Gutika translation - Gaura-govinda-lilamrta-gutika by Gopala

zrI zrI gaura-govinda-lIlAmRta-guTikA
By zrI gopAa dAsa
English translation by Mark Tinghino

© Copyright 2002 by Mark Tinghino, All Rights Reserved

Humble Offering

sri-gurudeva-prasAdena bhaktAnAmAgrahena ca,
svArasikI ceyam gopAla-dAsena-vicIyate
vidyA-buddhi vihInohaM sat-saGgena ca vaJcitaH
adoSa darzibhiH sadbhiHksantavyo doSa bhAg api

The highest emotion of the Supreme Lord, mahAprabhu zri gaurasundara, the avatAra to deliver the whole universe is His lIlA of the mood of his own rasikI. This manual of meditation upon the lIlAs of the eight times of day is the essence of the best of madhura bhajana, which is the only supreme means of obtaining the service of divine love in the bower of the youthful couple, the goal of the bhajana of the six gosvAmins, rUpa, sanAtana, etc. Moreover, it is enjoined as the customary lIlAmRta manual that the pUjyapAda zrImad kRSNadAsa bAbAjI, resident of zrI govardhana has given to us in the form of ambrosia from his own lips, having attained that prema-sevA directly, subsequently, being very merciful, giving this practice of rAgAnuga bhajana to us practitioners. It is said that if we can relish this priceless ambrosia, then we will gradually realize our siddha-deha, attaining puSTi, which means that our material body will be dissolved, as we meditate upon our body of a maidservant of rAdhArANI. It will be our great fortune to achieve that prema-sevA in the bower of the divine couple, in a golden form without doubt. That is the complete faith of even this lowest of persons. [The author speaks of himself with all humility]

- to be continued

The Nature and Stages of Development of lIlA-smaraNa

The spiritual practice involved is of three stages in the sequence of the external, quiet and internal stages. Thus, the external stage is as situated in one’s material body. The quiet stage is in the bhAva of zrI Caitanya as a practitioner situated in zrI navadvIpa DhAma, which means that whenever the Lord is entranced in the bhAva of vraja, so are his devotees, who are like his branches and twigs. Just as zrImAn mahAprabhu is in the bhAva of the Divine Youthful Couple, so zrI nityAnanda prabhu is in the bhAva of anaGga maJjarI, zrI advaita prabhu is in the bhAva of the sakhI vizAkhA. Also, svarUpa dAmodara and the rest of the eight mahAntas are in the bhAva of the eight principal sakhIs, lalitA, etc. rAmacandra kavirAja and the other eight kavirAjas are in the bhAva of the eight principal yuthezvarIs, anaGga maJjarI, etc. Also, zrI rUpa gosvAmin and the other six gosvAmins of vRndAvana are in the bhAva of zrI rUpa maJjarI, etc., the priya-narma maJjaris. Thus each and every associate of the Lord incarnated, achieved divine joy, and relished the ambrosia of vraja-lIlA according to his or her own bhAva. In that stage, the practitioner realizes his or her self and experiences that ambrosia of divine joy. In the internal stage, being immersed in the ocean of the ambrosia of the bhAva of zrI mahAprabhu, following in the footsteps of the intimate maidservants of zrI vRndAvanezvarI, the principal sakhIs headed by lalitA, zrI rUpa maJjaIi, and the rest of the maJjarIs, which include one’s guru, one practices smaraNa of the ambrosia of the vraja lIlAs. There is a distinction in connection with the smaraNa of the ambrosia of the vraja lIlAs, which is that which is material in nature is never able to grasp that which is non-material and spiritual, because the nature of zrI kRSNa, vraja-vihari, and His realm, His associates and His lIlAs are all spiritual things, beyond the comprehension of the mind, secret and mysterious, since only by Their sidelong fortuitous glance of mercy does the jIva, with insignificant feeling, obtain that Personality of fortune. The Creator, brahmA, Himself having been freed from illusion by Their mercy, has said that it is not a subject of mental conception, intelligence or knowledge. Therefore, in this matter, knowing in our distinguished manner the need for which, in the mood of service of zrI vRndAvanezvarI, what are the complexions, dress and jewelry of the eternally perfect and youthful sakhIs, headed by lalitA? That the mahAtmAs have revealed to the practitioner in a condensed form:
1) zrI lalitA has a bright yellow complexion, a peacock hued dress, the service of preparing betel leaf, divisive in nature, Her father is vizoka, Her mother zAradI, Her husband, bhairava gopa, Her village kalerA, Her birth is on the bright eleventh lunar day of the month of zrAvaNa, and Her age is fourteen years, three months and twelve days.
2) zrI vizAkhA has a lightning hued complexion, a star pattern dress, the service of preparing sandalwood paste with camphor, etc., the mood of an unruly spouse, the same birth date as rAdhArANi, Her father is mukharAra, son of bhagnI, Her mother dakSinA, the other daughter of bhagnI and jaTilA, Her husband bAhika, Her village kAmAi, Her birthday the bright eighth lunar day of the month of bhAdra, and Her age fourteen years, two months and fifteen days.
3) zrI citrA has the golden complexion of saffron, a golden colored dress, the task of dressing and bejeweling, the mood of an owl, Her father (the son of the uncle of King vRSabhAnu) catura, Her mother cArvvikA, Her husband piThAra, Her village cikzulI, Her birthday the bright third lunar day of the month of Azvin, and Her age fourteen years, one month, nineteen days.

- More to come...

4) zrI indurekhA has a yellow complexion, a dress with a pomegranate flower pattern on it, Her service is the preparation of a honey-sweetened drink, and Her mood is that of a wife on an errand. Her father is sAgara, Her mother is velA, Her husband is durvvala, and Her village is Ajanaka. Her birthday is the bright fifth lunar day of the month of bhAdra, and Her age is fourteen years, two months and twelve days.

5) zrI campakalatA has the complexion of the color of a campaka flower, the complexion of the color of a cASa bird, the service of fanning with a yak tail whisk, and the mood of feeling decorated. Her father is ArAma, Her mother is vATikA, Her husband is caNDAkSa, and Her village is sonnerA. Her birthday is the bright seventh lunar day of the month of bhAdra, and Her age is fourteen years, two months and fourteen days.

6) zrI raGgadevI has the complexion of the hue of a lotus filament, a rose red colored dress, the service of anointing with red lac, and is of anxious mood. Her father is raGgasAra, Her mother is karuNA, Her husband is vakrekSaNa (the younger brother of lalitA’s husband, bhairava), and Her village is bhAJjerA. Her birthday is the bright third lunar day of the month of bhAdra and Her age is fourteen years, two months and eight days.

7) zrI tuGgavidyA has a complexion the color of kuGkum mixed with camphor and sandalwood paste, a tawny colored dress, the service of singing and playing music, and the mood of one deceived. Her father is puSkara, Her mother is medhA, Her husband is bAlIza, and Her village is DADAro. Her birthday is the bright first lunar day of the month of bhAdra and her age is fourteen years, two months and ten days.

8) zrI sudevI (the twin sister of raGgadevI) has the complexion of and dress of the same color as raGgadevI, the service of serving drinking water, and the mood of a heroine.

Then there are the leaders of the group of maidservants:

1) zrI anaGga maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of a new spring tree blossom, Her dress is the color of a blue lotus and Her service is preparing betel leaf. Her father is zrI vRSabhAnu, Her mother is kIrttidA, Her husband is durmmada and Her village is yAvaTa. Her age is thirteen years eight months.

2) zrI kalAvatI maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of white sandalwood, Her dress is the color of a parrot and Her service is cooking rice (pakkAnna). Her father is kalAGkura (King vRSabhAnu’s maternal uncle), Her mother is sindhumatI, Her husband is kapota, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years eight months.

3) zrI zubhaGgadA maJjarI (the younger sister of vizAkhA) has a lightning hued complexion, Her dress is blue, Her service is the gathering of flowers, Her father is pArala, Her mother is dakSinA, Her husband is patalatri, Her village is yAvaTa, and Her age is twelve years five months.

4) zrI hiranyAGgI maJjarI (whose name means one who is born from the womb of a white deer) has a golden complexion, an unparalleled flower colored dress and the service of stringing flower garlands. Her father is mahAvasu, Her mother is suraGgI, Her husband is jarAdagava, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is twelve years four months.

5) zrI ratnarekhA maJjarI has a complexion the yellowish sulfur hue of realgar, a bee colored dress and the service of the dressing of lovers going to meet. Her father is payodhi, Her mother is kuThArikA, Her husband is ikDara, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is twelve years four months.

6) zrI zikhAvaIi maJjarI (the younger sister of kundalatA) has a complexion the hue of the core of a lotus flower, a variegated dress, and the service of preparing betel leaf. Her father is dhenudhanyA, Her mother is suzikhA, Her husband is garuDajwa, Her village is yAvata and Her age is twelve years three months.

7) zrI kandarpa maJjarI has the complexion of the color of a cuckoo, a variegated dress and the service of foot massage. (Her father gave her away in marriage to zrI kRSNa.) Her father is puSpAkara, Her mother is karuvindA, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is twelve years nine months.

8) zrI phullakalikA maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of a blue lotus, a rainbow colored dress and the service of embellishment of the bower. Her father is mallAtha, Her mother is kamalinI, Her husband is viduvI, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is twelve years.

Then there are the maJjarIs that assist in the pleasure of the beloved:

1) zrI rUpa maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of gorocanA (a yellow pigment secreted by a cow’s kidney), a dress the color of a peacock’s tail, and the service of preparing betel leaf with turmeric and other spices. Her father is vibhAnu, the paternal uncle of zrI rAdhikA), Her mother is sulavatI, Her husband is govardhana, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years six months.

2) zrI maJjulAlI maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of molten gold and a kiKzuka flower patterned dress. Her father is ketava, Her mother is sucaritA, Her husband is gobhaTTa, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years six months seven days.

3) zrI rasa maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of a campaka flower, and a dress with a swan pattern on it, and the service of painting pictures. Her father is mahAkIrtti (the maternal uncle of zrI rAdhA), Her mother is sonA, Her husband is lavaGga, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years one month.

4) zrI rati maJjaIi (also known as tulaIi or bhAnumatI maJjarI) has the complexion of the hue of pale yellow, a star patterned dress and the service of foot massage. Her father is aGgabhadra, Her mother is sumedhA, Her husband is vAnamAkSa, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years two months.

5) zrI guNa maJjarI has a lightning hued complexion, a hibiscus patterned dress, and the service of serving drinking water. Her father is bhadrakIrtti (zrI rAdhikA’s maternal uncle), Her mother is menakA, Her husband is maNDalIbhadra, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years one month twenty-seven days.

6) zrI vilAsa maJjarI has the complexion of the hue of golden tree blossoms, a bee patterned dress and the service of preparing red collyrium. Her father is candrakIrki (zrI rAdhA’s maternal uncle), Her mother is SuSThA, Her husband is vilAsa, Her village is yAvaTa and her age is thirteen years twenty-six days.

7) zrI lavaGga maJjarI has a golden complexion, a star patterned dress and the service of stringing garlands from the flowers of creepers. Her father is candrabhAnu (zrI rAdhA’s paternal uncle), Her mother is yamunA, Her husband is sumedhA, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years six months.

8) zrI kasturI maJjarI has a pale gold complexion, a golden hued dress and the service of preparing sandalwood paste. Her father is subhAnu (Sri Radha’s maternal uncle), Her mother is ghoSaNA, Her husband is viTakSa, Her village is yAvaTa and Her age is thirteen years.

Sri Krsna’s eternal adolescent age is fifteen years nine months seven days. zrI rAdhA’s eternal adolescent age is fourteen years two months fifteen days. The complexion, dress, ornaments, etc. of the sAdhaka’s own maJjarI form and his guru’s shall be incorporated into the guru praNAlI (disciplic succession). This has all been stated in the zrI zrI rAdha-kRSNa-ganoddeza-dipikA and the paddhati by zrIpAda dhyAnacandra gosvAmI. zrI rUpa gosvAmI in the first section of his bhakti-rasAmRta-sindhu and zrIpAda lokanAtha gosvAmI and others in their own writings pray for the sevA of the divine couple as an intimate maidservant of the queen of vrRndAvana. This being termed ‘capable’ has been deemed the most rare and supremely sublime of all. This truth is extremely difficult to obtain and comprehend. In this case it has been accorded slightly because of being mentionable. In the first section of bhakti-rasAmRta-sindhu, that which is termed ‘kAmAnugA-bhakti’, which is characterized by the greed of one who follows rAgAtmikA bhakti is of two varieties: sambhogecchAmayI - that which consists of the desire for conjugal pleasure and tad-bhAvecchAtmikAmayI - that which consists of the passion of desire for that mood. The mood of a lover in conjugal passion is the same as sambhogecchAmayI. The wish is to be knowledgeable about the yuthezvarIs (group leaders) headed by the queen of vRndAvana. Furthermore, the mood of the sakhIs and maJjarIs is one of approval of the tad-bhAvecchAtmikA lover or the conjugal desire of the yuthezvarIs.

That is to say that mood is one of deriving immense pleasure from arranging for the coupling of the yuthezvarIs headed by vRndAvanezvarI with the object of their affection, zrI kRSNa, as well as attraction for the lovers. That bhAva consisting of the desire for mAdhurya is the bhAva of the sakhIs and maJjarIs called tad-bhAvecchAtmikA. There are five varieties of sakhIs: First is sakhI, second is priya-sakhI (or dear sakhi), third is parama preSTha-sakhI (or topmost and dearmost sakhI), fourth is prANa-sakhI (or love of one’s life) and fifth is nitya-sakhI (or eternal sakhI).
First (sakhI) – like a star or mountain, etc. due to great affection for kRSNa.
Second, third (priya-sakhI and parama preSTha-sakhI) – those with loving doe-like glances, or the eight principle sakhIs, headed by lalitA.
Fourth, fifth (prANa-sakhI and nitya-sakhI) – those with great affection for rAdhA, the maJjarIs headed by kasturI and maNi.

It is stated that among the five varieties of sakhIs those that are rAdhArANI’s snehAdhikA, prANasakhI or nityasakhI are called maJjarI. It is said that the name of that bhakti consisting of the desire for the mood of Her own yuthezvarIs or pertaining to the attainment of mAdhurya is tad-bhAvecchAtmikA-mayI, which mood of servitude to zrI vRndAvanezvarI is conspicuously present among the maJjarIs. The form of enjoyment of the prema of the youthful couple is of the nature of a leaf of the paradisiacal creeper of prema. There are countless tips of the principal leaf arising from one’s own joy, such is the mood of the maJjarIs, consisting of supreme excellence. The eternal perfection of rUpa maJjarI, etc., which is bhakti consisting of rAga or rAgAtmikA, is conspicuously present among the maidservants. The bhakti of the practitioner, which is following this bhakti consisting of rAga, is called rAgAnugA bhakti, in which [one is] only in one’s siddha deha, in other words meditating within on one’s body in vRndAvana, visualizing the eternal reality of the nature of a cowherd girl in the form of a maidservant – this is the nature of a qualified candidate for rAgAnugA bhakti.

Because of the sAdhana ceasing after the death of the physical body, being engaged in the service of the prema of the bower in the state of an eternal maidservant of the Divine Couple of the nature of an attendant standing in the form of the guru standing on the left side of a sakhI, expert at the beckoning of all and the guru and the nine Sakhis, the dearmost of a million beloved ones, as being blown on a breeze, a golden creeper moving towards the Divine Couple, the embodiment of the ambrosia of rasa and love replete with unparalleled beauty, sweetness and youthfulness, offering the timely service of waving a yak tail fan and juicy betel preparation to their moonlike faces, whenever that youthful couple puts Their youthful feet of the nature of rasa on my chest, repeatedly in a soft voice being stunned on account of being choked up in prema, my body mind and soul like an offering of a handful of flowers, calling ‘Ha svAminI’, becoming overwhelmed I shall fall at Their feet.

[Translator's note: Sorry if this is an awkward run-on sentence, but I have stuck to the original. In the future I will break it up into more readable chunks and tie them together. At least it should not be too hard to see the intent from this literal translation of the author's long passage.]

Then the assistant whose heart is softened by affection for the AtmezvarI, first being attracted, will become a maidservant by means of massaging with her own hands, etc. “When will this supreme fortune be mine?” In this manner is the mood of the vaiSNavas that follow the path of spontaneous attraction (rAga-mArga), and it is the core doctrine of the vaiSNava texts of the six gosvAmins, etc.

Shall I pray for the prema-sevA of the youthful Couple, who are the dearest to millions, being situated on the left side of the guru in the form of a maJjarI, being sheltered by Their madhura-bhAva, in the eternal form of an assistant in following the the guru or the sakhIs headed by lalitA and the maJjarIs headed by rUpa in the form of the daughters of cowherds, supremely beautiful maidens in vraja? In this manner being absorbed in bhAva, first taking shelter in the shadow of bhAva that consists of deep rAga for the purpose of the satisfaction of the supremely radiant youthful Couple, very sacred, pure and devoid of material lust, this fame of the beautiful cowherd maidens of vraja, performing bhajana with extreme anurAga (following attachment), instructions have been given, calling this the highest supreme chief practice of rAgAnugA madhura bhajana.