BY: G. S. SENAN
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.
GAURA-PURNIMA MAHA MAHOTSAVA KI JAI !!!
Craving the divine guidance and permission of my dearest Gurudeva for composing this sensitive letter, I beg his as well as all the readers' forgiveness for any mistakes and offenses I, as a nitya-baddha, am bound to commit. In this letter I, Satya-senan, though least qualified to dwell on such an esoteric topic, humbly begs to share some extremely important points with all. They concern our understanding (or misunderstanding?) of how to correctly serve the CHANNA-AVATAR-CUM-BHAKTA-RUPA FORM of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, our Yuga-avatar, the savior-extra-ordinaire of even the worst fallen naradhamas like me.
In furtherance of the stated wishes and instructions of our previous acaryas, in particular our most recent and dearest Sripad Bhakti-siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupad, HDG Srila AC Baktivedanta Svami Prabhupad and my revered spiritual master HDG Srila Gour Govinda Svami Mahasaya, we shall first study the external and the internal (confidential) reasons for Sriman Mahaprabhu's very rare advent in this special Kaliyuga, keenly and cautiously aware that He appears only once in many Kaliyugas.
Generally, Krsna comes in a blackish form, rarely golden. This is a very rare, secret, esoteric incarnation which occurs only in the 28th 'Divya-yuga' of the 7th Manvantara, or once in 8.64 billion years!! This is CHANNA-AVATAR, or SPECIAL, HIDDEN INCARNATION. This is the molten-gold-hued Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most munificent, most magnanimous, most mysterious, and most merciful form Who came to freely distribute Krsna-prema without discrimination. Eternally indebted to such a causelessly merciful avatar, it behooves us to at least honour and nourish His CHANNA form without disturbing His mood.
What is the value of such a special incarnation if we insist on exposing His HIDDEN form to nourish our own sentiments? If we do not please Mahaprabhu now, in this special Kaliyuga, by a conscious, humble effort to honour HIS bhakta-mood and HIS Radha-bhava mood, both as the ENJOYED servitors of Krsna, rather than imposing OUR own sentimental whim of exposing Him as Krsna, the ENJOYER, without considering HIS own desire to remain deeply absorbed in HIS bhakta and vipralambha moods, we would have wasted an almost irretrievable opportunity to benefit from His special mercy not available in so many other Kaliyugas to come.
With these points in mind let's see the causes for Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advent:
EXTERNAL---BAHIRANGA KARANAM
Mahaprabhu Himself says --- in Caitanya-caritamrta [Adi. 3. 20 & 21]:
20
apani karimu bhakta-bhava angikare
apani acari bhakti sikhaimu sabare
“I shall accept the role of a devotee, and
I shall teach devotional service by practising it Myself.”
So, whatever HE accepts, we have no adhikar or right to deny, and since HE Himself wants to be a practising devotee, we have only to please Him by helping Him to NOURISH that desire rather than impeding it by imposing our misplaced sentiments upon Him, treating Him as Krsna, the ENJOYER, and planting peacock feathers on Him that serve only to disturb His bhakta-bhava mood. As a BHAKTA, He naturally prefers to be ENJOYED by Krsna; not to BE Krsna!
21
apane na kaile dharma sikhana na yaya
ei ta siddhanta gita-bhagavata gaya
“Unless one practises devotional service oneself, one cannot teach it to others.
This conclusion is indeed confirmed throughout the Gita and the Bhagavatam.”
Krsna did teach devotional service, but without significant success because, not having to practise it Himself, He did not teach it by example. That's why Mahaprabhu came --- to set an example by practising it Himself in His BHAKTARUPA form, thereby adding immense potency to His preaching. So we should be simple in our duty-bound nature to help NOURISH that Bhaktarupa form instead of disturbing Him with Krsna's ornaments thrust upon Him just to gratify our own misplaced idea of 'bhakti.'
Mahaprabhu personified His mood even more humbly with His self-proclaimed status as “the servant of the servant of the servant of the husband of the gopis”! Proclaiming Himself the meek servant, thrice removed, of Krsna (the husband of the gopis), He'd certainly be most upset and annoyed with anyone thoughtlessly trying to turn Him into the very person He wants so much (not to be but) to worship.
INTERNAL / CONFIDENTIAL----ANTARANGA KARANAM
The foregoing External reasons for Mahaprabhu's advent are generally for the sake of teaching devotional service to the people of Kaliyuga by His own example. However, the following Internal or antaranga (confidential) karanam comprising Krsna's intense desire to fulfill His own three greeds developed in connection with the sweetest and most bewildering loving pastimes with His hladini-sakti expansion, Srimati Radharani, is exclusively for Himself. The only way He could fulfill the greeds was to accept both Her mood and complexion, as revealed by Sripad Svarupa Damodara Gosvami in CcAdi.1.6:
sri radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaiva
svadyo yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam casya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad-bhavadyah samajani saci- garbha-sindhau harinduh
“Desiring to understand
i) the glory of Radharani's love,
ii) the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and
iii) the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love,
the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions,
appears from the womb of Srimati Sacidevi, as the moon appears from the ocean.”
Richly endowed with Radharani's emotions ... that's Mahaprabhu's saturated and overflowing mood, crying, crying, crying for Krsna in deep separation. Ours is not to sentimentally interfere with those super-ecstatic emotions by turning Him into the very Krsna-form and Krsna-mood He had deliberately shed. Why are we reinstating what He had shed, like His peacock feather? What about His flute or His cowherd stick? Leave Him be. Let Him relish the sweet-bitter mellows of His Radha-bhava vipralambha mood. That was the desire He, as the bewildered Krsna, had long cherished to taste Himself ... NOT for us to blindly disturb Him now when, as the crying Gauranga, He is at last able to taste that unique mood of Radharani. Such are the worried concerns of, and consequential cautions and instructions given by, previous acaryas on this touchy subject:
EXCERPT FROM SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA'S PURPORT IN CB Adi 2.27:
“ ... the five types of Krsna devotees neither consider the incarnation of vipralambha, Sri Gaurasundara, as the object of madhura-rasa, nor did they assist Him in conjugal affairs in the course of His magnanimous pastimes; rather, they nourished His feelings of separation from Krsna by helping Him cultivate those mellows. Those who want to contradict the Gaura pastimes of the Supreme Shelter Krsna, by putting a flute or a cowherd stick in Gaurasundara's hands, (not to mention a peacock feather on His head!) , imposing the mood of a paramour on Him, or considering Him the charioteer of Arjuna, can never be counted amongst Gaura's associates or servants.”
EXCERPTS FROM ISKCON-FOUNDER ACARYA SRILA PRABHUPADA'S PURPORT TO CCAdi 4.41:
“Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has described Lord Caitanya as Krsna Himself with the attitude of Radharani, or a combination of Radha and Krsna. The intention of Lord Caitanya is to taste Krsna's sweetness in transcendental love. He does not care to think of Himself as Krsna, because He wants the position of Radharani. We should remember this. A class of so-called devotees called the nadiya-nagaris or gaura-nagaris pretend that they have the sentiment of gopis toward Lord Caitanya, but they do not realize that He placed Himself not as the enjoyer, Krsna, but as the enjoyed, the devotee of Krsna. The concoctions of unauthorized persons pretending to be bona fide have not been accepted by Lord Caitanya. Presentations such as those of the gaura-nagaris are only disturbances to the sincere execution of the mission of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is undoubtedly Krsna Himself, and He is always non-different from Srimati Radharani. But the emotion technically called vipralambha-bhava, which the Lord adopted for confidential reasons, should not be disturbed in the name of service. A mundaner should not unnecessarily intrude into affairs of transcendence and thereby displease the Lord. One must always be on guard against this sort of devotional anomaly. A devotee is not meant to create disturbances to Krsna. As Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained, devotional service is anukulyena, or favorable to Krsna. Acting unfavorably toward Krsna is not devotion......
“Lord Caitanya has accepted the role of Radharani, and we should support (nourish) that position, as Svarupa Damodara did in the Gambhira (the room where Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Puri). He always reminded Lord Caitanya of Radha's feelings of separation as they are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Lord Caitanya appreciated his assistance. But the gaura-nagaris, who place Lord Caitanya in the position of enjoyer and themselves as His enjoyed, are not approved by Lord Caitanya or by Lord Caitanya's followers. Instead of being blessed, the foolish imitators are left completely apart. Their concoctions are against the principles of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The doctrine of transcendental enjoyment by Krsna cannot be mixed up with the doctrine of transcendental feeling of separation from Krsna in the role of Radharani.”
OUR GURUDEVA HDG GOUR GOVINDA SVAMI MAHASAYA, ALWAYS MAINTAINED THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF GAURA-NITAI DEITY WORSHIP IN HIS ISKCON TEMPLES IN ORISSA, WITHOUT DISTURBING, BUT ALWAYS NOURISHING GAURANGA'S RADHA-BHAVA AND HIS BHAKTA-RUPA MOODS. Unfortunately, due to decades of unchecked, whimsically sentimental, wrong practice in almost all other ISKCON temples world-wide (of decorating Gaura-Nitai with peacock feathers), our Gurudeva's advice was never well-received in other ISKCON temples. In one case he was even banned from the temple for his advice! It didn't help even though he reminded them that his dearmost revered spiritual master HDG Srila Prabhupada was clearly against the wrong practice. What to do? KALI-YUGA! But, not to worry...such ignorant practices can never last forever...Mahaprabhu's movement is just scratching the surface of His special 10,000-year long Satya-yuga within this Kali-yuga. Before long, by Mahaprabhu's mercy and by the wishes of the previous acaryas, there will be no more peacock feathers ruining Mahaprabhu's mood!!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
DON'T PREVIOUS ACARYAS HAVE ANY MORE PERSUASIVE POWERS IN OUR ISKCON? IS “SIMPLICITY IS VAISNAVISM” JUST A BLANK SLOGAN? EVERYTHING IS SO COMPLICATED!! SHOULD ALL CONTROVERSIAL, HENCE 'MAJOR' ISSUES BE UNNECESSARILY PUT TO THE MUNDANE VOTING SYSTEM PREVALENT IN OUR GBC PRACTICE? (Eg: JIVA-TATTVA? ) WHAT THEN IS THE VALUE OF OF SASTRIC EVIDENCE AND PREVIOUS ACARYAS' WORDS OF WISDOM?
In answering Yamaraj, Maharaj Yudhistira says in Mahabharata, vana-parva 313.17:
mahajana yena gatah sa panthah
“Consequently, as the sastras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahajanas advocate.”
More often than not, alas! the devil'sadvocate reigns supreme. But for how long? Yamaraj's trusted record keeper Citragupta doesn't need any majority vote to have his case-histories ratified by Yamaraj ... at the 'right' time! Should we wait for that time?
Before ending this letter, let's fall back on my all-compassionate Gurudeva's mercy to help reduce Yamaraj's burden of having to deal with too many offenders of Mahaprabhu. Gurudeva frequently spoke candidly about the importance of not disturbing Mahaprabhu's Radha-bhava mood. In this regard one particular song stands out in support of his sastra-pramana: In Sri Rupa Gosvami's Lalita-madhava, 3.25, Radhika cries this song in bitter separation from Krsna. Also in Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 19.35, Mahaprabhu cries the same song in painful separation from Krsna. Let's all try to imbibe the mood in which Srila Gurudeva would sing, then explain this sloka, with its special significance:
kva nanda-kula-candramah kva sikhi-candra-kalankrtih
kva mandra-murali-ravah kva nu surendra-nila-dyutih
kva rasa-rasa-tandavi kva sakhi jiva-raksausadhir
nidhir mama suhrttamah kva bata hanta ha dhig-vidhim
“Where is the moon of the Nanda dynasty?
Where is that Krsna on whose crest is a peacock feather?
Where is that Krsna who plays the flute so sweetly?
Where is Krsna whose bodily lustre is like the blue indranila jewel?
Where is that Krsna who dances in rasa?
Where is that Krsna who is the soothing balm for My afflicted heart?
Where is Krsna? Where can I find that treasure of My life, best of My friends?
Feeling separation from Him, alas! I condemn Providence, the shaper of My destiny.”
Mahaprabhu, when crying this emotional song in bitter-sweet pangs of separation from Krsna, is experiencing the same vipralambha mood as Radha when She sings it. Mahaprabhu advented precisely to savour this mood which Krsna could not. But we think we know better!! We foolishly ruin that mood by decorating Him with a peacock feather. Then why not the flute also? or paint Him with Krsna's blue bodily hue? and why not arrange a bevy of parakiya damsels for Him to 'ENJOY' the rasa-dance? And when He is tearfully searching for the moon of the Nanda dynasty, Krsna, why are we adamantly telling Him, “Here, wear this peacock feather coz we know You are Krsna!”?
If the foregoing is still unconvincing to the die-hard spoilsports, let's see if it's too far-fetched to consider that their attitude reeks of impersonalism.
This 16th Century Bhakti Poem by TUKARAM squarely debunks impersonalism:
Can water quaff itself?
Can trees taste of the fruits they bear?
He who worships God must stand distinct from Him.
So only shall he know the joyful love of God,
For if he say that God and he are one,
That joy, that love, shall vanish instantly away.
Pray no more for utter oneness with God:
Where were the beauty if jewel and setting were one?
The heat and the shade are two;
If not, where were the comfort of shade?
Mother and child are two;
If not, where were the love?
When after being sundered, they meet,
What joy do they feel, the mother and child!
Where were the joy, if the two were one?
Pray, then, no more for utter oneness with God.
My inescapable conclusion:
I'm truly sorry, and I really hope I'm wrong, to say that almost every line by Tukaram seems to describe as impersonalistic the attitude of those ISKCONites in general who simply do not want to separate Krsna from Mahaprabhu even though Mahaprabhu, in Radha's mood and complexion, wants very intensely to be separate from Krsna in order to worship Krsna, not to be Krsna.
Elsewhere, Tukaram (?) also says (to emphasize God's otherness, not His oneness) as follows: “I want to TASTE sugar. I don't want to BE sugar.”
That, surely, must be the most convincing TRUTH...SATYAM! But, as is the sad nature of Kaliyug, SATYAM is seen as ASATYAM, and ASATYAM as SATYAM. Defenders of ASATYAM will still go to any length to disregard the sanctity and privacy of Mahaprabhu's Channa-Avatar moods. It has been adequately proven that the conclusion is the same for both the bahiranga and the antaranga karanams, namely, that affixing peacock feathers on Mahaprabhu will not help nourish, but terribly disturb His esoteric moods. Yet there will be those who will remorselessly quote 'proofs' such as Mahaprabhu's mahaprakas lilas in which He reveals his identity as Krsna, simply to justify their whims, but conveniently forgetting that only His most confidential associates were allowed to witness such revelations. We in our Kali-contaminated mood cannot, by any stretch of our imagination, claim to belong to that exclusive confidential group.
As mentioned before, I'm confident that time will put matters right. A small revolution will take place: Instead of fixing peacock feathers on Mahaprabhu, we'll gladly supply Him peacock feathers so that He may happily decorate Krsna with them, IF He finds Him. JAI!!!
I sincerely hope and pray that i have more or less correctly understood the three acaryas i named above and presented their case to their satisfaction and leave the result of my meek effort in their hands and in the hands of Mahaprabhu and Krsna. I also beg all of them and the readers of this letter to forgive me for any offenses committed by me knowingly and unknowingly.
Thank you very much.
Yours in the humble service of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga
ami ati-dina-hina-jana,
gourgovindsevak satyasenan
11th March 2009,Gaura-purnima Mahotsava
BHAKTARUPA MAHAPRABHU KI JAI!! CHANNA-AVATAR MAHAPRABHU KI JAI!!
SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU'S GAURA PURNIMA MAHA MAHOTSAVA KI JAI!!
P.S. I've no desire to disturb the general mood of my fellow ISKCONites more than i've already done above. But there's more to be said about the peacock feather that may shock many. After much serious thought, i'm impelled to share the facts with all of you NOW, while we are still on the subject, rather than LATER. Perhaps more good may result, hopeully...
My Guru Mahasaya said that the beautiful cowherd boy Vrajavasi-Krsna is the only one adorned with the peacock feather. He is decorated thus by the Vrajavasi-Gopis. No other form of Krsna outside Vrajabhumi wears it ... not Mathuravasi-Krsna or Dvarakavasi-Krsna, and certainly not Parthasarathi Krsna in the battle-field of Kuruksetra! Outside of Vrajadham there are no Gopis and there's no rasa-lila. So who's there outside Vrajadham who's crazy enough to adorn Him with peacock feathers? Is our 'bhakti' over-done?
What to speak of Krsna outside Vrajabhumi made to wear the misplaced feather by our ISKCON family!! They even go to the extent of adorning Krsna's Dasa-avataras with it! The Ramayana tells us that, before Lord Ramacandra's time, there were only pure white peacocks, with no 'eyes' in their feathers. To evade Ravana's hunger for the flesh of devatas, Indradev took refuge in the form of a peacock when Ravana was on a rampage. After the asura left, Indra, out of gratitude, gave the peacocks the boon to have their feathers adorned with 'eyes' (that also adorned Indra himself). So where did Matsya-avatar, Narasimhadev, etc, get such multi-coloured peacock feathers from (as depicted in ISKCON pictures)? Were there Gopis around during those past yugas?
G. S. Senan
Gourgovindsevak
