Manaù Çikñä

Teachings for the mind

Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé

with the commentary of

Radhakunda Mahanta
Srila Ananta das Babaji
 TEACHING NR. 1:

gurau goñöhe goñöhälayiñu sujane bhü-sura-gaëe

sva-mantre çré-nämni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-smaraëe
sadä dambhaà hitvä kuru ratim apürväm atitaräà
aye sväntar bhrätaç caöubhir abhiyäce dhåta-padaù

gurau - in the teacher; goñöhe - in the meadows; goñöhälayiñu - in the residents of Vraja; sujane - the
saints; bhü - earth; sura - gods (brähmaëas); gaëe - in the group; sva - own; mantre - in the mantra; çré -
beautiful; nämni - in the name; vraja - of Vraja; nava - new; yuva - youthful; dvandva - Couple; çaraëe - in the
shelter; sadä - always; dambhaà - pride; hitvä - giving up; kuru - do; ratim - love; apürvam - wonderful; atitaräm
- great; aye - O!; sväntaù - mind; bhrätaù - brother; caöubhiù - with flattering words; abhiyäce - I beg; dhåta -
holding; padaù - the feet.

O Mind! O brother! I hold your feet and I pray to you with flattering words:
Always give up your pride and develop wonderful love for your spiritual master, the abode
of Vraja, the people of Vraja, the saintly devotees, the brähmaëas, my initiation-mantra,
the Holy Name of Kåñëa and the shelter of the eternally youthful Couple of Vraja, Çré-Çré
Rädhä-Kåñëa!

Commentary:
Although Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé is an eternal associate of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, he
instructs his own mind, which is illuminated by viçuddha sattva, in the expertise of Vraja-bhajana in
this Manaù Çikñä, for the benefit of all the practicing rägänugä devotees of the world.
When we are able to actually practice these essential instructions in Manaù Çikñä, they will
take us by the hand and bring us to the lotus feet of the beloved deity. It is the duty of a faithful and
sincere devotee to follow these instructions and to make them a necklace to wear around his neck
(meaning: One should memorize them and always remember them).
The main helper in bhajana-sädhana is the mind, the Lord of the senses. The mind of a
materialistic person is by nature restless and attached to the sense-objects.
In the Bhagavad Gétä (6.34) Arjuna tells the Lord:

caïcalaà hi manaù kåñëa pramäthi balavad dåòham

tasyähaà nigrahaà manye väyor iva suduñkaram

"O Kåñëa! The mind is restless, disturbing the senses, powerful and tenacious. To control him
seems to be as difficult as to control the wind (in our bodies, by means of kumbhaka and recaka-
exercises)."
The Lord agreed with this and said:
asaàçayaà mahä-bäho mano durnigrahaà calam
abhyäsena tu kaunteya vairägyeëa ca gåhyate

(Bhagavad Gétä 6,35)

"O mighty-armed one! Undoubtledly it is very difficult to subdue the naturally restless mind,
but it can be accomplished through exercise and detachment."
By understanding how powerful and how hard to subdue the mind is, the sädhaka will slowly tread
on the path of auspiciousness.
 Any stream of thoughts which emanates from our minds keeps a saàskära (impression,
mental conditioning) within our (sub-) consciousness, and the aggregate of these saàskäras form our
svabhäva (nature).
Just as our present nature is the result of previous saàskäras, our future nature will be the
result of our present thoughts and actions. By giving up our mundane saàskäras and developing a
spiritual saàskära, we can gradually control the mind and tread on the path of bhajana. There is no
other way.
Çré Raghunätha very tenderly addresses his mind by saying: "O mind, my brother! I hold your
feet and I pray to you with flattering words, please listen! First of all, always give up dambha, or pride.
False ego, deceitfulness, and crookedness, these are all considered to be dambha. For
innumerable births our saàskära has been the identification with our material bodies and everything
related to it. This consciousness is a great obstacle in devotional practice.
abhimäné bhakti-héna, jaga mäjhe sei déna, våthä tära açeña bhävanä (Prema Bhakti Candrikä)
"The proud non-devotees are the lowest people in the world. Their endless thoughts are all
in vain!"
To destroy false pride devotees practice humility; hence humility is called the life-force of
devotional practice. Deceitfulness and duplicity (thinking in one way and acting in another) are other
great obstacles in devotional practice.
The Lord will never want to bestow His mercy on a crooked person, therefore Çrépäda says:
"O mind! Always give up dambha, or vanity, which is a powerful obstacle to bhajana, and
instead become very attached to some other objects!"
First of all he says: "O mind! Show great and peerless attachment to the guru, meaning the
initiating guru and the instructing guru."
The guru is the Lord’s käruëya ghana vigraha, the embodiment of His great mercy.
Just as water becomes ice when it is exposed to severe coldness, the Lord also appears on earth,
assuming the tangible form of the guru when His compassion becomes condensed.
All the vices, which are so hard to give up by one’s own endeavours can easily be conquered by serving
a guru. In this way, a practicing devotee can attain perfection and thus become blessed and fulfilled.
tat prasädo hi sva sva nänä pratékära dustyajänärtha hänau parama bhagavat prasäda siddhau ca
mülam
(Bhakti Sandarbhaù - 237 anuù):
"The cause of perfection, which consists of God’s grace, is based on the satisfaction of the
guru. By serving him different kinds of mischief, which are otherwise hard to give up, disappear."
There are many kinds of anarthas (vices), such as offenses, which are very powerful and they
hinder the progressive devotee from advancing towards the attainment of prema.
Çréla Öhäkura Mahäçaya sings:
antaräya nähi yäy; ei se parama bhaya
"My greatest fear is that these obstacles won’t disappear".
In Çrémad Bhägavata it is seen that there is a particular way to give up each specific vice, but there is
only one way to give up all these vices at once:

Devotion to the lotus feet of Çré Guru.

asaìkalpäj jayet kämaà

krodhaà käma vivarjanät
arthänarthekñayä lobhaà
bhayaà tattvävamarçanät
änvékñikyä çoka mohau
dambhaà mahad upäsayä
yogäntaräyän maunena
 hiàsäm kämädy anéhayä
kåpayä bhütajaà duùkhaà
daivaà jahyät samädhinä
ätmajaà yoga-véryeëa
nidräà sattva niñevayä
rajas tamaç ca sattvena
sattvam copaçamena ca
etat sarvaà gurau bhaktyä
puruño hyaïjasä jayet

(Çrémad Bhägavata 7.15.22-25)

Çré Närada told King Yudhiñöhira:

"To give up lust one must give up one’s determination to enjoy. To give up anger one must give up
lust and to give up greed one must see the evil of money. Fear can be given up by considering the
truth. Lamentation and illusion can be given up by considering what is material and what is spiritual
(rational thinking). Pride can be given up by serving a great soul and obstacles in yoga-practice (which
serves the purpose of fixing the mind) can be overcome by perfecting a vow of silence. Violence is
conquered by giving up endeavours for sense-gratification. Suffering caused by other living entities
can be mitigated by developing the quality of compassion. Suffering caused by the elements can be
mitigated by entering into samädhi (psycho-religious trance) and suffering caused by the own body
and mind can be mitigated by practicing the eight-fold path of mystic yoga (añöäìga-yoga).
When the mode of goodness increases, sleep is conquered along with the modes of passion
and indolence, and by controlling the senses the mode of goodness is transcended. But all these
vices and obstacles together can be conquered simply by being devoted to the guru."
Here we will have a short discussion on having a special attachment to and love for the guru.
After describing the path of surrender, Çrémat Jéva Gosvämépäda writes in Bhakti Sandarbha
(237):
tatra yadyapi çaraëäpattyaiva sarvaà siddhyati. çaraëaà taà prapannä ye dhyäna yoga
vivarjitäh. te vai måtyum atikramya yänti tad vaiñëavaà padam. iti gäruòät tathäpi vaiçiñöya lipsuù
çaktaç cet tataù bhagavac chästropadeñöåëäà bhagavan mantropadeñöåëäà vä çré guru-caraëänäà
nityam eva viçeñataù seväà kuryät.
"Although all worship reaches perfection by surrendering to the Lord, (since in the Garuòa
Puräëa it is written:
"Those who surrender to the Lord will transcend the mortal world even without practicing yoga or
meditation, and will attain the planet of Lord Viñëu. Of this there is no doubt."),
still someone who desires a special perfection in worship (or relishing transcendental flavours) will
always particularly serve and worship the lotus feet of his guru. It is either the guru who teaches him
the holy scriptures about the Personality of Godhead or the guru who initiates him in the sacred
mantras of the Personality of Godhead."
The ‘special perfection’ mentioned here means that in some cases the hearing, chanting and
remembering of the Lord’s glories is the primary practice (aìgé) and the service of the guru is one of
its items (aìga). This is called ‘ordinary service to the guru’, but even in this case, the satisfaction of
the guru is considered to be the cause of the Lord’s satisfaction.
But when the guru himself becomes the main object of worship and the hearing, chanting
and remembering of the Supreme Lord merely become different parts or side effects of the worship
of the guru, we call it ‘special service to the guru.’ Here the satisfaction of the guru is the main
goal and the satisfaction of the Lord is concomitant. In this way the disciple is blessed. Hence
Çré Jéva Gosvämé has written:
tasmäd anyad bhagavad bhajanam api näpekñate
(Bhakti Sandarbha):
"A devotee who is thus attached to the worship of his guru doesn’t need to practice any
worship of the Supreme Lord."
In this special case the Lord will be more pleased with the devotee’s service of his guru than of his
service to Himself.
In this connection Çré Jéva Gosvämé quotes a verse from Devahüti’s praises in the Padma Puräëa:

bhaktir yathä harau me’sti tad variñöhä gurau yadi

mamästi tena satyena sandarçayatu me hari

"Surely Lord Hari will reveal Himself to me if I am even more devoted to my guru than to
Him."
Hence Çré Narottama Öhäkura Mahäçaya has said:

çré guru caraëa padma, kevala bhakati sadma,

bandoì mui sävadhäna sane
yähära prasäde bhäi, ei bhava tariyä yäy
kåñëa präpti hoy yähä hoite

"The lotus feet of the guru are the abode of pure devotion, and I carefully praise them. O
brother! By his grace you will cross over the ocean of material miseries and attain the mercy of Kåñëa!"

guru mukha padma väkya, hådi kori mahäçakya

ära nä koriho mone äçä
çré guru caraëe rati, ei se uttamä gati,
ye prasäde püre sarva äçä

“Let the words flowing from the lotus mouth of your gurudeva become fixed in your heart.
Don’t desire anything else!
The highest goal of life is to love the lotus feet of the guru, for by his grace all desires will be
fulfilled."
We think that Çrémat Däsa Gosvämépäda also speaks about such an excessive love for Çré
Gurudeva when he speaks about apürva rati.
Çrépäda Raghunätha Das desires such an excessive attachment to Çré Vraja-dhäma too.
Çré Rüpa Gosvämé has taught that living in Vraja is one of the five most powerful items of
devotion which will grant love to the lotus feet of the Lord (the others being: Associating with the
devotees, worshipping the deity, hearing the Çrémad Bhägavata and chanting the Holy Name),
because:

anyeñu puëya tértheñu

muktir eva mahä-phalam
muktaiù prärthyä harer bhaktir
mathuräyäà tu labhyate
aho madhupuré dhanyä
vaikuëöhäcca garéyasé
dinam ekaà niväsena
harau bhaktiù prajäyate

(Padma Puräëa)
 "In other holy places liberation is the great benefit, but Hari-bhakti, which is prayed for even
by the liberated souls, is attained in (the district of) Mathurä.
O! Blessed is Mathurä, which is even greater than Vaikuëöha! Simply by living there for one
day devotion to Hari awakens in the heart!"
The Gosvämés have said that living in Vraja is an indispensible item for someone who wants
to attain the perfection of love of God: kuryad väsaà vraje sadä.
It has also been advised that those who are unable to live there physically should live there at
least mentally, the condition being that one must be aware of the transcendental glories of the dhäma
while living there.
One must live there with love, faith, and devotion. If this is not, possible, then one will consider the
transcendental dhäma to be a material place and commit offenses there.
In this way one can’t reap the devotional results of living in the dhäma.
Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has written:

sarvopari çré gokula vraja-loka dhäma;

çré goloka çvetadvépa våndävana näma
sarva-ga ananta vibhu kåñëa-tanu sama;
uparyadho vyäpé äche - nähiko niyama
brahmäëòe prakäça tära kåñëera icchäya;
ekai svarüpa tära nähi dui kaya
cintämaëi bhümi, kalpavåkña-maya vana;
carma cakñe dekhe täre prapaïcera sama
prema netre dekhe tära svarüpa prakäça;
gopa gopé saìge yähä kåñëera viläsa

(Caitanya Caritämåta, Ädi 5)

"The topmost abode is Çré Gokula, or Vraja-dhäma, which is also named Çré Goloka,
Çvetadvépa and Våndävana.
This abode is endless, all-pervading, and omnipresent and it is just like Kåñëa’s body. It spreads below
and above without any rule, but by Kåñëa’s wish, it is manifest in the material world in one form. It
has no two forms. The soil is made of Cintä-jewels and the forests are full of desire-trees. The material
eyes see it as a material place, but eyes filled with love of God see it in its real form, where Kåñëa
plays with the gopas and gopés."
Transcendence can never be perceived with material senses, therefore the Lord has
mercifully revealed His abode in this world in a form which is visible with the senses.
With this faith, with love and devotion, we must live in the dhäma. If not, then we will certainly
commit offenses to this holy place, finding faults in it or seeing it as an inferior place. We will be
blessed if we can live in the dhäma with great devotion and full faith that it is a transcendental place,
for love for the holy dhäma is the highest pursuit of life.
Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvatépäda has written:

rädhä muralé manohara caraëa viläsena dhanyäyäm

våndävana bhuvi manye parama pumartho manäg api praëayaù

(Våndävana Mahimämåta 4.65)

"If I even have a little love for Våndävana, the place which is blessed with the pastimes of
Rädhä-Muralé Manohara’s lotus feet, I will consider myself to have reached the highest goal of life."
Çréla Sarasvatépäda, who is filled with love for Çré Våndävana, shows a wonderful fixation in
devotion to and living in Vraja:
 çré rädhä muralédhara vara dhana
våndävane varaà krimikaù
bhagavat pärñada mukhyo’py
anyaträ’haà na cotsahe bhavitum
sarva duùkha daçä ghorä
varaà våndävane’stu me
präkåtä’präkåtä’çeña
vibhütir api nänyataù
paçur ekaù khaga ekas
tåëam ekaà reëur eko vä
çyäma rasädbhuta vanye
våndäraëye bhavämyahaà dhanyaù

(Våndävana Mahimämåtam 4.57, 61, 64)

"I would rather be a worm in Våndävana, the greatest treasure of Çré Rädhä and Muralé-dhara,
than to be a chief associate of the Lord elsewhere. May I get into the worst trouble in Våndävana, but
still I don’t pray for having all the material and spiritual opulence of the world elsewhere.
I will feel blessed even if I become an animal, a bird, a blade of grass or even a speck of dust in
Våndävana, the wonderful forest which is endowed with Çyäma-rasa!"
Çrépäda Raghunätha Das then prays for having a wonderful attachment to the Vrajaväsés, the
residents of Vraja-dhäma. Here ‘Vrajaväsés’ must be understood to mean those who live in Vraja-
dhäma in the broadest sense of the word.
The scriptures and the saints say that although the dhäma is a transcendental place it assumes a
material form out of mercy to the people of the world.
In the same way the residents of the dhäma are also assuming a material nature, although they are
completely transcendental. Therefore, although some rough edges may be perceived on the
behaviour of the Vrajaväsés, we should consider this to be due to the contaminated state of our minds,
senses, and intelligence and remain fully devoted to them.
våndäöavé vimala cid-ghana sattva-våndä våndäraka pravara vånda munéndra vandyä
(Våndävana Mahimämåta 1.44)
"Those who reside in the forest of Çré Våndävana have all attained spiritual bodies, and they
are praised by the demigods and the greatest sages."
Therefore Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté desires to serve all the moving and non-moving creatures
of Vraja with the topmost devotion:

sevä våndävana-stha sthira cara nikareñv

astu me hanta kevä devä brahmädayaù
syu stuta uru mahitä vallabhä ye vrajendoù
ete hy advaita saccid rasaghana vapuñodüra
dürätidüra sphürjjan mähätmyä våndä båhad
upaniñänandajänanda kandäù

(Våndävana Mahimämåta 1.61)

"May I attain the service of the moving and non-moving creatures of Våndävana. Aho! They
are naturally very dear to Kåñëa, the moon of Vraja, and they are even more worshipable than the
demigods, headed by Lord Brahmä. The glories of these exclusively transcendental forms, which
consist of condensed rasa, can’t be understood by tiny human brains, and they are the cause of bliss
even to the Upaniñads!"
 In the same way Çré Raghunätha begs his mind to show great attachment to the sujana (good
people, or Vaiñëavas).
For someone who wants to attain loving devotion to the Lord’s lotus feet it is compulsory to be
attached to the association of His devotees.
mahat-kåpä vinä kon karme bhakti noy (No activity can be devotional service without the mercy of
the saints) avaçya milaye kåñëa vaiñëava kåpäya (Surely, Kåñëa is attainable by the mercy of the
Vaiñëavas).
From these words we can understand that loving devotion to the Lord’s lotus feet can only be attained
by the grace of the saints. The Lord’s mercy uses the saint’s mercy or association as a vehicle to infuse
it into another living entity; it does not take place independently.
One may ask here:
"The Lord can directly bestow His mercy in the form of devotion to His lotus feet, why is it
so dependent on mahat-kåpä (grace of the saints), or mahat saìga (association with the saints)?"
The scriptures and the saints answer to this:
"Although the grace of the Lord is the major and self-perfect cause of attaining devotion which brings
us to the Lord, it takes shape before us in this phenomenal world in the form of the grace of the
saints".
santa evänugrähye yasya saù. tavänugraho yaù präpaïcike carati sa tad äkäratayaiva carati nänya
rüpatayetyarthaù (Bhakti Sandarbha 180)
"O Lord! The saints are the embodiments of Your grace! Whatever mercy You reveal in this
phenomenal world wanders around there in the form of the saints, and in no other form!" Therefore
it is nothing but self-deception to reject the direct mercy of the Lord in the form of the saints and to
seek the Lord’s parokña-karuëä (roundabout, indirect mercy).

Thus the Lord told His dear devotee Uddhava:

mad bhakta püjäbhyädhikä
(Bhäg. 11.19.21)
"My devotees are more worshipable!"
abhyädhikä mat santoña viçeñaà jïätvä mat püjato’péty arthaù
"You should be more attached to worshipping My devotee than to worshipping Me, for worship of
My devotee particularly pleases Me."
This is because the Lord desires the devotee even more than Himself. He is more attracted
to the bliss of His devotee’s devotion in the heart than to His own svarüpänanda (constitutional,
internal, personal bliss), and He desires to relish that bliss more.

näham ätmänam äçäse mad bhaktaiù sädhubhir vinä

çriyaà cätyantikém brahman yeñäà gatir ahaà parä

(Çrémad Bhägavata 9.4.64)

The Lord told Durväsä Åñi: "O brähmaëa! I covet My devotees and the saints for whom I’m
the only shelter even more than I covet Myself or My six-fold opulence!"
Therefore it is said in the Çäëòilya Småti:

siddhir bhavati vä neti saàçayo’cyuta sevinäm

na saàçayo’tra tad bhakta paricaryäratätmanäm

"It may be doubted whether a devotee of Acyuta attains perfection or not, but there’s no
doubt about it that someone who is dedicated to serving Acyuta’s devotee attains perfection!"
tasmäd viñëu prasädäya vaiñëavän paritoñayet
 "Therefore, in order to get Lord Viñëu’s mercy, one must please the Vaiñëavas with loving
devotion."
Çrémad Bhägavata says:

yat sevayä bhagavataù kuöasthasya madhudviñaù

ratiräso bhavet tévraù pädayor vyasanärdanaù

(Çrémad Bhägavata 3.7.19)

"By serving the saints, a festival of love for Madhusüdana, the destroyer of material miseries,
becomes firmly established within the heart."
Associating with saints and serving them means to lovingly worship them with body, mind,
and words, hearing topics of Kåñëa from them, remembering these topics, following their exemplary
behaviour and doing bhajana according to their instructions.
Nowadays, mahat-sevä or vaiñëava-sevä has become known as ‘giving some money, food, or
clothes, feeding them some khichuri (hotchpotch)’ or whatever the donor can think of and thereby
treating the Vaiñëavas with contempt as if they are beggars.
An intelligent person will understand whether or not all of it is in adherence to the above-
quoted holy words
mad bhakta püjäbhyädhikä or ratiräso bhavet tévraù.
The Närada Païcarätra says:
vaiñëavänäà parä bhaktiù
"One must serve the Vaiñëavas with the greatest devotion".
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes in Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu:

yävanti bhagavad bhakter aìgäni kathitän iha

präyas tävanti tad bhakta bhakter api budhäù viduù

The wise understand that each item of devotion to the Lord discussed in this book has a
corresponding item of devotion to a devotee."
On the pretext of teaching his own mind, Çré Raghunätha Däsa teaches all the devotees that
the flawless way to attain love for the lotus feet of the Lord is to serve the pure devotees with love.
After this Çré Raghunätha instructs his mind to love the brähmaëas with apürva rati.
By devotion to brähmaëas, one awakens the grace of the Lord, Who is called brahmanya
deva, the Lord of the brähmaëas. When there is a statement like:
çvapäkam iva nekñete loke vipram avaiñëavam
(One should not look at a non-devotee brähmana, he is just like a dogeater), it is only meant
to attract such a non-devotee brähmaëa to devotion.
Such statements are not intended to blaspheme brähmaëas, for Lord Kåñëa Himself gives
instructions in vipra-bhakti:

vipraà kåtägasam api naiva druhyata mämakäù

ghnantaà bahu çapantaà vä namaskuruta nityaçaù

(Çrémad Bhägavata 10.64.41)

"O My kinsmen! Do not harm a brähmana, even if he offends you! Even if He assaults You
or abuses you, you must always bow down to him."
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravartépäda has described five levels of rägänugä-sädhana, namely
sväbhéñöa bhävamaya (practice that is full of the desired mood), sväbhéñöa bhäva sambandhé (practice
that is related to the desired mood), sväbhéñöa bhävänuküla (practice that is favorable to the desired
mood), sväbhéñöa bhäväviruddha (practice that is not unfavorable to the desired mood), and sväbhéñöa
bhäva viruddha (practice that is unfavorable to the desired mood).
Of the five, the practice that is not unfavorable to the desired mood contains items like
honouring the cows, the brähmaëas and the Banyan-trees. These practices can be beneficial to the
practice of rägänugä bhajana.
After this, Çrépäda declares his wonderful love for his own initiation-mantra. In the Brahma
Puräëa the following definition is given of a mantra:

oàkärädi samäyuktaà namaskäränta kértitam

sva näma sarva sattvänäà mantra ityabhidhéyate

“A mantra is given by the Lord and the great sages, it starts with an invocatory syllable like
‘OÀ’, and it ends with a sign of obeisance, which is decorated with béjas (root-syllables such as namaù
or svähä). Furthermore it contains the names of the Lord and the special power to establish a certain
relationship between the practitioner and the Lord: It blesses the practitioner in freeing him or her
from the bondage of physical life and bestows a spiritual body which is suitable for serving the Lord.
As the mantra-dékñä emanates from the mouth of the sad-guru, a special divine mantra-power
is then infused into the heart of the aspirant devotee which gives him the ability to do bhajana.

dékñä käle bhakta kore ätma samarpaëa;

sei käle kåñëa täre kore ätma sama
sei deha tära kore cid-änanda-maya;
apräkåta dehe tära caraëa bhajaya

(Caitanya Caritämåta Antya ch.4)

"At the time of initiation the devotee surrenders himself, and at that time Kåñëa makes him
equal to Himself, giving him a transcendental body, in which the devotee can worship His lotus feet."
Of all the mantras, which are discussed in the scriptures in connection with initiation, the Çré-
Kåñëa-mantra is most prominent.
And again of all these the king of mantras, the 18-syllable or 10-syllable ‘gopé-jana-vallabha’-
mantra which contains all the pastimes within madhura-rasa, is the crown jewel of all mantras.
The wonderful result of practicing this mantra will be experienced by someone who practices
it with the greatest love and who learns its meaning from his initiating guru.
Only a reader of Sanätana Gosvämé’s Båhad Bhägavatämåta knows how the hero, Gopa Kumära, was
able to travel through the entire spiritual sky by devoutly practicing this mantra.
Then Çré Raghunätha däsa prays for wonderful attachment to the Holy Name of Kåñëa.
The chanting of the Holy Name by a devotee who is genuinely attached to the Lord brings
all perfection.
The chanting of the Holy Name is both the means and the goal of a devotee’s life, for there’s no
difference between the Name and the Named:

nämaç cintämani kåñëaç caitanya rasa vigrahaù

pürëa çuddho nitya mukto’bhinnatvän näma nämino

(Padma Puräëa)
 "The Holy Name of Kåñëa is a Cintämaëi-jewel and is the very form of consciousness and
transcendental flavour. It is completely pure and eternally liberated, and there is no difference
between the name and the named."
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé writes the following commentary to this verse:
nämaiva cintämaëiù sarvärtha dätåtvät. na kevalaà tädåçam eva api tu caitanya lakñaëo yaù kåñëaù
sa eva säkñät. tatra hetur abhinnatväditéti.
"The Holy Name is like Cintämaëi, a touchstone which is able to bestow all which is desired.
It is not just able to bestow everything because it is equal to the Lord, but it is Kåñëa Himself, who is
endowed with the characteristics of caitanya, or consciousness. This is the meaning of the
nondifference between the name and the named."
In other words, it is not that the Holy Name has been emancipated with the Lord because it
has equal potency, but the Holy Name is Kåñëa Himself. Not only that, but according to Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé the Holy Name shows qualities like mercy even more than Kåñëa Himself!

väcyaà väcakam ityudeti bhavato näma-svaräpa-dvayam

pürvasmät param eva hanta karuëaà taträpi jänémahe
yas tasmin vihitäparädha nivahah präëé samantäd bhaved
äsyenedam upäsya so’pi hi sadänandämbudhau majjati

"O Holy Name! We know that you have appeared as the transcendental form of Kåñëa (väcya)
and as His Holy Name(väcaka), but of the two I consider the Holy Name to be more merciful, for if
one offends the Lord one can be delivered from the reaction by loudly calling out His name and thus
be immersed in an ocean of transcendental loving bliss!"
In this way it is known that all the means and all the goals of human perfection lie in the
Holy Name of Çré Kåñëa.
The chanting of the Holy Name is the primary item (aìgé) of devotional practice, and all the other
items are secondary (aìga).
Remembering this, the practicing devotees should chant the Holy Name with even more devotional
attachment. In this way they will become swiftly blessed.
Finally Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé says:
"O mind! Take shelter of the incomparable youthful loving couple of Vraja, Çré-Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa, and
thus increase your wonderful love for Them!"
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé is an eternal associate of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, known as
Tulasé Maïjaré or Rati Maïjaré, and he has descended along with the Lord to teach the aspiring
devotees the intricacies of the worship of Rädhä and Kåñëa, thus taking them along to the Vraja-
nikuïja.
The worship of the youthful Couple of Vraja as a maïjaré (spiritual maidservant) is the unprecedented
and most merciful gift of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
One of the reasons for Mahäprabhu’s descension is to mercifully bless the sinful and fallen
souls of the age of Kali by giving them this intimate worship of the Divine Couple of Vraja, which is
rarely attained even by Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, Uddhava and other great souls.
Some may think:
"Mahäprabhu Himself has said (in Caitanya Caritämåta):
cäri bhäva bhakti diyä näcäimu bhuvana
‘I will make the world dance by giving it devotion to Kåñëa in four different moods (servanthood,
fraternal love, parental love, and amorous love).’ Then how can you say that He only came to give the
intimate worship of Rädhä and Kåñëa?"
The answer to this may be that:
"He may have said that, but factually He established during His discussions with Çré Rämänanda Räya
and others, that the worship of Rädhä and Kåñëa is the crown jewel of all human pursuits. He Himself
as well as His direct disciples, the Six Gosvämés, who are the äcäryas of the Gauòéya Vaiñëava
Sampradäya, mainly practiced and preached the amorous love for Kåñëa as the highest attainment,
and their books are filled mainly with this topic.
How Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé was immersed in worshipping the Divine Couple in
maïjaré-bhäva can be clearly experienced as we go on discussing his Stavävalé-prayers.
It has been ascertained in various ways by the Gosvämés, who carry Çréman Mahäprabhu’s
teachings in their throats, that simply by worshipping Çré Kåñëa without Çré Rädhä, one attains only a
drop of the relish of the Kåñëa-ocean.
Çré Kåñëa is like a bottomless ocean of sweetness, which is hard to enter into.
Nevertheless, the greatest way of experiencing God is relishing His sweetness. How can an
insignificant living entity ever enter into this ocean of sweetness? Only if the living entities would
receive a lot of mercy from a great energy through complete love would they be able to savour this
complete sweetness of Çré Kåñëa and become blessed. That great energy is Çré Rädhä.
Just as the ocean of Çré Kåñëa’s sweetness increases unlimitedly when He is with Çré Rädhä,
Çré Rädhä makes the living entities who surrender to Her lotus feet relish Kåñëa’s full sweetness in
sakhé- or maïjaré-bhäva.
Not only that, She also makes them relish it even more than She relishes it Herself!

rädhära svarüpa - kåñëa prema kalpalatä;

sakhégaëa hoy - tära pallava puñpa pätä
kåñëa lélämåta yadi latäke siïcaya;
nija seka hoite pallavädyera koöi sukha hoy

(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 8)

"Rädhä is a desire-vine of love for Kåñëa, and the sakhés are the buds, leaves, flowers of that
vine. When that vine is sprinkled with the nectar of Kåñëa’s pastimes, the buds and flowers experience
millions of times more happiness than the vine herself."
They experience happiness a million times more because Çré Rädhä can relish the great
sweetness of Kåñëa with them, but the sakhés and maïjarés who are surrendered to Her lotus feet can
relish the sweetness of both Rädhä and Kåñëa when They are together. They can also relish the
wonderful savour of the service to this sweet Couple, and thus be blessed.
The worship of Rädhä and Kåñëa in the mood of the maïjarés is the highest stage the living
entity can attain in the kingdom of divine flavours through the practice of loving devotional service.
For this reason Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé, though he is a nitya-siddha-maïjaré, has instructed
the aspiring devotees of the world to become more attached to the lotus feet of Çré-Çré Rädhä-
Mädhava, on the pretext of instructing his own mind.
It’s no wonder that a devotee who follows the instructions only of even this one verse, what
to speak of all the other verses, will invoke a benediction for his sädhana.

ohe bhrätaù mora mana, ei mama nivedana,

sadä dambha parityäga koro
hari bhakti niketana, çré gurura çré caraëa,
anuräge tä’ äçraya koro
"O mind, my brother! I pray to you:
Always give up your pride and lovingly take shelter of your gurudeva’s lotus feet which are the abode
of devotion to Hari!"

apräkåta cinmaya dhäma, våndävana yära näma,

tähe yoto sthävara jaìgama
 gala lagné kåta väse, sadä açru nére bhese,
nityä tädera koroho praëäma

"Always offer your obeisances to all the moving and non-moving living entities of the
transcendental abode named Våndävana, thereby shedding tears of love and holding a piece of cloth
around the neck (in humble submission)."

vaiñëava mahänta-gaëa, prema bhaktira mahäjana,

jane jane patita pävana
bhåtya präya saìge phira, nitya paricaryä koro,
tabe hobe väïchita püraëa

"Always associate with the saintly Vaiñëavas who are the great teachers of loving devotion and
who are redeeming one fallen soul after the other. If you always engage in their service like a menial
servant all your (devotional) desires will be fulfilled."

çré kåñëera priyavara, dvija-gaëe bhakti koro,

äçérväda maìgala käraëa
akhila brahmäëòa-pati, suprasanna hobe ati
tähädera korile sevana

"Serve Çré Kåñëa’s most beloved brähmaëas, for they can give you auspicious blessings. If you
serve them, the Lord of all the worlds will be very pleased with you."

kåpä çakti saïcärita, dékñä mantra guru-datta,

japa mana loiyä çaraëa
mantra-räja äkarñaëe, prakäçiyä våndävane
dekhä dibe madana mohana

"The initiation-mantra is invested with the grace of the guru. Practice this mantra and take
shelter of it. Madana-Mohana will be so attracted to this king of mantras that He will reveal Himself
to you in Våndävana."

sarva çakti paripürëa, mahäprabhu mukhodgérna,

bhuvana maìgala hari-näma
koro çravaëa kértana, japa mana rätri dina,
premänanda yära pariëäma

"The Holy Name of Hari, which emanated from the mouth of Mahäprabhu, is filled with all
transcendental potencies and is the source of auspiciousness to the whole world. Hear and chant this
Holy Name and repeat it day and night.
This will result in ecstatic love of Kåñëa."

nava vidhä bhakti ratne, anuçélana kori yatne,

bhaja mana yugala caraëa
daçanete tåëa dhare, ei cäöu väkya dväre,
tuyä pade kori nivedana

"O mind! Follow the nine jewel like types of devotion with care and worship the lotus feet of
the Divine Couple. Holding a straw between my teeth I speak this flattering words to you and I pray
to your feet."
 TEACHING NR. 2:

na dharmaà nädharmaà çruti-gaëa-niruktaà kila kuru

vraje rädhä-kåñëa-pracura-paricaryäm iha tanu
çacé-sünuà nandéçvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaà
mukunda-preñöhatve smara param ajasraà nanu manaù

na - not; dharmaà - religion; na - not; adharmaà - irreligion; çrutigaëa - Vedas; niruktaà - described;
kila - certainly; kuru - do; vraje - in Vraja; rädhä kåñëa - Rädhä and Kåñëa; pracura - abundant; paricaryäm -
worship; iha - here; tanu - body; çacé sünum - the son of Çacé; nandéçvara pati - the Lord of Nandéçvara; sutatve
- being the son; guru - teacher; varaà - the best; mukunda - Mukunda; preñöhatve - being dear to; smara -
remember; param - great; ajasraà - always; nanu - indeed; manaù - O mind!

O mind! Don’t follow any of the religious or irreligious paths which are prescribed
or forbidden by the Vedas. Intently worship Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja!
Know that the son of mother Çacé (Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu) is the son of the king of
Nandéçvara (Çré Kåñëa) and that the best of spiritual teachers is dear to Lord Mukunda (Çré
Kåñëa).

Commentary:
Çrémat Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé instructs the aspiring devotees of the world in some of the
compulsory duties of pure rägänugä-bhakti and in the science of devotion on the pretext of instructing
his own mind.
The Vedic scriptures are vast, and according to the eligibility of the many different human
beings there are different instructions in them on fruitive activities, wisdom, and devotional service.
Sometimes someone can give up a lower occupation and become eligible to enter into a higher
occupation. These things are also ascertained by the scriptures. If by some inconceivable
fortune one attains the mercy and the association of a great saint, one may gain faith in the process of
hearing and chanting about the Lord and develop a liking for it.
In this way one will transcend the varëäçrama-system of the four social and spiritual orders
and the path of intellectual spiritual realisation (jïäna) and gain access to pure faithful devotional
worship.
In Çrémad Bhägavata (11.20.9) Lord Kåñëa tells Uddhava:

tävat karmäëi kurvéta na nirvidyeta yävatä

mat kathä çravaëädau vä çraddhä yävan na jäyate

"One must continue performing one’s occupational duties as they are prescribed by the Vedas,
as long as one has not developed a liking for hearing topics about Me."
The purport of this is that as soon as one’s heart is purified by performing Vedic fruitive activities one
becomes callous towards worldly affairs and gains access to the path of jïäna, intellectual spiritual
realisation. As long as one has not by chance become attracted to the topics of the Lord by the grace
of a great saint, one must continue to perform all the different social duties. A faithful person becomes
eligible to render pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord, and should not to engage in fruitive
activities or contemplative wisdom.
The Lord Himself has instructed the world to give up the caste- and äçrama-system and to
worship Him instead.
 äjïäyaiva guëän doñän mayädiñöän api svakän
dharmän santyajya yaù sarvän mäà bhajet sa ca sattamaù

(Çrémad Bhägavata 11.11.32)

"He is the best of all men, who, having completely neglected all his duties though prescribed
by Me, while knowing well the virtues (of following them) and the sins (of not following them),
worships Me alone."
Çrédhara Svämé writes in his commentary on this verse:
mayä veda-rüpeëa ädiñöän api sva-dharmän santyajya yo mäà bhajet so’pyevaà pürvoktavat
sattamaù. kim ajïänät nästikyäd vä? na, dharmäcaraëe sattva-çuddhyädén guëän vipakñe doñäàç
cäjïäyäya jïätväpi mad dhyäna vikñepatayä mad bhaktyaiva sarvaà bhaviñyatéti dåòha niçcayenaiva
dharmän santyajya
"Such a person knows that such fruitive activities are simply disturbing his meditations on Me,
so he becomes firmly determined to give them up and engage in My devotional service. He does not
give up the Vedic rules and regulations out of atheism or ignorance".
At the end of the Bhagavad Gétä the Lord gave a similar instruction as being the most
confidential of all teachings.

sarva dharmän parityajya mäm ekam çaraëaà vraja

ahaà tvaà sarva päpebhyo mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù

"O Arjuna! Give up all forms of religion and simply surrender unto Me. I will free you from
all sins. Do not fear."
This verse confirms that those who tread the path of pure devotion give up all connection with the
religious and irreligious activities which are discussed in the Vedas.
Çré Raghunätha däsa then says: vraje rädhä-kåñëa pracura paricaryäm iha tanu
"O mind! Give up the moral and immoral activities which have been described by the Vedas
and elaborately serve Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja!"
The word paricaryä is a synonym for püjä, sevä, upäsanä and so on. pracura paricaryä here
means that on the path of rägänugä bhakti the devotee thinks of himself as a devotee of Vraja both in
his external body and in his mentally conceived spiritual body.
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has written:

sevä sädhaka rüpeëa siddha rüpena cätra hi

tad bhäva lipsunä käryä vraja-lokänusärataù

(Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu 1.2.295)

"A person who desires love for the lotus feet of Rädhä and Mädhava should follow in the
footsteps of the people of Vraja, serving Them both in his external devotee-body (in allegiance to Çré
Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämé) and in his spiritual body (in allegiance to Çré Rüpa and Rati Maïjaré)."

bähya antara ihära dui to sädhana;

bähya - sädhaka dehe kore çravaëa kértana
mane - nija siddha dehe koriyä bhävana;
rätri dine kore vraje kåñëera sevana

(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 22)

 "There are two kinds of devotional practice: internal and external. In the external body one
engages in hearing and chanting and in the mind one conceives of one’s own spiritual body, in which
to serve Kåñëa in Vraja day and night."
A devotee who desires love for Rädhä and Kåñëa should persistently live in Vraja (if not
physically, then mentally) and serve (the deity of) Rädhä and Kåñëa with flowers and dairy-products
from Vraja, always chanting Hare Kåñëa and hearing about the loving pastimes of Rädhä and Kåñëa
from the mouths of the rasika devotees.

rädhä-kåñëa sevana, ekänta koriyä mana,

caraëa kamala boli yäu
dohära näma guëa çuni, bhakta mukhe puni puni,
parama änanda sukha päu

"Fix your mind on the service of Rädhä and Kåñëa and praise Their lotus feet. You will become
most happy by hearing Their names and qualities from the mouths of the devotees."
In this way one should always meditate on one’s mentally conceived spiritual body, following in the
footsteps of Çré Rüpa Maïjaré and Çré Rati Maïjaré and mentally serve Rädhä and Kåñëa throughout
Their eternally revolving, eightfold daily pastimes.
Çréla Narottama Öhäkura Mahäçaya sings:

çré rüpa maïjaré sära, çré rati maïjaré ära,

anaìga maïjaré maïjulälé
çré rasa maïjaré saìge, kasturikä ädi raìge
prema sevä kori kutühale

"I will eagerly render loving service with Çré Rüpa Maïjaré, Çré Rati Maïjaré, Anaìga Maïjaré,
Maïjulälé, Çré Rasa Maïjaré, Kastürikä and others."
e sabä anugä hoiyä, prema sevä nibo cäiyä,
iìgite bujhibo sab käja
rüpe guëe òagamagi, sadä hobo anurägé,
vasati koribo sakhé mäjha

"Following in their footsteps I will render loving service, and I will understand my duties
simply on their hints. I will always be attached to Their forms and qualities and stay amongst the
sakhés."

våndävane dui jana, caturdike sakhé-gaëa,

samaya bujhiyä rasa sukhe
sakhéra iìgita hobe, cämara òhüläbo kobe,
tämbüla yogäbo cäìda mukhe

"The Divine Couple resides in Våndävana and is always surrounded by Their girlfriends. Let
me serve Them in rasika joy, understanding the appropriate time. When can I, on the indications of
the sakhés, fan Them and offer betel leaves to Their moon-like faces?"

yugala caraëa sevi, nirantara ei bhävi,

anurägé rahibo sadäya
sädhane bhävibo yähä, siddha dehe päbo tähä,
räga-pathera ei se upäya

(Prema Bhakti Candrikä)

 "I will always meditate on my service to the lotus feet of this Divine Couple and I will always
remain attached to this. Whatever the rägänugä-devotee thinks of during his practice, he will get
when he receives his siddha-(spiritual) body. That is the way of rägänugä-bhakti."
There is an endless variety of ways in which one can think of these services within one’s siddha deha,
therefore Çré Raghunätha däsa speaks of pracura paricaryä, an abundance of devotional service, here.
While worshipping the Divine Couple in this way Çré Raghunätha däsa instructs his mind to
see Çré Çacénandana (Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu) as Çré Nandanandana (Çré Kåñëa) Himself, in the
mood of Çré Narottama däsa:
vrajendra-nandana yei, çacé-suta hoilo sei
"He who is the prince of Vraja has now become the son of mother Çacé."
The purport here is that in previous ages even the great sages were hardly able to enter into
the confidential worship of Rädhä and Kåñëa. Vrajendra-Nandana then became greedy after His own
sweetness in the mood of Çrématé Bhänu-nandiné, accepted Her mood and complexion and thus
became Gaura, relishing the sweetness of Vraja-lélä Himself and teaching His devotees how to relish
this also.

kåñëa lélämåta sära, tära çata çata dhära,

daça dige bohe yähä hoite
se caitanya lélä hoy, sarovara akñaya,
mana haàsa caräho tähäte

(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 25)

"The pastimes of Kåñëa are the quintessence of nectar and hundreds of streams emanate from
it, forming an endless lake of Caitanya-pastimes. Make your swan-like mind swim in this shoreless
nectar-lake."
This is why the devotees think of Çré Gaura relishing the pastimes of Rädhä and Kåñëa, before
meditating on that particular Rädhä-Kåñëa-lélä. In this way the worship of the rägänugéya Gauòéya
Vaiñëavas becomes very beautiful and expert as they meditate on the eternal daily pastimes of Çré
Gauräìga alongside with the eternal pastimes of Çré-Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa.
Then Çré Raghunätha däsa thinks of his guru as being Çré Mukunda’s dear most devotee. The
scriptures always order the devotees to think of the guru as being non-different from the beloved
deity. Çré Kåñëa Himself tells Uddhava in Çrémad Bhägavata: äcäryaà mäà vijänéyät (11.17.27)
"Know the äcärya to be Me". guru kåñëa rüpa hon çästrera pramäna (C.C. Ädi 1)
"The scriptures have proven that the guru is a form of Kåñëa". In this connection Çré Jéva
Gosvämé has written:
çuddha bhaktäs tv eke çré guroù çré çivaç ca bhagavatä mahäbheda dåñöià tat priyatamatvenaiva
manyante
(Bhakti Sandarbha 213)
"But the pure devotees see the guru, as well as Çré Çiva, as non-different from the Supreme
Lord on the strength of their being His dear most beloveds."
Such devotees are very rare, though, hence Çré Jéva used the word eke (one).
In this consciousness Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé always remembers his guru as being
Mukunda’s dear most beloved.

çruti çästre pratipädya, ära niñiddhädi pada,

dharmädharma sab parihari
nitya satya premäspada, vraje rädhä-kåñëa pada,
bhajo mana divasa çarvaré
 "O mind! Give up all the rules which are set by the Vedic scriptures, as well as all things which
are forbidden there, like all religiosity and irreligiosity. Instead, day and night worship the feet of
Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja which are eternal and real and which are the abode of love."

vrajendra-nandana yei, çacé-suta hoilo sei,

ei bhäve gauräìga caraëa
ohe mana! bhajo tumi, e minati kori ämi,
dibe prema anargha ratana

"O mind! I humbly pray to you: ‘Worship the lotus feet of Gauräìga in the mood of He Who
is the son of Vrajendra and has now become the son of mother Çacé!’, and He will give you priceless
jewels of love of God!"

gaura-govinda preñöha, çré guru tähära preñöha,

kåñëa-kåpä guru-rüpa dhare
jévera mäyä andhakära, näçibäre vrata yära,
ghuriyä beòäya ghare ghare

"The guru is Gaura-Govinda’s most beloved, for he is the form of Kåñëa who wanders from
house to house, dedicated to destroy the darkness of illusion in the hearts of the conditioned souls."

govinda viläsa ghara, yära çuddha kalevara,

bhaja mana çré guru-caraëa
locana änanda dätä, näma prema-bhakti dhätä,
avatérëa patita pävana

"O mind! Worship the lotus feet of the guru, whose pure body is the abode of Govinda’s
pastimes and who has descended to save the fallen souls, to delight the eyes and to bestow upon us
the chanting of the Holy Name and loving devotion."

TEACHING NR. 3:

yadéccher äväsaà vraja-bhuvi sa-rägaà pratijanur

yuva-dvandvaà tac cet paricaritum äräd abhilañeù
svarüpaà çré-rüpaà sa-gaëam iha tasyägrajam api
sphuöaà premëä nityaà smara nama tadä tvaà çåëu manaù

yadi - if; iccheù - of the desire; äväsaà - residence; vraja-bhuvi - in Vraja; sa - with; rägaà - sacred
passion; prati - every; januù - birth; yuva - youthful; dvandvaà - Couple; tat - that; cet - if; paricaritum - worship;
äräd - near; abhilañeh - of the desire; svarüpaà - Çréla Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé; çré rüpaà - Rüpa Gosvämé;
sa-gaëam - with his group; iha - here; tasya - his; agrajam - elder brother, Sanätana Gosvämé; api - even;
sphuöam - clearly; premnä - with love; nityaà - eternally; smara - remember; nama - bow down; tadä - then;
tvaà - you; çåëu - listen; manaù - mind.

O mind, listen! If you want to live in Vraja with great love birth after birth and if
you want to attain the service of the youthful Couple of Vraja (Rädhä-Kåñëa), then always
lovingly remember and honour Çré Svarüpa Dämodara, Çré Rüpa Gosvämé and his devotees
as well as his elder brother, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé!
 Commentary:
In this verse Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé too instructs his mind about the secrets of räga bhajana.
"O Mind! If you want to live in Vraja with love birth after birth…" – Now the question arises: Does
a devotee have to take birth again and again?
The answer is: Devotional practice is not the same as jïäna or yoga-practice. The practice of
bhakti is sweet and its resultant perfection is also sweet.
The experiences of sädhana bhakti, bhäva bhakti and prema bhakti are to some extent
included in each other. The savour of sädhanä bhakti is not less.
Especially the taste of living in Vraja is so great and astonishing that the devotee desires to
take birth there again and again to relish it and the Lord, Who fulfills all of His devotee’s desires, also
thinks: "Let My devotee savour the nectar of living in Vraja!“
The devotee humbly thinks that he doesn’t have any devotion and prays:

nätha yoni sahasreñu yeñu yeñu vrajämyaham

teñu teñvacyuta bhaktir acyute’stu sadä tvayi

(Prahläda praying in the Viñëu Puräëa)

"O Lord Acyuta! May I have unflinching devotion for You in all the thousands of births I may
still have to take!"
The devotee humbly thinks that he is so sinful that he will have to take many births more in
the material world in different species, but it doesn’t matter to him as long as he has devotion to God
in his heart!
Çré Raghunätha däsa speaks here about living in Vraja with love, birth after birth. How
beautiful is the picture of living in Vraja with love!
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé and Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé, who showered
themselves with tears of love while feeling anxious separation from their beloved deity, are the best
examples of how to live in Vraja with love. They only wore loincloths and chädars (shawls) and floated
on the waves of the nectar-ocean of the love of the gopés. Everything in Vraja reminded them so much
of Rädhä and Kåñëa that they wandered all over Vrajamaëòala, lamenting and searching for their
beloved deities:

he rädhe vraja devike ca lalite he nanda süno kutaù

çré govardhana kalpa pädapa-tale kälindi-vanye kutaù
ghoñantäv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahä vihvalau
vande rüpa-sanätanau raghu-yugau çré jéva gopälakau

(Çréniväsäcärya, Çré-Çré Ñaò-Gosvämyañöakam - 8)

"O Rädhe! O goddess of Vraja! O Lalite! O Son of Nanda! Where are You? Now I am in Vraja-
dhäma, the abode of Your eternal pastimes, where You are immersed in the rasa of Your pastimes,
diffusing unlimited sweetness! Are Your pastimes going on at the foot of a wish-yielding tree near
Govardhana Hill, or are You enjoying on the bank of the Yamunä?”
In this way these six Gosvämés very anxiously cried out for Rädhä and Mädhava, and wandered
throughout Vraja-maëòala looking for Them. I offer my obeisances unto these six Gosvämés!"
Çréla Narottama Däsa Öhäkura has sung in his ‘Prärthanä Gétikä (song 25)’:

karaìga kaupina loiyä, cheìòä käìtha gäye diyä,

teyägiyä sakala viñaya
 kåñëa anuräga hobe, vrajera nikuïje kobe,
jäiyä koribo nijäloya

"When will I become so attracted to Kåñëa that I will give up all sense enjoyment, wear only
a loincloth and a torn up chädar, and carry only a clay pot (käruä) with me? When can I go to the
nikuïjas of Vraja and make them my home?"

hari hari! kobe mora hoibe sudina?

phala müla våndävane, khäbo divä avasäne,
bhramibo hoiyä udäséna

"Hari Hari! When will that great day be mine when I can wander around in Våndävana, not
caring about anything, eating only fruits and roots at the end of the day?"

çétala yamunä jale, snäna kori kutühole,

premäveçe änandita hoiyä
bähu por bähu tuli, våndävane kuli kuli,
kåñëa boli beòäbo käìdiyä

"I will eagerly take a bath in the cool Yamunä-water and in great loving ecstasy I will raise my
arms and wander all over Våndävana, crying out ‘Kåñëa!’"

dekhibo saìketa sthäna, juòäbe täpita präëa,

premäveçe gaòägaòi dibo
kähä rädhä präneçvari, kähä giri-varadhäri,
kähä nätha boliyä òäkibo

"I will soothe my burning heart by seeing Rädhä and Kåñëa’s meeting place and I will roll
around there in great loving ecstasy, crying out: "Where are You, O Rädhe, Queen of my heart? O
Lord Girivaradhäri! Where are You?"
This is a sweet picture depicting how the devotee lives in Vraja with anuräga, deep love.
According to the experience of the äcäryas, this condition is even more relishable than directly
meeting the Lord Himself.
The word sarägam can also mean ‘to live in Vraja together with other rägänugä devotees’.
The devotion of Kåñëa’s eternal associates in Vraja is called rägätmika-bhakti, and devotion
in allegiance to them is called rägänugä-bhakti.

rägamayi bhaktira hoy rägätmika näma;

tähä çuni lubdha hoy kon bhägyavän
lobhe vrajaväsé bhäve kore anugati;
çästra yukti nahi mäne rägänugära prakåti

(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 22)

"Devotion full of räga (deep love) is called rägätmika devotion. Any fortunate soul who
becomes greedy for such devotion after hearing about it, will follow the mood of the inhabitants of
Vraja without caring about scriptural injunctions or logical arguments. Such is the nature of rägänugä
bhakti." Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes in Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu (1.2.270):

viräjantam abhivyaktaà vrajaväsé janädisu

rägätmikam anusåtä yä sa rägänugocyate
 "The devotion which is fully manifest in the people of Vraja is called rägätmika and those who
follow in their footsteps are called rägänugä-devotees."
This is the great gift of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and the Gauòéya Vaiñëava äcäryas have
practiced and preached it to bless all the people of the world.
This rägänugä-bhakti is a vast subject matter and one must learn it in all its details from one’s
spiritual master.
Among all the kinds of rägänugä bhakti, the sweet amorous devotion to Çré-Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa is the
most favourite in the Gauòéya Vaiñëava-tradition, therefore Çré Raghunätha says here yuva-dvandvam
tac cet paricaritum äräd abhilañeù
"O mind! If you desire the worship of the youthful Couple of Vraja by taking shelter of räga-
bhakti, then worship and remember Çré Svarüpa, Çré Rüpa and Sanätana and all their devotees!"
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé is intrinsically an eternal rägätmikä-maidservant of Vraja and
the above instruction is actually meant for the practicing devotees in this world.
Raga-bhajana can’t be attained without the mercy of the greatest rägänugä-devotees, therefore it is
called kåpaika-labhya, only attainable by mercy.
Çrémat Rüpa Gosvämé has written in his Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu at the conclusion of his
description of rägänugä bhakti (1.2.309): kåñëa tad-bhakta käruëya mätra läbhaika hetukä
"Rägänugä-devotion can only be attained by the mercy of Kåñëa or His devotee."
Çré Jéva Gosvämé comments on this:
mätra padasya vidhi-märge kutracit karmädi samarpaëam api dväraà bhavatéti tad vicchedärthaù
prayoga iti bhävaù
"The word mätra (only) indicates that vidhi-bhakti can sometimes be attained also through the
gradual performance of fruitive activities, but räga-bhakti can only be attained through grace."
Although Çréla Raghunätha Däsa was placed in the care of Çré Svarüpa Dämodara, his greatest
shelter, by Lord Caitanya Himself, and although he was fully devoted to the lotus feet of his life-
givers, Çré Rüpa and Sanätana and their associates, devotion is by nature insatiable, so he still instructs
his mind to always offer obeisances to them and to remember them, and at the same time he gives a
valuable instruction to those who aspire for rägänugä bhakti today.

he mana çravaëa koro, tumi yadi vänchä koro,

anuräge vrajapure väsa
çré rädhä-govinda devä, sakhé-sane kuïja sevä,
ei yadi koro abhiläña
prabhura abhinna rüpa, yära näma çré svarüpa,
vraja-rasa vaktä cuòämaëi
gambhérära antaraìga, yära saìge çré gauräìga,
äsvädilä lélä çikhariné
tähära caraëe mana, poòi thäko sarva kñaëa,
mänasete koriyä smaraëa
bujhibe rasera réti, bhäve vibhävita mati,
rädhä däsya hobe äsvädana

"O mind, listen! If you want to live in Vraja-pura with love and serve Çré Rädhä-Govinda-deva
and Their girlfriends in the bowers, then remember and offer obeisances to Çré Svarüpa Dämodara,
who is non different from Lord Caitanya, who is the crown jewel of speakers on the transcendental
mellows of Vraja-lélä, and with whom Çré Gauränga intimately associated in his room named the
Gambhérä, relishing the nectar of Kåñëa’s Vraja-pastimes. O Mind! Always stick to his lotus feet by
remembering him! By doing so, you will understand the emotions and taste the mellows of Çré Rädhä’s
service!"
 çréla sanätana rüpa, prema-bhakti rasa-küpa,
våndävane yära mahä-jana
daçanete tåëa dhare, praëati koroho täre,
kuïja sevä koroha prärthanä

"Çréla Sanätana and Rüpa are wells full of the rasa of devotion and they are the mahäjanas
(leading saints) of Våndävana.
O mind! Carry a straw between your teeth, offer obeisances unto them and pray to them for service
in the kuïjas!"

doìhe ati kåpävän, dibe çré caraëe sthäna,

unnata ujjvala rasa-näma
aïjalé aïjalé bhari, dibe tomä kåpä kori,
dhanya hobe yähä kori pän!

"They are both very merciful and they will give you a place at their feet, blessing you by
making you drink handful after handful of the elevated erotic rasa."

TEACHING NR. 4:

asad-värtä-veçyä visåja mati-sarvasva-haraëéù

kathä mukti-vyäghryä na çåëu kila sarvätma-gilanéù
api tyaktvä lakñmé-pati-ratim ito vyoma-nayanéà
vraje rädhä-kåñëau sva-rati-maëidau tvaà bhaja manaù

asad - nonsense; värtä - subjects; veçyä - prostitute; visåja - give up; mati - discriminating intelligence;
sarvasva - the treasure; haranéù - stealing; kathä - talks; mukti - liberation; vyäghrä - the tigress; na - not; çåëu
- listen; kila - surely; sarva - complete; ätma - self; gilanéù - devours; api - even; tyaktvä - give up; lakñmé - the
goddess of fortune; pati - the Lord; ratim - love; itaù - here; vyoma - Vaikuëöha; nayanéà - takes; vraje - in
Vraja; rädhä-kåñëau - Rädhä and Kåñëa; sva - own; rati - love; maëi - jewel; dau - givers; tvaà - you; bhaja -
worship; manaù - mind.

O mind! Give up the prostitute of speaking and hearing nonsense, which will rob
you of the treasure of your heart! Don’t listen to the words of the tigress of liberation which
swallows your whole individuality and also give up your love for the Lord of Laksmé
(Näräyaëa), for that will take you to the majestic realm of Vaikuëöha! Worship instead
Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja, the givers of the jewels of Love for Themselves!

Commentary:
Now Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé begins to describe the powerful obstacles to bhajana and to
give very valuable instructions about the life of sädhanä in this Manaù Çikñä on the pretext of
instructing his own mind.
In Vedic culture, instructions come in the form of ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’, and the ‘don’ts’ are
mentioned first. "O Mind! Give up your association with the prostitute called asad-värtä, unreal
topics, for she will take everything away from your consciousness!"
Except for topics of Kåñëa, every topic is unreal. Our hearts are contaminated by desires for
enjoyment of dead matter and fruitive results, and it is very difficult to wash that contamination off
on one’s own strength, since the individual soul has only very limited power. The senses are very
powerful, independent and fixed on their material objects and without the mercy of the Lord, Who
makes the devotee relish His own sweetness, no one can become free from their control on his own
strength.
The devotee should nevertheless do his best to fix his mind on Kåñëa and withdraw it from
everything else.
Çréman Mahäprabhu personally told Çré Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé: grämya kathä na çunibe, grämya
värtä na kohibe "Don’t speak about village-topics and don’t hear any village-topics".
grämya-värtä means topics on other subject matters than God. Both hearing and speaking
nonsense will disturb the mind and will obstruct spiritual progress. Some people think that grämya-
kathä means only ‘speaking about women’, but Çréla Çrédhara Svämé writes in his commentary on
Çrémad Bhägavata 3.28.3: grämya-dharma nivåttiç ca: village religion (grämya-dharma) consists of
religiosity, economic development, and sense enjoyment1.
Hence grämya-värtä should be understood as any topic not related to Kåñëa. ‘sat’ means that,
which is real in all three phases of time: past, present and future. Asat is exactly the opposite of that.
All temporary creations of mäyä are asat and hearing or speaking about asat-topics must be
given up, for they take away everything from the discriminating intelligence.
Çré Jéva Gosvämé writes at the end of his Laghu-Tosaëé-commentary on Çrémad Bhägavata’s verse
10.51.36, that the God-consciousness of a devotee who attains the association of great devotees is
called the seed of rati:
sat saìgamena raty-aìkura rüpaiva matir jäyata iti
"Discussion of nonsense topics destroys this seed of rati, which is the all-in-all of the
consciousness, and in this way the vine of devotion which was planted by the grace of guru and
Vaiñëava can’t grow in the devotee’s heart."
Just as a seemingly sweet and beautiful-looking prostitute takes away a man’s wealth, beauty
and reputation, so too the prostitute of asad-värtä takes away the mati, or discriminating intelligence,
from the living being.
Those who always speak and hear nonsense will think more and more about those subjects
and less and less about Kåñëa, until the whole consciousness has been taken over by nonsense
thoughts, not allowing any thoughts of Kåñëa to enter anymore. Especially a renunciant should be
cautious that he does not fall from his vow by being callous and allowing his mind to become absorbed
in bodily consciousness.
Devotion is pure when it has only the pure motivation to satisfy the Lord. Devotion becomes
superficial when it has other purposes. The worst kind of asad-värtä is hearing and speaking about
other people’s faults.
Lord Caitanya said in Caitanya Bhägavata:
madyapera niñkåti ächaye kon käle; para-carcakera gati kabhu nähi bhäle
"A drunkard can be redeemed at any time, but the destination of someone who slanders others
is never good."
The slanderer always sees other people’s faults before him and gets more and more taste for speaking
about them, so his mouth gradually becomes very coarse. As a result the saintly attitude will disappear
from his heart and make place for an unsaintly attitude to sit down there. This is why hearing and
speaking nonsense has been compared to a prostitute.
One may ask:
"Well, if the three goals of human life, namely religiosity, economic development and sense
enjoyment are rejectable, then we can hear about (the fourth goal) liberation!“
But Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé says here:
kathä mukti-vyäghrä na çåëu kila sarvätma gilanéù
1
grämyas traivargiko dharmaù tasmän nivåttiù
 "Do also not listen to the tigress called liberation, who swallows your whole ätma!"
Just as a tigress devours the whole body, talks about liberation devour the body, mind,
intelligence and the individual soul2. The individual soul is an eternal servant of Kåñëa, and thus the
four goals of human life, religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation are all
forms of deceit. Amongst them, liberation is the greatest form of deceit, for it makes the fortune of
Kåñëa-bhajana vanish forever.

ajïäna tamera näma kohiye kaitava;

dharma-artha-käma mokña väïchä ädi saba
tära madhye mokña väïchä kaitava pradhäna;
yähä hoite kåñëa-bhakti hoy antardhäna

(Caitanya Caritämåta, Ädi 1st chapter)

The soul is an eternal servant of God and when it desires its own sensual happiness the soul
is cheating.
This cheating goes on under the names of dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), käma
(sense gratification), and mokña (liberation).
A person who desires liberation has become so blinded by desires for personal happiness that
in his desire to become free from the suffering of birth, death and the three kinds of material misery
(caused by his own body and mind, by the elements and by other living beings) he also destroys his
servant-master relationship with God forever.
"Çré Kåñëa is my master, and I am His servant, being an individual living entity!"
This feeling of relationship is called bhakti, or devotion and can be awakened by the grace of
a saint as long as the living entity is still engrossed in dharma, artha or käma, but when the desire for
liberation awakens and one merges with God, the servant-master relationship disappears forever and
there is no more possibility of any exchange of love. This is opposed to the servant-consciousness and
is therefore the major kind of deceit.
Just as one becomes afraid of hearing the word ‘tigress’, so a pure devotee also becomes afraid
of hearing the word ‘liberation’.
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya told Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu: mukti çabda kohite mone hoy ghåëä
träsa; bhakti çabda kohite mone hoy to ulläsa
"When I hear the word ‘liberation’ my mind feels hatred and fear, but when I hear the word
‘devotion’ my mind becomes very happy."
Therefore it has been forbidden to listen to the words of the tigress named mukti which
swallows one’s entire self.
And if any reverentially worshipping devotee then says:
‘O Gosvämén! I understand! You have given up everything, desiring devotion to the Lord of
Vaikuëöha, Çré Näräyaëa!’, then Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé says:
api tyaktvä lakñmé-pati ratim: "Also give up your reverential devotion for Çré Lakñmé-Näräyaëa which
leads you to Vaikuëöha!“
Reverential devotion decreases the possibility to love Kåñëa spontaneously, therefore those
who want a pure loving relationship with the Lord do not desire such a respectful worship.
aiçvarya jïäna prädhänye saìkocita préti; dekhile nä mäne aiçvarya - kevalära réti:
"The nature of kevalä, or pure and sweet devotion, is that the devotee may see Kåñëa’s
prowess, but he does not heed it, for knowledge of Kåñëa’s prowess will cause his spontaneous love
to shrink."
The devotees whose love is mixed with awe and reverence can’t love the Lord like this.

2
ätma means body, mind, intelligence, life, nature and ego.
Çré Kåñëa says in Caitanya Caritämåta (Ädi 4):

aiçvarya jïänete sab jagata miçrita;

aiçvarya çithila preme nähi mora préta
ämäre éçvara mäne - äpanäke héna;
tära preme vaça ämi na hoi adhéna
mora putra mora sakhä mora präëa-pati;
ei bhäve kore yei more çuddha bhakti
äpanäke boòo mäne - ämäre sama héna;
sarva bhäve ämi hoi - tähära adhéna

"The whole world is pervaded by awareness of My prowess and majesty, but such weakened
love does not please Me.
I am not subdued by the devotion of someone who considers Me to be the Supreme Lord and thinks
of himself as low and inferior. I am subdued in all respects by the love of anyone who is purely devoted
to Me, thinking: ‘He is my son, He is my friend or He is my lover’, and who thinks that he’s greater
than or equal to Me."
Çrémat Sanätana Gosvämé wrote in his ‘Båhad Bhägavatämåta’ that when Çré Gopa Kumära,
who had a relationship of pure friendship with Kåñëa in Vraja, came to Vaikuëöhaloka, he could not
become happy even by seeing Lord Näräyaëa due to His vastly majestic appearance.
One day Lord Näräyaëa, Who fulfills all the desires of His devotees, appeared before Gopa Kumära
in the form of Kåñëa, the son of Nanda. The goddess of fortune then became Çré Rädhä, Dharädevé
became Candrävalé and all the devotees of Vaikuëöha became cowherd boys, but because the whole
display took place in the majestic surroundings of Vaikuëöha, it could not please Gopa Kumära, not
even when Lord Näräyaëa imitated Kåñëa’s pastimes of tending the cows in one of Vaikuëöhaloka’s
gardens!
Çré Gopa Kumära himself said:

tathäpi tasmin parameça buddhe vaikuëöha lokägamana småteç ca

saïjäyamänädara gauravena tat prema hänya sva mano na tåpyet

(Båhad Bhägavatämåta 2.4.113)

"Still I considered Him to be the Supreme Lord and I remembered that I had come to
Vaikuëöhaloka. The reverential feelings which arose in my heart at that time hampered my sweet love
and thus my mind could not feel satisfied." Vaikuëöhaloka or the Paravyoma is a place filled with such
aiçvarya. So much so that if Çré Näräyaëa assumes the form of Çré Vrajendra-Nandana there to fulfill
the special desires of His devotees and even performs His pastimes there, still the aiçvarya-buddhi
can’t disappear there on the strength of the location.
With this in mind Çré Raghunätha has used the words vyoma-nayanéà.
Of all the bhävas of Vraja the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas again practice the greatest one, known as
gopé-bhäva.
gopikära mon härite näre näräyaëa
näräyaëera kä kathä, çré kåñëa äpane;
gopikära häsya koräite hoy näräyaëe
catur-bhuja mürti dekhäya gopé-gaëera äge;
sei kåñëe gopikära nahe anuräge

(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 9)

 "(Kåñëa, the Original Personality of Godhead, steals Lakñmé’s mind, but) Näräyaëa can’t steal
the gopikäs’ minds! What to speak of Näräyaëa, Çré Kåñëa Himself even became Näräyaëa to make
the gopikäs laugh! Although Kåñëa assumed Lord Viñëu’s four-armed form, the gopikäs did not feel
attracted to ‘that Kåñëa’".

gopikä bhävera ei sudåòha niscoy;

vrajendra-nandana vinä anyatra nä hoy
çyämasundara çikhi-piïcha guïjä vibhüñaëa;
gopa-veça tri-bhaìgima muralé-vadana
iha chäòi kåñëa yadi hoy anyäkära;
gopikära bhäva nä yäy nikaöa tähära

(Caitanya Caritämåta Ädi 17)

"The mood of the gopés is based on the firm determination that they will not have anyone else
but Kåñëa, the prince of Vraja. If Kåñëa assumes any other form then that of flute-playing
Çyämasundara with His threefold bending form, His peacock-feather crest, His guïjä-bead-
ornamentation and His cowherders’ dress, the gopés will not go to Him"
Finally Çré Raghunätha däsa says: vraje rädhä-kåñëau sva rati maëidau tvaà bhaja manaù
"O mind! Just worship Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja which are the bestowers of the jewel of love
for Themselves!"
Rädhä and Kåñëa will give the sweetest possible love for Their lotus feet, the love of the maidservants
of Çré Rädhä, to those who worship Their lotus feet and thus bless the devotees.
This is the crown jewel of all kinds of love of God, and it is most pure, just like golden molten a
hundred thousand times.
Çré Narottama Öhäkura Mahäçaya sings in Prema Bhakti Candrikä:

rädhä-kåñëa koro dhyäna, svapne-o nä bolo äna,

prema vinä äna nähi cäo
yugala kiçora prema, yeno lakña-bäna hema,
ärati piréti rase dhyäu

"Meditate on Rädhä-Kåñëa and don’t speak of anything else but Them, even in Your dreams!
Don’t desire anything else but prema. The prema of the Yugala Kiçora is like gold molten a hundred-
thousand times. Meditate on the rasa of Their deep attachment and love!"
The duty of prema is to bless the loving devotee with the sweet savour of the beloved deity.
This prema will immerse the worshipper of Rädhä and Kåñëa in an ocean of bliss by making him relish
Their endless sweetness.
kanaka ketaké räi, çyäma marakata käi
darapa darapa koru cura
naöavara çekhariné, naöinéra çiromaëi
duìhu guëe duìhu mana jhura

"Çré Rädhikä’s complexion resembles a golden Ketaké-flower and Çyämasundara’s complexion

crushes the pride of an emerald gem. She is the Queen of dancers and He is the crown jewel of
dancers and Their minds are absorbed in Each other’s qualities."

çré mukha sundara vara, hema néla känti dhara,

bhäva bhüñaëa koru çobhä
néla péta väsa dhara, gauré çyäma manohara,
antarera bhäve duìhu lobhä
 "Their beautiful faces shine with golden and bluish lustre and are furthermore beautified with
ornaments of ecstatic love. Gauré (Rädhikä) wears an enchanting blue säré and Çyäma wears a yellow
dhoté. In this way They reveal Their innermost desires (for Each other)."
There are innumerable sweet forms of God eternally manifested in the spiritual kingdom and
different devotees describe Them in different ways, according to their own mood, but the intelligent
devotees may ask:
‘Which form of God is more sweetly described than the one of Çré Kåñëa!’
There is no comparison to the sweetness of the divine Pair, there is no comparison to the love
of the Yugala Kiçora!
Çré Raghunätha therefore says:

he mon! minati dhara, sadä parityäga koro,

asad värtä veçyä kulaöäke
mati saravasa dhane, gopane kori haraëe,
sei käìgäla koriyäche tomäke

"O mind! Humbly pray! Always leave the prostitute of hearing and speaking nonsense, who
secretly steals everything from your consciousness and turns you into a beggar!"

mukti vyäghréra kathä, se prasaìga hoy yathä,

karëe kabhu na hoy çravaëa
vyäghréra kavale pore, sa-çarére gile täre,
tära doyä nähiko kokhono

"Never lend an ear to the talks of the tigress named liberation! When you fall into her mouth
you will be swallowed with your whole body. She never has any mercy!"

sei rüpa mukti kothä, se prasaìga hoy yathä,

çravana mätre mukti grasta hoy
ämi nitya kåñëa däsa, e sambandha kore gräsa,
säyujya loite väïchä hoy

"Simply by hearing about liberation incidentally or by desiring säyujya-mukti you will be

devoured by her, along with the identification of ‘I am Kåñëa’s eternal servant’."

lakñmé näräyaëe bhakti, koro na täy äsakti,

äçérbäda koriyä grahaëa
vraje rädhä-kåñëa pada, amülya se sampada,
anuräge bhaja mora mon!

"Don’t be attached to devotion for Lakñmé and Näräyaëa and don’t accept Their blessings,
but lovingly worship the priceless treasure of Rädhä’s and Kåñëa’s lotus feet in Vraja!"

duhuì ati kåpävän, tribhuvane kore gäna,

yadi bhaje kon bhägyavän
vrajera viçuddha prema, yeno jämbu-nada hema,
se ratana täre kore däna

"They are glorified by all the three worlds as being very merciful, and if any fortunate soul
worships Them, then They will give that person the great jewel consisting of pure love of Vraja which
is compared to gold taken from the Jämbu-river!"
 TEACHING NR. 5:

asac-ceñöä-kañöa-prada-vikaöa-päçälibhir iha
prakämaà kämädi-prakaöa-patha-päti-vyatikaraiù
gale baddhvä hanye’ham iti bakabhid-vartmapa-gaëe
kuru tvaà phutkärän avati sa yathä tväà mana itaù

asat - wicked; ceñöä - endeavours; kañöa - problems; prada - giving; vikaöa - great; päçälibhiù - with
ropes; iha - here; prakämaà - intense; käma - lust; ädi - etc.; prakaöa - manifest; patha-päti highwaymen;
vyatikaraiù - by the group; gale - around the neck; baddhvä - having bound; hanye -will die; aham - I; iti - thus;
bakabhid - Kåñëa; vartmapa – highway police; gaëe - in the group; kuru - do; tvaà - you; phutkäran - scream;
avati - protects; sa - he; yathä - as; tvam - you; manaù - O mind!; itaù - here.

O mind! Anxiously cry out to the highway police of Bakabhid (Kåñëa’s devotees): "I
am bound around the neck by the painful ropes of the highwaymen of lust and so and they
are killing me!", so that they will save you from their grip.

Commentary:
When we are surrendering to the Lord’s lotus feet it is necessary to remove all obstacles on the path
of sädhanä.
We can’t advance on the path unless we remove the thorns lying on it. Some of them are
external thorns and some are internal thorns. In the previous verse the poisonous results of associating
with materialists and hearing material topics from them was discussed. These are the external thorns
and now in this verse we will discuss the internal thorns:
lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy.
These six enemies of the spiritual soul are powerful obstacles on the way which pull the
devotee’s heart and mind into the realm of the sense objects.
Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé compares these six enemies with highwaymen who attack
helpless travellers and rob them of all their possessions.
These enemies are publicly stealing the wealth of a practicing devotee’s bhajana and then
strangle him. When Çré Raghunätha says: "These highwaymen bind me around the neck with these
terrifying ropes of wicked deeds which are striking me as much as they want", he speaks in his own
name out of mercy for the devotees who are struggling with these obstacles and who are in a
deplorable condition.
asac ceñöä means ‘endeavour for temporary accomplishments’.
When one thinks of sense objects, the enemy named lust gradually appears and forcibly keeps the
heart and mind of the devotee bound to endeavours for sense gratification. These material thoughts
are compared here to the terrifying ropes of highwaymen. What poisonous fruits grow from the tree
of sensual contemplation!

dhyäyato viñayän puàsaù

saìgas teñüpajäyate
saìgät saïjäyate kämaù
kämät krodho’bhijäyate
krodhäd bhavati sammohaù
sammohät småti vibhramaù
småti bhraàçät buddhi-näço
buddhi näçät praëaçyati

(Bhagavad Gétä 2. 62-63)

 "When one contemplates the objects of the senses, such as sounds and touches, thinking them
to be the causes of happiness, attachment arises, from this attachment comes lust and when these
lusty desires become frustrated, anger swoons up and from anger delusion overtakes, which steals
away one’s healthy discrimination of what is to be done and what is not to be done. When one is in
illusion, memory is lost, thus one forgets that one is supposed to make efforts in doing bhajana. When
memory is lost one’s spiritual intelligence which causes one to perservere in spiritual advancement,
is destroyed, and when the intelligence is destroyed everything is lost.
The devotee will then have to wander around in the material world in different species, birth
after birth." (This is the gist of Çrépäda Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa’s commentary on these verses).
A helpless traveller can never escape from the grip of these powerful highwaymen on his own
strength, but if there’s a powerful policeman or a soldier nearby, he can loudly call out for help, so
that the policeman can save him.
In the same way the highway police of Bakabhid, or the devotees of Kåñëa, will come to save the
struggling soul from the attack of the six highwaymen called lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and
envy.
In such times of danger one has to call out for the devotees with great pity.
Çréla Narottama Öhäkura sings:

e saàsära bäöuyäre, käma päçe bändhi märe,

phukära koroho hari däsa
koroho bhakata saìga, prema kathä rasa-raìga,
tabe hoy vipad vinäça

(Prema Bhakti Candrikä)

"The highwaymen of material desires are binding and killing with the ropes of lust. Cry out
for Hari’s servants, associate with the devotees and enjoy topics of rasa and prema with them. Then
all mishap will be destroyed."
A person who wants to be freed from the grip of highwaymen like lust and who wants to fill
his life with devotion is completely dependent on the association of the Vaiñëavas.
In the association of devotees one’s bhajana becomes deep and one conquers over all
obstacles to attain the supreme goal: love of God. As a concomitant factor one also acquires all divine
qualities such as freedom from lust, non-violence, non-envy, good behaviour, equanimity, control of
the mind and senses, humility and friendliness.
märjana hoy bhajana, sädhu saìga anukñaëa, ajïäna avidyä paräjaya
"Bhajana purifies. Always associate with saints, so that your ignorance will be defeated".
The purity that emanates from the body of a sädhu will bless even a human being who practices no
bhajana with the gift of the great wealth of bhajana.
The darkness in their hearts which are contaminated by vile things like lust, is suddenly
removed by the light of devotion which is diffused by the grace and the association of these devotees.
Is there therefore any doubt that when the example of the sinless lives of the great, pure-
hearted saints always remains before the eyes, ordinary human beings can also become enthusiastic
to attain the highest goal of life and that by the grace of these saints their insignificant material desires
will disappear from their hearts?
In his Prema Bhakti Candrikä Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura has written that by associating
with great souls people who are attached to sense-gratification will be able to give up their
attachments and turn towards God.
Such devotees are the greatest friends. The practicing devotees can turn the poison of the six
enemies into nectar and become immortal by engaging these enemies in Kåñëa’s service.
Çréla Narottama Däsa Öhäkura sings:
 kåñëa sevä kämärpaëa, krodha bhakta-dveñé jane,
lobha sädhu-saìge hari-kathä.
moha iñöa läbha vine, mada kåñëa guëa gäne,
niyukta koribo yathä tathä

"I offer my lust to the service of Kåñëa, my anger towards those who envy His devotees and
my greed towards association with saints and topics of Lord Hari. I am deluded without my beloved
Lord and I am proud when I sing Kåñëa’s glories. Thus I engage all the enemies in Kåñëa’s service!"

anyathä svatantra käma, anarthädi yära dhäma,

bhakti pathe sadä deya bhaìga
kibä se korite päre, käma krodha sädhakere,
yadi hoy sädhu janära saìga?

"Otherwise, if these desires are used for selfish purposes, they become the abodes of evil.
What can lust and anger do to a practicing devotee when he is in the company of saints?"
Çré Raghunätha däsa therefore says: "O mind! Call out to the devotees of Kåñëa, which are
like powerful policemen who will protect you from the hands of these powerful robbers. The wealth
of your bhajana will then be in safe hands!"

he mon yukati çuno, käma krodhädi ripu-gaëa,

mahä çakti-çälé bäöoyäle
asat ceñöä kañöa-prada, bhayaìkara granthi yoto,
sei òore bändhi mora gole

"O mind, listen with reason! Lust, anger, and greed are like powerful highwaymen who are
keeping me bound around the neck with their terrible and painful ropes of wicked deeds."

vinäça korite cäya, asahya yätanä täya,

pade pade hoi acetana
emon bändhava ke, ämä uddhäribe ye,
se bandhana koriyä mocana

"They want to destroy me and they give me intolerable pain, so much so that I fall unconcious
at every step. Who is that friend who will save me and loosen this bondage?"

he mon kätara svare, koro tumi phutkäre,

kothä ächo bakäréra jana?!
sumälya tilaka dhäré, nämäìkita aìga bhari,
kothä öhäkura vaiñëavera gaëa

"O mind, cry out with an anxious voice: ‘Where are you, O devotees of Bakäré, wearing Tulasé-
beads around the neck, tilaka on the forehead and Kåñëa’s Holy Names written all over your bodies?
Where are you, O Vaiñëavas?’"

chay ripu näça kori, rakñä koro keçe dhari,

kåñëa boli koriyä huìkära
natuvä paräëa gelo, çré kåñëa vismåti bhelo,
kothä ächo bhakta parivära?
 "Destroy these six enemies and save me by roaring out loud the name of Kåñëa, otherwise my
life will leave me and I will forget Çré Kåñëa. Where are you, O host of devotees?"

TEACHING NR. 6:

are cetaù prodyat-kapaöa-kuöinäöé-bhara-khara-

kñaran-mütre snätvä dahasi katham ätmänam api mäm
sadä tvaà gändharvä-giridhara-pada-prema-vilasat-
sudhämbhodhau snätvä tvam api nitaräà mäà ca sukhaya

are -O!; cetaù - mind; prodyat - rising; kapaöa - deceitfulness; kuöinäöé - diplomacy; bhara - full; khara
- ass; kñarat - trickling; mütre - in the urine; snätvä - having bathed; dahasi - you burn; katham - why; ätmänam
- yourself; api - even; mäà - me; sadä - always; tvaà - you; gändharvä - Çrématé Rädhäräëé; giridhara - Kåñëa;
pada - feet; prema - love; vilasat - shines; sudhä - nectar; ambodhau - in the ocean; snätvä - having bathed;
sväm - yourself; api - even; nitaräà - always; mäà - me; ca - also; sukhaya - gladden.

O mind! Why are you burning me and yourself by bathing in the trickling ass-urine
consisting of obvious deceitfulness and diplomacy?
Always bathe in the glistening nectar-ocean of love for Gändharvä and Giridhäré (Rädhä
and Kåñëa) and make me and yourself happy forever!

Commentary:
Through some indescribable good fortune a soul whose heart is pierced by lusty desires comes to the
path of devotion, but then the vices he is accustomed to through innumerable births are still pulling
at him.
The living being is Kåñëa’s eternal servant, therefore every desire other than the desire to
serve Kåñëa is falsification (deceit) of his svarüpa, his eternal constitutional position.
Vices such as diplomacy, deceitfulness, forbidden behaviour and violence towards others which come
forth from his being accustomed to freedom in physical enjoyment, are creating so many obstacles on
the devotee’s way which stop him from advancing.
According to the dictionary the word ‘kapaöa’ can mean ‘deceit’, ‘slyness’, ‘chicanery’, ‘fraud’,
‘swindling’, ‘untruthful behaviour’, ‘irreligious behaviour’ and ‘sin’.
satyaà jïänam änandam: truth is knowledge and bliss.
How can the Supreme Truth (satyaà paraà dhémahi) Çré Kåñëa ever be pleased with our hearing,
chanting, püjä, smaraëa and japa when we are still lying and cheating (ourselves and others)?
When that lying, fraudulent and cheating propensity which is even considered a sin in
ordinary worldly scriptures on morality, comes in contact with bhagavad-bhajana, it is no longer an
ordinary sin but turns into a great offense.
In an unreal heart this cheating and stealing propensity will gradually extend towards the
sädhu, guru and the Lord also.
It is said ‘Don’t become a ghost by dying in Gayä’, or: all the ghosts can be delivered in Gayä, except
for Gayä’s own ghosts! All cheating can be forgiven and can be removed by the sädhus and the guru,
but if we cheat the sädhus and the guru we will be doomed.
Still we do not repent for this in any way, rather we try to cover up our sinful activities with a
veil of hypocrisy and excuses, like: "There was no sin committed, actually it was allright!".
But the fortunate saints do not misbehave like that. They repent after feeling the burning
sensation of regret within themselves for any injustice they may have committed and they become
eager to atone in a proper way.
 Çrépäda Raghunätha has therefore compared this burning sensation with a bath in the trickling
urine of an ass.
The word kuöinäöé means ‘unreal activities’, ‘absorption in other things’, ‘mercilessness’,
‘violence’ and other things.
asat kriyä kuöinäöé, chäòo anya paripäöé
(Prema Bhakti Candrikä)
"Give up all these clever tricks and unreal activities known as kuöinäöé!"
Bodily consciousness is the main obstacle in our lives of bhajana, and it is the main cause of
the devotee performing unreal, merciless, and violent activities. Therefore Çré Narottama Öhäkura
has said:
dehe nä koriho ästhä, morile se yama çästä, duùkhera samudra karma-gati
"Don’t put your faith in your material body, for when you die you will be punished by
Yamaräja. The course of karma is an ocean of suffering."
We don’t pay attention to insignificant errors, but in the end they become very harmful
obstacles to the execution of bhakti.
"I have heard from the scriptures and the sädhus that all my sädhanä is useless like an elephant’s bath
if I consider Çré Gurudeva to be an ordinary human being, and I try to bring that message to others
also, but actually I am dealing with my Çré Gurudeva in a worldly manner, quarrelling and arguing
with him and at times treating him even worse than an ordinary human being. I profess that
blasphemy of a Vaiñëava is an offense to the Holy Name, but meanwhile I like to make my mouth
coarse by meeting with five or ten people and speaking bad about other devotees."
Lying and misbehaving towards others is an ordinary sin, but when this is done with a Vaiñëava
it becomes an offense and destroys our devotion.
"I have only read this, but when I come to the market I’m lying during business transactions,
and if someone by accident gives me too much change back I’m very happy with the profit that I stick
in my pocket!"
Compassion, forgiveness, and humility are some of the ornaments (virtues) of the great
devotees. dayä means that the heart melts when one sees the suffering of others; this is a stream of
nectar. The hearts of Kåñëa’s devotees are naturally (soft and delicious) like nectar and are therefore
naturally filled with compassion. "But as a result of my bodily consciousness a person like me is always
giving different kinds of misery to the saintly Vaiñëavas with his words and behaviour, what to speak
of ordinary people? I even consider it a kind of amusement to give all kinds of pain to others, it has
become a kind of habit!“ This habit will ultimately take the form of a terrible monster of violence and
hatred.
Çré Raghunätha says: "O mind! You are burning yourself to death by constantly bathing in the
burning ass-urine of deceitfulness and diplomacy, and you’re constantly burning me (the soul) with it
as well! There’s no other way to end this calamity and soothe yourself than to enter into the nectar-
lake of love of God, that’s why I say: sadä tvaà gändharvä giridhara prema vilasat sudhämbhodhau
snätvä svam api nitaräà mäà ca sukhaya. "Always bathe in the nectar ocean of the love of Gändharvä
and Giridhara and make yourself and me happy!"

kåñëa prema sunirmala, yeno çuddha gaìgä jala,

sei prema amåtera sindhu
nirmala se anuräge, nä lukäye anya däge,
çukla vastre yaiche masé bindu

"Love for Kåñëa is spotless like pure Gaìgä-water. It is like an ocean of nectar. It is so spotless
that it does not leave any other stain, which would appear just like a drop of ink on a white cloth."
 çuddha prema sukha sindhu, päi tära eka bindu,
sei bindu jagata òubäya
kohibära yogya nahe, tathäpi bäule kohe,
kohile vä kevä pätiyäya

Caitanya Caritämåta (Madhya 2)

"The whole world can be inundated by even a single drop from that blissful ocean of pure
love. Actually this should not be revealed, but still a madman like me speaks. Who would believe this,
even if it was proclaimed?"
That Kåñëa, a single drop of love for Whom can or does inundate the whole world, is Himself
drowning in a single drop of love of Çré Rädhä! The Mahäjanas say in Kåñëa’s name:
tuyä anuräge prema, samudre òubiyächi ämi, ämäre tuliyä loho päre "(O Rädhe!)
“I’m drowning in the ocean of Your love (for Me), and only You can help Me cross it!"
It’s easily understood then that a worshiper of Rädhä and Kåñëa floats in an ocean of ecstatic love for
Them, which can’t be explained with words.

yugala caraëe préti, parama änanda tathi,

rati prema-maya parabandhe
kåñëa näma rädhä-näma, upäya koro rasa dhäma,
caraëe poriyä paränande

"Love for the lotus feet of the Divine Couple is a most blissful thing, filled with ecstatic rati
and prema. Take to the Holy Names of Kåñëa and Rädhä which are the abode of rasa, falling at Their
feet in topmost ecstasy!"

prema bhakti sudhänidhi, tähe òubo niravadhi,

ära yoto kñära-nidhi präya
nirantara sukha päbe, sakala santäpa yäbe,
para tattva kohinu upäya

(Prema Bhakti Candrikä)

"Always dive into the nectar-ocean of loving devotion! Everything else is like an ocean of
alkali! You will always be happy and all suffering will go away. This is the highest truth and the highest
means, I tell you!"
Çré Jéva Gosvämé has written that Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé was always rolling and
turning in the billowing waves on top of the vast ocean of love for Rädhä-Kåñëa:
rädhä-kåñëa prema mahärëavormi nivahe ghürëan sadä divyati.
To teach the conditioned souls he has descended to the platform of a sädhaka struggling with
anarthas and he taught them by example that there’s no other way to extinguish the fire of conditioned
life than to swim in the love-nectar which trickles from Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s lotus feet.
In this way he directs the conditioned souls to the path of prema on the pretext of preaching to his
own mind.

he mon! durbodha cita, nähi jäno nija hita,

kapaöa kuöinäöé yoto hoy
viñayäbhisandhi yoto, anyatra äveça cita,
gardabhera mütra tulya hoy
 "O mind! O Foolish heart! You don’t know what’s for your own good! Don’t you know that
deceitfulness, diplomacy, endeavours for sense gratification and bodily consciousness are all just like
the urine of an ass?"
se khara-mütre snäna kori, nije-o ämäre dhari,
dagdha keno koro nirantara
prema bhakti sudhänidhi, tähe òubo niravadhi,
ei déna jane sukhé koro

"Why are you constantly bathing yourself and me in this urine of an ass? Instead always dive
into the nectar-ocean of loving devotion and make this wretch happy!"

çré gändharvä giridhäré, päda-padme thäko poòi,

tabe se catura boli tore.
tumi ämi dui jane, lélämåta äsvädane,
divä-niçi hao nä vibhore

"Always stay at the lotus feet of Çré Gändharvä and Giridhäré, then I will call you clever! Why
shouldn’t you and I be absorbed in relishing the nectar of Their pastimes day and night?"

TEACHING NR. 7:

pratiñöhäça dhåñöä çvapaca-ramaëé me hådi naöet

kathaà sädhu premä spåçati çucir etan nanu manaù
sadä tvaà sevasva prabhu-dayita-sämantam atulaà
yathä tväà niñkäçya tvaritam iha taà veçayati saù

pratiñöhä - distinction, position; äçä - desire; dhåñöä - shameless; çvapaca - dogeating; ramaëé - woman;
me - my; hådi - heart; naöet - dances; kathaà - how; sädhu - beautiful ; prema - love; spåçati - touches; çuciù -
pure; etad - this; nanu - indeed; manaù - mind; sadä - always; tvaà - you; sevasva - serve; prabhu - to the Lord;
dayita - dear; sämantam - generals; atulaà - incomparable; yathä - so that; täà - her; niñkäçya - expelling;
tvaritam - quickly; iha - here; taà - that love; veçayati - make to enter; saù - it.

O mind! The shameless dog-eating woman of the desire for prestige, distinction, and
position is dancing in my heart. How can beautiful and pure love of God ever touch it then?
Therefore always serve the matchless leading devotees who are dear to the Lord, so that
this pariah-woman can quickly be chased out of the heart and love of God may enter it!

Commentary:
In this verse Çré Raghunätha describes a terrible vice in the life of a devotee, named pratiñöhäçä. Even
if we manage to give up lust, anger, speaking or hearing nonsense, bad company, greed and
diplomacy, the desire for prestige and distinction does not want to leave our hearts, therefore it is
compared to the shameless wife of a dog-eater.
"I am a great scholar, renunciant, devotee, lecturer, and preacher! Who is there as great as I
am? I will lord it over the society of devotees and everyone will bow down at my feet!" This desire is
called pratiñöhäçä and if a devotee wants to introduce himself to neophytes according to his bhajana
it serves as quicksand which will suck the boat of his sädhanä to hell.
This is the greatest and final obstacle to surrender for a practicing devotee, and this one does
not allow itself to be caught so easily. Therefore it is mentioned in the appendix of the Hari Bhakti
Viläsa (Vaiñëava-småti):
 sarva tyäge’py aheyäyäù sarvänartha bhuvaç ca te
kuryuù pratiñöhä viñöhäyä yatnam asparçane varam

"Even those who were able to renounce everything were not able to renounce the desire for
distinction. Therefore an intelligent person who desires prema should take care not to touch this
stool-like desire."
In Caitanya Caritämåta this is called one of the weeds that cause the vine of devotion to
suffocate. Weeds are terrible things that grow on the same water that has sprinkled the flowering vine
of devotion. Such water is compared to the process of hearing and chanting Kåñëa’s glories.

seka-jala päiyä upaçäkhä bäòhi yäy;

stabdha hoiyä müla çäkhä bäòhite nä päy
prathamei upaçäkhä koriye chedana;
tabe müla çäkhä bäòhi yäy våndävana

(Caitanya Caritämåta, Madhya 19)

"The original plant can’t grow anymore when there are too many weeds around. All the
sprinkled water (of hearing and chanting) will go to the weeds (of the desire for prestige). First one
must uproot the weeds, and then the original vine can grow up to Våndävana."
The desire for distinction can only appear in the heart of a devotee who has no taste for
hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord (bhajana). The only target of the devotees who are free
from desires, who are pure-hearted and who are fixed in worship of God is prema, love of God. These
devotees are able to cast the vice of pratiñöhäçä far away by being ornamented by virtues like humility.
As soon as one gives shelter to this shameless dog-eating woman in the heart even once the result will
be terrible, for this woman is never alone. She will call her dog-eating husband named mätsarya
(envy), the inability to tolerate another person’s superiority. ‘parotkarñäsahanaà mätsaryam’. There
is no more disgusting mentality than this, and it will turn a human heart into one of an animal.
The seed of the husband named mätsarya will conceive twin children in the womb of his wife
pratiñöhä, named hiàsä (violence) and asüyä (malice, slander). Their terrible dancing will crush all
virtues within the heart and fill it with great cruelty.
Then we will externally wear all the signs of a Vaiñëava and mechanically follow the process
of hearing and chanting, but we will not hesitate to behave mercilessly toward other people for the
sake of some insignificant temporary selfish desires.
We will feel great pleasure while hurting other people’s feelings with our words or behaviour for no
just reason. It is most deplorable that even then we think of ourselves as greatly qualified scholars,
devotees, and bhajanänandés!
Çrémad Bhägavata opens with the words nirmatsaränäà satäà: this bhägavata (Vaiñëava)-
religion is accessible to good and non-envious people.
"How many verses haven’t I memorised, how nicely can’t I lecture on Bhägavata-philosophy,
but I did not manage to become free from envy! When I hear that there is a greater scholar, writer,
lecturer or devotee than me somewhere, my heart starts burning, and I can’t find any peace unless
and until I can diminish his superiority by finding some fault in him!"
Can pure devotion ever awaken in the heart of such an ambitious and envious person? Hence
Çrépäda Raghunätha has said: kathaà sädhu-premä spåçati çucir etan nanu manaù
"O Mind! The shameless dogeating woman of the desire for distinction is dancing in your
heart! How can the most pure love of God ever enter such a foul heart?"
There is only one way to cast this shameless witch of the desire for distinction out of the field
of the heart and that is to humbly serve the powerful generals amongst Çré Kåñëa’s devotees, the great
souls. They will chase this shameless dog-eating woman of the desire for distinction out of the heart
and bestow love of God on such a fortunate servant, after infusing all saintly qualities like humility in
him.
The victory over all these vices is actually just a concomitant factor. Love for the lotus feet of
the Lord is the most important result.
Çré Kåñëa told Uddhava in Çrémad Bhägavata (11.26.31):

yathopaçrayamäëasya bhagavantaà vibhävasum

çétaà bhayaà tamo’pyeti sädhün saàsevatas tathä

"Just as cold, fear and darkness disappear for a man who takes shelter of the firegod, so the
fear of ignorance and rebirth disappears from a man who serves the saints."
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté gives the follow commentary on this verse:
svéyaudana siddhyartham upäçrayamäëasya apyeti naçyati. tathaiva bhajana siddhyarthaà
sädhün saàsevyamänasya karmädi jäòyam saàsära bhayaà bhajana vighnaç ca
"When one kindles the fire to cook food, then fear, cold and darkness disappear as an
accompanying factor. In the same way, when one serves the saints one attains the perfection of prema,
and as an accompanying factor one easily becomes free from fear of karma and material existence
and one conquers over all obstacles to spiritual advancement."
Therefore, ayaà hi paramo läbho nåëäà sädhu samägamaù (Bhäg. 12.10.7)
"The highest gain of mankind is the company of saints."
All the spiritual scriptures repeatedly describe the glories of the service of and the association with
the saints.
pratiñöhäçä caëòäliné, kulaöä ye kalaìkiné,
hådayete koriche nartane
sunirmala kåñëa prema, yeno läkho bäna hema,
mora hådi sparçibe kemone

"The contaminated dog-eating woman of the desire for distinction dances in my heart. How
can spotless love for Kåñëa which is as pure as gold molten a hundred thousand times over, ever touch
my heart?"
kåñëera bhakata gaëa, mahä-véra sämanta-gana,
mon! tädera nitya sevä koro
tomara durdaçä dekhe, pratiñöhäçä kulaöäke
hådoya hoite koribe bähira

"O mind! Always serve Kåñëa’s devotees who are like great heroic generals. When they see
your miserable condition they will chase this dog-eating woman of desire for distinction out of your
heart!"
sädhu prema mahäräje, hådaya mandira mäjhe,
divyäsane koribe sthäpana.
päbe prema phaläsväde, pürëa hobe mano-sädha,
tabe dhanya hoibe jévana

"They will bring the great king of divine love into the palace of your heart and seat him there
on a divine throne.
Then you will taste the fruit of prema and have your desires fulfilled. Then your life will be blessed!"
 TEACHING NR. 8:

yathä duñöatvaà me davayati çaöhasyäpi kåpayä

yathä mahyaà premämåtam api dadäty ujjvalam asau
yathä çré-gändharvä-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati mäà
tathä goñöhe käkvä giridharam iha tvaà bhaja manaù

yathä - so that; duñöatvaà - wickedness; me - my; darayati - breaks; çaöhasya - of the wicked; api -
even; kåpayä - by grace; yathä - so that; mahyaà - unto me; prema - love; amåtam - nectar; api - even; dadäti -
gives; ujjvalam - glistening; asau - this; yathä - so that; çré gändharvä - Çré Rädhikä; bhajana - worship; vidhaye
- for the course; prerayati - He will engage; mäà - me; tathä - in this way; goñöhe - in Vraja; käkkvä - anxiously;
giridharam - Giridhäré; iha - here; tvaà - you; bhaja - worship; manaù - mind!

O mind! Eagerly worship Çré Giridhäré in Vraja, so that He will be so kind as to

remove the wickedness of a cheater like me, give me the splendid nectar of amorous love
of God and engage me in the loving service of Çré Gändharvä (Rädhä)!

Commentary:
Although Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé is Çréman Mahäprabhu’s eternal associate, he teaches the
practicing devotees the intricacies of bhajana as if he himself is a neophyte struggling with so many
vices.
It is also the nature of devotion that one is never satiated with it and so Çréla Däsa Gosvämé
considers himself to still be a neophyte.
premera svabhäva - yähä premera sambandha; sei mäne - kåñëe mora nähi prema gandha "It
is the nature of prema that the devotee who has it thinks: ‘I don’t even have a whiff of love for Kåñëa.’"
(Caitanya Caritämåta)
This insatiable aspect of devotion awakens great eagerness in the heart of the genuinely
humble devotee. Although he already relishes the Lord’s sweetness in his smaraëa, dreams and
visions, the unsatisfied lover still anxiously laments and thinks himself to be an unqualified neophyte
struggling with so many vices. The stream of love floats in his heart like the undercurrent of a
subterranean river and on the outside there is want, humility, and lamentation. This is a desirable and
elevated stage of sädhanä.
While mentioning these different vices, Çré Raghunätha thinks to himself:
"So many vices are rooted in my heart! This is all because of my deceitfulness!"
A cheater is called a çaöha. By nature the soul is Kåñëa’s eternal servant and it is his natural
occupation to serve Kåñëa. Giving up this service, he has come to this material world, desiring personal
enjoyment and becoming engrossed in feelings of ‘I am this’ and ‘this is mine’.
Cheating his eternal Lord, the soul wanders around looking for his own enjoyment. This deceit is the
only cause of hundreds of other vices.
If all this mishap is caused by abandoning our eternal Lord, then naturally the only way to
come out of this trap and to reach the highest good, love of God, is to give up cheating the Lord and
to humbly surrender to His devotional service.
Çré Raghunätha däsa now remembers Çré-Çré Giridhäré given to him by Mahäprabhu and he thinks:
"How merciful the Lord was to give me this Giridhäré and to reveal His real position to me,
saying ‘This stone is Kåñëa’s transcendental form (ei çilä kåñëera vigraha).’ ”
Just as there is no limit to the Lord’s mercy and love for His devotees, there is also no limit to
Raghu’s misfortune.
He could not worship and serve Giridhäré with the necessary enthusiasm! That’s why he now prays:
tathä goñöhe käkkvä giridharam iha tvaà bhaja manaù
"O Mind! Eagerly and anxiously serve Giridhäré in the meadows of Vraja!"
 When the Lord gave him the service of Giridhäré and told him to serve Him in pure goodness,
Raghu showed the perfect example of loyalty, renunciation, and loving devotion.
Caitanya Caritämåta describes:
püjä käle dekhe çiläya vrajendra-nandana;
prabhura sva hasta datta govardhana çilä
eto cinti raghunätha preme bhäsi gelä

"When Raghunätha däsa worshipped the çilä, he saw Kåñëa, the prince of Vraja, in it.
Remembering that the Lord had given him the Govardhana-çilä with His own hands, Raghunätha
däsa floated in prema."
That’s Raghunätha’s position. But what he wants to teach us through his humble words is,
that we often think our Govardhana- or Salagräma-çilä and our deities to be mere pieces of stone,
clay or metal. Unless we always realize that ‘pratimä hahe tumi säkñät vrajendra-nandana ‘(C.C.
Madhya 5,96) "You are not a statue, You are the prince of Vraja Himself!", we can’t worship the deity
with eagerness (käkkvä) and sincerity.
Çrémat Jéva Gosvämé writes in Bhakti Sandarbha: paramopäsakäç ca säkñät parameçvaratvenaiva taà
paçyanti; bheda-sphürter bhakti vicchedakatvat tathaiva hyucitam
"The highest worshippers see the deity as the Supreme Lord Himself. Their devotion would
be broken if they saw a difference between the Lord and His image."
When the deity is seen as the Supreme Lord Himself, only then can one eagerly and anxiously serve
Him. There is no shortage of examples of how the great devotees have seen God face-to-face in the
deity and have gotten responses from Him.
Çré Raghunätha says: "O mind! Serve Giridhäré so humbly and eagerly that by His grace you
can give up deceitfulness!" No desire of the devotee can be fulfilled if his sädhana is not accompanied
by the Lord’s mercy. The Lord’s mercy removes all the devotee’s unworthiness. By the Lord’s grace
everything is possible. A person who says that something can’t be accomplished even with the mercy
of the Lord is to be counted among the atheists, and a person who does not believe in mercy is
unqualified to receive it. A loyal and faithful devotee knows that kåñëa krpä koribena dåòha kori jäne
(C.C.)
"He is firmly convinced that Kåñëa will bestow His mercy".
An accompanying result of mercy is that all the unwanted habits of a devotee disappear, and the main
result is that he gets prema, or love of God.
Therefore Çré Raghunätha däsa says: premämåtam api dadäty ujjvalam asau: "So that
Giridhäré will bestow brilliant nectarean prema, or amorous love of God, upon you!"
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé states in his Laghu Bhägavatämåta
(Pürva 5.37):
santvavatära bahavaù puñkara-näbhasya sarvato bhadräù
kåñëäd anya ko vä lateñvapi premado bhavati

"There may be many descensions of the lotus-naveled Lord Viñëu which are auspicious in all
respects, but Who else but Kåñëa can bestow Love of God even on the vines?"

yuga dharma pravartana hoy aàça hoite;

ämä vinä anye näre vraja-prema dite (C.C.)

"I can promulgate the religious practice of the age through My expansions, but nobody but
Me can give the love of Vraja!"
Of all kinds of Vraja-prema the sweet love of the gopés is the greatest. Although Çrépäda Raghunätha
is Vraja’s nitya siddha maïjaré he humbly begs for prema, hence the service of Çré Rädhä is all he asks
from Çré Giridhäré. The service of Çré Rädhä is cherished the most by the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas, and it is
their upäsanä (mode of worship). The Gosvämés are our example, therefore Däsa Gosvämé prays
yathä çré gändharvä bhajane vidhaye prerayati mäm
"O mind! Worship Giridhäré so that He will engage me in Çré Rädhikä’s devotional service."
Çréla Raghunätha däsa is a rädhä-snehädhika devotee, who loves Rädhä more than Kåñëa. He
worships Giridhäré so that He will offer him to Sré Rädhikä, and not for independent purposes. ämära
éçvaré hon våndävaneçvaré; tära präëa-nätha boli bhaji giridhäré "My goddess is Rädhikä, the Queen
of Våndävana, and I worship Giridhäré because He is the Lord of Her life!" Çré Giridhäré’s service
can’t be supreme without the bhajana of Çré Rädhä. The rasikas (transcendental connoisseurs) know
this. Çré Giridhäré therefore desires:
"Let them serve Me by serving Çré Rädhä!"
How sweetly the Gauòéya Vaiñëava äcäryas pray to the lotus feet of the Divine Couple!
Srémat Rupa Gosvämé prayed to Sré Kåñëa as follows in his ‘Utkalikä Vallari’ (19):

praëipatya bhavantam arthaye

paçupälendra kumära käkubhiù
vraja-yauvata-mauli-mälikä
karuëä-pätram imaà janaà kuru

"O prince of the cowherders! I offer my obeisances unto You and I eagerly pray to You:
Please make me the object of the mercy of Çré Rädhikä, Who is the crowning garland of all the young
girls of Vraja."
And to Çré Rädhä he prays in the following verse:

bhavatém abhivädya cäöubhir varam ürjeçvari varyam arthaye

bhavadéyatayä kåpäà yathä mayi kuryad adhikäà bakäntakaù

"O Goddess of the month of Kärtika! I praise You with flattering words and I beg the following
boon from You: "May Çré Kåñëa, knowing me to be Yours, give me more mercy!" Hence Çréla
Raghunätha anxiously prays to his own mind:

ohe mana! çuno tumi, e kartavya boli ämi,

anugata jane kåpä kori.
dhari giri govardhane, rakñä koilo vraja jane,
käku väkye bhajo giridhäré

"O mind! Listen, I will tell you what your duty is. Worship Giridhäré, who protected the people
of Vraja by lifting Govardhana Hill, and who is very merciful to His submissive devotees, with pitiful
flattering words".

monera dhåñöatä yoto, düra kori ari çata,

nija premämåta kori däna
çré rädhära bhajanete, päöhäibe nikuïjete,
yugala kiçora hobe präëa

"He will remove all the hundreds of shameless vices of the mind and will give you the nectar
of love for Himself. He will send you into the nikuïja to serve Çré Rädhä there, and thus the Yugala
Kiçora will be your very life!"
 TEACHING NR. 9:

mad-éçä-näthatve vraja-vipina-candraà vraja-vane-

çvaréà tan-näthatve tad-atula-sakhétve tu lalitäm
viçäkhäà çikñälé-vitaraëa-gurutve priyasaro-
giréndrau tat-prekñä-lalita-ratidatve smara manaù

mad - my; éçä - queen; näthatve - as the Lord; vraja - of Vraja; vipina - the forest; candraà - moon;
vraja-vaneçvaréà - the queen of Vraja; tan-näthatve - His mistress; tad - Her; atula - matchless; sakhétve -
friendship; tu - but; lalitäm - Lalitä; viçäkhäà - Viçäkhä; çikñä - instructing; alé - girlfriend; vitaraëa - distributes;
gurutve - as the teacher; priya - dear; saraù - lake; giréndrau - the king of mountains; tat prekñä - the sight; lalita
- lovely; rati - love; datve - as the giver of; smara - remember; manaù - O mind!

O mind! Remember Çré Kåñëa, the moon of the Vraja-forests as the Lord of the
Queen of Våndävana, Rädhä. Remember Çré Rädhä as Çré Kåñëa’s most beloved girl, Lalitä
as Their matchless girlfriend, Viçäkhä as the teacher of all the other girlfriends and Çré
Rädhäkuëòa and Giriräja Govardhana as the two places the mere sight of which bestows
charming love of Çré Rädhä and Kåñëa!

Commentary:
In this verse Çré Raghunätha paints a beautiful picture of a loving identification before the eyes of the
mädhuryopäsakas, the practitioners of sweet amorous devotion on the pretext of instructing his own
mind.
Causeless love for Kåñëa is called prema and this prema is the goal of devotional service to the Lord.
Great devotees like Bhéñma, Prahläda, Uddhava and Närada gave up their feelings of mineness
towards everything else and established their one pointed feelings of mineness towards the lotus feet
of the Lord. That is called prema in the Närada Païcarätra:

ananya mamatä viñëau mamatä prema saìgatä

bhaktir ityucyate bhéñma prahlädoddhava näradaiù

The feeling of mineness is based on a loyal relationship.

If there is no feeling of relationship there can be no feeling of mineness. In çänta rasa (the tranquil,
or neutral sentiments for God) there can be no feelings of mineness towards the Lord. çäntera
svabhäva - kåñëe mamatä gandha héna; paraà brahma-paramätma-jïäna pravéna (C.C. Madhya 19)
"The nature of a çänta, or tranquil devotee is that he does not have any feeling of mine-ness
towards Kåñëa. His main knowledge of Kåñëa lies in His Supreme (impersonal) brahman-aspect or
His (localised) Paramätma (Supreme Self)-aspect."
These tranquil devotees are not only bereft of a feeling of ‘mineness’, they are also thought of as being
unable to say ‘tadéya (I am His)’. They only worship the svarüpa (Kåñëa’s philosophical, constitutional
aspect).
kevala svarüpa jïäna hoy çänta-rase (C.C.)
çänta rase svarüpa buddhye kåñëaika niñöhatä etc. brahmänanda is light and liquid, whereas the
bliss of devotion to God (éçvaramaya sukha) is heavy and intense. Whatever Éçvara-bliss the çänta-
devotees experience is the bliss of the Lord’s constitution. They can’t experience the sweetness-
mixed-with-majesty or the pure sweetness that other devotees experience. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
teaches:
 taträpéça svarüpänubhavasyevoru hetutä
däsädivan manojïatva léläder na tathä matä

(Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu 3.1.6)

"Although the çänta-devotees do experience the bliss of the Personality of Godhead in the
form of His svarüpa (knowledge of God’s constitutional position), they don’t experience the
attractiveness (beauty and tenderness) of His pastimes (such as lifting Govardhana Hill) as the other
devotees, like His servants, do."
The çänta-devotees consider themselves blessed simply by seeing the Lord (without entering
into His sweet pastimes). This is because they are bereft of any feelings of mineness towards the Lord.
For this reason Çré Jéva Gosvämé calls them ‘marginal devotees’ and their devotion ‘marginal
devotion’.
Anyone who attains one of the four relations of servanthood, friendship, parenthood or
consorthood with the Lord will attain a certain feeling of mineness towards Him. Among these four
there is a certain distinction between higher and lower, culminating in the amorous relationship.

pürva pürva rasera guëa pare pare hoy;

dui-tina gaëane païca paryanta bäòhaya
guëädhikye svädädhikya bäòhe prati rase;
çänta däsya sakhya vätsalyera guëa mädhurete boise
äkäçädira guëa yeno para para bhüte;
dui-tina krame bäòhe païca påthivéte
paripürëa kåñëa präpti ei premä hoite;
ei premera vaça kåñëa - kohe bhägavate

(Caitanya Caritämåta, Madhya 8)

"There is a gradual order of improvement from one rasa to the other. In each subsequent
rasa there is one quality more than in the preceeding one, counting from one up to five. As the
qualities increase, so the taste also increases. Therefore the qualities of tranquility, servanthood,
friendship, and parenthood are all present in amorous love. The qualities in the five gross material
elements (sky, air, fire, water and earth) increase one after the other by a gradual process of one, two,
three, four, until finally, in the element earth, all five qualities are manifest. Full attainment of Kåñëa
is achieved through premä, and Çrémad Bhägavata says that Kåñëa is captivated by this prema."
Although the amorous rasa is also present in Kåñëa’s Queens in Dvärakä, the full
manifestation of amorous love can only be witnessed in the Vraja-gopés. There is no hesitation and no
reduction in the purely sweet love of Vraja.
By the mercy of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and the Gauòéya Vaiñëava äcäryas the highest kind
of amorous love for Kåñëa, called maïjaré-bhäva, became relishable especially for the people of the
present age of quarrel.
Çrépäd Sanätana, Çré Rüpa, Çré Raghunätha däsa and Çré Jéva Gosvämé are the great
handicraftsmen of Vraja-rasa.
Just as goldsmiths make necklaces, bangles and earrings, etc., from one single material - gold -,
similarly, by Çréman Mahäprabhu’s grace, the äcäryas have made wonderful ornaments of rasika
poetry which was revealed within their hearts, and which was made of the ‘ingredient’ çåìgära rasa
(erotic flavours).
Here Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé is hinting at the great gift of Sréman Mahäprabhu,
which had not been given for a long time: maïjaré bhäva.
This is the self-identification the practicing devotees desire for themselves.
 First of all he says: mad éçä näthatva vraja vipina candraà:
"O mind! Remember the moon of the Vraja-forest (Kåñëa) as the Lord of my Éçvaré (mistress) Çré
Rädhä!"
How much nectar of love is there in that one word ‘mad éçä’ which Çré Raghunätha uses here! How
much intense love can be relished in that word!
ämära éçvaré hon våndävaneçvaré; tära präëanätha boli bhaji giridhäré: "My Éçvaré is Rädhikä,
the Queen of Våndävana! I worship Giridhäré, knowing that He is the Lord of Her life!" The äcäryas
experienced this and preached it. The more the practicing devotees manage to recognise themselves
as Çré Rädhikä’s maidservants and manage to give up their bodily consciousness, becoming absorbed
in identification as Rädhä’s däsé at every moment, the more transcendental jewels they will find.
There is nothing more sweet and relishable than being absorbed in svarüpäveça, absorption
in one’s transcendental identity. Mäyä will stay far away from him whose heart is absorbed in relishing
these transcendental flavours.
The sädhaka will be blessed when he can relish the flavour of Çré-Çré Rädhä-Mädhava’s forms,
qualities, pastimes, and devotional service. Then he will experience something of the taste of this
single word mad éçä.
Çré Raghunätha instructs his own mind to meditate on Çyämasundara, the moon of Våndävana,
calling Him the Lord of his éçvaré Rädhä’s life. First Rädhä, then Çyäma! After introducing herself to
Çré Rädhä and attaining Her service, the maidservant of Rädhä introduces herself to Çyämasundara.
Only then will she attain the service of the Lord of éçvaré Rädhä’s life - not independently!
There is no comparison to Çréla Raghunätha däsa’s rädhä niñöhä (loyalty to Rädhä)! He desires
nothing else but the intimate service of Çré Rädhä, the reader will experience that again and again in
this ‘Stavävalé’-compilation.
The word vraja-vipina-candra means that the hearts of the people of Vraja are like Cakora-
birds which are always absorbed in relishing the nectar oozing from the Kåñëa-moon, such as His
form, qualities, pastimes and love, but the hearts of Çré Rädhä’s maidservants are blessed like Cakoré-
(female) birds which relish the nectar of the moon of Vraja’s forest through the savour of Çré Rädhä -
not independently!
Again, he instructs his mind to remember Våndävaneçvaré Rädhä as the beloved of Kåñëa’s
heart: våndaväneçvaréà tan näthatve.
Although there are innumerable beautiful girls in Vraja who are qualified and full of love for
Kåñëa, still Kåñëa’s heart and mind are always controlled by Çré Rädhä. Only She has the full Mädana
Mahä Bhäva and only She can fully control Kåñëa, Who is the very form of full transcendental bliss.
They are absorbed in the sweetness of Each other’s forms and qualities etc. and They both desire that
Their mutual love will increase at every moment.
Çrépäda Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté has written:

tvayi çyäme nitya praëayini vidagdhe rasa nidhau

priye bhüyo bhüyaù sudåòha mati rägo bhavatu me
iti preñöhenokta ramaëa mama citte tava vaco
vadantéti smera mama manasi rädhä vilasatu

(Rädhä Rasa Sudhänidhi 150)

“May Çré Rädhä, Who smiles as She tells Her lover: ‘These words of Yours are also on My
mind!’, after He told Her: ‘O Çyäme! O Eternally beloved, clever girl! O dearest One!’
May My mind always be firmly attached to the ocean of Your rasa!"
Then again, Däsa Gosvämé says: tad atula sakhétve tu lalitäm: "O mind! Remember Lalitä as
Çré Rädhä’s incomparable girlfriend." Çré Lalitä is the chief of Çré Rädhä’s eight girlfriends, therefore
no one can compare to her in beauty, qualities and love. She’s respected by all the sakhés, and she
leads all the maïjarés in their service to the Yugala Kiçora.
Çréla Narottama Däsa has sung:

lalitä kobe more, véjana deoyabo,

véjabo märuta mande
çrama-jala sakala, miöabo duhuì kalevara,
herabo parama änande

"When will Lalitä allow me to fan the Yugala, giving Them a cool breeze which will remove
the sweatdrops of fatigue from Their bodies? I will be most blissful to see Them then!"

lalitä ädeça päiyä, caraëa sevibo yäiyä,

priya sakhé saìge harïa mone
duhuì dätä çiromaëi, ati déna more jäni,
nikaöe caraëe dibe däne

"Receiving Lalitä’s order I will blissfully go to serve Their lotus feet with my dear girlfriends.
Rädhä-Kåñëa are the crown jewels of donors. They know that I’m very fallen and They grant me a
place at Their lotus feet."
Then viçäkhäà çikṣ äli vitaraëa gurutve: "Remember Viçäkhä as the instructing teacher in the
service of the Divine Couple".
In his siddha-svarüpa Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé is in the gaëa (party) of Çré Viçäkhä. When his
heart was breaking out of separation from Çré Rädhikä, Çré Raghunätha was praying to Viçäkhä’s lotus
feet to save his life:

kñaëam api tava saìgaà na tyajed eva devé

tvam asi sama-vayas tan narma-bhümir yad asyäù
iti sumukhi viçäkhe darçayitvä mad éçäà
mama viraha hatäyäù präëa-rakñäà kurusva

(Viläpa Kusumäïjali 99)

"O fair-faced Viçäkhe! My Queen will not leave your company for even a moment! Because
You are of the same age you are the realm of Her joking pastimes. Please save my life from the
affliction of separation and show me my mistress!"
In his Sva Saìkalpa Prakäça stotram, Çrépäda offers the following prayers to his/her çikñä guru
Viçäkhä-sakhé for teaching her various kinds of expertise in the service of the Divine Pair, which is
full of madhura rasa:

mudä vaidagdhyäntar lalita nava karpüra milana

sphuran nänä narmotkara madhura mädhvéka racane
sa-garvaà gändharvä giridhara kåte prema vivaçä
viçäkhäà me çikñäà vitaratu gurus tad yuga sakhé (4)

"May the teacher Viçäkhä, the dear friend who is overwhelmed by love for Gändharvä and
Giridhäré, joyfully and proudly teach me the art of preparing for Their pleasure the sweet Mädhvéka-
nectar of different joking words mixed with the fresh camphor of elegant cleverness!"

kuhü kaëöhé kaëöhäd api kamana-kaëöhé mayi punar

viçäkhä gänasyäpi ca rucira çikñäà praëayatu
 yathähaà tenaitad yuva yugalam ulläsya sa-gaëäl
labhe räse tasmän maëi padaka härän iha muhuù (5)

"I pray that Viçäkhä, whose voice is sweeter than the cuckoos’, will teach me the art of
beautiful singing, with which I can please the youthful Couple and Their girlfriends during the Räsa-
dance and I will continually get jewelled medals and gold from Them as rewards."
Finally Çré Raghunätha says: priya saro giréndrau tat prekñä lalita rati-datve smara manaù
"O mind! Remember my beloved Rädhäkuëòa and Giri-Govardhana as the bestowers of the darçana
of and the lovely attraction to Rädhä-Kåñëa!"
Çré Rädhäkuëòa is very dear to Çré Rädhäräëé, therefore it is also very dear to Çyämasundara,
namely as dear as Çré Rädhä Herself is. Realizing this secret Çré Raghunätha declares his one-pointed
fixation in living near this crown jewel of Vraja-bhümi, Çré Rädhäkuëòa:

sva kuëòaà tava loläkñi sa-priyäyäù sadäspadam

atraiva mama saàväsa ihaiva mama saàsthiti

(Viläpa Kusumäïjali 97)

"O Loläkñi (restless eyed girl)! Your lake is always the dwelling place of You and Your Beloved.
Only here I will live and here alone I will stay!"
Because Çré Rädhäkuëòa is so dear to the Divine Pair it can bestow Their darçana and the tender
love for Their lotus feet upon him.
Çré Räghunätha däsa has described that in his ‘Viläpa Kusumäïjali’ (15):

yadä tava sarovaraà sarasa bhåìga saìghollasat

saroruha kulojjvalaà madhura väri sampüritam
sphuöat sarasijäkñi he nayana-yugma säkñäd vabhau
tadaiva mama lälasäjani tavaiva däsye rase

"O blooming lotus-eyed girl (Rädhe)! When my eyes directly saw Your pond (Rädhäkuëòa),
which is filled with sweet water and lotus flowers surrounded by blissfully humming bees, then I really
got the desire to taste the nectar of Your service!" Therefore he also prayed to Rädhäkuëòa for the
darçana of Rädhäräëé:

he çré sarovara sadä tvayi sä mad éçä

preñöhena särdham iha khelati käma raìgaiù
tvaà cet priyät priyam atéva tayor iti mäà
hä darçayädya kåpayä mama jévitaà täm

(Viläpa Kusumäïjali 98)

"O beautiful lake (Çré Rädhäkuëòa)! My mistress always plays erotic games in you with Her
beloved Kåñëa. If you are dearer to Them than the dearest, then please show me my mistress, Who
is my very life!"
There’s no comparison to Çré Raghunätha däsa’s devotion to Giriräja Govardhana. At the base
of Çré Giriräja lie Çré Rädhäkuëòa and Çyämakunda. Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé lived at the base
of Giriräja for the fulfillment of his desire to see and love the lotus feet of the Divine Couple and he
offered the following prayer:

pramada madana léläù kandare kandare te

racayati nava yünor dvandvam asminn amandam
 iti kila kalanärthaà lagnakas tad dvayor me
nija nikaöa niväsa dehi govardhana tvam

(Govardhana Väsa Prärthana Dasakam 2)

"O Govardhana! The youthful couple Rädhä-Kåñëa play passionate erotic pastimes in your
every cave and I became very eager to witness them. Please allow me to live close to you and thus
bless me!"
Çré Raghunätha prays to his mind:

he mana! tomäre boli, smaraëa niyamävali,

mad éçvaré våndävaneçvaré
tära präëeçvara jäni, rasikendra cüòämaëi,
bhajo tumi giri-varadhäré

"O mind! I tell you what to remember:

"Know that the crown jewel of relishers, Girivaradhäré, is the Lord of the life of my mistress
Våndävaneçvaré’s. Worship Him like that!"

çré kåñëera priyatamä, çiro-ratna vraja-rämä,

ei jïäne våndävaneçvaré
anuräge nitya nava, rädhä pada koka-nada,
bhajo mana! e minati kori!

"Know that Våndävaneçvaré Rädhä, the crown jewel of all Vraja-gopés, is Çré Kåñëa’s dear most
beloved. O mind, I humbly pray to you: Worship the ruddy lotus feet of this Rädhikä with ever-fresh
passionate love!"

präëa çakhé çré rädhära, atula mahimä yära,

sakhé çreñöha lalitä smaraëe
çikñä guru rüpe jäni, viçäkhäya smaro tumi,
anugata rasäla bhajane

"Remember the best of sakhés,Lalitä, as Çré Rädhä’s heart’s friend, whose glories are
matchless, and remember Viçäkhä as the instructing guru of all the gopés, while performing luscious
bhajana in allegiance to her!"

rädhäkuëòa govardhane, smaro mana rätri dine,

daraçana rati däna tare
smaraëete kåpä dhärä, prema mandäkiné pärä,
uthalibe hådi päräväre

"O mind! Remember Rädhäkuëòa and Govardhana day and night for they bestow the darçana
of and love for the Divine Couple upon you! The ocean of your heart then will swell as the nectarean
Gaìgä-stream of prema enters into it, brought down by Their mercy on the strength of your smaraëa."
 TEACHING NR. 10:

ratià gauré-léle api tapati saundarya-kiraëaiù

çacé-lakñmé-satyäù paribhavati saubhägya-valanaiù
vaçékäraiç candrävali-mukha-navéna-vraja-satéù
kñipaty äräd yä täà hari-dayita-rädhäà bhaja manaù

ratià - Rati; gauréà - Gauré; léle - Lélä; api - even; tapati - burns; saundarya - of beauty; kiraëaiù - with
the rays; çacé - Çacé; lakñmé - Lakñmé; satyäù - Satyabhämä; paribhavati - defeats; saubhägya - fortune; balanaiù
- with the strength; vaçékäraiù - controls; candrävali - Candrävalé; mukha - headed by; navéna - youthful; vraja
satéù - chaste girls of Vraja; kñipati - throws; äräd - far away; yä - who ; täà - Her; hari dayita - dear to Hari;
rädhäà - Rädhä; bhaja - worship; manaù - O mind!

O mind! Remember Haripriyä Rädhä, Who burns Rati, Gauré and Lélä with the
scorching rays of Her beauty, Who defeats Çacé, Lakñmé and Satyabhämä with the force of
Her good fortune, and Who casts the young girls of Vraja, like Candrävalé, far away with
Her ability to control Çré Kåñëa!

Commentary:
In the previous verse Çré Raghunätha revealed his preference for Çré Rädhä (rädhä-snehädhika préti)
on the pretext of instructing his own mind. The devotees who practice maïjaré-bhäva mainly worship
Çré Rädhäräëé, and their worship of Çré Kåñëa is a concomitant factor.
The maïjarés have given their lives to Çré Rädhä; without Rädhä their world is dark.
tavaiväsmi tavaiväsmi na jévämi tvayä vinä (Viläpa Kusumäïjali)
"Hä Rädhe! I am Yours, I am Yours! I can’t live without You!" This is the main anthem of
those who practice maïjaré bhäva!
In this verse Çré Raghunätha instructs his mind:
hari-dayita rädhäà bhaja manaù
"O mind! Worship Hari’s beloved, Rädhä!"
Without love no one can become dear to Kåñëa. In Bhagavad Gétä Kåñëa tells Çré Arjuna: yo
mad bhaktaù sa me priya
"He who is My devotee is dear to Me."
There are four different gradations of love of God:
aëu (atomic), äpekñika nyünädhika-maya (more or less), mahän (great), and parama mahän
(topmost).
Ordinary devotees have an aëu, or atomic fraction of love for God, and they are just slightly
dear to Kåñëa. Devotees like Närada have more or less love and they are more dear to Kåñëa than the
first group. The people of Vraja like Subala, Nanda-Yaçodä, Lalitä and the eight sakhés, have great
love for Kåñëa and Kåñëa also has great love for them.
Only Çré Våñabhänu-nandiné has the greatest love for Kåñëa, and She is also most dear to Him.
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé’s written examples of Rädhä and Kåñëa’s mutual love are
incomparable!

govindänaìga räjéve bhänu çrér värñabhänavé

kåñëa håt kumudolläse sudhäkara kara sthitiù

"As the daughter of Våñabhänu She is the beautiful sun that shines on the lotus flower of
Govinda’s erotic desire, and She is the ambrosial moon which casts its rays on the Kåñëa-lily and thus
delights it".
 kåñëa mänasa haàsasya mänasé sarasé varä
kåñëa cätaka jévätu navämbhoda payaù çrutiù

"She is the great Mänasa Sarovara where the swan of Kåñëa’s mind flies and She is the shower
from the fresh monsoon cloud which gives life to the Cätaka-bird named Kåñëa".

mukunda matta mätaìga vihäräpära dérghikä

kåñëa präëa mahä ména khelanänanda väridhiù

"She is the endless lake of enjoyment for the mad elephant Mukunda and She is the ocean of
bliss where the great fish of Kåñëa’s life-airs plays".

kåñëa maïjula täpiïche vilasat svarëa yüthikä

govinda navya päthode sthira vidyul latädbhutä

"She shines like a golden Yüthikä-vine on the lovely Tamäla-tree named Kåñëa and She is a
wonderful steady lightning-vine on the fresh Govinda-raincloud".

gréñme govinda sarväìge candra candana candrikä

çéte çyäma çubhäìgeñu péta paööa lasat paöé

"In the summer She is soothing sandal paste, camphor and moonlight on all of Govinda’s
limbs and in the winter She is a beautiful yellow silken garment which covers Çyäma’s auspicious
limbs".

madhau kåñëa tarülläse madhu çrér madhuräkåtiù

maïju mallära räga çréù prävåñi çyäma harñiëé

"In the spring She is the vernal goddess of fortune that delights the Kåñëa-tree with Her sweet
form, and during the monsoon She delights Çyäma with the beautiful Mallära räga".

åtau çaradi räsaika rasikendram iha sphuöam

varétuà hanta räsa-çrér viharanté sakhé-çritä

"Äha! In the autumn She clearly accepts the only enjoyer of the Räsa-dance (Çré Kåñëa) as
Her husband and then enjoys the Räsa-dance with Him and Her girlfriends as the Räsa-Çré, the
goddess of fortune of the Räsa-dance!"

hemante smara yuddhärtham aöantaà räja-nandanam

pauruñena paräjetuà jaya-çrér mürti dhäriëé
(Viçäkhänandada Stotram 51-62)

"In the Hemanta-season She wanders around with the prince (of Vraja) for the sake of an
erotic battle and then She defeats Him with masculine power, assuming the form of the goddess of
victory".
Such examples that show the people of the world how Çré Rädhä is Hari Priyä are very rare in
this world.
Supernatural things are simply beyond the grasp of any earthly comparison. (An effort has been made,
though, to explain this to the external world in this way)
 Actually Rädhä and Kåñëa are One Self in two bodies, like one blue and one golden lotus on
a single stem in a lake of love. Because of Their love They became non different in such a way that
one can’t even say anymore that "Rädhä is Kåñëa’s" and "Kåñëa is Rädhä’s".

The great poet Karnapura wrote:

preyäàs te’haà tvam api ca mama preyaséti pravädas

tvaà me präëä aham api taväsméti hanta praläpaù
tvaà me te syäm aham iti ca yat tac ca no sädhu rädhe
vyähäre nau na hi samucito yusmad asmat prayogaù

(Alaìkära Kaustubha 5.34)

"Ayi Rädhe! It is simply hearsay when one says that I am Your beloved and You are My lover.
One simply raves by saying that I am Your life and You are Mine. It is also not good to say that You
are Mine and I am Yours, because such words indicate a difference. It is not proper to speak about
Us in terms of You and Me."
(Çréla Rämänanda Räya sang: nä so ramaëa nä häm ramaëé; duhuì mana manobhava peçala
jäni, Caitanya Caritämåta):
"He is not the lover and I am not the beloved. I know Their minds were squashed by Cupid."
Because of Their great love it is as if Their minds and hearts have merged with each other.
Çré Raghunätha däsa says: "O mind! Worship Kåñëa’s beloved, Çré Rädhä!“. One may ask here:
Why does Çré Raghunätha, being a Yugala-upäsaka (worshiper of Rädhä-Kåñëa), worship only Çré
Rädhä?
Çrémat Sanätana Gosvämé provides the answer in his Båhad Bhägavatämåta (2.7.11):
çré rädhäjïä pratipälanenaiva çré kåñëasya vaçékaraëät svayam evädhikädhika tat saìga sukha
saàsiddher iti dik:
"By serving Rädhä or following Her order, Çré Kåñëa is more easily captured than when one
serves Him directly, and the bliss of His company automatically becomes more and more available."
In Viçäkhänandada Stotram (131) Çré Raghunätha däsa writes:

bhajämi rädhäm aravinda-netraà

smarämi rädhäà madhura smitäsyäm
vadämi rädhäà karuëä bharärdraà
tato mamänyästi gatir na käpi

"I worship Rädhä, Who has lotus like eyes, I remember Rädhä, who has a sweetly smiling
face, and I speak of Rädhä, Who is melting of compassion. In this way there is no other goal for me".
While Çré Raghunätha speaks about Çré Rädhä’s worship his mind becomes absorbed in
Rädhä’s sweetness and he expresses his experience by saying: ratià gauré léle api tapati saundarya-
kiraëaiù
"With the rays of Her beauty She’s scorching Cupid’s spouse Rati, Lord Çiva’s spouse Gauré and the
presiding goddess of the lélä-çakti (play-power) Lélä-devé."
The experience of Çré Rädhä lies within prema. premera svarüpa deha prema vibhävita (C.C.)
"Her body is made of prema and Her constitution consists entirely of prema."
Without practicing devotion with love one can’t experience Çré Rädhä’s sweetness. If, by Her
grace, one can experience one drop of the ocean of Rädhikä’s self-manifest sweetness in one’s heart,
that is illuminated by viçuddha sattva (transcendence), then one can understand it. The ray of beauty
that is described here is is not a ray of material light, it is the light of the quintessence of prema, mahä
bhäva. This ray pleases the eyes - it doesn’t dazzle them!
 Once these rays of beauty which defeat millions of lightning strikes touch the eyes, the eyes
always want to remain immersed in them. The scorching affliction caused upon Rati, Gauré and Lélä
described within here, comes from their bodily luster being defeated by the splendour of Rädhikä’s
form.
In this connection we will give an example from the Puräëas: In the 40th chapter of the Patäla
Khaëòa of Padma Puräëa, Närada Muni praises Çré Rädhä as follows:

bhräntaà sarveñu lokeñu mayä svacchanda-cäriëä

asyä rüpeëa sadåçé dåñöä naiva ca kutracit
mahä-mäyä bhagavati dåñöä çailendra-nandiné
yasyä rüpeëa sakalaà muhyate sa-caräcaram
lakñméù sarasvaté käntir vidyädyäç ca vara-striyaù
chäyäm api spåçantyaç ca kadäcin naiva dåçyate
viñëor yan mohanaà rüpa haro yena vimohitaù
mayä dåñöaà ca tad api kuto’syäù sadåçaà bhavet
asyäù sandarçanäd eva govinda caraëämbuje
ya premäbdhir abhüt sä me bhüta-pürva na karhicit
ayi devi mahä yoge mäyeçvari mahäprabhe
mahä mohana divyäìgi mahä mädhurya varñiëi
mahädbhuta rasänanda çithilékåta mänase
mahä bhägyena kenäpi gatäsi mama dåk patham

"I have freely wandered through all the worlds, but a form like Hers I have never seen
anywhere! I have seen Mahämäyä, the daughter of the mountain (Pärvaté), whose form enchants all
moving and non-moving creatures, and I have seen Lakñmé, Sarasvaté, Känti, Vidyä and all the best of
women, but they could not even touch the shadow of Her sweet form!
I have seen the form of Mohiné that Lord Viñëu assumed and that enchanted the demons and even
Lord Çiva, but even She did not look like Her (Rädhikä). I have never seen that form, which has given
me an ocean of love for Govinda’s lotus feet on mere sight, before.
Ayi devi! O Mahä Yoge! O Goddess of mäyä! O greatly effulgent goddess with the very
enchanting divine form! O You Who showers great sweetness! O You Who softens the mind with very
wonderful blissful rasa! By some great fortune You crossed the path of my eyes!"
Therefore it is said (in Caitanya Caritämåta):
yära saundaryädi guëa väïche lakñmé pärvaté
"The goddess of fortune, Pärvaté and all other goddesses covet Her qualities, like Her good fortune."
Then Çré Raghunätha says çacé lakñmé satyäù paribhavati saubhägya balanaiù:
"By the force of Her good fortune or Her admirable love She defeats Çacé, Lakñmé and
Satyabhämä".
The Hari Vaàça explains that Satyabhämä is even more fortunate than Çacé and Lakñmé:
satyabhämottamä strénäà saubhägye cädhikaà bhavet:
"Of all women, Satyabhämä is the most fortunate".
Even this Satyabhämä desired Çré Rädhä’s fortunate qualities, but did not get them.
yähära saubhägya guëa väïche satyabhämä (C.C.) "Satyabhämä desires Her (Rädhä’s) qualities
of fortune." What then to speak of Çacé, the queen of heaven, and Lakñmé, the goddess of fortune?
There is no comparison to Kåñëa’s admiration for Çré Rädhä.
In Çré Kåñëa’s words:

çuno rädhe ei rasa- ämi ye tomära vaça,

toma vine nähi loy mane
japite tomära näma, dhairaya na dhare präëa,
tuyä rüpa koriye dheyäne
 "Listen, O Rädhe! I am under Your control! I don’t like to think of anyone but You! My heart
can’t remain patient when I repeat Your name and I meditate on Your form!"

çré rädhe çré rädhe väëé, ye dige yära mukhe çuni,

sei dike dhäy mora mon
cätaka phukäre yeno, ghana cähe variñaëa,
teno heri o cäìda vadana

"My mind runs in any direction where I hear from anyone’s mouth the words: "Çré Rädhe! Çré
Rädhe”.
I stare at Your moon-like face like a Cätaka-bird hankering for a shower from the raincloud."

khene khene mukha tuli’ ghana òäki rädhä buli,

tabe präëa hoy nivärana
tomä anusare äsi, kuïjera bhitore bosi,
tomä lägi ei våndävana

"Crying and crying, I lift My face and loudly call for Rädhä. Only then My life is saved. I follow
You and wait for You, sitting in a kuïja. I like Våndävana only because of You!"
No girl in Vraja can madden and gladden Kåñëa in such a way, not even Candrävalé.
That’s why Çré Raghunätha states in the end: vaçékäraiç candrävali mukha navéna vraja-satéù.
"She controls all the young chaste girls of Vraja, headed by Candrävalé.“
Çré Rädhikä has the mood of madéyatä (He is mine) towards Kåñëa, while Candrävalé has the (inferior)
mood of tadéyatä
(I am His).
In Govinda Lélämåta (11.131) it is described:

candrävalé praëaya rüpa guëaiù prayatnäd

vyaktékåtair vyaracayat svavaçaà bakärim
çré rädhikä tu sahaja prakaöair nijais tair
vyasmärayat tam iha täm api hä kuto’nyäù

"Candrävalé must do some effort to somehow control Kåñëa by showing her love, her form,
and her qualities, but Çré Rädhikä can naturally and easily control Kåñëa with Her qualities, making
Him forget even Candrävalé, O! What to speak of other girls?"
Hence Çré Raghunätha prays to his mind:

yära aìga saundaryete, käma-patné rati täpe,

çré rädhära caraëe luöäya
lélä çakti bhava gauré, yähära saundarya heri,
manas täpe mäne paräjaya

saubhägya bolete yini, kåñëa käntä çiromaëi,

çacé, lakñmé, satyabhämä düre
vaçékarä çré govinde, candrävalé sakhé-vånde
santäpa pradäna yiho kore

he mana! se gändharvikä, hari priyä çré rädhikä,

jévana sarvasva kori loho
 prema taraìgiëé näma, prema kaëöhe koro gäna,
ärati piriti rasa cäho

"O mind! Take this Hari Priyä Çré Rädhikä, or Gändharvikä, the crown jewel of Kåñëa’s
consorts, Whose bodily beauty scorches Cupid’s spouse Rati and makes her roll at Her feet, Who
makes Lélä and Gauré accept defeat in anguish after they beheld Her beauty, Who casts Çacé, Lakñmé
and Satyabhämä far away with the force of Her good fortune, Who controls Çré Govinda and Who
gives affliction even to Candrävalé and her girlfriends, as the all-in-all of your life.
Sing the glories of this river of love with a loving voice, eagerly desiring the taste of love for Her!"

TEACHING NR. 11:

samaà çré-rüpeëa smara-vivaça-rädhä-giri-bhåtor

vraje säkñät-sevä-labhana-vidhaye tad-gaëa-yujoù
tad-ijyäkhyä-dhyäna-çravaëa-nati-païcämåtam idaà
dhayan nétyä govardhanam anudinaà tvaà bhaja manaù

samaà - with; çré rüpeëa - with Çré Rüpa Maïjaré; smara - Cupid; vivaça - overwhelmed; rädhä
giribhåtoù - Rädhä Kåñëa; vraje - in Vraja; säkñät - directly; sevä - service; labhana - attaining; vidhaye - in the
course of; tad - Their; gaëa - devotees; yujaù - with; tad - Their; ijya - formal worship; äkhyä - glorifying; dhyäna
- meditating; çravaëa - hearing; nati - bowing down; païca - five; amåtam - nectar; idaà - this; dhayan -
drinking; nétyä - with great devotional expertise; govardhanam - Govardhana Hill; anudinaà - every day; tvaà
- you; bhaja - worship; manaù - mind.

O mind! For the sake of attaining the service of Rädhä and Giridhäré, Who are
absorbed in erotic play along with Çré Rüpa Maïjaré and her group, you should daily
worship Govardhana Hill with five kinds of nectar, namely formal worship (ijya or püjä),
singing of his name (äkhyä or kértana), meditation, hearing about his glories and bowing
down to him with great devotional expertise!

Commentary:
In this final verse of Manaù Çikñä Çré Raghunätha däsa instructs his mind on how to worship Giriräja
Govardhana to attain the service and the darçana of his most beloved deity Çré-Çré Rädhä-Giridhäré
with Their boyfriends like Subala and Their girlfriends like Lalitä.
In Çrémad Bhägavata it is seen that Çré Rädhikä called Govardhana Hill the best of Hari’s
servants and only three devotees have been garlanded there with the title-of-honour ‘best of Hari’s
servants’:
King Yudhiñöhira, Uddhava and Govardhana Hill.
Amongst them, however, Govardhana Hill is again the greatest. The duty of a servant is to
serve his master, and Govardhana’s exclusive dedication to the Divine Couple is matchless. This will
be well known through the following two stavas of Stavävalé, which are entirely dedicated to
Govardhana Hill.
It is even better to serve the Lord’s devotees than to serve the Lord Himself, if one wants to
attain the service of the Lord’s lotus feet.
The Lord told His dear devotee Uddhava ‘mad bhakta püjäbhyädhikä’: "It is better to worship
My devotee."
It may still be doubted whether or not the Lord can be attained by serving the Lord directly, but it is
sure that the method of serving the Lord’s devotees is flawless! Therefore Çré Rüpa Gosvämé has said
that all the items of devotional service to the Lord can also be practiced by serving the Lord’s
devotees. We have described this in the first verse of Manaù Çikñä.
 With this in mind Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé says: nétyä govardhanam anudinaà tvaà
bhaja manaù
"O mind! Worship Govardhana Hill with great devotional expertise,every day!" This devotional
expertise is called säsaìga-bhajana, devotion with attachment and free from offenses and bhajana
which is not mechanically and ritually performed in an absent-minded way. This kind of bhajana
blesses the devotee with the full savour of each item of the practice. In this way Çré Raghunätha däsa
has described five items of bhajana here:
tad ijyäkhyä dhyäna çravaëa nati païcämåtam idaà dhayan: "There are five kinds of nectarean
worship of Govardhana Hill which can be drunk: püjä (ritual worship), näma (chanting his Holy
Name), dhyäna (meditating on him), çravaëa (hearing about him) and namaskära (offering
obeisances unto him).
ijyä means püjä or ritual worship. Çré Rüpa Gosvämé has written: çraddhä viçeñataù prétiù çré
mürter aìghri sevane (B.R.S. 1.2.90)
"The lotus feet of the deity should be served with special faith and love."
pratimä nahe tumi - säkñät vrajendra-nandana
(C.C. Madhya 5)
"You are not a statue - You are the prince of Vraja Himself!" This faith must be there while
serving the deity with love, then the sweet touch, or another kind of personal response will be
obtained from the deity. In this way the first of Çré Raghunätha’s five kinds of nectarean, expert
worship, named ijyä, is relished.
äkhyä means näma-saìkértana. The devotees who perform näma-saìkértana with great love
and attachment, having firm faith in the statement of the scriptures that there’s no difference between
Kåñëa and His name, and that näma-saìkértana is both the means and the goal, become blessed
with the full relish of the nectar of the Holy Name. This means ‘expertise in näma saìkértana’. The
word äkhyä also refers to hearing topics about Çré Hari in an assembly of devotees, or glorification in
song of Hari’s qualities and pastimes (lélä-kértana or rasa-kértana).
Thirdly there is dhyäna or smaraëa. According to Çré Jéva Gosvämé dhyäna is the third stage
of meditation.
tad idaà smaraëaà païca-vidham. yat kiïcid anusandhänaà smaraëam. sarvataç cittam
äkåçya sämänyäkäreëa manodhäraëaà dhäraëä. viçeñato rüpädi cintanaà dhyänam. amåta
dhärävad avichinnaà tat dhruvänusmåtiù. dhyeya-mätra sphuraëaà samädhir iti.
"There are five stages of smaraëa. smarana itself is a random, accidental remembrance of Hari’s
names and forms, dhäraëä means drawing one’s mind away from all other topics and holding Çré
Hari’s names and forms within the mind in an ordinary way, dhyäna means specifically meditating on
some forms and names, dhruvänusmåti means to meditate continuously like a stream of nectar, and
samädhi means simply to transcendentally envisage the object of meditation. On the path of raga-
bhakti a practitioner who is fixed in smaraëa firmly fixes his mind on his siddha-svarüpa and forgets
about his material body and everything that is related to it, entering into the kingdom of léläs and
becoming blessed by attaining a greatly astonishing kind of relish. This is called expertise in
meditation, or the relish of nectar.
Fourthly there is çravaëa, hearing topics of Kåñëa from the mouths of saintly devotees. Çré
Jéva Gosvämé has called this item of devotional practice the most important one, because without
hearing first one can’t develop a taste for all the other items of devotional practice. One can taste the
full nectar by hearing about Çré Kåñëa’s names, forms, qualities, and pastimes from the mouth of a
greatly realized and like-minded devotee and thus become most blessed with the taste of nectar. This
is true expertise in hearing.
taträpi saväsana mahänubhava mukhät sarvasya çré kåñëa nämädi çravaëaà tu parama
bhägyäd eva sampadyate
(Bhakti Sandarbhaù - 262 anuù).
 Finally there is nati, or offering obeisances. This is also a nectarean engagement if one keeps
the sweet mercy of the Lord and His love for His devotees in the heart.
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé has attained these five kinds of nectar and always worships
Govardhana Hill, faithfully residing at the base of the hill. He instructs his mind to serve and see the
love-intoxicated Divine Couple along with Their friends like Subala and Their girlfriends like Lalitä,
teaching his mind that this can’t be accomplished without following in the footsteps of Çré Rüpa
Gosvämé in the sädhaka-body and of Çré Rüpa Maïjaré in the siddha-body.
The Gauòéya Vaiñëavas similarly should take shelter of the base of Govardhana Hill and follow
in the footsteps of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé in the present external body and of Çré Rüpa Maïjaré in the
mentally conceived spiritual body. In this way they can also relish these five kinds of nectar. This is a
flawless way of receiving the personal darçana and devotional service of the Çré Yugala, which has
been taught here by Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé.

vrata kori vraja väse, yugala ujjvala rase,

nirantara yiho kore snäna
ämära ärädhya guru, rüpa prema kalpa-taru
parama vairägya balavän

"I vow to live in Vraja and I will always bathe in the brilliant erotic rasa of the Divine Couple.
My worshipable master Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, who is a wish yielding tree of love of God, is a most
powerful renunciate."

tähära saìgete mana, lalitädi sakhégaëa,

priya sakhä subalädi saìge.
yugala kiçora kuïje, yadi cäo sevä puïje,
matta yärä madana taraìge

çravaëa, kértana, smaraëa, arcana, päda sevana,

ei païcämåta kori päna.
giriräja govardhane, bhajo mana rätri dine,
kuïja sevä koribeka däna

"O mind! If you want to render plenty of service to the Adolescent Couple in the groves, as
They are accompanied by Their dear boyfriends headed by Subala and Their girlfriends headed by
Lalitä, intoxicated by waves of erotic joy, then drink the five kinds of nectar of hearing, chanting,
remembering, ritually worshipping and serving the feet of Giriräja Govardhana day and night. He will
certainly give you these devotional services in the kuïja!"

BENEDICTION:

manaù-çikñä-daikädaçaka-varam etan madhurayä

girä gäyaty uccaiù samadhigata-sarvärthayati yaù
sa-yüthaù çré-rüpänuga iha bhavan gokula-vane
jano rädhä-kåñëätula-bhajana-ratnaà sa labhate

manaù - the mind; çikñä - teachings; da - giving; ekädaçaka - eleven verses; varam - the best; etad - this;
madhurayä - with sweetness; girä - voice; gäyati - who sings; uccaiù - loudly; samadhigata - readers; sarva - all;
artha-tati - desires; yaù - who; sa - with; yüthaù - the group; rüpa - Rüpa Gosvämé; anuga - followers; iha - here;
bhavan - being so; gokula-vane - in the forest of Gokula; janaù - person; rädhä-kåñëa - Rädhä-Kåñëa; atula -
matchless; bhajana - worship; ratnaà - jewel; sa - he; labhate - attains.

Whoever loudly sings these eleven great instructing verses with a sweet voice and a
fixed mind, being a follower of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé and his devotees, will attain the
incomparable jewel of the worship of Çré-Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa in the forest of Gokula.

Commentary:
In this verse Çré Raghunätha däsa bestows a benediction (phala-çruti) upon the readers of his Manaù
Çikñä.
In his Manaù Çikñä Çré Raghunätha däsa described the rules to be followed by rägänugä-devotees,
the different obstacles they may face and the essential instructions for rägänugä-bhakti.
It’s no exaggeration to say that there are very few instructing poems in this world which are as
beautiful as this one.
On the pretext of instructing his own mind in these eleven verses Çréla Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé has given a matchless gift to all the devotees of the world, therefore the assembled devotees
will undoubtedly always remain indebted to him. The devotees should try to enter deeply into the
purports of these verses.
Not only has Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé given us valuable instructions in this Manaù Çiksä,
in the end he even offers a great blessing to whoever chants this stava! His words are already filled
with the rasa of bhajana, and are able to take the minds of the hearer and chanter along to the
kingdom of love of God like a powerful mantra, and the benediction he offers here is as infallible as
the words of the sages of yore, for the Lord never fails to fulfill the desires of His pure devotee.
Undoubtedly the Lord will make this benediction come true for whoever loudly recites this Manaù
Çikñä with a sweet voice (and whoever hears it as well)! How very wonderful is this benediction:
sayüthaù çré rüpänuga iha bhavan gokula-vane jano rädhä-kåñëätula bhajana ratnaà sa labhate
"The chanter of this Manaù Çikñä will be blessed by attaining the matchless jewel of worship
of Rädhä-Kåñëa in the forest of Gokula, following in the footsteps of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé and his
devotees."
The Gauòéya Vaiñëava way of worship is one of allegiance to Çré Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämé.
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé himself has said: vraja-lokänusärataù. A person who desires love of the lotus feet
of Rädhä and Mädhava should follow in the footsteps of the people of Vraja, serving Them both in
his external devotee-body (in allegiance to Çré Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämé) and in his spiritual body
(in allegiance to Çré Rüpa and Rati Maïjaré). "

bähya antara ihära dui to sädhana;

bähya - sädhaka dehe kore çravaëa kértana
mane - nija siddha deha koriyä bhävana;
rätri dine kore vraje kåñëera sevana
(Caitanya Caritämåta Madhya 22)

"There are two kinds of devotional practice - internal and external. In the external body one
engages in hearing and chanting and in the mind one conceives of one’s own spiritual body, in which
to serve Kåñëa in Vraja day and night."
In the form of this blessed worship the devotee attains a priceless jewel, because bhajana is
the means as well as the goal. bhajana is performed with the aim of doing more bhajana. When the
external body of the devotee perishes he is blessed with attaining the long-cherished devotional
service of Çré-Çré Rädhä-Mädhava.
 sädhane bhävibe yähä,
siddha dehe päbe tähä,
räga pathera ei se upäya

(Prema Bhakti Candrikä)

"Whatever you think of during your devotional practice you will attain in your spiritual body. This is
the way of räga bhakti."

däsa raghunätha kåta, ekädaça madhura pada,

änandete yei jana gäya
sädhaka dehe çré rüpera, siddhite rüpa maïjaréra,
änugatye yugala sevä päya

"Anyone who blissfully sings these eleven sweet verses composed by Çré Däsa Raghunätha, in
allegiance to Çré Rüpa Gosvämé in his external devotee-body and to Çré Rüpa Maïjaré in his spiritual
body, will attain the devotional service of the Divine Couple."

he mana! niyama kore, ei pada madhura svare,

ucca kaëöhe sadä koro gäna
pulake puribe aìga, sättvika bhüñaëa raìga,
yugala kiçora hobe präëa

"O mind! Always sing these verses with a loud and sweet voice as a rule. The hairs then will
stand up on your limbs, you will be ornamented by sättvika ecstatic symptoms and the Adolescent
Couple of Vraja will become your very life!"

Thus ends Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé’s Manaù Çikñä, “Teachings for the mind”.

Translated 1991 - 2000 by Advaita Däsa.