Tattva-viveka
worship of Sri Sri Janhavi - Nityananda?
Igor - April 25, 2006 9:34 am
Dear Swami and devotees, I have one question. It is practice that Supreme Lord is worshipped whit His eternal energy - Sita-Ramacandra, Laksmi-Narayana, Radha-Krsna. There was also discussions about worshiping Gaura-Gadadhara, but my question is related with worshiping Lord Nityananda. I heard from devotees that in Ekacakra devotees worship Deities Shri Shri Jahnavi Nitai and Shri Shri Vasudha Nitai, Nityananda with His consorts Vasuda and Jahnavi devi. So question is - is it bonafide to worship Lord Nityananda with His consorts or Lord Caitanya with His consort Laksmipriya and Vishnupriya devi?
Swami - April 29, 2006 1:12 am
Dear Swami and devotees, I have one question. It is practice that Supreme Lord is worshipped whit His eternal energy - Sita-Ramacandra, Laksmi-Narayana, Radha-Krsna. There was also discussions about worshiping Gaura-Gadadhara, but my question is related with worshiping Lord Nityananda. I heard from devotees that in Ekacakra devotees worship Deities Shri Shri Jahnavi Nitai and Shri Shri Vasudha Nitai, Nityananda with His consorts Vasuda and Jahnavi devi. So question is - is it bonafide to worship Lord Nityananda with His consorts or Lord Caitanya with His consort Laksmipriya and Vishnupriya devi?
This is an interesting topic. Yes, it is bonafide to worship Nitai and Gaura with Jahanava and Visnupriya respectively. I believe that at the Yoga-pitha in Sri Dhama Mayapura Thakura Bhaktivinoda established the worship of Sri Sri Guara Visnupriya devi. In the aprakata (unmanifest) lila Gaura is with his consorts. Some aisvarya is there, more so than duirng the prakata (manifest) lila.
Swami - April 29, 2006 2:19 am
Swami BV Tirtha writes:
"Jahnava Devi's disciple Nityananda Das has described the standard Vishnupriya Devi set for bhajan in his Prema-vilasa.
'Listen, brothers, to the way which Isvari Vishnupriya would take the names of the Lord. By listening to this, you will get a feeling for the lila. Every day she would place two clay pots on either side of her, one filled with uncooked rice, the other empty. Each time she completed one mantra of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, she would joyfully place a grain of rice into the empty container. She would chant in this way until three o'clock in the afternoon, and then would take whatever rice had accumulated and cook it. This is the only food that she prepared, drenching it with her tears before she offered it to the Lord. It is not possible to estimate how many names Mahaprabhu himself chanted, but he chanted all day and night. Similarly, his beloved wife Vishnupriya chanted incessantly through the day and the night. Such dedication to the Holy Name was not impossible for her, for the Lord had planted the seed of his power in her.'
It is said that Vishnupriya Devi was the first to establish worship of a murti of Gauranga. This has been stated in Murari Gupta's kaaaca:
prakasa-rupeëa nija-priyayaù
samipam asadya nijaà hi murtim |
vidhaya tasyaà sthita ena kanëaù
sa laknmi-rupa ca ninevate prabhum ||
'Krishna came to his beloved wife in this expansion form to remain by her side as the Mahaprabhu deity. Thus she, the incarnation of the goddess of fortune, was able to serve him constantly.'
The devotees of Mahaprabhu sometimes said that just as Ramachandra, who had taken the vow of monogamy, performed a sacrifice to a golden Sita that he had had made during his exile in the forest rather than marry a second time, so Vishnupriya repaid her debt to her Lord in the pastimes of Gaura-Narayan by having an image of Mahaprabhu created so she could perform the sacrifice of the Holy Name to him. This deity is still present and worshiped in Nabadwip.
Sri Vamsivadana Thakur and Ishan Thakur were blessed by the service of taking care of Vishnupriya Devi and Sachi Devi after Mahaprabhu took sannyas."
Narottama Thakura also established Deities of Gaura Visnupriya at Kheturi. They appeared to him in a vision.
Igor - April 29, 2006 7:49 am
Thank you Swami on such nice answer!
It seems that such worship is in line of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I noticed that Bhaktivinoda ends every chapter of Sri Navadvipa Mahatmya with statement of taking shelter of Sri Sri Janavi-Nitay!
Praying to remain always in the cooling shade of the lotus feet of Their Lordships Sri-Sri-Nitai-Jahnava, always desiring Their mercy, that Bhaktivinode sings the glories of Navadvipa dhama, tasting nectar at every step.
or
Thus has Bhaktivinoda Thakur, vile, low and worthless, whose aspiration is the shade of the lotus feet of Sri Nitai and Jahnava, sung this glorification of Nadiya.
Swami - April 29, 2006 1:57 pm
I am not sure if we have discussed the so called Gaura nagari bhava on this forum, but it sometimes comes up when discussing Gaura Visnupriya. Perhaps we should discuss it here with referrence to any other Tattva-viveka threads in which it may have been discussed.
Igor - April 29, 2006 3:34 pm
There are a lot of interesting points regarding this topic.
If I am right, definition “Gaura-nagara-bhava” is seeking toward conjugal relationship with Lord Gauranga in the form, svarup of a village girl, nagari.
As far as I know there is no evidence of such practice in scriptures.
Here are several questions that one may ask regarding that:
1.Is it possible to worship Lord Gauranga in conjugal relationship?
2.Highest aspiration in Vraja-lila is to be engage in manjari-bhava, therefore highest aspiration in Gaura-lila is Gaura-nagara-bhava
3.Followers of Gaura-nagara-bhava doctrine are giving example of Narahari Sarkar Thakura. They said that Gaura-arati song by Bhaktivinoda Thakur is just variant of old Viravallabha’s poem and they states that originally lines are ‘narahari gadadhara camara dhulawe’’ indicates that Narahari “Narahari was the only devotee who had the adhikara (right) to do Gaura-kirtana in Gaurasundara's presence.” They cited poems of Narahari to be example of gaura-nagara-bhava practice.
4.They also quote next song wrote by Govinda das, disciple of Srinivasa Acarya to support their practice
sri nanda nandana gopijana vallabha
sri radhika nayaka nagara syama
so saci nandana nadiya purandara
sura munigana mano mohana dhama
jaya nija kanta kanti kalevara
jaya nija preyasi bhava vinoda
vraja taruniganalocana mangala
nadiya badhugana nayana amoda
"Our Sacinandana is Nandanandana, Gopijana vallabha, Radha's nayaka and Nagara Syamasundara.He is full with all opulences in Nadiya; thus He is the attractive pleasure abode for all the munis and devatas.So all glories to His kantas (sweethearts), to His effulgence, and to His beautiful form! And all glories to
the mind enchanting bhavas of His consorts — for He is Auspiciousness personified. For the Vraja tarunis'eyes,and Pleasure personified for the Nadiya nagaris”
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - April 29, 2006 7:52 pm
I am not sure if we have discussed the so called Gaura nagari bhava on this forum
I think it came up couple of times:
Babhru Das - April 29, 2006 8:42 pm
Igor:
If I am right, definition “Gaura-nagara-bhava” is seeking toward conjugal relationship with Lord Gauranga in the form, svarup of a village girl, nagari.
My understanding is that Gaura-nagara bhava is the feeling that Gaura is the enjoyer (nagara) of many women. However, if we examine Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's character and activities, even in his household life he was very chaste--and even in his dealings with his own wives. He never even joked with other women, and there's only one recorded instance of his joking even with Vishnupriya-devi, and that was sort of a half-joke (I can't, unfortunately, recall the story). And we know how strict he was in his sannyasa.
An old friend of mine, who left our spiritual master for other siksa, has over the last few years adopted this practice and has written a book about it. He wrote me last year offering a copy of the book. I may have been interested in getting a copy, just so I could see how he makes his case, and especially to see how he argues that Bhaktivinoda Thakura would not only approve, but advocate, this practice (despite BHaktivinoda Thakura's direct rejection of such practice, and under that name). But I had just lost my job and couldn't see sending him that money at the time.
2.Highest aspiration in Vraja-lila is to be engage in manjari-bhava, therefore highest aspiration in Gaura-lila is Gaura-nagara-bhava.
That does seem to be their logic, from what I've heard. However, Sri Gaursundar's mood is quite different; he came not to enjoy nagaris (village girls), whether they be from Vraja or Navadvipa, but to enjoy serving Sri Nandanandana as the foremost of those nagaris. The highest aspiration in Gaura-lila would, therefore, to help him enjoy in that way.
Some of the Lord's associates do seem to have expressed some bhava for the Lord that resembled conjugal affection, and the traditons we identify as Gaura-nagara strains apparently developed from those expressions. This gives us room for further discussion, I suppose, and I need time to work on this further. I'm sure that when a few of us have taken swings at the topic, Swami will help us out.
Swami - April 30, 2006 12:09 am
One thing to consider is that one argument in support of parakiya being manifest in the aprakata lila of Sri Krsna is that it is manifest in the prakata lila. * Why is this a good argument? Becasue these two expressions of the lila are substancially one and they vary only in details. The substqance of the lila is bhava.
With regard to Gaura's prakata lila there is no question of Gaura tasting parakiya with others's wives. He himself was married, unlike Vrajendranandana, and furthermore he later took sannyasa to teach by his example. His lila is Bhagavan's acarya-lila. He demonstrated perfect household life and perfect renunciation—two approaches to bhakti. Where did he dabble in paramour love? There is no record of this. Yes ladies of Nadiya loved him like everyone else, but not as a paramour lover. If paramour love were part of this lila, what kind of example would it have set? So to assert that Gaura is secretly a paramour lover one must point to the aprakata lila. However, the two, aprakata and prakata, are not substancially different. In other words the contain the same bhavas. If there is no paramour love in the prakata lila, how can there be paramour love in the aprakata lila?
* Some devotees contend that in Sri Krsna's aprakata lila there is no parakiya and that it is only expressed in his prakata lila. This is a big topic.
Syamasundara - April 30, 2006 9:21 pm
3.Followers of Gaura-nagara-bhava doctrine are giving example of Narahari Sarkar Thakura. They said that Gaura-arati song by Bhaktivinoda Thakur is just variant of old Viravallabha’s poem and they states that originally lines are ‘narahari gadadhara camara dhulawe’’ indicates that Narahari “Narahari was the only devotee who had the adhikara (right) to do Gaura-kirtana in Gaurasundara's presence.” They cited poems of Narahari to be example of gaura-nagara-bhava practice.
I don't get it. This line you mention talks about waving the camara; unles you meant the right to perform arati, this makes no sense. Bhaktivinoda's song says for example that Sañjaya Mukunda and Vasughosa are leading the singing, what would Viravallabha's version say in this regard?
As far as the worship of Jahnavi Nitai I'd like to hear more about it if possible, other than that it's ok; I would also like to mention that in Puri next to Tota Gopinatha there are murtis of Balarama with Revati and the other wife (sorry can't recall). The funny thing is that they are really murtis of tribhanga krsna with two gopi figures, but they put a bugle in the Lord's hands instead of the flute.
Igor - April 30, 2006 9:50 pm
That do not have too much sense to me either, but that are some of their arguments. As far as I understood Narahari had "exclusive" right to worship Lord Gauranga and in his poems they are finding some support for gaura-nagara-bhava because he had adhikar-right to worship Gauranga and he expressed some ideas in his songs with sentiment similar to "nagari" bhava. Followers of such doctrine also saying that such secret was revealed thought Narahari, and they all agree that such doctrine is not present in the line of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, they said that Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu did not instruct Rupa and Sanatana about that practice.
Narahari wrote book "Gaura carita Cintamani", and they said that he has revealed his heart in following poem:
nadiya nagariganera carane
mati rohu mora jivane marane
emana kakhana na dekhi na suni
priya lagi saba tiyagiya amani
gaura preme tanu gathita sabara
ke bujhibe iha sakati kahara
ei asa naraharira hiyaya
ei sabara guna gaiye sadaya
"In life or in death my mind rests at the lotus-feet of the Nadiya nagaris. I have never seen such renunciation; for they quickly forsake everything for their priya Gauranga's seva. Their bodies are molded from Gaura prema; so who can estimate their sakti? Thus Narahari always desires to sing their glories."
Igor - April 30, 2006 10:04 pm
Srilla Bhaktisidhantha Sarasvati Thakura wrote about that topic
“The over-indulgence in sambhoga exhibited by the pretentious group known as the gaura-nagari, who are not actually sincere followers of Lord Krsna, is due to hypocrisy; it simply causes obstacles on the path to pure devotion. Their sambhoga is nothing more than self-aggrandizement and selfserving pleasure. It is bereft of pure devotion to Krsna. If one understands the meaning of the following sloka, then he will not allow himself to be goaded into enjoying his senses, and hereby as an excuse try to present Lord Caitanya as a pleasure-seekers, or nagari [Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 4.165]:
Swami - April 30, 2006 10:16 pm
Followers of such doctrine also saying that such secret was revealed thought Narahari, and they all agree that such doctrine is not present in the line of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, they said that Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu did not instruct Rupa and Sanatana about that practice.
This says it all, for it was Sri Rupa and Sanatana that Maharpabhu empwoered to tell all there is to know. As for the song attributed to Narahari, it could very well be interpolated. Remember, such padas are the only thing present day Gaura Nagar advocates have to offer as evidence in support of their postion. Everything else goes against it, logic, scripture, example, etc.
Igor - May 1, 2006 5:34 pm
I don't get it. This line you mention talks about waving the camara; unles you meant the right to perform arati
I found explanation. They said that ‘narahari gadadhara camara dhulawe’ indicates that Narahari was worshiping Mahaprabhu together with Gadadhara, he was offering camara to Gadadhara - and Gadadhara is Radharani - therefore they said that is evidence for such worshiping - Radha-Krsna, Gaura-Gadadhara.
Swami in previous post made it perfectly clear - Mahaprabhu empowered Srilla Rupa and Sanatana to spread bhakti.
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - May 1, 2006 7:19 pm
I would like to add couple of quotes by Guru Maharaja on the topic which had been posted in this forum previously.
It should be emphasized that no eternal associate of Mahaprabhu has taught any sadhana corresponding with Gaura-nagara bhava. Sadhana is not to be maufactured. It decsends from above and corresponds with a particular sadhya. Without the sadhana, how can there be such a sadhya? We are not to make up a sadhana corresponding with an imagined sadhya in the name of bhakti. In fact doing so is nothing more than a disturbance to the society of devotees.
sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate, "
"Devotional service performed without reference to the Vedas, Puranas, Pancaratras, etc., must be considered sentimentalism, and it causes nothing but disturbance to society."
Gaura is Rasaraja and mahabhava combined. To separate these two aspects in the name of "Rasaraja Guara," as the gaur-nagara advocates do, is to do away with Gaura altogether.
Syamasundara - May 1, 2006 11:36 pm
Jagadananda Pandit was also worshiping Gaura (and Nitai), and he is no sakti tattva like Gadadhara or Visnupriya, nor Visnu tattva like Advaita.
Swami - May 2, 2006 1:22 am
'Igor wrote:
"I found explanation. They said that ‘narahari gadadhara camara dhulawe’ indicates that Narahari was worshiping Mahaprabhu together with Gadadhara, he was offering camara to Gadadhara - and Gadadhara is Radharani - therefore they said that is evidence for such worshiping - Radha-Krsna, Gaura-Gadadhara."
.....
Worship of Gaura Gadadhara is not Gaura nagara bhava. Garua Gadadhara worship is raga marg worship that involves seeing them as Radha Krsna, but it has nothing to do with becoming a so called manjari of Visnupriya devi, not to speak of becoming a manjari (?) of Gadadhara.
Jagadananda Pandit was also worshiping Gaura (and Nitai), and he is no sakti tattva like Gadadhara or Visnupriya, nor Visnu tattva like Advaita.
Jagadananda is sakti-tattva, Satyabhama in Puri in the least. Otherwise worship of Gaura Nitai is for everyone, while worship of Gaura Gadadhara may not be for everyone.