Sree Bhajana Rahasya
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In relation to this Text, Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya-lélä
20.49–52) states:
sakhi he, çuna mora manera niçcaya
kibä anuräga kare, kibä duùkha diyä
märe,
mora präëeçvara kåñëa – anya naya
chäòi’ anya näré-gaëa, mora vaça
tanu-mana,
mora saubhägya prakaöa kariyä
tä-sabäre deya péòä, ämä-sane kare
kréòä,
sei näré-gaëe dekhäïä
kibä teìho lampaöa, çaöha, dhåñöa,
sakapaöa,
anya näré-gaëa kari’ sätha
more dite manaù-péòä, mora äge kare
kréòä,
tabu teìho – mora präëanätha
nä gaëi äpana-duùkha, sabe väïchi täìra
sukha,
täìra sukha – ämära tätparya
more yadi diyä duùkha, täìra haila
mahä-sukha,
sei duùkha – mora sukha-varya
[Çrématé Rädhikä said:] Sakhé, I
am a maidservant of the lotus feet
of rasika-çekhara Çré Kåñëa, who
is an ocean of happiness. He
may make Me joyful by tightly embracing
Me, or He may trample
Me beneath His feet. He may make Me
happy by mercifully giving
Me His darçana, or He may break My
heart by not appearing
before Me. He may not understand My
inner desires; nonetheless,
He is My präëanätha, the Lord of
My life. Sakhé, I have decided
that He may love Me and display My
fortune by abandoning other
beautiful ladies in order that He be controlled
by Me; He may
make them unhappy by sporting with Me
in front of them, or, He
may be deceitful, arrogant, duplicitous
and debauched, and, just
to provoke Me, He may torment Me by
sporting before Me with
other ladies. Still, He and only He is
My präëanätha. I am not
slightly concerned for My own
suffering; I only desire His happiness,
always. The goal of My life is to make
Him happy in every
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
way. If He feels happiness by giving Me
distress, that distress is My
greatest happiness.
Text 2
A devotee who remembers these pastimes
is transcendental,
being filled with eternality, knowledge
and bliss (sac-cidänanda)
just like Bhagavän. A Vaiñëava’s body
is non-different
from Çré Kåñëa’s body. In this regard,
in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(11.29.34), Çré Kåñëa says to Uddhava:
martyo yadä tyakta-samasta-karmä
niveditätmä vicikérñito me
tadämåtatvaà pratipadyamäno
mayätma-bhüyäya ca kalpate vai
When a person abandons all fruitive
activities and fully surrenders
himself to Me, he becomes a recipient
of special prema. This
is a result of My merciful treatment
towards him. I release him
from old age and grant him entrance
into My eternal pastimes,
where he serves Me eternally.
sarva karma teyägiyä, more ätma
nivediyä,
yei kare ämära sevana
amåtatva-dharma päïä, lélä-madhye
praveçiyä,
ämä-saha karaye ramaëa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Having explained sambandha-tattva (the
jéva’s relationship with
Bhagavän), abhidheya-tattva (the
process to attain the supreme
goal) and prayojana-tattva (the
supreme goal) to His dear devotee
Uddhava, here Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa
describes the situation of a
pure devotee who is exclusively
surrendered to Him.
As the mortal jéva wanders
throughout this material existence,
he attains the association of Çré
Kåñëa’s eternal associates
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
according to the extent of his sukåti.
Due to his association with
pure devotees, the devotee relinquishes
the desire for nityakarma
and naimittika-karma (daily and
occasionally prescribed
duties), sense enjoyment and liberation,
and he cultivates pure
bhakti. The darkness of his ignorance is
removed by the light of
bhakti, just as darkness is removed by the
light of the sun. The
devotee then serves Bhagavän with a
full sense of possessiveness
(mamatä) towards Him, and
Bhagavän bestows upon that devotee
a spiritual body appropriate for
rendering eternal service to
Him. That means He bestows a body,
qualities, activities, service
and so on according to the particular
mood of the sädhaka.
As a result of associating with svajätéya-snigdhäçaya-bhaktas,
affectionate devotees who are of the
same mood as himself and
more advanced, the sädhaka who
is endowed with mädhuryarati
attains a desire in his heart to render
service in the amorous
mellow. And, by practising bhakti
and by the mercy of devotees,
he attains the state of perfection (siddha-avasthä).
Such a devotee
performs his sädhana internally
under the guidance of Lalitä
and other sakhés, and by their
mercy he receives bodily features
equal to those of the nitya-siddha-maïjarés
and also obtains the
pleasure of directly rendering kuïja-sevä
in Çré Vraja-dhäma.
After this attainment of svarüpa-siddhi,
the jéva achieves vastusiddhi
and for eternity serves Çré Rädhä in
the eternal land of
Våndävana. Such service is only
attained by sädhakas in
mädhurya-rati; it is not attained by others.
Text 3
Steadiness in bhajana is
described in Manaù-çikñä (2):
na dharmaà nädharmaà
çruti-gaëa-niruktaà kila kuru
vraje rädhä-kåñëa-pracura-paricaryäm
iha tanu
çacé-sünuà nandéçvara-pati-sutatve
guru-varaà
mukunda-preñöhatve smara param ajasraà
nanu manaù
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O my dear mind, please do not perform
either the dharma,
which produces piety, or adharma,
which gives rise to sin, that
are mentioned in the Çrutis. Rather,
render profuse loving service
to Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala, who the
Çrutis have ascertained to be
supremely worshipful above all others
and the topmost Truth.
Always remember Çacénandana Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who is
endowed with the sentiments and bodily
lustre of Çré Rädhä,
knowing Him to be non-different from
Çré Nanda-nandana; and
always remember çré gurudeva,
knowing him to be most dear to
Çré Mukunda.
çruti-ukta-dharmädharma,
vidhi-niñedha-karmäkarma,
chäòi’ bhaja rädhä-kåñëa-pada
gauräìge çré-kåñëa jäna, guru kåñëa-preñtha
mäna,
ei bhäva tomära sampada
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Dharma and adharma are defined in the
Çrutis and literature
pursuant to the Çrutis, such as the
Småtis. Every activity a person
performs falls into one of these two
categories. If people were
prohibited from performing dharma and
adharma, it would be
impossible for them to live a moment
more. Therefore, Çréla
Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé has not
prohibited all of the activities
performed by the sense organs. Those
who are ignorant are
meant to perform dharma and
auspicious activities, whereas
learned jévas who have attained
knowledge of their spiritual
identity are instructed to act on the
platform of ätma-rati, or
kåñëa-rati. In other words they are instructed to
perform loving
service to Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala. The sädhaka
should perform
all his activities in a mood of service
to Bhagavän. Householder
devotees should worship deities at home
and perform the activities
of earning money, maintaining their
family members and
protecting their assets and home as
services to their Lord. One
should consider oneself a mere servant
of the Lord.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 4
Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé’s mood of
humility is reflected in the
following statement, which is imbued
with the firm hope (äçäbandha)
characteristic of a jäta-rati-bhakta
devoted to bhajana.
This verse is quoted by Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé in Bhakti-rasämåtasindhu
(1.3.35):
na premä çravaëädi-bhaktir api vä yogo
’tha vä vaiñëavo
jïänaà vä çubha-karma vä kiyad aho
saj-jätir apy asti
vä
hénärthädhika-sädhake tvayi tathäpy
acchedya-mülä saté
he gopé-jana-vallabha vyathayate hä hä
mad-äçaiva mäm
My heart is devoid of prema for
You, and I am not qualified to
perform bhakti by hearing and
chanting. I possess no knowledge,
pious activities or qualifications of a
Vaiñëava, nor have I
taken birth in a high-class family. I
am, therefore, unqualified in
every respect. Nevertheless, O beloved
of the gopés, Your mercy
also falls upon the lowest of the low.
This firm hope of attaining
You is making me very anxious.
çravaëädi-bhakti, prema-bhakti, yoga
héna
jïäna-yoga-karma héna, saj-janma-vihéna
käìgälera nätha tumi rädhä-präëa-dhana
tomä-pade dåòha-äçäya vyakulita mana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Humility is the foundation of bhakti,
and it is by humility that
bhakti increases. Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé
defines humility as follows:
“When a person has all good qualities
but feelings arise in
his heart of being unqualified,
wretched and inferior, this is
called humility. In other words,
humility is the utmost anxiety to
attain Bhagavän. A person with humility
is without false ego
even though he possesses all good
qualities.” Only humility can
attract Kåñëa’s mercy, and genuine
humility only appears when
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
prema is fully ripe. To attain such humility
the jäta-rati-sädhaka
prays, “O Präëa-vallabha, I have no
attachment for You and am
incapable of performing çravaëa and
the other practices in the
ninefold path of devotion. My
meditation is not unbroken like
that of the jïänés. I do not
perform service according to
varëäçrama, I have not taken birth in a
high-class family and I
have not performed any pious
activities. My hope is solely
dependent on Your mercy, which all the mahäjanas
glorify. You
are the master of the wretched, and You
bestow Your mercy
upon them.”
Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé possesses all
virtues, yet filled with
humility, he spoke this verse. Although
a jäta-rati-sädhaka performs
abundant service, he thinks, “I perform
no sevä at all.” The
sädhaka’s only desire is to perform prema-sevä,
pure bhakti that
is devoid of karma and jïäna.
This is svarüpa-siddha-bhakti,
and it is attained only through çravaëa,
kértana and so forth. If a
person is too attached to fruitive
activities, whatever little devotion
is in his heart disappears. And if
someone desires material
gain, adoration and fame, Bhakti-devé
neglects that person.
Bhakti only increases in the heart of one who
is humble and
sincere, and only humility that is
thoroughly devoid of pride
causes the flowing current of mercy to
swell.
The method of performing näma-sädhana
is to chant the holy
name while feeling more humble than a
blade of grass. Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä 17.31–3) says:
tåëäd api sunécena
taror api sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena
kértanéyaù sadä hariù
ürdhva-bähu kari’ kahoì, çuna sarva-loka
näma-sütre gäìthi’ para kaëöhe ei çloka
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
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prabhu-äjïäya kara ei çloka äcaraëa
avaçya päibe tabe çré-kåñëa-caraëa
“Considering oneself to be even lower
and more worthless than
insignificant grass that has been
trampled beneath everyone’s feet,
being more tolerant than a tree, being
prideless and offering
respect to everyone according to their
respective positions, one
should continually chant the holy name
of Çré Hari. Raising My
hands, I declare, ‘Everyone please hear
Me! For continuous
remembrance, string this çloka on
the thread of the holy name and
wear it around your neck.’” One must
strictly follow the principles
given by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu in
this verse. If one simply
follows in the footsteps of Çréman
Mahäprabhu and the Gosvämés,
he will certainly achieve the ultimate
goal of life, the lotus feet of
Çré Kåñëa.
Text 5
The identity of a perfected soul (siddha-paricaya)
is described in
Çré Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (53):
dukülaà vibhräëäm atha kucataöe
kaïcu-kapaöaà
prasädaà sväminyäù svakara-tala-dattaà
praëayataù
sthitäà nityaà pärçve
vividha-paricaryaika-caturäà
kiçorém ätmänaà caöula-parakéyäà nu
kalaye
When will I remain near Sväminé
eternally, intent on serving Her
in various ways? When, wearing Her
silken cloth and bodice that
She affectionately gave me with Her own
hands, will I be able to
count myself as a clever and very
beautiful kiçoré ?
siddha-deha gopé ämi çré-rädhikä
kiìkaré
rädhä-prasädita vastra-kaïculikä pari
gåhe pati parihari, kiçoré-vayase
rädhä-pada sevi kuïje rajané-divase
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The rasika-äcäryas conclude that
when the sädhaka enters the
stage of perfection, he attains that bhäva
upon which he meditated
when he was in the stage of sädhana.
The cherished desire
of the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas is to possess
the self-identity
(abhimäna) of being a
maidservant of Çré Rädhä. The appropriate
sädhana to attain one’s svarüpa and
one’s service to Çré Rädhä is
revealed by the spiritual master.
ätmänaà cintayet tatra
täsäà madhye manoramäm
rüpa-yauvana-sampannäà
kiçoréà pramadäkåtim
Sanat-kumära-saàhitä
sakhénäà saìginé-rüpäm
ätmänaà väsanä-mayém
äjïä-sevä-paräà tat tat
kåpälaìkära-bhüñitäm
Prema-bhakti-candrikä (5.11)
A sädhaka of räga-märga should
internally perceive himself to be
one of the young, beautiful gopé beloveds
of Çré Kåñëa. He should
meditate on his desired svarüpa as
a female companion of Çré
Rädhä’s maidservants, such as Çré Rüpa
Maïjaré and Çré Rati
Maïjaré, and adorned in the ornaments
mercifully given by them,
he should completely absorb himself in
service to Çré Rädhä-
Mädhava according to their
instructions.
The word cintayet in the above
verse from the Sanat-kumärasaàhitä
means that the sädhaka should
nourish the following
firm conception: “I am a kiçoré with
the same moods and qualities
as the nitya-siddha-maïjarés of
Çré Rädhä.” A Gauòéya Vaiñëava
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
sädhaka in deep meditation will maintain the
conception that, “I
am not this body, these senses and so
forth; I am a maidservant
of Çré Rädhä and I am endowed with
qualities such as the beauty
and rasa of a gopa-kiçoré.”
This deep meditation on the soul
(ätma-cintana) will quickly
result in his giving up identification
with the material body, and he will
attain svarüpa-siddhi.
In this Text 5, Çréla Prabodhänanda
Sarasvaté describes the
method of becoming a beautiful young gopa-kiçoré:
“I will meditate
on myself as a kiçoré adorned
with the silken cloth and
bodice that Sväminé gave me with Her
own hands.” The remnant
objects Sväminé gives with Her own
hands carry the mood of Her
affectionate compassion, and the cloth
and bodice remnants are
connected with the sweet mood of the
Divine Couple’s amorous
play (viläsa). Absorption in
one’s internal svarüpa is accompanied
by the rendering of sevä and a
feeling of intimacy. For this
reason, Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté
mentions the form of a
clever kiçoré who is always
close to Sväminé and intent on performing
various services to Her. Sevä-rasa,
which establishes
one’s svarüpa, takes place as a
person serves Sväminé, who is the
life and soul of Her maidservants. The
main goal of the Gauòéya
Vaiñëavas is to become a rädhä-däsé,
a maidservant of Çré Rädhä.
The sädhaka remains ever fixed
on this goal, just as the position
of the pole star is fixed in the sky.
By the mercy of çré guru, the
sädhaka is introduced to his eternal identity
as a maidservant of
Çré Rädhä. Upon attaining that, he
abandons his bodily identity as
a servant of mäyä, and he
completely maintains the self-identity
of being a rädhä-däsé.
In his song Çré
Rädhä-kåñëa-pada-kamale, Çréla Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkura prays: “lalitä sakhéra, ayogyä
kiìkaré vinoda dhariche
päya – Vinoda, the unqualified maidservant of Lalitä Sakhé,
clasps the lotus feet of the Divine
Couple.”
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Text 6
The method of bhajana and place
of residence of one who possesses
the mood described in the previous Text
is explained in
Upadeçämåta (8):
tan-näma-rüpa-caritädi-sukértanänusmåtyoù
krameëa rasanä-manasé niyojya
tiñöhan vraje tad-anurägi-janänugämé
kälaà nayed akhilam ity upadeça-säram
While living in Vraja as a follower of
those who are attached to
Çré Kåñëa, one should utilise all his
time by gradually transferring
the absorption of his tongue and mind
from matters other than
Kåñëa to the chanting and remembering
of narrations of Çré
Kåñëa’s name, form, qualities and
pastimes. This is the essence of
all instruction.
kåñëa-näma-rüpa-guëa-lélä-saìkértana
anusmåti-krame jihvä-manaù-saàyojana
kuïje väsa anurägi-jana-däsé haiyä
añöa-käla bhaji lélä majiyä majiyä
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The essential meaning of this Text is
that, in accordance with his
own bhäva, the sädhaka should
remember his beloved Çré Kåñëa
as well as the devotees of Çré Kåñëa
who possess the same mood
as himself. One should reside in
Vraja-maëòala while being
immersed in chanting names of Çré
Kåñëa, such as Rädhä-ramaëa
and Rädhä-räsa-bihäré, that are
favourable to his own bhäva, and
in hearing narrations of pastimes
connected to those names. If it
is not possible to reside in Vraja
physically, one should reside
there mentally.
This Text explains both the process of bhajana
and the best
place to perform bhajana. No
place is superior to Vraja-maëòala
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
for performing bhajana of Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa. The most exalted
devotees, such as Brahmä and Uddhava,
therefore pray to take
birth in Vraja as a blade of grass or a
plant.
Text 7
The rägänuga-bhakta’s method of bhajana
is to perform his
desired perfectional service (siddha-sevä)
under the constant
guidance of the guru. Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
(1.2.294) states:
kåñëaà smaran janaà cäsya
preñöhaà nija-saméhitam
tat-tat-kathä-rataç cäsau
kuryäd väsaà vraje sadä
The devotee who desires rägänuga-bhakti
should constantly
remember Våndävana-Kåñëa, along with
Kåñna’s beloved associates
who have the same mood as himself. He
should remain
engrossed in hearing and speaking
narrations of their pastimes
and always reside in Vraja.
smari’ kåñëa,
nija-kåñëa-preñöha-vraja-jana
kåñëa-kathä-rata, vraja-väsa anukñaëa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The process of rägänuga-bhakti is
that the sädhaka should
remember his beloved and worshipful,
ever-youthful Nandanandana
Çré Kåñëa, as well as the dear sakhés,
such as Çré Rüpa
Maïjaré, who possess the mood that he
cherishes. He should
hear narrations about them while
remaining a resident of Çré
Nandaräja’s Vraja; that is, by
physically residing in Våndävana,
Govardhana, Rädhä-kuëòa and other such
places if he is able to
do so. Or, if not, he should reside
there mentally. These places
are saturated with çåìgära-rasa,
and in bhajana, they are stimuli
(uddépaka) for rasa and lélä.
Therefore, Çré Bhaktivinoda
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Öhäkura prays: “rädhä-kuëòa-taöa-kuïja-kuöéra,
govardhanaparvata
yämuna-téra – a small cottage within a kuïja on
the
bank of Rädhä-kuëòa, Govardhana Hill,
the banks of the
Yamunä... .”
Such sädhakas should remember
the narrations of Kåñëa’s
dear associates, the rasika devotees
of Vraja who are favourable
for his bhäva, such as Çré Rüpa
Maïjaré and other sakhés, and he
should serve them. In this way, their
moods will be transmitted
into his heart. An example of this is
Çréla Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé who, under the guidance of Çré
Svarüpa Dämodara and
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, attained the summit
of the rasamayéupäsanä
(devotional service in amorous love) of
Vraja.
Text 8
The premi-bhakta’s behaviour,
characteristics and activities are
expressed in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.40):
evaà-vrataù sva-priya-näma-kértyä
jätänurägo druta-citta uccaiù
hasaty atho roditi rauti gäyaty
unmäda-van nåtyati loka-bähyaù
In the heart of one who adopts such a
transcendental vow,
attachment for chanting the name of his
most dear Lord arises
and melts his heart. Now he rises above
the condition of the
general mass of people, and he is
beyond caring for their opinions
and views. In a natural way – not out
of pretence – he acts as if
mad. Sometimes he bursts out laughing
and sometimes he sheds
floods of tears. Sometimes, in a loud
voice, he calls out to
Bhagavän and sometimes, with a sweet
voice, he sings
Bhagavän’s glories. At other times,
when he perceives his
beloved standing before his eyes, he
even starts dancing in order
to please Him.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
ei vrate kåñëa-näma kértana kariyä
jäta-räga drava-ccitta häsiyä käìdiyä
cétkära kariyä gäi loka-bähya tyaji’
ei vyavahäre bhäi, preme kåñëa bhaji
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The devotees of the Lord always chant
the auspicious names of
Bhagavän. As a result of this kåñëa-saìkértana,
all kinds of
anarthas are removed; the heart is purified;
many lifetimes of
sins and their result, transmigration,
are destroyed; all kinds of
good fortune arise; all the sädhana one
needs to attain premabhakti
is transmitted into the heart; kåñëa-prema
appears; one
begins to relish the nectar of prema;
one attains Çré Kåñëa; and
finally one attains coolness and purity
through completely
immersing himself in the nectarean
ocean of eternal service. At
this stage, through the essential
function of hlädiné (hlädinésära-
våtti), çré-kåñëa-saìkértana boundlessly increases the
living
entity’s natural bliss. Now the living
entity is eternally fixed in
one of the rasas (däsya, sakhya,
vätsalya or mädhurya), and
moment by moment, he relishes complete
nectar through an
ever-fresh attachment for Çré Kåñëa.
Çré Kåñëa’s sweet pastimes
appear in the devotee’s heart and he
repeatedly relishes the
sweetness of all the Lord’s qualities,
such as His beauty. This
ever-fresh sweetness astonishes the
devotee and his heart melts.
While describing the glories of çré-kåñëa-näma-saìkértana
to
Prakäçänanda Sarasvaté, Çréman
Mahäprabhu said, “When I chant
the name My guru gave Me, it
automatically makes My heart
melt. Sometimes this name makes Me
dance, sometimes it makes
Me laugh and at other times it makes Me
cry.” This is the nature
of the mahä-mantra; it makes kåñëa-prema
arise within
whomever chants it. Kåñëa-prema is
the topmost goal (paramapuruñärtha);
the other four puruñärthas – dharma,
artha, käma
3 7 7
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
and mokña – are insignificant in
its presence. The nature of
prema is that it gives rise to a restless
heart, and the devotee who
is controlled by this nature sometimes
laughs, sometimes cries
and sometimes, being maddened, starts
dancing.
In his commentary on this verse,
Viçvanätha Cakravartépäda
writes that by chanting the holy name,
the sädhaka experiences
a variety of pastimes as they naturally
appear in his heart. He
laughs when he hears Çré Kåñëa’s joking
words with the vrajadevés
during the räsa-lélä or in the
pastime of stealing butter, and
he weeps when his vision of a pastime (lélä-sphürti)
ceases. He
thinks, “I have relished the nectar of
Your sweetness only once –
when will I attain it again?” Lamenting
like this, he rolls on the
ground and, heaving long sighs, falls
unconscious. Later, when
he again sees Bhagavän everywhere, he
is overwhelmed by happiness
and becomes maddened. The devotee who
performs such
transcendental activities is devoid of
bodily needs.
Text 9
Firm faith in vraja-lélä is
found in this verse recited by Çréman
Mahäprabhu (Padyävalé (386)):
yaù kaumära-haraù sa eva hi varas tä
eva caitra-kñapäs
te conmélita-mälaté-surabhayaù prauòhäù
kadambäniläù
sä caiväsmi tathäpi tatra
surata-vyäpära-lélä-vidhau
revä-rodhasi vetasé-taru-tale cetaù
samutkaëöhate
O friend, that beautiful one who stole
my heart in my youth is
now here. These are also the same
pleasant nights of the month
of Caitra, with the same fragrance of
blossoming mälaté flowers
and the same cool, gentle, fragrant
breeze from the kadamba
trees. I am also the same; my beloved,
too. Nonetheless, my
mind is eager for amorous play at the
foot of the vetasé tree on
the bank of the river Revä.
3 7 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
kaumäre bhajinu yäre sei ebe vara
sei ta’ vasanta-niçi surabhi-pravara
sei népa, sei ämi, saàyoga tähäi
tathäpi se revä-taöa sukha nähi päi
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Çréman Mahäprabhu would recite this
verse while dancing in
front of Çré Jagannätha’s chariot. At
that time, He was immersed
in the bhäva of Çré Rädhä,
considering Himself to be Rädhä and
Çré Jagannätha to be Vrajendra-nandana
Çyämasundara. He was
feeling that They were meeting each
other at Kurukñetra – this
was His mood. At Kurukñetra, Çré Rädhä
could not experience the
same happiness She used to feel when
meeting Çré Kåñëa in the
solitary nikuïjas of Våndävana.
Absorbed in the mood of Rädhä,
Mahäprabhu revealed the distress She
felt as She spoke to Her
sakhé. “O sakhé, I am that same Rädhä
and He is that same Kåñëa,
and We are now meeting each other
again; nonetheless, My mind
is eager that We should meet and sport
together in the secluded
nikuïjas of Våndävana.”
Çréman Mahäprabhu expressed His moods
through this Text,
taken from Sähitya-darpaëa. It
is described there how a young
unmarried näyikä (heroine)
became strongly attached to the
qualities of a näyaka (hero) and
met with him on the bank of the
river Revä. There, the näyaka took
her innocence. A kumäré, a
very young, unmarried girl, naturally
has no desire for union.
When this desire arises, youth (kaiçora)
begins. After some time,
that näyikä was married to the näyaka.
Upon the arrival of the
month of Caitra, memories have come to
the näyikä of that
charming, moonlit night in the vetasé-kuïja
on the bank of the
river Revä, and how the slow, gentle
breeze carrying the fragrance
of mälaté flowers stimulated
their lust and increased their
desire for union. Now, however, in the
bonds of marriage, they
do not have the same eagerness as then,
even though there are
3 7 9
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
no obstacles in their meeting. But her
mind has gone to that bank
of the river Revä, and happy memories
have arisen in her heart
of her first meeting with the beloved
of her life and their amorous
play under the vetasé tree.
In this verse, a mundane poet expresses
the feelings of a
mundane näyaka and a mundane näyikä,
but through it,
Mahäprabhu relished the sweetness of
transcendental çåìgärarasa.
In mundane poetry, such a union is
considered impure and
rasäbhäsa, an overlapping of mellows, but
Rädhä-Kåñëa’s pastimes
are transcendental, with the supreme
sweetness of rasa
flowing through them. The meeting of an
ordinary näyaka and
näyikä is controlled by lust, käma,
that arises from illusion.
When their lust is fulfilled, their
feelings for each other become
different. On the other hand, in
transcendental amorous mellow
(çåìgära-rasa), the näyaka and
the näyikä have prema for each
other. This prema originates
from the svarüpa-çakti’s function of
hlädiné and saàvit, and its purpose is
to give pleasure to Kåñëa.
In käma one desires one’s own
enjoyment, but in prema one
aims for Kåñëa’s happiness. This is
confirmed in Çré Caitanyacaritämåta
(Ädi-lélä 4.165):
ätmendriya-préti-väïchä – täre bali
‘käma’
kåñëendriya-préti-icchä dhare ‘prema’
näma
Çré Rädhä’s desire to serve Kåñëa is
causeless and perpetual.
The birth of a material desire, on the
other hand, is caused and is
therefore destroyed. The näyaka and
näyikä who are tied by
marriage have svakéya-bhäva,
wedded love. Because they are
with each other constantly, the
variegatedness of rasa does not
manifest in their meeting and the
sweetness of rasa also remains
concealed. However, the sweetness of a näyaka
and näyikä’s
prema in parakéya-bhäva, paramour
love, manifests in an extraordinary
way because their prema is
endowed with an exalted,
3 8 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
radiant rasa (samunnata-ujjvala-rasa).
The sweetness of the
vraja-devés’ parakéya-bhäva is unprecedented. Because they do
not always occur, their meetings with
Kåñëa are precious. Owing
to the paramour relationship, their
mood is characterised by contrariness,
prohibition and secret amorous desires.
This bhäva is
the wealth of the vraja-devés only.
Its only näyaka is the crown
jewel of rasikas,
Vrajendra-nandana Çré Kåñëa. The crown jewel
of all the gopés is
Våñabhänu-nandiné Çré Rädhä. Çré Caitanyacaritämåta
(Ädi-lélä 4.80) states: “bahu
käntä vinä nahe rasera
ulläsa – without many beloveds (käntäs),
there is no rapture in
rasa.” Thus, to fulfil Çré Kåñëa’s desire to taste paramour
love, Çré
Rädhä manifests Herself as many
beloveds. This parakéya-bhäva
is manifest only in Vraja.
Text 10
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has explained the
previous Text by composing
this verse, which is found in Padyävalé
(387):
priyaù so ’yaà kåñëaù sahacari
kuru-kñetra-militas
tathähaà sä rädhä tad idam ubhayoù
saìgama-sukham
tathäpy
antaù-khelan-madhura-muralé-païcama-juñe
mano me kälindé-pulina-vipinäya
spåhayati
[After meeting Çré Kåñëa at Kurukñetra,
Çré Rädhä said:] O sakhé,
today at Kurukñetra, I met My same präëa-priya,
Kåñëa. I am that
same Rädhä and there is also happiness
in Our meeting. But
nonetheless, I deeply yearn for
Våndävana, for the kuïja on the
bank of the Kälindé that is inundated
by bliss as a result of Kåñëa
vibrating the fifth note on His playful
muralé.
sei kåñëa präëanätha, kurukñetre päinu
sei rädhä ämi, sei saìgama labhinu
3 8 1
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
tathäpi ämära mana vaàçé-dhvanimaya
kälindé-puline spåhä kare atiçaya
våndävana-lélä-sama lélä nähi ära
vaikuëöhädye ei lélära nähi paracära
vraje yei lélä tähe viccheda, sambhoga
dui ta’ paramänanda, sadä kara bhoga
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Absorbed in the mood of Çré Rädhä,
Çréman Mahäprabhu would
recite the previous verse (Text 9) from
Sähitya-darpaëa in front
of Çré Jagannätha at the time of
Ratha-yäträ. Only Çré Svarüpa
Dämodara knew the essence of the sweet
mood of that verse. Çré
Rüpa Gosvämé was also present at
Ratha-yäträ. By Çréman
Mahäprabhu’s mercy, he too was able to
understand the mood of
that verse, and he composed this Text
10 in the same mood.
When Çréman Mahäprabhu read it, He
became overwhelmed
with transcendental emotions.
Çré Rädhä and Çré Kåñëa met each other
at Kurukñetra after a
long separation from each other.
Although this meeting was pleasurable
like Their very first meeting in
Våndävana, the heart of Çré
Rädhä was not satisfied. She expressed
this heartfelt mood to Her
intimate sakhé: “O sakhé,
My heart is very anxious to meet Çré
Kåñëa in a kuïja on the bank of
the Yamunä. When Kåñëa performs
sweet sports in the forests situated
upon the banks of the
Kälindé, He manifests an unprecedented
sweetness by vibrating
the fifth note on His flute. In the forest of Våndävana, the heart is
stimulated by the ke-kä sound of
the peacocks and peahens, as
well as by their captivating dance; by
the cuckoos’ kuhü-kuhü
sound; by the humming of bumblebees
around fragrant mango
buds; by the life-giving air that is
filled with the fragrance of
mädhavé and mälaté flowers; by the male
and female swans on
the ponds; and by fragrant pollen from
lotuses. In that
3 8 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Våndävana, the ever-youthful best of
dancers, who has a peacock
feather and flute and who is adorned
with forest flowers, used to
sport with Me. Here, at Kurukñetra,
there is not the slightest scent
of any of this. Here I do not relish
even a drop from the ocean of
pleasure I received from My meetings
with Him in Våndävana.
What’s more, here I am surrounded by
persons who are not likeminded.
My innermost desire is to sport with
Çré Kåñëa in the
nikuïjas of that place which is well known to
Me, Çrédhäma
Våndävana.”
Text 11
Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s pastimes of meeting (sambhoga-lélä)
are
described in Ujjvala-nélamaëi (15.222–4):
te tu sandarçanaà jalpaù
sparçanaà vartma-rodhanam
räsa-våndävana-kréòäyamunädy-
ambu-kelayaù
nau-khelä-lélayä cauryaà
ghaööa-kuïjädi-lénatä
madhu-pänaà vadhü-veçadhåtiù
kapaöa-suptatä
dyüta-kréòä-paöäkåñöiç
cumbäçleñau-nakhärpaëam
bimbädhara-sudhäpänaà
samprayogädayo matäù
The anubhävas of meeting (sambhoga)
are: seeing each other
(sandarçana); talking (jalpa);
touching (sparçana); blocking
each other’s way in a contrary mood (vartma-rodhana);
the
räsa-lélä; enjoying pleasure pastimes in
Våndävana (våndävanakréòä);
playing water-sports in the Yamunä and
Mänasé-gaìgä
3 8 3
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
(jala-keli); enjoying boat
pastimes (nau-khelä); stealing flowers,
clothes and the flute (lélä-caurya);
enjoying pastimes of demanding
taxes (ghaööa); playing
hide-and-seek in the kuïjas (kuïjädilénatä);
drinking honey (madhu-päna);
Kåñëa dressing in female
attire (vadhü-veça-dhåti);
pretending to sleep (kapaöa-suptatä);
playing dice (dyüta-kréòä);
pulling off each other’s garments
(paöäkåñti); kissing (cumba);
embracing (äçleña); making nailmarks
on each other (nakha-arpaëa);
relishing the nectar of
each other’s lips, which are like bimba
fruit (bimba-adharasudhä-
päna); and enjoying amorous union (samprayoga).
sandarçana, jalpa, sparça,
vartma-nirodhana
räsa, våndävana-kréòä, yamunä-khelana
naukä-khelä, puñpa-curi, ghaööa,
saìgopana
madhupäna, vadhü-veça, kapaöa-svapana
dyüta-kréòä, vastra-öänä,
surata-vyäpära
bimbädhara sudhäpäna, sambhoga prakära
Text 12
Decorating Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa is described
in Stavävalé (Svasaìkalpa-
prakäça-stotra (9)):
sphuran-muktä guïjä maëi sumanasäà
hära-racane
mudendor lekhä me racayatu tathä
çikñaëa-vidhim
yatha taiù saìkÿptair dayita-sarasé
madhya-sadane
sphuöaà rädhä-kåñëäv ayam api jano
bhüñayati tau
May Indulekhä Sakhé, as guru,
mercifully teach me the art of
stringing very beautiful necklaces and
garlands composed of
pearls, jewels, guïjä berries
and flowers. With these necklaces
and garlands, I can decorate Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa for Their pleasure
as They are seated on the jewelled
throne in the middle of
Rädhä-kuëòa.
3 8 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
muktä-guïjä-maëi-puñpa-hära viracane
indulekhä-guru-kåpä labhiba yatane
rädhä-kuëòa ratnamaya mandire duìhäre
bhüñita kariba ämi sulalita häre
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In this Text, Çré Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé, who is totally
absorbed in his identity as a maïjaré,
is drawing a delightful picture
of his desire to serve Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava by decorating
Them suitably in the nikuïja situated
in the middle of Rädhäkuëòa.
Çré Rädhä’s sakhés have a
variety of natures with which
they nourish many kinds of mellows (rasas).
These sakhés are
proficient in knowledge of their own rasa,
and sometimes they
learn different arts from other sakhés.
By teaching all the
pälyadäsés Herself, Çré Rädhä makes them expert in
Her service.
Here Çréla Däsa Gosvämé, in the mood of
Rati Maïjaré, is praying
to Çrématé Indulekhä, one of Çré
Rädhä’s añöa-sakhés, to teach
her the art of stringing necklaces of
pearls, jewels and guïjä
berries and making garlands of flowers,
as well as other delightful
arts. According to Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé’s
Çré Rädhä-kåñëagaëoddeça-
dépikä, Indulekhä is learned in scriptures
dealing
with snake-charming mantras and
in the sämudrika-çästra. She
is expert in stringing necklaces and
garlands, drawing pictures,
decorating the teeth, gemmology,
weaving various kinds of cloth
and writing auspicious mantras.
She is also expert in generating
the mutual attraction between Rädhä and
Kåñëa.
As Çré Rädhä-Mädhava perform amorous
sports (rasa-viläsakréòä)
in the viläsa-kuïja known as
Madana-väöikä situated in
the middle of Çré Rädhä-kuëòa, Their
necklaces of pearls, jewels
and guïjä berries and Their
garlands of flowers break and scatter.
The präëa-sakhés do not hesitate
to enter the kuïja in order
to rearrange Çré Rädhä-Mädhava’s
clothes and ornaments. Çréla
Däsa Gosvämé is praying to Çré
Indulekhä, who is expert in all
3 8 5
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
these arts, to impart knowledge about
how to skilfully accomplish
all these services. By their skill in
stringing necklaces and
garlands, the pälyadäsé-maïjarés have
their desires to please Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava fulfilled.
Text 13
For an understanding of vipralambha-rasa
one should read
Gopé-géta (Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto,
Chapter 31). Only
those who distribute bhagavat-kathä are
most munificent.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.31.9) states:
tava kathämåtaà tapta-jévanaà
kavibhir éòitaà kalmañäpaham
çravaëa-maìgalaà çrémad ätataà
bhuvi gåëanti te bhüri-dä janäù
O Kåñëa, nectar-filled narrations about
You are the life and soul
of persons suffering in separation from
You, and they are sung by
great, realised poets who are Your
devotees. Just by hearing the
all-auspicious narrations about You,
all kinds of sins, such as
prärabdha and aprärabdha, are removed, and
all prosperity, in
the form of prema-bhakti, arises
in the heart. Therefore no one
is equal to or more generous than he
who chants and propagates
narrations about You.
tava kathämåta kåñëa! jévanera sukha
kavi-gaëa gäya yäte yäya päpa-duùkha
çravaëa-maìgala sadä saundarya-pürita
sukåta-janera mukhe nirantara géta
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
At the time of Ratha-yäträ,
Gaurasundara, endowed with the
mood of Çré Rädhä, became tired and lay
down to rest beneath a
tree, extending His lotus feet. Within
His mind, He relished the
3 8 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
vraja-devés’ various moods. Mahäräja Pratäparudra
came to Him
dressed as an insignificant and lowly
person and, in a humble
mood, massaged Mahäprabhu’s feet while
gently singing this
çloka.
In the previous verse of Gopé-géta,
which begins with the
words madhurayä girä, the gopés
who were suffering in separation
from Kåñëa pray for the nectar of Çré
Kåñëa’s lips to cure their
disease. In reply Çré Kåñëa says, “O gopés,
I cannot understand
how you can remain alive in such a
diseased condition.”
The gopés reply, “Çyämasundara,
we are alive only due to the
nectar of narrations about You, which
do not allow us to die. If
You ask what this nectar is like, we
will answer that it can even
bring peace to someone who is afflicted
with the intractable disease
of suffering the threefold material
miseries. The nectar of
descriptions of You even calms a forest
fire of miseries.”
Kåñëa may say, “O gopés, I will
bring you nectar from heaven.
You can take that!”
The gopés answer, “Dear
Çyämasundara, nectar from heaven
will make the body healthy, but it will
increase lust (käma) and
so forth, which cause much misfortune.
Indra and the other
demigods of Svarga have so much lust,
anger, greed, illusion,
pride and envy.”
If Kåñëa says, “O gopés, take
the nectar of liberation!” then the
gopés will reply, “Even if You offer
liberation, Your devotees will
not accept it because it is
unfavourable for prema-bhakti. Where
are the loving exchanges in liberation?
Dhruva, Prahläda,
Brahmä, Närada, Catuùsana, Vyäsa, Çuka
and other great devotees
and poets glorify hari-kathä,
descriptions of You. For those
who aspire for liberation, this kathä
is the immediately effective
medicine to cure the disease of
material existence. And for materialists,
it gives pleasure to the ears and
minds. Great personalities
who are liberated within this world
praise such narrations as
3 8 7
8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
nectar. Hearing them removes all the
living entity’s sins and
offences and bestows auspiciousness.
Just as with the arrival of
the autumn season the water in rivers
and ponds automatically
becomes clean, similarly, by hearing
descriptions of You, the dirt
in the living entity’s heart is removed.
Such narrations give new
life to the devotees who are burning in
separation from You, and
it bestows all kinds of beauty and
wealth. One who distributes
kåñëa-kathä throughout the world is a truly
benevolent person.”
Text 14
When the gopés think of Kåñëa
wandering in the forest, they
experience great sorrow. A description
of their deep love for Him
at this time is given in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.31.11):
calasi yad vrajäc cärayan paçün
nalina-sundaraà nätha te padam
çila-tåëäìkuraiù sédatéti naù
kalilatäà manaù känta gacchati
O Präëa-vallabha! O Känta! When You go
to the forests of Vraja
to herd the cows, the soles of Your
soft lotus feet, which are like
beautiful blue lotuses, must suffer as
they are pricked by small
stones and dry straw. Thought of this
disturbs our hearts and
minds.
dhenu la’ye vraja ha’te yabe yäo vane
nalina-sundara tava kamala-caraëe
çiläìkure kañöa ha’be manete vicäri’
mahä-duùkha päi morä ohe cittahäri
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In the verse of Gopé-géta that
precedes this one and begins with
the words prahasitaà priya, the vraja-sundarés
felt pain when
they remembered pürva-räga – the
loving glances of their
3 8 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
präëakänta Çré Kåñëa, His gentle smile, His joking
and talking
with them in a secluded place, and so
forth – and their hearts
became disturbed. Now, they direct
their words towards Çré
Kåñëa, saying, “O deceiver of the
heart, how we will ever attain
peace, we do not know! Our hearts are
anxious both when we
meet with You and when we are separated
from You; they are
anxious in all conditions. O Kåñëa, in
the morning, You are surrounded
by countless sakhäs as You take
innumerable cows to
graze in the forest, and the
Vrajaväsés, deprived of Your darçana,
are plunged into a deep ocean of
separation from You. When we
think of Your lotus feet, which are
softer than a thousandpetalled
lotus, being pierced by dry straw,
thorns, sharp grass
and so forth, we sink in unlimited
anxiety. How can we tolerate
pain to Your lotus feet, which we
consider non-different from
our hearts? First, we suffer in
separation from You, and then, on
top of that, we suffer the pain caused
to Your crimson lotus feet.
How can we tolerate this? Both types of
pain break the barrier of
our endurance. O Präëakänta, please do
not abuse Your lotus
feet. We remember that while roaming
throughout the forest with
You, You would ask us to remove the
thorns that pricked Your
feet. We would put Your feet on our
body and remove the thorns
gently and slowly. But when Your feet
are pricked now, who will
remove the thorns?”
Känta kalilatäà mano gacchati – “We think, ‘O Känta, surely
Your soft, tender, lotus feet will be
pierced by thorns, sharp grass
and stone chips.’ By such thoughts, our
minds begin to dispute
with us.
“Our minds tell us, ‘Doesn’t Kåñëa have
eyes? He can see the
thorns, sharp grass and stone chips as
He walks, and He will
avoid them.’
“To this we reply, ‘O cruel mind, the
foolish cows gallop off
into rough places that are full of
thorns, sharp grass and stones.
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
They do not feel them because they have
hooves. But when
Çyämasundara runs after these galloping
cows, will He see these
things and tread carefully? His soft
lotus feet will surely be
pierced by thorns.’
“The mind argues, ‘O ignorant
milkmaids, don’t you know that
Våndävana’s thorns and stones are also
very soft?’
“Then we say, ‘O mind, we do not
believe this. We used to
remove thorns and sharp grass from
Kåñëa’s lotus feet ourselves.’”
In this way, the gopés quarrel
with their minds. Finally, their
minds say, “You can remain in such
anxiety – I am going to
Kåñëa.”
If Kåñëa says, “O gopés, why are
you so worried about Me?” the
gopés will answer, “O Känta, You make our
minds restless and
disturbed with transcendental lust, so
our intelligence has
become dull. O Präëanätha, please do
not roam here and there
in the forest. Quickly return and give
us Your darçana.”
Text 15
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.31.15) describes that for the gopés,
even
one moment seems like a hundred yugas
when they do not have
darçana of that beautiful face adorned with
curling locks:
aöati yad bhavän ahni känanaà
truöir yugäyate tväm apaçyatäm
kuöila-kuntalaà çré-mukhaà ca te
jaòa udékñatäà pakñma-kåd dåçam
O Çyämasundara, when You go to the
forest to herd the cows
during the day, the Vrajaväsés are
unable to see You and thus they
feel one moment to be like a yuga.
And in the evening, when
You return and we see Your beautiful
lotus face covered with
curling locks, the blinking of our
eyelids becomes painful
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
because it obstructs our darçana.
Is the Creator, who made these
eyelids, ignorant, or is he foolish?
pürvähne känane tumi yäo go-cäraëe
truöi yuga-sama haya tava adarçane
kuöila-kuntala tava çré-candra-vadana
darçane nimeña-dätä vidhira nindana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Even a fraction of a second seems like
a yuga for the gopés when
they are afflicted by separation from
Çré Kåñëa, and when they
meet Him, one yuga seems like a
moment. This condition is
called mahäbhäva.
In this Text, the gopés address
Çré Kåñëa as bhavän. Bhavän is
a term of honour, but here, the gopés
address Kåñëa as such due
to their jealous love.
Aöati yad bhavän – The gopés say, “O Kåñëa! You
are arasajïa,
ignorant of mellows. Even though we,
who are rasajïa, wellversed
in mellows, are correct here, You
continue to roam the
forest. By roaming here and there with
foolish cows, Your intelligence
has become as dull as theirs. This is
the effect of faulty
association. By Your grazing animals
all day, Your intelligence
has become like that of an animal.” The
gopés, who have been
separated from Kåñëa all day, eagerly
await His return to Vraja so
that they can have darçana of
His beautiful lotus face. Upon
hearing the gopés, Çré Kåñëa may
say, “O vraja-devés, you are
always seeing My face. What is so
special about My face when I
return from cowherding?”
The vraja-devés reply, “Kuöila-kuntalaà
çré-mukhaà ca –
Your beautiful lotus face is decorated
by curly locks, but because
these locks of hair are scattered all
over Your face, we cannot see
it.” With anger born of affection, the vraja-devés
are saying,
“When this curly hair covers Your face,
You are the only one to
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
relish its sweetness. This further
torments our minds, which are
already burning in separation from
You.”
Udékñatäm – The gopés say, “Furthermore,
we open our eyes
wide and raise our faces in an
endeavour to see You, but because
the Creator, who fashioned our eyelids,
is foolish (dåçäà
pakñma-kåd jaòaù), we cannot take complete darçana of
You.
This Creator, being irrational and of
meagre intelligence, has
created eyelids for the eyes. For darçana
of such a beautiful lotus
face, he has only given two eyes, and
on top of that, he has
covered them with eyelids that
constantly close and obstruct
darçana of You.”
Adhirüòha-mahäbhäva is characterised by the feeling that
each moment is like a kalpa when
one is separated from Kåñëa,
and the feeling that a kalpa is
like a moment when one is meeting
Him. In this Text, this bhäva is
clearly visible in the vrajadevés.
Text 16
The pre-eminent gopé-bhäva is
intended solely for Kåñëa’s pleasure.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.31.19) states:
yat te sujäta-caraëämburuhaà staneñu
bhétäù çanaiù priya dadhémahi karkaçeñu
tenäöavém aöasi tad vyathate na kià
svit
kürpädibhir bhramati dhér bhavad-äyuñäà
naù
O beloved, Your beautiful feet are even
softer than a lotus. When
we massage those soft, tender, lotus
feet we fearfully, slowly and
gently place them on our breasts in
such a way that our hard
breasts may cause them no pain. With
those same soft feet, You
wander behind the cows in the deep
forest. Will Your lotus feet
not be pierced by sharp stones and the
like? Such thoughts make
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
us extremely anxious. O Präëanätha, You
are our life, so please
stop wandering in the forest. Please,
appear before us.
tomära caraëämbuja e karkaça stane
sävadhäne dhari sakhe! kleça-bhéta mane
se pada-kamale vane kürpädira duùkha
haya päche, çaìkä kari’ nähi päi sukha
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In this verse the gopés express
their extremely deep prema. In
previous verses the gopés described
their condition in separation
from Kåñëa, but here their anxiety for
His happiness is evident in
their words. The gopés, who are
covered by käma – that is, their
love for Kåñëa – tried very hard to
conceal their prema, but
because it flows so swiftly, it was
revealed.
The gopés suffer in their hearts
at the thought of Kåñëa coming
to harm. This is the characteristic of mahäbhäva.
Only the gopés
are experienced in the sorrow of
separation from their präëapriyatama,
and only the gopés are
experienced in the happiness
of meeting with Him. In Text 14, the gopés
expressed how troubled
they felt by the pain caused to Çré
Kåñëa’s lotus feet. That is
why this Text, in which the suffering
of Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet is
again mentioned, came to be. Text 15
described separation from
Him during the day, and this Text
describes separation from Him
at night. In the daytime, Kåñëa roams
here and there herding the
cows, and He can easily protect Himself
from the stone chips,
thorns and sharp grass. But on the bank
of the Yamunä, in the
darkness of night, stones, thorns and
sharp grass are not easily
seen. Thinking of this, the vraja-sundarés’
hearts begin to melt
and they express their moods with words
of distress.
Çré Våndä-devé puts great effort into
making Çré Kåñëa’s pastimeplaces,
like the bank of the Yamunä, very
pleasant and beautiful.
There is no possibility of thorns or
sharp grass being there, but
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
nonetheless, the women of Vraja fear
that Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet
will suffer.
Afflicted by prema, the gopés
pray in this Text, “O life-giving
Çyämasundara, like beautifully
blossoming lotus flowers, Your
reddish lotus feet, which are endowed
with fragrance and sweetness,
mitigate any suffering. Now these
reddish lotus feet must
be suffering from the injuries caused
by stones, sharp grass and
so forth as You roam from forest to
forest. We are saddened by
such thoughts.”
Upon hearing this, Çré Kåñëa might
reply, “Oh, come now!
What realisation do you have of My
suffering?”
The gopés answer, “Priya
karkaçeñu staneñu bhétäù çanair
dadhémahi – O beloved, we consider You to be
non-different
from our bodies and to be the life of
our lives. How can we place
Your supremely beautiful, tender lotus
feet on our hard breasts?
Please listen for a moment. Bhétäù
çanaiù, we place them there
very slowly and gently so that You may
feel no pain at all.
Therefore, when You, Yourself, cause
them pain, we drown in an
ocean of sorrow.”
Çré Kåñëa says, “O gopés overwhelmed
by madana (Cupid),
why do you want to place My lotus feet
on your hard breasts?”
“O Priya, You are our beloved, and the
only duty of a lover is
to increase the beloved’s happiness.
Placing Your lotus feet on
our breasts gives You supreme pleasure,
and if You are happy,
we are, too. For this reason, we place
Your lotus feet there, but
as soon as we remember their softness,
our hearts melt.”
Kåñëa says, “O mad gopés, you
all should perform some austerity
to satisfy the Creator, and then pray
to him for soft, tender
breasts.”
The gopés reply, “We are ready
to perform this austerity, but
there is a consideration. If our
breasts were soft, You still may not
be pleased, and if they are hard, they
will cause You pain. We are
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
unable to determine what to do and what
not to do. You, however,
behave the same way You treat Your feet
– mercilessly.”
Hearing this Kåñëa may reply, “O gopés,
what are you raving on
about?”
The gopés say, “O Çyämasundara,
we are unable to calm our
hearts at all.”
Kåñëa replies, “Why do you suffer so
much? Where is your
affection for Me? What are the symptoms
of affection? If the lover
is unable to remain alive when the
beloved is suffering severly,
how is it that you are still alive?”
The gopés say, “Bhavad-äyuñäm.
You are our very life. Although
we have endured much hardship, our
lives do not end.” With
loving anger they continue, “O
Çyämasundara, not only are You
cruel to us, but so is the Creator; he
has given us such a long life
– only to suffer.”
This is the commentary of Çré
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura
on this çloka, which expresses
the deep suffering in separation
from Kåñëa of the vraja-devés,
who are filled with mahäbhäva.
Text 17
The gopés’ bhävocchväsa (outburst
of feeling that expresses the
bhäva hidden in the heart) when meeting with
Kåñëa is
described in Kåñëa-karëämåta (12):
nikhila-bhuvana-lakñmé-nitya-léläspadäbhyäà
kamala-vipina-véthé-garva-sarväìkañäbhyäà
praëamad-abhaya-däna-prauòhi-gäòhädåtäbhyäà
kim api vahatu cetaù
kåñëa-pädämbujäbhyäm
May my heart attain indescribable bliss
at Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet,
which are the eternal abode of pastimes
for the original goddess
of fortune, which thwart heaps of lotus
flowers’ pride in their
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8 / AÑÖAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
beauty, and which are deeply respected
everywhere for their
great power in giving shelter to the
surrendered souls.
nikhila-bhuvana-lakñmé rädhikä-sundaré
täìra nitya-léläspada parama-mädhuré
kamala-vipina-garva kñaya yähe haya
praëata-abhaya-däne prauòha-çaktimaya
hena kåñëa-päda-padma, kåñëa! mama mana
apürva utsava-rati karuka vahana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
When Çré Kåñëa reappeared after
disappearing from the räsa-lélä,
a gopé who was burning in the
fire of separation from Him placed
His lotus feet upon her breasts. Çré
Léläçuka explains that this
refers to Çré Rädhä’s keeping Kåñëa’s
lotus feet on Her heart. Çré
Kåñëa is sporting with Rädhä in a
solitary nikuïja. As soon as He
places His reddish lotus feet on Her
breasts, they become even
more reddish. May these lotus feet,
smeared with kuìkuma, fully
manifest within our hearts.
In describing the speciality of Kåñëa’s
lotus feet, he says that
they defeat the pride of lotus flowers.
How? The material lotus
flower is cooling, fragrant, soft and
beautiful for the five senses,
and the bumblebee becomes mad by
drinking its honey. But Çré
Kåñëa’s lotus feet are intoxicating in
a different, exceptional way.
These feet are the embodiment of beauty
and wealth for all material
and transcendental living beings, and
they are the eternal
abode of pastimes for the original
goddess of fortune (nikhilabhuvana-
lakñmé). The word nikhila-bhuvana-lakñmé in
this
Text can also refer to all the gopés,
who offer their everything to
these lotus feet. Çré Kåñëa removes the
affliction of their käma by
touching them with His lotus feet. The
young girls of Vraja affectionately
keep these lotus feet on their hearts
and serve them in
every way.
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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