In this fourth chapter, it is emphatically stated that Śrī Caitanya appeared to accomplish three confidential necessities.
The first explanation is this – “Rādhikā alone is the āśraya (receptacle) of prema for Me. Being the viṣaya (object) of that prema, I am unable to experience the happiness that belongs to the āśraya, thus, I shall relish it by taking support of the bhāva of Rādhikā, who is the āśraya–svarūpa (the very personification of the āśraya).”
The second necessity is this – “That Śrīmatī Rādhikā relishes My own intrinsic sweetness; although that sweetness is captivating to the entire world, I Myself cannot relish it. Therefore, unless I accept Rādhikā’s bhāva and kānti (mood and complexion), that necessity of Mine cannot be fulfilled.”
The third necessity is this – “The pleasure I derive from Śrī Rādhikā’s association is less than the happiness Rādhikā derives from being with Me. Therefore, there exists within Me such an extraordinary and unprecedented rasa that, upon being relished, Rādhikā’s happiness becomes greater. It is not possible for Me to experience that happiness since it is foreign to Me. By accepting Rādhikā’s bhāva and kānti, I will be able to relish Rādhikā’s own nature” – with the desire to fulfil these three confidential desires, Śrī Caitanya descended.
The introduction of the yuga-dharma and to accept the worship of Advaita and the devotees are merely the external reasons that descent. Śrī Svarūpa Gosvāmī was the foremost amongst Mahāprabhu’s antaraṅga-bhaktas (intimate devotees). This profound truth is found in his diary and ślokas. This conclusion has been reinforced through ślokas composed by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.
In this chapter, by demonstrating the philosophical distinction between kāma (lust) and prema, the desire for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure has been distinguished from the concept of kāma.
(1)
śrī-caitanya-prasādena tad-rūpasya vinirṇayam
bālo’pi kurute śāstraṁ dṛṣṭvā vraja-vilāsinaḥ
By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya, even a child can ascertain the nature of He who sports in Vraja, according to the vision of śāstra.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“By Śrī Caitanya’s mercy, even an ignorant person, having first examined the śāstra, becomes capable of ascertaining the true essential nature of Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja.”
(2)
jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Glories, glories to Śrī Caitanya, glories to Nityānanda. Glories to Advaita-candra and the devotees of Gaura.
(3)
caturtha ślokera artha kaila vivaraṇa
pañcama ślokera artha śuna bhakta-gaṇa
I have explained the meaning of the fourth śloka. Now, O devotees, please hear the meaning of the fifth śloka.
(4)
mūla-ślokera artha karite prakāśa
artha lāgāite āge kahiye ābhāsa
Before revealing the meaning of the original śloka, I shall first present a prelude so that the meaning may be properly applied.
(5)
caturtha ślokera artha ei kaila sāra
prema-nāma pracārite ei avatāra
The essential explanation of the fourth śloka is that this avatāra propagates prema–nāma (the Holy Name which bestows divine love).
(6)
satya ei hetu, kintu eho bahiraṅga
āra eka hetu, śuna, āche antaraṅga
This reason is true, however it is external. Listen – there is one more reason which is internal.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In the third chapter, the essential meaning of the fourth śloka has been ascertained as follows – that the avatāra of Gaurāṅga is for the propagation of prema, in other words, prema-bhakti, and the chanting of kṛṣṇa-nāma. That conclusion mentioned there is indeed true – however, that is also external. In other words, it is a superficial meaning, not an esoteric one. There is one internal, or confidential reason; I shall now explain it.
(7)
pūrve yena pṛthivīra bhāra haribāre
kṛṣṇa avatīrṇa hailā śāstrete pracāre
Previously, in order to relieve the burden of the earth, Kṛṣṇa descended, as proclaimed in the śāstra.
(8)
svayaṁ-bhagavānera karma nahe bhāra-haraṇa
sthiti-kartā viṣṇu karena jagat-pālana
Removing the burden is not the function of Svayaṁ Bhagavān; Viṣṇu, the sustainer, performs the maintenance of the universe.
(9)
kintu kṛṣṇera yei haya avatāra-kāla
bhāra-haraṇa-kāla tāte ha-ila miśāla
However, when Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra takes place, the occasion for removing the burden becomes associated with it.
(10)
pūrṇa bhagavān avatare yei kāle
āra saba avatāra tāṅte āsi’ mile
At the time when the Complete Bhagavān descends, all other avatāras come and merge within Him.
(11–12)
nārāyaṇa, catur-vyūha, matsyādy-avatāra
yuga-manvantarāvatāra, yata āche āra
sabe āsi’ kṛṣṇa-aṅge haya avatīrṇa
aiche avatare kṛṣṇa bhagavān pūrṇa
Nārāyaṇa, the catur-vyūha, avatāras such as Matsya etc, the yuga and mānvantara avatāras – all come and manifest within Kṛṣṇa’s form. In this way, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is the complete avatāra.
(13)
ataeva viṣṇu takhana kṛṣṇera śarīre
viṣṇu-dvāre kare kṛṣṇa asura-saṁhāre
Therefore, Viṣṇu, being present in Kṛṣṇa’s body, acts through Him, and Kṛṣṇa destroys the Asuras.
(14)
ānuṣaṅga-karma ei asura-māraṇa
ye lāgi’ avatāra, kahi se mūla kāraṇa
The killing of Asuras is only an incidental activity. The primary reason why the avatāra descends is something else.
(15–16)
prema-rasa-niryāsa karite āsvādana
rāga-mārga bhakti loke karite pracāraṇa
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇa parama-karuṇa
ei dui hetu haite icchāra udgama
To relish the essence of prema-rasa and to propagate bhakti on the path of rāga among the people – Kṛṣṇa, the crest-jewel of the connoisseurs of rasa and the supremely compassionate, desired to appear for these two reasons.
(17)
aiśvarya-jñānete saba jagat miśrita
aiśvarya-śithila-preme nahi mora prīta
“The entire world is combined with the conception of opulence. Yet I do not love this grandeur, which is weakened by prema.”
(18)
āmāre īśvara māne, āpanāke hīna
tāra preme vaśa āmi nā ha-i adhīna
“If one regards Me as the Supreme Controller and oneself as subordinate, I am not dominated by such love, and it does not control Me.”
(19)
āmāke ta’ ye ye bhakta bhaje yei bhāve
tāre se se bhāve bhaji, – e mora svabhāve
“Whichever mood a devotee worships Me in, I reciprocate in that same mood – that is My nature.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
When Svayaṁ Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa descended, at that time the period for the removal of the world’s burden was also present. Viṣṇu, the maintainer, is the appointed authority for removing the burden of the world. The removal of that burden is not the direct work of Svayaṁ Bhagavān. When, at the time of Kṛṣṇa’s descent, the occasion for removing the burden of the earth also arose, then in full Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, the Catur-vyūha – namely Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha – along with the partial avatāras such as Matsya and others, the yugāvatāras and the manvantarāvatāras – all of them descended into the body of Kṛṣṇa. Within that complete form of Bhagavān, all His avatāras –those who are parts and parcels – certainly take shelter; accordingly, Viṣṇu, the preserver who maintains order, existed in the form of Kṛṣṇa. It is only through Viṣṇu that Kṛṣṇa slays all the Asuras. The killing of Asuras is merely an incidental act of Kṛṣṇa’s descent. However, the primary cause of Kṛṣṇa-avatāra is this – in order to taste the distilled essence of prema-rasa, and in order to propagate rāga and bhakti in the world, the supremely connoisseur of rasa and supremely compassionate Kṛṣṇa desired to descend. Kṛṣṇa’s thought like this –the world is pervaded by aiśvarya-jñāna (the concept of reverence for the Supreme). I have no pleasure in the weak love that arises from aiśvarya-jñāna. The devotee who considers himself insignificant and regards Me as God has a love based on aiśvarya; I am never subordinate to such love. As one worships Me in whatever manner, I reciprocate in the same manner – this is My intrinsic nature.”
(20)
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
In whatever way people surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. O Pārtha, all men follow My path. (Bhagavad-gītā 4.11)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha! In whatever way one worships Me, in that same way I become attainable to them; all people, in every respect, follow the path that I Myself have revealed.”
(21-22)
mora putra, mora sakhā, mora prāṇa-pati
ei-bhāve yei more kare śuddha-bhakti
āpanāke baḍa māne, āmāre sama-hīna
sei bhāve ha-i āmi tāhāra adhīna
“‘My son,’ ‘my friend,’ or ‘the Lord of my life’ – whoever renders pure bhakti to Me in these moods, considering himself great and Me as an equal or even less, in that very mood I become subordinate to him.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Those who render pure bhakti in the mood of parental affection, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my son,’ in the mood of friendship, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my companion,’ or in an amorous mood, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my beloved,’ consider Me insignificant in accordance with the particular rasa and regard themselves as superior. In that very mood, I become subordinate to them.”
Śuddha-bhakti means bhakti characterised as the cultivation of service to Kṛṣṇa that is free from the coverings of jñāna and karma, devoid of all other desires, and endowed with a resolve favourable to Kṛṣṇa.
(23)
mayi bhaktir hi bhūtānām amṛtatvāya kalpate
diṣṭyā yad āsīn mat-sneho bhavatīnāṁ mad-āpanaḥ
“Indeed, bhakti to Me leads living beings to immortality. How fortunate it is that affection for Me has arisen in you, and that you have attained Me as your own.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.82.44)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Devotion to Me is like nectar for the living being. O gopīs! The affection you have for Me alone is the sole cause for your attainment of Me.”
(24)
mātā more putra-bhāve karena bandhana
atihīna-jñāne kare lālana pālana
“My mother, in the mood of seeing Me as a son, binds Me. Considering me as most helpless, she caresses and nourishes Me.”
(25)
sakhā śuddha-sakhye kare, skandhe ārohaṇa
tumi kon baḍa loka, – tumi āmi sama
“A friend, in pure friendship, makes Me climb upon his shoulders. (He says), ‘What sort of great person are You? You and I are equal!’
(26)
priyā yadi māna kari’ karaye bhartsana
veda-stuti haite hare sei mora mana
“When My beloved, out of jealous love, scolds Me, that rebuke steals My mind away more than all the prayers of the Vedas.”
(27–28)
ei śuddha-bhakta lañā karimu avatāra
kariba vividha-vidha adbhuta vihāra
vaikuṇṭhādye nāhi ye ye līlāra pracāra
se se līlā kariba, yāte mora camatkāra
“Taking these pure devotees with Me, I shall descend as an avatāra and perform many kinds of wondrous pastimes. Those līlās which are not manifest in Vaikuṇṭha and other realms – those very līlās I shall enact, in which My own astonishment will arise.”
(29)
mo-viṣaye gopī-gaṇera upapati-bhāve
yoga-māyā karibeka āpana-prabhāve
“Through Her influence, Yogamāyā will inspire a mood in the gopīs that I am their paramour.”
(30)
āmiha nā jāni tāhā, nā jāne gopī-gaṇa
duṅhāra rūpa-guṇe duṅhāra nitya hare mana
“Neither I or the gopīs know this – our minds are eternally stolen by each other’s forms and qualities.”
(31)
dharma chāḍi’ rāge duṅhe karaye milana
kabhu mile, kabhu nā mile, – daivera ghaṭana
Abandoning dharma, the two meet in passionate attachment; sometimes they meet, and sometimes they do not – this occurs by the arrangement of destiny.
(32)
ei saba rasa-niryāsa kariba āsvāda
ei dvāre kariba saba bhaktere prasāda
I shall relish the essence of all these mellows, and through this, I shall bestow mercy upon all devotees.
(33)
vrajera nirmala rāga śuni’ bhakta-gaṇa
rāga-mārge bhaje yena chāḍi’ dharma-karma
Hearing of the pure loving attachment of Vraja, the devotees will worship on the path of rāga, giving up conventional religious duties and ritualistic actions.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“In the higher realms of Vaikuṇṭha, such as Vaikuṇṭha-Goloka, any pastimes that have not been propagated, I manifest in this kṛṣṇāvatāra. Even I Myself become astonished at these pastimes. My Yogamāyā, the svarūpa-śakti, in an inconceivable way, will, according to My desire, instill moods of intimacy in the hearts of My eternal beloved gopīs. Even I, for the sake of savouring the rasa, cannot fully know it – in other words, My acintya-śakti conceals My omniscience and produces a unique transcendental rasa, and even the gopīs cannot fully perceive it. Through these wondrous exchanges between Myself and the gopīs, stealing each other’s hearts by our extraordinary qualities, the slightest departure from ordinary duties occurs, and by the path of pure rāga, the bliss of union with one another arises. Sometimes there is union, sometimes separation, as if by the play of divine circumstances. I relish the essence of all these rasas and being pleased, I distribute them to the devotees. The process by which all devotees receive this rasa is as follows – the pure rāga that I manifest in Vraja, when heard by the devotees, causes them to abandon ordinary duties and, following the path of rāga, they engage in my bhajana.”
(34)
anugrahāya bhaktānāṁ mānuṣaṁ deham āśritaḥ
bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍā yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet
To bestow mercy upon His devotees, He accepts a human-like form and performs such pastimes that, upon hearing them, one becomes wholly devoted to Him.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“To grace the devotees, Bhagavān, manifests in a human form, and reveals the rāsa-līlā. Those qualified devotees, upon hearing about these pastimes, will worship those very pastimes.”
(35)
‘bhavet’ kriyā vidhiliṅ, sei ihā kaya
kartavya avaśya ei, anyathā pratyavāya
The verb bhavet is in the imperative, indicating obligation – this must certainly be done; otherwise, there is fault.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In the above śloka, the verb form bhavet is used with the optative mood. Thus, it is to be understood as an obligatory action. Otherwise, if it is not performed, there is an implied defect, or fault.
(36–37)
ei vāñchā yaiche kṛṣṇa-prākaṭya-kāraṇa
asura-saṁhāra – ānuṣaṅga prayojana
ei mata caitanya-kṛṣṇa pūrṇa bhagavān
yuga-dharma-pravartana nahe tāṅra kāma
Just as this desire is the cause of Kṛṣṇa’s appearance, the destruction of the Asuras is only a secondary purpose. Similarly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is fully Bhagavān Himself, and the propagation of the yuga-dharma is not His primary purpose.
(38)
kona kāraṇe yabe haila avatāre mana
yuga-dharma-kāla haila se kāle milana
When He desired to descend for some reason, that time coincided with the age meant for establishing the yuga-dharma.
(39)
dui hetu avatari’ lañā bhakta-gaṇa
āpane āsvāde prema-nāma-saṅkīrtana
Thus, for two reasons He descended with His devotees – to relish prema Himself, and to propagate prema-nāma-saṅkīrtana.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
During the Kṛṣṇa-avatāra, the way Kṛṣṇa appeared according His desire, the destruction of Asuras was not the primary necessity; it was only an incidental requirement. Similarly, during the Gaura-avatāra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is fully Bhagavān. Initiating the yuga-dharma in the form of nāma-kīrtana was not His own primary function. However, when for some hidden reason, Bhagavān decided to descend, and by coincidence, the period for the yuga-dharma had arrived. Therefore, for two reasons – Gaurāṅga’s confidential intimate necessity, and the external necessity of propagating the yuga-dharma – He descended, and relished it together with the devotees in the moods of prema and nāma-kīrtana.
(40)
sei dvāre ācaṇḍāle kīrtana sañcāre
nāma-prema-mālā gāṅthi’ parāila saṁsāre
Thus, He spread kīrtana even among the low-class dog-eaters, stringing a garland of nāma-prema, and placing it upon the entire world.
(41)
ei-mata bhakta-bhāva kari’ aṅgīkāra
āpani ācari’ bhakti karila pracāra
In this way, accepting the mood of a devotee, He personally practiced bhakti and thus propagated bhakti.
(42)
dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, āra ye śṛṅgāra
cāri prema, catur-vidha bhakta-i ādhāra
Servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love – these four types prema are the foundations of four kinds of devotees.
(43)
nija nija bhāva sabe śreṣṭha kari’ māne
nija-bhāve kare kṛṣṇa-sukha āsvādane
Each considers their own mood to be the highest, and in that mood they relish the happiness of Kṛṣṇa.
(44)
taṭastha haiyā mane vicāra yadi kari
saba rasa haite śṛṅgāre adhika mādhurī
However, from an impartial consideration, conjugal love possesses greater sweetness than all other rasas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Of the four kinds of rasas – dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and madhura – each one appears supreme to the respective devotees in terms of their relishing of Kṛṣṇa’s bliss. But when viewed impartially, in other words, from a detached standpoint, the sweetness of the madhura-rasa, or śṛṅgāra-rasa, is established as supreme above the other three rasas.
(45)
yathottaram asau svāda-viśeṣollāsamayy api
ratir vāsanayā svādvī bhāsate kāpi kasyacit
Although each successive rasa is increasingly filled with special relish, due to one’s particular inclination, a specific attachment appears especially sweet to a given individual.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Joyous pleasure (rati) is perceived as progressively increasing in enjoyment. In particular places, according to the sequence of desire, that rati becomes a supreme experience and manifests in the form of madhura-rasa.
(46)
ataeva madhura rasa kahi tāra nāma
svakīyā-parakīyā-bhāve dvi-vidha saṁsthāna
Therefore it is called madhura–rasa, and it exists in two forms – within marriage (svakīyā) and outside marriage (parakīya).
(47)
parakīyā-bhāve ati rasera ullāsa
vraja vinā ihāra anyatra nāhi vāsa
In the mood of parakīya there is the highest ecstasy of rasa, and apart from Vraja, it is found nowhere else.
(48)
vraja-vadhū-gaṇera ei bhāva niravadhi
tāra madhye śrī-rādhāya bhāvera avadhi
Among the women of Vraja, this mood exists without limit, and among them, Śrī Rādhā is the ultimate limit of that mood.
(49)
prauḍha nirmala-bhāva prema sarvottama
kṛṣṇera mādhurya-rasa-āsvāda-kāraṇa
Mature, pure prema in this mood is the highest, and it is the cause of relishing Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness.
(50)
ataeva sei bhāva aṅgīkāra kari’
sādhilena nija vāñchā gaurāṅga-śrī-hari
Therefore, accepting that very mood, Śrī Gaurāṅga Hari fulfilled His own inner desire.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Since the sweetness of śṛṅgāra-rasa surpasses that of the other three rasas, it is called madhura-rasa. This madhura-rasa has a twofold manifestation – svakīya and pārakīya.
When madhura-rasa manifests in the consciousness of being married to Kṛṣṇa, it is called svakīya-madhura-rasa. When it manifests in the consciousness of being an upapati (paramour) of Kṛṣṇa, it is called pārakīya-madhura-rasa.
The authorities on madhura-rasa have unanimously concluded that in pārakīya–bhāva, the enjoyment is greater. There is no place for this rasa elsewhere except in Vraja. Some think that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being eternally of Goloka, appeared in Vraja only for a short time to enact these pārakīya pastimes. This is not according to the views of the Gosvāmīs. According to revered Gosvāmīs, the pastimes of Vraja are also eternal. Vraja is the name of a most intimate chamber within the eternal, spiritual realm of Goloka. Just as Kṛṣṇa’s līlās are enacted in the manifested world, in the eternal realm of Vraja those same pastimes eternally prevail. In Vraja, pārakīya–rasa has its eternal abode.
Śrī Kavirāja Gosvāmī states in the third chapter:
aṣṭāviṁśa catur-yuge dvāpare śeṣe
vrajera sahite haya kṛṣṇera prakāśe
At the end of the twenty-eighth catur-yuga, Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself along with Vraja. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.10)
The phrase, vrajera sahite (‘along with Vraja’) clearly indicates that there is an inconceivable, transcendental seat in Goloka called Vraja. By His own cit-śakti, Kṛṣṇa descended into the material realm along with that seat. Apart from this eternal Vraja, pārakīya-rasa has no other place, because there the rasa exists in qualities far superior to Goloka.
The distinctions of the unmanifest Vraja are perceptible in the manifested Vraja by the jīva. That is the only difference. The culmination of the mood of the maids of Vraja, that is, the topmost limit, is in Śrī Rādhā. Śrī Rādhā’s prema within the realm of Vraja, characterised by its mature and pristine purity, is supreme. The attainment of the fullest possible taste of Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya-rasa is the underlying cause of this. Therefore, accepting this bhāva, Gaurāṅga Śrī Hari Himself fulfilled His own will.
(51)
sureśānāṁ durgaṁ gatir atiśayenopaniṣadāṁ
munīnāṁ sarva-svaṁ praṇata-paṭalīnāṁ madhurimā
viniryāsaḥ premṇo nikhila-paśu-pālāmbuja-dṛśāṁ
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam
He is difficult to attain even for the demigods. He is the supreme goal of the Upaniṣads, the very wealth of the sages, and the sweetness of those who bow down to Him. He is the distilled essence of the love of the lotus-eyed cowherd maidens. Will that Śrī Caitanya again appear before my eyes? (Prathama Caitanyāṣṭaka 2)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Will that Caitanya-candra – who is difficult to perceive even for the gods, hard to comprehend even for the scholars of the Upaniṣads, the all-in-all of the munis, the sweetness for the devotees who have fallen at His feet, and the embodiment of the very nectar of love as seen in the eyes of the maidens of Vraja – again become visible to my eyes?”
(52)
apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu
“Out of curiosity, He stole the boundless wealth of rasa from a certain group of lovers to relish its sweetness Himself. Adopting their mood and manifesting their effulgence, may that Lord, who has appeared as Śrī Caitanya, bestow His supreme mercy upon us. (Dvitīya Caitanyāṣṭaka 3)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“May that intrigued Kṛṣṇa – who delighted in relishing the nectarean emotions of His beloved, and who, in the hope of experiencing a particular type of madhura-rasa, appeared in the form of Caitanya, accepting the effulgence of Śrī Rādhā while concealing His own complexion – bestow special mercy upon us.”
(53)
bhāva-grahaṇera hetu kaila dharma-sthāpana
tāra mukhya hetu kahi, śuna sarva-jana
He established dharma as a means to accept devotional moods; now I shall explain the primary reason for this – please listen everyone.
(54)
mūla hetu āge ślokera kaila ābhāsa
ebe kahi sei ślokera artha prakāśa
Previously I gave an indication of the root cause through a śloka; now I will explain the meaning of that śloka clearly.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“With the specific intent of accepting the bhāva of Śrī Rādhā, He undertook the mission of establishing dharma. I have explained the principal purpose of that activity. Up to this point, I have given an indication of the main reason through that śloka.”
(55)
rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād
ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ
rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam
Rādhā is the manifestation of love for Kṛṣṇa and She is His hlādinī-śakti. Although They are inherently One, and existed as such in this world, their two separate forms are now united as one in Śrī Caitanya. I offer obeisance unto He who is Kṛṣṇa Himself adorned with the heart and halo of Rādhā. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.5)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The hlādini-śakti is a transformation of the love of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. By virtue of that potency, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, although intrinsically one in essence, according to the eternal principle of līlā, They eternally exist as two distinct realities. Recently, these two tattvas have manifested together in one form as caitanya-tattva. Therefore, I offer my obeisance unto that Gaurasundara, who is the svarūpa of Kṛṣṇa, who has accepted the mood and radiance of Rādhā.”
(56)
rādhā-kṛṣṇa eka ātmā, dui deha dhari’
anyonye vilase rasa āsvādana kari’
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one ātmā, yet They assume two bodies, and They delight in relishing rasa through Their mutual pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Anyonye means ‘mutually.’ The grammatical meaning of these verses is clear, but the inherent meaning is profound. Rādhā is the potency, and Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of potency. Śakti-śaktimator’bhedaḥ – the meaning of this statement of the Vedānta is that by no means can the potency be separated from the possessor of the potency. Yet through the avicintya-śakti (inconceivable potency), in order to relish the rasa of pastimes, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are eternally separate and yet simultaneously one.
(57)
sei dui eka ebe caitanya gosāi
rasa āsvādite doṅhe hailā eka-ṭhāṅi
Those two have now become one as Śrī Caitanya Gosāi, uniting in a single form to relish that rasa.
(58)
ithi lāgi’ āge kari tāra vivaraṇa
yāhā haite haya gaurera mahimā-kathana
Therefore, I will first describe this in detail, by which the glories of Śrī Gaurāṅga may be properly understood.
(59)
rādhikā hayena kṛṣṇera praṇaya-vikāra
svarūpa-śakti – ‘hlādinī’ nāma yāṅhāra
Śrī Rādhikā is the transformation of Kṛṣṇa’s love. She is His internal potency, known as the hlādinī-śakti.
(60)
hlādinī karāya kṛṣṇe ānandāsvādana
hlādinīra dvārā kare bhaktera poṣaṇa
Through the hlādinī-śakti, Kṛṣṇa relishes bliss, and by that same potency, He nourishes His devotees.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Rādhā, in the true sense, is Hladinī, Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-śakti. She bears that name because she keeps Kṛṣṇa immersed in supreme bliss. Again, she is characterised by the function of nourishing the inherent love of the jīvas, who are separated parts of Kṛṣṇa.
(61)
sac-cid-ānanda, pūrṇa, kṛṣṇera svarūpa
eka-i cic-chakti tāṅra dhare tina rūpa
Kṛṣṇa’s essential nature is complete eternity, knowledge, and bliss (sat-cit-ānanda). His singular spiritual potency (cit-śakti) manifests in three forms.
(62)
ānandāṁśe hlādinī, sad-aṁśe sandhinī
cid-aṁśe samvit – yāre jñāna kari’ māni
In its bliss aspect it is called hlādinī, in its existence aspect sandhinī, and in its consciousness aspect samvit – this is understood to be knowledge.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The Absolute Truth is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is sat-cit-ānanda. That same cit-śakti, first in its sat portion, appears as sandhinī – in other words, the expander of existence, from the cit portion – the form of full knowledge – in the form of samvit-tattva, meaning Kṛṣṇa’s essential nature (svarūpa-tattva), and from the ānanda-portion, hlādinī, which is the bestower of delight to that svarūpa-tattva.
(63)
hlādinī sandhinī samvit tvayy ekā sarva-saṁsthitau
hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite
O Lord – hlādinī, sandhinī, and samvit exist in You as one unified potency. The mixed material energy, which produces pleasure and pain, does not exist in You, for You are beyond the guṇas. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.12.69)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Bhagavān! You who are the shelter of all, who are nirguṇa – in You, the three functions of hlādinī, sandhinī, and samvit, are all of the nature of pure consciousness. The jīva, who is a particle of consciousness fit to be overpowered by māyā, becoming covered by māyā and taking shelter of the three modes of māyā, attains a condition in which that potency assumes three kinds of states – ‘pleasure-giving,’ ‘distress-giving,’ and ‘mixed.’ But in You, who are beyond all guṇas, that potency exists as pure and of a nirguṇa nature, in a unified form.”
(64)
sandhinīra sāra aṁśa – ‘śuddha-sattva’ nāma
bhagavānera sattā haya yāhāte viśrāma
The essential aspect of sandhinī is called śuddha-sattva, in which the existence of the Supreme Lord is established and rests.
(65)
mātā, pitā, sthāna, gṛha, śayyāsana āra
e-saba kṛṣṇera śuddha-sattvera vikāra
Mother, father, abode, home, bed, seat – all these are transformations of Kṛṣṇa’s śuddha-sattva potency.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The essence of the sandhinī-śakti, which expands existence, is called śuddha-sattva. Sattva is of two kinds – mixed sattva and pure sattva. The very existence of an entity is called sattva. Without the function of sandhinī, existence cannot be there. The manifestation of Bhagavān’s existence is also the function of that sandhinī. The function of sandhinī within pure cit-tattva is called śuddha-sattva. The mother, father, place, residence, bed, and seat of Bhagavān are transformations of Kṛṣṇa’s śuddha-sattva – in other words, specific forms of its function.
In this context, for clearly understanding this principle, it should be further known that the sandhinī belonging to the svarūpa (that is, of the cit-śakti) has manifested all existence in the spiritual realm – that is, the conscious form of Bhagavān, and the existence of all conscious forms such as His servants, maidservants, companions, father, mother, and so on. The sandhinī belonging to the māyā-śakti has expanded all material existence in the mundane world, and the sandhinī belonging to the jīva-śakti has expanded the existence of the jīva as a particle of consciousness.
(66)
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditaṁ
yad īyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ
sattve ca tasmin bhagavān vāsudevo
hy adhokṣajo me manasā vidhīyate
Pure consciousness is known as Vasudeva, because it reveals the Supreme Person without any covering. In that consciousness, I worshipped Bhagavān Vāsudeva, who transcends the mundane senses, by offering my respects. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.3.23)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Mahādeva has said – “From the influence of the sandhinī belonging to Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti arises that eternal principle in the form of śuddha-sattva; its name is ‘Vasudeva.’ In that śuddha-sattva, Bhagavān, whose nature is consciousness, eternally manifests. His name is Vāsudeva. He is beyond all material and māyika senses. With a heart purified by bhakti, I offer obeisance unto Him.”
The purport is this –Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa and so on are the eternal functions of the sandhinī belonging to His svarūpa-śakti.
(67)
kṛṣṇe bhagavattā-jñāna – saṁvitera sāra
brahma-jñānādika saba tāra parivāra
Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord is the essence of the samvit potency; knowledge of impersonal Brahman and other conceptions are its subordinate aspects.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The function of samvit is called knowledge. There are two observers – Kṛṣṇa and the jīva. Kṛṣṇa’s perception is based on complete knowledge. Therefore, there is no separation from reality in His act of perception, hence His knowledge is called ‘a mere glance.’ In the jīva’s perception there are many separations – therefore, his perception is called ‘knowledge in the form of cognition’(sabedana-svarūpa-jñāna). That knowledge is of three kinds – direct knowledge (sākṣāt-jñāna), indirect knowledge (vyatireka-jñāna), and distorted knowledge (vikṛta-jñāna).
The knowledge of material objects that the jīva obtains through the material senses is never pure, therefore, it is distorted – it is a distorted function of samvit belonging to the māyā–śakti. Knowledge of that which is non-differentiated (nirviśeṣa-jñāna) is meagre, because it is dependent upon its relationship with material knowledge. It is only a function of the jīva’s own samvit-śakti and therefore incomplete. These kinds of knowledge are called brahma-jñāna, ātma-jñāna, nirviśeṣa-jñāna, abheda-jñāna, etc.
When the samvit-śakti of the cit attribute, united with hlādinī, bestows grace upon the jīva, then knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s divine nature arises. Therefore, that alone is the essence of samvit. Brahma-jñāna (knowledge of Brahman) and viṣaya-jñāna (knowledge of material objects) are its accessories – in other words, coverings according to different stages.
(68)
hlādinīra sāra ‘prema’, prema-sāra ‘bhāva’
bhāvera parama-kāṣṭhā, nāma – ‘mahā-bhāva’
The essence of hlādinī is prema, the essence of prema is bhāva, and the highest limit of bhāva is called mahā-bhāva.
(69)
mahābhāva-svarūpā śrī-rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī
sarva-guṇa-khani kṛṣṇa-kāntā-śiromaṇi
Śrī Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī is the very embodiment of mahā-bhāva; She is the mine of all virtues and the crest-jewel among Kṛṣṇa’s beloveds.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The activity of hladinī is called prema. That prema is of two kinds – pure prema and mixed prema. When the hladinī potency, directed toward Kṛṣṇa, gives Him bliss and simultaneously, together with pure consciousness, showers mercy upon the jīva, then the jīva attains kṛṣṇa-prema.
When the activity of hladinī within the jīva is diverted by the māyā potency and attracts the jīva toward material objects, the jīva becomes engrossed in mundane love and is thereby deprived of kṛṣṇa-prema, falling under the sway of happiness and distress.
The devotees’ love and vision are manifested in the circle of gopīs in Vraja; among them, Śrī Rādhā is the foremost. The essence of hladinī in her conscious form is prema, the essence of love is bhāva, and the supreme height of that emotion is mahābhāva – that is Śrīmati Rādhikā Thākuraṇī. She is the repository of all qualities and the crest-jewel of Kṛṣṇa’s beloveds.
(70)
tayor apy ubhayor madhye rādhikā sarvathādhikā
mahābhāva-svarūpeyaṁ guṇair ativarīyasī
Among the two (Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa), Śrī Rādhikā is in every way superior. As the embodiment of mahā-bhāva, She excels in all qualities.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Among the vraja-vilāsinī gopīs, Candrāvalī and Rādhikā are the foremost; and among these two, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is supreme in all respects. She is the embodiment of mahābhāva, and no other gopī possesses qualities equal to Hers.
(71)
kṛṣṇa-prema-bhāvita yāṅra cittendriya-kāya
kṛṣṇa-nija-śakti rādhā krīḍāra sahāya
Her mind, senses, and body are completely imbued with love for Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Rādhā is Kṛṣṇa’s own internal potency and the assistant in His pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrīmatī Rādhikā is fully spiritual – unlike the material living entities of the insentient world, She does not have a mind composed of material senses, a material body, or a subtle body. In Her spiritual nature, She possesses a pure spiritual mind, spiritual senses, and a spiritual body. Her mind and senses are pervaded by Kṛṣṇa’s prema. She is Kṛṣṇa’s own potency, and therefore the sole assistant in His pastimes. A being endowed with potency cannot perform any pastime separated from the source of potency (Kṛṣṇa). The svarūpa-śakti’s sandhinī manifests Kṛṣṇa’s spiritual form. When Kṛṣṇa performs pastimes with that form, what can He do without Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s help? Therefore, Rādhikā alone assists Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
(72)
ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
I worship Govinda, the original Person, eternally resides in His abode of Goloka and is always absorbed in the rasa of divine bliss and consciousness with Rādhā, His own counterpart. She is non-different from Him, the personification of the hlādinī-śākti, and endowed with the sixty-four arts, along with Her personal expansions, the sakhīs. Govinda regards them all as His very self. (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.37)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I worship that Govinda, the original Person, who eternally resides in Goloka in His own spiritual form, along with the gopīs who are manifested by rasa of divine bliss and consciousness and who are fully absorbed in His own spiritual nature.”
(73)
kṛṣṇere karāya yaiche rasa āsvādana
krīḍāra sahāya yaiche, śuna vivaraṇa
Now hear an explanation of how they assist Kṛṣṇa in relishing rasa and in His pastimes.
(74–75)
kṛṣṇa-kāntā-gaṇa dekhi tri-vidha prakāra
eka lakṣmī-gaṇa, pure mahiṣī-gaṇa āra
vrajāṅganā-rūpa, āra kāntā-gaṇa-sāra
śrī-rādhikā haite kāntā-gaṇera vistāra
The lovers of Kṛṣṇa are seen in three categories – the Lakṣmīs, the queens of Dvārakā, and the vraja-gopīs, who are the essence of all consorts. All these groups expand from Śrī Rādhikā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Āra means of another type, a third type – in other words, the residents of Vraja. They are the essence of all types of lovers, meaning, the best.
(76)
avatārī kṛṣṇa yaiche kare avatāra
aṁśinī rādhā haite tina gaṇera vistāra
Just as Kṛṣṇa, the source of all avatāras, expands into various avatāras, similarly these three groups expand from Śrī Rādhā, who is the source of His energies.
(77)
vaibhava-gaṇa yena tāṅra aṅga-vibhūti
bimba-pratibimba-rūpa mahiṣīra tati
The vaibhava expansions are like manifestations of Her limbs, while the queens are like reflections of the original form.
(78)
lakṣmī-gaṇa tāṅra vaibhava-vilāsāṁśa-rūpa
mahiṣī-gaṇa vaibhava-prakāśa-svarūpa
The Lakṣmīs are expansions of Her vaibhava-vilāsa, while the queens are manifestations of Her vaibhava-prakāśa forms.
(79)
ākāra svabhāva-bhede vraja-devī-gaṇa
kāya-vyūha-rūpa tāṅra rasera kāraṇa
The goddesses of Vraja, differing in form and nature, are bodily expansions (kāya-vyūha) of Her, and they are the cause of Her rasa pastimes.
(80)
bahu kāntā vinā nahe rasera ullāsa
līlāra sahāya lāgi’ bahuta prakāśa
Without many consorts, there is no full expansion of rasa; therefore, She manifests many for the assistance of Her pastimes.
(81)
tāra madhye vraje nānā bhāva-rasa-bhede
kṛṣṇake karāya rāsādika-līlāsvāde
Among them, in Vraja, through various moods and rasas, they enable Kṛṣṇa to relish pastimes such as the rāsa-līlā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa, the source of all avatāras, expands into various male avatāras; in the same way, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the aṁśinī (source) of all consorts – in other words, the Lakṣmīs, the queens, and the maidens of Vraja. These consorts are enumerated among Her opulences, as expansions of Her form. The queens are Her expansions and are reflections of Her image.
The underlying principle is this – the Lakṣmīs are Her vaibhava-vilāsa (manifestations of Her opulent aspects), and the queens are Her prabhāva-prakāsa (manifestations of Her power). The Goddesses of Vraja are manifestations of Her own form and nature, and they are the cause of rasa. Without many beloveds, the pleasures of rasa cannot arise, and for this reason, many such manifestations of Her are seen as assistants to the līlā. Among the rasas, vraja-rasa is the highest. According to various bhāvas and rasas, She enables Kṛṣṇa to relish pastimes such as the rāsa-līlā etc.
(82)
govindānandinī rādhā, govinda-mohinī
govinda-sarvasva, sarva-kāntā-śiromaṇi
Śrī Rādhā gives pleasure to Govinda, enchants Govinda, is the very essence of Govinda, and is the crest-jewel of all His beloveds.
(83)
devī kṛṣṇa-mayī proktā rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva-kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
She is called the divine goddess, pervaded by Kṛṣṇa; Śrī Rādhikā is the supreme deity, the embodiment of all Lakṣmīs, the source of all beauty, and the supreme enchantress. (Bṛhad-gautamīya Tantra)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“That supreme Goddess, Rādhikā Devī is described as sākṣāt-kṛṣṇamayī (directly non-different from Kṛṣṇa), sarva-lakṣmīmayī (the personification of all Lakṣmīs), sarva-kānti (all-splendorous), kṛṣṇa-sammohinī (the enchanter of Kṛṣṇa), and parāśakti (the supreme potency).”
(84)
‘devī’ kahi dyotamānā, paramā sundarī
kimvā, kṛṣṇa-pūjā-krīḍāra vasati nagarī
The word devī indicates that She is effulgent and supremely beautiful. Or it may mean that She is the abode where Kṛṣṇa’s worship and pastimes reside.
(85)
kṛṣṇa-mayī – kṛṣṇa yāra bhitare bāhire
yāṅhā yāṅhā netra paḍe tāṅhā kṛṣṇa sphure
She is Kṛṣṇa-mayī – Kṛṣṇa is within and without Her. Wherever Her eyes fall, Kṛṣṇa is manifest there.
(86)
kimvā, prema-rasa-maya kṛṣṇera svarūpa
tāṅra śakti tāṅra saha haya eka-rūpa
Or, since Kṛṣṇa’s nature is filled with prema-rasa, His potency is non-different from Him and becomes one with Him.
(87)
kṛṣṇa-vāñchā-pūrti-rūpa kare ārādhane
ataeva ‘rādhikā’ nāma purāṇe vākhāne
She fulfills all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires through Her worship. Therefore, in the Purāṇas She is named ‘Rādhikā.’
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
She is called ‘Devī’ because She is supremely beautiful with lustre, or because She serves as the very abode of the pastimes that constitutes the worship of Kṛṣṇa. The word kṛṣṇamayī has two meanings – one meaning is ‘she in whose interior and exterior Kṛṣṇa resides, and wherever Her glance falls, there Kṛṣṇa’s bliss manifests.’ Or ‘She whose own nature is filled with the rasa of Kṛṣṇa’s love, and Her power is of the same essence as Kṛṣṇa’ – this is the second meaning of kṛṣṇamayī. Her name ‘Rādhikā’ is derived from the act of worship (ārādhana), specifically in the sense of fulfilling Kṛṣṇa’s desires.
(88)
anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ
“Surely this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped Lord Hari, for Govinda, being pleased with Her, has taken Her alone to a secluded place, leaving us behind.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.30.28)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O friend! She whom Śrī Kṛṣṇa took away into seclusion, abandoning us, must indeed have worshipped Lord Hari more than all others.” The inner meaning is this – “Because She is the crest-jewel among Kṛṣṇa’s lovers, thus Her name has become ‘Rādhikā.’”
(89)
ataeva sarva-pūjyā, parama-devatā
sarva-pālikā, sarva jagatera mātā
Thus, She is worshipable by all, the supreme Deity, the maintainer of all, and the mother of the entire universe.
(90)
‘sarva-lakṣmī’-śabda pūrve kariyāchi vyākhyāna
sarva-lakṣmī-gaṇera tiṅho hana adhiṣṭhāna
The term sarva-lakṣmī has already been explained – She is the foundation and source of all the Lakṣmīs.
(91)
kimvā, ‘sarva-lakṣmī’ – kṛṣṇera ṣaḍ-vidha aiśvarya
tāṅra adhiṣṭhātrī śakti – sarva-śakti-varya
Or, sarva-lakṣmī refers to Kṛṣṇa’s sixfold opulences. She is the presiding potency of them all – the supreme among all energies.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Rādhikā is the shelter of all the Lakṣmīs, or the phrase sarva-lakṣmī means the sixfold opulences of Kṛṣṇa – She is the presiding potency of Kṛṣṇa.
(92)
sarva-saundarya-kānti vaisaye yāṅhāte
sarva-lakṣmī-gaṇera śobhā haya yāṅhā haite
All beauty and splendour reside in Her, and from Her arises the beauty of all the Lakṣmīs.
(93)
kimvā ‘kānti’-śabde kṛṣṇera saba icchā kahe
kṛṣṇera sakala vāñchā rādhātei rahe
Or, the word kānti indicates all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires – indeed, all His desires reside in Śrī Rādhā.
(94)
rādhikā karena kṛṣṇera vāñchita pūraṇa
‘sarva-kānti’-śabdera ei artha vivaraṇa
Śrī Rādhikā fulfills all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires; this is the meaning of the term ‘sarva-kānti.’
(95)
jagat-mohana kṛṣṇa, tāṅhāra mohinī
ataeva samastera parā ṭhākurāṇī
Kṛṣṇa enchants the entire universe, and She enchants Him; therefore, She is the supreme goddess of all.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Ataeva samastera parā ṭhākurāṇī – up to this point, the meaning of each word of the śloka beginning with devī kṛṣṇa-mayī have been examined.
(96)
rādhā – pūrṇa-śakti, kṛṣṇa – pūrṇa-śaktimān
dui vastu bheda nāi, śāstra-paramāṇa
Rādhā is the complete potency, and Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of that complete potency; the scriptures affirm that there is no difference between Them.
(97-98)
mṛgamada, tāra gandha – yaiche aviccheda
agni, jvālāte – yaiche kabhu nāhi bheda
rādhā-kṛṣṇa aiche sadā eka-i svarūpa
līlā-rasa āsvādite dhare dui-rūpa
Just as musk and its fragrance are inseparable, and as fire and its flame are never different, similarly, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are always one in essence, but They assume two forms to relish the nectar of Their pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Just as musk and its fragrance, though two separate things, are nevertheless inseparable, and just as fire and its flame, though distinct, are likewise inseparable, in the same way Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, though eternally distinct for the tasting of the rasa of pastimes, are of one and the same essence.
(99–100)
prema-bhakti śikhāite āpane avatari
rādhā-bhāva-kānti dui aṅgīkāra kari’
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-rūpe kaila avatāra
ei ta’ pañcama ślokera artha paracāra
To teach prema-bhakti, He personally descends, accepting both the mood and complexion of Rādhā. Thus He appears as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya – this is the explanation of the fifth śloka.
(101)
ṣaṣṭha ślokera artha karite prakāśa
prathame kahiye sei ślokera ābhāsa
Now, to reveal the meaning of the sixth śloka, I will first give an indication of that verse.
(102)
avatari’ prabhu pracārila saṅkīrtana
eho bāhya hetu, pūrve kariyāchi sūcana
The Lord, who is the source of all avatāras, descended and propagated saṅkīrtana. This is an external reason, as I have already indicated.
(103)
avatārera āra eka āche mukhya-bīja
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇera sei kārya nija
There is another primary cause of His avatāra – this is the personal purpose of Kṛṣṇa, the supreme relisher of rasa.
(104)
ati gūḍha hetu sei tri-vidha prakāra
dāmodara-svarūpa haite yāhāra pracāra
That most confidential reason is of three kinds, and it is revealed through Svarūpa Dāmodara.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The primary reason for the avatāra of Gaura is extremely confidential. That reason is threefold. Its essence is later expressed in the verse, śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā.
(105)
svarūpa-gosāi – prabhura ati antaraṅga
tāhāte jānena prabhura e-saba prasaṅga
Svarūpa Gosāi is the Lord’s most intimate associate, and thus he knows all these topics concerning the Lord.
(106)
rādhikāra bhāva-mūrti prabhura antara
sei bhāve sukha-duḥkha uṭhe nirantara
Internally, the Lord is the very form of Rādhā’s bhāva, and in that mood, waves of joy and sorrow constantly arise.
(107)
śeṣa-līlāya prabhura kṛṣṇa-viraha-unmāda
bhrama-maya ceṣṭā, āra pralāpa-maya vāda
In His final pastimes, the Lord was maddened by separation from Kṛṣṇa, displaying bewildered actions and speaking in delirium.
(108)
rādhikāra bhāva yaiche uddhava-darśane
sei bhāve matta prabhu rahe rātri-dine
Just as Rādhā exhibited Her mood upon seeing Uddhava, in that same mood the Lord remained absorbed day and night.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to convey news of His well-being, sent Uddhava from Mathurā to the gopīs. Śrīmātī Rādhikā, upon seeing Uddhava, displayed most extraordinary emotions.
(109)
rātre pralāpa kare svarūpera kaṇṭha dhari’
āveśe āpana bhāva kahaye ughāḍi’
At night He would speak in divine madness, grasping Svarūpa’s neck, and in deep ecstasy He would openly reveal His inner feelings.
(110)
yabe yei bhāva uṭhe prabhura antara
sei gīti-śloke sukha dena dāmodara
Whenever a particular mood arose within the Lord, Svarūpa Dāmodara would recite appropriate songs and verses to give Him relief.
(111)
ebe kārya nāhi kichu e-saba vicāre
āge ihā vivariba kariyā vistāre
There is necessity to discuss this now. First, I will explain them in detail.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Age ihā means in the Antya-līlā.
(112)
pūrve vraje kṛṣṇera tri-vidha vayo-dharma
kaumāra, paugaṇḍa, āra kaiśora atimarma
Earlier in Vraja, Kṛṣṇa’s activities were performed according to three stages of age – childhood (kaumāra), pre-adolescence (paugaṇḍa), and early youth (kaiśora), the most confidential stage.
(113)
vātsalya-āveśe kaila kaumāra saphala
paugaṇḍa saphala kaila lañā sakhāvala
The mood of vātsalya made his childhood pastimes successful. The pre-adolescent stage was successful with His friends.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Up to five years of age is kaumāra (childhood); up to ten years is paugaṇḍa (pre-adolescence’); from the eleventh to the sixteenth year is kaiśora (youth); thereafter there is yauvaṇa (adulthood). Vātsalya manifests in childhood, sakhya in pre-adolescence, and in youth, śṛṅgāra–rasa.
(114)
rādhikādi lañā kaila rāsādi-vilāsa
vāñchā bhari’ āsvādila rasera niryāsa
Along with Rādhikā and the other gopīs, He enacted the rāsa-līlā, and relished the full outpouring of rasa according to His desires.
(115)
kaiśora-vayase kāma, jagat-sakala
rāsādi-līlāya tina karila saphala
In the kaiśora years, He made all three of His ages, and the whole universe, successful by the rāsa-līlā etc.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kāma means that Kṛṣṇa is directly Kāmadeva, who acts according to His own will, and by performing the rāsa-līlā etc. in his kaiśora years, He thereby fulfilling the purpose of the entire universe as well as the three stages of childhood, pre-adolescence, and youth.
(116)
so ’pi kaiśoraka-vayo mānayan madhusūdanaḥ
reme strī-ratna-kūṭa-sthaḥ kṣapāsu kṣapitāhitaḥ
“In that youthful stage, Madhusūdana, the dispeller of misfortune. frolicked among the best of women during Autumn.” (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 5.13.60)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“In his youthful years, the faultless Śrī Kṛṣṇa would, during the night, sport among the women, thereby giving special honour to His adolescent age. The supreme consciousness, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, situated amidst Rādhā, the personification of mahābhāva, and the gopīs who personify bhāva, is the highest principle.”
(117)
vācā sūcita-śarvarī-rati-kalā-prāgalbhyayā rādhikāṁ
vrīḍā-kuñcita-locanāṁ viracayann agre sakhīnām asau
tad-vakṣo-ruha-citra-keli-makarī-pāṇḍitya-pāraṁ gataḥ
kaiśoraṁ saphalī-karoti kalayan kuñje vihāraṁ hariḥ
“With his words, He forces Rādhikā to close Her eyes with embarrassment in front of Her companions by giving hints about their amorous pastimes from the previous night, while demonstrating great expertise by painting pictures of playful makaras upon Her breasts. In this way, Hari perfects His youthful pastimes in the kuñjas.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.231)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“With such boldness, Kṛṣṇa, through words relating to the amorous pastimes of the previous night, almost covered Śrī Rādhikā’s eyes with shyness, On her breasts, the artistic pastimes of bees and the like were depicted, thereby displaying the particular expertise of the gopīs. Indeed, by these rasa pastimes, Hari enjoyed in the kuñja, thus completing His youthful years successfully.”
(118)
harir eṣa na ced avātariṣyan
mathurāyāṁ madhurākṣi rādhikā ca
abhaviṣyad iyaṁ vṛthā visṛṣṭir
makarāṅkas tu viśeṣatas tadātra
“O you of sweet eyes, if the Lord had not advented, and Rādhikā had not been present in Mathurā, all this whole creation – and especially, the god of love –would have been in vain.” (Vidagdha Mādhava 7.3)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O friend, of Hari and the sweet-eyed Rādhikā had not appeared in Mathurā, then all of creation – especially the creation of Kandarpa, the god of love – would have been useless.”
(119–120)
ei mata pūrve kṛṣṇa rasera sadana
yadyapi karila rasa-niryāsa-carvaṇa
tathāpi nahila tina vāñchita pūraṇa
tāhā āsvādite yadi karila yatana
Thus, although Kṛṣṇa is the abode of rasa, and had previously chewed upon the essence of rasa, these three desires were not fulfilled, although He made special efforts to relish them.
(121)
tāṅhāra prathama vāñchā kariye vyākhyāna
kṛṣṇa kahe, – ‘āmi ha-i rasera nidāna
The first of these desires is explained thus – Kṛṣṇa says, “I am indeed the source of rasa.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Rasera nidāna means ‘the root-cause of rasa.’ Some readings of this say rasera nidhāna – ‘the storehouse of rasa.’
(122)
pūrṇānanda-maya āmi cinmaya pūrṇa-tattva
rādhikāra preme āmā karāya unmatta
“I am full of bliss, consciousness, and complete transcendental reality. Yet, Rādhikā’s prema makes Me made insane.
(123)
nā jāni rādhāra preme āche kata bala
ye bale āmāre kare sarvadā vihvala
“I do not know the full strength of Rādhā’s prema. That strength continually overwhelms Me.
(124)
rādhikāra prema – guru, āmi – śiṣya naṭa
sadā āmā nānā nṛtye nācāya udbhaṭa
“Rādhā’s prema is My guru, and I am Her dance-student. She constantly makes Me dance in various wonderful ways.
(125)
kasmād vṛnde priya-sakhi hareḥ pāda-mūlāt kuto ’sau
kuṇḍāraṇye kim iha kurute nṛtya-śikṣāṁ guruḥ kaḥ
taṁ tvan-mūrtiḥ prati-taru-lataṁ dig-vidikṣu sphurantī
śailūṣīva bhramati parito nartayantī sva-paścāt
“Where are you coming from, O beloved friend Vṛndā?”
“I’m coming from the feet of Hari.”
“Where is He?”
“In a forest on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.”
“What does He do there?”
“He is learning dance.”
“Who is His guru?”
“It is Your image, (Śrī Rādhā), manifesting itself in every tree and vine in all directions. You make Him wander around behind You, like an expert dancer.” (Govinda Līlāmṛta 8.77)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O dear friend Vṛndā! From where are you coming?”
“O Rādhe, I am coming from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.”
“Where is Kṛṣṇa?”
“In the forest (the groves of Rādhā-kuṇḍa).”
“What is He doing?”
“He is learning dance.”
“Who is His dance teacher?”
“You very form enlivens the trees and creepers; becoming like performers – like trained dancers – they dance, following behind You. Right beside that manifestation, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is dancing.”
This is a question-and-answer style śloka.
(126)
nija-premāsvāde mora haya ye āhlāda
tāhā ha’te koṭi-guṇa rādhā-premāsvāda
“Rādhā’s relishing prema is millions of times greater than the pleasure I experience relishing My own prema.
(127)
āmi yaiche paraspara viruddha-dharmāśraya
rādhā-prema taiche sadā viruddha-dharma-maya
“Just as I am the shelter of all mutually contradictory characteristics, similarly, Rādhā’s prema is always full of similar contradictions.
(128)
rādhā-premā vibhu – yāra bāḍite nāhi ṭhāñi
tathāpi se kṣaṇe kṣaṇe bāḍaye sadāi
“Rādhā’s prema is infinite and there is no boundary to its expansion. Yet She constantly increases it moment by moment.
(129)
yāhā va-i guru vastu nāhi suniścita
tathāpi gurura dharma gaurava-varjita
“Although it is indeed confirmed that there is nothing greater than this, still it’s greatest characteristic is that it is devoid of pride.
(130)
yāhā haite sunirmala dvitīya nāhi āra
tathāpi sarvadā vāmya-vakra-vyavahāra
“Although there is nothing else as pure as this, still it’s conduct is always unorthodox and crooked.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I, Kṛṣṇa, am the shelter of mutually contradictory qualities, such as being without desires and also full of desires; all-pervading and also possessing a beautiful form; impartial and partial to the devotees; self-satisfied and desiring the prema of the devotees etc. Likewise, Rādhā’s prema is also replete with such opposing characteristics, such as possessing the highest type of mahābhāva, yet ever-increasing, full of glorious prema, but devoid of pride, pure, yet completely unorthodox etc.”
(131)
vibhur api kalayan sadābhivṛddhiṁ
gurur api gaurava-caryayā vihīnaḥ
muhur upacita-vakrimāpi śuddho
jayati mura-dviṣi rādhikānurāgaḥ
Although it is all-pervading, it is constantly increasing. Although it is great, it is devoid of conceited conduct. Although it is increasingly crooked, it is always pure. Glories to Rādhikā’s affection for the killer of Mura! (Dāna-keli Kaumudī 2)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Rādhikā’s affection is all-pervading – in other words, full to the utmost limit, yet ever-increasing. It is supremely exalted, yet without any pride. It is pure and immaculate, yet moment by moment marked by crookedness. May Rādhikā’s love for Kṛṣṇa be victorious.”
(132)
sei premāra śrī-rādhikā parama ‘āśraya’
sei premāra āmi ha-i kevala ‘viṣaya’
“Śrī Rādhikā is the supreme āśraya (shelter) of that prema, and I am merely the viṣaya (object) of that prema.
(133)
viṣaya-jātīya sukha āmāra āsvāda
āmā haite koṭi-guṇa āśrayera āhlāda
“I relish the happiness to which only the viṣaya is entitled, yet the āśraya experiences millions of times more pleasure than Me.
(134)
āśraya-jātiya sukha pāite mana dhāya
yatne āsvādite nāri, ki kari upāya
“My mind runs after the happiness experienced by the āśraya, Yet, I am unable to relish it, even after endeavouring. How can I obtain it?
(135)
kabhu yadi ei premāra ha-iye āśraya
tabe ei premānandera anubhava haya
“If, at some time, I become the āśraya of this prema, then I can experience it’s bliss.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
One who loves is the āśraya (‘shelter’) of prema; One who can be loved is the viṣaya (‘object’) of prema. In rasa-tattva, there are four kinds of elements – vibhāva (the cause of bhāva), anubhāva (the intimation of bhāva), sattvika (ecstatic symptoms), and vyabhicārī (transitory bhāva). The elements of vibhāva are of two kinds – ālambana (the supporting factor) and uddīpana (the stimulating factor). Ālambana is again of two kinds – viṣaya (the object of love) and āśraya (the shelter of love). The shelter of Rādhā’s prema is Rādhā herself, and the sole object of Her love is Kṛṣṇa.
“I am Kṛṣṇa – the bliss experienced by Me is the happiness derived by the viṣaya. However, the bliss experienced by the āśraya is millions of times greater than what I experience as the viṣaya. The bliss belonging to the āśraya is experienced by Rādhā alone; I, in the form of Kṛṣṇa, cannot partake of that. If I were ever to become the āśraya of that prema, only then would I experience the supreme bliss of āśraya’s happiness. I crave the greed of relishing prema in the position of the āśraya.”
(136)
eta cinti’ rahe kṛṣṇa parama-kautukī
hṛdaye bāḍaye prema-lobha dhakdhaki
Thinking thus, Kṛṣṇa becomes supremely curious, and in His heart grew the intense greed for prema.
(137)
ei eka, śuna āra lobhera prakāra
sva-mādhurya dekhi’ kṛṣṇa karena vicāra
This is one desire. Now hear about the other – seeing His own sweetness, Kṛṣṇa reflects upon it.
(138)
adbhuta, ananta, pūrṇa mora madhurimā
tri-jagate ihāra keha nāhi pāya sīmā
“My sweetness is amazing, infinite, and complete. Bo one can find its limits within the three worlds.
(139)
ei prema-dvāre nitya rādhikā ekali
āmāra mādhuryāmṛta āsvāde sakali
“Through this prema, Rādhikā eternally alone relishes all the nectar of My sweetness.
(140)
yadyapi nirmala rādhāra sat-prema-darpaṇa
tathāpi svacchatā tāra bāḍhe kṣaṇe kṣaṇa
“Although Rādhā’s prema is immaculate like a mirror, still its purity grows moment by moment.
(141)
āmāra mādhurya nāhi bāḍhite avakāśe
e-darpaṇera āge nava nava rūpe bhāse
“There is no opportunity for My sweetness to increase, yet it manifests before this mirror, in ever-new forms.
(142)
man-mādhurya rādhāra prema – doṅhe hoḍa kari’
kṣaṇe kṣaṇe bāḍe doṅhe, keha nāhi hāri
“My sweetness and Rādhā’s prema both compete with each other. Moment by moment they both increase, and neither can surpass the other.
(143)
āmāra mādhurya nitya nava nava haya
sva-sva-prema-anurūpa bhakte āsvādaya
“My sweetness is ever new and fresh, which devotees relish according to their own prema.
(144)
darpaṇādye dekhi’ yadi āpana mādhurī
āsvādite haya lobha, āsvādite nāri
“If I sees My own sweetness in a mirror or elsewhere, I become greedy to taste it – yet I am unable to.
(145)
vicāra kariye yadi āsvāda-upāya
rādhikā-svarūpa haite tabe mana dhāya
“If I consider the means of relishing it, the mind runs toward accepting the nature of Rādhikā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The second desire is this – Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is amazing, infinite and boundless. This sweetness is relished solely by Rādhā through Her prema in the position of the āśraya. Even though the mirror of Rādhā’s pure prema is extremely immaculate, it’s clarity increases at every moment.
“Though My sweetness is infinite and cannot truly be increased, it is nevertheless capable of expansion, and before the clear mirror of Rādhā’s pure love, it appears in ever-new forms. Thus, My sweetness and Rādhā’s prema are mutually competitive, each seeking to surpass the other, yet neither wishes to yield. Seeing and relishing My own sweetness reflected in Rādhā’s mirror of prema, the desire to partake of it arises within Me. From that desire, My mind runs to accept the svarūpa of Rādhā.
(146)
aparikalita-pūrvaḥ kaś camatkāra-kārī
sphurati mama garīyān eṣa mādhurya-pūraḥ
ayam aham api hanta prekṣya yaṁ lubdha-cetāḥ
sarabhasam upabhoktuṁ kāmaye rādhikeva
What is this abundance of sweetness greater than Mine, which was never experienced before and creates astonishment? Indeed, I Myself find that My heart is bewildered upon perceiving such beauty, and I anxiously desire to enjoy it like Rādhikā. (Lalita Mādhava 8.34)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa says – “Indeed, Who is that Supreme Person, depicted in the unsurpassed pastimes, the creator of this profound and wonderful sweetness? Beholding it, I gaze with a heart moved by mild anger, yet with the desire to embrace it just as Rādhā desires.”
(147)
kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera eka svābhāvika bala
kṛṣṇa-ādi nara-nārī karaye cañcala
The sweetness of Kṛṣṇa has an inherent potency, which makes all men and women restless.
(148)
śravaṇe, darśane ākarṣaye sarva-mana
āpanā āsvādite kṛṣṇa karena yatana
Hearing and seeing it, everyone’s mind is attracted, and Kṛṣṇa makes every effort to relish it Himself.
(149)
e mādhuryāmṛta pāna sadā yei kare
tṛṣṇā-śānti nahe, tṛṣṇā bāḍhe nirantare
One who constantly drinks this ambrosial sweetness never attains satiation. The thirst only continues to increases.
(150)
atṛpta haiyā kare vidhira nindana
avidagdha vidhi bhāla nā jāne sṛjana
Being unsatisfied, one blames Brahmā, thinking that he is inexpert and does not know how to properly create properly.
(151)
koṭi netra nāhi dila, sabe dila dui
tāhāte nimeṣa – kṛṣṇa ki dekhiba muñi
“He has not given millions of eyes, and only gave everyone two. When they blink for a moment, how can I see Kṛṣṇa?
(152)
gopyaś ca kṛṣṇam upalabhya cirād abhīṣṭaṁ
yat-prekṣaṇe dṛśiṣu pakṣma-kṛtaṁ śapanti
dṛgbhir hṛdī-kṛtam alaṁ parirabhya sarvās
tad-bhāvam āpur api nitya-yujāṁ durāpam
The gopīs saw Kṛṣṇa, the object of their desire, after a long time and while looking at Him, they cursed the creator of eyelids (which obstructed their vision of Him). They all fully embraced Him in their hearts and through their eyes, achieving an ecstasy that even those who engage in constant yoga cannot attain. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.82.39)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Having attained Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whom they had long cherished as the object of their deepest desire, the gopīs, at the very moment of beholding Him, reproached the creator for causing the blinking of their eyes. Through the faculty of sight, each of them embraced Him fully within their hearts and attained a state of divine love – such a state as is unattainable even for the yogīs who meditate upon Brahman.”
(153)
aṭati yad bhavān ahni kānanaṁ
truṭir yugāyate tvām apaśyatām
kuṭila-kuntalaṁ śrī-mukhaṁ ca te
jaḍa udīkṣatāṁ pakṣma-kṛd dṛśām
“When You go to the forest during the day, half a second seems like a yuga for those who cannot see Your beautiful face surrounded by curling locks. Then we consider he who made eyelids for seeing You to be a fool.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.31.15)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs said – “O Kṛṣṇa, when during the daytime You go to the forest, then, not seeing Your beautiful face adorned with curling locks of hair, then even a single moment for us becomes like an age. And the creator who has made our eyes, by which we behold Your face, and yet has imposed blinking upon them, we consider him to be a fool.”
(154)
kṛṣṇāvalokana vinā netra phala nāhi āna
yei jana kṛṣṇa dekhe, sei bhāgyavān
Without beholding Kṛṣṇa, the eyes bear no fruit. That person who sees Kṛṣṇa is truly fortunate.
(155)
akṣaṇvatāṁ phalam idaṁ na paraṁ vidāmaḥ
sakhyaḥ paśūn anuviveśayator vayasyaiḥ
vaktraṁ vrajeśa-sutayor anuveṇu-juṣṭaṁ
yair vā nipītam anurakta-kaṭākṣa-mokṣam
“O companions, the two sons of the king of Vraja enter the forest with the cows in front of Them, surrounded by Their friends. They are holding flutes to Their mouths as They glance lovingly at them. For those who possess eyes, we know of no result greater than this.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.21.7)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs said – “O sakhīs, when the two sons of Nanda enter the forest, surrounded by Their cowherd friends and the cows, those who, with their eyes, relish the sight of Their faces – adorned with the music of the flute and casting sidelong glances toward Their beloved devotees – they alone are truly blessed. For those who possess eyes, no attainment can be seen as greater than this.”
(156)
gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ
lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam
ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya
“What penance did the gopīs perform by which they drink the nectar of His form, the essence of beauty, which is unmatched and supreme? It is the sole abode of fame, beauty, and opulence, ever-fresh and most rare.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.44.14)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The residents of Mathurā said, “Oh! What austerities must the gopīs have performed! They constantly drink, through their two eyes, the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s face – which is the exclusive abode of beauty, opulence, and fame; rare, self-manifest, unequalled, and the very essence of all loveliness.”
(157)
apūrva mādhurī kṛṣṇera, apūrva tāra bala
yāhāra śravaṇe mana haya ṭalamala
Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is unparalleled, and its potency is extraordinary. Hearing about it, the mind becomes completely agitated.
(158)
kṛṣṇera mādhurye kṛṣṇe upajaya lobha
samyak āsvādite nāre, mane rahe kṣobha
Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness makes greed arise in Kṛṣṇa Himself. Yet since He is unable to relish it, He is sorrowful.
(159)
ei ta’ dvitīya hetura kahila vivaraṇa
tṛtīya hetura ebe śunaha lakṣaṇa
This explains the second reason. Now listen to the characteristics of the third reason.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Although He developed a longing to fully relish His sweetness through the love of the āśraya, Kṛṣṇa became agitated because He was unable to relish it. This is the second confidential reason for His accepting the mood of Rādhikā.
(160)
atyanta-nigūḍha ei rasera siddhānta
svarūpa-gosāi mātra jānena ekānta
The principle of this rasa is extremely confidential – only Svarūpa Gosāi alone knows it fully.
(161)
yebā keha anya jāne, seho tāṅhā haite
caitanya-gosāira teṅha atyanta marma yāte
If anyone else says they know it, they must have got it from him since he is knows the essence of Śrī Caitanya Gosāi.
(162)
gopī-gaṇera premera ‘rūḍha-bhāva’ nāma
viśuddha nirmala prema, kabhu nahe kāma
The prema of the gopīs is called rūḍha-bhāva. It is pure, immaculate love, never tinged with mundane lust.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Premera ‘rūḍha-bhāva’ nāma – the name of prema is rūḍha-bhāva. In reality, pure prema cannot be explained by the term kāma (lust).
(163)
premaiva gopa-rāmānāṁ kāma ity agamat prathām
ity uddhavādayo ’py etaṁ vāñchanti bhagavat-priyāḥ
The prema of the cowherd women has thus become famous as kāma. This is desired by the devotees of Bhagavān headed by Uddhava and others. (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.285)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“It has become customary to designate the pure prema of the gopīs as ‘kāma.’ Even the Lord’s devotee Uddhava is eager to attain that very prema.”
(164)
kāma, prema, – doṅhākāra vibhinna lakṣaṇa
lauha āra hema yaiche svarūpe vilakṣaṇa
Kāma and prema both have distinct characteristics. Like iron and gold, they are different in essence.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Just as the nature of iron and gold is fundamentally different, so although kāma and prema may appear to be of a similar kind – their characteristics are entirely distinct from one another.
(165)
ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā – tāre bali ‘kāma’
kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma
Love for the desire of one’s senses is called kāma, while love for the desire of Kṛṣṇa’s senses is called prema.
(166)
kāmera tātparya – nija-sambhoga kevala
kṛṣṇa-sukha-tātparya-mātra prema ta’ prabala
The purpose of kāma is simply personal enjoyment. Prema is powerful because it aims only at Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
(167–168)
loka-dharma, veda-dharma, deha-dharma, karma
lajjā, dhairya, deha-sukha, ātma-sukha-marma
dustyaja ārya-patha, nija parijana
sva-jane karaye yata tāḍana-bhartsana
They (the gopīs) gave up social dharma, Vedic dharma, physical dharma, karma, shyness, patience, bodily pleasure, which are the essence of personal pleasure, as well as following esteemed personalities, and one’s relatives – they did not care about chastisement or scolding.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Desire aimed at one’s own enjoyment and happiness is called kāma . In the Vedas, the desires referred to as lokaiṣaṇā (desire for worldly position), putraiṣaṇā (desire for sons), and vittaiṣaṇā (desire for wealth) – these are all forms of such kāma. Indeed, what is known as social duty, Vedic duty, bodily duty, karma, chastity, patience, bodily pleasure, even the pursuit of liberation as one’s own happiness, adherence to the path of respectability, affection for one’s own relatives, attachment to one’s kin, as well as rebuke and fear – all of these are manifestations of kāma – in other words, the desire to gratify one’s own senses. In all these activities, the motivating force is the wish for one’s own sense enjoyment. Only those desires that follow the understanding that, ‘I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa’ can become desires for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa’s senses. But all desires that arise from the mentality of, ‘I am the enjoyer of the results’ – those are desires of kāma.
(169)
sarva-tyāga kari’ kare kṛṣṇera bhajana
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu kare prema-sevana
They rejected them all to perform kṛṣṇa-bhajana and. They only performed loving service for the sake of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
This instruction of complete renunciation does not advocate the abandonment of bodily or mental activities. Even within bodily and mental functions, if there is motivating engagement arising from the understanding ‘I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa,’ then that too is not kāma.
(170)
ihāke kahiye kṛṣṇe dṛḍha anurāga
svaccha dhauta-vastre yaiche nāhi kona dāga
This is called firm attachment to Kṛṣṇa, pure and spotless like freshly washed garments with no stain.
(171)
ataeva kāma-preme bahuta antara
kāma – andha-tamaḥ, prema – nirmala bhāskara
Therefore there is a great difference between kāma and prema. Kāma is blind darkness, while prema is the pure sun.
(172)
ataeva gopī-gaṇera nāhi kāma-gandha
kṛṣṇa-sukha lāgi mātra, kṛṣṇa se sambandha
Hence the gopīs’ love is free from the scent of kāma. Their attachment is solely for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, and only related to Him.
(173)
yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu
bhītāḥ śanaiḥ priya dadhīmahi karkaśeṣu
tenāṭavīm aṭasi tad vyathate na kiṁ svit
kūrpādibhir bhramati dhīr bhavad-āyuṣāṁ naḥ
“O Beloved! Fearfully, we carefully hold Your gentle lotus feet upon our hard breasts.
Wandering with them throughout the forest, have they not been bruised by stones etc?
Thinking of this, our hearts flutter, for You are our very life.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.31.19)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O beloved! We gently place your soft lotus feet upon our hard breasts. Those very feet are now wandering in the forest, and must certainly be wounded by sharp stones and other rough surfaces. Therefore, since you are the very life of our lives, our minds are becoming deeply agitated and restless on your account.”
(174)
ātma-sukha-duḥkhe gopīra nāhika vicāra
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu ceṣṭā mano-vyavahāra
The gopīs do not consider their own pleasure or pain; their mind and actions are solely for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.
(175)
kṛṣṇa lāgi’ āra saba kare parityāga
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu kare śuddha anurāga
They abandon everything for Kṛṣṇa and cultivate pure attachment solely for His pleasure.
(176)
evaṁ mad-arthojjhita-loka-veda-
svānāṁ hi vo mayy anuvṛttaye ’balāḥ
mayā parokṣaṁ bhajatā tirohitaṁ
māsūyituṁ mārhatha tat priyaṁ priyāḥ
“O women! You have renounced all social customs, Vedic law, and all your relatives for Me. I disappeared from your view merely to increase your love for Me. O dear ones! Since I did so for your benefit, do not be displeased with me.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.21)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O gopīs, for My sake you have abandoned social duties, Vedic duties, and even your relatives. Yet, desiring that your attachment and devotion to Me might increase further, I disappeared. O beloved ones, I am engaged only in fulfilling your deepest love – therefore, do not find fault with Me.”
(177)
kṛṣṇera pratijñā eka āche pūrva haite
ye yaiche bhaje, kṛṣṇa tāre bhaje taiche
Kṛṣṇa’s promise has existed from before – whoever worships Him, He reciprocates with that worship.
(178)
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
“In whatever way people surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. O Pārtha, all men follow My path.” (Bhagavad-gītā 4.11)
(179)
se pratijñā bhaṅga haila gopīra bhajane
tāhāte pramāṇa kṛṣṇa-śrī-mukha-vacane
That promise is evident in the gopīs’ bhajana, as confirmed by the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.
(180)
na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjaya-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
“Your association with Me is faultless. Although you have served Me, cutting the indomitable bonds of household life, I cannot repay you for this even if I obtained the lifetime of the Devas. May your own virtue be your compensation.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.22)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O gopīs, your union with Me is utterly pure. Even over many lifetimes, I would not be able to repay My debt to you by any proper reciprocation, for you have completely cut the extremely difficult bonds of worldly existence and sought Me out. I am incapable of repaying you. Therefore, let your own noble deeds be your satisfaction.”
(181)
tabe ye dekhiye gopīra nija-dehe prīta
seho ta’ kṛṣṇera lāgi, jāniha niścita
Thus, when you see a gopī’s affection for her own body, know for certain that it is all for Kṛṣṇa.
(182)
‘ei deha kailuṅ āmi kṛṣṇe samarpaṇa
tāṅra dhana tāṅra ihā sambhoga-sādhana
“I have offered this body to Kṛṣṇa; it is His wealth, and the means for His enjoyment.”
(183)
e-deha-darśana-sparśe kṛṣṇa-santoṣaṇa’
ei lāgi’ kare dehera mārjana-bhūsaṇa
By seeing and touching this body, Kṛṣṇa is pleased; hence, the gopī adorns her body for His satisfaction.
(184)
nijāṅgam api yā gopyo mameti samupāsate
tābhyaḥ paraṁ na me pārtha nigūḍha-prema-bhājanam
“The gopīs engage in decorating their bodies because they consider them to be for My enjoyment. There are no greater receptacles of My confidential prema, O Pārtha.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha, those gopīs who carefully tend their own bodies, considering them to be meant for Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment – there are none more dear to Me than those gopīs.”
(185)
āra eka adbhuta gopī-bhāvera svabhāva
buddhira gocara nahe yāhāra prabhāva
There is another wonderful aspect of gopī-bhāva whose influence cannot be understood by the intelligence.
(186)
gopī-gaṇa kare yabe kṛṣṇa-daraśana
sukha-vāñchā nāhi, sukha haya koṭi-guṇa
When the gopīs behold Kṛṣṇa, it is not a mere desire for happiness – the pleasure multiplies infinitely.
(187)
gopīkā-darśane kṛṣṇera ye ānanda haya
tāhā haite koṭi-guṇa gopī āsvādaya
The bliss Kṛṣṇa experiences on seeing the gopīs is a hundredfold of the pleasure the gopīs themselves feel.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs have no desire for their own happiness. Yet, the happiness that Kṛṣṇa feels upon seeing the gopīs when they see Kṛṣṇa – the gopīs experience a joy millions of times greater than that.
(188)
tāṅ sabāra nāhi nija-sukha-anurodha
tathāpi bāḍhaye sukha, paḍila virodha
They have no desire for their own pleasure, yet still their happiness increases – this is a contradiction.
(189)
e virodhera eka mātra dekhi samādhāna
gopikāra sukha kṛṣṇa-sukhe paryavasāna
I see only one solution for this contradiction – the pleasure of the gopīs lies in Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
(190)
gopikā-darśane kṛṣṇera bāḍhe praphullatā
se mādhurya bāḍhe yāra nāhika samatā
Upon seeing the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s delight increases, and that sweetness rises to a degree unmatched by anything else.
(191)
āmāra darśane kṛṣṇa pāila eta sukha
ei sukhe gopīra praphulla aṅga-mukha
(The gopīs think) “Upon seeing me, Kṛṣṇa experiences such happiness.” in that happiness, the gopīs’ limbs and faces are filled with joy.
(192)
gopī-śobhā dekhi’ kṛṣṇera śobhā bāḍhe yata
kṛṣṇa-śobhā dekhi’ gopīra śobhā bāḍhe tata
Seeing the beauty of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s splendour increases. Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, the gopīs’ radiance likewise grows.
(193)
ei-mata paraspara paḍe huḍāhuḍi
paraspara bāḍhe, keha mukha nāhi muḍi
In this way, they rush upon one another in eager competition. Each tries to outdo the other, and neither turns their face away.
(194)
kintu kṛṣṇera sukha haya gopī-rūpa-guṇe
tāṅra sukhe sukha-vṛddhi haye gopī-gaṇe
However, Kṛṣṇa’s happiness arises from the gopīs’ qualities and beauty, and that happiness in turn increases the gopīs’ delight.
(195)
ataeva sei sukha kṛṣṇa-sukha poṣe
ei hetu gopī-preme nāhi kāma-doṣe
Therefore that bliss nourishes Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, and this is why gopī-prema is free from the defect of kāma.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Although some may criticise the gopīs and label the pleasure they experience upon seeing Kṛṣṇa as kāma, still, when the inner mood of the gopīs is this – “If we accept that we have become happy by seeing Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa’s happiness will be further nourished” – then the ultimate cause of their happiness is actually the desire to please Kṛṣṇa’s senses. Hence, in that, there is no fault of selfish sense enjoyment, and no defect of kāma.
(196)
upetya pathi sundarī-tatibhir ābhir abhyarcitaṁ
smitāṅkura-karambitair naṭad-apāṅga-bhaṅgī-śataiḥ
stana-stavaka-sañcaran-nayana-cañcarīkāñcalaṁ
vraje vijayinaṁ bhaje vipina-deśataḥ keśavam
“As He returns from the forest to Vraja, along the path, the beautiful women adore Him with hundreds of glances and gentle smiles. His vision hovers over their breasts like a bumblebee – I worship that Keśava.” (Keśavāṣṭakam 8, Stava-mālā)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I worship that Keśava who is returning to Vraja from the forest. Along the path, He is adored by the beautiful women of Vraja through hundreds of graceful, playful gestures accompanied by a gentle smile. The corners of His eyes move like bees, wandering over the clusters of the gopīs’ breasts.”
(197)
āra eka gopī-premera svābhāvika cihna
ye prakāre haya prema kāma-gandha-hīna
There is another natural sign of gopī-prema, which is free from the scent of kāma.
(198)
gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi
mādhurye bāḍhāya prema hañā mahā-tuṣṭi
Gopī-prema nourishes the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa, and that sweetness, in turn, increases the gopīs’ love and brings great satisfaction.
(199)
prīti-viṣayānande tad-āśrayānanda
tāṅhā nāhi nija-sukha-vāñchāra sambandha
The bliss of the āśraya of love is in the bliss of the viṣaya. This is not a relationship desiring one’s own selfish pleasure.
(200)
nirupādhi prema yāṅhā, tāṅhā ei rīti
prīti-viṣaya-sukhe āśrayera prīti
Such is the nature of unconditioned prema. The āśraya of love takes pleasure when the viṣaya is pleased.
(201)
nija-premānande kṛṣṇa-sevānanda bādhe
se ānandera prati bhaktera haya mahā-krodhe
When the personal bliss of prema hinders the bliss achieved from Kṛṣṇa’s service, a devotee becomes extremely angry towards that bliss.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa is the viṣaya of love, and the bliss that is His – that alone is the happiness of the gopīs, who are the āśraya of that love. In such fullness of joy, the gopīs have no connection with any desire for their own personal happiness. Wherever there is pure, unalloyed love, this is the principle to be seen. In other words, the happiness of the viṣaya is solely the happiness of the āśraya.
However, one point may be raised – that wherever one experiences one’s own bliss in prema, there may be an obstacle to the joy of serving Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, wherever a type of happiness arises that hinders the joy of service, there the devotee experiences intense anger.
(202)
aṅga-stambhārambham uttuṅgayantaṁ
premānandaṁ dāruko nābhyanandat
kaṁsārāter vījane yena sākṣād
akṣodīyān antarāyo vyadhāyi
“Dāruka did not welcome the bliss of prema when it began to paralyse his limbs, for it clearly became a great hindrance in his fanning Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṁsa.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.62).
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“While fanning Śrī Kṛṣṇa with a cāmara, Dāruka did not welcome the bodily inertia that arose from the bliss of divine love, considering it an obstacle to his service.”
(203)
govinda-prekṣaṇākṣepi-bāṣpa-pūrābhivarṣiṇam
uccair anindad ānandam aravinda-vilocanā
“The lotus-eyed Rādhikā violently condemned the bliss that caused a torrent of tears to obstruct Her sight of Govinda.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.3.54)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The lotus-eyed beloved of Kṛṣṇa harshly condemned that joy which caused a flow of tears from the eyes, for it obstructed Her vision of Kṛṣṇa.”
(204)
āra śuddha-bhakta kṛṣṇa-prema-sevā vine
sva-sukhārtha sālokyādi nā kare grahaṇe
Also, a pure devotee, without serving kṛṣṇa-prema, does not even desire to accept celestial pleasures such as sālokya etc. for their own joy.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Furthermore, see this – pure devotees never accept even liberation such as salokya (residing in the same realm as the Lord), if it involves any separate sense of personal enjoyment apart from loving service to Kṛṣṇa.
(205-206)
mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ’mbudhau
lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
ahaituky avyavahitā yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame
“By simply hearing about My qualities, the mind will flow continuously towards Me, the Lord residing in the hearts of all, just as Gaṅgā water flows towards the ocean. It has been described that the characteristics of bhakti-yoga, which transcend the material modes are causeless and unmotivated.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29-11-12)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“By merely hearing My qualities, I, who dwell in all hearts, become present in the devotee. The uninterrupted absorption of the mind in Me – like the waters of the Gaṅgā entering the ocean – is the symptom of nirguṇa bhakti-yoga. In My form as the Supreme Person, that devotion is causeless and uninterrupted. Causeless means without any motive or external cause; it is self-established. Uninterrupted means free from any intervening barrier or pursuit of secondary, extraneous results.”
(207)
sālokya-sārṣṭi-sārūpya-sāmīpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ
Such persons do not accept sālokya (living on My planet), sārūpya (having a similar form), sāmīpya (staying in My association), or ekatva (oneness) – even when these are offered by Me. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29.13)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Even if sālokya (residing in the Vaikuṇṭha realm), sārṣṭi (opulence equal to the Lord), sārūpya (having a four-armed form), sāmīpya (attaining close proximity), and even ekatva or sāyujya (merging or attaining oneness) are offered, the devotees do not accept them, because apart from My transcendental service, they desire nothing else.”
(208)
mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam
necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto ’nyat kāla-viplutam
Such devotees, by being engaged in my service, are not interested even in the four kinds of liberation such as sālokya etc. although these are automatically achieved by them. What to say of anything else which is destroyed by time? (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.4.67)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Even if the four kinds of liberation—such as sālokya—come of their own accord through My service, pure devotees, being fully satisfied in that service alone, do not accept them. Then why would they desire material enjoyment or sāyujya-mukti—which are quickly destroyed by time? By sāyujya–mukti, the very existence of the jīva falls under the grasp of time. Therefore, both material enjoyment and sāyujya–mukti have no lasting permanence.”
(209)
kāma-gandha-hīna svābhāvika gopī-prema
nirmala, ujjvala, śuddha yena dagdha hema
Natural gopī-prema is free from the trace of kāma. It is pure, radiant, and untainted, like molten gold.
(210)
kṛṣṇera sahāya, guru, bāndhava, preyasī
gopikā hayena priyā śiṣyā, sakhī dāsī
The gopīs are Kṛṣṇa’s helpers, teachers, , friends, beloveds, confidantes and maid-servants.
(211)
gopikā jānena kṛṣṇera manera vāñchita
prema-sevā-paripāṭī, iṣṭa-samīhita
The gopīs know Kṛṣṇa’s innermost desires. They are perfectly skilled in prema-sevā, intent only on fulfilling His cherished wishes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Iṣṭa-samīhita – means “endeavours directed toward fulfilling the desired wish.”
(212)
sahāyā guravaḥ śiṣyā bhujiṣyā bāndhavāḥ striyaḥ
satyaṁ vadāmi te pārtha gopyaḥ kiṁ me bhavanti na
“The gopīs are helpers, teachers, and disciples; they are friends and women devoted to Me. I speak the truth, Pārtha – how could they not be Mine?” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The gopīs are My everything – they are My helpers, in other words, they love Me as beloveds, show affection like a guru, serve Me like disciples, are fit to be enjoyed, conduct themselves with love like friends, and relate to Me in the mood of consorts.”
(213)
man-māhātmyaṁ mat-saparyāṁ
mac-chraddhāṁ man-mano-gatam
jānanti gopikāḥ pārtha
nānye jānanti tattvataḥ
“My greatness, My worship, the respect for Me, the workings of My heart – the gopīkas know this, O Pārtha. No one else knows this in truth.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha, only the gopīs truly know My greatness, My service, the reverence due to Me, and the inner moods of My heart. In essence, no one else understands these.”
(214)
sei gopī-gaṇa-madhye uttamā rādhikā
rūpe, guṇe, saubhāgye, preme sarvādhikā
Among these gopīs, Rādhikā is supreme. She is foremost in beauty, qualities, fortune, and prema.
(215)
yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
“Just as Rādhā is dear to Viṣṇu, Her lake is equally dear. Among all the gopīs, She alone is Kṛṣṇa’s most beloved.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Just as Rādhā is most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so too Rādhā-kuṇḍa is His most beloved place; and among all the gopīs, Rādhā alone is supremely beloved by Kṛṣṇa.”
(216)
trai-lokye pṛthivī dhanyā yatra vṛndāvanaṁ purī
tatrāpi gopikāḥ pārtha yatra rādhābhidhā mama
“Amongst the three worlds, the earth is blessed for the city of Vṛndāvana exists there. O Pārtha, There, the gopīkās are especially blessed because among them Rādhā is present.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Since Vṛndāvana-dhāma has descended into this world, the three worlds have become blessed. There, the gopīs are especially fortunate, because among them dwells that gopī named Rādhā, who is extremely dear to Me.”
(217)
rādhā-saha krīḍā rasa-vṛddhira kāraṇa
āra saba gopī-gaṇa rasopakaraṇa
The reason for the increase in His enjoyment of rasa is His play with Rādhā. All the other gopīs are instruments in increasing that rasa.
(218)
kṛṣṇera vallabhā rādhā kṛṣṇa-prāṇa-dhana
tāṅhā vinu sukha-hetu nahe gopī-gaṇa
Rādhā is the beloved of Kṛṣṇa and the treasure of His life. Without Her, the gopīs cannot be the cause of His pleasure.
(219)
kaṁsārir api saṁsāra-vāsanā-baddha-śṛṅkhalām
rādhām ādhāya hṛdaye tatyāja vraja-sundarīḥ
“Kṛṣṇa, the foe of Kaṁsa, abandoned the other beautiful damsels of Vraja and took Rādhā within His heart, for she was like a chain that tied him tightly to His supreme and essential desire to enjoy the rasa dance.” (Gīta Govinda 3.1)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The enemy of Kaṁsa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, taking within His heart Rādhā, who is the very essence of the desire for the complete rasa-līlā, departed, abandoning the other beautiful women of Vraja.”
(220)
sei rādhāra bhāva lañā caitanyāvatāra
yuga-dharma nāma-prema kaila paracāra
Taking Rādhā’s bhāva, Caitanyāvatāra propagated prema through the yuga-dharma, the Holy Name.
(221)
sei bhāve nija-vāñchā karila pūraṇa
avatārera ei vāñchā mūla-kāraṇa
In that bhāva, He fulfilled His own desires – this was the root cause of His avatāra.
(222)
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gosāi vrajendra-kumāra
rasa-maya-mūrti kṛṣṇa sākṣāt śṛṅgāra
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Gosāi is the Prince of Vraja, the embodiment of rasa. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself in the mood of śṛṅgāra.
(223)
sei rasa āsvādite kaila avatāra
ānusaṅge kaila saba rasera pracāra
He descended to relish that rasa and simultaneously propagate all varieties of rasa.
(224)
viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-komalair upanayann aṅgair anaṅgotsavam
svacchandaṁ vraja-sundarībhir abhitaḥ praty-aṅgam āliṅgitaḥ
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati
“O sakhī, creating bliss to satisfy all by creating a festival of Kāmadeva with his dusky, soft limbs that resemble a cluster of blue lotuses, and fully embraced by the beautiful damsels of Vraja on all sides, adorable Hari plays during the month of spring like the personification of śṛṅgāra-rasa.” (Gīta Govinda 1.11)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O companion! By the beauty of His limbs He creates joy throughout the world, and with His exquisitely soft hands and feet – lovely like blue lotuses – He awakens a festival of Kāma within the hearts of the women of Vraja. In the spring season, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the very embodiment of amorous rasa, freely sports, embracing the beautiful maidens of Vraja.”
(225)
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gosāi rasera sadana
aśeṣa-viśeṣe kaila rasa āsvādana
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the very abode of rasa, relishing rasa in all its varieties to the fullest extent.
(226)
sei dvāre pravartāila kali-yuga-dharma
caitanyera dāse jāne ei saba marma
Through Him, the dharma of Kali-yuga was established. Those who are Śrī Caitanya’s servants understand all these principles.
(227–228)
advaita ācārya, nityānanda, śrīnivāsa
gadādhara, dāmodara, murāri, hari-dāsa
āra yata caitanya-kṛṣṇera bhakta-gaṇa
bhakti-bhāve śire dhari sabāra caraṇa
Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda, Śrīnivāsa, Gadādhara, Dāmodara, Murāri, Hari Dāsa, and all the other devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya carry the feet of the Lord upon their heads in a mood of bhakti.
(229)
ṣaṣṭha-ślokera ei kahila ābhāsa
mūla ślokera artha śuna kariye prakāśa
This explains the meaning of the sixth śloka. Now hear the exposition of the original śloka carefully.
(230)
śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ
saukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ
“Rādhā is the manifestation of love for Kṛṣṇa and She is His hlādinī-śakti. Although They are inherently One in their identity, They previously manifested in two distinct forms in this world. Their two separate forms are now united as one in Śrī Caitanya. I offer obeisance unto He who is Kṛṣṇa Himself adorned with the heart and halo of Rādhā.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“When the desire arose to understand three things – what is the glory of Rādhā’s love, what is the nature of My own wonderful sweetness which She alone relishes, and what kind of happiness She experiences by tasting that sweetness – then the moon in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa took birth in the ocean of Śacī’s womb.”
(231)
e saba siddhānta gūḍha – kahite nā yuyāya
nā kahile, keha ihāra anta nāhi pāya
All these principles are very confidential. They cannot be fully spoken. Yet if they are not spoken, no one will understand them in the end.
(232)
ataeva kahi kichu kariñā nigūḍha
bujhibe rasika bhakta, nā bujhibe mūḍha
Hence, I speak of these matters in a somewhat concealed way. The rasika devotees will understand – the foolish will not.
(233)
hṛdaye dharaye ye caitanya-nityānanda
e-saba siddhānte sei pāibe ānanda
One who holds Caitanya and Nityānanda in the heart will find bliss in all these conclusions.
(234)
e saba siddhānta haya āmrera pallava
bhakta-gaṇa-kokilera sarvadā vallabha
All these conclusions are like tender mango shoots, which are always beloved by the cuckoo-like devotees.
(235)
abhakta-uṣṭrera ithe nā haya praveśa
tabe citte haya mora ānanda-viśeṣa
The camel-like non-devotees cannot enter into this. Thus, in my hear there is special joy.
(236)
ye lāgi kahite bhaya, se yadi nā jāne
ihā va-i kibā sukha āche tribhuvane
Out of fear of them, I am afraid to speak, yet if they do not understand, then what can be happier for me in the three worlds?
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Still, it gives me joy to think that those non-devotees who might be feared have no possibility of entering into this text. Therefore, they will neither read it nor understand it. What greater happiness could there be than this?”
(237)
ataeva bhakta-gaṇe kari namaskāra
niḥśaṅke kahiye, tāra hauk camatkāra
Thus, after offering obeisance unto the devotees, I shall speak without hesitation – let them feel astonishment.
(238)
kṛṣṇera vicara eka āchaye antare
pūrṇānanda-pūrṇa-rasa-rūpa kahe more
Once, Kṛṣṇa considered within, “It is said that I am complete bliss, the very form of complete rasa.”
(239)
āmā haite ānandita haya tribhuvana
āmāke ānanda dibe – aiche kon jana
“The three worlds are delighted by Me. Is there anyone who can give Me joy?”
(240)
āmā haite yāra haya śata śata guṇa
sei-jana āhlādite pāre mora mana
“Such a person who possesses hundreds and hundreds of qualities more than Me can delight My mind.”
(241)
āmā haite guṇī baḍa jagate asambhava
ekali rādhāte tāhā kari anubhava
“It is impossible to find someone greater than Me in this world. I understand that to be found in Rādhā alone.”
(242–243)
koṭi-kāma jini’ rūpa yadyapi āmāra
asamordhvva-mādhurya – sāmya nāhi yāra
mora rūpe āpyāyita haya tribhuvana
rādhāra darśane mora juḍāya nayana
“Although My form conquers millions of Kāmadevas, although My unparalleled sweetness has no equal, although My form gives pleasure to the three worlds, Rādhā’s darśana satisfies My eyes.”
(244)
mora vaṁśī-gīte ākarṣaye tri-bhuvana
rādhāra vacane hare āmāra śravaṇa
“The melody of My flute attracts the three worlds. Rādhā’s words captivate My power of hearing.”
(245)
yadyapi āmāra gandhe jagat sugandha
mora citta-prāṇa hare rādhā-aṅga-gandha
“Although My fragrance perfumes the entire world, My heart and very life are captured by the scent of Rādhā’s limbs.”
(246)
yadyapi āmāra rase jagat sarasa
rādhāra adhara-rasa āmā kare vaśa
“Although the rasas of this world are delightful, the rasa from Rādhā’s lips captivates Me.”
(247)
yadyapi āmāra sparśa koṭīndu-śītala
rādhikāra sparśe āmā kare suśītala
“Even though My touch is as cool as millions of moons, Rādhikā’s touch makes Me extremely cool.”
(248)
ei mata jagatera sukhe āmi hetu
rādhikāra rūpa-guṇa āmāra jīvātu
“In this way, I am the cause of pleasure in this world, Yet it is Rādhikā’s qualities and form that are My life.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Jīvatu means life.
(249)
ei mata anubhava āmāra pratīta
vicāri’ dekhiye yadi, saba viparīta
“In this way, My experience can be understood. Yet if contemplated impartially, it all seems contradictory.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I think that My love for Rādhikā is extremely intense. But upon careful consideration, the opposite understanding arises – namely, it seems that Rādhikā’s love for Me is greater than Mine for Her.”
(250)
rādhāra darśane mora juḍāya nayana
āmāra darśane rādhā sukhe ageyāna
“My eyes are satisfied upon taking darśana of Rādhā. Yet by looking at Me, Rādhā’s delight is increased.”
(251)
paraspara veṇu-gīte haraye cetana
mora bhrame tamālere kare āliṅgana
“The sound of bamboos rubbing together steals away Her mind. She embraces a tamāla tree, mistaking it to be Me.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“My flute-song steals Rādhikā’s consciousness, and Rādhikā’s gentle singing steals My consciousness. When Rādhikā becomes deprived of awareness, she embraces a tamāla tree, mistaking it for Kṛṣṇa, and attains great happiness.”
Alternatively, another meaning is this – “Upon hearing the flute-like sound produced by the friction of bamboo branches against one another, Rādhikā loses consciousness, and in illusion, taking it to be Me, she embraces a tamāla tree.”
(252)
kṛṣṇa-āliṅgana pāinu, janama saphale
kṛṣṇa-sukhe magna rahe vṛkṣa kari’ kole
“(She thinks) ‘I have received the embrace of Kṛṣṇa! My life is successful.’ She remains absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, remaining in the lap of the tree.”
(253)
anukūla-vāte yadi pāya mora gandha
uḍiyā paḍite cāhe, preme haya andha
“If My fragrance is carried to Her by a favourable breeze, She becomes blinded by prema and desires to fly into that wind.”
(254)
tāmbūla-carvita yabe kare āsvādane
ānanda-samudre ḍube, kichui nā jāne
“When She savours the betel leaves chewed by Me, She drowns in an ocean of bliss and knows nothing else.”
(255)
āmāra saṅgame rādhā pāya ye ānanda
śata-mukhe bali, tabu nā pāi tāra anta
“Even with one-hundred mouths, I cannot describe the bliss that Rādhā experiences in My association.”
(256)
līlā-ante sukhe iṅhāra aṅgera mādhurī
tāhā dekhi’ sukhe āmi āpanā pāśari
“Seeing Her bodily lustre after Our līlā together, I am so delighted that I forget Myself.”
(257)
doṅhāra ye sama-rasa, bharata-muni māne
āmāra vrajera rasa seha nāhi jāne
“Bharata Muni declares that the rasa of both (the lover and the beloved) to be equal, yet he does not know about the rasas of My Vraja.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“According to Bharata Muni, the rasa of men and women are equal. But although he is a great sage, he does not know the true nature of My vraja-rasa – for Rādhikā’s rasa is, in its very essence, greater.”
(258)
anyera saṅgame āmi yata sukha pāi
tāhā haite rādhā-sukha śata adhikāi
“Whatever pleasure I have with Rādhā is a hundred times greater than the joy I experience in the association of others.”
(259)
nirdhūtāmṛta-mādhurī-parimalaḥ kalyāṇi bimbādharo
vaktraṁ paṅkaja-saurabhaṁ kuharita-ślāghā-bhidas te giraḥ
aṅgaṁ candana-śītalaṁ tanur iyaṁ saundarya-sarvasva-bhāk
tvām āsādya mamedam indriya-kulaṁ rādhe muhur modate
“O auspicious one! Your lips defeat the redness of bimba fruit as well as the sweetness and fragrance of ambrosia. Your face is more fragrant than a lotus, Your voice defeats the pride of the sound of cuckoos, and Your limbs are cooler than sandal pulp. Your body is the very source of all beauty. O Rādhe! My senses are delighted by relishing Your sweetness again and again!” (Lalita Mādhava 9.9)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O auspicious one! Your bimba-like lips, surpassing the fragrance and sweetness of nectar; your lotus-scented face; your speech, which puts the song of the cuckoo to shame; your limbs, cool like sandalwood; and your form, which is the very abode of all beauty – having attained you, who are filled with such beauty, qualities, and pastimes, my senses again and again experience great delight.”
(260)
rūpe kaṁsa-harasya lubdha-nayanāṁ sparśe ’tihṛṣyat-tvacaṁ
vāṇyām utkalita-śrutiṁ parimale saṁhṛṣṭa-nāsā-puṭām
ārajyad-rasanāṁ kilādhara-puṭe nyañcan-mukhāmbho-ruhāṁ
dambhodgīrṇa-mahā-dhṛtiṁ bahir api prodyad-vikārākulām
“Her eyes are greedy for tasting the beauty of the Enemy of Kaṁsa. Her skin is excited at His touch. Her ears are passionate to hear His voice. Her nose is delighted by His fragrance. What to say of Her tongue which is enchanted by the rasa of His lips. Out of pride, She hangs down Her lotus-like face, exhibiting great patience, although externally, She is overwhelmed by ecstatic manifestations.” (Sādhana Dīpikā)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The pair of eyes of Rādhikā are filled with longing for the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṁsa; Her sense of touch is greatly delighted by Kṛṣṇa’s touch; Her ears are eagerly attentive to hear His words; Her nostrils are blossoming upon perceiving the fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s body; Her tongue is captivated by the nectar of His lips; Her ever-delighted face and Her bodily limbs are engaged in intense ecstatic transformations such as humility and overwhelming bodily thrills that destroy composure – all of these were observed.”
(261)
tāte jāni, mote āche kona eka rasa
āmāra mohinī rādhā, tāre kare vaśa
“From this, I know that there is a particular rasa within Me, which completely captivates My enchantress, Rādhā.”
(262)
āmā haite rādhā pāya ye jātīya sukha
tāhā āsvādite āmi sadāi unmukha
“I am constantly hankering to relish the various types of joy derived from Me by Rādhā.”
(263)
nānā yatna kari āmi, nāri āsvādite
sei sukha-mādhurya-ghrāṇe lobha bāḍhe citte
“Whatever various endeavours I make, I am unable to relish it. Yet upon smelling the sweetness of that joy, the greed increases in My mind.”
(264)
rasa āsvādite āmi kaila avatāra
prema-rasa āsvādila vividha prakāra
“I will descend to taste rasa and experience prema-rasa in many different ways.”
(265)
rāga-mārge bhakta bhakti kare ye prakāre
tāhā śikhāila līlā-ācaraṇa-dvāre
“Through the pastimes of My own conduct, I will teach how a devotee should practice bhakti om the path of rāga.”
(266)
ei tina tṛṣṇā mora nahila pūraṇa
vijātīya-bhāve nahe tāhā āsvādana
“These three desires of Mine were not fulfilled, for they could not be relished in an contrary mood.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Vijātīya – belonging to another category or class.
(267)
rādhikāra bhāva-kānti aṅgīkāra vine
sei tina sukha kabhu nahe āsvādane
“Without accepting Rādhikā’s inner mood and bodily complexion, these three pleasures cannot be relished.”
(268)
rādhā-bhāva aṅgīkari’ dhari’ tāra varṇa
tina-sukha āsvādite haba avatīrṇa
“By accepting Rādhā’s bhāva and bodily complexion, I shall descend to relish these three types of bliss.”
(269)
sarva-bhāve kaila kṛṣṇa ei ta’ niścaya
hena-kāle āila yugāvatāra-samaya
Considering all these points, Kṛṣṇa confirmed this – at that time, the era of the yugāvatāra arrived.
(270)
sei-kāle śrī-advaita karena ārādhana
tāṅhāra huṅkāre kaila kṛṣṇe ākarṣaṇa
At that time, Śrī Advaita performed worship, and by his loud call, Kṛṣṇa was attracted.
(271–272)
pitā-mātā, guru-gaṇa, āge avatāri’
rādhikāra bhāva-varṇa aṅgīkāra kari’
navadvīpe śacī-garbha-śuddha-dugdha-sindhu
tāhāte prakaṭa hailā kṛṣṇa pūrṇa indu
First, His father, mother, and elders descended. Then, accepting Rādhikā’s inner mood and bodily complexion, He manifested in Navadvīpa, like the full moon within Śacī’s pure womb which was like the ocean of milk.
(273)
ei ta’ kariluṅ ṣaṣṭha ślokera vyākhyāna
śrī-rūpa-gosāira pāda-padma kari’ dhyāna
Thus I have given an explanation to the sixth śloka, meditating upon Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s lotus feet.
(274)
ei dui ślokera āmi ye karila artha
śrī-rūpa-gosāira śloka pramāṇa samartha
This is the meaning I have given for these two ślokas, supported by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s own ślokas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In order to fulfill the three aforementioned kinds of desires, and to teach the devotees the practice of rāga-mārga-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa resolved to appear. At that very time, the age of the yugāvatāra arrived. Then Śrī Advaita Ācārya worshipped Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, accepting the mood and complexion of Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa-candra appeared as the moonlike Gaurāṅga in Navadvīpa, within the womb of Śacī. The meaning explained in the two ślokas of Svarūpa Gosvāmī is being confirmed here through a verse of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.
(275)
apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu
Out of curiosity to taste the indescribable and boundless ocean of sweetness belonging to one among a multitude of His beloved devotees, He concealed His own intrinsic splendour, manifesting instead Her lustre. May that Supreme Lord, who has assumed the form of Śrī Caitanya, show us great mercy. (Dvitīya Caitanyāṣṭakam 3)
(276)
maṅgalācaraṇaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-tattva-lakṣaṇam
prayojanaṁ cāvatāre śloka-ṣaṭkair nirūpitam
The maṅgalācaraṇa containing the characteristics of the tattva of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and the necessity of His avatāra has been described in six ślokas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The maṅgalācaraṇa, the characteristics of the truth of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and the necessity of His advent – these three subjects have been established through six ślokas.”
(277)
śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
Placing his hope in the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa narrates the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Thus ends the Amṛta-pravāha commentary to the fourth chapter
Ādi-Līlā Chapter Four
The Essence of the Fourth Chapter
In this fourth chapter, it is emphatically stated that Śrī Caitanya appeared to accomplish three confidential necessities.
The first explanation is this – “Rādhikā alone is the āśraya (receptacle) of prema for Me. Being the viṣaya (object) of that prema, I am unable to experience the happiness that belongs to the āśraya, thus, I shall relish it by taking support of the bhāva of Rādhikā, who is the āśraya–svarūpa (the very personification of the āśraya).”
The second necessity is this – “That Śrīmatī Rādhikā relishes My own intrinsic sweetness; although that sweetness is captivating to the entire world, I Myself cannot relish it. Therefore, unless I accept Rādhikā’s bhāva and kānti (mood and complexion), that necessity of Mine cannot be fulfilled.”
The third necessity is this – “The pleasure I derive from Śrī Rādhikā’s association is less than the happiness Rādhikā derives from being with Me. Therefore, there exists within Me such an extraordinary and unprecedented rasa that, upon being relished, Rādhikā’s happiness becomes greater. It is not possible for Me to experience that happiness since it is foreign to Me. By accepting Rādhikā’s bhāva and kānti, I will be able to relish Rādhikā’s own nature” – with the desire to fulfil these three confidential desires, Śrī Caitanya descended.
The introduction of the yuga-dharma and to accept the worship of Advaita and the devotees are merely the external reasons that descent. Śrī Svarūpa Gosvāmī was the foremost amongst Mahāprabhu’s antaraṅga-bhaktas (intimate devotees). This profound truth is found in his diary and ślokas. This conclusion has been reinforced through ślokas composed by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.
In this chapter, by demonstrating the philosophical distinction between kāma (lust) and prema, the desire for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure has been distinguished from the concept of kāma.
(1)
śrī-caitanya-prasādena tad-rūpasya vinirṇayam
bālo’pi kurute śāstraṁ dṛṣṭvā vraja-vilāsinaḥ
By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya, even a child can ascertain the nature of He who sports in Vraja, according to the vision of śāstra.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“By Śrī Caitanya’s mercy, even an ignorant person, having first examined the śāstra, becomes capable of ascertaining the true essential nature of Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja.”
(2)
jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Glories, glories to Śrī Caitanya, glories to Nityānanda. Glories to Advaita-candra and the devotees of Gaura.
(3)
caturtha ślokera artha kaila vivaraṇa
pañcama ślokera artha śuna bhakta-gaṇa
I have explained the meaning of the fourth śloka. Now, O devotees, please hear the meaning of the fifth śloka.
(4)
mūla-ślokera artha karite prakāśa
artha lāgāite āge kahiye ābhāsa
Before revealing the meaning of the original śloka, I shall first present a prelude so that the meaning may be properly applied.
(5)
caturtha ślokera artha ei kaila sāra
prema-nāma pracārite ei avatāra
The essential explanation of the fourth śloka is that this avatāra propagates prema–nāma (the Holy Name which bestows divine love).
(6)
satya ei hetu, kintu eho bahiraṅga
āra eka hetu, śuna, āche antaraṅga
This reason is true, however it is external. Listen – there is one more reason which is internal.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In the third chapter, the essential meaning of the fourth śloka has been ascertained as follows – that the avatāra of Gaurāṅga is for the propagation of prema, in other words, prema-bhakti, and the chanting of kṛṣṇa-nāma. That conclusion mentioned there is indeed true – however, that is also external. In other words, it is a superficial meaning, not an esoteric one. There is one internal, or confidential reason; I shall now explain it.
(7)
pūrve yena pṛthivīra bhāra haribāre
kṛṣṇa avatīrṇa hailā śāstrete pracāre
Previously, in order to relieve the burden of the earth, Kṛṣṇa descended, as proclaimed in the śāstra.
(8)
svayaṁ-bhagavānera karma nahe bhāra-haraṇa
sthiti-kartā viṣṇu karena jagat-pālana
Removing the burden is not the function of Svayaṁ Bhagavān; Viṣṇu, the sustainer, performs the maintenance of the universe.
(9)
kintu kṛṣṇera yei haya avatāra-kāla
bhāra-haraṇa-kāla tāte ha-ila miśāla
However, when Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra takes place, the occasion for removing the burden becomes associated with it.
(10)
pūrṇa bhagavān avatare yei kāle
āra saba avatāra tāṅte āsi’ mile
At the time when the Complete Bhagavān descends, all other avatāras come and merge within Him.
(11–12)
nārāyaṇa, catur-vyūha, matsyādy-avatāra
yuga-manvantarāvatāra, yata āche āra
sabe āsi’ kṛṣṇa-aṅge haya avatīrṇa
aiche avatare kṛṣṇa bhagavān pūrṇa
Nārāyaṇa, the catur-vyūha, avatāras such as Matsya etc, the yuga and mānvantara avatāras – all come and manifest within Kṛṣṇa’s form. In this way, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is the complete avatāra.
(13)
ataeva viṣṇu takhana kṛṣṇera śarīre
viṣṇu-dvāre kare kṛṣṇa asura-saṁhāre
Therefore, Viṣṇu, being present in Kṛṣṇa’s body, acts through Him, and Kṛṣṇa destroys the Asuras.
(14)
ānuṣaṅga-karma ei asura-māraṇa
ye lāgi’ avatāra, kahi se mūla kāraṇa
The killing of Asuras is only an incidental activity. The primary reason why the avatāra descends is something else.
(15–16)
prema-rasa-niryāsa karite āsvādana
rāga-mārga bhakti loke karite pracāraṇa
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇa parama-karuṇa
ei dui hetu haite icchāra udgama
To relish the essence of prema-rasa and to propagate bhakti on the path of rāga among the people – Kṛṣṇa, the crest-jewel of the connoisseurs of rasa and the supremely compassionate, desired to appear for these two reasons.
(17)
aiśvarya-jñānete saba jagat miśrita
aiśvarya-śithila-preme nahi mora prīta
“The entire world is combined with the conception of opulence. Yet I do not love this grandeur, which is weakened by prema.”
(18)
āmāre īśvara māne, āpanāke hīna
tāra preme vaśa āmi nā ha-i adhīna
“If one regards Me as the Supreme Controller and oneself as subordinate, I am not dominated by such love, and it does not control Me.”
(19)
āmāke ta’ ye ye bhakta bhaje yei bhāve
tāre se se bhāve bhaji, – e mora svabhāve
“Whichever mood a devotee worships Me in, I reciprocate in that same mood – that is My nature.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
When Svayaṁ Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa descended, at that time the period for the removal of the world’s burden was also present. Viṣṇu, the maintainer, is the appointed authority for removing the burden of the world. The removal of that burden is not the direct work of Svayaṁ Bhagavān. When, at the time of Kṛṣṇa’s descent, the occasion for removing the burden of the earth also arose, then in full Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, the Catur-vyūha – namely Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha – along with the partial avatāras such as Matsya and others, the yugāvatāras and the manvantarāvatāras – all of them descended into the body of Kṛṣṇa. Within that complete form of Bhagavān, all His avatāras –those who are parts and parcels – certainly take shelter; accordingly, Viṣṇu, the preserver who maintains order, existed in the form of Kṛṣṇa. It is only through Viṣṇu that Kṛṣṇa slays all the Asuras. The killing of Asuras is merely an incidental act of Kṛṣṇa’s descent. However, the primary cause of Kṛṣṇa-avatāra is this – in order to taste the distilled essence of prema-rasa, and in order to propagate rāga and bhakti in the world, the supremely connoisseur of rasa and supremely compassionate Kṛṣṇa desired to descend. Kṛṣṇa’s thought like this –the world is pervaded by aiśvarya-jñāna (the concept of reverence for the Supreme). I have no pleasure in the weak love that arises from aiśvarya-jñāna. The devotee who considers himself insignificant and regards Me as God has a love based on aiśvarya; I am never subordinate to such love. As one worships Me in whatever manner, I reciprocate in the same manner – this is My intrinsic nature.”
(20)
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
In whatever way people surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. O Pārtha, all men follow My path. (Bhagavad-gītā 4.11)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha! In whatever way one worships Me, in that same way I become attainable to them; all people, in every respect, follow the path that I Myself have revealed.”
(21-22)
mora putra, mora sakhā, mora prāṇa-pati
ei-bhāve yei more kare śuddha-bhakti
āpanāke baḍa māne, āmāre sama-hīna
sei bhāve ha-i āmi tāhāra adhīna
“‘My son,’ ‘my friend,’ or ‘the Lord of my life’ – whoever renders pure bhakti to Me in these moods, considering himself great and Me as an equal or even less, in that very mood I become subordinate to him.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Those who render pure bhakti in the mood of parental affection, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my son,’ in the mood of friendship, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my companion,’ or in an amorous mood, thinking, ‘Kṛṣṇa is my beloved,’ consider Me insignificant in accordance with the particular rasa and regard themselves as superior. In that very mood, I become subordinate to them.”
Śuddha-bhakti means bhakti characterised as the cultivation of service to Kṛṣṇa that is free from the coverings of jñāna and karma, devoid of all other desires, and endowed with a resolve favourable to Kṛṣṇa.
(23)
mayi bhaktir hi bhūtānām amṛtatvāya kalpate
diṣṭyā yad āsīn mat-sneho bhavatīnāṁ mad-āpanaḥ
“Indeed, bhakti to Me leads living beings to immortality. How fortunate it is that affection for Me has arisen in you, and that you have attained Me as your own.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.82.44)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Devotion to Me is like nectar for the living being. O gopīs! The affection you have for Me alone is the sole cause for your attainment of Me.”
(24)
mātā more putra-bhāve karena bandhana
atihīna-jñāne kare lālana pālana
“My mother, in the mood of seeing Me as a son, binds Me. Considering me as most helpless, she caresses and nourishes Me.”
(25)
sakhā śuddha-sakhye kare, skandhe ārohaṇa
tumi kon baḍa loka, – tumi āmi sama
“A friend, in pure friendship, makes Me climb upon his shoulders. (He says), ‘What sort of great person are You? You and I are equal!’
(26)
priyā yadi māna kari’ karaye bhartsana
veda-stuti haite hare sei mora mana
“When My beloved, out of jealous love, scolds Me, that rebuke steals My mind away more than all the prayers of the Vedas.”
(27–28)
ei śuddha-bhakta lañā karimu avatāra
kariba vividha-vidha adbhuta vihāra
vaikuṇṭhādye nāhi ye ye līlāra pracāra
se se līlā kariba, yāte mora camatkāra
“Taking these pure devotees with Me, I shall descend as an avatāra and perform many kinds of wondrous pastimes. Those līlās which are not manifest in Vaikuṇṭha and other realms – those very līlās I shall enact, in which My own astonishment will arise.”
(29)
mo-viṣaye gopī-gaṇera upapati-bhāve
yoga-māyā karibeka āpana-prabhāve
“Through Her influence, Yogamāyā will inspire a mood in the gopīs that I am their paramour.”
(30)
āmiha nā jāni tāhā, nā jāne gopī-gaṇa
duṅhāra rūpa-guṇe duṅhāra nitya hare mana
“Neither I or the gopīs know this – our minds are eternally stolen by each other’s forms and qualities.”
(31)
dharma chāḍi’ rāge duṅhe karaye milana
kabhu mile, kabhu nā mile, – daivera ghaṭana
Abandoning dharma, the two meet in passionate attachment; sometimes they meet, and sometimes they do not – this occurs by the arrangement of destiny.
(32)
ei saba rasa-niryāsa kariba āsvāda
ei dvāre kariba saba bhaktere prasāda
I shall relish the essence of all these mellows, and through this, I shall bestow mercy upon all devotees.
(33)
vrajera nirmala rāga śuni’ bhakta-gaṇa
rāga-mārge bhaje yena chāḍi’ dharma-karma
Hearing of the pure loving attachment of Vraja, the devotees will worship on the path of rāga, giving up conventional religious duties and ritualistic actions.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“In the higher realms of Vaikuṇṭha, such as Vaikuṇṭha-Goloka, any pastimes that have not been propagated, I manifest in this kṛṣṇāvatāra. Even I Myself become astonished at these pastimes. My Yogamāyā, the svarūpa-śakti, in an inconceivable way, will, according to My desire, instill moods of intimacy in the hearts of My eternal beloved gopīs. Even I, for the sake of savouring the rasa, cannot fully know it – in other words, My acintya-śakti conceals My omniscience and produces a unique transcendental rasa, and even the gopīs cannot fully perceive it. Through these wondrous exchanges between Myself and the gopīs, stealing each other’s hearts by our extraordinary qualities, the slightest departure from ordinary duties occurs, and by the path of pure rāga, the bliss of union with one another arises. Sometimes there is union, sometimes separation, as if by the play of divine circumstances. I relish the essence of all these rasas and being pleased, I distribute them to the devotees. The process by which all devotees receive this rasa is as follows – the pure rāga that I manifest in Vraja, when heard by the devotees, causes them to abandon ordinary duties and, following the path of rāga, they engage in my bhajana.”
(34)
anugrahāya bhaktānāṁ mānuṣaṁ deham āśritaḥ
bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍā yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet
To bestow mercy upon His devotees, He accepts a human-like form and performs such pastimes that, upon hearing them, one becomes wholly devoted to Him.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“To grace the devotees, Bhagavān, manifests in a human form, and reveals the rāsa-līlā. Those qualified devotees, upon hearing about these pastimes, will worship those very pastimes.”
(35)
‘bhavet’ kriyā vidhiliṅ, sei ihā kaya
kartavya avaśya ei, anyathā pratyavāya
The verb bhavet is in the imperative, indicating obligation – this must certainly be done; otherwise, there is fault.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In the above śloka, the verb form bhavet is used with the optative mood. Thus, it is to be understood as an obligatory action. Otherwise, if it is not performed, there is an implied defect, or fault.
(36–37)
ei vāñchā yaiche kṛṣṇa-prākaṭya-kāraṇa
asura-saṁhāra – ānuṣaṅga prayojana
ei mata caitanya-kṛṣṇa pūrṇa bhagavān
yuga-dharma-pravartana nahe tāṅra kāma
Just as this desire is the cause of Kṛṣṇa’s appearance, the destruction of the Asuras is only a secondary purpose. Similarly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is fully Bhagavān Himself, and the propagation of the yuga-dharma is not His primary purpose.
(38)
kona kāraṇe yabe haila avatāre mana
yuga-dharma-kāla haila se kāle milana
When He desired to descend for some reason, that time coincided with the age meant for establishing the yuga-dharma.
(39)
dui hetu avatari’ lañā bhakta-gaṇa
āpane āsvāde prema-nāma-saṅkīrtana
Thus, for two reasons He descended with His devotees – to relish prema Himself, and to propagate prema-nāma-saṅkīrtana.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
During the Kṛṣṇa-avatāra, the way Kṛṣṇa appeared according His desire, the destruction of Asuras was not the primary necessity; it was only an incidental requirement. Similarly, during the Gaura-avatāra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is fully Bhagavān. Initiating the yuga-dharma in the form of nāma-kīrtana was not His own primary function. However, when for some hidden reason, Bhagavān decided to descend, and by coincidence, the period for the yuga-dharma had arrived. Therefore, for two reasons – Gaurāṅga’s confidential intimate necessity, and the external necessity of propagating the yuga-dharma – He descended, and relished it together with the devotees in the moods of prema and nāma-kīrtana.
(40)
sei dvāre ācaṇḍāle kīrtana sañcāre
nāma-prema-mālā gāṅthi’ parāila saṁsāre
Thus, He spread kīrtana even among the low-class dog-eaters, stringing a garland of nāma-prema, and placing it upon the entire world.
(41)
ei-mata bhakta-bhāva kari’ aṅgīkāra
āpani ācari’ bhakti karila pracāra
In this way, accepting the mood of a devotee, He personally practiced bhakti and thus propagated bhakti.
(42)
dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, āra ye śṛṅgāra
cāri prema, catur-vidha bhakta-i ādhāra
Servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love – these four types prema are the foundations of four kinds of devotees.
(43)
nija nija bhāva sabe śreṣṭha kari’ māne
nija-bhāve kare kṛṣṇa-sukha āsvādane
Each considers their own mood to be the highest, and in that mood they relish the happiness of Kṛṣṇa.
(44)
taṭastha haiyā mane vicāra yadi kari
saba rasa haite śṛṅgāre adhika mādhurī
However, from an impartial consideration, conjugal love possesses greater sweetness than all other rasas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Of the four kinds of rasas – dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and madhura – each one appears supreme to the respective devotees in terms of their relishing of Kṛṣṇa’s bliss. But when viewed impartially, in other words, from a detached standpoint, the sweetness of the madhura-rasa, or śṛṅgāra-rasa, is established as supreme above the other three rasas.
(45)
yathottaram asau svāda-viśeṣollāsamayy api
ratir vāsanayā svādvī bhāsate kāpi kasyacit
Although each successive rasa is increasingly filled with special relish, due to one’s particular inclination, a specific attachment appears especially sweet to a given individual.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Joyous pleasure (rati) is perceived as progressively increasing in enjoyment. In particular places, according to the sequence of desire, that rati becomes a supreme experience and manifests in the form of madhura-rasa.
(46)
ataeva madhura rasa kahi tāra nāma
svakīyā-parakīyā-bhāve dvi-vidha saṁsthāna
Therefore it is called madhura–rasa, and it exists in two forms – within marriage (svakīyā) and outside marriage (parakīya).
(47)
parakīyā-bhāve ati rasera ullāsa
vraja vinā ihāra anyatra nāhi vāsa
In the mood of parakīya there is the highest ecstasy of rasa, and apart from Vraja, it is found nowhere else.
(48)
vraja-vadhū-gaṇera ei bhāva niravadhi
tāra madhye śrī-rādhāya bhāvera avadhi
Among the women of Vraja, this mood exists without limit, and among them, Śrī Rādhā is the ultimate limit of that mood.
(49)
prauḍha nirmala-bhāva prema sarvottama
kṛṣṇera mādhurya-rasa-āsvāda-kāraṇa
Mature, pure prema in this mood is the highest, and it is the cause of relishing Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness.
(50)
ataeva sei bhāva aṅgīkāra kari’
sādhilena nija vāñchā gaurāṅga-śrī-hari
Therefore, accepting that very mood, Śrī Gaurāṅga Hari fulfilled His own inner desire.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Since the sweetness of śṛṅgāra-rasa surpasses that of the other three rasas, it is called madhura-rasa. This madhura-rasa has a twofold manifestation – svakīya and pārakīya.
When madhura-rasa manifests in the consciousness of being married to Kṛṣṇa, it is called svakīya-madhura-rasa. When it manifests in the consciousness of being an upapati (paramour) of Kṛṣṇa, it is called pārakīya-madhura-rasa.
The authorities on madhura-rasa have unanimously concluded that in pārakīya–bhāva, the enjoyment is greater. There is no place for this rasa elsewhere except in Vraja. Some think that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being eternally of Goloka, appeared in Vraja only for a short time to enact these pārakīya pastimes. This is not according to the views of the Gosvāmīs. According to revered Gosvāmīs, the pastimes of Vraja are also eternal. Vraja is the name of a most intimate chamber within the eternal, spiritual realm of Goloka. Just as Kṛṣṇa’s līlās are enacted in the manifested world, in the eternal realm of Vraja those same pastimes eternally prevail. In Vraja, pārakīya–rasa has its eternal abode.
Śrī Kavirāja Gosvāmī states in the third chapter:
aṣṭāviṁśa catur-yuge dvāpare śeṣe
vrajera sahite haya kṛṣṇera prakāśe
At the end of the twenty-eighth catur-yuga, Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself along with Vraja. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.10)
The phrase, vrajera sahite (‘along with Vraja’) clearly indicates that there is an inconceivable, transcendental seat in Goloka called Vraja. By His own cit-śakti, Kṛṣṇa descended into the material realm along with that seat. Apart from this eternal Vraja, pārakīya-rasa has no other place, because there the rasa exists in qualities far superior to Goloka.
The distinctions of the unmanifest Vraja are perceptible in the manifested Vraja by the jīva. That is the only difference. The culmination of the mood of the maids of Vraja, that is, the topmost limit, is in Śrī Rādhā. Śrī Rādhā’s prema within the realm of Vraja, characterised by its mature and pristine purity, is supreme. The attainment of the fullest possible taste of Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya-rasa is the underlying cause of this. Therefore, accepting this bhāva, Gaurāṅga Śrī Hari Himself fulfilled His own will.
(51)
sureśānāṁ durgaṁ gatir atiśayenopaniṣadāṁ
munīnāṁ sarva-svaṁ praṇata-paṭalīnāṁ madhurimā
viniryāsaḥ premṇo nikhila-paśu-pālāmbuja-dṛśāṁ
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam
He is difficult to attain even for the demigods. He is the supreme goal of the Upaniṣads, the very wealth of the sages, and the sweetness of those who bow down to Him. He is the distilled essence of the love of the lotus-eyed cowherd maidens. Will that Śrī Caitanya again appear before my eyes? (Prathama Caitanyāṣṭaka 2)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Will that Caitanya-candra – who is difficult to perceive even for the gods, hard to comprehend even for the scholars of the Upaniṣads, the all-in-all of the munis, the sweetness for the devotees who have fallen at His feet, and the embodiment of the very nectar of love as seen in the eyes of the maidens of Vraja – again become visible to my eyes?”
(52)
apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu
“Out of curiosity, He stole the boundless wealth of rasa from a certain group of lovers to relish its sweetness Himself. Adopting their mood and manifesting their effulgence, may that Lord, who has appeared as Śrī Caitanya, bestow His supreme mercy upon us. (Dvitīya Caitanyāṣṭaka 3)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“May that intrigued Kṛṣṇa – who delighted in relishing the nectarean emotions of His beloved, and who, in the hope of experiencing a particular type of madhura-rasa, appeared in the form of Caitanya, accepting the effulgence of Śrī Rādhā while concealing His own complexion – bestow special mercy upon us.”
(53)
bhāva-grahaṇera hetu kaila dharma-sthāpana
tāra mukhya hetu kahi, śuna sarva-jana
He established dharma as a means to accept devotional moods; now I shall explain the primary reason for this – please listen everyone.
(54)
mūla hetu āge ślokera kaila ābhāsa
ebe kahi sei ślokera artha prakāśa
Previously I gave an indication of the root cause through a śloka; now I will explain the meaning of that śloka clearly.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“With the specific intent of accepting the bhāva of Śrī Rādhā, He undertook the mission of establishing dharma. I have explained the principal purpose of that activity. Up to this point, I have given an indication of the main reason through that śloka.”
(55)
rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād
ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ
rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam
Rādhā is the manifestation of love for Kṛṣṇa and She is His hlādinī-śakti. Although They are inherently One, and existed as such in this world, their two separate forms are now united as one in Śrī Caitanya. I offer obeisance unto He who is Kṛṣṇa Himself adorned with the heart and halo of Rādhā. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.5)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The hlādini-śakti is a transformation of the love of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. By virtue of that potency, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, although intrinsically one in essence, according to the eternal principle of līlā, They eternally exist as two distinct realities. Recently, these two tattvas have manifested together in one form as caitanya-tattva. Therefore, I offer my obeisance unto that Gaurasundara, who is the svarūpa of Kṛṣṇa, who has accepted the mood and radiance of Rādhā.”
(56)
rādhā-kṛṣṇa eka ātmā, dui deha dhari’
anyonye vilase rasa āsvādana kari’
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one ātmā, yet They assume two bodies, and They delight in relishing rasa through Their mutual pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Anyonye means ‘mutually.’ The grammatical meaning of these verses is clear, but the inherent meaning is profound. Rādhā is the potency, and Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of potency. Śakti-śaktimator’bhedaḥ – the meaning of this statement of the Vedānta is that by no means can the potency be separated from the possessor of the potency. Yet through the avicintya-śakti (inconceivable potency), in order to relish the rasa of pastimes, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are eternally separate and yet simultaneously one.
(57)
sei dui eka ebe caitanya gosāi
rasa āsvādite doṅhe hailā eka-ṭhāṅi
Those two have now become one as Śrī Caitanya Gosāi, uniting in a single form to relish that rasa.
(58)
ithi lāgi’ āge kari tāra vivaraṇa
yāhā haite haya gaurera mahimā-kathana
Therefore, I will first describe this in detail, by which the glories of Śrī Gaurāṅga may be properly understood.
(59)
rādhikā hayena kṛṣṇera praṇaya-vikāra
svarūpa-śakti – ‘hlādinī’ nāma yāṅhāra
Śrī Rādhikā is the transformation of Kṛṣṇa’s love. She is His internal potency, known as the hlādinī-śakti.
(60)
hlādinī karāya kṛṣṇe ānandāsvādana
hlādinīra dvārā kare bhaktera poṣaṇa
Through the hlādinī-śakti, Kṛṣṇa relishes bliss, and by that same potency, He nourishes His devotees.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Rādhā, in the true sense, is Hladinī, Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-śakti. She bears that name because she keeps Kṛṣṇa immersed in supreme bliss. Again, she is characterised by the function of nourishing the inherent love of the jīvas, who are separated parts of Kṛṣṇa.
(61)
sac-cid-ānanda, pūrṇa, kṛṣṇera svarūpa
eka-i cic-chakti tāṅra dhare tina rūpa
Kṛṣṇa’s essential nature is complete eternity, knowledge, and bliss (sat-cit-ānanda). His singular spiritual potency (cit-śakti) manifests in three forms.
(62)
ānandāṁśe hlādinī, sad-aṁśe sandhinī
cid-aṁśe samvit – yāre jñāna kari’ māni
In its bliss aspect it is called hlādinī, in its existence aspect sandhinī, and in its consciousness aspect samvit – this is understood to be knowledge.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The Absolute Truth is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is sat-cit-ānanda. That same cit-śakti, first in its sat portion, appears as sandhinī – in other words, the expander of existence, from the cit portion – the form of full knowledge – in the form of samvit-tattva, meaning Kṛṣṇa’s essential nature (svarūpa-tattva), and from the ānanda-portion, hlādinī, which is the bestower of delight to that svarūpa-tattva.
(63)
hlādinī sandhinī samvit tvayy ekā sarva-saṁsthitau
hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite
O Lord – hlādinī, sandhinī, and samvit exist in You as one unified potency. The mixed material energy, which produces pleasure and pain, does not exist in You, for You are beyond the guṇas. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.12.69)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Bhagavān! You who are the shelter of all, who are nirguṇa – in You, the three functions of hlādinī, sandhinī, and samvit, are all of the nature of pure consciousness. The jīva, who is a particle of consciousness fit to be overpowered by māyā, becoming covered by māyā and taking shelter of the three modes of māyā, attains a condition in which that potency assumes three kinds of states – ‘pleasure-giving,’ ‘distress-giving,’ and ‘mixed.’ But in You, who are beyond all guṇas, that potency exists as pure and of a nirguṇa nature, in a unified form.”
(64)
sandhinīra sāra aṁśa – ‘śuddha-sattva’ nāma
bhagavānera sattā haya yāhāte viśrāma
The essential aspect of sandhinī is called śuddha-sattva, in which the existence of the Supreme Lord is established and rests.
(65)
mātā, pitā, sthāna, gṛha, śayyāsana āra
e-saba kṛṣṇera śuddha-sattvera vikāra
Mother, father, abode, home, bed, seat – all these are transformations of Kṛṣṇa’s śuddha-sattva potency.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The essence of the sandhinī-śakti, which expands existence, is called śuddha-sattva. Sattva is of two kinds – mixed sattva and pure sattva. The very existence of an entity is called sattva. Without the function of sandhinī, existence cannot be there. The manifestation of Bhagavān’s existence is also the function of that sandhinī. The function of sandhinī within pure cit-tattva is called śuddha-sattva. The mother, father, place, residence, bed, and seat of Bhagavān are transformations of Kṛṣṇa’s śuddha-sattva – in other words, specific forms of its function.
In this context, for clearly understanding this principle, it should be further known that the sandhinī belonging to the svarūpa (that is, of the cit-śakti) has manifested all existence in the spiritual realm – that is, the conscious form of Bhagavān, and the existence of all conscious forms such as His servants, maidservants, companions, father, mother, and so on. The sandhinī belonging to the māyā-śakti has expanded all material existence in the mundane world, and the sandhinī belonging to the jīva-śakti has expanded the existence of the jīva as a particle of consciousness.
(66)
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditaṁ
yad īyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ
sattve ca tasmin bhagavān vāsudevo
hy adhokṣajo me manasā vidhīyate
Pure consciousness is known as Vasudeva, because it reveals the Supreme Person without any covering. In that consciousness, I worshipped Bhagavān Vāsudeva, who transcends the mundane senses, by offering my respects. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.3.23)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Mahādeva has said – “From the influence of the sandhinī belonging to Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti arises that eternal principle in the form of śuddha-sattva; its name is ‘Vasudeva.’ In that śuddha-sattva, Bhagavān, whose nature is consciousness, eternally manifests. His name is Vāsudeva. He is beyond all material and māyika senses. With a heart purified by bhakti, I offer obeisance unto Him.”
The purport is this –Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa and so on are the eternal functions of the sandhinī belonging to His svarūpa-śakti.
(67)
kṛṣṇe bhagavattā-jñāna – saṁvitera sāra
brahma-jñānādika saba tāra parivāra
Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord is the essence of the samvit potency; knowledge of impersonal Brahman and other conceptions are its subordinate aspects.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The function of samvit is called knowledge. There are two observers – Kṛṣṇa and the jīva. Kṛṣṇa’s perception is based on complete knowledge. Therefore, there is no separation from reality in His act of perception, hence His knowledge is called ‘a mere glance.’ In the jīva’s perception there are many separations – therefore, his perception is called ‘knowledge in the form of cognition’(sabedana-svarūpa-jñāna). That knowledge is of three kinds – direct knowledge (sākṣāt-jñāna), indirect knowledge (vyatireka-jñāna), and distorted knowledge (vikṛta-jñāna).
The knowledge of material objects that the jīva obtains through the material senses is never pure, therefore, it is distorted – it is a distorted function of samvit belonging to the māyā–śakti. Knowledge of that which is non-differentiated (nirviśeṣa-jñāna) is meagre, because it is dependent upon its relationship with material knowledge. It is only a function of the jīva’s own samvit-śakti and therefore incomplete. These kinds of knowledge are called brahma-jñāna, ātma-jñāna, nirviśeṣa-jñāna, abheda-jñāna, etc.
When the samvit-śakti of the cit attribute, united with hlādinī, bestows grace upon the jīva, then knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s divine nature arises. Therefore, that alone is the essence of samvit. Brahma-jñāna (knowledge of Brahman) and viṣaya-jñāna (knowledge of material objects) are its accessories – in other words, coverings according to different stages.
(68)
hlādinīra sāra ‘prema’, prema-sāra ‘bhāva’
bhāvera parama-kāṣṭhā, nāma – ‘mahā-bhāva’
The essence of hlādinī is prema, the essence of prema is bhāva, and the highest limit of bhāva is called mahā-bhāva.
(69)
mahābhāva-svarūpā śrī-rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī
sarva-guṇa-khani kṛṣṇa-kāntā-śiromaṇi
Śrī Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī is the very embodiment of mahā-bhāva; She is the mine of all virtues and the crest-jewel among Kṛṣṇa’s beloveds.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The activity of hladinī is called prema. That prema is of two kinds – pure prema and mixed prema. When the hladinī potency, directed toward Kṛṣṇa, gives Him bliss and simultaneously, together with pure consciousness, showers mercy upon the jīva, then the jīva attains kṛṣṇa-prema.
When the activity of hladinī within the jīva is diverted by the māyā potency and attracts the jīva toward material objects, the jīva becomes engrossed in mundane love and is thereby deprived of kṛṣṇa-prema, falling under the sway of happiness and distress.
The devotees’ love and vision are manifested in the circle of gopīs in Vraja; among them, Śrī Rādhā is the foremost. The essence of hladinī in her conscious form is prema, the essence of love is bhāva, and the supreme height of that emotion is mahābhāva – that is Śrīmati Rādhikā Thākuraṇī. She is the repository of all qualities and the crest-jewel of Kṛṣṇa’s beloveds.
(70)
tayor apy ubhayor madhye rādhikā sarvathādhikā
mahābhāva-svarūpeyaṁ guṇair ativarīyasī
Among the two (Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa), Śrī Rādhikā is in every way superior. As the embodiment of mahā-bhāva, She excels in all qualities.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Among the vraja-vilāsinī gopīs, Candrāvalī and Rādhikā are the foremost; and among these two, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is supreme in all respects. She is the embodiment of mahābhāva, and no other gopī possesses qualities equal to Hers.
(71)
kṛṣṇa-prema-bhāvita yāṅra cittendriya-kāya
kṛṣṇa-nija-śakti rādhā krīḍāra sahāya
Her mind, senses, and body are completely imbued with love for Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Rādhā is Kṛṣṇa’s own internal potency and the assistant in His pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrīmatī Rādhikā is fully spiritual – unlike the material living entities of the insentient world, She does not have a mind composed of material senses, a material body, or a subtle body. In Her spiritual nature, She possesses a pure spiritual mind, spiritual senses, and a spiritual body. Her mind and senses are pervaded by Kṛṣṇa’s prema. She is Kṛṣṇa’s own potency, and therefore the sole assistant in His pastimes. A being endowed with potency cannot perform any pastime separated from the source of potency (Kṛṣṇa). The svarūpa-śakti’s sandhinī manifests Kṛṣṇa’s spiritual form. When Kṛṣṇa performs pastimes with that form, what can He do without Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s help? Therefore, Rādhikā alone assists Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
(72)
ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
I worship Govinda, the original Person, eternally resides in His abode of Goloka and is always absorbed in the rasa of divine bliss and consciousness with Rādhā, His own counterpart. She is non-different from Him, the personification of the hlādinī-śākti, and endowed with the sixty-four arts, along with Her personal expansions, the sakhīs. Govinda regards them all as His very self. (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.37)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I worship that Govinda, the original Person, who eternally resides in Goloka in His own spiritual form, along with the gopīs who are manifested by rasa of divine bliss and consciousness and who are fully absorbed in His own spiritual nature.”
(73)
kṛṣṇere karāya yaiche rasa āsvādana
krīḍāra sahāya yaiche, śuna vivaraṇa
Now hear an explanation of how they assist Kṛṣṇa in relishing rasa and in His pastimes.
(74–75)
kṛṣṇa-kāntā-gaṇa dekhi tri-vidha prakāra
eka lakṣmī-gaṇa, pure mahiṣī-gaṇa āra
vrajāṅganā-rūpa, āra kāntā-gaṇa-sāra
śrī-rādhikā haite kāntā-gaṇera vistāra
The lovers of Kṛṣṇa are seen in three categories – the Lakṣmīs, the queens of Dvārakā, and the vraja-gopīs, who are the essence of all consorts. All these groups expand from Śrī Rādhikā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Āra means of another type, a third type – in other words, the residents of Vraja. They are the essence of all types of lovers, meaning, the best.
(76)
avatārī kṛṣṇa yaiche kare avatāra
aṁśinī rādhā haite tina gaṇera vistāra
Just as Kṛṣṇa, the source of all avatāras, expands into various avatāras, similarly these three groups expand from Śrī Rādhā, who is the source of His energies.
(77)
vaibhava-gaṇa yena tāṅra aṅga-vibhūti
bimba-pratibimba-rūpa mahiṣīra tati
The vaibhava expansions are like manifestations of Her limbs, while the queens are like reflections of the original form.
(78)
lakṣmī-gaṇa tāṅra vaibhava-vilāsāṁśa-rūpa
mahiṣī-gaṇa vaibhava-prakāśa-svarūpa
The Lakṣmīs are expansions of Her vaibhava-vilāsa, while the queens are manifestations of Her vaibhava-prakāśa forms.
(79)
ākāra svabhāva-bhede vraja-devī-gaṇa
kāya-vyūha-rūpa tāṅra rasera kāraṇa
The goddesses of Vraja, differing in form and nature, are bodily expansions (kāya-vyūha) of Her, and they are the cause of Her rasa pastimes.
(80)
bahu kāntā vinā nahe rasera ullāsa
līlāra sahāya lāgi’ bahuta prakāśa
Without many consorts, there is no full expansion of rasa; therefore, She manifests many for the assistance of Her pastimes.
(81)
tāra madhye vraje nānā bhāva-rasa-bhede
kṛṣṇake karāya rāsādika-līlāsvāde
Among them, in Vraja, through various moods and rasas, they enable Kṛṣṇa to relish pastimes such as the rāsa-līlā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa, the source of all avatāras, expands into various male avatāras; in the same way, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the aṁśinī (source) of all consorts – in other words, the Lakṣmīs, the queens, and the maidens of Vraja. These consorts are enumerated among Her opulences, as expansions of Her form. The queens are Her expansions and are reflections of Her image.
The underlying principle is this – the Lakṣmīs are Her vaibhava-vilāsa (manifestations of Her opulent aspects), and the queens are Her prabhāva-prakāsa (manifestations of Her power). The Goddesses of Vraja are manifestations of Her own form and nature, and they are the cause of rasa. Without many beloveds, the pleasures of rasa cannot arise, and for this reason, many such manifestations of Her are seen as assistants to the līlā. Among the rasas, vraja-rasa is the highest. According to various bhāvas and rasas, She enables Kṛṣṇa to relish pastimes such as the rāsa-līlā etc.
(82)
govindānandinī rādhā, govinda-mohinī
govinda-sarvasva, sarva-kāntā-śiromaṇi
Śrī Rādhā gives pleasure to Govinda, enchants Govinda, is the very essence of Govinda, and is the crest-jewel of all His beloveds.
(83)
devī kṛṣṇa-mayī proktā rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva-kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
She is called the divine goddess, pervaded by Kṛṣṇa; Śrī Rādhikā is the supreme deity, the embodiment of all Lakṣmīs, the source of all beauty, and the supreme enchantress. (Bṛhad-gautamīya Tantra)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“That supreme Goddess, Rādhikā Devī is described as sākṣāt-kṛṣṇamayī (directly non-different from Kṛṣṇa), sarva-lakṣmīmayī (the personification of all Lakṣmīs), sarva-kānti (all-splendorous), kṛṣṇa-sammohinī (the enchanter of Kṛṣṇa), and parāśakti (the supreme potency).”
(84)
‘devī’ kahi dyotamānā, paramā sundarī
kimvā, kṛṣṇa-pūjā-krīḍāra vasati nagarī
The word devī indicates that She is effulgent and supremely beautiful. Or it may mean that She is the abode where Kṛṣṇa’s worship and pastimes reside.
(85)
kṛṣṇa-mayī – kṛṣṇa yāra bhitare bāhire
yāṅhā yāṅhā netra paḍe tāṅhā kṛṣṇa sphure
She is Kṛṣṇa-mayī – Kṛṣṇa is within and without Her. Wherever Her eyes fall, Kṛṣṇa is manifest there.
(86)
kimvā, prema-rasa-maya kṛṣṇera svarūpa
tāṅra śakti tāṅra saha haya eka-rūpa
Or, since Kṛṣṇa’s nature is filled with prema-rasa, His potency is non-different from Him and becomes one with Him.
(87)
kṛṣṇa-vāñchā-pūrti-rūpa kare ārādhane
ataeva ‘rādhikā’ nāma purāṇe vākhāne
She fulfills all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires through Her worship. Therefore, in the Purāṇas She is named ‘Rādhikā.’
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
She is called ‘Devī’ because She is supremely beautiful with lustre, or because She serves as the very abode of the pastimes that constitutes the worship of Kṛṣṇa. The word kṛṣṇamayī has two meanings – one meaning is ‘she in whose interior and exterior Kṛṣṇa resides, and wherever Her glance falls, there Kṛṣṇa’s bliss manifests.’ Or ‘She whose own nature is filled with the rasa of Kṛṣṇa’s love, and Her power is of the same essence as Kṛṣṇa’ – this is the second meaning of kṛṣṇamayī. Her name ‘Rādhikā’ is derived from the act of worship (ārādhana), specifically in the sense of fulfilling Kṛṣṇa’s desires.
(88)
anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ
“Surely this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped Lord Hari, for Govinda, being pleased with Her, has taken Her alone to a secluded place, leaving us behind.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.30.28)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O friend! She whom Śrī Kṛṣṇa took away into seclusion, abandoning us, must indeed have worshipped Lord Hari more than all others.” The inner meaning is this – “Because She is the crest-jewel among Kṛṣṇa’s lovers, thus Her name has become ‘Rādhikā.’”
(89)
ataeva sarva-pūjyā, parama-devatā
sarva-pālikā, sarva jagatera mātā
Thus, She is worshipable by all, the supreme Deity, the maintainer of all, and the mother of the entire universe.
(90)
‘sarva-lakṣmī’-śabda pūrve kariyāchi vyākhyāna
sarva-lakṣmī-gaṇera tiṅho hana adhiṣṭhāna
The term sarva-lakṣmī has already been explained – She is the foundation and source of all the Lakṣmīs.
(91)
kimvā, ‘sarva-lakṣmī’ – kṛṣṇera ṣaḍ-vidha aiśvarya
tāṅra adhiṣṭhātrī śakti – sarva-śakti-varya
Or, sarva-lakṣmī refers to Kṛṣṇa’s sixfold opulences. She is the presiding potency of them all – the supreme among all energies.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Rādhikā is the shelter of all the Lakṣmīs, or the phrase sarva-lakṣmī means the sixfold opulences of Kṛṣṇa – She is the presiding potency of Kṛṣṇa.
(92)
sarva-saundarya-kānti vaisaye yāṅhāte
sarva-lakṣmī-gaṇera śobhā haya yāṅhā haite
All beauty and splendour reside in Her, and from Her arises the beauty of all the Lakṣmīs.
(93)
kimvā ‘kānti’-śabde kṛṣṇera saba icchā kahe
kṛṣṇera sakala vāñchā rādhātei rahe
Or, the word kānti indicates all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires – indeed, all His desires reside in Śrī Rādhā.
(94)
rādhikā karena kṛṣṇera vāñchita pūraṇa
‘sarva-kānti’-śabdera ei artha vivaraṇa
Śrī Rādhikā fulfills all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires; this is the meaning of the term ‘sarva-kānti.’
(95)
jagat-mohana kṛṣṇa, tāṅhāra mohinī
ataeva samastera parā ṭhākurāṇī
Kṛṣṇa enchants the entire universe, and She enchants Him; therefore, She is the supreme goddess of all.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Ataeva samastera parā ṭhākurāṇī – up to this point, the meaning of each word of the śloka beginning with devī kṛṣṇa-mayī have been examined.
(96)
rādhā – pūrṇa-śakti, kṛṣṇa – pūrṇa-śaktimān
dui vastu bheda nāi, śāstra-paramāṇa
Rādhā is the complete potency, and Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of that complete potency; the scriptures affirm that there is no difference between Them.
(97-98)
mṛgamada, tāra gandha – yaiche aviccheda
agni, jvālāte – yaiche kabhu nāhi bheda
rādhā-kṛṣṇa aiche sadā eka-i svarūpa
līlā-rasa āsvādite dhare dui-rūpa
Just as musk and its fragrance are inseparable, and as fire and its flame are never different, similarly, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are always one in essence, but They assume two forms to relish the nectar of Their pastimes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Just as musk and its fragrance, though two separate things, are nevertheless inseparable, and just as fire and its flame, though distinct, are likewise inseparable, in the same way Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, though eternally distinct for the tasting of the rasa of pastimes, are of one and the same essence.
(99–100)
prema-bhakti śikhāite āpane avatari
rādhā-bhāva-kānti dui aṅgīkāra kari’
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-rūpe kaila avatāra
ei ta’ pañcama ślokera artha paracāra
To teach prema-bhakti, He personally descends, accepting both the mood and complexion of Rādhā. Thus He appears as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya – this is the explanation of the fifth śloka.
(101)
ṣaṣṭha ślokera artha karite prakāśa
prathame kahiye sei ślokera ābhāsa
Now, to reveal the meaning of the sixth śloka, I will first give an indication of that verse.
(102)
avatari’ prabhu pracārila saṅkīrtana
eho bāhya hetu, pūrve kariyāchi sūcana
The Lord, who is the source of all avatāras, descended and propagated saṅkīrtana. This is an external reason, as I have already indicated.
(103)
avatārera āra eka āche mukhya-bīja
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇera sei kārya nija
There is another primary cause of His avatāra – this is the personal purpose of Kṛṣṇa, the supreme relisher of rasa.
(104)
ati gūḍha hetu sei tri-vidha prakāra
dāmodara-svarūpa haite yāhāra pracāra
That most confidential reason is of three kinds, and it is revealed through Svarūpa Dāmodara.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The primary reason for the avatāra of Gaura is extremely confidential. That reason is threefold. Its essence is later expressed in the verse, śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā.
(105)
svarūpa-gosāi – prabhura ati antaraṅga
tāhāte jānena prabhura e-saba prasaṅga
Svarūpa Gosāi is the Lord’s most intimate associate, and thus he knows all these topics concerning the Lord.
(106)
rādhikāra bhāva-mūrti prabhura antara
sei bhāve sukha-duḥkha uṭhe nirantara
Internally, the Lord is the very form of Rādhā’s bhāva, and in that mood, waves of joy and sorrow constantly arise.
(107)
śeṣa-līlāya prabhura kṛṣṇa-viraha-unmāda
bhrama-maya ceṣṭā, āra pralāpa-maya vāda
In His final pastimes, the Lord was maddened by separation from Kṛṣṇa, displaying bewildered actions and speaking in delirium.
(108)
rādhikāra bhāva yaiche uddhava-darśane
sei bhāve matta prabhu rahe rātri-dine
Just as Rādhā exhibited Her mood upon seeing Uddhava, in that same mood the Lord remained absorbed day and night.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to convey news of His well-being, sent Uddhava from Mathurā to the gopīs. Śrīmātī Rādhikā, upon seeing Uddhava, displayed most extraordinary emotions.
(109)
rātre pralāpa kare svarūpera kaṇṭha dhari’
āveśe āpana bhāva kahaye ughāḍi’
At night He would speak in divine madness, grasping Svarūpa’s neck, and in deep ecstasy He would openly reveal His inner feelings.
(110)
yabe yei bhāva uṭhe prabhura antara
sei gīti-śloke sukha dena dāmodara
Whenever a particular mood arose within the Lord, Svarūpa Dāmodara would recite appropriate songs and verses to give Him relief.
(111)
ebe kārya nāhi kichu e-saba vicāre
āge ihā vivariba kariyā vistāre
There is necessity to discuss this now. First, I will explain them in detail.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Age ihā means in the Antya-līlā.
(112)
pūrve vraje kṛṣṇera tri-vidha vayo-dharma
kaumāra, paugaṇḍa, āra kaiśora atimarma
Earlier in Vraja, Kṛṣṇa’s activities were performed according to three stages of age – childhood (kaumāra), pre-adolescence (paugaṇḍa), and early youth (kaiśora), the most confidential stage.
(113)
vātsalya-āveśe kaila kaumāra saphala
paugaṇḍa saphala kaila lañā sakhāvala
The mood of vātsalya made his childhood pastimes successful. The pre-adolescent stage was successful with His friends.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Up to five years of age is kaumāra (childhood); up to ten years is paugaṇḍa (pre-adolescence’); from the eleventh to the sixteenth year is kaiśora (youth); thereafter there is yauvaṇa (adulthood). Vātsalya manifests in childhood, sakhya in pre-adolescence, and in youth, śṛṅgāra–rasa.
(114)
rādhikādi lañā kaila rāsādi-vilāsa
vāñchā bhari’ āsvādila rasera niryāsa
Along with Rādhikā and the other gopīs, He enacted the rāsa-līlā, and relished the full outpouring of rasa according to His desires.
(115)
kaiśora-vayase kāma, jagat-sakala
rāsādi-līlāya tina karila saphala
In the kaiśora years, He made all three of His ages, and the whole universe, successful by the rāsa-līlā etc.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kāma means that Kṛṣṇa is directly Kāmadeva, who acts according to His own will, and by performing the rāsa-līlā etc. in his kaiśora years, He thereby fulfilling the purpose of the entire universe as well as the three stages of childhood, pre-adolescence, and youth.
(116)
so ’pi kaiśoraka-vayo mānayan madhusūdanaḥ
reme strī-ratna-kūṭa-sthaḥ kṣapāsu kṣapitāhitaḥ
“In that youthful stage, Madhusūdana, the dispeller of misfortune. frolicked among the best of women during Autumn.” (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 5.13.60)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“In his youthful years, the faultless Śrī Kṛṣṇa would, during the night, sport among the women, thereby giving special honour to His adolescent age. The supreme consciousness, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, situated amidst Rādhā, the personification of mahābhāva, and the gopīs who personify bhāva, is the highest principle.”
(117)
vācā sūcita-śarvarī-rati-kalā-prāgalbhyayā rādhikāṁ
vrīḍā-kuñcita-locanāṁ viracayann agre sakhīnām asau
tad-vakṣo-ruha-citra-keli-makarī-pāṇḍitya-pāraṁ gataḥ
kaiśoraṁ saphalī-karoti kalayan kuñje vihāraṁ hariḥ
“With his words, He forces Rādhikā to close Her eyes with embarrassment in front of Her companions by giving hints about their amorous pastimes from the previous night, while demonstrating great expertise by painting pictures of playful makaras upon Her breasts. In this way, Hari perfects His youthful pastimes in the kuñjas.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.231)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“With such boldness, Kṛṣṇa, through words relating to the amorous pastimes of the previous night, almost covered Śrī Rādhikā’s eyes with shyness, On her breasts, the artistic pastimes of bees and the like were depicted, thereby displaying the particular expertise of the gopīs. Indeed, by these rasa pastimes, Hari enjoyed in the kuñja, thus completing His youthful years successfully.”
(118)
harir eṣa na ced avātariṣyan
mathurāyāṁ madhurākṣi rādhikā ca
abhaviṣyad iyaṁ vṛthā visṛṣṭir
makarāṅkas tu viśeṣatas tadātra
“O you of sweet eyes, if the Lord had not advented, and Rādhikā had not been present in Mathurā, all this whole creation – and especially, the god of love –would have been in vain.” (Vidagdha Mādhava 7.3)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O friend, of Hari and the sweet-eyed Rādhikā had not appeared in Mathurā, then all of creation – especially the creation of Kandarpa, the god of love – would have been useless.”
(119–120)
ei mata pūrve kṛṣṇa rasera sadana
yadyapi karila rasa-niryāsa-carvaṇa
tathāpi nahila tina vāñchita pūraṇa
tāhā āsvādite yadi karila yatana
Thus, although Kṛṣṇa is the abode of rasa, and had previously chewed upon the essence of rasa, these three desires were not fulfilled, although He made special efforts to relish them.
(121)
tāṅhāra prathama vāñchā kariye vyākhyāna
kṛṣṇa kahe, – ‘āmi ha-i rasera nidāna
The first of these desires is explained thus – Kṛṣṇa says, “I am indeed the source of rasa.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Rasera nidāna means ‘the root-cause of rasa.’ Some readings of this say rasera nidhāna – ‘the storehouse of rasa.’
(122)
pūrṇānanda-maya āmi cinmaya pūrṇa-tattva
rādhikāra preme āmā karāya unmatta
“I am full of bliss, consciousness, and complete transcendental reality. Yet, Rādhikā’s prema makes Me made insane.
(123)
nā jāni rādhāra preme āche kata bala
ye bale āmāre kare sarvadā vihvala
“I do not know the full strength of Rādhā’s prema. That strength continually overwhelms Me.
(124)
rādhikāra prema – guru, āmi – śiṣya naṭa
sadā āmā nānā nṛtye nācāya udbhaṭa
“Rādhā’s prema is My guru, and I am Her dance-student. She constantly makes Me dance in various wonderful ways.
(125)
kasmād vṛnde priya-sakhi hareḥ pāda-mūlāt kuto ’sau
kuṇḍāraṇye kim iha kurute nṛtya-śikṣāṁ guruḥ kaḥ
taṁ tvan-mūrtiḥ prati-taru-lataṁ dig-vidikṣu sphurantī
śailūṣīva bhramati parito nartayantī sva-paścāt
“Where are you coming from, O beloved friend Vṛndā?”
“I’m coming from the feet of Hari.”
“Where is He?”
“In a forest on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.”
“What does He do there?”
“He is learning dance.”
“Who is His guru?”
“It is Your image, (Śrī Rādhā), manifesting itself in every tree and vine in all directions. You make Him wander around behind You, like an expert dancer.” (Govinda Līlāmṛta 8.77)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O dear friend Vṛndā! From where are you coming?”
“O Rādhe, I am coming from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.”
“Where is Kṛṣṇa?”
“In the forest (the groves of Rādhā-kuṇḍa).”
“What is He doing?”
“He is learning dance.”
“Who is His dance teacher?”
“You very form enlivens the trees and creepers; becoming like performers – like trained dancers – they dance, following behind You. Right beside that manifestation, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is dancing.”
This is a question-and-answer style śloka.
(126)
nija-premāsvāde mora haya ye āhlāda
tāhā ha’te koṭi-guṇa rādhā-premāsvāda
“Rādhā’s relishing prema is millions of times greater than the pleasure I experience relishing My own prema.
(127)
āmi yaiche paraspara viruddha-dharmāśraya
rādhā-prema taiche sadā viruddha-dharma-maya
“Just as I am the shelter of all mutually contradictory characteristics, similarly, Rādhā’s prema is always full of similar contradictions.
(128)
rādhā-premā vibhu – yāra bāḍite nāhi ṭhāñi
tathāpi se kṣaṇe kṣaṇe bāḍaye sadāi
“Rādhā’s prema is infinite and there is no boundary to its expansion. Yet She constantly increases it moment by moment.
(129)
yāhā va-i guru vastu nāhi suniścita
tathāpi gurura dharma gaurava-varjita
“Although it is indeed confirmed that there is nothing greater than this, still it’s greatest characteristic is that it is devoid of pride.
(130)
yāhā haite sunirmala dvitīya nāhi āra
tathāpi sarvadā vāmya-vakra-vyavahāra
“Although there is nothing else as pure as this, still it’s conduct is always unorthodox and crooked.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I, Kṛṣṇa, am the shelter of mutually contradictory qualities, such as being without desires and also full of desires; all-pervading and also possessing a beautiful form; impartial and partial to the devotees; self-satisfied and desiring the prema of the devotees etc. Likewise, Rādhā’s prema is also replete with such opposing characteristics, such as possessing the highest type of mahābhāva, yet ever-increasing, full of glorious prema, but devoid of pride, pure, yet completely unorthodox etc.”
(131)
vibhur api kalayan sadābhivṛddhiṁ
gurur api gaurava-caryayā vihīnaḥ
muhur upacita-vakrimāpi śuddho
jayati mura-dviṣi rādhikānurāgaḥ
Although it is all-pervading, it is constantly increasing. Although it is great, it is devoid of conceited conduct. Although it is increasingly crooked, it is always pure. Glories to Rādhikā’s affection for the killer of Mura! (Dāna-keli Kaumudī 2)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Rādhikā’s affection is all-pervading – in other words, full to the utmost limit, yet ever-increasing. It is supremely exalted, yet without any pride. It is pure and immaculate, yet moment by moment marked by crookedness. May Rādhikā’s love for Kṛṣṇa be victorious.”
(132)
sei premāra śrī-rādhikā parama ‘āśraya’
sei premāra āmi ha-i kevala ‘viṣaya’
“Śrī Rādhikā is the supreme āśraya (shelter) of that prema, and I am merely the viṣaya (object) of that prema.
(133)
viṣaya-jātīya sukha āmāra āsvāda
āmā haite koṭi-guṇa āśrayera āhlāda
“I relish the happiness to which only the viṣaya is entitled, yet the āśraya experiences millions of times more pleasure than Me.
(134)
āśraya-jātiya sukha pāite mana dhāya
yatne āsvādite nāri, ki kari upāya
“My mind runs after the happiness experienced by the āśraya, Yet, I am unable to relish it, even after endeavouring. How can I obtain it?
(135)
kabhu yadi ei premāra ha-iye āśraya
tabe ei premānandera anubhava haya
“If, at some time, I become the āśraya of this prema, then I can experience it’s bliss.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
One who loves is the āśraya (‘shelter’) of prema; One who can be loved is the viṣaya (‘object’) of prema. In rasa-tattva, there are four kinds of elements – vibhāva (the cause of bhāva), anubhāva (the intimation of bhāva), sattvika (ecstatic symptoms), and vyabhicārī (transitory bhāva). The elements of vibhāva are of two kinds – ālambana (the supporting factor) and uddīpana (the stimulating factor). Ālambana is again of two kinds – viṣaya (the object of love) and āśraya (the shelter of love). The shelter of Rādhā’s prema is Rādhā herself, and the sole object of Her love is Kṛṣṇa.
“I am Kṛṣṇa – the bliss experienced by Me is the happiness derived by the viṣaya. However, the bliss experienced by the āśraya is millions of times greater than what I experience as the viṣaya. The bliss belonging to the āśraya is experienced by Rādhā alone; I, in the form of Kṛṣṇa, cannot partake of that. If I were ever to become the āśraya of that prema, only then would I experience the supreme bliss of āśraya’s happiness. I crave the greed of relishing prema in the position of the āśraya.”
(136)
eta cinti’ rahe kṛṣṇa parama-kautukī
hṛdaye bāḍaye prema-lobha dhakdhaki
Thinking thus, Kṛṣṇa becomes supremely curious, and in His heart grew the intense greed for prema.
(137)
ei eka, śuna āra lobhera prakāra
sva-mādhurya dekhi’ kṛṣṇa karena vicāra
This is one desire. Now hear about the other – seeing His own sweetness, Kṛṣṇa reflects upon it.
(138)
adbhuta, ananta, pūrṇa mora madhurimā
tri-jagate ihāra keha nāhi pāya sīmā
“My sweetness is amazing, infinite, and complete. Bo one can find its limits within the three worlds.
(139)
ei prema-dvāre nitya rādhikā ekali
āmāra mādhuryāmṛta āsvāde sakali
“Through this prema, Rādhikā eternally alone relishes all the nectar of My sweetness.
(140)
yadyapi nirmala rādhāra sat-prema-darpaṇa
tathāpi svacchatā tāra bāḍhe kṣaṇe kṣaṇa
“Although Rādhā’s prema is immaculate like a mirror, still its purity grows moment by moment.
(141)
āmāra mādhurya nāhi bāḍhite avakāśe
e-darpaṇera āge nava nava rūpe bhāse
“There is no opportunity for My sweetness to increase, yet it manifests before this mirror, in ever-new forms.
(142)
man-mādhurya rādhāra prema – doṅhe hoḍa kari’
kṣaṇe kṣaṇe bāḍe doṅhe, keha nāhi hāri
“My sweetness and Rādhā’s prema both compete with each other. Moment by moment they both increase, and neither can surpass the other.
(143)
āmāra mādhurya nitya nava nava haya
sva-sva-prema-anurūpa bhakte āsvādaya
“My sweetness is ever new and fresh, which devotees relish according to their own prema.
(144)
darpaṇādye dekhi’ yadi āpana mādhurī
āsvādite haya lobha, āsvādite nāri
“If I sees My own sweetness in a mirror or elsewhere, I become greedy to taste it – yet I am unable to.
(145)
vicāra kariye yadi āsvāda-upāya
rādhikā-svarūpa haite tabe mana dhāya
“If I consider the means of relishing it, the mind runs toward accepting the nature of Rādhikā.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The second desire is this – Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is amazing, infinite and boundless. This sweetness is relished solely by Rādhā through Her prema in the position of the āśraya. Even though the mirror of Rādhā’s pure prema is extremely immaculate, it’s clarity increases at every moment.
“Though My sweetness is infinite and cannot truly be increased, it is nevertheless capable of expansion, and before the clear mirror of Rādhā’s pure love, it appears in ever-new forms. Thus, My sweetness and Rādhā’s prema are mutually competitive, each seeking to surpass the other, yet neither wishes to yield. Seeing and relishing My own sweetness reflected in Rādhā’s mirror of prema, the desire to partake of it arises within Me. From that desire, My mind runs to accept the svarūpa of Rādhā.
(146)
aparikalita-pūrvaḥ kaś camatkāra-kārī
sphurati mama garīyān eṣa mādhurya-pūraḥ
ayam aham api hanta prekṣya yaṁ lubdha-cetāḥ
sarabhasam upabhoktuṁ kāmaye rādhikeva
What is this abundance of sweetness greater than Mine, which was never experienced before and creates astonishment? Indeed, I Myself find that My heart is bewildered upon perceiving such beauty, and I anxiously desire to enjoy it like Rādhikā. (Lalita Mādhava 8.34)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa says – “Indeed, Who is that Supreme Person, depicted in the unsurpassed pastimes, the creator of this profound and wonderful sweetness? Beholding it, I gaze with a heart moved by mild anger, yet with the desire to embrace it just as Rādhā desires.”
(147)
kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera eka svābhāvika bala
kṛṣṇa-ādi nara-nārī karaye cañcala
The sweetness of Kṛṣṇa has an inherent potency, which makes all men and women restless.
(148)
śravaṇe, darśane ākarṣaye sarva-mana
āpanā āsvādite kṛṣṇa karena yatana
Hearing and seeing it, everyone’s mind is attracted, and Kṛṣṇa makes every effort to relish it Himself.
(149)
e mādhuryāmṛta pāna sadā yei kare
tṛṣṇā-śānti nahe, tṛṣṇā bāḍhe nirantare
One who constantly drinks this ambrosial sweetness never attains satiation. The thirst only continues to increases.
(150)
atṛpta haiyā kare vidhira nindana
avidagdha vidhi bhāla nā jāne sṛjana
Being unsatisfied, one blames Brahmā, thinking that he is inexpert and does not know how to properly create properly.
(151)
koṭi netra nāhi dila, sabe dila dui
tāhāte nimeṣa – kṛṣṇa ki dekhiba muñi
“He has not given millions of eyes, and only gave everyone two. When they blink for a moment, how can I see Kṛṣṇa?
(152)
gopyaś ca kṛṣṇam upalabhya cirād abhīṣṭaṁ
yat-prekṣaṇe dṛśiṣu pakṣma-kṛtaṁ śapanti
dṛgbhir hṛdī-kṛtam alaṁ parirabhya sarvās
tad-bhāvam āpur api nitya-yujāṁ durāpam
The gopīs saw Kṛṣṇa, the object of their desire, after a long time and while looking at Him, they cursed the creator of eyelids (which obstructed their vision of Him). They all fully embraced Him in their hearts and through their eyes, achieving an ecstasy that even those who engage in constant yoga cannot attain. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.82.39)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Having attained Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whom they had long cherished as the object of their deepest desire, the gopīs, at the very moment of beholding Him, reproached the creator for causing the blinking of their eyes. Through the faculty of sight, each of them embraced Him fully within their hearts and attained a state of divine love – such a state as is unattainable even for the yogīs who meditate upon Brahman.”
(153)
aṭati yad bhavān ahni kānanaṁ
truṭir yugāyate tvām apaśyatām
kuṭila-kuntalaṁ śrī-mukhaṁ ca te
jaḍa udīkṣatāṁ pakṣma-kṛd dṛśām
“When You go to the forest during the day, half a second seems like a yuga for those who cannot see Your beautiful face surrounded by curling locks. Then we consider he who made eyelids for seeing You to be a fool.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.31.15)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs said – “O Kṛṣṇa, when during the daytime You go to the forest, then, not seeing Your beautiful face adorned with curling locks of hair, then even a single moment for us becomes like an age. And the creator who has made our eyes, by which we behold Your face, and yet has imposed blinking upon them, we consider him to be a fool.”
(154)
kṛṣṇāvalokana vinā netra phala nāhi āna
yei jana kṛṣṇa dekhe, sei bhāgyavān
Without beholding Kṛṣṇa, the eyes bear no fruit. That person who sees Kṛṣṇa is truly fortunate.
(155)
akṣaṇvatāṁ phalam idaṁ na paraṁ vidāmaḥ
sakhyaḥ paśūn anuviveśayator vayasyaiḥ
vaktraṁ vrajeśa-sutayor anuveṇu-juṣṭaṁ
yair vā nipītam anurakta-kaṭākṣa-mokṣam
“O companions, the two sons of the king of Vraja enter the forest with the cows in front of Them, surrounded by Their friends. They are holding flutes to Their mouths as They glance lovingly at them. For those who possess eyes, we know of no result greater than this.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.21.7)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs said – “O sakhīs, when the two sons of Nanda enter the forest, surrounded by Their cowherd friends and the cows, those who, with their eyes, relish the sight of Their faces – adorned with the music of the flute and casting sidelong glances toward Their beloved devotees – they alone are truly blessed. For those who possess eyes, no attainment can be seen as greater than this.”
(156)
gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ
lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam
ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya
“What penance did the gopīs perform by which they drink the nectar of His form, the essence of beauty, which is unmatched and supreme? It is the sole abode of fame, beauty, and opulence, ever-fresh and most rare.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.44.14)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The residents of Mathurā said, “Oh! What austerities must the gopīs have performed! They constantly drink, through their two eyes, the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s face – which is the exclusive abode of beauty, opulence, and fame; rare, self-manifest, unequalled, and the very essence of all loveliness.”
(157)
apūrva mādhurī kṛṣṇera, apūrva tāra bala
yāhāra śravaṇe mana haya ṭalamala
Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is unparalleled, and its potency is extraordinary. Hearing about it, the mind becomes completely agitated.
(158)
kṛṣṇera mādhurye kṛṣṇe upajaya lobha
samyak āsvādite nāre, mane rahe kṣobha
Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness makes greed arise in Kṛṣṇa Himself. Yet since He is unable to relish it, He is sorrowful.
(159)
ei ta’ dvitīya hetura kahila vivaraṇa
tṛtīya hetura ebe śunaha lakṣaṇa
This explains the second reason. Now listen to the characteristics of the third reason.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Although He developed a longing to fully relish His sweetness through the love of the āśraya, Kṛṣṇa became agitated because He was unable to relish it. This is the second confidential reason for His accepting the mood of Rādhikā.
(160)
atyanta-nigūḍha ei rasera siddhānta
svarūpa-gosāi mātra jānena ekānta
The principle of this rasa is extremely confidential – only Svarūpa Gosāi alone knows it fully.
(161)
yebā keha anya jāne, seho tāṅhā haite
caitanya-gosāira teṅha atyanta marma yāte
If anyone else says they know it, they must have got it from him since he is knows the essence of Śrī Caitanya Gosāi.
(162)
gopī-gaṇera premera ‘rūḍha-bhāva’ nāma
viśuddha nirmala prema, kabhu nahe kāma
The prema of the gopīs is called rūḍha-bhāva. It is pure, immaculate love, never tinged with mundane lust.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Premera ‘rūḍha-bhāva’ nāma – the name of prema is rūḍha-bhāva. In reality, pure prema cannot be explained by the term kāma (lust).
(163)
premaiva gopa-rāmānāṁ kāma ity agamat prathām
ity uddhavādayo ’py etaṁ vāñchanti bhagavat-priyāḥ
The prema of the cowherd women has thus become famous as kāma. This is desired by the devotees of Bhagavān headed by Uddhava and others. (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.285)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“It has become customary to designate the pure prema of the gopīs as ‘kāma.’ Even the Lord’s devotee Uddhava is eager to attain that very prema.”
(164)
kāma, prema, – doṅhākāra vibhinna lakṣaṇa
lauha āra hema yaiche svarūpe vilakṣaṇa
Kāma and prema both have distinct characteristics. Like iron and gold, they are different in essence.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Just as the nature of iron and gold is fundamentally different, so although kāma and prema may appear to be of a similar kind – their characteristics are entirely distinct from one another.
(165)
ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā – tāre bali ‘kāma’
kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma
Love for the desire of one’s senses is called kāma, while love for the desire of Kṛṣṇa’s senses is called prema.
(166)
kāmera tātparya – nija-sambhoga kevala
kṛṣṇa-sukha-tātparya-mātra prema ta’ prabala
The purpose of kāma is simply personal enjoyment. Prema is powerful because it aims only at Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
(167–168)
loka-dharma, veda-dharma, deha-dharma, karma
lajjā, dhairya, deha-sukha, ātma-sukha-marma
dustyaja ārya-patha, nija parijana
sva-jane karaye yata tāḍana-bhartsana
They (the gopīs) gave up social dharma, Vedic dharma, physical dharma, karma, shyness, patience, bodily pleasure, which are the essence of personal pleasure, as well as following esteemed personalities, and one’s relatives – they did not care about chastisement or scolding.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Desire aimed at one’s own enjoyment and happiness is called kāma . In the Vedas, the desires referred to as lokaiṣaṇā (desire for worldly position), putraiṣaṇā (desire for sons), and vittaiṣaṇā (desire for wealth) – these are all forms of such kāma. Indeed, what is known as social duty, Vedic duty, bodily duty, karma, chastity, patience, bodily pleasure, even the pursuit of liberation as one’s own happiness, adherence to the path of respectability, affection for one’s own relatives, attachment to one’s kin, as well as rebuke and fear – all of these are manifestations of kāma – in other words, the desire to gratify one’s own senses. In all these activities, the motivating force is the wish for one’s own sense enjoyment. Only those desires that follow the understanding that, ‘I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa’ can become desires for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa’s senses. But all desires that arise from the mentality of, ‘I am the enjoyer of the results’ – those are desires of kāma.
(169)
sarva-tyāga kari’ kare kṛṣṇera bhajana
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu kare prema-sevana
They rejected them all to perform kṛṣṇa-bhajana and. They only performed loving service for the sake of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
This instruction of complete renunciation does not advocate the abandonment of bodily or mental activities. Even within bodily and mental functions, if there is motivating engagement arising from the understanding ‘I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa,’ then that too is not kāma.
(170)
ihāke kahiye kṛṣṇe dṛḍha anurāga
svaccha dhauta-vastre yaiche nāhi kona dāga
This is called firm attachment to Kṛṣṇa, pure and spotless like freshly washed garments with no stain.
(171)
ataeva kāma-preme bahuta antara
kāma – andha-tamaḥ, prema – nirmala bhāskara
Therefore there is a great difference between kāma and prema. Kāma is blind darkness, while prema is the pure sun.
(172)
ataeva gopī-gaṇera nāhi kāma-gandha
kṛṣṇa-sukha lāgi mātra, kṛṣṇa se sambandha
Hence the gopīs’ love is free from the scent of kāma. Their attachment is solely for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, and only related to Him.
(173)
yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu
bhītāḥ śanaiḥ priya dadhīmahi karkaśeṣu
tenāṭavīm aṭasi tad vyathate na kiṁ svit
kūrpādibhir bhramati dhīr bhavad-āyuṣāṁ naḥ
“O Beloved! Fearfully, we carefully hold Your gentle lotus feet upon our hard breasts.
Wandering with them throughout the forest, have they not been bruised by stones etc?
Thinking of this, our hearts flutter, for You are our very life.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.31.19)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O beloved! We gently place your soft lotus feet upon our hard breasts. Those very feet are now wandering in the forest, and must certainly be wounded by sharp stones and other rough surfaces. Therefore, since you are the very life of our lives, our minds are becoming deeply agitated and restless on your account.”
(174)
ātma-sukha-duḥkhe gopīra nāhika vicāra
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu ceṣṭā mano-vyavahāra
The gopīs do not consider their own pleasure or pain; their mind and actions are solely for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.
(175)
kṛṣṇa lāgi’ āra saba kare parityāga
kṛṣṇa-sukha-hetu kare śuddha anurāga
They abandon everything for Kṛṣṇa and cultivate pure attachment solely for His pleasure.
(176)
evaṁ mad-arthojjhita-loka-veda-
svānāṁ hi vo mayy anuvṛttaye ’balāḥ
mayā parokṣaṁ bhajatā tirohitaṁ
māsūyituṁ mārhatha tat priyaṁ priyāḥ
“O women! You have renounced all social customs, Vedic law, and all your relatives for Me. I disappeared from your view merely to increase your love for Me. O dear ones! Since I did so for your benefit, do not be displeased with me.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.21)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O gopīs, for My sake you have abandoned social duties, Vedic duties, and even your relatives. Yet, desiring that your attachment and devotion to Me might increase further, I disappeared. O beloved ones, I am engaged only in fulfilling your deepest love – therefore, do not find fault with Me.”
(177)
kṛṣṇera pratijñā eka āche pūrva haite
ye yaiche bhaje, kṛṣṇa tāre bhaje taiche
Kṛṣṇa’s promise has existed from before – whoever worships Him, He reciprocates with that worship.
(178)
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
“In whatever way people surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. O Pārtha, all men follow My path.” (Bhagavad-gītā 4.11)
(179)
se pratijñā bhaṅga haila gopīra bhajane
tāhāte pramāṇa kṛṣṇa-śrī-mukha-vacane
That promise is evident in the gopīs’ bhajana, as confirmed by the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.
(180)
na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjaya-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
“Your association with Me is faultless. Although you have served Me, cutting the indomitable bonds of household life, I cannot repay you for this even if I obtained the lifetime of the Devas. May your own virtue be your compensation.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.22)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O gopīs, your union with Me is utterly pure. Even over many lifetimes, I would not be able to repay My debt to you by any proper reciprocation, for you have completely cut the extremely difficult bonds of worldly existence and sought Me out. I am incapable of repaying you. Therefore, let your own noble deeds be your satisfaction.”
(181)
tabe ye dekhiye gopīra nija-dehe prīta
seho ta’ kṛṣṇera lāgi, jāniha niścita
Thus, when you see a gopī’s affection for her own body, know for certain that it is all for Kṛṣṇa.
(182)
‘ei deha kailuṅ āmi kṛṣṇe samarpaṇa
tāṅra dhana tāṅra ihā sambhoga-sādhana
“I have offered this body to Kṛṣṇa; it is His wealth, and the means for His enjoyment.”
(183)
e-deha-darśana-sparśe kṛṣṇa-santoṣaṇa’
ei lāgi’ kare dehera mārjana-bhūsaṇa
By seeing and touching this body, Kṛṣṇa is pleased; hence, the gopī adorns her body for His satisfaction.
(184)
nijāṅgam api yā gopyo mameti samupāsate
tābhyaḥ paraṁ na me pārtha nigūḍha-prema-bhājanam
“The gopīs engage in decorating their bodies because they consider them to be for My enjoyment. There are no greater receptacles of My confidential prema, O Pārtha.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha, those gopīs who carefully tend their own bodies, considering them to be meant for Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment – there are none more dear to Me than those gopīs.”
(185)
āra eka adbhuta gopī-bhāvera svabhāva
buddhira gocara nahe yāhāra prabhāva
There is another wonderful aspect of gopī-bhāva whose influence cannot be understood by the intelligence.
(186)
gopī-gaṇa kare yabe kṛṣṇa-daraśana
sukha-vāñchā nāhi, sukha haya koṭi-guṇa
When the gopīs behold Kṛṣṇa, it is not a mere desire for happiness – the pleasure multiplies infinitely.
(187)
gopīkā-darśane kṛṣṇera ye ānanda haya
tāhā haite koṭi-guṇa gopī āsvādaya
The bliss Kṛṣṇa experiences on seeing the gopīs is a hundredfold of the pleasure the gopīs themselves feel.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
The gopīs have no desire for their own happiness. Yet, the happiness that Kṛṣṇa feels upon seeing the gopīs when they see Kṛṣṇa – the gopīs experience a joy millions of times greater than that.
(188)
tāṅ sabāra nāhi nija-sukha-anurodha
tathāpi bāḍhaye sukha, paḍila virodha
They have no desire for their own pleasure, yet still their happiness increases – this is a contradiction.
(189)
e virodhera eka mātra dekhi samādhāna
gopikāra sukha kṛṣṇa-sukhe paryavasāna
I see only one solution for this contradiction – the pleasure of the gopīs lies in Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
(190)
gopikā-darśane kṛṣṇera bāḍhe praphullatā
se mādhurya bāḍhe yāra nāhika samatā
Upon seeing the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s delight increases, and that sweetness rises to a degree unmatched by anything else.
(191)
āmāra darśane kṛṣṇa pāila eta sukha
ei sukhe gopīra praphulla aṅga-mukha
(The gopīs think) “Upon seeing me, Kṛṣṇa experiences such happiness.” in that happiness, the gopīs’ limbs and faces are filled with joy.
(192)
gopī-śobhā dekhi’ kṛṣṇera śobhā bāḍhe yata
kṛṣṇa-śobhā dekhi’ gopīra śobhā bāḍhe tata
Seeing the beauty of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s splendour increases. Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, the gopīs’ radiance likewise grows.
(193)
ei-mata paraspara paḍe huḍāhuḍi
paraspara bāḍhe, keha mukha nāhi muḍi
In this way, they rush upon one another in eager competition. Each tries to outdo the other, and neither turns their face away.
(194)
kintu kṛṣṇera sukha haya gopī-rūpa-guṇe
tāṅra sukhe sukha-vṛddhi haye gopī-gaṇe
However, Kṛṣṇa’s happiness arises from the gopīs’ qualities and beauty, and that happiness in turn increases the gopīs’ delight.
(195)
ataeva sei sukha kṛṣṇa-sukha poṣe
ei hetu gopī-preme nāhi kāma-doṣe
Therefore that bliss nourishes Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, and this is why gopī-prema is free from the defect of kāma.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Although some may criticise the gopīs and label the pleasure they experience upon seeing Kṛṣṇa as kāma, still, when the inner mood of the gopīs is this – “If we accept that we have become happy by seeing Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa’s happiness will be further nourished” – then the ultimate cause of their happiness is actually the desire to please Kṛṣṇa’s senses. Hence, in that, there is no fault of selfish sense enjoyment, and no defect of kāma.
(196)
upetya pathi sundarī-tatibhir ābhir abhyarcitaṁ
smitāṅkura-karambitair naṭad-apāṅga-bhaṅgī-śataiḥ
stana-stavaka-sañcaran-nayana-cañcarīkāñcalaṁ
vraje vijayinaṁ bhaje vipina-deśataḥ keśavam
“As He returns from the forest to Vraja, along the path, the beautiful women adore Him with hundreds of glances and gentle smiles. His vision hovers over their breasts like a bumblebee – I worship that Keśava.” (Keśavāṣṭakam 8, Stava-mālā)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I worship that Keśava who is returning to Vraja from the forest. Along the path, He is adored by the beautiful women of Vraja through hundreds of graceful, playful gestures accompanied by a gentle smile. The corners of His eyes move like bees, wandering over the clusters of the gopīs’ breasts.”
(197)
āra eka gopī-premera svābhāvika cihna
ye prakāre haya prema kāma-gandha-hīna
There is another natural sign of gopī-prema, which is free from the scent of kāma.
(198)
gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi
mādhurye bāḍhāya prema hañā mahā-tuṣṭi
Gopī-prema nourishes the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa, and that sweetness, in turn, increases the gopīs’ love and brings great satisfaction.
(199)
prīti-viṣayānande tad-āśrayānanda
tāṅhā nāhi nija-sukha-vāñchāra sambandha
The bliss of the āśraya of love is in the bliss of the viṣaya. This is not a relationship desiring one’s own selfish pleasure.
(200)
nirupādhi prema yāṅhā, tāṅhā ei rīti
prīti-viṣaya-sukhe āśrayera prīti
Such is the nature of unconditioned prema. The āśraya of love takes pleasure when the viṣaya is pleased.
(201)
nija-premānande kṛṣṇa-sevānanda bādhe
se ānandera prati bhaktera haya mahā-krodhe
When the personal bliss of prema hinders the bliss achieved from Kṛṣṇa’s service, a devotee becomes extremely angry towards that bliss.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Kṛṣṇa is the viṣaya of love, and the bliss that is His – that alone is the happiness of the gopīs, who are the āśraya of that love. In such fullness of joy, the gopīs have no connection with any desire for their own personal happiness. Wherever there is pure, unalloyed love, this is the principle to be seen. In other words, the happiness of the viṣaya is solely the happiness of the āśraya.
However, one point may be raised – that wherever one experiences one’s own bliss in prema, there may be an obstacle to the joy of serving Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, wherever a type of happiness arises that hinders the joy of service, there the devotee experiences intense anger.
(202)
aṅga-stambhārambham uttuṅgayantaṁ
premānandaṁ dāruko nābhyanandat
kaṁsārāter vījane yena sākṣād
akṣodīyān antarāyo vyadhāyi
“Dāruka did not welcome the bliss of prema when it began to paralyse his limbs, for it clearly became a great hindrance in his fanning Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṁsa.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.62).
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“While fanning Śrī Kṛṣṇa with a cāmara, Dāruka did not welcome the bodily inertia that arose from the bliss of divine love, considering it an obstacle to his service.”
(203)
govinda-prekṣaṇākṣepi-bāṣpa-pūrābhivarṣiṇam
uccair anindad ānandam aravinda-vilocanā
“The lotus-eyed Rādhikā violently condemned the bliss that caused a torrent of tears to obstruct Her sight of Govinda.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.3.54)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The lotus-eyed beloved of Kṛṣṇa harshly condemned that joy which caused a flow of tears from the eyes, for it obstructed Her vision of Kṛṣṇa.”
(204)
āra śuddha-bhakta kṛṣṇa-prema-sevā vine
sva-sukhārtha sālokyādi nā kare grahaṇe
Also, a pure devotee, without serving kṛṣṇa-prema, does not even desire to accept celestial pleasures such as sālokya etc. for their own joy.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Furthermore, see this – pure devotees never accept even liberation such as salokya (residing in the same realm as the Lord), if it involves any separate sense of personal enjoyment apart from loving service to Kṛṣṇa.
(205-206)
mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ’mbudhau
lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
ahaituky avyavahitā yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame
“By simply hearing about My qualities, the mind will flow continuously towards Me, the Lord residing in the hearts of all, just as Gaṅgā water flows towards the ocean. It has been described that the characteristics of bhakti-yoga, which transcend the material modes are causeless and unmotivated.” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29-11-12)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“By merely hearing My qualities, I, who dwell in all hearts, become present in the devotee. The uninterrupted absorption of the mind in Me – like the waters of the Gaṅgā entering the ocean – is the symptom of nirguṇa bhakti-yoga. In My form as the Supreme Person, that devotion is causeless and uninterrupted. Causeless means without any motive or external cause; it is self-established. Uninterrupted means free from any intervening barrier or pursuit of secondary, extraneous results.”
(207)
sālokya-sārṣṭi-sārūpya-sāmīpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ
Such persons do not accept sālokya (living on My planet), sārūpya (having a similar form), sāmīpya (staying in My association), or ekatva (oneness) – even when these are offered by Me. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.29.13)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Even if sālokya (residing in the Vaikuṇṭha realm), sārṣṭi (opulence equal to the Lord), sārūpya (having a four-armed form), sāmīpya (attaining close proximity), and even ekatva or sāyujya (merging or attaining oneness) are offered, the devotees do not accept them, because apart from My transcendental service, they desire nothing else.”
(208)
mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam
necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto ’nyat kāla-viplutam
Such devotees, by being engaged in my service, are not interested even in the four kinds of liberation such as sālokya etc. although these are automatically achieved by them. What to say of anything else which is destroyed by time? (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.4.67)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Even if the four kinds of liberation—such as sālokya—come of their own accord through My service, pure devotees, being fully satisfied in that service alone, do not accept them. Then why would they desire material enjoyment or sāyujya-mukti—which are quickly destroyed by time? By sāyujya–mukti, the very existence of the jīva falls under the grasp of time. Therefore, both material enjoyment and sāyujya–mukti have no lasting permanence.”
(209)
kāma-gandha-hīna svābhāvika gopī-prema
nirmala, ujjvala, śuddha yena dagdha hema
Natural gopī-prema is free from the trace of kāma. It is pure, radiant, and untainted, like molten gold.
(210)
kṛṣṇera sahāya, guru, bāndhava, preyasī
gopikā hayena priyā śiṣyā, sakhī dāsī
The gopīs are Kṛṣṇa’s helpers, teachers, , friends, beloveds, confidantes and maid-servants.
(211)
gopikā jānena kṛṣṇera manera vāñchita
prema-sevā-paripāṭī, iṣṭa-samīhita
The gopīs know Kṛṣṇa’s innermost desires. They are perfectly skilled in prema-sevā, intent only on fulfilling His cherished wishes.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Iṣṭa-samīhita – means “endeavours directed toward fulfilling the desired wish.”
(212)
sahāyā guravaḥ śiṣyā bhujiṣyā bāndhavāḥ striyaḥ
satyaṁ vadāmi te pārtha gopyaḥ kiṁ me bhavanti na
“The gopīs are helpers, teachers, and disciples; they are friends and women devoted to Me. I speak the truth, Pārtha – how could they not be Mine?” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The gopīs are My everything – they are My helpers, in other words, they love Me as beloveds, show affection like a guru, serve Me like disciples, are fit to be enjoyed, conduct themselves with love like friends, and relate to Me in the mood of consorts.”
(213)
man-māhātmyaṁ mat-saparyāṁ
mac-chraddhāṁ man-mano-gatam
jānanti gopikāḥ pārtha
nānye jānanti tattvataḥ
“My greatness, My worship, the respect for Me, the workings of My heart – the gopīkas know this, O Pārtha. No one else knows this in truth.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O Pārtha, only the gopīs truly know My greatness, My service, the reverence due to Me, and the inner moods of My heart. In essence, no one else understands these.”
(214)
sei gopī-gaṇa-madhye uttamā rādhikā
rūpe, guṇe, saubhāgye, preme sarvādhikā
Among these gopīs, Rādhikā is supreme. She is foremost in beauty, qualities, fortune, and prema.
(215)
yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
“Just as Rādhā is dear to Viṣṇu, Her lake is equally dear. Among all the gopīs, She alone is Kṛṣṇa’s most beloved.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Just as Rādhā is most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so too Rādhā-kuṇḍa is His most beloved place; and among all the gopīs, Rādhā alone is supremely beloved by Kṛṣṇa.”
(216)
trai-lokye pṛthivī dhanyā yatra vṛndāvanaṁ purī
tatrāpi gopikāḥ pārtha yatra rādhābhidhā mama
“Amongst the three worlds, the earth is blessed for the city of Vṛndāvana exists there. O Pārtha, There, the gopīkās are especially blessed because among them Rādhā is present.” (Ādi Purāṇa)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Since Vṛndāvana-dhāma has descended into this world, the three worlds have become blessed. There, the gopīs are especially fortunate, because among them dwells that gopī named Rādhā, who is extremely dear to Me.”
(217)
rādhā-saha krīḍā rasa-vṛddhira kāraṇa
āra saba gopī-gaṇa rasopakaraṇa
The reason for the increase in His enjoyment of rasa is His play with Rādhā. All the other gopīs are instruments in increasing that rasa.
(218)
kṛṣṇera vallabhā rādhā kṛṣṇa-prāṇa-dhana
tāṅhā vinu sukha-hetu nahe gopī-gaṇa
Rādhā is the beloved of Kṛṣṇa and the treasure of His life. Without Her, the gopīs cannot be the cause of His pleasure.
(219)
kaṁsārir api saṁsāra-vāsanā-baddha-śṛṅkhalām
rādhām ādhāya hṛdaye tatyāja vraja-sundarīḥ
“Kṛṣṇa, the foe of Kaṁsa, abandoned the other beautiful damsels of Vraja and took Rādhā within His heart, for she was like a chain that tied him tightly to His supreme and essential desire to enjoy the rasa dance.” (Gīta Govinda 3.1)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The enemy of Kaṁsa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, taking within His heart Rādhā, who is the very essence of the desire for the complete rasa-līlā, departed, abandoning the other beautiful women of Vraja.”
(220)
sei rādhāra bhāva lañā caitanyāvatāra
yuga-dharma nāma-prema kaila paracāra
Taking Rādhā’s bhāva, Caitanyāvatāra propagated prema through the yuga-dharma, the Holy Name.
(221)
sei bhāve nija-vāñchā karila pūraṇa
avatārera ei vāñchā mūla-kāraṇa
In that bhāva, He fulfilled His own desires – this was the root cause of His avatāra.
(222)
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gosāi vrajendra-kumāra
rasa-maya-mūrti kṛṣṇa sākṣāt śṛṅgāra
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Gosāi is the Prince of Vraja, the embodiment of rasa. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself in the mood of śṛṅgāra.
(223)
sei rasa āsvādite kaila avatāra
ānusaṅge kaila saba rasera pracāra
He descended to relish that rasa and simultaneously propagate all varieties of rasa.
(224)
viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-komalair upanayann aṅgair anaṅgotsavam
svacchandaṁ vraja-sundarībhir abhitaḥ praty-aṅgam āliṅgitaḥ
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati
“O sakhī, creating bliss to satisfy all by creating a festival of Kāmadeva with his dusky, soft limbs that resemble a cluster of blue lotuses, and fully embraced by the beautiful damsels of Vraja on all sides, adorable Hari plays during the month of spring like the personification of śṛṅgāra-rasa.” (Gīta Govinda 1.11)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O companion! By the beauty of His limbs He creates joy throughout the world, and with His exquisitely soft hands and feet – lovely like blue lotuses – He awakens a festival of Kāma within the hearts of the women of Vraja. In the spring season, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the very embodiment of amorous rasa, freely sports, embracing the beautiful maidens of Vraja.”
(225)
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gosāi rasera sadana
aśeṣa-viśeṣe kaila rasa āsvādana
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the very abode of rasa, relishing rasa in all its varieties to the fullest extent.
(226)
sei dvāre pravartāila kali-yuga-dharma
caitanyera dāse jāne ei saba marma
Through Him, the dharma of Kali-yuga was established. Those who are Śrī Caitanya’s servants understand all these principles.
(227–228)
advaita ācārya, nityānanda, śrīnivāsa
gadādhara, dāmodara, murāri, hari-dāsa
āra yata caitanya-kṛṣṇera bhakta-gaṇa
bhakti-bhāve śire dhari sabāra caraṇa
Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda, Śrīnivāsa, Gadādhara, Dāmodara, Murāri, Hari Dāsa, and all the other devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya carry the feet of the Lord upon their heads in a mood of bhakti.
(229)
ṣaṣṭha-ślokera ei kahila ābhāsa
mūla ślokera artha śuna kariye prakāśa
This explains the meaning of the sixth śloka. Now hear the exposition of the original śloka carefully.
(230)
śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ
saukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ
“Rādhā is the manifestation of love for Kṛṣṇa and She is His hlādinī-śakti. Although They are inherently One in their identity, They previously manifested in two distinct forms in this world. Their two separate forms are now united as one in Śrī Caitanya. I offer obeisance unto He who is Kṛṣṇa Himself adorned with the heart and halo of Rādhā.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“When the desire arose to understand three things – what is the glory of Rādhā’s love, what is the nature of My own wonderful sweetness which She alone relishes, and what kind of happiness She experiences by tasting that sweetness – then the moon in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa took birth in the ocean of Śacī’s womb.”
(231)
e saba siddhānta gūḍha – kahite nā yuyāya
nā kahile, keha ihāra anta nāhi pāya
All these principles are very confidential. They cannot be fully spoken. Yet if they are not spoken, no one will understand them in the end.
(232)
ataeva kahi kichu kariñā nigūḍha
bujhibe rasika bhakta, nā bujhibe mūḍha
Hence, I speak of these matters in a somewhat concealed way. The rasika devotees will understand – the foolish will not.
(233)
hṛdaye dharaye ye caitanya-nityānanda
e-saba siddhānte sei pāibe ānanda
One who holds Caitanya and Nityānanda in the heart will find bliss in all these conclusions.
(234)
e saba siddhānta haya āmrera pallava
bhakta-gaṇa-kokilera sarvadā vallabha
All these conclusions are like tender mango shoots, which are always beloved by the cuckoo-like devotees.
(235)
abhakta-uṣṭrera ithe nā haya praveśa
tabe citte haya mora ānanda-viśeṣa
The camel-like non-devotees cannot enter into this. Thus, in my hear there is special joy.
(236)
ye lāgi kahite bhaya, se yadi nā jāne
ihā va-i kibā sukha āche tribhuvane
Out of fear of them, I am afraid to speak, yet if they do not understand, then what can be happier for me in the three worlds?
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“Still, it gives me joy to think that those non-devotees who might be feared have no possibility of entering into this text. Therefore, they will neither read it nor understand it. What greater happiness could there be than this?”
(237)
ataeva bhakta-gaṇe kari namaskāra
niḥśaṅke kahiye, tāra hauk camatkāra
Thus, after offering obeisance unto the devotees, I shall speak without hesitation – let them feel astonishment.
(238)
kṛṣṇera vicara eka āchaye antare
pūrṇānanda-pūrṇa-rasa-rūpa kahe more
Once, Kṛṣṇa considered within, “It is said that I am complete bliss, the very form of complete rasa.”
(239)
āmā haite ānandita haya tribhuvana
āmāke ānanda dibe – aiche kon jana
“The three worlds are delighted by Me. Is there anyone who can give Me joy?”
(240)
āmā haite yāra haya śata śata guṇa
sei-jana āhlādite pāre mora mana
“Such a person who possesses hundreds and hundreds of qualities more than Me can delight My mind.”
(241)
āmā haite guṇī baḍa jagate asambhava
ekali rādhāte tāhā kari anubhava
“It is impossible to find someone greater than Me in this world. I understand that to be found in Rādhā alone.”
(242–243)
koṭi-kāma jini’ rūpa yadyapi āmāra
asamordhvva-mādhurya – sāmya nāhi yāra
mora rūpe āpyāyita haya tribhuvana
rādhāra darśane mora juḍāya nayana
“Although My form conquers millions of Kāmadevas, although My unparalleled sweetness has no equal, although My form gives pleasure to the three worlds, Rādhā’s darśana satisfies My eyes.”
(244)
mora vaṁśī-gīte ākarṣaye tri-bhuvana
rādhāra vacane hare āmāra śravaṇa
“The melody of My flute attracts the three worlds. Rādhā’s words captivate My power of hearing.”
(245)
yadyapi āmāra gandhe jagat sugandha
mora citta-prāṇa hare rādhā-aṅga-gandha
“Although My fragrance perfumes the entire world, My heart and very life are captured by the scent of Rādhā’s limbs.”
(246)
yadyapi āmāra rase jagat sarasa
rādhāra adhara-rasa āmā kare vaśa
“Although the rasas of this world are delightful, the rasa from Rādhā’s lips captivates Me.”
(247)
yadyapi āmāra sparśa koṭīndu-śītala
rādhikāra sparśe āmā kare suśītala
“Even though My touch is as cool as millions of moons, Rādhikā’s touch makes Me extremely cool.”
(248)
ei mata jagatera sukhe āmi hetu
rādhikāra rūpa-guṇa āmāra jīvātu
“In this way, I am the cause of pleasure in this world, Yet it is Rādhikā’s qualities and form that are My life.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Jīvatu means life.
(249)
ei mata anubhava āmāra pratīta
vicāri’ dekhiye yadi, saba viparīta
“In this way, My experience can be understood. Yet if contemplated impartially, it all seems contradictory.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“I think that My love for Rādhikā is extremely intense. But upon careful consideration, the opposite understanding arises – namely, it seems that Rādhikā’s love for Me is greater than Mine for Her.”
(250)
rādhāra darśane mora juḍāya nayana
āmāra darśane rādhā sukhe ageyāna
“My eyes are satisfied upon taking darśana of Rādhā. Yet by looking at Me, Rādhā’s delight is increased.”
(251)
paraspara veṇu-gīte haraye cetana
mora bhrame tamālere kare āliṅgana
“The sound of bamboos rubbing together steals away Her mind. She embraces a tamāla tree, mistaking it to be Me.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“My flute-song steals Rādhikā’s consciousness, and Rādhikā’s gentle singing steals My consciousness. When Rādhikā becomes deprived of awareness, she embraces a tamāla tree, mistaking it for Kṛṣṇa, and attains great happiness.”
Alternatively, another meaning is this – “Upon hearing the flute-like sound produced by the friction of bamboo branches against one another, Rādhikā loses consciousness, and in illusion, taking it to be Me, she embraces a tamāla tree.”
(252)
kṛṣṇa-āliṅgana pāinu, janama saphale
kṛṣṇa-sukhe magna rahe vṛkṣa kari’ kole
“(She thinks) ‘I have received the embrace of Kṛṣṇa! My life is successful.’ She remains absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, remaining in the lap of the tree.”
(253)
anukūla-vāte yadi pāya mora gandha
uḍiyā paḍite cāhe, preme haya andha
“If My fragrance is carried to Her by a favourable breeze, She becomes blinded by prema and desires to fly into that wind.”
(254)
tāmbūla-carvita yabe kare āsvādane
ānanda-samudre ḍube, kichui nā jāne
“When She savours the betel leaves chewed by Me, She drowns in an ocean of bliss and knows nothing else.”
(255)
āmāra saṅgame rādhā pāya ye ānanda
śata-mukhe bali, tabu nā pāi tāra anta
“Even with one-hundred mouths, I cannot describe the bliss that Rādhā experiences in My association.”
(256)
līlā-ante sukhe iṅhāra aṅgera mādhurī
tāhā dekhi’ sukhe āmi āpanā pāśari
“Seeing Her bodily lustre after Our līlā together, I am so delighted that I forget Myself.”
(257)
doṅhāra ye sama-rasa, bharata-muni māne
āmāra vrajera rasa seha nāhi jāne
“Bharata Muni declares that the rasa of both (the lover and the beloved) to be equal, yet he does not know about the rasas of My Vraja.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“According to Bharata Muni, the rasa of men and women are equal. But although he is a great sage, he does not know the true nature of My vraja-rasa – for Rādhikā’s rasa is, in its very essence, greater.”
(258)
anyera saṅgame āmi yata sukha pāi
tāhā haite rādhā-sukha śata adhikāi
“Whatever pleasure I have with Rādhā is a hundred times greater than the joy I experience in the association of others.”
(259)
nirdhūtāmṛta-mādhurī-parimalaḥ kalyāṇi bimbādharo
vaktraṁ paṅkaja-saurabhaṁ kuharita-ślāghā-bhidas te giraḥ
aṅgaṁ candana-śītalaṁ tanur iyaṁ saundarya-sarvasva-bhāk
tvām āsādya mamedam indriya-kulaṁ rādhe muhur modate
“O auspicious one! Your lips defeat the redness of bimba fruit as well as the sweetness and fragrance of ambrosia. Your face is more fragrant than a lotus, Your voice defeats the pride of the sound of cuckoos, and Your limbs are cooler than sandal pulp. Your body is the very source of all beauty. O Rādhe! My senses are delighted by relishing Your sweetness again and again!” (Lalita Mādhava 9.9)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“O auspicious one! Your bimba-like lips, surpassing the fragrance and sweetness of nectar; your lotus-scented face; your speech, which puts the song of the cuckoo to shame; your limbs, cool like sandalwood; and your form, which is the very abode of all beauty – having attained you, who are filled with such beauty, qualities, and pastimes, my senses again and again experience great delight.”
(260)
rūpe kaṁsa-harasya lubdha-nayanāṁ sparśe ’tihṛṣyat-tvacaṁ
vāṇyām utkalita-śrutiṁ parimale saṁhṛṣṭa-nāsā-puṭām
ārajyad-rasanāṁ kilādhara-puṭe nyañcan-mukhāmbho-ruhāṁ
dambhodgīrṇa-mahā-dhṛtiṁ bahir api prodyad-vikārākulām
“Her eyes are greedy for tasting the beauty of the Enemy of Kaṁsa. Her skin is excited at His touch. Her ears are passionate to hear His voice. Her nose is delighted by His fragrance. What to say of Her tongue which is enchanted by the rasa of His lips. Out of pride, She hangs down Her lotus-like face, exhibiting great patience, although externally, She is overwhelmed by ecstatic manifestations.” (Sādhana Dīpikā)
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The pair of eyes of Rādhikā are filled with longing for the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṁsa; Her sense of touch is greatly delighted by Kṛṣṇa’s touch; Her ears are eagerly attentive to hear His words; Her nostrils are blossoming upon perceiving the fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s body; Her tongue is captivated by the nectar of His lips; Her ever-delighted face and Her bodily limbs are engaged in intense ecstatic transformations such as humility and overwhelming bodily thrills that destroy composure – all of these were observed.”
(261)
tāte jāni, mote āche kona eka rasa
āmāra mohinī rādhā, tāre kare vaśa
“From this, I know that there is a particular rasa within Me, which completely captivates My enchantress, Rādhā.”
(262)
āmā haite rādhā pāya ye jātīya sukha
tāhā āsvādite āmi sadāi unmukha
“I am constantly hankering to relish the various types of joy derived from Me by Rādhā.”
(263)
nānā yatna kari āmi, nāri āsvādite
sei sukha-mādhurya-ghrāṇe lobha bāḍhe citte
“Whatever various endeavours I make, I am unable to relish it. Yet upon smelling the sweetness of that joy, the greed increases in My mind.”
(264)
rasa āsvādite āmi kaila avatāra
prema-rasa āsvādila vividha prakāra
“I will descend to taste rasa and experience prema-rasa in many different ways.”
(265)
rāga-mārge bhakta bhakti kare ye prakāre
tāhā śikhāila līlā-ācaraṇa-dvāre
“Through the pastimes of My own conduct, I will teach how a devotee should practice bhakti om the path of rāga.”
(266)
ei tina tṛṣṇā mora nahila pūraṇa
vijātīya-bhāve nahe tāhā āsvādana
“These three desires of Mine were not fulfilled, for they could not be relished in an contrary mood.”
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
Vijātīya – belonging to another category or class.
(267)
rādhikāra bhāva-kānti aṅgīkāra vine
sei tina sukha kabhu nahe āsvādane
“Without accepting Rādhikā’s inner mood and bodily complexion, these three pleasures cannot be relished.”
(268)
rādhā-bhāva aṅgīkari’ dhari’ tāra varṇa
tina-sukha āsvādite haba avatīrṇa
“By accepting Rādhā’s bhāva and bodily complexion, I shall descend to relish these three types of bliss.”
(269)
sarva-bhāve kaila kṛṣṇa ei ta’ niścaya
hena-kāle āila yugāvatāra-samaya
Considering all these points, Kṛṣṇa confirmed this – at that time, the era of the yugāvatāra arrived.
(270)
sei-kāle śrī-advaita karena ārādhana
tāṅhāra huṅkāre kaila kṛṣṇe ākarṣaṇa
At that time, Śrī Advaita performed worship, and by his loud call, Kṛṣṇa was attracted.
(271–272)
pitā-mātā, guru-gaṇa, āge avatāri’
rādhikāra bhāva-varṇa aṅgīkāra kari’
navadvīpe śacī-garbha-śuddha-dugdha-sindhu
tāhāte prakaṭa hailā kṛṣṇa pūrṇa indu
First, His father, mother, and elders descended. Then, accepting Rādhikā’s inner mood and bodily complexion, He manifested in Navadvīpa, like the full moon within Śacī’s pure womb which was like the ocean of milk.
(273)
ei ta’ kariluṅ ṣaṣṭha ślokera vyākhyāna
śrī-rūpa-gosāira pāda-padma kari’ dhyāna
Thus I have given an explanation to the sixth śloka, meditating upon Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s lotus feet.
(274)
ei dui ślokera āmi ye karila artha
śrī-rūpa-gosāira śloka pramāṇa samartha
This is the meaning I have given for these two ślokas, supported by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s own ślokas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
In order to fulfill the three aforementioned kinds of desires, and to teach the devotees the practice of rāga-mārga-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa resolved to appear. At that very time, the age of the yugāvatāra arrived. Then Śrī Advaita Ācārya worshipped Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, accepting the mood and complexion of Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa-candra appeared as the moonlike Gaurāṅga in Navadvīpa, within the womb of Śacī. The meaning explained in the two ślokas of Svarūpa Gosvāmī is being confirmed here through a verse of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.
(275)
apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu
Out of curiosity to taste the indescribable and boundless ocean of sweetness belonging to one among a multitude of His beloved devotees, He concealed His own intrinsic splendour, manifesting instead Her lustre. May that Supreme Lord, who has assumed the form of Śrī Caitanya, show us great mercy. (Dvitīya Caitanyāṣṭakam 3)
(276)
maṅgalācaraṇaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-tattva-lakṣaṇam
prayojanaṁ cāvatāre śloka-ṣaṭkair nirūpitam
The maṅgalācaraṇa containing the characteristics of the tattva of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and the necessity of His avatāra has been described in six ślokas.
Amṛta-pravāha Bhāṣya
“The maṅgalācaraṇa, the characteristics of the truth of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and the necessity of His advent – these three subjects have been established through six ślokas.”
(277)
śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
Placing his hope in the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa narrates the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Thus ends the Amṛta-pravāha commentary to the fourth chapter
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Śrī Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa – The Fountainhead of All Tattvas by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī
Kṛṣṇa – The Supreme Vedāntist by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
Dāsa Gosvāmī and the Unique Position of Govardhana by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
The Worship of Govardhana by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
Questions and Answers on Baladeva Tattva by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
The Worship of Lord Narasiṁha by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
The Dawn of the Age of Love? by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
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