Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sri Sri Raga Vartma Candrika
Prathama Prakasha
First Diffusion
1. Again and again I offer my humble obeisances to those devotees who are like
cakora birds, relishing the nectar of Srila Rupa Goswami’s words. Through even their
slightest mercy I am able to speak this book “Raga Vartma Candrika”.
2. Previously I gave a concise description of the path of raganuga bhakti, or devotion
following one’s spiritual desires, in my book “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Bindhu”.
3. When one’s devotion is prompted by orders received from the revealed scriptures,
then it is called vaidhi bhakti. But when one is prompted simply by spiritual greed,
then it is called raganuga bhakti.
4. The word pravartaka (in the previous verse) means being fixed in devotional
practices. The two kinds of candidates for devotional service (vaidhi and raganuga)
should have fear of scriptural injunctions and intense spiritual greed respectively.
Srila Rupa Goswami has personally given the following definition of lobha (sacred
greed):
“When the heart yearns for the sweetness of the moods of Krishna and His eternal
associates in Vraja, and one is not prompted by scriptural injunctions or logical
arguments, then that is the definition of ‘sacred greed’.
If one thinks, ‘let such greed arise in me also’, after hearing about moods such as the
transcendental conjugal mood toward Krishna of His associates, the gopis in Vraja,
then one need not wait for suitable sanctions from the revealed scriptures or logical
arguments.
If such impetuses are there, then it cannot be justly called greed.
This greed never arises in anyone on such basis, nor does the candidate ever consider
whether he is qualified for the path of raganuga bhakti or not. Rather, simply after
hearing about the subject matter, or seeing it, that greed will arise in him.
6. There are two causes for the appearance of greed:
(1) the mercy of Krishna
(2) the mercy of another anuragi devotee
There are again two kinds of mercy bestowed by a devotee:
(1) praktana
(2) adhunika
Praktana means mercy bestowed by a raganuga in a previous life, and adhunika is
mercy bestowed in the present birth.
The praktana devotee takes shelter of the lotus feet of a raganuga guru after the
greed has arisen in him, and the adhunika will get that greed only after having
surrendered to the feet of such a guru.
It is said (in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu):
“The only causes of the appearance of greed is the mercy of Krishna or His devotee.
Therefore some call the path of raganuga bhakti pusti marga (the path of mercy).”
7. Now, when both the above-mentioned kinds of devotees become inquisitive about
how to attain the mood of Krishna's eternal associates in Vraja, then we see that
they are again dependent on information from the revealed scriptures and logical
arguments.
The way can only be shown through the rules set forth by the scriptures and their
resultant logical arguments. There is no other way.
Just like when one is greedy for cow’s milk, one must ask someone who knows about it
how to get that milk, and one is dependent on that person’s instructions. That person
will say: “You should buy a cow”, and will also instruct one how to bring the cow, how to
feed it grass and how to milk it.
One does not attain the required knowledge just like that, without being instructed.
It is said in the 8th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam:
“As one can derive fire from wood, milk from the milk bag of the cow, food grains and
water from the land, and prosperity in one's livelihood from industrial enterprises, so,
by the practice of bhakti-yoga, even within this material world, one can achieve Your
favor or intelligently approach You. Those who are pious all affirm this.”
(Srimad Bhagavatam 8.6.12)
8. Lord Krishna himself describes in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.26, how the devotee on
the path of greed advances and becomes more purified by the day, from the initial
stage of surrender to the feet of a guru up to the point in which he directly attains
the Lord:
“The more one’s mind gets purified by hearing and chanting of My beautiful pastimes,
the more able is one to discern the subtle reality of the self, just as the eye is
better able to perceive subtle things when it is treated with medicinal ointment.”
9. When this greed has appeared in the heart, one becomes enlightened in different
ways.
Uddhava says in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.29.6:
“Krishna reveals Himself through the acarya (spiritual master) or through the agency
of the Supersoul.”
Thus, some devotees attain knowledge about the moods of Krishna and His Vraja
associates from the mouth of a guru, some from the mouth of a learned raganuga
devotee, and some, whose hearts have been purified by the practice of devotional
service, will have this knowledge directly revealed to them from within their hearts.
They advance in great transcendental bliss, just as one sees a lusty man enjoying
great pleasure when his desires are fulfilled.
10. In Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the essence of all the Upanisads, Lord Kapila
speaks the following words (3.25.38):
“To the devotees I am the beloved, the very Self, the son, the friend, the spiritual
master, the well-wisher, Fate, or the chosen Deity.”
Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu of Srila Rupa Goswami, which describes the devotion
propounded by the Srimad Bhagavatam, provides the following three verses:
“The devotee should remember Krishna and an eternally liberated devotee of Krishna
of his own choice. He should always live in Vraja and be attached to topics concerning
Krishna and that favorite devotee of his.” (1.2.294)
“Both in his material and in his mentally conceived spiritual body he should follow in
the footsteps of the people of Vraja, always desiring their moods and
activities.” (1.2.295)
“The practitioner of raganuga bhakti should also perform all the limbs of vaidhi
bhakti, such as hearing and chanting, as far as they are favorable. This is what the
learned say.” (1.2.296)
These three verses explain the position of the kamanuga devotee (those serving in a
conjugal mood).
11. First of all, through the words “remembering Krishna” (BRS 1.2.294), it is
indicated that remembrance (smaranam) is the main item of raganuga bhakti. Raga is
a special feature of the mind.
The beloved is the Lord of Vrndavana, Sri Krishna, who enjoys pastimes suitable to
His own mood. By “His people also” is meant His beloved eternal associates in Vraja,
and particularly that transcendental personality that the practicing devotee favors,
like Vrndavanesvari, Srimati Radharani, Lalita, Vishakha, Rupa Manjari etc.
Although they are Krishna's favorites, they are also more favorite to those devotees
who desire to enter into the glistening conjugal relationship with Krishna.
If one cannot live in Vraja physically one must at least mentally do so. But the next
verse (1.2.295) clearly explains how one must live in Vraja physically.
Living with the sadhaka rupa means in the physical body of the practicing devotee,
and the siddha rupa means one’s own desired mentally conceived spiritual body, that is
suitable for direct transcendental service to Lord Krishna.
Tad bhava lipsuna means being eager to attain the glistening conjugal moods towards
Krishna of one’s favorite devotees in that mood, like Srimati Radharani and the gopis.
How to serve?
With paraphernalia that are collected either mentally (in siddha rupa) or physically (in
sadhaka rupa).
How to follow in the footsteps of the people of Vraja?
In one’s physical body one follows in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami and other
saints that lived in Vraja, and in the mentally conceived spiritual body one follows in
the footsteps of Srimati Rupa Manjari and the other eternal associates of Krishna.
The people of Vraja that should be followed, such as Candrakanti, the sages of the
Dandaka forest, whose story is told in the Brihad Vamana Purana, as well as the
Srutis, have attained their spiritual relationship with Krishna. One should act like
them.
In this way the first two verses described smaranam and living in Vraja and the third
verse (1.2.296) describes practices such as hearing about Krishna's pastimes.
All other limbs of devotional practice are attained through the practice of hearing
and chanting. Without hearing and chanting one’s following in the footsteps of the
people of Vraja will remain fruitless.
This was said by the learned sages after elaborate consideration. One should only
practice those limbs that are favorable to one’s own devotional mood and not those
that are opposed to it.
12. Worshipping oneself, using mudras or nyasa, meditating on Krishna's pastimes in
Dvaraka and worshipping Krishna's Queens in Dvaraka are practices not to be done by
a raganuga sadhaka, although they are described in the Vedic scriptures.
If, on the path of devotion, there is a slight deficiency on the part of the devotee,
that will not be a fault. That can be seen in the scriptures.
In the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam the nine Yogendras tell King Nimi:
“O King! A person who takes shelter of the path of devotion will never be in danger.
Even if he runs over this path with his eyes closed he will not trip or fall.”
The Lord also tells Uddhava in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.29.20:
“O Uddhava! In this endeavor of devotion to Me there cannot be the slightest loss or
destruction!”
The word yan in the former verse means that there can be no fault if one takes
shelter of the process of hearing and chanting.
It is also said in the Narada Pancaratra that exclusive devotion to Lord Hari that
does not follow the rules and regulations prescribed in the scriptures is simply the
cause of disturbance.
If someone, overcome by spiritual greed, begins on the path of bhajana, but still
feels that it is not proper to give up all the rules prescribed by the revealed
scriptures, even if they are unfavorable to his own sweet, spontaneous mood, and
meditates on Dvaraka, etc, then he will attain the transcendental position of an
associate of the Lord’s Queens in Dvaraka.
This is confirmed by the scriptures:
“One who has the great desire to have a conjugal relationship with the Lord, but who
worships Him solely with vidhi bhakti will become a Queen in Dvaraka.” (BRS 1.2.203)
The meaning of the word kevala in this verse is krtsnenaiva, not being able to give up
any unfavorable item of his practice, such as worshipping the Queens of Dvaraka and
being dedicated exclusively to vidhi bhakti.
The Amara Kota dictionary confirms that the word kevala can mean krtsna. Still we
cannot suggest that, just as if one worships exclusively in vidhi marga one will become
Lord Krishna's Queen in Dvaraka, so one will attain Krishna in the abode of Mathura
by practicing a mixture of vidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti.
How can one, after all, become a Queen in Mathura like in Dvaraka? If you answer
that you will become an associate of Kubja in Mathura, then I say that this is unfair.
After all, the rasa of Kubja with Krishna is inferior to the rasa of the Queens of
Dvaraka (as explained in Ujjvala Nilamani).
How then can one get something inferior through the practice of mixed vidhi and
raganuga bhakti, which is superior to simply vidhi bhakti?
The Gopala Tapani Upanisad proves that Rukmini was married in Mathura. One verse
states:
“Krishna, Balarama, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Rukmini eternally dwell in Mathura.”
Therefore the explanation that one will become an associate of Rukmini in Mathura as
a result of mixing vidhi bhakti with raga bhakti is also not reasonable, because not
everyone confirms that Rukmini is married in Mathura.
How can one become an associate of Kubja or Rukmini after worshipping Sri Sri Radha
Krsna? That is a second injustice.
Actually, when one follows vidhi marga, prompted by greed, that is called raganuga
bhakti, and when one follows vidhi marga and is prompted by the orders from the
revealed scriptures, that is called vidhi bhakti.
When one worships Krishna without following the rules set out by the scriptures, as
the aforementioned verse of the Narada Pancaratra proves, then it is considered to
be a disturbance.
13. The scriptures show five kinds of devotional practices to make clear which limbs
of devotional service are to be practiced in raganuga bhakti, what they are like, what
is their actual nature, what is to be done and what is not to be done.
They are:
(1) those which are filled with the desired mood
(2) those which are related to the desired mood
(3) those which are favorable to the desired mood
(4) those that are not opposed to the desired mood
(5) those which are opposed to the desired mood.
Of them, some are both the practice and the goal (the only difference being that the
former are in an unripe state, and the latter are ripe), some are the direct cause of
attaining the goal (prema), some are the indirect cause, some are helpful, some are
harmful and some are neutral. All these divisions have been shown.
14. Servanthood, friendship and so on are all both the means and the goal and are
svabhista bhavamaya — full of the desired mood.
Items of bhajana, from “taking shelter of the feet of a guru” up to “mantra japa and
meditation” are bhava sambandhi or “related to the desired mood” and are direct
causes for attaining the goal, love of God.
Statements such as “always do japa with a fixed mind” indicate nitya katya, or
perpetual duties.
Those who follow the order of the Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika “always do japa of
Krishna's holy name, which is related to the desired mood” in their mentally conceived
spiritual bodies, are also called “related to the desired mood” which is a direct cause
for attainment of their goal.
The explanation of the Gopala mantra according to Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika is:
“The lover of the gopis (gopijana vallabha) is pervading all my senses (Govinda).
Krishna's holy name in the form of the 18 syllable or 10 syllable Gopala mantra is the
best example of what is related to the desired mood.
Another direct cause of what is bhava sambandhi is hearing about Krishna's
transcendental forms, qualities, names and pastimes.
It is said:
“One should wander alone, giving up all shyness and sing the names of Krishna,
glorifying His sweet form” and, “all the devotees attain paramount bliss by constantly
describing, remembering and hearing about Your character.”
In this way the practices are proven to be related to the desired mood (bhava
sambandhi).
Previously it was discussed that smaranam is the chief item of raganuga bhakti, but
even this is dependent on kirtana. In the present Age of Kali everyone can enter into
bhajana through the means of kirtana.
All the scriptures proclaim that kirtana is the very best limb of bhakti. In the
Ujjvala Nilamani it is found that the srutis had attained birth in Vraja as gopis as a
result of performing penance full of love.
But in the present Kali yuga, the performance of penance is denounced and the Lord
Himself says:
“Those vows taken for My sake are actually penance.” Hence, penances such as
fasting on Ekadasi and Janmastami are indirect causes of prema.
We can understand that these occasional duties are perpetual because one can learn
that giving up such vows will create obstacles on the path of the practicing devotee.
In the smrtis it is said that fasting on Ekadasi will lead to the remembrance of
Govinda, so it is a direct cause for the devotional limb of smaranam.
On the other hand, the Skanda Purana and other scriptures say that one who does not
fast on Ekadasi is as sinful as the killer of one’s own mother, father, brother or
spiritual master. Thus he is an offender to the holy name.
In the Vishnu Dharmottara it is said that through atonement one may be freed from
the sin of drinking liquor, stealing or having sex with a superior, but the sin of eating
grains on Ekadasi is indestructible.
All these denouncing statements prove that vows like Ekadasi are compulsory. Such
vows should always be kept. What more can be said?
The Skanda Purana says:
“One may be in great distress or in great ecstasy, but anyone who does not give up
the vow of Ekadasi has made his Vaishnava initiation a success,” and “Anyone who
offers all his activities unto Lord Vishnu is a successful Vaishnava .”
These two statements give a definition of Ekadasi and a Vaishnava. It is forbidden
for a Vaishnava to eat food which is not offered. Even maha prasada is forbidden for
a Vaishnava on Ekadasi.
The vow in the month of Kartikka is an indirect cause for the limb of penance and a
direct limb for the limb of hearing and chanting. In many places, Srila Rupa Goswami
has called Srimati Radharani “Kartikka devata”, “Urjjadevi”, or “Urjjesvari”, the
goddess of the month of Kartikka, so it is clear that in the month of Kartikka one has
a special opportunity to attain Her.
With the statement, “O King Ambarisha! Always listen to Srimad Bhagavatam spoken
by Suka Muni!” from the smrtis, we see that hearing Srimad Bhagavatam is also a
perpetual duty.
From the statements:
“Thus I fully glorified the Maha Purushas to you”, and, “Those who desire pure
devotion to Lord Krishna should always hear the glorification of His attributes, that
destroy all inauspiciousness”, from the 12th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, we can
understand that hearing of the character of Lord Krishna, which is especially related
to the 10th Canto of that book, is a perpetual duty that must be repeatedly
performed, and that is related to development of the desired mood.
Wearing beads of tulasi, tilaka, the names or footprints of Krishna drawn with
gopicandana are favorable to developing the desired mood.
Serving tulasi, circumambulating and offering obeisances are also favorable to
developing the desired mood.
Honoring cows, dhatri and asvattha trees and brahmanas is not opposed to developing
the desired mood and is helpful, but serving the Vaishnavas is the most special item.
This should be counted amongst all that is mentioned.
We have seen in Srimad Bhagavatam that Mother Yashoda made her beloved Krishna
wait for His breast milk in order to take milk which was also meant to nourish Him
from the fire. For this she had to leave Krishna who was sucking her breast.
Similarly it is also not improper for a raganuga devotee to pay attention to the above
mentioned limbs of devotion which nourish the main limbs of hearing and chanting.
Meditating on oneself, nyasa, mudera, meditating on Dvaraka-lila and worshipping Lord
Krishna's Queens are harmful for developing the desired mood and are practices that
should not be performed.
Hearing stories from the Puranas are neutral factors. They are not helpful, nor are
they harmful.
Although there is no transformation or change in transcendental devotion, it has
nevertheless been divided in parts like “direct cause” etc, to make it more easily
understandable, which it would not have been otherwise.
Just as it is said in the devotional scriptures, “the 6 bhavas like sneha are
manifestations of prema” and the rasa shastras define rasa with words like vibhava
and so on, so I have also used terms like upadana karana (indirect causes) etc, to
make my point more easily understandable.
May the saints forgive me.
Dvitiya Prakasha
(Second Diffusion)
1. Sri Shyamasundara is always so absorbed in His pastimes with the beautiful girls
of Vraja who have accepted Cupid as their friend, that He is not aware of any loss,
exhaustion, household duties, danger, fear, worry or defeat by His enemies.
From all this we can understand that He has no chance to think of anyone else but
Srimati Radharani and the gopis of Vraja, since He is bewildered by His loving
pastimes with them.
How will He then accept the service rendered to Him by the countless raganuga
devotees who come to Him from different directions and from different countries?
Who will listen to all the different prayers that are offered to Him?
One may offer the solution that Krishna's expansion, the Supersoul who lives in
everyone’s heart, listens, and that the expansion and the origin are actually one, but
that will hurt the raganuga bhakta’s heart very much. What then is the solution?
The answer can be found in the words of Uddhava. He says:
“O Lord! When You considered whether or not it was proper to kill Jarasandha and to
go to the Rajasuya sacrifice, You called me to You and said ‘O Uddhava! What should I
do now?’ like a bewildered person.
You bewildered me at that time, acting like an ignorant, yet omniscient man who
needed advice from a counsellor, although You are not conditioned by time and space
and You are full of causeless knowledge eternally.”
But if someone will explain that in this case You seemed bewildered, but actually You
weren’t, then that is also not right, because Your activities are without endeavor and
Your birth is birthless — amidst all these words, this proposal is useless.
Therefore we should not explain it in the latter way. We must accept that just as
Krishna is sometimes bewildered in His Dvaraka pastimes, although he is omniscient,
similarly by His inconceivable potency He is sometimes omniscient in His Vrindavana
pastimes, although He is bewildered.
We must therefore accept the words of Bilvamangala Thakura in Krishna Karnamrta
“in all His pastimes the Lord is simultaneously bewildered and omniscient.”
2. In this case omnisciency means that Krishna has great power and opulence, not
sweetness, and outside of His majestic pastimes He is only sweet when He imitates
humans in His pastimes. This is what those with firm intelligence say.
3. Now we will define sweetness. Sweetness is there when the human mood is not
violated, regardless of whether Krishna shows His divine prowess or not. For
example, when baby Krishna killed the witch Putana, He was playing a human child by
sucking her breast.
Although He smashed the cart demon, He did so by kicking it with His tender foot
soles while He was a baby of only three months, lying flat on His back.
Although He bewildered Lord Brahma and Balarama by showing innumerable Vishnu
expansions of Himself, He also tended the calves and cows.
He stole the milk and curd of the cowherd women in an unseen way and He had
conjugal relations with many gopis while displaying His divine prowess by expanding
Himself into as many forms as there were gopis.
If performance of merely human pastimes with much bewilderment and without any
display of prowess is called sweetness, then the bewilderment of a naughty playful
child would also be called sweetness. Therefore this definition of sweetness is not
proper.
4. That manifestation of God that does not depend on human-like moods and is only
revealing majestic, divine manifestations is called aishvarya (prowess).
When Krishna showed such aishvarya in His four armed form when He appeared in
Mathura to Vasudeva and Devaki He told them:
“I showed you this four armed form of Mine so that you can remember My previous
birth. Simply by seeing Me as a human child you would not get this
realization.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.44)
Lord Krishna told Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita 9.5: “Look at My majestic form!” and
showed him His prowess, and in His Vrindavana pastimes He showed Brahma His
thousand four armed forms after showing His sweet and beautiful pastimes in Vraja.
5. Now follows the description of the devotees who are fixed in their conception of
Krishna as the Supreme Lord (aishvarya jñana nistha bhaktah). Vasudeva tells
Krishna and Balarama in Srimad Bhagavatam: “You are not our sons, but You are
directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
And when Arjuna sees Krishna's Universal Form in Bhagavad Gita chapter 11, he says:
“O Krishna! Please forgive me for whatever I may have said to You in the past due to
love and bewilderment!”
From these examples we can see that their respective feelings of parental and
fraternal love towards Krishna were slackened after seeing His divine prowess.
This is called aishvarya jñana. And madhurya jñana is that mood which does not cause
a heart attack or even the slightest feelings of awe after seeing some display of his
prowess, because feelings of intimacy are already firmly established in the heart.
For example, the gopis described Krishna as follows in Srimad Bhagavatam 10th canto
chapter 35, when He returned to the village after herding His cows in the forest:
“Krishna is being praised by demigods who surround Him and worship Him with songs
and flowers” and “on the way Brahma and other demigods praise His feet.”
Despite the fact that Sridama and Sudama and the other cowherd boys saw the
demigods offering prayers and flowers to Krishna, there was not the slightest
slackening of their pure fraternal love for Him visible in them, and the beautiful girls
of Vraja remained fixed in their sweet romantic feelings for him despite hearing
about His prowess.
In the same way the pure parental love of Mother Yashoda was not diminished even
slightly despite Nanda Maharaja’s consoling words to Vrajvasis.
Her love for Krishna rather increased and thoughts like: “I am blessed that my son is
the Supreme Lord Himself” appeared in her heart. Even a mundane mother whose son
becomes the ruler of the world still shows her motherly love for him.
The intimate moods of the cowherd boys, who may think: “We are blessed that our
friend is the Supreme Lord,” and the gopis, who may think: “we are also blessed that
our beloved is the Supreme Lord,” are rather strengthened when they hear about
Krishna's divine prowess.
In times of meeting aishvarya jñana is not fully manifest. The moon rays of union are
very cool, but the time of separation is as hot as the sun’s rays. These statements
fully reveal aishvarya jñana.
Nevertheless, if there is no reverence that causes a heart attack and the resultant
esteem during the manifestation of aishvarya jñana, then it cannot be really accepted
as aishvarya jñana.
“In His descent as Rama, He pierced the king of monkeys Bali like a hunter. An
ordinary hunter kills creatures because He likes the meat, but He killed Bali without
any reason, so He is even more cruel than a hunter. Again, being controlled by a
woman (His wife Sita) He cut Surpanakha’s nose and ears off.
In His descent as Vamana He accepted the worship of Bali Maharaja like a crow and
then bound him up. Therefore there’s no need for us to make friends with darkcomplexioned
men. But still it is difficult to stop talking about Him!”
Before Krishna lifts Govardhana Hill the Vrajavasis were not aware of His divinity,
but after He lifted Govardhana Hill and had gone to Varuna-loka, the hearts of
Vrajbasis were, after initially realizing Him to be the Lord Himself, at once filled
with sweet feeling of love towards him.
One has never heard even a single word like: “You are not our sons, You are the
Supreme Personality of Godhead”, from the mouth of Nanda Maharaja, like they were
spoken by Vasudeva to Krishna and Balarama, even after he had heard from Varian
and Uddhava that Krishna is the Supreme Lord.
Therefore the Vrajvasis were always full of Madhurya jñana, but Krishna's associates
in Dvaraka were filled with aishvarya jñana mixed with madhurya jñana.
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