In November, I got a nice present from Brahmachari Brajvihari Sharan at Golok

Dham Ashram in Delhi: An annotated copy of Harivyas Devacharya's

<em>Mahv</em> (ca. 1573 CE).

Of late, there has been a rather unappetizing scandal surrounding the sex tapes of a
popular Bhagavata speaker, which raises doubts again about the appropriateness of
discussing or repeating Radha and Krishna's "confidential", i.e., erotic, pastimes.

It seems that such worries are well-founded when such prurient interest in what
appear to be mundane sexuality is dressed up in Vrindavan garb and then marketed
for profit to those who have little or no appreciation for Braja rasa in its purest and
most transcendental form.

Nevertheless, we must, against all criticism, reaffirm our own faith in <i>madhurarasa</i>, the erotic mood of love, as the king of the "mellows" and in Radha and
Krishna, the divine embodiment of that mood, in two moieties as Rasarja and
Mahbhva.

Vrindavan is unique in that it is the land of the Rasika-sampradayas, all of whom

pledge allegiance to shringara rasa, and there is no use in avoiding that truth. All
the other rasas are subservient to madhura, just as the four purusharthas are all
subservient to prema, the fifth and unsurpassable goal of human life, love. Each of
these sampradayas have their own way of relishing these pastimes and answering
the questions about desire, eroticism, love and transcendence.

So to honor this commitment to the purest form of divine love, which in reality only
exists in the Yugala Sarkar, Shri Shri Radha Madana Mohan, we offer the Vrindavan
Today community a taste of Ratanlal Beriwala's introduction to the Surata Sukh
chapter of <em>Mahv</em>.

<em>Mahv</em> is one of the great texts of Braj Vaishnavism. It is a pure

rasika work and each word of the text exudes the sweetness of shringara rasa. It
has five chapters: <em>sev-sukha, utsha-sukha, surata-sukha, sahajasukha</em> and <em>siddhnta-sukha</em>, all of which are devoted to one

aspect or another of the madhura pastimes. Surata-sukha, as the discussion that

follows explains, is about the Divine Couple's erotic dalliances.

The commentator Ratanlal Mahashaya (1889-1971) has drawn heavily on the works
of the Gaudiyas, and I believe that this is much a result of the ishtagoshtis which
took place in Dauji Bagicha in the early and middle years of the last century. The
society of scholars and bhajananandis who surrounded Ramakrishna Pandit Baba
came from all the Vrindavan rasika sampradayas, one of the most significant of
whom was Priya Sharan Baba. This resulted in debate and a new sharing of ideas,
as well as friendship between the different schools.

Another big influence on Ratanlal's commentary is the exceptional Nimbarki

devotee-scholar Bhagirath Jha Mahodaya, whose many Sanskrit works on Nimbarka
siddhnta include <em>Yugala-rasa-tattva-samk</em>. Jha had wide
knowledge of the works of the Gaudiya school and though he debated many of the
ideas, particularly those related to <em>Paraky-svaky</em> and the
<em>nitya-vihra</em>, he made tremendous contributions to the storehouse of
understanding.

Of course, differences between the different Vaishnava schools, but we should

remember that wherever such debates exist, it implies the necessity for a deeper
level of understanding.
<hr />What is meant by <i>surata-sukha</i>? The word surata according to
the dictionary means "(sporting , playful) amorous or sexual pleasure or
intercourse , coition." It is mentioned by Vtsyyana in the Kma-stra in
connection with a number of other synonyms: <em>samprayoga, rata, rahayana, mohana </em>(<em>samprayogo rata raha-yana mohana
surata-paryy</em>, KS 2.1.32) .

Sukham or happiness is similarly defined according to synonyms by Jiva Goswami in

<em>Priti-sandarbha</em> (61). <em>mut-pramoda-harnanddi-paryyaya
sukham ucyate</em>. In the same place he also gives a more standard definition:
<em>ullstmako jna-viea sukha</em>, "Happiness is a particular state of
consciousness characterized by gaiety, ebullience, jubilation, exuberance,
exhilaration, exultation, or exaltation (<em>ullsa</em>).

So the term <i>surata-sukham</i> can simply be reduced to "the exhilarating joy

that the Divine Couple feels in their erotic love play."

The author of <em>Mahv</em> states the following at the end of this chapter:
<blockquote>
nema prema te pare jo ati durlabha adhikra<br />
rjhi deta jihi yugala j sumarita surata vihra ||1||<br />
doh<br />
r ym r yma ko yaha sukha surata vihra |<br />
basahu sad hiya sadana me sakala sra ko sra ||2||<br />
kualiy

mah mdula mah madhura madhu mah rahasi rasa rsi |<br />
mah sukhada sarvesa ko mah manubhava bhsi ||3||

Whatever qualified individual dwells on the poems on Priya-Pritam's delight in erotic

love dalliance in this chapter receives their blessings, for they bestow upon him the
taste for desire (kma), which is beyond both sadhana or vidhi bhakti, as well as
beyond prema bhakti.

Doha: May Shyama-Shyam's delight in erotic dalliances, the essence of all essences,
always reside in the abode of my heart.

Kundaliya: So soft, so sweet and relishable, that secret ocean of delight which brings
the highest happiness to the Lord of All, which is the explanation of the great
manifestation of the God of Love. (<i>Surata-sukha</i>, 100-101)</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_1577" style="width: 169px" class="wp-caption
alignleft"><a href="http://cdn.vrindavantoday.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/Harivyas_devacharya.jpg" onclick="__gaTracker('send',
'event', 'outbound-article', 'http://cdn.vrindavantoday.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/Harivyas_devacharya.jpg', '');"><img class="size-medium

wp-image-1577" title="Harivyas_devacharya"
src="http://cdn.vrindavantoday.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/Harivyas_devacharya-212x300.jpg" alt="" width="159"
height="225" srcset="http://cdn.vrindavantoday.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/Harivyas_devacharya-212x300.jpg 212w,
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360w" sizes="(max-width: 159px) 100vw, 159px" /></a><p class="wp-captiontext">Shri Harivyas Devacharya</div>

Nearly all Vaishnava sampradayas accept the idea that prema is the fifth aim of life
or <em>pururtha</em>, greater than <em>dharma, artha, kma</em> or
<em>mok.Sa</em>, and they all make this their <em>sdhya</em>, or goal of
spiritual practices. The author of <em>Mahv</em> uses the word <em>nema,
prema</em> or <em>prema- laka bhakti</em> to designate the goal of
<em>sdhana-bhakti</em>, and yet he says that there is something within
<em>prema bhakti</em> that is an even higher goal to achieve.

This too has been repeated in several places in the <em>Mahv</em>,e.g. :

<blockquote>
nigama nigama gama agama lahi na sake guna grantha<br />
and<br />
nigama ko nigama aru agama gama kau<br />
nhi samarattha guna ganana me grantha

Books are unable to seize [Radha and Krishna's] qualities [in the Nitya Vihara]. The
Veda cannot go there, they cannot be found in the Agamas. &#8230; Books are
unable to count the qualities, as stated by the Shrutis themselves: <em>yac
chrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhan</em> (BhP
10.87.41).</blockquote>

[Obviously, a proper understanding of the three terms <em>niyama bhakti, premabhakti</em> and <em>par bhakti</em> are needed. Ratanlal Beriwala has given
extensive explanations in other parts of the text, based on primarily Gaudiya
sources like <em>Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu</em> and <em>Bhakti-

sandarbha</em>. For <em>par bhakti</em>, he points especially to the

<em>vikrita</em> verse which ends the Rasa Panchadhyaya.
<blockquote>
nema prema te para balyau parama par kau pantha<br />
rahi gayo mraga ure nema aura prema ko<br />
para calyo par kau parama para pantha

So if this supreme truth is not attainable through the Vedas, Puranas and other
shastras, then how can it be attained? In order to counter this doubt, the author
writes: I say that beyond <em>nema</em> (<em>niyama</em>) and
<em>prema</em> lies (<em>par bhakti</em>) the path to the highest truth.
There is the path which lies beyond those of nema and prema. I walk on the
topmost path to the Supreme, that of <em>par bhakti</em>.(siddhanta-sukha
11)</blockquote>

Another quote, also from <em>Siddhnta-sukha</em>:

<blockquote>
nema prema te pare pantha jah,<br />
turata pahuci hai ali akalesa

There where lies the path of <em>par bhakti</em>, beyond both

<em>nema</em> and <em>prema</em>, there the <em>sakhi</em> arrives
quickly without any afflictions. (<em>Siddhnta-sukha</em> 13)</blockquote>

Now, to specify exactly what he means by a state of love that is beyond nema and
prema, Harivyasa Devacharyaji says, "May this happiness of Shri Shri Shym
Shyma's erotic dalliances, the essence of all essences, remain fixed forever in my
heart."

Having stated that Radha and Krishna's erotic dalliances are the essence of all
essences, Harivyasaji goes on to say, " So soft, so sweet and relishable, that secret

ocean of delight which brings the highest happiness to the Lord of All, which is the
explanation of the great manifestation of the God of Love."

[The word <em>bhsi</em> is explained here as meaning <em>bhya</em>,

an exposition or explanatory work. Those who are rasikas or connoisseurs of the
rasas, says that of all the rasas, dsya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura, the madhura
rasa is the topmost. The author of <em>Mahv</em> here says that the
ultimate state of the <em>madhura-rasa</em>, which is described here as "so
soft, so sweet and relishable, a secret ocean of delight," gives the Divine Couple,
the best of the rasikas the greatest pleasure, <em>mah-sukha</em>, is this
erotic dalliance, known as <em>kma-keli</em> or <em>surata-sukha</em>.
This is the highest stage of prema. It is also called by the various synonyms
<em>sambhoga, kma-keli, maithuna, sayoga, samprayoga, rati-bandha, kmakr, </em>etc.

The Bhagavata says <em>skt manmatha-manmatha</em>, Krishna is Madan

Mohan, the one who bewilders the mind of even Cupid. That <em>mah
manobhava</em> or Supreme Cupid is being exposed here in these intimate
pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Just understanding the concept of <em>madanamohana</em> is the essence of understanding the Rasa Lila and all these most
intimate pastimes of Radha and Krishna. As Shridhar Swami says at the beginning
of the Rasa.
<blockquote>
<em>brahmdi-jaya-sarha-darpa-kandarpa-darpah |<br />
jayati r-patir gop-rsa-maala-maana ||b||</em>

Krishna destroyed the pride of Cupid, which had become so acute after conquering
over the gods like Brahma. May the Lord of Shri, ornamenting the Rasa circle with
the gopis, be ever glorious.</blockquote>

The essence of all essences means that prema, the fifth goal of life is the essence of
all the other purusharthas, namely <em>dharma, artha, kma</em> and
<em>moksha</em>. But <em>divya-kma</em> is the essence of that essence.
The essence of all spiritual practices and goals.

The name <em>sarvea</em> or <em>sarvevara</em> is typically used to

designate Radha's lover in the Nimbarka sampradaya. The explanation is
<em>sarve rasnm a sarvea</em>, the same idea as the Gaudiya
<em>akhila-rasmta-mrti</em>]

Now someone may ask, "Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, <em>kma ea krodha
ea rajogua-samudbhava</em>, kma is a product of the material <em>rajogua</em>. So how can that be the highest of the highest stages of spiritual
perfection?"

In fact, the above terms, <em>skt manmatha-manmatha</em> and

<em>mah manobhava bhsa</em> both indicate that we are talking about
something that is beyond even the Advaita doctrine's <em>trya</em> state (the
fourth state of consciousness which is completely transcendental).

In the Prti-sandarbha, Shrila Jiva Goswami quotes from the Brihad Gautamiya Tantra
a series of verses, the essence of [which is here conflated to]:
<blockquote>
prhant-may bhaktis turytt nigadyate

Bhakti is the full manifestation of the sense of self and is said to be beyond even the
fourth stage of consciousness.</blockquote>

<em>Mahv</em> also says, <em>jai namo pragalabha bhaktid, jai namo

trya viraktad</em>: "The rasika Divine Couple give the most mature form of
bhakti, which makes one indifferent to even transcendental consciousness."
(<em>Sev-sukha</em>, 38.60) So how can the <em>kma</em> of the Divine
Couple possibly be a product of the material <em>rajo-gua</em>?

Moreover, Rupa Goswamipada writes in the <em>Ujjvala-nlamai</em>:

<blockquote>
vyattya turym api saritn<br />

t pacam prema-maym avasthm |<br />

na sambhavaty eva hari-priy<br />
svapno rajo-vtti-vijmbhito ya ||

Krishna's divine mistresses are situated in prema, the fifth state beyond even the
fourth state of transcendental consciousness (which is beyond waking, dream and
deep sleep). Then how could the dream visions that they have of Krishna possibly
be the products of the material mode of passion? (<em>Ujjvala-nlamai</em>
15.219)</blockquote>

But, one may ask, how can you say that this <em>surata-sukha</em> or
<em>kma-keli</em> is higher than <em>prema</em>?

In <em>Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu</em>, Rupa Goswamipada describes the

symptoms of <em>prema</em>, which are the <em>anubhvas</em> or
<em>sttvika bhavas</em>.
<blockquote>
te stambha-sveda-romc svara-bhedo'tha vepathu |<br />
vaivaryam aru pralaya ity aau sttvik smt ||

The eight sttvikas are transfixation, transpiration, horripilation, breaking of the

voice, trembling, losing color, tears, and fainting. (Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu
2.3.16)</blockquote>

Now the anubhvas or symptoms of <em>kma</em> are given in the

<em>Kma-stra</em> by Vtsyyana:
<blockquote>
<em>ligana-cumbana-nakha-cchedya-daana-cchedya-saveana-stktapuruyita-aupariaknm anm aadh vikalpa-bhedd av aak
catuair iti bbhravy</em>//

The eight features of lovemaking are embracing, kissing, scratching, biting,

penetration, moaning, changing roles, and reversing positions. These can be
multiplied by combination to 64. (2.2.4)</blockquote>

So since the <em>anubhvas</em> are of a completely different nature, we can

separate the two and see why the author of <em>Mahv</em> has placed the
<em>kma-keli</em> on a higher platform. The symptoms of <em>prema</em>,
the <em>sttvikas</em>, can create a disturbance in the experience of
<em>kma-keli</em>, for if tears, trembling or becoming transfixed should take
place, then the full relishing of union cannot take place. Therefore the symptoms
ascribed to kma are more pleasing to the Rasika Couple.

The second difference is that in <em>prema</em>, there is mental union of the

lovers. In the happiness of erotic union, <em>surata-sukha</em>, there is a union
of bodies. Therefore Ramananda Ray says,
<blockquote>
n so ramaa, n hma rama<br />
duhu mana manobhava peala jni</blockquote>

He is no longer the lover, nor I the beloved. It is as though Eros had merged our
minds [and bodies]. (CC 2.8.194)

That has been rendered in Sanskrit by Pt. Bhagiratha Jha.

<blockquote>
sakhi na sa ramao nha ramati bhidvayor ste |<br />
prema-rasenobhaya-mana iva madano nipipea balt ||

Oh friend, there is no more distinction between us: he is not the lover, nor I the
beloved. Through the juices of prema, it is as though Cupid has forcefully ground
both our minds together. (<em>Yugala-tattva-samk</em> 154)</blockquote>

In other words, in erotic love, one body merges with the other, such that the lovers
feel themselves to have become one entity. This state is called <em>prema-vilsavivarta</em>. For this reason, surata-sukha is called the ultimate happiness. The
Radhavallabhi poet Dhruva Das says,
<blockquote>
rasa ko avadhi jah lo m |<br />
vivi tana mila ekahi ho j ||

The rasika couple comes together in all respects in <em>surata-keli</em>, and so

for this reason it is called the ultimate experience of rasa.</blockquote>

At the end of the section called <em>Utsha-sukha</em>, Harivyasaji says,

<blockquote>
nicai ura dharilehu ehu sarvopari ho<br />
y te para je kahai mah prativ so

Be ceratin that this is the highest state of the rasa. Anyone who says that there is
anything beyond this is a great impediment.</blockquote>

Finally, Beriwal cites following important verse from the Bhgavata Pura and its
commentary by Sanatan Goswami as highlighted by 108 Dina Sharan Das Babaji
Maharaj, who indicated it had particular significance in understanding the use of the
word kma in relation to the lila of the Divine Couple:
<blockquote>
jayati jananivso devak-janma-vdo<br />
yadu-vara-pariat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam<br />
sthira-cara-vrijina-ghnam susmita-r-mukhena<br />
vraja-pura-vanitn vardhayan kma-devam

May that Krishna who resides in the hearts of all living beings be ever victorious; for
though he is their resting place, he becomes incarnate in the womb of Devak. [This
is thus generally accepted as being the truth although it is only an appearance.]
That Lord is served by the best of the members of the Yadu dynasty; he removed
the influence of the irreligious with the help of the Pavas and others who are like
his own arms, killing all the demons through them. He removed the sufferings of all
the moving and non-moving creatures and, by the glances from his softly smiling,
beautiful face, caused the quickening of desire (<em>kma</em>) in the hearts
and minds of the womenfolk of the pastures [of Vraja] and the city [of Dvrak],
who thus desired for romantic intrigues with him.</blockquote>

This verse has been elucidated in Santana's commentary on his <em>BhadBhgavatmta</em> (2.7.154). He particularly elaborates at length on the use of
the word <em>kma-devam</em> found in the fourth line.
<blockquote>
[This verse makes three apparently self-contradictory statements. The first of these
is that] he who resides as the Supersoul in the hearts of all living beings has
appeared in the womb of Devak as her son; for others he remains within, unseen.
Though he likewise remains within Devak also, he externalizes himself and walks
and talks with her.

[The next apparent contradiction is that though] the great powerful heroes of the
House of Yadu were all fully dedicated servitors of his and were competent to
destroy any number of unruly opponents, he himself removed the oppressive
irreligious elements by the strength of his own arms.

[The third such statement is that] even though he removes the sins of all creatures,
stationary or moving, he still acts as the paramour of the gops, increasing their
lusty desires (<em>kma</em>), i.e., their "sin."

Despite this appearance of contradiction, there is actually none: there is no offence

on Krishna's part because it is the nature of his sweetly smiling beautiful face to set
the minds of others aflame. Even so, the gops count the glories of his worldenchanting smile, which destroys the effects of material desire (<em>kma</em>)
in the life of family attachments.

This last portion of the verse (<em>vardhayan kma-devam</em>) can also be

taken in this way: "He has become victorious by manifesting in the hearts of the
gops all those manifold desires that will bring about his own personal pleasure" or
"He becomes victorious over material desire (<em>kma</em>) by increasing the
gopis' celestial love (<em>kma</em>) for him."

Lust or material desire (<em>kma</em>) is said to be the destroyer of all

honorable intentions in life, yet for the gops this lust is the destroyer of the cycle of
material existence (sasra). This is because it is in fact love (prema); it brings
Krishna under their control and thus becomes the fruit of devotion as well as
liberation. It became newer and fresher at every moment until it reached its
transcendental climax. In other words, r Krishna manifested himself in the hearts
of the gops in an uninterrupted series of ever-new blossoming appearances,
enkindling this love-lust of theirs to ever newer and greater heights. This is the way
in which he establishes his glories.<br />
Furthermore, because <em>kma</em> or lust when related to Krishna
becomes elevated to the highest and most perfect type of love, the word
<em>deva</em> used in the verse in composition with <em>kma</em>
indicates its divine nature. On the other hand, the word <em>deva</em> is
derived from the root <em>div</em> which has the meaning "to play," implying
that this <em>kma</em> is not nocuous like the destructive desire of this
material world, but is full of sportive amusements.

Thus the meaning reached here is that the Lord is ever glorious because, by
manifesting unlimited amounts of beauty and sweetness, he produces the different
erotic sports and dalliances in the gops. That devotion which has such amorous
amusements as its external form causes the experience of the specific joy that
arises from the direct vision of Krishna's glowing lotus-like face. That joy is the blissgiving potency (<em>hldin akti</em>) emanating from his personal form, which
causes all the other achievements of human life to dwindle into insignificance.

For this reason, this lust-love of the gops is the ultimate perfection of all kinds of
devotion and should be recognized as the highest wealth of divine love. The vision
of Krishna's glowing lotus face, etc., here implies all the glories of his beauty,
sweetness, charm, etc., in short, all of his opulences in their most intense
aspect.</blockquote>