Antya-līlā · 1

If one wants to benefit the entire world, he will certainly find persons like hogs and pigs who will put forward many impediments. That is natural. But if a devotee seeks shelter at the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs, the merciful Gosvāmīs will certainly give the Lord’s servitor all protection. It is not astonishing that impediments are placed before those who are spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Nevertheless, if we adhere to the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs and pray for their mercy, all impediments will be annihilated, and the transcendental devotional desire to serve the Supreme Lord will be fulfilled.

Following in the footsteps of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, I am trying to translate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as quickly as possible. However, knowing myself to be an old man and almost an invalid because of rheumatism, I have already translated the essence of all literatures, the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as a summary study in English. I started the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement at the age of seventy. Now I am seventy-eight, and so my death is imminent. I am trying to finish the translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as soon as possible, but before finishing it, I have given my readers the book Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so that if I die before finishing the whole task, they may enjoy this book, which is the essence of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

One paṇa is eighty kaḍis, or small conchshells. Formerly, even fifty or sixty years ago, there was no paper currency in India. Coins were generally made not of base metal but of gold, silver and copper. In other words, the medium of exchange was really something valuable. Four pieces of kaḍi made one gaṇḍā, and twenty such gaṇḍās equaled one paṇa. This kaḍi was also used as a medium of exchange; therefore Śivānanda Sena paid for the dog with daśa paṇa, or eighty times ten pieces of kaḍi. In those days one paisa was also subdivided into small conchshells, but at the present moment the prices for commodities have gone so high that there is nothing one can get in exchange for only one paisa. With one paisa in those days, however, one could purchase sufficient vegetables to provide for a whole family. Even thirty years ago, vegetables were occasionally so inexpensive that one paisa’s worth could provide for a whole family for a day.

Śivānanda Sena’s attachment to the dog was a great boon for that animal. The dog appears to have been a street dog. Since it naturally began to follow Śivānanda Sena while he was going to Jagannātha Purī with his party, he accepted it into his party and maintained it the same way he was maintaining the other devotees. It appears that although on one occasion the dog was not allowed aboard a boat, Śivānanda did not leave the dog behind but paid more money just to induce the boatman to take the dog across the river. Then when the servant forgot to feed the dog and the dog disappeared, Śivānanda, being very anxious, sent ten men to find it. When they could not find it, Śivānanda observed a fast. Thus it appears that somehow or other Śivānanda had become attached to the dog. As will be evident from the following verses, the dog got the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and was immediately promoted to Vaikuṇṭha to become an eternal devotee. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore sung, tumi ta’ ṭhākura, tomāra kukkura, baliyā jānaha more (Śaraṇāgati 19). He thus offers to become the dog of a Vaiṣṇava. There are many other instances in which the pet animal of a Vaiṣṇava was delivered back home to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, back to Godhead. Such is the benefit of somehow or other becoming the favorite of a Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has also sung, kīṭa-janma ha-u yathā tuyā dāsa (Śaraṇāgati 11). There is no harm in taking birth again and again. Our only desire should be to take birth under the care of a Vaiṣṇava. Fortunately we had the opportunity to be born of a Vaiṣṇava father who took care of us very nicely. He prayed to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī that in the future we would become a servant of the eternal consort of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Thus somehow or other we are now engaged in that service. We may conclude that even as dogs we must take shelter of a Vaiṣṇava. The benefit will be the same as that which accrues to an advanced devotee under a Vaiṣṇava’s care.

This is the result of sādhu-saṅga — consequent association with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and promotion back home, back to Godhead. This result is possible even for a dog, by the mercy of the Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, everyone in the human form of life should be induced to associate with devotees. By rendering a little service, even by eating prasādam, what to speak of chanting and dancing, everyone can be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It is therefore requested that all our devotees in the ISKCON community become pure Vaiṣṇavas, so that by their mercy all the people of the world will be transferred to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, even without their knowledge. Everyone should be given a chance to take prasādam and thus be induced to chant the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa and also dance in ecstasy. By these three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even an animal went back to Godhead.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes from the Nāṭaka-candrikā, wherein it is written: prastāvanāyās tu mukhe nāndī kāryā śubhāvahāāśīr-namaskriyā-vastu- nirdeśānyatamānvitā aṣṭābhir daśabhir yuktā kiṁ vā dvādaśabhiḥ padaiḥcandra-nāmāṅkitā prāyo maṅgalārtha-padojjvalāmaṅgalaṁ cakra-kamala- cakora-kumudādikam Similarly, in the sixth chapter of the Sāhitya-darpaṇa, text 282, it is said: āśīr-vacana-saṁyuktā stutir yasmāt prayujyatedeva-dvija-nṛ-pādīnāṁ tasmān nāndīti saṁjñitā The introductory portion of a drama, which is written to invoke good fortune, is called nāndī-śloka.

Formerly when a person died it was commonly said that he had attained the shelter of mother Ganges, even if he did not die on the bank of the Ganges. It is customary among Hindus to carry a dying person to a nearby bank of the Ganges, for if one dies on the bank of the Ganges, his soul is considered to reach the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu, wherefrom the Ganges flows.

There is a place known as Satyabhāmā-pura in the district of Kaṭaka (Cuttack), in Orissa. It is near the village known as Jānkādei-pura.

This verse is included in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.461), by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

The two works are the Vidagdha-mādhava and the Lalita-mādhava. The Vidagdha-mādhava describes pastimes in Vṛndāvana, and the Lalita-mādhava describes pastimes in Dvārakā and Mathurā.

This is the verse recited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

This is the verse composed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is included in the Padyāvalī (386), an anthology of verses he compiled.

Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, “I can understand that You have already bestowed Your causeless mercy upon him.

This verse is from the doctrines of Nyāya, or logic.

One’s bodily luster and beauty, one’s constitution, one’s activities and one’s qualities all depend on the law of cause and effect. There are three qualities in material nature, and as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (13.22), kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: one takes birth in a good or bad family according to his previous association with the qualities of material nature. Therefore one seriously eager to achieve transcendental perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, must eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Such food is sāttvika, or in the material quality of goodness, but when offered to Kṛṣṇa it becomes transcendental. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement distributes kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and those who eat such transcendental food are sure to become devotees of the Lord. This is a very scientific method, as stated in this verse from Nala-naiṣadha (3.17): kāryaṁ nidānād dhi guṇān adhīte. If in all his activities a person strictly adheres to the mode of goodness, he will certainly develop his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ultimately become a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, at the present moment the bodily constitutions of the leaders of society, especially the governmental leaders, are polluted. As described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.1.40): asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā rajasā tamasāvrtāḥprajās te bhakṣayiṣyanti mlecchā rājany-arūpiṇaḥ Such leaders have no chance to purify their eating. Politicians meet together and exchange good wishes by drinking liquor, which is so polluted and sinful that naturally drunkards and meat-eaters develop a degraded mentality in the mode of ignorance. The processes of eating in different modes are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, wherein it is stated that those who eat rice, wheat, vegetables, milk products, fruit and sugar are situated in the elevated quality of goodness. Therefore if we want a happy and tranquil political situation, we must select leaders who eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Otherwise the leaders will eat meat and drink wine, and thus they will be asaṁskṛtāḥ, unreformed, and kriyā-hīnāḥ, devoid of spiritual behavior. In other words, they will be mlecchas and yavanas, or men who are unclean in their habits. Through taxation, such men exploit the citizens as much as possible, and in this way they devour the citizens of the state instead of benefiting them. We therefore cannot expect a government to be efficient if it is headed by such unclean mlecchas and yavanas.

This verse is included in the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.15), a seven-act play written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describing the pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.

It is said in the Padma Purāṇa, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of the Lord cannot be performed by the ordinary senses. The transcendental vibration of the Lord’s holy name is completely spiritual. Thus it must be received from spiritual sources and must be chanted after having been heard from a spiritual master. One who hears the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra must receive it from the spiritual master by aural reception. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden us to hear the holy name of Kṛṣṇa chanted by non-Vaiṣṇavas, such as professional actors and singers, for it will have no effect. It is like milk touched by the lips of a serpent, as stated in the Padma Purāṇa: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtamśravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ As far as possible, therefore, the devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement gather to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in public so that both the chanters and the listeners may benefit.

The two verses referred to are those beginning with priyaḥ so ’yam (79) and tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī (99).

This verse is from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.138), by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Devotees acknowledge Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mercy upon Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the following words: śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-talesvayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam “When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?” The special function of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is to establish the feelings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These feelings are His desires that His special mercy be spread throughout the world in this Kali-yuga. pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāmasarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma The desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is that all over the world everyone, in every village and every town, know of Him and His saṅkīrtana movement. These are the inner feelings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī committed to writing all these feelings of the Lord. Now again, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same feelings are being spread all over the world by the servants of the Gosvāmīs, and devotees who are pure and simple will appreciate this attempt. As concluded by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, however, those who are on the level of hogs and dogs will never appreciate such a great attempt. Yet this does not matter to the preachers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult, for all over the world they will continue to perform this responsible work, even though persons who are like cats and dogs do not appreciate them.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura informs us in this connection that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī finished the drama known as Vidagdha-mādhava in the year Śakābda 1454 (A.D. 1532) and the Lalita-mādhava in Śakābda 1459 (A.D. 1537). The discussion between Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Jagannātha Purī took place in Śakābda 1437 (A.D. 1515).

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 1.2) also appears in the Ādi-līlā (1.4 and 3.4). In his commentary on the Vidagdha-mādhava, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks, mahā-prabhoḥ sphūrtiṁ vinā hari-līlā-rasāsvādanānupapatter iti bhāvaḥ: “Without the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one cannot describe the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī said, vo yuṣmākaṁ hṛdaya-rūpa-guhāyāṁ śacī-nandano hariḥ pakṣe siṁhaḥ sphuratu: “May Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is exactly like a lion that kills all the elephants of desire, be awakened within everyone’s heart, for by His merciful blessings one can understand the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.”

Rūpa Gosvāmī replied, “The players assemble at a suitable time under the heading of pravartaka. In a drama all the actors are called pātra, or players. This is stated by Viśvanātha Kavirāja in the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.283): divya-martye sa tad-rūpo miśram anyataras tayoḥsūcayed vastu-bījaṁ vā- mukhaṁ pātram athāpi vā The meaning of āmukha is stated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the Nāṭaka-candrikā: sūtra-dhāro naṭī brūte sva-kāryaṁ pratiyuktitaḥprastutākṣepi-citroktyā yat tad āmukham īritam When Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya inquired about the arrangement for introducing the assembly of players in the drama, Rūpa Gosvāmī replied that when the players first enter the stage in response to the time, the introduction is technically called pravartaka. For an example, see verse 136 below. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that the introduction, which is technically called āmukha, may be of five different kinds, according to the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.288): udghātyakaḥ kathodghātaḥ prayogātiśayas tathāpravartakāvalagite pañca prastāvanā-bhidāḥ “Introductions may be classified as follows: (1) udghātyaka, (2) kathodghāta, (3) prayogātiśaya, (4) pravartaka and (5) avalagita.” These five kinds of introduction are called āmukha. Thus Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya asked which of the five introductions had been employed, and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī replied that he had used the introduction called the pravartaka.

This verse is from the Nāṭaka-candrikā (12), by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura interprets this verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 1.10) in two ways, for Lord Kṛṣṇa and for Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. When interpreted for Kṛṣṇa, the night is understood to have been a dark-moon night, and when interpreted for Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, it is considered to have been a full-moon night.

Śrī Rūpa replied, “I think that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire to hear is prarocanā. The method of inducing the audience to become more and more eager to hear by praising the time and place, the hero and the audience is called prarocanā. This is the statement regarding prarocanā in the Nāṭaka-candrikā: deśa-kāla-kathā-vastu- sabhyādīnāṁ praśaṁsayāśrotṝṇām unmukhī-kāraḥ kathiteyaṁ prarocanā Similarly, the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.286) says: tasyāḥ prarocanā vīthī tathā prahasanā-mukheaṅgānyatronmukhī-kāraḥ praśaṁsātaḥ prarocanā Any literature presented in Sanskrit must follow the rules and regulations mentioned in the authoritative reference books. The technical inquiries by Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya and the replies of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī indicate that both of them were expert and fully conversant with the techniques of writing drama.

This is verse 8 of the first act of the Vidagdha-mādhava.

This verse is Vidagdha-mādhava 1.6.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained kāma-likhana in his book Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (Vipralambha-prakaraṇa 26): sa lekhaḥ kāma-lekhaḥ syāt yaḥ sva-prema-prakāśakaḥyuvatyā yūni yūnā ca yuvatyāṁ samprahīyate “Exchanges of letters between a young boy and young girl concerning their awakening of attachment for each other are called kāma-lekha.”

This verse is Vidagdha-mādhava 2.9.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.8) is spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.33) is written in the Prakrit language, not in Sanskrit. When transformed into Sanskrit, it reads as follows: dhṛtvā praticchanda-guṇaṁ sundara mama mandire tvaṁ vasasitathā tathā ruṇatsi balitaṁ yathā yathā cakitā palāye The meaning is the same, but the native language is different. It was spoken to Kṛṣṇa by Madhumaṅgala as he read Him a letter from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.15) is spoken by Mukharā, a friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s grandmother, in a conversation with Paurṇamāsī, the grandmother of Madhumaṅgala.

This verse is Vidagdha-mādhava 2.47.

Rūpa Gosvāmī replied, “This is the nature of emotional love for Kṛṣṇa:

This verse is from the Vidagdha-mādhava (2.18). It also appears in the Madhya-līlā (chapter two, verse 52). It is spoken by Paurṇamāsī.

Rūpa Gosvāmī replied, “These are the natural characteristics of love of God:

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (5.4) is spoken by Paurṇamāsī, the grandmother of Madhumaṅgala and mother of Sāndīpani Muni.

Having been very cruel to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa is repenting in this way (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.40).

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is speaking this verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.41) to Her intimate friend Viśākhādevī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.46) is spoken to Kṛṣṇa by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 2.37) is spoken to Rādhārāṇī by Lalitā-sakhī, another confidential friend.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (3.9) is spoken to Lord Kṛṣṇa by Paurṇamāsī.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.23) is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.24) is spoken by Lord Balarāma to His friend Śrīdāmā.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.31) is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa to His cowherd friend Madhumaṅgala.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (3.1) is spoken to Lalitādevī by Paurṇamāsī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 5.17) is spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 4.7) is spoken by Candrāvalī-sakhī, the gopī competitor of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 1.27) is spoken by Madhumaṅgala, a cowherd friend of Kṛṣṇa’s.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.17) is spoken by Paurṇamāsī.

This verse from the Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka (4.27), a ten-act play by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, is spoken by Lalitādevī to Rādhārāṇī.

This verse (Lalita-mādhava 1.52) is spoken by Rādhārāṇī to Lalitādevī.

This verse from the Lalita-mādhava (1.49) is spoken by Lalitādevī to Rādhārāṇī.

This verse is from the Vidagdha-mādhava (1.32). It is spoken by Paurṇamāsī.

This verse (Vidagdha-mādhava 5.20) is spoken by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Madhumaṅgala.

This verse from the Vidagdha-mādhava (2.51) is also spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

This is the first verse of Act One of the Lalita-mādhava.

This is the third verse of Act One of the Lalita-mādhava.

This verse is Lalita-mādhava 1.11.

‘udghātyaka’ nāma — a dancing appearance of the player, technically known as udghātyaka; ei āmukha — this is the introduction; vīthī aṅga — the part is called vīthī; tomāra āge — before you; kahi — I say; ihā — this; dhārṣṭyera taraṅga — a wave of impudence. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura again quotes the following verse from the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.288): udghātyakaḥ kathodghātaḥ prayogātiśayas tathāpravartakāvalagite pañca prastāvanā-bhidāḥ Thus the technical names for the five kinds of introductory scenes of the drama are listed as udghātyaka, kathodghāta, prayogātiśaya, pravartaka and avalagita. When Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya inquired which of these five Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī had used to accomplish the technical introduction to his drama Lalita-mādhava, Rūpa Gosvāmī replied that he had used the introduction technically called udghātyaka. According to the Bhāratī-vṛtti, three technical terms used are prarocanā, vīthī and prahasanā. Thus Rūpa Gosvāmī also mentioned vīthī, which is a technical term for a certain type of expression. According to the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.520): vīthyām eko bhaved aṅkaḥ kaścid eko ’tra kalpyateākāśa-bhāṣitair uktaiś citrāṁ pratyuktim āśritaḥ The vīthī beginning of a drama consists of only one scene. In that scene, one of the heroes enters the stage, and by means of opposing statements uttered by a voice from the sky (offstage), he introduces the abundant conjugal mellow and other mellows to some degree. In the course of the introduction, all the seeds of the play are planted. This introduction is called udghātyaka because the player dances on the stage. This term also indicates that the full moon enters the stage. In this case, when the word naṭatā (“dancing on the stage”) is linked with the moon, its meaning is obscure, but because the meaning becomes very clear when the word naṭatā is linked with Kṛṣṇa, this type of introduction is called udghātyaka. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya used highly technical terms when he discussed this subject with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī stated that Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya was a greatly learned scholar of bona fide dramatic composition. Thus although Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was quite fit to answer Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya’s questions, due to his Vaiṣṇava humility he said that his words were impudent. Actually both Rūpa Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya were scholarly experts in composing poetry and presenting it strictly according to the Sāhitya-darpaṇa and other Vedic literatures.

This verse is quoted from the Sāhitya-darpaṇa (6.289).

This verse from the Lalita-mādhava (1.23) is spoken by Paurṇamāsī in a conversation with Gārgī. Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.45), trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna. Thus He advised Arjuna to rise above the modes of material nature, for the entire Vedic system is filled with descriptions involving sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. People are generally covered by the quality of rajo-guṇa and are therefore unable to understand the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs of Vraja. Moreover, the quality of tamo-guṇa further disturbs their understanding. In Vṛndāvana, however, although Kṛṣṇa is covered by the hazy darkness of the dust, the gopīs can nevertheless understand that within the dust storm is Kṛṣṇa. Because they are His topmost devotees, they can perceive His hand in everything. Thus even in the dark or in a hazy storm of dust, devotees can understand what Kṛṣṇa is doing. The purport of this verse is that under no circumstances is Kṛṣṇa ever lost to the vision of exalted devotees like the gopīs.

This verse from the Lalita-mādhava (1.24) is spoken by Gārgī, the daughter of Garga Muni.

This verse (Lalita-mādhava 2.11) is spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to Her friend Lalitādevī.

This verse from the Lalita-mādhava (2.10) expresses the thoughts of Lord Kṛṣṇa in relation with Rādhārāṇī.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not partial to some and neutral to others. One can actually draw the attention of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by service. Then one is further empowered by the Lord to act in such a way that everyone can appreciate his service. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.11): ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. Kṛṣṇa is responsive. If one tries to render his best service to the Lord, the Lord gives him the power to do so. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.10): teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakamdadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestowed His special favor upon Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī because Rūpa Gosvāmī wanted to serve the Lord to the best of his ability. Such is the reciprocation between the devotee and the Lord in the discharge of devotional duties.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya that he and Sanātana Gosvāmī had engaged equally in devotional service after giving up all relationships with material activity. Such renunciation is a symptom of an unalloyed devotee engaged in the service of the Lord with no tinge of material contamination. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this is the position of tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā. A pure devotee, free from the reactions of the material modes of nature, executes devotional service with tolerance like that of a tree. He also feels humbler than the grass. Such a devotee, who is called niṣkiñcana, or free from all material possessions, is always absorbed in emotional love of Godhead. He is reluctant to perform any kind of sense gratification. In other words, such a devotee is free from all material bondage, but he engages in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. Such expert devotional service is performed without hypocrisy. Humility, renunciation and learned scholarship were combined in Sanātana Gosvāmī, the ideal pure devotee, who was on the same level of understanding as Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya. Like Rāmānanda Rāya, Sanātana Gosvāmī was a fully cognizant expert in the conclusions of devotional service and was therefore able to describe such transcendental knowledge.

This passage parallels the statement kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana, which means that unless empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, one cannot spread the holy name of the Lord throughout the entire world (Cc. Antya 7.11). Under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a pure devotee can preach the holy name of the Lord so that everyone may take advantage of this facility and thus become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

The poet or writer dealing with transcendental subject matters is not an ordinary writer or translator. Because he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whatever he writes becomes very effective. The principle of being empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is essential. A materialistic poet who describes in his poetry the material activities of men and women cannot describe the transcendental pastimes of the Lord or the transcendental conclusions of devotional service. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī has therefore warned all neophyte devotees that one should not hear from the mouth of a non-Vaiṣṇava: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtamśravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ (Padma Purāṇa) “One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa from a non-Vaiṣṇava. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects; similarly, talks about Kṛṣṇa given by a non-Vaiṣṇava are also poisonous.” Unless one is a fully unalloyed devotee of the Lord, one should not try to describe the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in poetry, for it will be only mundane. There are many descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s Bhagavad-gītā written by persons whose consciousness is mundane and who are not qualified by pure devotion. Although they attempted to write transcendental literature, they could not fully engage even a single devotee in Kṛṣṇa’s service. Such literature is mundane, and therefore, as warned by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, one should not touch it.

This verse is from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.2).

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, first chapter, describing the second meeting of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.