I have heard various versions of this story and came across this one below from Bhakti-ratnakara. I never really understood how this story warns us against the dangers of Vaisnava aparadha. Two questions I have are:
1. We have heard that aparadha implies malice. Since this is the case, where is the aparadha here on the part of either Sri Rupa Goswami or the Vaisnava who came to see him?
2. Why did Rupa Goswami’s trance break in this instance if there is no question of a prema-bhakta committing offense?
One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi he observed a wonderful pastime. The gopis were decorating Srimati Radharani while Krishna stood behind Her watching. Krishna revealed His presence to the sakhis, bringing an increasing festival of joy to their hearts, but Radharani was unaware that He was there. In many wonderful ways the gopis braided and decorated Radha’s hair. Then they placed a mirror before Her. As She gazed at the beauty of Her own face, Radharani also saw Sri Krishna’s moonlike face in the mirror. Radha became very shy and quickly covered Herself with Her cloth. The gopis happily laughed at this, and Srila Rupa Goswami also joined in their laughter.
Just at that moment a vaisnava arrived who was very eager to see Rupa Goswami. Seeing Rupa laughing, the vaisnava did not say anything, but feeling very sorrowful in his heart he went to see Srila Sanatan Goswami.
The vaisnava told Sanatan, “I went to see Sri Rupa, but when he saw me he suddenly burst into laughter. My heart filled with sorrow! I don’t know why he acted in that way. I didn’t say anything, but came to ask you about it.” Sri Sanatan then explained the true reason for Rupa Goswami’s laughter. Hearing this, the vaisnava became repentant at heart. Lamenting greatly, the vaisnava said, “Why did I approach him at that moment? Not understanding his heart, I have offended him.” The vaisnava became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.
Meanwhile, when the vaisnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord’s pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna’s pastimes. “I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offense.” Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami’s place.
When he saw Prabhupada Srila Rupa Goswami coming, that vaisnava approached him. Falling on the ground, he offered his respects. With great humility he told Rupa, “O great soul, I have committed an offense to you. Please forgive me. Previously when I went to see you I did not understand that you were rapt in meditation.” Standing before Srila Rupa Goswami, the vaisnava prayed, “Please be kind and forgive me for my offense. If you are merciful to me, only then can my heart become peaceful.”
When he heard these words, Srila Rupa Goswami became very agitated at heart. Falling to the ground, he offered respectful obeisances to that vaisnava. Folding his hands, he said, “I have no power to say how great was the offense that I committed to you. Please kindly forgive me.”
Both devotees were very humble and both were filled with bhakti-rasa. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.
I have heard various versions of this story and came across this one below from Bhakti-ratnakara. I never really understood how this story warns us against the dangers of Vaisnava aparadha. Two questions I have are:
1. We have heard that aparadha implies malice. Since this is the case, where is the aparadha here on the part of either Sri Rupa Goswami or the Vaisnava who came to see him?
2. Why did Rupa Goswami’s trance break in this instance if there is no question of a prema-bhakta committing offense?
One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi he observed a wonderful pastime. The gopis were decorating Srimati Radharani while Krishna stood behind Her watching. Krishna revealed His presence to the sakhis, bringing an increasing festival of joy to their hearts, but Radharani was unaware that He was there. In many wonderful ways the gopis braided and decorated Radha’s hair. Then they placed a mirror before Her. As She gazed at the beauty of Her own face, Radharani also saw Sri Krishna’s moonlike face in the mirror. Radha became very shy and quickly covered Herself with Her cloth. The gopis happily laughed at this, and Srila Rupa Goswami also joined in their laughter.
Just at that moment a vaisnava arrived who was very eager to see Rupa Goswami. Seeing Rupa laughing, the vaisnava did not say anything, but feeling very sorrowful in his heart he went to see Srila Sanatan Goswami.
The vaisnava told Sanatan, “I went to see Sri Rupa, but when he saw me he suddenly burst into laughter. My heart filled with sorrow! I don’t know why he acted in that way. I didn’t say anything, but came to ask you about it.” Sri Sanatan then explained the true reason for Rupa Goswami’s laughter. Hearing this, the vaisnava became repentant at heart. Lamenting greatly, the vaisnava said, “Why did I approach him at that moment? Not understanding his heart, I have offended him.” The vaisnava became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.
Meanwhile, when the vaisnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord’s pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna’s pastimes. “I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offense.” Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami’s place.
When he saw Prabhupada Srila Rupa Goswami coming, that vaisnava approached him. Falling on the ground, he offered his respects. With great humility he told Rupa, “O great soul, I have committed an offense to you. Please forgive me. Previously when I went to see you I did not understand that you were rapt in meditation.” Standing before Srila Rupa Goswami, the vaisnava prayed, “Please be kind and forgive me for my offense. If you are merciful to me, only then can my heart become peaceful.”
When he heard these words, Srila Rupa Goswami became very agitated at heart. Falling to the ground, he offered respectful obeisances to that vaisnava. Folding his hands, he said, “I have no power to say how great was the offense that I committed to you. Please kindly forgive me.”
Both devotees were very humble and both were filled with bhakti-rasa. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful lila!
I venture to say that no malice or offense arose in either of these two great personalities. However, for the sake of lila, they have highlighted certain fundamentals of the loving relationships of Krsna and His beloved devotees.
The visiting devotee displayed some doubt that Sri Rupa Goswami had found some fault in him. Being humble in nature, he accepted this potential of his having fault. He felt sorrow at his faults. What also disturbed him was his considering that Rupa Goswami had found fault. Not being able to reconcile this, he felt he may have committed an offense in thinking that Rupa Goswami would be deriving humor in his faults. He desired to seek counsel from Sri Sanatan Goswami who, out of affectionate kindness, dispelled the doubts of the devotee.
From this, we can learn that seeing an advanced devotee as one who finds fault is the same as finding fault with an advanced devotee. We should take precaution against this and if we are finding this doubt in ourselves, we should make haste to the exalted community of compassionate, sincere Vaishnavas to seek counsel.
Sri Rupa Goswami discovered that his samadhi ended upon the approach and departure of his visiting guest. He is showing that the devotees are dearer to Krsna than Himself. The value of prema bhakta sadhu sanga is more valuable than lila-smaranam. He sensed that his smaranam samadhi ended and this could only be due to the departure of a high class devotee. He immediately went to search after this devotee to obtain this cherishable sadhu sanga.
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaḿ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.
na tatha me priyatama
atma-yonir na sankarah
na ca sankarshano na srir
naivatma ca yatha bhavan
My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Sankarshana, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self are as dear to Me as you are.
nirapeksham munim santam
nirvairam sama-darsanam
anuvrajamy aham nityam
puyeyety anghri-renubhih
With the dust of My devotees' lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere.
(S.B. 1.13.10 and 11.14.15-16)
I look forward to the upcoming entries. Again, thank you for such a wonderful pastime. Gaura Hari!
I understand that this is lila. But I fail to understand why this instance is a good example of the devastating affects of Vaisnava aparadha. If it was specifically meant to illustrate that the mind of the Vaisnava is very difficult to understand it would make more sense.
In Bhakti-ratnakara Raghava Pandit states that we should hear this story as a warning against Vaisnava aparadha.
I have heard this story told many times and I considered it of it as a kind of Vraja folklore but when I read it in Bhakti-ratnakara , it made me want to consider it again and try to understand what is being illustrated.
I understand that this is lila. But I fail to understand why this instance is a good example of the devastating affects of Vaisnava aparadha. If it was specifically meant to illustrate that the mind of the Vaisnava is very difficult to understand it would make more sense.
In Bhakti-ratnakara Raghava Pandit states that we should hear this story as a warning against Vaisnava aparadha.
I have heard this story told many times and I considered it of it as a kind of Vraja folklore but when I read it in Bhakti-ratnakara , it made me want to consider it again and try to understand what is being illustrated.
Mayabe it was Rupa Goswami's reaction that provided the 'moral', how he lost his mediatation and became almost desperate to rectify any inkling of possible offfense, he considered it even more important and urgent than his meditation, and he apparently didn't even know if the person who came was a devotee but still he was determined to rectify. We are can't even imagine his reaction to an offense that had any malice or intention.
To me, the story indicates how to avoid aparadha, not so much what aparadha took place. They were both exalted devotees and were saturated with humility. They felt that 1) visiting an exalted personality at an inopportune time (perhaps, either by being laughed at or disturbing one's meditation) and 2) not receiving an exalted guest properly were both aparadha.
The steps each took to allay the potential offenses and the remorse in their hearts for the potential is the highlight. If these two great souls can feel this way, it can serve as a beacon for our ship, the course we should try to chart.
Premabhaktiji, I don't think that aparadha always implies malice. Just think of all the sevaparadhas. If I happen to touch a Salagrama with my left hand, it is not that I purposefully did so ("there you go, my dirty left hand all over you"). It is a simple, innocent mistake, but it is nonetheless an aparadha. I have always thought of the story you quoted as an example of how careful one must be to judge the behaviour of a Vaishnava. The Vaishnava saw Rupa Goswami laughing, and thought it was against him, and become sorrowful -- and a bit angry as well. As I have heard the story, he was an invalid. He must have thought that what kind of a Vaishnava is that Rupa to laugh at a poor cripple such as me. This is how he offended Rupa Goswami in his mind.
Premabhaktiji, I don't think that aparadha always implies malice. Just think of all the sevaparadhas. If I happen to touch a Salagrama with my left hand, it is not that I purposefully did so ("there you go, my dirty left hand all over you"). It is a simple, innocent mistake, but it is nonetheless an aparadha. I have always thought of the story you quoted as an example of how careful one must be to judge the behaviour of a Vaishnava. The Vaishnava saw Rupa Goswami laughing, and thought it was against him, and become sorrowful -- and a bit angry as well. As I have heard the story, he was an invalid. He must have thought that what kind of a Vaishnava is that Rupa to laugh at a poor cripple such as me. This is how he offended Rupa Goswami in his mind.
Thanks for your reply Brigu. I have always understood sadhu ninda to imply criticism or ill intent. I am thinking of Harinama Cintamani and I remember hearing it explained by GM and DDS like that. Sevaparadha is another thing.
It seems from the story in BR that the confused Vaisnava was exonerated by Sanatana Goswami whereas Rupa Goswami, the superlative Vaisnava had his meditation broken as a result of his completely unintentional neglect (he was even absorbed in lila-seva!!) of the visiting Vaisnava.
The following might shed some light on the issue. Srila Jiva Goswami writes in the 265th anuccheda of his Bhakti-sandarbha:
satAM nindA ity anena hiMsAdInAM vacanAgocaratvaM darzitam | nindAdayas tu yathA skAnde zrI-mArkaNDeya-bhagIratha-saMvAde –
nindAM kurvanti ye mUDhA vaiSNavAnAM mahAtmanAm |
patanti pitRbhiH sArdhaM mahAraurava-saMjJite ||
hanti nindanti vai dveSTi vaiSNavAn nAbhinandati |
krudhyate yAti no harSaM darzane patanAni SaT || iti |
“Defamation of the saints, as violence and so forth, as well as verbal, is now presented. Blasphemy and so forth are presented in the Skanda in the discourse of Sri Markandeya and Bhagiratha:
‘The fools who defame Vaishnava-mahatmas fall into a place known as Maharaurava along with their ancestors. The six degrading acts against Vaishnava are (1) killing him, (2) blaspheming him, (3) being envious of, or hating him, (4) not glorifying him, (5) being angry at him, and (6) not being happy upon seeing him.’”
It seems to me that this lila is somewhat analagous to the story of Pariksit and the brahmana--the brahmana could not be held responsible for not receiving the raja because his meditational absorption was genuine. And he did not come out of his meditation until after his son had come home, seen what had happened, and cursed the king. If he had committed an offense, would his meditation not have broken prematurely?
From the passage you quoted Bhrgu it appears that Sri Rupa's meditation may have broken due to offenses 4 and/or 6. But it still doesn't make sense to me because he did not even know that someone had approached him (he deduced that someone had come after he came out of his meditation)--what to speak of whether that person was a Vaisnava or not--so how could he be held responsible for aparadha?