Rāgānugā
In the transcendental abode of Vraja, the eternal residence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the inhabitants serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa in different mellows of loving service. Raktaka Parśada serves in the mellow of dāsya-premā. Madhumaṇgala Sakhā, Śrīdāmā, and Sudāmā serve in the mood of sakhya-premā, while Nanda and Yaśodā serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the mellow of vātsalya-premā. Any devotee who is attracted by any of the transcendental moods of service will obtain their desired goal at the time of perfection. A vivid example of this is the śrutis (the personified Upaniṣads). The śrutis were convinced that the transcendental loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not obtainable without following in the footsteps of the cowherd girls in Vraja. At that time, they adopted the spontaneous service of rāgānugā in pursuance of the footsteps of the gopīs with the aim of achieving premā for the son of the King of Vraja.
The śrutis, who obtained the transcendental service of Godhead by following in the footsteps of the gopīs, are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.23):
nibhṛta-marun-mano 'kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan
munaya upāsate tad arayo 'pi yayuḥ smaraṇāṭ
striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇḍa-viṣakta-dhiyo
vayam api te samāḥ samadṛśo ‘ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ
"The enemies of the Personality of Godhead, who remembered Him constantly with an inimical feeling, entered into the impersonal Brahman effulgence, which is also obtained by the empiric philosophers and mystics by the process of controlling the mind and the senses strictly by yoga practice and meditating upon the impersonal Brahman. But the cowherd girls, the damsels of Vraja, were hypnotized by the poisonous beauty of the snakelike arms of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus they obtained the nectar of His lotus feet. We have also followed the path of the cowherd girls and are thus drinking the nectarean juice of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead.”
The purport of this verse is that the śrutis followed the path of the gopīs and when they reached perfection they obtained bodies like those of the cowherd girls. After obtaining such transcendental bodies, they were able to enjoy the company of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in spiritual bliss.
Changing the Body
Advancement of material science in the field of medical surgery has made it possible to change the body of a human being from male to female or from female to male by surgical operation. The desire to change the body in this way is a kind of mundane lust. This lusty idea is a perverted reflection of the transcendental idea of changing the body as in the case of the śrutis. The idea of changing the body from one form to another is quite possible even by way of the materialistic mind. Therefore, by spiritual development the possibility of changing the body for the better is even greater.
The conclusion of the above-mentioned spiritual perfection is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.21):
nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān
dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ
jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ
yathā bhaktimatām iha
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the son of Śrīmatī Yaśodādevī, is more easily available to persons engaged in spontaneous devotional service than to persons engaged in empiric philosophical speculations.”
One who therefore accepts the example set by the cowherd girls of Vraja and always meditates upon the transcendental pastimes of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa day and night while living in Vraja and serving Them there will ultimately obtain the body of a sakhī and directly serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
An Eternal Life of Ecstasy
The supramundane body is transcendental to the gross and subtle bodies of the living entity and it is suitable for rendering loving service to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Transmigration of the soul from one body to another takes place in material existence according to the living entity’s fruitive activities, which are carried out in relation to the three modes of nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the transmigration of the soul is vividly described. The mind carries the soul to another body just as the air carries aromas. At the time of death, one’s state of mind is very important in this connection. The mind is prone to be absorbed in the particular kind of thinking, feeling, and willing that it has always done in relation to its daily activities.
The state of the mind at the time of leaving the body depends on the modes of thinking, feeling, and willing. Devotees are advised to think continuously, day and night, about the transcendental pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, so that their minds will be absorbed with that type of thinking, feeling, and willing. As such, it will be possible for the living entity to enter the kingdom of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa to directly associate with Them for rendering loving service in the particular sentiment that he cultivated continually during his life.
In material existence, the mind is always conditioned to think about material enjoyment. Therefore, the mind has to be engaged in contemplating the transcendental subject matter that has no connection with the three modes of nature. The divine pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and the activities of the cowherd girls of Vraja are above the three qualities of material nature. When the mind is engaged in thinking, feeling, and willing in connection with such transcendental subjects, the living entity is sure to ultimately get the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
The deva-vratā, people who are situated in the mode of goodness, worship the demigods such as Brahmā and Śiva and attain the abodes of such demigods. The pitṛ-vratās, people who are situated in the mode of passion for enjoying the material world and who worship the pitṛs, forefathers who have passed away, attain the different abodes of the pitṛs. The bhūtejyās, animal and ghost worshipers, who are situated in the mode of darkness and ignorance, also attain their respective destinations in the material world. But the devotees of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa attain His supreme abode, which is eternal. No one ever returns after attaining that abode.
All other spheres of attainment are considered temporary abodes because they are either vanquished after a limited duration of time or the residents of those abodes have to come back again to this earth after they have exhausted the results of their previous pious activities. As far as the bhūtejyās are concerned, they are doom- ed to hover on this earth or in even lower regions of the universe.
Lord Caitanya offers all people in the age of Kali, who are by nature very unfortunate in every respect, the highest benefit of life. As such, those who take this opportunity will be considered the most fortunate souls. By following the principles of devotional activities as propounded by Rāmānanda Rāya under the order of Lord Caitanya, every human being can attain the eternal life of ecstasy in the company of the Personality of Godhead in different transcendental rasas as are enjoyed by the denizens of Vraja or Goloka Vṛndāvana, the eternal abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
No Entrance for Lakṣmīdevī
Without pursuing the footsteps of the gopīs, no one can obtain the spiritual body of a sakhī and render service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even if the devotional service is rendered in the mood of opulence. A vivid example of this is Śrī Lakṣmīdevī, who desired entrance into the transcendental pastimes of the rāsa-līlā of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. However, because Lakṣmīdevī did not follow in the footsteps of the cowherd girls of Vraja, she did not get entrance.
This statement of Rāmānanda Rāya caused Lord Caitanya to melt in complete ecstasy and thus He embraced him in His arms. Both Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya were overflowing with tears of transcendental joy. The whole night was thus passed in divine conversation, and when the morning came, both Rāmānanda and Lord Caitanya went about their respective engagements.
As Lord Caitanya was leaving, Rāmānanda fell at his feet and fervently requested Him in the following way:
'more kṛpā karite tomāra ihāṅ āgamana
dina daśa rahi' śodha mora duṣṭa mana
tomā vinā anya nāhi jiva uddhārite
tomā vinā anya nāhi kṛṣṇa-prema dite'
"You have come here to bestow Your Divine Grace upon me; therefore, please remain here for at least ten days and see to it that my polluted mind is corrected. There is no one in the world but You who can deliver the fallen souls and there is no one in the world except You who can bestow upon them the transcendental mellowness of love of Godhead.”
Lord Caitanya replied,
prabhu kahe—āilāṅa śuni’ tomāra guṇa
kṛṣṇa-kathā śuni, śuddha karāite mana
yaiche śuniluṅ, taiche dekhiluṅ tomāra mahimā
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-premarasa-jñānera tumi sīmā
daśa dinera kā-kathā yāvat āmi jiba'
tāvat tomāra saṅga chāḍite nāriba
nilācale tumi-āmi thākiba eka-saṅge
sukhe goṅāiba kāla kṛṣṇa-kathā-raṅge
"I came to you after hearing of your reputation of pure devotion in order to purify My mind by hearing the transcendental message of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. I have just verified My information about you upon seeing and hearing you. You are the zenith of transcendental knowledge regarding the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa As such, it will not be possible for Me to ever leave your company, what to speak of after ten days or so. We shall both live at Nīlācala (Jagannātha Purī) together and pass our time in perfect happiness always talking about the subject of the divine pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa"
Perfect Questions and Answers
Thus Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya separated from one another in the morning and in the evening they met again. The meeting took place in a secluded area and the talks began in the same manner of question and answer, with Lord Caitanya questioning and Rāmānanda answering.
Q: What is the essence of learning in the field of educational activities?
A: There is no superior quality of learning than the knowledge pursued in regard to devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Q: What is the highest fame?
A: The highest fame of a living being is a reputation of being a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Q: What is the most valuable possession of life among all the assets of the world?
A: One who has transcendental love for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is to be considered the richest person in the world.
Q: What is the most grievous type of sorrow among all the sorrows and distresses of life?
A: There is no greater type of sorrow than the unhappiness created by separation from devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Q: Who is most perfectly liberated among all the liberated souls of the universe?
A: One who has transcendental love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the greatest of all liberated souls.
Q: What is the best song that a person can sing?
A: The essence of all songs is the singing of the transcendental glories of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Q: What is the highest benefit of life that a person can seek?
A: There is no greater gain in life than the association of devotees engaged in the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Q: Who is to be remembered constantly by the living being?
A: One should always think of the transcendental name, fame, and qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Q: What should the living being meditate on?
A: The most perfect type of meditation is to meditate upon the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Q: Where should the living being reside exclusively, leaving all other residential quarters?
A: One should live in Vṛndāvana, where the transcendental pastimes of rāsa-līlā are perpetually performed.
Q: What should the living entity hear about, leaving aside all other topics?
A: The reciprocal loving pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are the only subject matter for aural reception by the living entity.
Q: What is the most worshipable object among all those to be worshiped?
A: The topmost worshipable object is the combined names of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Q: Where do persons go who aspire after liberation or sense enjoyment respectively?
A: The first person attains a body that is immovable (such as a stone or mountain), and the other attains a celestial body. (According to Gautama Buddha, liberation means to become like a stone, without any sense perception. That is the culmination of Buddhist philosophy.)
The above questions and answers contain the essence of all transcendental knowledge confirmed in the authoritative scriptures.
Most Learned Fellow
The gradual development of educational activities should be estimated in the following manner: brahma-vidya or knowledge of the spirit soul is superior to the knowledge of the physical world; knowledge about the Personality of Godhead is superior to the knowledge of the impersonal Brahman or spirit; and knowledge of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes is superior to the knowledge of the Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said that the highest work is that which will satisfy the senses of Hari, and the highest education is to teach about Him. One who has learned the nine different processes of devotional service—hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the Lord’s lotus feet, worshiping, praying, becoming a servant, embracing the Lord in friendship, and fully surrendering unto Him—is to be considered the most learned fellow.
Fame
The fame a person receives because of being a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the authoritative scripture GaruḍaPurāṇa:
kalau bhāgavataṁ nāma
durlabhaṁ naiva labhyate
brahma-rudra-padotkṛṣṭaṁ
guruṇā kathitaṁ mama
"I have heard from my spiritual master that in the age of Kali it will be very difficult to find a person who is famous because of being a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although such a position is better than the position of Brahmā or Śiva.”
Śrī Nārada Muni has said,
janmāntara-sahasreṣu
yasya syād buddhir īdṛśī
dāso ‘haṁ vāsudevasya
sarvāl lokān samuddharet
"A person who considers himself the eternal servant of the Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva (a conception that is achieved after thousands and thousands of births) can deliver all the fallen souls in material existence.”
In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is also confirmed that a person who is actually a mahātmā or great soul, having thoroughly understood that Vāsudeva is the Lord of all the universes, is very rarely found. After many, many births of acquiring knowledge, he surrenders unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.
In the Ādi Purāṇa, it is said that the liberated souls, including the śrutis, follow the pure devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa it is stated:
adyāpi ca muni-śreṣṭhā brahmādyā api devatāḥ
"Until now even the best among the munis (sages) or the demigods like Brahmā and others do not understand the influence of the devotee who has completely surrendered to the transcendental service of Viṣṇu.”
In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is stated:
brāhmaṇānāṁ sahasrebhyaḥ satra-yājī viśiṣyate
satra-yāji-sahasrebhyaḥ sarva vedānta-pāragaḥ
sarva-vedānta-vit-koṭyā viṣṇu-bhakto viśiṣyate
vaiṣṇavānāṁ sahasrebhya ekānty eko viśiṣyate
"Out of many, many thousands of brāhmaṇas, one who is expert in the performance of sacrifices is considered the best. Out of many thousands of such experts in the performance of sacrifices, one who has surpassed all the knowledge in the Vedas is considered the best. Out of all those persons who have excelled in the studies of the Vedas, a person who is a devotee of Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, is considered the best. And out of many, many thousands of such worshipers of Viṣṇu, one who is a pure Vaiṣṇava or an exclusive devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the best because only he will attain the highest abode called Paraṁ-dhāma, which is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.”
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is also said that the purpose of acquiring knowledge of all the śrutis and of endeavoring in all the other ways of spiritual culture is that one will become addicted to the process of hearing the transcendental qualities, name, and fame of Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).
In the prayers of the Nārāyaṇa-līlā, it is said that a pure devotee does not desire to be situated even in the position of a Brahmā if he is devoid of the devotional service of Godhead. Rather, the pure devotee prefers to become even a small insect if such a life is engaged in the devotional service of Godhead.
All Are Not Equal
The fame of Prahlāda Mahārāja as a devotee of Godhead is described in the Skanda Purāṇa by Lord Śiva: “Not even I can know Śrī Kṛṣṇa as He is. Only the devotees know Him, and of all the devotees, Prahlāda is the best.”
In the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, Sanātana Goswāmī says that above Prahlāda, the Pāṇḍavas are still better devotees, and the Yadus are better than the Pāṇḍavas. Out of all the Yadus, Uddhava is the best devotee, and the damsels of Vraja are even better than Uddhava. Therefore, they are the topmost of all devotees.
In the Bṛhad-vāmana, Brahmā spoke to the ṛṣis as follows:
ṣaṣṭi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi
mayā taptaṁ tapaḥ purā
nanda-gopa-vraja-strīṇāṁ
pāda-reṇūpalabdhaye
"I tried my best by undergoing austerity for 60 thousand years in order to be able to get the feet-dust of the damsels of Vraja, the cowherd boys, and King Nanda. Yet I did not get the blessings of the dust of their feet. Therefore, I think that myself, Śiva, and Lakṣmī are not at all equal to them.”
In the Ādi Purāṇa, the Personality of Godhead said,
na tathā me priyatamo
brahmā rudraś ca pārthiva
na ca lakṣmīr na cātmā ca
yathā gopī-jano mama
"There is nobody dearer to Me than the cowherd damsels of Vraja—not even Brahmā, Śiva, Lakṣmī, or even My own Self.”
Follow Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī
Among all the inhabitants of Vraja, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the dearest of all. Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī is the most confidential servitor of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and is therefore very dear to Lord Caitanya. The followers of the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī are known as the Rūpānuga devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such Rūpānuga devotees are eulogized in the Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛta (127) as follows:
āstāṁ vairāgya-koṭir bhavatu
śama-dama-kṣānti-maitry-ādi-koṭis
tattvānudhyāna-koṭir bhavatu
vā vaiṣṇavī bhakti-koṭiḥ
koṭy-aṁśo ‘py asya na syāt tad api
guṇa-gaṇo yaḥ svataḥ-siddha āste
śrīmac-caitanyacandra-priya-caraṇa-
nakha-jyotir āmoda-bhājām
"Persons who are attached to the rays of the effulgent nails on the toes of the lotus feet of the beloved and dear devotees of Lord Caitanya are by themselves fully qualified with all transcendental qualities. Even powerful renunciation, equanimity, sense control, fortitude, meditation, and similar other great qualities that are found in the devotees of Viṣṇu do not compare to even one-millionth of a part of their transcendental attributes.”
Real Wealth
The general masses who are driven by the dictates of the mind for material enjoyment, desire to accumulate more and more wealth, which is the medium for obtaining their sense gratification. However, by pure transcendental intellect, one can objectively assess the value of material wealth and see that there is no wealth that can be compared with the value of love for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Here are some quotations in support of the above conception from the śāstra:
kim alabhyaṁ bhagavati
prasanne śrī-niketane
tathāpi tat-parā rājan
na hi vāñchanti kiñcana
"Although everything is available for devotees of the Personality of Godhead, they do not desire anything for their own sense enjoyment.” (Bhāg. 10.39.2)
mām anārādhya duḥkhārtaḥ
kuṭumbāsakta-mānasaḥ
sat-saṅga-rahito martyo
vṛddha-sevā-paricyutaḥ
"Conditioned souls are always unhappy in their attachment for relatives as they do not worship Me and are thus bereft of the association of pure devotees and service unto Me.”
sva-jivanādhikaṁ prārthyaṁ
śrī-viṣṇu-jana-saṅgataḥ
vicchedena kṣaṇaṁ cātra
na sukhāṁśaṁ labhāmahe
"The association of the devotees of Viṣṇu is worth more than my life, because being detached from such association for a moment, I do not feel even the slightest trace of happiness.” (Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.44)
muktānām api siddhānāṁ
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā
kotiṣv api mahāmune
"Out of millions of great sages who are liberated souls, it is very difficult to find a sober devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa.” (Bhāg. 6.14.5)
anugrahāya bhūtānāṁ
mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ
bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍā
yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet
"The Personality of Godhead, in order to bestow mercy upon His devotees, appears on this earth and manifests His pastimes so that the devotees may be attracted to Him and His pastimes.” (Bhāg. 10.33.37)
ata ātyantikaṁ kṣemaṁ
pṛcchāmo bhavato 'naghāḥ
saṁsāre ‘smin kṣaṇārdho ‘pi
sat-saṅgaḥ śevadhir nṛṇām
"O most auspicious one, I am asking You for the highest benediction. I wish to have the association of Your pure devotees because the association of Your devotees for even a moment is the most valuable gain in this world.” (Bhāg. 11.2.28)
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan
hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
smartavyo bhagavān nṛṇām
"O King, the Personality of Godhead Hari is to be heard, glorified, and remembered by all human beings at all times, in all places, and in all circumstances.” (Bhāg. 2.2.36)
tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
"The Personality of Godhead, who is the sustainer of the pure devotees, is to be heard and glorified, worshiped and meditated upon with rapt attention at all times.” (Bhāg. 1.2.14)
āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaṁ svajanam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
"My desire is to become a blade of grass or a creeper that grows in the forest of Vraja. In that way, it will be possible for me to receive the dust of the feet of those great personalities who have worshiped the lotus feet of the great liberator, Mukunda. The dust of the feet of these great personalities is sought after even by the śrutis. Leaving aside the affection of their own kith and kin, which is ordinarily impossible to give up, the gopīs of Vraja have sacrificed everything for the satisfaction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” (Bhāg. 10.47.61)
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
"A person who with a reverential attitude hears the transcendental pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the damsels of Vraja from the mouth of a pure devotee and then describes those pastimes accordingly, achieves the supramundane loving service of Godhead within no time and thereby drives away mundane lusty desires for sense gratification from his heart.” (Bhāg. 10.33.40)
etāvān eva loke 'smin
puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ
"The highest duty of every human being in this world is to be engaged in the loving service of the Personality of Godhead and to chant His Holy Name.” (Bhāg. 6.3.22)
Dry, speculative knowledge is compared to the bitter fruits of the Nīm tree. This fruit is unworthy of human consumption but is quite suitable for those persons who, like the crows, are situated in a rough, argumentative way of life. Their dry philosophical speculations sound like the crowing of crows.
On the other hand, the newly-bloomed buds of the mango fruit, which are sweet to taste and completely palatable, are compared to the transcendental loving service of Godhead. As such, this fruit is tasted by the pure devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who are compared to the parrots who are always delivering sweet sounds. Dry philosophical speculation is the only gain of the unfortunate jñānī empiric philosopher, and the juicy nectarean taste of the loving service of Godhead is the drink of the fortunate devotees.
Thus Lord Caitanya and Rāmānanda Rāya again passed the whole night in the transcendental joy of talking about Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. Sometimes they wept and sometimes they danced while absorbed in ecstatic trance, and in this way the night came to an end. In the morning, both Rāmānanda and Lord Caitanya parted to attend to their respective duties, and in the evening they again met together as on the previous night.