Of selfishness and self forgetfulness [From Sanga]

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

S a n g a Tuesday, April 24, 2001

 

"Vraja-bhakti is not a cheap thing that we can wave about and denigrate

even God with, thinking it is our property merely because we've heard about

it. It involves giving up selfishness and entering the domain of self

forgetfulness."

 

Q&A discussion with Swami B.V. Tripurari.

 

Q. I heard recently that someone is saying that Sri Advaita Acarya cannot

give Vraja-bhakti. Do you agree?

 

A. Advaita cannot give Vraja bhakti in the sense that this is Krsna's

prerogative. Thus he calls for Krsna's descent. However, the Advaita

parivara (the lineage coming from Advaita) does facilitate the development

of Vraja bhakti, and through this lineage he does distribute Vraja bhakti.

In a general sense Advaita is Maha Visnu, but in the role of Advaita he

tastes Vraja bhakti himself. The Advaita parivara considers him to be a

partial incarnation of Yogamaya. Kavi Karnapura gives this position to his

consort, Sita. Overall we consider the two as one, Sitadvaita (and

different).

 

The lineage of Advaita teaches that Advaita initiated both of his young

wives and instructed them in manjari seva, just as Purnamasi initiated and

trained the two dutis (gopi messengers) Vira and Vrinda in Vraja and

instructed them in manjari seva. Advaita himself was initiated by

Madhavendra Puri, in whom the seed of Vraja bhakti first manifested.

Advaita also worshipped the yugala murti of Radha Krsna in Santipura.

 

We should be very careful when discussing the position of persons like

Advaita Acarya. He is God himself and a personal associate of Mahaprabhu.

If we denigrate him in any way, we will go down. The Vraja gopis worship

even the Sun God, what to speak of Narayana. Their bhakti is characterized

by the humility and respect for others mandated by Mahaprabhu that extends

to even the inanimate.

 

Vraja bhakti is not merely a theory that we can gather in our head by

collecting information. It is not a cheap thing that we can wave about and

denigrate even God with, thinking it our property merely because we have

heard about it. It involves giving up selfishness and entering the domain

of self forgetfulness. Smaranam involves maranam. We must die in this plane

of material ego to live in the plane of dedication and love.

 

Q. If someone has not developed a feeling for manjari bhava even though

initiated by a sat guru who probably does (this person has a deep feeling

for Krsna but in some other manner, one that coincides perhaps with some

other sampradaya, e.g. the Kumara sampradaya), should this person continue

following their guru but in their own bhava or should they find another

guru?

 

A. If one's guru is attached to manjari bhava, this does not necessarily

mean that all of his disciples will develop this same bhava. Thakura

Bhaktivinoda taught that one's svarupa, which is constituted of bhava, is

inherent in the heart in a seed form. Through diksa, siksa, and the

requisite spiritual practices it develops, 'krsna prema nitya siddha,

sadhya kabhu nay, sravanadi sudha citte, karaye udaya.' When the disciple

reaches the stage of ruci, the guru will guide him in terms of cultivating

that ruci. If he deems it necessary to send his disciple to a siksa guru

who is attached to the sentiment that corresponds with his disciple's ruci,

he will do so.

 

Overall this should not be a concern. Your ruci will guide you, when you

attain this advanced stage. The 'deep feeling' you mention must correspond

with other symptoms of advancement in order that it be considered spiritual

rather than merely a mental consideration.

 

Q. In a previous Sanga you said, 'Because while ordinarily the yuga

avatara of Kali yuga disseminates nama sankirtana and thus delivers the

people of the age, in this Kali yuga Krsna himself (svayam bhagavan) has

come in the place of the yuga avatara in the ecstasy of Srimati

Radharani.' Who then is the ordinary Kali yuga avatar?

 

A. The yuga avatara is Gaura Narayana. He engages in sankirtana and

delivers the world with taraka brahma maha mantra. His emphasis is thus on

devotional liberation as opposed to the prema of sringara rasa. Our

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha Krsna coming in the place of this yuga

avatara. Thus the activities of the yuga avatara are similar to those of

our Mahaprabhu, but in this special Kali yuga the dispensation is higher.

What he came to give has not been given for a long time. It happens once in

the day of Brahma (if we are lucky).

 

Q. It is said that hearing the holy name from a non-devotee is like

tasting milk touched by the lips of a serpent. But if Krsna's name,

pastimes etc. are absolute and transcendental, how can they become

contaminated?

 

A. The holy name cannot become contaminated. However, when those who do

not have faith in Krsna speak about him, they share their lack of faith

with us. They may have many misconceptions about Krsna, and hearing these

misconceptions will not help us to understand the actual position of Krsna.

We should hear about Krsna from advanced devotees, and as we gradually

develop in terms of sambandha jnana (a proper conceptual orientation), we

will be better situated to chant purely.

 

Of course if one is advanced and expert, he or she can 'take gold from a

filthy place.' This kind of devotee can take the good and leave the bad

behind, just as a swan can separate milk from water. Sometimes nondevotees

do say insightful thinks about Krsna. Indeed, everyone is talking only

about Krsna. This is the vision of great souls.

 

Q. In a previous Sanga you talked about deva-lila and nara-lila. If in the

deva-lila there is no change in Krsna's body, how can the desire of

Satyavrata Muni, who is always desiring to see the Gopal form of the Lord,

be satisfied?

 

A. The verses of Satyavrata Muni in his Damodarastakam are progressive

realizations that take place over Yugas. His final aspiration is expressed

in these words, 'namo radhikayai tvadiya priyayai, namonanta lilaya devaya

tubhyam.' He desires to enter the lila of Radha Krsna and prays to Sri

Radha. Otherwise it is true that in the deva-lila Krsna is an adolescent

(Kishore). At the same time, each of the ages of Krsna, kumara, pauganda,

and kishore, are eternal. Passing from one place they appear in another.

Sri Jiva Goswami deals with this subject matter in his Krsna sandarbha.

 

Q. Western indologists say the Vedic scriptures are not 5,000 years old

nor were they written by one person. With references to linguistics and the

differences in the style of sanskrit, etc., they contradict everything our

tradition says about the history of India's sacred literatures. What are we

to think about this?

 

A. You should not be too concerned about the dating of the scriptures. Be

assured the knowledge within them remains timeless. They come through the

parampara system and in this sense they come from one author. Guru is one

while appearing in many forms. Scripture represents the meeting of time and

eternity. At this juncture, the eternal takes on a temporal appearance,

while speaking to us about that which is eternal. If we take the scripture

to heart, we will experience eternality. What then must its nature be?

 

Q. Why do you wear tilaka?

 

A. Tilaka is the symbol that differentiates one lineage from another.

Adorning oneself with Visnu tilaka is a sign of love. Devotees often write

the name of their deity on their sadhaka deha (practitioner's body) as

well. Krnsa wears tilaka because he is a Vaisnava and his family worships

Narayana. If you want to know why Narayana wears tilaka you will have to

ask someone from his sampradaya