Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 23 - Life's Ultimate Goal — Love of Godhead
Pages in category "Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 23 - Life's Ultimate Goal — Love of Godhead"
The following 135 pages are in this category, out of 135 total.
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- All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Acarya! And all glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps - Madhya-lila
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- A devotee absorbed in ecstatic emotion for Krsna always resides in a place where Krsna's pastimes were performed
- A devotee who is not dependent on others but is dependent solely on Me, who is clean inwardly, outwardly, who is expert, indifferent to material things, without cares, free from all pains, who rejects all pious, impious activities is very dear to Me
- A fully surrendered devotee always hopes that Lord Krsna will be kind to him. This hope is very firm in him
- Above Narayana, Krsna has four specific transcendental qualities - His wonderful pastimes, an abundance of wonderful associates who are very dear to Him (like the gopis), His wonderful beauty and the wonderful vibration of His flute
- According to the candidate possessing these transcendental qualities (sneha, mana and so on), there are five transcendental mellows - neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental love and conjugal love
- Advanced devotees can understand and appreciate the different varieties of devotional service reciprocated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- After taste is awakened, a deep attachment arises, and from that attachment the seed of love for Krsna grows in the heart
- After the mellow of servitorship, there are the mellows of friendship and parental love, which increase to subordinate spontaneous love. The greatness of the love found in friends like Subala extends to the standard of ecstatic love of Godhead
- Although a pure devotee's standard is above all, he still considers himself to be in the lowest stage of life
- Although these qualities are present in Narayana, the dominating Deity of the Vaikuntha planets, they are even more wonderfully present in Krsna
- Apart from these fifty qualities, there are five other qualities found in the Supreme Personality of Godhead that are partially present in demigods like Siva
- Apart from these sixty transcendental qualities, Krsna has an additional four transcendental qualities, which are not manifested even in the personality of Narayana
- At this stage of bhava, a devotee has awakened the tendency to chant and describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord. He has attachment for this process
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- Bharata Maharaja always carried affection for Krsna within his heart. Although Bharata Maharaja was the crown jewel of kings, he was still wandering about and begging alms in the city of his enemies. He was even offering respects to candalas
- Bhava (emotion) has two different symptoms - constitutional and marginal. Now, My dear Sanatana, listen to the symptoms of love
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- Establish devotional service to Lord Krsna and Radharani in Vrndavana. You should also compile bhakti scriptures and preach the bhakti cult from Vrndavana
- Even a most learned scholar cannot understand the activities and symptoms of an exalted personality in whose heart love of Godhead has awakened
- Even the most learned man cannot understand the words, activities and symptoms of a person situated in love of Godhead
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- He attracts the minds of all three worlds with the melodious vibration of His flute. (4) His personal beauty and opulence are beyond compare. No one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him
- He bestows salvation upon enemies He kills, and (5) He has the ability to attract exalted persons who are satisfied in themselves
- He by whom no one is put into difficulty or anxiety and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is liberated from jubilation, anger, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me
- He knows how to deal according to time, person and country, and He sees through the scriptures and authoritative books. He is very clean and self-controlled
- Highly advanced ecstasy is divided into two categories - madana and mohana. Meeting together is called madana, and separation is called mohana
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- If love for Krsna in a seedling state has fructified in one's heart, one is not agitated by material things
- If one actually has the seed of transcendental emotion in his heart, the symptoms will be visible in his activities. That is the verdict of all revealed scriptures
- If You want to make a lame man like me dance, kindly bestow Your transcendental blessings by placing Your lotus feet on my head
- If, by good fortune, a living entity develops faith in Krsna, he begins to associate with devotees
- Illusory stories opposed to the conclusions of Krsna consciousness concern the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, Krsna's disappearance, the story that Krsna and Balarama arise from a black hair and a white hair of Ksirodakasayi Visnu
- In all respects, this is very difficult to understand, but one who has dedicated everything to the lotus feet of Krsna can taste the transcendental mellows
- In conjugal love (srngara) there are two departments - meeting and separation. On the platform of meeting, there are unlimited varieties that are beyond description
- In his youth, King Bharata gave up his attractive wife and children, as well as his beloved friends and opulent kingdom, just as one gives up stool after passing it
- In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders
- In the material field, people are interested in material enjoyment, mystic power and sense gratification. But these things do not appeal to the devotee at all
- In the revealed scripture Hari-vamsa, there is a description of Goloka Vrndavana, the planet where Krsna eternally resides. This information was given by Indra when he surrendered to Krsna and offered prayers after Krsna had raised Govardhana Hill
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- King Bharata was very eager to attain the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is called Uttamahsloka because poems and prayers are offered to Him for His favor
- Krsna is the linguist of all wonderful languages. He is a truthful and very pleasing speaker. He is expert in speaking, and He is a very wise, learned scholar and a genius
- Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and He is the crown jewel of all heroes. In Krsna, all transcendental good qualities are permanently situated
- Krsna is the Supreme, and He is always glorified as the Supreme Lord and controller. Thus all the previously mentioned transcendental qualities are in Him
- Krsna is very expert in artistic enjoyment. He is highly cunning, expert, grateful and firmly determined in His vows
- Krsna is very influential and famous, and He is the object of attachment for everyone. He is the shelter of the good and the virtuous. He is attractive to the minds of women, and He is worshiped by everyone. He is very, very rich
- Krsna is very simple and liberal, He is humble and bashful, and He is the protector of the surrendered souls. He is very happy, and He is always the well-wisher of His devotees. He is all-auspicious, and He is submissive to love
- Krsna, the supreme hero, has the most beautiful transcendental body. This body possesses all good features. It is radiant and very pleasing to the eyes. His body is powerful, strong and youthful
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- Let the snakebird - or whatever magical thing the brahmana created - bite me at once. I only desire that you all continue singing the deeds of Lord Visnu
- Lord Krsna is more exalted than ordinary living beings and demigods like Lord Siva. He is even more exalted than His personal expansion Narayana. In all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has sixty-four transcendental qualities in full
- Lord Krsna is steady, His senses are controlled, and He is forgiving, grave and calm. He is also equal to all. Moreover, He is magnanimous, religious, chivalrous and kind. He is always respectful to respectable people
- Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appeared as the son of Nanda Maharaja, is the supreme hero in all dealings. Similarly, Srimati Radharani is the topmost heroine in all dealings
- Love of Godhead increases and is manifested as affection, counterlove, love, attachment, subattachment, ecstasy and sublime ecstasy
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- Mad emotional talks include ten divisions, called prajalpa and other names. An example of this is the ten verses spoken by Srimati Radharani called The Song to the Bumblebee
- My dear friend kurari, it is now night, and Lord Sri Krsna is sleeping. You yourself are not asleep or resting but are lamenting. Should I presume that you, like us, are affected by the smiling, liberal, playful glances of lotus-eyed Krsna
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- Nondevotees cannot understand the exchange of transcendental mellows between the devotees and the Lord
- Not a moment should be lost. Every moment should be utilized for Krsna or connected with Him
- Now hear how the mellows appear and how they are realized by the devotees on different transcendental platforms
- Now, will You (Caitanya) please tell me (Sanatana Gosvami), 'Let whatever I have instructed all be fully manifested unto you.' By blessing me in this way, You will give me strength to describe all this
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- O brahmanas, just accept me as a completely surrendered soul, and let mother Ganges, the representative of the Lord, also accept me in that way, for I have already taken the lotus feet of the Lord into my heart
- O Govinda, this youthful girl named Radhika is today constantly pouring forth tears like nectar falling from flowers as She sings Your holy names in a sweet voice
- O Lord Pundarikaksa, while chanting Your holy name with tears in my eyes, when shall I dance in ecstasy on the bank of the Yamuna
- O my Lord, I do not have any love for You, nor am I qualified for discharging devotional service by chanting and hearing. Nor do I possess the mystic power of a Vaisnava, knowledge or pious activities. Nor do I belong to a very high-caste family
- O Sanatana, you should broadcast the revealed scriptures on devotional service and excavate the lost places of pilgrimage in the district of Mathura
- Of the four kinds of separation, three (purva-raga, pravasa and mana) are celebrated in Srimati Radharani and the gopis. In Dvaraka, among the queens, feelings of prema-vaicittya are very prominent
- On the madana platform there are kissing and many other symptoms, which are unlimited. In the mohana stage, there are two divisions - udghurna (unsteadiness) and citra-jalpa (varieties of mad emotional talks)
- On the whole, I do not possess anything. Still, O beloved of the gopis, because You bestow Your mercy on the most fallen, I have an unbreakable hope that is constantly in my heart. That hope is always giving me pain
- One should understand that just as the taste of sugar increases as it is gradually purified, so when love of Godhead increases from rati, which is compared to the beginning seed, its taste increases
- One who is always grave and satisfied in all circumstances, who doesn't care for any residence, and who is always fixed in devotional service - such a person is very dear to Me
- One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from attachment to material things such a person is very dear to Me
- One who is forgiving and self-controlled, and who is engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence dedicated to Me - such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me
- One who is free of all material jubilation, hatred, lamentation and desire, who renounces both materially auspicious and materially inauspicious things, and who is devoted to Me is very dear to Me
- One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is always satisfied, such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me
- Only in the conjugal mellow are there two ecstatic symptoms called rudha (advanced) and adhirudha (highly advanced). The advanced ecstasies are found among the queens of Dvaraka, and the highly advanced ecstasies are found among the gopis
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- Permanent ecstasy becomes a more and more relishable transcendental mellow through the mixture of special ecstasy, subordinate ecstasy, natural ecstasy and transitory ecstasy
- Previously I empowered your brother Rupa Gosvami to understand these mellows. I did this while instructing him at the Dasasvamedha-ghata in Prayaga
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- Sanatana Gosvami said, "My dear Lord, I am a very lowborn person. Indeed, I am a servant to lowborn people; therefore I am very, very downtrodden. Nonetheless, You have taught me conclusions unknown even to Lord Brahma"
- Sanatana Gosvami then humbly accepted his position as lower than a piece of straw, and symbolically holding some straw in his mouth, he fell down, clasped the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and submitted the following petition
- She is cunning. (13) She is expert in executing Her duties. (14) She is shy. (15) She is always respectful. (16) She is always calm. (17) She is always grave. (18) She is expert in enjoying life
- She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic love. (20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula. (21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees. (22) She is very affectionate to elderly people
- She is very submissive to the love of Her friends. (24) She is the chief gopi. (25) She always keeps Krsna under Her control. In short, She possesses unlimited transcendental qualities, just as Lord Krsna does
- She makes Krsna happy with Her bodily aroma. (7) She is very expert in singing. (8) Her speech is charming. (9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly. (10) She is very humble and meek. (11) She is always full of mercy
- Shedding tears from their eyes, they dedicate their whole lives to the Lord's service
- Similarly, in the transcendental mellow of friendship, Krsna is the object, and friends like Sridama, Sudama and Subala are the shelter. In the transcendental mellow of parental affection, Krsna is the object, and Yasoda and Nanda are the shelter
- Similarly, Srimati Radharani has unlimited transcendental qualities, of which twenty-five are principal. Sri Krsna is controlled by these transcendental qualities of Srimati Radharani
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "Now hear, O Sanatana, about the result of devotional service, which is love of Godhead, life’s ultimate goal. One who hears this description will be enlightened in the transcendental mellows of devotional service"
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then placed His hand on Sanatana Gosvami's head and blessed him, saying, "Let all these instructions be manifested to you"
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told Sanatana Gosvami about proper renunciation according to a particular situation, and the Lord forbade dry renunciation and speculative knowledge in all respects
- Srimati Radharani's twenty-five chief transcendental qualities are: (1) She is very sweet. (2) She is always freshly youthful. (3) Her eyes are restless. (4) She smiles brightly. (5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines
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- The basis of all transcendental mellows is the hero and the heroine, and Srimati Radharani and Lord Krsna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, are the best
- The conclusions that You have told me are the ocean of the ambrosia of truth. My mind is unable to approach even a drop of that ocean
- The exchange between Krsna and different devotees situated in different transcendental mellows is not to be experienced by nondevotees
- The fifty qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead mentioned above are as deep as an ocean. In other words, they are difficult to fully comprehend
- The following nine symptoms manifest in one's behavior, a taste for chanting the holy name of the Lord, attachment to descriptions of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, and affection for those places where the Lord resides
- The mixture of ecstatic ingredients becomes tasty and, being within the perception of the devotee, reaches the highest platform of wonder and deep bliss
- The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Gaurakrsna, distributed to everyone - even the lowest of men - His own confidential treasury in the form of the nectar of love of Himself and the holy name
- The position of neutrality increases up to the point where one can appreciate love of Godhead. The mellow of servitorship gradually increases to the point of spontaneous love of Godhead
- The subordinate ecstasies are smiling, dancing and singing, as well as different manifestations in the body. The natural ecstasies, such as being stunned, are considered among the subordinate ecstasies (anubhava)
- The transcendental qualities of Lord Krsna are unlimited. Out of these, sixty-four are considered prominent. The ears of the devotees are satisfied simply by hearing all these qualities one after the other
- There are another five qualities, which exist in the Vaikuntha planets in Narayana, the Lord of Laksmi. These qualities are also present in Krsna, but they are not present in demigods like Lord Siva or in other living entities
- There are five transcendental mellows - neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love, which is also known as the mellow of sweetness. Conjugal love excels all the others
- There are other ingredients, beginning with complete despondency and jubilation. Altogether there are thirty-three varieties, and when these combine, the mellow becomes very wonderful
- There are two divisions of each of the five mellows - yoga (connection) and viyoga (separation). Among the mellows of friendship and parental affection, there are many divisions of connection and separation
- There are two kinds of particular ecstasies (vibhava). One is called the support, and the other is called the awakening. The vibration of Krsna's flute is an example of the awakening, and Lord Krsna Himself is an example of the support
- Thereafter Sanatana Gosvami inquired from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about all the conclusive statements concerning devotional service, and the Lord very vividly explained all the confidential meanings of Srimad-Bhagavatam
- These are (1) the Lord possesses inconceivable supreme power, (2) He generates innumerable universes from His body, (3) He is the original source of all incarnations
- These are all called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic emotion. They are visible in a person in whose heart the seed of love of God has begun to fructify
- These are the symptoms of a person who has developed attraction (bhava) for Krsna. Now let Me (Caitanya) describe the symptoms of a person who is actually elevated to love of Krsna. O Sanatana, please hear this from Me
- These are: (1) Krsna is like an ocean filled with waves of pastimes that evoke wonder within everyone in the three worlds. (2) In His activities of conjugal love, He is always surrounded by His dear devotees who possess unequaled love for Him
- These five transcendental mellows exist permanently. The devotee may be attracted to one of these mellows, and thus he becomes happy. Krsna also becomes inclined toward such a devotee and comes under his control
- These qualities are (1) the Lord is always situated in His original position, (2) He is omniscient, (3) He is always fresh & youthful, (4) He is the concentrated form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, & (5) He is the possessor of all mystic perfection
- These qualities are sometimes very minutely exhibited in living beings, but they are fully manifested in the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- This brief description is an elaboration of the ultimate goal of life. Indeed, this is the fifth and ultimate goal, which is beyond the platform of liberation. It is called krsna-prema-dhana, the treasure of love for Krsna
- This development (of love of Godhead) is compared to sugarcane seeds, sugarcane plants, sugarcane juice, molasses, crude sugar, refined sugar, sugar candy and rock candy
- This eagerness is chiefly characterized by an ardent desire to associate with the Lord
- This was never given to the people at any time before. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him
- Those who are always attached to understanding the transcendental meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, who are always eager to associate with advanced devotees the seed of love (rati) is expanded in the heart by previous and current reformatory processes
- Thus I (Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami) have briefly described a discussion of the ultimate goal of life, love of Godhead. The mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be described expansively
- Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles
- Thus the Personality of Godhead astonishes all living entities, both moving and nonmoving, within the three worlds. He is so beautiful that He is called Krsna
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- When affection for Krsna becomes deeper, one attains love of Godhead in devotional service. Such a position is called sthayi-bhava, permanent enjoyment of the mellows of devotional service to Krsna
- When devotional service is executed on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a sun-ray of love for Krsna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and one is then situated in bhava (emotion)
- When one develops an unflinching sense of ownership or possessiveness in relation to Lord Visnu, or, in other words, when one thinks Visnu and no one else to be the only object of love, such an awakening is called bhakti (devotion)
- When one is encouraged in devotional service by the association of devotees, one becomes free from all unwanted contamination by following the regulative principles and chanting and hearing
- When one is freed from all unwanted contamination, he advances with firm faith. When firm faith in devotional service awakens, a taste for hearing and chanting also awakens
- When that bhava softens the heart completely, becomes endowed with a great feeling of possessiveness in relation to the Lord and becomes very much condensed and intensified, it is called prema (love of Godhead) by learned scholars
- When that ecstatic emotional stage intensifies, it is called love of Godhead. Such love is life's ultimate goal and the reservoir of all pleasure
- When the permanent ecstasies (neutrality, servitorship and so on) are mixed with other ingredients, devotional service in love of Godhead is transformed and becomes composed of transcendental mellows
- When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krsna fructifies, the following nine symptoms manifest in one's behavior: forgiveness, concern that time should not be wasted, detachment, absence of false prestige, hope, eagerness
- Whoever hears these instructions given to Sanatana Gosvami by the Lord comes very soon to realize love of God, Krsna
- With their words, they offer prayers to the Lord. With their minds, they always remember the Lord. With their bodies, they offer obeisances to the Lord. Despite all these activities, they are still not satisfied. This is the nature of pure devotees