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November meditations - prayers and meditations
Malatilata - Sat, 02 Nov 2002 03:07:30 +0530
Sri Radha told the disguised Krishna about yugala prema, saying: "We are like a single wick which is split at the top into two, standing in a vessel filled with the oil of love, forming two spotless flames which illuminate the darkness of each other's shadows and give joy to all the nearby standing sakhis. When the strong gale of separation starts blowing and causes the two flames to flicker and almost go out, then our girlfriends anxiously come closer to give us shelter from the wind and to bring us to the abode of Our happiness."
(Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti's Prema Samputa, verses 109-110)
Sri Hari - Wed, 06 Nov 2002 21:21:26 +0530
Navadvipa Nisanta-Lila
The pastime at the end of night
Sri Saci-nandana is resting upon a cooling bedstead smothered in flower-petals within a jeweled mandira in Srinivasa Thakura's enchanting garden. Hearing the humming drone of the bumble bees and the shrill of the Kokila, He awakens. Although the Lord's counciousness overfloods in His own madhurya, the remembrance of Radha-Krishna's nikunja-vilasa causes and amazing effugence to emanate from Gouasundara's body;conflicting sancari-bhavas such as jubilation,fear and remorse also combine. Thus, tears of prema stream from the Lord's lotus-eyes as His body erupts in goose bumps!
While peaking through the windows, the bhaktas float in prema-ananda seeing Gouranga's reddish eyes fill with anuraga for the Divine Couple! Then, rising from the bed, the Lord raises His two arms, interlocks His fine fingers above His head, and stretches to relieve fatigue. As Gouracandra yawns, a sparkling effugence emanates from His teeth, and the pearl hanging from His nose elegantly twitches back and forth. Meanwhile, the bhaktas enter Gourasundar's sayna-mandira, and Svarupa Damodara begins Goura-aratika. As the bhaktas dances in ecstasy gazzing upon Gouracandra's moon-face, madhura-kirtana begins accompanied with kartala and mohan-mrdanga playing. Thus everyone submerges within and indescribable ocean of bliss! After arati, Sriman Mahaprabhu proceeds homewards, and arriving at His own doorfront, requests His devotees to return home. Then Dvija-mani Gouracandra takes rest. Oh mind! Please relish Gouracandra's dilightful Nisanta-lila in this way.
Bhavana-Sar-Sangraha
A brief synopsis from Siddha Krishna das's Gutika
Sri Rupa Gosvami's sutra:
As the nights ends, Sri Vrinda-devi becomes apprehensive observing Sri Yugala-Kisora's precarious situation. Thus, she signals for a variety of forest birds to beging chirping; and with the selected poetry of the parrots (both pleasing and piercing), Radha and Krishna arise. The sakhis and manjaris then enter the sayana-mandira with laughter and merriment. But when Vrinda sees everyone forgrtting the necessity to quickly return home, She motions to Kak-Khati ( and old female monkey) who shieks: " Jatila is coming!" Thus, in fear and haste, Radha-Govinda separate to scurry homewards to slip into Their own beds before sunrise.
the above descriptions were extracted from: "The Govinda-Lilamrta Trilogy" of Gadadhara-prana das
Jagat - Wed, 06 Nov 2002 23:41:36 +0530
anAdiH sAdir vA paTur atimRdur vA pratipada-
pramIlat-kAruNyaH praguNa-karuNA-hIna iti vA |
mahA-vaikuNThezAdhika iha naro vA vraja-pater
ayaM sUnur goSThe pratijani mamAstAM prabhu-varaH ||I don’t care if Krishna is beginningless or was born at some time, whether he is brilliant or a fool, whether he is compassionate at every moment or whether he is totally devoid of any quality of mercy. I don’t even care whether he greater than Narayan, the lord of Vaikuntha, or whether he is just an ordinary human being. I only pray that this son of the cowherd chief be my master here in this land of Vraja, birth after birth. (Raghunath Das, Svaniyama-dasakam, 5)
Malatilata - Thu, 07 Nov 2002 22:54:28 +0530
utkhAdireNa nava candra virAjitena
rAgena te vara sudhAdhara bimba-yugme
gAGgeya-gAtri mayakA parinaJjite'smin
daMzaM vidhAsyati haThAt kim u kRSNa-kIra
O Gangeya Gatri (girl with a golden body)!
When will I colour Your excellent nectarlike lips,
that are red like Bimbafruits, with a lipstick of catechu mixed with fresh camphor?
Will the Krishna-parrot suddenly come then and forcibly bite them?
(Sri Vilapa Kusumanjali, verse 41)
Malatilata - Tue, 12 Nov 2002 03:26:28 +0530
parihara e sakhi!; hAm nAhi yAobo so piyA ThAm
vacana cAturI hAm kichu nAhi jAno; iGgita nA bujiye nA jAniye mAna
sahacarI mali banAyata veza; bAndhite nA jAniye Apana keza
kabhu nAhi zuniye surata ki bAt; kaichane milabo mAdhava sAtha
so vara nAgara rasika sujAna; hAm abalA ati alapa geyAn
vidyApati kohe ki bolbo toy; abke milana samucita hoy
"O sakhi! I offer my obeisances to Him! I am not going there to meet Him! I don't know how to speak clever words, how to make clever gestures, or how to keep My honour! I dress Myself with the help of my maidservants; I do not know how to bind up My hair (after He opens My braid)! I have never heard anything about lovemaking, how can I meet this Madhava? He is very experienced rasika lover, but I am a weak maiden, I don't know anything (about love)!" Vidyapati says: "What can I tell you? Now is the right time to meet Him!"
(Vidyapati's song about Radha and Krishna's first meeting)
Jagat - Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:00:16 +0530
gopyaH kim Acarad ayaM kuzalaM sma veNur
dAmodarAdhara-sudhAm api gopikAnAm
bhuGkte svayaM yad avaziSTa-rasaM hradinyo
hRSyat-tvaco ‘zru mumucus taravo yathAryAHDear gopis! What indescribably auspicious activities did the flute perform in previous lives that it can now freely enjoy the leftover nectar of Damodar’s lips that is truly the property of us gopis. And just look! Cultured people shed tears and tremble with joy when they see someone in their family takes to the service of the Lord. Similarly, the river, where the bamboo grows and who is like the flute’s mother, is jubilant and the lotus flowers blooming are like hair standing on her body. The trees, the flute fathers, drip with sap as though shedding tears of pleasure.
Expanded translation (Vishwanath): This flute is really throwing us into an ocean of confusion. Although the word venu is strictly speaking masculine, we know by her other names like murali that she is really a woman. There are other words of this sort in Sanskrit, like dära, which has a masculine form but a feminine meaning. Anyway, it is just a piece of wood, so what pious activities could it have performed to know the blessings it enjoys today? We can’t stand it. Krishna is a cowherd and we are cowherd girls, while the flute belongs to an entirely different species. By rights, Krishna is ours, but that flute spends days and nights with Him, and so she now has become puffed up thinking that she is Krishna’s most beloved creature. With great gusto, she proudly relishes His lips. First of all, those lips don’t even belong to her. Second, she won’t let anyone else share in her good fortune and relish them with her. Thirdly, she doesn’t even make a secret of it, but publicly announces her enjoyments to us, its real owners—and it’s not just boasting after the fact, but the very sounds of her convulsive delights that she makes us hear. And to make it even worse, she won’t even leave a little bit of that nectar for us to enjoy as remnants. And then, all the other creatures from her home are of the same stripe, for when they see hear these sounds, the flute’s girlfriends, the rivers and lakes, become ecstatic and their lotus flowers bloom as though the hairs on their bodies were standing on end. Her friends the trees also shed tears in the form of the sap that flows from their bark. They have all become our enemies! We shall have to hide this flute somewhere where it will not be able to rob us again of Krishna’s nectarean lips.
Sri Hari - Mon, 18 Nov 2002 11:05:27 +0530
Advanced B 2 B
Bhaja Govindam
by Shankaracarya
There is a story attached to the composition of this Hymn. It is said that Shankara was walking along a street in Varanasi one day, accompanied by his disciples. He heard an old scholar teaching his grammatical rules. Taking pity on him, he went up and advised him not to waste his time on grammar at his age but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration. The Hymn to Govinda was composed on this occasion.
TEXT 1
bhajagovindam bhajagovindam
govindam bhajamuudhamate
sampraapte sannihite kaale
nahi nahi rakshati dukrijnkarane
Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda. Oh fool! Rules of Grammar will not save you at the time of your death.
TEXT 2
mudha jahiihi dhanaagamatrishhnaam
kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrishhnaam
yallabhase nijakarmopaattam
vittam tena vinodaya chittam
Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to thoughts to the Real. Be content with what comes through actions already performed in the past.
TEXT 3
naariistanabhara naabhiidesham
drishhtvaa maagaamohaavesham
etanmaamsaavasaadi vikaaram
manasi vichintaya vaaram vaaram
Do not get drowned in delusion by going wild with passions and lust by seeing a woman's navel and chest. Bodies are flesh, fat and blood. Do not fail to remember this again and again in your mind.
TEXT 4
naliniidalagata jalamatitaralam
tadvajjiivitamatishayachapalam
viddhi vyaadhyabhimaanagrastam
lokam shokahatam cha samastam
Uncertain is the life of man as rain drops on a lotus leaf. Know that the whole world remains a prey to disease, ego and grief.
TEXT 5
yaavadvittopaarjana saktah
staavannija parivaaro raktah
pashchaajjiivati jarjara dehe
vaartaam koapi na prichchhati gehe
So long as a man is fit and able to support his family, see the affection all those around him show. But no one at home cares to even have a word with him when his body totters due to old age.
TEXT 6
yaavatpavano nivasati dehe
taavatprichchhati kushalam gehe
gatavati vaayau dehaapaaye
bhaaryaa bibhyati tasminkaaye
When one is alive, his family members enquire kindly about his welfare. But when the soul departs from the body, even his wife runs away in fear of the corpse.
TEXT 7
baalastaavatkriidaasaktah
tarunastaavattaruniisaktah
vriddhastaavachchintaasaktah
pare brahmani koapi na saktah
Childhood is lost in play. Youth is lost by attachment to woman. Old age passes away by thinking over many past things. Alas! Hardly is there anyone who yearns to be lost in Parabrahman.
TEXT 8
kaate kaantaa kaste putrah
samsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitrah
kasya tvam kah kuta aayaatah
tattvam chintaya tadiha bhraatah
Who is your wife? Who is your son? Strange is this samsara. Of whom are you? Where have you come from? Brother, ponder over these truths.
TEXT 9
satsangatve nissngatvam
nissangatve nirmohatvam
nirmohatve nishchalatattvam
nishcalatattve jiivanmuktih
From Satsanga comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes Jivan Mukti (liberation).
TEXT 10
vayasigate kah kaamavikaarah
shushhke niire kah kaasaarah
kshiinevitte kah parivaarah
gyaate tattve kah samsaarah
What good is lust when youth has fled? What use is a lake which has no water? Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? Where is samsara (the continuaiton of birth and death) when the Truth is known?
TEXT 11
maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam
harati nimeshhaatkaalah sarvam
maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa
brahmapadaM tvaM pravisha viditvaa
Do not boast of wealth, friends, and youth. Each one of these are destroyed within a minute. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of Maya and attain the timeless Truth.
TEXT 12
dinayaaminyau saayam praatah
shishiravasantau punaraayaatah
kaalah kriidati gachchhatyaayuh
tadapi na mujncatyaashaavaayuh
Daylight and darkness, dusk and dawn, winter and springtime come and go. Time plays and life ebbs away. But the storm of desire never leaves.
TEXT 13
dvaadashamajnjarikaabhirasheshhah
kathito vaiyaakaranasyaishhah
upadesho bhuudvidyaanipunaih
shriimachchhankarabhagavachchharanarih
This bouquet of twelve verses was imparted to a grammarian by the all-knowing Shankara, adored as the bhagavadpada.
TEXT 14
kaate kaantaa dhana gatachintaa
vaatula kim tava naasti niyantaa
trijagati sajjanasam gatiraikaa
bhavati bhavaarnavatarane naukaa
Oh mad man! Why this engrossment in thoughts of wealth? Is there no one to guide you? There is only one thing in three worlds that can save you from the ocean of samsara. Get into that boat of satsangha (knowledge of the Truth) quickly.
TEXT 15
jatilo mundii lujnchhitakeshah
kaashhaayaambarabahukritaveshhah
pashyannapi cana pashyati muudhah
udaranimittam bahukritaveshhah
There are many who go with matted locks, many who have clean shaven heads, many whose hairs have been plucked out; some are clothed in saffron, yet others in various colors --- all just for a livelihood. Seeing truth revealed before them, still the foolish ones see it not.
TEXT 16
angam galitam palitam mundam
dashanavihiinam jatam tundam
vriddho yaati grihiitvaa dandam
tadapi na mujncatyaashaapindam
Strength has left the old man's body; his head has become bald, his gums toothless and leaning on crutches. Even then the attachment is strong and he clings firmly to fruitless hope.
TEXT 17
agre vahnih prishhthebhaanuh
raatrau chubukasamarpitajaanuh
karatalabhikshastarutalavaasah
tadapi na mujncatyaashaapaashah
Behold there lies the man who sits warming up his body with the fire in front and the sun at the back; at night he curls up the body to keep out of the cold; he eats his beggar's food from the bowl of his hand and sleeps beneath the tree. Still in his heart, he is a wretched puppet at the hands of passions.
TEXT 18
kurute gangaasaagaragamanam
vrataparipaalanamathavaa daanam
gyaanavihinah sarvamatena
muktim na bhajati janmashatena
One may go to the Ganga, observe fasts, and give away riches in charity! Yet, devoid of jnana, nothing can give mukthi even at the end of a hundred births.
TEXT 19
sura mandira taru muula nivaasah
shayyaa bhuutala majinam vaasah
sarva parigraha bhoga tyaagah
kasya sukham na karoti viraagah
Take your residence in a temple or below a tree, wear the deerskin for the dress, and sleep with mother earth as your bed. Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts. Blessed with such vairagya, could any fail to be content?
TEXT 20
yogarato vaabhogaratovaa
sangarato vaa sangaviihinah
yasya brahmani ramate chittam
nandati nandati nandatyeva
One may take delight in yoga or bhoga, may have attachment or detachment. But only he whose mind steadily delights in Brahman enjoys bliss, no one else.
TEXT 21
bhagavad giitaa kijnchidadhiitaa
gangaa jalalava kanikaapiitaa
sakridapi yena muraari samarchaa
kriyate tasya yamena na charchaa
Let a man read but a little from the Bhagavad-Gita, drink just a drop of water from the Ganga, worship Murari (Krishna) just once. He then will have no altercation with Yama (the lord of death).
TEXT 22
punarapi jananam punarapi maranam
punarapi jananii jathare shayanam
iha samsaare bahudustaare
kripayaa apaare paahi muraare
Born again, death again, birth again to stay in the mother's womb! It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsara. Oh Murari! Redeem me through Thy mercy.
TEXT 23
rathyaa charpata virachita kanthah
punyaapunya vivarjita panthah
yogii yoganiyojita chitto
ramate baalonmattavadeva
There is no shortage of clothing for a monk so long as there are rags cast off the road. Freed from vice and virtue, onward he wanders. One who lives in communion with God enjoys bliss, pure and uncontaminated, like a child and as someone intoxicated.
TEXT 24
kastvam ko.aham kuta aayaatah
kaa me jananii ko me taatah
iti paribhaavaya sarvamasaaram
vishvam tyaktvaa svapna vichaaram
Who are you? Who am I? From where do I come? Who is my mother, who is my father? Ponder thus, look at everything as essence-less and give up the world as an idle dream.
TEXT 25
tvayi mayi chaanyatraiko vishhnuh
vyartham kupyasi mayyasahishhnuh
bhava samachittah sarvatra tvam
vaajnchhasyachiraadyadi vishhnutvam
In me, in you and in everything, none but the same Vishnu dwells. Your anger and impatience is meaningless. If you wish to attain the quality of Vishnu soon, have Sama Bhaava always.
TEXT 26
shatrau mitre putre bandhau
maa kuru yatnam vigrahasandhau
sarvasminnapi pashyaatmaanam
sarvatrotsrija bhedaagyaanam
Do not waste your efforts to win the love of or to fight against friend and foe, children and relatives. See yourself in everyone and give up all feelings of duality completely.
TEXT 27
kaamam krodham lobham moham
tyaktvaa atmaanam bhaavaya ko aham
aatmagyaana vihiinaa muudhaah
te pachyante narakaniguudhaah
Give up lust, anger, infatuation, and greed. Ponder over your real nature. Fools are they who are blind to the Self. Cast into hell they suffer there endlessly.
TEXT 28
geyam giitaa naama sahasram
dhyeyam shriipati ruupamajasram
neyam sajjana sange chittam
deyam diinajanaaya cha vittam
Regularly recite from the Bhagavad-Gita, meditate on Vishnu in your heart, and chant His thousand glories. Take delight to be with the noble and the holy. Distribute your wealth in charity to the poor and the needy.
TEXT 29
sukhatah kriyate raamaabhogah
pashchaaddhanta shariire rogah
yadyapi loke maranam sharanam
tadapi na mujnchati paapaacharanam
He who yields to lust for pleasure leaves his body a prey to disease. Though death brings an end to everything, man does not give up the sinful path.
TEXT 30
arthamanartham bhaavaya nityam
naastitatah sukhaleshah satyam
putraadapi dhana bhaajaam bhiitih
sarvatraishhaa vihiaa riitih
Wealth is not welfare, truly there is no joy in it. Reflect thus at all times. A rich man fears even his own son. This is the way of wealth everywhere.
TEXT 31
praanaayaamam pratyaahaaram
nityaanitya vivekavichaaram
jaapyasameta samaadhividhaanam
kurvavadhaanam mahadavadhaanam
Regulate the pranas (life airs within), remain unaffected by external influences and discriminate between the real and the fleeting. Chant the holy name of God and silence the turbulent mind. Perform these with care, with extreme care.
TEXT 32
gurucharanaambuja nirbhara bhakatah
samsaaraadachiraadbhava muktah
sendriyamaanasa niyamaadevam
drakshyasi nija hridayastham devam
Oh devotee of the lotus feet of the Guru! May thou be soon free from Samsara. Through disciplined senses and controlled mind, thou shalt come to experience the indwelling Lord of your heart!
TEXT 33
muudhah kashchana vaiyaakarano
dukrijnkaranaadhyayana dhurinah
shriimachchhamkara bhagavachchhishhyai
bodhita aasichchhodhitakaranah
Thus was a silly grammarian lost in rules cleansed of his narrow vision and shown the Light by Shankara's apostles.
TEXT 34
bhajagovindam bhajagovindam
govindam bhajamuudhamate
naamasmaranaadanyamupaayam
nahi pashyaamo bhavatarane
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the life's ocean.
Jagat - Tue, 19 Nov 2002 19:47:48 +0530
prema-ccheda-rujo ‘vagacchati harir nAyaà na ca prema vA
sthAnAsthAnam avaiti nApi madano jAnAti no durbalAH
anyo veda na cAnya-duHkham akhilaM no jIvanaM vAzravaM
dvi-trANy eva dinAni yauvanam idaM hA hA vidhe kA gatiHOur Krishna does not realize the pain we have suffered as a result of the rupture of Our love; nor, for that matter, does the god of love. Though Cupid has no sense of where to strike and where not to strike, he does know how weak we are. Nobody really knows anyone else’s misery. Alas, our lives are not under our control. We are young for only a few days and once it is gone, O God, what will happen to us then?
Expanded translation: The creeper of love sprouted, but when it broke, it was not Krishna who had to drink the sap of suffering that came out. Outwardly He is a very attractive young lover, but at heart He is a great cheat, very expert in killing others’ wives.
My dear friend, I do not understand what Fate has wrought. I loved Krishna in order to find happiness, but the result was just the opposite. I can no longer stand this misery and I think I am going to die. Love is crooked and ignorant. It does not know who is a worthy object of love and who is not. It is incapable of distinguishing between good and bad. It bound Me around the hands and neck in the ropes of Krishna’s qualities, even though He is cruel and dishonest, and now I am unable to free Myself. Cupid has no body, but he is expert in giving pain to others. He is constantly firing his five arrows, which he aims at weak women like us. He wounds us and leaves us writhing in pain, but refuses to put us out of our misery.
The scriptures tell the truth when they say that no one can ever truly know the unhappiness felt by another. Of course, it is nothing to say that strangers are unaware of My suffering, but not even My dearest friends really know what I am going through. If they did, they would not try to console Me by telling Me to be patient.
O sakhi! You tell Me that Krishna is an ocean of mercy and will one day accept Me. But these words have no meaning. Our lives are flickering, like the water on a lotus leaf. Will any of us live long enough to see the day that He accepts Me? You have spoken without considering that though a person may normally hope to live for a hundred years, a woman’s youth is her only treasure. It is our youthful beauty that attracts Krishna, but these charms will only last a few days.
Krishna is like a fire, which attracts flies by its dazzling brightness only to kill them. Krishna steals our hearts by showing us His divine qualities and then throws us into the ocean of misery. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.2.19-26)
Jagat - Wed, 20 Nov 2002 17:42:52 +0530
cittaM sukhena bhavatApahRtaM gRheSu
yan nirvizaty uta karAv api gRhya-kRtye
pAdau padaM na calatas tava pAda-mUlAt
yAmaH kathaM vrajam atho karavAma kiM vA?O Krishna! You so easily stole our hearts, which up to now had been absorbed in our family lives, and our hands, which were busy with our housework. Now our feet are incapable of taking even a single step away from Your lotus feet. How can we go back to Vraja? And even if we went, what would we do there?
Expanded translation: O greatest of thieves! We did not come here for anything except to take back what you have stolen. You did not have to take much trouble like an ordinary thief to steal our hearts, it is true. All you had to do was blow a few notes on Your flute. Even so, the wealth of our hearts is no small treasure. Until now, they had been fully absorbed in our household lives, so by stealing them, You have literally looted our homes. Now that our hearts are no longer there, our homes may burn or they may prosper, we no longer care. Our hearts are needed for our homes and our senses to become meaningful, and without them, they have become useless. By stealing our hearts, You have also robbed us of our senses, not only of our hands, which until now have been so busy with household chores, but also our eyes, our ears and all our other senses. If you tell us to go home and that you will return our hearts to us in a day or two, we answer that our feet are incapable of moving even a single step from here without our hearts. Give us back our hearts and we will go.
Jagat - Wed, 20 Nov 2002 18:22:35 +0530
The following verse is found in Krishna-bhakti-ratna-prakAza (4.55), but it seems to be a quote. It also seems familiar. Anyone seen this anywhere else?
vRndAvanAd yadi gato bhagavAn mukundo
guJjA-pravAla-zikhi-zikhaNDa-kizora-nIpAH |
vaMzI-vara-vraja-vadhU-jana-dhenu-saGghA
eSAM na ko’py anugato vada ko’tra hetuHIf the Supreme Lord Mukunda had really left Vrindavan, then how come none of the gunja berries, sprouts, peacocks, peacock feathers, kadamba trees, His flute, the gopis, or cows followed Him? Can you explain that?
Sri Hari - Thu, 21 Nov 2002 11:56:31 +0530
The Zenith of ch 17 / M.L / C.C
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed through Vrindavana, herds of grazing cows saw Him pass and, immediately surrounding Him, began to moo very loudly. Seeing the herds approach Him, the Lord was stunned with ecstatic love. The cows then began to lick His body out of great affection. Becoming pacified, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to caress the cows, and the cows, being unable to give up His company, went with Him. It was only with great difficulty that the cowherd men were able to keep the cows back.
Then when the Lord chanted, all the deer heard His sweet voice and approached Him. When the deers and bucks came and saw the Lord’s face, they began to lick His body. Not being at all afraid of Him, they accompanied Him along the path. Bumblebees and birds like the parrot and cuckoo all began to sing loudly on the fifth note, and the peacocks began to dance in front of the Lord.
Upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the trees and creepers of Vrindavana became jubilant. Their twigs stood up, and they began to shed tears of ecstasy in the form of honey. The tree branches and creepers, overloaded with fruits and flowers, fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord and greeted Him with various presentations as if they were friends. Thus all the moving and nonmoving living entities of Vrindavana became very jubilant to see the Lord. It was as if friends were made happy by seeing another friend.
Seeing their affection, the Lord was moved by ecstatic love. He began to sport with them exactly as a friend sports with his friends. Thus He voluntarily came under the control of His friends. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to embrace each and every tree and creeper, and they began to offer their fruits and flowers as if in meditation. The Lord’s body was restless, and tears, trembling and jubilation were manifest. He said very loudly, “Chant ‘Krishna!’ Chant ‘Krishna!’”
All moving and nonmoving creatures then began to vibrate the transcendental sound of Hare Krishna, as if they were echoing the deep sound of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord then clasped the necks of the deer and began to cry. There was jubilation manifest in the bodies of the deer, and tears were in their eyes.
When a male and female parrot appeared on the branches of a tree, the Lord saw them and wanted to hear them speak. Both parrots flew onto the hand of the Lord and began to chant the transcendental qualities of Krishna, and the Lord listened to them.
saundaryaM lalanAli-dhairya-dalanaM lIlA ramA-stambhinI
vIryaM kandukitAdri-varyam amalAH pAre-parArdhaM guNAH
zIlaM sarva-janAnuraJjanam aho yasyAyam asmat-prabhur
vizvaM vizva-janIna-kIrtir avatAt kRSNo jagan-mohanaH
The male parrot sang, “The glorification of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beneficial to everyone in the universe. His beauty is victorious over the gopis of Vrindavana, and it subdues their patience. His pastimes astound the goddess of fortune, and His bodily strength turns Govardhana Hill into a small toy like a ball. His spotless qualities are unlimited, and His behavior satisfies everyone. Lord Krishna is attractive to everyone. Oh, may our Lord maintain the whole universe!”
After hearing this description of Lord Krishna from the male parrot, the female parrot began to recite a description of Srimati Radharani.
zrI-rAdhikAyAH priyatA su-rUpatA
su-zIlatA nartana-gAna-cAturI
guNAli-sampat kavitA ca rAjate
jagan-mano-mohana-citta-mohinI
The female parrot said, “Srimati Radharani’s affection, Her exquisite beauty and good behavior, Her artistic dancing and chanting and Her poetic compositions are all so attractive that they attract the mind of Krishna, who attracts the mind of everyone in the universe.”
Thereafter the male parrot said, “Krishna is the enchanter of the mind of Cupid.” He then began to recite another verse.
vaMzI-dhArI jagan-nArI-
citta-hArI sa zArike
vihArI gopa-nArIbhir
jIyAn madana-mohanaH
“My dear sari [female parrot], Sri Krishna carries a flute and enchants the hearts of all women throughout the universe. He is specifically the enjoyer of the beautiful gopis, and He is the enchanter of Cupid also. Let Him be glorified!”
Then the female parrot began to speak jokingly to the male parrot, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was struck with wonderful ecstatic love to hear her speak.
rAdhA-saGge yadA bhAti
tadA ‘madana-mohanaH’
anyathA vizva-moho ’pi
svayaM ‘madana-mohitaH’
“When Lord Sri Krishna is with Radharani, He is the enchanter of Cupid; otherwise, when He is alone, He Himself is enchanted by erotic feelings even though He enchants the whole universe.”
Both parrots then flew onto a tree branch, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to watch the dancing of the peacocks with curiosity. When the Lord saw the bluish necks of the peacocks, His remembrance of Krishna immediately awakened, and He fell to the ground in ecstatic love. When the brahmana saw that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was unconscious, he and Balabhadra Bhattacarya took care of Him.
They hastily sprinkled water over the Lord’s body. Then they took up His outer cloth and began to fan Him with it. They then began to chant the holy name of Krishna into the Lord’s ear. When the Lord regained consciousness, He began rolling on the ground. When the Lord rolled on the ground, sharp thorns injured His body. Taking Him on his lap, Balabhadra Bhattacarya pacified Him.
The mind of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered in ecstatic love of Krishna. He immediately stood up and said, “Chant! Chant!” Then He Himself began to dance. Being thus ordered by the Lord, both Balabhadra Bhattacarya and the brahmana began to chant the holy name of Krishna. Then the Lord, dancing and dancing, proceeded along the path. The brahmana was astounded to see the symptoms of ecstatic love exhibited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He then became anxious to give the Lord protection.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mind was absorbed in ecstatic love at Jagannatha Puri, but when He passed along the road on the way to Vrindavana, that love increased a hundred times. The Lord’s ecstatic love increased a thousand times when He visited Mathura, but it increased a hundred thousand times when He wandered in the forests of Vrindavana.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was elsewhere, the very name of Vrindavana was sufficient to increase His ecstatic love. Now, when He was actually traveling in the Vrindavana forest, His mind was absorbed in great ecstatic love day and night. He ate and bathed simply out of habit.
Thus I have written a description of the ecstatic love Lord Caitanya manifested in one of the places He visited while walking through the twelve forests of Vrindavana. To describe what He experienced everywhere would be impossible. Lord Ananta writes millions of books elaborately describing the transformations of ecstatic love experienced by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Vrindavana. Since Lord Ananta Himself cannot describe even a fragment of these pastimes, I am simply pointing out the direction. The whole world became merged in the inundation of the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One can swim in that water to the extent that he has the strength.
Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krishnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.
(Adapted from the BBT edition of Sri Caitanya Caritamrita)
Jagat - Thu, 21 Nov 2002 16:08:17 +0530
taruNAruNa-karuNAmaya-vipulAyata-nayanaM
kamalA-kuca-kalazI-bhara-vipulIkRta-pulakam
muralI-rava-taralIkRta-muni-mAnasa-nalinaM
mama khelatu mada-cetasi madhurAdharam amRtamKrishna is nectar: His long, wide, compassionate eyes, the color of the early dawn are nectar; His ecstatic body, covered in horripilation at the touch of Radharani’s full pitcher-like breasts, is nectar; His flute song, which sets into motions the still hearts of the sages, is nectar; His sweet lips are nectar. May that Krishna nectar intoxicate my heart by always sporting there.
Expanded translation: Lilashuka’s joy increases as the Divine Couple’s union came to an end. In the company of the other sakhis, she places herself at the window of the kunj and looks inside at the Divine Couple in the beauty of their exhaustion. Krishna is sitting beside Radha on the flower bed, doing everything he can to relieve Her fatigue. Fanning Her, He removes the crystal beads of perspiration on Her moonlike face. These sweet actions of Her lover, re-enkindle Radharani’s desire. Seeing Them start to make love again, Lilashuka becomes enthused and recites this verse.
O sakhi ! Krishna’s pastimes are the essence of all ambrosia. My friend Radha has achieved the height of fortune and felicity. How fortunate am I to witness this! The nectar of Krishna’s lips is sweeter than the ambrosia of the gods. How flavorful it is! May I ever behold Krishna’s shining face, glowing with delight at drinking Radha’s lips.
To this beautiful vision, add Krishna’s eyes, reddish with the joy of youthful Eros. This reddish color doubles with the drinking of Radha’s lip nectar. May I always envision these eyes in my mind.
Seeing Radharani’s fatigue, Krishna’s eyes fill with compassion and so He begins to fan Her. His naturally merciful eyes lengthen as He beholds Radha’s beauty; indeed they become twice as wide as He looks at Her. May this beautiful vision remain always in my heart.
Now there is another beautiful sight: Just see Krishna’s cheekiness as He takes Radha onto His lap. His body becomes covered with goose bumps as Her breast brushes against Him. Holding Her, He drives away Her exhaustion and soon Her desire to enjoy with Him wells up again within Her.
Krishna takes up His flute and starts to play a tune. Lilashuka says, “With this flute, You can make an angry woman break her silence, even if You could not accomplish it by holding her feet and begging forgiveness. So how can Radha resist when She is already favorable?”
(Yadunandan Das)
anuraag - Sat, 23 Nov 2002 03:21:29 +0530
Murali Madhuri
A few excerpts from 'Venu Gita' of Srimad Bhagavatam:
It is autumn in Vrindavan.
The waters are pure and abundant from the recent rains.
The fragrance of the lotus flowers mingles with the wind.
Shri Krishna, the immortal One
Enters the forest havens with
His cows and cowlads.
(Bhagavat 10/18/1)
To awaken their divine attachment
Hari entered Vrindavan playing His flute.
The Svaminis (Gopis) sang about the song of His flute.
Whoever is attracted to His attributes
Ends up attached to Him.
Shri Krishna is the Lord of sweetness.
With brother Balaram and cowlad friends
He plays His flute and herds the cows
Through the Vrindavan forests
That plays host to lakes,
The Yamuna river and gentle hills.
The glades there are enjoyed
By flocks of birds and swarms of black bees,
All intoxicated by the rows of blossoming
Trees and vines.
(Bhagavat 10/18/2)
Krishna is the Lord of Spring,
The supreme season of love.
Hari is comprised of nectar,
His bhava supports the conjugal exchange.
He is ready and prepares others. Hari is Love's personified form.
The Svaminis (Gopis) nourish that love and inspire it to arise. Shri Krishna is the basis of their lila-mood and the Svaminis' bhava for Krishna is Krishna Himself.
The Svaminis bhava is not based upon some vague memory. It continually evolves from their ecstatic beings that are joined with Krishna. For those elevated bhaktas, Hari is blissful. His form is comprised of Brahman's intimate gesture. All portions of His body, including every hair and even the slightest movement, express the perfection of His own bliss.
Shri Krishna is the Lord of Spring. He is Love's most divine
manifestation. He awakens that state in the divinities of Braja
through the call of His flute. Even the trees and vines are
completely taken with Hari's expressions and now reflect the joy of the Svaminis (Gopis).
They bloom with blissful consciousness!
The call of Shri Krishna's flute
Kindles in those women
Who live around the hills and waters of Braja
The spiritual conjugal mood.
The forest awakens with
Profuse Krishna bhava
The flute arouses love, but not perception of Krishna's form.
This will happen later. For now, the call promotes love and
attachment in the depths of the Svamini's beings. Those who sing the song of Krishna's flute are sitting in their homes. They have fallen under the spell of desire for Krishna. Now they will sing of their bhava in the company of others of similar initiation.
THE FLUTE'S CALL
The blessed women of Braja
Heard Shri Krishna's flute.
It created a surge of desire in them.
Some of them who were not directly before Krishna
Began to sing of His praises
In the company of other Svaminis.
(Bhagavat 10/18/3)
The call of the flute spiritually awakens the Svaminis (Gopis) and creates a desire to make dalliance with Shri Krishna. Under the spell of that great longing, they speak and sing of Shri Krishna in the company of others who are also addicted to lila.
Shri Krishna never does anything without a specific plan. He sounds the flute for the explicit purpose of arousing within the Svaminis a desire to sport with Him. The song of the flute is divine and through its call Shri Krishna is able to enter their hearts. The blessed women of the village, as well as the women of the forest, are no longer interested in listening to anything else; not even to the words of the righteous scriptures.
The song is spiritual, otherwise how could the Gopis, who are in their homes and out of the normal hearing range of anyone playing a flute in a distant forest, hear?
Their love for the Beloved was already firmly established and the call made it arise into their world. They could hear it because they were spiritually qualified. The Blessed Lord allowed them eligibility and now they experience His call as non-different from His form.
There are others who are nearby but cannot hear.
Lila is replete with purpose and Krishna
Awakens only those whose time has come.
Others simply will not respond to His calling.
O king, the Gopis then began to praise Shri Krishna,
But when they remembered His activities,
The swell of love bewildered their minds
To such an extent that they were
Unable to continue their song.
(Bhagavat 10/18/4)
They can no longer sing of the divine activity,
Its cause nor the reward.
They are unable to contain the flow of their own desires awakened by Shri Krishna's remembrance. They are bewildered. It is only in the next act that Shri Krishna is able to restrain their flood of desire by appearing to them through the avenue of sound. It enters their ears and then their hearts.
Only when Shri Krishna enriches their devotion with insight are they able to clearly hear, comprehend and sing of His glories. Then they will experience Krishna as non-different from His call. The Gopis reflect not only upon how Krishna's flute effects them, but also contemplate and explain to us the divine reaction that the call had upon all of Vrindavan.
It causes rivers to stop their flow and puts even the birds into a state of profound contemplation. The cause of this great pleasure is Shri Krishna Himself.
The Svaminis know of no greater reward for those
Endowed with eyes, then to behold Krishna and Balaram
Playing their flutes and herding the cows.
Krishna's bliss form blesses His favored flute; its sound evokes
spiritual distress in the Svaminis. They are jealous of that flute.
It imbibes the nectar of Shri Krishna's lips and whatever is left
over it passes to the trees that have all become blissful and start to exude nectar. The Svamini's reward is to have the direct experience of Shri Krishna as He returns home from his day of wandering the forests with the cows.
barhA pIDaM naTavaravapuH karNayoH karNikAraM
bibhrad vAsaH kanakakapizaM vaijayantIM ca mAlAm
randhrAn veNor adharasudhayA pUrayan gopavRndair
vRndAraNyaM svapada ramaNaM prAvizad gIta kIrtiH
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10/18/5)
Krishna is adorned with a peacock feather and
His ears are graced with flowers,
Krishna's clothes are the color of bright gold.
He wears a Vaiyanti forest garland
And appears as the actor-husband.
He is the Svaminis (Gopis) choice,
Their Lord and husband.
He fills the holes of His flute
With the nectar from His lips.
The song of His praise sounds
As He enters Vrindavan
Surrounded by His cowlad friends.
His lotus feet appear splendid
And create dalliance wherever
They touch the ground.
(Bhagavat 10/18/5)
Shri Sukadeva uses words to describe this lila. The Svaminis (Gopis) are too spellbound by Krishna's charm to describe, at this point, what they have experienced, so Shri Sukadevaji steps in and speaks of:
Krishna's form,
The sound of His magic flute
As well as the nature of Hari's lila
As He enters Vrindavan.
Hari has taken on a body.
He fills the holes of His flute
With His essence, His breath.
His passage into Vrindavan
Is with a body and it is
Embellished with attributes.
Perfect Brahman is sporting, making lila.
Krishna is the best, the chosen One, the Husband.
Krishna is two-fold as is His loving nectar.
The mood of love embraces both union and separation. The movement between union and separation with the Lover supports, nourishes and heightens the ras.
When Sukadeva calls Krishna an "actor", he is referring to the divine condition of separation. He is speaking about the Svaminis' inner experience of Shri Krishna.
Viprayoga can be translated as separation, but the meaning is really more extensive. Separation is not dependent on manifest reality.
It is felt and created within.
Supremely blissful, it can be
Experienced everywhere
With great passion and does not require
Any physical contact.
When Krishna is an actor, there is separation, when He is the
husband, there is union. Krishna is "naTa-vara", "the actor-husband".
In union, Krishna is in one place and in separation He is found
everywhere.
Now understand Krishna's nectar-like union. In the blessed state of union, He is the best husband, He is the supreme choice.
In union He appears in the world.
The Svaminis (Gopis) behold Him with their senses.
He becomes their Lord of enjoyment.
Then everything is arranged in the world for the delightful occasion of union-lila.
The ras of union and separation forever resides within Hari, the master of ceremonies, the "Nat-var", the Actor-Husband.
As an Actor, Hari is experienced within. As a Husband, He comes to the world and
is perceived with divine senses. Hari always delights in what is
novel.
When Hari resides within the Svaminis' heart, the Svaminis are
like yogis absorbed in meditative trance, but because that state lacks the outward experience of Hari, they are not satisfied. They need Shri Krishna to appear to them in their world.
Only then is ras for them
Balanced and replete.
To perfect the experience of ras, Hari appeared in a body. Without a vessel, the nectar is lost. It needs to be contained or it will spill. When Krishna becomes a concentrated pure form, the Svaminijis (Gopis) taste His ras.
His body is the vessel
From where they drink.
To see Hari you must understand His form. Krishna's ears are
adorned with flowers. They exhibit His two-fold nature of union and separation. They are Hari's natural adornments. When He puts flowers behind His ears or in His hair, He indicates to the blessed Svaminis (Gopis) that He is the complete ras, the total nectar.
Lila-ras is independent.
It is not tasted with practice,
It arrives on its own accord.
It is concealed.
It resides and develops in the realms of utmost secrecy. When it is too revealed, improperly displayed, or unguarded, it vanishes.
To protect this delicate devotional elixir, Krishna wears cloth as brilliant as gold. It baffles and bedazzles.
Hari's golden shawl is as brilliant as the sun and confusing like
maya. Even the Svaminis cannot always penetrate the splendour of it.
Its shimmering effect makes it very difficult to know, penetrate or understand what is underneath it. His clothes are similar to gold, they infatuate the mind.
Hari's golden shawl envelopes His bliss form, it is a divine protector:
It guards the nectar and
Keeps it from spilling
And trickling towards the unqualified ones.
What is profound cannot be inappropriately displayed. For this reason Hari uses maya to veil His own glory. When His golden shawl, His "pitambar" is so radiant that it is impossible to gaze at, then what to speak of the ras that surges behind it in the form of Shri Krishna!
Hari wears a forest garland. It is threaded with fresh flowers that grow wild in the Vrindavan bowers. This garland not only safeguards His excellence, but increases His fame. When this victorious garland rests upon Hari, it awakens within the Svaminis (Gopis) of Braja, the bhavas of union and separation.
It heightens their amorous mood.
And transmits spiritual victory.
When Shri Krishna wears the victorious garland He shows how He conceals the nectar.
(by Sri Shyam Das from Pushti Marga Sampradaya of Mahaprabhu Sri Vallabha Acarya)
Jagat - Wed, 27 Nov 2002 00:56:23 +0530
yan martya-lIlaupayikaM sva-yoga-
mAyA-balaM darzayatA gRhItam
vismApanaM svasya ca saubhagarddheH
paraM padaM bhUSaNa-bhUSaNAGgamTo demonstrate the power of His internal potency, Yogamaya, Krishna took this body, which is perfectly suited to His human pastimes. It is so beautiful that it astonishes even Krishna Himself. It is the supreme achievement of opulent beauty, the ornament that beautifies its own ornaments. (SB 3.2.12)
Expanded translation: Of all Lord Krishna's transcendental activities, his earthly pastimes in the human form are most excellent, for this is His actual, eternal identity. In this form He dresses as a cowherd boy, plays the flute, blossoms with ever fresh youthfulness and dances expertly. His activities resemble those of a human being.
Just listen, My dear Sanatan, to the description of Krishna’s most attractive transcendental form. Just a drop of that beauty inundates the three planes of existence, attracting all living beings to the Lord.
Krishna desired to show the world the wonders of Yogamaya, His internal spiritual energy, the transformation of existence in its purest state. He did so by revealing this jewel-like form of beauty, this secret treasure of all devotees, manifesting it from the eternal pastimes.
So beautiful is this form that when Krishna sees it, He Himself becomes hypnotized and the desire to relish it completely rises up in His mind. This form is thus called “Krishna’s own good fortune”; it is the eternal abode of all of Krishna’s virtues, beginning with His unequalled beauty.
Krishna’s transcendental body is so beautiful that it even beautifies the ornaments He wears. He poses in an attractive curved posture and His bow-shaped eyebrows dance, firing the arrows of His oblique glances, whose aim is true, piercing the minds of Radharani and the gopis.
Beyond this material universe lies the Spiritual Sky, where the Lord’s infinite expansions reside. Krishna’s beauty is so great that it attracts even these lesser forms of Himself. Furthermore, it forcibly steals the minds of the Lakshmis, their consorts, who are glorified in the Vedas as the topmost and most exemplary devoted and chaste wives.
Riding the chariot of the gopis’ minds, Krishna churns the mind of Cupid. He has thus been named Madan Mohan, the enchanter of Cupid. His form, taste, smell, sound, and touch are more powerful than the arrows of Cupid, which attack these senses. He is thus the new Cupid, in which form He takes the gopis to perform the rasa dance.
Krishna takes His companions to graze the cattle and play freely in the Vrindavan forest. While there, He plays on His flute, causing all living entities from the trees and plants to the animals and human beings to tremble, while tears flow in torrents from their eyes.
Krishna’s pearl necklace appears like a flock of white herons, His peacock feather like a rainbow, His golden garments like flashing lightning. Krishna Himself looks like a monsoon cloud appearing at the beginning of the rainy season. He rains down a storm of ambrosia on the crops of the world.
The Lord’s essence is found in the sweetness of His beauty that is displayed in Vrindavan. Vyasa Deva’s son Shuka described this beauty here and there in the Srimad Bhagavatam to let the world know of it. When the devotees hear these descriptions, they become intoxicated with love for Krishna. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.21.101-110)
Jagat - Wed, 27 Nov 2002 21:26:47 +0530
gopyaH kim Acarad ayaM kuzalaM sma veNur
dAmodarAdhara-sudhAm api gopikAnAm
bhuGkte svayaM yad avaziSTa-rasaM hradinyo
hRSyat-tvaco ‘zru mumucus taravo yathAryAHDear gopis! What indescribably auspicious activities did the flute perform in previous lives that it can now freely enjoy the leftover nectar of Damodar’s lips, which is truly the property of us gopis. And just look! Cultured people shed tears and tremble with joy when they see someone in their family takes to the service of the Lord. Similarly, the river, where the bamboo grows and who is like the flute’s mother, is jubilant and the lotus flowers blooming are like hair standing on her body. The trees, the flute fathers, drip with sap as though shedding tears of pleasure.
Expanded translation (Vishwanath): This flute is really throwing us into an ocean of confusion. Although the word venu is strictly speaking masculine, we know by her other names like murali that she is really a woman. There are other words of this sort in Sanskrit, like dära, which has a masculine form but a feminine meaning. Anyway, it is just a piece of wood, so what pious activities could it have performed to know the blessings it enjoys today? We can’t stand it. Krishna is a cowherd and we are cowherd girls, while the flute belongs to an entirely different species. By rights, Krishna is ours, but that flute spends days and nights with Him, and so she now has become puffed up thinking that she is Krishna’s most beloved creature. With great gusto, she proudly relishes His lips. First of all, those lips don’t even belong to her. Second, she won’t let anyone else share in her good fortune and relish them with her. Thirdly, she doesn’t even make a secret of it, but publicly announces her enjoyments to us, its real owners—and it’s not just boasting after the fact, but the very sounds of her convulsive delights that she makes us hear. And to make it even worse, she won’t even leave a little bit of that nectar for us to enjoy as remnants. And then, all the other creatures from her home are of the same stripe, for when they see hear these sounds, the flute’s girlfriends, the rivers and lakes, become ecstatic, and their lotus flowers bloom as though the hairs on their bodies were standing on end. Her friends the trees also shed tears in the form of the sap that flows from their bark. They have all become our enemies! We shall have to hide this flute somewhere where it will not be able to rob us again of Krishna’s lip nectar.
These latest postings are from the work I am doing on Bhaktivinoda Thakur's
Bhajana-rahasya, which will be completed soon and published by Mandala Media.
Jagat
anuraag - Thu, 28 Nov 2002 22:21:16 +0530
QUOTE
gopyaH kim Acarad ayaM kuzalaM sma veNur
dAmodarAdhara-sudhAm api gopikAnAm
bhuGkte svayaM yad avaziSTa-rasaM hradinyo
hRSyat-tvaco ‘zru mumucus taravo yathAryAH
Dear gopis! What indescribably auspicious activities did the flute perform in previous lives that it can now freely enjoy the leftover nectar of Damodar’s lips, which is truly the property of us gopis. And just look! Cultured people shed tears and tremble with joy when they see someone in their family takes to the service of the Lord. Similarly, the river, where the bamboo grows and who is like the flute’s mother, is jubilant and the lotus flowers blooming are like hair standing on her body. The trees, the flute fathers, drip with sap as though shedding tears of pleasure.
Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.
Venu Madhuri of Sri Krishna
The Gopis, who were very much jealous of the flute which never parted
from the proximity of Krishna's lips enquired from the flute as to
what Sadhana had been done by it to deserve the constant
companionship of Lord's, lips.
The flute answered thus (according to a Hindi poet):
"My Sadhana was in no way different from that of a full-fledged,
sincere and persevering spiritual aspirant.
It started with my sacrifice and renunciation
of my beautiful abode of bamboo bushes
where I had been enjoying with my near and dear ones.
My body was subjected to severe austerity (it was cut to size).
My Mano-Nasha took place as my 'Man' - meaning also the maundage
(a unit of weight called 'MAN' in Hindi) was all removed from
inside and I was made hollow.
I had also Granthi - Cheda i.e., my knots were cut
(to make me, smooth). Last but not the least,
I always bowed to and accepted my Lord's desire as paramount.
Whatever tune or Raaga my master wanted me to play,
I played it and never exercised my own will in choosing the tune.
It was only then that my master Krishna accepted
me and took me to his lips".
- Swami Shantananda Puri of Sri Shivananda Mission