Who says Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi is rasa-bhasa???

krsna · May 24, 2007

Who says Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi is rasa-bhasa?

The subject of Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi has mystified many devotees. When one reads the Nectar Of Devotion and learns a little about contradictory mellows, one invariably thinks about it, then scours for recollections of examples of rasa-bhasa and happens upon a major question mark – Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi – but think “No. It cannot be.”

Many devotees are unable to explain or even answer question arising out of curiosity concerning the deities. Indeed, during Srila Prabhupada’s time some of his disciples questioned him with the inclusion of words like “isn’t it rasa-bhasa?” And today some still retain a niggling doubt, while others think this is still the case. What is the truth of the matter?

Firstly, we have to understand and be convinced that Srila Prabhupada was conversant with all facets of devotional knowledge. Any nagging uncertainty in an individual will give an impaired judgment on Srila Prabhupada’s ability to tell compatible from incompatible. It will further reduce him to the level of a moderately realized soul who misunderstood some finer points of rasa. The matter will stay unresolved and the persistent question mark will encourage bouts of why! What if? And could it be?

Here is an attempt to eliminate any trace of suspicion simply by using Srila Prabhupada’s own words. There is no resorting to conjecture either. This seemingly bold and audacious transcendental combination of Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi will be seen as an ingredient of Srila Prabhupada’s internal mood thus enhancing our appreciation of him even more.

Everything Srila Prabhupada did was systematic and consistent with his inner mood. The case of Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi certainly fits in. Unfortunately, some individuals look at certain things he did or wrote, in isolation, and extrapolate some conclusion quite contrary to his overall mood. The example of Sri Sri Krsna-Balarama in Vrndavana stands out and will be discussed in another article.

A pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada is not always understood. But his writings tell of a fully understood grasp of matters simple and arcane. He writes in [NOD page 392]: “….in the mixture of various mellows, or reciprocations of ecstatic love between Krsna and the devotees, if the results are not pure there will be incompatibility.” His purity of purpose discounts any thought Sri Sri Radha Partha-sarathi was an arbitrary combination. On the same page he says: “Srila Rupa Goswami warns devotees to not commit such incompatibilities in their writings or in their dealings. The presence of such contradictory feelings is called rasa-bhasa.”

It is known that when Sri Krsna is in Dvaraka He is Sri Dvarakadisha. All the Yadus and Pandavas with their extended family members reside there eternally. It is also known from books like Brhad-Bhagavatamrta that in spite of Lord Krsna’s loving exchanges with the Dvaraka-vasis, His optimum mood is that of the Vraja-vasis and the land of Sri Vrndavana. [NOD page 389] states: “….a rasa which is actually prominent may sometimes appear to be manifested in a subordinate way, although its actual position is as the main or prominent loving feeling of a devotee.”

As such the exclusivity of an individual’s relationship with Krsna cannot impinge on another. [TLC page 312] says: “Thus the gopis of Vrndavana do not like to see Krsna as the husband of Rukmini, nor do they address Him as Rukmini-ramana.” These distinctions need to be understood in terms of Krsna’s names and personality. On the same page we find this: “Although the husband of Rukmini and Radha’s Krsna are on the same level in the ordinary sense, still, in the spiritual world, the names indicate different understandings of various aspects of Krsna’s transcendental personality.”

If names are all important, Srila Prabhupada had to be rooted in a solid relationship with Krsna to enable him to unite Sri Partha-sarathi with Srimate Radharani, even if an overlapping of mellows helped to achieve the desired outcome. In [NOD page 383] it is said: “Very often, in addition to one’s regular rasa, there is found the presence of some other rasa, and the mixture of these loving humors is sometimes compatible, or palatable, and sometimes incompatible, or unpalatable.”

In the same context Srila Prabhupada says this: “According to the opinion of all expert devotees, anything that will arouse ecstatic love for Krsna is to be taken as an impetus for transcendental mellow.” [NOD page 399] If such mixtures can sometimes arouse spiritual emotions, we can link this with Srila Prabhupada’s action.

We have to look at the names again. Krsna outside of Vrndavana is Vasudeva Krsna who has unlimited other names befitting His innumerable activities. Srila Prabhupada does not choose any other name but Sri Partha-sarathi. Why? [bG, 1, 15] purport states: “His name is Partha-sarathi because He worked as the charioteer of His friend Arjuna.”

But still, how can Partha-sarathi mix with Radha? This same Partha-sarathi spoke the Bhagavad-gita, synchronizing all the many diverse meanings of the Vedas into a coherent unit which may give Him an aura of aloofness, grandeur, irreproachability and awe. But Srila Prabhupada considered the friendly side of Krsna, which can make unification compatible.

Here are some unyielding clues which tell us what Srila Prabhupada’s inner mood is. While in Kuruksetra the gopis feelingly implored Lord Krsna to return to V4rndavana; [Krsna book pages 702-3] says: “They [gopis] immediately invited Krsna to come back to Vrndavana. This transcendental emotional existence of the gopis is the basic principle of Lord Chaitanya’s teachings. The Ratha-yatra festival observed by Lord Chaitanya is the emotional process of taking Krsna back to Vrndavana.”

In [TLC page 117] on the subject of service to the Lord, Srila Prabhupada writes: “Lord Krsna also confirmed this in the most confidential instruction in Bhagavad-gita, wherein He tells Arjuna:

Manamana bhava mad bhakto

Mad-yaji mam namaskuru

Mam-evaisyasi satyam te

Pratijane priyo ‘si me

“Always think of me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” [bG 18.65]

We should take special note of what Srila Prabhupada writes next. “Such a direct instruction from Krsna is more important than any Vedic instruction or even regulative principle.” Here Srila Prabhupada is hinting at spontaneous devotion in regards to this verse, giving us a direction. Where is it leading to? Srimate Radharani of course! Sri Partha-sarathi is directing us this way. Perhaps when we study Bhagavad-gita we should do likewise.

Now Srila Prabhupada’s bringing Sri Partha-sarathi to Srimate Radharani is more important than any Vedic instructions or regulative principles. He wants Partha-sarathi to relinquish His charioteer role and whatever chivalry there was and just come to Sri Vrndavana to be with Radha.

To further convince us, we read in the BG purport to the same verse: “These words stress that one should concentrate his mind upon Krsna – the very form with two hands carrying a flute, the bluish boy with a beautiful face and peacock feathers in His hair.” A little later this is said: “One should fix his mind on this original form of Godhead, Krsna. One should not even divert his attention to another form of the Lord.”

In analyzing this combination we have to conclude that there is a mixture, but a favorable one. Out of all the permutations in mixing of the various relationships, only one fits what Srila Prabhupada did. Srila Prabhupada’s inner temperament can be discerned thus: “With the ecstasy of devotion in conjugal love a mixture of laughter and fraternity is compatible.” [NOD page 384] That is, Sri Radha in Madhurya mixing with the fraternal side of Sri Partha-sarathi who advocates spontaneous devotion in verse [bG 18.65]

Furthermore, the mixture is dominated by Srila Prabhupada’s internal mood or permanent ecstasy – that of service to Sri Radha, and is taken as the whole, while the fraternal side of Sri Partha-sarathi moves to the background, or is dissolved as it were, and is considered the part.

Despite all this evidence, if one still feels that what Srila Prabhupada did was rasa-bhasa, or something out of the ordinary, he quotes Srila Jiva Goswami: “Srila Jiva Goswami comments in this connection [of perverted mellows] that such a loving state of mind is not possible for all. It is possible only in the case of the gopis of Vrndavana.” Perhaps this gives a clue to who Srila Prabhupada is. One thing is certain though, he knew these things.

Ys, Kesava Krsna dasa – GRS.

krsna · May 24, 2007

WE DON’T TELL LIES DO WE?

By Kesava Krsna dasa

Have we ever embellished a telling of a lie with an assortment of trivial details to disguise the actual truth? Have we ever pretended to be someone we never were, by exuding a persona larger than ourselves? Are there any angels among us who can boldly claim to have never fibbed; ever – even to get out of an awkward situation?

The truth is out; there are no foolproof ways of telling if someone is lying or not. Shifty eyes, truth drugs and lie detectors can provide clues but not guarantee the truth, and so are not admissible in a court of law. The certainty is, according to those in the know – the human analyzers – everybody fibs. Mark Twain had this to say: “Everybody lies….every day, every hour, awake, asleep, in his dreams, in his joy, in his mourning. If he keeps his tongue still his hands, his feet, his attitude will convey deception.”

The reason why people are habitual liars is because it works for them. Within the increasingly deterministic society where selfishness reigns and falsities such as the big bang, evolution and atheism condition the human mind to live accordingly, and deepen their false identity with the body, untruths become truth. BG 16.7 says that no truth is found in the demoniac.

The ways which people deceive vary from disguising embarrassing bodily appearances and odors with wigs, make up, dyed hair, perfumery and so on, which are forms of pretense, to calculated bigotry, biased ideology and state propaganda. Steering their way through the concrete iron maze of Kali-yuga requires the occasional untruth to survive and progress.

Many people however are not impressed with misleading ways and opt for occupations more suited to their orientation becoming ‘detestable’ traffic wardens, police men/women, officials, and referees, do good religionists, moralists and the rest. These are generally the unpopular types people love to hate. Researchers have found that honest people progress less than their ‘lying braggart’ counterparts who tend to get the girls they want, the jobs, the positions, and climb up the ladder of success. Self-deception they say is what causes people to be dishonest.

Self-deception occurs when we face problems in life but wish them away or deny them, which results in extending the denial to others in the form of untruthfulness. The Vedic equivalent would be – ahankara – false ego and the artificial behavior attributed to it. Yet the whole world operates under the sway of falsehood and truth becomes a distorted casualty.

Such distortion would render truthful messages the opposite way intended. For instance, if I were to translate some Bhagavad-Gita verses in favor of the demoniac mentality, using the principle of opposites, a humorous but equally true picture would emerge. Here are some verses.

BG. 2.59: The all in all body may never be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the lust for sense objects abates. But, forcing such engagements by experiencing a lower taste, he is fixed in dullness.

BG 4.2: This deception was thus received through the chain of misguided no-hopers, and the fibbing politicians misunderstood it that way. But in time the governments were broken, and therefore whatever science there was, was lost.

BG 4.34: Just try to learn falsity by approaching a befooled miscreant. Inquire from him brazenly and force it out of him. The illusioned scholars can impart stupidity unto you because they haven’t a clue.

BG 4.35: Having obtained real stupidity from an ill-advised fool, you will always fall again into such illusion, for by this nonsense you will see that all living beings are but part of this morbid world, or, in other words that they are just here.

BG 4.38: In this world, there is nothing so ridiculous and dirty as irrational knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature brick of all useless labor. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of lying and cheating never enjoys this stupidity within himself for any length of time.

BG 7.7: There is no truth superior to matter. Everything rests upon it as flesh and gore are strung on bones.

BG 9.2: This idiocy is the pauper of education, the most common of ordinariness. It is the filthiest knowledge, and because it gives no perception of the self by blunt senses, it is the imperfection of irreligion. It is short-lived, and miserably performed.

BG 10.8: The big bang is the source of all material and forbidden worlds. Everything emanates from it. The stupid who know this outrageously engage in its upkeep and smash it with all their hearts.

BG 10.9: The thoughts of dull-headed demons dwell in matter, their lives fully devoted to its destruction, and they derive great dissatisfaction and sorrow from always manipulating one another and squabbling about it.

BG 10.10: To those who are constantly devoted to pulverizing the world with hatred, it gives the wicked misunderstanding by which they can remain here.

BG 10.11: Not showing any mercy, this world, dwelling all around, destroys with the darkened burnt stump of ignorance the spark of light born of goodness.

BG 18.65: Always sick thinking of this world, become its rebel, desecrate it and offer false homilies unto it. Thus you will remain here without fail. This is a promise to you because you are its very dear sworn enemy.

BG 18.66: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto this horrible place. It shall deliver you from all pious credits. Fear for your life.

When we come to Krsna consciousness through some divine intrigue arranged by the Lord of the heart, many of us are adept deceivers and accomplished persuasive fibbers. Taking to the path of truth sees our previous lifestyle turn 180 degrees, topsy-turvy, about turn. We learn how to stay awake during the night time of the demoniac, and how to sleep during their daytime. We learn to become followers of – satyam - which gradually shatters our self-deception.

Purifying our existence means slowly dissolving the subtle body and false ego towards a fully fledged spiritual identity. The disappearance of our self-deception will restore us to genuine innocence. Mark Twain says again: “When a person cannot deceive himself, the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” On this level only truth comes out when we speak, and we tell people what they need to hear, not always what they want to hear.

Until then, remnants of pretense may cause us to put on a show of being more important than we are, or be dishonest. This alone can lead to many falsehoods perpetrated to keep the image intact. The Pinocchio effect:D sets in. If a spiritual practitioner thrives on deceit and pretense the Pinocchio effect:D will not enlarge his nose but weaken his taste in Krsna consciousness. If one is still attempting to hide his charade, will he succeed? Freud gives us his insight: “No mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips, betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”

People enjoy going to fancy dress parties and laugh at their friends and colleagues dressed silly. The different layers of pretense we exhibit may be attractive to neophytes who may have high esteem for deceivers, but will be viewed with irritation and humor by experienced devotees, who see such behavior as dubious fancy dress guises. The way to overcome this is suggested by Freud: ‘Being honest with oneself is a good exercise.” Or, as an experienced vaisnava will say: “Just be yourself.” :pray: