"Paramahamsas, devotees who have accepted the essence of life, are attached to Krishna in the core of their hearts, and He is the aim of their lives. It is their nature to talk only of Krishna at every moment, as if such topics were newer and newer."
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.2)
Krsna conscious philosophy and the details of tattva vicara, ie the revealed scriptural truths, are as deep as one cares to dive into that unlimited ocean. A new devotee may not relish these things as much, but as one advances the details become astounding, clarifying, and enlivening nectar. To see the depth of thought and revelation on these topics is faith increasing.
HDG Srila Gour Govinda Swami sometimes entered into these topics, as his knowledge of scripture was second to none except Srila Prabhupada himself, and he acted as a guide shining the flashlight of his insight on the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, revealing details and connections during his life as a great mystic saint of our disciplic succession , and most loyal adherent to the spiritual master, our Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Gour Govinda Swami ws deeply absorbed in Srila Prabhupadas writings, having been assigned the duty of translating his works in Oriya language of Orissa state, wherein Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived a good part of his lilas, in Jagannatha Puri and Bhubaneswara.
Maharajah would spend many hours each day abosrbed in this service, sitting behind a dark blue colored steel trunk, on a mat on the floor, which trunk contained his books and writing materials, and acted as his desk, circa 1976 to 1980. He was silent for many hours daily, and never stopped his work, as he considerd it the topmost service to bring Srila Prabhupada to Orissa. He told us it was no an easy task, as the meanings had to be understood to portray them correctly in another language.
He was constantly finding great inspiration from the highest levels of revealed insight and scholarship which he said were the works of Srila Prabhupada. He consulted one or two sankrita scholars when needed, and remarked that they said that Srila Prabhupadas translaltions and purports showed an astounding depth of knowledge, most impressive to them. GGS was totally devoted to following and serving Srila Prabhupada in everthing he did, with no deviations, such thinking being simple to him as a natural part and parcel in matching his upbringing with Vaisnavism, and expressed that Srila Prabhupadas mercy was unprecedented and suitable only for such a great world acarya, that others could only try to follow.
In fact, seeing the great deviances and corruption of kanisthas and fools acting as if they were Utthama adhikaris in Iskcon at that perilous time, he did everything within his pure ability to establish the truths of Srila Prabhupadas presentations of bhakti siddhanta. He did not like this sort of association, as he knew the Western devotees would try to crucify him for speaking the truth, especially about qualifications of a bonafide guru. As a result, he was castigated and abused by the usurpers within Iskcon.
Prabhupada told us that his purports were dictated by Krsna, so it is no wonder that all gurus following him including GGS could only try to shed further light on these perfectly powerful and merciful revelations, as he himself noted many times. some devious persons try to say Gour Govinda Swami thinks himself better qualified to present Vedic Vaisnava knowledge which contradicts Srila Prabhupada, but that is a lie and this is well know to anyone who has had his associaton.
In a wonderful lecture on the glories of Srimati Vishnupriya devi, Chaitanya Mahaprabhus second wife, some details of these personalities were revealed in a lctrue by Gour Govinda Swami, much to my astonishment, and which i will try to desribe in basic principles now.
I have been fascinated by several characters in Caitanya and Krsna lila, three of them being Satyabhama devi, Srimati Vishupriya devi, and Srila Jagadananda Pandita. Srimati Satyabhama devi is leftish in nature, second queen and expansion of Radha, daughter of Satrajit, while Srimati Rukmini devi, the principle queen of Dvaraka, is rightish and sister of Rukmi. It is revealed that Rukmini Devi is an expansion of Candravalli, a principle rival of Radharani, and rightish in nature, ie submissive, always self-controlled, and in full service mood of surrender to the Master, Lord Krishna. Radha, on the other hand, employs jealousy, pride, anger, and sometimes she even controls Her beloved. Thus she has a hotteror leftish nature and a bewildering range of lilas that totally bring Krsna under Her control.
Satyabhama, Jagadanamda, and Vishnupriya devi are of the same category and personhood. It is inconceivable by any stretch of the mundane imagination, so one must accept the revelation and meditate upon it rather than try to second guess to understand.
There are three saktis or energies of the Lord. These are Sri, Bhu, and Nila. Lord Jagannatha is shown with Sri and Bhu devis around him, the maintenance and creative shaktis of God. Sri energy is the fountainhead and maintenance of spiritual lila and pleasure and service. Srimati Radharani Herself, Yogamaya, and Rukmini also are included in this category.
Bhu shakti is creative, and includes MahaLaxmi Devi, Vishnupriya devi, Srimati Satyabhama, and Jagadananda Pandita. Jagadananda Pandita is Satyabhama devi in Krsna lila. Satyabhama devi is an expansion of Sri Radha, while Rukmini is Candravalli. Jagadananda has written books on devotional servie, including the Flow of Divine Transformations of Spontaneuos Ecstatic Prema, the Prema vivarta, in which his mood and teachings are revealed. I will bring forth excerpts in future when i have access to my books, with the details and proper reference. Certainly his devotion to Mahaprabhui is of the highest category and depth.
For example, he once brought a pot of expensive fragrant oil to Mahaprabhu, his childhood companion from Navadvipa, now a sannyasi in Puri. Sri Chaitanya would not accept it, as it was not appropriate for a sannyasi to use such an opulent substance on His personal form. He asked Jagadananda to sell it and use the money to serve the devotees. But Jagadananda would have none of it, as he did not accept and did not like the austerities his Lord undertook, did not like that the Lord would not accept his loving offering, and so in a rage of rejectance, he threw the pot upon the ground breaking it as useless, as it could not serve Him, and thus his love was seemingly rejected. similarla, satybhama once insisted on having heavenly parijata lower, causing great havoc in heaven as Lord Krsna had to fight to take one from the demigods.
Mahaprabhu was controlled by Jagadananda on accountof his deep devotion to Him, His childhood companion and play mate. Thus, He was afraid of offending him, and once fasted when Jagadananda as a young boy refused to eat due to some slight in the Lords attention towards him which he perceived.
Another time, when Sanatana Goswami came to visit Jagadanaanda Prabhu wearing a red cloth tied on his head, Jagadananda assumed it must be the prasadam cloth of his Lord Chaiitanya! He was delighted! But upon finding out this was not so, it was some sannyasis remnant not Sri Chaitanyas, he flew into a rage and picked up a pot to strike Sanatana, who fled from him in haste.
Thus Jagadananda did not accept many standard restrictions on his behaviors, rather his deepest spontaeous love guided his every action, and in a hot jealous mood, was offended by anthing but the Lords perfect attendance and the complete devotion of all His servitors to the Lord. Any deviation or restrction based upon mundane rules and regulations was anathema to the power of his devotion, spontaneous and uninhibited.
As we see, Vrndavana lila is simpler yet richer in moods of lila, less externally opulent relative to the depth of loving rasa, and includes many leftish gopis, whereas Dvaraka lila is dominated by submissive service in a rightish mood and opulence to the great Kind Lord Krishna, and hence the chief queen is Rukmini devi there, whereas Radharani, chief Sri shakti, dominates in Vrndavana lila in sweetness, where Krsna is but a cowherd boy. These two great personalities are not jiva souls, and they compete in service to a large extent. They are Godhead shakti category, gopi, not jiva souls.
Srimati Vishnupriya devi was so devoted to Mahaprabhu, that when he took sannyasa, it ruined her complexion from her rolling in the dust, so she becamse murky colored instead of golden. She was constantly crying. Se would chant rounds and save a grain of rice for each round, and later cooked that and that was her foodstuffs. Seeing her condition and severe austerities, all the Vaisnavas were devastated and crying also, especially Srimai Saci devi, Nmiais mother, Yasodadevi in Krsna lila, whom Vihnupriya devi was totally devoted to.
Her marriage ceremony to Lord Viswambhara Sri Chaitanya is arguably the most ecstatic pastime in all of Chaitanya lila. All of Navadvipa witnessed it and became beneficiaries of the greastest good.
There is yet a third shakti, nila, less often seen and discussed, which is composed ot the yuthesvaris, ie the leaders of the groups of gopim yuthas, and their servants. Syamala devi is one.
Thsse topics are rich in mood and rasa and relishable by those seeking to deepen their appreciation for the pastimes of the Lord and His purest devotees. Falling at the feet of such great personalities as Sri Jagadananda Pndit, Srimati Satyabhama devi, and Srimati Vishnu priya devis, we beg to take the dust of the sevants of their servants servants.
Taking the dust of the spiritul masters, and of my eternal spiritual master Srila Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, i beg their guidance, and also the tolerance of the assembled devotees as i attempt feebly to to discuss and understand all these things, and ask their forgiveness for any errors i may have made. Corrections are welcome. I should not write, but it is very purifying for me to do so, and so i do.
Hare Krsna!
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