Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī 58 страница

Text 39

ś rī -ś uka uvā ca

gopyaś ca kṛ ṣ ṇ am upalabhya cirā d abhī ṣ ṭ aṁ

yat-prekṣ aṇ e dṛ ś iṣ u pakṣ ma-kṛ taṁ ś apanti

dṛ gbhir hṛ dī -kṛ tam alaṁ parirabhya sarvā s

tad-bhā vam ā pur api nitya-yujā ṁ durā pam

Translation

Ś ukadeva Gosvā mī said: While gazing at their beloved Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, the young gopī s used to condemn the creator of their eyelids, [which would momentarily block their vision of Him]. Now, seeing Kṛ ṣ ṇ a again after such a long separation, with their eyes they took him into their hearts, and there they embraced him to their full satisfaction. In this way they became totally absorbed in ecstatic meditation on him, although those who constantly practice mystic yoga find such absorption difficult to achieve.

Commentary

With either meaning, Yaś odā did not answer Devakī ’s statement. Rather, because she was absorbed in seeing her son after a long time, she did not hear at all and said nothing at all. After she did not speak, Ś ukadeva spoke. The sage endowed with all knowledge (ś rī ), who knew the bhā va of the gopī s and Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, spoke. Thus one should firmly believe his words. It should of course be understood that even earlier, for a long time they were thin from experiencing separation from him and were burning up. Ś ukadeva now describes the arrival of the gopī s who had been brought to Kṛ ṣ ṇ a’s private quarters by Uddhava.

The word ca indicates “not only them but others, the gopī s, also. ” Or ca can mean “but. ” But more than the others, the gopī s now intimately attained (upa — labhya) Kṛ ṣ ṇ a whom they desired to see for a long time with complete bhā va (abhi — iṣ ṭ am). Or, they attained for a long period Kṛ ṣ ṇ a who they held dearer than a thousand lives (abhī ṣ ṭ am). Their superior prema is then show. They cursed the creator of eyelids for their eyes because they desired to glance at him without break (pra — ī ksaṇ e). The plural is used in dṛ ś iṣ u to indicate many gopī s with many eyes. Why did the creator not remove the eyelid from the eye? Or because of extreme thirst in prema the plural refers to all the glances. Why were eyelids made for seeing? The long vowel in hṛ dī is for metrical reasons. They placed him in their hearts and there embraced him fully (alam), by their free will. All of them (sarvā ḥ ), though of many different types, filled with pain from long separation, became one with him (tad-bhā vam), forgetting themselves because of an appearance of his clear manifestation. This was rare even for perfected yogī s. Or they had always kept him in their hearts but now they embraced him with their eyes (they gazed at him intensely with the greatest attachment). They then attained the highest limit of prema (tad-bhā vam). This means for a long time they fainted in bliss. This state was rarely attained even by Rukmiṇ ī and others who were constantly with him (nitya-yujā m).

Text 40

bhagavā ṁ s tā s tathā -bhū tā vivikta upasaṅ gataḥ

ā ś liṣ yā nā mayaṁ pṛ ṣ ṭ vā prahasann idam abravī t

Translation

The Supreme Lord approached the gopī s in a secluded place as they stood in their ecstatic trance. After embracing each of them and inquiring about their well-being, he laughed and spoke as follows.

Knowing everything or an ocean of good qualities (bhagavā n), he closely associated with (upa — saṅ gataḥ ) the gopī s (tā ḥ ) who had attained an intolerable state of separation from him, at night, on that day or another day, in a private place (vivikte). He asked if they were without sickness (anā mayam). He did not ask about the grief in their minds since it was obvious. Or he asked about their health since they were thin. He was worried that they may have sickness. He smiled to relieve them of sorrow. Or he did not smile (aprahasan) since he became depressed on seeing their sorry condition, though usually he had a smiling face. He spoke some most astonishing words (idam).

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Then, in order to appease them, he brought them to a special room. His personal consolation is described. Knowing everything (bhagavā n), he closely associated with (upa — saṅ gataḥ ) the gopī s (tā ḥ ) who had attained an intolerable state of separation from him, at night in a private place (vivikte). He simultaneously, by his special powers, embraced each gopī in order to bring them out of a fainting condition which they entered because of intense prema. He consoled them since they were constantly weeping and fainting. Seeing that they quickly recovered, he asked about their health (anamayam). Previously he had taught them a method of getting relief from separation through Uddhava. That method should not produce this effect. He asked about their general health in order to hide his own offense of not coming before this time. After some time had passed in pleasant talk, he started to smile (pra — hasan) to reduce their lamentation and then spoke some most astonishing words (idam).

Text 41

api smaratha naḥ sakhyaḥ svā nā m artha-cikī rṣ ayā

gatā ṁ ś cirā yitā ñ chatru- pakṣ a-kṣ apaṇ a-cetasaḥ

Translation

[Lord Kṛ ṣ ṇ a said: ] My dear girī friends, do you still remember me? It was for my relatives’ sake that I stayed away so long, intent on destroying my enemies.

Commentary

O friends do you not remember me (api)? The plural verb is used indicate many gopī s. Thus he indicates that it was not possible to come quickly by his will alone even by accepting many forms. O friends! I am fit to be remembered by you. With this he pacifies them. He asks them to forgive his fault. “We do not think you are fit to be remembered because of your great offense. ” Ignoring you, I went away with a desire to perform an act (artha) — to kill Kaṁ sa — for my relatives such as Vasudeva, since he is the brother of Nanda. That stay extended for a long time because I desired to destroy Kaṁ sa’s allies. To help the Yā davas and others, I became known as Vasudeva’s son and had a semblance of marriages.

Text 42

apy avadhyā yathā smā n svid akṛ ta-jñ ā viś aṅ kayā

nū naṁ bhū tā ni bhagavā n yunakti viyunakti ca

Translation

Do you perhaps think I’m ungrateful and thus hold me in contempt? After all, it is the Supreme Lord who brings living beings together and then separates them.

It is not possible to remember me by my qualities, since I am devoid of qualities like gratitude. But you can remember me by my faults! In order to express this, he speaks to have them forgive his offense. Perhaps (api) you think badly of me, wrongly fearing (visaṅ khya), completely (ā ), that I am ungrateful. Or perhaps you think badly of me, with extreme fear that I am ungrateful. Or perhaps you think badly of me, having decided that I am ungrateful (aviś aṅ kayā ). Or you may think “I consider you like foolish (akṛ ta-jñ ā ) sheep (avi)” since you forget how I helped you develop prema. He speaks out of skill in pacifying them or in great pain to remove his own fault. He indicates that they are all dependent on him.

Or controlled by their prema, in great pain, he forgets his powers. Certainly (nū nam) the Lord or time (bhagavā n) separates and unites people. Though there is union, there is also separation. So there is separation now because of this.

— — — — — — — — —

Controlled by prema, bewildered, not making use of his powers, acting according to the saying lokavat lī lā -kaivalyam (he performs his pastimes like an ordinary human), not seeing an answer to their accusations, he then consoled them by methods of jñ ā na: for certain (nū nam) the Lord brings together and separates all beings.

Text 43

vā yur yathā ghanā nī kaṁ tṛ ṇ aṁ tū laṁ rajā ṁ si ca

saṁ yojyā kṣ ipate bhū yas tathā bhū tā ni bhū ta-kṛ t

Translation

Just as the wind brings together masses of clouds, blades of grass, wisps of cotton and particles of dust, only to scatter them all again, so the creator deals with his created beings in the same way.

An example is given to strengthen the previous statement. As wind brings clouds (ghanā nī kam) together and scatters them, the Lord or time, at the time of creation (bhū ta-kṛ t), brings entities together and then separates them.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

“That means the Lord is pitiless and unjust. ” Just as clouds and other objects move by the whim of the wind, which is natural to it, not with some purpose, the Lord (bhū ta-kṛ t) also deals similarly with all beings.

Text 44

mayi bhaktir hi bhū tā nā m amṛ tatvā ya kalpate

diṣ ṭ yā yad ā sī n mat-sneho bhavatī nā ṁ mad-ā panaḥ

Translation

Rendering devotional service to me qualifies any living being for eternal life. But your prema for me, which has existed to bring the highest fortune, has caused you to attain me directly.

“Time is your aṁ ś a and dependent on you. And you are the supreme Lord. Why do you cheat us, though we have surrendered to you? ” Or having used an example and philosophy to avoid the accusation of being ungrateful, now, being merciful, he comforts them by revealing his greatness.

Even (hi) one of the nine types of bhakti qualifies any being, without further qualification, for being eternal associates. You have constant, pure, tender natures (bhavatī nā m). Your affection is greater than others’ affection. He speaks to them with respect, and conciliation by addressing them with bhavatī nā m. Your affection has caused you to attain me, wherever I am. It strongly attracts me. Thus there is never separation of you from me at any time.

— — — —

— — — — — — — — — -

“Even they have knowledge of my famous powers. ” Thinking of this for a moment, taking support of that, he consoled them appropriately. If I am the Lord, though absorbed in my pastime of killing the enemies, I would not have the power to separate myself from you, being controlled by affection for you. Bhakti to me, even one out of the nine processes (hi), or affection for me, qualifies all beings for liberation. You are most worthy of worship (bhavatī nā m). Your perfection of prema (snehaḥ ), causing both our bhā vas to melt, has caused you to attain me directly. It has strongly pulled you to me. That prema which existed in union and separation is most fortunate, since it makes separation no longer possible.

Text 45

ahaṁ hi sarva-bhū tā nā m ā dir anto ’ntaraṁ bahiḥ

bhautikā nā ṁ yathā khaṁ vā r bhū r vā yur jyotir aṅ ganā ḥ

Translation

Dear ladies, I am the beginning and end of all created beings and exist both within and without them, just as the elements ether, water, earth, air and fire are the beginning and end of all material objects and exist both within and without them.

“Then why is there such long separation? ” Two verses explain. I alone (hi) and not mā yā am the cause (ā di), middle and resting place of creation. I pervade everywhere and thus am situated with you. I cannot give you up because you have such great beauty. O beautiful women (aṅ ganā ḥ )!

— — — — — — —

— — — — — — — — — — — —

“But why is prema the cause of attaining you? ” Because I am the shelter of everything, I alone am suitable for prema, and prema is suitable to attain me. Two verses explain this. This means that very quickly you will attain me eternally. Or the gopī s may ask, “Why is there such long separation like this? ” Then two verses explain. There is a similar statement in the Dā modara pastimes. Na cā ntar na bahir yasya: the Supreme Lord has no beginning and no end. (SB 10. 9. 12) Certainly endowed with my beautiful form, I am the cause (ā di) and the place of dissolution (antaḥ ). I am spread in the middle (antaram). I spread throughout you, and remain there. Actually separation does not exist. O beautiful women! He shows his prema for them by noting their beauty and qualities.

Text 46

evaṁ hy etā ni bhū tā ni bhū teṣ v ā tmā tmanā tataḥ

ubhayaṁ mayy atha pare paś yatā bhā tam akṣ are

Translation

In this way the basic elements of creation pervade the bodies, while the spirit souls pervade their bodies. You should see both of these — the material body and the self — as manifest within me, the Supreme Lord.

Moreover your bodies and ā tmā s exist in me alone. In the manner just stated (evam hi), the five elements exist in the bodies (bhuteṣ u). The ā tmā also spreads in the bodies by itself (ā tmanā ). Both the body and ā tmā are in me. Why? I am the supreme Lord (pare). I am the sole cause of the universe. I am fixed (akṣ are) in playing and herding cows in Vṛ ndā vana. Understand (paś yata) that both your bodies and ā tmā s, always shining beautifully with rasa pastimes (abhā tam), exist in me, fixed in Vrnḍ avana. Or experience this after this time (paś yata). There will never be separation again.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — -

Certainly in the way mentioned (my being the beginning and of all things), the five gross elements exist in the body. The ā tmā spreads by its ś akti in the bodies (tataḥ ) by itself (ā tmanā ) and exists in them. Both the body and the ā tmā exist in me since I am the Supreme Lord (pare), since I am the sole support for the universe. Therefore realize that the body and ā tmā both exist (ā bhā ntam) in me, the Supreme Lord, who exists always and everywhere.

One may object that this statement is completely different from the bhā va of the gopī s. Thus another meaning can be given, just as in Uddhava’s message to the gopī s previously. Verse 45 can be explained as follows. Ahaṅ kā ra (aham) is the beginning and end of all elements. The elements are all included in ahaṅ kā ra. Verse 46 means the following. The objects realized in the prakaṭ a pastimes (etani bhū tā ni), the objects of your possessiveness, purely spiritual objects such as Vṛ ndā vana, exist in the spiritual objects of the aprakaṭ a pastimes (bhū teṣ u). Eko viṣ ṇ ur mahad bhū tam pṛ that bhū tā ny anekaś aḥ: Viṣ ṇ u is the original cause of all causes: he is the chief living

entity, eternally an individual different from all other living entities. (Viṣ ṇ u-sahasra-nā ma-stotra 140) Your identity in the prakā ta pastimes (ā tmā ) is spread with your identity in the aprakaṭ a pastimes. Realize the identity of objects and self in the prakaṭ a and aprakaṭ a pastimes (ubhayam) to be existing in me, the shelter of all things, with whom you associate eternally (akṣ are), playing in Vṛ ndā vana, though I appear as part of this manifested world (pare).

Text 47

ś rī -ś uka uvā ca

adhyā tma-ś ikṣ ayā gopya evaṁ kṛ ṣ ṇ ena ś ikṣ itā ḥ

tad-anusmaraṇ a-dhvasta- jī va-koś ā s tam adhyagan

Translation

Ś ukadeva Gosvā mī said: Having thus been instructed by Kṛ ṣ ṇ a in spiritual matters, the gopī s were freed of all tinges of false ego because of their incessant meditation upon him. And with their deepening absorption in him, they came to understand him fully.

In the manner described, the gopī s were taught by Kṛ ṣ ṇ a with teachings indicating Kṛ ṣ ṇ a (adhyā tma). By contemplating his teachings (tat), they almost destroyed the bodies of their ā tmā s, pained by separation, or they destroyed the characteristics of other jī vas. They understood that he was always performing pastimes like the rā sa dance with them in Vṛ ndā vana.

— — — — — — — — — —

The results of the teachings are described. Having accepted the instructions under the supervision of Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, by constantly thinking of the meaning of what he taught, they destroyed the obstructions to their staying alive — thoughts such as “We will not live. ” Consequently they understood him. They understood that they would attain him. At first they did not know him as the object which they could definitely attain.

The second meaning is as follows, by constant remembrance of his form which spreads everywhere, they developed intense prema: they realized him. By this they destroyed their (ā tma) conviction that they could not attain him (koś a). They then understood that they would attain him (tam adhyagan).

The third meaning is as follows. By remembering his manifestation of his aprakaṭ a pastimes, they destroyed the covering consisting of the prakaṭ a pastimes which caused feelings of separation. These hidden meanings are accepted because of the suggestiveness of the figurative language (jī va-koś ā ḥ ). Others will take the meaning to be “Understanding instructions about ā tmā they understood the ā tmā . ”

Text 48

ā huś ca te nalina-nā bha padā ravindaṁ

yogeś varair hṛ di vicintyam agā dha-bodhaiḥ

saṁ sā ra-kū pa-patitottaraṇ ā valambaṁ

gehaṁ juṣ ā m api manasy udiyā t sadā naḥ

Translation

The gopī s spoke thus: Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogī s and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs.

Though understanding by his words that he was to be attained there, they prayed to him with intense ardor. They indicated his supreme beauty by describing his lotus navel. O Lord with a lotus navel! Comparing his feet to lotuses suggests that his feet produce the sweetest rasa and destroy suffering. Those feet are the best object of meditation (vi — cintyam) in the hearts for those who have mastered bhakti-yoga (yogeś varaiḥ ). They are considered the highest human goal by jñ ā nī s, even by liberated ones. They are the means of deliverance for those who have fallen in saṁ sā ra — the materialists. Thus those feet are the served by bhaktas, muktas and materialists as the means and as the goal. May those feet manifest even once in the house of us gopī s who serve those feet constantly in our minds.

He did not separately pacify Ś rī dā mā and others cowherds since the pacification would be similar to the gopī s in friendship and words. Or he did so, but because it was similar, Ś ukadeva does not describe it.

— — — — — —

Understanding that they would attain him by his words, by taking the meaning of his teachings on ā tmā -jñ ā na as an example or as esoteric communication (parokṣ ā vā da) they became most satisfied. Yet still they prayed to him with intense ardor. They indicate his supreme beauty by describing his lotus navel. O Lord with a lotus navel! Comparing his feet to lotuses suggests that his feet produce the sweetest rasa and destroy suffering. Those feet are the best object of meditation (vi — cintyam) in the hearts for those who have mastered bhakti-yoga (yogeś varaiḥ ). They are considered the highest human goal by jñ ā nī s, even by liberated ones. They are the means of deliverance for those who have fallen in saṁ sā ra — the materialists. Thus those feet are the served by bhaktas, muktas and materialists as the means and as the goal. May those feet manifest even once in the house of us gopī s who serve those feet constantly in our minds.

Or, by first calling out to him “O Lord with a lotus navel” they indicate to this special person the intolerable and unacceptable situation of separation up to this time. Being most unfortunate, let us forget about even a trace of news concerning seeing you, O Lord with the lotus navel! May your lotus feet appear in our minds by remembrance of your instructions. But this seems impossible. Those feet should be the object of meditation for the masters of yoga, nor for us, since we faint on beginning to remember those feet. They expand on this. Those feet are the object of meditation for those whose intelligence is without agitation, even if they directly see those feet (agā dha-bodhaiḥ ), but not by us, since we become agitated and constantly faint just by desiring to see those feet. The Lord himself spoke to Uddhava:

mayi tā ḥ preyasā ṁ preṣ ṭ he dū ra-sthe gokula-striyaḥ

smarantyo ’ṅ ga vimuhyanti virahautkaṇ ṭ hya-vihvalā ḥ

My dear Uddhava, for those women of Gokula I am the most cherished object of love. Thus when they remember me, who am so far away, they are overwhelmed by the anxiety of separation. SB 10. 46. 5

By comparing his feet to lotuses they suggest that by touching his feet they can be relieved of suffering. But simply remembering those feet will not give relief. “But just as meditation by yogī s destroys the suffering of saṁ sā ra, it will destroy your suffering of separation. Therefore you should put those feet in your minds. ” Though those feet deliver persons who have fallen in saṁ sā ra, they will not deliver us, who have drowned in the ocean of separation. By thinking of your feet we will experience an increase of suffering. “Having come here, you can constantly experience me directly. ” We live in others’ houses and are not independent (gṛ ham jusā m).

Or, that meeting should be in the place where you previously had pastimes with us, in Gokula, in our own homes, which we perceive as our natural homes, where our desires can be fulfilled, not in Dvā rakā. They had great affection for him alone, with their special desires. Their sentiment is expressed in the following verse.

yaḥ kaumā ra-haraḥ sa eva hi varas tā eva caitra-kṣ apā s

te conmī lita-mā latī -surabhayaḥ prauḍ hā ḥ kadambā nilā ḥ

sā caivā smi tathā pi tatra surata-vyā pā ra-lī lā -vidhau

revā -rodhasi vetasī -taru-tale cetaḥ samutkaṇ ṭ hate

That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of mā latī flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Revā under the Vetasī tree. That is my desire. Padyā valī

Therefore they express distaste because they could not to think of his feet in their minds and because he was not able to personally come to Vraja.

dhā rayanty ati-kṛ cchreṇ a prā yaḥ prā ṇ ā n kathañ cana

pratyā gamana-sandeś air ballavyo me mad-ā tmikā ḥ

Simply because I have promised to return to them, my fully devoted cowherd girlfriends struggle to maintain their lives somehow or other. SB 46. 6

Since we have become lifeless because of you, only if you come to Vṛ ndā vana will we be free of suffering.

The cowherd boys like Ś rī dā ṁ ā did not come since they did not feel separation after being instructed by Uddhava. They stayed in Gokula to protect the cows. Therefore Kṛ ṣ ṇ a meeting them at Kurukṣ etra is not described.

Chapter Eighty-three

Text 1

ś rī -ś uka uvā ca

tathā nugṛ hya bhagavā n gopī nā ṁ sa gurur gatiḥ

yudhiṣ ṭ hiram athā pṛ cchat sarvā ṁ ś ca suhṛ do ’vyayam

Translation

Ś ukadeva Gosvā mī said: Thus Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, the gopī s’ instructor and eternal goal, showed them his mercy. He then met with Yudhiṣ ṭ hira and all his other relatives and inquired from them about their welfare.

By speaking or in that way (tathā ), the Lord showed mercy to the gopī s because he was their instructor (guru) and their goal, the means and object of attainment. After that (atha), since he should give the gopī s mercy first since they were the best, with special prema, he met with Yudhiṣ ṭ hira. He is mentioned first since he was dearest, as the king, and the best among friends.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

Having summarized the conversation of the gopī s with Kṛ ṣ ṇ a on their first day of meeting, other dealings with them on other days are understood. He made them understand that just as he was the guru he was their attainment. This was the essence of his instructions. Secondarily his conversations with Yudhiṣ ṭ hira and others are praised. He gave the gopī s mercy according to their prayer (tathā ) because he alone was their instructor and the goal whom they eternally possessed (gatiḥ ).

After that (atha) he inquired from Yudhiṣ ṭ hira since their fate until that time had been unclear. It is understood that previous to this he had not asked them, what to speak of other persons. This description is given to show that Kṛ ṣ ṇ a valued the gopī s most of all. He inquired about Yudhiṣ ṭ hira’s health free of injury (avyayam).

Text 2

ta evaṁ loka-nā thena paripṛ ṣ ṭ ā ḥ su-sat-kṛ tā ḥ

pratyū cur hṛ ṣ ṭ a-manasas tat-pā dekṣ ā -hatā ṁ hasaḥ

Translation

Feeling greatly honored, King Yudhiṣ ṭ hira and the others, freed of all sinful reactions by seeing the feet of the Lord of the universe, and gladly answered his inquiries.