Sri Sanatkumara Samhita
Part 1 - Sri Sanatkumara Samhita
1. One
day, bowing before Lord Sadasiva, the master of both the demigods and the
universe, who sat by the Yamuna's shore, Sri Narada said:
2. O
master of the demigods, O great Lord, O all-knowing one, O master of the
universe, O sage wise in the science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, O
best of they who know the mantras glorifying Lord Krishna, . . .
3. .
. . from my father I carefully learned the king of mantras and many other
Krishna-mantras as we sat by the water.
4. At
first I ate only wild vegetables, roots, and fruits, then I ate only dry
leaves, then I only drank water, then I only breathed air, and finally I
neither ate, drank, nor breathed.
5. I
neither saw nor spoke to women. I slept on the ground. I conquered the six
vices, beginning with lust, and I controlled the external senses.
6. Without
thinking of anything else, I always meditated on Lord Krishna. I bathed thrice
daily. I was pure in all I did.
7. Performing
nyasas, one should worship the Lord thrice daily. One should chant the Lord's
holy names and be eager to hear His glories.
8. Day
and night one should meditate on the Lord's qualities and chant mantras
glorifying Him. Thinking of the meaning of the Lord's mantras, one should shed
tears of love. The hairs of one's body should stand erect in ecstasy.
9. Worshiping
the Lord in this way for many hundreds of years, I learned many Vishnu-mantras.
I gave up all attachment for the material world.
10. Someone
somewhere may have attained the eighteen-syllable mantra without first
performing purscarana, but I have not seen that person anywhere in the world.
11. As
a lifeless body cannot act, so a person who has not performed purascarana
cannot chant mantras.
12. Lord
Brahma told me that a mantra chanted for hundreds of kalpas will not bring the
proper result if not performed with the proper nyasas.
13. In
Kali-yuga the people will be sinful, short-lived, unfortunate, slow, and
unintelligent.
14. The
people will not follow the duties of varnasrama. They will have no devotion for
Lord Hari. Their hearts will be dirty. They will be foolish. They will be
slaves to lust and a host of vices.
15. They
will care only for their wives and children. They will not care to serve Lord
Hari. How can people like this attain Krishna-mantras, which are so difficult
to attain?
16. They
will not be interested in devotion to Lord Hari, which begins with hearing
about His glories. They will be overcome by lust and a host of vices. They will
care only for their wives and children.
17. In
the Kali-yuga the Lord's holy name is easy to attain. Still, the full result of
the holy name does not come to they who commit offenses.
18. They
who commit thousands of offenses to Lord Krishna, but nevertheless take shelter
of the Lord's holy name, cross beyond all those offenses.
19. They
who commit offenses to the holy name go to hell. It is with the holy name's
help that devotion to Lord Hari, which is otherwise so difficult to attain, is
attained very easily.
20. No
path but devotional service will quickly bring one to the transcendental abode
of Lord Hari.
21. Because
in Kali-yuga objects, places, and people are all impure, one cannot easily
attain the results of performing pious deeds. That is what the wise have said.
22. In
the Kali-yuga transcendental knowledge is especially difficult to attain. After
many hundreds of births, someone somewhere will attain it.
23. One
cannot attain Lord Hari by the cultivation of knowledge (jnana) or the
performance of pious deeds (karma). These two are useless. That is my opinion.
24. One
cannot attain Lord Hari by knowledge, pious deeds, renunciation, austerities,
charity, or other auspicious activities.
25. Lord
Hari is attained only by devotional service, service that in Kali-yuga is rare
and difficult to attain. That is why I, pushed by a host of worries, now take
shelter of you.
26. O
master, please tell what method the people of Kali-yuga may adopt to easily
attain the transcendental abode of Lord Hari.
27. O
Lord, what mantra will carry the people from this world of birth and death? So
everyone may benefit, please tell it to me.
28. O
Lord, of all mantras what mantra needs no purascarana, no nyasa, no yoga, no
samskara, and no other thing?
29. A
single utterance of the Lord's holy name gives the highest result. O master of
the demigods, if I am competent to hear it, please kindly tell me the Lord's
holy name.
30. Lord
Sadasiva said: O fortunate one, your question is excellent. O you who wish for
the welfare of all, I will tell you the secret cintamani jewel of the mantras.
31. I
will tell you the secret of secrets, the most confidential of all confidential
things. I will tell you what I have not told either the goddess or your elder
brothers.
32. I
will tell you two peerless Krishna-mantras that are the crest-jewels of all
mantras.
33.
One mantra is
"Gopijana-vallabha-caranau saranam prapadye" (I take shelter of the
feet of Him who is the gopi's beloved).
34. This
mantra has three compound words, five individual words, and sixteen syllables.
35.
The second mantra is "Namo
gopijana-vallabhabhyam" (Obeisances to the divine couple, who are dear to
the gopis). This mantra has two words and ten syllables.
36. One
who either with faith or without faith once chants this five-word mantra
resides among Lord Krishna's gopi-beloveds. Of this there is no doubt.
37. In
chanting these mantras there is no need of purscarana, nyasa, ari-suddhi,
mitra-suddhi, or other kinds of purification. In chanting these mantras there
is no restriction of time or place.
38. All,
from the lowest outcaste to the greatest sage, are eligible to chant this
mantra. Women, sudras, and all others are eligible. The paralyzed, mute, blind,
and lame are eligible.
39. The
Andhras, Hunas, Kiratas, Pulindas, Pukkasas, Abhiras, Yavanas, Kankas, Khasas,
and all others born from sinful wombs are also eligible.
40. They
who are overcome with pride and ego, who are intent on committing sins, who are
killers of cows and brahmanas, and who are the greatest of sinners, are also
eligible.
41. They
who have neither knowledge nor renunciation, they who have never studied the
sruti-sastra and other scriptures, and all others, whoever they may be, are
also all eligible to chant these mantras.
42. Anyone
who has devotion for Lord Krishna, the master of all masters, is eligible to
chant these mantras, but they who have no devotion, even they may be the
greatest of sages, are not eligible.
43. They
who have performed many yajnas, given charity, visited all holy places, been
devoted to speaking the truth, accepted the renounced order, traveled to the
farther shore of the Vedas and Vedangas, devotedly served the brahmanas, taken
birth in good families, and performed austerities and vows, but are not devoted
to Lord Krishna, are not eligible to chant these mantras.
44. Therefore
these mantras should not be spoken to one who is not devoted to Lord Hari, nor
to one who is ungrateful, proud, or faithless, nor to an atheist or a
blasphemer.
45. One
should not speak these mantras to one who does not wish to hear them, nor to
one who has not stayed for one year in the speaker's asrama. One should
carefully give these mantras to one who is free of hypocrisy, greed, lust,
anger, and other vices, and who is sincerely devoted to Lord Krishna. The sage
of this mantra is Lord Sadasiva. The meter is Gayatri. The Deity is Lord
Krishna, the beloved of the gopis. The purpose is to attain service to dear
Lord Hari.
46. Beginning
with the cakra one should perform the pancanga-nyasa and the kara-nyasa. O
brahmana, one should perform them both with the bija-syllable.
47. The
first syllable should be adorned with the bindu letter. That is the
bija-syllable. The sakti is said to be the word "namah" (obeisances).
48. At
the end should be the ten angas. Then the people should worship the Lord with
scents, flowers, and other offerings.
49. To
please Lord Hari one should always perform worship and nyasa. Nyasa should be
performed with this mantra. It should not be otherwise.
50. By
once chanting this mantra one attains success. Of this there is no doubt.
Still, for the purpose of chanting japa one should chant this mantra ten times
daily.
51.
O best of brahmanas, now I will tell
you the meditation of this mantra. I meditate on two-armed Lord Krishna, who is
dark like a monsoon cloud, dressed in yellow garments, garlanded with forest
flowers, . . .
52. .
. . crowned with a peacock feather, and garlanded with lotus whorls, whose face
is splendid like ten million moons, whose eyes move restlessly, . . .
53. .
. . whose forehead is marked with tilaka of sandal paste and musk, . . .
54. .
. . who is splendid with earrings like two rising suns, whose
perspiration-anointed cheeks are like two glistening mirrors, . . .
55. .
. . who with raised eyebrows playfully glances at His beloved's face, the tip
of whose graceful raised nose is decorated with a glistening pearl, . . .
56. .
. . whose bimba-fruit lips are splendid in the moonlight of His teeth, whose
hands are splendid with bracelets, armlets, and jewel rings, . . .
57. .
. . who holds a flute in His left lotus hand, whose waist is splendid with a
graceful belt, whose feet are splendid with graceful anklets, . . .
58. .
. . whose eyes are restless with the nectar of amorous pastimes, who jokes with
His beloved, making Her laugh again and again, . . .
59. .
. . and who stays with Her on a jewel throne under a kalpa-vriksha tree in
Vrindavana forest. In this way one should meditate on Lord Krishna and His
beloved.
60. On
the Lord's left side one should meditate on Sri Radha, who is dressed in blue
garments, who is splendid like molten gold, . . .
61. .
. . who with the edge of Her garment covers Her graceful lotus smile, whose
restless cakori-bird eyes dance on Her beloved's face, . . .
62. .
. . who with her forefinger and thumb places belet nuts and crushed betel
leaves in Her beloved's lotus mouth, . . .
63. .
. . whose full, raised breasts are decorated with a glistening pearl-necklace,
whose waist is slender, whose broad hips are decorated with tinkling ornaments,
. . .
64. .
. . who is decorated with jewel earrings, finger rings, toe rings, bracelets,
armlets, and tinkling golden anklets, . . .
65. .
. . whose limbs are graceful with the best of beauty, who is in always in the
prime of youth, and who is always plunged in the nectar of bliss.
66. O
king of brahmanas, Her friends, whose age and qualities are like Hers,
devotedly serve Her with camaras, fans, and other articles.
67. Please
hear, O Narada, and I will tell you the meaning of these mantras. The material
world is manifested by the Lord's maya potency and other external potencies.
The spiritual world is manifested by the Lord's cit potency and other internal
and everlasting spiritual potencies.
68. The
protector of these potencies is said to be the gopi Sri Radha, who is Lord Krishna's
beloved.
69. The
transcendental goddess Sri Radha is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna.
She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She is the
pleasure-potency of Lord Krishna.
70. The
wise say that She is the pleasure potency of Lord Krishna. Durga and the other
goddesses in the world of the three modes are a million-millionth part of one
of Her expansions.
71. She
is directly Goddess Maha-Lakshmi and Lord Krishna is Lord Narayana. O best of
sages, there is not the slightest difference between Them.
72. O
best of sages, what more can I say? Nothing can exist without Them. This
universe made of spirit and matter together is Their potency.
73. She
is Durga and Lord Hari is Siva. Lord Krishna is Indra and She is Saci. She is
Savitri and Lord Hari is Brahma. She is Dhumorna and Lord Hari is Yama.
74. O
Narada, please know that everything is Their potency. Even if I had many
hundreds of years, I could not describe all Their glories.
75. In
the three worlds the most fortunate place is the earthly planets. The best of
them is Jambudvipa. In Jambudvipa the best place is Bharata-varsha. In
Bharata-varsha the best place is Mathura-puri.
76. The
best place in Mathura-puri is called Vrindavana. In Vrindavana stay the supreme
Goddess, Sri Radha, and Her many gopi friends.
77. Beginning
with the earthly planets, each realm described here is more or less exalted
relative to its nearness to Sri Radha.
78. The
gopis are the friends of Sri Radha. Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are the hero and
heroine dear to the gopis.
79. I
take shelter of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna's feet. I, an individual spirit soul
unhappy at heart, surrender to Them.
80. The
wise say, "I surrender to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Whatever is mine is in
truth Their property. Everything is for Their sake. Everything is meant for
Their enjoyment. It is not meant for me."
81. O
brahmana, thus I have briefly described the meaning of these mantras. Therefore
one should perform nyasas to please the divine couple, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.
One should take shelter of Them and surrender to Them.
82. Thus
I have described to you five ways to offer oneself to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.
You should think of these ways of surrender day and night, and never become
tired of thinking of them.
83. O
Narada, please hear and I will tell you about spiritual initiation. Simply by
hearing of this, even without following this description, the people become
liberated.
84. O
best of sages, aware that every place in the material world, from Brahmaloka
down, is temporary and destined for destruction, directly feeling the three
kinds of material suffering, beginning with sufferings caused by one's own body
and mind, and also seeing that all material happiness comes to an end and
finally lead only to pain, a wise person renounces the world. No longer is he
interested in the things of this world.
85. When
a person no longer desires to enjoy the things of this world, he should
consider how to finally sever all connection with this world. Only when he
succeeds in that will such a person, unhappy with the world, attain peerless
happiness.
86. O
brahmana, a wise person, aware that the shelter of the Lord is very difficult
to attain, and distressed by material life, should take shelter of a bona-fide
spiritual master.
87. It
is said that a bona-fide spiritual master should be peaceful, non-envious,
devoted to Lord Krishna, not interested in things that have no relation to Lord
Krishna, not engaged in activities that have no relation to Lord Krishna,
filled with spiritual virtues, free of anger and greed, learned in the science
of the nectar mellows of Lord Krishna, expert in the mantras glorifying Lord
Krishna, always surrendered to Lord Krishna and always taking shelter of Lord
Krishna, devoted to chanting the mantras glorifying Lord Krishna, always pure,
always pious and religious, always engaged in devotional service to the Lord, a
teacher who shows his disciples how to serve the Lord, himself a disciple in
the sampradaya (disciplic succession), filled with mercy, and renounced.
88. It
is said that a bona-fide disciple should have qualities like these also. He
should have faith in his spiritual master's feet, be devoted to his spiritual
master, and have the attainment of liberation as the goal of his life.
89. Service
to the spiritual master is the same as direct loving service to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The wise, who are learned in the Vedas and Vedangas,
declare that this service is the path to liberation.
90. O
spiritual master of all the worlds, please rescue me, for I am burning in the
fire of repeated birth and death! I am bitten by the black snake of time!
Please rescue me from the ocean of birth and death!
91. Lord
Krishna, the son of Nanda, is the crest jewel of all Deities. One should
worship His lotus feet alone. One time only should one accept initiation to the
worship of His lotus feet. This is said by the wise.
92. One
should approach the spiritual master's feet, offer service to them, and learn
the truth by asking questions again and again.
93. Happy
at heart, the spiritual master then teaches the sacred mantra to the disciple
who is peaceful, who has faith in his spiritual master's feet, and who is
surrendered to his spiritual master's feet.
94. O
brahmana, using sandal paste or clay, the spiritual master should draw a
conchshell and cakra on the left and right shoulders.
95. Then
the spiritual master should draw Vaishnava tilaka on the forehead and other
places, and then he should speak the two mantras in the disciple's right ear.
96. Then
he should explain the meaning of the mantras, and then he should give the
disciple a name, a name ending with the word "dasa" (servant).
97. Then
the wise disciple should affectionately and devotedly feast the Vaishnavas, and
then he should worship the spiritual master with garments, ornaments, and other
gifts.
98. O
great sage, then the disciple should offer all his wealth to his spiritual
master, or he may offer half his wealth, or, being penniless, he may offer his
body in the spiritual master's service.
99. With
these five samskaras (purificatory rituals) one becomes purified. He becomes a
servant of Lord Krishna. Even in ten million kalpas he will not renounce that
service.
100.
The previous sages say these five samskaras are: 1. the marking,
2. tilaka, 3. mantra, 4. name, and 5. yajna.
101.
The marking is the marking of the conchshell, disc, and other
signs. The tilaka is Vaishnava tilaka. The name is the name to which the word
"dasa" (servant) is added. The mantra is the two mantras already
described.
102.
The yajna is the worship of the spiritual master and the
Vaishnavas. Thus I have described these great samskaras to you.
103.
O Narada, now I will describe to you, a surrendered soul, the
spiritual activities people in Kali-yuga may follow to attain the abode of Lord
Hari.
104.
After receiving the mantras, the wise disciple should always
devotedly serve his spiritual master. In this way he inspires the spiritual
master's mercy to him.
105.
The disciple should study the devotional activities of the
devotees. Especially he should study the activities of the surrendered souls.
He should always meditate on his chosen Deity. He should always try to please
the Vaishnavas.
106.
As a rake enjoys when his mistress rebukes and hits him, so a
wise person is happy when the Vaishnavas punish him.
107.
He never worries what will happen in this life or the next. He
knows that what happens in this life is determined by his past deeds.
108.
He does not worry what will happen in the next life. Lord
Krishna Himself will arrange what will happen after this life.
109.
He should renounce all plans and make the worship of Lord
Krishna his only plan. As a faithful wife worships her husband when he has gone
away on a journey, so he should worship Lord Krishna.
110.
Filled with love for her dear husband, such an unhappy wife
always longs for his company. She always meditates on his virtues. She
glorifies them and hears about them.
111.
In the same way the devotee should always remember, hear about,
and glorify Lord Krishna virtues, pastimes, and everything else about the Lord.
A devotee need do nothing but this.
112.
When the dear husband, long absent on a journey, finally
returns, the wife, filled with thoughts of him, kisses him, embraces him, and
with her eyes drinks in the sight of him.
113.
By serving the Deity form of the Lord one directly serves
supremely blissful Lord Hari.
114.
One should take shelter of Lord
Krishna. One should not take shelter of anyone but Him. One should not strive
to attain anyone but Him. One should not desire anyone but Him. One should not
have any goal but Him.
115.
One should not worship anyone but Him.
One should not bow down before anyone but Him. One should not meditate on
anyone but Him. One should not gaze upon anyone but Him. One should not glorify
anyone but Him. One should not seek anyone but Him.
116.
One should not eat the remnants of
food eaten by anyone but Him. One should not wear the garments and ornaments
worn by anyone but Him. One should not talk with they who are not devotees of
the Lord. One should not bow down before them or honor them in any way.
117.
One should not hear the blasphemy of the Supreme Lord or His
devotees. One should cover one ears and go away. If one has the power, one
should punish the offender.
118.
O brahmana, one should always serve the Lord and His devotees.
Until the moment of one's death one should follow the example of the cataki
bird.
119.
Rejecting lakes, rivers, oceans, and any other source of water,
a cataki bird will drink only water falling from a cloud. It will die of thirst
before accepting any other water.
120.
Renouncing all other goals, one should
think, "Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are the only goal of my life."
121.
One should accept what is favorable for service to the Lord, His
devotees, and one's spiritual master. One should reject what is not favorable
for Their service.
122.
Sri Sri Radha-Krishna will protect
anyone who even once surrenders to Them. One should confidently think,
"Sri Sri Radha-Krishna will protect me".
123.
One should pray, "O Sri Sri
Radha-Krishna, please rescue me from the ocean of birth and death. Please
rescue me from the troubles born from children, friends, and home. Please break
into pieces the fears of Your surrendered devotee.
124.
O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, today I place
at Your feet Myself and everything I possess either in this life or in the
next.
125.
I am the home of all offenses. I have
abandoned all spiritual duties. I have no shelter. O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, O
my Lords, please become my shelter.
126.
O master of Radha, I am Yours. O
beloved of Lord Krishna, I am Yours. I offer to You both my thoughts, words,
and deeds. You both are the goal of my life.
127.
O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, You are like
two great oceans of mercy. Please be merciful to me. I take shelter of You. I
surrender to You. Please engage me, a sinner and an offender, in Your
service."
128.
O best of sages, one who desires to
quickly attain the direct service of the divine couple should daily recite
these five verses.
129.
In this way I have briefly described
the external activities of the surrendered souls. Now I will describe the
activities hidden in their hearts.
130.
Accepting the nature of one of Sri
Radha's gopi friends, one should carefully serve the divine couple day and
night, without ever becoming fatigued.
131.
O best of sages, I have thus told you
something that is very confidential. This is the most secret of all secrets. It
should be concealed with great care.
132.
O Narada, thus I have described to you the mantra, the parts of
the mantra, they who are qualified to chant the mantra, spiritual activities,
and the result attained by performing spiritual activities and chanting the
mantra.
133.
Follow this teaching and you will attain direct service to Sri
Sri Radha-Krishna. O brahmana, They will always protect you. Of this there is
no doubt.
134.
To a person who once surrenders to the
Lord and says, "O Lord, I am Yours," Lord Hari gives direct
devotional service. Of this I have no doubt.
135.
Now I will tell you a very wonderful secret, a secret I directly
heard from Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Himself.
136.
In the past I lived deep in the forest on Mount Kailasa's
summit. Chanting the jewel of mantras, I meditated on Lord Narayana.
137.
Pleased with me, the Lord appeared in my meditation and said,
"You may ask a boon". I suddenly opened my eyes.
138.
Gazing at the Lord as He stood on Garuda with the goddess of
fortune at His side, I bowed down again and again. Then I said to the goddess
of fortune's husband:
139.
"O Supreme controller, O ocean of mercy, I wish that with
my own eyes I may see Your original form, the best of all Your forms, a form
the great sages say is eternal, the giver of bliss, the abode of all bliss,
beyond the modes of nature, beyond material deeds, peaceful, and spiritual.
140.
Pleased, the goddess of fortune's husband said to me,
"Today you will see the form your heart desires.
141.
"Go to the place named Vrindavana, which is on the western
shore of the Yamuna." After speaking these words, the master of the
universes, accompanied by the goddess of fortune, suddenly disappeared.
142.
Then I went to the beautiful shore of the Yamuna. There I saw
the demigods' master, Lord Krishna, . . .
143.
. . . who was a cowherd youth, who was charming and handsome,
whose left hand was gracefully placed on His beloved's shoulder, . . .
144.
. . . who stood in the midst of many gopis, laughing and making
them laugh, whose heart was filled with love, and who was a great palace of
splendor, auspiciousness, and virtues.
145.
Smiling, Lord Krishna spoke to me these words of nectar: "O
Siva, I could understand your desire. That is why I have now come before your
eyes.
146.
"Now you can see My original form, a form beyond the world
of matter, a form filled with intense and pure love, a form eternal and filled
with knowledge and bliss.
147.
"O sinless one, the Upanishads, which form the crown of all
the Vedas, say that I am formless, without qualities, all-pervading, inactive,
and greater than the greatest.
148.
"Of all My qualities, not a single one is made of matter.
My qualities are all limitless and eternal. No one can understand them
perfectly or completely. That is why the Upanishads say I have no qualities.
149.
"O Siva, My form cannot be seen by material eyes. That is
why the Vedas say I am formless.
150.
"With a single fragment of consciousness I pervade
everything. That is why the philosophers think I am the formless Brahman. My
actions have nothing to do with the world of matter. That is why the
philosophers say I am inactive.
151.
"Filled with the modes of material nature, the demigods,
who are My parts and parcels, create, maintain, and destroy the material
universes. O Siva, I do not Myself create, maintain, or destroy them.
152.
"O Siva, O humble and respectful
one, I am overcome with love for the gopis. I do not know anything else. I do
not even know My own self.
153.
"Please understand the truth of
My beloved, the supreme goddess Sri Radha. I enjoy pastimes with Her eternally.
She has conquered Me with Her love.
154.
"O Siva, see how hundreds and
thousands of Her friends surround Us. As I am eternal, so are they also.
155.
My gopa friends, parents, cows, and
this land named Vrindavana are all eternal. They are spiritual, blissful, and
sweet like nectar.
156.
Know that My Vrindavana is filled with
bliss. One who enters it never again enters the world of birth and death.
157.
One who, after entering My forest,
leaves and goes somewhere else is a great fool. O Siva, it is as if he killed
his own soul. Of this there is no doubt.
158.
I never take even a single step out of
Vrindavana. Accompanied by Sri Radha, I stay here eternally.
159.
Thus I have told you everything. O Siva, speak what is in your
heart. What more do you wish to hear?
160.
O best of sages, then I said to Lord Krishna: How can one attain
You? Please tell me the way.
161.
Then Lord Krishna said to me: O Siva, you have spoken well. I
will tell you a great secret, which you should carefully conceal, O sinless
one.
162.
A person who, renouncing all else,
once surrenders to Me and to Sri Radha, and worships Us as the gopis worship
Us, attains Us. No one else attains Us.
163.
O Siva, a person who surrenders to Me
but not to My beloved never attains Me. This I tell you.
164.
A person who once surrenders to Her
and tells Her, "I am Yours", attains Me also without doing anything
further. Of this there is no doubt.
165.
Therefore, O Siva, a person who
desires to conquer Me should surrender, with all his heart, to My beloved. In
this way one becomes dear to Me.
166.
I have spoken to you a very great
secret. O Siva, please conceal it with great care.
167.
You also should take shelter of My
beloved Radha, chant My two mantras, and always stay in My abode.
168.
Lord Sadasiva said: After speaking these words, Lord Krishna,
who is an ocean of mercy, spoke the two mantras in my right ear. Then He taught
me the various samskaras.
169.
O wise brahmana, then the Lord and His Company suddenly
disappeared. Since then I have always stayed in this place.
170.
O king of brahmanas, now I have told you everything. Please
speak. What more do you wish to hear?
171.
Sri Narada said: O spiritual master, you have answered my
question with all completeness. Now I wish to hear about the path of spiritual
love, the best of all paths.
172.
Lord Sadasiva said: O brahmana who wishes the welfare of all, I
will tell you a great secret. Please hear this from me.
173.
O best of sages, Lord Hari, His servants, His friends, His
parents, and His gopi beloveds are all eternal. They all have the same
transcendental virtues.
174.
Lord Krishna's eternal pastimes in the spiritual world of
Vrindavana are exactly like His manifested pastimes in earthly Vrindavana, as
described in the Puranas.
175.
In the spiritual world of Vrindavana there is the same coming
and going to the forest and village of Vraja, the same herding of the cows, and
the same friends. Only the killing of the demons is absent.
176.
Thinking of Him as their paramour, with hidden love the gopis
please their beloved Krishna.
177.
One should think of oneself as a
beautiful young gopi girl expert in various arts, pleasing to Lord Krishna,
reluctant to directly enjoy with Lord Krishna even if He were personally to
invite you, . . .
178.
. . . a follower of Sri Radha, always
devoted to Her service, more affectionate to Sri Radha than to Lord Krishna
Himself, . . .
179.
. . . every day carefully and
affectionately arranging the meeting of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, and becoming
happy to see Them pleased by your service.
180.
Thinking of oneself in this way, one
should serve Sri Sri Radha-Krishna from the early morning of brahma-muhurta to
the end of night.
181.
Sri Narada said: I wish to hear the daily pastimes of Lord Hari.
How can they who do not know these pastimes serve Lord Hari in their hearts?
182.
Lord Sadasiva said: I do not know these pastimes of Lord Hari.
Go to Vrinda-devi. She will tell them to you.
183.
She stays near Kesi-tirtha, which is not far from this place.
She is surrounded by many gopi friends. She is a maidservant of Lord Krishna.
184.
Sri Sanat-kumara said: Hearing these words, the great sage Sri
Narada circumambulated his spiritual master, bowed before him again and again,
and then went to the abode of Sri Vrinda-devi.
185.
Seeing Narada, Vrinda bowed before him again and again. "O
best of sages, why have you come here?" she said.
186.
Sri Narada said: I have come to learn from you of Lord Hari's
daily activities. O beautiful goddess, if I am qualified to hear of them,
please tell them to me.
187.
Sri Vrinda said: O Narada, you are a great devotee of Lord Krishna.
Therefore I will tell you this, the greatest of all secrets. Please do not make
these words public.
Part 2 - Sri Sanatkumara Samhita
The
Eightfold Daily Pastimes
Pastimes
in the End of Night
3:22am
to 5:46am
1.
In the middle of beautiful Vrindavana
forest, which is decorated with fifty groves, in a grove of kalpa-vriksha
trees, in a glittering jewel palace, . . .
2.
. . . on a graceful bed, the sleeping,
tightly embracing divine couple were awakened by birds following my command.
3.
Their firm embrace broken, the divine
couple became unhappy at the thought of Their impending separation. They had no
wish to rise even slightly from Their bed.
4.
Awakened by the cheerful words of many
parrots and other birds, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna rose from Their bed.
5.
Seeing that the divine couple had
happily risen from bed, the gopis entered and served Them in ways appropriate
to that time.
6.
When the female parrots spoke, the
divine couple rose from Their bed. Very anxious, They returned to Their homes.
Pastimes
in the Early Morning
5:46am
to 8:10am
1.
Wakened by His mother in the early
morning, Lord Krishna rose from bed. Then He and Balarama brushed Their teeth.
2.
With His mother's permission, Lord
Krishna eagerly went to the barn to milk the cows. Then Sri Radha, wakened by
the elder gopis, also rose from Her bed.
3.
Sri Radha rose, brushed Her teeth,
anointed Herself with fragrant oils, and then went to the bathing-room, where
Lalita and the other gopis bathed Her.
4.
Then She went to the decorating-room,
where Her friends decorated Her with garlands, scents, oils, and many
glittering ornaments.
5.
Then, after first speaking to Radha's
mother-in-law, Yasoda called Radha and Her friends to cook breakfast for Lord
Krishna.
6.
Sri Narada said: O goddess, why did
Yasoda call Sri Radha to cook when Rohini and so many other expert cooks were
present in her home?
7.
Sri Vrinda said: The great sage
Durvasa gave Radha a boon that She would be the best of cooks. This I heard
from the mouth of Katyayani.
8.
Durvasa said to Radha, "O
goddess, by my mercy whatever You cook will be more delicious than nectar. It
will increase the life of whoever eats it."
9.
That is why every day Yasoda calls
Radha to cook. Yasoda thinks, "Eager to eat this delicious food, my son
will live a very long life."
10.
Receiving permission from Her
mother-in-law, Radha becomes very happy. Accompanied by a host of friends, She
goes to Krishna's home to cook.
11.
Meanwhile, Lord Krishna milked some
cows and had the other boys milk the others. Then, called by His father, He and
His friends returned home.
12.
Then the servants happily massaged
Lord Krishna, bathed Him, dressed Him in clean garments, garlanded Him, and
anointed His body with sandal paste.
13.
Then the servants gathered Lord
Krishna's hair from His forehead to His neck and tied it in a topknot. They
made the moon of the His forehead splendid with tilaka and curling locks of
hair.
14.
They decorated Lord Krishna with
armlets and bracelets. They made His hands splendid with jewel rings. They
placed a necklace of pearls across His chest and decorated His ears with
shark-shaped earrings.
15.
Again and again called by His mother,
Lord Krishna, holding His mother's hand, finally followed Balarama into the
breakfast-room.
16.
Accompanied by His mother and His
friends, Lord Krishna ate a breakfast-feast of many different kinds of foods.
He told many jokes, laughing and making His friends laugh.
17.
Then the servants brought betel nuts.
After sharing them with His friends and chewing some Himself, Lord Krishna
rested for a moment on a splendid bed.
18.
Radha watched as Lord Krishna enjoyed
these pastimes of eating breakfast. When Yasoda called, Radha, accompanied by
Lalita and many other gopi friends, shyly ate breakfast.
Pastimes
in the Late Morning
8:10am
to 10:34am
1.
When, dressed as a cowherd boy, Lord
Krishna followed the cows to the pasture, all the people of Vraja
affectionately followed Him on the path.
2.
Bowing down before His father and
mother, casting sidelong glances at His gopi-beloveds, and dealing appropriately
with all the others, Lord Krishna sent them all back. Then He again proceeded
to the forest.
3.
Lord Krishna entered the forest,
played for a while with His friends, and then slipped away with two or three
especially close friends.
4.
Eager to see His beloved, Lord Krishna
happily went to meet Her. When She saw that Lord Krishna had gone to the
forest, Sri Radha returned to Her home.
5.
Then, on the pretext of gathering
flowers and other things for the worship of the Sun God and other purposes, Sri
Radha tricks Her superiors and, yearning to meet Her beloved, goes to the
forest.
Pastimes
of Midday
10:34am 3:22pm
1.
Finally meeting after a great effort,
the divine couple enjoy many happy pastimes in the forest with Their
associates.
2.
Sometimes Radha and Krishna enjoy
pastimes on a swing hanging from a tree branch and pushed by the gopis.
Sometimes Radha steals the flute from Lord Krishna's hand.
3.
Sometimes the gopis hid and made Him
search after them. Sometimes they teased and scolded Him. Sometimes they joked
with Him and made Him laugh. In these ways they charmed Lord Krishna and stole
His heart.
4.
Sometimes Lord Krishna happily enters
the forest in the beautiful springtime and with a sprinkler sprinkles the gopis
with water mixed with sandal, kunkuma, and other colorful scents. The gopis
respond by sprinkling Him. Then Radha and Krishna sprinkle each other again and
again.
5.
O brahmana, in the forest groves the
divine couple enjoy many different pastimes with Their associates, pastimes appropriate
to the different times and seasons.
6.
O best of sages, sometimes They become
tired. Then, sitting on a splendid throne under a tree, They drink nectar.
7.
Intoxicated by drinking nectar, their
eyes become closed with sleepiness. Holding hands, They are attacked by
Kamadeva's arrows.
8.
Desiring to enjoy, They place Their
lotus feet in a forest grove. There They enjoy pastimes like two regal
elephants.
9.
Intoxicated by drinking nectar, and
their eyes closed with sleepiness, the gopis entered the nearby forest groves.
10.
Expanding into many forms,
all-powerful Lord Krishna approached each gopi individually.
11.
As an elephant king enjoys with His
many wives, so Lord Krishna enjoyed with the gopis. Then Lord Krishna, His
beloved Radha, and all the gopis entered a lake.
12.
Sri Narada said: O Vrinda-devi, if His
pastimes of sweetness are like this, then when does Lord Krishna manifest His
pastimes of opulence? Please cut apart my doubt.
13.
Sri Vrinda said: O sage, the powerful
potency of the pastimes of sweetness is one of Lord Hari's potencies. With that
potency Lord Hari enjoys pastimes with the gopis.
14.
When in His original form Lord Krishna
enjoys pastimes with Sri Radha, He manifests the potency of His pastimes of
sweetness. At that time He does not manifest the potency of His pastimes of
opulence.
15.
Accompanied by Their gopi friends, the
divine couple enjoy pastimes of splashing each other in the water. Then They
are decorated with splendid garments, ornaments, garlands, and sandal paste.
16.
Then, in a jewel cottage by the
lakeshore, the divine couple eat a snack of delicious fruits and roots
carefully prepared by me.
17.
After Their snack, Lord Hari and His
beloved recline on a couch of flowers. There two or three gopis serve Them.
18.
Served by the gopis who offer Him
betel nuts, fan Him, and massage His feet, Lord Krishna, His thoughts fixed on
His beloved, becomes filled with happiness.
19.
As Lord Krishna slept, Sri Radha and
Her associates happily ate the remnants of His meal.
20.
After eating, Sri Radha went to the
bed to gaze on Her beloved's lotus face as a cakori bird gazes at the moon.
21.
The gopis there gave Her the remnants
of betel nuts chewed by Lord Krishna. Some She chewed and some She gave to Her
friends.
22.
Eager to hear what the gopis said,
Lord Krishna only pretended to be asleep as He lay under the covers.
23.
As they playfully joked about their
beloved Hari they could gradually understand that He was only pretending to
sleep.
24.
Seeing the signs of wakefulness on
Lord Krishna's face, they looked at each other and suddenly became silent out
of embarrassment.
25.
Suddenly pulling the blanket from His
limbs and exclaiming, "My, You must have had a pleasant sleep!” they
laughed and make Lord Krishna laugh also.
26.
O best of sages, in this way the
divine couple enjoyed a pleasant nap and a host of happy joking words.
27.
Sitting on a splendid throne and
surrounded by Their associates, the divine couple gamble at dice, with
garlands, kisses, and embraces as the winner's prize.
28.
Joking with words of love, Radha and
Krishna gamble with dice. Defeated by His beloved, Lord Krishna slowly
pronounces, "I have lost."
29.
Taking the necklace and other prizes,
Sri Radha struck Lord Krishna with a lotus flower.
30.
O Narada, His unhappiness showing on
His face, Lord Krishna felt as if He had lost a great treasure. "O
goddess, You have defeated Me", He said. "Please take the winner's
prize."
31.
To see Radha's crooked raised eyebrows
and hear Her words of rebuke, Lord Krishna declared, "Now I will give You
the kiss and the other prizes." Then He gave Her all the prizes.
32.
Then, hearing the parrots calling,
Radha and Krishna bathed and decided to return to Their homes.
33.
Taking leave of His beloved, Lord
Krishna returns to the cows. Accompanied by Her friends, Sri Radha goes to the
temple of the Sun God.
34.
Lord goes a short distance, disguises
Himself as a brahmana, and then goes to the temple of the Sun God.
35.
Requested by the gopis, the disguised
Krishna worships the Sun God. Lord Krishna then recites a host of imaginary
Vedic prayers, prayers made up on the spot and filled with a host of errors.
36.
Finally understanding that this person
was their beloved Krishna, the intelligent gopis became plunged in an ocean of
bliss. Intoxicated with bliss they did not know who they were or who anyone
else was.
37.
O sage, in this way the divine couple
and Their associates passed six hours enjoying many pastimes. Finally the gopis
returned to their homes and Lord Krishna returned to the cows.
Pastimes
in the Afternoon
3:22pm to 5:46pm
1.
Meeting with His gopa friends, taking
the cows with Him, and attracting everyone with the music of His flute, Lord
Krishna returned to Vraja Village.
2.
Hearing the sound of Krishna's flute
and seeing the sky filled with the dust raised by the cows, King Nanda and all
the men, women, and children of Vraja stopped all they were doing and ran to
see Krishna.
3.
On the royal road at the entrance to
Vraja Village Lord Krishna met all the people of Vraja one after another.
4.
He met them with embraces, glances,
and smiling glances. He bowed before the elder gopas and He honored them with
His words.
5.
O Sri Narada, Lord Krishna prostrated
His entire body to show respect to His parents and to Rohini-devi. From the
corner of His eye He shyly glanced at His gopi beloveds.
6.
Then, in the ways proper for each, all
the people of Vraja worshiped Lord Krishna. Then Lord Krishna took the cows
into the barn.
7.
Requested by His parents, Lord Krishna
went home with mother Yasoda. Requested by her, He bathed and then He ate and
drank.
Pastimes
at Sunset
5:46pm to 8:10pm
1.
After milking some of the cows, having
the other gopas milk the other cows, and allowing the calves to also drink some
of the milk, Lord Krishna, accompanied by His father and by servants carrying
the milk, returned home.
2.
Then, accompanied by Lord Balarama,
the gopa boys, and the boys' mothers, Lord Krishna ate a feast of many
different kinds of foods, foods to be chewed, licked, or consumed in other
ways.
Pastimes
of the Evening
8:10pm to 10:34pm
1.
On Mother Yasoda's request, Sri Radha
and Her friends had cooked this feast.
2.
After enjoying the feast in the
company of His father and the others, Lord Krishna praises it with many words.
Then, accompanied by the poets and reciters, Lord Krishna goes to the
assembly-house.
3.
Then mother Yasoda gave abundant
remnants from the feast to the gopis who had brought it in the first place.
4.
Mother Yasoda gives them the remnants
from Lord Krishna's plate. The gopis take it and in a secluded place present it
before Sri Radha.
5.
Then Sri Radha and Her friends honor
Lord Krishna's remnants. Then, to prepare for Her meeting with Lord Krishna,
the gopis decorate joyful Radha.
6.
One of the gopis has already made
arrangements for Sri Radha's secret meeting with Lord Krishna by the Yamuna's
shore.
7.
Accompanied by Her friends and dressed
in garments suitable for a bright or a dark night, Sri Radha goes to a jewel
palace in a kalpa-vrksa grove.
8.
Meanwhile Lord Krishna saw many
festive ceremonies and heard many beautiful poems and songs.
9.
Then Lord Krishna pleases the artists
and performers with many valuable gifts and then, called by His mother, He goes
to bed.
10.
When, after giving Him a nighttime
snack, mother Yasoda left the bedroom, unseen by anyone, Lord Krishna left His
home and went to meet His beloved.
Pastimes
at Night
10:34pm to 3:22am
1.
Meeting in the forest groves, Sri Sri
Radha and Krishna enjoy singing, dancing, and many other pastimes.
2.
After enjoying pastimes for seven and
a half hours of the night, Lord Krishna becomes sleepy. Accompanied by five or
six gopis and unseen by the others, He enters another forest.
3.
Served by Their dear gopi friends, the
divine couple sleeps there on a beautiful pastime-bed made of un-stemmed
flowers.
Part 3 - Sri Sanatkumara Samhita
1.
Sri Narada said: O master, I wish to hear of the transcendental
mellows of Lord Krishna's final pastimes with Sri Radha in Vrindavana forest.
2.
Lord Sadasiva said: O Sri Narada, please hear and I will
describe the pure nectar mellows of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna's pastimes. These
sublime pastimes are very confidential. They should not be spoken to anyone.
3.
After a long time Lord Krishna described to me His last nectar
pastimes with Sri Radha.
4.
Pleased with me, Lord Krishna gave me two peerless mantras
plunged in the nectar of His glorious pastimes.
5.
Then Lord Krishna described His nectar pastimes to me, his
disciple. O Sri Narada, now you may happily hear what even Brahma and all the
demigods do not know. I will tell it to you.
6.
Nanda's son, who is the prince of Vraja, who stays in Vrindavana
forest and enjoys pastimes there eternally, and who is like a perfectly full
moon, is the most-perfect form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
7.
Vasudeva's son, who stays in Mathura City and enjoys pastimes
there eternally, and who is like a moon one day before being perfectly full, is
the more-perfect form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
8.
The king of Dvaraka, who stays in Dvaraka, and enjoys pastimes
there eternally, and who is like a moon two days before being perfectly full,
is the perfect form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9.
As the king of Dvaraka, Lord Krishna is like a moon two days
before its fullness. As the king of Mathura, Lord Krishna is like a moon one
day before its fullness. As the master of Vrindavana, Lord Krishna is like a
moon on the day of its perfect fullness.
10.
The form and pastimes of the king of Mathura are like a full
moon. Still, compared to the master of Vrindavana, the form and pastimes of the
king of Mathura are like a moon one day before its fullness. The form and
pastimes of the king of Dvaraka are like a full moon. Still, compared to the
master of Vrindavana, the form and pastimes of the king of Dvaraka are like a
moon two days before its fullness.
11.
Sri, Bhu, Lila, Yogamaya, Cintya, Acintya, Mohini, and Kasali
are Lord Krishna's eight external potencies.
12.
Lila, Prema-svarupa, Sthapani, Akarshini, Samyogini, Viyogini,
and Ahladini are Lord Krishna's internal potencies.
13.
In Vraja these sixteen eternal potencies expand the sweetness of
Lord Krishnacandra.
14.
The Hladini potency is the best of all potencies is. That
potency is the personification of ecstatic love. That potency is called Sri
Radha.
15.
O sage, Lord Vasudeva and Lord Kshirodakasayi Visnu are also
present in the pastimes that Lord Krishnacandra enjoys with His Hladini
potency.
16.
The potency Akarsini manifests the Lord's pastimes from the
spiritual sky. The potency Sthapini manifests the Lord's pastimes from Lord
Krishna's body.
17.
Nanda's son, who enjoys supreme bliss in His pastimes with Sri
Radha, is the only most perfect form of the Lord.
18.
Sri Narada said: If when Lord Krishna goes to Mathura He
manifests His more-perfect form of Vasudeva's son (which is different from the
most-perfect form of Nanda's son), then how is it possible for Sri Radha to
feel the pangs of separation from this form (a form different from the
Vrindavana-Krishna)? O master, please cut apart this doubt.
19.
Lord Sadasiva said: The Samyogini potency arranges the amorous
pastimes of the divine couple, and the Viyogini potency arranges that the
divine couple be separated. The Hladini potency is the Lord's pleasure potency.
In Vraja Sri Radha is the manifestation of these three potencies.
20.
Sri Radha, the daughter of Kirtida, thinks, "Sri Krishna,
the master of My life, never leaves Vrindavana to go to any other place."
21.
O son of Brahma, Radha does not see any difference in Lord
Krishna appearance or disappearance. This was also so when Lord Krishna
disappeared in the beginning of the rasa-dance.
22.
O sage, it is the Lord's feature as the son of Vasudeva and the
king of Mathura who goes to Mathura. The son of Nanda does not go. He merely
hides in beautiful Vrindavana.
23.
In this way Sri Radha, the daughter of Kirtida experiences the
mellow of thinking Her beloved has gone away on a journey. In this way the
sages described that mellow, where Sri Radha is bereft of Her beloved's
company.
24.
Sri Radha thinks, "He who is My
hero and My life has left Me and gone to Mathura!" In this way unhappy
Radha is agitated in separation from Her beloved.
25.
She gave up Her life by drowning in the Yamuna. Thus She
returned to Goloka in the spiritual world where again She enjoyed the nectar of
Lord Krishna's company.
26.
When Lord Krishna went to Mathura, Sri Radha became very unhappy
in His absence. Yearning to meet Him again, She went on pilgrimage to
Kurukshetra.
27.
Learned in the science of love for Krishna, Uddhava goes to
Vrindavana for two months and there he consoles Sri Radha, the daughter of
Kirtida.
28.
O best of sages, Uddhava made Sri Radha taste the nectar of the
descriptions of Lord Krishna. In this way he made glorious and handsome Lord
Krishna appear before Her eyes.
29.
In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, it is said that the king of
Dvaraka visited Vrindavana and that the king of Dvaraka entered Lord
Kshirodakasayi Visnu, who then gave a boon to Drona and Dhara. He did this to
arrange for the return to the spiritual world. This is also confirmed by the
words of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, in the verse
beginning with the words "kalindi-puline ramye" it is said that,
eager to see the sweet pastimes of Nanda's son, the king of Dvaraka traveled by
airplane to Vrindavana and stayed there for two months.
30.
O Sri Narada, thus I have told you all about Lord Krishna's
daily activities. By remembering these pastimes even sinners become liberated.
31.
Sri Narada said: I am very fortunate. O goddess, you have been
very kind to me. Of this there is no doubt. Today you have revealed to me Lord
Krishna's daily pastimes.
32.
Sri Sanatkumara said: After speaking these words, Sri Narada
circumambulated Goddess Vrinda. Then Vrinda gave all honor to Sri Narada. O
king, then Sri Narada, the best of the sages, disappeared from sight.
33.
Thus I have told you everything. Every day I carefully chant
those two peerless mantras.
34.
In ancient times Lord Sadasiva attained this from Lord Krishna's
mouth. Lord Sadasiva spoke this to Sri Narada. I heard it from Sri Narada and
now I have repeated it to you.
35.
These words I have spoken have the power to extinguish the fire
of repeated birth and death. Please protect these very confidential and
wonderful words very carefully.
36.
Sri Ambarisa said: O spiritual master, by your mercy my life is
now a great success. You have revealed to me the most secret of secrets.
37.
Sri Sanatkumara said: Following these religious principles and
chanting this mantra day and night, you will quickly attain direct service to
Lord Krishna. Of this there is no doubt.
38.
O king, this I attained from my spiritual master, Lord Sadasiva,
who always stays in Vrindavana.
The
Eternal Quest:
The
Fulfillment of All the Needs of All Beings by All Beings through Ethical Means
https://www.slideshare.net/MaherKhalifa/the-eternal-quest-english-version-pdf-format-140014228
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