Priya Bhava[1]
The matter dates back to 1993 when a formerly written spiritual discourse of Shri Maharajji 'Man ka Svabhav Saundarya' (Natural Beauty of the Human Heart) was being read in his presence. This piece of work is not just a simple article, a translation or some portion of a
religious text. Indeed, it is an object of Shriji's own experience. Thus Shriji would drown in the memory of his previous divine experience whenever it was read. The discourse is quite lengthy therefore some portion of it is being given here so that readers can relish its rasa :
The Divine Moonlike Face of Krishna
'The entire forest is illumined with nectarean beams of the divine moonlike face. Not only the moon and stars of the sky,
but flower gardens of the forest, and soft green blades of grass covering the earth are being delightfully kissed by these beams. Why just praise them when the Vanamali (Lord Krishna) Himself has become the be all and end all of the happiness of His beloved sakhi (Radha.)Yes, it is Her special trait, the One who remains unaware of entire nature, to be kissed by this cluster of moon beams.
The Vanamala Joyously Adorns Krishna's Body
The heart-stealing laughter of
Krishna's lotus eyes, so also the extremely delightful laughter of
His creeper like eyebrows,
red smiling lips, face which is a birthplace of splendour, the flute tucked in
His tinkling waist girdle and covered with a fine yellow cloth, the heart-stirring and fickle vanamala[2] seems to be waving with immense joy on
His blue-hued body; touching the neck its length extends up to the knees. A youthful, radiant, blue-hued, tender fragrant lustre is bursting forth from Krishna's pure holy limbs
and suffusing out of
His yellow garments.
Dark-hued Krishna's Fickle Glance
Nimbly moving aside the creepers of two dense creeper laden trees, with His lotus hands,
Krishna comes along, making a narrow passage in the bower. His glance is unable to remain steady for even half a moment.
Tinkling Anklets on Krishna's Feet
The fickleness of His heart is disclosed by the movements of His feet adorned with tinkling anklets. Dark-hued Krishna's lotus feet move with great capriciousness sometimes forward and at times sideways. Turning backwards again (before the blinking of an eye), His smile is mysterious. There is a secret hidden in the
flirtatiousness of
Krishna's eyes, so also a
secret becomes evident by the tinkling notes of anklets adorning His feet. His
speedy arrival from the front, through the charming narrow pass wedged between two trees
laden with a thicket of creepers, is endorsing
His mysterious streak in the eyes of other sakhis.
A Sakhi Observes Beloved Shri Radha
Standing on the gem-studden steps of a pond in the flower garden, the beloved sakhi (Shri Radha) was looking with Her face turned towards the garden. Besides her, another dear sakhi
was eagerly gazing at Her closely to know Her innermost thoughts.
The desire which was perceived in the eyes of the beloved sakhi (Radha) sprang up in the hearts of sakhis surrounding her from all sides. And then what! The whole lot of them enthusiastically ran towards the flower garden which lay before their eyes on the opposite side.
Sakhis Make Way Through the Forest
This scene enamoured the beloved sakhi (Shri Radha) for certain. Beyond normal consciousness she lay in the lap of a dear sakhi.
Emerging from behind, and drowning in that enamoured face, adolescent Krishna, the great prankster, took her (Shri Radha) in His lap.
Shri Radha Lying on Prankster Krishna's Lap
Emerging from behind, and drowning in that enamoured face, adolescent Krishna, the great prankster, took her (Shri Radha) in His lap.
Shri Radha Plucking Flowers
It seemed as if she (Shri Radha) had
come upon dark-hued Krishna while plucking flowers and so she exclaimed,” Sakhis! Look He is hiding here! Do not let Him slip away anywhere, catch hold of Him, fast .I have found Him after a prolonged search,” saying so She became mum.
Supreme Lover Krishna Glances at the Other Sakhis
Looking with wide-open eyes at the beguiled sakhi (Radha) lying in His lap, the Supreme Lover was also casting a sidelong glance with half-open eyes at the other sakhis. His large lotus eyes were tearful. Dark-hued Krishna was also eager to embrace them and see their
apparent state.
Dark-hued Krishna's Fickle Eyes
In a spiritually enraptured state, the beloved sakhi
(Shri Radha)spoke up again, “No,no! I shall close His lotus eyes now. All of you go and hide somewhere.”
The Supreme Lover is caressing her (Radha's)head with His lotus hands, adulating her with a faint smile. Several maidens who were hiding are steadily approaching now. Many of them sitting closely are eager to hear something as they look on with enchanted eyes.
Captivated Krishna Comes Back to Shri Radha
Shri Radha Can Sight Sakhis Everywhere
“ I knew ! Just look at the sakhis. It is very strange that you could not locate any one of them while I am capable of clearly sighting them everywhere, among the dense creepers, in groves, behind trees, in flower gardens besides the lake, in flower clusters, veiled by gem-studded steps and in the branches of trees.
“ O capricious One! Is your clever shrewdness so inadequate that You could not find even one of them?”, says the enchanted sakhi
(Shri Radha)
After an ingenious laugh,
the Supreme Lover fell into silence, being enchanted and absorbed in the smitten, beloved sakhi(Radha) who laughed as she said the above lines. Her laughter ended in silence. Everyone's state had become the same at
this juncture.
Shri Radha Talks to Krishna
She (Shri Radha) piped in again,” I know, I know very well! Your capricious eyes were searching for whom and You have got her. But O clever Shiromani[3] ! All the shrewd sakhis know of this fact and then their going into hiding, soon after ...” saying so she kept quiet midway.
Playful Dalliance of Shri Radha-Krishna
A slight sweet smile was embellishing Her face, Her eyes were half-closed and the large lotus eyed One was pervading them.
“ I have
initiated this playful dalliance so that they too could get to know of Your cleverness and become ecstatic, enchanted and engrossed,” saying so she(Shri Radha) stopped for a moment.
Shri Radha Tells Krishna About a Sakhi
Saying so she (Radha) burst out laughing, and Her sweet tender tone rippled.
Taking one or two steps, Krishna had His face turned towards Her and His eyes expressing a quick return.
She (Shri Radha) helplessly gazed at His wishful eyes and said,” No, no! I have figured out that you will certainly catch hold of her arm. O Mohan, do not come back empty-handed! What is this that you are doing?” saying so she became silent.
Not only the Supreme Lover but the other sakhis didn't take even half a
second to realize the mysterious sharing of Her love-lorn heart, by gazing at Her.
“Haven't you understood her lila or clever play!” one of them asked.
”Why don't you explain what it is?” another sakhi piped in.
Dark-hued Krishna Catches the Hand of an Enraptured Sakhi
This incited Supreme Lover could not hastily go to the indicated sakhi but returned, staring at
her once without blinking an eyelid. He stood transfixed as if to get His eyes closed, saying so the sakhi with a smiling face began adulating Him. The Supreme Lover caught the hand of that enraptured sakhi with His lotus hands.
“He is
glancing at her (with enchanted lotus eyes) it seems as if His eyes are drinking the nectar of her lips like a capricious black bee,” this is what a charmed sakhi said to the other sakhis.
As soon as the aforesaid
sakhi uttered these words the enchanted, smileless sakhi (Shri Radha) came to Her senses.
Shri Radha Embraces Krishna
Her eyes (Shri Radha) opened inside the lotus eyes of Krishna. Lying in His lap, finding that She had regained normal consciousness to the fullest, the delight of Her wide-open amazed eyes knew no bounds. The enchanted adolescent Krishna provided immediate solace to Her longing heart.
Blissful Shri Radha in the Supreme Lover's Embrace
Shriji (Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj), a Beloved of Supreme Lover Krishna
Shriji was seeing this lila depicted in the discourse of 'Man ka Svabhav Saundarya,
absorbed in a state of spiritual consciousness. Inspired as a beloved of the Supreme Lover Krishna, he was experiencing this state himself. All of a sudden due to the agony of separation from the Supreme Lover Krishna, Shriji became very agitated and felt terrifying heat in his own body for three days at a stretch. This uneasiness reached its peak and he would keep sitting awake throughout the night. At times he would go to the bathroom and latch the door chain from inside.
The Anguish of Shriji's Separation from Krishna
Wearing only a kopeen or loin cloth Shriji would spread his dhoti on the floor and lie down on it. When a long time would pass since his entering the bathroom, Shri Thakurji would make him open the door with great difficulty and get
him out.
“ What should I do when my body is inflamed with so much of burning anguish within, it is unbearable. I was sleeping on a lotus leaf bed. Why did you wake me up?” Shriji would rebound, “
Three days passed by in this very condition with no appetite left for food or water. Shriji was not interested in speaking to anyone and would keep lying down or siiting for hours at a stretch.
Three days
had gone by in this material world but it was a lila or playful dalliance which lasted for just a few moments in the divine realm of Shri Radha-Krishna.
When the burning sensation subsided after three days Shri Thakurji repeatedly requested Shriji to reveal the reason for this condition. What Shri Maharajji then gave in writing is being reproduced below in his own words:
“ In the evening that day I had read the episode centred on the sport of hide and seek. Yes, the Supreme Lover was in search of a sakhi. Dear sakhi! The smitten sakhi (Radha) lying in His lovely desirable lap was hinting that He catch hold of that sakhi, and the Lover was following her.
Beloved Radha Lying On Krishna's Lap
The beloved sakhi (Radha) was not conscious that She was lying with Her head on His lap.
Shri Radha Shedding Tears
Owing to the attraction of this sweet condition, Krishna was enchanted and kept wiping Her constant flow of tears. He could not hold back and control Himself. Plucking a bunch of drooping lotuses from a nearby lake, He kept touching the eyelashes and eyes of the beloved sakhi (Radha) with each lotus stalk drenched in cool water to cool Her inflamed eyes as they had constantly shed tears.”
Lost in the context of this incident one of the sakhi's (Shri Maharajji's) eyes also began to cool down, as they had become heated because of shedding tears which had
constantly streamed down his cheeks.
The lila or divine sport had been experienced quite recently and thus it had not been written down. At this juncture, quick awareness of the sthula svarupa or Shriji's material form had became the cause of his unbearable agony.
Shriji Was Always Steeped in the Priya Bhava
Several such episodes could be seen from time to time. In fact, Shriji' state was permanently steeped in the Mahabhava[4] or the Supreme Emotion of Radha Bhava later on.
[1] Priyabhava: There is no greater symbol to denote the longing of the soul in its quest for the divine than the longing of the nayika for her beloved.Centred on the divine love of Radha and Krishna, the worshipper is required to assume the nature, nuance and psychological state of Radha in er loving devotion to Krishna, this state is called Priya Bhava or Radha Bhava .
[4] Mahabhava: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
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