Difference between Aiśvarya and Mādhurya

[Note: The complete transcript of this section was printed as Chapter 4 of the book The Hidden Path of Devotion, entitled Opulence or Sweetness? published by the Gaudiya Vedanta Publications (CC-BY-ND).]

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Śrīla Viśvanātha Chakravarti Ṭhākura tells us that we should know what is aiśvarya and what is mādhurya. What is aisvarya?

Śrīpāda Girirāja Svāmī: Aiśvarya means ‘opulence,’ or ‘majesty.’

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: It is the majestic feature of the Lord in Dvārakā, Mathurā, and Nārāyaṇa’s Vaikuṇṭha; it is worship with awe and reverence.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: And what is mādhurya?

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Sweetness which overpowers His opulence. It is the sweetness of the Lord’s pastimes.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: This is not a sufficient answer. Sweetness alone is not mādhurya. We taste sweet things, but this is not mādhurya. We taste something like this in our family relations; and a teenage boy tastes what he calls mādhurya, but this is not mādhurya. In the background there must be aiśvarya, opulence. Without aiśvarya there cannot be mādhurya.

Do you know what is mahā-aiśvarya? As aiśvarya means ‘opulence,’ mahā-aiśvarya means ‘great opulence.’ Whether or not great opulence is present, if Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes go on as nara-līlā, then it is mādhurya.

Do you know the meaning of nara-līlā?

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Worldly.

Burijana dāsa: As with humans.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Whether or not mahā-aiśvarya is present, if Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are nara-līlā, then it is mādhurya. On the other hand, if by the presence of mahā-aiśvarya Kṛṣṇa knows that, “I am Īśvara, God,” and His bhakta also knows that He is God, that is aiśvarya-līlā.

Someone may propose: “One should understand that sarvajnata, omniscience, indicates an abundance of mahā-aiśvarya, great opulence, devoid of mādhurya, sweetness, while mādhurya is simply the mugdhata, or bewilderment, that results from completely setting aside aiśvarya and imitating nara-līlā, human-like behavior.” Only dull-headed people will speak like this.

The conclusion regarding mādhurya and related topics is that whether mahā-aiśvarya is exhibited or not, if the mood of human-like pastimes is not transgressed even slightly, then it is called mādhurya. (from Rāgavartma-candrika, Second Illumination).

For example, we have seen that when Kṛṣṇa and Ārjuna were about to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Ārjuna saw Kṛṣṇa’s Universal Form and then told Kṛṣṇa. “I’ve committed so many offenses at Your lotus feet. I’ve addressed You as ‘friend,’ and I have ordered You to drive my chariot. But You are God, my worshipable Lord.” This is aiśvarya-līlā, because Kṛṣṇa was in the mood that “I am God,” and He showed Ārjuna His Universal Form. When Ārjuna saw that form, he left his mood of friendship with Kṛṣṇa.

Also, when Kṛṣṇa went with Baladeva to see Vāsudeva and Devakī after killing Kaṃsa, Vāsudeva and Devakī began to worship Kṛṣṇa with many prayers of glorification. In this instance Kṛṣṇa was in aiśvaryabhāva, the conception that He is God. He considered Himself God, and they also knew that He is God.

On the other hand, the Vrajavāsīs never considered Him to be God. He went to Govardhana and lifted it with only one finger (the pinky finger of His left hand) for seven days. Indra then came and performed an opulent bathing ceremony for Him, employing several sacred substances, called abhiśeka. After this, the elderly gopas assembled and decided, “Let us call Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. Let us tell them, ‘Do not imagine that Kṛṣṇa is your son. Do not call Him thief, liar, or any other bad name; that will be an offense.’” They advised Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā Maiyā to understand that Kṛṣṇa is perhaps some demigod, or perhaps Nārāyaṇa Himself, since this is what they had heard from Gargacarya.

Yaśodā never thought of Kṛṣṇa as God. Rather, extremely pleased that her son had lifted Govardhana for seven days, she considered, “Everyone is offering praise to my son,” and her breasts became swollen with great pride. If a woman hears anything good about her children, she becomes so pleased. Although Yaśodā knew that the act of lifting Govardhana was not that of an ordinary person, she still considered, “Kṛṣṇa is merely my child; my son.” This is mādhurya.

As I explained on a previous day, Uddhava came to console the gopīs in their mood of separation from Kṛṣṇa after Kṛṣṇa went to Mathurā. There, he overheard the gopīs saying, “We have heard from Paurṇamāsī and Garga Ṛṣi that Kṛṣṇa is Īśvara, Bhagavān; not only in this birth, but in past births as well, and when He was Rāmacandra as well. But we know that even as Rāmacandra He did so many wrong things; and He was controlled by Sītādevī.”

So, although it had come to their attention through Purnaamasi and Gargacarya that Kṛṣṇa is God, they personally never saw Him as such. This is the nature of their “īśvara-bhāva.” They would tell Him, “Oh, come here. The red lac (decorative paint) on my feet is no longer there. You should repaint it.” They would order Him to perform so many services for them, and they would also become angry with Him. If they were actually aware of Kṛṣṇa’s Godhood, how could they have become angry with Him?

Rather, the gopīs behaved with Him only as their lover. In their version of “īśvara-bhāva,” they know nothing beyond the idea that He is their beloved. This is mādhurya-bhāva.

Thus, when Kṛṣṇa knows that He is Īśvara and His bhakta also knows this, that pastime is in aiśvarya-bhāva. On the other hand, when He and His associates both forget this–and even when some idea comes to them that He may be God, they only behave towards Him like a lover–that is mādhurya-bhāva.

In Vraja, Kṛṣṇa is always in vraja-bhāva. He is always overpowered by prema, meaning Yogamāyā, His internal desire potency; all actions in Vraja are performed by this prema. It is not against siddhānta to say that Kṛṣṇa is overpowered by prema, because prema and Kṛṣṇa are the same Truth: sat-cit-ānanda-māyā, consisting of eternal existence, unlimited knowledge, and unfathomable jooy. This prema is the intrinsic nature of Kṛṣṇa. Do you know the meaning of svabhava?

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Can we say that prema is a sakti (potency) of Kṛṣṇa, or not?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We may say so. Kṛṣṇa Himself is known as raso vai sah (the reservoir of the unlimited pleasure of rasa). Rāsa is prema (pure love for Kṛṣṇa), prema is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is prema. And, at the same time, prema is the śakti of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Chakravarti Ṭhākura tells us that at the time of rāsalīlā, Kṛṣṇa was sarvajña, all-knowing, because He knew, “All the gopīs love Me and want to dance with Me. He knew this, and He therefore expanded into innumerable Kṛṣṇas. On the other hand, when He did what the gopīs desired, He was mugdha, unaware of His aiśvarya. Both qualities are present in Him at the same time. Why? This is due to His acintya-śakti, His potency of inconceivability, which is beyond all mundane logic.

Śrīla Cakravartī Ṭhākura then says that when, by vaidhī-bhakti, someone worships Nārāyaṇa, or Rāma, or any other plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa, that devotee goes to Vaikuṇṭha after attaining perfection.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: What about Rukmīṇī-dvārakādhīśa?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: I will explain this afterwards, separately. When one performs vaidhī-bhakti and discusses topics regarding Vaikuṇṭha, after achieving perfection he attains Vaikuṇṭha. Regarding those who have no greed but want to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and they are worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa by the regulations of vaidhībhakti–where do they go at the time of perfection (siddhi)?

Burijana dāsa: With no greed?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No greed. They are worshiping

by vaidhī-bhakti.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: To Dvārakā

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Why Dvārakā? There is no relation with Dvārakā here.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: They are worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?

Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: They want Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: But no greed?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No greed, and by vaidhī bhakti. In that case, they will attain Goloka. They know nothing about parakīya (Kṛṣṇa’s paramour love with Rādhikā and the gopīs). They only know svakīya (the idea of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa as a married couple). This svakīya is in Goloka. The planet of Goloka is vast; so many prakostas (separate sections) are situated there.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Levels.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: So many. So, if one is worshiping Rādhā-kṛṣṇa by vaidhī-bhakti and has no greed...

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Goloka; he goes to Goloka.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Goloka. There in Goloka we find aiśvarya-jñāna, knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s Godhood, and svakīya-bhāva, the mood of Rādhā-kṛṣṇa as a married couple. There is no conception of parakīya there; only svakīya-bhāva–but with the Lord as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Every kind of aiśvarya (opulence) is present there, almost like that of Nārāyaṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is not manifest as Nārāyaṇa there.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: I was reading Garga Saṃhitā, which describes this. As I was reading, I was thinking that this is like Nārāyaṇa but it is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. It is not like the Rādhā-kṛṣṇa we always hear about in Vṛndāvana and Gokula. It’s a different mood.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: The twenty-four prominent forms of Nārāyaṇa, as well as all His other forms, reside in lower Vaikuṇṭha. Higher than that is Rāma-loka, and higher than that is Kṛṣṇa-loka. Kṛṣṇa-loka begins from Goloka, and in Goloka there are so many divisions: Goloka, Dvārakā, Mathurā, and then Vraja. In lower Goloka there is only svakīya-bhāva with aiśvarya-jñāna, with no greed at all towards vraja-bhāva.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: At the place where Akrūra took his bath when he was taking Kṛṣṇa and Balarāmā to Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa showed the residents of Vṛndāvana a vision of Goloka.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes, they only saw Goloka, not Vraja, not Vṛndāvana.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: They saw this Goloka?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: This Goloka.

Burijana dāsa: Kṛṣṇa showed Vaikuṇṭha to Akrūra.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: ‘Vaikuṇṭha’ in this connection refers to this Goloka. He also showed this to the Vrajavāsīs–not Vraja, only Goloka. Kṛṣṇa and all His associates including Rādhikā and Yaśodā were there in Goloka in their own forms, but they were not in vraja-bhāva.

Next, suppose someone worships Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in vaidhī-bhakti–not in rāga-mārga, not under the guidance of a rasika Vaiṣṇava–and at the same time has greed. That devotee will go to Dvārakā. [For example, Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta states that Gopa-kumāra went to many places before reaching Goloka Vṛndāvana–even to Dvārakā. He had greed, but because he did not have sufficient rasika association, he could not easily complete his journey to Goloka Vṛndāvana. -Śrīpāda Mādhava Mahārāja

Why will they go there? It is because Rādhikā manifests as Satybhama there in Dvārakā and Candrāvalī manifests as Rukmīṇī; and because aiśvarya-jñāna (knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s Godhood) is present there. When Rādhā and Candrāvalī are present with Kṛṣṇa as Satyabhāmā and Rukmīṇī, Kṛṣṇa is in His feature as Dvārakādīśa and He is served by them in Dvārakā.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: What is the difference between someone who worships and goes to Goloka, and someone who worships and goes to Dvārakā?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Those who worship without greed go to Goloka.

Burijana dāsa: Only one has greed, but both are worshipping in vaidhī-bhakti?

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: In Dvārakā there’s greed?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Those bhaktas have greed, but they are worshiping in vaidhī-bhakti. In that case Rādhikā manifests as Satyabhāmā, Candrāvalī as Rukmīṇī, and their associates as the other queens of Dvārakā. Kṛṣṇa is in the same form there as He is in Vṛndāvana, but there He is a young Yādava.

Next, those who have greed for vraja-bhāva and worship Rādhā-kṛṣṇa by rāgānuga-bhakti under the guidance of a rasika Vrajavāsī will achieve vraja-bhāva. Is this clear?

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: This is very important

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: This is a very important thing. So I am not wasting my time.

Without knowing these truths, we cannot have a proper idea of Vraja, and we may be deceived. One’s svarūpa (constitutional spiritual form) will only manifest when one is under the guidance of a rasika Vaiṣṇava.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: This gives us the conviction that we must try for the thing you are teaching–rāgānuga-bhakti.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes, rāgānuga-bhakti. But you will have to give me dakṣiṇā (a donation) for this.

Śrīpāda Girirāja Svāmī: I’ll give anything...

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: I am very greedy. I want dakṣiṇā.

Śrīpāda Girirāja Svāmī: Tell me what to give.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: I will have to tell you?

Śrīpāda Girirāja Svāmī: My heart.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes. These are such good topics; we are certainly lucky that we are discussing them. In the practice of bhakti, hundreds of thousands of births may go by and it is not sure that one will have the fortune to discuss such things. It is only the mercy of guru and Gaurāṅga that we are able to do so.