Is it right to sing ‘Govindam ädi-puruñaà’ during Çåìgära Äraté??

Question- Please accept my humble obeisances MAHÄRÄJA JÉ. Few devotees from Iskcon asked that during Çåìgära Äraté, there they sing ‘Govindam ädi-puruñaà’. MAHARAJ JI, it the right Äraté to sing during the Çåìgära of Deities? Please clarify this. Thank You so much.

MAHÄRÄJA JÉ- The Äraté which is been sung during Çåìgära Äraté of Iskcon is, “Govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi.” These are the verses from famous Brahma-Saàhitä. These verses are spoken by Brahmä jé. These verses are known as Aiçvaryamaya Stuti of the Lord. These verses are full with awe and reverence. And awe and reverence…, they have got no scope, no space in Våndävana. Not even an ant sees Kåñëa as Lord in Våndävana. Not even parrots see Lord Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord in Våndävana.

Even during Rädhäkuëòa pastimes, in jala-keli when Kåñëa wins somehow, no one sings ‘Jai Kåñëa’…, and what to talk of Govindam ädi-puruñaà there?

So, the mood in Våndävana is exactly opposite of mood of aiçvarya. Mood in Våndävana is Mädhurya bhäva, it is not Aiçvarya Bhäva. And Narottama Däsa Öhäkura tells in Prema Bhakti Candrikä–

parama nägara kåñëa, tähe hao ati tåñëa,

bhajo täìre vrajabhäva laiyä

bhajo täìre.., how should one worship Kåñëa? bhajo täìre vrajabhäva laiyä…, not aiçvarya bhäva laiyä.

We, gauòéya vaiñëavas must follow our Äcäryas. What to talk of attaining perfection…? If we want to even advance in bhakti, we must follow our Äcäryas as it is, what they are telling us to.

bhajo täìre vrajabhäva laiyä. Vrajabhäva means nobody in Våndävana thinks or takes Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord. How do they take Kåñëa?

It is mentioned in Caitanya Caritämåta– How Kåñëa has been taken by the vrajaväsés?

This is Caitanya Caritämåta Ädi Lélä–

mora putra, mora sakhä, mora präëa-pati

ei-bhäve yei more kare çuddha-bhakti

If you want to do çuddha bhakti, then what should be the bhäva? Govindam ädi-puruñaà..? Never even in dreams. If you want to attain.., do çuddha bhakti towards Lord Kåñëa, what should be the bhäva? Either mora putra or mora sakhä or mora präëa pati. And infact, what to talk of taking Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord, Çréla Kåñëa Däsa Kaviräja tells –

äpanäke baòa mäne, ämäre sama-héna

sei bhäve ha-i ämi tähära adhéna

Kåñëa Himself is telling all the brajaväsés, take Him maximum that they are equal to Kåñëa. Otherwise, they think, we are superior to Kåñëa.

And here…What do you think…In Çåìgära Äraté, if gopés or maïjarés do of Kåñëa or Rädhäräné, they are going to sing govindam ädi-puruñaà…? Nobody, even in dreams they will think that Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord. Had it been so, then Çréla Rüpa Gosvämipäda would have never said that all devotees should worship…Rüpa Gosvämé has mentioned that…. How a Gauòéya Vaiñëava should pray? What should be his aspiration?

If you are at the time of Çåìgära Äraté, if you are like this– Govindam ädi-puruñaà, “O Supreme Lord, you are so beautiful, you can do the work of one sense, you can do the work of all the senses with just one sense.”, these are just aiçvaryamaya stutis of the Lord and they have got no place in Våndävana. They just don’t fit in any…, even the remotest parts of Våndävana these stutis can never be done. And what to talk of Lalitä, Viçäkhä and maïjarés, they will never do such stutis even in their dreams.

In Cäöu Puñpäïjali Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé says– “O Rädhäräné!” He is telling us how we all Gauòéya Vaiñëavas should pray. “O Rädhäräné! I pray for your mercy again and again.” Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé is telling us that we should pray this way. “O Rädhäräné! I pray for your Mercy again and again.” What is his prayer? “Let me be the object of Kåñëa’s pitiful prayers. Kåñëa is begging me…Oh dear maïjaré! Please, please unite me with Rädhäräné.” If this is the right prayer, then Govindam ädi-puruñaà has to be the wrongest prayer possible on planet Earth, if we are a gauòéya vaiñëava. If Rüpa Gosvämé’s prayers are right, then Govindam ädi-puruñaà prayers are exactly the opposite of the right thing, that means they are 100% wrong.

See, we are not here to…, we have got no interest in what people are doing or they are following… Since devotees are asking us question what is right and what is wrong, so just to tell the facts clear, what is right, we were telling that Govindam ädi-puruñaà prayers are not even sung in dreams by any brajaväsé and we gauòéya vaiñëavas are upäsaka, worshippers of Rädhä and Kåñëa. And Kåñëa begs maïjarés that make me unite with Rädhäräné. And we should also pray this way if we want to attain perfection.

And there is another verse from Rädhärasa Sudhänidhi, Verse 3. You can understand this from another prospective also–

brahmeçvarädi sudurüha padäravinda, çrémat paräga paramädbhuta vaibhaväyäù

sarvärtha sära rasavarñi kåpärdra dåñöes, tasyä namo’stu våñabhänu bhuvo mahimne

This verse in Rädhärasa Sudhänidhi tells that “I offer my obeisances to Çrématé Rädhäräné.” The dust of Rädhäräné’s feet is sudurüha.. is very far away from Brahmä jé. When even the dust of Rädhäräné is far away from Brahmä jé then, then that Rädhäräné’s sakhés or maïjarés, will they ever sing Çåìgära Äraté or any other brajaväsé will sing verses by Brahmä jé ? Brahmä jé cannot even attain dust of Rädhäräné’s Lotus Feet, then his prayers cannot even enter the realm of Våndävana.

This is very common sense that the realm of Våndävana, especially the Madhura realm of Våndävana is inaccessible for Brahmä jé. Since that realm of Våndävana is inaccessible for Brahmä jé, we gauòéya vaiñëavas who are situated in madhura bhäva, will we ever sing Aiçvaryamaya stuti of one who cannot even enter there?

You know what kind of Maìgala Äraté is done, stutis are done in Våndävana? Do you know that? Will give you an example. The Maìgala Äraté done by all the Gauòéya Vaiñëava Äcäryas since last 500 years is as follows. Can you sing Maìgala Äraté for us?

Devotee-

maìgala ärati yugala kiçora

maìgala sakhé gaëa jorahiì jora

ratana pradépa kare öalamala thora

nirakhata vidhu-mukha çyama sugora

lalitä viçäkhä ädi preme ägora

karata niramaïjana doìhe doìhä bhora

våndävana kuïjahiì bhuvana ujora

murati manohara yugala-kiçora

gäoata çuka pika näcata mayüra

cända upekhi mukha nirakhe cakora

bäjata vividha vädya yantra ghana ghora

çyämänande änande bäjäya jaya òhora

MAHARAJ JI- This Maìgala Äraté is being done since last hundreds of years by all the gauòéya vaiñëavas, all the siddhas…everywhere. Be it Våndävana, be it Rädhäkuëòa, be it Jagannätha Puré or Navadvépa or any other place where gauòéya vaiñëavas reside, only this Maìgala Äraté is being done. And similar are the stutis for the Çåìgära Äraté as well.

So, no Aiçvaryamaya Stuti is ever done at the time of Maìgala or at the time of Çringar or at the time of Sandhya Äraté also. You can read these verses in Brahm samhita. You can understand the glories of the Supreme Lord that the function of any of His senses can perform the function of other senses. The glories of the Lord are being very vividly described in Brahm samhita, but by no means, they are verses for Çringar Äraté. It is not that some Stuti of the Lord can be used for Çringar Äraté of Kåñëa. Shivji must have also done some Stutis for the Lord. So, you cannot put those stutis as Çringar Äraté for Lord Kåñëa. Parvati Devi must have done many stutis glorifying Kåñëa but you cannot put those stutis as Çringar Äraté of the Lord. They are Aishwaryamaye Stutis of the Lord and Aishwarya has got no place in Våndävana.

And in Kåñëa…, what to talk of being seen as a Lord, He fears that He might get caught when He is about to meet Rädhä Rani. So, sometimes He hides Himself under the bushes of some trees and sometimes in the verandah where Rädhä Rani stays…, in different places He does so many things, which like a normal male would do. NOBODY , NOBODY means NOBODY will take Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord.

And in fact, the Sakhas, will give you more examples, Govind Lilamrita -When Kåñëa and Sakhas are coming back from Gocharan Lila every day, sometimes the demi gods- Brahmä, Shiva sing.. “O Supreme Lord! O Kåñëa! You are great.” You know what Sakha says-  “Hey hey! Ignorant people! He is Lord, Kåñëa, Lord…???”

They just don’t believe iota of what anyone says- “Hey hey!! He is Lord? Yesterday only He got lost. I wrestled Him and I defeated Him. I defeated Your Lord. O Brahmä! I defeated Your Lord yesterday! And Çridham says, “I defeated Your Lord today also! Ignorant people- Brahmä, Shiva..!”

When Sakhas position is this high, imagine Lalita, Vishakha and then maïjarés of Rädhä Rani, what is their position! And they will sing Govindam adipursham? They will say – Govind! you sing…please help me unite with Rädhä Rani! He begs us.

In your language, assuming you are going for loan from, let’s say RBI, and you will be like this…or RBI director says- Please take loan from me?