Sri Brahma-samhita Chapter 5 Verse 3

rasenāvasthitam hi yat

SYNONYMS

karnikāram — the whorl; mahat — great; yantram — figure; shat-konam — a hexagon; vajra — like a diamond; kīlakam — the central support; shat-ańga-shat-padī — of the eighteen-syllable mantra with sixfold divisions; sthānam — the place of manifestation; prakrityā — along with the predominated aspect of the Absolute; purushena — along with the predominating aspect of the Absolute; ca — also; prema-ānanda — of the bliss of love of God; mahā-ānanda — of the great transcendental jubilations; rasena — with the rasa (mellow); avasthitam — situated; hi — certainly; yat — which; jyotih-rūpena — transcendental; manunā — with the mantra; kāma-bījena — with the kāma-bīja (klīm); sańgatam — joined.

TRANSLATION

The whorl of that transcendental lotus is the realm wherein dwells Krishna. It is a hexagonal figure, the abode of the indwelling predominated and predominating aspect of the Absolute. Like a diamond the central supporting figure of self-luminous Krishna stands as the transcendental source of all potencies. The holy name consisting of eighteen transcendental letters is manifested in a hexagonal figure with sixfold divisions.

PURPORT

The transcendental pastimes of Krishna are twofold, viz., manifested and nonmanifested. The pastimes in Vrindāvana visible to mortal eyes are the manifestive līlā of Śrī Krishna, and that which is not so visible, is nonmanifestive līlā of Krishna. The nonmanifestive līlā is always visible in Goloka and the same is visible to human eyes in Gokula, if Krishna so desires. In his Krishna-sandarbha Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhu says, "Nonmanifestive pastimes are expressed in manifestive krishna-līlā. and goloka-līlā is the nonmanifestive pastimes of Krishna visualized from the mundane plane." This is also corroborated by Śrī Rūpa in his Bhāgavatāmrita. The progressive transcendental manifestation of Gokula is Goloka. So Goloka is the selfsame majestic manifestation of Gokula. The eternal pastimes of Śrī Krishna, although not visible in Gokula, are eternally manifested in Goloka. Goloka is the transcendental majestic manifestation of Gokula. The manifestations of the nonmanifestive pastimes of Krishna with regard to the conditioned souls, are twofold, viz., (1) worship through the channel of the mantras (inaudibly recited, liberating, self-dedicatory. transcendental sounds), (2) spontaneous outflow of heart's spiritual love for Krishna. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has said that worship through the mantra is possible permanently in the proper place, when confined to one pastime. This meditative manifestation of Goloka is the pastime attended with the worship of Krishna through the mantra. Again, the pastimes that are performed in different planes and in different moods, are autocratic in diverse ways; hence svā-rasikī, i.e., spontaneous, outflow of heart's spiritual love for Krishna. This śloka conveys a twofold meaning. One meaning is that in the pastime attended with worship through the mantra consisting of eighteen transcendental letters, transcendental words contained in the said mantra being differently placed make a manifestation of only one līlā of Śrī Krishna. As for example klīm krishnāya govindāya gopījana-vallabhāya svāhā — this is a hexagonal mantra consisting of six transcendental words, viz., (1) krishnāya, (2) govindāya, (3) gopījana, (4) vallabhāya, (5) svā, (6) hā. These six transcendental words, when placed juxtapositionally. indicate the mantra.

The hexagonal great transcendental machinery is in this wise. The principal seed, i.e. klīm, is situated in the instrument as the central pivot. Anybody with an impression of such an instrument in his mind and concentrating his thought on such spiritual entities, can attain, like Candradhvaja, to the knowledge of the cognitive principle. The word svā indicates kshetrajña i.e., one who is conversant with one's inner self, and the word hā indicates the transcendental nature. This meaning of the mantra has also been corroborated by Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. The general meaning is this that one who is desirous of entering into the esoteric pastimes of Krishna will have to practice His transcendental service along with the culture of the devotional knowledge relative to Him. (1) krishna-svarūpa — the proper Self of Krishna; (2) krishnasya cin-maya-vraja-līlā-vilāsa-svarūpa — the true nature of Krishna's transcendental pastimes in Vraja; (3) tat-parikara-gopījana-svarūpa — the true nature of His spiritual associates in Vraja, viz., the spiritual milkmen and the milkmaids; (4) tad-vallabha — the true nature of self-surrender to Krishna in the footsteps of the spiritual milkmaids of Vraja; (5) śuddha-jīvasya cid-(jñāna)-svarūpa — the true nature of the spiritual knowledge of the unalloyed individual soul; (6) cit-prakritir arthāt krishna-sevā-svabhāva — the true nature of transcendental service to Krishna is this that the esoteric relation is established on the awakening of one's pure cognition. The meaning is that rasa is only the transcendental service of the central refuge Śrī Krishna, as predominating aspect of the Absolute, by one's ego as the spiritual maid of the predominated moiety of the absolute integer, attended with pure devotion in the shape of one's entire self-surrender. The pastime in Goloka or in Gokula during the stage of devotional progress, is the meditative worship through the mantra, and during the stage of perfection the pastimes manifest themselves as the unrestrained transcendental jubilations. This is the real aspect of Goloka or Gokula, which will be made more explicit in due course. The meaning of the words jyotī-rūpena manunā [Bs 5.3] is that the transcendental meaning is expressed in the mantra by means of which, on transcendental desire of love for Krishna and the service of Krishna being added, one is established in the eternal love of Krishna. Such eternal pastimes are eternally manifested in Goloka.

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