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EDITORIAL December 8, 1999 VNN5041 Comment on this story Catud-sloki 'The Godhood Of Godhead' BY SWAMI B.V. TRIPURARI  EDITORIAL, Dec 8 (VNN) — "Spiritual love that knows no reason cares little for the Godhood of Godhead, yet it is this kind of love that brings one in touch with the fullest expression of the Absolute, the source of everything and its feeling, the supreme God. "A discussion on the famous nutshell verses of the Bhagavad-gita by Swami B.V. Tripurari. "I am the source of everything; all proceeds from me. Realizing this, the wise imbued with love adore me." (Bg. 10.8) Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has called verses eight through twelve the catuh-sloki of the Bhagavad-gita, playing off the well-known four (catur) essential verses (sloka) of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, originally spoken by Krsna to Brahma (1). All four verses have a general meaning for practicing devotees (sadhakas), as well as an esoteric meaning relative to Krsna's devotees of Vraja and the gopis in particular, as well as those following in their footsteps in advanced stages of practice. They deal with the nature of devotion that follows the realization of the first two lines of this verse, in which Krsna, as he does in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (2), proclaims himself to be the original supreme person (svayam bhagavan). Krsna first says, "I (aham) am the source (prabhavo) of everything (sarvasya), and everything (sarvam) proceeds (pravartate) from me (mattah)." Here Krsna declares himself to be both the efficient and ingredient cause of the world. In pottery, the potter and the clay are the different efficient and ingredient causes, respectively. However, in the case of the world, all systems of Vedanta recognize Brahman to be both causes, efficient and instrumental. Not only is Krsna the source of both the material and spiritual worlds, but he oversees their maintenance as well. The spiritual domain is maintained by his incarnations and expansions. The material world is presided over by his expansion as Paramatma. Brahma and Siva, his incarnations, maintain and destroy the material world, respectively (3). Furthermore, order in the civilized world, by the direction of the sacred Veda, emanates from him as well. Krsna is the Godhead himself (svayam bhagavan). Those who understand this are wise, the expression of which is their devotion to him. This is the general import. The deeper meaning reveals that he who is svayam bhagavan, the original Godhead from whom all other expressions of divinity emanate is dhira-lalita Krsna, the playful Casanova subjugated by Radha's love. Dhira-prasanta Krsna, the statesman and hero who gives Upanisadic council to Arjuna on the battlefield, is a partial manifestation of dhira-lalita Krsna. Although Krsna of the Gita preaches a sermon of love, the full face of love (mukhya-rasa) is expressed in Vraja alone. The fullest expression of love is the source of all other expressions of love that make the material and spiritual worlds go round. Thus in this verse, dhira-lalita Krsna is speaking, as dhira-prasanta Krsna's mind shifts from the battlefield to Vraja due to the influence of sacred Kuruksetra. Earlier in Kuruksetra, dhira-prasanta Krsna met with Radha and others from Vraja after killing the evil king Kamsa. They came here, as he did, to observe the solar eclipse. Amidst royal paraphernalia, entourage, and elephants, dhira-prasanta Krsna, the youthful prince, met with the beloved devotees of Vraja. Reminded of their love, he admitted that he was entirely purchased by them. At that time, his mother, Devaki, seeing the love of his so-called foster mother of Vraja by whom he had been raised, acknowledged that Krsna was in fact Yasoda's son in consideration of the intensity of her love. To Nanda and Yasoda of Vraja, prince Krsna was just their young boy, his princely paraphernalia merely an ornament. Sri Radha and the gopis drew the dhira-lalita-nayaka from Krsna's heart, reminding Krsna of their youthful days of love in carefree Vraja: frolicking in its beautiful forests, Mount Govardhana, and the sandy banks of the Yamuna. They could not appreciate Krsna's regal attire, for he remained to them their adolescent love. They were not city girls, and the formalities of high society held no attraction for them. Their Krsna was not a prince to bow before, rather he who earlier bowed to their love (4), attesting to its supremacy. For the gopis, Krsna was, although the best of them, a mere village boy of Vraja, and by the force of their love Krsna admitted to the gopis that even in the midst of princely life his heart was always with them, subjugated by their love (5). It is thus through the lens of love, sacred aesthetic rapture, that Sri Caitanya's disciples have envisioned dhira-lalita Krsna at sacred Kuruksetra in this verse, a vision of love (bhava samanvitah) philosophically grounded (budha). Spiritual love that knows no reason cares little for the Godhood of Godhead, yet it is this kind of love that brings one in touch with the fullest expression of the Absolute, the source of everything and its feeling, the supreme God. At the same time, as per this verse, initially it is knowledge of Krsna's supremacy and thus his supreme capacity to love that inspires one to approach him in absolute loveÑto give fully of oneself. In the language of Rupa Goswami, the fullest expression of the Absolute is Krsna, who is 'akhila-rasamrta-murti,' the reservoir of loving reciprocation in sacred aesthetic rapture (rasa) (6). Thus svayam bhagavan Krsna, after explaining his position as the source of all, speaks in the second half of this verse about the type of devotion he relishesÑand by which he is realized. Through the sacred literature Krsna explains his own devotional yoga. Swami B. R. Sridhara comments that the words 'mattah sarvam pravartate' in this verse indicate, "Every attempt and movement begins with me, including the methods by which everyone worships and serves me in devotion." Krsna reveals himself through the methods of devotion he himself has given in the scripture. Study of the scripture in and of itself does not reveal him, but therein Krsna reveals the means by which he can be known, his grace, and the means of attracting this grace, acts of devotion under the guidance of Sri Guru. Swami B. R. Sridhara cites the famous Bhagavata verse in which Krsna identifies the guru with himself, 'acaryam mam vijaniyam,' "I am the guru (acarya)." (7) Thus it is Krsna himself who teaches his devotional yoga to one who understands (budha) him as svayam bhagavan, the origin of all. He does so through his potency, Sri Radha, who for the Gaudiyas is represented by Sri Guru, for she knows Krsna like no one else. She knows everything about him: the original person, svayam bhagavan. Under her influence, the influence of Vraja bhakti, devotees worship Krsna imbued with spontaneous love (bhava samamvitah). Bhava samanvitah indicates the sacred path of passionate love (raganuga bhakti). This is the path demarcated by Sri Caitanya. Swami B. R. Sridhara remarks that the insight into the ultimacy of Vraja Krsna is mentioned in the Bhagavata in relation to the worship of Sri Caitanya himself, yajanti hi sumedhasah (8). Endowed with divine wisdom begetting subtle theistic intelligence, devotees worship Sri Caitanya as the combined form of Radha and Krsna by means of sankirtana (chanting God's name in unison). Such wisdom is described in this verse as budha, and the subsequent worship as bhava samanvitah. The words budha and bhava-samanvitah indicate the essence of bhakti. It is a wise existence, wise love, in which one is cognizant of one's relationship with Krsna and joyfully functions in that loving relationship. This takes place on firm existential ground. Rupa Goswami describes that one possessed of bhava is under the influence of the cognitive (samvit) and joy (hladini) features of Krsna's primary sakti, (9) which is also composed of an existential feature (sandhini). This is budha bhava-samanvitah. A feeling existence is not always a wise one. Misplaced feeling amounts to the experience of material existence, an existence rooted in ignorance. When our feeling (bhava) is wise (budha), due to its being reposed in the perfect object of love that Krsna describes himself to be in this verse, we dwell in a corresponding eternal existence. Bhava means feeling, love, as well as existence. Our love is our existence. Krsna next describes how his loving devotees exist and express their love for him. 'Bhagavad-gita: Its Feeling and Philosophy' by Swami B.V. Tripurari is scheduled for publication next year. Footnotes: (1) SB. 2.9.33Ð36 (2) SB. 1.3.23. See also SB. 1.1.1. In this verse Krsna is described as the source of everything (janmadyasya yatah), who is to be meditated on in devotion (satyam param dhimahi). (3) gunavataras. (4) SB. 10.32.22 (5) SB. 10.82.44 (6) Brs. 1.1.1 (7) SB. 11.17.27 (8) SB. 11.5.32 (9) Brs. 1.3.1 Questions or comments may be sent to sadhusanga@swami.org. [Reprinted with permission from Sanga 12/7/99 http://www.swami.org] About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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