Another Side of Bhaktivinoda Thakur 27 : Gadadhar and Gauranga's Yugal Upasana (II)
Chapter 27
Gadadhar and Gauranga's Yugal Upasana (Part 2): Their Rasātmikā Bhajan
After giving some examples of Gaura and Gadadhar's bhāvāḍhya worship in the last chapter, when They relish the bhāvas of the Nabadwip and Vrindavan pastimes, let us now discuss Their internal rasātmikā worship. This mood awakens when Gadadhar and His close followers assume beautiful female forms to enjoy shringar rasamaya lilas (conjugal loving pastimes) with Gauranga—just as Krishna does with Radha and Her sakhis.
In the beginning we had no idea (as is the case with most others) that this rasatmika mood is indeed an intrinsic part of Gaura lila. That was until we met a very special bhakta named Sachidulal Baba Das Babaji Maharaj. As an initiate in Gadadhar's parivar, in the lineage coming from Gadadhar's disciple, Kastha kata Jagannatha Das, he had an amazing story to reveal.
But before telling about how we met this rare Vaishnava, and what we learned from him, it will help to mention what led up to this.
After our Prabhu Lalita Prasad Thakur left this world to enter Gaura and Gadadhar's nitya lila in 1980, we went to Radhakund for siksha. There we became inspired by Anantadas Babaji Maharaj's path, and also benefited by learning about ashtakala lila smaran from Madanmohan Das Babaji Maharaj. [See chapter 2]
Let us elaborate: In those days Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj's discourses from Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi were a major attraction at Radha Kund. It seemed that all of the Vraja Goswamis' important verses and rasa siddhantas were on the tip of his tongue as he spoke about Radha-dasya-bhakti so authoritatively and convincingly that those who listened could not help but become attracted to manjari bhava sadhana.
Madanmohan Baba's experience and knowledge about lila smaran was also impressive, as he had been practicing this for more than 40 years after learning this art from his guru, Sakhicharan Das Baba, who encouranged him to focus on the Guṭikā. In those days, before printed editions were available, Madanmohan Baba requested us to make a hand-written copy of the Guṭikā to study. See chapters 5 and 6. Then in the afternoon he would take us on parikrama around the Kund and sometimes around Govardhan where he would point out various lila sites and tell us about those pastimes. We also attended some Vaishnava mahotsavas with him which were quite special. These memories have left a deep impression on us that we will never forget.
But at Radhakund our greatest desire remained unfulfilled, because although we did meet many advanced mahatmas there, no one could tell us about Gaura and Gadadhar's madhura bhajan.
So we often wondered, "What could be the reason?" Later on, however, we discovered that the Radhakund mood of bhajan and that found in Nabadwip were different: As our Vraja Goswamis focus on Radha Krishna in manjari bhava, Gauranga's Nabadwip parshadas worship Him as their all in all, and see Him as their prana ballabha. In other words, as the mood of Radhakunda carries with it a dasi bhava for Radha, the mood of Gauranga's nitya parshadas in Nadiya is based in kanta bhava for Gaura.
So after setting up an ashram at Ishodhyan Mayapura, we began asking various bhaktas if they knew of a prachin Vaishnava who could explain in what mood Gaura and Gadadhar's yugal bhajan should be taken up.
Then one day a kirtaniya friend named Nitai Das told us: "I know of an old babaji in Parulia, 10-12 kilometers outside of Nabadwip on the Katwa line, who worships Gaura and Gadadhar. Would you like to go there and meet him?"
"Absolutely," we answered, and the very next morning Nitai and I took a bus to Parulia. Getting down at the bazaar bus stop, we walked along a country road for about half an hour. We came to a bamboo patch and Nitai said, "Come this way." He led us along a narrow path that took us alongside a remote pond to some more bamboo patches. We were way out in the remote countryside when Nitai finally exclaimed: "Look, here is Baba's Gaura-Gadadhar mandir!"
Beside the mandir was a small kutir where Babaji Maharaj was sitting, crouched over doing japa. We offered our dandavat pranam to him and then Nitai introduced us to him, saying: "Maharaj! Here is a bhakta who eagerly wishes to hear about Gaura and Gadadhar's bhajan from you."
Babaji Maharaj's face instantly lit up as he looked over to us. This made us wonder, "Did Nitai utter some kind of magic mantra?" because Babaji Maharaj suddenly became animated, tears were coming to his eyes as some sort of bhava started awakening in him!
This was our first meeting with Sachidulal Dasji Maharaj back in 1990. We cannot remember exactly what he said that day as nearly 30 years have passed, but we do remember very clearly that this bhakta went into bhava as he spoke about his heart's treasure—Gaura and Gadadhar's yugal bhajan. His body was shaking, his voice often became choked, and tears flowed from his eyes. We had never met such a Vaishnava in our life, and we became deeply moved to hear him speak!
Along with his madhura katha we learned something new that day, something that by his mercy entered our heart for eternity: Babaji Maharaj was revealing the actual purport of Gadadhar and Gauranga's worship, which is nagari bhava, a mood that we had previously been told was unauthorized and improper. Yet when he described this mood with such conviction and ecstatic feeling, we felt for sure that the madhura bhavas he was expressing were genuine. Actually, to speak quite frankly, we got the impression that he was leading us by the hand into a very fascinating world of Gaura lila that we never knew about before.
Rasa Analysis
Although being an advanced bhajananandi Vaishnava, there was another special qualification that made it possible for Sachidulal Baba to describe the inner world of Gaura and Gadadhar's madhura pastimes: He happened to be initiated in Gadadhar's parivar. When Gaura and Gadadhar's madhura rasatmika lilas were manifest in our world, they were directly seen by Gadadhar's priya disciple, Kasthakata Jagannatha. Then that same form of worship has been handed down from disciple to disciple in his parampara to finally reach Sachidulal Baba Baba. Thus he could narrate the true story of what was going on in the beginning. This illustrates the advantage of being initiated in an unbroken amnaya siddha guru parampara: the accurate picture of what was happening in Mahaprabhu's pastimes can still be known today.
Yet for those who search carefully in Caitanya Caritāmṛta, they can discover that Srila Kaviraja Goswami presents the same version:
prāṇa ballabha sabāra śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya
Gadadhar Pandita's disciples are all Param Bhagavatas and very fortunate because Gauranga is their prana ballabha. (C.c. Adi 12.89)
As the word prāṇa ballabha refers to a mistress's romantic hero, this means that Gadadhar's disciples all have female forms also. For how else could they see Gaura as their prana ballabha? Most readers pass over this siddhanta without understanding its deep purport.
Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛtam's Siddhanta
Lalita Prasad Thakur once wrote a padyānuvāda or translation into Bengali poetry of Thakur Narahari's Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛtam. Prabhu did this using Thakur Bhaktivinoda's original handwritten copy of the text. Later on Pandita Sundarananda Vidyavinoda brought out another edition of Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛtam based on Bhaktivinoda's own handwritten copy and some other manuscripts of the text. This is the text we are referring to here. The following passages from Thakur Narahari's Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛtam present the basic foundation for understanding Gadadhar and Gauranga's yugal bhajan:
śrī-gadādhara-paṇḍitas tu yathā śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyaḥ sarvāvatara-prakāśa-bhūmis tathā sakala-vaibhavamaya-strī-samūha-pradhāna-bhūtaḥ… tatas tatraiva paṇḍita-dehe rādhā-bhāvena vilāsam kurute | vilāsa-vinodamaya-sakala-svabhāvas tena rādhā-kṛṣṇa-milanam eva satyam – tathā śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-gadādhara-paṇḍita milanam eva satyam ||
Just as Sri Gauranga is Svayam Bhagavan, the source of all avataras, His divine and opulent stri-samuha (consorts), the nagaris, expand from Gadadhar Pandit… Therefore because Radha (and Her bhava) are within Gadadhar, Gauranga enjoys rati vilasa with Gadadhar's (female) form. In other words just as Radha and Krishna's conjugal union is factual, enchanting and filled with divine bliss—so is Gadadhar and Gauranga's conjugal union (in Their female and male forms) factual, enchanting and filled with divine bliss."
Here is something that can benefit every bhakta. Because after reading Narahari's above vilasa tattva we can gain lots of insight into understanding the inside story of Gaura lila.
But the next line has two versions that carry two different meanings. In one edition of Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta, it reads:
The bhaktas see Gadadhar and Gauranga's conjugal union (in female and male forms) as real, and this darshan is their very life!
So just as Radha-Krishna's conjugal loving pastimes are seen by the manjaris—Gadadhar and Gauranga's conjugal union forms a wonderful darshan that is the bhakta's very life and soul!
The second version comes from Thakur Bhaktivinoda's personal handwritten copy of the text, and it reads:
The bhaktas' conjugal union with Gauranga [in their female nagari forms] is also factual, and this union is the very life of their life!
Rasa Analysis
Here we discover something very wonderful: Just as Radha-Krishna's Vraja pastimes feature both manjari bhava and kanta bhava—Gadadhar and Gauranga's madhura lilas contain both bhavas as well. So according to one's own personal ruci, bhaktas can choose either bhava, or both. But personally speaking, since our param gurudeva Thakur Bhaktvinoda has given the text's reading as bhaktānāṁ milanam eva satyaṁ jīvanaṁ ceti, which depicts the bhaktas' conjugal union with Gauranga, I think that I would love to side with his version.
 |
| The portion of Bhaktivinoda Thakur's handwritten copy of Kr̥ṣṇa-bhajanāmr̥ṭam referred to here. |
Sri Advaita Acharya's Stavarāja
In His Sri Sri Gauranga-pratyanga Varnonakhya Stavaraja, Sri Advaita Acarya describes Gaura and Gadadhar's rasatmika lila tattva in this way:
gadādhara-prema-bhāva-kalākrānta-manoratham |
narahari-prema-rasāsvāda-vihvala-mānasam ||27||
sarva-bhāgavatāhūta-kāntābhāva-prakāśakam |
prema-pradāna-lalita-dvibhujaṁ bhakta-vatsalam ||28||
Hey Gaurasundar! The romantic bhavas and the prema keli that You enjoy with the rasika Nadiya nagaris is simply enchanting. Yet amongst them, Gadadhar's special prema bhavas and rasika skills overwhelm You the most—as Narahari's prema rasa also enslaves You. What is more, at the slightest hint You love to become the kanta (Amorous Hero) with all of Your Bhagavat bhaktas. Then as You embrace them with Your lovely arms You truly become bhaktavatsala (loving and affectionate with Your bhaktas) for sharing Your madhura prema with all of them. (verses 26, 27, 28)
What Advaita mercifully reveals here is very spectacular indeed: that Gaurasundar enjoys shringar rasamaya pastimes with the nagaris headed by Gadadhar and Narahari. But when Advaita goes on to say sarva-bhāgavatāhūta-kāntā-bhāva-prakāśakam, to state that He eagerly desires to share such madhura prema with every bhakta as well, this makes His contribution even more special. Thus people like you and I can have something really wonderful to meditate on and to strive for—and this is what prompted Advaita to write such revealing statements.
We sometimes meet bhaktas, however, who are skeptical and don’t wish to believe that Advaita Acharya really wrote these amazing passages. But if we dismiss these beautiful words out of such doubts we become bereft of a great source of mercy.
With this in mind Narahari has done something to help the faithless become believers. He has included Advaita's entire 41 verses of the Stavarāja in the fifth chapter of his Bhakti-candrikā. The book is presently available from Srikhanda's Madhumati Samiti, and it includes the Stavarāja's ancient padyānuvāda (translation into Bengali poetry) by Narottam Das Thakur's disciple, Akinchana Das Thakur.
Owing to His special attraction for Gadadhar, Advaita arranged that His renowned son Achyutananda be initiated by Him. In the first prayer of his Gaura-gadadhara-yugalāṣṭakam, Achyutananda writes:
sadā mahā-prema-vilāsakābhyām
samudra-tīre naṭa-nāgarābhyāṁ
namo'stu me gaura-gadādharābhyām
On the ocean beach at Nilachal the golden-complexioned rasamaya nagara Gaura and rasamayi nagari Gadadhar are excitedly dancing together. And while enjoying maha prema vilasa They ecstatically roll over the ground! Thus I offer my pranams feelingly to my worshipable Lords Gaura and Gadadhar.
Rasa Analysis
By Gadadhar's special kripa Achyutananda is revealing an inner-realm of Gaura's pastimes at Puri. Although Gaura is a sannyasi and Gadadhar has also become a renunciate after accepting the vow of Ksetra sannyasa, let us remember that Their prema dharma transcends by far Their external sannyasa dharma.
At Nilachal Gaura's Radha bhava is quite prominent. Nevertheless, Gadadhar-Radha's exceptionally alluring mahabhava prema sometimes causes Gaura's Krishna bhava to awaken. For example, in seeing the spring's full moon night and feeling its cooling southern breezes, Gaura leaves the Gambhira to wander on the ocean's shore—as it reminds Him of the Yamuna's shoreline.
Meanwhile, Gadadhar instinctively comes to the sea beach in search of His Prananatha. And when They meet They ecstatically start dancing! But Their mahaprema-vilasa also takes place as Achyutananda testifies in this verse.
Sanatan Goswami has written a Rādhā-gadādharāṣṭakam where he says a number of interesting things about Gadadhar, such as: rasika-mukuṭa-maulim, "You are the crown jewel of all rasikas," atula catura kelim, "Your prema-keli is incomparable and filled with clever skills," nava nava rasa kupam, " You are a nectar-well of newer and newer prema rasa," and madhura madhura saram prema ratnaika haram, "Your madhura madhura form is the essence of all sweetness, and the necklace which contains all of prema's jewels is exclusively worn by You."
But what Sanatana says in the second verse is especially noteworthy:
pramoda-rasika-bhūpaṁ naumi rādhā-svarūpam
O Gadadhar! As the source of nagari prema, You remain restless to relish ever-new forms of prema rasa with Gaura. And because you are Radha, the Queen of all rasika enjoyers, I offer my pranama to You.
When Sanatan states that Gadadhar is the nāgarī-prema-vittam, source of nagari prema, this matches with Narahari's previous siddhanta that Gauranga's consorts, the nagaris, expand from Gadadhar. But why should this appear astonishing, for as the Vraja gopis expand from Radha, hasn't She directly appeared as Gadadhar Pandita in Gaura lila?
Devotees often assume that our Vraja Goswamis do not support Nadiya nāgarī bhava. But after carefully searching through their writings we can discover numerous examples which prove that they do.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta tells that Rupa and Sanatana wrote letter after letter hoping to get Mahaprabhu's permission to join Him at Nadiya. Prabhu remained silent, however, and wrote this message for them instead.
tad evāsvādayaty antar nava-saṅga-rasāyanam
When a young married girl (meaning them) falls in love with a paramour (meaning Himself) won't she carefully perform her housework (to hide the matter) as she blissfully dwells on her next rasa-filled union with him?" (C.c. Madhya 1.211)
Prabhu wrote this mysterious verse to advise Rupa and Sanatana to keep secret their parakiya relationship with Him. Instead of their coming to Nabadwip, He wished that they go to Vrindavan to perform their housework (of preaching the Vraja rasa). But while doing so, their minds always remained steeped in thoughts of their intimate relationship with Him.
Nayanananda Mishra's Padavali
We have already sampled some of Nayanananda's poetry in the last chapter. He is the son of Gadadhar's younger brother Vaninatha, and Gadadhar duly initiated him with mantra diksa.
Amongst all of the Mahajanas Who wrote padavali we can find no one who loves Gadadhar so dearly as Nayanananda, for he has written poem after poem which centers around Gaura and Gadadhar's internal mood of worship.
The following pada is famous in our Vaishnava world, as it is traditionally sung for the adivasa kirtan which is meant to inaugurate a Vaishnava mahotsava. The song describes Mahaprabhu's dancing in kirtan at Srivasa Angan:
kīrtana anande, śrīvasa ramanande, mukunda vasu guna gana re
dram drimi drimi, madola bajato, madhura manjira rasala re
sanka koratala, ghanta raba bhelo, milalo padatale tala re
koi dei gora aṅge, sugandhi candan, koi dei maltira mala re
pirīti phula sore, marama bhedola, bhave sahacara bhora re
koi bole gora, janaki ballabha, rādhār priẏa panca bana re
naẏanānda mane, āna nāhika jāne, gorā āmāra gadādharera prāṇfa re
Glories, glories to Gora, Sri Sacinandan, Your beautiful dancing form brings supreme fortune to whomever sees You.
In the bliss of sankirtana Srivasa, Ramananda Basu, Mukunda, Basu Ghosh and countless others dance beside Gora—as Mukunda leads the singing.
The mridangas sweet dram-drimi-drimi vibration mixes enchantingly with the sounds of ringing bells, karatals and blowing conchshells. And as Mahaprabhu musingly dances His anklebells sweetly tinkle in time with the music's beat.
Some premika bhaktas smear fragrant candan over Gora's lovely limbs, as others place malati malas around His neck or around His mohan cura (enchanting topknot of hair).
But then what happens? Each bhakta perceives that Gaurasundar is lovingly glancing at them—and His glances act like cupid's flower arrows to pierce their hearts! Thus the bhaktas become steeped in the madhura bhavas of piriti (conjugal loving sentiment).
Someone my take Gora to be Janaki ballabha (the husband of Janaki, Rama), or someone may see Him to be just like Krishna (Radha's priya Madanmohan). But as far as Nayanananda is concerned He only knows that Gora is Gadadhar's prana.
In the bliss of sankirtana Srivasa, Ramananda Basu, Mukunda, Basu Ghosh and countless others dance beside Gora—as Mukunda leads the singing.
The mridangas sweet dram-drimi-drimi vibration mixes enchantingly with the sounds of ringing bells, karatals and blowing conchshells. And as Mahaprabhu musingly dances His anklebells sweetly tinkle in time with the music's beat.
Some premika bhaktas smear fragrant candan over Gora's lovely limbs, as others place malati malas around His neck or around His mohan cura (enchanting topknot of hair).
But then what happens? Each bhakta perceives that Gaurasundar is lovingly glancing at them—and His glances act like cupid's flower arrows to pierce their hearts! Thus the bhaktas become steeped in the madhura bhavas of piriti (conjugal loving sentiment).
Someone my take Gora to be Janaki ballabha (the husband of Janaki, Rama), or someone may see Him to be just like Krishna (Radha's priya Madanmohan). But as far as Nayanananda is concerned He only knows that Gora is Gadadhar's prana.
Rasa Analysis
In this pada Nayanananda alludes to something very wonderful which is just starting to happen: During Srivasa ananga's kirtan the Rasalila manifests. So when he says pirīti phula sore, marama bhedola, bhave sahacara bhora—"Gora's loving glances pierce the bhaktas' hearts and overwhelm them with pirīti (romantic love"—this is when every bhakta's nagari svarupa advents. And because every bhakta's body is sat-cid-ananda, Yogamaya can instantly transform those male forms into supremely beautiful female forms!
Here is an example that Vrindavan Das Thakur reveals in Caitanya Bhāgavata which concerns Nityananda Prabhu:
sei anurūpa rūpa nityānanda dhare
In whatever mood that Gauranga takes up, Nitai reciprocates with an appropriate form and seva mood to match. (C.c. Madhya 18.218)
Hence when Gaurasundar becomes steeped in the Rasalila, Nitai takes on a beautiful female form to assume the mood of His consort.
When Nayanananda tells that someone may see Gora as Janaki-ballabha-Rama, he specifically refers to Murari Gupta, who was Hanuman in Rama lila. But even so, Murari has a secret female form too, which he tells about in the following pada:
sādha haẏa nirantara hemakānti kalebara hiẏāra mājhāre sadā rākhi
bāreka na dekhi tāẏa pāɱjara dhasiẏā jaẏa dhairaja dharite nāhi pāri
anurāgera ḍuri diẏā antare ki kore hiẏā nā jāni tāra kata dhāra dhāri
suradhunī tīre giẏā kula diba bhāsāiẏā anala jbāliẏā diba lāje
gaurāṅga sammukhe kari gaurāṅga kalaṅka mālā galāẏa paḍite sādha lāge
murāri gupta bale bhāle ḍāga dile gupta gaurāṅga anurāge
From hour to hour and second to second my heart pines to see Gauranga's beautiful form—as I yearn to embrace His golden body to my chest! Yet without seeing Him my heart breaks and my patience collapses. O what shall I do? The rope of His love has bound me, and His alluring entreaties are so captivating!
O let me drown my family attachments in the Ganga, and burn my shyness in a bonfire—for perhaps then I can satiate my eyes by seeing His beautiful form standing before me?
"O how I yearn to wear the scandals of our love affairs like a garland around my neck," confesses Murari Gupta, 'for hasn't He placed a fine scar on my forehead for our secret love?'"
O let me drown my family attachments in the Ganga, and burn my shyness in a bonfire—for perhaps then I can satiate my eyes by seeing His beautiful form standing before me?
"O how I yearn to wear the scandals of our love affairs like a garland around my neck," confesses Murari Gupta, 'for hasn't He placed a fine scar on my forehead for our secret love?'"
Now wouldn't it be logical to think that Gadadhar, Narahari, Sivananda Sena and Vasudeva Ghosh's kanta bhava with Gora is only natural since they previously shared such romantic love with Krishna? But here, with the examples of Nityananda and Murari Gupta, this goes on to demonstrate that Mahaprabhu awards His madhura prema to those who are situated in other rasas, too. And this is what Advaita has already affirmed, sarva-bhāgavatāhūta-kāntā-bhāva-prakāśakam, "That Gaurasundar keenly desires to offer His splendid kanta-bhava prema to every one of His bhagavata bhaktas.”
Let us now return to Sri Nayanananda Mishra's padavali where he reveals more about Gaura and Gadadhar's loving tie:
duhu mukha nirakhite duhu bhela bhora, duhu bhela rasanidhi amiẏā cakora
buke buke mili duhe karalahi kora, kapi pulake duhu jhāpi lora
tanu mana bāṇī duhu eka-i parāṇa, prati aṅge pirīti amiẏā niramāṇa
paṇḍita maṇḍita bhela gora naṭarāja, dūra saiẏe dekhe saba nāgarī samāja
nadiẏā nāgarī gaṇa bujhila marame, yāra paraṣade pāi prema ratane
gadādhara prema baśa gaura rasiẏā, kahaẏe naẏanānanda ei rase bhāsiẏā
As Gauranga dances with His eyes fixed on Gadadhar's face, he feels Gadadhar's sweet touch awaken in His heart—and Gadadhar becomes overtaken in bliss when looking to Gauranga's face—just as a cakora bird sips nectar from a raincloud.
Embracing chest to chest Their bodies horripilate as tears shoot from Their eyes! In mind, body and soul They have become one—as every limb of Their bodies are molded from amiya pirīti (ambrosial romantic love).
As Gora Nataraja takes Gadadhar into His arms the nagaris see Them from a distance and understand everything that is going on. So it is by their mercy alone that we can attain such a prema jewel. Thus while floating in the rasa Nayanananda says, rasika Gaurasundar is completely subjugated by Gadadhar's prema.
Embracing chest to chest Their bodies horripilate as tears shoot from Their eyes! In mind, body and soul They have become one—as every limb of Their bodies are molded from amiya pirīti (ambrosial romantic love).
As Gora Nataraja takes Gadadhar into His arms the nagaris see Them from a distance and understand everything that is going on. So it is by their mercy alone that we can attain such a prema jewel. Thus while floating in the rasa Nayanananda says, rasika Gaurasundar is completely subjugated by Gadadhar's prema.
Rasa Analysis
Now what do the nagaris perceive that no on else can? They see that Gaura and Gadadhar are in male and female forms, and They are even more attractive and beautiful than when They previously appeared as Krishna and Radha! But along with the splendor of such a wonderful darshan each nagari next perceives that Gora has come to embrace them too! And this love is a new prema-jewel that far surpasses what they previously experienced in Vrindavan.
But to enter Gaura and Gadadhar's prema realm faith will be required in the nagaris, because as Nayanananda says, only by their mercy can we attain the prema-jewel which he describes about here. Now doesn't this advice closely resemble Caitanya Caritāmṛta's siddhanta meant for those wishing to attain Radha Krishna? Let us compare:
sakhi vinu ei lilar pusti nāhi hoy, sakhi lila vistariya sakhi asvadaya
sakhi binu ei lilay anyer nāhi gati, sakhibhave jei kore anugati
rādhā krsner kunja seva sadhya sei paya, sei sadhya paite ara naiko upaya
As Radha-Krishna's pastimes are solely nourished, expanded upon and relished by the sakhis, there is no other way to attain Their nikunja seva without following in their footsteps through sakhi bhava. (C.c. Madhya 8)
In his following pada, Nayanananda tells more:
Pirīti Sāgara (The Ocean of Romantic Love)
naba naba bhakata, bhakati naba ratana, suyācata naṭana samāja
bhali bhali nadiẏā bihāra
sakala vaikuntha, bṛndābana sampada, sakala sukhera sukha sāra
dhani dhani ati dhani, aba bhela suradhunī, ānande bahe rasa dhāra
snāna pāna aba, gaha āliṅgana, saṅgama kata kata bāra
prati pūra mandira, prati taru kula tala, prati phula bipine bilāsa
kahe nayanānanda, preme biśbambhara, sabākara pūralo āśa
Our Prabhu dvija-raja has come—in a wonderful form that resembles an Ocean of romantic love (pirīti mūratimaya sāgara)—and the bhaktas take on new forms to relish a new bhakti-jewel that they offer to Gaurasundar as they dance with Him in rasamaya sankirtan.
So glories, glories to Sri Visvambhara's Nadiya vihara—for the happiness found here surpasses the bliss that one can experience in Vaikuntha or Vrindavan.
"O how fortunate, how very fortunate has the Suradhuni Ganga become, as she awards Prabhu and the bhaktas the chance to bathe, drink, embrace and enjoy rati sangam in her rasa-filled stream—time and time again!
So glories, glories to Sri Visvambhara's Nadiya vihara—for the happiness found here surpasses the bliss that one can experience in Vaikuntha or Vrindavan.
"O how fortunate, how very fortunate has the Suradhuni Ganga become, as she awards Prabhu and the bhaktas the chance to bathe, drink, embrace and enjoy rati sangam in her rasa-filled stream—time and time again!
"Thus in every home, in every mandira, under every forest tree, and in every flower garden Visvambhara enjoys vilasa. 'For in this way,' says Nayanananda, 'He fulfills everyone's desire.'"
Rasa Analysis
Who could ever imagine what an Ocean of romantic love would be like? But this is how Nayanananda describes Gaurasundar's most wonderful gift—what He has brought to our world. We have to understand though, Nayanananda can see the inside picture of our Prabhu dvija-raja's spectacular Nadiya vihara owing to his intimate tie with Gadadhar. So what is he revealing? Let us try to explain.
When Nayanananda says naba naba bhakata, bhakati naba ratana , he is referring to the nagari svarupas that the bhaktas take on to relish a new bhakti jewel (or prema jewel, that he mentions in the previous pada). This prema ratna is nagari prema. And it is something that can truly be labeled "high-voltage gopi bhava." This is not an exaggeration because its power of attraction and great intensity brings with it a sensational pleasure that far excels that which can be experienced in Vaikunta or Vrindavan—as Nayanananda testifies.
[In his previous Vraja svarupa Nayanananda was Nitya Manjari, so she knows already about the ecstasy that the manjaris relish when uniting Radha with Krishna.]
Mother Ganga plays an important role in Gauranga's madhura lilas, and the bhaktas often refer to her as the Suradhuni (the divine river of the Gods).
So when Nayanananda says, snāna pāna aba, gaha āliṅgana, saṅgama kata kata bāra he is revealing that Gaura and the bhaktas not only bathe in and drink the Ganga's crystal clear water, but they lovingly embrace Gaura in their nagari svarupas and enjoy rati kridha with Him here as well—again and again!
(Hey Vaisnavas! Just try to imagine the great bliss that the nagaris experience when enjoying rati keli with Gaura-bhagavan in the Ganga's holy-stream. Because this forms a wonderful picture that we can surely meditate on.)
Nayanananda sums up everything by saying:
kahe nayanānanda, preme biśbambhara, sabākara pūralo āśa
Thus in every home, in every mandira, under every forest tree, and in every flower garden Visvambhara enjoys prema vilasa with His bhaktas' nagari svarupas—for it is in this way that He fulfills everyone's desire."
To review this chapter's essential message, Narahari has established the siddhanta in his Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛtam that Gauranga's limitless consorts, the nagaris, expand from Gadadhar's nagari svarupa. Then in Thakur Bhaktivinoda's handwritten copy of these verses it is also said, bhaktānāṁ milanam eva satyaṁ jīvanaṁ ceti, "that the bhaktas conjugal union with Gaurasundar in their nagari svarupas is also satya (real) and the very life of their life!"
Gadadhar's disciple, Yadunath Das, has written a small booklet entitled Sri Pandita Goswamir Sakha nirnayamrita, which lists all of the names of Gadadhar's disciples and followers. Then he concludes by saying:
śrīla-paṇḍita-gaṇā sarve śṛṅgārārtha-kalevarāḥ
For the purpose of offering sukha-vilāsa-sevā to Sri Gauranga's caraṇa kamala all of Gadadhar's followers have divine female forms for exchanging shringar, conjugal loving pastimes with Him."
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