uttam-bhakti-sudh-lahar

Nectarean Waves of Supreme Devotion

published from New r Harids Nivs, Spain

Issue No.3, 27 August 2012, Padmin Ekda CONTENTS

Guru in rgnug-bhakti, by New r Harids Nivs Bhagavn Svayam - a devotee of Go, by Murri ds

aragati, by New r Harids Nivs Beef in Ancient India? (part 1), by ditya ds
Makhan Chor, by New r Harids Nivs
virjantm iti vieea rjamnm, na tu dhmntara-parivra-bhaktivad aivarya-jndinbhibhtm | anustety posted by New r Harids Nivs atrnusaraa nitya-siddha-vraja-vsi-jana-bhva-cenuThose who are attracted gamantmaknukaraam | tac ca r-ka-prehnugatato rgnug-bhakti are niha tad evnugatyam iti phalitrtha | tac ca tad-anugaoften perplexed at the tatve sati tda-kya-v-mnasya-sev-karttva ceti | role the guru plays in That devotion which follows rgtmik-bhakti it. There are some who shining distinctly in the Vrajavss, be they maintain he is not necespeople or the rest, is called rgnug-bhakti. sary, since anyway there

GURU IN rgnug-BHAKTI

By people only persons are meant while the rest refers to animals, birds etc. In Vraja, all the substance, whether moving or non-moving, have a thirst full of prem for r Ka. Therefore, in B 10.21.40 it is said: The Go, birds, trees, creepers, deer etc who live in Vraja and who have the fortune of the three worlds manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing Since it is the scriptures that are our authority, the on end when they see r Kas beautiful form. following is what our bhakti-stra has to say about The word shining means that their bhakti is exceethe topic (Sdhana-Dpik, 10th chapter): dingly radiant, unlike in those associates who live in atha rgnug (BRS 1.2.270) virjantm abhivyakt vraja-vsi-jandiu | rgtmikm anust y s rgnugocyate || kabhivyakta suvyakta yath syt tath vraja-vsijandiu virjant rgtmik bhaktim anust y bhakti, s rgnug ucyate iti yojan | vraja-vsi-jandiv ity atra jana-padena manuya-mtra bodhitam | di-padena paupaky-dayo ghyante | ataevokta (bh. 10.29.40) trailokya-saubhagam ida ca nirkya rpa yat go-dvija-druma-mg pulakny abibhran | iti | other spiritual abodes and whose bhakti is overpowered by the knowledge of r Kas opulence etc.

is the Paramtm Who guides one; others say it is fine to accept him as he can give one invaluable advice on the path and generally it is easier to follow the process with him than without him; while yet others say he is absolutely indispensable and without him one cannot experience prem.

Follows means following the example of the people who live in Vraja and who are r Kas eternal associates by pursuing their mood and behaviour. Indeed, it is by following the beloved of r Ka, viz., r Gurudeva, that ones bhajan is to be done this is what the word following refers to. The essence is that rgnug-bhakti means becoming a follower of ones Gurudeva and performing service (to him) through ones body, speech and mind.

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issue 3, page 2
(14) r-ka-prehdhnatva yathaikdae (11.3.21)

mRrekHkfDrlq/kkygjh
r-bhgavate (11.17.27) crya m vijnyn nvamanyeta karhicit | na marttya-buddhysyeta sarvva-deva-mayo guru

It was in the connection with this that Ka told k ca uttama reyo jijsu, bde brahmai vedkhye Uddhava the following verse (B 11.17.27): nita, anyath saaya-nirsakatvyogyatvd dheto, pare brahmai aparoknubhave ca nitam, anyaThe spiritual master is the lower kindling stick, the disciple is the upper kindling stick, and the th yato bodha-sacrbhvt; pare brahmai nitatve instruction given by the guru is the third stick dyotakam ha upaamrayam iti | placed in between. The knowledge contained In the context of becoming dependent on or subordiin stra (that comes from this instruction) is nate to the beloved of Ka, it is said in B 11.3.21: the fire arising from the contact between the two sticks which brings about happiness. Therefore, he who is inquisitive about his supreme welfare should approach a guru who is ruti (Taittirya Up. 1.3.5) confirms that too: Master learned in scripture, who has realized the Absois the first form, pupil the second form, knowledlute Truth and who is engaged in practice. ge the junction, instruction the medium. Muaka Commentary: The person who desires to inquire Upaniad (1.2.12) says: The most elevated subject is bhakti. In order to learn about about his ultimate welfare, i.e. about rgnug, or it, one needs to choose a guru braja-bhakti, needs to get a guru. What is the guru who is properly behaved, edulike? cated and knowledgeable. (First) he is learned in scriptures (abda-brahman) Moreover, Chndogya Upasuch as Vedas and others. It is necessary for him to niad (6.14.2) tells us: A perhave studied stra in the disciplic succession and to son who takes shelter of a have full knowledge, otherwise he will not be able to spiritual master will know the dispel the doubts (of his disciples). Absolute Truth. It is also stated in Kaha Upaniad (1.2.9): (Secondly), he has realized the Absolute Truth. This Do not destroy your mind by means that it is necessary for him also to have diuseless arguments. rect experience (aparoka-anubhava) of the Absolute Truth (para-brahman), otherwise he will not be able Thus it is only by the union with the guru, the beloto transmit the understanding (to his disciples). ved of Ka, that rgnug-bhakti, or braja-bhakti, can originate. There is no other way. (Third) it is also necessary for him to be engaged in practice this is the distinctive meaning of his haTherefore, it is said by Ka in B 11.17.27: ving realized the Absolute Truth. Know crya to be Me. Never disrespect him, tatraiva rmad-uddhava prati r-bhagavn and do not envy him considering him a mortal (11.10.12) human being. He is all-containing. **** Thus our bhakti-stra shows that guru in rgnugkdyodhara | tat-sandhna ca tayor madhya- bhakti is indispensable. Indeed, guru is its essence as ma manthana-kha pravacanam upadea | vidy rgnug means following the beloved of r Ka. strottha jtam | tatra sandhau bhavognir iva | tath In the next issue we will present further scriptural ca ruticrya prva-rpa antevsy uttara-rpa support for this conclusion. ity di | ataeva tad-vijnrtha sa gurum evbhigac- --taken from the 10th chapter of r Rdhka dss chet iti | cryyavn puruo veda iti | nai tarkea matir Sdhana-Dpik, as it was published in r Harids paney ity di ca | str mahrjjs rmad-bhgavaty uttam-bhakti-

tasmd guru prapadyeta jijsu reya uttamam bde pare ca nita brahmay upaamrayam

cryyorair dya syd antevsy uttarrai | tat-sandhna pravacana vidy sandhi sukhvah ||

(15) tath r-ka-preha-guru-sasargeaiva nirpaam (pp. 122-125); translated according to tad-bhvotpatti syt | nnyatheti bhva | ataeva mahrjjs Hindi translation-commentary

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uttam-bhakti-sudh-lahar
bhagavn svayam
- A DEVOTEE OF gO
posted by Murri ds, Argentina

issue 3, page 3
brahman bhagavatas tasya / bhmna svacchanda-vartina / goplodra-carita / kas tpyetmta juan O brhmaa, the unlimited Bhagavn freely acts according to His own desires. Who could be satiated when hearing the nectar of the magnanimous pastimes He performed as a cowherd boy in Vndvana? (B 10.16.3)

Of all the manifestations that Bhagavn has accepted for the pleasure of His devotees, Ka is the most complete and original. This form of God as a human being is very confidential. He is the son of gopas:

kas tu bhagavn svayam

Ka is the original form of God (B 1.3.28)

nanda-gopa-kumrya / govindya namo nama

Repeated obeisances unto Govinda, the child of Nanda Gopa. (B 1.8.21)

guda para brahma manuya-ligam

. the Absolute Truth in his form as a human being is confidential. (B 7.15.75)

puna puna smrayanti / nanda-gopa-suta bata

All this reminds us of the son of Nanda Gopa (B 10.47.50)

vara parama ka / sac-cid-nanda-vigraha andir dir govinda / sarva-kraa-kraam Ka Who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme
God. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. (Brahma-Samhit 5.1)

gopla-snu pitara jagad-guro

The son of a cowherd man, the father of Lord Brahm. (B 10.11.50)

govindam di-puruam Govinda, the primeval Lord. (Brahma-Samhit)

r Ka is personally engaged in Go-sev: sa eva go-dhana lakmy / niketa sita-go-vam crayann anugn gopn / raad-veur arramat
While herding a multitude of cows, the abode of beauty, along with white bulls, he gladdened the cowherd boys while playing His flute. (B 3.2.29)

The qualities of Go are so dear to r Ka that yad arcita brahma-bhavdibhi surai / He Himself, in riy ca devy munibhi sa-stvatai His best manigo-craynucarai carad vane / festation as desyad gopikn kuca-kukumkitam cribed above, is Those lotus feet are worshiped by Brahm, iva a devotee of Go, and all the other gods, by the goddess of fortune, showing thus the and also by the great sages and Vaiavas. Upon glory of Go-sev: those lotus feet the Lord walks about the forest He is a gopa (protector of Go), He is the son of gowhile herding the Go with His companions, and pas, His companions are gopas and gops, His abode those feet are smeared with the kukuma from is Goloka (home of Go), and He is called by the the gops breasts. (B 10.38.8) names of Govinda and Gopla. Everything in Ka The Lord enjoys pleasing Go: ll is related to Go. Go Bhagavn ke bh Bhagavn hain Go is God of even God Himself. (r Harids str mahrjjs statement) Lord Ka likes Go because they exist for the welfare of all. We like Ka because by protecting Go He works for the welfare of all. (gurudeva darana, Questions and answers, uttamabhakti.org forum, Worship of Govardhana ila) And His form is that of a gopa:

eva ll-nara-vapur / n-lokam anulayan reme go-gopa-gopn / ramayan rpa-vk-ktai

Thus the Supreme Lord, appearing as a human being to perform His ll, imitated the ways of human society. He enjoyed pleasing His Go, gopas and gops with His beauty, words and actions.

gopa-rpiam varam vara in His gopa form (B 10.27.18)

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used to express the object of the sentence. Pleasing them rpa-vk-ktai, with His beauty, His words and His activities or pastimes. In order to give pleasure to them, He enacted His enjoyment.

rdhara Svm: anulayan means imitating. In the word go-gopa-gopnm, the sixth case (genitive) is

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issue 3, page 4
formed for the purpose of giving pleasure to the inhabitants of r Gokula, as stated by the verse beginning with evam.

mRrekHkfDrlq/kkygjh

Jva Gosvm: All of these activities of His were per- 4. He considers his ia-deva to be his maintainer

and protector, and nobody else. This involves giving up the mundane way of thinking in which, during times of trouble, one gives up simplicity and straightforwardness, inventing ideas for cheating Go and gopas pleased the Lord more than anything others and taking shelter of everybody without diselse : crimination. In the path that leads to the Supreme, aho ti-dhany vraja-go-ramaya / such behavior is discarded. With ones ia-deva, one stanymta ptam atva te mud must always be simple and straightforward.

ys vibho vatsatartmajtman / yat-tptaye dypi na clam adhvar

O almighty Lord, how greatly fortunate are the Go and ladies of Vndvana, the nectar of whose breast-milk You have happily drunk to Your full satisfaction, taking the form of their calves and children! All the Vedic sacrifices performed from time immemorial up to the present day have not given You as much satisfaction. (B 10.14.31)

5. He realizes that his ia-deva is the only doer. Neither himself nor the others are doers in the true sense. This realization comes only by pure contemplation of scriptural knowledge.

6. He acknowledges the greatness and supremacy of posted by New r Harids Nivs the ia-deva and his minuteness before Him. The idea of what entails aragati is summarized in The path of ara- the following verse: gati (surrender) is nuklyasya sakalpa prtiklyasya varjanam | the supreme sdrakiyatti vivso gopttve varaa tath | han, superior to tma-nikepa-krpaye a-vidh aragati || all others, and is characterized by six 1. nuklyasya sakalpa: nurturing such attitudes, attitudes that the feelings and desires, and performing such actions successful aspirant that give happiness and pleasure to ones ia and all adopts: living beings. 1. He possesses the desire that the ia-deva (ones 2. prtiklyasya varjanam: giving up all those attibeloved deity or ones gurudeva) should always be tudes, feelings, desires and actions that make them pleased and happy. unhappy or cause them pain. 2. He gives up everything that the ia-deva dislikes 3. rakiyatti vivso: the faith that He will protect or does not want. me. 3. He has complete faith that his ia-deva is always 4. gopttve varaa tath: considering and soliciting his protector, and is full of auspiciousness and goodones ia-deva to be ones protector. ness. Even if something inauspicious or unpleasant happens, he nurtures the belief that He will eventua- 5. tma-nikepa: recognizing that the vara is the lly lead him to an auspicious outcome. doer and no one else has doership. He does not get disturbed (excited or depressed) by 6. krpaya: acknowledging that the vara is the happy and sad situations that arise from his past master and one is inferior with respect to Him at all karma and fully engages in his work with his body, times. speech and mind. --taken from r Harids str mahrjjs Dina-Can-

aragati

When this realization is present, one does not feel an excessive liking towards activities that give pleasure, nor does one feel hatred for those that are unpleasant; indeed rga (attachment) and dvea (hatred) are the --picture taken from mgdas.com causes of material bondage. If the aspirant becomes free from them, he does not become caught in karma and gets thus free from sasra.

drik, p. 41-42

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uttam-bhakti-sudh-lahar
Beef in Ancient India? (part 1)
posted by ditya ds, Israel

issue 3, page 5
This particular essay was published in the form of a booklet for the first time in the year 1926 from Calcutta by one Swami Bhoomanand. This was done just after Mahatma Gandhi had taken up the work of cow protection which is clear from his presidential address on 25th June 1925 at Belgaon at the GoRaksha Parishad and his subsequent activities.

It has been seen that for the last 100 hundred years foreigners as well as some scholars of our own country are trying to prove from the Scriptures of Sanatana Dharma that during the Vedic period not only ordinary meat, but beef was taken. Beef eating was not only customary, but it was an essential item. Let In the preface to the booklet, on pages i & ii from line us consider the background of such investigations 17th onwards, the publisher Swami Bhoomanand has written with great pride: and their propagation. In my long residence in Punjab and in my travels During the British period, when it was discovered from Alwar to Peshawar, I came in contact with that beef tallow was being applied in cartridges, mumany educated Hindu gentlemen but I was sorry tiny broke out in the army during the year 1857. Sinto find that most of them did not study their own ce then, the Britishers were anxious to remove the scriptures, and, being ignorant of the manners feeling of reverence for the cow from the minds of and customs of their ancestors, were necessarily the Hindus. very narrow in their outlook .... With this object in view, they provided that EuroI myself do not pretend to be a Sanskrit scholar, pean scholars become proficient in Sanskrit and but my studies of our ancient books, mostly in ultimately mis-interpret the Scriptures of Sanatana English and vernacular translations, have opeDharma, and the results of these so-called findings ned my eyes to this fact, that the Hindu society were propagated with ulterior motives. In support was not always just like the present one. For insof this, please read the article entitled Western Indotance, we find in the Vedic literature, the ultimate logists - A Study in motives appended to this book. authority and the fountain of knowledge, clear Our countrymen were also utilised to find out such instances from the Scriptures of Sanatana Dharma as would wipe out from the Hindu mind the feeling of reverence for the cow and also the feeling that it is unkillable. It appears that the first Indian victim to this stratagem was Raja Rajendra Lala Mitra. He was born in 1822. It is said that he belonged to a Vaishnava family of Bengal. His essay Beef in Ancient India was first published in the year 1872, i.e. fifteen years after the mutiny, in the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Raja Rajendra Lala Mitra had to study a number of Vedic texts for preparing this essay and he has also commented on several of them. About four years after the publication of Beef in Ancient India, when no protest was made from any quarter, the Calcutta University conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws (LL. D.) on Raja Rajendra Lala Mitra in the year 1876. evidence of inter-caste marriages, widow marriage, elaborate yajnas, animal sacrifices, drinking of soma juice and the eating of food which is at present prohibited in the Hindu Society.

The above extract from the preface of the booklet brings out clearly the purpose behind its publication and propagation. How the people, ignorant of Sanskrit, are misled by such misinterpreted articles would be clearly evident from the various articles published in this book. Hereafter, the cow protection movement gained momentum in 1967. A fresh reprint of the booklet Beef in Ancient India was published in June 1967 by Manisha Granthalaya Private Ltd., Calcutta. Several copies were distributed free. Whether they were distributed by the publishers or somebody else, could not be traced.

After Raja Rajendra Lala Mitra came Shri Pandurang Vaman Kane, L.L.B., Advocate, Bombay High Court. He wrote History of Dharmasastra in several voRaja Rajendra Lala Mitras voluminous work was lumes and parts, which has been published by the published in two volumes under the title Indo-Ar- Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. He yan by W. Newman & Co., Calcutta, in 1881 and the has also tried to justify meat and beef eating by quoarticle Beef in Ancient India was incorporated as ting from several religious texts. chapter VI of its first volume.

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issue 3, page 6

mRrekHkfDrlq/kkygjh

They did not rest content at all this. Beside of publiMAKHAN CHOR cation of the article Beef in Ancient India by Raja While stealing butter, the Rajendra Lala Mitra, Beef-eating clubs were formed Lord chanced to see His to propagate beef eating on an extensive scale. The own reflection in a jewelfollowing extract is self-evident: studded pillar. In His childThere were those among the intellectuals in like innocence, He thought touch with the British who were dazzled by the His reflection to be another new ideas. The new light in their eyes was so young boy. bright that they thought the light within themselHe then addressed His reves was darkness. flection thus: Oh! You are They took, so to speak, Macaulay at his word and my friend. Look, I have set set out to westernize themselves in thought, mind aside your equal share of and spirit. They formed beef-eating clubs and globutter. But please do not ried in the defiance of caste superstition. complain to my mother or else she will spank me (for The advocates of acception rather than the mutineers stealing butter). were the real revolutionaries of 19th century India. May Lord Hari, Who in the form of a little boy was (INDIA, PAKISTAN AND THE EAST by Percival Spear, pubthus pleading with His own reflection, protect you. lished by OUP, 1949 edition, page 182, lines 9 to 13 and 28 to 30). ----Lord Macaulays famous words are quoted below: Wiping, with His hands, His unctuous, fragrant English education would train up a class of persons lips, smeared as they are, with all the milk, yoghurt - Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in and butter stolen by Him, opinions, in morals and in intellect. Smelling His hands again and again (for the remnants The prime objective of these people has been to con- of any butter), He instantly rubs them against the ceal such provisions of the scriptures as prohibit strap bearing a little tinkling bell around His waist, meat or beef eating, and instead place before them His large eyes, His roving eyeballs, throwing their in a prominent manner, words of scriptures misingaze in every direction, over and over again, the terpreted to mean meat-eating. Such people got renaughty, playful, little cowherd boy, Gopla, slowly cognition not only from the British Government but approaches His mother. also from the present Government of India and they were also honoured by the socalled modern anglo- --taken from mahrjjs Padyval, translated by Gauphilic society. People hankering after such honour, rav Raina, lokas 141 and 145, both by Anonymous though having little or no knowledge of Sanskrit --picture from exoticindia.es and religious literature, also write from time to time articles in English in favour of beef eating referring to misinterpreted passages from scriptures. They get a free monthly magazine published by them published in newspapers and magazines and New r Harids Nivs thus mislead simple people. Pol. Estacin NB-2 Any article giving correct and logical interpretation 03640 Monovar, Alicante, Spain does not find place in these newspapers and/or maTo subscribe, post articles, ask for information etc, gazines as it goes contrary to such anglophilic views. contact us by one of the following ways: The common man is misled to think that articles of highly placed and learned people which get so much Phone: (0034) 622 080 060 publicity must be authentic especially when they are Email: info@uttama-bhakti.org citing the scriptures. Thus they get astray that SanaWebsite: www.uttama-bhakti.org tana Dharma scriptures do not prohibit, but on the New r Harids Nivs is the first official branch of other hand, prescribe meat as well as beef eating. How r Harids strs ram r Harids Nivs. deceptive and incorrect are such notions, will be clear Permission is given to redistribute Lahar in electronic beyond doubt from articles published in this book. or printed form provided no changes are made to the --taken from A Review of Beef in Ancient India, pp. 6-9, contents, and a link to the download site is given. published as Introduction All rights reserved.

uttam-bhakti-sudh-lahar