases its beauty. Kusumbha-räga has limited beauty. It increases its own beauty. It does not change by mixing with anurAga."

Example - The incomparable festival arising from the prema of Radha and Madhava appears quickly without cause, is not at all moved by any means, produces great taste if met by heaps of opposing elements, and increases with the greatest, unlimited, astonishing bliss.

14.157 varAmRta svarUpa srI swam swarUpaM mano nayet

Visvanatha: "The mind's condition is nondifferent from mahabhava and since the senses are functions of the mind, the gopis senses become the form of mahabhava, which totally controls Krishna. But the queens of Dwarka desire enjoyment, so their minds do not even assume the form of prema, what to speak of mahabhava?"

Visvanath's explanations of divyonmada at the end of chapter 14, based on the Bhramar Geet [SB 10.47,12-21] is very similar to the one in his Sarartha Darsini tika.

VCT 14,225- "In the sthayi bhava of mAdana. one experiences separation even during union, when one kisses, embraces etc. Thus two manifestations take place in one. Even during union there is longing for more in thousands of ways, due to visions of separation."

14.232 sloka: sadharani rati's limit is prema, samanjasa's limit is anuraga and samartha rati's limit is mahabhava.

15.31 Radhika’s bracelets fall off her wrists as she gets thin out of separation from Krishna and if it proceeds even her rings fall off her fingers because the fingers got too thin.

15.65-66 there are two types of kama-lekha [love letter]: niraksara, without syllables, made with crescent nailmarks, and sAksara, with [prakrita] syllables.

15.69 The written letters are bound by lotus fibers and with minerals or musk as ink on broad flower petals and stamped with kunkuma.

15.187 Jiva Goswami tries to justify svakiya bhava by arguing that only ultimate union can give peace and satisfaction. Later in the 15th chapter, however, it will be shown that the longer the separation, the more the enjoyment, be it in sampanna or samriddhiman sambhoga, and it is eternally so.

Visvanath argues that prakat lila is eternal and if the cosmos is aprakat within Mahavishnu, yogamaya creates duplicate universes in which Krishna's manifest pastimes continue. He also says that in the unmanifest pastimes Krishna always stays in Mathura etc. because He must be eternally present for His pastimes there. The Padma Purana [6.255-257] says vedAnga sveda janita toyaiH prasrAvitA - the causal ocean flowed from the sweatdrops of the Vedas. Of course this is not literally true, as Bhagavad Gita says viddhy anAdi ubhAv api - the material world is beginningless. Similarly, it seems as if Krishna is born, but He is also anAdi. The Ganga seems to be invoked by Bhagiratha, but already existed long before, in Prithu's time [SB 4.21.11]. The words devaki janma vAdo in SB 10.90.48 prove that Krishna's birth pastime is also eternal, as vAda means 'conclusively' as in Bhagavad Gita 10.32. Krishna crawling as a toddler is eternal even in His manifest pastimes, because as He grows up and stops crawling, He continues to do it in the next universe where He performs the same course of pastimes later on. This also counts for seasonal [Holi] and daily pastimes.

15.195 Sankirna sambhoga is mixed with the remembrance of unpleasant past actions of one's partner [and therefore is not uttam samboga]

15.207 Visvanath tika - The gopis becoming queens as is described in Lalit Madhava is not a concocted story, it is confirmed in Padma Purana, Kartik Mahatmya chapter 32 - kaizore gopakanyAzca yauvane rAjakanyakA - "The adolescent cowherd daughters were princesses in their youth."

That the Bhagavat shows them as different persons is because that took place in a different kalpa.

15.253-256 lila vilasa is coquettish resistance of the heroine to attempts at intercourse by the hero. Sri Rupa Goswami says that this is giving greater happiness than the intercourse itself.

Ujjvala Nilamani part 4

2011-11-14T11:35:00.002+01:00

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

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

Ujjvala Nilamani part 3

2011-10-31T05:25:00.007+01:00

7.92 Visvanath Cakravarti tika - vastutas tu yadi sundara-prakRtir api patir adAsyat tad api rucir nAbhaviSyat | mac-cetasaH zrI-kRSNaika-grAhitvAd ity Abhyantaro vicAraH -

If the gopis would cheat their husbands with Krishna because they are ugly or nasty it would not be a compliment for Krishna, so Visvanath Cakravartipad says here:

“Actually, even if my husband were beautiful in form or nature still I would have no taste for him. My heart is exclusively captured by Sri Krishna. This is her inner consideration.”

UN 8.66 VisvanAtha's commentary : ahaM patra-hArI zrI-rAdhAyA dUty asmi kim iti mayi lAmpaTyaM tanoSi | dUtyaH prANAn varam arpayanti, na tu tanum iti dUtI-svabhAvaM jAnAsy eveti sambhrAntAM rasAla-maJjarIM zrI-kRSNaH prAha—dUtI-paddhatim iti – This may have inspired Ananda Gopal Goswami in a similar purport on Vilap Kusumanjali. 'Rasala manjari told Krishna - "I am a letter carrying messenger girl of Radha's - why are you fooling around with me? Dutis can give their lives but not their bodies."

Un 8.67 Visvanath Cakravarti - gRhIta-vastraM zrI-kRSNaM prati rati-maJjarI prAha—prasIdeti | he nirdaya, ahaM sampraty asustha-zarIrAsmIti bhAvaH - One should not make love while sick. Another instance of manjari bhava being tad tad bhavecchatmika: "When Krishna grabs Rati Manjari's cloth, she says: " Be merciful to me, O cruel one. Today I am feeling sick."

8.84 sakhyo`pi dvividhAH—zrI-kRSNasyAtilobhanIya-gAtrA nAtilobhanIya-gAtrAz ca | tatra prathamAsu prathama evAgrahaH, dvitIyAsu dvitIya eva | sukumAryAnayA

svakAntAya kAma-samudAya-sampUrNa-rati-dAnAsamarthayA tad-arthaM vayam api niyujyAmahe tad asyAH sAhAyyaM kurma iti nAyikAtve prathamA ISad-Agrahavatyo bhavanti | dvitIyAs tu sveSu zrI-kRSNa-lobhasyAlpatAM jAnatyaH svais tAdRza-sAhAyyAn atisambhavaM manyamAnAs tAM tat-sakhIz ca saubhAgyAdhikAH sva-prayatnaiH zrI-kRSNena sambhujyaiva tAM sukhayitum icchantyo nAyikAtvena Agrahavatyo na bhavantIty - There are two kinds of sakhis – those with bodies very desirable to Krishna and others with bodies not so desirable for Krishna. The first group is eager to please Krishna directly, the others want to please Him indirectly [by serving other sakhis].. ‘By this small girl it is impossible to fully satisfy all the lover’s desires, hence let us assist the heroine here."

They understand they are less desirable by Krishna than the others, who are more fortunate. They do not desire to be nayikas themselves.”

This does sound like manjari bhava, but it is neither confirmed or denied by Visvanath. I doubt it myself, because the same Visvanath writes in Krishna Bhavanamrita:

(3.2-3): ‘yuthesvaritvam api samyak arocayitva.

tA vidyud udyuti jayi prapadaika rekhA vaidagdhya eva kila mUrtibhRtas tathApi

yUthezvarItvam api samyag arocayitvA dAsyAmRtAbdhim anusasnur ajasram asyAH

"Each line on these manjaris' toes defeats the bright splendour of lightning. They are cleverness personified and although they are qualified to be groupleaders of gopis (yuthezvaris) they have no taste for this, but are always immersed in the nectar-ocean of Sri Radhika's service."

From this it is very clear that the manjaris are supremely attractive themselves, so they do not seem to answer the description of the first group of sakhis above.

UN 8.88 The nitya sakhi or manjari refuses to enjoy with Krishna – in his commentary, Visvanath Cakravarti writes - tvayA saha svAGga-saGga-sukhAd api jAla-randhrAdau

zrI-rAdhAGga-saGga-darzanotthaM sukham adhikam anubhUtaM man-manasA nahi labdhAdhika-sukhA janA alpe sukhe pravartanta iti bhAvaH | tataz ca mAstu tava sukhaM

mat-sukhaM tu kurv iti zrI-rAdhikA-datta-cara-mantraNena zrI-kRSNena sA balA sambhuktaiveti jJeyam ‘More than my own bodily pleasures with Krishna I enjoy to peep through the slits of the kunja to see Krishna enjoying with Sri Radha. Why would my mind accept a lesser happiness when a greater one is available? But then Sri Radha may advise her: ‘Leave your own happiness and make Me happy instead. Then that girl had herself enjoyed by Sri Krishna anyway.”

8.115 Visvanath Cakravarti’s tika - AbhIra, he abhimanyo sUrya-pUjAyAM snAnAdy-arthaM kapilA-dugdham apekSitam atas tvaM gAM dugdhvA paya Agamaya Anaya | aruNAm iti |

yA hi sarvAGgeSv aruNa-varNA, atha ca piGgAkSI saiva pataGgasya sUryasya priyA kapileti tAm anyaH paricetuM na zakSyatIty anyo na preSaNIya iti bhAvaH

In astakaliya lila it is mentioned that Radhika is ordered to go out and get milk from a Kapila [brown] cow. From this tika it becomes clear why – a cow which is red in all its limbs and has brown eyes is dear to Surya deva. Its milk is required for Surya puja.

8.120 Visvanath Cakravarti quotes Garuda Purana:

zuSkaM mAMsaM striyo vRddhA bAlArkas taruNaM dadhi

prabhAte maithunaM nidrA sadyaH prANaharANi SaT

"Dry meat, an old woman, the sunrise, fresh yoghurt, sleeping or mating after dawn take away one’s life."

8.127 A krsna snehAdhikA sakhi does feel much for her sakhi-groupleader, but still feels slightly more affection for krsna.

8.131 Vice versa for the sakhi-snehAdhikA. Krsna will love you automatically if you love Radha.

8.137 – Visvanath Cakravarti’s tika - nanu tAH katham anugamanAnarhAH? ucyate, rAgAnugIya-bhakta-mate zrI-kRSNAd anyUna-prItimattayaivAnujigamiSitA gopI khalv

anugamyate | tasmAn nyUna-prItyApy anugamane vAcye vaidhAd rAgasya ko vizeSaH ? bhaktAnugatiM vinA vaidha-bhakter apy asiddheH | tasmAc chrI-kRSNe`dhikA sakhI

tad-anujigamiSubhir janaiH zrI-kRSNAd anyUna-prIti-viSayI-kartavyA |

How are they to be followed? It is said that in the opinion of the rAgAnugA-bhakta one should follow a gopi whom one loves not less than Sri Krishna. If one follows a gopi in spite of having less love for her than for Krishna, then what is the difference between vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga bhakti?

Even vaidhi-bhakti fails to lead to perfection without following devotees. Hence in rAgAnugA-bhakti, devotees who wish to follow a sakhi with more love for Krishna should not have less love for that sakhi than for Krishna."

From this it appears that following in the footsteps of a Krishna snehadhika bhakti is only raganuga bhakti if one loves the Krishna snehadhika ragatmika devotee more than Krishna.

9.43 Visvanath Cakravarti tika -

"As long as there is no mixing of bhakti with the antahkarana (subtle body of mind, intelligence, consciousness), the functions of the mind such as attachment and hatred will remain as material anarthas. When sulfur is added to mercury there is no immediate mixing, but after repeated rubbing, after a long time, they mix. Sulfur then gives up its original nature and takes a different form. Similarly the material nature of the antahkarana is gradually destroyed and becomes spiritual. Just as sulfur and mercury eventually become one substance as collyrium, so bhakti and the antahkarana become one as prema. Though mercury does not combine with other substances, sulfur transforms by rubbing into another form, and by heating, it gradually matures and takes on a unique form and name. The uncontaminated Lord, in the form of chanting or other processes, enters the antahkarana endowed with attraction through the ears or other senses and rubbing against it by its power, makes the antahkarana take on a spiritual form. By heating that combination till it matures to higher and higher states, it then attains the unique forms and names of prema, sneha, pranaya, raga, anuraga and mahabhava. Just as the mature combination takes on varieties by mixing with favorable elements, so prema takes on forms such as dasya or sakhya by mixing with bhavas of a servant, friend, parent or lover. The prema of the sadhana-siddhas has been described in this way. What doubt is there then about the prema of the nitya-siddhas?

9.48- Visvanath Cakravarti Tika -

"A follower of Vrinda, a deity of the forest, curious about the conclusions of prema, asks “If Krishna attains happiness by enjoyment with Candravali, which is also your goal—to give him happiness--then why are you inimical to her? Why do you get angry when he frustrates your desires and meets with her?”

Radha teaches her the principle. "Candravali can also mean the moon in the twelve months. The moon is always endowed with faulty marks. Or, she deals with Krishna as a neutral party, because of having great respect. The moon is impure, having marks on its surface. She is devoid of the natural crookedness of prema, which moves crooked like a snake. By its nature the moon gives suffering, being cool. Or she is without intelligence. Or by her respect, friendliness is lost. The moon or she is skilful at closing the beautiful lotuses. Or the word vaidagdhi can mean the opposite. She is skilful at closing lotuses because of incompetence. She, the lotus, does not give happiness to the Krishna-bee. The moon is brilliant in the night, not the day. In her mind (antara) she is joyful at seeing her faults as good qualities. She does not see her neutral nature as a fault. The moon appears (sphuranam) in the eastern direction (harer azayah). Or she has a slight appearance of desire for Krishna, but not an actual desire. She should produce another form. Seeing the moon, or considering Candravali, who can tolerate this? One can tolerate her on earth, but all will discover her malice. Therefore she should not criticize again. Let her be like that. Her relationship with Krishna will be finished. It is not unsuitable that I hate her. What is tasty to eat, one takes and prepares. If someone produces occasions for taking things which are tasteless, then will one become angry or not at that person? Consider this and then tell me."

In this way she revealed the truth about prema.

Ujjvala Nilamani part 2

2011-10-17T05:49:00.008+02:00

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 3.37:

aprasUtikA iti | tAsAM puSpodgamAbhAvAn nitya-vilAsArthaM yoga-mAyayaiva sampAditatvAt -

“The gopis never delivered babies because they have no menstruation. Yogamaya arranged this to make them suitable for eternal enjoyment (by Krishna. In this way they never get pregnant and Krishna fulfills His status of dhira lalita, who is niscinta, carefree).”

3.38| tac ca sat-kula-kanyAnAM tAsAM stanAdy-udghATanAsambhavAd eva

Jiva Goswami: “A girl of good family does not have such fully developed breasts at the marriageable age.” This means that high class girls were married earlier than low caste girls.

manuSya-deva-gandharvAdi-janmAntaram ity arthaH | yad vA, martyA mAnuSyAH amartyA hariNyAdayaH | hiraNyAGgI haridvarNA hariNI-garbha-sambhavA iti bRhad-gaNoddeza-dIpikokteH |

“Recent gopis [that appear with Krishna for the first time in His manifest pastimes] may appear from animal wombs, like for instance Hiranyangi, who is mentioned in Sri Rupa Goswami’s Radha-Krishna Ganoddesh Deepika [101] as appearing from the womb of a deer. If that means she appeared from the deer as a human or a deer is not clear here but I suppose she was human still.”

Added to my blog of June 3, 2009

Visvanath Cakravarti Tika on UN 3.49-51 -

bhAvini rAmAvatAre rAma-saundarya-darzitvena prasiddhAnAM daNDakAraNya-vAsinAM gopAlopAsakAnAM munInAm avazyambhAvitvAt | na caitat kalpa-vRtta-rAmAvatAra-gatA eva te munayo bhAviny api rAmAvatAre bhavitum arhantIti vAcyam | etat-kalpa-vRtta-zrI-kRSNAvatAra eva teSAM prApta-gopikA-rUpatvena siddhatvAt siddhAnAM punaH sAdhakatvAyogAt | na ca maivaM bhaviSyanti munaya iti vAcyam | bhAvini kRSNAvatAre rAsArmabhe antar-gRha-gatAnAM kRSNa-viraheNa deha-tyAgavatInAM gopInAm avazyambhAvitvAt | tAs tarhi kA bhaviSyanti etat-kalpa-vRtta-muni-caryA eveti cen na | tAsAM siddha-dehatvena punar deha-tyAgAyogAt | yogamAyA eva deha-tyAgaM pratyAyayatIti cen na | siddhA api dehaM tatyajur iti prasiddher api jugupsitatvena tathA tat-karaNAyogAt | tasmAt sAdhaka-bhaktAnAm anantatvAt | pratikalpa eva te munayo`nye`nya eva bhavanti | ta eva kRSNAvatAre navInAM municaryo gopyas tAsAm eva kAzcid antar-gRha-gatA dehaM tyajantIti |

“In the future again other sages will become attracted to Sri Ram’s beauty and take birth as gopis in a future manifest pastime of Krishna. Why can it not be the same sages? That is not possible because these sages/gopis attained perfection [siddhi] as they left their bodies in their houses when Krishna lured them to the Rasa dance with His flute playing. It would be distasteful and impossible if siddhas would again turn into sadhakas.“ This means that the sadhakas who are promoted to Krishna’s manifest pastimes for further training still have material bodies. These bodies must be of some higher quality because Visvanathji earlier said that the material body cannot tolerate raga anuraga etc.”

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 3.52-53 - bhaktAz ca trividhAH sva-vAsanAnusAreNa tal-lIlA-parikarANAM zuddhAnugatimanto`haGgrahopAsanA-mayAnugatimanto`nanugatimantaz ca | tatrAdyAH kecid devAH zrIdAma-subalAdInAM priya-sakhAH | kAzcid devyaz ca zrI-rAdhAdInAM prANa-sakhyaH | tathA nanda-yazodAdInAm api sakhAyaH sakhyaz cAnubhavan | dvitIyAs teSu tAsu ca prAvizan | droNa-dharA-vasv-Adayo yathA nanda-yazododdhavAdiSu tathA RSayo`pi kecit go-vatseSu vRndAvanIya-pakSiSu ca | tRtIyAs tu tatra prAdurbhAvAbhAvenAlabdha-manorathA eva babhUvur yathA lakSmy-Adaya iti | tal-lIlA-parikarAnugatitAm eva tat-prApti-niyamanAt.

“There are three types of eternally beloveds of Krishna in the heavenly planets – those who purely follow the lila-parikaras (eternal associates of Krishna) according to their own vAsanAs (spiritual aspirations), those who worship themselves as these associates (ahamgropasana) and those who do not follow Krishna’s associates. Some devatas in the first group become dear friends of Sridam and Subal, while some Devis become hearts friends (prana sakhis) of gopis like Sri Radha while again others become friends or girlfriends of Nanda and Yashoda etc. The second group enters (merges) into these associates of Krishna, like Drona merged with Nanda, Dhara with Yashoda and Vasu with Uddhava. Seers (rishis) may also merge with the cows, calves, birds etc. of Vrindavan. The third group do not have their desires fulfilled (do not attain these associates) due to a lack of appearance (of the appropriate feeling and attitude), examples are Laksmi and others. The rule for attaining an associate of Krishna is allegiance to him or her.”

yUthAdhipAtve‘py aucityaM dadhAnA lalitAdayaH |

sveSTa-rAdhAdi-bhAvasya lobhAt sakhya-ruciM dadhuH ||

Though LalitA, Visakha, Padma and Saibya are capable of being leaders, because of their mood of serving other leaders like Radha, they have a taste as friends of leaders. Ujjvala-nilamani 3.61

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 4.3 zrImaj-jIva-gosvAmi-caraNAnAM vyAkhyAnAt rukmiNy-AdInAM hlAdinI-zaktitve`pi na mahA-bhAva-rUpatvaM vraja-devInAM zrI-rAdhAyA evAMza-bhUtAnAM mahA-bhAvAMza-rUpatve`pi mahA-bhAva-sAra-bhUta-mAdana-bhAgAbhAvAn na mahA-bhAva-svarUpatvam | yathA nada-nadI-taDAgAdInAM jalAzayatve`pi na jaladhitvam

“Rukmini and others, though being of the pleasure potency hlAdini shakti, do not have mahAbhAva. The women of Vraja, particles of Radha, are particles of mahAbhAva, but they are not the svarUpa of mahAbhAva since they lack the essential portion of mahAbhAva called mAdana. Rivers, streams and ponds, though reservoirs of water, are not like the ocean.”

A bit hard to understand the simile with the ocean – it seems the pond has the same quality but not the same quantity as the ocean, so this simile would suggest the other gopis also have madana mahabhava but just in a smaller amount, but that is not the case.

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 4.5, which quotes the famous yatha radha priya vishnos verse, praising Sri Radhakund - tataz ca viSNor vyApakasya rAdhAyA Atma-buddhi-dehendriyAdikam AzliSya sthitasya sataH kRSNasya yathA rAdhA priyA viSNor jala-sthala-sopAna-nikuJjodyAna-kusuma-phala-vihaGgama-kUjitAdiSu snAnAvagAhanAsana-zayana-vihAra-darzanAvaghrANAsvAdana-zravaNAdibhir vyApya sthitasya priyam | nanu tasyAnyA api gopyaH priyAH zrUyante | satyam | kintu sarva-gopISu viSNoH prakaTitAnanta-prakAzatvena tA api sarvA AzliSya sthitasyApi tasyAnta-vallabhAtvaM lakSayatIty AyAtam | yato rAdhikA-yUtha evAyaM modano na tu sarvataH [u.nI.15.176] iti | tad-yUthasya sarva-yUthebhya utkarSam uktvA – sarva-bhAvodgamollAsI mAdano`yaM parAt paraH | rAjate hlAdinI-sAro rAdhAyAm eva yaH sadA || [u.nI.15.219]

(The word Vishnu mentions in the sloka conventionally means ‘all-pervading’) “Just as Radha is dear to Krishna who pervades and embraces Radha’s soul, intelligence, body and senses - her kunda is similarly dear to Krishna (vishnoh), who pervades the water, steps, groves, gardens, flowers, fruits, birds and their cooing by bathing, sitting, reclining, playing, seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing at that kunda. “But it is heard that other gopis are also dear to Krishna.” That is true, but this is included in the verse as it says they are very dear to Him too (atyanta ballabha) as He pervades (embraces) them all too in innumerable manifestations (forms). Because it is said rAdhikA-yUtha evAyaM modano na tu sarvataH: modana exists only in Radha’s group (Ujjvala-nilamani.15.176), her group is also the best of all groups.”

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 4.47, which shows that Radha is Krishna’s dearest sweetheart (Krishna priyavali mukhya)- tvad-vapuSaH pRSThAdy-eka-pradezA api dRSTvA mAM svastimantaM kurvanti tAsAM tAdRzApAGga-bhaGgyo`pi neti bhAvaH

(Krishna says:) “Even one part of Your body, like Your back, makes me happy, unlike the willful glances of them (the other gopis).”

Jiva Goswami quotes unknown shastra in un 5.11-

parakIyA dvidAH proktA paroDhA kanyakA tathA yAtrAdi-niratAny oDhA kulaTA galita-trapA kanyA tv ajAtopayamA salajjA nava-yauvanA

There are two kinds of parakIyAs: the paroDhA (married to another man) and the kanyakA (unmarried). The paroDhA is engaged in worldly affairs, is unchaste and devoid of shame. The kanya is not married, is shy and of fresh youth."

UN 5.94 - ced iyaM preyasA hAtuM kSaNam apy atiduHzakA |

parama-prema-vazyatvAn mAdhavIti tadocyate ||

If Krishna cannot give up his lover for even a moment because he is controlled by her prema, the svAdhIna-bhartRkA is called mAdhavI.

UN 7.80- dhavam upekSya kaThoram iyaM puraH parimalollasitA kila mAdhavI |

zrayitum utkalikA-valitAdbhutaM nanu bhavantam upaiti hali-priya

“This fragrant Madhavi vine ignored her hard husband to take shelter of a wonderful Kadamba tree.”

Woman is latA,

purush is taru

latA-woman can not live without taru-man

though the tree can live without the vine

If you move the tree the tree will survive

the vine will automatically search out a new tree to take shelter of its support

or it will die or get trampled on the floor (get abused by other men).

Tapan Da at Radhakund

2011-10-08T09:09:00.001+02:00

It is time again for the annual niyam seva for Kartik in Radhakund and the village fills up again with Bengali Vaishnavas for the month of intense bhakti practises. One of them is my senior Gurubrother Tapan Kumar Adhikary, who has moved his residence from Ranchi to Asansol recently and travelled here with Visvananda Avadhut. He is staying in Gadadhar Caitanya Mandir on the bank of Syamakund. He went on Giriraj parikrama alone yesterday and is visiting me now in my kutir at Lalita Kund.

I ask him why Baba worshipped Shiva as Gopesvara instead of Gopisvara. He tells me the story of how the gopis worshipped Katyayani Devi for a whole winter month, when they were just 6 years old and that Baba considered Gopesvara to be Krishna. He will ask the answer to that question to Kumkum Da when he meets him during the upcoming festival for Baba’s viraha. Baba said that Madan Gopal is spreading out His hand (as Laddu Gopal) because he begs for the loving gifts of His devotees, the gifts of prema seva. I ask him if I do not commit aparadha by preaching Baba’s glories – they are confidential and those who do not understand may criticise him. Baba himself was also averse to preaching. Tapan Da quotes Baba saying that the elephant will walk on even if the dogs may bark around him. He also says that the sisya can attract people to the Guru by his strong sadhana and preaching of raganuga bhakti, something which Krishna Di and Niranjan Babu both told me too, independently, more than 10 years ago. The flower spreads its sweet fragrance to the connoisseurs who are ready to appreciate it.

I ask if the story of Baba seeing the sadhus at night when he was deciding whether to marry or to stay celibate(see Satinath Datta’s hagiography of Sadhu Baba on madangopal. com) was a real story or a divine vision. Tapan Da says, as I expected, it was a divine vision. He says about the story that Baba was immersed in the Ganga while Jnana Da went shopping that it was Baba's own wish, so He could do his sadhana in peace.

Tapan Da tries to convince me to come with him to Navadwip, very embarrassing because I am so attached to Radhakund that I just want to stay here. I beg him and the didis forgiveness. Tapan Da tells me some surprising details about himself. He is only 52 years old, 3 years younger than me even, and joined in 1983, a year after me too. He is a brahmin from Katwa (Mau Gram), whose family has been worshipping Radha-Krishna vigraha for the last 300 years. His father, following kula-pratha (family tradition) took diksa from Ananda Gopal Goswami, so Tapan Da was not a newcomer to the family. He will get a pension at 60 and he will try to make a kutir at Radhakund at that time.

Ujjvala Nilamani part 1

2011-10-02T15:44:00.007+02:00

Choice of Rupa Gosvamipad’s Ujjvala Nilamani with commentaries.

Ujjvala Nilamani is a sequel of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, written by Sri Rupa Goswami because he found the topic of amorous love of Krishna was too extensive to include in it. Naturally this is a confidential item of shastra, yet it should be discussed, for true devotees will appreciate it in its true value. In his brief commentary Jiva Goswami appears to support svakiya vAda (married love of Radha-Krishna) and in his lengthier commentary Sri Visvanath Cakravartypad seems to support parakiya vada (extramarital love). They only clash in a few places, though, not throughout the book. This scripture shows an almost endless variety of male and female lovers and the situations they may end up in.

Chapter 1 deals with the varieties of Nayaks (amorous heroes). In his commentary of verse 1.23, Visvanath Cakravartypad argues that, why Krishna was named Govinda during His abhisekha by the Surabhi cow after He lifted Mount Govardhan? Is this name not eternal? anyathA govindAbhiSekAt pUrvam eva pUtanA supayaH pAnAnantaraM bIja-nyAsaM kurvatyo vraja-vara-vadhvaH krIDantaM pAtu govindaH [S.B. 10.6.25] iti guNa-gAne ca govinda-veNum anumatta-mayUra-nRtyam iti kathaM vadeyuH - Previously in the 10th canto, during the narration of the killing of Putana, the Vrajabasi women assigned nyAsa [seed-letters] to Krishna, saying ‘may Govinda protect You at play’ (though this is more likely to refer to the Vaikuntha-deity Govinda) and the young gopis praised Krishna’s flute long before the abhisekha-pastime, in chapter 21’s ‘Venu Gita’ ‘the peacocks dance like mad, when they hear Govinda’s flute’

tena yat-karma-viziSTasya yasya rUpasya yan nAma tat-karma-viziSTaM tad-rUpaM nityam eva | loke paraM teSAM bhaktAnAM tat-tad-rasAnubhavArthaM krameNAvirbhAvaH
“Thus the name related to a form of the Lord performing some action is as eternal as that action. They gradually manifest in the world so the devotees can experience their divine flavours.”

….tena bhagavAn govardhanam uddharann eva sadaiva vartate iti | govardhanoddharaNAdhAra iti kriyA-nAmAbhyAM sahito govardhanoddharaNa-rUpaH sadaiva vartate | ata eva adyApi bhaktAnAM tathAnubhavaH
Mount Govardhan is eternally lifted by Bhagavan, and so both the name and the pastime of lifter/lifting of Govardhan are eternal. Thus they are experienced like this by the devotees even today. See also my blog of June 27, 2011.

abhimanyu-prabhRtiSu pati-bhAvas tu mAyika eva | cid-rUpANAM zrI-rAdhAdInAM cid-rUpeSu patiSv abhimanyu-prabhRtiSu sArvakAlika-dveSAnyathAnupapattyA madhye pati-bhAva-rUpA mAyA svAMza-bhUtA zrI-yoga-mAyayaiva sthApitA | prAkRtInAM strINAM pariNetRSu pati-bhAvasya prApaJcikatvAd anityatvam | gopInAM tu pariNetRSu patibhAvasya mAyA-kalpitatve bhagaval-lIlA-tantra-madhya-vartitvAt mAyAyAz cAsyA yogamAyAnumoditatvAc ca nityatvam eveti vizeSaH | mohanaM tu tAsAM yogamAyyaiva guNAtIttvAn na tu mAyayA

“Abhimanyu and other cowherd men’s esteem of being the gopis’ husbands is false [mAyik]. The forms of Sri Radha and other gopis are transcendental; it would be inappropriate for Abhimanyu and others like him to cherish eternal hatred towards them. Mahamaya is an expansion of yogamaya and she arranges their husband-esteem. To think of oneself as the husband of a material woman is mundane and temporary. The gopis’ idea that these men are their husbands is also created by maya, but since it all takes place in the context of the Lord’s transcendental pastimes it is endorsed by Yogamaya and thus also eternal.”

Chapter 2 deals with the variety of assistants of the hero. In his commentary on verse 2.15, Visvanatha mentions manjari bhava - tAz ca lalitAdyAH parama-preSTha-sakhy-Adaya uttarAs tu tad-dvayAbhAvAt kadApi kRSNAGga-saGga-spRhAvatyo na bhavanti | tAz ca kastUryAdayo nitya-sakhyas tatra vyAkyAta-lakSaNaM pUrvAsAM zrI-kRSNAGga-saGga-spRhA-rUpam aMzam udAhartum Aha yathA veti ‘There are parama prestha sakhis like Lalita and others, and there are nitya sakhis, like Kasturi Manjari, who never ever desire the bodily association of Krishna.

Chapter 3 deals with the variety of Hari’s sweethearts. Visvanatha Cakravartypad comments on UN 3.2 - kAminInAM yauvana-mada eva lalitAnIti nyAyenoktir vastutas tu tAsAM nitya-siddhaiva sarva-vaidagdhI svAvasaraM prApya udayate | dRSTaM ca tathA rAsa-krIDAyAM gAna-nRtyAdiSu prAvINyam tat-tac-chAstra-kRdbhirapi durgamam
“Pride of youth causes the attainment of all cleverness in nitya siddha girls. They learn expertise in the arts of dancing, singing, etc. during the Rasa pastimes, that are rarely attained even by the authors of shastra, just by looking.” So no long studies at Bharat Natyam colleges or lengthy mridanga lessons in manjari svarupa. Visvanatha writes elsewhere that to attain perfection a devotee needs to take birth first in Krishna’s earthly pastimes before being promoted to Goloka, but that is not to gain practical skills. Only to develop further prema.

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 3.13 tatrApi paroDhAnAM zrI-rAdhAdInAM dAsyaH kAzcana zrI-vRSabhAnv-Adibhir vivAha-kAle dattAH kanyakA eva kAzcana tad-anyA rUpa-maJjary-AdayaH paroDhA eva jJeyAH | bimbAdhare kSatam anAgata bhartRkAyAH [vilApa-kusumAJjali 1] iti zrI-dAsa-gosvAmy-ukteH | arvAcInAnAM sAdhaka-bhaktAnAM tu bhAvo yathA-ruci yathA-sampradAyaM vA phaliSyatIti boddhavyam
“Some of the maidservants that were given at marriage by the fathers of the brides like Vrishabhanu, were not married and some, like Rupa Manjari, were. The evidence for Rupa Manjari being married is found in the opening verse of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami’s Vilapa Kusumanjali. The feelings of the contemporary sadhakas will bear fruit according to feeling and sampradaya.” Yatha sampradaya cannot mean ‘according to sampradaya like Ramanuja, Madhva etc.’, because only the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradya has manjari bhava. Therefore it should mean according to Gaudiya Vaishnava sub branch like Advaita and Nityananda parivaras. Ironically Sadhu Baba quoted exactly the same verse to me to prove that Rupa Manjari is not married, as anAgata means ‘not come’, in other words Rupa Manjari’s husband was not yet found. Anyway, Visvanathji reconciles it neatly afterwards by saying yathA ruci yathA sampradAya, it is accomplished according to one’s own taste and lineage.
3.19 kanyakAz ca paroDhAz ca parakIyA dvidhA matAH
Verse by Rupa Goswami – “there are two kinds of parakiya relationships – not only of a married girl with another man but also of an unmarried [maiden] with a man.”

Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on UN 3.19: kAzcit tadAnIM dezAntarAt samAgatyApi samAtRkAH sthitA iti jJeyAH : “Some unmarried gopis came from outside of Vraja, with their mothers.”
3.21 yatra niSedha-vizeSaH sudurlabhatvaM ca yan mRgAkSINAm
tatraiva nAgarANAM nirbharam Asajjate hRdayam
“When a woman forbids a man to approach her and is hard to attain, it increases the attachment of the heart for the amorous hero (suitor).”
Rupa Goswami condemns sahajiya imitationists in UN 3.24: vartitavyaM zam icchadbhir bhaktavan na tu kRSNavat - “Those who desire their own welfare should act as devotees, not as Krishna.”

Visvanath Cakravarty comments on UN 3.33: gopInAM gopair vivAhasya mAyikatve`pi nitya-satyatvam eva jJeyam | manyamAnA ity abhiprAya-mAtraM na tu mAyA-kalpitAnAm api tAsAM patibhiH sambhoga iti tAsAM tad-AkAra-tulyAkArANAm anya-sambhuktatvasyAnaucityAt | ata eva sva-pArzva-sthAn iti | na tu talpa-sthAn ity uktam | tac ca samAdhAnaM yogamAyayaiva tat-patInAM puMstve`pi kAma-vikArAn udbhAvanAt | ata eva tan-mAtrAdibhiH prArthitAnAm api teSAM teSAM gopAnAM gopAlAnAM zAlli-kSetrAdAv eva zizayiSA prAyo na tu sva-gRheSv api svIya-tad-bhAvasya prAkaTyAbhAvAyeti jJeyam –
“Though the gopis’ marriages with the gopas are false they are also eternally real. The cowherds did not enjoy those forms made of mAyA as it would be inappropriate to enjoy other forms that looked just like them. Hence it is said (in this Bhagavat verse 10.33.38 quoted here) ‘they thought their wives to be by their sides’, not ‘they thought their wives to be in their beds. The solution was provided by yogamaya: though the husbands were potent they had no male transformations in the presence of their gopi wives. Though their mothers asked them (to sleep with their wives) they slept in the cow-barns, because they did not have that bhava (desire) for their wives.”

3.37 aprasUtitve sati tAsAm AlambanatvaM vairUpyeNa dUSyate
“The gopis could not have delivered babies because the disfigurement would have polluted them (made them unqualified for enjoyment by Krishna).”

ata eva duhantyo’bhiyayuH ityAdau, pAyayantyaH zizUn payaH ity eva zrI-zuka-vAkyaM na tu pAyayantyaH sutAn stanam iti | kvacit tad-vidheSu putrAdi-vyapadezo dRzyate yathA sAmba-kRta-lakSmaNA-haraNe zrI-baladevam uddizya |
pratigRhya tu tat-sarvaM bhagavAn sAtvatarSabhaH |
sa-sutaH sa-snuSaH prAgAt suhRdbhir abhinanditaH || iti ||37||

"Sometimes it is mentioned that the gopis abandoned their children to dance with Krishna, but wherever there is any mentioning of them having sons it does not mean their own sons, just as when Lord Baladev rescued Samba (Srimad Bhagavat 10.68.52), Samba is mentioned as his son though he was not directly his son. Also the Bhagavat mentions the gopis fed milk to children, but not their breast milk. It is said zizun payaH, they fed milk to children (cows’ milk), not ‘they breast-fed their own children’ (pAyayantyaH sutAn stanam)."

Srimad Bhagavat Canto 12, part 2

2011-09-19T07:08:00.006+02:00

12.9.25 Krishna does not know the limit to the sweetness of His own toes as He sucks them on the Banyan leaf on the ocean of cataclysm. Kavi Karnapur sucked Mahaprabhu’s toe as a toddler and as a result he wrote so many beautiful books like Caitanya Candrodoy, Gaur Ganoddesh Deepika and Krishnahnika Kaumudi. Visvanath’s tika : mac-caraNAmbuje kIdRzaM madhu vartate yata etad AsvAdanArthaM bahavo mad-bhaktA yatante tasmAd idam aham apy AsvAdya pariceSye - « What honey is there in My lotusfeet? Since many of My devotees try to taste it, so should I. » Though Krishna is the vessel of all sweetness He can still not relish it. Whatever or whoever is unlimited can not reach his own limit, and it has been said earlier in the 10th canto, chapter 87, that the Lord does not know His own limits. That is why He became Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to find the limits of His own sweetness and the love that Radha feels for Him. Sri Ananda Gopal Goswami said in his Vilapa Kusumanjali lectures that Mahaprabhu never reached that limit and He never will, and this establishes the eternality of Gaura Lila. This form of Bat Krishna, lying on the Banyan leaf, is also eternal, like all of the Lord’s forms and He also never finds the limit to the sweetness of His own toe. Not only that, Srila Rupa Goswami even taught ‘vibhur api kalayann sadAbhivRddhim’ – Although the bliss and sweetness of Krishna lila is unlimited, it is still ever-increasing.
12.10.23 In his commentary Jiva Goswami explains that the words devAz cetanojjhitA [lifeless statues] do not refer to deities of Lord Vishnu, but to statues of Indra and other devatAs. Speaking of deities, there is a belief that once the deity is installed, the deity will accept all service from any and every devotee. That is a very bureaucratic vision. Sridhar Swami comments on Bhagavad Gita 9.26 tasya prayatAtmanaH zuddha-cittasya niSkAma-bhaktasya tat-patra-puSpAdikaM bhaktyA tena upahRtaM samarpitam aham aznAmi ‘prayatAtmana means that I [Krishna] will eat offerings from a pure-hearted devotee without selfish desires’ and Visvanath Cakravartipad comments kiM ca mad-bhaktasyApy apavitra-zarIratve sati nAznAmIty Aha prayatAtmanaH zuddha-zarIrasyeti rajaHsvalAdayo vyAvRttAH ‘Even if one is a devotee, if he/she has an impure body i will not eat the offering. The body must be pure, especially from menstruation.’
12.10.26 Lord Shiva is praising Markandeya Rishi, who can not get enough of hearing about it. According to Visvanath Cakravartypad it does not mean Markandeya was so proud or narcistic. Rather he felt like being instructed [and encouraged] as to what type of a person he should actually be.
12.11.20 In his tika, Visvanath seems to say that the hladini shakti is represented in the happiness of swarg, which would validate the theory that material pleasure is a reflection of the spiritual hladini shakti : anapAyinI eka-rUpA sAkSAt svarUpa-bhUtA zaktiH | asyAhlAdinI-zakter vibhUtir laukikaH svargAdy-Ananda UhyaH | tantra-mUrtiH paJcarAtrAdy-Agama-rUpaH paJcarAtrAdy-AgamA viSvaksenasya vibhUtaya ity arthaH | harer dvAHsthA ye nandAdayaH, te`pi aNimAdyA guNA anya-gatA vibhUtayaH
However the word used here is vibhuti, not pratibimba or chAyA. vibhuti like in Bhagavad Gita, chapter 10, representing Krishna's prowess and glory only.
12.11.50 lokan avatyaja - the sun is the protector of the world, because crime – mugging, burglary, murder, rape - usually is committed at night. Daylight gives security to mankind, except in times of war or natural disaster of course.
12.12.49 Visvanath’s tika - asya zAstrasya kRSNa-kIrtana eva tAtparyAt, tad anya-kIrtanam avigItam api na kuryAt | tat kIrtanaM yat pazubhir vigItatvenoktaM tad api kuryAd ity Aha—mRSeti | tAH satyA api giro mithyA eva | priyA api giro`satIr asatyaH kaTUktaya eva | tathA satAM viduSAm api kathA asat-kathA eva | kutaH ? yad yato bhagavAn na kathyate iti | ataH sa satyavAdy api mithyA-vAdI priyaMvado`pi kaTu-bhASI sat-kathako`py asat-kathaka ucyate iti bhAvaH | svakalpitatvAd asatyam api bhagavad-yazaz cet tad eva satyaM gRhAzrama-vidhvaMsakatvAt amaGgalam api tad eva maGgalaM nAnyat bhagavataH para-dAra-haraNAdikam apuNyatvenAdhamair uktam api tad eva puNyam | yato bhagavato guNasyaiva na tu doSasyodayo yasmAt tat
« The purpose of shastra is to glorify Krishna – others’ glorification, even if not done badly, should still not be done. However, even if animals glorify the Lord badly, that should be done. Though the words are true they are also false. Though the words are dear they are still unchaste, false and bitter. Even if the words are uttered by learned persons they are not real. Why? Because they do not describe the Lord. In this way even truthful persons are liars, sweet talkers are bitter speakers etc. If the words are false because they come from one’s imagination, they are still true if they glorify the Lord. »
This last sentence is significant. Even if the great poets who wrote so many volumes of Krishna katha in the past, have just used their poetic skills of imagination [kavir kalpana], still they are all true because Krishna is the Absolute Truth and any story which is projected upon Him will be the Absolute truth too. Mahaprabhu has proclaimed this, adding that the only rules are that there should be no apasiddhanta (wrong philosophy) or rasAbhAsa (bad taste). This verse is not a glorification but actual truth.
Visvanath continues : « If the words are inauspicious because they destroy the householders world they are actually auspicious. »
In India the grihasthas invite the sadhu to lecture them and they know they will get the sauce for being materialistic and bodily conscious. They are prepared for that and they humbly accept their verdict without arguing or finding excuses.
Visvanath continues : « Even if fallen rascals say that the Lord’s eloping with other men’s wives is immoral, still it is virtuous [pure] »
Whatever touches the Chintamani gem turns into gold, and similarly whatever act Krishna performs is sacred, even if it externally appears to be sinful or immoral.
12.12.52 Visvanath's tika - "Just as sacred mantras are starting and ending with a beej, this bhagavatam begins and ends with the same verses. From this it is clear that endings like svaha and pracodayat are also considered beejas."
Bhanu Swami incorrectly translated the words sthane sthita in Visvanatha’s tika of SB 10.14.3, as ‘remaining in one’s social status’. Actually Visvanatha says satAm nivAsa eva sthitAH – remain in the abode of a saint, na tu tIrthAnyapyaTantaH, but do not wander all over the holy places.
12.13.23 the very last verse of the Bhagavat. In his tika Visvanatha acknowledges that all kinds of nondualist philosophies are included in the Bhagavat - Arambhe pariNAme ca vivarte’pi na hi kSatiH zrImad-bhAgavate bhakteH puruSrtha-ziromaNeH - "Arambhavada, Parinama-vada and Vivarta-vada in the Bhagavat do not harm it – it [nonetheless] propounds bhakti as the crownjewel of life’s goals. Jiva Goswami has established our siddhanta as acintya bhedAbheda, and abheda is an equal part of that. It is perfectly reflected in the Bhagavat, though the acaryas, especially Visvanatha, have given a pure devotional slant to the abheda verses in their commentaries. There is no ancient shastra which is entirely fixed on one path or the other – though the Upanishads stress the path of brahman it has many personalist verses too and though the Bhagavat obviously stresses bhakti, it has impersonalist verses too. But any honest person would acknowledge that the Bhagavat is all about bhakti to Krishna.

Srimad Bhagavat, 12th canto, part 1

2011-09-10T06:25:00.007+02:00

Some interesting verses and commentaries from the 12th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavata -

12.2.4 lingam evAzrama khyAtA – in Kali yuga one’s ashram is only shown by external signs. This predicts the current custom of giving and taking sannyasa for political or economic reasons. Too often we see saintly grihasthas [so called fallen souls] and duplicitous sannyasis [so-called saints]. Time often shows that the struggling grihasthas had the most bhakti and the ‘great’ sannyasis fell flat on their faces. Vesha is after all just a few inches of textile. Only God knows what is on our hearts. Visvanatha Cakravartipada comments: prAptau liGgam eva daNDAjina-zikhA-tyAgAdikam eva kAraNaM na tu jJAna-sad-AcArAdikam – “An ashram is seen by shaved heads, sannyas-staffs and antelope-skins, but not by knowledge or pure conduct.”
Verse 7 expands on that - ‘yazo’rthe dharma sevanam – religion is served only for fame. In other words, devotees flag around their beadbags on the streets of holy places, with endlessly long counting-beads, to show off their huge sadhana for fame and, in extension, money.
12.2.14 zUdra prAyeSu varNeSu - The castes are mostly converted into shudras. Not all but most [prAyeSu] castes will behave like sudras. It means there will be qualified Brahmins too, especially since this verse could apply to the later stages of Kali, not the present stage.
12.2.15 yauna means related to the wife, not as Bhanu Swami says related to youth. He may have confused the word yauna for the word yauvana.
12.2.30 In the tika Visvanath Cakravartipad writes that Kali yuga started on the moment when Duryodhana ordered the disrobing of Draupadi in the Kuru Sabha.
12.3.20 says that in Kali yuga human qualities – the four legs of dharma – decrease gradually simultaneously, while SB 1.7.2.12, 24 and 25 say the legs of dharma disappear fully one by one in each yuga. I consulted Pandit Satyanarayan Dasji on this and he replied as follows [June 19, 2011]:

Dear Prabhuji,
Jai Sri Radhe Govinda!
In 1.1712 and 1.17.24 the words used for Dharma's legs are avrscat and bhagnah. Both mean broken and not cut off. The word avrscat comes from the root ovrscu means 'to pierce'. The word vrscik, scorpion, comes from the same root; and you know what a scorpion does - it pierces. The word Bhagnah comes from the root bhaji, to break. So what it signifies is that the legs were broken but not completely removed or cut. In this chapter, because dharma is depicted as a bull so there is a little different presentation then in 12th canto where things are stated directly. Dramatic presentations may take a little lee-way to present things to
catch attention. Therfore Sri Visvanatha Cakravarty comments in line with the 12th canto description.
Hariom
snd

Also the verse and tikas say that cleanliness is destroyed by vigraha, which means ‘discord’, though the tika of SB 1.17.38 says cleanliness is destroyed by stri sanga. I inquired on this also from Sri Satya Narayanji –

"My next question is on SB 12.3.20 - both the sloka and the tikas speak of cleanliness being destroyed by vigraha. Vigraha is translated as 'discord' by most translators, but in his tika of SB 1.17.38, Sri Cakravartipada says that cleanliness is destroyed by stri-sanga. I could not find 'stri sanga' in the dictionary as a synonym for vigraha. If vigraha really means just 'discord', then how is it that conflict destroys cleanliness? It is more obvious that cleanliness is destroyed by sexual activities."

Satya Narayan Panditji replied:
Dear Prabhuji
Jai Sri Radhe Govinda
Why do you think that stri-sanga should be a synonym for vigraha? Stri-sanga would lead to discord and thus strisanga is the cause of vigraha. So Cakravartipada is going one step deeper. Vigraha means quarrel or fight. This itself is a sign of impurity. The real impurity is not that of body but of the mind. In kali-yuga vigraha is the prominent characteristic and Sri Caitanya said the remedy is sankirtana which removes the impurity of heart – ceto darpan marjanam. So vigraha comes from impurity of heart and also leads to impurity. The most of the wars in the world has been fought because of strisanga (sanga here means not association but attachment), even Mahabharata was rooted in strisanga. Duryodhana, Karna, Jayadratha etc have all hankered after Draupadi who was the exquisite beauty of her time.
Satya Narayan das

Duryodhana was not even able to lift the bow during Draupadi’s Swayamvar, and Karna was rejected by Draupadi even though he could lift the bow. As this is already a death-blow to the male ego, let alone a Ksatriya’s male ego, they took revenge on her by trying to strip her in the Kuru assembly and calling her a whore. In return, to revenge that, Draupadi wanted them dead and pushed for war against the Kauravas, whenever even Krishna or Yudhisthir wanted peace. So we see that attachment to women lies at the root of conflict, including the biggest war ever fought, the Kuruksetra war.
12.3.43 – Visvanath comments here that trouble in Kali really starts after a sandhya of the yuga has passed. The sandhya or twilight means the first 12th part and a sandhyAMza is the last 12th part of a yuga, in the case of Kali that is 36,000 years (see SB 3.11.18-20), so the predictions in this chapter seem to be still relatively far off.
12.3.51 This is a very famous verse – though Kali yuga is an ocean of faults, there is one good quality about it – simply by Krishna Kirtan one attains all perfection. That perfection [param] is glossed by Visvanatha as prema. Kirtan does not only mean Hare Krishna mantra, as the BBT purport claims – there is lila kirtan, nama kirtan, padya kirtan and even shastra parayan can be considered kirtan. Visvanath Cakravartipada comments that just as a single powerful king can beat off innumerable robbers, similarly the one great quality of Kali, Krishna Kirtan, can beat off all faults of the Kali age. It does not rely on meditation and other supportive practices, but of course if you meditate along with the kirtan then so much the better.
12.3.52 Visvanath comments that all the sadhanas that are given in the other 3 yugas are covered by the Kaliyuga dharma of harinama. This comment is somehow missing in the edition of Bhanu Swamiji.
Harinama would have the same effect in the other three yugas, due to its timeless nature. In Kali-yuga, however, there is no other possibility because of man’s moral and mental weakness in this age.
12.5.1 Why Sukadeva spoke Brahma jnana as last chapter to Pariksit before he died of the snake-bite? Visvanath Cakravartipada explains that it was to prove to the world how fixed Pariksit was in Krishna consciousness – no jnana katha could distract him anymore from his Krishna meditation.
12.6.27 abhicAra sacrices are incantations for a violent purpose. Though Vaishnavas should not cultivate this, they sometimes hire tantriks for such purposes.
12.6.34 Visvanath’s tika: imaM sAdhaka-deham Azrityeti sAdhaka-dazAyAm api smaryamANaM svasya siddha-deham Azritya tu smaryamANena sva-vipakSeNa saha vairaM na kuryAd iti rAgAnugIya-rasika-bhaktA abhiprAyam AhuH—kaJcana avamantAram api "Taking shelter of a sadhaka body, which means taking shelter of a siddha body which is remembered even in the stage of sadhana, one should not have enmity towards even a group of gopis of an opposing faction by remembering them. The followers of raganuga bhakti speak this purport.”
A very rasik purport suddenly. Here Visvanath Cakravartipad acknowledges that meditation on the siddha body can and should be done within the sadhaka body. Though in siddha avastha there is strong enmity towards the opposing faction [vipakSa] of sakhis, as Srila Raghunath Das Goswami showed when a leafcup of buttermilk was offered to him from Sakhisthali, the village of Candravali, this is not to be imitated in the stage of sadhana, even if sadhana has reached the glorious level of meditation on the siddha body. Abhimanyu, Jatila, Kutila they are all pure devotees who are merely stage-performing being Krishna’s enemies, just as demons like Hiranyakasipu etc. were reincarnations of the pure devotees Jay and Vijay, but opposed Krishna just to give Him the enjoyment of combat and adventure.
12.6.74 purport- Bhanu Swami mistakes the word sUryAzva to mean the horses of the sungod, but it means ‘the sun who is [in this case] a horse.’
12.8.22 : zoSaNa-mohana-sandIpana-tApana-mAdanAkhyAni panca-mukhAni yasya tat -Stambhana seems to be missing in this list of 5 arrows by Sridhar Swami and Visvanath Cakravartipada. Also this verse mentions a five-headed arrow with all five lusty effects fixed on it while generally it is understood that Cupid has 5 separate arrows.
12.8.40- prANa-buddhIndriyAdibhis tvam eva sva-bhajanaM kArayasi punas tAdRza-bhajanasya pratyupakAre`samartho RNIva bhUtvA tat prema-vazyo bhavasIty adbhutaM tava kRpA-vaibhavam iti bhAvaH - "You [Krishna] make us do Your bhajan, directing our life, intelligence and senses, and then again you become unable to reciprocate wiht such bhajan, having become subdued by our love for You. This is most astonishing – such is the force of Your mercy! »
In the Upanisads it is said yam evaiSa vRNute tenaiva labhya – « Only he/she who was elected by the Lord can attain Him. »
Visvanath Cakravartipada's Tika of 12.8.46 - na yatra abhayaM pAta-hetuka-bhayAbhAvaH – In the spiritual world there is no fear of falling »
This is a very clear refutation of fall-vada, which is akin to mayavada, as it claims that something perfect (the sadhana siddha and nitya siddha jivas in the spiritual sky) can become imperfect, just as the mayavadis say that Brahman gets in maya.

New hagiography Sadhu Baba

2011-09-09T07:28:00.004+02:00

A new hagiography of Sadhu Baba is completed in English today, and posted on my website, alongside my earlier humble effort to glorify Sadhu Baba. As Satinath Da said in the introduction of his booklet:

"Actually it is not possible for an insignificant soul like me to fully reveal Çré-Çré Bäbä’s full divine form, but I will consider my effort a success if I can show at least a drop of this ocean. His extraordinary life is pervading the knowledge of His innumerable devotees. If they are all published perhaps we can create a garland of His entire life with different flower-like narrations."

Ramacandrapur's Sadhu Baba

Pleasing Krishna, Mangal Arati and Rasa shastra

2011-08-30T07:28:00.004+02:00

Bhakta: "You said one can only please Krishna through Radha, but this seems to be only in the sringara rasa. But the other rasas serve Krishna independently."

Advaitadas: "No that is not true. Mother Yashoda is feeding Krishna so He has strength to love Radhika, the servants dress Him so He looks nice for Radhika, the cows want Him to herd them in the pastures so He has an excuse to go out to meet Radhika at Radhakund. Same for the cowherd boys. Even the bees, the sun and the moon serve Radha and Krishna by creating a romantic atmosphere. The cows of Abhimanyu serve Radha-Krishna by keeping Abhimanyu so engaged with them that he does not have any time for his so-called wife. They do not serve independently at all, though they may not be aware of it, except for the sakhis and manjaris. Padakarta Jnanadas sings: "tomAri lAgiyA beDAi bhramiyA giri-nadI vane vane: (Krishna sings:) "For Your (Radha's) sake I wander through the forest, past the rivers and over the mountains!"

Bhakta: "I heard that in some temples in Vrindavan they do not do mangal arati because they say that Krishna is still sleeping then."

Advaitadas: 'That would depend on the sampradAya. The temples who hold such philosophies are not Gaudiya. In Krishna Bhavanamrita there is a description of mangal arati offered by the manjaris in the kunja at daybreak [nishAnta], and Radha-Krishna are wide awake then. Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe Radha and Krishna are so absorbed in Their loving pastimes that They hardly sleep at any time, perhaps from 1-3 a.m. only."

Bhakta: "Scholars say that the Gaudiya Vaishnava acaryas have gleaned rasa tattva from earlier, mundane rasik authors. If this is true then how can rasa be called eternal?"

Advaitadas: "It is true that Rupa Goswami was inspired to write his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and Ujjavala Nilamani by, among others, a book named Rasarnava Sudhakar, which was written by one of his ancestors, named Simha Bhupal. But that does not mean there was an historical sequence or a discovery or so. Just see, before Mahaprabhu's advent, the rasika secrets all existed in the 5000-year old Bhagavatam, but they were not understood and revealed until the Goswamis wrote down their books. But that does not mean that the rasik truths did not exist, right?"

Bhakta: "Rupa Goswami taking over the whole rasa-science from previous, mundane writers, does make him seem like an ordinary mundane scholar."

Advaitadas: "Who else is Rupa Manjari? How else is Gaura-lila meditation transcendental and eternal if Rupa Goswami was not? Look, the fact that Rama and Krishna took diksa and went to Gurukula (school) does not mean they are not the omniscient Bhagavan, Param Atma, right? Similarly, Rupa Goswami taking lessons from previous teachers does not make him a conditioned soul. Lord Vishnu got the Kaustubha gem when the milk-ocean was churned, or did He? It is eternally His, and in a pastime He got it again. Similarly the Goswamis knowledge is eternally with them but sometimes they play as if they are learning this."

Srimad Bhagavat, canto 9, part 2

2011-08-20T06:33:00.001+02:00

Some interesting comments on Srimad Bhagavat’s canto 9 -

9.11.29 It is mentioned there that the people of Ayodhya blessed the Lord. How can that be? There is a similar verse in the Stavavali, wherein the sakhis and manjaris bless the divine Couple during Their amorous pastimes. This does not mean they feel themselves superior at all. It is like supporters during a sports match, they wish their heroes on the field the best. In fact, such a scene takes place in Radhakund's water-pastimes too - the cowherd boys and gopis stand on the shores of the Kunda, cheering for either Radha or Krishna. If the boss of an employee gets sick the employee can humbly bless him by writing him a get-well card, saying 'Mr Frazer, may you be well again soon.' There is no breach of etiquette there. This has nothing to do with aisvarya or madhurya. Just like we say 'Jai Sri Krishna' - may the Lord Krishna be victorious. It is a humble blessing upon the Lord. It is not a practical matter that anyone will carry out this blessing - it is a matter of attitude only.

9.14.28 Bhanu Swami uses the word ‘eunuch’ here for napuMsaka. Here however napuMsaka means ‘a fairy’, ‘a fruitcake’ or ‘a sissy’ – a not very masculine man.

9.14.38 Here Bhanu Swami says ‘women are prostitutes’ as a blanket statement. The verse, however, clearly speaks about puMscalya, those among women who are running after one man after the other, not that every woman is like that.

9.19.27 Bhanu Swami wrongly translates the word prapAyA as ‘waterhole’, but going through a waterhole makes no sense at all. The word prapAyA means, according to the Motilal- and Gita Press- Bhagavat-editions, a place to drink water. In India in the summertime there are waterbooths everywhere so people can drink water to somehow make it through the soaring heat. Meetings there are of course very brief.

9.20 Though neither the Bhagavat nor the commentators attach a morale to the shocking account of Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devatas, raping and impregnating Mamata, his sister-in-law, and then cursing his brother’s offspring, already in her womb, to become blind, it shows that learning alone is not enough to become a saint (Brihaspati is considered the most learned scholar in the universe).

9.23.35 bhojya not only means ‘enjoyable’, it can also mean the name of the girl’s dynasty, Bhoja. It is also funny to see how king Jyamagha was henpecked by his wife Saibya, even in the old days. Both Sridhar Swami and Visvanath Cakravartipada describe that he was sweating and shivering out of fear of his wife.

9.23.38 Bhanu Swami forgets to include the word bharyavasa in his translation of the sloka from Vishnu purana, bharyavasa meaning henpecked, in other words, Jyamaghas was the most henpecked man ever to exist, not the greatest king ever to exist. Arjun singlehandedly defeated the Kaurava Army at Virat, but yet he was afraid to present his new co-wife Subhadra to his first wife Draupadi, because she was so fiery.

Chapter 24 shows that Vasudeva, Krishna’s father, had an astonishing number of wives and children. As Vasudeva spent approximately 20 years in Kamsa’s dungeon, with only one wife, Devaki, one wonders when he created all the other offspring. Perhaps he was already elderly when he was imprisoned and created the offspring before that. Also astonishing that Krishna does not have more names in relation to His many brothers and sisters. The only one known are Ramanuja [younger brother of Balram] and GadAgraja, elder brother of Gada.

9.24.58 Shows that the material world ‘conduces to the birth, continuance and destruction of every embodied soul [body]’, but it also ‘causes liberation if the Lord’s grace is there’ Visvanatha Cakravartipad comments: “The Lord glances over the material energy, saying, ´Let the living beings enjoy here.” One may argue “How can that be mercy? It is full of suffering here.” Answer – he acts so that the jivas can become detached from this enjoyment through bhakti and vairagya.” There is some purpose given here to creation, though Visvanatha Cakravartypad earlier in 3.7.10 said there is neither a beginning nor a reason for our conditioning. Of course, no acarya comments on this verse that the world is a prison-house for rebellious souls that want to imitate Krishna by lording it over the material nature out of envy of Krishna etc etc, but some reason is given here nonetheless. Visvanatha Cakravartipad also quotes a sloka from the Bhagavat [10.87.2] to confirm that the world is both a playground for enjoyment and a launching pad for liberation.

9.24.61 shows Krishna destroyed the darkness of Kali in advance [as He appeared just before the onset of Kali yuga]. Although Visvanatha Cakravartipad abstains from connecting this verse to the Kali yuga avatara of Sriman Mahaprabhu, Kavi Karnapura does so in his Caitanya Mata Manjusa commentary. There he quotes Queen Kunti [SB 1.8.35], who also speaks of Krishna giving bhakti sadhana in the future tense, indicating Krishna would come again for this purpose, as Mahaprabhu.

9.24.65 Visvanatha Cakravartipada comments that inability to tolerate even the blinking of the eyes, because then they cannot stare at Krishna, is an exclusive symptom of rudha mahabhava, so the words naryo-narasca [both men and women] only applies to the gopis and Krishna’s priya narma sakhAs such as Subala. He quotes verses from the tail-end of Ujjvala Nilamani [15.232-3] to prove it. He furthermore explains that Krishna’s face is the sweetest part of His body, and that His ears and cheeks actually beautify His earrings, as it is said earlier in the Bhagavat [3rd canto] that Krishna beautifies His ornaments, though normally it is the other way around. Also His smile defeated the splendor of His earrings because it was tainted by the color of His chewed betelnuts. The betelnuts caused a slight hump in His cheeks too. Visvanath quotes the last verse of chapter 14 of Ujjvala Nilamani, which says that Subal and other boys possess bhAvAnta, which is glossed as rudha mahabhava by Vishnudas Goswami.

9.24.66 This verse is a summary of Krishna’s entire lila – He showed the limit of perfection in Vraja [vrajam edhita artha], in the form of the Vrajavasis’ prema, which is the crown-jewel of human pursuits [puruSArtha ziromaNi], and later He showed the path of varnashram by marrying so many ladies and having so many children, all according to religious principles.

[Blog originally composed in June, 2011)

Begun Bhaja cleared!

2011-08-10T07:02:00.005+02:00

Bhakta:
Hare Krsna, prabhu!
I have a question to you if you researched it about eggplants. In Hari Bhakti Vilasa (8.158, 161-162) there are 3 slokas given about that eggplants should not be taken or offered. From Kurma Purana, from Yamala and from Skanda Purana -

athAbhakSyANi - kaurme
vRntAkaM jAlikAzAkaM kusumbhAzmantakaM tathA
phalANDuM lazunaM zuklaM niryAsaM caiva varjayet

atha-now; abhakSyANi-inedible; kaurme-in the KUrma PurANa; vRntAkam-eggplant; jAlikAzAkam-plantain; kusumbha-safflower; Azmantakam-azmantaka; tathA-so; phalANDum-onion; lazunam-garlic; zuklam-sour cereal; niryAsam-tree sap; ca-and; eva-indeed; varjayet-one should avoid.

What Is Inedible (For the Purpose of Offering to the Lord)

In the Kurma Purana it is said: "One should avoid eggplant, plantain, safflower, azmantaka, onion, garlic, sour cereal, and the sap of trees."

skAnde - na bhakSayati vRntAkaM tasya dUrataro hariH

skAnde-in the Skanda PurANa; na-not; bhakSayati-eats; vRntAkam-eggplant; tasya-of him; dUrataraH-far away; hariH-Lord Hari.

In the Skanda Purana it is said: "Lord Krishna stays far away from anyone who eats eggplant."

kiM cAnyatra
vArtAkuM bRhatIM caiva dagdham annaM masUrakam
yasyodare pravarteta tasya dUrataro hariH

kim- ca-furthermore; anyatra-in another place; vArtAkum-eggplant; bRhatIm-eggplant; ca-and; eva-indeed; dagdham-burned; annam-food; masUrakam-masura dal; yasya-of whom; udare-in the stomach; pravarteta-is; tasya-of him; dUrataraH-far away; hariH-Lord KRSNa.

In another scripture it is said: "Lord Krishna stays far away from anyone who places eggplant, burned food, or masUra dAl in his stomach."

But in Caitanya Caritamrita we can see what food was offered to Lord Caitanya and there are different places mentioned about fried eggplants and eggplants mixed with nimbu etc. So, it's not clear. "

Advaitadas:
Thank you for reminding me of Prabhu Sitanath's sweet leela (Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 3.47) and in extension also Sadhu Baba's anugamana (allegiance). I was under fire over this issue on Gaudiya Discussions some 8 years ago, but until now I have not researched this eggplant issue in Caitanya Caritamrita. It gives a clear endorsement from Swayam Prabhu Sitanath- কোমল নিম্বুপত্র সহ ভাজা ৱার্ত্তাকী komala nimbu patra saha bhAjA vArtAkI - "He offered the Lord soft neem leaves along with fried eggplant." Following in his family- and spiritual succession, Sadhu Baba too was fond of bhAjA vartAkI or began bhAjA [fried aubergines]. The secret about this is that Haribhakti Vilasa is a collection of material and spiritual rules. Only a bonafide Guru can sort out which rule is to be followed and which one is not. It cannot be sorted out by oneself. In other words, whatever Guru decides is essential of the rules of Haribhakti Vilasa, these rules apply."

This point is also added to the end of my file "In defense of the advaita vamsh" on madangopal.com. Further references to the offering of begun bhAjA are in Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 15, 213 and Antya 10, 135

Attaining the siddha deha

2011-08-02T06:55:00.006+02:00

In Srimad Bhagavat 1.6.27 (28 in some editions) it is said - "The spiritual body comes simultaneously with the giving up of the material body, like lightning being accompanied by its splendour. (kAlaH prAdurabhUt kAle taDit saudAmanI yathA).

Sridhara Swami comments: saudAmanIti vizeSaNaM sphuTatva-pradarzanArtham - The adjective saudAmani indicates clearness (of the light) yad vA sudAmA-nAmA kazcit sphaTika-parvataH.....sphaTikAdi-maya-parvata-prAnte bhavA hi vidyud ati-sphuTA bhavati tadvad ity arthaH 'It can also refer to the crystal mountain named SudAma, close to which the lightning will be very clear."

Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada's tika - "At the time of dissolving subtle and gross bodies the time for leaving the body made its appearance. It is like saying "the time when the king went was the time he arrived". Intelligence could not make a distinction here. The disappearance of the material body and the appearance of the spiritual body simultaneously made their appearance, connected closely like subject and predicate. It is like the simultaneity of the lightning with another flash of lightning."

It reminds me of a verse in Shastra (I believe the Upanisads and the 10th canto Bhagavat) which describes reincarnation as a caterpillar placing its front paws on a new leaf while its back-paws are still on the previous leaf - a seamless transfer.

In Srimad Bhagavat1.6.28 (29 in some editions) Narada said: “When my prArabdha karma was depleted, my body of five gross elements fell and the Lord brought me a transcendental body of His associate.”

Sridhara Swami and Visvanatha Cakravartipada comment: yA bhAgavatI bhagavat-pArSada-rUpA zuddhA sattva-mayI tanuH pratizrutA tAM prati bhagavatA mayi prayujyamAne nIyamAne – “This body is transcendental, functions as an associate of the Lord and is brought by the Lord.” If it is brought by the Lord it was not dormant but an external gift. This verse clearly shows that the siddha deha is not dormant in the heart of the conditioned soul, as is often believed, but is bestowed newly. I blogged on this verse earlier, briefly, on February 21, 2006. See also my blog of August 5, 2006

Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada's tika: The Lord previously promised hitvAvadyam imam lokam ganta maj-janatam asi: "Giving up this low body, you will become My associate." (SB 1.6.23) At the time of being made to accept a body which was suddha-sattva (suddham) because it was not a material body and because it belonged to the Lord (bhagavatim), my material body (panca-bhautikah) fell away. Giving up my material body and attaining a spiritual body were simultaneous, like the expression "I am walking while the cows are being milked." The Lord's own words were hitvAvadyam imam lokam. The use of the verb form hitva (giving up the material body) in this case indicates simultaneously giving up the material body while receiving the spiritual body. It is said in the BhAsa-vRtti: kvacit tulya-kAle'pi upaviSya bhunkte RNat-kRtya patati cakSuh sammilya hasati mukham vyadAya svapitity adikam upasankhyeyam: "There are examples in which the participles indicate simultaneous actions as in sitting down and eating, assuming debts and falling from esteem, closing the eyes and laughing, lowering the head and falling asleep." Visvanatha Cakravartipada quotes Sridhara Svami's tika: anena pArSada-tanunam akarmarAbdhatvam suddhatvaM nityatvam ity Adi sUcitaM bhavati: "What is said in this verse is that the bodies of the associates of the Lord are pure, without prArabdha-karmas, and eternal. The bahu-vrIhi compound Arabdha-karma-nirvAnah means that he had destroyed the karmas like fire burning wood. But this means that the prArabdha-karmas were not destroyed just now, but previously for that is accomplished by sAdhana. Prarabdha-karmas do not remain with the devotees who have developed prema-bhakti. For those practicing pure bhakti, destruction of prarabdha-karmas takes place during sadhana-bhakti. It will be said in the story of Priyavrata:

naivam-vidhah purusa-hara urukramasya
pumsam tad-anghri-rajasa jita-sad-gunanam
citram vidura-vigatah sakrd adadltayan-
namadheyam adhuna sajahati tanvam

"Such power is not surprising from persons who have conquered the six senses by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since even an outcaste becomes immediately free of bondage of karma by chanting the Lord's name once." SB 5.1.35

Here is the meaning of the verse: This is not so amazing for such a type of person. What should be amazing? Even an outcaste (vidura-vigatah) who chants the name of the Lord once, now, at the time of accepting the name, gives up his body. Since we do not see anyone giving up their body simultaneously with chanting, "body" here means his prArabdha-karmas which are being experienced in the present body. This is the opinion of some. Others say by the association of bhakti, like a touchstone, the body made of the three gunas becomes free of the gunas, as seen in the case of Dhruva. Thus, giving up the body means giving up the body made of three gunas. This will be explained later at the beginning of the Rasa-dance with jahur guna-mayam deham sadyah praksina-bandhanah: Free of bondage, those gopis abandoned their gross material bodies made of gunas. (SB 10.29.11) But others say that sometimes the Lord shows devotees, literally, giving up their bodies in order that the opinion of others not be negated. Thus Narada, who had developed prema already, gave up his body. However it should be understood that he had already destroyed his prArabdha-karmas during his practice of bhakti. Sri Rupa Gosvami explains this:

yad brahma-saksat-krti-nisthayapi

vinasam ayati vina na bhogaih
apaiti nama sphuranena tat te
prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah

"The Vedas declare that although meditation on impersonal Brahman cannot bring freedom from past karma, O Holy Name, your appearance at once makes all prarabdha-karma disappear." (Namastaka 4) If the intended meaning was "when Narada's prArabdha-karmas were destroyed, his body fell away" the phrase would be expressed as prArabdha-karma-nirvANe nyapatat panca-bhautika. But this grammatical structure has not been used and instead a bahuvrihi compound has been used. Thus the meaning is a general statement "For the devotees, the body which has had its prarabhda-karmas destroyed, will fall away."

Tulasi

2011-07-24T15:37:00.003+02:00

Bhakta: 'Tulasi is only offered to Krishna's feet because Radhika does not like Tulasi?"

Advaitadas: 'No. The acaryas have prescribed that Tulasi is offered to the feet of Vishnu tattva only. Although Radhika, as Krishna's shakti is non different from Krishna [shakti-shaktimatayor abheda], still She is ashray tattva (subject of love) That counts even for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as is narrated in Caitanya Caritamrita [Madhya 15,7-9]:

ghore Asi prabhu kore nAm sankIrtan;
advaita AsiyA kore prabhura pujan
sugandhi salile den pAdya Acaman;
sarvAnge lepaye prabhur sugandhi candan
gole mAlA dey mAthAy tulasI manjarI

“When Prabhu returned to His abode He performed nAm sankIrtan. Advaita then came to offer worship to Him. He offered pAdya and Acaman with scented water and anointed Prabhu’s whole body with fragrant sandal paste. He hung a garland around His neck and placed Tulasi buds on His head.”

Bhakta : 'There is a Vaishnava home guide book which says that Tulasi is offered to the feet of Vishnu tattva like Narayan, Narsimha, Krishna, Rama etc. as well as to Gaura, Nityananda, and Advaita but not to Radharani or Gadadhar Pandit."

Advaitadas: "We agree with all of this except for Gaur, Nityananda and Advaita, on the ground of the above quotation from Caitanya Caritamrita, and another verse [CC Adi 1.14]

pancatattvAtmakam krsnam bhakta rupa svarupakam
bhaktAvatAram bhaktAkhyam namAmi bhakti shaktikam

The panca tattva comes in the form of so many different devotee incarnations though they are Krishna [pancatattvAtmakam krishnam]. So though They are ontologically Vishnu-tattva, they are approached as devotees."

Bhakta: 'But you can put Tulasi-Manjaris on Radha's feet instead of Tulasi leaves?"

Advaitadas: "That does not make any difference. Manjaris should not be separated from the leaves. Sriman Mahaprabhu instructed Raghunath Das Goswami: dui-dike dui-patra madhye komala manjari, 'Offer soft manjaris with 2 Tulasi petals on each side of them' (CC Antya 6.297)

Bhakta: "So Tulasi is not so surrendered to Radha that she will touch her feet?"

Advaitadas: 'No that is not the point. One cannot just draw a link from the goddess Vrinda in the spiritual world to the sacred tree in the world of sadhakas, whose leaves are upacAras [ingredients] of puja. Just as we are male devotees here in this world but female in the perfected state. It does not mean we should dress like girls in this material male body, right? seva sAdhaka rupena siddha rUpena cAtra hi. So the rule of offering Tulasi applies to the sacred tree, not to the goddess above. Also the Tulasi Manjari who is identified as Raghunath Das Goswami in Vilapa Kusumanjali has nothing to do with Vrinda devi, because Vrinda devi is not called Tulasi in Krishna lila but only as she incarnates as the Basilicum species of plants on earth."

Bhakta: "In the Puranas it is said Tulasi is a hair of Laxmi devi and in another Purana she was cursed to come down to the world."

Advaitadas: 'Yes there are so many conceptions, but here we speak just of Tulasi as a pujopacara, as a leaf from a small sacred tree."

Guru Purnima 2011

2011-07-16T06:30:00.004+02:00

I phoned Sadhu Baba's ashram yesterday on the occasion of Guru Purnima, the annual festival to worship Sri Guru, and had a brief talk with my Guru-sister Tulsi Saha about the extraordinary position of women in the ashram. This inspired me to add the following paragraph to (p.33-34) Sadhu Baba's hagiography on my website:

বাবার আশ্রমে মেযেদের ৱিশেষাধিকার্ বিষয জিজ্ঞাসা করিলে দিদি বলিল যে "বাবা বলিতেন যে 'ইহাই মেযেদের আশ্রম. ছেলেদের কত ভজন করার স্থান আছে, কিন্তু মেযেদের ভজন করার স্থান কোথায? সেই জন্য এটী মেযেদের আশ্রম হবে. ঠাকুর সেৱায, রান্না সেৱায ও কীর্তন সেৱায মেযেদের এখানে ৱিশেষাধিকার আছে!"

Advaita Das: “During my time in Sadhu Baba’s Ashram, I was surprised to see the prominent role given to ladies in the Ashram. All kirtans were led by ladies, all deity worship was performed by them as well as all of the cooking. When I inquired about the reason, my Guru-sister Tulsi explained: ‘Baba said that there are already so many Ashrams where boys and men can perform their sadhana, but where is the place where girls and women can perform sadhana? Hence this will be a lady’s Ashram.”

Regulating sleep and work

2011-07-14T07:06:00.004+02:00

The Lord says in Bhagavad Gita [6.17]:

yuktAhAra-vihArasya yukta-ceSTasya karmasu |
yukta-svapnAvabodhasya yogo bhavati duHkha-hA ||

"Yoga removes all distress if one is regulated and balanced in eating, moving or mating, working, sleeping and waking."

Though it is glorious to sit down in deep meditation or chant a fabulous number of rounds all day, every day on one's back side, such a lack of physical activities leads to all kinds of physical and mental malfunctions - overweight, heart problems, constipation, lack of sleep or irregular sleep to name but some. Hence it is often seen that the physicians of great sadhus and mahatmas advice them to take a stroll in the afternoon at least. 'Work' need not be in a factory or office among non-devotees necessarily. One can also be physically active in the holy places by doing parikrama or visiting temples, or in the west by going on harinam sankirtan.

As usual, Sri Visvanath Cakravartipad provides a brilliant commentary to this Gita verse:
yukto niyata evAhAro bhojanaM vihAro gamanaM ca "Yukta means disciplined or restrained. It counts for eating as well as gamana [the words vihAra and gamana mean both
'going' and 'sexual intercourse' and the advice applies to both.] yasya tasya karmasu vyavahArika-pAramArthika-kRtyeSu yuktA niyatA eva ceSTA 'There needs to be discipline too in activities, either material and spiritual.' Here the hint is given that activities can be spiritual too - one can pick flowers for the Lord, circumambulate the temple or a holy place like Radhakund, or perform harinam sankirtan. Material activities are things like working on a job, bringing the children to school etc. vAg-vyApArAdyA yasya tasya - also speech must be disciplined. One should avoid discussing gossip, which inevitably leads to some kind of Vaishnava aparadha, or speaking [too much] about the latest news of the world. Even too much Krishna katha is unnecessary. If a nice topic is briefly discussed it should lead to lengthy meditation on Radha-Krishna's rupa guna leela, too. Any extremity in either renunciation or sensual indulgence may lead to duhka, distress, that is the point of the verse - na nirvinno nAtisaktis bhakti yogo'sya siddhi-da 'Bhakti yoga which is neither too renounced nor too materially attached, bestows perfection." See also my blog of February 20, 2009.

Amarnath Yatra 2011

2011-07-12T10:47:00.006+02:00

The sacred Amarnath icicle is worshipped as a form of Lord Shiva, high in the mountains of Kashmir, 3800 meters above sea-level. Sri Govinda Gopal Goswami, Sadhu Baba's elder brother, made the yatra once, in 1985, and perhaps Sadhu Baba himself did it too, during his lengthy Himalaya sojourn in the 1960s. Here are some beautiful photos of this year's yatra.

Srimad Bhagavat, 9th Canto, part 1

2011-07-08T07:07:00.004+02:00

The following is a selection of my favorite verses of and comments on the 9th skandha (canto) of Srimat Bhagavata.

9.4.63 ahaM bhaktAparAdhIno hyasvatantra iva dvija - I am subdued by [the love of] My devotee, I am not independent at all."
This verse also establishes that it is by the grace of such a great devotee, rather than by the Lord's own grace, that someone becomes a devotee. If the devotee comes to Vaikuntha, Krishna will ask the Guru 'Who is this?' Sri Guru will say 'He is My sisya, he can be allowed in'.
yasya prasAdAt bhagavat prasAdo yasyAprasAdAn na gati kuto'pi - 'By Guru's grace there is the Lord's grace and without Guru's grace you are not going anywhere.'

9.4.64 nAham AtmAnam AzAze - Krishna says that even His own internal and innate bliss does not give Him as much happiness as the love of His devotees. Even in the most intimate part of the Bhagavata, during the Rasa lila, this is described as AtmarAmo'pi lilayA - He performs leela even though He is self-delighted. Though the jiva was never created at any point in history since it is beginningless, this is nevertheless the function and, if you like, reason for the existence of the jiva. Only a loving relationship between Jiva and Isvara can make either happy. Srila Jiva Goswami says in Priti Sandarbha (63):

"Bhagavan's Ananda is of two kinds: 1. The bliss that is part of His nature (svarupananda), and 2. The bliss that comes from His internal potency (svarupa-sakty-ananda). The second of these is again divided into two kinds: 1. The bliss of the heart (manasananda) and 2. The bliss of the Lord's power and opulence (aisvaryananda). Manasananda is the kingdom of bliss the Lord feels in His heart because of the devotional service offered by His devotees."

9.4.65 The Lord says: "How can I forsake a person who has given up house wife and children for My sake?" But how can this verse apply to Maharaja Ambarish, who was a great king instead of a renounced sadhu? The Lord explains in Visvanatha Cakravartipad's purport:

"You (Durvasa) created a demon to destroy Ambarish Maharaja but Maharaja did not move one step as he is totally detached from his body. You, however, may be a so-called renounced saint but you ran all over the universe to protect your body, when I unleashed My invincible Sudarshan Chakra."

A tyagi can be attached to his Lota [waterpot], while a devotee-tycoon may be totally detached from his business empire and beautiful wife. It is not a question of official ashram status but of the heart. Maharaja Prataparudra was willing to give up his entire kingdom just to have the darshan of Sriman Mahaprabhu. Affection need not always mean attachment - one can and should be affectionate to one's near and dear without being attached to them - separation is inevitable in due course of time. Speaking of quality rather than birth [or ashram] – many grihasthas live very austere lives, sleeping on straw mats on the floor, while many sannyasis bathe in luxury, wear gold Rolex watches and silk garments, have huge bank accounts and travel business class. Speaking of the substance versus the form! Ambarish stood still and told Durvasa - 'Kill me - I am not this body. I don't care.' and he was a big big king. Ambarish had no more defense-attitude left, as he was fully in love with the Lord and ready to join Him at any time, without any attachment to this world. For a sadhaka it is a healthy attitude to want to protect his/her body as it is the instrument for self realization,the boat to cross over the ocean of birth and death [nR-deham Adyam sulabham sudurllabham plavaM sukalpam guru karnadhara]. Sriman Mahaprabhu said 'prema prayojana' - love of God is the goal. If that is established what is the use of the body? If someone wants to destroy it at the stage of prema, the premik bhakti will see it as a release arranged by the Lord.

9.4.68 In Visvanatha Cakravartipad's purport Durvasa Muni asks Lord Narayan: “Was I not right in getting angry with Ambarish? What is more important? Respecting a brahmin [Ambarish, as a ksatriya, should not have eaten before a brahmin] or observing Dwadashi [breaking the fast of Ekadashi in time]?"
The Lord replied: 'You must ask Ambarish. I do not know these things. Ambarish is an expert bhakta, he knows. The shastra says that drinking water is both eating and not eating, so Ambarish has equally respected the brahmins and the Dwadashi."

It is not that Lord Narayan really did not know things and Ambarish knew it better. The opening verse of the Ramananda Samvada says that the ocean gives water to the cloud and the cloud returns the water to the ocean through rain. Similarly, the cloud-like Ramananda Raya 'gave his knowledge' to Sriman Mahaprabhu though of course he got that knowledge within the heart from Mahaprabhu Himself again. Pradyumna Misra approached Mahaprabhu for teachings in bhakti, but, to glorify His devotees, Mahaprabhu humbly said: "I do not know anything. Go to Ramananda Raya, he knows it much better than Me." The Lord was similarly approached by Raghunath Das Goswami and he, too, was forwarded to Swarup Damodaraji. Each society needs it scholars and although scholarship is not the nucleus of bhakti, still each devotee-community also needs its scholars to provide scriptural support to their sadhana and sermons. One should and cannot approach God directly. mad bhakta pujyabhyAdhika - "My devotee is to be worshiped first and foremost". Even in the jnana marga the worship of Guru is compulsory, Shankaracarya wrote this Gurvastakam - guror anghri padme manas cen na lagnam tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim - 'If the mind is not fettered to the lotus feet of the Guru, then what is the use of anything?'

9.8.16 Asamanjasa behaved as badly as possible in order to keep people away. We have seen in the activities of great souls often before that they deliberately behave badly just to be left in peace. However, only a great transcendentalist could do this without committing aparadha. If any ordinary sadhaka does this he will surely commit aparadha.

9.9.7 "Lord Rudra, the very Self of embodied souls, into whom this universe is woven, warp and woof, as a piece of cloth into its threads, will bear your [the Ganges]force." This verse again confirms the non-difference between Shiva and Narayan.

9.10.44 - puSpaka does not mean flower plane but a plane stolen from Kubera by Ravana, and taken by Rama to return to Ayodhya. Ramayana narrates that it is constructed with gold and Vaidurya-jewels by Visvakarma.

9.10.46 The GurUn mentioned in the tika is not a single spiritual master, gurUn is in plural case here and means the host of superiors, like parents, parents-in-law, brahmins etc.

Srimad Bhagavat 8th canto

2011-06-27T07:01:00.005+02:00

These are some of my favorite verses from and comments on the 8th Canto of Srimad Bhagavat -

8.3.8 - na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vA
na nAma-rUpe guna-dosha eva va
tathApi lokApyaya-sambhavAya yah
sva-mAyayA tAny anukAlam ricchati
“He who has no birth or activities, no name or form, no qualities or faults, accepts birth and activities as Brahma and Siva at the time creation and destruction by his energies of rajas and tamas for creating and destroying the universe.”

Vishnu’s task of maintenance is not mentioned in this verse because His activities are transcendental.

Sri Jiva Goswami gives this explanation in Bhagavat Sandarbha [35]:
"The Lord has no birth or activities, but by his svarupa-sakti (sva-mayaya) he accepts birth and activities. One may say, “Since He attains birth and activities, those are temporary events.” Explanation: “The Lord continually (anukAlam) attains them. This means He never gives up birth and activities. Being manifested through the svarupa-sakti and being eternal are supportive of each other. “
One may argue, “How can birth and pastimes be eternal? They are both actions. An action and each of its parts are defined in terms a beginning and end. Without that, the action’s very form would disappear.”
Explanation – “There is no fault, for the following reasons. Because the Lord always has an eternal form, that form is eternally manifest. Because of this, the Lord’s pastimes with birth and activities are also eternal. Thus the individuality and manifestation of associates in the pastimes and the places in unlimited Vaikunthas and unlimited universes are also eternal. The beginning and end of actions revealed by the Lord’s form are located in one place, but when the part of the birth and actions are completed in that place, that part begins in another universe. Since the Lord is eternal because of having no destruction, the birth and activities exist elsewhere after being completed in one place. The birth and activities begin somewhere else, sometimes a little different because of differences in details and sometimes exactly the same because of sameness of the details. One form becomes a different abode of action by manifesting separately.”

At least here Jiva Goswami does not support kalpavAda, that Krishna lila differs according to the age in which He performs it.
Sri Jiva continues:
One may argue , “Why do you say that the birth and activities continue to exist? Because the birth and activities begin separately in different universes, they become new birth and activities.”
Explanation – “There is oneness of the actions of the same form which appears at different times. Similarly, one can say the word “cow” twice, but that does not mean there are two words to indicate a cow: Visvanath quotes ShankarAcArya’s Sharirak bhasya - dvir-go-zabdobhayam uccarito na tu dvau go-zabdAu. In the same way, if the word `cooked' is repeated twice, that does not mean that the food was twice cooked. Thus the Lord’s birth and activities have an eternal nature, and meditation on pastimes that Krishna previously performed, a meditation which is prescribed in the scriptures, is proper (since the pastimes are actually eternal, not destroyed). “

Sri Visvanath Cakravartipad writes in his commentary on Ujjvala Nilamani [1.21]: “Krishna was bathed by mother Surabhi [cow] after lifting Govardhana and received the name Govinda. But long before this, if the names are not eternal, how could the women of Vraja, placing syllables on Krishna’s body after he drank the milk of Putana , say kridantam patu govindah [S.B. 10.6.25]: May Govinda protect you while you play? They also said in the venu-gita, before the govinda-abhiseka, govinda-venum anumatta-mayura-nrityam: The peacocks dance madly after hearing Govinda’s flute. (SB 10.21.10) Thus the name corresponding to the form doing the activity has an eternal nature describing the activity. These will gradually manifest in this world in order that the devotees experience rasa from them. “ In the same purport Visvanatha Cakravarti states that there is a 'mAyik brahmAnda' ['false universe', more like a parallel universe] where Krishna's pastimes continue even when the material universes are unmanifest [to fulfill the eternality of Krishna's transcendental pastimes] - dvitIyAyAH kAryaM tu sArvadikam eva mahA-pralaye`pi virAjamAna-kRSNa-lIlopakaraNa-bhUtasya mAyika-brahmANDasya.

8.3.19 - This is a second verse, after 1.6.28, which mentions the existence of the siddha deha, and also that it is not dormant but is bestowed (rAti).

8.6.20 arayo`pi hi sandheyAH sati kAryArtha-gaurave
ahi-mUSikavad devA hy arthasya padavIM gataiH
“Enemies must be won over by alliance. Once you have achieved your purpose you may act with your enemy as a snake does with a mouse.”

Sridhar Swami comments: arthasya prayojanasya padavIM siddhiM prAptaiH pazcAd ahi-mUSakavad vadhya-ghAtaka-bhAvena vartitavyam iti zeSaH | yad vA, peTikAyAM niruddho`hir yathA nirgama-dvAra-vidhAnArthaM prathamaM mUSakeNa sandhiM vidhatte, pazcAt tam eva kadAcid bhakSayati, tathA`rtha-mArga-pravRttaiH prathamaM sandheyA ity arthaH – “Opportunity alliances between enemies against a common enemy are very unstable. The snake first makes a truce or alliance with the mouse if they are both trapped in a box, and then, when they managed to escape with combined force the snake may still eat the mouse.” Interfaith dialog similarly usually leads nowhere. The USA and USSR ganged up against Hitler and afterwards fought a 45-year long cold war with each other.

8.9.9-11 do not say that all women are untrustworthy. They first of all speak of wanton women (puMzcalyAM, verse 9, and svairiNInAM, verse 10), not women in general, and it is also explained in verse 11 that Mohini was just teasing and joking (iti te kSvelitais tasyA) about herself and therefore did not speak serious philosophy. Sri Visvanath Cakravartipada comments on verse 9: kAminISv iti yadyapy ahaM yuSmad-anubhavena zuddhaiva bhavAmi tad api yauvana-vattvAd AbhyantaraH kAmo`numeya eva kAmavattve strItve ca kAminI pati-pitrAdy-AvaraNAbhAvAt svairiNy api kathaM na bhavAmIty avizvAsyaiva sarvathA bhavadbhir aham iti bhAvaH "Though in your estimation I am pure, still, because I am young and unprotected by husband and father, I am a lusty wanton woman - how can I then not be untrustworthy?" This, especially in the Vedic context, is an exceptional situation, not a general rule. Needless to say, wanton women - as well as men - are untrustworthy.

8.9.18 - The significance of God becoming a woman to get the nectar from the demons is that women get things done easier than men - salespersons in shops are usually women, female ambassadors get more done than male ambassadors. Latent sexual desire works like that - a woman gets things done by her natural attractiveness to men.

8.12.28 - Shiva should not be seen as doing anything degraded, but just like Maharaj Yudhisthira showed what one should NOT do by gambling away his wife, Shiva here shows how infatuated one can get by a woman. Here it is described that he grabbed Mohini by the hair, kezabandha upaniya, and then embraced her, bAhubhyam parisasvaje. To pull a woman by the hair is very painful and violent, Duhshashan did the same thing to Draupadi, so the embrace that followed the grabbing of the hair cannot be seen as an act of tenderness. This is how lust works - the man flatters the woman by giving her presents, praising her with his words and pleasing her in all manners, before she gives herself to him, but as soon as she yields to his avances he becomes violent, during the sex act. This shows that lust is really not love but an act of violence only.

8.12.34 - Shiva followed Mohini everywhere to show to all the sages around there that even if one has controlled the mind one should not have faith in a young woman. It is not that the woman cannot be trusted, but the mind of the beholder cannot be trusted. Surely women should not provocate and seduce, but even if they do, if a man's mind is controlled he will not be swayed, whereas even a chaste woman could cause agitation in the uncontrolled mind of a lusty man. An animal trainer can spend a long time in a cage with a lion, and think that he has finally trained the animal, but then still the animal may attack and eat him. One should be very careful falsely thinking one’s mind and senses to be permanently controlled.

8.17.20 - naitat parasmA AkhyeyaM pRSTayApi kathaJcana
sarvaM sampadyate devi deva-guhyaM susaMvRtam
“O devi, even if someone inquires, you should not disclose this fact to anyone. All secret plans of the devatas succeed only when fully concealed.”
Sri Jiva Goswami comments in his Krama-sandarbha: atra zrI-guroH zrI-bhagavato vA prasAda-labdhaM sAdhana-sAdhya-gataM svIya-sarvasva-bhUtaM yat kim api rahasyaM, tat tu na kasmaicit prakAzanIyaM “The sadhana and sadhya attained by the mercy of Sri Guru or the Lord is one's all-in-all; it is a secret that should not be disclosed to anyone."
Later, in SB 10.24.4-5 it is said that one should not keep secrets but that deals with public undertakings, not a spiritual sadhana.

8.19.36 - Tapas here is glossed as cittaikAgrya, concentration of mind, by both Sridhar Swami and Visvanath Cakravartypad. Tapasya does not only mean self-torture, but any type of sadhana,depending on the context of course.

8.23.8 - lila visrista bhuvanasya vizAradasya - The world is created as a pastime of the Lord only. This is a sidelong refutation of fall-vada. It does not say the Lord created the world as a prison for rebellious souls.

8.24.48 - Shiva's tears produced silver and gold, as He took birth, according to the Krishna Yajur Veda (yad arodIt tad rudrasya rudratvaM yad azrv avazIryata tad rajataM hiraNyam abhavat iti zruteH). According to Mahabharat, seeing the effrontery of mankind, Shiva shed a tear which turned into a tree which produces Rudraksa (=eye of Shiva) beads before he released His mighty arrow to destroy the three cities (tripura) for the welfare of creation."
Shiva cried to Brahma for a name. See also S.B. 3.12.7 and 3.12.10.

According to the Shiva Purana, the berries of the Rudraksha-tree represent the tears of Rudra which he shed in a mood of despondency soon after he awoke from his meditative state. Amazed by the beauty of his own tears he crystallised them into the shape of seeds and distributed them among the four castes.

One paragraph added to the commentary on 8.3.8 27/6/2011 10.19 a.m. CET

Srimad Bhagavat, canto 7, part 3

2011-06-17T07:16:00.004+02:00

This is the third and final part of my selection of favorite verses of, and commentaries on the 7th Canto Bhagavat -

7.13.24, tika by Visvanath Cakravartypad - "The insatiable desires that propel the stream of birth and death are compared to rivers. The rains thrown by Indra are filling these rivers, but the sense objects created by Brahmä do not fill (or fulfill) the rivers of desire. Just as there are logs, grass, pebbles and thorns floating in the river, similarly I have also entered animal- demigod- and other species. Scared of crocodiles, turtles and whirlpools I have thought of different ways to be saved from them. Similarly I am scared of lust, anger, disease, thirst, hunger, birth and death, and I have done many things to be saved from them, but nothing helped. Just as one might sometimes find a sand island in the middle of the river, with four paths on it, I have also attained this human body while floating in the river of birth and death. From there one can either find a place of permanent peace or one can go back floating in the river. Similarly in this river of birth and death there is the demigod-body which is attained through virtuous acts performed in the human body with its insatiable desires, animal bodies like that of a pig, that are attained through sin, and the human body which is attained through a mixture of sin and virtue, and finally liberation, which is attained through the practise of jnAna."

7.14.11 - "Even one's wife should be offered for the reception of guests" - there have been quite some naughty interpretations of this verse but this is not what the acaryas comment on it. Sridhara Swami warns - na tv anyathA mantavyaH (“One should not think otherwise”), and this is quoted by Visvanath Cakravartypad in turn.

There is the story that when Bilvamangal was a travelling sadhu he came to the house of a grihastha and asked the wife of the grihastha in charity. When the grihastha complied Bilvamangal, by that time becoming repentant, asked the lady's hairpin and jabbed his own eyes out, so he would never be visually attracted to women again. Neither of these things should be done - either asking a wife in charity or jabbing one's eyes out. There are unscrupulous sadhus who create a lot of offspring in the wombs of other men’s wives, in full knowledge of their husbands, who consider it an honour to thus serve a sadhu. In this commentary it is clear that this is not an authorized sadhu seva. Also poking one's eyes out to avoid attraction is quite useless, as the desires are not removed from the heart in this way. King Dhritarastra was born blind, yet he found his way to Queen Gandhari still - they had 100 children.

7.14.39 - tretAdiSu harer arcA - Deity worship was introduced in Treta Yuga. Jiva Goswami comments on this in Bhakti Sandarbha [290]: pratimA svalpa-buddhInAm ity atra ca alpa-buddhInAm apIty arthaH - The shastras sometimes say that the deity is for the less intelligent, but this is mean 'even for the less intelligent' nRsiMha-purAnAdau brahmAmbarISAdInAm api tat-pUjA-zravaNAt - "Because in Nrsimha Purana and other shastras it is heard that even Brahma and Ambarish worshiped deities." In our sampradaya deity-worship is not considered only for the less intelligent.

7.15.25 — etat sarvaM gurau bhaktyA puruSo hyanjasA jayet - This is one of the major statements in the Bhagavat - 'all anarthas, that can be conquered in the above ways in the above verses, can be easily conquered all at once by devotion to the Guru." Visvanath Cakravartypad’s tika - atra kAmAdi jayo jJAninAM gurubhakter anusaMhitaM phalaM zuddha bhaktAnAM tvAnuSaGgikam iti vizeSo draSTavyaH. “For the jnanis, victory over lust is the main result of guru bhakti, for the pure devotees it is a side effect.” Guru bhakti is of course the center piece of Gaudiya Bhakti, aiming at the achievement of prema.

7.15.26 - In his verse-translation Bhanu Swami calls the Guru a 'spiritual expansion of the Lord' - this, however, is diametrically opposed to the word saksad in the text and the commentary, which says: sAkSAd bhagavatIti bhagavad aMza-buddhir api gurau na kAryeti bhAvaH. yad vA upAsye bhagavatyeva sAkSAd vidyamAne martyA`sad dhIH martya iti durbuddhis tasya zrutaM bhagavan mantrAdikaM zAstrAdikaM zravaNa mananAdikaM ca vyartham ityarthaH «Saksad Bhagavan means one should not even see the Guru as a particle of God, but as God Himself. It is foolish if one sees God, who is directly present (in the form of the Guru) as a mortal. If a fool thinks the Guru is an ordinary mortal not only his learning, but also his practise of his mantra, his hearing and his meditation on the Lord are all in vain. »

7.15.27 - Sridhara Swami comments on this verse: lokasya naro`sAv iti buddhir bhrAntir ity arthaH 'It is only the mistake of the people's intelligence that 'he (the Guru) is a human being'.
Srila VizvanAtha Cakravarti confirms this more elaborately in his own comment: nanu guroH pitR putrAdayaH prativezinaz ca taM naram eva manyante katham eka evAyaM ziSyas taM paramezvaraM manyante? ata Aha – eSa iti bhagavAn yadunandano raghunandano vA vai nizcitam eva pradhAna puruSayor IzvaraH yaM lokas tad avatAra kAlotpanno janaH naraM manyate tena kiM sa naro bhavati? api tu paramezvara evetyevaM guror apIti bhAvaH “If his parents, children and neighbors consider the Guru to be a human being then how can one disciple consider him to be the supreme controller (paramezvara)? To this it is said: When the master of the material nature and the living beings descends as Yadunandana (Krishna) or Raghunandana (Rama) and people who meet Him while He is down here on earth, take Him to be a human being, does that mean that He is? He is certainly the supreme controller, and so is the Guru.”

7.15.40 — Visvanatha Cakravartypada’s Tika: lampaTa ityupastha laulyaM ca vyaJjitam paraM dehAt pRthag bhUtam. lampaTa means a person greedy after the genitals. param is what is beyond the body.

7.15.47 - Visvanatha Cakravartypada’s Tika: nanu viSaya-bhogo`pi zAstreNa vihito na tu kevalaM niSiddha eva – “Even sense enjoyment is enjoined in shastra - it is not merely forbidden.” satyam adhikAri-bhedAt phala-bhedAc ca tatra vyavasthA draSTavyety Aha - Truly it is arranged [enjoined] according to eligibility and its results. Grihastha ashram is like a pedestrian refuge on the highway - if there would be no such refuge a broken down car would be smashed by other approaching cars. There must be one ashram where there is no pressure of renunciation on the sadhaka, where he/she can work on elevation while at the same time catering to the urges of the senses. adhikAri bheda, 'eligibility', here means that the license is given for those who are really totally unable to control their senses, yet also want to make progress in spiritual life. This is also encouraging in grass-roots preaching, that anyone in any stage of life or culture can take to bhakti immediately. Though a devotee should of course follow Vaishnava principles, still purity is not a prerequisite for the chanting of Hare Krishna - anyone who has a heart for it can participate. saj-jana, durjana, pangu, jada, andha-gana prema-vanyaya dubaila jagatera jana (CC Adi 7.26) 'The good, the bad, the lame, the dull and the blind - all people of the world were inundated by the flood of prema.' Sin is not an obstacle, but aparadha is - mayavadi karma nistha kutarkika gana nindaka pasandi joto poruwa adham (29-30) 'Illusionists, those fixed in fruitive work, false logicians, critics, atheists and fallen bookworms could not be touched by the flood of prema'. We have seen that often with over-intelligent ex-devotees, who eventually feel they are smarter than shastra and the acaryas. Also, the above license for sense enjoyment should also not be seen as making fallen devotees equal to devotees in good standing. After uplifting and encouraging fallen devotees in Bhagavad Gita (9.30-32, api cet sudurAcAro, kSipram bhavati dharmAtmA and mAm hi pArtha vyapAzritya) Krishna does acknowledge that the pure devotees are in an advantage - kim punar brAhmana punya bhakta rAjArSayas tathA - 'What to speak of the brahmins, the pious, the devotees and the saintly kings?' (Bhagavad Gita 9.33)

Two jewel-like verses

2011-06-09T05:41:00.002+02:00

These are two jewel-like verses I read on the internet in recent days -

ekaH prajAyate jantur eka eva pralIyate
eko'nubhunkte sukRtam eka eva ca duSkRtam

"One is born alone, one dies alone.
One enjoys one's good karma alone and one suffers one's bad karma alone."

(Manu Samhita 4.240, recently quoted in 'Practical Sanskrit')

However much one may love one's child or spouse or friend, one must helplessly watch them suffer diseases without being able to take them over from them. However desperately we want to keep our beloved Guru, friend or parent with us, we must helplessly watch them leave their bodies right in front of us.

Another jewel-like verse recently read on the web (The Enquirer):

likhita granthera yadi kari anuvAda
tabe se granthera artha pAiye AsvAda

(Caitanya CaritAmrita, Adi lila 17.311)

"If I repeat (translate) scriptures that were already written, I will relish the meaning of these scriptures."

Sadly I did not notice this verse earlier, in the 1980s and 90s, when I was translating all these amazing and marvellous scriptures, but yes it is a fact - translation work is like a microscope in that we get deep realizations about what is being written there - and it is also like a press that squeezes the juice out of the sugarcane, allowing us to relish the transcendental nectar-juice of it as well. Another interesting thing about this verse is that it shows the function of Caitanya Caritamrita as a Bengali summary of all the Goswamis' books, of which Krishnadas Kaviraja was the mere broadcaster.

Both verses are added to the file 'Wisdoms' on my website madangopal.com

Srimad Bhagavat, Canto 7, part 2

2011-06-02T15:51:00.004+02:00

7.9.46 vArtA bhavantyuta na vAtra tu dambhikAnAm – ‘All kinds of penance and pious conduct can be just a means of livelihood for hypocrites’. Visvanatha Cakravartipadas comments: te tu prAyazo`jitendriyANAm indriya-bhogAyArthArthaM vikrINatAM vArtA jIvanopAyA bhavanti. dAmbhikAnAM tu vArtA api bhavanti vA na vA. dambhasyAniyata-phalatvAt - "All the different practises of tapasya mentioned in this verse can be used as means of livelihood and even sense enjoyment for those with uncontrolled senses. It is not so, though, that all tapasvis will become such imposters."

It is poignant to see that such abuse took place even thousands of years ago, when the Bhagavat was written. Especially in India, where people have very simple faith, it is easy to mislead them by cheaply putting some beads on, growing a beard and dressing in some fantastic outfit to be special and maintain one's family with their donations.

7.9.49 viramanti zabdAt – “Knowing Krishna's glories are endless, the wise cease Vedic studies.” Sridhara Swami and Visvanatha Cakravarti quote the Upanisads - taj jJAnaM tvad-bhaktyaiva bhaven, na tu zAstrAdhyayana-buddhi-kauzalAdibhir ity Aha—neti "Such knowledge is attained through bhakti, not through scriptural study nor through intellectual cleverness." Sruti says kim-arthA vayam adhyeSyAmahe kim-arthA vayaM yakSyAmahe "For what reason will we understand and what meaning shall we speak?" and nAnudhyAyed bahUn zabdAn vAco-viglApanaM hi tad (Brihad Aranyaka Upanisad) "Do not contemplate many words, it gives merely fatigue from speaking."

This (as well as verse 46) could come straight out of a sermon by Sadhu Baba. One must be cautious, though, not to stop reading shastra in an immature stage, it will lead to bewilderment and downfall, as Visvanatha points out in his tika of Bhagavad Gita 2.52.

7.9.52 Visvanatha Cakravartipada writes in his Tika: tena prahlAda-buddhi-viSayI-kRtAs tAt-kAlikA jIvA nistIrNA eva, jIvAnAm AnantyAt tad anyair eva jIvais tad-anantaraM brahmANDam apUrIti jJeyam "The jivas of whom Prahlada was thinking would be liberated, but since there is no end to the number of jivas, afterwards the universe would be full of them still anyway." purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Isopanisad] - "If you subtract the full from the full, what remains is the full."

7.10.5 na svAmI bhRtyataH svAmyam icchan yo rAti cAziSaH - This refers to big Gurus who flatter powerful politicians and rich merchants to secure their power and wealth for themselves.

7.10.13 Bhanu Swami writes an apt footnote here to the last sentence of Visvanatha's tika where he says: evaM prahlAdasyAMzena sAdhana-siddhatvaM nitya-siddhatvaM ca nAradAdivaj jJeyam – “Like Narada, Prahlada is partly sadhana siddha and partly nitya siddha.” Bhanu Swami says: 'They are actually nitya siddha, but they also take forms of sadhana siddhas during the Lord's pastimes'. I would add to that that this also goes for the six Goswamis - they acted as sadhakas in Puri, Bengal and Braja but are actually nitya siddha manjaris.

7.10.30 varaM krUra nisargANAm ahInAm amRtaM yathA - Do not give nectar to a demon, it is like giving milk to a snake - it just increases their venom. It is like throwing pearls before swine.

7.10.39 The transformation from worms to wasp due to absorption in enmity does not take place in the same lifetime, it is shown by the word ante, it happens at the end of life.

7.11.13 – saMskAra mantravanto garbhAdhAnAdayo yasmin sa dvijaH. vichinna saMskAro dvijabandhur ityarthaH. ajo brahmA yaM jagAdeti brahma sRSTyArambhata eva pravRttAyAM dvija jAtau vizuddha mAtA pitRkaM janmaiva mukhyalakSaNam ityarthaH. A person who performs saMskAras, rituals like garbhAdhAna with mantras, is called a dvija. A person with interrupted saMskAras is called a friend of the dvijas. This was practised from the moment BrahmA created the world. The main characteristic of the twice born caste is birth from a pure mother and father.

7.11.33-34 These are the verses about extinguishing the fire of lust by throwing too much ghee on it (over-indulgence). Though I always thought these verses apply to the shudra race, this is not mentioned either in the tikas or in the preceding slokas. Visvanatha mentions Yayati and Saubhari as examples in his comments, neither whom were shudras: "Because it is impossible for a person with excessive material desires to give them up at once, the shastras will allow him to enjoy with an honest heart rather than forbid the enjoyment altogether. Eventually then detachment will take place. Examples are Yayati and Saubhari. After much cultivation sometimes a field is no longer suitable for germinating seeds, which may be destroyed by the acidic soil. The heart in which desire abides in abundance as various impressions, gradually becomes detached. A fire is not extinguished by sprinkling drops of ghee on it but by pouring a huge amount of ghee on it. Similarly desire is extinguished by a huge amount of indulgence."

7.11.35 — kiM ca yasya puMso varNAbhivyaJjakaM yallakSaNaM varNaM brAhmaNAdi jAtiM abhivyaJjayati yattacca sAmAnyato vihitam eva zama-damAdikaM na tu vizeSato vihitam sandhyopAstAdikaM yadyanyatra jAtyantare'pi dRzyeta tajjAtyantaram api tenaiva brAhmaNAdi zabdenaiva vinirdizet iti brAhmaNAdi tulyAdaraM lakSayati. na ca para dharma bhayAvahaH iti vAcyam. zama-damAdInAM para dharmatrAbhAvAd iti bhAvaH. “If a man designated by a particular varna shows the qualities of another varna, he should be classified according to that other varna and he should be called by that name such as brahmana. What is meant by showing qualities is showing general qualities like control of the senses and the mind, not particular actions like performing sandhya rites. This means he should be given respect like a brahmana. One should not say that performing another’s dharma is dangerous [as in Bhagavad Gita 3.35], since attaining qualities like control of the mind and senses is not another’s dharma.” This is in line with Jiva Goswami’s commentary on Srimad Bhagavat 3.33.6 in which he says that the dogeater who chants the name of the Lord is to be given respect but not that he can literally perform Vedic sacrifices without first being born as a Brahmin. Here too Visvanatha focuses on pious qualities like control of the mind and senses, not on non-brahmins’ adhikara for performing Vedic sacrifices.”

7.12.11 This verse does not mean that the grihastha needs permission from the Guru to make a child. The words guru vRtti do not mean ‘permission from Guru’. guru vRttir vikalpena means ‘the service of the Guru is optional for the gRhastha, who is Rtu-gAmI, approaching the wife in her season. At that time Guru service is not possible. The context of the sentence is the brahmacArI’s duty of serving the Guru, which may not be possible for the gRhastha, who usually does not live with the Guru. AcArya VIra-RAghava comments: gurvI vRttir gurvAnuvRttiH strI-saGga rAhityAdi rUpA brahmacarya vRttiH gRhasthasya tu vikalpena kadAcid bhavet kadAcin na syAt. kadA na bhavet? ....Rtu-gAmina iti. Rtu gAmitvAd guru vRtti vikalpa iti bhAvaH. Rtu-kAleSu guru vRttir nAstIti ca bhAvaH. asyA vRttir duSkaratvAbhiprAyeNa gurviti vizeSaNam upAttam. “The brahmacArI does not associate with women, so he can constantly serve the Guru, but that is not so for the gRhastha, who can sometimes do and sometimes not do this service. When can he not do? .... When he approaches his wife in the season. Then serving the Guru becomes an option. In the seasonal time the Guru is not served, for it will be difficult to accomplish.” Bhanu Swami translates Visvanatha's tika as 'the person decides when he will have children or not'.

7.13.7 Madhvacarya comments: na vyAkhyAyopajiveta - A sannyasi should not make a living off explaining shastra. Sridhara Swami says jalpa-vitaNDAdi nistha 'Fixed in talking and arguing frivolously'. Also it applies to prestigious debates - one wants to establish one's own prestige by winning so many philosophical debates. Rupa Goswami, when challenged by Vallabha Bhatta, readily admitted, out of humility and because he wanted to do his service in peace - that his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu needed editing.

7.13.8 The sannyasi should not take disciples out of greed or by force, not should he build temples and ashrams. If he manages a building, how can he be a wanderer [parivrajaka, as mentioned in 7.13.1]? na vyAkhyAm upayunjita [do not undertake scriptural explanations] could, in the modern days, be interpreted as 'not publishing books', as in the days of the Bhagavat there were no printing presses yet. Granthan naivabhyased bahun - He should not study too many scriptures. Mahaprabhu was a big scholar when He was a grihastha, but there is no description of Him studying after taking sannyasa. Canakya Pandit reminds us that life is short and too much time is lost in intellectual pursuit – ananta shAstram bahulasca vidyA svalpasca kAlo bahu vighnatA ca.

7.13.21 - apavarga means here causeless devotion to Bhagavan, not liberation that destroys devotion.

Bhagavat 7th canto, part 1

2011-05-22T15:26:00.004+02:00

Continuing the Bhagavat-commentaries (mostly by Visvanath Cakravartipada) we now arrive at the seventh canto -

7.1.26 One should not criticize the Lord in a way that hurts Him. It will bring the critic in a bad situation, as it is said in Srimad Bhagavat [10.74.40] ‘If after hearing criticism of the Lord or His devotee, one does not leave, one falls from one’s piety.’ There are two types of criticism - favorable and unfavorable. Favorable criticism is a transformation of prema, as in Srimad Bhagavat 10.47.17 - "Like a hunter, He cruelly shot the king of the monkeys with arrows. Because He was conquered by a woman, He disfigured another woman who came to Him with lusty desires. And even after consuming the gifts of Bali Maharaja, He bound him up with ropes as if he were a crow. So let us give up all friendship with this dark-complexioned boy, even if we cannot give up talking about Him."
This is a bud of light from the crest jewel of prema (puruSArtha cUDAmaNi marIci manjarIva), not attained by anyone except the gopis. Unfavorable criticism is of two types - that which arises from absorption in the Lord and that which does not arise from absorption in the Lord. The first type takes place in Sisupala. The bad karma created by his criticism was destroyed immediately by his absorption in the Lord and created a neutral condition and qualification for vaidhi bhakti. This does not hurt the Lord and it destroys the sin of the critic [due to his absorption] .......one should see the Lord according to one's own emotions. By attaining sayujya the demons who hate the Lord realize themselves as non-different from Him. One statement can have a different meaning according to the person in question. Of course a devotee cannot be advised to be absorbed in the Lord in enmity, as it is said one should accept favorable things to bhakti and reject unfavorable things. Absorption in fear is like that of the gopis, in their anxious extra-marital affair with Krishna, and without fear is like that of Rukmini and the other wives of Krishna, who could love Him openly.
7.1.28-29 - Just as the grassworm attains the form of his besieger the bee through absorption in hatred, Sisupala and other demons also attained sarupya, the same form as Krishna, by their hateful meditation on Him. This meditation is still that purifying to bestow such an effect.
7.1.46 — yathA vahninA kanakasya mAlinyam eva hanyate na tu kanakaM tathaiva jaya vijayor bAhya mAlinyAvaraNayor naSTayoH satoH jaya vijayAveva tejaH puJjAkArau zrI kRSNaM praviSTau janair dRSTAviti bhAvaH - Just as fire destroys the impurity of gold but not the gold itself, similarly Jaya and Vijaya’s external contaminated covering was destroyed when they entered into the powerful form of Sri Krishna. All people could see that.
7.4.38 - Just as a one-year old child is always embraced by the parents, Prahlad was always embraced by the Lord during all his activities - eating, sleeping etc.
7.4.42 - Prahlad was a very powerful devotee - he was not contaminated by the bad association at school, though he was unable to convert his demoniac father himself.
7.5.5 - anyathA vanaM gato’pi gRham andha-kUpam - "One can still fall in the blind well of household life even after having retired into the forest." One must be sure to be ready to live in a holy place fulltime. If one retires there with many material desires one will get into scandal after scandal there.
7.5.23 – This is the famous verse sravanam kirtanam visnoh, about the nine-fold process of bhakti which, in the next verse, is said to be for all pumsah. Normaly pum means man, but here Visvanath Cakravarti comments: puM zabdasya jIva mAtra vAcakatvAt striyApi. “The word puM means all living entities, also women.”
7.5.30- Prahlada told Hiranyakasipu – “For you Krishna is false, Krishna consciousness will never arise in persons like you. It will not come from you, nor from your Guru nor a combination of both. Factually you did not get the shower of footdust of the great souls."
Even Prahlada's own great devotional influence could not save Hiranyakasipu. Punah punas carvita carvananam – chewing the chewd, wet stool, dry stool – Visvanatha asks a rhetorical question here - “but grihasthas should go to swarga [heaven] sometimes?” yesam tesam vesyalayah svargo va tulya – “The brothel or heaven, it's all the same....”
7.6.1 – iha bhArata bhUmau. iha means India. nanu tAn yauvanAdAvapi kRtvA kRtArthIbhavati tatrAha prAjJa iti. yadi kaumArAnte mRtyuH syAt tarhiH kiM bhaved iti prakRSTa jJAnavAn. The wisest man will consider: Even by practicing sadhana in youth one can attain perfection - what if I die after my childhood? nanu tatra kA cintA janmAntaraM tu bhAvi tatraiva bhakti kAryeti. tatrAha durlabhaM mAnuSAM janma tad api bhAgyAllabdham apyadhruvaM adya vartamAnatve`pi tasya zvaH sthitau nizcayAbhAvAt. [One could argue] "Why should we worry? We can do bhakti in the next life also!" To this it is said: "Human life is rare, and attained by good luck. It is also uncertain. Nothing is certain, even in the present." nanu tarhi tAvan mAtra kAlena kuto bhaktisiddhas tatrAha arthadaM muhUrta mAtra vyApi bhaktimatAm api khaTvAGgAdInAM siddhi darzanAt. [One could argue] "How can bhakti siddhi be attained in this time?" To this it is said arthadaM, in just a moment one can become devoted, instant siddhi is seen in Khatvanga and others.
7.7.29 - VizvanAtha CakravartIpAda comments: guroH zuzrUSayA snapana saMvAhanAdikayA – “The word zuzrUSA means bathing and massaging the Guru, etc.” (practical services)”.
7.7.33 - bhaktir Izvare vAsudeve bhagavati yayA samlabhyate ratiH – “By bhakti one attains (samlabhyate) rati (love or bhava)”, another proof that prema is not dormant within the heart.
7.9.2 - Though Laxmi had seen Narasimha in the previous kalpa and He eternally resides in Vaikuntha, she was still astonished due to the agency of the lila Shakti (playful potency), so that the rasa of adbhuta (wonder) could be created around Narasimha.
7.9.14 - Parents cannot always protect a child, often it is seen that children suffer despite their being well protected by the parents. It is also seen that parents abuse their children, like Ajigarta who sold his son Shunashepa as a human sacrifice. Medicine does not always protect a sick person, because even persons who take medicine still have to die. A boat does not protect persons from drowning, because boats also sink (like the 'unsinkable' Titanic, which sunk even on its maiden voyage, killing 1,500 passengers). Without you (Nrsimha) no remedy for suffering is successful.”
7.9.38 - (In Kali-yuga) You are covered because externally You show a different form and mood, later this conclusion will be explained [in 11.5.31-32, hinting at the avatara of Sriman Mahaprabhu]
7.9.40 - Prahlad says here that his genitals are pulling him towards women, but how can a 5-year old feel like that? It seems clear that the Bhagavat sometimes makes more moral statements than historical ones. In other words, the acaryas want to teach something and so put such words into the mouth of an infant.
7.9.44 - Though this verse is sometimes quoted to criticize ‘bhajanandi Vaishnavas’ for being ‘selfish and only engaged for their own liberation’ this verse clearly speaks about munayo, munis of the Himalaya, yogis and so, not raganuga bhaktas doing bhajan at Radhakund. Any type of bhakti is to be done for Krishna’s pleasure, and either bhajan or preaching can be done for either Krishna’s pleasure or for labha puja pratistha (profit, adoration and distinction)
7.9.45 - This the famous verse about scratching an itch. Normally scratching an itching spot should solve the itching, but what is meant here is making matters worse by trying to solve them, like trying to satisfy lust by giving in to it.

This was the first of a three-part synopsis of the 7th canto Bhagavat.

Completion of 6th Canto Bhagavata commentaries

2011-05-11T19:45:00.003+02:00

This is the completion of the blogs about the comments on the 6th Canto Bhagavat, the last installment of which was posted on December 6, 2010 -

6.9.21 - "Anyone who tries to look for shelter in anyone else but the Lord is like a fool who tries to cross the ocean by holding on to the tail of a dog."
Sri Jiva's quotes BhAgavat 8.24.49 in his tika:

na yat-prasAdAyuta-bhAga-lezam
anye ca devA guravo janAH svayam |
kartuM sametAH prabhavanti puMsas
tam IzvaraM vai zaraNaM prapadye ||

"No gods, gurus (mundane superiors, not the Sat Guru), or ordinary persons can give even minute shelter compared to the Supreme Controller. "

As well as the MahAbhArata -

yas tu viSNuM parityajya mohAd anyam upAsate |
sa hema-rAzim utsRjya pAMzu-rAziM jighRkSati || iti |

"Anyone so bewildered as to give up the worship of Vishnu for any other god, is like one giving up a heap of gold for a handful of dust."

Visvanath Cakravartipada comments: taM vinA aparaM devatAntaraM karma-yogaM jJAna-yogam apara-yogaM vA zaraNArthaM bAlizo mahA-mUrkha evopasarpati, na tu vijJaH - "A person who takes shelter of other gods, karma yoga, jnana yoga or other yogas is a big fool, not a wise man." yathA zunaH pucchena sindhum atitartum icchati, sa zvA eva sindhuM tartuM na zaknoti, kim uta tat-puccha-grAhI ! "He is like someone trying to cross the ocean by holding on to the tail of a dog. The dog cannot even cross the ocean himself, let alone someone who holds on to its tail." pratyuta sva-puccha-grAhiNaM sa zvA eva dRSTvA prathamaM samudra-madhye kSipati, pazcAt svayam api nimajjatIti bhAvaH "The dog will first shake off the person who holds on to its tail and then drown himself too."
6.11.22 - According to Visvanatha Cakravartipada here Vritrasura sticks up his nose against Indra, saying that although Indra may be wealthier than him, it is not a sign of the Lord's mercy. Wealth causes a lot of agitation due to envy which will disturb one's bhajan. It connects to Srimad Bhagavat 10.88.8, which states that losing one's wealth is a sign of Krishna's mercy.
6.11.24 - This verse is very famous. Vritrasura saying 'Let me again be a devotee' refers to his previous birth, when he was a devotee named Citraketu. He wants to get out of his demon-body and return to a devotee-body. It does not mean that he fell down from the spiritual world due to envy of Krishna and wants to return there. The whole story of Indra and Vritra also shows that mundane piety [Indra] is really inferior to a demon being a devotee. Often we see persons born in very low families, including foreigners [non-Indians] displaying much more purity, humility and integrity than born devotees or naturally pious people [like some Indian brahmins and even sadhus].
6.11.26 - Fearing owls and afflicted by hunger, baby-birds long to see their mother at every moment. In the same way the Lord will protect the devotees from deprivation and enemies. The calves bound up at home desire the milk from the mother cow, but they do not desire to serve the mother. Not satisfied with this example he gives another example. A wife whose husband has gone for a long journey is morose out of separation. The wife wants to serve her husband to please her and wants to please her own senses by relishing his beauty and sweetness, his qualities, actions and joking, so I will also serve You and You will satisfy me. The difference is however that the wife pleases the husband with dasya [service], sakhya [friendship] and srngara rasa [erotic love], whereas I only desire to serve You [dasya].
6.15.4 - "Oh king just as grains appear or do not appear from seeds, children appear or do not appear from fathers impelled by maya"
The Bhagavat says [3.31.1] karmanA daiva netrena jantu dehopapattaye - the jiva gets a body due to its karma and the decisions of Fate. So we see illicit relationships, conducted by vow-breaking sadhus or adulterous grihasthas, with the use of contraceptives, resulting into [unwanted] pregnancies and perfectly decent marriages, where contraceptives are taboo, still remain childless. Seed alone is not enough to fertilize a woman - the Lord must want a certain soul to be born from a certain couple, even if that may be an illicit couple. Some claim that each sperm cell of a man [a man releases an estimated 400,000,000 of them in each ejaculation] contains a soul and that an ejaculation thus is equal to the genocide of all of Europe or North America, but this is clearly not so, according to the above statements of the Bhagavata.
dhAnA means roasted grains and a woman. Just as grain does not arise from roasted grains, children do not arise from those without the karma for having sons.
6.18.33-34 - The husband is the supreme object of worship for a woman as the representative of the Lord." Visvanatha Cakravartipada's tika:
"The husband is a jiva, how can he be the Lord? The Lord Vasudeva is the presiding deity of the citta and manasa is worshipped by karma yogis by objects indicating the devatas, like Indra holding the thunderbolt and different other images, with utterances like Indraya svaha and Agnaye svaha - women similarly worship the Lord in the form of their husband."
6.19.5 - Though the verse says that the Lord is fully endowed with compassion, fortune, glory, majesty, virility and other excellences, Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada makes the following lovely commentary: "By your Kripa shakti you wait for the Tulasi leaf offered by the devotee, thus You are not independent. You ask the devotee 'Please give Me something to eat because I am hungry today" thus You are not fulfilled in desires. You say to a devotee in a dream "My house and
garden are worn out, where will I play?" thus You are bereft of opulence. Though You have all yoga siddhis like anima, bound by the ropes of prema of the devotee, You cannot go anywhere." Bhanu Swami translates this verse as 'You mercy is hiding" which is not in the BBT translation, nor in the Gita Press translation.

Advaita Prakash and Caitanya Bhagavat

2011-04-21T21:02:00.005+02:00

Discussion on April 4, 2011

Bhakta: “Some say Advaita Prakash was written only in the 19th century?”

Advaitadas: "The fact that Advaita Prakash was found in a library in 1896 does not mean it was written then. There were no printing presses before the British came and books were copied by hand, but that does not mean the texts did not exist before. The hand-copying could indeed have resulted into interpolation, it is hard to verify. Caitanya Caritamrita contains material from Advaita Prakash because Caitanya Caritamrita is anyway a collection of older works, not an original work. It is like an anthology of Gaur lila and Krishna tattva. It is clearly written in the colofon of the Advaita Prakash that is written in 1568, (caudda zata navati zakAbda) 40 years before the Caitanya Caritamrita."

Bhakta: "Then how did Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami get the information from the Advaita Prakash in Radhakunda?"

Advaitadas: “He might have taken the Advaita Prakash with him when he first came to Vraja, or others may have brought it to Radhakund from Bengal, on Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami's request. You see, we were not there and both opponents and proponents of the Advaita Prakash can only guess what happened back then."

Bhakta - 'Scholars say there was a development of theology about Mahaprabhu, that first He was seen as Lord Narayan by Caitanya Bhagavat, but later another conception was developed that He was Krishna accepting the mood of Radha."

Advaitadas: "That is a typically mundane, external vision. Svarupa Damodara was a personal associate of Sriman Mahaprabhu and he wrote a korcha, which means diary. Diaries are usually written on the spot and not afterwards, so most probably he wrote it during Mahaprabhu's time, and in the diary he wrote rAdhA bhAva dyuti subalitam naumi kRSNa svarUpam, that Mahaprabhu is Krishna accepting the feelings of Radha. The same scholars say that Caitanya Bhagavat was written in the 1540s, which is at least a decade after the end of Mahaprabhu's pastimes, probably after Svarupa Damodara established Mahaprabhu as Krishna accepting the mood of Radha. Also to write such a large book must have taken Vrindavan Das Thakur years. So already historically there is no question of a development. Spiritually speaking of course, anyway, any svarupa or form of the Lord, along with its characteristics, is timeless and eternal."

Bhakta: "If the conception of Svarupa Damodara is older than the aisvarya conception of Vrindavan Das Thakur, then why could Svarupa Damodara's school not convince the Vrindavan Das Thakur-school of that?"

Advaitadas: "Even supposing that they contacted eachother in the pre-telephone, pre-internet era, the two conceptions are eternal. There is a lengthy discussion between Srivasa Pandit and Svarupa Damodara in Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya-lila Chapter 14, in which Srivasa defended the aisvarya conception and Svarupa Damodara defended the madhurya but there was no conversion on either side. the debate was not won by either side because both conceptions and sthayi bhavas are eternal. Non-devotee scholars cannot grasp that. bodhayanta parasparam [gita 10.9] - satsanga leads to mutual enlightenment."

Accidental ascension and female Govardhana

2011-04-11T20:52:00.004+02:00

To the spiritual sky by accident?

Bhakta: "In shastra there are so many quotes giving evidence that by worshiping shilas or chanting the holy name at the last moment of life, one will immediately go to the spiritual world after death, like salagrama sila vinur hatya koti vinasanam "Any person who offers a Tulasi leaf while worshiping the Shalagram Sheela gets salvation and can stay in Vaikuntha", or from Srimad Bhagavat 12.3.44 :"Terrified, about to die, a man collapses on his bed. Altough his voice is faltering and HE IS HARDLY conscious of what he is saying, if he utters the holy name of the Supreme Lord he can be freed from the reaction of his fruitive work and achieve the supreme destination". On the other hand Bhagavad Gita and other shastras say that the destination ones will achieve depends of the state of consciousness at the time of death, as in Bhagavad Gita 8.5 and 8.6.
So:
1) How to harmonize those "apparent" contradictions.
2) Just if someone does not reach a pure consciousness during his life, he will get it instantly in the last moment of life and reach the Spiritual world, just by worshipping a Shila with Tulasi-leaves or pronouncing the holy name? This is very amazing.
I appreciate so much your answers.
Radhe Radhe!!

Advaitadas-
"There are different ways and reasons to attain the spiritual world - one is called sukhaisvaryottara, prompted by a desire to have happiness and luxury there, and the other is prema sevottara, to love and serve the Lord. Please see Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.56 : sukhaizvaryottarA seyaM prema-sevottarety api, sAlokyAdir dvidhA tatra nAdyA sevA-juSaM matA. In his commentary Jiva Goswami quotes Srimad Bhagavat 3.29.13, wherein Kapiladeva says that a pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation, even if the Lord offers them, if they are not accompanied by devotional service (vinA mat sevanam janaH).

So it is possible to ascend to the spiritual sky without pure devotional service. The examples you quoted refer either to the sukhaisvaryottara motivation-stage or to Shwetadweep, a realm in the upper echelon of the mundane cosmos, where one can dwell temporarily due to some great deed or event. So the statements in shastra that anyone who dies in the holy dhama attains Hariloka are true but it does not necessarily mean in a pure devotional relationship with the Lord. In his writings, Sri Visvanath Cakravartipada says that the prema sevottara-devotees are elevated to Krishna's prakat lila (manifest pastimes on earth) for further training."

Blue cows at Mount Govardhan

Govardhana female?

Bhakta: "Radhe Radhe! Have you ever heard about the conception that Mount Govardhan belongs to shakti-tattva? It was told to me by one bhakta during our discussion of worship of Govardhan-shilas as Srimati Radhika. Personally, I do think that Giri Govardhan is Saktiman and His Adi shakti is always with Him. Thank you in advance,
daso'smi"

Advaitadas:
To my knowledge, Giriraj is neither shakti tattva nor Srimati Radhika -

1. In Sanskrit, Govardhan is a male name, not a female name.
2. I know of no evidence in any shastra for Him being Radhika or Shakti.
3. Giriraj is called Krishna's kalevara [body] by Sriman Mahaprabhu [Caitanya Caritamrita Antya 6]
4. Krishna said 'shailo'smi' - I am the mountain [Govardhan] in Srimad Bhagavat 10.24
5. The gopis call Giriraja Haridasa Varya, not Hari Dasi varya, in Srimad Bhagavat 10.21.18
The Adi Shakti with Govardhan is the Gunja Mala [Caitanya Caritamrita Antya 6]

Bhakta: Sometimes this verse is quoted to prove Govardhan is female:

ManasaH prakRter jAto girir govardhano mahAn,
divyaM vRndAvanaM dRSTvA paramAnandam Apa saH:

“The magnificent Govardhana mountain appeared from Radhika’s mind. Govardhana became supremely blissful upon seeing effulgent VrndAvana” (Bhavisya Purana, pratisarga 3.25.165).

The word manasaH (“from the mind”) can also mean “from the heart.” Some senior Vaishnavas say that this verse of Bhavisya Purana proves that Govardhana has the svarupa of a sakhi also."

Advaitadas: "The verse just says that Govardhan emanates from the mind of prakriti, which means 'nature'. Sri Radhika is not mentioned in this verse, which, I heard, can also not be found in any library-edition of the Bhavisya Purana. Most probably it was interpolated a few centuries ago, but even if it wasn't, it says nothing about Govardhan being female, a sakhi or Sri Radhika. I know of no other reference either in shastra that Govardhan is female or a sakhi. Among Gaudiya Vaishnavas there is this popular slogan:

AmAr IsvarI hon vRndAvanezvarI
tAr prAnanAth boli bhaji giridhArI

'My mistress is Vrindavanesvari (Radhika) and I worship Giridhari because He is Her prananath (Lord of Her life)."

Last quote added April 12, 2011

Sadanandi

2011-04-07T12:57:00.004+02:00

I am deeply saddened at receiving the news of the untimely passing away of my dear friend Sadanandi Dasi, a German disciple of Sri Sacinandan Swami. She had been suffering from auto-immune disease for a long time, a disease which causes excruciating suffering, yet she carried on diligently and enthusiastically with her seva. In a sense her leaving her body is the Lord's mercy, so that she will not suffer like that any more. She often approached me at Radhakund with inquiries about raganuga bhajan and was an ardent reader of my translation works. Once on the bank of Radhakund she got tears in her eyes as I preached to her. She struck me with her extraordinary devotional qualities like humility, submission and simplicity. It is a great tragedy that her promising life was cut short in this way. To my knowledge she was only about 38. Radhe Radhe. One day we may meet again, in another form, at the eternal Radhakund....

Nataraja and the Sitar-lila rewritten

2011-04-02T20:58:00.003+02:00

Two pastimes of Sadhu Baba that had been added to his hagiography in March 2008, have been rewritten after hearing more accurate narrations during this year's Sitanath-utsava, by my Gurubhai Gaur:

page 50 - Gaur Da: “One time, when there were no buildings yet in the ashram, only wilderness, there was a fierce rainstorm going on, so Baba assumed the form of Nataraja (Shiva, the king of dancers) and began to dance, looking in such a fearsome way that I got scared by watching it. We stood and watched in complete silence, and when Baba completed the dance the rainstorm had completely vanished and the sky was clear.

The Snake and sitar lila rewritten -

page 18 - "Once, in the dead of night, at 2 a.m., Madangopal told Baba : “I want to hear you play Sitar”. At that time the ashram was a wilderness without any buildings. Baba woke every bhakta in the ashram saying: “Get up, Madangopal wants to hear me play!” He sat down here and began to play when a snake came and coiled all around His tummy and His arms. Baba complained to the snake: “Madangopal wants to hear me play, how can I play like this?”, so the snake let go of His arms and just wrapped itself around His tummy. Baba played for two hours and then He told the snake to leave Him."

The harvest of this year's Utsab

2011-03-31T16:09:00.002+02:00

After receiving video recordings of Prabhu Sitanath's Utsab held in Sadhu Baba's Ashram last month, I have rewritten page 28 of Sadhu baba's hagiography, after hearing the detailed taped narration by my Gurubhai Gaura Da in Bengali:

Sadhu Baba catches the train -

“Some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s Sadhu Baba was going to leave for Vrindavana by train. Though the train would depart at 11.45, Baba was still in the ashram at around 12. The connecting train from Howrah to Mathura had to be caught in time in Calcutta. Baba did not seem to be bothered, so the devotees were wondering if they will make it. When they arrived at Navadwipa station the train was grounded, while the station-master was in panic, wondering why the engine did not work. Still, the train would not move. Then Baba tapped the front of the carriage and said in his loud, husky voice “Is everyone (all my disciples) on board? Go! Off you go!” And guess what, the train was fixed and off they went.

Added to page 29 of Sadhu Baba's hagiography:

Gaura’s eczema –

Gaur Da : “One day I got eczema over my whole body. It was festival time and Baba ordered me to get flowers from Calcutta. Baba did (apparently) not know that I was sick, but actually he was just testing me. I had to take the night train and my mother told me: “Gaura! Why did you not tell Baba you are sick?” I went anyway, taking the night train. I had not slept all night, so I went home and took a bath. Suddenly Baba called me to the ashram. When I arrived there Baba had just finished his morning bath and he asked me to wipe Him dry with a chador. I told him: “But you have already received that service!” Baba said: “No, no you dry Me off!” After that He told me to take prasad and I went back home. When I took my shirt off I saw that my eczema was totally gone and I wept loudly.”

Madangopal Darshan

2011-03-24T06:59:00.004+01:00

On the eve of the festival commemorating the advent of Advaita Prabhu, a darshan of Sadhu Baba's istadeva Sri Madangopal, at Sadhu Baba's ashram, Prachin Mayapur, Navadwip Dham.
February 6, 2011.

It is regretted that the video's quality is reduced through the uploading process.

Many new videos about the utsava have been uploaded to my youtube-channel too, meanwhile.

Holi Hai!!!

2011-03-19T09:42:00.002+01:00

Holi in Barsana video

(This was my 500th blog also!)

Aindra's book, part 3

2011-03-13T06:40:00.004+01:00

This is the third and final part of my review of Aindra Das’ book "The heart of Transcendental Book distribution."

On page 89, Aindra calls Ananga Manjari an upasakhi of Lalita, for which there is no evidence at all, specially since Ananga Manjari has her own kunja in the middle of Radhakund, distinct and distant from Lalita's Kunja on the northern bank. Dhyanacandra Goswami calls Ananga Manjari a student of Visakha instead (visakhika siksita, verse 26).

Aindra continues:

"Balarama as servitor Godhead is adi-guru in the vatsalya, sakhya, and dasya rasas. Similarly, Balarama’s expanded madhurya-svarupa, Ananga Manjari, is the madhurya-rasa adi-guru,"

This, too, is nowhere in the books of the Goswamis. Furthermore he says on this page:

“(Nityananda) in His masculine Baladeva svarupa, is unable to directly relish the experience of being in the position of His shakti-tattva expansion, just as Krishna is unable to directly relish the moods of Radha. He, therefore, in Gaura-lila, accepts the bhava and complexion of His supreme self-same svarupa-shakti counterpart to experience that which was transcendentally impossible in Krishna-lila. Thus Balarama manifests the form of Nityananda Rama in the same way that Krishna dons His Gaura svarupa to savor the ultimate loving disposition of Radha in vipralambha-maha-bhava. As Krishna and Balarama are one, so, similarly, Radha and Ananga Manjari are one. In fact, Ananga Manjari is celebrated as a veritable second Radha."

Such thoughts may be found in booklets like Ramacandra Goswami’s Ananga Manjari Samputika, a booklet which declares just about everyone to be one and the same tattva, saying Radha-Krishna and Balaram are all one (1.18) and Ananga Manjari is the guru (1.12). I translated this book some 15 years ago but decided to withdraw it again because of its tattvas are rather unique and confusing. This point of Aindra of Baladeva wanting to relish the love of Ananga Manjari is completely skewed because in Krishna Lila, Ananga Manjari is neither the wife nor the lover of Baladeva. With the same logic one could argue that Jagannath Misra appeared in this world to relish the love of Mother Yashoda?

Fortunately, on page 90 Aindra returns to safer, more stable grounds:

"The edict seva sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena catra hi / tad-bhava-lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah mentioned in Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu truly for all time applies both externally and internally to sadhakas who have yet to transcend material bondage as well as to siddhas who are jata-rati Vaishnavas having attained the perfect realization of sthayi-bhava, or constant devotional ecstasy. There is no broadly applicable streamlined institutional lame way out."

On page 100 Aindra boldly compares institutional corruption and deviations with the stool, corpses and industrial waste (the corruption) inside the divinely pure Ganga water (the Sampradaya proper).

On page 105 Aindra burns himself on the apasiddhanta that nAmAbhAsa is a stage of chanting-sadhana, and that one lifetime is spent with namaparadha, then one with namabhasa and then one with pure nama, which is not only apasiddhanta, it is also a totally mechanical way of thinking.

In the following 13 pages Aindra rambles on about institutional politics again, adding more to the already burgeoning daivi varnashram pie-in-the-sky as if we did not already have enough of those pipedreams. He even wants his makeshift sudras to be 'communists' [p.108]. Instead, non-Indians should just choose a profession according to their skill without giving it any ancient Indian caste-name. Again one wonders - was Aindra really less absorbed in managerial thought than the bureaucrats he constantly condemns?

On p. 127-8 Aindra claims:

"Shastra has it that fifty percent of a disciple’s devotional merit automatically goes to the guru’s account, even without the disciple’s conscious offering. If the disciple consciously sacrifices on behalf of the spiritual master, both the disciple and the guru achieve one hundred times the result of the proffered devotional austerities."

I will have to have another deep look at shastra perhaps because I have never seen such a mechanical and bureaucratic idea there yet.

On page 128 Aindra independently confirms, in somewhat other words, what I have said all along about the idea that doing bhajan is selfish and for one's own benefit only:

"Yes, we should all agree that it is higher to leave Vrindavana for the benefit of others than to stay in Vrindavana for one’s own benefit, but who says Vrindavana life is meant to be for one’s own benefit? Krishna’s gopas and gopis of Vraja, whose immaculate selfless moods of devotion we are to emulate, never for a moment consider their own benefit. Their every endeavor is to sacrifice for the service of others – the service of Krishna; the service of Radha; the service of Her friends and maidservants;....."

Of course bhajan is for the pleasure of Krishna, and not for one's own liberation, as Vaishnavas reject liberation right at the beginning anyway.

The Third Heartfelt Effusion at page 133, starts with a charming one-page description of the Manjari-form Aindra visualizes of him/herself, and continues into the next page with an elaborate description of his/her kunja on the northern bank of Radhakund.

On page 137 Aindra again swerves into sambhogecchatmika bhakti [sakhi bhava], saying:

"And when, in Your smiling presence, by Your incomprehensible kindness, will I ever whisper into His ear, “I love You too!” as Your enchanted, whimsical Shyama, knowing me to be Yours, passionately embraces me to His heart?"

There is more of that on page 139, which is the beginning of a rather charming series of prayers in the mode of Vilapa Kusumanjali and Sankalpa Kalpadruma.

There is more Sakhi bhava-turned manjari bhava on page 139:

"I will I find myself automatically rising to smilingly muse upon Your Shyamasundara’s distinctive love marks on my person..."

Like Gadadhar Prana before him, Aindra tried to find a fusion between sakhi bhava and manjari bhava.

On page 144 he interrupts all the lovely sweetness with some crude rasAbhAsa, telling Krishna in American slang: "“Not so fast, buster! She’s our property!"

On the following 23 pages Aindra rewrites some of the main astakaliya lilas in his own way, involving him/herself as an amorous lover of Krishna, thus following in the footsteps of pre-1996 Gadadhar-pran. On page 159, however, Aindra insists his sakhi-bhava mishrita manjari bhava does not compromise his bhavollasa rati, claiming his/her separate meetings with Krishna would cause Radha's 'absolute delight'. There is much evidence against this, I will quote just a few verses here:

ananya zrI rAdhA padakamala dAsyaika rasadhI

hareH saGge raGgam svapana samaye nA'pi dadhati
balAt Krishna kUrpAsakabhidi kim apy Acarati kA-
py udAzrur meveti pralapati mamAtma ca hasati

(VRndAvana MahimAmRta 16, 94)

The maidservants, that are exclusively devoted to the service of Sri Radha's lotus feet, that are like an ocean of nectar, do not enjoy with Sri Hari even in their dreams. When Krishna forcibly pulls at their bodices they cry out: 'No, no!', while RAdhikA watches and laughs."

rAdhA raGga lasat tad ujjvala kalA saJcAraNA prAkriyA
cAturyottaram eva sevanam ahaM govinda samprArthaye
yenAzeSa vadhU janodbhata manorAjya prapaJcAvadhau
nautsukyaM bhavad aGga saGgama rase'py Alambate man manaH

One sakhI was picking flowers for making a vana-mAlA and Krishna, seeing her, told her: "O beautiful girl! Make your birth a success by joining Me for a while in this kunja!" Hearing this, that sakhi (manjari) said: "O Govinda! I only want to serve while You make love with Sri Radha, showing Your erotic dancing arts on the stage of erotic dancing named Sri Radha!

tvayA yad upabhujyate murajid aGga saGge sukham
tad eva bahu jAnati svayam avAptitaH zuddha-dhIH
mayA kRta vilobhanApy adhika cAturi cAryayA
kadApi maNi maJjarI na kurute'bhisAra spRhaM

Sri Radhika engaged one sakhi to make Mani Manjari meet with Krishna, but that sakhI returned to Radha unsuccessfully, saying: "O Radhe! Mani Manjari finds more happiness in Your meeting with Krishna than in her own! Just see how pure her consciousness is! Although I expertly tried to tempt her to go out and meet Krishna, she never desires this!" (Ujjvala NIlamani, sakhi prakarana 89)

The language of this passage of Aindra’s book is surely very tasty. On page 167 Aindra leaves the nitya lila format and continues with the prakat lila, wherein Akrura comes to take Krishna away to Mathura. He creates a strange juxtaposition in page 168, where he claims he will be able to console Radha at that time on the strength of many lifetimes of transcendental book distribution and other practises. He continues his description of sudoor pravaas for 5 pages, also in a relishable way.

On page 173, the fourth heartfelt effusion starts, where Aindra plunges into Gaura lila. He writes:

"When will Your magnificent Gosvamis of Vrindavana, headed by Shri Rupa, leniently bestow upon this fallen derelict the priceless treasure of loving service to Your prema-nama-sankirtana-lilas in the Nitya-navadvipa sector of Goloka-dhama?"

Problem is only that none of the 6 Goswamis ever mentioned a Nitya-navadvipa sector of Goloka-dhama.

On page 179, Aindra makes the good point that the books [and hence book distribution too] only are meant to induce harinama sankirtana. He then writes a charming essay of how all devotional services are meant to support harinam sankirtan, and in page 192 he admits that book distribution, unlike harinama sankirtan, is not eternal.

On page 197 Aindra compares japa with the intimate Rasa lilas and nagara sankirtan with the less intimate Rasa lilas. A strange claim, especially considering the fact that most Vaishnavas walk all over the market places with their japa malas in their hands - it is as public as harinama sankirtana.

p. 203: "Transcendental book distribution can be compared to a sakhi’s campaign to enlist new girls to become dedicated followers of Maha-bhava-svarupini, Shri Radhika. Certainly, no book distributor in the line of Rupa Gosvami would be caught dead canvassing on behalf of Candravali! Raga Manjari is perhaps the Lord’s best and most reliable messenger, having opted to become His vamshi flute. Knowing the purposes of her svamini’s inner heart, Raga Manjari serves, in the form of the flute, to mercifully break the resolve of Radha’s mana, or jealous pouting, forcefully facilitating the fruition of her mistress’s deepest desires to intimately satisfy Her beloved Shyama...."

p. 204 "The mercifully extended flute-call (book distribution) magnetically allures the vraja-sundaris (fortunate souls) away from their so-called husbands (all superficially binding mundane considerations) to excitedly dash off to join the rasa dance festivities (hari-nama-sankirtana)."

The appendix has Aindra's word for word hare krishna mantra explanation, which starts off right away with some fall-vada, in the first word:

HARE: "O Radhe! Mistakenly leaving aside the shelter of Your soft lotus feet, I have come to this world to suffer unbearable material pangs and continuously offend You. Please forgive me."

Then for Rama he puts him/herself again in sambhogecchatmika sakhibhava dressed as manjari bhava: O debauchee number one! Don’t touch the delicacies! Do You think we are up for grabs? Don’t think we can be gotten so easily."

Rama: “O You nonsense! Let go of my sari! Get back! Stop grabbing me!”

This was a review of the e-copy of the book, I do not have a hard copy but have been told by owners of the book that the differences between the two are negligable. If anything has been overlooked or misjudged, please add it to the comments pages.

Edited March 24, 2011

Shiva Ratri 2011

2011-03-03T05:34:00.003+01:00

After finding evidence in Brihad Bhagavatamrita about Shiva being white in complexion, I found now also this beautiful verse in the Bhagavat itself - 3.14.25 (in some editions verse 24)

zmazAna-cakrAnila-dhUli-dhUmra-
vikIrNa-vidyota-jaTA-kalApaH
bhasmAvaguNThAmala-rukma-deho
devas tribhiH pazyati devaras te

"With His glittering mass of matted hair thrown into disorder and soiled by the dust raised by whirlwinds sweeping the crematorium, and His immaculate golden body covered with a coat of ashes, your (Diti's) brother in law Shiva, is watching with His three eyes."

Srila Shridhara Swami comments: sa devas tribhiH somArkAgni-netraiH pazyatIty asyottara-zloka-traye`py anuSaGgaH

"That god sees all the three worlds too with His three eyes, that are the moon, the sun and fire."

Two verses further another jewel-like verse:

yasyAnavadyAcaritaM manISiNo
gRNanty avidyA-paTalaM bibhitsavaH |
nirasta-sAmyAtizayo`pi yat svayaM
pizAca-caryAm acarad gatiH satAm ||

"Those wise men who are keen to pierce the veil of ignorance recount His immaculate activities. Although no one is equal to Him, much less greater, and He is the goal of the saints, He behaves like a fiend."

How does He behave like a fiend? Visvanatha Cakravarti explains:

nanu tasyApi dig-ambaratayA sadaiva striyA saha mithunIbhUya tiSThataz citAbhasmAsthi-bhUSaNasya sarvaM sac-caritam ahaM jAnAmIti

'Though He always runs around naked, is constantly in intercourse with His wife and adorns His person with ashes and bones from the funeral pyre, I know that all this is actually good behaviour (for Him)."

Sri Shivastakam

Translated by Advaita Das for Shiva-ratri 2011

Prabhum prANanAtham vibhum vishvanAtham
jagannAtha nAtham sadAnanda-bhAjam
Bhavad bhavya bhUteshvaram bhUta-nAtham
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 1

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, the Lord, the Lord of my heart, the all-pervading, the Lord of the universe, the Lord of Jagannath, the vessel of eternal bliss, the Lord of past, present and future (bhavad-bhavya-bhuta) and the Lord of the ghosts (bhUta-nAtha).

Gale ruNDa mAlam tanau sarpa-jAlam
mahA kAlakAlam ganeshAdhipAlam
JaTAjuTa bhangottarangair vishAlam
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 2

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who wears a garland of skulls around His neck, around whose body snakes slither, who is the destroyer of the universe (mahAkAla) and time personified (kAla), the maintainer of Ganesh, and whose matted locks break the strong and huge current (of the Ganga).

MudAm Akaram maNDanam maNDayantam
mahA-maNDala bhasma-bhUshA dharantam
anAdiM hyapAram mahA-moha-hAram
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 3

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who is the source (Akara) of bliss (mudA), who is adorned by ornaments as well as with ashes (bhasma-bhusha), who is the lord of the three mandalas – Surya, Soma and Agni, who is beginningless and endless and who wears a great captivating necklace.

baTAdho nivAsam mahATTATTa-hAsam
mahA-pApa-nAsham sadA suprakAsham
GirIsham ganesham suresham mahesham
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 4

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who lives under a Banyan tree (baTAdho nivAsa), who laughs loudly and madly (atta-hAsa), who is the great destroyer of sin, who is always nicely manifest (su-prakAsh), who is the Lord of the Himalaya (gireesh), of all people (ganesh) of the devatas (suresh) and the great Lord of all (Mahesh).

GirindrAtmajA sangrihItArdha-deham
girau saMsthitaM sarvadA sannageham
Para-brahma brahmAdibhir vandhyamAnam
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 5

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who accepted the daughter of the mountain (GirindrAtmajA, Parvati) as His better half (ardha-deha), who lives on the mountain (girau), who is always (sarvadA) the shelter (geha) of the depressed (sanna), who is the Supreme Brahman and who is eulogized by Brahma and others.

KapAlam trishUlam karAbhyam dadhAnam
padAmbhoja namrAya kAmaM dadAnam
Balivarda-yAnam surANAM pradhAnam
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 6

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who holds a skull (kapAla) and trident (tri-shula) in His hands, who fulfils the desires of he who bows down (namrAya) to His lotusfeet (padAmbhoja), who travels on a bull (balivarda) and is the chief of the gods.

Sharaccandra gAtram guNAnanda pAtram
tri-netram pavitraM dhaneshasya mitram
aparNAkalatram charitram vichitram
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 7

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, whose body (gAtra) shines like the autumn moon (sharaccandra), who is the vessel (pAtra) of great bliss (gunananda), who has three eyes (tri-netram), who is sacred (pavitram), who is the friend of Kuvera (dhanesasya mitram), whose wife (kalatra) is Parvati (AparNA) and whose character (caritra) is amazing (vicitra).

Haram sarpa-hAram chitA-bhU-vihAram
bhavam veda sAram sadA nirvikAram
SmashAne vadantam manojam dahantam
shivam shankaram shambhum IshAnam IDe 8

I praise (Ide) Shiva Shankar Shambhu, Ishan, who is the universal destroyer (hara), who wears a garland of snakes (sarpa-hAra), who is primordial nature (bhava), the essence of the Veda (veda-sAram) who is always free from transformations (sadA nirvikAra), who revels in crematoriums (smashAne and citA-bhU vihAre), and who burned Cupid to a crisp (manojam dahantam).

Stavam yah prabhAte narah shUla-pANe
paThet sarvada bharga-bhAvAnurakta
Sa-putram dhanam dhAnya mitram kalatram
vichitrai samAsAdya mokSam prayAti 9

Any person who recites this jewel-like stotram to the bearer of the trident in the morning, always attached to Lord Shiva (bharga) with feeling (bhAva), will attain liberation along with his wife, son, wealth, friends and grains.

Aindra's book, part 2

2011-02-27T16:39:00.007+01:00

Reminder: This is a review of the e-copy of Aindra Das book. If anyone notices that the final printed copy does not contain some or any of the upcoming quotes, or reversely, that there may be important things left out in the e-copy, please let me know.

On pages 62-63 Aindra writes,

"Having become “fixed-up” and satisfied on the brahminical platform of goodness (sthitam sattve prasidati), one becomes freed from the major lot of gross material distractions. At this point one may gradually focus and absorb one’s mind and heart (from smarana, dharana, dhyana, anusmriti, to samadhi) in the remembrance of one’s given vraja-svarupa while cultivating the mental service of Radha-Krishna’s eightfold daily pastimes (asta-kaliya-lila-manasa-seva)."

Brahminhood and the mode of goodness, however, have nothing to do with astakal lila adhikara, though surely purity is required for the practise of lila smaranam. It is surely nice he speaks about a given svarupa here.

More on page 63:

"After the attainment of svarupa-siddhi, a siddha-bhakta anxiously cries to be reinstated in his or her original constitutional relationship (vastu-siddhi) with the Lord."

How can one cry for perfection when one is already perfect (siddha bhakta), and then even for 'reinstatement' as if we have been in the spiritual world before? And where does the word vastu siddhi appear in the acaryas' books?

Page 72 - "Do not bother yourself to become too much infatuated with Krishna. Rather, act in such a way that Lord Krishna may become ever more infatuated with you."

I have heard this siddhanta in many Iskcon lectures but somehow have never found it in shastra. I can not see any difference between one and the other. How can one not get infatuated with Krishna unless one is a walking refrigerator? And why would one act in a way to infatuate Krishna unless one is already infatuated with Him and thus eager to experience His presence?

Also on page 72:
"Just as there are left-wing (vama) and right-wing (daksina) yutheshvari-gopis and sakhis with many varieties of devotional dispositions, so also there are many varieties of left- and right-wing manjaris. Rati Manjari is daksina-mridvi by nature, right wing and very soft and sweet. As evidenced in Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s Vilapa-kusumanjali, Rati Manjari, from her right-wing vantage point, stands as perhaps the greatest exemplar of the mood of belonging to her yutheshvari, Shri Radhika. “I am Yours! I am Yours! I cannot live without You! O queen, please understand this and bring me to Your lotus feet.”

This is not in any shastra either – it would mean that so-called 'left wing manjaris' would say "Radhe! You are mine You are mine" (which is the madiyata bhava of vama nayikas)? The madiyata- (‘you are mine!’) and tadiyata- (‘I am yours’) parties are the sakhis, who have a certain attitude towards Krishna, not the manjaris, who have the bhavollasa rati (preference for the devotee over the Lord) towards Smt. Radharani.

Aindra:
"The famous Shri Ananga Manjari is also vama-madhya in temperament."

Aindra gives no source reference to this. About Ananga Manjari: In Radha-Krishna Ganoddesh deepika [1.96-97] Sri Rupa Goswami lists Ananga Manjari among the vara-sakhis; they are like the asta-sakhi [etad aSTaka kalpabhih], they are nayikas and are 12 years old. Rupa Goswami only lists manjaris at the end of Radha-Krishna Ganoddesh deepika, not including Ananga Manjari. This would indicate that the manjaris have another, non-sambhoga, relationship with Krishna than the, also 12-year old, vara sakhis. The vara-sakhi class could indicate that [some] manjaris, or 12-year olds, do have vilasa with Krishna and that manjaris need not always be fully celibate, and some verses in Govinda Lilamrita and Krishna Bhavanamrita seem to support that too, but the manjari-tattva of the majority of Gaudiya Vaishnavas, that ‘manjari’ means bud and is therefore not enjoyable by the bee, and the manjaris do not enjoy with Krishna, period, is far more relishable, and that is also clearly expressed in Vilapa Kusumanjali’s verse 16, which is pivotal to that rasa siddhanta and indeed to the entire Vilapa Kusumanjali.

On p.73, Aindra says:

"He (Krishna) often finds Himself futilely begging at the feet of Radha’s relentless left-wing manjari maidservants who derisively keep Him at bay, playfully enhancing the effectiveness of the vipralambha-rasa...."

Here Aindra promotes his own brand of manjari bhava-shaped sakhi bhava. Manjaris do not reject Krishna out of vAmya but out of loyalty to Radha alone. A study of Manjari Swarupa Nirupana could have helped him perhaps.

p. 78-9: "Greed-induced multi-aspected absorption in ananda-maya-vraja-bhakti-bhajana, both internal and external, could never in its real light be discerned by a deepest intellect to be a selfish or self-centered affair. It should never be confounded with the egoistical approach of the Himalayan forest-dwelling liberationist referred to by Prahlada in his prayers to Lord Nrisimhadeva, as recounted in Shrimad-Bhagavatam. If it were, it could hardly be accepted as vraja-bhakti, because by definition, at its very core, the exclusively selfless, self-giving service attitude...."

I am glad that Aindra independently had the same realization as I had on this issue. The Bhagavata verse 7.9.44 does not condemn raganuga bhajananandis at all, nor does it even mention them, though the verse is sometimes used to condemn raganuga devotees as selfish. It speaks simply of yogis and jnanis meditating in the Himalaya.

Aindra continues on p.79:
"Lalasamayi, the intense desire for being reinstated in one’s eternal, constitutional, perfect spiritual body (siddha-deha) as an eternal resident of Vraja, should in no way be presupposed by anyone to be any sort of gross or subtle material or spiritual sense gratification."

This too I applaud (though ‘reinstated’ and ‘constitutional siddha deha’ are again beyond the parameters of Vaishnava theology).

On pages 80-81 Aindra reconciles the bhajananandi and gosthyanandi (a division which was never made by the Goswamis anyway) by saying :

"The incomparable, unswerving life of concentrated bhajana fortitude exemplified by the Gosvamis and their followers in and of itself stands ever monumental in the hearts of the anuragi Vaishnavas and perennially serves as a pre-eminent paragon for the world at large,......"

He repeats this reconciliation on page 85 too, where he calls denouncement of either bhajananandi or gosthyanandi

'perverse, lopsided religio-institutional bias, immature subjective superstition."

This is surely to be applauded.

On p.84 Aindra pleads further for the bhajananandis in a charming way, saying that

"all the trees, creepers, insects, lizards, rodents, birds, and other creatures within or around our shuddha-nama bhajananandi’s bhajana-kutira – how many souls would be residing within his very body?", and:

"Any sound vibration produced anywhere on this planet is believed to encircle the Earth seven times before dissolution. This makes it possible for his chanting to purify the ethereal atmosphere of the whole world. The result would be all the more powerful if he would be living in Vrindavana, where the purificatory benefits mount a thousand fold. No man is an island."

p.86: "Some less-than-philosophically-astute individuals attempt to purposefully popularize as institutional dogma a fallacious understanding that by externally serving Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement in vaidhi bhakti alone one will automatically pop up somehow or other in vraja-lila after the end of the present life – an unverifiable post-dated check."

Bravo again. I would give the following example - if you go out on book distribution and just stand on the street like a tree, how many books will you sell? You have to go and approach people, do something, then you will get the result. Similarly, just lazily and passively thinking "Oh, siddha deha will be revealed if I just submissively do my service" will not do the job. That has been proven also in the growing history of western Vaishnavism,.

To be continued.............

Edited February 28, 2011

Aindra's book, part 1

2011-02-17T05:49:00.007+01:00

Much has been made of the charismatic Iskcon-kirtaniya Aindra Das (Edwin Striker, 1953-2010), who passed away suddenly due to an accident last summer, and his long-awaited book, 'The Heart of Transcendental Book distribution'. I downloaded a copy of the book from the internet, I do not know if the hardcopy has the same page numbering, this is a review of the pdf. The language is pompous and the overall mood is rather overbearing - oversophisticated language in extremely long sentences makes the book quasi- elite and unreadable. There is also a poignant lack of scriptural quotations, which makes the book seem really Aindra's own mental product rather than a genuine representation of eternal Vaishnava siddhanta.

He clearly still believed in envy-vada, as he writes on page 5:

"It would be inappropriate to acquaint people who have yet to be divested of their long-standing envy of the Lord with Radha-Krishna’s most intimate lilas without first philosophically establishing them in the principles of prema-dharma."

He strikes a more realistic note on page 10-

"My dear Shri Shri Radhe-Shyama! What is the use of having innumerable hands, each distributing transcendental literatures by the billions and trillions, if as an outcome of it all, not even one soul becomes Your fully self-realized, pure, unalloyed kevala-madhurya-premika devotee? What a perfidy if, by broadcasting countless volumes and volumes of transcendental scriptures, not even one thoughtful book distributor could fortunately gain the essential penetrating insight to deeply discover the esoteric truths behind the black (Krishna) letters on all those white (Radha) pages!"

The conclusion of all this is optimistic and positive, though-

"My dearmost beloved Lordships Shri Shri Radhe-Shyama! If, however, as a result of all such laborious efforts even just one fortunate soul could somehow or other by Your unbounded special causeless mercy finally, even if after billions and trillions of lifetimes of devotional struggle, attain that most cherished goal of life, then by all means, please let there be thousands and millions of “brihat-mridanga” printing presses, each producing millions and billions of transcendental literatures describing Your unlimited names, forms, qualities, and madhurya-lilas in the sweetest of all sweetest lands, Shri Vrindavana-dhama."

This a nice one on page 13-

"Let thousands and millions of externally oriented prakrita-bhaktas fill the atmosphere with endless streams of prajalpa, faultfinding, backbiting, and fratricidal bickering, on top of all the petty institutional and interinstitutional wrangling and war – what do we care for it?"

On the same page Aindra starts with some pretty sordid politics, speaking about rubberstamped Gurus, their pompous pedestals and their proximity to female disciples. Yawn.....even he..... One wonders how much taste a 'rasik bhakta' must have before he can give up such petty sordid gossip. Some of the language about his bureaucratic Godbrothers is so strong one wonders whether this is boldness or outright Vaishnava aparadha? He goes on page after page saying he does not care about rubberstamped bureaucrats, grihamedhis and showbottle bhajananandis, making one wonder that if he really does not care, why does he waste so much time writing that he does not care instead of relishing Radha-Krishna astakal lila and harinama. Life is short, as he has experienced himself. Ironically, he stresses the need to focus, focus and refocus [on page 19] - the question, after all these pages, is, focus on what?

Finally, on page 21, Aindra gets more positive-

"We should understand that the sight of others’ misdemeanors and various other calamities are shown to us by Krishna for the purpose of dynamically educing our own pure devotional qualities, to enhance our devotional adhikara."

And on page 23 he gets even charming, telling a story of how a boy attracts a girl's attention first through nasty pranks and later through love-letters etc, making the point that Krishna just wants our attention and this may start in a negative way, but has a positive purpose.

Like Jagadananda, Aindra also has his own ideas about kanistha-, madhyama- and uttama-adhikari, which may or may not have been the intention of Sukadeva and Vyasa.

On page 29 Aindra expresses an interesting stri-tattva:

"He (the elevated Vaishnava) will therefore allow the sight of the illusory womanly form within this world, which faintly resembles the radiance of spiritual muliebrity (not found in my dictionary), to prompt within himself an internal recollection of the supreme root of all minor expanded varieties of femininity. This original feature of all transcendental womanhood is none other than Shri Radha, who mothers not the material existence of repeated birth and death but rather spiritual birth into eternal loving devotion. A subordinate king’s attitude toward the emperor’s envoy conspicuously reflects his general attitude toward the emperor. As a well-wishing emissary coming on behalf of the emperor’s government to examine the condition of a subordinate is to be properly honored, so similarly any expanded form of femininity should be honored as a representative of Radha.........Externally maintaining a respectful distance from Radha’s messenger (duti) so as not to commit offense, while humbly considering himself to be unqualified to directly associate with her as long as he remains in the sadhaka-deha, he will simply pray from within that she mercifully inform her Svamini (Radha) about his pure devotional intents."

This is actually sahajiyaism, as sahajiyas try to compare mundane gender with spiritual gender. In other words, gopis are gopis and mundane women are mundane women.

Aindra hits out at the eggheads, on page 33:

"Furthermore, one may unfortunately entertain an immodest impression of one’s “superiority” over others who are less materially qualified, thus gobbling up heaps and piles of temporary hog-stool-like false prestige on the basis of accumulated collegial upadhis. One must sagaciously avoid the snobbish, over-intelligent, grossly idiotic notion that such slaughterhouse academia is in any way a prerequisite for high-grade devotional eligibility, competency, or potential, or to any degree indicative of such. When has such a conceited, specious idea ever been taught by an acarya or upheld by shastra? How highly educated was Valmiki? Were Hanuman, Sugriva, Jambavan, or Jatayu college graduates? How doctorately decorated were Mrigari, the hunter; Dhruva; Prahlada; or even their guru, Narada, in his previous life as the son of a maidservant? How sophisticated or cultured was the prostitute who, by the grace of Haridasa Thakura, converted to Vaisnavism and chanted no less than three lakhs of hari-nama daily? What about Haridasa Thakura himself? How literate was the celebrated South Indian brahmana whom Lord Gauranga embraced, eulogizing him as having truly understood the essence of the Gita? How boastfully bookish was Srila Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji Maharaja? How many pointed examples are required to illustrate the principle? Besides, we should simply ask – Is the world over not teeming with college graduates and professionals who profess avowed atheism or agnosticism?"

(Bravo, Aindra!)

On page 39 Aindra calls bhAvollAsa rati "the immaculate, spontaneous selfless loving service moods", but that has nothing to do with bhavollasa, which simply means a greater love for a devotee than for the Lord. One wonders if Aindra really splashes around fancy words to pose as an advanced devotee, and if he has always perfectly understood siddhanta really.

I do appreciate, and support, his staunch opposition to organized religion, but at the same time he was himself also comfortably living off a corrupt bureaucratic institution.
At least Aindra, unlike most of his fellows, understood (on page 48) that one must first understand siddhanta before one starts preaching, though I wonder how much benefit people will have from the verbal constructions he himself produces in this book.

He tackles another troublesome misconception on page 54:

"We must acknowledge that although solitary bhajana and sankirtana appear to be divergently constituted, the objective of both ways of worship is one – to please Krishna. It is nowhere indicated that progress in Krishna consciousness demands a unidimensional, one-sided approach to the Lord’s loving service."

In page 56 Aindra pleads for the introduction of siddha pranali as a supportive tool of one's sadhana (a very good concept), saying:

"It is insufficient simply to know by negation that “I am not ‘this’ [illusory material] body.” At a certain point, a seriously inquisitive individual must inevitably ask, “If I am not ‘this’ body, then what body am I?”

Aindra argues that even the dAsAnudAsa concept is a false upAdhi (designation). I do not fully agree with this, as Rupa Goswami has clearly said that sAdhana is simultaneously done with the external and internal body and both are considered spiritual. Anyway, after rejecting traditional Gaudiya practises like Siddha Pranali as cheap, monkey-ish etc. he says:

"Although the absolute dependency upon siddha-pranali-diksa as such for the evolvement of raganuga-sadhana is denied in the Sarasvata doctrine, timely instruction (shiksa) concerning the internally conceived siddha-deha is nevertheless essential."

After quoting (shastrik quotes are rare in this book) the necessity of harinam, Aindra writes:

"Shastric evidence such as this, however, in no way poses to preclude the sadhaka’s need to be esoterically instructed."

Acknowledging that you cannot just get svarupa siddhi by just blindly chanting hare krishna.

To be continued. Blog originally composed December 2010

Toooooo late!!!

2011-02-08T15:02:00.002+01:00

Prabhu Sitanath's annual utsava [festival of advent] has started on 6th february and today, on the Vasant Pancami [8th february] only the printed invitation has arrived here. Anyway, there is still time to attend the 24-hour harinam sankirtan in the ashram tomorrow [9th febr] and the nagar sankirtan on Sitanath's advent day [10th febr], along with the abhisekh of Madangopal Jiu, Janma lila Kirtan and Prasad of course.

Ladies of Vaikuntha

2011-02-08T12:43:00.002+01:00

Srimad Bhagavat 3.15.20 says: "The ladies of Vaikuntha do not incite lusty desires with their feminine features"
- Sri Jiva Goswami comments on this verse: rajo nAdadhuH kintu tAsAm api parama-bhaktatvAd bhakty-uddIpanam eva jAtam ity arthaH 'Even they [the women of Vaikuntha] incite devotion [not lust] due to their being the topmost devotees." Just like, if you meet a great devotee in the material world, you get bhakti. yeSAM saMsmaraNAt puMsaH - "even the remembrance of a great soul", sadya sudhyanti vai gRha - "instantly purifies your abode". So though these great souls (parama bhaktatvAt) may appear as beautiful and attractive ladies, their sight is simply purifying, not lust-inciting, for the equally great male devotees of Vaikuntha.
The prostitute that came to seduce Haridas Thakur was converted by him, after which she shaved her head, gave up her beautiful dresses and ornaments, and began to chant day and night before the Tulasi tree. This caused even the great mahantas came to come and be purified by having her darshan (divine audience). Devotee wives can very much enthuse their devotee-husbands in bhakti, because they have a heart. The Sanskrit word bhakti is female gender and the word jnana is male, not by accident - the man's ratio and the woman's heart should complement each other and create a balance. The lame supporting the blind. So here the ladies of Vaikuntha make themselves pretty for Krishna. Even in the sadhaka world, down here, often ladies, and even men, dress themselves in their best outfits when they visit the temple, to please the Lord's eyes with their looks. It is not just that we should enjoy the sight of the deity, but it should be vice versa too.

Bhakta: "Okay, women have natural bhakti because they all are gopis or think they are gopis."
Advaitadas: "Not at all. Loving Krishna has nothing to do with mundane gender at all. The Bhagavat (9.24.65) says - nAryo narAzca muditA 'Both women and men rejoice upon beholding Krishna." Is the men's attraction to Gaur-Nitai, Gopinath and Jagannath on the temple's altar a (homo) sexual one? Of course not - love of Krishna has nothing to do with mundane gender - puruSa yoSit kibA sthAvara jangam - sarva cittAkarSak (CC) "Krishna attracts everyone's heart - be they men or women." It is well possible that female sadhikas become male in the spiritual world, like gopas or so. Reversely, our Sampradaya's sadhya, manjari bhava, features a female perfected model, yet it is practised by so many male sadhakas too. Equating the sAdhaka rupa with the siddha rupa is a sahajiya practise."
A summary of this blog is added to my original 3rd Canto- blog of June 24, 2010.

Nityananda Vamsa Vistara

2011-02-01T11:37:00.003+01:00

This is a brief review of Sri Nityananda Vamsa Vistara, said to be by Vrindavan Das Thakura.
I found this booklet in one of the many makeshift book-stands at Radhakund last Kartik. This book is sometimes used to establish the legitimacy of the Nityananda Vamsa (family lineage), but actually it only describes the pastimes of the first generation after Lord Nityananda, particularly His son Viracandra. I am not sure if this booklet is actually written by Vrindavan Das Thakura because -

1] A later Gaura-theology like radha-bhava dyuti is there (Mahaprabhu being Krishna accepting the feelings and glow of Radha), something Vrindavan Das Thakura never said in Caitanya Bhagavat.
2] Vrindavan Das Thakura is an aisvarya bhakta who always compared Caitanya Mahaprabhu with Lord Narayan. Such attitude is not there at all in Nityananda Vamsa Vistara, it is all much more rasik and madhura.
3] One also wonders if Vrindavan Das Thakura, who is the earliest biographer of Mahaprabhu with his Caitanya Bhagavat, was still around when Nityananda's grandsons were born. It is estimated that Vrindavan Das Thakura passed in 1589.
4] In his Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana Haridas Das cautiously calls it Vrindavan Das Thakura Aropita - 'ascribed to Vrindavan Das Thakur'.

The booklet itself is quite charming, being largely filled with elaborate and ecstatic accounts of festivals Viracandra Prabhu held. Viracandra Prabhu is considered by the author to be a reincarnation of Mahaprabhu and his pastimes, like travelling to Vrindavan via Jharikanda, are also similar. Sadhu Baba would typically say of such reincarnations 'What is the use of the copy when one already has the original?'

The books contains some verses ascribed to the Puranas or Upapuranas which establish Nityananda Prabhu as a joint incarnation of Radha Krishna and this obviously contradicts standard Gaudiya Vaishnava theology, which says he is Balarama. Even if this is explained away as Nityananda Prabhu being nondifferent from Mahaprabhu its very unlikely that such things are described in the Puranas, and it is anyway a wrong Gaura-tattva because Gaur is Krishna, not Radha-Krishna.

One should surely not throw away the baby with the bathing water though - the book contains very tasty and ecstatic devotional narrations for sure. The book has 3 parts, Adi-, Madhya-, and Antya-lila, and 10 chapters, which contains the following:

Chapter 1 describes how Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda to marry, how Nityananda went to Bengal to do sankirtan, and how He came to Ambika to meet Suryadas Pandit and marry his daughters Vasudha and Jahnava. Chapter two describes how Viracandra appeared in the womb of Vasudha, how Abhirama Thakur came and tested Viracandra [by offering obeisances he had killed Nityananda's preceding offspring], and how Adwaita Acarya came from Shantipura to respect the child. Chapter three describes how Mahesh nivasi Sudhamoy went to do tapasya in Puri with his wife and received a daughter, Narayani, from the ocean, how Nityananda merged into the deity of Syamasundara in Khardah and then re-emerged, how He finally merged within the deity of Bankim Deva in Ekacakra, how a festival was held in His memory, how Advaita Acarya held an abhisekh for Viracandra, how Jahnava devi showed a 6-armed form and gave
diksa to Viracandra, how Viracandra went to Puri and met Sarvabhauma and others there, how he married Narayani devi there, how he returned to Khardah and curbed the power of the Naras by creating Naris, and how his dynasty emerged. (I could not find out what or who are the Naras [spell nADA], I presume they are shaven-headed ascetics.)

The Madhya lila starts with chapter four, in which Viracandra's second marriage took place, Jahnava Devi went to Vrindavan and Gopijana Ballabh Prabhu showed his prowess on a chariot and created an abode of vines. Chapter Five describes how Jahnava Devi went to Ekacakra and stayed at Kundali Tala, had darshan of Bankim Deva and gave diksa to Viracandra's eldest son Gopijana Ballabh. It also describes her journey to Vrindavan via Gaya, Kashi and Prayaga, and how she merged with the Gopinath deity. Chapter six explains the tattva of Nityananda and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chapter seven describes how Viracandra travelled to East Bengal and gave Harinam to the Muslims with the aid of the Naras and how he showed an 8-armed form to the local Nawab, thus bestowing his mercy on him. Chapter eight describes how Viracandra wandered up north, how he went to Maldah, and how he established a Sripat there on the pretext of bestowing mercy on Durllabh Chatri.

The Antya Lila starts with chapter nine, where Viracandra wandered through the Radha-desh and had darshan of Kundali tala and Bankim Deva, how he instructed Gati Govinda on Krishna, met Srinivasacarya and bestowed his mercy on King Birhambir. Finally chapter ten describes how Viracandra went to Kashi via Jharikanda and then went to Vrindavan via Prayaga, instructing Jiva Goswami there on bhakti-tattva. At the end there are very rasik descriptions of Sri Radhakund and pastimes that Krishna performed there with Ananga Manjari, which is really lightyears away from the formal Narayan- Mahaprabhu Vrindavan Das eulogized in his Caitanya Bhagavat. This booklet is, to my knowledge, not yet translated into English.

Blog originally drafted in December 2010.

Sadhu Baba's Ashram 2011

2011-01-22T14:05:00.012+01:00

Entering the beautiful and sylvan Pracheen Mayapur, the abode of Sadhu Baba.

Newly built Nat Mandir in front of Madangopal's Sri Mandir, to protect the kirtaniyas from the elements.

Gopeshwar Mahadeva, Sadhu Baba's Shiva Mandir under the Bael tree, freshly painted.

Newly erected Mandir to commemorate where Sadhu Baba enlightened us with His sermons, under the Bael Tree, a tree sacred to Shiva worshipers.

Back side of Sadhu Baba's Ashram

Sadhu Baba ashram's humble goshalla

Sadhu Baba's Samadhi Mandir

Tapo Broto Mohanta, senior Disciple of Sadhu Baba.
Many thanks to Indurekha Dasi for making the trip and making the high resolution photos.

Going west, Radha's elephant, playful beasts of prey and Krishna Bhava Tadatmya

2011-01-18T14:32:00.003+01:00

Bhakta: "Is it not said that the further west one goes the more degraded things get?"

Advaitadas: "No that is nonsense. The writers of shastra either did not know of regions outside of India or they did not care. You must be referring to Adi Lila 10.89 of Caitanya Caritamrita: pascimer lok sab mudha anacara ['western people are all fools who are impure'] which refers to residents of Western India. Look at the context of this statement: - anupama ballabha sri rupa sanatana; ei tin shakha vriksera pascime gaman (verse 10.84) matri icchay dui shakha bahut badhilo. badhiya pascim desh sob acchadilo (verse 86) asi sindhu nadi tira ar himaloy; vrindavan mathuradi joto tirtha hoy (verse 87) - "Anupam and Ballabh, and Sri Rupa-Sanatana, these three branches, went to the west. By the (Gaur-) gardener's wish these branches grew, so that they covered all of the west. The Caitanya-tree reached the bank of the Sindhu-river (the far-west, now in Pakistan) and the Himalaya, as well as all the holy places in Vrindavan and Mathura."

It is clear that 'the west' here means western India, not Europe or America. Not that I consider the western hemisphere culturally superior to the east....."

Bhakta: "I heard that Radha has a pet elephant."

Advaitadas : "I have not seen this in any shastra. The Vrajabasis do not even ride horses. Horses and elephants are used in Dwarka and Mathura but not in Vraj. In fact Radha and Krishna walk all over Braja day and night, very long distances, in order to meet each other. That is the madhurya of naralila [human pastimes]."

Bhakta: "I was reading in the Garga Samhita that in Vraja the fawns play with the tiger cubs, the does play with the eagles and the snakes play with the mongoose. There is no enmity, no hunger and no envy. Is this true?"

Advaitadas: "Yes this is true. Though I doubt the validity of Garga Samhita we should not throw the baby away with the bathing water. It is confirmed in Srimad Bhagavat 10.13.60, which is quoted in the story of Mahaprabhu making the wild animals dance and embrace each other in the Jharikhanda forest - "Vrindavan is the transcendental abode of the Lord, where there is no hunger anger or thirst. Though naturally inimical, both human beings and fierce animals live together in transcendental friendship."

There can be no hatred and no bloodshed in the spiritual world. Yet, to preserve a human atmosphere, there may be fear of tigers or lions. For example, in Padyavali a verse is quoted which says that Krishna roars like a lion from within the kunja, where He enjoys with Radha, to scare away unauthorized cowherdboys who come too close. Like domestic dogs that bark but are not allowed to bite."

Bhakta: "We know about bhava tadatmya of the kinkaris, in which their feelings become one with Radhika's feelings. Is such a thing also possible with Krishna?"

Advaitadas: "Not without becoming a complete advaitavadi or sahajiya - Radha is asray tattva [the enjoyed, the servant] and Krishna is bishay tattva [the enjoyer, the served]. bhava tadatmya with Krishna would mean one would assume the position of enjoyer or bishoy tattva, whereas our theology says 'jivera svarupa hoy krishner nitya das' - the innate position of the soul is to be the eternal servant of Krishna."

Bhakta: "But then at least the cowherd boys should have some bhAva-tAdAtmya with Krishna?"

Advaitadas: "Why? Because they are the same gender as Krishna? No - whether boy or girl, everyone tries to please Krishna only as the ashray tattva. Though it is true that the gopas share Krishna's love for sporting, frolicking and fighting, they do so with the intention to please Krishna with their service while Krishna's spirit is one of enjoyment." ekala isvara krishna - aro sobai bhritya - There is only one Lord and that is Krishna. Everyone else is His servant."

My You-tube channel

2011-01-08T14:53:00.002+01:00

25 videos uploaded to my Youtube channel - including my Govardhan Parikrama of November 2010, Kunja Bhanga lila kirtans recorded at Radhakund in Kartik 2010, Sudevi's Goshalla in 2007, and some of my favorite other youtube clips. I hope to upload more kirtans there later.

Kamadeva trivia

2011-01-06T15:10:00.002+01:00

Kamadeva

Kamadeva's (Cupid's) bow is made of sugarcane - that is why brahmacaries are not allowed to eat too many sweets. This is the cause of sugar according to the Puranas.
Kamadeva's bowstring is made of honeybees. Kamadeva's consort Rati carries a disc and a lotus in her hands, and her arms are compared with the stalks of that lotus.
Goddess Vasanta [spring] also accompanies Kamadeva, but unlike Rati, whose very essence is desire, Vasanta emerges from a sigh of frustration.
In Hindu traditions for the marriage ceremony itself, the bride's feet are often painted with pictures of Suka, the parrot vahana [vehicle] of Kamadeva.
Kamadeva's companions are a cuckoo, a parrot, humming bees, the season of spring, and the gentle breeze. All of these are symbols of the spring season, when his festival is celebrated as Holi, Holika or Vasanta.
Visvanatha Cakravarti comments on Srimad Bhagavat 10.55.2 that Kamadeva is actually Pradyumna but when he was conceived in the womb of Rukmini, the mundane Cupid entered into him as Drona entered into Nanda Maharaja and Dhara into mother Yashoda.

Blog originally composed in summer 2010

Quotes from Gopal Campu

2010-12-24T16:24:00.003+01:00

These are some interesting things I read in Sri Jiva Goswami's Gopal Campu:

Gopal campu 20.2 (the story of Varuna's agents abducting Nanda Maharaja)–

esa nivasa-visesas ca tasya jala-stambha-vidyalambhitara-bhavan svata eva bhasvan bhasvat-kanya-hrada-stha-vivarasyadhah-pradese sadesa eva rasa-vivara-dese nivesam asidati

"Varuna has a certain mystic power [vidya] with which he manages to block water [jala-stambha] out of his abode, which is a hole underground under the Yamuna."

Hence pictures that depict Krishna visiting Varuna under water are not correct.

Gopal campu 20.29:

cacala ca sa tabhyam saha yavad-vivarabhyasam | agamya ca tad-abhyasam tad-vartma-bhaga-sthita-niram vibhagam agamayya

"Varuna accompanied Krishna and Nanda Maharaj till the gate of the cave in which he dwelled and there made a cleavage in the water so that they could easily return to the surface of the Yamuna."

A piece of adhyAtmika vAda in Gopal campu 21.20 -

dama-sudama-vasudama-kinkini-samjnas tasya prajnahankara-citta-manasam bahih-prakasataya

"Dama, Sudama, Vasudama, and Kinkini - these boys are external manifestations of Krishna's wisdom, ego, consciousness and mind."

Gopal campu 33.104 -

atha mathuram eva ramena saha sahacara-yadu-kumara-vrtah pratigatya patyabhavavatah purusa mleccatas tan mleccha-yodhan nidhanam eva rodhayamanas tad-amana-dhanani nija-rajadhaniti dvarakam harayann api mleccha-paricchadataya manasi nacchatam mamsyase

"After killing them, Krishna will take the unlimited booty of Mlecchas like Kalayavan to Dwarka but will not consider it pure since it was used by the mlecchas."

This proves that money from mlecchas is untouchable. It is not that Hindus can enjoy the money and women of mlecchas (western devotees) and not accept their devotional service, as often happens in Indian Sadhu communities. Either one is totally untouchable or totally acceptable.

Gopal campu 33.253 -

tad idam guptam api krtam adi-varaha-nama bhagavan api sva-purane saksitaya laksayatiti sarvathatra nanyatha mantavyam | yatha— dyuta-krida bhagavata krta gopa-janaih saha | panavahara-rupena jita gopyo dhanani ca | gopair aniya tatraiva krsnaya viniveditah || iti |

“Though this subject is concealed, Varaha in his Purana reveals this. You should not consider this false at all. In the Varaha Purana it is said that Krishna won the gopis, along with wealth, in a dice game from the gopas. Brought by the cowherds they were offered to Krishna.”

I am curious what the rest of the Varaha Purana text would say about this.

Girriraj and the following darkness

2010-12-16T02:39:00.004+01:00

11 December 2010 - Giriraja parikrama on foot, the first one in 6 years time. I thought I was too old to do it but I managed to complete it. Imagine I was crippled only two years ago (see my blogs of September-November 2008), and even 8 months ago I was still undergoing therapy, and yet now I walk 23 km. [14 miles] in one stretch! It is clearly Girraj's mercy. Despite all property development around Girraj the parikrama on foot is still a magical experience. The inner path is still vintage, pristine Giriraj, with so much shanti. It was non-different from the many beautiful parikramas I performed in 1985 and 1987. I must confess I took some artificial aid to complete the parikrama - 1 loperamide in the beginning to secure the stomach (to prevent having to do big toilet on the way), and halfway, at Pucchari Ka Lota, a cup of tea to give me strength for the second half. This was also the end of my 2010 Radhakund-trip, which was my best trip to India for at least 7 years, in very sharp contrast with the previous trip in 2008, which was one of the worst ones. Now back in Holland - it is said in shastra that after seeing light, the following darkness is all the more deep. How true it is. Though the weather was fine when I returned, the emptiness of missing Braja is almost too much to bear this time. My special thanks for this trip go to HH Mahanidhi Swami, Jahnava Didi, HG Ananda Hari Das, HG Bhaktipada Das, Madhavanand [Delhi-walla], Indurekha Didi and Jayadevi.

Back in Holland I will write reviews on Manjari Dasi's booklet 'Vaishnava Sadacara' and Aindra Das' book 'The heart of book distribution'. The latter one will take time to write.

Visvanatha's nama-tattva, part 2

2010-12-06T06:19:00.004+01:00

Among the ten offenses, the very strong effects of interpreting the name, thinking its glories are exaggeration and equating it to pious acts—are obstacles to being a Vaisnava. Among the other offenses two are very strong—offending the devotees and committing sin on the strength of chanting. Those two are particularly described in a frightening way.

yatah khyatim yatam katham u sahate tad vigarham

How can the name tolerate criticism of those who spread the name? (Padma Purana)

namno balad yasya hi papabuddhir na vidyate tasya yamair hi suddhih

For a person who commits sin on the strength of chanting there is no purification by the servants of Yama. (Padma Purana)

There is no other means of destroying the effects of these two offenses than to continually chant the name while suffering appropriately for the offense. The effects of the other offenses will be destroyed simply by continual chanting (without the suffering).
Some people make the following proposition: "Those offenders of the name who are without karma and jnana, and who practice bhakti with hearing and chanting but have not taken initiation because they have not surrendered to the feet of a guru are still called Vaisnavas. The word vaisnava is defined as 'the person who takes Visnu as his object of worship' according to Panini's sutras 4.2.24 and 4.3.95. Thus Vaisnavas are those who have made Visnu the object of worhip by accepting initiation but also those who make Visnu the object of worship simply by worship, since there is no other word to describe the two types of people. So the latter type of persons also should not fall to hell."
This however is not correct because one cannot attain the Lord easily without guru.

nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham
plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa utma-hA

Having attained the human body, rarely attained, but attained easily sometimes by good fortune, which is like a well-constructed boat, with the guru as the captain, pushed by the favorable wind of serving me, a person who does not cross the ocean of material existence is a killer of himself. (SB 11.20.17)
Therefore it should be explained that there is no other way of attaining the Lord than by becoming a devotee who has surrendered to the feet of a guru, who will be attained in another birth by the power of worship. "But it is seen that Ajamila, without surrendering to guru easily attained the Lord." This can be explained as follows. Those who, like cows or asses, make their senses pursue sense objects cannot know the Lord, bhakti or guru even in their dreams. But as in the case of Ajamila, they can be delivered even without guru by chanting the name in namabhasa without offense. Though it has been definitely ascertained that the Lord should be worshiped, that worship is the means of attaining him, that the guru is the person who teaches about worship, and that those who are devotees attain the Lord, it is also said:

No diksam na ca sat-kriyAm na ca purazcaryAm manag Iksate
mantro'yarn rasanA-sprg evaphalati sri-krsna-namatmakah

Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascarya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for any of these activities. It is self-sufficient. PadyavaliAs well, we have the example of Ajamila. But one who thinks, "What is the benefit of taking the trouble to accept guru'- I will attain the Lord just by chanting the name," will not attain the Lord, because of the offense of offending guru (third offense). However, in this lile or another life, if he surrenders to the feet of guru after destroying his offense, he will then attain the Lord. Some people say that persons who worship devatas should be treated like the karmis with sin and offense. Others say that Bhakti-devi places them in an even lower category because they do not have general surrender. Thus it is said:

ye py anya-devata-bhakta yajante sraddhayanvitah
te'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam

Those who are devoted to other gods and with faith worship them-they also worship me, but by the wrong method, O son of Kunti. (Bhagavad Gita 9.23)

But for those who are simply offenders there is no deliverance at all. It is said:

tan aham dvisatah kruran samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan asurlsv eva yonisu

I cast those hateful, cruel, and lowest of humans, constantly doing evil, into repeated birth and death in the wombs of demons. (Bhagavad Gita 16.19)

But some persons also say that these offenders' offenses are destroyed by mental absorption (in hatred) on the Lord since it is said

kAmAd dvesAd bhayAt snehAd yathA bhaktyesvare manah
avesya tad-agham hitvA bahavas tad-gatim gatah

Just as by vaidhi-bhakti one can attain one's spiritual goals, many persons have attained suitable forms, after absorbing their minds in the Lord out of lust, hatred, fear and family relationships filled with affection, and after giving up absorption in enmity of the Lord (in the case of hatred and fear). SB 7.1.30
This idea is represented in verses such as the following:

nAmAparadha-yuktAnAm nAmAny eva haranty agham
avisrAnti-prayuktani tAny evArtha-karAni ca

Even if in the beginning one chants the holy name with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again. (Padma Purana)

Others say that "absorption" means repeated meditation in order to be effective. Others say that there is no absolute rule when Krishna appears in the world. Thus some persons without being absorbed in the Lord, but simply by being killed by the Lord—such as Narakasura, Banasura and the troops of the Kauravas and others simply by the influence of seeing the Lord attained the Lord. This was previously mentioned in the Bhagavatam.
6.2.13 - From the moment he named his son Narayan, Ajamila performed all atonements. This was also done without any offence to the name, either previously or currently.
6.2.14 — Chanting the name of the Lord, while indicating someone else, while joking, to fill up space while chanting verses, or chanting with neglect destroys unlimited sins and desires.” That desires are uprooted by namabhasa is the exclusive opinion of Visvanath here. "Sanketya means referring to someone like a son. parihasyam iti pritigarbham eva na tu nindagarbham "Parihasya means calling jokingly but with affection, not with criticism. yathA bho vikhyAta kIrte krsna nAma drstvA tava kIrtir yato mAm noddhartum asakyas tvam iti. "Oh famous one! Your fame is like that of Krishna, since you can save me." stobham kathA gitAlApAdi pUranArtham kRtam. Stobha means to chant the name in order to provide proper meter during a discourse or a song. helanam atra helayA girir uddhRta itivad yatna-rAhityam evocyate, yathA AhAra-vihAra-nidrAdAv apy avahelayA eva yAvanti kRSNa-nAmAny ayaM gRhNAti, na tAvanty anyaH prayatnenApi gRhItaM zaknuvantIti, na tu nindAvajJAdikam, tathA sati nindAM bhagavataH zRNvan ity Ader bhagavato nindake kiM vA viSNuneti tad-avamantari veNAdAv api doSAvahatvaM "Hela means chanting with disregard, without attention, or as in 'Krishna lifted Govardhana, casually [helayA]. Others cannot utter the name with effort as much as these persons who utter the name of Krishna without effort, while eating, playing or sleeping. This chanting is also without criticism or disrespect.The Bhagavat says [10.74.40] 'Anyone who does not leave the place where he hears criticism of the Lord or His votary will fall down."Thus critcism or disrespect like that of Vena, by saying 'What is the use of Vishnu?' is filled with fault [and thus does not have effect]."This shows that the attitude of 'as long as they say Krishna, even in a hostile manner - any publicity is good publicity' does not mean that the hostile chanter is benefited in any way, perhaps only that some name and publicity is given to Krishna in non-Vedic countries. tasmAd azeSAgha-haraM vAsanA-paryanta-sarva-pApa-nAzakam - "azeSAghara-hara means not only all sins but also desires are destroyed by chanting."
6.2.15 sanketyAdibhyo'nyasya pancamasya vaivasya prabhedam Aha - patitah prAsAdAdibhyah skhalito mArgena bhagno bhagna gAtrah sandastah sarpAdibhih. tapto jvaradina. ahato dandadina. There are five circumstances mentioned here in which one is not chanting deliberately. Falling from a building, falling from the road, breaking one’s bones, being bitten by snakes, being burned, punished, etc.
6.2.49 Ajamila even attained the spiritual world Kim uta sraddhaya grhnan – ‘What to speak of chanting with faith’? Tika: "Ajamila chanted without faith, but because he was dying - what to speak of chanting with faith? He chanting while dying, what to speak of chanting while living? He chanted to indicate his son, what to speak of chanting to indicate the Lord? He was very sinful, what to speak of when a sinless person chants?"The fact that there is a clear distinction made between nAmAbhAsa and deliberate chanting (‘with faith’) in this verse with the words 'kim uta sraddhayA ghrnan' proves once more that nAmAbhAsa can never be a sAdhana. To use the terms 'clearing stage' for nAmAbhAsa clearly indicates a sadhana, an ongoing process, whereas it is in all cases described to be accidental chanting. An accident is not a stage. No acarya speaks of nAmAbhAsa as a stage of sadhana whatsoever.
6.5.11 Visvanatha's commentary: anAdi Adi-zUnyaM nijasya jIvAtmano -bandhanaM - The word anAdi in relationship to the jiva's bondage is without beginning." Here Visvanatha firmly slams the door in the face of the fall-vadis who try to squeeze an alternative meaning out of the word anAdi.
6.16.57 Vamsidhara speaks of vismritam, forgetting, as anAdyajJAna, beginningless ignorance. Some who try to defend fall-vada, do not mention this but jump to other conclusions, even using this tika of Vamsidhara along with the usual material logic.

Visvanatha's nama-tattva, part 1

2010-11-14T06:53:00.009+01:00

Arriving at the Sixth Canto, we start with the important story of Ajamila and his namabhasa.

Here is the first part of the purports of Visvanatha Cakravartipada on the story -

6.1.19 — natra bhakti bhumapyapeksaniya ityaha - sakrd api kim punar asakrt. mano'pi kim punar srotradi. tacca mano gunaragi visayasaktam kim punar gunaraga rahitam. svapne'pi kim punah saksat tavan matra dhyanenaiva cirnam......kasyaciccuddha bhaktasya daivat papanam paunah punye'pyutkhata damstroraga damsanam iva tesam akincitkaratvat kunjara saucavad aksepa visayibhavo'nucita eva -api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ityadi vacanebhyah “This purification does not even depend on the solid basis of bhakti. Even once remembering the Lord is sufficient, what to speak of many times. Even thinking by using the mind is sufficient, what to speak of hearing or uttering the name of the Lord. A mind which is materially attracted, sad guna ragi, is sufficient, what to speak of a mind devoid of material attractions. Thinking even in dreams is sufficient, what to speak of meditation. Such persons have performed all atonements. From this statement the following should also be understood. Sometimes a pure devotee, by Fate, is seen to commit sin again and again, but that is insignificant like the bites of a snake whose poison-fangs were removed, he should not be reviled as taking an elephant’s bath, and it is improper to brand him/her a visayi, as it is said in the Bhagavad Gita that api cet suduracaro – “Even if a devotee is behaving very badly he is to be considered a sadhu.”

6.1.28-29 - trin iti ajamilena krtanam anantyanam api papanam kayika-vacika-manasatvena traividhyat traya eva yamya agatah, narayana-namnas caturaksaratvac catvaro visnu-parsada agata iti jneyam. plavitena plutatvam nitena ‘Three Yamadutas came because the sins are performed with mind body and words. Four Visnudutas came because the name of Narayana had four syllables.

6.2.8 - he narayana, aya, sva-matur ankat mamankam agacchety apabhramsa-bhasayapi jagada, tadaivagha-niskrtam krtam abhud ity arthah. caturaksaram iti narayana-namna eka-dvy-aksarenapi sarva-pataka-naso bhaved iti bhavah “Even chanting an abbreviated version of the name with just one or two syllables, as "Narayan! Come from the lap of mummy to the lap of daddy!", destroys all sins.”

6.2.9-10 — The chanting of the holy name of Lord Visnu is the best process of atonement for a thief, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brAhmana, for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior, for one who kills women, the king, his father, or cows, and for all other sinful men. simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Visnu, such sinful persons attract the attention of the Supreme Lord.

Visvanatha’s long Tika -

The name of the Lord may destroy sins, but how can nAmAbhAsa be the atonement for thousands of grave sins which cannot be destroyed by thousands of twelve year vows?" Stenah means a gold thief. Chanting is the best atonement (suniskrtam), since it destroys the root of sin. A twelve year vow of atonement, though it destroys the effects of sin, cannot destroy the root of sin. That is not the only result, because from chanting the name of the Lord, the Lord's mind dwells on that person who chants (tad-visayA-matih). The Lord thinks, "This person belongs to me. 1 will always protect him." This is Sridhara SvAmi's meaning of the phrase.

The servants of Visnu said, "Hearing his name being chanted, and remembering AjAmila, the Lord ordered us to bring AjAmila, who was chanting his name." Then how much more the Lord will remember a person who chants the Lord's name with a service attitude! This is the implication. To show this to the servants of Yama, the servants of Visnu said that AjAmila's chanting at the time of death had destroyed all his sins, but actually, from the first time that AjAmila called his son Narayana—out of all the times he called, all his sins had been destroyed. The rest of the chanting after that produced bhakti. The past tense of yad vyAjahAra (he chanted) in verse 7 also indicates that from the first time he chanted the name, all sins had been destroyed. The word vivasah in that verse means "spontaneously, out of affection for his child."

"But after chanting repeatedly, he committed repeated sins such as going to the prostitute and drinking wine. In order to destroy those sins he had to chant at the end of his life, since there was again appearance of sin." This cannot be said, because it will be said later vaikuntha-nAma-grahanam azesAgha-haram: chanting the Lord's name destroys unlimited sins. (SB 6.2.16) The following verses also show that chanting releases one from the bondage of samsAra.

vartamAnam ca yat pApam yad bhUtam yad bhavisyati

tat sarvam nirdahatyAsu govindAnala-kirtanAt

All sins in the present, past and future are quickly destroyed by chanting the name of Govinda, which is like fire. Haribhakti-vilasa 11.339

yan-nAma sakrc chravanAt pukkazo'pi vimucyate samsArAt

By hearing one of your names once, even the outcaste is delivered from the material world. SB 6.16.44

naivam-vidhah purusa-kAra urukramasya

pumsAm tad-anghri-rajasAjita-sad-gunAnAm

citram vidUra-vigatah sakrdAdadita

yan-nAmadheyam adhunA sajahAti bandham

Such power is not surprising from persons who have conquered the six senses by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since even an outcaste becomes immediately free of bondage of karma by chanting the Lord's name even once. SB 5.1.35

Because there is no mention of a particular time span for the effect of nAmAbhAsa to occur, it should be understood that by the first chanting there is destruction of all sins, all desires and as well, ignorance, which is the root cause, because only then sin will not reappear in the future.

"Why then did sin not leave AjAmila after chanting the first time? How could he continue to be attached to the woman and commit sin lor so long, if all his sins had been destroyed?"

Like the karmas of the jivanmukta which remain for some time simply as impressions, AjAmila's sins which lasted till his death were like the bites of a toothless snake and did not generate results. Moreover the Lord himself will cause continuance of sin in order that other philosophies (karma-kAnda etc.) will not be completely uprooted (since no one will have any faith at all in those processes). If one were to explain the scriptural statements concerning the powers of the name to be exaggerated praise of the Lord's name, then one would be committing offense. TathArtha-vAdo hari-nAmni kalpanam: it is an offense to interpret the name or think its powers are exaggeration. (Padma PurAna)

nAmAzrayah kadAcit syAt taraty eva sa nAmalah

nAmno hi satva suhrdo hy aparAdhAt pataty adhah

One who takes shelter of the name at any time crosses material life by the name. One falls to hell from offense to the name of the Lord, who is the friend of all beings. Padma PurAna

arthavadam harer-namni sambhavayati yo narah
sa papistho manusyanam niraye patati sphutam

Those most sinful of men who interpret the name of the Lord fall to hell. KAtyAyana SamhitA, Padma PurAna

yan-nAma-kirtana-phalam vividham nizamya

na zraddadhAti manuteyad utArthavAdam

yo mAnusas tarn iha dukha-caye ksipAmi

samsAra-ghora-vividhArti nipIditAngam

That person who, even after hearing about the wonderful results of chanting the Lord's name, refuses to develop sincere faith in the name, and on the contrary, interprets the name, is hurled by me into the deep gloom of material nescience alter being dragged through excruciating suffering. Padma PurAna

zruti-smrti-puranesu nAma-mahAtmya-vadisu

ye'rthavAda iti bruvur na tesAm niraya-ksayah

Persons who interpret the srutis, smrtis, and purAnas, which wonderfully glorify the Lord's name, stay in hell forever. (Jaimini SamhitA)

Thus from scriptures like Padma PurAna and KAtyAyana-samhitA there are thousands of statements showing fall-down from interpreting the name. Pariksit has just said:

kvacin nivartale 'bhadrAt kvacic carati tat punah

prAyascittam atho 'pArtham manye kunjara-zaucavat

After withdrawing from sin one commits the sin again. I think atonement is useless, like an elephant bathing. SB 6.1.10

He has condemned atonements because of seeing that the tendency for sin remains, but he does not criticize bhakti, though seeing sinful tendencies in some of the devotees.

yatha namabhasa balenajamilo duracaropi vaikuntham prapitas tathaiva smartadayah sadacarah sastrajna api bahuso nama grahino'pyartha-vada kalpanadi namaparadha-balena ghora samsaram eva prapyante "Simply by chanting Lord Visnu's name offenselessly the great sinner Ajamila attained Vaikuntha, but even the greatest scholarly smarta brahmana or the greatest puritan will remain in this hellish material world if he commits offenses like artha-vada hari namna kalpanam (speculating another meaning out of the holy name). But one should not worry that everyone will immediately become liberated on seeing such power in the name. Though sin is completely uprooted just by chanting the name even once, in most cases the name shows its fruits to the world after some time, just as fruit trees bear fruit after some time only, not immediately. And in some cases the name does not show its effects at all, in order that the material scriptures (such as karma-kAnda) are not completely destroyed (by loss of faith in them). Then, after doing this, the name lakes the person who has chanted without offense to the Lord's abode. This conclusion should be understood. I accept that because of offense to the name, those who interpret the Name as an exaggeration go to hell. However, if chanting the name destroys all sins, all karmls, jnAnls, yogis and bhaktas should not go to hell for illicit sex or violence if they chant. And if the name does not destroy all sin, all these people, and even the bhakta, should go to hell to suffer the results of their sin, even if they chant."

Though a merchant protects a person under his shelter according to the degree that the person surrenders to him, if the person offends him, the merchant becomes displeased with him and does not give protection to that surrendered person. But one should not think that the merchant is incapable of protecting him. And according to the degree that the offense diminishes, the merchant begins to show mercy to that person. When the offense is completely gone, the merchant shows all mercy. The name is similar. Those who take shelter of Bhakti-devi, representing the name, as a secondary practice, in order to bring out results of karma and jnAna, are called karmis or jnanis, even though bhakti is present in a minor position. This is according to the rule that things are named according to the predominant factor.' They are thus not called Vaisnavas. By their natures they are offenders to the name in one aspect, for it is said dharma-vrata-tyAgAhutAdi-sarva-zubhakriyAsAmyam api pramAdah: the eighth offense is to consider the name equivalent to dharma, vratas, sacrifices and other karma-kAnda rites.

If considering the name to be equal to karma and dharma is an offense, then the offense is much more if one considers the name secondary to karma and dharma, being a mere limb of karma or dharma. Though recognizing that they have offended her, out of compassion, Bhakti-devi thinks, "Karma-yoga and these other processes should not be fruitless" since they have accepted a small portion of her shelter. Thus, though she has become only a limb of karma, she gives the results of karma, jnAna and other processes without obstruction. Similarly, when bhakti is a limb of atonement, she destroys the sins in those persons practicing atonements. It is not otherwise. And those who do not perform atonements go to hell to experience the results of their sins. However, Vaisnavas do not need to perform atonements. Furthermore, if those persons commit other offenses, such as interpreting the name or committing offense to the devotee, and then perform dharma and other process, Bhaktidevi gives them no results for their efforts, even though she is still a limb of dharma and other processes.

ke te'paradhA viprendra namno bhagavalah krtAh

vinighnanti nrnam krtyam prakrtam hy anayanti ca

O brAhmana! Offenses to the name destroy men's pious actions and lead them to material world. Padma PurAna, BrAhma-khanda

If those persons become free from offense and dedicate themselves to chanting or other bhakti processes, they will get results for their karma and jnana in proportion to the destruction of offenses. However, with complete destruction of offense by association with devotees, attainment of the results of chanting is certain, by the direct mercy of Bhakti-devi.

"From the words of the servants of Yama it is understood that Ajamila was previously involved in karma. (He was not a devotee, but performed bhakti secondarily, and therefore all his sins should not have been removed by chanting.)" That is true, and by sinful acts like drinking, his status as a brahmana was destroyed, what to speak of his pious acts of karma. It will be explained "Ajamila was a brahmana who because of bad association had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank and performed other abominable acts. He even kept a prostitute." (SB 6.2.45) When his pious karmas were destroyed, his secondary bhakti was also destroyed. Then pure bhakti appeared when he called out the name of his son Narayana. “

"Bui if there is a scriptural rule that one should perform bhakti as a limb of karma or jnana, how can that be offensive?" One should not recognize as authoritative scripture those statements which permit secondary bhakti out of mercy for persons of crooked mentality, who have no faith in bhakti but faith in karma and jnana, and do not believe statements like "All processes accomplish their results by bhakti alone; by a particle of bhakti the greatest sins are destroyed."

In attaining Svarga through animal sacrifices by following rules, the fault of violence is not destroyed. Similarly though the offender attains the results of karma and jnana by secondary bhakti according to rules, his offense is not destroyed.

Those offenders who accept a Vaisnava guru by Vaisnava initiation, take shelter of Bhakti-devi purely or as the primary process (but mixed), and then worship the Lord by chanting, are called Vaisnavas. According to the degree of bhakti, they attain destruction of offenses, and according to the degree of Bhakti-devi's mercy, they attain the principal result of bhakti (prema). The Lord himself says:

yatha yathatma parimrjyate 'sau

mat-punya-gatha-sravanabhidhanaih

tatha tatha pasyau vastu suksmam

caksur yathaivasjana-samprayuktam

To the degree that the atma becomes purified by hearing and chanting my glories, a person is able to perceive my real form and qualities, and experience their sweetness, just as the eye when smeared with special ointment is able to see finer objects. SB 11.14.26

bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir

anyatra caisa trika eka-kalah

prapadyamanasya yathasnatah syus

tustih pustih ksud-apayo 'nu-ghasam

Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of Krishna, in the same way that pleasure, fullness of the stomach and relief from hunger are experienced simultaneously, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah

hrdy antahstho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt-satam

Krishna, who purifies a person by the processes of hearing and chanting and who is the benefactor of the devotees who hear about him, enters the hearts of the devotees and destroys their sins. SB 1.2.17

By these statements it is understood that those persons who committed offense gradually ascend through the fourteen stages of bhakti. In those cases, faith and other steps are prescribed. And in this chapter also it is said gunanuvadah khalu sattva-bhavanah: chanting the Lord's glories is the process for purification. (SB 6.2.12) When all their offenses are gradually destroyed and they attain the Lord, they are liberated from this world.

niraparadhanam tu bhagavat praptau nasti vilambas tesam hi bhagavan nama grahanam vaikuntharohanam ceti dve eva bhumike yatha ajamiladinam.......

For the offenseless there is no delay in attaining the Lord. For them there are just two stages – chanting and ascending to Vaikuntha, like Ajamila and others.

na vasudeva-bhaktanam asubham vidyate kvacit

janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-bhayam vapy upajayate

The devotees of Vasudeva have no misfortune at all. They surpass birth, death, old age and disease. Mahabharata 13.135.131

sva-dharma-nisthah sata-janmabhih puman

virincatam eti tatah param hi mam

avyakrtam bhagavato 'tha vaisnavam

padam yathaham vibudhah kalatyaye

A person fixed in dharma attains the post of Brahma after a hundred births and by more pious acts a person attains me. But the devotee attains the abode of Vaikuntha after leaving his body, just as I reside there in another form. The devatas qualify to go there after destroying their subtle bodies. SB 4.24.29

However, some devotees without offense, who desire to attain a special prema, are delayed in attaining the Lord. For instance Jada Bharata took three lives to attain the Lord.

Among those devotees having offense, if some, because of not worshiping the Lord properly, do not destroy previous sins, and continue to sin and to be offenders, they do not go to hell after leaving the body. Yama says:

sva-puMsam abhiviksya pasa-hastam vadati yamah kila tasya karna-mulA

parihara madhusudana prapannan prabhur aham anya-nrnam na vaisnavanam

Srimad Bhagavatam

Yamaraja, seeing his follower with noose in his hands, says in his ear: Do not take devotees surrendered to Madhusudana. I am the master of other men, but not the Vaisnavas. Visnu Purana

te deva-siddha-parigita-pavitra-gatha

ye sadhavah samadrso bhagavat-prapannah

tan nopasidata harergadayabhiguptan

naisam vayarm na ca vayah prabhavama dande

Do not approach those who have surrendered to the Lord, who see everything equally, who have proper conduct and who are praised with pure narrations by the devatas and Siddhas, since they are protected by the club of the Lord. We, including Brahma and even time, do not have power to punish them. SB 6.3.27

The servants of Yama say:

Prahasman yamuna-bhrata sadaram hi punah punah bhavadbhir vaisnavas tyajya

Yama repeatedly has told us with care, "You must leave the Vaisnavas" Padma Purana

Moreover the Lord himself says:

na hy angopakrame dhvamso

mad-dharmasyoddhavanv api

maya vyavasitah samyan

nirgunatvad anasisah

O Uddhava! Because I have personally established it, this process of niskama-bhakti is beyond the gunas. Even by starting but not completing the process, there is no destruction of results. SB 11.29.20

Thus, since even the sprout of bhakti is imperishable, unaffected by sin and always productive, a person will definitely take birth only in order that bhakti bears leaves and fruit in the future, and not because of temporary sin and piety. Na karma-bandhanam janma vaisnavanam ca vidyate: the worshipers of Visnu do not have birth due to karma. Thus after the destruction of sin and destruction of offenses by chanting the name, which is caused by impressions of pievious bhakti, persons attain the Lord by the mercy of Bhakti-devi.

na vai jano jatu kathancana vrajen

mukunda-sevy anyavad anga samsrtim

smaran mukundanghry-upaguhanam punar

vihatum icchen na rasa-graho janah

Oh! The person who serves Mukunda will never under any condition return to the material world, unlike practitioners of other processes. Remembering the embrace of the Lord's lotus feet, eager for that taste he has experienced, he will not desire to give up those feet again. SB 1.5.19

In ihe above verse anyavat means "like those practicing karma." The devotee will not attain the world of piety and sin (caused by karma), but will accept the world of happiness and distress given by the Lord.

tvad avagami na vetti bhavad-uttha-subhasubhayor

guna-vigunanvayams tarhi deha-bhrtam cagirah

anu-yugam anv-aham sa-gunagita-paramparaya

sravana-bhrta yatas tvam apavarga-gatir manu-jaih

When a person realizes you, he no longer cares about his good and bad fortune arising from past pious and sinful acts, since it is you alone who control this good and bad fortune. Such a realized devotee also disregards what ordinary living beings say about him. Every day he fills his ears with your glories, which are recited in each age by the unbroken succession of Manu's descendants, and thus you become his ultimate salvation. SB 10.87.40

Those who have not destroyed offenses to the name will continue to experience the undestroyed effects of sin. When, by increase of bhakti by practicing it, the offenses to the Name are destroyed, the root of sin will be destroyed and the person will immediately attain the Lord. But then, in order to increase the bhakti, those devotees may even take one, two or three life times to attain the Lord. The "material happiness" seen in those devotees arises from the practice of bhakti (it is not karma). It is said:

dharmasya by apavargyasya nartho'rthayopakalpate

narthasya dharmaikantasya kamo labhaya hi smrtah

The material results are not suitable as the goal for the person dedicated to higher spiritual goals. The desire of the person dedicated to the higher path is not for attainment of material assets. SB 1.2.9

The "suffering" seen in those devotees is given by the Lord, who is skillful at increasing the devotion of his devotee, and who is like a doctor who makes a person fast and gives bitter medicine tor increasing the patient's appetite.

yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih

tato 'dhanam tyajanty asya avajana duhkha-duhkhitam

If 1 especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another. SB 10.88.8

To be continued......

Srimad Bhagavata, Canto 5

2010-10-24T07:49:00.005+02:00

Fifth Canto Bhagavata, with the most interesting commentaries of Visvanatha Cakravartipada -

5.1.5 ity-ady-ukter bhaktanam antarayo nasty eva? satyam kala-karmadi-hetuko’sau nasty eva. kintv antarayo hi bhaktanam dvividhah, mahad-aparadha-hetuko bhagavad-iccha-hetukas ca.

Normally obstacles are time and karma but for devotees the obstacles are offences to the saints and the Lord’s wish.

5.1.35 tanvam tanum tat-ksana eva tanutyagadarsanat tanvarambhakam karmeti prarabdha-karma-ksaya uktah | tattvam mahad-adi-prthivy-antam sthulas-suksma-dehav ity arthah. tad api tad-deha-sthitir namna evacintya-prabhavatvad iti jneyam gaty-antarabhavat

”One does not immediately see one giving up one’s body on chanting the holy name once. Thus the sentence means that the karmas that are experienced in the body are destroyed. Tattvam means that the gross and subtle elements from mahat tattva to earth, the gross and subtle bodies of the jiva are destroyed, but the body remains by the inconceivable influence of the holy name of the Lord, since there is no alternative.” Visvanatha also comments on this verse in his tika of SB 1.6.28:

"What should be amazing? Even an outcaste (vidura-vigatah) who chants the name of the Lord once, now, at the time of accepting the name, gives up his body (tanvam). Since we do not see anyone giving up their body simultaneously with chanting, "body" here means his prArabdha-karmas which are being experienced in the present body. This is the opinion of some. Others say by the association of bhakti, like a touchstone, the body made of the three gunas becomes free of the gunas, as seen in the case of Dhruva. Thus, giving up the body means giving up the body made of three gunas. This will be explained later at the beginning of the rasa dance with jahur guna-mayam deham sadyah praksINa-bandhanAH: free of bondage, those gopis abandoned their gross material bodies made of gunas. (SB 10.29.11) But others say that sometimes the Lord shows devotees, literally, giving up their bodies in order that the opinion of others not be negated. Thus Narada, who had developed prema already, gave up his body. However it should be understood that he had already destroyed his prArabdha-karmas during his practice of bhakti."

5.5.18 Do not be parent, Guru, relative etc. if you cannot free your subject from death.

Visvanath comments: baliH zukram iva taM guruM tyajed eva, tasya praNaty-anuvRtty-Ady-abhAve'pi na pratyavAyI syAd iti bhAvaH. evaM vibhISaNo rAvaNam iva taM svajanam, prahlAdo hiraNyakazipum iva taM pitaram, zrI-bharataH kaikeyIm iva tAM jananIm, khaTvAGga indrAdim iva tad daivaM, yAjJika-brAhmaNI yAjJika-vipram iva taM patiM tyajed evety arthaH –

“Bali gave up his Guru Shukracarya and did not suffer any reaction to not following and worshipping him. Similarly Vibhishan gave up his relative Ravana, Prahlada gave up his father Hiranyakasipu, Sri Bharat rejected his mother Kaikeyi, Khatvanga his devata Indra and the wives of the offering brahmins of Vrindavan gave up their husbands.”

5.6.18 ”Blessed is the dynasty of Priyavrata, where Lord Rishabha descended. Blessed is also the dynasty of Uttanapada, where Prithu appeared. Blessed is also the Raghu-dynasty where Rama appeared. Of the current Yadu- and Puru-dynasties the Yadu-dynasty is the most fortunate, for Krishna appeared there. But our Puru-dynasty is unfortunate in all respects, because the Lord did not appear in it at all. Speaking to himself in this way Pariksit became dejected. Understanding his mind because he was omniscient, Sukadeva gave him bliss by showing him the superiority of bhakti over liberation – ”O King! Krishna is the protector of the Pandavas, their Guru (instructor), their worshipable deity, their loving benefactor and the master of their family (controller). Although He appeared in the Yadu-dynasty He acted equally towards the Yadus and you. But sometimes He acted as your messenger or servant. He did not do that for the Yadus. He did more for you than for the Yadus because of His greater love for you. That He gave the highest prema to you, who do not worship Him, is the highest position. He does not even give bhava bhakti (bhakti yoga) to those who worship Him. He gives the inferior liberation but never bhakti. But He does not give liberation to those practising pure bhakti who do not desire liberation. To those pure devotees He gives bhakti."

It is not clear to me why the Purus [Pandavas] are said to 'not worship Him'. Perhaps Visvanath means they did not worship Him in awe as Bhagavan?

5.8.1 - dayam api tyajed bhakti-badhinim iti darsayan – it is shown here that even compassion must be given up if it damages bhakti. This is in relationship to Bharat getting attached to the deer. Srila Ananda Gopal Goswami said the same thing in Bengali during his famous Vilapa Kusumanjali lectures - bhajaner pratikul jadi doyA-o hoy, tabe tA'ke-o bAda dite hobe. He might have been inspired by this statement of Visvanatha. The point is that if one gets materially entangled out of compassion or sentimental attraction. and that entanglement takes away one's money, time and attention from bhajan, then this is not a smart thing to do for a Vaishnava.

5.8.26 mrga-darakam abhasayati prakasayati yat tena svarabdha karmaneti. prarabdham hi dvividham sobhanam asobhanam ca tatradye bhakta-priyenapi nayana-tivranjana-dana-nyayena sva bhaktyutkantha vardhana vidagdhena bhagavataiva svecchayaiva prarabdha-tulyatvat prarabdham upapadyate yad udarko bhaktyudreka eva syat tat khalutpanna ratinam api sambhaved eva. dvitiyam tu pracina-prakrta karma-mayam eva yad udarko visayabhinivesa eva syat. atra tu sobhanenarabdheneti saksat susabdha evopanyastah. yogena bhakti-yogenaiva hetuna tapasah sarva visaya-tyaga rupam tapah kurvanah. Apyarthe cakarah. yadyapi bhaktiyogo bahu-vighnakulo na bhavati tad api bhagavad icchaya bhagavad aradhanad vibhramsita ityarthah.

“There are two kinds of prarabdha karma - sobhana and asobhana (beautiful and not-beautiful). The first one is like a biting eye-ointment administered by the Lord, who is dear to His bhakta (bhakta-priyena), which serves to increase the devotee’s eagerness (to attain Him) and which is freely (independently) bestowed by this vidagdha (clever) Lord. It appears to be just like ordinary prarabdha. This is even possible to happen to those who have attained rati or bhava bhakti level. The second type of prarabdha is made of one’s old karma and is caused by absorption in the sense objects. The former, sobhana, is mentioned in this verse.”

5.10.1 paramahamsatvena sarvatra tasya samyasyaucito’pi maha-bhagavatatvad eva krpa vyakhyeya 'Although as a paramahamsa one should be equipoised everywhere, due to being a mahA bhAgavata [great devotee] one should also be compassionate." This confirms the theory that a great devotee comes down from the platform of uttama adhikary to the stage of madhyama adhikArI [though these three adhikAris in the 11th canto have not been described in relation to a missionary attitude per se] in order to preach.

5.14.43 — malavad iti yatha malasya tyaga eva nirvrtih tyagabhave kastam tyaktasya tasya smarane'pi nisthivanopadgamas tathaiveti tyage'pyanyebhyo vailaksanyad utkarsah. tatra hetuh uttamah sarvotkrstah. rupa guna lila madhuryaisvaryasya sambandhi sloko yaso yasya tasmin lalasah darsanad autsukyam yasya sah

"Just as it is blissful to pass stool and it is miserable to be unable to do so (due to constipation or so), and one feels disgusted even by remembering the stool, king Bharata considered the things he renounced to be just like stool. This shows that his renunciation of sense objects was distinct from the renunciation of jnanis and yogis, because he had developed a yearning for Sri Govinda, who is the abode of sweet names, forms, pastimes and attributes."

5.19.21 etadrsa-bhagyasya punya-janyatvasambhavad iti bhavah....nanu duratmanam api tatra janma drsyate ity ato visinasti—mukunda-sevaupayikam hi yasman no’smakam kevalam sprhaiva yatra, na tu praptih

"The fortune of taking human birth in India is not just a question of good karma, as we see bad people also taking birth there. We devatas can only covet this, but we do not attain it."

5.19.25 If one wastes one's human birth in India one is most lamentable - it is like a farmer who finds a Cintamani gem and still continues to plough. They are like birds that are released by a hunter but get caught again because they are inattentive and play about in the tree.

5.19.27 What to speak of pure devotees, even sakAma bhaktas are blessed in the way the niSkAma bhaktas are. Their desires are fulfilled but not in such a way that they will go on asking for the same thing again and again. Like Dhruva he gets the Lord's lotus-feet which includes all desires. He may forcibly give those feet, which destroy all other desires, too. Sometimes the father gives the child candy although he does not want it. In this way he makes the child give up eating dirt. Similarly the Lord may give the nectar of His lotusfeet so the devotee gives up material endeavour. That which is given sponteaneously is greater than that which is given by force. Thus the excellence of Hanuman is greater than that of Dhruva.

5.26.3 Visvanatha's commentary: anAdy-avidyA-sambandho jIvasya kadA kathaM veti vaktum azakteH 'No one can say when or how the jiva ended up in a beginningless relationship with ignorance.' That is just because it is beginningless and is its very definition.