Bhajana-Rahasya

by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya | 2010 | 123,965 words

The Bhajana-rahasya Text 19, English translation, including commentary (vritti). The Bhajana-rahasya is a compilation of verses describing the mercy of the eight pairs of names (Yugala-nama) of the Maha-mantra. This is text 19 belonging to the chapter “Shashtha-yama-sadhana (Sayam-kaliya-bhajana–bhava)” representing six dandas after dusk: approximately 6.00 p.m.–8.30 p.m.

The Creator fashioned Śrī Kṛṣṇa in an unprecedented way, as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.2.13):

यद् धर्म-सूनोर् बत राजसूये निरीक्ष्य दृक्-स्वस्त्य्-अयनं त्रि-लोकः
कार्त्स्न्येन चाद्येह गतं विधातुर् अर्वाक्-सृतौ कौशलम् इत्य् अमन्यत

yad dharma-sūnor bata rājasūye nirīkṣya dṛk-svasty-ayanaṃ tri-lokaḥ
kārtsnyena cādyeha gataṃ vidhātur arvāk-sṛtau kauśalam ity amanyata

When the people from all three worlds who were present at Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s rājasūya-yajña beheld Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is so pleasing to the eye, they thought that in fashioning this form, the Creator had reached the zenith of his expertise in creating human forms.

यूधिष्ठिर-राजसूये नयन-मङ्गल
कृष्ण-रूप लोक-त्रय-निवासी सकल

yūdhiṣṭhira-rājasūye nayana-maṅgala
kṛṣṇa-rūpa loka-traya-nivāsī sakala

जगतेर सृष्ति मध्ये अति चमत्कार
विधातार कौशल ए करिल निर्धार

jagatera sṛṣti madhye ati camatkāra
vidhātāra kauśala e karila nirdhāra

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Uddhava, overwhelmed with kṛṣṇa-prema, is describing the beautiful form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Vidura. “Those who personally saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa at Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja’s rājasūyayajña praised Vidhātā’s (Brahmā’s) skill in creating by saying, ‘Even the Creator, Brahmā, becomes wonderstruck upon seeing the splendour of this graceful body, which eclipses the lustre of a blue lotus or a sapphire.’”

This Text praises Vidhātā’s creative skill, yet Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is eternal, without a beginning. Nevertheless, for the sake of material perspective, words like ‘creation’ have been used. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is completely uncreated and eternally human-like. This form is manifest in Vṛndāvana and is suitable for human-like pastimes (nara-līlā). Among all the pastimes performed by Kṛṣṇa in His different svarūpas in His various abodes, such as Vaikuṇṭha, His nara-līlā, which He performs in Vraja like an ordinary human being, is topmost. He is glorified in three ways according to the degree to which His qualities are manifest: pūrṇa (complete), pūrṇatara (more complete) and pūrṇatama (most complete). His form in which all of His qualities such as beauty, sweetness and opulence are manifest in the most complete way is called pūrṇatama, and this form is manifest in Vṛndāvana. He appears in His most complete form of Śrī Bhagavān only there, because that is where His associates express the ultimate limit of prema. In all other places, He manifests as either pūrṇa or pūrṇatara, according to the level to which prema is developed in His associates of that abode.

In Vraja, Kṛṣṇa manifests as pūrṇatama. In three of the bhāvas in which He has relationships with the Vrajavāsīs (dāsya, sakhya and vātsalya ), there is an expectation of only one kind of relationship. (For instance, in dāsya only servitude is expected.) Also, there is some etiquette (maryādā ) in the service rendered to Him by the devotees in these three rasas. But the relationship the vraja-gopīs have with Śrī Kṛṣṇa is that of lover and beloved (kānta-kāntā ), and their service follows solely in the wake of their desire for Him. They do not hesitate to transgress chastity and dignity for the sake of serving Him and giving Him happiness. Therefore, kāntā-prema is supreme. Śrī Rādhā is the crown jewel of all these kāntās and Her love entirely controls Śrī Kṛṣṇa. By the influence of Śrī Rādhā’s prema, the pūrṇatama beauty and sweetness of Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra increase without cessation.

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