O My Friend! O My Friend!: Exploring The Inner Life of A. C. Bhaktivedånta Swami Prabhupåda

O My Friend!
O My Friend!
Exploring the Inner Life of
A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda
babhru dsa
foreword by swm b. v. tripurri
Copyright The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust www.Krishna.com
Foreword 3
1. Introduction 6
2. Examining the evidence 11
3. Sdhus perspectives 29
4. A closer look at Prabhupdas prayer 37
5. Prabhupdas family connection to the dvdaa-goplas 41
6. Insights into rla Prabhupdas ghting spirit 44
7. Sakhya-rasa in the Gauya sampradya 47
8. Objections 51
9. Conclusion 67
Endnotes 72
Glossary 75
Donate
CONTENTS
3 F OREWORD
foreword
Swm B. V. Tripurri
When I rst met rla Prabhupda personallywhen I rst
set eyes on himtears of love the likes of which I had nev-
er experienced in this life showered forth from my eyes and
Ka nma danced effortlessly on my tongue. At that time
I was lled with one thought and one thought alone: Once
again I have met my long-lost friend. Out of love for me,
as if after a long separation, he has sought me out. Shortly
thereafter I thought, Even if everyone else here leaves him,
I will never stray from his shelter. This experience, meeting
rla Prabhupda, has set the course for my entire adult life
and onwards into eternity.
But who is rla A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda?
Yes, he is the jagad-guru of modern-day Gauya Vaiavism,
the world guru, whom some know as their spiritual mas-
ter, while others are also his disciples but know it not. He
has built a bridge from East to West and crossed it back and
forth, planting seeds of bhakti in the West while tilling its
soil, and nourishing the seeds sown in the East by others
as well as planting there anew. He is the great emissary of
Ka bhakti doing gaurav-pracrie. Indeed, he is the
very extension of Gaura ll, a tidal wave from the depths of
the ocean of love of God risen up and reaching out to drown
even the distant shores with the blessing of Niticnd. Yet
all of this and more with regard to his extraordinary preach-
ing campaign is but the tip of the iceberg of who he is, the
surface of the oceanic depth of his love of God. Who then
can fathom that depth, the inner wealth of this saffron-clad
trida-bhiku?
As daunting as it may seem, it is we who must take up
this task in earnest and answer denitively who he is, for
it is only by answering this question through the sincerity
of our spiritual practice that we will ever really know who
we are. r Vivantha Cakravart hkura has told us that
4 F OREWORD
while r Guru is directly God, at the same time he is dear
to God, kintu prabhor ya priya eva tasya. r Guru is direct-
ly Hari, but as we look more closely with eyes of love, we
nd that he or she embodies a particular relationship with
Ka. As sdhana is perfected, bhva manifests and with it
eyes to see r Guru in terms of his or her love for Ka.
While r Guru is God in a representational sense, he or
she is love of God in every respect. Our guru is the very
embodiment of a particular spiritual sentiment with a cor-
responding form, and realizing that form has much to do
with realizing our own svarpa.
Daunting indeed, but fortunately, and I should say char-
acteristically in that it is perhaps his mercy that character-
izes him more than anything else, rla Prabhupda has not
left us entirely in the dark. The light of his inner life shines
forth here and there for the discerning disciple. He him-
self has pointed us in the direction, and the present booklet
has collected his indications in one place for the rst time,
reasoned about them in consonance with revelation, and
considered possible objections. The conclusion, I believe,
is obvious.
It is obvious and it is important. It is obvious because in
this booklet we have allowed rla Prabhupda to speak for
himself. The authors task has largely been to merely under-
score the signicance of all that rla Prabhupda has said
about himself. It is important because it emphasizes the
often-forgotten truth that love of Ka is an affair of the
puried heart, a subjective reality that constitutes the perfec-
tion of each devotee, regardless of its variety.
Thus the present text is centered on the bhva of rla
A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda, a subject of im-
mense importance to his disciples. While the inner life of His
Divine Grace is left to each disciple to realize in detail, the
general direction that he himself, through his own words and
actions, has pointed to is explored in the pages ahead. The
genesis of the text lies in an online discussion among my stu-
5 F OREWORD
dents and myself in which external evidence of Prabhupdas
spiritual sentiment was collected. Sometime later I asked my
Godbrother rman Babhru dsa to compile this evidence
into one document. This initial compilation turned into an
article, which was then edited and added to by myself and
my student Vndraya dev. My hope is that it will be ap-
preciated for what it is in its most basic sense: rla Prabhu-
pda speaking to us about his inner life.
Introduction 1.
CHAPTER 1 I NTRODUCTI ON 7
O
ffering prostrated obeisances at the feet
of my eternal spiritual master, His Divine
Grace A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhu-
pda, I undertake an attempt, however
feeble, to explore the depths of his charac-
ter and the breadth of the sampradya coming from r Cait-
anya Mahprabhu. He is the best of millions of jagad-gurus,
having taken his own gurus order on his head, becoming
thus empowered to bring Gauya Vaiavism all over the
world and then back to Bhratavara. I also offer my obei-
sance to all his followers, who have been inspired by his ex-
ample and dedicated their lives to practicing and sharing the
teachings of r Caitanya, carrying them in their hearts to
some of the most unlikely places in the world. Their asso-
ciation and kindness are the spirit of my spiritual life, and I
pray they may nd pleasure, nourishment, and satisfaction
in what they read here.
I have been asked why I would write something explor-
ing rla Prabhupdas inner life. Many believe that it is a
topic better left alone. Although it is true that our cryas
have warned against indiscreet discussion of ones own inner
life, the eternal spiritual identities of most of our previous
cryas is not a mystery but rather an open secret, a treasured
jewel of insight. This insight, true to the admonition against
revealing ones inner life, is generally not revealed openly
during an cryas lifetime but rather after his disappearance,
gleaned mostly from indications from his divine life and the
corresponding realizations of his disciples.
The disciples of rla Sarasvat hkura discerned that
their spiritual master is a majar whose name is Nayana-
mai. The only external evidence for this, as far as I have
been able to ascertain, is a single letter rla Sarasvat hkura
wrote to one of his disciples. Similarly, the Godbrothers of
Bhakti Rakaka rdhara Mahrja have determined that r-
la Bhaktisiddhntas request to hear rla rdhara Mahrja
sing r Rpa-majar-pada to him as he prepared to leave
the world indicated that Sarasvat hkura had admitted
rdhara Mahrja into his own circle of majars under
Rpa-majar. (rla rdhara Mahrja, in his typical humil-
ity, concluded that he had been posted at the gate.) And the
disciples of rpd Bhakti Prajna Keava Mahrja have
also inferred from a few things, such as the names of the De-
ities he installed at all of his mhas (all of which contained
the name Vinoda), the color he chose to paint one of the steps
to the altar at the Devnanda Gauya Mha in Navadvpa,
and perhaps his own brahmacr name (Vinodabihar dsa)
that their guru must be a majar named Vinoda-majar
whose dress in the nitya-ll was green. So theres a prece-
dent for such discussion, even among the followers of those
renowned for their reticence in discussing such matters.
Not unexpectedly, rla Prabhupdas inner spiritual iden-
tity has been a topic of discussion over the years. Contra-
dictory opinions, however, suggest that there is still room
for further exploration. In this booklet, I hope to extend the
discussion by presenting the surprisingly numerous indica-
tions of rla Prabhupdas spiritual identity that arose in his
life and mission. I believe that an unbiased assessment of this
evidence sheds substantial light on rla Prabhupdas inner
spiritual identity. Moreover, I believe that the exploration of
this topic by various exalted devotees has yielded a wealth of
nectar that enriches our understanding and appreciation of
rla Prabhupdas character and mission. It may also show
how desirable it is to have some interest in such topics and
indicate the breadth of our movements ideals, the range of
the goals attainable by those following our Gauya Vaiava
cryas.
Bhaktivinoda hkuras Jaiva Dharma shows that there is
room for subjectivity in regard to ones vision of r Guru:
Vijaya-kumra and Vrajantha saw their guru as represent-
ing mdhurya and sakhya-rasa, respectively. This apparent
discrepancy is due to the fact that while r Guru is a particu-
lar jva soul, the akti of guru-tattva is simultaneously within
him and he can therefore represent any rasa. Thus although
disciples budding spiritual sentiments may color their per-
ception and allow for more than one vision of rla Prabhu-
pda, ultimately he is who he is: he has one eternal rasa in
Ka ll. What I offer here is my humble attempt to gath-
er in one place the evidence that sheds light on his inner life
and my reections on the signicance I see in that evidence,
especially as it is illuminated by stra and sdhus. Although
the majority of the evidence, including several disciples ac-
counts of direct statements by rla Prabhupda himself,
points in one direction, I remain open to compelling evi-
dence to the contrary. Further, I anticipate that this book-
let will stimulate further discussion of the topic, and I look
forward to hearing more memories and insights on the un-
limited nectar of rla Prabhupdas life. Let us by all means
churn the ocean of rla Prabhupdas glories until we gen-
erate a tidal wave of krtana and then ride the waves of that
krtana for all we are worth!
CHAPTER 1 I NTRODUCTI ON 1 0
I should also respectfully mention that of much less interest
to me than hearing further evidence in the form of memories
is to hear ideological debate, specically the well-worn de-
bate over whether all cryas in our line must be in mdhurya-
rasa. Although for me this idea has been contradicted by
statements of rla Bhaktivinoda hkura, Bhaktisiddhnta
Sarasvat hkura, Bhakti Rakaka rdhara Mahrja, Bhak-
ti Promode Pur Mahrja, and our own rla Prabhupda, I
have still included in this booklet a more thorough rebuttal
of this idea for those who would argue otherwise.
The evidence I present here comes from many quarters
and goes back to before my own dedicated involvement in
Ka consciousness. It came over the course of many years,
much of it through conversation with other devotees. In a
recent online conversation, a great deal of this information
came together as if of its own accord. I owe a debt of grati-
tude to the devotees who engaged in that conversation, es-
pecially to Swm B. V. Tripurri, who inspired me to begin
this endeavor and who has continued to encourage and ad-
vise me. I also have found support in the friendship of oth-
er Godbrothers, particularly Bhakti Virambha Mdhava
Mahrja and Vidagdha Mdhava dsa. And the ultimate in-
spiration comes, of course, from rla Prabhupda himself.
Anything that has any value in this essay is due to their mer-
cy; any shortcomings, faults, or offenses are my responsibil-
ity alone.
2. Examining the evidence
CHAPTER 2 EXAMI NI NG THE EVI DENCE 1 2
T
he external evidence pointing to the nature of
rla Prabhupdas svarpa is considerable. As
we shall see, it includes statements made by his
disciples that he himself made no effort to edit
(his silence indicating tacit agreement), state-
ments by his disciples that he openly acknowledged, and his
own incontrovertible statements. Further evidence has come
from the realization of sdhus of world renown, who have re-
ected on his worldwide preaching campaign and supported
their conclusions with stra-yukti. Evidence is also found in
his writing. Finally, the spirit of his preaching campaign also
speaks clearly to us as to the nature of his svarpa, as it is the
cryas inner life that motivates his outreach.
Let us begin by examining the early days of his campaign
in the West. rla Prabhupdas disciples often noticed things
he said and did that provided glimpses into the nature of
rla Prabhupdas eternal relationship with Ka. For ex-
ample, Govinda ds shares this among her remembrances
of her time with rla Prabhupda in the early days of his
preaching in North America:
Gaurasundara and I remained in Montreal for the
duration of time that Swamiji was in India; that was
about six months. During that time we drew many
pictures for early Back to Godhead magazines, and
daily we worked in our small art studio while hear-
ing Caitanya-caritmta and rmad-Bhgavatam.
During that time I began working on a drawing
of Ka and Balarma returning home with their
cows, millions of cows. It became a kind of medita-
tion. Daily I worked on this drawing and although
we had little information of how Vndvana looked,
it seemed to manifest from within the heart. Though
we did many other pictures, this picture was the
most dear to me. Even when I close my eyes I would
still see an ocean of cows with Ka and Balarma
prancing before them and in my view, over to the
right, that cowherd boy was clearly meant to be r-
la Prabhupda. After all, Swamiji had requested me
to paint his portrait in San Francisco, and it was one
of the rst pictures I painted for him. Now I felt I
was painting his spiritual portrait in Goloka. It was
an innocent offering. I sent a copy of the drawing to
Swamiji in Vndvana, saying, This cowherd boy is
my portrait of you.
Thank you, rla Prabhupda, for giving me that
glimpse of Goloka. It spurred me on in my desire
to serve you; even now when I see this picture, my
original drawing has been colored in and hangs be-
hind the Deities of Ka-Balarma, I think of you as
I see you walking beside Ka and Balarma, herd-
ing the cows home in the evening, and I think that
this is no accident that this very picture that I had
offered to you so many years before is your portrait
walking beside your beloved Ka-Balarma and
you are there nearby.
About this picture, Govinda ds later remarked,
I didnt know what Vndvana looked like, but the
picture was done from rla Prabhupdas descrip-
tions and, moreover, from his guidance within the
heart. His bhakti shone through the work of all the
artists at that time and the bhakti was real, as it was
his. We were just workers, marionettes. The draw-
ing had a cowherd boy to the left of Ka. In my vi-
sion, then, this was rla Prabhupda. I sent a copy
of it to him as a gift with a note saying, This is your
cowboy form with Ka and Balarma. Strangely
enough, this didnt seem out of place at the time. It
was not precocious or assuming; it was just my sim-
ple perception. There was no reply and no discus-
Oh, said Harar, you were a cowboy! With
complete gravity, you replied, Yes. At that second,
no one was thinking of you and the Wild West. We
just knew you were speaking about being with Ka
and the cows in Vndvana. We were only spiritual
toddlers at best (it was 67 or 68), but you merciful-
ly gave us a glimpse into your heart. I felt very small
being there with you at that moment.
After that incident, the same devotee penned a
short poem about you. In it she described you as
playing leapfrog in a pasture with Ka and the
cows and other gopas. It seemed funny and frivolous
to us, yet you gravely remarked, She has become
advanced, and ordered that it be printed in Back to
Godhead magazine.
Govinda ds also remembers Harars poem and rla
Prabhupdas other, similar dealings with her in this mood.
sion about it. It was pretty much a common under-
standing amongst all of us disciples at that time that
rla Prabhupda was a cowherd boy.
We see evidence of how common this perception was among
early disciples in comments by others from those early years.
In her 2003 Vysa-pj offering, Mlat ds remembers a
similar innocent insight from another devotee in the early
days:
I recall an intimate moment when you increased the
mystique of your being here among us foolish boys
and girls. Nonchalantly recalling how as a child you
always got your way, you proceeded to tell a little vi-
gnette about your desire for a cowboy pistol. Final-
ly, after much insistence, your father complied and
bought you a toy gun. But you were not to be satis-
ed until you had two guns, one for each hand.
She shared this in a letter to my Godbrother B. V. Mdhava
Mahrja:
Occasionally he acted this part of a cowherd boy, es-
pecially in Seattle when Harar was there. She was
very nely tuned to the mystical and otherworldly
things. Early on, she had an uncanny understanding
of rla Prabhupda. In 1968, while rla Prabhup-
da was in Montreal, she sent him a poem. The gist of
her poem was: I offer my humble obeisances to my
Spiritual Master, who is running among the trees,
playing hide and seek with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, r Ka... etc. I read the poem to rla
Prabhupda and was a little amazed. But I was even
more amazed when he became quietly blissful and said,
Yes, she has become advanced. Print this poem in our
BTG. I sent it in for publication, but Ive searched and
never found it. Perhaps they didnt print it.
In 1968, in Seattle, Harar, Krttikeya and I
all lived with rla Prabhupda. He was very infor-
mal and because she had an understanding of his ll
form, he often acted accordingly, often playful and
mischievous as a cowherd boy. It was very esoteric. I
had never seen this before, but Harar seemed to
bring out this side.
And yes, he did exclaim, I want to go to Kaloka
so I can have His lus and kacaurs, while sitting
in a joyful trance-like state while in New York. And
then he added, If you make me lus and kacaurs,
I will bless you! So Krttikeya and I quickly said,
Oh, please teach us to make them, and we will make
them for you. And he did.
We may note that Govinda ds and Mlats accounts of rla
Prabhupdas response to Harars poem are identical. We
may also note that the poem was indeed published in Back
to Godhead as rla Prabhupda instructed and can be found
in the Bhaktivednta VedaBase, as well as in the Bhakti-
vednta Archives 60 Years of Back to Godhead Magazine.
Here is the text of her poem, as published in Back to Godhead
#17 in 1968:
Dear Swamiji
I offer my respects unto the Lotus
Feet of my Spiritual Master,
Who is always herding cows
In Goloka Vrindaban with His
Dearmost Friend, Krishna.
Sometimes He is running barefoot
Through the forest chasing cows
And sometimes He is hiding behind
A tree waiting for Krishna to
Return with the spoils from
Mother Yasodas butter pots.
I offer my respects unto the Lotus
Feet of my Spiritual Master, Who is
Always thinking of what He can
Do in service of His Dearmost
Friend Krishna and never wanting
Anything in return.
Other devotees also wrote Vysa-pj offerings early on ex-
pressing insights similar to Harars. In 1969, Devnanda
wrote of rla Prabhupda,
He is the promise of Lord Chaitanya to overood
the world with Kas Names enchanting. He is
the Spiritual Messenger, the Lords Angel of Mercy,
the sweet harbinger and bringer of the Lords Own
Flute Song charming all souls to the Lotus Land of
Brajadhama, Kas Own Who knows His Mind.
This Cowherd of Goloka is expert in extracting milk
of hearts pure desire. O How He works such arts as
these!
Jyotirmay ds wrote in 1970,
rla Prabhupda, here on Ilavati Varsa, you are the
master at whose feet all masters are assembled, but
in Goloka Vndvana. Who are you? What is your
name, cowherd boy, playing in the eld with Ka
and thousands of cows and calves? As you walk, the
grass at once under the touch of your lotus feet re-
gains its consciousness and its love and raises high
its fragile limbs.
That same year Jmbavati ds wrote,
Golden in Kas radiant smile,
You are dancing as a cowherd boy.
So kindly help us sing Your glories far and wide,
O saint among the highest.
And, again in 1970, Jadur ds wrote,
You are always absorbed in the loving affairs of
Rdh and Ka, and if we hear from you and fol-
low your instructions, then we can also enter into
the kingdom of Vndvana. When you saw the pho-
tograph of Krtamay in your apartment on the
Bowery you told me I like that doll, and My desire is
to be His friend. You are always thinking of Ka,
and He also cannot separate His mind from you.
You are one of the Lords dear friends in Vndvana,
who is sometimes chasing the shadows that the birds
make on the ground, sometimes shouting ill names
into the well, sometimes imitating the sounds of the
animals, sometimes sharing Lord Kas lus and
kacaurs and sometimes hearing Him tell jokes at
lunch.
We nd a similar sentiment expressed in the offering of the
Auckland, New Zealand temple in 1972:
You are Prabhupda
the little Cowherd Boy from Goloka
And when You wander
round Your room
Looking at pictures
of Ka and His friends
We realize how foolish we are
to have ever thought You an old man
All of the references to rla Prabhupdas imputed friendly
relationship with Ka in Vysa-pj offerings are too nu-
merous to cite here. Some devotees may object that these are
sentimental speculations from inexperienced devotees. We
should note that not only did rla Prabhupda never refute
them, but that there is no record that he ever even voiced
any objection. Anyone who was involved with iskcon in
1970 no doubt remembers the strength of his response to
the deviant preaching of four new sannyss. If he had had
any objection to such expressions of faith as these, he would
have stopped them cold. Moreover, these statements are in
line with the sentiments expressed by Harar which rla
Prabhupda conrmed. What is more, I can nd no Vysa-
pj offerings made during rla Prabhupdas manifest pas-
times suggesting that he is either a gop or a majar.
rla Prabhupda sometimes hinted at similar feelings
in relaxed, intimate dealings with his disciples. On Gaura-
prim 2008, speaking in Mypura, rutakrti dsa de-
scribed an incident in 1975. rla Prabhupda was on a whirl-
wind world tour, seeing hundreds of devotees chanting and
dancing in temples where Gaura-Niti were being wor-
shipped, everywhere. One day while visiting iskcons At-
lanta temple, rla Prabhupda apparently became stunned
in ecstasy. Because rla Prabhupda consistently contained
any expression of bhva, this caught the devotees off guard.
Ultimately, they started a krtana, and rla Prabhupda re-
turned to external consciousness. rutakrti tells us what
Prabhupda was like later, in his room:
But one thing I have to tell you that happened there.
As I said, Prabhupda was...something I had not ex-
perienced so much before...he just had this ecstasy
that...it just began escaping from him. He was al-
ways in control of that, but it was just happening.
So every night I would massage Prabhupda in his
room there. For three days he stayed there; his quar-
ters are still there just as when he stayed there. So as
Prabhupda was lying down in bed, he had his head
up a little bit on the pillow, and I was rubbing his
legs and rubbing his feet. So the massage was going
on for 10 or 15 minutes.
Prabhupdas massage in the evening was the most
personal intimate time to be with Prabhupda. The
lights were out, the room was dark. There would be
some light from wherever, and no one ever entered
Prabhupdas room while he received his evening
massage, no one ever came into Prabhupdas quar-
ters. So it was just him and his servant. So as I was
massaging, Prabhupda all of a sudden said, I like
the cowherd boys very much. When he would speak
in the evening it was nothing but nectar, always nec-
tar. So I just continued, never stopped massaging.
And he was looking at the picture, big painting on
the wall at the foot of his bed, and he was just look-
ing into it. So I looked and I realized he was looking
at this picture of Ka and Balarma, and They were
just young boys, eight years old, and with Them there
were thousands of cowherd boys and calves, and they
were just in the forest of Vndvana. So Prabhupda
was looking at that. So I am massaging.
Then he said, Every day Ka and Balarma would
go into the forest in Vndvana. Before they would
go, Their mothers would make lunches, prepare tif-
ns for Them. Im just shaking my head. Prabhu-
pda is speaking very softly. Prabhupda is just
there, right there inside that scene, and he is speak-
ing about it. When Prabhupda talked, he would
just bring you, he would transport you right there.
So he said, Kas mother Yaod, she would make
very nice tifn and in it there would be pur, halava,
kacaur, lu. And the other cowherd boys, their
mothers were not so opulent so their tifns would
have chapati, rice, subji, like that.
And then he said, Then they would go and
they would play all day, and they didnt have the
cows. They are just little boys so they would have
the calves. The calves were with them. Then nal-
ly they would stop for lunch. Sometimes one of the
cowherd boys would steal Kas lunch and begin
throwing it around; they would play keep-away with
Ka. Im just massaging the whole time. He said,
Finally the cowherd boys would throw their lunch
to Ka, and they would sit down with His lunch
and they would eat pur, halava, kacaur, and lu.
And Ka would sit with them and He would eat
the rice, chapati, and subji.
He was smiling so brightly. And then he stopped,
and Im still massaging. Then he said, I just want
to go back to the spiritual world and eat kacaur and
lu with Ka. Then he closed his eyes and didnt
say anything more, and I just kept massaging. So it
was something very rare.
This incident seems not to be an isolated comment he made
only on this occasion. Rather, it echoes an earlier intimate
moment in New York, in 1968, as recounted in Satsvarpa
dsa Goswms rla Prabhupda-llmta:
One day, while Prabhupda was sitting in his room
receiving his massage, he began talking and laugh-
ing. As he sat on the oor with one leg tucked under
his body and one leg outstretched before him, he
told the two or three devotees present how Ka,
carrying the lunch His mother had packed for Him,
would go to the forest with His cowherd boy-
friends, who were also carrying lunches from home.
Ka and His friends would all sit together sharing
their lunch, and Ka always had the best lus
and kacaurs. Prabhupdas eyes ashed, and he
rubbed his hands together, smiling. I simply want
to go to Kaloka, so I can have some of Kas
lu and kacaurs. I do not have any great diversion
from this. I simply want to go there so that I can en-
joy eating lus and kacaurs with Ka and the
cowherd boys. Opening his eyes widely, he glanced
at Devnanda, who was massaging him, and at the
others in the room. Oh, he said to them, if you
will give me lus and kacaurs, then I will bless
you.
Commenting on this incident in an online discussion with
some disciples and friends, Swm B. V. Tripurri wrote,
Here Prabhupda expresses the mood of the vid-
aka (jester) and priyanarma Madhumagala. Batu,
as he is sometimes called, is a brhmaa friend of
Ka. He is a big eater, and religion means to feed
brhmaas. He often bargains with Ka for more
sweets by offering him his blessings in jest. In the
last line above, Prabhupda is imitating negotiating
with Ka.
Another instance occurred in Vndvana, in 1977: One day
while sitting with rla Prabhupda, Tamla Ka began to
describe the pastimes of Ka as depicted in the painting
hanging to the right of rla Prabhupdas prasdam table.
The painting showed Ka and his cowherd friends eating
lunch. rla Prabhupda looked at the painting and then,
closing his eyes and thinking of the ll, said, This is the
highest perfection of life. We should not discount the possi-
bility that there is considerable signicance in rla Prabhu-
pdas mind drifting toward Kas pastimes with his cow-
herd-boy friends. After all, as Indradyumna Swm recount-
ed in a recent class, rla Prabhupda explained on one oc-
casion that the Hare Ka mantra means, O my friend! O
my friend!
Occasionally, however, rla Prabhupda spoke even more
directly. Govinda ds recalls, In the car in Seattle in 1968,
he was talking about this and said, My Guru Mahrjas
rasa is that of gop, majar, but I am in relationship with
Ka as cowherd boy. Subala dsa, another devotee from
the early days, recalls another such incident: When Prabh-
upda came for a visit, I got Dr. Kapoor to come with me
to ask about it [discussing ones siddha-deha]. Prabhupda
said, This is not done in our line. One must realize his re-
lationship for himself. One cannot just jump ahead. When
one is ripe and ready, it will be revealed from withinI am
a cowherd boy.
1
Another time, in a 1977 recorded and pub-
lished discussion on inauthentic gurus, rla Prabhupda
said, Svarpa-siddhi means when he is actually liberated,
he understands what is his relationship with Ka. That is
svarpa-siddhi. Sakhya.
On another occasion, on hearing that some of his God-
brothers had conjectured that he was in sakhya-rasa because
he had installed Gaura-Niti Deities around the world and
Ka-Balarma in Vndvana, he just smiled a little and
said, They say that, do they? rla Prabhupda did not
comment further but seemed quite comfortable with their
assessment.
On still another occasion in which Prabhupda enter-
tained a discussion of his svarpa or spoke directly about it,
Hkenanda asked rla Prabhupda about the nature of
the disciples relationship with the guru in our sampradya:
hd: Gurudeva, what about rpnuga-bhakti? What
is the eternal relationship between us and you?
acbsp: (Prabhupda quotes the second half of loka
6 of Gurvakam.) Guru is serving under his master
and you all can do likewise. In nitya-ll every devo-
tee thinks like that, that my master is the most dear
to Rdh-Ka.
hd: So that means that my relationship with
you is eternal, that it will continue in nitya-ll?
acbsp: Yes.
hd: As majars?
acbsp: Down to sakhya.
hd: But for rpnugas isnt it always majar-rasa?
acbsp: That is the highest; but in the spiritual world
there is no such distinction.
Here we nd ve separate instances directly dealing with
the question of Prabhupdas sthyi-bhva. In three of them,
Prabhupda directly tells his disciples that he is Kas sakh.
In Subalas remembrance it is noteworthy that he himself
was and remains uninterested in sakhya-rasa.
In the third instance, speaking on the topic of svarpa-
siddhi, Prabhupda says, sakhya. There is no logical expla-
nation for his concluding word sakhya other than that it
is his personal preoccupation. In the fourth instance, Prab-
hupda hears his Godbrothers opinion that he was situat-
ed in sakhya-rasa. This occurred in sacred Vndvana where
some of them had assembled. He was often not fond of their
opinions and was quick to respond to them to set the re-
cord straight in the minds of his disciples, but here he simply
smiles as if to say, They got it right this time.
Finally we have an instance in which Prabhupda is direct-
ly asked by one of his disciples about his relationship with
Prabhupda in r Kas nitya-ll. Hkenanda asks if
he and all of Prabhupdas disciples are related to him in
Ka ll in majar-bhva and Prabhupda replies down
to sakhya. It is virtually impossible to construe Prabhup-
das responses and statements above in any other way than
as an afrmation of his afnity for sakhya-rasa. Assembled
together as they are above, they make for very compelling
evidence.
3. Sadhus perspectives
CHAPTER 3 S ADHUS PERS PECTI VES 3 0
I
n addition to the evidence presented thus far, we
also have the realizations and spiritual logic of r-
la Prabhupdas longtime friend and Godbrother
rla Bhakti Rakaka rdhara Mahrja, who was
recognized by rla Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat
hkura as stra-nipuna, one who knows the stra in great
depth, a scriptural genius. rla Prabhupdas association
with rla rdhara Mahrja goes back to 1929 and includes
six years of living together in Calcutta. Reecting on his
many years of friendship with rla Prabhupda, Prabhup-
das worldwide preaching campaign, and his writing, espe-
cially his Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Ka, written on the
Jaladuta, rla rdhara Mahrja offered his own perspec-
tive on rla Prabhupdas inner mood:
I think he has given the hint in his own autobiogra-
phy. When he was going to America, on the journey
he expressed his feeling to play with Ka in sakhya-
rasa: kata bane chuchui bane khi lupui sei din
kabe habe mor, Running and frolicking in the many
forests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual
ecstasy. O when will that day be mine? This was his
Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Ka. When he was
passing through the Atlantic, he gave vent to feel-
ings that may be the salient points in his Vraja ll. It
struck me like that, Vndvana sakhya-rasa.
When he departed from this consciousness of
worldly preaching propaganda, then he is there. It
is clearly expressed in these sayings there in the At-
lantic. He discovered the unmanifest (aprakaa) pas-
times in Vndvana, and in Vndvana he established
Ka-Balarma and Gaura-Niti. That is indicative
of sakhya-rasa. From this we can conclude that he
is in sakhya-rasa, and he has entered into those pas-
times. This is my understanding about his present
position. He has expressed himself, his eternal posi-
tion, the acme of his aspiration. In Vndvana he has
established Balarma and Ka and Niti-Gaura,
and he is saying like that, Niti-Gaura are Ka and
Balarma. Its almost clear that he comes from that
group. And now hes again there. Hare Ka.
He expressed his own position in eternal ll in his
poem. I conjecture like that. Hare Ka! In his di-
ary in Bengali he wrote, Today I cooked some bati-
caccari. It was quite delicious. So I ate something.
Today I expressed my inner feelings to my friend
and wrote a poem about that.
And that friend came to his aid. He was so earnest
in his prayer to Ka that he might be able to dis-
charge the duty that had been given to him by his
Guru Mahrja that Ka came down to help him,
his friend helped him in this propaganda work. So
aktyvea-avatra. I take him; I cannot but take him
to be so.
2
Addressing Ka he wrote, You are my eternal
friend. Forgetting You, I have come to this world
and I have been suffering the kicking of My, the
goddess of misconception. If You come to help me
in this campaign, then after nishing this I can again
join You. When I shall be united with You again. I
shall wander along with You the whole day in keep-
ing the cows in the forest. Running this side and that
side in the jungle, in the forest. And then, lupui,
to fall on the ground in different shows of play. I as-
pire after that day. I have got this good chance to
serve my Gurudeva. For that reason my heartfelt ap-
peal to You is that You please come to help me. I am
Your eternal servitor; therefore, so much aspiration I
have got for You. You, no other, are my only resort.
So after performing this service, he aspires after a
life in the cow-keeping ll of Ka, and he is ap-
preciating that sort of friendly service of Ka very
much from the core of his heart, his aspiration after
nishing his worldly preaching campaign.
I take it that Nitynanda Prabhu has given some
special recognition to the section of the suvara-
vaik community from which Swami Mahrja has
come. He has special grace for that particular sec-
tion and the preaching about Gaurga, and this is
mentioned in the scriptures. The suvara-vaik are
the most favorite section of Nitynanda Prabhu. It
is mentioned in the stra, Caitanya-bhgavata. I
thought that Nitynanda Prabhu is also in charge
of preaching about Mahprabhus glory. So I took
it that Nitynanda Prabhu must have awakened
some special dedication in him in his last days which
helped him to inundate with such an inconceivable
magnitude, the whole of the world.
But that does not mean that he was nothing be-
fore such delegated power came in him. That del-
egation may only come in a proper place, just as in
other aktyvea-avatras, the akti accepts a particu-
lar place and that is not an ordinary thing. One must
be a proper receptacle to receive that. aktyvea.
Does it mean that when the delegation comes it will
enter some bad thing? This supposition is mischie-
vous, and those that will make this mischief out of
my statement regarding the delegation of Nity-
nanda entering him will diminish faith. They will
prepare the eld for becoming atheists. This is sui-
cidal, to propagate in that line.
3

And the sakhya-rasa is also not to be neglected.
Dsa Goswm, who is thought to hold the highest
position of mdhurya-rasa, our prayojana crya him-
self says, sakhyam me namasta nityam. What does it
mean? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Is it
an intellectual eld that we can pass resolutions, pass
remarks in any way we like in our fashion? No. Dsa
Goswm, who is posted in the highest position
of the prayojana-tattva, the crya of prayojana in
mdhurya-rasa of Rdh dsyam, he says that I will
try to show my reverence to sakhya. It is not a play
thing. This is very rarely to be found. We must go to
that plane and then we should deal with these things.
Sakhya-rasa is a very small thing? What is this? From
a distance I want to show my respect to sakhya-rasa.
That should be the tendency of a real devotee, and
not to disregard all these things.
In this section rla rdhara Mahrja is responding to the
objection that by stating that rla Prabhupda found his
ideal in sakhya-rasa rather than mdhurya that rla rdhara
Mahrja was considering rla Prabhupda a lower devo-
tee. In his typical harmonizing spirit, rla rdhara Mah-
rja also tried at a later date to accommodate those who
insist that Prabhupda found his ideal in mdhurya-rasa.
Pujyapda rdhara Mahrja did this by suggesting an al-
ternative understanding of Prabhupdas obvious afnity
for sakhya-rasa: that Prabhupda may have held an afnity
for mdhurya-rasa within, and owing to his empowerment
by Nitynanda Prabhu, he outwardly showed afnity for
sakhya-rasa. However, this was clearly not the personal opin-
ion of Pujyapda rdhara Mahrja, nor was he privy to all
of the instances cited in this booklet that so strongly sup-
port his opinion. Furthermore, he made it clear that his real-
ization that Prabhupda found his ideal in sakhya-rasa in no
way implied that his disciples are somehow unable to attain
mdhurya-rasa under rla Prabhupdas guidance.
However, it is worth noting that interest in majar-bhva
on the part of Prabhupdas disciples has come almost en-
tirely from sources outside of his mission.
4
Indeed, the term
majar-bhva is found nowhere in any of rla Prabhupdas
books, conversations, or letters, and nowhere in any Vysa-
pj offerings written by his disciples prior to ik-gurus be-
coming involved with his disciples. This, of course, is not to
say that the concept of majar-bhva is not found through-
out the Gauya texts translated and commented on by rla
Prabhupda, as it is central to Gauya Vaiavism.
It should be clear from rla rdhara Mahrjas re-
marks that he carefully considered Prabhupdas inner life
from different angles of vision over time and in consider-
ation of stra. Thus we are well advised to carefully consid-
er the weight of this judgment. In case anyone might think
that rla rdhara Mahrja might be making too much of
Prabhupdas prayer aboard the Jaladuta, that he may be tak-
ing too much liberty in suggesting that it reveals something
of rla Prabhupdas inner mood, we may note the remarks
Prabhupda himself made in his diary on the day he wrote
that prayer, September 13, 1965: Today I have disclosed my
mind to my companion Lord r Ka. There is a Bengali
poem made by me today in this connection. rla Prabhu-
pda did not write this poem with publishing in mindnot
for preaching but for reecting on the inner life that fueled
his preaching.
In 2003 rla Prabhupdas Back To Godhead magazine
published an article by Satsvarpa dsa Goswm on this
poem. The Goswm remarks therein:
rla Prabhupda rarely made entries in his dia-
ry, yet from this ocean crossing we have a number
of intimate revelations of his mind. With the same
straightforward, factual tone in which he has noted
the date, the weather, and the state of his health, he
has described his helpless dependence on his com-
panion Lord Ka, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and his absorption in the ecstasy of sep-
aration from Ka. rla Prabhupda rarely wrote
poems; we have found a lifes total of no more than
about half a dozen. They were not the products of
idle literary hours, nor were they written for publi-
cation or fame. (The poems and diary entries were
found years later by curious disciples who uncov-
ered them among their spiritual masters miscella-
neous papers.)
The last two verses of this poem give an unexpected con-
dential glimpse into rla Prabhupdas direct relationship
with Lord Ka. In verse 9 he calls on Ka as his dear
friend and speaks of again experiencing the joy of wander-
ing in the cow pastures and elds of Vraja. In verse 10 he rel-
ishes how this memory of Ka has come to him in such a
nice way, because of his great desire for serving Ka.
4. A closer look at
Prabhupadas prayer
CHAPTER 4 A CL OS ER L OOK AT PRABHUPADA S PRAYER 3 8
I
t is clear from the deep spiritual insights of Pujya-
pda rdhara Mahrja above that Prabhupdas
prayer aboard the Jaladuta is signicant. In no un-
certain terms, Prabhupda longs for sakhya-rasa in
his Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Ka. Thus it will
be prudent to look at it more closely and through it, rla
Prabhupdas heart and highest ideal.
Drawing from rla rdhara Mahrjas realizations,
Swm B. V. Tripurri discusses Prabhupdas poem in more
depth. Here we nd not only sakhya-rasa, but a particular
kind of spiritual friendship. Swm writes,
Prabhupda says, ka taba puya habe bhi e-puya
koribe jabe rdhr khus habe dhruva ati boli tom
ti. Here Prabhupda negotiates with his brother-
friend (bhi) Ka.
5
He gives Ka moral instruc-
tion, just as Subala-sakh is said to be expert in doing
in Rpa Goswms Rdh-ka-gaoddea-dipik.
In the bhva of a priyanarma-sakh, who is actively
and intimately involved in r Kas romantic af-
fairs with r Rdh, Prabhupda says, O my dear
friend Ka, it is certain that you will attain piety if
Rdh is pleased with you. Here Prabhupda says
that this is as sure as the pole star (dhruva) is xed.
He tells Ka, Your life revolves around her. In
this way he captures Kas attention. Having done
so in the refrain of his poem, Prabhupda then be-
gins to bargain with his friend in the following verses.
He does so by introducing his Gurudeva into
the negotiation. Externally, in his sdhaka-deha, his
guru is the great preacher Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat
hkura Prabhupda. Internally, he is Nayana-mai
majar in his spiritual form, an intimate servitor
in r Rdhs group. Priyanarma-sakhs are inti-
mately connected with a particular ythevri (gop
group leader). Here Prabhupda implies his connec-
tion with Rdhs group and Lalit-sakh, in whose
service Nayana-mai majar is situated. In effect
he says to Ka, My Gurudeva, who represents
r Rdh, has now appeared as a great preacher in
Mahprabhus sakrtana movement. Prabhupda
tells Ka that Nayana-mai majar has given me
an order that I must fulll. However, I cannot do it
without your help. As I have pointed out earlier, it
will be good for you if you please Rdh. This is my
advice to you. Therefore, if you give me the akti to
fulll her order, she will be pleased and you will at-
tain piety.
In this prayer of rla Prabhupda, we nd the es-
sence of Gauya Vaiavism. Everyone is trying to
please Ka, but Ka is trying to please Rdh.
Prabhupda was well aware of this, and by point-
ing it out to Ka so sweetly he got his attention,
and thus the power to execute his Gurudevas order
was bestowed in no small way and his personal re-
quest was no doubt fullled as well. That request in
his own words is as follows: Once we are together,
brother, I will again feel the happiness of wandering
all day long, grazing the cows. I pray for the day to
come when we chase each other and wrestle in every
one of Vndvanas forests.
Having examined rla Prabhupdas poem in depth, we now
turn to the signicance of rla Prabhupdas family lineage.
5. Prabhupadas family connection
to the dvadasa-gopalas
CHAPTER 5 PRABHUPADA S FAMI LY CONNECTI ON TO THE DVADAS A- GOPAL AS 4 2
I
n his comments concerning rla Prabhupdas inner
life, Pujyapda B. R. rdhara Mahrja noted Prab-
hupdas family connection with the suvara-vik
community, and rla Prabhupda himself nds
the connection signicant enough to mention in a
purport to r Caitanya-caritmta.
6
As Caitanya-bhgavata
(3.5.453) points out, this community and the village of Sap-
tagrma were especially blessed by Nitynanda Prabhu, who
was steeped in sakhya-bhva.
The patron saint of the suvara-vik community is
Uddhraa Datta hkura, one of Nitynanda Prabhus prin-
cipal associates, who is also one of the dvdaa-goplas of
Ka and Balarmas nitya-ll, where he is known as
Subhu-gopa. About the temple in Saptagrma where
Uddhraa Datta hkura is especially honored and where
his Deity of Mahprabhu is worshiped, rla Prabhu-
pda comments, Formerly, in our childhood, we visited
this temple with our parents because all the members of
CHAPTER 5 PRABHUPADA S FAMI LY CONNECTI ON TO THE DVADAS A- GOPAL AS 4 3
the suvara-vnik community enthusiastically take interest
in this temple of Uddhraa Datta hkura.
7
When rla
Prabbupda returned to India for the rst time after preach-
ing in the West, he and his disciples were honored by the ex-
ecutive committee of Uddhraa Dattas temple and made
a pilgrimage to the temple. Some years later rla Prabhu-
pda tried to arrange for his society to take responsibility
for the Deitys service at Uddhraa Datta hkuras temple
in Saptagrma.
The signicance of Prabhupdas connection with the
suvara-vik community should not be underestimated.
rla Prabhupda appeared in this world in this commu-
nity, a community of Vaiavas who in Gaura-Nitynanda
ll were especially blessed by Niticnd and led by one of
Balarmas eternal associates, Uddhraa Datta hkura.
Thus Prabhupdas family lineage is a sakhya-rasa Vaiava
lineage, one that he honored throughout his life even after
he entered the eternal service of Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat
hkura. rla Prabhupdas disciples consider him to be a
nitya-siddha Vaiava, one who comes to this world from the
paravyoma. Such Vaiavas are likely to appear in this world
in families that in some way correspond with their inner life.
We should also note that rla Prabhupda consistently re-
ferred to his father as a uddha Vaiava and that his connec-
tion to the suvara-vik community was through his pater-
nal family lineage.
6. Insights into Srila Prabhupadas
fghting spirit
CHAPTER 6 I NS I GHTS I NTO S RI L A PRABHUPADA S F I GHTI NG S PI RI T 4 5
E
ven some of rla Prabhupdas more spir-
ited, aggressive expressions may be attribut-
ed to, or at least perhaps better understood
in the context of, an afnity for sakhya-
rasa. When he would get excited some-
times, discussing inuential atheists and false incarnations
of God, Prabhupda would say things such as I will kick on
his face with boots. Swm Tripurri sees this as evidence of
the yuddha-vra-rasa (chivalrous, ghting spirit). He notes
that Prabhupdas retort is similar to that of Vndvana dsa
hkura, who in Caitanya-bhgavata often compared those
who claim to believe in Ka but not in r Caitanya, or
those who believe in r Caitanya but not r Nitynanda, to
atheists or asuras. r Vndvana dsa also boldly proclaims
that he kicks on their heads with boots! Tripurri Mahrja
recently wrote, I kick on their heads with boots. This is
the language of Vndvana dsa hkura in Caitanya-bhga-
vata, who is in sakhya-rasa. Vra-rasa (chivalry) and sakhya-
rasa are complementary. This is a particular type of vra-ra-
sa, yuddha-vra complimenting sakhya-rasa, the condence
(virambha) and ghting spirit of a cowherd. It was very
characteristic of rla Prabhupda.
On another occasion Tripurri Mahrja recounts respond-
ing to a letter from a devotee who was bewildered by read-
ing of rla Prabhupdas remarks about dropping bombs
on the heads of intractable atheists:
Ultimately I said, this is how to understand such
statements: it is yuddha-vra. You are talking to him
and he goes off like this; this is his bhva. (Very an-
imated:) Well ght them, yes. Well ght them
for Ka, yes! Lets go, all of us. Then well drop
bombs on them! It doesnt mean he really wants
to drop bombs on people, but you have to under-
stand that devotees who are motivated by bhva
sometimes manifest it, while for the most part it is
subdued. It looks like such a devotee is having a nor-
CHAPTER 6 I NS I GHTS I NTO S RI L A PRABHUPADA S F I GHTI NG S PI RI T 4 6
mal conversation, but his bhva may manifest slight-
ly and enter into or inuence the conversation:
vaiavera kriy mudr vijeha n bujhaya. Therefore
it is said, it is very difcult to understand the motiva-
tion of the Vaiava, why he or she is saying or do-
ing something. All of their words and actions have
a very deep connection to the center, to their bh-
va. Theirs is a world very different from the external
world. When they comment on the external world,
and one tries to make sense of it without under-
standing their bhva, one can be confused. Dont be
confused. Hes a cowherd! For a moment hes go-
ing into yuddha-vra, tasting that and remembering
Kas pastimes. Yes, we will drop bombs on them.
In this way I was able to satisfy that devotee.
7. Sakhya-rasa in the
Gaudiya sampradaya
CHAPTER 7 S AKHYA- RAS A I N THE GAUDI YA S AMPRADAYA 4 8
I
n light of the above evidence pointing to rla Pra-
bhupdas identication with sakhya-rasa, it will
be helpful to examine the place of sakhya-rasa in
our sampradya. Does sakhya-rasa have a place in
the Gauya sampradya? What is the goal of our
sam pra dya? More specically, what kind of prema is its pra-
yojana? While the apex of all possible attainments is no doubt
conjugal love of God and within that Rdh dsyam, or the
service of a handmaiden of Rdh (also commonly referred
to as majar-bhva), owing to the inuence of Nitynanda
Prabhu, sakhya-rasa is also prominent in our sampradya.
It is true that r Nitynandas consort Jhav-dev is an
incarnation of Anaga-majar, r Rdhs younger sister,
and that after Niticnds departure from the world she be-
came the leader of the lineage of Nitynanda Prabhu that
has become most prominent. However, Nitynanda Pra-
bhu himself began the entire sampradya with his eternal
associates, the dvdaa-goplas. Each of these cowherd as-
sociates of Ka and Balarma began initiating disciples
in Bengal under the guidance of Nitynanda Prabhu be-
fore any other Gauya lineage began.
8
All of them were in
sakhya-rasa and their Gauya lineages were lled with this
sentiment.
rla Prabhupda himself takes up this issue on another
level by identifying Brahm, who after being directly initi-
ated by r Ka serves as the fountainhead of the Brahm-
Madhva-Gauya sampradya, as a gopa. Just before Ka
teaches him the Bhgavatam in four verses Brahm says, O
my Lord, the unborn, You have shaken hands with me just
as a friend does with a friend [as if equal in position]. I shall
be engaged in the creation of different types of living en-
tities, and I shall be occupied in Your service. I shall have
no perturbation, but I pray that all this may not give rise to
pride, as if I were the Supreme.
9
rla Prabhupda explains in his purport:
Lord Brahm is denitely situated in the humor of
friendship with the Lord.It is clearly exhibited
herein that Lord Brahm is related to the Personality
of Godhead in the transcendental humor of friend-
ship.Brahmj, although eternally related with
the Lord in the transcendental humor of friendship,
and although entrusted with the most exalted post
of creating different grades of living entities, is still
conscious of his position, that he is neither the Su-
preme Lord nor supremely powerful.
The example of Brahm as explained by rla Prabhupda
brings to light another signicant point. Not only have there
been sakhya-rasa lineages in the Gauya sampradya, but
different sentiments may appear in a lineage despite the sen-
timent of the lineages founder. For centuries we do not nd
sakhya-rasa in Madhvas lineage stemming from Brahm.
However, with the appearance of Lakmpati Trtha in
this line, who is the initiating guru of Nitynanda Prabhu,
sakhya-rasa appears prominently in Niticnd. Then in an-
other disciple of Lakmipati Trtha, Mdhavendra Pur, we
nd conjugal love.
More recent evidence for differing sentiments appear-
ing within the same lineage is found in the well-known case
of ymnanda Prabhu, the disciple of Hdaya-caitanya.
Hdaya-caitanya was a disciple of Gauridsa Paita, who
is Subala-sakh in Ka ll. Like his guru Gauridsa,
Hdaya-caitanya was also steeped in sakhya-rasa, yet his dis-
ciple Dukhi Kadsa, who later became famous as ym-
nanda, tasted conjugal love.
Even more recent evidence is supplied by hkura Bhakti-
vinoda. In the hkuras Jaiva Dharma, Raghuntha dsa
Bbj ascertained one disciples (Vijaya-kumra) internal
identity as that of a majar serving under Lalit-devs direc-
tion, and anothers (Vrajantha) as being a sakh under Suba-
las direction. Finally in very recent history, many of us had
the pleasure of meeting and associating with rla Prabhu-
pdas Godbrother Akicana Kadsa Bbj, who frankly
admitted to rla rdhara Mahrja and others his embrace
of sakhya-bhva. Thus to say that only majar-bhva is avail-
able in our line contradicts the facts as we know them. Objec-
tively speaking, it is clearly the highest reach of our lineage,
but as we have seen above, it is not the only type of prema
that serves as the prayojana of the Gauya sampradya.
8. Objections
CHAPTER 8 OBJ ECTI ONS 5 2
T
hus far we have considered the history of
some of Prabhupdas interactions with his
disciples that have provided glimpses into
his afnity for sakhya-rasa. We have also con-
sidered the opinions of sdhus such as rla
B. R. rdhara Deva Goswm and Swm B.V. Tripurri,
both of whom have helped us to understand the signicance
of Prabhupdas poem aboard the Jaladuta. Prabhupdas
family lineage has also been discussed in light of its signi-
cant connection with sakhya-rasa, and following this we have
very briey discussed the place of sakhya-rasa in the Gauya
sampradya. Now we will turn to objections to the idea that
Prabhupda is situated in sakhya-rasa.
Exc l us i ve maj ar - bhvat he hi ghes t perf ect i on
Some devotees have asserted that if we are to think of
Prabhu pda as being situated in the highest perfection, he
must be absorbed in majar-bhva, for this is the high-
est reach of our sampradya. One claim made by the ad-
vocates of the mdhurya-only position is that r Caitanya
Mahprabhu, as one writer put it, has come only for un-
natojjvala-rasa, the brightest jewel of rasnandamajar-
bhva. They contend, or at least imply, that he came to teach
mdhurya-rasa exclusively. However, we dont see evidence
in the scriptures to support this contention, but rather only
that majar-bhva is the apex of r Caitanyas outreach and
inner experience. The Lord himself asserts in r Caitanya-
caritmta that he came to teach us to love Ka through
any of the four rasas of Vraja. According to rla Kadsa
Kavirja Goswm, r Ka thinks to himself, I shall per-
sonally inaugurate the religion of the age, nma-sakrtana,
the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make
the world dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of lov-
ing devotional service.
10

In fact, although it is unnatojjvala-rasa the Lord came to
taste himself, he came to teach the four bhvas through which
the residents of Vraja please Ka.
11
And while there is no
dispute that Rdhs love is the highest pinnacle of love, we
also feel impelled to assert that in one sense there is no differ-
ence among the rasas. Before Kadsa Kavirja begins com-
paring the relative intensity of the devotional sentiments, he
says, Four kinds of devotees are the receptacles of the four
kinds of mellows in love of God, namely servitude, friend-
ship, parental affection, and conjugal love. Each kind of dev-
otee feels that his sentiment is the most excellent, and thus in
that mood he tastes great happiness with Lord Ka.
12
It is not the case, then, that r Caitanya came to teach
mdhurya-rasa exclusively. Furthermore, while it is true that
objectively speaking when we look at the four rasas of Vraja
through the lens of tattva that majar-bhva exceeds the oth-
ers in intimacy, the subjective reality of each and every real-
ized devotee ultimately determines which sentiment is high-
est. In other words, it is through the subjective lens of bhva
that the nal determination is made, and here, as Prabhu-
pda consistently emphasized, we must be careful not to
think in terms of higher and lower and thereby muddy the
waters of rasnanda with the polluted stream of our mun-
dane mind. We must also remember that the perfection of
any devotee derives from his or her willingness to serve r
Ka on Kas own terms.
The sense that ones own bhva is the highest is also im-
plied by Kadsa Kavirja Goswm in his depiction of
the conversation between Rmnanda Rya and Mahprab-
hu. In the midst of Kadsa Kavirjas discussion of sdha-
na and his subsequent stress on gop-bhva and the fact that
only by following the sentiment of and serving the gops can
one fully experience all of the pastimes of Rdh-Ka, rla
Prabhupdas comments are of interest. r Kadsa writes,
Without the help of the gops, one cannot enter into these
pastimes. Only one who worships the Lord in the ecstasy
of the gops, following in their footsteps, can engage in the
service of r r Rdh-Ka in the bushes of Vndvana.
Only then can one understand the conjugal love between
Rdh and Ka. There is no other procedure for under-
standing.
While acknowledging that only gop-bhva affords one full
access to r Kas romantic life, rla Prabhupda begins
his purport on this verse thus: The means for returning
home, for going back to Godhead, is devotional service, but
everyone has a different taste in the Lords service. One may
be inclined to serve the Lord in servitude (dsya-rasa), frater-
nity (sakhya-rasa) or parental love (vtsalya-rasa)
Indeed, r Kadsa Kavirja Goswm himself later in
this section of Caitanya-caritmta pauses in his own per-
sonal enthusiasm for gop-bhva to remind us that the teach-
ing is that the rga-mrga in general consists of worshiping
Vrajendranandana and that such worship consists of a num-
ber of bhvas. And, again, whichever bhva one embraces in
the service of the son of Nanda one attains perfection in that
bhva as a resident of Vraja (Cc. 2.4.221222).
The unique position of the priyanarma-sakhs is also im-
portant to note. As mentioned earlier, this particular group
of Kas friends also serves the gops. Indeed, in his Ujjvala-
nlamai Rpa Goswm has referred to their bhva as sakh-
bhva. This is not to say that the priyanarma-sakhs experi-
ence is the same bhva in all respects as that of r Rdhs
majars, but they do experience a degree of mahbhva and
thus their penetration into Rdh-Ka ll exceeds that
of dsya and vtsalya-rasa, as well as that of other forms of
sakhya-rasa.
Thus rla Prabhupdas afnity for sakhya-rasa document-
ed above should never be construed as a defect and one
should not think that because of it he is less than perfect.
Such thinking is mundane and offensive.
Rpnuga
Another objection we hear is that our sampradya is the
rpnuga line; we follow rla Rpa Goswm, who, as we
know, is Rpa-majar in his siddha-deha. Thus everyone
who is a rpnuga must pursue majar-bhva. Those who
take this position remind us that rla Bhaktisiddhnta Saras-
vat hkuras pram-mantra celebrates him as very averse
to anything different from rla Rpa Goswms mood:
rpnuga-viruddhpa-siddhnta-dhvnta-hrie. But if we
take a close look at that mantra, we see that it says that rla
Sarasvat hkura would not tolerate any statement contrary
to rla Rpa Goswms teachings/siddhnta (viruddhpa-
siddhnta). It does not say that he never tolerated any mood
different from Rpa Goswms. Tattva (siddhnta) and
bhva (ones spiritual sentiment) are two different things. In
siddhnta all Gauya Vaiavas are one, but their spiritual
sentiments, or bhvas, may differ.
Some may argue that rpnuga in its narrowest sense
means to follow Rpa Goswm in all respects, including
adopting majar-bhva. However, all Gauya Vaiavas
follow Rpa Goswms teaching, his siddhnta. Everyone
follows Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu. How could rla Sarasvat
hkura, as a rpnuga, decry other bhvas of Vraja? Vraja is
that place where, according to rla Jva Goswm in his in-
troduction to Gopla-camp, everything is accommodated,
everything harmonized. The variety of bhvas among dev-
otees is not a fault; it is an ornament. This is what we nd
when we read rla Rpa Goswms teachings, beginning
with Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu. So in that perhaps broader
sense, all Gauya Vaiavas are rpnugas. This undermines
the claim we sometimes encounter that sakhya-rasa devotees
may be rgnuga bhaktas but not rpnuga bhaktas. Instead
of following Rpa Goswm, or Rpa-majar, we are told,
those devotees follow Gauridsa Paita, who they say is a
rgnuga crya but not a rpnuga crya. Such narrow
thinking may be accepted in some circles. However, as we
see above, Gauridsa Paitas followers certainly do follow
the teachings, the siddhnta, of rla Rpa Goswm, which
makes them rpnuga devotees in the broader sense.
Gau ya di k - mant ras
Still another objection we hear is that the mantras devo-
tees in our line receive, particularly the Gopla mantra and
the Kma-gyatr mantra, bestow love in gra-rasa. The
Gopla mantra, we hear, means, I accept the same rela-
tion with Ka as the gops: that Ka is my beloved. It
is, they say, a gop-mantra, for gop-bhva-raya only. What
they seem to be missing is rla Santana Goswms Bhad-
Bhgavatmta, another seminal work in our sampradya.
That epic work follows Gopa-kumra, a cowherd from Go-
vardhana, in his sojourn through the material and spiritual
universes all the way to Kas personal company in Golo-
ka. What is the vehicle that carries Gopa-kumra to Goloka
Vndvana? As far as his dik-mantra is concerned, it is the
Gopla mantra.
Moreover, it is important to note here that the mantra
Gopa-kumra chanted is not the eighteen-syllable mantra
we are given at dik. That mantra contains three names for
Ka: Ka, Govinda, and Gop-jana-vallabha. In his com-
mentary on prva 15 of Gopla-tpan Upaniad, Swm B. V.
Tripurri, following our predecessor cryas Jva Goswm,
Prabodhnanda Sarasvat, Vivantha Cakravart, and oth-
ers, points out the specic signicance of each of the names
included in this mantra. The name Ka, he explains, cor-
responds most closely with love for Ka as experienced
by practitioners of vaidh-bhakti, love tinged with reverence
for Ka, as in Dvrak. The name Go vin da corresponds
most closely with the love of those practicing rgnuga-
bhakti, aspiring for the kind of love of Go vin das cowherd-
boy friends, as well as those following the vtsalya-rasa
exemplied by Nanda and Yaod. Gop-jana-vallabha,
however, is especially for culturing unnatojjvala-rasa, con-
jugal love for Ka following in the wake of rmat Rd-
hiks cowherd-girl friends. In this connection, Tripurri
Mahrja writes,
Those who aspire for this spiritual sentiment [con-
jugal love] in Kas Vraja ll understand the
names Ka and Govinda to be aspects of Gop-
jana-vallabha. r Caitanya Mahprabhu himself
chanted the ten-syllable Gopla mantra, kl gop-
jana-vallabhya-svh, rather than the full eighteen-
syllable Gopla mantra given here in Gopla-tpani.
Thus it is to be understood that the names Ka and
Govinda are not absolutely necessary for those who
aspire for the conjugal love of Rdh-Ka.
13
Santana Goswm tells us in Bhad-Bhgavatmta that
the mantra that carried Gopa-kumra all the way to Goloka
Vndvana, ultimately revealing his eternal form as Kas
cowherd-boy friend Sarpa, is this same ten-syllable Gop-
la mantra especially meant for those aspiring to mdhurya-
rasa.
14
This seems to indicate, then, that even this mantra
may give varieties of love other than conjugal love. More-
over, to bring us back to earth, so to speak, the mantra our
gurus give us is the eighteen-syllable Gopla mantra, which
accommodates a broader spectrum of spiritual sentiments.
Reading Bhad-Bhgavatmta should, it seems, raise a
couple of questions in thoughtful readers minds, particularly
those convinced that our sampradya offers only mdhurya-
rasa. One is, Why doesnt Santana Goswm, who is, as we
know, Lavaga-majar, have his protagonist discover his
majar identity, rather than that of the cowherd boy Sar-
pa? And the other question is, If the Gopla mantra is for
gop-bhva-raya only, how is it that it revealed a cowherd
boys bhva to Gopa-kumra? Santana Goswm himself
seems unwilling to accept such a proposition.
Gurus and di s c i pl es wi t h di f f erent s ent i ment s
Yet another assertion made by the advocates of exclusive
mdhurya-bhva is that a disciple cannot have a different
bhva than his or her guru. They say they cannot think of a
single instance where a disciple has a svarpa different from
the guru he or she follows. While it is true that in most cas-
es the disciple follows the guru in terms of his or her bhva,
this is not always the case. In the least, there are exceptions
to this standard, exceptions that do not make for disciples
who have somehow fallen short.
The fact that disciples do indeed sometimes develop dif-
ferent bhvas from that of their guru has been demonstrat-
ed above in my brief explanation of the place of sakhya-rasa
in our sampradya. Therein, evidence of different sentiments
appearing in the same lineage was presented. Perhaps the
most signicant evidence in that section contrary to the no-
tion that the disciple must attain the same sentiment as that
of his or her guru is the reference to hkura Bhaktivino-
das Jaiva Dharma. As mentioned, in Jaiva Dharma two dis-
ciples of the same guru develop afnity for two different
bhvas: sakhya and mdhurya. I stress the example found in
Jaiva Dharma, among other reasons, because different ex-
planations of the examples of Akicana Kadsa Bbj
and ymnanda Prabhu, also mentioned above, have been
suggested at times.
The case of ymnanda Prabhu is often considered an ex-
ception to the norm. As the story goes, one of Rdhs hand-
maidens claimed him for her camp despite his initiation in a
lineage of sakhya-rasa gurus. In this instance an entire spiri-
tual drama unfolded involving various eternal participants
in Ka ll participating in both their siddha and sdhaka-
dehas. The instance is so unique that it has been celebrated
and written about for generations. Moreover, it spawned a
new sampradya, the ymnanda Parivra. Nothing like this
happened in the case of rla Prabhupda. At the same time,
the ll of ymnanda cannot be entirely dismissed by any
means. In spite of its uniqueness, it nonetheless also speaks
to us of the possibility of exceptions to the norm.
In the case of Akicana Kadsa Bbj, some have ar-
gued that his failure to preach as Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat
hkura desired constituted an offense on his part that
caused his bhva to be downgraded. Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu
1.3.54 is sometimes cited as support for this interpretation.
r Jva comments that a slight offense to a great devotee or
to r Ka himself can result in ones bhva being down-
graded. However, this verse refers to devotees who have
already attained bhva. In the case of Akicana Kadsa
Bbj, there is absolutely no evidence that he attained gop-
bhva from which his bhva was downgraded to sakhya-
bhva. From beginning to end his afnity and ultimate at-
tainment was sakhya-bhva.
But let me return again to the writing of Bhaktivinoda
hkura in his Jaiva Dharma to further demonstrate why this
evidence is particularly compelling. Those who might ob-
ject that this book is a work of ction should be advised that
rla rdhara Mahrja stated in no uncertain terms that, be-
cause the hkura is a siddha-mahtm, whatever manifests
in his mind is reality on some plane or at some time. More-
over, real or ctitious, rla Bhaktivinoda hkura used that
book to present the Gauya Vaiava philosophy from A to
Z. In his line, this book represents the siddhnta. It is thus
very signicant that he has given an example of two disciples
of the same guru developing different bhvas with the full
blessing of their guru. Indeed, the two disciples are the prin-
cipal characters of this section of the book! Their afnity for
differing bhvas is presented as quite natural and hardly an
exception to the so-called rule that a disciple can only attain
the bhva of his or her guru.
The s ongs Prabhupda taught us
Some devotees have objected that a few of the songs rla
Prabhupda taught us to sing in daily worship indicate an
afnity for mdhurya-rasa. One example is the Tulas krtana
he gave us, which says, ei nivedana dharo, sakhr anugata
koro/ sev-adhikra diye koro nja ds: I beg you to make
me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Please give
me the privilege of devotional service and make me your
own maidservant. This clearly expresses an aspiration for
mdhurya-rati. Another example is rla Vivantha Cakra-
vart hkuras Gurvaakam. The fth verse says, r rdhik
mdhavayor apra-mdhurya-ll gua-rpa-nmnm: The
spiritual master is always eager to hear and chant about the
unlimited conjugal pastimes of Rdhik and Mdhava, and
their qualities, names, and forms. And the sixth verse says,
nikuja-yno rati-keli-siddhyai y ylibhir yuktir apekay/
tatrti-dkyd ati-vallabhasya: The spiritual master is very
dear, because he is expert in assisting the gops, who at differ-
ent times make different tasteful arrangements for the per-
fection of Rdh and Kas conjugal loving affairs within
the groves of Vndvana.
When considering such songs, however, we would do
well to keep a couple of things in mind. One is that these
are standard songs. Furthermore, the sakh-bhva referred to
in the prayer to Vnd-dev could also be sung in light of
ones cultivation of the mdhurya aspect of the priyanarma-
sakhs sakh-bhva, although in my mind it is doubtful that
Prabhupda had anything so specic in mind when he gave
us this popular song.
With regard to Vivantha Cakravart hkuras Gurv-
aakam, rla Prabhupda explained how he himself thought
of these verses on at least three occasions. As rla Prabh-
upda wrote to Jayapatk Mahrja in 1969 regarding the
Mahrjas question about Cakravart hkuras sixth verse:
The prayers offered by Vivantha Cakravart to his Spiri-
tual Master have a special signicance. His Spiritual Mas-
ter was one of the assistant gops, so the prayer was offered
like that. On the whole, the Spiritual Master is an agent of
Ka. But either He is assistant to the gops or assistant to
the cowherds boys, He is on the level of Ka. That is the
verdict of all scriptures.
Here we nd an instance in which Prabhupdas disciple
directly asks him about the signicance of Vivantha Cakra-
varts verse that describes the guru in terms of gop-bhva.
Had Prabhupda been absorbed in gop-bhva, we would ex-
pect a different answer than that which he has given above.
Instead, Prabhupda widens the possibilities to include
sakhya-rasa by explaining the verse more broadly, more
broadly than r Vivantha himself intended, as Prabhu-
pda has explained.
Explaining the sixth verse in a lecture that was later includ-
ed in Journey of Self-Discovery, he said,
The spiritual master's ultimate goal is that he wants
to be transferred to the planet of Ka, where he
can associate with the gops to help them serve Ka.
Some spiritual masters are thinking of becoming as-
sistants to the gops, some are thinking of becoming
assistants to the cowherd boys, some are thinking of
becoming assistants to Nanda and Mother Yaod,
and some are thinking of becoming God's servants.
15
In 1973 rla Prabhupda discussed the symptoms of the guru
as presented in Gurvaakam at the University of Stockholm.
There he said of the fth verse of Gurvaakam, The spiritu-
al master is always thinking of the pastimes of Ka . . . with
His consort rmati Rdhr and the gops. Sometimes he
is thinking about Kas pastimes with the cowherd boys.
This means that he is always thinking of Ka engaged in
some kind of pastime. Thus each time Prabhupda is on
record explaining the signicance of the two verses of r
Vivanthas Gurvaakam that speak directly of gop-bhva,
he speaks of sakhya-bhva as an alternative. The obvious ex-
planation for this is that he himself is thinking about Kas
pastimes with the cowherd boys.
Note that as pointed out earlier some cowherds also
worship Rdh-Mdhava and assist them in their union,
the priyanarma-sakhs. rla Rpa Goswm says that the
priyanarma-sakhs possess a very special bhva and engage
in the most condential pastimes.
16
In his comments on this
verse, rla Jva Goswm writes that the special bhva re-
ferred to involves the desire to give pleasure to Ka by
helping his girlfriends. A few verses later, describing the anu-
bhvas that distinguish the priyanarma-sakhs from Kas
other friends, r Rpa says,
Carrying messages among the young women of
Vraja, encouraging the gops love for Ka, taking
Kas side when the gops are present and Ka is
not present, showing skill at siding with the chief
gops when Ka is present and they are not, and ar-
guing intensely by whispering in each others ears
are the activities of the priyanarma-sakhs.
17
The second chapter of rla Rpa Goswms Ujjvala-
nlamai says of the priyanarma-sakhs: tyantika-rahasya-
ja, they know the most intimate details of Kas pas-
times, and sakh-bhva-samrita, they have taken shelter of
the mood of Rdhiks sakhs.
18
In his commentary on this
verse, rla Jva Goswm says, When out of affection for
both Ka and his beloved gops they desire to unite them
both, their masculine nature is subdued.
The mood of this particular group of Kas friends,
then, has an intimate connection with Kas loving af-
fairs with the damsels of Vraja. Indeed, they are inu-
enced by both Kas friends and the leaders of Rdhs
groups of girl friends. Their bhva is a mixture of sakhya and
mdhurya. If rla Prabhupda is afliated with this group
of gopas, it would seem that he could certainly aspire to be-
come a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja, as well
as be expert in assisting the gops, who at different times
make different tasteful arrangements for the perfection of
Rdh and Kas conjugal loving affairs within the groves
of Vndvana, and still love Ka in sakhya-rasa. Further-
more, considering the possibility that rla Prabhupda is a
follower of the priyanarma-sakhs is a way of harmonizing a
sakhya-rasa sthyi-bhva with any perception of mdhurya in
his character.
9. Conclusion
CHAPTER 9 CONCL US I ON 6 8
A
s we have seen, there is considerable ev-
idence, including personal statements of
rla Prabhupda himself, that the ideal of
His Divine Grace is sakhya-rasa. Although
rla Prabhupda usually, as is customary
among Gauya Vaiavas, kept his internal life to himself,
it is not something that one can hide altogether, at least not
to the philosophically trained eye, much less the awakened
heart. That which can be seen through the eye of stra-
yukti in relation to the available evidence is not something
to dismiss altogether, even when lack of personal realiza-
tion remains. While my heart is less than fully awakened in
Ka consciousness, it should be clear that those whose re-
alization is deep will need to reach a conclusion concerning
Prabhupdas svarpa that either corresponds with the ex-
ternal evidence or, if it contradicts this evidence, provides
us with compelling spiritual reasoning as to why such evi-
dence should be disregarded. In the case of Pujyapda B. R.
rdhara Deva Goswm, we have a realized soul who lived
with Prabhupda for six years and was his lifelong friend
and Godbrother, a Godbrother whom on occasion Prab-
hupda referred to affectionately as his ik-guru, and a
ik-guru that Prabhupda authorized his disciples to take
shelter of should the need arise. Thus the fact that his per-
sonal realization corresponds with all of the available evi-
dence makes it difcult in the least to reach any other con-
clusion.
Swm B.V. Tripurri relates that when he read rla
Prabhupdas Jaladuta prayer to Prabhupdas Godbrother
Pujyapda Bhakti Promode Pur Mahrja, Pur Mahrja
immediately exclaimed, Sakhya-rasa! Then when Tripurri
Mahrja said that some devotees assert that it is a problem
if rla Prabhupda is in sakhya-rasa because our sampradya
is principally a gop-bhva lineage, Pur Mahrja replied,
Bb, if your guru is situated in sakhya-rasa, you don't have
a problem. But if anyone thinks they have a problem because
their guru is in sakhya-rasa rather than mdhurya-rasa, then
they have a problem! rla Pur Mahrja then went on to
explain that should any of Prabhupdas disciples develop
greed for gop-bhva that Prabhupda would make arrange-
ments to facilitate their pursuit.
We have seen that after rla Prabhupdas passing some
of his disciples have developed a keen interest in majar-
bhva. However, in each instance that Im aware of this in-
terest has been facilitated by a ik-guru from outside of
Prabhupdas International Society for Ka Consciousness
(which is not to say that I am implying that this is the neces-
sary course that all disciples of rla Prabhupda with inter-
est in majar-bhva must take). At the same time, we nd
that there are a number of Prabhupdas disciples who are
following in the wake of his own interest in sakhya-rasa. The
majority of his disciples, on the other hand, might respond
that they have not contemplated these issues in any detail,
nor have they begun to search them out in their own hearts.
My hope is that this booklet will be helpful to them, as well
as to those who consider themselves well thought out on the
matter. My intent here is to set the historical record straight
with regard to the available evidence and supporting realiza-
tions from sdhus, and to make clear that despite Prabhup-
das obvious afnity for sakhya-rasa, he remains fully com-
petent to guide those disciples of his that develop spiritual
greed for gop-bhva, even while such may include arrang-
ing a ik-guru to assist them. After all, in the nal analysis,
guru is one. Let us serve him, following our own hearts and
avoiding offensessins of the soul at all costs.
rla Prabhupda left this world in Vndvana, from where
he initially reached out to us. He left the world while ab-
sorbed in translating and commenting on the Bhgavatams
brahm-vimohana-ll. In this ll r Ka planned a picnic
lunch, a well-known painting of which rla Prabhupda was
so fond of. It is herein this ll, longing to go to Govar-
dhanathat Prabhupdas bhat mdaga was silenced, not
by any external inuence, but by the blessing of r Ka in-
viting him to lunch.
Bhva is characterized by longing, longing well deserved,
arising as it does out of raddh and aragati. We see this
kind of bhva in rla Prabhupda, whose surrender was not
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partial but wholesale. Glimpsing by his mercy alone the di-
rection of his spiritual destination, may we all be humbled to
fall at in aragati at his lotus feet. May we be showered
by rla Prabhupdas innite mercy, and may we one day be
called to share some of Ka's lus and kacaurs with him.
ENDNOTES 7 2
Endnotes
1 From biographical notes of Subala dsa, quoted in
the online article, Meditation on Siddha Deha,
December 25, 2004, http://www.swami.org/pages/
sanga/2004/2004_23.php.
2 Swm B. V. Tripurri has also mentioned three separate
instances in which gurus from other Gauya lineages
than those of Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat hkura have
told their disciples that Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhu-
pda was empowered by Nitynanda Prabhu. This is
significant in that Pujyapda rdhara Mahrja is not
alone in his conviction. Indeed, leaders of other sects
have independently reached the same conclusion, a con-
clusion that in rdhara Mahrjas mind also supports
his insight as to Prabhupdas ideal of sakhya-rasa.
3 In this section and the following one, rla rdhara
Mahrja is alluding to objections to his glorification
of rla Prabhupda that were raised by some of rla
Prabhupdas neophyte disciples. Herein the objec-
tion is to rla rdhara Mahrjas glorification of rla
Prabhupda as a aktyvea empowered by Nitynanda
Prabhu. The objection is based on the misunderstand-
ing that by saying that at a certain point in his life rla
Prabhupda was empowered, rla rdhara Mahrja
implied that rla Prabhupda was not himself an
extraordinary devotee, but rather that he was so only on
the basis of his empowerment.
4 I do not mean to say that interest in mdhurya-rasa is
foreign to iskcon devotees. Far from it, Prabhupda
has made it abundantly clear that objectively speaking
this is the highest reach of r Caitanyas mission. Thus
there may be any number of devotees in iskcon who
in a general sense are interested in this ideal, aside from
any outside influence. However, specific interest in
majar-bhva and detailed information concerning this
ideal has been generated from outside sources.
ENDNOTES 7 3
In some instances, iskcon gurus who have been
so inuenced have concealed their sources while re-
maining in the mission and even denied or reject-
ed them only to propagate what they learned from
them in their own names or in the name of rla
Prabhupda.
Interest in majar-bhva has come not only
from gurus in the line of Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat
hkura. Both before and after the departure of r-
la Prabhupda, gurus from other lineages also have
interested iskcon devotees in majar-bhva. How-
ever, in these instances the inuence has includ-
ed approaches to sdhana not embraced by Bhakti-
siddhnta Sarasvat hkura and his followers.
5 Note that Swms translation of this opening line of
Prabhupdas prayer differs from that published by the
BBT, which in the least misses the underlying spirit of
the poem. It represents B. R. rdhara Deva Gosw ms
understanding of the Bengali verse.
6 A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda, r Caitanya-
caritmta (Los Angeles: Bhaktivednta Book Trust,
1975), di 11.41.
7 Ibid, purport.
8 Mns Broo, As Good As God: The Guru in Gauya
Vaiavism (Abo, Finland: Abo Akademi University
Press, 2003).
9 A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda, rmad-
Bhgavatam (Los Angeles: Bhaktivednta Book Trust,
1972), 2.9.30.
1975), Adi 3.19.
11 This verse has been interpreted by some devotees to
mean that because the four rasas of Vraja are included
within mdhurya, r Caitanya has come to distribute
this rasa alone. Such devotees have also conjectured that
ENDNOTES 7 4
there is no sdhana in the Gauya sampradya aimed
at attaining any other rasa. However, these notions are
not supported by the evidence at hand. Among other
things, the sakhya lineages inspired by Nitynanda
Prabhu stand in contradiction to them.
1975), di 4.4243.
13 Swm B. V. Tripurri, Gopla-tpani Upaniad (San
Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing, 2004), p. 32.
14 rla Santana Gosvm, r Bhad Bhgavatmta,
trans. Gopparadhana dsa (Los Angeles: Bhakti-
vednta Book Trust, 2002), 2.1.36, 121.
15 A. C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupda, Journey of
Self-Discovery (Los Angeles: Bhaktivednta Book Trust,
1990), chap. 4.
16 Rpa Goswm, Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu, 3.3.43.
17 Ibid, 3.3.9394.
18 Rpa Goswm, Ujjvala-nlamai, 2.13.
7 5 GL OS S ARY
Glossary
anubhva Deliberate actions that correspond with ones
dominant spiritual emotion.
bhva Spiritual ecstasy.
brahm-vimohana-ll rmad-Bhgavatam
10.1214: Ka bewilders Brahm.
gaurav-pracrie Propagation of the teachings
of r Caitanya Mahprabhu.
gop-bhva-raya The shelter of the spiritual senti-
ment of the gops.
mahbhva Great ecstasy, the highest point to which
prema-bhakti can rise.
majar-bhva The sentiment of the maidservants of
r Rdh.
nitya-siddha An eternally perfected devotee.
paravyoma The spiritual realm, beyond heaven.
rga-mrga The path of spontaneous love of Ka.
rasnanda The transcendental joy of tasting aesthetic
rapture in love of God.
sdhaka-deha External, spiritualized body of the
practitioner.
stra-yukti Reasoning employed to support the
conclusions of scriptural revelation.
siddha-deha Ones perfected, internal spiritual body.
siddha-mahtm A great, perfected soul.
gra-rasa Conjugal love of God.
sthyi-bhva The dominant spiritual sentiment in
which one serves Ka.
suvara-vaik A gold merchant community in Bengal
that was especially blessed by Nitynanda Prabhu.
Prabhupda was born in this community.
svarpa Ones spiritual form or nature.
svarpa-siddhi The perfection of identifying with
ones spiritual form.
trida-bhiku A Vaiava renunciate (beggar).
7 6 COL OPHON
Photos courtesy of the Bhaktivednta Book Trust,
www.krishna.com. Used with permission.
This booklet was set with Galliard from Carter & Cone,
designed by the legendary Matthew Carter.
The chapter headlines are set in Didot, designed by Firmin Didot.
2009 by Babhru dsa. All Rights Reserved.

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