enjoying more than the Lord?

[Guest guest]

>In SB1.13.42 PURPORT Srila Prabhupada writes:

>"In his liberated state he [referring to the living being], renders service

>to the Lord in transcendental love and thus enjoys a life of full freedom,

>even sometimes on an equal level with the Lord or sometimes more than the

>Lord."

>

>Please explain how one enjoys more than the Lord with examples!

>What enjoyment can be more than what the Lord enjoys?

 

Hare Krsna, Mataji Sacidevi,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I believe the following quotes from Caitanya-caritamrta and

Srimad-bhagavatam can shed some light on this otherwise incomprehensible

topic:

 

 

(1) Srimati Radharani enjoys more than Krsna:

 

Adi 4.126

 

nija-premasvade mora haya ye ahlada

taha ha’te koti-guna radha-premasvada

 

 

“Whatever pleasure I get from tasting My love for Srimati Radharani, She

tastes ten million times more than Me by Her love.

 

 

(2) Gopis as the servants of Srimati Radharani, enjoy 10,000,000 times more

than She Herself:

 

Madhya 8.209

 

radhara svarupa—krsna-prema-kalpalata

sakhi-gana haya tara pallava-puspa-pata

 

“By nature, Srimati Radharani is just like a creeper of love of Godhead, and

the gopis are the twigs, flowers and leaves of that creeper.

 

Madhya 8.210

 

krsna-lilamrta yadi latake sincaya

nija-sukha haite pallavadyera koti-sukha haya

 

“When the nectar of Krsna’s pastimes is sprinkled on that creeper, the

happiness derived by the twigs, flowers and leaves is ten million times

greater than that derived by the creeper itself.

 

Madhya 8.211

 

sakhyah sri-radhikaya vraja-kumuda-vidhor hladini-nama-sakteh

saramsa-prema-vallyah kisalaya-dala-puspadi-tulyah sva-tulyah

siktayam krsna-lilamrta-rasa-nicayair ullasantyam amusyam

jatollasah sva-sekac chata-gunam adhikam santi yat tan na citram

 

“‘All the gopis, the personal friends of Srimati Radharani, are equal to

Her. Krsna is pleasing to the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, just as the moon is

pleasing to the lotus flower. His pleasure-giving potency is known as

ahladini, of which the active principle is Srimati Radharani. She is

compared to a creeper with newly grown flowers and leaves. When the nectar

of Krsna’s pastimes is sprinkled on Srimati Radharani, all Her friends, the

gopis, immediately appreciate the pleasure a hundred times more than if they

were sprinkled themselves. Actually this is not at all wonderful.’

 

 

(3) Srimati Radharani can still enjoy happiness greater than that of the

gopis when She Herself introduces them to Krsna's direct service:

 

Madhya 8.212

 

 

yadyapi sakhira krsna-sangame nahi mana

tathapi radhika yatne karana sangama

 

“Although the gopis, Srimati Radharani’s friends, do not desire to enjoy

themselves directly with Krsna, Srimati Radharani makes a great endeavor to

induce Krsna to enjoy Himself with the gopis.

 

Madhya 8.213

 

nana-cchale krsne preri’ sangama karaya

atma-krsna-sanga haite koti-sukha paya

 

“Presenting various pleas for the gopis, Srimati Radharani sometimes sends

the gopis to Krsna just to enable them to associate with Him directly. At

such times, She enjoys a happiness ten million times greater than that

enjoyed through direct association.

 

 

(4) This is the real greatness of Srimati Radharani's love -- complete

absense of pride in it:

 

Adi 4.129

 

yaha va-i guru vastu nahi suniscita

tathapi gurura dharma gaurava-varjita

 

“There is certainly nothing greater than Her love. But Her love is devoid of

pride. That is the sign of its greatness.

 

 

(5) Krsna feels even more happiness when He sees that His devotees feel more

happiness than Him:

 

Madhya 8.214

 

anyonye visuddha preme kare rasa pusta

tan-sabara prema dekhi’ krsna haya tusta

 

“The transcendental mellow is nourished by that mutual behavior in

transcendental love of Godhead. When Lord Krsna sees how the gopis have

developed pure love for Him, He becomes very satisfied.

 

 

(6) However, He always remains conquered by the greatness of His devotees'

love:

 

Adi 4.186

 

gopi-gana kare yabe krsna-darasana

sukha-vancha nahi, sukha haya koti-guna

 

When the gopis see Lord Krsna, they derive unbounded bliss, although they

have no desire for such pleasure.

 

Adi 4.187

 

gopika-darsane krsnera ye ananda haya

taha haite koti-guna gopi asvadaya

 

The gopis taste a pleasure ten million times greater than the pleasure Lord

Krsna derives from seeing them.

 

PURPORT

The wonderful characteristics of the gopis are beyond imagination. They have

no desire for personal satisfaction, yet when Krsna is happy by seeing them,

that happiness of Krsna makes the gopis a million times more happy than

Krsna Himself.

 

Adi 4.188

 

tan sabara nahi nija-sukha-anurodha

tathapi badhaye sukha, padila virodha

 

The gopis have no inclination for their own enjoyment, and yet their joy

increases. That is indeed a contradiction.

 

Adi 4.189

 

e virodhera eka matra dekhi samadhana

gopikara sukha krsna-sukhe paryavasana

 

For this contradiction I see only one solution: the joy of the gopis lies in

the joy of their beloved Krsna.

 

(7)

 

Therefore, when Krsna comes as Lord Caitanya, endowed with the mood of

Srimati Radharani, He personally preaches Krsna consciousness to introduce

everyone to Krsna bhakti -- because this process gives Srimati Radharani

10,000,000 times more pleasure than that She derives from Her own service to

Krsna. That's why Lord Krsna wants to come as Lord Chaitanya -- to taste the

pleasure many millions of times more than His own. This is called sankirtana

movement:

 

 

SB 9.4.64

 

naham atmanam asase mad-bhaktaih sadhubhir vina

sriyam catyantikim brahman yesam gatir aham para

 

O best of the brahmanas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only

destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme

opulences.

 

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient, but to enjoy His

transcendental bliss He requires the cooperation of His devotees. In

Vrndavana, for example, although Lord Krsna is full in Himself, He wants the

cooperation of His devotees like the cowherd boys and the gopis to increase

His transcendental bliss. Such pure devotees, who can increase the pleasure

potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are certainly most dear to

Him. Not only does the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoy the company of

His devotees, but because He is unlimited He wants to increase His devotees

unlimitedly. Thus, He descends to the material world to induce the

nondevotees and rebellious living entities to return home, back to Godhead.

He requests them to surrender unto Him because, unlimited as He is, He wants

to increase His devotees unlimitedly. The Krsna consciousness movement is an

attempt to increase the number of pure devotees of the Supreme Lord more and

more. It is certain that a devotee who helps in this endeavor to satisfy the

Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes indirectly a controller of the

Supreme Lord. Although the Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, He does

not feel transcendental bliss without His devotees. An example that may be

cited in this regard is that if a very rich man does not have sons in a

family he does not feel happiness. Indeed, sometimes a rich man adopts a son

to complete his happiness. The science of transcendental bliss is known to

the pure devotee. Therefore the pure devotee is always engaged in increasing

the transcendental happiness of the Lord.

 

 

Your servant,

Madana-mohana das