SRI BRAHMA-SAMHITA

Verse 3

karnikaram mahad-yantram sat-konam vajra-kilakam
sadanga-satpadi-sthanam prakrtya purusena cha
premananda-mahananda-rasenavasthitam hi yat
jyotirupena manuna kama-bijena sangatam [3]

Translation: The centre of the divine lotus is the core—Krishna’s residence. It is presided over by the predominated and predominating moiety. It is mapped as a hexagonal mystic symbol. Like a diamond, the effulgent supreme entity of Krishna, the fountainhead of all divine potencies, presides as the central pivot. The great mantra of eighteen syllables, which is formed of six integral parts, is manifest as a hexagonal place with sixfold divisions.

Purport: Krishna’s lila, or pastimes, are of two basic types, either manifest or unmanifest. The pastimes of Vrindavan that may be revealed to the vision of humans is manifest Krishna-lila, whereas that which remains invisible to the eye is unmanifest Krishna-lila. In Goloka, the unmanifest lila is ever manifest, and in Gokula the manifest lila is manifest to the worldly eye when Krishna wills it.

Srila Jiva Goswami has stated in his Krishna-sandarbha, aprakata-lilatah prasutih prakata-lilayam abhivyaktih: “Manifest lila is the revelation of unmanifest lila.” It is also further said in Krishna-sandarbha, sri-vrndavanasya prakasa-viseso golokatvam; tatra pra-panchika-loka-prakata-lilavakasatvenavabhasamanam prakaso goloka iti samarthaniyam. The meaning is that any ‘interval’ which is found in Krishna’s manifest lila in the illusory world is filled by those pastimes that have their subtle presence in the background in an unmanifest way; they are the pastimes of Goloka, or Goloka-lila.

Thus, all these points are harmonized by Srila Rupa Goswami in his Laghu-Bhagavatamritam: yat tu goloka-nama syat tach cha gokula-vaibhavam; tadatmya-vaibhavatvan cha tasya tan mahimonnateh—Goloka is the transcendental manifestation of the higher transcendental glories of Gokula. So, Goloka is simply the selfsame manifestation of the majesty of Gokula.

Although each and every pastime of Krishna is not manifest in Gokula, all His pastimes are eternally manifest in Goloka. The revelation to the conditioned souls of the unmanifest lila of Goloka—Goloka being the selfsame majestic manifestation of Gokula—is of two types, namely through worship by mantra (mantra-upasanamayi) and by pure spontaneity (svarasiki). Sri Jiva Goswami has explained in his writings that any one of the various locations and associated circumstances of the divine pastimes have their constant localized existence, and so may be meditated upon by the appropriate mantra. The meditational revelation of Goloka that arises from the constant localized mantra meditation upon a location corresponding to a singular pastime is mantra-upasanamayi-lila. But those pastimes that pervade many localities with manifold divine sports and revelries are full of variegated spontaneity, and thus they are svarasiki, that is, they are revealed to the devotees whose transcendental spontaneity has matured.

Both meanings are in this verse. Firstly, in the pastimes indicated in eighteen syllables, the bases of the mantra are delegated their appropriate localities in order that each one manifest a particular pastime of Krishna: klim krsnaya govindaya gopijana-vallabhaya svaha. This mantra is said to be formed of six integral parts of six metric bases, which are (1) Krishnaya, (2) Govindaya, (3) Gopijana, (4) Vallabhaya, (5) Sva, and (6) Ha. The formation of the mantra is thus shown to be the consecutive placement of these six limbs.

The great hexagonal mystic symbol (or the circle of the Lord’s dominion, mahad-yantra) is explained as follows: the seed (bija), the impelling principle or desire-seed (kama-bija)—klim—is the central pivot within the symbol. By concentrating one’s thoughts upon the transcendental truth with the help of such a formula, one can attain perception of the truth as Chandradhvaja (Lord Siva) did.

According to the teachings of Gautamiya Tantra state, sva-sabdena cha ksetrajno heti chit-prakrtih para: the word ‘sva’ indicates ksetrajna, or the soul, and ‘ha’ indicates the higher transcendental nature. According to Sri-Haribhakti-vilasa, uttarad govindayety asmat surabhim go-jatim; tad uttarad gopijanety asmat vidyas chaturddasa, tad uttarad vallabha, etc.

In this line, one may have realization of a localized pastime through the agency of worship by the mantra. This is the objective of worship by mantra.

The general purport is that one who is deeply aspiring to enter into Krishna’s divine pastimes must, with proper perspective of his relationship in the Absolute (sambandha-jnana) born of devotional serving disposition (bhakti-rasa), render service unto Krishna with the spiritual inner self. One’s relationship with the divinity is established when this intrinsic knowledge is realized: (1) the intrinsic form of Krishna, (2) the intrinsic form of Krishna’s divine pastimes in Vraja, (3) the intrinsic form of His intimate attendants, the gopis, (4) the Intrinsic form of full self-surrender unto Krishna, in the wake of tad vallaba, those who are His most beloved—the gopis, (5) the pure soul’s divine intrinsic form (of divine cognition), and (6) chit-prakrti or the intrinsic divine nature, that is, the intrinsic nature of the soul to render divine service unto Sri Krishna.

One who is properly established in such relativity in the Absolute attains firmness (nistha) in the soul’s engagement in divine practice (abhidheya), and comes to know the only life-nectar or prospect (prayojana) to be the joy of service to the supreme male, Sri Krishna, in the ‘ego’ of a predominated maidservant of Sri Radha. This is the underlying purport.

So, initially, the ‘meditational’ pastimes of Goloka and Gokula may appear in the heart of a devotee in the stage of holy practice (sadhana) through worship by the mantra, and secondly, the unrestrained ‘free-willed’ pastimes are revealed to the devotee in the stage of perfection (siddha). This is the general position of Goloka or Gokula, which will be further illumined as the text evolves.

The meaning of jyoti-rupena manuna is that the transcendental purport is revealed in the mantra, and linking that with the transcendental desire (aprakrta-kama) of pure love for Krishna, the life of one who goes on serving in this line becomes saturated with the supreme ecstasy of joyous love divine, or premananda-mahananda-rasa. Such eternal pastimes full of love and joy are ever refulgent in Goloka.

• For Reader's Appreciation
• Feelings of Appreciation
• Prologue
• Translator's Note
• Illumination
• Verse 1
• Verse 2
• Verse 3
• Verse 4
• Verse 5
• Verse 6
• Verse 7
• Verse 8
• Verse 9

• Verse 11
• Verse 12
• Verse 13
• Verse 14
• Verse 15
• Verse 16
• Verse 17
• Verse 18
• Verse 19

• Verse 20
• Verse 21
• Verse 22
• Verse 23
• Verse 24
• Verse 25
• Verse 26
• Verse 27
• Verse 28
• Verse 29

• Verse 30
• Verse 31
• Verse 32
• Verse 33
• Verse 34
• Verse 35
• Verse 36
• Verse 37
• Verse 38
• Verse 39

• Verse 40
• Verse 41
• Verse 42
• Verse 43
• Verse 44
• Verse 45
• Verse 46
• Verse 47
• Verse 48
• Verse 49

• Verse 50
• Verse 51
• Verse 52
• Verse 53
• Verse 54
• Verse 55
• Verse 56
• Verse 57
• Verse 58
• Verse 59

• Verse 60
• Verse 61
• Verse 62

• Verse Contents

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