19 Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

kṛṣṇa-mantre — in the holy mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa; karāila — caused to perform; dui — two; puraścaraṇa — religious ceremonies; acirāt — without delay; pāibāre — to get; caitanya-caraṇa — the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Translation

The brāhmaṇas performed religious ceremonies and chanted the holy name of Kṛṣṇa so that the two brothers might attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very soon.

Purport

A puraścaraṇa is a ritualistic ceremony performed under the guidance of an expert spiritual master or a brāhmaṇa. It is performed for the fulfillment of certain desires. One rises early in the morning, chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, performs arcana by the ārati ceremony and worships the Deities. These activities are described in Madhya-līlā, fifteenth chapter, verse 108.

Text 6

Bengali

श्रीरूप-गोसाञि तवे नौकाते भरिय़ा ।
आपनार घरे आइला वहुधन लञा ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

śrī-rūpa-gosāñi tabe naukāte bhariyā
āpanāra ghare āilā bahu-dhana lañā

Synonyms

śrī-rūpa-gosāñi — Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī; tabe — thereafter; naukāte bhariyā — filling boats; āpanāra ghare — to his own house; āilā — returned; bahu-dhana lañā — taking large amounts of riches.

Translation

At this time, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī returned home, taking with him large quantities of riches loaded in boats.

Text 7

Bengali

Purport

Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister in charge of the government secretariat, and his assistants — the undersecretaries and clerks — all belonged to the kāyastha community. Formerly the kāyasthas belonged to the clerical and secretarial staff of the government, and later if one served in such a post, he was called a kāyastha. Eventually if a person could not identify himself as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, he used to introduce himself as a kāyastha to get a wealthy and honorable position. In Bengal it is said that if one cannot give the identity of his caste, he calls himself a kāyastha. On the whole, the kāyastha community is a mixture of all castes, and it especially includes those engaged in clerical or secretarial work. Materially such people are always busy occupying responsible government posts.

When Sanātana Gosvāmī was relaxing and feeling inclined to retire from government service, many kāyasthas on his secretarial staff were very eager to occupy his post. In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that when Sanātana Gosvāmī was a government minister and the kāyasthas who assisted him saw that he was reluctant to continue, they became very expert in their duties. Sanātana Gosvāmī was a brāhmaṇa belonging to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa community. It is said that when he resigned, a subordinate named Purandara Khān, who was a kāyastha, occupied his post.

Text 17

Bengali

भट्टाचार्य पण्डित विश त्रिश लञा ।
भागवत विचार करेन सभाते वसिय़ा ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

bhaṭṭācārya paṇḍita biśa triśa lañā
bhāgavata vicāra karena sabhāte vasiyā

Synonyms

bhaṭṭācārya paṇḍita — learned scholars known as bhaṭṭācāryas; biśa triśa — twenty or thirty; lañā — taking with him; bhāgavata vicāra — discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; karena — does; sabhāte vasiyā — sitting in an assembly.

Translation

Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī used to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in an assembly of twenty or thirty learned brāhmaṇa scholars.

Purport

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following commentary on the words bhāgavata vicāra. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4-5), there are two kinds of educational systems:

dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti — parā caivāparā ca. tatrāparā ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇaṁ niruktaṁ chando jyotiṣam iti. atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate.

“There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. All the Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa — belong to the inferior system of material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. By parā vidyā one can understand the akṣara — Brahman or the Absolute Truth.” As far as the Vedic literature is concerned, the Vedānta-sūtra is accepted as the parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an explanation of that parā vidyā. Those who aspire for liberation (mukti or mokṣa) and introduce themselves as vaidāntika are also equal to those groups aspiring to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha) and sense gratification (kāma). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are called catur-varga. They are all within the system of inferior, material knowledge. Any literature giving information about the spiritual world, spiritual life, spiritual identity and the spirit soul is called parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not have anything to do with the materialistic way of life; it gives transcendental information to educate people in the superior system of parā vidyā. Sanātana Gosvāmī was engaged in discussing the bhāgavata-vidyā, which means he discussed transcendental superior knowledge. Those who are karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs are not actually fit to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Vaiṣṇavas, or pure devotees, are fit to discuss that literature. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18):

*śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ * *yasmin pāramahaṁsyam ekam amalaṁ jñānaṁ paraṁ gīyate
yatra jñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitaṁ naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtaṁ * tac chṛṇvan supaṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ

Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is counted among the Purāṇas, it is called the spotless Purāṇa. Because it does not discuss anything material, it is liked by transcendental Vaiṣṇava devotees. The subject matter found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for paramahaṁsas. As it is said, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyam. A paramahaṁsa is one who does not live in the material world and who does not envy others. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is discussed to arouse the living entity to the transcendental position of jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (renunciation). As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.12):

tac chraddadhānāḥ munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā

“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.”

This is not sentiment. Knowledge and renunciation can be obtained through devotional service (bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā), that is, by arousing one’s dormant devotional consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused, it relieves one from fruitive activity, activity for economic improvement and material enjoyment. This relief is technically called naiṣkarmya, and when one is relieved, he is no longer interested in working hard for sense gratification. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Śrīla Vyāsadeva’s last, mature contribution, and one should read and hear it in an assembly of realized souls while engaging in devotional service. At such a time one can be liberated from all material bondage. This was the course taken by Sanātana Gosvāmī, who retired from government service to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned scholars.

Text 18

Bengali

आर दिन गौड़ेश्वर, सङ्गे एकजन ।
आचम्विते गोसाञि-सभाते कैल आगमन ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

āra dina gauḍeśvara, saṅge eka-jana
ācambite gosāñi-sabhāte kaila āgamana

Synonyms

āra dina — one day; gauḍa-īśvara — the Nawab of Bengal; saṅge — with; eka-jana — one other person; ācambite — suddenly; gosāñi-sabhāte — in the assembly of Sanātana Gosvāmī; kaila āgamana — came.

Translation

While Sanātana Gosvāmī was studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the assembly of learned brāhmaṇas, one day the Nawab of Bengal and another person suddenly appeared.

Purport

The full name of the Nawab of Bengal (Hussain Shah) was Ālāuddīna Saiyada Husena Sāha Seripha Makkā, and he ruled Bengal for twenty-three years, from 1420 to 1443 Śakābda Era (A.D. 1498 to 1521). Sanātana Gosvāmī was studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the scholars in the year 1424 (A.D. 1502).

Text 19

Bengali

पात्साह देखिय़ा सवे सम्भ्रमे उठिला ।
सम्भ्रमे आसन दिय़ा राजारे वसाइला ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

pātsāha dekhiyā sabe sambhrame uṭhilā
sambhrame āsana diyā rājāre vasāilā

Synonyms

pātsāha dekhiyā — seeing the Nawab; sabe — all of them; sambhrame — in great respect; uṭhilā — stood up; sambhrame — with great respect; āsana diyā — giving a sitting place; rājāre — the King; vasāilā — made to sit.

Translation

As soon as all the brāhmaṇas and Sanātana Gosvāmī saw the Nawab appear, they all stood up and respectfully gave him a sitting place to honor him.

Purport

Although Nawab Hussain Shah was a mleccha-yavana, he was nonetheless the governor of the country, and the learned scholars and Sanātana Gosvāmī offered him all the respect due a king or a governor. When a person occupies an exalted executive post, one should consider that he has acquired the grace of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:

eta śuni’ — hearing this; gauḍa-īśvara — the Nawab of Bengal; uṭhi’ — standing up; ghare gelā — went back home; palāiba — I shall run away; bali’ — because of this; sanātanere bāndhilā — he arrested Sanātana.

Translation

Hearing this, the Nawab of Bengal stood up and returned to his home. He ordered the arrest of Sanātana Gosvāmī so that he would not be able to leave.

Purport

It is said that the relationship between the Nawab of Bengal and Sanātana Gosvāmī was very intimate. The Nawab used to consider Sanātana Gosvāmī his younger brother, and when Sanātana Gosvāmī showed a very strong intention to resign, the Nawab, feeling familial affection, essentially said, “I am your elder brother, but I do not look after the state management. My only business is attacking other states with my soldiers and fighting everywhere as a plunderer. Because I am a meat-eater [yavana], I am used to hunting all kinds of living beings. In this way I am destroying all kinds of living entities in Bengal. While engaged in this destructive business, I am hoping that you will tend to the administration of the state. Since I, your elder brother, am engaged in such a destructive business, you, being my younger brother, should look after the state management. If you do not, how will things continue?” This talk was based on a family relationship, and Sanātana Gosvāmī also replied in an intimate and joking way. Essentially he told the Nawab, “My dear brother, you are the independent ruler of Bengal. You can act in whatever way you like, and if someone commits a fault, you can punish him accordingly.” In other words, Sanātana Gosvāmī was saying that since the Nawab was accustomed to acting like a plunderer, he should go ahead and take action. Since Sanātana was not showing much enthusiasm for performing his duty, the Nawab should dismiss him from his service. The Nawab could understand the intention of Sanātana Gosvāmī’s statement. He therefore left in an angry mood and ordered Sanātana Gosvāmī’s arrest.

Text 28

Bengali

Purport

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was a great learned scholar of Vaiṣṇavism. In the beginning he was very much devoted to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but since he thought that he could not receive proper respect from Him, he later joined the Viṣṇu Svāmī sect and became the ācārya of that sect. His sect is celebrated as the Vallabhācārya-sampradāya. This sampradāya has had great influence in Vṛndāvana near Gokula and in Bombay. Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wrote many books, including a commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam called Subodhinī-ṭīkā and notes on the Vedānta-sūtra in the form of an Anubhāṣya. He also wrote a combination of sixteen short works called Ṣoḍaśa-grantha. The village where he was staying — Āḍāila-grāma, or Adelī-grāma — was near the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamunā, on the other side of the Yamunā from Prayāga, about one mile from the river. A temple of Lord Viṣṇu there still belongs to the Vallabha-sampradāya.

iṅho — him; nā sparśiha — do not touch; iṅho — he; jāti — caste; ati-hīna — very low; vaidika — a follower of Vedic principles; yājñika — a performer of many sacrifices; tumi — you; kulīna — aristocratic brāhmaṇa; pravīṇa — an experienced person.

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Don’t touch him, for he belongs to a very low caste. You are a follower of Vedic principles and are a well experienced performer of many sacrifices. You also belong to the aristocracy.”

Purport

Generally brāhmaṇas are puffed up with false prestige because they belong to the aristocracy and perform many Vedic sacrifices. In South India especially, this fastidious position is most prominent. At any rate, this was the case five hundred years ago. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually started a revolution against this brahminical system by inaugurating the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. By this chanting, one can be delivered regardless of caste, creed, color or social position. Whoever chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is immediately purified due to the transcendental position of devotional service. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is here hinting to Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya that an exalted brāhmaṇa who makes sacrifices and follows Vedic principles should not neglect a person who is engaged in devotional service by chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Actually Rūpa Gosvāmī did not belong to a lower caste. He was from a highly aristocratic brāhmaṇa family, but due to his association with the Muslim Nawab, he was considered fallen and was excommunicated from brāhmaṇa society. However, due to his advanced devotional service, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted him as a gosvāmī. Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya knew all this. One who is a devotee is above caste and creed, yet Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya felt himself prestigious.

The present head of the Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya sampradāya of Bombay is named Dīkṣita Mahārāja. He is very friendly to our movement, and whenever we meet him, this learned brāhmaṇa scholar highly praises the activities of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. He is a life member of our Society, and although he is a learned scholar in the brahminical caste tradition, he accepts our Society and considers its members bona fide devotees of Lord Viṣṇu.

Text 70

Bengali

दुँहार मुखे निरन्तर कृष्णनाम शुनि’ ।
भट्ट कहे, प्रभुर किछु इङ्गित-भङ्गी जानि’ ॥ ७० ॥

Verse text

duṅhāra mukhe nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma śuni’
bhaṭṭa kahe, prabhura kichu iṅgita-bhaṅgī jāni’

Synonyms

duṅhāra mukhe — in the mouths of both Rūpa Gosvāmī and his brother Vallabha; nirantara — continuously; kṛṣṇa-nāma śuni’ — hearing the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; bhaṭṭa kahe — Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya said; prabhura — of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kichu — some; iṅgita — indications; bhaṅgī — hints; jāni’ — understanding.

Translation

Hearing the holy name constantly vibrated by the two brothers, Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya could understand the hints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Text 71

Bengali

‘दुँहार मुखे कृष्णनाम करिछे नर्तन ।
एइ-दुइ ‘अधम’ नहे, हय़ ‘सर्वोत्तम’ ॥ ७१ ॥

Verse text

‘duṅhāra mukhe kṛṣṇa-nāma kariche nartana
ei-dui ‘adhama’ nahe, haya ‘sarvottama’

Synonyms

duṅhāra mukhe — in the mouths of both; kṛṣṇa-nāma — the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kariche — is doing; nartana — dancing; ei-dui — both of them; adhama nahe — not fallen; haya — are; sarva-uttama — the most exalted.

Translation

Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Since these two are constantly chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, how can they be untouchable? On the contrary, they are most exalted.”

Purport

Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya’s admission of the brothers’ exalted position should serve as a lesson to one who is falsely proud of his position as a brāhmaṇa. Sometimes so-called brāhmaṇas do not recognize our European and American disciples as devotees or brāhmaṇas, and some brāhmaṇas are so proud that they do not allow them to enter temples. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu herein gives a great lesson. Although Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya was a great authority on brahmanism and a learned scholar, he admitted that those who chant the Lord’s holy name are bona fide brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and are therefore exalted.

Text 72

Bengali

Translation

Raghupati Upādhyāya recited, “Those who are afraid of material existence worship the Vedic literature. Some worship smṛti, the corollaries to the Vedic literature, and others worship the Mahābhārata. As far as I am concerned, I worship Kṛṣṇa’s father, Mahārāja Nanda, in whose courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is playing.”

Purport

This verse recited by Raghupati Upādhyāya was later included in Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Padyāvalī (126).

Text 97

Bengali

‘आगे कह’ — प्रभु-वाक्ये उपाध्याय़ कहिल ।
रघुपति उपाध्याय़ नमस्कार कैल ॥ ९७ ॥

Verse text

‘āge kaha’ — prabhu-vākye upādhyāya kahila
raghupati upādhyāya namaskāra kaila

Synonyms

āge kaha — please speak further; prabhu-vākye — on the request of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; upādhyāya — Raghupati Upādhyāya; kahila — said; raghupati upādhyāya — Raghupati Upādhyāya; namaskāra kaila — offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu obeisances.

Translation

When Raghupati Upādhyāya was requested by the Lord to recite more, he immediately offered his respects to the Lord and granted His request.

Text 98

Bengali

कम्प्रति कथय़ितुमीशे सम्प्रति को वा प्रतीतिमाय़ातु ।
गोपति-तनय़ाकुञ्जे गोपवधूटी-विटं व्रह्म ॥ ९८ ॥

Verse text

kaṁ prati kathayitum īśe
samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu
go-pati-tanayā-kuñje
gopa-vadhūṭī-viṭaṁ brahma

Synonyms

kam prati — unto whom; kathayitum — to speak; īśe — am I able; samprati — now; kaḥ — who; vā — or; pratītim — belief; āyātu — would do; go-pati — of the sun-god; tanayā — of the daughter (the Yamunā); kuñje — in the bushes on the bank; gopa-vadhūṭī — of the cowherd girls; viṭam — the hunter; brahma — the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Translation

“To whom can I speak who will believe me when I say that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is hunting the gopīs in the bushes by the banks of the river Yamunā? In this way the Lord demonstrates His pastimes.”

Purport

This verse was also later included in the Padyāvalī (99).

Text 99

Bengali

Purport

Raghupati Upādhyāya replied, “Lord Śyāmasundara is the supreme form.”

Text 102

Bengali

श्याम-रूपेर वासस्थान श्रेष्ठ मान’ काय़ ?
‘पुरी मधुपुरी वरा’ — कहे उपाध्याय़ ॥ १०२ ॥

Verse text

śyāma-rūpera vāsa-sthāna śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘purī madhu-purī varā’ — kahe upādhyāya

Synonyms

śyāma-rūpera — of the supreme form, Śyāmasundara; vāsa-sthāna — residence; śreṣṭha — the supreme; māna’ — you accept; kāya — which; purī — the city; madhu-purī — Mathurā; varā — best; kahe — said; upādhyāya — Raghupati Upādhyāya.

Translation

“Of all Kṛṣṇa’s abodes, which do you think is the best?”

Purport

Raghupati Upādhyāya said, “Madhu-purī, or Mathurā-dhāma, is certainly the best.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa has many forms, as stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33): advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Raghupati Upādhyāya which form was the best of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s millions of forms, and he immediately replied that the supreme form was the Śyāmasundara form. In that form, Kṛṣṇa stands curved in three places and holds His flute. The Śyāmasundara form is also described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):

*premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena * *santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ * govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.”

Those who are filled with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa always see the form of Śyāmasundara within their hearts. Raghupati Upādhyāya confirms that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has many incarnations — Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and others — but Kṛṣṇa is distinguished as the supermost. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28), kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: “Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa means Śyāmasundara, who plays His flute in Vṛndāvana. Of all forms, this form is the best of all. Kṛṣṇa lives sometimes in Mathurā and sometimes in Dvārakā, but Mathurā is considered the better place. This is also confirmed by Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta (9): vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī. “Madhu-purī, or Mathurā, is far superior to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas in the spiritual world.”

Text 103

Bengali

वाल्य, पौगण्ड, कैशोरे, श्रेष्ठ मान’ काय़ ?
‘वय़ः कैशोरकं ध्येय़ं’ — कहे उपाध्याय़ ॥ १०३ ॥

Verse text

bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśore, śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘vayaḥ kaiśorakaṁ dhyeyaṁ’ — kahe upādhyāya

Synonyms

bālya — childhood; paugaṇḍa — the boyhood age before youth; kaiśore — the beginning of youth; śreṣṭha — best; māna’ — you think; kāya — which; vayaḥ — the age; kaiśorakam — kaiśora or fresh youth; dhyeyam — most worshipable; kahe — said; upādhyāya — Raghupati Upādhyāya.

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Of the three ages of Kṛṣṇa known as childhood, boyhood and fresh youth, which do you consider best?”

Purport

Raghupati Upādhyāya replied, “Fresh youth is the best age.”

Text 104

Bengali

Purport

This verse is found in the Padyāvalī (82).

Text 107

Bengali

प्रेमावेशे प्रभु ताँरे कैला आलिङ्गन ।
प्रेम मत्त हञा तेँहेा करेन नर्तन ॥ १०७ ॥

Verse text

premāveśe prabhu tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
prema matta hañā teṅho karena nartana

Synonyms

prema-āveśe — in ecstatic love; prabhu — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre — him; kailā — did; āliṅgana — embracing; prema matta hañā — being overwhelmed by ecstatic love; teṅho — he; karena nartana — began to dance.

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Raghupati Upādhyāya in ecstatic love. Raghupati Upādhyāya also was overwhelmed by love, and he began to dance.

Text 108

Bengali

Translation

By entering the heart of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu empowered him to ascertain properly the conclusions of all truths. He made him an experienced devotee whose decisions correctly agreed with the verdicts of the disciplic succession. Thus Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was personally empowered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Purport

The principles of devotional service are only apparently under the jurisdiction of material activity. To be rightly guided, one must be personally guided by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This was the case with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and other ācāryas.

Text 118

Bengali

शिवानन्द-सेनेर पुत्र ‘कविकर्णपूर’ ।
‘रूपेर मिलन’ स्व-ग्रन्थे लिखिय़ाछेन प्रचुर ॥ ११८ ॥

Verse text

śivānanda-senera putra ‘kavi-karṇapūra’
‘rūpera milana’ sva-granthe likhiyāchena pracura

Synonyms

śivānanda-senera — of Śivānanda Sena; putra — the son; kavi-karṇapūra — Kavi-karṇapūra; rūpera milana — of the meeting with Rūpa Gosvāmī; sva-granthe — in his own book; likhiyāchena pracura — has written profusely.

Translation

In his book Caitanya-candrodaya, Kavi-karṇapūra, the son of Śivānanda Sena, has elaborately described the meeting between Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Text 119

Bengali

Purport

Translation

For ten days Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at Prayāga and instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī, empowering him with the necessary potency.

Purport

This is a confirmation of the statement kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Unless one is specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. An empowered devotee sees and feels himself to be the lowest of men, for he knows that whatever he does is due to the inspiration given by the Lord in the heart. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te

“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

To be empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has to qualify himself. This means that one must engage twenty-four hours daily in the loving devotional service of the Lord. The material position of a devotee doesn’t matter because devotional service is not dependent on material considerations. In his earlier life, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was a government officer and a gṛhastha. He was not even a brahmacārī or sannyāsī. He associated with mlecchas and yavanas, but because he was always eager to serve, he was a qualified recipient for the Lord’s mercy. A sincere devotee can therefore be empowered by the Lord regardless of his situation. In the preceding verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described how he was personally empowered by the Lord. He further states in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.187):

ei-ta — in this way; brahmāṇḍa — the whole universe; bhari’ — filling; ananta — unlimited; jīva-gaṇa — living entities; caurāśī-lakṣa — 8,400,000; yonite — in species of life; karaye — do; bhramaṇa — wandering.

Translation

“In this universe there are limitless living entities in 8,400,000 species, and all are wandering within this universe.

Purport

This is a challenge to so-called scientists and philosophers who presume that there are living entities on this planet only. So-called scientists are going to the moon, and they say that there is no life there. This does not tally with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s version. He says that everywhere within the universe there are unlimited numbers of living entities in 8,400,000 different forms. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.24) we find that the living entities are sarva-gata, which means that they can go anywhere. This indicates that there are living entities everywhere. They exist on land, in water, in air, in fire and in ether. Thus there are living entities in all types of material elements. Since the entire material universe is composed of five elements — earth, water, fire, air and ether — why should there be living entities on one planet and not others? Such a foolish version can never be accepted by Vedic students. From the Vedic literatures we understand that there are living entities on each and every planet, regardless of whether the planet is composed of earth, water, fire or air. These living entities may not have the same forms that are found on this planet earth, but they have different forms composed of different elements. Even on this earth we can see that the forms of land animals are different from the forms of aquatics. According to the circumstance, living conditions differ, but undoubtedly there are living entities everywhere. Why should we deny the existence of living entities on this or that planet? Those who have claimed to have gone to the moon have not gone there, or else with their imperfect vision they cannot actually perceive the particular type of living entities there.

The living entities are described as ananta, or unlimited; nonetheless, they are said to belong to 8,400,000 species. As stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

jala-jā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
triṁśal-lakṣāṇi paśavaḥ catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ

“There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities (sthāvara), such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and there are 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species.” Some of these species may exist on one planet and not on another, but in any case within all the planets of the universe — and even in the sun — there are living entities. This is the verdict of the Vedic literatures. As the Bhagavad-gītā (2.20) confirms:

*na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin * *nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo * na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”

Since the living entities are never annihilated, they simply transmigrate from one life form to another. Thus there is an evolution of forms according to the degree of developed consciousness. One experiences different degrees of consciousness in different forms. A dog’s consciousness is different from a man’s. Even within a species we find that a father’s consciousness is different from his son’s and that a child’s consciousness is different from a youth’s. Just as we find different forms, we find different states of consciousness. When we see different states of consciousness, we may take it for granted that the bodies are different. In other words, different types of bodies depend on different states of consciousness. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.6):

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajanty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“One’s consciousness at the time of death determines one’s type of body in the next life.” This is the process of transmigration of the soul. A variety of bodies is already there; we change from one body to another in terms of our consciousness.

Text 139

Bengali

केशाग्र-शतेक-भाग पुनः शतांश करि ।
तार सम सूक्ष्म जीवेर ‘स्वरूप’ विचारि ॥ १३९ ॥

Verse text

keśāgra-śateka-bhāga punaḥ śatāṁśa kari
tāra sama sūkṣma jīvera ‘svarūpa’ vicāri

Synonyms

keśa-agra — from the tip of a hair; śata-eka — one hundred; bhāga — divisions; punaḥ — again; śata-aṁśa — one hundred divisions; kari — making; tāra sama — equal to that; sūkṣma — very fine; jīvera — of the living entity; svarūpa — the actual form; vicāri — I consider.

Translation

“The length and breadth of the living entity is described as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair. This is the original subtle nature of the living entity.

Text 140

Bengali

केशाग्रशतभागस्य शतांशसदृशात्मकः ।
जीवः सूक्ष्मस्वरूपोऽय़ं सङ्ख्यातीतो हि चित्कणः ॥ १४० ॥

Verse text

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
śatāṁśa-sadṛśātmakaḥ
jivaḥ sūkṣma-svarūpo ’yaṁ
saṅkhyātīto hi cit-kaṇaḥ

Synonyms

keśa-agra — of the tip of a hair; śata-bhāgasya — of one hundredth; śata-aṁśa — a hundredth part; sadṛśa — equal to; ātmakaḥ — whose nature; jīvaḥ — the living entity; sūkṣma — very fine; svarūpaḥ — identification; ayam — this; saṅkhya-atītaḥ — numbering beyond calculation; hi — certainly; cit-kaṇaḥ — spiritual particle.

Translation

“ ‘If we divide the tip of a hair into a hundred parts and then take one of these parts and divide it again into a hundred parts, that very fine division is the size of but one of the numberless living entities. They are all cit-kaṇa, particles of spirit, not matter.’

Purport

Purport

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving clear instructions on how the living entities live under different conditions. There are trees, plants and stones that cannot move, but still they must be considered living entities, or spiritual sparks. The soul is present in bodies like those of trees, plants and stones. They are all living entities. Among moving living entities such as birds, aquatics and animals, the same spiritual spark is there. As stated herein, there are living entities that can fly, swim and walk. We must also conclude that there are living entities that can move within fire and ether. Living entities have different material bodies composed of earth, water, air, fire and ether. The words tāra madhye mean “within this universe.” The entire material universe is composed of five material elements. It is not true that living entities reside only within this planet and not within others. Such a conclusion is completely contradictory to the Vedas. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.24):

acchedyo ’yam adāhyo ’yam akledyo ’śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur acalo ’yaṁ sanātanaḥ

“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”

The soul has nothing to do with the material elements. Any material element can be cut to pieces, especially earth. As far as the living entity is concerned, however, he can be neither burned nor cut to pieces. He can therefore live within fire. We can conclude that there are also living entities within the sun. Why should living entities be denied this planet or that planet? According to the Vedas, the living entities can live anywhere and everywhere — on land, in water, in air and in fire. Whatever the condition, the living entity is unchangeable (sthāṇu). From the statements of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Bhagavad-gītā, we are to conclude that living entities exist everywhere throughout the universes. They are distributed as trees, plants, aquatics, birds, human beings and so on.

Text 145

Bengali

तार मध्ये मनुष्य-जाति अति अल्पतर ।
तार मध्ये म्लेच्छ, पुलिन्द, वौद्ध, शवर ॥ १४५ ॥

Verse text

tāra madhye manuṣya-jāti ati alpatara
tāra madhye mleccha, pulinda, bauddha, śabara

Synonyms

tāra madhye — among all such living entities; manuṣya-jāti — entities born as human beings; ati — very; alpatara — small in quantity; tāra madhye — among the small quantity of human beings; mleccha — uncivilized men who cannot follow the Vedic principles; pulinda — unregulated; bauddha — followers of Buddhist philosophy; śabara — the lowest of men (the hunter class).

Translation

“Although the living entities known as human beings are very small in quantity, that division may be still further subdivided, for there are many uncultured human beings like mlecchas, pulindas, bauddhas and śabaras.

Text 146

Bengali

वेदनिष्ठ-मध्ये अर्धेक वेद ‘मुखे’ माने ।
वेदनिषिद्ध पाप करे, धर्म नाहि गणे ॥ १४६ ॥

Verse text

veda-niṣṭha-madhye ardheka veda ‘mukhe’ māne
veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe

Synonyms

veda-niṣṭha-madhye — among persons who are followers of the Vedas; ardheka — almost half; veda — Vedic scriptures; mukhe — in the mouth; māne — accept; veda-niṣiddha — forbidden in the Vedas; pāpa — sins; kare — perform; dharma — religious principles; nāhi — not; gaṇe — count.

Translation

“Among human beings, those who are followers of the Vedic principles are considered civilized. Among these, almost half simply give lip service while committing all kinds of sinful activities against these principles. Such people do not care for the regulative principles.

Purport

The word veda means “knowledge.” Supreme knowledge consists of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and our relationship with Him and acting according to that relationship. Action in accordance with the Vedic principles is called religion. Religion means following the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are the injunctions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Āryans are civilized human beings who have been following the Vedic principles since time immemorial. No one can trace out the history of the Vedic principles set forth so that man might understand the Supreme Being. Literature or knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system, but there are many different types of religious systems according to the place, the disciples and the people’s capacity to understand.

The highest type of religious system is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) thus: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. The highest form of religion is that by which one becomes fully conscious of the existence of God, including His form, name, qualities, pastimes, abode and all-pervasive features. When everything is completely known, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. The fulfillment of Vedic knowledge is systematic knowledge of the characteristics of God. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. The aim of Vedic knowledge is to understand God. Therefore those who are actually following Vedic knowledge and searching after God cannot commit sinful activities against the Supreme Lord’s order. However, in this Age of Kali, although men profess to belong to so many different kinds of religions, most of them commit sinful activities against the orders of the Vedic scriptures. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says herein, veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe. In this age, men may profess a religion, but they actually do not follow the principles. Instead, they commit all kinds of sins.

Text 147

Bengali

धर्माचारि-मध्ये वहुत ‘कर्मनिष्ठ’ ।
कोटि-कर्मनिष्ठ-मध्ये एक ‘ज्ञानी’ श्रेष्ठ ॥ १४७ ॥

Verse text

dharmācāri-madhye bahuta ‘karma-niṣṭha’
koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka ‘jñānī’ śreṣṭha

Synonyms

dharma-ācāri-madhye — among persons who actually follow the Vedic principles or religious system; bahuta — many of them; karma-niṣṭha — attracted to fruitive activities; koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye — among millions of such performers of fruitive activities according to Vedic principles; eka — one; jñānī — wise man; śreṣṭha — the chief.

Translation

“Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.

Purport

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that the word karma-niṣṭha refers to one who aspires to enjoy the results of his good work and pious activity. Some followers of Vedic principles offer everything to the Absolute Truth and do not aspire to enjoy the results of their pious actions. These are also considered among the karma-niṣṭhas. Sometimes we see pious men earn money with great hardship and then spend the money for some pious cause by opening public charities, schools and hospitals. Whether one earns money for himself or for the public benefit, he is called a karma-niṣṭha. Out of millions of karma-niṣṭhas there may be one who is wise. Those who try to avoid fruitive activity and who become silent in order to merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth are generally known as jñānīs, wise men. They are not interested in fruitive activity but in merging into the Supreme. In either case, both the karma-niṣṭhas and the jñānīs are interested in personal benefit. The karmīs are directly interested in personal benefit within the material world, and the jñānīs are interested in merging into the existence of the Supreme. The jñānīs maintain that fruitive activity is imperfect. For them, perfection is the cessation of work and the merging into the supreme existence. That is their goal in life. The jñānī wants to extinguish the distinction between knowledge, the knower and the aim of knowledge. This philosophy is called monism, or oneness, and is characterized by spiritual silence.

Text 148

Bengali

कोटिज्ञानि-मध्ये हय़ एकजन ‘मुक्त’ ।
कोटिमुक्त-मध्ये ‘दुर्लभ’ एक कृष्णभक्त ॥ १४८ ॥

Verse text

koṭi-jñāni-madhye haya eka-jana ‘mukta’
koṭi-mukta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta

Synonyms

koṭi-jñāni-madhye — out of many millions of such wise men; haya — there is; eka-jana — one person; mukta — actually liberated; koṭi-mukta-madhye — out of many millions of such liberated persons; durlabha — very rare; eka — one; kṛṣṇa-bhakta — pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

“Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated [mukta], and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to find.

Purport

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32) it is said that due to their poor fund of knowledge, the jñānīs are not actually liberated. They simply think that they are liberated. The perfection of knowledge culminates when one comes to the platform of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The Absolute Truth (satya-vastu) is described as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Knowledge of impersonal Brahman and the Supersoul is imperfect until one comes to the platform of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore clearly said in this verse, koṭi-mukta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Those who search after the knowledge of impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā are certainly accepted as liberated, but due to their imperfect knowledge they are described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as vimukta-māninaḥ. Since their knowledge is imperfect, their conception of liberation is imperfect. Perfect knowledge is possible when one knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is supported by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

Research is going on for the karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, but until the search is complete, no one can attain peace. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā says, jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati: one can actually attain peace when he knows Kṛṣṇa. This is described in the next verse.

Text 149

Bengali

कृष्णभक्त — निष्काम, अतएव ‘शान्त’ ।
भुक्ति-मुक्ति-सिद्धि — कामी सकलि ‘अशान्त’ ॥ १४९ ॥

Verse text

kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’

Synonyms

kṛṣṇa-bhakta — a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa; niṣkāma — actually desireless; ataeva — therefore; śānta — peaceful; bhukti — of material enjoyment; mukti — of liberation from material activities; siddhi — of perfection in yogic performance; kāmī — those who are desirous; sakali — all of them; aśānta — not peaceful.

Translation

“Because a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is desireless, he is peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jñānīs desire liberation, and yogīs desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful.

Purport

The devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa has no desire other than serving Kṛṣṇa. Even so-called liberated people are full of desires. Fruitive actors desire better living accommodations, and jñānīs want to be one with the Supreme. Yogīs desire material opulence, yogic perfections and magic. All of these nondevotees are lusty (kāmī). Because they desire something, they cannot have peace.

The peace formula is given by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

One who simply understands that throughout the entire universe Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and beneficiary of all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities, which should be performed only to attain His devotional service, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being and thus the proprietor of all the material worlds, and that Kṛṣṇa is the only friend who can actually do good to all living entities (suhṛdaṁ sarvabhūtānām) — one who understands these three principles about Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes desireless (niṣkāma) and therefore peaceful. A kṛṣṇa-bhakta knows that his friend and protector in all respects is Kṛṣṇa, who is able to do anything for His devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: “O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” Since Kṛṣṇa gives this assurance, the devotee lives in Kṛṣṇa and has no desire for personal benefit. The background for the devotee is the all-good Himself. Why should the devotee aspire for something good for himself? His only business is to please the Supreme by rendering as much service as possible. A kṛṣṇa-bhakta has no desire for his own personal benefit. He is completely protected by the Supreme. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that he is desireless because Kṛṣṇa will give him protection in all circumstances. It is not that he expects any assistance from Kṛṣṇa; he simply depends on Kṛṣṇa just as a child depends on his parents. The child does not know how to expect service from his parents, but he is always protected nevertheless. This is called niṣkāma (desirelessness).

Although karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs fulfill their desires by performing various activities, they are never satisfied. A karmī may work very hard to acquire a million dollars, but as soon as he gets a million dollars he desires another million. For the karmīs, there is no end of desire. The more the karmī gets, the more he desires. The jñānīs cannot be desireless because their intelligence is unsound. They want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but even though they may be raised to that platform, they cannot be satisfied there. There are many jñānīs or sannyāsīs who, after taking sannyāsa and giving up the world as false, return to the world to engage in politics or philanthropy or to open schools and hospitals. This means that they could not attain the real Brahman (brahma satyam). They have to come down to the material platform to engage in philanthropic activity. Thus they again cultivate desires, and when these desires are exhausted, they desire something different. Therefore the jñānī cannot be niṣkāma, desireless. Nor can the yogīs be desireless, for they desire yogic perfections in order to exhibit some magical feats and gain popularity. People gather around these yogīs, and the yogīs desire more and more adulation. Because they misuse their mystic power, they fall down again to the material platform. It is not possible for them to become niṣkāma, desireless.

The conclusion is that only the devotees, who are simply satisfied in serving the Lord, can actually become desireless. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says here, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma. Since the kṛṣṇa-bhakta, the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is satisfied with Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of falldown.

Text 150

Bengali

मुक्तानामपि सिद्धानां नाराय़णपराय़णः ।
सुदुर्लभः प्रशान्तात्मा कोटिष्वपि महामुने ॥ १५० ॥

Verse text

muktānām api siddhānāṁ
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā
koṭiṣv api mahā-mune

Synonyms

muktānām — of persons liberated or freed from the bondage of ignorance; api — even; siddhānām — of persons who have achieved perfection; nārāyaṇa — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parāyaṇaḥ — the devotee; su-durlabhaḥ — very rare; praśānta-ātmā — completely satisfied, desireless; koṭiṣu — among many millions; api — certainly; mahā-mune — O great sage.

Translation

“ ‘O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is hardly one pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful.’

Purport

This verse is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.14.5). The nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, the devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, is the only blissful person. One who becomes a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa is already liberated from material bondage. He already possesses all the perfections of yoga. Unless one comes to the platform of nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa and passes over the platform of bhukti-mukti-siddhi, he cannot be fully satisfied. That is the pure devotional stage.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

One who desires nothing but Kṛṣṇa and who is not influenced by the process of jñāna-mārga (cultivation of knowledge) actually becomes free from ignorance. A first-class person is one who is not influenced by karma (fruitive activity) or yoga (mystic power). He simply depends on Kṛṣṇa and is satisfied in his devotional service. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28): nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. Such a person is never afraid of anything. For him, heaven and hell are the same. Not knowing the situation of a nārāyaṇaparāyaṇa, rascals become envious. By the grace of Nārāyaṇa, a devotee is situated in the most opulent position in the material world. Rascals are envious of Nārāyaṇa and His devotee, but the devotee endeavors to please another devotee of Nārāyaṇa because he knows that by pleasing Nārāyaṇa’s representative one directly pleases Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore a devotee offers the best comforts and facilities to his spiritual master. Outsiders who have no knowledge of Nārāyaṇa are envious of both Nārāyaṇa and His devotee. Consequently when they see that Nārāyaṇa’s devotee is opulently situated, they become even more envious. But when the devotee of Nārāyaṇa asks such foolish people to come live with him in the same comfortable situation, they do not agree because they cannot give up illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Therefore the materialist refuses the company of a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, although he is envious of the devotee’s material situation. In Western countries when ordinary men — storekeepers and workers — see our devotees living and eating sumptuously and yet not working, they become very eager to know where they get the money. Such people become envious and ask, “How is it possible to live so comfortably without working? How is it you have so many cars, bright faces and nice clothes?” Not knowing that Kṛṣṇa looks after His devotees, such people become surprised, and some become envious.

Text 151

Bengali

व्रह्माण्ड भ्रमिते कोन भाग्यवान् जीव ।
गुरु-कृष्ण-प्रसादे पाय़ भक्तिलता-वीज ॥ १५१ ॥

Verse text

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

Synonyms

brahmāṇḍa bhramite — wandering in this universe; kona — some; bhāgyavān — most fortunate; jīva — living being; guru — of the spiritual master; kṛṣṇa — of Kṛṣṇa; prasāde — by the mercy; pāya — gets; bhakti-latā — of the creeper of devotional service; bīja — the seed.

Translation

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

Purport

When we speak of brahmāṇḍa, we refer to the whole universe, or to the cluster of many millions of universes. In all the universes there are innumerable planets, and there are innumerable living entities upon those planets — in the air, on land and in the water. There are millions and trillions of living entities everywhere, and they are engaged by māyā in suffering and enjoying the results of their fruitive activity, life after life. This is the position of the materially conditioned living entities. Out of many of these living entities, one who is actually fortunate (bhāgyavān) comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart, and if one desires something, Kṛṣṇa fulfills one’s desire. If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Kṛṣṇa, who is situated in everyone’s heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master. This is called guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to bestow His mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity desires the Lord’s mercy, the Lord immediately gives him an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a fortunate person is fortified by both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. He is helped from within by Kṛṣṇa and from without by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere living being become free from material bondage.

How one can become this fortunate can be seen in the life of Śrīla Nārada Muni. In his previous life he was born of a maidservant. Although he was not born into a prestigious position, his mother was fortunately engaged in rendering service to some Vaiṣṇavas. When these Vaiṣṇavas were resting during the Cāturmāsya period, the boy Nārada took the opportunity to engage in their service. Taking compassion upon the boy, the Vaiṣṇavas offered him the remnants of their food. By serving these Vaiṣṇavas and obeying their orders, the boy became the object of their sympathy, and by the Vaiṣṇavas’ unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the next life he was Nārada Muni, the most exalted of Vaiṣṇavas and the most important guru and ācārya of Vaiṣṇavas.

Following in the footsteps of Nārada Muni, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is rendering service to humanity by giving everyone a chance to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. If one is fortunate, he becomes intimately related with this movement. Then, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one’s life becomes successful. Everyone has dormant kṛṣṇa-bhakti — love for Kṛṣṇa — and in the association of good devotees, that love is revealed. As stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.107):

nitya-siddha-kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Dormant devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Simply by associating with devotees, hearing their good instructions and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened. In this way one acquires the seed of devotional service. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.

Text 152

Bengali

माली हञा करे सेइ वीज आरोपण ।
श्रवण-कीर्तन-जले करय़े सेचन ॥ १५२ ॥

Verse text

mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana

Synonyms

mālī hañā — becoming a gardener; kare — does; sei — that; bīja — seed of devotional service; āropaṇa — sowing; śravaṇa — of hearing; kīrtana — of chanting; jale — with the water; karaye — does; secana — sprinkling.

Translation

“When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.

Purport

To live with devotees or to live in a temple means to associate with the śravaṇa-kīrtana process. Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of such śravaṇa-kīrtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who engaged in the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees.

The word guru-prasāda indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life’s supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called guru-kṛpā. It is kṛṣṇa-prasāda, Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord.

Bhakti-latā-bīja means “the seed of devotional service.” Everything has an original cause, or seed. For any idea, program, plan or device, there is first of all the contemplation of the plan, and that is called the bīja, or seed. The methods, rules and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute the bhakti-latā-bīja, or seed of devotional service. This bhakti-latā-bīja is received from the spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Other seeds, called anyābhilāṣa-bīja, include karma-bīja and jñāna-bīja. If one is not fortunate enough to receive the bhakti-latā-bīja from the spiritual master, he instead cultivates such seeds as karma-bīja, jñāna-bīja, or political, social or philanthropic bījas. However, the bhakti-latā-bīja is different from these other bījas. The bhakti-latā-bīja can be received only through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual master to get the bhakti-latā-bīja (yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ). The bhakti-latā-bīja is the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he gets the bīja, or root cause, of karma, jñāna and yoga without the benefit of devotional service. But one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the bhakti-latā-bīja. This bhakti-latā-bīja is received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called śravaṇa-kīrtana — hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting (kīrtana). This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.41): vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit for chanting or for preaching the cult of devotional service. One has to water the bhakti-latā-bīja by receiving instructions from the spiritual master.

Text 153

Bengali

उपजिय़ा वाड़े लता ‘व्रह्माण्ड’ भेदि’ याय़ ।
‘विरजा’, ‘व्रह्मलोक’ भेदि’ ‘परव्योम’ पाय़ ॥ १५३ ॥

Verse text

upajiyā bāḍe latā ‘brahmāṇḍa’ bhedi’ yāya
‘virajā’, ‘brahma-loka’ bhedi’ ‘para-vyoma’ pāya

Synonyms

upajiyā — being cultivated; bāḍe — grows; latā — the creeper of devotional service; brahmāṇḍa — the whole universe; bhedi’ — penetrating; yāya — goes; virajā — the river between the spiritual world and the material world; brahma-loka — the Brahman effulgence; bhedi’ — penetrating; para-vyoma — the spiritual sky; pāya — attains.

Translation

“As one waters the bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually grows to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Virajā River, lying between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Purport

A creeper generally takes shelter of a big tree, but the bhakti-latā, being the creeper of spiritual energy, cannot take shelter of any material planet, for there is no tree on any material planet that the bhakti creeper can utilize for shelter. In other words, devotional service cannot be utilized for any material purpose. Devotional service is meant only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes men with a poor fund of knowledge maintain that bhakti can be applied to material things also. In other words, they say that devotional service can be rendered to one’s country or to the demigods, but this is not a fact. Devotional service is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is beyond this material range. There is a river, or causal ocean, between the spiritual and material natures, and this river is free from the influence of the three modes of material nature; therefore it is called Virajā. The prefix vi means vigata (“completely eradicated”), and rajas means “the influence of the material world.” On this platform, a living entity is completely free from material entanglement. For the jñānīs who want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, there is Brahma-loka*.* The bhakti-latā, however, has no shelter in the material world, nor has it shelter in Brahma-loka, although Brahma-loka is beyond the material world. The bhakti-latā grows until it reaches the spiritual sky, where Goloka Vṛndāvana is situated.

Text 154

Bengali

तवे याय़ तदुपरि ‘गोलोक-वृन्दावन’ ।
‘कृष्णचरण’-कल्पवृक्षे करे आरोहण ॥ १५४ ॥

Verse text

tabe yāya tad-upari ‘goloka-vṛndāvana’
‘kṛṣṇa-caraṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa

Synonyms

tabe — thereafter; yāya — goes; tat-upari — to the top of that (the spiritual sky); goloka-vṛndāvana — to the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvana where Kṛṣṇa lives; kṛṣṇa-caraṇa — of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kalpa-vṛkṣe — on the desire tree; kare ārohaṇa — climbs.

Translation

“Being situated in one’s heart and being watered by śravaṇa-kīrtana, the bhakti creeper grows more and more. In this way it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally situated in the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, in the topmost region of the spiritual sky.

Purport

In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) it is said:

*ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis * *tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto * govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord. He resides in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, who resembles His own spiritual figure and who embodies the ecstatic potency [hlādinī]. Their companions are Her confidantes, who embody extensions of Her bodily form and who are imbued and permeated with ever-blissful spiritual rasa.” In the spiritual world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, has expanded Himself by His spiritual potency. He has His eternal form of bliss and knowledge (sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha). Everything in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet is a spiritual expansion of sac-cid-ānanda. Everyone there is of the same potency — ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. The relationship between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His servitor is cinmaya-rasa. Kṛṣṇa and His entourage and paraphernalia are of the same cinmaya potency. In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead is expanded throughout the spiritual world, and when that cinmaya-rasa potency expands through the material potency, it becomes all-pervading. The idea is that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead exists on His own planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is also present everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. He is present within all the universes, although they are innumerable, and He is also present within the atom. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati: He is also present within the heart of all living entities. This is His all-pervasive potency.

Goloka Vṛndāvana is the highest planet in the spiritual world. In order to go to the spiritual world after penetrating the covering of the material universe, one must penetrate Brahma-loka, the spiritual effulgence. Then one can come to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. There are also other planets in the spiritual world, called Vaikuṇṭha planets, and on these planets Lord Nārāyaṇa is worshiped with awe and veneration. On these planets śānta-rasa is prevalent, and some of the devotees are also connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in dāsya-rasa, the mellow of servitorship. As far as the mellow of fraternity is concerned, in Vaikuṇṭha this rasa is represented by gaurava-sakhya, friendship in awe and veneration. The other fraternity rasa, exhibited as viśrambha (friendship in equality), is found in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. Above that is service to the Lord in vātsalya-rasa (parental love), and above all is the relationship with the Lord in the mādhurya-rasa (conjugal love). These five rasas are fully exhibited in the spiritual world in one’s relationship with the Lord. Therefore in the spiritual world the bhakti creeper finds its resting place at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

Text 155

Bengali

ताहाँ विस्तारित हञा फले प्रेम-फल ।
इहाँ माली सेचे नित्य श्रवणादि जल ॥ १५५ ॥

Verse text

tāhāṅ vistārita hañā phale prema-phala
ihāṅ mālī sece nitya śravaṇādi jala

Synonyms

tāhāṅ — there in the spiritual world (in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet); vistārita — expanded; hañā — becoming; phale — produces; prema-phala — the fruit known as love of Godhead; ihāṅ — in the material world, where the devotee is still present; mālī — exactly like a gardener; sece — sprinkles; nitya — regularly, without fail; śravaṇa-ādi jala — the water of śravaṇa, kīrtana and so on.

Translation

“The creeper greatly expands in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, and there it produces the fruit of love for Kṛṣṇa. Although remaining in the material world, the gardener regularly sprinkles the creeper with the water of hearing and chanting.

Purport

In Goloka Vṛndāvana the devotees have very intimate relationships with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotee engages in the Lord’s service in great ecstatic love. Such love was exhibited personally by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His teachings to the people of the material world. The fruit of the devotional creeper is the pure desire to serve and please the senses of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma. (Cc. Ādi. 4.165) In the spiritual world one has no desire other than to please the senses of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conditioned soul within the material world can neither understand nor appreciate how a pure devotee in the material world can render confidential service to the Lord out of feelings of ecstatic love and always engage in pleasing the Supreme Lord’s senses. Although seen within this material world, the pure devotee always engages in the confidential service of the Lord. An ordinary neophyte devotee cannot realize this; therefore it is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya. The activities of a pure Vaiṣṇava cannot be understood even by a learned scholar in the material world.

Every living entity is wandering within this universe in different species and on different planetary systems according to his fruitive activities. Out of many millions of living entities, one may be fortunate enough to receive the seed of the bhakti-latā, the creeper of devotional service. By the grace of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, one nourishes the bhakti-latā by regularly sprinkling it with the water of śravaṇa-kīrtana, hearing and chanting. In this way the seed of the bhakti-latā sprouts and grows up and up through the whole universe until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and reaches the spiritual world. The bhakti-latā continues to grow until it reaches the topmost planetary system, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa lives. There the creeper takes shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, and that is its final destination. At that time the creeper begins to grow the fruits of ecstatic love of God. It is the duty of the devotee who nourishes the creeper to be very careful. It is said that the watering of the creeper must continue: ihāṅ mālī sece nitya śravaṇādi jala. It is not that at a certain stage one can stop chanting and hearing and become a mature devotee. If one stops, one certainly falls down from devotional service. Although one may be very much exalted in devotional service, he should not give up the watering process of śravaṇa-kīrtana. If one gives up that process, it is due to an offense. This is described in the following verse.

Text 156

Bengali

यदि वैष्णव-अपराध उठे हाती माता ।
उपाड़े वा छिण्डे, तार शुखि’ याय़ पाता ॥ १५६ ॥

Verse text

yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā
upāḍe vā chiṇḍe, tāra śukhi’ yāya pātā

Synonyms

yadi — if; vaiṣṇava-aparādha — an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava; uṭhe — arises; hātī — an elephant; mātā — mad; upāḍe — uproots; vā — or; chiṇḍe — breaks; tāra — of the creeper; śukhi’ — shriveling up; yāya — goes; pātā — the leaf.

Translation

“If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up.

Purport

One’s devotional attitude increases in the association of a Vaiṣṇava:

tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa
janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa

By his personal example, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura stresses that a devotee must always remember to please his predecessor ācārya. The Gosvāmīs are represented by one’s spiritual master. One cannot be an ācārya (spiritual master) without following strictly in the disciplic succession of the ācāryas. One who is actually serious about advancing in devotional service should desire only to satisfy the previous ācāryas. Ei chaya gosāñi yāra, mui tāra dāsa. One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the ācāryas, and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaiṣṇavas. However, if one thinks that he has become very mature and can live separate from the association of Vaiṣṇavas and thus gives up all the regulative principles due to offending a Vaiṣṇava, one’s position becomes very dangerous. Offenses against the holy name are explained in Ādi-līlā, chapter eight, verse 24. Giving up the regulative principles and living according to one’s whims is compared to a mad elephant, which by force uproots the bhakti-latā and breaks it to pieces. In this way the bhakti-latā shrivels up. Such an offense is especially created when one disobeys the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called guru-avajñā. The devotee must therefore be very careful not to commit offenses against the spiritual master by disobeying his instructions. As soon as one is deviated from the instructions of the spiritual master, the uprooting of the bhakti-latā begins, and gradually all the leaves dry up.

Text 157

Bengali

ताते माली यत्न करि’ करे आवरण ।
अपराध-हस्तीर यैछे ना हय़ उद्‌गम ॥ १५७ ॥

Verse text

tāte mālī yatna kari’ kare āvaraṇa
aparādha-hastīra yaiche nā haya udgama

Synonyms

tāte — therefore; mālī — the gardener devotee; yatna kari’ — with great attention; kare — makes; āvaraṇa — protective fencing; aparādha — of offenses; hastīra — of the elephant; yaiche — so that; nā — not; haya — there is; udgama — birth.

Translation

“The gardener must defend the creeper by fencing it all around so that the powerful elephant of offenses may not enter.

Purport

While the bhakti creeper is growing, the devotee must protect it by fencing it all around. The neophyte devotee must be protected by being surrounded by pure devotees. In this way he will not give the maddened elephant a chance to uproot his bhakti creeper. When one associates with nondevotees, the maddened elephant is set loose. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, asat-saṅga-tyāga, — ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra. The first business of a Vaiṣṇava is to give up the company of nondevotees. A so-called mature devotee, however, commits a great offense by giving up the company of pure devotees. The human being is a social animal, and if one gives up the society of pure devotees, he must associate with nondevotees (asat-saṅga). By contacting nondevotees and engaging in nondevotional activities, a so-called mature devotee will fall victim to the mad elephant offense. Whatever growth has taken place is quickly uprooted by such an offense. One should therefore be very careful to defend the creeper by fencing it in — that is, by following the regulative principles and associating with pure devotees.

Even if one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, still one should stick to the Society; if one thinks the Society’s members are not pure devotees, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions concerning the regulative principles and chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down. By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost. In the Upadeśāmṛta (2) of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, it is said:

atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati

“One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required, (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to attain, (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters, (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically, (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.”

Text 158

Synonyms

prathamei — from the very beginning; upaśākhāra — of the unwanted creepers; karaye — does; chedana — the cutting away; tabe — then only; mūla-śākhā — the chief creeper; bāḍi’ — growing; yāya — goes; vṛndāvana — to the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.

Translation

“As soon as an intelligent devotee sees an unwanted creeper growing beside the original creeper, he must cut it down instantly. Then the real creeper, the bhakti-latā, grows nicely, returns home, back to Godhead, and seeks shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport

If one is misled by unwanted creepers and is victimized, he cannot make progress back to Godhead. Rather, he remains within the material world and engages in activities having nothing to do with pure devotional service. Such a person may be elevated to the higher planetary systems, but because he remains within the material world, he is subjected to the threefold material miseries.

अन्याभिलाषिता-शून्यं ज्ञान-कर्माद्यनावृतम्‌ ।
आनुकूल्येन कृष्णानुशीलनं भक्तिरुत्तमा ॥ १६७ ॥

Verse text

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

Synonyms

anya-abhilāṣitā-śūnyam — without desires other than those for the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or without material desires (such as those for meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and addiction to intoxicants); jñāna — by the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Māyāvādīs*; karma — by fruitive activities; ādi — by artificially practicing detachment, by the mechanical practice of yoga, by studying the Sāṅkhya philosophy, and so on; anāvṛtam — not covered; ānukūlyena — favorable; kṛṣṇa-anuśīlanam — cultivation of service in relationship to Kṛṣṇa; bhaktiḥ uttamā — first-class devotional service.

Translation

“ ‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.’

Purport

This verse is also found in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11). As we can understand from the Bhagavad-gītā (9.34 and 18.65), the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants everyone to think of Him always (man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ). Everyone should become His devotee, not the devotee of a demigod. Everyone should engage in His devotional service, including arcana (Deity worship) in the temple. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Everyone should offer obeisances, from moment to moment, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These are the desires of the Supreme Lord, and one who fulfills His desires favorably is actually a pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender unto Him, and devotional service means preaching this gospel all over the world. The Lord says openly in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.69), na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: One who preaches the gospel of the Bhagavad-gītā for the benefit of all is most dear to Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord so that human society can be perfectly organized from all angles of vision — politically, socially, economically, philosophically and religiously. From any point of view, human society can be reformed by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; therefore one who spreads this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of all conditioned souls in the universe is perfect in pure devotional service.

The criterion is that a devotee must know what Kṛṣṇa wants him to do. This understanding can be achieved through the medium of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, ādau gurv-āśrayam. One who is serious in wanting to render pure devotional service to the Lord must take shelter of a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, one cannot find out the real purpose of devotional service. Therefore one has to accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and agree to be directed by him. The first business of a pure devotee is to satisfy his spiritual master, whose only business is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one can satisfy the spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa is automatically satisfied — yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. This is the success of devotional service. This is the meaning of the word ānukūlyena — that is, favorable devotional service to the Lord. A pure devotee has no plans other than those for the Lord’s service. He is not interested in attaining success in mundane activities. He simply wants success in the progress of devotional service. For a devotee, there cannot be worship of others or demigod worship. A pure devotee does not engage himself in such pseudo devotional service. He is interested only in satisfying Kṛṣṇa. If one lives only for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, it does not matter whether he belongs to this order of life or that order of life. One’s only business should be to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This process is completely manifest in the activities of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It has been actually proved that the entire world can accept devotional service without failure. One simply has to follow the instructions of the representative of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that if one maintains within his heart the desire to enjoy the result of good work, or, being embarrassed by the material world, the desire to get out of material entanglement, one will never be able to attain the transcendental mellows of devotional service. In other words, one must not desire material profit when rendering devotional service. Even if one follows all the sixty-four regulative principles, he cannot attain pure devotional service with a contaminated heart.

Text 176

Bengali

भुक्ति-मुक्ति-स्पृहा यावत् पिशाची हृदि वर्तते ।
तावद्भक्तिसुखस्यात्र कथमभ्युदय़ो भवेत् ॥ १७६ ॥

Verse text

bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat
piśācī hṛdi vartate
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra
katham abhyudayo bhavet

Synonyms

bhukti — for material enjoyment; mukti — and for liberation from material existence; spṛhā — desires; yāvat — as long as; piśācī — the witches; hṛdi — within the heart; vartate — remain; tāvat — that long; bhakti — of devotional service; sukhasya — of the happiness; atra — here; katham — how; abhyudayaḥ — awakening; bhavet — can there be.

Translation

“ ‘The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.’

Purport

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.22).

Text 177

Bengali

साधनभक्ति हैते हय़ ‘रति’र उदय़ ।
रति गाढ़ हैले तार ‘प्रेम’ नाम कय़ ॥ १७७ ॥

Verse text

sādhana-bhakti haite haya ‘rati’ra udaya
rati gāḍha haile tāra ‘prema’ nāma kaya

Synonyms

sādhana-bhakti — the process of regularly rendering devotional service; haite — from; haya — there is; ratira — of attachment; udaya — the awakening; rati — such attachment; gāḍha haile — becoming thick; tāra — of this; prema — love of Godhead; nāma — the name; kaya — is said.

Translation

“By regularly rendering devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When that attachment is intensified, it becomes love of Godhead.

Purport

The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.2) gives the following information about sādhana-bhakti:

kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya- bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā

The process of devotional service — beginning with chanting and hearing — is called sādhana-bhakti. This includes the regulative principles that are intended to awaken one to devotional service. Devotional service is always dormant in everyone’s heart, and by the offenseless chanting of the holy names of the Lord, one’s original dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened. This awakening to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti. This can be divided into many different parts, including faith, association with devotees, initiation by the spiritual master, engagement in devotional service under the instructions of a spiritual master, steadiness in devotional service and the awakening of a taste for devotional service. In this way, one can become attached to Kṛṣṇa and His service, and when this attachment is intensified, it results in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. The word rati is explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.41) as follows:

vyaktaṁ masṛṇatevāntar- lakṣyate rati-lakṣaṇam
mumukṣu-prabhṛtīnāṁ ced bhaved eṣā ratir na hi

“When a tenderness of the heart is manifested, there is rati, or attachment. But those who are interested in being liberated from material bondage will not manifest this tenderness*.*” This attachment is not like material attachment. When one is free of material contamination, attachment for Kṛṣṇa’s service awakens and is called rati. In the material world there is attachment for material enjoyment, but this is not rati. Transcendental rati can be awakened only on the spiritual platform. Ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa (prema) is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.41) as follows:

samyaṅ masṛṇita-svānto mamatvātiśayāṅkitaḥ
bhāvaḥ sa eva sāndrātmā budhaiḥ premā nigadyate

“When the heart is completely softened and devoid of all material desires and when one’s emotional feelings become very strong, one becomes very much attached to Kṛṣṇa. Such purified emotion is known as pure love.”

Text 178

Bengali

प्रेम वृद्धिक्रमे नाम — स्नेह, मान, प्रणय़ ।
राग, अनुराग, भाव, महाभाव हय़ ॥ १७८ ॥

Verse text

prema vṛddhi-krame nāma — sneha, māna, praṇaya
rāga, anurāga, bhāva, mahābhāva haya

Synonyms

prema — ecstatic love for God; vṛddhi-krame — in terms of progressive increase; nāma — named; sneha — affection; māna — abhorrence; praṇaya — love; rāga — attachment; anurāga — further attachment; bhāva — ecstasy; mahā-bhāva — great ecstasy; haya — are.

Translation

“The basic aspects of prema, when gradually increasing to different states, are affection, abhorrence, love, attachment, further attachment, ecstasy and great ecstasy.

Purport

In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, (3.2.84) sneha (affection) is described as follows:

sāndraś citta-dravaṁ kurvan premā sneha itīryate
kṣaṇikasyāpi neha syād viśleṣasya sahiṣṇutā

“That aspect of prema in which the melting of the heart for the lover is concentrated is called sneha, or affection. The symptom of such affection is that the lover cannot for a moment remain without the association of the beloved.” A description of māna can be found in Madhya-līlā (chapter two, verse 66). Similarly, a description of praṇaya is also there. As far as rāga is concerned, the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.2.87) says:

snehaḥ sa rāgo yena syāt sukhaṁ duḥkham api sphuṭam
tat-sambandha-lave ’py atra prītiḥ prāṇa-vyayair api

“That stage at which affection for the beloved converts unhappiness into happiness is called rāga, or attachment. When one has such attachment for Kṛṣṇa, he can give up his own life to satisfy his beloved Kṛṣṇa.” Anurāga, bhāva and mahābhāva are described in the Sixth chapter of the Madhya-līlā, verse 13. The purport to that verse explains adhirūḍha-mahābhāva.

Text 179

Bengali

यैछे वीज, इक्षु, रस, गुड़, खण्ड-सार ।
शर्करा, सिता, मिछरि, उत्तम-मिछरि आर ॥ १७९ ॥

Verse text

yaiche bīja, ikṣu, rasa, guḍa, khaṇḍa-sāra
śarkarā, sitā, michari, uttama-michari āra

Synonyms

yaiche — just like; bīja — the seed; ikṣu — the sugarcane plant; rasa — the juice; guḍa — molasses; khaṇḍa-sāra — dry molasses; śarkarā — sugar; sitā — candy; michari — rock candy; uttama-michari — lozenges; āra — and.

Translation

“The gradual development of prema may be compared to different states of sugar. First there is the seed of the sugarcane, then sugarcane and then the juice extracted from the cane. When this juice is boiled, it forms liquid molasses, then solid molasses, then sugar, candy, rock candy and finally lozenges.

Text 180

Bengali

Texts 183-184

Bengali

भक्तभेदे रति-भेद पञ्च परकार ।
शान्तरति, दास्यरति, सख्यरति आर ॥ १८३ ॥

वात्सल्यरति, मधुररति, — ए पञ्च विभेद ।
रतिभेदे कृष्णभक्तिरसे पञ्च भेद ॥ १८४ ॥

Verse text

bhakta-bhede rati-bheda pañca parakāra
śānta-rati, dāsya-rati, sakhya-rati āra

vātsalya-rati, madhura-rati, — ei pañca vibheda
rati-bhede kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rase pañca bheda

Synonyms

bhakta-bhede — according to varieties of devotees; rati-bheda — the different attachments; pañca parakāra — five categories; śānta-rati — neutral appreciation; dāsya-rati — attachment in a service attitude; sakhya-rati — attachment by friendly appreciation; āra — also; vātsalya-rati — attachment by parental affection; madhura-rati — attachment by conjugal love; ei — these; pañca — five; vibheda — divisions; rati-bhede — by attachment on different platforms; kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rase — in mellows derived from devotional service to Kṛṣṇa; pañca — five; bheda — varieties.

Translation

“According to the devotee, attachment falls within the five categories of śānta-rati, dāsya-rati, sakhya-rati, vātsalya-rati and madhura-rati. These five categories arise from devotees’ different attachments to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The transcendental mellows derived from devotional service are also of five varieties.

Purport

Śānta-rati is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.5.16-18) as follows:

mānase nirvikalpatvaṁ śama ity abhidhīyate

“When one is completely free from all doubts and material attachments, he attains the neutral position, called śānta.”

vihāya viṣayonmukhyaṁ nijānanda-sthitir yataḥ
ātmanaḥ kathyate so ’tra vabhāvaḥ śama ity asau

prāyaḥ śama-pradhānānāṁ mamatā-gandha-varjitā
paramātmatayā kṛṣṇe jātā śāntī ratir matā

The śānta-rati realization of Kṛṣṇa is in the neutral stage between the conception of impersonalism and personalism. This means that one is not very strongly attached to the personal feature of the Lord. An appreciation of the greatness of the Lord is called śānta-rati. This is attachment not to the personal feature but to the impersonal feature. Generally, one in this stage is attached to the Paramātmā feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine made of the material energy.” (Bg. 18.61) On the strength of this statement from the Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand that in śānta-rasa a devotee sees the Lord’s representation everywhere.

Dāsya-rati is explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.5.27) thus:

svasmād bhavanti ye nyūnās te ’nugrāhyā harer matāḥ
ārādhyatvātmikā teṣāṁ ratiḥ prītir itīritā
tatrāsakti-kṛd anyatra prīti-saṁhāriṇī hy asau

When the Supreme Lord in His localized aspect is appreciated and a great devotee understands his subordinate position, not only does he surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but, due to his subordinate position, he wishes to render some service and thus become favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee in śānta-rati is not very much willing to render service to the Lord, but a devotee in dāsya-rati voluntarily wants to render service. Due to this attitude, the devotee in dāsya-rati realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead more fully than a devotee in śānta-rati. He considers the Lord to be a worshipable object, and this means that his attachment for the Lord increases. Thus dāsya-rati is characterized as bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca. (Bhāg. 11.2.42) In other words, on the dāsya-rati platform a devotee is attached to rendering service to the Lord, and he is detached from material activities. Śānta-rati is neither material nor spiritual, but dāsya-rati is actually on the spiritual platform. There is no attachment for material things on the spiritual platform (viraktir anyatra ca). A devotee in dāsya-rati has no attachment for anything but Kṛṣṇa’s service.

Sakhya-rati is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.5.30) as follows:

ye syus tulyā mukundasya te sakhāyaḥ satāṁ matāḥ
sāmyād viśrambha-rūpaiṣāṁ ratiḥ sakhyam ihocyate

According to the opinion of advanced devotees and learned scholars, a devotee in sakhya-rati feels equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a relationship in friendship. Due to having a friendly relationship with the Lord, not only is one free from material attachment, but one believes in equal dealings with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called sakhya-rati. The sakhya-rati devotee is so advanced that he treats the Lord on an equal level and even exchanges joking words with Him. Although one is never equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sakhya-rati devotee feels equal to the Lord, and he does not feel guilty because of this. Usually it is offensive to consider oneself equal to the Lord. The Māyāvādīs, for example, consider themselves equal to the Lord, but such feelings entail bereavement because they are material. Sakhya-rati, however, is a feeling experienced in the mind by a pure devotee, and he is eternally related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in that feeling.

Vātsalya-rati is described as follows in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.5.33):

guravo ye harer asya te pūjyā iti viśrutāḥ
anugraha-mayī teṣāṁ ratir vātsalyam ucyate
idaṁ lālana-bhavyāśīś cibuka-sparśanādi-kṛt

When a living entity is situated on the platform of vātsalya-rati, he thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His childhood feature. In this feature, the Lord has to be protected by the devotee, and at this time the devotee takes the position of being worshiped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These feelings of parental love are called vātsalya-rati. When the devotee is situated on this platform, he wants to maintain the Lord like a son, and he desires all good fortune for the Lord. He offers blessings to the Lord by touching His feet and head.

Madhura-rati, or attachment in conjugal love, is described as follows:

mitho harer mṛgākṣyāś ca sambhogasyādi-kāraṇam
madhurāpara-paryāyā priyatākhyoditā ratiḥ
asyāṁ kaṭākṣa-bhrū-kṣepa- priya-vāṇī-smitādayaḥ

Madhura-rati, the conjugal relationship experienced between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the young damsels of Vrajabhūmi, continuously exists in eight kinds of remembrances. This intimate relationship brought about by conjugal love produces movements of the eyebrows, glancing, sweet words and exchanges of joking words.

Text 185

Bengali

शान्त, दास्य, सख्य, वात्सल्य, मधुर-रस नाम ।
कृष्णभक्ति-रस-मध्ये ए पञ्च प्रधान ॥ १८५ ॥

Verse text

śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, madhura-rasa nāma
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-madhye e pañca pradhāna

Synonyms

śānta — neutrality; dāsya — servitude; sakhya — friendship; vātsalya — parental affection; madhura-rasa — conjugal love; nāma — different names; kṛṣṇa-bhakti — of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rasa — the mellows; madhye — among; e — these; pañca — five; pradhāna — chief.

Translation

“The chief transcendental mellows experienced with the Supreme Personality of Godhead are five — śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and madhura.

Purport

Śānta-bhakti-rasa is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.1.4-6) as follows:

vakṣyamāṇair vibhāvādyaiḥ *śamināṁ svādyatāṁ gataḥ * sthāyī śānti-ratir dhīraiḥ śānta-bhakti-rasaḥ smṛtaḥ

prāyaḥ sva-sukha-jātīyaṁ *sukhaṁ syād atra yoginām * kintv ātma-saukhyam aghanaṁ ghanaṁ tv īśa-mayaṁ sukham

tatrāpīśa-svarūpānu- *bhavasyaivoru-hetutā * dāsādi-van-mano-jñātva- līlāder na tathā matā

When śānta-rati (neutral attraction) exists continuously and is mixed with ecstatic emotion, and when the devotee relishes that neutral position, it is called śānta-bhakti-rasa. Śānta-bhakti-rasa devotees generally relish the impersonal feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since their taste of transcendental bliss is incomplete, it is called aghana, or not concentrated. A comparison is made between ordinary milk and concentrated milk. When the same devotee goes beyond the impersonal and tastes the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (His transcendental, blissful body, complete in knowledge and eternity), the taste is called concentrated (ghana) transcendental bliss. Sometimes the devotees in śānta-rasa relish transcendental bliss after meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but this is not comparable to the transcendental bliss relished by the devotees situated in dāsya-rasa, the transcendental mellow in which one renders service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Dāsya-rasa, or dāsya-bhakti-rasa, is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.2.3-4) as follows:

ātmocitair vibhāvādyaiḥ prītir āsvādanīyatām
nītā cetasi bhaktānāṁ prīti-bhakti-raso mataḥ

anugrāhy asya dāsatvāl lālyatvād apy ayaṁ dvidhā
bhidyate sambhrama-prīto gaurava-prīta ity api

When according to his desires the living entity develops love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this beginning stage of love is called dāsya-bhakti-rasa. Dāsya-bhakti-rasa is divided into two categories, called sambhrama-dāsya and gaurava-dāsya. In sambhrama-dāsya, the devotee renders respectful service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in the more advanced gaurava-dāsya, the devotee feels he is receiving protection from the Lord.

Sakhya-bhakti-rasa is described as follows in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta sindhu (3.3.1):

sthāyi-bhāvo vibhāvādyaiḥ sakhyam ātmocitair iha
nītaś citte satāṁ puṣṭiṁ rasaḥ preyān udīryate

“According to one’s original consciousness, ecstatic emotions may be exhibited as continuously existing in fraternity. When this stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is mature, it is called preyo-rasa or sakhya-bhakti-rasa.”

Vātsalya-bhakti-rasa is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.4.1) as follows:

vibhāvādyais tu vātsalyaṁ sthāyī puṣṭim upāgataḥ
eṣa vatsala-nāmātra prokto bhakti-raso budhaiḥ

“When eternally existing love of Godhead transforms into parental love and is mixed with corresponding emotions, that stage of spiritual existence is described by learned devotees as vātsalya-bhakti-rasa.”

Madhura-bhakti-rasa is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.5.1) as follows:

ātmocitair vibhāvādyaiḥ puṣṭiṁ nītā satāṁ hṛdi
madhurākhyo bhaved bhakti- raso ’sau madhurā ratiḥ

“If in accordance with one’s own natural development in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one’s attraction leans toward conjugal love within the heart, that is called attachment in conjugal love, or madhura-rasa.”

Text 186

Bengali

हास्योऽद्भुतस्तथा वीरः करुणो रौद्र इत्यपि ।
भय़ानकः सवीभत्स इति गौणश्च सप्तधा ॥ १८६ ॥

Verse text

hāsyo ’dbhutas tathā vīraḥ
karuṇo raudra ity api
bhayānakaḥ sa-bībhatsa
iti gauṇaś ca saptadhā

Synonyms

hāsyaḥ — laughter; adbhutaḥ — wonder; tathā — then; vīraḥ — chivalry; karuṇaḥ — compassion; raudraḥ — anger; iti — thus; api — also; bhayānakaḥ — fear; saḥ — along with; bībhatsaḥ — disaster; iti — thus; gauṇaḥ — indirect; ca — also; saptadhā — seven kinds.

Translation

“ ‘Besides the five direct mellows, there are seven indirect mellows, known as laughter, wonder, chivalry, compassion, anger, disaster and fear.’

Purport

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.5.116).

Text 187

Bengali

हास्य, अद्भुत, वीर, करुण, रौद्र, वीभत्स, भय़ ।
पञ्चविध-भक्ते गौण सप्तरस हय़ ॥ १८७ ॥

Verse text

hāsya, adbhuta, vīra, karuṇa, raudra, bībhatsa, bhaya
pañca-vidha-bhakte gauṇa sapta-rasa haya

Synonyms

hāsya — laughter; adbhuta — wonder; vīra — chivalry; karuṇa — pathetic feeling; raudra — anger; bībhatsa — disaster; bhaya — fearfulness; pañca-vidha-bhakte — in five kinds of devotees; gauṇa — indirect; sapta-rasa — seven kinds of mellows; haya — there are.

Translation

“In addition to the five direct mellows, there are seven indirect mellows, known as laughter, wonder, chivalry, compassion, anger, disaster and fear.

Purport

Similarly, hāsya, adbhuta, vīra, karuṇa, raudra, bhaya and bībhatsa — the seven indirect mellows — are explained in the Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu. The hāsya-bhakti-rasa, laughing devotion, is explained as follows (B.r.s. 4.1.6):

vakṣyamāṇair vibhāvādyaiḥ puṣṭiṁ hāsa-ratir gatā
hāsya-bhakti-raso nāma budhair eṣa nigadyate

“When through devotional service a laughing attachment to Kṛṣṇa is developed, it is called hāsya-bhakti-rasa by learned scholars.”

Similarly, adbhuta-rasa is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (4.2.1):

ātmocitair vibhāvādyaiḥ svādyatvaṁ bhakta-cetasi
sā vismaya-ratir nītād- bhuta-bhakti-raso bhavet

“When one’s general attachment is fixed in wonder, it is called adbhuta-bhakti-rasa.”

Vīra-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (B.r.s. 4.3.1):

saivotsāha-ratiḥ sthāyī vibhāvādyair nijocitaḥ
ānīyamānā svādyatvaṁ vīra-bhakti-raso bhavet
yuddha-dāna-dayā-dharmaiś caturdhā-vīra ucyate

“When attachment to Kṛṣṇa mixes with the bellicose tendency, the charitable tendency or the merciful tendency in the heart of the devotee, such devotion is called vīra-bhakti-rasa.”

Karuṇa-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (B.r.s. 4.4.1):

ātmocitair vibhāvādyair nītā puṣṭiṁ satāṁ hṛdi
bhavec choka-ratir bhakti- raso hi karuṇābhidhaḥ

“When one’s devotional attitude and attachment for Kṛṣṇa is mixed with lamentation, it is called karuṇa-bhakti-rasa.”

Similarly, raudra-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (B.r.s. 4.5.1):

nītā krodha-ratiḥ puṣṭiṁ vibhāvādyair nijocitaiḥ
hṛdi bhakta-janasyāsau raudra-bhakti-raso bhavet

“When devotion is mixed with anger in the heart of the devotee, the taste is called raudra-bhakti-rasa.”

Bhayānaka-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (B.r.s. 4.6.1):

vakṣyamāṇair vibhāvādyaiḥ puṣṭiṁ bhaya-ratir gatā
bhayānakābhidho bhakti- raso dhīrair udīryate

“When devotion is mixed with fear, it is called bhayānaka-bhakti-rasa.”

Bībhatsa-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (B.r.s. 4.7.1):

puṣṭiṁ nija-vibhāvādyair jugupsā-ratir āgatā
asau bhakti-raso dhīrair bībhatsākhya itīryate

“When one’s attachment for Kṛṣṇa develops in an abominable way, and the devotee enjoys it, that is called bībhatsa-bhakti-rasa.”

In conclusion, when a pure devotee is situated in any of the five principal mellows (śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya or madhura) and that mellow is mixed with one or more of the seven indirect bhakti-rasas (hāsya, adbhuta, vīra, karuṇa, raudra, bhayānaka or bībhatsa), the indirect mellows become prominent.

Text 188

Bengali

पञ्चरस ‘स्थाय़ी’ व्यापी रहे भक्त-मने ।
सप्त गौण ‘आगन्तुक’ पाइय़े कारणे ॥ १८८ ॥

Verse text

pañca-rasa ‘sthāyī’ vyāpī rahe bhakta-mane
sapta gauṇa ‘āgantuka’ pāiye kāraṇe

Synonyms

pañca-rasa — five direct transcendental mellows; sthāyī — permanently existing; vyāpī — expanded; rahe — remain situated; bhakta-mane — in the heart of a devotee; sapta gauṇa — seven indirect mellows; āgantuka — accidental; pāiye — appearing; kāraṇe — under certain conditions.

Translation

“The five direct transcendental mellows of devotional service are permanently situated in the heart of the devotee, whereas the seven indirect emotions appear suddenly under certain conditions and appear more powerful.

Text 189

Bengali

Purport

This verse quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.44.51) describes what happened just after the killing of Kaṁsa by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Vasudeva and Devakī saw their son kill the powerful demon Kaṁsa, and after this they were immediately released from their shackles. Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa then offered respects to Devakī and Vasudeva. Both the father and the mother wanted to embrace their sons, but they understood that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they therefore hesitated to embrace Them. Their parental love for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma was therefore hampered and decreased by awe and reverence.

Text 198

Bengali

कृष्णेर विश्वरूप देखि’ अर्जुनेर हैल भय़ ।
सख्यभावे धार्ष्ट्य क्षमापय़ करिय़ा विनय़ ॥ १९८ ॥

Verse text

kṛṣṇera viśva-rūpa dekhi’ arjunera haila bhaya
sakhya-bhāve dhārṣṭya kṣamāpaya kariyā vinaya

Synonyms

kṛṣṇera — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; viśva-rūpa — the universal form; dekhi’ — seeing; arjunera — of Arjuna; haila bhaya — there was fear; sakhya-bhāve — as a friend; dhārṣṭya — impudence; kṣamāpaya — begs pardon for; kariyā — showing; vinaya — submission.

Translation

“When Kṛṣṇa manifested His universal form, Arjuna became reverent and fearful, and he begged forgiveness for his past impudence toward Kṛṣṇa as a friend.

Texts 199-200

Bengali

सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तम् ।
हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति ।
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं
मय़ा प्रमादात् प्रणय़ेन वापि ॥ १९९ ॥

यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि
विहार-शय्यासन-भोजनेषु ।
एकोऽथ वाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं
तत् क्षामय़े त्वामहमप्रमेय़म्‌ ॥ २०० ॥

Verse text

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi

yac cāvahāsārtham asat-kṛto ’si
vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu
eko ’tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ
tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

Synonyms

sakhā — friend; iti — thus; matvā — thinking; prasabham — forcibly; yat — that which; uktam — was said; he kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; he yādava — O descendant of Yadu; he sakhā — O my dear friend; iti — thus; ajānatā — without knowing; mahimānam — greatness; tava — Your; idam — this; mayā — by me; pramādāt — out of ignorance; praṇayena — out of affection; vā — or; api — certainly; yat — whatever; ca — and; avahāsa-artham — for the matter of joking; asat-kṛtaḥ — insulted; asi — You are; vihāra — while enjoying; śayyā-āsana — sitting or lying on the bed; bhojaneṣu — while eating together; ekaḥ — alone; atha vā — or; api — certainly; acyuta — O my dear Kṛṣṇa; tat-samakṣam — in the presence of others; tat — all those; kṣāmaye — ask pardon; tvām — unto You; aham — I; aprameyam — who are unlimited.

Translation

“ ‘Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” “O my friend,” not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses.’

Purport

This is a quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā (11.41-42). In this verse, Arjuna is addressing Kṛṣṇa, who was exhibiting His universal form on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.

सा च मेने तदात्मानं वरिष्ठां सर्वयोषिताम् ।
हित्वा गोपीः कामयाना मामसौ भजते प्रिय़ः ॥ २०७ ॥

ततो गत्वा वनोद्देशं दृप्ता केशवमव्रवीत् ।
न पारय़ेऽहं चलितुं नय़ मां यत्र ते मनः ॥ २०८ ॥

एवमुक्तः प्रिय़ामाह स्कन्धमारुह्यतामिति ।
ततश्चान्तर्दधे कृष्णः सा वधूरन्वतप्यत ॥ २०९ ॥

Verse text

sā ca mene tadātmānaṁ
variṣṭhāṁ sarva-yoṣitām
hitvā gopīḥ kāma-yānā
mām asau bhajate priyaḥ

“When one is fully attached to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, one attains the śamatā stage. The word ‘śamatā’ is derived from the word ‘śama’; therefore śānta-rasa, the position of neutrality, means being fully attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. This state is called self-realization.

Purport

The corresponding verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.1.47) follows.

Text 212

Bengali

शमो मन्निष्ठता वुद्धेरिति श्रीभगवद्वचः ।
तनिष्ठा दुर्घटा वुद्धेरेतां शान्तरतिं विना ॥ २१२ ॥

Verse text

śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddher
iti śrī-bhagavad-vacaḥ
tan-niṣṭhā durghaṭā buddher
etāṁ śānta-ratiṁ vinā

Synonyms

śamaḥ — equality or neutrality; mat-niṣṭhatā — being fixed in My lotus feet; buddheḥ — of the intelligence; iti — thus; śrī-bhagavat-vacaḥ — words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-niṣṭhā — attachment or attraction for Him; durghaṭā — very difficult to achieve; buddheḥ — of intelligence; etām — thus; śānta-ratim — attachment on the platform of śānta-rasa; vinā — without.

Translation

“ ‘These are the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “When one’s intelligence is fully attached to My lotus feet but one does not render practical service, one has attained the stage called śānta-rati, or śama.” Without śānta-rati, attachment to Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to achieve.’

Text 213

Bengali

शमो मन्निष्ठता वुद्धेर्दम इन्द्रिय़संयमः ।
तितिक्षा दुःखसम्मर्षो जिह्वोपस्थजय़ो धृतिः ॥ २१३ ॥

Verse text

śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddher
dama indriya-saṁyamaḥ
titikṣā duḥkha-sammarṣo
jihvopastha-jayo dhṛtiḥ

Synonyms

śamaḥ — neutrality; mat-niṣṭhatā — attachment for Me; buddheḥ — of intelligence; damaḥ — self-control; indriya-saṁyamaḥ — controlling the activities of the senses; titikṣā — tolerance; duḥkha — of unhappiness; sammarṣaḥ — endurance; jihvā — tongue; upastha — and the urge of the genitals; jayaḥ — conquering; dhṛtiḥ — control.

Translation

“ ‘The word “śama” or “śānta-rasa” indicates that one is attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. “Dama” means controlling the senses and not being deviated from the Lord’s service. endurance of unhappiness is “titikṣā,” and “dhṛti” means controlling the tongue and the genitals.’

Purport

This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.36). The conditioned soul under the clutches of māyā, the material energy, is very much agitated by the urges of the tongue and the genitals. Control of the urges of the tongue, the belly and the genitals (which are situated in a straight line) is called dhṛti. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, tāra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamaya sudurmati. Among the senses, the tongue is the most formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. Urged by the tongue, one commits many sinful activities. Although Kṛṣṇa has given human beings nice food, people still commit sins by killing poor animals for the satisfaction of the tongue. Not being able to control the tongue, the conditioned soul eats more than he needs. Of course, everyone must eat to keep the body fit for the Lord’s service, but when one cannot control the senses, he falls victim to the dictations of the tongue and the belly. Naturally, genital agitation follows, and one seeks illicit sex. However, if one is fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can control the tongue. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura further states, kṛṣṇa baḍa dayāmaya, karibāre jihvā jaya, sva-prasāda-anna dilā bhāi: in order to conquer the tongue, Kṛṣṇa has been very merciful and has given us nice food that has been offered to Him. When a person is attached to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, he does not eat anything not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Sei annāmṛta khāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo, preme ḍāka caitanya-nitāi. Since a devotee eats only prasādam, he conquers the dictations of the tongue, belly and genitals. One can control the dictates of the senses when situated in the position of śānta-rasa. Then one’s advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is assured.

Text 214

Bengali

Purport

This verse is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28). Elevation to the heavenly planets, liberation from material bondage, and condemnation to hell are all equal to the devotee. The devotee’s only desire is to be attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and to engage in His transcendental loving service.

Text 217

Bengali

एइ दुइ गुण व्यापे सव भक्तजने ।
आकाशेर ‘शव्द’-गुण येन भूतगणे ॥ २१७ ॥

Verse text

ei dui guṇa vyāpe saba bhakta-jane
ākāśera ‘śabda’-guṇa yena bhūta-gaṇe

Synonyms

ei dui — these two; guṇa — transcendental qualities; vyāpe — expand; saba bhakta-jane — in the lives of all devotees; ākāśera — of the sky; śabda-guṇa — the quality of sound; yena — like; bhūta-gaṇe — other material elements.

Translation

“These two qualities of the śānta stage spread through the lives of all devotees. They are like the quality of sound in the sky. Sound vibration is found in all material elements.

Purport

The two qualities of śānta-rasa mentioned in verse 215 are present in all kinds of devotees, whether they are in dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or madhura-rasa. The example of sound is given herein. Sound not only exists in the sky, or ether, but it is also present in air, fire, water and earth. This is a scientific explanation of devotional service. Just as sound is present in all material elements, the qualities found in śānta-rasa are present in all devotees, whether they are on the platform of dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or madhura-rasa.

Text 218

Bengali

Purport

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives us a short summary of this complicated description of the different rasas. He states that by becoming firmly fixed in the Lord’s service, one is devoid of all material desires. These are the two transcendental qualities on the śānta-rasa platform. Just as sound vibration is found in all the material elements, these two qualities of śānta-rasa are spread throughout all the other transcendental mellows, which are known as dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa. Although in śānta-rasa there is attachment for Kṛṣṇa in awe and veneration — since the two valuable transcendental qualities of this rasa are attachment for Kṛṣṇa and detachment from material desires — nonetheless the sense of intimacy is lacking. The reason for this is that in śānta-rasa attachment for impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā is prominent. In other words, the sense of intimacy by which one thinks of Kṛṣṇa as one’s only shelter and friend is absent in śānta-rasa because one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the impersonal Parambrahma or localized Paramātmā. This understanding is based on the speculative knowledge of the jñānī. However, when this knowledge is further developed, one is convinced that the Paramātmā, the Supreme Lord, is the master and that the living entity is His eternal servant. One then attains the platform of dāsya-rasa. In dāsya-rasa the Lord is accepted with awe and veneration. Thus the active service that is absent in śānta-rasa becomes prominent in dāsya-rasa. In other words, in dāsya-rasa the qualities of śānta-rasa are present, and service also becomes predominantly visible. Similarly, when this same rasa is developed into fraternity (sakhya-rasa), a friendly intimacy is added. There is no awe or veneration in sakhya-rasa. Therefore sakhya-rasa is invested with the qualities of three rasas — śānta, dāsya and sakhya. Similarly, on the platform of parental love, the qualities of śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa and sakhya-rasa are fully developed in another form — the sense of maintaining the Lord. Therefore on the platform of parental love there exists a combination of the qualities of four transcendental mellows — śānta, dāsya, sakhya and parenthood. The mellow of parenthood puts the devotee in the position of a maintainer. Indeed, without formality the devotee takes the position of maintainer and regards the Lord as the object of maintenance. Thus on the platform of parental love the qualities of four transcendental mellows of love of Kṛṣṇa are present.

Text 229

Bengali

से अमृतानन्दे भक्त सह डुवेन आपने ।
‘कृष्ण — भक्तवश’ गुण कहे ऐश्वर्य-ज्ञानिगणे ॥ २२९ ॥

Verse text

se amṛtānande bhakta saha ḍubena āpane
‘kṛṣṇa — bhakta-vaśa’ guṇa kahe aiśvarya-jñāni-gaṇe

Synonyms

se — that Lord Kṛṣṇa; amṛta-ānande — in spiritual happiness; bhakta — the devotee; saha — with; ḍubena — plunges; āpane — Himself; kṛṣṇa — Kṛṣṇa; bhakta-vaśa — of being subjugated by the devotee; guṇa — the quality; kahe — say; aiśvarya-jñāni-gaṇe — learned scholars knowing the opulence of Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

“The exchange of spiritual happiness between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee in which Kṛṣṇa is controlled by His devotee is compared to an ocean of nectar into which the devotee and Kṛṣṇa plunge. This is the verdict of learned scholars who appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s opulence.

Text 230

Bengali

Purport

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, nineteenth chapter, describing the Lord’s instructions to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Prayāga in the science of devotional service.