Sri Priti-Sandarbha
BY: SUN STAFF
Srila Jiva Goswami
Jul 08, CANADA (SUN) —
Sri Priti-sandarbha
Volume One
by Srila Jiva Goswami
Anuccheda 103-104
Here someone may protest: "Is it not true that the sages who yearn after liberation and who have already attained liberation are glorified in all the scriptures? How can the devotees be superior to them? Why would the sages desire anything but liberation?" To answer this protest, Uddhava speaks these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.59):
kvemah striyo vana-carir vyabhicara-dushtah
krishne kva caisha paramatmani rudha-bhavah
nanv ishvaro 'nubhajato 'vidusho 'pi sakshac
chreyas tanoty agada-raja ivopayuktah
"How amazing it is that these simple women who wander about the forest, seemingly spoiled by improper behavior, have achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Krishna, the Superme Soul! Still, it is true that the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshiper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients."***
In these verses, from beginning to end, Sriman Uddhava's great devotion to the Lord is clearly seen. Here someone may protest that the gopis' relationship with Lord Krishna was adulterous and therefore immoral. This protest is answered by these words spoken at the conclusion of the description of the rasa dance (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.33.35):
gopinam tat-patinam ca
sarvesham eva dehinam
yo 'ntash carati so 'dhyakshah
kridaneneha deha-bhak
"He who lives as the overseeing witness within the gopis and their husbands, and indeed within all embodied living beings, assumes forms in this world to enjoy transcendental pastimes."***
The idea of wicked-hearted men that the gopis acted immorally in their relationship with Lord Krishna is refuted by this verse, by the word "paramatmani" (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) in Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.59, and also by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.61):
arya-patham ca hitva. . .
"The gopis of Vrindavana have given up the association of their husbands, sons, and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Krishna, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers, or herbs in Vrindavana, because the gopis trample them and bless them with the dust of their feet."*
Now is not the right time to refute the mistaken idea that the gopis acted immorally. Later in this book we will prove that the gopis acted rightly. In Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.58 and 59 the words "kvemah striyo vana-carih" mean "what is the status of the women who enjoyed pastimes in Vrindavana forest and took shelter of Lord Krishna?" In these verse the words "kva vyabhicara-dushtah bhava-bhiyo vayam" mean “and what is the status of us, sages who have not attained exalted spiritual love and who are not attached to Lord Krishna, are afraid of material existence?" The meaning here is: “The difference between us and the gopis is very great." Here the question may be asked: "Why does such a great difference exist?" The answer is given here in the words “esha paramatmani rudha-bhavah", which mean "In the gopis is seen great ecstatic love (maha-bhava) for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by everyone and who is the abode of all desires. That same ecstatic love is not seen in us." If this is so, then the following question may be asked: If you do not directly see Lord Krishna's glorious qualities, qualities that made the gopis fall in love with Him, then how will you attain that ecstatic love even if you yearn to attain it? This question is answered in this verse in the passage beginning with the word "nanu" (the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshiper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients.) Here the word "avidushah" means “the Lord Himself makes this love spontaneously manifest within me." That is the example given here. Uddhava declares in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.27):
virahena maha-bhaga
mahan me 'nugrahah kritah
"You have rightfully claimed the privilege of unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord, O most glorious gopis. Indeed, by exhibiting your love for Krishna in separation from Him, you have shown me great mercy7"***
Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.59 may also be interpreted in a different way, in a way that sternly rebukes ladies who, although very faithful to their husbands, are averse to the rasas of devotional service. In the first interpretation of this verse the words "kvemah striah" referred to the gopis, who enjoy pastimes in Vrindavana forest. The second interpretation of this verse is based on the assumption that an "a" was originally present before the word "vana-carih" and then elided by sandhi. Thus the word was originally "avana-carih", which would mean "women who are not like the gopis". Such materialistic women are described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.19):
striyo vratais tva. . .
"My dear Lord, You are certainly the fully independent master of all the senses. Therefore all women who worship You by strictly observing vows because they wish to acquire a husband to satisfy their senses are surely under illusion. They do not know that such a husband cannot actually give protection to them or their children. Nor can he protect their wealth or duration of life, for he himself is dependent on time, fruitive results and the modes of nature, which are all subordinate to You."*
These words were spoken by Srimati Lakshmi--devi in the midst of Srimad-Bhagavatam's description of Kutmala-varsha. In Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.59 the words "imah striyo vyabhicara-dushtah krishne kva paramatmani" may then be interpreted to mean "What is the status of women who are averse to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" The meaning then would be: "There is a great difference between such women and the gopis." Then the word “rudha-bhavah" may be interpreted to mean: "Not even the smallest fragment of the exalted spiritual love that is the crest jewel of all goals of life is not seen in such women". That exalted spiritual love is present only in the devotees, who are filled with love for the Lord. Only the devotees love the Lord. This is confirmed by the passage beginning with the word "nanu" (Still, it is true that the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshiper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients.) What more may bhe said? The next verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.60) declares:
nayam shriyo 'nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah
svar-yoshitam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto 'nyah
rasotasave 'sya bhuja-danda-grihita-kantha-
labdhashisham ya udagad vraja-sundarinam
"When Lord Sri Krishna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful according to material estimation?"*
In this verse the word "ange" means "on the graceful form of the master of Vaikuntha", "shriyah" means "of the Lord's dearmost beloved", "nitanta-rateh" means "of the love a girl feels for her beloved", "prasadah" means "happiness, and “nayam" means "is not". The verse then continued: "svar-yoshitam nalina-gandha-rucam", which means: "If even the goddess of fortune cannot attain that happiness, then the women of Svarghaloka, whose limbs are like golden lotus flowers, and who do not even reside in Vaikuntha certainly cannot attain it." Then the words "kuto 'nyah" mean "Other women, who are far away from them certainly cannot attain it." That is the meaning. Then one may ask: Are there any women who care not bereft of this happiness? The answer is given in this verse in the passage beginning with the word "rasa" (When Lord Sri Krishna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced by the arms of the Lord.) Here the word "asya" means “of the form of Lord Krishna, the prince of Vraja". That Goddess Laksmi yearns to attain the touch of Lord Krishna is also confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.16.36):
yad-vanchaya shrir lalanacarat tapah. . .
"O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kaliya has attained this great opportunity of being touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austere vows."***
Goddess Laksmi did not only yearn to attain the love the gopis felt in separation from Lord Krishna, she also yearned to attain the love they felt when they directly enjoyed pastimes with Him. What persons like myself say to describe that love? In Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.60 the words "rasotasave 'sya bhuja-danda-grihita-kantha-labdhashisham ya udagad" mean "When, in the rasa dance, Lord Krishna embraced the gopis' necks, the gopis felt all their desires were fulfilled". This means the desire the gopis had long kept hidden in their hearts was now openly attained. That Goddess Laksmi yearned to attain the gopis' good fortune is also confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.8):
api yat-spriha shrih
"You have embraced the young cowherd women between Your two arms--a favor hankered after by the goddess of fortune herself."***
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.60 the word "vraja-sundarinam (of the beautiful girls of Vraja) shows that the gopis are the most beautiful of all girls". That the devotees attain all exalted qualities is confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.12):
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana. . .
"All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva."*
Spiritual love where the devotee loves the Lord as a beloved is the crest jewel of all kinds of spiritual love. Here two levels of that love, as manifested by Goddess Laksmi and by the gopis, are revealed. That this kind of spiritual love for the Lord is the most exalted is not refuted by the following words spoken by the Lord to Uddhava in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.14.15):
na ca sankarshano na shrih
"My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Lord Sankarshana, the goddess of fortune, nor indeed My own self are as dear to Me as you are."***
These words are only intended to praise devotional service and the devotees in a general way. They do not mean that Uddhava is in a position superior to Goddess Laksmi and the other devotees who consider the Lord their beloved. Because the gopis love Lord Krishna, the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their position is most exalted.
Return to Anuccheda 101-102
