Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s definitive treatise.
Prākṛta-rasa-śata-dūṣaṇī
One Hundred Refutations of Mundane Rasa
Part Two
রাগানুগা বলিলেই প্রাপ্তরস জানে না
বিধি-শোধ্যজনে কভু রাগানুগ বলে না ॥২১॥
rāgānugā balilei prāpta-rasa jāne nā
vidhi-śodhya-jane kabhu rāgānuga bale nā [21]
[A rāgānuga-bhakta] jāne nā–does not think [that] balilei–just by saying rāgānugā–‘rāgānugā-bhakti’ [one has] prāpta–attained rasa–rasa. [A rāgānuga-bhakta] kabhu nā–never bale–says jane–someone [who] śodhya–needs to be purified vidhi–by regulations [is] rāgānuga–a rāgānuga-bhakta. [21]
A rāgānuga-bhakta does not think that just by saying ‘rāgānugā-bhakti’, one has attained rasa, and a rāgānuga-bhakta never says someone who needs to be purified by regulations is a rāgānuga-bhakta.
সাধনের পূর্ব্বে কেহ ভাবাঙ্কুর পায় না
জড়ে শ্রদ্ধা না ছাড়িলে রতি কভু হয় না ॥২২॥
sādhanera pūrve keha bhāvāṅkura pāya nā
jaḍe śraddhā nā chhāḍile rati kabhu haya nā [22]
keha nā–No one pāya–feels aṅkura–the sproat bhāva–of bhāva pūrve–prior to sādhanera–practice. rati–Rati kabhu nā–never haya–arises chhāḍile nā–if one has not given up śraddhā–faith jaḍe–in the mundane. [22]
No one feels the sproat of bhāva prior to the stage of sādhana-bhakti. Rati never never arises if one has not given up faith in the mundane.
জাতভাব না হইলে রসিক ত হয় না
জড়ভাব না ছাড়িলে রসিক ত হয় না ॥২৩॥
jāta-bhāva nā ha-ile rasika ta haya nā
jaḍa-bhāva nā chhāḍile rasika ta haya nā [23]
[If] jāta–developed bhāva–bhāva ha-ile nā–has not arisen, ta–indeed haya nā–one cannot become rasika–a relisher of rasa, [and] chhāḍile nā–if one does not give up jaḍa–mundane bhāva–bhāva, ta–indeed haya nā–one cannot become rasika–a relisher of rasa. [23]
If developed bhāva has not arisen, one cannot become a rasika, and if one does not give up mundane bhāva, one cannot become a rasika.
মূলধন রসলাভ রতি বিনা হয় না
গাছে না উঠিতে কা̐দি বৃক্ষমূলে পায় না ॥২৪॥
mūla-dhana rasa-lābha rati vinā haya nā
gāchhe nā uṭhite kā̐di vṛkṣa-mūle pāya nā [24]
lābha–Attainment rasa–of rasa, mūla–the foremost dhana–wealth, haya nā–does not occur vinā–without rati–rati. pāya nā–One cannot attain [it] uṭhite nā–by not climbing gāchhe–the tree [and simply] kā̐di–crying mūle–at the bottom vṛkṣa–of the tree. [24]
Without rati, there is no attainment of rasa, the foremost wealth. One cannot attain it by not climbing the tree and simply crying at the bottom.
সাধনে অনর্থ আছে রসোদয় হয় না
ভাবকালে নামগানে ছলরস হয় না ॥২৫॥
sādhane anartha āchhe rasodaya haya nā
bhāva-kāle nāma-gāne chhala-rasa haya nā [25]
rasa–Rasa udaya haya nā–does not arise [when] anartha–vices āchhe–are present sādhane–in [one’s] practice. chhala–False rasa–rasa haya nā–does not arise gāne–in chanting nāma–the Name kāle–at the time bhāva–of bhāva. [25]
Rasa does not arise when anarthas are present in one’s sādhana. False rasa does not arise in the chanting of the Name in the stage of bhāva.
সিদ্ধান্তবিহীন হৈলে কৃষ্ণে চিত্ত লাগে না
সম্বন্ধহীনের কভু অভিধেয় হয় না ॥২৬॥
siddhānta-vihīna haile kṛṣṇe chitta lāge nā
sambandha-hīnera kabhu abhidheya haya nā [26]
haile–If one is vihīna–bereft siddhānta–of a proper conception, chitta–the mind lāge nā–does not become attached kṛṣṇe–to Kṛṣṇa. abhidheya–The process kabhu nā–never haya–reaches success hīnera–for those who are devoid sambandha–of [understanding of the soul’s] relationship [with the Lord]. [26]
If one does not know siddhānta, the mind does not become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Those who lack sambandha-jñān never succed in abhidheya.
সম্বন্ধবিহীন জন প্রয়োজন পায় না
কুসিদ্ধান্তে ব্যস্ত জন কৃষ্ণসেবা করে না ॥২৭॥
sambandha-vihīna jana prayojana pāya nā
kusiddhānte vyasta jana kṛṣṇa-sevā kare nā [27]
jana–Persons vihīna–bereft sambandha–of [understanding of the soul’s] relationship [with the Lord] pāya nā–do not reach prayojana–the goal. jana–Persons vyasta–preoccupied kusiddhānte–with misconception kare nā–do not engage in sevā–the service kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa. [27]
Those who lack sambandha-jñān do not attain prayojan. Those who are preoccupied with misconception do not serve Kṛṣṇa.
সিদ্ধান্ত‑অলস জন অনর্থ ত ছাড়ে না
জড়ে কৃষ্ণ ভ্রম করি’ কৃষ্ণসেবা করে না ॥২৮॥
siddhānta-alasa jana anartha ta chhāḍe nā
jaḍe kṛṣṇa bhrama kari’ kṛṣṇa-sevā kare nā [28]
jana–Persons [who are] alasa–lazy siddhānta–about [learning] the proper conception ta–indeed chhāḍe nā–do not give up [their] anartha–vices. bhrama kari’–They confuse kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa jaḍe–with matter [and] kare nā–do not engage in sevā–the service kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa. [28]
Those who are lazy about learning siddhānta do not give up their anarthas. They confuse Kṛṣṇa with matter and do not engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service.
কৃষ্ণনামে ভক্ত জড়বুদ্ধি কভু করে না
অনর্থ না গেলে নামে রূপ দেখা দেয় না ॥২৯॥
kṛṣṇa-nāme bhakta jaḍa-buddhi kabhu kare nā
anartha nā gele nāme rūpa dekhā deya nā [29]
bhakta–A devotee kabhu nā–never buddhi kare–thinks kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa’s nāme–Name [is] jaḍa–material. [If one’s] anartha–vices gele nā–have not gone away, [Kṛṣṇa’s] rūpa–form dekhā deya nā–does not reveal [Himself] nāme–through the Name. [29]
A devotee never thinks Kṛṣṇa’s Name is material. If one’s anarthas have not gone away, Kṛṣṇa’s form does not reveal Himself through the Name.
অনর্থ না গেলে নামে গুণ বুঝা যায় না
অনর্থ না গেলে নামে কৃষ্ণসেবা হয় না ॥৩০॥
anartha nā gele nāme guṇa bujhā yāya nā
anartha nā gele nāme kṛṣṇa-sevā haya nā [30]
[If one’s] anartha–vices gele nā–have not gone away, [Kṛṣṇa’s] guṇa–qualities bujhā yāya nā–cannot be understood nāme–through the Name. [If one’s] anartha–vices gele nā–have not gone away, haya nā–there is no sevā–service kṛṣṇa–to Kṛṣṇa nāme–through the Name. [30]
If one’s anarthas have not gone away, Kṛṣṇa’s qualities cannot be understood through the Name. If one’s anarthas have not gone away, there is no service to Kṛṣṇa through the Name.
রূপ‑গুণ‑লীলা-স্ফূর্ত্তি নাম ছাড়া হয় না
রূপ‑গুণ‑লীলা হৈতে কৃষ্ণনাম হয় না ॥৩১॥
rūpa-guṇa-līlā-sphūrti nāma chhāḍā haya nā
rūpa-guṇa-līlā haite kṛṣṇa-nāma haya nā [31]
sphūrti–Revelation [of Kṛṣṇa’s] rūpa–form, guṇa–qualities, [and] līlā–Pastimes haya nā–does not occur chhāḍā–without nāma–the Name. kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa’s nāma–Name haya nā–does not manifest haite–from [His] rūpa–form, guṇa–qualities, [or] līlā–Pastimes. [31]
Revelation of the Kṛṣṇa’s form, qualities, and Pastimes does not occur without the Name. Kṛṣṇa’s Name does not manifest from His form, qualities, or Pastimes.
রূপ হৈতে নাম‑স্ফূর্ত্তি গুরু কভু বলে না
গুণ হৈতে নাম‑স্ফূর্ত্তি গুরু কভু বলে না ॥৩২॥
rūpa haite nāma-sphūrti guru kabhu bale nā
guṇa haite nāma-sphūrti guru kabhu bale nā [32]
guru–A Guru kabhu nā–never bale–says [there is] sphūrti–revelation nāma–of [Kṛṣṇa’s] Name haite–from [His] rūpa–form. guru–A Guru kabhu nā–never bale–says [there is] sphūrti–revelation nāma–of [Kṛṣṇa’s] Name haite–from [His] guṇa–qualities.[32]
A Guru never says there is revelation of Kṛṣṇa’s Name from His form. A Guru never says there is revelation of Kṛṣṇa’s Name from His qualities.
লীলা হৈতে নাম‑স্ফূর্ত্তি রূপানুগ বলে না
নাম‑নামী দুই বস্তু রূপানুগ বলে না ॥৩৩॥
līlā haite nāma-sphūrti rūpānuga bale nā
nāma-nāmī dui vastu rūpānuga bale nā [33]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say [that there is] sphūrti–revelation [of Kṛṣṇa’s] nāma–Name haite–from [Kṛṣṇa’s] līlā–Pastimes. rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say [that] nāma–the Name [and] nāmī–the Named [are] dui–two [different] vastu–things. [33]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not say that there is revelation of Kṛṣṇa’s Name from Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes. A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not say the Name and the Named (Kṛṣṇa Himself) are two different things.
রস আগে রতি পাছে রূপানুগ বলে না
রস আগে শ্রদ্ধা পাছে গুরু কভু বলে না ॥৩৪॥
rasa āge rati pāchhe rūpānuga bale nā
rasa āge śraddhā pāchhe guru kabhu bale nā [34]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say, āge–“First rasa–rasa, pāchhe–then rati–rati.” guru–A Guru kabhu nā–never bale–says, āge–“First rasa–rasa, pāchhe–then śraddhā–faith.” [34]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not say, “First rasa, then rati.” A Guru never says, “First rasa, then śraddhā.”
রতি আগে শ্রদ্ধা পাছে রূপানুগ বলে না
ক্রম-পথ ছাড়ি’ সিদ্ধি রূপানুগ বলে না ॥৩৫॥
rati āge śraddhā pāchhe rūpānuga bale nā
krama-patha chhāḍi’ siddhi rūpānuga bale nā [35]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say, āge–“First rati–rati, pāchhe–then śraddhā–faith.” rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say, [there can be] siddhi–perfection chhāḍi’–by giving up krama–the gradual patha–path. [35]
A follower Śrī Rūpa does not say, “First rati, then śraddhā.” A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not say one can reach perfection by giving up the gradual path.
মহাজন-পথ ছাড়ি’ নব্য‑পথে ধায় না
অপরাধ‑সহ নাম কখনই হয় না ॥৩৬॥
mahājana-patha chhāḍi’ navya-pathe dhāya nā
aparādha-saha nāma kakhanai haya nā [36]
[A follower of Śrī Rūpa] chhāḍi’ nā–does not reject patha–the path mahājana–of the great souls [and] dhāya–run [down] navya–a new pathe–path. nāma–The Name kakhanai nā–never haya–manifests saha–in the midst aparādha–of offences. [36]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not reject the path of the great souls and run down a new path. The Name never manifests in the midst of offences.
নামে প্রাকৃতার্থ‑বুদ্ধি ভক্ত কভু করে না
অপরাধযুক্ত নাম ভক্ত কভু লয় না ॥৩৭॥
nāme prākṛtārtha-buddhi bhakta kabhu kare nā
aparādha-yukta nāma bhakta kabhu laya nā [37]
bhakta–A devotee kabhu nā–never buddhi kare–thinks nāme–the Name [is] artha–something prākṛta–mundane. bhakta–A devotee kabhu nā–never laya–takes nāma–the Name yukta–with aparādha–offences. [37]
A devotee never thinks the Name is something mundane. A devotee never chants the Name with offences.
নামেতে প্রাকৃতবুদ্ধি রূপানুগ করে না
কৃষ্ণরূপে জড়বুদ্ধি রূপানুগ করে না ॥৩৮॥
nāmete prākṛta-buddhi rūpānuga kare nā
kṛṣṇa-rūpe jaḍa-buddhi rūpānuga kare nā [38]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa buddhi kare nā–does not think nāmete–the Name [is] prākṛta–material. rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa buddhi kare nā–does not think kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa’s rūpe–form [is] jaḍa–mundane. [38]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not think the Name is material. A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not think Kṛṣṇa’s form is mundane.
কৃষ্ণগুণে জড়বুদ্ধি রূপানুগ করে না
পরিকর‑বৈশিষ্ট্যকে প্রাকৃত ত জানে না ॥৩৯॥
kṛṣṇa-guṇe jaḍa-buddhi rūpānuga kare nā
parikara-vaiśiṣṭyake prākṛta ta jāne nā [39]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa buddhi kare nā–does not think kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa’s guṇe–qualities [are] jaḍa–mundane. [A follower of Śrī Rūpa] ta–indeed jāne nā–does not consider [Kṛṣṇa’s] parikara–associates [and] vaiśiṣṭyake–unique characteristics [to be] prākṛta–material. [39]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not think Kṛṣṇa’s qualities are mundane, and they do not consider Kṛṣṇa’s associates and unique characteristics to be material.
কৃষ্ণলীলা জড়তুল্য রূপানুগ বলে না
কৃষ্ণেতর ভোগ্য‑বস্তু কৃষ্ণ কভু হয় না ॥৪০॥
kṛṣṇa-līlā jaḍa-tulya rūpānuga bale nā
kṛṣṇetara bhogya-vastu kṛṣṇa kabhu haya nā [40]
rūpānuga–A follower of Śrī Rūpa bale nā–does not say kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa’s līlā–Pastimes [are] tulya–comparable jaḍa–to matter. kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa kabhu nā–never haya–becomes vastu–an object bhogya–of enjoyment itara–for anyone other than kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa. [40]
A follower of Śrī Rūpa does not say that Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes are comparable to material affairs. Kṛṣṇa never becomes an object of enjoyment for anyone other than Himself.
[To be continued …]
Glossary
abhidheya: the means to the end; the practice of devotion, and mainly, the stage of sādhana-bhakti.
anarthas: misconceptions, desires for the mundane, offences, and weaknesses of heart.
anartha-nivṛtti: the gradual cessation of anarthas and development of niṣṭhā.
aprākṛta: lit. ‘not mundane’; supramundane, divine, spiritual; something part of, or related to, the highest plane of spiritual existence, the land of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes, which at times resembles the mundane world but is nevertheless ‘not mundane’.
aparādha: offence; an action that is contrary to the rules, principles, or mood of devotion to the Lord; an action that displeases the Lord; substandard worship.
āsakti: attachment; natural ruchi for the Lord and His service.
bhajana-kriyā: engaging in practices of devotion, such as hearing, chanting, and serving, according to the instructions of Śrī Guru and the sādhus.
bhakti: service to the Supreme Lord rendered solelym unconditionally, and constantly for His pleasure.
bhāva (bhāva-bhakti): devotion composed of the Lord’s spiritual energy (the samvit- and hlādinī-śaktis) that resembles a ray of the sun of prema-bhakti and melts the heart with ruchi; the second of the three stages of bhakti, following sādhana-bhakti and preceding prema-bhakti.
guru: lit. ‘heavy’; master, teacher; one who dispels darkness; the form the Supreme Lord assumes to distribute divine knowledge.
krama-patha: the gradual path; the path given by Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī in Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (Pūrva-vibhāga, 4.15–6) for the development of prema-bhakti which contains nine general stages: śraddhā, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, ruchi, āsakti, bhāva, and finally prema. Krama-patha also in some cases refers to the gradual process by which the Lord reveals Himself sequentially as His nāma, rūpa, guṇa, and then līlā—His Name, then His form, then His qualities, and finally His Pastimes.
nāma: lit. ‘name’; the Name of the Supreme Lord; the personal form of the Lord as His Name, nondifferent from the Lord Himself.
niṣṭhā: constant engagement in the service of the Lord free from anarthas.
prakṛti: material energy.
prākṛta: material, made of or based on material energy.
prayojan: the goal; the highest attainment: Śrī Kṛṣṇa-prema.
prema (prema-bhakti): divine love; extremely intense bhāva that completely melts the heart and produces intense feelings of loving possessiveness for the Lord.
rāga: intense natural immersion in the object of one’s desire, one’s worshippable master.
rāgānuga: a practitioner of rāgānugā-bhakti.
rāgānugā (rāgānugā-bhakti): devotion that follows the devotion of the residents of Vraja, whose devotion is based purely on rāga.
rasa: the inconceivable, wonderful taste within service to the Lord found in the hearts of pure devotees; rati (sthāyī-bhāva) brought into the heart by hearing, chanting, and other practices of devotion and nourished by vibhāvas, anubhāvas, sāttvika-bhāvas, and vyabhichārī-bhāvas.
rasika: a devotee in the stage of bhāva-bhakti or prema-bhakti who has genuine experience of rasa.
rati: a synonym for bhāva and sthāyī-bhāva.
ruchi: genuine taste for the Lord and His service that arises on the basis of niṣṭhā.
Rūpa (Śrī): Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī, the author Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and the foremost authority on the science of rasa.
sādhaka: practitioner, esp. one engaged in the practice of sādhana-bhakti.
sādhana (sādhana-bhakti): engagement of the senses in devotional practices aimed at uncovering the eternal nature of the soul; the first of the three stages of bhakti, followed by bhāva-bhakti and prema-bhakti. (Brs: 1.2.2)
sādhu: one who is adherent to truth, that is, devoted to the Lord and His service.
sādhu-saṅga: association with and service to sādhus; taking shelter at the feet of Śrī Guru and being initiated and trained by Śrī Guru in service to the Lord and all that is dear to Him.
sahajiyāism: imitationism; imitating the behaviour of those who have rati and taste rasa and/or wrongly believing that one has rati and tastes rasa when in fact one does not.
sambandha-jñān: knowledge of the Supreme Lord, His energies, and their relationships; the foundation of the practice of devotion.
siddhānta: proper conclusions and conceptions; the essence of the teachings of the sādhus and scriptures.
śiṣya: a disciple, one who accepts discipline.
śraddhā: faith in revealed truth produced by association with sādhus; faith that by serving Kṛṣṇa all duties and desires are fulfilled.
sthāyī-bhāva: foundational rati for Kṛṣṇa, which has any one of five primary forms: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and madhura [adoration, servitude, friendship, affectionate guardianship, and paramour love].
vaidhī: based on the regulations of the scriptures.
vaidhī-bhakti: sādhana-bhakti based on the regulations of the scriptures (rather than on rāga).