Sharanagati

You know the sequence of the books that we read. The elementary study is the “Bhagavad Gita”, right? What is the middle stage? “Shrimad Bhagavatam”. Then you can get your degree. And what is the post-gradual stage? That is the “Chaitanya Charitamrita”. Anything more? Yes, this is the “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu”. Anything higher? O, further is the “Ujvala Nilamani”. The higher topics are… forbidden. Until you do not complete your studies.

And we had learned from “Bhagavata Mahatmya” that if somebody understands the complete story of “Shrimad Bhagavatam”, or hears only one word, or even one sound, one syllable – then he can achieve perfection. So we can go on with our studies without jumping too fast into “Ujvala Nilamani”.

From the “Gita” we can learn the ABC. The soul exists, dharma is there, surrender to God is the highest principle – basics. Karma, reincarnation, gunas – basics. So from the “Gita” we can understand that there IS God. From the “Bhagavatam” we can understand who is that God. “Krishnastu Bhagavan svayam” – it’s KRISHNA Himself the Supreme Lord! And in the five rasa-chapters we can understand the introduction to the divine love. Then from “Chaitanya Charitamrita” you can understand what is the life of a devotee, how devotees LIVE. And from the “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu” we can understand what is the nature of rasa. So more and more concrete, precise topics are there.

Of course, if you have this rasic vision, even in the elementary scriptures and the simple message you will find your rasa. For example in the “Gita” there is one verse and the translation goes like “the purification of the existence is necessary as a step in spiritual progress.” But what is the Sanskrit? It is “Bhaava samshudhi”. We can understand it as existence also, but “bhaava” ultimately is the mood that you have as a feeling. So rasa IS there. “Bhaava samshudhi” – to purify the feelings towards God, not simply the existence. What is this existence?! It’s nonsense in rasa-theory!

Then in “Ujvala Nilamani” there is no mention of reincarnation, of karma, of this… Only about the nature of divine connection. Some different dozens of heroes and heroines are mentioned there. No ABC. In this way progressive study is recommended in order to understand everything properly.

Studies, reading books help us entering the recommended mood. And by understanding these scriptures, we can understand something about divine affection. What was the quality of their feelings, what was the quality of their devotion – of Rupa and Ragunath. Through Rupa Goswami the happiness distributed by Govinda is coming to you. And through Raghunat this esoteric entering into the divine loving lila can be revealed.

It doesn’t matter if we had studied before. It’s good to repeat. Because if we repeat – that is the mother of knowledge. But it is said that those, who take to the ultimate teaching of glorifying the Lord and chanting the Names, they had studied all the scriptures, they had visited all the holly places, they had done all the yagyas, est.  But… this is such a nice topic, that we are ready to practice and learn the same through many, many lifetimes. It doesn’t mean that “O, I had read already once, so let’s get the second book.” If we go deep and deep, many levels of truth and rasa will be revealed to us. May be one life we see only the history, next lifetime we see Krishna, third time we see Radha-Krishna, forth time – Radha…