domingo, 11 de septiembre de 2011

THE ESSENCE OF ŚRĪMAD BHĀGAVATAM --- Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Mathurā 4.3.2000

THE ESSENCE OF ŚRĪMAD BHĀGAVATAM --- Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Mathurā 4.3.2000

Oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja 

As he promised in his previous night’s class, Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja began his present theme—Bhakti-Rasāyana. Because Śrī Navadvīpa dhāma parikramā would be starting in a short time, many devotees had already come from around the world—Brazil, Australia, Russia, and so on. Seeing so many visiting devotees, he said:

“I think the foreign devotees are more in number. If the Mathurā-vāsīs are not more in number, I will have to speak in English.”

As it turned out he did not speak in English, but at the end of every few paragraphs he had Pūjāpāda Viṣṇu dāsa Adhikāri give the translation. The following are notes taken from the translation:

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja explained that after Mahārāja Parīkṣit had completed his hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and before he was bitten by the snake-bird—just in between that time—he spoke, ‘Bhakti-Rasāyana’ to his mother, Uttarā. His maṅgalācaraṇa (auspicious invocation) was:

jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo
yadu-vara-pariṣad svaiḥ dorbhir asyann adharmam
sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ su-smita-śrī-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāmadevam                                                                   
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.90.48)

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is He who is known as jana-nivāso, the ultimate resort of all living entities, and who is also known as Devakī-nandana or Yaśodā-nandana, the son of Devakī and Yaśodā. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious, as well as every man who is impious. By His presence He destroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert. His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana. May He be all glorious and happy!

‘Jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo’
Was also one of the final verses of the entire Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This verse is the essence of the Bhāgavatam. The ordinary meaning is:

‘Let there be all victory to Kṛṣṇa, all victory to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, all victory to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’.

That Kṛṣṇa is the shelter of all living entities, He lives in the hearts of all and, although He is the shelter of all living entities, He appeared from the womb of Śrīmati Devakī’.

This is a fact from an ordinary point of view, but the real fact is something else. The general meaning is that His family members were the Yādavas. With their help, and with the help of the Pāṇḍavas, He killed many demons and eradicated the miseries of the living entities by His smiling face, which gives pleasure to all.

In his tika, commentary to this verse, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī explains that although the general meaning of ‘jana’ is all living entities and Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa relieved their miseries, there is a deeper meaning. ‘Jana’ means those who are residents of Brajabhūmi—like Yaśodā-mayī, Nanda-Bābā, cowherd boys such as Śrīdāma and Subala, and especially the Gopīs. This verse is especially glorifying them. There is much evidence to this fact.  At different times the wives of the Yādavas, as well as the queens of Dvārakā, sang the glories of the Gopīs. Śrī Uddhava glorified them. One famous verse is:

‘Āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu …,’
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.61)

And there are many others. The queens glorify that Kṛṣṇa whose lotus feet are meditated on by Lord Brahma and Lord Śiva, although they cannot capture those feet in their trance. Even Lākṣmī tries by great endeavour to attain those feet— without success. Those very lotus feet are worshiped by the Gopīs as the ornaments of their chests, and they also message those feet. Even the trees, creepers and blades of grass in Vrajabhūmi have intimate connection with those lotus feet, and are worthy of glorification. The Yamunā and all others in Vṛndāvana are glorious. The Gopīs themselves glorify all the Vraja residents. In Veṇu-gīta they say;“

When we die, we want to take birth as ordinary blades of grass in Vṛndāvana.”

Now, all this glorification in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is appearing as a maṅgalācaraṇa. After explaining the 10th canto, Śukadeva Gosvāmī gave the essence of all the pastimes. Following in his footsteps, his disciple, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, gives a maṅgalācaraṇa to the Bhakti-Rasāyana with this same śloka. So it is very important.

At the end of his 10th canto commentary, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī addresses Lord Śiva as Bhagavan Śaṅkara, because he knows all tattvas and enlivens all living entities. Although he is sometimes called Bhagavan Siva, he is not Viṣṇu. He is a Bhāgavata-bhakta. As Lord Śiva drank the ocean, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī drank the endless ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and relished all of them in one sip—in the form of this śloka.

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit says:

“All glories to Kṛṣṇa”.

In the previous verse he told of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, and the word ‘kṛṣṇasya’ is used, but in this śloka Kṛṣṇa’s name is not directly mentioned. ‘Jana-nivāso’ means ‘Whose associates are the Yādavas, and who with the help of the Pāṇḍavas, removed the burden of the earth the miseries of all living entities; and by whose sweet smile, He increased the kāma, lusty desires, of the Gopīs ’. Indirectly, this verse is only referring to that Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī explains the purport of the first word. There are many different meanings, and they each are progressively deeper and more advanced. ‘Jana’ means all living entities, both moving and non-moving. One who is the shelter of all living entities is jana-nivāso. Kṛṣṇa is the nivāso, the basis or foundation of all. He is the Prāṇa-Svarūpa, the very life, of the bhajanīyas, those who do bhajana. Those who are without His shelter fall into Māyā.

The second meaning is, ‘He who resides in the hearts of all’.

The third meaning is, ‘He in whom all living entities reside’. All living entities are in one pore of Kāraṇodakśāyī Viṣṇu, and Kāraṇodakśāyī Viṣṇu is within Lord Balarāma, and Balarāma is within Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all exist within Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī further explains a fourth meaning. ‘Jana’ means ‘nija-jana’--His own people, His own swajana, His near and dear associates. Kṛṣṇa is causelessly merciful to all. Otherwise, no one in the world would be alive. There is no one more near and dear to the living entities than Kṛṣṇa. He is our well-wisher and our prāna-vallabha, more dear than our own life and soul. Swajana means devotees, or those who are near and dear. Therefore, He who is the shelter of all devotees is Jana-nivāso.

There are 5 kinds of devotees: the jñānī bhakta, the śuddha bhakta, the premī bhakta, the premātura bhakta, and the premaptura bhakta. The premaptura bhakta is the greatest, but Kṛṣṇa’s associates in Vṛndāvana are even greater. Among all the residents of Vṛndāvana, the Gopīs are the best; among all the Gopīs Śrīmati Rādhikā and Śrīmati Candrāvalī are the best. And between them, Śrīmati Rādhikā is the greatest of all. This is described in the opening verse of Śrī Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu. There Kṛṣṇa is addressed an Rādhikā-priya, He who is the dearest of Śrīmati Rādhikā. May all glories be unto Him. One who worships this very Kṛṣṇa by the Gopāla-mantra, in an offence-less manner, will have Him manifest in his heart. For others He manifests in a general way. According to the degree of one’s freedom from material desires, and according to one’s level of advancement in devotional service, he will understand this verse:

‘Jayati jana-nivāso…’

After this, the next word is explained. That Paramātmā, who is Parameśwara and aghaṭana-ghaṭana-paṭīyasī-śakti, (He whose inconceivable energies can make the impossible possible) came in the form of the son of Devakī. What a wonderful thing this is. So many universes are within Lord Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is within Kṛṣṇa, and that Kṛṣṇa who is the source of all the material and spiritual worlds  appeared in the womb of Devakī.

What a wonderful thing!

Kṛṣṇa is smaller than the smallest. No one can catch the smallest, and yet He appeared in the womb of Devakī. The most well-known idea is this—but there is something that is even more true.

In His four-armed form, Kṛṣṇa explained to His parents about their former lives—how they appeared as Pṛśnigarbha and Sutapā, and how they perfected their sādhana. However, although they were now perfect, they still could not taste Vātsalya-bhāva. This could only be tasted in Gokula. After 4-armed Viṣṇu turned into a baby form, Vasudeva Mahārāja carried Him across the Yamunā. When He fell in the Yamunā, the original Kṛṣṇa, who had taken birth from the womb of Yaśodā-mayī, appeared there, and Viṣṇu merged in Him. Vasudeva actually brought the original Kṛṣṇa to Gokula, or in other words, the original Kṛṣṇa never left Gokula. Vasudeva then took the daughter born to Yaśodā-mayī, and brought her to Mathurā. All these pastimes are indicated and explained by the words:

‘devakī-janma-vādo’

Then, in Gokula, there were also so many pastimes. Kṛṣṇa gave liberation to Pūtanā, and elevated her to a position like a mother. She became a nurse in Goloka. After this He gave liberation to Pūtanā’s two demoniac brothers, Aghāsura and Bakāsura. How merciful He is. Then came Dāmodara-līlā, and then the story of the fruit seller. All these pastimes are manifest in the words:

‘devakī-janma-vādo’.

As stated in the Dāmodarāṣṭakam, all these pastimes immersed the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. In this way, there are so many pastimes hidden in each word.

Nanda-Bābā and Yaśodā-mayī were never conditioned souls who had to perform sādhana. They are both eternally liberated associates of Kṛṣṇa. Droṇa and Dhāra were jīvas who performed sādhana to reach the perfection of Vātsalya-rasa. When they became perfect, by the mercy of Yogamāyā, they entered the bodies of Nanda-Bābā and Yaśodā-mayī during prakaṭa-līlā. Then, after that, they went to Goloka Vṛndāvana and became an elderly gopa and gopī in Vātsalya-rasa, and, under the guidance of Yaśodā and Nanda-Bābā, eternally thought of Kṛṣṇa like their son.

Tomorrow is Śiva Catur-dāsī. Unbonafide smārtas and other groups celebrate this today. But those who are actually followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will observe the fast tomorrow, March 5. You are not bound to follow in this way, but as for myself, I consider myself a follower of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. In his Śrī Hari Bhakti-vilāsa he writes that it should be observed tomorrow. Lord Śiva is very dear to Kṛṣṇa and, by his mercy, many were able to enter the Rāsa dance. Because Siva is so dear, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī liked to live near him in Kāmyavana, at Manasi Gaṅgā, and other places.

Some people say that devotees of Kṛṣṇa should not take darśana of Śiva. But we are followers of Sanātana Gosvāmī, and so we take his darśana. He even got the form of a Gopī. So he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa.

vṛndāvanāvani-pate! jaya soma soma-maule
sanaka-sanandana-sanātana-nāradeḍya
gopīśvara! vraja-vilāsi-yugāṅghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupādhi namo namas te
(Saṅkalpa Kalpadruma 103, Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura)

O gatekeeper of Vṛndāvana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon, and who is worshipable for the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana and Nārada! O Gopīs vara! Desiring that you bestow upon me prema for the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhāma, I offer praṇāmas unto you time and again.



  • Gaura Kishora Das le gusta esto.
  • Rama Kānta Dāsa There are 5 kinds of devotees: the jñānī bhakta, the śuddha bhakta, the premī bhakta, the premātura bhakta, and the premaptura bhakta. The premaptura bhakta is the greatest, but Kṛṣṇa’s associates in Vṛndāvana are even greater. Among all the residents of Vṛndāvana, the Gopīs are the best; among all the Gopīs Śrīmati Rādhikā and Śrīmati Candrāvalī are the best. And between them, Śrīmati Rādhikā is the greatest of all. This is described in the opening verse of Śrī Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu. There Kṛṣṇa is addressed an Rādhikā-priya, He who is the dearest of Śrīmati Rādhikā. May all glories be unto Him. One who worships this very Kṛṣṇa by the Gopāla-mantra, in an offence-less manner, will have Him manifest in his heart. For others He manifests in a general way. According to the degree of one’s freedom from material desires, and according to one’s level of advancement in devotional service, he will understand this verse:

    ‘Jayati jana-nivāso…’

    After this, the next word is explained. That Paramātmā, who is Parameśwara and aghaṭana-ghaṭana-paṭīyasī-śakti, (He whose inconceivable energies can make the impossible possible) came in the form of the son of Devakī. What a wonderful thing this is. So many universes are within Lord Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is within Kṛṣṇa, and that Kṛṣṇa who is the source of all the material and spiritual worlds appeared in the womb of Devakī.

    What a wonderful thing!

    Kṛṣṇa is smaller than the smallest. No one can catch the smallest, and yet He appeared in the womb of Devakī. The most well-known idea is this—but there is something that is even more true.

    In His four-armed form, Kṛṣṇa explained to His parents about their former lives—how they appeared as Pṛśnigarbha and Sutapā, and how they perfected their sādhana. However, although they were now perfect, they still could not taste Vātsalya-bhāva. This could only be tasted in Gokula. After 4-armed Viṣṇu turned into a baby form, Vasudeva Mahārāja carried Him across the Yamunā. When He fell in the Yamunā, the original Kṛṣṇa, who had taken birth from the womb of Yaśodā-mayī, appeared there, and Viṣṇu merged in Him. Vasudeva actually brought the original Kṛṣṇa to Gokula, or in other words, the original Kṛṣṇa never left Gokula. Vasudeva then took the daughter born to Yaśodā-mayī, and brought her to Mathurā. All these pastimes are indicated and explained by the words:

    ‘devakī-janma-vādo’

    Then, in Gokula, there were also so many pastimes. Kṛṣṇa gave liberation to Pūtanā, and elevated her to a position like a mother. She became a nurse in Goloka. After this He gave liberation to Pūtanā’s two demoniac brothers, Aghāsura and Bakāsura. How merciful He is. Then came Dāmodara-līlā, and then the story of the fruit seller. All these pastimes are manifest in the words:

    ‘devakī-janma-vādo’.

    As stated in the Dāmodarāṣṭakam, all these pastimes immersed the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. In this way, there are so many pastimes hidden in each word.

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