Jagat

adya śvo vā yāsyatīdaṁ kudehaṁ sarve bhogā yānti tatra sthite’pi | tasmād saukhyābhāsa uccair vibhāti nityānande nanda vṛndāvanāntaḥ || This material body will die, either today or tomorrow. All its pleasures will go with it, even if one is situated in the Dham. Happiness in this world is a mere reflection, so take pleasure in the eternal joys found in Vrindavan. (1.24) Commentary Once again, Prabodhananda is telling us to be careful of the difference between the Vrindavan that appears to our mundane vision and the transcendental Vrindavan of our spiritual vision. One who lives even in the Holy Dham but seeks material pleasures, as though this were just another place within the material world loses most of the benefits that come from being there. So he tells us to go beyond the mere reflections of happiness that are associated with everything other than pure prema and dive into that eternal happiness that comes from bhakti to Radha and Krishna, which is the real fruit o

soḍhvā pāda-prahārān api ca śata-śataṁ dhik-kṛtīnāṁ ca koṭīḥ kṣut-tṛṭ-śītādi-bādhā-śatam api satataṁ dhairyam ālāmbya soḍhvā muñcan śokāśru-dhārām atikaruṇa-girā rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-nāmāny udgāyan karhi vṛndāvanam ativikalo’kiñcanaḥ sañcarāmi || When will I roam through Vrindavan bereft of all possessions, taking shelter of the virtue of patience bearing hundreds and hundreds of kicks, millions of reproaches, and the countless obstacles that arise from hunger, thirst, heat and cold? When will I roam through Vrindavan, releasing torrents of tears of grief, as I loudly sing the names of Radha and Krishna in a voice that excites their compassion? (1.23) Commentary Perhaps more than any other image coming from those presented by Prabodhananda and his followers is this one, of near madness in absorption in the nitya Vrindavan while living in this world, in the bhauma Vrindavan. This verse illustrates the characteristics of the devotee resident of Vrindavan. There are so many q

Radha & Krishna dancing in the moonlight. (A painting on the wall in New Vraja Dhama ISKCON Hungary.) cirād upaniṣad-girām ativicārya tātparyakaṁ na labdhum iha śakyate yad anu mādhurīm apy aho | tam apy anubhaven mahā-rasa-nidhiṁ yad-āvāsatas tad eva paramaṁ mama sphuratu dhāma vṛndāvanam|| May this supreme abode of Vrindavan always manifest in my mind. Though its sweet perfection cannot be conceived even after studying the teachings of the Upanishads for a long, long time, one can intuit it as a great ocean of rasa just by living here. (1.22) Commentary The relation of madhura-rasa-bhakti to the Upanishadic and Vedantic tradition is one that is discussed often among the followers of the Bhāgavata. The Taittiriya Upanishad says raso vai saḥ, yaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati : “Rasa is verily That Supreme Truth. One who attains it becomes joyful.” Though there are many important philosophical statements in the Upanishads, some of which are taken to be mahā-vākyas ,

The forest of Vraja at Govardhana. (From http://www.travelingmonk.com/) gāḍhāsaktimatām apīha viṣayeṣv atyanta-nirvedato dṛk-pāte’py asahiṣṇutātiśayināṁ yoge samudyoginām| brahmānanda-rasaika-līna-manasāṁ govinda-pādāmbuja- dvandvāviṣṭa-dhiyāṁ ca mohanam idaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ svair guṇaiḥ || By its own virtues, this Vrindavan enchants the minds even of those who are deeply attached to sense objects, of those who valiantly practice yoga due to being completely disgusted with sense enjoyment and have become intolerant of even the briefest thought of such pleasures, of those whose minds have become totally absorbed in the one undifferentiated taste of Brahman ecstasy, and most of all -- of those whose intelligence is fixed on the lotus feet of Govinda Deva. (1.21/) Commentary When in Braj, you can lie around and do nothing, and bhakti emanates from the ground itself. You absorb bhakti in the air and water. If you are fortunate enough to be able to penetrate the

kasyāpi divya-rati-manmatha-koṭi-rūpa- dhāma-dvayasya kanakāsita-ratna-bhāsam| atyadbhutair madana-keli-vilāsa-vṛndair vṛndāvanaṁ madhurimāmbudhi-magnam īkṣe || I see Vrindavan, filled with the gold and black jewel light of some Divine Couple, a duo of effulgent entities that is more beautiful than ten million RatiKama pairs. This Vrindavan has been immersed in the ocean of sweetness that is their most amazing loving dalliances. (1.20) Commentary We have been exploring the theme of the bhauma and nitya Vrindavan Dhams, which is really the underlying problem that the Vrindavan Today website seeks to address. Just as there are prakaṭa and aprakaṭa līlās of Radha and Krishna, the Dham also has its prakaṭa and aprakaṭa līlā . Prabodhanada Saraswati here is saying that he sees the nitya Vrindavan, and indeed, there is no point in looking at the Dham as merely another material place in the world. All religions have their sacred places, which are characterized b

Natural vegetation in Vrindavan area. From near Akrura Ghat. (Photo by Jai Poddar.  śrī-rādhikā-madana-mohana-keli-kuñja- puñjair vṛta-druma-latā-ghana-ratna-bhūmi | ānanda-matta-mṛga-pakṣī-kulākulaṁ śrī- vṛndāvanaṁ harati kasya haṭhān na cetaḥ || Whose mind will not be forcefully stolen away by this beautiful land of Vrindavan, its jeweled terrain covered with  thick foliage  from the trees and vines throughout the many, many thickets where Radha and Madan Mohan play, and where the birds and beasts are intoxicated with joy? (1.19) Commentary [ These commentaries were written, if I am not mistaken, while I was in Canada a few years ago. It is a bit interesting to see the fluctuating moods of these VMA posts which were done in different times and places over several years. And any coherence that is there is lost when I start meddling in my own commentaries from a few years back. I believe in evolution because I see it in my own life and I extrapolate towards humani

The Parikrama Marg in Vrindavan in 1974. Photo by Vishakha Dasi from Back to Godhead . The comments I write on these verses are based on the inspiration and mood of the moment. Here I myself slip from Prabodhananda's world to that of the present time. In fact, I believe that is part of the exercise that Prabodhananda is very definitely leading us on. This is being discussed here under the rubric of the bhauma Vrindavan, as it appears to us now in its current worldly manifestation, the lila that the Dham is having and that we, in contact with the Dham, are having. Lila means the story. A story begins with a vision, a revelation if you will, and then proceeds as the battle to give real shape to that revelation is undertaken. Rasa is success in achieving that vision. Underlying all visions is that of love, the cherished fantasy of "true love." This is what lies in the nitya-Vrindavan's innermost sanctum sanctorum. vāpī-kūpa-taḍāga-koṭibhir aho divyāmṛtābhir yuta

Sineha Bihari on Hariyail Teej. Most picture purported to be of Banke Bihari are actually this deity, since photography of the one is allowed, the other not. Sineha Bihari is a clone of Banke Bihari and his temple is also nearby. mahā-premāmbhodher yad anupama-sāraṁ yad amalaṁ hari-premāmbhodher madhura-madhuraṁ dvīpa-valayam| munīndrāṇāṁ vṛndaiḥ kalita-rasa-vṛndāvanam aho tad etad dehāntāvadhi samadhivāsaṁ diśatu me || Aho! May Vrindavan, the incomparable essence of the great ocean of Prem, the spotless archipelago of great sweetness in the midst of that ocean of Krishna Prem, where the great sages envisioned the supreme flavors of love, please grant me residence here to the very end of this life. (1.17) Commentary The word kalita is from one of those kāmadhenu roots that can mean almost anything you want it to. I translated it as “envisioned,” but it could also mean “created.” In a sense, those who have vision create. Therefore the visionary is a poet, who e

svacchaṁ svacchandam evāsty atimadhura-rasa-nirjharād ambu pātuṁ bhoktuṁ svādūni kāmaṁ sakala-taru-tale śīrṇa-parṇāni santi | kāmaṁ niḥśīta-vātaṁ vimala-giri-guhādy asti nirbhāti vastuṁ śrī-vṛndāraṇyam etat tad api yadi jihāsāmi hā hā hato’smi || The waters flowing from the springs are pure and very sweet tasting and one can drink them to one’s heart’s content; one can eat all one desires of the delicious dry leaves that fall from each and every tree. One can take up residence in the spotless caves of the mountains where cool winds freely blow. Vrindavan is like this, so should I ever wish to leave it, Alas alas! I would be ruined. (1.16) Commentary It is hard not to read this last verse without being provoked into deep reflection about the changing times. It is clear that Prabodhananda is an extremely renounced sadhu. Again and again he expresses a pleasure in the life of renunciation and austerity. Living in caves? Dry leaves? Not so appealing to us today. Bu

A doorway in Radha Kund. yatra krīḍanti kṛṣṇa-priya-sakhi-subalādy-adbhutābhīra-bālā modante yatra rādhā-rati-maya-lalitādy-ujjvala-śrī-kiśoryaḥ | āścaryānaṅga-raṅgair ahaha niśi-divā khelanāsakta-rādhā- kṛṣṇau raty-eka-tṛṣṇau mama samudayatāṁ śrīla-vṛndāvanaṁ tat || May that Vrindavan become manifest to me, where play Krishna and his dear friends, the amazing cowherd boys like Subala and others, where the effulgent maidens like Lalita, filled with love for Radha, find their joy, and where the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, whose only desire is for the mutual exchange of love, are attached day and night to erotic dalliances in which the god of love demonstrates his wondrous skills. (1.15) Commentary Prabodhananda Saraswati switches back and forth from the sādhaka-deha  and its different moods to the siddha-deha throughout all his works, and especially here in Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛta .  The relation of the siddha or eternal perfected ideal form and the visib

There is an old children's book by Dr. Seuss, To think that I saw it on Mulberry Street , where a child imagines fabulous events on the quiet neighborhood street he has to follow to go to school. I wasn't making anything up, but it seemed that there were bands and parades, camel-drawn carts and tractors pulling trailers full of Brijbasis and all manner of things that would be strange if one was not from here. But ever since I got back from Bengal I have been in a kind of limbo in the Jiva Institute, living in Braj but almost not here at all, in a strange paradoxical way. So this was really the first time out of the confines of Jiva since I got here more than a month ago. I didn't take any pictures. I was trying to take brain pictures. On Dwadashi I went to Radha Kund I saw a crowded street of people flowing in both directions and a constant stream of vehicles the mood was joyous. The month is Karttik. There are Radhe Shyam songs in the air from morning to night

śrī-vṛndāraṇya-śobhāmṛta-laharīḥ samālokato vihvalā me dṛṣṭir vā bhātu vṛndāvana-mahima-sudhā-vāridhau majjatād dhīḥ | śrī-vṛndāraṇya-bhūmau luṭhatu mama tanur vihvalānanda-pūraiḥ śrī-vṛndāraṇya-sattveṣv ahaha tata ito daṇḍavan me natiḥ syāt || May my eyes become filled with anxious desire on seeing the waves of Vrindavan’s nectarean splendor! May my intelligence dive deeply into the ambrosial ocean of Vrindavan’s glories! May my body, imbued with joy and spiritual desire, roll in the dust of Vrindavan! And may I fall down in prostrated obeisances to all of Vrindavan’s creatures in every direction! (1.14) Commentary The prayer to have all the senses engaged in devotional actions is frequently seen throughout the Bhagavatam. As a matter of fact, this is the month of Karttik when the Damodar lila is remembered. There, the two sons of Kubera, whose sense of entitlement and privilege as the sons of the Lord of Wealth had led them to forget the basic niceties of civili