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Why Did Lord Chaitanya Take Instructions The Most Brilliant Gem
From Ramananda Raya? Amongst The Devotees
His Divine Grace Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Circulaton 28, 665
Issue no 106, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
eternal life with knowledge and bliss.’ between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya, Verses: 57 – 95.
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 18.82.44)
“Lord Krishna has made a firm promise The Most Brilliant Gem
for all time. If one renders service unto Amongst The Devotees
Him, Krishna correspondingly gives him Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
an equal amount of success in devotional
service to the Lord. ‘As all surrender unto Lord Krishna's three abodes—Dvaraka,
Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone Mathura, and Vrindavana differ from each
follows My path in all respects, O son of other according to how much the Lord
Påthä.’ (Bhagavad-gétä 4.11) manifests His nara-lélä—His earthly,
“The Lord admits His inability to human-like pastimes—and to what degree
reciprocate the devotional service in the of intensity sweetness (mädhurya) is
mädhurya-rasa and therefore He remains manifest. Lord Krishna's nara-lélä is of two
indebted to such devotees. varieties: prakata (manifest) and aprakata
(unmanifest). Performing endless
na päraye 'haà niravadya-saàyujäà pastimes with His intimate associates, Lord
sva-sädhu-kåtyaà vibudhäyuñäpi vaù Krishna reveals all the varied moods of
yä mäbhajan durjara-geha-çåìkhaläù different human ages—balya (childhood),
saàvåçcya tad vaù pratiyätu sädhunä pauganda (boyhood), kaisora (puberty),
and vilasa (mature amorous love). When
these eternal pastimes are withdrawn
“When the gopis were overwhelmed from the material world they are known as
with dissatisfaction due to Lord Krishna’s aprakata-lélä. However, when these same
absence from the räsa-lélä, Krishna pastimes of the Lord and His associates are
returned to them and told them, ‘My dear manifest in the mundane plane they are
gopis, our meeting is certainly free of all described as prakata-lélä.
material contamination. I must admit that Lord Krishna travels between His different
in many lives it would be impossible for abodes such as Mathura, Vrindavan, and
Me to repay My debt to you because you Dvaraka only in His prakata-lélä. When the
have cut off the bondage of family life Lord travels we can therefore understand
just to search for Me. Consequently I am His activities are prakta-lélä. Krishna's
unable to repay you. Therefore please be arrivals and departures from the different
satisfied with your honest activities in this abodes do not occur in His aprakata-lélä.
regard.’ (Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 10.32.22) The entire prakata-lélä such as His janma-
“Although Krishna’s unparalleled beauty lélä (birth) and mausala-lélä (the fraticidal
is the topmost sweetness experienced by conflict that destroyed Yadu dynasty)
love of Godhead, His sweetness increases are seen in the innumerable universes in
unlimitedly when He is in the company an arranged sequence. In each of these
www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya
Issue no 106, Page — 8 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
universes exist a Vrindavan, Mathura, Ambarisa, Vasu, Vyasa, Vibhisana,
and Dvaraka visible to the residents of Pundarika, Bali, Uddhava, Dalbhya,
those planets. The Lord's pastimes may Parasara, Bhisma, and Narada are pure
be compared to the sun: The sun is seen devotees in the true sense. Just as the
during the day in a specific place and time Supreme Personality of Godhead must
every year, while it yet remains invisible be served and worshipped, similarly,
in other places. Similarly, the Supreme His devotees should be served and
Lord, Krishna, while remaining in His own worshipped, otherwise one commits
abode, Vrindavan, reveals His original grave offences.
form and His complete pastimes in one However, not all pure devotees are on the
particular universe. However, out of His same level—there are different gradations
sweet will, Krishna desires to shroud it in of intimacy to the Lord. Prahlada Maharaja
other universes. is considered the best of the devotees
In prakata-lélä, the Lord's boyhood who have achieved complete purity. The
pastimes, for example, are continuous and Pandavas are superior to Prahlada; some of
transcendental, enacted in His original the Yadavas are superior to the Pandavas,
form. But the pastime of His departure and and Uddhava is the best of the Yadavas.
that of liberating the captured princesses Superior to Uddhava are the damsels of
are like illusions conjured by magic. Vraja Våndävana, and Srimati Radhika is
We must understand that the reason for the most brilliant gem amongst them.
exhibiting these two krttim-lélä (“make — Çré Bhägavatamrta-Kana - Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté
believe” pastimes) is to hide the truth Öhäkura, translated by Sarvabhävana däsa.
that His pastimes are eternal. In Krishna's
prakata-lélä some of His associates, by
His will, do see gem studded Vrindavan
dhäma in all its sublime splendour, but
others, also by His will, are not granted
that vision.
It is worth noting that some very advanced
devotees are able to directly view the Lord's
pastimes even after He has concluded
His prakata-lélä. This is because of their
profound devotional involvement, their !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
intense spiritual eagerness, and the divine ISKCON
wishes of the Lord. Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya
In this way, it is established that of all the is a branch of
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
forms and manifestations of the Supreme Founder-Äcärya: His Divine Grace
Personality of Godhead, the form of Lord A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Sri Krishna, son of Nanda Maharaja, is Editor
Brajsunder Das
paramount. Similarly, amongst His many
abodes Gokula, Vrindavan, is the topmost. Copy Editor
Lord Krishna's superlative excellences of Isha Prakash Das
prema-mädhurya (divine conjugal love), Sanskrit Editor,
lélä-mädhurya (transcendental pastimes), Vrajsevika Devi Dasi
venu-mädhurya (expertise in playing Assistance
the flute), and çré vigraha-mädhurya Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi
(matchless beauty) solely exist in Vrindavan Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
dhäma. His Divine Grace A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada
©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
The Lord's devotees like Markendeya, ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists.