An Earnest Prayer for Forgiveness

 

निःसङ्ख्या मम पूर्वजन्मसु मया ये केऽपराधाः कृता-​

स्तैर्जीवा विविधा बभूवुरनिशं सम्पीडिताः सत्यतः ।​

तान् सर्वानधुनाऽतिलज्जितमना याचे क्षमां नैकधा​

सर्वे ते शतशः क्षमेयुरिह मां निःशेषदुःखार्दितम् ॥ [शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्]​

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[Meter: śārdūla-vikrīḍitam (same as ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam)]:​

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niḥsaṅkhyā mama pūrva-janmasu mayā ye ke'parādhāḥ kṛtās​

tair jīvā vividhā babhūvur aniśaṁ sampīḍitāḥ satyataḥ​

tān sarvān adhunā'ti-lajjita-manā yāce kṣamāṁ naikadhā​

sarve te śataśaḥ kṣameyur iha mām niḥśeṣa-duḥkhārditam​

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Translation: In all my previous births, whatever countless transgressions of behaviour were committed by me, undoubtedly made various living entities constantly and exceedingly distressed.​

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Now, with a mind laden with extreme shame, I beg forgiveness in various ways to each and every one of those living entities. May they all forgive me hundreds of times, for I am tormented by unlimited distresses in this world.​

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— Composed by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 29 July 2022.

Beauty Lies in the Eye of Śāstra

सर्वाङ्गैः सर्वरम्यो हि कश्चिल्लक्षे प्रजायते ।​

शास्त्रमानेन यो रम्यः स रम्यो नान्य एव हि ॥​

शास्त्रमानविहीनं यदरम्यं तद्विपश्चिताम् ।​

एकेषामेव तद्रम्यं लग्नं यत्र च यस्य हृत् ॥​

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sarvāṅgaiḥ sarva-ramyo hi​

kaścil lakṣe prajāyate​

śāstra-mānena yo ramyaḥ​

sa ramyo nānya eva hi​

śāstra-māna-vihīnaṁ yad​

aramyaṁ tad vipaścitām​

ekeṣām eva tad ramyaṁ​

lagnaṁ yatra ca yasya hṛt​

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Translation: Among lakhs of deities, only one may be found to exude complete, all-attractive beauty through all its limbs. Truly speaking, "beautiful" is defined according to the standards of śāstra. Nothing else is considered as all-beautiful. Whatever is devoid of śāstric beauty standards is considered as unattractive by the learned. Such entities devoid of śāstric beauty standards are usually pleasing only to select people, because only their specific hearts get attracted to it. — (Śukra-nītiḥ, 4.107 - 108)

Coloring Each Other's Lives

 

श्यामः कटाक्षनिक्षेपाद्गोपीनां नूनमच्युतः ।​

गोप्यः पीतांशुकध्यानात् पीतिमानं ध्रुवं दधुः ॥​

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śyāmaḥ kaṭākṣa-nikṣepād​

gopīnāṁ nūnam acyutaḥ​

gopyaḥ pītāṁśuka-dhyānāt​

pītimānaṁ dhruvaṁ dadhuḥ​

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Translation: Without a doubt, Acyuta is dark-hued because the [dark eyed beautiful] gopīs cast their side-long glances upon him. The gopīs on the other hand, are certainly golden hued due to constantly meditating upon his golden-hued garment.​

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— (Sāhitya-kaumudī of Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa 10.34. Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa)

Recursive Desires

 

देहार्बुदानि भगवन् युगपत् प्रयच्छ​

वक्त्रार्बुदानि च पुनः प्रतिदेहमेव ।​

जिह्वार्बुदानि कृपया प्रतिवक्त्रमेव​

नृत्यन्तु तेषु तव नाथ! गुणार्बुदानि ॥ [वसन्ततिलकम्]​

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[Meter: vasanta-tilakam (Sing like brahma-saṁhitā)]:​

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dehārbudāni bhagavan yugapat prayaccha​

vaktrārbudāni ca punaḥ pratideham eva​

jihvārbudāni kṛpayā prativaktram eva​

nṛtyantu teṣu tava nātha! guṇārbudāni​

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Translation:​

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Give me ten million bodies, Lord!​

At once, give them to me.​

In each of them, do please award​

ten million mouths with glee.​

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Ten million tongues per mouth, I need.​

O Lord! Give me my chance.​

On every tongue, ten million deeds​

of yours, may always dance.​

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— Anurāga-vallī of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Verse 1. Poetic translation by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 03-April-2022.

Variant Readings

There is a popular verse glorifying Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: ​

śrī-caitanya-mano'bhīṣṭam​

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale​

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ​

dadāti sva-padāntikam​

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This is a verse that many gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas sing to honor Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. This verse is usually sung while performing maṅgalācaraṇa.​

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Recently, a few individuals have been asking me why I sing the third quarter of this verse (svayaṁ rūpah kadā mahyam) slightly differently as — "so'yaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyam". I was especially asked this by Sriman Dravida Prabhu during one of the talks that I gave.​

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The reason for my preference of this reading is simple. This verse originally occurs in the Prema-bhakti-candrikā of Śrī Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, and in many of the old editions of this work, the preferred reading is — so'yaṁ rūpaḥ.​

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There is also a Sanskrit commentary on the Prema-bhakti-candrikā by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, and in the commentary too he has preferred the reading "so'yaṁ rūpaḥ". This is highlighted in "Image 1" attached to this article.​

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A book named "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu" authored by Sri Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaja mentions both the readings. This too is attached to this article as "Image 2".​

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The meaning of the verse doesn't change much at all in this variant reading. While the phrase "svayaṁ rūpaḥ" means "Rūpa himself", the phrase "so'yaṁ rūpaḥ" means "that very Rūpa". Not much of a difference in meaning.​

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In this way, both readings have been mentioned by various authoritative sources. My preference is to side with the reading of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, since his copy of the manuscript was closer in time to Śrī Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, and hence I sing it as — "so'yaṁ rūpaḥ" instead of "svayaṁ rūpaḥ". Both readings are grammatically correct.

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Jñāna-mudrā in Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava Culture

Mudrās are specific gestures made using the hands for certain ritualistic or spiritual purposes. The jñāna-mudrā is one such mudrā, wherein the tarjanī (index finger) is joined to the anguṣṭha (thumb). This is specified in various tantra texts, for example:​

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aṅguṣṭha-tarjanībhyāṁ tu​

jñāna-mudrā prakīrtitā​

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Translation: The jñāna-mudrā is formed by joining the index finger and the thumb. (Kaulāvalī-nirṇayaḥ, 7.44)​

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This mudrā is often displayed by great ācāryas of Vedantic traditions, especially by the revered Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya.​

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At the same time however, we do not see any of the mūrtis of the six gosvāmīs displaying this mudrā. The deity of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple are also not in this mudrā. Why is it so that the mūrti of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī (the greatest Vedāntācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya) does not display the jñāna-mudrā?​

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The reason is that in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ, the jñāna-mudrā is associated specifically with those who are in śānta-rasa. The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ (3.1.24 - 26) describes the anubhāvas (after-effects) of the individual who is experiencing śānta-rasa. One of the anubhāvas is:​

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jñāna-mudrā-pradarśanam — "Displaying the jñāna-mudrā". (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ 3.1.24)​

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Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says in the Durgama-saṅgamanī commentary on this verse — jñāna-mudrā tarjany-aṅguṣṭhayor yutiḥ — "The jñāna-mudrā is displayed by joining the index finger and the thumb".​

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Śrīla Prabhupāda too specifies this in the Nectar of Devotion as follows: "When they speak, they join together the forefinger and thumb. (This is called the jñāna-mudrā position.) They are not against the atheists, nor are they particularly inclined to the devotees." (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 35).​

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Clearly, the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava position is that this mudrā is displayed mainly by those who are experiencing śānta-rasa. However, none of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas are in śānta-rasa, because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come to give ONLY FOUR rasas out of five — cāri bhāva-bhakti diyā (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi, 3.19).​

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The śānta-rasa is excluded in Mahāprabhu's flow of bhakti. The reason is that this particular rasa is mainly for the brahma-vādīs and paramātma-vādīs. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta clearly spells it out:​

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śāntera svabhāva—kṛṣṇe mamatā-gandha-hīna​

paraṁ-brahma-paramātmā-jñāna pravīṇa​

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Translation: It is the nature of śānta-rasa that not even the smallest intimacy [towards Bhagavān] exists. Rather, knowledge of impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā is prominent. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya, 19.218)​

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None of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas are interested in śānta-rasa. Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavism begins with dāsya-rasa. Therefore, initiated names do not end with "śānta" (as in Hari Pārṣada "Śānta"). Instead, names end in "Dāsa" (Hari Pārṣada Dāsa). ​

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This is the reason why we do not find any of the mūrtis of the six gosvāmīs in jñāna-mudrā. Even if some vaiṣṇava-sampradāyas have their respective ācārya-mūrtis in this mudrā, the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas prefer other mudrās viz. āśīrvāda-mudrā (giving benedictions), chanting japa, namaskāra mudrā (folded hands) or writing some bhakti-śāstra.​

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— Article and Translations by Hari Pārṣada "Dāsa". 13 June 2022.

The Injunction to Wear Tulasī-mālās

Although vaiṣṇavism is ultimately a matter of one's inner mood and disposition towards Bhagavān, there are still some external symbols that vaiṣṇavas are supposed to display on their bodies.​

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One such important external symbol is the tulasī-mālā. There is a specific injunction in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa for wearing a Tulasī-mālā. This injunction is as follows:​

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tataḥ kṛṣṇārpitā mālā​

dhārayet tulasī-dalaiḥ​

padmākṣais tulasī-kāṣṭhaiḥ​

phalair dhātryāś ca nirmitāḥ​

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Translation: An individual must wear mālās offered to Krishna. Such mālās can be made out of tulasī leaves, lotus seeds, tulasī wood or the āmalakī fruits (Indian gooseberry). — (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 4.307)​

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We should note that this verse is a vidhi-vākya (injunction). The term "dhārayet" (must wear) in the verse specifies the injunction. Grammatically, the term "dhārayet" is the causative imperative (ṇij-anta vidhi-liṅ) verbal form of the root √dhṛñ. ​

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Thus, this verse is specifying an injunction to be followed by all vaiṣṇavas. To not follow an injunction given in the vaiṣṇava-śāstras can potentially lead to pratyavāya i.e. negative results (according to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi, 4.35). Therefore, all vaiṣṇavas are expected to wear mālās.​

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A doubt arises — No specific number of rounds have been specified in this injunctive verse. How many rounds should a devotee wear around their neck?​

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The answer is hidden in the verse itself. The above-mentioned verse is a vidhi-vākya (injunction), and the term "mālā" (mālāḥ) in the verse is in plural case. Although at first sight, the term "mālā" appears to be singular in case, but the plural case is clearly revealed in the final adjective "nirmitāḥ" at the end of the verse. The commentary on this verse by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī also specifies the plural term "mālāḥ". Thus, the verse is specifying that one is expected to wear "multiple mālās".​

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The exact number is still not specified. This is a unique situation where:​

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(i) we have an injunction.​

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(ii) a plural term is used in the injunction.​

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(iii) an exact number is not ascribed to the plural term.​

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For such situations, there is a specific nyāya (maxim) mentioned in the Mīmāṁsā-śāstras. This is the maxim named Kapiñjala-adhikaraṇa-nyāya (maxim pertaining to the number of partridge birds).​

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In the Vedas, there is a statement found — vasantāya kapiñjalān ālabhet — "Offer multiple Kapiñjala birds in the spring sacrifice". This statement too is an injunction that has a plural case in the term "kapiñjalān". The exact number of Kapiñjala birds is not specified. However, according to this maxim, the number is fixed as 3 (three).​

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Similarly, in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa injunction on wearing mālās, the exact number of mālās has not been specified, but a plural term "mālāḥ" has been used. Thus, according to Kapiñjala-adhikaraṇa-nyāya, the number is set to three. In this way, a devotee is expected to wear three mālās. The three rounds that we see nowadays are nothing but another way of wearing three mālās. Devotees sometimes wear more than three rounds to get extra results — adhikasya adhikaṁ phalam — "Greater efforts lead to greater results". (Sanskrit Proverb)​

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We see also in the verse that mālās can be made out of many things viz. tulasī leaves, Indian gooseberry etc. A question naturally arises — Why then do almost all vaiṣṇavas prefer mālās made out of tulasī wood?​

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The answer is that in the next few verses of the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, special emphasis has been laid on mālās made out of tulasī wood. The verses mention tulasī wood multiple times — tulasī-kāṣṭha-sambhavām (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 4.309, 310), tulasī-kāṣṭha-sambhūte (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 4.312) etc.​

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A vaiṣṇava should not hesitate to wear tulasī-mālā at any point of time. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (4.318) clearly says — na jahyāt tulasī-mālām — "Never give up a tulasī-mālā". A vaiṣṇava should not think that they're ineligible to wear a tulasī-mālā because they're unclean or because they sometimes indulge in activities that are unwholesome. Bhagavān himself says:​

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tulasī-kāṣṭha-mālāṁ ca​

kaṇṭhasthāṁ vahate tu yaḥ​

apy aśauco 'py anācāro​

mām evaiti na saṁśayaḥ​

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Translation: Persons who wear a tulasī-mālā around their neck attain me without a doubt, even if they're most unclean or engaged in forbidden acts. — (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 4.322)​

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The tulasī-mālā is best the ornament of the vaiṣṇavas. It does not need further ornamentation by adding diamonds, pearls etc. In fact, pearls and diamonds have negligible spiritual value in front of tulasī. Devotees who wish to wear other jewellery can certainly make separate mālās, but the three-round tulasī-mālā is supposed to be like a queen ruling over the kingdom of the vaiṣṇava's neck. She should be given her distinct and unique position.​

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— Article and Translations by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 11 June 2022 (Nirjalā Ekādaśī).

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PS: The maxim on Kapiñjalas is also sometimes applied in statements that are not injunctions. For an example, one can see either the BBT Purport or Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's commentary on Śrīmad-bhāgavatam (10.90.42). The devotee in the photograph is Garib Das ji, popularly known as "Tulasī Bābā" and he stays in Govardhana.