(1)

vyasena vraja-lilayam nitya-tattvam prakasitam

prapasca-janitam jsanam napnoti yat svarupakam

 

(2)

jivasya siddha-sattayam bhasate tattvam uttamam

durata-rahite suddhe samadhau nirvikalpake

 

(3)

maya-sutasya visvasya cic-chayatvat samanata

cic-chakty-aviskrte karye samadhav api catmani

 

(4)

tasmat tu vraja-bhavanam krsna-nama-gunatmanam

gunair jadyatmakaih sasvat sadrsyam upalaksyate

 

(5)

sva-prakasa-svabhavo'yam samadhih kathyate budhaih

atisuksma-svarupatvat samsayat sa vilupyate

 

(6)

vayam tu samsayam tyaktva pasyamas tattvam uttamam

vrndavanantare ramye sri-krsna-rupa-saubhagam

 

(7)

nara-bhava-svarupo'yam cit-tattva-pratiposakah

snigdha-syamatmako varnah sarvananda-vivardhakah

 

(8)

tri-tattva-bhańgima-yukto rajiva-nayananvitah

sikhi-piccha-dharah sriman vana-mala-vibhusitah

 

(9)

pitambarah suvesadhyo vamsi-nyasta-mukhambujah

yamuna-puline ramye kadamba-talam asritah

 

(10)

etena cit-svarupena laksanena jagat-patih

laksito nandajah krsno vaisnavena samadhina

 

(11)

akarsana-svarupena vamsi-gitena sundarah

madayan visvam etad vai gopinam aharan manah

 

(12)

jatyadi-mada-vibhrantya krsnaptir durhrdam kutah

gopinam kevalam krsnas cittam akarsane ksamah

 

(13)

gopi-bhavatmakah siddhah sadhakas tad-anukrteh

dvividhah sadhavo jseyah paramartha-vida sada

 

(14)

samsrtau bhramatam karne pravistam krsna-gitakam

balad akarsayams cittam uttaman kurute hi tan

 

(15)

pumbhave vigate sighram stri-bhavo jayate tada

purva-rago bhavet tesam unmada-laksananvitah

 

(16)

srutva krsna-gunam tatra darsakad dhi punah punah

citritam rupam anviksya vardhate lalasa bhrsam

 

(17)

prathamam sahajam jsanam dvitiyam sastra-varnanam

trtiyam kausalam visve krsnasya cesa-rupinah

 

(18)

vraja-bhavasraye krsne sraddha tu raga-rupaka

tasmat sańgo'tha sadhunam vartate vraja-vasinam

 

(19)

kadacid abhisarah syad yamuna-tata-sannidhau

ghatate milanam tatra kantena sahitam subham

 

(20)

krsna-sańgat paranandah svabhavena pravartate

purvasritam sukham garhyam tat-ksanad gospadayate

 

(21)

vardhate paramanando hrdaye ca dine dine

atmanamatmani presthe nitya-nutana-vigrahe

 

(22)

cid-anandasya jivasya saccid-ananda-vigrahe

ya'nuraktih svatah-siddha sa ratih priti-bijakam

 

(23)

sa rati rasam asritya vardhate rasa-rupa-dhrk

rasah pasca-vidho mukhyah gaunah sapta-vidhas tatha

 

(24)

santa-dasyadayo mukhyah sambandha-bhava-rupakah

rasa viradayo gaunah sambandhotthah svabhavatah

 

(25)

rasa-rupam avapyeyam ratir bhati svarupatah

vibhavair anubhavais ca sattvikair vyabhicaribhih

 

(26)

esa krsna-ratih sthayi bhavo bhakti-raso bhaved

baddhe bhakti-svarupa sa mukte sa priti-rupini

 

(27)

mukte sa vartate nitya baddhe sa sadhita bhavet

nitya-siddhasya bhavasya prakatyam hrdi sadhyata

 

(28)

adarsac cin-mayad visvat sampraptam susamadhina

sahajena mahabhagair vyasadibhir idam matam  

 

(29)

maha-bhavavirbhavo maha-rasavadhih kriya

nitya-siddhasya jivasya nitya-siddhe paratmani

 

(30)

etavaj jada-janyanam vakyanam carama gatih

yad-urdhvam vartate tan no samadhau paridrsyatam

 

 

(1) Sri Vyasadeva has explained the eternal truth while describing the pastimes of Vraja. This eternal truth is beyond the realm of material knowledge.

 

(2) This supreme truth shines in the living entity's pure existence. This pure existence is attainable by conditioned souls through pure absolute samadhi, which vanquishes all impediments. There are two types of samadhi—artificial and absolute. The devotees accept natural samadhi as absolute and fabricated samadhi as artificial, regardless of whatever explanations thejnanis have. The soul is spiritual, therefore the qualities of self-knowledge and knowledge of other objects are naturally present in him. By the quality of self-knowledge, one can realize one's self. By the quality of knowing other objects, one can realize all other objects. Since such qualities are the constitutional nature of a living entity, where is the doubt that naturalsamadhi is absolute? A living entity does not require to take shelter of another instrument to understand the supreme object. Therefore this samadhi is faultless. But when one takes shelter of Sankhya-samadhi, which entails faulty or unnatural activities, it is known as artificial samadhi. The constitutional activities of the soul are called natural samadhi, for the mind has no jurisdiction in these activities. Natural samadhi is easy and free from misery. If one takes shelter of this samadhi, then the eternal truth is easily realized.

 

(3) The pastimes of Vraja have been perceived and described through the process of natural samadhi, in the form of self-realization. Although the names, forms, qualities, and activities that are used to describe Vraja-lila appear almost mundane, that is only because the material world created by Maya is similar to its origin, Vaikuntha. Actually the soul's natural samadhi is a function of the spiritual potency. Whatever is perceived through natural samadhi is the ideal example for the material world, not imitation.

 

(4) For this reason Krsna's names, qualities, and forms have a similarity to material names, qualities, and forms.

 

(5) Self-realization comes through self-illumination. Learned scholars call self-realization samadhi. This is very subtle. If there is a tinge of doubt, it is practically lost. Many truths such as the living entity's faith in his own existence, the living entity's eternal existence, and the living entity's relationship with the Absolute Truth are realized through natural samadhi. “Do I exist or not?” “Will I exist after death?” “Do I have any relationship with the Absolute Truth?” If one develops such argumentative doubts on the truth, then his natural samadhi becomes contaminated with prejudices and gradually forgotten. The truth can never be lost; it can only be forgotten. The soul's eternality and the existence of the Absolute Truth cannot be established by argument, because argument has no entrance into the realm beyond the material world. Self-realization is the only way to establish these truths. The devotees of Krsnaalways realize their eternal home, Vaikuntha, and their eternal occupation, service to Krsna, through natural samadhi, or self-realization. When a spirit soul practices natural samadhi, he progressively realizes the following subjects: (1) his self, (2) the insignificance of the self, (3) the supreme shelter, (4) the relationship between the shelter and the sheltered, (5) the beauty of the qualities, activities, and form of the shelter, (6) the relationships amongst the sheltered, (7) the abode of the shelter and the sheltered, (8) the absolute time factor, (9) the various moods of the sheltered, (10) the eternal pastimes between the shelter and the sheltered, (11) the energies of the shelter, (12) the advancement and degradation of the sheltered by the energies of the shelter, (13) the misidentification of the degraded sheltered, (14) the cultivation of devotional service for restoration of the degraded sheltered, and (15) the degraded sheltered regaining their constitutional position through devotional service. These fifteen along with other inconceivable truths are realized. The more material knowledge is mixed with one's natural samadhi, the less one can realize the truth. The more one is able to advance on the path of natural samadhi by controlling argument, which is like the minister of material knowledge, the more one can open the storehouse and acquire indescribable spiritual truths. The storehouse of Vaikuntha is always full. Lord Sri Krsnacandra, the lovable object of all, constantly invites the living entities through the open door of that storehouse.

 

(6) We have destroyed the doubts that hinder samadhi, and we are seeing within the inner circle of Vaikuntha the beautiful form of Sri Krsna, who is the topmost personality of Vrndavana. If our samadhi would have been polluted with material knowledge and if the propensity for argument, after giving up mundane knowledge, would have intruded in the process ofsamadhi, then we would not have accepted the quality of variegated nature of the spiritual world and we would have proceeded only up to impersonal Brahman. But if material knowledge and argument was to some extent subdued and intruded only to some extent into the process of samadhi, then we would have accepted the eternal differentiation between the soul and the Supersoul, and nothing more. But since we have totally submerged this wicked propensity of doubting, we have attained complete realization of the beautiful form of the supreme shelter.

 

(7) Now we are going to explain the form and beauty of the Lord, which are realized through samadhi. The beautiful form of the Lord, which nourishes all spiritual subjects, is like a human form. There is no difference between the energy and its effect in the absolute realm, nevertheless the sandhini aspect of the spiritual potency with the help of variegated nature arranges the effect so perfectly that it has created a wonderfully unprecedented scene. There is no comparison to that beauty, either in this world or in the spiritual world. Since there is no predominance of time and space in the Absolute Truth, the significance or greatness of the Lord's form does not increase His glories, rather, because His form is beyond the material realm, it is always wonderful and complete. Therefore we are seeing the body of the Lord, which is the source of all beauty, through samadhi. The Lord's form is even more sweet. The more deeply one sees the form of the Lord through the eyes of samadhi, the more one sees an indescribable pleasing blackish form. Perhaps that spiritual form is pervertedly reflected as mundane blue sapphires, which give relief to the mundane eyes, or mundane new clouds, which increase the happiness of the burning mundane eyes.

 

(8)–(9) The sandhini, samvit, and hladini potencies wonderfully merge in the beautiful threefold-bending form of the Lord. The Lord's ever-pleasing eyes increase the beauty of His form. Perhaps the lotus flowers of this world are modeled after His eyes. The crown of the Lord's head is wonderfully decorated. Perhaps the peacock feathers of this world are modeled after those decorations. A garland of spiritual flowers increases the beauty of the Lord's neck. Perhaps a forest flower garland of this world is modeled after that transcendental garland. Spiritual knowledge, which is manifested from the samvit aspect of the spiritual potency, covers the waist of the Lord's form. Perhaps the lightning bolt of a new cloud of this world is modeled after that covering. Spiritual jewels like Kaustubha and other ornaments beautifully decorate His form. The instrument by which the Lord sweetly invites or spiritually attracts all is known as the flute. The flute of this world, which creates various ragas, or musical modes, might be modeled after that flute. This inconceivable form of the Lord is seen under the kadamba tree, which is the form of hairs standing on end in ecstasy, on the bank of the Yamuna, which is the form of spiritual liquid.

 

(10) Sri Krsna, the son of Nanda and Lord of the spiritual and material worlds, is seen with the above-mentioned spiritual symptoms by the Vaisnavas through samadhi. A swanlike person should not disregard these spiritual features because they have shadow forms in this material world. All these spiritual features combine to further enhance the splendor of the Lord. One will see more subtle features of the Lord by entering deeper into samadhi, and one will see less variety and qualities of the Lord by entering shallower into samadhi. Unfortunate people who are enamoured by material knowledge are unable to see the spiritual form of the Lord and the variegated nature of the spiritual world even though they attempt to see Vaikunthathrough samadhi. For this reason their spiritual cultivation is limited and their treasure of love is very meagre.

 

(11) Lord Sri Krsnacandra, who is realized through samadhi, kidnaps the hearts of the gopis and maddens the spiritual and material worlds with the sound of His flute, which is the form of all attraction.

 

(12) How can those whose hearts have been polluted by social prestige attain Krsna? The wicked pride of this material world has six causes—birth, beauty, qualities, knowledge, opulence, and strength. People who are overwhelmed by these six kinds of pride cannot take to the devotional service of the Lord. We are experiencing this everyday in our life. Persons who are polluted by the pride of knowledge consider the science of Krsna very insignificant. While considering the goal of life, such people regard the happiness of Brahman to be superior to the happiness of devotional service. Persons who are devoid of pride attain the mood of gopas or gopis to enjoy with Krsna. The gopas and gopis are the authorities in the science of Krsna. The reason for using the word gopi in this verse is that in this book we are discussing the topmost rasa of conjugal love. Persons who are situated in shanta, dasya, sakhya, and vatsalyarasas are also in the mood of Vraja, and they realize the transcendental mellows in relationship with Krsna according to their respective moods. We are not going to elaborate on them in this book. Actually all living entities are eligible for the mood of Vraja. When one's heart is filled with the mood of madhurya, he attains Vraja in full perfection. Out of the five rasas, a person is naturally attracted to the rasa in which he has an eternal constitutional relationship with the Lord, and he should therefore worship the Lord in that particular mood. But in this book we have only described the living entity's topmost mood of conjugal love.

 

(13) Those who have attained the mood of the gopis are called perfected beings, and those who imitate them are called practitioners. Therefore the learned, who know the Absolute Truth, accept two types of sadhus—perfected beings and practitioners.

 

(14) We are now explaining the gradual process of sadhana for those in the mood of the gopis. When the sound of Krsna's flute enters the ear of a living entity who is wandering throughout the material world, he is attracted by the sweet sound and becomes highly qualified.

 

(15) Sense gratification is the materialist's primary anartha. When the sheltered give up the shelter, then they consider themselves the enjoyer of maya. If the practitioner's propensity for enjoyment is quickly destroyed, then he can again attain the shelter of those persons who are attached to conjugal rasa and consider himself a transcendental woman, to be enjoyed by the Lord. Gradually such persons develop purva-raga to such a degree that they become almost mad.

 

(16) By seeing pictures of Krsna or by repeatedly hearing descriptions of Krsna from persons who have seen Him, one's greed for attaining Krsna increases unlimitedly.

 

(17) When a living entity through natural knowledge experiences attraction for the Lord, this is known as hearing songs of Krsna. Realizing Krsna after scrutinizingly studying descriptions of His form narrated in the scriptures by persons who have seen Krsna is called hearing the qualities of Krsna. Seeing Krsna's artistry within the world is called seeing Krsna's picture. This material world is the reflected shadow of spiritual variegated nature. Whoever has realized this is said to have seen Krsna's picture. In other words, a person becomes a Vaisnava by three processes—seeing the Lord through natural knowledge, realizing the Lord by studying the scriptures, and seeing the Lord through His artistry.

 

(18) Pure faith in Krsna, who is the shelter of the moods of Vraja, is called purva-raga or prag-bhava. When this faith awakens, one achieves the association of a devotee resident of Vraja. Association of the devotees is the cause for achieving Krsna.

 

(19) Such fortunate persons fix a love rendezvous with Krsna and then gradually proceed towards the bank of the spiritual liquid Yamuna, where they meet their beloved.

 

(20) By the association of Krsna, they then naturally experience such transcendental happiness that the happiness of Brahman is considered insignificant before it. At that time the happiness of material family life becomes comparable to the water in the hoofprint of a calf before the ocean of love.

 

(21) Thereafter, the Lord and soul of all souls, in His ever-fresh form, unlimitedly increases that ocean of bliss. The Lord, who is the shelter of all rasas, always appears wonderfully ever-fresh. In other words, the sheltered persons' thirst for rasa increases and is never quenched. Through samadhi, great devotees have seen in the spiritual world five direct rasas, beginning with shanta, and seven indirect rasas, beginning with heroism and compassion. Since the material world is known as the reflected shadow of the Vaikuntha world, all the imitation rasas of the material world must certainly be present in their pure forms in Vaikuntha.

 

(22) Now we will again deeply discuss the previously explained science of rati, attraction. Attraction is the seed of love and the principle asset for executing devotional service. The self-illuminated perfect attachment of a living entity for the sat-cid-ananda Lord is called attraction. The naturally perfect propensity of attachment between spiritual identities is very strong between Krsna and the living entities. This stage is called sthayi-bhava, permanent ecstatic moods, which is the goal of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the ornamental literature of theparamahamsas.

 

(23) This attraction is the subtle origin of rasa. Just as “one” is the origin in the process of counting numbers yet it remains present in subsequent numbers, similarly in the mature stages of priti—such as prema, sneha, mana, and raga—attraction remains present as the origin. Attraction is seen as the root in all the activities of priti, while bhava and various ingredients are seen as branches and subbranches. Therefore attraction continually increases under the shelter of rasa. There are twelve direct and indirect rasas.

 

(24) Shanta, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya are the five direct rasas. Besides the five direct mellows, there are seven indirect mellows, known as hasya (laughter), adbhuta(wonder), vira (chivalry), karuna (compassion), raudra (anger), bibhatsa (disaster), and bhaya (fear). These seven indirect rasas arise from the five direct rasas. Until attraction mixes with a particular relationship, it remains in a neutral state and cannot act. But when attraction joins with a particular relationship, it begins to manifest. The emotions that are produced by this manifestation are the indirect rasas.

 

(25) When rati, attraction, takes the shape of rasa, it becomes more luminous by mixing with four other ingredients. Although attraction is present under the shelter of rasa, it cannot manifest without the ingredients. These ingredients are of four types—vibhava (special ecstasy), anubhava (subordinate ecstasy), sattvika (natural ecstasy), and vyabhicari (transitory ecstasy). Vibhava is divided into the two categories alambana (the support) and uddipana (stimulation). Alambana may be further divided into two—Krsna and His devotees. The qualities and characteristics of Krsna and His devotees are called uddipana. Anubhava is divided into three—alankara (ornaments of emotional love), udbhasvara (external manifestations of emotional love), and vacika (verbal manifestations of emotional love). The twenty types of alankaras, such as bhava (ecstasy) and hava (gestures), are categorized into three—angaja (in relation to the body), ayatnaja (in relation to the self), and svabhavaja (in relation to nature). Physical activities like jrimbha (yawning), nritya (dancing), and lunthana (plundering) are known as udbhasvaras (external manifestations of emotional love). There are twelve vacika anubhavas, such as alapa and vilapa. There are eight sattvika-vikaras, such as stambha (being stunned), and sveda (perspiring). And there are thirty-three vyabhicari-bhavas, such as nirveda (indifference). Attraction requires the constant support of rasa and these ingredients to nourish one's relationship up to mahabhava.

 

(26) This attraction for Krsna is also known as sthayi-bhava and bhakti-rasa. Due to the conditioned souls' relationship with the material world, their attraction takes the shape of devotional service. In the liberated souls in Vaikuntha, attraction is eternally present in the form of priti, or love.

 

(27) The gradual stages of the development of attraction up to mahabhava, the manifestation of attraction under the shelter of direct and indirect rasa, and the unlimited ocean of sweetness created by the wonderful mixture of attraction with the above-mentioned ingredients are the eternal wealth of liberated souls and the goal for conditioned souls. You may askwhat is the need for practicing devotional service if this spiritual blissful rasa is eternal. The answer is that the attraction of the living entities has become perverted and mundane. Therefore one has to awaken pure attraction in one's heart by practicing devotional service.

 

(28) Learned personalities like Vyasadeva and we ourselves have seen through samadhi that the science of attraction is most relishable for the pure living entities. The qualities of the origin are somewhat reflected in its shadow. That is why the loving affairs of this material world are the most pleasing form of material enjoyment. But the attraction between male and female of this world is very insignificant and abominable when compared to spiritual attraction.

 

(29) We have thus described activities up to the rasa dance and moods up to mahabhava enjoyed between the Supreme Lord Krsna and the eternally liberated living entities.

 

(30) Due to associating with matter, this is the limit that our words can describe. Whatever is beyond this can be known only through Samadhi.