Types of divine lunacy
“Divine lunacy is of various types, such as, udghurnâ, chitrajalpa etc.” – (U.N.)
Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has described Srimati Râdhârâni’s udghurnâ in the 3rd act of the drama ‘Lalit-Mâdhâv’. When the lady-love meets a dear one of her Beloved, She expresses extreme yearning that stems form deep anger. She talks animatedly with plenty of bhâv. This is ‘chitra-jalpa’. In the 47th chapter of the 10th skandha of Srimad-Bhâgavatam Srimati Râdhârâni displayed various bhâvs on meeting Sri Uddhav. These ten verses that make up Bhramar-geet contain the ten types of jalpanâ and it is ‘chitrajalpa’.1
Now let us study the second type of mahâbhâv that is – mâdan.
Mâdan |
“Prem is the essence (or the most condensed form) of hlâdini shakti. When this prem enhances all the bhâvs (from rati to mahâbhâv) – we call it mâdan. It is a bhâv that is superior to the supreme. It exists only in Srimati Râdhârâni” – (U.N.)
When Swayam Bhagavân Sri Krishna appears, then all divine forms come and appear in Him. Similarly, when Srimati Râdhârâni expresses mâdan, all the levels of love sparkle brilliantly through this bhâv. Mâdan is the best of all bhâvs and is supremely exultant – therefore we call it ‘superior to the supreme’.
Mâdan is present only in Srimati Râdhârâni; even Her soul mate Lalitâ who is a prominent member of Her group, does not possess mâdan. Thus we discover that Srimati Râdhârâni reigns supreme in the empire of Love. Mâdan existed in Srimati Râdhârâni since time infinite. Srimat Jiva Goswâmipâd has written –
“Although mâdan is ever-residing in Srimati Râdhârâni, sometimes it remains concealed in Her heart, and is revealed at other times.”
– (Lochan-Rochani purport)
Mâdan never disappears from Srimati Râdhârâni’s sub-consciousness. Thus we learn that mâdan is Her original nature. This makes Her more remarkable and extraordinary than other lovers who possess mahâbhâv. Thus we accept the fact that where the height of love is concerned, Srimati Râdhârâni has no competition what so ever.
Let us analysis the word mâdan for some further relish. It stems from the root ‘mad‘. Although the root word ‘mad‘ indicates ‘joy’, it is generally used to mean ‘intoxicate’.
“mâdayati harshena unmâdâtiti mâdanah”
Meaning – “We call this bhâv as ‘mâdan‘ because it has the same effect of exquisite honey-wine – it exhilarates the lover with intoxicating joy.”
Symptoms of mâdan
“When a lover has the bhâv ‘mâdan’ –
- ¨ She feels extremely jealous of something that does not warrant resentment at all. Example -When Srimati Râdhârâni saw the garland of wild flowers oscillating on Sri Krishna’s bosom, She was jealous, although the garland is lifeless and is surely no competing with Her.
- ¨ Also, although She is always united with Sri Krishna, She pays obeisance to anything that simply carries His perfume.” – (U.N.) Example – Once the saffron from Her bosom had got transferred onto Sri Krishna’s feet. When He had walked away from there, the saffron smeared the grass. While collecting woods from the forest, a tribal lass had been attracted by the sweet fragrance of that saffron; she had taken it and dabbed it on her face and bosom. Srimati Râdhârâni and copiously praised that tribal girl and had sung a hymn unto her. We see this in Srimad-Bhâgavatam (10.21.17) in the verse ‘purnâh pulindya’.
Sri Ujjwal-Neelmani describes the extraordinary specialty of mâdan-bhâv as –
“Only during milan, this mâdan-bhâv arises. Its impact is strangely inconceivable. It assists in the eternal pastimes in thousands of artistic ways. Mâdan is very much Sri Krishna Himself. Just as He is the transcendental youthful Love-God, and you cannot comprehend Him, similarly the ways of mâdan too are impossible to understand. This is why, neither Srila Bharat Muni nor Sripâd Shuka Muni (the descriptor of râs-leelâ in Srimad-Bhâgavatam) have succeeded in describing clearly the characteristics of mâdan.”
Srila Vishwanâth Chakravartipâd has explained this statement in his Aananda-Chandrikâ purport as follows –
“Mâdan bhâv arises in Srimati Râdhârâni only when She is in milan with Sri Krishna, and never during viraha. Although mâdan is ever-existent in Srimati Râdhârâni, it is expressed in milan and remains concealed in viraha.“
Now we have a question – “Do you remember the example of the symptoms of mâdan, when we spoke about the tribal girl? Well, when Srimati Râdhârâni felt mâdan and spoke that verse, She was nowhere near Sri Krishna. Then how does the tribal-girl-example fit in, since mâdan occurs only during milan?”
The reply is – “When mâdan expresses itself, the lover experiences kissing and embracing (or conjugal bliss) and within this experience she also realizes the pangs of viraha. She undergoes two experiences – of milan and viraha in one situation itself. In fact this is the strange specialty of mâdan.“
The question may arise – “How can the sweetheart cry out in longing of viraha when she is actually making love to Sri Krishna?”
We answer – “This is why Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has used the word ‘strange’ to explain the nature of mâdan. There are innumerable types of conjugation and innumerable types of viraha-lamentations during such love-making – this is extremely remarkable! We cannot explain how it happens – this is the wonder of mâdan!”
How mâdan differs from anurâg |
We have mentioned that anurâg has a characteristic – visphurti during viraha. However when the sweetheart experiences viraha in mâdan, it is not like the ‘visphurti in viraha’ of anurâg; since it is not a sphurti – it is real. What happens in anurâg? The lady-love experiences viraha, then as she remembers her Beloved repeatedly, she gets his sphurti; in sphurti she embraces Sri Krishna. Then she is happy and she does not cry out in longing. We know in mâdan it is not like this. Hence the simultaneous milan and viraha that occurs in mâdan distinguishes it from anurâg.
True, the behavior of mâdan is entirely incomprehensible. Just as the glory of Sri Krishna, Who is the transcendental youthful Love-God Whom we worship with Kâm-beej and Kâm-Gâyatri is inconceivable, so is mâdan! As a result, Srila Bharat Muni who is the preceptor of the ‘primeval ras’ or the erotic ras and Srila Shukadev Muni – the orator of Srimad-Bhâgavatam too have failed in describing the characteristics of mâdan. When mâdan is so wonderful, then how much more wonderful, incomparable, inexpressible and inconceivable is the glory of the One Who is always full of mâdan-âkhya mahâbhâv2 – Srimati Râdhârâni?
(The End of Analytical Study of Love)