Enjoyment is perfected through renunciation, not through indulgence. Therefore, seek the King of Rasa, and seek only for his satisfaction. He harbours no desire—this alone is the truth; all else is illusion. In the magnificent collection of Vaishnava devotional verses gathered by Shri Vaishnava Das, the Shripadkalpataru, we find—
"Heed my words, swift be thy labour, fulfil the desire of the Enemy of Madhu." (Timirabihara: Abhisarotkantha, 1) That is to say, Madhuripa alone is supreme, he alone is truth, his desire alone is true. Therefore, fulfil his desire.
Yet you burn day and night in the fire of your own desires—how then will you fulfil the desire of Madhuripa? You think only of yourself—how will you think of another? You cling to the fragment—how will you contemplate the whole? What is required is practice, holy company, inquiry into truth; hearing, reflection, and remembrance. Such an attitude is utterly essential—to learn, to understand.
Radha and Krishna are one soul, two bodies they wear, In each other's play they taste the rasa beyond compare. (Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi-lila, 4/56)
Before the manifestation of divine play, Radha's nature lay hidden within Krishna's essence; therefore it is said, "Radha and Krishna are one soul." Shrimati Radhika is the Hladini Shakti of Sri Krishna. This is the first principle of Radha-tattva. What is Hladini Shakti?
We can apprehend the Divine in three ways. Though He possesses infinite powers, these three are paramount for us. God is to us sat-chit-ananda—existence-consciousness-bliss. He is sat—He alone truly is. I think I exist; you think you exist; we think the mountain exists, the river exists, the ocean exists, the deities exist, the yakshas and rakshasas and gandharvas exist; yet all these existences are relative and dependent. Only He, that One and Unique Infinite, the Supreme Person, truly is. Through His being, we have our being. It is because He subsists as the ultimate ground of all existence that my existence becomes possible. This is the first mode of understanding—He is sat—infinite being—infinite and ultimate existence. When we apprehend that Supreme Person as infinite being, the power or characteristic whose play or activity we perceive in Him or His nature is called Sandhini Shakti. The power by which the Infinite Lord sustains Himself in being and renders all others capable of existence is Sandhini Shakti.
The second way to apprehend that Supreme Person is this—He is chit—He is knowledge itself; He alone is knowledge in its true form; the knowledge of all others, even of Hiranyagarbha, is bounded and conditional—He alone is infinite and self-established knowledge—infinite and ultimate consciousness. All others possess knowledge only through His knowledge. The power by which the Lord renders Himself conscious and endows all others with consciousness is called Samvit Shakti. One need only reflect to understand: without being there is no consciousness; without consciousness there is no being.
Within the very nature of the Godhead there exists yet another power, a third force underlying these two. The Lord himself is bliss—all joy belongs to him, and the world itself rejoices through the shelter of his bliss. Through the luxuriance of the power that constitutes the Godhead's own nature—by which the Lord himself tastes bliss and bestows it upon others—that power is named the Hladini Shakti, the power of gladness.
In the Shrimadbhagavatam Goswami Krishnadas Kaviraj has expounded the truth of Shri Krishna and the truth of Shri Radha through the discourse of Chaitanya, saying—
The Master spoke: "For the sake of these truths I have come to you. Now through understanding, all those essences of rasa have become known to me. Now I have understood the distinction between the worshipable and the means of worship. I have no wish to hear anything further. Tell me the nature of Krishna, the nature of Radha. What is the truth of rasa, what is the truth of love and its form?"
Ray Ramananda, after expounding the truth of Krishna, spoke of the truth of Radha in his interpretation—
That which brings bliss to Krishna—that is called the Hladini. By that power, he himself tastes sweetness and joy. Krishna, the very embodiment of bliss, enjoys that bliss himself. It is the Hladini that enables devotees to receive that happiness.
The Lord is savoring bliss. To comprehend this is somewhat difficult—meditation upon the Godhead's true nature is itself a formidable task. One cannot undertake it without being especially accustomed to contemplation of spiritual truth. If we persist in the effort, if we gradually discipline ourselves in this reflection over time, then what appears to us now as "unseemly" in the tales of Sri Krishna's divine play will come to seem otherwise. The matter is this: the ordinary person is not habituated to meditation upon the Godhead's true nature, so he brings the Lord down into the world and perceives him through the world—through the lens of contingent circumstances. He does not behold God in God's own essential form, but rather in God's reflection. This is the easier way, and therefore the most widely preached and popular.
By this method one can understand and explain the Lord as the moral governor of the world, and this is generally as far as ordinary people comprehend. To make them understand what lies beyond this is exceedingly difficult; yet if a person truly wishes to understand—if he possesses genuine faith and keeps the company of the virtuous, or if he is prepared to worship through the unceasing search for self-knowledge—then it becomes possible to convey. Without this, the very attempt at explanation becomes a kind of futility. This is why so many people harbor doubt and difficulty in understanding the divine play of Radha and Krishna. This truth is most arduous to grasp without treading the path of Vedanta.
Krishna, who is bliss itself, savors bliss—this is the essence. In this cosmic process, at its very root lies the enjoyment and experience of one supreme person. In my life, it is his experiencing; in all our lives, it is his experiencing. The very foundation of our existence and consciousness is his taste and enjoyment. We exist and shall continue to exist solely for his experience and savoring. There is no other purpose in life—this realization is the ultimate truth of human consciousness. My life obstructs his experience and enjoyment—I am without devotion; in your life his experience and enjoyment continues unimpeded—you are devoted, and I bow countless times at your feet. Whosoever's life permits the sustained experience and enjoyment of the Lord, the taster of rasa, to that measure is he a devotee and an aspirant on the path of truth.
The devotee is truth; devotion itself is truth—everything else is merely circumstantial. In the cosmos there are many devotees—dwelling at different levels. Just as water exists in countless forms across countless places, so it is here. In the sky, water floats as clouds; in the atmosphere, water drifts invisibly as vapor. Upon the peaks of high mountains, water lies frozen hard as stone. And beyond this: water in rivers, water in lakes, water in springs, and water too upon the crown of the coconut palm! One and the same water manifests in infinite forms across infinite spaces. Yet wherever water dwells, in whatever state it finds itself, this remains certain—all water has come forth from that one great ocean, and all water, when it finds a path to flow, will return again to that ocean, attaining completion and fulfillment.
Just so, in this cosmos all devotees who have been born and shall be born in the future—whatever the nature of their devotion—have all emerged from that great Ocean of Emotion embodied in Sri Radha, and all shall ultimately merge into that great Ocean of Emotion, then attain their fulfillment. To Chaitanya Deva, Ramananda expounds the truth of divinity in this manner:
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss—Krishna's true nature is this. Therefore His intrinsic power manifests in three forms. In the bliss-aspect, Hladini; in the existence-aspect, Sandhini. In the consciousness-aspect, Samvit—whom we hold as knowledge. Through this Hladini-power Krishna experiences delight, And through it bestows joy upon the devotees as well. Krishna in His form of bliss tastes bliss itself; To give joy to devotees, Hladini is the cause. That fragment of Hladini is called love of the highest kind. Ananda—joy—takes form in consciousness as the essence of rasa. The supreme essence of love I know as Mahabhaav—the Great Emotion. And Radha, our mistress, is that Great Emotion embodied. (From Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Middle Pastimes)
Radha and Krishna are one soul—power and the holder of power are not separate things. Remove power, and the holder of power cannot be known; remove the holder of power, and power itself cannot be known.
Radha is full power; Krishna is full holder of power. The two are not distinct—this scripture affirms. As musk and its fragrance are inseparable, As fire and its heat are never divided, So are Radha-Krishna always one form. To taste the rasa of their play, they assume two forms. (From Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Early Pastimes, compiled by Pandit Sri Atul Krishna Goswami)
Just as musk and its fragrance, fire and its heat, the moon and its moonlight are inseparable—such examples too may be given—so also Sri Radha-Krishna. Sri Radhika is as if the condensed form of Sri Krishna's love, the particular expression of that love's nature.
With what has been said before, the following passages from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita become quite clear:
Radhika is the transformation of Krishna's love. His intrinsic power—called Hladini—she is. Through Hladini, Krishna experiences the taste of bliss. Through Hladini, He nourishes all His devotees. Sat-Chit-Ananda, complete—such is Krishna's nature. His one consciousness-power takes on three forms. In the bliss-aspect, Hladini; in the existence-aspect, Sandhini. In the consciousness-aspect, Samvit—whom we hold as knowledge. Hladini, Sandhini, and Samvit—these three together pervade all. Mixed together, they bring bliss and sorrow-pain to you, O you who are untouched by virtue. (From Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Early Pastimes, 4/59-63)
The Meaning: O Lord, Hladini, Sandhinī, and Saṃvit—these three energies possessed of distinct functions constitute Your principal power—You who are the refuge of all. Yet these abide within You. But the gladdening force that is sattvic, the afflicting force that is tamasic, and the mixed force that is rajasic—these do not abide in You, who transcend the gunas. In other words, these three energies constitute Your intrinsic power; the natural, quality-laden force has no place in You.
In brief, O Lord! You are the refuge of all. Within You, Sandhinī, Saṃvit, and Hladini rest upon a single, inconceivable intrinsic power, and this, transformed (taking particular forms), works in the jīva in a mixed manner. But You are free from qualities; within You, such a mixed force composed of pleasure and pain cannot manifest its influence and display.
The quintessence of Sandhinī—called 'pure existence.' Upon this the Lord's being finds its rest. Mother, father, dwelling-place, and home, Bed and seat—all are Krishna's transformations of pure existence. (Śrī Chaitanya Charitāmṛita, Ādi-līlā, 4/64–65)
(The quintessence of Sandhinī is the Lord's immaculate being, and through this friendship-bond Sandhinī is established. Mother, father, dwelling-place, home, bed, seat, and all such movable and immovable things—that is, nature itself—are but the transformations or modifications of Sandhinī energy.)
In the Fourth Canto, Third Chapter, Twenty-first Verse of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Lord Śiva himself speaks thus to Satī:
Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva śabditaṁ Yadīyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ Sattve cha tasmin bhagavān vāsudevо, Hy adhokṣajo me manasā vidhīyate
Meaning: Pure existence is called Vasudeva. In this pure existence, the Person, the Lord, stands manifest without veil, and therefore His name is Vāsudeva. Within the inner faculty possessed of pure existence, I contemplate in particular that Lord Vāsudeva, imperceptible to the senses.
How the idea of Puruṣottama has come about, I have spoken of before. My body is a city, and I am the person dwelling in that city. I as a person am interwoven with manifold and varied relations—my mother, my father, my friend, my bed, my seat, and so forth. The greater one is, the vaster too is this relational world of theirs. Remove these relations, and what remains of me? My personhood or conscious selfhood—its expression or manifestation does not come through the body alone; my being a son, a friend, a husband also are necessary. This conception of personhood in our world must be clearly established, and then applied to the Lord.
In the Bhagavad Gita's discourse on Field and Field-Knower in the Yoga of Discrimination, the Lord declares: I alone am the Field-Knower in all fields. To contemplate within this framework is to recognize that all such relationships exist equally in Purushottam, the Supreme Lord. Yet because I am finite and limited while He is infinite and boundless, there must necessarily be a crucial distinction between these relations—of parents, bed, seat, body, dwelling—as they exist in Him versus in me. What is this distinction? These objects of relation in my life, objects of use and experience—though I call them "mine, mine"—are not truly mine even as they belong to me. They are *anatman* for me, impersonal, stripped of genuine selfhood, for I myself cannot truly command even this claim to "I." I say "I, I," yet when asked whom I mean by "I," I find myself suspended in doubt.
Such defects and limitations do not touch the Purushottam, the Supreme Lord. Therefore His parents, His bed, His seat—these are all manifestations or transformations of His own consciousness-power, His svarupa-shakti. To perceive such in the Lord's eternal play and nature is no difficult thing; and reflection shows it to be entirely natural. Such contemplation arises spontaneously in the human mind when turned toward the Godhead. Those in whom it does not arise have departed from their natural inclination, grown accustomed to artificial and contrived thinking. When the manifestation of eternal play—the eternal Father, eternal Mother, eternal Son—descends into the cosmic order, understanding the manner of their descent and appearance requires a different mode of thought. One must accustom oneself to the deductive method, the descent of understanding from universal principle to particular expression. It should be noted that this deductive approach means proceeding from a statement toward its essential meaning. For such understanding, the Vedantic path proves particularly advantageous, rather than the path of devotion alone.
The knowledge of Krishna's Godhood—the essence of consciousness. All brahma-knowledge and beyond belong to its household. (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi-lila, 4/67)
Knowledge may be divided into two kinds: generic and specific. Generic knowledge is contained within specific knowledge; thus generic knowledge may be considered part of the family of specific knowledge. The knowledge that Krishna alone is God—this is ultimate and supreme knowledge. Knowledge of Brahman and knowledge of the Paramatman are but different levels of this supreme knowledge.
But this knowledge of Krishna's Godhood—whose knowledge is it? Who is the knower of this knowledge? Should one answer that it belongs to someone other than Krishna or God, one would err, for then Krishna would be made finite and limited. Who knows Krishna? The answer is: Krishna alone knows Krishna. Who knows the Divine? It is the Divine who knows the Divine. If you know Krishna, understand this: Krishna's own svarupa-shakti, His inherent power, takes refuge through you or knows Krishna by means of you. Thus speaks the Bhagavad Gita:
You alone know yourself by yourself, O Supreme Person. Creator of beings, Lord of beings, God of gods, Master of the universe. (10/15)
Meaning: By will alone you are the lord of all creatures and gods, and thus you are 'Bhutesh' and 'Devdev'; as the sustainer and nurturer of the entire world—insentient and sentient, immobile and mobile—you are 'Jagatpati'; and as the supreme among all beings, you are called 'Purushottam' in all three worlds and in the Vedas (Bhagavad Gita, 15/18). In poetry too, the Lord is called 'Purushottam'—'Only Hari is remembered as Purushottam' (Raghuvansha, 3/49)—the Lord Hari alone is called 'Purushottam'.
This verse contains five forms of address. Nowhere else in the entire Bhagavad Gita is there such abundance of address in a single verse. The reason is this: upon hearing of the Lord's manifold glories and his grace toward the devotees, Arjuna's heart becomes filled with a particular yearning toward the Lord. Absorbed in that devotional mood, he employs five forms of address simultaneously. Here Bhutabhavana, Bhutesh, Devdev, Jagatpati, and Purushottam—these five appellations may be understood as referring respectively to Surya, Shiva, Ganesha, Shakti, and Vishnu—the five deities among the order of Ishvara. By employing these forms of address, Arjuna speaks to the Lord as if to say: these five deities are in truth yourself alone.
The Lord knows himself by himself. To know himself, he requires no natural practice, no mental faculty, no doubt, no instrument—whether inner or outer. He has neither body nor bodily nature. By his own innate nature, he knows himself from within himself. This knowledge of his is independent of all instruments; it is not dependent upon them.
The import of this verse is that just as the Lord knows himself by himself, so too the living being—being a part of the Lord—should know its own nature by itself; that is to say, should realize its true form through itself. The knowledge of one's true nature that arises through oneself is entirely independent of instruments. Therefore, one's true nature cannot be known through the senses, the mind, or the intellect. Since the living being is born of the Lord's own essence, the self-knowledge of the living being, like that of the Lord, must also be independent of instruments.
You know yourself by yourself—this means: you are the knower, you are knowledge itself, and you are the known. In other words, you are all things. When nothing exists apart from you, who then can know whom?
To seek to know the Truth is to move away from the Truth itself; for in making the Truth an object of knowledge, one treats it as something to be known. The Truth is the knower of all; it is not the known. No one can be the knower of the knower of all. It is by taking refuge in the Truth that we know ourselves; therefore, here the Truth itself is the knower of the living being.
"Nanyohasto hai drashta" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 3/7/13)—that is, "There is no seer but He." "Vijanataaram are kena vijaniyat" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 2/4/14)—that is, "How can the Knower of all be known?" Just as the eye sees all things, yet cannot see itself by itself, because the power to see the eye is not a matter of the senses—the senses themselves are beyond the sensory. The senses do not see the senses; the mind sees them. The one who sees the mind is intellect, not the mind itself. Intellect cannot be seen by intellect; the one who sees it is the ego. The ego too is not seen by the ego; it is seen by that Self alone, the Self as it truly is. And the Self knows itself by itself. Therefore this Supreme Truth is the knower of itself. Here the doer, the deed, the instrument, and the action are all one—the Supreme Lord.
Who loves Krishna? Who brings satisfaction and joy to Krishna? It is the Divine that loves the Divine. She in whom the fullness of this love and the conferring of bliss finds its consummation—she is Sri Radha.
The essence of the power of bliss is love; the essence of love is emotion. The highest perfection of emotion is called the Great Emotion. Sri Radha, the Queen, is the embodiment of this Great Emotion— The mine of all virtues, the foremost among Krishna's beloveds. She whose heart, senses, and body are suffused with Krishna's love— Radha is Krishna's own eternal power, the aid to His divine play. (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi Lila, 4/68-69, 71)
Sri Radhika is the essence of the power of bliss of Sri Krishna. All of Krishna's beloveds emanate from Sri Radhika, she who is His beloved. The goddesses Lakshmi are partial manifestations of Sri Radhika; the queen-consorts are her reflections and counter-reflections. The Lakshmis are called the manifestation of opulent splendor and enjoyment; the queens are said to be the manifestation of majestic power. The gopis of Vraja are the array-forms of Sri Radha's own body.
I see Krishna's beloveds are of three kinds— Lakshmi in the celestial realm, and queen-consorts in the royal cities. The gopis of Vraja are the supreme embodiment of beloveds. All of Krishna's beloveds extend from Sri Radhika. Just as Krishna, the supreme manifestation, manifests Himself in many forms, From Radha, the eternal power, these three classes of beloveds emanate. The celestial goddesses are like the limbs and opulence of her being, While the queen-consorts are reflections and counter-reflections. The Lakshmis are manifestations of her opulent splendor, The queens the manifestation of majestic power. In their forms and natures distinct, the maidens of Vraja are arrayed— The configuration of her body, the source of all relish and joy. Without many beloveds there can be no fullness of divine play, The divine sport requires many manifestations. Among them, in Vraja the gopis, in their diverse emotional rasas, Bring Krishna to taste the sweetness of the rasa dance and all his pastimes. (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi Lila, 4/74-81)
"Amsha-vibhuti" means a portion of opulence or splendor. "Bimba-pratibimba-rupa"—"bimba" means the body; "pratibimba" means the image or likeness, a reflection. "Lakshmigana"—just as Sri Krishna's opulent manifestation is the Lord of Vaikuntha, Narayana, so too the consort of the Lord of Vaikuntha, Sri Lakshmi, is also an opulent emanation of Sri Radhika, and the Lakshmis in other realms are emanations of Sri Radhika. The Lakshmi who is the consort of the Lord of Vaikuntha is a portion of Sri Radhika—thus it is said: the Lakshmis are manifestations of her opulent splendor.
"Kaya-vyuha"—the manifesting of many bodies from one body is called "kaya-vyuha." The maidens of Vraja are the kaya-vyuha forms of Sri Radha—that is, they resemble a kaya-vyuha. The one Sri Radha has become many in the form of the blessed maidens of Vraja, in order to give Sri Krishna the experience of diverse emotional flavors. "In their midst"—among the many beloveds—with their varied emotions and rasas.
Radha, the joy of Govinda, the enchantress of Govinda, The all-in-all of Govinda, the crown jewel of all beloveds. (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi Lila, 4/82)
All the pastimes of Sri Krishna and Sri Radhrani are suffused with love, not desire. Desire and love are not the same—
The wish for one's own senses to find pleasure—we call this "desire." The wish for Krishna's senses to find pleasure—this bears the name "love." (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi Lila, 4/165)
It is written in the 'Brihat-Gautamiya-Tantra'— The Goddess is spoken of as Krishna-filled, Radhika the supreme deity. She in whom all wealth dwells, all radiance; the supreme enchantress.
That is to say, Sri Radhika the Goddess is spoken of as Krishna-filled, supreme deity, in whom all wealth dwells, all radiance, the enchantress, and supreme (Brahman-like).
A hymn to Radha's Lord, O eloquent and valiant one, by whose hymn we speak. May your majestic splendor become our sustenance. (Sama Veda Samhita, Uttararchika—Sixteenth Chapter, 3/15/2)
Supreme among the worshipped, subduer of wayward inclinations, recipient of hymnal mantras, O Lord! Our hymn, infused with Radha or with the quality of pure being, reaches you. May your divine splendor and majesty be imperishable for us. (The meaning is that my hymn should be imbued with pure being; through it comes my elevation.) [The word 'yasya' in this mantra declares or announces the connection established in the preceding mantra. In this passage we hear an echo of the inseparable relation between the Lord and pure sattva that the mantra proclaims.]
In the fourth section of the Chaitanya Charitamrita (in the Adi-lila), this verse is elaborated and savored at length—
The Goddess, radiant and supremely beautiful, is spoken of. Or the city where Krishna's play and worship dwell. Krishna-filled—Krishna within her and without, Wherever the eye falls, there Krishna shines forth. Or the form of Krishna suffused with the rasa of love, Her power is one with Him in every way. In fulfilling Krishna's desire lies her worship, Thus Radha's name is explained in the Puranas.
Commentary: The word 'Devi' means 'radiant'—thus Sri Radha is supremely beautiful; or from the root 'div' meaning worship, play, motion and such, Sri Radha is the substratum of Sri Krishna's worship and play. The word 'Krishna-filled' means that wherever the eye falls within or beyond Sri Radha, in that very place Krishna's manifestation shines forth in relation to her; or, as Sri Krishna is suffused with the rasa of love, Sri Radha too is His very form, for the power of Sri Krishna, being identical with Sri Krishna, manifests as one with Him. The word 'Radha' means: she who practices worship in the fulfillment of Sri Krishna's desire—thus her name is Radha—so the Puranas have explained it.
Therefore she is most worthy of worship, supreme deity. She who nurtures all, the mother of all worlds. The word 'all wealth' I have explained before; In her dwells the seat of all the wealths. Or all wealth is Krishna's six-fold glory; Her power, as the sustaining force of all powers supreme. All beauty, all radiance abide within her, From her comes the splendor of all the wealths.
Commentary: Therefore, Sri Radha is most worthy of worship, supreme deity, nurturer of all, and mother of the entire world. Sri Radha is the seat of all the wealths. Or, the word 'all wealth' refers to Sri Krishna's six kinds of glory (beauty, wealth, power, fame, knowledge, and renunciation)—Sri Radha is the presiding power of these six kinds of glory, and therefore she is supreme among all powers. The word 'radiance' means beauty; that beauty dwells in Radha. Therefore, from Sri Radha emanates the splendor of all the wealths.
Or the word "kānti" expresses all of Krishna's desire. All of Krishna's longings dwell in Radhika alone. Radhika fulfills what Krishna longs for— This is the meaning laid bare of the word "all-beauty." Krishna, who enchants the world, and she his enchantress— Thus Radhika is the supreme mistress of all. Radhika is fullness of power; Krishna is fullness incarnate— These two are not different; the scriptures affirm their non-duality..
Commentary: The word "kānti" means all of Sri Krishna's desires; therefore all of Sri Krishna's longings abide in Sri Radhika. Or, Sri Radhika fulfills what Sri Krishna desires—thus I have explained the meaning of "all-beauty." She who is the enchantress of Sri Krishna, who enchants the world, is therefore the most worshipful of all. Sri Radhika is the fullness of power, and Krishna is the fullness of one who possesses power—these two are one being; according to the testimony of scripture, there is no difference between them.
One thing must be remembered in any discussion of power-principle. All power is formless; power manifests its splendor only by taking refuge in the possessor of power. Sri Jiva Goswami has said in the Bhagavat-sandarbha: "When power remains as mere power alone, it exists in unity with the Lord's form." In divine sport and display, power, though appearing distinct, remains essentially non-distinct. Thus its dual nature is realized.
The essence-principal of the bliss-power is called the hidden knowledge; the essence-principal of the consciousness-power is called the knowledge of self; and the essence-principal of the sustaining-power is called the unchanging power. The Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita speaks thus—
Krishna, son of Vraja's king, is the supreme hero of all heroes. Radhika, the divine mistress, is supreme among all heroines..
In the dialogue between Sri Ramananda Ray and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as described in the eighth chapter of the middle pastimes in the Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, there is an exposition of the principle of Sri Radhika—
Krishna's power is infinite, yet three are supreme within— Consciousness-power, illusory-power, and living-power they are named. The inner, outer, and marginal—these three powers are known, The inner power, the essential nature-power, stands supreme above all..
Commentary: Sri Krishna's infinite power contains three that are supreme: consciousness-power, illusory-power, and living-power. These three are called the inner power, the outer power, and the marginal power respectively. The inner power is called the essential nature-power, and this power stands foremost among all powers.
Being, consciousness, and bliss are Krishna's very nature— Thus the essential nature-power takes three forms. In the aspect of bliss dwells the bliss-power; in being dwells the sustaining-power, And in consciousness dwells the consciousness-power, which we know as knowledge itself..
Commentary: Sri Krishna is existence, consciousness, and bliss itself—therefore the essential nature-power manifests in three forms: in the aspect of bliss, the bliss-power; in the aspect of being (eternity), the sustaining-power; and in the aspect of consciousness (knowledge), the consciousness-power, which we acknowledge as knowledge-power. The authority for this matter is found in the first part of the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, in the commentary on the verse from the Ratilahari in the twelfth chapter, sixty-ninth verse of the first part of the Vishnu Purana, wherein Dhruva speaks: "O Lord! You are the foundation of all; in You dwell the bliss-power, the sustaining-power, and the consciousness-power—all three together in equilibrium. The bliss-power brings delight (it is the mode of goodness that brings contentment to the heart); the sustaining-power causes pain (it is the mode of darkness that brings suffering through separation from objects of desire); and the consciousness-power is the mingling of both (it is the mode of passion, containing the nature of both)."
Krishna is gladdened by her; thus her name is Hladini, the power of bliss. Through this power she herself tastes joy. Joy-embodied Krishna tastes joy as well, So that Hladini becomes the very means to grant bliss to the devotees. The essence of Hladini is called love; This love is the nectar of consciousness itself, the supreme distillation of affection. The very heart of love is Mahabhava— And Radha, our divine beloved, embodies this Mahabhava itself.
Commentary: The Hladini power gladdens Sri Krishna, and thus bears his name. Through this power, Krishna himself experiences joy. Though Krishna is bliss incarnate, he too tastes joy—so that through the Hladini power he may bestow bliss upon his devotees. The essence of Hladini is called love; this love-joy is consciousness itself. The supreme distillation of love is known as Mahabhava, embodied in Sri Radha, our divine beloved. This is confirmed in the Ujjvala Nīlamani, in the section on Radha, where Sri Rupa Gosvami declares in verse 2 on the pre-eminence of Radha over Chandravali: Between Radha and Chandravali, in every way Radhika is supreme, she is the very embodiment of Mahabhava, and in her qualities incomparably resplendent.
Love takes form in her body, manifested through love itself. The supreme beloved of Krishna, known throughout the world. This Mahabhava becomes the cintamani, the wish-fulfilling gem itself— Her work is to fulfill Krishna's every desire. Mahabhava, the cintamani, is Radha's very nature; The sakhis, beginning with Lalita, are her bodily manifestations.
Commentary: Sri Radha's body is the very form of love, suffused and manifested through love itself. This is confirmed in the Brahma Samhita, verse 37: He who eternally dwells in Gokula with the gopis, whose powers are of the nature of blissful consciousness—that primordial Govinda, the very self of all beings, do I worship. This Mahabhava, this cintamani gem, is the essence of all essences. To fulfill Krishna's every wish is its function; this Mahabhava-cintamani is Sri Radha's very essence. The sakhis beginning with Lalita are the expansions of her being—the particular manifestations of her divine form.
Krishna's affection for Radha is a fragrant unguent, With which her body glows, luminous and sweet. First, bathed in the nectar of compassion— Then in the nectar of youthful bloom. Again, bathed in the nectar of beauty— Her modesty becomes a dark silk garment. Her longing for Krishna is a crimson cloth, Her passion adorns her breast as armor. Her own beauty is the sacred kumkum— The friends' love becomes sandalwood paste, Her gentle smile is camphor; These three anoint her form.
Commentary: Sri Krishna's affection for Sri Radha is a fragrant unguent that anoints her body, making it fragrant and luminous. First, Sri Radha is immersed in the nectar of compassion; second, in the nectar of youthful flowering; third, in the nectar of grace and beauty—that is, her body is first filled with compassion, second resplendent with youthful bloom, and third adorned with beauty. On the other hand, Radha's own modesty, dark as twilight, becomes her garment—all her limbs are veiled in modesty. Yet Krishna's passion for her becomes the scarlet outer cloth, a second covering. His fervent love adorns her chest as an embrace. Her own beauty is the kumkum, the sacred red powder; her friends' love becomes sandalwood; her own gentle smile becomes camphor—these three anoint her form. Thus Sri Radha's figure is anointed by three things: her own beauty, the love of her companions, and her own gentle radiance.
On the meaning of "affection": In the western section of the Bhakti Rasa Amrita Sindhu, in the Second Wave on the rasa of devotion, at verse 33, a remarkable teaching is given: When love condenses the very substance of the heart, It becomes affection—sneha—known by this name. Not even a moment's separation can it bear; Such is the tolerance of love when bound to another.
Meaning: When love deepens and melts the heart, it is called affection. In this affection, not even a moment's separation can be endured.
'Pranayaman' meaning: From the Ujjvala Nilamani, in the section on separation, verses 40-41: The appearance of cause, though cause is absent— Thus does love arise for the maiden of Braj without reason. The learned have called the transformation of love the first pride— That which is caused—and the second its splendor born of dalliance. The wise proclaim this very state as pranayaman.
Meaning: The love that arises from the mere semblance of cause—the absence of reason, or the appearance of reason in hero and heroine alike—becomes causeless. The learned speak of love's transformation as the first pride, which is reasoned; and the second, the splendor born of love's play, as reasonless. The wise have proclaimed this very state as pranayaman.
Krishna's lustrous amorous mood is musk itself, And in that musk Radha's limbs are beautifully adorned. Concealed pride and leftward glance arrange In restrained tresses; gravity as fragrant powder graces each limb. Her lips gleam in passion's betel-reddened hue, And love's crookedness serves as collyrium to her eyes. Radiant sattvic feelings and joy's movements pervade— With these ornaments of mood, each limb is filled.
Explanation: Sri Krishna's lustrous erotic mood is itself the musk, and in that fragrance Radha's form becomes resplendent and varied. The concealed pride and the leftward grace—these two are the restrained arrangement of her locks. The quality of steadiness mixed with tenderness is like fragrant powder adorning each limb. Her lips shine with the redness of betel-tinged passion, and the crookedness of love becomes the collyrium upon her eyes. There, radiant sattvic feelings—joy and such transient emotions—and all these adornments in the form of mood fill every part of Sri Radha's being.
'Pride' meaning: From the Ujjvala Nilamani, in the section on separation, verse 31:
When lovers devoted to each other, dwelling together still, Obstruct their desired embrace and glance—this is called pride. The transient emotions here are discontent, fear, and resentment, Restlessness, arrogance, envy, concealment of feeling, dejection, and worry too.
Meaning: When lovers—hero and heroine—though devoted to each other and dwelling together, obstruct their desired embrace and glances, this is called pride. Through the use of "and so forth" in the verse, pride is also possible when they are separated. In this pride, discontent, fear, resentment, restlessness, arrogance, envy, concealment of feeling, dejection, and worry become transient emotions.
'Dhiradhira' meaning: From the Ujjvala Nilamani, in the section on heroine types, verse 22, we find: "The dhiradhira maiden speaks crooked words to her beloved while her eyes overflow with tears"—that is, the heroine who employs crooked speech toward her beloved whilst shedding tears is called dhiradhira.
'Raga' meaning: From the Ujjvala Nilamani, in the section on stable emotions, verse 84: Even pain in the heart becomes pleasure itself, From the excellence of love—this is called raga.
Meaning: When, through the excellence of love, even intense suffering is felt as bliss within the heart, this is called raga.
'Love' meaning: From the Ujjvala Nilamani, in the section on stable emotions, verse 46: That bond of feeling in the beloved youth which remains unbroken, Though all causes of destruction exist—this is proclaimed as love.
Meaning: The mutual bond of affection between young man and woman that persists despite all causes of its destruction—this is called love.
'Uddīpta' and 'Suddīpta Sāttvik Bhāva' — Meaning: From the third Sāttvik Current (Lahri) in the southern section of the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu, verses 46/47, as follows—
Ekadā vyaktimāpannāḥ pañcaṣāḥ sarvva eva vā | Āruḍhāḥ paramotkarsāḥ suddīptā iti kīrtitāḥ ||
Meaning: When five, six, or indeed all emotions arise together and attain the highest excellence, then they are called Suddīpta Bhāva.
The Sāttvik Bhāva holds supreme perfection in all great emotions; therefore all Uddīpta emotions become Suddīpta (su + uddīpta) in the great emotions.
'Sāttvik' — Meaning: From verses 1/2 of the third Sāttvik Current in the southern section of the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu, as follows—
Kṛṣṇa sambandhinī sākṣāt kiñcidvā vyavdhānatah | Bhāvaiśchittamihākrāntaṁ sattvamityuchyate budhaiḥ || Sattvādasmāt samutpannā ye-bhāvā stetu sāttivkāḥ | Snigdhā digdhā stathā rukṣā ittyamī trividhā matāḥ ||
Meaning: When the mind is overwhelmed by emotions directly related to Kṛṣṇa or by some slight separation from him, the learned call this condition Sattva. Those emotions that arise from this Sattva are called Sāttvik. These Sāttvik emotions are of three kinds: smooth (snigdha), luminous (digdha), and rough (rukṣa).
The rough Sāttvik emotions are eight in number, as stated in verse 7 of that chapter— Te stambha sveda romāñchāḥ svarabhedo'atha vepathuh | Vaivarṇya mashru pralaya ityaṣṭau sāttivkāḥ smṛtāḥ ||
Stambha (paralysis), sveda (perspiration), romāñcha (horripilation), svarabheda (choking of voice), vepathu (trembling), vaivarṇya (pallor), ashru (tears), and pralaya (dissolution of consciousness)—these eight are called Sāttvik emotions.
What is Harsha? From verse 78 of the fourth Vyabhichāri Current in the southern section of the Bhaktirasāmṛtasindhu—
Abhīṣṭeksanalabhādi jātā cheta-prasannatā | Harsah syādiha romānchah svedo'shru mukhaphullatā | Āvegomnāda jadratā stathā mohādayo'pichā ||
Meaning: The gladness of heart arising from the sight and attainment of the beloved object is called Harsha. It is accompanied by horripilation, perspiration, tears, a smiling face, haste, frenzy, torpor, and delusion.
'Sañchāri' — Meaning: From verse 2 of the aforementioned chapter, as follows— Vāgamgasattvasūchyā ye jñeyās te vyabhichārinah | Sañchārayanti bhāvasya gatim sañchāriṇo'pi te ||
Meaning: Those emotions that are expressed through speech, eyebrows, eyes, and other bodily parts, and through emotions arising from the Sattva—these are called Vyabhichāri. Since all these Vyabhichāri emotions pervade and animate the movement of emotions, they are also called Sañchāri emotions.
Adorned with twenty sentiments such as kilakiñcita, Her every limb perfected by a garland of virtues.
Commentary: Sri Radha is bedecked with ornaments in the form of twenty sentiments beginning with kilakiñcita, and her entire being is suffused with a garland of virtues arranged in ascending order.
Meaning of 'the twenty ornaments beginning with kilakiñcita': From verses 58 to 71 in the Anubhava-prakrana of Ujjvala-nilamani— Bhavo havas-cha helachcha proktastatra trayoñgajah. Shobha kantis-cha diptis-cha madhuryas-cha pragalbhata. Audarya dhairyam ity-ete saptaiva syur-ayatnjah. Lila-vilazo vichitti virbhramah kilakiñcitam. Motayitam kuttamitam vibvoko lalitam tatha. Vikritam cheti vijneyá dasha tasam svabhavajah.
Meaning: When the beloved's youthful season brings forth an entire devotion toward the lover, there arise from the sattvic qualities twenty ornaments in all. Among these, bhava, hava, and hela are three bodily expressions. Shobha, kanti, diptí, madhurya, pragalbhata, audarya, and dhairya—these seven are naturally manifest, spontaneously revealing themselves without artifice or effort. And lila, vilasa, vichitti, virblrama, kilakiñcita, motayita, kuttamita, vivvoka, lalita, and vikrita—these ten are innate, arising naturally from the beloved's own nature.
Meaning of 'bhava': When ratithe permanent emotion in erotic rasearises in the unsullied heart, The first stirring of consciousness that appears is bhava.
On this matter, the ancients have said— The unchanging nature of consciousness is called sattvam; When the cause of transformation exists, the first transformation is bhava, Like the initial sprouting of a seed.
Meaning: That which remains unmodified even when the cause of transformation is present—this is called sattvam; and the first transformation arising in that sattvam is bhava, just as the first transformation of a seed is the sprout.
Meaning of 'hava': That which curves the neck and opens the brows and eyes, A manifestation beyond bhava, subtle and manifest—this is hava.
Meaning: That which brings forth the curve of the neck and the unfolding of the brows and eyes, and which manifests more clearly than bhava itself—this is called hava.
Meaning of 'hela': When hava becomes distinctly expressive of erotic mood, it is called hela.
Meaning: When that hava becomes clearly indicative of erotic sentiment, it is called hela.
Meaning of 'shobha': That adornment of the limbs which comes from beauty and its enjoyments—this is shobha.
Meaning: The beauty and radiance that adorns the limbs through natural loveliness and its expression—this is called shobha.
Meaning of 'kanti': Shobha itself is declared to be kanti, radiant with Cupid's delight.
Meaning of Kanti: The lustrous beauty that gratifies Kandarpa, the god of desire, is called kanti.
Meaning of 'Dipti': When kanti, enhanced by age, enjoyment, place, time, and qualities, Spreads forth in magnificent fullness, it is called dipti, radiance.
Meaning: When beauty, amplified by age, experience, place, time, and such qualities, expands in all its glory, the wise call it dipti—radiance.
Meaning of 'Madhurya': Madhurya is the grace that attends all movements and gestures in every state.
Meaning: The enchanting quality that accompanies all actions and efforts in all circumstances—this is called madhurya, sweetness.
Meaning of 'Pragalbhata': The wise declare pragalbhata to be fearlessness in the act of union.
Meaning: That freedom from hesitation in matters of intimate enjoyment—the learned call this pragalbhata, or boldness.
Meaning of 'Audarya': The wise call audarya the modesty that persists through all circumstances.
Meaning: That courtesy and grace displayed in all states and situations—the learned term this audarya, or magnanimity.
Meaning of 'Dhairya': The steadiness of mind in moments of exaltation is called dhairya.
Meaning: That firmness of heart which remains unmoved even in states of elevation—this is called dhairya, fortitude.
Meaning of 'Lila': Lila is the delightful imitation of the beloved through charming dress and gestures.
Meaning: The playful mimicry of the beloved one through graceful attire and movements—this is lila, or sportive play.
Meaning of 'Vilas': In the movements of the body, the postures and positions, the expressions of face and eye, The momentary distinction born of the beloved's presence—this is vilas.
Meaning: The particular charm that arises in an instant from the proximity of the beloved—evident in gait, posture, countenance, and the movements of eyes and features—is called vilas, or languorous grace.
Meaning of 'Vichitti': Even with sparse adornment, that which nourishes beauty through its presence is vichitti.
Meaning: Though the ornamentation be minimal, when what is applied enhances the body's lustre—such marks as tilaka and the like—this is vichitti, or embellishment.
Meaning of 'Vibhrama': In the moment of meeting with the beloved, through the intoxication and confusion of desire, The displacing of garlands, ornaments, and such from their proper places—this is vibhrama.
Meaning: When, in the throes of amorous fervor upon approaching the beloved, garlands and ornaments become displaced from their rightful positions—this disarray is called vibhrama, or confusion.
Meaning of 'Kilkinjita': The mingling of pride, longing, tears, smiles, and jealousy— Together with fear and anger—born of joy, this is called kilkinjita.
Meaning: Pride, longing, weeping, envy, fear, anger, and joy—the simultaneous manifestation of these seven sentiments, that is, the arising of all seven at once, is called Kilkinchita.
Meaning of 'Mottayita': When the beloved is remembered and tales of him are heard, The heart stirs with longing for his presence— This emergence of desire is called Mottayita.
Meaning: When the beloved is remembered and various tales concerning him are heard, the manifestation in the heart of longing—born of meditation upon the permanent sentiment regarding the beloved—is termed Mottayita.
Meaning of 'Kuttamita': Though the heart delights at the touch of breast and lip, Confusion stirs the wounded soul to show anger outward— The learned call this Kuttamita.
Meaning: Though the heart rejoices at the grasping of breast and lip, through the confusion of the moment, anger is shown outwardly as if in hurt—this the wise call Kuttamita.
Meaning of 'Vibboka': Even for the beloved, through pride and vanity, There arises indifference—this is Vibboka.
Meaning: The disregard shown toward what the beloved has given—arising from pride and self-regard—is named Vibboka.
Meaning of 'Lalit': Where the limbs are arranged in graceful posture, Where delicate beauty and the play of brows enchant— There Lalit finds its dwelling.
Meaning: Where the arrangement and flow of the limbs, their tender delicacy, and the captivating movement of the brows are all made manifest, that is called Lalit.
Meaning of 'Vikrita': Where modesty, pride, and jealousy conceal What the heart wished to speak— Yet the very gesture betrays it— The wise call this Vikrita.
Meaning: Where shame, pride, and jealousy prevent what one wishes to express from being uttered, yet the very movements of the body betray it—the learned designate this as Vikrita.
Fortune's mark shines luminous upon her fair brow, The jewel of love's varied moods flows liquid in her breast. In her middle years, she rests her hand upon his shoulder, Her mind ever dwells in Krishna's play, dancing in his bonds. In the fragrant garden of her own body, pride is her throne, Upon it she sits, forever lost in Krishna's company. Krishna's name, his virtues, his glory pour into her ears, Krishna's name, his virtues, his glory flow endless from her lips. In Krishna's hands she tastes the dark nectar of divine play, Ceaselessly she fulfills all his desire. The pure love of Krishna is a treasury of gems, Her whole form is filled with incomparable virtues.
Commentary: Fortune itself adorns Sri Radha's brow with brilliance, and the jewel named Variety of Love rests as liquid treasure within her heart—a precious gem set in the palace of emotion. Sri Radha, in the fullness of her youth, has placed her hand upon her companion's shoulder, and that very mental faculty which constitutes Krishna's play exists as the companion herself, present on all sides. The fragrance of her own limbs—which is to say, her glory—sits enthroned upon the couch of pride within her inner chambers, and there she eternally contemplates union with Krishna. To hear the name, virtue, and fame of Sri Krishna is itself an ornament for the ear, a jewel of renown; and this name of Krishna, these virtues of Krishna, this glory of Krishna—all flow continuously from her lips, for Sri Radha speaks of nothing else. There she imbibes the honeyed intoxication of the dark rasa—that eroticism which is the passion of the god of love—and thereby perpetually fulfills all her desires. Sri Radha is herself the very mine of pure love's jewel, and every limb of hers overflows with virtues incomparable.
On 'Variety of Love': In the Ujjvala-Nilamani, in the section on separation, at verse 57, it is written: Even in the nearness of the beloved, love's excellence by its nature Creates a pain in the heart that fears separation—this is called Variety of Love.
Meaning: That anguish which arises from the fear of parting, even while the beloved stands near—caused by love's own intensity—is what is termed Variety of Love.
On 'Full Bloom of Youth': In the Ujjvala-Nilamani, in the section on stimulation, at verse 14, we find: Full, rounded hips, a slender waist, luminous limbs of graceful beauty, Swelling breasts and thighs like the plantain tree—such is Full Bloom of Youth.
Meaning: That stage of a woman's life in which her hips grow ample, her waist grows thin, her limbs shine with radiance, her breasts swell and firm, and her thighs resemble the plantain tree in their graceful form—this is what is called Full Bloom of Youth.
On 'Pride': In the Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu, in the southern region, in the fourth wave of transient emotions, at verse 20, it is stated: When fortune, beauty, youth, virtue, the supreme refuge, And the attainment of the beloved cause one to slight others—this is called Pride.
Meaning: To disdain others through one's own good fortune, beauty, youth, virtue, nearness to the supreme, and the possession of the beloved—this is what constitutes Pride.
On 'Virtue': In the Ujjvala-Nilamani, in the section on stimulation, verses 2, 3, and 4: Virtues are of three kinds: mental, verbal, and physical. Gratitude, forbearance, compassion and the like are mental virtues. Verbal virtues are those words which delight the ear. Age, beauty, grace, radiance, and such are physical virtues.
Meaning: Virtues are threefold: mental, verbal, and physical. The desire to repay kindness, forbearance, compassion and such qualities are called mental virtues. The ability to speak words that bring joy to the ear constitutes verbal virtue. Age, beauty, grace, radiance, elegance, sweetness, and gentleness are called physical virtues.