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Prema
Excerpt from a lecture on
Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé’s Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta
delivered
by
Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta
Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja
25
May 2003
The Ultimate Attainment
What kind of kåñëa-prema do we want? Not the prema of Hanumän or the Päëòavas or even Uddhava. We will not reject their prema; we will offer praëäma to it.
But we do not want it. What do we want? Do we want
to serve Kåñëa as Çrématé Rädhikä is serving Him?
No. We also offer so many praëämas to that prema.
Our goal is to serve that prema, but we do not
desire it ourselves.
We want to serve Çrématé Rädhikä and Çré Kåñëa in the way Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé and Çré Rüpa Maïjaré serve Them. By this
one will be perfect. It is the topmost status for the jéva. You should
realize this and not waste a single moment in sense gratification. Try to
maintain your life, but make this status the aim and object of your life.
Arjuna Laments
We have discussed the various stages of devotees up to the
Päëòavas, whom we have been glorifying. They are Kåñëa’s bosom friends, and
Kåñëa is their servant. What to speak of serving them, Kåñëa even grooms and
massages their horses. Kunté is like Kåñëa’s mother, Yudhiñöhira His father and
elder brother, and Bhéma His brother and friend. Arjuna has
more intimate a
friendship with Kåñëa than does Bhéma, and Draupadé has even more intimacy with
Kåñëa than do any of the Päëòavas, although she sometimes also has a mood of
reverence towards Him. She is a sakhé of Kåñëa. Try to know all these facts.
Speaking to Närada Åñi, Arjuna explained that he and the other
Päëòavas are actually bereft of good fortunate. “Kåñëa teaches us the Gétä,”
he said. “He tells us to be çaraëägata, surrendered souls; but we are
His intimate associates, His friends. I cannot say how many lives ago we
surrendered to Him. Thus we are very unfortunate.
“Also, when Kåñëa performs any service for us we become quite
ashamed. One time, against our wishes, He became my charioteer and was even
washing and massaging my horses. Why did He do this? It was not in fact for me.
It was simply part of His overall plan to kill the demons.
“I did not want to slay Bhéñma-pitämaha, Droëäcärya and my other
worshipable superiors, but I had to do so. I told Kåñëa that I could not fight
with Droëa and Bhéñma-pitämaha because they are my gurus; nonetheless
Kåñëa obliged me to kill them. How painful it was. Bhéñma was an exalted bhakta,
and to kill him was very sinful.
“I further told Kåñëa, ‘You are known as Madhusüdana, killer of
the Madhu demon, and not as “killer of your guru”.’ No one is to kill
his guru, who should be regarded as superior to one’s own father.
Nonetheless Kåñëa repeatedly urged me to shoot my gurus. He has not actually
served us, nor are we near and dear to Him. Why has Kåñëa come to this world? To protect the entire universe, to assist the demigods and vanquish
the demons. This is His sole purpose.”
Arjuna continued, “If you really want to see an exalted
reservoir of love and affection for
Kåñëa, you should at once fly to Dvärakä and seek out Uddhava.”
The Speciality of
Uddhava
Who is Uddhava?
çré-çuka uväca
våñëénäà pravaro mantré
kåñëasya dayitaù sakhä
çiñyo båhaspateù säkñäd
uddhavo buddhi-sattamaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.46.1)
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: The supremely intelligent
was the best
counselor of the Våñëidynasty, a beloved
friend of Çré Kåñëa
and a direct disciple of Båhaspati.
Kåñëa Himself told
Uddhava:
na tathä me priyatama
ätma-yonir na çaìkaraù
na ca saìkarñaëo na çrér
naivätmä ca yathä bhavän
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.14.15)
Kåñëa said, “Uddhava, you are most dear to Me. Brahmä, who is My
son; Çaìkara, who is non-different from Me; My brother Saìkarñaëa; the goddess
of fortune Çré Lakñmé; and even My very own life, are not as dear to Me as you
are. You are so close to Me.” Kåñëa has also declared,
“Do not think that Uddhava is even slightly inferior to Me.
He is as good as I am,
and sometimes he may even be
greater.” How exalted Uddhava is.
Närada thus left Arjuna and traveled to Dvärakä to meet Uddhava.
He glorified Uddhava and the Yädavas, to which Uddhava replied, “Don’t speak
like this. I know that I am a high-class devotee of Kåñëa and that Kåñëa’s
queens are also very dear to Him. Kåñëa once gave a pärijäta flower to
Rukmiëé, and He also stole an entire pärijäta tree from heaven and planted
it in Satyabhämä’s courtyard.”
The Story of the
Pärijäta Flower
One day Kåñëa was sitting among His wives in Dvärakä – all
16,108 queens were present, including Rukmiëé and Satyabhämä. Närada arrived
there with a pärijäta flower plucked from heaven and told Kåñëa, “Please take
this flower and give it to Your favourite queen.”
Kåñëa thought, “Närada is very tricky; he wants to throw Me
in a dilemma. If I give this flower to
Rukmiëé, then Satyabhämä and the other queens will be angry, and
it will take great effort to pacify them. And if I hand it to Satyabhämä, then
Rukmiëé will be jealous.”
Närada interrupted His thoughts, “Don’t delay. I have pressing
business to complete. Please give the flower to one of Your
queens now, in my presence, before I leave.” Kåñëa wondered what to do. Närada kept
insisting, so He took the flower, closed His eyes, and gave it to Rukmiëé. He
thought that by closing His eyes, the other queens would be unable to tell that
He was intentionally selecting her. At once, breathing heavily like a serpent,
Satyabhämä ran to her palace. She threw off all her garments and ornaments, put
on some old, ragged and dirty clothes and, weeping, entered her kop-bhavan,
“anger-room”.
Kings used to build “anger-rooms” for their queens. If a queen
took shelter there, the king knew he would have to pacify her. Now Satyabhämä
went into her kop-bhavan and began to weep loudly. Her many maidservants
were pacifying her, in a way that Kåñëa would know He had committed a great
wrong. Kåñëa approached Satyabhämä and gently put His
hand on her, but she
immediately pushed Him away. “Go away at once,” she said bitterly. “Return to
Your dearest queen. You are a liar. You ridiculed and insulted me in front of
the entire assembly.”
Kåñëa said, “Listen, I gave a single pärijäta flower to
Rukmiëé, and you have become so upset. I will bring an entire pärijäta tree
from the heavenly planets and plant it in your courtyard.”
Satyabhämä replied, “You could not give me even a single flower,
and now You say You will bring me a whole tree.”
“Come with me,” Kåñëa said. At once he called Garuòa and,
sitting on his back, they traveled to the heavenly planets together. There,
Kåñëa fought against Indra and the demigods and defeated them. He uprooted a pärijäta
tree and planted it in Satyabhämä’s courtyard.
The Glorious
Yädavas
Uddhava continued speaking to Närada Åñi: “After defeating the
demigods, Kåñëa also forcibly took away Sudharmä-sabhä, their famed heavenly assembly
house, and brought it back with Him. Why? He knew the demigods had the false
ego of being masters of the universe; so to crush their false pride He stole
away Sudharmä-sabhä and brought it to Dvärakä. Just see how Kåñëa is serving
the Yädavas in Dvärakä.
“Also, you should know that Kåñëa established Ugrasena, Kaàsa’s
father, as emperor and said to him, ‘I am your servant. Please order Me and I will collect taxes for you from across the
universe. Don’t be concerned.” Kåñëa thus became his subordinate.
“Saìkarñaëa, the son of Vasudeva Mahäräja and Rohiëé, is Kåñëa’s
own brother. Kåñëa also has ten sons and one daughter from each of His queens –
that is, 11 x 16,108 children in all. Through them He has so many grandchildren.
These are all Kåñëa’s blood-relatives, His svajana. Although the
Päëòavas are like Kåñëa’s brothers, they have no blood relation with Him; they are
His friends. So how glorious are the residents of Dvärakä, the Yädavas.”
Uddhava admitted to Närada, “We are very highclass devotees and
most dear to Kåñëa. I accept everything Kåñëa has said to me – that I am His
advisor, friend, servant and so on. Nonetheless, I
still lament.”
Why do you lament?” asked Närada.
“I was proud that I was serving Kåñëa in so many ways, but my
false ego was crushed when I went to Våndävana and witnessed the gopés’ glories.
Their love is as high as
The Blessed
Lord Brahmä declares:
aho bhägyam aho bhägyaà
nanda-gopa-vrajaukasäm
yan-mitraà paramänandaà
pürëaà brahma sanätanam
-Bhägavatam (10.14.32)
Kåñëa is the supreme authority, the Lord of lords. He is
unrivalled and all-powerful, and yet He is very sweet. He can destroy an entire
universe in a moment, and create millions of universes in another. Nevertheless,
that same Kåñëa wants to serve the gopés. He is the dear friend and son
of everyone in Vraja-Nandagram.
Uddhava himself has prayed:
etäù paraà tanu-bhåto bhuvi gopa-vadhvo
govinda eva nikhilätmani rüòha-bhäväù
väïchanti yad bhava-bhiyo munayo vayaà ca
kià brahma-janmabhir ananta-kathä-rasasya
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.58)
In this world the
Although Çré Govinda lives in Goloka-
Våndävana, He also sustains and nourishes all
beings in all parts of
His creation. Therefore
Uddhava has prayed, “Those who fear material
existence, as well as
others such as myself and
so many åñis and munis,
hanker to serve that
Kåñëa, especially when He is in the company of
the gopés. We have no
desire to take birth in a
brähmaëa dynasty, or even to become Brahmä
himself.”
Uddhava Weeps
äsäm aho caraëa-reëu-juñäm ahaà syäà
våndävane kim api gulma-latauñadhénäm
yä dustyajaà sva-janam ärya-pathaà ca hitvä
bhejur mukunda-padavéà çrutibhir vimågyäm
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.61)
Uddhava desired to become grass in
Våndävana. He prayed, “When Kåñëa associates
with the gopés or when the gopés go to
meet Kåñëa, they will place their feet on that
grass and my life will be successful.” What is
the status of the gopés and their love and affection
for Kåñëa, and how does it compare with
the love of Uddhava?
yä vai çriyärcitam ajädibhir äpta-kämair
yogeçvarair api yad ätmani räsa-goñöhyäm
kåñëasya tad bhagavataù caraëäravindaà
nyastaà staneñu vijahuù parirabhya täpam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.62)
Brahmä, Çaìkara and all other demigods perform arcana of
the feet of Lakñmé, and that very Lakñmé performed austerities to serve Kåñëa
in Våndävana,but was unable to attain His service. She
wanted to enter the räsa-lélä, but Kåñëa did not accept her. Uddhava
began to weep as he continued:
.’ ”
vande nanda-vraja-stréëäà
päda-reëum abhékñëaçaù
yäsäà hari-kathodgétaà
punäti bhuvana-trayam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.63)
We are gradually approaching the aim and object of our sädhana.
You should have some greed to collect this jewel. Uddhava is saying here, “O gopés,
I want to be the dust of your lotus feet; not many dust particles, but only a
single one, as I cannot digest good fortune greater than this.” There are
countless gopés, but in his mind Uddhava has selected one particular gopé,
namely, Çrématé Rädhikä. He desired just one particle of Her
foot-dust.
Uddhava prayed to the gopés:
sarvätma-bhävo ’dhikåto
bhavaténäm adhokñaje
viraheëa mahä-bhägä
mahän me ’nugrahaù kåtaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.27)
He is saying, “O gopés, you have conquered Kåñëa and
controlled Him in all respects. He is now totally yours. I am unable to convey
to Him what you have said out of separation from Him. He may even die upon
hearing it. I do not have your mood of separation. You are mahä-bhägä,
most fortunate. You are superior to Yudhiñöhira, me and even Giriräja- Govardhana.
You have bestowed so much mercy upon me, but I am very unfortunate, being
unqualified to receive it.” And thus Uddhava wept.
The Height of Selfless
Service
Hearing the glories of the Vrajaväsés, the old and senile Padmävaté,
mother of wicked Kaàsa, shook her head and said, “Alas! Those merciless cowherd
men are very cruel. They made Kåñëa take their cows out to graze all day, from
His early childhood. They never gave Him any shoes or an umbrella to shield Him
from the blazing sun. They never even fed Him. And when, tortured by hunger, He
ate a little butter, the cowherd women tied Him up!”
To this, Rohiëé replied sharply: “Padmävaté, you are shameless
and have no heart. You are the one who is very cruel. You have spoken as you
have because you know nothing of love and affection.
“Vraja was beset by great calamities. Many demons, like Pütanä,
Aghäsura, Bakäsura and Keçé,
came to create a huge
disturbance and torment the Vrajaväsés. Nonetheless, the Vrajaväsés never
blamed Kåñëa for this. Everything they do is out of love for Him and is only to
please Him. They are unequalled in their love and affection; they are indeed
unique in this world.
“Indra also wanted to destroy Vraja, and for this he sent
torrential rain and thunderbolts to Vraja. Then the yamala-arjuna trees
almost crushed Kåñëa. In every such incident, the gopés only desired
Kåñëa’s welfare. They uttered mantras like ‘maìgalam bhavatu’ and
‘kalyänam bhavatu’ – ‘May auspiciousness be
upon You.’ In whatever they do, whether it is the worship of
Giriräja-Govardhana, Näräyaëa or any other deity, they pray, ‘O Näräyaëa, please let me behold Kåñëa.’ Just see the glory of
the gopés.”
Kåñëa Himself has told the gopés, “na
päraye ’haà niravadya-saàyujäà – I can never repay you. I am unable
to abandon any of My devotees, not even a sädhaka in
this world, whereas you have left your very own fathers, mothers,
sisters, wealth, reputation and worldly dharma. I cannot do this,
and so I am unable to repay you. I therefore pray that you will be merciful
to Me and be satisfied by your own good activities.
Only in this way can I be freed from my debt to you.”
Çré Rädhä’s Victory
And who is the most glorious of all?
venuà karän nipatitaà skhalitaà çikhaëòaà
bhrañöaà ca péta-vasanaà vrajäräja-sünoù
yasyäù kaöäkña-çara-ghäta-vimürcchitasya
täà rädhikäà paricarämi kadä rasena
Çré Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (39)
Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté has established that of all the gopés,
Çrématé Rädhikä is the most prominent. He explains here: “As Kåñëa was on his
way to go cow-herding, Rädhikä threw a sidelong glance at Him, which pierced
Him like an arrow. It went straight into His heart, and at once His vaàçé fell
from His hands.
“Brahmä, and indeed all living creatures, are attracted by
Kåñëa’s vaàçé. Upon hearing its sweet sound, the gopés immediately
abandoned the service of their husbands and the cooking in their homes. Their chapätés
were burning on the fire and their milk was boiling over, but they left all
their duties. That same vaàçé, which controls all the gopés, now dropped
out of Kåñëa’s hands, due to the sidelong, arrow-like glance of Çrématé
Rädhikä.
“Day and night, Kåñëa carries His vaàçé, and His peacock
feather always rests on His head. But having been shot by Çrématé Rädhikä’s
side-long glance, Kåñëa began to reel and lose consciousness – His peacock feather
fell at Çré Rädhä’s feet, and His yellow cädara slid down from His
shoulders. When will Rädhikä sprinkle Her mercy on me
so that I may serve Her with rasa? What rasa? Prema,
sneha, mäna, praëaya, räga, anuräga and so
on.”
The Unrivalled Status of
the Maïjarés
What to speak of Rädhikä, Kåñëa falls at the feet of even Her maidservants:
yat-kiìkaréñu bahuçaù khalu käku-väëé
nityaà parasya puruñasya çikhaëòa-mauleù
tasyäù kadä rasa-nidher våñabhänu-jäyäs
tat-keli-kuïja-bhavanäìgana-marjané syäm
Çré Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (8)
Once Rädhikä was in a sulky mood in a forest grove, and She ordered Rüpa Maïjaré and others to guard Her. She said,
“Go to the entrance of this kuïja, and when that black cheater comes you
should stop Him. Don’t let him enter My grove.”
Thus, when black Kåñëa arrived, Rüpa Maïjaré and Rati Maïjaré,
standing guard at the entrance, checked Him: “You may enter only if Rädhä
orders us to let You in. But now She
is angry with You, so return to Candrävalé. Don’t come here.” Placing His head
on the lotus feet of those kiìkarés (maidservants), Kåñëa begged for
forgiveness. Çré Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté is praying to become one stick in the
broom used for sweeping kuïjas. How glorious are those kiìkarés.
tämbülärpaëa-päda-mardanapayo-
dänäbhisärädibhir
våndäraëya-maheçvaréà priyatayä
yäs toñayanti priyäù
präëa-preñöha-sakhé-kuläd api
kiläsaì kocitä bhümikäù
kelé-bhümiñu rüpa-maïjaré-mukhäs
tä däsikäù aàçraye
Stavävalé, Vraja-viläsa-stava (38)
These kiìkarés serve Çré Rädhä alone or the Divine Couple
together in all Their pastimes. They offer Them betel nuts (tämbüla), massage Them, fetch water,
serve Rädhä when She goes out to meet Kåñëa, and engage in many other services.
Here Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé prays, “I take shelter at the lotus feet of
those kiìkarés, who have Çré Rüpa Maïjaré as their leader, because they
and no one else can perform all these services.”
I too bow down at the lotus feet of the maïjarés headed
by Çré Rüpa Maïjaré, and I pray that they will sprinkle their mercy on
me. Beyond this, I don’t know anything.
Gaura-premänande!
·
Rays of the Harmonist
No. 13 Karttika 2003
