Sree Bhajana Rahasya
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
abhakta sarvadä mano-rathete caòiyä
asad bähye bhrame guëa varjita haiyä
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The äcäryas have ascertained
that once the tendency arises in
someone to serve Kåñëa without selfish
motive (niñkäma-sevävåtti),
all good qualities such as religiosity,
knowledge and
renunciation become apparent in him.
This is simply the fruit of
serving Mukunda. The fifty virtuous
qualities of the demigods
headed by Indra reside in the hearts of
devotees. They cannot
manifest in a deceitful and envious
heart. A person who is devoid
of hari-bhakti is attached to
maintaining his body and home, and
to extraneous desires, jïäna, karma,
yoga and so on. He always
runs towards external sense enjoyment
through the avenues of
profit, worship, name and fame, and
mental speculation. In
Prema-bhakti-candrikä (8.8) Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura
says:
“karma-käëòa jïäna-käëòa kevala
viñera bhäëòa – fruitive
activities and mental speculation are
simply pots of poison.”
Mundane people, who are attached to
material things, obtain different
births according to their karma.
The devotees, on the
other hand, are preoccupied with
performing service in the association
of devotees and are thereby submerged
in the ocean of
supreme transcendental happiness. Thus
they remain satisfied.
Text 21
Bhakti destroys the egoism arising from
falsely identifying the
body with the self (deha-abhimäna).
This is stated in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (4.11.30):
tvaà pratyag ätmani tadä bhagavaty
ananta
änanda-mätra upapanna-samasta-çaktau
bhaktià vidhäya paramäà çanakair avidyä
granthià vibhetsyasi mamäham iti
prarüòham
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[Manu said to Dhruva:] By searching for
Bhagavän Ananta, who
possesses all potencies, who is the
embodiment of supreme transcendental
bliss and who resides within all living
entities as the
Supersoul, your devotion will become
very steady. On the
strength of that devotion you will be
able to cut the tight knot of
ignorance in the form of the false
conceptions of “I” and “mine”.
manu bale dhruva tumi dhåta sarva-çakti
pratyak änanda-rüpa kåñëe kara bhakti
ämi-mama-rüpa-vidyä-granthi dåòhatama
chedana karite krame haibe sakñama
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
A sädhaka experiences his own
transcendental form (svarüpa)
by cultivating pure devotional service
that is unobstructed and
not personally motivated. Upon
realising his svarüpa, he very
easily cuts the knot of ignorance by
which he identifies the material
body as “I” and material objects as “mine”.
When the living
entity transcends the three modes (sattva,
raja and tama), he is
able to experience bhagavad-rasa,
which is endowed with all
potencies. This takes place by the
influence of association with
devotees. Since he is self-realised, he
searches for Bhagavän,
who is beyond the material modes, who
is the non-dual Absolute
Truth endowed with all transcendental
qualities, and who is
infallible. By cultivating bhakti in
this way, he gradually becomes
eternally situated in his own svarüpa.
Text 22
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (4.22.39) states:
yat-päda-paìkaja-paläça-viläsa-bhaktyä
karmäçayaà grathitam udgrathayanti
santaù
tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo ’pi
ruddhasroto-
gaëäs tam araëaà bhaja väsudevam
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
[Çré Sanat Kumära instructed Påthu
Mahäräja:] The devotees of
Bhagavän are easily able to cut the
knot in the heart in the form
of desires for fruitive activities by
meditating upon the splendour
that emanates from the toes of
Bhagavän’s lotus feet. However,
impersonalist yogés, who are
devoid of loving devotion, cannot
do so even by controlling their senses.
Therefore give up the
endeavours of jïäna, yoga and
so forth, and engage in bhajana
of Väsudeva-Kåñëa.
pratyähäre ruddha-mati yogeçvara-gana
kadäca karite päre yähä sampädana
sei karmäçaya granthi käöe sädhu-gaëa
yäìra kåpä-bale, laha täìhära çaraëa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Impersonalists (nirviçeña-jïänés)
are not able to control their
senses even by performing severely
rigid practices, but devotees
can very easily control the extremely
strong senses by meditating
upon the lustre of the lotus-petal-like
toes of the most merciful
Bhagavän. In this way they become
absorbed in deep meditation.
This meditation (dhyäna), and
the object of meditation
(dhyeya), Çré Bhagavän, are both
eternal. The followers of the
theory of monism (advaitavädés)
say: “sädhakänäà hitärthäya
brahmaëi rüpaù kalpate – Brahman is formless but for the
benefit of sädhakas a form has
been imagined.” They say that by
worshipping imaginary forms of Viñëu,
Çiva, Durgä, Sürya and
Gaëeça, one’s heart is purified and one
then attains säyujyamukti,
merging into Brahman. This conception,
however, is an
ignorant hypothesis that is opposed to
the scriptures.
The word viläsa-bhaktyä in this
Text 22 means that the sädhaka
contemplates Çré Kåñëa’s body and
meditates on different kinds
of services, such as anointing Him with
perfume, giving Him an
oil-massage, bathing Him and so forth.
Meditation on the toes of
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Çré Kåñëa, who is clever in vraja-rasa,
means remembering that
His lotus toes have been coloured by kuìkuma
while He was
performing intimate pastimes in the
bowers of Våndävana with
the vraja-devés. By meditating
on this, all the knots of the disease
in one’s heart are easily and naturally
destroyed. How can the
impersonalists, who are covered by
ignorance, obtain all these
transcendental sentiments? They do not
even accept the eternality
of Bhagavän and His transcendental
form. Although they consider
themselves liberated, in reality they
are not. Çré Caitanyacaritämåta
(Madhya-lélä 22.29) confirms
this:
jïäné jévan-mukta-daçä päinu kari’ mäne
vastutaù buddhi ‘çuddha’ nahe
kåñëa-bhakti bine
The endeavours of the offensive nirviçeña-jïänés
to control
their senses are futile. Externally
their activities may look like
self-control, but internally there is a
flow of dirty, lusty desires
likened to the Phalgu River,
a river in Gayä that has no flow of
water on the river bed but flows
underground. Even after
thousands of years of severe
austerities, Saubhari Åñi was not
liberated from material desires.
However, by serving Bhagavän in
the association of the pure devotee
Mahäräja Mändhätä, he was
liberated from material existence very
easily. On the strength of
bhakti, the devotees are able to cut
ignorance at the root. All
their senses remain engaged in
Bhagavän’s service and they
make their senses successful by
relishing the nectar of
Bhagavän’s beauty. Therefore give up
futile endeavours to
subdue the senses and perform bhajana
of Çré Vrajendranandana,
who is eternal and full of
transcendental bliss. This is
the only auspicious activity.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 23
An introduction to the midday pastimes
(madhyähna-lélä) is
found in Govinda-lélämåta (8.1):
madhyähne
’nyonya-saìgodita-vividha-vikärädi-bhüñä-pramugdhau
vämyotkaëöhätilolau
smara-makha-lalitädy-äli-narmäpta-çätau
doläraëyämbu-vaàçé-håti-rati-madhupänärka-püjädi-lélau
rädhä-kåñëau satåñëau parijana-ghaöayä
sevyamänau smarämi
I meditate upon Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa, who at
midday enjoy each
other’s company while being beautifully
decorated with various
bhävas, such as añöa-sättvika-bhävas and
vyabhicäri-bhävas.
They become extremely restless due to
contrariness (vämya) and
yearning (utkaëöhä). In Their
amorous play (kandarpa-yajïa)
the joking words of Çré Lalitä and the
other sakhés give Them
much pleasure. They blissfully enjoy
sports like swinging
(jhülä), frolicking in the
forest (vana-vihära), playing in the
water (jala-keli), stealing the
flute (vaàçé-haraëa), amorous
meeting (rati-kréòä), drinking
honey (madhu-päna), worshipping
the Sun-god (sürya-püjä) and
many other kinds of pastimes
while being served by Their dear ones.
rädhä-kuëòe sumilana,
vikärädi-vibhüñaëa,
vämyotkaëöha-mugdha-bhäva-lélä
sambhoga-narmädi-réti, dolä-khelä
vaàçé-håti,
madhu-päna, sürya-püja khelä
jala-khelä, vanyäçana, chala-supti,
vanyäöana,
bahu-lélänande dui jane
parijana suveñöita, rädhä-kåñëa
susevita,
madhyähna-kälete smari mane
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
After finishing Her prasäda-sevä at
Nanda-bhavana, Çrématé
Rädhäräëé returns to Jävaöa with Her sakhés,
where She very
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4 / CATURTHA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
eagerly waits to meet Her präëa-priyatama,
Çré Kåñëa. Her
mother-in-law, Jaöilä, orders Her to
worship Süryadeva, and on
this pretext she leaves Her house with
Her sakhés and secretly
departs for Rädhä-kuëòa, where She is
able to freely meet with
Her beloved. There, His darçana and
touch decorate Her with
añöa-sättvika, kila-kiïcita and many other bhävas.
Çrématé
Rädhikä’s contrary mood (vämya-bhäva)
enables Her präëeçvara
to relish the mellows of pastimes to
their highest extent, and it
also stimulates His ever-fresh
eagerness. Then many pastimes take
place with the gopés, such as
meeting with Kåñëa (sambhoga),
joking while playing dice (päçä-kréòä),
playing hide-and-seek
(äìkha-micauné), stealing the
flute (vaàçé-coré), drinking honey
(madhu-päna, or prema-päna),
engaging in water-sports (jalakréòä),
having a picnic (vanya-bhojana),
feigning sleep (chalaçayana)
and worshipping the Sun-god (sürya-püjä).
Absorbed
in meditating on these pastimes, the rägänuga-sädhaka
performs
kértana of Kåñëa’s names.
Thus ends the Caturtha-yäma-sädhana,
Madhyähna-käléya-bhajana, of Çré Bhajana-rahasya.
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Text 1
The constitutional nature of the näma-sädhaka
and his prayer for
the eternal servitorship of Çré Kåñëa
are described in Çikñäñöaka (5):
ayi nanda-tanuja kiìkaraà
patitaà mäà viñame bhavämbudhau
kåpayä tava päda-paìkajasthita-
dhüli-sadåçaà vicintaya
O Nanda-nandana, as a result of my
fruitive activities, I have
fallen into this fearful ocean of
material existence. Please bestow
Your mercy upon this eternal servant of
Yours. Consider me to be
just like a speck of dust at Your lotus
feet and always accept me
as Your purchased servant.
tava nitya däsa muïi, tomä päsariyä
paòiyächi bhavärëave mäyä-baddha haiyä
kåpä kari’ kara more pada-dhüli-sama
tomära sevaka, karoì tomära sevana
Païcama-yäma-sädhana
5
Aparähna-käléya-bhajana – kåñëa-äsakti
(from three-and-a-half praharas of
the day until dusk:
approximately 3.30 P.M. – 6.00 P.M.)
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
“O Lord, I am Your eternal servant, but
due to my misfortune I
have abandoned You. Being bound by mäyä,
I am drowning in
this bottomless ocean of material
existence. Please mercifully
accept me as a particle of dust at Your
lotus feet. I will become
Your servant and serve You eternally.”
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
When a devotee attains the state of äsakti,
his prayers are filled
with extreme humility and lamentation.
In the fully matured
stage of äsakti there is some
appearance of his perfected body
(siddha-deha), and attachment
arises for both bhajana and
bhajanéya, the object of bhajana. When
one performs bhajana,
çraddhä gradually develops through anartha-nivåtti
and niñöhä
up to the stage of ruci. Kåñëa,
as the Supersoul situated in the
heart, accepts the prayers of devotees
who are in these stages.
However, Kåñëa Himself hears the
prayers of a devotee who is
endowed with äsakti, and His
heart melts with compassion.
Text 2
When one performs kértana that
is free from offences, bhäva will
arise by Çré Kåñëa’s mercy. Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(1.2.17–19) states:
çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëaù
puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù
hådy antaù-stho hy abhadräëi
vidhunoti suhåt satäm
nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
bhagavaty uttama-çloke
bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
tadä rajas-tamo-bhäväù
käma-lobhädayaç ca ye
ceta etair anäviddhaà
sthitaà sattve prasédati
Both hearing and chanting the glories
of Çré Kåñëa are purifying.
Because Kåñëa is the eternal friend of
saintly persons, He situates
Himself in the hearts of those who hear
narrations of Him and He
destroys their inauspicious passions,
such as lust. By continuous
service to both Çrémad-Bhägavatam and
the mahä-bhägavata
devotee, inauspicious desires are
almost completely destroyed,
and irrevocable devotional service (naiñöhiké-bhakti)
is awakened
to Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa, who is praised
with transcendental
prayers. As soon as this naiñöhiké-bhakti
is awakened, the qualities
of the modes of passion and ignorance,
such as lust and
anger, become pacified, and one’s heart
reaches the stage of
purity.
yäìra kathä çravaëa-kértane puëya haya
sei kåñëa hådaye vasiyä näçe bhaya
sädhakera abhadra kramaçaù kare näça
bhaktira naiñöhika bhäva karena prakäça
rajas-tama-samudbhuta käma-lobha-héna
haiyä bhakta-citta sattve hayata
pravéëa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Taste for the topics of Çré Väsudeva
will manifest only after one
has sincerely accepted the shelter of
the lotus feet of çré guru. By
the sädhaka’s performance of the
activities of sädhana, such as
çravaëa and kértana, his
inauspiciousness – anarthas and
aparädhas – will be removed and his heart will
become pure.
Bhagavän Himself enters the devotee’s
heart through the
medium of hari-kathä and
destroys all kinds of inauspiciousness
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
and misfortune. In other words, the bad
results of the devotee’s
prärabdha-karma are destroyed, his håd-roga (disease
of the
heart in the form of lust) is removed,
and Bhagavän resides in his
heart forever.
Bhägavata-sevä means service to both the book bhägavata
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam) and the
devotee bhägavata (the pure
Vaiñëava). As a result of this service,
steady bhakti arises in the
sädhaka’s heart. Naiñöhiké means that
through niñöhä the mind
becomes fixed. Then gradually, by the
association of devotees,
one’s fruitive activities, false
renunciation and so on are
destroyed, and the unhealthy
inclination to seek the company of
non-devotees, such as mäyävädés and
those inclined towards
enjoyment with the opposite sex, does
not awaken. It is impossible
to be freed from these tendencies by
one’s own endeavour.
Naiñöhiké-bhakti appears in the heart only through
hearing topics
of Bhagavän described in exalted verses
spoken by uttamabhägavatas.
By this act of devotion, passion,
ignorance, lust,
anger and so forth are destroyed.
Moreover, even if these qualities
remain, they are just like fried seeds,
unable to produce any fruit.
The mode of passion (rajo-guëa)
and the mode of ignorance
(tamo-guëa) cause sleep,
distraction and desires unrelated to
serving Kåñëa to arise within the
living entities. The words etair
anäviddham in this Text mean that upon the
awakening of
naiñöhiké-bhakti, the heart of the sädhaka is
not agitated by the
enemies headed by lust. This is because
his heart is fixed on the
path of bhakti and he no longer
has taste for the objects of sense
enjoyment.
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 3
A prayer explaining Bhagavän’s mercy is
given in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (10.14.8):
tat te ’nukampäà su-samékñamäëo
bhuïjäna evätma-kåtaà vipäkam
håd-väg vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jéveta yo mukti-pade sa däya-bhäk
One who accepts as Your mercy the
results of his own actions as
well as the happiness and distress of
his prärabdha-karma, who
endures them with an undisturbed mind,
and who maintains his
life by offering himself unto You by
body, mind and words, is
eligible to attain Your lotus feet,
which are the shelter of liberation.
duùkha bhoga kari’
nija-kåta-karma-phale
käya-mano-väkye tava caraëa-kamale
bhakti kari’ käöe käla tava kåpä äçe
mukti-pada, tava pada päya anäyäse
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In this prayer to Bhagavän, Brahmä
instructs the sädhaka thus: a
sädhaka should understand the attainment of
both happiness
and distress to be Bhagavän’s mercy, or
he should understand
them to be an opportunity to completely
eradicate sins and
offences performed due to previous
impressions (saàskäras).
Sometimes Bhagavän creates happiness or
distress for the
sädhaka in order to increase the eagerness in
his heart. In this
Text the word mukti-pada means
the one at whose lotus feet
liberation (mukti) takes
shelter. This refers either to Bhagavän or
to bhakti, i.e. bhagavat-sevä.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 4
Upon reaching the condition described
in the following verse
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.43)),
one attains supreme spiritual
peace (parä-çänti):
ity acyutäìghrià bhajato ’nuvåttyä
bhaktir viraktir bhagavat-prabodhaù
bhavanti vai bhägavatasya räjaàs
tataù paräà çäntim upaiti säkñät
O king, whoever devoutly worships the
lotus feet of Bhagavän
will develop detachment from material
existence and devotion
for Him that is saturated with prema.
All knowledge related to
Bhagavän will manifest in his heart and
thus he will begin to
experience supreme peace.
hena anuvåtti saha yei kåñëa bhaje
subhakti, viräga, jïäna, täìhära upaje
se tina sundara-rüpe ekatre bäòhiyä
parä-çänti-prema-dhana deya ta’ äniyä
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In this Text, Kavi Åñi, the best of the
nine Yogendras, responds to
one of Nimi Mahäräja’s questions by
saying that besides devotion
to Bhagavän, there is no means to
attain eternal auspiciousness.
Temporary endeavours to attain
imaginary peace or freedom
from material suffering are foolish and
can bring no actual auspiciousness
to the living entity. The only
auspiciousness is to
take shelter of Çré Bhagavän’s devotees
and by steady practice
attain bhakti, which is beyond
the three modes of material
nature. A person who has pure bhakti,
who is established in the
devotional way of life (bhägavata-dharma)
and who performs
service with appropriate renunciation (yukta-vairägya)
can
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
never be touched by ignorance.
Established in the kingdom of
bhakti, he acquires higher and higher stages
of elevated devotion
and thus attains transcendental peace.
Practising and following means to take
exclusive shelter of Çré
Bhagavän’s devotees; to remember and
follow Kåñëa’s associates
is more beneficial than to remember and
follow Kåñëa Himself. It
is more useful for the bhakti-sädhaka
to follow the process of
devotion shown by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
and Çréla Raghunätha
däsa Gosvämé, who themselves follow the
gopés, than it is to
follow Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
directly. The method to awaken
lobha, transcendental greed, is to remember, pray and weep for
the sentiments of elevated devotees. Sädhana
means to practise
bhakti through the senses and with the aim of
attaining svarüpasiddhi.
When bhäva appears, one’s
practice is no longer sädhanabhakti
but bhäva-bhakti, and when one
achieves vastu-siddhi,
he will attain prema-sevä.
Text 5
The nine types of bhakti-sädhana are
described in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (7.5.23–4):
çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam
iti puàsärpitä viñëau
bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä
kriyeta bhagavaty addhä
tan manye ’dhétam uttamam
A person is said to have perfectly
studied the scriptures if he is
completely surrendered to Bhagavän Çré
Viñëu, if he is free from
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
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karma, jïäna, yoga and other obstructions, and if
he is engaged
in the nine kinds of bhakti:
hearing topics related to Bhagavän
(çravaëam); chanting His name (kértanam);
remembering His
name, form, qualities and pastimes (smaraëam);
serving His
lotus feet (päda-sevanam);
performing deity worship
(arcanam); offering prayers (vandanam);
becoming His servant
(däsyam); becoming His friend (sakhyam);
and offering one’s
very self (ätma-nivedanam). Only
such a person’s study of the
scriptures is successful.
çravaëa-kértana-ädi-bhaktira prakära
cid-ghana-änanda kåñëe säkñät yäìhära
sarva-çästra-tattva bujhi’ kriyä-para
tini
sarvärtha-siddhite tiìha vijïa-çiromaëi
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The nine kinds of devotion, navadhä-bhakti,
comprise svarüpasiddha-
bhakti, unalloyed devotion. Other types of
devotional
practices fall into the categories of saìga-siddha-bhakti,
äropasiddha-
bhakti and so forth. It is essential that one
completely
surrender to Bhagavän, for one cannot
enter svarüpa-siddhabhakti
without surrender. This is the import
of the phrase iti
puàsärpitä viñëau in this Text. According to Çréla
Sanätana
Gosvämé, the word puàsä here
indicates the mäyä-baddha-jéva,
conditioned living entity, who is
attached to sense enjoyment.
The words bhagavaty addhä refer
to the instruction to perform
service to Bhagavän that is stimulated
by devotion that flows like
a continuous stream of oil.
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 6
When one cultivates this kind of
devotion, bhäva will gradually
arise and däsya-rati will
naturally awaken within him. This is
evident in Våträsura’s prayer in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(6.11.24):
ahaà hare tava pädaika-müladäsänudäso
bhavitäsmi bhüyaù
manaù smaretäsu-pater guëäàs te
gåëéta väk karma karotu käyaù
The living entity is Your eternal
servant, but by the misuse of his
free will, he has forgotten his
position of eternal servitude.
Consequently, he is caught in the snare
of mäyä and endures
many kinds of afflictions in this
material existence. Moreover, the
desire to become the servant of Your
servant can only be fulfilled
by the causeless compassion of guru and
Vaiñëavas. This mood
of servitorship can only be obtained by
performing bhakti. O
Lord, please bestow such mercy upon me,
that in my next birth I
may obtain the opportunity to
exclusively serve the servants who
have taken shelter of Your lotus feet.
May my mind always
remember Your all-auspicious qualities,
my speech always chant
the glories of these qualities, and my
body always remain
engaged in Your service.
chinu tava nitya-däsa, gale bäìdhi’
mäyä-päça,
saàsäre päinu nänä-kleça
ebe punaù kari äça, haiyä tava däsera
däsa,
bhaji’ päi tava bhakti-leça
präneçvara tava guëa, smaruk mana punaù
punaù,
tava näma jihvä karuk gäna
kara-dvaya tava karma, kariyä labhuk
çarma,
tava pade saàpinu paräëa
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 7
By nature the living entity is the
object to be enjoyed (bhogyavastu)
and Çré Kåñëa is the enjoyer (bhoktä).
By performing
bhajana in the association of rasika-bhaktas,
the desire to serve
Çré Rädhä, who is permeated with
transcendental bliss, becomes
strong, and the loving sentiments of
the gopés (gopé-bhäva)
awaken. Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.29.38)
states:
tan naù praséda våjinärdana te
’ìghri-mülaà
präptä visåjya vasatés tvad-upäsanäçäù
tvat-sundara-smita-nirékñaëa-tévra-kämataptätmanäà
puruña-bhüñaëa dehi däsyam
[Attracted by the sound of Çré Kåñëa’s
flute, the gopés approached
Him and said:] O You who remove
suffering, we have given up
our homes, family members and
relatives, and we have come to
Your lotus feet only because we desire
to serve You. O jewel
among men, be pleased with us. O best
among men, Your sweet
smile and attractive glances have set
our hearts ablaze with a burning
desire for intimate meeting with You.
Every pore of our bodies
burns with this desire. Please accept
us as Your maidservants.
tava däsya-äçe chäòiyächi ghara-dvära
dayä kari’ deha kåñëa, caraëa tomära
tava häsya-mukha-nirékñaëa-kämi-jane
tomära kaiìkarya deha praphulla-vadane
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Immersed in the mood of the gopés,
Çukadeva Gosvämé uttered
this verse. Hearing the sound of the
flute, the vraja-gopés go to
the räsa-sthalé where they come
face to face with Kåñëa.
Vrajendra-nandana Çyämasundara, the
ocean of all nectarean
mellows, then begins to joke with them
in order to taste the
1 9 5
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
sentiments hidden within their hearts.
The gopés’ retorts are full
of sarcastic humour.
The general meaning of this verse is
that the gopés are praying
to become the maidservants of Kåñëa – dehi
däsyam. Kåñëa
begins by saying, “O you who are
intoxicated with your fresh
youth (nava-yauvana-pramattä),
it is extremely rare to attain
service to Me.”
The gopés reply, “O
Çyämasundara, You fulfil the desires of
those who are surrendered unto You.
Your beautiful smiling
glances have set intense lust ablaze in
our hearts and this is
tormenting us. Nevertheless, we want no
kind of compensation
for our suffering. Please, just give us
service to Your lotus feet.”
Or the gopés say, “O
Çyämasundara, we are young women and
we want to create happiness for You
with our bodily limbs. We
want to worship You through the
‘paraphernalia’ of accepting
Your blooming smiling glances and the
nectar of Your lips.
O ornament amongst men (puruña-bhüñaëa),
we are faircomplexioned
(gauräìgé) and You are like a
sapphire (indranélamaëi),
so You are the natural ornament for our
bodily
limbs.”
Or the gopés say sarcastically,
“We are not praying to obtain the
dust of Your lotus feet. You are making
us suffer from moral guilt
and unhappiness – You are certainly
living up to Your name
Våjina-ardana (vanquisher of distress)!
We have heard from
Paurëamäsé that even Lakñmé, who enjoys
pastimes on the chest
of Çré Näräyaëa, comes to take shelter
of Your lotus feet – te
’ìghri-mülam – but we are not Lakñmé. We have just
come here
out of curiosity to view the natural
beauty of Våndävana on a
moonlit night. So give Your shelter to
Lakñmé of Vaikuëöha, not to
us! You should remember, though, that
not even Lakñmé and
others would completely accept
servitude to You. O best
amongst men, You so eagerly desire to
attain the young brides of
1 9 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Gokula that You even adorn the sakhäs,
like Subala and others,
in gopé dress. O ornament of
men, the male gender has been
defamed by this nature of Yours. Don’t
think we are suffering
from lust. And we are not Your
‘beloveds’ – this is only Your
imagination.”
Text 8
To take shelter of the perfect
sentiments of the gopés (siddhagopé-
bhäva) is described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.29.39):
vékñyälakävåta-mukhaà tava
kuëòala-çrégaëòa-
sthalädhara-sudhaà hasitävalokam
dattäbhayaà ca bhuja-daëòa-yugaà
vilokya
vakñaù çriyaika-ramaëaà ca bhaväma däsyaù
[The gopés said:] Priyatama,
after seeing Your beautiful lotus face,
decorated with glossy black curling
tresses; Your beautiful
cheeks, upon which enchanting earrings
(kuëòalas) radiate Your
boundless loveliness; Your sweet lips,
whose nectar defeats all
other nectar; Your charming glance,
which is made radiant by
Your slight smile; Your two arms, which
liberally give the charity
of fearlessness to surrendered souls;
and Your chest, beautified
by Lakñmé who resides there as a golden
line, we have all
become Your maidservants.
o mukha alakävåta, o kuëòala-çobhä
adhara-amåta-gaëòa-smita-manolobhä
abhaya-da bhuja-yuga, çré-sevita-vakña
dekhiyä haläma däsé, sevä-kärye dakña
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The gopés’ internal bhäva is
present within this verse. When a
transcendental revelation (sphürti)
of siddha-gopé-bhäva
appears to Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura,
he remembers and utters
1 9 7
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
this verse. Vrajendra-nandana
Çyämasundara is rasika-cüòämaëi,
the crest-jewel amongst those who relish
rasa. Concealing
His own submissive mood (däkñiëya-bhäva),
He expresses a
mood of indifference towards the vraja-devés,
saying, “O vrajadevés,
why are you trying to attain the
position of being My
unpaid maidservants?”
The gopés meekly reply, “O
Çyämasundara, it is impossible to
describe the value of the payment You
have given us.”
Smiling, Çyämasundara asks, “What was
that payment?”
The gopés reply, “You have given
all us ramaëés the naturally
perfect nectar of Your lips, the touch
of Your alluring arms and
other limbs, and the embrace of Your
chest, which is the shelter
of Çré Lakñmé. Our eyes, which are
fickle like the movement of
khaïjana birds, have been imprisoned by the net
of Your face,
which is encircled by Your curly hair.
Those curls are not actually
hair, but a snare, and both Your
earrings are traps. The nectar of
Your lips is the lure for our khaïjana-bird-like
eyes and Your
smiling, restless glances are well-bred
and trained to capture our
eyes. Your alluring arms and Your
chest, which bestow rati, calm
our hearts. O Kåñëa, even before we
attained our adolescence,
You called us to Your kuïja-mandira through
Your enchanting
sweetness, gave us darçana of
the wealth of Your earrings and
other ornaments made of precious stones
(néla-nidhi and
padma-nidhi) and of the best gold (jämbu-nada-svarëa),
and
fed us the nectar of Your lips. Such
enticements have forced us
to hanker to become Your maidservants.”
With loving anger the
vraja-devés then say, “O Kåñëa, upon seeing the
unequalled
wealth of Your beauty, we have
developed the desire to become
Your maidservants, but if this desire
is not fulfilled, it will change
into hopelessness.”
Or the gopés shake a chastising
finger at Kåñëa and say, “O
crest-jewel of religious personalities
(dhärmika-cüòämaëi), we
1 9 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
know very well about the nature of Your
dharma; You always
flirt with the wives of other men. You
also keep the ramaëés of
Vaikuëöha upon Your chest for amorous
dalliance. You can be
forgiven by Näräyaëa, but not by us,
and not by our husbands.
Rather, after our husbands complain to
the mighty Kaàsa, You
will be punished. We are chaste women
from good, noble families,
and the idea of having a paramour is
extremely contemptible for
us. You cannot make us into Your
maidservants by showing Your
beauty and sweetness.”
How the gopés became the
maidservants of Kåñëa after seeing
the unprecedented beauty of His form is
described by the crestjewel
of those who relish vraja-rasa,
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté
Öhäkura:
Çyämasundara says to the gopés,
“I did not purchase you with
any payment, so how have you become My
maidservants?”
The vraja-ramaëés reply, “You
have given us a payment
which is millions and millions of times
more than enough. If You
want to know what that priceless
treasure is, then listen. Ever
since the very beginning of our
adolescence, You called us into
Your kuïja-mandira and gave us darçana
of Your beautiful
face, covered with falling locks of
curling hair. When You wrap a
tilted turban on Your head, we get darçana
of Your lotus face
through the lattice made by Your curly
tresses. Then, with Your
small delicate finger, You push those
curling locks into Your
turban and Your beauty is thoroughly
revealed. Your curling
tresses also hang loose when You tie a
centred turban, and when
You untie Your turban to take rest,
Your locks of hair fall over
Your face. In this way, Your lotus face
is sometimes uncovered,
sometimes slightly covered and
sometimes completely beautified
by these curly locks. When You laugh
and joke, Your earrings
swing to and fro to kiss Your cheeks.
By the impressions resulting
from this meeting, Your most attractive
cheeks emanate an
1 9 9
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
unprecedented beauty. In this way, by
seeing Your moonlike
face, the lotuses of the gopés’ hearts
blossom. You have purchased
us, with the incomparable sweetness of
Your form as payment.”
Kåñëa may say, “I am devoted to
religious principles, and
you are the wives of other men. How can
I make you My
maidservants?”
Upon hearing this, the gopés shake
a finger at Him and reply,
“O best of the followers of dharma,
You keep Lakñmé, the wife
of Näräyaëa of Vaikuëöha, upon Your
chest where, in front of us,
out of shame, she is present merely as
a golden line. In private,
though, she enjoys amorous sports with
You. Can any woman in
the three worlds reject You? None can.
By giving us darçana of
the priceless treasure of Yourself, You
are compelled to make us
Your maidservants.”
Text 9
The superiority of paramour love (parakéya-bhäva)
is described
in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.29.33):
kurvanti hi tvayi ratià kuçaläù sva
ätman
nitya-priye pati-sutädibhir ärti-daiù
kim
tan naù praséda parameçvara mä sma
chindyä
äçäà dhåtäà tvayi ciräd aravinda-netra
[The gopés said:] O Paramätmä,
the great personalities, who are
the well-wishers of everyone’s soul,
direct their love to You
because You are the soul of all souls.
What is the use of loving or
serving husbands, sons and so forth,
who are temporary and
sources of misery? Be pleased with us
and give us Your mercy. O
lotus-eyed one, please do not cut the
flourishing creeper of our
desire to serve You, which we have
nourished for such a long
time.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
tumi priya ätmä, nitya ratira bhäjana
ärti-dätä pati-putre rati akäraëa
baòa äçä kari’ äinu tomära caraëe
kamala-nayana, hera prasanna-vadane
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
After the living entity attains
self-realisation, his material relationships,
such as those with wife and children,
do not remain.
He understands the futility of material
existence and naturally
becomes immersed in deep attachment for
Kåñëa. At this stage,
the jéva is no longer under the
jurisdiction of rules and regulations.
Engaged in räga-märga-bhakti, he
performs exclusive
bhajana of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa.
At this point in the conversation
between the vraja-devés and
Çré Kåñëa, the gopés say to Him,
“We have forevermore given up
our relationships with husbands and
everyone else, and have
now come here before You. The love that
appeared in our hearts
as a sprout has since become a vine of
desire that has grown very
large. We have been attached to You
since childhood and have
sincere love and affection for You.
Please do not cut down this
creeper of affection.”
Or the gopés say, “Our hearts
have become naturally delighted
by seeing Your reddish lotus eyes, and
we have already become
Your unpaid maidservants.”
The vraja-devés say with
rebuking words, “O lotus-eyed one,
as lotus flowers close at night time,
Your eyes are also halfclosed,
and You are therefore deprived of the darçana
of our
youth and bodily beauty. So Your having
eyes is useless.”
Or they say, “We have understood Your
inner heart’s desire. It
is right for us to desist from taking
part in Your improper activities,
so we will not stay here long. Please
give up whatever desire
is in Your heart.”
2 0 1
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 10
The necessity of taking shelter of the
lotus feet of Çré Rädhä is
expressed by Çré Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé in his Sva-saìkalpaprakäça-
stotra (1):
anärädhya rädhä-padämbhoja-reëum
anäçritya våndäöavéà tat-padäìkäm
asambhäñya-tad-bhäva-gambhéra-cittän
kutaù çyäma-sindho rasasyävagähaù
How can a person become immersed in the
ocean of ecstatic
mellows of Çyäma (çyäma-rasa-sindhu)
if he has never worshipped
the dust of Çré Rädhä’s lotus feet; if
he has never taken
shelter of Her pastime-place Çré
Våndävana, which is marked
with the impressions of Her lotus feet;
and if he has never served
the devotees whose hearts are already
submerged in Her
profound sentiments? It will never be
possible.
rädhä-padämbhoja-reëu nähi ärädhile
täìhära padäìka-püta-vraja nä bhajile
nä sevile rädhikä-gambhéra-bhäva-bhakta
çyäma-sindhu-rase kise habe anurakta?
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
While remembering this stotra,
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura
yearns to attain the wonderful and
astonishing service of Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava.
In order to be submerged in the ocean
of çyäma-rasa
(çåìgära-rasa, or the amorous
mellow), it is absolutely essential
to worship the dust of the lotus feet
of Çrématé Rädhikä, who is
the personification of hlädiné;
to worship Çré Våndävana-dhäma,
Her place of playful, amorous pastimes
(keli-viläsa-sthala); and
to worship Her dearmost devotees.
Besides this method there is
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
no way to attain the service of Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava. Considering
there to be another way is only a vain
and useless hope. Çré
Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (80) confirms this:
rädhä-däsyam apäsya yaù prayatate
govinda-saìgäçayä
so ’yaà pürëa-sudhä-ruceù paricayaà
räkäà vinä käìkñati
Those who endeavour to attain the
association of Çré Kåñëa but
reject rädhä-däsya are like
people who endeavour to see the full
moon when it is not a full moon night.
Stavävali (Sva-niyama-daçakam (6)) states:
ya ekaà govindaà bhajati kapaöé
dämbhikatayä
tad abhyarëe çérëe kñaëam api na yämi
vratam idam
I will never go near a hypocrite who
worships Govinda alone
[without Rädhä]. This is my vow.
If Çyäma is directly the emperor of all
transcendental mellows
(rasaräja) and the embodiment of
the amorous mellow (çåìgärarasa),
then Çrématé Rädhikä is the form of madanäkhyamahäbhäva.
Çrématé Rädhikä, with Her çåìgära-rasa,
feeds
Çyäma honey in the form of Kandarpa
(Cupid):
kåñëake karäya çyäma-rasa madhu-päna
nirantara pürëa kare kåñëera sarva-käma
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 8.180)
Çrématé Rädhikä makes Kåñëa drink the
honey of the amorous
mellow (çyäma-rasa). She is
therefore engaged in satisfying all of
Kåñëa’s lust (käma).
Çåìgära-rasa is also called çyäma-rasa. This
is the opinion of
Çré Viñëu-daivata, found in Sähitya-darpaëa:
çyäma-varëo ’yaà
viñëu-daivataù.
2 0 3
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings in his
song Rädhikä-caraëapadma:
rädhikä ujjvala-rasera äcärya
rädhä-mädhava-çuddha-prema vicärya
ye dharila rädhä-pada parama-yatane
se päila kåñëa-pada amülya ratane
rädhä-pada vinä kabhu kåñëa nähi mile
rädhikä däséra kåñëa sarva-vede bole
Çrématé Rädhikä is the äcärya of
the mellows of amorous love
(ujjvala-rasa). The pure love
between Rädhä and Mädhava is
meant to be discussed and contemplated.
Those who place Çrématé
Rädhikä’s lotus feet in their hearts
and worship them with great
care obtain the priceless jewel of
Kåñëa’s lotus feet. Without taking
shelter of the lotus feet of Rädhä, one
can never meet Kåñëa. The
Vedic scriptures declare that Kåñëa is
the property of the maidservants
of Çré Rädhä.
Våndävana-dhäma is the place of Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava’s various
amorous pastimes (lélä-viläsa).
Çré Yugala-kiçora roam here performing
Their pastimes, and the land of Våndävana is marked
with the impressions of Their lotus
feet, as Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura
sings in Rädhikä-caraëa-padma – rädhä-padäìkita-dhäma
våndävana yäìra näma.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.30.28) states:
anayärädhito nünaà
bhagavän harir éçvaraù
yan no vihäya govindaù
préto yäm anayad rahaù
[The gopés said:] Most certainly
She is Çré Kåñëa’s worshipper.
Therefore, being pleased with Her,
Çyämasundara has left us and
taken Her away to a solitary place.
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
When Çré Kåñëa disappeared from the räsa-sthalé
(taking
Rädhä with Him), the gopés who
were searching for Him saw His
footprints in the forest, along with
Çrématé Rädhikä’s. Praising Her
good fortune they said (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.30.27)):
“kasyäù padäni caitäni yätäyä nanda
sünunä – here are the
footprints of some gopé who was
walking with the son of Nanda
Mahäräja.”
All of Våndävana, including Govardhana
and Rädhä-kuëòa, is
the abode of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s keli-viläsa
and is marked with
Their footprints. Jäta-rati-sädhakas
have internal revelations
(sphürtis) of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s
pastimes in Våndävana’s bowers.
Here the meaning of taking shelter of
Çré Våndävana-dhäma is to
remember the various léläs performed
there and to be absorbed
in the sentiments of those léläs.
But such realisation can only be
obtained by the association and mercy
of great personalities who
are like-minded, affectionate towards
oneself, more advanced
than oneself, and who taste vraja-rasa.
In Prema-bhakti-candrikä (9.9)
Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura
sings:
täìra bhakta saìge sadä, räsa-lélä
prema kathä,
ye kare se päya ghanaçyäma
By staying in the company of devotees
who always discuss the
sweet, nectarean pastimes of the räsa
dance, one is sure to attain
Ghanaçyäma.
The sweetness of the rasa of Çré
Rädhä-Çyämasundara’s pastimes
can only be relished through
association with and service to the
great personalities who taste rasa and
who are submerged in the
waves of this endless and eternal ocean
of sweetness.
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 11
The conception of being a maidservant
of Çré Rädhä is described
in the following words of the Gosvämés:
abhimänaà parityajya
präkåta-vapur-ädiñu
çré-kåñëa-kåpayä gopé-dehe vraje vasämy
aham
rädhikänucaré bhütvä pärakéya-rase sadä
rädhä-kåñëa-viläseñu paricaryäà karomy
aham
After giving up false identification
with this material body, may I
obtain the body of a gopé and
reside in Vraja by the mercy of Çré
Kåñëa. Becoming a maidservant of Çré
Rädhä, may I always serve
and attend Rädhä and Kåñëa, who enjoy
pastimes of paramour
love (pärakéya-rasa).
sthüla-dehädite ätma-buddhi parihari’
kåñëa-kåpa-äçraye nitya-gopé-deha
dhari’
kabe ämi pärakéya rase nirantara
rädhä-kåsna-sevä-sukha labhiba vistara
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
As long as the sädhaka identifies
himself with the material body,
he cannot enter the kingdom of bhajana.
Only after one has
rejected all kinds of false identities
pertaining to the body, such
as, “I am a brähmaëa”, “I am a kñatriya”,
and pertaining to character,
such as, “I am so qualified”, “I am
rich”, “I am a scholar”,
and only after he becomes more humble
than a blade of grass
(tåëäd api sunéca) and prays
with extreme distress, is it possible
to obtain Kåñëa’s mercy. All types of anarthas,
aparädhas and
abhimänas (false identifications) can only be
eradicated by good
association (sat-saìga).
We should weep and pray in a distressed
and humble voice,
“O Çré Kåñëa! O Çré Rädhä! Gopé-dehe
vraje vasämy aham – when
will I obtain such mercy as to reside
in Vraja and become the däsé
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ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
of the däsé of the däsés of
Rädhikä, and when will I eternally
serve Your pärakéya-rasa-viläsa day
and night?”
By such distress-filled prayers, gopé-bhäva
will arise in the
heart by the mercy of Çré Rädhä’s sakhés,
the eternally perfected
gopés of Vraja. Without gopé-bhäva it
is impossible to attain the
land of Våndävana-dhäma where Rädhä and
Kåñëa perform Their
amorous pastimes in the solitary nikuïjas.
This mood is attained
only by following Çré Rädhä’s intimate sakhés,
who attend Her in
Her private chambers. Only they can
enter these pastimes, no
one else, and only they expand these
pastimes and taste them.
The ekädaça-bhävas and the five daçäs1
are evoked by their
mercy.
Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura sings in Prema-bhakti-candrikä
(5.8):
yugala-caraëa sevi nirantara ei bhävi
anuräge thäkiba sadäya
sädhane bhäviba yähä siddha-dehe päba
tähä
räga-pathera ei se upäya
I will constantly serve the lotus feet
of Rädhä and Kåñëa with
loving attachment. Whatever I
contemplate during sädhana will
certainly be achieved upon attaining
the perfection of a spiritual
body (siddha-deha). This is the
method of the path of räga.
Pärakéya-rase sadä – The scriptures establish the
pre-eminence
of the pärakéya-rasa of Vraja.
By serving Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa in the
mood of wedded love (svakéya),
one will attain Goloka
Våndävana, and by serving in paramour
love, one will attain
Vraja-Våndävana, the absolute innermost
chamber of Golokadhäma
where Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s nikuïja-léläs
take place. There,
the maïjaré-sakhés, being
endowed with ulläsa-rati (much
1
These terms are explained on pp. 255–6.
2 0 7
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
stronger affection for Rädhä than for
Kåñëa), are topmost. They
render service to the rasa-keli-lélä-viläsa
in the secluded groves
without any hesitation. Çré Raghunätha
däsa Gosvämé says in
Vraja-viläsa-stava (38):
tämbülärpaëa-päda-mardana-payodänäbhisärädibhir
våndäraëya-maheçvaréà priyatayä yäs
toñayanti priyäù
präëa-preñöha-sakhé-kuläd api
kiläsaìkocitä bhümikäù
kelé-bhümiñu rüpa-maïjaré-mukhäs tä
däsikäù saàçraye
I take shelter of the maidservants of
Çrématé Rädhikä of whom
Rüpa Maïjaré is prominent. Unlike the präëa-preñöha-sakhés,
they
can perform any service without
hesitation. They perpetually and
affectionately satisfy Çrématé Rädhikä
by their various services,
such as offering tämbüla,
massaging Her feet, bringing Her water
and arranging for Her trysts with
Kåñëa.
Text 12
The rejection of all types of dharma,
out of the desire to serve Çré
Rädhä’s lotus feet, is described in Çré
Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi
(33):
düräd apäsya svajanän sukham
artha-koöià
sarveñu sädhana-vareñu ciraà niräçaù
varñantam eva
sahajädbhuta-saukhya-dhäräà
çré-rädhikä-caraëa-reëum ahaà smarämi
The desire for the pleasure received
from relationships with
family and friends; for the four goals
of life, namely dharma,
artha, käma and mokña; and for countless wealth
and so forth,
are the causes of anarthas. Knowing
this, I abandoned them all.
I worship the foot-dust of Çré Rädhä,
which showers natural,
wonderful happiness, and I always hold
this foot-dust upon my
head.
2 0 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
svajana-sambandha-sukha, catur-varga
artha
sakala-sädhana chäòi’ jäniyä anartha
sahaja-adbhuta-saukhya-dhärä våñöi kari
rädhä-pada-reëu bhaji, çire sadä dhari’
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The first line of this Text, düräd
apäsya sva-janän sukham
artha-koöim, means that the desires for wealth and
the happiness
derived from the company of relatives
cause impediments in
remembering the dust of Çrématé
Rädhikä’s lotus feet; they are
therefore worthy of being rejected.
Pure vairägya, renunciation,
is actually a natural distaste for
material matters and a taste for
the dust of Çré Rädhä’s lotus feet. Sädhakas
who possess exclusive
faith in Çré Rädhä (rädhä-niñöhä)
are solely attached to the
fragrance of Her lotus feet. Without
Çré Rädhä, they do not even
have a taste for Çré Kåñëa. Material
happiness seems insignificant
to such sädhakas, who have firm
attachment for Her lotus feet
and who are not inclined towards any
other spiritual goal
(sädhya) or any other practice (sädhana)
to attain it. Even other
exalted sädhanas are obstacles
on the path of prema-bhakti.
puëya ye sukhera dhäma, tära nä laio
näma,
puëya mukti dui tyäga kari’
prema-bhakti-sudhä-nidhi, tähe òüba
niravadhi,
ära yata kñära-nidhi präya
Prema-bhakti-candrikä (6.13–14)
Although piety is the abode of material
happiness, do not strive for
it. Rather, give up the desire for piety,
as well as that for liberation.
Loving devotional service is an ocean
of nectar – always be
immersed in it.
Pious activities, liberation and so
forth are like a pile of ashes to
the devotee on the stage of prema.
Indeed, how can the devotee,
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5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
who persistently desires to submerge
himself in the nectarean
ocean of loving devotional service and
whose bee-like heart is
attracted by the fragrance of Çré
Rädhä’s foot-dust, which is full of
immaculate rasa, go anywhere
else? After receiving happiness
from a supremely excellent object, can
one become attracted by
some trifling pleasure? Compared to the
happiness of merging
with Brahman (brahmänanda), the
happiness of bhajana
(bhajanänanda) is a greater
source of bliss. That ecstasy is indescribable.
The most condensed nature of bhajanänanda
is
premänanda, but it is beyond words to express the
nature of
premänanda, as it is a stage that can only be
realised. Amongst
all varieties of premänanda, the
prema of the gopés when
distressed in separation crosses beyond
the ultimate limit of
änanda and attains a state that cannot be
expressed in words.
From the dust of the lotus feet of the
crest-jewel of all gopés, Çré
Rädhä, a stream of this indescribable
happiness continuously
flows towards that sädhaka who
remembers Her. This stream of
änanda, composed of pure sweetness and devoid
of even a
scent of aiçvarya-jïäna, is
natural and filled with wonderful
astonishment. This is the meaning of
the words sahajädbhutasaukhya-
dhärä in this Text.
Çré-rädhikä-caraëa-reëum aham smarämi – In the absence
of directly receiving the exceedingly
rare dust of Çré Rädhä’s lotus
feet, the sädhaka who is
established in çré-rädhä-däsya remembers
that dust. What this actually means is
that he yearns to
obtain his cherished sevä in Çré
Rädhä’s pastimes in the viläsakuïjas.
This is the heartfelt desire of Gauòéya
Vaiñëavas, and their
topmost sädhana. Prema-bhakti-candrikä
(2.2) states: “sädhana
smaraëa-lélä, ihäte nä kara helä, käya
mane kariyä susära –
the sädhana at this stage is to
remember Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s
pastimes; do not neglect this. Make
this the most essential
endeavour of your body and mind.”
2 1 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 13
In this way, the sädhaka worships
the dust of Çrématé Rädhikä’s
lotus feet. In Çré
Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (198) Prabodhänanda
Sarasvaté prays:
äçäsya däsyaà våñabhänu-jäyäs
tére samadhyäsya ca bhänu-jäyäù
kadä nu våndävana-kuïja-véthiñv
ahaà nu rädhe hy atithir bhaveyam
O Rädhä! O Våñabhänu-nandiné! When will
I, with the hope of
becoming Your maidservant, reside on
the bank of the Yamunä
as a guest on the pathways of
Våndävana’s kuïjas?
våñabhänu-kumäréra haiba kiìkaré
kalinda-nandiné tére ra’ba väsa kari’
karuëä kariyä rädhe e däséra prati
våndäöavé kuïja-pathe haiba atithi
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Similarly, in one place Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura prays,
“O Våñabhänu-nandiné, there is a hope
growing in my heart, that
You will become a guest on the path of
my vision as You go to
Your rendezvous (abhisära) on
the paths of Våndävana’s kuïjas
on the bank of the Yamunä.”
In an extremely restless condition,
Çréla Prabodhänanda
Sarasvatépäda has composed this Text
while remembering
service to Çré Sväminé. In the absence
of this service, vast pain
and longing has arisen in his heart as
he remembers the sweetness
of these pastimes. Realising his
disqualification to taste such
sweetness, his life-air is agitated by
an intolerable unhappiness
and pain. However, a firm hope of one
day attaining the eternal
service of Sväminé is stirring his heart.
One symptom of the jätarati-
bhakta is äçä-bandha, a firm hope of
attaining Bhagavän,
2 1 1
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
and the ultimate development of this äçä-bandha
is seen in
mahäbhäva. The resolute hope of the vraja-devés
is indescribable.
Even in the condition of long-term
separation from Kåñëa,
the hope of attaining Kåñëa’s service
maintains their lives. They
have faith in Kåñëa’s words spoken when
He left for Mathurä
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.39.35)):
“äyäsya iti – I will return.”
With this hope the poet prays at Çré
Sväminé’s lotus feet, “O
Rädhä! O Våñabhänu-nandiné! When will
I, with the hope of
becoming Your maidservant (kiìkaré),
be a guest on the pathways
of the kuïjas situated on the
bank of the Yamunä?
“O Rädhä, You are the daughter of King
Våñabhänu, the
empress of Våndävana and a treasury of
abundant compassion.
Therefore do not neglect me, a
destitute and lowly person.
Please engage me as a maidservant in
the service of You and
Your präëa-priyatama in Your
pastimes within the secluded
groves. Filled with premänuräga,
You move along the bank of
the Yamunä towards the nikuïjas of
Våndävana to meet with
Your präëanätha – when will this
destitute guest sit on the path
of Your travels? My determination will
be fixed; I will not move
from that place without first receiving
Your mercy. Upon seeing
this destitute guest sitting like this,
Your heart will certainly
become aroused with compassion. O
Sväminé, You are Kåñëa’s
most beloved and His worshipper. Please
make me successful by
giving me an opportunity to perform
some tiny service in the
worship of Your dearmost beloved. Now,
at the end of my life, I
am a beggar for Your mercy. Please
accept me as Your unpaid
maidservant. If You deprive me of this,
Your name will be
defamed, and that I cannot tolerate.”
2 1 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 14
Constantly seeking Kåñëa through saìkértana
in the mood of çrérädhä-
däsya is described in Çré
Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (259):
dhyäyantaà çikhi-piccha-maulim aniçaà
tan-näma saìkértayan
nityaà tac-caraëämbujaà paricaran
tan-mantra-varyaà japan
çré-rädhä-pada-däsyam eva paramäbhéñöaà
hådä dhärayan
karhi syäà tad-anugraheëa
paramädbhutänurägotsavaù
Keeping at my heart my highest
aspiration of one day becoming
a maidservant of Çré Rädhä’s lotus
feet, I will constantly meditate
on Çré Kåñëa, whose head is decorated
with a peacock feather. I
will constantly chant His name,
eternally serve His lotus feet and
always utter His most excellent mantras.
May He bestow mercy
upon me at any moment so I will attain anurägotsava,
the great
festival of attachment to Çré Rädhä.
nirantara kåñëa-dhyäna,
tan-näma-kértana
kåñëa-päda-padma-sevä,
tan-mantra-japana
rädhä-pada-däsya-mätra abhéñöa-cintana
kåpäya labhiba rädhä-rägänubhävana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Prabodhänanda Sarasvatépäda is expressing
a desire to continuously
seek Çré Kåñëa through saìkértana in
the mood of rädhädäsya.
The only desire and cherished objective
of Gauòéya
Vaiñëavas is to attain rädhä-däsya.
It is the only goal of their
kåñëa-bhajana. The principal mantra of their kåñëa-bhajana
is
found in the ninth verse of Manaù-çikñä:
“mad-éçä-näthatve
vraja-vipina-candraà vraja-vaneçvaréà
täà näthatve – always
remember Våndävana-candra as the präëanätha
of my Sväminé,
Våndävaneçvaré Çré Rädhikä.”
This Text 14 describes that, upon decorating
the heart with the
most-cherished wealth of rädhä-däsya,
one will meditate upon
2 1 3
5 / PAÏCAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Çré Kåñëa, whose head is adorned with a
peacock feather. Kåñëa
is a little late in arriving at the kuïja,
so Rädhä, endowed with
madéya-abhimäna (the mood that “Kåñëa is Mine”),
becomes
mäniné, sulky. To please His beloved,
Çyämasundara bows His
head at Her lotus feet, and His peacock
feather crown falls to the
ground. This is described in Géta-govinda:
smara-garalakhaëòanaà
mama çirasi maëòanam.
May the remembrance of how my Sväminé
controls the
dhéra-lalita-näyaka Çré Kåñëa, that eminent festival of anuräga,
manifest in my heart. May I remain
submerged in this most
charming çré-kåñëa-saìkértana.
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé prays,
“The name of Rädhä is
unprecedented, beautiful and enchanting
like nectar. The name
of Kåñëa is delicious like condensed
milk. O my tongue, O you
who are faint with hunger, please
constantly drink these two
unprecedented substances, which are
made delightful by the ice
of fragrant anuräga.”
I will worship Çré Sväminé by serving
Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet, and
then giving Her Kåñëa’s prasäda and
flower remnants. The nityasakhés
and präëa-sakhés serve Kåñëa in
the mood that they will
offer to Sväminé whatever articles,
like flower remnants, are
obtained by serving Him. Upon receiving
the objects used by Her
präëanätha, Sväminé will become extremely
pleased. The ultimate
attachment for service to Çré Kåñëa
will manifest in my heart
because my Éçvaré is pleased.
2 1 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 15
A prayer to attain the service of Çré
Rädhä birth after birth is given
in Çré Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (40):
tasyä apära-rasa-sära-viläsa-mürter
änanda-kanda-paramädbhuta-saukhya-lakñmyäù
brahmädi-durlabha-gater våñabhänu-jäyäù
kaiìkaryam eva mama janmani janmani
syät
Birth after birth, may I attain the
position of being a maidservant
of the daughter of King Våñabhänu. She
is the viläsa-mürti
(personification of playful pastimes)
of Çyämasundara, who is
Himself the essence of limitless rasa.
She is Çré Kåñëa’s supremely
wonderful pleasure-Lakñmé, and She is
most difficult to attain for
Brahmä and others.
apära-rasera sära, viläsa-mürati
parama-adbhuta-saukhya-änanda nirvåtti
brahmädira sudurlabha våñabhänu-kanyä
janme janme
täìra däsye hai yena dhanyä
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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