These short excerpts from Swami BV Tripurari's book, Siksastakam of Sri Caitanya, reveal but a foretaste of the necterean commentary that awaits the reader who reads the entire text. This book is highly recommended and can be accessed here:
http://swamitripurari.com/2010/08/siksastakam-of-sri-caitanya/
On the Stage of Ruci
"When the burning effect of the fire of material existence is extinguished by nama-sankirtana, Krsna nama begins to benedict his disciple with the cooling moonlike rays of his splendor. These splendorous rays are the svarupa-cakti emanating from Krsna nama. Here the sadhaka’s heart is compared to the white night-blooming lotus, kumuda. At the stage of ruci, the sadhaka’s heart is pure like a white lotus, uncolored by the passion of the world. For this reason Mahaprabhu has chosen the metaphor of a white kumuda rather than a red one. In ruci-bhakti, the heart, previously contracted in the shadow created by lust, begins to bloom in love like the white lotus in contact with the rays of the moon."
p. 18
On Asakti
"When attachment to the means of attaining prema matures, it develops into attachment for the object of prema, Sri Krsna,who then appears on the stage of the sadhaka’s heart. This developmental stage is called asakti, the final stage of sadhanabhakti. Gaura Krsna poetically describes this fourth effect of nama-sankirtana as “the life of the bride named knowledge,”vidya-vadhu-jivanam."
p. 19
The Life of the Bride Named Knowledge
"This highest knowledge that is mature devotion to Krsna is a manifestation of Krsna’s svarupa-sakti. Being feminine, this sakti is appropriately referred to as a bride. This is what Mahaprabhu has done here in Siksastakam. By saying that Krsna sankirtana is the life of the bride named knowledge, he is in effect saying that Krsna nama, who is nondifferent from Krsna, is the husband of bhakti. In fact, the literal translation of the phrase vidya-vadhu-jivanam is “the life (husband) of the wife called knowledge.” Thus Krsna nama as expressed in nåma-sankirtana is the life of the bride named knowledge, and this bride is Krsna’s svarüpa-sakti, the highest manifestation of which is Sri Radha."
p. 20-21
On Anarthas
"What is it that impedes one’s ability to take advantage of the glory of nama-sankirtana? It is misfortune (durdaivam) in the form of anarthas. Anarthas are literally “false values.” They are those activities and thought patterns that get in the way of one’s ability to understand that which is actually valuable. Under their influence one is distracted even while chanting Krsna nama, and on account of this one cannot take full advantage of the chanting.
Anarthas are varied and numerous. They arise from pious as well as impious acts within the realm of karma. They also arise from within the culture of Krsna bhakti, for when as a result of Krsna bhakti one develops good qualities, fame and fortune may also come. If one then mistakes these things for being worthy of cultivation, one tends to the weed as opposed to the bhakti creeper itself. Finally, anarthas also arise from offenses. Such sins of the soul are most detrimental. The root of all anarthas, however, lies in false pride, pratistha."
p. 38-39
On the Serving Ego
"A serving ego is the basis of all expressions of bhakti-rasa. Whether one experiences oneself as a servant, friend, elder, or lover of Krsna, all of these experiences of sacred aesthetic rapture are expressions of service intensified to different degrees. This serving ego is the antithesis of the enjoying ego, an identity based on material attachment in a self-centered world of “I” and “my.” Any position in the world of divine service—even that of a dust particle at Sri Krsna’s lotus feet—is desirable in comparison to the highest position in material life, pada-pankaja-sthita-dhülî-sadram vicintaya. Unfortunately, most would prefer to reign in hell than to serve in heaven."
p.86
On Humility
"True spiritual humility is found in those well endowed with spiritual excellences, for the poor are humble only out of circumstance. There is no wealth greater than prema, and when we see humility in those who have it, we witness humility’s full face. Mundane humility can be developed by human effort, but spiritual humility results only from receiving God’s blessing. The gopis exhibited this kind of humility in viraha-bhava, or the ecstasy of love in separation. It is through feelings of love augmented by separation that this intense humility is experienced. Such humility is an integral component of prema, for just as humility fosters prema, prema in turn fosters humility. "
p. 111
On the Secret of Prema
"Although Radha’s life in separation from Krsna is unbearable, she cannot die because she knows that if she were to do so, it would cause Krsna pain. Thus even though he has caused her the unbearable pain of separation, she remains selfless in her love for him. This is the secret of prema. Although Radha’s love for Krsna appears like the lust of a young girl for a young boy, the two are worlds apart. The basic difference between the two is that lust involves the desire to satisfy one’s own senses, whereas prema involves the desire to satisfy Krsna’s senses."
p.113
Radha's Mahabhava
"Although separation and union complement one another, the highest reach of Radha’s mahabhava is experienced in union. Sri Rupa Gosvami calls this madanakhya-mahabhava. It is characterized by the ability to simultaneously taste many contradictory spiritual emotions in relation to Krsna. Madanakhya-mahabhava is the exclusive experience of Radha, who as mahabhavasvarupini, the personification of the highest love, experiences every facet of the brilliant blue sapphire-like Krsna. Indeed, she tastes love in ways that even He is unfamiliar with."
p. 123
On the Mystery of Life
"The mystery of life is that while love involves selfless giving, it makes one whole. Sri Radha is the best example of this in religious history. Her love is selfless to the extreme, yet it makes her so whole, so complete, that God feels incomplete without her." p. 123-4
On Coming Closer to the Perfect Object of Love
"When we can identify the supreme enjoyer, we have the potential to give without reservation. Unconditional love requires that one condition be met: we identify the perfect object of love, the one who can absorb and reciprocate with our love unlimitedly, undeterred even by time. When we try to give selflessly to an imperfect object of love, we can only give so much, because an imperfect object of love is limited in its capacity to receive and reciprocate with our love. Although we do grow through such imperfect giving, the sense of wholeness we derive comes not as much from the imperfect object but from the perfect object of love, to whom we come closer through any act of giving and selflessness. As we know from the Bhagavad-gita, it is the Absolute who is situated in sacrifice and thus realized through sacrificial acts.
While sacrifice in any form brings us closer to the Absolute, sacrifice of one’s own self endears us to God more than sacrifice of one’s possessions. Above dutiful self-sacrifice lies complete self-forgetfulness in love. Such love is synonymous with the highest wisdom, on attaining which the absolute truth appears, revealing himself to be a lover. This is Radha's Krsna, the perfect object of love, knowing whom nothing remains to be known."
p. 124
On Love and Sacrifice
"When we can identify the supreme enjoyer, we have the potential to give without reservation. Unconditional love requires that one condition be met: we identify the perfect object of love, the one who can absorb and reciprocate with our love unlimitedly, undeterred even by time. When we
try to give selflessly to an imperfect object of love, we can only give so much, because an imperfect object of love is limited in its capacity to receive and reciprocate with our love. Although we do grow through such imperfect giving, the sense of wholeness we derive comes not as much from the imperfect object but from the perfect object of love, to whom we come closer through any act of giving and selflessness. As we know from the Bhagavad-gita, it is the Absolute who is situated in sacrifice and thus realized through sacrificial acts.
While sacrifice in any form brings us closer to the Absolute, sacrifice of one’s own self endears us to God more than sacrifice of one’s possessions. Above dutiful self-sacrifice lies complete self-forgetfulness in love. Such love is synonymous with the highest wisdom, on attaining which the absolute truth appears, revealing himself to be a lover. This is Radha's Krsna, the perfect object of love, knowing whom nothing remains to be known."
p. 124
On the Absolute Manifesting as Two
"How can the Absolute be incomplete? The answer to this question can be found in the philosophy that underlies Krsna lila. Krsna is full in himself, yet he is full of love,and love is never satisfied with itself. To taste himself more fully he manifests as two—Radja and Krsna. As the sruti proclaims, ekaki na ramate: “Alone one finds no pleasure.” That which resides within Krsna in an abstract sense as his inherent hladini-sakti manifests externally in a concrete form as Radha. These two, rasa and prema, are in essence one. Krsna is rasa and Radha is prema. One has little meaning without the other. Rasa is the highest taste and prema is the means of tasting it."
On God Worshipping Radha
"Furthermore, just as Radha wants to see him glorified,he wants to see her glorified. Despite his being a thief, he is the Supreme Truth. Truth be told, while most teach that God is the most worshipable object, Radha is the worshipable object of God."
p.129
try to give selflessly to an imperfect object of love, we can only give so much, because an imperfect object of love is limited in its capacity to receive and reciprocate with our love. Although we do grow through such imperfect giving, the sense of wholeness we derive comes not as much from the imperfect object but from the perfect object of love, to whom we come closer through any act of giving and selflessness. As we know from the Bhagavad-gita, it is the Absolute who is situated in sacrifice and thus realized through sacrificial acts.
While sacrifice in any form brings us closer to the Absolute, sacrifice of one’s own self endears us to God more than sacrifice of one’s possessions. Above dutiful self-sacrifice lies complete self-forgetfulness in love. Such love is synonymous with the highest wisdom, on attaining which the absolute truth appears, revealing himself to be a lover. This is Radha's Krsna, the perfect object of love, knowing whom nothing remains to be known."
p. 124
On the Absolute Manifesting as Two
"How can the Absolute be incomplete? The answer to this question can be found in the philosophy that underlies Krsna lila. Krsna is full in himself, yet he is full of love,and love is never satisfied with itself. To taste himself more fully he manifests as two—Radja and Krsna. As the sruti proclaims, ekaki na ramate: “Alone one finds no pleasure.” That which resides within Krsna in an abstract sense as his inherent hladini-sakti manifests externally in a concrete form as Radha. These two, rasa and prema, are in essence one. Krsna is rasa and Radha is prema. One has little meaning without the other. Rasa is the highest taste and prema is the means of tasting it."
On God Worshipping Radha
"Furthermore, just as Radha wants to see him glorified,he wants to see her glorified. Despite his being a thief, he is the Supreme Truth. Truth be told, while most teach that God is the most worshipable object, Radha is the worshipable object of God."
p.129
Dandavats
ReplyDeleteThank you, this is a wonderful collection. Happy Janmastami ^.^