SRI NAVADVIPA-DHAMA-MAHATMYA (Appendix)

Sri Gaura Krishna Tattva

Excerpts from the writings of
Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur

Question: Are Krishna and Gaura separate entities? What is the difference between Them?

Answer: Krishna and Gaura are not separate entities. They are both relishers of madhura-rasa. There is only one slight difference between Them: there are two forms of madhurya-rasa—madhurya and audarya—and in Krishna, madhurya is prominent, while in Gaura, audarya is prominent.

(Jaiva-dharma, Chapter 17)

Question: Who came first, Sri Krishna or Sri Chaitanya?

Answer: Sri Krishna and Sri Chaitanya both exist eternally. Who came first and who came after cannot be said. "Sri Chaitanya was first, later He became Radha and Krishna, and They (Radha and Krishna) have now combined again as Sri Chaitanya." The purport of this statement (Cc: Adi, 1.5) is not that one was first and the other came after, but that both exist eternally.

(Jaiva-dharma, Chapter 14)

Question: Why is it a disturbance to worship Gaura and neglect Krishna, or worship Krishna and neglect Gaura?

Answer: Those who have decided to give up the worship of Krishna by praying to 'Sri Gauranga' do not follow the instructions of Sri Gauranga. This is unfortunate. There is no difference between Gaura and Krishna. Those who think that if they take shelter at the feet of Gauranga, they do not need to remember Krishna any more, think that Gaura and Krishna are different. There is no difference between the Pastimes of Krishna and the Pastimes of Gaura. They are one. In the Pastimes of Krishna, the object of worship is prominent, and in the Pastimes of Gauranga, the method of worship is prominent. Neither the object of worship without the method, nor simply the method without the object of worship, can ever be complete. The more one recites the Pastimes of Sri Gauranga, the more one develops divine love for the Pastimes of Krishna, and the more one recites the Pastimes of Sri Krishna, the more one remembers the Pastimes of Sri Gaura. Neither Gaura without Krishna, nor Krishna without Gaura, ever seem right. When one believes that Gaura is the highest object of worship, Sri Gauranga's Pastimes as Krishna are fully revealed. Although all these points are highly confidential, sadly they are in need of being disclosed. "We will worship Gaura, but we will not remember Krishna anymore"—such a statement is tantamount to wickedness. Similarly, the notion that, "We will worship Krishna, but we will not remember Gaura" must also be considered a great misfortune.

(Sajjana-tosani: 11.6, 'Gaura-Krishna Abheda')

Question: In what plane do the associates in the Pastimes of Sri Gaura and the associates in the Pastimes of Sri Krishna reside together?

Answer: In the original Vrindavan, the abode of Krishna and the abode of Gaura exist as two separate chambers. In the abode of Krishna, the eternally perfect and liberated associates relish audarya predominated by madhurya; they are Krishna's associates. In the abode of Sri Gaura, all these eternally perfect and liberated associates relish madhurya predominated by audarya. In some cases, they exist in multiple forms in both abodes; and in some cases, they exist in one abode in one form and do not reside in the other abode. Those who are strict worshippers of Gaura in the practising stage will serve only in the abode of Gaura in the perfected stage. Those who are strict worshippers of Krishna in the practising stage take shelter in the abode of Krishna in the perfected stage. Those who are worshippers of both Krishna and Gaura during the practising stage assume two forms and reside in both abodes simultaneously in the perfected stage. This is the ultimate secret behind the inconceivable difference and non-difference (achintya-bhedabheda) of Gaura and Krishna.

(Jaiva-dharma, Chapter 17)