1956: The parikar or
inner circle of associates began to pass their time in bliss with the arrival
of Shriji. Merely a month would have passed when Shriji's
condition began becoming one of bhav avesha, a trance like state of religious
rapture. This condition had prevailed for a year in 1947. But the difference
between the present state and that of the past was poles apart. The first bhav avesha in 1947 was an unrestrained ecstasy of
springing up, agility of the step and excitement involving the Braj bhava.
Shriji's Bhava Avesha in 1956
This time it was related to serious and internal spiritual lilas or divine plays. Instead of padas, devotional verses and words of mutual dialogue were uttered. This awakening of spiritual consciousness would suddenly turn into swooning and there would be an outpouring of words. All of them have been recorded date wise in a dairy. Every bhava was connected with some serious divine sport. From the words which would spiritedly burst forth from Shriji's mouth one could guess the relevant sport they were hinting at.
Readers can infer the real
state of Shriji by these verbatim recordings of the eighteenth day of bhav
aveshaa on 7th January, 1957:
Shriji got up distractedly
at 4 o' clock in the morning. Discharging his morning chores he tried to run
away. We stopped him with great difficulty. The bhav avesha became more
serious and reached the state of swooning.Raving started at 5 o'clock in the
morning:
“ Beautiful...sweet...O
Lord! Let my life...begin living by your delicate waist. Anybody...none besides me
at the place...
How acute is the pain...Allow me to lie down peacefully...the agony is unbearable...I am not pleased. I do not want to even dance...All others are nonplussed...I am not contented...You have wounded me...How can I possibly tolerate this...I can’t bear your touching the hem of some other women's saree.”
Shriji Expresses His Unbearable Agony
How acute is the pain...Allow me to lie down peacefully...the agony is unbearable...I am not pleased. I do not want to even dance...All others are nonplussed...I am not contented...You have wounded me...How can I possibly tolerate this...I can’t bear your touching the hem of some other women's saree.”
After coming out of this
trance like state, Shriji went on speaking in a semi-conscious state and
remained indifferent all day long. He went for a walk with us in the evening
and then kept sitting silently on the bed.
Gradually Shriji began
stating in a low tone,” Those matters which are extremely secret, come out in
the open, which should not happen. The heat in my brain has increased so I will
go away to some secluded place.
At Jagannathji I would stay in a lonely hut, and thoroughly enjoyed myself freely. There was no one to make fun of me or do loose talk about what I had to say. Seeing me stumbling and falling, and bumping into things, people took me to be insane. They were thinking of getting me admitted to a lunatic asylum. However, I was happy that there was no one there who could observe my mysterious secret matters. Now a I shall go and live in some secluded place once again.
People in Jagannath Puri Thought Shriji was Insane
At Jagannathji I would stay in a lonely hut, and thoroughly enjoyed myself freely. There was no one to make fun of me or do loose talk about what I had to say. Seeing me stumbling and falling, and bumping into things, people took me to be insane. They were thinking of getting me admitted to a lunatic asylum. However, I was happy that there was no one there who could observe my mysterious secret matters. Now a I shall go and live in some secluded place once again.
“In the lonely room at
Jagannath I was very joyous, so very happy that I can’tt express it. I was free
from worries and unrestrained. I ran a lot along the sea shore of Jagannathji
and lay down at any place. People would assume that he is some deranged man.”
Walking with dark-hued Krishna on Banks of the Yamuna
Again incoherent sentimental dialogue ensued from 9 to 11 o'clock at night.,” I...and just you...Moon's radiance only I...Oh dear...Mohan...a traveller...of Your charm, a sweet... nectareous...sound...I (as a sakhi) have become crazed by Your sweetness...flirtatious...May I keep dancing ...amidst the moonbeam like fingers of Yours...the matchless low cooing... on seeing You...and You from my throat...This tinkling of the anklets... and I with this sound...O Madana (Cupid)!Singing melodiously...sound of the flute... we will go to the bejewelled stairs...banks of the Yamuna. A unique fragrance...May it never end...last forever and forever...I in Your slow pace...Let me lie in peace...
A Swan
The gait of a swan is ashamed looking at You...There is so much sweetness in our speech...a sea of nectar...do not ever separate me...Seeing Your beauteous form every pore of mine is delighted...I wish to dance (as a sakhi)...That lovely shore...Shyam...boating...Ah! Oh! Oh!(dances)...He is gone.” Shriji swoons:
Moonbeams, Banks of the Yamuna & Chirping of Birds
“A bright nectarean night, moonbeams are suffusing all around. The moon reflected along the banks of the Yamuna was smiling as it mingled with the chirping of a flock of a mixed variety of birds. All animate and inanimate beings of the jungle were merrily swinging in this mysterious impact.
“The gaze of young gopis,
the gaze of forest birds and wild deer have become one with the lotus eyes of
the fresh cloudlike, delicate and handsome adolescent Krishna. This newcomer
(sakhi) took no time in grasping the secret. There, a flower-decked boat was
adorning the charming river bank.
“The youthful Supreme Lover
was becoming impatient to be possessively embellished with her. At a slow pace,
the sakhis took both of them for boating and for dallying romantically.
The Boat Was Decked Like a Beauty
“Decorated with several
flowers and buds even the boat was appearing like a beauty. The same sound of
the flute, sweet tinkling of anklets and girdles mingling with the mute love
exchanges taking place between Krishna and a sakhi in the Yamuna. That is why
the bevy of beautiful sakhis inside the boat are preoccupied.
“The
flute play, the sound of tinkling anklets and girdles and enchanting form of
sandy banks in midst of the Yamuna, that very same scene surrounds the horde of
sakhis and is beautifully replicated in the boat.
“In the mute language of
love the wide open lotus eyes of Krishna, putting to shame newly blossomed
lotuses, are expressing with extreme delight, ' Now I am richly adorned. I am
embellished with a rare, unattainable and unprecedented moment right now.'
“This latest ardent longing
is apparent from His head to toe ornamentation as if it has never been done
before.
The New Sakhi Romantically Dallies with Blue-hued Krishna
Lord Krishna Mesmerises the Sakhi By His Red Lips
“Amidst the delight of the
already arrived sakhis, the ambiance on the other side of the Yamuna not only
resounded with the chirping of flocks of birds but was radiant.
Creating its own free course amidst the range of lotuses, the beautiful boat glided slowly and steadily reached the soft gem studded steps of the river bank.
The Beautiful Boat Reaches the River Bank
Creating its own free course amidst the range of lotuses, the beautiful boat glided slowly and steadily reached the soft gem studded steps of the river bank.
Sakhis Are Smitten by Krishna in the Nikunja
“It is a region of nikunjas, bowery mazes surrounded by creepers and already clustered with an abundance of flowers. On the other hand there is a realm of the silent enamoured sakhis.
Youthful Krishna Decked with Flower Buds
All lilas or divine
plays have been depicted in detail in the accounts written by Shriji.
Sometimes he would start dancing in bhav avesha or trance like state of
religious rapture. The dancing postures would be so charming that it would seem
as if an actual dance was going on in nitya leela, the eternal romantic
dalliance of Shri Radha-Krishna. A few dance poses could be enacted when he would
faint soon after. At times during the bhava dasha of spiritual
consciousness some words related to close associates would be uttered.
Jagannath Puri
His earlier state of bhav avesha was connected to the Braj bhava [12]of always ardently longing for the love[13] of Lord Krishna and getting bliss[14] in return.
However after returning
from Shri Jagannath Puri the nikunja bhava [15],
emerged with special seriousness.
In satsangs written in those days, he has
addressed Shri Radha as a priya sakhi (beloved companion). While
describing the mystical lilas or divine plays of his priya sakhi
Radha, the idea of conformity is seconded. Reference has been made to reaching
the state of immersion in bhava or spiritual emotion.
Priya Sakhi Shri Radha
\
The Radha Bhava
In the entire description, the notion conformity is supreme. It seems that Shriji has imbibed the Radha Bhava [16] and the writing has been done by being passionately steeped in that very bhava.
In this state wherein
Shriji was immersed in bhava, Sakhi Kumudvalli was extremely dear to him in as
she believed in tat such sukhitvam.
During a playful dalliance Shriji is offended with Krishna and the dark-hued
Lord appeases him with very soft speech. Shriji too getting very pleased in
return expresses his extreme love for Krishna in very tender words and several
beautiful loving addresses.
Flower Ball
The softness of Shriji's feelings for Krishna reaches such heights that flower balls thrown by sakhi Kalindi at Lord Krishna's tender body parts, are painful to him.
Three months passed by in
the temporary bhava stithis or
states of awakened spiritual consciousness. Ultimately the Radha Bhava
stabilized in Shriji and he remained permanently steeped in the Mahabhava. The
previously written spiritual discourses abound in playfull dalliances of the
Braj Bhava but passionate absorption in spiritual emotion is particularly
depicted in the later writings.
On being questioned Shriji
said, “ Saints like Shri Roop Goswami, Shri Sanatan Goswami, Shri Jeeva Goswami
etc, have written characteristic texts, doctrinal texts, texts about divine
play but texts about bhava or spiritually emotional states are not available.
In fact, scattered references are can be found in this context but there is no
consolidated text available anywhere. God is making me write this wonderful
treatise.”
Shri Radha Baba
Even venerable Shri Radha Baba remarked, “ This composition of Shri Maharajji will be valued in the future. It is a mood-oriented piece of writing. The sole sentiment of rasa has been sequentially described in high, higher and the highest form in these recorded discourses. The depth of rasa, the essence of the love of Shri Radha-Krishna goes on increasing. The condition of Shriji's state has also been described according to its escalating level. This writing had covered two thousand pages by 1980 but went on life long.
The Lila of Shri Radha-Krishna
He has given the headings of sections wonderfully according to their contents, like 'Godhuli Sushma Nayika, Nirnaya Vaichitraya, Mayur Chandirka, Alankar Vaibhav, Anupam Samagam, Jeevan Pushpa Saundarya, and Anubhav Athwa Bandhan.' Shriji used to say that if the heart is well prepared, the svarupa can be readied by listening to these discourses and one can gain entry into, lila the divine play of Shri Radha-Krishna. There is no need to resort to different methods of sadhana or spiritual practice.
A novice can’t understand
these discourses, all of a sudden. Those who have listened to them from
Shriji's mouth, right from the start, can grasp them. And that too is possible
if they can enter that bhava according to their eligibility, to absorb
the sentiment as worthy recipients.
Gita Govinda by Jayadeva
'yadi hari-smaraNe sarasaM
mano, yadi vilAsa-kalAsu kutUhalaM |
madhura-komala-kAnta-padAvalIM,
shR^iNu tadA jayadeva-sarasvatIm ||3|| '
'If remembering Hari
exhilarates the heart, if there is eagerness to enjoy His playfull dalliance,
then listen to the sweet and soft verses of Jayadeva Saraswati.'
The Sakhi Bahva
The spiritual discourses
are so beautifully strung together that the sadhaka does not need to
read any other spiritual text. I do not at all mean that he should not read any
other text related to Lord Krishna's lilas or divine plays. However,
Shriji's writings simultaneously include renunciation, dispassion, ardent
longing, allusion to reality, intimacy, relationship and svarupu or the essential
nature of a person. One does not feel the need of resorting to any other form
of meditation for self-realization.
Principles of the
devotional path have been substantially described in the satsangs or spiritual discourses
and they are in accordance to the Vedic scriptures. Shriji's discourses are
free from binding constraints and have been written without any partiality.
Thus it is my firm belief that they will be unanimously accepted. Interwoven
with the sporting acts of Lord Krishna the discourses are very engaging.
Shriji did not follow the
tradition of reading his discourse amidst the general public. It was read only
among his parikar, the inner circle of associates. Only those who
followed principles of the dhaam (sanctitiy of the abode of Vrindavan),
had faith in Shriji or had joined the company of his close associates could get
the opportunity to listen to his discourse.
One had to pay very close
attention to the satsang without which the context would be
lost. While reading, Shri would also warn us that one had to listen very
conscientiously and only then it would be comprehensible. At times he would ask
the main listeners whether they had understood its content. If not he would
read it again, explaining that portion.
Manohar Baba (left) with Shriji
Shriji would become deeply
absorbed while reading. Suddenly the shedding of tears would start, he would
start taking long breaths, so much so that on attaining bhava stithi, the state of awakened spiritual
consciousness, he would lie down for some moments with eyes closed. It would make everyone fall under a spell like
enchantment.
Shriji's Bhava Avesha
The three months period of
Shriji's bhav avesha or trance like state of religious rapture had
ended. A strange bhava stithi began after sometime. It was summer time. Taking
a bath in the evening Shriji would lie down on a bed, on the terrace. His close
ones would continue to sit surrounding him. Talking normally Shriji would
suddenly become inert. Soon after Maharajji would lie stiffly like a piece of
wood, for about four to five hours. On regaining normal consciousness he would
slowly open his eyes but had no strength to move his hands and legs.
“ Move my hand to this
side, push my leg that way,” he would gently request someone sitting next to him,
Pressing Shriji's limbs for
some time, the blood circulation would become normal and his hands and legs
would begin functioning. In that period he was generally in a semi-conscious
state of ecstasy even during the daytime. He did not bother to take meals. His
eyes would mostly remain closed. Two months passed by in this manner. On
inquiring he would pretend to have blood pressure. His basic nature was to keep
the bhava, love towards the Lord concealed. One night, not coming to his
senses till eleven o' clock in the night, when we went to have a look we found
his pillow to be wet with streaming tears.
All of us were worried when
this condition continued for several days. We felt that Shriji should be treated for this state.
“ You must tell us clearly
whether it is a bhava stithi[17] or
some disease. If it is an ailment a physician should be consulted. We fail to
understand anything,”Deviji asked out of concern.
“ There is no need to
worry. I do not have any disease. It is a unusual state of bhava which
can be attained only by the great grace of God. It will be pacified in due
course of time,”Shriji replied.
This condition continued
for two months and was calmed automatically, thereafter.
'Ujjwal Neelmani'
An example has been given
in the following verse in a touching way:
'ishtanishtaparigyanam
yatra prashneshvnutaram |
darshanshravanabhavo jadima
soabhidhiyate ||
atrakandeapi
hunkarastambhshvaspatnadayah
|| 34|| '
'It
is called 'stupefying torpor' in which there is no awareness of good or evil,
no reply is given on a question being asked, and there is lack of hearing and
seeing, as well. Causeless loud cries, transfixations, sighs and illusions
appear in this state of stupefaction.'
[6] Arti: ritual
of moving a dish
holding a lamp, incence,burning ghi
and other articles in
front of the idol
[7] Sattvaik: characterized by
sattva or goodness and
purtiy, one of
the three qualities of
prakriti, or nature.
[12] Braj bhava: Braj Bhava
is the phase where one's only ardent longing
is to attain parama Purushu Krishna
and get blissful ecstasy in return.The generality of this bhava is regarded as
an inferior source of rasa since its diversity is detrimental to experiencing
single minded absorption in the sport of the joint deity.
[15] Nikunja bhava:
is the next higher
phase where one views
the private intimate relations
of Shri Radha-Krishna in
a secluded bower, in
which the
sublimated
passion of Shri Radha
and Krishna provide the
focus of the devotee's
attention. The full experience
of the divine union
of Radha Krishna can
be approximated by a kind
of spiritual voyeurism that satiates the
devotee in the form
of a spectating sakhi
or handmaiden to the couple.The
role of the sakhi
in promoting but not participating in
the nikunja vihar is
emulated by the devotee
whose highest aim is
to achieve the vicarious
delight of being an
onlooker in the nikunja
.
[16] Radha Bhava:
Finally, the sadhaka
constantly thinks about Parama
Purusha Krishna and forgets
about his own existence. When the
individual soul realizes its
union with Krishna, the
Supreme Lover, that realization
is Radha Bhava.If our
ardour is sufficient and
understanding complete we can identify our
passion and consummation of love for
Krishna with that of Radha's and that is
the Radha Bhava.
Centred on
the divine love
of Radha and
Krishna
the worshipper
is required to
assume the nature,
nuance and psychological
state of Radha
in her loving
devotion to
Krishna. This
state is called
Radha bhava or
Mahabhava which
is the quintessence
of prema. Radha
is the peronification of this
Supreme Emotion.
[17] Bhava stithi:or awakening
of spiritual consciousness,is a state of
communion with God. It
is related to the
sub-conscious mind (chitta). For
that time one transcends
one’s usual state
of identification with a worldly
existence. The awareness of
one’s own existence
also reduces. Thus in
a state of spiritual
emotion one transcends the
little ‘i’ and identifies
with the big ‘I’, and gives
us a spiritual experience
of Bliss (Ānand).
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