HARI BHAKTI KALPA LATIKA

[Guest guest]

Expounding on MDd Prabhu's posting I will attach an addendum: First a

little history. On my last visit to the Los Angeles temple I had the good

fortune to acquire this book. Glancing through the bookself in the temple

store this book was a stand out. The cover has a magnificent picture of

illumined Jagatnathadeva Temple and the english translated name of the

book read as " THE WISH FULFILLING CREEPER OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO LORD

HARI. " I read the book in few days in my hotel room and was simply

drenched by continuous shower of nectar. It was source of unending bliss,

matchless insight and very deeply wish fulfilling. I was so naturally

high on this book that I bought another copy for my God brother Sri Nara

Narayana Prabhu to enjoy the same bliss forever.

 

ADDENDUM: In the first page of the book Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati

Thakura writes:" Sixty years ago at Sri Purusottama Ksetra Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura received an original copy of " SRI HARI BHAKTI KALPA

LATIKA ". In spite of intensive research I could not find out who

composed it. After sometime I saw a renounced Ramanandi Vaisnava with a

copy of the book. Twenty five years later, I published the original texts

in the magazine called Sangini. Now I am publishing it with Bengali

translation. Although the book was written to glorify unalloyed

devotional service, by seeing the prominence of knowledge contained in

it, I think that a follower of SUDDHADVAITA philosophy composed it." END

ADDENDUM.

 

>From the above it appears that the original manuscript is over one

hundred years old. Even though the original composer is still unknown but

his very nature of composition narrows him down to a very specific group.

Who else but the one whose wish fulfilling creeper of love have grown and

penetrated the outer covering of the universe and have taken shelter of

the lotus feet of Sri KRSNA can leave us such pure nectar.

 

I very strongly recommend reading this book. There are no prerequisite

but since the contents are so deep it will help more those who have

already completed reading advanced Vaisnava literatures. Lastly I want to

thank" MDd" prabhu whose taste for pure nectar is unending. All glories

to Srila Prabhupada without whose causeless mercy none of these will be

possible. YS. Ashokamrita.

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 8 Jun 2002 sam wrote:

> I read the book in few days in my hotel room and was simply

> drenched by continuous shower of nectar. It was source of unending

bliss,

> matchless insight and very deeply wish fulfilling.

 

Yes, it really is a wonderful book. Whoever wrote it was exalted.

 

By the Divine grace of Srila Prabhupada we're able to relish these

things to some extent; as religious as they are, the poor Christians and

Muslims don't have a taste for direct glorification of Bhagavan or

His transcendental associates.

 

 

 

> ADDENDUM: In the first page of the book Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati

> Thakura writes:" Sixty years ago at Sri Purusottama Ksetra Srila

> Bhaktivinoda Thakura received an original copy of " SRI HARI BHAKTI

KALPA

> LATIKA ". In spite of intensive research I could not find out who

> composed it. After sometime I saw a renounced Ramanandi Vaisnava with a

> copy of the book. Twenty five years later, I published the original

texts

> in the magazine called Sangini. Now I am publishing it with Bengali

> translation. Although the book was written to glorify unalloyed

> devotional service, by seeing the prominence of knowledge contained in

> it, I think that a follower of SUDDHADVAITA philosophy composed it." END

> ADDENDUM.

 

I remember reading this and being puzzled by it. Generally, the

followers of Vallabhacarya are considered the modern representatives of

the suddhadvaita philosophy. Vallabhacarya, like Sankaracarya and unlike

the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, uses the term "saguna-bhakti." However, the HBKL

emphasizes what it calls "nirguna-bhakti" (2.73, 2.13, 12.2), meaning that

bhakti is always transcendental. So does the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.29.12,

10.88.5, 11.25.22-27), almost verbatim. Perhaps Vallabhacarya doesn't

actually follow the traditional suddhadvaita (something many scholars and

even some pustimargis also question). The suddhadvaita was originally

propagated by lord Siva, then Visnusvami, then Sridharasvami. The exact

philosophy of any of these august mahajanas eludes scholars, but given the

great respect Gaudiya Vaisnavas have always given to Sridharasvami, and

his influence upon them, it doesn't seem out of the question that

Visnusvami actually taught something more like what we call bhedabheda.

The HBKL also stresses advaita (in chapter 13); this may be what Sri

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura referred to as "knowledge."

Vallabhacarya preached Vaisnava advaita, or "purified monism" (suddhadvaita).

 

 

> From the above it appears that the original manuscript is over one

> hundred years old. Even though the original composer is still unknown

but

> his very nature of composition narrows him down to a very specific

group.

 

Yes, he almost seems a Gaudiya Vaisnava, though he doesn't explicitly

mention Lord Caitanya. He obviously accepts ninefold Krsna-bhakti (in the

five rasas), following in the footsteps of the gopis and the conclusions

of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Maybe this just exemplifies the great influence

of Lord Caitanya; even other Vaisnava sampradayas (such as the Ramanandis

and pustimargis) have largely adopted the rasa system of Srila Rupa Gosvami,

and Haribhaktivilasa is widely accepted a standard authority of Vaisnava

smrti, at least in North India. I would guess that if the author wasn't a

Gaudiya, he may have been a follower of either Nimbarka or Vallabha. The

latter met Lord Caitanya, whose influence on the Vallabha sect is well

known.

 

 

> Who else but the one whose wish fulfilling creeper of love have grown

and

> penetrated the outer covering of the universe and have taken shelter of

> the lotus feet of Sri KRSNA can leave us such pure nectar.

 

He also ends the book with very touching prayers in humility.

 

 

 

> I very strongly recommend reading this book. There are no prerequisite

> but since the contents are so deep it will help more those who have

> already completed reading advanced Vaisnava literatures.

 

It would be helpful to have read the Srimad-Bhagavatam, otherwise

one may miss the many places in which the author paraphrases that topmost

authority.

 

Just to invoke auspiciousness, here are two dhyana verses (25-6,

Isvara Prabhu's translation) from the sixth chapter (on visnoh smaranam):

 

"I meditate upon Krsna and Balarama, who are smiling, who are

surrounded by the cows and beautifully dressed cowherd boys, who are

walking like mad elephants, who have peacock feathers on Their heads,

whose hands are decorated with flutes, horns, and sticks, and who are busy

playing in the pasturing ground."

 

"O friend! Please meditate on the cowherd boy Sri Krsna, who is

wearing a garland of forest flowers, whose form is blackish like a new

cloud, who is eager toi hear the sound of His own flute, who is surrounded

by calves with traces of milk on their mouths, and who is enjoying various

sports with His companions who are equal to Him in age, qualities, and

dress."

 

MDd