Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 11.01.2019 morning, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Swami Tirtha: What is the difference between the two mandalas – the Krishna mandala and the Gauranga mandala? Who is there in Krishna’s innermost lotus mandala? 

Answer: The youngest manjaris.

Swami Tirtha: Yes, and in the middle circle? 

Answer: The gopis of the same age.

Swami Tirtha: And in external circle? 

Answer: The messengers.

Swami Tirtha: Only ladies, right? And in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s circles? 

Answer: Only men.

Swami Tirtha: Well, not only. Because it is especially mentioned that in the Navadvipa mandala there is one lady and she is Jahnava Devi, Nityananda Prabhu’s wife, who was a very remarkable personality in the sampradaya after the time of Mahaprabhu. 

We can understand that Krishna comes as a direct avatar, because the nature of God, in our understanding, is the enjoyer. He is the center of all the creation, the cause of all causes and everything that is created, everything that emanates from this source, serves the purpose. This is what I mean by enjoyer – that He accepts the service of all others. 

Mahaprabhu came in a hidden form as gupta avatar. He didn’t come in His full divine splendor. He didn’t come as a recipient of all the services of the created and manifested energies. But He came as a devotee, He came as a servant of God. And He identified Himself like, I am not an accomplished Brahmin, I am not this, I am not that. But I am a servant of the servant of the servants of the Supreme[1]. So, He practiced the life of an ascetic. And what can you expect from an ascetic? To dance with young ladies under the moonlight? Better avoid such an ascetic. Nevertheless, His most intimate servants, the goswamis, originally they have this gopi mood. Although the goswamis were also ascetics, nevertheless in their original form, they represent the innocent mood of service of the gopis. 

Therefore we can say that the Radha-Govinda mandala and the Gauranga mandala, they are yoga-pithas – to focus the attention. Just like the yantra-mandala structures in general help our attention to concentrate, because from the external world you come closer and closer to the essence, to the breakthrough. But here, in these divine mandalas, we know who is in the center and we know who is in the different layers of this structure. 

So please enter, you have an invitation. Come closer to this dancing couple in the center. Then your life will be sublime. 

(to be continued)

1. Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya Lila, 13.80