“Sri Lalita Saptami.” Srila B. S. Goswami Maharaj. September 16, 2018. Gupta Govardhan



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Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj 

Sri Lalita Saptami

(September 16, 2018. Gupta Govardhan)

https://mahamandala.com/en/audios/1476

 

Summary:

Anuradha — next to Srimati Radharani. — Swarup Damodar is the match for Mahaprabhu. Unique opportunities for service. — Swarup Damodar knows what the Omniscient does not know. — Krishna consciousness: madness or sanity? — Spiritual GPS: where is the Vaikuntha world? — The place of Lalita Sakhi, Ucha Gaon and its special meaning to Srila Govinda Maharaj. — Our safe position. — Seva is the current that brings one in connection with that domain. — Rupa Goswami identifies unique characteristics of Lalita Devi in Lalita-astakam. — Lalita Sakhi’s happiness is when Radha and Krishna are together. — Lalita Sakhi lives in that plane where there is the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva. — Lalita Sakhi’s apparent self-assertion comes on the behalf of her Mistress, Srimati Radharani. — Surrender takes one to the higher plane, not meditation. — From where you are at present, you begin serving earnestly and then you’re moving in the direction of that domain. — Chaitanya-lila gives access to the land of no admission. — In Vrindavan Lalita Devi is canvassing others to join her group. — Shyamananda Prabhu: from sakhya to madhura-rasa. — The whole frame of Chaitanya-charitamrita comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar. — Raghunath Das Goswami’s story. — Everything that Mahaprabhu reads has to be checked first: apasiddhanta and Vaishnava-aparadha are intolerable. — Rupa-nuga. — Above the head of Sri Guru, Krishna becomes a thousand times more beautiful.

 

Text of lecture:

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś cha
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś cha

#00:00:26#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchanopakaraṇī-kṛta-deha-lakṣām
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

#00:00:57#

Sometimes we hear the name Anuradha, and of course could be interpreted variously, but sometimes mister Sao, his daughter... giving Harinam changing her name giving a spiritual name I said, “Do you know what this means?” She said, she’s Bengali, and she said, “Baby Radha.” I thought, “Wow, like what can I say to that.” Anu can mean you know ‘small’, but here is not in the sense of small but like just next to junior like that.

#00:02:08#

But it’s really a name of Lalita Sakhi—Anuradha, like there’s Radharani who’s supreme. Well then after Radharani who was there on that side of the spectrum Shakti-Shaktiman. Just like we have Krishna, Balaram, the Chatur-vyuha, second Chatur-vyuha, Maha[Vishnu]... and going in that way, on the other side like in the line of thought of Brahma-samhita.

#00:02:47#

а̄nanda-chinmaya…

No!

I’ll think of it hopefully ananda-rasa, it’s mentioned as Krishna expands and on the other side Srimati Radharani, She is expanding. How far, to what extent Srila Saraswati Thakur according to Srila Guru Maharaj says in one place that:

#00:03:36#

                             …pratibhāvitābhis-
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ,
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 37)

Ananda-rasa I believe… Anyway. To the extent he’s saying that the madhura-rasa jivas are part of the anga-jyoti or the halo of Srimati Radharani. So when we speak of expansions or extensions we have to keep in mind that it means although an expansion an individual personality it’s a mystical thing to conceive. It is not to ignore suppress the individuality of that person. But so after Srimati Radharani—Lalita. We hear Lalita Vishakha.

#00:04:53#

So, Anuradha in this sense means the one who is her match sometimes told in with regard to Swarup Damodar the bhav-anurup. Whatever is being expressed by Mahaprabhu, which means Krishna: rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita enveloped in the heart and halo of Radharani. His heart is mirroring Her emotions. The perfect match for that is in Swarup Damodar supplying the appropriate song sloka etc. But that position offers some unique perspective and service opportunities. How unique is the perspective we find in the pastimes of Mahaprabhu. Is like did you sing that song “kṛṣṇa hoite chatur-mukha…”:

#00:06:11#

mahāprabhu śrī-chaitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya,
                   rūpānuga jonera jīvana
viśvambhara priyaṅkara, śrī svarūpa-dāmodara,
                 [srī] gosvāmī rūpa-sanātana

(Śrī Guru-paramparā: 6)

And on, but that’s key after Madhavendra Puri. So when Mahaprabhu puts svarupe-raghu, Raghunath Das Goswami, Swarup-Raghunath, when he puts Raghunath Das Goswami under the care of Swarup Damodar. After some time Raghunath Das asked for direct meeting and instructions from Mahaprabhu. And Mahaprabhu meets with him, but and gives various instructions which He says are there he refers to them as upadesh like instructions. He says, “But from Swarup Damodar you’ll get the vishesh.” Like the detailed, the details of these instructions. “I’m giving you some general instruction here, all the details will be supplied by him.” Very often Krishna consciousness is like that.

#00:07:35#

So and he says interestingly what I according to Guru Maharaj is interpretation of this section. “And what I don’t know Swarup knows fully.” And then that poses the question firstly who is speaking is omniscient? So what kind of omniscience is this? Because omniscience means knowing everything, all knowing. Right? Anything what I don’t know. You say, “Wait. What could you not know?” But this is beyond conventional knowing. And it should be understood in this way, when as we said Mahaprabhu’s heart. Jay Paramananda Prabhu! Is mirroring the heart of Srimati Radharani.

#00:08:37#

Just as in the Brahmara-Gita while Uddhava’s delivering the message on behalf of Krishna to assuage the anguish of separation in the hearts of the Braja-gopis, Radharani becomes lost in our own divine madness. What is sometimes called pralapita-bakya means like ‘mad talks’ or ‘mad expressions’. That means in a sense they’re not rational in the ordinary sense. But this is not ordinary madness either as Mahaprabhu says to… in reference to the Ramananda-Samvad, you know.

#00:09:28#

āmi—eka bātula, tumi—dvitīya bātula…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 8.291)

“I’m one, I’m crazy the first, you’re crazy the second.” Something like that, you know. “I’m one madman, you’re the second one. And we’re having some mad talks.” But as we find in the Gita:

#00:09:49#

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ, tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī…

(Bhagavad-gītā: 2.69)

What is madness? For one section is the utmost sanity for another. So and the reversal. So this plane he’s saying is like, “Madness to whom?” To what Guru Maharaj would call like, you know, the when Guru Maharaj says, “We need to pay attention to ordinary thinkers.” He means the most extraordinary thinkers. So in the ordinary world we could say in summary in general they take Krishna consciousness to be some sort of madness.

#00:10:36#

But those within Krishna consciousness, there is a French expression that comes to mind… what is that… foliadu means ‘shared madness’, right. The madness of, shared madness of two persons. Hare Krishna! So Krishna consciousness is in its highest expression ‘shared ecstatic madness’. [Laughing.] So when Mahaprabhu says to Raghunath Das, “The reason I put you under the care of Swarup is what I don’t know, he knows fully.” It means when he’s lost in the madness of Radha-bhav, by his side, not only by his side… but if you read Charitamritam closely, sometimes with his arms embracing Swarup that’s how close they are.

#00:11:44#

Not just next to him like with his arm holding Swarup Damodar, like this, and this flood of Radha-bhav, you know, divine mahabhav, asta-satvika-vikar, pouring out of his heart. Swarup Damodar is the bhav anurup, singing the appropriate song. And coming out of such estate because there’s the internal, half-external, half-internal, and external. And footnote none of these are external in the conventional sense of the word it’s just by means of analysis or description. So when as when Radharani recovers, She will sometimes say, “Did I?..” Because She sees the expressions on those who surrender, “Did I say something odd?” And what can they say to that?

#00:12:51#

But Swarup Damodar knows what She said or what She expressed. Sometimes maybe She’s embarrassed, “What did I say?” “Oh, You don’t worry about that.” [Laughing.] Mahaprabhu the same thing, “Have I… Did I say something unusual or express some unusual behavior?” No. [Laughing.] But Swarup Damodar knows everything and if you’re going to serve in that plane, the plane of Lalita Sakhi, Swarup Damodar, how to qualify? Like we and the present day of GPS navigation we’ve become acquainted with base, I think it’s basically like a XY coordinate, right. I mean I’m not a scientist, you know, right, longitude, latitude, that kind of thing.

#00:14:04#

But there in a sense you could say is an ontological parallel. Because sometimes people will say, “Well, you know, I want to go and be there.” Or: “How do you reach that plane?” Or: “Where is it?” I mean, if this is the Earth planet and there’s a trillion, trillion stars, where’s the Vaikuntha world? And have to penetrate to the eight layers of material coverings of the Universe to get to the Viraja River swim across that get into the outskirts of Vaikuntha planet, you know, then through Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Madhura, Vrindavan. [Laughing.] It’s a long way to go, right.

#00:14:54#

But we should remember… and what comes to mind is Lalita Bhar, the house of Lalita Devi and Ucha Gaon in Vrindavan. And we sometimes have the good fortune to go there on the Vraja-mandala-parikrama. And we know as Srila Saraswati Thakur on one such Vraja-mandal-parikrama. Why I should say that way? As Srila Guru Maharaj. [Saraswati Thakur asked Srila Sridhar Maharaj], “Which place resonates most with you?” And Guru Maharaj said, “Kadam-kandi, a place of Srila Rupa Goswami.” Then couple years went by they’re on the tour again and Saraswati Thakur, and they reached Kadam-kandi, says to Guru Maharaj, “Your place?” And Guru Mahraj said, “My place?” You know. Then he realized, “Oh, Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur was engaged in ruchi pariksha.” He’s examining the tastes, real taste, real ruchi, not “I like this, I don’t like that.” Substantial taste of his disciples.

#00:16:25#

So in the case of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Gosvami Maharaj, he expressed and Srila Guru Maharaj recognizing in him some special affinity Ucha Gaon or Lalita Bhar, means the house of Lalita Sakhi. And many years later when we were going there, someone mentioned the Srila Gurudev like, “Oh, we’re going, do you know, on the parikrama this morning we’re going there. Would Your Divine Grace like to come?” And he was very adamant about it, said, “No, no, no.” And when pressed, “Why?” He said that what he had experienced before was so deep and substantial connection with that plane, that he was he feared that if he went again it would be, it would not be the same. So he didn’t want to lose that beautiful vision and… and remembrance.

#00:17:52#

Which is also interesting it comes to mind the sloka, line Bhaktivinod Thakur. Begins with that line saying, he describes it like lightning like revelation, like momentarily, there’s lightning like illumination. But if you try to sustain that’s an unsustainable experience then it will withdraw vanish. So Srila Gurudev knowing that, “No, I that what I perceived at that time I want to keep that with me.” That sort of remembrance. “It’s nourishing me to this day and my aspiration to serve in that plane.” So that’s from one point of view and we bow our heads and folded palms as worshipable. Prapancha-lila within this world apparently like access points with… in this plane. But really, what is where what is the domain of Lalita Sakhi? Or, in the most simple word, where does she live?

#00:19:26#

In Charitamritam we hear:

#00:19:30#

vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā: 5.53)

The whole spiritual world. Pṛthivy-а̄di means like the earth, the soil, the gradation, right, just like we have here, you have some like land, earth and then little thing, even little creatures live in there, and then the soil, and then the grass, the creepers, like we have the creepers growing, and then could be some lotus flowers. [Laughing.] We’re very fortunate to be, we’re surrounded by lotus flowers at the moment. So that’s pretty good [laughing] in the company of Giriraj Govardhan and His entourage and so we’re in a safe position. A woman said, that in Kiev at one of our talks in a place the people who stay after the talk, and you have like a little more information. This one lady said, she’s speaking in Russian. I said, “What is she saying?” Because she’s saying with such excitement and she said, “We’re safe here. We’re safe.”

#00:20:41#

And I thought, “She’s right.” We have Hari-katha, you know, she realized, we’re in some kind of a safety zone, you know. [Laughing.] So, vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya… we’re being told, that world it’s all chinmoy. It means it’s spiritually conscious substance and not only but enriched with dedicating, dedication, devotion. That’s where it is. He said, I mean wait, we need the XY, you know, coordinates. Well, in a sense it’s that I guess what it would be is like we’ll have to think about that. But seva is the current, the connecting current to that plane that brings one in connection with that domain. So I once said to Srila Guru Maharaj, just thinking perhaps I was reading Brihat-Bhagavatamritam, which he suggested that I do to understand the gradation. And I said [laughing], I said, “There should be there would be a difference between a blade of grass in Vaikuntha and a blade of grass in Vrindavan.”

#00:22:11#

In a nice, you know, I thinking like, “I’m having deep thoughts,” you know. And Guru Maharaj said, before I even finished he said, “Of course.” [Laughing.] But so I was at least happy to hear that. I was thinking in the right direction and what’s inferred is that, so if the spiritual world is comprised of chinmoy, spiritually conscious substance enriched with devotion and dedication and [unclear] that personified not in some abstract sense. So as Vaikuntha two and a half rasas there’s grass there.

#00:22:58#

But the grass of Goloka should be categorically different, right. As Gurudev once said… that, you know, that there’s parakiya-bhav, the Predominating predominates in Goloka. And someone thought, “No, parakiya, that’s just you know, that’s the Braja-gopis and how they thought.” He misspoke or said something apa-siddhantik by extending it beyond. But he spoke of course accurately and correctly. Because it means the sense of the other so it’s extended to Yashoda who says, “There are people who say Krishna’s not my son. Viscous rumors. Or that He is some sort of a demigod or God Himself. But I have this wonderful son,” and they’re making up stories. Right.

#00:24:04#

So but we can say, so the Vedas, Puranas, they’re making up stories from her point of view, yeah, they’re spreading rumors. [Laughing.] That’s another plane, right. You could say of divine madness in a sense, the cowherd boy’s said, “Some says, Gopal is not one of us.” “What? Our Gopal?” “Yes, they’re saying, He’s a devata or something, God Himself.” “Gopal?” “Yes, that Gopal. The Gopal we all know and love.” “Nonsense.” [Laughing.] And they think of all their affectionate dealings and say, “How could that be possible?” [Laughing.]

#00:24:46#

They’re in another plane—gyana-shunya bhakti. If it says that Nanda Maharaj that they move the cows in search of sweet sweeter grass. So then we could extend this and say, “Oh, even within Vrindavan there’s gradation.” So if there’s gradation of and they’re all spiritually conscious persons, right. Posing, playing a part in lila and as the blade of grass the bumble bee, the soil the dust of that. I mean it’s a little more speaking in sweeping generalizations. [Laughing.]

#00:25:35#

tṛṇād api sunīchena…

(Śrī Śikṣaṣṭakam: 3)

So, still that means, oh great how could one blade of grass be sweeter than another. And that what would qualify that? So what I mean to say is like on this analysis here and there is although high is a little safer but if we at least it tells us that it applies. And then you can understand by like extension or extrapolation that such, this kind of gradation goes on and on and on and on add infinite them up into and including the highest sections and quarters and levels of devotion.

#00:26:35#

And that’s not for me to say, but the expert, the expert Srila Rupa Goswami. And Srila Guru Maharaj, the Rupanuga-dhara. I’m just saying in essence some things heard by him, expressed by him on this very day. But it is interesting to note that Rupa Goswami writes the Radhastakam, that it’s Rupa Goswami who writes the Lalita-astakam. And it’s in there that his identifying what are her unique qualities traits characteristics. And that he begins the first sloka is this:

#00:27:35#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchhanopakaraṇī kṛta-deha-lakṣyām
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbdhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

It’s very I mean the poetry is also very beautiful. And the double the uses of ‘lalita’: devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi. That it’s the name ‘Lalita’ and the word ‘lalita’ and ‘sulalita’. So, he saying, and that is the first verse is significant like to it’s bringing you immediately into her zone. And this is what I meant to say like, “Where does she live?” What is that zone? Because someone say, “I want to, this is my aspiration,” or “I want to, you know, be go there and we will see…” It’s gradations of devotion of self-giving, of self-sacrifice. For the cause… What is the cause? Radha-dasyam is the cause. The service of the holy lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.

#00:28:59#

And also the necessity, genuine necessity that one feels Guru Maharaj said about Srimati Radharani of Whom we will speak tomorrow. She said, “I have the greatest necessity for Krishna.” [Laughing.] Just that line alone Who feels the greatest need, necessity for Krishna. So, those who want to serve Her are doing everything and anything to bring Her in connection with that Person for Whom She feels the greatest need or necessity. And that those are just not that you know, you say those words and it means something. It’s being observed by Srila Guru Maharaj. So, Lalita Sakhi’s mood thought understanding is that when Radha and Krishna are together then she’s very happy, that’s her happiness nothing can make her happier than that, that They are together.

#00:30:19#

So, and once then it would naturally be that she would be Mahaprabhu’s right arm, number one personal attendant. But as faith would have it or Yoga-maya would have it, there’s the, how it say, the potential of some sort of, how would you say, distraction disturbance whatever in that higher plane that upper realm. She takes it upon herself well not only upon she’s delegated as such that not the least disturbance will enter that plane. No distraction, no disturbance, whatever. And this is very significant.

#00:31:28#

So, what’s being said here, I don’t even, I tremble to express that as it’s given. But I’ll just say that that and alluding to that I’m saying that if she sees the possibility of the least disturbance in that plane and Their [Radha and Krishna] divine pastimes then Rupa Goswami is saying that:

#00:31:56#

…deha-lakṣyām…

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchhanopakaraṇī kṛta-deha-lakṣyām…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

With such earnestness and eagerness for the least aspect of service, you could say, I want to speak about this in a summary form. Deha-lakṣyām means a ‘hundred thousand bodies’ and the way I’ve tried to express this is because it’s a cause, this is easier I think for us to understand what I’m saying, like the cause in this world you get you have soldiers. Who are willing to sacrifice their life for the cause, right? And that we think that’s a great thing and when they do that we say, they always say, “They made the ultimate sacrifice.” To use some language like this and it’s true and therefore they’re honored there’s memorial day and various forms and different parts of the world to honor the sacrifice that they made because they you couldn’t do more they gave their lives for the cause, right.

#00:33:12#

So that’s one concept and you think, “Yes, if you know, if you have some people are willing to die for the cause those are the type of comrades or soldiers you want you know to be with.” But hear what Rupa Goswami is saying here the cause is Radha-dasyam. So you can sacrifice your life for that cause and certainly that would be a great thing and a wonderful thing. He’s saying, “But Lalita Sakhi is more qualified than that. She can expand a hundred thousand times or a million times.” So then if you think if you had a soldier who could turn into a million soldiers what kind of soldier is that? You have this one soldier who can expand into a million soldiers. Then you think, “Well I only need one or two of that kind of soldier.” [Laughing.] Lalita Vishakha. Lalita. Rupa Goswami said, “This is Lalita’s quality to and what is this in response to that the least disturbance will not enter that higher zone.”

#00:34:40#

So that’s one quality he’s identifying from the very beginning, right. And it’s always we say starting an appropriate the lotus feet. Here:

#00:34:55#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

Pada. When his Radha-ashtakam the first sloka:

#00:35:03#

[part of sloka]

Always starting there it’s not arbitrary the lotus feet. So but then he’s giving more, so, he’s saying so that kind of character she has. The greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva is how this could be formulated. That’s like number one. Where does she live? In that plane where there’s the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva. Srila Gurudev had the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva for Srila Guru Maharaj and he self-identifies with Lalita Bhar, Ucha Gaon—the place of Lalita Sakhi.

#00:36:05#

And we can if we’re fortunate by the grace of Srila Guru Maharaj and the āśīṣ Guru-varga and the ashravad of the Guru, observe such qualities. So that’s one, then what all what else it says that:

#00:36:27#

…uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbdhāṁ…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

Pragalbdhāṁ means, the word Guru Maharaj picked is interesting it’s not often used anymore but ‘haughty’. Which is kind of an older English word at this point but means like a little like some attitude they’d say in the modern world, has some an attitude. Or a type of arrog… as seeming arrogance, pushy attitude. [Laughing.] And then you think, “Well those are not devotional qualities.” We, we always read about the devotee: they’re humble and very, you know, soft-spoken and... that’s not Lalita Sakhi.

#00:37:21#

But then but Rupa Goswami is saying, “But we don’t see this as like it’s not that she’s rough,” right. Because we’re saying like, ‘Oh, if a woman is, we don’t like to see women who are rough.” So Rupa Goswami’s saying, “Not, we don’t see it as rough”, you know. But we’re seeing it as like an interesting because Lalita [unclear] like type of softness, like firm but soft and why because it’s not self-assertion, which is the opposite of humility. So, she’s not contradicting the laws of humility if we want to say, right.

#00:38:10#

This where is this apparent self-assertion come from but on the behalf of her mistress whom is not even Srimati Radharani. In other words she remember Radha and Krishna love Lalita and Vishakha at all. But and Lalita and Vishakha love Radha and Krishna of course. But we’re told if you by Guru Maharaj if someone was analyzing they say, “Well, Vishakha might show a little leaning toward Krishna and Lalita Sakhi leaning towards Radharani that would be the left.”

#00:39:00#

Why? Because sometimes we’re told, “In her humility, which is inconceivable, that Srimati Radharani will not assert Herself with Krishna”. But Lalita Sakhi ever the agent of promotion of Srimati Radharani and Her divine service. We told sometimes she is even chastising Srimati Radharani by saying like, “Don’t let Him treat You like that.” You know, you’ve got [laughing], she gives Her like a pep talk. [Laughing.] How to deal with Krishna. And sometimes if Radharani is not up for that then Lalita Sakhi takes matters into her own hands. [Laughing.] So she is chastising Krishna and saying, “You cannot treat Her like this.” [Laughing.]

#00:40:10#

So, Rupa Goswami is saying, “When we see this, we’re it’s a celebration of her how beautiful and sweet she is.” This isn’t some kind of crude unfeminine and uncharacteristically unfeminine behavior on her part. But it’s on in promotion of her mistress Srimati Radharani that she exhibits these qualities and I’m telling you now in the first verse. So whatever stereotypes you might be carrying with you about how you might envision the person who occupies the position just next anuradha, just next to Srimati Radharani these are some identifying traits qualities characteristics of her that we celebrate.

#00:41:07#

Devīṁ. Devī. Devīṁ guṇaiḥ: these goddess-like qualities of Earth: devīṁ guṇaiḥ su-lalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi [Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 7]. There uses her name but with adjective... Lalitā su-lalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi. This is how beautiful, sweet, charming, wonderful, extraordinary is Lalita Sakhi. That’s like verse number one. [Laughing.] And because it’s in Astakam that means there’s seven more. But we don’t know them all, not won’t even pretend. But another one that stands out according to Srila Guru Maharaj begins with:

#00:42:08#

yāṁ kām api vraja-kule vṛsabhānu-jāyāḥ…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 7)

They’re so beautiful, I’m ashamed for not being able to represent the rest to you. But another quality is saying so I remember we said in the beginning:

#00:42:28#

vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā: 5.53)

All, the soil there is Guru if you want to express it in shorthand according to Guru Maharaj. That’s spiritual and again it means a particular plane of consciousness. And not just like by some sort of practice, meditational practice but by heart giving, self-sacrifice, surrender takes one to that plane even from where we are at present that’s the beauty of this although we are, again, it’s hard to not notice that we are surrounded by lotus flowers. In the presence of Giriraj-Govardhan, Gandharvika-Giridhari and there are Sri Guru-varga.

#00:43:24#

They’re beckoning us to enter that plane through self-sacrifice, self-giving and service, atma-samarpanam. Prahlad, Sridhar Swami identifying what this is. And it’s so beautiful that so wherever you are, if you can enter that plane, there’s no time restriction historicity, GPS, any such thing, right. So, the ontological GPS would be the XY coordinates would be from where you are at present you begin serving earnestly. [Laughing.] And then you’re moving in direction of that domain. What could be more beautiful than that well what it is really is that. Srila Prabhupad, Guru Maharaj, Gurudev… that Srila Prabhupad particularly took this outside of the apparent boundaries of India and, and spread it all over the world to so many access points. The temples of the Krishna consciousness movement, those centers. Again he’s like upadesh and vishesh. So:

#00:45:09#

kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛta-sāra, tāra śata śata dhāra’
          daśa-dike [vahe] yāhā haite
se chaitanya-līlā haya, sarovara akṣaya,
       mano-haṁsa charāha’ tāhāte

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 25.271)

I forget the words. Kṛṣṇa-līlā is being, you know, the amṛta-sāra the crème de la crème of nectarine substances is reserved for the highest section of liberated souls. Why is Chaitanya-lila so extraordinary? So what, what Guru Maharaj said it was like one of the… “No entrance and welcome.” Welcome to the plane of no entrance. Like there’s a big sign no entrance you know authorized personnel only that kind of thing. And the door opens and you’re being told, “Come on in.” [Laughing.] That’s Chaitanya-lila. Where you would never get there in a million years, right. What is it:

#00:46:22#

panthа̄s tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-saṁpragamyo,
vа̄yоr athа̄pi manaso munipuṅgavа̄nа̄m…

(Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 34)

Not a chance, the magnanimous distribution of that divine substance in all directions. So then we can understand in principles so generally restricted. To the highest section of liberated souls even that very soil what to speak of the divine souls who traverse that soil, right. With their holy lotus footprints. Expressed in the highest, highest expression:

#00:47:07#

…rа̄dhа̄-padmа̄ṅkita dhа̄ma, vṛndа̄vana jа̄r nа̄mа…

(Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur. Gītāvali, Rādhāṣṭaka: Song 1, Verse 1)

So and the science of rasa, you know. Someone:

#00:47:22#

Nitya. Krishnera-nitya-das. Sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa etc. So but here Rupa Goswami is saying that Lalita Sakhi is moving in Vrindavan, in the plane of Vrindavan. That spiritually conscious plane enriched with the highest sort of dedication, devotional tendency. And canvassing others. Here the word ‘canvassing’ means ‘preaching’, right, ‘trying to convert someone’. So then you think, “Well, wait a minute. That’s what we do in this world, right.” You have like, you know, like the conditioned souls, the unconditioned souls and then you’re trying to like convert the conditioned souls to like come in the direction of the unconditioned plane.

#00:48:22#

People who are in illusion, right. We say, the higher souls are moving in this plane and under their direction we’re also trying to canvas others to come in connection with the Krishna consciousness movement that all makes sense here. But at this point I’m reminding of a line once when the they’re trying to say some negative things about Guru Maharaj. Some opposition party and once he said, “I am, I am a man of whom it has been said that he would be a troublemaker in Vaikuntha.” [Laughing.]

#00:49:09#

And for now I’ll leave that to your imagination, what that trouble might be. Why would they be troubled? [Laughing.] To consider things further to dive deep into reality. When Narada and Uddhava have a talk with Gopa Kumar in Dwaraka and they’re basically saying like you know in hushed voices, “Don’t get me wrong Dwaraka is a wonderful place. I mean we live here, you know, but for you, you’ll be accommodated in another domain.” So, she is canvassing in Vrindavan and we think and not just you know coming down to this world or you know a brief stint in the Vaikuntha world or… no, in Vrindavan she’s canvassing others to join her group.

#00:50:18#

What is that mean? Gradation again and not only that but we’re told like people or, you know, she is moving and we’re not they’re like giving her a note then, you know, she reads the notes, you know, it’s like, “Kidnap me, I want to be a member of your group.” These are here’s my resume. Then in various pastimes and you know. [Laughing.] So she’s canvassing others and others are falling at her feet begging to enter her group as well. Let me say any examples: Shyamananda, Hridai Chaitanya. Chyamananda legitimately apparently a sakhya-rasa devotee raga-marg diksha into that line.

#00:51:28#

But wandering the plane of Vrindavan we are told he finds a nupur means a ‘bangle’. And it’s something extraordinary he finds in the soil of Vrindavan that chinmoy soil:

#00:51:46#

chintāmaṇiś charaṇa-bhūṣaṇam aṅganānāṁ…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 14.228)

And he’s carrying that and then finds one like sakhi searching frantically the area saying, “What are you searching for?” “Oh, my last evening my mistress lost one of Her ornaments here.” And he opens the hand. “Is this that?” And she, “Yes, oh, thank you.” She takes it and goes on. And it leaves a tilak mark on his forehead like, like tattoo and but in that instance he becomes imbued with madhura-rasa’s sentiments.

#00:52:39#

Then later we’re told, he goes back to the group devotees they see his tilak is different than what they’re accustomed to wearing, the Guru is somewhat of sad disturbed they say he’s saying, “He faced that tilak. Remove that.” He’s saying, “If you can’t be my guest they try they can’t remove the tilak.” He said, “What?” Very peculiar and then we’re told that Guru’s calling an explanation from Jiva Goswami. But in the upper world Subal the leader of the highest rang of cowherd boys [unclear] approaches Lalita Sakhi approaches Subal and says to him, “That one I’m taking for my group.”

#00:53:39#

They said, “Hare Krishna. Yes, ma’am.” [Laughing.] So how fortunate and then we said this if someone said, “Well then I, I want to get connection with her line.” Yeah, well, she has a line. It’s called the Rupanuga line. Her, she’s the leader of the sakhis—Lalita, Vishakha—but her leader of the juniors is Sri Rupa. You think, “Well, how important is she as Swarup Damodar in Gaura-lila?” We’re told like:

#00:54:26#

…mahāprabhu… dvitīya kalevar…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 11.76)

It is like how should you understand Swarup Damodar—Mahaprabhu the second. That is who Swarup Damodar is. That is Mahaprabhu, that is Swarup Damodar, a second Mahaprabhu. Or:

#00:54:48#

…svarūpera bhа̄ṇḍа̄ra…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 2.84)

The jewel mind of the ecstatic ecstasy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Swarup Damodar is the treasurer or is the guy, you know, holds the key to that place. I think Chaitanya-charitamritam is ostensibly, not only ostensibly, but well ostensibly written by Kaviraj Goswami who himself says, “It is not I who I’m writing; Madan Mohan is moving my hands.” But that is also his humility. That he’s so self-abnegated to qualify for this level of divine current. To pass through him into this plane is not incidental. Still what does he say the whole framework of Chaitanya-charitamritam comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar. It’s another way of saying it’s also Swarup Damodar that’s where this comes from. Oh and who else? Raghunath Das Goswami. “Oh, the one who Mahaprabhu told you, I want you to work with Swarup Damodar, you’ll work together.”

#00:56:17#

Oh, so this the Chaitanya-charitamritam really then it’s Swarup Damodar and Raghunath Das Goswami that’s where you’re getting all of this. Yes, and I’m and Rupa of course, on the balance. The Ramananda-samvad that Guru Maharaj attributes to his ontological method saying, “Where I get everything.” When… because one can think, “Well, wait, it’s Mahaprabhu’s traveling more or less alone at that point practically. How does Krishnadas get all of this? It’s quite extensive.” It’s around three hundred verses and I mean heavy. On the Sanskrit and Krishnadas Kaviraj will say, “This Ramananda-samvad I’m representing here it comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar.”

#00:57:39#

And we’re told again, “Swarup Damodar made more succinct notes Raghunath Das expanded upon them.” And as the divine will would have it on the banks of Radha-kunda and Giri-Govardhan there’s Raghunath Das Goswami as we told not even living in a bhajan-kutir until Sanatana Goswami arranged and then Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami is there. And the full wealth, Swarup Damodar and Raghunath Das says and the… is transferred to Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. And that’s what we have as the Chaitanya-charitamritam. Which Guru Maharaj says, “It is the greatest literature to ever seen the light of day in all time all space and all creations.”

#00:58:42#

And in the last twelve years of His manifest pastimes, remember Mahaprabhu forty eight years total, first twenty four years as Navadwip up to sannyas, take sannyas at twenty four. Six years traveling but using Puri as a base last eighteen years really exclusively there and in Puri, and the last twelve years in the Gambhir behind closed doors with two persons—Ramananda Roy and Swarup Damodar. Plunging the depths of Radha-bhav.

#00:59:24#

yadi gaura nā haita, tabe ki haita, kemane dharitām de
rādhāra mahimā, prema-rasa-sīmā, jagate jānāta ke?

(Śrīla Vasudev Ghoṣ)

It’s interesting that Nityananda told Raghunath Das, “When now after the Chira-dadhi festival…” He’s got the mercy of Nityananda.

#00:59:49#

…nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe…

(Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur. Manaḥ-śikṣā: 3)

Then Nityananda says with of course the utmost certainty because He’s in charge of things, “Now you’ll be allowed to enter and to you’ll be antaranga-seva of Mahaprabhu, the confidential service, and you’ll be under the care of Swarup Damodar.” Nityananda already knows all these things. Saying, “Now you’re qualified…” And how is he qualified? He got the blessings of Nityananda Prabhu and by doing what?—serving Him and His associate servitors.

#01:00:30#

So, that’s Swarup Damodar, Lalita Sakhi, Srimati Radharani’s right hand, personal attendance servitor. Oh, and I was going to say this, that. Before anything can come to the ear of Mahaprabhu it has to be approved by Swarup Damodar because as we can imagine in those times there are there Sanskritians, some are capable of composition people are writing different things, slokas, prayers, songs, whatever it might be. But we’re told it has first pass the Swarup Damodar test. Why? And this is noteworthy as well we say Rupa Goswami is about Mahaprabhu:

#01:01:32#

namo mahā-vadānyāya, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 19.53)

The mahā-vadānyāya avatar the most magnanimous generous avatar ever right. And we see in relation to Nityananda Prabhu the kripa-avatar how they’re ignoring relative, qualifications or disqualifications and the dispensation of this mercy. But and how tolerant they are and how generous and overlooking the faults… conditioned souls. But we’re told if rasa-bhas comes to the ear of Mahaprabhu it makes Him angry, Who’s so generous, so kind, so merciful etc. This He can’t tolerate, He could tolerate many other things, not Vaishnava-aparadh, not rasa-bhas—that’s not tolerable.

#01:02:49#

So, it anything that’s someone might think as devotees do something like, “Oh, I wrote something, I want to express something and…” Swarup Damodar has to look first and see is this laden with actual spiritual substance or is it rasa-bhas, apa-siddhanta and will cause a disturbance to Mahaprabhu. Remember the first verse the least disturbance will go into that plane, mahāprabhu śrī-chaitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya [Śrīla Saraswati Ṭhākur. Śrī Guru-paramparā: 6], similar service here no disturbance will go into that plane.

#01:03:31#

And we’re not talking about external things but the Guru Maharaj said, “Apa-siddhanta strikes the spinal cord of the thinking man.” And again, when he says this he doesn’t mean intellectuals, saying about higher devotees. Rasa-bhas, apa-siddhanta—“it strikes the spinal cord of the thinking man, of a person of substance.” So, once someone wrote something that on a certain level some devotees said, “Oh, that is very nice.” You know they’re listening to it and then they say, “But you have to give the Swarup Damodar first.”

#01:04:23#

And then Swarup Damodar reads this and it’s a verse comparing Jagannath and Mahaprabhu. And when Swarup Damodar reads this, it’s saying becomes angry but the qualifying word is ‘preem’; it says like prema, rodha means like ‘loving anger’. So and then he’s saying, “Ostensibly your intention is to glorify Mahaprabhu and Jagannath and what I see here is the worst type of insult, aparadh.” And of course that man is crushed, right. No less than Swarup Damodar is now angry with him and saying what you’ve written here is aparadhik insult to Mahaprabhu and Jagannath. So he’s like, “Ohh,” you’re saying like, “What sort of hell awaits me?” You know moments before everyone was like happy and now it is you know north pole, south pole, it’s gone and the other direction and the worst thing imaginable is now he’s insulted Mahaprabhu and Jagannath. In the name of one offering some glorification.

#01:05:52#

So but seeing that and also the goddess Saraswati working in conjunction with the divine will of Krishna and Yoga-maya. So that sometimes people say things that are double on tond, double meaning maybe unintentionally. So, he meant to glorify and unintentionally was insult. Swarup Damodar, the ever generous merciful leader of all the devotees. Swarup Damodar being compassionate upon that person. And with his extraordinary unique gifts abilities, skills of interpretation re-read those words in another way that could make it into a glorification.

#01:06:55#

Thereby saving that person, that soul. But it tells us two things one is how fine is Swarup Damodar sent of that plane that address that location. And that without the approval of Lalita Sakhi, the approval of Swarup Damodar no one is going to enter that plane or that domain. So the Guru… Wwe’re also Swarupanugas, that’s mentioned in Charitamritam. Swarup like… we say, Rupanuga, Swarupanuga as well. And of course these are very high things but we’re talking about the highest person. And the supreme reality.

#01:08:06#

And Guru… So Guru Maharaj in conclusion, Guru Maharaj referencing Srila Saraswati Thakur’s maxim.

#01:08:28#

pūjala rа̄gа-patha gaurava-bhaṅge
mātala hari-jana viṣaya-raṅge

So, that higher realm should be kept above as worshipable. And here we shall be ever attentive to the various service opportunities that have been by the grace of the higher servitors that hierarchy observators has descended in this plane give our full attention to that. And all the while realizing and the words of Bhakti Vinod Thakur:

#01:09:05#

guru-gaṇa-ṣire punaḥ śobha paya śata-guṇa

When we look towards Sri Guru and we say above the head of Sri Guru: guru-gaṇa-ṣire, that’s what it means the guru-gaṇ, the Guru section, ṣire, above them:

#01:09:19#

guru-gaṇa-ṣire punaḥ śobha paya śata-guṇa

Krishna becomes a hundred times, a thousand times more beautiful. They are not, there was no opacity the divine agents and they’re rather they bring us in connection with the more beautiful, thousand times more beautiful Krishna through there.

#01:09:52#

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena,
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ,
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ [bhajāmi]

(Śrī Brahma-saḿhitā: 5.38)

prem… premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena…

With the eyes of devotion so the eyes of devotion from Radharani to Swarup Damodar, how beautiful is that Krishna.

Jay Swarup Damodar avirbhav mahotsava ki ki ki jay! Sri Lalita Saptami ki jay!

Hare Krishna!

Captured by Ananta Krishna Das
Edited by Tradish Das





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English

Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj 

Sri Lalita Saptami

(September 16, 2018. Gupta Govardhan)

https://mahamandala.com/en/audios/1476

 

Summary:

Anuradha — next to Srimati Radharani. — Swarup Damodar is the match for Mahaprabhu. Unique opportunities for service. — Swarup Damodar knows what the Omniscient does not know. — Krishna consciousness: madness or sanity? — Spiritual GPS: where is the Vaikuntha world? — The place of Lalita Sakhi, Ucha Gaon and its special meaning to Srila Govinda Maharaj. — Our safe position. — Seva is the current that brings one in connection with that domain. — Rupa Goswami identifies unique characteristics of Lalita Devi in Lalita-astakam. — Lalita Sakhi’s happiness is when Radha and Krishna are together. — Lalita Sakhi lives in that plane where there is the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva. — Lalita Sakhi’s apparent self-assertion comes on the behalf of her Mistress, Srimati Radharani. — Surrender takes one to the higher plane, not meditation. — From where you are at present, you begin serving earnestly and then you’re moving in the direction of that domain. — Chaitanya-lila gives access to the land of no admission. — In Vrindavan Lalita Devi is canvassing others to join her group. — Shyamananda Prabhu: from sakhya to madhura-rasa. — The whole frame of Chaitanya-charitamrita comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar. — Raghunath Das Goswami’s story. — Everything that Mahaprabhu reads has to be checked first: apasiddhanta and Vaishnava-aparadha are intolerable. — Rupa-nuga. — Above the head of Sri Guru, Krishna becomes a thousand times more beautiful.

 

Text of lecture:

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś cha
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-chaitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś cha

#00:00:26#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchanopakaraṇī-kṛta-deha-lakṣām
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

#00:00:57#

Sometimes we hear the name Anuradha, and of course could be interpreted variously, but sometimes mister Sao, his daughter... giving Harinam changing her name giving a spiritual name I said, “Do you know what this means?” She said, she’s Bengali, and she said, “Baby Radha.” I thought, “Wow, like what can I say to that.” Anu can mean you know ‘small’, but here is not in the sense of small but like just next to junior like that.

#00:02:08#

But it’s really a name of Lalita Sakhi—Anuradha, like there’s Radharani who’s supreme. Well then after Radharani who was there on that side of the spectrum Shakti-Shaktiman. Just like we have Krishna, Balaram, the Chatur-vyuha, second Chatur-vyuha, Maha[Vishnu]... and going in that way, on the other side like in the line of thought of Brahma-samhita.

#00:02:47#

а̄nanda-chinmaya…

No!

I’ll think of it hopefully ananda-rasa, it’s mentioned as Krishna expands and on the other side Srimati Radharani, She is expanding. How far, to what extent Srila Saraswati Thakur according to Srila Guru Maharaj says in one place that:

#00:03:36#

                             …pratibhāvitābhis-
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ,
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 37)

Ananda-rasa I believe… Anyway. To the extent he’s saying that the madhura-rasa jivas are part of the anga-jyoti or the halo of Srimati Radharani. So when we speak of expansions or extensions we have to keep in mind that it means although an expansion an individual personality it’s a mystical thing to conceive. It is not to ignore suppress the individuality of that person. But so after Srimati Radharani—Lalita. We hear Lalita Vishakha.

#00:04:53#

So, Anuradha in this sense means the one who is her match sometimes told in with regard to Swarup Damodar the bhav-anurup. Whatever is being expressed by Mahaprabhu, which means Krishna: rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita enveloped in the heart and halo of Radharani. His heart is mirroring Her emotions. The perfect match for that is in Swarup Damodar supplying the appropriate song sloka etc. But that position offers some unique perspective and service opportunities. How unique is the perspective we find in the pastimes of Mahaprabhu. Is like did you sing that song “kṛṣṇa hoite chatur-mukha…”:

#00:06:11#

mahāprabhu śrī-chaitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya,
                   rūpānuga jonera jīvana
viśvambhara priyaṅkara, śrī svarūpa-dāmodara,
                 [srī] gosvāmī rūpa-sanātana

(Śrī Guru-paramparā: 6)

And on, but that’s key after Madhavendra Puri. So when Mahaprabhu puts svarupe-raghu, Raghunath Das Goswami, Swarup-Raghunath, when he puts Raghunath Das Goswami under the care of Swarup Damodar. After some time Raghunath Das asked for direct meeting and instructions from Mahaprabhu. And Mahaprabhu meets with him, but and gives various instructions which He says are there he refers to them as upadesh like instructions. He says, “But from Swarup Damodar you’ll get the vishesh.” Like the detailed, the details of these instructions. “I’m giving you some general instruction here, all the details will be supplied by him.” Very often Krishna consciousness is like that.

#00:07:35#

So and he says interestingly what I according to Guru Maharaj is interpretation of this section. “And what I don’t know Swarup knows fully.” And then that poses the question firstly who is speaking is omniscient? So what kind of omniscience is this? Because omniscience means knowing everything, all knowing. Right? Anything what I don’t know. You say, “Wait. What could you not know?” But this is beyond conventional knowing. And it should be understood in this way, when as we said Mahaprabhu’s heart. Jay Paramananda Prabhu! Is mirroring the heart of Srimati Radharani.

#00:08:37#

Just as in the Brahmara-Gita while Uddhava’s delivering the message on behalf of Krishna to assuage the anguish of separation in the hearts of the Braja-gopis, Radharani becomes lost in our own divine madness. What is sometimes called pralapita-bakya means like ‘mad talks’ or ‘mad expressions’. That means in a sense they’re not rational in the ordinary sense. But this is not ordinary madness either as Mahaprabhu says to… in reference to the Ramananda-Samvad, you know.

#00:09:28#

āmi—eka bātula, tumi—dvitīya bātula…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 8.291)

“I’m one, I’m crazy the first, you’re crazy the second.” Something like that, you know. “I’m one madman, you’re the second one. And we’re having some mad talks.” But as we find in the Gita:

#00:09:49#

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ, tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī…

(Bhagavad-gītā: 2.69)

What is madness? For one section is the utmost sanity for another. So and the reversal. So this plane he’s saying is like, “Madness to whom?” To what Guru Maharaj would call like, you know, the when Guru Maharaj says, “We need to pay attention to ordinary thinkers.” He means the most extraordinary thinkers. So in the ordinary world we could say in summary in general they take Krishna consciousness to be some sort of madness.

#00:10:36#

But those within Krishna consciousness, there is a French expression that comes to mind… what is that… foliadu means ‘shared madness’, right. The madness of, shared madness of two persons. Hare Krishna! So Krishna consciousness is in its highest expression ‘shared ecstatic madness’. [Laughing.] So when Mahaprabhu says to Raghunath Das, “The reason I put you under the care of Swarup is what I don’t know, he knows fully.” It means when he’s lost in the madness of Radha-bhav, by his side, not only by his side… but if you read Charitamritam closely, sometimes with his arms embracing Swarup that’s how close they are.

#00:11:44#

Not just next to him like with his arm holding Swarup Damodar, like this, and this flood of Radha-bhav, you know, divine mahabhav, asta-satvika-vikar, pouring out of his heart. Swarup Damodar is the bhav anurup, singing the appropriate song. And coming out of such estate because there’s the internal, half-external, half-internal, and external. And footnote none of these are external in the conventional sense of the word it’s just by means of analysis or description. So when as when Radharani recovers, She will sometimes say, “Did I?..” Because She sees the expressions on those who surrender, “Did I say something odd?” And what can they say to that?

#00:12:51#

But Swarup Damodar knows what She said or what She expressed. Sometimes maybe She’s embarrassed, “What did I say?” “Oh, You don’t worry about that.” [Laughing.] Mahaprabhu the same thing, “Have I… Did I say something unusual or express some unusual behavior?” No. [Laughing.] But Swarup Damodar knows everything and if you’re going to serve in that plane, the plane of Lalita Sakhi, Swarup Damodar, how to qualify? Like we and the present day of GPS navigation we’ve become acquainted with base, I think it’s basically like a XY coordinate, right. I mean I’m not a scientist, you know, right, longitude, latitude, that kind of thing.

#00:14:04#

But there in a sense you could say is an ontological parallel. Because sometimes people will say, “Well, you know, I want to go and be there.” Or: “How do you reach that plane?” Or: “Where is it?” I mean, if this is the Earth planet and there’s a trillion, trillion stars, where’s the Vaikuntha world? And have to penetrate to the eight layers of material coverings of the Universe to get to the Viraja River swim across that get into the outskirts of Vaikuntha planet, you know, then through Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Madhura, Vrindavan. [Laughing.] It’s a long way to go, right.

#00:14:54#

But we should remember… and what comes to mind is Lalita Bhar, the house of Lalita Devi and Ucha Gaon in Vrindavan. And we sometimes have the good fortune to go there on the Vraja-mandala-parikrama. And we know as Srila Saraswati Thakur on one such Vraja-mandal-parikrama. Why I should say that way? As Srila Guru Maharaj. [Saraswati Thakur asked Srila Sridhar Maharaj], “Which place resonates most with you?” And Guru Maharaj said, “Kadam-kandi, a place of Srila Rupa Goswami.” Then couple years went by they’re on the tour again and Saraswati Thakur, and they reached Kadam-kandi, says to Guru Maharaj, “Your place?” And Guru Mahraj said, “My place?” You know. Then he realized, “Oh, Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur was engaged in ruchi pariksha.” He’s examining the tastes, real taste, real ruchi, not “I like this, I don’t like that.” Substantial taste of his disciples.

#00:16:25#

So in the case of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Gosvami Maharaj, he expressed and Srila Guru Maharaj recognizing in him some special affinity Ucha Gaon or Lalita Bhar, means the house of Lalita Sakhi. And many years later when we were going there, someone mentioned the Srila Gurudev like, “Oh, we’re going, do you know, on the parikrama this morning we’re going there. Would Your Divine Grace like to come?” And he was very adamant about it, said, “No, no, no.” And when pressed, “Why?” He said that what he had experienced before was so deep and substantial connection with that plane, that he was he feared that if he went again it would be, it would not be the same. So he didn’t want to lose that beautiful vision and… and remembrance.

#00:17:52#

Which is also interesting it comes to mind the sloka, line Bhaktivinod Thakur. Begins with that line saying, he describes it like lightning like revelation, like momentarily, there’s lightning like illumination. But if you try to sustain that’s an unsustainable experience then it will withdraw vanish. So Srila Gurudev knowing that, “No, I that what I perceived at that time I want to keep that with me.” That sort of remembrance. “It’s nourishing me to this day and my aspiration to serve in that plane.” So that’s from one point of view and we bow our heads and folded palms as worshipable. Prapancha-lila within this world apparently like access points with… in this plane. But really, what is where what is the domain of Lalita Sakhi? Or, in the most simple word, where does she live?

#00:19:26#

In Charitamritam we hear:

#00:19:30#

vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā: 5.53)

The whole spiritual world. Pṛthivy-а̄di means like the earth, the soil, the gradation, right, just like we have here, you have some like land, earth and then little thing, even little creatures live in there, and then the soil, and then the grass, the creepers, like we have the creepers growing, and then could be some lotus flowers. [Laughing.] We’re very fortunate to be, we’re surrounded by lotus flowers at the moment. So that’s pretty good [laughing] in the company of Giriraj Govardhan and His entourage and so we’re in a safe position. A woman said, that in Kiev at one of our talks in a place the people who stay after the talk, and you have like a little more information. This one lady said, she’s speaking in Russian. I said, “What is she saying?” Because she’s saying with such excitement and she said, “We’re safe here. We’re safe.”

#00:20:41#

And I thought, “She’s right.” We have Hari-katha, you know, she realized, we’re in some kind of a safety zone, you know. [Laughing.] So, vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya… we’re being told, that world it’s all chinmoy. It means it’s spiritually conscious substance and not only but enriched with dedicating, dedication, devotion. That’s where it is. He said, I mean wait, we need the XY, you know, coordinates. Well, in a sense it’s that I guess what it would be is like we’ll have to think about that. But seva is the current, the connecting current to that plane that brings one in connection with that domain. So I once said to Srila Guru Maharaj, just thinking perhaps I was reading Brihat-Bhagavatamritam, which he suggested that I do to understand the gradation. And I said [laughing], I said, “There should be there would be a difference between a blade of grass in Vaikuntha and a blade of grass in Vrindavan.”

#00:22:11#

In a nice, you know, I thinking like, “I’m having deep thoughts,” you know. And Guru Maharaj said, before I even finished he said, “Of course.” [Laughing.] But so I was at least happy to hear that. I was thinking in the right direction and what’s inferred is that, so if the spiritual world is comprised of chinmoy, spiritually conscious substance enriched with devotion and dedication and [unclear] that personified not in some abstract sense. So as Vaikuntha two and a half rasas there’s grass there.

#00:22:58#

But the grass of Goloka should be categorically different, right. As Gurudev once said… that, you know, that there’s parakiya-bhav, the Predominating predominates in Goloka. And someone thought, “No, parakiya, that’s just you know, that’s the Braja-gopis and how they thought.” He misspoke or said something apa-siddhantik by extending it beyond. But he spoke of course accurately and correctly. Because it means the sense of the other so it’s extended to Yashoda who says, “There are people who say Krishna’s not my son. Viscous rumors. Or that He is some sort of a demigod or God Himself. But I have this wonderful son,” and they’re making up stories. Right.

#00:24:04#

So but we can say, so the Vedas, Puranas, they’re making up stories from her point of view, yeah, they’re spreading rumors. [Laughing.] That’s another plane, right. You could say of divine madness in a sense, the cowherd boy’s said, “Some says, Gopal is not one of us.” “What? Our Gopal?” “Yes, they’re saying, He’s a devata or something, God Himself.” “Gopal?” “Yes, that Gopal. The Gopal we all know and love.” “Nonsense.” [Laughing.] And they think of all their affectionate dealings and say, “How could that be possible?” [Laughing.]

#00:24:46#

They’re in another plane—gyana-shunya bhakti. If it says that Nanda Maharaj that they move the cows in search of sweet sweeter grass. So then we could extend this and say, “Oh, even within Vrindavan there’s gradation.” So if there’s gradation of and they’re all spiritually conscious persons, right. Posing, playing a part in lila and as the blade of grass the bumble bee, the soil the dust of that. I mean it’s a little more speaking in sweeping generalizations. [Laughing.]

#00:25:35#

tṛṇād api sunīchena…

(Śrī Śikṣaṣṭakam: 3)

So, still that means, oh great how could one blade of grass be sweeter than another. And that what would qualify that? So what I mean to say is like on this analysis here and there is although high is a little safer but if we at least it tells us that it applies. And then you can understand by like extension or extrapolation that such, this kind of gradation goes on and on and on and on add infinite them up into and including the highest sections and quarters and levels of devotion.

#00:26:35#

And that’s not for me to say, but the expert, the expert Srila Rupa Goswami. And Srila Guru Maharaj, the Rupanuga-dhara. I’m just saying in essence some things heard by him, expressed by him on this very day. But it is interesting to note that Rupa Goswami writes the Radhastakam, that it’s Rupa Goswami who writes the Lalita-astakam. And it’s in there that his identifying what are her unique qualities traits characteristics. And that he begins the first sloka is this:

#00:27:35#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchhanopakaraṇī kṛta-deha-lakṣyām
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbdhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

It’s very I mean the poetry is also very beautiful. And the double the uses of ‘lalita’: devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi. That it’s the name ‘Lalita’ and the word ‘lalita’ and ‘sulalita’. So, he saying, and that is the first verse is significant like to it’s bringing you immediately into her zone. And this is what I meant to say like, “Where does she live?” What is that zone? Because someone say, “I want to, this is my aspiration,” or “I want to, you know, be go there and we will see…” It’s gradations of devotion of self-giving, of self-sacrifice. For the cause… What is the cause? Radha-dasyam is the cause. The service of the holy lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.

#00:28:59#

And also the necessity, genuine necessity that one feels Guru Maharaj said about Srimati Radharani of Whom we will speak tomorrow. She said, “I have the greatest necessity for Krishna.” [Laughing.] Just that line alone Who feels the greatest need, necessity for Krishna. So, those who want to serve Her are doing everything and anything to bring Her in connection with that Person for Whom She feels the greatest need or necessity. And that those are just not that you know, you say those words and it means something. It’s being observed by Srila Guru Maharaj. So, Lalita Sakhi’s mood thought understanding is that when Radha and Krishna are together then she’s very happy, that’s her happiness nothing can make her happier than that, that They are together.

#00:30:19#

So, and once then it would naturally be that she would be Mahaprabhu’s right arm, number one personal attendant. But as faith would have it or Yoga-maya would have it, there’s the, how it say, the potential of some sort of, how would you say, distraction disturbance whatever in that higher plane that upper realm. She takes it upon herself well not only upon she’s delegated as such that not the least disturbance will enter that plane. No distraction, no disturbance, whatever. And this is very significant.

#00:31:28#

So, what’s being said here, I don’t even, I tremble to express that as it’s given. But I’ll just say that that and alluding to that I’m saying that if she sees the possibility of the least disturbance in that plane and Their [Radha and Krishna] divine pastimes then Rupa Goswami is saying that:

#00:31:56#

…deha-lakṣyām…

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchhanopakaraṇī kṛta-deha-lakṣyām…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

With such earnestness and eagerness for the least aspect of service, you could say, I want to speak about this in a summary form. Deha-lakṣyām means a ‘hundred thousand bodies’ and the way I’ve tried to express this is because it’s a cause, this is easier I think for us to understand what I’m saying, like the cause in this world you get you have soldiers. Who are willing to sacrifice their life for the cause, right? And that we think that’s a great thing and when they do that we say, they always say, “They made the ultimate sacrifice.” To use some language like this and it’s true and therefore they’re honored there’s memorial day and various forms and different parts of the world to honor the sacrifice that they made because they you couldn’t do more they gave their lives for the cause, right.

#00:33:12#

So that’s one concept and you think, “Yes, if you know, if you have some people are willing to die for the cause those are the type of comrades or soldiers you want you know to be with.” But hear what Rupa Goswami is saying here the cause is Radha-dasyam. So you can sacrifice your life for that cause and certainly that would be a great thing and a wonderful thing. He’s saying, “But Lalita Sakhi is more qualified than that. She can expand a hundred thousand times or a million times.” So then if you think if you had a soldier who could turn into a million soldiers what kind of soldier is that? You have this one soldier who can expand into a million soldiers. Then you think, “Well I only need one or two of that kind of soldier.” [Laughing.] Lalita Vishakha. Lalita. Rupa Goswami said, “This is Lalita’s quality to and what is this in response to that the least disturbance will not enter that higher zone.”

#00:34:40#

So that’s one quality he’s identifying from the very beginning, right. And it’s always we say starting an appropriate the lotus feet. Here:

#00:34:55#

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

Pada. When his Radha-ashtakam the first sloka:

#00:35:03#

[part of sloka]

Always starting there it’s not arbitrary the lotus feet. So but then he’s giving more, so, he’s saying so that kind of character she has. The greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva is how this could be formulated. That’s like number one. Where does she live? In that plane where there’s the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva. Srila Gurudev had the greatest magnitude of eagerness for the least aspect of seva for Srila Guru Maharaj and he self-identifies with Lalita Bhar, Ucha Gaon—the place of Lalita Sakhi.

#00:36:05#

And we can if we’re fortunate by the grace of Srila Guru Maharaj and the āśīṣ Guru-varga and the ashravad of the Guru, observe such qualities. So that’s one, then what all what else it says that:

#00:36:27#

…uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbdhāṁ…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 1)

Pragalbdhāṁ means, the word Guru Maharaj picked is interesting it’s not often used anymore but ‘haughty’. Which is kind of an older English word at this point but means like a little like some attitude they’d say in the modern world, has some an attitude. Or a type of arrog… as seeming arrogance, pushy attitude. [Laughing.] And then you think, “Well those are not devotional qualities.” We, we always read about the devotee: they’re humble and very, you know, soft-spoken and... that’s not Lalita Sakhi.

#00:37:21#

But then but Rupa Goswami is saying, “But we don’t see this as like it’s not that she’s rough,” right. Because we’re saying like, ‘Oh, if a woman is, we don’t like to see women who are rough.” So Rupa Goswami’s saying, “Not, we don’t see it as rough”, you know. But we’re seeing it as like an interesting because Lalita [unclear] like type of softness, like firm but soft and why because it’s not self-assertion, which is the opposite of humility. So, she’s not contradicting the laws of humility if we want to say, right.

#00:38:10#

This where is this apparent self-assertion come from but on the behalf of her mistress whom is not even Srimati Radharani. In other words she remember Radha and Krishna love Lalita and Vishakha at all. But and Lalita and Vishakha love Radha and Krishna of course. But we’re told if you by Guru Maharaj if someone was analyzing they say, “Well, Vishakha might show a little leaning toward Krishna and Lalita Sakhi leaning towards Radharani that would be the left.”

#00:39:00#

Why? Because sometimes we’re told, “In her humility, which is inconceivable, that Srimati Radharani will not assert Herself with Krishna”. But Lalita Sakhi ever the agent of promotion of Srimati Radharani and Her divine service. We told sometimes she is even chastising Srimati Radharani by saying like, “Don’t let Him treat You like that.” You know, you’ve got [laughing], she gives Her like a pep talk. [Laughing.] How to deal with Krishna. And sometimes if Radharani is not up for that then Lalita Sakhi takes matters into her own hands. [Laughing.] So she is chastising Krishna and saying, “You cannot treat Her like this.” [Laughing.]

#00:40:10#

So, Rupa Goswami is saying, “When we see this, we’re it’s a celebration of her how beautiful and sweet she is.” This isn’t some kind of crude unfeminine and uncharacteristically unfeminine behavior on her part. But it’s on in promotion of her mistress Srimati Radharani that she exhibits these qualities and I’m telling you now in the first verse. So whatever stereotypes you might be carrying with you about how you might envision the person who occupies the position just next anuradha, just next to Srimati Radharani these are some identifying traits qualities characteristics of her that we celebrate.

#00:41:07#

Devīṁ. Devī. Devīṁ guṇaiḥ: these goddess-like qualities of Earth: devīṁ guṇaiḥ su-lalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi [Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 7]. There uses her name but with adjective... Lalitā su-lalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi. This is how beautiful, sweet, charming, wonderful, extraordinary is Lalita Sakhi. That’s like verse number one. [Laughing.] And because it’s in Astakam that means there’s seven more. But we don’t know them all, not won’t even pretend. But another one that stands out according to Srila Guru Maharaj begins with:

#00:42:08#

yāṁ kām api vraja-kule vṛsabhānu-jāyāḥ…

(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam: 7)

They’re so beautiful, I’m ashamed for not being able to represent the rest to you. But another quality is saying so I remember we said in the beginning:

#00:42:28#

vaikuṇṭhera pṛthivy-а̄di sakala chinmaya…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā: 5.53)

All, the soil there is Guru if you want to express it in shorthand according to Guru Maharaj. That’s spiritual and again it means a particular plane of consciousness. And not just like by some sort of practice, meditational practice but by heart giving, self-sacrifice, surrender takes one to that plane even from where we are at present that’s the beauty of this although we are, again, it’s hard to not notice that we are surrounded by lotus flowers. In the presence of Giriraj-Govardhan, Gandharvika-Giridhari and there are Sri Guru-varga.

#00:43:24#

They’re beckoning us to enter that plane through self-sacrifice, self-giving and service, atma-samarpanam. Prahlad, Sridhar Swami identifying what this is. And it’s so beautiful that so wherever you are, if you can enter that plane, there’s no time restriction historicity, GPS, any such thing, right. So, the ontological GPS would be the XY coordinates would be from where you are at present you begin serving earnestly. [Laughing.] And then you’re moving in direction of that domain. What could be more beautiful than that well what it is really is that. Srila Prabhupad, Guru Maharaj, Gurudev… that Srila Prabhupad particularly took this outside of the apparent boundaries of India and, and spread it all over the world to so many access points. The temples of the Krishna consciousness movement, those centers. Again he’s like upadesh and vishesh. So:

#00:45:09#

kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛta-sāra, tāra śata śata dhāra’
          daśa-dike [vahe] yāhā haite
se chaitanya-līlā haya, sarovara akṣaya,
       mano-haṁsa charāha’ tāhāte

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 25.271)

I forget the words. Kṛṣṇa-līlā is being, you know, the amṛta-sāra the crème de la crème of nectarine substances is reserved for the highest section of liberated souls. Why is Chaitanya-lila so extraordinary? So what, what Guru Maharaj said it was like one of the… “No entrance and welcome.” Welcome to the plane of no entrance. Like there’s a big sign no entrance you know authorized personnel only that kind of thing. And the door opens and you’re being told, “Come on in.” [Laughing.] That’s Chaitanya-lila. Where you would never get there in a million years, right. What is it:

#00:46:22#

panthа̄s tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-saṁpragamyo,
vа̄yоr athа̄pi manaso munipuṅgavа̄nа̄m…

(Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 34)

Not a chance, the magnanimous distribution of that divine substance in all directions. So then we can understand in principles so generally restricted. To the highest section of liberated souls even that very soil what to speak of the divine souls who traverse that soil, right. With their holy lotus footprints. Expressed in the highest, highest expression:

#00:47:07#

…rа̄dhа̄-padmа̄ṅkita dhа̄ma, vṛndа̄vana jа̄r nа̄mа…

(Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur. Gītāvali, Rādhāṣṭaka: Song 1, Verse 1)

So and the science of rasa, you know. Someone:

#00:47:22#

Nitya. Krishnera-nitya-das. Sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa etc. So but here Rupa Goswami is saying that Lalita Sakhi is moving in Vrindavan, in the plane of Vrindavan. That spiritually conscious plane enriched with the highest sort of dedication, devotional tendency. And canvassing others. Here the word ‘canvassing’ means ‘preaching’, right, ‘trying to convert someone’. So then you think, “Well, wait a minute. That’s what we do in this world, right.” You have like, you know, like the conditioned souls, the unconditioned souls and then you’re trying to like convert the conditioned souls to like come in the direction of the unconditioned plane.

#00:48:22#

People who are in illusion, right. We say, the higher souls are moving in this plane and under their direction we’re also trying to canvas others to come in connection with the Krishna consciousness movement that all makes sense here. But at this point I’m reminding of a line once when the they’re trying to say some negative things about Guru Maharaj. Some opposition party and once he said, “I am, I am a man of whom it has been said that he would be a troublemaker in Vaikuntha.” [Laughing.]

#00:49:09#

And for now I’ll leave that to your imagination, what that trouble might be. Why would they be troubled? [Laughing.] To consider things further to dive deep into reality. When Narada and Uddhava have a talk with Gopa Kumar in Dwaraka and they’re basically saying like you know in hushed voices, “Don’t get me wrong Dwaraka is a wonderful place. I mean we live here, you know, but for you, you’ll be accommodated in another domain.” So, she is canvassing in Vrindavan and we think and not just you know coming down to this world or you know a brief stint in the Vaikuntha world or… no, in Vrindavan she’s canvassing others to join her group.

#00:50:18#

What is that mean? Gradation again and not only that but we’re told like people or, you know, she is moving and we’re not they’re like giving her a note then, you know, she reads the notes, you know, it’s like, “Kidnap me, I want to be a member of your group.” These are here’s my resume. Then in various pastimes and you know. [Laughing.] So she’s canvassing others and others are falling at her feet begging to enter her group as well. Let me say any examples: Shyamananda, Hridai Chaitanya. Chyamananda legitimately apparently a sakhya-rasa devotee raga-marg diksha into that line.

#00:51:28#

But wandering the plane of Vrindavan we are told he finds a nupur means a ‘bangle’. And it’s something extraordinary he finds in the soil of Vrindavan that chinmoy soil:

#00:51:46#

chintāmaṇiś charaṇa-bhūṣaṇam aṅganānāṁ…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 14.228)

And he’s carrying that and then finds one like sakhi searching frantically the area saying, “What are you searching for?” “Oh, my last evening my mistress lost one of Her ornaments here.” And he opens the hand. “Is this that?” And she, “Yes, oh, thank you.” She takes it and goes on. And it leaves a tilak mark on his forehead like, like tattoo and but in that instance he becomes imbued with madhura-rasa’s sentiments.

#00:52:39#

Then later we’re told, he goes back to the group devotees they see his tilak is different than what they’re accustomed to wearing, the Guru is somewhat of sad disturbed they say he’s saying, “He faced that tilak. Remove that.” He’s saying, “If you can’t be my guest they try they can’t remove the tilak.” He said, “What?” Very peculiar and then we’re told that Guru’s calling an explanation from Jiva Goswami. But in the upper world Subal the leader of the highest rang of cowherd boys [unclear] approaches Lalita Sakhi approaches Subal and says to him, “That one I’m taking for my group.”

#00:53:39#

They said, “Hare Krishna. Yes, ma’am.” [Laughing.] So how fortunate and then we said this if someone said, “Well then I, I want to get connection with her line.” Yeah, well, she has a line. It’s called the Rupanuga line. Her, she’s the leader of the sakhis—Lalita, Vishakha—but her leader of the juniors is Sri Rupa. You think, “Well, how important is she as Swarup Damodar in Gaura-lila?” We’re told like:

#00:54:26#

…mahāprabhu… dvitīya kalevar…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 11.76)

It is like how should you understand Swarup Damodar—Mahaprabhu the second. That is who Swarup Damodar is. That is Mahaprabhu, that is Swarup Damodar, a second Mahaprabhu. Or:

#00:54:48#

…svarūpera bhа̄ṇḍа̄ra…

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 2.84)

The jewel mind of the ecstatic ecstasy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Swarup Damodar is the treasurer or is the guy, you know, holds the key to that place. I think Chaitanya-charitamritam is ostensibly, not only ostensibly, but well ostensibly written by Kaviraj Goswami who himself says, “It is not I who I’m writing; Madan Mohan is moving my hands.” But that is also his humility. That he’s so self-abnegated to qualify for this level of divine current. To pass through him into this plane is not incidental. Still what does he say the whole framework of Chaitanya-charitamritam comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar. It’s another way of saying it’s also Swarup Damodar that’s where this comes from. Oh and who else? Raghunath Das Goswami. “Oh, the one who Mahaprabhu told you, I want you to work with Swarup Damodar, you’ll work together.”

#00:56:17#

Oh, so this the Chaitanya-charitamritam really then it’s Swarup Damodar and Raghunath Das Goswami that’s where you’re getting all of this. Yes, and I’m and Rupa of course, on the balance. The Ramananda-samvad that Guru Maharaj attributes to his ontological method saying, “Where I get everything.” When… because one can think, “Well, wait, it’s Mahaprabhu’s traveling more or less alone at that point practically. How does Krishnadas get all of this? It’s quite extensive.” It’s around three hundred verses and I mean heavy. On the Sanskrit and Krishnadas Kaviraj will say, “This Ramananda-samvad I’m representing here it comes from the notes of Swarup Damodar.”

#00:57:39#

And we’re told again, “Swarup Damodar made more succinct notes Raghunath Das expanded upon them.” And as the divine will would have it on the banks of Radha-kunda and Giri-Govardhan there’s Raghunath Das Goswami as we told not even living in a bhajan-kutir until Sanatana Goswami arranged and then Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami is there. And the full wealth, Swarup Damodar and Raghunath Das says and the… is transferred to Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. And that’s what we have as the Chaitanya-charitamritam. Which Guru Maharaj says, “It is the greatest literature to ever seen the light of day in all time all space and all creations.”

#00:58:42#

And in the last twelve years of His manifest pastimes, remember Mahaprabhu forty eight years total, first twenty four years as Navadwip up to sannyas, take sannyas at twenty four. Six years traveling but using Puri as a base last eighteen years really exclusively there and in Puri, and the last twelve years in the Gambhir behind closed doors with two persons—Ramananda Roy and Swarup Damodar. Plunging the depths of Radha-bhav.

#00:59:24#

yadi gaura nā haita, tabe ki haita, kemane dharitām de
rādhāra mahimā, prema-rasa-sīmā, jagate jānāta ke?

(Śrīla Vasudev Ghoṣ)

It’s interesting that Nityananda told Raghunath Das, “When now after the Chira-dadhi festival…” He’s got the mercy of Nityananda.

#00:59:49#

…nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe…

(Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur. Manaḥ-śikṣā: 3)

Then Nityananda says with of course the utmost certainty because He’s in charge of things, “Now you’ll be allowed to enter and to you’ll be antaranga-seva of Mahaprabhu, the confidential service, and you’ll be under the care of Swarup Damodar.” Nityananda already knows all these things. Saying, “Now you’re qualified…” And how is he qualified? He got the blessings of Nityananda Prabhu and by doing what?—serving Him and His associate servitors.

#01:00:30#

So, that’s Swarup Damodar, Lalita Sakhi, Srimati Radharani’s right hand, personal attendance servitor. Oh, and I was going to say this, that. Before anything can come to the ear of Mahaprabhu it has to be approved by Swarup Damodar because as we can imagine in those times there are there Sanskritians, some are capable of composition people are writing different things, slokas, prayers, songs, whatever it might be. But we’re told it has first pass the Swarup Damodar test. Why? And this is noteworthy as well we say Rupa Goswami is about Mahaprabhu:

#01:01:32#

namo mahā-vadānyāya, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā: 19.53)

The mahā-vadānyāya avatar the most magnanimous generous avatar ever right. And we see in relation to Nityananda Prabhu the kripa-avatar how they’re ignoring relative, qualifications or disqualifications and the dispensation of this mercy. But and how tolerant they are and how generous and overlooking the faults… conditioned souls. But we’re told if rasa-bhas comes to the ear of Mahaprabhu it makes Him angry, Who’s so generous, so kind, so merciful etc. This He can’t tolerate, He could tolerate many other things, not Vaishnava-aparadh, not rasa-bhas—that’s not tolerable.

#01:02:49#

So, it anything that’s someone might think as devotees do something like, “Oh, I wrote something, I want to express something and…” Swarup Damodar has to look first and see is this laden with actual spiritual substance or is it rasa-bhas, apa-siddhanta and will cause a disturbance to Mahaprabhu. Remember the first verse the least disturbance will go into that plane, mahāprabhu śrī-chaitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya [Śrīla Saraswati Ṭhākur. Śrī Guru-paramparā: 6], similar service here no disturbance will go into that plane.

#01:03:31#

And we’re not talking about external things but the Guru Maharaj said, “Apa-siddhanta strikes the spinal cord of the thinking man.” And again, when he says this he doesn’t mean intellectuals, saying about higher devotees. Rasa-bhas, apa-siddhanta—“it strikes the spinal cord of the thinking man, of a person of substance.” So, once someone wrote something that on a certain level some devotees said, “Oh, that is very nice.” You know they’re listening to it and then they say, “But you have to give the Swarup Damodar first.”

#01:04:23#

And then Swarup Damodar reads this and it’s a verse comparing Jagannath and Mahaprabhu. And when Swarup Damodar reads this, it’s saying becomes angry but the qualifying word is ‘preem’; it says like prema, rodha means like ‘loving anger’. So and then he’s saying, “Ostensibly your intention is to glorify Mahaprabhu and Jagannath and what I see here is the worst type of insult, aparadh.” And of course that man is crushed, right. No less than Swarup Damodar is now angry with him and saying what you’ve written here is aparadhik insult to Mahaprabhu and Jagannath. So he’s like, “Ohh,” you’re saying like, “What sort of hell awaits me?” You know moments before everyone was like happy and now it is you know north pole, south pole, it’s gone and the other direction and the worst thing imaginable is now he’s insulted Mahaprabhu and Jagannath. In the name of one offering some glorification.

#01:05:52#

So but seeing that and also the goddess Saraswati working in conjunction with the divine will of Krishna and Yoga-maya. So that sometimes people say things that are double on tond, double meaning maybe unintentionally. So, he meant to glorify and unintentionally was insult. Swarup Damodar, the ever generous merciful leader of all the devotees. Swarup Damodar being compassionate upon that person. And with his extraordinary unique gifts abilities, skills of interpretation re-read those words in another way that could make it into a glorification.

#01:06:55#

Thereby saving that person, that soul. But it tells us two things one is how fine is Swarup Damodar sent of that plane that address that location. And that without the approval of Lalita Sakhi, the approval of Swarup Damodar no one is going to enter that plane or that domain. So the Guru… Wwe’re also Swarupanugas, that’s mentioned in Charitamritam. Swarup like… we say, Rupanuga, Swarupanuga as well. And of course these are very high things but we’re talking about the highest person. And the supreme reality.

#01:08:06#

And Guru… So Guru Maharaj in conclusion, Guru Maharaj referencing Srila Saraswati Thakur’s maxim.

#01:08:28#

pūjala rа̄gа-patha gaurava-bhaṅge
mātala hari-jana viṣaya-raṅge

So, that higher realm should be kept above as worshipable. And here we shall be ever attentive to the various service opportunities that have been by the grace of the higher servitors that hierarchy observators has descended in this plane give our full attention to that. And all the while realizing and the words of Bhakti Vinod Thakur:

#01:09:05#

guru-gaṇa-ṣire punaḥ śobha paya śata-guṇa

When we look towards Sri Guru and we say above the head of Sri Guru: guru-gaṇa-ṣire, that’s what it means the guru-gaṇ, the Guru section, ṣire, above them:

#01:09:19#

guru-gaṇa-ṣire punaḥ śobha paya śata-guṇa

Krishna becomes a hundred times, a thousand times more beautiful. They are not, there was no opacity the divine agents and they’re rather they bring us in connection with the more beautiful, thousand times more beautiful Krishna through there.

#01:09:52#

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena,
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ,
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ [bhajāmi]

(Śrī Brahma-saḿhitā: 5.38)

prem… premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena…

With the eyes of devotion so the eyes of devotion from Radharani to Swarup Damodar, how beautiful is that Krishna.

Jay Swarup Damodar avirbhav mahotsava ki ki ki jay! Sri Lalita Saptami ki jay!

Hare Krishna!

Captured by Ananta Krishna Das
Edited by Tradish Das



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