Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Adi-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter 4

Adi4.31

TEXT 31

dharma chadi’ rage dunhe karaye milana

kabhu mile, kabhu na mile,--daivera ghatana

SYNONYMS

dharma chadi’-giving up religious customs; rage—in love; dunhe—both; karaye—do; milana—meeting; kabhu—sometimes; mile—they meet; kabhu—sometimes; na mile—they do not meet; daivera—of destiny; ghatana—the happening.

TRANSLATION

"Pure attachment will unite us even at the expense of moral and religious duties [dharma]. Destiny will sometimes bring us together and sometimes separate us.

PURPORT

The gopis came out to meet Krsna in the dead of night when they heard the sound of Krsna’s flute. Srila Rupa Gosvami has accordingly composed a nice verse (see Cc. Adi 5.224) that describes the beautiful boy called Govinda standing by the bank of the Yamuna with His flute to His lips in the shining moonlight. Those who want to enjoy life in the materialistic way of society, friendship and love should not go to the Yamuna to see the form of Govinda. The sound of Lord Krsna’s flute is so sweet that it has made the gopis forget all about their relationships with their kinsmen and flee to Krsna in the dead of night.

By leaving home in that way, the gopis transgressed the Vedic regulations of household life. This indicates that when natural feelings of love for Krsna become fully manifest, a devotee can neglect conventional social rules and regulations. In the material world we are situated in designative positions only, but pure devotional service begins when one is freed from all designations. When love for Krsna is awakened, the designative positions are overcome.

The spontaneous attraction of Sri Krsna for His dearest parts and parcels generates an enthusiasm that obliges Sri Krsna and the gopis to meet together. To celebrate this transcendental enthusiasm, there is need of a sentiment of separation between the lover and beloved. In the condition of material tribulation, no one wants the pangs of separation. But in the transcendental form, the very same separation, being absolute in its nature, strengthens the ties of love and enhances the desire of the lover and beloved to meet. The period of separation, evaluated transcendentally, is more relishable than the actual meeting, which lacks the feelings of increasing anticipation because the lover and beloved are both present.

Adi4.32

TEXT 32

ei saba rasa-niryasa kariba asvada

ei dvare kariba saba bhaktere prasada

SYNONYMS

ei—these; saba—all; rasa-niryasa—essence of mellows; kariba—I shall do; asvada—tasting; ei dvare—by this; kariba—I shall do; saba—all; bhaktere—to the devotees; prasada—favor.

TRANSLATION

"I shall taste the essence of all these rasas, and in this way I shall favor all the devotees.

Adi4.33

TEXT 33

vrajera nirmala raga suni’ bhakta-gana

raga-marge bhaje yena chadi’ dharma-karma

SYNONYMS

vrajera—of Vraja; nirmala—spotless; raga—love; suni’-hearing; bhakta-gana—the devotees; raga-marge—on the path of spontaneous love; bhaje—they worship; yena—so that; chadi’-giving up; dharma—religiosity; karma—fruitive activity.

TRANSLATION

“Then, by hearing about the pure love of the residents of Vraja, devotees will worship Me on the path of spontaneous love, abandoning all rituals of religiosity and fruitive activity.”

PURPORT

Many realized souls, such as Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and King Kulasekhara, have recommended with great emphasis that one develop this spontaneous love of Godhead, even at the risk of transgressing all the traditional codes of morality and religiosity. Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, one of the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, has written in his prayers called the Manah-siksa that one should simply worship Radha and Krsna with all attention. Na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana-niruktam kila kuru: one should not be much interested in performing Vedic rituals or simply following rules and regulations.

King Kulasekhara has written similarly, in his book Mukunda-mala-stotra (5):

nastha dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kamopabhoge
yad bhavyam tad bhavatu bhagavan purva-karmanurupam
etat prarthyam mama bahu-matam janma-janmantare ’pi
tvat-padambho-ruha-yuga-gata niscala bhaktir astu

“I have no attraction for performing religious rituals or holding any earthly kingdom. I do not care for sense enjoyments; let them appear and disappear in accordance with my previous deeds. My only desire is to be fixed in devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord, even though I may continue to take birth here life after life.”

Adi4.34

TEXT 34

anugrahaya bhaktanam

manusam deham asritah

bhajate tadrsih krida

yah srutva tat-paro bhavet

SYNONYMS

anugrahaya—for showing favor; bhaktanam—to the devotees; manusam—humanlike; deham—body; asritah—accepting; bhajate—He enjoys; tadrsih—such; kridah—pastimes; yah—which; srutva—having heard; tat-parah—fully intent upon Him; bhavet—one must become.

TRANSLATION

“Krsna manifests His eternal humanlike form and performs His pastimes to show mercy to the devotees. Having heard such pastimes, one should engage in service to Him.”

PURPORT

This text is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.36). The Supreme Personality of Godhead has innumerable expansions of His transcendental form who eternally exist in the spiritual world. This material world is only a perverted reflection of the spiritual world, where everything is manifested without inebriety. There everything is in its original existence, free from the domination of time. Time cannot deteriorate or interfere with the conditions in the spiritual world, where different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are the recipients of the worship of different living entities in their constitutional spiritual positions. In the spiritual world all existence is unadulterated goodness. The goodness found in the material world is contaminated by the modes of passion and ignorance.

The saying that the human form of life is the best position for devotional service has its special significance because only in this form can a living entity revive his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The human form is considered the highest state in the cycle of the species of life in the material world. If one takes advantage of this highest kind of material form, one can regain his position of devotional service to the Lord.

Incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead appear in all the species of life, although this is inconceivable to the human brain. The Lord’s pastimes are differentiated according to the appreciating capacity of the different types of bodies of the living entities. The Supreme Lord bestows the most merciful benediction upon human society when He appears in His human form. It is then that humanity gets the opportunity to engage in different kinds of eternal service to the Lord.

Special natural appreciation of the descriptions of a particular pastime of Godhead indicates the constitutional position of a living entity. Adoration, servitorship, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love are the five primary relationships with Krsna. The highest perfectional stage of the conjugal relationship, enriched by many sentiments, gives the maximum relishable mellow to the devotee.

The Lord appears in different incarnations-as a fish, tortoise and boar, as Parasurama, Lord Rama, Buddha and so on-to reciprocate the different appreciations of living entities in different stages of evolution. The conjugal relationship of amorous love called parakiya-rasa is the unparalleled perfection of love exhibited by Lord Krsna and His devotees.

A class of so-called devotees known as sahajiyas try to imitate the Lord’s pastimes, although they have no understanding of the amorous love in His expansions of pleasure potency. Their superficial imitation can create havoc on the path for the advancement of one’s spiritual relationship with the Lord. Material sexual indulgence can never be equated with spiritual love, which is in unadulterated goodness. The activities of the sahajiyas simply lower one deeper into the material contamination of the senses and mind. Krsna’s transcendental pastimes display eternal servitorship to Adhoksaja, the Supreme Lord, who is beyond all conception through material senses. Materialistic conditioned souls do not understand the transcendental exchanges of love, but they like to indulge in sense gratification in the name of devotional service. The activities of the Supreme Lord can never be understood by irresponsible persons who think the pastimes of Radha and Krsna to be ordinary affairs. The rasa dance is arranged by Krsna’s internal potency yogamaya, and it is beyond the grasp of the materially affected person. Trying to throw mud into transcendence with their perversity, the sahajiyas misinterpret the sayings tat-paratvena nirmalam and tat-paro bhavet. By misinterpreting tadrsih kridah, they want to indulge in sex while pretending to imitate Lord Krsna. But one must actually understand the imports of the words through the intelligence of the authorized gosvamis. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, in his prayers to the Gosvamis, has explained his inability to understand such spiritual affairs.

rupa-raghunatha-pade ha-ibe akuti
kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti

“When I shall be eager to understand the literature given by the Gosvamis, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental love affairs of Radha and Krsna.” In other words, unless one is trained under the disciplic succession of the Gosvamis, one cannot understand Radha and Krsna. The conditioned souls are naturally averse to understanding the spiritual existence of the Lord, and if they try to know the transcendental nature of the Lord’s pastimes while they remain absorbed in materialism, they are sure to blunder like the sahajiyas.

Adi4.35

TEXT 35

’bhavet’ kriya vidhilin, sei iha kaya

kartavya avasya ei, anyatha pratyavaya

SYNONYMS

bhavetbhavet; kriya—the verb; vidhi-lin—an injunction of the imperative mood; sei—that; iha—here; kaya—says; kartavya—to be done; avasya—certainly; ei—this; anyatha—otherwise; pratyavaya—detriment.

TRANSLATION

Here the use of the verb “bhavet,” which is in the imperative mood, tells us that this certainly must be done. Noncompliance would be abandonment of duty.

PURPORT

This imperative is applicable to pure devotees. Neophytes will be able to understand these affairs only after being elevated by regulated devotional service under the expert guidance of the spiritual master. Then they too will be competent to hear of the love affairs of Radha and Krsna.

As long as one is in material, conditioned life, strict discipline is required in the matter of moral and immoral activities. The absolute world is transcendental and free from such distinctions because there inebriety is not possible. But in this material world a sexual appetite necessitates distinction between moral and immoral conduct. There are no sexual activities in the spiritual world. The transactions between lover and beloved in the spiritual world are pure transcendental love and unadulterated bliss.

One who has not been attracted by the transcendental beauty of rasa will certainly be dragged down into material attraction, thus to act in material contamination and progress to the darkest region of hellish life. But by understanding the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna one is freed from the grip of attraction to material so-called love between man and woman. Similarly, one who understands the pure parental love of Nanda and Yasoda for Krsna will be saved from being dragged into material parental affection. If one accepts Krsna as the supreme friend, the attraction of material friendship will be finished for him, and he will not be dismayed by so-called friendship with mundane wranglers. If he is attracted by servitorship to Krsna, he will no longer have to serve the material body in the degraded status of material existence, with the false hope of becoming master in the future. Similarly, one who sees the greatness of Krsna in neutrality will certainly never again seek the so-called relief of impersonalist or voidist philosophy. If one is not attracted by the transcendental nature of Krsna, one is sure to be attracted to material enjoyment, thus to become implicated in the clinging network of virtuous and sinful activities and continue material existence by transmigrating from one material body to another. Only in Krsna consciousness can one achieve the highest perfection of life.

Adi4.36-37

TEXTS 36-37

ei vancha yaiche krsna-prakatya-karana

asura-samhara--anusanga prayojana

ei mata caitanya-krsna purna bhagavan

yuga-dharma-pravartana nahe tanra kama

SYNONYMS

ei—this; vancha—desire; yaiche—just as; krsna—of Lord Krsna; prakatya—for the manifestation; karana—reason; asura-samhara—the killing of demons; anusanga—secondary; prayojana—reason; ei mata—like this; caitanya—as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; krsna—Lord Krsna; purna—full; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yuga-dharma—the religion of the age; pravartana—initiating; nahe—is not; tanra—of Him; kama—the desire.

TRANSLATION

Just as these desires are the fundamental reason for Krsna’s appearance whereas destroying the demons is only an incidental necessity, so for Sri Krsna Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, promulgating the dharma of the age is incidental.

Adi4.38

TEXT 38

kona karane yabe haila avatare mana

yuga-dharma-kala haila se kale milana

SYNONYMS

kona karane—by some reason; yabe—when; haila—there was; avatare—in incarnation; mana—inclination; yuga-dharma—for the religion of the age; kala—the time; haila—there was; se kale—at that time; milana—conjunction.

TRANSLATION

When the Lord desired to appear for another reason, the time for promulgating the religion of the age also arose.

Adi4.39

TEXT 39

dui hetu avatari’ lana bhakta-gana

apane asvade prema-nama-sankirtana

SYNONYMS

dui—two; hetu—reasons; avatari’-incarnating; lana—taking; bhakta-gana—the devotees; apane—Himself; asvade—tastes; prema—love of God; nama-sankirtana—and congregational chanting of the holy name.

TRANSLATION

Thus with two intentions the Lord appeared with His devotees and tasted the nectar of prema with the congregational chanting of the holy name.

Adi4.40

TEXT 40

sei dvare acandale kirtana sancare

nama-prema-mala ganthi’ paraila samsare

SYNONYMS

sei dvare—by that; a-candale—even among the candalas; kirtana—the chanting of the holy names; sancare—He infuses; nama—of the holy names; prema—and of love of God; mala—a garland; ganthi’-stringing together; paraila—He put it on; samsare—the whole material world.

TRANSLATION

Thus He spread kirtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema with which He garlanded the entire material world.

Adi4.41

TEXT 41

ei-mata bhakta-bhava kari’ angikara

apani acari’ bhakti karila pracara

SYNONYMS

ei-mata—like this; bhakta-bhava—the position of a devotee; kari’-making; angikara—acceptance; apani—Himself; acari’-practicing; bhakti—devotional service; karila—did; pracara—propagation.

TRANSLATION

In this way, assuming the sentiment of a devotee, He preached devotional service while practicing it Himself.

PURPORT

When Rupa Gosvami met Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Prayaga (Allahabad), he offered his respectful obeisances by submitting that Lord Caitanya was more magnanimous than any other avatara of Krsna because He was distributing love of Krsna. His mission was to enhance love of Godhead. In the human form of life the highest achievement is to attain the platform of love of Godhead. Lord Caitanya did not invent a system of religion, as people sometimes assume. Religious systems are meant to show the existence of God, who is then generally approached as the cosmic order-supplier. But Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krsna and become a lover of God. Therefore Lord Caitanya is the most magnanimous. This munificent broadcasting of devotional service is possible only for Krsna Himself. Therefore Lord Caitanya is Krsna.

In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna has taught the philosophy of surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who has surrendered to the Supreme can make further progress by learning to love Him. Therefore the Krsna consciousness movement propagated by Lord Caitanya is especially meant for those who are cognizant of the presence of the Supreme Godhead, the ultimate controller of everything. His mission is to teach people how to dovetail themselves into engagements of transcendental loving service. He is Krsna teaching His own service from the position of a devotee. The Lord’s acceptance of the role of a devotee in the eternal form of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is another of the Lord’s wonderful features. A conditioned soul cannot reach the absolute Personality of Godhead by his imperfect endeavor, and therefore it is wonderful that Lord Sri Krsna, in the form of Lord Gauranga, has made it easy for everyone to approach Him.

Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has described Lord Caitanya as Krsna Himself with the attitude of Radharani, or a combination of Radha and Krsna. The intention of Lord Caitanya is to taste Krsna’s sweetness in transcendental love. He does not care to think of Himself as Krsna, because He wants the position of Radharani. We should remember this. A class of so-called devotees called the nadiya-nagaris or gaura-nagaris pretend that they have the sentiment of gopis toward Lord Caitanya, but they do not realize that He placed Himself not as the enjoyer, Krsna, but as the enjoyed, the devotee of Krsna. The concoctions of unauthorized persons pretending to be bona fide have not been accepted by Lord Caitanya. Presentations such as those of the gaura-nagaris are only disturbances to the sincere execution of the mission of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is undoubtedly Krsna Himself, and He is always nondifferent from Srimati Radharani. But the emotion technically called vipralambha-bhava, which the Lord adopted for confidential reasons, should not be disturbed in the name of service. A mundaner should not unnecessarily intrude into affairs of transcendence and thereby displease the Lord. One must always be on guard against this sort of devotional anomaly. A devotee is not meant to create disturbances to Krsna. As Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained, devotional service is anukulyena, or favorable to Krsna. Acting unfavorably toward Krsna is not devotion. Kamsa was the enemy of Krsna. He always thought of Krsna, but he thought of Him as an enemy. One should always avoid such unfavorable so-called service.

Lord Caitanya has accepted the role of Radharani, and we should support that position, as Svarupa Damodara did in the Gambhira (the room where Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Puri). He always reminded Lord Caitanya of Radha’s feelings of separation as they are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Lord Caitanya appreciated his assistance. But the gaura-nagaris, who place Lord Caitanya in the position of enjoyer and themselves as His enjoyed, are not approved by Lord Caitanya or by Lord Caitanya’s followers. Instead of being blessed, the foolish imitators are left completely apart. Their concoctions are against the principles of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The doctrine of transcendental enjoyment by Krsna cannot be mixed up with the doctrine of transcendental feeling of separation from Krsna in the role of Radharani.

Adi4.42

TEXT 42

dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, ara ye srngara

cari prema, catur-vidha bhakta-i adhara

SYNONYMS

dasya—servitude; sakhya—friendship; vatsalya—parental affection; ara—and; ye—that; srngara—conjugal love; cari—four types; prema—love of God; catuh-vidha—four kinds; bhakta-i—devotees; adhara—the containers.

TRANSLATION

Four kinds of devotees are the receptacles of the four kinds of mellows in love of God, namely servitude, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love.

Adi4.43

TEXT 43

nija nija bhava sabe srestha kari’ mane

nija-bhave kare krsna-sukha asvadane

SYNONYMS

nija nija—each his own; bhava—mood; sabe—all; srestha kari’-making the best; mane—accepts; nija-bhave—in his own mood; kare—does; krsna-sukha—happiness with Lord Krsna; asvadane—tasting.

TRANSLATION

Each kind of devotee feels that his sentiment is the most excellent, and thus in that mood he tastes great happiness with Lord Krsna.

Adi4.44

TEXT 44

tatastha ha-iya mane vicara yadi kari

saba rasa haite srngare adhika madhuri

SYNONYMS

tata-stha ha-iya—becoming impartial; mane—in the mind; vicara—consideration; yadi—if; kari—doing; saba rasa—all the mellows; haite—than; srngare—in conjugal love; adhika—greater; madhuri—sweetness.

TRANSLATION

But if we compare the sentiments in an impartial mood, we find that the conjugal sentiment is superior to all in sweetness.

PURPORT

No one is higher or lower than anyone else in transcendental relationships with the Lord, for in the absolute realm everything is equal. But although these relationships are absolute, there are also transcendental differences between them. Thus the transcendental relationship of conjugal love is considered the highest perfection.

Adi4.45

TEXT 45

yathottaram asau svada-

visesollasamayy api

ratir vasanaya svadvi

bhasate kapi kasyacit

SYNONYMS

yatha-uttaram—one after another; asau—that; svada-visesa—of particular tastes; ullasa-mayi—consisting of the increase; api—although; ratih—love; vasanaya—by the different desire; svadvi—sweet; bhasate—exists; ka api—any; kasyacit—of someone (the devotee).

TRANSLATION

“Increasing love is experienced in various tastes, one above another. But that love which has the highest taste in the gradual succession of desire manifests itself in the form of conjugal love.”

PURPORT

This is a verse from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.5.38).

Adi4.46

TEXT 46

ataeva madhura rasa kahi tara nama

svakiya-parakiya-bhave dvi-vidha samsthana

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; madhura—sweet; rasa—mellow; kahi—I say; tara—of that; nama—the name; svakiyasvakiya (own); parakiya—and named parakiya (another’s); bhave—in the moods; dvi-vidha—two types; samsthana—positions.

TRANSLATION

Therefore I call it madhura-rasa. It has two further divisions, namely wedded and unwedded love.

Adi4.47

TEXT 47

parakiya-bhave ati rasera ullasa

vraja vina ihara anyatra nahi vasa

SYNONYMS

parakiya-bhave—in the mood of parakiya, or conjugal relations outside of marriage; ati—very great; rasera—of mellow; ullasa—increase; vraja vina—except for Vraja; ihara—of this; anyatra—anywhere else; nahi—there is not; vasa—residence.

TRANSLATION

There is a great increase of mellow in the unwedded conjugal mood. Such love is found nowhere but in Vraja.

Adi4.48

TEXT 48

vraja-vadhu-ganera ei bhava niravadhi

tara madhye sri-radhaya bhavera avadhi

SYNONYMS

vraja-vadhu-ganera—of the young wives of Vraja; ei—this; bhava—mood; niravadhi—unbounded; tara madhye—among them; sri-radhaya—in Srimati Radharani; bhavera—of the mood; avadhi—the highest limit.

TRANSLATION

This mood is unbounded in the damsels of Vraja, but among them it finds its perfection in Sri Radha.

Adi4.49

TEXT 49

praudha nirmala-bhava prema sarvottama

krsnera madhurya-rasa-asvada-karana

SYNONYMS

praudha—matured; nirmala-bhava—pure condition; prema—love; sarva-uttama—best of all; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; madhurya-rasa—of the mellow of the conjugal relationship; asvada—of the tasting; karana—the cause.

TRANSLATION

Her pure, mature love surpasses that of all others. Her love is the cause of Lord Krsna’s tasting the sweetness of the conjugal relationship.

Adi4.50

TEXT 50

ataeva sei bhava angikara kari’

sadhilena nija vancha gauranga-sri-hari

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; sei bhava—that mood; angikara kari’-accepting; sadhilena—fulfilled; nija—His own; vancha—desire; gauranga—Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sri-hari—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Therefore Lord Gauranga, who is Sri Hari Himself, accepted the sentiments of Radha and thus fulfilled His own desires.

PURPORT

Of the four kinds of reciprocation of loving service-dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya-madhurya is considered the fullest. But the conjugal relationship is further divided into two varieties, namely svakiya and parakiya. Svakiya is the relationship with Krsna as a formally married husband, and parakiya is the relationship with Krsna as a paramour. Expert analysts have decided that the transcendental ecstasy of the parakiya mellow is better because it is more enthusiastic. This phase of conjugal love is found in those who have surrendered to the Lord in intense love, knowing well that such illicit love with a paramour is not morally approved in society. The risks involved in such love of Godhead make this emotion superior to the relationship in which such risk is not involved. The validity of such risk, however, is possible only in the transcendental realm. Svakiya and parakiya conjugal love of Godhead have no existence in the material world, and parakiya is not exhibited anywhere in Vaikuntha, but only in the portion of Goloka Vrndavana known as Vraja.

Some devotees think that Krsna is eternally the enjoyer in Goloka Vrndavana but only sometimes comes to the platform of Vraja to enjoy parakiya-rasa. The six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, however, have explained that Krsna’s pastimes in Vraja are eternal, like His other activities in Goloka Vrndavana. Vraja is a confidential part of Goloka Vrndavana. Krsna exhibited His Vraja pastimes on the surface of this world, and similar pastimes are eternally exhibited in Vraja in Goloka Vrndavana, where parakiya-rasa is ever existent.

In the Third Chapter of this epic, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has explicitly accepted the fact that Krsna appears in this material world at the end of the Dvapara age of the twenty-eighth catur-yuga of Vaivasvata Manu and brings with Him His Vrajadhama, which is the eternal abode of His highest pastimes. As the Lord appears by His own internal potency, so He also brings all His paraphernalia by the same internal potency, without extraneous help. It is further stated here in Caitanya-caritamrta that the parakiya sentiment exists only in that transcendental realm and nowhere else. This highest form of ecstasy can exist only in the most confidential part of the transcendental world, but by the causeless mercy of the Lord we can have a peep into that invisible Vraja.

The transcendental mellow relished by the gopis in Vraja is superexcellently featured in Srimati Radharani. Mature assimilation of the transcendental humor of conjugal love is represented by Srimati Radharani, whose feelings are incomprehensible even to the Lord Himself. The intensity of Her loving service is the highest form of ecstasy. No one can surpass Srimati Radharani in relishing the transcendental mellow qualities of the Lord. Therefore the Lord Himself agreed to assume the position of Radharani in the form of Lord Sri Gauranga. He then relished the highest position of parakiya-rasa, as exhibited in the transcendental abode of Vraja.

Adi4.51

TEXT 51

suresanam durgam gatir atisayenopanisadam

muninam sarva-svam pranata-patalinam madhurima

viniryasah premno nikhila-pasu-palambuja-drsam

sa caitanyah kim me punar api drsor yasyati padam

SYNONYMS

sura-isanam—of the kings of the demigods; durgam—fortress; gatih—the goal; atisayena—eminently; upanisadam—of the Upanisads; muninam—of the sages; sarva-svam—the be-all and end-all; pranata-patalinam—of the groups of the devotees; madhurima—the sweetness; viniryasah—the essence; premnah—of love; nikhila—all; pasu-pala—of the cowherd women; ambuja-drsam—lotus-eyed; sah—He; caitanyah—Lord Caitanya; kim—what; me—my; punah—again; api—certainly; drsoh—of the two eyes; yasyati—will come; padam—to the abode.

TRANSLATION

“Lord Caitanya is the shelter of the demigods, the goal of the Upanisads, the be-all and end-all of the great sages, the beautiful shelter of His devotees, and the essence of the love of the lotus-eyed gopis. Will He again be the object of my vision?”

Adi4.52

TEXT 52

aparam kasyapi pranayi-jana-vrndasya kutuki

rasa-stomam hrtva madhuram upabhoktum kam-api yah

rucam svam avavre dyutim iha tadiyam prakatayan

sa devas caitanyakrtir atitaram nah krpayatu

SYNONYMS

aparam—boundless; kasya api—of someone; pranayi-jana-vrndasya—of the multitude of lovers; kutuki—one who is curious; rasa-stomam—the group of mellows; hrtva—stealing; madhuram—sweet; upabhoktum—to enjoy; kam api—some; yah—who; rucam—luster; svam—own; avavre—covered; dyutim—luster; iha—here; tadiyam—related to Him; prakatayan—manifesting; sah—He; devah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; caitanya-akrtih—having the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; atitaram—greatly; nah—unto us; krpayatu—may He show His mercy.

TRANSLATION

“Lord Krsna desired to taste the limitless nectarean mellows of the love of one of His multitude of loving damsels [Sri Radha], and so He has assumed the form of Lord Caitanya. He has tasted that love while hiding His own dark complexion with Her effulgent yellow color. May that Lord Caitanya confer upon us His grace.”

PURPORT

Texts 51 and 52 are from the Stava-mala of Srila Rupa Gosvami.

Adi4.53

TEXT 53

bhava-grahanera hetu kaila dharma-sthapana

tara mukhya hetu kahi, suna sarva-jana

SYNONYMS

bhava-grahanera—of accepting the mood; hetu—the reason; kaila—did; dharma—religion; sthapana—establishing; tara—of that; mukhya—principal; hetu—reason; kahi—I say; suna—please hear; sarva-jana—everyone.

TRANSLATION

To accept ecstatic love is the main reason He appeared and reestablished the religious system for this age. I shall now explain that reason. Everyone please listen.

Adi4.54

TEXT 54

mula hetu age slokera kaila abhasa

ebe kahi sei slokera artha prakasa

SYNONYMS

mula hetu—the root cause; age—in the beginning; slokera—of the verse; kaila—gave; abhasa—hint; ebe—now; kahi—I shall speak; sei—that; slokera—of the verse; artha—meaning; prakasa—manifestation.

TRANSLATION

Having first given hints about the verse describing the principal reason why the Lord appeared, now I shall manifest its full meaning.

Next verse (Adi4.55)