Siddha-pranali

[Sonic Yogi]

 

Why do you folks keep inventing such absurd theories to show that your guru was always right?

 

There is nothing absurd about it.

Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan movement in South India and in fact all over India was much less orthodox and much more spontaneous than the complex system that evolved under the Goswamis who were charged with taking the cult and making it presentable to the highly sophisticated brahminical culture that was so strong in India at that time.

 

In bringing that Sankirtan movement to the western world, much of that orthodox process can be left in India and a more natural and suitable form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism can be given to the western world.

 

It is not an absurd theory.

It has been explained similarly by Srila Prabhupada.

 

If you think you qualify for the orthodox process meant for high class brahmins in India, then you are only fooling yourself.

[Kulapavana]

 

Can I ask you how [stepping away from siddha pranali] would be bound to fail?

Would Hari Nama Smarana not offer the same benefits of siddha pranali?

 

I was primarily refering to things like introducing sannyasa and other elements of brahmanism, introducing non shastric teachings like fall from Goloka and other subtle concepts borrowed from semitic religions, such as placing great emphasis on building relious empires here on earth. Eventually people start wondering where all that came from and realize that in some cases truth and tradition were sacrificed for the sake of preaching.

 

Why do i think that stepping away from siddha pranali is bound to fail?

 

It is not so much about the lack of siddha pranali that is the problem, but general emphasis on building a preaching empire over lila-smaranam. Even such obviously qualified devotees like Narayana Maharaja are vilified by many Prabhupada disciples as sahajiyas. This is perhaps the karmic payback for the Saraswata camp vilifying every baba in Vrindavan as as sahajiya.

 

Sooner or later many devotees actually make some progress and start leaning towards lila smaranam. But if your practical doctrine vilifies such tendencies and badmouths old and proven practices like siddha-pranali, these people start thinking about leaving the mission because they want more. In the most extreme cases (like ritviks) Prabhupada disciples think that our mission should be limited to simply distributing the early editions of Prabhupada's books for the next 10,000 years. Lila smaranam is only reading those books, because everything else is a sahajiya practice.

 

No wonder so many join Narayana Maharaja's sanga. The exodus of so many mature devotees from Iskcon to that camp is for me a proof that moving away from siddha pranali was ultimately a mistake. Similar thing happened after BSST passed away when many left to practice traditional Gaudiya vaishnavism, and most GM moved in that direction anyway. I would not be one bit surprised if lets say NM started secretly imparting to his most mature disciples something similar to siddha pranali. I would see that as a good thing - coming full circle to where we came from as a group.

[Kulapavana]

 

If you think you qualify for the orthodox process meant for high class brahmins in India, then you are only fooling yourself.

 

I really do not care a whole lot about orthodoxy. I simply like things that actually work.

[sant]

 

I really do not care a whole lot about orthodoxy. I simply like things that actually work.

 

ok sir have you tried siddha pranali.

Has it helped if yes then please tell me more.

What is this brahman thing

[Kulapavana]

 

There is nothing absurd about it.

Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan movement in South India and in fact all over India was much less orthodox and much more spontaneous than the complex system that evolved under the Goswamis who were charged with taking the cult and making it presentable to the highly sophisticated brahminical culture that was so strong in India at that time.

 

 

You actually think Iskcon had anything to do with being spontaneous? I still remember a late 70's edition of an Iskcon manual on how to properly pass stool and urine. That thing was at least 30 pages long. And as a result, bathrooms in Iskcon temples stunk worse than public toilets in Eastern Europe.

 

BTW. It was South India that had the most orthodox brahminical culture, not the North. And the claim that your guru had it right, not the Six Goswamis is probably not something your guru would endorse.

[Kulapavana]

 

ok sir have you tried siddha pranali.

Has it helped if yes then please tell me more.

 

 

No, I have not tried it because I am not ready for it, but the previous acharyas did and considered it useful.

[Kulapavana]

 

These are allegorical lessons in the teachings of Narada Muni to King Pracinabarhisat.

It carries the same theme as Srila Prabhupada used in his preaching work.

 

 

No, it does not. Narada Muni is talking about Krsna being with the living entity in this world, while Prabhupada is talking about Krsna being with the living entity in the spiritual world. While Narada's allegory is based on fact, Prabhupada's allegory is based on fiction. But yes, they are both allegorical tales.

[sant]

so is it something like acting like a gopi right same as ramakrishna practised

[Kulapavana]

 

so is it something like acting like a gopi right same as ramakrishna practised

 

No, not at all.

[Sonic Yogi]

 

No, I have not tried it because I am not ready for it, but the previous acharyas did and considered it useful.

 

Can you quote one as saying that?

 

I didn't think so.

[Kulapavana]

Notes from Bhaktivinoda's Harinama Cintamani, chapter 15, verses 64-68 with Bhaktivinoda's own footnotes.

<CENTER>

krame varaNa dazA prApti

rAdhA-kRSNa aSTa-kAla yei lIlA kare

tAhAra zravaNe lobha haya ataHpare

lobha ha-ile guru-pade jijJAsA udaya

kemane pAiba lIlA kaha mahAzaya

gurudeva kRpA kari karibe varNana

lIlA-tattve ekAdaza bhAva-saGghaTana

prasanna ha-iyA prabhu karibe Adeza

ei bhAve lIlA-madhye karaha praveza

zuddha rUpe siddha bhAva kariyA zravaNa

sei bhAva svIya citte karibe varaNa

Advancing to the stage of acceptance

As the aspiring devotee hears about Radha and Krishna’s aSTa-kAliya-lIlA,

he starts to feel an intense desire one to join Them in Their activities.

Possessed by this desire, he asks the spiritual master,

“O great soul, what must I do to attain these pastimes?”

The spiritual master then mercifully describes to his disciple

the eleven aspects and how they relate to the Lord’s lila.

Pleased with his disciple, the spiritual master then orders him,

“Now go and enter the Lord’s pastimes in this identity.”

On hearing of his eternal spiritual identity with a pure attitude,

the aspirant accepts it and takes it into his heart.</CENTER>

NOTE: When on examining the disciple’s natural tendencies, the spiritual master verifies that he truly has the qualifications for serving in the sringara-rasa, he informs him of the eternal form that he should cultivate as a manjari in Lalita’s sub-group of Srimati Radharani’s group of gopis. Then the spiritual master explains the mutual relation between the eleven components of that spiritual identity necessary for the practice and the object of that practice, the pastimes the Lord enjoys throughout the eight periods of the day and night (aSTa-kAlIya-lIlA). He especially shows the disciple his spiritual name, form, qualities, and principle service.

Furthermore, the spiritual master tells the disciple in which home in Vraja she will take birth and with which cowherd she will be married. He then goes on to explain how, as a gopi, she will reject the conventional morality of the Vedas and become a protected servant under the tutelage of one of the Lord’s prominent mistresses, a yutheshwari, whom she will serve through the daily cycle of pastimes. The aspirant then accepts this identity and enters the next stage, that of contemplation, smaraNa-dazA.

This is the aspirant’s actual birth as a gopi in Vraja. One should here remember and follow the words of the Bhagavatam: yAH zrutvA tat-paro bhavet "When one hears these pastimes of the Lord, one becomes absorbed in them.”

[Kulapavana]

<CENTER>Jaiva Dharma, Chapter Forty

Sampatti-vichar: The Greatest Good Fortune</CENTER>Vijaya Kumar: How does one attain the perfection of the hearing stage?

Goswami: When one realizes Lord Krishna’s pastimes’ eternal nature and feels their charm arising out of their pure transcendental character, one becomes agitated with the intense desire to enter those pastimes. The spiritual master then reveals to the disciple the eleven bhavas appropriate for his practice that we spoke about previously. When the disciple’s mental state is brought into harmony with his preferences for particular pastimes, then the stage of hearing is complete. With great enthusiasm, he moves on to the accepting stage.

 

Vijaya Kumar: O master, what is the accepting stage?

 

Goswami: The eagerness of the mind is given order by the eleven aspects of the spiritual identity and fixed in the divine pastimes. Weeping, the disciple falls before his spiritual master’s feet. The spiritual master’s original form as a sakhi manifests to the disciple, as well as the disciple’s form as her maidservant. The cowherd girls are all anxious to serve Krishna, and the spiritual master is one of these beautiful ladies of Vraja who has attained her highest aspiration in that service. The disciple then speaks words that follow Srila Raghunath Das Goswami’s mood in the PremAmbhoja-marandAkhya-stava-rAja (11-12):

 

<CENTER>tvAM natvA yAcate dhRtvA tRNaM dantair ayaM janaH

sva-dAsyAmRta-sekena jIvayAmuM suduHkhitam

na muJcec charaNAyAtam api duSTaM dayAmayaH

ato gAndharvike hA hA muJcainaM naiva tAdRzam</CENTER>

“Please bring back to life this very unhappy person, who is bowing down before you with straw in her mouth, by sprinkling her with the nectar of your servitorship.

 

“O Gandharvika! A truly compassionate person will not reject even a rascal if he surrenders to him. Please, therefore, never abandon this person, who is likewise surrendered to you.

 

In other words, “O beloved friend of Radharani! I am a most miserable creature, yet I have fallen down before you with straw between my teeth to beg you to sprinkle me with the ambrosia of your service and bring me back to life. A merciful person does not abandon one who has taken shelter of him. Since I am surrendered to you, please do not abandon me, for I wish to serve the Divine Couple of Vraja under your direction.”

 

This stage of acceptance takes exactly this form. Then, in his form as a sakhi, the spiritual master bestows residence in Vraja on his disciple and orders him to take shelter of Krishna’s holy name and meditate on His pastimes. The spiritual master then encourages the disciple, saying, “Soon you will attain what your heart desires.”

[Kulapavana]

Bhaktivinoda's Caitanya Siksamritam, 6.5 (p. 237-238):

 

- - - -

 

"If anybody possesses greed for the path of raganuga, he will pray to his good religious preceptor, who, after examining his relish, will determine the type of bhajana suited to him and give him acquaintance of his siddha-deha. According to this acquaintance, the aspirant or the person in the ascending stage of prema will live in the company of guru, and getting all acquaintance from him, will practice bhajana daily with utmost care and eagerness, situated in his own position.

Remembering his transcendental nama, rupa etc. bestowed by the guru again and again, he will possess identification for the same. This identification is the knowledge of his true self and is called svarupa siddhi. Qualities and lila which have been cited before is blossomed in this place.

The significance of this type of sadhana is to enter into the transcendental lila of Sri Radha Krishna and remembering Their eternal name, beauty and quality by application of the aspirant's relationship with Them in consonance with his own name and form, bestowed by Sri Guru."

[Kulapavana]

 

Can you quote one as saying that?

 

I didn't think so.

 

I take no pleasure in proving you wrong.

 

While I admire your faith in Srila Prabhupada, my admiration for the truth is much stronger.

 

Hopefuly we will walk away from those exchanges more inspired to learn about Krsna and our very rich tradition, as well as more inspired to be humble and filled with service attitude.

[Sonic Yogi]

 

I take no pleasure in proving you wrong.

 

 

None of those quotes supports the imitation siddha-pranali process of imaginative siddha-deha.

 

 

The spiritual master’s original form as a sakhi manifests to the disciple, as well as the disciple’s form as her maidservant.

This is not imaginative siddha-pranali imitation.

This is a mystic revelation of the guru's siddha-deha and a mystic revelation of the disciple's siddha-deha.

 

Why do try and compare sahajiya imitation with mystic revelation?

 

A true siddha bhakta has all mystic power at his disposal.

He can manifest his spiritual form before a disciple and as well show the sadhaka his own spiritual form.

 

Bhaktivinoda is not talking about the sahajiya imitative process.

He is writing about the classic siddha babas who had all mystic powers.

 

It's obvious from the writings of Bhaktivinoda that unless the guru can manifest his own spiritual form before the disciple and as well take the disciple into trance and show him his spiritual form, that such a guru should not be practicing any siddha-pranali process and cheating the disciple with only the imitative portion of the mystic revelations mentioned in these writings of Bhaktivinoda.

 

In the example given by Bhaktivinoda, the guru manifests his spiritual form to the disciple.

He doesn't do a cheap imitation with some false description of some imaginary from that his sahajiya guru gave him.

 

If the guru cannot take the disciple into trance via mystic power and reveal to the disciple his own spiritual form, then such a guru should not be practicing a cheap imitation of the process described by Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

 

 

 

I have had some personal experience something similar to that.

I had a dream once that I was setting in front of my spiritual master, who looked to me in the dream like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarswati Thakur, and I was weeping and weeping in ecstacy as I heard him speak.

Then, as I looked into his eyes, his eyes rolled back into his head and he went into samadhi trance and in so doing caused me to also go into trance at which time I entered into a very beautiful courtyard where I saw a party of devotees performing Sankirtan in a crowd around the Mahaprabhu

It was just a dream, but it was very beautiful dream that I will never forget.

 

So, these cheap gurus who cannot actually take you into mystic trance and show you the spiritual world, then they are cheaters and should not be practicing the imitative siddha-pranali process.

[Sonic Yogi]

 

I really do not care a whole lot about orthodoxy. I simply like things that actually work.

 

If the Maha-mantra can't get the job done, then nothing else is going to work any better.

What works is the Maha-mantra.

Hearing some imaginative description of some imaginative spiritual form is not going to help if your Nama bhajan isn't producing amazing results.

 

Krishna is not looking for meditative powers and imaginative ability.

He is looking for sincerity that is most easy practiced in service to his pure devotee -- the Acharya (Srila Prabhupada)

 

Krishna wants to see us serving the mission of the nitya-siddhas that he sends here on his behalf to distribute knowledge and devotion to the fallen souls.

 

Krishna is not impressed with our siddha-pranali meditation that is practiced in neglect of the missionary work that the acharyas come to do.

[Kulapavana]

 

None of those quotes supports the imitation siddha-pranali process of imaginative siddha-deha.

 

 

And who is talking about that?

Why am I not surprised that you are unable to admit to being wrong?

 

Bhaktivinoda is clearly delineating a siddha pranali process as it was always practiced, and as he was initiated into by Bipin Bihari.

 

Bhaktivinoda knew the spiritual identity of his guru, Bipin Bihari, because BB revealed it to him. In his poetry, Bhaktivinoda refers to his guru as Vilasa Manjari.

 

The two texts from his Giti-mala are particularly interesting, as they indicate the siddha name of Bipin Bihari, which is Vilasa Manjari.

 

 

 

"When will Vilasa Manjari and Ananga Manjari [Jahnava Mata] see me and, being merciful, speak the follow essential words?"

 

 

"O Vilasa Manjari, Ananga Manjari and Rupa Manjari, please notice me and accept me at your feet, bestowing on me the essence of all perfection".

 

In both of these songs, Bhaktivinoda follows the classical tradition established by Narottam Das of praying to his spiritual master in his siddha form as a Manjari. It is thus clear that Bhaktivinoda had not only taken initiation, but had also received siddha-pranali from his guru.

[Kulapavana]

 

Krishna is not impressed with our siddha-pranali meditation that is practiced in neglect of the missionary work that the acharyas come to do.

 

Of course collecting money by hook or crook to build great temples with great vyasasanas is more important than developing our love for Krsna and a desire to serve Him in His lila... and after the great acharya passes on, his disciples happily fight over the inheritance money and positions... this approach is soooooooooooooooo much superior than aspiring to enter Krsna lila by practicing siddha pranali.

[Sonic Yogi]

 

And who is talking about that?

Why am I not surprised that you are unable to admit to being wrong?

 

Bhaktivinoda is clearly delineating a siddha pranali process as it was always practiced, and as he was initiated into by Bipin Bihari.

 

Bhaktivinoda knew the spiritual identity of his guru, Bipin Bihari, because BB revealed it to him. In his poetry, Bhaktivinoda refers to his guru as Vilasa Manjari.

 

The two texts from his Giti-mala are particularly interesting, as they indicate the siddha name of Bipin Bihari, which is Vilasa Manjari.

 

 

"When will Vilasa Manjari and Ananga Manjari [Jahnava Mata] see me and, being merciful, speak the follow essential words?"

 

 

"O Vilasa Manjari, Ananga Manjari and Rupa Manjari, please notice me and accept me at your feet, bestowing on me the essence of all perfection".

 

In both of these songs, Bhaktivinoda follows the classical tradition established by Narottam Das of praying to his spiritual master in his siddha form as a Manjari. It is thus clear that Bhaktivinoda had not only taken initiation, but had also received siddha-pranali from his guru.

 

And who is your guru that authorized you to read such books.

 

If you are so astute at the writings of Bhaktivinoda Thakur, you would understand that neophyte devotees who have accepted no proper guru cannot just willy-nilly jump into readying any books that he gets a notion to read.

The acharya will prescribe the appropriate books for the disciple to study.

So, who is your guru that authorized these books for your reading.

 

Oh, I just remembered, you don't have any guru now except the fallen ISKCON guru who you have rejected.

 

So, I guess you are your own guru now and prescribing to yourself the books that you are qualified to study?

[Sonic Yogi]

 

Of course collecting money by hook or crook to build great temples with great vyasasanas is more important than developing our love for Krsna and a desire to serve Him in His lila... and after the great acharya passes on, his disciples happily fight over the inheritance money and positions... this approach is soooooooooooooooo much superior than aspiring to enter Krsna lila by practicing siddha pranali.

 

So I guess you are under the illusion that these siddha-pranali sahajiyas have a better record than the Saraswata Gaudiya preaching mission?

 

You are obviously very misinformed and in denial about how pathetic a condition Gaudiya Vaishnavism was in before Siddhanta Saraswata rescued it from the sahajiya imitators.

 

Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a global community now because of the preaching work of the Saraswata Gaudiya mission.

 

Your siddha-pranali sahajiyas were too busy trying to scratch up some chapattis and dahl to go around the world and teach Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

[Kulapavana]

 

The acharya will prescribe the appropriate books for the disciple to study.

 

 

Only in Iskcon devotees are afraid to read books of great Vaishnavas other than their guru, because of a personality cult they invented in the sixties. This self censorship policy helps them maintain their illusions and control the new members. But their own guru said this:

 

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, I remember once I heard a tape where you told us that we should not try to read the books of previous acaryas.

Srila Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee: That we should not try to read Bhaktivinoda's books or earlier books of other, all acaryas. So I was just wondering...

Srila Prabhupada: I never said that.

Devotee: You didn't say that? Oh.

Srila Prabhupada: How is that?

Devotee: I thought you said that we should not read the previous acaryas' books.

Srila Prabhupada: No, you should read.

Devotee: We should.

Srila Prabhupada: It is misunderstanding.

 

Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, May 13, 1975, <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY w:st="on">Perth</ST1:CITY>, <ST1:COUNTRY-REGION w:st="on">Australia</ST1:COUNTRY-REGION>

[Sonic Yogi]

 

Only in Iskcon devotees are afraid to read books of great Vaishnavas other than their guru, because of a personality cult they invented in the sixties. This self censorship policy helps them maintain their illusions and control the new members. But their own guru said this:

 

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, I remember once I heard a tape where you told us that we should not try to read the books of previous acaryas.

Srila Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee: That we should not try to read Bhaktivinoda's books or earlier books of other, all acaryas. So I was just wondering...

Srila Prabhupada: I never said that.

Devotee: You didn't say that? Oh.

Srila Prabhupada: How is that?

Devotee: I thought you said that we should not read the previous acaryas' books.

Srila Prabhupada: No, you should read.

Devotee: We should.

Srila Prabhupada: It is misunderstanding.

 

Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, May 13, 1975, <st1:city w:st="on">Perth</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>

 

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 22.118

 

avaiṣṇava-sańga-tyāga, bahu-śiṣya nā kariba

 

bahu-grantha-kalābhyāsa-vyākhyāna varjiba

 

SYNONYMS

 

avaiṣṇava — of one who is not a devotee of the Lord; sańga — the association; tyāga — giving up; bahu-śiṣya — an unlimited number of disciples; nā kariba — should not accept; bahu-grantha — of many different types of scriptures; kalā-abhyāsa — studying a portion; vyākhyāna — and explanation; varjiba — we should give up.

 

TRANSLATION

 

"The twelfth item is to give up the company of nondevotees. (13) One should not accept an unlimited number of disciples. (14) One should not partially study many scriptures just to be able to give references and expand explanations.

 

PURPORT

 

Accepting an unlimited number of devotees or disciples is very risky for one who is not a preacher. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, a preacher has to accept many disciples to expand the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is risky because when a spiritual master accepts a disciple, he naturally accepts the disciple's sinful activities and their reactions. Unless he is very powerful, he cannot assimilate all the sinful reactions of his disciples and has to suffer the consequences. Therefore one is generally forbidden to accept many disciples.

 

One should not partially study a book just to pose oneself as a great scholar by being able to refer to scriptures. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have therefore limited our study of the Vedic literatures to the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. These four works are sufficient for preaching purposes. They are adequate for the understanding of the philosophy and the spreading of missionary activities all over the world. If one studies a particular book, he must do so thoroughly. That is the principle. By thoroughly studying a limited number of books, one can understand the philosophy.

So, the forgery that you are posting is not as authoritative as the books.

[Kulapavana]

 

So I guess you are under the illusion that these siddha-pranali sahajiyas have a better record than the Saraswata Gaudiya preaching mission?

 

 

As I said before, the point is that there is no need to demonize siddha-pranali and people who find value in it. Especially since the Saraswata line had (and still has) plenty of their own deviants and imitators who grossly abused their hallmark preaching program.

 

Anything can be abused. I do not defend the sahajiyas who use siddha pranali as their way to exploit people, just like I do not defend crooks who collect money using deceit in the name of 'preaching', or homosexual pseudo-sannyasis flying all over the world in the name of 'preaching'.

 

This time the reputation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism has been ruined not by sahajiyas, but by the abuses in the preaching mission. That has to be recognized. Saraswatas today are expert at blaming everybody else and demand full immunity from their own sins, because 'they had good intentions and wanted to preach'. It simply does not work that way.

[Kulapavana]

 

So, the forgery that you are posting is not as authoritative as the books.

 

have a nice day!

[shiva]

 

Just because some truly advanced Vaishnavas (like Sridhara Maharaja) do not think that rasa lila ever took place here on earth, and like all the other lila is only a metaphor - not a historical fact, that does not mean they are right, or that everyone must think just like them in order to 'do things right'.

 

Saraswatas did indeed depart from the GV tradition in some important but subtle ways, some more than others. They did it to facilitate preaching and to re-shape the way of thinking of the new generation of followers. Prabhupada went as far as preaching to his followers that all jivas fell from Krsnaloka, from a direct loving relationship with Krsna, because he did not want them to think that we all come from undifferentiated Brahmajyoti. Never mind that this preaching is not based on guru, sadhu, or shastra. He wanted to shape the way of thinking for his disciples, taking them as far as possible from the dreaded 'impersonalism'. However, seems like such departures are ultimately bound to fail, and their benefits are temporary at best. Stepping away from siddha pranali seems to be in that category.

 

You misunderstood what I meant to convey. I'm not saying rasa-lila didn't take place, I'm saying that the rasa-lila created by Gaudiya acharyas serve very specific purposes. Unless you are educated enough in Bhagavat tattva and Radha Krishna tattva the true purpose of those writings for raganuga practice will not be attained. Here is an example:

 

If you were to meet Radha, Krishna and the nitya-sakhis, how would you treat them?

 

If you believe Radha and Krishna and the nitya-sakhis to be different personalities from each other, then you will treat them as different persons. But that will be a mistake and your relationship with them will be based upon your ignorance of who they really are and what your real ontological relationship with them is. We are taught that Radha and Krishna are the same person and that the sakhis are Radha's personal expansions; they are not jivas.

 

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 4.56

 

rādhā-kṛṣṇa eka ātmā, dui deha dhari'

anyonye vilase rasa āsvādana kari'

 

SYNONYMS

 

rādhā-kṛṣṇa — Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa; eka — one; ātmā — self; dui — two; deha — bodies; dhari' — assuming; anyonye — one another; vilase — They enjoy; rasa — the mellows of love; āsvādana kari' — tasting.

 

Here we are being instructed in Radha Krishna tattva - eka ātmā, dui deha - one atma or one person in two bodies.

 

What is the position of the sakhis, queens and goddesses?

 

 

CC Ādi 4.73: Now please listen to how Lord Kṛṣṇa's consorts help Him taste rasa and how they help in His pastimes.

 

CC Ādi 4.74-75: The beloved consorts of Lord Kṛṣṇa are of three kinds: the goddesses of fortune, the queens, and the milkmaids of Vraja, who are the foremost of all. These consorts all proceed from Rādhikā.

 

CC Ādi 4.76: Just as the fountainhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all incarnations, so Śrī Rādhā is the cause of all these consorts.

 

CC Ādi 4.77: The goddesses of fortune are partial manifestations of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and the queens are reflections of Her image.

 

CC Ādi 4.78: The goddesses of fortune are Her plenary portions, and they display the forms of vaibhava-vilāsa. The queens are of the nature of Her vaibhava-prakāśa.

 

CC Ādi 4.79: The Vraja-devīs have diverse bodily features. They are Her expansions and are the instruments for expanding rasa.

 

CC Ādi 4.80: Without many consorts, there is not such exultation in rasa. Therefore there are many manifestations of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to assist in the Lord's pastimes.

 

 

Without understanding Radha Krishna tattva you will misunderstand the writitngs of the Gaudiya acharyas on rasa-lila. You will take it all literally, when in fact the authors were fully aware of Radha Krishna tattva and their writings are for people who are also fully aware of Radha Krishna tattva. Those writings when taken literally appear to be only about the romantic and erotic pastimes between Radha, Krishna, and the sakhis and to a lesser degree the sakhas; with the focus on the erotic rasa between Radha and Krishna, and to a lesser degree the rasa between the sakhis and Radha and the sakhis and Krishna. But in reality those relationships make no sense if you understand that Radha and Krishna are the same person, and that the sakhis are the same person as Radha. They are all the same person; and therefore real rasa is not possible between them anymore than you can enjoy rasa with your image in a mirror; you cannot enjoy rasa with yourself, rasa can only be enjoyed when there is a real relationship as opposed to a pretend relationship.

 

My point to you was that when devotees get involved with a mistaken conception of lila, than their lila-smaranam will not be effective. They will waste their time imagining those descriptions of lila to be literal truth, when in reality the real esoteric intent of those writings will not even be perceived by them.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written:

 

 

Goloka-Vrindavana is realizable in the symbolic Vrindavana that is open to our view in this world by all persons whose Love has been perfected by the mercy of the inhabitants of Transcendental Vraja, and not other-wise. The grossest misunderstanding of the subject of the Vraja Lila of Sri Krishna is inevitable if these considerations are not kept in view.

 

In the form of the narrative of the Bhagavatam, the Transcendental Vraja Lila manifests its descent to the plane of our mundane vision in the symbolic shapes resembling those of the corresponding mundane events. If we are disposed, for any reason, to underestimate the transcendental symbolism of the narrative of the Bhagavatam we are unable to avoid unfavorable and hasty conclusions regarding the nature of the highest, the most perfect and the most charming form of the loving service of the Divinity to which all other forms of his service are as the avenues of approach.