What is Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti or devotion holds a very unique and important place on the path to God. It's very common that all the yoga traditions are described as spokes of a wheel that all lead to the same hub (spiritual enlightenment).

Generally, four yoga traditions are described (with the remainder falling into subgroups of these), and the type of temperament that is attracted to that tradition:

1. Jnana (or Gyan) Yoga - philosophical and intellectual temperament2. Bhakti Yoga - emotional temperment3. Raja Yoga - mystical and scientific temperament4. Karma Yoga - active temperament

In actual fact, there are many paths of heart and mind purification expressed through many types of physical and mental practices, but there is only one path to God - the path of grace or bhakti. If a path or practice is to have adivine outcome, it must include or culminate in bhakti.

Although it is natural to think your temperament or inclination determines the right path for you, in actual fact each path has "eligibility requirements". For example, there are very specific guidelines for those who wish to practicenondual meditation or jnana yoga, just as there are for those who wish to begin a practice of bhakti yoga.

A more correct relationship of all the paths would look like this:

The style of your realization will be determined by your previous practice, whether that was to experience God's love and beauty or to merge into absolute truth, but reaching that perfected state is only through the grace of the personal form of God.

Through bhakti yoga we join our heart and mind with God through devotion to receive divine grace. Grace is the power that enlightens us with spiritual realization; bhakti is the means by which we attain grace.

Bhakti yoga for the attainment of divine love

When you hear the word "bhakti" you may think of a feeling, but bhakti is adivine power. Bhakti is also called divine love.

It is such an astonishing power that when great Jnani Saints absorbed in absolute truth come into contact with it, their bliss of impersonal divinity and state of divine samadhi is forcibly replaced by the sweetness of divine love. This is because bhakti is the supreme personal power of God.

We can understand its greatness in comparison to other divine powers (power isshakti). According to the Vedic scriptures, there are three eternal existences:

Swaroop Shakti - the power related to God's own personality, also called 'chit shakti' or 'antaranga shakti' or the most intimate power of God

Jeev Shakti -- all the individual souls who are dominated by maya, also called 'tatastha shakti' or the marginal power of God

Maya Shakti -- the material power between the souls and God; also called 'bahiranga shakti' or the external power of God

Both the souls and maya are dependent powers of God. Plus, one supreme God has countless names, forms and powers that are related to His own personal power, swaroop shakti.

Swaroop shakti has three aspects: existence (sat), knowledge (chit), and bliss (ananda). These three qualities are God's personality. This is detailed in the diagram below:

Each of these qualities or aspects also has a power associated with it:

Existence (sat) is related to the power of creation (sandhini shakti); Knowledge (chit) is related to the power of omniscience (samvit shakti); Bliss (ananda) is related to the power that imparts bliss (hladini shakti)

Hladini shakti, the power of bliss, is the sweetest and most potent divine power. It is due to this power that even though God creates uncountable worlds populated by uncountable souls who are performing uncountable actions, and He is keeping an account of those actions every moment, He still remains ever-blissful.

Hladini shakti also includes within itself the other two powers. For example, if you say, "the big black horse", "big" and "black" are adjectives that describe "horse". Similarly, "sat" and "chit" describe "ananda". God's bliss or   ananda   is eternal and unlimited . As sat and chit are included within ananda, the powers of sandhini and samvit are included within hladini, the power of bliss.

Further, hladini shakti has an essence that is called 'bhakti', 'siddha bhakti' and also 'divine love'. This divine bhakti is synonymous with supreme God in the form of Radha Krishna.

The spiritual enlightenment of divine bhakti is received through your practice of devotional bhakti or bhakti yoga. In other words:

1. You do devotional bhakti (preparatory or sadhana bhakti), then,2. You receive divine bhakti (siddha bhakti) with God's grace after your heart has

become completely purified through devotional bhakti.

Sadhana BhaktiPreliminary Devotion of Bhakti Yoga

The path to God is love (bhakti). Love is true affection, caring and relatedness we share with someone. Love is always based in relationship - in other words, what inspires our love always has a form.

We may have general feelings of goodwill that we call "love for humanity", but the feelings between you and your significant other have an unique quality of affection. Humanity is an impersonal concept - but "my beloved" is something tangible, nearby and highly personal.

In bhakti yoga meditation, we direct our affectionate nature and our desire for love to a Divine subject -- the personality and form of God. These feelings are awakened, elevated and perfected through the grace of the Guru. The writings and experiences of Rasik Saints are used as a base to develop our devotional imagination. They reveal a true glimpse into the actual name form, qualities, actions, beauty and love of God.

Nondual forms of meditation require you to eliminate, observe or transcend your thoughts or mental activity, but in bhakti yoga meditation our aim is to keep deepening and multiplying the thoughts, but of Divine subjects. It is more natural for the mind to form loving attachments than it is to eliminate thoughts.

The mind adopts the qualities of whatever it meditates on. Deep and affectionate meditation on a divine personality -- either God (Radha Krishna) or the true Rasik Saint (the Guru who has attained Divine bhakti) purifies the mind and introduces the bliss of Divine love in your heart. The grace of the Guru inspires a true and natural feeling of connection, love and relatedness with Radha Krishna.

For our preliminary devotion to be successful, there are five main points:

1. Keep your devotion free of all material desire

2. Don't combine your bhakti practice with other spiritual practices

3. Remember Radha Krishna with feelings of   relational   love

4. Be single-minded

5. Do loving remembrance

Advanced and Final Stages of Bhakti

The amazingly complex and enriched stages of bhakti start to unfold from this point on the base of your devotional dedication and the Guru's grace.

This makes bhakti yoga a very simple meditation process and the easiest to practice that yields the greatest spiritual benefits in the shortest time. Anyone can begin bhakti yoga meditation - the only prerequisites are a desire for God and faith.

It's important to bear in mind that your spiritual realization of divine love or divine bhakti is determined by four things:

the style of your meditation practice: bhakti yoga the divine goal of your practice: divine love or Radha Krishna the state of divine realization of your Guru: Rasik Saint The grace of God and Guru

These four factors form an interrelated process that is guided by the Guru. The Guru explains the divine goal he has achieved to the disciple, he gives the guidelines for what is required to attain that goal, and bestows spiritual enlightenment on the qualified disciple in the end.

Chapter 4Krishna is endowed with all energies The topic of energy and the possessor of energies has been under discussion for a long time.  Some people say that whatever is seen in the universe is but a manifestation of energy. They doubt whether there is anything other than energy.  Energy is the revealer of things. The things themselves cannot be realized but are perceived only through their energy. Among the examples they give, the following is one.Earth has various qualities.  What we call earth is but a collection of those qualities. One cannot say whether earth exists or not, after taking away the qualities.  Qualities are energy.  Therefore energy is the only principle of existence. Others counter this argument by saying that energy has no separate existence; it is an inseparable nature of the object.  What the object reveals is called energy. The great devotees have concluded that energy  (quality) is one entity and the possessor of energy (object) is another entity.   Though they are different they are yet inseparable.  Because man's mind is limited, he cannot understand the deep relation between the energy and energetic.  The object and its energy, though distinct, are yet not different.  Difference and non-difference coexist.   This inconceivable different and non-different nature between an object and its energy is described in Chaitanya Caritamrita. radha purna shakti, krishna purna shaktimandui vastu bheda nahi, shastra paramanamriga mada ta'ra gandha  yaiche avicchedaagni, jvalate, yaiche kabhu nahi bhedaradha krishna aiche sada ekai svarupalilarasa asvadite dhare dui rupa Shri Radha is the full power, and Lord Krishna is the possessor of full power.  The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures.  They are indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its heat are nondifferent.  Thus Radha and Lord Krishna are one, yet they have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes.C.C.Adi,. 4.96-98 This conclusion can be found in the Veda and Vedanta.  In the scriptures the following statement is seen:   shakti shaktimator abhedah The energy and the energetic are nondifferent. Actually there is no object except Krishna.  For that reason Krishna is called advaya or without a second.  Those who are dedicated to brahman or paramatma, however, cannot easily identify Krishna as the supreme object.  Although the object is one only, that one object appears in three different ways according to qualification of the observer of the object.   Three people may view a mountain from three different angles.  On the north side is mist.  The person viewing from the north side discerns the mountain as a huge peak surrounded by mist.   Bright sunlight is falling on the southern side.  The person who views from the south side sees the mountain as an

effulgent rock wall.  The person who views the mountain from the side without any external influences sees the complete mountain clearly; he sees the actual mountain.  In perceiving the absolute truth as well, learned men see the truth differently according to their different points of view. Those who cultivate knowledge and try to see the absolute conclude that the absolute truth, which is the opposite of material existence, is devoid of form, change, energy and action.  This they call brahman.   However, they have not discerned the real nature of the ultimate truth.   Those who, using their intelligence, search for the final object, perceive the friend of the soul, paramatma, endowed with a form and similar in nature to the individual soul.   Those who see the absolute truth by means of bhakti yoga, whose vision is without obstacles, understand the lord as he is, as bhagavan, full of all energies, all sweetness and all opulences. nayam atma pravacanena labhyona medhaya na bahuna shrutenayam evaisha vrinute tena labhyastasyaisha atma vivrinute tanum svam One cannot understand the supreme soul by studying the Vedas or by hearing many scriptures or by ones mental energy.   The Lord reveals himself to the person who accepts the Lord as his master. That person alone attains the Lord.Katha Upanishad 1.2.23 In the Bhagavatam it is written: athapi te deva-padambuja-dvaya-prasada leshanugrihita eva hijanati tattvam bhagavan mahimnana canya eko'pi ciram vicinvan O Lord, only those who attain a particle of mercy for your lotus feet can understand your glory.  Those who search for you by studying the scriptures using logic cannot understand you at all.S.B. 10.14.29 Realizations of brahman and paramatma are covered by maya.  Brahman realization has a covering of maya by negation, and paramatma realization has a covering of material energy directly.  When a person is able to see the Lord with uncovered, spiritual eyes, he sees the spiritual form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This form is the highest truth, and his energies are his manifestations. If a person realizes the Lord devoid of energies, he has realization of brahman.   Some, according to their inclination, think that this is the final realization.  Actually, realization of bhagavan without energies, without qualities, is brahman; brahman with qualities and energies is bhagavan.  Thus bhagavan is the real truth, brahman is only his impersonal effulgence, and paramatma is the Lord's expansion who enters into the material universe.   Though he appears to be brahman through the impersonal quest, the Lord is eternally existing in an inconceivable form with qualities, separate from both matter and the living etities.Therefore Bhagavatam says; vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayambrahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti shabdyate

 Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.S.B. 1.2.11 Realization of the Lord without energies is brahman.   Realization of the Lord as a subtle being pervading the material universe is paramatma.   Realization of the Lord in full with all qualities is bhagavan. Realization of bhagavan pervaded by majesty is called Narayana, the lord of Lakshmi.  Realization of the Lord pervaded by sweetness is called Krishna, the lord of Radha.   Kaviraj Gosvami says "Radha is the complete energy, Krishna is the complete possessor of energy."  This is the correct understanding.Putting aside the realization of brahman and paramatma as secondary, and covering the majesty of Narayana with sweetness, Krishna, endowed with all energies, remains the highest truth.Shvetashvatara Upanishad says thus: na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyatena tat samash cabhyadhikash ca drishyateparasya shaktir vividhaiva shruyatesvabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca Krishna has no work to perform with material senses, because he has no material body or senses.  His body is a completely spiritual form, and thus is not limited in good qualities like a material body. Krishna, endowed with unlimited wonderful qualities performs eternal pastimes in spiritual Vrindavana.   But though he is so, he is still the supreme entity.   No other form is equal to or superior to his form, because his form is the abode of all inconceivable energies.  It is called inconceivable because by limited human intelligence the contradictions cannot be resolved. This inconceivable energy is called the superior energy, para shakti.  Though one, this intrinsic energy takes three forms: jnana (samvit), bala (sandhini) and kriya (hladini).Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.8 Thus in the Chaitanya Caritamrita it is said: krishnera svarupa ara shakti traya jnanayanra haya, tanra nahi krishnete ajnanacic-chakti svarupa-shakti antaranga-namatahara vaibhava ananta vaikunthadi dhamamaya shakti bahiranga jagat-karanayahara vaibhava ananta brahmandera ganajiva shakti tatasthakya nahi yara antamukhya tina shakti tara vibheda anantaei ta' svarupa gana ara tina shaktisabara ashraya krishna, krishne sabara sthiti One who knows the real feature of Shri Krishna and His three different energies cannot remain ignorant about Him.  The cit shakti, which is also called svarupa shakti or antaranga shakti, displays many varied manifestations.  It sustains the kingdom of God and its paraphernalia.  The external energy, called maya shakti, is the cause of innumerable universes with varied material potencies.  The marginal potency, which is between these two, consists of the numberless living

beings.  These are the three principal energies, which have unlimited categories and subdivisions.C.C.Adi. 2.96,  101-104 krishnera svabhavika tina shakti parinaticic chakti, jiva shakti ara maya shakti Lord Krishna naturally has three enegetic transformations, and these are known as the spiritual potency, the living entity potency and the illusory potency.C.C.Madhya 20, 111 There is a karika to elaborate on this: shaktih svabhaviki krishne tridah cety upapadyatesandhini tu balam samvij jnanam hladakari kriyashakti-shaktimato bhedo nastiti sara samgrahahtathapi bheda-vaicitryam acintya-shakti- karyatahsandhinya sarvam evaitat nama-rupa-gunadikamcin-maya-bhedato bhedo vishva-vaikunthayoh kilasamvida dvi-vidham jnanam cin-maya bhedatah kramatcin-maya-bhedatah siddham hladinya dvi- vidham sukhamhladini shri svarupa ya saiva priyankarimahabhava-svarupa sa hladini varshabhanavi In the scriptures, Krishna's three intrinsic energies are described as bala (sandhini), jnana (samvit) and kriya (hladini).  The energies and the source of the energies are non-different.  This is the conclusion of the scriptures.  However, through the operation of the inconceivable energy of the Lord, variety becomes manifest.  The function of the sandhini (existence) shakti is manifestation of name, form and qualities of things.  This brings about the material existence through sandhini's material function and the spiritual existence through its spiritual function.  Jnana also has two varieties, spiritual and material samvit.  Similarly there are spiritual and material hladini energies which give rise to spiritual and material pleasure. The hladini shakti is the dear servant of Krishna.   She becomes Radha, the daughter of Vrishabhanu in manifesting mahabhava, the highest ecstasy of spiritual love.Krishna has only one intrinsic energy called the superior energy (para shakti). This energy creates variety in the spiritual world and increases the varieties of bliss.   Though the influence of this energy is infinite, from the point of view of the jiva, it appears to have three functions: as the cit shakti, the jiva shakti and the maya shakti.  The influence of the three energies are described in many places in the Vedas.  Shvetashvatara describes the cit shakti manifestation thus: rico akshare parame vyoman yasmin deva adhivishve nisheduhyas tan na veda kim rica karishyati ya ittad vidus ta ime samasate The verses of the g Veda describe the indestructible spiritual sky, where all the devas reside.  Of what use are the Vedas to a person who does not know this fact?  Those who understand this have been successful.           Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.8 There is a karika: vishnu-shaktih para prokta purane vaishnave tu ya

sa caivatratma shaktitve varnita tattva-nirnaye The para shakti described in the Vishnu Purana is called the svarupa shakti in philosophical discussions. This is likewise explained in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. te dhyana-yoganugata apashyan devatma-shaktim sva-gunair nigudamyah karanani nikhilani tani kalatma-yuktany adhi tishthaty ekah The one possessor of energy appears as the controller of all causes, along with the jiva and time. The persons absorbed in yoga meditation have seen this personal energy of the Lord (atma shakti) which is surrounded by its expansions                                                Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1.3   There is a karika concerning the maya shakti: avidyakarma samjna va vaisnave hy anuvarnyatemayakhyaya ca sa prokta hy amnayartha- vinirnaye In the Vishnu Purana what is called the energy of avidya karma is called maya shakti in the Vedic texts.Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.8 says: chandamsi yajnah kratavo vratanibhutam bhavyam yac ca veda vadantiasman mayi shrijyate vishvam etattasmimsh canyo mayaya sanniruddhah Whatever is glorified in the Vedas, such as yajnas, chanting Vedas, ashvamedha kratu, vows such as candrayana, is created by the Supreme Person, controller of maya.   The jiva is bound by this same maya. Concerning the tatastha shakti, there is a karika: kshetra-jnakhya ca ya shaktih sa tatastha nirupitajiva-shaktir iti prokta yaya  jivash canekadha The energy called ksetra jna mentioned in the Vishnu Purana is the tatastha shakti or jiva shakti.  Through this shakti unlimited jivas appear.Shvetashvatara Upanishad (4.5.) says: ajam ekam lohita-shukla-krishnamvahvih prajah shrijamanam sarupahajo hy eko jushamano' nushetejahaty enam bhukta-bhogam ajo'nyah  The unborn person, jiva is serving the unborn material nature, which generates numerous material bodies for the living entities and is composed of goodness, passion and ignorance.  The other unborn person, paramatma, is detached from the enjoyment of material nature. prakritim svam avashtabhya vishrijami punah punahbhuta-gramam imam  kritsnam avasham prakriter vashat

 The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.                                                B.G.9.8 mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sacaracaramhetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings.  By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.                                                          B.G.9.10 bhumir apo'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva caahankara itiyam me bhinna prakritir ashtadha apareyam itas tv anyam prakritim viddhi me paramjiva-bhutam mahabaho yayedam dharyate jagat Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.  Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.B.G.7.4-5 Through these three energies, the spiritual world, material world and the jivas make their appearance.   In these three energies, the influence of sandhini, samvit and hladini are present.In the realm of cit shakti, the sandhini gives rise to the qualities, the objects, and all other things which assist in the Lord's pastimes.   Krishna's form, name, qualities and pastimes are all due to the sandhini potency.  By the influence of the samvit shakti on the cit shakti all the spiritual moods arise.   By the hladini influence on the cit shakti, prema expands. By the influence of the sandhini on the jiva shakti, the jiva's spiritual existence, name and place appear.   Through the influence of samvit on the jiva shakti the knowledge of God arises.  Through the hladini influence the jiva experiences spiritual bliss. The jiva's experience of bliss of samadhi by practicing astanga yoga and merging into brahman are also the effects of the samvit on the jiva.  By the influence of sandhini on maya shakti, the material universe composed of fourteen material planetary systems, the gross and subtle bodies of the jivas and material senses, and the goals of the jivas such as svaga, are manifested.   The material name, form qualities and actions of the conditioned jiva all arise from this.  By the influence of the samvit on the maya shakti, the worries, hopes, speculations and thoughts of the conditioned jiva arise. By the influence of hladini on the maya shakti, gross material bliss and the subtle material happiness of svarga arise.One should understand that the sandhini, samvit and hladini manifest their pure, full form in the cit shakti.  In the jiva shakti, these appear in very minute quantity.  In the maya shakti these appear in a perverted or shadow form.     For the jiva, the forms manifested in maya are detrimental.  In the jiva himself, these three influences are not detrimental but dilute.  Without joining to the hladini manifested in the cit shakti, the jiva cannot experience full spiritual bliss.  Such joining cannot be accomplished, except through the mercy of Krishna or his devotee. 

On this there is as karika: virodha-bhanjika shakti yuktasya saccid atmanahvartante yugapad-dharmah paraspara-virodhinahsarupatvam arupatvam vibhutvam murtir eva canirlepatvam  kripavatvam ajatvam jayamanatasarvaradhyatvam gopatvam sarva-jnam nara bhavatasavisheshatva-sampattis tatha ca nirvisheshatasimavad yukti-yuktanam asima-tattva-vastunitarko hi viphalas tasmac chraddhamnaye phala prada   Krishna has one energy called his inconceivable, contradiction-breaking energy.  By this energy all contradictory qualities become non-contradictory and exist together eternally. Having form yet being formless, having full power, yet taking the limited form of a deity, unaffected by anything, but responsive to his devotees, unborn but taking birth as avatara, all-worshipable but taking the form of a cowherd, omniscient but appearing as a human being, being without quality but full of qualities-all such contradictory qualities  appear in the form of Krishna and assist His service to Shri Radha, the embodiment of the hladini shakti.    Logic and argument are fruitless here.  As man's power of logic is limited, it is of no use in topics which are beyond his limit.  The fortunate person gives up logic and faithfully accepts the words of scripture.   From the seed of faith, the creeper of bhakti develops, and finally the devotee attains the lotus feet of Krishna. The statements of scripture about the contrary qualities within the Lord are many.     apanipado javano grahita pashyaty acakshuh sa shrinoty akarnahsa vetti vedyam na ca tasyasti vetta tam ahur agryam purusham mahantam The Lord has no material hands or feet, yet he accepts things and goes everywhere..  He has no material eyes but sees past, present and future.  He has no ears but hears.  He knows all, but no one knows him.   The learned call him the original Supreme Person.                             Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.19 tad ejati tan naijati tad dure tad vantiketad antarasya sarvasya tad u sarvasyasya bahyatah He is moving and non-moving, far and near. He is within the universe and outside the universe. saparyagac chukram akayam avranam asnaviram shuddham apapaviddhamkavir manishi paribhuh svayam bhur yathatyato'rthan vyadadhac chashvatibhyah samabhyah Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial.          Ishopanishad 5, 8 

Talavakara Upanishad 3.6 speaks of his inconceivable power: tasmai trinam nidadhav etad dahetitad upapreyaya sarva javena tan nashashaka dagdhum sa tata eva nivavritenaitad ashakam vijnatum yad etad yaksham iti When the devas became proud after conquering over the demons in battle, the Lord, in order to curb their pride, placed a blade of grass in front of Agni.  Agni approached the blade of grass, but in spite of using all his strength, he could not burn the grass.  Coming before the devas he said, " I cannot comprehend this worshipable Lord."Chandogya Upanishad and Gopala Tapani Upanishad speaks of his energies and form: shyamac cavalam prapadyeshamalac chyamam prapadye Through his energy I surrender to Krishna. .  Through Krishna I surrender to his energy.                   Chandogya Upanishad 8.13.1 gopavesham sat-pundarika-nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaramdvibhujam mauna-mudratyam vana-malinam ishvaram We worship the lord, with dress of a cowherd, lotus like eyes, complexion of a cloud, yellow cloth, two armed, showing the mauna mudra and decorated with a forest garland.Gopala Tapani Upanishad: Purva 13.1 To understand about shaktis of the Lord, the Chaitanya Caritamrita should be studied: krishnera ananta shakti ta'te tina pradhanacic cakti, maya shakti, jiva shakti namaantaranga, bahiranga, tatastha kahi ya'reantaranga svarupa shakti sabara uparesac cid ananda maya krishnera svarupaataeva svarupa shakti haya tina rupaanandamshe hladini, sadamshe sandhinicidamshe samvit, ya're jnana kari' manikrishnake ahlade ta'te nama ahladinisei shakti dvare sukha asvade apanisukha rupa krishna kare sukha asvadanabhakta gane sukha dite hladini karanahladinira sara amsha ta'ra prema namaananda chinmaya rasa premera akhyanapremera parama sara mahabhava janisei mahabhava rupa radha thakurani Krishna has unlimited potencies, which can be divided into three main parts.  These are the spiritual potency, the material potency and the marginal potency, which is known as the living entities.  In other words, these are all potencies of God-internal, external and marginal.  However, the internal potency

is the Lord's personal energy and stands over the other two.   Originally Lord Krishna is sac cid ananda vigraha, the transcendental form of eternity, bliss and knowledge; there His personal potency, the internal potency, has three different forms.  Hladini is His aspect of bliss; sandhini, of eternal existence; and samvit, of cognizance, which is also accepted as knowledge.  The potency called hladini give Krishna transcendental pleasure.  Through this pleasure potency, Krishna personally tastes all spiritual pleasure.  Lord Krishna tastes all kinds of transcendental happiness, although He Himself is happiness personified.  The pleasure relished by His pure devotee is also manifest by His pleasure potency.  The mos essential part of this pleasure potency is love of Godhead.  Consequently, the explanation of love of Godhead is also a transcendental mellow full of pleasure.   The essential part of love of Godhead is called mahabhava, transcendental ecstasy, and that ecstasy is represented by Shrimati Radharani.          Madhya 3, 151-160 Through this inconceivable energy, Krishna appears in the material world along with his abode and associates.  By his unlimited mercy, the spiritual abode, name, form qualities and pastimes become visible to the conditioned souls.  These things cannot be seen by the material eye, but by the inconceivable energy and Krishna's mercy, these become visible to the material eye. Sometimes he also appears in other forms such as Matysa, Kurma, Varaha, Nrisimha, Vamana and Rama and performs his pastimes.  But, it should be noted that Krishna is the source of the avataras.  Yet Krishna and his expansions are all spiritual.  They are not influenced by the material energy and do not take material bodies.  Occasionally, the Lord may invest a qualified jiva with his energy, appearing as a shakti avesa avatara.In the Chaitanya Caritamrita the avataras are described thus: prabhava vaibhava rupe dvi vidha prakashaprabhava vaibhava bhede vilasa dvidhakaraprakasha vilasera ei kaila vivaranasvamshera bheda eve shuna sanatanasankarshana matsyadika dui bheda tanraavatara haya krishnera shad vidha prakarapurushavatara eka lilavatara aragunavatara ara manvantara bhara arayugavatara ara shaktyavesha avatara In his original form, Krishna manifests Himself in two features-prabhava and vaibhava.  He expands His one original form into many, as He did during the rasa lila dance.          C.C. Madhya 20.167 Again the vilasa forms are divided into twofold categories -prabhava and vaibhava.  Again the pastimes of these forms are of unlimited variety.C.C. Madhya 20.185 Now please hear about the different personal expansions.  The first personal expansion is Sankarshana, and the others are incarnations like the fish incarnation.  Sankarshana is an expansion of the purusha or Vishnu.  The incarnations such as Matysa, the fish incarnation, appear in different yugas for specific pastimes.  There are six types of incarnations of Krishna.  One is the purusha incarnations, and another is the lila avataras.  There are incarnations of

gunas, incarnations of the Manus, incarnations in different millenniums and incarnations of empowered living entities.C.C.  Madhya 20.243-246 Further descriptions and identity of the avataras may be obtained by consulting the 20th chapter of Madhya lila, Chaitanya Caritamrita and the Laghu Bhagavatamrita.

Adulterated Internal Potency

BY: BAHUSHIRA DAS

Oct 28, USA (SUN) — In reply to Prayagtirtha das in his article, "Mayavada Leanings", I must say it always seems that when the discussions of the fall/no fall issue get intense, that is when the Neo Gaudiyas bring out the branding iron called Mayavada contamination. With this tactic they want to blackball their opponent into silence. This insinuation is their ultimate weapon, but the Neo Gaudiya’s philosophy of no fall of the jiva is also mixed with speculation. Here is a sample:

The theory that one can become illusioned and fall introduces imperfection in the [infallible] spiritual world - this is Mayavada philosophy. It derides the concept of the Lord’s perfect abode. It is stated that the spiritual world is a manifestation of the Lord’s perfect abode. It is stated the spiritual world is a manifestation of the Lord’s most powerful potency.

First one has to understand what is Svarupa Shakti. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in his Caitanya Siksamrita p. 30 explains:

"…Krsna has one personal energy called Svarupa Shakti or the para shakti. By Krsna’s will this para shakti has three vibhavas, objective components; three prabhavas, influences; and three anubhavas, emotional components. The three vibhavas are the chit-shakti, the jiva-shakti, and the maya-shakti. The three prabhavas are the iccha-shakti, the kriya-shakti, and the jnana-shakti. The three anubhavas are the Sandhini, the hladini and the samvit."

In the Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, ch. 7, verse 116 purport, Srila Prabhupada says:

“The basic principle for the existence of the living entities is called Chid-Vilasa, or spiritual pleasure. The omnipotent Lord displays His pleasure potency as the living entities.” 

Visnu-saktih para prokta ksetra jnakhya tatha paraavidya-karma-samjnanya

trtiya saktir isyate

“Lord Visnu’s internal potency is called para, or superior, and so also is that potency to which the living entities belong. The third potency is known as avidya, or ignorance, which manifests material activities.” (Visnu Purana) 6.7.60 

apareyam itas tv anyamprakrtim viddhi me paramjiva-bhutam maha-bahoyayedam dharyate jagat

“O strong-armed Arjuna, besides this inferior nature, you should know My superior nature, which consists of all living beings who are maintaining this world.” (Bhagavad-gita 7.5)

“It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have some in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this

actually took place.” (Bhagavad-gita 13.20 Purport)

Also Srila Prabhupada in his Bhagavad-gita, 13.20, purport explains, “The living is in the category of His energy and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion.” Bhaktivinoda Thakur in his Mahaprabhu Shiksa says:

“The favorable jivas are all recipients of the Lord’s splendid internal energy. They are the eternal associates of the Lord, such as Garuda. They are not in the category of the Lord, as shown in the scriptures. They are still tatastha or jiva. The second class of jivas are devoid of the help of the internal energy as they are adverse to the Lord. Because of this lack, they are overwhelmed by Maya.”

In the paragraph above, the second class of jivas also had an intimate relationship with the Lord, but due to free will they gave up their service. At that time they lost their protection of the internal energy.

“The question may be raised as to why the living entities have fallen by chance into different conditions of life. To answer this question, we first have to understand that there cannot be any influence of chance for the living entities; ‘chance’ is for nonliving entities. According to the Vedic literatures, living entities have knowledge and thus they are called caitanya, which means in knowledge. Their situation in different conditions of life, therefore, is not accidental. It is by their choice because they have knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, ‘Give up everything and just surrender unto Me.’ (18.66) This process of realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead is open for everyone, but still it is the choice of the particular living entity whether to accept or reject this proposal. In the last portion of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna very plainly said to Arjuna, ‘My dear Arjuna, now I have spoken everything to you. Everything now depends on whether you choose to accept it.’ (18.63) Similarly, the living entities who have come down to this material world have made their own choice to enjoy this material world. The material world is created for the enjoyment of living entities who wanted to give up the eternal service of the Lord to become the supreme enjoyer themselves. According to Vaisnava philosophy, when a living entity desires to gratify his senses and forget the service of the Lord, he is given a place in the material world to act freely according to his desire, and therefore he creates a condition of life in which he either enjoys himself or suffers.” (Krsna 3.18)

Therefore one has to remember that the jiva shakti is an energy of the Lord, with consciousness and free will. The jiva shakti consists of jivas not only in the material world, but Vaikuntha and Goloka as well. Baladeva is the source of the jiva shakti as stated in Jaiva Dharma; 2nd chapter: “Presiding over His jiva shakti, He manifests His Vilasa form of Baladeva in Vraja.”

Now let us see what Bhagavad-gita Prabhupada says about hladini shakti, which is His internal potency, the internal energy of the Lord, and how it can become adulterated:

"The product of the hladini shakti is love of Godhead, which has two divisions-namely pure love of Godhead and adulterated love of Godhead. Only when the hladini shakti emanates from Sri Krsna and is bestowed upon the living being to attract Him does the living entitiy become a pure lover of God. But when the same hladini shakti is adulterated by the external material energy and emanated from the living being, it does not attract Krsna; on the contrary the living being becomes attracted by the glamour of the material energy. At that time instead of becoming mad with

love of Godhead, the living being becomes mad after material sense enjoyment, and because of his association with the qualitative modes of material nature, he is captured by its interactions of distressful feelings." (Caitanya-caritamrita, AdiLila, chapter 4, Verse 68, purport)

Compare these words with Bhagavatam, verse 2.5.19:

"These three modes of material nature being further manifested as matter, knowledge and activities, put the eternally transcendental living entity [Nitya-mukta] under conditions of cause and effect and make him responsible fore such activities. Sridhar Swami says, commenting on this verse says: 

vastutah sarvada muktam api mayinammaya visayam purusam jivam badhanti

“The modes bind the jiva, the purusa who is mayin i.e., whose object is maya, although in substance he is always liberated.” [Nitya muktam] Our original Position-p. 62

As stated in the above Caitanya-caritamrita quote, hladini shakti, which is of the internal potency of the Lord, can become adulterated, that means materially affected. And in the second quote it is stated who the entities are, namely Nitya-muktas or eternally liberated jivas living in the Lord’s spiritual abode. Be it Vaikuntha or Goloka. Both references are in Srila Prabhupada’s books. The Neo-Gaudiyas accept what is stated in the books of Srila Prabhupada. Books are the basis, right? So the proof is there. So what aspect of Hladini shakti is affected? It’s the jivas using their free will. The 10% of the jivas that Srila Prabhupada mentioned twice in his talks makes it clear about the percentage of how many jivas fall. It’s those jivas in Vaikuntha that were blessed with the potency of Hladini shakti, but misused their freewill and gave up their service. In the eyes of the Neo-Gaudiyas they think that if some jivas can fall down from Vaikuntha, then all entities there can fall down. This is not the case. Srila Prabhupada says ten percent only fall down.

They say this would appear to be an imperfection in Vaikuntha, if the internal potency were to become adulterated. In the eyes of Krsna there is no imperfection in His abode, because he created the jiva soul, who has free will, to choose his own. This is another reason why love cannot be forced and for this reason, it is a perfect arrangement of the Lord. Krsna says to Arjuna in the Gita, Yathecchasi tatha kuru, "Whatever you like you do.” On a morning walk in Vrindavan, India on Spetember 13, 1975, Prabhupada spoke:

Brahmananda: "Why doesn’t God force me to surrender?Prabhupada: No. That Krsna is not a nonsense like you. Because Krsna has given little freedom He does not want to touch it. That is Krsna. What He gives, He never takes back. It is not a nonsensical award that, “I give you sometimes; then I take it away.” Krsna does not do such. He has given you little freedom so you can use it."

Therefore when Srila Prabhupada talks about free will in his books, to the extent that he does, we accept it. Those jivas who are in Vaikuntha, who are connected to the internal potency belong to the nityasiddha, nityamukta category, but only 10% of these fall down due to free will. Nityada Muktam mayinam, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.5.19. The Nitya Muktas are put in maya. If one says the Hladini shakti can only be connected with those infallible jivas in Vaikuntha, then how do they explain what Prabhupada says, “But when the same Hladini shakti is adulterated by the external energy and emanates from the living being it does not attract Krsna"?

Freewill of the jiva is a greater topic than any mind can comprehend. The acaryas have realized it though, and we take what they say on this as it is. It is very hard for the mind of some devotees to fathom that freewill can extend up to one’s relationship with Krsna. The Neo-Gaudiyas are propagating the theory of forced love when they try to minimize freewill of the jiva by saying that one in Vaikuntha will not misuse it. They say it can’t happen, but Srila Prabhupada says it can happen. Therefore it is mental speculation on their part. They have tried to minimize the position of the jiva shakti of the Lord.

OBL Kapoor (Adikeshava dasa) in his book, Philosophy and Religion of Sri Caitanya, even went to the extent of calling the jiva shakti an inessential power. The definition of that word 'inessential' from Webster’s Dictionary, is defined as without essence or existence. And that, dear devotees, is Mayavada. The jiva shakti is part of the para shakti, internal potency or superior shakti of the Lord, according to Visnu Purana. The jiva shakti is not inferior, that is what material energy is called. In Caitanya-caritamrita, chapter 20, Verse 117 purport says:

"When the living entity forgets his constitutional position as an eternal servant of Krsna, he is immediately entrapped by the illusory, external energy. The living entity is originally part and parcel of Krsna and is therefore the superior energy of Krsna.

A typical tactic of the Neo-Gaudiyas when dealing with statements of Srila Prabhupada that they don’t like, or just plain don’t understand, is to marginalize his statements, and they also try to marginalize the devotees who say we fell from Vaikuntha. The Neo-Gaudiyas use statements like:

1. You are born Christians and you need to hear words you can bear.2. The words of the fall of the jiva are time and circumstance preaching of Prabhupada and need to be ignored. 3. These talks of fall from Vaikuntha are words like pudding for children.

So in this way they just ignore Srila Prabhupada’s words and at other times they are praying that the fall statements will just die out.

In getting back to the Mayavada topic, some of the modern followers of Madhva say that our Acintya-Bhedabheda philosophy is tinged with Mayavada. So the Neo-Gaudiyas criticism of the fallvadi’s philosophy is that it is Mayavada. But that is just like the kettle calling the pot black. In the analogy both the pots are becoming black sitting on the stove. In the eyes of some of the followers of Madhva (of which we claim to be part of the same Sampradaya) we are both “Black” Mayavadis. This is just a last ditch mudsling of the Neo-Gaudiyas at the Fallvadis. The freewill of the jiva soul is part of the philosophy that the Neo-Gaudiyas have a hard time comprehending.

In closing, when you hear someone say that the svarupa shakti (internal potency, hladini shakti) is never contaminated, then just show them the purport to Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi lila, chapter 4, verse 68, and Bhagavatam verse 2.5.19 and the purport of Srila Prabhupada.

Bahushira das

“Radha Krishna Pranay Bikriti HladinishaktirAsmaat

Ekatmanabapi bhubi pura dehabhedang gatou tou"

- (Swarup Damodar Goswamipad)

The above sloka gives ussome idea about what Srimati Radha is. The meaning of the sloka as given byKrisnadas Kaviraj in Chaitanya Charitamrita.

“ Radhika hayenKrishner pranay-bikar

SwarupshaktiHladini naam janhar” --

“ RadhaKrishna EkAtma dui deha dhori

Anyonye bilase rasaaswadan kori “ -- (2)

To talk about SriRadha, the above definitions are invaluable and possibly the bestif not the only way to proceed. So, we need to understand what is said byKrisnadasji in the above two couplets. The literal meaning is: (1) SriRadha orRadhika is the ultimate of Krishna-Pranay or Love for Krishna(“bikar” means resulting into a final shape or the absolutely last stage ofprocessing a thing). SriRadha is also the Joy-rendering power (Hladinishakti)of SriKrishna. (2) Although Radha and Krishnaare ekatma or one only, but, for enjoying the rasa, or theultimate essence through divine sports, the God has taken two

separateforms in Vrindaban by separating Himself from His primary power.

God, what we the Vaisnavas conceive as, is beyond the “Absolute” (termed as Absoluteby Sankaracharya) and has powers. Krishna, theSupreme God, is all powerful. He is thought basically composed of two powers-Bahiranga i.e., through which He manifests Himself into the cosmic order andAntaranga through which He does all the Leela or divine sports manifestingHimself in several ways. This Antaranga is also called “Swarupshakti” or thePrimary Power which describes His self. SriRadha is the manifestation of thispower which when referred to her name is called Hladini or the Anandadayinishakti. There are again three parts within this – Satt by which He exists inhis self and holds existence of the world; Chitt by which He is theall-knowledge and imparts knowledge on people; and Hladini by which He isall-joy and gifts joy to His devotees.

The first two are engulfed within the third. In fact, the first is engulfed withinthe second and the second within the third to be precise. This can be explainedas follows. An existence is possible without knowledge and happiness but, forknowledge to be there its existence first is a must; so when we talk aboutknowledge, existence is ensured in itself. Likewise, Happiness cannot beasserted without existence and knowledge. Talking about being happy pre-emptsone’s Existence and also Knowledge, at least the knowledge that it is existing

if nothing else. So, Hladini also encompasses within it Satt, “the power toexist” and Chitt, “the power to be knowledgeable”. Thus, SriRadha is thesum-total of Krishna’s Swarupshakti.

God, as we see Him, is not only the Almighty or All-Majestic but also the All-beautiful and All-Sweet, especially when we talk of Krisna of Vrindaban, He isjust All-Sweet, All-charming (Madhuryamoy). He wants to enjoy this charmand sweetness of His. Now, in order that He Himself can do this, He separatesout from His self someone who will adore the infinite sweetness and charm thatHe possesses. So, the one God divides Himself into:- (a) the Being-for-self (b)the Being-for-expression. The former is He Himself i.e, Krishnawho attracts and the latter is His Primary power by name Radha,who adores His infinite charm and enjoys the infinite sweetness. It is quiteunderstandable that to adore or enjoy an infinite thing the adorer has to bepart and parcel of the infinite.

Functionally, SriRadha, the daughter of King Brisabhanu of village Barsana, Vrindaban, is seento be making Krisna, the son of King Nanda of Nandagaon, Vrindaban enjoy HisJoyfulness – “Hladini Koray Krisne Anandaswadon” (ChaitanyaCharitamrita) and make Him enjoy His own sweetness in innumerable ways likeRaasLeela etc., – “Krishna-ke koray Shyam-rasa-modhu-paane”. Also, it isthrough Her that Krishna makes His devoteesenjoy His sweetness & charm and through this window (SriRadha) Hedistributes Ananda or Joy to those devotees who have a craving for this.

I think it is necessary to say few words about the terminology “Pranay Bikriti”used in the sloka at the top. Pranay ordinarily means Love, but it has adefinite place in the step-ladder of love where it gradually gets intoricher/higher forms with the love becoming more and more intense. These stepsare

Prem ->Sneha ->Maan-> Pranay -> Raag -> Anuraag -> Bhav -> Mahabhav, the finalstage as given by Rup Goswamipad. The development of love into one afterthe other above noted stages is called Bikar and “Pranay Bikriti” meansthe final stage where SriRadha is situated, the ultimate intensity of love forKrisna.

There still remains the question –“Why Pranay-Bikriti and notPrem-Bikriti?” To get answer to this, we need to refer to the “UjjwalNeelmoni” by Rup Goswamipad where the definition of theseterminologies are given with example for each stage. Pranay is the third stageafter Prem. In this stage the lover has the feeling of unity (Abhinna manan)with the beloved and that makes them forget the physical difference betweenthem. Radha has the feeling of oneness with Krisna due to this.

Thus Radha and Krisna are Abhinna or one in two ways – 1) As Power& Powerful - Radha is the Power and Krisna is the Powerful one. These two

are inseparable like the Fire and its Heat; the Flower and its Fragrance – onecannot exist without the other. 2) As Lover & Loved at the Pranay stage oflove, where the bodily distinction gets submersed in the intensity of love.Actually SriRadha’s love is much above this stage – she is permanently seatedat the Mahabhav stage for all times.

Radha and Krishna are also Bhinna i.e, NotOne or separate in two ways – 1) As two separate body forms which the GodHimself as created 2) As Lover who is the owner or Ashray of love whichis Radha, and the Beloved who is the subject or Bishay of love. Thisrelation is called – Bhedabhed Tattwa.

To talk more about Radha Ineed to put quotations as below.

“Debi Krisnamoyee proktaa Radhika paradebataa

SarbaLakshmimoyee sarbakantih sanmohini paraa”

– Brihadgoutamiya tantraHI"">

SriRadha is Debi (one whohas exquisitely glowing beauty and grace); Krishnamoyee (one who isencapsulated by nothing but Krishna only both externally and internally or fullof love for Krishna all over Her self); Paradebata (supreme goddess);

SarbaLakshmimoyee (one who is the physical form of all the mights, pomp andmajesty of Krisna); Sarbakantih (one who is capable of fulfilling all desiresof Krisna), Sarbamohini paraa (the entire creation gets stupefied, captivatedor fascinated by the brilliant charm of SriKrishna. Such a charming personalitygets fascinated, captivated by the sight of SriRadha. She is calledKrishnamohan and since Krishna is the supremeGod so Radha is the supreme Goddess).

This supremacy of SriRadhais admitted by SriKrishna Himself through several statements as

quoted below.

“Krishnakahe aami hoi raser nidhan

Purnanandamoy aami chinmoypurnatattwa

Radhika-r preme aamaakoray unmatta

Na jaani Radha-r premeachhe kato bal

Je bal amare kare sarbadabivhal ” – Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Meaning, “Krishna says, I am the Treasure (the largest one) of rasaor sweetness. I am All-Joy and All-knowledge & Bliss. But, Radha’s lovemakes me mad. I do not know what strength Her love has got thatit makes me enchanted, bewildered all the time. The Scriptures say about God,the supreme :

“Etasyoiba anandasya anyani bhootani matramupjibanti” – Shruti

Meaning, all creatures ofthis world becomes joyful and happy by deriving only a tiny droplet from His (Krishna’s) treasury of joy which is ever full.

Such Krisna says –“Eimato Jagater sukhe ami hetu, Radhika-r roop gun amar jibatu” - ChaitanyaCharitamrita.

I am the cause of joy forthe entire world but Radhika’s beauty and virtues are my life - “Momorupadikang jagataang sukhoika hetuh, Momo tu sukhoika hetuh SriRadha rupaani”.

“Aama hoite jar hoy shata shata gun, Sei jon ahladite pare mor mon.

ama hoite guni baro jagate asombhab, Ekali Radhika taha kori anubhab.”

- ChaitanyaCharitamrita.

Krishnasays that to be the cause of my joy someone has to be hundreds of times more virtuousthan me. None in the universe can be greater than me in this respect (or forthat matter in any respect), only Radhika is one for whom this has beenpossible.HI"">

Sri Krishna has acceptedSri Radha as His Guru (Radhikar prem guru aami shisya naut, Sada aamay nananritye nachay udbhat” - Chaitanya Charitamrita.). He is Jagatguru orworld-mentor and Radha is His guru, thus She is the guru of Jagatguru, thegreatest of all gurus. A very interesting dialogue in this respect isreproduced below from Govinda Leelamrita, 8th Sarga, 77th sloka:

Place – Vrindaban,Time – During Krishna’s stay in Vrindaban,

Dialogue between Radha& her friend Brinda.

Radha – “ Dear Brinda,where are you coming from?

Brinda – “ FromSriKrishna’s lotus feet”

Radha - “ Where is he?”

Brinda – “ In the woodsnear Radhakund”

Radha – “ What is he doingthere?”

Brinda – “ Learning toDance”

Radha – “ Who is the guru(teacher)?”

Brinda –“On each of thetrees all around him, you in your various dancing postures is appearing beforehim. Enchanted, he is trying to copy them by dancing and ecstatically runningafter those of your figures”.

So of whom theSupreme Lord is a disciple and a mad lover that is SriRadha.

There is a song recordedin an audio cassette by HariOm Saran which says –

“Radha-shakti bina na koiShyamaru darashan paawe,

Aradhan kar Radhe RadheKanha bhagke aawe “

Meaning: Unless empoweredby Radha none can get a glimpse of Shyam (Krishna of

Vrindaban). If you worshipHer by chanting Radhe Radhe then Shyam will come running to you.

So, ChantingSriRadha, Holding Her as Guru, Singing in Her praise let life be spent.

>>>>JAI RADHE

Radharani, Pleasure Potency of Krishna

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya

Festival Lectures, London, 29 August, 1971.

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So today, this evening, we are talking about Radhastami. We are trying to understand the chief potency of Krishna. Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krishna. As we understand from Vedic literature, Krishna has many varieties of potencies. Parasya shaktir vividhaiva shruyate [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya-lila 13.65, purport]. Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn't got to do anything personally, simply by his will everything is done, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got varieties of energies, and everything is being done so nicely. Just like this material energy. This material world, where we are now living… This is called material energy. Bahir-anga-shakti. The Sanskrit name is bahir-anga, external energy of Krishna. So how nicely it is being done, everything in the material energy. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita,mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-characharam: [Bhagavad-gita 9.10] "Under My superintendence the material energy is working." The material energy is not blind. It is… On the background there is Krishna. Mayadhyakshena prakritih [Bhagavad-gita 9.10]. Prakriti means this material energy. Similarly… This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bhagavad-gita 8.20]. Another energy, para, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Radharani.

Radharani…, today is Radharani's appearance day. So we should try to understand Radharani's feature. Radharani is the pleasure potency, hladini-shakti. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). In the Vedanta-sutra the Absolute Truth is described as anandamaya, always in pleasure potency. That anandamaya potency… Just like ananda. When you want ananda, pleasure, you cannot have it alone. Alone, you cannot enjoy. When you are in the circles of

friend or family or other associates, you feel pleasure. Just like I am speaking. The speaking is very pleasing when there are many persons here. I cannot speak alone here. That is not ananda. I can speak here at night, dead of night, nobody here. That is not ananda. Anandameans there must be others. So because Krishna, the Absolute Truth, is anandamaya, therefore eko bahu syam, He has become many. We are also Krishna's part and parcel, to give pleasure to Krishna. And the chief pleasure potency is Radharani.

radha-krishna-pranaya-vikritir hladini-shaktir asmadekatmanav api bhuvo (pura) deha-bhedo-gatau tauchaitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam chaikyam aptamradha-bhava-(dyuti)-suvalitam naumi krishna-svarupam [Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 1.5]

So Krishna is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gita. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gita, he affirmed Krishna, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bhagavad-gita 10.12]. So Krishna is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmananda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyasi. Aham brahmasmi. Just to understand that he is in Brahman realization. So if one has to give up everything material for Brahman realization, do you think that Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, can enjoy anything material? No. Krishna's enjoyment is nothing material. This point should be understood. For Brahman realization we are giving up everything material. And how Param Brahman can enjoy anything material? This question has been very much nicely discussed by Jiva Gosvami.

So when the Param Brahman… First of all, the Param Brahman information is not there in this material world. Little Brahman information is there. Or little Paramatma information is there. But not Param Brahman, or Bhagavan, information. Therefore it is said, manushyanam sahasreshu kashchid yatati siddhaye [Bhagavad-gita 7.3]. Siddhaye means to understand Brahman or Paramatma. But out of many such persons who have realized Brahman and Paramatma, hardly a person can know Krishna. And that… First of all… [break] …what we can understand about Krishna's pleasure potency? If I want to know some big man. That is one process. And without knowing that big man, how I can understand about his internal affairs? Similarly, if we do not understand Krishna, how we can understand how Krishna is enjoying? That is not possible. But the Gosvamis, they're giving us information what is the pleasure potency of Krishna. That is Srimati Radharani.

So we have described about the Radha-Krishna loving affairs in our Teachings of Lord Chaitanya in page 264. If you have got this book, you can read it, how the reciprocation of loving affairs of Radha-Krishna is there, transcendental. So our

today prayer to Radharani… We pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krishna. Krishna means "all-attractive." But Radharani is so great that She attracts Krishna. Krishna is all-attractive, and She is attractive (attractor) of Krishna. So what is the position of Srimati Radharani? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Radharani. Radhe vrindavaneshvari.

tapta-kanchana-gaurangi radhe vrindavaneshvarivrishabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

Our business is "Radharani, You are so dear to Krishna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You."

tapta-kanchana-gaurangi radhe vrindavaneshvarivrishabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrindavana. You are the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.]

Radharani is hari-priya, very dear to Krishna. So if we approach Krishna through Radharani, through the mercy of Radharani, then it becomes very easy. If Radharani recommends that "This devotee is very nice," then Krishna immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Radharani, Krishna accepts. Therefore in Vrindavana you'll find all the devotees, they're chanting more Radharani's name than Krishna's. Wherever you'll go, you'll find the devotees are addressing, "Jaya Radhe." You'll find still in Vrindavana. They are glorifying Radharani. They're more interested, worshiping Radharani. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Radharani, then it is very easy for me to understand Krishna. Otherwise,

manushyanam sahasreshukashchid yatati siddhayeyatatam api siddhanamkashchid vetti mam tattvatah [ Bhagavad-gita 7.3]

If you go by the speculative process to understand Krishna, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Radharani, and Krishna will be gotten very easily. Because Radharani can deliver Krishna. She is so great devotee, the emblem of maha-bhagavata. Even Krishna cannot understand what is Radharani's quality. Even Krishna, although He says vedaham samatitani [Bhagavad-gita 7.26], "I know everything," still, He fails to understand Radharani. Radharani is so great. He says that… Actually, Krishna knows

everything. In order to understand Radharani, Krishna accepted the position of Radharani. Krishna wanted to understand the potency of Radharani. Krishna thought that "I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Radharani. Why?" This propensity made Krishna obliged to accept the propensities of Radharani, to understand Krishna, Himself.

These are, of course, very transcendental… great science. One who is advanced in Krishna consciousness and well conversant with the shastras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the shastra. When Krishna wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Srimati Radharani. And that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna, but He has accepted the propensities of Radharani. As Radharani is always in feelings of separation of Krishna, similarly, in the position of Radharani, Lord Chaitanya was feeling separation of Krishna. That is the teachings of Lord Chaitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Krishna. That is Radharani's position, always feeling the separation.

The Gosvamis, they also, when they were in Vrindavana, they never said that "I have seen Krishna." Although they were the most perfect, they never said that "I have seen Krishna." Their prayers were like this: he radhe! vraja-devike! he nanda-suno! kutah. He radhe, Radharani, he radhe! vraja-devike! cha. Radharani does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devi, Lalita or Vishakha and other damsels of Vrindavana. So the Gosvamis are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vrindavana, they were praying in this way, he radhe! vraja-devike! cha lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah: "Where, Radharani, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krishna? Where you are, all?" They were searching after. They never said, "I have seen Krishna dancing with the gopis. Last night I saw." (laughter) This is sahajiya. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiya. They take everything very cheap—Krishna very cheap, Radharani very cheap—as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvamis do not teach us like that. They're searching after. He radhe! vraja-devike! cha lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah, sri-govardhana-padapa-tale kalindi-vanye kutah: "Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamuna?" Kalindi-vanye kutah. Ghoshantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, "Where You are? Where You are, Radharani? Where you are, Lalita, Vishkha, the associates of Radharani? Where You are, Krishna? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamuna?" Ghoshantav iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vrindavana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair maha-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair maha-vihvalau. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau.

So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvamis, how to search out Krishna and Radharani, Vrindavana, or within your heart. That is the process of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's bhajana: feeling of separation, vipralambha, vipralambha-seva. Just like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, feeling the separation of Krishna, He was falling down on the sea. He was coming out of His rest room or His bedroom and going out at dead of night. Nobody knew where He has gone. So that was His searching. This process of devotional service is taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Not that very easily, "We have seen Krishna or seen Radharani in rasa-lila." No, not like that. Feel the separation. The more you feel separation from Krishna, you should understand that you are advancing. Don't try to see Krishna artificially. Be advanced in separation feeling, and then it will be perfect. That is the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. Because with our material eyes we cannot see Krishna. Atah sri-krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya-lila 17.136]. With our material senses we cannot see Krishna, we cannot hear about Krishna's name. But sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord… Where the service begins? Jihvadau. The service begins from the tongue. Not from the legs, eyes, or ears. It begins from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. If you begin service through your tongue… How? Chant Hare Krishna. Use your tongue. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And take Krishnaprasadam [food offered to Krishna]. The tongue has got two business: to articulate sound, Hare Krishna; and take prasadam. By this process you'll realize Krishna.

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Don't try to see Krishna. You cannot see Krishna with your material eyes. Neither you can hear about Him with your material ears. Neither you can touch. But if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal Himself to you: "Here I am." That is wanted. So feel separation of Krishna just like Radharani, as Lord Chaitanya teaches us, and engage your tongue in the service of the Lord; then, one day, when you are mature, you'll see Krishna eye to eye.