Jagat

While on the subject of Chandidas... The Chandidas mystery has troubled writers on Bengali literary history for over a century. It is pretty clear that Boru Chandidas, the writer of Sri Krishna Kirtan, was known to Mahaprabhu and the Goswamis, and that his stories of Radha and Krishna, were greatly influential, at least where certain pastimes and probably certain themes within those pastimes are concerned. But most of the scholars in Bengal were a little disturbed by the thought that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with his elevated sentiments and pure devotional mood, could ever have spent much time listening to Sri Krishna Kirtan with Raya Ramananda and Svarupa Damodar. One thing is certainly true is that other than the one MS of SKK, very little of Boru Chandidas, at least what is recognizably this Boru Chandidas' work, was picked up and used by Lila-kirtan singers in the post-Chaitanya period. To the point that for all intents and purposes, his work was completely lost. It was surel...

Andrew Brown's blog on the Guardian is about the difference in the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church. He makes interesting points about the vision of women in the two Christian denominations. After discussing Henry VIII, who had several of his wives beheaded (since divorce was not allowed) for not bearing him a son. The following paragraph puts the matter succinctly: The point, for the heads of global religions, is that you cannot have a sexual morality which fits both sides of the demographic divide. Either sex is primarily about children or it is primarily about love. The Anglican communion has ripped itself to bits about this; although it accepted contraception early and without much fuss, and came to terms with divorce when it became obvious that this was the only way to keep women members, the implication of sex being primarily an expression of love ends up with gay people being able to love each other sexually, and the traditionalists won't stand for that while the chu...

So my plane ticket came yesterday. I will be arriving in Montreal on May 24. In the meantime, I have cut back on almost all sadhana activities in order to finish as much of Bhagavat-sandarbha as I can before leaving--and believe me, it is painstaking work, looking at every word, at every translation available to me, scrutinizing to see whether what will be published is correct or expressed in the best and most accurate way possible. And it is dreadfully slow. [Though I should say that after RRSN reading today,I did nagar sankirtan! Chanting Radhe Radhe Govinda, Govinda Radhe/ Radhe Radhe Govinda, Govinda Radhe// all the way from Bairaj to SRSG with Ananda Kumarji and his wife.] And at the same time, I started going through this blog, trying to reorganize it, put labels on all the posts, not just for the benefit of the readers, but for my sake also. More than 400 articles over the past 2 1/2 years, many of them quite significant, in my opinion. It has been a very interesting business ...

When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Lord entered the nostrils of those sages, their bodies and minds were disturbed, even though they were fixed in the imperishable Brahman. tasyāravinda nayanasya padāravinda kiñjalka miśra tulasī makaranda vāyuḥ antar gataḥ sva vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ saṅkṣobham akṣara juṣām api citta tanvoḥ When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Lord entered the nostrils of those sages, their bodies and minds were disturbed, even though they were fixed in the imperishable Brahman. (SB 3.15.43). About the phrase antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa . Translated literally and without any decoration, it means "went inside by own holes." The translation in the BBT edition reads: When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Lord entered the nostrils of those sages, their bodies and minds...

Going through the Bhagavat-sandarbha, some verses are rather difficult to deal with. The basic problem is this: Jiva Goswami is quoting the verse for a particular purpose. The immediate sense of the verse may not be obvious. Sridhar Swami's interpretation may not support Jiva's purpose. Now when presenting the verse in translation, we have to remember that Sri Jiva has no filters: i.e., as someone who is living and breathing Sanskrit, he is naturally imbibing the verse on numerous levels, probably seeing several meanings at once. Nevertheless, even when several meanings are present, one of those will be primary to him, as it is with anyone speaking his mother tongue or another well assimilated language. At the same time, Sri Jiva sometimes has to consult Sridhara or other previous commentaries in order to get through passages that might be difficult even to him. Sridhar Swami wrote a commentary primarily because the Bhagavatam is a difficult book and some words are obs...

I mentioned sādhāraṇī-karaṇa in my poem the other day, and though it might be worthwhile to revisit the subject not only in this context, but also in the context of the discussion about Chandi Das and another post that will be coming up soon, O Mind! Meditate on Radha's Breasts . Without understanding what Rupa Goswami intended by sādhāraṇī-karaṇa , we will be severely handicapped in understanding mañjarī-bhāva , what to speak of Gaudiya Vaishnava rāgānugā sādhanā . Furthermore, a proper understanding of sādhāraṇī-karaṇa will be helpful in transcending the minefield that is the kaniṣṭha adhikārī 's confusion about myth and rational understanding. I have tried to explain these things before, but it is time to revisit the subject; hopefully I will be able to make myself clear and I hope this helps to get an insight into Rupa Goswami's concept of sādhanā . The process of identification Any such discussion has to begin with the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu , so I will quot...

Flickr As I go through the dāna-līlā episode of Chandi Das's Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana , there are many songs in which Krishna describes Radha's beauty, and a regular feature of that includes descriptions of her breasts. In fact, breasts are a subject that is prominent in all Sanskrit poetry, and is even standard in prayers to goddesses. There does not seem to have been any inhibition in talking about breasts in the ancient Indian culture, even though I dare say, there is more of one in the modern society, in spite of Bollywood. There is, however, an apparent restriction in talking about genitals, male or female, in the so-called erotic poetry of India--Sanskrit or vernacular--even when lovemaking etc., is described. Such descriptions would automatically fall into some other genre. In Radha and Krishna descriptions, I cannot recall ever seeing or hearing a passage that mentioned genitals or overt sexual activity. It is nearly always spoken of somewhat euphemistically. I remember ...

There are a lot of Sanskrit verses in the SKK, but they are mostly just rather ordinary anushtup shlokas meant to bridge between songs and introduce the speaker and give a little narrative... very little to tell the truth. Since Chandi Das's language is so simple and unpretentious, it is rather easy to get fooled into thinking that he is just an ordinary country guy. But it seems to me that his knowledge of the puranas, though understated, is fairly extensive. And occasionally he comes up with a pretty good verse in Sanskrit, too. बिलेशयविषद्विषद्विषमरागरागावली- शिखिज्वलितमानसो निसरसो वशगोऽस्मि ते । ततो वितर राधिकेऽधरसुधां मयि द्रुतं भृत-सुखे सुखं मम सुखेतरवधैषिणि ॥ bileshaya-viSa-dviSad-viSama-rAga-rAgAvalI shikhi-jvalita-mAnaso nisaraso vashago’smi te tato vitara rAdhike’dhara-sudhAM mayi drutaM bhrita-sukhe sukhaM mama sukhetara-vadhaiSiNi The fire of love that is burning me up, Radhe, is more terrible that the most terrible hole-dwelling snake's poison. I am drying up and h...

After just a day of Rai’s silence Kanai began to lose control. This really is no way to be, he thought, I am the Supersoul. Scrambling up to the grizzled top of Govardhan, across the puzzled haze he could see the shimmering white washed walls of Nandishwar, and beyond he thought he saw Varshana float mirage-like into sight. And then, Javat beyond, and Radha there, silently sweeping floors and churning curds, her veiled head turned always downwards, inwards, where she watched, aware of Banamali waiting, watching back on Govardhan. Radha holed up in her home, no more promenades to Madhupuri market. Vigilant husband, nosy nanad, meretricious mother-in-law, all creating invisible wall circles mantra circles round and round the one of brick and govar, round and round the one of Vedic law that stands impregnable, even in this carefree gopa gopi world. They held her prisoner. I don’t need you, Krishna calls out, in a momentary fit of heroic, dramatic, childish pique. I know how to be alone! ...

This article is becoming rather long, so I shall divide it into three sections. This is the introductory portion containing general observations. The next two will cover specific themes. The dana-lila is the longest chapter in the SKK, even if we take into account the many missing pages. I previously calculated that the average chapter probably contained 25-30 songs, each of which would probably have made a single evening program of song, or pala . There were two (*) folios missing from the dana-lila part of the manuscript, but the total number of songs is still at least 109, the real total probably being three or four more than that. It is hard for me to believe that this same particular pala could have been run for four consecutive nights, especially since there is, on the whole, a great deal of repetition, which no matter how good the singing, etc., would have tested the patience of any audience. The overall narrative is not much more complex than Krishna going, “Yes, yes...

Today I saw Sri Radha. I watched her walking on the path between Javat and Nanda Gaon. Her head was uncovered and her braid dangled behind her like a python from the branches of a tree. Like all Vrajavasis, her easy gait was quick as she sped to Nandishwar. She was fast as Garuda, faster than the mind, followed by a flock of golden Garudas, surrounded by a sky of lightning strokes in the dry landscape. Too fast to talk they almost trot , their ghaghras behind them streak like starry, mirrored flags of passion. The jingling of anklebells, the tinkling of laughter, the risque barbs and teasing, the bits and bribes of songs trail them like a cloud. Radha is going to cook at Yasho Rani’s house and I struggle to keep up. Years of aching wishes caressed that sight. I felt you there in that smaran; we watched Rai Kishori's bobbing braids and the flowing, mocking rainbow of her friends. The morning sun has suddenly begun to pour its heat on Nandagaon. The dust powder is so fine you can al...