{"id":21168,"date":"2020-06-07T18:24:11","date_gmt":"2020-06-07T22:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/?p=21168"},"modified":"2022-02-09T00:57:20","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T05:57:20","slug":"sri-sanmodana-bha%e1%b9%a3yam-on-sri-sik%e1%b9%a3a%e1%b9%a3%e1%b9%adaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/sri-sanmodana-bha%e1%b9%a3yam-on-sri-sik%e1%b9%a3a%e1%b9%a3%e1%b9%adaka\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam on \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam on \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka<\/p>\n

Translated by Sarvabh\u0101vana d\u0101sa
\n\u015aloka One
\nceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjana\u1e41 bhava-mah\u0101-d\u0101v\u0101gni-nirv\u0101pa\u1e47a\u1e41
\n\u015breya\u1e25-kairava-candrik\u0101-vitara\u1e47a\u1e41 vidy\u0101-vadh\u016b-j\u012bvanam
\n\u0101nand\u0101mbudhi-vardhana\u1e41 prati-pada\u1e41 p\u016br\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101sv\u0101dana\u1e41
\nsarv\u0101tma-snapana\u1e41 para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam<\/p>\n

Synonyms: ceta\u1e25\u2014of the heart; darpa\u1e47a\u2014the mirror; m\u0101rjanam\u2014cleansing;
\nbhava\u2014of material existence; mah\u0101-d\u0101v\u0101gni\u2014the blazing forest fire;
\nnirv\u0101pa\u1e47am\u2014extinguishing; \u015breya\u1e25\u2014of good fortune; kairava\u2014the white
\nlotus; candrik\u0101\u2014the moonshine; vitara\u1e47am\u2014spreading; vidy\u0101\u2014of all
\neducation; vadh\u016b\u2014wife; j\u012bvanam\u2014the life; \u0101nanda\u2014of bliss; ambudhi\u2014the
\nocean; vardhanam\u2014increasing; prati-padam\u2014at every step; p\u016br\u1e47a-am\u1e5bta\u2014of
\nthe full nectar; \u0101sv\u0101danam\u2014giving a taste; sarva\u2014for everyone;
\n\u0101tma-snapanam\u2014bathing of the self; param\u2014transcendental; vijayate\u2014let
\nthere be victory; \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam\u2014for the congregational
\nchanting of the holy name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nLet there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries
\nof the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing
\nmoon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living
\nentities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of
\nthe holy name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a expands the blissful ocean of transcendental
\nlife. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste
\nfull nectar at every step.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nI begin Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam, a commentary on the \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka verses
\nby Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, at first offering my humble
\nobeisances to the Lord, who is eternally manifest with His eternal
\nassociates, the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva.
\nSupremacy of the path of devotional service
\nThe path of devotional service is the highest perfection of life, and
\nit is sought after in all Vedic literatures. Applying his superior
\nintelligence to researching the Vedas thoroughly several times, Lord
\nBrahma ascertained that the best method of self-realization is the
\nawakening of one’s loving attachment to Lord Hari, the Supreme Lord
\nwithin everyone’s heart.
\nThis philosophical conclusion thus unequivocally establishes the
\nsupremacy of devotional service over fruitive activities, speculative
\nknowledge, or any other process. Pure devotional love of Godhead is
\nunattainable without great faith and intense eagerness to relish the
\nnectarean pastimes of the Supreme Lord, and without a deep
\nunderstanding of the esoteric truths of the scriptures. And even when
\nprofound faith is present, it is impossible to discuss the
\ntranscendental topics of the Supreme Lord, without the association of
\nsaintly persons, because this activity is integral to the hearing and
\nchanting process of devotional service.
\nThe \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam confirms this as follows:
\n\u201cIt is only in the association of My pure devotees that discussions
\nabout My transcendental glory become spiritually potent and arouse
\nloving devotional mellows within the inner core of one’s heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Statements as these extol the virtues of saintly association because
\nthe Lord’s holy name, form, qualities and activities are perfectly
\nglorified in righteous company. Lord Caitanya’s in His teachings,
\nforemostly discusses these glories. In the fourth line of the present
\n\u015bloka, for example, the word ‘param’ indicates the process of chanting
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name, which is naturally all-purifying, and so is the
\nhighest form of benediction. Through all the different stages of
\nspiritual progress beginning with ‘sraddha’ or faith, ‘sadhu sanga’
\n(saintly association) ‘bhajan-kriya’ (practical devotional service),
\netc. chanting maintains it’s preeminence. However, chanting in a pure
\nand devotional mood is never to be confused with cheap sentimentality
\nor pseudo-devotional chanting.
\nLord Caitanya’s philosophy
\nIn these \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka verses, Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has explained
\nin His own words the principles of sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana,
\nor our eternal relationship with God, the means by which we can revive
\nit, and the nature of this relationship as the ultimate goal and
\nnecessity for every living being. This commentary, then, will briefly
\ndiscuss these philosophical conclusions. Lord Caitanya, the Supreme
\nPersonality of Godhead, who is lovingly served by the pure Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava
\ndevotees, Himself declares: \u201clet the congregational chanting of the
\nholy name be especially glorified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Personal vs. Impersonal conception of God
\nTherefore, please hear how the chanting of the holy name is always
\nvictorious even in the mundane world which is created by the external
\nenergy of the Lord. Scripture emphasizes the absolute oneness of the
\nSupreme Truth. We read in the \u015aruti-\u015b\u0101stra: \u201cOnly that One non-dual
\nsubstance(the supreme Godhead) existed before creation.” And in
\nanother place: \u201cother than (He) the one non-dual brahman, no
\nvariegatedness exists.” These statements establish what is essentially
\nthe all-pervading, impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth. However,
\nthe statement \u201ceverything is brahman” actually emphasizes the
\nprinciple that the eternal and supreme Absolute Truth is personal and
\ndifferentiated.
\nHow is this? In the simultaneity of differentiated personalism and
\nundifferentiated impersonalism, it is the personal feature which is
\nprominently perceptible whereas impersonalism is imperciptible due to
\nit being non-differentiated. (The study of epistemology, or the theory
\nof knowledge, reveals the fact that without differentiation perception
\nis impossible. Will an observer in a completely dark room at midnight
\nbe able to see a black cat walk across the room? Of course not; our
\nsenses and mind distinguish one object from another by differentiating
\nof their attributes. Similarly, since the infinite brahman is totally
\nundifferentiated, merging with brahman means to lose any possibility
\nof perceving it, and by applying the same logic, likewise it is with
\nconsciousness denotes the presence of the soul in the body, the
\nkaivalya (impersonal liberation) of the impersonalists is equivalent
\nto spiritual suicide. -Ed.)
\nTherefore, the personal feature of the Absolute Truth predominates.
\nOur guru on such scriptural conclusions, \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b, states
\nthat the one Absolute Truth eternally exists in four features: His
\noriginal transcendental form, His external and all-pervasive potency,
\nthe living entities, and as the sum total of all existence.<\/p>\n

The analogy of the sun
\nThis is analogous to the four features of the sun: the sun-god
\nhimself, (S\u016brya) the sun disk, the sunshine, and the reflections of
\nthe sun’s rays on other surfaces. The point here is that God alone is
\nthe Supreme Absolute Truth, \u015baktiman, the only source of all potencies
\nor energies. Although \u015ar\u012bpad Sankar\u0101c\u0101rya’s commentary on the
\nBrahma-sutra does argue the essential oneness of the energetic source,
\n\u015baktiman, and energy, \u015bakti, the Vedas conclude [Svetasvatara Upanisad
\n6.8]:
\n\u201cThat Supreme Absolute Truth manifests Himself in a variety of forms.
\nHis potencies are multifarious.\u201d<\/p>\n

This proves that the inconceivable Absolute Truth performs actions
\nthat appear paradoxical and contradictory. Hence, the essential and
\neternal difference between energy and the energetic source is also an
\nunavoidable conclusion, a conclusive principle that cannot be
\nsuccessfully challenged by arguments from the philosophical school of
\nmonism, or kevala-advaita-vada.
\nThe Absolute Potent, or the Supreme Truth, manifests Himself in three
\ncategories: as His internal potency, as His marginal potency, and as
\nHis external potency. Through the agency of His internal spiritual
\npotency, He manifests the fall absolute nature or infinite
\ntranscendental realm; and as the possessor of all energetic
\nexpansions, He exists there eternally as the Supreme Personality of
\nGodhead. To facilitate the enacting of personal pastimes, His internal
\npotency manifests the spiritual Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets. The marginal
\npotency, or the eternal living entity, who is like a ray of the sun\u2014an
\ninfinitessimal spark\u2014is part and parcel of the Absolute Truth and thus
\nnon-different from Him. But the external energy, or maya, is only the
\nreflection of this eternal spiritual realm, and acts as the backdrop
\nfor the different mundane situations to which the conditioned souls
\nbecome attracted.<\/p>\n

Simultaneous oneness and difference
\nIn this way the living entity, or marginal energy, and Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, or
\nthe transcendence, are simultaneously different and non-different from
\nthe Supreme Lord. As long as the j\u012bva takes full shelter of the
\nSupreme Lord he remains a resident of the spiritual planets, but when
\nhe forgets the innate spiritual knowledge about the Lord he is placed
\noutside the transcendental realm. The j\u012bva is compared to a ray of the
\nsun, but under the cloud of maya, or the illusory energy, his
\nconditioned state is an unconstitutional and hence unnatural term of
\nexistence. The j\u012bva exists to support and participate in the Supreme
\nLord’s transcendental pastimes, but his marginal nature makes him
\nvulnerable and can bring him under maya’s spell, to suffer the pangs
\nof repeated birth and death. But as soon as the individual spiritual
\nspark awakens to realise his original self, the dark mist of
\nignorance, or maya, dissipate, and the long suffering of repeated
\nbirth and death at last comes to a halt. He regains his true spiritual
\nidentity.
\nThe pure association of saintly persons acts miraculously on j\u012bva. He
\ndevelops taste and interest for scriptural knowledge as well as
\nattraction for the all-attractive Supreme Lord Himself. Thus situated
\nin his original constitutional position, the awakened soul becomes
\neligible to enter into loving conjugal exchanges with the Lord. It is
\nsincere faith that leads one to find real saintly association and
\nthence to the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, from whom he
\nhears the true imports of the revealed scriptures. After submissive
\nhearing, the process of chanting begins, and gradually, as his
\noriginal nature becomes dominant, the spiritualized j\u012bva triumphs over
\nthe illusory energy, maya. This briefly is the sublime effect of
\nchanting the Lord’s holy name; for chanting alone cleanses the heart
\n(ceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjana\u1e41) and eventually brings seven types of
\nperfections to the j\u012bva.<\/p>\n

The j\u012bva and the Supreme Lord
\nThe verse beginning with ceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjana\u1e41 describes the original
\ntranscendental nature of the j\u012bva. As \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b has
\nexplained, the j\u012bva is a part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Truth
\nwho is the Supreme Energetic, the total aggregate of all j\u012bvas \u201c Like
\na ray of the sun, the j\u012bva is of the same spiritual nature as the
\nSupreme, but infinitesimal in size. \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidyabhusana has
\nanalyzed Godhead as the infinite Supreme Lord, and the j\u012bva as His
\ninfinitesimal part. All the transcendental qualities are eternally
\npresent in perfect fullness in the Supreme Lord. His pure ego is
\nmanifest as both the Absolute knowledge and the knower. Similarly, the
\nj\u012bva is also in possession of transcendental knowledge and pure ego
\n(though in partial degree). This is logical because qualities such as
\nheat and light present in the sun are also present in the sun’s rays.
\nOf the two, then, the Supreme Lord is fully independent, possessing
\nand embodying all transcendental qualities. He is the origin of
\neverything, and He only partially enters into material nature and
\ncontrols it. It is He alone who creates and maintains the material
\nworld. The reservoir of all spiritual bliss, He is ever relishing His
\nown spiritual Self, and distributing the nectar of pure love of
\nGodbead by means of His pure devotional service. Indeed, He encourages
\nall living entities to taste that sweet nectar. The innumerable living
\nentities go through, varied stages of existence, now eternally
\nconditioned, now eternally liberated. When the j\u012bva rejects the
\nSupreme Lord he becomes forever ensnared in matter. But again aspiring
\nfor His shelter, the curtain of maya that separates the j\u012bva from his
\neternal transcendental identity is forever removed, and he is
\nimmediately restored to his original pure self.<\/p>\n

Cleansing the mirror of consciousness
\nIt is therefore clear that the j\u012bva is infinitesimal, possessing; a
\ntranscendental nature of pure ego, pure soul, and pure form. But when
\nhe turns away from God and contemplates enjoying material energy, his
\npure nature becomes contaminated by nescience. It is for this reason
\nthat the soul has been compared to a mirror. Just as it is impossible
\nto see one’s face in a dusty mirror, it is similarly impossible to see
\nthe real self the mirror of consciousness if it is covered by the dust
\nof ignorance. When if one begins to render loving devotionl service
\nparticulary hearing and chanting the sacred names and pastimes of the
\nSupreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a directly under the control of His hladini
\n(spiritual pleasure) potency, material contamination or nescience is
\ncompletely eradicated. The j\u012bva’s pure consciousness,: which is a
\nfunction of his pure ego manifests itself and he sees the Supreme
\nLord, j\u012bva prakrti (nature), kala(time), and karma(action and
\nreaction), all five fundamental principles of existence reflected on
\nthe mirror of his pure ego with absolute clarity. So in the mirror of
\nhis pure consciousness he sees the reflection of his original identity
\nwithout any distortion. This helps him to know his true religion and
\ninherent nature as an eternal servant of the Lord. When one becomes
\nreally expert in serving the Lord, then his propensity to enjoy
\nmaterial life is converted into a loving devotional mood of service.<\/p>\n

The forest fire of sa\u1e41s\u0101ra
\nThe purport of the word bh\u0101va is that j\u012bva is being subjected to take
\nrepeated births in this world, a continuous cycle of birth and death
\ncalled mah\u0101-davagni, or blazing fire, a raging conflagration that
\ncannot be extinguished by any means other than the congregational
\nchanting of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name. A question may arise at this point:
\nwhen one is enlightened about his sva-dharma, or eternal intrinsic
\nnature and duty, does he then cease to chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name? The
\nanswer is no, this never occurs. Chanting God’s name is the soul’s
\nsva-dharma. The phase sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam, which
\ndescribes the holy name, specifically conveys the sense eternal
\nactivity of the spirit soul in his original spiritual condition.<\/p>\n

The pure lotus of dedication to the Lord
\nThe j\u012bvas who are enslaved by maya prefer to remain in that condition
\nto enjoy material life, and that desire literally binds them to the
\ncycle of birth and death. This is the root cause of their threefold
\nmiseries. But the spirit soul reaps the greatest benefit when he
\nbecomes disgusted with material enjoyment, and re-dedicates his time
\nand energy to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s loving service. This benediction is
\ncompared with the flowering of a cluster of pristine white lotuses.
\nFor just as the moon’s soothing rays cause the white lotuses to
\nblossom, the rays of the mellow taste of chanting the holy name
\nresuscitate the languishing petals of the lotus of benediction for the
\nj\u012bva. According to the adage, \u201cDevotion gives birth to devotion”, one
\nmust follow the principles of elementary bhakti, i.e. repeatedly
\nhearing and chanting until the first light of pure devotion begins to
\ndawn in the heart of the sincere and faithful j\u012bva. The comparison of
\ncongregational chanting with the moon is quite appropriate here: the
\nclosed lotus flower touched by the moon’s rays awakens to full blush,
\nand similarly the holy name spreads the rays of bh\u0101va, or spontaneous
\nattraction for the Supreme Lord. It is the essence of hladini, which
\nimpregnates the j\u012bva’s heart. Rati, or erotic spiritual love, then
\nlights up his consciousness, bestowing the highest benediction. This
\nis what is meant by the \u201cwaxing moon that spreads the white lotus of
\ngood fortune for all living entities”.<\/p>\n

Acquiring one’s eternal form
\nA pertinent query at this juncture would be: at what stage does a
\nperson who has attained the level of pure devotion acquire his pure
\nspiritual identity\u2014his sva-dharma? Lord Caitanya replies by saying
\nvidy\u0101-vadhu-jivanam, \u201cthe life of all transcendental knowledge”. The
\nSupreme Lord’s \u015bakti has two aspects: vidy\u0101, or knowledge, and avidy\u0101,
\nor ignorance. Yogamaya, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti or internal
\nspiritual potency, is called vidy\u0101 whereas His external energy
\nmah\u0101maya is avidy\u0101. And it is this latter that creates the material
\nuniverse and covers the soul’s svar\u016bpa. When the first rays of pure
\ndevotion finally appear on the horizon of the sadhaka’s heart by his
\nsincerely following the process of bearing and chanting, then
\ngradually bhakti-devi, or the goddess of pure devotional process, the
\neradicator of all unwanted material desires detrimental to the Lord’s
\nservice, eclipses the avidy\u0101 potency. By suffusing the soul with
\nspiritual knowledge, She destroys both the gross and subtle coverings
\nof the soul. Simultaneously, the j\u012bva’s original spiritual form
\nbecomes manifest, to the extent that he receives the form of a gopi,
\nfor example, if his spiritual proclivity is steeped in the conjugal
\nmood. Thus it stands proven that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name is the life and soul of
\nall transcendental knowledge, vidy\u0101-vadhu-jivanam. Svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti has
\ntherefore often been described as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s wife. The Sanskrit word
\nvadh\u016b means wife.<\/p>\n

An ever-increasing ocean of bliss
\nThe gross and subtle material bodies of the j\u012bva being completely
\ndestroyed, the infinitesimal soul regains his original pristine
\npurity. Although the j\u012bva is anu, or minutely small, his spiritual
\nhappiness is not minute. To remove this misapprehension, Lord Caitanya
\nadds anandambudhivardhanam, \u201can ever-increasing ocean of bliss”. In
\nother words, the holy name of the Lord endlessly expands the piritual
\nbliss inherent to the soul, by leaps and bounds. He thus becomes
\neternally fixed in one of the spiritual mellows, namely dasya, sakhya,
\nvatsalaya, or madhurya (servitorship, friendship, parenthood and
\nconjugal love) Established in his eternal spiritual mellow, he begins
\nto relish limitless nectar at every stage of his transcendental
\nrelationship and exchanges of extraordinary loving emotions with the
\nSupreme Lord. The Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s enchanting beauty, His divine
\nqualities and His sublime pastimes are ever-ecstatic and eternal.
\nInebriated with divine prema, the pure j\u012bva continuously drinks that
\nsweet nectar, but still the Lord’s captivating beauty remains
\never-fresh and ambrosial, relished in endlessly unique and novel ways.<\/p>\n

Spiritual happiness is completely pure
\nIn this stage one final question. may still arise: is this happiness
\nself-motivated, and thus contrary to the principles of pure spiritual
\nlove? If so, how can the j\u012bva’s happiness be called unalloyed and
\nspiritual? To allay any such confusion or doubt, Lord Caitanya uses
\nthe expression sarvatma-snapanam: the bliss of Krsria consciousness is
\ncompletely pure, wholly free from any desire for self-satisfaction.
\nThat is to say, in the natural course of pure devotional service, one
\nattains the form of a maidservant of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, who embodies
\nthe zenith of mah\u0101bh\u0101va, or unsurpassable heights of exultations; and
\nin Her service the j\u012bva participates in conjugal pastimes with the
\nLord and experiences unlimited ecstatic bliss. This sublime mood is
\ntherefore untainted by even the slightest tinge of selfish lust or
\nself-indulgent craving. This phrase also indicates that neither the
\ncontamination of sayujya-mukti, i.e. the desire to merge with the
\nLord, nor the impurity of selfgratification, can contaminate the heart
\nof the j\u012bva in this state of perfect bliss.<\/p>\n

The holy name is ever-victorious
\nMay the chanting of the holy name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a be ever-victorious, for it
\nis adorned with seven transcendental qualities, It is the embodiment
\nof eternality, it is knowledge, and it is the highest bliss, steeped
\nin the wonderful and variegated amorous pastimes of \u015ar\u012b-\u015ar\u012b
\nR\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.
\nSupporting passages are also found in \u015ar\u012b Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta
\n[Antya-lila 20.11, 13 and 14]:
\n\u201cSimply by chanting the holy name of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a one can be freed from
\nall undesirable habits. This is the means by which one awakens his
\ngood fortune and initiates the flow of the waves of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\u201d
\n\u201cBy performing congregational chanting of the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra
\none can destroy the sinful condition of material existence, purify his
\nunclean heart, and awaken all the varieties of devotional service.\u201d
\n\u201cThe result of chanting is that one awakens his love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and
\ntranscendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nand engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a
\ngreat mean of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\nThere are innumerable ways to execute devotional service; the
\n\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam and the Hari-bhakti-vilasa have described many of
\nthem. Broadly speaking, some sixty-four limbs of devotional service
\nare considered the main disciplines or processes of bhakti-yoga. They
\nare all grouped under the categories of vaidhi-bhakti(devotional
\nservice according to rules and regulations) and raganuga-bhakti
\n(spontaneous devotional service). In \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam, Prahlada
\nMah\u0101r\u0101ja especially glorifies pure spontaneous devotional service. As
\nLord Gaurasundara has said: \u201cThe congregational chanting of the holy
\nname of the Lord is the most perfect form of devotional service.\u201d
\nApproaching the Supreme
\nThose who are knowledgeable in the transcendental science of the
\nAbsolute Truth have defined the supreme nondual substance, understood
\nin the preliminary stage through j\u00f1\u0101na, as brahman. Understood further
\nin its eternal aspect, it is defined as paramdtma, or the Supersoul.
\nIn the full and complete manifestation of all its potencies and its
\ntranscendental nature of complete knowledge, eternity and bliss, that
\nSupreme Absolute Truth is known as bhagavan. Bhagavan, or the Supreme
\nPersonality of Godhead, is called Vasudeva when He manifests His
\nsupreme opulence, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a when He covers His opulence with His
\nconjugal loving mood. Lord Narayana responds to His devotees in two
\nmain devotional mellows, or rasas, while Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the worshipable
\nobject of all five rasas. Lord Balar\u0101ma, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s vaibhava prakasa
\nexpansion manifested in relation with His excellences, is the Supreme
\nLord of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhaloka, residing there permanently in His eternal
\ncatur-vyuha expansions.
\nJapa, k\u012brtana and sa\u1e45k\u012brtana
\nProper japa chanting is possible only in the mind. Then the chanter
\nwill achieve the desired perfection. Chanting audibly with lip
\nmovements is k\u012brtana; it is more effective than japa and brings about
\nthe greatest benefit to the hearer. Sa\u1e45k\u012brtana means ‘complete
\nk\u012brtana’, for it is unnecessary to perform any other devotional
\nactivities if one performs sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. Partial or imperfect k\u012brtana of
\nLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is not the same as sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. Imperfect
\nchanting of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name is unable to cause the optimum spiritual
\nchange in the living entities. This will lead them to doubt the
\npotency of k\u012brtana. Therefore, let the complete and perfect chanting
\nof K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name, or nama-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, be victorious.
\nThe seven perfections of chanting
\nOne’s knowledge of a mundane subject matter is fragmental. In the
\nspiritual world, however, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the ultimate subject, and
\nbeing transcendental, this plane remains forever untouched by material
\nnature. By thus discussing transcendental subject matter, or \u015ar\u012b
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, one achieves supra-mundane perfection. Seven of these
\nperfections, specially related to chanting Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name are
\nmentioned in this \u015bloka.
\n1) Cleanses the mirror of the heart
\nChanting Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name cleanses the mirror of the conditioned
\nsoul’s polluted heart, which is wholly covered by three
\ncontaminations, namely material desires, the enjoying spirit, and
\nungodly atheistic activities. The most effective process to cleanse
\nthe j\u012bva’s heart of all these impurities is chanting Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s
\nname. These treacherous contaminations, cover the mirror of
\nconsciousness and cause the iva to reject his true nature. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s
\nname alone can free the consciousness of these aberations. Thus by
\nconstantly chanting, taking complete shelter of the holy name, the
\nj\u012bva gradually perceives the reflection of his original form as the
\nservant of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the mirror of his consciousness.
\n2) Protects the devotee from material existence
\nThis material existence only appears to be sweet and pleasurable, but
\nin reality it is like a fire in the depths of a forest, which can
\nsometimes burn the entire forest to ashes. Nondevotees who have no
\nfaith in Lord Krspa have to constantly tolerate the searing burning
\npain of this forest fire of material existence. On the other hand,
\nwhen Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name is perfectly chanted, the devotees are
\nprotected from these scorching flames, even though they are in the
\nmidst of the forest of the material world.
\n3) The holy name speaks the highest benediction
\nWhole hearted chanting of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is the highest
\ngoodness and munificence. Sreyah means ‘benediction’, kairava means
\n‘white lilies’, and candrika are the rays of the moon. Just as by the
\nilluminating rays of the rising moon the lily’s white beauty is
\nhighlighted in the night similarly, the chanting of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name
\nbrings out the best in man and enlightens the darkened universe
\nshowering it with divine benediction. Human society cannot benefit
\nfrom material desires for sense enjoyment, speculative knowledge or
\nfruitive activities, but chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name blesses all with the
\ngreatest prosperity.
\n4) The source of all transcendental knowledge
\nThe Mundaka Upanisad mentions two types of knowledge: material and
\ntranscendental. Chanting of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is indirectly the
\nfountainhead of material knowledge, but it is primarily the life and
\nsoul of transcendental, or supra-mundane knowledge. Chanting induces
\nthe j\u012bva to break the shackles of false ego and false prestige\u2014a
\nproduct of material knowledge, and elevates him to understand his
\neternal relationship with the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The ultimate
\nfocus of real transcendental knowledge, therefore, is chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s
\nholy name.
\n5) Expands the ocean of bliss
\nChanting the holy name expands the boundless ocean of transcendental
\nbliss, and enables one to fully relish the sweetest nectar at every
\nmoment. Only a vast expanse of water is called an ocean, nothing less;
\ntherefore unlimited bliss has been rightly compared to an ocean. Such
\ntranscendental experiences as these are eternal and unfettered by
\nimperfections, nor does it lack fullness or constancy. Even spiritual
\nnature and objects take on an a tenderness and cooling sheen in touch
\nwith the chanting of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name. In the mundane realm, the body
\nand mind, and above them, the soul, not only become purified by
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name, but gradually and inevitably emblamed by its cooling
\ntenderness.
\n6) Cures the disease of material existence
\nThe subtle and gross contaminations attendant upon the material
\nconception of life have quite devoured the spiritual soul, but these
\nmaterial diseases can at once be terminated by chanting the holy name.
\nWhen the soul released from his material designations, is eager to
\nreach Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he engages in devotional service under the cooling
\nshade of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s lotus feet.
\n7) The essential ingredient in all devotional service
\n\u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b writes in the Bhakti-sandarbha [273], and in the
\nKrama-sandarbha:
\nata eva yadyapyanya bhaktih kalau kartavya
\ntada kirtanakhya-bhakti-samyogenaiva
\nThis means that although it is required in Kali-yuga to practice the
\neight limbs of devotional service, they have to be performed in
\nconjunction with chanting.<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahsya
\nCeto-darpana-marjanam
\nThe contaminations that cover the mirror of consciousness are swept
\naway by chanting the holy name, for it is the embodimtnt of profound
\nspiritual bliss. For example, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b writes in his
\nNamastaka (7):
\ns\u016bdit\u0101\u015brita-jan\u0101rti-r\u0101\u015baye ramya-cid-ghana sukha-svar\u016bpi\u1e47e
\nn\u0101ma gokula-mahotsav\u0101ya te k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u016br\u1e47a-vapu\u1e63e namo nama\u1e25
\n\u201cO holy name! OLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! You dissipate the sufferings of Your
\nsurrendered devotees caused by their offenses to the holy name. You
\npossess the transcendental form of ecstatic beauty and bliss, and You
\nappear as the embodiment of sublime joy for the residents of Gokula.
\nYou are therefore a fully spiritual entity of the same spiritual
\nnature as the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets. I offer my repeated obeisances unto
\nYou.”<\/p>\n

Bhava-mah\u0101-davagni-nirvapanam
\nIt is stated in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [6.2.46]\nn\u0101ta\u1e25 para\u1e41 karma-nibandha-k\u1e5bntana\u1e41
\nmumuk\u1e63at\u0101\u1e41 t\u012brtha-pad\u0101nuk\u012brtan\u0101t
\nna yat puna\u1e25 karmasu sajjate mano
\nrajas-tamobhy\u0101\u1e41 kalila\u1e41 tato ‘nyath\u0101
\n\u201cTherefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt
\nthe process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form and
\npastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the
\nholy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other
\nmethods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation
\nin mystic yoga, because even after following such methods one takes to
\nfruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is
\ncontaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and
\nignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sreyah-kairavacandrika-vitaranam
\nA quote from the Skanda Pur\u0101\u1e47a appears in Hari-bhakti-vilasa [11.234]:
\nmadhura-madhuram etan mangala\u1e41 mangal\u0101n\u0101\u1e41
\nsakala-nigama-vall\u012b-sat-phala\u1e41 cit-svar\u016bpam
\nsak\u1e5bdapi parig\u012bta\u1e41 \u015braddhay\u0101 helay\u0101 v\u0101
\nbh\u1e5bgu-vara nara-m\u0101tra\u1e41 t\u0101rayet k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma
\n”The holy name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the highest benediction, above any other
\nbenedictions; it is sweeter than the sweetest honey, the eternal fruit
\nof transcendental knowledge of the tree of the entire scriptures. O
\nbest of the Bhargavas! If anyone chants Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name just once
\nwithout offense, whether he chants with faith or indifferently, the
\nholy name immediately liberates him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vidy\u0101-vadhu-jivanam
\nIn the Garuda Pur\u0101\u1e47a it is stated:
\nyad icchasi para\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101d yat parama\u1e41 padam
\ntad\u0101dare\u1e47a r\u0101jendra kuru govinda-k\u012brtanam
\n\u201cO best of Kings! If you desire to acquire that extraordinary
\nknowledge by which the Supreme Goal is realized, then chant Lord
\nGovinda’s name with love and devotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [3.5.40]\ndh\u0101tar yad asmin bhava \u012b\u015ba j\u012bv\u0101s
\nt\u0101pa-traye\u1e47\u0101bhihat\u0101 na \u015barma
\n\u0101tman labhante bhagava\u1e41s tav\u0101\u1e45ghri-
\ncch\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 sa-vidy\u0101m ata \u0101\u015brayema
\n\u201cO Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in
\nthe material world can never have any happiness because they are
\noverwhelmed by three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of
\nthe shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also
\ntake shelter of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [4.29.49] it is stated, s\u0101 vidy\u0101 tan-matir
\nyay\u0101: \u201cReal knowledge is that realization which increases our
\nattachment for the Supreme Lord.\u201d
\nAnandambudhi-vardhanam
\nIn the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [8.3.20] it is said:
\nek\u0101ntino yasya na ka\u00f1can\u0101rtha\u1e41
\nv\u0101\u00f1chanti ye vai bhagavat-prapann\u0101\u1e25
\naty-adbhuta\u1e41 tac-carita\u1e41 suma\u1e45gala\u1e41
\ng\u0101yanta \u0101nanda-samudra-magn\u0101\u1e25
\n\u201cUnalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord,
\nworship Him in full surrender and always hear and chant about His
\nactivities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. They are thus
\nalways merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees
\nnever ask the Lord for any benedictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pratipadam purna-\u0101m\u1e5bta-asvadanam
\nThe Padma Pur\u0101\u1e47a states:
\ntebhyo namo ‘stu bhava-v\u0101ri-dhi-j\u012br\u1e47a-panka
\nsa\u1e41magna-mok\u1e63a\u1e47a-vicak\u1e63a\u1e47a-p\u0101dukebhya\u1e25
\nk\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47eti var\u1e47a-yugala\u1e41 \u015brava\u1e47ena ye\u1e63\u0101\u1e41
\n\u0101nandathur bhavati narttitaroma-v\u1e5bnda\u1e25
\n\u201cI offer my respectful obeisances at the feet of that extraordinary
\nperson whose body shivers with sublime joy and erupts with ecstasy at
\nthe sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s sweet name, and who is expert in redeeming the
\nconditioned soul is engrossed in the mire of the ocean of repeated
\nbirth and death”.<\/p>\n

Sarvatma-snapanam
\nIn \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [12.12.48] it is said:
\nsa\u1e45k\u012brtyam\u0101no bhagav\u0101n ananta\u1e25
\n\u015brut\u0101nubh\u0101vo vyasana\u1e41 hi pu\u1e41s\u0101m
\npravi\u015bya citta\u1e41 vidhunoty a\u015be\u1e63a\u1e41
\nyath\u0101 tamo ‘rko ‘bhram iv\u0101ti-v\u0101ta\u1e25
\n\u201cWhen people properly glorify the Supreme Persondity of Godhead or
\nsimply hear about His potencies, the Lord personally enters their
\nhearts and cleanses away every trace of misfortune, just as the sun
\nremoves the darkness or as a powerful wind disperses the clouds.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the Namastaka:
\nn\u0101rada-v\u012b\u1e47ojj\u012bvana sudhormi-niry\u0101sa-m\u0101dhur\u012bp\u016bra
\ntva\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma k\u0101ma\u1e41 sphura me rasane rasena sad\u0101
\n\u201cO holy name of Kisna! You are the life-sustaining elixir of \u015ar\u012b
\nNarada Muni’s vina, the exhilarating waves on the ocean of nectar.
\nTherefore I beg You to remain eternally dancing ecstatically on my
\ntongue.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in Namastaka (2):
\njaya n\u0101madheya muni-v\u1e5bnda-geya
\njana-ra\u00f1jan\u0101ya param\u0101k\u1e63ar\u0101k\u1e5bte
\ntvam an\u0101dar\u0101d api man\u0101g ud\u012brita\u1e41
\nnikhilogra-t\u0101pa-pa\u1e6dal\u012b\u1e41 vilumpasi
\n\u201cAll glories unto You, O holy name! The sages have always sung hymns
\npraising You, and You have now appeared in transcendental form of the
\nsupreme syllables for the pleasure of all humanity. If one chants
\nthose syllables of the holy name, even indifferently, indirectly,
\njokingly, deceptively, or slightly You destroy his most dreaded sinful
\nreactions, thereby extinguishing all of his sufferings. Therefore, You
\nare always victorious.<\/p>\n

And from the Caitanya-Bh\u0101gavata [CB Madhya-kha\u1e47\u1e0da 23.76-77]:
\nhare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare hare
\nhare r\u0101ma hare r\u0101ma r\u0101ma r\u0101ma hare hare
\nprabhu kahe\u2014kahil\u0101\u1e45 ei mah\u0101-mantra
\nih\u0101 japa giy\u0101 sabe kariy\u0101 nirbandha
\nhi haibe sarva-siddhi haibe sab\u0101ra
\nsarva-k\u1e63a\u1e47a bala’ithe vidhi n\u0101hi \u0101ra
\n\u201cLord Caitanya said: ‘I am giving you this mah\u0101-mantra: Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nHare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Hare Hare Hare R\u0101ma Hare R\u0101ma R\u0101ma R\u0101ma Hare
\nHare. Go and chant with sincere enthusiasm. By chanting this mantra
\nyou receive all the perfections of life, so continue to chant
\nincessantly, for there are no rules or regulations for chanting the
\nmah\u0101-mantra.”‘<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Two
\nn\u0101mn\u0101m ak\u0101ri bahudh\u0101 nija-sarva-\u015baktis
\ntatr\u0101rpit\u0101 niyamita\u1e25 smara\u1e47e na k\u0101la\u1e25
\net\u0101d\u1e5b\u015b\u012b tava k\u1e5bp\u0101 bhagavan mam\u0101pi
\ndurdaivam \u012bd\u1e5b\u015bam ih\u0101jani n\u0101nur\u0101ga\u1e25<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nn\u0101mn\u0101m\u2014of the holy names of the Lord; ak\u0101ri\u2014manifested;
\nbahudh\u0101\u2014various kinds; nija-sarva-\u015bakti\u1e25\u2014all kinds of personal
\npotency; tatra\u2014in that; arpit\u0101\u2014bestowed; niyamita\u1e25\u2014restricted;
\nsmara\u1e47e\u2014in remembering; na\u2014not; k\u0101la\u1e25\u2014consideration of time;
\net\u0101d\u1e5b\u015b\u012b\u2014so much; tava\u2014Your; k\u1e5bp\u0101\u2014mercy; bhagavan\u2014O Lord; mama\u2014My;
\napi\u2014although; durdaivam\u2014misfortune; \u012bd\u1e5b\u015bam\u2014such; iha\u2014in this (the holy
\nname); ajani\u2014was born; na\u2014not; anur\u0101ga\u1e25\u2014attachment.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nMy Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is
\nall good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many
\nnames, such as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Govinda, by which You expand Yourself. You
\nhave invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard
\nand fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow
\nsuch mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching
\nYour holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while
\nchanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for
\nchanting.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nThe chanting of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is represented in four aspects:
\nname, form, quality and pastime. Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is the seed of
\nall joy; for the holy name and the possessor of the name are
\nnon-different. In all respects, chanting the holy name is most
\nbeneficial for everyone and all. Therefore, the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nCaitanya Himself reveals all the super-excellent attributes of the
\nholy name. In order to evoke everyone’s sincere faith in the holy
\nname, Lord Caitanya prays: \u201cO Lord! O Most Munificent One! Being
\ncompassionate upon seeing the destitute situation of the conditioned
\nsouls, of Your own accord You have manifested Your holy name, which is
\nnon-different from Yourself. Your holy names are of two types:
\nprincipal and secondary. Hari, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Govinda, Acyuta, R\u0101ma, Ananta,
\nVisnu, etc., are Your principal names; while Brahma, Supersoul,
\nSupreme Controller, Maintainer, Creator, Mahendra, etc., are Your
\nsecondary names.
\nThe holy name is absolutely potent
\nYou have invested all Your spiritual potencies and transcendental.
\nqualities to the absolute degree in Your principal, a fact that is
\nsubstantiated by innumerable scriptural statements, like these from
\nthe Vedas:
\n\u201cMy Lord, it is possible for one to be immediately cleansed from all
\nmaterial contaminations just by seeing You. What to speak of beholding
\nYou in person, merely by hearing Your Lordship’s holy name but once,
\neven candalas, the lowest of men, are freed from material
\ncontaminations.
\n\u201cThe amount of time that a dvija-brahmana spends in studying and
\nreciting Vedic mantras, if utilized in chanting the Lord’s name, even
\nindirectly, would yield more benefit. Of this there is no doubt. One
\nwho chants these two syllables ‘Ha’ and ‘ri’ has already mastered the
\nfour Vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. One is therefore advised,
\nnot to spend time studying the Vedas; he should simply chant the name
\nof Govinda continuously.<\/p>\n

And from \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam :
\n\u201cO King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways
\nof great spiritual authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of
\nsuccess for all, including those who are desirous solely of material
\nenjoyment, those who are totally free from all material enjoyments,
\nand also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental
\nknowledge.
\n\u201cO Lord Visnu Your holy name is fully spiritual, and it is
\nself-manifested. If one chants the holy name knowing only a little of
\nits vast glories, he gradually acquires perfect understanding of the
\nsubject. Lord Brahma, the first to propagate the transcendental sound
\nom, the mere utterance of which liberates one from the dreadful dilema
\nof death and nescience. Hence the vibration om is also known as tarak
\nbrahma.
\n\u201cAny person who vibrates the holy name Hari just once without offence
\nimmediately becomes resolved to serve the lotus feet of the Supreme
\nLord unconditionally, and strives for liberation.
\n\u201cCertainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of one’s
\nchanting the holy name of the Lord with concentration, does not change
\nwhen ecstasy takes place, tears fill the eyes and the hairs of the
\nbody stand on end.
\n\u201cO venerable Bhrgu, the holy name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is sweeter than the
\nsweetest honey, the most beneficial activity among all auspicious
\ndeeds. It is the eternal and mature transcendental fruit of the Vedic
\ndesire-fulfilling tree. Any person who utters this holy name but once,
\nwhether sincerely or casually, but without offenses, is
\ninstantaneously liberated.\u201d
\n\u201cO Arjuna! Truly I say unto you that anyone who chants My name, being
\ndevoted to Me, has certainly purchased Me. I become his property,
\nfully dependent upon him.\u201d
\n\u201cLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s holy name is like a touchstone gem, capable of
\nfulfilling all desires. His name is directly the Lord Himself, and
\ntherefore non-different from Him. It is the complete whole,
\ntranscendental and eternally liberated, because Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His
\nholy name are. the same in principle.\u201d
\n\u201cNo one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form,
\nquality and pastimes of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a through his materially contaminated
\nsenses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental
\nservice to the Lord are the transcendental names, form, quality and
\npastimes of the Lord revealed to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

We can easily understand from these statements of different revealed
\nscriptures that the holy name is endowed with unlimited spiritual
\npotencies. Practice of karma, j\u00f1\u0101na and yoga always bound by specific
\nrules and restrictions, and by the factors of time, place and
\ncircumstance. But in chanting and remembering the Lord’s name there is
\nno such consideration. This indeed is an example of the Lord’s
\nfathomless mercy.<\/p>\n

Ten kinds of offenses to the holy name
\nIn spite of what has been said, it is truly a matter of great regret
\nthat we cannot develop even a drop of attraction for the holy name,
\nwhich is most magnanimous. The word durdaiva, or misfortune, is
\nsynonymous with offenses to the holy name, or n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha A concise
\nsummary of these offenses to the holy name is given below.
\nThere are ten kinds of offenses against the holy name:
\n1) Criticizing and finding faults in devotees or sadhus is a serious
\noffense against the holy name. How can the holy name tolerate
\ncriticism of devotees who have dedicated their lives to propagating
\nthe glories of the holy name? Offending sadhu or saintly persons is
\ntherefore the first offense.
\n2) Those who try to analyze transcendental subject matters with
\nmaterial intelligence falsely conclude that Lord Visnu’s, name, form,
\nqualities and pastimes are different from the Lord Himself. They try
\nto impose material characteristics upon spiritual matters, or they
\nmistakenly equate demigods like Lord Siva, Brahma, etc., with the
\nSupreme Lord, or even think that such demigods are independent of the
\nSupreme Lord. Their chanting is offensive.
\n3) To consider the guru who is self-realized and perfected in the holy
\nnames as an ordinary mortal possessing a material and thus disobeying
\nand disregarding him.
\n4) To criticize and find fault in the Vedic scriptures, as well as
\ncorollary transcendental literatures, such as the Pur\u0101\u1e47as.
\n5) To consider the glories of the holy name as imaginary or exaggerated.
\n6) To consider the holy name to be fictitious or concocted.
\n7) One who commits sinful activities on the strength of chanting the
\nholy name can never be exonerated from this offense by any process,
\nincluding the practice of yoga, meditation, etc.
\n8) Only a person in illusion will think that mundane ritualistic
\nactivities, such as giving in charity, fasting, observing vows,
\nrenunciaton, austerity, etc., are on the same level as the
\ntranscendental activity of chanting the holy name.
\n9) It is also an offense to instruct a faithless person, averse to
\nhearing the holy name, about the glories of the holy name.
\n10) If, even after hear the wonderful qualities of the holy name, one
\nmaintains material attachments, it is to be understood that he has not
\ndeveloped attraction or interest for chanting.<\/p>\n

The antidote for n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha
\nIt is imperative that a devotee avoid these ten offenses, or
\nn\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha, in his chanting. One who is chanting should never try to
\ncounteract his sins or to accrue piety through ritualistic activities,
\nbecause he is, in a sense, no longer eligible for, nor required to
\nperform them. If perchance a devotee commits n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha, then with an
\nanguished heart full of contrition he should become eager to chant
\ncontinuously, for this alone will uproot his previous offenses and
\nalso protect him from committing further offenses. The scriptures have
\nunequivocally stated that chanting alone can absolve one of all
\noffenses and sinful reactions. Hence chanting the holy name is the
\nbest shelter for everyone, because it removes the very desire to
\ncommit n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha and gradually elevates one to the highest spiritual
\nplatform of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.<\/p>\n

Offenseless chanting leads to attraction and prema
\nWhen one is thus free from offenses, his attachment and attraction to
\nthe holy name will become ever-increasing, and he will soon attain
\ncomplete perfection, which is synonymous with k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema. This is
\nLord Caitanya’s second instruction.
\nAs it is stated in Caitanya-cait\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya-lila 20.17-19]:
\n\u201cBecause people vary in their desires, by Your mercy You have
\ndistributed various holy names. Regardless of time or place, one who
\nchants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all
\nperfection. You have invested Your full potency in such individual
\nholy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for
\nchanting Your holy names.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\n\u201cO Lord, out of Your causeless mercy You have manifested Your
\ninnumerable names and empowered Them with Your own transcendental
\npotencies. You have not imposed rigid rules for chanting and
\nremembering these names, nor laid down conditions barring anyone from
\nchanting or remembering Your name even during eating, reclining, or
\nsleeping. But I am so wretched that I am not attracted to Your names.\u201d
\nTwo types of holy names
\nThe word bahu, or ‘many’, indicates the two types of the Lord’s holy
\nnames: principal and secondary. The principal names include K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,
\nR\u0101dh\u0101-ramana and Gopijana-vallabha, which represent the loving
\nconjugal mood of the Lord; the names R\u0101ma, Vasudeva, Narasimha, etc.
\naddress Him in opulent, reverential mood. Brahma, Supersoul
\n(paramatma), etc., are His secondary names; they are incomplete,
\nseparated and partial. The Lord’s principal names are non-different
\nfrom Him, and possess all His energies; while the secondary names,
\nrepresent His potencies in partial degree only.
\nThe cause of material suffering
\nBecause the spirit soul has turned away from the Lord, he has become
\nimprisoned in maya’s illusory and ephemeral kingdom, bringing down
\nupon himself his great misfortune all due to his reluctance to render
\nservice to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Anyabhilasita or material desires, karma and
\nj\u00f1\u0101na lead to different degrees of mundane enjoyment, deluding the
\nspirit soul into forgetting his real spiritual identity, or svarfipa,
\nthus causing him to fall into a veritable whirlpool of misery. Under
\nthe spell of lusty desires, he becomes intoxicated with sensual
\npleasures; while pious activities goad him into yearning for temporary
\nheavenly joys. Thus battered about between bhoga and tyaga, or
\nindulgence and renunciation, he searches for release seeking
\nabsorption in the undifferentiated brahman. The soul’s intrinsic
\nnature and eternal duty is to serve Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but it has been
\nobscured by the three impurities and as a result his good fortune is
\nbeing slowly chiselled away. He becomes busy with mundane activities
\nof religiosity, accumulating wealth and enjoying the senses. Or else
\nhe is: frustrated because he does not derive any satisfaction from
\ncommitting impious immoral activities. Thus becoming the ignominious
\nbearer of offences, when he attempts to chant the holy name he
\nperpetrates ‘nama aparadhas’. He is unable to chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name
\npurely, His chanting is offensive, for he cannot chant purely at this
\nstage.
\nThe holy name is the cure for material misery
\nFaced with an awesomely chaotic future, where peace lies beyond his
\nreach, the spirit soul strives for peace but without allowing lusty
\ndesires to harass him. He takes up chanting but unfortunately he is
\nignorant and unmindful of his eternal relationship with the Supreme
\nLord and His multifarious potencies. Chanting in this stage is not
\npure, but he has made a beginning; and he is chanting the ‘shadow
\nname’ or namabhasa. His chanting is a mere semblance of the pure name.
\nNamabhasa chanting helps sever mundane ties freeing him from the
\nmaterial concept of life. Now he becomes eligible to render
\ntranscendental devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Elevated souls,
\nwho are liberated and unafflicted by maya’s onslaught, obtain pure
\nlove of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a through unblemished chanting. Seeing the ill-fated
\ndestiny of the conditioned souls, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu advented,
\nbringing with Him the transcendental process of chanting the holy name
\nof the Lord. Instructing the conditioned souls on the holy name, He
\nnoticed their abject lack of interest in chanting. But inspite of this
\ndire condition we find the ubiquitous and causeless mercy of the Lord
\nalways ready to give us succour.
\nHow to chant offenselessly
\nThere is indeed a way to escape the steely clutches of n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha.
\nOne must recognize and: isolate the offenses conscientiously avoiding
\nthem he most then chant continuously, this alone will keep n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha
\nat bay. Namabhasa chanting elevates one to the platform of mukti, or
\nliberation, freeing one from the influence of and dependence upon
\nmatter. Thereafter one becomes competent to chant the holy name
\npurely. All these opportunities provided to us by the Supreme Lord
\nindicate the unlimited, perennial flow of His compassion. Simply
\nchanting the principal names of God brings about the highest and the
\nonly real benediction to all humanity.
\nFreedom from all suffering
\nWhen the j\u012bva strives for insignificant and evanescent material
\nresults, he finds himself grappling with the stringent laws of nature
\nand the inexorable influence of time. But for one who chants the holy
\nnames, the Supreme Lord removes all insurmountable obstacles by His
\ncauseless mercy. In the Caitanya-Bh\u0101gavata [CB Madhya-kha\u1e47\u1e0da 28.28]\nwe find this statement:
\n\u201cAlways remember to chant the holy name, whether sleeping, eating or waking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again in Caitanya-Bh\u0101gavata [CB Madhya-kha\u1e47\u1e0da 23.78]:
\n\u201cThere are no hard and fast rules for chanting, so chant always.\u201d<\/p>\n

This same instruction is repeated in the Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya 20.18]:
\n\u201cRegardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while
\neating or sleeping, attains all perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya<\/p>\n

The following relevant verses from different scriptures substantiate
\nLord Caitanya’s statements:
\nNija-sarva-\u015baktih-tatra arpita
\nFrom the Skanda Pur\u0101\u1e47a:
\nd\u0101na-vrata-tapas-t\u012brtha-y\u0101tr\u0101d\u012bna\u1e41 ca y\u0101\u1e25 sthit\u0101\u1e25
\n\u015baktayo devamahat\u0101\u1e41 sarva-p\u0101pa-har\u0101\u1e25 \u015bubh\u0101\u1e25
\nr\u0101jas\u016by\u0101\u015bvamedh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101nasy\u0101dhy\u0101tma-vastuna\u1e25
\n\u0101k\u1e5b\u1e63ya hari\u1e47\u0101 sarv\u0101\u1e25 sth\u0101pit\u0101\u1e25 sve\u1e63u n\u0101masu
\nna de\u015ba-k\u0101la-niyamo na \u015bauc\u0101\u015bauca-nir\u1e47aya\u1e25
\npara\u1e41 sank\u012brtan\u0101d eva r\u0101ma r\u0101meti mucyate
\n\u201cAll the auspicious potencies\u2014whether of pious deeds, acts of charity,
\nstrict vows, penances, going on pilgrimage, asvamedha and rajasuya
\nsacrifices, or knowledge of the Absolute\u2014which expunge the effects of
\nsinful life, have been assembled together by the Supreme Lord and
\nchannelled into His holy name, making it truly onimpotent<\/p>\n

And from the Vaisvanara-samhita:
\n\u201cThere are no fixed times and considerations of cleanliness or
\nuncleanliness in chanting the holy name. Simply repeating ‘R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma’
\nis enough to liberate the j\u012bva from bondage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Durdaivam-idrsam iha-ajani-na anuraga
\nIn the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [3.9.31] it is said:
\ndaivena te hata-dhiyo bhavata\u1e25 prasa\u1e45g\u0101t
\nsarv\u0101\u015bubhopa\u015baman\u0101d vimukhendriy\u0101 ye
\nkurvanti k\u0101ma-sukha-le\u015ba-lav\u0101ya d\u012bn\u0101
\nlobh\u0101bhibh\u016bta-manaso ‘ku\u015bal\u0101ni \u015ba\u015bvat
\n\u201cO my Lord, persons who are bereft of the all-auspicious performance
\nof hearing and chanting Your transcendental activities are certainly
\nunfortunate and bereft of all good sense. They engage in inauspicious
\nactivities, enjoying sense gratification for a very little while.<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Three
\nt\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api su-n\u012bcena
\ntaror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101
\nam\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101na-dena
\nk\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nt\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101t api\u2014than downtrodden grass; su-n\u012bcena\u2014being lower; taro\u1e25\u2014than a
\ntree; iva\u2014like; sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101\u2014with tolerance; am\u0101nin\u0101\u2014without being puffed
\nup by false pride; m\u0101na-dena\u2014giving respect to all; k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25\u2014to be
\nchanted; sad\u0101\u2014always; hari\u1e25\u2014the holy name of the Lord.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nOne who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than
\na tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared
\nto give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy
\nname of the Lord.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nThe devotee who chants the holy name offenselessly is adorned with
\nfour very special qualities: a natural meekness and humility because
\nof his complete detachment from matter, a pure compassion unencumbered
\nby envy, a spotless heart free from mundane false prestige, and a
\nrespectful attitude towards everyone.<\/p>\n

Humbler than a blade of grass
\nWhen the holy name, which is the absolute embodiment of transcendental
\nrasa I, appear in the devotee’s heart, setting him up to abhor
\nanything mundane he begins to think, \u201cI am constitutionally an
\ninfinitesimal and eternal servant of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I have no real
\nneed for material life! Alas, because I have estranged myself from the
\nLord I find myself strapped to the wheel of birth and death, suffering
\nuntold miseries. But now, by the grace of my guru and all the
\nVai\u1e63\u1e47avas, I have come to realize that only by devotional service to
\nthe Supreme Lord can I find release from this dilemma and become
\nreinstated in my original constitutional position and spiritual
\nidentity, that leads to attainment of love of God. Therefore, as long
\nas I am not freed, by the Lord’s mercy from the chains of material
\nbondage, to go through life I must embrace the path of yukta-vair\u0101ga,
\nand together with sambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na, accept only enough matter for my
\nbare necessities, just to keep my body and spirit together.
\n\u201cThe misery stemming from poverty, disease, calamity, old age, etc.,
\nand happiness due to wealth, health, beauty, education, etc., are all
\npr\u0101rabdha karmic reactions which I shall inevitably have to
\nexperience. Loss and gain, birth and death, suffering and joy are in
\nno way connected to spiritual life rather they are wholly mundane,
\nthus inconsequential to my real life. I will therefore approach the
\nLord with utmost humility and pray, ‘O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O Govinda, O Lord of my
\nheart, when will I be engaged in Your divine service? Kindly be
\nmerciful upon this lowly creature and quickly accept me as Your
\nservitor.’ In this mood I shall either enter the forest or remain
\nhome, and living frugally, I shall somehow sustain my life. Although
\ngrass is matter, it’s ego is natural and proportionate to it, whereas
\nmy false ego, made up of my gross and subtle bodies, is utterly
\nillusory because it is not connected to my original spiritual self. It
\nis only proper, therefore, that I become more humble than a blade of
\ngrass.\u201d
\nMore tolerant than a tree
\nNow to explain the real purport of taror api sahisnuna\u2014’more tolerant
\nthan a tree’. The tree is considered tolerant because it never
\nneglects to offer its cooling shade and succulent fruits, even to the
\nwood-cutter who is going to cut it down. The devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is
\nkinder still because he is compassionate to every living entity,
\nwhether friend or foe, desiring only their highest welfare. One who
\nchants offenselessly is overwhelmed with thoughts of others’
\nwell-being. Thus the second special quality; compassion without envy
\nis being described. He thinks, \u201cO Lord, my friends and companions and
\nall living entities are so unfortunate. How can they develop love and
\nattraction for chanting Your all-auspicious names? They are sopped
\ndown in the quagmire of family attachment, wealth, property,
\nsuccesses, failures, loss and profit, joys and sorrows, birth and
\ndeath, etc., all because they are blinded by maya. There is not the
\nslightest indication that they are disgusted with a futile material
\nexistence filled with anarthas, or unwanted things. They are slowly
\nstrangling on the rope of unlimited desires for mundane sense
\ngratification, all the while busying themselves in vacuous pursuits of
\nfruitive action that promise them divine pleasures, and of empirical
\nknowledge, that tantalize them with the promise of liberation. How can
\nthese persons become attracted to self-realization?” Praying to the
\nLord in this way, the devotee’s heart is flooded with spiritual
\nemotions, and he begins to sing loudly,
\nharer n\u0101ma harer n\u0101ma harer n\u0101maiva kevalam
\nkalau n\u0101sty eva n\u0101sty eva n\u0101sty eva gatir anyath\u0101
\n\u201cIn the age of Kali there is no other way, there is no other way,
\nthere is no other way than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy
\nname, chanting the holy name of the Lord Hari.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freedom from false prestige
\nThe word amani describes the third quality of the devotee who chants
\noffenselessly\u2014a spotless heart free from false ego and false prestige.
\nAll gross and subtle bodily designations are derived from the mode of
\nignorance. Yogic mystic powers, material opulence, natural beauty,
\nhigh birth, strength, social status, influence over others, etc., are
\nbut a function of false ego and are incompatible with real spiritual
\nidentity. To completely reject these false designations is to have a
\nspotless heart, devoid of mundane ego and false prestige. He who
\ninspite of having every reason to be proud, demonstrates tolerance,
\nhumility, and a spotless heart is a fit candidate to chant purely. A
\ndevotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, whether he is a brahmana living in the house, must
\nsubdue the pride of being a brahmana; and if he is living a renounced
\nlife in the forest, must conquer the supercilious attitude careful to
\navoid becoming proud of being a brahmana, of being a renunciant. He
\nshould simply concentrate on the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and chant His
\nholy name.<\/p>\n

Offering all respect to others
\nNext, the word manada means to offer all respect to others. This is
\nthe fourth symptom of the devotee who chants without offenses. He
\nunderstands that all living entities are eternal servants of Lord
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so he is never envious of anyone. He pleases everyone with
\nsweet and sincere words, and his exemplary life brings benediction to
\nthe whole world. In this world, he offers his respect to distinguished
\npersonalities and learned brahmanas; and to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and
\nother demigods he offers his obeisances with utmost humility, praying
\nto them to increase his devotion to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. To elevated Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas
\nand pure devotees, he offers his services with heart and soul.<\/p>\n

The highest success
\nChanting the holy name adorned with these four blessed qualities is
\nthe highest success of human life. This is the message of Lord \u015ar\u012b
\nCaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu the most magnanimous incarnation and savior of the
\nfallen souls of Kali-yuga. In Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya 20.22-26] it
\nis stated:
\n\u201cThese are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra.
\nAlthough he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on
\nthe ground, and like a tree he tolerates everything. When a tree is
\ncut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not
\nask anyone for water. It yields up its fruits, flowers and whatever
\nelse it possesses to anyone and everyone, tolerating scorching heat
\nand torrents of rain, yet giving shelter to all. Although a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava
\nis the most exalted person, he is prideless and gives all respect to
\neveryone, knowing everyone to be the residence of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If one chants
\nthe holy name of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in this manner, he will certainly awaken
\nhis dormant love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s lotus feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\nThe living entity is by constitution an eternal servant of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,
\nand therefore his eternal dharma is to chant the holy names of the
\nSupreme Lord, whether he simply transits this material world or
\npermanently enters the spiritual sky. There is no better means for
\nhumanity’s all-round benefit and success other than chanting the holy
\nname. Chanting brings good fortune to others and all-auspiciousness to
\noneself.<\/p>\n

How to avoid n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha
\nThis \u015bloka was spoken for the sole purpose of focusing how to avoid
\nn\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha and namabhasa in chanting. One whose intelligence shies
\naway from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and rushes instead towards the intoxicants of material
\nenjoyment can never perceive his true infinitesimal stature. By
\nnature, one who tries to be an enjoyer does not realize the reality of
\nhis insignificance; nor can he be tolerant. He is not at all inclined
\nto give up his false ego and false prestige. A gross materilist is
\nunwilling, even incapable of acknowledging anyone as an equal. The
\nVai\u1e63\u1e47ava who experiences ecstasy in the Lord’s is unwilling, even
\nincapable of acknowledging anyone as an equal, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava who
\nexperiences ecstasy in the Lord’s name, on the other hand, is humbler
\nthan a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree, is
\nunconcerned\u2014even unwilling\u2014to receive respect, but is eager to offer
\nrespect to others. Such an elevated soul alone is worthy of chanting
\nconstantly. When these pure souls offer their praise and worship to
\nthe guru and senior Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, they do so out of manada. And when they
\ngive advice to disciples and sadhakas to chant, they encourage them
\nwith words of appreciation. In this case they exhibit their innate
\nquality of amanina\u2014desiring no respect or praise in return.<\/p>\n

The glories of humility
\nA pure devotee understands that these words of praise and appreciation
\nare not empty mundane vauntings but acknowledgement of spiritual
\nqualities; and if the foolish misinterpret this as mundane, then he
\ntolerates their railings, thus exhibiting deep forbearance. This is
\nhis nature. The unalloyed Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, who chants offenselessly,
\nconsiders himself to be lower than the straw in the street that is
\ntrampled by the walking masses. A true saint never thinks himself to
\nbe a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava or claims to be a guru. He regards himself humbly as a
\ndisciple of the whole world, and as the most meek and fallen soul.
\nKnowing every atom and the infinitesimal spirit soul as the residence
\nof Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he never mistreats anyone as his inferior. He is not
\nwanting anything nor does he require anything from anyone. Even if
\nothers are envious and spiteful of him, he never retaliates; on the
\ncontrary, he prays for the well-being of his tormentors.<\/p>\n

A pure devotee is faithful to his guru
\nThe devotee who chants the holy name offenselessly never rejects the
\ndevotional process he received from his guru, nor introduces a new
\nmethod, replacing the mah\u0101-mantra with some concocted and imaginary
\nrhyme. A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava’s humility cannot be doubted or challenged if he
\npreaches the glories of the holy name and writes books, as long as he
\nstrictly adheres to the instructions of his guru. One who tries to
\ncheat and deceive others, by making a show of humility although he
\nlacks it just to gain cheap adoration is not truly humble. The
\nmah\u0101-bhagavata who is constantly chanting does not see the material
\nworld as something for him to exploit for personal gain, but as
\ndiverse paraphernalia for rendering service to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a His
\nassociates and devotees. He does not think that this world is his to
\nenjoy. Although he becomes proficient in chanting he never considers
\ngiving up the mah\u0101-mantra. He is not interested in propagating new
\nideas and opinions. He realizes that to regard oneself as a guru of
\nVai\u1e63\u1e47ava devotees strikes the death knell of his humility.
\nLord Caitanya’s instructions<\/p>\n

The plain truth is that one who does not heed Lord Caitanya’s
\ninstructions in the \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka prayers is chasing after material
\ngains. His sole intention is to satisfy his senses, thereby forgeting
\nhis true spiritual identity. He begins to hanker for recognition and
\nthe status of an elevated Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava and guru, but the holy name can
\nnever be chanted by such offenders. Even an otherwise sincere and
\nfaithful disciple cannot become worthy of hearing and chanting the
\npure holy name if he hears from such an offender.<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nKirtaniya Sada Harih
\nSome other relevant \u015blokas follow:
\nFrom \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [2.1.11]:
\netan nirvidyam\u0101n\u0101n\u0101m__icchat\u0101m akuto-bhayam
\nyogin\u0101\u1e41 n\u1e5bpa nir\u1e47\u012bta\u1e41__harer n\u0101m\u0101nuk\u012brtanam
\n\u201cO King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways
\nof the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success
\nfor all including those who are free from all material desires, those
\nwho are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are
\nself-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.\u201d
\nAnd from Mukunda-mala [37]:
\nida\u1e41 \u015bar\u012bra\u1e41 pari\u1e47\u0101ma-pe\u015bala\u1e41
\npataty ava\u015bya\u1e41 \u015bata-sandhi-jarjaram
\nkim au\u1e63adha\u1e41 p\u1e5bcchasi m\u016b\u1e0dha durmate
\nnir\u0101maya\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-ras\u0101yana\u1e41 piba
\n\u201cO fool! O you rascal! This constantly mutable body is under attack
\nfrom innumerable attachments and diseases, and death is certain. What
\nremedial measures have you undertaken? Simply drink the medicine of
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name, which is the cure for all diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Four
\nna dhana\u1e41 na jana\u1e41 na sundar\u012b\u1e41
\nkavit\u0101\u1e41 v\u0101 jagad\u012b\u015ba k\u0101maye
\nmama janmani jaman\u012b\u015bvare
\nbhavat\u0101d bhaktir ahaituk\u012b tvayi<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nna\u2014not; dhanam\u2014riches; na\u2014not; janam\u2014followers; na\u2014not; sundar\u012bm\u2014a
\nvery beautiful woman; kavit\u0101m\u2014fruitive activities described in flowery
\nlanguage; v\u0101\u2014or; jagat-\u012b\u015ba\u2014O Lord of the universe; k\u0101maye\u2014I desire;
\nmama\u2014My; janmani\u2014in birth; janmani\u2014after birth; \u012b\u015bvare\u2014unto the
\nSupreme Personality of Godhead; bhavat\u0101t\u2014let there be;
\nbhakti\u1e25\u2014devotional service; ahaituk\u012b\u2014with no motives; tvayi\u2014unto You.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nO Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic
\nfollowers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in
\nflowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated
\ndevotional service unto You.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nIt is imperative that in the very beginning, the sincere sadhaka
\nattentively hear his guru chanting the holy name, and thereafter
\nhimself chant the holy name free from all n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha. The process of
\nchanting guarantees that the four qualities described in the previous
\n\u015bloka will gradually blossom in his heart. Conversely, if the
\nsadhaka’s attachment to sensual pleasure is not severed, then his
\noriginal spiritual identity does not become manifest, in which case
\nbhakti, which is the intrinsic flavor of the Lord’s hladini potency,
\ncannot be transformed into bh\u0101va, or amorous spiritual mellows.
\nS\u0101dhana-bhakti means the process of chanting, and the pure form of
\ns\u0101dhana-bhakti is clearly indicated in the phrase na dhanam na janam.
\nThe principal symptom of bhakti is loving devotional service to Lord
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; the secondary symptom is freedom from all desires
\n(anyabhilasita \u015bunyam) outside of the path of bhakti, which is
\nuntainted by karma and j\u00f1\u0101na. As long as loving devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\n(anukulyena k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47anusilanam) is encumbered by desires for karma, j\u00f1\u0101na
\nyoga, the highest stage of loving devotional service, or
\nuttama-bhakti, will not manifest; it remains as a mere shadow of
\ndevotion, or bhakti-abhasa.<\/p>\n

Dissipating shadow bhakti
\nThe instructions in this \u015bloka are meant to dissipate this very shadow
\nbhakti. \u201cO Lord, I do not hanker for wealth (dhanam), a following
\n(janam), or beautiful verses (sundarim kavitam).” Here dhanam refers
\nto the wealth of piety accrued when one strictly follows the path of
\nvarnasrama-dharma and related karma-kanda activities. It further
\nimplies the paraphernalia one need’s to fulfil his sensual desires in
\nthis life, and to ensure further luxury and sensuality with a next
\nbirth in the heavenly planets. Janam refers to wife, sons, servants,
\nsubjects, friends and relatives.<\/p>\n

The King of education
\nThe proper understanding of education and learning is that which
\ngenerates attraction and attachment for the lotus feet of the Supreme
\nLord. The phrase sundarim kavitam thus does not refer to scriptural
\nnarrations of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s pastimes, but to mundane literature or
\nother dry philosophical and esoteric technical subjects. Lord
\nCaitanya’s prayer begs not for such trivialities but to be engaged,
\nbirth after birth, in the loving service of the sweet Lord of the
\nheart, to develop unstinting devotion devoid of any and all
\nconditional demands. ‘Unconditional’ means a devotion uncorrupted by
\ninferior desires for self-aggrandizement and carnal pleasure\u2014a
\npristine spiritual love overflowing the heart with transcendental
\nmellows. Undeviating and pure love means to satisfy Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nonly.<\/p>\n

Victory depends upon the Lord’s will
\nThe soul’s struggle to triumph over repeated birth and death and other
\nmaterial miseries is beyond him, for such victory depends entirely
\nupon the Supreme Lord’s will. Yet, all miseries automatically cease
\nwhen, by the Lord’s desire, one is rescued from the cycle of birth and
\ndeath. Therefore, what is the efficacy of a gross materialistic prayer
\nthat is contradictory to the precepts of pure devotion? Lord
\nCaitanya’s prayer is this: \u201cUntil such time as the cycle of birth and
\ndeath is brought to an end by the grace of God, let Me have
\nunconditional devotion to His lotus feet life after life, regardless
\nof what My material situation may be.\u201d
\nIn Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya-lila 20.27, 28, 30], it is said:
\n\u201cAs Lord Caitanya spoke in this way, His humility increased and
\npraying to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that He might discharge pure devotional service.
\nWherever there is a relationship of love of Godhead, it’s natural
\nsymptom is that the devotee does not think himself a devotee. Instead,
\nhe always thinks that he has not even a drop of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. [Lord
\nCaitanya prayed,] ‘My dear Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I do not want material wealth
\nfrom You, nor do I want followers, a beautiful wife or the results of
\nfruitive activities. I only pray that by Your causeless mercy, You
\ngive Me pure devotional service unto You, life after life.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\n\u201cO Lord of the Universe! I have no desire for material wealth,
\nfollowing, or beautiful poetry. You are the object of My worship and
\ndevotional love, life after life; I only pray that I may have
\nunconditional love and devotion at Your lotus feet.” Sundarim kavitam
\nrefers to the religious principles of the Vedas, dhanam refers to
\nwealth, and janam means wife, children, relatives, etc.: \u201cI do not
\nmerely abhor sense gratification derived through religiosity, wealth
\nand lust, but I am appalled at the idea of temporary mukti, or
\nliberation, from the cycle of birth and death. I refuse to be enticed
\nby these four Vedic goals (dharma, artha, kama and moksa), but want
\nonly to render service at Your lotus feet.\u201d
\nKing Kulasekhar’s prayer captures this mood:
\n\u201cO my Supreme Lord, I do not want to accumulate heaps of piety by
\nperforming sacrifices and executing prescribed duties as recommended
\nin the scriptures, nor do I want great opulence and sense
\ngratification. Whatever reactions I am destined to suffer for my past
\nmisdeeds, let them come. What I cherish is the hope that my deep
\ndevotion to Your lotus feet may remain undeviating in its firmness,
\nbirth after birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pancopasana is covered impersonalism
\nPersons who follow Vedic religiosity worship the sun-god; one who
\ndesires wealth worships Ganesa; those craving carnal pleasures worship
\nKali or Durga; those who strive for liberation worship Lord Siva; and
\nthose who worship Lord Visnu, knowing Him to be the source of the
\nVedas, do so for material motives\u2014they are not pure devotees. This
\ntype of Vedic worship is known as Pancopasana, or worship of the five
\nprimary demigods. Whether such ritualistic so-called followers of the
\nVedas worship with or without material desires, they are in fact
\nworshipping impersonal brahman. (This is because the worship of Visnu
\non an equal level with the demigods (who are actually His servants in
\nevery respect) ignores Visnu’s position as yajnesvara, the Supreme
\nPersonality of Godhead who is the ultimate sanctioning authority and
\nbeneficiary of all sacrifices. The implication is that the pancopasana
\nworshipper, rejecting the verdict of the Vedas, accepts only the
\nundifferentiated brahman as the supreme.\u2014Ed.)
\nTo worship Lord Visnu purely and properly, one must render unmotivated
\ndevotional service to Him.
\nReferences and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nOther scriptural evidence is presented below:
\nFrom \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [1.2.14]\ntasm\u0101d ekena manas\u0101 bhagav\u0101n s\u0101tvat\u0101\u1e41 pati\u1e25
\n\u015brotavya\u1e25 k\u012brtitavya\u015b ca dhyeya\u1e25 p\u016bjya\u015b ca nityad\u0101
\nTherefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear
\nabout, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who
\nis the protector of devotees.<\/p>\n

From \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [6.11.25]:
\nna n\u0101ka-p\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e41 na ca p\u0101rame\u1e63\u1e6dhya\u1e41
\nna s\u0101rva-bhauma\u1e41 na ras\u0101dhipatyam
\nna yoga-siddh\u012br apunar-bhava\u1e41 v\u0101
\nsama\u00f1jasa tv\u0101 virahayya k\u0101\u1e45k\u1e63e
\n\u201cO my Lord, source of all opportunities, I do not desire to enjoy in
\nDhruvaloka, the heavenly planets, or the planet where Lord Brahma
\nresides. Nor do I desire to be the supreme ruler of all the earthly
\nplanets to have the powers of mystic yoga, or liberation, if I have to
\ngive up Your lotus feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

From \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [ 11.2.42]:
\nbhakti\u1e25 pare\u015b\u0101nubhavo viraktir
\nanyatra cai\u1e63a trika eka-k\u0101la\u1e25
\nprapadyam\u0101nasya yath\u0101\u015bnata\u1e25 syus
\ntu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 pu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 k\u1e63ud-ap\u0101yo ‘nu-gh\u0101sam
\n\u201cDevotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from
\nmaterial things\u2014all three occur simultaneously in one who has taken
\nshelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that
\npleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and
\nincreasingly with each bite to a person engaged in eating.\u201d<\/p>\n

From \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [1.5.18]\ntasyaiva heto\u1e25 prayateta kovido
\nna labhyate yad bhramat\u0101m upary adha\u1e25
\ntal labhyate du\u1e25khavad anyata\u1e25 sukha\u1e41
\nk\u0101lena sarvatra gabh\u012bra-ra\u1e41has\u0101
\nPersons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined
\nshould endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable
\neven by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the
\nlowest planet [P\u0101t\u0101la]. As far as happiness derived from sense
\nenjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of
\ntime, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do
\nnot desire them.<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Five<\/p>\n

ayi nanda-tanuja ki\u1e45kara\u1e41
\npatita\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vi\u1e63ame bhav\u0101mbudhau
\nk\u1e5bpay\u0101 tava p\u0101da-pa\u1e45kaja-
\nsthita-dh\u016bl\u012b-sad\u1e5b\u015ba\u1e41 vicintaya<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nayi\u2014O My Lord; nanda-tanuja\u2014the son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a;
\nki\u1e45karam\u2014the servant; patitam\u2014fallen; m\u0101m\u2014Me; vi\u1e63ame\u2014horrible;
\nbhava-ambudhau\u2014in the ocean of nescience; k\u1e5bpay\u0101\u2014by causeless mercy;
\ntava\u2014Your; p\u0101da-pa\u1e45kaja\u2014lotus feet; sthita\u2014situated at;
\ndh\u016bl\u012b-sad\u1e5b\u015bam\u2014like a particle of dust; vicintaya\u2014kindly consider.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nO My Lord, O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, son of Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant,
\nbut because of My own fruitive acts, I have fallen in this horrible
\nocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider
\nMe a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nIs it proper for a sadhaka who has taken shelter of the holy name to
\ndiscuss the miseries of material life he has to experience? To
\ndissipate this doubt, Lord Caitanya has composed this \u015bloka, the
\nessence of which is as follows: \u201cO Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O son of Nanda
\nMah\u0101r\u0101ja, I am Your eternal servant, but as a result of my previous
\nactivities I have now fallen into this terrible ocean of material
\nexistence. Lust, greed, anger, envy, etc., are my adversaries, waiting
\nin the waters like big fish to swallow me up. The boisterous waves of
\nwasted hopes and anxieties are tossing me here and there, making my
\nlife miserable. Lashing gales of bad association add further
\nsuffering. In this condition, therefore, I see You alone as my succor.
\nOccasionally a small bunch of weeds can be seen floating\u2014these are the
\nweeds of karma, j\u00f1\u0101na, yoga, austerity, etc. But has anyone ever
\ncrossed the mighty ocean of nescience with the help of such paltry
\nflotsam? In trying to swim across this ocean, some have reached out to
\ngrab these weeds for support, but unfortunately everything, including
\nthe person himself, sinks like dead weights. Factually, I can see that
\nthere is no other hope for shelter except Your unlimited mercy.<\/p>\n

Crossing the ocean of material existence
\n\u201cThe sturdy boat of Your holy name is the only means of crossing over
\nthis dangerous ocean of material existence. Considering all these
\nfacts with a level head, I begged for the invincible boat of Your holy
\nname from my guru, which he gave me by his causeless mercy. O Lord,
\nYou are the renowned protector of Your devotees, who are souls
\nsurrendered to Your lotus feet. Therefore please accept this homeless
\ndestitute, cleanse me of all my faults, and consider me as a particle
\nof dust at Your lotus feet.\u201d
\nThe message of this \u015bloka is that those who are on the path of bhakti
\nshould completely discard desires for sense enjoyment and liberation.
\nIn Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya-lila 20.31, 33-34] it is said:
\n\u201cIn great humility, considering Himself a conditioned soul of the
\nmaterial world, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu again expressed His desire to
\nbe blessed with service to the Lord. ‘I am Your eternal servant, but I
\nforgot Your Lordship. Now I have fallen in the ocean of nescience and
\nhave been conditioned by the external energy. Be causelessly merciful
\nto Me by giving Me a place with the particles of dust at Your lotus
\nfeet so that I may engage in the service of Your Lordship as Your
\neternal servant.”‘<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\nLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the son of Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Nanda, is the object of everyone’s
\ndevotion. Eternal servitorship to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is an integral aspect of
\nthe soul’s spiritual identity, or svar\u016bpa. This same servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nhas become indifferent to his service to Him and so is drowning in the
\ninsurmountable, terrible ocean of material existence. In this
\nsituation his only hope of survival is to receive the Supreme Lord’s
\nmercy. If Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, out of His fathomless compassion, accepts the
\nj\u012bva, placing him as a particle of pollen at His lotus feet, then the
\nspirit soul’s covered identity and eternal serving proclivity will
\nbecome manifest. It is not within the j\u012bva’s control or nature to
\nintensify and deepen his desire to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s lotus feet; the truth
\nis that by surrendering to the will and mercy of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can he develop
\na serving mood to the Lord. The term padadhuli (dust from His lotus
\nfeet) used here, further substantiates the notion of the j\u012bva’s
\noriginal identity as an infinitesimal part and parcel of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, as
\nstated in the scriptures.<\/p>\n

Further development of devotion
\nUntil the time that the j\u012bva becomes fully situated in his svar\u016bpa, or
\noriginal spiritual identity, residues of anarthas, or unwanted
\ndesires, still cling to his heart. In this state the ultimate goal and
\nperfection remain obfuscated with impurities. Attendant upon
\nsambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na, or (knowledge of the relationships between God, His
\nmultifarious energies, and the spirit souls) comes eligibility to
\nchant His holy names and to perform loving devotional service. In this
\nstage of realization the j\u012bva is known as jata-rati, born of rati, or
\nlove. The difference between an ajata-rati (not born of rati) and a,
\njata-rati devotee is in the quality of their chanting. It is therefore
\nunconscionable that anyone deceitfully and prematurely present himself
\nas a jata-rati.
\nAfter anartha-nivritti comes nairantarya, or an undeviating steadiness
\nin serving; followed by sveccha-purvika, or voluntary invocation of
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s pastimes in meditation and thereby developing spontaneous
\ntaste. The next stage is svarasiki, or the spontaneous manifestation
\nof K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s unmanifested pastimes without voluntarily desiring it. Only
\nafter these three stages, comes the final perfection, that of
\nk\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nQuotes from the scriptures supporting this \u015bloka:
\nFrom \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [6.11.24]:
\naha\u1e41 hare tava p\u0101daika-m\u016bla-
\nd\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101so bhavit\u0101smi bh\u016bya\u1e25
\nmana\u1e25 smaret\u0101su-pater gu\u1e47\u0101\u1e41s te
\ng\u1e5b\u1e47\u012bta v\u0101k karma karotu k\u0101ya\u1e25
\n\u201cO my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to
\nbe a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your
\nlotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so
\nthat my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my
\nwords always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in
\nthe loving service of Your Lordship.\u201d<\/p>\n

The j\u012bva’s constitutional position is that of being enjoyed, or
\nbhogya, and Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is always the Supreme Enjoyer. Hence if the
\nj\u012bva ardently serves and meditates upon the Lord he will feel an
\nindomitable urge to become a servitor of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, who is the
\nembodiment of the highest spiritual bliss. At that juncture gopi
\nbh\u0101va, or the loving mood of service exhibited by the gopis, blossoms
\nin the heart.
\nFrom \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [ 10.29.38]:
\ntan na\u1e25 pras\u012bda v\u1e5bjin\u0101rdana te ‘nghri-m\u016bla\u1e41
\npr\u0101pt\u0101 vis\u1e5bjya vasat\u012bs tvad-up\u0101san\u0101\u015b\u0101\u1e25
\ntvat-sundara-smita-nir\u012bk\u1e63a\u1e47a-t\u012bvra-k\u0101ma
\ntapt\u0101tman\u0101\u1e41 puru\u1e63a-bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a dehi d\u0101syam
\n\u201cTherefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show us mercy. To
\napproach Your lotus feet we abandoned our families and homes, for we
\nhave no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are burning with
\nintense desires generated by Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel
\namong men, please make us Your maidservants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b writes:
\nan\u0101r\u0101dhya r\u0101dh\u0101-pad\u0101mbhoja re\u1e47um
\nan\u0101\u015britya v\u1e5bnd\u0101\u1e6dav\u012b\u1e41 tat pad\u0101\u1e45k\u0101m
\nasambh\u0101sya-tad bh\u0101va-gambh\u012bra citt\u0101n
\nkuta\u1e25 \u015by\u0101ma-sindho rasasy\u0101vag\u0101ha\u1e25
\n\u201cIf you have not worshipped the dust of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b
\nR\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, or the land of Vraja that is marked with Her lotus feet, or
\nhave not served the lotus feet of Her devotees, who have become
\nprofound by meditating upon Her; how can you become attracted to that
\nblackish ocean of nectar known as Syama, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?”<\/p>\n

From the Vilap-kusum-anjali (8):
\ndevi du\u1e25kha kula-s\u0101garodare
\nd\u016byam\u0101na mati durgata\u1e41 jana\u1e41
\ntvat k\u1e5bp\u0101 pravala naukay\u0101dbhuta\u1e41
\npr\u0101paya svapada-pa\u1e45ka-j\u0101layam
\n\u201cO R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, O dallying damsel of Vraja I am exhausted from swimming
\nin the tempestuous ocean of misery. I am a derelict. Kindly place me
\non the infallible boat of Your causeless mercy and guide me to the
\nwonderful sanctuary of Your lotus feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

And from R\u0101dh\u0101-rasa-sudha-nidhi [259]:
\ndhy\u0101yanta\u1e41 \u015bikhi-piccha-mauli-mani\u015ba\u1e41 tan n\u0101ma-sa\u1e41k\u012brtayan
\nnitya\u1e41 tac cara\u1e47\u0101mbuja\u1e41 paricaran tan-mantra-varya\u1e41 japan
\n\u015br\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101 pad\u0101syam eva param\u0101bh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e41 h\u1e5bd\u0101 dh\u0101rayan
\nkarhi sy\u0101\u1e41 tad anugrahe\u1e47a param\u0101dbhut\u0101nur\u0101gotsava\u1e25
\n\u201cBecome totally absorbed in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a whose crown is decorated with a
\npeacock plume, and sing His name and glories constantly. Invoke His
\npleasure by engrossing yourself in serving His lotus feet and chanting
\nthe mah\u0101-mantra continuously. My most intimate and heartfelt desire is
\nto become a slave to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b’s lotus feet. By Her causeless
\nmercy may I attain spontaneous love for Her service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Six
\nnayana\u1e41 galad-a\u015bru-dh\u0101ray\u0101
\nvadana\u1e41 gadgada-ruddhay\u0101 gir\u0101
\npulakair nicita\u1e41 vapu\u1e25 kad\u0101,
\ntava n\u0101ma-graha\u1e47e bhavi\u1e63yati<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nnayanam\u2014the eyes; galat-a\u015bru-dh\u0101ray\u0101\u2014by streams of tears running down;
\nvadanam\u2014mouth; gadgada\u2014faltering; ruddhay\u0101\u2014choked up; gir\u0101\u2014with words;
\npulakai\u1e25\u2014with erection of the hairs due to transcendental happiness;
\nnicitam\u2014covered; vapu\u1e25\u2014the body; kad\u0101\u2014when; tava\u2014Your; n\u0101ma-graha\u1e47e\u2014in
\nchanting the name; bhavi\u1e63yati\u2014will be.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nMy dear Lord, when will My eyes be beautified by filling with tears
\nthat constantly glide down as I chant Your holy name? When will My
\nvoice falter and all the hairs on My body stand erect in
\ntranscendental happiness as I chant Your holy name?<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nThe previous five \u015blokas have examined the following topics: Spiritual
\nlife begins with Sraddha, or sincere faith, followed by sadhu-sanga,
\nthe ninefold process of devotional service starting with hearing,
\nchanting, remembering, and so on. The next topic was the science of
\nself-realization, which destroys ignorance and all unwanted
\nimpediments. In due course nistha (steadiness), ruci (taste), asaki
\n(attachment), and bh\u0101va (spiritual emotions) were also highlighted. It
\nhas thus been shown how with the assistance of pure bhakti, which is
\nthe essence of the Lord’s hladini-\u015bakti, the living entity regains,
\nhis svar\u016bpa, or original spiritual form, by a gradual process. By the
\ntime the j\u012bva reaches the stage of bh\u0101va, his pure devotional service
\nhas reached its pinnacle because it has become a continuous and
\nunbroken process. Bh\u0101va is often referred to as rati, or attraction,
\nand it is described as the bud that later flowers into full bloom as
\nprema-bhakti, or pure loving devotion. Of chanting, hearing and the
\nother limbs of devotional service, begun in the stage of
\nsadhana-bhakti, chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s name especially becomes intensified
\nin the stage of bh\u0101va.<\/p>\n

Nine symptoms of bh\u0101va
\nThis particular spiritual platform is marked by nine symptoms: 1) The
\ndevotee is tolerant and unperturbed even when faced with a very
\ndistressing situation. 2) He is averse to wasting time, and 3)
\nutilizes all his time in the Lord’s service. 4) He is prideless, and
\n5) has complete conviction that he will attain the Lord’s lotus feet.
\n6) Extremely eager and anxious to attain perfection, he has acquired a
\ntaste for chanting the holy name and 7) a strong attachment for
\nhearing and speaking about the pastimes and attributes of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,
\n8) He has no interest in anything that has no direct link to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,
\nand 9) has developed love for the places of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s pastimes.
\nScripture says that one who has developed these symptoms is on the
\nthreshold of entering the stage of full bh\u0101va.<\/p>\n

Ecstatic symptoms of bh\u0101va-bhakti
\nWhen sadhana-bhakti is suffused with ruci, or the intense desire to
\nattain the Lord’s lotus feet, which softens and melts the heart, it is
\ncalled bavha-bhakti. The spiritual emotions of bh\u0101va are both the rays
\nof the sun of prema and the rays of the sun of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a unmatched beauty,
\nwhich embodies pure transcendence. The conclusion is that
\nbh\u0101va-bhakti, or rati, is prema, love, of God, in its budding stage.
\nIn this stage the asta-sattvika-vikara, or eight ecstatic symptoms,
\nsuch as crying, goosebumps, etc., begin to manifest slightly on his
\nperson. So when the devotee meditates on the Lord’s lotus feet, his
\nheart melts, and tears stream from his eyes spontaneously and
\nprofusely. Descriptions found in the Tantras and Pur\u0101\u1e47as state that
\nthese ecstatic symptoms make a shy but firm beginning in the stage of
\nbh\u0101va, and later they deepen and intensify in prema. Activities
\naccompanying and correlating these ecstatic emotions of the heart are
\nknown as anubh\u0101va. They include dancing, rolling on the ground,
\nsinging, loud outbursts, bodily spasms, prolonged yawning, long sighs,
\nseeking solitude, drooling saliva, uproarious laughter, swooning,
\nhiccupping, and so on.<\/p>\n

Eight primary ecstatic symptoms
\nThere are eight primary ecstatic symptoms, or the
\nasta-sattvika-vikara: paralysis, perspiration, goosebumps, pallor,
\nloss of voice, trembling, weeping and swooning. Dancing, singing,
\ncrying, goosebumps, and loss of voice are particularly prominent in
\nthe stage of bh\u0101va, and in this \u015bloka, the supreme teacher Lord \u015ar\u012b
\nCaitanya gives them special mention. He prays, \u201cO K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O son of
\nMah\u0101r\u0101ja Nanda, when will My eyes be decorated with tears of love when
\nI chant Your holy name? When will My voice choke up with ecstatic
\nemotions? When will My body be filled with horripilantion? O Lord, be
\nmerciful, that these ecstatic symptoms may decorate My body when I
\nchant Your names!\u201d
\nIn Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya-lila 20.37], Lord Caitanya says:
\n\u201cWithout love of Godhead, My life is useless. Therefore I pray that
\nYou accept Me as Your servant and give Me the salary of ecstatic love
\nof God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\n\u201cO Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O enjoyer of the gopis, when will this gopi’s eyes be
\ndecorated with cascading tears at the recitation of Your name; when
\nwill My voice choke up with love, and my body shudder and erupt with
\ngoosebumps?” This is a perfect example of a prayer of love for the
\nLord. In this context, a \u015bloka from Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu [1.2.156]\nmay be cited:
\n\u201cO Lord Pundarikaksa, while chanting Your holy name with tears in my
\neyes, when shall I dance in ecstasy on the bank of the Yamuna?\u201d<\/p>\n

No prema from chanting secondary holy names
\nIn chanting the subsidiary or secondary names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (gauna-nama),
\nthere is no question of developing prema.
\nTherefore Lord Caitanya quotes \u015ar\u012bla Vyasadeva [as recorded in Padydvali 39]:
\n\u201cThe subject of the Upanisads is far removed from the nectarean topics
\nof Lord Hari, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s pastimes. Therefore they are unable to touch
\nthe heart and move the reader to ecstatic tears and goosebumps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brahman, the subject of the Upanisads, is only remotely connected with
\nthe sweet narrations of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s pastimes. Stories about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nalways inundates the heart, in ecstacy resulting in trembling,
\nweeping, bodily transformations, and so on. This sloka does not refer
\nto those who have naturally moist eyes, or who suffer from
\naffectations of artificial ecstasy. When the soul becomes cleansed and
\nis spontaneously attracted to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s loving service, his body and
\nmind become obsequiously obedient to the eternal ecstasies that
\nconstantly ply within the heart. Therefore, the melting of the heart
\nand the other ecstatic symptoms that command the mind and body are
\nmanifest only in those unalloyed devotees who are absolutely absolved
\nof all anarthas. Neophyte souls who artificially try to imitate the
\necstatic emotions and symptoms of the mah\u0101-bhagavat simply to deceive
\nthe general populace are in fact creating gigantic obstacles on their
\npath to pure devotional service.
\nReferences and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nFurther scriptural evidence from the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [11.3.30-32]:
\nparaspar\u0101nukathana\u1e41 p\u0101vana\u1e41 bhagavad-ya\u015ba\u1e25
\nmitho ratir mithas tu\u1e63\u1e6dir niv\u1e5bttir mitha \u0101tmana\u1e25
\nsmaranta\u1e25 sm\u0101rayanta\u015b ca mitho ‘ghaugha-hara\u1e41 harim
\nbhakty\u0101 sa\u00f1j\u0101tay\u0101 bhakty\u0101 bibhraty utpulak\u0101\u1e41 tanum
\nkvacid rudanty acyuta-cintay\u0101 kvacid
\ndhasanti nandanti vadanty alaukik\u0101\u1e25
\nn\u1e5btyanti g\u0101yanty anu\u015b\u012blayanty aja\u1e41
\nbhavanti t\u016b\u1e63\u1e47\u012b\u1e41 param etya nirv\u1e5bt\u0101\u1e25
\n\u201cOne should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by
\nmeeting with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is
\nmost purifying. As devotees develop loving friendship with each other,
\nthey feel happy and satisfied. And by thus encouraging one another
\nthey are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the
\nroot of all suffering.
\n\u201cThe devotees of the Lord constantly discuss the glories of the
\nPersonality of Godhead among themselves. Thus they continuously
\nremember the Lord and remind one another of His qualities and
\npastimes. In this way, by their devotion to the principles of
\nbhakti-yoga, the devotees please the Personality of Godhead, who
\nremoves all that is inauspicious and detrimental in their lives. Being
\npurified of all contamination, the devotees awaken to pure love of
\nGodhead, and thus, even within this world, their spiritualized bodies
\nexhibit symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, such as standing of the
\nbodily hairs on end.
\n\u201cHaving achieved love of Godhead, the devotees sometimes cry out loud,
\nabsorbed in thoughts of the infallible Lord. Sometimes they laugh,
\nfeel great pleasure, speak aloud to the Lord, dance or sing. Such
\ndevotees, having transcended material conditional life, sometimes
\nimitate the unborn Supreme by acting out His pastimes. And sometimes,
\nhaving achieved His personal audience, they remain peaceful and
\nsilent.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu [1.2.156]:
\nkad\u0101ha\u1e41 yamun\u0101-t\u012bre n\u0101m\u0101ni tava k\u012brtayan
\nudb\u0101\u1e63pa\u1e25 pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bk\u0101k\u1e63a racayi\u1e63y\u0101mi t\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davam
\nO Lord Pundarikaksa, while chanting Your holy name with tears in my
\neyes, when shall I dance in ecstacy on the bank of the Yamuna.<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Seven
\nyug\u0101yita\u1e41 nime\u1e63e\u1e47a
\ncak\u1e63u\u1e63\u0101 pr\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101yitam
\n\u015b\u016bny\u0101yita\u1e41 jagat sarva\u1e41
\ngovinda-virahe\u1e47a me<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\nyug\u0101yitam\u2014appearing like a great millennium; nime\u1e63e\u1e47a\u2014by a moment;
\ncak\u1e63u\u1e63\u0101\u2014from the eyes; pr\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101yitam\u2014tears falling like torrents of
\nrain; \u015b\u016bny\u0101yitam\u2014appearing void; jagat\u2014the world; sarvam\u2014all;
\ngovinda\u2014from Lord Govinda, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; virahe\u1e47a me\u2014by My separation.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nMy Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a
\nmoment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of
\nrain, and I see the entire world as void.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nWhen rati-bhakti reaches the state of sthayi-bh\u0101va, or constancy in
\nspiritual emotions, then in mixing together with the other four
\nbh\u0101vas\u2014vibh\u0101va, anubh\u0101va, s\u0101ttvika and vyabhic\u0101ri\u2014it becomes
\ntransformed into bhakti-rasa, or the sweet mellow of devotional
\nservice. In this stage, the ecstatic symptoms of anubh\u0101va and
\ns\u0101ttvika-vik\u0101ra find their full expression. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, in
\ndescribing prema, writes in the Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu:
\n\u201cBh\u0101va-bhakti which, from its very first stages, so excessively
\naffects the heart that it melts and becomes a sublime salve of love,
\nbringing the highest feelings of divine bliss within easy reach, and
\ngenerates an intense desire for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The fully perfected souls term
\nthis over-vaulting ecstasy as prema.\u201d<\/p>\n

From this statement it is obvious that extreme attraction, deep
\naffection, and spontaneous dedication to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is synonymous with
\nprema, love of God.<\/p>\n

Rasa\u2014ecstatic relationship with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nThe relationship between the vi\u1e63aya, or object of love (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a), and
\nthe \u0101\u015braya, or the abode of that love (the devotee), is exchanged
\nthrough five principal rasas, or mellows namely, neutral, servitor,
\nfriendly, parental and conjugal. When the relationship is cursory,
\nthere are seven subsidiary mellows: laughter, wonder, pity, chivalry,
\nanger, fear and ghastliness. Of the principal rasas, the conjugal or
\nm\u0101dhurya-rasa is the most excellent. As madhurya-rasa increases in
\nintensity it becomes prema, pra\u1e47aya, m\u0101na, sneha, r\u0101ga, anuraga, bhava
\nand mah\u0101-bh\u0101va, manifesting different features and excellences of
\ndivine love one after another.<\/p>\n

Development of rasa
\n\u015a\u0101nta-rasa, or neutral love of Godhead, is marked by excessive
\nexultation. Attachment to brahman is quintessential in \u015b\u0101nta-rasa,
\ncoupled with an air of disregard and unconcern for everything and all
\nother rasas. With the increase of mamat\u0101, or affection, this
\nattraction deepens and is then known as d\u0101sya-rasa, or love in
\nservitorship. In awe and reverential worship, there is a lack of
\npra\u1e47aya. But such pra\u1e47aya ecstasy, in a mature state turns mischievous
\nand introduces a crooked mood which, due to a plethora of affection,
\nis very unusual in texture. This is known as m\u0101na. The mood of m\u0101na
\nbecomes active when the devotee expresses loving resentment. Even the
\nSupreme Lord, desires to relish this particular emotional exchange,
\nand especially enjoys the mood of reconciliation with His devotee that
\nfollows resentment.
\nThe super-abundance of love that completely melts the heart to a state
\nof unimaginable liquidity is known as sneha, which is indicated by
\nprofuse, unchecked tears. It is in this stage that the devotee’s
\nyearning to see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a never admits fulfillment. Although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is
\nadmittedly the master of everyone and everything, in vatsalya-rasa or
\nparental love, the devotee anxiously hopes that no harm befall Him.
\nThese are the peculiar symptoms of the mellow of parental love.
\nSneha supplemented by intense craving becomes raga, and in this stage
\nof pure love, even a moment’s separation from the beloved is
\nunbearable, while in union, even extreme grief feels exhilarating.
\nRaga is disposed in such a manner that the object of worship is made
\nto appreciate His own ever-fresh, perennial form. This ever-new raga
\ntransforms itself into anuraga, where the sense of lover and beloved
\nenrapturing each other into the state of complete compliance
\nincreases. In the rapture of anuraga, there are longings to be born as
\nanimals and other lower species that have a direct connection with
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This is known as prema-vaicitra, or varied love. Even in
\nseparation, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a begins to manifest Himself as only the lover knows
\nand loves Him, giving the lover excessive bliss.<\/p>\n

Mah\u0101-bh\u0101va\u2014the last word in ecstasy
\nWhen anuraga is filled with unsurpassable and matchless magnificence
\nof love, reaching the plateau of madness, it becomes mah\u0101-bh\u0101va. In
\nthis stage, even the blinking of an eyelid veiling the view of the
\nbeloved for less than a moment, becomes intolerable, and seconds
\nstretch to eons. Separation for even a moment seems to expand to
\ntimeless eternity. In mah\u0101-bh\u0101va, both in union and in separation, all
\nthe symptoms of sattvika-bh\u0101va and sancari-bh\u0101va find their fullest
\nexpression. In this \u015bloka, Lord Caitanya has very succinctly given us,
\nlike an ocean bottled in a pitcher, a synopsis of the elaborate
\ndissertation on the different gradations of the most sublime loving
\nrelationship with the Supreme Lord, as found in the Priti-Sandarbha by
\n\u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b.<\/p>\n

Deep feelings of separation
\nThe word yugayitam is simple and direct. The phrase govinda virahena
\nexpresses deep feelings of separation. Self-realized rasika devotees
\nhave divided vipralambha, or the mood of separation, into purva-raga,
\nmana, pravasa, and so on. Yet the recondite import lodged deep within
\nthis \u015bloka composed by Lord Caitanya is that the devotee living in
\nthis world need only relish the separation of purva-raga. The
\nscriptures also say that the mood of viraha, or separation, has ten
\nattendant conditions: pondering, sleeplessness, perturbation,
\nemaciation, pallor, incoherent speech, being stricken, madness,
\ndelusion, and death (or unconsciousness).
\nIn Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta [Antya-lila 20.40-41] Lord Caitanya says,
\n\u201cIn My agitation a day never ends, for every moment seems like a
\nmillennium. Pouring incessant tears, My eyes are like clouds in the
\nrainy season. The three worlds have become void because of separation
\nfrom Govinda. I feel as if I were burning alive in a slow fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\n\u201cO Govinda, the world is simply an immense void in Your absence. My
\neyes are raining tears like monsoon-laden clouds, each batting of an
\neyelid seems to last a millennium.\u201d This is an excellent example of
\nvipralambha-rasa. The \u015bloka intends to point out that for the
\njata-rati devotee, it is absolutely essential that he seek to
\nexperience vipralambha-rasa, and not care for sambhoga, or enjoyment.
\nSpiritual separation causes ecstasy
\nIn material life viraha, or separation causes only grief, whereas on
\nthe transcendental plane it produces exultant ecstasy even though it
\nseems like acute anguish. Vipralambha nourishes sambhoga, or
\nenjoyment. As a matter of fact in prema-vaicitra, or variegatedness of
\nlove within the vipralambha-rasa there is sambhoga, but only
\nexternally. Vipralambha is marked by incessant and intense
\nrecollections of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His pastimes, and in fact one never forgets
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This is the super-excellent stage of bhajana.<\/p>\n

Gaura-nagaris are sense enjoyers
\nThe over-indulgence in sambhoga exhibited by the pretentious group
\nknown as the gaura-nagari, who are not actually sincere followers of
\nLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is due to hypocrisy; it simply causes obstacles on the
\npath to pure devotion. Their sambhoga is nothing more than
\nself-aggrandizement and selfserving pleasure. It is bereft of pure
\ndevotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If one inderstands the meaming of the following
\n\u015bloka, then he will not allow himself to be goaded into enjoying his
\nsenses, and hereby as an excuse try to present Lord Caitanya as a
\npleasure-seekers, or nagari [Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta, Adi-lila 4.165]:
\n\u201cThe desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama (lust), but the desire
\nto please the senses of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is prema (love).\u201d<\/p>\n

Pure devotees take shelter of separation
\nThe esoteric import of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes is that although Lord
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has accepted the sentiments of an asraya-tattva, or a pure
\ndevotee, He is always situated in the mood of vipralambha. J\u012bva is
\nasraya-tattva; for him to fully relish sambhoga-rasa and give it full
\nexpression he must take shelter of vipralambha, or the mood of love in
\nseparation. To propagate and exhibit this truth Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appeared as
\nLord Caitanya who is eternally the embodiment and incarnation
\nvipralambha-rasa. Devotees should discard any notions of endeavoring
\nfor sambhoga-rasa, since such an attempt will certainly end in
\nfailure.<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nOther scriptural statements supporting this \u015bloka:
\nFrom K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Karn\u0101m\u1e5bta [41]:
\nam\u016bny adhany\u0101ni din\u0101ntar\u0101\u1e47i
\nhare tvad-\u0101lokanam antare\u1e47a
\nan\u0101tha-bandho karu\u1e47aika-sindho
\nh\u0101 hanta h\u0101 hanta katha\u1e41 nay\u0101mi
\n\u201cO Supreme Shelter of the destitute, Hari, You are an ocean of mercy.
\nAlas, O alas! Without seeing Your lovely, face, how shall I live
\nthrough these wretched days and nights?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012b Madhavendra Puri’s words as recorded in Padyavali [400]:
\nayi d\u012bna-day\u0101rdra n\u0101tha he
\nmathur\u0101-n\u0101tha kad\u0101valokyase
\nh\u1e5bdaya\u1e41 tvad-aloka-k\u0101tara\u1e41
\ndayita bhr\u0101myati ki\u1e41 karomy aham
\n\u201cO compassionate Lord of the helpless, O Lord of Mathura! When will I
\nbe able to see You? Your absence has made my stricken heart extremely
\nanxious. O my beloved! What am I to do now?\u201d<\/p>\n

From Ujjva1a-nilamani [64]:
\ncint\u0101tra j\u0101tarodvegau t\u0101nava\u1e41 malin\u0101\u1e45gat\u0101
\npral\u0101po vy\u0101dhir unm\u0101do mohom\u1e5btyurda\u015b\u0101 da\u015ba
\n\u201c\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is completely smitten, and She is experiencing a
\nlimitless ocean of suffering as the ten conditions of separation wash
\nover Her. She experiences pondering, sleeplessness, perturbations, and
\ngrows emaciated and pallid. While speaking incoherently, She is
\nstricken, becomes mad and deluded, and swoons almost to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015aloka Eight
\n\u0101\u015bli\u1e63ya v\u0101 p\u0101da-rat\u0101\u1e41 pina\u1e63\u1e6du m\u0101m
\nadar\u015ban\u0101n marma-hat\u0101\u1e41 karotu v\u0101
\nyath\u0101 tath\u0101 v\u0101 vidadh\u0101tu lampa\u1e6do
\nmat-pr\u0101\u1e47a-n\u0101thas tu sa eva n\u0101para\u1e25<\/p>\n

Synonyms
\n\u0101\u015bli\u1e63ya\u2014embracing with great pleasure; v\u0101\u2014or; p\u0101da-rat\u0101m\u2014who is fallen
\nat the lotus feet; pina\u1e63\u1e6du\u2014let Him trample; m\u0101m\u2014Me; adar\u015ban\u0101t\u2014by not
\nbeing visible; marma-hat\u0101m\u2014brokenhearted; karotu\u2014let Him make; v\u0101\u2014or;
\nyath\u0101\u2014as (He likes); tath\u0101\u2014so; v\u0101\u2014or; vidadh\u0101tu\u2014let Him do; lampa\u1e6da\u1e25\u2014a
\ndebauchee, who mixes with other women; mat-pr\u0101\u1e47a-n\u0101tha\u1e25\u2014the Lord of My
\nlife; tu\u2014but; sa\u1e25\u2014He; eva\u2014only; na apara\u1e25\u2014not anyone else.<\/p>\n

Translation
\nLet K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tightly embrace this maidservant, who has fallen at His
\nlotus feet. Let Him trample Me or break My heart by never being
\nvisible to Me. He is a debauchee, after all, and can do whatever He
\nlikes, but He is still no one other than the worshipable Lord of My
\nheart.<\/p>\n

Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam
\nThis \u015bloka describes the consciousness of the j\u012bva who reaches the
\nsublime platform of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema. \u201cThat Supreme adulterer, that
\nlibertine K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, may bestow upon me, a servant who is totally
\nsurrendered to His lotus feet, endless bliss by forcing me into
\nexcruciating depths of despair by not being present before me. He may
\ndo anything He wishes with me, even to the extent that He enjoy the
\ncompany of another beloved gopi in my presence. Yet He will remain
\nalways the Lord of my heart. For me there will never be any other.\u201d
\nComplete surrender to the Lord
\nIn \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [11.29.34] we find other examples of such fully
\nsurrendered souls and their unique position:
\n\u201cWhen the mortal beings decide to relinquish all fruitive activities
\nand their results, and fully surrender unto Me, I reciprocate by
\ngiving them the nectar of immortality, elevating them to become My
\neternal associates.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conclusion is that on the platform of prema, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a becomes the
\nlife, the soul, and the greatest treasure of the devotee. In this
\nstage the sublime exchanges of love between the devotee and the Lord,
\ndue to their natural attraction for each other, flowers into full
\nbloom.
\n\u015ar\u012b Prahlada Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [7.5.14]:
\n\u201cJust as pieces of iron rush of their own volition to the magnet,
\nsimilarly, by the independent will of the Supreme Lord, my heart and
\nmind have shaken off their enthrallment to material life and are
\nforcibly being drawn to the magnet of His lotus feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prema is the only result of bhakti
\nThis statement establishes the principle of an inherent and eternal
\nrelationship between the infinitesimal j\u012bva and the infinite Supreme
\nLord. This relationship becomes obscured however when the spirit soul
\nturns away from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But when by good fortune the j\u012bva’s
\nconsciousness becomes purified, then the eternally mutual relationship
\nbetween the Lord and the j\u012bva is rejuvenated; just as a clean and
\nshiny piece of iron is most efficiently magnetic prone. Purification
\nis thus necessary in order to manifest their inherent and eternal
\nrelationship; other than this the process of purification has no real
\nfunction. Therefore the purified j\u012bvas who are sadhakas of the
\nprema-dharma, or the path of loving devotianal service to the Supreme
\nLord, should realize that this path is highly allergic to all other
\nresults, save and except k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.
\nLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself substantiates this truth in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [10.32.22]:
\n\u201cMy dear gopis, you have severed all family bindings for My sake. Such
\nan achievement is very rare, even for great philosophers and yogis.
\nOur meetings with each other are completely pure and unblemished. If I
\nwanted to repay the debt that I have incurred by your love, devotion,
\nservice and renunciation, even with My immortal body for all eternity,
\nI would be unable. I am obligated to you life after life. You may
\nsucceed in acquitting Me of this debt by your gentle and divine
\ndemeanor\u2014nay, your sublime love; but I will always remain indebted to
\nyou.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the Lord’s own statement it is clear that in order to please and
\nattract Him, one must love and satisfy His devotees. (Since K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a
\nfeels that He cannot repay the debt He owes His pure devotees, such as
\nthe gopis, on account of His default He becomes their property
\neternally. Therefore although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the independent Personality of
\nGodhead, He considers Himself a subject to the permission of His
\ndevotees, even in the matter of awarding His mercy and bestowing His
\nassociation. Thus K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is approachable only through the mercy of the
\npure devotees who have already purchased Him with their love.\u2014Ed.<\/p>\n

Separation from the Lord is exultation
\nThough the phrase marma-hat\u0101m, ‘deeply afflicted in the heart’, has
\nbeen used in this \u015bloka, in truth the devotee feels not grief, but
\nexultation.
\nTo emphasize this point, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [10.32.21]:
\n\u201cO beloved gopis, there is no doubt that for My sake you have
\ndisregarded social taboos, Vedic injunctions, even cut yourselves off
\nfrom your relatives and family members. Your meditation on Me has been
\nsingle-minded, not thinking at all of your beauty or your nuptial
\nbliss. In order to increase your love for Me I disappeared from your
\nsight. Please do not blame Me for this act of love, because you are as
\nextremely dear to Me as I am to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another important point in this \u015bloka is that, though it speaks of
\n‘giving Me bliss by Your loving embrace’, there is no trace of selfish
\npleasure. In fact, the only thought here is of loving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and giving
\nHim pleasure. Such a statement is therefore very much in conformity
\nwith the true emotions of pure love.<\/p>\n

The preeminence of \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka
\nLet’s now discuss in brief the preeminence of these eight \u015blokas known
\nas \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka. Just how glorious is \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b as the
\npersonification of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s internal spiritual potency, and how
\nglorious is Her magnificent love? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a also desires to know how She
\nalone fully relishes the wonderful qualities in Him, and the happiness
\nShe feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love. Longing to
\nfulfil these desires, the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in His eternal form
\nof \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, the Absolute Divinity of audarya, or
\nmagnanimity, performs manifold pastimes and savors the loving moods in
\nan exclusive section of Goloka known as \u015ar\u012b Navadvipa-dhama, the
\nhighest realm of the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets and the playground of the
\nSupreme Lord.
\nThe descent of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu
\nAdorned with the ecstatic sentiments and lustrous complexion of
\n\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu appears on
\nthis earth once in a day of Lord Brahma. His most recent descent to
\nthe mortal plane occurred in the year 1486 of the Christian era in the
\nWest Bengal district of Nadia, in the town of Navadvipa, situated on a
\nriver bank purified by the waters of the Mother Ganga. This abode is
\nnon different from Vrndavana. The time of His appearance is recorded
\nas a full lunar eclipse on the full-moon night in the month of
\nPhalguna (February-March).
\nLord Caitanya’s early life
\nThe whole town of Navadvipa was reverberating with the sounds of God’s
\nnames being chanted, as was the custom during an eclipse. His father
\nwas Pandita Jagann\u0101tha Misra, and His mother was \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b \u015aac\u012bdev\u012b. The
\nLord’s childhood was filled with childlike mischievousness and
\nmiraculous adventures. His boyhood days were spent in studies. His
\nmarriage in youth was a perfect example of upholding Vedic culture, as
\nwas His household life. Thereafter He went to Gaya and accepted
\nspiritual initiation in the ten-syllable Gopala mantra from \u015ar\u012bpad
\nIsvara Puri, a great servant of the Lord and torch-bearer of the
\ndisciplic succession coming down from Lord Brahma to Madhv\u0101c\u0101rya. The
\nLord’s wish was to teach the living entities their duty of taking
\nshelter of a self-realized spiritual master, as instructed by the
\nscriptures.<\/p>\n

Initiation into love of God
\nAfter His return from Gaya He performed congregational chanting of the
\nholy name with His associates and devotees, and inundated all Bengal
\nwith the nectarean river that had its source in these ecstatic
\nk\u012brtanas. It was during this time that He flooded Bengal with the
\nnectar of the holy name of God, while propagating the message of
\ndevotional service to the Supreme Lord. At age twenty-four, He
\nreceived sanny\u0101sa initiation from \u015ar\u012bpad Kesava Bharati of the
\nSankara-sampradaya and forever severed all links with home and family
\nlife. The next six years found Him journeying on pilgrimage throughout
\nBengal, Orissa, South India, Maharastra, Uttar Pradesh (Mathura,
\nVrndavana, Prayag, Kasi), and Bihar (Kaukai, Natshala, Rajmahal). In
\nHis travels, He blessed millions of conditioned souls by giving them
\nthe highest transcendental pleasure of the holy name and by
\npropagating the science of pure devotion. He refuted all philosophical
\nspeculations and conclusions that contradicted the statements of
\nauthorized scriptures, and firmly established the unique supra-mundane
\nprinciple of acintya bheda-abheda tattva, which He Himself delineated
\nfor the first time, and which is the quintessence of the teachings of
\nall four schools of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava philosophy.<\/p>\n

Lord Caitanya’s final pastimes
\nFor the next eighteen years He remained in Jagann\u0101tha Puri, where He
\nfulfilled His spiritual desires and relished them in the company of
\nHis intimate associates, enjoying the nectar of love of Godhead. He
\nsent self-realized and empowered preachers from among His followers
\neverywhere, to propagate the path of pure devotional service to the
\nSupreme Lord. In this way He inundated all India in the waves of
\nk\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.
\nWhile this was taking place, He was busy grooming many of His intimate
\nassociates, like \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa-d\u0101modara, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda Raya, \u015ar\u012b
\nPrabod\u0101nanda Sarasvati, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b
\nRaghun\u0101tha dasa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Gopala Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b,
\n\u015ar\u012b Kavi Karnapura, and others, to write voluminous books revealing
\nthe recondite meaning of His teachings. For this purpose He
\nimpregnated their hearts with His divine potency. These selfsame
\nteachings He compressed into the eight \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka prayers, reaching
\nout to and instructing all levels of devotees. Many times the Lord
\nwould immerse Himself in the rasa, or ambrosia, of these eight \u015blokas,
\ntasting their esoteric conclusions in the association of \u015ar\u012bla
\nSvar\u016bpa-damodara and \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda Raya. Later the \u015blokas were
\ndiscussed in important scriptures like Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta.<\/p>\n

Teachings of Lord Caitanya
\nThe Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, on the one hand, taught by
\nHis own example how to lead an ideal householder life, enacting
\ntranscendental pastime of a householder. On the other hand, He also
\ntaught the renunciants and sanny\u0101s\u012bs how to uphold the highest
\nstandards of devotion and detachment by His own exemplary behavior.
\nThese super excellent teachings are all contained in the eight \u015blokas.
\nThe \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka prayers are the essence of all Vedic scriptures for the
\nrasika-bhakta, or the pure devotees who relish rasas. These prayers,
\nhaving emanated from the lips of the Supreme Lord Himself, are indeed
\nthe Absolute Truth. Hence, they should be read, recited and worshipped
\ndaily by sincere and fortunate souls. These prayers should be their
\nconstant companion, learnt and taken to heart.<\/p>\n

Benediction for those who read \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka
\nThose surrendered souls who read the \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka prayers, which are
\nthe nectarean words flowing from the mouth of the Supreme Lord
\nGaur\u0101\u1e45ga, with devotion, will certainly be attracted to the honey from
\nLord Caitanya’s lotus feet, and like intoxicated bees, plunge into the
\nlily-filled lake of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema. Four hundred and one years after the
\nadvent of Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the commentary called Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam,
\nhas been composed by me\u2014\u015ar\u012bla Kedarnath Bhaktivinoda.
\nFurther scriptural evidence is found in Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta
\n[Antya-lila 20.48-52]:
\n\u201cI am a maidservant at the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He is the embodiment
\nof transcendental happiness and mellows. If He likes, He can embrace
\nMe tightly and make Me feel one with Him, or He may corrode My mind
\nand body by not giving Me His audience. Nevertheless, He alone is the
\nLord of My life. My dear friend, just hear the decision of My heart.
\nK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Lord of My life’in all conditions, whether He shows Me
\naffection or kills Me by making Me unhappy. Sometimes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gives up
\nthe company of the other gopis controlled, mind and body, by Me. Thus
\nHe manifests My good fortune and gives others distress by performing
\nHis loving affairs with Me. After all, since He is a cunning and
\nobstinate debauchee with a propensity to cheat, He takes to the
\ncompany of other women. He indulges in loving affairs with them in
\nfront of Me just to give distress to My mind. Nevertheless, He is
\nstill the Lord of My life. I do not mind My personal distress, I only
\nwish for the happiness of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for His happiness is the goal of My
\nlife. However, if He feels great happiness by giving Me distress, that
\ndistress is the best of My happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purport by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati
\n\u201cI am simply a lowly maidservant to the gopis, who are absorbed in
\nserving My Lord’s lotus feet. He may embrace Me, He may exploit Me, or
\nHe may break My heart by not appearing before Me. He is a libertine,
\nravishing the gopi damsels with His lusty desires. Let His will
\ntriumph. Yet, in spite of everything, He is the beloved Lord of My
\nheart, nothing less, nothing more. Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Supreme
\nPersonality of Godhead, fully independent. Obeying His wishes is My
\nonly religion. I am not independent, or so whimsical that I can recoil
\nfrom this service attitude and go against His will.\u201d
\nThe perfection of service to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b
\nIn the stage of perfection, the soul is devoid of both bodily and
\nmental material designations. He now attains K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s eternal
\nplayground, the transcedental realm of Vindavana davana. As a female
\nassistant to a gopi he serves K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in his original spiritual identity
\nblessed with supra\u2014mundane senses. His singular meditation is to
\nsatisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s desire\u2014this then is the true form of unalloyed
\ndevotion or love of Godhead. The j\u012bva must never arrogate to have
\ninherited the unique position of an asraya-vigraha, or the eternal
\nsupportive emblem of the Lord’s spiritual love. Even thinking about it
\nwill make him egoistic. The uncontaminated state of these pure j\u012bvas’
\nexistence in the spiritual world is to remain always subservient to
\nthe real asraya-vigraha, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Although the spirit soul
\nis dear to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, yet both by constitution and by the Lord’s
\ndesire, he is in the category o the Lord’s separated energy
\n(j\u012bva-tattva).<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka in a nutshell
\nAll eight \u015blokas of \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka unequivocally asseverate the three
\nprinciples: sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. In a general sense,
\nthe first \u015bloka teaches the process of congregational chanting; the
\nsecond, how one can realize his ineptitude to take up this chanting;
\nthe third, the procedure of chanting the holy name; the fourth, how to
\nrid oneself of deception and detrimental mundane desires; the fifth,
\nthe j\u012bva’s original spiritual identity; the sixth, how one experiences
\nhis good fortune of coming closer to the Lord; the the mood of
\nseparation after one obtains the required spiritual elevation, and the
\neighth, how to obtain the highest perfection in the matter of finding
\none’s absolute necessity or goal.
\nBasically, all the \u015blokas describe the principle of abhidheya, or
\nrendering devotional service. Within that context, the first five
\n\u015blokas delineate sambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na, and the remaining three explain
\nprayojana, or the ultimate goal. The first five \u015blokas describe
\nsadhana-bhakti, and the next two, bh\u0101va-bhakti. The sixth to eighth
\n\u015blokas, and especially the seventh and eighth, deal with prema-bhakti.
\nPresenting the following \u015blokas composed by \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravati
\n\u1e6ch\u0101kura to convey my feelings, I offer my obeisancers to all the
\nreaders and end this dissertation:
\n\u201cThe, Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, son of Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Nanda, and His
\ntranscendental albode are of one and the same spiritual substance, and
\nare my objects of worship. The service renderd by the gopis in Vraja
\nis paramount \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is the authentic and absolute
\nsubstantive scripture, and the basis of all spiritual thought and
\nconclusions. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema is the fifth goal beyond the four Vedic
\ngoals, and it is the supreme destination. This is Lord Caitanya’s
\nopinion. This conclusion is most highly favored by us; other opinions
\nare neither important nor interesting to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

References and Notes from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura’s \u015ar\u012b Bhajana-rahasya
\nOther scriptural citations substantiating this \u015bloka follow:
\nFrom \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam [10.31.11, 15]:
\ncalasi yad vraj\u0101c c\u0101rayan pa\u015b\u016bn
\nnalina-sundara\u1e41 n\u0101tha te padam
\n\u015bila-t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101\u1e45kurai\u1e25 s\u012bdat\u012bti na\u1e25
\nkalilat\u0101\u1e41 mana\u1e25 k\u0101nta gacchati
\na\u1e6dati yad bhav\u0101n ahni k\u0101nana\u1e41
\ntru\u1e6di yug\u0101yate tv\u0101m apa\u015byat\u0101m
\nku\u1e6dila-kuntala\u1e41 \u015br\u012b-mukha\u1e41 ca te
\nja\u1e0da ud\u012bk\u1e63at\u0101\u1e41 pak\u1e63ma-k\u1e5bd d\u1e5b\u015b\u0101m
\n\u201cDear Master, dear Lover, when You leave the village to herd the cows,
\nour minds are disturbed with the thought that Your feet, which are
\nsofter and more beautiful than a lotus, will be pricked by the spiked
\nhusks of grain and the rough grass and plants.
\n\u201cWhen You go to the forest during the day, the merest fraction of a
\nsecond seems like a millennium to us, because we carinot see You. And
\neven when we are able to look eagerly upon Your beautiful face, so
\nlovely with its ornament of curly hair, our pleasure is hindered by
\nour eyelids, which were fashioned by the foolish Creator.\u201d<\/p>\n

From K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Karn\u0101m\u1e5bta (12):
\nnikhila-bhuvana-lak\u1e63m\u012b-nitya-l\u012bl\u0101spad\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41
\nkamala-vipina-v\u012bth\u012b-garv\u0101\u1e45ku\u1e63\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41
\npra\u1e47amadabhaya-d\u0101na-prau\u1e0dh\u012b-g\u0101\u1e0dh\u0101d\u1e5bt\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41
\nkim api vahatu ceta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101d\u0101mbuj\u0101bhy\u0101m
\n\u201cMay the lotus-like feet of the Supreme Lord, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the only
\ngallant hero who enjoys eternal pastimes with all the Laksmi-devis
\n(gopis); whose blooming beauty withers away the exquisite beauty of
\nlotuses; and who is expert at fully convincing His devotees of His
\ndivine protection, be indelibly enthroned upon my heart and thus
\nbestow upon me inexpressible happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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  \u00a0 \u00a0   Sanmodana Bh\u0101\u1e63yam on \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka Translated by Sarvabh\u0101vana d\u0101sa \u015aloka One ceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjana\u1e41 bhava-mah\u0101-d\u0101v\u0101gni-nirv\u0101pa\u1e47a\u1e41 \u015breya\u1e25-kairava-candrik\u0101-vitara\u1e47a\u1e41 vidy\u0101-vadh\u016b-j\u012bvanam \u0101nand\u0101mbudhi-vardhana\u1e41 prati-pada\u1e41 p\u016br\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101sv\u0101dana\u1e41 sarv\u0101tma-snapana\u1e41 para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam Synonyms: ceta\u1e25\u2014of the heart; darpa\u1e47a\u2014the mirror; m\u0101rjanam\u2014cleansing; bhava\u2014of material existence; … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english","category-area2"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-03 15:18:16","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21168\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}