The Origin
of
Ratha-yatra
THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ
Jagannätha-deva
is Patita-pävana,
the savoir of
the fallen
Now I will tell a recent story about
Jagannätha. There was a
brähmaëa from Orissa who was very old and could
not walk
well. He vowed, “I will go to
Jagannätha Puré and see
Jagannätha.” Although it was four
hundred miles to Puré, he
began to walk, and he arrived in
Bhuvanesvara at about midnight
one night. By that time his feet and
legs were so swollen that he
could not walk another inch, and he sat
down under a tree on the
side of the road. Having had nothing to
eat or drink for some
time, he was practically starving to
death. He had vowed, “I will
not eat until I have taken darçana of
Jagannätha,” but he could
not move, and the night was terribly
dark. He had also vowed, “If
I don’t get darçana by this
coming morning, I will leave my
body.” Consequently, he simply sat
under the tree praying, “O
Jagannätha, I am hopeless. I cannot go
on. I will die right here.”
Just then a car was driving by; something
went wrong with it
and it stopped just at the spot where
the old bäbä was sitting.
The people in the car tried to make it
start, without success. They
thought that something might have
dropped into the oil tank and
they began to search for an object with
which to take it out, but
they could not find anything. When they
saw the old man sitting
there, they wanted to use his stick to
remove whatever had fallen
into the oil tank. “O Bäbä, where are
you coming from?” they
asked. “Why are you sitting here?” “I
was on my way to take
darçana of Jagannätha, but I can’t walk any
further,” he replied.
“I simply can’t go on. I will die right
here.” He let them take his
stick, and with its help they were able
to easily start their car.
“Come with us in our car,” they told
that bäbä, and they helped
him into their car and drove off.
2 9 7
CLOSING WORDS
They all reached the Jagannätha Temple
at exactly four in the
morning. After taking darçana of
Jagannätha, the bäbä felt completely
better and thought, “My swelling has
gone. All my problems
have gone away. Now everything is
fine.” He began to pray
to Jagannätha, “Oh, You are so kind. I
could not walk any further,
so You sent a car for me. That car
stopped there only for me.
They brought me, and now I am here.” At
that moment, someone
approached him and said, “Do you want
to take prasäda? Please,
come and take Jagannätha prasäda.”
This is not just a story; it is
factual, a true history that I have
heard from a very realized source. You
can believe in
Jagannätha. We should pray to
Jagannätha, “We don’t want to go
to Vaikuëöha to become four-handed. If
You are pleased with us,
please be merciful and grant us the
service of Your most beloved
Çrématé Rädhikä in Våndävana and
Rädhä-kuëòa.
çyämasundara çikhaëòa-çekhara
smera-häsa muralé-manohara
rädhikä-rasika mäà kåpa-nidhe
sva-priyä-caraëa-kiìkaréà kuru
Çré Rädhä-prärthanä (2)
O Çyämasundara! O You who have a crown
of peacock feathers!
Your face is always graced with a
playful smile, Your flute playing
is enchanting, and You are so expert in
relishing rasa with Çrématé
Rädhikä. Because You are an ocean of
mercy, I am appealing to
You to please make me a kiìkaré (maidservant)
at the feet of Your
beloved.
Çré Viööhaläcärya prays here, “O
Çyämasundara, if You are
pleased with me, if You want to be
merciful to me, then be so
kind as to write my name in the
register of Çrématé Rädhikä’s
däsés. I request that my name be written there. I just want to
be
2 9 8
THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ
Her däsé; I do not want anything
else.” If we sincerely pray in this
way, Kåñëa will reply, “Yes, I am
satisfied. I agree.” We are chanting
and remembering, “Hare Kåñëa, Hare
Kåñëa,” the names
which are the direct embodiment of
Kåñëa and Çrématé Rädhikä.
We pray that They may be pleased to
give us this benediction.
Mercy upon
the Muslim
Kåñëa is very merciful, especially in
His form of Jagannätha,
who is called Patita-pävana, the savior
of the fallen. The priests
and worshipers of Jagannätha only allow
Hindus to have His
darçana. Hindus can come to Puré from anywhere
in the world
and take darçana. An Indian
Hindu will be allowed inside even
if he drinks great quantities of wine
and has a very bad character
with many impure habits, but
pure-hearted Western devotees are
not allowed inside the temple, even if
they have given up wine,
wealth, reputation, and all material
entanglements. We oppose
this policy.
What to speak of others, even India’s late
Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi was not allowed to enter the Jagannätha Temple. They
thought that she was not a pure Hindu,
but rather a Parsee or
some other religion. They also doubted
whether I am Indian, and
they asked me, “Where are you from?” I
told them, “I have come
from Bengal.”
“But you don’t have the eyes of an Indian,” they
objected. Then I told them, “Bring my paëòä
of Jagannätha. He
is an elevated devotee, and one of the
most important men in
Jagannätha Puré.” When my paëòä came,
he said, “He is my
client,” and then they were satisfied.
Once a devotee from China came to
Puré and wanted to see
Jagannätha. I told her, “You should
tell them that you are from
Maëipura.” She told this to the guards
and they let her in, but
after a while, they became suspicious
and began to follow her. I
2 9 9
CLOSING WORDS
then told her, “Go at once. Take darçana
and then fly away from
here.” They followed me, and that
devotee as well, but they
could not find out where she had gone,
and she was able to take
darçana.
Once there was a pure-hearted devotee,
who was a Muslim by
birth, so he was not allowed to enter
the temple even though he
was always chanting Hare Kåñëa. At last
he stopped taking food
and water, and he went on a hunger
strike outside the temple in
front of the gate known as Siàha-dvära,
the lion gate on the east
side. He danced and remembered
Jagannätha, and after two or
three days he became very weak. He then
sat down and continually
called out, “Patita-pävana Prabhu
Jagannätha! Alas
Jagannätha! I have heard that You are
very merciful, but You are
not giving me darçana. They are
preventing me from entering
the temple.”
Then, at eleven or twelve o’clock at
night, out of His great
compassion, Jagannätha opened the main
door to the temple. He
came out alone, without Baladeva and
Subhadrä, passed through
the doors, and arrived at Siàha-dvära
where the devotee was sitting.
When the devotee saw Jagannätha, he
became very happy
and began to dance and sing. Later,
when the priests opened the
door of the altar at four in the
morning to perform ärati, they saw
that Jagannätha had disappeared. They
began to search here and
there, and at last they came to the
Siàha-dvära and saw Him
sitting there alone. “Jagannätha is
sitting here!” they exclaimed.
“What is He doing here?” They saw that
the Muslim devotee was
chanting, singing, and weeping, and
Jagannätha was also weeping.
The devotee then went away, and
Jagannätha was taken
back inside the temple. Jagannätha is
truly Patita-pävana.
3 0 0
THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ
Concluding
words
Those who do not chant the names of the
Supreme Personality
of Godhead and remember Him can never
be happy. We are all
eternal servants of Kåñëa. This
includes those who are chanting
and remembering, and those who are not,
those who accept
Kåñëa, and those who do not. All the
creepers, trees, worms,
insects, animals, birds, and humans are
eternal servants of Kåñëa.
They are His parts and parcels.
Even if you are healthy and wealthy
now, and even if you have
all the paraphernalia to be happy,
still you will become old after
some time. Your beauty will be
transformed into ugliness, and no
one will be able to help you. Your
teeth will fall out, your cheeks
will cave in, your hair will turn gray,
and you will be so weak that
you will not be able to walk by
yourself; you will have to take the
help of a stick. Then, at the time of
death, you will not be able to
take even a hair with you, no matter
what you are collecting
now. You will pass stool and urine,
weeping bitterly, and then
you will enter a coma and have to give
up your body. Then, the
very dangerous and powerful messengers
of death will come and
beat you. They will throw you into a
fire, or they will force you
to embrace a red-hot iron pillar. They
will say, “Why were you
embracing ladies? Why were you lusty?
Now you should be lusty
with this hot iron pillar.” Remember
this. At that time neither your
father, mother, and uncle, nor your
wealth, reputation, and position,
will be able to help you.
Çréla Bhaktivedänta Swämé Mahäräja was
sent to this world by
the mercy of his holy master Çréla
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté
Öhäkura, and that of Kåñëa Himself,
Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
He was very powerful – a very powerful äcärya.
He went everywhere,
establishing centers and inspiring
everyone.
Previously I used to think, “In Çréla
Swämé Mahäräja’s last days,
3 0 1
CLOSING WORDS
when he was returning to Kåñëa, why did
he tell me, ‘You should
help my devotees. I have brought so
many monkeys – so many
disciples’?” I used to think, “They are
so good. Why did he say
that to me?” At that time his disciples
served him with their
wealth, and by distributing his books
everywhere, by establishing
centers like New Mäyäpura, by training
hundreds of students
in various gurukulas, by keeping
so many cows, and by preaching
extensively. But now I realize why he
gave me that instruction.
He had told me, “You should help my
devotees, because
after my departure they will be
neglected by superiors and
become weak. They may give up their tulasé
neck beads and
chanting beads, and even their
chanting. They do not know what
is real bhakti. They do not know
what is transcendental devotional
service.” He therefore requested me to
come to Western
countries. I came, and now I see that
so many senior devotees
are very weak.
I have come here to beg something to
put in my jholé
(a sannyäsé’s begging cloth),
just as Haridäsa Öhäkura and
Nityänanda begged, “Please give me a
donation.” I do not want
wealth. I do not want any worldly
attainments. I just want you to
be bold and strong again. Take tulasé
beads and begin to chant
again. If you cannot chant very much,
you can do even two
rounds, four rounds, or sixteen rounds.
Harinäma is so powerful
that it will very soon attract you, and
you will begin to do
more than sixteen – even sixty-four.
Some devotees who are now
with me chant sixty-four rounds daily.
We should preach everywhere again, with
inspiration. Many
devotees now lack spiritual energy, so
I have come to re-inspire
them. Please give me that donation: to
chant again, and to be
strong devotees again. Also, try to
help others. Books should be
distributed again. Do some service and
always chant Kåñëa’s
names and remember Him.
3 0 2
THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ
You can also maintain your life; there
is no harm in that.
Sannyäsés should be sannyäsés, and brahmacärés
should be as
strong as they were during the time of
Çréla Bhaktivedänta Swämé
Mahäräja. They should have no
girlfriend, and if the lady devotees
are very strong, they should be like
the brahmacärés and
thus preach everywhere. Chanting and
remembering is the only
way to be happy. There is no other way.
Guru-niñöhä, honor for the powerful and bona fide
spiritual
master, is the backbone of bhajana.
If you do not have a pure
guru, whom will you worship first, before you worship Kåñëa
and Mahäprabhu? Kåñëa will not accept
your worship if you have
no guru, or if your guru is
fallen. Try to realize all these truths.
The main purpose of the Jagannätha
Chariot Festival is this:
Jagannätha is Kåñëa Himself. Kåñëa is
so merciful that He has
manifested as Jagannätha, Baladeva, and
Subhadrä from Nélamädhava,
as “melted” forms. Why “melted?” This
was due to
Kåñëa’s love and affection for the gopés.
All the ancient scriptures
say that we are searching for Kåñëa,
but this is not true. Çrémad-
Bhägavatam tells us something else: “Kåñëa is
searching for us.”
He is playing on His flute as if to
say, “Come on! Come on!” He
is always searching for His friends,
thinking, “Where are My
friends? Where are My cows? Where are
My calves?” He is actually
worried for us, searching and thinking,
“They are My eternal
servants, and they are unhappy in this
world.”
We have so many problems every day. We
are all in a well
where poisonous snakes are hissing, and
we cannot know when
they will bite. Tigers, which represent
death, are at the top of the
well, and we cannot know when death
will come. Parékñit
Mahäräja had seven days left to live,
but we may not have even
a single moment.
Kåñëa has come, and He has sent Çréla
Bhaktivedänta Swämé
Mahäräja for you all. All the Western
devotees were previously
3 0 3
CLOSING WORDS
like hippies: dancing, drinking wine,
smoking, and eating meat,
eggs, and many other abominable things.
No one ever called for
Çréla Swämé Mahäräja, but by His mercy
Kåñëa sent him: “Go to
all these unhappy people, and try to
give them a process by
which they will chant and become
happy.”
Kåñëa is sending all this help, and He
has also sent me. I never
thought, even in my dreams, that I
would leave Våndävana and
come to these Western countries. He
forcibly took my çikhä and
dragged me here. He told me, “You
should go and help them.
Your guru has helped you, so why
should you not help others?
You should go.”
This is Kåñëa’s causeless mercy. He is
telling you, “Somehow
chant once in your life, ‘Kåñëa, Rädhä,
Rädhä, Kåñëa, Räma.’ If
you chant, ‘Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare,
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare
Hare’ with your heart
and soul even once in your life, I will
take you to Goloka
Våndävana.”
Don’t commit näma-aparädha,
offenses to the lotus feet of
the holy name. The holy name is Kåñëa
Himself, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. He is so
powerful, and so merciful.
Don’t offend any devotees, whether they
are initiated or not. If
they are initiated, very good; honor
them with daëòavatpraëäma.
If they are not initiated, then you
should think in your
mind and your heart as well, “They are
part of Caitanya
Mahäprabhu’s family. Our family is so
large.” Try to follow these
principles. If you chant in this way
even once in your whole life,
Kåñëa will quickly liberate you.
Do not believe in wealth and do not
believe in your job. A job
cannot give you happiness. Your job
will not save you, and it
cannot give you pleasure for even a
moment. You can collect
wealth, but that cannot save you
either. If you sometimes
become so absorbed in Kåñëa that you
forget your job or some
3 0 4
other important duty for which you are
responsible, Kåñëa will
save you. If you are so absorbed in
chanting Kåñëa’s name that
you neglect your job as a government
servant, the government
could punish you. Instead, however,
Kåñëa will assume your
form and He will surely do the job for
you. Have strong faith in
this.
Available in this world is an
especially valuable thing, something
which is very rare – very rare. What is
that rare thing?
sädhu-saìga, sädhu-saìga sarva-çästre
kaya
lava-mätra sädhu-saìge sarva-siddhi
haya
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 22.54)
The verdict of all revealed scriptures
is that one can attain all
success by even a moment’s association
with a pure devotee.
THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ
3 0 5
Further
material related to Chapter 7 in question
and answer
format
[Question:] During the Herä-païcamé
Festival, in order to prove
the superiority of Våndävana, Çré
Svarüpa Dämodara and Lord
Caitanya quoted from Ujjvala-nélamaëi.
How was it possible to
quote from a book that Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé wrote later on?
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] Kåñëadäsa
Kaviräja Gosvämé has
explained that actually this came from
Svarüpa Dämodara. Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé was a disciple and
follower of Svarüpa
Dämodara, and Svarüpa Dämodara
sprinkled his mercy on him.
These çlokas of Ujjvala-nélamaëi
were actually in the heart of
Svarüpa Dämodara, and then they arose
in the heart of Rüpa
Gosvämé. We can reconcile it in this
way.
[Question:] Generally we think of
Lakñmé in Vaikuëöha, but
Jagannätha Puré is Dvärakä; so why is
Jagannätha’s consort called
Lakñmé?
APPENDIX
3 0 6
APPENDIX
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] All of
Kåñëa’s queens, like Rukmiëé,
Satyabhämä, and so on, are more than
Lakñmé. Here, Kåñëadäsa
Kaviräja Gosvämé is taking only one
Lakñmé from Dvärakä.
Lakñmé, or Vimalä-devé, represents all
the queens of Dvärakä.
[Question:] This Lakñmé, who became
more angry than
Satyabhämä, who has more mäna than
Satyabhämä – that is
Vimalä-devé?
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] Yes,
Satyabhämä was sometimes like
this, but not as much. Satyabhämä does
not have so much honor
for such opulence, because she is very
near and dear to Kåñëa.
She was a manifestation of Rädhikä, as
Rukmiëé is a manifestation
of Candrävalé.
[Question:] You said that when
Jagannätha is going to the
Guëòicä Temple, He brings Baladeva and Subhadrä,
because in
this way Lakñmé-devé will not suspect
Him of enjoying with the
gopés. But Balaräma also performs räsa-lélä in
Våndävana.
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] But Kåñëa
never took him to any of the
kuïjas where He sported with Rädhikä and the gopés.
Balaräma
may go there in the form of Anaìga
Maïjaré, but he cannot go in
the direct way. Nityänanda Prabhu
cannot touch Mahäprabhu
when He is in the mood of Rädhikä, even
if Mahäprabhu falls
over. Nityänanda Prabhu will watch from
a distance. So Baladeva
Prabhu will never go to the kuïjas.
He can go cowherding with
Kåñëa, and Kåñëa will stealthily take
Madhumaìgala or Subala to
Rädhä-kuëòa. He will not take Baladeva
Prabhu there, nor will
He take Rädhikä’s brother, Çrédämä. He
will not take any sakhä,
priya-sakhä, or even präëa-sakhä; He will
only take a priyanarma-
sakhä, and then only as a messenger.
3 0 7
APPENDIX
[Question:] Since all female expansions
of Kåñëa manifest from
Rädhikä, what kind of expansion is
Subhadrä?
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] She is
Lakñmé, an expansion of Çrématé
Rädhikä. She plays the role of a
sister, but actually she is Mahä-
Mahä-Lakñmé and she serves Kåñëa in
great opulence. She came
from Devaké’s womb after Kåñëa.
[Question:] When Kåñëa, Baladeva, and
Subhadrä were listening
to the Våndävana pastimes and their
arms began to melt,
Sudarçana cakra was not present
at that time. Yet, he is also
worshiped in a form similar to theirs.
[Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja:] Sudarçana is
the vision of Kåñëa, and
therefore he is always with Kåñëa. If
Sudarçana will be merciful
and give us the vision of Kåñëa, then
you will see Kåñëa as He is;
otherwise you will see Him as an
ordinary boy.
3 0 8
APPENDIX
Explanations
of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.33.39)
from p. 233
In the Second Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
Mahäräja Parékñit
also explains that the pastimes and
activities of Lord Kåñëa are
medicine for the conditioned souls. If
they simply hear about
Kåñëa they become relieved from the
material disease. They are
addicted to material enjoyment and are
accustomed to reading
sex literature, but by hearing these
transcendental pastimes of
Kåñëa with the gopés, they will
be relieved from material contamination.
The conditioned soul should hear the räsa-lélä
dance
from an authorized spiritual master and
be trained by him so that
he can understand the whole situation;
thus one can be elevated
to the highest standard of spiritual
life. Otherwise, one will be
implicated. Material lust is a kind of
heart disease of the conditioned
soul. It is recommended that one should
hear, but not
from impersonalist rascals. If one
hears from the right sources
with right understanding, then his
situation will be different.
(Kåñëa book, Chapter 32)
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura
states as follows in his
Särärtha-darçiné commentary on this verse:
The prefix anu (repeatedly or
methodically) when applied to
såëuyät (to hear) indicates constant hearing.
By continuously
hearing from the lips of the çravaëa-guru
and Vaiñëavas and
thereafter reciting, narrating, or
describing (those pastimes) in
poetry of one’s own composition, one
attains parä-bhakti, or in
other words bhakti that is of
the nature of prema (premalakñaëa-
bhakti).
The suffix ktvä has been used in
the formation of the verb
pratilabhya (obtained) as follows: prati + labh
+ ktvä. According
to the rules of Sanskrit grammar, when
the suffix ktvä is applied
3 0 9
APPENDIX
to a verbal root with a prefix, it is
replaced by yap. Then letter p
is dropped and thus the final form of
the word pratilabhya is
obtained. The suffix ktvä is
applied to the first of two verbs performed
by the same agent to show successive
action (i.e. having
attained prema, he relinquishes
all lusty desires of the heart). In
this case, the first action is pratilabhya
(the attainment of prema)
and the second action is apahinoti (renunciation
of the lusty
desires of the heart).
Therefore, the suffix ktvä in
the verb pratilabhya indicates that
although lust and other evils still
remain within the heart, premabhakti
first enters the heart and by its
extraordinary influence
destroys all vices to the root. In
other words, hearing and reciting
räsa-lélä possesses such astonishing power that
the lust in the
heart of the faithful sädhaka is
destroyed and he attains prema.
Though these two take place
simultaneously, the influence of
prema manifests first and through its effect,
all lusty desires of the
heart are dissipated.
Thus, as a result of hearing and
chanting the narrations of the
Lord’s pastimes, one first attains prema
for the Lord’s lotus feet
and thereafter one’s heart is liberated
from lusty desires and all
other contamination. In other words, he
becomes perfectly pure
because prema is not feeble like
the processes of jïäna and
yoga. Bhakti is omnipotent and supremely independent.
The words håd-roga käma indicate
the difference between
lusty desires of the heart and the käma
in relationship to the
Supreme Lord. Käma which is in
relationship to the Supreme
Lord is of the very nature of the
nectar of prema (premämåtasvarüpa),
whereas the lusty desires of the heart
are exactly the
opposite. Therefore, these two items
are distinct from each other.
This is substantiated by use of the
words håd-roga käma.
The word dhéra means a paëòita,
or one who is learned in the
çästra. One who refuses to accept the claim
of this verse and
3 1 0
APPENDIX
thinks, “As long as the disease of lust
remains in the heart, prema
cannot be obtained,” is said to possess
an atheistic temperament.
One who is free from such a foolish,
atheistic demeanor is
known as a paëòita or sober
person (dhéra). Consequently, only
those who have firm faith in the çästra
are known as dhéra.
Those who have no faith in the
statements of the çästras are
atheists and offenders to the holy
name. Such persons can never
attain prema.
Consequently, in the heart of the sädhakas
who firmly believe
in the statements of the çästra,
faith arises by hearing räsa-lélä
and other narrations. Only in the
hearts of such faithful devotees
does prema manifest its
influence as a result of hearing léläkathä.
Thereafter, lust and all evils present
within the heart of the
devotees are destroyed to the root.
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura’s
commentary on Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (10.47.59) is also relevant to the
discussion. There
it is stated that bhakti is the
only cause of superior qualities being
found in any individual. Austerities,
learning, knowledge, and so
on are not the cause of superior
qualities. Although bhakti is
itself of the highest excellence, it
does not appear only in the
most exceptional individuals endowed
with all good qualities.
On the contrary, it may manifest or
remain even in the most condemned
and vile persons. Furthermore, it
causes thoroughly
wretched and fallen persons to attain
all good qualities, to
become worthy of the respect of all,
and to attain the highest and
most rare association.
For this reason, the opinion that
Bhakti-devé enters the heart
only after all anarthas, aparädhas,
lust, and other diseases of the
heart have been eradicated, is not
appropriate. On the contrary,
by the mercy of the Supreme Lord or the
devotees, or by faithfully
executing sädhana and bhajana,
this rare bhakti enters the
3 1 1
APPENDIX
heart first and then all anarthas are
automatically dissipated –
this conclusion is thoroughly
agreeable.
Therefore, only faithful sädhakas with
firm belief in the statements
of çästra, guru and
Vaiñëavas are eligible to hear the léläkathä
of Çrémad-Bhägavatam that are
saturated with rasa. And
conversely, those who believe that only
sädhakas who are
completely free from all anarthas are
eligible to hear the abovementioned
pastimes, will neither become free from
anarthas nor
obtain eligibility to hear, even after
millions of births.
3 1 2
APPENDIX
Excerpts from
Çréla Prabhupäda’s Rätha-yätra
lecture in London, on July 13, 1972:
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much
for your kindly
participating in this Ratha-yäträ
Festival. This festival is coming
down from five thousand years ago, when
Lord Kåñëa, along
with His elder brother Balaräma and His
younger sister
Subhadrä, came together on a chariot
from Dvärakä to
Kurukñetra. Kurukñetra still exists,
and the city of Dvärakä
also
still exists.
According to Vedic culture, when there
is a lunar eclipse
people take bath in sacred rivers. They
especially go to the
pilgrimage place of Kurukñetra. At that
time Kåñëa, along with
His brother and sister and other family
members, came to
Kurukñetra; and, receiving this news,
the gopés and inhabitants of
Våndävana, where Lord Kåñëa lived in
His childhood, came to
see Him there. Among the gopés,
Çrématé Rädhäräëé was the chief,
and when she saw Kåñëa in Kurukñetra
full with opulence, She
said, “My dear Kåñëa, You are also
here; I am also here. But we
are missing Våndävana. So I wish that
You come along with Me
again to Våndävana and we enjoy in the forest of Våndävana.”
This feeling of separation was preached
by Lord Caitanya, and
this Ratha-yäträ Festival is still
observed in Jagannätha Puré in
India. Lord Caitanya participated in this
festival five hundred
years ago, and at that time He was in
Rädhäräëé’s mood of separation
when She was taking Kåñëa back to
Våndävana. So this
Ratha-yäträ Festival is a festival of
sentiments for the Vaiñëavas.
Lord Caitanya taught us how to feel
separation from God. He
never taught us that He had seen God,
but He felt the separation
of God very severely. Similarly, His
direct disciples, the Six
Gosvämés, also prosecuted their
devotional service by feelings of
separation.
3 1 3
APPENDIX
he rädhe vraja-devéke ca lalite he
nanda-suno kutaù
çré-govardhana-kalpa-pädapa-tale
kälindé-vane kutaù
ghoñantäv iti sarvato vraja-pure
khedair mahä-vihvalau
vande rüpa-sanätanau raghu-yugau
çré-jéva-gopälakau
Ñaò-gosvämy-añöaka (8)
I offer my respectful obeisances to the
Six Gosvämés, namely Çré
Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé, Çré
Raghunätha Bhaööa
Gosvämé, Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé,
Çré Jéva Gosvämé, and Çré
Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, who were
chanting very loudly everywhere
in Våndävana, shouting, “Queen of
Våndävana, Rädhäräëé!
O Lalitä! O son of Nanda Mahäräja!
Where are you all now? Are
you just on the hill of Govardhana, or
are you under the trees on
the bank of the Yamunä? Where are you?”
These were their moods
in executing Kåñëa consciousness.
So this Ratha-yäträ Festival is very
nice – a “feelings festival”
for the Vaiñëava – and anyone who
participates in this festival
will gradually develop his dormant love
for Kåñëa. Thank you
very much for your kindness.
It doesn’t matter in whatever condition
you may be. Our only
request is that you please try to chant
these sixteen words, if it is
possible, whenever you have got time.
You have got enough
time. You can chant the Hare Kåñëa mantra
when you are walking
on the street, when you are traveling
in the bus, or when you
are sitting alone. There is no loss,
but the gain is very great.
Therefore our only request is that you
take this mahä-mantra:
hare kåñëa, hare kåñëa, kåñëa kåñëa,
hare hare
hare räma, hare räma, räma räma, hare
hare
And we shall periodically remind you by
such functions as we
are holding today – the Ratha-yäträ
Festival. This Ratha-yäträ
3 1 4
APPENDIX
Festival is very old; at least 5000
years old. Lord Kåñëa, along with
His elder brother Balabhadra, or
Balaräma, and His sister
Subhadrä, came in a chariot from
Dvärakä to Kurukñetra. We are
commemorating this arrival of Lord
Kåñëa with His family on
their chariot.
This function is held in Jagannätha
Puré. In India
it is a great
festival, and we are introducing this
Ratha-yäträ Festival in
Western countries, along with the Hare
Kåñëa movement. The
original progenitor of this Hare Kåñëa
movement, namely Lord
Caitanya, took a very active part in
this festival, and therefore,
following in His footsteps, we are also
introducing it in Western
countries. As it is being observed in London, it is
simultaneously
being held in San
Francisco, Buffalo, Melbourne,
Tokyo, and
many other places. It is also being
held in India, in Calcutta.
Taking part in these festivals means a
step forward for our selfrealization.
Rathe ca vämanaà dåñövä punar janma na
vidyate
– simply by seeing the Lord on the
chariot, one makes advancement
for stopping the repetition of birth
and death.
3 1 5
GLOSSARY
A
Abhiñeka – bathing of a deity in milk, yogurt,
water, and other
ingredients.
Äcärya – spiritual preceptor; one who teaches
by example.
Adhérä – a gopé who is restless in
jealous anger.
Adirüòha-mahäbhäva
– the highest state of mahäbhäva,
found
only in the gopés of Vraja. The
mood in which all the anubhävas that
are manifested in resolute mahäbhäva
attain special characteristics
that are even more astonishing than
those anubhävas in their normal
forms. There are two types of adhirüòha-bhäva:
(1) modana and
(2) mädana. (1) The adhirüòha
in which all the sättvika-bhävas of
the näyaka and näyikä are
aroused to a much greater extent than in
the brightly burning (uddépta)
condition is called modana. Modana
does not occur anywhere other than in
Çré Rädhä’s group. In some
special conditions of separation modana
becomes mohana, and as
an effect of this helpless condition of
separation, all the sättvikabhävas
manifest in the blazing (süddépta)
condition. (2) When
mahäbhäva increases even further it attains an
extremely advanced
condition. The paramount emotion in
which it becomes jubilant due
to the simultaneous manifestation of
all types of transcendental
emotions is called mädana. This mädana-bhäva
is eternally and
3 1 6
GLOSSARY
splendidly manifest only in Çré Rädhä,
and occurs only at the time of
meeting. It is also referred to as mädanäkhya-mahäbhäva.
Aiçvarya – opulence, splendor, magnificence,
majesty, supremacy;
in regard to bhakti this refers
to devotion which is inspired by the
opulence of the Lord’s majesty,
especially in His feature as Lord
Näräyaëa. This type of devotion
restricts the intimacy of exchange
between Çré Bhagavän and His devotees.
Älambana – an aspect of vibhäva; “the
support”. It is divided into
viñayälambana, the object of rati – that is,
he for whom rati is
aroused – and äçrayälambana, the
receptacle of rati; that is, the one
in whom rati is aroused.
Anartha – (an-artha meaning “non-value”)
unwanted desires, activities
or habits that impede one’s advancement
in bhakti; in other
words, everything that is against bhakti.
Anubhävas – one of the five essential ingredients
of rasa. The
actions which display or reveal the
spiritual emotions situated within
the heart are called anubhävas.
They are thirteen in number: dancing
(nåtya), rolling on the ground (viluöhita),
singing (géta), loud
crying (kroçana), writhing of
the body (tanu-moöana), roaring
(huìkära), yawning (jåmbhaëa),
breathing heavily (çväsa-bhümä),
neglecting others (lokänapekñitä),
drooling (läläsräva), loud laughter
(aööahäsa), staggering about (ghürëä),
and hiccups (hikkä).
Anuräga – (1) attachment, affection, or love;
(2) an intensified stage
of prema which comes just prior
to mahäbhäva. In Ujjvala-nélamaëi
(14.146) anuräga has been
defined as follows: “Although one regularly
meets with the beloved and is
well-acquainted with the
beloved, the ever-fresh sentiment of
intense attachment causes the
beloved to be newly experienced at
every moment, as if one has
never before had any experience of such
a person. The attachment
which inspires such a feeling is known
as anuräga.”
Aparädha – (apa = against, taking away; rädha
= flow of affection)
an offense committed against the holy
name, Vaiñëavas, the spiritual
master, the scriptures, holy places, or
the deity.
3 1 7
GLOSSARY
Apräkåta – transcendental, beyond the influence
of material nature,
beyond the perception of mind and
senses, not created by any
human, beyond the material world,
situated in Kåñëa’s transcendental
abode, extraordinary, divine, pure, or
consisting of spiritual consciousness
and bliss.
Ärati – the ceremony of offering a deity
articles of worship, such as
incense, lamp, flowers, and fan,
accompanied by chanting and bellringing.
Arcana – deity worship; one of the nine
primary processes of devotional
service.
Äsakti – attachment; this especially refers to
attachment for the Lord
and His eternal associates. Äsakti occurs
when one’s liking for
bhajana leads to a direct and deep attachment
for the personality
who is the object of that bhajana. This
is the sixth stage in the
development of the creeper of devotion,
and is awakened upon the
maturing of one’s taste for bhajana.
Añöa-sakhés – Çrématé Rädhikä’s eight principal gopés:
Lalitä, Véçakhä,
Citrä, Indulekha, Campakalatä,
Raìgadevé, Sudevé, and Tuìgavidyä.
Añöa-sättvika-bhävas
– see Sättvika-bhävas.
Ätma-nivedanam
– to offer one’s very self
to Kåñëa. When one
offers oneself to the Lord, he no
longer acts for his independent
pleasure. One engages body, mind, life,
and everything in the service
of Çré Bhagavän. This is one of the
nine primary limbs of bhakti.
B
Bhägavata-paramparä
– there are two disciplic
lines: the
païcarätrika-guru-paramparä and the bhägavata-guruparamparä.
The bhägavata-guru-paramparä is
the disciplic succession
of self-realized souls who may be
acting as either çikñä-gurus or
dékñä-gurus. Païcarätrika-guru-paramparä is
the disciplic succession
consisting of dékñä-gurus who
may or may not be self-realized
souls and who perform the formal procedures
of initiation as delineated
in çästra. The païcarätrika-guru-paramparä
will be included
3 1 8
GLOSSARY
in the bhägavata-paramparä if
the dékñä-guru is a self-realized soul
who can bring his disciple to the
ultimate goal of life. Çréla
Prabhupäda Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté
Öhäkura, Çréla Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkura, and Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé have
all accepted this bhägavataguru-
paramparä.
Sometimes, when the dékñä-guru is
a conditioned soul, the
païcarätrika-guru-paramparä may be illegal
and against bhakti. In
this case it stands alone and is not
included in the bhägavataparamparä.
The bhägavata-paramparä,
however, under the guidance
of çikñä-gurus like Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé, Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé,
Çré Svarüpa Dämodara, and Çré Räya
Rämänanda, is always authentic.
If a païcarätrika-dékñä-guru, in
his constitutional spiritual form,
is situated in a rasa which is
lower than that of his disciple, the disciple
must ultimately go elsewhere and take
shelter of a Vaiñëava
who is qualified to give the
appropriate superior guidance. It may
happen that the guru and
disciple in païcarätrika-guru-paramparä
are in the same rasa, but that
the guru is not very highly qualified.
Under such circumstances, the disciple
must take shelter of an
uttama Vaiñëava for higher bhajana-çikñä,
and this Vaiñëava will be
called his guru in bhägavata-paramparä.
We can see from these two
considerations that the païcarätrika
process has some inherent
defects, whereas the bhägavata-paramparä
is completely free from
these defects, and is flawless in all
respects.
Bhajana – (1) activities performed with the
consciousness of being
a servant of Çré Kåñëa. The Garuòa
Puräëa (Pürva-khaëòa 231.3)
explains that the verbal root bhaj is
used specifically in the sense of
sevä, service; (2) in a general sense bhajana refers to
the performance
of spiritual practices, especially
hearing, chanting, and meditating
upon Çré Kåñëa’s name, form, qualities,
and pastimes.
Bhajana-kuöéra
– a small hut or cottage
where a Vaiñëava or saintly
person performs his bhajana,
personal meditation.
Bhakta – a devotee.
Bhakti – loving devotional service to Çré
Kåñëa. The word bhakti
comes from the root bhaj, which
means to serve; thererfore the
3 1 9
GLOSSARY
primary meaning of the word bhakti is
to render service.
Bhakti-rasa – the mellow derived from devotional
service.
Bhäva – (1) spiritual emotions, love, or
sentiments; (2) the initial
stage of perfection in devotion (bhäva-bhakti).
A stage of bhakti in
which çuddha-sattva, the essence
of the Lord’s internal potency consisting
of spiritual knowledge and bliss, is
transmitted into the heart
of the practicing devotee from the
heart of the Lord’s eternal associates
and softens the heart by different
kinds of taste. It is the sprout
of prema, and it is also known
as rati. This is the seventh stage of the
creeper of devotion.
Bhäva-çäbalya
– overcoming; the clashing
and jostling of many
vyabhicäri-bhävas, in which one bhäva suppresses
another and
becomes predominant.
Bhäva-sandhi – union; when two vyabhicäri-bhävas,
either of the
same type or of different types, meet
together.
Bhäva-çänti – pacification; when an extremely
powerful vyabhicäribhäva
becomes pacified.
Bhäva-udaya – the awakening or generation of a vyabhicäri-bhäva.
Bhäva-anuküla
– (favorable to one’s
desired mood); wearing neckbeads
made of tulasé, applying tilaka,
adopting the outward signs of
a Vaiñëava, rendering tulasé-sevä,
performing parikramä, offering
praëäma, and so forth are bhäva-anuküla.
One of the five kinds of
sädhana in rägänuga-bhakti.
Bhäva-aviruddha
– (neither opposed to nor
incompatible with
one’s desired mood); respecting cows,
the banyan tree, the
myrobalan tree and brähmaëas are
conducive activities and therefore
called bhäva-aviruddha. One of
the five kinds of sädhana in
rägänuga-bhakti.
Bhävamayi – (composed of one’s desired mood);
when çravaëa,
kértana, and other such limbs of bhakti are
saturated with one of the
primary bhävas (däsya, sakhya,
vatsälya, or mädhurya), they nourish
the tree of the sädhaka’s future
prema. At that time they are
called bhävamaya-sädhana. When prema
manifests, they are called
3 2 0
GLOSSARY
bhävamaya-sädhya. One of the five kinds of sädhana in
rägänugabhakti.
Bhäva-pratiküla
– (that which is opposed
to one’s desired mood)
one of the five kinds of sädhana in
rägänuga-bhakti.
Bhäva-sambandhé
– (related to one’s
desired mood); the limbs of
bhakti, including çré-guru-padäçraya, mantra-japa,
smaraëa,
dhyäna, and so on, are known as bhäva-sambandhé-sädhana.
Because the following of vows on holy
days such as Ekädaçé and
Janmäñöamé assists the limb of smaraëa,
it is considered partial
bhäva-sambandhé. One of the five kinds of sädhana in
rägänugabhakti.
Bhoga – food before it has been offered to
the deity.
Brahmacäré – a member of the first äçrama (stage
of life) in the
varëäçrama system; a celibate, unmarried student.
Brähmaëa – the highest of the four varëas (castes)
in the
varëäçrama system; a priest or teacher. A brähmaëé
is a wife of a
brähmaëa.
C
Cakra – disc.
Candana – sandalwood paste, used in deity
worship.
Cintämaëi – a spiritual, potent gemstone
(“desire-stone”), found in
the transcendental realm. It fulfills
all the desires of one who possesses
it.
Citra-jalpa – variegated speech; an ecstatic
symptom appearing in
mohana-mahäbhäva. Ujjvala-nélamaëi (14.174,
178–80) explains it
as follows: “It is virtually only
within Çrématé Rädhäräëé that the
ecstasy of bewilderment arises. She has
attained to a special stage of
this bewilderment, a wonderful state
that resembles delusion, and is
known as divyonmäda. It has many
aspects, which come and go
unsteadily, and one of these
manifestations is citra-jalpa. This talk,
induced by Her seeing Her beloved’s
friend, is filled with covered
3 2 1
GLOSSARY
anger and comprises many different
ecstasies. It culminates in Her
intense, anxious eagerness. Citra-jalpa
has ten divisions: prajalpa,
parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, saïjalpa,
avajalpa, abhijalpa, äjalpa,
pratijalpa, and sujalpa.”
D
Daëòavat-praëäma
– daëòa = stick, praëäma
= obeisances; thus,
daëòavat-praëäma means obeisances by falling like a
stick; prostrated
obeisances.
Darçana – seeing, meeting, visiting or
beholding (especially in
regard to the deity, a sacred place, or
an exalted Vaiñëava).
Dharma – (from the verbal root dhå = to
sustain; thus, dharma
means that which sustains). (1)
religion in general; (2) the socioreligious
duties prescribed in the scriptures for
different classes of
persons in the varëäçrama system
that are meant to liberate one to
the platform of bhakti.
Dhérä – a gopé who is gentle, sober,
or supressed in jealous anger.
Dékñä-guru – the initiating spiritual master.
Divyonmäda – a wonderful divine state that
resembles a state of
utter confusion. It occurs in the stage
of mohana-mahäbhäva and it
has many different features, such as udghürëä
and citra-jalpa. It is
found virtually only in Çrématé
Rädhikä.
Dvärakäväsés – residents of Dvärakä
G
Gadä – club.
Ghåta-sneha – a manifestation of sneha (the
stage coming after
prema). Ghåta means ghee, which is not independently
sweet like
honey, and only delicious when mixed
with sugar and other ingredients.
Similarly, ghåta-sneha is not
independently sweet like
madhu-sneha (see Madhu-sneha); it only become palatable when
mixed with other bhävas. It is
found in Candrävalé and her group.
3 2 2
GLOSSARY
Gokula-Våndävana
– the highest realm of the
spiritual world. This
is the abode of Çré Kåñëa where He is
manifest in His original and topmost
features as a cowherd boy, surrounded
by His intimate and
loving servitors, the gopas and gopés
of Vraja.
Gopa – (1) a cowherd boy who serves Kåñëa in
a mood of intimate
friendship; (2) an elderly associate of
Nanda Mahäräja who serves
Kåñëa in a mood of parental affection.
Gopé – (1) one of the young cowherd maidens
of Vraja headed by
Çrématé Rädhikä who serve Kåñëa in a
mood of amorous love; (2) an
elderly associate of Mother Yaçodä who
serves Kåñëa in a mood of
parental affection.
Goçälä – cowshed; a shelter for the cows.
Gåhastha – a member of the second äçrama (stage
of life) in the
varëäçrama system; a householder.
Guïjä – a small, bright red seed with a black
patch on the top. This
seed is said to represent Çrématé
Rädhikä.
Gurukula – a school of Vedic
learning. Boys begin at five years old
and live as celibate students, guided
by a spiritual master.
Guru-paramparä
– the disciplic succession
through which spiritual
knowledge is transmitted by bona fide
spiritual masters.
H
Hari-kathä – narrations of the holy name, form,
qualities, and pastimes
of the Lord.
Harinäma – the chanting of Çré Kåñëa’s holy
names. Unless accompanied
by the word saìkértana, it usually
refers to the practice of
chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra softly
to oneself on a strand
of tulasé beads.
Hlädiné – this refers to the svarüpa-çakti that
is predominated by
hlädiné. Hlädiné is the potency which
relates to the bliss aspect
(änanda) of the Supreme Lord.
Although the Supreme Lord is the
embodiment of all pleasure, hlädiné is
that potency by which He
relishes transcendental bliss and
causes others to taste bliss.
3 2 3
GLOSSARY
I
Iñöadeva – one’s worshipable deity; the
particular form of Kåñëa
toward whom one is attracted, and who
is the object of one’s love
and service.
J
Jéva – the eternal individual living entity
who, in the conditioned
state of material existence, assumes a
material body in any of the
innumerable species of life.
Jïäna – (1) knowledge; (2) knowledge leading
to impersonal
liberation.
Jïäné – one who pursues the path of jïäna,
knowledge directed
towards impersonal liberation.
Jïäné-bhakta
– a devotee who worships
Bhagavän in the mood of
opulence, and due to that sense of the
Lord’s all-pervasiveness and
completeness, does not render personal
services.
K
Kajjala – an ointment used to darken the edges
of the eyelids.
Kali-yuga – the present age of quarrel and
hypocrisy that began five
thousand years ago.
Kalpa – the four yugas are calculated
in terms of the heavenly calendars
and accordingly are twelve thousand
years in terms of the
heavenly planets. This is called a divya-yuga,
and one thousand
divya-yugas make one day of Brahmä. The creation
during the day
of Brahmä is called kalpa, and
the creation of Brahmä is called
vikalpa. When vikalpas are made
possible by the breathing of Mahä-
Viñëu, this is called a mahä-kalpa.
There are regular and systematic
cycles of these mahä-kalpas, vikalpas
and kalpas.
Kaniñöha-adhikära
– the neophyte stage of bhakti.
A kaniñöhaadhikäré
or kaniñöha-bhakta is a devotee
on this neophyte stage.
Karatälas – small brass hand cymbals used for
devotional songs.
3 2 4
Karma – (1) any activity performed in the
course of material existence;
(2) reward-seeking activities; pious
activities leading to material
gain in this world or in the heavenly
planets after death; (3) fate;
previous actions that yield inevitable
reactions.
Kavi – poet.
Kértana – one of the nine most important limbs
of bhakti, consisting
of either: (1) congregational singing
of Çré Kåñëa’s holy names, sometimes
accompanied by music; (2) loud
individual chanting of the
holy name; or (3) oral descriptions of
the glories of Çré Kåñëa’s names,
forms, qualities, associates, and
pastimes.
Kértanéyä – a performer of kértana.
Kiçoré,
Kiçora – a girl or boy,
respectively, in the prime of youth.
Kñatriya – the second of the four varëas (castes)
in the varëäçrama
system; an administrator or warrior.
Kuïja – a grove or bower; a natural shady
retreat with a roof and
walls formed by trees, vines, creepers,
and other climbing plants.
Kuöénäöé – duplicity or fault-finding.
L
Lélä – the divine and astonishing pastimes
of Çré Bhagavän and His
eternal associates, which grant all
auspiciousness for the living entity,
which have no connection with this
mundane world, and which lie
beyond the grasp of the material senses
and mind.
M
Mädana – highly advanced ecstasy is divided
into two categories:
mädana and mohana. Meeting together is
called mädana, and
separation is called mohana. On
the mädana platform there are
kissing and many other symptoms, which
are unlimited. In the
mohana stage, there are two divisions: udghürëä
(unsteadiness)
and citra-jalpa (varieties of
mad emotional talks). Citra-jalpa has ten
divisions, called prajalpa and
so on. An example of this is the ten
GLOSSARY
3 2 5
verses from Çrémad-Bhägavatam spoken
by Çrématé Rädhäräëé entitled
“The Song to the Bumblebee.”
Mädhurya – sweetness or beauty. In regard to bhakti
this refers to
devotion which is inspired by
attraction to Kåñëa’s sweet and intimate
feature as a beautiful young cowherd
boy. This type of devotion
allows for the greatest exchange of
love between the Lord and
His devotees.
Madhu-sneha – a manifestation of sneha (the
stage coming after
prema). This is the affection that is imbued with excessive
possessiveness
(“Kåñëa is mine”). Madhu means
honey and it is itself sweet,
so this affection manifests its own
sweetness without depending on
any other bhävas. It is found in
Çrématé Rädhikä and Her group.
Madhyä – a gopé whose qualities place
her midway between a
prakhara (a gopé who is harsh) and a mådvi
(a gopé of a sweet and
gentle disposition).
Madhyama-adhikära
– the intermediate stage
of bhakti.
Madhyama-adhikäré or madhyama-bhakta is a devotee
on this
stage.
Mahä-bhägavata
– a pure devotee of
Bhagavän in the hightest stage
of devotional life, who is expert in
Vedic literature, who has full faith
in Çré Kåñëa, and who can deliver the
whole world.
Mahäbhäva – the highest stage of prema, divine
love. In Ujjvalanélamaëi
(14.154) mahäbhäva is defined
thus: “When anuräga
reaches a special state of intensity,
it is known as bhäva or
mahäbhäva. This stage of intensity has three
characteristics:
(1) anuräga reaches the state of
sva-samvedya, which means that it
becomes the object of its own
experience; (2) it becomes prakäçita,
radiantly manifest, which means that
all eight sätvika-bhävas
become prominently displayed; and (3)
it attains the state of yävadäçraya-
våtti, which means that the active ingredient
of the intensified
state of anuräga transmits the
experience of Rädhä and Kåñëa’s
bhäva to whomever may be present and
qualified to receive it.”
GLOSSARY
3 2 6
Mahäjana – a great personality who teaches the
highest ideal and
who by his conduct sets an example for
others to follow.
Mahämäyä – the illusion-generating potency that
is responsible for
the manifestation of the material
world, time, and material activities.
(Also see Mäyä.)
Maharñi – a great sage.
Mäna – (1) jealous anger; (2) an intensified
stage of prema; a stage
in the development from prema up
to mahäbhäva. It is described as
follows in Ujjvala-nélamaëi (14.96):
“When sneha reaches exultation,
thus causing one to experience the
sweetness of the beloved in
ever new varieties, yet externally
takes on a crooked feature, it is
known as mäna.”
Mandira – temple.
Maïjaré – a maidservant of Çrématé Rädhikä in
the category of nityasakhé
or präëa-sakhé.
Mantra – (man = mind; tra =
deliverance) a spiritual sound vibration
that delivers the mind from its
material conditioning and illusion
when repeated over and over; a Vedic
hymn, prayer or chant.
Mathuräväsés – residents of Mathurä.
Mäyä – illusion; that which is not; Çré
Bhagavän’s external potency
which influences the living entities to
accept the false egoism of
being independent enjoyers of this
material world. (Also see
Mahämäyä.)
Mäyäväda – the doctrine of impersonalism.
Mäyävädé – one who advocates the doctrine of
impersonalism.
Mådäìga – a two-headed clay drum used for kértana
performances
and congregational chanting.
Mugdhä – this heroine is young, charming, and
innocent.
Muralédhara – a title of Kåñëa meaning “holder of
the flute.”
GLOSSARY
3 2 7
N
Nagara-saìkértana
– act of singing religious
songs in procession
through a city or village.
Näma-äbhäsa – a semblance of the holy name. The
stage of chanting
in which one is becoming cleared of
sins and offenses but has not
yet attained pure chanting.
Näma-aparädha
– offensive chanting of
the holy name.
Naöavara – a title of Çré Kåñëa meaning “the
expert dancer.”
Navakiçora – a title of Çré Kåñëa meaning
“everfresh youth.”
Nikuïja – (also kuïja) bower, grove; a
solitary place for the meeting
and enjoyment of Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Niçänta-lélä – Çré Kåñëa’s daily, eternal pastimes
that takes place at
the end of the night, just prior to
dawn.
Niñkiïcana – free from all material possessions,
entirely destitute; a
renunciant.
Niñöhä – firm faith; established devotional
practice that does not
waver at any time. The fourth stage in
the development of the
creeper of devotion.
P
Padma – lotus flower.
Paëòä – a brahmäëa guide at temples
and holy places.
Parakéya – the relationship between a married
woman and her paramour;
particularly the relationship between
the gopés of Våndävana
and Kåñëa.
Paramätmä – the Supersoul situated in the hearts
of all living
entities as a witness and source of
remembrance, knowledge, and
forgetfulness.
Paramparä – see Guru-paramparä.
Patita-pävana
– a title of the Lord
meaning “the deliverer of the
fallen souls.”
GLOSSARY
3 2 8
Pragalbhä – this näyikä (heroine) is a
mature, clever, outspoken
gopé expert at controlling her lover.
Praëäma – respectful obeisances.
Praëämé – donation given to the deity.
Präëanätha – literally means “the lord of one’s
life,” but it carries the
sense of one who is infinitely more
dear to one than one’s life.
Praëaya – an intensified stage of prema;
a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva.
It is described in Ujjvala-nélamaëi
(14.108): “When mäna assumes a
feature of unrestrained intimacy
known as viçrambha, learned
authorities refer to it as praëaya.” The
word viçrambha used in this
verse means complete confidence
devoid of any restraint or formality.
This confidence causes one to
consider one’s life, mind,
intelligence, body, and possessions to be
one in all respects with the life,
mind, intelligence, and body of the
beloved.
Prasädam – (literally means “mercy”) especially
refers to the remnants
of food offered to the deity; may also
refer to the remnants of
other articles offered to the deity, such
as incense, flowers, garlands,
and clothing.
Pratiñöhä – desire for name and fame or high
position.
Prema – (1) love for Kåñëa which is extremely
concentrated, which
completely melts the heart, and which
gives rise to a deep sense of
mamatä, possessiveness, in relation to Çré
Kåñëa. (2) When bhäva
becomes firmly rooted and unchecked by
any obstacle it is known as
prema. When some cause arises that could conceivably ruin the
relationship
between the lover and beloved and yet
their bond remains
completely unaffected, such an intimate
loving relationship is known
as prema. When prema is
augmented it is gradually transformed into
sneha, praëaya, räga, anuräga, and mahäbhäva.
Prema-bhakti – a stage of bhakti which is
characterised by the
appearance of prema; the
perfectional stage of devotion; the eighth
and fully blossomed state of the
creeper of devotion.
GLOSSARY
3 2 9
Priya-narmä-sakhäs
– the most intimate
friends of Kåñëa.
Püjä – offering of worship.
Püjäré – priest, one who offers püjä or
worships the deity in a
temple.
Puräëa – the eighteen historical supplements
to the Vedas.
R
Räga – a deep attachment which is permeated
by spontaneous and
intense absorption in the object of
one’s affection. The primary characteristic
of räga is a deep and
overpowering thirst for that object of
affection. The desire for water is
called thirst. When the body is
deprived of water, thirst arises. The
greater the thirst the greater the
longing for water. When this thirst
reaches the point that without
water one can no longer maintain the
body, it is known as overpowering
thirst. Similarly, when the loving
thirst to please the object
of one’s affection becomes so intense
that in the absence of such
service one is on the verge of giving
up his life, it is known as räga.
Räga-märga – the path of räga, spontaneous
attachment (see
Rägänuga-bhakti).
Rägänuga-bhakti
– devotion that follows in
the wake of Çré Kåñëa’s
eternal associates in Vraja, the rägätmikä-janas,
whose hearts are
permeated with räga, an
unquenchable loving thirst for Kåñëa that
gives rise to spontaneous and intense
absorption.
Rägätmikä-bhakta
– one in whose heart there
naturally and eternally
exists a deep spontaneous desire to
love and serve Çré Kåñëa.
This specifically refers to the eternal
residents of Vraja.
Rasa – (1) the spiritual transformation of
the heart that takes place
when the perfectional state of love for
Çré Kåñëa, known as rati, is
converted into “liquid” emotions by
combining with various types of
transcendental ecstasies; (2) taste,
flavor.
Räsa-lélä – Çré Kåñëa’s dance with His most
confidential servitors, the
vraja-gopés, which is a pure exchange of spiritual
love between
them.
GLOSSARY
3 3 0
Rasika – one who is expert at relishing rasa;
a connoisseur of rasa.
Ratha – cart, chariot.
Åñi – a great sage learned in the Vedas.
Ruci – taste; ruci develops after one
has acquired steadiness in
bhajana. At this stage, with the awakening of
actual taste, one’s
attraction to spiritual matters, such
as hearing, chanting, and other
devotional practices, exceeds one’s
attraction to any type of material
activity; this is the fifth stage in
the development of the creeper of
devotion.
Rüpänuga – a devotee who follows Çré Rüpa
Gosvämé on the path
of spontaneous devotion.
S
Sac-cid-änanda
– (sat = eternal
existence; cit = spiritual consciousness;
änanda = spiritual bliss) that which is
eternal, composed of
spiritual consciousness, and full of
transcendental bliss; often refers
to the transcendental form of Çré
Kåñëa.
Sädhana – the method one adopts in order to
obtain one’s specific
goal, sädhya.
Sädhu – (1) (in a general sense) a saintly
person or devotee; (2) a
highly realised soul who knows life’s
aim (sädhya), who is himself
practicing sädhana, and who can
engage others in sädhana.
Sahajiyäs – a class of so-called devotees who,
considering the Lord
cheap, ignore the scriptural
injunctions and try to imitate His pastimes.
Sakhä – a male friend, companion, or
attendant.
Sakhé – a female friend, companion, or
attendant.
Samädhi – (1) meditation or deep trance upon
either the Supersoul
or upon Kåñëa’s sweet pastimes; (2) the
tomb in which a pure
Vaiñëava’s body is laid after his
departure from this material world.
Samartha-rati
– the love of the vraja-gopés,
which can control
Kåñëa.
GLOSSARY
3 3 1
Sampradäya – a line of disciplic succession.
Saàvit – the knowledge portion, cognizant
aspect, of the Lord’s
spiritual potency. Although Bhagavän is
the embodiment of knowledge,
saàvit is the potency by which He knows
Himself and causes
others to know Him.
Saìga – association.
Çaìkha – conch.
Saìkértana – congregational chanting of the names
of Kåñëa.
Sannyäsa – the fourth äçrama (stage of
life) in the varëäçrama
system; renounced, ascetic life.
Çästra – the Vedic scriptures.
Sättvika-bhävas
– one of the five
essential ingredients of rasa (see
Rasa); eight symptoms of spiritual ecstasy
arising exclusively from
viçuddha-sattva, or in other words, when the heart is
overwhelmed
by emotions in connection with the five
primary moods of affection
for Kåñëa or the seven secondary
emotions. The eight (añöa) sättvikabhävas
are: (1) becoming stunned, stambha;
(2) perspiration, sveda;
(3) standing of the hairs on end, romäïca;
(4) faltering of the voice,
svarabheda; (5) trembling, kampa; (6) loss
of colour, vaivarëya;
(7) tears, açru; and (8) loss of
consciousness or fainting, pralaya.
Satya-yuga – the first of the four cyclic ages of
a mahä-yuga in the
progression of universal time.
Satya-yuga is characterized by virtue,
wisdom, and religion. It is known as
the golden age, when people
lived as long as one hundred thousand
years. It lasts 1,728,000 solar
years.
Sevä – service, attendance on, reverence,
devotion to.
Siddha – (1) realized or perfected; (2)
liberated souls who reside in
the spiritual world; (3) a liberated
soul who accompanies Bhagavän
to the material world to assist in His
pastimes, or one who has
attained the perfectional stage of bhakti
(prema), whose symptoms
are described in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
(2.1.180): “One who is
always fully immersed in activities
related to Çré Kåñëa, who is
GLOSSARY
3 3 2
completely unacquainted with
impediments or material distress, and
who incessantly tastes the bliss of prema,
is called a siddha-bhakta.”
Siddhänta – philosophical truth or precept,
demonstrated conclusion,
established end; admitted truth.
Çikhä – a lock of unshaved hair on the upper,
back part of the head.
Çikñä-guru – the person from whom one receives
instructions on
how to progress on the path of bhajana;
the instructing spiritual
master.
Siàhäsana – throne.
Çloka – a Sanskrit verse.
Sneha – an intensified stage of prema;
a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva.
It is described as follows in Ujjvalanélamaëi
(14.79): “When prema ascends to
its ultimate limit, intensifies
one’s perception of the object of love,
and melts the heart, it is
known as sneha.”
Çraddhä – faith in the statements of the çästras
that is awakened
after accumulating pious devotional
activities over many births. Such
faith is aroused in the association of
devotees.
Sthäyibhäva – the permanent sentiment of love for
Çré Kåñëa in one
of five primary relationships of
tranquility (çänta), servitude (däsya),
friendship (sakhya), parental
affection (vätsalya), or amorous love
(mädhurya). This also refers to
the dominant sentiment in the seven
secondary mellows of laughter, wonder,
heroism, compassion,
anger, fear, and disgust.
Sudarçana
cakra – the disc weapon of
the Supreme Lord.
Çuddha-bhakta
– a pure devotee; one who
performs çuddhabhakti.
Çuddha-bhakti
– pure devotion; defined
in Bhakti-rasämåtasindhu
(1.1.11) as the uninterrupted flow of
service to Çré Kåñëa, performed
through all endeavors of the body,
mind, and speech, and
through the expression of various
spiritual sentiments, which is not
covered by jïäna (knowledge
aimed at impersonal liberation) and
GLOSSARY
3 3 3
karma (reward-seeking activity), and which is
devoid of all desires
other than the aspiration to bring
happiness to Çré Kåñëa.
Svarüpa – constitutional nature, inherent
identity; the eternal constitutional
nature and identity of the self which
is realized at the stage
of bhäva.
Svayam
Bhagavän – the original
feature of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
T
Tattva – truth.
Öhäkura – a term addressing Çré Bhagavän, the
deity or an elevated
devotee.
Tilaka – clay markings worn on the forehead or
other parts of the
body by Vaiñëavas, signifying their
devotion to Çré Kåñëa or Viñëu,
and consecrating the body as the Lord’s
temple.
Tértha – holy place, place of pilgrimage.
Tulasé – a sacred plant whose leaves and
blossoms are used by
Vaiñëavas in the worship of Çré Kåñëa;
the wood is also used for
chanting beads and neck beads.
U
Uddépana – an aspect of vibhäva; it
refers to all those things which
stimulate remembrance of Çré Kåñëa such
as His dress and ornaments,
the spring season, the bank of the Yamunä,
peacocks, and so forth.
Upaniñads – 108 principal philosophical treatises
that appear within
the Vedas.
Uttama-adhikäré
– the topmost devotee, who
has either attained
perfection in his devotion unto Çré
Kåñëa, or who is naturally perfect.
GLOSSARY
3 3 4
V
Vaidhé-bhakti
– devotion prompted by the
regulations of the scriptures.
When sädhana-bhakti is not
inspired by intense longing, but
is instigated instead by the discipline
of the scriptures, it is called
vaidhé-bhakti.
Vaiñëava – literally means one whose nature is
“of Viñëu”, in other
words, one in whose heart and mind only
Viñëu or Kåñëa resides. A
devotee of Çré Kåñëa or Viñëu.
Veda – the four primary books of knowledge
compiled by Çréla
Vyäsadeva, namely, the Åg Veda, Säma
Veda, Atharva Veda, and
Yajur Veda.
Vibhäva – this is defined in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
(2.1.15) as follows:
“That in which rati is tasted (älambana)
and that cause by
which rati is tasted (uddépana)
is called vibhäva.”
Vigraha – (1) individual form, shape, or
embodiment; (2) the deity
form of Kåñëa.
Vraja-prema – the love of the residents of
Våndävana, particularly
the love of the gopés.
Vrajaväsés – the residents of Våndävana.
Vyabhicäri-bhävas
– same as saïcäri-bhävas;
thirty-three internal
emotions which emerge from the nectarean
ocean of sthäyibhäva,
cause it to swell, and then merge back
into it. These include emotions
such as despondency, jubilation, fear,
anxiety, and concealment
of emotions.
Y
Yoga – (1) union, meeting, connection or
combination; (2) spiritual
discipline to link one with the
Supreme; to stabilize the mind so that
it is not disturbed by sense objects.
There are many different
branches of yoga such as karma-yoga,
jïäna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga.
Unless specified as such, the word yoga
usually refers to the
añöäìga-yoga system of Pataïjali.
GLOSSARY
3 3 5
GLOSSARY
Yogamäyä – the internal potency of Bhagavän that
engages in
arranging and enhancing all His
pastimes. Paurëamäsé is the personification
of this potency.
Yogé – one who practices the yoga system
with the goal of realization
of the Supersoul or of merging into the
Lord’s personal body.
End
Om Tat Sat
End
(My
humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swami jis great Devotees , Philosophic
Scholars, Purebhakti dot com for
the collection)
