by Srila Visvanath Thakura
A Monsoon Cloud of Nectar !
CHAPTER 1
First Shower of Nectar
Mangalacharana
hrd-vapre nava-bhakti-sasya-vitateh
sanjivani svagamarambhe
kama-taparttu-daha-damani
visvapagollasini duran me marusakhino
'pi sarasi-bhavaya bhuyat prabhu-
Sri-chaitanya-krpa-nirankusa-maha-madhurya-kadambini
“The mercy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is an uncontrollable cloud bank of
exquisitely sweet nectar whose sudden appearance fully rejuvenates the grains of
nine-fold bhakti in the field of the heart, extinguishes the burning summer heat of
lust and bestows rapture to the universal river of living beings. From far off, may
those clouds of the Lord's mercy give satisfaction and pleasure even to this
worthless soul, a dried-up tree in the desert.”
“Though previous mahajans (Prahlad, Dhruva, Kumaras, etc.) have taken up the path of
bhakti, I constantly pay my obeisances to Srila Rupa Goswami, the Lord's dear one, by
whose mercy one now attains the intelligence to see bhakti in its complete rasa form.”
We will proceed on the basis of shastra or scriptural evidence (shabda praman), which
is the best of all evidences.
Thus the Taittiriya Upanishad (shruti), after discussing the different coverings
(annamaya, etc.), emphatically declares that superior to Brahman, who is the shelter
or support of these coverings: brahma puccham pratistha (2.5.2), is the param
anandamaya purusha or paratpara tattva (most supreme truth) by describing Him as
the embodiment of rasa: raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati, the Lord
is rasa itself and, attaining that rasa, the jiva becomes blissful (2.7.2).
In this vein, the Srimad Bhagavatam, the cream of Vedanta and emperor among all
types of evidence, describes Lord Krishna as the full embodiment of rasa or pleasure:
mallanam asanir nrnam naravarah
strinam smaro murtiman
gopanam sva-jano 'satam ksitibhujam
sasta sva-pitroh sisuh
mrtyur bhoja-pater virah avidusam tattvam
param yoginam vrsninam para-devateti vidito ragam
gatah sagrajah
The various groups of people in the wrestling arena regarded Krishna in different
ways when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Krishna as a
lightning bolt, the ordinary men as the best of men, the women as Cupid incarnate,
the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as
their child, the King of Bhoja as death, the unlearned as the universal form, the yogis
as the Absolute Truth, and the Vrishnis as their supreme worshipable Deity.
(SB 10.43.17)
In the Bhagavad-gita (14.27) as well, the Lord Himself asserts His identity above
Brahman: brahmano hi pratisthaham, I am the basis of Brahman.
Therefore, the Absolute Truth is none other than the all-blissful transcendental
Vrajraja Nandana, Sri Krishna the son of the King of Vraja. He is equipped with
transcendental (shuddha sattva) eternal names, forms, qualities, and pastimes.
This blissful Lord does not descend to human perceptions of the ear, eye, mind and
intellect by any material cause, but rather simply by His own independent will. Just
as by His own will, He appeared in the material world as Krishna, in the Yadu dynasty,
and Rama, in the Raghu dynasty.
The Lord is not dependent on any material cause for His appearance. Similarly, His
non-different energy, devotional service (bhakti), in keeping with its self-manifesting
nature, is not dependent on any material cause.
Thus it is said:
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
“The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to
loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such service must be
unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (SB .2.6)
The word ahaituki, causeless, in this statement, indicates that devotional service
appears without any material cause (hetu).
In such statements as yadrcchaya mat-kathadau, “if somehow or other a person
becomes attached to hearing about Me” (SB 11.20.8), mad bhaktim ca yadrcchaya,
“somehow he attains My devotional service” (SB 11.20.11), and yadrccha-yaivopacita,
the word yadrichaya must mean by its own independent sweet will.
The meaning of yadriccha in the dictionary is also “complete independence.” Some
people take the word to mean “by good fortune.” That meaning is not suitable here,
for then one must inquire about the origin of the good fortune.
Is the cause material pious activities (shubha karma) or not? If one assumes good
fortune is generated from pious activities, this would mean bhakti is ultimately
generated from material karma. Bhakti would become dependent on material karma.
But this is a contradiction to its independent, self manifesting nature. Again, if one
considers this good fortune is not due to pious activities, it becomes both
indescribable by words and inconceivable. Consequently, an inconceivable entity is
insubstantial and cannot describe the cause of bhakti.
If one proposes that the cause of bhakti is the Lord's mercy, then one must find a
reason for that mercy. Thus, this statement, giving rise to further need for
explanation, is inconclusive in itself.
One may further qualify this statement by saying the cause of bhakti is the Lord's
unqualified (nirupadhi) or causeless mercy. If this mercy is causeless, then one
should observe that the Lord bestows it equally everywhere.
Since it is not observed to fall on everyone, then this would imply the fault of
partiality (vaishamya) on the part of the Lord. Thus, the causeless mercy of the Lord
also cannot be accepted as the cause of bhakti.
Someone may question that the Lord punishes the demonic and protects His
devotees--is this not partiality?
But this type of partiality the Lord shows towards His devotees does not imply a
fault (dushanam) in the Lord, rather, it is an ornament (bhushanam) which enhances
His nature.
This affectionate obligation of the Lord to His devotees is called bhakta-vatsalya. It
is the all-powerful king which subjugates of all the Lord's qualities and reconciles all
contradictory factors and will be fully discussed in the eighth chapter.
In proposing the unqualified, causeless mercy of the devotee as the cause of devotion
in another person, one may object that the devotee's mercy, like the Lord's, can be
partial.
Considering the case of the madhyama bhakta, one finds he does exhibit partiality or
discretion in his distribution of mercy. For it is said in the Bhagavatam, premamaitri-
krpopesa yah karoti sa madhyamah, he exhibits prema towards the Lord,
friendship to the devotees, mercy to the innocent and disregard for those hostile to
bhakti. (SB 11.3.46)
In other words, this partiality is accepted as the natural characteristic of the
madhyama bhakta. Since the Lord is subservient to His devotee, He lets His mercy
follow after the mercy of His devotee and there is no irregularity in this.
Now, the cause of that mercy manifesting itself in the devotee is bhakti itself
residing within his heart. Without the devotee having bhakti, there is no possibility
of the devotee manifesting mercy to others.
Bhakti causes the devotee's mercy which causes bhakti in another person. Bhakti
causes bhakti. The self-manifesting, causeless, independent nature of bhakti is thus
concluded.
There is a statement, yah kenapy atibhagyena jata sraddho 'sya sevane: a person
attains faith in the service of the Lord by extreme good fortune.
The words atibhagyena, extreme good fortune, should be ultimately understood to
mean the attainment of the mercy of the devotee (bhakta karunya), which surpasses
(atikrama) the fortune that results from material pious activities (shubha karma).
Here, one should not consider that the devotee is dependent on the will of Lord and
therefore cannot initiate the bestowal of mercy. For the Lord accepts subservience
to His devotee (sva-bhaktavashyata) and gives preeminence to the devotee's position
by giving him the power to bestow the Lord's own mercy (sva-kripa-shakti).
The Lord as paramatma oversees those matters relating to the jiva's external
senses, the reward from his past activities, however, He shows special mercy to His
devotees (sva-prasada).
In the Bhagavad-gita, mat-prasadat param santim... mat-samstham adhigacchati...
(BG 18.62 and 6.15). Sri Cakravartipada cites these slokas almost as if they were one.
The actual wording of the first is tat-prasadat, but here since tat refers to the
Lord, mat can also be used.
Krishna Himself speaks of His prasada or mercy as the means to attain
transcendental peace and His supreme eternal realm. This prasada takes the form of
the Lord's bestowal of His own kripa shakti, or power of mercy, to His devotee.
In other words, one can receive the Lord's mecy through the mercy of the devotee
who bestows it, as was previously explained.
There are hundreds of scriptural statements, such as, svecchavatara caritaih...,
sveccha mayasya..., by which it is understood that the Lord appears by His own will.
Still, by external vision one may say relieving the burden of evil on the earth planet is
the cause of the Lord's advent.
In the same way, sometimes it is said prescribed activities (karma) performed
without personal motives (nishkama) act as the door to bhakti. There is no harm in
such statements. But it is said in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam:
yam na yogena sankhyena
dana-vrata-tapo-'dhvaraih
vyakhya-svadhyaya-sannyasaih
prapnuyadyatnavan api
Even though one engages with great endeavor in the mystic yoga system, philosophical
speculation, charity, vows, penances, etc., still one cannot achieve Me. (SB 11.12.9)
Despite charity, austerities, etc, being clearly denied as actual causes of bhakti, in
another place Srimad Bhagavatam says:
dana-vrata-tapo-homajapa-
svadhyaya-samyamaih
sreyobhir vividhais canyaih
krsne bhaktir hi sadhyate
Devotion to Krishna is accomplished by such methods as charity, austerities, homa,
japa, study, sense control, and other pious activities. (SB 10.47.24)
However, this statement refers to bhakti in the mode of material goodness (sattviki
bhakti) which acts as a limb of the system of jnana, rather than the transcendental,
fully spiritual bhakti in the category of prema (nirguna prema bhakti).
Of course, some people say charity refers to giving to Vishnu and the Vaishnavas,
vrata or austerity refers to such vratas as ekadashi, tapas refers to renunciation of
personal enjoyment for attainment of the Lord.
Thus they are all angas or limbs of sadhana bhakti. To say bhakti is attained by these
angas is not incorrect, for this simply means sadhya (perfected) bhakti is caused by
sadhanabhakti, bhakty sanjataya bhaktya (SB 11.3.31).
Thus, the causeless nature of bhakti is again concluded. In this way, all contradictory
points are settled.
sreyah-srtim bhaktim udasya te vibho
My Dear Lord, devotional service unto you is the unrivalled path for self-realization.
(SB 10.14.4)
ko 'vartha apto 'bhajatam svadharmatah
The non devotee, although fully engaged in dharma, does not gain anything. (SB
1.5.17)
pureha bhuman bahavo 'pi yoginas
In the past many yogis achieved the platform of devotional service by offering their
endeavors to You in devotion. (SB 10.14.5)
By these verses it is seen that the accomplishment of results on the paths of jnana,
karma and yoga are completely dependent on bhakti.
Whereas, for the accomplishment of its result, prema, the practice of bhakti is never
dependent even in the slightest way on karma, jnana or yoga. Rather, the Lord
declares:
na jnanam na ca vairagyam
prayah sreyo bhaved iha
Jnana and vairagya are not beneficial in the practice of bhakti.
(SB 11.20.31)
dharman santyajya yah sarvan mam
bhajeta sa tu sattamah
He who gives up all paths and simply worships Me is the best amongst men.
(SB 11.11.32)
The dependency of karma, jnana and yoga on bhakti must be accepted as a fact.
bhakti is essential in giving the results to the practice of karma, jnana and yoga, but
bhakti itself is not at all even the least contingent on these practices for its results.
It is said:
yat karmabhir yat tapasa jnanavairagyatas
ca yat...
sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena
mad-bhakto labhate 'njasa
What is accomplished by karma, tapas, jnana and vairagya is easily attained by My
devotee through devotional service alone. (SB 11.20.32-33)
It is also said:
bhagavad bhakti hinasya jatih
sastram japas tapah
apranasyeva dehasya
manhanam lokaranjanam
Without devotion to the Lord, good birth, knowledge of scripture, japa, tapas are like
delighting in the decoration of a dead body.
(Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya 3.12)
Thus, without bhakti, all these endeavors become fruitless. As the body depends on
the presence of the soul, the very life of jnana, karma and yoga depends upon
supremely exalted Bhakti-devi.
Moreover, the dependence of karma, jnana and yoga on conditions of purity in place,
time, candidate, materials and performance is famous in the smriti scriptures. This is
not true of bhakti:
na desa-niyamas tatra
na kala-niyamas tatha
nocchistadau nisedhas ca
Sri harer namni lubdhakah
In chanting the name of the Lord, there is no restrictions concerning place, time,
purity, and so on. (Vishnu Dharma)
In fact, it is famous for being completely independent.
sakrd api parigitam
sraddhaya helaya va
bhrguvara nara matram
tarayet krishna nama
O Bhriguvara, the name of Krishna chanted even once, either with faith or without
faith, can deliver any man. (Padma Purana, Prabhas Khand)
Bhakti is not even dependent on purity of practice, for whether the name is chanted
purely or impurely, it will deliver the fallen soul. The same cannot be said of karma
yoga, where even the slightest impurity is a great obstacle to progress.
mantro hinah svarato varnato va
mithya prayukto na tam artham aha
yathendra satruh svarato 'paradhat
sa vaga vajro yajamanam hinasti
If a mantra is either intoned or pronounced incorrectly, not only will the mantra not
have effect, but it may be harmful. As when Tvasta wanted to create the enemy of
Indra and by a slight mispronunciation of the words indra shatru in the yajna those
words worked as a thunderbolt for Vritrasura who was killed by Indra. (Paniniya
Shiksha 52)
The necessity of internal purity for the practice of jnana yoga is well known. Also, it
may be seen that jnana yoga is dependent on karma yoga. For one enters jnana yoga
by attaining purity of heart, and purity of heart arises from performance of karma
without personal desire.
Because of this dependency, if by accident one who practices jnana yoga commits
even a small unworthy act (durachar), he is condemned by shastra as a vantasi, an
eater of vomit, sa vai vantasyapatrapah.
Seen in this light, Kamsa, Hiranyakasipu and Ravana, though they were jnanis, have
not even a speck of fame on this account because of their conduct.
On the other hand, on the path of bhakti, though one may be afflicted by lust one has
the qualification (adhikara) to begin the practice. Just by the practice of bhakti, lust
and other impurities are destroyed
vikrihitam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh
sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah
Anyone who faithfully hears or chants about the Lord's playful affairs with the young
gopis of Vrindavana having attained the Lord's pure devotional service, he will quickly
become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart. (SB 10.33.39)
By the tense of the verb pratilabhya (having attained) in this verse it is very clear
bhakti first manifests in the stage where there are still lusty desires in the heart
and then, after her manifestation, lusty desires are wiped out.
This is due to the fact that bhakti is supremely independent (parama svatantra).
Furthermore, though such impurities as kama may sometimes appear in the devotee,
the scriptures never condemn that devotee at all:
api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam
Even if a person engaged in devotional service commits the most abominable act
(sudurachara), he is still considered saintly. (BG 9.30)
badhyamano 'pi mad bhakto
visayair ajitendriyah prayah
pragalbhaya bhaktya
visayair nabhibhuyate
My dear Uddhava, not having fully conquered his senses My devotee may be harassed
by material desires, but because of unflinching devotion for Me, he will not be
defeated by sense gratification. (SB 11.14.18)
The servants of Vishnu judged Ajamila as a devotee. Though the chanting of persons
like Ajamila, who uttered the name of the Lord inadvertently out of affection for his
son, must be considered nama-abhasa (not pure), still they are universally praised as
devotees.
Internal purity and purity of place, materials, etc, are necessary for the
accomplishments of the karmis, jnanis and yogis, and their deficiency obstructs
progress on those paths.
Bhakti, however, is the very giver of life to these paths. Thus it is seen that in all
respects, the paths of karma, jnana and yoga are dependent on bhakti. Bhakti,
however, is independent. It neither requires any other means for its execution nor is
it obstructed by any lack or fault.
Only an ignorant person will say bhakti is but a means of attaining jnana. For shastra
emphatically declares the supreme excellence of bhakti over even the final goal of
jnana, moksha.
muktim dadati karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
The Lord easily gives liberation but not bhakti. (SB 5.6.18)
muktanam api siddhanam
narayana-parayanah
sudurlabhah prasantatma
kotisv api maha-mune
Even among many millions of liberated jnanis and perfected yogis, a devotee of Lord
Narayana is extremely rare. (SB 6.14.5)
If jnana sometimes appears to take a superior position to bhakti, it is only because
bhakti is mercifully playing the role of its assistant. Upendra, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself, became subservient to Indra to give him support.
Exalted, realized souls have confirmed that this revealed not His inferior position
but, rather, His unsurpassed mercy. In this manner, bhakti, though transcendental
and supremely independent, being very merciful, accepts the mode of goodness
(sattviki-bhakti) and becomes a limb of jnana just to give support to jnana. This is
the understanding of wise men.
Bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya (SB 11.3.31), the fruit of sadhana bhakti is prema bhakti,
which itself is the topmost attainment for mankind (purushartha shiromani).
Thus the all-pervading, all-attractive, life-giving, super excellent, supremely
independent, and self-manifesting nature [sarva- vypapakatvam, sarva-vashikaratvam,
sarva- sanjivakatvam, sarvotkarsha, parama-svatantra, sva-prakashatvam] of the
exalted energy, Bhakti-devi, which arises from the Lord Himself, has been slightly
described.
If one still prefers a process other than bhakti, that person should be considered
bereft of all sense of judgement. What else can be said? If one is a human being, but
does not take to the process of bhakti, then he should not be considered a human
being at all:
ko vai na seveta vina naretaram
Only a non-human would refuse to serve the Lord.
Thus ends the First Shower of Nectar of Madhurya Kadambini
By Mahamahopadhyaya Srimad Vishvanath Cakravarti
Describing the super excellence of Bhakti-devi
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