Maṅgalācaraṇa
sañcārya rāmābhidha-bhakta-meghe sva-bhakti-siddhānta-cayāmṛtāni gaurābdhir etair amunā vitīrṇais taj-jñatva-ratnālayatāṁ prayātiŚrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu is a boundless, nectarean ocean of the established conclusions of devotion (bhakti-siddhāntas), and His devotee Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya is the cloud whom He filled with these conclusions about devotion to Him. When Mahāprabhu experienced the rain of bhakti-tattvas that the Rāmānanda-cloud showered upon Him, He was transformed into an ocean of jewels.
Vivṛtti
śrī śrī guru-gauraṇgau jayataḥ
namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya gaura-preṣṭhāya bhutale
śrī-śrīmad-bhakti-prajñāna-keśava iti nāmine
atimartya-caritrāya svāśritānāñ ca pāline
jīva-duḥke sadārttāya śrī-nāma-prema-dāyine
gaurāśraya-vigrahāya kṛṣṇa-kāmaika-cāriṇe
rūpānuga-pravarāya vinodeti svarūpiṇī
prabhupādāntaraṅgāya sarvasadguṇaśāline
māyāvāda-tamoghnāya vedāntārthavide namaḥ
namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhutale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta sarasvatīti nāmine
namo bhaktivinodāya saccidānanda-nāmine
gauraśakti-svarūpāya rūpānugavarāya te
yena vistārito gaura kṛpayā rasasāgaraḥ
viśākhikāsvarūpaṁ taṁ rāmānandamahaṁ bhaje
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
Millions and millions of times I reverently place my head at the lotus feet of my most venerable holy master oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Only by his causeless mercy and inspiration has a person as fallen as I am been able to to write this vivṛtti, or commentary, on the discussion between Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
I also repeatedly offer my obeisances to the spotlessly pure, transcendental lotus feet of the universal preceptor, Śrīla Prabhupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and to the lotus feet of Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who is the Bhagīratha of Bhakti-Bhāgīrathī, the Ganges River of pure devotional service. [He is addressed thus because, just as Bhagīratha Mahārāja ushered the descent of the River Ganges to this world, Bhaktivinoda restored the flow of the Ganges River of pure devotional service, as inaugurated by Śrīman Mahāprabhu; thus Bhaktivinoda’s feet bestow pure devotion.]
Both these great personalities have manifested the very deep, confidential essence of the Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya Saṁvāda, through their respective commentaries on the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, namely Anubhāṣya and Amṛta-pravāha.
I surrender myself in turn at the lotus feet of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, who is Viśākhā Sakhī in the pastimes of Vraja and who expanded the ocean of rasa (transcendental mellows) by the mercy of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Finally, while holding in my heart Śrī Śacīnandana Gaurahari, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa covered by the complexion and sentiments of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, I begin to write this vivṛtti (commentary) on Śrī Rāmānanda Saṁvāda.
Sañcārya – infusing. It is common knowledge that water evaporates from the ocean by the heat of the sun. The resultant vapor, having been purified of the ocean’s salty nature, transforms into a cloud. When this cloud passes over a forest or collides into a mountain, the same water falls as rain and again returns to the ocean. Should that rain fall at the time of the Svāti constellation (nakṣatra), the oysters in the ocean, accepting this rain-water, produce pearls. The ocean, now filled with precious stones, becomes known as the abode of jewels (ratnākara).
With this metaphor, the author conveys that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the ocean of the jewels of bhakti-siddhānta, and Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda is the rain-cloud filled with ambrosia. This Mahāprabhu, who is the unlimited ocean of the truths about bhakti, has covertly infused the heart of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya with the vapor of the nectarean flow of mellows in servitorship – dāsya, friendship – sakhya, parenthood – vātsalya, and conjugal relationship – mādhurya rasa. This incomparable flow of nectar rained into the ‘oysters’ of Mahāprabhu’s ears, where they transformed into the precious jewels of siddhāntas which the Lord drank. Thus He became the ocean laden with the jewels of bhakti-siddhānta.
This meaning emanates directly from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya himself. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya spoke the following essential statement:
eta tattva mora citte kaile prakāśana
brahmāke veda yena paḍāila nārāyaṇa
antaryāmī īśvarera ei rīti haye
bāhire nā kahe, vastu prakāśe hṛdaye
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā (8.263–264)
“You have manifested all these transcendental truths in my heart, just as Nārāyaṇa educated Lord Brahmā. The Supreme Lord dwelling within everyone’s heart speaks not externally but from within, and in this way He gives instruction.”
Rāmābhidha-bhakta-meghe. The crown jewel of rasikas, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, is the eternal associate of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, who is the unfathomable ambrosial ocean of bhakti-siddhānta. This cloud-like devotee known as “Rāma” is supremely enchanting, desirable, alluring, and delectable. The choice of the adjective bhakta in this verse signifies that it is only in the hearts of devotees that the truths about devotion (bhakti-tattva) can manifest. No one else has the ability to bear the power that comes from these truths. Śrīman Rāmānanda Rāya is that devotee-cloud who can carry the weight of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s own bhakti-siddhānta and then distribute it to others as rainfall. After this shower of devotion was collected by the ocean of devotional sentiments in that devotee’s heart, this rain of devotion bestowed an even more astonishing, indescribable taste for Mahāprabhu to experience.
Sva-bhakti-siddhānta-cayāmṛtāni – the nectarean collection of truths about the devotional service relating to Himself.
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā (1.4)
“May the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, Śrī Gaurahari, forever manifest spontaneously within the innermost core of your heart. Adorned with the radiant splendor of molten gold, He has descended (avatīrṇaḥ) in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow upon the world that which has not been given for a long time – the beauty of His own brilliantly radiant ujjvala-prema-rasa bhakti, service in the highest mellow of amorous love.”
In this verse, the word sva-bhakti refers to the supremely nectarean service performed in svārasikī-upāsanā[1] under the guidance of the mañjarīs. Only this is the jīvas’ topmost goal. Before the advent of Śrīman Mahāprabhu no one had manifested this for the sādhakas.
In regard to the execution of this mañjarī sevā, Śrīmatī Rādhikā becomes the object of Her maidservant’s permanent ecstatic emotion (sthāyi-bhāva) and Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes the object of the maidservant’s transitory emotion that nourishes the sthāyi-bhāva. This is then called the sañcārī-bhāva. In this service, the mañjarīs lovingly tend to Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the love of Rādhā’s life and gives Her happiness. Thus, this sva-bhakti-siddhānta, sweet as nectar, is the philosophical understanding embodied in the followers of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who established the rāgānuga-rūpānuga-siddhānta[2]. This is the essence and the foundation of the ultimate expression of love.
Pure devotion, or bhakti, is always supremely relishable because it is joyful by nature. The possessor of this bhakti, which culminates in mahābhāva, is Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself. The ocean of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu contains no trace of saltiness. Rather, it is full of ambrosial devotional mellows (rasa). An ocean such as He has no deficiency, is complete in every respect, and is free from dangerous creatures such as sharks and crocodiles – meaning “fruitive action (karma), ritualistic worship (upāsanā), and empirical speculative knowledge (jñāna).” This ocean, filled with unending varieties of nectar, is most attractive to the heart. There are no huge, treacherous and deafening waves; instead there are gently billowing waves of meeting and separation (saṁyoga and viyoga), in which both Bhagavān and the devotee remain blissfully submerged.
Gaurābdhir etair amunā vitīrṇaiḥ. Gaurābdhi means the “Gaura-ocean.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa who is akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the complete ocean of nectarean flavors, is gaurābdhi, the golden ocean. The word amunā means “by him,” as in the sense of “distributed to, or rained upon by the cloud named Rāmānanda.” Thus, the import is that Śrīman Mahāprabhu impelled the Rāmānanda-cloud to rain the ambrosial conclusions of His own bhakti upon the ocean of His own self. These siddhāntas imperceptibly appeared in Rāmānanda Rāya’s heart, and he in turn revealed them to Mahāprabhu. Then, Mahāprabhu again relished the mercy which He had imperceptibly bestowed upon Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, and He accepted these jewels of devotion, or bhakti-ratnas.
In Śrī Bhagavad-gītā (18.55), Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “bhaktyā mām abhijānāti – I am only understood by pure devotion.” Therefore, for the welfare of the entire world, Mahāprabhu posed questions, and Rāmānanda Rāya answered Him.
Taj-jñatva-ratnālayatāṁ prayāti. The knowledge of this bhakti-siddhānta has been referred to here as a ratna, or precious jewel. When these devotional conclusions are soaked in bhakti-rasa and enter the ears of a single-pointed devotee, he becomes like an ocean of jewels.
Mahāprabhu inspired the heart of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. Śrīman Mahāprabhu then personally listened in order to establish the topmost example, and thus encourage in others, also, an eagerness to hear. Those jewels have now appeared in the form of this book, which presents the crest jewel of all spiritual perfections.
Śrīman Mahāprabhu already knew every aspect of bhakti-siddhānta in full. If this were not so, how could He have empowered the heart of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya with all devotional conclusions? Then, the question naturally arises: how was it that the Lord gained knowledge of siddhānta by hearing from the lotus mouth of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya? What is the meaning of this?
The answer is that previously Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s knowledge had simply been jñāna, theory; but after hearing from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, that knowledge became vijñāna, realized knowledge. Jñāna and vijñāna are not the same thing. Here, jñāna refers to ordinary knowledge, whereas vijñāna entails special knowledge, which is full of realization. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Lord Brahmā:
jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me
yad vijñāna-samanvitam
sarahasyaṁ tad-aṅgañ ca
gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.30)
“O Brahmā, knowledge concerning Me is absolute, non-dual (advaya), and supremely confidential. Even though it is without differentiation, it is eternally divided into four categories: jñāna (theo-retical knowledge), vijñāna (realized knowledge), rahasya (confidential knowledge), and tad-aṅga (concomitant parts of that knowledge, or the limbs of devotion).
By your intelligence, as a jīva, you cannot understand this; by My mercy, now realize it. Jñāna is My svarūpa (original form or essential identity). Vijñāna is the knowledge pertaining to bhakti to Me. My rahasya (secret knowledge) is the minute jīva. Pradhāna (the unmanifested modes of material nature in its original and undifferentiated state) is My jñānāṅga (limb of jñāna, or knowledge).
The eternal non-duality and confidential differences of these four tattvas are all transformations of My potency, which is simultaneously one with and different from Me (acintya-bheda-abheda-śakti).”
Here, jñāna indicates kṛṣṇa-tattva; vijñāna denotes rādhā-tattva; rahasya signifies the tattva of prema; and tad-aṅga means tattva of Śrīmatī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes (vilāsa).
One can obtain Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva (simultaneously one with and different from His own multifarious energies), only by the process of sādhana-bhakti. Knowledge that we grasp by hearing from another is called jñāna, which when realized in the heart, is then called vijñāna. It was vijñāna that Śrīman Mahāprabhu obtained from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya.
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the viṣaya, the enjoyer or object of bhakti. He is not the āśraya, the abode of bhakti. He is completely unaware of the feelings aroused in the heart of the sādhaka by his devotional service to Him. The devotee serves Him in one of four relationships: dāsya (servitorship), sakhya (fraternity), vātsalya (parental affection), or madhura-bhāva (amorous love).
Thus, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the viṣaya, or object of devotion of all the various āśraya-jātīya devotees, those who are the shelters, or receptacles, of divine love. Śrī Kṛṣṇa does not have the loving sentiments of the devotees who the receptacles of divine love (āśraya-jātīya). He cannot taste the supreme, indescribable happiness that Śrīmatī Rādhikā feels when She sees His enchanting form.
How is it possible for Śrī Kṛṣṇa to experience the state of happiness that Śrīmatī Rādhikā reaches in the stage of rāga and anurāga[3], and especially in the stage of mādanākhya-mahābhāva[4]?
Kṛṣṇa wanted to know: “What are the glories of Śrī Rādhā’s praṇaya[5] (intense love)? What type of happiness does She experience in loving service to Me? How does She taste the nectar of My sweetness?”
To fulfill these desires, Śrī Kṛṣṇa accepted Her mood and complexion, and coming as the āśraya (the shelter or receptacle of the divine love), He appeared in this world as Śrī Gaurasundara. He infused the heart of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya with the conclusions of His own bhakti-rasa (the ambrosia of devotion).
śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ
saukhyañ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā (4.230)
It is only by the influence of His mercy potency (kṛpā-śakti) that the Lord’s desire could be fulfilled. In Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta it is told how Śrī Gopa-kumāra bestowed realization of ecstatic love upon his disciple in the same manner. He simply placed his lotus hand on the head of his disciple, who then realized everything.
This example illuminates a secret: should the jīva wish to receive the ecstasy of the fundamental truths regarding Bhagavān, he should hear only from the devotee who possesses such realization. The pastimes of Śrī Hari are naturally stored only in the heart of such a devotee. Such narrations, full of transcendental knowledge and bliss, cause the listeners to also relish them.
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[1] Svārasikī-upāsanā – The pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed in various places of Goloka Vṛndāvana are of many types; therefore, the worship that is performed through the limbs of bhakti, such as remembering, hearing, and chanting about those pastimes, which flow one after another, is called svārasikī-upāsanā.
[2] Rāgānuga – spontaneous devotional service which follows in the footsteps of the perfected souls. Rūpānuga – that rāgānuga-bhakti that specifically follows the moods of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
[3] When sneha (deep affection) is imbued with intense longing it is known as rāga. With the appearance of rāga, even a moment of separation is intolerable, and at that time even distress seems to be happiness. When rāga always experiences its object (the most beloved Kṛṣṇa) in ever-fresh ways then it is called anurāga.
[4] The supreme state of exaltation in which all the various stages of prema, from rati to mahābhāva, are manifest simultaneously in their most radiant form is called mādanākhya-bhāva.
[5] In Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī defines praṇaya as the state in which the hearts of both the hero (nāyaka) and heroine (nāyikā) become one.