17 November 1996
Kartik Masa
Audio link
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaḿ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ
sarvātma-snapanaḿ paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam
(Sri Siksastakam Verse 1)
[Glory to the sri-krsna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.]
I spoke about this verse on the previous day. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has not written any book except these eight verses. There are also certain verses that are said to be spoken by Him, but there is doubt about their authenticity. But these eight verses were definitely spoken by Him. These verses are not ordinary verses. They are more important than the Gita. These eight slokas are more important than the Vedas and Upanisads. The Vedas have come from Garbhodaksayi Visnu and other incarnations. But they haven’t come from Krsna directly. Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita directly to Arjuna. So, the Gita is very important.
But I think the instructions of the Gita were spoken by Dvarakadisa Krsna, who was sitting on the chariot of Arjuna. By speaking these instructions to Arjuna, He instructed all the conditioned souls. All His teachings are like priceless jewels. There is one instruction which is especially priceless:
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
(Bhagavad-gita 18.65)
[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]
There is also another verse:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]
These verses are the essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads. But these eight verses of Sri Siksastakam are the essence of the Gita and the Bhagavatam. Sambandha, abhideya and prayojana have been delineated in these eight verses. During His final pastimes, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was overcome by moods of separation. He would sink and float on the waves of the ocean because the ocean would remind Him of the river Yamuna. He would also be seen on Cataka-parvata (which reminded Him of Giriraja Govardhana), and inside the Jagannatha temple or the Jagannatha-vallabha vatika (the garden of Sri Jagannathadeva). Sometimes, the different parts of His body would be elongated and at other times, His limbs would contract like a tortoise. Such descriptions are not to be found in other scriptures. These descriptions embody the confidential moods of prema. These asta-sattvika bhavas (eightfold transformations of ecstasy) and vyabhicari-bhavas (transitory emotions) were never seen in anyone before. Even a scholar like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya could not understand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
He said, “I have read in books; but I have never seen the symptoms of asta-sattvika-bhavas and vyabhicari-bhavas in anyone in this world.”
All these symptoms have not been disclosed even in the Srimad Bhagavatam. I think that all these moods were in Srimati Radhikaji; that is why, Caitanya Mahaprabhu descended with Her moods. Only Sri Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda would console Mahaprabhu in the Gambhira when He would be experiencing these moods. They would console Him like how Lalita and Visakha would console Srimati Radhika. Once, Mahaprabhu was weeping bitterly and saying, “O Krsna! I cannot be saved! O Krsna! Come at once! Otherwise I will die!”
When He would be weeping all night, Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda would recite verses that would be helpful for these moods. Sri Govinda Prabhu (the personal servant of Mahaprabhu) would weep and think, “Why do these two persons come here and make Mahaprabhu weep so much? They should go at once.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would relish these verses of Rasa-pancadhyayi and He would also relish the songs of Candidasa, Vidyapati, Gita-govinda, and Jagannatha-vallabha nataka.
candidasa, vidyapati, rayera nataka-giti, karnamrta, sri-gita-govinda
svarupa-ramananda-sane, mahaprabhu ratri-dine, gaya, sune--parama ananda
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 2.77)
[He also passed His time reading the books and singing the songs of Candidasa and Vidyapati, and listening to quotations from the Jagannatha-vallabha-nataka, Krsna-karnamrta and Gita-govinda. Thus in the association of Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed His days and nights chanting and hearing with great pleasure.]
One day, Mahaprabhu was feeling so much separation. He repeatedly called out, “Ha Krsna! Where are You?”
Seeing Mahaprabhu weep so bitterly, Svarupa Damodara Prabhu said, “Krsna is there in Your heart. He cannot go out of Your heart.”
“Krsna is in My heart! I want to see Him now!” saying thus, Mahaprabhu began to tear open His chest with His nails. Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda immediately caught hold of Mahaprabhu’s hands and tried consoling Him. But they could not console Him. So, Mahaprabhu would relish these eight verses in their association. They would relish the different meanings of these verses, which consisted of sambandha-jnana and culminated in the attainment of prema.
āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ
(Sri Siksastakam 8)
[Let Kṛṣṇa tightly embrace this maidservant, who has fallen at His lotus feet. Let Him trample Me or break My heart by never being visible to Me. He is a debauchee, after all, and can do whatever He likes, but He is still no one other than the worshipable Lord of My heart.]
These verses are not ordinary—they embody the meeting and separation of Rasaraja Krsna and Mahabhava-svarupini Srimati Radhika. We should try to hear the explanations of these eight verses beginning with ‘ceto-darpana-marjanam’ and ending with ‘aslisya-va-pada-ratam’. All the moods of Srimati Radhika and the Gopis are present in these verses. So, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has added these eight verses at the end of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, and he has explained them. I want to explain these verses daily. But we are going here and there; we don’t have much time to explain these verses and I am also not qualified to explain these verses. These verses are the essence of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. They are the essence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes and teachings. Sri Svarupa Damodara has explained these verses in his diary, which he later entrusted to Srila Raghunatha Das Gosvami. Being inspired by these pastimes and teachings, Srila Kaviraja Gosvami then explained them in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written a commentary on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta called ‘Sanmodana-bhasya’ which was written to please (modana) those who are ‘sat’. Sat implies the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu like Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and our disciplic acaryas. We could not have known the intrinsic meanings of Siksastakam if there was no Sanmodana-bhasya. These explanations have not been given even in the Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad Bhagavatam, or even in the books of Sri Rupa Gosvami. Jiva-tattva has been reconciled in these explanations. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is also an eternal associate of Mahaprabhu; he is not of this material world. He is Kamala-manjari—one of the most beloved maidservants of Srimati Radhika. It has also been told that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is a manifestation of Sri Gadadhara Pandita:
namo bhaktivinodāya
sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya
rūpānuga-varāya te
[“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Srīla Rūpa Gosvami.”]
The conditioned living entities have come from tatastha-sakti (the marginal potency); they are not the inhabitants of Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikuntha. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has then quoted the following verse from Sri Jiva Gosvami’s Bhagavat-sandarbha:
ekam eva taṁ paramaṁ tattvaṁ svābhāvikācintya-śaktyā
sarvadaiva svarūpa-tad-rūpa-vaibhava-jīva-pradhāna-
rūpeṇa caturddhāvatiṣṭhate, sūryāntara-maṇḍala-stha-teja iva
maṇḍala-tad-bahirgata-raśmi-tat-praticchavi-raśmyādi-rūpeṇa
(Bhagavat-sandarbha 14)
[The Absolute Truth is one, and He is naturally endowed with inconceivable potency. By the power of this potency, He exists within four forms: svarupa (His original form), tad-rupa-vaibhava (all incarnations, beginning with Baladeva Prabhu), jiva (the living entity), and pradhana (the illusory energy). He is like the sun which also exists in four forms: its original form, the sun disc, its rays, and its reflected light which is compared to maya.]
Krsna is One without a second. Parama-tattva is one. Krsna is the possessor of inconceivable potencies—such as aghatana-ghatana patiyasi-sakti, that power which makes the impossible possible. He is not nirvisesa or nirakara; He is not negative. He is full of infinite potencies. But para-sakti is One, who manifests in innumerable ways (para-sakti-vividhaiva-sruyate). She is known according to Her functioning. Hladini-sakti, sandhini-sakti, samvit-sakti, cit-sakti, maya-sakti, jiva-sakti, krpa-sakti, aisvarya-sakti etc are some of Her manifestations.
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
(Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
[His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.]
Krsna has appeared in His selfsame form (svayam-rupa) in Vrndavana. He is the son of Yasoda and Nanda Baba. He is the beloved of all the Gopis; He is especially the beloved of Srimati Radhika. A peacock feather adorns His crest and He stands in His threefold bending form (tribhanga-lalita) while playing on His flute. He is dhira-lalita nayaka (dhira-lalita nayaka is that playful Person who can keep His lover always in subjugation by His different qualities). Dvarakadisa, Mathuresa, Baladeva Prabhu and all the other avataras are tad-rupa-vaibhava. They are One in tattva. All the living entities are simultaneously different and non-different from Krsna. Pradhana is the material energy (maya) from whom this material world has manifested. Thus, Krsna’s svarupa is like the sun and tad-rupa-vaibhava is like the sun disc. The living entities are like the particles in the rays of the sun while maya is the reflection.
The jivas are of two kinds—liberated and conditioned. The liberated souls are out of maya and they are always serving Krsna and His tad-rupa-vaibhava either in Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikuntha. The eternally liberated souls are manifestations of Baladeva Prabhu who have been eternally serving Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana. They can never be overcome by the illusory energy. They will only descend in the material world to assist Krsna in His pastimes. And they will return when Krsna will unmanifest Himself. Unlike conditioned souls, they are not controlled by maya. They will never return as conditioned souls. The servants of Vaikuntha and tad-rupa-vaibhava (expansions like Vamana, Trivikrama, and Narayana) are not conditioned souls. They cannot be controlled by maya. Only the living entities emanating from Karanabdhisayi Visnu are prone to be illusioned by maya. They are originally situated in the marginal line which serves as a demarcation between the spiritual and material world. They are manifestations of Krsna’s marginal potency (tatastha-sakti). We are among them.
The marginal living entities are also classified into two categories. Those who manifest from Karanabdhisayi Visnu will be empowered by para-sakti if they look towards Vaikuntha. In this way, they go to serve Krsna. But those living entities who look towards the illusory energy are charmed by her creation and we are among such conditioned living entities. Although we are conditioned living entities, we have a beautiful form characterized by qualities that enable us to serve Krsna. But our form and qualities have been covered by maya; they are not destroyed. By the causeless mercy of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas, we receive the seed of pure devotional service (bhakti-lata-bija). By continuously listening to harikatha and by engaging ourselves in nama-sankirtana and reading scriptures, two kinds of transcendental faith (paramarthika-sraddha) will imminently arise:
1) sastrartha avadharanamayi-sraddha - faith which brings about engagement in the path of bhakti inspired by the governing principles of scripture, and 2) bhagavat-lila-madhurya-lobhamayi-sraddha - faith which brings about engagement in bhakti due to intense longing, arisen out of some extreme good fortune by hearing the sweet pastimes of Krsna.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has clearly described these terms. Such descriptions are rarely found anywhere else. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has also described these terms in his Madhurya-kadambini in order to explain the teachings of Sri Rupa Gosvami. We cannot advance in bhakti without reading these books. Some people think that Madhurya-kadambini and Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu are rasa-sastras (scriptures delineating transcendental mellows of pure love); therefore, they do not even touch these books. What to speak of reading them? Our Guruvarga have manifested these books to give us a taste and greed for Krsna-bhakti. Therefore, we should study these books under the guidance of Vaisnavas. Or else, we will not be able to understand Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.
In any case, we cannot enter the realm of devotional service without sraddha. What is that sraddha?
‘śraddhā’-śabde — viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.62)
[Śraddhā is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Kṛṣṇa one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service.]
Guru should also be bonafide. Whatever he says should be true to the highest extent. We should have unflinching faith in the sastras, Hari, Guru and Vaisnava. We should know that whatever a bonafide Guru says is true to the highest extent. Whatever he says is not less than the Vedas, Upanisads and Srimad Bhagavatam. The teachings of the Vedic scriptures are the same as the teachings of Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas.
sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikyah
[One should accept as one’s guide the words of the sādhus, the śāstra and the guru.]
Although the words of the sastras are the same as the words of Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas—we will have to deeply think about certain aspects. If the Vedic scriptures speak of one subject and if Guru and Vaisnavas are speaking on the same subject, then we will have to give up the words of the sastras because we will be unable to understand the essence of the Vedas and the Upanisads. So, we should try to understand the Vedas and Upanisads by the help of Guru and Vaisnava. If sadhu, Vaisnavas and the scriptures speak of one subject and if Guru is speaking of another subject then we will have to decide whose words are true—even if it impels one to give up the words of his guru. Sadhu and the sastras are like Siksa-gurus. We should try to understand why our Gurudeva is speaking like this; we should ask him why his explanation seems to be different. It may also be that because he is an uttama-adhikara, we cannot understand him. Otherwise, he has not become a kanistha-adhikari yet; that is why, he is speaking such words.
So, we should try to understand these teachings. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura speaks on how sraddha is of two kinds. The first kind of sraddha is characterized by strong faith in the words of the sastras which state that we can never cross the ocean of birth, death, sorrows and sufferings without engaging ourselves in Krsna-bhajana. So, we must obey the sastras. They say that if you don’t do bhajana, you will have to suffer in hell for lakhs and lakhs of births. Sastra avaradharanamyi sraddha is characterized by the strong faith that you will have to follow the words of the sastras. Such sraddha gives vaidhi-bhakti. As a result of such faith, the sadhaka has the tendency to think, “I should try to do bhajana; otherwise, I will go to hell.”
Another kind of sraddha is had by the impressions from our previous lives. By such impressions, we can easily have the association of pure devotees. By listening to the nectarean explanations of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and Srimad Bhagavatam from bonafide, rasika, tattva-jna Vaisnavas, a greed to serve Krsna like the Vrajavasis is bound to come.
The devotee will then think, “I want to serve Krsna like the sakhas—like how Subala and Sridhama do.”
Those aspiring for dasya-bhava will think, “I want to serve Krsna like Citraka and Patraka.”
A devotee may also desire to serve Rama like how Hanumana does. A devotee may also desire to serve Krsna like how Rukmini and Satyabhama do. A devotee may also have greed to serve Krsna like how Nanda Baba and Mother Yasoda do. And sometimes, a devotee may think, “I want to serve Radha-Krsna Conjugal like how the Gopis do.”
This mood is better—but it is very rare. Even if the tendency to serve has come in our hearts has appeared (either from sastra-avadharanamayi sraddha or lobhamayi sraddha), if there is no association of a pure tattva-jna Vaisnava, this tendency will dry and we will become lifeless. Faith will go away. We should always listen to harikatha from Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas. By listening continuously, sraddha will appear and all the anarthas will go. We will then realize what anarthas and offenses are. We should be very careful to avoid them. The stages of nistha, ruci, asakti and bhava will then appear. Devotees situated in the stage of bhava (the preliminary stage of Krsna-prema) are very rare. Bilvamangala Thakura, Bharata Maharaja, and Ambarisa Maharaja had received bhava in their hearts. There are two kinds of bhava. The moods of Sri Krsna-karnamrta (written by Bilvamangala Thakura) and Sri Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (written by Sri Prabhodananda Sarasvati) are the same, but there is some specialty.
Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura was always inclined towards Srimati Radhika. He would always glorify Her.
yat-kiṅkarīṣu bahuśaḥ khalu kāku-vāṇī,
nityaṁ parasya puruṣasya śikhaṇḍa-mauleḥ
tasyāḥ kadā rasa-nidheḥ vṛṣabhānu-jāyās
tat-keli-kuñja-bhavanāṅgana-mārjanī syām
(Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi Verse 8)
[When will I become a sweeper in the forest courtyard where, surrounded by many maidservants, the peacock-feather-crowned Supreme Personality of Godhead speaks His appeal to the nectar ocean that is Shri Radha?]
He always sees that Krsna is always pleasing Srimati Radhika. On the other hand, Sri Bilvamangala Thakura sees that Srimati Radhika is always pleasing Sri Krsna. There is prominency of Krsna in his writings and not of Srimati Radhika. But there is prominency of Srimati Radhika in Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura’s writings. Since prema is the ultimate attainment, he is looking towards the prema of Srimati Radhika because Her prema is the most superior. We will find everything in Siksastakam. Now, we will do parikrama of Gahvarvana (in Varsana).
*Submitted by Govardhana dasa.
