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“Though Krishna dominates and owns these gopis, the gopi named Radha has a unique position” — Vraja Kishor das |
Part 2 of 12 - Krishna, the Source of all Rasa
Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu begins with an introduction composed of six verses. This introduction is meant to invoke auspiciousness by glorifying venerable persons, requesting and offering benedictions, and stating the books objective.
In Text Six, Rupa Goswami states that the objective of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu is simply to please his dear friends. In Text Five he requests a benediction for his book, and thus grants a benediction to its readers, that Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu’s meaning will never be corrupted by interpretations considering anything except bhakti to be the ultimate goal of religion. Texts one through four offer glorifications to venerable persons: Text Four to Vaishnavas, Text Three to Sanatana Goswami, Rupa’s guru, Text Two to Shree Chaitanya, and Text One to Radha and Krishna.
In this article we will have a closer look at Text One:
Akhila-rasAmRta-mUrtiH prasRmara-ruci-ruddha-tArakA-pAliH | kalita shyAmA-lalito rAdhA-preyAn vidhur jayati ||1||
At first glance this appears to be a glorification of the moon (“vidhur”). The moon is called “Radha’s Beloved” (“rAdhA-preyAn”) because it passes most closely to the star called “Radha.” The moon’s radiant luster (“prasRmara-ruci”) dominates (“ruddha”) all the stars (“tArakA”) of the galaxy (“pAliH”), and takes possession of (“kalita”) the romantic gracefulness (“lalita”) of the dark night (“shyAmA”). The moon is the embodiment and source (“mUrtiH”) of all flavor (“rasa”) and vitality (“amRta”), for in Sanskritic thought, the moonlight gives flavor and vitality to all vegetation.
Though the word vidhu means, “moon,” it also means “The self-originating Godhead, who is above all others in a class by himself, and who shakes away or cuts down all miseries at the root.”
This meaning of vidhu casts light on a deeper dimension of this verse, showing it to be a glorification of Krishna, the form of Godhead who is Radharani’s beloved (“rAdhA-preyAn vidhuH”). Like the moon, Krishna is the embodiment and source of all pleasure (“rasa”) and life (“amRta”), including the eternal pleasure (“rasAmRta”) of all transcendental loving exchanges. As the moon’s luster dominates all the stars of the galaxy, radiant Krishna dominates the heart and minds of gopis like Taraka (“She who is star-like”) and Palika (“She who is like a galaxy of stars”). As the moon takes possession the romantic gracefulness of the dark night, Krishna takes possession of the hearts and minds of gopis like Lalita (“She who is graceful”) and Shyama (“She who is dark,” or “She who belongs to the dark one, Krishna”).
Though Krishna dominates and owns these gopis, the gopi named Radha has a unique position, for Krishna is her possession (“rAdhA-preyAn vidhu”).
In this text the word jayati, an expression of glorification, is in present tense - signifying that Krishna is not person of the past. Krishna, like the moon, always exists, though he is not always visible to everyone.
Loving exchange with Krishna, the source of all rasa-amrita, is the subject of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, which we will have a closer look at in the remaining articles in this series:
Part
Three - Definition of Uttama Bhakti
Part Four - Six Hallmarks of Uttama Bhakti
Part Five - Sadhana Bhakti
Part Six - Vaidhi Sadhana Bhakti
Part Seven - Raganuga Sadhana Bhakti
Part Eight - Bhava Bhakti
Part Nine - Prema Bhakti
Part Ten - An Overview of Rasa
Part Eleven - The Primary Rasas
Part Twelve - The Associated Rasas
© CHAKRA 11-Mar-2000
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