Rays of The Harmonist Vol. III No. I Editorial ®r ®r Rdh and Kas l la and Their vision of each other is described as nitya nav na, eternally fresh and new. When Rdh sees Ka She thinks, Who is this wonderfully attractive dark com- plexioned boy? I have never seen Him before! Similarly, on the sdhakas journey he experiences newer and deeper realizations concerning the tattvas of the Absolute, such as his understanding regarding the identity of ®r Caitanya Mahprabhu, and whether it was for primary or secondary reasons that Mahprabhu decided to answer ®r Advaita cryas thunderous calling and inaugarate the auspicious Sak rtan yajña on earth 513 years ago. As our genuine love deepens, the covering veils of illusion and misconceptions fall away, revealing finer and eternally ever fresh perceptions to be experienced and tasted by the sdhaka. Bhakti devi Herself is described as that dynamic current of positive loving service to our iadevas Rdh and Kaand just as any strong current surges to cover newer ground churning the depths of the river bed, so our appreciation of ®ri Caitanya Mahprabhu as jagad guru and bhajana ks guru, guiding us to the lotus feet of Rdh and Ka becomes clearer. What was the primary reason for His advent at this time? To taste for Himself that highest conception of Rdhs own unnatojvalla prema. And what was the treasure He came to give to the bound j vas? The beauty of His own bhakti, unnatojjvalla rasm sva bhakti riyam, that most intimate service to ®r Rdhik Herself, rdh-dsyam. anarpita-car cirt karuayvat ra kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-ras sva-bhakti -riyam hari puraa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sand pita sad hdaya-kandare sphuratu va ac -nandana anapita-not bestowed; car -having been fomerly; cirt-for a long time; karuay-by causeless mercy; avat ra-descended; kalau-in the age of Kali; samarpayitum-to bestow; unnata-elevated;ujjvala-rasm- the conjugal mellow; sva-bhakti-of His own service; riyam-the treasure; hari-Lord Hari ; puraa-than gold; sundara-more beautiful; dyuti-of splendor; kadamba-with a multitude; sand pita-lighted up; sad- always; hdaya-kandare-in the cavity of the heart; sphuratu-let Him be manifest; va-your; aci-nandana- the son of mother ®ac . May that Lord who is known as the son of ®r mat ®ac dev be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service. This loka has been taken from ®r la Rpa Gosvm ss Vidagdha Mdhava, and quoted by ®r la Kadsa Kavirja three times in his Caitanya Caritmrta, Adi 1.4; Adi 3.4; Antya 1.132. By our developed love and affection towards the Divine Couple through service to Guru and Vaiavas and our steady progressive sdhana bhajana securly aimed at the prema-prayojana, the high- est conception, which, in the Gau ya tradition is service in the personal camp of Rdh, our success is assured. It is only then that we can experience the full dynamism of bhakti devis ever fresh cur- rent. At that time our hearts and minds can be immersed in that nitya-nav na river of divine hari-kath as spoken by our crya preceptors. We sincerely hope that our readers will be inspired by the siddhntas revealed by our cryas words, and in particular at this auspicious time relish the contemplation of the Golden Avatra, ®r Caitanya Mahprabhu. N.K.Dsa. First Ray ·· Publications ®r mad Bhagavad-g t 5 Commentary of ®r la Vivantha Cakravart µhkura & ®r la Bhaktivednta Nryaa Mahrja Second Ray · ·· Forum Taking ®r la Prabhupda Straight 10 Bhakti Vidgdha Bhagawat Mahrja Condolences 20 ®r la Bhaktivednta Nryaa Mahrja Third Ray · Guru-tattva The Charm And Superiority of the Bhagavad-parampar 21 ®r la Bhakti Prajñna Keava Gosvm Mahrja Religion of Nothingness 27 Introduction to Being And Nothingness Being And Nothingness 30 ®r la Bhakti Prajñna Keava Gosvm Mahrja Fourth Ray · · Parikram Circumambulation of ®r Navadv pa Dhma 32 ®r la Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat Prabhupda Fifth Ray · ®r ®r Gaura-N tai Essay on ®r Caitanya-caritamta 36 ®r la Bhaktivednta Svam Mahrja ®r ®aci-Tanytakam 40 ®r la Srvabhauma Bhacrya Sixth Ray · ·· ®r ®r Rdh-Ka Vabhnu-nndin 42 ®r la Bhaktivednta Nryaa Mahrja Front cover: ®r Caitanya Mahprabhu, given by Back cover: Lotus, the representation of ®r ®r ®r la Bhaktivednta Svam Mahrja to ®r Gau ya Rdh-Ka's eternal abode. Vednta Samiti, Keavaj Gau ya Mah, Mathur. English titles Rays of published by the Gau ya Vednta Publications The Harmonist Published by the ®r Caitanya Mahprabhu ®r Gau ya Vednta Samiti: His life and precepts Founder-crya Nity-l l pravita o viupada paramahasa 108 The Vednta ®r ®r mad Bhakti Prajñna Keava Gosvmi Mahrja. Its Morphology & Onthology President-crya Vaiavism Tridandi svmi Real & Apparent ®r ®r mad Bhaktivednta Vmana Mahrja. Rai Rmnanda Vice-President Founder of Rays of The Harmonist Nm Bhajan Tridandi svmi ®r ®r mad Bhaktivednta Narya Mahrja. The Bhgavat Its Philosophy, Theology & Ethics The Nectar of Govinda-L l Chief Editor Editor Going Beyond Vaikuna T rthapda Dsa Nnda Kiora Dsa Bhakti-Rasyan Associate Editor Contributing Editor ®r ®iktaka ®ymala Ds Vaijyanti-ml Ds Venu G ta Proofreaders Layout & Vicitra Ds Managing Editor Mana ®ika Madhurik Ds Kal ya-damana Dsa ®r Bhakti rasmta-sindhu-bindu Life History of Impersonalism Victory of Vaiavism Our purpose is to spread rays of illumination from the spirit of the Gau ya Vaiavas, as desired by ®r la Prabandhval Bhaktivednta Nryaa Mahrja. Our heritage is the Harmonist, or ®r Sajjanatoan journal, founded by ®r la Pinnacle of Devotion Bhaktivinoda µhkura, later edited by ®r la Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat Prabhupda. May the Ka, the Ocean of Rasa present day Vaiavas bestow their divine grace upon our attempts to please them. Their Lasting Relationship ®r Upademta Rays of The Harmonist The Essence of All Advice Girirjaj Mandira, Sev Kuñja The True Conception of Guru-tattva Vndvana 281121 Mathur Dist., U.P., India Available from: Phone/Fax: +91 / (565) 445-294 ®r Keavaj Gau ya Mah E-mail: [email protected] Mathur (U.P.) 281001, India Web Site: www.igvp.com/rays E-mail: [email protected] First Ray · Publications ®r mad Bhagavad-g t "Innermost Intentions" Commentary of ®r la Vivantha Cakravart µhkura & ®r la Bhaktivedanta Nryaa Mahrja ®loka 1 dhtarra uvca dharma-ketre kuruketre samavet yuyutsava mmak pav caiva kim akurvata sañjaya Anvaya Natural sequence of words according to the translation: dhtarra uvca Dhtarra said; sañjayaO Sañjaya; kim akurvatawhat did they do?; mma-kmy sons; caand; pavthe sons of Pandu, the Pavs; evaafter that; samavethassembled; dharma-ketre kuruketrein the land of religion, Kuruketra; yuyutsava desirous to fight. Translation Dhtarra said: O Sañjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, having assembled at Kuruketra, the land of religion, desiring to fight? Translation of Although I am devoid of knowledge, by delibera- ®r la Vivantha Cakravart µhkuras ting on the thoughts expressed by previous Vaiava Srrthavari -bhvnuvda (commentary) cryas, I have become greedy to taste a drop of nectar in the form of the G t, according to the doctrine of ®r gauruka sat-kumuda-pramod Gaurga-sundara, the crest jewel of all sannys s. svbhikhyay gos-tamaso nihant Therefore saintly people should excuse this surren- r ka-caitanya-sudhnidhirme dered soul. manodhitihan svarati karotu The Supreme Absolute Truth, Parabrahman ®r prc navca suvicrya soham- Ka, bhajana (devotional service) to whose lotus feet ajñopi g tmta-lealipsu is the intended aim of all stra, appeared as ®r yate prabhoreva mate tadatra Vasudeva-nandana, the son of ®r Vasudeva, in ®r santa kamadhva aragatasya Gopla-pur , in His original human-like form. Al- though He is supremely inconceivable and beyond the May ®r Ka Caitanya Mahprabhu, who dispelled cognition of material senses (adhokaja), He neverthe- the darkness of the earth by distributing His own name less became visible to the eyes of common men by the (®r Ka), who is increasing the bliss of the lotus- medium of His yogamy potency. He imparted the like devotees, who is the storehouse of the nectar of instructions of Bhagavad-g t, thus delivering the j vas prema, who is the bestower of unnata-ujjvala-rasa which of this world, who were drowning in the ocean of birth is the most elevated relationship of divine conjugal and death. He submerged them in the great ocean of love, perform His playful pastimes in my heart. prema (divine love), by giving them a taste of the sweet- Rays of The Harmonist Vol. III No. I 5 First Ray · ··· Publications ness of His beauty (saundarya mdhury) and other fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, qualities. He appeared in this world, being bound by having assembled at Kuruketra? Here a question His promise to protect the saintly people and annihi- arises. Dhtarra has mentioned that his sons and late the demoniac. But on the pretext of removing the the Pavas have assembled with the sole purpose burden of the earth, He in fact gave supreme protec- of fighting, so it is certain that they will fight. What tionin the form of awarding liberation (mukti) to mis- then is his intention in asking, What did they do? creants, to those who were antagonistic towards Him Just to answer this, Dhtarra has used the word and to all those j vas drowning in this vast ocean of dharma-ketre, the land of religion.