Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s

Sri Jaiva-dharma

The Universal Religion

Volume Six

Table of Contents
Chapter Thirty-three
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa								Page	2
Chapter Thirty-four
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa								Page	11
Chapter Thirty-five
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa								Page	18
Chapter Thirty-six
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa								Page	25
Chapter Thirty-seven
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa									Page	34
Chapter Thirty-eight
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa									Page	39
Chapter Thirty-nine
Lila-pravesa-vicara
Entering the Lord’s Pastimes						Page	46
Chapter Forty
Sampatti-vicara
The Greatest Good Fortune							Page	51

Chapter Thirty-three
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
	Today Vijaya-kumara and Vrajanatha bathed in Indrayumna-sarovara, honored prasadam, and returned home.  After eating, Vrajanatha went to see the samadhi of Haridasa Thakura.  Vijaya-kumara went to the temple of Sri Radha-kanta and offered obeisances to his spiritual master.  At an appropriate time Vijaya-kumara asked about Sri Radhika.  Vijaya-kumara said, “O master, Sri Radha is the be-all-and-end--all of my life.  How can I describe it?  When I hear the name ‘Radhika’, my heart melts.  Even though Sri Krsna is the only goal of my life, still I like to taste only the descriptions of His pastimes with Sri Radha.  I do not like to hear descriptions of Sri Krsna if Sri Radha is not included ion them.  O master, I would like to say that I no longer wish to call myself Vijaya-kumara Bhattacarya. I wish to be known as a maidservant protected by Sri Radha.  I do not wish to speak to speak the wonderful descriptions of Vraja to materialists.  When persons unqualified to understand the transcendental rasas (arasika) discuss the glories of Sri Radha, I yearn to flee from that place.
	Gosvami: You are fortunate.  As long as you did not have full faith in the gopis you were not qualified to understand the pastimes of Radha and Krsna.  Descriptions of those pastimes are far beyond what ordinary human beings can understand.  Even the demigoddesses in Devaloka are not qualified to understand them.  O Vijaya-kumara, I have already described the gopis who are dear to Lord Krsna.  Among them Radha and Candravali are the most important.  Each of them presides over millions and millions of groups of beautiful gopis.  At the time of the great rasa-dance, the rasa-dance circle is beautiful with many hundreds of millions of beautiful gopis.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, Candravali may preside over millions and millions of groups of gopis.  Still, I wish that the glories of Sri Radha will be the only sweet nectar to flood and purify my contaminated ears.  I am your surrendered disciple.  
	Gosvami: Between the two of them - Radha and Candravali - it is Radha who is the personification of the highest ecstatic love (maha-bhava-svarupa).  It is She who has the greatest qualities.  She is superior to Candravali in every way.  Look.  The Gopala-tapani Upanisad calls Her by the name Gandharva and glorifies Her.  In the Rk-parisista it is said that Lord Madhava is glorious because Radha stands by His side.  In the Padma Purana, Narada declares, “As Radha is dear to Krsna, so Her pond, Radha-kunda is also dear to Him.  Of all the gopis, Radha is the most dear to Lord Krsna.”  And why not?  What is Radha’s nature?  She is the great hladini-sakti, the best of  Lord Krsna’s potencies.  Radha is the essence of the hladini-sakti (hladini-sara-bhava).
	Vijaya-kumara: These descriptions are very wonderful!  What is Sri Radha’s nature?
	Gosvami: My Radhika is the most beautiful (susthu-kanta-svarupa).  She is the daughter of King Vrsabhanu.  She is glorious with the sixteen ornaments.  She is also decorated with twelve other kinds of ornaments.
	Vijaya-kumara: What do you mean by the word “susthu-kanta-svarupa”?
	Gosvami: It means that Her form is so beautiful that even the most exquisite garments and ornaments are insignificant in comparison to Her and therefore powerless to make Her any more beautiful.  Her hair is gracefully curly, Her face is a blossoming lotus flower, Her large eyes are beautiful and Her large breasts are wonderfully beautiful.  Her waist is slender, Her shoulders are graceful and Her fingernails shine like a row of jewels.  In the three worlds there is no festival of beauty that compares with Her.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the “sixteen ornaments”?
	Gosvami: The sixteen ornaments are: 1. Her pleasant bath, 2. The glistening jewel decorating the tip of Her nose, 3. Her blue garments, 4. Her belt, 5. Her braids, 6. Her earrings, 7. The sandal paste anointing Her limbs, 8. The flowers placed in Her hair, 9. Her necklace, 10. The lotus flower in Her hand, 11. The betelnuts in Her mouth, 12. the musk dot on Her chin, 13. The mascara around Her eyes, 14. the colourful designs and pictures drawn on Her cheeks, 15. The red lac on Her feet, and 16. The tilaka markings on Her forehead.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the “twelve ornaments”.
	Gosvami: 1. The wonderful jewel that crowns Her head, 2. Her golden earrings, 3. The belt around Her hips, 4. The golden locket around Her neck, 5. Her golden salaka earrings, 6. The bracelets on Her wrists, 7. The ornament on Her neck, 8. The rings on Her fingers, Her pearl necklace, 10. Her armlets,  11. Her ankle bells, and 12. The rings on Her toes are the twelve ornaments decorating Sri Radha’s limbs.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the most prominent transcendental qualities of Sri Radha?
	Gosvami: Like the qualities of Sri Krsna, the qualities of Vrndavana’s queen Radha are limitless and cannot truly be counted or listed in full.  Among them these twenty five may be considered prominent.
	1.	She is very sweet.
	2.	She is always freshly youthful.
	3.	Her eyes are restless.
	4.	She smiles brightly.
	5.	She has beautiful, auspicious lines.
	6.	She makes Krsna happy with Her bodily aroma.
	7. 	She is very expert in singing.
	8. 	He speech is charming.
	9.	She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly.
	10.	She is very humble and meek.
	11.	She is always full of mercy.
	12.	She is cunning.
	13.	She is expert in executing Her duties.
	14.	She is shy.
	15.	She is always respectful.
	16.	She is always calm.
	17.	She is always grave.
	18.	She is expert in enjoying life.
	19.	She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic love.
	20.	She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula.
	21.	She is the most famous of submissive devotees.
	22.	She is very affectionate to elderly people.
	23.	She is very submissive to the love of Her friends.
	24.	She is the chief gopi.
	25.	She always keeps Krsna under Her control.
	Vijaya-kumara: I would like to hear an explanation of “5. She has beautiful and auspicious lines.”
	Gosvami: The Varaha Purana, Jyotih-sastra, Kasi-khanda, Matsya Purana, and Garuda Purana describe the auspicious lines. These lines are: I. On the left foot:
	1.	A barleycorn mark at the root of Her left tope.
	2.	below that toe a cakra.
	3.	below the middle toe a lotus flower
	4.	below the lotus flower a banner.
	5.	below the banner a flag.
	6.	a urdhva-rekha line extending from the middle-toe to the middle of the sole.
	7.	below the small toe an elephant goad.
	II. On the right foot:
	1.	at the root of the right big toe a conchshell.
	2.	on the heel a fish.
	3.	below the small toe an altar.
	4.	above the fish a chariot.
	5.	a mountain.
	6.	an earring
	7.	a club
	8.	the mark of a sakti weapon.
	III. On the left hand:
	1.	a long life-line beginning at the meeting of the forefinger and middle finger, and extending to below the little finger.
	2.	below that another line going from below the lifeline to the middle of the space between the forefinger and thumb.
	3.	from below the thumb a curving line rises from the wrist and goes to the space between the thumb and forefinger.
	4-8.	on the tips of each of the five fingers is a cakra.
	9.	below the ring finger is an elephant.
	10.	below the life-line is a horse.
	11.	below the middle line is a bull.
	12.	below the small finger is an elephant goad.
	13	a fan.
	14.	a Sri tree.
	15.	A yupa.
	16.	An arrow.
	17	a tomara weapon.
	18	a flower garland.
	IV. On the right hand:
	1-8	In the right hand, like the left, there are three prominent lines including the lifeline, and on the tips of each finger a cakra.
	9.	below the forefinger a camara
	10.	below the small finger an elephant goad.
	11.	a palace.
	12.	a dundubhi drum.
	13.	a lightning bolt.
	14.	two carts.
	15.	an archer’s bow.
	16.	a sword.
	17.	a waterpot.
	Thus on the left foot are 7 signs, on the right foot 8 signs, on the left hand 18 signs and on the right hand 17 signs.  Altogether there are 50 auspicious lines.
	Vijaya-kumara:  An individual soul may have a drop of some of these qualities, but Sri Radha has them all in perfect fullness.
	The demigoddesses may have them slightly more than others.  Still, Sri Radha, has them all, and in Her they are all perfectly spiritual, untouched by matter.  Any why not?  In the material world these qualities are never manifested in purity, perfection, and completeness.  Gauri and other demigoddesses may have these qualities, but in these demigoddesses the qualities are not pure, perfect, or complete.
	Vijaya-kumara: Ah! Srimati Radhika’s beauty and qualities are inconceivable.  Only by Her mercy can one see or understand them.
	Gosvami: Gazing at Sri Radha’s beauty and qualities, even Lord Krsna Himself is bewildered and enchanted.  How can I properly describe them with my words? 
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please be merciful and describe Sri Radha’s friends (sakhis).
	Gosvami: Sri Radha’s group is the best of all.  The girls in Her group are all decorated with all transcendental qualities.  Their charming playfulness always attracts Lord Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many different kinds of friends (sakhis) does Sri Radha have?
	Gosvami: They are of five kinds: 1. sakhi (friends), 2. nitya-sakhi (eternal friends), 3. prana-sakhi (life friends), 4. priya-sakhi (dear friends) and 5. parama-prestha-sakhi (most dear friends).
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the sakhis?
	Gosvami: The sakhis include Kusumika, Vrnda and Dhanistha.  These gopis are famous among the sakhis.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the nitya-sakhis?
	Gosvami: The nitya-sakhis include Kasturi, Mani-manjari and many others.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the prana-sakhis?
	Gosvami: The prana-sakhis include Sasimukhi, Vasanti, Lasika, and many others.  In many ways they are like the queen of Vrndavana Herself.
	\Vijaya-kumara: Who are the priya-sakhis?
	Gosvami: The priya-sakhis include Kurangaksi, Sumadhya, Madanalasa, Kamala, Madhuri, Manjukesi, Kandarpa-sundari, Madhavi, Malati, Kamalata, Sasikala, and many others.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the parama-prestha-sakhis?
	Gosvami: The parama-prestha-sakhis include Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi, and Sudevi.  These eight are the most important of all the gopis.  Therefore they are called parama-prestha-sakhis.  They are situated in the topmost love for Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.  Sometimes they show more love to Sri Krsna and other times they show more love for Sri Radha.
	Vijaya-kumara: I understand what the word ‘yutha’ (group) means.  What does the word ‘gana’ (sub group( mean?  
	Gosvami: Every yutha is divided into sub-groups, which are called ganas.  For example, Lalita is a member of Sri Radha’s group.  However, Lalita herself has followers, and they are called the members of Lalita’s gana (sub-group).
	Vijaya-kumara: That the gopis are married to gopas other than Krsna is one of the most important characteristics.  Still, it does not look good.
	Gosvami: In this material world ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are only external designations.  Because of past material activities one soul becomes a ‘woman’ and another soul becomes a ‘man’.  In the material world of Maya, many people are filled with petty or sinful desires.  For this reason the great sages have forbidden, except within the institution of marriage, contact with women.  Writing about the rasas, poets have generally avoided describing the love of a woman for a paramour.  However, in the Lord’s spiritual pastimes this kind of love is one of the rasas.  The sexual affairs of men and women in the material world is a perverted reflection of that original rasas in the spiritual world.  Therefore material sexual activities are very dull, pathetic, and a breeding ground for a host of anxieties (kuntha).  Also, the rules of religion place many restrictions on these activities.  For these reasons men in the material world are enjoined to avoid approaching the wives of others.  However, if Lord Krsna, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, is the only male and the only hero, and he accepts this activity to increase the sweetness of His spiritual rasas, He is never contaminated and He is not to be criticized.  He is independent of the material institution of  marriage.  When Sri Krsna, who enjoys pastimes in Goloka, came to the material world from Goloka, He took the transcendental parakiya-rasa with Him.  Therefore no one should criticise Him for enjoying the parakiya rasa with the gopis who have come from Goloka.
	Vijaya-kumara: What exalted symptoms of love did the gopis from Goloka display?
	Gosvami: Before the gopis Lord Krsna appears only in His form as the son of Nanda.  The non devotee philosophers are far from understanding the gopis’ exalted love for Krsna.  Even the devotees find it difficult to understand that love.  When Krsna manifests His form as Nandanandana, His opulence never eclipses His sweetness.  One time, as a joke, Krsna manifested His four-armed form before the gopis, who were not at all impressed.  However, when  Sri Radha approached, the four-armed form at once disappeared.  Because of the greatness of Radha’s confidential parakiya love, Krsna again became two-handed.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now my desires are all fulfilled.  O master, please describe the different kinds of heroines (nayikas).
	Gosvami: There are three kinds of heroines (nayikas): 1. svakiya, 2. parakiya, 3. samanya.  I have already described the spiritual svakiya and parakiya heroines.  Now I will describe the samanya heroines.  Students of material rhetoric (alankara) explain that the samanya heroines are prostitutes, interested only in money.  If their lover has no good qualities, then they hate him, and if he is virtuous, still they do  not really love him.  Therefore their so-called love is only a perverted reflection of love.  It is not true love.  Sometimes it is said that Kubja in Mathura was such a samanya heroine who does not really love her hero.  I do not agree.  I place her among the parakiya heroines.
	Vijaya-kumara: How did she become qualified to become a parakiya-heroine?
	Gosvami: When Kubja was an ugly, disfigured woman, she never loved any man.  However, when she saw Krsna and desired to place sandal paste on His limbs, then she thought of Him as her beloved.  For this reason I say her love is in the parakiya-rasa.  However, the desire to please only Krsna, a desire possessed even by the queens at Dvaraka, was absent in Kubja.  Therefore her love was inferior to the love of the queens.  When she tugged at Krsna’s upper garment and begged that He enjoy amorous pastimes with her, her love for Him was mixed with her own selfish desires.  There her love is considered sadharani (ordinary).
	Vijaya-kumara: Because Kubja is considered in the parakiya rasa, I can see that the svakiya and parakiya heroines are both divided into two sub-groups.  How many different sub-groups are there?  Please describe them.
	Gosvami: In the spiritual rasas the svakiya and parakiya heroines are of three kinds: 1. mugdha, 2. madhya, and 3. pragalbha.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, when by your mercy I think of the spiritual rasas, I naturally think of myself as a gopi in Vraja.  At that time I do not think of myself as a male in the material world.  When I hear of the different kinds of heroines, my heart become agitated.  And why not?  I do not know what I should do so that some day I may love the Lord as the gopis do.  So that some day I may attain this kind of service to Lord Krsna, I now place this question before your holy feet: What is the nature of the mugdha heroines?  Please describe them.
	Gosvami: These are the qualities of the mugdha heroine: She is in the bloom of youth (nava-yauvana), amorous (kamini), contrary in love (rati-dane vama), and submissive to her girl friends (sakhi-vasi-bhuta).  Although externally she is shy to enjoy amorous pastimes,. within her heart she secretly and diligently labours to make various arrangements to enjoy with her lover.  When her lover offends her, tears flow from her eyes.  At that time she neither speaks sweetly, speaks harshly nor becomes angry.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the madhya heroine?
	Gosvami: These are the qualities of the madhya heroine: She is equally amorous and shy, she is in the full bloom of youth, and all her words are touched with a small amount of arrogance.  She enjoys amorous pastimes until she faints unconscious.  Sometimes her heart is gentle.  Sometimes it is hard.  Sometimes she is jealous, sometimes peaceful, and sometimes agitated.  Sometimes she is both peaceful and agitated (dhiradhira).  A heroine who, when her lover offends her, mocks him with crooked words, is called ‘dhira madhya’.  A heroine who in that situation attacks her lover with merciless angry words is called an ‘adhira madhya’ heroine.  A heroine who in that situation sheds tears, speaks sweetly, and then also speaks crooked words to mock her lover is called a ‘dhiradhira madhya’ gopi.  In a madhya heroine the natures of the mugdha and pragalbha heroines are mixed together.   The madhya heroine is the best of the three kinds of heroines.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the pragalbha heroine?
	Gosvami: These are the qualities of the pragalbha heroine: She is in the full bloom of youth, blinded with pride, and very eager to enjoy amorous pastimes.  She is very passionate.  Pushed by the rasas, she attacks her lover.  Her words and deeds are very passionate.  When her jealousy is aroused, she becomes very harsh.  The pragalbha heroines are of three kinds:  1. dhira, adhira, and dhiradhira.  The dhira pragalbha heroine pretends to be disinterested in enjoying with her lover.  Externally she is polite and respectful.  She carefully conceals the passion in her heart.  The adhira pragalbha heroine beats her lover with cruel words.  The dhiradhira pragalbha heroine is like the dhiradhira madhya heroine.  The madhya and pragalbha heroines are also divided into jyestha (older) and  kanistha (younger).  In this way there are jyestha-madhya and kanistha-madhya heroines and also jyestha-pragalbha and kanistha pragalbha heroines.  The difference of jyestha kanistha are considered according to the nature of the heroine’s love for the hero.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, how many kinds of heroines are there all together?
	Gosvami: There are fifteen kinds of heroines.  Very young heroines are always mugdha.  The three basic kinds of heroines are mugdha, madhya and pragalbha.  The madhya and pragalbha heroines are further divided into dhira, adhira, dhiradhira.  Thus there are seven kinds of svakiya heroines, seven kinds of parakiya heroines, and fifteen kinds of heroines in all.
	Vijaya-kumara: What different conditions of life do the heroines experience?
	Gosvami: The eight different conditions of life are: 1. abhisarika (going to meet her lover), 2. vasaka-sajja (dressed and decorated to meet her lover), 3. utkanthita (yearning to meet her lover), 4. khandita (whose meeting with her lover is broken), 5. vipralabdha (separated from her lover), 6. kalahantarita (quarreling with her lover), 7. prosita-bhartrika (her lover has gone far away), and 8. svadhina-bhartrika (she dominates her lover).  The previously described fifteen kinds of heroines all experience these eight conditions of life.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the abhisarika heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine who arranges that her lover meet her, or who goes to meet her lover is called ‘abhisarika’.  If, going to meet her lover, she wears white clothing when the moon is bright, she is called ‘jynotsnabhisarika’.  If, going to meet her lover, she wears dark clothing when the moon is dark, she is called ‘tamo-bhisarika’.  She is so shy she seems to hide behind her own body.  Silent, nicely decorated, and her head carefully covered, she goes, accompanied by a dear friend, to meet her lover.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vasaka-sajja heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine who, anxious to meet her lover, carefully decorates both her body  and the meeting place is called ‘vasaka-sajja’.  She yearns to enjoy amorous pastimes, keeps her eyes fixed on the path her lover will walk, discusses with her friends the pastimes of love, and again and again waits for her messenger’s return.  These are her activities.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the utkanthita heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine who is filled with longing and anxiety when her lover is, though no fault of his own, late in coming to the rendezvous, is called ‘utkanthita’ by persons learned in the different bhavas.  Her heart is feverish, she trembles, she speculates about why her lover has not yet come, she becomes irritated, and she sheds tears.  These are her activities.  She is not like the vasaka-sajja heroine.  She worries that her lover, now under the control of some other girl, will not come to meet her.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the khandita heroine?
	Gosvami: When, the time of rendezvous long passed and the night almost over, the lover finally comes, his body bearing the clear marks of his having enjoyed pastimes with some other girl, the heroine is called ‘khandita’.  This heroine’s activities are anger, long sighs, and silence.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vipralabdha heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine who becomes anxious when, somehow or other, her lover does not come to their rendezvous, is called ‘vipralabdha’.  Unhappy at heart, she laments, weeps, faints, sighs, and performs other like activities.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the kalahantarita heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine who will not forgive her lover, even when, surrounded by all her friends, he humbly falls before her feet, and who manifests lamentation, grief, withering, and sighing, is called ‘kalahantarita’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the prosita-bhartrka heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine whose lover has gone to a faraway place is called ‘prosita-bhartrka”.  She praises the virtues of her lover, is humbler, becomes thin and emaciated, suffers insomnia, and becomes melancholy, restless, stunned and anxious.  Her activities are like that.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the svadhina-bhartrika heroine?
	Gosvami: A heroine whose lover always stays with her and is submissive to her is called ‘svadhina-bhartrika’.  Her activities are to enjoy pastimes with him in the forest, in the water, while picking flowers, and in other like situations.
	Vijaya-kumara: The svadhina-bhartrika heroine must be very happy.
	Gosvami: If her lover is completely controlled by his love for her and if he cannot leave her even for a moment, the svadhina-bhartrika heroine is called ‘madhavi’.  Among the eight kinds of heroines, three kinds - svadhina-bhartrika, vasaka-sajja, and abhisarika - are happy at heart.  They are nicely decorated with garments and ornaments.  However, the other five kinds of heroines - khandita, vipralabdha, utkanthita, prosita-bhartrka, and kalahantarita - do not wear ornaments.  A hand resting on their left cheek, the lament.
	Vijaya-kumara: Their love for Krsna brings them unhappiness!  What does that mean?>
	Gosvami: Love for Krsna is spiritual and always blissful.  These seeming sufferings are actually included among the wonderful variety of blissful spiritual emotions.  In the material world these emotions are suffering, but in the spiritual world they are different kinds of bliss.  A person who has the power to taste spiritual bliss can understand.  Other cannot.
	Vijaya-kumara: Among the different kinds of heroines, what are the different degrees of love?
	Gosvami: According to the intensity of their love for Krsna, the heroines are of three kinds: 1. uttama (high), 2. madhyama (intermediate) and 3. kanistha (low).  As the heroines love Him, so Krsna loves them in the same degree.  This is well known.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the uttama heroine?
	Gosvami: The uttama heroine is willing to renounce any activity in order to please her lover, even for only a moment.  Even if he makes her unhappy, she is never displeased with him.  If someone lies that her lover is unhappy, her heart becomes ripped to shreds.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of a madhyama heroine?
	Gosvami: When she hears that her lover is unhappy, she becomes sad at heart.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of a kanistha heroine?
	Gosvami: The kanistha heroine is anxious that obstacles will prevent her from meeting her lover.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of heroines are there?
	Gosvami: There are 360 kinds of heroines.  The first mentioned fifteen kinds of heroines are each divided according to the next mentioned eight kinds of heroines.  In this way (15 x 8) there are 120 heroines.  These 120 kinds of heroines are each divided  according to the last mentioned three kinds of heroines.  In this way there are 360 kinds of heroines.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I have heard about the heroines.  Now I wish to hear about the different kinds of yuthesvaris (group leaders).
	Gosvami: According to friends and enemies, the yuthesvaris are of three kinds: 1. svapaksa (allies), 2. vipaksa (enemies), and 3. tatastha (neutrals).  According to their good fortune they are of these kinds: 1. adhika (great), 2. sama (moderate, and 3. laghvi (light).  They are also of these three kinds: 1. prakhara (harsh), 2. madhya (moderate) and 3. mrdvi (sweet).  Here ‘prakhara’ is a synonym for ‘pragalbha’.  When the quality of harshness is manifested only very slightly, the yuthesvari is considered mrdvi.  When sweetness and harshness are equally present, she is considered madhya.  The yuthesvaris are also divided into 1. atyantiki (great), and 2. apeksiki (less).  When a yuthesvari has  no equal in any sphere, she is considered atyantikadhika (the best of atyantikis).  This refers to Sri Radha alone.  She is a madhya and in Vraja She has no equal.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the apeksikadhikas (the second level of the great)?
	Gosvami: A yuthesvari who accepts another yuthesvari as her superior is called “apeksikadhika’.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the atyantika laghu (or atyantiki apeksiki)?
	Gosvami: A yuthesvari who is  not inferior to the other heroines is called ‘atyantika laghu’.  In relation to the atyantika adhika yuthesvari (the greatest yuthesvari, Sri Radha), all the heroines are laghu (inferior).  Aside from the atyantiki laghus, all the yuthesvaris are adhikas.  Still, the atyantiki adhika yuthesvari (the greatest yuthesvari, Sri Radha) should never be considered their equal or inferior.  Also, the atyantiki laghu yuthesvaris should not be considered equal to the adhika yuthesvaris.  There is but one kind of sama laghu yuthesvari.  Divided according to the qualities of madhya, adhika, prakhara, and the like, there are twelve kinds of yuthesvaris.  They are: 1. atyantika adhika, 2. sama-laghu, 3. adhika-madhya, 4. sama-madhya, 5. laghu-madhya, 6. adhika-prakhara, 7. sama-prakhara, 8. laghu prakhara, 9. adhika-mrdvi, 10. sama-mrdvi, 11. laghu-mrdvi, and 12. atyantika-laghu.
	Vijaya-kumara: I wish to hear about the different kinds of duties (messengers)?
	Gosvami: The heroines thirsting for association with Krsna need the help of the dutis.  The duties are of two kinds: 1. svayam-duti (messengers who act on their own initiative), and 2. apta-duti (messengers given a specific order).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the apta-duti messengers?
	Gosvami: When great enthusiasm breaks apart any shyness she may have possessed. and, bewildered with love, she openly declares her love for the hero, that is a svayam-duti messenger.  These messengers are three kinds: 1. kayika (bodily gestures), 2. vacika (words), and 3. caksusa (glances).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vacika (words) messenger?
	Gosvami: Hints (vyanga) expressed in words are of two kinds: 1. sabda-vyanga (the hint is present in the sound of the words), and 2. artha-vyanga (the hint is present in the meaning of the words).  Sometimes the hints are directly related to Krsna and other times the hints pretend to be about some other topic.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the hints directly related to Krsna?
	Gosvami: They are of two kinds: 1. hints to Krsna Himself and 2. hints spoken on some pretext.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are hints to Krsna Himself?
	Gosvami: Speaking proudly, lamenting, and begging are some of the many ways hints may be expressed before Krsna Himself.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the hint in the form of a lament?
	Gosvami: A lament expressed by the sound of the words (sabda-vyanga) is one kind of lament hint, and a lament expressed by the meaning of the words (artha-vyanga) is another kind of lament hint.  You studied rhetoric (alankara).  I need not give many examples.
	Vijaya-kumara: Yes.  That is good.  What is the nature of a hint in the form of begging.
	Gosvami: Begging is of two kinds: 1. begging for oneself, and 2. begging on behalf of another person.  Then begging may again be divided into these two kinds: Begging expressed by the sound of the words (sabda-vyanga), and 2. begging expressed by the meaning of the words (artha-vyanga).  The begging described here is all hints.  When the begging is for oneself, the heroine tells her own story.  When the begging is on behalf of another person, the speaker tells another’s story.
	Vijaya-kumara: I understand these direct hints.  In them the heroine may directly accuse Krsna of something.  These hints are also sabda-vyanga (according to the sound) and artha-vyanga (according to the meaning).  Many poets have expertly placed such clever hints in the mouths of actors and actresses.  Now please explain vyapadesa (a pretext).
	Gosvami: In the alankara-sastra it is said the apadesa and vyapadesa are synonyms.  Apadesa means to indicate one thing while speaking of another.  In this way one speaks words that clearly m mean one thing while hinting a request to serve Krsna in a certain way.  This is called ‘vyapadesa’.  ‘Vyapadesa’ should be spoken by a messenger (duti).
	Vijaya-kumara: Vyapadesa is then a kind of trick where a request has a hidden meaning.  Now please describe purastha-visaya-gata-vyanga (the hint of talking about something before one’s eyes).
	Gosvami: When one thinks, “Krsna has heard, but He did not hear”, and when Krsna changes the subject, talking instead about some nearby animal of something else, that is the hint called ‘purastha-visaya-gata-vyanga’.  This hint is of two kinds: 1. Sabda (sounds) and 2. Artha (meaning).
	Vijaya-kumara: By your mercy, I understand everything.  Now please describe the hints given by bodily gestures.
	Gosvami: Gesturing with the fingers, moving quickly on some pretext, covering the body out of fear and shyness, scratching the ground with one’s foot, scratching the ear, making a gesture of applying tilaka, dressing in a certain way, moving the eyebrows, embracing a gopi friend, hitting a gopi friend, biting one’s lips, playing with one’s necklace, making one’s ornaments tinkle, moving one’s shoulders, writing the name ‘Krsna’, and twining a vine around a tree are all included among the hints given by bodily gestures.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe the hints given by the eyes.
	Gosvami:  Laughing and smiling with the eyes, half-closing the eyes, moving the eyes, looking in the distance, crooked glances, glancing with the left eye, and sidelong glances are some of the hints given by the eyes.
	 Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand the svayam-dutis.   You have only given some hints.  But that is good enough..  There are limitless kinds of such messengers.  Now please describe the apta-dutis.
	Gosvami: The messenger who is a beautiful Vraja-gopi,  who is affectionate and eloquent, and whom one can trust to faithfully keep a secret, even to end of life, is this kind of messenger (apta-duti).
	Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of apta-dutis are there?
	Gosvami: The apta-dutis are of three kinds:  1. Amitartha, 2. Nisrstartha and 3. Patra-hari.  A  messenger, understanding the meaning of various hints and signs, brings the lovers together, is called an ‘amitarth duti’.  A messenger who uses the persuasive power of her eloquent words to bring to the lovers together is called a ‘nisrstartha duti’.  A messenger who carries letters is called a ‘patra-hari’.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are there any other apta-dutis?
	Gosvami: The silpa-karini (artists), daivajna (astrologers), lingini  (brahmana girls), paricarika (maidservants), dhatreyi (nursemaids), vanadevi (goddesses of the forest), sakhis (gopi friends), and many others are also counted among the apta-dutis.  The silpa-karinis included girls who use their skill at drawing pictures to arrange for the meeting of the lovers.  The daivajnas use their knowledge of astrology to arrange the lovers’ meeting.  The linginis dress in the garments of brahmana ascetics, like Paurnamasi.  There are many paricarika messengers, such as Lavanga-manjari and Bhaumati.  The dhatreyis are the women who had been nursemaids to Radha and the other gopis.  The vanadevi is the goddesses of Vrndavana (forest).  The sakhis have already been described.  They also become messengers.  These girls carry messages, either direct and clear messages, or messages filled with hints and suggestions, hints that may be either sabda-vyanga or artha-vyanga, both of which I have already described.  In this situation there may be vyapadesa (statements with a hidden meaning), arthta-mula, prasamsa (words of praise), aksepa (words of lamentation), and many other kinds of words also.
	After hearing all these explanations, Vijaya-kumara offered respectful obeisances to his spiritual master’s feet and then took his leave.  Thinking and thinking of all these descriptions, he walked home.

Chapter Thirty-four
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
	Quickly honouring prasadam, and then walking by seacoast, Vijaya-kumara went to Kasi-misra’s home.  As he looked at the waves in the ocean, he thought of the ocean of rasas entered his heart.  He thought, “Ah! This ocean reminds me of ecstatic love (bhava) for Lord Krsna.  Even a material thing can remind one of spiritual love.  This ocean is like the ocean of rasas my spiritual master described.  Some day I will throw this gross and subtle, material body far away, I will attain the form of a manjari, I will go the shore of the ocean of rasas, and I will taste the sweetness of the rasas.  Lord Krsna, who is dark like a monsoon cloud, is the only master of my life.  Sri Vrsabhanunandini (Sri Radha), who stays by His side, is the queen of my life.  This ocean is like the ecstatic love Sri Radha and Krsna feel for each other.  Their rasas and bhavas are an ocean garlanded with waves.  When bhava arises, then there are wonderful waves in this ocean.  Then I am a sakhi (gopi) standing on the shore.  Then I float in the ocean of prema-rasa (the rasas of spiritual love).  Lord Krsna is the ocean of rasas.  Krsna is dark like the ocean.  Sri Radha is the waves of love (prema) in that ocean of Krsna.  She is beautiful with a fair complexion.  The many great waves in that ocean are Her friends (sakhis).  The smaller waves are Her maidservants (paricarikas).  I am very far from them all.  I am a maidservant of Radha’s maidservant’s.”  Thinking and thinking in this way, Vijaya-kumara fell unconscious.  Soon he regained consciousness.  Slowly he approached his spiritual master and offered dandavat obeisances to his feet.  Humbly he sat down.  Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced him and said, “O Vijaya-kumara, is everything well with you?”  Vijaya-kumara replied, “O master, your mercy is the root of all auspiciousness.  I am a follower of the sakhis (gopi friends of Sri Radha).  Therefore I want to clearly understand about the different kinds of sakhis.
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, to properly glorify the sakhis is beyond the power of the individual souls.   You are a follower of Srila Rupa Gosvami, so you can understand all this.  The beautiful girls of Vraja who are sakhis are expert in manifesting many (vistarini) pastimes of love (prema-lila).  They are great reservoirs filled with faith in Vraja’s divine youthful couple.  A person who wishes to clearly understand them is certainly very fortunate.  When describing the different groups of gopis, I have already described the different kinds of sakhis, namely the sakhis who are adhika, sama, and laghvi, and the sakhis who are prakhara, madhya, mrdvi.  I explained all these divisions yesterday.  Here is the evidence for them, from Srila Rupa Gosvami (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sakhi-prakarana, 3-5):
	“In the matters of spiritual love, good fortune and spiritual virtues, and in other matters also, the sakhis are divided into three groups: 1. Adhika, 2. Sama, and 3. Laghu.
	“A prakhara sakhi speaks heavy words that are difficult to counter.  A mrdvi sakhi does not speak harshly at all.  A sama sakhi stands midway between the prakhara and mrdvi sakhi.
	“The sakhis may be divided into different types, beginning with the atyantadhika.  In each group of sakhis the leader is atyantadhika.
	“Some of the atyantadhika sakhis are prakhara, some are madhya, and some are mrdvi.”
	Vijaya-kumara: The yuthesvari is the leader of a particular group.  You have already described how the yuthesvaris are atyantika and how they are divided into three kinds: prakhara, madhya, and mrdvi.  In this way they are either atyantadhika prakhara, atyantadhika madhya, or atyantadhika mrdvi.  This you have already explained.  Now please describe the different kinds of sakhis.
	Gosvami: In each group the yuthesvari is the only atyantadhika sakhi.  The other sakhis are all apeksikadhika, apeksika sama, or apeksika laghvi.  Then again, these are also divided into prakhara, madhya, and mrdvi.  In this way the three groups are multiplied by three to bring nine groups altogether.  They are:
	1. Apeksikadhika prakhara, 2. Apeksikadhika madhya, 3. Apeksikadhika mrdvi, 4. Apeksika-sama prakhara, 5. Apeksika-sama madhya, 6. Apeksika-sama mrdvi  and 9. Apeksika-lagvi mrdvi.
	The antyantika laghvi is of two kinds: 1. Atyantika laghvi, and 2. Sama-lagvi.  This two is added to the preceding nine, and to them added the yuthesvari.  In  this way there are twelve types of heroines in each group.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, which famous gopis are examples of each of these different kinds of sakhis?
	Gosvami: Lalita and many other sakhis in Sri Radha’s group are apeksikadhika prakhara sakhis.  Visakha and many other sakhis in the same group are apeksikadhika madhya sakhis.  Citra, Madhurika and many other sakhis in that group are apeksikadhika mrdvi sakhis.  However, Lalita and the other asta-sakhis (eight closest friends of Sri Radha) are all apeksika laghvi when compared to Sri Radha Herself.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are the apeksika-laghvi prakhara sakhis and the other groups of sakhis like them further divided into other kinds of sakhis?
	Gosvami: The Laghvi prakhara sakhis are of two kinds: 1. Vama (left wing), and 2. Daksina (right wing).
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of vama sakhis?
	Gosvami: They are always very proud.  If there is some slackening in the respect shown to them, they become angry.  They are not submissive to their lover.  Such a sakhi is called ‘vama’.  In Radha’s group, Lalita and many others are considered vama prakhara sakhis.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the qualities of the daksina sakhis?
	Gosvami: These heroines cannot tolerate pride.  These heroines speak sweetly to their lover and they are conquered by His sweet words to them.  Such a sakhi is called ‘daksina’.  In Sri Radha’s group.  Tungavidya and many others are daksina prakhara sakhis.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the atyantika sakhis?
	Gosvami: These sakhis are always sweet.  They are less important than the other sakhis.  Kusumika and many others are said to be atyantika laghvi sakhis.
	Vijaya-kumara:  How do the sakhis carry messages?
	Gosvami: The sakhis bring the hero, who has come a great distance, to meet the heroine.  That is the message they carry.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are the sakhis ever heroines?
	Gosvami: The yuthesvaris are heroines eternally.  The apeksikadhika prakharas, apeksikadhika madhyas, and apeksikadhika mrdvis may be either heroines or sakhis.  They have both natures.  When gopis of an inferior status are present, they may assume the role of heroine.  When a gopi of superior status is present, they assume the role of sakhi.  The gopis of inferior status consider them heroines, and the gopis of superior status consider them sakhis.  Therefore they are called ‘nayika-praya’ (almost heroines).  The apeksika prakhara, apeksika madhya, and apeksika mrdvis also play double roles.  They become sakhis when superior gopis are present and heroines when inferior gopis are present.  The apeksika prakhara, apeksika madhya, and apeksika mrdvis are most often sakhis.  Because the yuthesvari and the previous described three classes of gopis are superior to them, the atyantika laghvi gopis are considered here as a fifth category.  They are always sakhis.  In the presence of the yuthesvari, the apeksika gopis are all sakhis and dutis (messengers).  Then they are not heroines.  The atyantika laghvi gopis are always sakhis.  They are never heroines, and they are never dutis.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the sakhis that act as dutis?
	Gosvami: The yuthesvari are always heroines.  Everyone always honours them.  They do not carry messages.  However, the yuthesvari entrusts to her favourite sakhi the task of carrying messages.  However, when one of her sakhis becomes the objects of the hero’s love, the yuthesvari will become a gauna (secondary) kind of messenger on her behalf.  Here ‘gauna’ means that the yuthesvari does not come and go for long distances carrying.  This kind of carrying messages is of two kinds: 1. When Krsna is present, and 2. When Krsna is not present.
	Vijaya-kumara: In what different ways are messages carried when Krsna is present?
	Gosvami: These messages are of two kinds: 1. Hints, and 2. Direct statements.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the hints?
	Gosvami: When, by a sidelong glance, an eyebrow movement, a movement of the forefinger or another part of the body, or another kind of hint, a sakhi sends Krsna to the heroine, that is called the message in the form of a hint.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the direct statements?
	Gosvami: When, either directly to Lord Krsna or secretly behind his back, the messenger speaks appropriate words, that is called a message in the form of a direct statement.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the messages when Krsna is absent?
	Gosvami: Here one sakhi brings another sakhi to Krsna.  There are man ways a message can be carried in this way.  These are all considered carrying a message when Krsna is not present.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are messages carried for the nayika-praya (almost heroine)?
	Gosvami: When an apeksikadhika prakhara, apeksikadhika madhya or apeksikadhika mrdvi carry a message for a gopi of inferior status, this is called ‘carrying a message for a nayika-praya’.  The sama sakhis and madhya sakhis are naturally friends.  Their friendship is mostly sweet and for the most part they have no difference between them.  Panditas learned in the science of spiritual love (prema) can understand all this.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘a message carried by a sakhi-praya’ (one who is almost a sakhi)?
	Gosvami:  These are messages carried by a laghu-prakara, laghu-madhya, or laghu-mrdvi gopi.  When they are engaged in carrying messages they are called ‘sakhi-praya’ (almost sakhi)>
	Vijaya-kumara: What is a nitya-sakhi (always a sakhi)?
	Gosvami: Gopis who only wish to be a sakhi and never desire to become a heroine are called ‘nitya-sakhi’.  The nitya-sakhis are of two kinds: 1. Atyantika laghvi and 2. Apeksika laghvi.
	Vijaya-kumara: Do the sakhis eternally possess certain specific qualities, like the quality of being prakhara (harsh), qualities that they always manifest and never abandon?
	Gosvami: Although certain qualities are part of the eternal nature of each gopi, sometimes, according to time, place and circumstances, the gopis manifest other qualities, even qualities that are the opposite of their ordinary nature.  An example of this is Lalita’s attempt to calm Radha’s jealous anger.
	Vijaya-kumara: It seems to me that Radha takes great care to arrange the meeting of Lord Krsna with her friends.
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, I can say something about that.  When a sakhi sent with a message meets Krsna in a secluded place, and He requests that she enjoy with Him, she will not agree.  She will not break the trust of the gopi friend who sent her with the message.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the sakhis’ activities?
	Gosvami: The sakhis have sixteen kinds of activities: 1. To praise the virtues of the hero before the heroine and to praise the virtues of the heroine before the hero.  2. To make the hero and heroine attached to each other.  3. To arrange for the rendezvous of the hero and heroine.  4. To give the heroine to Krsna.  5. To speak eloquent jokes.  6. To give consolation.  7. To decorate the heroine in her room.  8. To reveal to the hero the love in the heroine’s heart and to reveal to the heroine the love in the hero’s heart.  9. To hide faults. 10. To teach the heroine how to deceive her husband and other superiors.  11. To bring the hero and heroine together at the appropriate time.  12. To fan with a camara and perform other like services.  13. To approach the hero or heroine when it is appropriate.  14. To carry a message.  15. To save the heroine’s life, and 16. To be careful and diligent in everything.  Many examples could be given to illustrate each of these.  What more shall I say:
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I understand these brief explanations.  Later I will see the examples given in the book Ujjvala-nilamani.  Now I have learned a great deal.  O master, now I would like to learn about the sakhis’s affection for each other and love for Lord Krsna.
	Gosvami: The sakhis are of two kinds: 1. The sakhis whose love for Krsna and their own yuthesvari is not equal, and 2. The sakhis who love Krsna and their own yuthesvari equally.
	Vijaya-kumara: What sakhis have love for Krsna and their own yuthesvari that is not equal.
	Gosvami: These gopis, who are called ‘asama-sneha sakhis’ are of two kinds.  Some love their yuthesvari more than they love Krsna.  Others think, “I am a maidservant of Krsna.”  These gopis will not leave their group to join another.  Still, they love Krsna more than they love their yuthesvari.  A gopi who is proud to serve her yuthesvari, and who loves her yuthesvari more than Krsna, is called ‘sakhi-snehadhika’.
	Vijaya-kumara: Why are they?
	Gosvami: Among the five kinds of sakhis I have already described, those who are simply called sakhis love Krsna more (krsna-snehadhika).  The previously described nitya-sakhis and prana sakhis love their yuthesvari more (sakhi-snehadhika).
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the gopis that love Krsna and their yuthesvari equally?
	Gosvami: The gopis that love Krsna and their yuthesvari equally are called ‘sama-sneha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: Of these sakhis who are the best?
	Gosvami: The sakhis who love Radha and Krsna equally, and who think, ‘I am a follower of Radha’ are the best of all.  They are called ‘priya-sakhis’ and ‘parama-prestha-sakhis’.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please describe the rivalries of the different groups of sakhis.
	Gosvami: All the groups of Vraja-gopis are divided in four ways: 1, sva-paksa (one’s own group), 2, suhrt-paksa (friends), 3, tatastha-paksa (neutral parties), and 4, paritpaksa (enemies).  The gopi groups associate with the suhrt-paksas and tatastha-paksas, and they avoid the pratipaksas.  In this way there is exchange of rasas.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the sva-paksa, pratipaksa and the others.
	Gosvami: The sva-paksa I have already explained.  Now I will explain how the suhrt-paksas and the other groups differ.  The suhrt-paksas are of two kinds:  1, ista-sadhaka (friends pushed together to do something favourable) and anista-sadhaka (friends pushed together to do something unfavourable).  The tatastha-paksa is friendly to both the sva-paksa and the pratipaksa.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pratipaksas.
	Gosvami: The vipaksas are enemies.  They destroy what is good and bring what is evil.  The vipaksas manifest trickery, malice, restlessness, envy, spite, mercilessness, pride and a host of other like qualities.
	Vijaya-kumara: How is pride manifested?
	Gosvami: False-ego, self-importance, arrogance, mocking, conceit, and haughtiness, are the six manifestations of pride.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of false-ego?
	Gosvami: When one praises the sva-paksa and reviles the pratipaksa, that is false ego.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is self-importance?
	Gosvami: When one explains how one’s own group has the most exalted spiritual love, that is self importance.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is arrogance?
	Gosvami: When one is convinced that one’s own group enjoys the most exalted spiritual pastimes, that is arrogance.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is mocking?
	Gosvami: When one laughs at the other group, that is mocking.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is conceit?
	Gosvami: When pride improves one’s devotional service, that is conceit in this context.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is haughtiness?
	Gosvami: To openly declare one’s own superiority is called haughtiness.  To criticise other sakhis and speak sarcastically about them is also haughtiness.
	Vijaya-kumara: Do the yuthesvaris show malice directly?
	Gosvami: No.  The yuthesvaris always keep their gravity and decorum.  They do not openly express malice.  Even if a prakhara sakhi speaks maliciously in her presence, the yuthesvari continues to speak pleasantly.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, the yuthesvaris in the Lord’s Vraja pastimes are all eternally perfect.  They are one of the Lord’s potencies.  What does it mean that malice and other inauspicious qualities are present among them?  Seeing these qualities, non devotee philosophers will criticise the Lord’s Vraja pastimes.  They will say, “If malice and other inauspicious qualities are present in the spiritual world, then why do the devotees criticise or renounce the material world?”
	O master I am a resident of holy Navadvipa, where, by the will of Lord Krsna Caitanya, many materialists may be seen.  Some are followers of karma-kanda.  Some are barren logicians.  Some are impersonalists.  In this way there are many offenders.  They condemn the Lord’s pastimes.  They claim that the Lord’s pastimes are material and are filled with imperfections.
	Gosvami: Persons (arasika) who cannot understand the Lord’s spiritual rasas claim that it is not right for the Lord’s personal associates manifest malice or other seemingly inauspicious qualities.  When one is at last able to understand the spiritual truth, then one can see Vraja’s madhura-rasa, which is the dear friend of Lord Krsna, the Lord who destroys all sins and whose transcendental form enchants a multitude of Kamadevas.  Malice and other seemingly inauspicious emotions felt by Lord Krsna’s personal associates are meant to enhance Lord Krsna’s transcendental pleasure when the associates are in His company.  Apart from these pastimes with Krsna, these seemingly inauspicious qualities are not manifested.  At that time there is only love.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I am a tiny creature.  These confidential truths do not easily enter my heart.  Please be merciful and explain it very simply and clearly.  That will be auspicious for me.
	Gosvami: The rasas of spiritual love (prema-rasa) are like a great ocean of milk.  However, material logic is bitter like cow’s urine.  One who can understand the spiritual rasas obtains an auspicious life.  And why not?  It is after a person performs many pious deeds that Bhakti-devi (the goddess of devotional service) places the fruit of the hladini-sakti in his heart.  Thus a person who shuns the study of material logic obtains the final truth.  On the other hand, persons who use material logic to understand the truth cannot understand the spiritual truth, which is inconceivable, beyond the understanding of the material mind.  The so-called truth they accept is filled with misconceptions.  However, you are a fortunate soul.  Therefore by the grace of Bhakti-devi you understand everything.  However, to make the truth very clear, I must answer your question.  You are not a material logician, nor a follower of karma-kanda, nor a follower of jnana-kanda, nor a doubter.  You are a sincere devotee engaged in vaidhi-bhakti devotional service.  I will explain the truth to you.  I have no objection.  You asked two kinds of questions.  One kind of question takes shelter of dry material logic.  The other kind of question may be satisfied by faith in logic.  The other kind of question may be satisfied by faith in devotional service.  You should not answer the question posed by the impersonalist.  Why not?  Because they have no faith in the actual truth and thus they will not believe what is the true answer.  Without taking shelter of the Lord’s cit-sakti (spiritual potency) a soul imprisoned by Maya cannot understand the inconceivable spiritual truth merely by using the instrument of material logic in a great series of debates.  That is the fate of persons who have no faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  Many different kinds of persons engage in devotional service.  Persons who are qualified to understand the madhura rasa can understand all these truths from their spiritual master.  O Vijaya-kumara, the Lord’s pastimes and rasas in Vrndavana are very wonderful.  The Lord’s madhura-rasa is very different from the amorous pastimes of the material world.  By studying Srimad-Bhagavatam’s five chapter description of the Lord’s rasa dance, a devotee will uproot the desire that grows in his heart.  What disease grows in the heart of the souls imprisoned by Maya?  The disease is material lust.  A soul who has taken shelter of the subtle material body consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego, who is filled with material desires, who identifies with the gross material body made of seven elements beginning with flesh, and who thinks it is a man or a woman, does not have the power to throw material lust far away very easily.  Only by hearing about the Lord’s Vraja pastimes will that soul be able to throw material lust far away.  In the end, such a person is able to see the great wonder that is the Lord’s madhura-rasa pastimes in Vrndavana.  When He throws the impersonalists philosophy far away, then the spiritual madhura-rasa is eternally manifest before him.  When he understands the lesser importance of the Lord’s majestic feature in Vaikuntha, the soul can understand the supreme glory of the Lord’s eternal and splendid rasas.  Then the  soul is filled with intense transcendental bliss.  Then the dry happiness of impersonalism and the dull pleasures of the material world become very unimportant for him.  Then he is filled with a bliss that is perfect and complete.  This perfect and complete bliss is manifest in many places and in many ways.  In some bhavas it is manifested as affection and other like emotions, and in other places it is manifested as malice and other so-called inauspicious emotions.  Material malice and material inauspicious emotions are all abominable.  These spiritual emotions are not like them.  They are all various  transformations of spiritual bliss.  They are like waves in the great ocean of the spiritual rasas.  They make that ocean glorious.  The conclusion of Srila Rupa Gosvami is that these different rasas show the wonderful variety of ecstatic love (bhava).  In the sva-paksa, these bhavas are all the same.  In the suhrt-paksa the bhavas are slightly different.  In the tatastha-paksa, the bhavas are slightly similar.  In the vipaksa, the bhavas are completely different.  Look.  When the bhavas are not compatible the situation is not pleasant.  In that situation the supremely blissful rasas produce malice and other seemingly inauspicious emotions.
	Vijaya-kumara: Why do sva-paksas and vipaksas exist?
	Gosvami: When two heroines have the same nature, sva-paksa and vipaksa are manifested.  In this way friends and enemies are manifested from the spiritual rasas.  The purpose of these emotions is to increase the sweetness of the Lord’s spiritual madhura-rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are Radha and Candravali equally powerful?
	Gosvami: No. No. Sri Radha is full of the highest ecstatic love.  She is the essence of the hladini-sakti.  Candravali is manifested from a tiny particle of Sri Radha’s transcendental form.  Still, in order to increase the prema-rasa (loving pastimes) of Sri Radha, Candravali is manifested as if she were Radha’s equal and rival (vipaksa).  Look, it is not possible for these two yuthesvaris to be completely alike.  If these two seem sometimes to be equals, it is only an accident, like the path of a bookworm accidentally forming the shape of a certain letter of the alphabet.  In truth, the sva-paksas and vipaksas are needed to make the rasas glorious.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, no I have  no doubts.  The nectar of your words flows into my ears and enters my heart, where it destroys all the bitterness that was there.  In my heart I can now understand the transformations of madhura-rasa.  Lord Krsna is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss.  He is the only hero (nayaka).  I meditate on His form, qualities, and activities.  He is dhirodhatta, dhira-lalita, dhira-prasanta, and dhirodhatta.  His qualities are anukula, daksina, satha, and dhrstha.  He is always served by His are ceta, vita, vidusaka, pitha-mardaka, and priya-narma-sakha companions.  He likes to play the flute.  Lord Krsna, who enjoys the madhura-rasa, is manifest in my heart.  I have also understood the descriptions of the beautiful girls of Vraja who have taken shelter of the madhura-rasa.  They are heroines (nayika).  The heroines are of two kinds: 1. Svakiya, and 2. Parakiya.  The best rasa is that of the parakiya heroines in Vraja.  These heroines are of three kinds:  1, sadhana-para, 2, devi, and 3, nitya-priya.  Divided into many, many different groups, the girls of Vraja serve Lord Krsna.  There are many millions and millions of such girls of Vraja, each of them subordinate to one of the many, many yuthesvaris.  Radha and Candravali are the most important of the yuthesvaris.  There are five kinds of sakhis: 1 sakhi, 2 nitya-sakhi, 3 prana-sakhi, 4 priya-sakhi, and 5 parama-prestha-sakhi.  In Radha’s group the eight sakhis headed by Lalita are para-prestha-sakhis.  These eight sakhis headed by Lalita are qualified to become yuthesvaris themselves, but they do not form separate groups, for they prefer to remain followers of Sri Radha.  Still, many other girls of Vraja consider themselves followers of these eight sakhis.  The heroines are divided in different ways: as mugdha, madhya, and pragalbha, as dhira, adhira, and dhiradhira, and as kanya, svakiya and parakiya.  In this way there are fifteen different kinds of heroines.  The heroines have eight different conditions of life, which begin with abhisarika.  The heroines are also divided into uttama, madhyama and kanistha.  In this way there are 360 (15 x 8 x 3) different kinds of heroines.  Knowledge of the friendship and other emotions felt by the yuthesvaris is now also present in my heart.  Knowledge of the messengers and sakhis is now also manifested in my heart.  Now I am able to understand the shelter in whom the rasas rest.  Now I understand the visaya and asraya, and, included within them, the vibhava and alambana.  Tomorrow I will take shelter of your feet and learn from you about the uddipanas.  Lord Krsna has been very kind to me, to give me such a kind spiritual master.  Tomorrow I will be very well nourished by drinking the nectar words that flow from your mouth.
	Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced Vijaya-kumara and said, Baba. I am very fortunate to have you as a disciple.  You like to ask many questions, and Lord Caitanya Himself has placed all the answers in my mouth.  The two of them wept tears of love.  After that they were both stunned and motionless.
	Seeing how fortunate Vijaya-kumara had become, Dhyanacandra and the other great souls there became plunged into great transcendental bliss.  At that moment some pure Vaisnavas came to visit the Sri Radha-kanta temple.  They began to sing this song of Candi-dasa:
	“O friend, whom did I hear pronounce the name ‘Syama’?  That name entered my ears.  Then it traveled to my heart.  Now my life breath trembles.
	“I do not know why the name ‘Syama’ is so sweet.  My mouth cannot renounce saying it.  I say it again and again.  My senses are all overwhelmed.  What will become of me?
	“If this name makes my senses burn with fever, what would happen if the bearer of this name were to touch my limbs? If I were to see this person with my eyes, how could I continue on the religious path?
	“In my heart I decide to forget Him, but He will not be forgotten.  What will I do?  Considering the fate of a saintly young girl in danger of destroying her family, the brahmana Candi-dasa speaks these words.”
	Accompanied by karatalas and mrdanga, everyone sang this song.  An hour and half passed in this way.  Everyone was plunged in spiritual love (prema).  When the spiritual bliss was a little broken, Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances to Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami and the other Vaisnavas, respectfully bade them farewell, and began walking to Haracandi-sahi’s house.

Chapter Thirty-five
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
	Again and again Krsna appeared in his thoughts.  Vijaya-kumara’s heart was attracted to Krsna.  His ordinary dealings were now chaotic.  He ate a little of what food was around and then ran like a madman to his spiritual master, and then fell down before his feet.  Gopala-guru Gosvami carefully picked him up and embraced him.  Vijaya-kumara said, “O master, I wish to learn about the uddipanas in madhura rasa.”  Then the saintly Gosvami carefully spoke.
	Gosvami: The qualities, names, activities, decorations, and other things directly and indirectly related to Krsna and His beloved gopis are the uddipanas in madhura rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these qualities.
	Gosvami: The qualities are of three kinds: 1 mental, 2 verbal and 3 physical.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the mental qualities?
	Gosvami: Gratefulness, forgiveness, and kindness are included among the many mental qualities.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the verbal qualities?
	Gosvami: The verbal qualities are words that delight the ear.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the physical qualities?
	Gosvami: Youthfulness, splendour, charm, beauty, delight, sweetness, and gentleness are included among the physical qualities.  Four kinds of youthfulness take shelter of madhura rasa.  They are: 1 vaya-sandhi, 2 navya-vayasa, 3 vyakta-vayasa and 4 purna-vayasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vaya-sandhi?
	Gosvami: The pint where balya and yauvana meet is called vya-sandhi.  It is also called ‘prathama-kaisora’.  When kaisora arises, that is vayah-sandhi.  Here balya and paugandha are synonyms.  The sweetness of the gopis’ vaya-sandhi age is an uddipana that inspires Lord Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is navya-vayasa?
	Gosvami: It is the beginning of yauvana.  In this age the gopis smile gently, their eyes are restless, their hearts are beginning to become agitated, and their breasts are beginning to manifest.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vyakta-vayasa?
	As this question was spoken, Sri Vaisnava and pandita sannyasi from the Sankara-matha came to see the Deity.  The Sri Vaisnava considered himself a male servant of the Lord, and the Sankara sannyasi was plunged in dry meditation on impersonal Brahma.  Neither of them were qualified to hear about the Vraja-gopis.  It is forbidden to discuss madhura-rasa with person firmly convinced of their material malehood.  Gopala-guru Gosvami and Vijaya-kumara at once stopped their conversation and made small talk about other things.  After a short while the two guests left to see the siddha bakula tree.  Gently smiling, Vijaya-kumara repeated his question.
	Gosvami: When the breasts are clearly manifested, three folds of skin are manifested on the waist, and all the limbs are splendid, then the age is said to be vyakta-vayasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is purna-vayasa?
	Gosvami: When the hips are large, the waist slender, all the limbs splendid with extraordinary beauty, the breasts large, and the thighs like banana trees, the age is called purna-vayasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand these different ages.  Now please describe form.
	Gosvami: When the form is so splendid and glorious that it seems to be decorated even when it is not, is called splendor.  When all the limbs are beautiful, that is called splendour.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is charm?
	Gosvami: When all the limbs shine with a splendour like the splendour of pearls, that is called charm.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is beauty?
	Gosvami: When each limb is shaped in the most appropriate way, and when all the limbs are combined together in the most beautiful way, that is called beauty.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is delight?
	Gosvami: When one’s wonderful qualities make those nearby also wonderful in the same way, that is called delight.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sweetness?
	Gosvami: When the body’s beauty is so great that it cannot be described, that is sweetness.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is gentleness?
	Gosvami: When the body is so soft and delicate it cannot tolerate even the slightest touch, that is called gentleness.  Gentleness is of three kinds: 1 great, 2 intermediate and 3 less.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, now I understand all these qualities.  Now please describe the names.
	Gosvami: Transcendental names, such as the name Radha-Krsna are the birthplace of the rasas and bhavas.
	Vijaya-kumara: I understand.  Now please describe the activities.
	Gosvami: The activities are of two kinds: 1 anubhava and 2 lila.  Anubhava was already described after vibhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe lila.
	Gosvami: Beautiful pastimes, dancing, playing the flute, milking the cows, herding the cows from the hill, and other like activities are all called lila.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are beautiful pastimes?
	Gosvami: The rasa dance, and playing games with a ball are included among the numberless beautiful pastimes that charm the heart.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the decorations?
	Gosvami: Garments, ornaments, garlands and ointments are the four kinds of decorations.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the things directly related to Krsna and the gopis?
	Gosvami: Two kinds of things are directly related to Krsna and the gopis.  They are: 1 things touching and 2 things nearby.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the things touching?
	Gosvami: The sound of the flute, the sound of the buffalo-horn, bugle, the singing, fragrance, tinkling of the ornaments, footprints, sound of the vina, and artistic skill are included among the things touching.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the sound of the flute?
	Gosvami: From Krsna’s mouth, nectar flute-music flows.  That music is the best of the uddipanas.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please be kind and describe the things nearby.
	Gosvami: Flower remnants, peacock feathers, mineral dyes from the hills, the cows, the stick, the flute, the buffalo-horn bugle, the sight of Krsna’s dear associates, the dust raised by the cows, Vrndavana.  The living entities and things that have their shelter in Vrndavana, Govardhana Hill, the Yamuna, and the rasa-dance arena are included among the things nearby.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who are the living entities that have taken shelter in Vrndavana?
	Gosvami: Many birds, bees, deer, forest groves, vines, tulasi plants, karnika flowers, and kadamba trees have taken shelter of Vrndavana.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the things indirectly related to Krsna and the gopis?
	Gosvami:  The moonlight, clouds, lightning, springtime, autumn, full moon, breeze and birds are included among what is indirectly related.
	After hearing about all these uddipanas, Vijaya-kumara was silent for a moment.  Pushed by the uddipanas, ecstatic love arose in his heart.  Then the anubhavas became manifested on his body.  With a choked voice, Vijaya-kumara said, “O master, please describe the anubhavas.  When describing His lilas, you said they were part of Lord Krsna’s activities.  When I understand the anubhavas I will be able to know the full outline of Krsna’s activities.”
	Gosvami: The anubhavas are of three kinds: 1 alankara, 2 ubhasvara and 3 vacika.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the alankaras?
	Gosvami: In their yauvana age the beautiful girls of Vraja manifest twenty kinds of alankara (ornaments).  With these ornaments they conquer their beloved.  These ornaments are:
	Ornaments manifested from the body: 1 bhava, 2 hava 3 hela.
	Ornaments manifested spontaneously: 4 sobha, 5 kanti, 6 dipti, 7 madhurya, 8 pragalbha, 9 audarya, 10 dhairya.
	Natural ornaments: 11 lila, 12 vilasa, 13 vicchitti, 14 vibhrama, 15 kila-kincita, 16 mottayita, 17 kuttamita, 18 vibboka, 19 lalita and 20 vikrta.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is bhava in this context?
	Gosvami: When the heart is steady in madhura-rasa, that state is called ‘rati’.  The first manifestation of rati is called ‘bhava’.  When the heart is steady in rati, that state is called ‘sattva’.  When the heart becomes agitated with ecstatic love, that is called ‘bhava’.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is hava?
	Gosvami: To tilt the neck, move the eyes or eyebrows, or give other hints of love called ‘hava’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is hela?
	Gosvami: When the amorous hints of hava are more openly expressed, that is called ‘hela’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sobha?
	Gosvami: The beauty that amorous pastimes use to decorate the limbs is called ‘sobha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is kanti?
	Gosvami: When amorous desires are satisfied, the splendour then manifested is called ‘kanti’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is dipti?
	Gosvami: When youthfulness, enjoyment, place, time, virtues, and other like things bring a great and glorious splendour that splendour is called ‘dipti’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is madhurya?
	Gosvami: Still in all activities is called ‘madhurya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is pragalbha?
	Gosvami: To be self assured and free from doubt is called ‘pragalbhata’.  This brings great splendour to every limb.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is audarya?
	Gosvami: To be humble in every situation is called ‘audarya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is dhairya?
	Gosvami: When the mind is exalted, that is called ‘dhairya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is lila?
	Gosvami: To imitate the beloved’s graceful garments and actions is called ‘lila’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vilasa?
	Gosvami: When walking, staying still, sitting, the mouth, the eyes, and many other things are all employed to give amorous hints to the beloved, that is called ‘vilasa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vicchitti?
	Gosvami: If there is great beauty, even though the ornaments are few, that is called ‘vicchitti’.  In the opinion of some scholars of rasa, when the lover commits an offense, the sakhis carefully decorated Him, and in spite of all efforts, the girl remains angry, her condition is called vicchitti.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vibhrama?
	Gosvami: When, at the time of going to meet her beloved, a girl is so bewildered with amorous desire that she decorates herself with necklace, garland and other ornaments in the wrong way, that is called ‘vibhrama’.
	Vijaya-kumara: what is kila-kincita?
	Gosvami: Pride, desire, weeping, laughing, envy, fear, and anger, when they are manifested as symptoms of happiness when one meets the beloved, are called ‘kila-kincita.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is mottayita?
	Gosvami: When, by remembering the beloved or receiving news of him, the lover feels love and then desire, that is called ‘mottayita’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is kuttamita?
	Gosvami: When the lover touches the beloved’s breast, and the beloved, although actually pleased, puts on an outward show of anger, that is called ‘kuttamita’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vibboka?
	Gosvami: When pride and jealousy make the beloved insult the lover, that is called ‘vibboka’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is lalita?
	Gosvami: When the movements of the body and the eyebrows show softness, that is called ‘lalita’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vikrta?
	Gosvami: When shyness, pride, and anger are expressed not by words but by actions, that is called ‘vikrta’.  In this way twenty ornaments are manifested from the body and mind.  Some scholars of rasa add two more ornaments - maughdya and cakita - to this list.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is maughdya?
	Gosvami: When, even though she already knows the answer, the beloved, as if she didn’t already know, asks the lover anyway, that is called ‘maugdhya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is cakita?
	Gosvami: When, even though there is no reason to fear, the beloved tells her lover that she is very afraid, that is called ‘cakita’.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, thus I have heard about these alankaras (ornaments).  Now please teach me about the udbhasvaras.
	Gosvami: When the ecstatic love present in the heart is splendidly manifested in the body, that is called ‘udbhasvara’.  When in madhura rasa the belt, bodice and braids become loosened, the limbs are agitated, the mouth is opened wide, and, with dilated nostrils there is heavy breathing, that is called “udbhasvara”.
	Vijaya-kumara: All these udbhasvaras could easily have been included within mottayita and vilasa.
	Gosvami: They have a different kind of glory.  Therefore they are considered separately.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, now please describe the verbal anubhavas.
	Gosvami: Alapa, vilapa, samlapa, pralapa, anulapa, apalapa, sandesa, atidesa, apadesa, upadesa, nirdesa and vyapadesa are the twelve verbal anubhavas.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is alapa?
	Gosvami: When one speaks pleasing, flattering words, that is called ‘alapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vilapa?
	Gosvami: When one laments, that is called ‘vilapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: When one laments, that is called ‘vilapa’.
	Gosvami: Pleasing conversations are called ‘samlapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is pralapa?
	Gosvami: Meaningless words are called ‘pralapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is anulapa?
	Gosvami: Repeating the same thing over and over is called ‘anulapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is apalapa?
	Gosvami: To explain something a second time is called ‘apalapa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sandesa?
	Gosvami: To send a letter to a beloved in a faraway place is called ‘sandesa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is atidesa?
	Gosvami: To say, ‘His words are my words’ is called ‘atidesa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is apadesa?
	Gosvami: While speaking about one thing to reveal another is called ‘apadesa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is upadesa?
	Gosvami: To give instruction is called ‘upadesa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is nirdesa?
	Gosvami: To affirm, “I am that person” is called ‘nirdesa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vyapadesa?
	Gosvami: To misrepresent one’s true desire is called ‘vyapadesa’.  All these anubhavas are present in all the rasas.  However, they are famous for making the madhura-rasa sweet.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, why are these rasa anubhavas considered separately?
	Gosvami: When the alambanas and uddipanas enter the heart, bhava is manifested.  Then the symptoms called ‘anubhavas’ are manifested on the body.  If all the anubhavas were not discussed separately, then it would not be possible to see their natures clearly.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe the sattvika-bhavas in madhura rasa.
	Gosvami: The eight sattvika-bhavas, beginning with being stunned and perspiring, which I had previously described, are also present in madhura-rasa.  However, in this rasa they are manifested in a different way.
	Vijaya-kumara: How is it different?
	Gosvami: Look at the Lord’s Vraja pastimes.  Being stunned comes from joy, fear, wonder, melancholy and anger.  Perspiration comes from joy, fear and anger.  Standing up of the body’s hairs comes from wonder, joy and fear.  Choking up of the voice comes from melancholy, wonder, anger and fear.  Trembling of the body comes from fear, joy and anger.  Becoming pale comes from fear, joy and anger.  Becoming pale comes from melancholy, anger, fear.  Shedding tears comes from joy, anger, and melancholy.  Devastation comes from either happiness or distress.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are these sattvika ecstatic symptoms manifested differently in madhura rasa?
	Gosvami: Yes.  They are.  When before I described the sattvika-bhavas I explained that they were manifested as either dhumayita (smoky), jvalita (blazing), dipta (shining), or uddipta (bright shining).  In madhura-rasa these bhavas are manifested only in two ways, as either uddipta (brightly shining) or sudipta (brilliantly shining).
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please be kind to me.  Please describe the vyabhicari-bhavas in madhura rasa and make me happy.
	Gosvami: The thirty-three vyabhicari-bhavas or sancari-bhavas, which begin with nirveda (disappointment), and which I have previously described to you, are almost all present in madhura-rasa.  Only augrya (violence) and alasya (laziness) are not present in this rasa.  In madhura-rasa these sancari-bhavas are very wonderful.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the most wonderful thing about them in this situation?
	Gosvami: The love for Krsna (krsna-prema) that Krsna’s friends and superiors feel for Him in sakhya-rasa and the other rasas, becomes sancari-bhava in madhura rasa.  In other words what was sthayi-bhava in the other rasas becomes sancari-bhava or vyabhicari bhava in madhura rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What else is wonderful in this situation?
	Gosvami: The vyabhicari-bhavas are not considered direct ingredients of madhura-rasa.  Even the vyabhicaris that begin with marana (death) are not direct ingredients.  Instead of being ingredients, the vyabhicari-bhavas are considered the qualities of madhura-rasa.  The vyabhicari bhavas are the qualities, and madhura rasa is the possessor of the qualities.  That is the proper conclusion.	
	Vijaya-kumara: How are the vyabhicari-bhavas manifested in this rasa?
	Gosvami: Nirveda (disappointment) is born from suffering, unpleasantness, envy, melancholy, calamity and offense.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is dainya (humility) born?
	Gosvami: Dainya is born from unhappiness, fear and offense.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is glani (guilt) born?
	Gosvami: Glani is born from fatigue, anxiety and attraction.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is srama (fatigue) born?
	Gosvami: Srama is born from losing one’s way, dancing, and attraction.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is mada (intoxication) born?
	Gosvami: Mada is born from drinking liquor.  In this way one becomes jubilant and one also loses one’s power of discrimination.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is garva (pride) born?
	Gosvami: Garva is born from good fortune, beauty, virtue and obtaining what is the best of all.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is sanka (doubt) born?
	Gosvami: Sanka is born from theft, offense, cruelty to others, lightning, fearsome creatures, and fearsome sounds.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is avega (intense emotion) born?
	Gosvami: Avega is born from seeing the object of love, hearing about the object of love, seeing what is not loved, and hearing about what is not loved.  The heart becomes bewildered by these intense emotions.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is unmada (madness) born?
	Gosvami: Unmada is born from intense bliss or separation from the beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is apasmara (forgetfulness) born?
	Gosvami: Apasmara is born from unhappiness, which upsets the body and the mind.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is vyadhi (disease) born?
	Gosvami: Vyadhi is born from fever and other like causes.  It is also born from anxiety, intense emotion, and other feelings.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is moha (confusion) born?
	Gosvami: Moha is bewilderment of the mind.  Moha is born from joy, separation and sorrow.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is mrti (death) born?
	Gosvami: Mrti is not directly manifested in madhura-rasa.  Sometimes there is the desire for death.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is alasya (laziness) born?
	Gosvami: Alasya is not directly manifested in madhura-rasa.  When a strong person pretends that he is not strong, that is called alasya.  Alasya does not exist in devotional service to Lord Krsna.  However, it is seen indirectly, as the opposite of true devotional service.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is jadya (inertness) born?
	Gosvami: Jadya is born from hearing about the beloved, seeing the beloved, seeing what is unpleasant, and separation from the beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is  vrida (bashfulness) born?
	Gosvami: Vrida is born from first meeting, doing what should not be done, words of praise, and words of insult.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is avahittha (concealment) born?
	Gosvami: Avahittha, or concealment, is born from treachery, shyness, cleverness, fear and respect.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is smrti (remembrance) born?
	Gosvami: Smrti is firm belief based on previous direct perception.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is vitarka (argumentativeness) born?
	Gosvami: Vitarka is born from melancholy or doubt.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is cinta (anxiety) born?
	Gosvami: Cinta is born from failing to attain what one desires, or attaining what one does not desire.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is mati (thoughtfulness) born?
	Gosvami: Mati is giving thought to understand something.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is dhrti (endurance) born?
	Gosvami: Dhrti is steadiness of the mind.  It is born from the absence of suffering and the attainment of the best thing.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is harsa (happiness) born?
	Gosvami: When, because of seeing or attaining the object of one’s desires, one is pleased, that is called ‘harsa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is autsukya (eagerness) born?
	Gosvami: Autsukya is born from the desire to see or attain the beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is augrya (violence) born?
	Gosvami: Violence is called ‘augrya’.  As I have already said, it is not manifested in madhura-rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is amarsa (haughtiness) born?
	Gosvami: Inability to tolerate disrespect and insult is called “amarsa”.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is asuya (envy) born?
	Gosvami: Asuya is hatred of another person’s good fortune.  It comes from good fortune and virtue.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is capala (impudence) born?
	Gosvami: Lightness of the mind is called ‘capala’.  It is born from attraction and revulsion.
	Vijaya-kumara: From what is nidra (dizziness) born?
	Gosvami: Nidra is born from exhaustion.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is supti (sleepiness)?
	Gosvami: Supti is sleepiness.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is bodha (alertness)?
	Gosvami: Bodha is the opposite of sleepiness.
	O Baba Vijaya-kumara, all these vyabhicaris are manifested in four ways: 1 utpatti, 2 sandhi, 3 savalya and 4 santi.  When two bhavas join together, that is called ‘bhava-sandhi’.  When two different manifestations of one kind of bhava join together, that is called ‘svarupa-sandhi’.  When different kinds of bhavas join together, that is called ‘bhinna-sandhi’.  When many different bhavas are mixed together, that is called ‘bhava-savalya’.  When a bhava disappears, that is called ‘bhava-santi’.
	Thus hearing about the vibhavas, anubhavas, sattvika-bhavas, and vyabhicari-bhavas of madhura-rasa, Vijaya-kumara could understand the samagris (ingredients) of this rasa.  His heart became plunged in prema (pure love).  Still, he thought he had no prema.  Falling at His spiritual master’s feet, and weeping and weeping, he said, ‘O master, why is my heart not plunged in prema?  Please be merciful and tell me.’  Gopala-guru Gosvami replied “Come tomorrow, and I will teach you about prema.  You have understood the samagris (ingredients) of prema.  But prema is still not openly manifested in your heart.  The prema that is the same as sthayi-bhava you have heard from me in a general way.  When you hear how prema is manifested in madhura-rya, you will attain all perfection.”  After speaking these words, Gopala-guru Gosvami embraced Vijaya-kumara.  Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances, and then he returned to his own residence.

Chapter Thirty-six
Madhura-rasa-vicara
Madhura-rasa
	Today Vijaya-kumara came at the appointed time and offered dandavat obeisances to Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami.  Seeing that today Vijaya-kumara was very eager to learn about sthayi-bhava, the spiritual master began to speak.
	Gosvami: The sthayi-bhava of madhura-rasa is madhura-rati.
	Vijaya-kumara: What causes madhura-rati to become manifested?
	Gosvami: Madhura-rati is manifested from abhiyoga, visaya, sambandha, abhimana, tadiya-visesa, upama, and svabhava.  Each item in this list is better than the preceding item.  In this way the rati that is manifested from svabhava is the best of the ratis.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is bhiyoga?
	Gosvami: To openly reveal one’s love (bhava) is called ‘abhiyoga”.  One may make the revelation personally, or another person may do it.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is visaya?
	Gosvami: The five visayas are sound, touch, form, taste and fragrance.	
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sambandha?
	Gosvami: The five glorious sambandhas are family, beauty, virtue and pastimes.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is abhimana?
	Gosvami: When, given the choice of many beautiful and pleasing objects, a person conclusively chooses one, and one alone, demanding, “I want that one”, that is called ‘abhimana’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is tadiya-visesa?
	Gosvami: The tadiya-visesas are footprints, the land of the cows, and dear friends.  In this context the land of the cows is the land of Vrndavana, and the dear friends are the devotees who love Krsna deeply.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is upama?
	Gosvami: When one thing is somewhat like another, that is called ‘upama’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is svabhava?
	Gosvami: The nature that manifests spontaneously, without any external cause is called ‘svabhava’.  Svabhava is of two kinds: nisarga and svarupa.  
	Vijaya-kumara: What is nisarga?
	Gosvami: A habit born from repetition is called nisarga’.  Qualities, form, and hearing are included among the causes of nisarga.  The meaning here is that when the soul again and again acts in a certain way, after many births he develops a habit, which is called ‘nisarga’.  Therefore, it  when hearing about Lord Krsna’s qualities and form a person suddenly and passionately (hatha) falls in love (bhava) with Krsna, that love is caused not by the immediate circumstances, but by repeated past devotional activities (nisarga).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is svarupa?
	Gosvami: What is unborn, beginningless, and self-perfect is called ‘svarupa’.  Svarupa is of three kinds: 1 krsna-nistha (faith in Krsna), lalana-nistha (faith in the gopis), and ubhaya-nistha (faith in both Krsna and the gopis).  Persons of demonic nature do not attain krsna-nistha.  On the other hand, persons of godly nature easily attain it.  Persons who are spiritual enlightened can attain lalana-nistha.  Sometimes even without seeing or hearing of Krsna’s form and other features a person suddenly develops intense love for Him.  When one has both krsna-nistha and lalana-nistha that is called -’ubhaya-nistha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: Is every aspect of madhura rasa manifested from the seven causes abhiyoga, visaya, sambandha, abhimana, tadiya-visesa, upama, and svabhava?
	Gosvami: The beautiful girls of Gokula love Krsna with a love that is part of their own nature (svabhava), a love that is naturally perfect (svarupa-siddha), a love that is not caused by the seven causes that begin with abhiyoga.  Rather, their love is caused by various different pastimes.  However, for the sadhana-siddha (who attained perfection by engaging in sadhana-bhakti) and nisarga-siddha-sadhaka (who are still striving to attain perfection) devotees, the seven causes that begin with abhiyoga do indeed inspire love for Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: One or two examples here would be very pleasing to the heart.
	Gosvami: This kind of love is attained by practicing raganuga-bhakti.  It cannot be attained by vaidhi-bhakti.  This kind of love stays far away from a person who practices vaidhi-bhakti.  When a devotee engaged in sadhana-bhakti sees the loving service the beautiful girls of Vraja offer to Lord Krsna, and when that devotee yearns to serve Krsna in the same way, then the previously mentioned causes, with priyajana (the dear friends of Krsna) especially prominent and now numbering only six because svabhava is not present here, become the causes of his ecstatic love for Krsna,  In this way the devotee gradually attains rati (spiritual love).  When the devotee attains the stage of sadhana-siddha then he may attain lalana-nistha.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of rati?
	Gosvami: There are three kinds of rati: 1 sadharani (ordinary), 2 samanjasa (proper) and 3 samartha (perfect).  Kubja is an example of sadharani-rati.  She yearned for her own person enjoyment in Krsna’s company.  Therefore her love is of an inferior nature.  The Dvaraka queens’ love is samanjasa (proper).  And why not?  They enjoyed Krsna’s company within the religious institution of marriage.  The love of the Gokula goddesses, the gopis is, samartha.  It exists in a plane above the ordinary activities of the world and the ordinary rules of religion.  This Samartha love is not improper (asamanjasa).  Rather, because is has the power to bring the highest goal of life, it is the most proper (ati-samanjasa).  Sadharani love is like a jewel, samanjasa love is like a cintamani jewel, and samartha love, which has no equal, is like a Kaustubha jewel.
	Vijaya-kumara: (weeping and weeping) What a wonderful description this is!  I wish to learn more about sadharani rati.
	Gosvami: When by directly seeing Krsna a person yearns to enjoy in His company, and in this way feels a love that is not yet very intense, that love is called ‘sadharani’.  Because that love is not yet very intense, the desire for one’s own enjoyment is still present within it.  When the desire for personal enjoyment becomes dwarfed, then what remains to dwarf the growth of real love?
	Vijaya-kumara: What is samanjasa rati?
	Gosvami: When by hearing the qualities of Krsna a girl yearns to become His wife, her intense love is called ‘samanjasa’.  Still, in this lover there is sometimes the desire for personal enjoyment.  However, without this desire the wife will not be under Krsna’s dominion.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is samartha love?
	Gosvami: In rati the desire for enjoyment is always present.  In sadharani rati and samanjasa rati the devotee desires her personal enjoyment.  When the desire for enjoyment is completely free for the desire for one’s own personal enjoyment, and one desires only the enjoyment of the beloved, that kind of love is called ‘samartha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is that like?  Please explain and make it more clearly understood.
	Gosvami:  The desire for enjoyment is of two kinds.  One kind is the desire that the beloved will please my own senses.  The other kind is the desire that I will please the senses of my beloved.  The first kind of desire is called ‘kama’ (lust).  And why not?  In that situation one is eager only for his own happiness.  In the second kind of desire one is eager for the happiness and well-being of the beloved.  That desire is the desire of love (prema).  In sadharani love the desire for personal enjoyment is strong.  In samanjasa love that desire is not strong.  In samartha love the desire for enjoyment is of a different nature.  It is, as I have already said, the desire that the beloved should enjoy.
	Vijaya-kumara: In loving affairs the touch of the beloved inevitably brings pleasure.  How is it possible that in samartha love this pleasure is not desired?
	Gosvami: That desire is inevitably difficult to stop.  Still, in samartha love that desire of the heart is very weak.  In this kind of love the desire to please the beloved is very strong.  That desire then embraces the desire for personal enjoyment, and in that embrace both desires become one.  Because this is the strongest (samartha) of all kinds of love, it is called ‘samartha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the glories of samartha love?
	Gosvami: Among the seven previously described causes beginning with abhiyoga, sambandha may e manifested, or tadiya-visesa may be manifested or svarupa may be manifested and in this way samartha love may come into being.  Or, forgetting all these, this very powerful love may come into being by itself.
	Vijaya-kumara: How do the desire for personal  enjoyment and the desire that the beloved should enjoy join and become a single desire?
	Gosvami: The beautiful girls of Vraja love Krsna with samartha love.  They desire only for His happiness.  When they associate with Krsna, the certainly experience their own happiness.  However, they accept only those activities that bring happiness to Krsna.  Thus the desire for personal enjoyment and the desire only to please Krsna meet in the waves of sublime and wonderful pastimes.  In that condition the desire for personal enjoyment does not exist apart from the desire to please Krsna.  In this way the desire for personal enjoyment ceases to exist.
	Vijaya-kumara: Aha! How wonderful is this love!  I yearn to hear of it’s highest glories.
	Gosvami: When this love (rati) matures it reaches the stage called ‘maha-bhava’.  All the liberated souls seek this stage of love.  The five kinds of devotees attain it to the degree they are able.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I request that you explain the different stages of this love.
	Gosvami: It is said (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sthayi-bhava-prakarana):
	“When rati becomes very intense, it is called ‘prema’.  As prema gradually manifests its sweetness, it is called sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, and bhava.”
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please give an example.
	Gosvami: As there is a progression in sweetness from sugar-cane plant to sugar-cane juice to molasses to gur, to sugar granules, to rock candy, so there is a progression in love from rati to prema, to sneha, to mana, to pranaya, to raga, to anuraga, and finally to bhava.  The word ‘bhava’ in this progression refers to maha-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: Why are so many different stages with so many different names grouped under the general heading of ‘prema’?
	Gosvami: The six kinds of love, which begin with sneha, are all different pastime stages of prema.  The panditas who are learned in this matter call them all by the name “prema”.  In this way prema is manifested.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of prema?
	Gosvami: There are three kinds of prema: 1, praudha (mature) , 2 madhya (intermediate) and 3, manda (slow).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is praudha prema?
	Gosvami: When the lover is anguished to think her delay may worry her beloved, that is praudha-prema.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is madhya prema?
	Gosvami: When the lover is not concerned about the beloved’s anguish, that is madhya prema.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is manda prema?
	Gosvami: When the lover neither cares nor does not care, that is manda prema.  This kind of love can inspire one to create obstacles to stop the exalted love of a rival.  O Vijaya-kumara, Praudha, madhya and manda are thus the three divisions of prema.  They can also be described in these words: When the lover cannot tolerate the beloved’s suffering, that is praudha prema.  When the lover can tolerate the beloved’s suffering, that is madhya prema.  When the lover forgets whether the beloved suffers or not, that is manda prema.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand prema.  What are the characteristics of sneha?
	Gosvami: When it reaches its highest state, prema is like a brilliant lamp.  This is known as ‘citprema’ (spiritual love).  When it makes the heart melt, this spiritual prema is called ‘sneha’.  The by product of sneha is that the lover never becomes satiated or disinterested, even if the lover sees the beloved at every moment.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are there different kinds of sneha, some better and some lesser?
	Gosvami: In the lowest kind of sneha, the lover’s heart melts  at the touch of the beloved.  In the intermediate kind of sneha, the lover’s heart melts at the sight of the beloved.  In the best kind of sneha, the lover’s heart melts simply by hearing of the beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the other different kinds of sneha?
	Gosvami: Sneha is also of two kinds: 1. Ghrta sneha (ghee love) and madhu-sneha (honey love).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ghrta-sneha?
	Gosvami: When love is very respectful (adaramaya) it is called ‘ghrta-sneha’.  When ghrta-sneha is mixed with madhu sneha, the result is very palatable.  Ghrta-sneha is by nature cool.  When the respect (adara) is increased (ghani-bhuta), this love becomes more intense.  It is called ‘ghrta-sneha’ because it has the qualities of ghrta (ghee).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is respect (adara).
	Gosvami: Respect (adara) comes from honouring others (gaurava).  In this way respect and honour are interdependent.  When love (rati) is  manifested with them it is called, in this context, ‘sneha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is gaurava (honour).
	Gosvami: When one thinks of a person as a guru, that is called ‘gaurava’.  From gaurava is manifested sambhrama (esteem).  This is all said to be included within adara (respect).  Adara and gaurava are interdependent.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is madhu-sneha?
	Gosvami: When the lover thinks, “The beloved is my property’, then that is called ‘madhu-sneha’.  Many different rasas meet in this sweet love.  This love is passionate and therefore it brings warmth.  Because this love is sweet (madhura), there it is called ‘madhu-sneha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What does it mean to think “The beloved is my property’?
	Gosvami: Love is manifested in two ways.  In one way the lover thinks, “I am the property of my beloved”.  In the other way the lover thinks, “My beloved is the property of me.”  In ghrta-sneha the idea “I am the property of my beloved” is prominent.  In madhu-sneha the idea “My beloved is the property of me” is prominent.  Candravali possesses ghrta-sneha.  Radha possesses madhu-sneha.
	Vijaya-kumara: (after offering dandavat obeisances to his spiritual master).  What is mana?
	Gosvami: When sneha becomes exalted and manifests a new kind of sweetness, the lover manifests various crooked dealings with the beloved.  That is called ‘mana’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of mana?
	Gosvami: There are two kinds of mana: 1 udatta and 2 lalita.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is udatta mana?
	Gosvami: It is of two kinds.  In one kind the lover is straightforward, open, and free of diplomacy.  In the other kind the lover engages in concealment and crooked diplomacy.  Udatta-mana is manifested in ghrta-sneha.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is lalita-mana?  I cannot say why, but somehow I feel attracted to it.
	Gosvami: Lalita-mana is of two kinds.  In kautilya-lalita-mana there is independence and crookedness.  In narma-lalita-mana there are joking words.  Both kinds of lalita-mana manifested in madhu sneha.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is pranaya?
	Gosvami: When the lover trusts the beloved and feels one at heart with the beloved, that is called ‘pranaya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What does ‘trust’ (visrambha) mean in this situation?
	Gosvami: The real nature of pranaya is trust, which is called ‘visrambha’.  Visrambha is of two kinds:  1 maitra and 2 sakhya.  Visrambha means ‘firm trust’.  This trust is not merely the secondary cause of pranaya.  It is the original cause of it, the very ingredient of which it is made.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is maitra-visrambha?
	Gosvami: When visrambha is joined with humility, that is called ‘maitra’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sakhya-visrambha?
	Gosvami: When the lover is free from all fear and convinced that the beloved is completely under the lover’s control, that is called ‘sakhya-visrambha.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly explain how pranaya, sneha and mana are related to each other.
	Gosvami: In some situations sneha gives birth to pranaya, and from pranaya mana is manifested.  In other situations sneha gives birth to mana and from mana pranaya is manifested.  Therefore mana and pranaya may assume both roles of either cause or effect.  Visrambha requires a separate explanation.  Udatta and lalita exist in both maitra and sakhya.  However, in sakhya they are also called “su-maitra” and “su-sakhya”.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is raga?
	Gosvami: When pranaya becomes exalted even great suffering is considered happiness.  That stage of pranaya is called ‘raga’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of raga?
	Gosvami: There are two kinds: 1 nilima-rga and 2 raktima-raga.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of nilima-raga are there?
	Gosvami: There are two kinds of nilima-raga: 1 nili-raga and syama-raga.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is nili-raga?
	Gosvami: In this raga there is no possibility of loss of destruction.  Externally there is great glory and love is concealed within the heart.  That is nili-raga.  Candravali manifests this raga before Lord Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is syama-raga?
	Gosvami: When the beloved’s delay makes the worried lover water the forest plants with a stream of tears, that is called syama-raga.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of raktima raga are there?”
	Gosvami: Raktima raga is of two kinds: 1 kusumbha and 2 manjistha-sambhava,
	Vijaya-kumara: What is kusumbha-raga?
	Gosvami: When the other ragas manifest their beauty and glory, that is called ‘kusumbha raga’.  Kusumbha-raga rests in a particular object.  When it mixes with manjistha-raga, it produces withering and melancholy in a gopi who loves Krsna (krsna-pranayi).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is manjistha-raga?
	Gosvami: The eternal, unchanging, unalloyed, eternally very glorious love that Sri Sri Radha and Madhava feel for each other is called manjistha-raga.  The final conclusion is that ghrta, sneha, udatta, maitra, su-maitra, nilima, and other like bhavas that have been described here are manifested in Candravali and by the queens headed by Rukmini.  On the other hand, madhu, sneha, lalita, sakhya, su-sakhya, raktima, and other like bhavas are manifested in Sri Radha.  Sometimes they are also seen in Satyabhama.  I have already explained that the beautiful girls of Vraja are divided into many rival (sva-paksa and vipaksa) groups.  In this way there is much dissension among them.  When they relate to the other bhavas, these create many different features.  Only panditas learned in this particular topic can understand all this.  In other words, I will not give a more elaborate explanation of it.
	Vijaya-kumara: To which bhavas does the phrase ‘the other bhavas’ refer?
	Gosvami: It refers to sthayi-madhura-bhava, the 33 vyabhicari-bhavas, and the seven bhavas that begin with hasya.  Thus it refers to 41 bhavas.  These are the ‘other bhavas’ referred to here.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand raga.  Please explain anuraga.
	Gosvami: The raga that is always newer and newer and makes the beloved newer and newer at every moment is called ‘anuraga’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the glorious wonder that this raga manifests?
	Gosvami: It brings the lover under the beloved’s control and the beloved under the lover’s control.  It creates prema-vaicittya.  It makes one yearn to take birth even as a very lowly being (if that birth is within the holy abode is Sri Vrndavana).  It is limitless and most exalted.  It makes Krsna present even when the devotee is separated from Him.
	Vijaya-kumara: I can easily understand how anuraga brings the lover and beloved under each other’s control and how it makes one yearn to take birth as a tree or other lowly being (within the holy abode of Sri Vrndavana).  But, O master what is prema-vaicittya?
	Gosvami: Prema-vaicittya is the love the devotee feels in separation from Krsna.  You will learn about that later.
	Vijaya-kumara: Now please describe maha-bhava.
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, I am a very insignificant person.  I am not really qualified to describe the wonders of the rasas of Vraja.  Whatever Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Pandita Gosvami have mercifully taught me, I will  now reveal to you.  Please consider it their mercy upon you.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I, the asker of questions and very fallen and unintelligent.  Please explain maha-bhava so even my heart can understand it.
	Gosvami: Sri Radha is the asraya of anuraga and Lord Krsna is the visaya.  Sri Krsna, who is the son of Nanda is the visaya in madhura-rasa.  Sri Radha is the asraya.  Anuraga is the sthayi bhava.  When that anuraga reaches its highest, most glorious stage, it is called maha-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: Aha!  Maha bhava! Maha bhava! Today I can understand something of maha-bhava.  The highest point of all the bhavas is maha-bhava.  Please place on my ears an example of maha-bhava.
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, you are very fortunate.  The following verse is an example of maha-bhava:
	“Vrnda-devi said to Lord Krsna: O regal elephant who wanders in the jungles and mountains, Your amorous pastimes have shaken away Radha sadness in separation from You.  With the red colour of ever-new love, the artist of Your amorous pastimes paints a glorious picture in the palace of the world.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Where does maha-bhava reside?
	Gosvami: Maha-bhava does not reside in the Dvaraka queens.  It resides only in the gopis, the goddesses of Vraja.
	Vijaya-kumara: What does all this mean?
	Gosvami: When the lover and beloved are bound by ties of marriage, the relationship is svakiya-rasa, and the love is samanjasa.  In this situation samartha love, which brings the possibility of maha-bhava is not present.  In Vraja, although svakiya-rasa is also present, parakiya rasa predominates.  In the highest stage of parakiya-rasa samartha love, maha-bhava is manifested.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many are the different kinds of maha bhava?
	Gosvami: When it appears, maha-bhava floods the heart with nectar.  Maha-bhava is of two kinds: 1 rudha and 2 adhirudha.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is rudha maha bhava?
	Gosvami: When all the sattvika bhavas shine very brightly, that is rudha maha-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the anubhavas in maha-bhava.
	Gosvami: Inability to tolerate the eye’s natural activity of blinking, agitating the hearts of those nearby, thinking a kalpa to be as long as a moment, worrying that Krsna may be suffering, even when it is obvious that He is happy, forgetting everything, thinking a moment to be as long as a kalpa, and although they are not bewildered, they forget everything about themselves.  These anubhavas are present in both meeting the beloved (sambhoga) and separation from the beloved (vipralambha).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘inability to tolerate the eye’s natural activity of blinking’?
	Gosvami: In this bhava the feeling of separation (vipralambha) is present in meeting (sambhoga).  Here the lover is unable to tolerate even a brief moment’s separation from the beloved.  At Kuruksetra the vraja-gopis cursed the creator Brahma for creating eyelashes that impeded their always seeing Krsna.  And why not?  The blinking of their eyelashes became an obstacle that stopped them from seeing Krsna for a moment.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘agitating the hearts of those nearby’?
	Gosvami: When they saw the gopis’ ecstatic love, the kings and queens present at Kuruksetra felt deeply moved at heart.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘thinking a kalpa to be as long as a moment’?
	Gosvami: The rasa dance lasted for an entire night of Brahma.  Still, the gopis thought it lasted for only a moment. 
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘worrying that Krsna may be suffering, even when it is obvious that He is happy’?
	Gosvami: In Srimad Bhagavatam (10.31.19) the gopis worry that Krsna will suffer if He places His lotus feet on their hard breasts.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘although they are not bewildered they forget everything about themselves’?
	Gosvami: Because Krsna is always present before them, they are not bewildered.  However, when Krsna is present, they forget everything about their own bodies and about everything else in the material world.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘thinking a moment to be as long as a kalpa’?
	Gosvami: Krsna said to Uddhava, “When I was with the gopis in Vrndavana, all the nights seemed to pass like half a moment.  But now that I am separated from them, every night seems like a kalpa.”  This is an example of ‘thinking a moment to be as long as a kalpa’?
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I understand the rudha-bhavas.  Please describe the adhirudha-bhavas.
	Gosvami: When these rudha-bhava anubhavas I have just described become very wonderful, they become the adhirudha-bhavas.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many kinds of adhirudha-bhava are there?
	Gosvami: There are two kinds: 1 modana and 2 madana.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is modana?
	Gosvami: When Radha and Krsna both feel adhirudha-bhava, and when They both manifest all the sattvika-bhavas with the most brilliant glory, that is called ‘modana’.  In modana-bhava Radha and Krsna both become very agitated.  This condition is the highest good fortune of spiritual love manifested among the gopi lovers of Lord Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: Where does modana-bhava reside?
	Gosvami: Modana-bhava does not reside outside of Sri Radha’s group.  Modana-bhava is manifested in the very dear pastimes of the hladini-sakti.  When the lovers are separated, modana gives birth to mohana.  When there is great distress because of separation, the sattvika-bhavas are very brilliantly manifest.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the anubhavas of mohana?
	Gosvami: Embraced by His beloved, Krsna falls unconscious.  Although she suffers unbearably, a gopi still thinks only of how Krsna will be happy.  Thirsting for the touch of Krsna, a gopi becomes mad and decides to commit suicide, thus filling the spiritual and material worlds with anxiety and making the nearby animals weep.  Mohana-bhava is possible in Sri Radha, the queen of Vrndavana.  These mohana vyabhicari-bhavas are not present in anyone but Radha.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, if you think it is right, then please describe divyonmada (transcendental madness).
	Gosvami: When it enters a certain indescribable state, mohana-bhava becomes like a bewildered condition.  This very surprising and wonderful state is called ‘divyonmada’.  This state has many different divisions, such as udghurna (agitation) and citra-jalpa (surprising talk).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is udghurna?
	Gosvami: Many different kinds of activities can be called ‘udghurna’.  When Krsna went to Mathura, Sri Radha manifested udghurna.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is citra-jalpa?
	Gosvami: Seeing one of the beloved’s friends, with wonderful anger the lover harshly expresses her anxiety and longing.  This is called ‘citra-jalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of citra-jalpa?
	Gosvami: The ten kinds of citra-jalpa are: 1 prajalpa, 2 parijapita, 3 vijalpa, 4 ujjalpa, 5 sanjalpa, 6 avajalpa, 7 abhijalpa, 8 ajalpa, 9 pratijalpa, and 10 sujalpa.  All these different kinds of citra-jalpa are manifested in the Bhramara-gita chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam’s Tenth Canto.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is prajalpa?
	Gosvami: Citra-jalpa has numberless wonderful forms.  Therefore it is very difficult to describe it with any kind of completeness.  When the lover spitefully, maliciously, and passionately insults the beloved, that is called ‘prajalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is parijalpita?
	Gosvami: When the lover claims that the beloved, who is the master of her heart, is merciless, crooked, and fickle is called ‘parijalpita.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vijalpa?
	Gosvami: When in the heart one honours and loves Krsna, although externally one casts spiteful glances and speaks spiteful words, is called ‘vijalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ujjalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover angrily, arrogantly and spitefully insults Krsna, calling Him a rake and a rogue that is called ‘ujjalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sanjalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover mocks Krsna with many sarcastic words and asserts that Krsna is ungrateful, that is called ‘sanjalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is avajalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover says that because Krsna is harsh, lusty and crooked, she is afraid of what loving Krsna may bring, that is called ‘avajalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is abhijalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover says, “It is foolish and useless to fall in love with Krsna.  He is so cruel he tortures even the innocent birds.”  These crooked words are called ‘abhijalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ajalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover, filled with disgust, declares, “Krsna is crooked and deceptive.  He only gives us pain.  We should stop talking of Him, and instead talk about something else, something more pleasant.”  That is called ajalpa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is pratijalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover declares, “Krsna is a highwayman in loving affairs.  He is a rake who likes to enjoy pastimes with many girls.  Therefore he should not come anywhere near me.”  That is called ‘pratijalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sujalpa?
	Gosvami: When the lover sincerely, deeply, humbly, and restlessly asks many questions about Krsna, that is called ‘sujalpa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, am I qualified to understand madana?
	Gosvami: When the most exalted love of the hladini-sakti, a love that is the best of all the bhavas, is splendidly manifested, that is called ‘madana’.  Madana-bhava is eternally manifested in Sri Radha.
	Vijaya-kumara: Does envy exist in madana-bhava?
	Gosvami: Envy is very prominent in madana-bhava.  It is seen that even inanimate objects are envied.  Again, sometimes it is seen that words of praise are offered to all who have a relationship with Krsna.  Words describing envy of Krsna’s flute and words praising the pulinda girls may be cited as examples here.
	Vijaya-kumara: At what stage is madana seen?
	Gosvami: The wonderful madana-bhava is manifested when the lover’s meet and enjoy pastimes together.  Madana-bhava is manifest in thousands of ways in the eternal pastimes.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, do the great sages give a description of madana-bhava?
	Gosvami: Madana-rasa is limitless.  Even Lord Krsna Himself could not understand everything about the spiritual madana-rasa.  The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami found himself unable to describe it completely.  The rasa-acarya Bharata Muni and many others were also unable to properly describe madana-rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What wonderful things have I heard! Even Lord Krsna Himself, the enjoyer of madana-rasa, cannot understand it completely.  Why is that?
	Gosvami: Lord Krsna is rasa personified.  He is limitless, all knowing, and all powerful.  Nothing is unknown by Him, unattainable for Him, or impossible for Him to do.  He is inconceivably and simultaneously one and different from the rasas.  He is each rasa and He is all rasas.  He accepts each rasa.  In this way He is ‘atmarama’ (the enjoyer of the spiritual rasas).  Nothing in the rasas is apart from Him.  He is present in all the rasas simultaneously.  Aside from Krsna’s own (atma) rasa, there is also the rasa of others (para).  Both these kinds of rasas bring the experience of the happiness of spiritual pastimes.  When the rasa of others (para) is manifest in its highest stage, it is called ‘parakiya-rasa’.  This highest stage is manifested in all its glory in the land of Vrndavana.  When the atma-rasa (svakiya-rasa) is completely unknown, and only parakiya-rasa is known, that is the highest stage of madana-rasa.  In this way madana-rasa is purely manifested in the Lord’s aprakata (invisible to material eyes) pastimes in Goloka.  It is also manifested in the land of Vraja situated in the material world.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, you mercy to me has no limit.  I request that you please give a summary of the whole madhura-rasa.
	Gosvami: The various bhavas manifested by the vraja gopis are all spiritual, beyond the touch of the material world.  They are beyond the understanding of material logic.  Therefore the human intelligence cannot describe the completely.  I have heard in the scriptures that Sri Radha had raga (love) for Krsna was manifested even in Her purva-raga (the beginnings of love).  From this raga came the anuraga sneha.  From that came mana and pranaya.  These topics cannot be understood completely.  In sadharani-rati is manifested dhumayita.  Sneha, mana, pranaya, raga and anuraga are manifested in samanjasa-rati.  From that comes splendid dipta-rati.  Then are manifested rudha, uddipta, modana, and sudipta-rati.  Please know that this is merely a general summary.  And why not?  There may be exceptions according to time, place and object.  Sadharani-rati culminates in prema.  Samanjasa-rati culminates in anuraga.  Samartha-rati culminates in maha-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the extent of rati in sakhya-rasa?
	Gosvami: The highest stage of the narma-sakhas is anuraga.  However, Subala and some others among them attain maha-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: I have already described sthayi-bhava.  Sthayi bhava culminates in maha-bhava.  Why are different rasas seen in sthayi bhava, even though it has only one nature?
	Gosvami: Sthayi-bhava is manifested in the different rasas.  The secret activities of sthayi bhava are not openly manifested.  When there is contact with the samagris, then the different rasas may be seen.  The appropriate samagris are manifested in sthayi-bhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: Are svakiya-rasa and parakiya rasa both eternally manifested in madhura-rasa?
	Gosvami: Yes.  Svakiya and parakiya are both eternal.  The difference between them is not merely a material designation.  If the difference between them were material, the madhura rasa and the other rasas would all be material in nature.  The rasas are eternal, and they are manifested eternally.  In the rasas there are ruci (attraction to Krsna), bhajana (service to Krsna), and prapti (attainment of Krsna), bhajana (service to Krsna), and prapti (attainment of Krsna).  Svakiya-rasa is also present in Vraja.  In that rasa the devotee thinks of Krsna as her husband.  In that rasa, ruci, sadhana, (spiritual practice), bhajana, and prapti are all manifested.  The svakiya-rasa manifest in Dvaraka is the same as that of Vaikuntha.  However, please know that the svakiya-rasa of Vraja is different from the rasas of Goloka.  In other words, Lord Krsna, the master of Vraja, resides in the highest portion of the Vaikuntha world.
	With great love Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances and returned to his residence.

Chapter Thirty-seven
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa (Madhura-rasa)
	Again and again relishing the sweetness of the bhavas, Vijaya-kumara offered dandavat obeisances to his spiritual master’s lotus feet.  He asked, “O master, I have understood vibhava, anubhava, sattvika-bhava, and vyabhicari-bhava.  I have also understood sthayi-bhava.  However the rasa that comes from the meeting of the sthayi bhava with the previously described four ingredients has not yet manifested within me.  Why is that?”
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, you should understand about the rasa called srngara-rasa.  Only then will you be able to understand the sweetness of sthayi bhava.
	Vijaya-kumura: What is srngara-rasa?
	Gosvami: When madhura-rasa becomes very beautiful, it is called ‘srngara-rasa’.  This rasa is of two kinds: 1 vipralambha (separation) and 2 sambhoga (enjoyment).
	Vijaya-kumara: I wish to learn about vipralambha.
	Gosvami: Whether they meet or not, the two youthful lovers, yearn to embrace and enjoy many pastimes.  When these desires remain unfulfilled, their love (bhava) becomes very great.  This most intense emotional state, which make the happiness of meeting all the greater, is called ‘vipralambha’.  The word ‘vipralambha’ means parting (viraha) or separation (viyoga).
	Vijaya-kumara: How does vipralambha make the happiness of sambhoga (meeting) greater?
	Gosvami: When a red cloth is polaced  again into red dye, the cloth is made even more red.  In the same way, vipralambha increases the enjoyment of the lovers when they finally meet.  Without vipralambha, the enjoyment of sambhoga does not become increased.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different kinds of vipralambha?
	Gosvami: There are four kinds of vipralambha: 1 purva-raga, 2 mana, 3 prema-vaicittya and 4 pravasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is purva-raga?
	Gosvami: Before the young lovers meet they may somehow see each other, hear of each other, or in some other way come to know of each other.  When, by these activities they become attracted to each other and begin to fall in love, that is called ‘purva-raga’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different ways they may see each other?
	Gosvami: The lover may see Krsna directly, see a picture of Him, or see Him in a dream.  These ways of seeing Him are called ‘darsana’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the different ways they may hear of each other?
	Gosvami: They may hear from the mouth of a poet reciting prayers, from the mouth of a gopi-friend, from the mouth of a gopi-messenger, or from a song, or in some other way.  That is called ‘sravana’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What causes them to be attracted and fall in love (rati).
	Gosvami: I have already described the many causes of rati, causes that begin with abhiyoga.  These are said to be the causes in purva-raga also.
	Vijaya-kumara: Who attains purva-raga first: Krsna or the gopis?
	Gosvami: This may be considered in different ways.  In the material world woman are shy and posses other feminine qualities.  For this reason it is the man who pursues the woman.  However, it is also said that women are naturally more attracted to the affairs of love, and therefore doe-eyed women feel purva-raga first.  In the Bhakti-sastras it is that the devotee feels purva-raga first, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead feels purva-raga afterward.  Therefore it is said that the vraja-gopis feel purva-raga most intensely, and they feel it first.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the vyabhicari-bhavas in purva-raga?
	Gosvami: Included among the vyabhicari-bhavas in purva-raga are: disease, doubt, envy, fatigue, disappointment, eagerness, humility, anxiety, dizziness, alertness, lamentation, inertness, madness, confusion, and death.
	Vijaya-kumara: How many different kinds of purva-raga are there?
	Gosvami: There are three kinds of purva-raga: 1 praudha, 2 samanjasa and 3 sadharana.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is praudha purva-raga?
	Gosvami: When it is manifested in samartha-rati, purva-raga is manifested as praudha-purva-raga.  In this kind of purva-raga, yearning, death, and other conditions of life are manifested.  The vyabhicari-bhavas are filled with yearnings.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these different conditions of life.
	Gosvami: It is said in the Ujjvala-nilamani:
	“Yearning, anxiety, wakefulness, emaciation, being stunned, bewilderment, disease, madness, illusion and death are the ten conditions present in purva-raga.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is yearning?
	Gosvami: Yearning is an intense desire to attain the beloved.  In it eagerness, restlessness, moving to and fro, sighing and other like symptoms are manifested.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is anxiety?
	Gosvami: Anxiety is when the mind is restless.  In this condition there are deep sighs, restlessness, being stunned, worry, tears, becoming pale, perspiring and other like symptoms.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is wakefulness?
	Gosvami: Wakefulness is when sleep is destroyed.  In this condition there are being stunned, being withered, being angry, and other like symptoms.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is emaciation?
	Gosvami: Emaciation is when the body becomes very thin.  In this condition there are weakness, giddiness, and other like symptoms.  In some texts the word ‘vilapa’ (lamentation) is read here.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is being stunned?
	Gosvami: Inability to see any difference between what is desirable and what is not desirable, failure to answer questions, and the ability to see or hear are present when one is stunned.  Inarticulate sounds made suddenly and for no reason, inertness, long sighs and bewilderment are also included among the symptoms here.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is bewilderment?
	Gosvami: The state of being deeply upset and thus unable to cope is called bewilderment.  In this condition there are disappointment, melancholy, envy, and loss of discrimination.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is disease?
	Gosvami: Disease is when, because of being unable to attain the beloved, one become pale and feverish.  In that condition one yearns for coolness, one is bewildered, one sighs and one falls to the ground.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is madness?
	Gosvami: When, in every place, every condition and every time one is bewildered and says things are other than they actually are, that is called madness.  Hatred of the beloved, sighing, blinking of the eyes, and separation from the beloved are included in madness.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is illusion?
	Gosvami: When the mind acts in a contrary, improper way, that is called illusion.  Being motionless and fainting occur in illusion.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is death?
	Gosvami: When, in spite of all efforts to make Him return, the beloved does not return, the lover, tormented by love, yearns for her own death.  She bequeaths to her friends all her favourite things: the bumblebees, the gentle breeze, the moonlight, and the kadamba flowers.  This is the anubhava.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is samanjasa purva-raga?
	Gosvami: Samanjasa purva-raga is manifested in samanjasa-rati.  In it are manifested desire, thoughtfulness, remembrance, glorifying the beloved’s virtues, passion, lamentation, madness, disease, being stunned, and death.
	Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is desire?
	Gosvami: To yearn for the touch of the beloved is called ‘desire’.  To attain this desire the lover decorates herself with ornaments and reveals her passion.
	Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is thoughtfulness?
	Gosvami: To think of different ways to attain the beloved is called thoughtfulness.  In this situation the lover carefully arranges the bed, sighs, and anxiously looks to see the beloved’s arrival.
	Vijaya-kumara: In this context what is remembrance?
	Gosvami: To think of the beloved and things in relation to Him is called remembrance.  In this situation the lover trembles, has a seizure where she loses control of her limbs, weeps, sighs, and performs other like activities.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is glorifying the beloved’s virtues?
	Gosvami: To praise the beloved’s handsomeness and other virtues is called glorifying the beloved’s virtues.  In this situation the anubhavas include trembling, standing up of the body’s and choking of the voice.  In this situation anxiety, mad lamentation, disease, being stunned, and death are manifested in samanjasa purva-raga as they are also in samanjasa-rati.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please describe sadharana purva-raga.
	Gosvami: Sadharana samanjasa purva raga is like sadharana-rati.  In it are manifested the six conditions beginning with lamentation, only their manifestation is softer.  The situation is natural, so there is no need to give any examples.  In this purva-raga the lovers send love letters, garlands and other things to be placed in each other’s hands.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the love-letters?
	Gosvami: Love-letters are of two kinds: 1 those that are not written with words, and 2 those that are written with words.  Because in them the author reveals His or Her love, they are called ‘love-letters’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the love letters that are not written with words?
	Gosvami: Without drawing any words, the author may use her fingernail to draw a half-moon on a red flower petal or leaf.  That is called ‘a letter written without any words’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is a love-letter that is written with words?
	Gosvami: When the lover personally writes with His or Her own hand verses in the Prakrt language, that is called a ‘love letter that is written with words’.  The ink for the letter may be red hingula, musk or black ashes and water.  The pages of the letter are extraordinarily large flower petals.  The stamp to seal the letter is made of kunkuma.  Lotus fibers are the string to tie the pages together.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the sequence of events in purva-raga?
	Gosvami: First there is the sight of something pleasing to the eye.  Then there is thinking of what one has seen.  Then there is attachment, then yearning, then loss of sleep, then becoming emaciated, then renouncing all else, then destruction of shyness, then madness, then falling unconscious and then death.  These are the stages of love.  These stages are manifested in both the hero and the heroine.  However, they are manifested first in the heroines and only later in Krsna.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger?
	Gosvami: When the lovers meet, but the heroine will not allow her lover to touch her, that is called jealous anger.  Disgust, anxiety, restlessness, arrogance, envy, concealment, loss and worry are included among the sancari-bhavas in jealous anger.
	Vijaya-kumara: Where does jealous anger rest?
	Gosvami: Jealous anger rests in pranaya (love).  Before  pranaya exists jealous anger cannot be said truly to exist.  If it exists at all, it is very stunted.  Jealous anger is of two kinds: 1 with a cause, and 2 without a cause.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger with a cause?
	Gosvami: When the beloved gives His affection to a rival, and the lover feels jealous anger mixed with love  (pranaya), that is called jealous anger with a cause.  The ancient sages affirm that without sneha, fear is not possible, and without pranaya, jealous anger is not possible.  Therefore, when jealous anger is manifested, this reveals the love felt by the hero and heroine.  A girl who sincerely loves her beloved cannot bear the idea of a rival for her beloved’s affections.  When the Dvaraka queens heard that Krsna had given a parijata flower to Rukmini, jealous anger arose only in the heart of Satyabhama and not in the heart of any other queen.
	Vijaya-kumara: In what different ways is the rival (vipaksa) discovered?
	Gosvami: There are three ways: 1 the lover hears about her rival, 2 she suspects the rival’s existence, and 3 she sees the rival in a dream.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is hearing about the rival?
	Gosvami: The lover may hear from the mouth of one of her friends, from the mouth of a parrot, or from the mouth of someone else.  In these ways she hears about her rival.
	Vijaya-kumara: How does she suspect her rival’s existence?
	Gosvami: She may see the marks of amorous enjoyment, hear the name of her rival accidentally spoken, or see her rival in a dream.  In these ways she may suspect the existence of a rival.  On the limbs of her beloved she may see various signs of His having enjoyed with another girl.  That is called ‘seeing the marks of enjoyment’.  Her beloved may accidentally speak the name of a rival.  That is called, ‘hearing the name of her rival accidentally spoke’.  These things make the heroine so sad that she wishes she were dead.  In a dream the lover may see Krsna and a rival beloved.  This is called ‘seeing the rival in a dream”.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is directly seeing the rival?
	Gosvami: The girl may directly see her beloved enjoying pastimes with a rival.  That is called ‘directly seeing the rival’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is jealous anger without a cause?
	Gosvami: When there is no real cause, but there is only a flimsy reflection of a cause, and the heroin takes shelter of pranaya (love), the result is jealous anger without a cause.  Jealous anger with a cause is itself a transformation of pranaya.  When the pastimes of pranaya are manifested, one by product is the creation of jealous anger without a cause.  This kind of jealous anger is called ‘pranaya-mana’.  The ancient panditas declare that spiritual love moves in a crooked way, like the movements of a snake.  That is why the heroine manifests these two kinds of jealous anger, anger with and without a cause.  This rasa has many vyabhicari-bhavas.  Among them concealment is the most important.
	Vijaya-kumara: How does the beloved pacify jealous anger without a cause?
	Gosvami: Jealous anger without a cause will be pacified spontaneously.  No effort is needed to pacify it.  In the course of joking and other like pastimes, it will go away.  Jealous anger with a cause will be pacified when there are conciliation, quarrel, giving a gift, and bowing down to offer respects.  Jealous anger may also be pacified by shedding tears, by joking pastimes, or in other ways also.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is conciliation?
	Gosvami: Speaking affectionate words is called ‘conciliation’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is quarrel?
	Gosvami: Quarrel is of two kinds: 1 crookedly praising one’s own glories, and 2 using a friend to criticise the beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is giving a gift?
	Gosvami: When on some pretext an ornament or other gift is given to the jealous beloved, that is called ‘giving a gift’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is bowing down to offer respects?
	Gosvami: When the lover humbly falls at the feet of the jealous beloved, that is called ‘bowing down to offer respects.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘upeksa’?
	Gosvami: When, seeing that neither conciliation nor any other means will pacify His jealous beloved, the lover simply remains silent, that is called ‘upeksa’.  Some scholars say that ‘upeksa’ here means that by speaking joking words the lover pacifies His jealous beloved.
	Vijaya-kumara: You used the word ‘rasantara’.  What does that word mean?
	Gosvami: To speak words that bring sudden fear to the jealous beloved is called ‘rasantara’.  Rasantara is of two kinds: 1 yadrcchika and 2 buddhi-purvaka.  When it occurs accidentally it is called  ‘yadrcchika’.  When it happens because of the lover’s great intelligence it is called ‘buddhi-purvaka’.
	Vijaya-kumara: In what other ways can the lover break His beloved’s jealous anger?
	Gosvami: One way is to play the flute at an appropriate time and place.  There are also other ways to remove the jealous anger of the vraja-gopis.  A small among of jealous anger may be easily pacified.  A moderate amount of jealous anger may require some effort.  Intense jealous anger is difficult to pacify, even with great effort.  When a gopi expresses her jealous anger at Krsna, she may say, ‘O crooked one, O crest-jewel of the malicious, O king of cheaters, O king of the deceivers, O best of the wicked,  O great demon, O hard-hearted one, O shameless one, O rake whose playing is a host of sins, O lecher who hunts out the gopis, O thief of beautiful girls’ hearts.  O destroyer of the gopis’ piety, O rake who mocks the saintly gopis, O king of the debauchees, O great darkness of sins, O thief of the gopis’ garments, O highwayman who lurks in the valley of Govardhana Hill!”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘prema-vaicittya’?
	Gosvami: When, even though her beloved is present before her, a girl suffers, mistakenly thinking He is far away, that is called ‘prema-vaicitya’.  When she is so overwhelmed with intense love that her mind mistakenly thinks her beloved is far away, that is called ‘vaicittya’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is ‘pravasa’?
	Gosvami: When, although previously they were together, the hero and heroine now stay in different countries, different towns, different rasas, or different localities, that is called ‘pravasa’.  The vyabhicaris of the pravasa separation are all the vyabhicaris of srngara-rasa except for joy, pride, passion, and shyness.  Pravasa is of two kinds: 1 buddhi-purvaka and 2 abuddhi-purvaka.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is buddhi-purvaka pravasa?
	Gosvami: When the beloved goes far away to perform a specific duty, that is called ‘buddhi-purvaka pravasa’.  Krsna’s duty in this situation is to give pleasure to His devotees.  This kind of pravasa is of two kinds: 1 going a short distance, and 2 going far away.  When the journey is far away, it is of three kinds: 1 future, 2 present, and 3 past.  When the journey is far away, the lovers exchange letters.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is abuddhi-purvaka-pravasa?
	Gosvami: When fate forces the beloved to live far away that is called ‘abuddhi-purvaka pravasa’.  In the grip of the demigods or other forces, the lovers are forced into many different situations.  Anxiety, sleeplessness, agitation, being emaciated, bodily limbs becoming discoloured, wild talking, disease, madness, bewilderment, and death are the ten conditions of life in this kind of pravasa.  When Krsna goes far away, all these ten conditions of life are manifested.  O Vijaya-kumara, these different kinds of spiritual love (prema) and these ten conditions of life can be understood only by mercy.  Without mercy they cannot be understood.
	Vijaya-kumara: When my heart thinks about this description of separation, it says that separation is not an end in itself.  Rather, it is meant to increase the ocean of pleasure the lovers feel when they meet.  Although a soul imprisoned by Maya will prefer the ocean of happiness obtained in meeting and think it better than the rasa of separation, still, the rasas of separation is eternally manifested.  The Lord’s pastimes would not be so wonderful if it were absent.

Chapter Thirty-eight
Srngara-rasa-vicara
Srngara-rasa
	Folding his palms, Vijaya-kumara asked his spiritual master about sambhoga (enjoyment in meeting).
	Gosvami: Sri Krsna’s pastimes are of two kinds: 1 prakata (manifested and 2 aprakata (unmanifested).  The separation from Krsna I described occurs in the prakata pastimes.  In Vrndavana Krsna eternally enjoys the rasa dance and other pastimes with the gopis.  Therefore, because these pastimes are eternal, Krsna and the gopis are never separated.  In the Mathura mahatmya it is said that Krishna eternally enjoys pastimes with the gopas and gopis.  There the verb ‘kridati’ (enjoys pastimes), which is in the present tense, affirms that Lord Krsna eternally enjoys pastimes in Vrndavana.  Therefore in Goloka or in Vrndavana, in Lord Krsna’s aprakata (unmanifested) pastimes, Krsna and the gopis always enjoy together.  Krsna never goes to a faraway place.  There is no separation.  Gazing at each other, embracing and enjoying many pastimes, Krsna eternally enjoys (sambhoga) with the gopis.  This enjoyment (sambhoga) is of two kinds: 1 mukhya (primary) and 2 gauna (secondary).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is mukhya sambhoga?
	Gosvami: When Krsna and the gopis enjoy while they are awake, that is called ‘mukhya-sambhoga’.  Mukhya-sambhoga is of four kinds.  The sambhoga that occurs soon after the purva raga is called sanksipta (brief).  The sambhoga that occurs after jealous anger is called ‘sankirna’ (narrow).  The sambhoga that occurs after a nearby pravasa (journey) is called ‘sampanna’ (fortunate).  The sambhoga that occurs after a faraway journey is called ‘samrddhiman’ (opulent).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sanksipta-sambhoga?
	Gosvami: When fear, shyness, and other like emotions keep the meeting brief, that is called ‘sanksipta-sambhoga’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sankirna-sambhoga?
	Gosvami: When the lovers worry that an unpleasant obstacle may thwart their pastimes, and therefore Their enjoyment becomes like drinking hot sugar cane juice, that is called ‘sakirna-sambhoga’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sampanna-sambhoga?
	Gosvami: When, after a long journey the lover meets His beloved, Their enjoyment is called ‘sampanna-sambhoga’.  This sambhoga is of two kinds: 1 agati and 2 pradhurbhava.  An ordinary meeting is called ‘agati’.  When the two passionate lovers accidentally and suddenly come face-to-face, that is called pradhurbhava.  Pradhurbhava brings a great festival of the best transcendental happiness.	
	Vijaya-kumara: What is samrddhiman sambhoga?
	Gosvami: This is when the young lovers have a rare opportunity to see each other.  And why not?  Because they are under the control of others, this does not always happen.  Now that they are free from the control of others, they can enjoy without any obstacles.  This is called ‘samrddhiman sambhoga’.  This sambhoga is of two kinds: 1 concealed and 2 openly manifested.  I need not describe them now.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is gauna-sambhoga?
	Gosvami: When one enjoys pastimes with Krsna in a dream, that is called ‘gauna-sambhoga’.  These dreams are of two kinds: 1 samanya (general) and 2 visesa (specific).  This gauna sambhoga is of two kinds.  When the vyabhicari-bhava sleep is prominent, it is samanya gauna sambhoga.  Visesa gauna-sambhoga is when one awakens from the dream and sees that the waking reality is exactly the same as the dream.  Thus the meeting with Krsna in the waking state is exactly like the meeting with Him in the dream.  This rasa is filled with the yearnings of love.  The four divisions of sanksipta, sankirna, sampanna, and samrddhiman also exist in gauna sambhoga.
	Vijaya-kumara: Dreams aren’t real.  How can samrddhiman sambhoga occur in a dream?
	Gosvami: In the spiritual world waking and dreaming are the same.  Usa and Aniruddha met in a dream.  In the same way Krsna and His beloved gopis can meet in Their dreams.  Perfected devotees (siddha-bhakta) sometimes have very wonderful dreams, and when they awaken they attain an ornament or something else that they first saw in the dream.  These dreams are of two kinds: 1 being awake when one is dreaming, and 2 dreaming when one is awake.  The gopis’ dreams, which are filled with spiritual love are in the fifth condition of life, far beyond the yogis samadhi, which is in the fourth condition of life.  Thus the gopis’ dreams are not at all like material dreams, which are born from the mode of passion.  This means that the gopis’ dreams are not material and are not impelled by the material modes of nature.  Rather, they are eternal spiritual reality.  Therefore Lord Krsna can certainly enjoy wonderful pastimes with the gopis in their dreams.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe visesa-gauna-sambhoga.
	Gosvami: The following are all the visesa gauna sambhoga (special situations of meeting): seeing, talking, touching, blocking the path, putting an obstacle on the path, pastimes in a house, pastimes in Vrndavana forest, pastimes in the Yamuna’s waters, pastimes in a boat, pastimes of stealing flowers, pastimes at a ghata (the dana-keli pastime), playing hide-and-seek in the forest, drinking madhu nectar, Krsna disguising Himself as a woman, pretending to be asleep, gambling with dice, tugging at garments, kissing, embracing, scratching with fingernails, drinking the nectar of each other’s bimba fruit lips, and enjoying amorous pastimes.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, playful pastimes (lila-vilasa) is one thing, meeting (samprayoga) is another thing.  Of the two, which brings the most happiness?
	Gosvami: Playful pastimes (lila-vilasa) bring more happiness than meeting (samprayoga).
	Vijaya-kumara: With what affectionate names do the gopis address Krsna?
	Gosvami: The gopis address Krsna with the following affectionate names: Gokulananda (O bliss of Gokula), Govinda (O pleasure of the cows, land and senses), Gosthendra-kula-candra (O moon born from the king of Vraja), Pranesvara (O master of our lives), Sundarottamsa (O crown of all handsome men), Nagara-siromani (O crest-jewel of amorous heroes), Vrndavana-candra (O moon of Vrndavana), Gokula-raja (O king of Gokula), and Manohara (O enchanter of our hearts).  There are many other names  also.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, Lord Krsna’s pastimes are of two kinds: 1 prakara (manifested) and 2 aprakata (unmanifested).  Still, all His pastimes are the same spiritual reality.  What are the different kinds of His prakata pastimes in Vraja?
	Gosvami: The Lord’s prakara pastimes in Vraja are of two kinds: 1 nitya (regular) and 2 naimittika (for some special occasion).  The Lord’s asta-kaliya-lila (pastimes in the eight periods of the day) in Vraja are His nitya pastimes.  Other pastimes, like His killing Putana and other demons, and His going far away on a journey are His naimittika pastimes.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I wish to learn about the Lord’s nitya-pastimes.
	Gosvami: O Vijaya-kumara, would you like to hear the description given by the ancient sages, would you like to hear the description given by the Six Gosvamis?
	Vijaya-kumara: I would like to hear the descriptions given by the ancient sages.
	Gosvami: It is said:
	“The eight periods of the day are: 1 the end of night, 2 the early morning, 3 the late morning, 4 midday, 5 the afternoon, 6 sunset, 7 evening, and 8 night.  Midday and night last for six muhurtas each.  Evening and the other periods last for three muhurtas each.”
Two dandas (24 minutes) equal one muhurta (48 minutes).  In the Sanat-kumara-samhita, Lord Sadasiva described Lord Krsna’s pastimes in these eight periods of the day.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, am I qualified to hear these words of Lord Sadasiva, the spiritual master of the universe?
	Gosvami: Please listen.  Lord Sadasiva said (Sanat-kumara-samhita 183-188):
	“Thinking of Him as their paramour, with hidden love the gopis please their beloved Krsna.
	“One should think of oneself as a beautiful young gopi girl expert in various arts, pleasing to Lord Krsna, reluctant to directly enjoy with Lord Krsna even if He were personally to invite you...
	...a follower of Sri Radha, always devoted to Her service, more affectionate to Sri Radha than to Lord Krsna Himself...
	...every day carefully and affectionately arranging the meeting of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, and becoming happy to see Them pleased by your service.
	“Thinking of oneself in this way, one should serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna from the early morning of Brahma-muhurta to the end of night.’
	Vijaya-kumara: what are the pastimes at the end of night?
	Gosvami: Sri Vrnda-devi said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 196-201):
	“In the middle of beautiful Vrndavana fore, which is decorated with fifty groves, in a grove of kalpa-vrksa trees, in a glittering jewel palace...
	...on a graceful be, the sleeping, tightly embracing divine couple were awakened by birds following my command.
	“Their firm embrace broken, the divine couple became unhappy at the thought of Their impending separation.  They had no wish to rise even slightly from Their bed.
	“Awakened by the cheerful words of many parrots and other birds, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna rose from Their bed.
	“Seeing that the divine couple had happily risen from bed, the gopis entered and served Them in ways appropriate to that time.
	“When the female parrots spoke, the divine couple rose from Their bed.  Very anxious, They returned to Their homes.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the pastimes in the early morning?
	Gosvami: There it is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 202-218):
	“Wakened by His mother in the early morning, Lord Krsna rose from bed.  Then He and Balarama brushed Their teeth.
	“With His mother’s permission, Lord Krsna eagerly went to the barn to milk the cows.  Then Sri Radha, wakened by the elder gopis, also rose from Her bed.
	“Sri Radha rose, brushed Her teeth, anointed Herself with fragrant oils, and then went to the bathing room, where Lalita and the other gopis bathed Her.
	“Then She went to the decorating room, where Her friends decorated Her with garlands, scents, oils, and many glittering ornaments.
	“Then, after first speaking to Radha’s mother-in-law, Yasoda called Radha and Her friends to cook breakfast for Lord Krsna.
	“Sri Narada said: O goddess, why did Yasoda call Sri Radha to cook when Rohini and so many other expert cooks were present in her home?
	“Sri Vrnda said: The great sage Durvasa gave Radha a boon that She would be the best of cooks.  This I heard from the mouth of Katyayani.
	“Durvasa said to Radha: O goddess, by my mercy whatever You cook will be more delicious than nectar.  It will increase the life of whoever eats it.
	“That is why every day Yasoda calls Radha to cook.  Yasoda thinks, “Eager to eat this delicious food my son will live a very long life.”
	“Receiving permission from Her mother-in-law, Radha becomes very happy.  Accompanied by a host of friends, She goes to Krsna’s home to cook.
	“Meanwhile, Lord Krsna milked some cows and had the other boys milk the others.  Then, called by His father, He and His friends returned home.
	“Then the servants happily massaged Lord Krsna, bathed Him, dressed Him in clean garments, garlanded Him and anointed His body with sandal paste.
	“Then the servants gathered Lord Krsna’s hair from His forehead to His neck and tied it in a topknot.  They made the moon of His forehead splendid with tilaka and curling locks of hair.
	“They decorated Lord Krsna with armlets and bracelets.  They made His hands splendid with jewel rings.  They placed a necklace of pearls across His chest and decorated His ears with shark shaped earrings.
	“Again and again called by His mother, Lord Krsna holding His mother’s hand, finally followed Balarama into the breakfast room.
	“Accompanied by His mother and His friends, Lord Krsna ate a breakfast feast of many different kinds of foods.  He told many jokes, laughing and making His friends laugh.
	“Then the servants brought betel nuts.  After sharing them with His friends and chewing some Himself, Lord Krsna rested for a moment on a splendid bed.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pastimes of the late morning.
	Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 220-223:)
	“When dressed as a cowherd boy, Lord Krsna followed the cows to the pasture, all the people of Vraja affectionately followed Him on the path.
	“Bowing down before His father and mother, casting sidelong glances at His gopi-beloveds, and dealing appropriately with all the others, Lord Krsna sent them all back.  Then He again proceeded to the forest.
	“Lord Krsna entered the forest, played for a while with His friends, and then slipped away with two or three especially close friends.
	“Eager to see His beloved, Lord Krsna happily went to meet Her.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the pastimes of midday:
	Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 223-262):
	“When She saw that Lord Krsna had gone to the forest, Sri Radha returned to Her home.
	“Then on the pretext of gathering flowers and other things for the worship of the sun-god and other purposes, Sri Radha tricks Her superiors and, yearning to meet Her beloved, goes to the forest.
	“Finally meeting after a great effort, the divine couple enjoy many happy pastimes in the forest with Their associates.
	“Sometimes Radha and Krsna enjoy pastimes on a swing hanging from a tree branch and pushed by the gopis.  Sometimes Radha steals the flute from Lord Krsna’s hand.
	“Sometimes the gopis hide and make Him search after them.  Sometimes they teased and scolded Him.  Sometimes they joked with Him and made Him laugh.  In these ways they charmed Lord Krsna and stole His heart.
	“Sometimes Lord Krsna happily enters the forest in the beautiful springtime and with a sprinkler sprinkles the gopis with water mixed with sandal, kunkuma and other colourful scents.  The gopis respond by sprinkling Him.  Then Radha and Krsna sprinkle each other again and again.
	“O brahmana, in the forest groves the divine couple enjoy many different pastimes with Their associates, pastimes appropriate to the different times and seasons.
	“O best of sages, sometimes They become tired.  Then, sitting on a splendid throne under a tree, They drink nectar.
	“Intoxicated by drinking nectar, their eyes become closed with sleepiness.  Holding hands, They are attacked by Kamadeva’s arrows.
	“Desiring to enjoy, They place Their lotus feet in a forest grove.  There They enjoy pastimes like two regal elephants.
	“Intoxicated by drinking nectar, and their eyes closed with sleepiness, the gopis entered the nearby forest groves.
	“Expanding into many different forms, all-powerful Lord Krsna approached each gopi individually.
	“As an elephant king enjoys with His many wives, so Lord Krsna enjoyed with the gopis.  Then Lord Krsna, His beloved Radha and all the gopis entered a lake.
	“Sri Narada said: O Vrnda-devi, if His pastimes of sweetness are like this, then when does Lord Krsna manifest His pastimes of opulence?  Please cut apart my doubt?
	“Sri Vrnda said: O sage, the powerful potency of the pastimes of sweetness is one of Lord Hari’s potencies.  With that potency Lord Hari enjoys pastimes with the gopis.
	“When in His original form Lord Krsna enjoys pastimes with Sri Radha, He manifests the potency of His pastimes of sweetness.  At that time He does not manifest the potency of His pastimes of opulence.
	“Accompanied by Their gopi friends, the divine couple enjoy pastimes of splashing each other in the water.  Then They are decoarated with splendid garments, ornaments, garlands and sandal paste.
	“Then in a jewel cottage by the lakeshore, the divine couple eat a snack of delicious fruits and roots carefully prepared by me.
	“After Their snack, Lord Hari and His beloved recline on a couch of flowers.  There two or three gopis serve Them.
	“Served by the gopis who offer Him betelnuts, fan Him and massage His feet, Lord Krsna, His thought fixed on His beloved, becomes filled with happiness.
	“As Lord Krsna slept, Sri Radha and Her associates happily ate the remnants of His meal.
	“After eating, Sri Radha went to the bed to gaze on Her beloved’s lotus face as a cakori bird gazes at the moon.
	“The gopis there gave Her the remnants of betelnuts chewed by Lord Krsna.  Some She chewed and some She gave to Her friends.
	“Eager to hear what the gopis said, Lord Krsna only pretended to be asleep as He lay under the covers.
	“As they playfully joked about their beloved Hari they could gradually understand that He was only pretending to sleep.
	“Seeing the signs of wakefulness on Lord Krsna’s face, they looked at each other and suddenly became silent out of embarrassment.
	“Suddenly pulling the blanket from His limbs and exclaiming, ‘My, You must have had a pleasant sleep!’ they laughed and  make Lord Krsna laugh also.
	“O best of sages, in this way the divine couple enjoyed a pleasant nap and a host of happy joking words.
	“Sitting on a splendid throne and surrounded by Their associates, the divine couple gamble at dice, with garlands, kisses, and embraces as the winner’s prize.
	“Joking with words of love, Radha and Krsna gamble with dice.  Defeated by His beloved, Lord Krsna slowly pronounces, ‘I have lost’.
	“Taking the necklace and other prizes, Sri  Radha struck Lord Krsna with a lotus flower.
	‘O Narada, His unhappiness showing on His face, Lord Krsna felt as if He had lost a great treasure.  “O goddess, You have defeated Me”, He said.  “Please take the winner’s prize.”
	“To see Radha’s crooked raised eyebrows and hear Her words of rebuke, Lord Krsna declared, ‘Now I will give You the kiss and the other prizes.’  Then He gave Her all the prizes.
	“Then, hearing the parrots calling, Radha and Krsna bathed and decided to return to Their homes.
	“Taking leave of His beloved, Lord Krsna returns to the cows.  Accompanied by Her friends, Sri Radha goes to the temple of the sun-god.
	“Lord Krsna goes a short distance, disguises Himself as a brahmana and then goes to the temple of the sun-god.
	“Requested by the gopis, the disguised Krsna worships the sun god.  Lord Krsna then recites a host of imaginary Vedic prayers, prayers made up on the spot and filled with a host of errors.
	“Finally understanding that this person was their beloved Krsna, the intelligent gopis became plunged in an ocean of bliss.  Intoxicated with bliss they did not know who they were or who anyone else was.
	“O sage, in this way the divine couple and Their associates passed six hours enjoying many pastimes.  Finally the gopis returned to their homes and Lord Krsna returned to the cows.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the afternoon pastimes?
	Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 263-270):
	“Meeting with His gopa friends, taking the cows with Him, and attracting everyone with the music of His flute, Lord Krsna returned to Vraja village.
	“Hearing the sound of Krsna’s flute and seeing the sky filled with the dust raised by the cows, King Nanda and all the men and women and children of Vraja stopped all they were doing and ran to see Krsna.
	“Sri Radha, bathed and decorated, came, bringing many delicious foods for Her beloved.  She and Her friends were all eager to see Krsna.
	“On the royal road at the entrace to Vraja village Lord Krsna met all the people of Vraja one after another.
	“He met them with embraced, glances, and smiling glances.  He bowed before the elder gopas and His honoured them with His words.
	“O Sri Narada, Lord Krsna prostrated His entire body to show respect to His parents and to Rohini-devi.  From the corner of His eye He shyly glanced at His gopis beloveds.
	“Then in the ways proper for each, all the people of Vraja worshipped Lord Krsna.  Then Lord Krsna took the cows into the barn.
	“Requested by His parents, Lord Krsna went home with mother Yasoda.  Requested by her, He bathed and then He ate and drank, and then He went to milk the cows.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the sunset pastimes?
	Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 271-272):
	“After milking some the cows, having the other gopas milk the other cows, and allowing the calves to also drink some of the milk, Lord Krsna, accompanied by His father and by servants carrying the milk, returned home.
	“Then accompanied by Lord Balarama, the gopa boys, and the boys; mothers, Lord Krsna ate a feast of many different kinds of foods, foods to be chewed, licked or consumed in other ways.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What are the evening pastimes?
	Gosvami: It is said (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 273-277):
	“On Mother Yasoda’s request, Sri Radha and Her friends had cooked this feast.
	“After enjoying the feast in the company of His father and the others, Lord Krsna praises with many words.  Then, accompanied by the poets and reciters, Lord Krsna goes to the assembly house.
	“Then Mother Yasoda gave abundant remnants from the feast to the gopis who had brought it in the first place.
	“Mother Yasoda gives them the remnants from Lord Krsna’s plate.  The gopis take it and in a secluded place present it before Sri Radha.
	“Then Sri Radha and Her friends honour Lord Krsna’s remnants.  Then, to prepare for Her meeting with Lord Krsna, the gopis decorate joyful Radha.”
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I yearn to hear the pastimes of night.
	Gosvami: Sri Vrnda-devi described them in these words (Sri Sanat-kumara-samhita 278-285):
	“One of the gopis has already made arrangements for Sri Radha’s secret meeting with Lord Krsna by the Yamuna’s shore.
	“Accompanied by Her friends and dressed in garments suitable for a bright or dark night, Sri Radha goes to a jewel palace in a kalpa-vrksa grove.
	“Meanwhile Lord Krsna saw many festive ceremonies and heard many beautiful poems and songs.
	“Then Lord Krsna pleases the artists and performers with many valuable gifts and then, called by His mother, He goes to bed.
	‘When, after giving Him a nighttime snack, mother Yasoda left the bedroom, unseen by anyone, Lord Krsna left His home and went to meet His beloved.
	“Meeting in the forest groves, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna enjoy singing, dancing and many other pastimes.
	“After enjoying pastimes for seven and a half hours of the night, Lord Krsna becomes sleepy.  Accompanied by five or six gopis and unseen by the others, He enters another forest.
	“Served by Their dear gopi friends, the divine couple sleeps there on a beautiful pastime bed made of unstemmed flowers.
	O Vijaya-kumara, These are the asta-kaliya pastimes.  They have all the samagris (ingredients) of the rasas.  All these pastimes have been described in the books of the ancient sages.  In every time, place, and situation, you should mediate on these pastimes and engage in devotional service.
	Hearing these pastimes, the learned pandita Vijaya-kumara became plunged into the nectar of ecstatic love.  Streams of tears flowed from his eyes.  The hairs of his body stood up.  He spoke one or two broken words in a choked voice.  He fell before Sri Gopala-guru Gosvami’s feet, offering obeisances for a long time.  Then he rose up and slowly walked home.  Day and night these words about the rasas stayed in his heart.

Chapter Thirty-nine
Lila-pravesa-vicara
Entering the Lord’s Pastimes
	Now Vijaya-kumara was always eager to hear about these pastimes.  He did not like to hear about anything else.  When he went to see Lord Jagannatha, Vijaya-kumara could not remain peaceful and composed.  For many days now he had studied the rasas.  He had learned about madhura-rasa, sthayi-bhava, vibhava, anubhava, sattvika bhava, and vyabhicari bhava.  One by one, the different kinds of ecstatic love entered his heart.  They would bring him great delight, and then they would go away.  Some days passed in this way.  He did not understand how the presence of ecstatic love had changed him.  One day, with tears in his eyes, he fell down before His spiritual master’s feet and said, “O master, by your mercy I have learned everything.  However, I am not able to make spiritual advancement.  I have not attained sthayi bhava and I have not entered Lord Krsna’s pastimes.  Please teach me what I should do.”  Seeing how his disciple was rapt in ecstatic love, Gopala-guru Gosvami was very pleased.  In his heart he thought, “Love for Krsna (Krsna-prema) is such that its happiness brings distress, and its distress brings happiness.”  Then he openly said, “I will tell you how to enter Lord Krsna’s pastimes”.
	Vijaya-kumara: How can I enter them?
	Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has revealed the way in these words (Manah-siksah 2):
	“Mind don't do the pious and impious deeds described in the Vedas.  Intently serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja.  Always remember that Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna, the son of Maharaja Nanda and my spiritual master is most dear to Lord Mukunda.”
	Don’t perform the pious and impious deeds described in the Vedas.  Reject this past of the Vedas and instead earnestly engage in raganuga-bhakti.  Again and again serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja.  Serve the Lord according to the rasas of Vraja.  If you ask, “Who will teach me how to serve the Lord according to the rasas of Vraja?”, then I will tell you.  Please listen.  Sridhama Navadvipa, where Lord Caitanya appeared in Saci-devi’s womb is a manifestation of Vrndavana.  Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, Krsna the son of Nandisvara’s king.  Lord Caitanya is not different from Krsna.  Thinking that Lord Krsna has descended to Navadvipa to enjoy pastimes as Lord Caitanya, one should not reject the worship of Lord Krsna as the amorous hero of Vraja and instead worship Lord Caitanya as the amorous hero of the young girls in Navadvipa.  Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna Himself.  Still, one should not criticise the devotees who worship Him with different mantras and meditate on Him separately.  In the path of the rasas one should worship only Krsna, the beloved of Radha, and Lord Caitanya one should worship as the spiritual master of the rasas of Vraja.  One should meditate on Lord Caitanya’s pastimes and on Lord Krsna’s asta-kaliya pastimes.  One should not think that one’s spiritual master is not a sakhi or a yuthesvari in Vraja.  By worshipping in this way one will be able to enter Lord Krsna’s pastimes in Vraja.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I understand that one should reject other scriptures and other paths, worship Lord Caitanya and serve one’s spiritual master, aware that the spiritual master is a sakhi in Lord Krsna’s pastimes.  How can one make his heart steady and determined to follow this path?
	Gosvami: Two things should be understood: 1 upasaka-pariskrti (the worshipper) and 2 upasya-pariskrti (the object of worship).  You have learned about the rasas.  Therefore you have learned about upasya-pariskrti.  The upasaka-pariskrti has eleven bhavas.  Almost all of them you have already learned.  Only one remains for you to learn.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe these eleven bhavas.
	Gosvami: These eleven bhavas are: 1 sambandha (relationship), 2 vayasa (age), 3 nama (name), 4 rupa (form), 5 yutha (group), 6 vesa (garments), 7 ajna (command), 8 vasa (residence), 9 seva (service), 10 parakasthasvasa (highest aspiration) and 11 palya-dasi-bhava (the nature of a maidservant).
	Vijaya-kumara: What is sambandha?
	Gosvami: Sambandha is the foundation of spiritual attainments.  When one has a relationship with Krsna, then the bhavas are manifested.  The final goal one attains is based on the relationship.  Souls who address Krsna as ‘master’ become servants of Krsna.  Souls who address Krsna as ‘friend’ become friends of Krsna.  Souls who address Krsna as ‘son’ become the mother or father of Krsna.  Souls who address Krsna as ‘husband’ become queens at Dvaraka.  In Vraja there is no santa-rasa and dasya rasa is curtailed.  Each devotee attains a relationship according to his own natural inclination.  You are naturally attracted to parakiya-rasa.  Therefore you are a follower of Vraja’s queen.  In your relationship you say, “I am a maidservant of Sri Radha’s maidservant.  She is the controller of my life.  Krsna is the controller of Radha’s life, and therefore Krsna, the beloved of Radha, is the controller of my life also.
	Vijaya-kumara: I have heard that the great acarya Srila Jiva Gosvami preferred svakiya rasa.  Is that true?
	Gosvami: Not one of the true followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected the pure parakiya-rasa.  Who can be a better teacher of this rasa than Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami?  He taught the truth of the pure parakiya rasa.  Srila Jiva Gosvami and Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami all accepted his teachings in this matter.  In his own personal devotional service Srila Jiva Gosvami  did not accept svakiya rasa.  However, he did explain that even in Vraja some devotees manifest a scent of svakiya rasa.  When samartha rati carries a scent of samanjasa rati, then svakiya-rasa is present in Vraja.  Therefore when a slight sense of svakiya-rasa is present, the devotee may be called a worshipper in svakiya rasa.  Srila Jiva Gosvami has two kinds of disciples.  One group of his disciples was situated in pure parakiya-rasa.  Another group of his disciples were situated in parakiya rasa mixed with svakiya rasa.  According to the different inclinations of his different disciples, he gave different appropriate instructions.  This he clearly explained when he wrote the words:
	“What I have written is appropriate for devotees who are inclined in a certain way.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Now I clearly understand that the pure Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy teaches the pure parakiya rasa.  Now that I understand sambandha, please describe vayasa.
	Gosvami: When you attain your relationship with Krsna, you will have a wonderful form.  In your case it will be the form of a beautiful girl in Vraja.  That form will be manifested in a specific age appropriate to your service.  The age from ten to sixteen years is called ‘kaisora’.  That is generally the appropriate age in this situation.  Therefore in your spiritual form your age begins at ten and, as you make advancement in service, increases up to the age of sixteen  That is called ‘vayah-sandhi’.  Balya (childhood), pauganda (pre-adolescence) and vrddha (old age) do not exist among the beautiful girls of Vraja.  Therefore you should know that your spiritual form is situated in the kaisora age.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is name?  I have already received a name.  Please clearly explain ‘name’ to me.
Gosvami: You naturally become the follower of a maidservant-friend of Sri Radha.  That friend’s name is your name.  Examining your nature, your spiritual master gives you a name.  Please know that is your name eternally.  The beautiful girls of Vraja will delight in addressing you by that name.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, please explain rupa.
	Gosvami: Your spiritual master reveals to you the nature of the beautiful and youthful kaisora age form that, according to your own inclination, is your own form.  You have an inconceivable beautiful spiritual form.  If that were not so, then how could you be a maidservant of Sri Radha?
	Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly describe ‘yutha’.
	Gosvami: Sri Radha is your yuthesvari.  You belong to a gana (sub-group) presided over by one of Sri Radha’s eight closest friends (asta-sakhi).  Your spiritual master has placed you in Lalita’s gana.  Therefore, following Lalita’s orders you will serve your yuthesvari (Sri Radha) and playful Lord Krsna, who enjoys pastimes with Her.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, who are the devotees that follow Candravali as their yuthesvari?
	Gosvami: After many births a soul will become a fortunate and desire to be a follower of a yuthesvari.  A soul who has all good fortune enters the group led by Sri Radha.  The gopis led by Candravali strive to increase the bliss that Sri Radha and Lord Krsna enjoy in Their pastimes.  Therefore the rival groups, called paksa, and vipaksa, make the taste of rasa sweeter.  In truth Sri Radha is the only real yuthesvari.  Because She enjoys wonderful pastimes with Krsna, She is glorious, and a soul who serves Her becomes glorious also.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please explain visesa.
	Gosvami: Your spiritual master describes to you your garments, personal qualities, and the skills you have to perform various kinds of service.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘ajna’.
	Gosvami: Ajnas are of two kinds: 1 nitya (regular) and 2 naimittika (occasional).  A merciful sakhi orders you to engage in a certain regular (nitya) service.  This service you should diligently execute during the eight periods of the day.  Any other service she may give you is naimittika service.  That also you should execute diligently.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is vasa?
	Gosvami: Your eternal residence in Vraja is called ‘vasa’.
	Vijaya-kumara: You will take birth as a certain gopi in a certain village within the land of Vraja.  Within that village you will be married to a certain gopa.  However, you will be attracted by the sound of Krsna’s flute.  You will be the follower of  a  certain sakhi.  Her cottage at Radha-kunda will be your residence also.  In this way your eternal nature is situated in parakiya rasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘seva’.
	Gosvami: You are a follower of Sri Radha.  Your service is to serve Her.  If, when she sends you with a message, and you meet Krsna in a secluded place, Krsna expresses His love for you and proposes that  you enjoy with Him, you should not accept His proposal.  You are Radha’s maidservant, and without Her permission you cannot serve Krsna.  You are not independent.  Although you love Radha and Krsna both, your love and service to Radha is more important to you than your love and service to Krsna.  That is the explanation of the word ‘seva’.  Your service is to serve Sri Radha throughout the eight periods of the day.  Following the descriptions in Srila Svarupa Damodara’s Kadaca (notebook), Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes these services in his poem Vilapa-kusumanjali.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is “parakasthavasa”?
	Gosvami: In the following two verses (Vilapa-kusumanjali 102 and 100) Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes parakasthasvasa:
	“O Radha, for me somehow the present moment is flooded by a nectar ocean of many hopes.  If You do not give Your mercy, then of what use to me are this life, the land of Vraja, and Sri Krsna, the enemy of Baka?”
	“O Lord Krsna, O nectar moon of Gokula, O Lord whose cheerful face is a lotus flower, O sweetly smiling one, O Lord melting with compassion, so I may serve You both with love and please lead me to the place  where Your beloved enjoys pastimes with You.”
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe ‘palya-dasi-bhava’
	Gosvami: In the following words of Vraja-vilasa-stava (text 29) Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes palya-dasi-bhava:
	“Flooded with the nectar of intense love for her two friends (Sri Sri Radha-Krsna), who are more dear to her than her own life, affectionately arrogant in Their presence, and daily arranging for Their rendezvous, Lalita-devi expertly teaches her friend Radha the art of jealous anger.  I pray Lalita-devi will one day accept me as one of her associates.”
	Vijaya-kumara: How should such a palya-dasi (maidservant) act in relation to the other gopis who are companions of Sri Lalita?
	Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami studied all the rasa-sastras under Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami.  Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has written (Vraja-vilasa-stava, text 38)
	“By offering Her betel nuts, by massaging Her feet, by bringing Her water, by arranging for Her secret meeting with Lord Krsna, and by performing many other services, many gopi maidservants affectionately please Sri Radha, the great queen of Vrndavana forest.  When the divine couple enjoy the presence of the great gopis for whom Sri Radha is more dear than life.  I take shelter of these gopi maidservants, who have Srimati Rupa-manjari as their leader.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the other prominent sakhis?
	Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami gives this hint about their nature (Vraja-vilasa-stava text 30):
	“Visakha-devi is the place where the youthful divine couple enjoys affectionate and playful joking pastimes.  Her sweet transcendental singing eclipses the voices of the cuckoos.  I pray that Visakha-devi may become pleased with me and accept me as her student.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is the nature of the vipaksa (rival) gopis?
	Gosvami: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes them.  Please hear this description (Vraja-vilasa-stava, text 41):
	“In order to increase the splendid and nectarean jealous love of Srimati Radharani, who sometimes becomes proud of Her own good fortune, Lord Krsna briefly enjoys pastimes with other gopis, who blossoms with many amorous desires.  Let us offer our respectful obeisances to these gopis, who must have performed many great pious activities in their previous births in order to  play this role in the Lord’s pastimes.”
	That is how you should thing about the rival groups of gopis (paksa and vipaksa).  However, when they are serving the Lord directly in the spiritual world, there may be a situation where mocking gopi rivals is appropriate.  This direct service in the spiritual world is described in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Vilapa-kusumanjali.  The proper way to relate to the other liberated associates of the Lord is described in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Vraja-vilasa-stava.  The divine couple’s pastimes are seen in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Visakhanandabhidha-stotra and other prayers.  You should see the asta-kaliya pastimes in those poems.  The proper method of worship (paddhati) is seen in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Manah-siksah.  By following that method of worship you will become rapt in meditation on the divine couple’s pastimes.  Ecstatic love (bhava) is seen in Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sva-niyama-dasaka.  You should carefully observe the vows describe in that poem.  Srila Rupa Gosvami described the rasas in his books.  Lord Caitanya gave that task to him.  However, Srila Rupa Gosvami did not describe how an aspiring devotee can enter into these rasas.  That Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, following the teachings in Srila Svarupa Damodara’s Kadaca, described.  Lord Caitanya gave these specific tasks to these devotees, and they all followed His order.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe the tasks Lord Mahaprabhu ordered these devotees to perform.
	Gosvami: The Lord ordered Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami to describe the method of worship according to the rasas.  Following that order, Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami wrote his Kadaca, which is divided into two parts, one part describing the internal path (antah-pantha) or worship according to the rasas, and the other part describing the external path (bahihi pantha) of worship according  to the rasa.  The internal path he placed around the neck of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, who described that path in his writings.  The external path Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami gave to Srila Vakresvara Pandita.  That teaching is the great treasure of this temple.  That treasure I have given to Srila Dhyanacandra Gosvami, and he has written that treasure into a books.  You already have a copy of that book.  Lord Mahaprabhu ordered Lord Nityananda and Lord Advaita to preach the glories of the holy name, and He also gave Them the power to do it.  Lord Mahaprabhu gave Srila Rupa Gosvami the order to write books about the rasas, and He also gave him the power to do it.  Lord Mahaprabhu gave Srila Sanatana Gosvami the order to write about vaidhi bhakti and the relationship between vaidhi bhakti and raga bhakti.  The Lord also gave Srila Sanatana Gosvami the order to write about the Lord’s prakata and aprakata pastimes in Gokula.  Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Srila Sanatana Gosvami gave Srila Jiva Gosvami the order to write books about sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana, and they also gave him the power to do it.  All of these great devotees fulfilled the orders they were given.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, what task was given to Srila Ramananda Raya?
	Gosvami: Lord Mahaprabhu gave Srila Ramananda Raya the task of expanding the rasas.  Srila Ramananda Raya used Srila Rupa Gosvami as  his instrument in fulfilling this task.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, what task was given to Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya?
	Gosvami: To Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya He gave the task of explaining philosophy.  Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya executed that task by having one of his disciples teach Srila Jiva Gosvami.
	Vijaya-kumara: What task did the Lord give to the great devotees in Bengal;?
	Gosvami: To the great devotees in Bengal the Lord gave the task to teaching the truth about Lord Caitanya and showing the people how to have faith in Lord Caitanya’s descriptions of Krsna-rasa.  These devotees fulfilled that order by writing many books glorifying  the rasas.
	Vijaya-kumara: What task was given to Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami?
	Gosvami: To him was given the task of preaching the glories of Srimad Bhagavatam.
	Vijaya-kumara: What task was given to Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami?
	Gosvami: To Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was given the task of stopping perverted misinterpretations of pure srngara-rasa and also stopping the tendency not to have faith in vaidhi-bhakti.
	Vijaya-kumara: Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati was the uncle and spiritual master of Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.  What task was given to him?
	Gosvami: To Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati was given the task of showing the world that the path of the rasas and anubhavas in Vraja is the highest of all paths.
	Hearing all this, Vijaya-kumara thought himself very fortunate.

Chapter Forty
Sampatti-vicara
The Greatest Good Fortune
	Vijaya-kumara decided that by hearing about the Lord’s pastimes in Vraja, one gradually attains the greatest good fortune.  Thinking in this way, he posed a question.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, I would like to know how many stages there are between first hearing about the Lord and finally attaining the greatest good fortune.
	Gosvami: There are five stages: 1 sravana-dasa (hearing), 2 varana-dasa (desiring), 3 smarana-dasa (remembering), 4 bhavapana-dasa (attaining ecstasy) and 5 prema-sampatti-dasa (the greatest good fortune of spiritual love).
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe sravana-dasa.
	Gosvami: When he attains faith in hearing about Krsna (Krsna-katha), a soul throws materialism (bahirmukha-dasa) far away.  In that stage the soul yearns to hear about Krsna.  Such a soul intently hears about Krsna from an exalted devotee.  This is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.40):
	“My dear king, in the place where pure devotees live, following the rules and regulations and thus purely conscious and engaged with great eagerness in hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in that place if one gets a chance to hear their constant flow or nectar, which is exactly like the waves of a river, one will forget the necessities of life - namely hunger, and thirst - and become immune to all kinds of fear, lamentation and illusion.”*
	Vijaya-kumara: Sometimes the people hear about Krsna from materialists.  What is the result of that hearing.
	Gosvami: One may hear about Krsna from a materialist, or one may hear about Krsna from a devotee.  These two kinds of hearing are different in many ways.  By hearing about Krsna from a materialist, the hearer does not gradually attain faith.  On the other hand, by hearing about Krsna from a devotee eager to engage in devotional service, the hearer attains spiritual piety.  In some future birth spiritual faith will rise within him.  When he attains this faith, a soul is eager to hear the glories of Krsna only from the mouths of great devotees.  This stage is called ‘sravana-dasa’.  Sravana dasa is of two kinds: 1 krama-suddha-sravana dasa and 2 krama-hina-sravana dasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is krama-hinasravana dasa?
	Gosvami: When the hearing is done without determination and when it does  not touch Lord Krsna’s pastimes, it is called ‘krama-hine’.  If there is no touch of Lord Krsna’s pastimes, the rasas will not become manifested.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is krama-suddha sravana-dasa?
	Gosvami: When hearing is done with great determination, and when it touches on Lord Krsna’s pastimes, then the rasas will become manifested.  Hearing about Lord Krsna’s asta-kaliya nitya lila (regular pastimes in the eight periods of the day) and His birth pastime and other naimittika-lila (occasional pastimes) is called “krama-suddha-sravana-dasa’.  To properly engage in devotional service one must perform krama-suddha-sravana.  By again and again engaging in krama-suddha-sravana dasa and hearing the Lord’s pastimes, one perceives how sweet the Lord’s pastimes are.  At that time the activities of raganuga bhakti rise in the heart of the hearer.  Then the hearer thinks in his heart, “Aha! Subala has such wonderful ecstatic love!  I should serve Krsna in sakhya-rasa, as Subala does.’  This kind of activity is called ‘lobha’ (greedy desire).  To thus worship Krsna by greedily following the liberated residents of Vraja is called ‘raganuga-bhakti’.  I have given an example in sakhya rasa.  Raganuga bhakti exists in the four rasas that begin with dasya-rasa.  By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who is the master of our lives, you have become qualified for srngara-rasa.  Seeing the beautiful gopis of Vraja, you have yearned to become like them.  That yearning will lead you to the path of fulfilling that yearning.  In truth, this is revealed in the conversation of the spiritual master and the disciple.  That is sravana-dasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: How does one attain the perfection of sravana-dasa?
	Gosvami: When one  understands that Lord Krsna’s pastimes are eternal, and when one declares that they are pure and spiritual, one’s heart will become enchanted by them.  Then one will become agitated with an intense desire to enter those pastimes.  When he sees that the disciple is qualified, the spiritual master will show him the eleven bhavas described in the scriptures.  When the disciple’s heart is passionately devoted to the Lord’s pastimes, that is the perfection of sravana-dasa.  When he is greatly agitated in this way, the disciple attains varana-dasa.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, what is varana-dasa?
	Gosvami: Bound with the shackles of the eleven bhavas, the heart becomes passionately attached to the Lord’s pastimes.  Weeping, the disciple  falls before his spiritual master’s feet.  Then the spiritual master’s original form as a sakhi is manifested and the disciple manifests his original form as a gopi maidservant.  This disciple is agitated to engage in devotional service as a gopi.  By serving the spiritual master ,the disciple attains the supreme goal of his life and becomes a beautiful girl in Vraja.  The disciple speaks these words (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Sri Premambhoja-marandakhya-stava-raga 11-12):
	“Taking a straw in his mouth, this person offers respectful obeisances unto you.  This person is very unhappy.  Please bring him to life by sprinkling him with the nectar of service to you.
	“O gopi friend of Sri Radha, as merciful Lord Krsna never rejects a surrendered soul, even a soul who has performed many misdeeds, in the same way I request that you please do not reject a person like me.”
	This state is called ‘varana-dasa’.  Then, in his form as a sakhi, the spiritual master gives to his disciple residence in Vraja and orders him to take shelter of Lord Krsna’s holy name and meditate on Lord Krsna’s pastimes.  Then the spiritual master gives encouragement, saying, “Soon you will attain what your heart desires.”
	Vijaya-kumara: What is smarana dasa?
	Gosvami: Srila Rupa Gosvami gives this description (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.150-152):
	“Always meditating on Krsna as the object of one’s love, and always engaged in hearing and chanting His glories, a devotees should always live in the land of Vraja.
	“Desiring to become like them, the sadhaka and siddha devotees should follow in the footsteps of the liberated residents of Vraja.
	“In this way the wise understand the activities of vaidhi-bhakti, which begin with hearing and chanting.”
	After hearing these two verses, Vijaya-kumara asked, “What do the words ‘kuryad vasam vraje sada (a devotee should always live in the land of Vraja) mean?
	Gosvami: Srila Jiva Gosvami explains “To place one’s body in the circle of Vraja means to place it in the circle of the Lord’s pastimes.  If one is not able to place his physical body in Vraja, one can meditate on living in Vraja.  By this meditation one attains the final goal.  Then one becomes the follower of a particular sakhi, one serves that sakhi in the forest, and one always meditates on that sakhi and her particular kind of love for Lord Krsna.  Thus you should engage your gross material body in the activities of vaidhi-bhakti, which begin with hearing and chanting and also, with the eleven bhavas, you should meditate on the pastimes of a liberated sakhi in Vraja.  In this way you should engage in devotional service.  Thus you should engage your material body in the activities of vaidhi-bhakti.  When your spiritual body becomes manifest, you will become averse to all that is not related to Vraja.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please clearly describe this path.
	Gosvami: The word “vraja-vasa” means to avoid the company of materialists”.  One should chant a certain prescribed number of holy names of Lord Hari and also meditate on the Lord’s asta-kaliya pastimes.  Do not think of your material body as an enemy.  Rather, use it and all in relationship with it in favourable service to the Lord.
	Vijaya-kumara: (after deep thought) O master, these descriptions are very pleasing to my heart.  How can I make my heart determined to follow this path?
	Gosvami: When it attains raganuga-bhakti, the heart will be determined.  And why not?  If there is even a slight scent of raganuga bhakti, then one will be inclined to Vraja.  Then one will no longer be attracted to material things.  If you are worried that you will stray from the path, then at first proceed gradually.  When you become steady you will not be able to stray from the path.
	Vijaya-kumara: Please describe this gradual path.
	Gosvami: Every day for a certain amount of time, one should, avoiding all material interruptions, chant the holy name with sincere love.  The time spent in this way should be gradually increased.  When one finally spends all his time in this way, he will attain very wonderful love for the Lord.  At that time one will dread any external thing that may come to interrupt these activities.
	Vijaya-kumara: For how many days should one practice in this way?
	Gosvami: Until, one is free from all material obstacles, or until material obstacles no longer arise in one’s meditation.
	Vijaya-kumara: What does it mean ‘to remember the holy name with love’?  Please clearly explain.
	Gosvami: In the beginning on joyfully chants the holy name.  That joy leads one to think, ‘the holy name is mine’.  From that feeling of possessiveness one attains love for the holy name.  Gradually pure ecstatic love (bhava) becomes manifested.  This is called ‘bhavapana-dasa”.  At the stage of smarana-dasa, love is merely an external imposition.  However, in the stage of bhavapana-dasa genuine, pure love is manifested.  In this way the devotee finally attains prema, the highest love.  This is called ‘upasaka-nistha’.  There is also another path, which is called ‘upasya-nistha’.
	Vijaya-kumara: What is upasya-nistha?
	Gosvami: If one wholeheartedly yearns to attain prema, he should honour this advice given by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami (Manah-siksa text 3):
	“Mind, listen to me!  If you desire to reside in Vraja birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the youthful divine couple, then with great love always remember and bow down before Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and all their associates and followers.”
	Vijaya-kumara: How does one gradually become purified by meditating on the Lord’s asta-kaliya pastimes?
	Gosvami: Please consider what Srila Rupa Gosvami has said (Ujjvala-nilamani, Gauna-sambhoga-prakarana) about the great wonder of the rasas manifested in the Lord’s asta-kaliya pastimes:
	“Because it is shoreless, peerless and unfathomable, I merely stand on the shore of the ocean of rasa and touch only one drop of its sweetness.”
	Why should this not be so?  The ocean of rasa is spiritual, wonderful, all-pervading and shoreless.  If one tries to describe that spiritual ocean of rasa with words, his words will inevitably be both impure and incomplete.  Even if the Supreme Lord Himself describes it, the hearers and readers, still bearing the faults that the material world impresses on them, will not be able to understand it perfectly.  Therefore because the ocean of rasa cannot e fathomed, one can merely stand at its shore and understand only a single drop of it.
	Vijaya-kumara: O master, if this is so, then how can I have any conception at all of the spiritual rasas?
	Gosvami: The madhura rasa is shoreless, peerless, and unfathomable.  Lord Krsna’s pastimes are like that.  However, Lord Krsna has two transcendental qualities that give us hope: He is all powerful and He can do whatever He likes.  Therefore, even though the ocean of rasa is peerless, shoreless and unfathomable, Lord Krsna can shrink it so that it fits within the material world.  The material world is indeed a very small place.  Still, if Krsna wishes He can bring His supremely glorious rasas to the small and insignificant material world.  In this way He mercifully descends to the material world and He takes His spiritual and eternal rasas and pastimes with Him.  When He descends to the material world, he brings with Him His own spiritual world of Mathura-mandala, which is beyond the touch of matter.  One cannot ask how the Lord does all this.  Why not?  All this is down by His inconceivable potency.  Even the demigods and other exalted beings are not intelligent enough to understand how it is done.  In this way the Lord manifested His Vraja pastimes, which are the best of all pastimes, and which are beyond the touch of matter.  I do not lament merely because I cannot understand them perfectly or completely.
	Vijaya-kumara: If the Lord’s prakata (manifested) and aprakata (unmanifested) pastimes are the same pastimes, then why are the aprakata pastimes considered superior?
	Gosvami: These two kinds of pastimes are identical.  Of this there is no doubt.  They are both perfect, complete, glorious and beyond the touch of matter.  However, the prakata pastimes can be seen and remembered by conditioned souls imprisoned in the material world, but the aprakata pastimes can be seen only by purified souls who are in mature devotional service and who have attained the stage of bhavapana-dasa.
	O Vijaya-kumara, to you I can disclose this secret.  And why not?  You are qualified to hear it.  By practicing smarana-dasa for a long time, one eventually becomes qualified for bhavapana-dasa.  During smarana-dasa one begins to become cleansed of material contamination, but that cleansing is not complete until one attains bhavapana-dasa.  By following smarana-dasa one attains pure sadhana-bhakti.  In this way by the Lord’s mercy, pure devotional service is manifested in the devotee’s heart.  That pure devotion attracts Krsna.  In this way, by Lord Krsna’s mercy, the devotee advances beyond smarana-dasa.  This is described by the Supreme Lord Himself in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.26):
	“When a diseased eye is treated with medicinal ointment it gradually recovers its power to see.  Similarly, as a conscious living entity cleanses himself of material contamination by hearing and chanting the pious narrations of My glories, he regains his ability to see Me, the Absolute Truth, in My subtle spiritual form.”***
	This is also described in the following words of Brahman-samhita (5.38):
	“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love.  He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.”*
	A person who has attained the stage of bhavapana-dasa attains spiritual vision and thus can see his spiritual master as a sakhi and yuthesvari.  He can also see Lord Krsna, the master of Goloka.  Still, until his linga-sarira (subtle material body) is at last dissolved, he does not attain sampatti-dasa (the greatest good fortune) and he does not see Krsna at every moment.  When he attains bhavapana-dasa, the pure soul has complete control over his gross and subtle material bodies.  However, only when he attains Lord Krsna’s complete and full mercy will the soul attain the final spiritual goal, where the soul completely breaks of all relationship with the material world of five elements.  Bhavapana-dasa is also called ‘svarupa-siddhi’, and sampatti-dasa is also called ‘vastu-siddhi’.
	Vijaya-kumara: When one attains vastu-siddhi, in what way will he see Lord Krsna’s name, form, qualities, pastimes and abode?
	Gosvami: I cannot answer.  When I myself attain vastu-siddhi, I will be able to see and tell.  When you attain sampatti-siddhi you will certainly be able to understand.  You will understand without any struggle.  And why not?  You will see it all before your eyes.  You will not need to ask questions.  Even what the soul sees at the stage of svarupa-siddhi or bhavapana-dasa an ordinary person cannot understand.  And why not?  Even if he hears a person in bhavapana-dasa describe what he sees, an ordinary person will not understand the description.  The nature of a soul situated in svarupa-siddhi is described by Srila Rupa Gosvami in these words (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.3.29 and 1.4.12):
	“If a person is completely detached from material enjoyment and has developed pure ecstatic devotion, even if he is sometimes accidentally found not living up to the standard of devotional service, one should not be envious of him.”*
	“Only the most fortunate persons can achieve such success in life.  Those who are simply academic students of the Vedic scriptures cannot appreciate how such a development takes place.”*
	Vijaya-kumara: If this is so, then why do the Brahma-samhita and other scriptures try to describe the world of Goloka?
	Gosvami: When by the Lord’s mercy they attain the stage of svarupa-siddhi, Brahma and the demigods speak many prayers to describe what they have seen.  However, ordinary persons who are less spiritually advanced cannot understand these prayers very well.  Still, there is no need for the devotees to understand all these points.  By Lord Krsna’s mercy His prakata pastimes are manifested, and you can worship Him.  By doing that you will attain all perfection.  Within a short time you will attain great spiritual faith, and then the spiritual world of Goloka will be manifested before you.  Gokula is the same as Goloka.  And why not?  Gokula and Goloka are not different places.  That spiritual realm is not seen by the eyes of materialists.  Materialists do not attain the stage of svarupa-siddhi.  Only persons who are qualified can see these spiritual truths.  Please Krsna by engaging in His devotional service.  Follow Krsna’s commands.  By following Krsna’s commands, you will gradually attain His mercy.  Then your vision will be pure and perfect.
	Vijaya-kumara had no longer any doubts.  He followed the eleven bhavas.  He meditated on Lord Krsna’s handsome form and pastimes.  Staying in a cottage by the seashore, he always tasted the sweetness of pure spiritual love (prema).  Meanwhile, Vrajanatha’s mother fell sick with cholera and died.  Vrajanatha and his grandmother returned home.  In Vrajanatha’s pure heart was manifested pure love (prema) in sakhya-rasa.  He passed his days staying among the Vaisnavas by the Ganges shore at Sridhama Navadvipa.  Vijaya-kumara renounced household life and accepted the kaupina of a sannyasi.  He lived by taking a little maha-prasadam he obtained by madhukari begging.  During the eight periods of the day he meditated on Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.  At night he briefly slept.  He honoured a little prasadam.  While he was awake he served the divine couple in ways appropriate to the particular time of day.  On japa beads he always chanted the holy names of Lord Hari.  Sometimes he danced, sometimes he wept, and sometimes he smiled to see the waves in the ocean.  Who can understand the symptoms of his devotional life?  He accepted the name Nimai dasa Babaji.  He would neither hear nor speak gossip.  He was very humble.  His actions were pure.  He was fixed in devotional service.  When someone offered him maha-prasadam or cloth for his kaupina, he accepted only what he actually needed.  He never accepted more than that.  When he chanted the holy names of Lord Hari tears would stream from his eyes, his voice would become choked, and the hairs of his body would stand erect.  After only a few days he became perfect in devotional service.  He obtained Lord Krsna’s mercy, and thus he became qualified to enter the Lord’s aprakata pastimes.  Like Haridasa Thakura, when he died his material body was placed in a tomb by the seashore.  Haribol.
	“Bearing with him the mercy of his spiritual master, Lord Krsna, and the Vaisnavas, a poor person named Bhaktivinoda laboured greatly to write this book.
	“This book, the Jaiva-dharma, written in the Bengali language, was completed by the Ganges’ shore at Surabhi-kunja in Godruma, at Navadvipa, on the full moon day of the month of Magha in the 410th year after Lord Caitanya’s appearance in this world.
	“Persons who yearn to attain the feet of Lord Gaura, the delivered of the Kali-yuga, will have faith in this book.
	“I place a curse on any person who does not have even the smallest particle of faith, but still reads this book.
	“Persons who speak the theory of dry impersonal liberation cannot understand Krsna.  Only faithful persons can purely understand Lord Krsna’s pastimes in Vraja.
	The End.