Vipralambha – True Separation of Divine Love
According to the revealed scriptures, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, is eternal and His pure devotees are also eternal. But the question arises that how can the pure devotees who are in a material body be eternal? Since we all know that this material body is temporary. If we try to find the answer to this question then we arrive at the following conclusion – pure devotees live their lives according to the instructions of the Supreme Lord. So the instruction can also be to accept a material human body which is temporary. Hence to fulfill the desires of the Lord, pure devotees who are eternal by nature accept a material body that is not eternal.
Therefore, we individuals who are desirous of making this extremely rare human birth brim with loving devotion must renounce our own desires which are inimical to the scriptures and born of the speculative mind; rather, we must live our lives following the instructions of our pure devotee initiating spiritual master (diksa guru) and the instructions of our instructing spiritual masters (siksa gurus). The more the people of this world, indulging in their own independence, give up the path of following in the footsteps of the pure devotees, the greater the chaos that will manifest in society.
The Lord bestows His causeless mercy upon those who are non-duplicitous and completely surrendered unto Him. Those who are the recipient of the Lord’s mercy will never have the fear of losing anything related to this material world. In the realm of pure devotion, the intense desire for material gain, name, fame, distinction, and desire are counted amongst the deadliest things of the material world. To the extent to which we develop an attachment to material gain, name, fame, distinction, and desire, to precisely that extent, we will become confused and doubtful. Eventually, we will become totally separated from the Lord and from the association of His pure devotees. The more we get separated from these manifestations of pure devotion, namely the devotees and the spiritual master, the greater we will undergo pain and suffering from the fears of this material world.
The main goal of taking birth in a human body in this material world is to render devotional service imbued with pure love to the Supreme Lord Krishna while being free from material greed and lust. It is precisely this service attitude that is the eternal constitutional position of each and every living entity. The perfection of this human form of life is achieved if one can render such devotional service following in the footsteps of the Lord’s pure devotees.
Gopinath Gaudiya Math’s founder ācārya, he who has entered the Lord’s eternal pastimes (nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa), 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur is one such pure devotee of the Lord amongst the pure devotees of all Vaishnava disciplic successions. Throughout his life, Sri Srimad Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur taught us by his personal example to be a living embodiment of the third verse of Sriman Sacinandana Mahaprabhu’s Śikṣāṣṭakam. He lived his entire life according to this verse and taught through his own example. Even in this iron age of quarrel, hypocrisy, and crookedness, by the mercy of guru-vaishnava-bhagavan, by becoming humble and tolerant, by giving up material gains, worship, and position, by offering appropriate respect to everyone and by chanting the Holy Name in a peaceful state of mind, one can become qualified to achieve pure love of God – Krishna-prema, which is extremely rare even for the residents of heaven (svarga).
We are publishing this edition of Bhagavata Dharma e-magazine on the auspicious occasion of my Gurudeva’s disappearance day festival. On the disappearance day, devotees normally reflect upon and realize the separation felt from the physical presence of the spiritual master. We can gauge our spiritual progress by measuring the extent to which we feel this separation. Therefore, we cannot ignore the importance of separation. Amongst the whole community of devotees, the realization of separation experienced by three individuals described by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami in the Caitanya Caritamrta is by no means equal to or even comparable to the separation we feel from other Vaishnava ācāryas. Rather, Gaudiya Vaishnava devotees are eternally longing to taste the separation felt by these three individuals described by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswamipada.
The manifestation of this topmost separation was first experienced by Srimati Radharani who is non-different from Krishna and also is the pleasure-giving potency of the Lord. Once, Krishna and His elder brother Balarama, were invited by their uncle Kamsa, to visit Mathura. Krishna and Balarama had mounted the chariot and were almost commencing Their journey from Vrindavan to Mathura. At that time, Radharani along with Her various associates (sakhīs), blocked the path of the chariot and manifested their first such expression of separation. Krishna then promised Radharani and Her sakhīs that He would return to Vrindavan very soon. Much time passed by however Krishna’s return to Vrindavan, according to His promise had still not occurred. Separation born from the absence of Krishna’s direct presence and association caused Radharani to lament and say:
ayi dīna-dayārdra-nātha! he mathurā-nātha! kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham
Word Meaning
ayi – Oh!; dīna-dayārdra-nātha! – master who is compassionate upon the fallen!; he – Oh!; mathurānātha-master of Mathura; kadāvalokyase– when will I be able to see you;hṛdayam-heart; tvad-aloka-kātaram-pain from not seeing you; dayita – Oh my dear; bhrāmyati– becomes overwhelmed; kim – what; karomy aham– do I do?
“Oh, deliverer of the fallen souls! From being the Lord of Vrindavan, now you have become the Lord of Mathura.” Krishna always stays in Vrindavan in the core of His heart. However, due to being extremely afflicted in the pain of separation, Srimati Radharani said, “Oh Lord of Mathura”! But the very next moment, She said, “My heart is jumping out of my chest with the desire to serve You personally.” This internal expression of deep, intense love coupled with an external expression of anger is termed as mān. Under the influence of this mān, Srimati Radharani continued, “My dearest, without the service to You, what shall I do?”
Seeing the highest manifestation of these feelings of separation, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswamipada wrote the following verse:
ei śloka kahiyāchena rādhā-thākurāṇī।
tānra kṛpāya sphuriyāche mādhavendra-vāṇī।।
kibā gauracandra ihā kare āsvādana।
ihā āsvādite āra nāhi cauṭha-jana।।
(Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya 4:194)
Word Meaning
ei – this; śloka-verse; kahiyāchena – has spoken; rādhā–ṭhākurāṇī- Radharani who is the supreme controller; tānra -Her; kṛpāya – by the mercy; sphuriyāche– has manifested; mādhavendra-vāṇī – the words of MadhavendraPuri; kibā– what; gauracandra -Gauracandra; ihā – this; kare āsvādana– tastes; ihā– this; āsvādite-to taste; āra nāhi – no other; cauṭha-jana – fourth person
“This verse (ayidīna-dayārdra-nātha…) was spoken by Srimati Radha Thakurani. By Her mercy, this verse was manifested through the words of Madhavendra Puri. Sri Gaurachandra tasted this verse. There is no fourth person who can taste this verse.
By studying the above two verses, we can understand that firstly, Srimati Radharani uttered the topmost expression of separation, ayi dīna-dayārdra-nātha, with the objective of getting the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna to return to Vrindavan. After tasted by Srimati Radharani, this topmost expression of separation was tasted by the ācārya of divine love, Madhavendra Puripada. Both Advaita ācārya and Nityananda Prabhu had the utmost respect, reverence, and affection for Madavendra Puripada. After tasted by Madhavendra Puri, this topmost feeling of separation was then tasted by Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari who is Sri Krishna Himself, beautifully ornamented with Radharani’s mood and complexion. He is the form of extreme magnanimity, coming to deliver everyone in this iron age of Kali and He is the life of the residents of Nadia. Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami concludes the verse by saying that other than these three divine personalities, there is not a fourth person to this day in the entire world of devotees who can taste this mood of separation.
The main goal of our spiritual lives is to taste a drop of this mood of separation in our own lives. This type of separation, when experienced in the heart is known as vipralambha. To taste the essence of this vipralambha, it is of utmost necessity that we completely surrender ourselves, become straight-forward and non-duplicitous in our surrender to the spiritual masters, devotees, and the Lord (guru-vaishnava-bhagavan). Therefore, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has composed the following verse for us in his Śaranāgati:
ātma-nivedana tuyā pade kari, hainu parama-sukhī।
duḥkha dūre gela, cintā nā rahila, caudike ānanda dekhi।।
Word Meaning
ātma-nivedana– complete self-surrender; tuyā– Your; pade-lotus feet; kari -I do; hainu-I have become; parama-sukhī– most blissful; duḥkha-sadness; dūre gela– has gone far away; cintā -worries; nā rahila – do not exist; caudike-in the four directions; ānanda – bliss; dekhi – I see
“Having completely surrendered at Your lotus feet, my Lord, I have become completely blissful. Sadness has gone far away. I have no more worries. I just see bliss in all four directions.”
In order for us to taste a drop of vipralambha, it is thus clear that we must pray for i) the acceptance of genuinely following the path shown to us by the spiritual master and, ii) the mercy of the Lord. The mercy of the Lord is showered upon us solely through the pure devotees of the Lord. Therefore, it is best for those desirous of the spiritual advancement to surrender themselves completely from the very core of their hearts in the service of the spiritual master and devotees (guru-vaishnava). In this way, the might get the fortune to taste such vipralambha rasa and their extremely rare human lives will be filled with transcendental bliss.
Hari Bol