Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Because the Lord is on the absolute platform, there is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Supreme Lord Himself. There are different names for the Supreme Lord, and these names have different purposes and meanings. For instance, He is known as Paramātmā, the Supersoul, Brahman the Supreme Absolute, Srishtikartā the creator, Nārāyana the transcendental Lord, Rukminīramana the husband of Rukminī, Gopīnātha the enjoyer of the gopīs, and Krishna. In this way the Lord has different names, and these names indicate different functions. The aspect of the Supreme Lord as the creator is different from the aspect of the Lord as Nārāyana. Some of the names of the Lord as the creator are conceived by materialistic men. One cannot fully realize the essence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by understanding the name of the creator because this material creation is a function of the external energy of the Supreme Lord. Thus the conception of God as the creator includes only the external feature. Similarly, when we call the Supreme Lord Brahman, we cannot have any understanding of the six opulences of the Supreme Lord. In Brahman realization, the six opulences are not realized in full; therefore Brahman realization is not complete understanding of the Supreme Lord. Neither is Paramātmā realization, realization of the Supersoul, full realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the all-pervading nature of the Supreme Lord is but a partial representation of His opulence.

Even the transcendental relationship experienced by a devotee of Nārāyana in Vaikuntha is incomplete in that it is not realization of a relationship with Krishna in Goloka Vrindāvana. The devotees of Krishna do not relish devotional service to Nārāyana because devotional service to Krishna is so attractive that Krishna's devotees do not desire to worship any other form. Thus the gopīs of Vrindāvana do not like to see Krishna as the husband of Rukminī, nor do they address Him as Rukminīramana. In Vrindāvana Krishna is addressed as Rādhākrshna, or Krishna, the property of Rādhārānī. Although the husband of Rukminī and Rādhā's Krishna are on the same level in the ordinary sense, still, in the spiritual world, the names indicate different understandings of various aspects of Krishna's transcendental personality. If one equalizes Rukminīramana, Rādhāramana, Nārāyana or any other name of the Supreme Lord, he commits the fault of overlapping tastes, which is technically called rasābhāsa. Those who are expert devotees do not accept such amalgamations which are against the conclusions of pure devotional service.

Although Śrī Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, embodies all superexcellence and beauty, when He is amongst the damsels of Vraja, He is known as Gopījanavallabha. The devotees cannot relish the beauty of the Supreme Lord more than the damsels of Vraja. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.7) it is confirmed that although Krishna, the son of Devakī, is the last word in superexcellence and beauty, when He is amongst the gopīs it appears that He is a sublime jewel set amongst divine golden craftsmanship. Although Lord Caitanya accepted this as the highest realization of the Supreme Lord as conjugal lover, He nonetheless requested Rāmānanda Rāya to proceed further.

Upon hearing this request, Rāmānanda Rāya remarked that this was the first time that he had been asked to go further than the gopīs in an attempt to understand Krishna. There is certainly transcendental intimacy between the damsels of Vraja and Krishna, Rāmānanda pointed out, but out of all the relationships, the relationship between Rādhārānī and Krishna in conjugal love is the most perfect. No common man can understand the ecstasy of transcendental love between Rādhārānī and Krishna, nor can he understand the transcendental flavor of the transcendental love between Krishna and the gopīs. Yet if one tries to follow in the footsteps of the gopīs, he may become situated in the highest stage of transcendental love. Thus one who wants to be elevated to the transcendental stage of perfection should follow in the footsteps of the damsels of Vraja as an assistant maidservant of the gopīs.

Lord Caitanya exhibited the mode of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī when She was contacted from Dvārakā by Śrī Krishna. Such transcendental love is not possible for any common man; therefore one should not imitate the highest perfectional stage exhibited by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If, however, one desires to be in that association, he may follow in the footsteps of the gopīs. In the Padma Purāna it is stated that just as Rādhārānī is dear to Krishna, similarly the kunda known as Rādhākunda is also very dear to Him. Rādhārānī is the only gopī who is dearer to Krishna than ail the other gopīs. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.30.28) it is also stated that Rādhārānī and the gopīs render the highest perfectional loving service to the Lord and that the Lord is so pleased with them that He does not wish to leave the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī.

When Lord Caitanya heard Rāmānanda Rāya speak of the loving affairs between Krishna and Rādhārānī, He said, "Please go further. Go on and on." The Lord also said that He was enjoying with great relish the descriptions of the loving affairs between Krishna and the gopīs. "It is as if a river of nectar is flowing from your lips," He said. Rāmānanda Rāya continued to point out that when Krishna danced amongst the gopīs He thought, "I am not giving any special attention to Rādhārānī." Because amongst the other gopīs Rādhārānī was not so much an object of special love, Krishna stole Her away from the area of the rāsa dance and showed Her special favor. After explaining this to Lord Caitanya, Rāmānanda Rāya said, "Now let us relish the transcendental loving affairs between Krishna and Rādhā. These have no comparison in this material world."

Rāmānanda Rāya thus continued his descriptions. During one performance of the rāsa dance, Rādhārānī suddenly left the area, as if She were angry that no special attention was being shown Her. Krishna was desirous of seeing Rādhārānī in order to fulfill the purpose of the rāsa dance, but not seeing Rādhārānī there, He became very sorrowful and went to search Her out. In Gīta-govinda there is a verse which states that the enemy of Kamsa, Krishna, also wanted to be entangled in love affairs with women and thus simply took Rādhārānī away and left the company of the other damsels of Vraja. Krishna was very much afflicted by Rādhārānī's absence and, being thus mentally distressed, began to search Her out along the banks of the Yamunā. Failing to find Her, He entered the bushes of Vrindāvana and began to lament. Rāmānanda Rāya pointed out that when one discusses the purport of these two special verses of Gīta-govinda (3.1-2), he can relish the highest nectar of Krishna's and Rādhā's loving affairs. Although there were many gopīs to dance with Krishna, Krishna especially wanted to dance with Rādhārānī. In the rāsa dance Krishna expanded Himself and placed Himself between every two gopīs, but He was especially present with Rādhārānī. However, Rādhārānī was not pleased with Krishna's behavior. As described in Ujjvala-nīlamani: "The path of loving affairs is just like the movement of a snake. Amongst young lovers, there are two kinds of mentality — causeless and causal." Thus when Rādhārānī left the area of the rāsa dance out of anger at not receiving special treatment, Krishna became very sorrowful to see Her absent. The perfection of the rāsa dance was considered to be complete due to Rādhārānī's presence, and in Her absence Krishna considered the dance to be disrupted. Therefore He left the arena to search Her out. When He could not find Rādhārānī after wandering in several places, He became very distressed. Thus it is understood that Krishna could not enjoy His pleasure potency even in the midst of all the gopīs. But in the presence of Rādhārānī He was satisfied.

When this transcendental love between Rādhārānī and Krishna was described by Rāmānanda Rāya, Lord Caitanya admitted, "I came to you to understand the transcendental loving affairs between Krishna and Rādhā, and now I am very satisfied that you have described them so nicely. I can understand from your version that this is the highest loving state between Krishna and Rādhā." Yet Lord Caitanya still requested Rāmānanda Rāya to explain something more: "What are the transcendental features of Krishna and Rādhārānī, and what are the transcendental features of the reciprocation of Their feelings, and what is the love between Them? If you kindly describe all this to Me, I will be very much obliged. But for you, no one can describe such things."

"I do not know anything," Rāmānanda Rāya replied in all humility. "I am simply saying what You are causing me to say. I know that You are Krishna Himself, yet You are relishing hearing about Krishna from me. Therefore please excuse me for my faulty expression. I am just trying to express whatever You are causing me to express."

"I am a Māyāvādī sannyāsī," Lord Caitanya protested. "I have no knowledge of the transcendental features of devotional service. By the greatness of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya My mind has become clear, and I am now trying to understand the nature of devotional service to Lord Krishna. Bhattācārya recommended that I see you in order to understand Krishna. Indeed, he said that Rāmānanda Rāya is the only person who knows something about love of Krishna. Therefore I have come to you upon the recommendation of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya. Please, then, do not hesitate to relate to Me all the confidential affairs between Rādhā and Krishna."

In this way Lord Caitanya actually took the subordinate position before Rāmānanda Rāya. This has very great significance. If one is serious about understanding the transcendental nature of Krishna, he should approach a person who is actually enriched with Krishna consciousness. One should not be proud of his material birth, material opulence, material education and beauty and with these things try to conquer the mind of an advanced student of Krishna consciousness. One who thus goes to a Krishna conscious person, thinking that he would be favorably induced, is deluded about this science. One should approach a Krishna conscious person with all humility and put relevant questions to him. If one goes to challenge him, such a highly elevated Krishna conscious person would not be available for any service. A challenging puffed-up person cannot gain anything from a Krishna conscious man; he would simply remain in material consciousness. Although Lord Caitanya was born in a high brāhmana family and was situated in the highest perfectional stage of sannyāsa, He nonetheless showed by His behavior that even an elevated person would not hesitate to take lessons from Rāmānanda Rāya, although Rāmānanda appeared as a householder situated in a social status beneath that of a brāhmana.

Thus Lord Caitanya clearly showed that a sincere student never cares whether his spiritual master is born in a high brāhmana family or kshatriya family, or whether he is a sannyāsī, brahmacārī or whatever. Whoever can teach one about the science of Krishna is to be accepted as guru.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness