30th anniversary - how I came to Kṛṣṇa-consciousness

Amsterdam, June 1978

On my 30th anniversary as a Vaiṣṇava I present here
HOW I CAME TO KṚṢṆA CONSCIOUSNESS -

The run-up to it all :

It took me until 1972 to understand that Hare Kṛṣṇa had something to do with yoga and self realization, but I had had quite a few encounters with Kṛṣṇa before that.

I heard George Harrison's "Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra"-record in 1969, when I was 13, on Radio Luxembourg, when it was a UK top 10 hit. I thought it was Chinese or so, and was amazed that they were just singing one and the same line over and over again. Anyway, these were strange days. The next exposure came with George Harrison's universal 1970 Christmas nr.1-hit 'My sweet Lord'.

In July, 1972 I saw A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swāmi preaching in Amsterdam's Vondelpark. I was then a 16-year old dropout sleeping in the park. I heard music in a small auditorium in the back of the park so I went and saw that Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees danced in clouds of sweet smoke, their mantra meant to cast a spell on the audience. I saw Swāmijī sitting on a throne between them. He was very small in stature - smaller than me (I am 5"6 or 166 cm). He spoke boldly - too boldly for that place, and the audience reciprocated by challenging him: "Why do you sit on this high throne while we have to sit down here? We are equal!" I vaguely remember they threw things like cans at Swāmījī but I am not sure anymore. It's too long ago.

The first time I was hit up by a book-distributor was in Utrecht in September, 1973. He was huge and a foreigner. I had taken my last 10 gulden ($ 5) out to buy some drugs for myself in the big city, but he managed to talk me into buying a huge silver English Kṛṣṇa book instead. I thought both the silver and the letters KṚṢṆA with the small dots under it were sheer magic. I took it home with me and read it, thinking it to be greater than drugs. However, I was turned off by a center-spread in the book showing a huge bloodbath caused by Kṛṣṇa during His Mathurā līlā. I thought that God is Love and He would not chop off heads and limbs and I later sold the book to my mum. Who knows what would have happened if it was a KṚṢṆA-book with Vṛndāvana līlā in it!

Another 3 years later, in the long hot summer of 1976, I stayed in a hippie commune in Utrecht, that consumed little else than tea and LSD at any time. One of these enlightened teens (who later became a devotee, Brahma-tejas, himself) had bought a whole bunch of small books from Hare Kṛṣṇa on the street and they were there for all to read. I saw the message was one of uncompromising purity and selflessness and was even more impressed by the colorful and confrontating illustrations, about lust anger and greed leading to hell, ignorance leading to animal birth, the existence of demigods (which I immediately accepted), etc. etc. - 44 pics in the Bhagavad Gītā only! Shortly afterwards I began to follow the regulative principles (though not through the influence of these books) and I came to visit the Amsterdam temple for the first time on September 11, 1976. Unfortunately that was a Saturday, so there was no temple-programme and I could not afford to come again the next day. I did pick up all the books I had read in the hippie-commune and kept them on my book-shelf with great awe and respect. I decided, though, that it was still too high for me. In the same month I read an elaborate feature article on Hare Kṛṣṇa in Dutch esoteric magazine Bres with beautiful color pictures of Swāmījī, who looked purer than anyone I had ever seen, Rādhā-Gopīnāth (the ISKCON deities in Amsterdam) and Jagannātha-Subhadrā and Balarāma. It was all sheer magic.

Around the same time I heard the album Vrindavan, with beautiful renderings of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī Pada, Mānasa Deho Geho, Śrita Kamalā and Hare Kṛṣṇa by Avyaya Dās and Kauśalyā Dasi. The instruments included harp, harmonium and flute - I thought (and still think) the music was sheer magic and molten beauty. That included the cover of the LP even!



In December 1976 I visited my brother in Rotterdam and saw the Hare Kṛṣṇas standing outside the Central Station in the freezing cold, selling records with their thin Indian clothes on. I had deep respect for that and I bought two records from them, Goddess of Fortune and Hare Kṛṣṇa festival. My brother told me to turn it off, he called it 'the sound of cats shrieking'.

Finally, after a disastrous weekend at the Theosophists on March 24, 1978 (which happened to be Gaur Pūrṇimā) I decided to take some fellow seekers, Ralph (later Rādhāraman Dās) and Rudi, along to the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Temple in Amsterdam. That was on April 2, 1978. I felt a new life was starting that would never end. When I entered the temple room I had a very strong deja vu-feeling - like it was continuing from a previous life. I liked everything - the blinding beauty of the deities, the deeply emotional kirtan, the lecture, the incense, the prasādam, the magical building, the devotees. The only thing that disturbed me, at the end when we left, is that we were a bit harrassed by a book distributor at the desk near the exit. The whole experience was good enough to warrant another visit on April 9, 1978. I keep that as my date of conversion, because on that day the then-bhakta leader, Jñānarāja Dās (who unfortunately expired 2 years ago at the early age of 52), sold me a japa mālā on which I began to chant and also I participated in the kīrtan during the begining of the Sunday Feast. svayam eva sphuratyadaḥ -The holy name manifests itself spontaneously and as soon as that takes place, sevonmukhe, we are devotees. As for Iskcon, I joined them on June 4, 1978 and left them (in Vṛndāvana) on May 20, 1982, after almost exactly 4 years. Unfortunately my spiritual life was in a downward spiral with them and leaving them turned me from a loser into a winner, but that is another story...

Establishing Nitya Līlā (Phone sanga 12)

Bhakta: "In a Brahma Samhita purport (5.37) by Bhaktivinode, ascribed to Bhaktisiddhanta, it is said there are no Abhimanyu and Jatila in the spiritual sky."

Advaitadas: "Later on in that purport they do acknowledge that parakiya bhava is there in Goloka too (para-dāra-bhāvaṭī yogamāyā-kṛta sutarāṁ kona śuddha tattva mūlaka) They also say that denying parakīya bhāva in Goloka would be 'tantamount to sacrilege' ('tāhā goloke nāi - ei kothā bolile goloka-ke tuccha korite hoy'). So that is clear. In aṣṭakāliya līlā Abhimanyu doesn't say a peep. He may be mentioned here and there but practically he doesn't appear. Kaṁsa is also mentioned in the Govinda Līlāmṛta but he would never really appear in the middle of the līlā, it is totally unbecoming. He is mentioned there to deceive Candravali's sakhīs and push the līlā forward. All these characters are bogeymen to keep the participants alert and to increase the excitement. It is all a question of feeling, not of substance. In Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta it is described how Jaṭilā invites Rādhā for dinner and so. She really does exist, but plays only a minor role."

Bhakta: "In Bhakti Sandarbha the demons in the spiritual sky are compared to puppets (yantra-maya tat pratima)."

Advaitadas: "Yes but you cannot compare Jaṭilā, Kuṭilā and Abhimanyu with the demons. They are citizens in good standing. Kṛṣṇa does not have a license to kill them, like the demons, who are a threat to the entire community of Vraja. In the evening Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are separated for 7 hours, then there is some scope for Jaṭilā, Abhimanyu etc. to appear. Abhimanyu may talk to Rādhā then, about his business and so, but intercourse is out of the question - na jātu vrajadevīnāṁ patibhiḥ saha saṅgamaḥ (U.N.). Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment is never really disturbed. Stories like those in Camatkāra Candrikā, in which Kṛṣṇa may be separated for days from Rādhā, are not reality. It is just good clean fun in which Kṛṣṇa shows His cleverness, but this is not digest for serious practitioners of the aṣṭakāliya līlā.. Such long separation is absolutely not realistic. Also Abhimanyu ever catching Them red-handed is out of the question, though it may be mentioned in various dramas by the ācāryas. If he really found it out you kill the nitya līlā -  the story would be finished. There are suspicions of course, that nourishes the excitement of the līlā."

Bhakta: "It is said that Bhaktisiddhānta offered Bhaktivinode to translate or publish Govinda Līlāmṛta and Bhaktivinode said: "Allright, take a copy and give one to me too, but leave it at that." In other words, nobody is qualified."

Advaitadas: "Yes unfortunately it does look like that. Very few people are really interested in the book and if they are, its often intellectual curiosity or sentimentality which is not followed up by any serious practise of  aṣṭakāliya līlā smaraṇa.

Bhakta: "Candrāvalī is mentioned too...."

Advaitadas: "Same thing as with Kaṁsa, Jaṭilā and Abhimanyu - she is mentioned, but does not play any significant role in  aṣṭakāliya līlā. Rather, Kṛṣṇa double-crosses her sakhīs and they vanish from the scene, being deceived. Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi is full of Candrāvalī and her sakhīs, but their role is diminished in  aṣṭakāliya līlā. You have only one mind and you can only meditate on so many things, and the essence of Kṛṣṇa's activities is not killing demons or meeting Candrāvalī. In Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta it is elaborately described how Kṛṣṇa plays in the water of Govinda Kund with His pals, but in Govinda Līlāmṛta that is reduced to one or two verses, whereas His water sports with the gopīs later occupies almost an entire chapter!"

Bhakta: "He can kill demons in an expansion."

Advaitadas: "No, even in His original form. It is you who is in the center of this meditation and you decide to follow the format of  aṣṭakāliya līlā. Whatever else Jīva Gosvāmī and Sanātan Gosvāmī have described in their books, that was their duty because all of this IS a part of Kṛṣṇa-līlā. All that matters to you is your role in  aṣṭakāliya līlā and sevā, as the Guru has ascribed it to you. Even Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi hardly touches upon mañjarī bhāva, though it is written by none other than Rūpa Gosvāmī, it is not one of our main scriptures."

Bhakta: "So there are different realities, with each their own area."

Advaitadas: "That's exactly right. It is our focus that counts and Kṛṣṇa just responds - ye yathā māṁ prapadyante taṁs tathaiva bhajāmyaham (B.Gītā 4.11)

Bhakta: "Sometimes we see different personalities in Gaura līlā become one person in Kṛṣṇa-līlā."

Advaitadas: "In my opinion they may not always really BE that person but their situation is sometimes similar to one in a previous līlā. F.i. Bhavānanda Rāy is compared with Pāṇḍu because he had five sons, just like Pāṇḍu, and Haridās Thākur is compared to Prahlāda because of suffering similar persecution. After all, Haridās Thākur is also celebrated as Brahmā. Some say that all Gaur Pārṣadas, including Haridās Thākur, have a mañjarī svarūpa, but there is no evidence for that in śāstra, nor does it seem likely because Haridās Thākur is so clearly into regular dāsya bhāva."

Bhakta: "It is described that the trees in Vraja have hundreds of kinds of fruits. Is this aiśvarya?"

Advaitadas: "No not per se, but if billions of fruits are said to hang from one tree it is. These books are a whole patchwork of aiśvarya and mādhurya and you need to become sensitive enough to pick out the pure mādhurya and leave the rest. I need to add something to what I said about all the aiśvarya descriptions in the past (that it serves to attract people) - it also serves to underline the transcendental nature of these pastimes. Caitanya Caritāmṛta says: citta dṛḍha kori lāge mahimā jñāna hoite "One's heart becomes fixed in faith when one is aware of God's greatness", rasa (spiritual flavour) is built on the foundation of tattva (spiritual truth). When that foundation is not there (when one disregards or does not know spiritual truth) the rasa may seem to be mundane. If you are advanced and fully fixed in awareness of Kṛṣṇa's godhood you can just focus on the pure mādhurya and disregard the opulence."

Bhakta: "About tilak - the two lines is a lotus-foot of Kṛṣṇa and underneath there is a lotus leaf. What is the traditional understanding?"

Advaitadas: "What you call lotus leaf is called Tilak svarūpa. There are different scriptural explanations of this. What is on the forehead is called the stem and the svarūpa is on the nose. There are many different svarūpas. Some stems are tapering, like ours. It is easier to do that by dipping a stick into the Tilak and stamping it on the two locations on the forehead. śāstras say different things, like the middle of the stem is Viṣṇu and the sides are Brahmā and Śiva, or the three spaces represent A, U and M. As for the svarūpa, there are the ancient lineages descending from Mahāprabhu's associates, particularly Nityānanda and Advaita. Advaita's tilak svarūpa is of a Banyan leaf, heart-shaped. Nityānanda's lineage have a Neem-leaf svarūpa on the nose, which is thin and tapering. Most traditional Vaiṣṇavas are in that lineage and wear that tilak. I see the stems and leaves as expansions of the trunks and branches of the Caitanya tree, which is described at length in the Ādi līlā of Caitanya Caritāmṛta. The strongest branches are those of Advaita and Nityānanda. There is also the lineage of Gadādhara Paṇḍit and Śyāmānanda's tilak-story is very well known too. The stem sometimes continues down to the nose, as in the case of Narottam and Śyāmānanda's tilak.  Then there may be no leaf or svarūpa on the nose."

Bhakta: "About Ekādaśa bhāva or siddha praṇālī - is it necessary to take that initiation? Because you said you can meditate on any service or you don't only meditate on your own service."

Advaitadas: "First of all I stressed the Guru-given service above all, I only said that other services can be done according to necessity. Secondly, Vaiṣṇava principle has it that one cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. Kṛṣṇa will not accept direct service rendered to Him, only service rendered via the Guru. This makes siddha praṇālī imperative from the devotional viewpoint. An important verse in this connection is :

nikuñja yūnoḥ rati keli siddhyai yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣaṇīya

tatrāti dakṣāt ati ballabhasya vande guroḥ śrī caraṇāravindam

"The Guru is expert in assisting the Gopīs in establishing the perfection of the amorous pastimes of the Nikuñja Yūnu (Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa)." (Gurvaṣṭakam - 6)

It is all done in allegiance, not independently. That Gurvaṣṭakam ends with

yasya prasādād bhagavat prasādo yasyāprasādān na gati kuto'pi

"By the Guru's grace one attains the Grace of the Lord and without the Guru's grace you're not going anywhere." The author, Viśvanāth Cakravartī, was a very great rasika ācārya. At any rate, it is not that the Guru will be holding your hand and guiding your meditation - you have to do it yourself, the Guru can only hand you the tools (the specifics of the siddha deha). If you approach Kṛṣṇa directly He will simply not accept you. I am not saying that every new bhakta should immediately get this Ekādaśa bhāva. In some places this is happening -some devotees get it without even knowing what it is - I disagree with that. The Guru must be able to see when the disciple is ready to practise this by showing eagerness and proper understanding of the process. The Guru is not responsible for the disciple's failure - it is all up to the disciple's strength and sincerity. For most devotees this is a very long and drawn-out process - it is a very high thing. Sādhu Bābā gave it to perhaps just 3% of his disciples. It should not be a subject of temporary curiosity, the project must be finished to the end. Because Kṛṣṇa is subdued by the love of His devotee (ahaṁ bhaktāparādhīno) we must have the faith that the Guru's revelation of siddha svarūpa is the one that waits for us in the spiritual sky. Ramkrishna Paramahamsa once told the story of the man who walked over water, holding a folded leaf in his hands, having full faith that the contents of the leaf could carry him over the water. When he was in the middle of the lake he wondered what was on the leaf, so he opened it, only to find the syllables RĀ-MA on it. When he wondered if that was all that carried him across the water he sank like a rock."

Bhakta: "We see disciples of Gurus that have expired or that have fallen down just acting independently because the Guru-authority is gone. They don't take śikṣā anywhere."

Advaitadas: "Yes, while they often really do not understand the philosophy and are really not perfected in surrender yet. It is their own problem. You see, you can cheat other devotees and you can even cheat yourself but you cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. One needs to serve the Guru until and even after the perfection of surrender is achieved. It never ends."

Bhakta: "Often in Kṛṣṇa līlā Kṛṣṇa really seems to lose it, He doesn't know what is going on. How can He be God if He is not aware of everything? How can He be the complete controller then?"

Advaitadas: "The answer is there in Rāga Vartma Candrikā (2.1). He really does not know it. His enjoyment has to be complete, otherwise He would fail to be God in that respect. The solution is given by Bilvamangal, who called Kṛṣṇa both mugdha (fully enchanted through His enjoyment) and sarvajña (fully omniscient in order to control the creation) “sarvajñatve ca maugdhe ca sārvabhaumam idam maha". Also the Śrutis say:

na tasya kāryam kāraṇam ca vidyate

na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate

parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate

svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

He hasn't got to do anything because He has got so many energies. svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything is being done by His energy very perfectly. Limited controllers, like the US President, even can enjoy themselves temporarily while their agencies, the CIA, FBI and USAF maintain control, but in God's case both control and enjoyment are comprehensive."

Bhakta: "It is said that Kṛṣṇa has unlimited cows and yet He is counting them on a japa mālā."

Advaitadas: "Those are just His favorite cows, the group-heads, Dhavali-Śabali. They will gather the cows in their own groups for Kṛṣṇa."

Phone Sanga (11.2)

(Continued from yesterday)
Bhakta: “In Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta (ch.10) it is said that Rādhārāṇī sits on a deerskin.”

Advaitadas: “Yes, not only there but also in chapter 3 is mentioning of a deerskin rug in Her dressing room. (Laughs) Don’t worry, this is a beginningless deerskin – never was any deer slaughtered for it!”

Bhakta: “Should we look at pictures of Kṛṣṇa while chanting?”

Advaitadas: “The best pictures of Kṛṣṇa are the descriptions in the śāstra. This is called Vāṇī Citra – pictures made of words, drawn by the nitya siddha ācāryas. Most paintings and drawings of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, on the other hand, are deeply inadequate.”

Bhakta: “In aṣṭakāla lila it is said that Rādhā admired the beauty of the flowers, trees, deer etc. That means She looked away from Kṛṣṇa, who is supposed to be most attractive.”

Advaitadas: “No that is a misunderstanding. In Govinda Līlāmṛta, chapters 5, 6 and 8, it is described how Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa recognise Each other in these sylvan features. That is the meaning of the name Kṛṣṇamayi – She sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere. For Her to forget Kṛṣṇa is utterly impossible, and vice versa.”

Bhakta: “Nāndīmukhi and Vṛndā never have conjugal union with Kṛṣṇa? Are they in the category of Mañjarīs?”

Advaitadas: “No. Its not that every lady who does not make love with Kṛṣṇa is automatically a mañjarī. They are sahacarīs, or assistants, and though they do not participate, they also feel fulfilled when they witness such pastimes. Add also Kundalatā and Dhaniṣṭhā to that list.”

Bhakta: “But Kundalatā sometimes stands accused by Rādhikā of being united with Kṛṣṇa.”

Advaitadas: “Yes but that is not real. Slander is also part of the game the gopīs play with each other.”

Bhakta: “Then it is described there are female statues in Nanda’s house. I thought everything should be very chaste. It doesn’t seem fit.”

Advaitadas: “Nandagrām isn't a Brahmacārī āśram you know. It is an abode of householders.”

Bhakta: “Then it is said (in Govinda Līlāmṛta chapter 22) that the Rāsa-circle is like a potter’s wheel on a stake.”

Advaitadas: “We discussed last summer that the ācāryas chose to put a lot of opulence into Vraja’s scenery to somehow attract people. For me the Rāsa-līlā-ground consists of Vraja’s sweet soil, covered with grass, lotus flowers and jasmines only.”

Bhakta: “Kṛṣṇa calls Rādhā ‘My wife’.

Advaitadas: “It is a matter of feeling. In fact Rādhā is Kṛṣṇa's wife, but for the sake of creating higher excitement and sweetness They are separated by Rādhikā’s supposed marriage and Her husband etc. - tābhir ya eva nija rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (BS 5.37).”

Bhakta: “In one movie I even saw married men and women wearing saffron. Maybe they are vanaprasthas?”

Advaitadas: “The Bhāgavata (7.11-13) prescribes deerskin for the vanaprastha and brahmacārī and just a kaupin for the sannyāsī. Saffron is actually mentioned once in the Bhāgavata only, when Indra was condemned for disguising himself in it. Saffron was introduced by Śaṅkarācārya and is forbidden for any Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, regardless of āśram. You see, nowadays if you see men and women wearing saffron they are usually Bāuls or Sahajīyas. They have sex, smoke ganja etc.”

Bhakta: “Why Rādhā sometimes wants Her sakhīs to unite with Kṛṣṇa?”

Advaitadas: “She loves Kṛṣṇa and She also loves Her sakhīs, so She wants them to be happy too.”

Bhakta: “If Rādhārāṇī is the greatest, what is the need of the sakhīs?”

Advaitadas: “sakhī vinā ei līlār puṣṭi nāhi hoy” (CC) Without the sakhīs there is no nourishment of these pastimes.” You cant have fun with just one person. For a party or an utsava you need more participants, at least 15 or 20, to make it fun. It takes a crowd to have a party. Another thing is this – the sakhīs each have a certain feature of Rādhārāṇī in them. Only She is the aggregate of all feminine qualities. The sakhīs also each have a particular skill, so for these reasons Kṛṣṇa will want to enjoy their company separately, too. The most intimate literature, like Vilāpa-kusumāñjali and Saṅkalpa Kalpadruma, do zero in on just Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa, and you (sādhaka mañjarī) though. There are different layers of focus. Whatever the sakhīs do with Kṛṣṇa, let them do. It is elaborately described in Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi but that is not essential for those who focus on mañjarī-service.”

Bhakta: “There are many descriptions that the sakhīs fan Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or are otherwise present in intimate situations, yet it is said that Rādhārāṇī is embarrassed when they are around (Vilāpa Kusumāñjali 92) “

Advaitadas: “Yes, that is what I tried to say with ‘let them do’. That embarrassment is there in the minds of the mañjari bhāva upāsakas and is a subjective statement of superiority of mañjari bhāva. It is not a universal or objective statement.”

Bhakta: “Then it is said (about Kṛṣṇa's evening pastimes in Govinda Līlāmṛta 21.9): “On Nanda Maharāja's order some constables, that wielded rods, pacified the crowd and asked everyone to sit down on their own places.”

Advaitadas: “Yes well all this is necessary to protect Kṛṣṇa from His loving ecstatic devotees, you know. In a rock concert also the fans will surge onto the stage because they love the band. What can the band do for their own protection against their love than to send a bunch of bouncers out?”

Bhakta: “It is said the abode of Kṛṣṇa is self manifest. What does that mean?”

Advaitadas: “It means it is beginningless. Plus, it is never dependent on an external creator or source. It is independently existing, for ever. Eternal sandhinī śakti.”

Bhakta: “In Vṛndāvana Mahimāmṛta (2.58) it is said the mañjarīs’ breasts and hips are raised. But how can that be if they are just ‘in the bud’?”

Advaitadas: “It is not all the same you know. Some 12-13-year old girls are quite busty, while some are still just like children. Mādhurya requires everything to be human, so they should not be too busty at that age….”

Bhakta: “The sakhīs are expert in medicinal herbs. Does that mean they get sick in the spiritual world?”

Advaitadas: “There is no description of Kṛṣṇa getting sick any time, because it would thwart His eternal enjoyment, but just to be sure and to maintain the human conception, some Vrajavāsīs do study medicine. In our country we have an army that has not been used for 68 years, but just in case there would ever be war, we maintained it all this time. If Kṛṣṇa would get sick He would miss out on His saṅga with the gopīs, so He takes really good care of His health.”

Bhakta: “What about the description of Kṛṣṇa getting sick and asking for the foot-dust of the gopīs?”

Advaitadas: “That story is nowhere in śāstra. It is very popular in devotional lectures in India but has no sound śāstrik basis. It is just a glorification of the gopīs.”

Bhakta: “Citrā is expert in making arrows. Are they being used? ”

Advaitadas: “That is not the point. No boy likes a stupid girl. Kṛṣṇa is not an animal, He wants to enjoy with intelligent, skilled girls, so the gopīs learn these things also to attract Kṛṣṇa with their attributes.”

Bhakta: “Do flower garlands decay in the spiritual world?”

Advaitadas: “Not as a philosophical principle, since everything is eternal there, but perhaps in some lilas it may be necessary sometimes. Devotional service is unlimited. The sakhīs may want to tease Kṛṣṇa with a rotten garland, f.i.”

Bhakta: “Is the soul in the paramāṇu (atom) or vice versa?”

Advaitadas: “It has nothing to do with each other. The atom is just a material element, it has nothing to do with spirit. About the soul being 10,000th part of the tip of a hair, even this is a metaphor and not really literal. The soul is spiritual and therefore by definition has no material size. However small the atom is, it can still not be compared to the soul. aṇḍāntara-stha paramāṇu-cayāntara-stha (Brahmā Saṁhitā) “Kṛṣṇa encompasses the entire universe and yet also enters into each atom. In other words, He is bigger than the biggest and smaller than the smallest.”

Bhaktas: “Is the soul of the mahātma still present in his Samādhi? You can beg there and get mercy.”

Advaitadas: “The mahātma is present in the heart of his bhakta and grants mercy to him when he prays for mercy at his Samādhi, but the Samādhi itself is just a stone monument. A sacred monument of course, because of its purpose and symbolism.”

Bhakta: “The same goes for a statue of the Guru?”

Advaitadas: “Yes. Just as with deities, the Lord or the Guru is present according to the amount of the devotees’ devotion and awareness of Him in it. If you hit your head hard against the statue you will get a concussion. It has its material side.”

Bhakta: “But with Kṛṣṇa s deity it is different – came off the altar, started dancing in the kīrtan etc. It doesn’t happen with sādhu statues.”

Advaitadas: “Sādhu-statues are not so often made as Kṛṣṇa-deities. Stories like Sākṣī Gopāl walking after the Brahmin boy, matter turning into spirit, are extraordinary and are only possible where there is pure devotion. But that is very rare, you know. Ultimately it is impossible to create an image of the Lord because He is so beautiful it can simply not be conceived by any artist.” (I think self-manifest deities like Rādhā-raman and Banke Bihārī are exceptions)

Bhakta: “So there are no examples of statues of saints coming alive?”

Advaitadas: “We have a statue of our Guru also in his Samādhi, but otherwise generally it is not a custom in the Gauḍīya Sampradāya to make statues of saints so there are no examples of this.”

Phone Sanga (11)

Phone Sanga (11) Saturday, March 29, 2008 -

Bhakta: “Jīva Gosvāmī says that there is only svakīya bhāva in the spiritual World, and parakīya bhāva in the material World.”

Advaitadas: “Viśvanāth Cakravartī has said in Rāga-vartma Candrikā that there is parakīya bhāva on both realms. It would not add up anyway. What you meditate upon is what you attain, so if during lifetimes of sādhana you meditate on parakīya bhāva how could you attain only svakīya bhāva in the spiritual world? Nobody really knows why Jīva Gosvāmī preached such things, we should not cast a judgement on him.”

Bhakta: “So the body one gets after graduating from prema, taking birth from the womb of a gopī in prakat līlā, is material or spiritual?”

Advaitadas: “It needs to be suitable for attaining sneha, māna, praṇaya and all the other post-prema stages. The pre-prema body is shed because it is no longer able to contain the ecstasies of prema, so I cannot imagine that the next stage of body would be material.

sei prema nṛ-loke na hoy. 

yadi hoy tabe yoga, kabhu nahe viyoga, 

viyoga hole keho na jiwoy 

(CC Madhya 2.43)

“This prema does not exist in the human World. If it does it will be love in union, never separation, because in separation no one could survive.”

Bhakta: “Then perhaps it is a spiritualized material body?”

Advaitadas: “No, that is the current, initiated, sādhaka deha (CC Antya 4, 192-193).”

Bhakta: “It is sometimes said that there is some imperfections left in that intermediate stage in prakat līlā.”

Advaitadas: “I don’t agree. See it as graduating from perfect to more perfect to most perfect. You may compare it to graduating from high school – that’s something – and then still having to go to College to get a good job in business afterwards.”

Bhakta: “There is a new Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi out now. It is an edited version of Kuśakratha’s older one.”

Advaitadas: “With due respect to the deceased, Kuśakratha’s work is so poorly done it needs to be translated, from the Sanskrit to the English, all over again. Just editing the English without tackling the flaws in the translation of the original is just a cosmetic polish-up. Translating such texts is like opening up a PC – all the transistors and chips in them are so fine, you have to know what you are doing, or you wreck the whole machine.”

Bhakta: “In Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta (1.6) it says there are love-marks on the mañjarīs' breasts when they wake up. Doesn’t that indicate amorous involvement with Kṛṣṇa?”

Advaitadas: “No. It is explained in Ānanda Gopāl Gosvāmī’s purport of Vilāpa Kusumāñjali (1): It is a reflection of Kṛṣṇa’s love-marks on Rādhā’s body only, an external manifestation of the mañjarīs’ bhāva-tādātmya (oneness in feeling with Rādhā). That counts for this verse too.”

Bhakta: “Then in Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta 3.2 it is said that mañjarīs have to taste for the position of the Yūtheśvarīs although they are qualified for them.”

Advaitadas: “That is exactly confirming my point.”

Bhakta : “Couldn’t Kṛṣṇa have adjusted His complexion in order to fit into Mādhurya? After all it is not common or human that someone is blue.”

Advaitadas: “Black is beautiful. In regards to complexion, Mahāprabhu is the most human in that one, and Kṛṣṇa sacrificed His complexion to Rādhikā in becoming Mahāprabhu, but Śyāma is Śyāma and it is beautiful as it is.”

Bhakta: “But what would Nanda and Yaśodā think of their boy being of such an extraordinary complexion?”

Advaitadas: “Their sweet feelings cover up all awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s miracles too, so why not the complexion?”

Bhakta: “All the mādhurya must be in the Bhāgavatam, because it is said that Śukadeva is a parrot of Vṛndāvana.”

Advaitadas: “Whoever claims that is perhaps trying to be rasika and interesting; however, is there any scriptural evidence for that? The Bhāgavata instead says that Śukadeva was Brahman-realized and ran away from home, was caught by his father Vyāsa and then studied the Bhāgavata from him, and Caitanya Caritāmṛta says:

mādhurya bhagavattā sāra, braje koilo paracāra,

 tahe śuka vyāsera nandana,

sthāne sthāne bhāgavate,   varniyāche nānā mate

“Sweetness is the essence of Godhead, and it is manifest in Vraja. Śuka, Vyāsa’s son, described it in various ways in places of the Bhāgavata."
sthāne sthāne means here and there. Not everywhere.

yo brahma rudra śuka nārada bhīṣma mukhyair 

alakṣito na sahasā puruṣasya tasya

(Rādhā-rasa Sudhānidhi – 4) 

“Rādhā’s footdust is not easily attained by Brahmā, Śiva, Śuka, etc….”
All this does not point at him being a parrot of Vṛndavan, however glorious and important he is.”


Bhakta: “Then it is said in the Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta that Rādhā eats Her food lukewarm, while some say that the chapatis and the milk should be boiling hot.”

Advaitadas: “Boiling hot food is in the mode of passion according to Bhagavad Gītā (17.9, atyuṣṇa…āhāra rajasas). It burns the palate, the tongue and ultimately the mind. Cold food (yāta yāma - BG 17.10) is in the mode of ignorance and that leaves warm food in the mode of goodness. The middle of winter is a bit of an exception as regards to hot food.”

Bhakta: “In Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta (12.71) Kṛṣṇa says to Rādhā:
“Your eyes make the fishes, the wagtail-birds, the lotus flowers, the Cakora-birds, the bumblebees and other items successful with mere drops of their tastefulness (the fish), playfulness (the wagtail-birds), attractiveness (the lotus-flowers), truthful target (the Cakora-birds) and the ability to select the essence of things (the bumblebees)! (For instance, the tastefulness of Your eyes is like an ocean, of which even a drop can bless the fish completely; how can the fish then ever be compared with Your eyes? The love of a fish for the water, without which it will die, is only a drop compared with the ocean of Your love.”
The Bhagavata (11th Canto) says the fish is captured by the tongue (rasa). Can we also say: “Rādhā’s fish-like eyes are attracted to the taste of Krishna’s form?”

Advaitadas: “That is very nice, I agree with that.”

Bhakta: “While Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa thus wandered through the autumn-forest, Śrī Rādhikā pointed at the deer, the trees and the charming birds that She saw before Her and that enchanted Her mind and eyes. She pointed them out to Kṛṣṇa with Her index finger, asking Him what their names were.”(Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta 12.31) - “She is looking at the deer and the birds and not at Kṛṣṇa, who is the most beautiful?”

Advaitadas: “You see, it is romantic. She pretends not to know things. She just wants him to do something for her, to show that he cares about her and so. Actually Raghunāth Dās Gosvāmī says ‘jñāta vṛndāṭavi sarva taru latā mṛga dvija’ “Rādhikā knows all the trees, creepers, deer and birds of Vṛndāvana”.

Bhakta: “Sometimes it is said that Kṛṣṇa sings the glories of Rādhā with His flute. How is that possible?”

Advaitadas: rādhā rādhā rādhā boli veṇu-i ar phukāra-i – There are so many songs describing that. Śrīmad Bhāgavata’s verse 10.21.9 and its elaborate song translation in Caitanya Caritāmṛta are famous in that respect. There are also Bengali songs and I believe a passage in the Gopāl Campū in which all Vrajavāsīs hear Kṛṣṇa's flute saying something to their group in particular. The flute tells the gopīs “Come and enjoy with Me at Rādhākuṇḍa” but the cowherd boys not; they aren’t supposed to hear that. Nanda Mahārāja should do this and the gopas should do that; everybody hears their own transmission of the flute song."

Bhakta: “Some things even sound the same but the gopas may interpret one word differently from the gopīs.”

Advaitadas: “Yes - the magic of Sanskrit sandhis, that may give opposite meanings to one and the same word. I was deeply impressed when, in 1976, I first saw the picture of Brahmā getting initiated by Kṛṣṇa’s flute song – like a blue tube entering into his ear. That is only Brahmā, what to speak of Mother Yaśodā or the gopīs. The flute appears as a piece of bamboo, but is actually an ingredient of the Sandhinī śakti.”

Bhakta: “One should not just make music, there must be some words there too.”

Advaitadas: “Absolutely. harer nāmaiva kevalam – harināma is the essence, not just the music. Better singing without instruments than instruments without singing.”

Bhakta: “What then do you think about attracting new devotees through modern music?”

Advaitadas: “A lofty idea, but no, I am against it. You see, it is not that music has no influence on the consciousness. Music also comes in three modes of nature. Folk and classical music is sattva, punk, blues and most metal is tamah (darkness) and most everything else (Sinatra, ‘I love you you love me’) is in the mode of passion. Sound vibration matters. You cant just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and play the most daft frenzied punk on the background and say its all transcendental. At the very least this music must be kept out of sacred ashram communities. We have seen western Gurus making rock music in the past – this is wrong – there is a certain dignity attached to a monk and a Guru, you know. “It’s all for preaching” is of course just an excuse for your attachment to this music.

To be continued

Some interesting details from Vilāpa Kusumāñjali

Recently I had this interesting exchange with my friend Kṛṣṇadās:

Dear Kṛṣṇadās,
I have a question about Vilāpa kusumāñjali 36. Can you see from the Sanskrit if the nose or Rādhā is taking the nose-ring from Tulsi's hand? If you don't have the text at hand I will spell it out for you. (For the readers:)

VERSE 36:

KANAKA GUṆITAM UCCAIR MAUKTIKAṀ MAT KARĀT TE

TILA KUSUMA VIJETRĪ NĀSIKĀ SĀ SUVṚTTAM

MADHU-MATHANA MAHĀLI KṢOBHAKAṀ HEMA-GAURI

PRAKAṬATARA MARANDA PRĀYAM ĀDĀSYATE KIM

kanaka - golden; guṇitam - strings; uccaiḥ - great; mauktikaṁ - pearl; mat - my; karāt - from the hand; te - Your; tila-kusuma - sesame flower; vijetrī - defeating; nāsikā - nose; sā - that; suvṛttam - round; madhu-mathana - Kṛṣṇa, the churner of the honey; mahā - great; ali - bumblebee; kṣobhakaṁ - agitating; hemagauri - golden beauty; prakaṭatara - becomes manifest; maranda - honey; prāyam - like; ādāsyate - will take; kim - whether.


O Hema-Gauri (golden girl)! When will Your nose, that defeats the beauty of a sesame flower, take a great, round nosepearl, attached to a golden string, from my hand? The great bee Madhumathana (Kṛṣṇa) will be very agitated by the honey that appears thus!

Dear Adwaita,
In the verse from Vilāpa Kusumāñjali, the nose is the subject: te (=tava) nāsikā mauktikam ādasyate kim. But I probably do not understand your question. Why should the difference between the person and the nose matter?

Dear Kṛṣṇadās,
It makes a big difference in līlā smaraṇa. Plus, Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī says Rādhā takes the pearl, but from the Sanskrit I surmised it was the nose. It's just a bit weird if the nose took it, but why not? It's all ecstatic poetry after all. So please, can you give your own full translation of the verse?

Dear Advaita,

Although the text says that the nose takes the pearl, on account of ajahal-lakṣaṇa (or ajahatsvartha-lakṣaṇa) it actually means that Rādhā takes the pearl. It is like when you say: kuntāḥ praviśanti ("The lances enter"). The lances themselves cannot enter. They are acetana, insentient. Therefore, we understand that the noun denotes men bearing lances. The secondary meaning includes the primary meaning as well. I hope this will help you understand the seeming contradiction.

Kṛṣṇadās

Plus,

In the ongoing debate on whether meeting or separation is the goal, I was not able until now to ascertain where my parivāra stands on this, but today I found Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī saying in his purport of Vilāpa-kusumāñjali (60) that milane-ī sādhya, perfection lies in meeting.

Shiva Rātri 2008

With a lot of Rādhākund-water and a tray with flowers, Bel-leaves, kumkum and sandal-fluid I do Shiva Puja to the lingam at the bank of the Kuṇḍa, below the subji bazar. It's too busy upstairs at Kundeśvar Mahādeva. Though I don't know how to do it I feel Bābā is pleased with it.

This year for Shivarātri some anecdotes about Sādhu Bābā, also known as Sachal Shiva, the mobile Shiva -
Kiśorī Dās, a disciple of Śrīla Ānanda Gopāl Gosvāmī, who was very fond of Bābā as the youngest son of his Guru, had gone to Navadvīp’s main market in the morning, where a person who was not dear to Bābā offered him a gift for Bābā. Afraid to offend Bābā, Kiśorī declined. Through his yogic powers, however, Bābā could understand what was happening while staying in his ashram (which is very far away from Navadvīp’s main market). When Kiśorī returned to the Ashram, Bābā asked him: “Why didn’t you accept that gift?” Kiśorī said: “What do you mean, Bābā?” Bābā: “This person wanted to give you a donation, why didn’t you accept it?” Kiśorī: “Bābā, how could you know that?” Bābā roared with laughter: “Hāhāhā – when you rise to this level you can see all kinds of things you cannot see down there!”

I found a verse in the Bhāgavat (10.61.21) that exactly illustrates this pastime -

anāgataṁ atītaṁ ca vartamānam atīndriyam

viprakṛṣṭam vyavahitaṁ samyak pasyanti yoginaḥ

"Yogis can see what has not yet happened, past, present, beyond the senses, remote or blocked by physical obstacles."

*************

I found the answer to my own question about what Bābā said to intellectuals, in my memory. Once a PhD visited Bābā and asked him all kinds of intricate scriptural questions. Bābā replied with light jokes, but eventually got serious and kindly told him: "All this intellectual endeavour will not do the job. Only Guru kṛpā will make you see these things."

*********************

Sādhu Bābā's ashram excels in mauna (silence) and śānti (peace). There are no tapes constantly playing kīrtans or so. Bābā wanted mādhurya (sweetness) to prevail in his abode. And so it still does.

*********************

Once a young man wanted to join the āshram and openly said it would be a great place for him
to get free meals without having to work. Bābā turned him down.

*********************

From Mālatī's blog (Febr.28)
"Lord Chaitanya blessed Advaita acharya with a boon that whosoever on earth would be included in the divine family of Advaita through initiation would be given first preference, favour and grace of Mahaprabhu. This shows the earnest gratitude of Lord Chaitanya to Advaita.

It is said that Sādhu Bābā didn’t like putting a donation box in our ashram. It still doesn’t have one.

Being in the āshram was like feeling Sādhu Bābā's spirit. He had said many times that even after his passing he will always be with his disciples. And it was even kept more alive by narrations of my gurubhāis and vons—some of which were extremely above the metaphysical. I especially remember Tapan da’s narration about Śrī Bābā's merciful gesture. When Advaitadās of the Netherlands asked for initiation, Sādhu Bābā asked 8 of his disciples if he should do it. Everyone disagreed. Bābā shot back by saying, if he didn’t then Bhakti devi will be offended. In the same token my being accepted into his family is a special mercy considering the time that separates Bābā and myself. I now have a robust understanding of my Gurudev’s endearing personality, simplicity, and love for everyone. I hope to carry the memories of this trip in my heart forever."

Some readings from Sārārtha Darśinī 10th Canto

SOME READINGS FROM SĀRĀRTHA DARŚINĪ BHĀGAVAT TIKA, 10th canto -

by Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda, translated by Bhānu Swāmī

10.2.8 Here Viśvanātha gives an ādhyātmik, or symbolic, reading: The six sons of Devakī are the six sense-objects, killed as prema appears in the womb of devotion when material desires vanish.
10.8.45 As a lamp sits in one place in a dark room and lights up the whole room, so that statement in śāstra which can reveal or regulate their meaning is called paribhāṣa sūtra. This verse is that for Kṛṣṇa's bālya līlā.
10.9.18 The distance of two fingers was filled by the devotees' effort (bhakta niṣṭhā) and the Lord's mercy (sva-niṣṭhā).
10.14.24 The Guru is compared to the sun (gurvarka) that gives you good eyes (sucakṣusā) to see Kṛṣṇa.
10.14.30-31 Show very clearly (verse and ṭīkā) that Vraja's cows are in vātsalya-rasa, not in śānta rasa. "I am not qualified to pray for their vātsalya rasa", Viśvanātha prays. Also in his ṭīkā of 10.20.26, Viśvanātha says 'prītyā is motherly affection'. In his ṭīkā of 10.21.13 Viśvanātha reiterates the cows (not the calves) are in vātsalya rasa.
10.14.50 "For every created being the dearmost thing is surely his own self. The dearness of children, wealth etc. is only due to the dearness of the self."
10.15.9 Kṛṣṇa, to whom Rādhā (Śrīmat) shows Her love (prītaḥ), came to Mānasa Gaṅgā (manaḥ, adreḥ sarit) and began to enjoy (reme) with the sakhīs (su-anuga).
10.16.27 When Kṛṣṇa saw the gopīs He thought "We will meet together to dance like this some time in the future."
10.19.12 One gopa said: "Kṛṣṇa knows everything about the powers of gems and mantras to remove the effects of poison and fire. But it's not effective in the presence of others. That's why He wants us to close our eyes!"
There's a story that Kṛṣṇa was very thirsty at the time so the forest fire, afraid and unable to against Kṛṣṇa's will, turned into a very cool and tasty drink which He drank as a small drop.
10.20.36 "Sometimes the wise bestow knowledge, sometimes they do not." Viśvanātha: "Prahlād instructed the demons' kids, Nārada the hunter and Jaḍa Bharat Rahūgaṇa, but not others. It's just up to them."
10.21.10 The peacocks offering Kṛṣṇa their tail feathers in this ṭīkā has been quoted by Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī in his lectures on Vilāpa Kusumāñjali 43.
10.24.35 Kṛṣṇa saying śailo'smi (I am the mountain) means 'I am the presiding master of this region'. Kṛṣṇa appeared like another mountain on top of Girrāj..
10.29.8 Why did the husbands let the gopīs go to Kṛṣṇa? Yogamāyā arranged for doubles for
them, that stayed home.
10.32.18 su-madhyamā means that this middle (madhyama) question of the gopīs is the best (su).
10.32.19 An 'alpa-druha' hates his benefactor for a reason, and a 'guru-druha' has no reason for it.
10.33.3 Viśvanātha tries to solve the aiśvarya of Kṛṣṇa having many forms in the Rāsa-dance by saying that He was actually one but moved quickly between the gopīs, but this too is supernatural and thus aiśvarya..The devatās in this verse were not qualified to see the gopīs - they only saw Kṛṣṇa dancing - but the devīs could see them, as in SB 10.33.18.
10.33.16 Kṛṣṇa counting the rhythm of the dance by tapping on the gopīs' breasts later inspired Śrīla Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī to speak Vilāpa Kusumāñjali's verse 79's purport.
10.33.25 ava-ruddha-saurata means 'completely absorbed in amorous play'.
10.33.36 One needs to be pure-hearted for the Rāsa līlā to make you a pure devotee.
10.33.37 Even the gopīs' doubles, that stayed with their husbands during the Rāsa, were not enjoyed by them. (U.N.)
10.47.34 Kṛṣṇa tells the gopīs - "an object of attraction is far from the mind when it is close to the eyes and near the mind when it is far from the eyes. Of the two, the mind is more important. So remain close to My mind." It's what Sādhu Bābā also told me, about Vraja-vāsa.... āmāra hṛdoy- man
10.47.40 Gadāgraja is Kṛṣṇa, the elder brother of Gadā, son of Deva-rakṣitā, sister and co-wife of Devakī.
10.47.59 The adultress who leaves her husband for her lover is less sinful than she who carries on with both husband and lover - she has at least loyalty to one man.
10.47.67 Those with sakhya-, vātsalya- or mādhura-prema become indifferent to themselves as repositories of love of Kṛṣṇa, due to extreme hopelessness of separation. In great humility they take the mood of dāsya (Balaram/sakhyā in 10.13.37, mādhurya/Radha in 10.30.40 and vātsalya/Nanda in 10.47.67).
10.61.3 "The wonder why Kṛṣṇa could not be attracted to the Queens' glances, though He is subdued by His devotees' love is because they have two kinds of love for Him -kāma-maya and prema-maya. The former cannot captivate Kṛṣṇa, the latter can.
10.61.4  The Queens acted according to the Kāma Sūtra.
10.61.5  The Queens' prema-maya love did bind Kṛṣṇa in SB 1.11.35, 10.53.2 and 10.70.16.
10.61.35  The mañjarīs who ridiculed Kṛṣṇa as a simple foolish cowherd at the dice-game in Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī's Vilāpa Kusumāñjali-comments may have learned that from this verse spoken by Rukmi.
10.65.17 Śrīdhar Swāmi says these gopīs were too young during Kṛṣṇa's Rāsa dance, they had
not participated. Jīva Goswāmī says during Holi (Śaṅkhacūḍa killing) Kṛṣṇa and Balarām enjoyed different gopīs.
10.78.36 Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (6.4.8) confirms the 'so father so son' principle in this verse -aṅgāt aṅgāt sambhavasi hṛdayād abhijāyate ātma vai putra nāmāsi 'Your limbs are born from my limbs, you are born from my heart. You are named my son because you are me."
10.83.43 The 8 principal Queens like Rukmiṇī were fully satisfied in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This verse praising the gopīs was spoken by the 16,000 lesser Queens, who were later kidnapped by Arjuna and brought to Gokula, after the Mauṣala-līlā.
10.87.30 The word aparimita proves there is no end to the number of jīvas and thus also not to the material world.
Kṛṣṇa is called sudur-ārādhya in SB 10.88.11 - He is hard to worship and that shows in all the brief friendships I had as a devotee - nobody stays!

There are some serious mistakes made in my edition of the English Sārārtha Darśinī by the way - chapters 72,73.76 and 77 are double and 74 and 75 are missing! I saw other editions are all right, though. I won't review most of the main parts of the tenth canto - Veṇu Gīta, Rāsa-līlā, Yugal Gīta, Bhramar Gīta and Mahiṣī Gīta - here,they are way too elaborate, but it's a monumental work by Viśvanātha, for sure.

Gopāl Tāpanī Upaniṣad - Two editions

Gopāl Tāpanī Upaniṣad - two English renderings.

Mahānidhi Swāmī and Tripurāri Swāmī - both published in 2004

Gopāl Tāpanī Upaniṣad is an important text since it is Śruti-śāstra, which is higher evidence than Smṛti (Purāṇas), and nicely confirms Kṛṣṇa's Vraja-pastimes.

Mahānidhi Swāmī's has some of the worst lay-outing and editing I have ever seen - texts missing italics or bold settings, and many typos. Tripurāri's version has basically his own comment, derived partially from the previous ācāryas, Prabodhānanda, Jīva Goswāmī, Viśvanātha, with Tripurāri Swami's own added comments. Mahānidhi's version has only Viśvanātha's tika. The verse-numberings of both editions is quite different somehow. In his comments Tripurāri occasionally panders to the mundane intellectuals, which disturbs the devotional flow of the book, but it is not per se uninteresting or unacceptable.

Tripurāri's explanation of svārasikī is quite different from what the bābājīs teach - he says mantramayī is f.i. attending ārati, while the bābājīs say it is mantra smaraṇa, while svārasikī is progressively, timely līlā smaraṇam. On page 29 Tripurāri claims that vaidhi bhakti is prompted by the intellect and rāgānugā by emotions, but isn't bhakti of any kind an emotional practise? Jīva and Viśvanātha comment on verse 66/67 that the Śrīvatsa mark is a bunch of hair shaped like the moon, and Prabodhānanda likens it to the collective status of the jīvas, that become differentiated when they emerge from Mahāviṣṇu.

On page 30 Tripurāri claims that, unlike in rāgānugā bhakti, in vaidhi bhakti one aspires for devotional liberation, but there are many verses in the Bhāgavat's vaidhi-cantos that reject liberation too. Verses like gopālo'ham ("I am Gopāl") to be said by the sādhaka, not Gopāla, are typical for largely non-dualistic śāstras like the Upaniṣads, but are not properly translated by Bhūmipati (Mahānidhi's translator). They are by Tripurāri, though. Tripurāri says that the middle of the book (p. 138), where his non-dualist statement is made, cannot be different from the beginning and end (which had dualistic statements), but that need not be - Jīva Goswāmī teaches acintya bhedābheda, inconceivable oneness and distinction, unfavorable as the non-dual may be for bhakti. It is not clear from the English purport if this is Tripurāri's own writing or that of the previous ācāryas.

Of the two editions Tripurāri's is better, both in material quality as well as in spiritual quantity and quality.

Sītānāth's Utsav 2008 - Sādhu Bābā's āshram

Mālatī Di received the loving hospitality of my Didis and Dādās in Sādhu Bābā's āshram - they would not allow her to stay anywhere out of the ashram. She could imbibe the spirit of the āshram, the spirit of Sādhu Bābā. Unfortunately she had no better camera than her cell-phone, the pics are a bit unclear. Top to bottom: Tulsī Di and Nomitā Di, Tapan Dā and Kumkum Dā, villagers taking Madangopāl's prasād and some bhaktas.

The advent of Śrī Advaita Ācārya, 2008

THE ADVENT OF ŚRĪ ADVAITA ĀCĀRYA -

From 'Adwaita Prakāśa'

Once, at the end of the night, Lābhā Ṭhākurāṇī had a wonderful dream in which she saw a form of Harihara (a joint form of Viṣṇu and Śiva) in the lotus flower of her heart. All directions were illuminated by the radiance that emanated from His body. He performed hari saṅkīrtana with a sweet voice — dancing and weeping with raised arms, he was unaware of the external world. He roared out hare kṛṣṇa so loudly that Yamarāja, the son of the sun (who punishes the sinners) came to Him and beheld His sweet form of Hara and Hari combined, which was as attractive as Hara-Gaurī (Śiva-Pārvatī). His captivating bodily luster defeated the splendour of millions of suns— who is able to describe such a form? Goosebumps erupted on His body as He sang the hare kṛṣṇa-names and tears flowed from His eyes like the current of the Gaṅgā. His body swayed of pure loving ecstasy and sometimes He increased the waves of prema by dancing. 

Seeing this amazing form, the son of the sun offered prostrated obeisances and offered many kinds of indescribable praises. Folding his hands he sweetly spoke: "Listen, O Lord, this is the dark age of Kali— it is a matter of amazement that You will descend in this time and age. When they simply see You, the sinners will be saved and I will have no jurisdiction anymore. Therefore, my Lord, please be gone and thus solve the dilemma of this Your servant." 

Hearing this plea, the Lord smiled slightly and told Yama: "O Dharmarāja! Be at ease— you are mistaking. Don't you care about the deep suffering of the sinners? Wise sādhus are suffering when others are suffering. If you say: 'All living entities must suffer the reactions to their activities— who has the power to sever the bondage of karma?', then I'll tell you: Covered by māyā or illusion, they do not know what is for their own welfare— they consider trifle external sensual happiness to be beneficial. A person attached to mundane (family-) life is like a sick man that suffers only more when he takes some bogus medicine. Especially the people of the Kali age are very wayward— they wallow in forest-fires of deep miseries. When My mind sees the intolerable suffering of the conditioned souls I cannot remain calm and I took the following resolve: This mahā mantra destroys all bondage to fruitive activities and generates pure loving devotion to Kṛṣṇa. By teaching the conditioned souls this transcendental harināma I will redeem and empower the sinners. For this reason I will now take birth. The sādhus will instead sing: "Blessed is the age of Kali!" 

And I have another firm resolve: "I will surely cause the Original Personality of Godhead, Mahāprabhu, to descend, along with His eternal associates. This country will be inundated by a tidal wave of pure love of God. However, your jurisdiction will not be lost, for the blasphemers and atheists will not be saved."  Hearing this, Yamarāja went to his own abode. After having this dream, Lābhā woke up and told her husband about her wonderful dream. When Kuvera Paṇḍita heard about the dream he was amazed. 

Disneyland in tapobhūmi

I had some more thoughts on the culture-gap case Lila:

Vaiṣṇava missions in the west (perhaps due to competition) lower the threshold for admission and create a new layer of congregational grass-roots members, much like the caste Goswāmīs do in India. That is okay, but there is a big cultural difference. The new congregational/householder/grassroots devotees should not start selecting tapo-bhūmi (field of penance) Vraja as a holiday-destination for themselves and their rock 'n rolling teens. I saw in Raman Reti ('little Beverly Hills' or 'Disneyland in tapobhūmi') western teens roaring around on motorcycles, with earrings, bluejeans and mp3 players (most likely not playing kīrtan on the headphones), while Śrīman Mahāprabhu said sarva tyaji jīvera kartavya kāhā vāsa? "Where does a person who has given up everything reside?" To which Rāmānanda Rāya replied: vṛndāvana vraja-bhūmi yāhā līlā rāsa "In Vṛndāvana, Vraja-bhūmi, where the Rāsa-līlā took place". The founders of the big preaching missions in the west were themselves very cautious in allowing their disciples to live in Vraja, even in the austere 1970s, when the threshold of admission was much higher, let alone now.

Līlā

I wish to make a brief comment on the recent killing of 17-year old Lila Salter from Australia in Vṛndāvana. I do not know her or her family and this is not a judgement of them. They have my heartfelt condolences and sympathy in this time of grief. Nothing justifies her senseless killing. I want to say in general, though, that western girls and women are often ill-prepared when they come to India as Vaiṣṇava converts. It is said that Lila went around uncovered and approached Indian men directly, trying to promote her Guru's books, as this is being done in the west. Indian morale has it, however, that even public women do not approach unrelated men in a direct manner. Surely her intentions were lofty, but it shows that westerners have a lot to learn about matters like modesty, though they often do have higher spiritual knowledge than many born Hindus or even Vaiṣṇavas. The solution lies in a combination of segregation and education. Western women need to be educated in modesty and Indian men need to be taught that western women's open attitudes doesn't make them prostitutes, though western women should first learn modesty. It's their (the Indian men's) country, after all! Segregation helps avoiding disaster scenarios like this. Sādhu Bābā told me personally that Indians marrying westerners would be a cross-cultural disaster, and it usually is. One doesn't become Indian, let alone brahmin, simply by putting on Indian robes. If westerners who are new to India can learn a lesson from this, Lila's tragic death will not have been in vain.

Thawing more...

3 february 2008
Today's Ekādaśī and to break out of the daily drag I decide not to cook at noon but to go on bike-parikramā of Girrāja instead. Internet connections prove to be better at noon too, I discover on the way. Though its both sunday (a day off in Delhi) and Ekādaśī (a puṇya tithi) it's not too crowded around Girrāja. I haven't been all around the mount for maybe a year, and its sad to see huge bungalow parks have been built at both Anyor (Vasundhara) and Jātipurā. Much of the building is being done by the Tirtha Vikas Trust from Delhi. Their role is somewhat ambiguous - on the one hand they do good work - by supporting Sudevi's goshalla, building a fence around Girrāja to protect it against tresspassers and building sitting places all around the parikramā - but they are also responsible for a lot of the unnecessary building, at the expense of Girrāja's natural beauty. Girrāja remains a magical place, still. Even a bike parikramā with Nike shoes on gives a celestial outcome in the mind.

4 february 2008
Another nice iṣṭagoṣṭhī with Dhanurdhara Swāmi (I spoke with him earlier in Vṛndāvana, last year). He asks me to speak on the kuṇḍa līlā for 5 minutes (it is 11 a.m, when Rādhā Kṛṣṇa meet at the Kund), and it becomes 15 minutes instead. I explain that Puṣpa-cayan līlā takes place at Rādhākund, not at Kusum Sarovara - They already left Kusum Sarovar in chapter 7 of Govinda Līlāmṛta and Puṣpa-cayan līlā is in chapter 9. They wouldn't go back to Kusum Sarovar after already arriving at Rādhākuṇḍa. Swāmijī asks where it is taking place at Rādhākund. I say Kṛṣṇa is not a machine - there are plenty of places for flower-gardens still in between the 8 sakhīs' kuñjas. I remind Swāmijī we sit with our backs to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's prasādam-hall at the Padma Mandir.

Swāmijī tells me of the last days of his Godbrother Swarūp Dāmodara Swāmī, who passed away absorbed in the mood of the sakhīs. It is written on his samādhi in Rādhākund's Gopāl Mandir.

In the afternoon I walk to Mukherāi, the village of Śrī Rādhikā's grandmother Mukharā. Unlike Vṛndāvana and Rādhākuṇḍa, this village has barely changed in the 20-odd years I haven't seen it - straw huts, heaps of cow-dung paddies and fields full of mustard flowers. Only the Bājanī Śilā (resounding stone) has moved from an open courtyard into a temple building, called Giridhareśvara.

Picked up from a Bhagavat Saptāha by Vaiṣṇava Pada Dasji -
4th canto - Earth is called Pṛthivī because she is the daughter of Pṛthu Mahārāja.
Kāla-kanyā, the daughter of time, is Jarā, a female word indicating old age.
The black man churned from the thighs of Vena is not an African negro, but a Niṣāda, a tribal Indian.
Arci committed Sati for Pṛthu (as Mādrī did for Paṇḍu)
Canto 6 - antare vairāgya bāhya koro loka vyavahāra is meant for gṛhasthas, not for tyāgīs. For tyāgīs the motto is "dress like a renunciant and act like a renunciant".
A materially qualified non devotee is like a naked man wearing a beautiful turban (vastra-hīna alaṅkāra) - looking ridiculous.

Personal attacks, God-given intelligence, Rādhā-rasa Sudhānidhi, sad dhiya

I still have a number of interesting notes I made on often not-published comments in my notebook.

December 2007 -PERSONAL ATTACKS are useless. They will not change the issues, moral or philosophical, we discuss, at all. Mistakes made by me years ago do not disqualify me from preaching for the rest of my life.

Advaitadas: 'You know, we did not fall from the spiritual world.'
Critic: "But someone told me that he heard from someone that you looked at a girl in 1971".
Advaitadas: "You know, you need not be a pure devotee to do raganuga bhakti".
Critic: "Yes, but someone told me that he heard from someone that you smoked a cigarette in1969."
Advaitadas: I confess, I did both of these things back then. Now -
1. If I sin, I will be responsible.
2. If I tell others not to sin, and they sin, they are responsible.
3. If I encourage sin, and others follow, I am responsible for that.

GOD GIVEN INTELLIGENCE-
(Reply to non-published anon comment on the misogyny issue: 'Advaitadas, apply your God-given intelligence to the acaryas' commentaries' - 22 December 2007)

AD: "Do Rupa and Sanatan not already have God-given intelligence? Rūpa Goswāmī himself declared hṛdi yasya preranayā... vande caitanya-devasya (BRS 1.1.2) "Caitanya deva inspired me within the heart" and Mahāprabhu told Sanātan Goswāmī (CC Madhya 24) yabe likhibā kṛṣṇa sphurabe tomāy - "When you write Kṛṣṇa will reveal it to you." God also gave us intelligence to create atom bombs, heroin and pedophile websites. You erred (bhrama) when you said you took me to task, not the śāstras. śāstras and their comments, however, contain no error (bhrama pramāda vipralipsa karaṇāpaṭava), so how can we trust you know it better than them? Isn't yours laukika śraddhā instead of śāstrīya śraddhā? God gave us intelligence to understand śāstra via the principle of bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakaṁ dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ (B.G. 10.10), "If you perform loving bhajan I give you the divine intelligence", not to squeeze a new, self-serving purport from it, or try to reconcile it with TV-talk show-opinions. Furthermore, Jīva Goswāmī says that of śabda (śāstra), anumāna (mental assumption) and pratyakṣa (sense perception) only śabda is reliable."

THAWING
The worst of the winter in Vraja is over. Give me 1,000 winters in Vraja for 1 summer -in the winter there is at least the shelter of blankets and clothes against the cold, but in summer there is no shelter from the heat whatsoever.

RĀDHĀ RASA SUDHĀNIDHI
Rādhā-rasa Sudhānidhi is a masterpiece, rich with sweet rasa and prema, but I always found it a pity that it nowhere mentions Rādhākuṇḍa, only Vṛndāvan. Actually, however, Bengali devotees, Sādhu Bābā included, habitually call all of Vraja ' Vṛndāvan' - so Rādhākund is included there. Rādhā-rasa Sudhānidhi consists of verses of glorification - it does not provide material for contiguous līlā smaraṇam, but all of the verses are extremely fit for guṇa smaraṇa, nāma-smaraṇa and mañjarī sevā smaraṇa. The fact that Prabodhānanda Saraswatīpāda's mañjarī swarūpa is not known is not a problem, because the mañjarī swarūpa of Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī is also disputed, and the authorship anyway doesn't matter that much. It is for our own mañjarī-inspiration that we read these books. Śrīla Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī said about this that if a mango is sweet, who cares who planted it and where the orchard is.

SAD DHIYA
Those who think that just living in Vraja will bestow prema, no matter how, on the base of Rupa Goswami's yatra svalpo'pi sambandha sad-dhiyam bhāva janmane (BRS, "Even the slightest relationship with the 5 chief items of bhakti, of which living in Vraja is one, bestows bhāva in the sad-dhiya") should know that Jīva Goswāmī and Viśvanāth Cakravartī comment 'sad-dhiyaṁ niraparādha cittānām' - 'sad dhiya means those who are not offensive."

The Almighty vs. the Inquisition

For making eyes at another man, Reṇukā was killed by her son Paraśurām, to teach complete obedience to the Guru (ājñāṁ gurūnāṁ hyavicāranīya, Raghu-vaṁśa, quoted in CC Madhya 10). Reṇukā was later revived, after the order to kill her was carried out and Paraśurām passed the test of surrender (SB 9.16.2-8).
Rāma abandoned Sītā to teach complete chastity of the wife. To set the standard and to avoid creating a precedent it was done without compromise, as Śrīman Mahāprabhu later did with Chota Haridās, too. Both Sītā and Haridās were innocent in prakat līlā and are the Lord's eternal associates in the nitya līlā. In other words, Sītā-devī is inseparably Rāma's hlādini śakti and Her 'abandonment' was a mere līlā for Them and a lesson for us. One should not have a mundane view of the transcendent Lord - kartum akartum anyathāpi kartum samartha sa eva īśvaraḥ - 'He who can do or not do as He pleases or even do otherwise - that alone is Īśvara'. naitat samacārejjātu manasāpi hyanīśvaraḥ (SB 10.33.30) "Not even within one's mind one should imitate the Īśvara".

Perhaps Rām cut off Śūrpānakhā's nose to show the resolve of the monogamous man (eka-patnī-vrata).

Interestingly, līlā puruṣottama Kṛṣṇa enjoyed pūrva-bhukta ramaṇīs (women previously enjoyed by others) like the gopīs and the 16,000 captives of Bhaumāsura.

Viśvanāth Cakravartīpāda comments, by the way, that only the gopīs who attained spiritual bodies not stained by other men's enjoyment,were able to reach Him in the Rāsa-dance (S.D. 10.29.11) and that the 16,000 queens were expansions of the gopīs (Kārtik Māhātmya, quoted in SD 10.59.43). But maryādā puruṣottama Rāma rejected Sītā after She was kidnapped. (Asked for by Sītā,  Agnideva made a false Sītā who was kidnapped by Rāvana. Sītā entered Agniloka and the māyā-Sītā entered the fire during the fire-proof - Kūrma Purāṇa, CC Madhya 9,210,211)

Speaking of Rāma, in Tulsīdāsa's Rāmāyan it is said that drums and women sound better if regularly beaten, but this is not OUR scripture. Our scripture is the Bhāgavata (śāstraṁ bhāgavataṁ pramāṇam amalam....śrī caitanya mahāprabhor matam idam) and the Bhāgavata says women should not be beaten (praharanti na vai strīṣu).

Having said all this - bhakti means that the Lord tells us what to do, not that we tell Him what He can and cannot do. The Almighty will not subject Himself to today's Inquisitions of Political Correctness.

The Bhāgavata on misogyny

Everything is there in the Bhāgavata, and so the concept of misogyny will be there too (the concept itself is not laukika śraddhā, though some of the conclusions and implementations drawn from it nowadays may be). The line patiṁ tvapatitam bhajet (7.11.28) contains it all - it shows both the woman's and the man's duty. The woman must (bhajet is imperative) serve the husband (pati means 'master'), and the man must not be fallen (tvapatitam), which certainly includes abusing his wife (misogyny). In a single line the Bhāgavata thus rejects both feminism (patiṁ bhajet) and misogyny (tvapatitam). The Bhāgavat further condemns misogyny in verse 4.17.20 - praharanti na vai strīṣu kṛtagaḥsvapi jantavaḥ - "Women are not beaten, even if they committed an offence."

Gītā Bhūṣaṇa (2)

13.22 Baladeva repeatedly says here that the karma and saṁskāras of the jīva are beginningless.
14.27 "I alone am the shelter of the six eternal (śaśvatasya) qualities called ṣaḍ-aiśvarya (dharmasya), I alone am the shelter of My extraordinary (ekantikasya) rasa (sukhasya) arising from variegated pastimes."
16.1-3 Baladeva divides the attributes through varṇāśrama - the sannyāsī is fearless about how he will survive without work. The next two attributes along belong to the sannyāsī. The next three attributes belong to the gṛhastha. svādhyāya, study, is the only attribute of the brahmacārī, and tapas the only attribute of the vanaprastha. Next is the 12 qualities of the brāhmin, who is honest (arjava. The Iskcon-translation of arjava, 'simplicity', is not so clear). apaiśuna means not speaking bad about others in their absence. hrī means feeling ashamed to do illegal activities. acapala means no useless actions. teja to dhṛti are the three qualities of the kṣatriya, śauca (no cheating) and adroha 2 vaiśya-qualities, and nātimānī (not too proud, knowing one's place) the sole quality of the śūdra.
16.4 The asura wants to be known as pious (reputation or dambha), is proud of his lineage or knowledge (darpa), thinks he should be respected), is angry and uses rough language in front of others (pāruśya) - boy, that's me!
17.21 That is what Advaitadas-II rejected when he gave me the medicine. See blog of Dec.10, 2007.
18.14 Last year we had a few blogs about the jīva's doership. Here's a rare clue: "But if the jīva's actions depend on the Lord, his action becomes mere engagement by the Lord, in fullfilment of His goal. The jīva would be simply like a piece of wood, and the rules and prohibitions of śāstra would be useless. It would not be possible to initiate action by one's own intelligence, since it is seen that the jīva is simply made to act by the Lord." "The jiva is the substratum of the body, senses and prāṇa supplied by the Lord, and which operate by the powers bestowed by Him. Being the possessor of these bestowed powers, the jiva rules over his body and senses by his desires alone, for accomplishing his actions. The Lord, situated within the jīvas, giving His permission for their action, sets their actions in motion. The jīva, by his intelligence, can choose to act or not to act, without being forced either way by the Lord."
"But then at least the liberated jīva should not be the agent, because he no longer has a body, senses or prāṇa."
"No, that is not so, because liberated souls have spiritual senses and body, by which they accomplish their spiritual desires."
18.41 svabhāva prabhavaiḥ means, according to Baladeva, impressions from previous lives (svabhāva prāktana saṁskāra). That covers the guṇa-karma vibhāgaśaḥ line in Gītā 4.13.
18.48 By removing the smoke,which is a portion of the fire, the portion containing heat is used to eliminate the cold. Thus, after removing the fault in one's duties by offering the actions to the Lord, one should utilize the remaining portion, which generates jñāna, to realize the ātmā." I'm not sure if I get this one.
18.65 " But my doubt is not destroyed because even when You made a vow to return to Vraja after leaving for Mathurā, you did not keep it." Kṛṣṇa: "Therefore I say this after making an admission: you are dear to Me. If the resident of Mathurā, having an affectionate mind, does not cheat the one he loves, what then to speak of one he loves most?"
This makes no sense, because the resident of Mathurā did cheat the ones he loves (Kṛṣṇa never returned to Vraja).
18.66 Of the 6 types of surrender, anukūlasya sankalpa means 'accepting scriptural rules' and pratikūlya vivarjayet 'giving up unscriptural behaviour'.
18.78 One should not worry that this scripture is favoring war. It is not so. The instructions are manmana bhava mad bhakta (Think of Me and be My devotee") and sarva dharmān parityajya (give up all dharma and surrender to Me.")

Again, I probably missed many interesting things, this was merely a casual study.

Gīta Bhūṣaṇa

Book Review:
Gītā Bhūṣaṇa, Bhagavad Gītā commentary
by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Translated by Bhānu Swāmī

This book is philosophical, so it's a bit hard for me to digest. I have concentrated on the key verses and may well have missed a lot of great things in between. Baladeva quotes a lot from the Upaniṣads. The first 6 chapters he classifies as dealing more or less with niṣkāma karma-yoga, dedicated work for higher benefits, not per se bhakti.
2.14 mātra sparsas tu kaunteya (2.14) is explained in the framework of steadfastness in dharma, not as an act of bhakti, and verse 2.47 (karmaṇyevādhikāras te) reminds us that karma, not bhakti is the subject here.
The tika of 3.27 (ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā) refers to verses 18.14-16, which describe 5 factors of action, an intricate combination of doership by the jīva and the paramātmā. Overcome with impressions (vāsanās) of enjoying sense objects from beginningless time, the jīva is embraced by prakṛti, who is situated next to him, and who is the cause of his pleasure. Verse 13.21 describes prakṛti as the doer through the body and the senses, but prakṛti only comes into action by contact with the Lord. The Lord's doership can never be rejected.
3.33 Even a person who knows the punishment stated in the scriptures (jñānavān) acts according (sadṛśam) to his evil nature - his sinful impressions have been there since beginningless time. What to speak of those who don't even know the punishment?
3.37 Lust is very powerful, since it forces one to engage even in forbidden acts by making one lose one's sense of discrimination....the victory of lust and anger are one.
3.38 Knowledge covered slightly by lust can grasp something of truth, knowledge covered moderately cannot grasp the truth, and knowledge covered by lust cannot function and cannot even be perceived.
3.42 The sense objects are more powerful than the senses because they can attract them. The mind is superior to the sense objects because it is the root of the actions of the senses in pursuit of sense objects. The discerning and confirming intellect is superior to the mind which has doubt, because there must be verification of existence of enjoyment from sense objects before action takes place. The jīva, the enjoyer, is superior to the intellect, because it is the very means of enjoyment or experience.
4.6 pratyakṣaṁ ca harer janma na vikāra kathañcana - "Hari's birth, though visible, takes place without transformation of His svarūpa." (Smṛti). Thus one should recall His appearance in the delivery room with divine form, decorated with ornaments, etc.
4.40 ajña = ignorant like an animal. aśraddha = he knows śāstra but has no faith because he is quarrelsome. saṁśayātma knows śāstra and has faith but doubts he will make it.
Happiness is generated fom actions prescribed by śāstra.
5.9 Breathing represents the actions of the 5 major prāṇas. Opening and closing the eyes are done by the 5 secondary prāṇas. Sleeping is an action of the internal organ (antaḥ-karaṇa)
5.15
eṣa hyeva sādhu-karma kārayati taṁ yamebhyo lokebhyaḥ unninīṣate. 
esa u evāsādhu karma kārayati taṁ yam adho ninīṣyate
(Kauśitakī Upaniṣad 3.8)

"The Lord engages souls in good work for their elevation and in bad work for their degradation."

ajño jantur aniśo'yam ātmanah sukha duḥkayoḥ
īśvara prerito gacchet svargaṁ narakam eva ca

"The ignorant is totally powerless about his joy or woes - impelled by the Lord he goes to heaven or hell." Isn't that unjust of the Lord? No, because karma is beginningless - na karmāvibhāgād iti cen nānāditvāt.
Bhānu Swāmī comments on 7.8 that the four levels of sound (see blog of febr.28, 2007) have their cakras too - parā = mūlādhāra, paśyanti = maṇipūraka and madhyama = anāhata. For vaikhari no cakra is mentioned.
5.11 Engaging the senses in enlightenment is only possible if they are very pure. Hence Kṛṣṇa uses the adjective 'kevalaiḥ'.
7.15 "Those who know the meaning of śāstra (kṛtinaḥ) but are evil (duṣ) do not surrender unto Me." Baladeva then quotes a great egghead-verse:


avidyāyāṁ antare vartamānaḥ svayaṁ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṁ manyamānāḥ 
dandramyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhā andhenaiva nīyamāna yathāndhāḥ

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5)

"Though internally they are ignorant they think they are learned. These fools wander about in confusion like blind men leading other blind men."
9.13 mahātmā here means ' broad-minded'
9.22 Another meaning than ' carrying food' is ' I take care My devotees attain Me (yoga)
and prevent their separation from Me (kṣemam)."