श्रीचैतन्य-मनोऽभीष्टं स्थापितं येन भूतले ।
सोऽयं रूपः कदा मह्यं ददाति स्वपदान्तिकम् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-caitanya-mano’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhūtale |
so’yaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti svapadāntikam || 2 ||

         When will Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, who has established within this world the most cherished object of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s heart, give me a place at his lotus feet?

Maṅgalācaraṇa

Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the first śloka, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya offered an obeisance type of maṅgalācaraṇa by means of a guru-vandanā, or homage to his teacher. In this śloka, by remembering his most beloved Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with Śrī Caitanya’s dear companion, the crest-jewel of Vaiṣṇavas Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, he has very elegantly performed an invocation in the form of establishing the subject matter (vastu-nirdeśa) and offering blessings (āśīrvāda).

To fulfill an unprecedented, wonderful desire he had in vraja-līlā, svayaṁ bhagavān Śrī Vrajendranandana, the dwelling house of unequalled beauty and sweetness, assumed the mood and complexion of Śrī Rādhā and became Gaura. His heart’s desire was of two parts, the primary one for himself and the secondary one for the world.

Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya said to Śrīman Mahāprabhu: nija gūḍha-kārya tomāra prema āsvādana, ānuṣaṅge premamaya kaile tribhubana. “Your own secret purpose was to taste prema yourself, but incidentally you also caused the three worlds to be filled with it.” (CC. M. 8.280) kaichana rādhā-premā kaichana (mora) madhurimā, kaichana bhābe tiṅho bhora. “What is the nature of Rādhā’s love? What is the nature of my own sweetness? What is the nature of the state in which she is engrossed?” In the mood of Rādhā, Śrī Caitanyadeva fulfilled these three desires in endless ways. Having personally tasted that truth, the desire arose within him to cause all of mankind to experience as Śrīmatī’s maidservants the sweetness of rādhā-prema. He established and proclaimed that desire in this world through his own dear companion Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda.

In his commentary on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written, śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhor mano’bhīṣṭaṁ mano’bhilaṣitaṁ śrīmad-bhagavad-bhakti-rasa-śāstraṁ bhūtale yena rūpeṇa sthāpitaṁ nirūpitam. The meaning is that Śrī Caitanyadeva’s desire, namely, that scriptures describing bhagavad-bhakti-rasa be established within this world, was fulfilled by Śrī Rūpa. Even though there were various bhakti-rasa-śāstras circulated prior to the Caitanya Era, Mahāprabhu’s specific contribution, the lofty ujjvala-rasamaya-bhakti (devotion pervaded by the sentiment of unrestrained love or passion) following the mood of the beautiful young girls of Vraja, was introduced and described by Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda in Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu, Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi, Vidagdha-Mādhava-Nāṭaka, Lalita-Mādhava-Nāṭaka, Stava-Mālā and others. That ujjvala-rasa of Vraja was previously beyond the reach of even Brahmā, Śiva and Uddhava, but by the mercy of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, the mantra-draṣṭā-ṛṣi_ (a sage who sees mantras)  Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has composed many rasika books and dramas to enable even ordinary kali-yuga-jīvas to taste the nectar. Other than Śrī Rūpa, no one was able to impart this subject matter. The natural form of Śrī Bhagavān is rasa. If he hadn’t descended as the cloud of mercy Śrī Gaurāṅga to bless the world, the jīvas would never have been able to receive this rasa. By the direct inspiration of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has propagated the knowledge of rasa-tattva. Śrī Rūpa personally mentioned this in the beginning of his Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu:

hṛdi yasya preraṇayā pravartito’haṁ varāka-rūpo’pi |
tasya hareḥ pada-kamalaṁ vande caitanya-devasya ||

“I praise the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva, by whom I have been inspired and engaged in the composition of this book about bhakti-rasa, though I am nothing more than an insignificant jīva.”

At Mahāprabhu’s urging, his dear companion Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has established the Lord’s beloved vraja-rasa within this world via the medium of books. Therefore, those who are very eager to taste the sweet, most exalted transcendental bhāgavata-rasa of Vraja must take shelter at the feet of Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, the beloved associate of Śrī Gaurasundara, the giver of rasa and embodiment of blissful līlā, and make a serious study of the rasa-granthas he has composed.

By the mercy of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, Śrī Rūpa has had great success in establishing this subject matter. After Śrī Mahāprabhu, along with his associates, heard Śrī Rūpa’s drama narrated in Nāmācārya Śrī Haridāsa’s hut in Nīlācala, he and Śrī Rāmānanda had a discussion about the drama that gave a glowing testament to Rūpa’s success:

eta śuni rāya kahe prabhura caraṇe |
rūpera kabitva praśaṁsi sahasra badane ||
kabitva nā haya ei amṛtera dhāra |
nāṭaka-lakṣaṇa saba siddhāntera sāra ||
prema-paripāṭī ei adbhuta barṇana |
śuni citta-karṇera haya ānanda-ghūrṇana ||
kiṁ kāvyena kaves tasya kiṁ kāṇḍena dhanūṣmataḥ |
parasya hṛdaye lagnaṁ na ghūrṇayati yac-chiraḥ ||
tomāra śakti binu ei jībe nahe bāṇī |
tumi śakti diyā kahāo hena anumāni ||
prabhu kahe—prayāge iṅhāra haila milana |
iṅhāra guṇe iṅhāte āmāra tuṣṭa haila mana ||

madhura prasanna iṅhāra kābya sālaṅkāra |
aiche kabitva binu nahe rasera pracāra ||
sabe kṛpā kari iṅhāre deha ei bara |
braja-līlā prema-rasa barṇe nirantara ||

Hearing this, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya submitted at the lotus feet of Śrīman Mahāprabhu the greatness of Śrī Rūpa’s poetic ability, praising it as though with a thousand mouths. “This is not just poetry; it is a rather a stream of nectar. Expressed indirectly as a drama, it is actually the cream of all philosophical conclusions. If one hears this wonderful description of the course of prema, one’s mind and ears will reel with joy. ‘What good are a poet’s verses or an archer’s arrows that, when they penetrate another’s heart, don’t cause his head to spin?’ Without your power, a jīva cannot speak; if you give him that power, he can say something. This is what I think.”

Mahāprabhu replied, “I met him at Prayāga and was very satisfied by his good qualities. His poetry is very sweet, clear and ornate. Without such literary skill, one cannot bring the rasa forth. All of you be merciful and give him the blessing that he may incessantly describe the prema-rasa of vraja-līlā.” (CC.Ant.1.192-199)

To one who hears, chants and remembers Śrī Rūpa’s prema-rasamaya poetry, which appeared by the mercy of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, mundane sentiments and flavors become unattractive. Those who taste that transcendent rasa by hearing and chanting are very fortunate and successful. This can be understood from the following words of a mahājana:

pīyūṣa-sāra-śiśirān api candra-pādān dhīrān madhurāṁś ca madhoḥ samīrān‌ |
vāñchanti ke bhuvi tathāmṛta-sindhu-pūrān śrī-rūpa-pāda-kavitāṁ surasāṁ nipīya ||

“Having once tasted the delicious poetry of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who on earth cares about the cooling, nectarous rays of the moon, or the sweet, gentle breezes of spring, or even oceans filled with ambrosia?”

paśyanti ke surāvali-ramaṇīyatāṁ tāṁ mandākinī-vikaca-kāñcana-padma-lakṣmīm |
sampūrṇa-śārada-sudhākara-maṇḍalaṁ vā śrī-rūpa-pāda-kavitāṁ surasāṁ nipīya ||

“Having once tasted the delicious poetry of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who even glances upon the beauty, grace and charm of the gods, or a lovely full-blown golden lotus in the heavenly Mandākinī, or the globe of the full moon in autumn?”

ke vā rasāla-mukuleṣv ali-jhaṅkṛtāni śṛṇvanti kinnara-vadhū-kalakaṇṭhi-nādan |
kuñjeṣu mañju-kala-kokila-kūjitaṁ vā śrī-rūpa-pāda-kavitāṁ surasāṁ nipīya ||

“Having once tasted the delicious poetry of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who listens to the buzzing of the black bees as they alight upon the fresh buds of the mango tree, or the sweet voices of the wives of the celestial singers, or the melodious warbling of the cuckoos in the forest bowers?”

Later on, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmipāda traveled from Śrī Vṛndāvana through the Jhārikhaṇḍa Forest to visit Śrīman Mahāprabhu at Nīlācala. During this journey his body became afflicted by oozing sores. When he reached Nīlācala and was embraced by Śrīman Mahāprabhu, he felt disgusted with himself and wanted to end his life by falling under the wheel of one of the giant carts. Mahāprabhu forbade Sanātana to do so and told him that he must help spread his cherished dharma. The following should also be known as the Lord’s inner desire.

bhakta-bhakti-kṛṣṇa-prema-tattvera nirdhāra |
baiṣṇabera kṛtya āra baiṣṇaba-ācāra ||
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-kṛṣṇa-prema-sebā-prabartana |
lupta-tīrtha-uddhāra āra bairāgya-śikṣaṇa ||

“You must ascertain the essential nature of the devotee, devotion and love of Kṛṣṇa, as well as the duties and conduct of a Vaiṣṇava. You must also promote devotion to Kṛṣṇa, love of Kṛṣṇa and service to Him, along with recovering the lost holy places and teaching others how to become free from worldly desires.” (CC.Ant.4.79-80)

As an authentic teacher of the bhajana-mārga introduced by Śrīman Mahāprabhu, Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has established kṛṣṇa-bhakti, kṛṣṇa-prema-tattva, bhakta-tattva and Vaiṣṇava behavior by his own example and by the publishing of many books. He installed and began the service of the vigrahas_ of Śrī Govinda and Śrī Dāmodara. He roamed all about the Vraja area recovering the lost holy places and served as an ideal example of vairāgya_ (renunciation) by eating only dry bread and chickpeas, and wearing only torn cloth upon his body. In this way, he has established the most cherished object of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s heart within the world.

Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said, so’yaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti svapadāntikam. “When will Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda give me a place at his lotus feet?” In his commentary on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written: sa svayaṁ rūpaḥ svapadāntikaṁ nija-caraṇa-nikaṭaṁ kadā bhāgyavaśena mahyaṁ dadāti. śrī-rūpasya kṛpayā nijānucaratvena tat-sevana-karma karavānīti bhāvaḥ. “When, by my good fortune, will Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda give me a place at his lotus feet? When, by the merciful order of Śrī Rūpa, shall I be engaged as his attendant in the prema-sevā of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa?”

In vraja-līlā Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda is Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, the leader of all the other mañjarīs. She has incarnated as the beloved companion of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, and by introducing within this world his most confidential and mystical mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā, she has blessed everyone with the prema-sevā of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava within the hidden forest bowers of Vraja. Therefore, the rāga-mārga-sādhaka eager to obtain the prema-sevā of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in mañjarī-bhāva meditates upon doing sevā in allegiance to Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Sanātana and the other Gosvāmīs in his sādhaka-deha, and in his internally conceived siddha-deha, he serves as an assistant of the mañjarīs headed by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī. At the time of siddhi (devotional maturity), he will also always remain with them, and by their order, be blessed with the prema-sevā of his beloved Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In his song Prārthanā, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has brightly illuminated this subject:

śrī-rūpera kṛpā yena āmā prati haya | se pada āśraya yāṅra sei mahāśaya ||
prabhu lokanātha kabe saṅge lañā yābe | śrī-rūpera pāda-padme more samarpibe ||
ei naba-dāsī bali śrī-rūpa cāhibe | hena śubha-kṣaṇa mora kata-dine habe ||
śīghra ājñā karibena dāsī hethā āya | sebāra susajjā kārya karaha tvarāya ||
ānandita hañā hiyā tāṅra ājñā bale | pabitra manete kārya kariba tat-kāle ||
sebāra sāmagrī ratna-thālāte kariyā | subāsita bāri svarṇa-jhārite pūriyā ||
doṅhāra sammukhe laye diba śīghra gati | narottamera daśā ki haibe emati? ||
śrī-rūpa-paścāte āmi rahiba bhīta hañā | doṅhe puna kahibena āmā pāne cāñā ||
sadaya hṛdaya doṅhe kahibena hāsi | kothāya pāile rūpa ei naba dāsī ||
śrī-rūpa-mañjarī tabe doṅha-bākya śuni | mañjulālī dila more ei dāsī āni ||
ati namra-citta āmi ihāre jānila | sebā-kārya diyā tabe hethāya rākhila ||
ei tattva doṅhākāra sākṣāte kahiyā | narottame sebāya dibe niyukta kariyā ||

“I pray for the mercy of the great soul Śrī Rūpa to obtain shelter at his feet! When shall my master Śrī Lokanātha  (as Mañjulālī Mañjarī) deliver me at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa, saying, ‘This is a new dāsī’? When shall that auspicious day arrive when Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī casts her merciful glance and promptly calls, ‘Dāsī, come here. Quickly prepare all the ingredients for Yugala-Kiśora’s sevā.’ By the strength of her order, I shall at that time perform my duty with a pure and joyful heart. I shall place all the ingredients for sevā upon a jeweled platter, fill a golden pitcher with scented water and quickly bring them before Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. When shall Narottama find himself in such a condition? I shall remain timidly behind Śrī Rūpa, but when they see me, both will smile tenderly and say, ‘Rūpa, where did you get the new dāsī?’ Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī will reply, ‘Mañjulālī brought her to me. She’s very humble, so I taught her how to perform sevā and kept her here.’ After saying this to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, she will then engage me in their sevā.”

The reason Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya was able to get this loving sevā of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava was that he had a strong desire to be near the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa. This is the most cherished object of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava community. In the beginning of this book, it has been determined that this shall be the subject matter discussed and that through Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda the people of this world may become happy. May everyone be blessed with this experience. This profound benediction completes the maṅgalācaraṇa.

Translated by Haricaraṇa Dāsa

https://haricarana.blogspot.com/