Causelessmercy - Ebook - Sri Brahma-samhita - 5.2

Sri Brahma-samhita
by His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

Chapter Five

Bs5.27

TEXT 27

atha venu-ninadasya

trayi-murti-mayi gatih

sphuranti pravivesasu

mukhabjani svayambhuvah

gayatrim gayatas tasmad

adhigatya sarojajah

samskrtas cadi-gununa

dvijatam agamat tatah

SYNONYMS

atha—then; venu-ninadasya—of the sound of the flute; trayi-murti-mayi—the mother of the three Vedas; gatih—the means (the Gayatri mantra); sphuranti—being made manifest; pravivesa—entered; asu—quickly; mukha-abjani—the lotus faces; svayambhuvah—of Brahma; gayatrim—the Gayatri; gayatah—sounding; tasmat—from Him (Sri Krsna); adhigatya—having received; saroja-jah—the lotus-born (Brahma); samskrtah—initiated; ca—and; adi-guruna—by the primal preceptor; dvijatam—the status of the twice-born; agamat—attained; tatah—thereafter.

TRANSLATION

Then Gayatri, mother of the Vedas, being made manifest, i.e. imparted, by the divine sound of the flute of Sri Krsna, entered into the lotus mouth of Brahma, born from himself, through his eight ear-holes. The lotus-born Brahma having received the Gayatri, sprung from the flute-song of Sri Krsna, attained the status of the twice-born, having been initiated by the supreme primal preceptor, Godhead Himself.

PURPORT

The sound of Krsna’s flute is the transcendental blissful sound; hence the archetype of all Veda, is present in it. The Gayatri is Vedic rhythm. It contains a brief meditation and prayer. Kama-gayatri is the highest of all the Gayatris, because the meditation and prayer contained in it are full of the perfect transcendental sportive activities which are not to be found in any other Gayatri. The Gayatri that is attained as the sequel of the eighteen-lettered mantra is kama-gayatri which runs thus: klim kama-devaya vidmahe puspa-banaya dhimahi tan no ’nangah pracodayat. In this Gayatri, the realization of the transcendental pastimes of Sri Gopijana-vallabha after perfect meditation and the prayer for the attainment of the transcendental god of love are indicated. In the spiritual world there is no better mode of endeavor for securing the superexcellent rasa-bedewed love. As soon as that Gayatri entered into the ear-holes of Brahma, he became the twice-born and began to chant the Gayatri. Whoever has received the same Gayatri in reality. has attained his spiritual rebirth. The status of a twice-born that is obtained in accordance with one’s worldly nature and lineage, by the fettered souls in this mundane world, is far inferior to that of the twice-born who obtains admission into the transcendental world; because the initiation or acquisition of transcendental birth as a result of spiritual initiation is the highest of glories in as much as the jiva is thereby enabled to attain to the transcendental realm.

trayya prabuddho ’tha vidhir

vijnata-tattva-sagarah

tustava veda-sarena

stotrenanena kesavam

trayya—by the embodiment of the three Vedas; prabuddhah—enlightened; atha—then; vidhih—Brahma; vijnata—acquainted with; tattva-sagarah—the ocean of truth; tustava—worshiped; veda-sarena—which is the essence of all Vedas; stotrena—by the hymn; anena—this; kesavam—Sri Krsna.

Enlightened by the recollection of that Gayatri, embodying the three Vedas, Brahma became acquainted with the expanse of the ocean of truth. Then he worshiped Sri Krsna, the essence of all Vedas, with this hymn.

Brahma thought thus within himself, “By the recollection of kama-gayatri it seems to me that I am the eternal maidservant of Krsna.” Though the other mysteries in regard to the condition of the maidservant of Krsna were not revealed to him, Brahma, by dint of his searching self-consciousness, became well acquainted with the ocean of truth. All the truths of the Vedas were revealed to him and with the help of those essences of the Vedas he offered this hymn to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. Sriman Mahaprabhu has taught this hymn to His favorite disciples in as much as it fully contains all the transcendental truths regarding the Vaisnava philosophy. Readers are requested to study and try to enter into the spirit of his hymn with great care and attention, as a regular daily function.

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-

laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

cintamani—touchstone; prakara—groups made of; sadmasu—in abodes; kalpa-vrksa—of desire trees; laksa—by millions; avrtesu—surrounded; surabhih—surabhi cows; abhipalayantam—tending; laksmi—of goddesses of fortune; sahasra—of thousands; sata—by hundreds; sambhrama—with great respect; sevyamanam—being served; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis.

By the word cintamani is meant “transcendental gem.” Just as Maya builds this mundane universe with the five material elements, so the spiritual (cit) potency has built the spiritual world of transcendental gems. The cintamani which serves as material in the building of the abode of the Supreme Lord of Goloka, is a far rarer and more agreeable entity than the philosopher’s stone. The purpose tree yields only the fruits of piety. wealth, fulfillment of desire and liberation; but the purpose trees in the abode of Krsna bestow innumerable fruits in the shape of checkered divine love. Kama-dhenus (cows yielding the fulfillment of desire) give milk when they are milked; but the kama-dhenus of Goloka pour forth oceans of milk in the shape of the fountain of love showering transcendental bliss that does away with the hunger and thirst of all pure devotees. The words laksa and sahasra-sata signify endless numbers. The word sambhrama or sadara indicates “being saturated with love.” Here laksmi denotes gopi. Adi-purusa means, “He who is the primeval Lord.”

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam-

barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam

kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

venum—the flute; kvanantam—playing; aravinda-dala—(like) lotus petals; ayata—blooming; aksam—whose eyes; barha—a peacock’s feather; avatamsam—whose ornament on the head; asita-ambuda—(tinged with the hue of) blue clouds; sundara—beautiful; angam—whose figure; kandarpa—of Cupids; koti—millions; kamaniya—charming; visesa—unique; sobham—whose loveliness; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.

The matchless beauty of Krsna, the Supreme Lord of Goloka, is being described. Krsna, the all-pervading cognition, has a spiritual form of His own. The form of Krsna is not a fanciful creation of imagination formed after visualizing the beautiful things of the world. What Brahma saw in his ecstatic trance of pure devotion, is being described. Krsna is engaged in playing upon His flute. That flute by his enchanting musical sound attracts the hearts of all living beings. Just as a lotus petal produces a pleasant sight, so the two beautiful eyes of Krsna who causes the manifestation of our spiritual vision, display the unlimited splendor and beauty of His moonlike face. The loveliness that adorns His head with peacock feather figures, the corresponding feature of the spiritual beauty of Krsna. Just as a mass of blue clouds offers a specifically soothing, pleasant view, the complexion of Krsna is analogously tinged with a spiritual dark-blue color. The beauty and loveliness of Krsna is far more enchanting that that of Cupid multiplied a millionfold.

alola-candraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi-

ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam

syamam tri-bhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

alola—swinging; candraka—with a moon-locket; lasat—beautified; vana-malya—a garland of flowers; vamsi—flute; ratna-angadam—adorned with jeweled ornaments; pranaya—of love; keli-kala—in pastimes; vilasam—who always revels; syamam—Syamasundara; tri-bhanga—bending in three places; lalitam—graceful; niyata—eternally; prakasam—manifest; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest.

In the sloka beginning with cintamani-prakara the transcendental region and the spiritual names of Govinda, in the sloka beginning with venum kvanantam, the eternal beautiful form of Govinda and in this sloka the amorous pastimes of Govinda, the embodiment of His sixty-four excellences, have been described. All the spiritual affairs that come within the scope of description in the narration of the ecstatic mellow quality (rasa) are included in the spiritual amorous sports of Govinda.

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti

pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti

ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

angani—the limbs; yasya—of whom; sakala-indriya—of all the organs; vrtti-manti—possessing the functions; pasyanti—see; panti—maintain; kalayanti—manifest; ciram—eternally,; jaganti—the universes; ananda—bliss; cit—truth; maya—full of; sat—substantiality; ujjvala—full of dazzling splendor; vigrahasya—whose form; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.

For want of a taste of things spiritual, a grave doubt arises in the minds of those who are enchained by worldly knowledge. On hearing a narration of the pastimes of Krsna they think that the truth (tattva) regarding Krsna is the mental concoction of certain learned scholars, created by their imaginative brains out of material drawn from the mundane principles. With the object of removing this harmful doubt, Brahma in this and the three following slokas, after distinguishing between the two things, viz., spirit and matter, in a rational manner, has tried to make one understand the pure lila of Krsna, obtained by his unmixed ecstatic trance. Brahma wants to say that the form of Krsna is all “existence, all-knowledge and all-bliss, whereas all mundane experiences are full of palpable ignorance. Although there is specific difference between the two, the fundamental truth is that spiritual affairs constitute the absolute source. Specification and variegatedness are ever present in it. By them are established the transcendental abode, form, name, quality and sports of Krsna. It is only by a person, possessed of pure spiritual knowledge and freedom from any relationship with Maya, that those amorous pastimes of Krsna can at all be appreciated. The spiritual abode, the seat of pastimes, emanated from the cit potency and formed of cintamani (transcendental philosopher’s stone), and the figure of Krsna, are all spiritual. Just as Maya is the perverted reflection of the spiritual potency. the variegatedness created by Maya (ignorance) is also a perverted reflection of spiritual variegatedness. So a mere semblance of the spiritual variegatedness is only noticed in this mundane world. Notwithstanding such semblance the two are wholly different from one another. The unwholesomeness of matter is its defect; but in the spirit there is variegatedness which is free from any fault or contamination. The soul and the body of Krsna are identical, whereas the body and soul of fallen creatures are not so. In the spiritual sphere there is no such difference as that between the body and soul, between the limbs and their proprietor, between the attributes and the object possessing them, of this world. But such difference really exists in the case of conditioned souls. Limbed though Krsna is, His every limb is the whole entity. He performs all varieties of divine spiritual functions with every one of His limbs. Hence He is an indivisible whole and a perfect transcendental entity. Both jiva-soul and Krsna are transcendental. So they belong to the same category. But they differ in this that the transcendental attributes exist in the jiva-soul in infinitesimally small degrees, whereas in Krsna they are found in their fullest perfection. Those attributes manifest themselves in their proper infinitesimality only when the jiva-soul attains his unadulterated spiritual status. The jiva-soul attains the nearest approach to the absolute identity only when the spiritual force of ecstatic energy appears in him by the grace of Krsna. Still Krsna remains the object of universal homage by reason of His possession of certain unique attributes. These fourfold unrivaled attributes do not manifest themselves in Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha or in primeval purusa-avataras, or in the highest deities such as Siva, not to speak of jivas.

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

advaitam—without a second; acyutam—without decay; anadim—without a beginning; ananta-rupam—whose form is endless, or who possesses unlimited forms; adyam—the beginning; purana-purusam—the most ancient person; nava-yauvanam—a blooming youth; ca—also; vedesu—through the Vedas; durlabham—inaccessible; adurlabham—not difficult to obtain; atma-bhaktau—through pure devotion of the soul; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal purusa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.

Advaita means “indivisible truth who is knowledge absolute.” Brahman, the infinite, emanates from Him as His effulgence and God-immanent (Paramatma) as His constituent; but nevertheless He remains one and indivisible. Acyuta means that though myriads of avataras emanate from Him as subjective portions and millions of jivas as separated spiritual particles, still He remains intact as the undivided whole of fullest perfection. Though He indulges in exhibiting the pastimes of births, etc., still He is without a beginning. Though He disappears after the pastimes of His appearance, still He is eternal. Though without origin, yet He is with an origin in His pastime of appearance; and although eternal in essence, He is still a person in the full bloom of youth. The sum and substance of it is that though He possesses diverse and apparently mutually contradictory qualities, still they are in universal harmonious concordance by dint of His unthinkable potency. This is what is meant by cid-dharma (transcendental nature) as distinguished from the material. His graceful threefold-bending form with flute in hand, possesses eternal blooming youth and is above all unwholesomeness that is to be found in limited time and space. In the transcendental realm there is no past and future but only the unalloyed and immutable present time. In the transcendental sphere there is no distinction between the object and its qualities and no such identity as is found in the limited mundane region. Hence those qualities that seem to be apparently contradictory in the light of mundane conception limited by time and space, exist in agreeable and dainty concordance in the spiritual realm. How can the jiva realize such unprecedented existence? The limited intellectual function of the jiva is always contaminated by the influence of time and space and is, therefore, not in a position to shake off this limitedness. If the potency of cognitive function does not extend to the realization of the transcendental, what else can? In reply. Brahma says that the transcendental Absolute is beyond the reach of the Vedas. The Vedas originate in sound and sound originates in the mundane ether. So the Vedas cannot present before us a direct view of the transcendental world (Goloka). It is only when the Vedas are imbued with the cit potency that they are enabled to deal with the transcendental. But Goloka reveals itself to every jiva-soul when he is under the influence of the spiritual cognitive potency joined to the essence of ecstatic energy. The ecstatic function of devotion is boundless and is surcharged with unalloyed transcendental knowledge. That knowledge reveals goloka-tattva (the principle of the highest transcendental) in unison with devotion, without asserting itself separately but as a subsidiary to unalloyed devotion.

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam

so ’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

panthah—the path; tu—but; koti-sata—thousands of millions; vatsara—of years; sampragamyah—extending over; vayoh—of wind; atha api—or; manasah—of the mind; muni-pungavanam—of the foremost jnanis; sah—that (path); api—only; asti—is; yat—of whom; prapada—of the toe; simni—to the tip; avicintya-tattve—beyond material conception; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnanis who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.

The attainment of the lotus feet of Govinda consists in the realization of unalloyed devotion. The kaivalya (realized nonalternative state) which is attained by the astanga-yogis by practicing trance for thousands of millions of years and the state of merging into the nondifferentiated impersonality of Godhead beyond the range of limitation attained by nondualists after a similar period passed in distinguishing between the spiritual and nonspiritual and eliminating things of the limited sphere one after another by the formula “not this, not that,” are simply the outskirts of the lotus feet of Krsna and not the lotus feet themselves. The long and short of the matter is this, kaivalya or merging into the Brahman constitutes the line of demarcation between the world of limitation and the transcendental world. For, unless we step beyond them, we can have no taste of the variegatedness of the transcendental sphere. These conditions are the simple absence of misery arising from mundane affinity but are not real happiness or felicity. If the absence of misery be called a bit of pleasure then also that bit is very small and of no consequence. It is not sufficient to destroy the condition of materiality; but the real gain to the jiva is his eternal existence in his self-realized state. This can be attained only by the grace of unalloyed devotion which is essentially cit or transcendental in character. For this end abstract and uninteresting mental speculation is of no avail.

eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim

yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah

andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham-

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

ekah—one; api—although; asau—He; racayitum—to create; jagat-anda—of universes; kotim—millions; yat—whose; saktih—potency; asti—there is; jagat-anda-cayah—all the universes; yat-antah—within whom; anda-antara-stha—which are scattered throughout the universe; parama-anu-caya—the atoms; antara-stham—situated within; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.

Krsna is the highest of all entities. In Him is an entity which is termed cit (spiritual) which is distinct from the principle of limitation. By His inconceivable power, He can at will create numberless universes. All the mundane universes owe their origin to the transformation of His external potency. Again His abode is beyond human conception; since all worlds, limited and spiritual (cit) exist in Him and He resides simultaneously in His fullness and entirety in all the atoms in all the worlds. All-pervasiveness is only a localized aspect of the majesty of Krsna, the Lord of all. Though He is all-pervasive yet in His existence everywhere in a medium shape consists His spiritual Lordship beyond human conception. This argument favors the doctrine of simultaneous inconceivable distinction and nondistinction, and knocks down the contaminating Mayavada and other allied doctrines.

yad-bhava-bhavita-dhiyo manujas tathaiva

samprapya rupa-mahimasana-yana-bhusah

suktair yam eva nigama-prathitaih stuvanti

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

yat—for whom; bhava—with devotion; bhavita—are imbued; dhiyah—whose hearts; manujah—men; tatha eva—similarly; samprapya—having gained; rupa—beauty; mahima—greatness; asana—thrones; yana—conveyances; bhusah—and ornaments; suktaih—by Vedic hymns; yam—whom; eva—certainly; nigama—by the Vedas; prathitaih—told; stuvanti—offer praise; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original person; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise men, who are imbued with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.

In discussing rasa we meet with five kinds of devotion or service. Santa or unattached, dasya or pertaining to reverential willing service, sakhya or friendship, vatsalya or parental love and srngara or juvenile love.

The devotees surcharged with the ideas of their respective service, serve Krsna eternally and ultimately reach the goal of their respective ideals. They attain the real nature of their self befitting their respective rasas, their glories, conveyances, seats befitting their sacred service, and transcendental qualities of ornaments enhancing the beauty of their real nature. Those who are advocates of santa-rasa attain the region of Brahma-Paramatma, the seat of eternal peace; those of dasya-rasa get to Vaikuntha, the spiritual majestic abode of Sri Narayana; those of sakhya, vatsalya and madhura-rasa (juvenile love) attain Goloka-dhama, Krsna’s abode, above Vaikuntha. They worship Krsna by the suktas depicted in the Vedas with the ingredients and objects befitting their respective rasas, in those regions. The Vedas, under the influence of the spiritual potency in certain passages speak of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The liberated souls chant the name, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, under the guidance of the same spiritual potency.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis

tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih

goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

ananda—bliss; cit—and knowledge; maya—consisting of; rasa—mellows; prati—every second; bhavitabhih—who are engrossed with; tabhih—with those; yah—who; eva—certainly; nija-rupataya—with His own form; kalabhih—who are parts of portions of His pleasure potency; goloke—in Goloka Vrndavana; eva—certainly; nivasati—resides; akhila-atma—as the soul of all; bhutah—who exists; govindam—Govinda; adi-purusam—the original personality; tam—Him; aham—I; bhajami—worship.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhis], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.

Although the Lord Absolute and His potency are one and the self-same existence, still They exist eternally as separate entities, as Radha and Krsna. In both the ecstatic energy and the transcendental Lord Krsna, there exists srngara-rasa (amorous love) whose quality is inconceivable. The vibhava (extension) of that rasa (mellow quality) is twofold, viz., alambana (prop) and uddipana (stimulation). Of these alambana is twofold, viz., asraya (supported) and visaya (supporter). Asraya signifies Radhika Herself and the extensions of Her own form and visaya means Krsna Himself. Krsna is Govinda, Lord of Goloka. The gopis are the facsimile asraya of that rasa. With them Krsna indulges in eternal pastimes in Goloka. Nija-rupataya means “with the attributes manifested from the ecstatic energy.” The sixty-four activities in fine arts and crafts are the following: (1) gita—art of singing. (2) vadya—art of playing on musical instruments. (3) nrtya—art of dancing. (4) natya—art of theatricals. (5) alekhya—art of painting. (6) visesakacchedya—art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics. (7) tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara—art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers. (8) puspastarana—art of making a covering of flowers for a bed. (9) dasana-vasananga-raga—art of applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, cloths and painting the body. (10) mani-bhumika-karma—art of making the groundwork of jewels. (11) sayya-racana—art of covering the bed. (12) udaka-vadya—art of playing on music in water. (13) udaka-ghata—art of splashing with water. (14) citra-yoga—art of practically applying an admixture of colors. (15) malya-grathana-vikalpa—art of designing a preparation of wreaths. (16) sekharapida-yojana—art of practically setting the coronet on the head. (17) nepathya-yoga—art of practically dressing in the tiring room. (18) karnapatra-bhanga—art of decorating the tragus of the ear. (19) sugandha-yukti—art of practical application of aromatics. (20) bhusana-yojana—art of applying or setting ornaments. (21) aindra-jala—art of jugglery. (22) kaucumara—a kind of art. (23) hasta-laghava—art of sleight of hand. (24) citra-sakapupa-bhaksya-vikara-kriya—art of preparing varieties of salad, bread, cake and delicious food. (25) panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana—art of practically preparing palatable drinks and tinging draughts with red color. (26) suci-vaya-karma—art of needleworks and weaving. (27) sutra-krida—art of playing with thread. (28) vina-damuraka-vadya—art of playing on lute and small x-shaped drum. (29) prahelika—art of making and solving riddles. (29-a) pratimala—art of caping or reciting verse for verse as a trial for memory or skill. (30) durvacaka-yoga—art of practicing language difficult to be answered by others. (31) pustaka-vacana—art of reciting books. (32) natikakhyayika-darsana—art of enacting short plays and anecdotes. (33) kavya-samasya-purana—art of solving enigmatic verses. (34) pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa—art of designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows. (35) tarku-karma—art of spinning by spindle. (36) taksana—art of carpentry. (37) vastu-vidya—art of engineering. (38) raupya-ratna-pariksa—art of testing silver and jewels. (39) dhatu-vada—art of metallurgy. (40) mani-raga jnana—art of tinging jewels. (41) akara jnana—art of mineralogy. (42) vrksayur-veda-yoga—art of practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs. (43) mesa-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi—art of knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds. (44) suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana)?—art of maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos. (45) utsadana—art of healing or cleaning a person with perfumes. (46) kesa-marjana-kausala—art of combing hair. (47) aksara-mustika-kathana—art of talking with letters and fingers. (48) mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa—art of fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry. (49) desa-bhasa-jnana—art of knowing provincial dialects. (50) puspa-sakatika-nirmiti-jnana—art of knowing prediction by heavenly voice or knowing preparation of toy carts by flowers. (51) yantra-matrka—art of mechanics. (52) dharana-matrka—art of the use of amulets. (53) samvacya—art of conversation. (54) manasi kavya-kriya—art of composing verse mentally. (55) kriya-vikalpa—art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy. (56) chalitaka-yoga—art of practicing as a builder of shrines called after him. (57) abhidhana-kosa-cchando-jnana—art of the use of lexicography and meters. (58) vastra-gopana—art of concealment of cloths. (59) dyuta-visesa—art of knowing specific gambling. (60) akarsa-krida—art of playing with dice or magnet. (61) balaka-kridanaka—art of using children’s toys. (62) vainayiki vidya—art of enforcing discipline. (63) vaijayiki vidya—art of gaining victory. (64) vaitaliki vidya—art of awakening master with music at dawn.

All these arts manifesting their own eternal forms are ever visible in the region of Goloka as the ingredients of rasa; and, in the mundane sphere, they have been unstintedly exhibited in the pastimes of Vraja by the spiritual (cit) potency. Yogamaya. So Sri Rupa says, sadanantaih… santi tah, i.e., Krsna is ever manifest in His beauty with His infinite pastimes in Goloka. Sometimes the variant manifestation of those pastimes becomes visible on the mundane plane. Sri Hari, the Supreme Lord, also manifests His pastimes of birth, etc., accompanied by all His paraphernalia. The divine sportive potency fills the hearts of His paraphernalia with appropriate spiritual sentiments in conformity with the will of Krsna. Those pastimes that manifest themselves on the mundane plane, are His visible pastimes. All those very pastimes exist in their nonvisible form in Goloka beyond the ken of mundane knowledge. In His visible pastimes Krsna sojourns in Gokula, Mathura and Dvaraka. Those pastimes that are nonvisible in those three places, are visible in their spiritual sites of Vrndavana.

From the conclusions just stated it is clear that there is no distinction between the visible and nonvisible pastimes. The apostle Jiva Gosvami in his commentary on this sloka as well as in the gloss of Ujjvala-nilamani and in Krsna-sandarbha remarks that “the visible pastimes of Krsna are the creation of His cit (spiritual) potency. Being in conjunction with the reference to mundane function they exhibit certain features which seem to be true by the influence of the limiting potency (Maya); but these cannot exist in the transcendental reality. The destruction of demons, illicit paramourship, birth, etc., are examples of this peculiarity. The gopis are the extensions of the ecstatic energy of Krsna, and so are exceptionally His own. How can there be illicit connection in their case? The illicit mistress-ship of the gopis found in His visible pastime, is but the mundane reflection of the transcendental reality.” The hidden meaning underlying the words of Sri Jiva Gosvami, when it is made explicit, will leave no doubt in the minds of the readers. Sri Jiva Gosvami is our preacher of transcendental truth. So he is always under the influence of Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Moreover in the pastimes of Krsna Sri Jiva is one of the manjaris. So he is conversant with all transcendental realities.

There are some who, being unable to understand the drift of his statements, give meanings of their own invention and indulge in useless controversies. Sri Rupa and Sanatana say that there is no real and essential distinction between the lilas visible and nonvisible, the only distinction lies in this that one is manifest in the mundane sphere whereas the other is not so. In the supermundane manifestation there is absolute purity in the seer and the seen. A particularly fortunate person when he is favored by Krsna, can shake off worldly shackles and connections, enter the transcendental region after attaining the realized taste of the varieties of rasa that is available during the period of novitiate. Only such a person can have a view and taste of the perfect and absolutely pure lila of Goloka. Such receptive natures are rarely to be found. He, who exists in the mundane sphere, can also realize the taste of cid-rasa by the grace of Krsna by being enabled to attain the realized state of service. Such a person can have a view of the pastimes of Goloka manifested in the mundane lila of Gokula. There is certainly a difference between these two classes of eligible seekers of the truth. Until one attains the perfectly transcendental stage he must be hampered by his lingering limitations, in his vision of the pastimes of Goloka. Again, the vision of the transcendental reality varies according to the degree of self-realization. The vision of Goloka must also vary accordingly.

It is only those fettered souls who are excessively addicted to worldliness that are devoid of the devotional eye. Of them some are enmeshed by the variegatedness of the deluding energy while others aspire after self-annihilation under the influence of centrifugal knowledge. Though they might have a view of the mundanely manifested pastimes of the Supreme Lord, they can have only a material conception of those visible pastimes, this conception being devoid of transcendental reality. Hence the realization of Goloka appears in proportion to eligibility due to the degree of one’s self-realization. The underlying principle is this, that, though Gokula is as holy and free from dross as Goloka, still it is manifested on the mundane plane by the influence of the cit potency. Yogamaya. In visible and nonvisible matters of transcendental regions there is no impurity. contamination and imperfection inherent in the world of limitation; only there is some difference in the matter of realization in proportion to the self-realization of the seekers after the Absolute. Impurity. unwholesomeness, foreign elements, illusion, nescience, unholiness, utter inadequacy. insignificance, grossness—these appertain to the eye, intellect, mind and ego stultified by the material nature of conditioned souls; they have nothing to do with the essential nature of transcendence. The more one is free from these blots the more is one capable of realizing the unqualified Absolute. The truth who has been revealed by the scriptures, is free from dross. But the realizations of the seekers of the knowledge of these realities, are with or without flaw in accordance with the degree of their individual realization.

Those sixty-four arts that have been enumerated above, do in reality exist unstintedly only in Goloka. Unwholesomeness, insignificance, grossness are found in those arts in accordance with the degree of self-realization on the part of aspirants after the knowledge of the Absolute. According to Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana all those pastimes, that have been visible in Gokula, exist in all purity and free from all tinge of limitation in Goloka. So transcendental autocratic paramourship also exists in Goloka in inconceivable purity, judged by the same standard and reasoning. All manifestation by the cit potency. Yogamaya, are pure. So, as the above paramourship is the creation of Yogamaya, it is necessarily free from all contamination, and appertains to the absolute reality.

Let us pause to consider what the absolute reality is in Himself. Sri Rupa Gosvami says, purvokta-… saratah. In regard to these slokas Sripada Jiva Gosvami after mature deliberation has established the transcendental paramourship as vibhrama-vilasa, something seemingly different from what it appears to be; such are the pastimes of birth, etc., accomplished by Yogamaya.

By the explanation tathapi… vraja-vanitanam, Srila Jiva Gosvami has expressed his profound implication. Joyous pastimes by the medium of seeming error, vibhrama-vilasa, as the contrivance of Yogamaya, has also been admitted in the concluding statements of Rupa and Sanatana. Still, since Sripada Jiva Gosvami has established the identity of Goloka with Gokula, it must be admitted that there is transcendental reality underlying all the pastimes of Gokula. A husband is one who binds oneself in wedlock with a girl, while a paramour is one who, in order to win another’s wife’s love by means of love, crosses the conventions of morality. by the impulse of the sentiment that regards her love as the be-all and end-all of existence. In Goloka there is no such function at all as that of the nuptial relationship. Hence there is no husbandhood characterized by such connection. On the other hand since the gopis, who are self-supported real entities are not tied to anybody else in wedlock, they cannot also have the state of concubinage. There can also be no separate entities in the forms of svakiya (conjugal) and parakiya (adulterous) states. In the visible pastimes on the mundane plane the function in the form of the nuptial relationship is found to exist. Krsna is beyond the scope of that function. Hence the said function of the circle of all-love is contrived by Yogamaya. Krsna tastes the transcendental rasa akin to paramourship by overstepping that function. This pastime of going beyond the pale of the apparent moral function manifested by Yogamaya, is, however, also observable only on the mundane plane by the eye that is enwrapped by the mundane covering; but there is really no such levity in the pastimes of Krsna. The rasa of paramourship is certainly the extracted essence of all the rasas. If it be said that it does not exist in Goloka, it would be highly deprecatory to Goloka. It is not the fact that there is no supremely wholesome tasting of rasa in the supremely excellent realm of Goloka. Krsna, the fountainhead of all avataras. tastes the same in a distinct form in Goloka and in another distinct form in Gokula. Therefore, in spite of the seeming appearance, to the mundane eye, of outstepping the bounds of the legitimate function by the form of paramourship, there must be present the truth of it in some form even in Goloka. Atmaramo ’py ariramat, atmany avaruddha-sauratah, reme vraja-sundaribhir yatharbhakah pratibimba-vibhramah and other texts of the scriptures go to show that self-delightedness is the essential distinctive quality of Krsna Himself. Krsna in His majestic cit realm causes the manifestation of His own cit potency as Laksmi and enjoys her as His own wedded consort. As this feeling of wedded consorthood preponderates there, rasa expands in a wholesome form only up to the state of servanthood (dasya-rasa). But in Goloka He divides up His cit potency into thousands of gopis and eternally engages in amorous pastimes with them by forgetting the sentiments of ownership. By the sentiments of ownership there cannot be the extreme inaccessibility of the rasa. So the gopis have naturally. from eternity. the innate sentiment of being others’ wedded wives. Krsna too in response to that sentiment, by assuming the reciprocal sentiment of paramourship, performs the rasa and the other amorous pastimes with the aid of the flute, His favorite cher ami. Goloka is the transcendental seat of eternally self-realized rasa, beyond limited conception. Hence in Goloka there is realization of the sentimental assumption of the rasa of paramourship.

Again such is the nature of the principle of the majesty that in the realm of Vaikuntha there is no rasa of parental affection towards the source of all avataras. But in Goloka, the seat of all superexcellent deliciousness, there is no more than the original sentimental egoistic assumption of the same rasa. There Nanda and Yasoda are visibly present, but there is no occurrence of birth. For want of the occurrence of birth the assumed egoistic sentiment of parental affection of Nanda and Yasoda has no foundation in the actual existence of such entities as father and mother, but it is of the nature of sentimental assumption on their parts, cf. jayati jana-nivaso devaki-janma-vadah, etc. For the purpose of the realization of the rasa the assumed egoistic sentiment is, however, eternal. In the rasa of amorous love if the corresponding egoistic sentiments of concubinage and paramourship be mere eternal assumptions there is nothing to blame in them and it also does not go against the scriptures. When those transcendental entities of Goloka becomes manifest in Vraja then those two egoistic sentiments become somewhat more palpable to the mundane view in the phenomenal world and there comes to be this much difference only. In the rasa of parental affection the sentiments of Nanda and Yasoda that they are parents becomes manifest in the more tangible form in the pastimes of birth etc., and in the amorous rasa the corresponding sentiments of concubinage in the respective gopis become manifest in the forms of their marriages with Abhimanyu, Govardhana, etc. In reality there is no such separate entity as husbandhood of the gopis either in Goloka or in Gokula. Hence the sastras declare that there is no sexual union of the gopis with their husbands. It is also for the same reason that the authorized teacher of the principle of rasa, Sri Rupa, writes that in the transcendental amorous rasa the hero is of two different types, viz., the wedded husband and the paramour—patis copapatis ceti prabhedav iha visrutav iti. Sri Jiva, in his commentary by his words patih pura-vanitanam dvitiyo vraja-vanitanam, acknowledges the eternal paramourship of Krsna in Goloka and Gokula and the husbandhood of Krsna in Vaikuntha and Dvaraka etc. In the Lord of Goloka and the Lord of Gokula the character of paramourship is found in its complete form. Krsna’s deliberate overstepping of His own quality of self-delightedness is caused by the desire of union with another’s wedded wife. The state of being another’s wedded wife is nothing but the corresponding assumed sentiment on the part of the gopis. In reality they have no husbands with independent and separate existence; still their very egoistic sentiment makes them have the nature of the wedded wives of others. So all the characteristics, viz., that “desire makes the paramour overstep the bounds of duty.” etc., are eternally present in the seat of all “deliciousness.” In Vraja that very thing reveals itself, to an extent, in a form more tangible to persons with mundane eyes.

So in Goloka there is inconceivable distinction and nondistinction between the rasas analogous to mundane concubineship and wifehood. It may be said with equal truth that there is no distinction in Goloka between the two as also that there is such distinction. The essence of paramourship is the cessation of ownership and the abeyance of ownership is the enjoyment of His own cit potency in the shape of abeyance of paramourship or enjoyment without the sanction of wedlock. The conjunction of the two exists there as one rasa accommodating both varieties. In Gokula it is really the same with the difference that it produces a different impression on observers belonging to the mundane plane. In Govinda, the hero of Goloka, there exist both husbandhood and paramourship above all piety and impiety and free from all grossness. Such is also the case with the hero of Gokula although there is a distinction in realization caused by Yogamaya. If it be urged that what is manifested by Yogamaya is the highest truth being the creation of the cit potency and that, therefore, the impression of paramourship is also really true, the reply is that there may exist an impression of analogous sentimental egoism in the tasting of rasa free from any offense because it is not without a basis in truth. But the unwholesome impression that is produced in the mundane judgment is offensive and as such cannot exist in the pure cit realm. In fact Sripada Jiva Gosvami has come to the true conclusion, and at the same time the finding of the opposing party is also inconceivably true. It is the vain empirical wranglings about wedded wifehood and concubinage which is false and full of specious verbosity. He who goes through the commentaries of Sripada Jiva Gosvami and those of the opposing party with an impartial judgment cannot maintain his attitude of protest engendered by any real doubt. What the unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Lord says is all true and is independent of any consideration of unwholesome pros and cons. There is, however, the element of mystery in their verbal controversies. Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff, being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees, due to their own want of unalloyed devotion, are apt to impute to the devotees their own defects of partisanship and opposing views. Commenting on the sloka of Rasa-pancadhyayi, gopinam tat-patinam ca, etc., what Sripada Sanatana Gosvami has stated conclusively in his Vaisnava-tosani has been accepted with reverence by the true devotee Sripada Visvanatha Cakravarti without any protest.

Whenever any dispute arises regarding the pure cognitive pastimes, such as Goloka, etc., we would do well to remember the precious advice from the holy lips of Sriman Mahaprabhu and His associates, the Gosvamis, viz., that the Truth Absolute is ever characterized by spiritual variegatedness that transcends the variegatedness of mundane phenomena; but He is never featureless. The divine rasa is lovely with the variegatedness of the fourfold distinction of vibhava, anubhava, sattvika and vyabhicari and the rasa is ever present in Goloka and Vaikuntha. The rasa of Goloka manifests as vraja-rasa on the mundane plane for the benefit of the devotees by the power of Yogamaya. Whatever is observable in gokula-rasa should be visible in goloka-rasa, in a clearly explicit form. Hence the distinction of paramourship and concubinage, the variegatedness of the respective rasas of all different persons, the soil, water, river, hill, portico, bower, cows, etc., all the features of Gokula exist in Goloka, disposed in an appropriate manner. There is only this peculiarity that the mundane conceptions of human beings possessed of material judgment, regarding those transcendental entities, do not exist there. The conception of Goloka manifests itself differently in proportion to the degree of realization of the various pastimes of Vraja and it is very difficult to lay down any definite criterion as to which portions are mundane and which are uncontaminated. The more the eye of devotion is tinged with the salve of love, the more will the transcendental concept gradually manifest itself. So there is no need of further hypothetical speculation which does not improve one’s spiritual appreciation, as the substantive knowledge of Goloka is an inconceivable entity. To try to pursue the inconceivable by the conceptual process is like pounding the empty husk of grain, which is sure to have a fruitless ending. It is, therefore, one’s bounden duty. by refraining from the endeavor to know, to try to gain the experience of the transcendental by the practice of pure devotion. Any course, the adoption of which tends to produce the impression of featurelessness, must be shunned by all means. Unalloyed parakiya-rasa free from all mundane conception is a most rare attainment. It is this which has been described in the narrative of the pastimes of Gokula. Those devotees, who follow the dictate of their pure spontaneous love, should base their devotional endeavors on that narrative. They will attain to the more wholesome fundamental principle on reaching the stage of realization. The devotional activities characterized by illicit amour, as practiced by worldly-minded conditioned souls, are forbidden mundane impiety. The heart of our apostle Sripada Jiva Gosvami was very much moved by such practices and induced him to give us his conclusive statements on the subject. It is the duty of a pure Vaisnava to accept the real spirit of his statements. It is a great offense to disrespect the acarya and to seek to establish a different doctrine in opposition to him.

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