Only one treasuse - the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued ....

[Patita Pavana das]

Svarupa Damodara and other associates are singing this kirtana, and Mahaprabhu is relishing it. Why? In this there is a very deep meaning. First of all, when the breeze from Malaya comes and touches the creepers on the trees, those creepers are infused with new life. So this is meeting. When lovers are meeting, new life comes in their hearts. The bheli and cameli flowers are blossoming, and by their fragrance, they are calling honeybees, who quickly come. They are attracted, and they are also meeting. Everywhere Radharani looks in the forest, She sees that all are meeting. “Everyone is meeting with their beloved except for Me.” And bumblebees are doing gunja-zzzzzz-blowing the conch of Kamadeva! Why? Because now Kamadeva’s festival is beginning so we have to blow the conchshell. And the cuckoos are singing. Why? Cuckoos begin to sing when they meet with their beloved object-amara manjari. The buds of the mango tree cause the cuckoos to sing, but when do these buds come on a mango tree? When the mango tree is being embraced by the madhavi vine. At that time the mango tree erupts in pulaka, like hairs standing on end, and becomes full of amra manjaris. This is called pukalita. It comes everywhere on the body of the mango tree because of the embrace of the madhavi vines.

So everywhere Radharani is looking and seeing, “Everyone is meeting together joyfully, except for Me. This is very hard to tolerate.”

The soft breeze coming from the Malayan Hills is very cool and fragrant due to the candana trees growing there. Picking up the fragrance of candana, the cooling breeze carries it across the land, and by the touch of lavanga-lata, it is said that the breeze becomes even softer, very very tender and affectionate. So here, the associates of Mahaprabhu headed by Svarupa Damodara are saying: komala malaya samire-it is very difficult to tolerate this soft Malayan breeze, because He is remembering-when does a cool breeze give pleasure? When you are hot. So, this is prema-tattva: when the body is very hot, the touch of the cool breeze is very pleasing. The remembrance of these things is breaking Radharani’s heart, causing Her to feel ever increasing separation and eagerness to meet with Krsna.

There is another point about the Malayan breeze. In the Malayan Hills, in the south of India, the candana trees grow and in the candana trees live very poisonous snakes. It is said that the Malayan breeze moves very slowly. Why? Because it has been bitten by the venom of those snakes. And now it is thinking, “What can I do?” So the breeze is moving slowly towards the North, towards the Himalayas, which are covered with snow. The snow melts, creating icy streams. So the Malayan breeze, burning with the poison from the snakes in the candana trees, is moving slowly towards his beloved, the Himalayas, where he will take a very cool bath and find happiness. So everywhere Srimati Radhika looks, all the objects of the forest are uddipana, stimulating the feeling of lovers meeting. Just as much as there is happiness in the meeting of the bumblebees with the flowers in the forest, as there is so much happiness in the meeting of the Malayan breeze with the lavanga-latas, just as there is so much happiness in the meeting between the cuckoos and the manjaris, and just as there is so much happiness in the meeting between lover and beloved, that much suffering is felt within Radhika’s heart at the time of separation when Radhika sees all these things.

Seeing the bumblebees move here and there from flower to flower, She is also remembering, “Yes, this is Krsna’s nature. What can I do? The bumblebee takes honey from one flower and goes to another and then another-always newer and newer flowers. This is Krsna’s nature. He is nava priya-always wants new lovers. So What can I do?”

The speciality of lavanga-lata is that when the breeze comes, it dances in a very graceful way. When lover and beloved meet together, their hearts are so overjoyed that they begin to dance. By the dancing of lavanga-lata from side to side, it is as if the lavanga-lata is protesting, “No, no, no!” But you know that “No, no, no!” means “Yes, yes, yes!” This is called vamya mood, vamyata (contrary mood). This also increases attachment between Radha and Krsna. Seeing that the breeze is playing with the lata and they are dancing together, and the lata is saying “No, no, no!”, many pastimes are coming in Radhika’s mind. This causes Her separation to increase more and more. Her sakhi is telling Her, “O Radhika, You know, when springtime comes, no one can resist it. Everyone wants to take part in loving pastimes. Who can check themselves? Even acetana, those things which are unconscious, if even unconscious objects like creepers and flowers cannot check themselves without playing loving games with their beloveds, then how can those who are conscious remain without playing loving games in springtime? How is it possible!”

Lalita sakhi says, “Don’t you know that the fragrance of madhavi and bheli is so sweet that even the sages who go to the forest to do meditation are affected! Their minds are steady and undisturbed by anything, but when springtime comes and the fragrance of madhavi goes into their nostrils, even they become agitated; they undergo kama-vikara in their hearts. If even the sages who do very severe austerities cannot check this kama-vikara from coming in the heart, then what chance do we gopis have? We have no chance at all.”

In this way, Svarupa Damodara is chanting this verse, Lalita lavanga lata parisilana. This is causing vipralambha srngara rasa pusti-the nourishment of srngara-rasa for Mahaprabhu, but in separation mood.

Then, Svarupa Damodara and other devotees sang:

unmada madana manoratha pathika madhu jana janita vilape

ali kula sankula kusuma samuha nirakula bakula kulape

Radharani’s friends are telling Her, “O my dear sakhi! Hey Radhe! This springtime is very very troublesome for virahi jana, lonely persons. Why? First of all, this springtime inspires amorous feelings in the heart of everyone. Don’t you know that the lonely wives of travelers who have gone to a very far-away country are so much oppressed by the inspiration of springtime. They want to be reunited with their husbands in a solitary place. But now they are helpless and can’t do anything. Only they are crying throughout the night. And Kamadeva incessantly assaults them inside, in their thoughts and feelings, and also outside, in the form of the spring season. How? Because, ali kula sankula kusuma samuha nirakula bakula kulape-the bakula trees are loaded with flowers who are calling the bumblebees. The bumblebees are running there, unable to suppress their joy; they express their anticipation of meeting with the object of their love by humming. This humming goes in the ears of those who are lonely and it begins to burn their hearts. Meanwhile, while all this is going on, what happened? Krsna is just over there and:

viharati harir iha sarasa vasante

nrtyati yuvati janena samam sakhi virahi janasya durante

“O my dear sakhi! While Krsna is over there and dancing and enjoying with other gopis, and all the springtime forest is torturing me, how can I hold my patience? It is quite impossible!” Then Radhika’s friend is telling: mrgamada saurabha rabhasa vasamvada navadala mala tamale. Can you see that the tamala trees in the forest are adorned with new leaves. Have you seen the leaves of the tamala tree? The leaves of the tamala tree are soft like velvet. And from these leaves, a fragrance comes which is just like kasturi. The fragrance of kasturi, which is the embodiment of srngara-rasa, is spreading everywhere, coming from the new leaves on the tamala tree. The significance is that Krsna’s bodily fragrance is also like kasturi, and His fragrance is going everywhere.

Svarupa Damodara and his associates are singing to Caitanya Mahaprabhu: Nakha ruci kimsuka jale. There is one kind of flower, and it is also growing in Jagannatha-Vallabha Vatika, called kimsuka, or palasa flower. This palasa flower is red, and when Radhika in separation sees the red palasa flower, She thinks, “These are the special weapons of Nakharaja Rasaraja (Kamadeva). Nakharaja has very special weapons-red fingernails, for marking the chest of one’s beloved. So upon seeing the palasa flowers which are like the special weapons-the reddish fingernails in the amory in the arsenal of Nakharaja-this causes intolerable pain. And if that is not bad enough, on top of that:

viharati harir iha sarasa vasante

nrtyati yuvati janena samam sakhi virahi janasya durante

Just close by, Krsna is sporting with so many other young maidens. What can I do?” In this way, Mahaprabhu is hearing the kirtana of Svarupa Damodara and sinking and sinking, lost in the mood of Srimati Radhika on a spring night when Krsna did not come to meet with Her.

Then Svarupa Damodara is singing:

madana mahipati kanaka danda ruci kesara kusuma vikase

milita silimukha patali patalakrta smaratuna vilase

Madana mahipati-Kamadeva is one emperor, and this Vrndavana forest has become His empire. An emperor has some status symbols. So just see! The status symbols of Kamadeva are here in the forest. The friend of Radharani is saying, “Dekho, dekho! Look, look! What is there? Kesara flowers. These kesara flowers seem to be like the golden parasol of madana-raja, madana mahipati-he has a golden parasol.” In Vedic culture, the sign of the emperor is the parasol held above him. The devotees also hold up an umbrella over the Deities when they take them on procession. So the kesara flowers are testimony that this is Madana’s kingdom, the kingdom of Kamadeva-he is emperor here. Otherwise, the kesara flowers look like His golden sceptor, and the patali flowers-I remember that Gurudeva picked some patali flowers there, and said, “This is called naga-kesara,” because it is long. Radharani’s sakhi is saying, “These naga-kesara (which are very long) seem to be Kamadeva’s arrows, so many arrows in His quiver. So He is moving everywhere, and there is no way to escape his influence. And what’s more than that, the bees are going within the flowers, and by the sharp arrows of their teeth, they are piercing the soft petals of the flowers, and in this way, breaking the hearts of virahi-jana, breaking the hearts of lonely lovers.” And even though these flowers and bees and breeze and everything is going on, as if this is not bad enough, on top of that, viharati harir iha sarasa vasante, “as if all this is not bad enough, Krsna is over there, dancing with some other sweet maidens of Vrndavana. Oh, what can I do? I cannot tolerate it.”

Then Svarupa Damodara is singing: vigalita lajjita jagadava lokana taruna karuna krtahase. Jagadava, in the forest everywhere, vigalita lajjita, you see everyone in the whole universe in the springtime gives up their shame. Generally, in most seasons, everyone is calm and quiet, and they have some shyness, but when springtime comes, if you go in the forest, you will see everywhere all animals, all birds, deer, cows, peacocks and everyone gives up their shame-completely. So Radharani’s friend is saying, “O my very dear sakhi! What more can I say to you? In the spring season, all the virahi-jana, lonely lovers, give up their shame. How do they do this? They weep and cry very bitterly and loudly. They are lamenting for the association of their sweethearts. Not only that, but all the creatures, all living entities also give up their shame completely, and when the trees in the forest see that all the animals have given up their shame in the spring season, they burst out laughing. What is that? The blossoming of their flowers in the forest in the springtime.” She is saying that this means that the trees are laughing at all the creatures in the forest who have become shameless. And by their blossoms and by the petals falling from their branches, they burst out into peels of very sweet laughter. But what is this? This is giving inspiration in the heart of Radhika and Her sakhi, because they are thinking that those who are giving up their shame are just like vilasini, any young flirtatious girl who exposes the desire in her heart by her emotions and movements. Seeing that desire in Her heart being expressed, our hero, Krsna, without any shame is bursting out laughing. And His laughing is coming in Her ears more sweet than nectar.

Vigalita lajjita jagadava lokana taruna karuna krtahase. Karuna krtahase-karuna means very sympathetic mood, tenderness and compassion, and krtahase means to burst out laughing. So how can someone have this karuna mood, compassion, and also be laughing at the same time? The meaning is when the kanthaslesya pranayi-two people who feel oneness of body, heart, mind, senses, and everything, who always hold each other around the necks-when these kinds of friends are separated from each other, their condition of emotional destitution is very very pitiable. At that time karuna-rasa (an intensely pitiable mood) comes. But at the same time, when they see all the animals and other creatures in the forest giving up their shyness, they begin to laugh. This laughter is a very strange laughter, coming from adhirata. When someone’s mind is so disturbed that it becomes unsteady, then they begin to laugh hysterically for no reason due to becoming maddened. This kind of laughter-stemming from a madness due to unsteadiness of the mind-is coming in the blossoming of the trees.

Milita silimukha patali patalakrta smaratuna vilase. Seeing the tips of the patali puspa, which are like spears, the virahi jana (the lonely ones) feel these spears piercing their hearts. And what is more, other than all the creatures giving up their shyness, and the trees are laughing, and so many moods of separation are being inspired by the forest, on top of that:

viharati harir iha sarasa vasante

nrtyati yuvati janena samam sakhi virahi janasya durante

“Just to make things worse, Hari is doing vilasa here in the forest of Vrndavana with other sweet maidens. Oh, how can I tolerate it?” In this way, Mahaprabhu is hearing the kirtana of Svarupa Damodara and His associates, completely absorbed in the mood of Radharani.

madhavika parimala lalite navamalika jati sugandhau

muni manasam api mohana karini tarunakarana bandhau

Radharani’s friend is saying, “Hey sakhi! Can you see that this spring season is decorated with the parag, the pollen, of flowers of madhavi vines, and the whole environment has become fragrant with the aroma of navamalika?” Here navamalika means ‘juhi’, jasmine flower. Muni manasam api mohana karini tarunakarana bandhau: even all the sages become disturbed by this season; and the hearts of the young, taruna and taruni (male and female), akarana bandhau-without any cause the young become attached to each other in friendship and affection. Yet, while this is going on, just see-viharati harir iha sarasa vasante. The son of Nanda Maharaja is playing with other gopis of Vrndavana.

In this way, to explain this kirtana takes a very long time. I’m only giving some idea. In this way, Svarupa Damodara and other associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu were singing and Mahaprabhu was totally absorbed. Kaviraja Gosvamipada described what happened:

prati-vrksa-valli aiche bhramite bhramite

asokera tale krsne dekhena acambite

As Caitanya Mahaprabhu was wandering around in this mood of Radharani, He looked and saw beneath an asoka tree that Krsna was standing there. Seeing Krsna, He began to run very very swiftly. As Mahaprabhu was running toward Krsna, Krsna smiled and disappeared. There and then, after feeling this intense separation and then meeting with Krsna and losing Him again, Mahaprabhu became completely unconscious and fell to the ground. Then something wonderful happened in that garden. By the power of the presence of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the fragrance of Krsna’s body was spreading everywhere. Gradually that scent entered into Mahaprabhu’s nostrils as He was lying unconscious and again He came into sense.

Upon regaining His senses, He began to speak in the mood of Radharani, absorbed in one pastime: Krsna has just gone for cow-grazing into the Vrindavana forest. Radharani, still at home in Javat, is very eager to meet with Him. Rati Manjari has just returned to Javat after meeting with Krsna, bringing two campaka flowers which had decorated Krsna’s ears. Krsna Himself had sent His own gunja necklace. Tulasi (Rati) Manjari gave the necklace and two flowers to Lalita Sakhi, who put them on Radharani. On feeling the touch of Krsna’s gunja mala and the campaka flowers from His ears, all sattvika-bhavas arose in Her body-trembling, perspiration and hairs standing on end-as if She had been directly touched by Krsna. At this time She began to speak with Her friends.

In this same mood now, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in Jagannatha Vallabha Vatika, smelling the fragrance coming from Krsna’s body. Mahaprabhu could not see Krsna, but His aroma was filling up the whole garden. In this atmosphere, Mahaprabhu began to speak with His associates, headed by Svarupa Damodara. He said, “O my dear sakhi, You know that Krsna’s fragrance is so beautiful. It is more beautiful than the fragrance of a blue lotus flower mixed with musk, aguru, camphor and candana. This fragrance is very very powerful and My nose is becoming very very anxious to take that fragrance.” This fragrance comes from eight lotus flowers. When you smell a fragrance, you think that a flower must be very close by. So when the fragrance of Krsna comes in the heart of Radhika, eight lotus flowers come in Her heart-His lotus eyes, His lotus face, His lotus navel, His lotus hands and lotus feet. From these eight lotuses, this very beautiful fragrance is coming. What kind of fragrance is that? “This fragrance is not ordinary. I think it is like a dacoit, a plunderer. Why? Because when this fragrance attacks a young girl, it forcibly starts to undo her hair braid and open the knots in her cloth also. If any gopi of Vrndavana will smell this fragrance, then even if she has taken it to her heart’s content, still she is never satisfied. And if it is unavailable, she becomes mad.”

Mahaprabhu continued, “You know that Madana Mohana, Krsna, is like a dancing actor who has opened a shop-a shop of only fragrances-Duty-Free. And He is inviting customers to please come. All the young gopis of Vrndavana come running to become customers in Krsna’s fragrance shop. When they get there, they find that a sale is on. What is that sale? He is distributing His fragrance for free. ‘Oh, very good! I came to the fragrance shop and now the shopkeeper is giving away His fragrance for nothing.’ But there’s a catch. What is that? If anyone will take this fragrance, they become blind and they cannot find their way home. They will have to stay there. They cannot see. How will they go home?” Upon saying this, Mahaprabhu stood up. He became like a bumblebee and started running around the garden, smelling all the flowers. He passed the whole night in this way. As the night was coming to an end, His dear friends, Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda, caught Him and by some tricks, brought Him back into sense. Now the long night has ended. Mahaprabhu, in the association of His nearest and dearest parikaras, went to the ocean and took His morning bath. Then they all went to the Jagannatha Temple to have mangala arati darsana of Lord Jagannatha.

In this way, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would pass His time. He is showing us how to hear, how to chant, how to remember in the association of very near and dear loving devotees. Gradually, as one will become completely absorbed in hearing, chanting and remembering, then it may be that underneath an asoka tree, you will see that black boy smiling. If you will run towards Him, He will disappear, so you should stay far away. Mahaprabhu was in the mood of Radhika, but we are following in the mood of Rupa Manjari and Rati Manjari. So you should not run there.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami said, “Don’t try to apply your intelligence to these pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are beyond the experience of this material world.” There is only one way that you can understand them. How is that? Radha-krsna mili ab dou, gaura-rupa avatari. Radha and Krsna are inviting you to come in Their pastimes, so They became Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and came here, saying, “Take this Nama. Chant in this kirtana. Be absorbed in hearing, chanting and remembering. Have nistha (steadiness) in Krsna’s name. If you have nistha in nama, and everyday chant and remember with absorption, not thinking of anything else, ruci (taste) will come. The flavor of this name will manifest. Then deep attachment, bhava, and realization of the soul’s form will follow. Mahaprabhu has shown this by His own example. So we are very grateful to Radha and Krsna, Themselves coming as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to take us by the hand and show us step by step how to proceed. Their compassion is so overwhelming because They are more eager for us to be with them and serve Them than we are. You should know this fact. They are worried for us. So don’t make Them worry any more; don’t give Them any problems. Try to solve Their problems and anxiety by coming in the line of pure bhakti, in the pure Gaudiya line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu-the line of rupanuga bhajana, following in the footsteps of Rupa and Raghunatha.

How could Kaviraja Gosvamipada know all these things? Svarupa Damodara was there. He never wrote anything, but he composed Sanskrit verses called kadaca (notes). These verses are very dense, full of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s inner moods. Svarupa Damodara had Raghunatha dasa Gosvami learn them by heart. When Raghunatha dasa Gosvami went to Radha Kund, Kaviraja Gosvami came there at that time and he heard the kadaca that Raghunatha dasa Gosvami had memorized. On the basis of what he heard from Raghunatha dasa, he has presented us with these beautiful pastimes. Why?

gaurangera madhura lila, ja'ra karne pravesila,

hrdoya nirmala bhelo ta'ra

The heart of that person in whose ears the sweet pastimes of Mahaprabhu enter will become neat and clean.

gauranga gunete jhure, nitya-lila ta’ra sphure,

se jana bhakati adhikari

Simply by appreciating the qualities of Gauranga, what will happen? Nitya-lila ta’ra sphure: the eternal pastimes of Radha and Krsna will manifest-sphurti will come in the heart. Se jana bhakati adhikari: that person who appreciates the qualities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is bhakti adhikari, qualified. We are not qualified, but if we appreciate the qualities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then we become qualified. Gaura prema rasarnave, se tarange jeba dube: He will sink in the ocean of love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, remembering how He was so loving, giving His own cloth in the middle of the night to His servant; how Svarupa Damodara loves Him, crying seeing the bruises on His face and thinking, “How can we help Him?” If you will remembering the love between Mahaprabhu and His associates, what will happen? Se tarange jeba dube: if you will sink in that love. And, se radha-madhava-antaranga: you will become a very internal (antaranga) associate of Radha-Madhava. Who is Madhava? Madhava means that Krsna who plays in the springtime.

So this evening I am praying to the lotus feet of my Gurudeva that he will sprinkle a drop of mercy on me that one day I can follow the acara and vicara, the teachings, behavior and example set by my Saci-nandana Gaurahari. Sri Saci-nandana Gaurahari ki jaya! Gaura premanande!