anugrahAya bhaktAnAM mAnuSaM deham AzritaH |bhajate tAdRzIH krIDA yAH zrutvA tat-paro bhavet || (bhag. 10.33.36)
"To show favor to His devotees He appears in a human form, enjoying such pastimes upon hearing of which one must become completely devoted to Him."
After Sri Krishna and His associates disappeared from the visible realm of Vraja, various schools of thought and practice, intent on attaining His service, arose. In due course of time, Sri Krishna Himself, eager to taste the sweetness of His own service, descended to this world in the form of a great teacher and devotee named Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, known as Visvambhara during His earlier life.
prema-rasa-niryAsa karite AsvAdana |rAga-mArga bhakti loke karite pracAraNa ||rasika-zekhara kRSNa parama-karuNa |ei dui hetu haite icchAra udgama || (cc 1.4.15-16)
"Sri Krishna is the crest-jewel of relishers and the most merciful one. His desire [to descend to this world] arose out of two reasons, as he wished to taste the essence of loving rapture and to broadcast devotion on the path of raga to the world."
The unprecedented contribution of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the realm of raganuga-bhakti has been narrated as follows:
anarpita-carIM cirAt karuNayAvatIrNaH kalau |samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasAM sva-bhakti-zriyam ||hariH puraTa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandIpitaH |sadA hRdaya-kandare sphuratu vaH zacI-nandanaH || (Vidagdha-madhava 1.2)
"Out of His causeless mercy, He descended in this age of Kali to bestow the matchless treasure of the rapture of amorous love in His own service, which had not been given since a long time. May this son of Saci, Hari radiant with the enchanting complexion of multitude of gold, always be manifest in the core of your heart!"
The concept of amorous love was certainly present in the bhakti-traditions predating Sri Caitanya. What, then, is His unique contribution? It is a unique variety of amorous love in servitude. Amorous love (kama-rupa-bhakti) is divided into two distinct categories.
kAmAnugA bhavet tRSNA kAma-rUpAnugAminI || (brs 1.2.297)
"The following of amorous feelings (kamanuga) appears as a thirst for following in the wake of that which consists of amorous feeling (kama-rupa)."
sambhogecchA-mayI tat-tad-bhAvecchAtmeti sA dvidhA || (brs 1.2.298)
"Its two divisions are (1) filled with desire for union (sambhogecchamayi) and (2) consisting of a desire for Her feelings (tad-bhaveccatma)."
keli-tAtparyavaty eva sambhogecchA-mayI bhavet |tad-bhAvecchAtmikA tAsAm bhAva-mAdhurya-kAmitA || (brs 1.2.299)
"That which aims for amorous sports is known as sambhogecchamayi, and that which longs for the sweetness of the feelings is known as tad-bhavecchatmika."
The desire for union is understood to consist of four kinds of longing for union.
sandarzana-saMjalpa-saMsparza-samprayoga-lakSaNa-bheda-catuSTaya-bhinnatvaM dRzyate || (Priti-sandarbha 375)
"The four different categories are understood as the various appearances of seeing, discussion, touching and sexual union."
Particularly the last two forms of sambhoga characterize the sambhogecchamayi-devotion. The second division of amorous devotion, which consists solely of the longing to relish the sweetness of the feelings of Sri Radha, devoid of even a scent of desire for bodily enjoyment with Sri Krishna, is known as manjari-bhava; this is the mood of the maidservants of Sri Radha. The eminent glories of the love of Sri Radha, the foremost among the consorts of Sri Krishna, are narrated throughout the scriptures and the poetry of the saints. Indeed, She is the very embodiment of love for the Lord.
hlAdinIra sAra aMza tAra 'prema' nAma |Ananda-cinmaya-rasa premera AkhyAna || (cc 2.8.159)
"The essential aspect of the pleasure-giving potency (hladini) of Sri Krishna is called ecstatic love (prema), which is understood as joy filled with rapturous mellows."
premera parama-sAra 'mahAbhAva' jAni |sei mahAbhAva-rUpA rAdhA-ThAkurANI || (cc 2.8.160)
"The supreme pinnacle of prema is known to be maha-bhava, and Sri Radha Thakurani is the embodiment of this maha-bhava."
premera 'svarUpa-deha' prema-vibhAvita |kRSNera preyasI-zreSThA jagate vidita || (cc 2.8.162)
"Her body is the very embodiment of prema and a transformation of prema. Throughout the world, She is known to be the dearmost among Sri Krishna's beloveds."
sei mahAbhAva haya 'cintAmaNi-sAra' |kRSNa-vAJchA pUrNa kare ei kArya tAGra || (cc 2.8.164)
"This maha-bhava is the the essence of a divine touch-stone; Her task is to fulfill all the desires of Sri Krishna."
When one's love for the beloved of Sri Krishna exceeds one's love for Him, this condition is known as the jubilant arising of attachment (bhavollasa-rati), the foundational mood of a maidservant of Sri Radha.
saJcArI syAt samAno vA kRSNa-ratyAH suhRd-ratiH |adhikA puSyamANA ced bhAvollAsa itIryate || (brs 2.5.128)
"When the affection for Sri Krishna and a dear one are equal, the feeling is known as a transitory feeling, but when devotion to a dear one is nourished and becomes dominant, the feeling is known as bhavollasa-rati."
The pinnacle of divine joy which is present in the heart of Sri Radha becomes reflected into the hearts of Her dedicated maidservants, thus causing them to taste love which far exceeds any other form loving relish both in quantity and in quality.
pataty asre sAsrA bhavati pulake jAta-pulakAH |smite bhAti smerA malimani jAte sumalinAH ||anAsAdya svAlIr mukuram abhivIkSya sva-vadanaM |sukhaM vA duHkhaM vA kimapi kathanIyaM mRgadRzaH ||(krishnahnika-kaumudi 5.128)
"Oh doe-eyed beauties! When your girlfriends are absent, you may have to look at a mirror before you can say whether you are happy or sad. They reflect every mood of yours, they perform all the services of a looking glass! When tears fall from your eyes they also cry; when you are excited, their hairs stand on end; when you laugh they also do so; and when you become depressed, they also look down-hearted."
This manjari-bhava is the unique contribution of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the cherished treasure of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. One who desires to attain the ultimate goal of life should diligently study the writings of the saints on the subject matter of raganuga-bhakti.
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