In the siddha-swarup Lilâshuk said, “I am absorbed in Sri Krishna’s sweetness while He is sporting with Sri Râdhâ.”

 

Let us relish Sri Krishna-Vallabhâ purport. Sri Lilâshuk is saying that, Sri Krishna’s playfulness and all other activities are sweeter than sweet. So the poet has described Him as ‘madhurima’. Sri Bhagavân is full of Divine ras. Although He is the embodiment of ras, some incarnations manifest some of the ras. None of the incarnations contains all the ras. But Sri Krishna is the very embodiment of the nectarine ras. All the ras are fully manifested in Him. He has certain qualities that bring forth these ras. We do not find this in any other Divine form. These qualities are His personal treasure. Our Goswâmis have named these qualities as ‘mâdhuri’. Sri Krishna is sweetness personified. Hence, each and every part of His body is sweet! The devotee who has realizes this has sung –

 

“adharam madhuram vadanam mahuram

nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram,

hridayam madhuram gamanam madhuram

madhurâdhipateh-akhilam madhuram.”

 

Sri Lilâshuk is a worshipper in the sweet mood. So he is saying, ‘I want to remain absorbed in that sweetness’. He is praying eagerly in three verses. In this verse he is saying – “I will remain absorbed in that supremely effulgent ‘dev’. ‘Dev’ is defined as ‘divyati dyotate iti deva’, meaning, ‘Dev is One Who has effulgence’. Here we may ask, ‘Does Sri Lilâshuk want to merge into Sri Krishna’s effulgence as the gyânis want?’ No, he does not. He wants that Sri Krishna, absorbed in ras, will perform Leelâ with rapt attention. He wants to lose himself in that Leelâ.

 

How does the poet describe Sri Krishna? ‘ahimakara-kara-nikara-mridu-mudita-laxmi-sarastara-sarasiruha-sadrisha-drishi’. ‘ahimakara’ means ‘one whose rays are not cool, that is, the sun.’ ‘ahimakara’ also means ‘those sunrays that are neither hot nor cold. These rays have touched the lotus and made it look serene. ‘mudita’ means ‘exultant’ or ‘bloomed’. ‘laxmi-sarasrata-sarasiruha’ means ‘the lotus (sarasiruha) that is full of ras (sarasa-tara) and hence is beautiful (laxmi)’. Sri Lilâshuk has lost his heart to such beautiful lotus like eyes. Here we should note that when subjected to the midday sun, the lotus, in spite of containing honey, appears dried and rough. On the other hand, very early in the morning, the lotus is not bloomed at all. Hence, the lotus is at its best when touched by the sunrays that are not too hot or cold. Then it is bloomed as well as soft and serene. The poet has compared Sri Krishna’s beautiful eyes to such lotus.

 

The poet has also described Sri Krishna as ‘vraja-yuvati-rati-kalaha-vijayi-hija-lila-mada-mudita-vadana-shashi-madhurimani’. Meaning – “Sri Krishna fights a battle of love with the Gopânganâs. He tries to hold them in tight embrace, which breaks their necklace, and He attempts to kiss and strike them playfully with lotuses. Sri Krishna has won victory in this battle. Hence His moon-like face is sparkling with pride and joy.” The kohl from the Gopis’ eyes has tainted His face during the rati-kalaha (battle of love). So His face is moon-like (since the moon too has dark marks on it). As He embraces the soft Vrajabâlâs, He becomes more and more full of ras. When the devotee meditates on those Leelâs with the Vrajabâlâs, His heart too softens and becomes full of Divine ras.

 

This is a very special Kaliyug, for in this age Sri Sri Gourânga Mahâprabhu has opened up the casket containing a very deep secret that is the mode of worshipping Sri Sri Râdhâ-Krishna. He has brought this good news for humanity that was hitherto unavailable even for men with pure consciousness, having long life and performing very difficult austerities in the other yugas. He has brought with Him the practise (sâdhanâ) of Vraja–ras for the sinful and trouble-ridden humankind of Kaliyug. Sriman-Mahâprabhu has spread this priceless treasure (this message) through Sri Rupa, Sanâtan and the other Goswâmis who are His eternal and loving associates. This treasure is ‘Râgânugâ bhakti’. Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has written in Bhaktirasmrita-sindhu about the process of Râgânugâ bhakti –

 

                     “sevâ sâdhak-rupena siddha-rupena-cha-atra-hi,

tad-bhâv-lipsuna karyâ vraja-loka-anusarata:”

                          

Meaning – “Those who wish to gain rati (passionate love) for Sri Krishna in Vrajadhâm, must perform sevâ in this body, as a sâdhak and in siddha-swarup through meditation (since only the siddha-swarup is qualified to serve the Divine), following in the footsteps and under the authority of the Vraja lokas.”

–          [B.R.S. 1.2.294]

 

Here ‘Vraja lokas’ means the residents of Vraja such as Sri Râdhâ, Vishâkhâ, Rupa manjari and the Goswâmis, such as Sri Rupa and Sanâtan. In siddha-swarup, we must do sevâ under the domination of Sri Rupa manjari etc. while in sâdhak deha we must serve under the command of Sri Rupa, Sanâtan and other Goswâmis. Sriman-Mahâprabhu Himself has said –

 

 “bahye antare ihar duito sadhan,

bahya-sâdhak-dehe kore shraban kirtan.

mane nija siddha-deha koriya bhaban,

rarti dine kore braje krishnera seban.

nija-abhishta krishna-preshtha pacche to lagiya,

nirantar seba kore antarmana hoiya.”

 

Meaning – “In this body the sâdhak must perform all external sevâ such as hearing, taking the Holy Name, worshipping and glorifying while he must meditate on his siddha-swarup that is given to him by his Sri Gurudev and must serve Sri Sri Râdhâ-Krishna all day and night in his mind. As the sâdhak meditates on the Divine pastimes in this manner, his innermost mind gradually becomes absorbed in the lotus-feet of his worshipped Lordships.”

 

When he attains success in his sâdhanâ, the sâdhak leaves this body and actually gains sevâ of Sri Sri Yugalkishor in the realm of Leelâs, in his siddha-swarup on which he had been meditating all along. Then he feels blessed. Srila Narottam dâs Thâkur Mahâshay has written –

 

“Sri Rupa manjari (Sri Rupa Goswâmi) is our leader. The siddha-swarup of the other Goswâmis are as followers – Sri Rati manjari (Srila Raghunâth dâs Goswâmi), Lavanga manjari (Srila Sanâtan dâs Goswâmi), Manjulâli (Srila Lokanâth Goswâmi), Sri Rasa manjari (Srila Raghunâth Bhatta Goswâmi) and Kasturikâ (Srila Krishna dâs Kavirâj Goswâmi). They all get together and perform loving sevâ eagerly and with great joy. Under their guidance, I too shall pray for loving sevâ. They will merely gesture and I will understand what to do. I will bounce with beauty and talents, and always be full of deep love. In this manner, I shall live amongst the sakhis.

 

In Vrindâvan both of Them (Râdhâ and Krishna) are sitting with the sakhis surrounding Them. It is the time for ras-celebration. O when will the sakhi gesture to me and I will sway the fly-brush? And lift tâmbul to Their beautiful moon like faces?

 

All day and night, I shall meditate on the sevâ unto the lotus feet of the Divine Couple, with deep love in my heart. Whatever I shall meditate upon now, in sâdhanâ, I shall get in siddha-deha, for this is the process of Râgânugâ Bhakti.

 

 

If I covet that treasure (sevâ unto the lotus feet of the Divine Couple) now during devotional practice (sâdhanâ), then alone I shall get it in siddha-deha. It is only a matter of practice and perfection. When we have become perfect in the meditation of siddha-deha, we attain a stage called ‘prem-bhakti’. Until then we are in the process of practicing and it is called ‘sâdhanâ’. This, in essence, is true bhakti.”

                                                                  – [P.B.C.]

 

The living being is Sri Krishna’s ‘tatasthâ-shakti’. Sri Râdhâ- Krishna’s sevâ in Vrajadhâm is the highest goal that the living being can attain and this is possible only through Râgânugâ Bhakti. There is nothing higher than this. 51.

 

 

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