TLC 29 (1968)

Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (1968)

TLC 28 (1968) - TLC 30 (1968)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The Transcendental Pastimes of Radha and Krishna

When Lord Chaitanya said that that was accepted, and that he might advance further, Ramananda Roy said that fraternal relationship with Lord Krishna is a still higher transcendental position. Ramananda Roy's purport in saying this is that, when the relationship with Krishna is increased by a more affectionate tendency, then the mood of fearfulness, the consciousness of the extra-superiority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, becomes diminished; and there is the development of a mood of faithfulness. And this faithfulness is called friendship. In this friendly relationship, there is a sense of equality between Lord Krishna and His friends.

In this connection, Ramananda Roy quoted a nice verse from Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, 12th Chapter, where Sukdeva Goswami describes Lord Krishna's lunch with His friends in the forest where they went to play with the cows. It is said there that the cowherds boys who went to play in the forest with Krishna enjoyed transcendental friendship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who is considered the Impersonal Brahman by great sages, considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the devotees; and, for the ordinary man, He is considered an ordinary human being.

Lord Chaitanya appreciated this statement by Ramananda Roy very much, but still He said, "You can advance further." At the request of Lord Chaitanya, Ramanada Roy stated that the relationship with Krishna as son and father, the relationship of parenthood, is a still higher transcendental position.

Ramananda Roy's meaning was that the friendly attitude toward Krishna, increased by still more affection becomes the relationship between parents and their children. In this connection Ramananda Roy quoted a nice verse from Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth canto, 8th chapter, where it is stated that the King inquired from Sukdeva Goswami as to the magnitude of righteous activities which had been performed by Yasoda, the mother of Krishna, for which the Supreme Personality of Godhead called her "mother," and sucked at her breast. And he quoted still another verse from Srimad Bhagwatam (Tenth Canto, 9th Chapter), in which it is stated that Yasoda, the wife of Nanda, a cowherd man, received mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead which is incomparable, even by the mercy which is received by Brahma, the first created living being, or Lord Shiva, or even the Goddess of Fortune, Lakshmi, who is always situated on the chest of Lord Vishnu.

Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda Roy to proceed further, to come to the point of conjugal love. Ramananda Roy, understanding the mind of Lord Chaitanya, immediately answered that the relationship of conjugal love with Krishna is the highest position. In other words, intimate relationship with Krishna develops from an ordinary conception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to the conception of Master and servant. And when it has become confidential, it develops into a friendly relationship, and when it is further developed, it is the relationship between parents and the children; and when it is developed to the highest point of complete love and affection, it is known as conjugal love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In this connection, Ramananda Roy quoted a nice stanza from the Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, 47th Chapter, in which it is stated that the transcendental mode of ecstasy which was exhibited during the Rasa Dance of the Gopis with Krishna was never relishable even by the Goddess of Fortune, who is always situated on the chest of the Lord in the spiritual kingdom. What to speak of the experience of ordinary women?

Ramananda Roy then explained the gradual process of the development of pure love with Krishna. He stated that a person who is related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any one of the different modes of affection is in the relationship just suitable for him. But actually a relationship with the Supreme Lord begins with the relationship of Master and servant, and further develops into friendship, and further develops into paternal love, and further develops into conjugal love. Anyone who is situated in his particular relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best relationship for him, but when we study all these different flavors of transcendental taste in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we can see that the first stage is Brahmabuta, or the neutral stage of realization of the Supreme Lord. The state accompanying the conception of accepting the Lord as Master and oneself as His servant is better; and the more developed conception of that relationship is as a friend; and still further as a father; this is the superior quality of development. From friendship to paternal love, the relationship is advanced and of superior quality, and the further advance to conjugal love is the supreme relationship with the Supreme Lord.

Self-realization with the sense of servitude is certainly a transcendental development. And the mode of Master and servant, with fraternity added, is a further development. And with progressive affection, it develops into parenthood. But the highest development is conjugal love in relationship with the Supreme Lord. In this connection, Ramananda Roy quoted a verse from Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. It is stated there that the development of spiritual affection for the Supreme Lord is in all categories transcendental, but that the specific aptitude of a devotee to a particular state is more relishable by him than others.

Such a transcendental relationship with the Supreme Lord cannot, however, be manufactured by the mental concoction of a pseudo devotee. In this connection, Rupa Goswami in his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, has stated that devotional service without reference to the Vedic Scriptures as well as to Vedic literature, following the principles of Vedic Scripture, can never be approved. Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj remarks that those who are professional spiritual masters, professional Bhagwatam reciters, professional performers of Kirtan, or persons who are engaged in so-called devotional service of their own mental concoction, cannot be accepted. There are different kinds of professional communities known as Aul, Vaul, Kartabhaza, Nada Darbesa, Snai, Atibibadi, Chudadhari, Gaurnaganagari. A member of the Ventor Goswami society, or the caste called Goswami, cannot be accepted as the descendent of the six original Goswamis. Similarly, so-called devotees who manufacture different kinds of songs in connection with Lord Chaitanya, or those who are professional priests or paid reciters, cannot be accepted in this connection. One who does not follow the principle of Pancharatra, and one who is an impersonalist, and one who is addicted to sex life, cannot be compared with persons who have dedicated their lives to the service of Krishna.

A pure devotee who is always engaged in Krishna Consciousness can sacrifice everything for the service of the Lord. A person who has dedicated his life to the service of Lord Chaitanya and Krishna and the Spiritual Master, or a person who is following the principles of householder life, and similarly those who are following the principles of the renounced life in the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, are devotees and cannot be compared to the professional men.

When one is freed from all material contamination, any one of the relationships with Krishna is relishable transcendentally. Unfortunately, those who are inexperienced in the transcendental science cannot appreciate these different stages of relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they think that all such different stages of relationship with the Supreme Lord, and all these explanations, are due to Maya. But in Chaitanya Charitamrita, the author has given a very nice practical example of this matter. He states that earth, water, fire, air, and ether are the five elements, and these five elements develop from the subtle form to the grosser form. For example, in the ether there is a characteristic which is called sound. But in the air, there is the characteristic of ether, sound, plus a sensation of touch. When one comes to the fire, there is the characteristic of ether plus the characteristic of air, plus the characteristic which is called form. So, in fire there are three characteristics; similarly, when we come to water, there are four characteristics—namely sound, touch, form and taste. When you go to earth, there are five characteristics, namely sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. As there is a development of different characteristics, beginning from ether down to earth, so, if we analyze the different relationships with Lord Krishna and the devotee, we find that all the five characteristics of the devotional attitude are present in the relationship of conjugal love. Therefore, the relationship with Krishna in conjugal love can only be accepted as the highest perfectional stage of love of God.

There is a nice verse from the Tenth Canto, 82nd Chapter of Srimad Bhagwatam, which can be cited here: "Devotional service for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the life of every living entity." And the Lord, addressing the damsels of Vraja, informed them that their love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only cause of their achieving the association of the Lord. It is said that Lord Krishna, in relationship with His devotees, accepts all kinds of devotional service according to the aptitude of each particular devotee, and Krishna also responds to such a devotee in a reciprocal way. For anyone who wants the relationship with Krishna of Master and servant, He plays the part of the perfect Master. For anyone who wants Krishna as his Son, in the parental relationship, Krishna plays the part of the perfect Son. Similarly, if a devotee wants to worship Krishna in conjugal love, Krishna plays the part of husband or paramour in perfection. But He has admitted that His loving relationship with the damsels of Vraja in conjugal love is the highest perfectional stage.

In Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, 32nd Chapter, Krishna addressed the Gopis and said, "My dear Gopis, your relationship with Me is completely transcendental, and in exchange for your love, it is not possible for Me to offer anything, even after many births. You have been able to give up all attachment for material enjoyment, and you have searched after Me. I am unable to repay your love; and therefore, be pleased with your own activities."

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj has remarked that there is a class of common men who say as follows: Anyone and everyone can worship the Supreme Lord according to his particular invention of some mode of worship, and he will still achieve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may try to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, either by fruitive activities or by speculative knowledge or by meditation or by austerity—any one of the methods accepted will help one to reach the perfectional stage. They generally give the example that if anyone wants to reach a certain destination he can accept one of many different paths, and still reach the same place. Similarly, they say the Supreme Absolute Truth may be worshipped either as the Goddess Kali, or the Goddess Durga, or Lord Shiva, or Ganesha, or Rama, or Hari, or Brahma—any way that the Absolute Truth is addressed, it is all one and the same. They give an example in this connection that a man might have different names, but if he is called by any of those names he will answer.

Such explanations by mental concoction might be very pleasing to the ordinary person, but they are full of misconceptions of transcendental life. One who worships different demigods conducted by material lust cannot achieve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The external energy of the Supreme Lord can award them some result for worshipping the particular demigods, as is stated in the Bhagavad Gita: "One who does not worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly cannot achieve His association by worshipping the demigods." The Supreme Personality of Godhead awards the benediction of His association only to persons who worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not via the demigods. It is not a fact, therefore, that everyone and anyone can reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead by worshipping material demigods. It is surprising, therefore, how a man can imagine he will become perfect by worshipping the demigods. The result of devotional service in full Krishna Consciousness cannot be compared with the result of worshipping different demigods or by functioning in fruitive activities or by mental speculation. The results of fruitive activities are that, either one can go to the heavenly planets, or one can go to hell.

TLC 28 (1968) - TLC 30 (1968)