Çré Amalaki Ekadäsé Issue no:131 6th March 2020 Mission Of Lord Chaitanya

Sanatana Request Why Is No One Equal To Or Greater Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Than ? Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Understanding The Atmarama Verse His Divine Grace Krishna Is The Greatest Form Of A.C.Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada Çré Sanatana

Mission Of Lord Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura

Circulaton 29, 631 Issue no 130, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

Sanatana Goswamis Request Understanding The Atmarama Verse Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada In loving compliance to Sri Sanatana Goswa- mis request, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ex- ätmärämäç ca munayo plained the well-known Çrémad-Bhägavatam nirgranthäapyurukrame verse beginning ätmärämäç ca munayaù. He kurvantyahaitukéàbhaktim explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. ittham-bhüta-guëohariù He analyzed all the words and described each word with its different connotations. Adding the Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained words ca and api, He described all the different this çloka very vividly before His chief devotee meanings of the verse. He then concluded that Çréla . He pointed out eleven different classes of transcendentalists (jïänés, factors in the çloka, namely (1) ätmäräma, (2) karmés, yogés) utilize this verse according to munayaù, (3) nirgrantha, (4) api, (5) ca, (6) their own interpretation, but that if they would urukrama, (7) kurvanti, (8) ahaitukém, (9) give up this process and surrender to Krishna, bhaktim, (10) ittham-bhüta-guëaù and (11) as indicated by the verse itself, they would be hariù. According to the Viçva-prakäça able to comprehend the real meaning of the dictionary, there are seven synonyms for the verse. In this regard, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu word ätmä, which are as follows: (1) narrated a story about how the great sage (the Absolute Truth), (2) body, (3) mind, (4) converted a hunter into a great Vaisnava, and endeavor, (5) endurance, (6) intelligence and how this was appreciated by Narada’s friend (7) personal habits. Parvata Muni. Sanatana Goswami then offered The word munayaù refers to (1) those who are a prayer to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Sri thoughtful, (2) those who are grave and silent, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained the glory of (3) ascetics, (4) the persistent, (5) mendicants, Çrémad-Bhägavatam. After this, the Lord gave (6) sages and (7) saints. Sanatana Goswami a synopsis of -bhak- The word nirgrantha conveys these ideas: (1) ti-viläsa, which Sanatana Goswami later devel- one who is liberated from nescience, (2) one oped into the guiding principle of all Vaisnavas. who has no connection with scriptural injunc- —Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s Amåta-praväha-bhäñya summary of tion, i.e., who is freed from the obligation of the Sri Caitanya caritamrta, Madhya Khanda, chapter 24. rules and regulations mentioned in the revealed Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 130, Page—3 scriptures like ethics, , philosophy, psychol- in the Bhägavatam. The forms of liberation are ogy and metaphysics (in other words the fools, five in number. illiterate, urchins, etc., who have no connection Therefore, unalloyed devotion means service to with regulative principles), (3) a capitalist, and the Lord without desire for the above-mentioned also (4) one who is penniless. personal benefits. And the powerful Personality According to the Çabda-koça dictionary, the of Godhead Sri Krishna can be fully satisfied by affix ni is used in the sense of (1) certainty, (2) such unalloyed devotees free from all sorts of counting, (3) building, and (4) forbiddance, and desires for personal benefit. the word grantha is used in the sense of wealth, Unalloyed devotional service of the Lord pro- thesis, vocabulary, etc. gresses in different stages. Practice of devotional The word urukrama means "the one whose service in the material field is of eighty-one dif- activities are glorious." Krama means "step." This ferent qualities, and above such activities is the word specifically indicates the Lord's incarnation transcendental stage of devotional service, which as , who covered the whole universe by is one and is called sädhana-. When un- immeasurable steps. Lord Visnu is powerful, and alloyed practice of sädhana-bhakti matures into His activities are so glorious that He has created transcendental love for the Lord, the transcen- the spiritual world by His internal potency and the dental loving service of the Lord begins gradually material world by His external potency. By His developing into nine progressive stages of loving all-pervading features He is everywhere present service under the headings of attachment, love, as the Supreme Truth, and in His personal fea- affection, feelings, affinity, adherence, following, ture He is always present in His transcendental ecstasy, and intense feelings of separation. abode of , where He displays The attachment of an inactive devotee develops His transcendental pastimes in all variegatedness. up to the stage of transcendental love of God. At- His activities cannot be compared to anyone tachment of an active servitor develops up to the else's, and therefore the word urukrama is just stage of adherence, and that of a friendly devotee applicable to only Him. develops up to the stage of following, and the According to Sanskrit verbal arrangement, same is also the case for the parental devotees. kurvanti refers to doing things for someone Devotees in conjugal love develop ecstasy up to else. Therefore, it means that the ätmärämas the stage of intense feelings of separation. These render devotional service unto the Lord not for are some of the features of unalloyed devotional personal interest but for the pleasure of the Lord, service of the Lord. Urukrama. According to the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, the The word hetu means "causal." There are import of the word ittham-bhüta is "complete many causes for one's sense satisfaction, and bliss." Transcendental bliss in the realization of they can be chiefly classified as material enjoy- impersonal Brahman becomes comparable to ment, mystic powers and liberation, which are the scanty water contained in the pit made by generally desired by progressive persons. As far a cow's hoof. It is nothing compared with the as material enjoyments are concerned, they are ocean of bliss of the vision of the Personality of innumerable, and the materialists are eager to Godhead. The personal form of Lord Sri Krishna increase them more and more because they are is so attractive that it comprehends all attraction, under the illusory energy. There is no end to the all bliss and all tastes (rasas). These attractions list of material enjoyments, nor can anyone in the are so strong that no one wants to exchange material universe have all of them. As far as the them for material enjoyment, mystic powers and mystic powers are concerned, they are eight in liberation. There is no need of logical arguments all (such as to become the minutest in form, to in support of this statement, because from one's become weightless, to have anything one desires, own nature a person becomes attracted by the to lord it over the material nature, to control other qualities of Lord Sri Krishna. We must know for living beings, to throw earthly globes in outer certain that the qualities of the Lord have nothing space, etc.). These mystic powers are mentioned to do with mundane qualities. All of them are full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. There are innu- www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 130, Page — 4 Top left 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

merable qualities of the Lord, and one devotee of nine devotional activities, such as hearing and is attracted by a particular quality while another chanting, becomes manifested. may be attracted by a different transcendental By His personal features and transcendental quality of the Lord. attributes, the Lord attracts all psychological Great sages, such as the four bachelor-devotees activities of a pure devotee. Such is the attrac- Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda and Sanat-kumara, tive power of Lord Krishna. The attraction is so were attracted by the fragrance of flowers and powerful that a pure devotee never hankers for tulasi leaves anointed with the pulp of sandal- any one of the four principles of religion. These wood offered at the lotus feet of the Lord. Sim- are the attractive features of the transcendental ilarly, Sukadeva Goswami was attracted by the attributes of the Lord. And adding to this the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. Sukadeva words api and ca, one can increase the imports Goswami was already situated in the liberated unlimitedly. According to Sanskrit grammar stage, yet he was attracted by the pastimes of the there are seven synonyms for the word api. Lord. This proves that the quality of His pastimes So by interpreting each and every word of has nothing to do with material affairs. Similarly, this çloka, one can see the unlimited number the young cowherd damsels were attracted by of transcendental qualities of Lord Krishna that the bodily features of the Lord, and was attract the minds of His pure devotees. attracted by hearing about the glories of the Lord. —Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 7: The Science of Lord Krishna attracts even the mind of the god- God » Chapter Seven » Verse: 10, Purport by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhak- dess of fortune. In specific cases,He attracts the tivedanta Swami Prabhupada. minds of multitude of young girls. He attracts the Transcendental Qualities Of Lord Krishna minds of the elderly ladies by maternal affection. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura He attracts the mind of the male in the humors of servitude and friendship. By adopting the chanting of the name of The word hari conveys various meanings, but Krishna, one loses the inclination to speak on the chief import of the word is that Lord Sri Krish- topics that are not related to Krishna. If one na vanquishes everything inauspicious and sings the name of Krishna, his eternal happiness captivates the mind of the devotee by awarding and that of all others increases. By worshiping pure transcendental love. By remembering the the name of Krishna, one worships Krishna Lord in acute distress one can be free from all Himself. “Kåñëa” is separate from objects that varieties of miseries and anxieties. Gradually the are seen through covered vision as superior to Lord vanquishes all obstacles on the path of de- Him, therefore one must chant “Kåñëa,” one votional service of a pure devotee, and the result Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 130, Page—5 is no possibility of any difference between the cause and the effect in their qualities and objects. The philosophy of impersonalism is associated with the dependent nature of the material world. The extraordinary concept of an object that is spir- itual, transcendental to the senses, and beyond the range of experimental knowledge is found in the -rüòhivåtti [The yoga-rüòhivåtti of a word is the connotation derived by combining two or more words, in this case kåñ and ëa.] of the name “Kåñëa.” The fact that He is non-different from His names, He is non-different from His forms, He is non-different from His qualities, and He is non-different from His pastimes, is not obstructed in the yoga-rüòhivåtti. —CB Madhya-khaëòa 28.026Çréla Vrindavan däsaÖhäkura With English Translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya Commentary and Chapter Summaries of Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja

Krishna Is The Greatest Form Of God Çré Sanatana Goswami must describe “Kåñëa,” and one must worship “Kåñëa.” One need not remember any word or Someone may raise the doubt that since Naraya- name other than “Kåñëa,” for since all others are na, the Lord of , is also described in more or less separate from Krishna, they provide Vedic scriptures as the avatäré, or source of all no opportunity for a living entity to achieve the incarnations, how can Sri Krishna be greater than complete auspiciousness of attaining Krishna. ? The concept of something superior to Krishna is a covered form of Krishna realization and Narada replies simply separates Krishna from Krishna's res- ervoir of pleasure. Attempting to increase the näräyaëäd apya vatära-bhäve perfection of Krishna's reservoir of pleasure on saàvyajyamänairmadhurair mano-jïaiù the pretext of adding rasas that are not related to tat-prema-bhaktyärdra-håd-eka-vedyair Krishna, results in a disgusting mixture of rasas. mähätmya-vargair vividhair viçiñöaù. Svayaà-rüpa Kåñëa is the fountainhead of all manifestations of the Lord, therefore if one does And Krishna is different from Narayana, for not remember Krishna, one is guilty of the faults when Krishna appears in His descent to the ma- of either imperfection, impurity, impermanence, terial world, He fully manifests the many unique or confinement. If one tries to deny Krishna's glories that distinguish Him alone—charming, position as anädi, or having no creator, and ädi, attractive glories that can be known only to hearts or the origin of all, by separating Him from His softened by prema-bhakti. sac-cid-änanda form, then one is attacked by the spirit of material enjoyment. The bhü-väcaka, Krishna is the all-victorious Supreme Personality or attractiveness indicated, in the verbal root kåñ of Godhead, greater than everyone, including the refers to complete eternal existence or complete Lord of Vaikuntha. When Krishna descends to eternal knowledge, and ëa refers to spiritual the material world, He reveals especially sweet pleasure. In qualities and objects not related to qualities that attract the hearts of everyone. Krishna there is a possibility of difference be- What kinds of qualities distinguish Sri Krishna tween the cause and the effect, but since kåñ and as greater than all avatäras, even the avatäré ëa are both the attractors and the attracted, there Narayana? To understand this topic properly one www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 130, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

needs a heart softened by pure love for Krishna. knowledge and bliss. The last four qualities are However, even without meeting that require- present exclusively in Sri Krishna. Even His ment, one can consider that most forms of God- opulent forms do not possess them. Not having head, like the Narayana of Badarikashrama, are these four qualities, Narayana, however,who only avatäras, whereas the supreme controller Çré is the Lord of the spiritual sky and whose form Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha, is not an avatära is fully spiritual, possesses the other sixty qual- but the avatäré. Krishna, however, is both avatäré ities in full. Demigods like Lord Shiva possess and avatära. Thus Krishna displays in His role as fifty-five qualities in small quantities. The living avatära the sweetness of His varied pastimes and entities possess the first fifty qualities in minute in His role as the avatäré the supreme status of quantities. Shiva, , Surya, Ganesha, and the absolute controller. Therefore, Krishna is the Indra are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. greatest form of God. They are qualitative incarnations of the Lord and Even the pastimes of Krishna in which He de- are empowered by Him. Such pious entities are feats and kills evil persons are sweeter and more awarded the responsibility of managing the ma- charming than anyone can describe or can infer terial creation. Factually they are all servants of by logic. This is because each enemy Krishna kills the Supreme Lord. By their mercy, many persons receives Krishna’s complete mercy. Moreover, the have attained pure devotional service. ways that Krishna defeats and kills demons are —Jaiva- Translated by , Int. & Sarv- supremely attractive. What then to speak of the abhävana däsa. ways Krishna reciprocates in kind with His lov- ingly surrendered devotees? Krishna deals with Mission Of Lord Chaitanya Mahäprabhu each and every one of His devotees according Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura to their rasa—sharing meals with them, relaxing with them, playing His flute for their pleasure, The personality and mission of Lord Caitany- dancing with them in the räsa-lélä, and so on. Mahaprabhu was summarized by Çréla Svarüpa This will be described more fully later on. Dämodara Gosvämé in the following sloka: — 2:4:187, Çré Båhad Bhägavatämåta of Çréla Sanatana Goswami, Volume Two. Translated by Gopé-paräëa-dhana Däsa. anarpita-caréà cirät karuëayävatérëaù kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasäà sva-bhakti-çriyam Why Is No One Equal To Or Greater hariù puraöa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandépitaù Than Krishna? sadä hådaya-kandaresphuratu vaù çacé-nandanaù Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Sixty-four transcendental qualities are fully “May that Lord, who is known as the son of manifest in Sri Krishna, who is eternal, full of Srimati Shacidevi, be transcendentally situated Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 130, Page—7 in the innermost chambers of your heart. Re- a maidservant of Srimati Radharani. Srimati Rad- splendent with the radiance of molten gold, He haraëé’s love for Krishna is so intense that Krishna has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless is maddened by it. Thus Krishna descends here mercy to bestow what no other incarnation has and accepts the form of Lord Chaitanya Ma- ever offered before, the most sublime and radiant haprabhu in order to understand and relish the spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His transcendental love of Himself. service.” (Cc. Ädi 1.4) While relishing love of Krishna, Sri Chaitanya This unnatojjvala-rasa, or the condensed el- Mahaprabhu revealed to the world the essence evated mellows of devotional service is the real of Kåñëa-bhakti. He gave to the world what was hankering of the followers of Srila Rupa Goswa- never given before—love of Krishna, as practiced mi, who are known as rüpänugäs. What makes by the inhabitants of Vrindavan. Lord Chaitanya the followers of Srila so uniquely Mahaprabhu instructed the Six Goswamis head- blessed? This will be explained. ed by Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana to write volumes Srimati Radharani has unlimited sakhés headed of devotional scriptures about the nature of this by Lalitadevi and Vishakhadevi. These sakhis love of Krishna. are in the same age group as Srimati Radharani. The Goswamis carried out the instructions of Thus they sometimes have direct dealings with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by writing volumes Lord Krishna. The sakhés facilitate the pastimes of of devotional scriptures such as: Çré Båhad-bhäga- and Krishna, and sometimes Srimati Rad- vatämåta, Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, Ujjval- harani arranges that Her friends have direct union la-nélamaëé, Hari-bhakti-viläsa, Lalita-mädha- with Krishna. However the direct maidservants va, Vidagdha-madhava, Ñaö-sandarbhas, and of Srimati Radharani are the known as maïjarés. others. Srila Goswami The word maïjaré means “bud, young, or very then took the essence from these writings, and tender”. These servants are young and innocent presented it to the world in the form of Çré Cait- girls. Their ages are not more than thirteen years anya-caritämåta. old. They are maidservants who exclusively serve —Prema-bhakti Candrika The Moonrays of Loving Devotion Çréla Srimati Radharani. The unique position of the Narottama däsa ÖhäkurPurports of Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura. maïjarés is that they are allowed to witness the Touchstone media. intimate loving pastimes of Radha and Krishna in the inner chambers of the groves of Vrindavan., They render personal service in those intimate moments to which the sakhés have no access. !! Sri Sri Gaurchandra Jayati !! Thus they relish the unparallel bliss of bhakti-ra- ISKCON sa. One of the principal maïjarés is Sri Rupa Mahavidyalaya Maïjari, who incarnated as Srila Rupa Goswami is a branch of International Society for Krishna Consciousness in gaura-lélä. Srila Thakura com- Founder-Äcärya: His Divine Grace A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada posed a very beautiful song in praise of the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari. This song is Editor in the text Prärthanä and begins as follows; çré Brajsunder Das rüpa maïjaré päda sei more sampada sei mora Copy Editor Isha Prakash Das bhajana pujana. Rüpänugä bhajana means following the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami Sanskrit Editor, by aspiring to become a maidservant of Srimati Vrajsevika Devi Dasi Radharani, the enchantress of Sri Krishna. Just as Assistance Sri Krishna captivates the mind’s of all the living Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi entities by His energy and attractive qualities, sim- Hari Lila Devi Dasi ilarly Srimati Radharani captivates Lord Krishna Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of by Her love and charming qualities. The goal His Divine Grace A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada of a devotee of Lord Caitanya, following in the ©BhaktiVedanta Book Trust International. footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami, is to become ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists. www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya