Madhya8.62

TEXT 62

ājñāyaivaṁ guṇān doṣān

mayādiṣṭān api svakān

dharmān saṁtyajya yaḥ sarvān

māṁ bhajet sa ca sattamaḥ

SYNONYMS

ājñāya—knowing perfectly; evam—thus; guṇān—qualities; doṣān—faults; mayā—by Me; ādiṣṭān—instructed; api—although; svakān—own; dharmān—occupational duties; saṁtyajya—giving up; yaḥ—anyone who; sarvān—all; mām—unto Me; bhajet—may render service; saḥ—he; ca—and; sattamaḥ—a first-class person.

TRANSLATION

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, " ’Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is considered a first-class man.’

Madhya8.63

TEXT 63

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

SYNONYMS

sarva-dharmān—all kinds of occupational duties; parityajya—giving up; mām ekam—unto Me only; śaraṇam—as shelter; vraja—go; aham—I; tvām—unto you; sarva-pāpebhyaḥ—from all the reactions of sinful life; mokṣayiṣyāmi—will give liberation; mā—don’t; śucaḥ—worry.

TRANSLATION

Madhya8.64

TEXT 64

prabhu kahe,--“eho bāhya, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe,--“jñāna-miśrā bhakti--sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho—this; bāhya—external; āge—ahead; kaha—say; āra—more; rāya kahe—Rāya replied; jñāna-miśrā bhakti—devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge; sādhya-sāra—is the essence of perfection.

TRANSLATION

After hearing Rāmānanda Rāya speak in this way, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again rejected his statement and said, “Go ahead and say something more.” Rāmānanda Rāya then replied, “Devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

PURPORT

Madhya8.65

TEXT 65

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

SYNONYMS

brahma-bhūtaḥ—freed from material conceptions of life but attached to an impersonal situation; prasanna-ātmā—fully joyful; na śocati—he does not lament; na kāṅkṣati—he does not hanker; samaḥ—equally disposed; sarveṣu—all; bhūteṣu—to the living entities; mat-bhaktim—My devotional service; labhate—achieves; parām—transcendental.

TRANSLATION

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, “According to the Bhagavad-gītā, ’One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.’ ”

PURPORT

Madhya8.66

TEXT 66

prabhu kahe,--“eho bāhya, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe,--“jñāna-śūnyā bhakti--sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho—this; bāhya—external; āge—ahead; kaha—speak; āra—further; rāya kahe—Rāmānanda Rāya replied; jñāna-śūnyā bhakti—devotional service independent of logic and empiric philosophy; sādhya-sāra—the essence of the perfection of life.

TRANSLATION

After hearing this, the Lord, as usual, rejected it, considering it to be external devotional service. He again asked Rāmānanda Rāya to speak further, and Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “Pure devotional service without any touch of speculative knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in his Anubhāṣya commentary says that this stage-devotional service mixed with speculative knowledge-is also external and not within the jurisdiction of pure devotional service as practiced in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. As soon as there is some conception of materialistic thought-be it positive or negative-the service is not spiritual. It may be free from material contamination, but because there is mental speculation the devotional service is not pure and freed from the contamination of material life. A living entity who wants to be completely pure must be above this material conception. The negation of material existence does not necessarily mean spiritual existence. After material existence is negated, spiritual existence-namely sac-cid-ānanda-still may not be manifest. Until one comes to the stage of actually understanding one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, he cannot enter into spiritual life. Spiritual life means becoming detached from material life and engaging in the loving service of the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore asked Rāmānanda Rāya to explain something transcendental to devotional service mixed with speculative knowledge. A pure devotee is completely surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, and only by his love does he conquer Kṛṣṇa, who cannot be conquered by anyone. Kṛṣṇa always stands victorious over everything. No one can conquer Him. One can attain the stage of pure devotion simply by fully surrendering. This is next corroborated by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.3), wherein Lord Brahmā, defeated by the potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, fully surrendered unto the Lord.

Madhya8.67

TEXT 67

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām

SYNONYMS

jñāne—in gaining knowledge; prayāsam—unnecessary endeavor; udapāsya—setting far aside; namantaḥ—completely surrendering; eva—certainly; jīvanti—live; sat-mukharitām—declared by great realized devotees; bhavadīya-vārtām—discussions about You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sthāne sthitāḥ—situated in their own positions; śruti-gatām—received aurally; tanu-vāk-manobhiḥ—by the body, words and mind; ye—those who; prāyaśaḥ—almost always; ajita—O my unconquerable Lord (beyond perception and unlimitedly independent); jitaḥ—conquered; api—indeed; asi—You are; taiḥ—by such pure devotees; tri-lokyām—within the three worlds.

TRANSLATION

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, “Lord Brahmā said, ’My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form, pastimes and qualities. They should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and animal slaughter. Surrendering themselves fully with body, words and mind, they can live in any āśrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such persons, although You are always unconquerable.’ ”

Madhya8.68

TEXT 68

prabhu kahe,--“eho haya, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe, “prema-bhakti--sarva-sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho haya—this is all right; āge kaha āra—speak something more; rāya kahe—Rāya replied; prema-bhakti—ecstatic love in devotional service to the Lord; sarva-sādhya-sāra—the essence of all perfection.

TRANSLATION

At this point, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “This is all right, but still you can speak more on the subject.” Rāmānanda Rāya then replied, “Ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection.”

PURPORT

In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya says that after hearing Rāmānanda Rāya, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho haya, āge kaha āra. This means that this is the process accepted in devotional service, but there is something more than this. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested him to explain what was beyond. Simply executing the duties of all varṇas and āśramas is not as good as offering all the results of one’s activities to the Lord. When one gives up all fruitive activity and fully surrenders to the Lord, he attains sva-dharma-tyāga, wherein he abandons the social order and takes to the renounced order. That is certainly better. However, better than the renounced order is cultivation of knowledge mixed with devotional service. Yet all these activities are external to the activities of the spiritual world. There is no touch of pure devotional service in them. Pure devotional service cannot be attained by empiric philosophy, nor can perfection be attained simply by good association. Devotional service by self-realization is a different subject matter. It is untouched by fruitive activity, for one surrenders the results of activities to the Lord, abandons prescribed duties and accepts the renounced order of life. Such devotional service is situated on a higher platform than that of empiric philosophical speculation with a mixture of bhakti. This is verified by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11):

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”

Devotional activities, however, sometimes appear to be impure in the neophyte stage, but in the mature stage they are completely pure, or free from material activity. Therefore Rāmānanda Rāya replied after hearing the last statement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: prema-bhakti-sarva-sādhya-sāra. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually accepted this verse (jñāne prayāsam) as the basic principle of perfection. One has to practice this principle in order to make further progress. When further progress is actually made, one comes to the platform of ecstatic loving service to the Lord. This first stage is technically called sādhana-bhakti, or devotional service in practice. The result of sādhana-bhakti must be ecstatic love, attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is also called prema-bhakti. In the neophyte stage, sādhana-bhakti includes faith, association with devotees, and practicing devotional service. Thus one is freed from all unwanted things. One then becomes fixed in devotional service and increases his desire to act in devotional service. Thus one becomes attached to the Lord and His devotional service.

Madhya8.69

TEXT 69

nānopacāra-kṛta-pūjanam ārta-bandhoḥ

premṇaiva bhakta-hṛdayaṁ sukha-vidrutaṁ syāt

yāvat kṣud asti jaṭhare jaraṭhā pipāsā

tāvat sukhāya bhavato nanu bhakṣya-peye

SYNONYMS

nānā-upacāra—by varieties of offerings; kṛta—performed; pūjanam—worshiping; ārta-bandhoḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the friend of all distressed persons; premṇā—by ecstatic love; eva—indeed; bhakta-hṛdayam—the heart of a devotee; sukha-vidrutam—melted in transcendental bliss; syāt—becomes; yāvat—as long as; kṣut—appetite; asti—there is; jaṭhare—in the stomach; jaraṭhā—strong; pipāsā—thirst; tāvat—so long; sukhāya—for happiness; bhavataḥ—are; nanu—indeed; bhakṣya—eatables; peye—and drinkables.

TRANSLATION

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, " ’As long as there is hunger and thirst within the stomach, varieties of food and drink make one feel very happy. Similarly, when the Lord is worshiped with pure love, the various activities performed in the course of that worship awaken transcendental bliss in the heart of the devotee.’

Madhya8.70

TEXT 70

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ

krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate

tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ

janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate

SYNONYMS

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā—absorbed in the mellows of executing devotional service to Kṛṣṇa; matiḥ—intelligence; krīyatām—let it be purchased; yadi—if; kutaḥ api—somewhere; labhyate—is available; tatra—there; laulyam—greed; api—indeed; mūlyam—price; ekalam—only; janma-koṭi—of millions of births; sukṛtaiḥ—by pious activities; na—not; labhyate—is obtained.

TRANSLATION

“ ’Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price-that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.’ ”

PURPORT

The previous two verses are included in the Padyāvalī (13, 14), an anthology compiled by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Verse 69 refers to devotional service in faith, and verse 70 refers to devotional service rendered out of intense greed. The first is devotional service rendered in accordance with the regulative principles, and the second refers to spontaneous loving service of the Lord without extraneous endeavor. Henceforward the basic principle underlying the talks between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya will be spontaneous loving service to the Lord. The regulative principles according to the injunctions of the śāstras are necessary insofar as one’s original dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not spontaneously awakened. An example of spontaneous action is the flowing of rivers into the ocean. Nothing can stop this flow of water. Similarly, when one’s dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened, it spontaneously flows to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa without impediment. Whatever will be spoken henceforth by Rāmānanda Rāya based on spontaneous love will be agreeable to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord will ask him more and more about this subject.

Madhya8.71

TEXT 71

prabhu kahe, “eho haya, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe, “dāsya-prema--sarva-sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho haya—this is all right; āge kaha āra—please speak more; rāya kahe—Rāmānanda Rāya replied; dāsya-prema—spontaneous love in the humor of servitude; sarva-sādhya-sāra—the essence of perfection.

TRANSLATION

Hearing up to the point of spontaneous love, the Lord said, “This is all right, but if you know more, please tell Me.” In reply, Rāmānanda Rāya said, "Spontaneous loving service in servitude-as exchanged by master and servant-is the highest perfection.

PURPORT

Spontaneous loving service to the Lord is called devotional service with an intimate attachment between the servitor and the served. This intimacy is called mamatā. Between the servitor and the served there is a feeling of oneness. This mamatā begins with dāsya-prema, service rendered to the master by the servant. Unless there is such a relationship, the loving affairs between the Lord and His devotee are not actually fixed. When the devotee feels “The Lord is my master” and renders service unto Him, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened. This fixed consciousness is on a higher platform than simple cognizance of love of Godhead.

Madhya8.72

TEXT 72

yan-nāma-śruti-mātreṇa

pumān bhavati nirmalaḥ

tasya tīrtha-padaḥ kiṁ vā

dāsānām avaśiṣyate

SYNONYMS

yat—of whom; nāma—of the name; śruti-mātreṇa—simply by hearing; pumān—a person; bhavati—becomes; nirmalaḥ—pure; tasya—of Him; tīrtha-padaḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose lotus feet are all places of pilgrimage; kim—what; vā—more; dāsānām—of the servants; avaśiṣyate—is remaining.

TRANSLATION

" ’A man becomes purified simply by hearing the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet create the holy places of pilgrimage. Therefore what remains to be attained by those who have become His servants?’

PURPORT

Madhya8.73

TEXT 73

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ

praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ

kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ

praharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitam

SYNONYMS

bhavantam—You; eva—certainly; anucaran—serving; nirantaraḥ—always; praśānta—pacified; niḥśeṣa—all; manaḥ-ratha—desires; antaraḥ—other; kadā—when; aham—I; aikāntika—exclusive; nitya—eternal; kiṅkaraḥ—servant; praharṣayiṣyāmi—I shall become joyful; sa-nātha—with a fitting master; jīvitam—living.

TRANSLATION

“ ’By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a perfect master?’ ”

PURPORT

This is a statement made by the great saintly devotee Yāmunācārya in his Stotra-ratna (43).

Madhya8.74

TEXT 74

prabhu kahe, “eho haya, kichu āge āra”

rāya kahe, “sakhya-prema--sarva-sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho haya—this is also right; kichu—something; āge—ahead; āra—more; rāya kahe—Rāmānanda Rāya replied; sakhya-prema—transcendental loving service in fraternity; sarva-sādhya-sāra—the highest perfectional stage.

TRANSLATION

Hearing this from Rāmānanda Rāya, the Lord again requested him to go a step further. In reply, Rāmānanda Rāya said, "Loving service to Kṛṣṇa rendered in fraternity is the highest perfection.

PURPORT

As long as loving service is rendered to the Lord in the master-servant relationship, there is some fear, for the servant is always afraid of the master, despite the intimacy of self-interest. In this stage the servant is always afraid of the master and respectful of Him. When the devotee is further advanced, he has nothing to fear. He considers the Lord and himself on an equal level. At such a time, the devotee is fully convinced that Lord Kṛṣṇa is a friend and cannot at all be dissatisfied if the devotee lives with Him on an equal level. This understanding is called viśrambha, that is, devoid of a respectful attitude. When this attitude is chosen, it becomes sakhya-prema, or love of Godhead in friendship. On this stage there is developed consciousness of equality between the Lord and the devotee.

Madhya8.75

TEXT 75

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ 

SYNONYMS

ittham—in this way; satām—of persons who prefer the impersonal feature of the Lord; brahma—of the impersonal effulgence; sukha—by the happiness; anubhūtyā—who is realized; dāsyam—the mode of servitude; gatānām—of those who have accepted; para-daivatena—who is the supreme worshipable Deity; māyā-āśritānām—for ordinary persons under the clutches the of external energy; nara-dārakeṇa—with Him, who is like a boy of this material world; sākam—in friendship; vijahruḥ—played; kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ—those who have accumulated volumes of pious activities.

TRANSLATION

“ ’Neither those who are engaged in self-realization, appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, nor those engaged in devotional service while accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master, nor those who are under the clutches of Māyā, thinking the Lord an ordinary person, can understand that certain exalted personalities-after accumulating volumes of pious activities-are now playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys.’ ”

PURPORT

This is a statement made by Śukadeva Gosvāmī (Bhāg. 10.12.11), who appreciated the good fortune of the cowherd boys who played with Kṛṣṇa and ate with Him on the banks of the Yamunā.

Madhya8.76

TEXT 76

prabhu kahe,--“eho uttama, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe, “vātsalya-prema--sarva-sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord said; eho uttama—it is very good; āge—still further; kaha—speak; āra—more; rāya kahe—Rāya replied; vātsalya-prema—loving service to the Lord in the stage of paternal love; sarva-sādhya-sāra—the highest perfectional stage.

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “This statement is very good, but please proceed even further.” Rāmānanda Rāya then replied, “Loving service to the Lord in the parental relationship is the highest perfectional stage.”

PURPORT

The stage of loving service to the Lord in paternal affection is an advanced stage of love in fraternity. In the fraternal relationship there is a sense of equality, but when that sense of equality is advanced in affection, one attains the platform of parental love. In this connection, the following verse is cited from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.46), wherein Śukadeva Gosvāmī voices his appreciation of Nanda Mahārāja’s and mother Yaśodā’s intense love for Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya8.77

TEXT 77

nandaḥ kim akarod brahman

śreya evaṁ mahodayam

yaśodā vā mahā-bhāgā

papau yasyāḥ stanaṁ hariḥ

SYNONYMS

nandaḥ—Nanda Mahārāja; kim—what; akarot—has performed; brahman—O brāhmaṇa; śreyaḥ—auspicious activities; evam—thus; mahā-udayam—rising to such an exalted position as the father of Kṛṣṇa; yaśodā—mother Yaśodā; vā—or; mahā-bhāgā—most fortunate; papau—drank; yasyāḥ—of whom; stanam—by the breasts; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, “ ’O brāhmaṇa, what pious activities did Nanda Mahārāja perform by which he received the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa as his son, and what pious activities did mother Yaśodā perform that made the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa call her ”mother" and suck her breasts?’

Madhya8.78

TEXT 78

nemaṁ viriñco na bhavo

na śrīr apy aṅga-saṁśrayā

prasādaṁ lebhire gopī

yat tat prāpa vimukti-dāt

SYNONYMS

na—not; imam—this (love of Godhead); viriñcaḥ—Lord Brahmā; na—not; bhavaḥ—Lord Śiva; na—nor; śrīḥ—the goddess of fortune; api—even; aṅga—on the chest of Viṣṇu; saṁśrayā—who is sheltered; prasādam—favor; lebhire—have obtained; gopī—mother Yaśodā; yat—which; tat—that; prāpa—obtained; vimukti-dāt—from the person who gives liberation.

TRANSLATION

“ ’The favor mother Yaśodā obtained from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the bestower of liberation, was never obtained even by Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva, nor even by the goddess of fortune, who always remains on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu.’ ”

PURPORT

This is a statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.20). Kṛṣṇa agreed to be bound by mother Yaśodā after she had given up trying to bind Kṛṣṇa with ropes. This is another appreciation made by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in his narration of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa before Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

Madhya8.79

TEXT 79

prabhu kahe, “eho uttama, āge kaha āra”

rāya kahe, “kāntā-prema sarva-sādhya-sāra”

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord replied; eho uttama—this is very good; āge—ahead; kaha—speak; āra—more; rāya kahe—Rāmānanda Rāya replied; kāntā-prema—loving service between husband and wife; sarva-sādhya-sāra—the highest perfectional stage.

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Your statements are certainly getting better and better one after the other, but surpassing all of them is another transcendental mellow, and you can speak of that as the most sublime.” Rāmānanda Rāya then replied, "Conjugal attachment for Kṛṣṇa is the topmost position in love of Godhead.

PURPORT

In general, love of Godhead is devoid of the intimacy of ownership. In the case of love in servitude, there is a want of confidence. There is a want of increased affection in the fraternal relationship, but when this affection increases in the paternal relationship, there is nonetheless a want of complete freedom. However, when one becomes a conjugal lover of Kṛṣṇa, everything lacking in the other relationships is completely manifest. Love of Godhead lacks nothing in the conjugal stage. The summary of this verse is that paternal love of Godhead is certainly higher than fraternal love and that conjugal love is higher yet. It was when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Rāmānanda Rāya to go further that he came to the point of the conjugal relationship, which is the highest perfectional stage of transcendental love.

Madhya8.80

TEXT 80

nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ

svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ

rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha-

labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām

SYNONYMS

na—not; ayam—this; śriyaḥ—of the goddess of fortune; aṅge—on the chest; u—alas; nitānta-rateḥ—who is very intimately related; prasādaḥ—the favor; svaḥ—of the heavenly planets; yoṣitām—of women; nalina—of the lotus flower; gandha—having the aroma; rucām—and bodily luster; kutaḥ—much less; anyāḥ—others; rāsa-utsave—in the festival of the rāsa dance; asya—of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhuja-daṇḍa—by the arms; gṛhīta—embraced; kaṇṭha—their necks; labdha-āśiṣām—who achieved such a blessing; yaḥ—which; udagāt—became manifest; vraja-sundarīṇām—of the beautiful gopīs, the transcendental girls of Vrajabhūmi.

TRANSLATION

" ’When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, He put His arms around their necks and embraced them. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?’

PURPORT

This verse (Bhāg. 10.47.60) was spoken by Uddhava when he visited Śrī Vṛndāvana to deliver a message from Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs. Uddhava remained in Vṛndāvana to observe the movements of the gopīs there. When he saw the ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa in separation manifested by the gopīs, he appreciated their supreme love and therefore expressed his feelings in this verse. He admitted that the fortune of the gopīs could not be compared even to the fortune of the goddess of fortune, to say nothing of the beautiful girls in the heavenly planets.

Madhya8.81

TEXT 81

tāsām āvirabhūc chauriḥ

smayamāna-mukhāmbujaḥ

pītāmbara-dharaḥ sragvī

sākṣān manmatha-manmathaḥ

SYNONYMS

tāsām—among them; āvirabhūt—appeared; śauriḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa; smayamāna—smiling; mukha-ambujaḥ—with a face like a lotus flower; pīta-ambara-dharaḥ—wearing yellow garments; sragvī—garlanded with flowers; sākṣāt—directly; manmatha—of Cupid; manmathaḥ—the bewilderer.

TRANSLATION

" ’Suddenly, due to the their feelings of separation, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared among the gopīs dressed in yellow garments and wearing a flower garland. His lotus face was smiling, and He was directly attracting the mind of Cupid.’

PURPORT

This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.32.2). When the rāsa dance was going on, Kṛṣṇa suddenly disappeared, and the gopīs became so overwhelmed, due to His separation and their intense love for Him, that Kṛṣṇa was obliged to appear again.

Madhya8.82

TEXT 82

kṛṣṇa-prāptira upāya bahu-vidha haya

kṛṣṇa-prāpti-tāratamya bahuta āchaya

SYNONYMS

kṛṣṇa-prāptira—of achieving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; upāya—means; bahu-vidha—various; haya—there are; kṛṣṇa-prāpti—of achieving the favor of Lord Kṛṣṇa; tāratamya—comparisons; bahuta—various; āchaya—there are.

TRANSLATION

"There are various means and processes by which one may attain the favor of Lord Kṛṣṇa. All those transcendental processes will be studied from the viewpoint of comparative importance.

Madhya8.83

TEXT 83

kintu yāṅra yei rasa, sei sarvottama

taṭa-stha hañā vicārile, āche tara-tama

SYNONYMS

kintu—nevertheless; yāṅra—of some devotees; yei rasa—whatever the mellow of exchanges of love; sei—that; sarva-uttama—the best; taṭa-stha—neutral; hañā—being; vicārile—if considering; āche—there is; tara-tama—lower and higher levels.

TRANSLATION

"It is true that whatever relationship a particular devotee has with the Lord is the best for him; still, when we study all the different methods from a neutral position, we can understand that there are higher and lower degrees of love.

PURPORT

In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that this verse does not advocate the whimsical invention of some methods of love of Godhead. Such inventions cannot be accepted as topmost. Indeed, such concoctions are not recommended in these verses. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has said in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101):

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate

He clearly mentions in this verse that one must refer to the Vedic literature and other, supplementary literatures and follow the conclusion of the Vedas. An invented devotional attitude simply creates disturbances in the transcendental realm. If a person overly addicted to family life takes to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Kṛṣṇa consciousness to earn a livelihood, his activity is certainly offensive. One should not become a caste guru and sell mantras for the benefit of mundane customers, nor should one make disciples for a livelihood. All these activities are offensive. One should not make a livelihood by forming a professional band to carry out congregational chanting, nor should one perform devotional service when one is attached to mundane society, friendship and love. Nor should one be dependent on so-called social etiquette. All of this is mental speculation. None of these things can be compared to unalloyed devotional service. No one can compare unalloyed devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to mundane activities. There are many unauthorized parties pretending to belong to the Śrī Caitanya cult, and some are known as āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi, sakhībhekī, smārta, jāta-gosāñi, ativāḍi, cūḍādhārī and gaurāṅga-nāgari.

Moreover, there are those who take the caste gosvāmīs’ opinions of such parties as bona fide, comparing these opinions to those of the six Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana. This is simply another cheating process. There are also nondevotees who compose unauthorized songs, who establish different temples for money, who worship the Deity as priests for salaries, who accept caste brahmanism as all in all, and who do not know the value of a pure Vaiṣṇava. Actually the caste brāhmaṇas of the smārta community are opposed to the principles of the Sātvata-pañcarātra. Furthermore, there are many Māyāvādīs and those overly addicted to material sense enjoyment. None of these can be compared to a person who is purely engaged in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every Kṛṣṇa conscious person is constantly endeavoring to utilize different transcendental devices in the service of the Lord. Such a devotee renounces all material enjoyment and completely dedicates himself to the service of his spiritual master and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He may be a perfect celibate, a restrained householder, a regulated vānaprastha or a tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī in the renounced order. It doesn’t matter. The pseudo transcendentalists and the pure devotees cannot be compared, nor can one argue that a person can invent his own way of worship.

The purport in presenting this verse necessitates explaining the comparative positions of the transcendental mellows known as śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. All these rasas, or mellows, are situated on the transcendental platform. Pure devotees take shelter of one of them and thus progress in spiritual life. Actually one can take shelter of such spiritual mellows only when one is completely uncontaminated by material attachment. When one is completely free from material attachment, the feelings of the transcendental mellows are awakened in the heart of the devotee. That is svarūpa-siddhi, the perfection of

one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. Svarūpa-siddhi, the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, may be situated in one of the transcendental mellows. Each and every one of them is as perfect as the others. But by comparative study an unbiased person can realize that the mellow of servitorship is better than the mellow of neutrality. The mellow of fraternity is better than the mellow of servitorship. Similarly, the parental mellow is better than that of fraternity. Above all these mellows is the mellow of conjugal love. However, these are all spiritually situated on the same platform because all these relationships of perfection in love are based on a central point-Kṛṣṇa.

These mellows cannot be compared to the feelings one derives from demigod worship. Kṛṣṇa is one, but the demigods are different. They are material. Love for Kṛṣṇa cannot be compared to material love for different demigods. Because Māyāvādīs are on the material platform, they recommend the worship of Śiva or Durgā and say that worship of Kālī and Kṛṣṇa are the same. However, on the spiritual platform there is no demigod worship. The only worshipable object is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore although there is no difference between a devotee in śānta-rasa or dāsya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or mādhurya-rasa, one can still make a comparative study of the intensity of love in these different transcendental positions. For example, it may be said that dāsya-rasa is better than śānta-rasa, yet transcendental love of God is there in both of them. Similarly, we can judge that love of Godhead in fraternity is better than love of Godhead in neutrality and servitorship. Similarly, love of Godhead in paternal affection is better than love in fraternity. And, as stated before, love of God in the conjugal rasa is superior to that in the paternal rasa.

The analysis of different types of love of Godhead has been made by expert ācāryas who know all about devotional service on the transcendental platform. Unfortunately, inexperienced and unauthorized persons in the mundane world, not understanding the transcendental position of pure love, try to find some material fault in the transcendental process. This is simply impudence on the part of spiritually inexperienced people. Such faultfinding is symptomatic of unfortunate mundane wranglers.

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