(excerpt taken from Facebook - Editor)
On the divine appearance day of Srila Bhakti
Vijnana Bharati Maharaja, Syamarani didi had this incredible
darsan with him last year in Vrndavana:
In Honor of the Appearance Day of Srila Bhakti
Vijnana Bharati Maharaja – July 19th
Reconciling Apparent Differences
"Ever since I received the order from Srila
Gurudeva to publish an art book consisting of the paintings I did for
Prabhupada and the paintings I did for him, I have been experiencing a great
dilemma that no one I spoke to could help me solve. Although for the most part
the instructions of Prabhupada, my diksa-guru, and Srila Gurudeva, my
siksa-guru matched up perfectly, on a couple of art occasions there seemed to
have been a difference.
This apparent difference would make it impossible for
me to know how to publish the art book properly. I finally went to beg the help
of Srila Bhakti-vijnana Bharati Gosvami Maharaja, who is a close friend of
Srila Gurudeva and who had also rendered services to Srila Prabhupada. I
figured that he would know how to reconcile and harmonize their statements.
After all, guru is one.
I was so satisfied with that darsana.
The following is a transcription of that discussion
between Srila Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Gosvami Maharaja and me, held on October
6, 2012. Srila Maharaja sometimes spoke in Hindi and sometimes in English. When
he spoke in Hindi, his disciple translated his words into English."
Syamarani dasi: As an artist for both Srila
Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja and Srila Gurudeva Bhaktivedanta
Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, I am wondering why, on rare occasions, I received
apparently contradictory instructions from them.
Srila Prabhupada never corrected me about the
peacock feathers on Lord Nrsimhadeva, Lord Narayana, and other incarnations,
whereas Srila Gurudeva was very specific – that only Vrajendra-nandana Sri
Krsna wears peacock feathers. Also, Prabhupada said to paint Mother Yasoda with
a golden complexion, and Gurudeva said to make her bluish like Krsna.
[*See
Endnote 1]
How do I reconcile this?
Srila Bharati Gosvami Maharaja: When your Srila
Prabhupada did not ask you to remove the peacock feather, that is not
incorrect, and when Narayana Maharaja requested you to take it out, that is
also not incorrect.
When we accept that all these avataras are
non-different from Krsna, whether we place the peacock feather or not, it is
not a problem. When we place it, it is justified.
Syamarani dasi: Kesava dhrta nana-vidha rupa – All
incarnations are none other than Krsna, who has assumed those forms. Like that?
Srila Bharati Maharaja: Yes, there is no
difference, so what is the problem that he didn’t say to remove it?
Later, when we grow up in bhakti, we consider,
“Krsna did not manifest His pastime as Nrsimhadeva wearing a peacock feather,
so better not to keep it.” So, both are correct. With his (Srila Prabhupada's)
vision there is no difference at all. When Srila Narayana Maharaja is asking to
remove it, there is also no problem, because he was specifically focusing on
rasa-vicara.
[*See Endnote 2]
When somebody is a small child, the teacher says,
“The sun rises in the East and sets in the West.” Then, when the student grows
up, the teacher says, “The sun is always present – twenty-four hours daily. It
never sets and never rises.” Both are true. It depends on one's qualification
for hearing and understanding.
Some qualification was there with you when you were
with Srila Svami Maharaja. There were also things that he mentioned to you to
help your gradual understanding, and there were things that you were not ready
to understand at that time. So later, when you became more ready, Srila
Narayana Maharaja could make you understand.
Here is another way to see it. When Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu was in Jagannatha Puri, He saw Jagannatha-deva, but He saw Him as
Vrajendra-nandana Krsna. He saw Him with a flute and peacock feather, but
Jagannatha has no flute or peacock feather. In the same way, if Srila Svami
Maharaja saw in that vision, it didn't matter whether he was seeing Nrsimhadeva
or anyone else. He saw Vrajndra-nandana, so there is no problem at all.
Syamarani dasi: And what about Mother Yasoda?
Srila Bharati Maharaja: When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
was on the bank of Godavari with Sri Raya
Ramananda, Raya Ramananda saw Mahaprabhu as a sannyasi first, and then saw that
He was Krsna. He saw that His complexion was Syama, bluish-black, and then he
saw that He was covered with the complexion of Srimati Radhika. So, even though
he saw Mahaprabhu, he also saw all these things as well.
In the same way, this applies to Mother Yasoda. The
pure devotees seem to be seeing and describing in a different way because
different pastimes are manifesting in front of them. If a particular pastimes
manifests, they speak according to that.
For example, my siksa-guru Srila Bhakti-Prajnana
Kesava Maharaja always installed white Krsna Deities in his temples. This is
because of his mood, since Krsna is generally always Syama-complexioned. When
it is expressed clearly why he chose to show Krsna with a white complexion,
then we can understand.
[*See Endnote 3]
Syamarani dasi: When is Mother Yasoda golden? What
pastime could that possibly be?
Srila Bharati Maharaja: There is a pastime. Mother
Yasoda sometimes becomes absorbed in thinking, “I cook so many preparations for
Krsna, but my preparations are not up to the standard of Radharani’s. When She
will come, She will cook for Krsna. By that He will have so many good dishes,
and He will be much healthier.” Then, if for some reason Srimati Radhika is
delayed in coming to Yasoda’s palace to cook, Yasoda becomes absorbed in
thinking, “When is She coming? When is She coming?” Thus, by such deep
contemplation, she adopts Radhika’s golden complexion.
[Endnote 1 – regarding Mother Yasoda’s complexion]:
“There is another description of mother Yasoda in a
devotee's prayer: ‘Let me be given protection by mother Yasoda, whose curly
hairs are bound with thread, whose hair is very brightly beautified by the
vermilion placed in the part, and whose bodily frame derides all her ornaments.
Her eyes are always engaged in seeing the face of Kåñëa, and thus they are
always filled with tears. Her complexion, which resembles the bluish lotus
flower, is enhanced in beauty by her dressing herself with many colorful garments.
Let her merciful glance fall on all of us, so that we may be protected from the
clutches of maya and smoothly progress in our devotional service!” (Srila
Prabhupada’s NOD. Ch.
mata gopa-yaso-datri yasoda syamala-dyutih
murtta vatsalatevasau sakra-capa-nibhambara (28)
Because she gives (da) fame (yasa) to the society
of the cowherds, Sri Krsna's mother is called Yasoda. Her bodily complexion is
blackish blue (syamala). She is the very personification of parental love and
her attire is colorful like the rainbow. (Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Radha-Krsna
ganodesadipika)
“The silk cloth on Mother Yasoda’s somewhat full,
bluish limbs fluttered as she swiftly ran, and the beautiful fragrant flowers
that were woven into her braid began to fall as if to say, ‘Mother, you are not
alone; we also are with you. Catch Him, quickly!’ Mother Yasoda’s pace exceeded
Krsna's, and thus she caught Him from behind.” (Srila Sanatan Gosvami’s
commentary (called Dig-darsini tika) to the Damodarastakam prayers)]
[*Endnote 2: There are two considerations:
rasa-vicara (the extent and completeness of loving relationships and pastimes)
and tattva-vicara (philosophical truth). In relation to rasa-vicara, the
peacock has specific reference and relevance in the pastimes of Vraja, and not so
anywhere else.
Also, for the sake of separation pastimes (as in
the Ratha-yatra pastimes when Krsna and the gopis meet) Gurudeva was stressing
that there is a difference between Vrajendra-nandana Krsna and Dvarakadisa
Krsna. The gopis didn’t want Krsna to remain in Dvaraka, and they didn’t want
Him to think that He is the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. The gopis told Him with
their heart’s emotions that if He wants to come back to Vrndavana, He had
better not think of Himself as the son of Devaki. He had to dawn His peacock
feather and flute.
Also, there is a difference between Krsna and His
incarnations in the sense that He is the whole and they are His plenary parts
and portions of the plenary parts. Although they are one with Him in tattva,
fundamental established truth, they are different by rasa, or the mellows of
relationships in the pastimes.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is teaching us that
Srila Prabhupada really wants us to be particularly one-pointed, to make our
goal Vraja, the highest and most complete abode of the Lord, and to take
advantage o the gift offered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to become the direct
servants of Radha and Krsna, with a leaning towards Srimati Radhika. (An
editorial note)]
[*Endnote 3 – (from Acarya Kesarai Sri Srimad
Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami, His Life and Teachings, by Srila Bhaktivedanta
Narayana Gosvami Maharaja)
“In the second prakoñöha (section) of sri mandira,
Sri Gaura Radha-Vinodabihariji are installed. Here the supremely wonderful and
mysterious white luster of Sri Vinodabihariji, who is absorbed in thinking of
Sri Radha, defeats even the bhajananandis’ bhajana secrets. Even the
bhajananandis cannot understand this highest secret, but Srila Acaryadeva has
personally explained it.
“Sriman Mahaprabhu is Himself Radha-Krsna Yugala
and Sri Radha-Kåñëa are worshiped by Sri Gaura mantra. People may ask why the
three Deities in this temple (Sri Krsna, Srimati Radharani and Sri
Gaurasundara) are all white in color. The answer is that They are not white,
but rather have the golden luster of Srimati Radhaji. By accepting Srimati
Radhika’s bodily luster, Sri Kåñëa has taken on a golden (gaura) complexion.
The bodily luster of Sri Gaurasundara is as fair as pure gold, which is why
these three have the same complexion. Here we must understand that the
apparently white complexion is actually gaura (golden).
“Why did Sri Krsna take on Sri Radha’s gaura
complexion? Srimati Radhika has a natural contrary mood (vamya-bhava) towards
Sri Krsna, but only for increasing the ever-fresh variety of krsna-seva. Once
Srimatiji became angry with Krsna and exhibited mana, and at that time Krsna
became so absorbed in thinking of Srimatiji that His syama-complexion changed
and became like Hers.
radha-cinta-nivesena yasya kantir-vilopita
sri krsna-caranam vande radhalingita-vigraham
“We refer to this deep mystery in the first verse
of Sri Radha-Vinodabihari-tattvañöakam. The word radha-lingita has two
meanings; 1) radhaya lingita, and 2) radhayaalingita.
“In the first of these meanings (radhaya lingita),
the word lingita means ‘having the appearance of.’ Sri Krsna lost His own
complexion and assumed Srimati Radhika’s due to being very absorbed in thinking
of Her in separation. This is the deep meaning of radha lingita vigraha. It is
this sri vigraha that has been brought to light here. The meaning of this deep
tattva has been illuminated by the crest-jewel of rasika Vaiñëavas, Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Öhakura in his Sri Svapna-vilasamrta. This tattva has
been manifested to the world by my Srila Guru-padapadma from the core of his
heart.
“The second meaning of radha-lingita is radhaya
alingita or ‘embraced by Radha.’ The confidential meaning of this has been
spoken by Sri Raya Ramanandaji to Sriman Mahaprabhu on the banks of Godavari .
pahile dekhilun tomara sannyasi-svarupa
eve toma dekhi muni syama-goparupa
tomara sammukhe dekhi kancana-pancalika
tanra gaurakantye tomara sarva anga òhaka
tabe hasi’ tanre prabhu dekhaila svarupa
‘rasaraja’, ‘mahabhava’—dui eka rupa
(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 8.268, 269, 282)
“Raya Ramanandaji asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ‘I
first saw You as a sannyasi, and now I am seeing You as the gopa Syamasundara.
At the same time I am seeing a golden-complexioned Deity in front of You, whose
golden luster fully covers Your Krsna-luster.’ Upon hearing this, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu laughed and gave darsana of Krsna in His distinctive gaura
complexion as ‘Rasaraja-Mahabhava’ combined. Sri Raya Ramananda fainted in
bliss when he saw this unprecedented sweet form.
“So this is another explanation of the deep mystery
of Sri Krsna's golden complexion. The syama complexion of Krsna has been
completely covered by Srimati Radhika’s embrace, and He is manifesting Her
bodily luster.
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