What is Gauòéya Vaiñëava’s svarüpa in Vraja?
Question: MAHÄRÄJA JÉ, Many Iskcon devotees tells us that they have heard that, in Navadvépa they know their svarüpa that they are Gaura Däsa but do not know one’s svarüpa in Vraja lélä. Requesting You MAHÄRÄJA JÉ to kindly enlighten us.
MAHÄRÄJA JÉ – Well, the question is that we are sure that we are Gaura däsa in Navadvépa, in the spiritual world, but in Vraja we don’t know what our svarüpa actually is? What our relationship with Kåñëa is, that we are not sure of, but in Navadvépa we are sure- we are Gaura däsa. So, try to understand this question from scriptures.
There is a Grantha called Caitanya Candrodaya Näöaka by Çrépäda Kavéräja Karëapüåëa. He mentions very clearly that Mahäprabhu is telling Advaitäcärya; this is a conversation between Advaitäcärya and Mahäprabhu. Mahäprabhu is telling Advaitäcärya that, see! this also we have mentioned in our grantha – “Be a Gauòéya Vaiñaëava”, Page 36 and also in our Grantha’s – Lord Gauräìga’s grantha, Page 27.
Mahäprabhu is telling Advaitäcärya-
våndäraëyäntarasthaù sarasa vilasitenätmanäm ätmänam uccair
Simplest words to make us understand this çloka is, Mahapabhu is telling that I want to give all of you, Mahäprabhu is telling everyone present in front of Him – I want to give all of you the service of the Divine Couple in Vraja. I want to give the transcendental body to all of you, by which you can serve the divine couple in Vraja. He wants to gives the service of Rädhä-Kåñëa in Vraja. I want you to relish the highest of all seväs i.e the service of the divine couple in Vraja.
Mahäprabhu is telling Advaitäcärya – I want to give you, all of you the similar bodies like they have. So Mahäprabhu is giving, bestowing upon all of them – Advaitäcärya, Nityänanda, everyone. He is giving them maïjaré svarüpa, by which they can serve Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Who is Advaitäcärya? Mahä Viñëu! Mahä Viñëu, from whose pores universes comes. He becomes a däsé, a maïjaré of Rädhä and Kåñëa; this is Gaura and His aiçvaryä. This is lord Gauräìga’s aiçvaryä – He is bestowing Ananta Çeña- this Nityänanda, and Gadädhara Paëòita and Çréväsa Paëòita, Çréväsa Paëòita is Närada; He is bestowing on all of them – service to Rädhä and Kåñëa. Mahäprabhu wants them to drown in this upsurging ocean of love. Mahäprabhu says this great work of mine is yet to be done; it still left. Now I am bestowing to all of You – the service of Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Hearing about it, when Advaitäcärya heard directly this; Just Imagine: all of a sudden Mahäprabhu tells you, well I am giving you a body by which you can have the highest of all äsvädana, highest of all relish i.e. service of Rädhä and Kåñëa; how are you going to react? After hearing this from Mahäprabhu, Advaitäcärya with folded hands, He said-
nijecchayä präpaya yad yad eva sthaläntaraà no vapur antaraà vä
tavaitad äçcarya caritram eva jäti-smarä eva ciraà smarämaù
Whatever you wish to give us, give to all of us – nijecchayä,
nijecchayä präpaya yad yad eva sthaläntaraà
no vapur antaraà vä
Mahäprabhu said: whatever you wish..whatever you wish to give all of us, you please give to us but along with that please give us Svarüpa as your eternal servant, as your däsa. So, Mahäprabhu said, Tathästu! Let it be.
So, Mahäprabhu along with giving service.. servitude for the divine couple in Vraja, He gives His service to all the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas. And from that time onwards – all the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas, they have two Svarüpas – One as a servant of Rädhä and Kåñëa in Vraja, and as a servant of Lord Gauräìga in Nitya Navadvipa.
And we at the time of dékñä mantras, we get dékñä mantras of Lord Caitanya, we get the dékñä mantras of Lord Nityänanda, Lord Advaitäcärya, Gadädhara Paëòita, Çréväsa Paëòita, Gurudeva. And in Vraja, we get many dékñä mantras of Rädhäräné, of Çré Kåñëa, of Lalitä sakhé etc.
So, the question was our svarüpa in Vraja is unknown and only Gaura däsa svarüpa is known. I think this question now doesn’t need anyomore clarification because Advaitäcärya already done it for you. He, himself is telling us that we will get.., all of Gauòéya Vaiñëavas will get two Svarüpas. Don’t worry! We will get two Svarüpa. First time in the History, any Devotee’s getting two Svarüpas; otherwise in all sampradäya, everyone gets just one svarüpa. Only the Gauòéya Vaiñëavas- they simultaneously get two Svarüpas.
And, Narottama Däsa Öhäkura is also telling in His pratharna –
hethäy caitanya mile sethä rädhä-kåñëa
Narottama Däsa Öhäkura is telling: On one hand hethäy caitanya mile, other hand sethä rädhä-kåñëa; this is Gauòéya Vasianavism. In one hand, we get the service of Lord Gauräìga and the other hand- we get service of Lord Rädhä and Kåñëa; so, hethäy caitanya mile sethä rädhä-kåñëa.
And, Narottama Däsa Öhäkura also tells in one of His prätharnä -
gaura prema rasärëave, se taraìge jebä dube,
se rädhä mädhava antaraìga
One who drowns in the ocean of love for Lord Gauräìga- gaura prema rasärëave! Arëave means ocean. gaura prema rasärëave … What is he going to get? se taraìge jebä dube, se rädhä mädhava antaraìga- He becomes antaraìga, very intimate servant of Rädhä and Kåñëa.
Why do you ask this question our svarüpa in Vraja is unknown? Don’t you hear, don’t you ever sing this thing – gaura prema rasärëave, se taraìge jebä dube, se rädhä mädhava antaraìga? Is they telling.., are they telling, Öhäkura Mahasaya is not telling: gaura prema rasärëave, se taraìge jebä dube, se Kåñëa Balaräma antaraìga?? He is not telling this. Very clearly telling: se rädhä mädhava antaraìga. Very clearly!
And, Caitanya Caritämåta also there is a verse-
yäìra präëa-dhana — nityänanda-çré-caitanya
rädhä-kåñëa-bhakti vine nähi jäne anya
yäìra präëa-dhana—nityänanda-çré-caitanya, one whose präna-dhana. the lord of life is Lord Gauräìga and Lord nityänanda—rädhä-kåñëa-bhakti vine nähi jäne anya. One who loves Gaura and Nitäi, he doesn’t know anything else except bhakti of Rädhä and Kåñëa. rädhä-kåñëa-bhakti vine nähi jäne anya - He doesn’t know anything, he doesn’t want to know anything.
rädhä-kåñëa-bhakti vine nähi jäne anya— yäìra präëa-dhana — nityänanda-çré-caitanya
And to give you one more Çästréka answer to this, this is book called Caitanya Candrämåta, this call verse 87-
yathä yathä gaura-padäravinde vindeta bhaktià kåta puëya räçiù
tathä tathot sarpati hådya-akasmät rädhä-padämbhoja sudhämbu räçiù
The amount of love one develops for Lord Gauräìga to that extent.., If one..; You can understand this çloka that if one develops love for Lord Gauräìga in his Heart, all of a sudden – hådya-akasmät rädhä-padämbhoja sudhämbu räçiù , the transcendental effulgence emanating from Rädhäräné’s Lotus feet, that all of sudden comes in the heart of those devotees who develop the love for Lord Gauräìga.
If you love Lord Gauräìga, if you develop love for Lord Gauräìga – Säkhya-rasa will not come in your heart, even Gopé-bhäva will not come in Your heart, Vätsalya-bhäva will not come in your heart, only one bhäva will come in your heart i.e. service of Rädhäräné, service of Rädhä and Kåñëa.
The same thing is said in Caitanya Caritämåta –
yäìra präëa-dhana — nityänanda-çré-caitanya
rädhä-kåñëa-bhakti vine nähi jäne anya
Hope your question is fully answered!
