Remembering Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and serving in separation

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: What śloka do you want to hear?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Do you want to repeat yesterday’s śloka?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Do you mean the śloka beginning aty-utkatena?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and Bhurijana Prabhu: Yes. Yesterday you did that.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yesterday I explained that there are two kinds of bhajana. The first is in vipralambhalīlā, performed by chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes of separation. The second is in sambhoga-līlā, performed by remembering His pastimes of meeting. Although the gopīs and Vrajavāsīs always like to meet Kṛṣṇa, He plays in such a manner that they enjoy vipralambharasa. The sādhaka should cultivate vipralambha-bhāva thinking, “I am not seeing Kṛṣṇa, I am not seeing Śrīmatī Rādhikā, I am not seeing Vraja, I am not seeing anything!” He should always feel separation as Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has shown here -separation from Kṛṣṇa and especially from Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

In many ślokas, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has also lamented in separation from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

At the time of Rūpa Gosvāmī’s entrance into aprakaṭa-līlā, he composed this śloka:

शून्यायते महा-गोष्ठं गिरीन्द्रोऽजगरायते
व्याघ्र-तुण्डायते कुण्ड जीवातु-रहितस्य मे

śūnyāyate mahā-goṣṭhaṃ girīndro'jagarāyate
vyāghra-tuṇḍāyate kuṇḍa jīvātu-rahitasya me

Now that I no longer have the sustainer of my life, the land of Vraja has become empty and desolate, Govardhana Hill has become like a great python, and Rādhā-kuṇḍa has become like the gaping mouth of a ferocious tigress.

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī also lamented in separation for his śikṣā-

gurus. He prayed, “I’m so unlucky. First Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed from this world. Afterwards I lived constantly with Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, and he also left. Next I caught hold of the feet of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but he also left. Then, experiencing that every place and every dust particle of Jagannātha Purī reminded me of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and all their associates, I fled to Vṛndāvana.”

Although Gurudeva has also entered his aprakaṭa-līlā, the neophyte disciple remains in this world in a very pleasant manner. On special days, such as his āvirbhāvā (appearance day) and tirobhava (disappearance day), the occasion comes that the disciple may remember him. At that time, however, he is involved in arranging the utsava (festival), and there is very little chance to realize that separation. While speaking something about him, a drop of tear may come, and then again it may not come. If the festival is very elaborate, there will be no tears. That disciple must mānage so many functions, such as the abhiṣeka, pūjā, and distribution of mahā-prasādam to the Vaiṣṇavas. He arranges these festivals mainly for the people in general, for those who have no intimate relation with his Gurudeva, but he should do something so that a feeling of separation will come within his own heart. That is called bhajana.

Who will feel separation? Those special persons, who have realized their immense obligation and indebtedness to Gurudeva for all they have received, and who have rendered service to him with visrambha-bhāva, they will weep.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Visrambha-bhāva. What does that mean?

[Bhurijana Prabhu:] Loyal?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Visrambha-bhāva means visrambhena-guror-sevā

Girirāja Svāmī: Affectionate?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: The service will surely be with affection, but the meaning is somewhat different here. Visrambha-bhāva means that there is no consideration, “I’m so low and my Gurudeva is in so high.”

Dhanurdara Swāmī: Reverence.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Awe and reverence will not be there; otherwise one will not be able to weep.

Girirāja Svāmī: Intimate.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes, visrambhabhāva means intimate sevā. The sevaka performs such intimate service to Gurudeva that Gurudeva remains always pleased with him. The guru will not consider for even a moment that, “He is my servant and disciple.” Instead he will feel, “He is so near and dear. He is my heart.” Śrī Īśvara Purīpāda, the disciple of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī, and Govinda, the disciple of Īśvara Purī, were servants of this caliber.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: But that is a very rare relationship.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Although it is a rare relationship, it is absolutely necessary for rāgānuga-bhakti. Without a relationship like this, we cannot weep like Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: How do we come to that stage?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Separation from Gurudeva will be experienced on different levels. When we consider how merciful he was and how much greater he is than ourselves, we feel a certain type of sentiment. However, when we remember how near and dear he was and how much he loved us, then we will weep profusely for him. The gopīs can weep so much more than Nanda Bābā. Yaśodā Mā can also weep more than Nanda Bābā, but the gopīs can weep even more than.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Yaśodā Maiyā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yaśodā Maiyā. This is because the gopīs relationship with Kṛṣṇa is more ‘keen’ or intimate. We should have this kind of relationship with Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and also with our Gurudeva, Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and all others like them. Then we can weep for their mercy. If we have yet to develop an intimate service relationship with our Gurudeva, we cannot imagine our relationship with Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī or Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. Our advancement depends upon on our ‘keen’ service -how intensely we serve our Gurudeva. All other relationships and experiences develop on that platform. If we can weep for Gurudeva, we can weep for Śrīmatī Rādhikā. If we cannot weep for our Gurudeva, we cannot weep for Her. I have experience of that. Whatever we know, we know from Gurudeva, and therefore we should weep in our hearts for him.

In the first śloka of Vilāpa-kusumāñjali, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has prayed to Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī:

त्वं रूप-मञ्जरि सखि! प्रथिता पुरेऽस्मिन्
पुंसह् परस्य वदनं न हि पश्यसीति
बिम्बाधरे क्षतम् अनागत-भर्तृकाया
यत् ते व्यधायि किम् उ तच् छुक-पुङ्गवेन

tvaṃ rūpa-mañjari sakhi! prathitā pure'smin
puṃsah parasya vadanaṃ na hi paśyasīti
bimbādhare kṣatam anāgata-bhartṛkāyā
yat te vyadhāyi kim u tac chuka-puṅgavena

My dear friend Rūpa Māñjarī! In Vraja you are well known for your chastity. You don’t even look at the faces of other men! It is therefore surprising that your lips, that are as beautiful as red bimba-fruits, have been bitten, although your husband is not at home. Has this maybe been done by the best of parrots?

Was Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī weeping or laughing? It may seem that he wrote this verse in a laughing, pleasant mood. Actually, however, he was remembering a previous pastime and weeping at the feet of Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī, “You have been so merciful to me. I remember seeing your mood after Kṛṣṇa kissed you and left a mark on your lips. When will I see you in that condition again?” In the second śloka, sthala-kamalini yukta garvita, he is again offering praṇāma and weeping, “Will I see this again?” These first two verses are very important.

Now, in this seventh śloka, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī cries, “hā svāmini kṣaṇam iha praṇayena gāḍham. Will it be possible for me to weep for You for even a moment? If I had full realization I could weep constantly, but I pray that I may weep for even a moment. Here Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī had prayed, “Ha svāminī.” He has a relation with Rādhikā as a māñjarī, and She is his svāminī (mistress).

How shall we weep? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given instructions in the sixth verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam:

नयनं गलद्-अश्रु-धारया
वदनं गद्गद-रुद्धया गिरा
पुलकैर् निचितं वपुह् कदा
तव नाम-ग्रहणे भविष्यति

nayanaṃ galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanaṃ gadgada-ruddhayā girā
pulakair nicitaṃ vapuh kadā
tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati

O Prabhu! When will my eyes be filled with a stream of tears? When will my voice choke up? And when will the hairs of my body stand erect in ecstasy as I chant Your holy names?

Although Kim, ‘when,’ is not in the original verse, we should include it and pray, “When will I lament so deeply in separation that I will weep while chanting the names Hare Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-govinda, or Vṛndāvaneśvarī?” Weeping is our dharma.

Bhurijana dāsa: Our business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Our svadharma.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: In this verse Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “aty-utkaṭena nitarāṃ virahānalena. My heart is burning in the great fire of separation.” He sincerely feels this sentiment, and his grace, and the grace of our guru deva and the guru-paramparā, we will also realize this some day. This is our real prayer. When we pray and sing this śloka, this should be our mood: tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati. When, by chanting harināmā, remembering and listening, will I weep?” Those who are very fortunate can lament, weep, and realize these things. “ākrandanena vidhurā vilapāmi padyaih.” Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is praying, “O Śrīmatī Rādhikā, now I want to

offer some flowers to Your lotus feet.” These flowers are songs about the pastimes he has realized and heard about from Rūpa Gosvāmī and others. Dāsa Gosvāmī has composed Vilāpa-kusumāñjali in the mood of a sādhaka, for the benefit of sādhakas.

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays in a similar way in his Prārthanā:

হরি হরি! আর কি এমন দশা হব
ছাডিযা পুরুষ-দেহ কবে বা প্রকৃতি হব
দুঙ্হু অঙ্গে চন্দন পরাব

hari hari! āra ki emana daśā haba
chāḍiyā puruṣa-deha kabe vā prakṛti haba
duṅhu aṅge candana parāba

Song 13, text 1

When, relinquishing this male material body and obtaining the spiritual body of a gopī, will I anoint the limbs of the Divine Couple with sandalwood paste? O Lord Hari, Lord Hari, when will this day be mine?”

He writes, “O Hari, will the day come when, even for a moment, my pūruṣa-bhāva (male ego) will go far away and I will obtain the form of a gopī? May I have the chance to have a mood like that? Duṅhu aṅge candana parāba. Lalitā will give an order and Viśākhā will pass the order to Rūpa Māñjarī. She will say, ‘Kṛṣṇa always likes to see very new sakhīs, and you have collected one. So send that new sakhī to bring some candana, kuṅkuma, and aguru to Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇaa.’ These unguents are so fragrant, beautiful, smooth and cooling. I will take them and anoint the limbs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, always looking towards my guru-sakhī and Rūpa Māñjarī to see whether I am doing it correctly or not. Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa will enjoy seeing this. Because I am a new sakhī, I may do something wrong.

Then, seeing my mistake, They will smile and become very pleased.”

টানিযা বাঙ্ধিব চূডা নব গুঞ্জা-হারে বেডা
নানা ফুলে গাঙ্থি দিব হার

ṭāniyā bāṅdhiba cūḍā nava guñjā-hāre beḍā
nānā phule gāṅthi diba hāra

Song 13, text 2

When will I arrange the hair of the Divine Couple? When will I give Them guñjā-necklaces and garlands strung with various flowers?

In the form of a māñjarī, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sees that Rādhikā’s and Kṛṣṇa hair is. opened. Khulagaya. [Hindi for untied]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Untied

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Untied and going hither and thither.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and Bhurijana dāsa: Scattered.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura continues, “Then, from the corner of her eyes, Rūpa Māñjarī will indicate to me that I should comb Their hair. First I will comb Rādhikā’s hair, and then Kṛṣṇa’s also. Rādhikā will grimace as if my combing is causing Her some pain, and Rūpa Māñjarī will say, ‘What are you doing? You should comb very gently.’ Then, taking the comb from my hand, she will teach me how to do it properly.” This is the duty of guru. “Then I will ask her, ‘May I do it now?’ With her permission, I will try again. After Her hair has been combed, braided, and tied, Śrīmatī Rādhikā will be decorated with fragrant flowers like beli, cameli, and jūhī. nava guñjā-hāre beḍ. A beautiful garland of guñjā will be offered to both Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. nānā phule gāṅthi diba hāra. By gathering seven or eight differently colored flowers, I will string a vana-mālā (garland of forest flowers). I will also place some flowers in Rādhikā’s braid in a very fine, artistic fashion.”

When Kṛṣṇa is offered a garland, He always knows who has made it -especially if it was made by Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa makes a garland and someone else gives it to Rādhikā, She can immediately feel that it was made by Kṛṣṇa.

पीत-बसन अङ्गे पराइब सखी-सङ्गे
बदने ताम्बूल दिब आर

pīta-basana aṅge parāiba sakhī-saṅge
badane tāmbūla diba āra

Song 13, text 2

When will I give Them yellow garments? When, accompanied by the other gopīs, will I place betel-nuts in Their lotus mouths?

Kṛṣṇa is śyāma, fresh cloud-colored, and His cloth is pita, yellow. Sakhīsange means that in his form as a māñjarī, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is taking the help and instructions of ‘her’ guru-sakhī, Rūpa Māñjarī and all others. She prays, “Because I am new, I am taking their help and they are teaching me. After giving garlands and clothes to Rādhikā, I will decorate Her ears, braid, and forehead with flower ornaments.”

দুঙ্হু রূপ মনোহারী হেরিব নযন ভরি
নীলাম্বরে রাই সাজাইযা
নব-রত্ন-জরি আনি বাঙ্ধিব বিচিত্র বেণী
তাতে ফূল মালতি গাঙ্থিযা

duṅhu rūpa manohārī heriba nayana bhari
nīlāmbare rāi sājāiyā
nava-ratna-jari āni bāṅdhiba vicitra beṇī
tāte phūla mālati gāṅthiyā

Song 13, text 3

When will I gaze at the beautiful forms of the Divine Couple? When will I dress Śrīmatī Rādhikā in blue garments, and decorate Her braided hair with garlands of jasmine flowers and strings of nine different kinds of jewels on a golden thread?

“I will then place kastūrī-bindu, a musk dot, on Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s chin, and draw makara (dolphins) on Her cheeks. After this is completed, I will hand Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa a mirror, and I will observe Their forms from the side and think, ‘How beautiful They are!’ Nilambare rāī sajaiya. I will dress Śrīmatī Rādhikā in nilambara.”

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: What does nilambara mean?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Nilambara means ‘blue cloth.’ It is the color of Kṛṣṇa. She will wear a red lahanga, skirt, and Her very fine, almost transparent veil will be blue.”

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura continues. “nava-ratna-jari āni bāṅdhiba vicitra beṇī / tāte phūla mālati gāṅthiyā.” I will place many beautiful jewels in Her hair, and decorate Her braid with garlands of mālatī flowers.”

সেই রূপ-মাধুরী দেখিব নযন ভরি’
এই করি মনে অভিলাষা
জয রূপ সনাতন দেহ মোরে এই ধন
নিবেদযে নরোত্তম দাস

sei rūpa-mādhurī dekhiba nayana bhari’
ei kari mane abhilāṣā
jaya rūpa sanātana deha more ei dhana
nivedaye narottama dāsa

Song 13, text 4

My desire is that some day I shall be able to directly see the sweet beauty of the transcendental forms of the Divine Couple. O Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, all glories to you both. Please bestow this treasure upon me. Please grant my desire. Narottama dāsa appeals to you in this way.

Here, in his form as a sādhaka, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays to Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī -not to the sakhīs. In his svarūpa as Vilāsa Māñjarī, she will pray to Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī, Lavaṅga Māñjarī, Rati Māñjarī, and other sakhīs. Now he prays, “When will I attain that state in which I may serve in this way?” When you read these prayers, something will come in your hearts.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Some ‘coating.’

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: It will only be a coating, but it will act and create your saṃskāra.

Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has written in a somewhat different mood in his Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta (text 63):

कदा नु कस्यां नु विपद्-दशायां
कैशोर-गन्धिः करुणाम्बुधिर् नः
विलोचनाभ्यां विपुलायताभ्याम्
आलोकयिष्यन् विषयी-करोति

kadā nu kasyāṃ nu vipad-daśāyāṃ
kaiśora-gandhiḥ karuṇāmbudhir naḥ
vilocanābhyāṃ vipulāyatābhyām
ālokayiṣyan viṣayī-karoti

When will Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of mercy in His fresh youth, under some unknown dangerous circumstances, again look at us with His wide eyes and accept us within His purview?

A similar desire has been expressed here. The author, Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, is a bhāvuka bhakta -not siddha (in prema-bhakti), but bhāvaka (in bhāva-bhakti), and also rasika (he understands the mellows of the five rasas). He has received something in his heart from rāgātmika-jānā (the associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vraja), and therefore he is bhāvuka. He is Kṛṣṇapakṣa and Kṛṣṇa-virahita, meaning that he is inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, and thus he expresses separation from Kṛṣṇa, not Rādhikā. He has written all the ślokas in Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta with some connection to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, however, because he also has some taste for Her service. Kṛṣṇa does not want to listen to any prayers that are devoid of a connection with Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the gopīs. If Kṛṣṇaa hears, “I am being served by Rādhikā” or “I am serving Rādhikā,” He becomes very pleased. Therefore, from the first to the last śloka in Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, there is some connection with Rādhikā.

In the first verse he has used the word jayaśrīh:

चिन्तामणिर् जयति सोमगिरिर् गुरुर् मे
शिक्षा-गुरुश् च भगवान् शिखि-पिष्छ-मौलिः
यत्-पाद-कल्पतरु-पल्लव-शेखरेषु
लीला-स्वयंवर-रसं लभते जयश्रीः

cintāmaṇir jayati somagirir gurur me
śikṣā-guruś ca bhagavān śikhi-piṣcha-mauliḥ
yat-pāda-kalpataru-pallava-śekhareṣu
līlā-svayaṃvara-rasaṃ labhate jayaśrīḥ

He writes that Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. His mouth, eyes, nose, hands, and all the parts of His transcendental form are beautiful. Although Kṛṣṇa’s feet are not as beautiful as His face, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has only described the beauty of His feet in the beginning. He writes: “His feet are like lotuses and His toes are like lotus petals, and Rādhikā offers ārati to the rays emanating from the tips of His toenails.

We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas do not want to hear these things. For those with the same mood as Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, this śloka is very beautiful, but we would be more interested and pleased if he had written that Kṛṣṇa offers ārati to Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Instead, he writes that She is offering ārati, and She is so pleased -as a girl is pleased when choosing Her husband and giving Him a garland when They first meet.

Bhurijana dāsa: Where did the first meeting of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa take place?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Anywhere in Saṅketa, or Vṛndāvana, Nandagoan or Varsānā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: If Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was praying like this, and you said we would have been so much more pleased had it been the opposite way, why did Caitanya Mahāprabhu appreciate Kṛṣṇakarṇāmṛta so much?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and therefore He relished Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Caitanya Mahāprabhu certainly appreciated it.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: But we should try to see what Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Rūpa Māñjarī, Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara, and Śrīla Rāya Rāmānanda have told -not what Rādhikā has told or what Kṛṣṇa has told. This is not our goal. Our goal is to perform service like the māñjarīs, or like the sakhīs -like Rādhikā. Rādhikā always wants to hear Kṛṣṇa’s name, and Kṛṣṇa wants to hear Rādhikā’s name, but we must follow the proper channel.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has written Vilāpa-kusumāñjali for Śrīmatī Rādhikā, not for Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura also prays to Rādhikā in Sankalpa-kalpadruma (text 1):

वृन्दावनेश्वरि वयो-गुण-रूप-लीला
सौभाग्य-केलि-करुणा-जलधेऽरधेहि
दासी-भवानी सुखयनि सदा स-कान्तं
त्वं अलिभिह् परिवृतम् इदम् एव याचे

vṛndāvaneśvari vayo-guṇa-rūpa-līlā
saubhāgya-keli-karuṇā-jaladhe'radhehi
dāsī-bhavānī sukhayani sadā sa-kāntaṃ
tvaṃ alibhih parivṛtam idam eva yāce

O Queen of Vṛndāvana, O great ocean of mercy, playfulness, good fortune, transcendental pastimes, beauty, virtue, and youthfulness; please hear my prayer. Let me be Your maidservant. I will always please You, who stay with Your lover and Your friends. I beg this of You.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has also prayed to Śrīmatī Rādhikā in his own Sankalpa-kalpadruma, and all our Gosvāmīs have done the same. This is the speciality of our sampradāya, and we should follow this path. When we pray to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, somehow Kṛṣṇa Himself will come, and try to hear from.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: A distance?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: In a hidden way. In this seventh śloka Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī uses the word ‘ha,’ meaning ‘alas.’ He prays in lamentation, “He karuṇā sagara. O ocean of mercy, I am so distressed because You are not looking towards me.”

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī remembers the glories of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, who is absorbed in all the mādhurī of Kṛṣṇa.

Bhurijana Prabhu: Sweet glories.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: The sweet glories of Kṛṣṇa. Seeing His qualities, His movements, and the sweetness of His mercy, She becomes unmāda, mad. What is the meaning of unmada? Transcendental madness. In unmāda, one does something that by ordinary standards is wrong. We can do what is right and that is our svabhavikisthiti, our natural position. However, when we lose that thinking and do something that is not to be done, that is called unmāda. One should not sit on Kṛṣṇa’s shoulders, but the gopīs can do so in unmāda. They can order Him about as they desire.

When Kṛṣṇa left the gopīs during rāsa-līlā, they were thinking about His movements and everything about Him. By such continuous thinking they became mad (unmādāvasta) and began to imitate Him. Each and every gopī thought, “Only I am priyatam, Kṛṣṇa, and all the other gopīs are all my priyātamas, beloveds.” Do you understand?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Can you say again how they are seeing? That everyone else. Please repeat that.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: A gopī thinks, “I am Kṛṣṇa, the priyatam (lover) and these gopīs are my priyātamas (beloveds).” At the same time, others are also seeing that, “I am the lover, all are my priyātamas.” In his Ānanda-vṛndāvana-campū, Śrī Kavi Karṇapūra explains how it happened that each gopī thought herself to be Kṛṣṇa, and how each one saw the others as Pūtanā, Aghāsura, or Bakāsura. Do you know the meaning of āsakti?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Attachment.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: One’s attachment is never directed to something in which one has no taste. Try to understand: One will only develop attachment and tadatma-bhāva, feelings of oneness, to that which is favorable and in which one has taste. Do you understand? Are you following?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: I understand.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Anything pratikūla, unfavorable, will never become the object of one’s attachment or remembrance, and therefore the gopīs cannot be attached to Pūtanā. Because Pūtanā is pratikūla to the gopīs’ bhāva, it is not possible for them to become unmāda and feel oneness with her. They will only be attached to Kṛṣṇa’s activities. In re-enacting Pūtanā-līlā, it appears that one gopī threw down another, climbed upon her breast, and took the breast of that other gopī in her mouth. However, Kavi Karṇapūra explains that where it seems that a gopī is lying down as Pūtanā, that gopī is not there. Because the gopīs will not accept pūtanā-bhāva, those gopīs acting as Pūtanā and other demons were created artificially by Yogamāyā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Not gopis. Yogamaya. I see.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: They are not gopīs, because the gopīs will not be attached.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: To Putana’s bhava.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: This is a very important topic, and it is difficult to understand simply by reading the descriptions of this pastime in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When something pratikūla to the gopīs is required in a līlā, Yogamāyā makes the arrangements and does everything for them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: She manifests everything.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: She helps them, and they each think, “I’m Kṛṣṇa,” as they perform all the līlās.

When the gopīs heard Kṛṣṇa’s flute-song and left their houses and their husbands in the dead of night, the real gopīs came to Kṛṣṇa and Yogamāyā expanded duplicate gopīs to stand by the side of their husbands. Similarly, this was the case here. All the ‘gopīs’ who played the parts of Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Kāliya, and so on, were imitations created by Yogamāyā.

Śrī Kavi Karṇapūra has also revealed that when the gopīs were imitating Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Himself had entered the gopīs’ hearts and was the actual performer of His own pastimes. This fact was mentioned earlier with reference to the fire entering and acting through the iron in tadatma-bhāva (oneness). The gopīs were thinking, “We are doing this,” but actually Kṛṣṇa was acting. Yogamāyā was not acting in that case, but Kṛṣṇa Himself was doing everything.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has made a similar point in this connection. When Kṛṣṇa entered the gopīs’ hearts, His six opulences, namely aiśvarya (wealth), virya (strength), yaśasa (fame), śrī (beauty), jñāna (knowledge), and vairāgya (renunciation) fully manifested in them. Because Kṛṣṇa was there, everything was there, and therefore they lifted Govardhana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: They didn’t lift Govardhana.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: They had the power to do it, but they simply lifted their veils. Although they were merely imitating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, because Kṛṣṇa was present they had the power to lift Govardhana Hill and dance on the heads of Kāliya.

Also, the reverse is true. If the gopīs are in Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can act, otherwise He cannot. His abilities are the effect of the gopīs’ śakti, power. The gopīs are svarūpa-śakti, and therefore whatever Kṛṣṇa does is actually done by the gopīs. Every quality and every power in Kṛṣṇa are those of the gopīs. They don’t reveal this, however, otherwise the pastimes would not be able to continue. Yaśodā can do everything. The sakhās can kill lakhs and lakhs of Kamsas, Aghasuras, Bakasuras, and all others, but they do not exercise their power -and this is also true for the gopīs.

Returning to our original point, when praying, uttering or chanting harināma, or when remembering harināma, we should realize some vipralambha-bhāva. If we have no mood of separation, we will have to gradually -vardhana parega.

Śrīpāda Mādhava Mahārāja: Have to Increase.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Develop?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We will have to develop this bhāva through the execution of sādhana. By reading about these pastimes, something will enter our hearts and someday we will experience all these things.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: And by remembering our Gurudeva.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Realization also comes by remembering Śrī Gurudeva. We should always remember Gurudeva and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If we do not understand the mercy of Gurudeva, we cannot understand anything. If you are getting something new from me, you can also remember me.

Lobha-mūla means greed for rāga-bhakti, and our sādhana-bhajana should be enriched with this. Here, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is crying and crying, but we are not shedding even one teardrop. We have nothing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: We are dry.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has called out, “Ha svāminī, O my Svāminī.” The word svāminī indicates his sweet relationship with Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

He has also written in Manah Śikṣā:

मद्-ईशा-नाथत्वे व्रज-विपिन-चन्द्रं व्रज-वने श्वरीं तन्-नाथत्वे तद्-अतुल-सखीत्वे तु ललिताम्
विशाखां शिक्षाली-वितरण-गुरुत्वे प्रिय-सरो-गिरिन्द्रौ तत्-प्रेक्षा-ललित-रति-दत्वे स्मर मनह्

mad-īśā-nāthatve vraja-vipina-candraṃ vraja-vane śvarīṃ tan-nāthatve tad-atula-sakhītve tu lalitām
viśākhāṃ śikṣālī-vitaraṇa-gurutve priya-saro-girindrau tat-prekṣā-lalita-rati-datve smara manah

“O Śrīmati Rādhikā, You are my supreme…”

Bhurijana dāsa: Goddess.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Ārādhya-devi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Worshipable Deity.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: “You are my nātha.” Nātha means svāminī (mistress).

“If anyone asks me who is Kṛṣṇa? I will only say that He is the Prāṇanātha (life and soul or soul mate) of my Īśvarī (master), Śrīmatī Rādhikā.” Our Īśvarī is Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and Kṛṣṇa is Her Prāṇanātha. He is therefore worshipable for us, but our main worshipable Deity is Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is through Her.

Lalitā devī is very near and dear to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and therefore she is also worshipable by us. Viśākhā, born on the same day as Rādhikā, is named after Her, and is no less qualified. Lalitā is also known as Anurādhā, and Viśākhā is also known as Rādhā. Lalitā and Viśākhā only have honor and appreciation for something if it has relation to Śrīmatī Rādhikā. We should also be like this. We should see whether something is related to Her or not.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Can you say that again please? Can you repeat that? Everything that they want should have relationship with Śrīmatī Rādhikā?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: So we should also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: See everything.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We should see if something is related with Śrīmatī Rādhikā or not. Suppose one girl is coming from Nandagaon and another is coming from either Yāvaṭa or Varsānā. We will prefer the one from Yāvaṭa, because she is coming from Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the other is coming from Kṛṣṇa. We will first inquire about Rādhikā, then Kṛṣṇa. A rūpānuga-bhakta will always give preference to Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is praying in this seventh śloka, “I am lying on the bank of Your Rādhā-kuṇḍa, taking nothing to eat or drink, and always weeping and chanting, ‘Rādhe! Rādhe!’ I think that some day or other You will have to give me Your mercy. If You don’t, then I have no need of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Rādhā-kuṇḍa’s mercy, or any others’ mercy. I will also no longer want to live here.” In this way he is crying.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda has written that sambhoga and viraha, vipralambha, are standing side by side eternally, forever, for ananta-kalā or akhaṇḍa-kalā.

Bhurijana dāsa: Endless time.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Do you understand? Only a person who has some realization of vipralambha can taste and enjoy sambhoga-līlā for akaṇḍa-kalā. One who has no taste of vipralamba cannot enjoy sambhoga-līlā. The main object and ultimate goal of our sādhana-bhajana is to realize vipralambha-bhāva. If vipralambha is achieved, we can realize everything else.

We have discussed this one śloka. I am finishing here today. Before you arrived today, I was thinking that you will be coming with hunger (to hear), but I have not read or prepared anything. I am always moving here and there and meeting with all persons. I thought, “What will I tell them?”

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: You cooked very quickly. In a moment you had everything ready. Now we can understand how Śrīmatī Rādhikā could cook so quickly for Kṛṣṇa, simply by Her desire.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We will discuss the next śloka on the next day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Today is Monday. Tomorrow you will be resting perhaps. Tomorrow is your resting day.from us. You will not rest, but we will burden you.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Then, on Śārada Pūrṇimā (the first day of Kartikka and the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: We are coming

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We will meet there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: At five o’clock.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Five o’clock or five thirty. Your kīrtana will be done there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Ok.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We will speak something about the specialty of our Gurudeva and our guru-paramparā, and then we will do ārati and honor mahā-prasādam.