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Chapter 5
Krishna the Reservoir of
Pleasure
The highest truth, the
embodiment of supreme consciousness, is rasa.
If a person cannot realize rasa, he cannot at all realize the supreme
truth.
Thus the Taittiriya
Upanishad says:
raso vai sah
rasam hy evayam
labdhvanandi bhavati
ko hy evanyat kah pranyat
yad esha akasha anando na
syat
esha hy evanandayati
The supreme truth is
rasa. The jiva becomes blissful on attaining this rasa. Who would work with body and prana, if this
blissful, complete form did not exist. He gives bliss to all.
Taitteriya 2.7
Progressing through
faith, steadiness, taste, and attachment, when the relationship with Krishna
matures into rati, it is called sthayi bhava.
When this sthayi bhava becomes mixed with the ingredients vibhava,
anubhava, sattvika bhava and vyabhicari bhava, it attains a remarkable state
called bhakti rasa. The workings of
material rasa and spiritual rasa are similar. When there is a sthayi bhava directed
towards Krishna, it becomes bhakti rasa.
When the sthayi bhava is directed towards enjoyment of sense objects, it
becomes the ephemeral material rasa.
When the sthayi bhava is based on an inclination towards undifferentiated
knowledge, it becomes impersonal brahma rasa.
When the sthayi bhava is directed into yoga practice, it becomes
paramatma rasa. When a person, before attaining genuine rati, attempts to
experience rasa using vibhava, anubhava, sattvika and vyabhicari bhavas, it
becomes imperfect, fragmented rasa.
Material rasa is insignificant.
Let material literature describe this, and let the materalistic enjoyers
relish it. The devotee has no interest
in this, and discusses the spiritual rasa alone. The differences from brahma rasa and
paramatma rasa previously mentioned will be discussed later. Now rasa will be clarified by discussing the
ingredients.
In the workings of rasa,
rati, the sthayi bhava (permanent inclination), is the container. It transforms to rasa by combination with the
ingredients. There are four ingredients: vibhava, anubhava, sattvika bhava and
vyabhicari bhava. Vibhava (cause of
emotion) has two categories: alambana and uddipana. Alambana (support in the form characters) has
two divisions: ashraya and vishaya. The
person possessing sthayi bhava is the ashraya or shelter. The person towards whom the sthayi bhava is
directed is the vishaya or object. In spiritual rasa, the vishaya is the
worshipable Lord, and the worshipper devotee is the ashraya. The innumerable qualities of the Lord are
the uddipana (stimulus). Dancing, choking up, singing,, speaking loudly,
stretching the body, hiccuping, yawning, sighing, disregard for others,
drooling, laughing, wailing , grinding the teeth-such visible manifestations of
emotion are called anubhava (external symptoms). Being stunned, sweating, standing of hairs,
breaking of voice, shivering, chage of color, tears and fainting-these eight
bodily changes due to disturbance of heart and pranas are called sattvika bhava
(symptoms arising from internal disturbance).
The thirty-three symptoms that appear suddenly in the ocean of sthayi
bhava are called vyabhicari bhavas (transitory emotional symptoms). Appearing like waves in the ocean of sthayi
bhava, these symptoms nourish the state of sthayi bhava.
Rasa is of two types:
primary and secondary. Primary rasas are
five: shanta, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura. Secondary rasas are seven: comedy, wonder,
bravery, lamentation, anger, fear and ghastliness.
The five major rasas
appear in different persons according to their rati. Shanta rati makes brahman and paramatma the
vishaya in a state of peace. In a more
intense state, the Lord of Vaikuntha becomes the vishaya. Dasya rati accepts the Lord of Vaikuntha as
vishaya with admiration of the Lord's power. When the attraction becomes more
intense, Krishna alone becomes the object in sakhya, vatsalya and madhura
rati. Chaitanya Caritamrita says:
sadhana bhakti haite haya
ratira udaya
rati gadha haile ta'ra
prema nama kaya
prema vriddhi krame nama
-sneha, mana, pranaya
raga, anuraga, bhava,
mahabhava haya
yaiche bija, ikshu, rasa,
guda khanda sara
sharkara, sita-michari,
uttama michari ara
ei saba krishna bhakti
rase sthayibhava
sthayibhave mile yadi
vibhava anubhava
sattvika, vyabhicari
bhavera milane
krishna bhakti rasa haya
amrita asvadane
bhakti bhede rati bheda
panca parakara
shanta rati, dasya rati,
sakhya rati ara
vatsalya rati, madhura
rati e panca vibheda
rati bhede krishna bhakti
rase panca bheda
By regularly rendering
devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. When that attachment is
intensified, it becomes love of Godhead.
The basic aspects of prema, when gradually increasing to different
states, are affection, abhorrence, love attachment, further attachment, ecstasy
and great ecstasy. The gradual
development of love may be compared to different states of sugar. First there is the seed of the sugarcane,
then sugarcane and then the juice extracted from the cane. When this juice is boiled, it forms a liquid
molasses, then a solid molasses, then sugar, candy, rock candy and finally
lozenges. All these stages combined are
called sthayi bhava, or continuous love of Godhead in devotional service. In addition to these stages, there are
vibhava and anubhava. When the higher
standard of ecstatic love is mixed with the symptoms of sattvika and
vyabhicari, the devotee relishes the transcendental bliss of loving Krishna in
a variety of nectarean tastes. Thse
tastes are like a combination of yogurt, sugar candy, ghee, black pepper and
camphor and are as palatable as sweet nectar.
According to the devotee, attachment falls within the five categories of
shanta rati, dasya rati, sakhya rati, vatsalya rati and madhura rati. These five categories arise from the
devotees' different attachments to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The transcendental mellows derived from
devotional service are also of five varieties.
C.C.Madhya 19, 177-183
Those who desire to
understand about rasa may study Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, south, west and north
parts, and its supplement Ujjvala Nila Mani, under the guidance of a guru. These subjects are summarized in the
teachings to Rupa and Sanatana in the Chaitanya Caritamrita.
In this chapter, Krishna
will be shown as the reservoir of all rasa.
Krishna has already been show as the supreme entity in Chapter Two.
Krishna has also been show to be the possessor of all powers. By examining the verses written by Rupa
Gosvami, one will understand all about Krishna.
siddhantatas tv abhede'pi
shrisha-krishna-svarupayoh
rasenotkrishyate
krishna-rupam esa rasa-sthitih
Ontologically, there is
no difference between Narayana and Krishna. However, the form of Krishna holds
a special attraction due to the rasa, especially invoked by conjugal
sentiments. This is the nature of rasa.
B.R.S. Purva Vibhaga
32
Though brahman and
paramatma are particular realizations of the absolute truth, they are devoid of
unique, personal form (svarupa).
Realization of the Lord's personal form (bhagavan) is the perfection in
God realization. The Supreme Person appears in two forms; one is endowed with
majesty and the other is endowed with sweetness. The shanta rasa available through brahman or
paramatma realization is extremely meager.
With realization of the lord's form in a majestic mood, dasya rasa
(servitorship) arises in the worshipper.
The extreme difference between the great powers of the Lord and the
minute qualities of the jiva make reverence inevitable. But because of this state of reverence, the
jiva is barred from higher rasa.
Therefore by his mercy, the Lord reveals his real form as Krishna to the
jiva.
Therefore, Chaitanya
Caritamrita says:
aishvarya-jnanete saba
jagat mishrita
aishvarya shithila preme
hani mora prita
amare ishvara mane
apanake hina
ta'ra preme vasha ami, na
hai adhina
amake ta' ye ye bhakta
bhaje yei bhave
tare se se bhave bhaji-e
mora svabhave
mora putra, mora sakha,
mora prana pati
ei bhave yei mora kare
shuddha bhakti
apanake bada mane, amare
sama hina
sei bhave hai ami tahara
adhina
mata more putra bhave
karena bandana
ati hina jnane kare
lalana palana
sakha shuddha sakhye kare
skandhe arohana
tumi kon bada loka, tumi
ami sama
priya yadi mana kari'
karaye bhartsana
veda stuti haite hare sei
mora mana
ei shuddha bhakti lana
karimu avatara
kariba vividha vidha
abdhuta vihara
The universe is filled
with the conception of My majesty, but love weakened by that sense of majesty
does not satisfy Me. If one regards me
as the Supreme Lord and himself as a subordinate, I do not become subservient
to his love, nor can it control Me. In
whatever transcendental mellow My devotee worships Me, I reciprocate with him.
That is my natural behavior. If one
cherishes pure loving devotion to Me, thinking of Me as his son, his friend or
his beloved, regarding himself as great and considering me his equal or
inferior, I become subordinate to him.
Mother sometimes binds Me
as her son. She nourishes and protects
Me, thinking Me utterly helpless. My
friends climb on My shoulders in pure friendship, saying, "What kind of
big man are You? You and I are equal." If my beloved consort reproaches Me
in a sulky mood, that steals My mind from the reverent hymns of the Vedas. Taking these pure devotees with Me, I shall
descend and sport in various wonderful ways, unknown even in Vaikuntha.
CC. Adi 4. 17-27
If Krishna had not
appeared in his original form, the jiva would not have access to the higher
rasas, namely, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura.
Bhava (emotion ) is actually the primary pursuit in the world. The jiva's knowledge of the supreme is
limited. By pursuing the path of
knowledge, the jiva does not receive any trace of love of God. By pursuing that path, a person does not
realize the form of God, and instead concludes that God is formless and without
qualities. The path of knowledge does
not lead to realization of God's form.
There is no process to realize the Lord except by the path of devotion
(bhava). As a jiva advances,
proportionately his attraction (bhava) to the Lord increases and gives
satisfaction. Advancement due to
education or intelligence is not spiritual advancement. One can gain spiritual advancement only by
increasing development of pure bhava.
Thus an illiterate fool can attain a high degree of the Lord's mercy,
and a learned scholar, being atheistic, on the level of an animal, an be
completely devoid of the Lord's mercy.
To attain the Lord's mercy, birth, education, wealth, strength, beauty
or skills are ineffective. The great scholar and warrior, full of pride,
gradually proceed to hell, while the fool and weakling worship the Lord in
devotion and attains supreme peace. Thus the root of all spiritual attainment
is bhava (emotion, ecstasy). This bhava
takes the form of shanta or dasya in many cases, suitable to the qualification
of the person. In rare cases, the
devotee achieves the highest goal of sakhya, vatsalya and madhura. The pure devotee who attains madhura bhava
is the chief of all the devotees tasting rasa.
Chaitanya Caritamrita
says:
shantera guna, dasyera
sevana-sakhya dui haya
dasye sambhrama gaurava
seva, sakhye vishvasa maya
apanake palaka jnana
krishne palya jnana
cari rasera gune vatsalya
amrita samana
kanta bhave nijanga diya
karena sevana
ata eva madhura rasa haya
panca guna
akashadi guna yena para
para bhute
eka dui tina krama panca
prithivite
The qualities of shanta
rasa and the service of dasya rasa are both present on the platform of sakhya
rasa. On the platform of fraternity, the
qualities of dasya rasa are mixed with the confidence of fraternity instead of
awe and veneration.
On the platform of
paternal love, the devotee considers himself the Lord's maintainer. Thus the Lord is the object of maintenance,
like a son, and therefore this mellow is full of the four qualities of shanta
rasa, dasya rasa, fraternity, and parental love. This is more transcendental nectar.
On the platform of
conjugal love, the devotee offers his body in the service of the Lord. Thus, on this platform all five
transcendental qualities are present. All the material qualities evolve one
after another in the material elements, beginning from ether. By gradual evolution, first one quality
develops, then two qualities develop, the three and four, until all five
qualities are in earth.
C.C.Madhya.19.222,228, 232-233
When devotees with meager
rasa hear about madhura rasa, they cannot believe it, and moreover, they fear
that it is offensive. The common
spiritual practices take shelter of dasya rasa.
Persons of this mentality, when they hear about worshipping the Lord in
madhura rasa, reject it because of dread or fear of falldown. Some even think that this rasa is a perverse
concoction. Those of lower
qualification mistake the actions of those of superior qualification. Only when
they attain that higher qualification by good fortune, they will realize,
" Oh, I was such a fool! I have
criticized elevated souls!" Therefore,
we humbly request those following other paths to understand that this topic is very
deep. Without special deliberation on
this topic, one should not come to some erroneous conclusion.
A person should give a
seat to the Lord of the heart within the core of his heart, and try worshipping
Him in the madhura mood. If he
appreciates it, then he should take shelter of a guru competent in rasa and
attempt to taste this rasa. If he does
not appreciate it, then he may reject it as contrary to his nature-but in any
case he should not denounce it.
Here, there is no space
for elaborate discussion of this topic.
It is enough to say that those who are qualified for madhura rasa are
not attracted to any form other than Krishna's.
Krishna is the sole object of the highest rasa. If a person impartially judges after giving
up all contamination of ideas due to various philosophies, he must conclude
that the form of Krishna is the best and purest of all. But because Krishna displays the quality of
being on an equal level with his devotee, one should not consider that his form
is less than other forms of God. Rather
than being less, this form is in all ways greater than other forms. Krishna has whatever spiritual, complete
qualities the other forms of God possess, but He has the additional unique
quality of revealing his complete spiritual pastimes to all the material senses
through His cit shakti. When he appears in the material world, he is endowed
with all powers, though carrying out seemingly material activities.
When he acts like a boy
with dear friends, when he acts like a baby under the protection of his
parents, when he is the lover of those devotees in madhura rasa, he still
exhibits his supreme control. Even while performing his pastimes like a human
being among human beings, .he astonished the most learned persons by acting as
the master of all the elevated devatas.
If Krishna had not mercifully revealed his intoxicating pastimes as a
cowherd to the world, who would be able to realize that the Supreme Lord is the
reservoir of madhura rasa? The pastimes
of Krishna are not the creations of human imagination, nor are they based on
the blind faith of bewildered, foolish people.
However, only knowledgeable persons can understand this.
Among all Krishna's
pastimes, the pastimes in Vraja are supreme, because in those pastimes can be
seen the highest attainment in rasa possible for the jiva. Argumentative or logical intelligence
cannot touch the glory of Krishna's pastimes.
Only those devotees who can taste the rasa of the Vraja pastimes can
understand their sweetness. Understanding
the Vraja pastimes is the greatest good fortune. Logic, ethics, scholarship
yoga and knowledge of right and wrong become insignificant in front of the
great shining lamp of Vraja pastimes, which illumine the hearts of the
spiritually intelligent people.
Concerning this there is
a karika:
vibhavadyair jadodbhutair
raso'yam vyavaharikah
aprakritair vibhavadyair
raso'yam paramarthikah
paramartha rasah krishnas
tanmaya chayaya prithak
jadoditam rasam vishve
vitanoti bahir mukhe
bhagyavams tam parityajya
brahmanandadikam svakam
cid vishesham samashritya
krishna rasabdhim apnuyat
tam tv aopanishadam
saksat purusham krishnam eva hi
atma shabdena vedanta
vadanti priti purvakam
Where rati is nourished
by material vibhava, anubhava, sattvika bhava and vyabhicari bhava, the rasa is
material. Where the ingredients are
spiritual, the rasa is spiritual. The
object of spiritual rasa is Krishna.
The degraded reflection of this rasa appears in the material world, a
shadow of the spiritual realm. It is distinct from the spiritual rasa,
pervading only the material world. When
a fortunate person gives up the quest of happiness in the material world or in
impersonal brahman and takes shelter of spiritual variety, he attains the ocean
of Krishna's prema rasa. The
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad says, tam tv aupanishadam purusham pricchami (I inquire
after the person spoken of in the Upanishads.)
That person is none other than Krishna.
When the Vedanta sutras speak of atma or self, they are describing
Krishna with affection.
There are two types of
rasa: material and spiritual. When
material anubhava, vibhava, sattvika and vyabhicari bhavas bring material rati
to the state of rasa, it is only rasa between material male and female bodies. This rasa is insignificant, ephemeral and
perverse. It is but a disgusting
reflection of the spiritual rasa. The
pure jiva liberated from his relation to the material gross and subtle bodies
is spiritual. His natural rati is also
spiritual. This rati, when it becomes
fixed as sthayi bhava, mixes with the ingredients of spiritual anubhava,
vibhava, sattvika, and vyabhicari bhava, and attains a relishable nature; it
becomes spiritual rasa. And when the
spiritual form of Krishna becomes the object of that rasa, Krishna bhakti rasa
arises. Krishna is supreme rasa. Krishna's maya shakti distributes material
rasa, a shadow of the real rasa, to the jivas adverse to Krishna in the material
world. The fortunate person gives up
this lower rasa and surpasses even the insignificant rasa of bliss in
brahmanwithin himself; and taking support of the variegated, pure rasa
belonging to the spiritual world, he attains the ocean of rasa, in the form of
Krishna.
For those who dismiss the
rasa of Krishna as insignificant, Ujjvala Nila Mani says:
laghutvam atra yat
proktam tat tu prakrita nayake
na krishne rasa niryasa
svadartham avatarini
When shrintgara rasa
becomes material, it is extremely insignificant and condemned, but when it is
spiritual, it is most significant and the most worshipable in the spiritual
world.
Ujjvala Nilamani, Nayaka bheda, 16
This rasa is not at all
material. Its vibhavas (subject and
object, Krishna and devotee) have nothing to do with the material gross or
subtle bodies. The anubhavas, sattvika
bhavas and vyabhicari bhavas (ecstatic
symptoms) have a slight appearance in the material world. In order to taste the nectar of rasa,
Krishna appeared in the material world, but He is not even an avatara, but
avatari, the source of the avataras.
Therefore the spiritual parakiya
relationships that occur in
spiritual shringara rasa with the avatari cannot be criticized.
One will be able to judge
these topics correctly according to the degree of detachment from material
energy. When the hatred that the
moralist displays towards material rasa is carried to the spiritual rasa, it
brings about a prejudiced response.
Unfortunate people detest the spiritual rasa embodied in the rasa lila
between spiritual Krishna and the jivas with spiritual bodies. Such people are only cheating
themselves.
Krishna is the only male,
as mentioned in the Upanishads. The
Vedanta speaks of him affectionately by addressing him as atma.1
atmaivedam sarvam iti sa
va esha evam
pashyann evam manvan evam
vijanan
atma ratir atma krida
atma mithuna
atmanandah sa svarad
bhavati
Krishna (the atma, self)
is all in all. Seeing this form, meditating on this form, knowing this form,
the jiva develops attachment, pastimes, sexual relationships and bliss with the
Lord.
Chandogya Upanishad 7.2.52
sarvam hy etad brahmayam
atma
brahma so'yam atma
catushpat
Everything in the
universe is inferior brahman, a product of the energy of brahman. The real atma of this brahman is Krishna, the
supreme brahman. Though he is one,
through his inconceivable energy, he appears eternally in four forms for
relishing rasa.
Mundaka Upanishad 1.2
The four forms are
mentioned by Shri Jiva Gosvami in Bhagavat Sandarbha.
ekam eva tat paramam
tattvam svabhavikacintya-shaktya
sarvadaiva
svarupa-tad-rupa-vaibhava-jiva-pradhana-
rupena caturdhavatishthate
suryantara-mandala-sthita-tejo iva
mandala-tad-bahir-gata-tad
rashmi-tat-praticchavi-rupena
The supreme truth is
one. He is equipped with his natural
inconceivable energies. Through this
energy he exists in four forms: his own form, his expansion in the spiritual
world, the jiva and the material world.
These may be compared to the sun, its internal effulgence, its external
rays and its distant reflection.
Bhagavat
Sandarbha 16
Krishna's form, his
spiritual expansions, and the jiva absorbed in pastimes of spiritual rasa are
all superior elements.
There is a verse:
vedartha brimhanam yatra
tatra sarve mahajanah
anveshayanti shastreshu
shuddham krishnashritam rasam
sanakadi-shiva-vyasa-naradadi-mahattamah
shastreshu varnayanti sma
krishna lilatmakam rasam
labdham samadhina saksat
krishna-kripoditam shubham
aprakritam ca jive hi
jada-bhava-vivarjite
According to the
scriptures which elucidate the meaning of the Vedas (Bhagavatam and others),
all the great devotees are searching for the pure rasa directed to Krishna.
Sages such as Sanaka, Shiva Vyasa and Narada have described in their various
works the spiritual rasa of Krishna's pastimes.
These pastimes can be realized by Krishna's mercy, by the pure jivas
devoid of material sentiments.2
It is Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, guru of the universe, who has brought Krishna's sweet rasa to the
material world. No one had done so
before his appearance. To substantiate
this, there is a verse by Shrila Prabhodananda Sarasvati:
prema-namadbhutarthah
shravana-patha- gatah kasya namnam mahimnah
ko vetta kasya
vrindavana-vipina-maha madhurishu praveshah
ko va janati radham parama-rasa-camatkara-madhurya-simam
ekash chaitanya-candrah
parama-karunaya sarvam avishcakara
O brother! Who had heard of the supreme objective of
human life called prema? Who knew the
glories of the name of Hari? Who was
able to enter the sweetness of Vrindavan?
Who knew about the supreme energy, Radhika, the perfection of the
wonderful madhurya rasa? Only the most
merciful Chaitanya has uncovered all of these topics for the jivas.
Chaitanya
Candramrita 130
1 In this next section Bhaktivinoda shows how
the Upanishads reveal intense attraction and rasa for the supreme male.
2 Bhaktivinoda concludes by saying that rasa
can be know only by the mercy of Krishna, and by the mercy of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu.