Why not focusing on our common goal?
I would like to share a very nice excerpt from a lecture given by Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
Murwillumbah, Australia: April 28, 2005 [Part 1]
(The second class in the lecture series on Raya Ramananda Samvad)
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I will now give an explanation of the words “sva-bhakti siddhanta caranmrtani” in the above-mentioned first verse of this chapter. You should know the definition of sva-bhakti, according to the understanding given by Srila Rupa Gosvami:
anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam
harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah
sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah“May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 1.4)
Sva means “Her own.” “Her own” means Srimati Radhika and Her own special moods of sneha, maan, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava, adiruddha, mohan, and then up to madan.
Even Lord Krsna has no madan; He has only up to mahabhava – and not even adiruddha mahabhava. Only Lalita, Visakha and other gopis like them have these moods, although they do not have madan. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a combination of Sri Krsna and Sri Radha.
Sva-bhakti is Radhika’s bhakti to Krsna, the love of Radhika for Sri Krsna. Kamatmika-bhakti (madhurya-rasa) has two divisions. One division is called ullasa-mayi-rati, and that is the mood of the manjari, a maidservant of Sri Radha. A jiva can never have the mood of Radhika. If Lalita and Visakha cannot have Her mood, and Sri Krsna cannot have Her mood, how can a jiva have it? By constitution, a jiva who has a relationship with Krsna in madhurya rasa has the eligibility only for this manjari-bhava.
You should think that practically all those in this audience, those of you who are hearing of manjari-bhava, have that bhava in your constitution. You should think that those who are attracted to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are very fortunate. Those who have come to His line have done so because of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami is internally Rupa Manjari.
How many are you? In number, you are practically nothing. In this entire creation, all of you together are not even one drop. One drop has so many particles, and those particles can be divided into still more particles. So your number is almost nothing. Don’t doubt this. You are very fortunate that you are attracted to this line. Otherwise, you could have gone to Ramanuja, Madhavacarya, Visnusvami or Nimbarka.
Only Caitanya Mahaprabhu could have brought this understanding to the world. Before Him there was no such same bhakti-rasa (raganuga-bhakti and rupanuga-bhakti).
Mahaprabhu especially ordered Sri Svarupa Damodara and Sri Raya Ramananda to sprinkle their mercy upon Srila Rupa Gosvami, so that he could be qualified to realize the Lord’s mood and establish it in the world – and Rupa Gosvami did establish it. The stayi-bhava (permanent transcendental emotion or relationship) discussed herein is of the manjaris, and it is called bhava-ullasa-rati . It is not directly in relation to Sri Krsna. The manjaris have more inclination towards Srimati Radhika.
radhika-dasi yadi haya abhimana
sigrai milai taba gokula-kana“If you develop pride in being Srimati Radhika’s exclusive maidservant, then you will very quickly meet Gokula Kana (Sri Krsna).”
(Sri Radha-Bhajana Mahima, Glorification of Worship to Sri Radha by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, verse 5)
If Srimati Radhika is unhappy, in a mood of lamenting and crying, Sri Rupa Manjari will also be crying. At that time Lalita and Visakha can console Radhika, but Rupa Manjari cannot. The same moods relished by Srimati Radhika will manifest in the heart of Rupa Manjari. Seeing her master, she will weep like her master, so how can she console Her? Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari and Lavanga Manjari cannot console Her. Their moods are very exalted.
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami brought the news of all the rasas to this world:
nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam
suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam
muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah“O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad-Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami). Therefore, this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.3)
However, only Caitanya Mahaprabhu brought this manjari mood. It is written in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, fourth chapter:
prema-rasa-niryasa karite asvadana
raga-marga bhakti loke karite pracarana
rasika-sekhara krsna parama-karuna
ei dui hetu haite icchara udgama“The Lord’s desire to appear was born from two reasons: the Lord wanted to taste the sweet essence of the mellow of love of God, and He wanted to propagate devotional service in the world on the platform of spontaneous attraction. Thus He is known as supremely jubilant and as the most merciful of all.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 4.15-16)
The glory of Sriman Mahaprabhu is expressed in this verse. He gave the process to attain the highest goal attainable by a jiva, but it is very rare that one will be able to enter it. How did He do it? He first inspired the heart of Raya Ramananda, just as the ocean water becomes a cloud in an unseen way. If that cloud touches the top of any mountain, or if it touches the many trees in a forest or jungle, it melts. In this connection Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is compared with the forest and the mountain. In this comparison, He may be compared to these two, along with the ocean. He may be compared to all three.
The cloud of Raya Ramananda “melted,” and the drops of water during the svati constellation’s showered down into the ocean. In other words, Raya Ramananda’s words entered the ears of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Mahaprabhu was now extremely satisfied. Ramananda Raya was then given the darsana of Rasaraja-mahabhava (Krsna and Radha as one), and he fainted.
This mood is called raganuga and rupanuga as well. Rupanuga was included. All raganuga devotees are not rupanuga but all rupanuga devotees are truly raganuga. The nectar coming from the cloud of Raya Ramananda was very sweet – more so than nectar. It was rupanuga – especially the mood of Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari and Lavanga Manjari. Bhakti is the embodiment of eternal bliss, and it is tasteful to the utmost extent.
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Amrita-Tarangini 