We may read or hear some gurus say that Sri Vrndavana Dhama is the land of Sambhoga, or meeting with Lord Krishna. Devotees might think this is at odds with what Srila Prabhupada taught us in Krishna Book and Srimad Bhagavatam tenth canto. Does not Vipralambha occur in Vrndavana?
Have we ever considered why Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His most elevated ecstatic emotions, not in Navadvipa or Vrndavana-dhama, but in Jagannatha-puri?
One answer is that Sri Jagannatha-puri is also referred to as Vipralambha-ksetra among devotees, the place of separation from the Lord. The feelings of separation experienced by Lord Chaitanya in the mood of Srimati Radharani are replicas of those same Vipralambha events that occur in Vrndavana even now in the present. The Lord’s highest ecstasies were exhibited as “… His body was at Jagannātha Purī but His mind was in Vṛndāvana.” (CC Antya 20.123)
Yet Krishna Book and the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam tells that these same highest ecstasies of feelings of separation (vipralambha) were experienced by Srimati Radharani and the Gopis in Vrndavana, so how can Vrndavana be a place of eternal meeting with the Lord – Sambhoga? Did Srila Prabhupada ever teach us that meeting (Sambhoga) is the highest thing?
If we think about it, each time we attend a Ratha-yatra event, we are participating in a Vipralambha experience. The meditation is to bring Krishna (Jagannatha) back to Vrndavana to meet with Srimati Radharani and the Gopis. But Ratha-yatra is a joyful occasion. There is something meaningful in this desire to unite Krishna with Srimati Radharani – Sambhoga.
“It is very difficult to express the manjaris’ dealings with Krishna because they have no desire to mix with Krishna or enjoy Him personally. Rather, they are always ready to help Radharani associate with Krishna. Their affection for Krishna and Radharani is so pure that they are simply satisfied when Radha and Krishna are together. Indeed their transcendental pleasure is in seeing Radha and Krishna united. The actual form of Radharani is just like a creeper embracing the tree of Krishna, and the damsels of Vraja, the associates of Radharani, are just like the leaves and flowers of that creeper.” (Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, page 331)
Even though the Gopis want Radha and Krishna to unite, (Sambhoga) and we share in their mood, are we opposing the usually held truism that Vipralambha is meant to be the highest attainment?
The subject of Sambhoga and Vipralambha can be understood in a basic way; otherwise, it expands into ad infinitum of the ocean of Bhakti-rasa. Sambhoga and Vipralambha can best be understood in proper context if we apply whether these events take place in a manifest way (prakata), or in an unmanifest way (aprakata). With prakata and aprakata in mind, we can determine Srila Prabhupada’s true stance on what constitutes the highest thing, of Bhakti attainment.
“Śrī Krishna’s pastimes in this material world are called prakaṭa-līlā (manifested pastimes), and His pastimes in the spiritual world are called aprakaṭa-līlā (unmanifested pastimes). By unmanifested we mean that they are not present before our eyes. It is not that Lord Krishṇa’s pastimes are unmanifest. They are going on exactly as the sun is going on perpetually, but when the sun is present before our eyes, we call it daytime (manifest), and when it is not present, we call it night (unmanifest). Those who are above the jurisdiction of night are always in the spiritual world, where the Lord’s pastimes are constantly manifest to them.” (CC Madhya 15.237 purport)
There were times when Srila Prabhupada did say that Sambhoga was the perfection of things. For instance, in a letter he wrote, “Don’t feel yourself to be alone because Krishna is always with you. Krishna is always with every living entity as Supersoul, and to His devotee especially He talks and gives instructions how to attain the perfectional stage of meeting Him. So don’t feel alone.” (1969, Letter to Anand)
The “perfectional stage of meeting Him (Krishna)” refers to Sambhoga. Are we to take this in isolation and declare that Srila Prabhupada says that Sambhoga is the highest thing? We can say yes to this if we balance it with what he commonly says and in what context. For example:
“Krishna has two kinds of presence—prakaṭa and aprakaṭa, manifest and unmanifest. These are identical for the sincere devotee. Even if Krishna is not physically present, the devotee’s constant absorption in the affairs of Krishna makes Him always present.” (CC Madhya 13.155 purport)
Another common example would be this: “So sambhoga and vipralambha. There are two stages of meeting Krishna. Sambhoga means when He’s personally present. That is called sambhoga. Personally talking, personally meeting, personally embracing, that is called sambhoga. And there is another, vipralambha. The two ways a devotee can be benefited.” (Los Angeles, May 1, 1973)
Here Srila Prabhupada says that both Prakata and Aprakata and Sambhoga and Vipralambha are “two stages of meeting Krishna” and are identical. How does vipralambha cause a meeting with Krishna? Srila Prabhupada writes, “Those under the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu can understand that His mode of worship of the Supreme Lord Krishna in separation is the real worship of the Lord. When the feelings of separation become very intense, one attains the stage of meeting Śrī Krishna.” (CC Adi 4.108 purport)
Sometimes pure devotees speak of seeing or meeting Krishna wherever they look or wherever they go, when under the influence of intense Vipralambha, whereas in Sambhoga they will see or meet a single form of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada consistently advocated meeting or Sambhoga through Vipralambha. So how do we understand how Vipralambha takes place in Vrndavana if that is the place of Sambhoga, as some say?
Really, it is not what some say, but what all enlightened Vaisnavas say, and we have to revert to prakata (manifest pastimes on earthly Vrndavana) and aprakata (unmanifest pastimes in hidden Vrndavana). For example, each time Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna never ever takes one step outside of Vrndavana – and we all repeat that oftentimes – he means that Krishna never ever leaves aprakata or hidden Vrndavana. He forever remains there with His loving devotees, in Sambhoga.
In Sambhoga? Then where does the Vipralambha fit in that Krishna Book and Srimad Bhagavatam so elaborately describes for us? The answer is that all these affairs of separation (Vipralambha), as described in Krishna Book and Srimad Bhagavatam tenth canto, occur in prakata Vrndavana manifest for earthly vision. They do not take place in aprakata Vrndavana. Another feature of Prakata-lila is that it is further training for devotes before they enter Aprakata:
“After giving up the body, the devotee who becomes perfect in devotional service enters that particular universe where Lord Rāmacandra or Lord Krishna is engaged in His pastimes. Then, after being trained to serve the Lord in various capacities in that prakaṭa-līlā, the devotee is finally promoted to sanātana-dhāma, the supreme abode in the spiritual world.” (SB 9.11.22 purport)
Being promoted to “sanatana-dhama” means being promoted to Aprakata-lila. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur verifies all this in his Jaiva-Dharma thirty eigth chapter:
“Gosvami: There are two types of krishna-lila: prakata (manifest) and aprakata (unmanifest). The states of separation (viraha) in vipralambha-rasa that I have already described correspond to prakata-lila. However, in aprakata Vrndavana, there is no separation of the vraja-devis from Sri Hari, who is eternally engaged in His variegated, blissful lila such as the rasa-lila. It is written in the Mathura-mahatmya: “Krishna plays eternally with the gopas and gopis there.” Since the verb ‘plays’ (krid) is in the present tense, it is to be understood that Krishna’s lilas are eternal. Therefore, in the aprakata-lila of Goloka or Vrndavana, there is no separation caused by Krishna’s making His residence in a distant place (dura-pravasa). Love in union (sambhoga) exists eternally there.”
This evidence synchronises perfectly well with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings on the matter of Sambhoga and Vipralmbha. He said, “Not that I am manufacturing. We cannot manufacture anything, but we can repeat the words of our predecessors. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, in his Jaiva-Dharma…” (Māyāpur, April 8, 1975)
But for us, Vipralambha has special significance because somehow, we have to feel being separated from the Lord. Pure devotees cannot bear even a single moment without the Lord. If we can bear minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years and lifetimes without the Lord, then this Viraha or Vipralambha process is for us. In this respect Vipralambha-seva is our highest ideal for this life in devotion and for the next life of devotion in Prakata-lila – if we are fortunate.
We can just imagine that if we can tolerate one minute or even thirty seconds without feeling any genuine separation from Krishna, then we are far adrift from our goal of Vipralambha-seva, or serving in separation. In the seventh verse of Sri Siksatakam, Lord Chaitanya expresses the utmost of Vipralambha by praying – “Govinda virahena me.” If a single moment of Viraha (separation) for Him feels like ages, then it is something for us to aspire for on a practical level, developing into a deep inner state.
The Viraha word is linked with the seventh verse of Sri Siksatakam. In Srila Prabhupada’s Light Of The Bhagavata chapter forty two, we find some practical tips: “Without love of Godhead there is no meaning even to direct contact. During the presence of the Lord there were thousands and thousands of men, but because they were not in love of Godhead they could hardly realize the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna. Therefore we must first activate our dormant love of Godhead by following the prescribed rules and by following in the footsteps of the authorities who are actually fixed in love of Godhead. The gopīs provide the highest example of such unalloyed love of Godhead, and Lord Chaitanya at the ultimate stage of realization displayed the viraha worship in the mood of the gopīs.”
Yet, if we view the same Sri Siksatakam verses as representing progressive stages of spiritual development, there is still something beyond the seventh verse. The seventh verse can be explained with this: “This vipralambha helps nourish emotions at the time of meeting.” (CC Madhya 23.62 purport) How can we make sense of this if meeting in Vipralambha is more relishable?
An answer is given here: “Highly advanced ecstasy is divided into two categories-mādana and mohana. Meeting together is called mādana, and separation is called mohana. (Madhya 23.58) The eighth verse of Srri Siksatakam represents both Sambhoga and Vipralambha being experienced at any given time according to how spiritual emotions move in the waves of ecstasy:
“I know no one but Krishna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me broken-hearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.” (Sri Siksatakam, verse eight)
Coming back into reality of our attempts to appreciate such exalted heights, we can be amazed at how externally; such Vipralambha or Viraha emotions seem to cause extreme shock, agony and devastation, when in fact it is all such shocking, agonising and devastating sheer ecstatic bliss, for there is no misery in these spiritual emotions.
Since the words Madana was used to indicate Sambhoga, and the word Mohana used for Viraha or Vipralambha, we can justifiably match the words to Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana, who Srila Prabhupada sometimes called, our “Attracting” Lordships. We pray to be attracted to Them so that They can attract us to the ocean of separation and meeting.
Ys Kesava Krsna Dasa – GRS
11 Responses to ““I Thought Vipralambha-Seva Is The Highest Thing””
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Jul 21, 2013 at 4:12 pm
he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah
sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vane kutah
ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
8. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis,
namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vrndavana, shouting,
“Queen of Vrndavana, Radharani! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Maharaja!
Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana,
or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamuna? Where are you?”
These were their moods in executing Krsna consciousness.
Sri Sri Sad-goswamy-astaka – Verse 8 – “Eight Prayers to the Six Goswamis” by Srinivasa Acharya
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Jul 22, 2013 at 7:22 am
Raghunath das Goswami is praying, “Through all my life I have waited for Your mercy and I am growing impatient, old and tired. I cannot wait any longer without Your love. Shri Radharani, without Your mercy. I will give up my life. 1 cannot tolerate the separation any more. Without Your mercy 1 do not even care to live in Vrindavan. Even Vrindavan has no appeal or charm to me without connection to Your loving service. I do not even care for Krishna, the all-attractive Supreme Lord. I have no desire even for Krishna without service to You.”
He expresses his longing for the service of Srimati Radharani further in Utkantha Dasaka (from Stavavali):
(1) When will I serve Sri Radha, whose complexion eclipses the splendor of gold, who is a smiling, beautiful young girl, who is gloriously dressed in red silk garments, whose splendid, moving braids are decorated with peacock feathers, and who happily catches a glimpse of Lord Mukunda from the corner of Her eye?
(2) Attracted by the splendid fragrance of Radha’s beautiful transcendental form, the bumblebee Govinda at once gave up happily drinking the honey of the gopis’ lotus lips and madly flew to Sri Radha, the beautiful kalpa vine of Vrndanvana forest. When will I serve Sri Radha?
(3) In a forest cottage by the shore of a beautiful lake, reclining on a coach of charming, delicate jasmine petals, and again and again defeating proud Madhava in the dice game,Radha smiles, and with a festival of many sidelong glances causes her friends to laugh. When will I serve Sri Radha?
(4) When will I serve Sri Radha who, surrounded by Her friends, filled with the nectar of love, and manifesting the eight sattvika ecstasies, sweetly sings to the accompaniment of vinas, flutes, mrdangas, and the tinkling of anklets and other ornaments, and gracefully dances in the rasa-lila with the moon that is Lord Krsna.
(5) When will I serve Sri Radha, who in the middle of the forest enjoyed pastimes of ferocious amorous battle with passionate Krsna, striking Him as He scratched the great mountains of her breasts and Her friends offered prayers and blessings from far away?
(6) When will I serve Sri Radha, who replied with glittering cakora eyes, arrogant eyebrows, and an angry flood of crooked words when Krsna and His friends, pretending to demand payment of a toll, forcibly stopped Her and Her friends on the path near Govardhana Hill?
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Jul 22, 2013 at 7:25 am
(7) When will I serve Sri Radha? Traveling across the Manasa-ganga on a boat with Lord Krsna whose heart yearned to enjoy pastimes on the other shore, She cheerfully ripped open Her bodice when Krsna tricked Her by saying, “This old boat of Mine is about to sink.”
(8) When will I serve Sri Radha? In Her favorite lake on a warm summer evening that made Her yearn to enjoy water-pastimes, She and Her playful friends jubilantly sprinkle the expert water-sportsman Lord Govinda with water from Their jala-yantras.
(9) When will I serve Sri Radha? She is drowned with tears of joy and Her bodily hairs stand erect, as with many fragrant spring flowers Lord Krsna, trembling and the hairs of His body erect in excitement, decorates Her limbs one by one.
(10) When will I serve Sri Radha, who is dearer to Lord Krsna than His own life, who considers the dust of Lord Krsna’s feet millions of times more dear than Her own life, who is supremely fortunate, whose fame shines in the three worlds, and who is the jewel crown of Lord Krsna’s gopi beloveds?
(11) An intelligent person who glorifies the great queen of Vrndavana by reciting this prayer of ten longings (Utkantha-dasaka, with a sweet voice causes Lord Krsna to taste the transcendental qualities of Sri Radha, who is as dear to Him as His own life. Filled with festive happiness, Lord Krsna gives that reciter a supremely priceless jewel.
pustakrishna says : Log in to Reply
Jul 24, 2013 at 8:23 am
A simple way of trying to conceive of the Krishna bhaktas’ placing so much vital importance upon Srimati Radharani is this: We jiva souls are infinitesimal, and, yes, we have an infinitesimal capacity to love Krishna. That is not a small thing because of Krishna’s potency. However, Srimati Radharani is the hladini-shakti plenary portion of Krishna Whose identity is Supreme Lover of Krishna. Sri Radha is not a jiva soul. She is, as it were, the vortex of prema, love for Krishna.
While the jiva soul can be established in love for Krishna, and one’s spiritual senses are part and parcel of Krishna’s (hrishikesa hrishikena sevanam), the capacity for love of Krishna that is unlimited is found only in the form of Srimati Radharani. Thus, we can see that in our vaishnava line from Lord Chaitanya that Srimati Radharani is the ultimate goal for service. Sri Gurudeva in his pure form is an intimate servitor of Srimati Radharani…and the ecstatic love for Krishna which the jiva soul is entitled to becomes catapulted into a sphere unknown by those not favored by Srimati Radharani.
We chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. “Hare” is the vocative, calling out to Sri Radha, to please engage us in the service of Krishna. It is so complete that even unknowingly, Lord Chaitanya has primed His followers to become engaged in the loving service of Sri Sri Radha Krishna.
While we may try to intellectually define these areas of transcendental science, these are spiritual matters realized by rare and fortunate souls. If we should become most concerned with Krishna’s pleasure, rather than our own, we may become more fit to approach Srimati Radharani through Her divine servants….Sri Guru Vaishnava.
Pusta Krishna das
syamananda dasa says : Log in to Reply
Aug 11, 2013 at 11:18 am
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur once surprised his audience by saying that neophyte devotees wish to live in Vrndavan, but a man of real bhajan, real divine aspiration, will aspire to live in Kurukshetra. He noted that Thakur Bhaktivinoda, after visiting many different places of pilgrimage, remarked, “I would like to spend the last days of my life in Kurukshetra.”
In Kurukshetra, is the place where vipralambha is at it’s peak while Vrndavana is the place of sambhoga. Srimati Radharani feels the greatest seperation here because Krishna is so close, but Their vrndavan-lila is impossible. Krishna is there in Kurukhsetra, so near, but He is in the role of a king and They cannot meet intimately. At this time, Srimati Radharani needs the highest service from her group of servitors. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that, in this heartbreaking situation, a drop of service will draw the greatest amount of prema, divine love.
told by followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Aug 25, 2013 at 10:40 am
Jaiva Dharma — Chapter 37 – vipralambha enhances the super-excellent brilliance of sambhogarasa. Sambhoga cannot develop fully without vipralambha.
Vijaya: What is srngara-rasa?
Gosvami: Srngara is the super-excellent and profuse transcendental charm of madhura-rasa. There are two kinds of srngara: vipralambha (love in separation) and sambhoga (meeting and performing joyful transcendental pastimes together).
Vijaya: I would like to know the characteristics of vipralambha.
Gosvami: Vipralambha is the delightful emotion that manifests when the nayaka and the nayikas cannot fulfill their cherished and delightful longing for pastimes such as embracing and kissing each other. Vipralambha can occur in any state, either during meeting (milana) or separation (viyoga), and it especially nourishes the mood of sambhoga. Vipralambha is also called viraha or viyoga.
Vijaya: How does vipralambha nourish the mood of sambhoga?
Gosvami: Dipping a colored cloth repeatedly in the same dye increasingly enhances the brilliance of the color. Similarly, vipralambha enhances the super-excellent brilliance of sambhogarasa. Sambhoga cannot develop fully without vipralambha.
Vijaya: How many different types of vipralambha are there?
Gosvami: There are four types: purva-raga, mana, prema-vaicittya and pravasa…
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As Vijaya was contemplating Sri Guru Gosvami’s instructions on vipralambha, he said to himself, “Vipralambha-rasa is not an independent phenomenon or a self-perfected rasa; it simply promotes and nourishes the mood of sambhoga. For a jiva bound to worldliness, such pangs of separation (vipralambha-rasa) manifest in a special manner, and this is ultimately favorable for his pleasure in meeting (sambhoga-rasa). However, in the eternal transcendental rasa, the bhava of vipralambha exists eternally, to some extent. In fact, the variegatedness of spiritual pastimes cannot be invoked to its fullest possible degree without vipralambha.”
pustakrishna says : Log in to Reply
Aug 28, 2013 at 3:42 am
A beautiful and inspiring discussion! Srila Prabhupad often would say that you can judge your advancement in spiritual life by how much hankering or longing for Krishna is manifesting in one’s consciousness. Of course, these are magical times for the conditioned soul. We must continue on with sadhana.
When chanting the Holy Names, associating with Krishna, a feeling of longing for Krishna may arise. That is very welcome! This places Krishna as the natural Center, and our tiny selves as lovers of Him. We should not artificially try to exhibit this, as this would then place our selves as the center, an unnatural position for the bhakta who never wants to be the enjoyer or center.
Much like the “cakora bird” that does not want to take water from the earth, but only directly from the cloud, the bhakta does not want the ecstasy and love of Krishna to be tinged by anything mundane.
Pusta Krishna das
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Aug 28, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Vipralambha, love in separation, expresses itself in four varieties: purva-raga, mana, prema-vaicittya, and pravasa.
Purva-raga is the separation lovers feel before they actually meet and formally acknowledge their love for one another.
Mana is the separation that occurs when lovers quarrel with one another.
Prema-vaicittya is the feeling of separation that occurs when lovers are in the presence of one another yet fear impending separation.
Pravasa is the separation that occurs when lovers are separated by distance and time.
Commenting on the seventh verse of Siksastakam in his Bhajana-rahasya, Thakura Bhaktivinoda writes that the sign of one’s having attained the sadhya of nama-sankirtana is that one worships in the mood of separation. Similarly, Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta states that the real sign of prema is that one performs sankirtana in the agony of separation.1
Thakura Bhaktivinoda emphasizes meditating on lilas involving purva-raga or pravasa in the cultivation of prema, as Mahaprabhu does in this verse of Siksastakam. However, he also points out that devotees who have attained prema but have not yet left this world and taken birth in Krishna’s prakata-lila are only capable of fully experiencing purva-raga. The reason for this is that while purva-raga can be experienced by hearing about Krishna, seeing his picture, or visualizing him in meditation, the other three types of separation fully manifest only after having met Krishna personally and having experienced the intensification of one’s sthayi-bhava that takes place in Krishna’s prakata-lila.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur further comments:
It is essential for the sadhaka jivas to cultivate only the mood of vipralambha, and because they have never experienced meeting with Krishna, their vipralambha will come only in the category of purva raga. But without having ever met with Krishna, how can they experience separation in purva raga from Him?
By hearing the lila-katha of Shri Krishna from others, purva raga is awakened. This was the case with the dvija-patnis as well as the ladies of Mathura previous to Krishna’s arrival there. Rukmini also had never seen Krishna, but by hearing about Him from Shri Narada, purva raga arose within her heart. Thus she became exceedingly anxious to meet with Krishna. Similarly, by hearing from the guru and Vaishnavas or by reading the shastras, the jivas may have purva raga vipralambha awakened within their hearts.
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Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Aug 28, 2013 at 2:20 pm
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The jivas have qualification only up to this extent because they have never experienced meeting with Krishna. Therefore, the other types of vipralambha such as mana and pravasa are not possible for them. ·
Separation (viraha) is said to be of ten kinds: (1) cinta (anxious consideration), (2) jagarana (sleeplessness), (3) udvega (agitation), (4) tanava krishata (emaciation of the body), (5) malinangata (discoloring of the limbs of the body), (6) pralapa (incoherent speech), (7) vyadhi (being stricken with a tormenting ailment), (8) unmada (madness), (9) moha (bewilderment), and (10) mrityu (death) or murccha (unconsciousness).
Shri Chaitanya Caritamrita (Antya Lila 20.40-41):
udvege divasa na jaya, kshana haila yuga-sam
varshara megha-praya ashru varshe nayana
govinda virahe shunya haila tribhuvana
tushanale pode-jena na jaya jivana
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, absorbed in intense feelings of separation in the ecstacy of mahabhava, speaks as follows:
“Hey sakhi! On account of agitation caused by separation from the son of Maharaja Nanda, I am unable to tolerate the passing of time. Each and every moment appears to be like an entire millenium (yuga). Tears are flowing incessantly from my eyes just like torrents of rain from the clouds. Now I simply can not tolerate separation from Govinda. This entire universe appears as if void. My body is always burning in the fire of separation as if my limbs had been bound by straw and set ablaze. Yet I remain alive. What am I to do now?”
Sneha which is possessed of an intense longing is called raga. Thereby, upon the appearance of raga, even a moment’s separation is intolerable, whereas in meeting, great sorrow appears like happiness. The complete opposite of this situation is found in separation (i.e. great happiness becomes a source of unbearable distress). This raga causes its worshipable object to be experienced as eternally fresh, and being ever increasingly fresh itself, it is transformed into anuraga.
Upon the appearance of anuraga, the sentiment, exchanged between lover and beloved, of having been brought under one another’s control is tremendously increased. Prema Vaicitrya (variegated love) is a division of vipralambha which comes in anuraga.
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Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Aug 28, 2013 at 2:23 pm
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It begins to manifest as the desire to take birth as inanimate objects (aprani) that are connected to Shri Krishna (an example of this is Shrimati Radharani’s desire to take birth as a bamboo rod so that She could become a bamboo rod flute and thus drink the nectar of Shri Krishna’s lips). Another aspect of prema vaicitrya is that, even though separated from Shri Krishna, the beloved begins to see Krishna everywhere, as if He were directly before Her.
When anuraga becomes matchless and filled with astonishment, it obtains a state of complete madness (unmada) and is called mahabhava. In the state of mahabhava, when the devotee is in the Lord’s association, even a moment’s obstruction in seeing the Lord due to the blinking of the eyes is intolerable. Similarly, a day of Brahma (a kalpa) appears to be but a moment. Conversely, when the devotee is separated from the Lord, even a moment appears to be like an entire kalpa. In the state of mahabhava, both in union and in separation, the sattvika bhavas, sancari bhavas and other symptoms of ecstacy are displayed to their fullest extent.
Puskaraksa das says : Log in to Reply
Sep 7, 2013 at 11:00 pm
Kothaya Go Premamayi Radhe Radhe
by Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji
(1)
kothāya go premamayi rādhe rādhe
rādhe rādhe go, jaya rādhe rādhe
(2)
dekhā diye prāṇa rākha, rādhe rādhe
tomāra kāńgāla tomāya ḍāke, rādhe rādhe
(3)
rādhe vṛndāvana-vilāsini, rādhe rādhe
rādhe kānu-mana-mohini, rādhe rādhe
(4)
rādhe aṣṭa-sakhīra śiromaṇi, rādhe rādhe
rādhe vṛṣabhānu-nandini, rādhe rādhe
(gosāi) niyama kare sadāi ḍāke, rādhe rādhe
(5)
(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke keśī-ghāṭe,
ābāra ḍāke vaḿśī-vaṭe, rādhe rādhe
(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke nidhu-vane,
ābāra ḍāke kuñja-vane, rādhe rādhe
(6)
(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke rādhā-kuṇḍe,
ābāra ḍāke śyāma-kuṇḍe, rādhe rādhe
(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke kusuma-vane,
ābāra ḍāke govardhane, rādhe rādhe
(7)
(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke tāla-vane,
ābāra ḍāke tamāla-vane, rādhe rādhe
(gosāi) malina vasana diye gāya,
vrajera dhūlāya gaḍāgaḍi jaya, rādhe rādhe
(8)
(gosāi) mukhe rādhā rādhā bale,
bhāse nayanera jale, rādhe rādhe
(gosāi) vṛndāvane kuli kuli kêde beḍāya
rādhā bali’, rādhe rādhe
(9)
(gosāi) chāpānna daṇḍa rātri-dine
jāne nā rādhā-govinda vine, rādhe rādhe
(10)
tāra para cāri daṇḍa śuti’ thāke
svapne rādhā-govinda dekhe, rādhe rādhe
1) Where is She who is full of prema? All glories to Sri Radha.
2) O Radha, please give me Your darsana and save my life. Your wretched beggar calls out to You, “Radhe! Radhe!”
3) O Radha, You enjoy pleasure pastimes in the forest of Vrndavana wherein You enchant the mind of Krsna.
4) O Radhe, You are the crest-jewel among Your eight principal sakhis. O Radha, daughter of Vrsabhanu Baba. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was alway calling out, “Radhe! Radhe!”
5) Sometimes at Kesi-ghata, sometimes at Vamsi-vata. Sometimes in Nidhuvana, sometimes in Seva-kunja.
6) Sometimes at Radha-kunda, sometimes at Syama-kunda, sometimes at Kusuma-sarovara, sometimes at Giriraja-Govardhana.
7) Sometimes at Talavana, sometimes at Tamalvana. Raghunatha dasa wears simple cloth which appears to be dirty because he is always rolling on the earth crying out, “Radhe! Radhe!”
8) Calling out “Radhe! Radhe,” his eyes are bursting with a flood of tears. He wanders throughout the lanes of Vrndavana crying out, “Radhe! Radhe!”
9) He knows nothing but Radha-Govinda throughout the day and night (56 dandas: 1 danda=24 minutes). Radhe! Radhe!
10) He takes rest for only 4 dandas (1 hr. 36 min.). At that time in his dreams he receives darsana of Radha-Govinda. Radhe! Radhe!
By Kesava Krsna Dasa
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