The
following is an excerpt from a talk given by Sripad
Bhaktibhavana Visnu Maharaja on the occasion of Srila
Prabhupada's Sannyasainitiation anniversary at Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha
in Mathura.
What
is the significance of Sannyasa ? In Gaudiya
Vaisnavism there are many important philosophical
points to understand properly and digest. To make
progress, devotees must refine their conception of
divinity and focus their aspirations. The order of
sannyasa is
a strong step in that direction.
There
is an external meaning and an internal meaning to
the order of sannyasa. Formally, the order of sannyasa is
to renounce the material world; it is considered social
suicide. That is, we give up our connection with family
and friends and social obligations and dedicate kayo,
mana, vaca,and jiva -- our body,
mind, words, and soul--to the service of the Lord.
And, as the brahmana from
Avantidesa said, aham tarisyami duranta-param, "I
shall cross over the ocean of nescience and become
firmly fixed, asthaya paratma-nistham,
in the service of our Lord Mukunda."
This
order exemplifies this determination,
in that one is giving himself wholly for the service
of the Lord -- but this determination is available
to anyone willing to make a full commitment. This
commitment is not necessarily formal, but substantially
internal. As the Bhagavad-gita says, anasrita karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti ya. If one simply renounces, he is not actually
a sannyasi.
Real renunciation, means to engage everything in the
service of the Lord, nirbandha krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate, and to fix one's aspiration with great
determination.
In
the Vilapa-kusamanjali,
verse 102 expresses the highest summit of devotion
-- a sublimely sweet and reassuring hope. In this
verse we find the inner ideal of sannyas
and the purport of the sannyas mantra. Asabharair
amrta-sindhu-mayai kathancit, kalo mayatigamita kila
sampratam hi. Raghunatha
Dasa's devotion is so exclusive to Srimati Radharani
that he is saying that without her service he doesn't
even care for Krsna. "It is shameless for me
to say this, but I don't even want Vrndavana, I don't
want Krsna. Your mercy is everything to me."
This is the high aspiration of Raghunatha Dasa.
Most
devotees are familiar with Raghunatha Dasa's vairagya,
his renunciation. The Caitanya-Caritamrta mentions,
raghunatathera niyama-yena pasanera rekha, that his renunciation
was like lines in stone, so rigid his sadhana was every day.
He is, however, substantially known as our prayojana-tattva
acarya -- he is showing the highest ideal of Sri
Chaitanya's followers. In these prayers, he has expressed
this yearning -- absolute dependence, complete dedication
to the service of Srimati Radharani. This also should
be the aspiration, the ideal, of those devotees who
are advancing in Gaudiya Vaisnavism. This is the line
of Sri Rupa; this is our wonderful prospect.
When
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu received the sannyas mantra
from Kesava Bharati, he first whispered the mantra into
the ear of Kesava Bharati. He said, "Is this
the mantra that
you will give me? I have heard it in a dream, 'tat
tvam asi. '" The common understanding of
this mantra is "you are that"
(you are Brahman ). Murari Gupta revealed to
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu another, more acceptable
meaning of this mantra, which
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in turn gave to Kesava Bharati:
"You are his." It is considered that at
that time Sri Chaitanya initiated his spiritual master
into the Vaisnava conception of this mantra and
then received the mantra back.
For
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, it is proper to say that "I
am his; I am Krsna's." The meaning of the mantra that
sannyasis
coming from Sanatana Goswami receive, however, is
"I am hers; I am Srimati Radharani's. I exclusively
engage myself in the service of Srimati Radharani."
Actually, she is the highest devotee--she is the only
one who can please Krsna, aradhananam sarvesam, all
bhakti goes through Srimati Radharani. She is tadiya, most
dear to Krsna. In that way we should see everything.
Certainly
our Srila Prabhupada has shown this. So dear he is
to Srimati Radharani. He has spread Krsna consciousness
all over the world and brought so many to her lotus
feet -- so many servitors to assist in her service
to Krsna. This is the most confidential service. Rasa
lila
is sankirtana lila -- the lila of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu. Gaura lila is nondifferent than Krsna lila. But
Gaura lila
can be said to be higher in that it is more magnanimous;
it is being distributed--audarya.
Mahaprabhu is giving out this ecstatic ocean of Krsna-prema.
He is experiencing at every moment the great ecstasy
of the love of Radha and Krsna, prema pum-artho
mahan. This is
the highest level of devotion.
And
it is said, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena,
the worship shown by the gopis of Vrndavana
is the highest, because they gave up everything, renounced
everything. They didn't care for their families; they
didn't care for their personal happiness at all. They
simply were interested in pleasing Krsna. When they
met Krsna in Kuruksetra after so long, they were very
happy to see him. They pleaded, "Actually, we
are only simple village girls with cows as our wealth;
we have no qualification; we only know family life;
we have not done any austerities; we don't know the
Vedas; we are not anyone special. We are not yogis
who will be satisfied simply to meditate upon you,
but we would like to live with you as Your family."
In that way they are humbly approaching Krsna. Krsna
considered how fortunate he was to have the gopis'wonderful
affection. Krsna was feeling so guilty at having neglected
such perfect love for so long that he bent down to
touch Srimati Radharani's lotus feet. And she said,
"No. No. That is not proper. Actually, I am at
fault. You have not done anything wrong."
In
the same way, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said, na
prema-gandho 'sti darapi me harau, "The proof
that I have no love for Krsna is that I have not left
my body in separation, that I go on living."
So, in this way, Srimati Radharani is feeling that
the fault is hers, "You are free to move as you
like." She is exemplifying this extreme mood
of devotion. This is saranagati -- surrender.
In a higher sense, another term could be used, atmaniksepa. This
means to throw oneself desperately toward the lotus
feet of the Lord, "I am Yours to be used in Your
service as you like, as you see fit." Aslisya
va pada-ratam pinastu mam adarsanan marma-hatam karotu
va,
if you like you may embrace me or if you like you
may trample me, but use me as you like.
This
is the symptom of the surrendered souls, that they
are ready to be used by the Lord in any way. Srila
Prabhupada wrote in his arrival prayer, "naco
gao -- As you wish me to dance, I shall dance.
And if you don't wish me to dance, I won't dance.
It is your choice, my Lord, I am yours to be used
in your service." The renounced order,
both its external and internal significance, was thus
epitomized in Srila Prabhupada. He preached widely
and internally fully embraced the service of Sri Radhika.
He renounced the world and became the servitor of
Sri Dayita dasa (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati).
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