Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Sri Jaiva-dharma
Volume Six
Table of Contents
Chapter Thirty-three - Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Chapter Thirty-four - Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Chapter Thirty-five - Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Chapter Thirty-six - Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Chapter Thirty-seven - Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa
Chapter Thirty-eight - Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa
Chapter Thirty-nine - Lila-pravesa-vicara
Entering the Lord’s Pastimes
Chapter Forty - Sampatti-vicara
The Greatest Good Fortune
Chapter Thirty-three
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Today Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha bathed in
Indrayumna-sarovara, honored prasadam, and returned home.
After eating, Vrajanatha went to see the samadhi of
Haridasa Thakura. Vijaya-kumara went to the temple of Sri
Radha-kanta and offered obeisances to his spiritual master.
At an appropriate time Vijaya-kumara asked about Sri
Radhika. Vijaya-kumara said, “O master, Sri Radha is the
be-all-and-end--all of my life. How can I describe it?
When I hear the name ‘Radhika’, my heart melts. Even
though Sri Krsna is the only goal of my life, still I like
to taste only the descriptions of His pastimes with Sri
Radha. I do not like to hear descriptions of Sri Krsna if
Sri Radha is not included ion them. O master, I would like
to say that I no longer wish to call myself Vijaya-kumara
Bhattacarya. I wish to be known as a maidservant protected
by Sri Radha. I do not wish to speak to speak the
wonderful descriptions of Vraja to materialists. When
persons unqualified to understand the transcendental rasas
(arasika) discuss the glories of Sri Radha, I yearn to flee
from that place.
Gosvami: You are fortunate. As long as you did not
have full faith in the gopis you were not qualified to
understand the pastimes of Radha and Krsna. Descriptions
of those pastimes are far beyond what ordinary human beings
can understand. Even the demigoddesses in Devaloka are not
qualified to understand them. O Vijaya-kumara, I have
already described the gopis who are dear to Lord Krsna.
Among them Radha and Candravali are the most important.
Each of them presides over millions and millions of groups
of beautiful gopis. At the time of the great rasa-dance,
the rasa-dance circle is beautiful with many hundreds of
millions of beautiful gopis.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, Candravali may preside over
millions and millions of groups of gopis. Still, I wish
that the glories of Sri Radha will be the only sweet nectar
to flood and purify my contaminated ears. I am your
surrendered disciple.
Gosvami: Between the two of them - Radha and
Candravali - it is Radha who is the personification of the
highest ecstatic love (maha-bhava-svarupa). It is She who
has the greatest qualities. She is superior to Candravali
in every way. Look. The Gopala-tapani Upanisad calls Her
by the name Gandharva and glorifies Her. In the Rk-
parisista it is said that Lord Madhava is glorious because
Radha stands by His side. In the Padma Purana, Narada
declares, “As Radha is dear to Krsna, so Her pond, Radha-
kunda is also dear to Him. Of all the gopis, Radha is the
most dear to Lord Krsna.” And why not? What is Radha’s
nature? She is the great hladini-sakti, the best of Lord
Krsna’s potencies. Radha is the essence of the hladini-
sakti (hladini-sara-bhava).
Vijaya-kumara: These descriptions are very wonderful!
What is Sri Radha’s nature?
Gosvami: My Radhika is the most beautiful (susthu-
kanta-svarupa). She is the daughter of King Vrsabhanu.
She is glorious with the sixteen ornaments. She is also
decorated with twelve other kinds of ornaments.
Vijaya-kumara: What do you mean by the word “susthu-
kanta-svarupa”?
Gosvami: It means that Her form is so beautiful that
even the most exquisite garments and ornaments are
insignificant in comparison to Her and therefore powerless
to make Her any more beautiful. Her hair is gracefully
curly, Her face is a blossoming lotus flower, Her large
eyes are beautiful and Her large breasts are wonderfully
beautiful. Her waist is slender, Her shoulders are
graceful and Her fingernails shine like a row of jewels.
In the three worlds there is no festival of beauty that
compares with Her.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the “sixteen ornaments”?
Gosvami: The sixteen ornaments are: 1. Her pleasant
bath, 2. The glistening jewel decorating the tip of Her
nose, 3. Her blue garments, 4. Her belt, 5. Her braids, 6.
Her earrings, 7. The sandal paste anointing Her limbs, 8.
The flowers placed in Her hair, 9. Her necklace, 10. The
lotus flower in Her hand, 11. The betelnuts in Her mouth,
12. the musk dot on Her chin, 13. The mascara around Her
eyes, 14. the colourful designs and pictures drawn on Her
cheeks, 15. The red lac on Her feet, and 16. The tilaka
markings on Her forehead.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the “twelve ornaments”.
Gosvami: 1. The wonderful jewel that crowns Her head,
2. Her golden earrings, 3. The belt around Her hips, 4. The
golden locket around Her neck, 5. Her golden salaka
earrings, 6. The bracelets on Her wrists, 7. The ornament
on Her neck, 8. The rings on Her fingers, Her pearl
necklace, 10. Her armlets, 11. Her ankle bells, and 12.
The rings on Her toes are the twelve ornaments decorating
Sri Radha’s limbs.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the most prominent
transcendental qualities of Sri Radha?
Gosvami: Like the qualities of Sri Krsna, the
qualities of Vrndavana’s queen Radha are limitless and
cannot truly be counted or listed in full. Among them
these twenty five may be considered prominent.
1. She is very sweet.
2. She is always freshly youthful.
3. Her eyes are restless.
4. She smiles brightly.
5. She has beautiful, auspicious lines.
6. She makes Krsna happy with Her bodily aroma.
7. She is very expert in singing.
8. He speech is charming.
9. She is very expert in joking and speaking
pleasantly.
10. She is very humble and meek.
11. She is always full of mercy.
12. She is cunning.
13. She is expert in executing Her duties.
14. She is shy.
15. She is always respectful.
16. She is always calm.
17. She is always grave.
18. She is expert in enjoying life.
19. She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic
love.
20. She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula.
21. She is the most famous of submissive devotees.
22. She is very affectionate to elderly people.
23. She is very submissive to the love of Her
friends.
24. She is the chief gopi.
25. She always keeps Krsna under Her control.
Vijaya-kumara: I would like to hear an explanation of
“5. She has beautiful and auspicious lines.”
Gosvami: The Varaha Purana, Jyotih-sastra, Kasi-
khanda, Matsya Purana, and Garuda Purana describe the
auspicious lines. These lines are: I. On the left foot:
1. A barleycorn mark at the root of Her left tope.
2. below that toe a cakra.
3. below the middle toe a lotus flower
4. below the lotus flower a banner.
5. below the banner a flag.
6. a urdhva-rekha line extending from the middle-toe
to the middle of the sole.
7. below the small toe an elephant goad.
II. On the right foot:
1. at the root of the right big toe a conchshell.
2. on the heel a fish.
3. below the small toe an altar.
4. above the fish a chariot.
5. a mountain.
6. an earring
7. a club
8. the mark of a sakti weapon.
III. On the left hand:
1. a long life-line beginning at the meeting of the
forefinger and middle finger, and extending to below the
little finger.
2. below that another line going from below the
lifeline to the middle of the space between the forefinger
and thumb.
3. from below the thumb a curving line rises from
the wrist and goes to the space between the thumb and
forefinger.
4-8. on the tips of each of the five fingers is a
cakra.
9. below the ring finger is an elephant.
10. below the life-line is a horse.
11. below the middle line is a bull.
12. below the small finger is an elephant goad.
13 a fan.
14. a Sri tree.
15. A yupa.
16. An arrow.
17 a tomara weapon.
18 a flower garland.
IV. On the right hand:
1-8 In the right hand, like the left, there are three
prominent lines including the lifeline, and on the tips of
each finger a cakra.
9. below the forefinger a camara
10. below the small finger an elephant goad.
11. a palace.
12. a dundubhi drum.
13. a lightning bolt.
14. two carts.
15. an archer’s bow.
16. a sword.
17. a waterpot.
Thus on the left foot are 7 signs, on the right foot 8
signs, on the left hand 18 signs and on the right hand 17
signs. Altogether there are 50 auspicious lines.
Vijaya-kumara: An individual soul may have a drop of
some of these qualities, but Sri Radha has them all in
perfect fullness.
The demigoddesses may have them slightly more than
others. Still, Sri Radha, has them all, and in Her they
are all perfectly spiritual, untouched by matter. Any why
not? In the material world these qualities are never
manifested in purity, perfection, and completeness. Gauri
and other demigoddesses may have these qualities, but in
these demigoddesses the qualities are not pure, perfect, or
complete.
Vijaya-kumara: Ah! Srimati Radhika’s beauty and
qualities are inconceivable. Only by Her mercy can one see
or understand them.
Gosvami: Gazing at Sri Radha’s beauty and qualities,
even Lord Krsna Himself is bewildered and enchanted. How
can I properly describe them with my words?
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please be merciful and
describe Sri Radha’s friends (sakhis).
Gosvami: Sri Radha’s group is the best of all. The
girls in Her group are all decorated with all
transcendental qualities. Their charming playfulness
always attracts Lord Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: How many different kinds of friends
(sakhis) does Sri Radha have?
Gosvami: They are of five kinds: 1. sakhi (friends),
2. nitya-sakhi (eternal friends), 3. prana-sakhi (life
friends), 4. priya-sakhi (dear friends) and 5. parama-
prestha-sakhi (most dear friends).
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the sakhis?
Gosvami: The sakhis include Kusumika, Vrnda and
Dhanistha. These gopis are famous among the sakhis.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the nitya-sakhis?
Gosvami: The nitya-sakhis include Kasturi, Mani-
manjari and many others.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the prana-sakhis?
Gosvami: The prana-sakhis include Sasimukhi, Vasanti,
Lasika, and many others. In many ways they are like the
queen of Vrndavana Herself.
\Vijaya-kumara: Who are the priya-sakhis?
Gosvami: The priya-sakhis include Kurangaksi,
Sumadhya, Madanalasa, Kamala, Madhuri, Manjukesi, Kandarpa-
sundari, Madhavi, Malati, Kamalata, Sasikala, and many
others.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the parama-prestha-sakhis?
Gosvami: The parama-prestha-sakhis include Lalita,
Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Tungavidya, Indulekha,
Rangadevi, and Sudevi. These eight are the most important
of all the gopis. Therefore they are called parama-prestha-
sakhis. They are situated in the topmost love for Sri Sri
Radha and Krsna. Sometimes they show more love to Sri
Krsna and other times they show more love for Sri Radha.
Vijaya-kumara: I understand what the word ‘yutha’
(group) means. What does the word ‘gana’ (sub group( mean?
Gosvami: Every yutha is divided into sub-groups, which
are called ganas. For example, Lalita is a member of Sri
Radha’s group. However, Lalita herself has followers, and
they are called the members of Lalita’s gana (sub-group).
Vijaya-kumara: That the gopis are married to gopas
other than Krsna is one of the most important
characteristics. Still, it does not look good.
Gosvami: In this material world ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are
only external designations. Because of past material
activities one soul becomes a ‘woman’ and another soul
becomes a ‘man’. In the material world of Maya, many
people are filled with petty or sinful desires. For this
reason the great sages have forbidden, except within the
institution of marriage, contact with women. Writing about
the rasas, poets have generally avoided describing the love
of a woman for a paramour. However, in the Lord’s
spiritual pastimes this kind of love is one of the rasas.
The sexual affairs of men and women in the material world
is a perverted reflection of that original rasas in the
spiritual world. Therefore material sexual activities are
very dull, pathetic, and a breeding ground for a host of
anxieties (kuntha). Also, the rules of religion place many
restrictions on these activities. For these reasons men in
the material world are enjoined to avoid approaching the
wives of others. However, if Lord Krsna, whose form is
eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, is the only male
and the only hero, and he accepts this activity to increase
the sweetness of His spiritual rasas, He is never
contaminated and He is not to be criticised. He is
independent of the material institution of marriage. When
Sri Krsna, who enjoys pastimes in Goloka, came to the
material world from Goloka, He took the transcendental
parakiya-rasa with Him. Therefore no one should criticise
Him for enjoying the parakiya rasa with the gopis who have
come from Goloka.
Vijaya-kumara: What exalted symptoms of love did the
gopis from Goloka display?
Gosvami: Before the gopis Lord Krsna appears only in
His form as the son of Nanda. The non devotee philosophers
are far from understanding the gopis’ exalted love for
Krsna. Even the devotees find it difficult to understand
that love. When Krsna manifests His form as Nandanandana,
His opulence never eclipses His sweetness. One time, as a
joke, Krsna manifested His four-armed form before the
gopis, who were not at all impressed. However, when Sri
Radha approached, the four-armed form at once disappeared.
Because of the greatness of Radha’s confidential parakiya
love, Krsna again became two-handed.
Vijaya-kumara: Now my desires are all fulfilled. O
master, please describe the different kinds of heroines
(nayikas).
Gosvami: There are three kinds of heroines (nayikas):
1. svakiya, 2. parakiya, 3. samanya. I have already
described the spiritual svakiya and parakiya heroines. Now
I will describe the samanya heroines. Students of material
rhetoric (alankara) explain that the samanya heroines are
prostitutes, interested only in money. If their lover has
no good qualities, then they hate him, and if he is
virtuous, still they do not really love him. Therefore
their so-called love is only a perverted reflection of
love. It is not true love. Sometimes it is said that
Kubja in Mathura was such a samanya heroine who does not
really love her hero. I do not agree. I place her among
the parakiya heroines.
Vijaya-kumara: How did she become qualified to become
a parakiya-heroine?
Gosvami: When Kubja was an ugly, disfigured woman, she
never loved any man. However, when she saw Krsna and
desired to place sandal paste on His limbs, then she
thought of Him as her beloved. For this reason I say her
love is in the parakiya-rasa. However, the desire to
please only Krsna, a desire possessed even by the queens at
Dvaraka, was absent in Kubja. Therefore her love was
inferior to the love of the queens. When she tugged at
Krsna’s upper garment and begged that He enjoy amorous
pastimes with her, her love for Him was mixed with her own
selfish desires. There her love is considered sadharani
(ordinary).
Vijaya-kumara: Because Kubja is considered in the
parakiya rasa, I can see that the svakiya and parakiya
heroines are both divided into two sub-groups. How many
different sub-groups are there? Please describe them.
Gosvami: In the spiritual rasas the svakiya and
parakiya heroines are of three kinds: 1. mugdha, 2. madhya,
and 3. pragalbha.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, when by your mercy I think of
the spiritual rasas, I naturally think of myself as a gopi
in Vraja. At that time I do not think of myself as a male
in the material world. When I hear of the different kinds
of heroines, my heart become agitated. And why not? I do
not know what I should do so that some day I may love the
Lord as the gopis do. So that some day I may attain this
kind of service to Lord Krsna, I now place this question
before your holy feet: What is the nature of the mugdha
heroines? Please describe them.
Gosvami: These are the qualities of the mugdha
heroine: She is in the bloom of youth (nava-yauvana),
amorous (kamini), contrary in love (rati-dane vama), and
submissive to her girl friends (sakhi-vasi-bhuta).
Although externally she is shy to enjoy amorous pastimes,.
within her heart she secretly and diligently labours to
make various arrangements to enjoy with her lover. When
her lover offends her, tears flow from her eyes. At that
time she neither speaks sweetly, speaks harshly nor becomes
angry.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the madhya
heroine?
Gosvami: These are the qualities of the madhya
heroine: She is equally amorous and shy, she is in the full
bloom of youth, and all her words are touched with a small
amount of arrogance. She enjoys amorous pastimes until she
faints unconscious. Sometimes her heart is gentle.
Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes she is jealous, sometimes
peaceful, and sometimes agitated. Sometimes she is both
peaceful and agitated (dhiradhira). A heroine who, when
her lover offends her, mocks him with crooked words, is
called ‘dhira madhya’. A heroine who in that situation
attacks her lover with merciless angry words is called an
‘adhira madhya’ heroine. A heroine who in that situation
sheds tears, speaks sweetly, and then also speaks crooked
words to mock her lover is called a ‘dhiradhira madhya’
gopi. In a madhya heroine the natures of the mugdha and
pragalbha heroines are mixed together. The madhya heroine
is the best of the three kinds of heroines.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the pragalbha
heroine?
Gosvami: These are the qualities of the pragalbha
heroine: She is in the full bloom of youth, blinded with
pride, and very eager to enjoy amorous pastimes. She is
very passionate. Pushed by the rasas, she attacks her
lover. Her words and deeds are very passionate. When her
jealousy is aroused, she becomes very harsh. The pragalbha
heroines are of three kinds: 1. dhira, adhira, and
dhiradhira. The dhira pragalbha heroine pretends to be
disinterested in enjoying with her lover. Externally she
is polite and respectful. She carefully conceals the
passion in her heart. The adhira pragalbha heroine beats
her lover with cruel words. The dhiradhira pragalbha
heroine is like the dhiradhira madhya heroine. The madhya
and pragalbha heroines are also divided into jyestha
(older) and kanistha (younger). In this way there are
jyestha-madhya and kanistha-madhya heroines and also
jyestha-pragalbha and kanistha pragalbha heroines. The
difference of jyestha kanistha are considered according to
the nature of the heroine’s love for the hero.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, how many kinds of heroines
are there all together?
Gosvami: There are fifteen kinds of heroines. Very
young heroines are always mugdha. The three basic kinds of
heroines are mugdha, madhya and pragalbha. The madhya and
pragalbha heroines are further divided into dhira, adhira,
dhiradhira. Thus there are seven kinds of svakiya
heroines, seven kinds of parakiya heroines, and fifteen
kinds of heroines in all.
Vijaya-kumara: What different conditions of life do
the heroines experience?
Gosvami: The eight different conditions of life are:
1. abhisarika (going to meet her lover), 2. vasaka-sajja
(dressed and decorated to meet her lover), 3. utkanthita
(yearning to meet her lover), 4. khandita (whose meeting
with her lover is broken), 5. vipralabdha (separated from
her lover), 6. kalahantarita (quarreling with her lover),
7. prosita-bhartrika (her lover has gone far away), and 8.
svadhina-bhartrika (she dominates her lover). The
previously described fifteen kinds of heroines all
experience these eight conditions of life.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the abhisarika
heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine who arranges that her lover meet
her, or who goes to meet her lover is called ‘abhisarika’.
If, going to meet her lover, she wears white clothing when
the moon is bright, she is called ‘jynotsnabhisarika’. If,
going to meet her lover, she wears dark clothing when the
moon is dark, she is called ‘tamo-bhisarika’. She is so
shy she seems to hide behind her own body. Silent, nicely
decorated, and her head carefully covered, she goes,
accompanied by a dear friend, to meet her lover.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vasaka-sajja
heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine who, anxious to meet her lover,
carefully decorates both her body and the meeting place is
called ‘vasaka-sajja’. She yearns to enjoy amorous
pastimes, keeps her eyes fixed on the path her lover will
walk, discusses with her friends the pastimes of love, and
again and again waits for her messenger’s return. These
are her activities.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the utkanthita
heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine who is filled with longing and
anxiety when her lover is, though no fault of his own, late
in coming to the rendezvous, is called ‘utkanthita’ by
persons learned in the different bhavas. Her heart is
feverish, she trembles, she speculates about why her lover
has not yet come, she becomes irritated, and she sheds
tears. These are her activities. She is not like the
vasaka-sajja heroine. She worries that her lover, now
under the control of some other girl, will not come to meet
her.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the khandita
heroine?
Gosvami: When, the time of rendezvous long passed and
the night almost over, the lover finally comes, his body
bearing the clear marks of his having enjoyed pastimes with
some other girl, the heroine is called ‘khandita’. This
heroine’s activities are anger, long sighs, and silence.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vipralabdha
heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine who becomes anxious when, somehow
or other, her lover does not come to their rendezvous, is
called ‘vipralabdha’. Unhappy at heart, she laments,
weeps, faints, sighs, and performs other like activities.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the kalahantarita
heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine who will not forgive her lover,
even when, surrounded by all her friends, he humbly falls
before her feet, and who manifests lamentation, grief,
withering, and sighing, is called ‘kalahantarita’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the prosita-
bhartrka heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine whose lover has gone to a faraway
place is called ‘prosita-bhartrka”. She praises the
virtues of her lover, is humbler, becomes thin and
emaciated, suffers insomnia, and becomes melancholy,
restless, stunned and anxious. Her activities are like
that.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the svadhina-
bhartrika heroine?
Gosvami: A heroine whose lover always stays with her
and is submissive to her is called ‘svadhina-bhartrika’.
Her activities are to enjoy pastimes with him in the
forest, in the water, while picking flowers, and in other
like situations.
Vijaya-kumara: The svadhina-bhartrika heroine must be
very happy.
Gosvami: If her lover is completely controlled by his
love for her and if he cannot leave her even for a moment,
the svadhina-bhartrika heroine is called ‘madhavi’. Among
the eight kinds of heroines, three kinds - svadhina-
bhartrika, vasaka-sajja, and abhisarika - are happy at
heart. They are nicely decorated with garments and
ornaments. However, the other five kinds of heroines -
khandita, vipralabdha, utkanthita, prosita-bhartrka, and
kalahantarita - do not wear ornaments. A hand resting on
their left cheek, the lament.
Vijaya-kumara: Their love for Krsna brings them
unhappiness! What does that mean?>
Gosvami: Love for Krsna is spiritual and always
blissful. These seeming sufferings are actually included
among the wonderful variety of blissful spiritual emotions.
In the material world these emotions are suffering, but in
the spiritual world they are different kinds of bliss. A
person who has the power to taste spiritual bliss can
understand. Other cannot.
Vijaya-kumara: Among the different kinds of heroines,
what are the different degrees of love?
Gosvami: According to the intensity of their love for
Krsna, the heroines are of three kinds: 1. uttama (high),
2. madhyama (intermediate) and 3. kanistha (low). As the
heroines love Him, so Krsna loves them in the same degree.
This is well known.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the uttama
heroine?
Gosvami: The uttama heroine is willing to renounce any
activity in order to please her lover, even for only a
moment. Even if he makes her unhappy, she is never
displeased with him. If someone lies that her lover is
unhappy, her heart becomes ripped to shreds.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of a madhyama
heroine?
Gosvami: When she hears that her lover is unhappy, she
becomes sad at heart.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of a kanistha
heroine?
Gosvami: The kanistha heroine is anxious that
obstacles will prevent her from meeting her lover.
Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of heroines are there?
Gosvami: There are 360 kinds of heroines. The first
mentioned fifteen kinds of heroines are each divided
according to the next mentioned eight kinds of heroines.
In this way (15 x 8) there are 120 heroines. These 120
kinds of heroines are each divided according to the last
mentioned three kinds of heroines. In this way there are
360 kinds of heroines.
Vijaya-kumara: Now I have heard about the heroines.
Now I wish to hear about the different kinds of yuthesvaris
(group leaders).
Gosvami: According to friends and enemies, the
yuthesvaris are of three kinds: 1. svapaksa (allies), 2.
vipaksa (enemies), and 3. tatastha (neutrals). According
to their good fortune they are of these kinds: 1. adhika
(great), 2. sama (moderate, and 3. laghvi (light). They
are also of these three kinds: 1. prakhara (harsh), 2.
madhya (moderate) and 3. mrdvi (sweet). Here ‘prakhara’ is
a synonym for ‘pragalbha’. When the quality of harshness
is manifested only very slightly, the yuthesvari is
considered mrdvi. When sweetness and harshness are equally
present, she is considered madhya. The yuthesvaris are
also divided into 1. atyantiki (great), and 2. apeksiki
(less). When a yuthesvari has no equal in any sphere, she
is considered atyantikadhika (the best of atyantikis).
This refers to Sri Radha alone. She is a madhya and in
Vraja She has no equal.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the apeksikadhikas (the second
level of the great)?
Gosvami: A yuthesvari who accepts another yuthesvari
as her superior is called “apeksikadhika’.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the atyantika laghu (or
atyantiki apeksiki)?
Gosvami: A yuthesvari who is not inferior to the
other heroines is called ‘atyantika laghu’. In relation to
the atyantika adhika yuthesvari (the greatest yuthesvari,
Sri Radha), all the heroines are laghu (inferior). Aside
from the atyantiki laghus, all the yuthesvaris are adhikas.
Still, the atyantiki adhika yuthesvari (the greatest
yuthesvari, Sri Radha) should never be considered their
equal or inferior. Also, the atyantiki laghu yuthesvaris
should not be considered equal to the adhika yuthesvaris.
There is but one kind of sama laghu yuthesvari. Divided
according to the qualities of madhya, adhika, prakhara, and
the like, there are twelve kinds of yuthesvaris. They are:
1. atyantika adhika, 2. sama-laghu, 3. adhika-madhya, 4.
sama-madhya, 5. laghu-madhya, 6. adhika-prakhara, 7. sama-
prakhara, 8. laghu prakhara, 9. adhika-mrdvi, 10. sama-
mrdvi, 11. laghu-mrdvi, and 12. atyantika-laghu.
Vijaya-kumara: I wish to hear about the different
kinds of duties (messengers)?
Gosvami: The heroines thirsting for association with
Krsna need the help of the dutis. The duties are of two
kinds: 1. svayam-duti (messengers who act on their own
initiative), and 2. apta-duti (messengers given a specific
order).
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the apta-duti
messengers?
Gosvami: When great enthusiasm breaks apart any
shyness she may have possessed. and, bewildered with love,
she openly declares her love for the hero, that is a svayam-
duti messenger. These messengers are three kinds: 1.
kayika (bodily gestures), 2. vacika (words), and 3. caksusa
(glances).
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vacika
(words) messenger?
Gosvami: Hints (vyanga) expressed in words are of two
kinds: 1. sabda-vyanga (the hint is present in the sound of
the words), and 2. artha-vyanga (the hint is present in the
meaning of the words). Sometimes the hints are directly
related to Krsna and other times the hints pretend to be
about some other topic.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the hints directly related to
Krsna?
Gosvami: They are of two kinds: 1. hints to Krsna
Himself and 2. hints spoken on some pretext.
Vijaya-kumara: What are hints to Krsna Himself?
Gosvami: Speaking proudly, lamenting, and begging are
some of the many ways hints may be expressed before Krsna
Himself.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the hint in the form of a
lament?
Gosvami: A lament expressed by the sound of the words
(sabda-vyanga) is one kind of lament hint, and a lament
expressed by the meaning of the words (artha-vyanga) is
another kind of lament hint. You studied rhetoric
(alankara). I need not give many examples.
Vijaya-kumara: Yes. That is good. What is the nature
of a hint in the form of begging.
Gosvami: Begging is of two kinds: 1. begging for
oneself, and 2. begging on behalf of another person. Then
begging may again be divided into these two kinds: Begging
expressed by the sound of the words (sabda-vyanga), and 2.
begging expressed by the meaning of the words (artha-
vyanga). The begging described here is all hints. When
the begging is for oneself, the heroine tells her own
story. When the begging is on behalf of another person,
the speaker tells another’s story.
Vijaya-kumara: I understand these direct hints. In
them the heroine may directly accuse Krsna of something.
These hints are also sabda-vyanga (according to the sound)
and artha-vyanga (according to the meaning). Many poets
have expertly placed such clever hints in the mouths of
actors and actresses. Now please explain vyapadesa (a
pretext).
Gosvami: In the alankara-sastra it is said the apadesa
and vyapadesa are synonyms. Apadesa means to indicate one
thing while speaking of another. In this way one speaks
words that clearly m mean one thing while hinting a request
to serve Krsna in a certain way. This is called
‘vyapadesa’. ‘Vyapadesa’ should be spoken by a messenger
(duti).
Vijaya-kumara: Vyapadesa is then a kind of trick where
a request has a hidden meaning. Now please describe
purastha-visaya-gata-vyanga (the hint of talking about
something before one’s eyes).
Gosvami: When one thinks, “Krsna has heard, but He did
not hear”, and when Krsna changes the subject, talking
instead about some nearby animal of something else, that is
the hint called ‘purastha-visaya-gata-vyanga’. This hint
is of two kinds: 1. Sabda (sounds) and 2. Artha (meaning).
Vijaya-kumara: By your mercy, I understand everything.
Now please describe the hints given by bodily gestures.
Gosvami: Gesturing with the fingers, moving quickly on
some pretext, covering the body out of fear and shyness,
scratching the ground with one’s foot, scratching the ear,
making a gesture of applying tilaka, dressing in a certain
way, moving the eyebrows, embracing a gopi friend, hitting
a gopi friend, biting one’s lips, playing with one’s
necklace, making one’s ornaments tinkle, moving one’s
shoulders, writing the name ‘Krsna’, and twining a vine
around a tree are all included among the hints given by
bodily gestures.
Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe the hints given by
the eyes.
Gosvami: Laughing and smiling with the eyes, half-
closing the eyes, moving the eyes, looking in the distance,
crooked glances, glancing with the left eye, and sidelong
glances are some of the hints given by the eyes.
Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand the svayam-dutis.
You have only given some hints. But that is good enough..
There are limitless kinds of such messengers. Now please
describe the apta-dutis.
Gosvami: The messenger who is a beautiful Vraja-gopi,
who is affectionate and eloquent, and whom one can trust to
faithfully keep a secret, even to end of life, is this kind
of messenger (apta-duti).
Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of apta-dutis are there?
Gosvami: The apta-dutis are of three kinds: 1.
Amitartha, 2. Nisrstartha and 3. Patra-hari. A messenger,
understanding the meaning of various hints and signs,
brings the lovers together, is called an ‘amitarth duti’.
A messenger who uses the persuasive power of her eloquent
words to bring to the lovers together is called a
‘nisrstartha duti’. A messenger who carries letters is
called a ‘patra-hari’.
Vijaya-kumara: Are there any other apta-dutis?
Gosvami: The silpa-karini (artists), daivajna
(astrologers), lingini (brahmana girls), paricarika
(maidservants), dhatreyi (nursemaids), vanadevi (goddesses
of the forest), sakhis (gopi friends), and many others are
also counted among the apta-dutis. The silpa-karinis
included girls who use their skill at drawing pictures to
arrange for the meeting of the lovers. The daivajnas use
their knowledge of astrology to arrange the lovers’
meeting. The linginis dress in the garments of brahmana
ascetics, like Paurnamasi. There are many paricarika
messengers, such as Lavanga-manjari and Bhaumati. The
dhatreyis are the women who had been nursemaids to Radha
and the other gopis. The vanadevi is the goddesses of
Vrndavana (forest). The sakhis have already been
described. They also become messengers. These girls carry
messages, either direct and clear messages, or messages
filled with hints and suggestions, hints that may be either
sabda-vyanga or artha-vyanga, both of which I have already
described. In this situation there may be vyapadesa
(statements with a hidden meaning), arthta-mula, prasamsa
(words of praise), aksepa (words of lamentation), and many
other kinds of words also.
After hearing all these explanations, Vijaya-kumara
offered respectful obeisances to his spiritual master’s
feet and then took his leave. Thinking and thinking of all
these descriptions, he walked home.
Chapter Thirty-four
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Quickly honouring prasadam, and then walking by
seacoast, Vijaya-kumara went to Kasi-misra’s home. As he
looked at the waves in the ocean, he thought of the ocean
of rasas entered his heart. He thought, “Ah! This ocean
reminds me of ecstatic love (bhava) for Lord Krsna. Even a
material thing can remind one of spiritual love. This
ocean is like the ocean of rasas my spiritual master
described. Some day I will throw this gross and subtle,
material body far away, I will attain the form of a
manjari, I will go the shore of the ocean of rasas, and I
will taste the sweetness of the rasas. Lord Krsna, who is
dark like a monsoon cloud, is the only master of my life.
Sri Vrsabhanunandini (Sri Radha), who stays by His side, is
the queen of my life. This ocean is like the ecstatic love
Sri Radha and Krsna feel for each other. Their rasas and
bhavas are an ocean garlanded with waves. When bhava
arises, then there are wonderful waves in this ocean. Then
I am a sakhi (gopi) standing on the shore. Then I float in
the ocean of prema-rasa (the rasas of spiritual love).
Lord Krsna is the ocean of rasas. Krsna is dark like the
ocean. Sri Radha is the waves of love (prema) in that
ocean of Krsna. She is beautiful with a fair complexion.
The many great waves in that ocean are Her friends
(sakhis). The smaller waves are Her maidservants
(paricarikas). I am very far from them all. I am a
maidservant of Radha’s maidservant’s.” Thinking and
thinking in this way, Vijaya-kumara fell unconscious. Soon
he regained consciousness. Slowly he approached his
spiritual master and offered dandavat obeisances to his
feet. Humbly he sat down. Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced
him and said, “O Vijaya-kumara, is everything well with
you?” Vijaya-kumara replied, “O master, your mercy is the
root of all auspiciousness. I am a follower of the sakhis
(gopi friends of Sri Radha). Therefore I want to clearly
understand about the different kinds of sakhis.
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, to properly glorify the
sakhis is beyond the power of the individual souls. You
are a follower of Srila Rupa Gosvami, so you can understand
all this. The beautiful girls of Vraja who are sakhis are
expert in manifesting many (vistarini) pastimes of love
(prema-lila). They are great reservoirs filled with faith
in Vraja’s divine youthful couple. A person who wishes to
clearly understand them is certainly very fortunate. When
describing the different groups of gopis, I have already
described the different kinds of sakhis, namely the sakhis
who are adhika, sama, and laghvi, and the sakhis who are
prakhara, madhya, mrdvi. I explained all these divisions
yesterday. Here is the evidence for them, from Srila Rupa
Gosvami (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sakhi-prakarana, 3-5):
“In the matters of spiritual love, good fortune and
spiritual virtues, and in other matters also, the sakhis
are divided into three groups: 1. Adhika, 2. Sama, and 3.
Laghu.
“A prakhara sakhi speaks heavy words that are
difficult to counter. A mrdvi sakhi does not speak harshly
at all. A sama sakhi stands midway between the prakhara
and mrdvi sakhi.
“The sakhis may be divided into different types,
beginning with the atyantadhika. In each group of sakhis
the leader is atyantadhika.
“Some of the atyantadhika sakhis are prakhara, some
are madhya, and some are mrdvi.”
Vijaya-kumara: The yuthesvari is the leader of a
particular group. You have already described how the
yuthesvaris are atyantika and how they are divided into
three kinds: prakhara, madhya, and mrdvi. In this way they
are either atyantadhika prakhara, atyantadhika madhya, or
atyantadhika mrdvi. This you have already explained. Now
please describe the different kinds of sakhis.
Gosvami: In each group the yuthesvari is the only
atyantadhika sakhi. The other sakhis are all
apeksikadhika, apeksika sama, or apeksika laghvi. Then
again, these are also divided into prakhara, madhya, and
mrdvi. In this way the three groups are multiplied by
three to bring nine groups altogether. They are:
1. Apeksikadhika prakhara, 2. Apeksikadhika madhya, 3.
Apeksikadhika mrdvi, 4. Apeksika-sama prakhara, 5. Apeksika-
sama madhya, 6. Apeksika-sama mrdvi and 9. Apeksika-lagvi
mrdvi.
The antyantika laghvi is of two kinds: 1. Atyantika
laghvi, and 2. Sama-lagvi. This two is added to the
preceding nine, and to them added the yuthesvari. In this
way there are twelve types of heroines in each group.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, which famous gopis are
examples of each of these different kinds of sakhis?
Gosvami: Lalita and many other sakhis in Sri Radha’s
group are apeksikadhika prakhara sakhis. Visakha and many
other sakhis in the same group are apeksikadhika madhya
sakhis. Citra, Madhurika and many other sakhis in that
group are apeksikadhika mrdvi sakhis. However, Lalita and
the other asta-sakhis (eight closest friends of Sri Radha)
are all apeksika laghvi when compared to Sri Radha Herself.
Vijaya-kumara: Are the apeksika-laghvi prakhara sakhis
and the other groups of sakhis like them further divided
into other kinds of sakhis?
Gosvami: The Laghvi prakhara sakhis are of two kinds:
1. Vama (left wing), and 2. Daksina (right wing).
Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of vama sakhis?
Gosvami: They are always very proud. If there is some
slackening in the respect shown to them, they become angry.
They are not submissive to their lover. Such a sakhi is
called ‘vama’. In Radha’s group, Lalita and many others
are considered vama prakhara sakhis.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the daksina
sakhis?
Gosvami: These heroines cannot tolerate pride. These
heroines speak sweetly to their lover and they are
conquered by His sweet words to them. Such a sakhi is
called ‘daksina’. In Sri Radha’s group. Tungavidya and
many others are daksina prakhara sakhis.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the atyantika sakhis?
Gosvami: These sakhis are always sweet. They are less
important than the other sakhis. Kusumika and many others
are said to be atyantika laghvi sakhis.
Vijaya-kumara: How do the sakhis carry messages?
Gosvami: The sakhis bring the hero, who has come a
great distance, to meet the heroine. That is the message
they carry.
Vijaya-kumara: Are the sakhis ever heroines?
Gosvami: The yuthesvaris are heroines eternally. The
apeksikadhika prakharas, apeksikadhika madhyas, and
apeksikadhika mrdvis may be either heroines or sakhis.
They have both natures. When gopis of an inferior status
are present, they may assume the role of heroine. When a
gopi of superior status is present, they assume the role of
sakhi. The gopis of inferior status consider them
heroines, and the gopis of superior status consider them
sakhis. Therefore they are called ‘nayika-praya’ (almost
heroines). The apeksika prakhara, apeksika madhya, and
apeksika mrdvis also play double roles. They become sakhis
when superior gopis are present and heroines when inferior
gopis are present. The apeksika prakhara, apeksika madhya,
and apeksika mrdvis are most often sakhis. Because the
yuthesvari and the previous described three classes of
gopis are superior to them, the atyantika laghvi gopis are
considered here as a fifth category. They are always
sakhis. In the presence of the yuthesvari, the apeksika
gopis are all sakhis and dutis (messengers). Then they are
not heroines. The atyantika laghvi gopis are always
sakhis. They are never heroines, and they are never dutis.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the sakhis that act as dutis?
Gosvami: The yuthesvari are always heroines. Everyone
always honours them. They do not carry messages. However,
the yuthesvari entrusts to her favourite sakhi the task of
carrying messages. However, when one of her sakhis becomes
the objects of the hero’s love, the yuthesvari will become
a gauna (secondary) kind of messenger on her behalf. Here
‘gauna’ means that the yuthesvari does not come and go for
long distances carrying. This kind of carrying messages is
of two kinds: 1. When Krsna is present, and 2. When Krsna
is not present.
Vijaya-kumara: In what different ways are messages
carried when Krsna is present?
Gosvami: These messages are of two kinds: 1. Hints,
and 2. Direct statements.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the hints?
Gosvami: When, by a sidelong glance, an eyebrow
movement, a movement of the forefinger or another part of
the body, or another kind of hint, a sakhi sends Krsna to
the heroine, that is called the message in the form of a
hint.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the direct statements?
Gosvami: When, either directly to Lord Krsna or
secretly behind his back, the messenger speaks appropriate
words, that is called a message in the form of a direct
statement.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the messages when Krsna is
absent?
Gosvami: Here one sakhi brings another sakhi to Krsna.
There are man ways a message can be carried in this way.
These are all considered carrying a message when Krsna is
not present.
Vijaya-kumara: What are messages carried for the
nayika-praya (almost heroine)?
Gosvami: When an apeksikadhika prakhara, apeksikadhika
madhya or apeksikadhika mrdvi carry a message for a gopi of
inferior status, this is called ‘carrying a message for a
nayika-praya’. The sama sakhis and madhya sakhis are
naturally friends. Their friendship is mostly sweet and
for the most part they have no difference between them.
Panditas learned in the science of spiritual love (prema)
can understand all this.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘a message carried by a sakhi-
praya’ (one who is almost a sakhi)?
Gosvami: These are messages carried by a laghu-
prakara, laghu-madhya, or laghu-mrdvi gopi. When they are
engaged in carrying messages they are called ‘sakhi-praya’
(almost sakhi)>
Vijaya-kumara: What is a nitya-sakhi (always a sakhi)?
Gosvami: Gopis who only wish to be a sakhi and never
desire to become a heroine are called ‘nitya-sakhi’. The
nitya-sakhis are of two kinds: 1. Atyantika laghvi and 2.
Apeksika laghvi.
Vijaya-kumara: Do the sakhis eternally possess certain
specific qualities, like the quality of being prakhara
(harsh), qualities that they always manifest and never
abandon?
Gosvami: Although certain qualities are part of the
eternal nature of each gopi, sometimes, according to time,
place and circumstances, the gopis manifest other
qualities, even qualities that are the opposite of their
ordinary nature. An example of this is Lalita’s attempt to
calm Radha’s jealous anger.
Vijaya-kumara: It seems to me that Radha takes great
care to arrange the meeting of Lord Krsna with her friends.
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, I can say something about
that. When a sakhi sent with a message meets Krsna in a
secluded place, and He requests that she enjoy with Him,
she will not agree. She will not break the trust of the
gopi friend who sent her with the message.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the sakhis’ activities?
Gosvami: The sakhis have sixteen kinds of activities:
1. To praise the virtues of the hero before the heroine and
to praise the virtues of the heroine before the hero. 2.
To make the hero and heroine attached to each other. 3. To
arrange for the rendezvous of the hero and heroine. 4. To
give the heroine to Krsna. 5. To speak eloquent jokes. 6.
To give consolation. 7. To decorate the heroine in her
room. 8. To reveal to the hero the love in the heroine’s
heart and to reveal to the heroine the love in the hero’s
heart. 9. To hide faults. 10. To teach the heroine how to
deceive her husband and other superiors. 11. To bring the
hero and heroine together at the appropriate time. 12. To
fan with a camara and perform other like services. 13. To
approach the hero or heroine when it is appropriate. 14.
To carry a message. 15. To save the heroine’s life, and
16. To be careful and diligent in everything. Many
examples could be given to illustrate each of these. What
more shall I say:
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I understand these brief
explanations. Later I will see the examples given in the
book Ujjvala-nilamani. Now I have learned a great deal. O
master, now I would like to learn about the sakhis’s
affection for each other and love for Lord Krsna.
Gosvami: The sakhis are of two kinds: 1. The sakhis
whose love for Krsna and their own yuthesvari is not equal,
and 2. The sakhis who love Krsna and their own yuthesvari
equally.
Vijaya-kumara: What sakhis have love for Krsna and
their own yuthesvari that is not equal.
Gosvami: These gopis, who are called ‘asama-sneha
sakhis’ are of two kinds. Some love their yuthesvari more
than they love Krsna. Others think, “I am a maidservant of
Krsna.” These gopis will not leave their group to join
another. Still, they love Krsna more than they love their
yuthesvari. A gopi who is proud to serve her yuthesvari,
and who loves her yuthesvari more than Krsna, is called
‘sakhi-snehadhika’.
Vijaya-kumara: Why are they?
Gosvami: Among the five kinds of sakhis I have already
described, those who are simply called sakhis love Krsna
more (krsna-snehadhika). The previously described nitya-
sakhis and prana sakhis love their yuthesvari more (sakhi-
snehadhika).
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the gopis that love Krsna and
their yuthesvari equally?
Gosvami: The gopis that love Krsna and their
yuthesvari equally are called ‘sama-sneha’.
Vijaya-kumara: Of these sakhis who are the best?
Gosvami: The sakhis who love Radha and Krsna equally,
and who think, ‘I am a follower of Radha’ are the best of
all. They are called ‘priya-sakhis’ and ‘parama-prestha-
sakhis’.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please describe the rivalries
of the different groups of sakhis.
Gosvami: All the groups of Vraja-gopis are divided in
four ways: 1, sva-paksa (one’s own group), 2, suhrt-paksa
(friends), 3, tatastha-paksa (neutral parties), and 4,
paritpaksa (enemies). The gopi groups associate with the
suhrt-paksas and tatastha-paksas, and they avoid the
pratipaksas. In this way there is exchange of rasas.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the sva-paksa,
pratipaksa and the others.
Gosvami: The sva-paksa I have already explained. Now
I will explain how the suhrt-paksas and the other groups
differ. The suhrt-paksas are of two kinds: 1, ista-
sadhaka (friends pushed together to do something
favourable) and anista-sadhaka (friends pushed together to
do something unfavourable). The tatastha-paksa is friendly
to both the sva-paksa and the pratipaksa.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pratipaksas.
Gosvami: The vipaksas are enemies. They destroy what
is good and bring what is evil. The vipaksas manifest
trickery, malice, restlessness, envy, spite, mercilessness,
pride and a host of other like qualities.
Vijaya-kumara: How is pride manifested?
Gosvami: False-ego, self-importance, arrogance,
mocking, conceit, and haughtiness, are the six
manifestations of pride.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of false-ego?
Gosvami: When one praises the sva-paksa and reviles
the pratipaksa, that is false ego.
Vijaya-kumara: What is self-importance?
Gosvami: When one explains how one’s own group has the
most exalted spiritual love, that is self importance.
Vijaya-kumara: What is arrogance?
Gosvami: When one is convinced that one’s own group
enjoys the most exalted spiritual pastimes, that is
arrogance.
Vijaya-kumara: What is mocking?
Gosvami: When one laughs at the other group, that is
mocking.
Vijaya-kumara: What is conceit?
Gosvami: When pride improves one’s devotional service,
that is conceit in this context.
Vijaya-kumara: What is haughtiness?
Gosvami: To openly declare one’s own superiority is
called haughtiness. To criticise other sakhis and speak
sarcastically about them is also haughtiness.
Vijaya-kumara: Do the yuthesvaris show malice
directly?
Gosvami: No. The yuthesvaris always keep their
gravity and decorum. They do not openly express malice.
Even if a prakhara sakhi speaks maliciously in her
presence, the yuthesvari continues to speak pleasantly.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, the yuthesvaris in the Lord’s
Vraja pastimes are all eternally perfect. They are one of
the Lord’s potencies. What does it mean that malice and
other inauspicious qualities are present among them?
Seeing these qualities, non devotee philosophers will
criticise the Lord’s Vraja pastimes. They will say, “If
malice and other inauspicious qualities are present in the
spiritual world, then why do the devotees criticise or
renounce the material world?”
O master I am a resident of holy Navadvipa, where, by
the will of Lord Krsna Caitanya, many materialists may be
seen. Some are followers of karma-kanda. Some are barren
logicians. Some are impersonalists. In this way there are
many offenders. They condemn the Lord’s pastimes. They
claim that the Lord’s pastimes are material and are filled
with imperfections.
Gosvami: Persons (arasika) who cannot understand the
Lord’s spiritual rasas claim that it is not right for the
Lord’s personal associates manifest malice or other
seemingly inauspicious qualities. When one is at last able
to understand the spiritual truth, then one can see Vraja’s
madhura-rasa, which is the dear friend of Lord Krsna, the
Lord who destroys all sins and whose transcendental form
enchants a multitude of Kamadevas. Malice and other
seemingly inauspicious emotions felt by Lord Krsna’s
personal associates are meant to enhance Lord Krsna’s
transcendental pleasure when the associates are in His
company. Apart from these pastimes with Krsna, these
seemingly inauspicious qualities are not manifested. At
that time there is only love.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I am a tiny creature. These
confidential truths do not easily enter my heart. Please
be merciful and explain it very simply and clearly. That
will be auspicious for me.
Gosvami: The rasas of spiritual love (prema-rasa) are
like a great ocean of milk. However, material logic is
bitter like cow’s urine. One who can understand the
spiritual rasas obtains an auspicious life. And why not?
It is after a person performs many pious deeds that Bhakti-
devi (the goddess of devotional service) places the fruit
of the hladini-sakti in his heart. Thus a person who shuns
the study of material logic obtains the final truth. On
the other hand, persons who use material logic to
understand the truth cannot understand the spiritual truth,
which is inconceivable, beyond the understanding of the
material mind. The so-called truth they accept is filled
with misconceptions. However, you are a fortunate soul.
Therefore by the grace of Bhakti-devi you understand
everything. However, to make the truth very clear, I must
answer your question. You are not a material logician, nor
a follower of karma-kanda, nor a follower of jnana-kanda,
nor a doubter. You are a sincere devotee engaged in vaidhi-
bhakti devotional service. I will explain the truth to
you. I have no objection. You asked two kinds of
questions. One kind of question takes shelter of dry
material logic. The other kind of question may be
satisfied by faith in logic. The other kind of question
may be satisfied by faith in devotional service. You
should not answer the question posed by the impersonalist.
Why not? Because they have no faith in the actual truth
and thus they will not believe what is the true answer.
Without taking shelter of the Lord’s cit-sakti (spiritual
potency) a soul imprisoned by Maya cannot understand the
inconceivable spiritual truth merely by using the
instrument of material logic in a great series of debates.
That is the fate of persons who have no faith in the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Many different kinds of
persons engage in devotional service. Persons who are
qualified to understand the madhura rasa can understand all
these truths from their spiritual master. O Vijaya-kumara,
the Lord’s pastimes and rasas in Vrndavana are very
wonderful. The Lord’s madhura-rasa is very different from
the amorous pastimes of the material world. By studying
Srimad-Bhagavatam’s five chapter description of the Lord’s
rasa dance, a devotee will uproot the desire that grows in
his heart. What disease grows in the heart of the souls
imprisoned by Maya? The disease is material lust. A soul
who has taken shelter of the subtle material body
consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego, who is
filled with material desires, who identifies with the gross
material body made of seven elements beginning with flesh,
and who thinks it is a man or a woman, does not have the
power to throw material lust far away very easily. Only by
hearing about the Lord’s Vraja pastimes will that soul be
able to throw material lust far away. In the end, such a
person is able to see the great wonder that is the Lord’s
madhura-rasa pastimes in Vrndavana. When He throws the
impersonalists philosophy far away, then the spiritual
madhura-rasa is eternally manifest before him. When he
understands the lesser importance of the Lord’s majestic
feature in Vaikuntha, the soul can understand the supreme
glory of the Lord’s eternal and splendid rasas. Then the
soul is filled with intense transcendental bliss. Then the
dry happiness of impersonalism and the dull pleasures of
the material world become very unimportant for him. Then
he is filled with a bliss that is perfect and complete.
This perfect and complete bliss is manifest in many places
and in many ways. In some bhavas it is manifested as
affection and other like emotions, and in other places it
is manifested as malice and other so-called inauspicious
emotions. Material malice and material inauspicious
emotions are all abominable. These spiritual emotions are
not like them. They are all various transformations of
spiritual bliss. They are like waves in the great ocean of
the spiritual rasas. They make that ocean glorious. The
conclusion of Srila Rupa Gosvami is that these different
rasas show the wonderful variety of ecstatic love (bhava).
In the sva-paksa, these bhavas are all the same. In the
suhrt-paksa the bhavas are slightly different. In the
tatastha-paksa, the bhavas are slightly similar. In the
vipaksa, the bhavas are completely different. Look. When
the bhavas are not compatible the situation is not
pleasant. In that situation the supremely blissful rasas
produce malice and other seemingly inauspicious emotions.
Vijaya-kumara: Why do sva-paksas and vipaksas exist?
Gosvami: When two heroines have the same nature, sva-
paksa and vipaksa are manifested. In this way friends and
enemies are manifested from the spiritual rasas. The
purpose of these emotions is to increase the sweetness of
the Lord’s spiritual madhura-rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: Are Radha and Candravali equally
powerful?
Gosvami: No. No. Sri Radha is full of the highest
ecstatic love. She is the essence of the hladini-sakti.
Candravali is manifested from a tiny particle of Sri
Radha’s transcendental form. Still, in order to increase
the prema-rasa (loving pastimes) of Sri Radha, Candravali
is manifested as if she were Radha’s equal and rival
(vipaksa). Look, it is not possible for these two
yuthesvaris to be completely alike. If these two seem
sometimes to be equals, it is only an accident, like the
path of a bookworm accidentally forming the shape of a
certain letter of the alphabet. In truth, the sva-paksas
and vipaksas are needed to make the rasas glorious.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, no I have no doubts. The
nectar of your words flows into my ears and enters my
heart, where it destroys all the bitterness that was there.
In my heart I can now understand the transformations of
madhura-rasa. Lord Krsna is eternal and full of knowledge
and bliss. He is the only hero (nayaka). I meditate on
His form, qualities, and activities. He is dhirodhatta,
dhira-lalita, dhira-prasanta, and dhirodhatta. His
qualities are anukula, daksina, satha, and dhrstha. He is
always served by His are ceta, vita, vidusaka, pitha-
mardaka, and priya-narma-sakha companions. He likes to
play the flute. Lord Krsna, who enjoys the madhura-rasa,
is manifest in my heart. I have also understood the
descriptions of the beautiful girls of Vraja who have taken
shelter of the madhura-rasa. They are heroines (nayika).
The heroines are of two kinds: 1. Svakiya, and 2. Parakiya.
The best rasa is that of the parakiya heroines in Vraja.
These heroines are of three kinds: 1, sadhana-para, 2,
devi, and 3, nitya-priya. Divided into many, many
different groups, the girls of Vraja serve Lord Krsna.
There are many millions and millions of such girls of
Vraja, each of them subordinate to one of the many, many
yuthesvaris. Radha and Candravali are the most important
of the yuthesvaris. There are five kinds of sakhis: 1
sakhi, 2 nitya-sakhi, 3 prana-sakhi, 4 priya-sakhi, and 5
parama-prestha-sakhi. In Radha’s group the eight sakhis
headed by Lalita are para-prestha-sakhis. These eight
sakhis headed by Lalita are qualified to become yuthesvaris
themselves, but they do not form separate groups, for they
prefer to remain followers of Sri Radha. Still, many other
girls of Vraja consider themselves followers of these eight
sakhis. The heroines are divided in different ways: as
mugdha, madhya, and pragalbha, as dhira, adhira, and
dhiradhira, and as kanya, svakiya and parakiya. In this
way there are fifteen different kinds of heroines. The
heroines have eight different conditions of life, which
begin with abhisarika. The heroines are also divided into
uttama, madhyama and kanistha. In this way there are 360
(15 x 8 x 3) different kinds of heroines. Knowledge of the
friendship and other emotions felt by the yuthesvaris is
now also present in my heart. Knowledge of the messengers
and sakhis is now also manifested in my heart. Now I am
able to understand the shelter in whom the rasas rest. Now
I understand the visaya and asraya, and, included within
them, the vibhava and alambana. Tomorrow I will take
shelter of your feet and learn from you about the
uddipanas. Lord Krsna has been very kind to me, to give me
such a kind spiritual master. Tomorrow I will be very well
nourished by drinking the nectar words that flow from your
mouth.
Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced Vijaya-kumara and
said, Baba. I am very fortunate to have you as a disciple.
You like to ask many questions, and Lord Caitanya Himself
has placed all the answers in my mouth. The two of them
wept tears of love. After that they were both stunned and
motionless.
Seeing how fortunate Vijaya-kumara had become,
Dhyanacandra and the other great souls there became plunged
into great transcendental bliss. At that moment some pure
Vaisnavas came to visit the Sri Radha-kanta temple. They
began to sing this song of Candi-dasa:
“O friend, whom did I hear pronounce the name ‘Syama’?
That name entered my ears. Then it traveled to my heart.
Now my life breath trembles.
“I do not know why the name ‘Syama’ is so sweet. My
mouth cannot renounce saying it. I say it again and again.
My senses are all overwhelmed. What will become of me?
“If this name makes my senses burn with fever, what
would happen if the bearer of this name were to touch my
limbs? If I were to see this person with my eyes, how could
I continue on the religious path?
“In my heart I decide to forget Him, but He will not
be forgotten. What will I do? Considering the fate of a
saintly young girl in danger of destroying her family, the
brahmana Candi-dasa speaks these words.”
Accompanied by karatalas and mrdanga, everyone sang
this song. An hour and half passed in this way. Everyone
was plunged in spiritual love (prema). When the spiritual
bliss was a little broken, Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat
obeisances to Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami and the other
Vaisnavas, respectfully bade them farewell, and began
walking to Haracandi-sahi’s house.
Chapter Thirty-five
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Again and again Krsna appeared in his thoughts.
Vijaya-kumara’s heart was attracted to Krsna. His ordinary
dealings were now chaotic. He ate a little of what food
was around and then ran like a madman to his spiritual
master, and then fell down before his feet. Gopala-guru
Gosvami carefully picked him up and embraced him. Vijaya-
kumara said, “O master, I wish to learn about the uddipanas
in madhura rasa.” Then the saintly Gosvami carefully
spoke.
Gosvami: The qualities, names, activities,
decorations, and other things directly and indirectly
related to Krsna and His beloved gopis are the uddipanas in
madhura rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these qualities.
Gosvami: The qualities are of three kinds: 1 mental, 2
verbal and 3 physical.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the mental qualities?
Gosvami: Gratefulness, forgiveness, and kindness are
included among the many mental qualities.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the verbal qualities?
Gosvami: The verbal qualities are words that delight
the ear.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the physical qualities?
Gosvami: Youthfulness, splendour, charm, beauty,
delight, sweetness, and gentleness are included among the
physical qualities. Four kinds of youthfulness take
shelter of madhura rasa. They are: 1 vaya-sandhi, 2 navya-
vayasa, 3 vyakta-vayasa and 4 purna-vayasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vaya-sandhi?
Gosvami: The pint where balya and yauvana meet is
called vya-sandhi. It is also called ‘prathama-kaisora’.
When kaisora arises, that is vayah-sandhi. Here balya and
paugandha are synonyms. The sweetness of the gopis’ vaya-
sandhi age is an uddipana that inspires Lord Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: What is navya-vayasa?
Gosvami: It is the beginning of yauvana. In this age
the gopis smile gently, their eyes are restless, their
hearts are beginning to become agitated, and their breasts
are beginning to manifest.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vyakta-vayasa?
As this question was spoken, Sri Vaisnava and pandita
sannyasi from the Sankara-matha came to see the Deity. The
Sri Vaisnava considered himself a male servant of the Lord,
and the Sankara sannyasi was plunged in dry meditation on
impersonal Brahma. Neither of them were qualified to hear
about the Vraja-gopis. It is forbidden to discuss madhura-
rasa with person firmly convinced of their material
malehood. Gopala-guru Gosvami and Vijaya-kumara at once
stopped their conversation and made small talk about other
things. After a short while the two guests left to see the
siddha bakula tree. Gently smiling, Vijaya-kumara repeated
his question.
Gosvami: When the breasts are clearly manifested,
three folds of skin are manifested on the waist, and all
the limbs are splendid, then the age is said to be vyakta-
vayasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is purna-vayasa?
Gosvami: When the hips are large, the waist slender,
all the limbs splendid with extraordinary beauty, the
breasts large, and the thighs like banana trees, the age is
called purna-vayasa.
Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand these different ages.
Now please describe form.
Gosvami: When the form is so splendid and glorious
that it seems to be decorated even when it is not, is
called splendor. When all the limbs are beautiful, that is
called splendour.
Vijaya-kumara: What is charm?
Gosvami: When all the limbs shine with a splendour
like the splendour of pearls, that is called charm.
Vijaya-kumara: What is beauty?
Gosvami: When each limb is shaped in the most
appropriate way, and when all the limbs are combined
together in the most beautiful way, that is called beauty.
Vijaya-kumara: What is delight?
Gosvami: When one’s wonderful qualities make those
nearby also wonderful in the same way, that is called
delight.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sweetness?
Gosvami: When the body’s beauty is so great that it
cannot be described, that is sweetness.
Vijaya-kumara: What is gentleness?
Gosvami: When the body is so soft and delicate it
cannot tolerate even the slightest touch, that is called
gentleness. Gentleness is of three kinds: 1 great, 2
intermediate and 3 less.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, now I understand all these
qualities. Now please describe the names.
Gosvami: Transcendental names, such as the name Radha-
Krsna are the birthplace of the rasas and bhavas.
Vijaya-kumara: I understand. Now please describe the
activities.
Gosvami: The activities are of two kinds: 1 anubhava
and 2 lila. Anubhava was already described after vibhava.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe lila.
Gosvami: Beautiful pastimes, dancing, playing the
flute, milking the cows, herding the cows from the hill,
and other like activities are all called lila.
Vijaya-kumara: What are beautiful pastimes?
Gosvami: The rasa dance, and playing games with a ball
are included among the numberless beautiful pastimes that
charm the heart.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the decorations?
Gosvami: Garments, ornaments, garlands and ointments
are the four kinds of decorations.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the things directly related to
Krsna and the gopis?
Gosvami: Two kinds of things are directly related to
Krsna and the gopis. They are: 1 things touching and 2
things nearby.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the things touching?
Gosvami: The sound of the flute, the sound of the
buffalo-horn, bugle, the singing, fragrance, tinkling of
the ornaments, footprints, sound of the vina, and artistic
skill are included among the things touching.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the sound of the flute?
Gosvami: From Krsna’s mouth, nectar flute-music flows.
That music is the best of the uddipanas.
Vijaya-kumara: Please be kind and describe the things
nearby.
Gosvami: Flower remnants, peacock feathers, mineral
dyes from the hills, the cows, the stick, the flute, the
buffalo-horn bugle, the sight of Krsna’s dear associates,
the dust raised by the cows, Vrndavana. The living
entities and things that have their shelter in Vrndavana,
Govardhana Hill, the Yamuna, and the rasa-dance arena are
included among the things nearby.
Vijaya-kumara: Who are the living entities that have
taken shelter in Vrndavana?
Gosvami: Many birds, bees, deer, forest groves, vines,
tulasi plants, karnika flowers, and kadamba trees have
taken shelter of Vrndavana.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the things indirectly related
to Krsna and the gopis?
Gosvami: The moonlight, clouds, lightning,
springtime, autumn, full moon, breeze and birds are
included among what is indirectly related.
After hearing about all these uddipanas, Vijaya-kumara
was silent for a moment. Pushed by the uddipanas, ecstatic
love arose in his heart. Then the anubhavas became
manifested on his body. With a choked voice, Vijaya-kumara
said, “O master, please describe the anubhavas. When
describing His lilas, you said they were part of Lord
Krsna’s activities. When I understand the anubhavas I will
be able to know the full outline of Krsna’s activities.”
Gosvami: The anubhavas are of three kinds: 1 alankara,
2 ubhasvara and 3 vacika.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the alankaras?
Gosvami: In their yauvana age the beautiful girls of
Vraja manifest twenty kinds of alankara (ornaments). With
these ornaments they conquer their beloved. These
ornaments are:
Ornaments manifested from the body: 1 bhava, 2 hava 3
hela.
Ornaments manifested spontaneously: 4 sobha, 5 kanti,
6 dipti, 7 madhurya, 8 pragalbha, 9 audarya, 10 dhairya.
Natural ornaments: 11 lila, 12 vilasa, 13 vicchitti,
14 vibhrama, 15 kila-kincita, 16 mottayita, 17 kuttamita,
18 vibboka, 19 lalita and 20 vikrta.
Vijaya-kumara: What is bhava in this context?
Gosvami: When the heart is steady in madhura-rasa,
that state is called ‘rati’. The first manifestation of
rati is called ‘bhava’. When the heart is steady in rati,
that state is called ‘sattva’. When the heart becomes
agitated with ecstatic love, that is called ‘bhava’.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is hava?
Gosvami: To tilt the neck, move the eyes or eyebrows,
or give other hints of love called ‘hava’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is hela?
Gosvami: When the amorous hints of hava are more
openly expressed, that is called ‘hela’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sobha?
Gosvami: The beauty that amorous pastimes use to
decorate the limbs is called ‘sobha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is kanti?
Gosvami: When amorous desires are satisfied, the
splendour then manifested is called ‘kanti’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is dipti?
Gosvami: When youthfulness, enjoyment, place, time,
virtues, and other like things bring a great and glorious
splendour that splendour is called ‘dipti’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is madhurya?
Gosvami: Still in all activities is called ‘madhurya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is pragalbha?
Gosvami: To be self assured and free from doubt is
called ‘pragalbhata’. This brings great splendour to every
limb.
Vijaya-kumara: What is audarya?
Gosvami: To be humble in every situation is called
‘audarya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is dhairya?
Gosvami: When the mind is exalted, that is called
‘dhairya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is lila?
Gosvami: To imitate the beloved’s graceful garments
and actions is called ‘lila’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vilasa?
Gosvami: When walking, staying still, sitting, the
mouth, the eyes, and many other things are all employed to
give amorous hints to the beloved, that is called ‘vilasa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vicchitti?
Gosvami: If there is great beauty, even though the
ornaments are few, that is called ‘vicchitti’. In the
opinion of some scholars of rasa, when the lover commits an
offense, the sakhis carefully decorated Him, and in spite
of all efforts, the girl remains angry, her condition is
called vicchitti.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vibhrama?
Gosvami: When, at the time of going to meet her
beloved, a girl is so bewildered with amorous desire that
she decorates herself with necklace, garland and other
ornaments in the wrong way, that is called ‘vibhrama’.
Vijaya-kumara: what is kila-kincita?
Gosvami: Pride, desire, weeping, laughing, envy, fear,
and anger, when they are manifested as symptoms of
happiness when one meets the beloved, are called ‘kila-
kincita.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is mottayita?
Gosvami: When, by remembering the beloved or receiving
news of him, the lover feels love and then desire, that is
called ‘mottayita’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is kuttamita?
Gosvami: When the lover touches the beloved’s breast,
and the beloved, although actually pleased, puts on an
outward show of anger, that is called ‘kuttamita’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vibboka?
Gosvami: When pride and jealousy make the beloved
insult the lover, that is called ‘vibboka’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is lalita?
Gosvami: When the movements of the body and the
eyebrows show softness, that is called ‘lalita’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vikrta?
Gosvami: When shyness, pride, and anger are expressed
not by words but by actions, that is called ‘vikrta’. In
this way twenty ornaments are manifested from the body and
mind. Some scholars of rasa add two more ornaments -
maughdya and cakita - to this list.
Vijaya-kumara: What is maughdya?
Gosvami: When, even though she already knows the
answer, the beloved, as if she didn’t already know, asks
the lover anyway, that is called ‘maugdhya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is cakita?
Gosvami: When, even though there is no reason to fear,
the beloved tells her lover that she is very afraid, that
is called ‘cakita’.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, thus I have heard about these
alankaras (ornaments). Now please teach me about the
udbhasvaras.
Gosvami: When the ecstatic love present in the heart
is splendidly manifested in the body, that is called
‘udbhasvara’. When in madhura rasa the belt, bodice and
braids become loosened, the limbs are agitated, the mouth
is opened wide, and, with dilated nostrils there is heavy
breathing, that is called “udbhasvara”.
Vijaya-kumara: All these udbhasvaras could easily have
been included within mottayita and vilasa.
Gosvami: They have a different kind of glory.
Therefore they are considered separately.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, now please describe the
verbal anubhavas.
Gosvami: Alapa, vilapa, samlapa, pralapa, anulapa,
apalapa, sandesa, atidesa, apadesa, upadesa, nirdesa and
vyapadesa are the twelve verbal anubhavas.
Vijaya-kumara: What is alapa?
Gosvami: When one speaks pleasing, flattering words,
that is called ‘alapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vilapa?
Gosvami: When one laments, that is called ‘vilapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: When one laments, that is called
‘vilapa’.
Gosvami: Pleasing conversations are called ‘samlapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is pralapa?
Gosvami: Meaningless words are called ‘pralapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is anulapa?
Gosvami: Repeating the same thing over and over is
called ‘anulapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is apalapa?
Gosvami: To explain something a second time is called
‘apalapa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sandesa?
Gosvami: To send a letter to a beloved in a faraway
place is called ‘sandesa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is atidesa?
Gosvami: To say, ‘His words are my words’ is called
‘atidesa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is apadesa?
Gosvami: While speaking about one thing to reveal
another is called ‘apadesa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is upadesa?
Gosvami: To give instruction is called ‘upadesa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is nirdesa?
Gosvami: To affirm, “I am that person” is called
‘nirdesa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vyapadesa?
Gosvami: To misrepresent one’s true desire is called
‘vyapadesa’. All these anubhavas are present in all the
rasas. However, they are famous for making the madhura-
rasa sweet.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, why are these rasa anubhavas
considered separately?
Gosvami: When the alambanas and uddipanas enter the
heart, bhava is manifested. Then the symptoms called
‘anubhavas’ are manifested on the body. If all the
anubhavas were not discussed separately, then it would not
be possible to see their natures clearly.
Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe the sattvika-bhavas
in madhura rasa.
Gosvami: The eight sattvika-bhavas, beginning with
being stunned and perspiring, which I had previously
described, are also present in madhura-rasa. However, in
this rasa they are manifested in a different way.
Vijaya-kumara: How is it different?
Gosvami: Look at the Lord’s Vraja pastimes. Being
stunned comes from joy, fear, wonder, melancholy and anger.
Perspiration comes from joy, fear and anger. Standing up
of the body’s hairs comes from wonder, joy and fear.
Choking up of the voice comes from melancholy, wonder,
anger and fear. Trembling of the body comes from fear, joy
and anger. Becoming pale comes from fear, joy and anger.
Becoming pale comes from melancholy, anger, fear. Shedding
tears comes from joy, anger, and melancholy. Devastation
comes from either happiness or distress.
Vijaya-kumara: Are these sattvika ecstatic symptoms
manifested differently in madhura rasa?
Gosvami: Yes. They are. When before I described the
sattvika-bhavas I explained that they were manifested as
either dhumayita (smoky), jvalita (blazing), dipta
(shining), or uddipta (bright shining). In madhura-rasa
these bhavas are manifested only in two ways, as either
uddipta (brightly shining) or sudipta (brilliantly
shining).
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please be kind to me. Please
describe the vyabhicari-bhavas in madhura rasa and make me
happy.
Gosvami: The thirty-three vyabhicari-bhavas or sancari-
bhavas, which begin with nirveda (disappointment), and
which I have previously described to you, are almost all
present in madhura-rasa. Only augrya (violence) and alasya
(laziness) are not present in this rasa. In madhura-rasa
these sancari-bhavas are very wonderful.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the most wonderful thing about
them in this situation?
Gosvami: The love for Krsna (krsna-prema) that Krsna’s
friends and superiors feel for Him in sakhya-rasa and the
other rasas, becomes sancari-bhava in madhura rasa. In
other words what was sthayi-bhava in the other rasas
becomes sancari-bhava or vyabhicari bhava in madhura rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What else is wonderful in this
situation?
Gosvami: The vyabhicari-bhavas are not considered
direct ingredients of madhura-rasa. Even the vyabhicaris
that begin with marana (death) are not direct ingredients.
Instead of being ingredients, the vyabhicari-bhavas are
considered the qualities of madhura-rasa. The vyabhicari
bhavas are the qualities, and madhura rasa is the possessor
of the qualities. That is the proper conclusion.
Vijaya-kumara: How are the vyabhicari-bhavas
manifested in this rasa?
Gosvami: Nirveda (disappointment) is born from
suffering, unpleasantness, envy, melancholy, calamity and
offense.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is dainya (humility) born?
Gosvami: Dainya is born from unhappiness, fear and
offense.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is glani (guilt) born?
Gosvami: Glani is born from fatigue, anxiety and
attraction.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is srama (fatigue) born?
Gosvami: Srama is born from losing one’s way, dancing,
and attraction.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is mada (intoxication) born?
Gosvami: Mada is born from drinking liquor. In this
way one becomes jubilant and one also loses one’s power of
discrimination.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is garva (pride) born?
Gosvami: Garva is born from good fortune, beauty,
virtue and obtaining what is the best of all.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is sanka (doubt) born?
Gosvami: Sanka is born from theft, offense, cruelty to
others, lightning, fearsome creatures, and fearsome sounds.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is avega (intense emotion)
born?
Gosvami: Avega is born from seeing the object of love,
hearing about the object of love, seeing what is not loved,
and hearing about what is not loved. The heart becomes
bewildered by these intense emotions.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is unmada (madness) born?
Gosvami: Unmada is born from intense bliss or
separation from the beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is apasmara (forgetfulness)
born?
Gosvami: Apasmara is born from unhappiness, which
upsets the body and the mind.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is vyadhi (disease) born?
Gosvami: Vyadhi is born from fever and other like
causes. It is also born from anxiety, intense emotion, and
other feelings.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is moha (confusion) born?
Gosvami: Moha is bewilderment of the mind. Moha is
born from joy, separation and sorrow.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is mrti (death) born?
Gosvami: Mrti is not directly manifested in madhura-
rasa. Sometimes there is the desire for death.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is alasya (laziness) born?
Gosvami: Alasya is not directly manifested in madhura-
rasa. When a strong person pretends that he is not strong,
that is called alasya. Alasya does not exist in devotional
service to Lord Krsna. However, it is seen indirectly, as
the opposite of true devotional service.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is jadya (inertness) born?
Gosvami: Jadya is born from hearing about the beloved,
seeing the beloved, seeing what is unpleasant, and
separation from the beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is vrida (bashfulness) born?
Gosvami: Vrida is born from first meeting, doing what
should not be done, words of praise, and words of insult.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is avahittha (concealment)
born?
Gosvami: Avahittha, or concealment, is born from
treachery, shyness, cleverness, fear and respect.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is smrti (remembrance) born?
Gosvami: Smrti is firm belief based on previous direct
perception.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is vitarka
(argumentativeness) born?
Gosvami: Vitarka is born from melancholy or doubt.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is cinta (anxiety) born?
Gosvami: Cinta is born from failing to attain what one
desires, or attaining what one does not desire.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is mati (thoughtfulness)
born?
Gosvami: Mati is giving thought to understand
something.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is dhrti (endurance) born?
Gosvami: Dhrti is steadiness of the mind. It is born
from the absence of suffering and the attainment of the
best thing.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is harsa (happiness) born?
Gosvami: When, because of seeing or attaining the
object of one’s desires, one is pleased, that is called
‘harsa’.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is autsukya (eagerness) born?
Gosvami: Autsukya is born from the desire to see or
attain the beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is augrya (violence) born?
Gosvami: Violence is called ‘augrya’. As I have
already said, it is not manifested in madhura-rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is amarsa (haughtiness) born?
Gosvami: Inability to tolerate disrespect and insult
is called “amarsa”.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is asuya (envy) born?
Gosvami: Asuya is hatred of another person’s good
fortune. It comes from good fortune and virtue.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is capala (impudence) born?
Gosvami: Lightness of the mind is called ‘capala’. It
is born from attraction and revulsion.
Vijaya-kumara: From what is nidra (dizziness) born?
Gosvami: Nidra is born from exhaustion.
Vijaya-kumara: What is supti (sleepiness)?
Gosvami: Supti is sleepiness.
Vijaya-kumara: What is bodha (alertness)?
Gosvami: Bodha is the opposite of sleepiness.
O Baba Vijaya-kumara, all these vyabhicaris are
manifested in four ways: 1 utpatti, 2 sandhi, 3 savalya and
4 santi. When two bhavas join together, that is called
‘bhava-sandhi’. When two different manifestations of one
kind of bhava join together, that is called ‘svarupa-
sandhi’. When different kinds of bhavas join together,
that is called ‘bhinna-sandhi’. When many different bhavas
are mixed together, that is called ‘bhava-savalya’. When a
bhava disappears, that is called ‘bhava-santi’.
Thus hearing about the vibhavas, anubhavas, sattvika-
bhavas, and vyabhicari-bhavas of madhura-rasa, Vijaya-
kumara could understand the samagris (ingredients) of this
rasa. His heart became plunged in prema (pure love).
Still, he thought he had no prema. Falling at His
spiritual master’s feet, and weeping and weeping, he said,
‘O master, why is my heart not plunged in prema? Please be
merciful and tell me.’ Gopala-guru Gosvami replied “Come
tomorrow, and I will teach you about prema. You have
understood the samagris (ingredients) of prema. But prema
is still not openly manifested in your heart. The prema
that is the same as sthayi-bhava you have heard from me in
a general way. When you hear how prema is manifested in
madhura-rya, you will attain all perfection.” After
speaking these words, Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced Vijaya-
kumara. Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances, and
then he returned to his own residence.
Chapter Thirty-six
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
Today Vijaya-kumara came at the appointed time and
offered dandavat obeisances to Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami.
Seeing that today Vijaya-kumara was very eager to learn
about sthayi-bhava, the spiritual master began to speak.
Gosvami: The sthayi-bhava of madhura-rasa is madhura-
rati.
Vijaya-kumara: What causes madhura-rati to become
manifested?
Gosvami: Madhura-rati is manifested from abhiyoga,
visaya, sambandha, abhimana, tadiya-visesa, upama, and
svabhava. Each item in this list is better than the
preceding item. In this way the rati that is manifested
from svabhava is the best of the ratis.
Vijaya-kumara: What is bhiyoga?
Gosvami: To openly reveal one’s love (bhava) is called
‘abhiyoga”. One may make the revelation personally, or
another person may do it.
Vijaya-kumara: What is visaya?
Gosvami: The five visayas are sound, touch, form,
taste and fragrance.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sambandha?
Gosvami: The five glorious sambandhas are family,
beauty, virtue and pastimes.
Vijaya-kumara: What is abhimana?
Gosvami: When, given the choice of many beautiful and
pleasing objects, a person conclusively chooses one, and
one alone, demanding, “I want that one”, that is called
‘abhimana’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is tadiya-visesa?
Gosvami: The tadiya-visesas are footprints, the land
of the cows, and dear friends. In this context the land of
the cows is the land of Vrndavana, and the dear friends are
the devotees who love Krsna deeply.
Vijaya-kumara: What is upama?
Gosvami: When one thing is somewhat like another, that
is called ‘upama’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is svabhava?
Gosvami: The nature that manifests spontaneously,
without any external cause is called ‘svabhava’. Svabhava
is of two kinds: nisarga and svarupa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is nisarga?
Gosvami: A habit born from repetition is called
nisarga’. Qualities, form, and hearing are included among
the causes of nisarga. The meaning here is that when the
soul again and again acts in a certain way, after many
births he develops a habit, which is called ‘nisarga’.
Therefore, it when hearing about Lord Krsna’s qualities
and form a person suddenly and passionately (hatha) falls
in love (bhava) with Krsna, that love is caused not by the
immediate circumstances, but by repeated past devotional
activities (nisarga).
Vijaya-kumara: What is svarupa?
Gosvami: What is unborn, beginningless, and self-
perfect is called ‘svarupa’. Svarupa is of three kinds: 1
krsna-nistha (faith in Krsna), lalana-nistha (faith in the
gopis), and ubhaya-nistha (faith in both Krsna and the
gopis). Persons of demonic nature do not attain krsna-
nistha. On the other hand, persons of godly nature easily
attain it. Persons who are spiritual enlightened can
attain lalana-nistha. Sometimes even without seeing or
hearing of Krsna’s form and other features a person
suddenly develops intense love for Him. When one has both
krsna-nistha and lalana-nistha that is called -’ubhaya-
nistha’.
Vijaya-kumara: Is every aspect of madhura rasa
manifested from the seven causes abhiyoga, visaya,
sambandha, abhimana, tadiya-visesa, upama, and svabhava?
Gosvami: The beautiful girls of Gokula love Krsna with
a love that is part of their own nature (svabhava), a love
that is naturally perfect (svarupa-siddha), a love that is
not caused by the seven causes that begin with abhiyoga.
Rather, their love is caused by various different pastimes.
However, for the sadhana-siddha (who attained perfection by
engaging in sadhana-bhakti) and nisarga-siddha-sadhaka (who
are still striving to attain perfection) devotees, the
seven causes that begin with abhiyoga do indeed inspire
love for Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: One or two examples here would be very
pleasing to the heart.
Gosvami: This kind of love is attained by practicing
raganuga-bhakti. It cannot be attained by vaidhi-bhakti.
This kind of love stays far away from a person who
practices vaidhi-bhakti. When a devotee engaged in sadhana-
bhakti sees the loving service the beautiful girls of Vraja
offer to Lord Krsna, and when that devotee yearns to serve
Krsna in the same way, then the previously mentioned
causes, with priyajana (the dear friends of Krsna)
especially prominent and now numbering only six because
svabhava is not present here, become the causes of his
ecstatic love for Krsna, In this way the devotee gradually
attains rati (spiritual love). When the devotee attains
the stage of sadhana-siddha then he may attain lalana-
nistha.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of rati?
Gosvami: There are three kinds of rati: 1 sadharani
(ordinary), 2 samanjasa (proper) and 3 samartha (perfect).
Kubja is an example of sadharani-rati. She yearned for her
own person enjoyment in Krsna’s company. Therefore her
love is of an inferior nature. The Dvaraka queens’ love is
samanjasa (proper). And why not? They enjoyed Krsna’s
company within the religious institution of marriage. The
love of the Gokula goddesses, the gopis is, samartha. It
exists in a plane above the ordinary activities of the
world and the ordinary rules of religion. This Samartha
love is not improper (asamanjasa). Rather, because is has
the power to bring the highest goal of life, it is the most
proper (ati-samanjasa). Sadharani love is like a jewel,
samanjasa love is like a cintamani jewel, and samartha
love, which has no equal, is like a Kaustubha jewel.
Vijaya-kumara: (weeping and weeping) What a wonderful
description this is! I wish to learn more about sadharani
rati.
Gosvami: When by directly seeing Krsna a person yearns
to enjoy in His company, and in this way feels a love that
is not yet very intense, that love is called ‘sadharani’.
Because that love is not yet very intense, the desire for
one’s own enjoyment is still present within it. When the
desire for personal enjoyment becomes dwarfed, then what
remains to dwarf the growth of real love?
Vijaya-kumara: What is samanjasa rati?
Gosvami: When by hearing the qualities of Krsna a girl
yearns to become His wife, her intense love is called
‘samanjasa’. Still, in this lover there is sometimes the
desire for personal enjoyment. However, without this
desire the wife will not be under Krsna’s dominion.
Vijaya-kumara: What is samartha love?
Gosvami: In rati the desire for enjoyment is always
present. In sadharani rati and samanjasa rati the devotee
desires her personal enjoyment. When the desire for
enjoyment is completely free for the desire for one’s own
personal enjoyment, and one desires only the enjoyment of
the beloved, that kind of love is called ‘samartha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is that like? Please explain and
make it more clearly understood.
Gosvami: The desire for enjoyment is of two kinds.
One kind is the desire that the beloved will please my own
senses. The other kind is the desire that I will please
the senses of my beloved. The first kind of desire is
called ‘kama’ (lust). And why not? In that situation one
is eager only for his own happiness. In the second kind of
desire one is eager for the happiness and well-being of the
beloved. That desire is the desire of love (prema). In
sadharani love the desire for personal enjoyment is strong.
In samanjasa love that desire is not strong. In samartha
love the desire for enjoyment is of a different nature. It
is, as I have already said, the desire that the beloved
should enjoy.
Vijaya-kumara: In loving affairs the touch of the
beloved inevitably brings pleasure. How is it possible
that in samartha love this pleasure is not desired?
Gosvami: That desire is inevitably difficult to stop.
Still, in samartha love that desire of the heart is very
weak. In this kind of love the desire to please the
beloved is very strong. That desire then embraces the
desire for personal enjoyment, and in that embrace both
desires become one. Because this is the strongest
(samartha) of all kinds of love, it is called ‘samartha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the glories of samartha love?
Gosvami: Among the seven previously described causes
beginning with abhiyoga, sambandha may e manifested, or
tadiya-visesa may be manifested or svarupa may be
manifested and in this way samartha love may come into
being. Or, forgetting all these, this very powerful love
may come into being by itself.
Vijaya-kumara: How do the desire for personal
enjoyment and the desire that the beloved should enjoy join
and become a single desire?
Gosvami: The beautiful girls of Vraja love Krsna with
samartha love. They desire only for His happiness. When
they associate with Krsna, the certainly experience their
own happiness. However, they accept only those activities
that bring happiness to Krsna. Thus the desire for
personal enjoyment and the desire only to please Krsna meet
in the waves of sublime and wonderful pastimes. In that
condition the desire for personal enjoyment does not exist
apart from the desire to please Krsna. In this way the
desire for personal enjoyment ceases to exist.
Vijaya-kumara: Aha! How wonderful is this love! I
yearn to hear of it’s highest glories.
Gosvami: When this love (rati) matures it reaches the
stage called ‘maha-bhava’. All the liberated souls seek
this stage of love. The five kinds of devotees attain it
to the degree they are able.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I request that you explain
the different stages of this love.
Gosvami: It is said (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sthayi-bhava-
prakarana):
“When rati becomes very intense, it is called ‘prema’.
As prema gradually manifests its sweetness, it is called
sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, and bhava.”
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please give an example.
Gosvami: As there is a progression in sweetness from
sugar-cane plant to sugar-cane juice to molasses to gur, to
sugar granules, to rock candy, so there is a progression in
love from rati to prema, to sneha, to mana, to pranaya, to
raga, to anuraga, and finally to bhava. The word ‘bhava’
in this progression refers to maha-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: Why are so many different stages with
so many different names grouped under the general heading
of ‘prema’?
Gosvami: The six kinds of love, which begin with
sneha, are all different pastime stages of prema. The
panditas who are learned in this matter call them all by
the name “prema”. In this way prema is manifested.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of prema?
Gosvami: There are three kinds of prema: 1, praudha
(mature) , 2 madhya (intermediate) and 3, manda (slow).
Vijaya-kumara: What is praudha prema?
Gosvami: When the lover is anguished to think her
delay may worry her beloved, that is praudha-prema.
Vijaya-kumara: What is madhya prema?
Gosvami: When the lover is not concerned about the
beloved’s anguish, that is madhya prema.
Vijaya-kumara: What is manda prema?
Gosvami: When the lover neither cares nor does not
care, that is manda prema. This kind of love can inspire
one to create obstacles to stop the exalted love of a
rival. O Vijaya-kumara, Praudha, madhya and manda are thus
the three divisions of prema. They can also be described
in these words: When the lover cannot tolerate the
beloved’s suffering, that is praudha prema. When the lover
can tolerate the beloved’s suffering, that is madhya prema.
When the lover forgets whether the beloved suffers or not,
that is manda prema.
Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand prema. What are the
characteristics of sneha?
Gosvami: When it reaches its highest state, prema is
like a brilliant lamp. This is known as ‘citprema’
(spiritual love). When it makes the heart melt, this
spiritual prema is called ‘sneha’. The by product of sneha
is that the lover never becomes satiated or disinterested,
even if the lover sees the beloved at every moment.
Vijaya-kumara: Are there different kinds of sneha,
some better and some lesser?
Gosvami: In the lowest kind of sneha, the lover’s
heart melts at the touch of the beloved. In the
intermediate kind of sneha, the lover’s heart melts at the
sight of the beloved. In the best kind of sneha, the
lover’s heart melts simply by hearing of the beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the other different kinds of
sneha?
Gosvami: Sneha is also of two kinds: 1. Ghrta sneha
(ghee love) and madhu-sneha (honey love).
Vijaya-kumara: What is ghrta-sneha?
Gosvami: When love is very respectful (adaramaya) it
is called ‘ghrta-sneha’. When ghrta-sneha is mixed with
madhu sneha, the result is very palatable. Ghrta-sneha is
by nature cool. When the respect (adara) is increased
(ghani-bhuta), this love becomes more intense. It is
called ‘ghrta-sneha’ because it has the qualities of ghrta
(ghee).
Vijaya-kumara: What is respect (adara).
Gosvami: Respect (adara) comes from honouring others
(gaurava). In this way respect and honour are
interdependent. When love (rati) is manifested with them
it is called, in this context, ‘sneha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is gaurava (honour).
Gosvami: When one thinks of a person as a guru, that
is called ‘gaurava’. From gaurava is manifested sambhrama
(esteem). This is all said to be included within adara
(respect). Adara and gaurava are interdependent.
Vijaya-kumara: What is madhu-sneha?
Gosvami: When the lover thinks, “The beloved is my
property’, then that is called ‘madhu-sneha’. Many
different rasas meet in this sweet love. This love is
passionate and therefore it brings warmth. Because this
love is sweet (madhura), there it is called ‘madhu-sneha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What does it mean to think “The beloved
is my property’?
Gosvami: Love is manifested in two ways. In one way
the lover thinks, “I am the property of my beloved”. In
the other way the lover thinks, “My beloved is the property
of me.” In ghrta-sneha the idea “I am the property of my
beloved” is prominent. In madhu-sneha the idea “My beloved
is the property of me” is prominent. Candravali possesses
ghrta-sneha. Radha possesses madhu-sneha.
Vijaya-kumara: (after offering dandavat obeisances to
his spiritual master). What is mana?
Gosvami: When sneha becomes exalted and manifests a
new kind of sweetness, the lover manifests various crooked
dealings with the beloved. That is called ‘mana’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of mana?
Gosvami: There are two kinds of mana: 1 udatta and 2
lalita.
Vijaya-kumara: What is udatta mana?
Gosvami: It is of two kinds. In one kind the lover is
straightforward, open, and free of diplomacy. In the other
kind the lover engages in concealment and crooked
diplomacy. Udatta-mana is manifested in ghrta-sneha.
Vijaya-kumara: What is lalita-mana? I cannot say why,
but somehow I feel attracted to it.
Gosvami: Lalita-mana is of two kinds. In kautilya-
lalita-mana there is independence and crookedness. In
narma-lalita-mana there are joking words. Both kinds of
lalita-mana manifested in madhu sneha.
Vijaya-kumara: What is pranaya?
Gosvami: When the lover trusts the beloved and feels
one at heart with the beloved, that is called ‘pranaya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What does ‘trust’ (visrambha) mean in
this situation?
Gosvami: The real nature of pranaya is trust, which is
called ‘visrambha’. Visrambha is of two kinds: 1 maitra
and 2 sakhya. Visrambha means ‘firm trust’. This trust is
not merely the secondary cause of pranaya. It is the
original cause of it, the very ingredient of which it is
made.
Vijaya-kumara: What is maitra-visrambha?
Gosvami: When visrambha is joined with humility, that
is called ‘maitra’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sakhya-visrambha?
Gosvami: When the lover is free from all fear and
convinced that the beloved is completely under the lover’s
control, that is called ‘sakhya-visrambha.”
Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly explain how pranaya,
sneha and mana are related to each other.
Gosvami: In some situations sneha gives birth to
pranaya, and from pranaya mana is manifested. In other
situations sneha gives birth to mana and from mana pranaya
is manifested. Therefore mana and pranaya may assume both
roles of either cause or effect. Visrambha requires a
separate explanation. Udatta and lalita exist in both
maitra and sakhya. However, in sakhya they are also called
“su-maitra” and “su-sakhya”.
Vijaya-kumara: What is raga?
Gosvami: When pranaya becomes exalted even great
suffering is considered happiness. That stage of pranaya
is called ‘raga’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of raga?
Gosvami: There are two kinds: 1 nilima-rga and 2
raktima-raga.
Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of nilima-raga are
there?
Gosvami: There are two kinds of nilima-raga: 1 nili-
raga and syama-raga.
Vijaya-kumara: What is nili-raga?
Gosvami: In this raga there is no possibility of loss
of destruction. Externally there is great glory and love
is concealed within the heart. That is nili-raga.
Candravali manifests this raga before Lord Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: What is syama-raga?
Gosvami: When the beloved’s delay makes the worried
lover water the forest plants with a stream of tears, that
is called syama-raga.
Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of raktima raga are
there?”
Gosvami: Raktima raga is of two kinds: 1 kusumbha and
2 manjistha-sambhava,
Vijaya-kumara: What is kusumbha-raga?
Gosvami: When the other ragas manifest their beauty
and glory, that is called ‘kusumbha raga’. Kusumbha-raga
rests in a particular object. When it mixes with manjistha-
raga, it produces withering and melancholy in a gopi who
loves Krsna (krsna-pranayi).
Vijaya-kumara: What is manjistha-raga?
Gosvami: The eternal, unchanging, unalloyed, eternally
very glorious love that Sri Sri Radha and Madhava feel for
each other is called manjistha-raga. The final conclusion
is that ghrta, sneha, udatta, maitra, su-maitra, nilima,
and other like bhavas that have been described here are
manifested in Candravali and by the queens headed by
Rukmini. On the other hand, madhu, sneha, lalita, sakhya,
su-sakhya, raktima, and other like bhavas are manifested in
Sri Radha. Sometimes they are also seen in Satyabhama. I
have already explained that the beautiful girls of Vraja
are divided into many rival (sva-paksa and vipaksa) groups.
In this way there is much dissension among them. When they
relate to the other bhavas, these create many different
features. Only panditas learned in this particular topic
can understand all this. In other words, I will not give a
more elaborate explanation of it.
Vijaya-kumara: To which bhavas does the phrase ‘the
other bhavas’ refer?
Gosvami: It refers to sthayi-madhura-bhava, the 33
vyabhicari-bhavas, and the seven bhavas that begin with
hasya. Thus it refers to 41 bhavas. These are the ‘other
bhavas’ referred to here.
Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand raga. Please explain
anuraga.
Gosvami: The raga that is always newer and newer and
makes the beloved newer and newer at every moment is called
‘anuraga’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the glorious wonder that this
raga manifests?
Gosvami: It brings the lover under the beloved’s
control and the beloved under the lover’s control. It
creates prema-vaicittya. It makes one yearn to take birth
even as a very lowly being (if that birth is within the
holy abode is Sri Vrndavana). It is limitless and most
exalted. It makes Krsna present even when the devotee is
separated from Him.
Vijaya-kumara: I can easily understand how anuraga
brings the lover and beloved under each other’s control and
how it makes one yearn to take birth as a tree or other
lowly being (within the holy abode of Sri Vrndavana). But,
O master what is prema-vaicittya?
Gosvami: Prema-vaicittya is the love the devotee feels
in separation from Krsna. You will learn about that later.
Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe maha-bhava.
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, I am a very insignificant
person. I am not really qualified to describe the wonders
of the rasas of Vraja. Whatever Srila Rupa Gosvami and
Srila Pandita Gosvami have mercifully taught me, I will
now reveal to you. Please consider it their mercy upon
you.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I, the asker of questions and
very fallen and unintelligent. Please explain maha-bhava
so even my heart can understand it.
Gosvami: Sri Radha is the asraya of anuraga and Lord
Krsna is the visaya. Sri Krsna, who is the son of Nanda is
the visaya in madhura-rasa. Sri Radha is the asraya.
Anuraga is the sthayi bhava. When that anuraga reaches its
highest, most glorious stage, it is called maha-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: Aha! Maha bhava! Maha bhava! Today I
can understand something of maha-bhava. The highest point
of all the bhavas is maha-bhava. Please place on my ears
an example of maha-bhava.
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, you are very fortunate. The
following verse is an example of maha-bhava:
“Vrnda-devi said to Lord Krsna: O regal elephant who
wanders in the jungles and mountains, Your amorous pastimes
have shaken away Radha sadness in separation from You.
With the red colour of ever-new love, the artist of Your
amorous pastimes paints a glorious picture in the palace of
the world.”
Vijaya-kumara: Where does maha-bhava reside?
Gosvami: Maha-bhava does not reside in the Dvaraka
queens. It resides only in the gopis, the goddesses of
Vraja.
Vijaya-kumara: What does all this mean?
Gosvami: When the lover and beloved are bound by ties
of marriage, the relationship is svakiya-rasa, and the love
is samanjasa. In this situation samartha love, which
brings the possibility of maha-bhava is not present. In
Vraja, although svakiya-rasa is also present, parakiya rasa
predominates. In the highest stage of parakiya-rasa
samartha love, maha-bhava is manifested.
Vijaya-kumara: How many are the different kinds of
maha bhava?
Gosvami: When it appears, maha-bhava floods the heart
with nectar. Maha-bhava is of two kinds: 1 rudha and 2
adhirudha.
Vijaya-kumara: What is rudha maha bhava?
Gosvami: When all the sattvika bhavas shine very
brightly, that is rudha maha-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the anubhavas in maha-
bhava.
Gosvami: Inability to tolerate the eye’s natural
activity of blinking, agitating the hearts of those nearby,
thinking a kalpa to be as long as a moment, worrying that
Krsna may be suffering, even when it is obvious that He is
happy, forgetting everything, thinking a moment to be as
long as a kalpa, and although they are not bewildered, they
forget everything about themselves. These anubhavas are
present in both meeting the beloved (sambhoga) and
separation from the beloved (vipralambha).
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘inability to tolerate the
eye’s natural activity of blinking’?
Gosvami: In this bhava the feeling of separation
(vipralambha) is present in meeting (sambhoga). Here the
lover is unable to tolerate even a brief moment’s
separation from the beloved. At Kuruksetra the vraja-gopis
cursed the creator Brahma for creating eyelashes that
impeded their always seeing Krsna. And why not? The
blinking of their eyelashes became an obstacle that stopped
them from seeing Krsna for a moment.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘agitating the hearts of those
nearby’?
Gosvami: When they saw the gopis’ ecstatic love, the
kings and queens present at Kuruksetra felt deeply moved at
heart.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘thinking a kalpa to be as long
as a moment’?
Gosvami: The rasa dance lasted for an entire night of
Brahma. Still, the gopis thought it lasted for only a
moment.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘worrying that Krsna may be
suffering, even when it is obvious that He is happy’?
Gosvami: In Srimad Bhagavatam (10.31.19) the gopis
worry that Krsna will suffer if He places His lotus feet on
their hard breasts.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘although they are not
bewildered they forget everything about themselves’?
Gosvami: Because Krsna is always present before them,
they are not bewildered. However, when Krsna is present,
they forget everything about their own bodies and about
everything else in the material world.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘thinking a moment to be as
long as a kalpa’?
Gosvami: Krsna said to Uddhava, “When I was with the
gopis in Vrndavana, all the nights seemed to pass like half
a moment. But now that I am separated from them, every
night seems like a kalpa.” This is an example of ‘thinking
a moment to be as long as a kalpa’?
Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand the rudha-bhavas.
Please describe the adhirudha-bhavas.
Gosvami: When these rudha-bhava anubhavas I have just
described become very wonderful, they become the adhirudha-
bhavas.
Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of adhirudha-bhava are
there?
Gosvami: There are two kinds: 1 modana and 2 madana.
Vijaya-kumara: What is modana?
Gosvami: When Radha and Krsna both feel adhirudha-
bhava, and when They both manifest all the sattvika-bhavas
with the most brilliant glory, that is called ‘modana’. In
modana-bhava Radha and Krsna both become very agitated.
This condition is the highest good fortune of spiritual
love manifested among the gopi lovers of Lord Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: Where does modana-bhava reside?
Gosvami: Modana-bhava does not reside outside of Sri
Radha’s group. Modana-bhava is manifested in the very dear
pastimes of the hladini-sakti. When the lovers are
separated, modana gives birth to mohana. When there is
great distress because of separation, the sattvika-bhavas
are very brilliantly manifest.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the anubhavas of
mohana?
Gosvami: Embraced by His beloved, Krsna falls
unconscious. Although she suffers unbearably, a gopi still
thinks only of how Krsna will be happy. Thirsting for the
touch of Krsna, a gopi becomes mad and decides to commit
suicide, thus filling the spiritual and material worlds
with anxiety and making the nearby animals weep. Mohana-
bhava is possible in Sri Radha, the queen of Vrndavana.
These mohana vyabhicari-bhavas are not present in anyone
but Radha.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, if you think it is right,
then please describe divyonmada (transcendental madness).
Gosvami: When it enters a certain indescribable state,
mohana-bhava becomes like a bewildered condition. This
very surprising and wonderful state is called ‘divyonmada’.
This state has many different divisions, such as udghurna
(agitation) and citra-jalpa (surprising talk).
Vijaya-kumara: What is udghurna?
Gosvami: Many different kinds of activities can be
called ‘udghurna’. When Krsna went to Mathura, Sri Radha
manifested udghurna.
Vijaya-kumara: What is citra-jalpa?
Gosvami: Seeing one of the beloved’s friends, with
wonderful anger the lover harshly expresses her anxiety and
longing. This is called ‘citra-jalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of citra-
jalpa?
Gosvami: The ten kinds of citra-jalpa are: 1 prajalpa,
2 parijapita, 3 vijalpa, 4 ujjalpa, 5 sanjalpa, 6 avajalpa,
7 abhijalpa, 8 ajalpa, 9 pratijalpa, and 10 sujalpa. All
these different kinds of citra-jalpa are manifested in the
Bhramara-gita chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam’s Tenth Canto.
Vijaya-kumara: What is prajalpa?
Gosvami: Citra-jalpa has numberless wonderful forms.
Therefore it is very difficult to describe it with any kind
of completeness. When the lover spitefully, maliciously,
and passionately insults the beloved, that is called
‘prajalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is parijalpita?
Gosvami: When the lover claims that the beloved, who
is the master of her heart, is merciless, crooked, and
fickle is called ‘parijalpita.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is vijalpa?
Gosvami: When in the heart one honours and loves
Krsna, although externally one casts spiteful glances and
speaks spiteful words, is called ‘vijalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ujjalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover angrily, arrogantly and
spitefully insults Krsna, calling Him a rake and a rogue
that is called ‘ujjalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sanjalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover mocks Krsna with many
sarcastic words and asserts that Krsna is ungrateful, that
is called ‘sanjalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is avajalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover says that because Krsna is
harsh, lusty and crooked, she is afraid of what loving
Krsna may bring, that is called ‘avajalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is abhijalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover says, “It is foolish and
useless to fall in love with Krsna. He is so cruel he
tortures even the innocent birds.” These crooked words are
called ‘abhijalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ajalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover, filled with disgust,
declares, “Krsna is crooked and deceptive. He only gives
us pain. We should stop talking of Him, and instead talk
about something else, something more pleasant.” That is
called ajalpa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is pratijalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover declares, “Krsna is a
highwayman in loving affairs. He is a rake who likes to
enjoy pastimes with many girls. Therefore he should not
come anywhere near me.” That is called ‘pratijalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sujalpa?
Gosvami: When the lover sincerely, deeply, humbly, and
restlessly asks many questions about Krsna, that is called
‘sujalpa’.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, am I qualified to understand
madana?
Gosvami: When the most exalted love of the hladini-
sakti, a love that is the best of all the bhavas, is
splendidly manifested, that is called ‘madana’. Madana-
bhava is eternally manifested in Sri Radha.
Vijaya-kumara: Does envy exist in madana-bhava?
Gosvami: Envy is very prominent in madana-bhava. It
is seen that even inanimate objects are envied. Again,
sometimes it is seen that words of praise are offered to
all who have a relationship with Krsna. Words describing
envy of Krsna’s flute and words praising the pulinda girls
may be cited as examples here.
Vijaya-kumara: At what stage is madana seen?
Gosvami: The wonderful madana-bhava is manifested when
the lover’s meet and enjoy pastimes together. Madana-bhava
is manifest in thousands of ways in the eternal pastimes.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, do the great sages give a
description of madana-bhava?
Gosvami: Madana-rasa is limitless. Even Lord Krsna
Himself could not understand everything about the spiritual
madana-rasa. The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami found himself
unable to describe it completely. The rasa-acarya Bharata
Muni and many others were also unable to properly describe
madana-rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What wonderful things have I heard!
Even Lord Krsna Himself, the enjoyer of madana-rasa, cannot
understand it completely. Why is that?
Gosvami: Lord Krsna is rasa personified. He is
limitless, all knowing, and all powerful. Nothing is
unknown by Him, unattainable for Him, or impossible for Him
to do. He is inconceivably and simultaneously one and
different from the rasas. He is each rasa and He is all
rasas. He accepts each rasa. In this way He is ‘atmarama’
(the enjoyer of the spiritual rasas). Nothing in the rasas
is apart from Him. He is present in all the rasas
simultaneously. Aside from Krsna’s own (atma) rasa, there
is also the rasa of others (para). Both these kinds of
rasas bring the experience of the happiness of spiritual
pastimes. When the rasa of others (para) is manifest in
its highest stage, it is called ‘parakiya-rasa’. This
highest stage is manifested in all its glory in the land of
Vrndavana. When the atma-rasa (svakiya-rasa) is completely
unknown, and only parakiya-rasa is known, that is the
highest stage of madana-rasa. In this way madana-rasa is
purely manifested in the Lord’s aprakata (invisible to
material eyes) pastimes in Goloka. It is also manifested
in the land of Vraja situated in the material world.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, you mercy to me has no limit.
I request that you please give a summary of the whole
madhura-rasa.
Gosvami: The various bhavas manifested by the vraja
gopis are all spiritual, beyond the touch of the material
world. They are beyond the understanding of material
logic. Therefore the human intelligence cannot describe
the completely. I have heard in the scriptures that Sri
Radha had raga (love) for Krsna was manifested even in Her
purva-raga (the beginnings of love). From this raga came
the anuraga sneha. From that came mana and pranaya. These
topics cannot be understood completely. In sadharani-rati
is manifested dhumayita. Sneha, mana, pranaya, raga and
anuraga are manifested in samanjasa-rati. From that comes
splendid dipta-rati. Then are manifested rudha, uddipta,
modana, and sudipta-rati. Please know that this is merely
a general summary. And why not? There may be exceptions
according to time, place and object. Sadharani-rati
culminates in prema. Samanjasa-rati culminates in anuraga.
Samartha-rati culminates in maha-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the extent of rati in sakhya-
rasa?
Gosvami: The highest stage of the narma-sakhas is
anuraga. However, Subala and some others among them attain
maha-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: I have already described sthayi-bhava.
Sthayi bhava culminates in maha-bhava. Why are different
rasas seen in sthayi bhava, even though it has only one
nature?
Gosvami: Sthayi-bhava is manifested in the different
rasas. The secret activities of sthayi bhava are not
openly manifested. When there is contact with the
samagris, then the different rasas may be seen. The
appropriate samagris are manifested in sthayi-bhava.
Vijaya-kumara: Are svakiya-rasa and parakiya rasa both
eternally manifested in madhura-rasa?
Gosvami: Yes. Svakiya and parakiya are both eternal.
The difference between them is not merely a material
designation. If the difference between them were material,
the madhura rasa and the other rasas would all be material
in nature. The rasas are eternal, and they are manifested
eternally. In the rasas there are ruci (attraction to
Krsna), bhajana (service to Krsna), and prapti (attainment
of Krsna), bhajana (service to Krsna), and prapti
(attainment of Krsna). Svakiya-rasa is also present in
Vraja. In that rasa the devotee thinks of Krsna as her
husband. In that rasa, ruci, sadhana, (spiritual
practice), bhajana, and prapti are all manifested. The
svakiya-rasa manifest in Dvaraka is the same as that of
Vaikuntha. However, please know that the svakiya-rasa of
Vraja is different from the rasas of Goloka. In other
words, Lord Krsna, the master of Vraja, resides in the
highest portion of the Vaikuntha world.
With great love Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat
obeisances and returned to his residence.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa (Madhura-rasa)
Again and again relishing the sweetness of the bhavas,
Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances to his spiritual
master’s lotus feet. He asked, “O master, I have
understood vibhava, anubhava, sattvika-bhava, and
vyabhicari-bhava. I have also understood sthayi-bhava.
However the rasa that comes from the meeting of the sthayi
bhava with the previously described four ingredients has
not yet manifested within me. Why is that?”
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, you should understand about
the rasa called srngara-rasa. Only then will you be able
to understand the sweetness of sthayi bhava.
Vijaya-kumura: What is srngara-rasa?
Gosvami: When madhura-rasa becomes very beautiful, it
is called ‘srngara-rasa’. This rasa is of two kinds: 1
vipralambha (separation) and 2 sambhoga (enjoyment).
Vijaya-kumara: I wish to learn about vipralambha.
Gosvami: Whether they meet or not, the two youthful
lovers, yearn to embrace and enjoy many pastimes. When
these desires remain unfulfilled, their love (bhava)
becomes very great. This most intense emotional state,
which make the happiness of meeting all the greater, is
called ‘vipralambha’. The word ‘vipralambha’ means parting
(viraha) or separation (viyoga).
Vijaya-kumara: How does vipralambha make the happiness
of sambhoga (meeting) greater?
Gosvami: When a red cloth is polaced again into red
dye, the cloth is made even more red. In the same way,
vipralambha increases the enjoyment of the lovers when they
finally meet. Without vipralambha, the enjoyment of
sambhoga does not become increased.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of
vipralambha?
Gosvami: There are four kinds of vipralambha: 1 purva-
raga, 2 mana, 3 prema-vaicittya and 4 pravasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is purva-raga?
Gosvami: Before the young lovers meet they may somehow
see each other, hear of each other, or in some other way
come to know of each other. When, by these activities they
become attracted to each other and begin to fall in love,
that is called ‘purva-raga’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different ways they may
see each other?
Gosvami: The lover may see Krsna directly, see a
picture of Him, or see Him in a dream. These ways of
seeing Him are called ‘darsana’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the different ways they may
hear of each other?
Gosvami: They may hear from the mouth of a poet
reciting prayers, from the mouth of a gopi-friend, from the
mouth of a gopi-messenger, or from a song, or in some other
way. That is called ‘sravana’.
Vijaya-kumara: What causes them to be attracted and
fall in love (rati).
Gosvami: I have already described the many causes of
rati, causes that begin with abhiyoga. These are said to
be the causes in purva-raga also.
Vijaya-kumara: Who attains purva-raga first: Krsna or
the gopis?
Gosvami: This may be considered in different ways. In
the material world woman are shy and posses other feminine
qualities. For this reason it is the man who pursues the
woman. However, it is also said that women are naturally
more attracted to the affairs of love, and therefore doe-
eyed women feel purva-raga first. In the Bhakti-sastras it
is that the devotee feels purva-raga first, and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead feels purva-raga afterward.
Therefore it is said that the vraja-gopis feel purva-raga
most intensely, and they feel it first.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the vyabhicari-bhavas in purva-
raga?
Gosvami: Included among the vyabhicari-bhavas in purva-
raga are: disease, doubt, envy, fatigue, disappointment,
eagerness, humility, anxiety, dizziness, alertness,
lamentation, inertness, madness, confusion, and death.
Vijaya-kumara: How many different kinds of purva-raga
are there?
Gosvami: There are three kinds of purva-raga: 1
praudha, 2 samanjasa and 3 sadharana.
Vijaya-kumara: What is praudha purva-raga?
Gosvami: When it is manifested in samartha-rati, purva-
raga is manifested as praudha-purva-raga. In this kind of
purva-raga, yearning, death, and other conditions of life
are manifested. The vyabhicari-bhavas are filled with
yearnings.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these different
conditions of life.
Gosvami: It is said in the Ujjvala-nilamani:
“Yearning, anxiety, wakefulness, emaciation, being
stunned, bewilderment, disease, madness, illusion and death
are the ten conditions present in purva-raga.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is yearning?
Gosvami: Yearning is an intense desire to attain the
beloved. In it eagerness, restlessness, moving to and fro,
sighing and other like symptoms are manifested.
Vijaya-kumara: What is anxiety?
Gosvami: Anxiety is when the mind is restless. In
this condition there are deep sighs, restlessness, being
stunned, worry, tears, becoming pale, perspiring and other
like symptoms.
Vijaya-kumara: What is wakefulness?
Gosvami: Wakefulness is when sleep is destroyed. In
this condition there are being stunned, being withered,
being angry, and other like symptoms.
Vijaya-kumara: What is emaciation?
Gosvami: Emaciation is when the body becomes very
thin. In this condition there are weakness, giddiness, and
other like symptoms. In some texts the word ‘vilapa’
(lamentation) is read here.
Vijaya-kumara: What is being stunned?
Gosvami: Inability to see any difference between what
is desirable and what is not desirable, failure to answer
questions, and the ability to see or hear are present when
one is stunned. Inarticulate sounds made suddenly and for
no reason, inertness, long sighs and bewilderment are also
included among the symptoms here.
Vijaya-kumara: What is bewilderment?
Gosvami: The state of being deeply upset and thus
unable to cope is called bewilderment. In this condition
there are disappointment, melancholy, envy, and loss of
discrimination.
Vijaya-kumara: What is disease?
Gosvami: Disease is when, because of being unable to
attain the beloved, one become pale and feverish. In that
condition one yearns for coolness, one is bewildered, one
sighs and one falls to the ground.
Vijaya-kumara: What is madness?
Gosvami: When, in every place, every condition and
every time one is bewildered and says things are other than
they actually are, that is called madness. Hatred of the
beloved, sighing, blinking of the eyes, and separation from
the beloved are included in madness.
Vijaya-kumara: What is illusion?
Gosvami: When the mind acts in a contrary, improper
way, that is called illusion. Being motionless and
fainting occur in illusion.
Vijaya-kumara: What is death?
Gosvami: When, in spite of all efforts to make Him
return, the beloved does not return, the lover, tormented
by love, yearns for her own death. She bequeaths to her
friends all her favourite things: the bumblebees, the
gentle breeze, the moonlight, and the kadamba flowers.
This is the anubhava.
Vijaya-kumara: What is samanjasa purva-raga?
Gosvami: Samanjasa purva-raga is manifested in
samanjasa-rati. In it are manifested desire,
thoughtfulness, remembrance, glorifying the beloved’s
virtues, passion, lamentation, madness, disease, being
stunned, and death.
Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is desire?
Gosvami: To yearn for the touch of the beloved is
called ‘desire’. To attain this desire the lover decorates
herself with ornaments and reveals her passion.
Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is thoughtfulness?
Gosvami: To think of different ways to attain the
beloved is called thoughtfulness. In this situation the
lover carefully arranges the bed, sighs, and anxiously
looks to see the beloved’s arrival.
Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is remembrance?
Gosvami: To think of the beloved and things in
relation to Him is called remembrance. In this situation
the lover trembles, has a seizure where she loses control
of her limbs, weeps, sighs, and performs other like
activities.
Vijaya-kumara: What is glorifying the beloved’s
virtues?
Gosvami: To praise the beloved’s handsomeness and
other virtues is called glorifying the beloved’s virtues.
In this situation the anubhavas include trembling, standing
up of the body’s and choking of the voice. In this
situation anxiety, mad lamentation, disease, being stunned,
and death are manifested in samanjasa purva-raga as they
are also in samanjasa-rati.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please describe sadharana
purva-raga.
Gosvami: Sadharana samanjasa purva raga is like
sadharana-rati. In it are manifested the six conditions
beginning with lamentation, only their manifestation is
softer. The situation is natural, so there is no need to
give any examples. In this purva-raga the lovers send love
letters, garlands and other things to be placed in each
other’s hands.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the love-letters?
Gosvami: Love-letters are of two kinds: 1 those that
are not written with words, and 2 those that are written
with words. Because in them the author reveals His or Her
love, they are called ‘love-letters’.
Vijaya-kumara: What are the love letters that are not
written with words?
Gosvami: Without drawing any words, the author may use
her fingernail to draw a half-moon on a red flower petal or
leaf. That is called ‘a letter written without any words’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is a love-letter that is written
with words?
Gosvami: When the lover personally writes with His or
Her own hand verses in the Prakrt language, that is called
a ‘love letter that is written with words’. The ink for
the letter may be red hingula, musk or black ashes and
water. The pages of the letter are extraordinarily large
flower petals. The stamp to seal the letter is made of
kunkuma. Lotus fibers are the string to tie the pages
together.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the sequence of events in purva-
raga?
Gosvami: First there is the sight of something
pleasing to the eye. Then there is thinking of what one
has seen. Then there is attachment, then yearning, then
loss of sleep, then becoming emaciated, then renouncing all
else, then destruction of shyness, then madness, then
falling unconscious and then death. These are the stages
of love. These stages are manifested in both the hero and
the heroine. However, they are manifested first in the
heroines and only later in Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger?
Gosvami: When the lovers meet, but the heroine will
not allow her lover to touch her, that is called jealous
anger. Disgust, anxiety, restlessness, arrogance, envy,
concealment, loss and worry are included among the sancari-
bhavas in jealous anger.
Vijaya-kumara: Where does jealous anger rest?
Gosvami: Jealous anger rests in pranaya (love).
Before pranaya exists jealous anger cannot be said truly
to exist. If it exists at all, it is very stunted.
Jealous anger is of two kinds: 1 with a cause, and 2
without a cause.
Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger with a cause?
Gosvami: When the beloved gives His affection to a
rival, and the lover feels jealous anger mixed with love
(pranaya), that is called jealous anger with a cause. The
ancient sages affirm that without sneha, fear is not
possible, and without pranaya, jealous anger is not
possible. Therefore, when jealous anger is manifested,
this reveals the love felt by the hero and heroine. A girl
who sincerely loves her beloved cannot bear the idea of a
rival for her beloved’s affections. When the Dvaraka
queens heard that Krsna had given a parijata flower to
Rukmini, jealous anger arose only in the heart of
Satyabhama and not in the heart of any other queen.
Vijaya-kumara: In what different ways is the rival
(vipaksa) discovered?
Gosvami: There are three ways: 1 the lover hears about
her rival, 2 she suspects the rival’s existence, and 3 she
sees the rival in a dream.
Vijaya-kumara: What is hearing about the rival?
Gosvami: The lover may hear from the mouth of one of
her friends, from the mouth of a parrot, or from the mouth
of someone else. In these ways she hears about her rival.
Vijaya-kumara: How does she suspect her rival’s
existence?
Gosvami: She may see the marks of amorous enjoyment,
hear the name of her rival accidentally spoken, or see her
rival in a dream. In these ways she may suspect the
existence of a rival. On the limbs of her beloved she may
see various signs of His having enjoyed with another girl.
That is called ‘seeing the marks of enjoyment’. Her
beloved may accidentally speak the name of a rival. That
is called, ‘hearing the name of her rival accidentally
spoke’. These things make the heroine so sad that she
wishes she were dead. In a dream the lover may see Krsna
and a rival beloved. This is called ‘seeing the rival in a
dream”.
Vijaya-kumara: What is directly seeing the rival?
Gosvami: The girl may directly see her beloved
enjoying pastimes with a rival. That is called ‘directly
seeing the rival’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger without a cause?
Gosvami: When there is no real cause, but there is
only a flimsy reflection of a cause, and the heroin takes
shelter of pranaya (love), the result is jealous anger
without a cause. Jealous anger with a cause is itself a
transformation of pranaya. When the pastimes of pranaya
are manifested, one by product is the creation of jealous
anger without a cause. This kind of jealous anger is
called ‘pranaya-mana’. The ancient panditas declare that
spiritual love moves in a crooked way, like the movements
of a snake. That is why the heroine manifests these two
kinds of jealous anger, anger with and without a cause.
This rasa has many vyabhicari-bhavas. Among them
concealment is the most important.
Vijaya-kumara: How does the beloved pacify jealous
anger without a cause?
Gosvami: Jealous anger without a cause will be
pacified spontaneously. No effort is needed to pacify it.
In the course of joking and other like pastimes, it will go
away. Jealous anger with a cause will be pacified when
there are conciliation, quarrel, giving a gift, and bowing
down to offer respects. Jealous anger may also be pacified
by shedding tears, by joking pastimes, or in other ways
also.
Vijaya-kumara: What is conciliation?
Gosvami: Speaking affectionate words is called
‘conciliation’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is quarrel?
Gosvami: Quarrel is of two kinds: 1 crookedly praising
one’s own glories, and 2 using a friend to criticise the
beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: What is giving a gift?
Gosvami: When on some pretext an ornament or other
gift is given to the jealous beloved, that is called
‘giving a gift’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is bowing down to offer respects?
Gosvami: When the lover humbly falls at the feet of
the jealous beloved, that is called ‘bowing down to offer
respects.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘upeksa’?
Gosvami: When, seeing that neither conciliation nor
any other means will pacify His jealous beloved, the lover
simply remains silent, that is called ‘upeksa’. Some
scholars say that ‘upeksa’ here means that by speaking
joking words the lover pacifies His jealous beloved.
Vijaya-kumara: You used the word ‘rasantara’. What
does that word mean?
Gosvami: To speak words that bring sudden fear to the
jealous beloved is called ‘rasantara’. Rasantara is of two
kinds: 1 yadrcchika and 2 buddhi-purvaka. When it occurs
accidentally it is called ‘yadrcchika’. When it happens
because of the lover’s great intelligence it is called
‘buddhi-purvaka’.
Vijaya-kumara: In what other ways can the lover break
His beloved’s jealous anger?
Gosvami: One way is to play the flute at an
appropriate time and place. There are also other ways to
remove the jealous anger of the vraja-gopis. A small among
of jealous anger may be easily pacified. A moderate amount
of jealous anger may require some effort. Intense jealous
anger is difficult to pacify, even with great effort. When
a gopi expresses her jealous anger at Krsna, she may say,
‘O crooked one, O crest-jewel of the malicious, O king of
cheaters, O king of the deceivers, O best of the wicked, O
great demon, O hard-hearted one, O shameless one, O rake
whose playing is a host of sins, O lecher who hunts out the
gopis, O thief of beautiful girls’ hearts. O destroyer of
the gopis’ piety, O rake who mocks the saintly gopis, O
king of the debauchees, O great darkness of sins, O thief
of the gopis’ garments, O highwayman who lurks in the
valley of Govardhana Hill!”
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘prema-vaicittya’?
Gosvami: When, even though her beloved is present
before her, a girl suffers, mistakenly thinking He is far
away, that is called ‘prema-vaicitya’. When she is so
overwhelmed with intense love that her mind mistakenly
thinks her beloved is far away, that is called ‘vaicittya’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘pravasa’?
Gosvami: When, although previously they were together,
the hero and heroine now stay in different countries,
different towns, different rasas, or different localities,
that is called ‘pravasa’. The vyabhicaris of the pravasa
separation are all the vyabhicaris of srngara-rasa except
for joy, pride, passion, and shyness. Pravasa is of two
kinds: 1 buddhi-purvaka and 2 abuddhi-purvaka.
Vijaya-kumara: What is buddhi-purvaka pravasa?
Gosvami: When the beloved goes far away to perform a
specific duty, that is called ‘buddhi-purvaka pravasa’.
Krsna’s duty in this situation is to give pleasure to His
devotees. This kind of pravasa is of two kinds: 1 going a
short distance, and 2 going far away. When the journey is
far away, it is of three kinds: 1 future, 2 present, and 3
past. When the journey is far away, the lovers exchange
letters.
Vijaya-kumara: What is abuddhi-purvaka-pravasa?
Gosvami: When fate forces the beloved to live far away
that is called ‘abuddhi-purvaka pravasa’. In the grip of
the demigods or other forces, the lovers are forced into
many different situations. Anxiety, sleeplessness,
agitation, being emaciated, bodily limbs becoming
discoloured, wild talking, disease, madness, bewilderment,
and death are the ten conditions of life in this kind of
pravasa. When Krsna goes far away, all these ten
conditions of life are manifested. O Vijaya-kumara, these
different kinds of spiritual love (prema) and these ten
conditions of life can be understood only by mercy.
Without mercy they cannot be understood.
Vijaya-kumara: When my heart thinks about this
description of separation, it says that separation is not
an end in itself. Rather, it is meant to increase the
ocean of pleasure the lovers feel when they meet. Although
a soul imprisoned by Maya will prefer the ocean of
happiness obtained in meeting and think it better than the
rasa of separation, still, the rasas of separation is
eternally manifested. The Lord’s pastimes would not be so
wonderful if it were absent.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa
Folding his palms, Vijaya-kumara asked his spiritual
master about sambhoga (enjoyment in meeting).
Gosvami: Sri Krsna’s pastimes are of two kinds: 1
prakata (manifested and 2 aprakata (unmanifested). The
separation from Krsna I described occurs in the prakata
pastimes. In Vrndavana Krsna eternally enjoys the rasa
dance and other pastimes with the gopis. Therefore,
because these pastimes are eternal, Krsna and the gopis are
never separated. In the Mathura mahatmya it is said that
Krishna eternally enjoys pastimes with the gopas and gopis.
There the verb ‘kridati’ (enjoys pastimes), which is in the
present tense, affirms that Lord Krsna eternally enjoys
pastimes in Vrndavana. Therefore in Goloka or in
Vrndavana, in Lord Krsna’s aprakata (unmanifested)
pastimes, Krsna and the gopis always enjoy together. Krsna
never goes to a faraway place. There is no separation.
Gazing at each other, embracing and enjoying many pastimes,
Krsna eternally enjoys (sambhoga) with the gopis. This
enjoyment (sambhoga) is of two kinds: 1 mukhya (primary)
and 2 gauna (secondary).
Vijaya-kumara: What is mukhya sambhoga?
Gosvami: When Krsna and the gopis enjoy while they are
awake, that is called ‘mukhya-sambhoga’. Mukhya-sambhoga
is of four kinds. The sambhoga that occurs soon after the
purva raga is called sanksipta (brief). The sambhoga that
occurs after jealous anger is called ‘sankirna’ (narrow).
The sambhoga that occurs after a nearby pravasa (journey)
is called ‘sampanna’ (fortunate). The sambhoga that occurs
after a faraway journey is called ‘samrddhiman’ (opulent).
Vijaya-kumara: What is sanksipta-sambhoga?
Gosvami: When fear, shyness, and other like emotions
keep the meeting brief, that is called ‘sanksipta-
sambhoga’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sankirna-sambhoga?
Gosvami: When the lovers worry that an unpleasant
obstacle may thwart their pastimes, and therefore Their
enjoyment becomes like drinking hot sugar cane juice, that
is called ‘sakirna-sambhoga’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is sampanna-sambhoga?
Gosvami: When, after a long journey the lover meets
His beloved, Their enjoyment is called ‘sampanna-sambhoga’.
This sambhoga is of two kinds: 1 agati and 2 pradhurbhava.
An ordinary meeting is called ‘agati’. When the two
passionate lovers accidentally and suddenly come face-to-
face, that is called pradhurbhava. Pradhurbhava brings a
great festival of the best transcendental happiness.
Vijaya-kumara: What is samrddhiman sambhoga?
Gosvami: This is when the young lovers have a rare
opportunity to see each other. And why not? Because they
are under the control of others, this does not always
happen. Now that they are free from the control of others,
they can enjoy without any obstacles. This is called
‘samrddhiman sambhoga’. This sambhoga is of two kinds: 1
concealed and 2 openly manifested. I need not describe
them now.
Vijaya-kumara: What is gauna-sambhoga?
Gosvami: When one enjoys pastimes with Krsna in a
dream, that is called ‘gauna-sambhoga’. These dreams are
of two kinds: 1 samanya (general) and 2 visesa (specific).
This gauna sambhoga is of two kinds. When the vyabhicari-
bhava sleep is prominent, it is samanya gauna sambhoga.
Visesa gauna-sambhoga is when one awakens from the dream
and sees that the waking reality is exactly the same as the
dream. Thus the meeting with Krsna in the waking state is
exactly like the meeting with Him in the dream. This rasa
is filled with the yearnings of love. The four divisions
of sanksipta, sankirna, sampanna, and samrddhiman also
exist in gauna sambhoga.
Vijaya-kumara: Dreams aren’t real. How can
samrddhiman sambhoga occur in a dream?
Gosvami: In the spiritual world waking and dreaming
are the same. Usa and Aniruddha met in a dream. In the
same way Krsna and His beloved gopis can meet in Their
dreams. Perfected devotees (siddha-bhakta) sometimes have
very wonderful dreams, and when they awaken they attain an
ornament or something else that they first saw in the
dream. These dreams are of two kinds: 1 being awake when
one is dreaming, and 2 dreaming when one is awake. The
gopis’ dreams, which are filled with spiritual love are in
the fifth condition of life, far beyond the yogis samadhi,
which is in the fourth condition of life. Thus the gopis’
dreams are not at all like material dreams, which are born
from the mode of passion. This means that the gopis’
dreams are not material and are not impelled by the
material modes of nature. Rather, they are eternal
spiritual reality. Therefore Lord Krsna can certainly
enjoy wonderful pastimes with the gopis in their dreams.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe visesa-gauna-sambhoga.
Gosvami: The following are all the visesa gauna
sambhoga (special situations of meeting): seeing, talking,
touching, blocking the path, putting an obstacle on the
path, pastimes in a house, pastimes in Vrndavana forest,
pastimes in the Yamuna’s waters, pastimes in a boat,
pastimes of stealing flowers, pastimes at a ghata (the dana-
keli pastime), playing hide-and-seek in the forest,
drinking madhu nectar, Krsna disguising Himself as a woman,
pretending to be asleep, gambling with dice, tugging at
garments, kissing, embracing, scratching with fingernails,
drinking the nectar of each other’s bimba fruit lips, and
enjoying amorous pastimes.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, playful pastimes (lila-
vilasa) is one thing, meeting (samprayoga) is another
thing. Of the two, which brings the most happiness?
Gosvami: Playful pastimes (lila-vilasa) bring more
happiness than meeting (samprayoga).
Vijaya-kumara: With what affectionate names do the
gopis address Krsna?
Gosvami: The gopis address Krsna with the following
affectionate names: Gokulananda (O bliss of Gokula),
Govinda (O pleasure of the cows, land and senses),
Gosthendra-kula-candra (O moon born from the king of
Vraja), Pranesvara (O master of our lives), Sundarottamsa
(O crown of all handsome men), Nagara-siromani (O crest-
jewel of amorous heroes), Vrndavana-candra (O moon of
Vrndavana), Gokula-raja (O king of Gokula), and Manohara (O
enchanter of our hearts). There are many other names
also.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, Lord Krsna’s pastimes are of
two kinds: 1 prakara (manifested) and 2 aprakata
(unmanifested). Still, all His pastimes are the same
spiritual reality. What are the different kinds of His
prakata pastimes in Vraja?
Gosvami: The Lord’s prakara pastimes in Vraja are of
two kinds: 1 nitya (regular) and 2 naimittika (for some
special occasion). The Lord’s asta-kaliya-lila (pastimes
in the eight periods of the day) in Vraja are His nitya
pastimes. Other pastimes, like His killing Putana and
other demons, and His going far away on a journey are His
naimittika pastimes.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I wish to learn about the
Lord’s nitya-pastimes.
Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, would you like to hear the
description given by the ancient sages, would you like to
hear the description given by the Six Gosvamis?
Vijaya-kumara: I would like to hear the descriptions
given by the ancient sages.
Gosvami: It is said:
“The eight periods of the day are: 1 the end of night,
2 the early morning, 3 the late morning, 4 midday, 5 the
afternoon, 6 sunset, 7 evening, and 8 night. Midday and
night last for six muhurtas each. Evening and the other
periods last for three muhurtas each.”
Two dandas (24 minutes) equal one muhurta (48 minutes). In
the Sanat-kumara-samhita, Lord Sadasiva described Lord
Krsna’s pastimes in these eight periods of the day.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, am I qualified to hear these
words of Lord Sadasiva, the spiritual master of the
universe?
Gosvami: Please listen. Lord Sadasiva said (Sanat-
kumara-samhita 183-188):
“Thinking of Him as their paramour, with hidden love
the gopis please their beloved Krsna.
“One should think of oneself as a beautiful young gopi
girl expert in various arts, pleasing to Lord Krsna,
reluctant to directly enjoy with Lord Krsna even if He were
personally to invite you...
...a follower of Sri Radha, always devoted to Her
service, more affectionate to Sri Radha than to Lord Krsna
Himself...
...every day carefully and affectionately arranging
the meeting of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, and becoming happy to
see Them pleased by your service.
“Thinking of oneself in this way, one should serve Sri
Sri Radha-Krsna from the early morning of Brahma-muhurta to
the end of night.’
Vijaya-kumara: what are the pastimes at the end of
night?
Gosvami: Sri Vrnda-devi said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita
196-201):
“In the middle of beautiful Vrndavana fore, which is
decorated with fifty groves, in a grove of kalpa-vrksa
trees, in a glittering jewel palace...
...on a graceful be, the sleeping, tightly embracing
divine couple were awakened by birds following my command.
“Their firm embrace broken, the divine couple became
unhappy at the thought of Their impending separation. They
had no wish to rise even slightly from Their bed.
“Awakened by the cheerful words of many parrots and
other birds, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna rose from Their bed.
“Seeing that the divine couple had happily risen from
bed, the gopis entered and served Them in ways appropriate
to that time.
“When the female parrots spoke, the divine couple rose
from Their bed. Very anxious, They returned to Their
homes.”
Vijaya-kumara: What are the pastimes in the early
morning?
Gosvami: There it is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita
202-218):
“Wakened by His mother in the early morning, Lord
Krsna rose from bed. Then He and Balarama brushed Their
teeth.
“With His mother’s permission, Lord Krsna eagerly went
to the barn to milk the cows. Then Sri Radha, wakened by
the elder gopis, also rose from Her bed.
“Sri Radha rose, brushed Her teeth, anointed Herself
with fragrant oils, and then went to the bathing room,
where Lalita and the other gopis bathed Her.
“Then She went to the decorating room, where Her
friends decorated Her with garlands, scents, oils, and many
glittering ornaments.
“Then, after first speaking to Radha’s mother-in-law,
Yasoda called Radha and Her friends to cook breakfast for
Lord Krsna.
“Sri Narada said: O goddess, why did Yasoda call Sri
Radha to cook when Rohini and so many other expert cooks
were present in her home?
“Sri Vrnda said: The great sage Durvasa gave Radha a
boon that She would be the best of cooks. This I heard
from the mouth of Katyayani.
“Durvasa said to Radha: O goddess, by my mercy
whatever You cook will be more delicious than nectar. It
will increase the life of whoever eats it.
“That is why every day Yasoda calls Radha to cook.
Yasoda thinks, “Eager to eat this delicious food my son
will live a very long life.”
“Receiving permission from Her mother-in-law, Radha
becomes very happy. Accompanied by a host of friends, She
goes to Krsna’s home to cook.
“Meanwhile, Lord Krsna milked some cows and had the
other boys milk the others. Then, called by His father, He
and His friends returned home.
“Then the servants happily massaged Lord Krsna, bathed
Him, dressed Him in clean garments, garlanded Him and
anointed His body with sandal paste.
“Then the servants gathered Lord Krsna’s hair from His
forehead to His neck and tied it in a topknot. They made
the moon of His forehead splendid with tilaka and curling
locks of hair.
“They decorated Lord Krsna with armlets and bracelets.
They made His hands splendid with jewel rings. They placed
a necklace of pearls across His chest and decorated His
ears with shark shaped earrings.
“Again and again called by His mother, Lord Krsna
holding His mother’s hand, finally followed Balarama into
the breakfast room.
“Accompanied by His mother and His friends, Lord Krsna
ate a breakfast feast of many different kinds of foods. He
told many jokes, laughing and making His friends laugh.
“Then the servants brought betel nuts. After sharing
them with His friends and chewing some Himself, Lord Krsna
rested for a moment on a splendid bed.”
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pastimes of the
late morning.
Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 220-
223:)
“When dressed as a cowherd boy, Lord Krsna followed
the cows to the pasture, all the people of Vraja
affectionately followed Him on the path.
“Bowing down before His father and mother, casting
sidelong glances at His gopi-beloveds, and dealing
appropriately with all the others, Lord Krsna sent them all
back. Then He again proceeded to the forest.
“Lord Krsna entered the forest, played for a while
with His friends, and then slipped away with two or three
especially close friends.
“Eager to see His beloved, Lord Krsna happily went to
meet Her.”
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pastimes of midday:
Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 223-
262):
“When She saw that Lord Krsna had gone to the forest,
Sri Radha returned to Her home.
“Then on the pretext of gathering flowers and other
things for the worship of the sun-god and other purposes,
Sri Radha tricks Her superiors and, yearning to meet Her
beloved, goes to the forest.
“Finally meeting after a great effort, the divine
couple enjoy many happy pastimes in the forest with Their
associates.
“Sometimes Radha and Krsna enjoy pastimes on a swing
hanging from a tree branch and pushed by the gopis.
Sometimes Radha steals the flute from Lord Krsna’s hand.
“Sometimes the gopis hide and make Him search after
them. Sometimes they teased and scolded Him. Sometimes
they joked with Him and made Him laugh. In these ways they
charmed Lord Krsna and stole His heart.
“Sometimes Lord Krsna happily enters the forest in the
beautiful springtime and with a sprinkler sprinkles the
gopis with water mixed with sandal, kunkuma and other
colourful scents. The gopis respond by sprinkling Him.
Then Radha and Krsna sprinkle each other again and again.
“O brahmana, in the forest groves the divine couple
enjoy many different pastimes with Their associates,
pastimes appropriate to the different times and seasons.
“O best of sages, sometimes They become tired. Then,
sitting on a splendid throne under a tree, They drink
nectar.
“Intoxicated by drinking nectar, their eyes become
closed with sleepiness. Holding hands, They are attacked
by Kamadeva’s arrows.
“Desiring to enjoy, They place Their lotus feet in a
forest grove. There They enjoy pastimes like two regal
elephants.
“Intoxicated by drinking nectar, and their eyes closed
with sleepiness, the gopis entered the nearby forest
groves.
“Expanding into many different forms, all-powerful
Lord Krsna approached each gopi individually.
“As an elephant king enjoys with His many wives, so
Lord Krsna enjoyed with the gopis. Then Lord Krsna, His
beloved Radha and all the gopis entered a lake.
“Sri Narada said: O Vrnda-devi, if His pastimes of
sweetness are like this, then when does Lord Krsna manifest
His pastimes of opulence? Please cut apart my doubt?
“Sri Vrnda said: O sage, the powerful potency of the
pastimes of sweetness is one of Lord Hari’s potencies.
With that potency Lord Hari enjoys pastimes with the gopis.
“When in His original form Lord Krsna enjoys pastimes
with Sri Radha, He manifests the potency of His pastimes of
sweetness. At that time He does not manifest the potency
of His pastimes of opulence.
“Accompanied by Their gopi friends, the divine couple
enjoy pastimes of splashing each other in the water. Then
They are decoarated with splendid garments, ornaments,
garlands and sandal paste.
“Then in a jewel cottage by the lakeshore, the divine
couple eat a snack of delicious fruits and roots carefully
prepared by me.
“After Their snack, Lord Hari and His beloved recline
on a couch of flowers. There two or three gopis serve
Them.
“Served by the gopis who offer Him betelnuts, fan Him
and massage His feet, Lord Krsna, His thought fixed on His
beloved, becomes filled with happiness.
“As Lord Krsna slept, Sri Radha and Her associates
happily ate the remnants of His meal.
“After eating, Sri Radha went to the bed to gaze on
Her beloved’s lotus face as a cakori bird gazes at the
moon.
“The gopis there gave Her the remnants of betelnuts
chewed by Lord Krsna. Some She chewed and some She gave to
Her friends.
“Eager to hear what the gopis said, Lord Krsna only
pretended to be asleep as He lay under the covers.
“As they playfully joked about their beloved Hari they
could gradually understand that He was only pretending to
sleep.
“Seeing the signs of wakefulness on Lord Krsna’s face,
they looked at each other and suddenly became silent out of
embarrassment.
“Suddenly pulling the blanket from His limbs and
exclaiming, ‘My, You must have had a pleasant sleep!’ they
laughed and make Lord Krsna laugh also.
“O best of sages, in this way the divine couple
enjoyed a pleasant nap and a host of happy joking words.
“Sitting on a splendid throne and surrounded by Their
associates, the divine couple gamble at dice, with
garlands, kisses, and embraces as the winner’s prize.
“Joking with words of love, Radha and Krsna gamble
with dice. Defeated by His beloved, Lord Krsna slowly
pronounces, ‘I have lost’.
“Taking the necklace and other prizes, Sri Radha
struck Lord Krsna with a lotus flower.
‘O Narada, His unhappiness showing on His face, Lord
Krsna felt as if He had lost a great treasure. “O goddess,
You have defeated Me”, He said. “Please take the winner’s
prize.”
“To see Radha’s crooked raised eyebrows and hear Her
words of rebuke, Lord Krsna declared, ‘Now I will give You
the kiss and the other prizes.’ Then He gave Her all the
prizes.
“Then, hearing the parrots calling, Radha and Krsna
bathed and decided to return to Their homes.
“Taking leave of His beloved, Lord Krsna returns to
the cows. Accompanied by Her friends, Sri Radha goes to
the temple of the sun-god.
“Lord Krsna goes a short distance, disguises Himself
as a brahmana and then goes to the temple of the sun-god.
“Requested by the gopis, the disguised Krsna worships
the sun god. Lord Krsna then recites a host of imaginary
Vedic prayers, prayers made up on the spot and filled with
a host of errors.
“Finally understanding that this person was their
beloved Krsna, the intelligent gopis became plunged in an
ocean of bliss. Intoxicated with bliss they did not know
who they were or who anyone else was.
“O sage, in this way the divine couple and Their
associates passed six hours enjoying many pastimes.
Finally the gopis returned to their homes and Lord Krsna
returned to the cows.”
Vijaya-kumara: What are the afternoon pastimes?
Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 263-
270):
“Meeting with His gopa friends, taking the cows with
Him, and attracting everyone with the music of His flute,
Lord Krsna returned to Vraja village.
“Hearing the sound of Krsna’s flute and seeing the sky
filled with the dust raised by the cows, King Nanda and all
the men and women and children of Vraja stopped all they
were doing and ran to see Krsna.
“Sri Radha, bathed and decorated, came, bringing many
delicious foods for Her beloved. She and Her friends were
all eager to see Krsna.
“On the royal road at the entrace to Vraja village
Lord Krsna met all the people of Vraja one after another.
“He met them with embraced, glances, and smiling
glances. He bowed before the elder gopas and His honoured
them with His words.
“O Sri Narada, Lord Krsna prostrated His entire body
to show respect to His parents and to Rohini-devi. From
the corner of His eye He shyly glanced at His gopis
beloveds.
“Then in the ways proper for each, all the people of
Vraja worshipped Lord Krsna. Then Lord Krsna took the cows
into the barn.
“Requested by His parents, Lord Krsna went home with
mother Yasoda. Requested by her, He bathed and then He ate
and drank, and then He went to milk the cows.”
Vijaya-kumara: What are the sunset pastimes?
Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 271-
272):
“After milking some the cows, having the other gopas
milk the other cows, and allowing the calves to also drink
some of the milk, Lord Krsna, accompanied by His father and
by servants carrying the milk, returned home.
“Then accompanied by Lord Balarama, the gopa boys, and
the boys; mothers, Lord Krsna ate a feast of many different
kinds of foods, foods to be chewed, licked or consumed in
other ways.”
Vijaya-kumara: What are the evening pastimes?
Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 273-
277):
“On Mother Yasoda’s request, Sri Radha and Her friends
had cooked this feast.
“After enjoying the feast in the company of His father
and the others, Lord Krsna praises with many words. Then,
accompanied by the poets and reciters, Lord Krsna goes to
the assembly house.
“Then Mother Yasoda gave abundant remnants from the
feast to the gopis who had brought it in the first place.
“Mother Yasoda gives them the remnants from Lord
Krsna’s plate. The gopis take it and in a secluded place
present it before Sri Radha.
“Then Sri Radha and Her friends honour Lord Krsna’s
remnants. Then, to prepare for Her meeting with Lord
Krsna, the gopis decorate joyful Radha.”
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I yearn to hear the pastimes
of night.
Gosvami: Sri Vrnda-devi described them in these words
(Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 278-285):
“One of the gopis has already made arrangements for
Sri Radha’s secret meeting with Lord Krsna by the Yamuna’s
shore.
“Accompanied by Her friends and dressed in garments
suitable for a bright or dark night, Sri Radha goes to a
jewel palace in a kalpa-vrksa grove.
“Meanwhile Lord Krsna saw many festive ceremonies and
heard many beautiful poems and songs.
“Then Lord Krsna pleases the artists and performers
with many valuable gifts and then, called by His mother, He
goes to bed.
‘When, after giving Him a nighttime snack, mother
Yasoda left the bedroom, unseen by anyone, Lord Krsna left
His home and went to meet His beloved.
“Meeting in the forest groves, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna
enjoy singing, dancing and many other pastimes.
“After enjoying pastimes for seven and a half hours of
the night, Lord Krsna becomes sleepy. Accompanied by five
or six gopis and unseen by the others, He enters another
forest.
“Served by Their dear gopi friends, the divine couple
sleeps there on a beautiful pastime bed made of unstemmed
flowers.
O Vijaya-kumara, These are the asta-kaliya pastimes.
They have all the samagris (ingredients) of the rasas. All
these pastimes have been described in the books of the
ancient sages. In every time, place, and situation, you
should mediate on these pastimes and engage in devotional
service.
Hearing these pastimes, the learned pandita Vijaya-
kumara became plunged into the nectar of ecstatic love.
Streams of tears flowed from his eyes. The hairs of his
body stood up. He spoke one or two broken words in a
choked voice. He fell before Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami’s
feet, offering obeisances for a long time. Then he rose up
and slowly walked home. Day and night these words about
the rasas stayed in his heart.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Lila-pravesa-vicara
Entering the Lord’s Pastimes
Now Vijaya-kumara was always eager to hear about these
pastimes. He did not like to hear about anything else.
When he went to see Lord Jagannatha, Vijaya-kumara could
not remain peaceful and composed. For many days now he had
studied the rasas. He had learned about madhura-rasa,
sthayi-bhava, vibhava, anubhava, sattvika bhava, and
vyabhicari bhava. One by one, the different kinds of
ecstatic love entered his heart. They would bring him
great delight, and then they would go away. Some days
passed in this way. He did not understand how the presence
of ecstatic love had changed him. One day, with tears in
his eyes, he fell down before His spiritual master’s feet
and said, “O master, by your mercy I have learned
everything. However, I am not able to make spiritual
advancement. I have not attained sthayi bhava and I have
not entered Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Please teach me what I
should do.” Seeing how his disciple was rapt in ecstatic
love, Gopala-guru Gosvami was very pleased. In his heart
he thought, “Love for Krsna (Krsna-prema) is such that its
happiness brings distress, and its distress brings
happiness.” Then he openly said, “I will tell you how to
enter Lord Krsna’s pastimes”.
Vijaya-kumara: How can I enter them?
Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has revealed
the way in these words (Manah-siksah 2):
“Mind don't do the pious and impious deeds described
in the Vedas. Intently serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja.
Always remember that Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna, the son
of Maharaja Nanda and my spiritual master is most dear to
Lord Mukunda.”
Don’t perform the pious and impious deeds described in
the Vedas. Reject this past of the Vedas and instead
earnestly engage in raganuga-bhakti. Again and again serve
Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja. Serve the Lord according to
the rasas of Vraja. If you ask, “Who will teach me how to
serve the Lord according to the rasas of Vraja?”, then I
will tell you. Please listen. Sridhama Navadvipa, where
Lord Caitanya appeared in Saci-devi’s womb is a
manifestation of Vrndavana. Lord Caitanya is Krsna
Himself, Krsna the son of Nandisvara’s king. Lord Caitanya
is not different from Krsna. Thinking that Lord Krsna has
descended to Navadvipa to enjoy pastimes as Lord Caitanya,
one should not reject the worship of Lord Krsna as the
amorous hero of Vraja and instead worship Lord Caitanya as
the amorous hero of the young girls in Navadvipa. Lord
Caitanya is Lord Krsna Himself. Still, one should not
criticise the devotees who worship Him with different
mantras and meditate on Him separately. In the path of the
rasas one should worship only Krsna, the beloved of Radha,
and Lord Caitanya one should worship as the spiritual
master of the rasas of Vraja. One should meditate on Lord
Caitanya’s pastimes and on Lord Krsna’s asta-kaliya
pastimes. One should not think that one’s spiritual master
is not a sakhi or a yuthesvari in Vraja. By worshipping in
this way one will be able to enter Lord Krsna’s pastimes in
Vraja.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I understand that one should
reject other scriptures and other paths, worship Lord
Caitanya and serve one’s spiritual master, aware that the
spiritual master is a sakhi in Lord Krsna’s pastimes. How
can one make his heart steady and determined to follow this
path?
Gosvami: Two things should be understood: 1 upasaka-
pariskrti (the worshipper) and 2 upasya-pariskrti (the
object of worship). You have learned about the rasas.
Therefore you have learned about upasya-pariskrti. The
upasaka-pariskrti has eleven bhavas. Almost all of them
you have already learned. Only one remains for you to
learn.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these eleven bhavas.
Gosvami: These eleven bhavas are: 1 sambandha
(relationship), 2 vayasa (age), 3 nama (name), 4 rupa
(form), 5 yutha (group), 6 vesa (garments), 7 ajna
(command), 8 vasa (residence), 9 seva (service), 10
parakasthasvasa (highest aspiration) and 11 palya-dasi-
bhava (the nature of a maidservant).
Vijaya-kumara: What is sambandha?
Gosvami: Sambandha is the foundation of spiritual
attainments. When one has a relationship with Krsna, then
the bhavas are manifested. The final goal one attains is
based on the relationship. Souls who address Krsna as
‘master’ become servants of Krsna. Souls who address Krsna
as ‘friend’ become friends of Krsna. Souls who address
Krsna as ‘son’ become the mother or father of Krsna. Souls
who address Krsna as ‘husband’ become queens at Dvaraka.
In Vraja there is no santa-rasa and dasya rasa is
curtailed. Each devotee attains a relationship according
to his own natural inclination. You are naturally
attracted to parakiya-rasa. Therefore you are a follower
of Vraja’s queen. In your relationship you say, “I am a
maidservant of Sri Radha’s maidservant. She is the
controller of my life. Krsna is the controller of Radha’s
life, and therefore Krsna, the beloved of Radha, is the
controller of my life also.
Vijaya-kumara: I have heard that the great acarya
Srila Jiva Gosvami preferred svakiya rasa. Is that true?
Gosvami: Not one of the true followers of Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected the pure parakiya-rasa. Who
can be a better teacher of this rasa than Srila Svarupa
Damodara Gosvami? He taught the truth of the pure parakiya
rasa. Srila Jiva Gosvami and Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila
Sanatana Gosvami all accepted his teachings in this matter.
In his own personal devotional service Srila Jiva Gosvami
did not accept svakiya rasa. However, he did explain that
even in Vraja some devotees manifest a scent of svakiya
rasa. When samartha rati carries a scent of samanjasa
rati, then svakiya-rasa is present in Vraja. Therefore
when a slight sense of svakiya-rasa is present, the devotee
may be called a worshipper in svakiya rasa. Srila Jiva
Gosvami has two kinds of disciples. One group of his
disciples was situated in pure parakiya-rasa. Another
group of his disciples were situated in parakiya rasa mixed
with svakiya rasa. According to the different inclinations
of his different disciples, he gave different appropriate
instructions. This he clearly explained when he wrote the
words:
“What I have written is appropriate for devotees who
are inclined in a certain way.”
Vijaya-kumara: Now I clearly understand that the pure
Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy teaches the pure parakiya rasa.
Now that I understand sambandha, please describe vayasa.
Gosvami: When you attain your relationship with Krsna,
you will have a wonderful form. In your case it will be
the form of a beautiful girl in Vraja. That form will be
manifested in a specific age appropriate to your service.
The age from ten to sixteen years is called ‘kaisora’.
That is generally the appropriate age in this situation.
Therefore in your spiritual form your age begins at ten
and, as you make advancement in service, increases up to
the age of sixteen That is called ‘vayah-sandhi’. Balya
(childhood), pauganda (pre-adolescence) and vrddha (old
age) do not exist among the beautiful girls of Vraja.
Therefore you should know that your spiritual form is
situated in the kaisora age.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is name? I have already
received a name. Please clearly explain ‘name’ to me.
Gosvami: You naturally become the follower of a maidservant-
friend of Sri Radha. That friend’s name is your name.
Examining your nature, your spiritual master gives you a
name. Please know that is your name eternally. The
beautiful girls of Vraja will delight in addressing you by
that name.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, please explain rupa.
Gosvami: Your spiritual master reveals to you the
nature of the beautiful and youthful kaisora age form that,
according to your own inclination, is your own form. You
have an inconceivable beautiful spiritual form. If that
were not so, then how could you be a maidservant of Sri
Radha?
Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly describe ‘yutha’.
Gosvami: Sri Radha is your yuthesvari. You belong to
a gana (sub-group) presided over by one of Sri Radha’s
eight closest friends (asta-sakhi). Your spiritual master
has placed you in Lalita’s gana. Therefore, following
Lalita’s orders you will serve your yuthesvari (Sri Radha)
and playful Lord Krsna, who enjoys pastimes with Her.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, who are the devotees that
follow Candravali as their yuthesvari?
Gosvami: After many births a soul will become a
fortunate and desire to be a follower of a yuthesvari. A
soul who has all good fortune enters the group led by Sri
Radha. The gopis led by Candravali strive to increase the
bliss that Sri Radha and Lord Krsna enjoy in Their
pastimes. Therefore the rival groups, called paksa, and
vipaksa, make the taste of rasa sweeter. In truth Sri
Radha is the only real yuthesvari. Because She enjoys
wonderful pastimes with Krsna, She is glorious, and a soul
who serves Her becomes glorious also.
Vijaya-kumara: Please explain visesa.
Gosvami: Your spiritual master describes to you your
garments, personal qualities, and the skills you have to
perform various kinds of service.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘ajna’.
Gosvami: Ajnas are of two kinds: 1 nitya (regular) and
2 naimittika (occasional). A merciful sakhi orders you to
engage in a certain regular (nitya) service. This service
you should diligently execute during the eight periods of
the day. Any other service she may give you is naimittika
service. That also you should execute diligently.
Vijaya-kumara: What is vasa?
Gosvami: Your eternal residence in Vraja is called
‘vasa’.
Vijaya-kumara: You will take birth as a certain gopi
in a certain village within the land of Vraja. Within that
village you will be married to a certain gopa. However,
you will be attracted by the sound of Krsna’s flute. You
will be the follower of a certain sakhi. Her cottage at
Radha-kunda will be your residence also. In this way your
eternal nature is situated in parakiya rasa.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘seva’.
Gosvami: You are a follower of Sri Radha. Your
service is to serve Her. If, when she sends you with a
message, and you meet Krsna in a secluded place, Krsna
expresses His love for you and proposes that you enjoy
with Him, you should not accept His proposal. You are
Radha’s maidservant, and without Her permission you cannot
serve Krsna. You are not independent. Although you love
Radha and Krsna both, your love and service to Radha is
more important to you than your love and service to Krsna.
That is the explanation of the word ‘seva’. Your service
is to serve Sri Radha throughout the eight periods of the
day. Following the descriptions in Srila Svarupa
Damodara’s Kadaca (notebook), Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
describes these services in his poem Vilapa-kusumanjali.
Vijaya-kumara: What is “parakasthavasa”?
Gosvami: In the following two verses (Vilapa-
kusumanjali 102 and 100) Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
describes parakasthasvasa:
“O Radha, for me somehow the present moment is flooded
by a nectar ocean of many hopes. If You do not give Your
mercy, then of what use to me are this life, the land of
Vraja, and Sri Krsna, the enemy of Baka?”
“O Lord Krsna, O nectar moon of Gokula, O Lord whose
cheerful face is a lotus flower, O sweetly smiling one, O
Lord melting with compassion, so I may serve You both with
love and please lead me to the place where Your beloved
enjoys pastimes with You.”
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘palya-dasi-bhava’
Gosvami: In the following words of Vraja-vilasa-stava
(text 29) Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes palya-
dasi-bhava:
“Flooded with the nectar of intense love for her two
friends (Sri Sri Radha-Krsna), who are more dear to her
than her own life, affectionately arrogant in Their
presence, and daily arranging for Their rendezvous, Lalita-
devi expertly teaches her friend Radha the art of jealous
anger. I pray Lalita-devi will one day accept me as one of
her associates.”
Vijaya-kumara: How should such a palya-dasi
(maidservant) act in relation to the other gopis who are
companions of Sri Lalita?
Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami studied all the
rasa-sastras under Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. Srila
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has written (Vraja-vilasa-stava,
text 38)
“By offering Her betel nuts, by massaging Her feet, by
bringing Her water, by arranging for Her secret meeting
with Lord Krsna, and by performing many other services,
many gopi maidservants affectionately please Sri Radha, the
great queen of Vrndavana forest. When the divine couple
enjoy the presence of the great gopis for whom Sri Radha is
more dear than life. I take shelter of these gopi
maidservants, who have Srimati Rupa-manjari as their
leader.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the other
prominent sakhis?
Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami gives this hint
about their nature (Vraja-vilasa-stava text 30):
“Visakha-devi is the place where the youthful divine
couple enjoys affectionate and playful joking pastimes.
Her sweet transcendental singing eclipses the voices of the
cuckoos. I pray that Visakha-devi may become pleased with
me and accept me as her student.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vipaksa
(rival) gopis?
Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes them.
Please hear this description (Vraja-vilasa-stava, text 41):
“In order to increase the splendid and nectarean
jealous love of Srimati Radharani, who sometimes becomes
proud of Her own good fortune, Lord Krsna briefly enjoys
pastimes with other gopis, who blossoms with many amorous
desires. Let us offer our respectful obeisances to these
gopis, who must have performed many great pious activities
in their previous births in order to play this role in the
Lord’s pastimes.”
That is how you should thing about the rival groups of
gopis (paksa and vipaksa). However, when they are serving
the Lord directly in the spiritual world, there may be a
situation where mocking gopi rivals is appropriate. This
direct service in the spiritual world is described in Srila
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Vilapa-kusumanjali. The
proper way to relate to the other liberated associates of
the Lord is described in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s
Sri Vraja-vilasa-stava. The divine couple’s pastimes are
seen in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri
Visakhanandabhidha-stotra and other prayers. You should
see the asta-kaliya pastimes in those poems. The proper
method of worship (paddhati) is seen in Srila Raghunatha
dasa Gosvami’s Sri Manah-siksah. By following that method
of worship you will become rapt in meditation on the divine
couple’s pastimes. Ecstatic love (bhava) is seen in Srila
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sva-niyama-dasaka. You should
carefully observe the vows describe in that poem. Srila
Rupa Gosvami described the rasas in his books. Lord
Caitanya gave that task to him. However, Srila Rupa
Gosvami did not describe how an aspiring devotee can enter
into these rasas. That Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami,
following the teachings in Srila Svarupa Damodara’s Kadaca,
described. Lord Caitanya gave these specific tasks to
these devotees, and they all followed His order.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the tasks Lord
Mahaprabhu ordered these devotees to perform.
Gosvami: The Lord ordered Srila Svarupa Damodara
Gosvami to describe the method of worship according to the
rasas. Following that order, Srila Svarupa Damodara
Gosvami wrote his Kadaca, which is divided into two parts,
one part describing the internal path (antah-pantha) or
worship according to the rasas, and the other part
describing the external path (bahihi pantha) of worship
according to the rasa. The internal path he placed around
the neck of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, who described
that path in his writings. The external path Srila Svarupa
Damodara Gosvami gave to Srila Vakresvara Pandita. That
teaching is the great treasure of this temple. That
treasure I have given to Srila Dhyanacandra Gosvami, and he
has written that treasure into a books. You already have a
copy of that book. Lord Mahaprabhu ordered Lord Nityananda
and Lord Advaita to preach the glories of the holy name,
and He also gave Them the power to do it. Lord Mahaprabhu
gave Srila Rupa Gosvami the order to write books about the
rasas, and He also gave him the power to do it. Lord
Mahaprabhu gave Srila Sanatana Gosvami the order to write
about vaidhi bhakti and the relationship between vaidhi
bhakti and raga bhakti. The Lord also gave Srila Sanatana
Gosvami the order to write about the Lord’s prakata and
aprakata pastimes in Gokula. Lord Nityananda Prabhu and
Srila Sanatana Gosvami gave Srila Jiva Gosvami the order to
write books about sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana, and
they also gave him the power to do it. All of these great
devotees fulfilled the orders they were given.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, what task was given to Srila
Ramananda Raya?
Gosvami: Lord Mahaprabhu gave Srila Ramananda Raya the
task of expanding the rasas. Srila Ramananda Raya used
Srila Rupa Gosvami as his instrument in fulfilling this
task.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, what task was given to Srila
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya?
Gosvami: To Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya He gave the
task of explaining philosophy. Srila Sarvabhauma
Bhattacarya executed that task by having one of his
disciples teach Srila Jiva Gosvami.
Vijaya-kumara: What task did the Lord give to the
great devotees in Bengal;?
Gosvami: To the great devotees in Bengal the Lord gave
the task to teaching the truth about Lord Caitanya and
showing the people how to have faith in Lord Caitanya’s
descriptions of Krsna-rasa. These devotees fulfilled that
order by writing many books glorifying the rasas.
Vijaya-kumara: What task was given to Srila Raghunatha
dasa Gosvami?
Gosvami: To him was given the task of preaching the
glories of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Vijaya-kumara: What task was given to Srila Gopala
Bhatta Gosvami?
Gosvami: To Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was given the
task of stopping perverted misinterpretations of pure
srngara-rasa and also stopping the tendency not to have
faith in vaidhi-bhakti.
Vijaya-kumara: Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati was the
uncle and spiritual master of Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
What task was given to him?
Gosvami: To Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati was given
the task of showing the world that the path of the rasas
and anubhavas in Vraja is the highest of all paths.
Hearing all this, Vijaya-kumara thought himself very
fortunate.
Chapter Forty
Sampatti-vicara
The Greatest Good Fortune
Vijaya-kumara decided that by hearing about the Lord’s
pastimes in Vraja, one gradually attains the greatest good
fortune. Thinking in this way, he posed a question.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, I would like to know how many
stages there are between first hearing about the Lord and
finally attaining the greatest good fortune.
Gosvami: There are five stages: 1 sravana-dasa
(hearing), 2 varana-dasa (desiring), 3 smarana-dasa
(remembering), 4 bhavapana-dasa (attaining ecstasy) and 5
prema-sampatti-dasa (the greatest good fortune of spiritual
love).
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe sravana-dasa.
Gosvami: When he attains faith in hearing about Krsna
(Krsna-katha), a soul throws materialism (bahirmukha-dasa)
far away. In that stage the soul yearns to hear about
Krsna. Such a soul intently hears about Krsna from an
exalted devotee. This is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(4.29.40):
“My dear king, in the place where pure devotees live,
following the rules and regulations and thus purely
conscious and engaged with great eagerness in hearing and
chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
in that place if one gets a chance to hear their constant
flow or nectar, which is exactly like the waves of a river,
one will forget the necessities of life - namely hunger,
and thirst - and become immune to all kinds of fear,
lamentation and illusion.”*
Vijaya-kumara: Sometimes the people hear about Krsna
from materialists. What is the result of that hearing.
Gosvami: One may hear about Krsna from a materialist,
or one may hear about Krsna from a devotee. These two
kinds of hearing are different in many ways. By hearing
about Krsna from a materialist, the hearer does not
gradually attain faith. On the other hand, by hearing
about Krsna from a devotee eager to engage in devotional
service, the hearer attains spiritual piety. In some
future birth spiritual faith will rise within him. When he
attains this faith, a soul is eager to hear the glories of
Krsna only from the mouths of great devotees. This stage
is called ‘sravana-dasa’. Sravana dasa is of two kinds: 1
krama-suddha-sravana dasa and 2 krama-hina-sravana dasa.
Vijaya-kumara: What is krama-hinasravana dasa?
Gosvami: When the hearing is done without
determination and when it does not touch Lord Krsna’s
pastimes, it is called ‘krama-hine’. If there is no touch
of Lord Krsna’s pastimes, the rasas will not become
manifested.
Vijaya-kumara: What is krama-suddha sravana-dasa?
Gosvami: When hearing is done with great
determination, and when it touches on Lord Krsna’s
pastimes, then the rasas will become manifested. Hearing
about Lord Krsna’s asta-kaliya nitya lila (regular pastimes
in the eight periods of the day) and His birth pastime and
other naimittika-lila (occasional pastimes) is called
“krama-suddha-sravana-dasa’. To properly engage in
devotional service one must perform krama-suddha-sravana.
By again and again engaging in krama-suddha-sravana dasa
and hearing the Lord’s pastimes, one perceives how sweet
the Lord’s pastimes are. At that time the activities of
raganuga bhakti rise in the heart of the hearer. Then the
hearer thinks in his heart, “Aha! Subala has such wonderful
ecstatic love! I should serve Krsna in sakhya-rasa, as
Subala does.’ This kind of activity is called ‘lobha’
(greedy desire). To thus worship Krsna by greedily
following the liberated residents of Vraja is called
‘raganuga-bhakti’. I have given an example in sakhya rasa.
Raganuga bhakti exists in the four rasas that begin with
dasya-rasa. By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who is the
master of our lives, you have become qualified for srngara-
rasa. Seeing the beautiful gopis of Vraja, you have
yearned to become like them. That yearning will lead you
to the path of fulfilling that yearning. In truth, this is
revealed in the conversation of the spiritual master and
the disciple. That is sravana-dasa.
Vijaya-kumara: How does one attain the perfection of
sravana-dasa?
Gosvami: When one understands that Lord Krsna’s
pastimes are eternal, and when one declares that they are
pure and spiritual, one’s heart will become enchanted by
them. Then one will become agitated with an intense desire
to enter those pastimes. When he sees that the disciple is
qualified, the spiritual master will show him the eleven
bhavas described in the scriptures. When the disciple’s
heart is passionately devoted to the Lord’s pastimes, that
is the perfection of sravana-dasa. When he is greatly
agitated in this way, the disciple attains varana-dasa.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is varana-dasa?
Gosvami: Bound with the shackles of the eleven bhavas,
the heart becomes passionately attached to the Lord’s
pastimes. Weeping, the disciple falls before his
spiritual master’s feet. Then the spiritual master’s
original form as a sakhi is manifested and the disciple
manifests his original form as a gopi maidservant. This
disciple is agitated to engage in devotional service as a
gopi. By serving the spiritual master ,the disciple
attains the supreme goal of his life and becomes a
beautiful girl in Vraja. The disciple speaks these words
(Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Premambhoja-
marandakhya-stava-raga 11-12):
“Taking a straw in his mouth, this person offers
respectful obeisances unto you. This person is very
unhappy. Please bring him to life by sprinkling him with
the nectar of service to you.
“O gopi friend of Sri Radha, as merciful Lord Krsna
never rejects a surrendered soul, even a soul who has
performed many misdeeds, in the same way I request that you
please do not reject a person like me.”
This state is called ‘varana-dasa’. Then, in his form
as a sakhi, the spiritual master gives to his disciple
residence in Vraja and orders him to take shelter of Lord
Krsna’s holy name and meditate on Lord Krsna’s pastimes.
Then the spiritual master gives encouragement, saying,
“Soon you will attain what your heart desires.”
Vijaya-kumara: What is smarana dasa?
Gosvami: Srila Rupa Gosvami gives this description
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.150-152):
“Always meditating on Krsna as the object of one’s
love, and always engaged in hearing and chanting His
glories, a devotees should always live in the land of
Vraja.
“Desiring to become like them, the sadhaka and siddha
devotees should follow in the footsteps of the liberated
residents of Vraja.
“In this way the wise understand the activities of
vaidhi-bhakti, which begin with hearing and chanting.”
After hearing these two verses, Vijaya-kumara asked,
“What do the words ‘kuryad vasam vraje sada (a devotee
should always live in the land of Vraja) mean?
Gosvami: Srila Jiva Gosvami explains “To place one’s
body in the circle of Vraja means to place it in the circle
of the Lord’s pastimes. If one is not able to place his
physical body in Vraja, one can meditate on living in
Vraja. By this meditation one attains the final goal.
Then one becomes the follower of a particular sakhi, one
serves that sakhi in the forest, and one always meditates
on that sakhi and her particular kind of love for Lord
Krsna. Thus you should engage your gross material body in
the activities of vaidhi-bhakti, which begin with hearing
and chanting and also, with the eleven bhavas, you should
meditate on the pastimes of a liberated sakhi in Vraja. In
this way you should engage in devotional service. Thus you
should engage your material body in the activities of
vaidhi-bhakti. When your spiritual body becomes manifest,
you will become averse to all that is not related to Vraja.
Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly describe this path.
Gosvami: The word “vraja-vasa” means to avoid the
company of materialists”. One should chant a certain
prescribed number of holy names of Lord Hari and also
meditate on the Lord’s asta-kaliya pastimes. Do not think
of your material body as an enemy. Rather, use it and all
in relationship with it in favourable service to the Lord.
Vijaya-kumara: (after deep thought) O master, these
descriptions are very pleasing to my heart. How can I make
my heart determined to follow this path?
Gosvami: When it attains raganuga-bhakti, the heart
will be determined. And why not? If there is even a
slight scent of raganuga bhakti, then one will be inclined
to Vraja. Then one will no longer be attracted to material
things. If you are worried that you will stray from the
path, then at first proceed gradually. When you become
steady you will not be able to stray from the path.
Vijaya-kumara: Please describe this gradual path.
Gosvami: Every day for a certain amount of time, one
should, avoiding all material interruptions, chant the holy
name with sincere love. The time spent in this way should
be gradually increased. When one finally spends all his
time in this way, he will attain very wonderful love for
the Lord. At that time one will dread any external thing
that may come to interrupt these activities.
Vijaya-kumara: For how many days should one practice
in this way?
Gosvami: Until, one is free from all material
obstacles, or until material obstacles no longer arise in
one’s meditation.
Vijaya-kumara: What does it mean ‘to remember the holy
name with love’? Please clearly explain.
Gosvami: In the beginning on joyfully chants the holy
name. That joy leads one to think, ‘the holy name is
mine’. From that feeling of possessiveness one attains
love for the holy name. Gradually pure ecstatic love
(bhava) becomes manifested. This is called ‘bhavapana-
dasa”. At the stage of smarana-dasa, love is merely an
external imposition. However, in the stage of bhavapana-
dasa genuine, pure love is manifested. In this way the
devotee finally attains prema, the highest love. This is
called ‘upasaka-nistha’. There is also another path, which
is called ‘upasya-nistha’.
Vijaya-kumara: What is upasya-nistha?
Gosvami: If one wholeheartedly yearns to attain prema,
he should honour this advice given by Srila Raghunatha dasa
Gosvami (Manah-siksa text 3):
“Mind, listen to me! If you desire to reside in Vraja
birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the
youthful divine couple, then with great love always
remember and bow down before Srila Svarupa Damodara
Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, his elder brother, Srila
Sanatana Gosvami and all their associates and followers.”
Vijaya-kumara: How does one gradually become purified
by meditating on the Lord’s asta-kaliya pastimes?
Gosvami: Please consider what Srila Rupa Gosvami has
said (Ujjvala-nilamani, Gauna-sambhoga-prakarana) about the
great wonder of the rasas manifested in the Lord’s asta-
kaliya pastimes:
“Because it is shoreless, peerless and unfathomable, I
merely stand on the shore of the ocean of rasa and touch
only one drop of its sweetness.”
Why should this not be so? The ocean of rasa is
spiritual, wonderful, all-pervading and shoreless. If one
tries to describe that spiritual ocean of rasa with words,
his words will inevitably be both impure and incomplete.
Even if the Supreme Lord Himself describes it, the hearers
and readers, still bearing the faults that the material
world impresses on them, will not be able to understand it
perfectly. Therefore because the ocean of rasa cannot e
fathomed, one can merely stand at its shore and understand
only a single drop of it.
Vijaya-kumara: O master, if this is so, then how can I
have any conception at all of the spiritual rasas?
Gosvami: The madhura rasa is shoreless, peerless, and
unfathomable. Lord Krsna’s pastimes are like that.
However, Lord Krsna has two transcendental qualities that
give us hope: He is all powerful and He can do whatever He
likes. Therefore, even though the ocean of rasa is
peerless, shoreless and unfathomable, Lord Krsna can shrink
it so that it fits within the material world. The material
world is indeed a very small place. Still, if Krsna wishes
He can bring His supremely glorious rasas to the small and
insignificant material world. In this way He mercifully
descends to the material world and He takes His spiritual
and eternal rasas and pastimes with Him. When He descends
to the material world, he brings with Him His own spiritual
world of Mathura-mandala, which is beyond the touch of
matter. One cannot ask how the Lord does all this. Why
not? All this is down by His inconceivable potency. Even
the demigods and other exalted beings are not intelligent
enough to understand how it is done. In this way the Lord
manifested His Vraja pastimes, which are the best of all
pastimes, and which are beyond the touch of matter. I do
not lament merely because I cannot understand them
perfectly or completely.
Vijaya-kumara: If the Lord’s prakata (manifested) and
aprakata (unmanifested) pastimes are the same pastimes,
then why are the aprakata pastimes considered superior?
Gosvami: These two kinds of pastimes are identical.
Of this there is no doubt. They are both perfect,
complete, glorious and beyond the touch of matter.
However, the prakata pastimes can be seen and remembered by
conditioned souls imprisoned in the material world, but the
aprakata pastimes can be seen only by purified souls who
are in mature devotional service and who have attained the
stage of bhavapana-dasa.
O Vijaya-kumara, to you I can disclose this secret.
And why not? You are qualified to hear it. By practicing
smarana-dasa for a long time, one eventually becomes
qualified for bhavapana-dasa. During smarana-dasa one
begins to become cleansed of material contamination, but
that cleansing is not complete until one attains bhavapana-
dasa. By following smarana-dasa one attains pure sadhana-
bhakti. In this way by the Lord’s mercy, pure devotional
service is manifested in the devotee’s heart. That pure
devotion attracts Krsna. In this way, by Lord Krsna’s
mercy, the devotee advances beyond smarana-dasa. This is
described by the Supreme Lord Himself in these words
(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.26):
“When a diseased eye is treated with medicinal
ointment it gradually recovers its power to see.
Similarly, as a conscious living entity cleanses himself of
material contamination by hearing and chanting the pious
narrations of My glories, he regains his ability to see Me,
the Absolute Truth, in My subtle spiritual form.”***
This is also described in the following words of
Brahman-samhita (5.38):
“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda who is always
seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp
of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara,
situated within the heart of the devotee.”*
A person who has attained the stage of bhavapana-dasa
attains spiritual vision and thus can see his spiritual
master as a sakhi and yuthesvari. He can also see Lord
Krsna, the master of Goloka. Still, until his linga-sarira
(subtle material body) is at last dissolved, he does not
attain sampatti-dasa (the greatest good fortune) and he
does not see Krsna at every moment. When he attains
bhavapana-dasa, the pure soul has complete control over his
gross and subtle material bodies. However, only when he
attains Lord Krsna’s complete and full mercy will the soul
attain the final spiritual goal, where the soul completely
breaks of all relationship with the material world of five
elements. Bhavapana-dasa is also called ‘svarupa-siddhi’,
and sampatti-dasa is also called ‘vastu-siddhi’.
Vijaya-kumara: When one attains vastu-siddhi, in what
way will he see Lord Krsna’s name, form, qualities,
pastimes and abode?
Gosvami: I cannot answer. When I myself attain vastu-
siddhi, I will be able to see and tell. When you attain
sampatti-siddhi you will certainly be able to understand.
You will understand without any struggle. And why not?
You will see it all before your eyes. You will not need to
ask questions. Even what the soul sees at the stage of
svarupa-siddhi or bhavapana-dasa an ordinary person cannot
understand. And why not? Even if he hears a person in
bhavapana-dasa describe what he sees, an ordinary person
will not understand the description. The nature of a soul
situated in svarupa-siddhi is described by Srila Rupa
Gosvami in these words (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.3.29 and
1.4.12):
“If a person is completely detached from material
enjoyment and has developed pure ecstatic devotion, even if
he is sometimes accidentally found not living up to the
standard of devotional service, one should not be envious
of him.”*
“Only the most fortunate persons can achieve such
success in life. Those who are simply academic students of
the Vedic scriptures cannot appreciate how such a
development takes place.”*
Vijaya-kumara: If this is so, then why do the Brahma-
samhita and other scriptures try to describe the world of
Goloka?
Gosvami: When by the Lord’s mercy they attain the
stage of svarupa-siddhi, Brahma and the demigods speak many
prayers to describe what they have seen. However, ordinary
persons who are less spiritually advanced cannot understand
these prayers very well. Still, there is no need for the
devotees to understand all these points. By Lord Krsna’s
mercy His prakata pastimes are manifested, and you can
worship Him. By doing that you will attain all perfection.
Within a short time you will attain great spiritual faith,
and then the spiritual world of Goloka will be manifested
before you. Gokula is the same as Goloka. And why not?
Gokula and Goloka are not different places. That spiritual
realm is not seen by the eyes of materialists.
Materialists do not attain the stage of svarupa-siddhi.
Only persons who are qualified can see these spiritual
truths. Please Krsna by engaging in His devotional
service. Follow Krsna’s commands. By following Krsna’s
commands, you will gradually attain His mercy. Then your
vision will be pure and perfect.
Vijaya-kumara had no longer any doubts. He followed
the eleven bhavas. He meditated on Lord Krsna’s handsome
form and pastimes. Staying in a cottage by the seashore,
he always tasted the sweetness of pure spiritual love
(prema). Meanwhile, Vrajanatha’s mother fell sick with
cholera and died. Vrajanatha and his grandmother returned
home. In Vrajanatha’s pure heart was manifested pure love
(prema) in sakhya-rasa. He passed his days staying among
the Vaisnavas by the Ganges shore at Sridhama Navadvipa.
Vijaya-kumara renounced household life and accepted the
kaupina of a sannyasi. He lived by taking a little maha-
prasadam he obtained by madhukari begging. During the
eight periods of the day he meditated on Sri Sri Radha-
Krsna. At night he briefly slept. He honoured a little
prasadam. While he was awake he served the divine couple
in ways appropriate to the particular time of day. On japa
beads he always chanted the holy names of Lord Hari.
Sometimes he danced, sometimes he wept, and sometimes he
smiled to see the waves in the ocean. Who can understand
the symptoms of his devotional life? He accepted the name
Nimai dasa Babaji. He would neither hear nor speak gossip.
He was very humble. His actions were pure. He was fixed
in devotional service. When someone offered him maha-
prasadam or cloth for his kaupina, he accepted only what he
actually needed. He never accepted more than that. When
he chanted the holy names of Lord Hari tears would stream
from his eyes, his voice would become choked, and the hairs
of his body would stand erect. After only a few days he
became perfect in devotional service. He obtained Lord
Krsna’s mercy, and thus he became qualified to enter the
Lord’s aprakata pastimes. Like Haridasa Thakura, when he
died his material body was placed in a tomb by the
seashore. Haribol.
“Bearing with him the mercy of his spiritual master,
Lord Krsna, and the Vaisnavas, a poor person named
Bhaktivinoda laboured greatly to write this book.
“This book, the Jaiva-dharma, written in the Bengali
language, was completed by the Ganges’ shore at Surabhi-
kunja in Godruma, at Navadvipa, on the full moon day of the
month of Magha in the 410th year after Lord Caitanya’s
appearance in this world.
“Persons who yearn to attain the feet of Lord Gaura,
the delivered of the Kali-yuga, will have faith in this
book.
“I place a curse on any person who does not have even
the smallest particle of faith, but still reads this book.
“Persons who speak the theory of dry impersonal
liberation cannot understand Krsna. Only faithful persons
can purely understand Lord Krsna’s pastimes in Vraja.
The End.