Saturday, December 1, 2018

Chapter 33: Shriji Lives in Seclusion for Fourteen Months (part Two)


Shriji's Braj Bhava in 1947

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... 



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. 



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

"Romantically dallying with blue-hued Krishna, the new tender beauty (sakhi)endowed with a flowery voice can not ever imagine loneliness and silence even in her dreams, so full of passion is she. Neither does she take herself to be a newcomer who is different in aspect and subdued among this bevy of young maidens, nor considers this boating excursion to be the very first, or considers this silent friendliness imbued with exhilaration to be recently attained. She doesn't seem to be staring with wide-open, astonished eyes.

Lord Krishna Mesmerises the Sakhi By His Red Lips

“The sole reason for this state of hers was that Lord Krishna, an agglomerate of the beauty of a fresh cloud, was imparting the combined joy of the wave-like soft rays of the undivided sport of lying in her arms and the possession of her rich mouth through His red lips, to her.

“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. 
 
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

Delicate and charming from top to toe, youthful Krishna, the extremely clever Chudamani is being decked with several kinds of buds and flowers. On the pretext of adorning Him with flowers all the sakhis are smitten by Krishna, the colour of the condensed sky.”

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

Shriji would say that in Jagannath Puri he had got signals about the inner self of all the members in his inner circle of associates (parikar). This bhava dasha continued for a span of three months. I had taken photographs of almost all the states of his bhava, which have been put up at the samadhi sthal or resting place of Maharajji. After this state of religious rapture which lasted for three months, a lot of difference had come about in the bhava of Maharajji. 

Braj Bhava

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. 



 
Priya Sakhi Shri Radha

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.
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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.


Shri Roop & Shri Sanatana Goswami

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

The dictum of Jayadeva is vindicated here

'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


Once Shriji had stated that those who have readied their svarupa can touch a bit of that self, they alone can understand my spiritual discourse, or else it can’t be grasped. By readying the svarupa he meant assuming the sakhi bhava of sweet and total love and commitment for Krishna.

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

While listening to the discourse from Shriji's mouth it seemed that Self-realization was easy. We were already very close and related to the Self hence no effort was needed. It seemed that we were a part of the lila or divine play being described at the site of a particular playfull dalliance, but this miracle would remain up to that time. It was only Shriji's impact and his presence that made us feel so. He would himself get steeped in the discourse and remain there. Only those sadhakas who were closest to him could feel his spiritual atomized influence.

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'

Later on it came to be known from people well-versed in rasa that it was a state of anguish on being separated from beloved Lord Krishna, whose symptoms have been described by Shri Roop Goswami in 'Ujjwal Neelmani,' his famous text on shringar rasa, the sentiment of sweet romance.

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.'



[1]       Kachani: a loin cloth with loose ends tucked at the waist.
[2]     Siddh: perfected and sanctified by penance
[3]     Mala jholis: small pouches holding string of beads for doing japa
[4]     Kund: tank
[5]     Prasad: remnants of food offfered to an idol
[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.
[8]     Gopi Geet: in the 21st chapter  in the tenth canto of the Shrimad Bhagwat
[9]     Bhoga: food offered to a deity
[10]    Prasadi rice: is rice offered as bhoga to Lord Jagannath
[11]    Rasik: a person moved by passionate religious devotion especially for Krishna
[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.
[13]    Prema: transcendental love of Radha-Krishna
[14]    Bliss: feelings of enjoyment, pleasure and satisfaction
[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 ones usual state of identification with a worldly existence. The awareness of ones own existence also reduces. Thus in a state of spiritual emotion one transcends the littleiand identifies with the bigI, and gives us a spiritual experience of Bliss (Ä€nand).

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