Nanda Mahaaraaja in daasya rasa?

[Guest guest]

In Raga Vartma Candrika by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, he discusses the

apparent discrepancy in mood of the Vrajavasis when they appear to speak in what

he terms as aisvarya (reverence). He states that the mood of aisvarya is not

absent amongst the Vrajavasis, but that it does not predominate. He gives an

analogy of boiling milk with a few strands of grass in it. As it boils, the

grass will rise to the top, but then almost as suddenly will again plunge to the

depths. The mood of sweetness (madhurya) predominates, but occasionally the mood

of reverence will surface. He gives a number of examples--the gopis discussing

Krsna's various previous appearances in different incarnations in which they

accuse Him of various forms of misbehavior, Nanda Maharaja's statement accepting

that Krsna was Narayana. He also explains that the mood of aisvarya is more

likely to appear in separation than in meeting, at which time the intimate mood

of madhurya dominates absolutely. It is elaborately discussed in the above book

for anyone who wants to understand it more completely.

Isn't this a little at odds with our concept of Nanda and other

devotees of Vrajabhuumi being in vaatsalya rasa? I thought the idea

was that devotees in this rasa are not aware of the Lord as the

supreme person, but rather only as their darling boy. So it seems

kind of odd that one would call out to his son when he is in danger,

and say he is surrendered unto him.

 

I invite comments from more learned/elder members of this forum to

resolve this apparent contradiction.

 

thanks,

 

K

 

 

 

 

 

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achintya/

 

b..

achintya

 

c..

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna. Thanks for this timely and evidence-based reply. I am

glad to know our aachaaryas have addressed it.

 

Has anyone published Raga Vartma Chandrika, and if so, how can one

obtain it? I would be interested in keeping this reference available

in case this question arises again.

 

Another question that comes to mind is whether or not

these "fluctuations" of rasa are actively managed by Krishna or not.

I am reminded of the pastime in which Mother Yashoda looked in

Krishna's mouth and saw the entire universe. Similarly, there is the

pastime of Arjuna in which he beheld the Lord's universal form, and

became apologetic for having treated Krishna as his friend the whole

time when in fact He is the Supreme Lord. In such pastimes, devotees

often speak of the Lord as "withdrawing" His Yoga-maya for the time,

only to use it again to "cover" up His majesty and restore the

previous relationship of vaatsalya, sakhya, etc. If the answer is

yes, the question then becomes this: is there a reason the Lord wants

us to see His devotees shift into the daasya mood?

 

yours,

 

K

[Guest guest]

Rupa vilasa das wrote:

 

 

He also explains that the mood of aisvarya is more likely to appear in

separation than in meeting, at which time the intimate mood of madhurya

dominates absolutely.

 

Hare Krishna,

 

Thanks for the nice q (by Krishna pr.) and a ( by rupa vilasa pr.). I have a

doubt regarding the above statement. I was of the understanding that the topmost

stage of rasa is love in separation and that is fully expressed in madhurya rasa

- but, you seem to suggest that the mood of aisvarya can appear while in

separation from Krishna - how is it so? kindly explain

 

in your service,

 

Aravind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aravind Mohanram

Ph.D. Candidate

Dept. of Mat Sci and Engg.,

Penn State University,

University Park, PA 16801

www.personal.psu.edu/aum105

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Although no one is a more respected elder for Krsna than Nanda Maharaja in

Vraja, who in transcendental paternal love has no knowledge that his son is

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still ecstatic love makes him, what to

speak of others, feel himself to be a servant of Lord Krsna.

 

Cc Adi 6.55-56

 

Please see verses and purports preceding and following this for further

elucidation of how daasya, the desire to please Krsna, is the basis of all

higher rasas.

 

Also:

 

The cowherd men were brought by Lord Krsna to the Brahma-hrada, made to

submerge in the water, and then lifted up. From the same vantage point that

Akrura saw the spiritual world, the cowherd men saw the planet of the

Absolute Truth.

 

Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherd men felt the greatest happiness when

they saw that transcendental abode. They were especially amazed to see Krsna

Himself there, surrounded by the personified Vedas, who were offering Him

prayers.

 

SB 10.28.16-17

 

Even the gopis know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (See

for instance SB 10.31.4). That Nanda Maharaja and other vrajavasis know

Krsna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead is overshadowed and thus

'forgotten' by their intense love for Him, by which they don't care very

much that He is God, but see Him simply as their darling. This is explained

by Srila Jiva Goswami (I don't have references handy).

 

That the vrajavasis both know and don't know that Krsna is the Supreme

Personality of Godhead is clear from CC Adi 6.58, which apparently

contradicts 6.56. Both bhaavas, although apparently contradictory, exist

simultaneously in vrajavasis; this is effected by lila-sakti, which arranges

everything for Krsna's pleasure.

[Guest guest]

Thanks to H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami for these timely references.

 

This subject is indeed more complicated than I previously thought. It

seems that many of the devotees of Krishna in Vraja know, in some

part of their mind, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Yet they continue to relate to Him as friend, parent, etc. And in

spite of this, they nevertheless are the perfect "servants."

 

For example:

 

CC aadi 6.62: "Lord Krishna's friends in Vrindaavana, headed by

Shriidaamaa, have pure fraternal affection for Lord Krishna and have

no idea of His opulences."

 

CC aadi 6.63: "Although they fight with Him and climb upon His

shoulders, they worship His lotus feet in a spirit of servitude."

 

It does indeed seem contradictory. In this example, the boys have no

idea of His majesty. Yet they still worship Him in a spirit of

servitude.

 

Nanda Maharaaja seems to know at some level that Krishna is the

Supreme Deity, yet he wants to go on being Krishna's father:

 

CC aadi 6.58-59: "My dear Uddhava, please hear me. In truth Krishna

is my son, but even if you think that He is God, I would still bear

toward Him my own feelings for my son. May my mind be attached to

your Lord Krishna."

 

Getting back to the previous example, the story of Nanda Mahaaraaja

being attacked by the snake makes more sense when he calls for

Krishna. It appears that, when they are in danger, the fact of the

Lord's majesty and opulence becomes more manifest in his mind and the

minds of other devotees.

 

Is the point of all this, then, that daasya-rasa is inherent in all

other rasas? Or that one must have this daasya mood before he can

take any other mood? Are all rasas then mixed with daasya-rasa to

some extent? Or is that one bhaava or another predominates depending

on the situation, all existing simultaneously?