Sree Bhajana Rahasya
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
In some conditions, the life-air (präëa)
becomes present as
the fifth element together with the
other four elements of earth,
water, fire and sky. Sometimes it consists
mainly of itself – that is,
it is predominated by air (väyu)
– and it moves throughout the
body of the living entity. When the präëa
comes in contact with
the earth element, inertness (stambha)
is observed; when it takes
shelter of water, tears (açru)
manifest; when it contacts fire, perspiration
(sveda) and change in bodily
colour (vaivarëya) are
evident; and when it takes shelter of
sky, it manifests devastation
(pralaya) or loss of
consciousness (mürccha). When it consists
predominately of itself, or in other
words, when it takes shelter
of the element air, horripilation (romäïca),
trembling (vepathu)
and faltering of the voice (svara-bheda)
manifest respectively,
corresponding to the präëa’s mild,
moderate or intense strength.
Stambha is a state in which one becomes inert,
and it arises
from jubilation, fear, astonishment,
dejection, regret, anger and
depression. Perspiration (sveda)
arises from jubilation, fear,
anger and so forth. When the bodily
hairs stand on end, the condition
is known as romäïca, and it
arises from astonishment,
jubilation, enthusiasm and fear.
Faltering of the voice (svarabheda)
arises from despair, wonder, anger,
jubilation and fear.
Trembling (vepathu) is caused by
fear, anger, jubilation and so
forth. When the body changes colour it
is called vaivarëya, and
it arises from despair, anger, fear and
so on. Tears (açru) come
from the eyes through the influence of
jubilation, anger, despair
and so on. Tears of joy are cool,
whereas tears of anger and so
forth are warm. Cessation of all
action, loss of consciousness,
becoming motionless and falling to the
ground are called
pralaya. Pralaya arises from both
happiness and distress.
These sättvika-bhävas manifest
in five stages of intensity,
according to the progressive gradation
of sattva: (1) smouldering
(dhümäyita), (2) flaming (jvalita),
(3) burning (dépta), (4) brightly
burning (uddépta) and (5)
blazing (süddépta). They are gradually
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
reflected in the heart of a sincere
pure devotee according to the
level of his sädhana. Many
people exhibit these bhävas to
impress others or to achieve success in
their own activities in this
material world, but such demonstrations
are not the transcendental
sentiments of pure devotion.
Text 6
In his spiritual body (siddha-deha)
the living entity is a transcendental
servant of Kåñëa. When attachment to
service (däsya-rati)
arises, the jéva deems his
material designations insignificant. The
following statement of Çréman
Mahäprabhu is found in Padyävalé
(74):
nähaà vipro na ca nara-patir näpi
vaiçyo na çüdro
nähaà varëé na ca gåha-patir no
vanastho yatir vä
kintu
prodyan-nikhila-paramänanda-pürëämåtäbdher
gopé-bhartuù pada-kamalayor
däsa-däsänudäsaù
I am not a brähmaëa, kñatriya,
vaiçya or çüdra, nor am I a
brahmacäré, gåhastha, vänaprastha or
sannyäsé. My sole nature
is that of a servant of the servants of
the Vaiñëavas who are the
servants of the lotus feet of Çré
Rädhä-vallabha, the maintainer of
the gopés. He is naturally
effulgent and the complete ocean of
bliss.
vipra, kñatra, vaiçya, çüdra kabhu nähi
ämi
gåhé, brahmacäré, vänaprastha, yati,
svämé
prabhüta paramänanda-pürëämåtäväsa
çré-rädhä-vallabha-däsa-däsera anudäsa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The living entity is actually a servant
of the transcendental Çré
Kåñëacandra, the ocean of all nectarean
mellows. This is confirmed
in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä
5.142):
2 4 9
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
ekala éçvara kåñëa ära saba bhåtya
yäre yaiche näcäya, se taiche kare nåtya
Çré Kåñëa alone is Éçvara, the supreme
controller, and all others are
His servants. They dance as He makes
them do so.
The living entity who is bound by mäyä
identifies himself with
the temporary material body of a woman
or man and various
other designations. However, with His
own lotus mouth, Çré
Gaurasundara, the incarnation in
Kali-yuga and saviour of all
fallen souls, instructed the human
beings tormented by Kali. He
said, “We are not bound by social
classes (varëas), such as
brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya or südra,
nor by brahmacärya or
other stages of life (äçramas).
Our pure identity is gopé-bhartuù
pada-kamalayor däsa-däsänudäsaù, that of the servant of the
servant of the servant of the
maintainer of the gopés.”
Because the living entity is
conditioned, he receives a new
body according to his previous life’s
desires and impressions
(saàskäras), and thus takes
birth in one of the varëas. The destination
he attains after death is in accordance
with his karma.
This is called karma-cakra, the
cycle of action and reaction. The
living entity realises his pure form (çuddha-svarüpa)
by taking
shelter of the lotus feet of a bona
fide guru and thereby following
the path of bhajana as
established by the previous mahäjanas.
His material identification is removed
by his constant performance
of näma-bhajana. A pure spiritual
mood then manifests,
and he attains a pure, transcendental
body with which he can
serve Kåñëa. This body is also endowed
with hands, legs and so
forth just like the material body.
In pure, transcendental nature, Çré
Kåñëa is the only male and
all jévas are female. Actually,
in the structure of the jéva’s heart,
male and female characteristics do not
exist; yet when embodied
the living entity naturally conceives
of himself as being male or
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
female. The jéva attains a pure
body through the medium of
sädhana-bhajana. A person who is inclined towards the
amorous mellow (mädhurya-rasa)
will perform sädhanabhajana
under the guidance of rasika-bhaktas
and, according to
his own desire and constitutional
nature, he will attain his spiritual
form, which will be the body of a gopé.
Yogamäyä makes all
arrangements for the devotee’s service
in a specific rasa by the
potency that makes the impossible
possible (aghaöana-ghaöanapaöéyasé-
çakti). Prema-bhakti-candrikä states:
sädhane bhäviba yähä siddha-dehe päba
tähä
Whatever one contemplates in sädhana,
one will attain at
perfection.
pakväpakva mätra se vicära
The only difference is that in sädhana
it is unripe, and at
perfection, ripe.
Däsänudäsa – No one has the qualification to enter
mädhuryasevä
to Çré Yugala-kiçora unless he is under
the guidance of the
vraja-gopés. By performing bhajana under
the guidance of the
maïjaré-sakhés who are following those gopés,
one can attain the
post of a maidservant. At the time of sädhana,
one desires to
have a mood of service to Çré Kåñëa
according to the moods of
the vraja-gopés. Then, when bhäva
arises he considers himself to
be a maidservant of a vraja-gopé like
Lalitä Sakhé and serves Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa under her guidance. In çåìgära-rasa-upäsana,
worship through the amorous mellow, one
conceives of oneself
as a paramour (parakéya or paroòhä).
Some persons, although males, consider
themselves to be
Lalitä or Viçäkhä. They adopt feminine
attire, pose as sakhés, and
thus perform “bhajana”. By
such actions, they only destroy
2 5 1
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
themselves and others. To think, “I am
Lalitä” or “I am Viçäkhä”
is the ahaìgrahopäsanä of the mäyävädés,
a type of worship in
which one considers himself to be
identical with the object of
worship. Those who think like this are
offenders at the lotus feet
of Lalitä, Viçäkhä and others, and they
descend into the most
dreadful hell. The living entity can
never become Rüpa Maïjaré,
Çrématé Rädhikä’s eternal kiìkaré,
nor can he become Lalitä or
any other sakhé. These sakhés
are not living entities; they are Çré
Rädhä’s direct expansions (käya-vyüha-svarüpa).
While performing çåìgära-rasa-upäsana
at the time of
sädhana, the living entity should serve Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa under
the guidance of Çrématé Rädhikä’s
eternal sakhés. Conceiving oneself
as a paramour, one’s aspiration should
be to take birth in the
home of a vraja-gopé, marry a
specific gopa and remain a childless
gopa-kiçoré. This kiçoré, whose mood is parakéya-bhäva,
is a
female sädhaka with an intense
yearning to serve Çré Kåñëa
under the guidance of Çré Rädhä. When
this bhäva is perfected,
one attains gopé-bhäva.
In his song Dekhite dekhite Çréla
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings:
“vraja-gopé-bhäva, haibe
svabhäva, äna-bhäva nä rahibe – my
sole disposition and nature will be
that of a vraja-gopé.”
Text 7
In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.295)
it is described how the
devotee in räga-märga is fixed
in two kinds of service moods –
one is executed with his external body
(sädhaka-deha) and the
other with his internally contemplated
body (siddha-deha):
sevä sädhaka-rüpeëa
siddha-rüpeëa cätra hi
tad-bhäva-lipsunä käryä
vraja-lokänusärataù
2 5 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
One who has intense longing to attain rägätmikä-bhakti
follows
in the footsteps of the Vrajaväsés
[such as Rüpa Gosvämé] who are
devoted to räga-märga. With his
external body (sädhaka-rüpa)
he should chant and hear according to
the practice of rägänugabhakti,
and with his internally contemplated
body (siddha-rüpa)
bestowed upon him by his guru,
he should perform service.
çravaëa-kértana bähye sädhaka-çärére
siddha-dehe vrajänuga-sevä abhyantare
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Rägänuga-bhakti is performed in two ways: (1) with the
external
body (sädhaka-rüpa) and (2) with
the internally contemplated
body (siddha-rüpa) that is
suitable for carrying out the premasevä
for which one aspires. With the
external body one should
perform service like Çré Rüpa, Çré
Sanätana and other eminent
Vrajaväsés. With an intense desire to
obtain one’s cherished
object Çré Kåñëa, who resides in Vraja,
and the sentiments of His
beloved associates (in other words,
their affection for Çré Kåñëa),
one should execute service within the
mind (mänasé-sevä),
following eternal residents of Vraja
such as Çré Rädhä, Lalitä,
Viçäkhä and Rüpa Maïjaré.
Because unqualified people are unable
to understand the
sädhaka’s transcendental activities and gestures,
for their benefit
he practises the rules and regulations
of vaidhé-bhakti with his
external body. If such unqualified
people were to imitate the
sädhaka’s transcendental activities, their
process of bhajana
itself would become the cause of their
entanglement in material
existence. Our previous äcäryas personally
followed rules and
regulations just to instruct the ajäta-rati-sädhakas
(those not on
the platform of bhäva) and to
enable them to enter into pure
bhakti.
2 5 3
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
The meaning of vidhi-märga is
the practice of the sixty-four
limbs of bhakti, beginning with guru-padäçraya
(taking shelter
of the lotus feet of a genuine
spiritual master). By following
vidhi-märga in this way and by the influence of
associating with
devotees who are practising räga-märga,
intense longing for
rägänuga-bhakti manifests in the heart and one attains
the qualification
to enter that path. Çréla Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkura confirms
this in Kalyäëa-kalpataru: vidhi-märga-rata-jane,
svädhénatä
ratna-däne, räga-märge karäna praveça.
Day and night one should serve Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala in
Vraja in one’s spiritual body (siddha-deha)
that has been
revealed by the mercy of çré guru.
The sädhaka, following Çré
Kåñëa’s beloved associates whom he
cherishes in his heart and
for whose service he has developed
greed (lobha), should constantly
serve the youthful Divine Couple with
an enraptured
heart. By following the mood of one of
Kåñëa’s associates who is
amongst His servants, friends, parents
or beloveds, and whose
disposition corresponds to his own, the
sädhaka attains affection
for Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet. This
affection is of the same nature as
the affection of the associate whom he
follows. This is the
method of rägänuga-bhakti.
Smaraëa (remembrance) is the primary limb of rägänugabhakti.
In accordance with one’s own internal
mood, smaraëa,
kértana and the other limbs of devotion should
be performed in
relation to Kåñëa, His pastimes, His abode,
His specific natures
and His beloved associates. Because smaraëa
is predominant in
rägänuga-bhakti, some persons, who still have anarthas
and in
whose hearts genuine attachment to
Kåñëa has not yet appeared,
make a deceitful display of solitary bhajana,
and considering
themselves rägänugä devotees,
they practise what they call añöakäléya-
lélä-smaraëa. However, Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.101)
quotes from the ägama-çästras as
follows:
2 5 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
çruti-småti-puräëädipaïcarätra-
vidhià vinä
aikäntiké harer bhaktir
utpätäyaiva kalpate
If a person violates the regulations
mentioned in the Çruti, Småti,
Puräëas and the Närada-païcarätra,
great misgivings (anarthas)
are produced, even though he may be
engaged in unalloyed
devotion to Hari (aikäntiké-hari-bhakti).
The specific point to be understood in
connection with rasa is
that, upon hearing of the sweetness of çåìgära-rasa
and the
other transcendental sentiments of the
eternal associates in
vraja-lélä, a greed arises to obtain those same
sentiments. At that
point, a person is no longer dependent
on the logic of the scriptures
that explain vaidhé-bhakti and
he inquires, “How may this
irresistible vraja-bhäva be
obtained?” He must then depend on
çästra, because only çästra describes
the means by which he can
attain it. The scripture that
establishes the method of bhagavadbhajana
is Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
There are five kinds of sädhana in
rägänuga-bhakti:
(1) Sväbhéñöa-bhävamaya (composed
of one’s desired mood) –
When çravaëa, kértana and
other such limbs of bhakti are saturated
with one of the primary bhävas (däsya,
sakhya, vatsälya or
mädhurya), they nourish the tree of the sädhaka’s
future prema.
At that time they are called bhävamaya-sädhana.
When prema
manifests, they are called bhävamaya-sädhya.
(2) Sväbhéñöa-bhäva-sambandhé (related
to one’s desired mood)
– The limbs of bhakti, including çré-guru-padäçraya,
mantrajapa,
smaraëa, dhyäna and so on, are known as
bhävasambandhé-
sädhana. Because the following of vows on holy
days such as Ekädaçé and Janmäñöamé
assists the limb of
smaraëa, it is considered partial bhäva-sambandhé.
2 5 5
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
(3) Sväbhéñöa-bhäva-anuküla (favourable
to one’s desired
mood) – Wearing neckbeads made of tulasé,
applying tilaka,
adopting the outward signs of a
Vaiñëava, rendering tulasé-sevä,
performing parikramä, offering praëäma
and so forth are
bhäva-anuküla.
(4) Sväbhéñöa-bhäva-aviruddha (neither
opposed to nor incompatible
with one’s desired mood) – Respecting
cows, the banyan
tree, the myrobalan tree and brähmaëas
are conducive limbs
and therefore called bhäva-aviruddha.
The above-mentioned (1–4) kinds of sädhana
are all to be
adopted in the performance of bhajana.
(5) Sväbhéñöa-bhäva-viruddha (opposed
to one’s desired mood)
– Nyäsa (mental assignment of
different parts of the body to
various deities), mudrä (particular
positions of intertwining the
fingers), dvärakä-dhyäna (meditation
on Kåñëa’s pastimes in
Dvärakä) and other such limbs should be
abandoned in the
performance of rägänuga-bhakti because
they are opposed to
the attainment of one’s desired bhäva.
The räga-märga-sädhaka always
follows the Vrajaväsés; in
other words, he follows Çré Rüpa
Gosvämé, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé
and Çré Ragunätha däsa Gosvämé, and
constantly practises the
process of bhajana shown by
them. A räga-märga-sädhaka
should always reside in Vraja. If
possible he should reside there
physically; otherwise, mentally.
Siddha-rüpeëa – By the mercy of the spiritual master,
the
sädhaka gains the ekädaça-bhävas and the
five daçäs. He then
performs sevä in meditation
while being internally absorbed in
these sentiments; that is to say, he
remains absorbed in remembrance
of añöa-käléya-lélä.
The ekädaça-bhävas are: (1) sambandha,
relationship; (2)
vayasa, age; (3) näma, name; (4) rüpa,
personal form; (5) yütha,
group; (6) veça, dress; (7) äjïä,
specific instruction; (8) väsa,
2 5 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
residence; (9) sevä, exclusive
service; (10) paräkäñöhä-çväsa,
the utmost summit of divine sentiment,
which is the aspirant’s
very life breath; and (11) pälyadäsé-bhäva,
the sentiment of a
maidservant.
The five daçäs are: (1) çravaëa-daçä,
the stage of hearing;
(2) varaëa-daçä, the stage of
acceptance; (3) smaraëa-daçä, the
stage of remembrance; (4) bhäväpanna-daçä,
the stage of spiritual
ecstasy; and (5) prema-sampatti-daçä,
the stage in which the
highest success of prema is
achieved.
By the mercy of the svarüpa-çakti,
the sädhaka receives a spiritual
body appropriate for service to Kåñëa.
The Sanat-kumärasaàhitä
describes how a sädhaka in mädhurya-rasa
is always
absorbed in his internally contemplated
body:
ätmänaà cintayet tatra
täsäà madhye manoramäm
rüpa-yauvana-sampannäà
kiçoréà pramadäkåtim
nänä-çilpa-kaläbhijïäà
kåñëa-bhogänurüpiëém
prärthitäm api kåñëena,
tato bhoga-paräìmukhém
rädhikänucaréà nityaà
tat-sevana-paräyaëäm
kåñëäd apy adhikaà prema
rädhikäyäà prakurvatém
préty anudivasaà yatnät
tayoù saìgama-käriëém
tat-sevana-sukhählädabhävenäti-
sunirvåtäm
ity ätmänaà vicintyaiva
tatra seväà samäcaret
brähma-muhürtam ärabhya
yävat tuñyän mahäniçi
2 5 7
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
[Sadäçiva said to Närada:] O Närada,
contemplate your svarüpa in
the transcendental land of Våndävana
amidst Kåñëa’s beloved
damsels, who look upon Him as their
paramour, in the following
way: “I am a kiçoré-ramaëé,
whose beautiful youthful form is full
of happiness. I am skilled in many fine
arts that please Kåñëa. I am
an eternal maidservant of Çré Rädhä,
Kåñëa’s most beloved consort,
and I will always be joyful to arrange
for Her meeting with Him.
Therefore, even if Kåñëa prays for
union with me, I will do anything
to avoid that kind of meeting because
it would not be for
Kåñëa’s sense pleasure, but my own. I
am always ready to serve
and attend to Kåñëa’s beloved Çrématé
Rädhikä, and I have more
affection for Çrématé than I do for
Kåñëa. Every day I am devoted
to affectionately and carefully
arranging meetings between Çré
Rädhä and Çré Kåñëa. Remaining absorbed
in the happiness of
serving Them, I will increase Their
bliss in that meeting.”
In this way, attentively contemplating
one’s svarüpa, one
should impeccably perform mänasé-sevä
in the transcendental
land of Våndävana, from brähma-muhürta until
midnight.
The word siddha-rüpeëa in this
Text 7 is defined by Çréla Jéva
Gosvämé as follows: “antaç cintita
tat sevopayogé deha – the
internally contemplated body that is
suitable for carrying out
one’s desired service.” One should thus
be engaged in service
according to one’s mood and with a body
suitable for serving Çré
Kåñëa. One should serve being absorbed
in the ocean of
sentiments of Kåñëa’s beloved
associates in Vraja, who fulfil His
innermost desires.
Çré gurudeva, the desire-tree of the devotees,
makes the
siddha-deha appear within the heart of his dear
disciple, and
thereafter acquaints him with this siddha-deha.
Having full faith
in the guru’s words, the sädhaka
performs bhajana with firm
niñöhä, and by the mercy of the hlädiné-çakti,
he fully realises his
ultimate state of being. The sädhaka
then completely identifies
himself with his siddha-deha and
in this perfected form, he
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
intently engages in the service of his
most cherished Çré Kåñëa,
the skilful enjoyer of pastimes (lélä-viläsé).
Text 8
Çréman Mahäprabhu (Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä
1.211)) has described the public
behaviour of räga-märgabhaktas
with the following words:
para-vyasaniné näré
vyagräpi gåha-karmasu
tad eväsvädayaty antar
nava-saìga-rasäyanam
When a woman is attached to a man other
than her husband, she
continues to carry out her many
household duties, but within her
heart she relishes the new pleasure of
her meeting with her paramour.
[Similarly, a devotee may be engaged in
activities within
this world, but he always relishes the rasa
of Kåñëa that he has
tasted in the association of devotees.]
para-puruñete rata thäke ye ramaëé
gåhe vyasta thäkiyäo divasa-rajané
gopane antare nava-saìga-rasäyana
parama-ulläse kare sadä äsvädana
sei rüpa bhakta vyagra thäkiyäo ghare
kåñëa-rasäsväda kara niùsaìga antare
Bhajana-rahasaya-våtti
In this verse, by using a mundane
example, Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu explains both the internal
and external behaviour
of the räga-märga-sädhaka. A
woman who is attached to her
paramour very competently performs her
household duties, but
her mind and heart are with her lover.
She remembers their
laughing and loving exchanges, and she
relishes the happiness
2 5 9
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
of their recent meeting. Similarly, the
räga-märga-sädhaka
always tastes the pleasure of serving
Bhagavän within his heart,
even though he seems to be occupied
with his various duties.
The opinion of the äcäryas is
that externally one should serve
with the physical body, and internally
one should remember
Kåñëa’s form, qualities, pastimes,
associates and so forth.
Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura sings: “gåhe
vä vanete thäke, ‘hä
gauräìga’ bole òäke, narottama mäìge tära saìga –
whether a
person lives in his home as a
householder or in the forest as a
renunciant, as long as he exclaims ‘O
Gauräìga!’ Narottama däsa
begs for his association.”
Text 9
In this state of räga-märga-bhajana,
the devotee has affection
for places that are dear to Kåñëa, and
he longs to stay in such
places. This is described in the
following verse from Bhaktirasämåta-
sindhu (1.2.156):
kadähaà yamunä-tére
nämäni tava kértayan
udväñpaù puëòarékäkña!
racayiñyämi täëòavam
O lotus-eyed Kåñëa, when, upon the
banks of the Yamunä, will I
chant Your holy names and dance like a
madman, my eyes brimming
with tears of love?
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
According to Çréla Jéva Gosvämipäda,
this is an example of
lälasämayé-vijïapti made by a jäta-rati-bhakta; that
is, a
devotee in whom bhäva has
appeared. Lälasämayé-vijïapti is a
prayer in which such a devotee prays to
attain his desired sevä.
Samprärthanätmikä-vijïapti is a prayer by a sädhaka in whom
2 6 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
rati has not yet awakened. Such a prayer is also full of
longing
(lälasä), but bhäva is
absent. This Text 9 is a prayer by a devotee
on the path of rägänuga.
The name Puëòarékäkña (lotus-eyed) here
excites the devotee’s
heart with pastimes related to that
name: “Çré Kåñëa’s eyes
have become reddish like a lotus due to
sporting with the vrajagopés
at night in a cottage situated in a
secluded grove on the
bank of the Yamunä. With extreme bliss
and joy, in the society of
sakhés I will describe Çré Kåñëa’s rasa,
His personal beauty and so
on.” This is the mood that manifests.
Or, “After arranging the
union of Çré Kåñëa with my beloved sakhé,
I will dance in a festival
of bliss. Being satisfied, my Sväminé
will bless me.” Or, “When
Çrématé Rädhikä becomes victorious in
water sports (jala-kelivihära)
in the Yamunä, I will dance like a
madwoman, horripilating,
shivering and with tears in my eyes.”
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings:
yamunä-salila-äharaëe giyä, bujhiba
yugala-rasa
prema-mugdha haye pägaliné-präya, gäiba
rädhära yaça
As I go to draw water from the Yamunä,
I will understand the
confidential mellows of Yugala-kiçora’s
loving affairs. Like a madwoman
captivated by prema, I will sing
Çré Rädhikä’s glories.
Text 10
Apart from devotees, who desire to love
Kåñëa, everyone else’s
hearts are impure and stone-like due to
offences. According to
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.3.24), the emotions exhibited by
such
people are artificial:
tad açma-säraà hådayaà batedaà
yad gåhyamänair hari-näma-dheyaiù
na vikriyetätha yadä vikäro
netre jalaà gätra-ruheñu harñaù
2 6 1
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
When a sädhaka performs harinäma-saìkértana,
the hairs of
his body stand on end and tears of joy
begin to flow from his
eyes. But the heart of one in whom such
sättvika-bhäva
transformations do not arise, is not
actually a heart, but a hard
thunderbolt.
harinäma-saìkértane roma-harña haya
daihika vikära netre jala-dhärä baya
se samaye nahe yära hådaya-vikära
dhik tära hådaya kaöhina vajra-sära
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
If someone has been chanting the holy
name for a long time but
his heart is not melting, it is certain
that he is a näma-aparädhé.
The holy name is all-powerful (sarva-çaktimän),
but no immediate
result takes place in a heart that is
hard like stone. To criticise
sädhus or to commit other such offences
obstructs the desired
transformation of the heart. If the
obstruction is ordinary, the
utterance of the holy name manifests as
a semblance of the name
(näma-äbhäsa). If the
obstruction is deep, however, then it manifests
as näma-aparädha. In other
words, by offences committed
at the lotus feet of a great
personality (mahäpuruña), one’s heart
becomes hard like iron, and it is not
melted by çravaëa, kértana
and so on.
The external symptoms of a heart that
is melted by harinäma
are tears, horripilation and so forth.
However, such symptoms
are also seen in one whose heart is
full of distress. Rüpa
Gosvämipäda says that occasionally
tears, horripilation, etc. are
observed in those whose hearts are
naturally devious. Externally
such people appear to be soft-hearted,
but internally their hearts
are actually hard. These symptoms can
also be observed in those
who believe they can acquire sättvika-bhävas
by determined
practice, even without sattva-äbhäsa
(the semblance of sättvikabhävas).
Such emotions are never connected to bhakti.
2 6 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
One will definitely observe the nine
symptoms of bhäva, such
as forbearance (kñänti) and not
wasting time (avyartha-kälatva),
in a fortunate person whose heart has
been transformed by the
appearance of pure harinäma on
his tongue, which is always
engaged in service (sevonmukha).
One should therefore understand
that extraordinary forbearance and
exceptional attachment
to chanting the holy name are symptoms
of a transformed heart.
If an ordinary person, a so-called
Vaiñëava who is actually envious,
chants the holy name (näma-aparädha)
for a long time, his
heart will not melt. He cannot perceive
the sweetness of the holy
name due to the offences in his heart.
The nine symptoms of
bhäva, beginning with kñänti, may appear to be observed
in a
person whose heart is disturbed by aparädha,
but his heart is
actually hard like stone and he is
worthy of reproach. However,
if that person associates with
devotees, he will gradually pass
through anartha-nivåtti and come
to niñöhä, ruci and the other
stages. Then, at the suitable time, the
offences hardening his
heart will be removed and his heart may
melt. By receiving the
mercy of Vaiñëavas and a pure niñkiïcana,
mahä-bhägavata
guru and practising spiritual life under their guidance, one
will
become free from the influence of aparädhas
and anarthas.
Finally he will become fixed in vraja-bhäva,
which is filled with
rasa, and he will attain the supreme goal, prema.
Text 11
In Kåñëa-karëämåta (107) it is
said that when attachment (rati) for
the holy name arises, the youthful form
of Kåñëa easily manifests:
bhaktis tvayi sthiratarä bhagavan yadi
syäd
daivena naù phalati divya-kiçora-mürtiù
muktiù svayaà mukulitäïjaliù sevate
’smän
dharmärtha-käma-gatayaù
samaya-pratékñäù
2 6 3
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
O Bhagavän, if someone has steady
devotion unto Your lotus
feet, he easily perceives Your most
charming divine youthful
form. Thereafter, liberation stands
before him with folded hands,
and dharma, artha and käma
also wait for an opportunity to
serve him.
bhakti sthiratarä yäìra
brajendra-nandana
tomära kaiçora-mürti täìra präpya dhana
kara-yuòi’ mukti seve täìhära caraëa
dharma-artha-käma kare äjïära pälana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The pure name manifests in a person’s
heart when he chants
with pure devotees. At that stage bhakti
that is symptomised by
prema manifests in his heart as visions of
pastimes (lélä-sphürtis).
When this prema-bhakti becomes
steadfast, Çré Kåñëa’s transcendental
youthful form automatically appears in
the heart.
Although Mukti-devé is neglected by the
devotee, she personally
prays with folded hands for the devotee
to accept her service.
Dharma, artha and käma also
wait for the opportunity to pray
to the devotee for service.
The jäta-rati-bhakta inclined towards
mädhurya-rasa is
greatly allured by the divine
adolescent form of Çré Kåñëa, whose
topmost pastimes of amorous love (såìgära-rasa-viläsa)
are displayed
at this age. Çré Caitanya-caritämåta
(Madhya-lélä 8.189)
states:
rätri-dina kuïje kréòä kare rädhä-saìge
kaiçora-vayasa saphala kaila
kréòä-raìge
Day and night Çré Kåñëa enjoys the
company of Çré Rädhä in the
kuïjas of Våndävana. Thus, His adolescence is
made successful
through His pastimes with Her.
1
A makaré is the female
counterpart of the makara, a large sea creature that is
considered to epitomise sensual desire.
2 6 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
The art of amorous sport (rati-kalä),
endowed with cleverness
and other qualities, is expressed in
the sweetest way during adolescence
(kaiçora). Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
states, “Çré Kåñëa
embarrasses Çré Rädhä by revealing to
the sakhés His skill and
arrogance during the previous night’s
amorous sports by showing
them how He expertly painted wonderful keli-makaré
1 on Her
breasts. In this way Çré Kåñëa sports
in the kuïjas, making His
youth successful.”
Text 12
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.3.30–1) describes the practice of
chanting
the holy name at the stage of rati in
the association of pure
devotees:
parasparänukathanaà
pävanaà bhagavad-yaçaù
mitho ratir mithas tuñöir
nivåttir mitha ätmanaù
smarantaù smärayantaç ca
mitho ’ghaugha-haraà harim
bhaktyä saïjätayä bhaktyä
bibhraty utpulakäà tanum
Bhagavän’s glories are supremely
purifying. Devotees discuss
these glories amongst themselves and
thus develop loving
friendships, feel satisfaction, and
gain release from material existence.
They practise sädhana-bhakti,
constantly remembering
and reminding each other of the killer
of Aghäsura, Çré Hari. In
this way para-bhakti, or prema-bhakti,
arises in their hearts, and
their bodies manifest ecstatic symptoms
such as bodily hairs
standing on end.
2 6 5
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
bhakta-gaëa paraspara kåñëa-kathä gäya
tähe rati tuñöi sukha paraspara päya
hari-småti nije kare, anyere karäya
sädhane udita bhäve pulakäçru päya
Bhajana-rahasaya-våtti
Çré Kåñëa burns up heaps of sins in a
moment; therefore everyone
should remember Him and also remind
others about Him. In this
way, by continuously following sädhana-bhakti,
prema-bhakti
arises in the devotee. Due to
the predominance of prema, the
devotee’s body then displays ecstatic
symptoms.
A sädhaka’s duty is to increase
his affection for the svajätéyabhaktas
(like-minded devotees who are more
advanced than
oneself and affectionate towards
oneself) with whom he is associating,
and to arrange for their happiness. It
is also his duty to
give up sense objects that are
unfavourable to bhakti. The purehearted
svajätéya-bhakta purifies one’s heart by glorifying Çré
Kåñëa’s qualities. Thus, by cultivating
devotion through
processes such as the hearing and
speaking of kåñëa-kathä,
bhäva arises in the heart. By hearing,
speaking and remembering
hari-kathä, which destroys all inauspiciousness,
the sädhaka
enters the perfected stage (siddha-avasthä).
The special meaning of this verse is
that by the influence of
associating with vraja-rasika-bhaktas
who have the same mood
as oneself, Bhakti-devé enters the
heart. Hearing such devotees’
hari-kathä with a pure heart matures a new sädhaka’s
impressions
of bhakti.
In Prema-bhakti-candrikä it is
said:
sädhane bhäviba yähä siddha-dehe päba
tähä
Whatever one contemplates in sädhana,
one will attain at
perfection.
2 6 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
pakväpakva mätra se vicära
The only difference is that in sädhana
it is unripe, and at
perfection, ripe.
By the mercy of a bona fide guru,
the sädhaka realises his perfected
form (siddha-svarüpa) and
receives further instruction in
the method of bhajana.
When like-minded pure devotees (svajätéya-çuddha-bhaktas)
meet, they speak only kåñëa-kathä,
thus becoming overwhelmed
by the description of Kåñëa’s form,
qualities, etc. At
Öera-kadamba and other places, Çré Rüpa
Gosvämé and Çré
Sanätana Gosvämé used to become
submerged in añöa-sättvikabhävas
when sharing realisations from their bhajana.
The sädhaka should be careful,
though, that on the pretext of
speaking bhagavat-kathä, he does
not gratify his senses with
female association, economic gain,
fame, adoration and so forth.
The sädhaka should be extremely
cautious in the cultivation of
his Kåñëa consciousness (kåñëänuçélana),
otherwise he will
deviate from the correct path and be
cheated of the wealth of
Çréman Mahäprabhu’s prema.
Text 13
Sometimes the prideless pure devotee
preaches näma-prema
throughout the world by the medium of kértana.
As stated in
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.6.26):
nämäny anantasya hata-trapaù paöhan
guhyäni bhadräëi kåtäni ca smaran
gäà paryaöaàs tuñöa-manä gata-spåhaù
kälaà pratékñan vimado vimatsaraù
[While telling his life story, Çré
Närada said:] Not feeling shy or
embarrassed, I began to chant and
remember the mysterious and
2 6 7
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
auspicious sweet names and pastimes of
Bhagavän. My heart was
already free from longing, pride and
envy. Now I roamed the
Earth joyfully, waiting for the right
time.
lajjä chäòi’ kåñëa-näma sadä päöha kare
kåñëera madhura-lélä sadä citte smare
tuñöamana, spåhä-mada-çünya-vimatsara
jévana yäpana kare kåñëecchä tatpara
Bhajana-rahasaya-våtti
Çré Närada engaged himself in the
activities of chanting the holy
names and remembering Bhagavän’s
confidential pastimes while
he waited for his vastu-siddhi.
Pure devotees wholly absorb
themselves in chanting the holy names
without a trace of
hypocrisy, and they never allow
criticism to enter their ears. They
reveal confidential pastimes of Çré
Rädhä-Govinda, which are
filled with extremely deep prema-viläsa,
to affectionate devotees
who are of a similar disposition (svajätéya-snigdha-bhaktas).
In
his poem Vaiñëava ke?, Çréla
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté
Prabhupäda states:
kértana prabhäve smaraëa haibe
sei käle nirjana bhajana sambhava
Smaraëa, remembrance, will come as a result of
performing
kértana, and at that time bhajana in
seclusion becomes possible.
Näma and nämé are non-different. Upon attaining the
stage of
bhäva, a devotee’s material sentiments are destroyed and he
becomes humble, respecting everyone. He
does not expect
honour for himself, and giving up any
sense of shyness and
inhibition, he performs harinäma-saìkértana.
Çré Närada is
describing this condition in this Text.
Giving up all pride and
2 6 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
shyness, he propagated the chanting of
the holy names everywhere.
The topmost devotees preach everywhere
for the welfare
of human society. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté Prabhupäda
says: “präëa äche yära se hetu
pracära – he who has life can
preach.”
Smaraëa is a limb of bhakti that is
subservient to çravaëa and
kértana. According to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé,
narrations of the deep
and confidential activities of Bhagavän
– that is, His pastimes of
viläsa with His beloveds – should not be
revealed in the
presence of ordinary persons. One
should perform smaraëa and
kértana according to one’s qualification.
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 22.157, 159)
states:
‘mane’ nija-siddha-deha kariyä bhävana
rätri-dine kare vraje kåñëera sevana
nijäbhéñöa kåñëa-preñöha päche ta’
lägiyä
nirantara sevä kare antarmanä haïä
The perfected devotee serves Kåñëa in
Våndävana day and night
within his mind, in his original, pure,
self-realised position (nijasiddha-
deha). Actually, the inhabitants of Våndävana are very dear
to Kåñëa. If a person wants to engage
in spontaneous loving service,
he must follow the inhabitants of
Våndävana and constantly
engage in devotional service within his
mind.
Text 14
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.3.32) states:
kvacid rudanty acyuta-cintayä kvacid
dhasanti nandanti vadanty alaukikäù
nåtyanti gäyanty anuçélayanty ajaà
bhavanti tüñëéà param etya nirvåtäù
2 6 9
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
The transcendental mahä-bhägavata’s condition
is astonishing.
Sometimes he starts to worry, thinking,
“So far I have not had
direct audience of Bhagavän. What shall
I do? Where shall I go?
Whom shall I ask? Who will be able to
find Him for me?”
Thinking like this he begins to weep.
Sometimes he receives an
internal revelation (sphürti) of
Bhagavän’s sweet pastimes, and
he laughs loudly as he beholds
Bhagavän, who is endowed with
all opulences, hiding in fear of the gopés.
Sometimes he is submerged
in bliss upon receiving Bhagavän’s darçana
and directly
experiencing His prema. Sometimes,
when situated in his
siddha-deha, he speaks with Bhagavän, saying, “O
Prabhu, after
so long, I have attained You,” and he
proceeds to sing the glories
of his Lord. Sometimes, when he
receives Bhagavän’s affection,
he starts to dance, and sometimes he
experiences great peace
and remains silent.
bhävodaye kabhu käìde kåñëa-cintä phale
häse änandita haya, alaukika bale
näce gäya, kåñëa älocane sukha päya
lélä-anubhave haya, tüñëém bhüta präya
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Upon the appearance of bhäva,
the sädhaka’s internal and
external activities become extraordinary.
Due to remembering
narrations of Bhagavän, sometimes he
cries, sometimes he
laughs, sometimes he dances, sometimes
he displays delight and
sometimes, becoming silent, he is
grave. And at other times, in
the association of like-minded
devotees, he describes his
transcendental realisations, which are
filled with prema.
In the Gambhérä, Çréman Mahäprabhu was
immersed in many
transcendental sentiments and would
reveal them to Svarüpa
Dämodara and Räya Rämänanda.
Mahäprabhu’s mind used to
completely drown in the ocean of Çré Rädhä’s sentiments and He
2 7 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
became as if mad (unmatta),
sometimes losing external consciousness,
and sometimes, in ardha-bähya-daçä (half
internal
and half external consciousness), He
would express some of the
sentiments in His heart. While absorbed
in a dream (svapnäveça),
He would become silent, fully absorbed
in bliss. Sometimes, in
ardha-bähya-daçä, He saw Kåñëa, and sometimes He lost
Him.
In bähya-daçä (external
consciousness), He was unhappy to be
separated from the jewel He had
attained but had now lost.
Sometimes, like a madman, He asked
animals, birds and people,
“Where is Kåñëa? Have you seen Him?” At
night, when the atmosphere
was calm and it was time for Rädhikä’s
rendezvous with
Kåñëa, He could not keep His composure.
As He remembered
the räsa-lélä, He would become
overwhelmed with bhäva and
begin to sing and dance.
In antar-daçä (internal
consciousness) there is only meeting
and happiness. Sometimes, while thus
absorbed, Mahäprabhu
would say, “Today Kåñëa, surrounded by
the sakhés, was sporting
at Rädhä-kuëòa. One sakhé helped
Me behold those viläsa
pastimes from a distance.” When
Mahäprabhu returned to
bähya-daçä, He would say, “Svarüpa! Did I just
say something to
you? What? Oh, I am a sannyäsé named
Caitanya!” He then
lamented in the anguish of separation.
Remembering Kåñëa’s
qualities, He would clasp the necks of
Räya Rämänanda and
Svarüpa Dämodara, and cry with great
restlessness. This would
happen every day.
In the stage of bhäva, a sädhaka
sometimes cries, “Alas! Alas!
It is impossible for me to obtain kåñëa-prema,
so it is useless for
me to remain alive.” Sometimes he
laughs as he remembers a
pastime, and he thinks, “Çré Kåñëa, who
steals the young wives of
the cowherd men, passed the whole night
under a tree in the
courtyard. Although He was calling the gopés
in various intonations,
He was defeated by Jaöilä and Kuöilä’s
careful guard and
2 7 1
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
interrogation, and He could not attain
the gopés’ association.”
Sometimes a sädhaka becomes
silent and peaceful, concealing
the wealth of prema in his
heart. Sometimes, imitating a pastime
of Hari, he dances, and sometimes he
speaks in a strange and
incomprehensible way.
Text 15
Attachment to beholding the beautiful
form of the deity is
described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.23.22):
çyämaà hiraëya-paridhià
vanamälya-barhadhätu-
praväla-naöa-veçam anuvratäàse
vinyasta-hastam itareëa dhunänam abjaà
karëotpalälaka-kapola-mukhäbja-häsam
He is dark-complexioned like a fresh
raincloud, and His yellow
cloth, which defeats the splendour of
gold, shimmers against His
body. His head is decorated with a
peacock feather, and every
part of His body is ornamented with
designs that are drawn with
various coloured minerals. Sprigs of
new leaves adorn His body,
and around His neck is an enchanting
forest-flower garland of
five colours. Dressed in this way, He
appears as a fresh, youthful,
expert dancer. He rests one hand upon
His sakhä’s shoulder and
with the other He twirls a pastime
lotus. His ears are decorated
with earrings (kuëòalas), curly
locks of hair splash against His
cheeks, and His lotus face blossoms
with a gentle smile.
kñaëe-kñaëe dekhe çyäma, hiraëya-valita
vanamälä-çikhi-piïcha-dhätv-ädi-maëòita
naöaveça, saìgé-skandhe
nyasta-padma-kara
karëa-bhüñä-alakä-kapola-smitädhara
2 7 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Upon the appearance of rati,
attachment arises in the sädhaka’s
heart when he takes darçana of
the deity, and he experiences
the splendour of Çré Kåñëa’s beauty as
described in this verse. Çré
Kåñëa’s head is decorated with a
peacock feather crown, and His
neck is beautified by a garland of
flowers and leaves strung by
the vraja-gopés. His body is
decorated with pictures made with
aromatic minerals from Kämyavana. Çré
Kåñëa, who attracts
everyone with His smiling face, puts
His left arm around the
shoulder of a priya-narma-sakhä,
and His right hand twirls a
pastime lotus. The äcäryas explain
that from His twirling of the
pastime lotus it can be understood that
Kåñëa’s heart dances like
that lotus when He sees the devotees.
Or, the devotees’ hearts
dance like the lotus when they see
Kåñëa. Here, by His twirling
of the lotus, Çré Kåñëa expresses the
sentiment, “O fortunate
brähmaëés, I am holding your lotus-like hearts
in My hand.” He
implies, “Upon attaining darçana of
Me, your hearts dance like
this lotus.” Or, “By accepting your
hearts, I will make you My
own.”
Çré Kåñëa entices all living entities
to drink nectar by attracting
them with the sweetness of His beauty.
By this mercy, many kinds
of pastimes manifest within the sädhaka’s
heart, and he experiences
the happiness of relishing these
pastimes.
Text 16
Also in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.21.5):
barhäpéòaà naöa-vara-vapuù karëayoù
karëikäraà
bibhrad väsaù kanaka-kapiçaà
vaijayantéà ca mäläm
randhrän veëor adhara-sudhayäpürayan
gopa-våndair
våndäraëyaà sva-pada ramaëaà präviçad
géta-kértiù
2 7 3
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
[Seeing Kåñëa through the eyes of bhäva,
the gopés in pürva-räga
described His beauty:] Çyämasundara is
entering the forest of
Våndävana accompanied by His cowherd
boyfriends. In His
turban there is a peacock feather; over
His ears, a karëikära
flower; on His body, a pétämbara glitters
like gold; and around
His neck, extending down to His knees,
is a heart-stealing garland
strung with five kinds of fragrant
forest flowers. His beautiful
dress is like that of an expert dancer
on a stage, and the nectar of
His lips flows through the holes of His
flute. Singing His glories,
the cowherd boys follow from behind. In
this way, this
Våndävana-dhäma, which is more charming
than Vaikuëöha, has
become even more beautiful by the
impressions of Çré Kåñëa’s
lotus feet, which are marked with the
conch, disc and other
symbols.
çikhicüòa, naöavara, karëe karëikära
pétaväsa, vaijayanté-mälä-galahära
veëu-randhre adhara-péyüña pürëa kari’
sakhä-saìge våndäraëye praveçila hari
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
With this verse Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé,
the crown jewel of all
paramahaàsas, has drawn an amazing picture of the
sweet form
of Kåñëa that manifested in the hearts
of the beautiful damsels of
Vraja when they heard the sound of His veëu.
The vrajaramaëés,
filled with deep attachment for Kåñëa,
became overwhelmed
upon hearing the sweet sound of His
flute. As they
began to describe to each other the
astonishing sweetness of that
sound, the image of Çré Kåñëa in His
very beautiful threefoldbending
form (tribhaìga-lalita), with
His playful way of
strolling, His crooked glances, His
sweet slight smile and so on,
manifested within their hearts and
overwhelmed them with
prema.
2 7 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Barhäpéòam – In the middle of the locks of black
curly hair on
Çré Kåñëa’s head there is a peacock
feather crown that looks like
a rainbow on a fresh raincloud. These
peacock feathers were a
gift from blissfully dancing peacocks.
By wearing this crown on
His head, the dhéra-lalita-näyaka Kåñëa
reveals the häva, bhäva
and other ecstatic symptoms of His
beloveds in an unprecedented
way. The nakha-candrikä, the
shining bluish-green
centre of the peacock feather, is a seal
of cleverness in the loving
affairs (prema-vidagdha) that
comprise the art of rasa. By wearing
a peacock feather on His head, Kåñëa
proclaims the victory of His
beloved Rädhä in the previous night’s
pastimes in the pleasure
groves.
Naöa-vara-vapuù – Even the art of dancing (nåtya-viläsa)
is
defeated by Kåñëa’s playful way of
strolling. Çyämasundara, the
best of dancers, is the personification
of the highest sweetness,
which is beyond comparison. When,
accompanied by His
cowherd friends, He follows the cows
into the Våndävana forest,
His lotus feet dance in His own natural
style, which shames the
art of dancing itself. At the same
time, His jewelled anklebells,
golden-coloured pétämbara, waist
bells and the vaijayanté-mälä
on His chest also dance. His fingers,
too, dance upon the holes
of His flute in a unique manner.
Kåñëa’s two eyes, which defeat
the beauty of the restless movement of khaïjana
birds and baby
deer, also dance with various
expressions. His makara-shaped
earrings, His black curling tresses and
the peacock feather adorning
the top of His head also start to
dance. Thus, He Himself is
the unequalled expert dancer (naöa-vara)
and every part of His
body is also a naöa-vara.
Karëayoh karëikäram – The yellow kanera flower (karëikära)
that Çyämasundara wears on His ears as
He enters the forest
increases the incomparable sweetness of
His fresh youth. Rasikaçekhara
Çré Kåñëa wears only one kanera flower,
sometimes on
2 7 5
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
His right ear and sometimes on His
left, thus demonstrating His
carefree, intoxicated youth. He places
this flower on the ear that
faces the loving gopés who stand
on the roof-tops, thus showing
them His great affection.
Bibhrad väsaù kanaka-kapiçam – Naöa-vara Çyämasundara’s
body, whose dark complexion defeats the
colour of fresh storm
clouds, is adorned with a golden-yellow
garment (pétämbara)
which resembles lightning against a
thundercloud. By covering
His body with the pétämbara,
which is similar in colour to the
vraja-gopés’ golden complexions, He expresses how He
feels
when being embraced by them, thus
revealing His deep love for
them. On His very broad chest, a vaijayanté-mälä,
made from
five kinds of flowers, swings gently
and sweetly. Seeing this,
ever-fresh waves of emotion surge in
the gopés’ hearts. These five
flowers are like five arrows released
by the gopés that pierce each
and every part of Kåñëa’s body.
Randrän veëor adhara-sudhayäpürayan – When Çré Kåñëa
covers the holes of the veëu with
His fingers, puts it to His
tender, bud-like lips that defeat the
beauty of ripe bimba fruits,
and gently blows into it, a sweet sound
pours from the holes that
infatuates the entire world and
enchants all moving and nonmoving
beings. The lifeless veëu becomes
alive and stirs the
gopés’ hearts, stimulating transcendental lust
(käma) within them.
Moreover, when the gopés see
that the veëu is enjoying their
wealth of the nectar of Kåñëa’s lips (adhara-sudhä)
right in front
of them, even though the flute is male,
the saïcäri-bhäva called
jealousy (érñyä) arises in their
hearts.
In this way, Çyämasundara plays on His veëu
as He enters the
most pleasant forest of Våndävana.
The moment a stream of the
flute’s sweet nectar enters the ears of
the vraja-ramaëés, who are
endowed with mahäbhäva, an
amazing condition arises in their
hearts. They become restless with a
strong desire to meet with
2 7 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Kåñëa, and although they try to conceal
this mood, they are
unsuccessful.
A sädhaka who aims to attain the
gopés’ love for Kåñëa will
gradually develop his bhäva-mädhurya
by performing sädhana
under the guidance of his spiritual
master. When the stage of
bhäva arises, Çré Kåñëa’s form manifests
within the sädhaka’s
heart. At this stage the sädhaka’s mood
is similar to that of a gopé.
He understands himself (in his svarüpa)
to be a young girl
(kiçoré), and he becomes
absorbed in rendering service under
the guidance of the nitya-siddha-gopés.
Text 17
When the holy name fully manifests, one
becomes enchanted by
the deity, who enchants even Himself.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(3.2.12) Çré Uddhava says to Vidura:
yan-martya-lélaupayikaà sva-yogamäyä-
balaà darçayatä gåhétam
vismäpanaà svasya ca saubhagarddheù
paraà padaà bhüñaëa-bhüñaëäìgam
Through His Yogamäyä potency, Bhagavän
appeared in His transcendental
form suitable for His pastimes as a
human being. This
form was so beautiful that it not only
enchanted the entire world,
but also amazed Bhagavän Himself. This
blessed form is the
ultimate summit of beauty, and His
beautiful bodily lustre even
embellishes His ornaments.
martya-lélä-upayogé savismaya-käré
prakaöila vapu kåñëa cic-chakti
vistäri’
subhaga-åddhira para-pada camatkära
bhüñaëa-bhüñaëa-rüpa tulanära pära
2 7 7
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
By the influence of His cit-çakti,
Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa manifests a
completely captivating form appropriate
for His human-like
pastimes. The unparalleled beauty of
this form astonishes even
Çré Kåñëa Himself. Çré Kåñëa has
unlimited pastimes as well as
unlimited manifestations, such as: His svayaà-prakäça
(personal
manifestations) like Väsudeva and
Saìkarñaëa; His viläsa-mürti
(pastime form) Çré Näräyaëa; and His sväàça-rüpa
(personal
expansions), which are the puruña-avatäras
(Lords of creative
energy – Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu,
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu and
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu), guëa-avatäras (incarnations
of the three
qualities of nature – Brahmä, Çiva and
Viñëu) and äveça-avatäras
(empowered living entities). Of all
these expansions, He Himself
(svayaà-rüpa), Çré Kåñëa of
Gokula – who is an ever-youthful
and expert dancer, who is attired in
the dress of a gopa and who
holds a flute – is superior and the
most attractive. A single particle
of this sweetness fully submerges
Gokula, Mathurä, Dvärakä and
even Devé-dhäma.
By His Yogamäyä, Kåñëa manifests
Himself in such an
unparalleled form in this material
world along with His most confidential
jewel, the eternal pastimes of Goloka
Våndävana. This
astonishing nature amazes even Kåñëa
Himself, rendering Him
helpless in His attempts to taste its
sweetness. Çré Kåñëa, complete
in the six opulences of wealth, beauty,
fame, strength, knowledge
and renunciation, is situated in His
ultimate perfection.
These six opulences are adorned with
sweetness and assume an
unprecedented divine beauty.
Ornaments usually beautify the body,
but Çré Kåñëa’s body
enhances the beauty of His ornaments.
His threefold-bending
form (tribhaìga-lalita) enhances
the amazing beauty of His
limbs and attracts the hearts of all.
The arrow of His crooked
sidelong glance joined to the bow of
His eyebrows stirs the
2 7 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
minds of Çré Rädhä and the other vraja-devés.
The Lakñmés, proclaimed
in the Vedas to be virtuous and chaste,
are also attracted
by His beauty and desire to serve the
effulgence emanating from
His toenails. Even though Çré Rädhä and
Her sakhés in Vraja
worship with their lives, millions of
times over, the moonbeams
emanating from Çré Kåñëa’s toenails,
they eternally keep His
moon-like face in the caves of their
hearts.
On the strength of His own cit-çakti,
Bhagavän Kåñëacandra
manifests an extraordinary form for His
pastimes in the material
world. This form generates astonishment
even in Näräyaëa, His
viläsa-vigraha. Even Kåñëa Himself becomes mad to
taste His
own sweetness. Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä 4.158) confirms
this: kåñëera mädhurye kåñëe upajaya
lobha.
Text 18
Kåñëa’s beauty attracts the hearts of
all. Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(9.24.65) describes the Vrajaväsés’
anger towards Brahmä for
making eyes that blink and thus
obstruct their vision of Kåñëa
while they drink the beauty of His
form:
yasyänanaà
makara-kuëòala-cäru-karëabhräjat-
kapola-subhagaà saviläsa-häsam
nityotsavaà na tatåpur dåçibhiù
pibantyo
näryo naräç ca muditäù kupitä nimeç ca
The makara-shaped earrings that
swing on Çré Kåñëa’s ears play
in the lake of His cheeks, and this
splendour increases even further
the beauty of His cheeks. When He
smiles with enjoyment,
the bliss that is always present on His
face is augmented. With
the cups of their eyes, all men and
women drink the nectarean
beauty of His lotus face. They are
never satisfied, however, so
they become angry with Brahmä for
creating eyes that blink and
thus obstruct their relish of this
sweetness.
2 7 9
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
subhaga-kapola heri’ makara-kuëòala
saviläsa häsya-mukha-candra niramala
nara-näré-gaëa nitya-utsave mätila
nimeña-käréra prati kupita haila
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé, radiant with
joy, began to describe the
sweetness of Çré Kåñëa’s beautiful form
to Mahäräja Parékñit.
When the Vrajaväsés see this beauty,
they are overwhelmed with
prema and their own loving attachment (anuräga)
is unlimitedly
amplified, attaining a delightfulness
beyond description. The
vraja-sundarés, filled with mahäbhäva, relish
Kåñëa’s extraordinary
beauty (rüpa-mädhurya) to its
fullest extent due to their
very thick and deep anuräga.
Their sentiments are on the
topmost level, and although there is no
higher position, their
transcendental moods keep increasing to
the stage of yävadäçraya-
våtti2. In this state of anuräga, which cannot be
described in words, they experience
nothing but rasa. They
attain sva-saàvedya-daçä2, which
is the ultimate stage of
mahäbhäva. This condition is the wealth of the vraja-sundarés
alone.
Çré Kåñëa’s cheeks are surrounded by
curly locks of hair and are
radiant with divine earrings. An
eternal festival of unprecedented
beauty pervades His charming lotus
face. In the centre of this eternal
festival, a gentle, nectarean smile
gracefully resides, like an
emperor of the sweetest of all great
sweetness. Because Çré Kåñëa
has attained adolescence (between the
ages of paugaëòa and
kiçora), happiness, impatience, liveliness
and so forth have
appeared on His lotus face, revealing
His restlessness. His white
teeth, stained by chewing tämbüla,
and His reddish lips endowed
with a charming smile, have reached the
extreme limit of beauty.
2
Please refer to the Glossary for an
explanation of these terms.
2 8 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
It seems that on the full moon night,
the moon rays remove the
burning suffering of all living
entities and give rise to greed in the
hearts of the devotee-like cakora birds.
In the same way, when
the vraja-devés see the
unprecedented sweetness of Çré Kåñëa’s
beauty, their ocean of käma increases.
Kåñëa’s beauty thus
destroys their consideration of family,
caste, religion, patience
and so forth; they become infatuated by
His charm and drown in
an ocean of bliss. Constantly swinging makara-shaped
earrings
dance on the cheeks of Çré Kåñëa’s
gentle, softly smiling face as
they embrace and kiss His cheeks. When
the gopés see this, Çré
Kåñëa appears in their hearts as dhéra-lalita,
a hero expert in
amorous sports. His intention to
embrace the vraja-sundarés and
kiss their breasts is expressed by the kuëòalas’
touching and
embracing His cheeks.
The gopés, however, are not
thoroughly satisfied by watching
the festival of Çré Kåñëa’s sweetness
in this way. Angry with
Brahmä for creating eyelids that
momentarily interrupt their
darçana, they curse him. “Brahmä is not
qualified to create. To
view such a beautiful scene he has
given only two eyes, and they
even have doors on them in the form of
eyelids! After dying, we
will become Brahmä in our next lives
and show how creation
should be done. Two eyes alone are not
sufficient to behold such
elegance and beauty. The entire body should
have eyes with no
eyelids so that we can have unlimited darçana
of Kåñëa without
blinking!”
This Text uses the words näryo naräç
ca to indicate that all
men and women drink the nectarean
beauty of Kåñëa’s lotus
face. Näryaù means Rädhä and the
other gopés, and naräù means
Subala and other priya-narma-sakhäs.
Only in Vraja are Çré Kåñëa’s four
unique qualities – premamädhurya,
lélä-mädhurya, rüpa-mädhurya and veëu-mädhurya
– present in their most complete form.
For this reason there is a
2 8 1
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
special importance and a distinguishing
virtue that Vraja-dhäma
has over other dhämas and that
Vrajendra-nandana Çré Rädhäramaëa
and the vraja-gopikäs have over
other incarnations.
Text 19
The Creator fashioned Çré Kåñëa in an
unprecedented way, as
described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.2.13):
yad dharma-sünor bata räjasüye
nirékñya dåk-svasty-ayanaà tri-lokaù
kärtsnyena cädyeha gataà vidhätur
arväk-såtau kauçalam ity amanyata
When the people from all three worlds
who were present at
Dharmaräja Yudhiñöhira’s räjasüya-yajïa
beheld Bhagavän
Kåñëa’s form, which is so pleasing to
the eye, they thought that
in fashioning this form the Creator had
reached the zenith of his
expertise in creating human forms.
yüdhiñöhira-räja-süye nayana-maìgala
kåñëa-rüpa loka-traya-niväsé sakala
jagatera såñti madhye ati camatkära
vidhätära kauçala e karila nirdhära
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Uddhava, overwhelmed with kåñëa-prema,
is describing the
beautiful form of Çré Kåñëa to Vidura.
“Those who personally saw
Çré Kåñëa at Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja’s räjasüya-yajïa
praised
Vidhätä’s (Brahmä’s) skill in creating
by saying, ‘Even the
Creator, Brahmä, becomes wonderstruck
upon seeing the splendour
of this graceful body, which eclipses
the lustre of a blue
lotus or a sapphire.’”
This Text praises Vidhätä’s creative
skill, yet Çré Kåñëa’s form is
eternal, without a beginning.
Nevertheless, for the sake of
2 8 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
material perspective, words like
“creation” have been used. Çré
Kåñëa’s form is perfect, eternal,
human-like and beginningless.
This form is manifest in Våndävana and
is suitable for human-like
pastimes (nara-lélä). Among all
the pastimes performed by
Kåñëa in His different svarüpas in
His various abodes, such as
Vaikuëöha, His nara-lélä, which
He performs in Vraja like an
ordinary human being, is topmost. He is
glorified in three ways
according to the degree to which His
qualities are manifest:
pürëa (complete), pürëatara (more
complete) and pürëatama
(most complete). His form in which all
of His qualities such as
beauty, sweetness and opulence are
manifest in the most
complete way is called pürëatama,
and this form is manifest in
Våndävana. He appears in His most
complete form of Bhagavän
only there, because that is where His
associates express the
ultimate limit of prema. In all
other places He manifests as either
pürëa or pürëatara, according to the
level to which prema is
developed in His associates of that
abode.
In Vraja, Kåñëa manifests as pürëatama.
In three of the bhävas
in which He has relationships with the
Vrajaväsés (däsya, sakhya
and vätsalya), there is an
expectation of only one kind of relationship
(for instance, in däsya only
servitude is expected). Also,
there is some etiquette (maryädä)
in the service rendered to Him
by the devotees in these three rasas.
But the relationship the
vraja-gopés have with Çré Kåñëa is that of lover
and beloved
(känta-käntä), and their service
follows solely in the wake of
their desire for Him. They do not
hesitate to transgress chastity
and dignity for the sake of serving Him
and giving Him happiness.
Therefore, käntä-prema is
supreme. Çré Rädhä is the crown jewel
of all these käntäs and Her love
entirely controls Çré Kåñëa. By
the influence of Çré Rädhä’s prema,
the pürëatama beauty and
sweetness of Çré Kåñëacandra increase
without cessation.
2 8 3
6 / ÑAÑÖHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 20
The result of having darçana of
the deity with deep, loving
attachment (anuräga) is
described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(3.2.14):
yasyänuräga-pluta-häsa-räsalélävaloka-
pratilabdha-mänäù
vraja-striyo dågbhir anupravåttadhiyo
’vatasthuù kila kåtya-çeñäù
When the young women of Vraja were
honoured by Kåñëa’s
affectionate laughter, joking words and
playful glances, their
eyes would become fixed on Him. Their
minds would become so
absorbed in Him that they would become
unaware of their
bodies and homes, and they would remain
standing as if lifeless
– like dolls.
anuräga häsa-räsa-lélävalokane
sampüjita-vraja-gopé nitya-daraçane
sarva-kåtya-samädhäna antare mäniyä
kåñëa-rüpe mugdha-netre rahe däìòäiyä
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Çré Kåñëa, who is controlled by prema,
casts sidelong glances at
the gopés as He laughs
playfully. At that time, prema increases in
the gopés’ hearts, and their
desire to enhance Çré Kåñëa’s pleasure
awakens. They make Him eager to meet
them by their varieties
of laughing, joking and sulkiness. In
response to their love for
Him, Kåñëa runs with an eager heart to
pacify their mäna.
Controlled by the deeply affectionate prema
of the gopés, He
announces His gratitude by accepting
eternal indebtedness to
them.
Unlimited waves enter the ocean of bhäva
of the vrajaramaëés,
who are endowed with mahäbhäva,
and while
2 8 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
attending to their household duties,
such as cleaning, smearing
cow dung over the floor and churning
yoghurt, they are always
absorbed in remembering Çré Kåñëa’s
different pastimes. The
vraja-ramaëés’ hearts and senses become His dedicated
followers,
and their minds become imprisoned
within His heart. Seeing
their activities, Kåñëa Himself becomes
astonished, what to speak
of others.
Çré Kåñëa is extremely attached to the gopés
in many ways. He
prays to them, He spends much time
trying to appease their
mäna, and He waits at the gate of a kuïja for
permission to
enter. At that time, the gopés feel
content and successful. They
drink the splendour of His beauty and
thus become motionless
like statues.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swami jis great Devotees , Philosophic
Scholars, Purebhakti dot com for
the collection)
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