Mādhurya Upāsanā: Dāsya Prema Part 2

 

Radharani is resting in the Nikunja Temple. What does resting mean for Radharani? She is absorbed in the contemplation of Krishna. Resting means She is so engrossed in Krishna Chintan that She is unaware of Her surroundings. Radharani is “Krishna gata Prānā”, meaning Her life depends on Krishna. She cannot live without Krishna Chintan even for the blink of an eye. When Radharani becomes engrossed in Krishna Chintan, She gets immersed in the ocean of Māhābhāva (the highest form of Bhava) and stays in a kind of trance. In the eyes of other people, it looks like She is sleeping.

One Manjari takes Her lotus feet onto her lap and massages them gently. At that very moment, Krishna arrived in the Nikunja Temple and saw the Manjari serving Radharani. He thinks, ‘Aha, this Manjari is very fortunate! My Radharani is the epitome of divine love. This Manjari is able to serve Her lotus feet! Although I am Radharani’s lover and dearest to Her, I usually don’t get a chance to serve Her lotus feet like this.’ Krishna approaches the Manjari and requests her to let Him serve Radharani. “Shhhh…” whispers the Manjari. “Radharani is sleeping. Stand on the side for now. Don’t disturb Her.” Krishna humbly prays to the Manjari, “Dear Sakhi, I join my hands and bow to you. Please, let me serve Radharani. I never get a chance to serve Her like you. Fortunately, today, I have this opportunity but without your mercy, I cannot serve Her. Please have mercy on me.”

The Manjari’s heart melts with compassion on hearing Krishna’s humble words. “Shhh…” she said to Krishna. “Okay, don’t make a sound. Radharani is sleeping.” She gently gets up and lets Krishna sit in her place. Radharani was deeply engrossed in Krishna Chintan like the greatest of Yogis. Hence, She did not even stir. Krishna gently took Her lotus feet onto His lap and started massaging them. Immediately, the ocean of Māhābhāva swelled and started drowning Krishna in its deep waters! As soon as Krishna touched Radharani’s lotus feet, He started shivering and goosebumps appeared all over His body. Now, He couldn’t massage Radharani’s lotus feet anymore. He started drifting into a state of trance like the greatest of Yogis and Munis.

The Manjari gives Krishna a slight push. “Go, go. You don’t even know how to massage Her feet!” she whispers, reproachfully. “Don’t just sit there holding Her feet. Go away, let me massage Her feet.” Krishna couldn’t massage Radharani’s lotus feet. Every time He tries to do so, He forgets what He was doing and drifts away into the depths of the ocean of Māhābhāva.

One must not think that since Krishna is massaging Radharani’s lotus feet, He is a servant or in any way inferior to Radharani. Then, how does Radharani allow Krishna to massage Her feet? The answer is that every inch of Radharani’s body, every cell and atom of Her body, belongs to Krishna. Radharani thinks, ‘The sole aim of every aspect of my being is to give pleasure to my dearest Krishna. If Krishna is pleased to massage my feet, why not let Him do so? Every cell and atom of my being is dedicated to giving pleasure to Krishna. When Krishna is pleased, I am more pleased than Krishna.’ Ordinary Jivatmas like us dedicate our body parts and senses to our own sense enjoyment. But divine love is completely different from our sense enjoyment. The whole being of Radharani, who is the epitome of divine love, is dedicated to Krishna.

One must not mistake this Dasya Bhava of Krishna as being inferior to Radharani. Due to deep affection for Radharani, some devotees mistakenly describe Krishna as inferior to Radharani. Sometimes they describe Krishna as a servant of Radharani, a sweeper of Her palace or even a gatekeeper. Radharani is “Krishna gata Prānā” (Her life depends on Krishna). Will She be pleased to hear Her dear lover being called Her servant? Never! Love always happens between two equal individuals. Radharani and Krishna are equal. No one can be superior or inferior in love. Otherwise, instead of love, there will be a sense of duty, respect and boundaries.

Some people describe Krishna as Radharani’s slave. Do you think Radharani will be pleased to hear this? Such people don’t know how to love at all! Divine Prema is not afflicted by ego like the attachments of ordinary people in the material world. In divine love, each individual dedicates their whole being to pleasing each other! Krishna also dedicates His senses to the pleasure of Radharani and vice versa. [All Gopis are manifestations of Radharani. Radharani gives pleasure to Krishna in the form of millions of Gopis. That is why, Krishna seems to get attracted to other Gopis too. But the centre of Māhābhāva is Radharani and She is dearest to Krishna. Another reason for Radharani’s manifestation in the forms of different kinds of Sakhis is to increase the taste of divine pastimes. With their help, Radharani and Krishna are able to relish moods like anger, jealousy and intense love upon reconciliation.]

Radharani also relishes Dasya Bhava for Krishna. ‘My bosom is hard like Vajra (the divine weapon of Indra, made of the bones of Muni Dadhichi). Krishna’s lotus feet are so soft that they might get hurt! I must place them very gently upon my bosom,’ She thinks during intimate moments of Their pastimes.

There is no ego in divine love. Not only Radharani, Krishna even serves His devotees and follows them to take the dust of their lotus feet. Krishna is “Tribhanga Murari” (one who is bent at three places – neck, torso and knees) due to the divine love of His devotees. He is the personification of divine love. He always desires to serve His pure devotees in any way possible. So, does He become the servant and His devotee the master? No, it is not like that. It is His way of reciprocating the divine love of His devotees.

There was once a devotee called Madhav Das Baba of Jagannath Puri. He was a devotee of Sakhya Bhava. Jagannath used to talk, play and do various pastimes with him. Once, he was inflicted with dysentery. As a result, he had to clean his bowels many times a day. Cleanliness is very important to sadhaks of all spiritual paths. He was very tired of cleaning his bowels 15-20 times a day (somewhere on the outskirts of the village) and then bathing and washing his clothes every time before entering his kutir. So, he started living in a small hut near the seaside so that he could easily maintain cleanliness and do bhajan. Although he was a highly enlightened Sadhu and relished the pastimes of Jagannath, such devotees don’t abandon their bhajan routine. Their bhajan primarily involves relishing the pastimes of Radha Krishna.

Madhav Das Baba saw that a little boy came out of nowhere and started serving him. He would wash his dirty clothes, scrub the water carrier he uses while cleaning his bowels, clean his kutir and fill his water carrier promptly whenever he had to clean his bowels. ‘Where did this boy come from?’ thought Madhav Das Baba. ‘He serves me with such dedication and swiftness. Not only that, he seems to be so pleased to serve me!’ Madhav Das Baba called the boy and holding his hand, asked him, “Child, where did you come from? Why are you serving me?” The boy remained silent and just smiled sweetly. He was looking at Madhav Das Baba obliquely (Krishna always looks obliquely or sideways. He rarely looks straight on!). Watching the characteristics of the boy, Madhav Das Baba’s heart said that he was not an ordinary boy. He firmly held the boy’s hands and asked him, “Tell me truthfully, you are my Jagannath, aren’t you? Don’t lie to me.” The boy remained silent. Madhav Das Baba asked him again and again. Finally, the boy said, “Yes, I am.”

“Oh, Jagannatha, don’t you have any shame? Are you not disgusted to clean my clothes dirtied by defecation? You are the Supreme Controller of infinite universes. Aren’t you ashamed to do such menial work?” said Madhav Das Baba to Jagannath. Jagannath said, smilingly, “What can I do? I yearn to serve my devotees but am unable to serve them (because pure devotees don’t desire worldly pleasures). Hence, when such an opportunity arises (in the form of an illness or catastrophe), I promptly grab it to serve my devotees!” “Why don’t you just cure my illness? In that way, you won’t have to do such menial work,” said Madhav Das Baba. [Here, Madhav Das Baba is not asking Jagannath to cure his illness for his own pleasure. Pure devotees never pray to their Lord for relief from Anarthas. They endure all Anarthas and simply love their Lord without wanting anything in return. But Madhav Das Baba is distressed to see Jagannath washing his dirty clothes and running to fill his water carrier. He only wants to stop Jagannath from serving him.]

“If I cure your illness, how will I serve you? I will lose my opportunity to serve you!” said Jagannatha, smiling. Such is the Dasya mood of Krishna! Even though He is the Supreme Controller of infinite universes, the divine love of His devotees causes Him to forget His Lordship and He yearns to serve His devotees!

“Ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija,
Sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.63)

Meaning: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.

“Nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ nirvairaṁ sama-darśanam,

Anuvrajāmi ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.16)

Meaning: With the dust of My devotees’ lotus feet, I desire to purify Myself. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt in the thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere.

Is there any impurity in Krishna? No, but this is His Dasya mood towards His devotees! He doesn’t take the dust of their lotus feet in front of His devotees because they will get distressed upon seeing it. He walks behind them and secretly takes the dust of their lotus feet.

Feet are the reservoir of one’s spiritual energy (and in case of Radharani and pure devotees, their lotus feet are an ocean of endless divine bliss). When we touch someone’s feet, their spiritual energy gets transferred to us. Similarly, by touching Radharani’s lotus feet or the devotees’ lotus feet, Krishna is able to experience their divine love for Krishna and He gets immersed in an ocean of bliss by doing so. [Krishna is hungry for divine love. He looks for every opportunity to relish Radharani and His devotees’ love for Him in all possible ways!]

Once, the peacock feather on top of Krishna’s crown was proud that he stayed on top of Krishna’s head whereas the anklets of Radharani remained around Her lotus feet. He thought that the head was a higher and more honourable place than the feet and hence, belittled the anklets of Radharani. The anklets of Radharani didn’t say anything because she was immersed in an ocean of bliss. She thought, ‘This peacock feather thinks he is very fortunate and honoured to stay on the top of Krishna’s head. If he gets a slight taste of the bliss of staying in the lotus feet of Radharani, he will know what is truly honourable.’

One day, Radharani was Mānini (angry and sad because Krishna did not meet Her in the Nikunja at the arranged time). She was engrossed in Krishna Chintan due to Her pain of separation while sitting in the Nikunja. Presently, Krishna came into the Nikunja and, to pacify Radharani, bowed His head at Her lotus feet. At this time, the peacock feather on the top of His head touched the lotus feet of Radharani. Immediately, he became engrossed in such an ocean of bliss, a drop of which can immerse an entire universe in a blissful state! He had no idea that such an ocean of bliss existed too. He realized what kind of bliss exists in the lotus feet of Radharani. ‘Alas! I was engulfed by worthless pride! Look, this anklet of Radharani is so fortunate that she always remains in the association of the lotus feet of Radharani! And I am so unfortunate that I am not eligible to experience such bliss! O Lord (Krishna), please remain bowed at the lotus feet of Radharani for some more time! I want to take the dust of Her lotus feet and get blessed. I am not fortunate enough to experience such divine bliss as Her anklets. By your mercy, I have achieved this opportunity. Please let me experience this for some more time,’ he prays, humbly. This is Dasya Prema!

This Dasya mood is also seen in the pastimes of Lord Sri Rama. Lord Sri Rama holds the epitome of Dasya mood, Sri Hanuman Ji, and cries in the pain of separation for Mother Sita. “Hanuman, you are the only one who can rescue me from this ocean of misery! Please bring me the news of the whereabouts of Sita. I take your shelter at this time of misfortune,” says Lord Sri Rama, tears rolling down His cheeks. The Lord takes shelter of the devotee! This is His Dasya mood. He performs His pastimes like an ordinary human being. Due to the pain of separation, He prays to trees and vines to tell Him the whereabouts of Mother Sita. Even Hanuman Ji started doubting the Lordship of Sri Rama. How can the Supreme Controller of infinite universes not know the whereabouts of Mother Sita and why does He cry like an ordinary man extremely attached to his wife?

Later, during the war between Sri Rama and Ravana, Indrajeet bound Sri Rama and Lakshmana with Nāgapāsha (serpents). The Supreme Personality of Godhead seems to be unable to free Himself from mere serpents! He seems to be utterly helpless and distressed in the situation! Now, who will rescue the Supreme Personality of Godhead?! (Baba laughs) Sri Rama calls for Garuda, the divine associate of Narayan. So, the devotee rescues the Lord who is in mortal peril! This is a pastime of God. This is the way of God to show the magnanimity and glories of His devotees. He wants to spread the honour and divine love of His devotees in the world. Such is the Dasya mood of Bhakti!