Sri Vigraha Tattva continued ....

[Patita Pavana das]

Radha-Govinda are the presiding Deities of the process for pure bhakti. Therefore, in this verse, the siddhanta of the process has been given, and it is very profound. If you will serve the Deities following the path of vaidhi-bhakti, rules and regulations, Radha-Govinda do not accept your service. Because Krsna and Radhika are the source of all incarnations and their saktis, all incarnations and their saktis are within Them. Therefore, if one will serve Them in the path of vaidhi-bhakti, Laksmi-Narayana within Them accept your service. Why? Because vaidhi-bhakti is the path which takes you to Vaikuntha. Krsna said in Bhagavad-Gita: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. “I reciprocate. If you come to me in one mood, I will reciprocate with you in the appropriate mood.” Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana cannot be served by vaidhi-bhakti, only by raganuga-bhakti. When someone loves Them in vaidhi-marga, then Laksmi-Narayana within Them reciprocate with that devotee.


If really we want to be the sevakas of Radha-Govinda, we will have to come in the line of raganuga-bhakti. That is described in the pranama mantra to Radha-Govinda. How is it so? It is a very wonderful thing. Here it is stated: divyad-vrndaranya. Divyad means transcendental. Divyad means div dhatu, full of effulgence. That place is self-effulgent. And div dhatu means krdasila, playing. It is a place of playing; it is not a place of worship. Krsna is playing with His associates there; they do not offer puja to Him.


Vrndaranya-vrnda-aranya. Aranya means forest. What kind? A very wild forest, not a garden which has been cultivated and made very domesticated. Rather, it is a secret, solitary place, far away where no one goes. This is aranya. And vrnda-aranya-the forest of Vrnda-devi. Who is she? Krsna has one energy called Yogamaya. Yoga means union, and maya means energy-the energy which makes union. What kind of union? The energy which unites Radha and Krsna and also the energy which unites you with Radha and Krsna. In Vrndavana, Yogamaya has the form of Paurnamasi, the grandmother of Madhumangala and Nandi-mukhi, and she lives in Nandagaon, just behind Uddhava Kyari. She is an old lady with white hair and she is very very beautiful. Whatever she says in Vrndavana is accepted as law, even more than the Vedas. If Paurnamasi will say something, everyone believes it. But because she has the form of an elderly person, she cannot be very close to Radha and Krsna when They are meeting in Their pastimes. Therefore, Yogamaya has one prakasa whose name is Vrnda-devi. She is a cow-herd girl in Vrndavana married to Mahipal Gopa, and a sakhi of Radharani. Vrnda Sakhi is Yogamaya, but for one special department. Paurnamasi is Yogamaya for all the lilas, from top to bottom-sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya. But in madhurya-lila, there is one department called nikunja-lila. The Yogamaya who is the head of the nikunja-lila department is Vrnda Sakhi, and she has come into this world in the form of Tulasi. Don’t think that Tulasi here is married to Salagram Sila, because then if you worship her, she will reciprocate with you as the form of Tulasi in Vaikuntha.


It is Vrnda-devi who makes arrangements for Radha and Krsna’s meeting. Therefore, we always keep this Tulasi mala around our necks. Guru gives Tulasi mala to the disciple. Why? To surround him with Yogamaya so that he can meet with Radha and Krsna. This energy brings us to meet with Radha and Krsna. When we chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, we hold the hand of Vrnda-devi-“Oh, please take me so that I can meet with Radha and Krsna.” She has the power to do this. If we offer any bhoga to Radha and Krsna, we place a Tulasi leaf on it, and They will accept it. So when Guru offers us to Radha and Krsna, he places Tulasi around our neck. Otherwise Krsna may not accept us. So Tulasi is very important. When we are chanting harinama, will Krsna accept our chanting? This is why we keep Tulasi for our chanting also. So she is very important in our life-Yogamaya-to connect us with Radha-Govinda.


Now we are in Mahamaya, the material energy. But we want to take shelter of Yogamaya. That is why Guru gives mantra to the disciple-the Gopala mantra. The last word in Gopala mantra is ‘svaha’. If you look in Gopala Tapani Upanisad, it is stated: tam mayam iti svaha. This svaha means Yogamaya. We surrender to Krsna, to Govinda-deva, to Gopinatha, and we offer ourselves: “Now I am in this material world, but I am praying, ‘O Yogamaya, now I am putting my soul in your hands. Please carry me to the lotus feet of Radha-Govinda.’” This is the meaning of our mantra.


Divyad-vrnda-aranya: in the transcendental, very beautiful and solitary forest, the bumblebees are singing. Why?


tvad-ajnaya pallava-puspa-bhrnga

mrgadibhir madhava-keli-kunjah

madhvadibhir bhanti vibhasyamana

vrnde! numas te caranaravindam


The bumblebees are humming because Vrnda Sakhi told them, “OK, bumblebees! Now it’s time to start humming.” In the early morning, Radha and Krsna are meeting in the kunja, and the sun will come soon. They must be woken up very very gently. So Vrnda Sakhi is telling the bumblebees, “Now begin your ‘ZZZZZZZZZ.’” The peacocks are calling out because Vrnda-devi gave them the order to begin singing and dancing. And deers are jumping here and there. She told the flowers to bloom and the parrots to sing Radha and Krsna’s glories. So this Vrndavana, which is Radha and Krsna’s playground, is Vrnda-aranya; it is presided over by Vrnda-devi. By her request, Vrndavana is so beautiful; everything there is designed to inspire Radha and Krsna’s love for each other. When Krsna enters the forest, He sees the tail of the peahens and thinks, “Oh, her feathers look like Radharani’s hair when it has come loose.” When He hears the cooing of swans in Vrndavana, He thinks, “This is the sound of Radharani’s waistbells jingling.” When He hears the singing of the crane, He thinks this is the sound of Radharani’s anklebells. When He sees the pomegranates on the trees, He remembers Radharani. Every leaf and creeper in Vrndavana reminds Him of Her. Radharani also will be reminded of Krsna, seeing the tamala trees in the forest. And the fragrance coming from the leaves of the tamala trees is just like kasturi; it is just like the fragrance of Krsna’s body spreading throughout the forest.


What is this forest of Vrndavana? It is only the playground of Radha and Krsna manifested by Vrnda-devi in order to stimulate more and more love in the heart of Radha and Krsna and all Their associates. So what is abhideya-tattva? This verse to Govinda-deva is saying: divyad-vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah. In the forest of Vrndavana, on the bank of Yamuna there is a desire tree (kalpa-druma). In Vrndavana all the trees are kalpa-vrksa, and they participate in Radha and Krnsa’s pastimes. Some of them are white and look as if they are made of crystals. Some of them seem to be made of camphor, and some seem to be made of the foam of milk. When Krsna comes into the forest and the wind blows, they assume many curious poses. They seem to be like His friends, because His friends also stand in many funny ways to make Krsna laugh. During the night, all the trees faint out of separation from Krsna, but when He comes into the forest, the trees wake up and begin to move and Krsna begins to laugh. “O My dear friends, trees! How are you?” He greets them very affectionately because He knows that they have missed Him so much. When Krsna comes, the trees welcome Him by making a soft path for His lotus feet with the flowers which fall from their branches. And the trees begin to glorify Krsna. How? By the birds sitting in their branches-they begin to sing and do kirtana of Krsna. The trees begin to shiver, and their hairs stand on end in the form of newly sprouting buds. And also they begin to cry tears of love in the form of honey from their branches. In this way, so much love between Krsna and the trees is expressed. And these trees fulfill Krsna’s desire. How? With their densely spread branches covered with so many creepers, the trees create secret rooms called kunjas, where Radha and Krsna can meet together.


So the trees of Vrndavana serve Radha and Krsna in so many ways and can fulfill all desires. Rupa and Sanatana would go and sleep under a different tree every night. Why? Because they would come to the tree and that night they would pray, “O kalpa-vrksa tree, you have seen beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krsna, so be kind to me and bless me that those pastimes may come in my heart.” And that night, when they would take rest, the pastimes which took place there in that particular forest would come in the heart of Rupa Gosvami or Sanatana Gosvami. Beholding these visions, they would become delighted. “Oh, I want to see more pastimes.” So the next night they would go to another tree, and in this way they would go from tree to tree, because they were very greedy to realize all of Radha and Krsna’s pastimes.


So divyad vrndaranya: this vrnda-aranya is divya, transcendental. This means that it is where? In your heart. In the forest of Vrndavana in your heart, you should see that there are many beautiful desire trees and underneath one of them, you should keep: divyad-vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah-srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau. There is a very beautiful simhasana, a beautiful raised platform, like a throne, and it is divyad srimad-ratnagara-it is made of jewels. What kind of jewels? Your seva-abhilasa, these transcendental jewels. In your heart you should make a jeweled throne made of all of your desires to serve Krsna.


sri krsna-caitanya-prabhura dasera anudasa

seva abhilasa kore narottama-dasa


What kind of desires are in the heart of Narottama dasa Thakura in this song?


radha-krsna prana mora yugala-kisora

jivane marane gati aro nahi mora


In life and in death, I don’t want anything, only service of Radha-Govinda.


kalindira kule keli-kadambera vana

ratana-vedira iupara bosabo du’jana


When will that day come that I will seat Radha and Krsna on a jeweled throne on the bank of Yamuna? Then I will annoint Them with candana and fan Them, and I will make Them a garland of flowers. This is Narottama Thakura’s seva-abhilasa. So, you should cultivate so many jewels in you heart in the form of desires to serve Radha and Krsna. When your heart is full of these desires, then Radha and Krsna will come and sit there-on the throne of your heart.


srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau

sri sri-radha-srila-govinda-devau

presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami


Here, smarami is very important. Smarami means to remember. In the path of service to Radha and Krsna, this verse is explaining abhideya-tattva, the process of bhakti. The service of Radha and Krsna is called raganuga-bhakti. It revolves around following the moods of the residents of Vrndavana (ragatmika-jana). The word ‘raga’ is very significant. Raga means prema-mayi trsna, an unquenchable thirst to love. Try to understand what ‘unquenchable thirst’ means. If you have a thirst that never goes away, what happens? If you drink one liter, how do you feel? Thirsty? If you drink two liters, then how do you feel? You still feel thirsty. Even if you drink twenty liters, you still feel thirsty, as if you had not taken anything at all. That is called raga. Prema-mayi trsna-unquenchable thirst. But this thirst is not for water; this thirst is for love; this thirst is for serving Radha and Krsna. That is called raga, and it is in the hearts of those who are Radha and Krsna’s associates in the spiritual world. Because this raga is in their atma, they are called ragatmika. It is just like glass. Raga also means red. If you will apply red paint on glass, when it dries, you can scratch it off. But if you will melt the glass, and add the paint, when the glass dries, the whole glass becomes permanently red. You cannot remove that color because it is inside, throughout. So those whose hearts are completely full of raga, which can never come out, are called ragatmika. That is why the associates of Radha and Krsna can never fall down. Why? Because this thirst to love can never come out of their heart. They are made of this-their whole body from head to toe is made of the thirst to love and serve Radha and Krsna.


Ourselves, being in this world, want to follow them-not physically, but by heart’s mood. That is called raga-anuga. What is the process for raganuga-bhakti? Smarana is prominent. This is a very controversial issue, but I am giving pramana from Raga Vartma Candrika of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and also from Rupa Gosvami and Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. Why? The pranama mantra to Radha-Govinda is the verse explaining abhideya-tattva, the process. And what does this verse say? Srila-govinda-devau presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami. So it is confirmed-smarana.


The same explanation has been given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu. What is raganuga-bhakti sadhana? It is:


krsnam smaran janam casya

prestham nija-samihitam

tat-tat-katha-ratas casau

kuryad vasam vraje sada


“One should remember Krsna, but not alone, along with His janam, His associates. Prestham nija-samihitam-choose one associate who is very very dear to Radha and Krsna.” In our mula sloka, it also says ‘presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami’, prestha-very dear. You should remember one associate of Radha and Krsna and how they are serving. Tat-tat-katha-ratas casau-try to be katha-rata, absorbed in the katha of that person. If you want to serve Krsna like Subala Arjuna, Labanga, Stoka Krsna, Kokila, Ujjvala-any of Krsna’s friends-then you choose one of them and remember how they serve Krsna. If you want to serve like one of the manjaris, choose one and always speak about her, hear about her, be absorbed in her. Kuryad vasam vraje sada-and reside in Braja. Don’t live in Vienna; live in Braja. And if you cannot go there, at least live there in your heart-divyad vrndaranya-in the forest of Vrndavana in your heart, where Vrnda-devi is making everything very beautiful for the meeting of Radha and Krsna.


Presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami-the process is smarana. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came into this word and said: param vijayate sri krsna sankirtanam. You should chant-kirtaniya sada hari. Sahajiya babajis, those who have deviated from the true teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, say that this chanting is not so important, smarana is important. But we do not follow sahajiya babajis; we follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So how can we reconcile these two ideas, that the process of raganuga bhakti is based on smarana, and we are putting emphasis on chanting? It is very important to understand siddhanta; otherwise, some confusion can come in our life, and a doubt may come in our heart.


In Bhakti Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami said:


yadyapi anya bhaktih kalau kartavya

tada kirtanakhya-bhakti-samyogenaiva


In the Age of Kali, you can practice the nine angas of bhakti, but without kirtana none of them can be successful. Unless you do kirtana in Kali Yuga, all the other types of bhakti will not give the desired result. Therefore, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explained: kirtana prabhave smarana hoibe. By the power of kirtana, your smarana (spontaneous remembrance) will become perfect. So we should try to chant. Put emphasis on chanting the name of Krsna. But not chanting-what should we do? Nama-seva, we should serve nama. We are not chanting nama. At any time, when we just say Hare Krsna, will Krsna come? No. So, we should be the servants of nama, praying to nama and crying to nama, “O Krsna-nama, please manifest Your sweet, beautiful form, qualities and pastimes in my heart. And when the forms and qualities of nama come in our heart, then we are serving Radha and Krsna in our heart-this is called nama-seva. We want to do nama-seva, but at the time of chanting nama, smarana should come. In raganuga-bhakti, this smarana is called pradhana (mukhya) anga by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. It is prominent, but it can only be achieved by chanting. Without chanting, no one can achieve the stage of smarana or become perfect in their smarana.


So, in this verse, what smarana should you do? Sri sri radha srila govinda-devau presthalibhih sevayamanau smarami. One should try to remember how Radha-Govinda-deva are being served by presthalibhih. Prestha means very dear, and ali means gopis-Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Indulekha, Tunga Vidya, Ranga-devi and Sudevi (asta-sakhis), and asta-manjaris and the rest of our line, including Kamala Manjari (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura), Nyana Manjari (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) and Vinoda Manjari (Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja). While chanting Hari-nama, we remember our Guru Vargas-how they are serving Radha and Krsna. This is called abhideya-tattva, the process of raganuga-bhakti. Who can do it? Everyone is not qualified for raganuga-bhakti.


Rupa Gosvami, describing this process, said:


seva sadhaka-rupena

siddha-rupena catra hi

tad-bhava-lipsuna karya

vraja-lokanusaratah


You should do seva in your sadhaka form, this body. How? By following how Rupa and Sanatana were serving. And siddha-rupena catra hi: by your soul’s form, you should serve Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana, but if you do not know your soul’s form, how will you serve Them? So you cannot. Those who associate with and serve very high-class rupanuga bhavuka rasika maha-bhagavat Vaisnavas will receive their blessings. A greed (lobha) will come, and along with this greed, the ability to meditate on siddha-deha will also manifest. Very easily the cinta, or the meditation on siddha-deha, will come by their blessings. Then one can follow the path of raganuga-bhakti; otherwise not.


But before that stage-before being qualified, before having greed, before having realized our siddha-deha (siddha-rupa)-what can we do? We are not following the pure vaidhi-bhakti. We perform raganuga-pravrtti-vaidhi-bhakti which is aimed at raganuga-bhakti. By hearing the sweet pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and especially by this, we develop a taste for hearing the pastimes of Radha and Krsna. We chant Hari-nama, following Mahaprabhu’s teaching: trna api sunicena taror api sahisnuna, amanina manadena kirtaniya sada harih. We pray to have a chance to serve Radha and Govinda. We pray for that! And as we pray every day and chant, following the prayers of Rupa Gosvami, our desire for Yugala-seva increases more and more and more.


I want to give one example from the prayers of Rupa Gosvami. One day Srila Rupa Gosvamipada was sitting in a kunja in Vrndavana, chanting Hari-nama. At the time he was feeling so much separation from Radha-Govinda, because They are his Ista-deva and Ista-devi. He was remembering Them and crying. His separation mood was so high that even the trees began to cry, and all the leaves were falling from the trees. But then, as he became absorbed in remembering Radha-Govinda, just then, he saw within his heart the beautiful forms of Radha-Govinda. He lost external consciousness and, forgetting that he was Rupa Gosvami, he found himself in Vrndavana as Rupa Manjari. When his meeting mood came, he became so overjoyed. All the trees became happy and grew new leaves. All new leaves and flowers came on the trees-there and then! What happened? He saw that in one kunja in Vrndavana Radha and Krsna were meeting together. Some sakhis were there, and a few sakhas also, and they were gambling, throwing dice. They were wagering different kinds of stakes. At that time, Krsna wagered His pet deer. Krsna said, “If you defeat Me this time, I will give you My pet deer, but if I defeat you, you will have to give Me your pet deer.” They took the dice and began to throw. Krnsa threw His dice, but He was defeated by Radharani. When Radharani defeated Krsna, all the sakhis were delighted. Rupa Manjari was there, and she also became so happy, dancing and singing: radhe radhe radhe jaya jaya jaya sri radhe!


Now Krsna was defeated by Radharani. All His friends were so concerned: “Now Krsna has been defeated. What can we do?” At that time, Radharani looked from the corner of Her eye towards Rupa Manjari (Rupa Gosvami was absorbed, seeing himself present there as Rupa Manjari). Radharani was glancing towards her-this is called krpa kataksa, the merciful glance of Radharani. With Lalita and Visakha, She will speak to them directly, but with the manjaris, there is no need to speak so much. Why? They know Her heart so intimately-only by looking, they can understand what She wants. So, by Her glance, Radharani was indicating to Rupa Manjari, “Now I have defeated Krsna. You should make Him feel more embarrassed by criticizing Him a little bit.” So Rupa Manjari came forward, saying, “Hey Krsna! You know, this game is not cow-grazing. You need some brains to play this game. All day You are wandering around in the forest with the cows-cows are foolish, they have no intelligence. By associating with cows, You have become like them, and You cannot play this game.” In this way, Rupa Manjari was joking and causing Krsna to become very embarrassed. This made Radharani feel very happy, and Rupa Manjari was thrilled to fulfill the heart’s desire of Her Swamini.


Just then, Rupa Manjari took Krsna’s deer and said, “Now You have lost and You have to give Your deer.” Very happily Rupa Manjari took the rope around the neck of Krsna’s deer, and smiling and looking at Krsna, led His deer away. “Oh, now this belongs to my Radharani.” Suddenly, the deer disappeared, Radharani disappeared, Krsna disappeared, everything disappeared, and Rupa Gosvami was back in external consciousness, “Oh, I am Rupa Gosvami.” His vision had vanished. By Yogamaya it had come, and now by Yogamaya it had dissolved. Rupa Gosvami was crying, “O Srimati Radhika, when will that day come, by Your glance You will order me to criticize Krsna for not being very expert at playing dice?” Rupa Gosvami was crying, rolling on the ground, and chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.


This is called raganuga-bhakti. And though we are not qualified, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and by the mercy of our Gurus, we can chant Krsna-nama and pray, “When will that day come in my life when I will do bhajana like Rupa Gosvami, when chanting the name of Krsna, I will find myself in Vrndavana, and Radharani, by Her beautiful side-long glance, will give an order to criticize Krsna?” We are supposed to glorify Krsna, but when we will come in that stage, we can criticize Him, no harm. Like this, we are passing our days and nights, only chanting the names of Radha and Govinda in the form of this Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and praying for a chance that one day we may come in this stage by the mercy of our Guru (diksa and siksa guru), by the mercy of all Vaisnavas, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all His associates, by mercy of all asta-sakhis and asta-manjaris, by mercy of Radha-Govinda. So don’t waste any time. Day and night, we should always be chanting and chanting and praying. This is called abhideya-tattva, and Radha-Govinda are its Deities. So you are very lucky to live here under the shelter of Radha-Govinda, and They will fulfill your desires that you can do bhajana in this way.


I want to read you one last thing that Srila Prabhupada said in Geneva in 1974:


Wherever you go, wherever you speak, wherever you sit, keep this spiritual strength intact. The Hare Krsna mantra chanting means keeping Krsna always within your heart. This is not expensive at all. You haven’t got to make a very exalted throne for Krsna. You can imagine that “In my heart I have placed now a very precious diamond throne, and Krsna is sitting there.” That is accepted, and it becomes real. Even within the mind you think that “I have kept one diamond throne, very costly throne, because Krsna is coming. He will sit down here,” that is not false. That is a fact. So you create such situation within your heart. “Now Krsna has been seated. Let me wash His feet with the Ganges water, Yamuna water. Now I change His dress to a first-class costly garments. Then I decorate with ornaments. Then I give Him for eating.” You can simply think of this. This is meditation. It is so nice thing. Anywhere you can sit down and think that Krsna is sitting in your heart and you are receiving Him in so nice way. They are not false. They are also fact. It is so easy.


If you simply carry Krsna within your heart always in a very devotional mood of service, exalted devotional service, chant Hare Krsna, and think of Krsna wherever you go, you will purify the whole place. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge. In this way do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family. Thank you very much. (end)


This is pramana (evidence). Srila Prabhupada is giving instructions to the devotees how to chant and in the heart remember, Vrndavana and serve Krsna. This is our abhideya-tattva.


Gaura-premanande!