Rarest Archiver

çré çré guru-gauräìgau jayataù

Going Beyond Vaikuëöha

Śrī Śrīmad
bhaktivedānta nārāyan.a
Gosvāmī mahārāja

vr.ndāvana • new delhi • san francisco

Rarest Archiver
Going Beyond Vaikuëöha

Rarest Archiver
 books by
Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja

Arcana-dépikä Çré Harinäma Mahä-mantra

Beyond Nérväëa Çré Navadvépa-dhäma-mähätmya
Çré Bhajana-rahasya Çré Navadvépa-dhäma Parikramä
Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu-bindu Çré Prema-sampuöa
Bhakti-rasäyana Çré Rädhä-kåñëa-gaëoddeça-dépikä
Bhakti-tattva-viveka Çré Saìkalpa-kalpadrumaù
Çré Brahma-saàhitä Çré Çikñäñöaka
Essence of the Bhagavad-gétä Çré Upadeçämåta
Five Essential Essays Çré Vraja-maëòala Parikramä
Harmony Çré Räya Rämänanda Saàväda
Jaiva-dharma Çréla Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé –
Letters From America His Life and Teachings
Çré Manaù-çikñä The Distinctive Contribution of
My Çikñä-guru and Priya-bandhu Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
Pinnacle of Devotion The Essence of All Advice
Çré Prabandhävalé The Gift of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
Secret Truths of the Bhagavatam The Journey of the Soul
Secrets of the Undiscovered Self The Nectar of Govinda-lélä
Çiva-tattva The Origin of Ratha-yäträ
Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta The Way of Love
Çré Camatkära-candrikä Utkalikä-vallaré
Çré Dämodaräñöakam Vaiñëava-siddhänta-mälä
Çré Gauòéya Géti-guccha Veëu-géta
Çré Gétä-govinda Walking with a Saint
Çré Gopi-géta Rays of the Harmonist (periodical)

For further information, free downloads of all titles,

world tour lectures, and more, please visit our websites:

www.purebhakti.com
www.purebhakti.tv
www.backtobhakti.com
www.bhaktistore.com

Rarest Archiver
© 2011 Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. Some Rights Reserved.
Except where otherwise noted, content in this book
is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at
www.purebhakti.com/pluslicense or write to: [email protected]

Artwork on the front cover by Çyämaräëé däsé

© The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Used with permission.
Photograph of Çréla Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
Used with permission. All rights reserved. www.krishna.com
Photograph of Çréla Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja
© Subala-sakhä däsa. Used with permission.
We are grateful to those who financially contributed to this edition, especially
Jagannätha däsa and Kåñëa-lélä däsé (Fiji) www.mygvp.com

Going Beyond Vaikuëöha, 4th edition

First edition: June 1994 – 1,000 copies
Second edition: September 1997 – 2,000 copies
Third edition: September 2006 – 1,000 copies
Fourth edition: September 2011 – 2,000 copies
Printed at Spectrum Printing Press Pvt. Ltd.,
New Delhi (India)

isbn 978-1-935428-40-4
Library of Congress Control Number 2011937005
British Library Cataloging in Publication Data. A catalogue
record for this book is available from the British Library
Cataloging in Publication Data--DK
Courtesy: D.K. Agencies (P) Ltd. <[email protected]>

Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa, 1921-

Going beyond Vaikuëöha / Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa
Gosvämé Mahäräja. -- 4th ed.
p. cm.
Includes verses in Sanskrit (roman).
Translated from Hindi.
Includes index.
ISBN 9781935428404

1. Sanätana Goswämé, 1484-1558. Bhägavatämåta.

2. Krishna (Hindu deity) in literature. I. Title.

DDC 891.21 23

Rarest Archiver
 Contents

Publisher’s Note i
Introduction xvii
Maìgaläcaraëa xix

Chapter

1. ...The Brähmaëa Meets Gopa-kumära 1

2.....Gopa-kumära’s Remarkable Journey 19
3.....The Superiority of Näma-saìkértana 35
4.....The Moods of Intimacy and Sweetness 43
5.....Bhagavän’s Incarnations are One 57
6.....Kåñëa’s Glories are Inconceivable 71
7.....Bhagavän’s Inconceivable Potency 85
8.....The Glories of Yogamäyä 101
9.....Kåñëa Gives Prema Even To His Enemies 115
10... The Gradations in Service 125
11... The Proper Mood for Arcana 139
12... Ultimately Prema Cannot Be Described 153

Glossary 165
Verse Index 177

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Publisher’s Note

The Path of Love

The soul’s nature is to seek real freedom, to hanker for lasting
pleasure. We seek satisfaction and happiness in the world
around us, but our experiences over time expose the futility of
such ephemeral pleasure. Enlightened souls, who are full of
compassion, describe the reality of a permanent bliss based on
a lasting spiritual existence. Their writings provide us with an
intimate insight into reality, which is replete with variety, form,
qualities and exquisite, lustrous personalities. Their writings
also invite us to participate in the sweetness of ever-increasing
transcendental love, or prema. They thus direct us to that ultimate
destination, which is achieved by attaining the spiritual perfection
that they themselves possess. What they describe is called the
path of love, distinct among the philosophies of India as bhakti-
yoga, or devotion to God.

The Great Master

Bhakti-yoga is the essence of the Vedas (India’s vast body of
ancient Sanskrit scriptures; veda means “knowledge”). It is the
path that all paths ultimately lead to, since it reveals the topmost
condition of the heart. Although bhakti-yoga has been practised
since time immemorial, the bhakti-yoga movement underwent a
renaissance five hundred years ago in Bengal, coinciding with
Europe’s own Renaissance period.
The leading figure and reformer of this bhakti movement was
Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, also known as Mahäprabhu, ‘the Great Master’.
The general populace of India regard Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
as a most extraordinary saint, but actually, He is an avatära, an
incarnation of the Lord who comes to this world with a specific
mission.
i

Rarest Archiver
ii Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

He chose to incarnate as compassion personified in order to

benefit the world in the troubled Age of Kali (our current epoch,
the age of quarrel and hypocrisy).
According to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, worldly social
distinctions are utterly irrelevant to one’s eternal spiritual identity,
which can easily be realized by chanting the names of God in the
mahä-mantra – Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare,
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.

The Mahä-mantra
The Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra is Çré Rädhä and Çré Kåñëa
personified as sacred sound. The vibration of the mantra is not
a material sound as it comes directly from the spiritual platform
and is beyond the realm of the mind. One can chant it all day and
night and never feel tired. The more one chants, the more our
spiritual consciousness is revived. The mahä-mantra consists of
three words: Hare, Kåñëa, and Räma. Each word is in the vocative,
a calling out to Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Kåñëa is the source of all spiritual potency and Çré Rädhä is
the complete embodiment of that potency. She is known as
Hara (one who steals away) because She can captivate Kåñëa’s
mind. In the vocative case, “Hara” becomes “Hare”. Because He
bestows bliss upon the residents of Våndävana, He is referred to
as Kåñëa, the all-attractive one. The extraordinary beauty of His
transcendental form always surcharges the minds and senses of
the cowherd damsels and the other residents of Vraja with ever
increasing spiritual bliss. For this reason He is glorified as Räma.

The Supreme Form of Godhead

Çré Kåñëa (God) has many forms. All of them are perfect, but the
Vedic scriptures state that Çré Kåñëa’s original form in Våndävana
is the ‘most perfect’. That holy abode is fully resplendent with His
sweetness, which even predominates over His divine opulence.
The residents of that holy place are imbued with such elevated
feelings for the Supreme Lord that their worship of Him is devoid
of the reverence normally offered to God. Those with a parental

Rarest Archiver
 Publisher’s Note iii

relationship with Him chastise Him, His friends defeat Him in

games and order Him about, and His beloved gopés sometimes
become angry with Him and refuse to speak with Him. Such
familiar and charming exchanges please Him unlimitedly more
than exalted, reverential prayers offered by persons who do not
have the same purity of love for Him.
In his preface to Kåñëa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Çréla Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja states, “Kåñëa is all-attractive,
one should know that all his desires should be focused on Kåñëa.
In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said that the individual person is the
proprietor or master of his own body but that Kåñëa, who is the
Supersoul present in everyone’s heart, is the supreme proprietor
and supreme master of each and every individual body. As such,
if we concentrate our loving propensities upon Kåñëa only,
then immediately universal love, unity and tranquillity will be
automatically realized. When one waters the root of a tree, he
automatically waters the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers;
when one supplies food to the stomach through the mouth, he
satisfies all the various parts of the body.”
This book, which reveals wonderful truths about the Supreme
Person, will satisfy any sincere seeker of the Truth.

• •

About the Author

On the auspicious day of Mauné Amävasyä, 1921, Çré Çrémad
Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja took his divine birth in
a devout Vaiñëava family in Tivärépura, in the state of Bihar, India.
In February, 1946, he met his gurudeva, Çré Çrémad Bhakti
Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé Mahäräja, and his life of complete
and exemplary dedication to Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, or the path of
kåñëa-bhakti in the line of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, began.
He accompanied his gurudeva on his extensive preaching
tours throughout India, actively assisting him in propagating the
teachings of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu for the eternal benefit of
the living entities in this world. This included regularly hosting

Rarest Archiver
iv Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

the thousands of pilgrims attending the yearly circumambulation

of Çré Navadvépa-dhäma, the appearance place of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu and Çré Våndävana-dhäma, the appearance place of
Çré Kåñëa.
His gurudeva had instructed him to translate the writings of
prominent Gauòéya Vaiñëavas into Hindi, a task he assiduously
assumed throughout his entire life and which resulted in the
publication of nearly fifty Hindi sacred texts. These invaluable
masterpieces are currently being translated into English and other
major languages of the world.
For many years, he travelled throughout India to spread the
message of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, and it was for this end, also,
that in 1996, he journeyed abroad. During the next fourteen
years, he circled the globe more than thirty times. Whether he
was in India or abroad, his preaching always bore the distinctive
characteristic of boldly unmasking any misconception obscuring
the specific purposes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s advent, in
strict adherence to the desire of Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté
Öhäkura Prabhupäda and in perfect congruence with the
conceptions of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s
foremost follower. Thus, in present times, in upholding the
glorious tenets of the Gauòéya sampradäya, he performed the
function of a true äcärya.

•••••

At the age of ninety years, on December 29, 2010, at Cakra-

tértha in Çré Jagannätha Puré-dhäma, he concluded his pastimes
in this world. The following day, in Çré Navadvépa-dhäma, Çré
Gaurasundara’s fully empowered emissary, the very embodiment
of His unique compassion, was given samädhi. He will never
cease to reside in his divine instructions and in the hearts of those
who are devoted to him.

Rarest Archiver
 nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyan.a Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Rarest Archiver
 nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Rarest Archiver
 nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja

Rarest Archiver
 nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Rarest Archiver
 nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda

Rarest Archiver
Painting used with permission © Gaurahari däsa

By relating the story of Gopa-kumära, Parékñit Mahäräja explained

to his mother in a very simple and charming way how we can attain
prema, love of God. (Page 4)

Rarest Archiver
Painting by Çyämaräëé däsé © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Used with permission.

We must accept dékñä, or initiation, offer intimate service to the

guru, and accept instruction from him. We must simply serve the
guru and Vaiñëavas, and keep arrogance far away by cultivating
humility and not thinking highly of ourselves. (Page 4)

Rarest Archiver
Painting used with permission © Hari-priya däsé

Kämäkhyä-devé, upon seeing a person’s nature, will act accordingly.

Seeing that this brähmaëa was a resident of Govardhana, she
decided that he should not be cheated in any way. Understanding
his simple nature, she gave him the gopäla-mantra. (Page 9)

Rarest Archiver
Painting used with permission © Gaurahari däsa

The brähmaëa said, “I have come from afar, and in my heart there is
a strong desire to know one thing: what is sädhyä, the final goal, and
sädhana, the method to attain it?” (Page 14)

Rarest Archiver
Painting used with permission © Sarasvaté däsé

Çré Kåñëa was suddenly present before him. Gopa-kumära cried out,
“Oh! My very life!” and raced after Him. Coming near Kåñëa, he tried
to embrace Him, but just then Kåñëa disappeared. Crying and crying
in deep separation, Gopa-kumära fell to the ground unconscious.
While in his unconscious state, he saw a beautiful golden airplane
appear before him at the speed of mind. (Page 29)

Rarest Archiver
Painting used with permission © Bakulä däsé

When you go before Him [Çré Näräyaëa], He lifts His right hand in
bestowal of blessings: “May all auspiciousness be upon you.... You
will be fearless. All good fortune shall attend you.” You want to race
to embrace Him, and you want to play the flute with Him, but you are
not able to do any of this. (Page 46–47)

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Introduction

T his book is a collection of lectures delivered by one of the most

renowned Vaiñëava preceptors of modern times, our beloved
gurudeva, oà viñëupäda añöottara-çata Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta
Näräyaëa Mahäräja. Spoken originally in Hindi, these lectures
were recorded in January 1991 at Çré Keçavajé Gauòéya Maöha in
Mathurä,Uttar Pradesh, India. They comprise a single instalment
of an immaculate running commentary that Çréla Gurudeva spoke
over a period of two years on Çréla Sanätana Gosvämépäda’s
Båhad-bhägavatämåta. Each chapter of this book is comprised of
a single lecture, totalling twelve in all. The Båhad-bhägavatämåta
is a lengthy scripture, and the material included here covers
exclusively verses from the fourth chapter of the second part.
Described herein is how, although having recently arrived
in Çré Vaikuëöha-dhäma, the most desirable of places and the
entrance to which is sought after by unlimited saintly persons,
Gopa-kumära is feeling despondent and cannot even ascertain the
cause of his own dissatisfaction. At that time he is approached
by Çré Närada Åñi, who becomes his instructing spiritual master
and enlightens him with the understanding necessary to complete
his spiritual journey and thereby attain the fulfilment of all his
long-cherished internal desires. Gopa-kumära’s consequent
determination to attain the eternal company of Çré Kåñëa in
Vraja inspires him to continue chanting his gopäla-mantra
until he is fully successful. Devotees who themselves sincerely
yearn to one day go beyond Vaikuëöha and enter Çré Goloka-
Vraja, the transcendental land of spontaneous loving devotion
to Çré Çré Rädhä-Govinda, will find the story of Gopa-kumära
particularly useful.

xvii

Rarest Archiver
xviii Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

In his ongoing publication of Vaiñëava literature in the

English language, Çréla Gurudeva mentions repeatedly that
he is simply following in the footsteps of his dear friend and
instructing spiritual master, nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda
Çré Çrémad A.C. Bhaktivedänta Swami Prabhupäda. Çréla
Prabhupäda singlehandedly and in a relatively short period of
time spread the teachings of Kåñëa consciousness around the
entire world. His translations and writings set the standard for
the literary presentation of Vaiñëava philosophy, and we sincerely
pray that our current efforts are pleasing to him.
Grateful acknowledgement is extended to Lavaìga-latä däsé for
copy-editing this new third edition, to Çänti däsé for proofreading
the final manuscript, to Atula-kåñëa däsa and Ananta-kåñëa däsa
for checking the Sanskrit, to Kåñëa-prema däsa for designing
the new cover and to Subala-sakhä däsa for providing the new
photograph of Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja. Together we offer it into
the hands of Çréla Gurudeva, the crown jewel of rasika Vaiñëavas,
praying that he will bless us with the necessary qualification to
continue serving him in this capacity.

An aspiring servant of the Vaiñëavas

,

Prema-viläsa däsa

Päpäìkuça-ekädaçé
5th October, 2003
Gopénätha-bhavana, Çré Våndävana

Rarest Archiver
 Maìgaläcaraëa

oà ajïäna-timirändhasya
jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena
tasmai çri-gurave namaù

I offer my most humble prostrated obeisances unto the spiritual

master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the
darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

väïchä-kalpa-tarubhyaç ca
kåpä-sindhubhya eva ca
patitänäà pävenebhyo
vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù

I offer obeisances to the Vaiñëavas, who just like desire trees can
fulfil the desires of everyone and who are full of compassion for
conditioned souls.

namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

I offer obeisances to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who is Kåñëa

Himself. He has assumed the golden hue of Çrématé Rädhikä and is
munificently distributing kåñëa-prema.

he kåñëa karuëä-sindho
déna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeça gopikä-känta
rädhä-känta namo ’stu te

xix

Rarest Archiver
xx Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

I offer obeisances to Çré Kåñëa, who is an ocean of mercy, the friend

of the distressed and the source of all creation. He is the master
of the gopas and the lover of the gopés headed by Çrématé Rädhikä.

tapta-käïcana-gauräìgi
rädhe våndävaneçvari
våñabhänu-sute devi
praëamämi hari-priye

I offer obeisances to Çrématé Rädhikä, whose complexion is like

molten gold and who is the queen of Våndävana. She is the
daughter of Våñabhänu Mahäräja and is very dear to Çré Kåñëa.

hä devi käku-bhara-gadgadayädya väcä

yäce nipatya bhuvi daëòavad udbhaöärtiù
asya prasädam abudhasya janasya kåtvä
gändharvike nija gane gaëanäà vidhehi

O Devé Gändharvikä, in utter desperation I throw myself on the

ground like a stick and with a choked voice humbly implore You
to please be merciful to this fool and count me as one of Your own.

aìga-çyämalima-cchaöäbhir abhito mandékåtendévaraà

jäòyaà jäguòa-rociñäà vidadhataà paööämbarasya çriyä
våndäraëya-niväsinaà hådi lasad-dämäbhir ämodaraà
rädhä-skandha-niveçitojjvala-bhujaà dhyäyema dämodaram

Whose dark bodily lustre is millions of times more beautiful than

the blue lotus flower, whose efulgent yellow garments rebuke the
radiance of golden kuìkuma, whose residence is Çré Våndävana-
dhäma, whose chest is beautified by a swinging vaijayanté garland,
and whose splendorous left hand rests upon the right shoulder of
Çrématé Rädhikä – I meditate upon that Çré Dämodara.

Rarest Archiver
 Maìgaläcaraëa xxi

bhaktyä vihénä aparädha-lakñyaiù

kñiptäç ca kämädi-taraìga-madhye
kåpä-mayi tväà çaraëaà prapannä
vånde numaste caraëäravindam

Devoid of devotion and guilty of committing unlimited offences,

I am being tossed about in the ocean of material existence by the
turbulent waves of lust, anger, greed and so forth. Therefore, O
merciful Våndä-devé, I take shelter of you and offer obeisances
unto your lotus feet.

gurave gauracandräya
rädhikäyai tad-älaye
kåñëäya kåñëa-bhaktäya
tad-bhaktäya namo namaù

I offer obeisances to the spiritual master, to Çré Gauracandra, to

Çrématé Rädhikä and Her associates, to Çré Kåñëa and His devotees,
and to all Vaiñëavas.

vairägya-yug-bhakti-rasaà prayatnair
apäyayan mäm anabhépsum andham
kåpämbhudhir yaù para-duùkha-duùkhé
sanätanaà taà prabhum äçrayämi

I was unwilling to drink the nectar of bhakti possessed of

renunciation, but Çré Sanätana Gosvämé, being an ocean of mercy
who cannot tolerate the sufferings of others, made me drink it.
Therefore I take shelter of him as my master.

çré-caitanya-mano-’bhéñöaà
sthäpitaà yena bhütale
svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà
dadäti sva-padäntikam

Rarest Archiver
xxii Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

When will Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, who has established the mission
in this world that fulfils the internal desire of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, give me shelter at his lotus feet?

yaà pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kåtyaà

dvaipäyano viraha-kätara äjuhäva
putreti tan-mayatayä taravo ’bhinedus
taà sarva-bhüta-hådayaà munim änato ’smi

I offer obeisances to Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé, who can enter the

hearts of all living entities. When he left home without undergoing
the purificatory processes such as accepting the sacred thread, his
father Vyäsa cried out, “Oh my son!” As if they were absorbed in
that same feeling of separation, only the trees echoed in response
to his call.

tavaiväsmi tavaiväsmi
na jévämi tvayä vinä
iti vijïäya devi tvaà
naya mäà caraëäntikam

I am Yours! I am Yours! I cannot live without You! O Devé (Rädhä),

please understand this and bring me to Your feet.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One

The Brähmaëa Meets Gopa-kumära

The Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta contains many fine topics

concerning bhakti. By hearing them with great attention and
interest, certainly a sublime type of ‘greed’ will arise, and that
greed will move us in the direction of Vraja. For any sädhaka
who desires spontaneous devotion (rägänuga-bhakti), Båhad-
bhägavatämåta is very useful. How we can enter into devotion
unto the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa (bhagavad-bhakti) and what is
the nature of that devotion – this book describes both of these
topics completely.
After Çrémad-Bhägavatam was spoken in seven days, the
mother of Parékñit Mahäräja, Uttarä, said to her son, “Because
what Çukadeva Gosvämé explained was so philosophical and full of
siddhänta, I was not able to experience it in my heart due to being
a woman. Therefore please explain the essence of it in a simple
fashion, in a few words only, so that I may understand it well.”
Then Parékñit Mahäräja described how Närada, from his own
experience, showed the glories of Bhagavän by revealing the glories
of His dhäma and the glories of His eternal associates. Närada,
by going to different holy places and different worlds, achieved
knowledge of Bhagavän (bhagavat-tattva), and he experienced
how Bhagavän is one yet expands into many. Similarly, the dhäma
is one, with Våndävana as the original dhäma, and it expands
into many. And the original associates of Bhagavän are those of
Våndävana, and likewise they expand into many other worlds.
This is the siddhänta: the one is expanded into many. Bhagavän is

Rarest Archiver
2 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

not two, three, ten or twenty. Närada is the crown jewel of those
who know this established truth (tattva), and he is rasika, expert
in relishing rasa. So pretending that he didn’t know any of this,
Närada began his journey.
First he met a brähmaëa worshipping his çälagräma-çilä. He
said to the brähmaëa, “In this world, you are surely fortunate.”
Beginning from there, he ultimately arrived at Dvärakä, where
he realised the gopés to be the topmost devotees. The gopés of
Våndävana are categorically higher than those great souls who are
situated in all the other rasas, and even higher than the queens of
Dvärakä. And amongst all the gopés, Çrématé Rädhikä is the best:

ärädhanänäà sarveñäà
viñëor ärädhanaà param
tasmät parataraà devi
tadéyänäà samarcanam
Padma Puräëa

[Mahädeva told Durgä-devé:] Of all varieties of worship, worship

of Viñëu is the best. But even better than that is the worship of
those devotees related to Him.

In this verse the word tadéyänäà means ‘those who have

a relationship with Bhagavän’. There are so many who are
related to Him, but amongst them, Çrématé Rädhikä is the best.
Hearing all of this, Närada became overwhelmed with divine
love (prema). Especially in the pastime of constructing Nava-
våndävana in Dvärakä, he was shown the glories of the gopés.
Seeing how Kåñëa was overwhelmed by separation from the
gopés, Satyabhämä, Rukmiëé, Jämbavaté and all others became
astonished. Närada was very pleased, but then he began to feel
ashamed, thinking, “By coming here today and making Kåñëa
remember the gopés, I have given Him some pain and made
Him fall unconscious.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 3

Kåñëa said, “You may ask any boon from Me.”

Närada replied, “Ask for a boon? I have committed a great
offence at Your feet! I have given You so much trouble and made
You fall unconscious.”
Kåñëa said, “If you had not done this, then the glories of My
eternal associates in Vraja would never have been broadcast.
Therefore you are worthy of taking a boon from Me. Tell Me
what you would like.”
So Närada said, “My Lord, I want to always remember
Your pastimes with the gopés in Våndävana. Wherever these
pastimes are being performed, I want to go to that place and
take the dust on my head. I want to always sing the kértana of
those pastimes, and if You would be so merciful, please give me
the prema of the gopés.”
Kåñëa said, “So it shall be. Going to the places of My pastimes
in Vraja – especially Nandagräma, Varñäëä, Govardhana,
Yävaöa, Öera-kadamba, Uddhava-kyäré, Vaàçévaöa and Rädhä-
kuëòa – with great love you should offer obeisances (praëäma)
and pray for their mercy. Then you will easily obtain that rare
prema which even Brahmä desires.”
According to the gradation of His associates, there is
gradation in Bhagavän. There are so many different types of
devotees, different types of pastimes, and different types of rasa.
For the four Kumäras, Kåñëa appears as Brahmä, for Viçvaksena
and the devotees in Vaikuëöha He is Näräyaëa, for Hanumän
He appears as Lord Rämacandra, and for Satyabhämä, Rukmiëé
and Uddhava He is Dvärakädhéça. To the gopas He is a friend,
to those in vätsalya-rasa He is a son, and to the gopés He is the
dearest lover: all are one and the same Kåñëa. How is it possible
to comprehend all of this? Only by the mercy of Bhagavän and
His devotees will we be able to fully understand this; without
their mercy it is not possible.

Rarest Archiver
4 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

By relating the story of Gopa-kumära, Parékñit Mahäräja

explained to his mother in a very simple and charming way how we
can attain prema. If anyone desires prema but performs no hearing
(çravaëa) and chanting (kértana), or thinks that he will attain it
merely by his own endeavour, he will never get it.Without service
to the spiritual master (guru) and service to the Vaiñëavas, then
even after thousands of births or even after reading thousands
of scriptures, one will still not be able to attain prema. Only by
following the prescribed sädhana is it possible. It has been said
that if we neglect the regulations of the Çruti, Småti and Närada-
païcarätra, we will not attain exclusive bhakti, but only become
confused. Therefore we must follow the rules and regulations.
What are they? We must accept initiation (dékñä), offer intimate
service to the guru, and accept instruction from him. We must
simply serve the spiritual master and the Vaiñëavas, and keep
arrogance far away by cultivating humility and not thinking highly
of ourselves:

tåëäd api sunécena

taror api sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena
kértanéyah sadä hariù
Çré Çikñäñöaka (3)

One should chant the holy name in a humble state of mind,

thinking oneself to be more insignificant than a piece of straw.
One should be more tolerant than a tree, free from false pride and
ready to offer all respect to others.

The more we can follow this, then by the mercy of Bhagavän,

and by the mercy of the Vaiñëavas – which is the very essence of
the mercy of Bhagavän – the sooner bhakti will appear in our hearts.
If Bhagavän bestows His mercy on someone, then that person
will attain bhakti. He has that power. But why does He give His

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 5

mercy to some persons and not to others? In this world most

people don’t engage in bhagavad-bhajana, and to them He will not
give His mercy. Then very few people will get His mercy. Why is
this so? Because He doesn’t consider everyone to be equal. If mercy
is shown to some and not to others, it appears that the fault of
partiality is present. If a devotee makes distinctions in regard to
whom he is merciful, then it seems that the fault of partiality has
appeared in his devotion. To give much love to one person, less to
another; to give much instruction to one and less to another; to
tell deep things to one and only superficial things to another – in
this behaviour it seems there is the fault of partiality.
But there are three types of Vaiñëava: uttama (topmost),
madhyama (intermediate) and kaniñöha (neophyte). Uttama
Vaiñëavas have almost all the good qualities of Bhagavän. They
don’t experience the sufferings of ordinary people. They are
ätmäräma (self-satisfied) and äptakäma (devoid of mundane
desires). Even if some allurement comes before them, they are
never disturbed and are always fixed in internal worship. They
will not show kindness to anyone either, and even if someone dies
they may remain indifferent. They are transcendental to the body
and fully self-realised.
The kaniñöha Vaiñëava does not have sufficient knowledge of
tattva, and is therefore unable to give mercy. And there are four
symptoms of a madhyama Vaiñëava:

éçvare tad-adhéneñu
bäliçeñu dviñatsu ca
prema-maitré-kåpopekñä
yaù karoti sa madhyamaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.46)

For Bhagavän he has prema, and towards Vaiñëavas he has three

types of friendly relations. Towards an uttama Vaiñëava he has

Rarest Archiver
6 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

a service attitude, with those on an equal footing to himself he

will establish friendship, and towards a kaniñöha Vaiñëava he is
merciful. He is completely indifferent to envious people, and to
those who are ignorant but have a little faith, in a general way he
is merciful.
In a madhyama-adhikäré there are these four types of partiality,
but in an uttama-adhikäré there is no such partiality. He has the
same outlook towards everyone. He doesn’t see the difference
between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul; he sees that
everyone is liberated. Therefore he has no duty. But it is the duty of
the madhyama Vaiñëava to have this partiality. Therefore who will
give the mercy by which bhakti will arise? The madhyama Vaiñëava,
and especially those that are higher madhyama Vaiñëavas, will give
this mercy. One who is entering the realm of an uttama Vaiñëava –
who is not there yet, but is qualified to cross the upper limit of
the madhyama stage – is especially kind and merciful. He wants
to distribute to others the wealth that he has stored inside his own
heart. When he distributes mercy, the fault of partiality cannot
be attributed to him, because according to the Bhägavatam, it is
actually a symptom of this stage to be partial. If we acquire the
association of such a Vaiñëava, then we should serve him with our
life and soul:

çuçrüñsyä bhajana-vijïam ananyam anya-

nindädi-çünya-hådam épsita-saìga-labdhyä
Upadeçämåta (5)

We should serve a Vaiñëava who is advanced in bhakti and whose

heart is free from the tendency to criticise others.

If we achieve the association of such a Vaiñëava, then it is

necessary for us to offer our head bowed to him in surrender. If
there is any cheating tendency in our service, he will know of it.
Just like Bhagavän, he can see inside us and he knows well peoples’

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 7

cheating ways. He may dispense punishment to us, but in that

there will also be mercy. Or upon perceiving our cheating he
may be indifferent towards us, so in a straightforward manner we
should serve him.
There are also two types of mercy from Vaiñëavas. One is
mercy acquired in previous lives and the other is mercy acquired
in this life. The accumulated pious merit from perhaps millions of
lifetimes may result in one’s receiving mercy from Vaiñëavas who
are rasika, merciful by nature and knowledgeable in tattva, thereby
leading one to take initiation from a genuine spiritual master and
make progress on the path of bhajana. This is called präktana-
saàskära: that which has been acquired in previous births. Having
such previous acquisition, in some very rare cases there may even
be no necessity of formally accepting a guru. For instance, Haridäsa
Öhäkura and so many of the associates of Caitanya Mahäprabhu
were already fully developed in bhakti and for them there was no
necessity of taking formal initiation, but still they accepted it just
to set an example for common people.
There is also the case of Bhärata Mahäräja. In his first birth he
had a guru, but in his second and third births he did not formally
accept a guru, yet still, without effort he attained the elevated
stage of bhäva. He didn’t listen to his father or anyone who tried to
dissuade him from the path of bhakti. This is präktana-saàskära,
having which one will easily acquire an elevated guru, attain the
association of advanced devotees (sädhu-saìga), and very quickly
feel devotional sentiment arise within him. Maybe only one verse
of a scripture will be recited to him, and from that only, he will
understand everything. Those who have this previous merit will
have some taste (ruci) for devotional life, and will knowingly
accept initiation from a rasika Vaiñëava. Then intense greed for
bhakti will arise in them, and they will make rapid progress in
bhajana.

Rarest Archiver
8 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

As for those who don’t have this previous merit, by hearing

about the pastimes of Kåñëa from Çrémad-Bhägavatam and by
associating with Vaiñëavas, greed for bhakti will gradually arise
in them. Then they will accept a guru. But they may accept a
spiritual master whose thought is not in the right line, and so they
will have to leave him and approach a genuinely spiritual guru
whose siddhänta is correct. Or they may accept a real guru in the
first place, and when that guru leaves this world, what must they
do? Accept an instructing spiritual master (çikñä-guru), a rasika
Vaiñëava who is full of spiritual greed. These are the two types of
mercy from Vaiñëavas.
In Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta, Gopa-kumära explains all of these
points to a brähmaëa from his own life experience. This brähmaëa
was a resident of Mathurä who went to Pragjyotisapura in Assam.
Just as we see these days in Gujarat there are scholars who wander
here and there speaking from the scriptures to make their living,
so this brähmaëa’s aim was like that. He was thinking that there
was a great deal of money in Assam, and that somehow or other he
would be able to make a living there. So he went there, and when
he didn’t make any money, he worshipped the goddess Kämäkhyä-
devé (Pärvaté-devé). She became very pleased with him, and
understanding his internal sentiment, thought, “It appears that he
has some spiritual merit (sukåti) from previous lives. If I give him
just a little help, he will be able to go far. But first his desire for
money must be eliminated, and then he will be able to go forward.”
She appeared before the brähmaëa and said, “You desire wealth?
There is nothing greater than the treasure that I will give you.”
What is the greatest wealth? Bhakti. If anyone approaches a
genuine guru – even if that person is just an ignorant boy or girl
and not able to understand much siddhänta – still, such a guru will
slowly give them love for the Supreme Lord. But an impure guru
will say, “Worship Devé, worship Gaëeça, worship Çaìkara, and
being pleased with you, they will give you whatever you desire.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 9

Kämäkhyä-devé, upon seeing a person’s nature, will act accord

ingly. Seeing that this brähmaëa was a resident of Govardhana, she
decided that he should not be cheated in any way. Understanding
his simple nature, she gave him the gopäla-mantra.
For entrance into the topmost devotional mellow of amorous
love (mädhurya-rasa), this mantra is especially necessary. By
the mercy of Sanätana Gosvämé and other exalted Vaiñëavas,
the gopäla-mantra is now prevalent in our sampradäya. Before
the appearance of Caitanya Mahäprabhu this mantra was not
made available to everyone. It was only given to those who were
understood to have the special qualification of sufficient merit
from previous lifetimes.
Devé gave this brähmaëa her direct audience (darçana)
and bestowed this mantra upon him. Chanting the mantra, his
devotion became firm. Chanting more and more, he eventually
lost his desire for wealth, and felt that he already possessed the
very root of all wealth. From Assam he went to the ocean at
Gangasagara and bathed, and becoming indifferent to that place,
he went to Gaya. Feeling indifferent there, he went to Varanasi,
where he became a little attracted to the conception of liberation
(mukti). There Pärvaté-devé again blessed him with her darçana,
yet this time she was accompanied by her husband Çaìkara, who
said, “Beware! Don’t stay here! Go away from here immediately!”
If they are especially merciful to someone, they will instruct him
in this way. Otherwise, one would remain there, and shaving his
head, would begin chanting the famous impersonalist aphorisms
‘ahaà brahmäsmi’, ‘tat-tvam asi’ and ‘sarvam-khalv idam-brahma’,
aspiring for impersonal liberation. But being merciful to this
brähmaëa, Mahädeva and Pärvaté told him, “Run away from here
quickly; you mustn’t stay! Mukti is like a tigress that will devour
you, and you will never emerge from its mouth! Run from here
quickly and don’t turn back! Go straight to Mathurä, bathe at
Viçräma-ghäöa, and then proceed directly to Våndävana.”

Rarest Archiver
10 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

On the way the brähmaëa spent some time in Prayaga where

he saw a crowd of thousands of people. Seated around a fire
performing a sacrifice were great renunciants with their hair tied
high on their heads and ashes smeared on their bodies. Others
were giving lectures and readings and loudly chanting, “Jaya
Çré Räma! Jaya Çré Räma!” For the month of Mägha [January–
February] all types of holy men (sädhus) go there to bathe. The
hermitage of Bharadväja Åñi where Välméki spent some time is
there, and there also Rämacandra crossed the Gaìgä. It is a very
pure place; Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructed Rüpa Gosvämé there
as well.
Seeing all of this, the brähmaëa thought, “If I could be like
this also, it would be very good.” The people were giving great
respect to all of the saints there. He took darçana of the Bindu-
Mädhava deity, attended the ärati ceremony and heard lectures.
When some devotees started performing a kértana, he said, “What
are you shouting? And what is all of this you are speaking in your
discourses?”
They said to him, “Brother, don’t speak out so brashly like this;
it will be an offence (aparädha). The great souls (mahätmäs) are
describing the glories of Bhagavän Çré Viñëu in their discourses.”
Again the brähmaëa felt indifferent and left there. Following
the instructions of Çaìkara, he eventually arrived at Mathurä and
bathed at Viçräma-ghäöa. In Varanasi, Çaìkara had told him, “If
you continue chanting your mantra-japa, your favourite deity will
give you darçana.”
Who is the deity of the gopäla-mantra? Gopäla-Kåñëa. And
which Gopäla-Kåñëa? It is according to the particular sentiment
of the devotee. To some it is that Gopäla who takes the cows out
to graze, to some it is baby Kåñëa sitting in the lap of Yaçodä, and
for those in mädhurya-rasa it is Kiçora-Gopäla. For this brähmaëa,
it was Kåñëa taking the cows out to graze, playing the flute and
wandering in the forests of Våndävana in the company of His

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 11

cowherd friends.
If we do not receive the darçana of Kåñëa in our meditation
while we are chanting our mantra-japa, in the higher sense we
can understand it all to be useless. “When will it be? When will it
be?” – we should have this eagerness. We should chant with our
hearts, and then we will see that this mantra will bestow His direct
darçana. Otherwise birth after birth it will be fruitless. If we are
mindless while chanting, or worried, or sometimes falling asleep,
or sometimes becoming discouraged, we will not receive the full
result of the mantra. When will we get the full result of the mantra?
When we chant in precisely the way that the spiritual master has
taught us, and as Pärvaté instructed this brähmaëa: chanting with
our concentration focused, ridding our hearts of all desires for
sense enjoyment, with humility, and with tears coming to our eyes
in remembrance – this will bring Gopäla. We must chant with a
steady mind and exclusive sentiment, and eventually the mantra
will give us direct darçana of Çré Kåñëa Himself:

gurau goñöhe goñöhälayiñu sujane bhüsura-gaëe sva-mantre

Çré Manaù-çikñä (1)

We should chant with peace of mind, love and firm faith, and
then the mantra will give us direct darçana of our deity, and also
darçana of our spiritual master.
After bathing at Viçräma-ghäöa, the brähmaëa entered Çré
Våndävana. Eventually he arrived at the banks of the Yamunä,
and at that time there was no town or village there. From a
secluded grove (kuïja) he heard a voice lamenting, but it was also
very sweet. He could not discern if it was someone crying, if it was
a kértana, or even whether it was a man or woman, but the sound
was attracting him. Slowly he began searching after this voice
until he came to a dense kuïja amongst the gardens of the Yamunä
near Keçé-ghäöa. Entering the kuïja, he saw a very effulgent and
attractive youth. It was Gopa-kumära, and he was chanting this

Rarest Archiver
12 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

kértana in a very sweet melody:

çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda
govinda he nanda-kiçora kåñëa
hä çré-yaçodä-tanaya praséda
çré-ballavé-jévana rädhikeça
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.7)

In his kértana he was emphasising the line hä çré-yasodä-tanaya

praséda. He was shedding tears and saliva was falling from his
mouth. Whether he was conscious or unconscious, the brähmaëa
couldn’t tell. Bringing some water from the Yamunä, the brähmaëa
cleaned Gopa-kumära’s mouth, and fanning him, gradually brought
him to his external senses. After a little while Gopa-kumära arose
and said, “You have come from Assam, from Pragjyotisapura?
There the goddess Devé gave you some mantra?” The brähmaëa
did not reply. “She gave you the gopäla-mantra? From there, via
Gangasagara and Gaya, you went to Varanasi, and there Çaìkara
and Pärvaté gave you some instruction? And via Prayaga you have
come here?”
The more Gopa-kumära said, the more the brähmaëa was
astonished, and deep faith arose in him towards Gopa-kumära.
Thinking, “How did he know this?” the brähmaëa could only stand
motionlessly and listen, stunned. He was deeply affected. When
we have this kind of experience, the faith that it produces will stay
with us for our entire life. When we are fortunate enough to meet
such a guru, the effect will be lasting. But upon meeting a bogus
guru we will get a different feeling. The so-called guru will say, “My
friend, please take harinäma initiation from me.”
One may reply, “No, not now; perhaps I will take it tomorrow
or the next day.”
But if the so-called guru sees that, “This man is wealthy and
has a nice house and nice possessions; through him we can get
some work done. There is some litigation against us, and since he

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 13

has a post with the government, he can clear it up for us,” then he
will say, “No, there is no need to wait. Take it now; otherwise your
mind will become distracted. Just bring a flower garland.”
And even if one does not want to bring a garland, the false
guru will say, “All right then; for you there will be no restriction
in regard to eating and drinking, such as being vegetarian and
abstaining from wine. Whose mantra do you want? Would you like
the Gaëeça mantra?”
A pure guru will not do any of this funny business with mantras.
He will thoughtfully determine the sentiment of a prospective
disciple, and if the person has a genuine desire for kåñëa-bhakti,
then he will give him the mantra. Otherwise, on some pretext
he will postpone it and send the person away. Especially if a
madhyama-adhikäré spiritual master is a little weak, he will keep
the prospective disciple in his company for some time, first
become convinced about his purity of purpose, and then give him
the mantra. The madhyama-adhikäré Vaiñëava mostly acts as guru,
not the uttama-adhikäré. An uttama-adhikäré Vaiñëava must come
down a little to the madhyama-adhikäré stage in order to act as
guru; but the uttama-adhikäré generally does not initiate disciples.
Närada became the guru of many persons, but he never actually
performed the rituals of a formal initiation ceremony. He would
simply inspire the flow of bhakti in someone’s heart, give some
instruction, and nothing more.
Once there was a man named Kabéra who wanted to take
initiation from a Rämänuja Vaiñëava named Rämänanda Äcärya.
Whenever he would come asking for initiation, Rämänanda would
send him away. Rämänanda considered this Kabéra to be a first-
class mäyävädé, a nirviçeñavädé, and therefore thought that he
shouldn’t be given initiation. So, one night, when it was extremely
dark and Rämänanda was going to bathe, Kabéra, knowing that he
was coming, lay down on the path in front of him. Because of the

Rarest Archiver
14 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

darkness, Rämänanda did not see Kabéra lying there and tripped
over him. Thinking that he had offended someone by touching
them with his feet, he said, “Say Räma! Say Räma!”
Then, standing up and clasping Rämänanda’s feet, Kabéra
said, “This is my initiation, Gurujé. Now you are my guru. Räma,
Räma, Räma...”
One can get initiated by this kind of trickery also, but we
cannot obtain devotion in this way. Kabéra simply remained a first-
class mäyävädé.
Gopa-kumära was saying such things that it inspired full faith
in the brähmaëa. The brähmaëa said, “I have come from afar, and
in my heart there is a strong desire to know one thing: what is
sädhya, the final goal, and sädhana, the method to attain it?”
If this question is not within a disciple, then he will never
reach the desired goal. When Mahäprabhu was in East Bengal,
Tapana Miçra asked Him, “What is our sädhya and sädhana?” By
asking this question, a disciple will please his guru very much,
and the guru will reply, “Oh, what a beautiful question you
have asked!”
A disciple will be thinking, “Until now I have been unable to
ascertain what our sädhya is. Who should we worship, and how
should we perform that worship? What is our necessity? To whom
will we go, and how will we get to Him?”
Therefore, from the very beginning of our spiritual practice,
we must know what is sädhana and what is sädhya: “Which
path should I take? And by travelling along this path, what will
I attain?” This knowledge is given only in a real sampradäya; in
some sampradäyas we don’t even find this.
Gopa-kumära said to the brähmaëa, “My dear friend, there is
little time. I will tell you some things regarding this from my own
experience. You already possess the mantra, and you have already
obtained the darçana of Mahädeva and Pärvaté-devé. It is possible,

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 15

in some circumstances, that the mantra alone will give you

everything. But without remaining in the appropriate Vaiñëava
association, it is generally not possible to learn the answer to
your question. Therefore, in very simple language I will help
you to understand what is sädhya and sädhana. I will tell you in
sequence, one stage after the other. If I immediately tell you about
vraja-prema, the prema of the gopés, the prema of Rädhikä, or if I
immediately tell you how Çré Kåñëa – Nanda-nandana, Naöavara,
Çyämasundara, Rädhä-känta – is alone our most worshipful deity,
you will not understand. If I tell you first about the intimate
pastimes of Çré Rädhä and Kåñëa, you will not understand. So I
will explain the gradation involved, and according to your specific
internal nature you will catch a particular sentiment.”
Then Gopa-kumära began his own life story: “I took birth in
the home of a milkman at Govardhana. When I was a little grown
up, my parents would send me to take the cows for grazing. Taking
the cows out to graze, drinking milk and playing with my friends:
it was the carefree life of a young cowherd boy. My friends and I
were fearless; we could even fight without fear of being rebuked.
The relationships between people there were real and intimate,
and this is how I grew up.
“One day I saw a brähmaëa, and he was very merciful to me.
He was always performing kértana of the name of Bhagavän, and I
saw that he was very renounced, never caring for anything of this
world. I began to develop some faith in him. My mother would
tell me to take him some milk, and I would go and deliver it to
him. I told him that whenever he became hungry, he should tell
us. While taking the cows out every day, I would go to see him, and
slowly I came to love him. Eventually I loved him with my whole
heart and soul, so much so that I forgot the affection of my mother
and father and everyone else.
“I saw him in many different states – sometimes laughing,

Rarest Archiver
16 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

sometimes running, and sometimes rolling on the banks of the

Yamunä shouting, ‘Hä Kåñëa! Hä Kåñëa!’ Witnessing this, great
faith in him arose within me. My relationship with the brähmaëa
was very sweet. Like a mother I would sometimes bring him roöés
and other things, but mostly he would take milk. When I would
come and sit before him, he would put his hand on my head, pat me
on the back and show me great affection. As a result of this, slowly
I became indifferent to the things of this world, and I desired to
receive initiation from him.
“Then one day I insisted that he initiate me. He told me to
first go and bathe in the Yamunä. I did so, and upon returning, he
spoke the mantra into my ear, the same mantra that Pärvaté-devé
has given you. Then my gurudeva began to tell me the rules and
regulations for chanting. He said, ‘Who is the deity of this mantra?
And by chanting it, what kind of sentiment will come into your
heart? Listen: with the flute in His hands and a peacock feather
on His head, the incomparably marvellous Çyämasundara...’ Then
at that moment he became overwhelmed with bhäva and fell to the
ground unconscious, without having said a word about the rules
and regulations or sädhya and sädhana. He had only told me the
mantra; he didn’t tell me its meaning, or how many times to chant
it, or even how to sit while chanting. There was foam coming from
his mouth, his limbs were shivering, and the hairs of his body stood
erect. I ran to the Yamunä for water to revive him, but when I
returned he was no longer there. I searched through all of the
kuïjas of the entire area of Våndävana. Searching and searching I
became exhausted, and not finding him anywhere, I became very
upset.”
When I received initiation from my guru, Çréla Bhakti Prajïäna
Keçava Mahäräja, I also asked him, “Please tell me a little of the
meaning of the gopäla-mantra and käma-gäyatré.” He replied, “Çré
Rädhä and Kåñëa are the gopäla-mantra and käma-gäyatré. By

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter One 17

chanting them, Rädhä and Kåñëa will eventually reveal Themselves

to you. There is no necessity of knowing the full meaning now.
When the appropriate time comes, the mantras will appear within
your heart and reveal everything to you.” I have always followed his
instruction in this regard and there has never been any necessity for
me to ask anyone else.

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two

Gopa-kumära’s Remarkable Journey

Gopa-kumära’s guru had disappeared, but his firm faith (niñöhä)

never left him. He never thought of going in a different direction.
Whatever the guru tells us is the supreme truth of the Vedas,
and we should always keep it with us. A sädhaka may desire to
understand everything by relying solely upon his own experience
and then moving forward. Rather than accepting what anyone
else may tell him, he may feel that he must directly experience
everything himself. But the guru can see that trying to understand
everything step by step may take millions of lives. What is heaven?
What is Siddhaloka? What are Bhür, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Jano
and Tapolokas? What kind of things can be seen there, and what
kinds of enjoyment are available? What happiness is there within
the eight material coverings? What is in Çivaloka? What is in
Vaikuëöhaloka? What is in Rämaloka? We may desire to see and
understand all of this by our own endeavour and then consider
and accept the highest thing. But one does not progress this way.
For instance, there may be some worldly man who doesn’t
practise any sädhana. We will say to him, “My friend, performing
bhajana of Bhagavän is the most beneficial thing for you. Leave
everything else behind and simply engage in bhajana.”
So the man may think, “But what about the love of my parents?
And I have not yet married – I want to have a little experience of
family life.”
If he has sufficient merit (sukåti) from previous lifetimes, then
he might leave his home; but for those who don’t have this previous

Rarest Archiver
20 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

merit, it will be very difficult. Therefore we can understand that

those who have left their families to engage in bhajana with great
determination have sukåti from their previous births. There is
no necessity for them to become involved in family life. Great
devotees like Çukadeva Gosvämé and Närada Åñi had this previous
merit. Generally, by observing someone’s activities, we can discern
whether they have this sukåti or not.
Many people want to experience all of the many worlds
themselves, but not everyone will have the previous merit to do
so. Therefore, being merciful, Sanätana Gosvämé has explained
the happiness to be attained in those worlds, the situation there,
and the reason for ultimately becoming indifferent to one world
and going to another. He revealed all of this through the medium
of the story of Gopa-kumära, taking us through all of those worlds
until we finally arrive in Goloka Våndävana.
But we mustn’t think that Sanätana Gosvämé has merely
composed a fictitious novel describing Gopa-kumära’s extensive
journey; this book contains a wide variety of siddhänta with very
deep meaning. For example, some people think that the main
reason Kåñëa comes to this world is to relieve the Earth’s burden.
But really He comes to give pleasure to His devotees, and especially
to broadcast to the world the prema of the gopés and to taste it
Himself. Caitanya Mahäprabhu would accomplish many purposes
by one activity. He would perform one activity, but from that, five
people would be instructed, and five separate objectives would be
achieved. In the same spirit Sanätana Gosvämé has presented the
Båhad-bhägavatämåta.
Gopa-kumära continued his story: “I was very upset at the
loss of my guru. By the influence of chanting my mantra I felt
deep spiritual longing and therefore left my home and family. At
Prayaga, I saw a brähmaëa engaged in worshipping his çälagräma-
çilä on the banks of the Gaìgä. I thought that I would also like to
do this, but when I saw him place his çilä in a box, I thought, ‘If

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 21

Öhäkurajé is placed in a box, He will have to go to sleep hungry,

and He won’t be able to move either!’ It gave me some pain and
unhappiness to see this.
“On the advice of that brähmaëa, I went to the king of Kerala
in South India, who was engaged there in worshipping the deity
of four-armed Padmanäbha with great opulence. He was also
feeding, serving and providing all conveniences to the Vaiñëavas.
Witnessing the opulence of that worship, I stayed there for some
time with great love. I was thinking that I also would like to serve
the deity as the king was doing. Then the king died with no heir,
and the court astrologers found the signs of a king on my hand,
so I was made the king and carried on the worship. But whenever
the deity’s prasäda was touched by a person from a lower caste, no
one would eat it. People would also accept or reject the prasäda
on the basis of whether it was cooked or uncooked, and I was very
unhappy to see all of this. The prasäda of the deity is spiritual, and
there should be no such considerations. Therefore I began to feel
indifferent towards that place.
“From some Vaiñëavas I heard the glories of Çré Jagannätha.
They said, ‘In Néläcala there are no such considerations about
prasäda. Even if the prasäda has been touched by the mouth of
a dog, it will still be taken. Regardless of whether it is dry, stale
or rotten, it is still considered to be non-different from Bhagavän
Himself.’
“So I went there, and upon seeing this I was very pleased. After
taking darçana of Jagannätha for some time, I began to desire to
serve Him in the same manner as the king there. I thought that
I would like to become the king myself so I could serve the deity
with my own hands. Then the king died, and there was no qualified
person to succeed him. His oldest son had left home to engage in
bhajana, and the younger son didn’t possess the necessary signs of
a king. The people were in anxiety about who would inherit the
throne, so they prayed to Jagannätha. He revealed to them in a

Rarest Archiver
22 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

dream, ‘The throne should be entrusted to whoever has the signs

of a king on his hands and feet. The proper signs must be there,
and they cannot be cut in any way. Someone may have the proper
signs, but they may be cut. He who has the unbroken signs of a
flower, waterpot, star and conchshell should be made the king.’
“Seeing these signs on my hands alone, they installed me on the
throne. I carried on the deity’s service for some time and was very
happy. But ultimately I began to feel detached from that place.
I saw that the pujärés were always fighting amongst themselves,
and sometimes I could not see the deity because the mandira
was closed, and this caused me to feel great separation. Also
Lord Jagannätha never spoke to me. I was chanting my gopäla-
mantra, and I desired to have the darçana of that Gopäla who plays
freely and independently with the gopas. I was unable to embrace
Jagannätha and have such free dealings with Him as I desired.
“Then one day I saw my spiritual master receiving darçana in
the temple, but he was so overwhelmed with emotion that I could
not approach him. He was just gazing at Jagannätha. Thinking
that I would speak with him later, I looked away, but when I
looked again Gurujé had vanished. I was again upset at losing him.
The following day, while wandering on the shores of the ocean,
I saw him seated there. There was foam on his mouth and tears
in his eyes as he was saying ‘Kåñëa, Kåñëa.’ After bringing him to
external consciousness, I fell at his feet, and then he told me the
purport of the mantra and some regulations for chanting it. He
said, ‘This mantra will bestow whatever one desires. If you desire
to see Bhagavän Himself or anything else, this mantra will fulfil
your desire.’ After saying a little more he again became absorbed
in emotion, and where he went after that, I don’t know.”
Which mantra is this? The gopäla-mantra. Although at present
our faith may not be fully developed, just see how much power is
contained within the gopäla-mantra!

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 23

Gopa-kumära continued, “My faith increased by hearing

just these few words from him, and with great love I chanted my
mantra. At that time I was feeling indifferent to Néläcala, and
then I heard from some sages that in the heavenly planets Indra is
serving Bhagavän directly.”
Chanting his mantra-japa, intense hankering for going there
arose within him, and he immediately arrived in Indraloka. There
Indra was directly serving Upendra (Vämanadeva) delectable
foods and drinks like a loving brother. By the influence of his
mantra-japa, Gopa-kumära’s desire to attain the position of Indra
was fulfilled. When Indra fled out of fear of the demons, the sages
and demigods appointed him to the position of Indra. For some
time he enjoyed the facilities that came with that position and
served Upendra in various ways. But during the night he was
unable to have Upendra’s darçana, and for this reason he began
to feel indifferent towards that place as well. Next Gopa-kumära
travelled throughout the Bhür, Bhuvar and Svar planetary systems,
having conversations with Pippaläyana and other sages. After that
he went to Brahmaloka, where, after some time, he attained the
position of Brahmä.
There the personified Vedas, Upaniñads, Puräëas and other
scriptures were debating amongst themselves. Some were
propounding merging into Brahman while others were advocating
bhagavad-bhakti. They were trying to decide which of the two
is superior and whom should be worshipped. At first Çrémad-
Bhägavatam remained neutral and merely listened as they all
debated. But in the end the words of the Bhägavatam were
established as the best, and the glories of Çré Viñëu and Vaikuëöha
were delineated.
Again feeling indifferent to his surroundings, Gopa-kumära
chanted his mantra-japa and returned to the Våndävana of this
world, where he again met his guru, Jayanta. Jayanta blessed him,

Rarest Archiver
24 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

saying, “What you have seen until now is due to the influence of
your mantra, and by continuing to chant you will also be able to
cross the eight material coverings. You will be able to cross the
Virajä river and go to Siddhaloka. I am giving you my blessings
that you will receive a body that will be suitable for travelling to all
of those higher worlds, because no one can go there in a material
body. The desires of your heart will surely be fulfilled, but in the
course of your journey you mustn’t ever stop. Ultimately you will
reach your desired goal by going in sequence, step by step.”
There is a related story about a sage of Dandakaranya who was
performing austerities. He was chanting the gopäla-mantra for
thousands of years, yet he remained in this world. Eventually Çré
Rämacandra and Sétä-devé arrived in Dandakaranya. Seeing the
beauty of Räma, the sage’s mind became attracted. He prayed to
Räma, “I beg that just as Sétä is serving You, I may serve You in
Your form as Gopäla. Please grant me this benediction.”
Räma said, “All right, so it shall be, but you cannot go to Goloka
directly. When the pastimes of Kåñëa appear in this universe, you
will enter the womb of a gopé of Vraja and develop your identity
there. You will marry and have a husband, mother-in- law, father-
in-law and sister-in-law, but in a hidden way your first love will
always be for Gopäla. By the influence of the gopés’ association you
will attain perfection, and any doubts or ignorance that you may
have will vanish. You will appear in the womb of a gopé, you will
develop an identity within the lélä, your sentiment will become
perfected, and when Kåñëa and His associates disappear from
this world, you will accompany them to Goloka Våndävana and
become an eternal companion of Kåñëa. This is the path.”
As long as our sentiment is not perfected, we will remain in the
Vraja of this world. After attaining perfection we will leave this
world; Bhagavän Himself has said this thousands of times. Now
we are proceeding along the path step by step and, by the mercy
of guru, when the appropriate time comes we will obtain a body

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 25

suitable for travel to higher worlds; but the material body is not
able to go there.
Gopa-kumära appeared the same as before, but at this time
he shed his material form and assumed a purely spiritual form.
Now like electricity he crossed in one minute the eight material
coverings that before had taken him millions of years to cross step
by step. The denizens of the heavenly planets showered flowers on
him as he passed by at great speed, and Lord Brahmä and others
offered obeisances to him. Crossing those eight coverings he saw
whatever happiness was available inside them, and then crossing
the Virajä he arrived in Çivaloka.
Brahmaloka consists of two sections: the upper part is called
Sadäçivaloka, and the lower part is Siddhaloka, which is the
destination given to the demons who are personally killed by
Bhagavän. The impersonalists also attain this destination after
meditating on the formless light for millions of years. That is
called säyujya-mukti. This lower part is also called Mahäkälapuram
or Säyujyaloka by the sages. This Mahäkälapuram is where Kåñëa
took Arjuna to retrieve the son of the brähmaëa.1
When Gopa-kumära was at this Siddhaloka, he saw that it was
like a very deep river where one remains submerged in Brahman
for some time and then rises up again. By chanting his gopäla-
mantra he would come up, but then by the influence of the lower
world he would again be submerged. Looking upon this formless
void with abhorrence, he proceeded up from Siddhaloka to
Sadäçivaloka. There Çaìkara and Pärvaté were performing kértana
and dancing with their associates. Pärvaté is also known as Gauré,
she who possesses a bright bodily complexion. Her limbs were
shining like pure camphor and making her appear very beautiful.
She was playing some musical instruments and Çaìkara was
dancing. Gaëeça was singing, and Kärttikeya, Nandé, Bhåìgé and

1 This pastime is narrated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter 89.

Rarest Archiver
26 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

all of their associates were present there, glorifying Bhagavän and

dancing. At that time Gaëeça told Gopa-kumära that Çaìkara and
Bhagavän are one and the same, non-different. After some time,
Gopa-kumära looked up into the sky and saw four people there
performing kértana. They were eternal residents of Vaikuëöha.
Seeing Çiva and Pärvaté, they offered obeisances and said,
“O Mahädeva, you and Hari are the same Soul.”
Hearing this, Çiva put his hands over his ears and said, “What
are you saying? You don’t know any tattva. Me – the éçvara? No, I
am not Íçvara, I am the servant of Íçvara, the servant of Näräyaëa.”
After those four residents of Vaikuëöha elucidated some tattva,
Çiva began speaking to Gopa-kumära: “Who can go to Vaikuëöha?
After one hundred births of giving charity, performing pious
activities, and following varëäçrama-dharma perfectly, one attains
the position of Brahmä. Then, by performing the function of
Brahmä well for one hundred births, one becomes Çiva. After
assuming the post of Çiva for thousands of years, one becomes a
Vaiñëava. I also desire to become a Vaiñëava. Then, by practising
sädhana-bhakti as a Vaiñëava, one attains Vaikuëöha. Therefore
attaining Vaikuëöha is not easy; it is very rare. It appears that you
are ready to enter Vaikuëöha, but you cannot go straight there
from here; there is no direct path. From here go to Vraja, engage in
some bhajana and sädhana, and then you can go there.”
Chanting his gopäla-mantra, Gopa-kumära saw that he had
arrived at Våndävana in the very same kuïja near Keçé-ghäöa
where he had previously met his guru. There he immersed himself
in sädhana-bhajana, and one day he was reunited with his guru
Jayanta. With great prema in his heart Jayanta began to tell him
some deep secrets, and Gopa-kumära was very pleased. What kind
of secrets? Related to progress in sädhana-bhajana: “Your favourite
deity is Gopäla, and you are worshipping Him in the mood of
fraternity (sakhya-bhäva). Until now you have been chanting the
gopäla-mantra, but in Vaikuëöha that mantra will no longer be

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 27

effective. There is no sädhana there; it is a place of sädhya, final

attainment. Therefore, all of the branches of sädhana that you
have practised up until now will not be effective there. Now your
internal identity (svarupa) as a sakhä has arisen. You are related to
Kåñëa as His beloved friend.”
The mantra had cleansed all kinds of anartha and aparädha
from Gopa-kumära’s heart and established his eternal relationship
with Bhagavän. This is such an exalted achievement. The eternal
relationship with Kåñëa that we achieve in our hearts will be in
whichever rasa we find tasteful. As long we do not possess pure
attachment to Kåñëa, our bhajana will not be pure. Especially
for coming to the stage of rägänuga-bhakti this sentiment is so
necessary: “Kåñëa is mine, and I am His.” At this stage none of
the troubles of the material world can disturb us. In the stage of
bhäva these troubles may come, but in the stage of prema we will
not be aware of these troubles and they cannot touch us, just as
in the cases of Çukadeva Gosvämé, Närada Åñi and Prahläda. But
some difficulty came to Bhärata Mahäräja2, who was only in the
stage of bhäva, and he was overwhelmed. So in the stage of bhäva
some troubles may still come, but after that, like the wind they
will all fly away and we will not even be aware of them. Then no
anartha, result of karma, or anything unpalatable will come, and in
our eternal form we will relish our eternal relationship with Kåñëa.
Then Jayanta secretly told Gopa-kumära this mantra:

çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda

govinda he nanda-kiçora kåñëa
hä çré-yaçodä-tanaya praséda
çré-ballavé-jévana rädhikeça
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.7)

2 The story of Bhärata Mahäräja is narrated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Fifth Canto,

Chapters 7–8.

Rarest Archiver
28 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

In this mantra, for Gopa-kumära the emphasis was on hä çré-

yaçodä-tanaya praséda (O son of Yaçodä), which for him is the
primary name of Kåñëa, the others being secondary. For his
particular internal sentiment, Yaçodä-tanaya is primary because
He is Gopa-kumära’s dear friend, while the remaining names are
descriptions: Çré Kåñëa, Gopäla, Hari, Mukunda, Govinda, Nanda-
kiçora, Çré Ballavé-jévana and Rädhikeça. If someone’s sentiment is
in mädhurya-rasa, then Rädhikeça (the Lord of Rädhä) may be the
primary name, and the rest will be secondary.
According to the sentiment in one’s heart, one of these names
will be selected as the primary name. Çré Yaçodä-tanaya can be
the primary name for both sakhya-rasa and vätsalya-rasa, the
parental mellow. In mädhurya-rasa, two names are primary: Çré
Ballavé-jévana (He who is the very life of the gopés) and Rädhikeça.
Within the name Çré Ballavé-jévana a bhäva is hidden – a very
important, deep bhäva. To some devotees, the name Rädhikeça will
not be given; to them the name Çré Ballavé-jévana will be given.
If a devotee has no desire to become a sakhé, but wants instead
to become a maïjaré and render service that assists the amorous
pastimes of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa from that position, then the name
Çré Ballavé-jévana is given to them. But those who chant Rädhikeça
will become sakhés. As we progress in sädhana we will be able to
better understand these subtle points.
Jayanta didn’t tell these secret things to just anyone, only to
Gopa-kumära. Then, while Gopa-kumära was looking the other
way, Jayanta vanished again. With dazzling effulgence and the
speed of electricity he would appear, tell Gopa-kumära one or
two things, and then disappear. But we are so fortunate that we
have been given the opportunity to spend so much time in the
personal company of our guru. Every day we speak with him and
he gives us personal instruction and everything. Therefore we are
not really such qualified recipients. If we were, then shining like

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 29

electricity the spiritual master would appear and give us one or

two relevant thoughts, which we would keep with us for all time;
then he would vanish. Like feeding us milk – have you seen a dog
with her puppies? She comes and feeds them milk, and when she
again leaves from there, the puppies race after her. But she nudges
them away and proceeds, leaving them standing at a distance just
watching, and then finally they return home. Like this, the guru
will come, nurture the sentiment of a disciple by giving some
relevant instruction, and then vanish.
After residing in Våndävana and performing bhajana for some
time, Gopa-kumära became absorbed in prema. Then one day he
beheld the most wondrous vision: wearing yellow cloth, playing
the flute, smiling and speaking to him with His eyes, Çré Kåñëa was
suddenly present before him. Gopa-kumära cried out, “Oh! My
very life!” and raced after Him. Coming near to Kåñëa he tried to
embrace Him, but just then Kåñëa disappeared. Crying and crying
in deep separation, Gopa-kumära fell to the ground unconscious.
While in his unconscious state, he saw a beautiful golden airplane
appear before him at the speed of mind. Inside it were those same
four residents of Vaikuëöha whom he had met in Çivaloka and who
had spoken some tattva to him. They said, “Please come; now we
are proceeding to Vaikuëöha.”
Mostly still in an unconscious state, Gopa-kumära stood up
and sat inside the airplane. When he opened his eyes he thought,
“Where am I? What is this place?” He found himself in a waiting
room at the gates of Vaikuëöha. His guardians told him, “Please
wait here. We are going inside to obtain the order from the Lord,
and then we will take you inside.”
Saying this they went inside, and took quite some time to
return. During this time Gopa-kumära saw, one after another,
many eternal associates of Bhagavän entering through the gates.
They were carrying presents and paraphernalia for the püjä of

Rarest Archiver
30 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Näräyaëa. Seeing their shining effulgence, he mistook one of

them to be Näräyaëa Himself, and offering his praëäma said,
“O Näräyaëa, O Lord, please be merciful to me!”
That devotee replied, “Oh! Don’t call me Näräyaëa! I am not
Näräyaëa; I am only the servant of the servant of Näräyaëa.”
Everyone that came was greeted by Gopa-kumära in the same
manner. He was wonderstruck at the opulence of Vaikuëöha. He
saw monkeys, bears, peacocks and other kinds of birds arriving
there, and they all appeared divinely beautiful. Then the four
Vaiñëavas who had brought him returned and said, “Come, the
Lord has given His order.”
Upon entering through the gates and seeing the opulence of
the doorman, Gopa-kumära mistook him to be Näräyaëa as well
and began to offer him obeisances and prayers. The doorman put
his hands over his ears and the party proceeded further until they
reached an interior chamber. There, accompanied by Lakñmé-
devé herself and with Närada and other sages at His side, was Çré
Näräyaëa, reclining to one side on His elbow. He was chewing
betel nuts and appeared very splendid. Gopa-kumära offered
praëäma, and Näräyaëa raised His hand in bestowal of blessings
and said, “You have given Me so much suffering. For millions of
years I have been waiting for you, thinking, ‘When will he come to
Me?’ Millions of years have passed, and until now I could not find
any pretext to bring you here to Vaikuëöha. I was very upset about
this, but I saw that you didn’t have even a little desire to meet Me.
If you had only chanted even one of My names just once, kept
association with My devotees or offered some service to a saint –
but you did nothing at all. Even if you had circumambulated a
temple just once! One particular pigeon did, and I awarded him
entrance into My abode. I could have done the same for you. A
hunter with a bow and arrow shot this pigeon who was seated
on the branch of a tree, and the bird fell to the ground. In its

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 31

wounded condition, unintentionally, the pigeon circumambulated

the temple one time before dying. From that it attained enough
merit to take a human birth and begin voluntarily associating with
My devotees. Then in its next birth it came to Me.
“There was also one mouse who entered a mandira to drink ghee.
The ghee lamp was flickering, almost extinguished, and just then
this mouse began drinking some ghee from it. By this movement
the lamp became lit again, and the mouse ran off, frightened. From
this he attained the result of offering a lamp to the deity. In his
next life he took a human birth and then gradually, by the mercy
of the Vaiñëavas, he attained Vaikuëöha. But you didn’t even do
anything like this. All of the time you were opposed to Me. You
remained in bad company, always spoke about mundane topics
and you were always absorbed in sense enjoyment. You never did
anything to bring yourself in My direction. I thought, ‘By any
means I must save him.’ So I arranged for you to take birth at
Govardhana and then I Myself came as your guru: that was none
other – that was Me. I gave you the gopäla-mantra, and then I kept
coming in the midst of your progress to nourish your mantra and
strengthen your sädhana.
“One will not meet such a guru in one or two lives, but only after
thousands of births will one receive a guru who can lead him to
Me. I came to you in many forms and gave you inspiration, instilled
spiritual strength within you and told you all of the deep secrets of
bhajana. Now, it is very good that we have finally met, and I am very
happy! You will stay here now and not go anywhere else.”
Gopa-kumära began staying there. One day Lakñmé-devé saw
that evening was approaching and everyone had left the presence
of Näräyaëa except Gopa-kumära. Since Lakñmé-devé alone
serves Näräyaëa food and drink and massages His feet, she told
Viçvaksena and others to employ some cleverness to draw Gopa-
kumära away. They said to him, “Come and take rest, it is late.

Rarest Archiver
32 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Everyone is going, and you also need rest; you appear very tired.
Therefore please come with us and take some rest.” They tried
this trickery to draw Gopa-kumära away, but he didn’t desire to
go. Finally they affectionately took his hand and led him away, but
this made him very unhappy.
Another day Näräyaëa called Gopa-kumära and said, “Come
and do the service of fanning Me.” Gopa-kumära became very
pleased upon obtaining this service, but what did he really want?
“I desire to play the flute with Him, embrace Him and take prasäda
directly from His plate. I want to take the cows out to graze with
Him and accompany Him to His house, where His mother will
feed us and give us nice things to drink. I want this type of free
and independent relationship with Näräyaëa, but He will not
reciprocate with me in the same way. Instead, here I am bound up:
with my hands together I must offer praëäma.” Thinking like this,
Gopa-kumära became even more unhappy.
One day Närada approached him and said, “Your face appears
withered in unhappiness. I can see that you are not satisfied.”
Even before Gopa-kumära could reply, Närada had understood
everything. Beginning to speak, Närada felt a little shy because
Lakñmé-devé and others were nearby and he could not speak
openly before them. So he took Gopa-kumära to a solitary place,
and said, “Aho! Inside you there is some very deep yearning? Here
you don’t have the relationship with Bhagavän that you long for.
You desire sakhya-bhäva. Here Bhagavän will not kiss and embrace
you; you cannot eat from the same plate with Him and sleep on
the same bed. All these loving exchanges of sakhya-bhäva are what
you really desire. This has been your strong desire for a very long
time.
“In this place your desire will not be fulfilled, but don’t be
discouraged, because there is one thing you must understand:
Näräyaëa is your worshipful Lord. He and the Gopäla that you

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Two 33

desire in sakhya-bhäva are one and the same, non-different. Silently

you are longing to play with Him in sakhya-bhäva, but here that
longing will not be fulfilled. I will tell you how to proceed upwards
to your next destination.”

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Three

The Superiority of Näma-saìkértana

In telling Gopa-kumära the sädhana for attaining Vaikuëöha,

the four-armed eternal associates of Näräyaëa said:

manyämahe kértanam eva sattamaà

lokätmakaika-sva-hådi smarat småteù
väci sva-yukte manasi çrutau tathä
dévyat parän apy apakurvad ätmya-vat
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.3.148)

Because it engages the voice, ears and mind, and because it

attracts others as it does oneself, we consider that kértana is better
than trying to remember the Lord with the fickle mind.

There are so many kinds of sädhana for attaining Vaikuëöha,

and this refers to the entire realm of Vaikuëöha, up to Våndävana.
For everyone in a general way, it is said that there are many
sädhanas for attaining Vaikuëöha, such as ninefold bhakti, fivefold
bhakti, sixty-four kinds of bhakti and so on. Amongst all of these,
three are primary: hearing (çravaëa), chanting (kértana) and
remembering (smaraëa). Of these three, kértana and smaraëa are
primary. What is the meaning of smaraëa? Rüpa Gosvämé says it
means that while your tongue is chanting your favourite name of
Bhagavän, your mind is remembering Kåñëa’s pastimes.
In our sampradäya there are many who consider that, leaving
aside all other methods, only meditation (dhyäna) should be done.
Especially for developing rägänuga-bhakti, meditating on the

Rarest Archiver
36 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

topics of Kåñëa’s pastimes and remembering His eternal eightfold

daily pastimes (añöakäla-lélä) have been recommended as the
best type of smaraëa. But here Sanätana Gosvämé, through the
medium of Gopa-kumära and the four-armed eternal associates of
Näräyaëa, is saying that saìkértana is the best method of all. Why?
Because the mind is restless; it won’t remain steady. If anyone can
deeply meditate on the pastimes of Kåñëa with a steady mind,
then that is all right. But in almost every situation the mind is
not peaceful; it remains restless. Therefore there is only one plan
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 11.2.40):

evaà-vrataù sva-priya-näma-kértyä
jätänurägo druta-citta uccaiù

With a melted heart, loudly sing about the names, forms, qualities
and pastimes of Bhagavän. When one sincerely chants his favourite
name of Bhagavän, then from the tongue that name will enter the
mind and then the heart, thereby quieting all of the senses. If by
any separate endeavour one tries to control the restless mind, he
will not be able to do so. For concentrating the mind, kértana is
necessary, and especially for Kali-yuga, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
has given us näma-saìkértana as the religion for the modern age
(yuga-dharma):

harer näma harer näma

harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
Båhan-näradéya Puräëa (38.126)

In Kali-yuga, hari-kértana is the only means of deliverance. There

is no other way.

Only näma-saìkértana will make the restless mind steady, and

is therefore the best method of all. If one performs smaraëa that is

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Three 37

dependent on kértana, then that will be effective. Arising on the

tongue, näma-saìkértana will control all of the remaining senses
and the mind also; otherwise the mind is like a horse without a
rider. If there are no reins and no rider, what will the horse do?
Run here and there according to his own desire. But if the rider of
kértana climbs upon the horse of our mind and takes the reins, then
the horse of the mind will not run aimlessly but will go wherever
the rider directs him. So what the four-armed eternal associates of
Näräyaëa were saying was conducive for the cultivation of bhakti,
and ultimately for gaining entrance into Vraja. For this reason
Jayanta gave Gopa-kumära this mantra to chant:

çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda

govinda he nanda-kiçora kåñëa
hä çré-yaçodä-tanaya praséda
çré-ballavé-jévana rädhikeça

We have heard that anyone who doesn’t perform kértana that is

full of the names of Bhagavän, but only chants the gopäla-mantra,
will not be able to enter Goloka Vraja. But it has also been said
that the sixty thousand sages who witnessed the pastimes of Räma
in Satya-yuga performed sädhana by chanting the gopäla-mantra,
and as a result they attained the forms of gopés in their next lives.
And those who cite this reference say, “So how can the gopäla-
mantra be considered inferior? The käma-gäyatré is inferior? They
will not take one to Goloka? The gopäla-mantra and the käma-
gäyatré are mantras of perfection! Anyone who performs sädhana
by chanting them will certainly attain Goloka!”
How can we harmonise this? Harmonising this seems to be a
very difficult task because it appears that there is a contradiction
in our siddhänta. Some say that only näma-saìkértana will take us
to Goloka, but others have written that by chanting the gopäla-
mantra so many people went to Goloka Vraja. So how can we
reconcile this?

Rarest Archiver
38 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Very easily: where is perfection attained? Where is sädhana

practised? In this material world, and those sages of Daëòakäraëya
were practising sädhana by chanting the gopäla-mantra. From
the mantra, sambandha-jïäna arose and ultimately transformed
into permanent sentiment (sthäyibhäva), and according to their
particular internal natures, they attained perfection. They reached
the limit of this world and became qualified to go beyond. Then,
by the influence of Yogamäyä, such perfected souls take birth in
the womb of gopés when the manifest pastimes of Kåñëa appear in
one of the material universes. After taking birth in Vraja from the
womb of a gopé, they become either a sakhä, a motherly or father
like guardian of Kåñëa, or a gopé. But they must first take birth in
Gokula and develop an identity.
Then there is no necessity of chanting the mantra any longer.
Rather, by hearing and chanting about Kåñëa’s pastimes – and
by the association of Gopäla Himself, the gopés and all of His
other eternal playmates – one will himself become part of Kåñëa’s
eternal entourage and then go to Goloka Våndävana. One will not
go directly. Therefore everything is reconciled like this: first there
is svarüpa-siddhi, internal realisation of one’s eternal identity, and
then after relinquishing the material body comes vastu-siddhi,
taking birth in a spiritual body within the Lord’s pastimes. The
mantra is only useful in sädhana. There is no necessity of it in the
stage of perfection.
So, saying that the gopäla-mantra will take one to Goloka Vraja
is correct: it will bring us to the entrance, and then we will enter
and the activities of the mantra will cease. Both ideas in regard
to the mantra are correct. But without the gopäla-mantra and
the käma-gäyatré, will our sädhana be complete with only näma-
saìkértana? No, because by näma-saìkértana alone we will not be
able to chant çuddha-näma, the pure name of Kåñëa. First, from the
influence of the mantra, sambandha-jïäna will come, then we will
feel a particular devotional sentiment within us, and finally our

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Three 39

eternal svarüpa will arise. After this, by becoming deeply absorbed

in näma-saìkértana, everything will be completed.
Suppose we are cutting grass, and someone says to us, “Please
use a golden blade to cut the grass.” Will we use a golden blade to
cut the grass? No, an iron blade will be more effective. Similarly,
because we are in such a conditioned state, chanting the gopäla-
mantra and käma-gäyatré is also necessary. At different stages,
different things are necessary, but we shall understand näma-
saìkértana to be the best thing in sädhana, and in perfection. The
gopäla-mantra is effective only in sädhana, but not in the stage of
perfection. The perfected soul will not chant it, because its work
has been completed. We must understand this point well: näma-
saìkértana is necessary in the conditioned state, but along with
it we must chant the gopäla-mantra, the mantra of Mahäprabhu
(gaura-gäyatré), and all other mantras that our spiritual master
has given us. The efficacy of these mantras is that they make
sambandha-jïäna arise and the attachment to sense enjoyment
fade away. Anyone who follows this method sincerely for one
year, or even six months, will certainly see what its result is. If
the desired result doesn’t come, then there must be some problem.
Perhaps the seed, the mantra, was not very potent because the
giver was not pure, or perhaps we are not chanting from the heart
or we are cheating in some way. Rather, giving it our heart, with
deep faith and firm determination we should chant.

kåñëasya nänä-vidha-kértaneñu
tan-näma-saìkértanam eva mukhyam
tat-prema-sampaj-janane svayaà dräk
çaktaà tataù çreñöhatamaà mataà tat
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.3.158)

Of the many types of kåñëa-kértana, glorification of His name is

primary. Because it is capable of bestowing the great wealth of
pure love for Him very quickly, it is considered the best.

Rarest Archiver
40 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

There are many types of kåñëa-kértana – glorification of His

qualities, of His form, of His pastimes – but the glorification of
His name is the foremost. If I call out “Come over here,” who will
come? Many people may come. If I describe some qualities of the
person I want, then still many may come. But if I call out the name
of the specific person I want, then at once only that person will
come. Similarly, there is glorification of Bhagavän’s qualities, forms
and pastimes, but for calling out to Him and remembering Him,
the näma-saìkértana of Bhagavän is the best. Included within this
näma-saìkértana will be glorification of His qualities, forms and
pastimes. In this way – “O Govinda, O Gopénätha, O Madana-
mohana!” – our kértana should be full of His names. And of these
names, those which refer to Kåñëa’s relationship with the gopés are
the best of all. If one desires to very quickly attain the lotus feet
of Çré Kåñëa and attain the prema of Vraja, then näma-saìkértana
is the best and most powerful method. This is the conclusion of
Sanätana Gosvämé, because if we chant näma-saìkértana with
great sincerity, then very quickly kåñëa-prema will arise.

näma-saìkértanaà proktaà
kåñëasya prema-sampadi
baliñöhaà sädhanaà çreñöham
paramäkarña-mantra-vat
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.3.164)

It is said that näma-saìkértana is the best and most powerful

method for attaining the treasure of kåñëa-prema because, like
the most supremely magnetic mantra, it pulls Çré Kåñëa towards
a sädhaka.

Therefore Gopa-kumära was instructed to again return to

the material world where his spiritual master instructed him on
kértana, and gave him this mantra to chant:

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Three 41

çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda

govinda he nanda-kiçora kåñëa
hä çré-yaçodä-tanaya praséda
çré-ballavé-jévana rädhikeça

Here, one doubt may arise. Sanätana Gosvämé and Caitanya

Mahäprabhu were contemporary, and at that time the preaching
of the mahä-mantra was going on. Mahäprabhu had begun the
specific propagation of the mahä-mantra in Navadvépa, and in Puré
also it was going on. But in his Båhad-bhägavatämåta, Sanätana
Gosvämé did not write anything in relation to the mahä-mantra;
instead he gave the mantra containing the names çré-kåñëa gopäla
hare mukunda…, so should we think he didn’t know of the mahä-
mantra? What was the reason for his not giving the mahä-mantra?
The mahä-mantra is especially meant for Kali-yuga, whereas
this mantra from Båhad-bhägavatämåta is for all time, as are the
gopäla-mantra and the gäyatré-mantra. But more importantly,
Gopa-kumära had the internal sentiment of a cowherd boy, and
therefore more explicit names such as Çré Yaçodä-tanaya and
Nanda-kiçora Kåñëa were given to him. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
and the Gosvämés chanted the mahä-mantra knowing that
ultimately the only meaning of the mahä-mantra is Çré Rädhä-
Kåñëa Themselves, but ordinarily one wouldn’t see this meaning
there. They chanted it with intense feelings of separation full of
rasa and the sentiments of Vraja. Anyone who comes to know this
meaning will definitely prefer chanting the mahä-mantra over
the mantra, çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda... . But because Gopa-
kumära was merely a simple cowherd boy who had no knowledge of
tattva, he would have been unable to detect the sentiment of Vraja
within the mahä-mantra.
We cannot see a plant or a tree within a seed but they are there,
and an expert can examine a seed and determine whether it will

Rarest Archiver
42 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

produce one thing or another. Or if there are two pots of yoghurt,

one may examine them side by side and determine which one is
naturally sweet. The pot of yoghurt that has had sugar added will
have a slightly pinkish appearance, and should only cost three
rupees per kilo. Why? Because the cream has been removed from
this yoghurt, it has been skimmed, and a little sugar has been added
to give it some artificial sweetness. But the other pot containing
only simple and pure yoghurt with its own natural white colour and
sweetness is worth ten rupees per kilo because it has been made
from whole milk and therefore there is ghee in every particle of it.
Similarly, the Gosvämés have examined the sixteen names in
the mahä-mantra, extracted the meaning, and tasted it. When
chanting the mahä-mantra, the deity whom we are aspiring to serve
is inherent within the names that we are calling. For instance, in
“Hare Räma”, to us the name “Räma” means only Rädhä-ramaëa
Kåñëa, and “Hare” means Çrématé Rädhikä, the one who steals
Çré Kåñëa away to the kuïja, gives Him great pleasure, and serves
Him with prema-bhäva. When chanting “Hare”, we are exclusively
calling Çrématé Rädhikä. If anyone receives this understanding
from a sad-guru or a rasika Vaiñëava, and chants the mahä-mantra
full of this sentiment, then their eternal svarüpa will appear
within them very soon. Otherwise, if we have received the mantra
in a crooked way, we will think that its meaning is not Çré Rädhä-
Kåñëa Themselves, but something else.
So in the Båhad-bhägavatämåta, Sanätana Gosvämé has given
the mantra, çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda... because for some this
is necessary, but ordinarily for the jévas of Kali-yuga the mahä-
mantra has been given, and in accordance with the scriptures it
should be firmly adhered to and chanted always.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four

The Moods of Intimacy and Sweetness

Although Gopa-kumära had arrived in Vaikuëöha-dhäma, his

heart did not feel satisfaction there. I had a similar experience
recently in Bombay. We had been invited to stay in the home of a
wealthy gentleman there, and upon entering his home, I could not
find my way around that place, really. They had a very beautiful
floor that was shining like a mirror, and I actually became confused,
just as Duryodhana became bewildered in the assembly house of
Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja. Mahäprabhu and His devotees would not
go to the house of any king because the lust of worldly people
can be very contaminating. Seeing their opulence, we will begin
thinking, “My home should be like this,” “My äçrama should be
like this.” Then, not being able to acquire such things, this lust will
intensify within us. So instead we left and stayed in the home of
an ordinary family.
In Bombay, there are even people who are millions of rupees
more wealthy than that gentleman who had invited us. Therefore,
what can be said of the enjoyment available in the heavenly
planets? We cannot comprehend such opulence. If we were to
go there, we would forget everything of this world. So if we were
to go to Vaikuëöha, what would we find? There the opulence is
even greater. There is such an abundance of happiness there that
anyone who enters Vaikuëöha will never have a desire to leave.
There is so much beauty, and no one ever becomes old or diseased.
There is no birth and no death, whereas in heaven there is. Up
to Mahar, Jano, Tapo and Satyalokas there is birth and death, but

Rarest Archiver
44 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

there is no trace of them in Vaikuëöha. There is always new and

fresh happiness, and opulence of the highest standard. Even the
soil there is cinmaya, transcendental.

kalpa-taravo drumä bhümi. cintämaëi-gaëa-mayé

toyam amåtam kathä gänaà naöyaà gamanam api
Brahma-saàhitä (5.56)

The trees there are desire trees (kalpataru), and the land is
touchstone (cintämaëi). The water is nectar, the talking is singing
and the walking is dancing – this is the nature of Vaikuëöha. But
Gopa-kumära was feeling dissatisfied there, and Närada said to him,
“This is a very grave matter. Here I see that your face is withered
in worry. How is this possible? Coming here, no one can remain
unhappy, but I see that you are. What is it – is there anything you
are lacking, or is something else making you unhappy? What is it?”
Such unhappiness will not be felt by everyone there, but only by
a special person. If for any reason someone is unhappy there, they
won’t be able to express it to anyone. Such intense unhappiness
cannot be expressed even to your mother, father, brother or sister,
but only to a bosom friend. By some means he will remove the
thorn, and he will understand your feelings. Närada can see inside
all souls; he knows everything. With his eyes closed in meditation,
he ascertained the reason for Gopa-kumära’s unhappiness and
became very pleased. Why is it that seeing such unhappiness in
another he became pleased? There is one related story in this
connection.
When Uddhava went to Våndävana, he saw that Nanda
Mahäräja was wailing in lamentation, crying for Kåñëa. Kåñëa was
such a wonderful son, but now leaving Nanda behind, He had gone
away. Nanda was very unhappy, but what was Uddhava thinking?
“Today, I am supremely fortunate to have received the darçana of
such an exalted personality who is actually crying for Bhagavän.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 45

In the materially conditioned state of life, everyone is crying

for themselves. All for themselves. When a brother dies, for whom
is the family crying – for the brother or for themselves? It seems
that they are crying for the brother, but really they are not. “If
my brother had lived, then he would have given me all sorts of
help. Now I am helpless” – this is what they are really crying
about. “Father has died; if he had lived, then very easily all of our
desires would have been fulfilled.” “My wife has died; she was very
beautiful and a great servant. Seating us comfortably, she would
serve us food, water and everything. Now she is gone,” and the
husband is left crying, but is he really crying for the wife? Really
he is crying for himself.
So if in any situation a father is crying for a son, we can
understand that actually he is crying for himself. But what Uddhava
had witnessed was Nanda Bäbä really crying for Kåñëa, not for
himself – such deep kåñëa-prema was inside him. We should also
aspire to be a little like this. If even one time we shed a tear that is
actually for Bhagavän, then our lives will be meaningful. But our
hearts are not yet melted, and therefore while chanting the holy
name our hair does not stand on end. Mahäprabhu Himself said
(Çré Çikñäñöaka 6):

nayanaà galad-açru-dhärayä
vadanaà gadgada-ruddhayä girä
pulakair nicitaà vapuù kadä
tava näma-grahaëe bhaviñyati

O Lord, when, while chanting Your name, will tears flow from my
eyes like waves? When will my voice tremble in ecstasy and the
hairs of my body stand erect?

What is the meaning of the word bhaviñyati? When will that

opportunity come that one day, while chanting harinäma, tears
will come from our eyes in a continuous flow that will never

Rarest Archiver
46 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

stop? When will we be trembling and feeling our heart melting,

sometimes rolling on the ground, sometimes laughing, sometimes
crying and sometimes singing? Uddhava witnessed all of this and
thought, “Today I am so fortunate to have the darçana of such a
great personality. But what will I say: ‘You are the most fortunate
person?’ I am unable to say that. Should I tell him to go on crying,
or should I try to console him and tell him not to cry? In this world,
if a man is crying for Kåñëa, that is actually desirable! I desire to
have sentiments like that also! If he is really crying in kåñëa-prema,
he is the most fortunate person, but how can I say anything? ‘Cry’
or ‘Don’t cry’ – I cannot say either of those things. What can be
done... .”
So Uddhava could not speak even one word to Nanda Bäbä.
Seeing the divine ecstasy of Nanda Bäbä, Uddhava felt that on
that day his life had become successful. And a similar sentiment
came into the heart of Närada upon seeing the condition of Gopa-
kumära. “You are so very, very fortunate. Even here in Vaikuëöha
you are unhappy because you want Näräyaëa to be Kåñëa. You
want to take the cows out to graze with Him, and you want to
live with Him. You want to put your arms around Him and
embrace as friends. You want Kåñëa to say, ‘Hey, Gopa-kumära,
bring the cows over this way! The cows are thirsty, give them some
water!’, and with great love you will follow the order of Kåñëa.
You want that sometimes Kåñëa will embrace you, and sometimes
you will embrace Him. That you will eat together, and even with
unclean hands you will place food into each others’ mouths. That
sometimes, when Kåñëa is sleeping on the bed of Yaçodä, you will
arrive at His bedside with your body covered with the dust of
Våndävana and say, ‘Hey, don’t sleep now! The cows have arrived
at the door. Let’s go!’ You want to do all of this, and it can be very
easily achieved as a sakhä.
“But what does Näräyaëa do? When you go before Him, He lifts
His right hand in bestowal of blessings: ‘May all auspiciousness be

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 47

upon you.’ Saying ‘Namo näräyaëa, namo näräyaëa,’ everyone is

offering praëäma to Him. He lifts His hand and gives this blessing:
‘You will be fearless. All good fortune shall attend you.’ You want
to race to embrace Him, and you want to play the flute with Him,
but you are not able to do any of this. You desire to sleep on the
same bed with Him at night, but by cleverness and trickery, or by
some other means, Lakñmé-devé sends you away. And when you
don’t leave, what does she do? She calls the doormen Jaya and
Vijaya and says, ‘He is not obeying me,’ and she has you removed.
When you sing, ‘Çré Kåñëa! Gopäla! Hare! Mukunda! O Govinda!
O Nanda-kiçora! O Kåñëa! O Çré Yaçodä-tanaya! O Çré Ballavé-
jévana! O Rädhikeça! Be merciful to me!’ and play the flute and
express a desire to take the cows out to graze, all the residents of
Vaikuëöha abuse you and say, ‘Hey, what are you saying? Näräyaëa,
Prabhu, the Controller of the controllers of all the worlds – you
are calling Him Gopäla and say that you will take cows out to graze
together? You want to make Him the guardian of cows? You say
that He milks cows, that He is the lover of some cowherd women,
and the son of a milkman? You say that, entering the home of a
milkman together, you and He will steal yoghurt and sweets? You
call Him a thief? You are disreputing Him! You should be saying
that He is Viñëu, who possesses thousands of heads! You should be
glorifying Him in the form in which He gives blessings and good
fortune to all. How can you say that He is a milkman, a thief and
a liar? You shouldn’t do this.’ Saying this, they all make jokes and
laugh at you.
“Some say, ‘My friend, it’s true that Näräyaëa became Kåñëa
and for His own pleasure and the amusement of His devotees He
performed some pastimes, but those pastimes are not important.
This is Vaikuëöha, not Vraja. You shouldn’t speak of such things
here.’ Hearing them speak like this, you constantly feel ashamed.”
Suppose a cowherd boy such as Çrédämä or Subala were to
go to Dvärakä to see Kåñëa. They would see that Kåñëa is seated

Rarest Archiver
48 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

there in the royal Sudharmä assembly house as Dvärakädhéça,

the Mahäräja of Dvärakä. Ugrasena, Vasudeva and all the elders
of the Yadu dynasty are seated at His right side. Garga Åñi and
many other eminent sages are seated in front of Him. His sons
Sämba, Aniruddha and Pradyumna are seated at His left side, and
behind a curtain are Rukmiëé and Satyabhämä, along with Devaké
and the other queens. Now if some cowherd boy arrives in that
assembly, how will he appear? In cowherd dress, with a bent stick
in one hand for guiding the cows and a bamboo flute in the other.
It will be early evening, and having just returned from taking the
cows out for grazing, he will be very dusty and in need of changing
his clothes. If he arrives in that assembly, he will want to embrace
Kåñëa, but Kåñëa will only sit quietly, glancing at the gopa only
once and not again.
That poor fellow would have come with such high expectations:
the expectation that “Kåñëa, by His quality of bhakta-vätsalya,
possessing special affection for His devotees, will call me to come
and sit near Him.” But that would not happen there. Instead,
someone would say to him, “My friend, step this way.” Then the
cowherd boy would see all of the opulence there and think, “Oh!
Look at this umbrella, and look at this cämara! Look at all of these
people!” Then he would look at himself, feel ashamed, and go away
from there. In that place Rukmiëé, Satyabhämä and the other
ladies are decorated with ornaments as queens, so what would
happen if an ordinary lady with flowers in her hair and wearing
no costly jewellery went there? Therefore the gopés never go there
because they would not be respected.
Närada was thinking, “This Gopa-kumära has such a high
position that he considers Kåñëa his dear friend, so he will never
be satisfied here in Vaikuëöha. His eternal identity (svarüpa) will
not be recognised here; its full glory will not be realised.” If any of
us are ever fortunate enough to attain the svarüpa of a gopa or a

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 49

gopé, then if we were to go to heaven or Vaikuëöha, we also would

not like it there. Perhaps Närada would come to us, ascertain our
internal state, and think to himself, “She is special. She is a servant
of Rädhikä.” But he wouldn’t tell anyone; he would just silently
offer respects. He would understand that our eternal identity is
not right for that place; the guru can always understand.
Similarly, Närada saw the internal sentiment of Gopa-kumära,
understood the situation, and became very pleased. Then, after
thinking about what to say and what not to say, he said, “Hmm...
after taking your pulse, I’m thinking that the disease you have is not
an ordinary disease. The cure for it cannot be found in Vaikuëöha;
there is no medicine for it here. And by staying here, the disease
will only increase. But I will now tell you how your disease may be
cured. You require affection that is free of all reservations. This is
called viçrambha-bhäva, the mood of intimacy. In Vaikuëöha, there
is only sambhrama-bhäva.”
In Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä 4.17) it is said:

aiçvarya-jïänete saba jagat miçrita

aiçvarya-çithila-preme nähi mora préta

In Vaikuëöha there is prema, but it is weakened by Bhagavän’s

servants’ awareness of His majesty, aiçvarya. They are serving Him
with awareness of all of His opulences, and therefore they are a
little fearful. Çré Rämacandra is seated on a bed, and Hanumän is
seated below. Crouching down, on cold days he will massage the
feet of Rämacandra and cover the Lord with a quilt. He is serving
with love and Bhagavän is pleased, but there is a more intimate
type of prema, called viçrambha. The prema of Jaya, Vijaya and
Lakñmé-devé is not viçrambha; it is sambhrama, which means that
they are aware of their own insignificance and therefore feel a
little fearful. Bhagavän is not fully satisfied by this type of service,
but if we try to serve Him with the mood of viçrambha in our

Rarest Archiver
50 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

conditioned state, it will be offensive, although it is written in the

scriptures, “viçrambhena gurau sevä – in the mood of intimacy we
should serve the spiritual master.” Here the purport of viçrambha
is that we should understand the guru to be a friend and serve him
as we would our mother, father, brother or friend.
When a friend of your family comes to your house, you will not
need to be told, “Your friend has come; offer him a nice sitting
place and bring him something to drink.” Automatically you will
do it. Therefore, the topmost (uttama) servant will understand
his guru’s desires and automatically act to fulfil them without
receiving any specific order. Serving without having to be told –
this is a symptom of the servant. One who serves his guru after
being told is an intermediate (madhyama) servant. Then there is
one other type of servant to whom the guru will say, “Go send for
such-and-such Mahäräja.”
This servant will answer back, “But Gurujé, now it is early
evening and it is becoming dark.”
The guru knows it is becoming dark, but he has given his order.
“It doesn’t matter if it is dark; just go!”
Then this servant will say, “But Gurujé, on the road there are
many dogs.”
“Never mind that – take a stick with you and go!”
“But what if I go and Mahäräja is not there; then what will I
do?”
What can such a servant do? From the word sevaka, meaning
‘servant’, remove the se and that leaves vaka. Vaka means ‘a crane’,
a hypocritical devotee. The crane stands in the water on one leg
as if he were a great renounced devotee in meditation. But as soon
as a fish swims by, he will snatch it and eat it and then return to
his pose. Therefore the uttama servant is a real servant, and in a
general way we can also call the madhyama servant a real servant,
but one who is argumentative is not a servant at all.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 51

If we don’t understand the heart of the guru, then how will

we understand the heart of Kåñëa? Therefore, those people who
desire to go beyond Vaikuëöha should serve their spiritual master
with viçrambha love. If someone is hiding something from his guru,
and before his guru his heart is not open, then how will he be
able to go before Bhagavän? This is the very foundation of çikñä,
instruction: by honestly serving the guru we will learn.
Närada Åñi observed that, “This Gopa-kumära is certainly
a viçrambha-sevaka, and therefore Vaikuëöha is not tasteful to
him.” Therefore Närada will now start explaining higher tattva to
him. “Look, here in Vaikuëöha everything is cinmaya, and here
Bhagavän has thousands of forms.”
What is the meaning? There are many forms of Varäha, many
forms of Ména, and many forms of Kurma, Nåsiàha, Vämana,
Paraçuräma and all other incarnations. It is generally understood
that there are twenty-four types of lélä-avatäras, but there are not
merely twenty-four. There are so many that They cannot possibly
be counted. But one incarnation is not different in quality from
another incarnation. They are residing in different chambers of
Vaikuëöha, and all of Them are eternal. Yes, Bhagavän is one, but
He appears according to the gradation of the bhakti of His devotees.
The same one Bhagavän will be seen differently according to the
nature of one’s bhakti.
On the banks of the Yamunä at Käliya-hrada in Våndävana,
a sage named Saubhari Åñi was performing austerities for ten
thousand years. But because Garuòa was coming there and eating
fish, Saubhari Åñi became angry and cursed him. Due to this
offence, material desire arose within Saubhari Åñi. Next, by his
mystic power he assumed fifty forms, married the fifty daughters
of Mändhätä Muni, and created fifty palaces with fifty gardens.
He arranged them in such a way that they would put Indrapuré
to shame with their extensive facility for enjoyment, and he lived

Rarest Archiver
52 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

like that for the next ten thousand years. His grandchildren and
great-grandchildren had all grown up, and one day Mändhätä
Muni came there and said, “I have lived without my daughters for
so long that now they don’t even remember me, and they have
no desire whatsoever to come to their father’s house. What has
happened?” Then he looked around and thought, “There is such
opulence here! This is why my daughters have no desire to ever
return to visit my home.”
These fifty forms that Saubhari Åñi assumed were käya-vyüha
forms. When he would lift his hand, all the forms lifted their
hand. In käya-vyüha expansions, if the original speaks, then all
will speak. If he sleeps, then all will sleep. If he moves, then all will
move. One form is real, and the rest are copies. But Bhagavän’s
incarnations are not like this. All of His forms are independent.
There is one special point concerning the opulence (aiçvarya)
of Dvärakä, and the sweetness (mädhurya) of Våndävana. In
Dvärakä, Kåñëa marries sixteen thousand queens. In one palace
He is playing dice, somewhere else He is giving cows in charity to a
brähmaëa, somewhere else He is performing a marriage ceremony,
in another palace He is performing a fire sacrifice, and in other
palaces He is engaged in other activities. All of His forms appear
the same as His original form and there is no difference in quality
between Them. Here, by aiçvarya Kåñëa has manifested into many,
many different forms, but all of Them are one in that all are all-
powerful and full in all opulences. Each queen is cooking and
offering Him preparations, and in one palace He is eating dahl and
puré, in another palace He is eating a rice preparation, in another
palace He is eating sabjé, in another palace He is eating pakoräs,
and in another palace He is eating sweet-rice. By aiçvarya, as the
possessor of all potency (çakti), in Dvärakä Kåñëa expands into
many, many forms, and all the forms are real and independent.
But what happens in Våndävana? It is not a land of aiçvarya,
opulence. There, over and above opulence is mädhurya, sweetness.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 53

How can we understand this clearly? In Vraja there are not just
sixteen thousand gopés, but millions; and between every two gopés is
one Kåñëa, or between every two Kåñëas is one gopé. It appears like
this. Here we mustn’t even imagine that this is done by aiçvarya;
it is mädhurya. What is the meaning of mädhurya? That which
is suitable for His pastimes in human form, nara-lélä. And that
which is opposed to nara-lélä is aiçvarya. For example, upon seeing
the Universal Form of Kåñëa, Arjuna became astonished and said,
“By calling You ‘friend’ I have committed a great offence. In the
future I will never again call You ‘friend’, and never again make
You the driver of my chariot. I have committed a great offence.”
This was aiçvarya-buddhi, awareness of Kåñëa’s majesty, and was
not suitable for nara-lélä.
After witnessing Kåñëa’s killing of Kaàsa, Vasudeva and
Devaké forgot about lovingly feeding Him milk. This is another
type of sentiment that is not suitable for Kåñëa’s nara-lélä, and
therefore it is aiçvarya. But in Våndävana, when Kåñëa lifted the
massive Govardhana Hill, Yaçodä felt proud and thought, “Today
our son lifted Govardhana!” but the feeling that Kåñëa was her
son did not leave her. Kåñëa exhibited His opulence of being all-
powerful in lifting Govardhana, but the sentiment that Kåñëa was
her son never left her heart, and she simply thought, “My son is
so strong, there is no one in the entire world stronger than Him!”
In the confusion of divine separation, the gopés were speaking
to a bee: “O messenger, we will never have an intimate relationship
with Kåñëa. Never at any time, because He is very crooked, a big
liar and very deceptive. We will never trust Him, and we will
never be able to establish any friendship with Him. Why? He is
Bhagavän, isn’t He? Paurëamäsé has told us that He is Bhagavän,
and we have faith in that. In His previous birth He was Räma. He
has now appeared with a similar beautiful, dark complexion; that
hasn’t changed. He is supposed to be a great renunciant and never
controlled by a woman. Yet overpowered by a woman, His wife,

Rarest Archiver
54 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

He went with her to the jungle. He had all the marks of a sädhu
and wore the dress of a sädhu, and yet went to the jungle with His
wife. His wife said, ‘Ärya-putra, there is a deer as beautiful as gold;
please catch it for me, and then we will take it to Bharata. If You
cannot catch it alive, then after killing it with Your arrow, from
its skin we will make a beautiful seat suitable for the king’s throne.
Sitting upon it, Bharata will be greatly pleased, and in the future
You will also sit there.’
“Lakñmaëa at once said, ‘That deer form is the deceptive
magic of a demon: please don’t go,’ but Räma didn’t honour what
Lakñmaëa said. He claimed that He would never be overpowered
by a woman, yet whose words did He honour? His wife’s, and He
came under her control. That’s the kind of person He is. Then
another woman came and He cut off her nose and ears! She came
begging for prema and prepared to give Him everything – was there
any fault in that? Räma appeared to possess all the beauty of the
three worlds, so considering the general nature of the female class,
there was certainly no fault in her! But what did He do? He cut off
her nose and ears. Also, He killed Väli (the brother of Sugréva)
from a hidden position instead of fighting directly in front of him.
“We have also heard about what He did to Bali Mahäräja.
As Vämanadeva He asked for three steps of land, and Bali was
prepared to give it. Then He assumed a massive form and snatched
everything. The daughter of Bali said, ‘This is not the same form
in which You asked for the three steps of land, so we shall not give
it to You!’ Bali said, ‘It’s all right, let it be,’ but his daughter said
to Bhagavän, ‘No, I will kill You! I will give You poison and kill
You!’ and therefore she came later as Pütanä to do just that. At
first, being attracted by His beauty, she had desired to have Him
as her son; but upon seeing His cheating ways, she then wanted
to kill Him. Could she be blamed? Then Vämanadeva bound up
her father, even after He snatched away everything that came

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Four 55

within the measurement of His three steps, just as a crow snatches

a fragment of food and then kicks away the basket from which he
got it! So we certainly cannot see eye to eye with Kåñëa.”
The purport of what they were saying is that they knew that
He was Bhagavän because they had faith in what Paurëamäsé had
told them. But in spite of knowing that He was Bhagavän, still
His pastimes in human form were the dearest to them, and they
became immersed in that loving sentiment. In the confusion of
spontaneous love they were saying that they would never be able
to have an intimate relationship with Him – this is an example of
mädhurya-bhäva.
In Våndävana, it appeared that Kåñëa expanded into millions
and millions of forms in the räsa-lélä, but actually He didn’t assume
more forms. Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura has explained
in his commentary on Çrémad-Bhägavatam that there was only
the one original form of Kåñëa, and He danced with such speed
and dexterity in the arena of the räsa dance that sometimes He
would appear here, sometimes He would appear there, and so each
gopé thought that “He is dancing with me only.” Appearing like a
stick that is burning on one end and being waved in a circle, with
inconceivable speed and dexterity He was moving amongst them
in the circular formation of the räsa-lélä.
We have seen dancing actors in our village near Väräëasé who
would perform for four or five thousand rupees. One of these
dancers would stack pot after pot with plates between them on
his head, and on top of everything would be a plate with many
candles on it. Dancing in such a way that not even one item
would fall, he would move with so much speed it was incredible.
So if an ordinary man can dance like this, then how can Kåñëa
dance? One and the same Kåñëa was dancing amongst millions
of gopés at the same time with inconceivable speed and dexterity.
This is mädhurya: what is suitable for nara-lélä, His human-like

Rarest Archiver
56 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

pastimes. He assumes separate forms in Dvärakä by aiçvarya, but in

Våndävana it was not käya-vyüha, incarnations or expansions but
the same one Kåñëa moving amongst the gopés, causing each gopé
to think, “He is dancing with me only.”
This mädhurya is not present in Vaikuëöha, so Gopa-kumära
was not satisfied there. After taking his pulse, Närada said, “It is a
great thing that you desire; therefore I must help you to understand
the higher points of tattva. For going to Goloka, it is necessary to
know all of this.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five

Bhagavän’s Incarnations are One

Vaikuëöha is an expansive land. Included within Vaikuëöha

are Ayodhyä, Jagannätha Puré, Dvärakä, Mathurä, Våndävana,
Govardhana and Rädhä-kuëòa. Residing there is not only Kåñëa,
but millions and millions of incarnations of Bhagavän. In the
four yugas, in a manvantara, in the two fifty-year segments of
Brahmä’s life, Bhagavän descends in some form or other. Upon His
devotees’ attainment of perfection, according to their own specific
devotional sentiment they go to live with Him in a particular
section of Vaikuëöha, taking darçana of their favourite Lord and
serving Him there.
The sun is reflected in anything that acts as a mirror, but the
sun and the reflection are not one. Bimba means ‘the sun’, and
pratibimba means ‘its reflection, which shines in another world’.
They are not one, but there is some similarity between them. Unlike
the sun, however, there are many, many incarnations of the Lord.
Each and every incarnation is directly Bhagavän Himself, and all
are eternal, spiritually conscious and blissful (sac-cid-änanda). In
Vaikuëöha, Bhagavän is not situated in käya-vyüha expansions;
instead, in qualitative oneness, He is situated in many different
forms for fulfilling the desires of His devotees. In the Rämäyaëa
and other scriptures it is said that Bhagavän is one, and according
to the form for which the devotee is praying, He assumes an
incarnation as either Nåsiàha-avatära, Kürma-avatära, Vämana-
avatära, Hayagréva-avatära – so many incarnations. Bhagavän can
come in many forms. Some say that originally Bhagavän has no

Rarest Archiver
58 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

form, and that when anyone of this world calls Him, then according
to that person’s particular sentiment, He takes a corresponding
form and appears in this world. But this idea is incorrect. All of
His forms are real and eternal, and when devotees call Him by
the name of a specific form, then in that very form He comes. All
the scriptures declare this, and they are fully authoritative due to
being completely free of any defect.
There are those who worship Lakñmépati Näräyaëa with
mantras such as oà näräyaëäya namaù and oà namo bhagavate
väsudeväya. Dhruva attained perfection through this process.
Some chant oà varähäya namaù to worship Varäha in Navadvépa-
dhäma, some chant oà nåsiàhäya namaù or other mantras of
Nåsiàhadeva, and upon attaining perfection those devotees will
go to Vaikuëöha, but to a special chamber in Vaikuëöha. How is
Näräyaëa situated there? In one place in His Nåsiàha form, and
in another place in His Varäha form. When there is a necessity in
this world for the presence of a particular form, then He comes
in that very form. For example, when Kåñëa comes, He comes
holding the flute, as Nanda-nandana. He never changes His form.
He remains in one form, yet He changes the secondary aspects of
His pastimes in a special way. His performing the räsa-lélä with the
gopés and playing as a child at the house of Nanda – these pastimes
are eternal, but He may change the killing of Kaàsa. Instead of
Kaàsa it may be Jaräsandha or some other person. According to
the necessity of the time the secondary pastimes may be changed,
but the eternal léläs remain the same.
Those who worship Näräyaëa will go to Vaikuëöha, but to
which chamber in Vaikuëöha? To the specific chamber where
Lakñmé and Näräyaëa reside. One who chants japa of the Nåsiàha
mantra will also go to Vaikuëöha, but to a special chamber where
there is only worship of Nåsiàhadeva. He will never see Räma
or Näräyaëa. There are differences in the pastimes of Nåsiàha,
Varäha and Kürma, but in tattva, They are all non-different.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 59

Before the advent of Vämanadeva, the demigods worshipped a

special four-armed form of Viñëu that was established in heaven
for their püjä. When a special set of circumstances was created,
then in a particular form Vämanadeva was impelled to come and
snatch everything away from Bali Mahäräja. At that time Aditi,
the mother of the demigods, had performed some austerities, and
because of that He came. Therefore Vämana performs pastimes
that are different from the four-armed Viñëu who is always present
in heaven, but in tattva They are one. Vämana is a little different
from Viñëu in that in Vämana’s pastimes there is some deception,
and the giving of some special good fortune also. It seemed like
robbery, but in it there was so much kindness and bhakta-vätsalya,
special affection for His devotees. He increased the glories of His
devotee. He put Bali Mahäräja into difficulty to make his name
immortal for all time. If Vämana had not come, who would know
the name of Bali? For protecting His devotees, He came in a very
beautiful form. It seems that He came for protecting the demigods
and for cheating the demons, but no; actually He benefited both.
In reality Bali Mahäräja received more benefit than the demigods.
The demigods got no special benefit, but Bali Mahäräja did.
Vämana snatched the desire for material enjoyment away from
Bali and gave him bhakti, but He didn’t snatch away the demigods’
facility for enjoyment; rather He provided it by returning their
kingdom to them. So to whom was He more kind? But, like Indra,
we desire and pray, “O Lord, please don’t snatch our material
enjoyment away! Be merciful like this and make our lives plentiful.
My son, daughter, money and wife – please don’t take them! I will
do bhajana, and they will remain with me also.”
But some pray, “O Lord, You please take all of this away, and
give me pure love at Your lotus feet.” Which of these is correct? If
in both hands there is a laòòü, will you desire both, or only one?
If Bhagavän says, “All right, you take the happiness of material
enjoyment, and together with that take pure love for Me also,” and

Rarest Archiver
60 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

He puts both into our hands, certainly we will take the material
enjoyment and not the bhakti. However, if we really desire prema,
then this enjoying spirit must be eradicated. Otherwise there will
be cheating and deception in our bhakti. But ninety-nine per
cent of the people in this world desire like this: “Our material
enjoyment must remain intact, our family must remain, our money
and palatable food must remain, our business must go on nicely,
and together with all of this we will have bhakti.” So the Lord says,
“All right.” But He gives them only ordinary bhakti to accompany
their material enjoyment.
To the demigods Bhagavän gives the responsibility of protecting
the world, but the material world is temporary. He says “Do this
service for Me” and gives them their posts, but then some of them
think, “I have become the master of the three worlds. The Lord
has given me this position, and now I am the master of the entire
universe.” They don’t understand that this is actually an obstacle
to bhakti. So He placed this very allurement in the hands of Indra,
and snatched that same allurement away from Bali Mahäräja,
giving him pure bhakti instead. Many people do not understand
that this is a special activity of mercy He performed for Bali.
Assuming an incarnation in this world and performing such
beautiful pastimes is something Näräyaëa will not do. The four-
armed form that is present there in heaven will not do this.
Näräyaëa will never cheat as Vämana did. He will also bestow
prema, but He won’t allow Himself to be viewed as a cheater.
Vämana cheated in the vision of ordinary people. He begged for
three steps of land, then made His steps very, very large, and stole
everything. Vämana will perform such variegated pastimes and
may even be seen as a cheater, but Näräyaëa will never do this.
So in this way, in the pastimes of Räma and other incarnations of
Bhagavän there is uniqueness. In tattva They are all one, but in His
pastimes, His special affectionate dealings with His devotees, and
His rasa, there will be some differences.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 61

In the scriptures it says that there is a final dissolution when the

two fifty-year segments of Brahmä’s life have passed. Along with
Brahmä, nature will merge into Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu. Then He
also will disappear and all will merge into Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu.
So many jévas will merge into the limbs of Viñëu at that time, and
those that are liberated will go to Vaikuëöha with Brahmä. The
others will again become embodied and return to this cakra, or
cycle, of mäyä. At that time, Mahä-Ména, the fish incarnation, is
to be seen.
After Märkaëòeya Åñi had been performing austerities for a
long time, one day he was bathing in the Gaìgä and a small fish
came into his begging bowl (kamaëòalu). He took it home, and
then the fish said, “O sage, I have come into your kamaëòalu, but
there is no space for Me here. Please place Me in a larger body of
water.”
Then Märkaëòeya looked and saw that really the fish had
become larger. So he placed the fish in a small pond, but after
some time, the fish came to him in a dream and said, “O sage, now
I am so big, I can no longer stay in this pond.” So Märkaëòeya
lifted the fish out and placed Him in the river, but the fish again
enlarged in the river and said, “Here also I cannot stay. Please
place Me in the ocean.”
By his yogic power Märkaëòeya placed the fish in the ocean.
Then he saw in a dream that there was to be a causal dissolution,
like the one at the end of Brahmä’s day. The final dissolution
comes at the end of Brahmä’s one hundred years, but this and the
one that comes at the end of his day can both be called nitya-
pralaya.
The fish said, “The water will be rising and I will come to you.
You must collect seeds of all the things in the world – vegetable
seeds, a mango seed, a mustard seed, everything. Then you must
collect two of each species of bird and animal and be ready to
attach a strong boat to Me in the morning when I arrive.”

Rarest Archiver
62 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

During the night Märkaëòeya made the arrangement. He made

a strong boat with a rope attached to it, and placed the seeds of
all species of life in it. When he was ready, he saw that the entire
universe was being flooded with flowing water, and nothing could
be seen. The water was slowly rising, and gradually covered all
of the high places. The fish had assumed a massive form with
two horns, and He said, “Bind the boat to My horns.” The sage
did so, and Mahä-Ména took everyone away on the water. This
dissolution lasts for one whole night of Brahmä. The sage went
without eating or drinking the entire time, and he couldn’t find a
place to take some rest. Thinking, “What kind of life is this?”, he
was very unhappy.
Eventually they arrived at Prayaga. There, Märkaëòeya could
see only a banyan tree and nothing else. At the top of the tree
there was only one leaf where Vaöaçäyé Viñëu was sleeping and
performing the pastime of sucking His toe. He looked towards the
sage very mercifully and consoled him, and transmitted çakti into
him. He made an arrangement for the sage’s sustenance and then
said, “In a few days this will all be over and you will again become
a progenitor (prajäpati), and from Brahmä all creation will again
take place.”
This is one Ména-avatära. This Ména incarnation resides in
Vaikuëöha, and when the necessity arises He comes to this world.
His tattva is non-different from Näräyaëa. His pastimes are
variegated, but in tattva They are one.
Another Ména incarnation protected the Vedas. The demons
had stolen the Vedas and thrown them into the water of the
dissolution and the Vedas had disappeared. The tendency of
demons is to be greatly destructive, and now also we see that the
Vedic scriptures are slowly disappearing. If people don’t respect
them, what will happen? They will disappear, slowly. The Vedas
will not remain, you won’t be able to find the Bhägavatam, and
such spiritual talks will disappear altogether. The mood of

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 63

Våndävana and Mathurä will change, and after some time men
will also change. They won’t respect holy men and saints, and they
won’t respect the Gétä and the Bhägavatam. Like this, the Vedas
had disappeared, and to protect them, another Ména incarnation
appeared.
This Ména incarnation saved Satyavrata Muni, who had at
that time offered a prayer known as the Dämodaräñöaka. Taking
so many things with him, he stayed in the ocean for a long time,
and the Vedas and scriptures were kept in his heart. Again the
dissolution was finished, and again in the four directions creation
took place. So there is not just one Ména incarnation, but many.
In Vaikuëöha also, there are different chambers suitable for Their
particular devotees, and Satyavrata Muni’s worshipful Lord is this
particular Ména incarnation.
There is also the Kürma incarnation. At the time of churning
the ocean of milk, the demons and demigods came together and
agreed that everything produced from the churning would be
distributed. Viñëu, through the medium of Brahmä, gave them
some advice; otherwise nothing would have been produced. They
placed the Mandara Mountain in the middle of the ocean, but
there was no foundation for it, so the mountain immediately sank.
They thought, “This will be very difficult. How will we remove
it from the ocean? How will we find a foundation upon which to
churn?”
So they worshipped Viñëu, and He came in the form of a
tortoise, Kürma. “For your good fortune, I will accept the form
of a tortoise. Place the mountain on Me, wind the snake Väsuki
around it, and then churn.”
They placed the mountain on Kürma, and wrapped the king of
snakes Väsuki around it. In one direction was the mouth of Väsuki
and in the other direction was his tail. The demigods said to the
demons, “Since we are senior to you, we will take the direction of
the head. We are worthy of more respect than you.”

Rarest Archiver
64 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

The demons replied, “No, we will not give you this respect!
We will take the direction of the head. The tail is inferior; we
will not take it!” So the demons demanded the head side, not
understanding the trickery of the demigods. But the demigods
insisted, “You are our little brothers, the sons of Diti. Therefore,
whatever is produced by the churning, we will take first and you
will take the remainder. And since we are senior to you, we will
take the direction of Väsuki’s head.”
But the demons were adamant. “No, it can never be like
that! We are superior! What is this, that we are younger? We are
superior, we will take the direction of the head.”
The demigods actually wanted to take the tail end, because
they knew that in the midst of the churning, during the hissing
of the snake, deadly poison would be emitted from his mouth. But
the demons didn’t know this. They quickly grabbed the mouth
end, and while making a great effort to churn, it became very hot,
poison was produced from the snake, and they were burnt. They
thought, “The demigods have tricked us! All right; next time we
will understand. We will do exactly the opposite of what they say.”
As they churned the ocean of milk, first poison was produced,
then Lakñmé came out, then nectar was produced, Dhanvantari
came out, the white elephant of the demigods was produced, a
horse was produced, and many other wonderful things. When
Lakñmé-devé appeared, she looked all around and wondered, “Who
will I marry?” She began considering, and felt that everyone she
saw was full of faults. She saw everyone – even Brahmä – and
she rejected them all. Finally Viñëu came there, and she put the
garland around His neck and married Him.
While the churning was going on, Kürma had an itching
sensation on His back, and the churning movement of the massive
mountain scratched His itch. At that time, His breathing in and
out created the low and high tides of the ocean. Some say the

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 65

influence of the moon is the cause of this, but the cause given in
the scriptures is correct.
Another Kürma incarnation appeared in another yuga or
manvantara to support the Earth planet throughout its entire
duration. These are two separate Kürma incarnations.
Regarding Varähadeva, before the creation there was only
water. Brahmä heard a sound indicating that he should perform
tapasya, austerities. After this he met Näräyaëa and heard the four
root verses (catuù-çloké) of the Bhägavatam, and was empowered
to create. But for creation there must be a foundation, and at that
time there was no base because the Earth was submerged in water.
So Varäha, in the form of a very, very small entity like a weevil,
emerged from Brahmä’s nose and immediately doubled in size.
Then when He was a little distance away, He assumed a form so
large that He filled the entire sky, and He jumped straight into
the ocean with both His snout and His feet pointed downward.
Such violent waves were produced that they even reached up to
heaven and Brahmaloka, and water was spread in all directions.
When Varähadeva arrived at Rasätala, He took the Earth on
His snout and established it above the water. This is one Varäha
incarnation.
There is also another Varäha incarnation who found that
when He went to Rasätala, Hiraëyäkña was there waiting for Him.
Hiraëyäkña had been searching for his equal in heroics, and he
had asked Närada where he could find such a person. He was told
to go to Varuëadeva, who told him, “Yes, you will find a suitable
opponent, and He will grind you to pieces.”
“Who is this person?”
“Viñëu.”
“Where can I find Him?”
“He is everywhere, but finding Him is very, very difficult.
When you meet Him, He will destroy your pride.”

Rarest Archiver
66 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Hiraëyäkña was told that if he went to Rasätala at the time

of the final dissolution, he would meet Viñëu there. He arrived
there first, and he remained waiting there for a very long time
submerged in the water. Finally Varäha arrived there and took the
Earth on His snout, just as a huge elephant holds a small flower
or as someone holds a mustard seed; it was so easy for Him. He
established the Earth above the water, and then turned to fight
with the demon. They fought for thousands of years, and in the
end Varäha killed Hiraëyäkña with His club, thereby destroying
his pride. Then He disappeared. These are two separate Varäha
incarnations. One is white, the other is black.
Another incarnation is Yajña-Varäha. In each of His pores are
millions of brahmäëòas, and He accepts the results of sacrifice. By
His mercy the Earth heard the Puräëas – the same ones written
by Vyäsa – so from this we can understand that the Puräëas are
eternal. Devotees prayed to this Varäha because the Earth’s surface
was too rough and they were unable to do any farming. It would
not retain water, and the people could not live without grains and
water. So being merciful, Varäha incarnated and with His teeth
He uprooted big mountains and made the Earth’s surface smooth.
This is the nature of a boar, that with his snout he digs. Afterwards
the Earth appeared as if it had been ploughed.
At that time, the Earth personified assumed the form of a female
boar. Her name was Dharitré-devé, and she was the potency (çakti)
of Bhü-devé. Viñëu assumed the form of a boar, so she became a
female boar, and from them Narakäsura was born. Originally his
name was Dharitré-nandana, not Narakäsura, but as a result of
falling into bad association he became a demon.
Association is what makes bhakti appear in any heart, and also
that which can make it disappear. It is the cause of our bondage
or liberation. We will become just like those with whom we keep
company, so bad association is the most dangerous enemy of our

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 67

hearts. By keeping bad company even the son of Bhagavän and

the Earth personified became sinful. Whose company did he keep?
Duryodhana, Çakuni, Kaàsa, Jaräsandha – so many personalities
who were opposed to Kåñëa – and all were atheistic. He took the
association of all these people and then tried to give Bhagavän
trouble. Therefore he became known as Narakäsura.
All together there are five Varäha incarnations mentioned in
the scriptures. They all reside in Vaikuëöha, and when there is
a necessity for one of Them in this world, He comes and gives
darçana to His devotees in that very form. After those devotees
attain perfection, they go to Vaikuëöha to serve Him directly there
as well.
There are different incarnations of Nåsiàhadeva as well.
One incarnation killed Hiraëyakaçipu and protected Prahläda.
Another is mätåcakra-pramatta. Mätåcakra means those women
who were detrimental to the welfare of the world. When their
power increased, Nåsiàha Bhagavän appeared to subdue them.
Another incarnation came in the form of a cat and performed
many different pastimes; He also subdued demons and protected
devotees.
In South India, there is one deity called Jiyara-Nåsiàha and
another called Pänä-Nåsiàha. They are separate incarnations.
They appeared in different kalpas, and there are differences in
Their pastimes. There was once a wild boar in a kingdom where
in all directions there were mountains and jungle. In that place
was a farmer who was a great devotee. He was growing corn, and
every day this boar came and ate it and destroyed his crop. He
was upset that his field was being destroyed, so he constructed
a platform in the middle of the field. He thought that he would
sit there during the night and watch for that boar. That night
the boar came and broke everything again, so taking a stick, the
farmer got down from the platform and chased it. The boar ran

Rarest Archiver
68 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

with the farmer following behind and after a little while, laughing,
the boar stopped and stood, displaying the form of Nåsiàha. “For
the purpose of mercifully giving you My darçana, I have done this.
Now you can offer corn to Me. It is My favourite food, and I will
fulfil all the desires of your heart. Get money from the king and
establish Me on top of that mountain where only campä flowers
grow.”
He was Nåsiàha, but He assumed the form of a boar. On the
day of akñaya-tåtéyä the pujärés apply sandalwood paste to that
deity and He reveals His form as a boar. That’s all – only on one
day of the year He gives that darçana. This is Jiyara-Nåsiàha, and
He appeared in one particular kalpa. Therefore in some places
devotees worship a combined form of Nåsiàha and Varäha.
In this way, Hayagréva, Haàsa – in the scriptures you will
find two, four or five of each incarnation, but Their tattva is one.
According to the sentiments of Their devotees, and for receiving
different types of service from them, They are all eternally residing
in Vaikuëöha.
Speaking to Gopa-kumära in Vaikuëöha, Närada is saying,
“Here people are performing püjä of Paraçuräma, of Nåsiàha,
of Vämana, of many incarnations. If a devotee comes here and
worships a particular deity, and then after some time leaves that
püjä to worship another deity, there is no fault in it. In your
lifetime you have worshipped many incarnations of Bhagavän.
Therefore according to one’s own niñöhä he can go here or there,
because Bhagavän is one. I am telling you this because I can see
that you do not like it here. Even while residing in Vaikuëöha, if
your internal svarüpa is that of a cowherd boy, then you will always
desire to worship Gopäla. Therefore you are not happy here, but
there is no fault in this. This is a very deep thing; it is not written
anywhere, but taking your pulse, I have ascertained the reason
for your dissatisfaction. Here, will Lakñmé-devé allow anyone else

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Five 69

to massage the feet of her Lord? Will she allow anyone to serve
Him food? She won’t. She thinks, ‘It is my duty alone.’ You can
only stand at a distance and offer prayers to Him. If some devotee
comes here and tries to sit on the lap of Näräyaëa, as Prahläda sits
on the lap of Nåsiàha, she won’t allow it.
“From here you should continue your journey, and you will
experience more variegated pastimes and more intimate rasa. I
have explained all of this to you so that first you will understand
that all incarnations of Bhagavän are one in tattva. Therefore
there is no fault in leaving one incarnation to go to another
because They are all one and the same. They only appear different
to accommodate the various sentiments of Their devotees.”

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six

Kåñëa’s Glories are Inconceivable

All of the incarnations of Bhagavän are the same in quality, just as

from one candle we can light ten candles and all will be the same
in quality. Which one is the original and which ones were lit from
that, we can’t tell.

etac ca våndä-vipine ’gha-hantur

håtvärbha-vatsän anubhütam asti
çré-brahmaëä dväravaté-pure ca
prasäda-vargeñu mayä bhramitvä
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.164)

Närada is saying, “When Brahmä stole the boys and calves in

Våndävana, he experienced how Çré Kåñëa, the killer of the Agha
demon, is one and yet expands into many, and I myself experienced
it when I visited His palaces in Dvärakä.”
In Våndävana, the mothers and fathers of the gopés and gopas,
upon seeing the beauty and sweetness of Kåñëa – His speech, His
behaviour, all of His charming sweetness – the desire comes in
them that He be their son. At the time when the cows are giving
milk to their calves, they think, “Sometimes Kåñëa comes and
drinks our milk with His own mouth. We desire that He be our
calf so we can feed Him milk.” In Vraja-maëòala there are so many
cows, mothers, and mothers who already have sons, and they all
desire that Kåñëa become their son so they can feed Him milk and
show Him motherly affection. Not so much when Kåñëa enters
their houses, steals milk and drinks it, but in the late afternoon

Rarest Archiver
72 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

when Kåñëa returns from taking the cows out to graze. At that
time, Mother Yaçodä gives Him motherly affection and wipes His
face, and all the mothers and cows desire very strongly in their
hearts that Kåñëa be their son. Leaving their own children, all the
mothers come first to look after Kåñëa. Then they return to their
own children, take them in their laps, wipe their faces and give
them all affection.
Kåñëa knows their desire. How does He know? It says in one
verse of Çrémad-Bhägavatam that when Kåñëa is playing with the
gopés and is fully absorbed in performing pastimes, He forgets
everything: “Where am I?” Any loss or gain for Himself in this
activity, any loss or gain for the world – all of this is forgotten. At
this time, if some enemy attacks, what will happen? A demon like
Aghäsura or Bakäsura may come, but everything will be forgotten.
All household duties, eating, drinking, bathing – all is forgotten.
He is so absorbed in relishing the prema of the gopés that all is
forgotten and He is aware of nothing else. The affection of His
mothers, the affection of His friends – all is forgotten.
Regarding that time, Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura asks
a question. “You devotees are praying, ‘O Kåñëacandra, give me
the darçana of Your lotus feet,’ and you are crying and crying, but
who will hear this prayer? Kåñëa has already forgotten everything!
When Kåñëa has forgotten everything, then sarvajïatä, His quality
of knowing what is in everyone’s heart, is diminished. That is an
aspect of aiçvarya, one of His opulences. At that time when He is
supremely absorbed – sometimes falling at the feet of the gopés,
trying to appease them, serving them and receiving service from
them – He is so absorbed in this that He forgets all other things
of the world. All sarvajïatä has been abandoned, and all six kinds
of opulence have been forgotten. Then who will hear your prayer?
“Knowing everything is a quality of aiçvarya, so if it comes at
this time, the mood of mädhurya will be disturbed. So who will
come to hear this prayer? This is a big problem. We are praying,

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 73

and that is meaningless? If there is no listener, certainly it will

be meaningless. Paramätmä is Kåñëa’s expansion; He exists
everywhere as the all-pervading witness. Will He know? But if we
are praying directly to Govinda and only Paramätmä is aware of
it, what is the use? We are praying to the king and the doorman is
listening – what will be the benefit in that? We won’t be satisfied
with that. So what then? Will our prayer not go directly to Kåñëa?
If our prayer doesn’t reach Kåñëa’s ears, then it is as if we are
crying and no one can hear. And if no one hears, then who will do
something to relieve that crying? If a small baby is crying for milk
and no one hears him, what will he do? Our crying will merely be
the same. But don’t worry, don’t be disturbed; Kåñëa will hear.”
We may think, “But how? If He listens, it will be aiçvarya.” To
resolve this, Kåñëa possesses two qualities: He is simultaneously
mugdha and sarvajïa. What is the meaning of mugdha? Becoming
so spellbound in love that it is just as if He doesn’t know
anything. Yaçodä grabs His ear and says, “You go to the corner and
continuously sit down and stand again! Don’t You steal anymore!”
And He will really do it! Taking a small stick Yaçodä will say,
“Today You will not get away without a beating!” And Kåñëa will
say, “Mother! Don’t hit Me!” with tears coming from His eyes.
This is called mugdhatä, being spellbound in emotion. Fear itself
is afraid of Him, yet He becomes frightened when Mother Yaçodä
approaches Him with a stick. She will not beat Him; she just says
that she will – but He cries and the tears are flowing. Here, is
Kåñëa really crying, or is He just making a show of it? Ordinary
people will say, “Will Bhagavän cry? He won’t cry. What could He
possibly be afraid of?” But premé devotees will say that He is really
crying, and this is called mugdhatä.
If Jaräsandha, Pütanä, Aghäsura, Bakäsura, Kaàsa or Narakäsura
come, then this young boy named Kåñëa kills them. This is His
quality of sarva-çaktimattä, having all power. He is as well known
for this as He is for knowing everything, yet at the same time He

Rarest Archiver
74 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

becomes spellbound in lélä. For example, once, Kåñëa called for

Uddhava: “Uddhava, come over here. Today we have a serious
problem.”
“What is it?”
“Today, from Hastinäpura, an invitation to the räjasüya-
yajïa has come, and tomorrow it will commence there. In the
opposite direction, Jaräsandha is causing a great disturbance and
it is necessary to kill him. We should do both things, but I can’t
understand how. You are a clever, intelligent man, My minister
and friend; tell Me, what should I do? Should we go now to the
Päëòavas’ räjasüya-yajïa, or should we go and kill Jaräsandha?”
Uddhava thought, “Look at this! Svayam Bhagavän, who knows
all and has all powers, is asking me? And it seems that He is really
asking, not that He is just giving Me respect. It seems that He is
not just playing the part of a king, and that He is not just observing
the formality of taking advice from a minister. Is Kåñëa really just
observing this formality, or is He sincerely asking? It seems from
looking at His face that He is sincerely asking me!”
Then Uddhava replied, “O Lord, according to my consideration,
it will be good if we go now to the räjasüya-yajïa in Hastinäpura.
We can accomplish both objectives with one action. For
completion of the sacrifice, a horse will be sent off so that any
king who wants to present a challenge may do so, and You and
Arjuna can follow behind it. Please take Bhéma also. Eventually
that horse will arrive in the Mägadha province of Jaräsandha and
You can kill him there. Then the räjasüya-yajïa will be completed,
and You can kill Jaräsandha also.”
Kåñëa patted Uddhava on the back. He was very, very pleased.
He could not make the decision Himself, and when His prime
minister gave such wise advice, He was very pleased.
So Bhagavän is both mugdha and sarvajïa at the same time.
This is not a fault, but rather by His inconceivable potency it

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 75

is one of His qualities. It is stated in the Vedänta-sutra that all

contradictory qualities are completely harmonised in Kåñëa:
viruddha-dharmaà tasmin na citram. In Kåñëa both mugdhatä and
sarvajïatä are going on together, and there is no fault in this. This
is not possible for anyone else. If any human being says that they
possess this quality, they are only a fraud.
Kåñëa is sarvajïa like this: when the räsa-lélä starts, Kåñëa sees
so many gopés, and they are all desiring that “Kåñëa will be with
me only, He will appease me, and I will be the most fortunate.”
Kåñëa knows this, and He dances in such a way that it appears that
between every two gopés is one Kåñëa, and He fulfils their desires.
This is sarvajïatä. Such sarvajïatä is not seen even in Räma or
Näräyaëa. Along with this, when Çrématé Rädhikä disappears
from the räsa dance, Kåñëa thinks, “Where has She gone?” He
doesn’t know. He is sarvajïa, but still He becomes upset and cries
for Her. Just as Rämacandra really cries for Sétä-devé, here Kåñëa
is really crying for Rädhikä. And when They reunite? He becomes
Hers only. She says, “Today You decorate My hair,” and taking a
flower He follows behind Her. She says, “I am unable to walk any
further,” and He takes Her on His shoulders. All of these things are
mugdhatä. This is the very pinnacle of both räsa and bhagavattä,
Bhagavän’s nature as the Supreme.
Regarding the older gopés, they all desired that Kåñëa would
become their son, and all of the cows desired that Kåñëa would
become their calf. Kåñëa saw that drinking the milk of one mother
would not fill His stomach. The love of one mother would not be
sufficient. Similarly, the love of one gopé is not sufficient for Him.
For Him, millions of gopés are necessary. He desires the affection
of millions of mothers, and that will fill His “stomach”. Therefore,
one day He thought, “Today in Vraja, I will have millions of
mothers, I will marry millions of gopés, and I will become the calf
of millions of cows. Let’s see, how will I do it? By connection with

Rarest Archiver
76 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

the Supersoul it could be done, but in this human-like form, in

nara-lélä, it will be very difficult.”
For this purpose He bewildered Brahmä. He sent inspiration
into the heart of Brahmä to come there to Vraja. Then Brahmä saw
the killing of Aghäsura and thought, “This is a marvellous thing!
How did this young cowherd boy give liberation to that demon?”
To see more pastimes of Kåñëa, Brahmä could have prayed like
this: “O Lord, I want to see more of Your lélä. Please be merciful to
me and show me more pastimes.” It is an ordinary prayer, and Kåñëa
would have fulfilled it, but Brahmä didn’t do this. He thought, “All
right; I will see more of His activities for myself.”
One way to find out what you want to know is to ask someone.
Another way is to just sit patiently and wait for someone to
automatically tell you. Leaving aside the desire to know, one may
think, “If I am qualified to understand, then he will tell me.”
But instead, in order to find out something for himself, Brahmä
thought, “I will place an obstacle in His way.” How did this idea
come into his mind? In the form of caitya-guru Bhagavän causes
something to arise in someone’s heart. He Himself inspired this
idea within Brahmä so Brahmä would place an obstacle in His lélä,
and then Kåñëa would be able to fulfil all of His objectives yet still
remain within nara-lélä, His human-like pastimes.
Therefore, in the afternoon of the same day He gave liberation
to Aghäsura, Kåñëa was with the other cowherd boys. They were
very hungry, so they all sat down to eat. With great eagerness and
great love, while laughing and playing and amusing one another,
they were eating. Brahmä observed this and thought, “This is the
right time.” The calves had continued moving on. By the influence
of Yogamäyä they had seen some especially green grass for grazing,
so they went further and further ahead until they were very far
away. Meanwhile, the sakhäs were still eating, and when the calves
were beyond the eyesight of everyone, Brahmä stole them. Some

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 77

say that he took them to his own Brahmaloka, and some say that
he hid them in the caves of Govardhana. Govardhana is quite
extensive and there are many caves there.
When they didn’t see the calves, the boys said, “Where have
the calves gone?” Kåñëa suggested, “I will go and bring them back
Myself. I will just play the flute and they will return of their own
accord. You all just continue eating; I am going.”
Why did Kåñëa do this? To play a trick on Brahmä, and so
that He could become the boys and calves Himself. Therefore He
arranged precisely what Brahmä desired – that He would somehow
become separated from the other boys. Brahmä saw this and
thought, “The very thing I desired has now happened! I wanted
to kidnap the boys when Kåñëa was not watching, and now I have
the perfect opportunity! Of His own accord Kåñëa has gone away.”
Kåñëa went away, and how did He go? In the carefree manner of
a young cowherd, with a handful of yoghurt and rice. But searching
and searching, He thought, “Where have the calves gone?” This is
also mugdhatä.
After a little while, when He couldn’t find the calves, He
returned to the lunch area and saw that the boys had also vanished.
Brahmä had also taken them and confined them within a cave.
Kåñëa actually didn’t know anything. Searching and searching, He
couldn’t see His friends, and the calves were nowhere to be found.
He still had that uneaten rice in His hand, and His face became
withered from unhappiness. He became overwhelmed with fear,
thinking, “What will I say to all of their mothers? All the calves
have been lost, and now I do not see the boys either. What will I
tell all of the mothers and Vrajaväsés?” Kåñëa was very worried.
His limbs were covered with dust, and His face was withered from
hunger, thirst and unhappiness. Sarvajïatä was absent here.
After a little while, Yogamäyä thought, “I should offer some
service.” She suddenly appeared there to render service, and then

Rarest Archiver
78 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Kåñëa remembered, “Oh yes, through Yogamäyä I engineered this

entire situation to create this pastime and to fulfil the desires of
the Vrajaväsés.”
Then Kåñëa expanded and assumed forms identical to those of
the boys and calves. He sat His friends back down and fed them
Himself, and everyone was very happy. Their eating, drinking and
laughing went on as it had before, and then in the late afternoon
they all returned to their homes. All the mothers thought, “Ahh,
my son has returned!” Previously they had gone first to Kåñëa
to look after Him and give Him motherly affection, and then
attended to their own children. But that day they all looked after
their own children first, and forgot about Kåñëa. Only Yaçodä
looked after Kåñëa, and the rest of the mothers looked after their
own children. That day the cows disregarded their younger calves,
and showed more attention to the older calves who had returned
from the forest with Kåñëa, feeding them milk and licking them.
For one year the lélä went on like this.
Then Baladeva Prabhu thought, “What is this? The calves
have come running from Govardhana, and the cows are showing
affection first to the older ones, not caring for the younger ones?
Why is this? And the mothers who used to attend to Kåñëa first are
now tending their own children first. Why? What has happened?
Why is it like this?” Because Kåñëa had become those children
and calves Himself, He received much more affection. All of the
mothers and cows had their desire to have Kåñëa as their son or
calf fulfilled, and He received the affection that He desired from
millions of mothers. Also in that very year He married millions
of kiçorés. Through all those boys that He became, He married
all the young girls of Våndävana, so all of His objectives were
accomplished.
Now that everything was completed, Kåñëa sent some internal
inspiration to Baladeva to bring this pastime to a close. Otherwise
Baladeva wouldn’t have known anything of it. Baladeva said, “My

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 79

dear brother, I don’t understand. Whose illusory potency is this? Is

it the illusory energy of the demigods, or Mahämäyä, or someone
else? This is not My illusory potency, and if it were the illusory
potency of the demigods or Mahämäyä, then I would understand.”
Then He thought, “Oh, Kåñëa Himself has become all of these
boys and calves? Why has He done it?” He asked Kåñëa, “My dear
brother, what is this? Until today I didn’t understand, but today I
see something unique. Why have You become so many boys and
calves also? What is this?” Kåñëa smiled. To fulfil the desires of so
many people and to bewilder Brahmä, through the medium of His
own Yogamäyä potency He engineered this pastime.
After a little while, Brahmä came from his own abode, worried.
He had found that there was no place for him in his own planet.
Kåñëa had also assumed the form of Hiraëyagarbha Brahmä and
had gone to Brahmaloka. There He told the doorman, “If someone
taking my form as Brahmä comes here, don’t allow him to enter.”
When Brahmä returned to his abode after stealing the boys
and calves, six months passed. It was only one minute for him, but
his one minute is six months for us. He arrived at his Brahmaloka
and the doorman asked him, “Who are you? Our grandfather
Brahmä is here, and he has said that if any other four-headed
Brahmä comes here, he is not allowed to enter. You cannot enter;
stay outside! You must be a creation of mäyä.” Brahmä thought,
“Oh! Kåñëa Himself has come here? I have committed an offence
at His feet; I must return to Earth immediately.” In coming back
to Vraja, another six months elapsed. Altogether one Earth year
had passed.

etac ca våndä-vipine ’gha-hantur

håtvärbha-vatsän anubhütam asti
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.164)

After stealing the cowherd boys and calves, Brahmäjé

experienced how Kåñëa is simultaneously one and millions. Eko

Rarest Archiver
80 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

bahu syäm: Kåñëa is one and becomes many, yet becoming many
still remains one. First Brahmä saw, “Here Kåñëa is sitting with
rice in His hand and eating, just as He was that day one year ago,
and with Him are so many boys and calves. Are they the same ones
that I stole, or are they different ones? It is possible that by His own
mäyä Kåñëa has taken them from the caves. Who are they? Which
are the real ones?”
To see about this, he went to Govardhana Hill. He saw that the
boys and calves were just as he had left them, sleeping in yoganidrä.
Then returning to Kåñëa, he saw that the boys and calves were
there also. He thought, “When I come here, Kåñëa brings the boys
and calves here, and when I go to Govardhana, He places them
back there.”
Therefore, with two of his faces and four of his eyes, he looked in
the direction of the cave, and at the same time with the other two
faces and four eyes he looked over to where Kåñëa was. He saw that
the boys and calves were sleeping in the cave, and simultaneously
they were eating and drinking with Kåñëa, performing pastimes.
Then suddenly he saw that the entire scene had disappeared, and
that all of the boys and calves with Kåñëa had assumed the forms of
four-armed Näräyaëa. In addition, he saw how the human beings,
Brahmäs, Çaìkaras, demigods, animals, plants and so on of each
and every brahmäëòa were all offering prayers to these four-armed
Näräyaëas and performing kértana.
Brahmä saw that each of the four-armed forms had all of the
qualities of the original: all were sac-cid-änanda, all were full of
the six opulences, all were fully omniscient, and all had the sixty
qualities of Bhagavän. Only Kåñëa Himself has four more. The
boys had so many blankets, sticks, flutes, horns and other things,
and they also assumed four-armed forms. Witnessing this, Brahmä
became very astonished and began offering prayers. “O Bhagavän,
first You showed that You were alone, then You showed that all of

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 81

the boys and calves are all Bhagavän, and finally You showed that
everything is Bhagavän. Without Bhagavän, nothing can have
its existence. No jéva can exist, and no material object can exist,
but at the same time everything is not directly Bhagavän. But I
have seen that all of the boys and calves are You only. All have
the qualities of Bhagavän; it is not that some forms are inferior
or superior. After this I looked again, and all of these forms had
disappeared, and only You, Kåñëa, remained.”
After witnessing this pastime, Brahmä said, “O Bhagavän, who
can describe the glories of Your inconceivable potency (acintya-
çakti)?”

jänanta eva jänantu

kià bahüktyä na me prabho
manaso vapuño väco
vaibhavaà tava go-caraù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.14.38)

Those people who say that they know Bhagavän, that they know
the glories of Bhagavän – in reality they know nothing. Until
today I also thought like that, but actually I am unable to describe
His glories.

What to speak of Brahmä, even Kåñëa Himself cannot describe

His own glories. He cannot find the depth of the glories of His own
name, qualities and form. Assuming the complexion and sentiment
of Çrématé Rädhikä, He became Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He
descended in this form to investigate His own glories, but He still
couldn’t find their depth. In this way Kåñëa is inconceivable. He
is one, but becomes many. He is mugdha, and simultaneously He
is sarvajïa. All contradictory qualities are harmonised in Him.
Don’t attempt to understand this through mental speculation!
Only if one is completely surrendered to Him can one know a
little of His glories. Think only of serving Him. Trying to count or

Rarest Archiver
82 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

measure His glories will only be troublesome. Therefore Brahmä

said, “I cannot find the depth of Your inconceivable glories.” The
glories of Bhagavän are limitless. Who can find the depth of them?
Brahmä couldn’t, Baladeva Prabhu couldn’t, even Kåñëa Himself
couldn’t. Therefore don’t try to fathom the glories of Bhagavän
through logic and debate. By rendering service to Him we will
obtain some understanding of His glories. Therefore we should
make an effort only for bhakti.
Another reason that Kåñëa showed this pastime was for the
bewilderment of Brahmä. In the midst of his life Brahmä was
sometimes in illusion. Thinking himself to be the master of the
entire universe, once Brahmä went to Dvärakäpuré to meet with
Kåñëa. Arriving at the gates, he said to the doorman, “I have come
to see Kåñëa.”
The doorman went to Kåñëa and said, “Someone named
Brahmä has come to see You.”
Kåñëa said, “Go and ask him ‘Which Brahmä?’ ”
The doorman returned and asked, “Which Brahmä are you?”
He replied, “I am four-headed Brahmä, the grandfather of all!”
The doorman went to Kåñëa and repeated exactly what Brahmä
had said. Kåñëa smiled and thought, “I have given him this post,
and just see how he has become proud.” So Kåñëa said, “Go and
call him.”
Brahmä entered the Sudharmä assembly hall. In that place
even if millions and millions of people entered, there would still be
space for them. It could become very extensive, and it could also
become very small. On hot days it would become cool, and on cold
days it would be warm. Just as one desired, it would become. When
Brahmä entered, he saw this vast royal assembly hall, and Kåñëa
was seated in the middle. There were millions of other Brahmäs
present there. The smallest of them, an eight-headed Brahmä, was
seated in the back. In the front there were Brahmäs with thousands

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Six 83

of heads. Their crowns were composed entirely of jewels, and when

they were getting up from offering obeisances, the sound of the
crowns clanging together resounded in the four directions. He saw
other Brahmäs with sixteen heads, others with sixty-four heads,
and all of them were much, much larger than himself. His pride
now destroyed, he went and offered his prostrated obeisances to
Kåñëa. Getting up, he saw that everything had disappeared and
only Kåñëa was left, smiling. Such are His glories – unlimited. And
for one who has gone to Vaikuëöha as Gopa-kumära has, he will
see that the glories of not just one but of all the incarnations are
like this.

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven

Bhagavän’s Inconceivable Potency

When Brahmä stole the gopas and calves and Kåñëa Himself
became all of them, He took on the same nature as all the boys
and calves. He also became the sticks, blankets, everything – all
were Kåñëa Himself, and none were different from Him. Brahmä
personally experienced this:

durvitarkyä hi sä çaktir
adbhutä parameçvaré
kintv asyaikänta-bhakteñu
güòham kiïcin na tiñöhati
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.165)

Although Bhagavän’s potency is wonderful and inconceivable, it

is not a secret to His exclusive devotees.

But devotees do not keep the same feelings for all of those
mürtis. If they do, then their sentiment will not be perfected. If
we see Them all as equal, then will we treat those sticks which
Kåñëa became the same as the original form of Kåñëa Himself?
Rämacandra, Näräyaëa, Nåsiàha, Vämana – Kåñëa is one with all
of Them. So an ordinary man, a neutral person, will consider Them
all equal, just as one may consider that all tulasé leaves are equal:
which one is smaller or bigger, which one has holes in it, which
are dry, wet, or immature doesn’t matter; all are equal. Similarly,
those who are neutral say, “For us, all Vaiñëavas are equal. We
don’t consider who is an uttama-bhägavata, madhyama-bhägavata

Rarest Archiver
86 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

or kaniñöha. We see only that they are all Vaiñëavas. They all wear
saffron cloth, apply tilaka and take harinäma, so for us they are all
representatives of Bhagavän.”
Some people speak like this, but in bhagavad-bhakti, such
neutrality is not desirable. In bhakti there should be exclusive
feeling for one mürti. Kåñëa, Räma, Nåsiàha, Näräyaëa – They
are all one, but for a devotee one favourite deity (iñöadeva) must
come. Then there can be perfection in bhajana. Otherwise, the
vision that all are equal and that all are one from the viewpoint
of tattva is correct, but from the viewpoint of worship (upäsanä),
there are some shortcomings in it.
For instance, Kåñëa steals from houses and tells lies. Yaçodä
asks, “Hey! Have You been stealing from others’ houses?”
Kåñëa replies, “When could I have done it? Early in the morning
you sent Me to the forest to take the cows grazing. All day they are
grazing, and then I bring them back in the early evening. Then I
come to you. Tell Me, when could I have stolen anything?”
And He had done it, too! This is mugdhatä. This is a positive
quality of Bhagavän, which is accepted by devotees, but monists
(nirviçeñavädés) consider this to be a fault. They consider this
to be defect and will not understand it. This is a quality of
Bhagavän’s variegatedness, but a neutral person will not be able
to understand it.
In the realm of bhakti, neutrality is the most undesirable thing.
Exclusive sentiment is the specific quality of bhakti; therefore in
relation to Kåñëa there will never be neutrality. There is neutrality
in Brahman, so this is a desirable quality for brahmavädés,
impersonalists. If someone says that complete neutrality is a quality
of Kåñëa, then he is certainly a neutral person. In the war between
the Päëòavas and the Kauravas, by cleverness and cheating Kåñëa
took the side of the Päëòavas, His devotees. One can also say that
the sun is neutral. When you are in front of it, it gives you light

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 87

and heat, but when you remain inside the house you don’t get its
rays. Then where is the sun’s neutrality? The Lord is just like this.
Kåñëa is just seated quietly, just like the master of a house is
seated. For everything He has appointed a department head and
has told everyone, “All of you do your own work!” Then He just
sits quietly and oversees them all. Like this Kåñëa possesses all
transcendental potencies (çaktis), and lets everyone automatically
do their work. In the management of the universe these çaktis see
to it that there is never any disturbance. There never has been,
and never will be; such is the efficacy of His çaktis.
Kåñëa stole something, and when the news of His theft reached
Yaçodä, she became angry. Parabrahma, the Supreme Being, had
stolen from houses and broken pots, so He will have to be punished.
But because His limbs are so soft, she will not hit Him, but bind
Him; then He will learn His lesson. Taking a rope in her hands, she
tried to bind Kåñëa, but the rope was short by a measurement of two
fingers’ length. She tried again with more rope, and again the rope
was two fingers’ length short. Trying and trying, from early until
ten o’clock in the morning, the rope was still two fingers’ length
short. At that time, Yaçodä was very astonished, and the gopés were
very delighted. Originally they had angrily come to speak against
Kåñëa so that He would be given punishment, and now they were
clapping their hands and laughing, saying to Yaçodä, “Just see,
you cannot control Him! How will you possibly bind Him?” They
brought all the ropes of Vraja and still couldn’t bind Him. It was
always two fingers’ length short. Yaçodä had applied such a long
rope, and neither His waist or waist ornaments had increased in
size, so how is this?
Bhagavän’s acintya-çakti remains in an inactive state, not doing
anything, but is always searching for an opportunity for service.
Just like the person who doesn’t work all of the time but simply
waits for the order of his master, Bhagavän’s millions and millions

Rarest Archiver
88 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

of çaktis are waiting for His order. But it is not like our giving an
order to someone. Bhagavän simply desires something in His mind
and simultaneously that task is done. Here Kåñëa thought, “Today
Mother is trying to bind Me, but outside the cows are waiting for
My darçana. Until I come, they will not give milk. The calves are
also waiting for Me. The sakhäs will come, and because I won’t be
able to go and play with them, they will be very unhappy.”
The cowherd boys saw all of this and said, “Today Your mother
has taught You a good lesson!” They were very unhappy that on
that day they wouldn’t be able to play with Kåñëa, but at the same
time they loved Kåñëa so much that just by seeing Him very briefly
they felt great happiness. Kåñëa is very small in this pastime, only
three-and-a-half years old. So these other boys are only three or
even two years old, yet seeing Kåñëa in this condition they felt
great happiness. But they also lamented, “Oh, today Kåñëa will not
be able to play with us because Mother has bound Him.”
This is mugdhatä, not sarvajïatä. This svarüpa-çakti is also
called Yogamäyä, the energy by which Kåñëa performs so many
activities and pastimes. Yogamäyä saw that an opportunity for
service was available, and she responded accordingly. “His waist
will not be bound, and then He will be able to go and play.”
Regardless of how much rope was applied, the rope remained two
fingers’ length short. This is impossible, but it becomes possible
by the arrangement of this svarüpa-çakti, the medium by which
Bhagavän performs His pastimes.
What determines whether Yogamäyä gives the darçana of
Bhagavän to someone or not? If Yogamäyä is pleased, then someone
can receive Kåñëa’s darçana. If she is not pleased, then they won’t
get His darçana. This Yogamäyä is the foundation for all of His
pastimes, and this same Yogamäyä in full form, expanded to the
highest limit, is Çrématé Rädhikä Herself. The same çakti is present
in Dvärakä in the forms of Satyabhämä, Rukmiëé and others, in
Vaikuëöha in the forms of Lakñmé, and in the heavenly planets in

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 89

the forms of the wives of the plenary portions of Bhagavän there.

In heaven there is the form of caïcalä, or restless, Lakñmé, and in
Vaikuëöha there is the form of acaïcalä, or steady, Lakñmé. They
are all Çrématé Rädhikä’s reflected forms or expansions.
In the material world there is caïcalä Lakñmé. Why is she called
that? Because today wealth is with one person, and tomorrow it
will be with another. She doesn’t stick to one husband, and she
is always wandering in the four directions. Today here, tomorrow
there, and so on. Who is she? She is the shadow çakti of the
steady Lakñmé: Bhü, Çré and Nélä. Durgä is also a shadow çakti –
Vindyaväsiné, Kaìkälé, Cämuëòä and so on – they are all shadow
çaktis of the steady Lakñmé. At the time of Rämacandra’s pastimes,
within Laìkä there was Laìkiné, and she was also a shadow çakti
of the steady Lakñmé. The demons were worshipping her, but by
nature she was restless. When Hanumän came and attacked, she
became perturbed and ran away, thinking, “Very soon he will
destroy Rävaëa. This monkey has certainly come to defeat us.”
In this world Lakñmé is very restless, never remaining in one
place. Some people who have abundant wealth think that they will
turn it all over to their offspring, but there is no guarantee that
it will stay within their family. But that Lakñmé who in the form
of Bhakti-devé resides with Bhagavän is steady. Wherever this
Lakñmé is, she is steady. If she is residing in a place where someone
offends her, then she may leave; otherwise she will stay. But bhakti
doesn’t come quickly – it is very difficult to obtain. Therefore such
superior potency (para-çakti) of Bhagavän cannot be understood
by argument, but by the mood of service. If inside us is niñöhä,
exclusive feelings towards one particular form of Bhagavän, then
bhakti will come, but if there is not exclusive niñöhä towards one
form, then it will not come.
One may desire to perform bhajana for Räma and Sétä, Rädhä
and Kåñëa, Candrävalé and Kåñëa, and others. From the perspective
of tattva this is all right, and it is possible that one may even attain

Rarest Archiver
90 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Vaikuëöha. But if there is not niñöhä for one particular deity, then
there will be no rasa and no änanda. This is being exclusive, but it
is not being biased; it is thoroughly correct.
In the verse under discussion from Båhad-bhägavatämåta, we
find the word parameçvaré. Parameçvaré is acintya-çakti, and to
know Her is not possible by argument. She is beyond that. When
will we be able to have Her darçana? When we engage in exclusive
bhajana it will become easy. The sentiment of the gopés’ räga-
bhakti is very rare, and very difficult to obtain. But although that
sentiment is very rare, it can be achieved. Sometimes even if that
thing which is considered the most degraded of all in this world is
dovetailed in the service of Bhagavän, it can become the highest
thing:

vikréòitaà vraja-vadhübhir idaà ca viñëoù

çraddhänvito ’nuçåëuyäd atha varëayed yaù
bhaktià paräà bhagavati pratilabhya kämaà
håd-rogam äçv apahinoty acireëa dhéraù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.33.39)

Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the divine pastimes

enjoyed by Çré Kåñëa with the gopés of Våndävana will very quickly
obtain pure bhakti, thereby conquering the heart disease of lust.

There is a very beautiful explanation of this verse in the Çrémad-

Bhägavatam commentary of Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura. Some
people think that they will first become free from all offences and
anarthas, become pure by their own efforts, and then engage in
bhajana, but that is absurd. First concentrate the mind and make
the heart pure, then do bhajana, and then bhakti will come? It will
never be like this. You can try to concentrate the mind for millions
of lives, but there is no guarantee that it will remain focused. Even
the senses of great sages like Viçvämitra and Saubhari became
disturbed, so therefore in millions of lives it will not be possible

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 91

to control the mind by one’s own personal endeavour. You will

just be kept waiting for millions of lives. It is like thinking that
you will wait until the water of a river dries up before you cross it.
Whatever condition you are now in – if you are a thief, a dacoit, a
hooligan or if you are pure – start performing kåñëa-bhajana and
chanting the holy name, and automatically bhakti will take care of
the rest.
In this world, there is no greater misconduct than adultery,
but if it is in relation to Kåñëa, then it is not misconduct. Why?
Because He is the husband of all. From the perspective of bhakti
the feelings that the gopés have for Kåñëa are the highest of all
sentiments, both in this world and in the spiritual world. Some
people who hear the Tenth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam say,
“Hey, this is mundane! They are loving Kåñëa through hiding and
deception, and because of this they have become so exalted?”
Yes, they have become so exalted that the most exemplary
personalities such as Närada, Uddhava and the Kumäras meditate
on the gopés’ feet within their hearts. Those devotees who have
developed sentiments like those of the gopés – vikréòitam vraja-
vadhübhiù – will gain entrance into Kåñëa’s playful pastimes.
If one listens with faith to narrations of Kåñëa’s pastimes with
the gopés by anuçåëuyät – accepting a pure spiritual master, an
ideal rasika Vaiñëava who knows the science of Kåñëa, and then
constantly hearing from him – then exclusive sentiment will come
to him. This sentiment is our everything, and it will arise in us and
give us great happiness. Anuvarëayet means it is passed on from
one to another. What Vyäsadeva taught to Çukadeva Gosvämé,
Çukadeva in turn taught that very same thing to Mahäräja Parékñit.
And what Çukadeva Gosvämé taught, Süta Gosvämé described
that very same thing in the assembly of the sages. If it is described
like this and one listens with faith, what will happen? Bhaktià
paräà bhagavati: paräm means Kåñëa, the best of all tattva – one

Rarest Archiver
92 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

will obtain bhakti for Him, and that bhakti will become so intense
that pratilabhya kämaà håd-rogam äçu: one will obtain the prema
of the gopés. And by obtaining that, what will happen? The disease
in the heart will be uprooted. What is that disease? The lust that
men and women have for one another, which clouds a person’s
intelligence. If it creates so much strife amongst lower species such
as animals and birds, then what to speak of the effect it has on
people?
This lust is so all-encompassing that when the desire comes for
anything, we think, “I am its enjoyer. I am its master.” Even in
regard to such basic things as food and clothing – any desire for
personal enjoyment whatsoever – it is all lust. There are so many
types of lust from gross to subtle, but by hearing about the gopés’
transcendental desire for Kåñëa, automatically the heart disease of
worldly desire, which binds us birth after birth, can be uprooted.
And then prema, that entity which couldn’t be obtained by
millions of lifetimes of attempts at purification by our own efforts,
will gradually come. Just see how something that is degraded in
the worldly sense can at once be made pure when performed for
Bhagavän’s pleasure.
Therefore, Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura says, “To eradicate
your bad qualities, to control your mind and to rid yourself of
lust, all of your personal efforts will prove futile! In millions and
millions of lives it will not happen! Just do one thing, and don’t
worry: practise devotion unto the Supreme Lord by engaging
in hearing (çravaëam), chanting (kértanam) and remembrance
(smaraëam). There are so many kinds of narrations about Kåñëa,
but the descriptions of the räsa-lélä wherein Kåñëa is sporting with
the gopés are the topmost. If someone becomes absorbed in them
day and night, then he will find no free time for anything else. So
how could he possibly become engaged in any sinful activity? That
person is really dhéraù – one whose buddhi, intelligence, is fixed.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 93

teñäà satata-yuktänäà
bhajatäà préti-pürvakam
dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà
yena mäm upayänti te
Bhagavad-gétä (10.10)

To those who are sincerely devoted to serving Me with love, I give

the understanding by which they can come to Me.

In this verse, the word buddhi means the intelligence that gives
Bhagavän. It is full of mercy. In one place, Viçvanätha Cakravarté
Öhäkura says, “O Kåñëa, You are very merciful. You said dadämi
buddhi-yogam. Please give me buddhi-yoga. And You may ask,
‘Which buddhi-yoga do you want? The buddhi-yoga that I gave to
Arjuna?’ But I don’t desire that. For Arjuna it was all right. For
those people who desire that variety of buddhi-yoga, it is all right.
But to me please give that buddhi-yoga by which even You become
bewildered and forget Yourself, in which You sport with the gopés,
and by serving which one completely forgets himself. To become
the servant of the gopés, to become lost in that service and forget
everything else – I want that buddhi. For those who are serving
You, having forgotten everything else and being intoxicated in that
service, You are doing everything in the form of an ordinary human
being. Be merciful and please inspire that buddhi-yoga within me.
Such dhéraù, steadiness, is what I desire. Give me that intelligence
by which I can come to You in this way.” Viçvanätha Cakravarté
Öhäkura has offered such a beautiful prayer to Bhagavän, and no
one can offer a higher prayer than this.
Here Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura is saying, “My friends,
practise sädhana like this. Don’t pray in this way all of the time:
‘O Kåñëa, I am a big thief, a big hooligan… .’ Just become deeply
absorbed in His pastimes. ‘I am qualified, I am not qualified’ – this
is the consideration of a neutral person.”

Rarest Archiver
94 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Let us say someone has become greedy for a rasagullä, and he

has no money. Then by grabbing it, stealing it, or by any means he
will get it. Our greed for bhakti must be like that, and we should
pray to Bhagavän that He will be merciful and give us this greed.
So the purport here is that the buddhi-yoga we really want is the
mercy of Yogamäyä.
This Yogamäyä çakti of Bhagavän is durvitarkyä – inconceivable
and beyond argument or debate. “Others have received it, so
I should certainly receive it. Why was it given to them anyway?
Bilvamaìgala’s conduct was very bad, so why did he get it? And
on the contrary my consciousness is pure; I have never stolen or
told a lie. Why shouldn’t I get bhakti?” We should not think like
this. “When will we get it? How will we get it?” – it is durvitarkyä,
inconceivable.
By the arrangement of this very Yogamäyä alone, Bhagavän
appears in unlimited varieties of forms. When Bhagavän comes
in the forms of Nara and Näräyaëa, He is always absorbed in
meditation. That is one bhäva, or mood. In the form of Räma He
has a particular mood, in all other forms He possesses a specific
mood, and all of this is arranged by the influence of Yogamäyä,
Parameçvaré. From Parameçvara comes Parameçvaré. The verse
under discussion here from Båhad-bhägavatämåta says kintv
asyaikänta-bhakteñu, güòhaà kiïcin na tiñöhati: even though it
is inconceivable, still, it is not a secret to His pure devotees. By
whose mercy will we obtain exclusive bhakti? From Yogamäyä we
will receive a proper understanding of it; otherwise no one will
ever be able to understand it.
Närada told Gopa-kumära, “To enter Goloka you must
understand these points. Then you will be qualified to render
service there. Otherwise you will remain here in Vaikuëöha and
have dealings with Näräyaëa in a similar way as the Kumäras, who
came here, received a brief darçana, and then merely returned to
their own residence.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 95

Now I will explain the next verse:

patné-sahasrair yugapat praëétaà

dravyaà sa bhuìkte bhagavän yadaikaù
paçyanti täny atra yathä pratisvam
ädau mamädatta tad eva me ’tti
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.166)

Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa simultaneously ate all of the meals offered

by His queens in such a way that each queen thought, “He has
accepted His meal from me first.”

Here Närada is saying that once he went to Dvärakä and saw

a very peculiar pastime of Kåñëa. So many queens were there,
including principal queens such as Rukmiëé; Kåñëa had thousands
of wives there. They all prepared many different kinds of
preparations, and they wanted to see whose offering Kåñëa would
consider the most beautiful and the most delicious. They all invited
Kåñëa to their respective palaces, and they were all watching to
see whose palace He would go to first. They had already given
invitations to Kåñëa. It was understood that whomever could
take Kåñëa into their home on this day and serve Him drinks and
feed Him would possess the topmost good fortune. Seeing Kåñëa
emerge with Närada from the Sudharmä assembly hall, all the
queens eagerly stepped out of their palaces. Närada was thinking,
“Whose palace will He go to first?”
Just then Kåñëa assumed as many forms as there were queens
and entered the palace of each and every one of them simulta­
neously. Närada also expanded into as many forms and followed
behind Him. This is also possible for great devotees; we shouldn’t
think them incapable of doing that. There is only one Rädhikä,
but when Kåñëa becomes Näräyaëa, She becomes Lakñmé. When
He becomes Vämana, She becomes the Lakñmé of Vämana. And
when He becomes Mahäprabhu, She expands into Viñëupriya and
Lakñmépriya. In this way, wherever there will be pastimes, She will

Rarest Archiver
96 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

be there. When Sadäçiva becomes Çaìkara, then She becomes

Pärvaté.
It is the same for devotees who are rasika. Some devotees are
satisfied in only one lélä, while others go to all léläs and, assuming
many different forms, taste many different pastimes. Merely
tasting one lélä will not satisfy them. Närada is like this. For those
who are rasika, it is difficult to say where they are. Närada visits
Näräyaëa, and in the same form he also goes to visit Räma. But
the Närada that goes to Räma is different from the Närada that
goes to visit Kåñëa. Not different in tattva, but different in bhäva.
Each of these expansions of Närada has his own sthäyibhäva,
permanent sentiment. Just as Kåñëa says that He will never leave
Våndävana, it is like this with devotees also. The gopés will never
leave Våndävana. If they do, it will only be in another form as
expansions, and it is the same with the gopas also.
When Närada enters Vraja-dhäma, he is Madhumaìgala. At
Govardhana at Närada-kuëòa, near Kusuma-sarovara, he performs
austerities and worship for what purpose? His desires have not
been completely fulfilled. “O Kåñëa, I have seen what it is to be in
sakhya-rasa, I have seen what is in vätsalya, and I have also taken
a look at däsya. Now, O Lord, what is remaining?” He desires to
experience that also, and taking another form, it may be possible.
So Närada is saying that Kåñëa came out of the Sudharmä
assembly hall in this way, and that he was following Him. So
many queens offered preparations, and Kåñëa expanded into
thousands of forms and simultaneously went to the palace of
each and every queen. With the very same form and mood, He
simultaneously tasted all their offerings. Some people say that
there was only one form of Kåñëa going from palace to palace
very, very fast, but Närada could not have done this as well. They
say that with such great speed Kåñëa went to each queen in such
a way that all of the queens thought that He had come to her

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 97

first. They say that if one minute is divided into millions of parts,
that is the speed at which He was going. But it is like this only
in His mädhurya-lélä in Vraja. In His aiçvarya-lélä in Dvärakä
He expands into many forms, but in Vraja He doesn’t expand
into more forms; He remains in one form only. When Närada saw
Kåñëa expand into all of these forms in His aiçvarya-lélä, he was
not at all astonished. When was he really astonished? When he
saw Kåñëa in His mädhurya-lélä. With great speed and dexterity
the same one Kåñëa was appearing simultaneously between
millions of gopés, and each and every gopé was thinking, “Oh,
Kåñëa is very attracted to me! He loves me the most!”
Next Närada speaks this verse (Båhad-bhägavatämåta 2.4.167):

kvacit keñv api jéveñu

tat-tac-chakti-praveçataù
tasyäveçävatärä ye
te ’pi tadvan matä budhaiù

When Bhagavän’s potency enters into a living entity, he is known

by the wise to be a çaktyäveça-avatära, an empowered incarnation.

If any special potency of Bhagavän enters into a living

entity, he is called a çaktyäveça-avatära. This is the meaning
of çaktyäveça-avatära: Bhagavän has transmitted His own
transcendental potency (bhagavattä-çakti) into that person.
Bhagavän is the possessor of all çakti, but bhagavattä is the
manifestation of çakti. Bhagavän has unlimited qualities and
this çakti manifests them all. Bhagavän is heroic, merciful,
knowledgable and full in all six opulences, and they all manifest
by çakti. Who really lifted Giriräja-Govardhana? Çakti, without
whom His each and every activity would not take place. But we
should not think that çakti, potency, and çaktimän, the possessor
of the potency, are separate. They are one and the same.

Rarest Archiver
98 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

We must respect those in whom çakti has entered just as we

would respect incarnations of Bhagavän Himself. Paraçuräma,
Närada, Kapiladeva – we should give respect to them as empowered
incarnations of Bhagavän because there çakti has manifested.
Who is the guru? There are different gradations, but he is either
Bhagavän’s jïäna-avatära, bhakti-avatära or prema-avatära:

säkñäd-dharitvena samasta-çästrair
uktas tathä bhävyata eva sadbhiù
kintu prabhor yaù priya eva tasya
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam
Çré Gurvañöaka (7)

The spiritual master is to be honoured as much as Bhagavän

Himself because he is the most confidential servant of the Lord.
This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all
authorities. I offer obeisances to the lotus feet of such a guru.

If a Vaiñëava gives us bhakti, then what will we call him?

What sentiment will we have towards him? He is giving us çikñä,
instruction, and although he may not have spoken the mantra in
our ear, he is giving us bhakti. He is giving us something which is
indescribable. Yadunandana Äcärya originally gave initiation to
Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé, but is what Rüpa Gosvämé gave him
later to be considered less important than that? We should always
consider these things. The çakti of Bhagavän is within the spiritual
master, so we should respect him just as we respect Bhagavän. In
reality even more credit should be given to the guru, because by his
mercy we can understand Bhagavän. We have no direct knowledge
of Bhagavän. Mahäprabhu was very merciful, but we can’t say
that we actually know Him. Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura, Rüpa Gosvämé – we have heard that they were
all very merciful, and they can give us mercy from their position,
but it is our own guru who can give us special things because of

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Seven 99

our direct relationship with him. He attracts us to bhakti and

eradicates our desires for material enjoyment, so therefore birth
after birth we will remain indebted to him.

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight

The Glories of Yogamäyä

Närada Åñi has explained to Gopa-kumära that just as Bhagavän,

being one, assumes different incarnations, His internal potency is
also one but comes in different forms. According to her different
activities, she is known by different names. In different forms this
same potency is present in Dvärakä-puré, in Vaikuëöha with the
various incarnations of Näräyaëa, and with the demigods.
It is written in some places that devotees don’t desire the
mercy of the Lakñmé who is the goddess of aiçvarya, opulence. We
should understand that this does not refer to the Mahä-Lakñmé
of Näräyaëa in the spiritual world. That Lakñmé is not caïcalä,
restless, but she is steady and permanent, and in that form she is
perpetually serving Näräyaëa.
Caïcalä Lakñmé was born from the churning of the milk ocean.
This Lakñmé is the goddess who embodies all money and wealth,
and devotees don’t desire her mercy. Even if she wants to serve
devotees and fulfil their desires, they simply offer obeisances to her
and leave. What to speak of older devotees, even new devotees are
more dear than her to Bhagavän. Kåñëa said:

na tathä me priyatama
ätma-yonir na çaìkaraù
na ca saìkarñaëo na çrér
naivätmä ca yathä bhavän
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.14.15)

Rarest Archiver
102 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

My dear Uddhava, neither Brahmä, Çaìkara, Saìkarñana, the

goddess of fortune Lakñmé, nor even My own self are as dear to
Me as you are.

He has spoken this verse in relation to caïcalä Lakñmé. If the

Lakñmé who is near Näräyaëa serving Him in Vaikuëöha were
to hear this verse, what would she do? Therefore don’t take this
verse to be in relation to her. This can be said for the Lakñmé
who appeared as the daughter of Bhågu. Only a Vaiñëava who
has attentively heard from the guru-paramparä will understand
statements like these from the scriptures. Others will certainly
misunderstand. Some may say that in this verse Lakñmé is another
name of Rädhikä, but that would mean that another devotee would
be greater than Rädhikä – Uddhava would be a greater devotee
than Her. Uddhava desires to take the dust of the gopés’ feet on
his head, so to think that anyone is greater than Rädhikä, the very
origin of all goddesses of fortune, would certainly be erroneous.
In order to understand which Lakñmé has been referred to in this
verse requires some careful consideration. We must try to properly
understand our siddhänta, and that can only be done by remaining
in the association of Vaiñëavas.
This verse refers to the Lakñmé that bestows mystic perfections,
who gave opulence to Brahmä and the demigods, and who appeared
from the churning of the ocean. What to speak of older devotees,
even new devotees are superior to her. Devotees, liberated souls
and those who desire liberation: these three types of people don’t
worship that goddess of wealth, caïcalä Lakñmé. This verse is not
referring to the Lakñmé who is constantly situated at Bhagavän’s
chest, massaging His feet and serving Him. That Mahä-Lakñmé
is steady, not restless, and is very dear to Bhagavän. No devotee
will ever be indifferent towards her. But if anyone aspires for the
affectionate sidelong glance from the source of all incarnations,
Çré Kåñëa, and His dearest Çrématé Rädhikä, then they will simply

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 103

respect this Mahä-Lakñmé but not beg for her mercy. They will beg
for mercy directly from Çrématé Rädhikä Herself.
This is not to be considered disrespect; there is no place
for disrespecting any Vaiñëavas. A Vaiñëava who is rasika and
tattvajïa, conversant with the science of Kåñëa, should always be
respected. But that doesn’t mean that the remainder of Vaiñëavas
should be disrespected. That will be an offence, aparädha. But we
should be especially careful to commit no offence at the feet of
Kåñëa’s exclusive rasika, tattvajïa Vaiñëava, and with our hearts
we will always aspire to serve him.
Suppose there is a festival going on and hundreds of devotees
are there, including uttama-adhikäré Vaiñëavas, madhyama-adhikäré
Vaiñëavas and kaniñöha-adhikäré Vaiñëavas. If amongst them there
is an exclusive rägänuga or even rüpänuga Vaiñëava, then we
shall give more respect to him, but we will have to give it with
cleverness. Otherwise ordinary people will think that they can be
indifferent to kaniñöha-adhikäré and madhyama-adhikäré devotees.
On three levels we shall accordingly offer respect, but with some
cleverness. Appropriate respect must be shown to all, in gradation,
just as Rüpa Gosvämé has written:

kåñëeti yasya giri taà manasädriyeta

dékñästi cet praëatibhiç ca bhajantam éçam
çuçrüñayä bhajana-vijïam ananyam anya-
nindädi-çünya-hådam épsita-saìga-labdhyä
Upadeçämåta (5)

The uttama Vaiñëava should be served with love. Being an

exclusive devotee, he never criticises anyone. Whether he obtains
happiness or unhappiness, he remains satisfied. He serves Kåñëa
exclusively by the topmost, radiant devotional mellow (ujjvala-
rasa), so towards him we will have a special sentiment, but we will
not disrespect anyone. One devotee we will criticise, another we
will disobey, another we will disrespect – saving ourselves from

Rarest Archiver
104 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

this mentality we should give appropriate respect to all, and serve

the advanced rasika Vaiñëava with love.
Yogamäyä has so many forms, and we should never commit any
offence to any of them. We should give them appropriate respect
because they are the çakti of Bhagavän, but we should not perform
any give-and-take transactions with them. This should be the only
taking: “Please give your mercy to us so our enjoying spirit will
go away.” Otherwise, this bartering mentality will lead us into
material enjoyment. That should be our only prayer to them, and
towards our most worshipful goddesses, the gopés, we should have a
mood of following and serving them.
In some places this potency of Bhagavän is known as mahä-
vibhüti, in some places as Yogamäyä, and in some places as ätma-
mäyä. In Bhagavad-gétä (4.6) we find the words sambhavämy
ätma-mäyayä: “I incarnate by My internal energy.” What is the
meaning of ätma-mäyä? That potency of Bhagavän in His natural
form. Where does this ätma-mäyä come from? Who is its root?
Çrématé Rädhikä. By the medium of this potency, sac-cid-änanda,
Bhagavän’s enjoyment takes place. This Yogamäyä potency
is eternal (nitya), factual (satya), beginningless (anädi) and
unlimited (ananta). She took birth along with Kåñëa, so how can
she be anädi, beginningless? Prior to her own birth, she arranged
for Baladeva Prabhu to appear as the seventh child in the womb of
Devaké and then she herself took birth from the womb of Yaçodä
later. So because she performed some activity before taking birth,
she is eternal, and is therefore known as Sanätané.
This Yogamäyä is the one who increases bhajanänanda, the
happiness experienced by Kåñëa’s servants. This Yogamäyä, taking
the essence of the hlädiné and saàvit potencies together, takes a
devotee progressively through the stages of çraddhä, bhäva, prema
and all the way up to mahäbhäva. As if feeding the devotees milk,
she nurtures them in so many ways, and she arranges for a soul
who has attained perfection in sädhana to appear in the womb

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 105

of a gopé. The personification of that Yogamäyä, Paurëamäsé, is

the mother of Sändépani Muni and resides in Nandagräma. In
many ways she increases rasa, either by providing a stimulus, or
by personally doing so as Paurëamäsé. She increases Yaçodä’s
vätsalya-rasa, she increases the cowherd boys’ sakhya-rasa, and she
increases the däsya-bhäva of those in that rasa. She enhances all
of the rasas and nurtures all living entities. She is the mother of
variegated bhajanänanda, and if one doesn’t take shelter of her,
his bhakti cannot increase.
This Yogamäyä is the foundation of the Lord’s many kinds
of incarnations. She makes all the arrangements in regard to
Bhagavän’s dress, appearance, ornaments and pastimes. On one
of the many occasions when Kåñëa played the flute, the gopés went
into a state of bewilderment. Some were wearing ornaments in the
wrong places, and others placed make-up in places where it should
not have been applied. They were in varying awkward conditions.
Who arranged all of this? Yogamäyä. Their state of disarray
increased their beauty one million times. Yogamäyä was the cause
of this. Suppose one gopé puts an ankle bracelet around her neck,
and a necklace around her ankle. When she goes before Kåñëa,
He will see it and say, “Oh, you have arranged your ornaments
so beautifully!” So tell me then: how much more valuable has it
become? The cause is Yogamäyä.
This potency of the Lord is durvitarkyä: inconceivable. Through
Yogamäyä, Kåñëa performs pastimes with His devotees, there is His
mugdhatä (being spellbound in emotion), the mugdhatä of Yaçodä
and all varieties of pastimes. From the very beginning it is done
by her for the pleasure of Bhagavän and His devotees. In another
form called Mahämäyä, the activities of the demons are facilitated
and the jévas are bound within material existence.
Vasudeva took Kåñëa to Gokula and brought the girl Yogamäyä
back from the bed of Yaçodä. As long as she was with Vasudeva,
she remained as Yogamäyä; but when she arrived in the jail of

Rarest Archiver
106 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Kaàsa, and Kaàsa lifted her up to kill her, then the activities of
Mahämäyä began, and Yogamäyä, in an invisible form, began her
own activities. Exactly when she changed to her shadow form, no
one knew. Seeing this, it must appear to most persons that they are
one and the same potency, but they are not one. When she was
placed in the jail and Kaàsa grabbed her, she became eight-armed
Durgä. He became astonished and frightened, and said, “Oh, you
are directly my worshipful goddess!” But ultimately, at what point
she left her form as Yogamäyä, and how she did this and that – it
is all durvitarkyä, inconceivable.
The potency of Bhagavän is eternal, factual, beginningless,
unlimited and indescribable. It cannot be fully described in words
and an ordinary man cannot portray its form. Only an elevated,
liberated, great soul can describe a little of it. Otherwise it cannot
be described at all.
We know that we are not the body. Hundreds of thousands of
times we have spoken this fact to others, but then we perform some
sensual activity and again we forget this. If for one second we forget
that we are not this body, then all of our determination for spiritual
advancement may vanish. It happened to such a great liberated
personality as Närada. In the Rämäyaëa it is said that he was the
cause of the appearance of Rämacandra.3 Selfishness for one penny
can drown us in mundane consciousness. We must remain strong
in bhajana, and with great humility we should perform sädhana-

3 Once Närada desired to marry a princess, and in order to be successful

at her svayaàvara, he prayed to Viñëu for a face as beautiful as His. But
to protect the bhakti of His devotee, Viñëu instead gave Närada the face
of a monkey. Not understanding why everyone was ridiculing him at the
svayaàvara, Närada was then told to go and look at his reflection in a
pond. Realising that Viñëu had deceived him, he cursed Viñëu that in His
next life He would lose His wife, and that He would have to take the help
of monkeys to get her back. Therefore Närada is said to be the cause of the
descent of Çré Rämacandra.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 107

bhajana. Only by the influence of this Yogamäyä – when this potency

is transmitted into the heart of a living entity – will the sentiment
of bhakti arise, and we will be able to properly engage in the limbs
of devotion headed by hearing and chanting. How is it done? By the
essence of the hlädiné and saàvit potencies together this sentiment
arises in the heart of a jéva. This is called viçuddha-sattva, and this is
the activity of Yogamäyä. She performs unlimited types of service in
Vaikuëöha, Dvärakä, Mathurä and finally in Våndävana.
There are differences in bhakti, and also differences in rasa.
What are the differences in bhakti? Sädhana-bhakti, bhäva-bhakti,
vaidhé-bhakti, rägänuga-bhakti, and within them also are niñöhä,
ruci, äsakti, bhäva, and next, in nitya-siddha devotees or in sädhana-
siddha devotees are sneha, mäna, praëaya, räga, anuräga, bhäva
and mahäbhäva. This variegatedness is all arranged by Yogamäyä.
Bhakti is one; bhakti is not two. It is one sentiment, even though
externally we see that there are sixty-four kinds, or nine kinds, or
five kinds, or three kinds. Rasa is also one. Rasa is not many, but
according to the different fields of activity of sädhakas, it appears
to be in different forms. Çåìgära is one complete rasa, mädhurya-
rasa. Manifest from that in sequence are vätsalya, sakhya and
däsya, and it appears in those forms. Bhagavän is one, not two, but
according to the gradation of one’s devotion and the gradation of
one’s knowledge, He appears as Brahman, Paramätmä, Bhagavän,
Kåñëa and so many other forms. The same moon, according to
our angle of vision, appears as the lunar days of dvitéyä, trayodaçé,
païcamé and so on – the moon doesn’t change. It is the same moon;
only our vision of it changes. Therefore sometimes it is amävasyä,
the new moon night, sometimes it is pürëimä, the full moon, and
in precisely the same way, the same Bhagavän appears differently
according to the gradation in a devotee’s sädhana. Similarly,
Bhagavän’s potency is also seen according to the gradation in a
devotee’s sädhana. All of this variegatedness is the arrangement of
Yogamäyä, and therefore for Yogamäyä there are so many mantras:

Rarest Archiver
108 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

çré-paurëamäsyaç caraëäravindaà
vande sadä bhakti-vitäna-hetum
çré-kåñëa-léläbdhi-taraìga-magnaà
yasya manaù sarva-niñevitäyäù

I offer obeisances to the lotus feet of Çré Paurëamäsé-devé, who is

Bhagavän’s Yogamäyä potency. She expands pure prema-bhakti for
the feet of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa, and her mind is always immersed in
the ocean of Kåñëa’s pastimes.

kätyäyani mahä-mäye
mahä-yoginy adhéçvari
nanda-gopa-sutaà devi
patià me kuru te namaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.22.4)

[The gopés worshipped Yogamäyä with this mantra:] O goddess

Kätyäyané, you are the great internal potency of Bhagavän, the
possessor of all mystic power and the ultimate controller. Please
make the son of Nanda our husband. We offer obeisances to you.

All of the variegatedness in Bhagavän’s pastimes is arranged by

Yogamäyä. Although the influence of this potency is indescribable,
it is known to pure devotees, and they can describe it. Just as the
glories of Bhagavän are indescribable, the glories of this potency
are also indescribable, but knowing something of it, Bhagavän’s
pure devotees have described it. Çukadeva Gosvämé, Vyäsa,
Paräçara, Närada, Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämés, Jéva Gosvämé –
many äcäryas have described it.

sä paräparayoù çaktyoù
parä çaktir nigadyate
prabhoù sväbhäviké sä hi
khyätä prakåtir ity api
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.178)

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 109

Bhagavän’s potencies are classified either as superior or inferior.

Yogamäyä is His superior, internal potency, and because she is
Bhagavän’s natural potency, in some places she is known by the
name Prakåti.

This Yogamäyä and Mahämäyä are called the parä, superior,

and aparä, inferior, potencies, respectively. They are perceived as
two forms. Actually they are one, but the original is parä, and its
shadow is aparä. What is the meaning of “shadow”? That which
is non-different from the original but does not perform the same
functions, is called a shadow. But not like the shadow of a tree which
performs no activity. Our shadow also performs no activity, but the
shadow of Bhagavän’s potency is not inactive. In Goloka, Kåñëa’s
räsa-lélä, Kåñëa’s taking birth, devotees serving Kåñëa, Kåñëa’s
form, the gopés’ forms, the trees and plants there – everything is
manifest by the influence of Yogamäyä and is true and eternal.
And what are the activities of the apara-çakti? In different places
in nature, by the action of this potency, some things are unreal,
and some things are temporary. Some things are satya, real, and
some things are asatya, false. All the relationships that we create
in this world are false, whereas all of the objects of this world are
true, but temporary.
Shells from the ocean are real, and silver is also real, but the
illusion of thinking the shells to be silver is asatya, unreal. These
shells glitter just like silver, and both of these things are real. The
seer is also real. Three things are real, but considering these shells
to be silver is unreal. Or when there is a rope, a snake and a seer,
these three things are also real, but the illusion of considering
the rope to be a snake is unreal. At night, when we are walking
along in the dark, we may step on a rope. Because it is a little stiff,
it wraps around our foot and we cry out, “Snake! Snake!” Then
with a lamp we take a look, and our fear disappears. We may have

Rarest Archiver
110 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

thought that a snake had bitten us and that we were going to die,
but after some light comes, that illusion is dispelled.
All of us are undoubtedly real, but to take it that “I am this
body” is illusion. And to think that “all of these objects belong
to me” is also illusion. What is “mine”? “I belong to Kåñëa, and
I am His servant.” Up to this point our conception is real. We
should consider all objects as instruments to be employed in the
service of Bhagavän, but instead we think, “I am their master.”
On account of this, so much quarrelling and fighting is going on.
Sädhus generally consider that nothing belongs to them, but when
necessity for a certain object arises, even they claim ownership
over it and fight amongst themselves.
Therefore, this mäyä-çakti is very peculiar. This potency is one,
but the external potency binds the jéva in an illusory conception
of himself and his surroundings, whereas the internal potency,
Yogamäyä, illuminates within the jéva the knowledge of things
related to Bhagavän and bhakti. We may pray to Mahämäyä, “Please
be merciful to us. Now we are a little entrapped in your illusion,
but we pray to you for bhakti to the feet of Kåñëa.” This Mahämäyä,
Kämäkhyä-devé, honestly and affectionately gave Gopa-kumära the
gopäla-mantra. Although displaying the form of Mahämäyä, she
performed the function of Yogamäyä. This potency in the form of
Yogamäyä acts to benefit devotees, but if someone honestly desires
it, then even in the form of Mahämäyä this potency will show
mercy to devotees. Otherwise, Mahämäyä cheats the conditioned
soul. At first, which potency came to Haridäsa Öhäkura in the form
of a prostitute? Mahämäyä. Next, after she became a devotee, her
activities were those of Yogamäyä. In all of these things we should
see the difference and non-difference according to the siddhänta
given by Caitanya Mahäprabhu, acintya-bhedäbheda.
The living entity has also been called para-çakti. Bhagavad-gétä
(7.5) says:

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 111

apareyam itas tv anyäà

prakåtià viddhi me paräm
jéva-bhütäà mahä-bäho
yayedaà dhäryate jagat

Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior

energy of Mine, which is the living entities who are exploiting the
resources of the material, inferior nature.

How many prakåti, or natures, does the Lord have? One.

Bhagavän’s natural potency – sväbhäviké – means para-çakti. But
by saying prakåti, we understand it to refer to the inferior nature,
which creates this temporary world composed of eight elements. By
saying mäyä we are referring to ätma-mäyä, the internal potency,
but people in general don’t know this, so the material world is
usually known as mäyä. The activities of the shadow potency
Mahämäyä are generally either false or temporary, whereas all the
many activities of Yogamäyä are eternal.
Where does Mahämäyä, the goddess who embodies this
potency that makes the souls consider their bodies to be their
actual selves, herself reside? Within the eighth material covering
of the universe. Her complexion is very dark (çyäma); there, all
is çyäma. In a very beautiful and attractive form she is situated
there, and previously in that very place she met Gopa-kumära.
With some gifts to offer, she came before Gopa-kumära and said,
“Tell me what you desire. Do you desire bhakti? Then I will give
you bhakti. Do you want facility to enjoy material happiness? Then
I will give you all material happiness. I can give you everything,
including bhakti, because I am the sister of Bhagavän. I will give
you whatever you desire.”
By her mercy, Gopa-kumära emerged from there and again
returned to the Earth planet. Otherwise it is not possible to come
out from there. By our own effort it is not possible to overcome our

Rarest Archiver
112 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

illusion, and we just simply become more entrapped. Therefore we

should depend fully on the grace of the Vaiñëavas, the spiritual
master and Bhagavän, and we should not try on our own to escape
this entrapment.
Next, Närada told Gopa-kumära, “Here in Vaikuëöha, you
will see many different incarnations. One type is vyañöi, and one
is samañöi.” Who is the samañöi-avatära? Kåñëa Himself. As we
are vyañöi-jévas, and the samañöi-jéva is Hiraëyagarbha Brahmä,
there are so many expanded incarnations such as Kürma, Varäha,
Nåsiàha, Paraçuräma and Vämana, but don’t consider Kåñëa to be
like Them. Kåñëa is samañöi – the seed, the root of all incarnations –
and from this original seed, different forms come. From a mango
seed, a néma tree will not come, nor will bananas or guavas come
from this mango seed. But Kåñëa is such a seed that He is the seed
of everything; such a very wonderful seed is Kåñëa. Therefore He
expands into all of the incarnations by His acintya-çakti. This
is possible only for Kåñëa and no one else. Näräyaëa may also
have incarnations; for some purpose an incarnation may emerge
from Him, but the special difference between Him and Kåñëa is
that even if Näräyaëa does assume an incarnation, He will not
perform variegated pastimes. Kåñëa is avatäré, the source of all
incarnations, and when He personally descends, He performs
unlimited variegated pastimes. Plus Kåñëa possesses four extra
special qualities of mädhurya that Näräyaëa does not.
Närada is explaining all of this to Gopa-kumära. “You desire
to witness all of these pastimes, but how will you see them here?”
Not aloud, but secretly Närada is telling him. “Kåñëa can do the
work of the Vämana incarnation. Alone, Kåñëa can do the work
of all the Viñëu incarnations, the manvantara incarnations, the
çaktyäveça-avatäras, the lélä-avatäras – anything that Näräyaëa
does, Kåñëa can do also. No one else can do all of this: it is a special
quality of Kåñëa.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eight 113

The word bhagavän means what? Bhaga means ‘opulences’ –

six in all – and vän means ‘He who possesses them’. Many men of
this world possess some opulence, but complete opulence is found
only in Näräyaëa or in His incarnations. And where is opulence
more complete? In Kåñëa of Dvärakä and Mathurä. And where
is opulence the most complete? In Vrajendra-nandana. There we
find full wealth (aiçvarya), strength (vérya), fame (yaça), beauty
(çré), knowledge (jïäna) and renunciation (vairägya).

aiçvaryasya samagrasya
véryasya yaçasaù çriyah
jïäna-vairägyayoç cäpi
ñaëëäà bhaga itéìganä
Viñëu Puräëa (6.5.74)

All of these qualities are found in Näräyaëa and the incarnations

also. Like aiçvarya – what is the opulence of Vämanadeva? He
appeared very small, but at the time of measuring the Earth, He
immediately became wonderfully huge and in three steps covered
the entire universe. This is aiçvarya. Rämacandra, taking all of the
monkeys and bears with Him, attacked Laìkä and cut off Rävaëa’s
head, but a new head emerged. Each time He cut off Rävaëa’s
head, it would return. Finally He made a plan where by cutting off
Rävaëa’s ten heads, they would not return, and Rävaëa was killed.
This is aiçvarya. Dvärakädhéça Kåñëa possesses so much opulence,
and all of the other incarnations possess so much opulence, but
Kåñëa’s opulence is especially marvellous. As a small boy He was
at the breast of Pütanä, drinking and drinking, and no one knew
what He was actually doing. He wouldn’t leave her breast, so they
thought that maybe He was only playing. Then He sucked out her
life. He was thinking, “I don’t like anyone to come to Våndävana
and then leave again. She has entered within the boundaries of
Vraja, therefore I will not allow her to ever leave.”

Rarest Archiver
114 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

This is aiçvarya, and it reaches its zenith in Kåñëa. There is

some renunciation (vairägya) in Räma: He left His kingdom, but
He didn’t leave Sétä – He left together with her. Kåñëa’s vairägya
is such that hundreds of thousands of gopés were collected together
at a very pure place, and a cool breeze was blowing; both kiçora and
kiçorés were there, but at once He disappeared. Kåñëa had such
a strong feeling of vairägya that right before His eyes, fifty-six
million members of the Yadu dynasty took canes and sticks and
fought and killed one another – even His own son was finished
and fell to the ground, yet Kåñëa, neither smiling, nor worrying,
nor saving anyone, just sat quietly with His legs crossed. Why? His
vision was that all of this fighting and killing was just an indrajäla,
a magical illusion. Therefore the pinnacle of all six opulences is
found only in Kåñëa. Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.3.28) says:

ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù

kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam

All of these incarnations are either plenary portions or parts of

plenary portions of the puruña-avatäras, but Kåñëa is Bhagavän
Himself.

Närada told Gopa-kumära, “Svayam Bhagavän Kåñëa’s pastimes

are variegated, His affection is variegated, His prema is variegated,
and His associates are variegated. Anyone who has had even half
of a taste of this immense variegatedness by hearing about it simply
cannot remain here in Vaikuëöha.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Nine

Kåñëa Gives Prema Even To His

Enemies

Gopa-kumära was somewhat dissatisfied with Vaikuëöha – that

Vaikuëöha which is so desirable, where very, very beautiful bhakti
is going on, and which is so difficult to attain. When Gopa-kumära
arrived there, Näräyaëa engaged him in the service of fanning Him
with a cämara. Sometimes He even displayed the form of Gopäla
and the lélä of taking the cows out to graze and other pastimes also,
but still Gopa-kumära was not happy there.
I knew of one man who from childhood was hankering to go
to Våndävana from his residence in the state of Bihar. He was
thinking, “When will I be able to go to Våndävana? There I will
bathe in the Yamunä, I will roll in the kuïjas; sometimes I will
go to Rädhä-kuëòa, and sometimes I will go to Çyäma-kuëòa.”
After a very long time the opportunity finally arrived, and
leaving everything behind, he went to Våndävana and stayed for
some time. At first, with great emotion he roamed in the four
directions, smearing dust on himself and everything. Then after
some time, something astonishing happened: gradually his ‘fever’
decreased. It is like a fever, isn’t it? “I will go to Våndävana, I will
go to Govardhana, I will go to Rädhä-kuëòa.” At first his fever
had increased, and so he left everything and came to Våndävana.
He visited all the places of Kåñëa’s pastimes and daily he visited
numerous temples and went on parikramä. Sometimes he would
even do parikramä two or three times in the same day. He did

Rarest Archiver
116 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

whatever he was physically capable of doing, but then after some

time the low tide of his fever came, and he didn’t perform any
parikramä or visit any temples.
Some come to Våndävana and without understanding
anything they say, “This is the fruit of one or two births’ sädhana,
in Våndävana?” But others come and see that Våndävana is full
of rasa, and upon residing here for a short time, they become
overwhelmed with bhäva. But for those who are newcomers and
don’t have such internal development, what will they see in
the dust and stone of Våndävana? Everything they come across
will only disturb their minds, and this will be their darçana of
Våndävana.
But Gopa-kumära’s mind was disturbed in Vaikuëöha for a
different reason. In his heart there was some ardent desire; intense
spiritual greed produces this type of ardent desire. And how did it
come? For millions of years he had been practising sädhana: he had
been to Brahmaloka and many other worlds and back again, and
millions of years had elapsed. His ardent desire didn’t come after
only one day; it came only after performing bhajana by way of the
gopäla-mantra, like the method of Brahmä. In our sampradäya it
is one of the main mantras, yet still he was not feeling completely
fulfilled.
Vaikuëöha is the pinnacle attained by vaidhé-bhakti and is not
minimised in our scriptures. Up to the Ninth Canto of Çrémad-
Bhägavatam it is said to be the highest destination. Where was
Ajämila taken? What was the destination of Prahläda? Vaikuëöha.
And what was the destination of Dhruva? Dhruvaloka, meaning
one extended part of Vaikuëöha. Therefore it has been stated
that there is no higher place to be attained by performing bhakti.
Although in one or two places in the scriptures we find the glories
of Goloka Vraja described, they have been described so briefly that
an ordinary person will not understand Goloka’s true value; only

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Nine 117

one who can extract the essence will see, not everyone. Obtaining
residence there is extremely rare, and within Gopa-kumära’s heart
is that rare desire for darçana of Gopäla. Along with that he desires
kåñëa-prema that is unrestricted like a horse with no reins.
What is unrestricted prema? The members of Çrématé Rädhikä’s
family bound Her inside the house, and the other gopés were
also bound inside their homes. “If you go to meet Kåñëa we will
punish you! Serve your husband or we will beat you! And we will
spread your bad name everywhere!” Prema with fear of worldly
reaction due to having failed to uphold one’s dharma is restricted
love; but the gopés left their husbands regardless to be with Kåñëa.
Their prema was not bound; rather it was fully manifested, and it
even increased further. Many obstacles will come, yet prema will
surely cross over them and heighten one’s desire to meet Kåñëa.
Therefore so many people were given obstacles, their desire for
meeting Kåñëa increased, and they finally met Him. Where there is
a mood of awe and reverence (aiçvarya-bhäva), there is no place for
such prema. If Bhagavän manifests His nature as the Supreme, He
will not freely converse with any ladies and He will not approach
any young, unmarried girl. Would Rämacandra even look upon
the face of an unmarried girl? Would Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
after He accepted sannyäsa? What to speak of not noting what
ornaments they would be wearing around their necks or on their
wrists, Mahäprabhu would not even look at the nails of their toes!
Although They are Bhagavän, still They possess such shyness and
dharmajïa, constant awareness of upholding Their dharma.
Where there is such a sentiment, prema is restricted, but
this obstacle is due to the nature of one’s own worshipful Lord.
Obstacles imposed by others are not enough to be a problem. All
such obstacles were placed before Gopa-kumära. In Vaikuëöha, the
residents teased him: “You keep saying ‘Gopäla, Gopäla, Kåñëa,’
and you say that while holding a piece of bamboo stick Kåñëa will

Rarest Archiver
118 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

engage in the räsa dance with the gopés? This is a very shameful
thing. Will Näräyaëa ever do this?” But this is not the problem,
the obstacle. Then why is Gopa-kumära dissatisfied? Närada told
him the reason. “In the form of Näräyaëa, He will not manifest
the type of prema that you desire; He simply will not give it. You
will not be able to laugh with Him, converse freely with Him –
that is the big obstacle to prema here.”
Before, when Närada Åñi told Gopa-kumära to remain in
Vaikuëöha for some time, he wanted him to understand all of this
tattva. Näräyaëa has a total of sixty qualities, five more than the
demigods. Of these five, the first is His being hatäri-gati-däyaka:
He gives a high destination to those killed by His own hand. The
second is that He possesses the highest pinnacle of all aiçvarya. The
third is that He is the original seed of all different incarnations.
The fourth is that He is the attractor of even the liberated souls,
and the fifth is that He is eternally present in millions of universes.
Therefore Näräyaëa is also Bhagavän and avatäré, the seed of all
incarnations. Kåñëa is also avatäré, so what is the difference between
Them? When we say that Näräyaëa doesn’t come as an avatära, we
mean that His selfsame form that is present in Vaikuëöha will not
come to this world. Hayagréva and other incarnations come, but
Näräyaëa Himself – with club, lotus flower, disc and conchshell in
His four hands – comes in another form as someone’s son, husband,
brother or friend, and then performs all His pastimes from those
positions. And Kåñëa? Bringing Våndävana-dhäma with Him, He
descends in His original form, playing the flute and enjoying with
the gopés. Bringing His dhäma and associates, He descends in His
selfsame form.
The Näräyaëa present at Badaré-Näräyaëa in the form of Nara
and Näräyaëa is different from vaikuëöha-adhipati Näräyaëa, the
master of Vaikuëöha. When Näräyaëa came here as Vämana,
Lakñmé also came here, but it was Vämana Näräyaëa that came

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Nine 119

here, and in Vaikuëöha-dhäma there was still vaikuëöha-adhipati

Näräyaëa. Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, lying on Çeña, is also Näräyaëa,
but His form and activities are different. The form and activities
of the original Näräyaëa of Vaikuëöha are not brought to this
world. Therefore it is said that there is no actual incarnation of
Näräyaëa Himself. But in His original form as a kiçora, Kåñëa
descends bringing His associates, His lélä, and the entire sixty-
four-square-mile Vraja-maëòala, which includes Rädhä-kuëòa,
Çyäma-kuëòa, Giriräja-Govardhana, Nandagräma and Varñäëä.
This is His special characteristic; Näräyaëa doesn’t do this. This is
Kåñëa’s unique characteristic as the avatäré.
Bhagavän has so many forms, and all are hatäri-gati-däyaka.
What does that mean? Those demons and enemies who are
personally killed by Him are given a high destination. Rämacandra,
Nåsiàha, Varäha, Paraçuräma and all other incarnations are hatäri-
gati-däyaka. The five qualities that are found in Bhagavän and not
found in the demigods are found to the highest degree in Kåñëa.
In Näräyaëa and the incarnations these qualities are complete
(pürëa), but in Kåñëa they are most complete (pürëatama). When
any incarnation from Näräyaëa up to Nåsiàha kills someone,
what destination do They give to those They have killed? Sutala,
Svarga, Brahmaloka, all kinds of destinations. And They will also
give liberation, mukti, to some enemies killed by Them. According
to how someone has approached Them, They will give a particular
destination to that person.
For example, in räma-lélä there was Çarbaìga Åñi, who was
worshipping the impersonal brahma. He heard that Rämacandra
was coming, and thinking that Räma was the personification of
brahma, he waited for Him. After the sage waited for some time,
Rämacandra finally came and gave His darçana to him. Being very
pleased, the sage said, “O Lord, give me my desired destination.”
Then from the sage’s body a light came out, and that light entered

Rarest Archiver
120 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

into the body of Rämacandra and the sage attained liberation. He

was such an unfortunate man: he received the direct darçana of
Rämacandra and he merely asked for liberation! Therefore Räma
will give liberation. Many incarnations will give it, but to those
who approach Them as enemies, these incarnations will not give
prema.
What is real liberation? According to Çrémad-Bhägavatam it
is svarüpeëa vyavasthitiù: that liberation which bestows service
to the feet of Bhagavän, which is the highest destination. Those
incarnations will not give this type of mukti. Especially They will
not give it to those enemies whom They have killed. Nåsiàha
killed Hiraëyakaçipu, and Varäha killed Hiraëyäkña, yet neither
of these demons obtained liberation in that birth. But Kåñëa killed
numerous demons and not only gave them liberation, to some He
even gave prema! Like Pütanä: she approached Kåñëa in the guise
of a mother, so He gave her a motherly position in Vraja. She
didn’t directly become Kåñëa’s mother; she was given a position
in Goloka as an elderly däsé, one who feeds Kåñëa milk. Otherwise
there would be a problem – she would be equal to Yaçodä, but that
isn’t the case. She went to Goloka as a däsé. This type of liberation
Kåñëa can give, and no other incarnation can give it.
Those that are killed by Bhagavän are generally given ordinary
destinations, but don’t think that He doesn’t give liberation as
well. He can give liberation, and to devotees He gives prema.
Citraketu Mahäräja didn’t desire liberation, and so he prayed:

na näka-påñöhaà na ca pärameñöhyaà
na särva-bhaumaà na rasädhipatyam
na yoga-siddhér apunar-bhavaà vä
samaïjasa tvä virahayya käìkñe
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.11.25)

O Bhagavän, I do not desire to attain Dhruvaloka or Brahmaloka,

nor do I desire to rule over the middle or lower planetary systems.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Nine 121

I also do not desire the mystic perfections of yoga, nor liberation

from the cycle of repeated birth and death if it means being
separated from You.

Nåsiàhadeva offered liberation to Prahläda Mahäräja, but

Prahläda didn’t desire it. In this way devotees don’t desire
liberation, but if anyone wants it, Bhagavän can give it. And He
gives prema to those who worship Him with a desire for it, like
the royal princesses of Janakapura. They wanted Räma to marry
them and become their husband, so He showed them the path:
“I can only accept one wife; therefore all of you will take birth
in kåñëa-lélä in the wombs of gopés, and there your desires will be
fulfilled.” Those great sages of Dandakaranya also first had to take
birth as gopés in Gokula; they were not sent directly to Goloka.
Their identities as gopés had not yet developed, so they had to first
reside in the Vraja of this world for some time.
When a man takes a law course and passes the magistrate
exams, will he then immediately become a judge? He will first have
to undergo practical training by staying with an established judge
for some time, and then he can become a judge himself. Similarly,
going to the Vraja of this world, one will have to first undergo
an apprenticeship, meaning that he must learn from someone,
personally. For example, if a newly married girl goes to the house of
her mother-in-law and hasn’t yet learned how to cook, clean pots
and serve food, then every day she will have to take abuse. But the
members of the household will teach her everything. The mother-
in-law will say, “My daughter, today my health is not so good. You
do the cooking. Also, scrub the pots and sweep a little. I must rest,
so you make some roöés like this....” Through such cleverness they
will give her all practical instruction. In the same way, where will
one receive this practical instruction to serve as a gopé? In the
manifest pastimes of Bhagavän in Gokula Vraja, not at any other
place. In a practical way, in the company of the eternally perfected

Rarest Archiver
122 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

devotees, for some time one will undergo an apprenticeship and

learn. If one were sent directly to Goloka, then his identity would
not yet be fully developed. Therefore it is necessary to first take
birth in the manifest Vraja, and regardless of whether one will be
in däsya, sakhya, vätsalya or mädhurya, he must learn his duties
there.
Next Närada spoke this verse to Gopa-kumära:

täratamyaà tu kalpyeta
sva-sva-sevänusärataù
tat-tad-rasa-sajätéya-
sukha-vaicitryäpekñayä
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.193)

Kåñëa has His uniqueness, and His associates, those who serve
Him, also have their special characteristics. Kåñëa is the crown
jewel of those who are äptakäma and ätmäräma. He is like a white
conchshell. If you place a pink flower in a white conchshell,
its unique features will stand out, as would the qualities of any
coloured flower placed in a white conchshell. The shelter of Kåñëa
is then in relation to the particular nature of the eternal associate.
According to their uniqueness in rasa, Kåñëa manifests in that
same way and accepts their service.
For example, Varäha Bhagavän’s service is being performed in
Vaikuëöha, and there His desire is being fulfilled. Varähadeva also
has another form within prakåti, in the eighth material covering.
There He has assumed a very beautiful form, and millions and
millions of souls are serving Him. And does Rämacandra have
only one or two eternal associates? He has millions. A very few
of them are in sakhya-rasa, but mostly they serve Him in däsya-
rasa. And Vämanadeva has how many servants? Millions and
millions. So Kåñëa is the root, these are His incarnations, and jévas
are Their servants. But there are those souls who are serving an

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Nine 123

incarnation, and those souls who are serving Kåñëa directly. Why
is Kåñëa ‘cheating’ like this? The mood of Vraja is so beautiful,
and the best of all rasa is mädhurya-rasa, so why doesn’t He give
mädhurya-rasa to everyone?
It is according to each soul’s particular taste (ruci). To one jéva
He may have only given liberation, and that soul will think, “He
has been so merciful to me; there is nothing greater than this.”
Will Hanumän agree to become a father to Bhagavän and serve
in that way? Never. And those who are serving Varäha Bhagavän
are fully satisfied in that service. The servants of each and
every incarnation consider His merciful touch to be the highest
attainment. Gopa-kumära saw that there were so many devotees in
Näräyaëaloka, and they were all happy there. In Ayodhyä, Räma
is very merciful and affectionate to His devotees, but if Gopa-
kumära were to go to Ayodhyä, would he be happy? Would he even
find cows in Ayodhyä? Yes, maybe in the home of a brähmaëa for
the purpose of worship there may be a cow, but there will be no
taking the cows out to graze as there is in Våndävana. There, in
all directions sacrifices are being performed with great pomp, and
if a poor cowherd boy were to go there, he would be disturbed
by all the smoke! Therefore he would not like it there under any
condition. Närada silently understood all these feelings within
Gopa-kumära’s heart.

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten

The Gradations in Service

Sometimes it happens that a sädhaka cannot understand his own

heart. Just as a patient cannot identify his own disease, a sädhaka,
due to his own weaknesses and shortcomings, cannot understand
the nature of his own devotional sentiment. But a qualified doctor,
by taking the pulse and seeing other symptoms, can understand
those things which the patient himself cannot know. He will find
the root cause of the disease. Where there is a fever, the doctor will
not give any medicine for the fever itself, but instead he will give
medicine for the cause of the fever. An ordinary man cannot act as
such a doctor. Only someone with experience is the right person.
Similarly, in our bhajana we may be unhappy – such misfortune
may come to us. Those whose very life is bhajana can reveal to us
what are our weaknesses and anarthas and from where they have
arisen. They will give us a plan for eliminating those problems at
the very root. They will say, “You must hear hari-kathä! And before
hearing hari-kathä, you must serve the spiritual master with great
faith.” And if we respond, “But in trying to serve, my mind is very
restless. How will I control it?”, they will say, “Be confident – by
the guru’s grace you will control it!”
The clever, intelligent guru understands the feelings in
the heart of a disciple which even the disciple himself doesn’t
understand. Gopa-kumära wants to ask, “Why is it that my heart
is not satisfied here, even though I know that there is no greater
place?” But due to shyness, he cannot ask.

Rarest Archiver
126 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Närada, the crown jewel of spiritual doctors, recognised the

symptoms, identified the disease and, without even inquiring
anything from Gopa-kumära, will give the answer. He will give
different levels of answers, understanding that what Gopa-kumära
is saying may be irrelevant to the actual root cause of the disease
itself. So he will tell him some things that are valuable for sädhana,
and some things for siddha, the level of perfection. If we don’t give
the instructions that we hear from an experienced soul a place
in our hearts and don’t follow them, then not only in one or two
births, but in countless millions of births we will not attain hari-
bhakti. Understanding the inner feelings of Gopa-kumära and
knowing the reason for his unhappiness, Närada is telling us how
we should engage in bhajana. Therefore we must first prepare our
minds to accept his line of thought. The defects that Närada will
point out to Gopa-kumära are actually within us, and when we
make a sincere effort to eliminate these defects, then we will really
be engaging in bhajana. You can take it that real bhajana will be
coming soon.

vaikuëöha-väsino hy ete
kecid vai nitya-pärñadäù
pare kåñëasya kåpayä
sädhayitvemam ägatäù
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.194)

Some of the residents of Vaikuëöha are nitya-siddha, and some are

sädhana-siddha. The nitya-siddhas are the eternal associates, and
the sädhana-siddhas are those who came later, who by the mercy
of Bhagavän attained perfection by the practice of sädhana. In
the service of all devotees there is gradation. Some remain near
to Bhagavän serving Him with the cämara, while others are far
away carrying out orders. For instance, Vasiñöha Åñi is serving
Rämacandra in Ayodhyä, and his service is saying, “maìgalaà
bhavatu” and giving blessings. He gives advice for different

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 127

things such as how to perform sacrifices and so on. Lakñmaëa

also performs different services for Räma. Once, when Räma was
away, Lakñmaëa sat with Niñädaräja and sang the glories of Räma
for the entire night. In great happiness Niñädaräja experienced
ecstatic symptoms of love. Day and night Lakñmaëa serves Räma,
and Hanumän also serves Him, but when Sétä serves Him, then
everyone else is sent outside, and they will all follow her order. In
such services there is always gradation.
When trying to understand the reason for this gradation, one
should not pass judgement by thinking, “This service is the highest,
this service is lower.” In Vaikuëöha all of the servants have their
uniqueness. For example, cooking is being done there also. With
great love, Räma’s mother Kauçalyä, Lakñmaëa’s wife Urmilä and
Sétä-devé are all cooking for Räma. Are they considered mere
cooks? No. Cooking is also arcana, so don’t consider what is higher
and lower in regard to sevä. To think “I am important” and that
someone else is “just a cook” is aparädha. There is always gradation
in service, but in all of it there is prema. Maybe in one particular
form of bhajana there is more prema, and in another there is less,
but when you arrive in Vaikuëöha, you’ll find that everyone’s
service is extraordinary, and their prema is also extraordinary. We
should understand this point. Therefore, there is no inferiority
there, only gradation and speciality.
Hanumän, Jämbavän, Sugréva, Aìgada and all others came
together for the royal coronation of Rämacandra. With great love
Räma had accepted all of their service and then began bidding
them farewell. He called Sugréva and placed a beautiful garland
of jewels around his neck. Räma embraced him and said, “I am
indebted to you. If not for you, if you hadn’t gone searching for
Sétä, then we wouldn’t have ultimately been victorious. Therefore
remain in the kingdom and enjoy the fruits of your service.
Sometimes I will call for you to come and see Me, or I will come to
you Myself.”

Rarest Archiver
128 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

While Räma was bidding them farewell, there were tears in the
eyes of everyone. He called them one by one, and meeting with
them, He gave cloth to some, to others He gave ornaments, and
to others He gave something else. But where had Aìgada hidden?
Why had he hidden? He was thinking, “When He calls me, then I
will have to go. But I don’t want to leave Him!”
Räma bid farewell to all, and Aìgada remained hidden. Then
Räma said, “Where has Aìgada gone?” He was hiding behind
Hanumän, because he knew that Räma wouldn’t call Hanumän
to bid him farewell. Räma had called everyone else; so why didn’t
He call Hanumän? The reason was that in the home of Sugréva
there was a wife and there were children, so Räma told Sugréva,
“Now you must return to them.” Aìgada had his mother, but
Hanumän had left everything. All others had their objects of love,
and together with that they had bhakti for Räma also. Everyone
had other points of affection, but Hanumän had no other point
of affection. His only object of service was the feet of Räma. He
didn’t even have his own hut! All others had their family, or their
kingdom, or their building, or their position in society. Jämbavän
had his cave in Vindhyäcala mountain, so Räma told him, “Go,
please... your wife is there.” But if He said to Hanumän, “You go,”
then Hanumän would say, “My Lord, where will I go? I have not
made a hut anywhere. You are my mother and my father also – You
are my everything! Your feet are my only residence. I have nothing
else besides You.”
Rämacandra saw that Hanumän was akiïcana, possessionless,
whereas all the others were not. So as long as there is another
point of affection besides Kåñëa in our bhajana, then He will say,
“All right, you go,” and send us back to the place from which we
have come. He sent back the wives of the brähmaëas who had
their homes, husbands and children. But although some of the
gopés had husbands and even children, upon meeting Kåñëa their

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 129

attachment for them was washed away from their hearts forever.
As long as we remain akiïcana, there will be no attachment to a
mother or anyone else, and we will not be ordered to return.

bhajanänanda-sämye ’pi
bhedaù kaçcit prakalpyate
bähyäntaréëa-bhävena
düra-pärçva-sthatädinä
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.195)

The bhajanänanda, the happiness derived from serving Bhagavän,

is the same for all of His eternal associates, but some consider that
there is a difference between serving Him from a position near to
Him, and serving Him from a distance.

When a kaniñöha-adhikäré devotee engages in bhajana, he

thinks, “There is no one like me. I am getting so much happiness
from my bhajana. I am so impressive.” Another man who is playing
mådaìga is thinking, “I am playing the mådaìga in so many ways
and a very beautiful melody is coming. I am playing so nicely.”
The karatäla player is also thinking in this way, and the man who
is singing is feeling that there is great happiness in all of this.
But when there will be some consideration of gradation, then we
will understand that simply playing the mådaìga and karatälas
nicely does not constitute genuine kértana. Why do we play the
karatälas? Day and night a party may be continuously playing
golden, polished karatälas and mådaìgas very, very nicely, while
in another place there is one man alone, who without mådaìga or
karatälas is sitting and chanting:

gurudeva kåpä-bindu diyä, kara’ ei däse

tånäpekñä ati héna
sakala sahane, bala diyä kara’
nija-mäne spåhä-héna

Rarest Archiver
130 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

sakale sammäna, karite çakati

deha’ nätha yathäyatha
tabe ta’ gäiba, hari-näma-sukhe
aparädha ha’be hata
Çaraëägati (Bhajana-lälasä 11)

O Gurudeva, please give this servant of yours a drop of your mercy,

which will make him realise that he is more insignificant than a
piece of straw. Give me the strength to tolerate all difficulties, and
please make me devoid of all desires for personal prestige. Only
when you have given me the ability to properly respect all living
beings will all my offences cease, and I will be able to sing the holy
name in great happiness.

With great feeling he is singing it, with his bodily limbs

shivering and tears flowing from his eyes. So between the
happiness of all those mådaìga and karatäla players and that of
the one lone man performing kértana with such feeling, will there
be some distinction? Very much so. The lone man’s chanting is
really kértana. And that ‘kértana’ that has very beautiful mådaìga
notes, a beautiful melody, and has everyone involved in it, but is
devoid of even a little genuine devotion, is something else entirely.
Therefore in kértana, sincere sentiment is necessary, and just as
in bhajana there is gradation, in arcana there is also gradation.
One man is offering arcana with a pure sentiment, one man is
offering arcana without any such sentiment, and another man
who blasphemes Vaiñëavas is also offering arcana to the deity. Will
it all be equal? No.
In the spiritual realm also there is gradation in the service
of the eternal associates of Bhagavän. Just as one servant brings
flowers, another makes a garland, another hands the garland to
Lakñmé-devé, another prepares food and another offers it. In this
way there is gradation. One is serving near to Him, and others are
serving from farther away. If the one who is serving near to Him

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 131

thinks that those who are serving from farther away are inferior,
he is mistaken. The bhäva, or sentiment, is the important thing.
Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s servant Govinda däsa may think that
Svarüpa Dämodara and Räya Rämänanda are only servants who
remain at a distance from the Lord, and who only come for a few
minutes or an hour and make Mahäprabhu cry. Govinda däsa
himself wipes away the tears of Mahäprabhu, and then they come
and make Him cry again. So he may think, “Why do they have to
come and make Him cry again?”
Govinda däsa is always saying to the Lord, “Prabhu, please
don’t cry.” Then Svarüpa Dämodara will come and make Him cry
again, so what will Govinda däsa think? Therefore it is not that
the servant who is nearer is necessarily better. In this case the
servants that remained farther away from Mahäprabhu are higher.
It is not a question of the physical proximity or distance, but of
the heart’s nearness to or distance from Him. That service to Hari,
Guru and the Vaiñëavas in which there is the most love is the best.
When the four Kumäras arrived at Vaikuëöha, the gatekeepers
there, Jaya and Vijaya, raised their sticks and said, “You cannot
enter!” Thinking that they were the masters there, they prohibited
the four Kumäras from entering. Should those doormen have
thought that since the Kumäras had come from a long distance
they couldn’t have known that it was the time that the Lord takes
rest? The Kumäras knew everything. They came in humility with
folded hands, but they knew everything. Jaya and Vijaya didn’t
understand the feelings and the prema that the Kumäras have
for Bhagavän. Is it like this only sometimes? Most of the time it
is like this! One who is serving near to the Lord or near to the
spiritual master cannot understand the devotional sentiment of
those who are serving at a distance. Therefore we should be careful
not to think so highly of ourselves and we should always remember
the ‘misfortune’ that came upon Jaya and Vijaya. We should
understand how to behave properly and avoid being arrogant.

Rarest Archiver
132 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Generally these things are said for those practising sädhana, but
even in the state of perfection this can happen. This incident
occurred in Vaikuëöha, but it is for giving instruction to those of
us performing sädhana. In any situation we should never have a
mood of disrespect towards Vaiñëavas, nor should we ever speak
ill of them.
Kåñëa has so many eternal associates, and they all have their
uniqueness. There are so many incarnations and sources of
incarnations of Bhagavän, and They all have Their associates, but
Kåñëa’s associates are more special than them, more special than
the devotees of Nåsiàha and all other incarnations. The devotees
of other incarnations serve their Lord with humility and folded
hands, but Kåñëa’s devotees sometimes fight and quarrel with Him
and display mäna, jealous anger. Such a bhäva is found in their
service, and therefore they are greater.

vadanti kecid bhagavän hi kåñëaù

su-sac-cid-änanda-ghanaika-mürtiù
sa yat paraà brahma pare tu sarve
tat-pärñadä brahmamayä vimuktäù
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.200)

Some say that Kåñëa and His many incarnations are all one in
tattva, although there is some gradation and speciality in rasa and
manifestation of potency. That is all right. In Their associates
there is the same uniqueness, but will we take it that some of these
associates are inferior? Don’t think in this way. Whether they are
nitya-siddha or sädhana-siddha devotees, it says here that they are
all fully, eternally liberated.
Some say that Kåñëa is parabrahma, the supreme spiritual entity,
and that all of His eternal associates are brahma, spirit. In some
places it has been stated like this, and this is also not incorrect.
What is brahmänanda? The inherent blissfulness (änanda) of
the living entity is called brahmänanda. The jéva has been called

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 133

brahma, but the jéva has not been referred to as parabrahma;

parabrahma is Kåñëa. We don’t consider that brahma and
parabrahma are one and put them in the same class. We consider
the jéva to be the servant: däso ’smi däso ’smi. The scriptures say
“brahma evaà bhavati – one certainly becomes brahma”, in the
Gétä there is “viçate tad anantaram – one then enters into that”,
and there are also similar verses in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. In Puré,
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya came to have hatred for the theory of
monism (brahmaväda), but not all liberation is worthy of hatred.
Mukti can also mean attaining service at the feet of Bhagavän.
But Särvabhauma despised the word mukti, and he also despised
referring to the jéva as brahma.
Hearing this line of thought, Gopa-kumära asked Närada a
question:

påñöaà mayedaà bhagavan dharä-tale

tiñöhanti yäù çré-pratimä mahä-prabhoù
täù sac-cid-änanda-ghanäs tvayä matä
nélädri-näthaù puruñottamo yathä

eko ’pi bhagavän sändra-

sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
kåpayä tatra taträste
tat-tad-rüpeëa lélayä
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.202–3)

In this world, there are many deities of Bhagavän. In Puré there

are Jagannätha, Baladeva and Subhadrä, in Çré Raìgam there is
Raìganätha, and in those places They are being worshipped. There,
whether the prasäda is cooked or uncooked, its acceptability is not
considered. Those deities are established there to mercifully give
darçana to the people of this world. Gopa-kumära asked, “There
are so many forms of Bhagavän in this world, like Jagannätha
and Raìganätha, and many other deities. In what way should we
respect Them? Are They all solidified forms of sac-cid-änanda? By

Rarest Archiver
134 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

offering püjä to any of Them, will it be considered offering püjä to

Bhagavän?”
There are so many deities in this world, and all are sac-cid-
änanda. For showing mercy to the devotees, the one Bhagavän is
situated in many different forms as His pastime. But we are not
able to serve Him directly. If we try to serve Him just as Lakñmé-
devé is serving Näräyaëa, as the gopés are serving Kåñëa, and as
Prahläda Mahäräja is serving Nåsiàhadeva, at some point we
will say, “O Lord, the time to take rest has long passed. Half the
night I have remained without sleep. I am feeling very sleepy.” So
Bhagavän will say, “Then you go and sleep,” and we will have to go
and take rest. If the deity were to speak and express His desire –
“Massage My feet. This food has not been prepared properly; make
it like this” – we would become easily discouraged.
We want to serve according to our own desire. If we have not
even served according to the desire of our guru – if we could not
follow him properly – then how will we serve Bhagavän directly?
If we are placed directly in front of Bhagavän and He says, “Do
this service for Me!”, can we do it? Could we do anything and
everything He asked of us at any time? We are not able to. Therefore
the deity remains silent. However much service we offer, He just
remains silent. So Bhagavän has assumed all these forms for giving
mercy to the devotees. He understands that by no other means will
we be able to serve Him in our conditioned state, so He becomes
the deity form, remains silent, and in the end He just accepts our
obeisances. For this reason He has manifested these deities.
There are many different types of ruci in the living entities, so
to accept service from them according to their ruci, He has assumed
different forms. Some will serve in däsya-rasa, some in sakhya and
some in vätsalya. Why has Kåñëa become Laòòü-Gopäla? Because
then many people can worship Him as their son. When women
become old and their offspring have all grown up, they still desire
to render the service of a parent. Women are so inclined towards

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 135

serving children that not only will they forget about serving their
husbands, they will even engage the husband in the service of the
children! The wife will say to her husband, “Help me a little with
the children. Catch that child! Bring some milk for the children.
The children are sick, call the doctor for them. Take the children
to school!” The sentiment of serving children is vätsalya-bhäva, so
for them Kåñëa has become Bäla-Gopäla, for others He becomes
something else, but all these deities are eternal. To accept service
Kåñëa has become the deity and assumed many forms; and He
doesn’t speak. If He spoke, then we couldn’t serve Him. At one,
two, or three o’clock in the night He may feel cold and require
some service when His servant is in deep sleep. So what would
happen if He always expressed His desire? Therefore He remains
silent and accepts our service.
But if we suppose that He says nothing because He knows
nothing, that is an offence. He doesn’t speak or move, but we
should understand that He sees everything. He knows the true
scope of what we do, and we must accept the reaction to whatever
we do. Therefore in front of the deity we shouldn’t spread our legs,
talk too much, become angry at anyone, or inordinately display
affection for anyone. Before the deity don’t offer obeisances to
anyone, and don’t speak too loudly. All these things should be
given careful attention. If in the deity’s room there is fighting and
arguing, and the pujäré goes to do the püjä with an agitated mind,
that will be an offence. With a disturbed mind we should not do
the deity’s püjä. But He remains silent anyway. We take it that He
sees nothing, but He is very merciful and sometimes doesn’t even
accept the offences of His devotees.
Those who leave other types of sädhana to perform arcana of
the deity will benefit. But Gopa-kumära is saying to Närada, the
very founder of püjä, “Prabhu, in some places in the scriptures it
is written that there are some who are offering arcana to the deity,
but are disrespecting devotees.”

Rarest Archiver
136 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

arcäyäm eva haraye

püjäà yaù çraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteñu cänyeñu
sa bhaktaù präkåtaù småtaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.47)

A devotee who worships the deity in the temple with faith but
does not properly respect other devotees or people in general is
called a materialistic devotee, and is included within the lowest
class of devotees.

yo mäà sarveñu bhüteñu

santam ätmänam éçvaram
hitvärcäà bhajate mauòhyäd
bhasmany eva juhoti saù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.29.22)

One who worships the deity in the temple but does not know that
Bhagavän in the form of the Supersoul is situated in every living
entity’s heart is in ignorance, and is compared to one who offers
oblations of ghee onto ashes.

Kåñëa is situated within each and every jéva. There is no soul

where there is not Bhagavän. Yet in many scriptures such as
Närada’s own bhakti-sütra, the Närada-païcarätra, it is stated that
there are people who worship the deity in the temple, but insult
and disrespect other living entities and even blaspheme Vaiñëavas
as they are carrying on their püjä. Apparently they are very strict:
if a mango has mistakenly been put in an unclean place, or if
someone has seen it and desired to taste it, then they will throw
that mango away and it won’t be offered to the deity. At the time
of cooking they cover their faces with cloth, and at the time of
kneading dough there will be no speaking. They honour all of these
principles, but they disrespect devotees. They pass judgement on
whether devotees are higher or lower, and thus it is written that

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Ten 137

the arcana that these people are offering to the deity is like the
pouring of ghee onto ashes. And furthermore:

aham uccävacair dravyaiù

kriyayotpannayänaghe
naiva tuñye ’rcito ’rcäyäà
bhüta-grämävamäninaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.29.24)

[Kapiladeva said:] O sinless mother, even if someone worships the

deity with all the proper rituals and various kinds of paraphernalia,
I am never pleased by a person who is ignorant of My presence in
all living entities.

All souls are the residence of Bhagavän. Especially here this

instruction is being spoken for devotees. Those who perform
exclusive bhajana of Bhagavän must not insult any living entity.
We are insulting others, but so nicely we are performing arcana.
Even if we are giving all respect to Vaiñëavas, still Bhagavän will
not be satisfied; there will still be offences because respect is not
being given to all souls. Pratimä-manda-buddhénäm: those of small
intelligence are offering this type of arcana-püjä. In another place
it is also said:

arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu nara-matir-vaiñëave jäti-buddhir

viñëor vä vaiñëavänäà kali-mala-mathane päda-térthe ’mbu-buddhiù

There are those who consider that Bhagavän is in the deity.

Yes, inside different things there is gradation in the degree
of Bhagavän’s presence, but they don’t consider that the çilä is
Bhagavän Himself. They also think that the Lord’s caraëämåta,
which dispels the influence of Kali-yuga, is ordinary water.
And they further consider that the object of arcana, the deity,
is sometimes composed of ‘second-number’ marble, whereas in
another place there is a deity composed of first-class marble. They

Rarest Archiver
138 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

consider, “Oh, this deity at Govardhana is very beautiful, but the

deities we see in the temples of Våndävana are not this beautiful.
Here, Kåñëa’s nose is a little straighter, His eyes are a little longer,
and this is very good.” Bhagavän does not accept püjä from people
who think like this.
They also consider the dust of the feet of Vaiñëavas to be
ordinary dust, and the foot-water of the Vaiñëavas to be ordinary
water. They have faith in the holy places and the water there, but
in the caraëämåta of Vaiñëavas they don’t have the same faith.
They place their faith in the skin and blood of the material body,
which is destined to perish. The soul is inside every type of body,
but they don’t understand that the ätmä is a dear part of Bhagavän.
It doesn’t matter that the soul is bound within a material body;
its intrinsic form is as a servant of Bhagavän. Therefore it should
be respected. Respect is given on different levels, so we should
give appropriate respect to all others. And what is the position
of he who doesn’t do this? Sa eva go-kharaù (Çrémad- Bhägavatam
10.84.13). Go means ‘animal’ and kharaù means ‘donkey’. Don’t
take it that here go means ‘cow’ – the cow is a very pure thing!
It means such a person is no better than an animal, and the most
foolish of the animals is the donkey.
Gopa-kumära is asking Närada, “Prabhu, why has this been
stated in the scriptures? Please explain this. Some of the deity
worshippers have been referred to like this, but you said that
those who perform arcana are the most fortunate. How can this
be reconciled?”
An ordinary person cannot reconcile it, and even a lower-
level madhyama-adhikäré devotee cannot reconcile it. Only an
intermediate or higher-level madhyama-adhikäré who is conversant
with the scriptures and who has attained the mercy of the spiritual
master can grasp all of this. And because Närada is the original
founder of the path of püjä and also the foremost preacher of that
path, who could possibly know this science better than him?

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven

The Proper Mood for Arcana

Upon hearing Gopa-kumära’s question concerning arcana-püjä,

Närada was overwhelmed with supreme happiness and immediately
embraced him. Why did he embrace him? Because in regard to this
subject there is some doubt in us. If someone asks us, “Okay, is this
deity made from real marble, or false marble? Is it made from pure
metals, or alloys?” will we be pleased and embrace that person?
Rather we will be thinking, “Seeing this person is sinful.” But in
Vaikuëöha, it is not possible to have such doubts. In Vaikuëöha this
outlook cannot come, so there is no personal necessity in Gopa-
kumära’s asking. He is asking for the benefit of those of us on the
path of sädhana. He has no doubt himself, but doubt remains in
us. Therefore, for our welfare he has asked. Närada saw that he
cares so much for others that he is asking this question. Being very
pleased, he embraced Gopa-kumära and slowly answered him.
Närada said, “The deity is directly Bhagavän Himself. The
Raìganätha deity, the deity of Pandharpura (in Maharastra), the
Veìkateçvara deity, Jagannätha in Puré, the deities of Mäyäpura
and the çré vigrahas of Våndävana – Govinda, Gopénätha and
Madana-mohana – are all directly Bhagavän. Sometimes the
deity says, ‘On the side of My nose there is a small hole; place an
ornament there. And after feeding Me, take Me out. I never go
anywhere.’ And His devotee thinks, ‘He cannot speak or move!
Why is He speaking? And if He can speak, then certainly He can
move also, so I need not worry.’ Such pastimes are performed by the
deity. Sometimes He asks for an ornament, and sometimes during

Rarest Archiver
140 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

the night He comes to a devotee in a dream and speaks with him.

The devotees in Puré perform kértana from the Géta-govinda, and
when the deity wants to join them, He races off the altar, tearing
His clothing and breaking His ornaments on the way. Are such
activities ordinary? Therefore one must abandon any mundane
conception of the deity. He is directly Bhagavän Himself.
“Besides this, what is the consideration that ‘this is an old deity,’
or ‘this is a new one,’ or ‘this is one we made ourselves’? Giriräja
is brought from Govardhana, or a çälagräma-çilä is brought from
somewhere, and we worship Him in that form. Or in our home
with metal or some other elements we have made a mürti, and
by worshipping that mürti we feel great happiness in our hearts.
If anyone abandons his varëäçrama-dharma responsibilities to
perform püjä of Bhagavän with great faith, there is no fault in it.
We must abandon the mundane conception of the deity, as He is
the direct form of Bhagavän.”
No one made Baìke-bihäré; He appeared by Himself. Others
were manifest by devotees: Madana-mohana was manifest by
Sanätana Gosvämé, Govindajé and Dämodara were manifest by
Rüpa Gosvämé, and Gopénätha was manifest by Madhu Paëòita. All
of these deities appeared by Themselves or were installed by great
devotees, so concerning Them there is no doubt. But by sincerely
serving other deities that you have brought from somewhere and
have established yourself with mantra and abhiñeka, you will
also attain the topmost bhakti. In this method there is no fault
whatsoever:

na pätityädi-doñaù syäd
guëa eva mahän mataù
sevottamä matä bhaktiù
phalaà yä paramaà mahat
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.209)

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 141

There is a great quality in püjä: from this service one will obtain a
great result, the topmost bhakti. If anyone leaves his varëäçrama-
dharma responsibilities to engage in püjä with the aim of attaining
bhagavad-bhakti, and has genuinely entered into bhajana, but in
this birth he has not attained perfection because for some reason
in the midst of performing bhajana his bhakti has stopped – for
whatever reason – then what is the loss? And if that person
remains within varëäçrama-dharma for his entire life but doesn’t
perform bhajana or serve Bhagavän, then what will he have
gained? All of his life within varëäçrama he served his parents,
served his family gurus, gave charity and alms, bathed at holy
places and everything, but he didn’t engage in bhajana. So then
what did he gain? Mahäräja Hariçcandra4 received the association
of great personalities like Viçvämitra and became a great devotee;
therefore he was benefited. Otherwise there would have been no
benefit resulting from all of his dharma.
If someone in an immature stage left his vow of celibacy
(brahmacarya) and for some reason didn’t reach perfection, then
there is no loss for him. Why? Because in his next birth he will
begin again from the point of his attainment and then go on to
success. It is just as when we study in a school, pass the courses,
and then go to another school and study further.
If anyone takes up bhajana, offering püjä to the deity, and
chanting the holy name, then all connections with the world and
varëäçrama are broken. This is called kriyälopa, absence of activity.
Ordinarily, those who have left their worldly duties would have
to appoint millions of great sages to perform all the ceremonies
necessary for atonement in order to rectify their mistake. But
those who have entered into bhajana will not have to undergo
any atonement. Any man who leaves his worldly duties for selfish

4 The story of Hariçcandra Mahäräja is found in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Ninth Canto,

Chapter Seven.

Rarest Archiver
142 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

motives has five debts upon him: to the demigods, the sages, the
forefathers, the family members and to all other living entities.
What is the duty of a son? How will he fulfil his debt to his
forefathers? Just as his father raised him and made him qualified to
live in the world, then he must also marry, have offspring and make
them qualified to live in the world. Then his debt to his forefathers
is completed. But without marrying it can’t be done. And how will
a girl fulfil her debt? By serving just as her mother did. Her mother
brought her up and looked after her, and like that she will serve
her husband, give birth to children, raise them to maturity, and
then she will be free of her debt. The debt to the demigods is like
this also, as are all other debts. As long as one’s wife has not said,
“Go then! Go and do bhajana,” one cannot leave household life to
take up bhajana.
Yet in a very discreet way Mahäprabhu disregarded the
injunctions of the scriptures and left home. He left behind His
elderly mother, made no arrangements for her needs, and giving
up all responsibilities, He left. He disregarded the injunctions of
the scriptures, but for what? For the service of Govinda. So when
someone leaves in this way, it is called kriyälopa.
According to the injunctions, first one should be a brahmacäré,
then a gåhastha, then a vänaprastha and finally a sannyäsé. But
some go straight from brahmacäré to sannyäsa without following
gåhastha-dharma, so the debt to their forefathers is upon them.
However, there will be no necessity of atonement for this if one has
left to take up the bhajana of Mukunda. But it is said that those who
have resorted to kriyälopa for some purpose other than engaging
in bhagavad-bhajana must appoint three million brähmaëas to
perform ceremonies for their atonement – the kind of brähmaëas
with long beards and their hair tied high on their heads who live
only on milk. Day and night they will be chanting “oà svähä, oà
svähä”. Those who need atonement must appoint them, and if

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 143

they don’t follow this process of atonement, Bhagavän will punish

them. But for devotees who have left their worldly responsibilities
to take up bhajana, this atonement is not necessary.
There are also sixty-four kinds of bhakti, and if someone
becomes absorbed in one kind and is unable to do the rest, for
this also there is no need of atonement. But be especially careful
of one thing: while absorbed in worshipping the deity or chanting
the holy name, do not offend any uttama Vaiñëava. Always be
careful of this. Other things Kåñëa will tolerate, but this He will
not tolerate.

tävat karmäëi kurvéta

na nirvidyeta yävatä
mat-kathä-çravaëädau vä
çraddhä yävan na jäyate
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.20.9)

One needs to follow the path of karma-käëòa only as long as he has

no renunciation. At the time when renunciation comes, and he
understands that worldly attachments are a source of misery, and
that “I am a spirit soul”, he will no longer need to follow the path
of karma. Then he can go along the path of jïäna. Beyond this, if
by çravaëa, kértana, smaraëa, päda-sevana or any other way bhakti
comes, then also there is no need to follow the path of karma.
For example, Rabindranatha Tagore never studied in school,
nor did he go to college. He was taught at home. First his parents
taught him, and after this a tutor came and taught him. The
acquisition from his previous lives was such that automatically
he became highly learned. For him studying in schools was not
necessary. Similarly, those who have given their hearts to hearing
and chanting about Kåñëa have no need to follow the path of
karma. They may perform some karmic activity, but it will only
be for the benefit of others. It will not be for themselves. But

Rarest Archiver
144 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

wherever there is some faith in bhakti, no karma is necessary. For

performing karmic activities properly, there are many books like
Manu-småti, Artha-saàhitä, the writings of Yäjïavalkya, etc., and
in society there are so many conventions for that purpose. These
things are not for those who have entered into bhajana. If sädhakas
do them, it is all right, and if they don’t do them, there is no harm.
Some people read the Gétä verse sarva-dharmän parityajya,
mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja and they take it to mean, “Leaving aside
all material attachments, follow the path of karma and come to
My shelter.” But what did our gosvämés say? Leave all attachments
and also the path of karma, just as all of our previous äcäryas did,
and as so many devotees have done. Being a soul surrendered unto
the Lord, Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé left his home. Did he engage
in any karma-käëòa activities? Not knowing bhakti-rasa, those of
meagre intelligence follow the path of karma, but for those who
understand the true nature of bhakti, there is no prescription for
such activity. They are above karmic activity and atonement. The
Lord Himself sometimes performs certain karma-käëòa functions
for the benefit of the world, and saints and devotees also do it, but
only for the welfare of this world.

yad yad äcarati çreñöhas

tat tad evetaro janaù
sa yat pramäëaà kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Bhagavad-gétä (3.21)

Common men imitate the actions of great men. Everyone follows

the standards which great personalities establish.

What is karma? When we do anything with a selfish aim and taste

the fruit of our own activities, it is karma and we become implicated
in its reaction. For instance, “I am offering arcana to my deity, and
as a result, everyone will praise me and I will make so much money.”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 145

That püjä will simply be karma. That which is done for Bhagavän is
bhakti, and that which is done for liberation is jïäna. Bhagavän will
accept püjä offered with the aim of pleasing Him.
If we are thinking, “Bhagavän will be pleased by my service,
and therefore He will give me a wife, husband, son, daughter or
money,” then that is karma. But from those who are offering püjä
solely for the pleasure of Bhagavän – even though there may be
some mistake in it – it will be accepted as genuine bhakti.
Next Närada spoke this verse:

siddhiù syäd bhagavad-dåñöyä

tåëa-sammänanäd api
sakåd-uccaraëän nämä-
bhäsasya çravaëät tathä
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.210)

If with bhagavad-buddhi, awareness of Bhagavän’s presence, one

offers obeisances even to a piece of straw, or offers something to
that straw with great feeling and shows it respect, then this action
will be the fulfiller of desires and the giver of perfection. And
remembering the name of his son, Ajämila unknowingly achieved
a spiritual destination. Yes, unknowingly. If we have given one of
our family members the name of a rädhä-däsé or the name of a
kåñëa-däsa, such as Madana-mohana, will there be any result from
that? Certainly there will be benefit, even though calling out the
Lord’s name in this way is äbhäsa, a semblance of pure chanting.
In this way Närada has said that with bhagavad-buddhi anyone can
offer respect even to a piece of straw. Why? Because in this world
there is nothing that isn’t related to Bhagavän. Is there anything?
No, all objects are the abode of Bhagavän.
If we see that Bhagavän is even within a donkey, then because
of this vision will we have to take birth as a donkey? No, it isn’t like
that. It is written somewhere that tilaka was applied to a donkey, and
tulasé neck beads placed around his neck. The people were saying

Rarest Archiver
146 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

that if one didn’t offer praëäma to the donkey, then that person
wouldn’t obtain bhakti. So someone was devoutly offering praëäma
to the donkey. Yes, if one does this with the vision that Bhagavän
is in all things, there is no harm, but thinking that this donkey is
Bhagavän – that is polluted intelligence. Prahläda Mahäräja offered
praëäma to everything – birds, animals, insects, straw – why?
Because he understood that without the presence of Bhagavän,
nothing can exist; not because “This is Bhagavän Himself.”
If we were to see a peacock feather that has fallen in the dust
and been trodden on by others, what would we do? At once we
would pick it up and clean it off, touch it to our head, and keep
it in some pure place. Why would we keep it – because “this is
Kåñëa”? No, because this thing is dear to Kåñëa; Kåñëa wears it.
This is bhagavad-buddhi. If with this outlook one offers respect to
a piece of straw, that will be greatly helpful in attaining bhagavad-
bhakti. So what to speak of our progress if we offer respect directly
to the deity of Bhagavän?
Non-moving living entities, and all things, are manifestations
of the çakti of Bhagavän, and there is no harm in offering them
obeisances, just as Prahläda Mahäräja did. Everything is part of
Bhagavän; we should understand that. If we can attain perfection
even by seeing straw and other unimportant objects with the
vision of bhagavad-buddhi, then how much quicker will the result
come if we are directly remembering the çré vigraha? If we worship
a deity in the temple, or if we establish a deity in our home with a
fire sacrifice, abhiñeka and Vedic mantra, then how can there be
any fault in this? There is certainly no fault in it. Therefore deity
worship has been written about in all scriptures, and now Närada
will explain why certain statements are found regarding particular
faults in püjä:
kadäpi kåñëa-pratimärcanavatäà
na sambhavet kåñëa-pareñv anädaraù

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 147

ghaöeta cet karhy api tad-viñaktito

gåëanti nägas tad amé stuvanty atha
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.212)

If anyone is really a devotee – even a kaniñöha-adhikäré who may

not even know tattva but is sincerely engaged in püjä of the deity –
then it will not be possible for him to disrespect any Vaiñëava. A
materialistic devotee is still a devotee, isn’t he? But he will never
be able to show any disrespect. Upon seeing a Vaiñëava he will
offer praëäma and say, “Please take darçana of our Öhäkurajé.
Please take His prasäda,” and he will do nothing more. If someone
does disrespect a Vaiñëava, then he has not yet even become a
kaniñöha devotee. Närada is saying that if a devotee is really doing
arcana, then he will not be able to disrespect any Vaiñëava. Not
even a new devotee can do it.
One such opportunity came. A devotee was seated to begin
his arcana, and then an elder Vaiñëava came. The pujäré was not
immediately able to show that Vaiñëava respect. In such a situation
Vaiñëavas are very merciful. They will say, “No, no – do your
service, you should do your püjä.” The pujäré didn’t know that the
Vaiñëava had come because he was absorbed in his arcana. Then
that Vaiñëava was even more merciful towards him and didn’t
consider that there was any fault. If that Vaiñëava who came had
considered this to be an aparädha on the part of the pujäré, then he
would not have been a Vaiñëava at all. But at the same time, there
can be the possibility of aparädha here. Once Baladeva arrived
in an assembly and Romaharñana knowingly did not get up and
offer praëäma. He was not absorbed in anything at the time, and
he was thinking, “I am worshipful to everyone.” So he didn’t show
respect, and Baladeva finished him.
If a devotee is absorbed in püjä or offering prayers and a
Vaiñëava comes, but the devotee does not see the Vaiñëava due to
being absorbed in his prayer, the Vaiñëava will take their error as

Rarest Archiver
148 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

a great quality. They won’t take it as an offence. But if one knows

that a Vaiñëava has come and intentionally neglects him, thinking
that the Vaiñëava is insignificant, that will be an offence. Then
the deity will not accept that person’s püjä.
Suppose we spend a great sum of money for a festival for the
deity and we are busy making the arrangements for one whole
month. We make elaborate arrangements for the distribution of
prasäda to the thousands of people who come. We put up electric
decorations and make elaborate arrangements for the püjä, but if
behind it is a desire for prestige, that püjä will be useless and the
deity will not accept it. If we do this so that our prestige in the
world will increase and so that people will praise us, then the deity
will not accept our püjä.
If someone offers just a little simple püjä that is genuinely for
the pleasure of Kåñëa, then He accepts it; but when there are
impure motives in the püjä, He will not accept it. Therefore at
the time of offering püjä we must have the proper sentiment in
our hearts, and also at the time of taking His name. Sometimes we
may say to someone, “Hey you, come here!” If we call Kåñëa in the
same way, will He listen? If we call Him and the correct feelings
are not there, He will not listen. We may say to someone nicely and
with some feeling, “Please come and take prasäda.” If we approach
Bhagavän in that mood, He will come. Otherwise, if seeing that an
offering is late we rush through it by quickly chanting oà kåñëäya
namaù, will He come? Only when there is sincere desire from
within will Bhagavän accept an offering. Otherwise, He will not
be hungry and will not accept it. We should consider these things
in whichever limb of bhakti we are engaged in. If we are preparing
food but we have no genuine desire to please Him, we are not in
the proper mood, then the deity won’t accept any of it, because
He has no need. He is hungry only for prema. Taking all of these
things into consideration, we should engage in kértana, çravana,

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 149

smaraëa, vandana and everything with prema. Then Bhagavän

will certainly accept what has been offered.
One may be singing kértana in a sweet melody, and some great
musicians are there. They know all the rhythms and classical
melodies and are playing them very sweetly, and this attracts the
minds of many people. But unless it is exclusively for the pleasure
of Bhagavän, then the only result from this kértana is that those
who are listening are enjoying it. Those who are seated there and
playing the kértana will get no benefit if it is not really for His
satisfaction. This, then, is not an easy thing; when all of one’s
activities are done solely for Bhagavän’s satisfaction, it is called
çuddha-bhakti, unalloyed devotion.
These days we can see how degraded things have become as we
enter further into the age of Kali. Some people take the property
of the deity to be their own, and in their püjä they think, “I am
important” and “I am the master.” For this reason there is then
sometimes a court case, and such persons go on quarrelling and
fighting, sometimes even up to spilling blood and killing each
other rather than turning the service over to someone who may
be more qualified. Inside them is aggression towards other living
entities. They have more money, more influence, more disciples,
and by any means their opulence has increased, but they continue
to disrespect other devotees. Such people will certainly be
deprived of what the scriptures declare to be the results of püjä:
love for Bhagavän, darçana of Bhagavän, and ultimately attaining
Vaikuëöha.
Once, Närada said to Bhagavän, “My Lord, I see that many
people don’t respect devotees. Why is it like this? They should
respect devotees.”
Bhagavän replied, “What to speak of devotees, they don’t
even respect Me!” And desiring to prove the point, He said,
“I will show you something. Tomorrow there will be a very

Rarest Archiver
150 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

big bhaëòära (an arrangement for distributing free prasäda to

sädhus). I will go to that bhaëòära personally, and you will see
how they respect Me there.”
Bhagavän went to the bhaëòära. It was a very big programme,
and those who were invited had been sent tickets. All of the
important people with tickets had entered, and then one old
man with a black complexion who was so thin that it appeared
as if his back and stomach were touching, came begging. “Please
let me enter. I haven’t eaten for four days,” he said. He tried to
enter a little inside, but was stopped by the guard. “Do you have
a ticket? No?”
In the end the old man pushed the guard aside and entered.
The guard became angry and notified the supervisor, but the man
didn’t care; pushing his way in, he took a leaf for a plate and went
and sat down at the back. Then the supervisor approached him
and said, “Where is your ticket? You are not honouring this? Grab
this man and throw him out.”
When the beggar didn’t get up, four or five men forcefully
ejected him and slammed the door behind him. Meanwhile,
Närada was watching. “O Lord, I see now: despite all Your efforts –
pushing Your way in, taking a leaf and sitting in the back – after
quarrelling with You, they ejected You!”
So we shouldn’t show such disrespect to others. We should all
be careful. If someone comes to our home or temple, we should
certainly give him something – it might be Him! And He may even
come in the form of a mäyävädé. We should give him something and
show him some respect also; otherwise it will constitute aggression
towards another. If a sädhu comes, then show him some respect.
Knowing Bhagavän to be inside everyone, give him respect and
speak to him with sweet words. Bhagavad-bhakti is established on
a foundation of very beautiful philosophy, and if we don’t honour
these things, fault will come upon us. We should serve the deity

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Eleven 151

with the correct vision and offer respect to all accordingly. When
Gopa-kumära went to Prayaga, he saw different kinds of sacrifice
going on there, and everyone – even the crows and monkeys – was
given prasäda.
Närada uses the word aviduña. Viduña means a scholar, and
aviduña means one who knows nothing, a fool. From a foolish
person Bhagavän doesn’t accept püjä. But if someone has no
knowledge but is faithful, from that person He will accept püjä.
Here, viduña and aviduña do not refer to whether one has studied
the Vedas or not. Though having studied the Vedas and other
scriptures, one can still be a fool. If after having read the Gétä,
Bhägavatam, Rämäyaëa and all the Puräëas one still has no faith
in the deity, he is simply a fool.
One day a devotee who came to our temple sat looking at the
deities for half an hour. We were wondering if he was experiencing
some great sentiment or what he was thinking. After gazing at the
deities for so long, he called someone over and said, “From where
has this mürti come? There is a defect in it.” This is aviduña, even
though this man had been a member of our order for at least forty
or fifty years.
Those that are aviduña don’t give proper respect to anyone –
not to Vaiñëavas, and not to others. Bhagavän doesn’t accept püjä
from such people, but He will accept püjä from those who are
ignorant but innocent, because they are not offensive. In arcana,
what comes first? Offering bhoga. After that? The ghee lamp. Then?
Bathing water in a conchshell, followed by cloths, followed by
caraëämåta, and after this the cämara. So if someone accidentally
changes the sequence of these things and offers the cämara at
the wrong time, will the deity reject his püjä? This püjä He will
accept. But those who do their püjä with sixteen ingredients but
no faith, just so that people will come and give money – where the
pujäré is thinking that he made thirty rupees this week and he will

Rarest Archiver
152 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

make another thirty rupees next week – are committing aparädha.

Bhagavän won’t accept püjä from those people. But from those
who are ignorant yet innocent He will always accept püjä, even
from a person with selfish desires (sakäma). If a sakäma person is
faithful, then after a long time Bhagavän will still give him bhakti
because he has not committed any offence, spoken any blasphemy
or engaged in any violence towards other living entities. In this
way Bhagavän is supremely merciful. But if someone is behaving
unfavourably towards others, then in hundreds of thousands of
births he will not get bhakti.
Therefore, according to one’s own natural proclivity, he should
do everything for the service of Bhagavän. Then He will be pleased,
the spiritual master will be pleased, all Vaiñëavas will be pleased,
and everything will be correct. Remember that it is not for our
own pleasure that we are doing everything, but for the pleasure of
our gurudeva; only then is it fully correct.
This subject is very important, and especially for a sädhaka it
is necessary to hear. We may be eager to hear talks about rasa and
lélä, but we may not be so eager to hear about this subject. These
points are essential to know because they are at the very root of
sädhana-bhajana. If disregarding them we commit aparädha, we
will leave the path of bhakti and our lives will be useless. Instead,
we can prepare our hearts for serving the deity, the Vaiñëavas
and the spiritual master in the correct way, and thereby achieve
success in our sädhana.

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve

Ultimately Prema Cannot Be Described

Whenever we hear hari-kathä, we should listen with our hearts,

and be sure to keep it in our hearts. Otherwise, the ear will hear,
but the ear will not tell the heart, and it shouldn’t be like that.
What is told to our ears should arrive in our hearts, and we should
try to bring that into practice. Then we will get the result of
hearing. If we are not able to hear hari-kathä properly and not able
to keep it in our hearts, then the spiritual greed that should arise
from hearing such talks will not arise within us in this or in any
other birth.
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Prabhupäda said that this
world is deficient. This body is also deficient; everything here is
deficient. But whatever we are undergoing in this world now, and
whatever deficiencies there are, our aim is not to make them go
away. We should not try for that in life. They will remain now, and
they will remain for millions of years. What is the true purpose of
human life – that should be ascertained in this lifetime. What is the
aim of life? What should we do? This human birth is very valuable,
because with it we can meet Bhagavän. We should definitely try
for this in this very lifetime, and our goal should be ascertained
before we are forty years of age. Generally, we see that after the
age of forty one’s desire and ability to take a new course in life is
diminished. We may try to apply our minds to something new and
then after some time our determination may fade and not return.
Although it is certainly possible to change direction in life after
the age of forty – and many have done it – the risk is there that

Rarest Archiver
154 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

one will become ‘set in his ways’. So whatever situation you are in
now as youths, at a tender age, you should put into practice the
ideals that will lead to the goal of human life. Then the final result
may come within a relatively short time or a very long time; that
is a separate consideration. But your present age is very valuable.
Therefore certainly before the age of forty a person should make
the decision to fulfil the aim of human life. Because after that the
age of fifty comes, and then there is an even greater chance that
it will be too late. At that time, we may hear everything, but still
never muster the firm determination to do what should be done.
In the name Gopa-kumära, what is the meaning of kumära?
He is at a very tender age, and he met his guru at that age. Even
after millions of years, when he finally received such mercy that
he met Bhagavän, he still remained as a kumära. From the day
of meeting his guru he slowly came to understand siddhänta and
became determined. He never abandoned the chanting of his
gopäla-mantra. Wherever he went he kept the same determination,
and he never changed his aim. We should follow that example. If
our aim remains correct, then Kåñëa in the form of the spiritual
master, in the form of a Vaiñëava, in the form of the çikñä-guru,
and in other forms also, will give us help in the midst of our
progress and send others to help us as well. Who sent Närada to
Gopa-kumära? He met Närada in Vaikuëöha, and Bhagavän as the
Supersoul helps devotees in this way so that they can attain the
goal of life. One who instructs us on how to attain Bhagavän is
guru. For this purpose Närada is wandering throughout the world,
and it is through such a devotee that Bhagavän can help us.
Bhagavän is like a father and jagad-guru. The initiating
spiritual master (dékñä-guru) is also jagad-guru and like a father,
but a father will not instruct his daughter on how to serve her
husband. He will not tell her how she is to behave when alone
with her husband. Her mother will also not say. Who will say? Her

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve 155

close friend will be able to tell her. The example is also there that
Kåñëacandra is the beloved son of Nanda Bäbä, and Nanda Bäbä’s
younger brother is Sunanda. Though living with both of them,
Kåñëa is more affectionate with Sunanda. In the scriptures it has
been described that He associates more with Sunanda. Sunanda is
somewhat older than Kåñëa, but he is Nanda’s youngest brother.
Therefore he is Kåñëa’s dear friend and like His father also. He can
fight and quarrel with Kåñëa too, but when Kåñëa wants His father
to agree to something, He approaches Sunanda, and Sunanda
makes Nanda Bäbä agree to it. He is very intimate with Kåñëa.
Similarly, like a father, Bhagavän Himself will give us less
instruction, but He will give it. In another form He will give it
in great detail by sending someone who is dear to Him and that
person will tell us everything. In the form of the instructing
spiritual master (çikñä-guru), Bhagavän will tell one everything.
Närada, as the çikñä-guru of Gopa-kumära, will tell him things
that Jayanta, Gopa-kumära’s dékñä-guru, would not tell him. Just
as the greatness of the dékñä-guru has been described, in the same
way the glories of the çikñä-guru have also been described in Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta and other scriptures.
There is some separation, vipralambha-bhäva, in devotees’ love.
It is such a peculiar sentiment that only premé, or loving, devotees
can know it. Others cannot understand it, and upon seeing it,
they even become frightened. In Puré, Mahäprabhu jumped into
the ocean thinking that it was the Yamunä. A fisherman, taking
his net, climbed into his boat and went out onto the ocean.
Mahäprabhu’s body appeared as if He had not eaten for a long
time, and in this weak and fragile condition He entered into the
fisherman’s net. When the fisherman was drawing in his net, he
felt the heavy weight and joyfully thought, “Today I have caught
a big fish.” Bringing the net into the boat, he returned to the
shore. There, when he looked closer, he became frightened and

Rarest Archiver
156 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

thought, “What is this? A corpse has come into my net!” Having

touched Mahäprabhu’s body, the fisherman felt that a ghost had
possessed him. Becoming overwhelmed with fear, he left his net
and everything there and ran away.
Nearby, Svarüpa Dämodara, Räya Rämänanda, Nityänanda
Prabhu, Advaita Äcärya and all the devotees were searching for
Mahäprabhu. They saw a madman on the shore of the ocean who
was laughing, crying and calling out, “Hari! Hari!”
Svarüpa Dämodara said to him, “What happened? ”
The fisherman said, “A ghost has possessed me!”
Recognising the man’s symptoms, Svarüpa Dämodara said,
“I know how to rid you of this ghost; I know the mantra.” He
slapped the fisherman a few times, recited a mantra, and then the
fisherman came to his senses a bit. Then he said, “My friend, can
you show us where you have seen this ghost?”
“From a distance I will show you, but I will not go near there!”
“All right.”
Going to the place, from a distance the fisherman showed
them. There in the net was Mahäprabhu, His body rolled into
a ball in the posture of a child before birth. His joints were all
dislocated, and His whole body was slack and elongated. Then
Svarüpa Dämodara told the fisherman, “Okay, you can go now and
this ‘ghost’ will no longer disturb you.” Then the devotees took
Mahäprabhu out of the net, laid Him on the shore, and cleaned off
His body. Surrounding Him, they started performing kértana, and
after a little while Mahäprabhu came to His senses.
Seeing Mahäprabhu’s condition, that fisherman became
terrified. Like this, if any ordinary man sees such an advanced
state of bhakti, will he desire bhakti? But loving devotees will
understand. They will think, “When, in my meditation, will I
also be able to have such a darçana of Kåñëa as Mahäprabhu was
experiencing? When will I receive such an opportunity?”

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve 157

A devotee has to go through this intense separation to reach

Kåñëa. It is like the unhappiness of this world multiplied millions
of times, and a devotee will have to feel that many times. Still, he
will not be able to express it in words. Bhagavän Himself is not
able to express it. Whoever is experiencing it will be unable to
express it in words. Nowhere in the scriptures are the symptoms
of premé devotees described completely. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
the symptoms of the gopés’ state of intoxication and mad, senseless
speech have only been described in brief; more than that has not
been described. It is not possible. But we should understand the
unhappiness of Çrématé Rädhikä and the gopés in separation from
Kåñëa to be the ultimate transformation of happiness, the very
culmination of happiness.
For example, when it is very hot and a few drops of rain begin
to fall, it is very pleasant. When the month of Kärttika is starting
and it begins to cool off, we like that very much. So coolness is
welcome, but too much cold is unpleasant, such as when it freezes
overnight and ice forms. But although cold and heat are complete
opposites, it is an astonishing thing that when one takes a piece of
ice in his hand, it feels as if it is burning. This burning sensation is
the ultimate transformation of cold.
Similarly, in the realm of bhakti, when kåñëa-prema becomes
intensified and one experiences vipralambha, it seems that at that
time he is very unhappy, but that is not actually unhappiness. It is
the pinnacle of happiness. No one can describe the symptoms of
that condition. What were the sentiments of Çrématé Rädhikä that
Caitanya Mahäprabhu felt when He was locked in the Gambhérä
and was rubbing His face against the wall? The sentiments
that were experienced by Rädhikä, the bhäva experienced by
Mahäprabhu – has all of this been described? No. Therefore this
is called sva-saàvedya-daçä: it can only be understood by directly
experiencing it oneself. It is not possible for anyone to describe it.

Rarest Archiver
158 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

We cannot tell anyone about what divine bliss, what änanda, has
come within us as a result of meeting Kåñëa.
Therefore, Närada told Gopa-kumära, “My dear friend, this
desire to meet Kåñëa which has arisen inside you by the influence
of your mantra – this is sva-saàvedya-daçä. With mere words I
cannot make you understand completely this matter that has
disturbed you, but I will try to describe it a little. The nature of
prema is like that. That desire for the prema of your internal identity
(svarüpa) can never be fulfilled here. That svarüpa is in sakhya-
bhäva, and beyond that, pure viçrambha, or intimate, sakhya-bhäva.
This viçrambha-sakhya-bhäva cannot be found in any place from
Siddhaloka to Sadäçivaloka to Vaikuëöha, Ayodhyä, Mathurä or
Dvärakä. It is found only in Vraja.”
Then Närada glanced around; Lakñmé-devé was nowhere
near, and no other eternal associates of Näräyaëa were around,
so no one was listening to this conversation. If someone with a
particular sentiment hears the words of someone with a higher
sentiment, they will say something like, “Oh, he is blaspheming
our Lord!” Therefore not everyone should hear such talks. That is
why Närada checked to ensure that no servant or friend of Lakñmé,
or Garuòa, or anyone else was nearby. Then, after looking, he
began speaking again. “Inside you there is so much bhakti. You can
easily have heavenly enjoyment or liberation. You can even have
the prema of Vaikuëöha, but the love for Çré Rädhä and Kåñëa that
you are seeking is so difficult to obtain, so rare. By performing
the appropriate sacrifice, you can attain residence in the heavenly
planets, liberation, or even Vaikuëöha. By following the path of
jïäna you can achieve liberation, and by way of karma-yoga you
can go to heaven. But the bhakti that you desire cannot so easily
be attained, even by millions of efforts. You will never obtain it
by your own endeavour, so how will you receive it? Only if you
unconditionally surrender to Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa and beg mercy

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve 159

from Them – then it may be possible. Our ‘effort’ is to pray for it.
Our only prayer is that we can somehow offer Them our very soul.
But trying to obtain this prema by our own effort? It is not possible.
What you desire is very rare. It is obtainable – not that you can’t
get it, you can obtain it – but it is very difficult.”

kadäcid eva kasmaicit

tad-ekärtha-spåhävate
taà dadyäd bhagavän bhaktià
loka-bähyäya dhémate
Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.233)

If someone desires the prema of Vraja, then only if real spiritual

greed has somehow or other arisen within them will they be able
to obtain it. Without this greed it will never be possible. When
a person really wants something, then by bribery, by thievery, by
trickery, by fighting – by any means they will try to get it, and this
greed is the root cause of prema-bhakti. Such transcendental greed
is possible only when Bhagavän and His premé, rasika devotees are
merciful to us. Kåñëa will give the highest treasure only to those
who have some special hankering for it and not to those who don’t
have this qualification.
What shape will this hankering take? “I want to serve Kåñëa
just as Subala does, or just as Madhumaìgala, Çrédämä and others
do.” Is it possible that there is any special difference between the
service of Çrédämä and the service of Subala? A very big difference
is possible. Çrédämä has great love for Kåñëa; as much as Subala or
even more. But there is one hidden consideration here: Çrédämä is
the brother of Çrématé Rädhikä. Therefore Kåñëa is not always able
to have free dealings with Çrédämä, because through him Rädhikä
may come to know of something that Kåñëa doesn’t want Her to
know about. But with Subala, Kåñëa can speak openly and freely
and completely reveal His heart. Therefore there is no distance

Rarest Archiver
160 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

between Kåñëa and Subala. In this way there are differences

between sakhäs, and Gopa-kumära’s hankering is like that of
Subala. He desires to serve Kåñëa just as Subala does, remaining
near to Him and taking the cows out to graze.
Suppose Kåñëa is distributing cintämaëi, touchstone. Who is
He distributing it to? To those who are qualified to receive it. And
if someone else comes who is not qualified to receive cintämaëi,
what will Kåñëa give to him? He will give him some other stone
that may shine more than cintämaëi, but which is not cintämaëi.
He will give the greatest thing only to those who have some special
greed for it, and for this reason, He sent Närada to Gopa-kumära,
saying, “Increase his greed.” But merely being greedy for a short
time will not do. This greed is like a creeper: you must water it and
protect it, and then it can grow all the way up to Våndävana.
How does Kåñëa increase someone’s greed? Once Närada was
chanting his mantra. After chanting more and more, he attained
svarüpa-siddhi. A very beautiful form with four arms appeared
before him, and then at once disappeared. Now how much had
his greed increased? Närada started lamenting and crying until a
voice from the sky said to him, “While residing within a material
body you will not be able to have My direct company. For now you
will remain in svarüpa-siddhi and you will not change your form.
Then in your next birth, after giving up this form, you will attain
vastu-siddhi and reside with Me eternally.”
Therefore in sequence – first as the initiating spiritual master,
then as the instructing spiritual master, then Bhagavän Himself
comes as guru to increase our greed. So far the greed of Gopa-
kumära has reached up to Vaikuëöha, but now Närada has come
to increase his greed still further. As it increases more and more,
finally Kåñëa will give him the highest treasure, which is only
given to someone who is fully greedy for it.
Prema-bhakti becomes mature in a similar way as a mango
becomes ripe. There are many kinds of mango. Some mangos are

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve 161

so sweet, fragrant and delicious that upon tasting one of them, you
won’t want to stop eating until it is finished. Again and again you
will keep putting the mango to your mouth, and as long as there
is a little juice remaining in it, you will not discard it. So where is
prema found in its full maturity? In the company of the Vrajaväsés.
In the company of the nitya-siddha associates of Kåñëa it will be
fully mature, and nowhere else. So at that time in Vaikuëöha, Gopa-
kumära’s prema had not yet fully matured; it was still a little unripe.
Närada is saying that there is no one capable of describing
the nature of fully matured prema. Why? Because even Çrématé
Rädhikä is not capable of it. In fact, if there is any person who
is the most incapable of describing it, it is Rädhikä, because She
Herself is fully immersed in that rasa. She will not be able to
describe what She is experiencing, but those who remain aloof
will be able to describe a little something of it. When a man has
entered into rasa, what will he himself speak about it? He will
not say anything. In any description of the state of Mahäprabhu’s
prema, we don’t find in any place that He Himself described it. In
some places Svarüpa Dämodara has described it in poetry, Rüpa
Gosvämé described a little of it, and by hearing from Rüpa and
Raghunätha, Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé described something of
it, but he was unable to describe it completely.
Närada is saying, “In describing this prema, what will I say?
I am capable of saying something about the symptoms of it, but
most people will misunderstand and take another meaning. I may
say, ‘Oh, Rädhikä is dying in separation and crying in pain, the
poor girl has become senseless! For a long time Rädhikä remained
senseless. The tears from Her eyes made Her clothing wet, and
She rubbed the dust of Kåñëa’s feet on Her shawl and the rest of
Her clothes. With the tears related to Kåñëa and the dust related
to Kåñëa combined, Rädhikä’s clothes became unclean, but She
refused to change them. She was firmly determined that She
would wear no other clothes except those that were saturated with

Rarest Archiver
162 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

Her tears for Kåñëa and His foot-dust.’ But upon hearing this, most
people will say, ‘Oh, such suffering!’ ”
When Uddhava went to Våndävana to deliver a message from
Kåñëa and first saw the condition of the Vrajaväsés, he said, “I have
heard that their love for Kåñëa is very deep, but for so long they
have been in so much agony! Mother Yaçodä is dying!” But will
Rädhikä, Nanda Bäbä or Mother Yaçodä ever leave Våndävana?
Will any gopé ever leave? Will even any of the young servants
of the gopés leave? No. They are experiencing a kind of ecstasy
that even Uddhava could not fully understand. Therefore, even
the servants who sweep Rädhikä’s home are considered to be on
a higher level than Uddhava. Uddhava cannot attain that high
kind of sentiment. The gopés are all crying, and their servants are
trying to console them, but still none of them will ever leave there.
In the end Uddhava left Våndävana unable to fully comprehend
that high sentiment.
The symptoms of prema in its mature state are not a thing that
can be spoken of, so how can it be written about in the scriptures?
And if they were written, then what would be the result? In
Çrémad-Bhägavatam only a little has been described about the
meeting of Çré Rädhä and Kåñëa, and many people say that there is
some detestable, sinful activity described in the Bhägavatam. Many
people have said this. How will all of these people understand
the Bhägavatam? Only a little has been told, and they say that it
is filthy. So if even more of it were described, then what would
happen? Yet if the Bhägavatam were not there, the devotees would
not be able to maintain their lives because the Bhägavatam is most
dear to them. If you give a piece of ginger to a monkey, what will
he do? He will look at it, and then merely discard it. Monkeys do
not know that ginger is valuable for digestion and health. So these
high sentiments from the Bhägavatam should not be described
to ignorant people. They are not spoken even to Rukmiëé or
Satyabhämä, so what to speak of others?

Rarest Archiver
 Chapter Twelve 163

But there is one more point here: those who are rasika, who
are sva-saàvedya-daçä, who have experienced prema themselves –
they will not describe it, but they will recognise it when they see
it. Besides Svarüpa Dämodara, no one else could understand the
bhäva of Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He understood it, but never spoke
of it. There is a verse that Mahäprabhu was calling out with a
faltering voice before Jagannätha’s cart:

yaù kaumära-haraù sa eva hi varas tä eva caitra-kñapäs

te conmélita-mälaté-surabhayaù prauòhäù kadambäniläù
sä caiväsmi tathäpi tatra surata-vyäpära-lélä-vidhau
revä-rodhasi vetasé-taru-tale cetaù samutkaëöhate
Padyävalé (382)

That same lover who stole away My heart during My youth is now
again My master. These are the same moonlit nights in the month
of Caitra, and the same breezes from the kadamba forest are blowing
the same fragrance from the mälaté flowers. I am also the same lover
as before, but My heart is not satisfied here. I desire to return with
Him to the bank of the river Revä, under the vetasé tree.

When Mahäprabhu spoke that verse, only Svarüpa Dämodara

understood, but then it became apparent that Rüpa Gosvämé also
understood. Perceiving the sentiment within Mahäprabhu’s heart,
Rüpa Gosvämé composed a parallel verse. He wrote it on a palm leaf
and placed it in the thatched roof of his hut before going to bathe:

priyaù so ’yaà kåñëaù sahacari kuru-kñetra-militas

tathähaà sä rädhä tad idam ubhayoù saìgama-sukham
tathäpy antaù-khelan-madhura-muralé-païcama-juñe
mano me kälindé-pulina-vipinäya spåhayati
Padyävalé (383)

My dear friend, I have now again met My lover, Çré Kåñëa, here
at Kurukñetra. I am the same Rädhä, and We are experiencing the
happiness of meeting. Still, I desire for Us to return to the bank

Rarest Archiver
164 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

of the Yamunä beneath the trees of the forest there, where I can
hear Him playing the sweet melody of the fifth note on the flute.

Mahäprabhu and Svarüpa Dämodara thought that only they

could understand this sentiment, but upon seeing this poem of
Rüpa Gosvämé, they could see that Rüpa Gosvämé also understood.
This is sva-saàvedya-daçä.
Therefore Närada told Gopa-kumära, “You are an eternal
resident of Vraja, not of this Vaikuëöha. Now the mango is ripening;
a little fragrance is coming from it. In a few days the mango will be
fully mature, and its taster will see that it has ripened, its fragrance
has come, and now juice will come out of it. So taking it, he will
relish it. Such a day is coming. Now the time is very near when you
will go to Vraja and all of your desires will be fulfilled.”

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary

A
äbhäsa – the semblance of something.
abhiñeka – bathing of a deity in milk, yoghurt, water and other
ingredients.
äcärya – spiritual preceptor; one who teaches by example.
änanda – divine bliss or ecstasy.
anarthas – unwanted desires in the heart, which impede one’s
advancement in devotional life.
anuräga – an intensified stage of prema; a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva. In Ujjvala-nélamaëi (14.146) anuräga
has been defined as follows: “Although one regularly meets with
the beloved and is well acquainted with the beloved, the ever-
fresh sentiment of intense attachment causes the beloved to be
newly experienced at every moment as if one has never before had
any experience of that person. The attachment that inspires such
a feeling is known as anuräga.”
aparädha – an offence committed against the holy name, the
Vaiñëavas, the spiritual master, the scriptures, holy places or the
deity.
ärati – the ceremony of offering a deity articles of worship, such as
incense, lamp, flowers and fan, accompanied by bell-ringing and
chanting.
arcana – deity worship; one of the nine primary processes of
devotional service.
äsakti – attachment; this especially refers to attachment to the
Lord and His eternal associates.
ätmä – the soul.
avatära – an incarnation; one who descends.

Rarest Archiver
166 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

B
bhagavad-bhakti – see bhakti.
Bhagavän – the Supreme Lord, Çré Kåñëa.
bhajana – spiritual practices, especially hearing, chanting and
meditating upon the holy names, form, qualities and pastimes of
Çré Kåñëa.
bhakti – the word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means
‘to serve’. Therefore the primary meaning of the word bhakti is to
render service. The performance of activities meant exclusively
for the pleasure of Çré Kåñëa, which are done in a favourable spirit
saturated with love, which are devoid of all other desires and
which are not covered by the pursuits of fruitive activity (karma)
or the cultivation of knowledge aimed at merging one’s existence
into that of the Lord (jïäna), is called bhakti.
bhäva – (1) spiritual emotions, love or sentiments; (2) the initial
stage of perfection in devotion (bhäva-bhakti).
bhoga – foodstuffs that are to offered to the deity.
brahmacäré – a member of the first äçrama (stage of life) in the
varëäçrama system; a celibate, unmarried student.
brahma – the impersonal, all-pervading feature of the Lord, which
is devoid of attributes and qualities.
brähmaëa – the intellectual class amongst the four castes within
the Vedic social system.
brahmäëòa – an egg-shaped material universe.

C
caitya-guru – the Supersoul situated within the heart, who gives
spiritual instruction and guidance.
cämara – a fan made of the hair of a yak’s tail, employed especially
as part of the paraphernalia offered to the deity.
campä – the fragrant yellowish-white flower of the Michelia
campaka tree.

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary 167

caraëämåta – nectar from the feet of the Lord. Substances such

as milk, honey, yoghurt, clarified butter and rose water are used to
bathe the feet of the deity. The nectar that is collected from that
is known as caraëämåta.

D
däsya – one of the five primary relationships with the Lord that is
established in the heart when one is in the stage of bhäva or prema;
love for or attraction to the Lord that is expressed in the mood of
a servant.
dhäma – a holy place of pilgrimage; the abode of Çré Bhagavän,
where He appears and enacts His transcendental pastimes.
dharma – religion in general; the socio-religious duties prescribed
in the scriptures for different classes of persons in the varëäçrama
system.

G
ghee – clarified butter.
gopas – the cowherd boys who serve Kåñëa in the mood of intimate
friends. This may also refer to the elderly gopas who serve Kåñëa in
the mood of parental affection.
gopés – the young cowherd maidens of Vraja, headed by Çrématé
Rädhikä, who serve Çré Kåñëa in the mood of amorous love. This
may also refer to the elderly gopés, headed by Mother Yaçodä, who
serve Kåñëa in the mood of parental affection.
gosvämé – one who is the master of his senses, a title for those in the
renounced order of life. This often refers to the renowned followers
of Caitanya Mahäprabhu who adopted the lifestyle of mendicants.
gåhastha – one who is in household life; the second stage of life
(äçrama) within the Vedic social system (varëäçrama).
guru-paramparä – the disciplic succession through which spiritual
knowledge is transmitted by bona fide spiritual masters.

Rarest Archiver
168 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

H
harinäma – the holy name of the Lord, especially referring to the
mahä-mantra.
hlädiné – this refers to the Lord’s internal potency (svarüpa-çakti)
that is predominated by hlädiné. Hlädiné is the potency that relates
to the änanda, or bliss, aspect of the Supreme Lord. Although the
Supreme Lord is the embodiment of all pleasure, hlädiné is that
potency by which He relishes transcendental bliss and causes
others to taste bliss.

I
éçvara – the Supreme God of all gods.

J
jagad-guru – one who is qualified to act as a spiritual master for
anyone in the entire world.
japa – very soft utterance or whispering of the holy names of the
Lord to oneself; usually refers to the practice of chanting harinäma
on tulasé beads.
jéva – the eternal, individual living entity, who in the conditioned
state of material existence assumes a material body in any of the
innumerable species of life.
jïäna – (1) knowledge in general; (2) knowledge leading to
impersonal liberation.

K
kalpa – the period of time equivalent to one day in the life of Lord
Brahmä.
käma-gäyatré – a confidential mantra received from the spiritual
master at the time of second initiation.
karatälas – hand cymbals used in congregational glorification of
the Lord.

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary 169

karma-käëòa – a division of the Vedas that relates to the

performance of ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed
towards either material benefit or liberation.
kértana – congregational singing of the Lord’s holy names, which
is sometimes accompanied by music. This may also refer to loud
individual chanting of the holy name as well as oral descriptions of
the Lord’s names, form, qualities, associates and pastimes. Kértana
is one of the nine most important limbs of devotion.
kiçora – an adolescent boy.
kiçoré – an adolescent girl.
kuïja – a grove or bower; a natural shady retreat, the sides and
roof of which are formed mainly by trees and climbing plants.
kuìkuma – a powder used by women for personal decoration.

L
lélä – the divine and astonishing pastimes of Çré Bhagavän and
His eternal associates, which grant all auspiciousness for the living
entity, which have no connection with this mundane world and
which lie beyond the grasp of the material senses and mind.
lélä-avatära – an incarnation of the Supreme Lord that appears
solely for the purpose of performing pastimes.

M
mädhurya-rasa – one of the five primary relationships with Kåñëa
established in the stage of bhäva and prema; love or attachment
towards Kåñëa that is expressed in the mood of a lover. This mood
is eternally present in the gopés of Vraja.
mäna – an intensified stage of prema; a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva. It is described in Ujjvala-nélamaëi
(14.96): “When sneha reaches exultation, thus causing one to
experience the sweetness of the beloved in ever-new varieties, yet
externally takes on a crooked feature, it is known as mäna.”

Rarest Archiver
170 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

maïjaré – a young maidservant of Çrématé Rädhikä.

mandira – a temple.
manvantara – the lifespan of one Manu; that is, seventy-one
yugas, each yuga being 4,320,000 years in duration.
mahäbhäva – the highest stage of prema, divine love. In Ujjvala-
nélamaëi (14.154) mahäbhäva is defined thus: “When anuräga
reaches a special state of intensity, it is known as bhäva or
mahäbhäva. This stage of intensity has three characteristics: (i)
anuräga reaches the state of sva-saàvedya, which means that it
becomes the object of its own experience; (ii) it becomes prakäçita,
radiantly manifest, which means that all eight sättvika-bhävas
become prominently displayed; and (iii) it attains the state of
yävad-äçraya-våtti, which means that the active ingredient of the
intensified state of anuräga transmits the experience of Rädhä
and Kåñëa’s bhäva to whomever may be present and qualified to
receive it.”
mantra – a spiritual sound vibration that delivers the mind from
its material conditioning and illusion when repeated over and
over; a Vedic hymn, prayer or chant.
mäyävädé – one who advocates the doctrine of impersonalism.
mådaìga – a clay drum used in congregational glorification of the
Lord.
mürti – a form of the Lord, usually referring to the deity form.

N
niñöhä – firm faith; established devotional practice that does not
waver at any time.
nitya-siddha – eternally perfected devotees.

P
parikramä – circumambulation of holy places.
praëaya – an intensified stage of prema; a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva. It is described in Ujjvala-nélamaëi

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary 171

(14.108): “When mäna assumes a feature of unrestrained intimacy

known as viçrambha, learned authorities refer to it as praëaya.”
The word viçrambha used in this verse means ‘complete confidence
devoid of any restraint or formality’. This confidence causes one
to consider one’s life, mind, intelligence, body and possessions to
be one in all respects with the life, mind, intelligence and body of
the beloved.
prasäda – literally meaning mercy, especially refers to the remnants
of food offered to the deity.
püjä – offering of worship.
pujäré – a priest who formally offers püjä, worship, to the deity
form of the Lord.
puruña-avatära – one of the three Viñëu incarnations involved
in the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this world:
Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu and Kñérodakaçäyé
Viñëu.

R
räga – (1) a deep attachment that is permeated by spontaneous
and intense absorption in the object of one’s affection. The
primary characteristic of räga is a deep and overpowering thirst for
the object of one’s affection. The desire for water is called thirst.
When the body is deprived of water this thirst arises. The greater
the thirst the greater the longing for water. When this thirst
reaches the point that without water, one can no longer maintain
the body, it is known as an overpowering thirst. Similarly, when
the loving thirst to please the object of one’s affection becomes
so intense that in the absence of such service one is on the verge
of giving up his life, it is known as räga. This räga is the basis of
the rägätmikä devotees’ bhakti; (2) an intensified stage of prema;
a stage in the development from prema up to mahäbhäva. It is
described as follows in Ujjvala-nélamaëi (14.126): “When praëaya
reaches exultation, thus causing even extreme misery to be

Rarest Archiver
172 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

experienced within the heart as happiness, it is known as räga.”

In Jéva Gosvämé’s commentary on this verse, he explains that if by
accepting some misery there is a chance of meeting with Kåñëa,
then that misery becomes a source of great happiness. And where
happiness affords one no opportunity to meet with Kåñëa, that
happiness becomes the source of great distress. When such a state
is experienced, it is known as räga.
rägänugä-bhakti – an elevated stage of devotion that is motivated
by spontaneous attraction or love.
rasa – the spiritual transformation of the heart that takes place
when the perfected state of love for Kåñëa, known as rati, is
converted into ‘liquid’ emotions by combination with various
types of transcendental ecstasy.
roöé – Indian-style unleavened bread that is oven-baked.
ruci – taste; the fifth stage in the development of the creeper of
devotion.

S
sabjé – cooked vegetables
sac-cid-änanda – that which is eternal, composed of spiritual
consciousness and full of transcendental bliss.
sad-guru – a perfected spiritual master.
sädhaka – one who follows a spiritual discipline with the objective
of achieving pure devotion for Çré Kåñëa.
sädhana – the stage of devotional life in which a spiritual discipline
is performed for the purpose of bringing about the manifestation
of ecstatic, pure love for Çré Kåñëa (bhäva).
sädhana-siddha – devotees who have attained perfection through
spiritual practice.
sädhu – a saintly person.
sakhä – a male friend, companion or attendant.
sakhé – a female friend, companion or attendant.

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary 173

sakhya – one of the five primary relationships with Kåñëa that is

established in the heart when one is in the stage of bhäva or prema;
love or attachment for the Lord that is expressed in the mood of
a friend.
çälagräma-çilä – self-manifesting deities of Näräyaëa in the form
of small, round black stones that are found in the Gandaké River
in the Himälayas.
sampradäya – a school of religious thought.
saàbandha-jïäna – knowledge regarding sambandha-tattva, the
mutual relationship between the Lord, the living entities and
the material energy. The word sambandha means connection,
relationship or binding. The living entities are eternally and
inseparably connected to the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is the
true object of relationship. The general relationship between
the living entities and the Supreme Lord is one of servant and
served. However, in the perfected stage of devotion one becomes
established in a specific relationship with the Lord either as a
servant, friend, parent or lover.
saàvit – this refers to the internal potency (svarüpa-çakti) that is
predominated by saàvit. It is the potency that relates to cit, the
cognisant aspect of the Supreme Lord. Although the Supreme
Lord is the embodiment of knowledge, saàvit is the potency by
which He knows Himself and causes others to know Him.
saìkértana – loud congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy
names.
sannyäsa – renounced ascetic life; the fourth stage of life (äçrama)
within the Vedic social system (varëäçrama).
sannyäsé – one in the renounced order of life.
sevä – service, attendance on, reverence, devotion to.
siddhänta – philosophical doctrine or precept; demonstrated
conclusion; established end; admitted truth.
sneha – an intensified stage of prema; a stage in the development
from prema up to mahäbhäva. It is described in Ujjvala-nélamaëi

Rarest Archiver
174 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

(14.79): “When prema ascends to its ultimate limit, intensifies

one’s perception of the object of love, and melts the heart, it is
known as sneha.”
çraddhä – faith. This refers to faith in the statements of the
scriptures that is awakened after accumulating pious merit through
the performance of devotional activities over many births.
çré vigraha – the deity form of the Lord.
svarüpa-çakti – the Lord’s internal potency.
svayaàvara – the ancient Vedic marriage ceremony.

T
tattva – truth, reality, philosophical principle; the essence or
substance of anything.
tilaka – clay markings worn on the forehead and other parts of the
body by Vaiñëavas, signifying their devotion to Çré Kåñëa or Viñëu,
and consecrating the body as the Lord’s temple.
tulasé – a sacred plant whose leaves and blossoms are used by
Vaiñëavas in the worship of Çré Kåñëa; the wood is also used for
chanting beads and neck beads.

V
vaidhé-bhakti – devotion that is prompted by the rules and
regulations of the scriptures.
vaijayanté – a garland made of five varieties of flower and which
reaches the knees.
vänaprastha – a member of the third stage of life (äçrama) in the
Vedic social system; retired life that entails freedom from family
responsibilities and the acceptance of spiritual vows.
vandana – the offering of prayers.
varëäçrama-dharma – the Vedic social system, which organises
society into four occupational divisions (varëas) and four stages
of life (äçramas).

Rarest Archiver
 Glossary 175

vätsalya – one of the five primary relationships with Kåñëa that is

established in the heart when one is in the stage of bhäva or prema;
love or attachment for the Lord expressed in the mood of a parent.

Y
yoga-nidrä – mystic slumber induced by the Lord’s Yogamäyä
potency.
yuga – one of the four ages described in the Vedas: Satya-yuga,
Tretä-yuga, Dväpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. The duration of each
yuga is said to be, respectively: 1,728,000; 1,296,000; 864,000; and
432,000 years. The descending numbers represent a corresponding
physical and moral deterioration of mankind in each age.

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Verse Index

A
aham uccävacair dravyaiù............................................................................... 137
aiçvarya-jïänete saba jagat miçrita................................................................49
aiçvaryasya samagrasya................................................................................... 113
amäninä mänadena..............................................................................................4
apareyam itas tv anyäà....................................................................................111
ärädhanänäà sarveñäà........................................................................................2
arcäyäm eva haraye...........................................................................................136
arcye viñëau çilä-dhér guruñu......................................................................... 137

B
bähyäntaréëa-bhävena.....................................................................................129
baliñöhaà sädhanaà çreñöham........................................................................ 40
bhajanänanda-sämye ’pi..................................................................................129
bhaktià paräà bhagavati pratilabhya kämaà............................................90

D
dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà...............................................................................93
durvitarkyä hi sä çaktir......................................................................................85

E
eko ’pi bhagavän sändra................................................................................... 133
etac ca våndä-vipine ’gha-hantur...............................................................71, 79
ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù.................................................................................. 114
evaà-vrataù sva-priya-näma-kértyä...............................................................36

G
ghaöeta cet karhy api tad-viñaktito................................................................ 147
gurau goñöhe goñöhälayiñu sujane......................................................................11
gurudeva kåpä-bindu diyä...............................................................................129

Rarest Archiver
178 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

H
harer näma harer näma.....................................................................................36
hä çré-yaçodä-tanaya praséda........................................................12, 27, 37, 41
hitvärcäà bhajate mauòhyäd.........................................................................136

I
éçvare tad-adhéneñu................................................................................................5

J
jänanta eva jänantu............................................................................................ 81
jéva-bhütäà mahä-bäho....................................................................................111
jïäna-vairägyayoç cäpi..................................................................................... 113

K
kadäcid eva kasmaicit.......................................................................................159
kadäpi kåñëa-pratimärcanavatäà.................................................................146
kalau nästy eva nästy eva..................................................................................36
kalpa-taravo drumä bhümi............................................................................... 44
kätyäyani mahä-mäye......................................................................................108
kintu prabhor yaù priya eva tasya...................................................................98
kintv asyaikänta-bhakteñu................................................................................85
kåpayä tatra taträste......................................................................................... 133
kåñëasya nänä-vidha-kértaneñu.......................................................................39
kåñëeti yasya giri taà manasädriyeta..........................................................103
kvacit keñv api jéveñu...........................................................................................97

M
manaso vapuño väco............................................................................................ 81
manyämahe kértanam eva sattamaà.............................................................35
mat-kathä-çravaëädau vä...............................................................................143

N
na ca saìkarñaëo na çrér................................................................................. 101
naiva tuñye ’rcito ’rcäyäà................................................................................ 137

Rarest Archiver
 Verse Index 179

näma-saìkértanaà proktaà........................................................................... 40
na näka-påñöhaà na ca pärameñöhyaà.......................................................120
nanda-gopa-sutaà devi....................................................................................108
na pätityädi-doñaù syäd...................................................................................140
na tad-bhakteñu cänyeñu..................................................................................136
na tathä me priyatama..................................................................................... 101
nayanaà galad-açru-dhärayä..........................................................................45
na yoga-siddhér apunar-bhavaà vä..............................................................120

P
pare kåñëasya kåpayä........................................................................................126
paçyanti täny atra yathä pratisvam................................................................95
patné-sahasrair yugapat praëétaà...................................................................95
prabhoù sväbhäviké sä hi..................................................................................108
prema-maitré-kåpopekñä......................................................................................5
priyaù so ’yaà kåñëaù sahacari kuru-kñetra-militas................................163
påñöaà mayedaà bhagavan dharä-tale........................................................ 133
pulakair nicitaà vapuù kadä............................................................................45

S
sä caiväsmi tathäpi tatra surata-vyäpära-lélä-vidhau.............................163
sakala sahane, bala diyä kara’.......................................................................129
sakåd-uccaraëän nämä....................................................................................145
säkñäd-dharitvena samasta-çästrair...............................................................98
sä paräparayoù çaktyoù....................................................................................108
sa yat paraà brahma pare tu sarve...............................................................132
sa yat pramäëaà kurute..................................................................................144
sevottamä matä bhaktiù...................................................................................140
siddhiù syäd bhagavad-dåñöyä.........................................................................145
çré-brahmaëä dväravaté-pure ca...................................................................... 71
çré-kåñëa gopäla hare mukunda....................................................12, 27, 37, 41
çré-kåñëa-léläbdhi-taraìga-magnaà.............................................................108
çré-paurëamäsyaç caraëäravindaà..............................................................108
çuçrüñayä bhajana-vijïam ananyam anya.................................................103

Rarest Archiver
180 Going Beyond Vaikuëöùa

T
täù sac-cid-änanda-ghanäs tvayä matä....................................................... 133
taà dadyäd bhagavän bhaktià......................................................................159
täratamyaà tu kalpyeta...................................................................................122
tasmät parataraà devi..........................................................................................2
tathäpy antaù-khelan-madhura-muralé-païcama-juñe...........................163
tat-prema-sampaj-janane svayaà dräk.........................................................39
tat-tad-rasa-sajätéyasukha..............................................................................122
tävat karmäëi kurvéta.......................................................................................143
teñäà satata-yuktänäà......................................................................................93
tåëäd api sunécena.................................................................................................4

V
väci sva-yukte manasi çrutau tathä................................................................35
vadanti kecid bhagavän hi kåñëaù.................................................................132
vaikuëöha-väsino hy ete....................................................................................126
vikréòitaà vraja-vadhübhir idaà ca viñëoù..................................................90

Y
yad yad äcarati çreñöhas...................................................................................144
yaù kaumära-haraù sa eva hi varas tä eva..................................................163
yo mäà sarveñu bhüteñu..................................................................................136

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver
 Worldwide Centers & Contacts
Please contact us at the address stamped or written on the first page of
this book, or at the listings below:
INDIA
• Mathura - Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha
Jawahar Hata, U.P. 281001 (Opp. Dist. Hospital)
Tel: 0565 250-2334, e-mail: [email protected]
• New Delhi - Sri Ramana-vihari Gaudiya Matha
Block B-3, Janakpuri, New Delhi 110058
(Near musical fountain park) Tel: 011 25533568, 9810192540
• New Delhi - Karol Bagh Center - Rohini-nandana
9A/39 Channa Market, WEA, Karol Bagh
Tel.: 9810398406, 9810636370, Email: [email protected]
• Vrindavan - Sri Rupa-Sanatana Gaudiya Matha
Dan Gali, U.P. Tel: 0565 244-3270
• Vrindavan - Gopinath Bhavan
Ranapat Ghat, Seva Kunja, Vrindavan 281121, U.P.
Tel: 0565 244-3359, e-mail: [email protected]
• Jagannath Puri - Jayasri Damodar Gaudiya Math
Chakratirtha. Tel: 06752-229695
• Bangalore - Sri Madana Mohan Gaudiya Matha
245/1 29th Cross, Kaggadasa pura,Balaji layout, Bangalore-93
Tel: 08904427754 e-mail: [email protected]
USA
• Gaudiya Vedanta Publications Offices
Tel: (800) 681-3040 ext. 108, e-mail: [email protected]
• Houston - Preaching Center
Tel: (1) 713-984 8334, e-mail: [email protected]
• Los Angeles – Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple
305 Rose Avenue, Venice, California 90291
Tel: (1) 310-310 2817
UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND
• Birmingham - International Distributor
Tel: (44) 153648-1769, e-mail: [email protected]
• London - Ganga-mata Gaudiya Matha
Email: [email protected]
• Galway - Family Center,
Tel: 353 85-1548200, e-mail: [email protected]
GUYANA
• East Cost Demerara- Sri Sri Radha Govinda Gaudiya Matha
156 Area A Bladen Hall School Road
Tel: 0592 270-4102, 0592 233-2898
e-mail: [email protected]

Rarest Archiver
Rarest Archiver