A Devotee Is Magnanimous (Sajjana – Vadanya)

Overview

Continuing with Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda’s exposition on the twenty-six qualities of a devotee, in this article from Sajjana Toṣaṇī (Vol.20, Issue 7) published in 1917, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes the magnanimous nature of Śrī Caitanya, His non-difference from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the magnanimity of the devotees, and the erroneous conclusions of the gaura-nāgarīs.

Articles in This Series:
There is no generosity in the fourteen worlds or elsewhere that matches that of Śrī Gaurasundara. Those who have taken shelter at His feet, having received such unparalleled mercy, are also generous in distributing it with open hands. That highest, most effulgent bhakti-rasa, which was not given in the Satya, Treta, and Dvapara-yugas due to the unworthiness of the jīvas, has now been offered even to those who are unqualified. Śrī Nanda-nandana’s boundless sweetness is available to the eternally perfected devotees who are free from offences and expert in bhajana. Yet, our worshipable Śrī Śacī-dulāla, the crest-jewel of magnanimity, is tirelessly engaged in freeing the weak jīvas from their intoxicated materialistic mentality, from their offences and from their temporary conceptions, and engaging them in the supremely rare, intimate service of Śrī Vrajendra-nandana.

In order to liberate the bound jīva from the clutches of corrupt, deceptive teachers, that Śrī Gaurahari has said that those devotees who possess a proper service attitude towards Bhagavān, who have renounced all material adherence and are eager to cross the ocean of material contamination, should not engage in any association with or advice from women and those who are associated with women. If one does so, one will be tormented by material desires and will be expelled from a pure position amongst the devotees of Śrī Gaurahari for eternity. *(1)

The only worshippable object is Śrī Gaurasundara, who is non-different from Śrī Vrajendra-nandana. He alone is the Controller of all jīvas, the Supreme Lord of matter, the embodiment of sac-cid-ānanda who is without beginning, the origin of all, and the cause of all causes. Mahāprabhu-Kṛṣṇa is the sole supreme viṣaya (object of love) of aprākṛta-rasa. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is His avalambana (support) or aprākṛta-āśraya (transcendental subject in love). Baladeva is the expansion of the viṣaya – His prakāśa (direct manifestation) or vaibhava (pastime-avatāras), of that viṣaya. From the vaibhava-avatātas of the viṣaya, the spiritual realm and all the prabhāva-avatāras manifest, firstly as Vāsudeva who is the viṣaya–vigraha of aiśvarya-rasa, the mellows of awe and majesty. From Rādhikā – the original āśraya – all the damsels of Vraja, who are vaibhava-avatāras of the āśraya, those who are prakāśa-avatāras of the āśraya headed by Revatī, the queens of Dvārakā, the Lakṣmīs in Paravyoma, and occasional avatāras such as Sītā, are eternally manifested.

The Lord, who is the sole object of supreme sweetness, the embodiment of sac-cid-ānanda, the Son of Yaśodā, has Himself eternally accepted Rādhikā’s own service-oriented heart disposition, in the form of Śrī Gaurāṅga, accepting the mood (bhāva) of the āśraya within Kṛṣṇa’s independent abode of Goloka, where They engage in eternal playful pastimes. Kṛṣṇa has no other eternal līlā apart from gaura-līlā where He accepts the mood of the āśraya. Accepting the mood of the viṣaya, there is no other eternal līlā of Gaurāṅga except for kṛṣṇa-līlā. That bestower of madhura-rasa, being most magnanimous, remains eternally worshipable by Śrī Rūpa who has proclaimed:

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

I offer my respects unto Kṛṣṇa, who is supremely magnanimous, who distributes kṛṣṇa-prema and has appeared in a golden form with the name ‘Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.53)

Thus, He is always engaged in His eternal worship. In a sweet language, the magnanimous devotee, Kavirāja Gosvāmī has written that by material analysis, one cannot falsely adorn Mahāprabhu as a nāgara (a lover of women), and a sādhaka cannot perform bhajana adorned as a nāgarī (a female lover). In relation to taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, or gaura-līlā, there is no secret deception or immorality. The supreme truth has been taught by that most magnanimous One. He is not a debauchee with the mood of a gaura-nāgarī.

mahāprabhura bhakta-gaṇera vairāgya pradhāna
yāhā dekhi prīta hana gaura-bhagavān

Renunciation is the primary principle of the devotees of Mahāprabhu. Seeing this, Gaura Bhagavān becomes happy. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 6.220)

prabhu kahe vairāgī kare prakṛti sambhāṣaṇa
dekhite nā pāroṅ āmi tāhāra vadana
durvāra indriya kare viṣaya-grahaṇa
dāravī prakṛti hare munerapi mana

The Lord said – I cannot look at the face of a renunciate who converses with women. The senses are so strong that they desire to accept the objects of the senses. Even the mind of a muni is attracted to the wooden form of a woman. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 2.117-118)

prabhu kahe mora vaśa nahe mora mana
prakṛti-sambhāṣī vairāgī nā kare darśana

The Lord said – My mind is not under My control! It refuses to see a renunciate who speaks with women. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 2.124)

tabe śrīvāsa tāra vṛttānta kahila
yaiche saṅkalpa yaiche triveṇī praveśila
śuni hāsi prabhu kahe suprasanna citta
prakṛti darśana kaile ei prāyaścitta

Then Śrīvāsa gave a report of Choṭa Haridāsa’s decision and how he entered the Triveṇi. Hearing this, the Lord smiled and with a happy heart replied – This is the atonement for one who looks lustfully at women. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 2.164-165)

asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
strī-saṅgī eka asādhu kṛṣṇābhakta āra

The conduct of a Vaiṣṇava is to reject materialistic association such as those who are attached to women, the impious and those who are not devotees of Kṛṣṇa. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.87)

bhakta-vatsala kṛtajṣa samartha vadānya
hena kṛṣṇa chāḍi paṇḍita nāhi bhaje anya

The Lord is most kind to His devotees, most capable and magnanimous. A learned person will never abandon the worship of Kṛṣṇa for anyone else. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.95)

If all those persons who, in the name of gaura-bhajana that follow the practices of the sahajiyās, bāulas, cuḍādhārīs, gaura-nāgarīs, etc., abuse pure devotees with harsh language, considering them to be materialistic like themselves, then due to this, the world will not recognise such gaura-nāgarīs as magnanimous, and only the devotees will understand who is truly magnanimous. The magnanimous Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has written rasa-śāstras that clearly explain that rasa which is related to material objects, for the benefit of the foolish followers of modern philosophies, spiritually immature practitioners that will come in the future, as well as their group leaders. For that reason, none of the conclusions of the ungenerous gaura-nāgarīs have found a place in his books.

No devotee of Gaura desires to become a false devotee. Is it necessary to adopt this false mood of being a nāgarī , this false, imaginary conception, and to be a false devotee, when in His pastimes, Kṛṣṇa Himself, accepting the mood of the āśraya, has neither manifested this in gaura-līlā, nor given any qualification to manifest it? Is it necessary to pretend to be a devotee, and in the absence of any śāstrika evidence, proper reasoning, or the authority of the mahājanas, impose immoral behaviour to the pure and impeccable character of Gaurāṅga? You simply make yourself out to be an obstinate person who is opposed to Kṛṣṇa.

No one who is genuinely magnanimous gives encouragement to a false devotee. The supremely magnanimous Gaurasundara does not say that there is no atonement for one who engages in pāpa. One who is a pure devotee, inclined towards the service of Hari, neither engages in pāpa which is rooted in personal sense enjoyment, nor gives encouragement to pāpa. In order to teach the devotees about aversion to Hari, Śrī Gaurasundara did not secretly engage in indulgent behaviour or immoral acts with the women of Nadīyā. Hari Dāsa Ṭhākura, the associate of Gaura, did not secretly engage in immoral activities with the prostitute sent by Rāmacandra Khāṅ. Mother Mīrābāi is not the consort of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is astonishing that, based on their erroneous interpretations of the śloka, antaḥ kṛṣṇa bahir gaura,*(2) some jīvas known as gaura-nāgarīs who are opposed to Gaura, describe Him, not as the supremely magnanimous jagad-guru, but as a clandestine debauchee. Such a mistaken belief that Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are immoral has led the indulgent gaura-nāgarīs to become opponents of Gaurāṅga and to mislead others.

I hope that the magnanimous pure devotees will, by making the false devotees of Gaura hear transcendental narrations of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, destroy the inner desires of the gaura-nāgarī group which are rooted in mundane sensual pleasure. If this is done, then everyone will recognise pure gaura-bhaktas to be sajjanas (virtuous devotees) and vadanya (magnanimous).

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Translator’s Notes:

1) ‘Association with women’ in this context obviously refers to illicit association with women.

2) The verse, antaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ bahir gauraṁ (‘Internally, He is Kṛṣṇa and externally, He is Gaura’) was composed by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and is found in his Tattva Sandarbha. The gaura-nāgarīs misinterpret this verse and claim that antaḥ kṛṣṇa means that Mahāprabhu internally nurtured the mood of Kṛṣṇa as a nāgara (playboy) and enjoyed with the women of Nadīyā, but externally showed the form of Gaura.

(Translated by Swami Bhaktivijṣāna Giri)