“May that Lord of the cows be satisfied by us. Who is Indra when compared to Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is the master of Indra. And yet He has appeared as the master of cows; the Supreme Absolute Truth has accepted a simple position as the keeper of cows. Superficially, He is a mere cowherd boy. But let that cowherd boy, who holds within Him the power of controlling the whole universe, be satisfied with us. We want to worship that Lord who has taken the humble position of the king of the cows.”
Excerpt from Loving Search for the Lost Servant by our Param Gurudev, His Divine Grace Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva-Goswami. deve varṣati yajña-viplava-ruṣā vajrāśma-varṣānilaiḥ sīdat-pāla-paśu-stri ātma-śaraṇaṁ dṛṣṭvānukampy utsmayam utpāṭyaika-kareṇa śailam abalo līlochchhilīndhraṁ yathā bibhrad goṣṭham apān mahendra-mada-bhit prīyān na indro gavām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.26.25)
The very gist of the Govardhan-līlā, the very substance of the Pastime, is represented in this verse. The milkmen in Vṛndāvan used to observe a sacrifice to satisfy the king of heaven, Indra, at whose command the rain, clouds, and other subtle elementary powers move. The main wealth of the cowherd men is the cow, and the cow’s main food is grass. Only rain can produce grass, and so the cowherd men used to perform sacrifice to satisfy the subtle power who is supposed to be in command of natural substances like rain.
By satisfying Indra, favourable rains would come and there would be sufficient grass. The cows could then graze easily on the grass and generate milk profusely. The gopas, the cowherd men and their families, used to make different preparations from the milk, sell them in the marketplace, and in that way earn their livelihood.
As the grazing ground in one place was finished, they would move from one forest to another. Only for the purpose of obtaining grass for the cows, Kṛṣṇa’s father Nanda Mahārāj and the cowherd men would wander from one place to the next. In this way, they lived sometimes in Vṛndāvan, sometimes in Nanda Grām, and sometimes in Gokul.
Once, Kṛṣṇa wanted to assert Himself and modify the worship of Indra. He wanted to establish His own domain, Vṛndāvan, in its pristine glory.
Although He was only a boy, He was a boy of extraordinary capacity. He was only seven years old. But in the Padma-purāṇa, it is said that the development or growth of special personalities is one and a half times that of ordinary persons. Although Kṛṣṇa was only seven years old by ordinary calculation, He was eleven according to general calculation.
Kṛṣṇa said, “Why should we perform this sacrifice to Indra? We have a direct concern with Govardhan Hill and not Indra.” He announced this idea to the gopas, and somehow, willingly or reluctantly, the gopas submitted to the advice of Kṛṣṇa. Nanda Mahārāj was influenced by affection for his son, and, because he was the king, he told them, “This time we shall worship Govardhan Hill and not Indra.” Indra insulted
And so the gopas, the milkmen of Vṛndāvan, followed Kṛṣṇa’s advice—some reluctantly and some willingly—and they began the sacrifice for Govardhan Hill. This news reached Indra, who thought to himself: “A boy of special capacity lives there. Now He has taken the leadership of Vṛndāvan and stopped this ancient sacrifice to me. For a long time it was the tradition of the gopas to perform sacrifice to satisfy me, and now one boy is the cause of stopping my sacrifice!” He was very much enraged. Indra ordered the clouds and the wind and the lightning to attack the residents of Vṛndāvan.
According to Vedic understanding, all the elements are personified. In ancient days, the Āryans and rājarṣis, elevated human beings and great sages, used to see everything as persons. They saw everything in a personal way. They thought of the creepers, the trees, and everything else in the environment as persons. They understood that they were all persons who, according to karma, are wandering through the different species of life.
Once, I was asked by a professor of biology about alternatives to Darwinian evolution. I advised him that evolution from consciousness to matter may be understood on the basis of Berkeley’s theory. Whatever we think of is really part of our consciousness. And consciousness means person. Everything that we may be conscious of is a person. We may think of the wind as an inanimate object, but it was thought of in the Vedic line as a person. Lightning, wind, clouds, and rain are all persons. Whatever we consider to be elementary matter, gross and subtle, was all considered by the ancient seers of the truth to be persons.
Indra commanded the wind, the clouds, and the rain to go and devastate the whole area of Gokul Vṛndāvan. “The residents of Vṛndāvan have insulted me!” He said. “They have rejected me, have stopped worshipping me, and are instead worshipping that mountain, that hill of Govardhan. I can’t tolerate this insult! Go and devastate them.” By the order and wrath of Indra, the master of all the higher subtle elements, heavy rain began to fall. And so thunder, hail, and rain simultaneously attacked the whole of Vraja Maṇḍal.
Consequently, all the residents of Vṛndāvan were thrown into a great disaster. Misery, pain, and sorrow afflicted the animals and the protectors of the animals, the gopālas. So, the helpless—the women, children, and animals of Vṛndāvan—had no alternative but to take refuge of Kṛṣṇa. They all came to Kṛṣṇa for relief. They cried, “O Kṛṣṇa! Now what are we to do? You influenced us to stop the sacrifice meant for Indra, and now Indra, being vindictive, has begun to afflict us in this very heavy way. How can we live? Please save us!” They all came to Kṛṣṇa for protection. Seeing this, Kṛṣṇa had much pity for them. Being merciful upon them, He smiled a little, thinking, “They have all come to Me for relief.”
At that time, with only one hand Kṛṣṇa lifted up the Govardhan mountain. For Him, it was a very easy thing; with only one hand, He uprooted the hill and lifted it up as a child lifts a toy ball. And holding up that great mountain, Kṛṣṇa gave protection to all those who were living in Gokul. The men, women, and children of Vṛndāvan brought the cows and all their worldly goods and took shelter beneath Govardhan Hill.
The whole cowherd society was given shelter under that hill. In this way, by lifting Govardhan Hill, Kṛṣṇa gave protection to the residents of Vṛndāvan, and crushed the pride of the lord of heaven, Indra himself.
And so Nanda Mahārāj prays in this verse, “May that Lord of the cows be satisfied by us. Who is Indra when compared to Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is the master of Indra. And yet He has appeared as the master of cows; the Supreme Absolute Truth has accepted a simple position as the keeper of cows. Superficially, He is a mere cowherd boy. But let that cowherd boy, who holds within Him the power of controlling the whole universe, be satisfied with us. We want to worship that Lord who has taken the humble position of the king of the cows.”
From this verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, we can understand the position of the Lord’s Pastime at Govardhan. It is also described here that when the Vraja-vāsīs worshipped Him and engaged in sacrifice for His satisfaction, they saw Govardhan Hill as the Supreme Person, extending His hands, accepting the things offered to Him, and feeding Himself.
At that time, Kṛṣṇa pointed out, “You see! You thought that Govardhan Hill was only a heap of stone. No—it is living, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” At that time, Kṛṣṇa revealed Himself as Govardhan Hill and showed how it is also His extended self. According to authorities in our line, Rādhā Kuṇḍa is the extended self of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and Govardhan is the extended self of Kṛṣṇa. And so we worship a stone from Govardhan Hill, a part of Giridhārī, as Kṛṣṇa Himself. We may understand from this that a part of the infinite is infinite. And yet so feeble is our ordinary vision that although Govardhan-śilā is a part of the infinite, and therefore also infinite, to our material vision it is only a piece of stone.
This Pastime shows that a thing may appear to be ordinary stone, but its possibility is infinite. In the general sense, Einstein’s theory of relativity has announced that anything we see is that thing plus something more. In his own scientific way, he explains that the reality of a thing includes its possibilities, its prospect—reality is not at a standstill.
Reality is not limited to what is seen or conceived by our senses. Our vision or estimation of anything may be limited, but unknown to us, its prospect may be unlimited. Everything has infinite possibility. We do not even know what infinite possibility a particle of sand may have. We do not know what sort of possibility may exist within a leaf of a plant. It may appear ordinary, but it may contain invaluable medicinal properties. God the beautiful
A part of the infinite is also infinite. The Govardhan-śilā represents Kṛṣṇa as the master and keeper of cows. Within Govardhan is that mild and soft conception of God the beautiful. We beg for His mercy, His affection, and His gracious glance upon us.
That may save us from the negative influence of this material environment. When we try to put a stop to our material form of life and take our course towards Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, neglecting the imperative duties that are upon us, so many difficulties may come to trouble us, to trap us in our journey towards the ultimate truth. But if we stick to the order of Kṛṣṇa, He will protect us. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śuchaḥ
He says, “Abandon all other conceptions of duty and just surrender unto Me. Have no fear. I shall protect you and free you from all sinful reactions that might arise from neglecting your ordinary duties.”
Different material tendencies and mental impulses may attack us—even Indra himself, the king of heaven and the controller of all ordinary activities, may attack us—but if we are attentive towards our goal, if we are careful to read the order of Kṛṣṇa, He will protect us in the shade of His lotus feet. He will give us shelter under the shade of Govardhan Hill, where no Indra will be able to touch our heads. And with full faith that Kṛṣṇa will give us protection, we should try to take shelter under Govardhan Hill and pray: “O Kṛṣṇa, give me protection from all the difficulties that may come to attack me because of my leaving behind my ordinary obligations.”
Although many anomalies may try to catch us, Kṛṣṇa will protect us. And in His representation as Govardhan Hill, that wonderful master of the cows will save us from all sorts of difficulties. How is this possible? God works wonders. His ways are unknown and inconceivable.
The great clouds of the sādhus always shower this nectar over the garden of the world, and as a result, fruits produced by this nectar ripen. The devotees constantly eat these fruits, and by their love the people of the world live.
Mp3 audio file śrī-chaitanya-sama āra kṛpālu vadānya
bhakta-vatsala nā dekhi trijagate anya
We do not see anyone throughout the three worlds who is more merciful, magnanimous, and affectionate to devotees than Śrī Chaitanya.
śraddhā kari’ ei līlā śuna, bhakta-gaṇa
ihāra śravaṇe pāibā chaitanya-charaṇa
O devotees, listen to these Pastimes with faith! By hearing them, you will attain the feet of Śrī Chaitanya.
By their grace, you will understand the essence of Kṛṣṇa’s nature and you will reach the culmination of the conclusions of all the scriptures.
kṛṣṇa-līlā-amṛta-sāra tāra śata śata dhāra
daśa-dike vahe yāhā haite
se chaitanya-līlā haya sarovara akṣaya
mano-haṁsa charāha tāhāte
Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes are the essence of nectar, and Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes are the inexhaustible reservoir from which hundreds and hundreds of streams of that nectar flow in the ten directions. May the swan of your heart play there.
(In the reservoir of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes) The principles of devotion to Kṛṣṇa are the forest of blooming lotus flowers and the rasa of divine love is the forest of lilies blooming there night and day. May the bees of your hearts play amongst them, tasting their nectar.
Devotees of various moods sport there as swans and chakravāka birds. For eternity, these devotee-swans find and eat the lotus flowers of Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes.
sei sarovare giyā haṁsa-chakravāka hañā
sadā tā̐hā karaha vilāsa
khaṇḍibe sakala duḥkha pāibā parama sukha
anāyāse habe premollāsa
May you all go to that reservoir and play there forever as swans and chakravāka birds. All your suffering will end, you will experience the greatest happiness, and easily you will feel the joy of divine love.
ei amṛta anukṣaṇa sādhu mahānta-megha-gaṇa
viśvodyāne kare variṣaṇa
tāte phale amṛta-phala bhakta khāya nirantara
tāra preme jīye jaga-jana
The great clouds of the sādhus always shower this nectar over the garden of the world, and as a result, fruits produced by this nectar ripen. The devotees constantly eat these fruits, and by their love the people of the world live.
chaitanya-līlā—amṛta-pūra kṛṣṇa-līlā—sukarpūra
duhe mili’ haya sumādhurya
sādhu-guru-prasāde tāhā yei āsvāde
sei jāne mādhurya-prāchurya
When the condensed milk of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes and the fine camphor of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes combine, they become very sweet, and those who taste them by the grace of Śrī Guru and the sādhus know the magnitude of their sweetness.
ye līlāmṛta vine khāya yadi anna-pāne
tabe bhaktera durbala jīvana
yāra eka-bindu-pāne utphullita tanu-mane
hāse, gāya, karaye nartana
Without the nectar of these Pastimes, even if devotees eat rice, their vitality remains weak, but by drinking just one drop of this nectar, their bodies and minds flourish, and they laugh, sing, and dance.
e amṛta kara pāna yāra sama nāhi āna
chitte kari’ sudṛḍha viśvāsa
nā paḍa’ kutarka-garte amedhya karkaśa āvarte
yāte paḍile haya sarva-nāśa
So drink this nectar, of which there is nothing equal, with firm faith in your heart. Do not fall into the ditch of false argument. If you fall into this foul and harsh whirlpool, you will lose everything.
I hold on my head as an ornament the divine feet of Śrī Chaitanya, Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, the devotees, and all the devotee-listeners, by whom all desires are fulfilled.
śrī-rūpa-sanātana- raghunātha-jīva-charaṇa
śire dhari—yāra kari āśa
kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛtānvita chaitanya-charitāmṛta
kahe kichhu dīna kṛṣṇadāsa
I hold the feet of Śrī Rūpa, Sanātan, Raghunāth, and Jīva on my head. Aspiring for them, the poor Kṛṣṇadās narrates something of the nectar of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes infused with the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes.
Verses 2.25.268–281 of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. Translation originally published on premadharma.org by Sripad B.K. Tyagi Maharaj.
You have come to fight as a soldier, to save your country, or your people, or your honor. What your environment is, that does not depend on your whim. It may appear in any way, but you have to face that. However complex the battlefield may be, as a soldier you are to approach that. Otherwise you have no real faith in your own cause.
Sri Vaishnava Toshani, Sep–Oct 1993, Vol 2 #3 is presented here. pdf edition ePub edition Contents: Beyond All Rituals by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The Environment Is Your Friend by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj We Have Something Very Special by His Holiness B.P. Janardan Maharaj Mahaprabhu’s Divine Succession by His Divine Grace B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami, President Acharya We Can Get Everything Through Love by His Holiness B.S. Tridandi Maharaj Our Saint From Above Visits Down-Under by His Grace Mohanananda Das, World Tour Coordinator Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram Comes To Santa Cruz by Sriman Hasyapriya Das Sweet Distribution by Sriman Mathuranath Das Nourishing The Creeper by Dinadhama Srutasrava Das Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2 May–June 1992 Vol 1 No 3 Nov–Dec 1992, Vol 1 #6 May–June 1993, Vol 2 #2
The following article by our Param Gurudev Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj has been excerpted from the magazine ‘Counterpoint’, Vol 1 No 6 Spring ’94, which was published by Sriman Devashis Prabhu. The full text of that edition can be found here in pdf format and here in epub format Braja-rasa in Dwaraka
Sometimes there is a conception amongst the Queens of Dwārakā that, “Although we have Kṛṣṇa as our husband, we feel that somehow He is not Kṛṣṇa in His fullness. He always seems absentminded, as if His heart is not wholly with us.” Pondering the cause of this, the Queens came to know that previously Kṛṣṇa had some very sweet connection with Vṛndāvan and the Gopīs there. Thinking this to be the key to Kṛṣṇa’s absentminded mood, they began searching for an opportunity to find out how Kṛṣṇa was living in Vṛndāvan. They wanted to know about His pastimes there with the Gopīs, and to hear the descriptions from His childhood. Balarām’s mother Rohiṇī had lived in Vṛndāvan during Kṛṣṇa’s childhood, and although she is situated in vātsalya-rasa (parental relationship), she had heard many things about Kṛṣṇa’s Līlā with the Gopīs. So meeting her privately the Queens requested her, “Please describe Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya-līlā in Vṛndāvan to us.” Rohiṇī was unable to avoid the Queens’ sincere request, and so posting Kṛṣṇa’s sister Subhadrā to keep watch, she began to narrate about His Līlā with the Milkmaids of Vraja.
It so happened that at that same time, Kṛṣṇa and Balarām were taking rest in a nearby room, and as Rohiṇī was describing the Vṛndāvan-līlā, They became aware of what was taking place. Coming to the door where Subhadrā was standing guard, Kṛṣṇa and Balarām could hear the talk of Rohiṇī, and remembering Vṛndāvan, the Gopīs and all these things, a great intensity of feeling came over Them. A great change of feeling came over Kṛṣṇa and Balarām, so great that Their bodies also began to change; just as Mahāprabhu had shown when He fell at the gate of the Jagannāth Mandir and His arms and legs entered into His body. Such a change in the body is possible according to some particular feeling of ecstasy, and feeling the ecstasy of Vṛndāvan, Kṛṣṇa and Balarām were undergoing such a transformation. And Subhadrā, although She had not lived in Vṛndāvan, seeing Her Brothers in this way, She also experienced some sort of sympathetic transformation. Internally that feeling came to Her and externally She was also transformed. The cause of Their disfiguration was the Vṛndāvan statement of Rohiṇī. Remembering that Vṛndāvan-līlā and feeling that, such change came in Their bodies.
Suddenly the group of Rohiṇī could understand that Kṛṣṇa and Balarām were there listening to their talk, and so immediately they stopped. The Līlā thus suspended, the disfigured formation of Kṛṣṇa remained, and He fell into a trance. Nothing could be done to reverse the situation, and so in desperation Kṛṣṇa was taken to the Nava-Vṛndāvan; a replica of Vṛndāvan that had been created in Dwārakā by Brahmā for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. Although Kṛṣṇa was awake He could not come out of that mentality, that trance, until He could be taken to that Nava-Vṛndāvan. There in His trance He could only see Baladev, and all others present were eliminated from His vision. Seeing Baladev, Kṛṣṇa was happy that He was in Vṛndāvan. Then He saw Rohiṇī, “Oh yes, it is Vṛndāvan.” Mannequins of all the other residents of Vṛndāvan were also arranged there, and the Queens were following from a distance to see what will happen. After seeing Baladev, Kṛṣṇa sees His cowherd friends Śrīdām and Sudām are also there. In another part the Gopīs are there, and in one part Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is standing. Seeing Her mannequin Kṛṣṇa ran and embraced Her, and when Satyabhāmā saw this, some disfigurement also came in Her body. While Kṛṣṇa was in this temperament, Baladev was able to go to Him and gradually he was able to bring Kṛṣṇa back to the consciousness of Dwārakā. The sudden stopping of His experience of Vṛndāvan caused His condition and only by a gradual process, His mentality was again taken to Dwārakā.
This sort of tale is there, and when Dwārakā and Vṛndāvan mix, that is Jagannāth. He is mainly in Dwārakā, but the posing of Vṛndāvan is there. He has infinite forms of Līlā, so what can we trace or know with our finite capacity? In Dwārakā-Saṁhitā we find that there was an arrangement of Rāsa-līlā in Dwārakā also. The Queens had heard that in Vṛndāvan there was the Rāsa-līlā and that it is most wonderful. So when on one occasion the whole Vṛndāvan party was invited to Dwārakā, they privately approached Kṛṣṇa and petitioned Him, “The Gopīs have come, and for a long time it is our hearts’ desire that you will show Your Rāsa-līlā to us. Will You request them?” Kṛṣṇa replied, “If they will give their consent then I have no objection.” The Queens made their request to the Gopīs and the Rāsa-līlā was arranged. When it was complete, all that saw it were astonished, and the Queens went to the camp of the Gopīs to express their wonder. “What we have seen is the most wonderful thing, it is impossible to conceive even. We cannot properly express such a thing.” And Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī made this statement in reply, “What have you seen? That was nothing — an almost dead representation. Where is the Yamunā?Where is the kadamba tree, the peacock, the deer, and all these things? There in Vṛndāvan that was a natural stage, and that was performed there in our youth. What you saw, that is nothing, a sham, a mere mockery.” Then the Queens began to reflect, “If what we saw is of such lower order, then what type of superior quality Līlā must be found in the Original? It is totally inconceivable.”
So the psychology of Vṛndāvan is all-important. The attraction for that Vrndāvan-līlā — when that was suddenly stopped the result was a great change in the physical plane. Of course it is not physical, but for the purpose of explanation we can say physical. That check caused the disfigurement of the external plane. It is something like when there is an earthquake. The internal movement of the Earth disfigures the surface, so the internal disturbance that was created by the recollection of Vṛndāvan-līlā, that caused a great transformation in the superficial appearance. And when that was suddenly checked, that appearance remained. That has been pictured and shown in Jagannāthdev. When the higher prospect is suddenly checked, then the reaction comes. So Jagannāth is a reactionary stage between Vṛndāvan and Dwārakā. The conflict between the emotion of Swayaṁ-Bhagavān and the Vaibhava-vilās of Kṛṣṇa. It is something like rasābhās. In higher ecstasy also, rasābhās is possible. The clash of two different waves of rasa. The train may be proceeding in a particular motion and the carriage along with it. But if suddenly the train should brake, then the contents inside the carriage will be thrown into a great disorder. It is something like that. ādau yad dvāro ’plavate, sindhuḥ pārer apauruṣaṁ
This verse says that the Jagannāth mūrti has been there from the very conception, from the most ancient time. So every Līlā of the Lord is eternal. Every part of the infinite is eternal. In the beginning of Mahābhārat there is “Dhṛtarāṣṭra-vilāp”, and there Dhṛtarāṣṭra is naming the main incidents of Mahābhārat, and lamenting that, “Because of this incident and that incident I know that my party must be defeated”. But at this stage of Mahābhārata none of these incidents had taken place. So how can Dhṛtarāṣtra speak of these incidents at the beginning of the narration? It is because it is nitya, eternal. The beginning of the Līlā and the end of the Līlā cannot be differentiated. It is in a cyclic order and it is eternal. That is a very difficult thing to understand. To adjust to the eternal. Everywhere beginning, everywhere end. Everywhere there is centre and nowhere is there circumference. This is the meaning of infinite. This is Nitya-līlā. Everywhere beginning, everywhere end, and all coexistent at the same time.
Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Goswāmī has represented this in a particular way He has given the example that the sunrise is to be found always in one place or another. Now it is here, now there, and so on in this way. So like the sun Kṛṣṇa-līlā is moving, the birth, the childhood, being shown here and then extended to another brahmāṇḍa, another universe. That is the aspect of Bhauma-līlā. And in another aspect, in Goloka, we find that every Līlā is also nitya. It is reflected here in this world and the reflection is revolving like the sun. It may be traced here, now here, now there — a question of space, but in Goloka, in the central place it is all there simultaneously. It is also no less in the heart of the devotees. When a devotee remembers a Līlā, it may be Vraja-līlā, and now Dwārakā-līlā, but what is reflected in the heart of a devotee, that is also true. So in this way it is coexistent and it is continuing always. Every Līlā and every part of Līlā is always present, coexistent. Succession and coexistence both harmonised. Devotee: Maharaj, is Guru-paramparā also part of Līlā? Śrīla Śrīdhar Maharaj: Of course. It is the Līlā of Kṛṣṇa. But not only that, Māyā and everything else is included in Līlā from His standpoint. It is His sweet will, His independence. mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ, jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni, na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ (Srimad Bhagavad Gita: 9.4)
“Everything is in Me, yet nothing is in Me. I am everywhere and I am nowhere.”
Everything will come within this conception. He can even interfere with the free will of the jīva, but still He doesn’t. He is within and He can control, yet He does not. He may choose not to control. He has this independence. This sort of conception we shall have to indent. This is the conception of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and this is what separates His conception from the Hegalian philosophy and the philosophy of Aurobindo. Māyā is not a necessary part of existence, and by Kṛṣṇa’s will Māyā may be finished, and if He so desires, again recreated. koṭi-kāmadhenu-patira chāgī yaiche mare ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pati kṛṣṇera māyā kibā kare? (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: 2.15.179)
He can make or mar. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur has written in his Tattva-sūtra that by His will, even the existence of the jīva-soul may be extinguished. This is not the general case, but still Absolute Power is with Him. Everything is designed and destined by Him, that is the expression of swarūp-śakti. kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛta-sāra, tāra śata śata dhāra’ daśa-dike vahe yāhā haite se chaitanya-līlā haya, sarovara akṣaya, mano-haṁsa charāha’ tāhāte (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: 2.25.271)
Chaitanya-līlā is the Infinite sweetness from Chaitanya —whatever is within and whatever is coming from Him, that is all the high nectar of Kṛṣṇa-līlā and nothing else. Chaitanya-līlā means the centre from which Kṛṣṇa-līlā flows in different forms, oozing from all sides and even from every pore. Nothing but Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Braja-līlā embodied in Him, and coming out to help the public. The voluntary distribution of Kṛṣṇa-līlā of different nectarine tastes; that is Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. He has no separate existence from the Nāma, Guṇa, Rūpa, and Līlā of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and this includes Yaśodā and all others within the relativity of Kṛṣṇa. If one is there then all others must necessarily be there. So Kṛṣṇa-līlā means Kṛṣṇa with His group. Also Vṛndāvan — the water, the forest, the animals, the birds, all are included in Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Braja-līlā. And that and nothing else is all coming from Śrī Chaitanya. That is Rādhā Kṛṣṇa in self-distributing nature. Whatever comes from Him — that is all Kṛṣṇa. Even in Śrī Chaitanya’s childhood, when one could not trace anything of Kṛṣṇa, it was there, and in different ways He was creating the background for distributing Kṛṣṇa-līlā to others. kṛṣṇa-nāma dhare kata bala (Śrī-Nāma-Māhātmya — Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur)
This sound “Kṛṣṇa”, what is its value? Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmi has explained that Kṛṣṇa has four unique, special qualities. Every jīva has fifty innate qualities. Certain devatās have fifty-five, the five additional qualities partially manifest in them. Śrī Nārāyaṇ has sixty qualities in full, and Kṛṣṇa has four more qualities not found in Nārāyaṇ. Those four qualities are: rūpa-mādhurya (sweet form), veṇu-mādhurya (sweet flute), līlā-mādhurya (sweet pastimes), and parikara-mādhurya (sweet associates). Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmi has established the speciality of Kṛṣṇa-līlā in this way. And this is only found in Vṛndāvan. Vāsudev-Kṛṣṇa has no flute, and it has been mentioned that even Dwārakeśa-Kṛṣṇa is charmed to search for the rūpa-mādhurya of Vṛndāvan-Kṛṣṇa, the sweet Lord of Braja, Reality the Beautiful. Photo: By Dreamodisha – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15451254
Intelligence has no meaning if it does not connect with fulfillment, or satisfaction, or happiness, or sweetness, prema, love. Everything is meaningless if that aspect is eliminated from life. Fulfillment is in love, in beauty, in sweetness, in charm
Sri Vaishnava Toshani, May–June 1993, Vol 2 #2 is presented here. pdf edition ePub edition Contents: Fulfilment Is In Love by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja Mahaprabhu’s Divine Mercy by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad Passport To The Abode Of The Lord by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Are We Elitists? by Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaja Acharyya-Charana-Vandana by B.A. Sagar Maharaja Invaluable Friendship With A Saint by Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Spiritual Economics by Sriman Rsabhdev Das Adventures In Paradise by Dinadhama Srutasrava dasa Ramanuja’s Secret Mantra by Sriman Mathuranath Das Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2 May–June 1992 Vol 1 No 3 Nov–Dec 1992, Vol 1 #6
Sri Vaishnava Toshani, Nov–Dec 1992, Vol 1 #6 is presented here. pdf edition ePub edition Contents: The Faults You Find May Be Your Own by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja The Real Approach To Fearlessness by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad Letter of appreciation upon completion of the First World Tour by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Transactions Of The Heart by His Divine Grace Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja A Glimpse Into Reality by Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaja The Traveler by B.A. Sagar Maharaja The Progressive March of Devotion by B.K. Giri Maharaja Home Sweet Home by Dinadhama Srutasrava dasa Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2 May–June 1992 Vol 1 No 3
Volume 1, Number 3, May–June 1992 edition of the Vaishnava Toshani magazine. pdf format epub format
Contents: The true progress of knowledge by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur A friendship of substance by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja Theosophy ends in Vaishnavism by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The conception of consciousness by His Divine Grace Srila B.S. Govinda Maharaj, President Acharya Our connection to the line by Swami B.P. Janardan Divine slavery—the ultimate freedom by Swami B.K. Giri A simple solution by Srutasrava dasa Mercy not justice by Sarvabhavana dasa Racism and mercy by Swami B.P. Janardan Tales from the East, part two: the Holy Name by Mathuranath dasa
Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2
The normal, wholesome, and happy plane is in the life of dedication. Without exploiting or borrowing anything from the environment, and without attempting to artificially renounce it, one who is sincere to dedicate himself naturally comes into contact with a higher and more subtle plane of life.
All glory to the Divine Master
and the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya
Foreword
Because the soul is a particle of consciousness, it is endowed with free will. Eliminating free will, only gross matter remains. Without independence, the soul could not progress from bondage to liberation, and his ultimate salvation would have been impossible. But his spirit of exploitation is a foreign force, an intoxicant—a miscalculation that surrounds his independence.
Life’s objectives may be scientifically analysed as threefold: exploitation, renunciation, and dedication. The most common tendency is in those engaged in exploiting other persons, species, or elements, for mundane sense enjoyment. They desire to materially elevate themselves in the present environment, and thus they are described as elevationists. A more sober class discover the severe equal and opposite reactions to worldly pursuits, and they engage in renunciation of the world, in search of an equilibrium comparable to a deep, dreamless slumber. By being unawake to the world, they hope to escape its concomitant reactions and sufferings. Thus their goal is liberation, and they are known as salvationists or liberationists. But through the correct interpretation of the revealed scriptures by learned votaries such as Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, and Sri Ramanuja, the devotees of divinity know the pursuits of both exploitation and renunciation as not only fruitless, but injurious to real progress.
The normal, wholesome, and happy plane is in the life of dedication. Without exploiting or borrowing anything from the environment, and without attempting to artificially renounce it, one who is sincere to dedicate himself naturally comes into contact with a higher and more subtle plane of life. By his readiness to give and serve, he will attain to a higher society and achieve an appropriate master. The enjoying spirit forces one to be associated with a lower section to control and enjoy. And the renouncing spirit allures even the scholars with its ‘prestigious’ superiority over exploitation. Thus it is more dangerous, just as a half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. As it is difficult to awaken someone from the deepest possible sleep, the liberationists may remain for incalculable time within their cell of non-differentiated liberation. But the higher existence will invite the service of one who desires to purely dedicate himself without remuneration.
Seva—service, dedication—is the summum bonum of the teachings of the Vaisnava school, the third plane of life where every unit is a dedicating member in an organic whole. In such a normal adjustment, everyone mutually assists one another in their service to the centre, the higher recipient, the highest entity. Everything is existing to satisfy Him, because He must possess this qualification to be the Absolute. He is the prime cause of all causes—and everything exists for Him, to satisfy Him.
What will be the nature, movement, and progress of that which is immortal?
A barren conception of mere ‘deathlessness’ cannot afford us any knowledge of a positive thing, but only freedom from the negative side. If immortality means ‘no influence of mortality,’ what, then, is its positive conception? What will be the nature, movement, and progress of that which is immortal? Without this understanding, immortality is only an abstract idea. Because it does not appear to exhibit the symptoms of death, stone would be ‘more immortal’ than human beings, and conscious entities would be ‘mortal,’ forever denied immortality! What, then, is the positive conception of immortality? How are the immortal ‘immortal?’ What is the positive reality in immortality? How can one become immortal? One must search out his intrinsic location in the universal order. It will not do to attempt to solve only the negative side of life which is full of suffering—birth, death, infirmity, and disease. We should know that there exists a conception of life worth living for. This positive side has been almost totally neglected in general religious views.
The ‘immortality’ professed by the schools of Buddha and Sankaracharya yields no positive life. Their goals are mahanirvana and brahma-sayujya respectively. The Buddhist theory is that after liberation, nothing remains. They crave absolute extinction of material existence (prakrti-nirvana). And the Sankarite monist theory of liberation is to lose one’s individuality by ‘becoming one’ with the non-differentiated aspect of the Absolute. That is, they crave extinction in Brahma (brahma-nirvana). They postulate that when the triad of seer, seen, and seeing (drasta-drsya-darsan), or knower, knowable, and knowledge (jnata-jneya-jnan) culminate at one point, the triad is destroyed (triputi-vinas) and nothing remains.
Material action and reaction ceases in Viraja, the river of passivity, which is located at the uppermost edge of this illusory (mayik) world. And above Viraja is the destination of the Sankarites—the ‘abscissa’ stage or the non-differentiated plane of Brahma, called Brahmaloka, which is located at the lowest edge of the spiritual realm. Both are vague areas of ‘negative immortality.’ Brahmaloka is a marginal or ‘buffer’ state midway between the material and spiritual worlds. Composed of innumerable souls, it is an immortal plane devoid of specific variegatedness (nirvises). It possesses positivity only in the sense that it is a plane of existence, a background (kastha), but in itself it lacks positive development of variegated existence (kala). The nature of the background is oneness, and development woven over it necessitates plurality or a differentiated nature (kala-kasthadi rupena parinama-pradayini—Chandi, Markandeya-purana).
In the Bhagavad-gita (15.16), mutable (ksara) and immutable (aksara) existences are described, representing the personal and the impersonal, the development and the basis, or differentiated and non-differentiated conceptions of general existence. The mutable is represented by the multitude of embodied living beings, while the immutable aspect is the great expanse of the all-accommodating Absolute, Brahma (8.3). In the analysis of worldly action, the most subtle form of unfructified past action, prior to the present tendency (the seedling stage) to sin, has been defined (Brs: 1.1.23) as unknowable, indistinct, and of untraceable origin (kuta). The immutable Brahma aspect of the Absolute is similarly defined as being one-dimensional—undetectable, unspecific, and of no definite colour, sound, or taste; an unknown and unknowable, ‘un-understandable’ stage of existence (kuta). But the Supreme Lord, Krishna, is above both the mutable and immutable existences, and thus His glories are sung throughout the Vedas and in the world as the Purusottam, the Supreme Personality (Bg: 15.18). Sri Sukadev Goswami affirms that in the most remote and distant plane, Lord Krishna is to be found: everywhere is He—the fountainhead of all conceptions (vidura-kasthaya, SB: 2.4.14). He cannot be eliminated.
In Vaisnavism, immortality is positive, dynamic existence.
Thus, the ‘immortality’ of the impersonalistic schools, such as Buddhists and Sankarites, offers no positive life. But in Vaisnavism, immortality is positive, dynamic existence. Above the non-differentiated Brahma aspect of the Absolute, the transcendental, variegated existence begins in the first glimpse of the spiritual sky, the plane known as Paravyoma (Cc: Madhya, 19.153). Situated there in the spiritual plane is the positive kingdom of God: firstly Vaikuntha, then Ayodhya, Dvaraka, Mathura, and finally, above all, Goloka. Transcending the vague areas of ‘negative immortality’ that the impersonalists aspire for, the devotees—the Vaisnavas—dedicate themselves to the life of eternal devotional service to the Supreme Lord of the transcendental realm (Bg: 18.54). Although the soul can maladopt himself to a fallen state of existence in the planes of exploitation and renunciation, he is inherently adoptable to the positive life in the kingdom of God. And fully blossomed, he reaches the realm of Goloka (svarupe sabara haya Golokete sthiti—Sri Sri Krsnera Astottara-sata-nama). Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam: amrta means ‘undying,’ or ‘nectar,’ and jivana means ‘life.’ Positive immortality is possible only for the surrendered (prapannanam). All others are necessarily mortal. Only those who have wholly given themselves to the centre are living in eternality. Surrender is fully established in its excellence and its constant position. Yet there is variegatedness within that constancy, in the form of progressive movement, or Pastimes (vilas). The Supreme Absolute Personality being infinitely superior to both the mutable ‘mortals’ and the immutable ‘immortal’ (negative) Brahma, only the svarup-siddha souls—those who are perfectly established in their divine relationship with Him—are eternally freed from the disease of mutation and mortality (svarupena-vyavasthitih, SB: 2.10.6).
With a broad vision, we must know ourselves as created of smaller stuff, and thus only with assistance from above can we improve our situation and achieve a position in the higher plane. A submissive, serving attitude is necessary in us. If we submit, the universal dictatorial aspect of the Absolute will take us upward to a higher prospect. He is the autocrat, the absolute knowledge, the absolute good—everything about Him is absolute. Being in a vulnerable position as we experience in this world, why, then, should we not submit to Him?
Detachment is only the negative side of surrender, and above selflessness, the devotee surrenders himself to the higher substance.
The road to the sphere of transcendence (adhoksaja) is the deductive or descending method (avaroha-pantha). We can reach the absolute good, the absolute will, by His consent alone. Only by faith in absolute surrender is anyone allowed entry into that domain, never by ‘exploration,’ by ‘colonisation,’ or by attempting to become a ‘monarch’ there. No inductive or ascending method (aroha-pantha), such as renunciation or yoga, can compel Him to accept us. Whosoever He chooses can alone reach Him (Svet. 6.23). Although the highest point of the renunciates is desirelessness or freedom from possessiveness, the surrendered soul (saranagata) is naturally desireless (akinchan, Cc: Madhya, 22.99). Detachment is only the negative side of surrender, and above selflessness, the devotee surrenders himself to the higher substance, and this is to be awake in another world, another plane of life. Such is the positive, Vaisnava conception of life—to determine one’s real self beyond the jurisdiction of the world of misconception.
The nature of the progressive substance is eternal existence, knowledge, and beauty (sach-chid-ananda). The one harmonising organic whole (advaya-jnan-tattva) contains all similarities and differences, held inconceivably in the hand of the Absolute (achintya-bhedabheda-tattva). And there is no anarchy in the absolute power. Nonetheless, mercy is found to be above justice. Above judiciousness, the supreme position is held by love, sympathy, and beauty: ‘I am the absolute power, but I am friendly to you all. Knowing this, you need never fear’ (Bg: 5.29). This revelation relieves us of all apprehension: we are not victims of a chaotic environment, but it is judicious, considerate—and the ultimate dispenser is our friend.
Sri Jiva Goswami has stated that of the six symptoms of surrender, to embrace the guardianship of the Lord (goptrtve varanam) is central, since total surrender expresses the same ideal. The remaining five symptoms of accepting the favourable, rejecting the unfavourable, faith in the Lord’s protection, full self-surrender, and humility, are natural contributing associate-servitors to the ideal (angangi-bhedena sad-vidha; tatra ‘goptrtve varanam’ evangi, saranagati-sabdenaikarthyat; anyani tv angani tat parikaratvat—Bsd: 236).
Surrender is the foundation of the world of devotion. It is the very life and essence. One cannot enter into that domain without surrender. It must be present in every form of service, and to attempt divine service without it will be mere imitation or a lifeless formality. The entire gist of the Vedic instruction is to dedicate oneself to the service of the Lord. In his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sridhar Swamipad has stated that only if the practises of devotion are initially offered to the Supreme Lord can they be recognised as devotion. To attempt to execute them and subsequently offer them cannot be pure devotion (iti nava laksanani yasyah sa adhitena ched Bhagavati Visnau bhaktih kriyate. sa charpitaiva sati yadi kriyeta na tu krta sati paschad arpyeta.).Without surrender, the activity will be adulterated with exploitation, renunciation, artificial meditation (karma, jnan, yoga), and so on.
His mercy—His sympathy, love, and grace—are the only medium through which we can come together.
By constitution, the soul is the Lord’s servant, and the Lord has the right to make or mar, to do anything according to His sweet will. If accepting this truth we undertake the devotional practises such as hearing, chanting, remembering, and worshipping, only then will our activity be devotional. Only the activity of the self-dedicated soul can be devotion. Sincere prayer will help us to seek the help of the Lord, but, again, prayer in the spirit of surrender can alone reach Him (Sa: 1.5). The path of devotion entails increasing our negative status to invite the positive to descend and embrace us: ‘I am very low, and You are so high. You can purify me, take me, and utilise me for Your higher purpose. Be pleased. Otherwise I am helpless, neglected.’ It is impossible to take Him captive in the cage of our knowledge. Only the way of devotion can help us. In every respect He is high, great, and infinite—and we are similarly small. His mercy—His sympathy, love, and grace—are the only medium through which we can come together. And good faith is autonomous in that sweet land which is so high that we will earnestly hope and pray for the association of the higher existence as His slave; and that also will be our happy prospect for the future.
To satisfy the Supreme Lord, the criterion is to satisfy our Gurudev.
Krishna is not within our purview, and thus we are always recommended by scriptures and saints to approach the bona fide Divine Master and Vaisnavas. To satisfy the Supreme Lord, the criterion is to satisfy our Gurudev: if Gurudev is dissatisfied with us, the Lord is surely dissatisfied. An analogy has been cited in the scriptures where the Lord is compared to the sun, the Guru to a pond, and the disciple to a lotus flower. If the pond withdraws, the very sun will scorch and dry up the lotus—and the lotus will be cheered by the sun as long as the water supports and surrounds it. yasya prasadad bhagavat prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri-charanaravindam (Sri Gurvastakam: 8)
“I bow down to the lotus feet of Sri Gurudev. By his grace we achieve the grace of Krishna; without his grace, we are lost. Therefore, at daybreak, noon, and evening, we meditate upon and sing the glories of Sri Gurudev, and pray for his mercy.”
By an earnest desire to serve, we draw his sympathy and his willing extension of goodwill to encourage us in our relationship with the supreme entity.
The Vaisnava Guru’s dealings with the disciple are all grace, and his grace is his will to extend his wealth to the disciple. His instruction is the medium of asserting his will, which is service for the satisfaction of the Lord. And by service, we invite his grace. By an earnest desire to serve, we draw his sympathy and his willing extension of goodwill to encourage us in our relationship with the supreme entity. Firstly, surrender: we must offer him exclusive respect (pranipat), otherwise we shall not allow ourselves to approach him. Secondly, we may make our sincere and substantial enquiry (pariprasna). In a surrendered spirit, we may hear our Divine Master’s messages which he delivers to us from his venerated seat, the Vyasasan. In that conducive setting, the proper inspiration and dictation may fortuitously come down to us. And finally, to render service (sevaya) enables us to taste the essence (Bg: 4.34).
On the instruction of his Gurudev Devarsi Narad, Vyasadev had to undergo a progressive development (SB: 1.5). Narad is established in non-calculative devotion (jnana-sunya-bhakti, or jnana-vimukta-bhakti-paramah), and above Narad is Uddhava, who is established in exclusive divine love for Krishna (premaika-nisthah). Until one reaches Goloka, where there is full-fledged Krishna conception, all other stages may be changeable. There is no further change when one is firmly established in his serving relationship with the Original Lord (Svayam Bhagavan), Krishna. In the narrative of Brhad-bhagavatamrtam, Gopa Kumar passes through Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Mathura, Dvaraka, and then he finally arrives in Vrndavan. There, his particular divine relationship with the Lord firmly culminates in friendship (sakhya-rasa). For him, the previous stages were passing, although for others a permanent relationship may occur in one of them. They are progressive stages of ‘positive immortality’.
On the banks of the Godavari River, in progressively deeper and deeper planes, the entirety of theological development was expressed in the conversation between Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Ray. A positive hierarchy of divine relationships with the Lord exists in progressive stages for the various types of devotees (karmibhyah … kah krti, Up: 10), each type having its characteristic central relationship (Vaikunthaj … viveki na kah, Up: 9). In the divine realm, the depth and degree of surrender may also be measured according to the science of mellows (rasa-tattva): peacefulness, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, and consorthood (santa-, dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya-, madhura-rasa) are the natural divisions, each consecutively of a finer layer. And higher than even the direct consorthood of the Godhead is the most elevated of the entire compass of devotional services—the divine service of the supreme predominated moiety (Sri Radha-dasya).
According to the intensity of surrender—to the point of no return—the quality of the magnitude of truth encountered may be measured.
According to the intensity of surrender—to the point of no return—the quality of the magnitude of truth encountered may be measured. The inner sweetness of the truth and its infinite characteristic attracts the devotees’ hearts to the highest degree, so much that they never feel any satisfaction of achievement in what is actually the acme of their highest fortune. In Vaikuntha, only peacefulness and servitorship are present, with a hint of friendship. If we commit the offence of giving more attention to law than to love, we will be ‘cast down’ from Goloka to Vaikuntha: Goloka is the land of love, and there the inhabitants know nothing more. And by love is meant self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness for the service of Krishna, without a care for one’s good or bad future—total risk in the extreme.
In his Bhakti-sandarbha, Sri Jiva Goswami defines Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as more than “Lord Narayan of Vaikuntha, the most powerful in all phases.” Above that, His existence, appearance, and nature attract everyone to serve Him, love Him, and die for Him (bhajaniya-guna-visista). His qualification is so beautiful. Thus, the highest conception of the Godhead is the Krishna conception, and He can be known by the devotees in Krishna consciousness. Those who serve and worship the Supreme Lord according to the scriptural regulation and calculation belong to the category of Vaikuntha worship. In Vaikuntha, in the initial transcendental conscious conception (adhoksaja), the Godhead as Lord Narayan accepts reverential service in His majestic dignity. But the devotees of the highest order are exclusively surrendered to the service of Lord Krishna with their innermost love and faith.
Not power, but affection is the highest force to attract us all. Consciously or unconsciously, the absolute position is held by love and affection.
The Krishna conception of Goloka Vrndavan is corroborated in the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the greatest interpretation of the Vedic scriptures. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known to be Krishna Himself, united with His highest potency, Sri Radha. Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanyadev has clearly revealed that the genuine interpretation and purpose of all the revealed scriptures is to faithfully guide us to the highest goal: the domain of love and unconditional surrender unto the central power of truth, personified in Lord Krishna as beauty and affection. Not power, but affection is the highest force to attract us all. Consciously or unconsciously, the absolute position is held by love and affection, and love is superior to all power and knowledge. It is the real fulfilment of the inner heart. Our inner existence wants only love, beauty, and affection—neither knowledge nor power. The finite cannot capture the infinite, but the infinite can make Himself known to the finite. And when the infinite appears as a member of the finite land, the highest gain of the finite is achieved. Krishna carries His father’s shoes, and He cries when chastised by His mother. Through love, the Absolute comes down to the finite.
The infinite’s most intimate approach to the finite is found in Vrndavan. The infinite comes to embrace the finite in its fullest capacity (aprakrta), mixing with finite things so closely that people cannot perceive the Lord’s transcendental Godly character as the divinity. We, the infinitesimal souls, can attain our greatest fortune when the infinite comes to us in His highest approach—as if He were one of us! His approach is so merciful, so great, so intimate, and so perfect.
This is slavery to the great force of love and beauty.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is sweetness and magnanimity combined, openly announced that we are all natural slaves of the highest entity (Cc: Madhya, 20.108). But this is slavery to the great force of love and beauty. It is the greatest fortune to be utilised in any way by the absolute existence, knowledge, and beauty—to be in harmony with the highest centre. No one is forced or barred, but this is the soul’s intrinsic nature.
Faithfully in the divine succession from Nitya-lila-pravista Om Visnupad Paramahamsa Astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, especially inspired by the divine message of Srila Thakur Bhakti Vinod’s Saranagati, and attending the authentic Gaudiya Vaisnava literatures such as Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa and Bhakti-sandarbha as well as the writings of other authorised divine successions such as the Ramanuja sampradaya—this Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam has been compiled in order to supply the devotees’ spiritual sustenance and nourishment. Surrender is the indispensable necessity in the life of a devotee, and Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls will sustain and fortify the surrendered souls as the nectar in their lives of positive and progressive immortality.
I have not seen the full figure of my ideal. I may have some sraddha, but I have not really seen my ideal in full. Therefore sometimes I am going this way or that way, but day by day the feeling comes from within me to wake up. I am feeling this and so I cannot leave Krishna Consciousness.
Message of Thakur Bhakti Vinoda Who is your Guru? by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja Theosophy ends in Vaishnavism by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Run towards that high ideal by His Divine Grace Srila B.S. Govinda Maharaja President Acharya Consumerism and spirituality by Swami B.P. Janardan Affectionate dispensation by Swami B.A. Sagar Peace: the enemy of devotion by Swami B.K. Giri Thanks for the memories by Srutasrava dasa Communications by Hasyapriya dasa Tales from the East, Part 1 by Mathuranath dasa
The previous edition can be downloaded here: Sri Vaishnava Toshani, Jan-Feb 1992, Vol 1 #1
this humble servant earnestly prays … that this crown-jewel of sacred writings, Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, may remain with her merciful presence in every land, in every home, and in every heart.
Srila Gurudev’s eloquent glorification of Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls, in his Publisher’s Note to the 1988 English edition.
All glory to the Divine Master
and the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya
Publisher’s Note
Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls, is the crown-jewel of divine literatures as the eternal elixir of life for the exclusively surrendered souls, the bestower of the perpetual relish of full-fledged nectar, and the awakening and sustaining fountainhead of life in divine consorthood. Indeed, who can fittingly portray her holy glory and renown? In the same way we cannot but feel ever inadequate when we attempt to sing the glories of the illustrious author, our most worshipful Divine Master, Om Visnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the dearmost intimate attendant of the great pioneer pre-eminent among the Gaudiya Acharyas, Sri Gauranga’s transcendental message incarnate—Prabhupad Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. Even without world itinerancy, the seat of universal Guru (Jagad-guru) of the world’s renowned Gurus has been gracefully won by Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj while presiding in the grand, noble distinction of his venerable years of devotional life at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Nabadwip, his exclusive, personal holy place of bhajan.
Since its first printing, which was in Bengali, this sublime literature has brought heartfelt satisfaction to the stalwart devotees of the highest order, being hailed by them as an essential scripture to be unfailingly sung and cultivated as a daily devotional function in spiritual life, as is customarily practised with the holy scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. In both the Eastern and Western countries, its English publication will doubtlessly be similarly worshipped with the utmost reverence, constantly studied and sung with devotion by the surrendered souls of fine theistic intellect, and by the noble souls engaged in their divine search for the Supreme Lord.
This monumental work was originally composed in the Sanskrit language. The authentic Bengali translation that was sanctioned by the author is extremely developed, profoundly exploring the heart of the book; scholars who know the internal conclusive scriptural purports can alone realise how difficult is its translation and publication into English. However, by the boundless mercy of the most magnanimous Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra, the fountainhead of all incarnations of Godhead, and by the causeless grace of His most beloved, our Divine Master, and the pure devotees whose hearts are absorbed in divine love—this formidable task has now been fulfilled. Thus, I again and again worship the holy lotus feet of Them all.
For their tireless efforts to usher in the advent of the present edition in its perfectly elegant form, all those godbrothers and godsisters who served in the various facets of the publication have attained the unending graces of our Divine Master and the Vaisnavas. They have bound us in eternal gratitude. For executing the task of the English translation, proofing, and editing, special mention is due to Tridandi Swami Sripad Bhakti Ananda Sagar Maharaj, assisted by Sriman Nimaisundar Brahmachari Vidya Vinod. And for their dedicated effort in securing the necessary funds and assistance for the printing and publishing of the work in a most dignified presentation, special mention is due to Sripad Dayadhar Gauranga Das Brahmachari Bhakti Prabhakar Prabhu and all the good devotees assisting him.
In conclusion, invoking the charming verse of Sri Guru Pada-padma, this humble servant earnestly prays at his holy lotus feet that this crown-jewel of sacred writings, Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, may remain with her merciful presence in every land, in every home, and in every heart. And in her gracious acquiescence, may she acknowledge the glorious victory of her goodwill by churning and overflooding the entire living universe with her supramundane wave of ecstatic love, to bless all souls with the supreme good fortune. śrī-śrīmad-bhagavat-padāmbuja-madhu-svādotsavaiḥ ṣaṭ-padair nikṣiptā madhu-bindavaś cha parito bhraṣṭā mukhāt guñjitaiḥ yatnaiḥ kiñchid ihāhṛtaṁ nija-paraśreyo ’rthinā tan mayā bhūyobhūya ito rajāṁsi pada-saṁlagnāni teṣāṁ bhaje
“The bees, intoxicated in the festival
of drinking the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet
busily humming the glories of the Lord
drops of honey from their mouths fall and scatter all around;
for my divine prospect, I’ve carefully collected
some of those drops herein—
and thus do I worship the dust
of the holy lotus feet of those saints, again and again”
I beg to remain most humbly,
Tridandi Bhiksu
Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda
16 October 1987
On the 93rd Holy Appearance Day
of His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
