Sri Krishna Kathamrita
Tav k QaaMa*Ta& TaJaqvNaMa(
tava kathmta tapta-jvanam
Bindu
Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications
Highlights
Issue No. 336
r Ram Ekda
19 October 2014
Circulation 7,390
Enjoy your Spiritual Life
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Different Levels of Vaishnavas
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
The First Attraction Part 2
From Srila Jiva Goswamis Gopla-prva-camp, 15th praa.
Enjoy your Spiritual Life
His Divine Grace A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of
your letter and have noted the contents carefully. As
promised by me previously, I am sending herewith
the gramophone record of my krtana and short
speech thereof. I hope you will enjoy it. (Letter to
Krishna Panditji. 15 April 1967.)
When I am there I shall see if your presence is
actually required there. In the meantime you can
continue with your painting as usual and enjoy
spiritual life. (Letter to Jadurani. 26 October 1967.)
I think there is not any good English version
of Mahbhrata, but very soon we shall have the
Bhagavad-gt and the Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, and
you can enjoy reading them. (Letter to Nandarani
and Dayananda. 29 April 1968.)
Please always talk about Krishna amongst you two
sisters, and enjoy life. This is very good opportunity
that you are talking and painting about Krishna,
so that your mind, hands, and attention are all
absorbed in Krishna samdhi, and the tongue in
chanting Hare Krishna. This is first class samdhi,
and the highest position of the greatest yog. Try
to continue this atmosphere happily. (Letter to
Madhavi Lata. 20 June 1968.)
Krishna is so kind that he has saved both of you.
Now, feeling this obligation to Krishna, you should
next column
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
be more enthusiastic to serve Krishna, and I am very
pleased to learn that you have got a nice beautiful
Krishna-conscious child. So raise her to full Krishna
Consciousness, and engage yourself and your husband,
and then the family will be a very beautiful, happy
family. You will enjoy in this world and in the next
world. (Letter to Krishna Devi. 18 October 1968.)
Issue Three Hundred Thirty Six, Page 2
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Different Levels of Vaishnavas
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
The renunciate vaiavas should not think that they
are more respectable than the ghastha-vaiavas. One
should know that the difference in respect among
the vaiavas lies only between uttama-adhikr
and madhyama-adhikr. Both uttama-adhikrs and
madhyama-adhikrs are found among the ghasthas.
This rule also applies to the renunciate vaiavas.
The glories of the renunciate vaiavas are that they
have given up the association of women, greed for
money, and bodily pleasure. The ghastha-vaiavas
have special glories. Many of them work hard to
earn money, and after serving Krishna they serve
ghastha and sannys-vaiavas. Whether one is
a ghastha or a sannys, the principal cause for
respect is the attainment of devotional service. One
should be respected as a vaiava according to ones
advancement in devotional service. There is no other
cause to distinguish the level of a vaiava.
Bhaktivinoda Vani Vaibhava. Translated by Bhumipati Das.
Published by Iswara Das and Touchstone Media. Vrindavan. 2003.
The First Attraction Part 2
From Srila Jiva Goswamis
Gopla-prva-campu, 15th praa
In the previous part, Srila Jiva Goswami described the
evening assembly consisting of Radha and her sakhs,
Krishna and his friends, and the two singers Madhukantha
and Snigdhakantha. The two singers started to sing the
nnd (introduction verses) for the evening. The first
invocation verse introduces the subject matter.
imau gauri-ymau manasi vipartau bahir api
sphurat tadvad vastrv iti budha-janair nicitam idam
sa ko pyaccha-prem vilasad ubhaya-sphrtikatay
dadhan mrt-bhva pthag-apthagapy virud abht
Although these two are Gauri (golden-hued) and
Shyam (dark-hued), within their minds is the exact
opposite [i.e. Gauri is dark-hued in her mind due to
Shyam and Shyam is golden-hued in his mind due
to Gauri]. Indeed, the wise have concluded that this
opposite condition of their minds is reflected in
the color of their cloth [i.e. Shyams golden mind is
reflected in his ptmbara cloth and her dark-hued
mind is reflected in the shade of her cloth]. In this way,
it seems to be the same indescribable love which has
exhibited itself in two different bodies of two different
shades, although it is actually one substance.
[q k* Z<ak QaaMa*Ta ibNdu
[Translators Note: This is the first verse of a
magalcaraa, auspicious invocation at the beginning of
any performance. As stated in the Caitanya-caritmta di
1.22, the magalcaraa verses involve three processes,
vastu-nirdetmaka (defining the objective), namaskriytmaka (offering obeisances) and ir-vdtmaka
(offering benedictions). This particular verse is a vastunirdetmaka invocation in the meter known as ikhari,
the same meter used in Jagannthakam.]
rr s na tul bibharti nitarm ity uddava krtayan
ysm aghri-rajo nanma hari ya svena tulyo mata
ts tat-priyat-sudhkara-tanu vivak cakoryite
nnennugat samasta-mahit vandmahe rdhikm
Even Uddhava, the devotee considered by Lord Hari
to be as dear as his own self, said that Sri, Laksmi
Devi, can absolutely never match the gops. That
same Uddhava also repeatedly paid obeisances to the
dust of the feet of these gops. Among all those gops,
however, is one who has a body composed entirely
of the nectar of love of Lord Hari. In her presence,
Krishna sways to and fro like a cakora bird and always
follows in her footsteps. We offer our obeisances to
that all-worshipable Sri Radhika.
[Translators Note: This is a namas-kriytmaka
invocation in the meter known as vikrita-rdla
the same one used in a-gosvmy-aakam.]
prem yo sau rdhik-ka-yugma
svnandena plvayitv sakh ca
avad viva plvayan suprasiddha
so ya buddhi na samiddh karotu
Prem, divine love, through its own joy has inundated
Sri Radhika-Krishna as well as the sakhs and is
constantly inundating all the worlds. May this love
illuminate and enlighten us!
[Translators Note: This is an ir-vdtmaka invocation
in the meter known as lin used often in rmad
Bhgavatam, e.g. 10.3.24]
The brothers were watching the shy smiles of
the couple. Then Snigdhakantha eagerly began
the narration:
Just like we described the sweetness of Krishnas
birth in a previous chapter, the sweetness of Sri
Radhikas birth also needs to be described. However,
in doing so we will indicate only a few things, for we
are shy of describing too much.
This has been brought out in the rmad
Bhgavatam (10.5.18):
tata rabhya nandasya vraja sarva-samddhimn
harer nivstma-guai ramkram abhn npa
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu
Issue Three Hundred Thirty Six, Page 3
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Painting by D. Banerji. Kolkata. Circa 1950s
Top left 3
Mohna Mdhur Enchanting Beauty
Beginning from the day of Krishnas appearance,
Nandas Vraja had become like an all-prosperous
playground for Rama Devi (Lakshmi) due to the Lord
personally residing here and exhibiting his qualities.
[Translators Note: Someone may ask how this
verse indicates Sri Radhikas appearance since
it speaks only of the appearance of Rama Devi
(Lakshmi) upon the appearance of Lord Hari in Vraja.
Snigdhakantha replies to this.]
This verse is explained as follows:
janmrabhya harer vraja-sthalam abhd vivardhi yukta punar
lakm ramaspadaca tad adhihnd viiyjani
rdh ysu lalsa pra-aa-bhn-mrtva trsu s
knti kintv iha citra-bhva-valit y ka-pakdhik
From the very birth of Lord Hari, this place of Vraja
had again become complete with all worldly opulences;
and since Vraja was the place of residence of Sri Hari, it
had especially become the playground of all Lakshmis
(gops). Moreover, just like the beautiful rabbit-marked
moon beautifully stands out among the various stars,
the form of Sri Radha was especially magnificent among
them all. Moreover, the moon in its waxing phase
(ka-paka) only exhibits its ordinary brightness,
but Sri Radha exhibited a beautiful brightness filled
with amazing qualities (citra-bhva-valit).
[Translators Note: The meter is vikrita-rdla.
The last line of this verse is a play on words and can
also be translated as follows, However, the beautiful
brightness of Sri Radha was such that it completely
conquered the mood of Chitravali (citra-bhva-valit)
for she was always better in receiving favor from
Krishna (ka-pakdhik)].
In the Bhad-gautamya-tantra the status of Sri
Radhika as being specially situated over everyone is
described as follows:
dev kamay prokt rdhik para-devat
sarva-lakm-may sarva-knti sammohin par
That goddess known as Radhika is ka-may (full of
Krishna consciousness) and is the topmost deity. She
is the summum bonum of all Lakshmis, she possesses
all their effulgence, and she is the original internal
potency attracting the Lord in all ways.
[Translators Note: Now a question may arise as
to what is the lineage of Sri Radhika and the other
gops. In reply to this, Snigdhakantha says]:
Issue
Three Hundred Thirty Six, Page 4
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[q k* Z<ak QaaMa*Ta ibNd
[Translators Note: Snigdhakantha said that he will
not say much about the lineage of Sri Radha and the
gops. He just mentions three uncles. Their names are
given in the Rdh-ka-ganoddea-dpik as Yashodhar,
Yashodev and Sudeva.]
Unknown artist
If someone says otherwise then the glorious
restraint (maryd) that Krishna exhibited when
he voluntarily denied marrying the wives of the
brahmins will never attain its pinnacle.
The mgadhas (singers who know about the lineage
of famous personalities) have said that all these gops,
who were greater even than Lakshmi Devi, appeared
in the lineage of Sriman Parjanya Maharaja, who was
the father of Nanda. Related to Parjanya were three
uncles of Lord Krishna who were spotless in nature
and praiseworthy in character. The gops such as
Vishakha appeared in the lineage of the relatives of
these three uncles of Lord Krishna. This indeed is the
verdict of the expert mgadhas.
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu
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Gopal Jiu Publications is a branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Founder-Acharya: His Divine
Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace A.
C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
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[Translators Note: In other words, Krishna was
so self-controlled that even though the wives of the
brahmins offered themselves at the feet of Krishna,
he did not accept them in marriage. Why? He cared
for the social convention that it is not befitting a
son of a lower caste vaiya to marry the daughter of
a high-caste brhmaa.]
And, moreover, in this situation everyone accepts
the fact that the birth of Sri Radhika is from the
wealthy and noble born senior cowherd named
Vrishabhanu, whose good qualities are as large as
an ocean.
In this regard, all learned scholars joyously sing
a verse as follows:
satya bahu-suta-ratn-karat sa prpa gopa-dugdhbdhi
kintv amta-dyuti-rdh-lakm-janand agt prtim
True it is indeed! Vrishabhanu, who was like a
great milk-ocean of sweetness among the gopas, was
already rich with jewels in the form of many qualified
sons. However, with the appearance of the eternally
effulgent Lakshmi-like Radha, this ocean named
Vrishabhanu attained fulfillment.
[Translators Note: The ocean is complete because
of two reasons it has many valuable jewels, and it
has Lakshmi as a daughter. Vrishabhanu is compared
here to an ocean of sweet milk since he is also
complete because he has so many valuable jewel-like
sons and a daughter much better than Lakshmi Devi.
The meter used here is viama-vtta (uneven) and it
is a variation of the meter named ry.]
Since she is born one year after Krishna in the
all-auspicious constellation named Radha, she has
been given this name.
[To be continued.]
Translated by Hari Parshad Das from the Gopla-prva-camp.
Published by Sri Nityasvarup Brahmachari. 1912 A.D.
