Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 31 - Additional Symptoms
Pages in category "The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 31 - Additional Symptoms"
The following 108 pages are in this category, out of 108 total.
A
- A hard heart is compared to a lightning bolt, to gold and to shellac. The lightning bolt is very strong and never becomes soft. Similarly, the hearts of those who are engaged in severe austerities and penances do not become very easily softened
- A pure devotee of Krsna is always specifically qualified with nectarean qualifications and sometimes with the qualifications of butter and honey
- Actually eight different symptoms comprised the mental condition of Kamsa. This is another instance of an aggregate of symptoms in hopeless ecstatic love
- Actually, people cannot generally understand such different qualities of mentality, but when one's heart is very soft or gentle, these symptoms become very easily visible, and one can understand very clearly
- After exhibiting impudence one becomes restless. Therefore restlessness and impudence can be synonymous
- After Krsna had just learned to walk, He was going in and out of the house very frequently. Yasoda became surprised and said
- All of these symptoms are transcendental, and they are exhibited in different ways, acting and interacting under different conditions. They are like the reciprocation of love between the lover and beloved
- All the above-mentioned thirty-one symptoms of ecstatic love are called vyabhicari, or disturbing. All these symptoms refer to apparently disturbed conditions, but even in such disturbed conditions there is acute ecstatic love for Krsna
- Although in its natural state, the ocean is always very grave and unfathomable, when the moon rises, nothing can check the ocean's agitation. Similarly, those who are pure devotees cannot on any account check the movements of their feelings within
- Although She externally expressed a disturbed mood from this incident (Krsna attacking Radharani), within Herself She was smiling and feeling great satisfaction
- As clothing tinged red appears red, so the temporary appearance of a certain type of feeling can be detected or observed by the specific ecstatic symptom
- As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted
- As one can detect the color of dye a cloth was soaked in by looking at the cloth, so, simply by understanding the different signs of these symptomatic features, one can understand the actual position
- At that time (when he witnessed the universal form) Arjuna forgot himself and could not understand that he was Arjuna, Krsna's friend, although he was always dependent upon Krsna's mercy. This incident is an example of inferior dependence
- At the same time Radharani could see Krsna nearby, as well as Her own husband, Abhimanyu. So all of these things combined to make Radharani feel very much ashamed, and with Her face shrivelled She began to look very beautiful
D
- Dependence is also grouped under ecstatic love & this can be divided into superior dependence and inferior dependence. The direct differentiations between superior & inferior dependence are ascertained by Rupa Gosvami and will be presented in due course
- Doubtfulness is one of the aspects of argument
H
- Hardness of the heart is compared to a lightning bolt, with gold and with shellac. The lightning bolt is very strong and never becomes soft
- He (Rupa Gosvami) further states that the thirty-one disturbing symptoms of ecstatic love, plus nine other symptoms, all taken together equal forty primary symptoms of ecstatic love
I
- If one's heart is highly elevated, grave and magnanimous, or if one's heart is rough and crude, different symptoms of ecstatic love will appear, influenced by the condition of the heart
- Impatience may be caused by being struck with wonder, and so impatience and being struck with wonder can be synonymous
- In a pretentious attitude both avahittha and pride are to be found
- In fact, all the different humors and mellows of the devotees possess various specific feelings within the mind. And, according to these differences, the symptoms of ecstatic love appear in different forms and degrees
- In other words, although attachment for Krsna is one, nevertheless, because there exist different kinds of devotees, such attachment is manifested in many varieties
- In other words, Yasoda was feeling both happiness and doubt, or growing fear
- In the Dana-keli-kaumudi it is stated, "When love develops in the heart of a devotee, he cannot check the transformation of his sentiments"
- In this case there was a combination of bashfulness, anger, jubilation and lamentation. This is an instance of an aggregate of symptoms of ecstatic love
- In this instance Bhima became angry, and, being influenced by such anger, his hopelessness became a cause for strong attachment to Krsna. This instance can be described as strong attachment for Krsna in anger
- It is just like at the rising of the moon, when the ebb tide of the ocean cannot be checked: immediately there must be movement of high waves
K
- Kamsa began to think in perplexity, "Shall I go immediately and surrender unto Him? But how can a great warrior do this?" The next moment he thought, "Why should I be afraid of Him? There are still so many wrestlers standing to support me"
- Kamsa once rebuked Akrura by saying, "You are such a fool that you are accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be a cowherd boy, simply because He has defeated some harmless water snake!"
- Kamsa once said, "What harm can this boy (Krsna) do to me? He has no power." The next moment Kamsa was informed that all of his friends had been killed by the boy
- Kamsa said, "Even though I have defeated the King of heaven without difficulty, still I do not know the value of life"
- Kamsa said, "The boy (Krsna) may have lifted one pebble called Govardhan Hill, but what is more surprising than that is your statement that this boy is the Personality of Godhead!"
- Kamsa thought, "But still I cannot even go out, because my heart is trembling from fear of this boy (Krsna)!"
- Krsna once told Radharani, "My dear friend, when You tried to meet Me alone in the morning, Your friend Mekhala remained hungry with envy. Just look at her"
M
- Mother Yasoda said, "I see that the child (Krsna) is very fearless, but in spite of His fearlessness, I am becoming more and more afraid of His falling into some danger"
- Mother Yasoda said, "This child is too restless and cannot be controlled! He is incessantly going about the neighborhood of Gokula (Vrndavana), and then He is coming back inside the house"
O
- On the whole, all the different conditions of the heart mentioned above can be melted under certain circumstances, just as a hard diamond sometimes is melted by a combination of certain chemicals
- Once the cowherd boys in Vrndavana were vainly searching after Krsna for a long time, and for that reason their faces became blackened, and their complexions appeared faded
- Once when Srimati Radharani was standing on the bank of the Yamuna River in the forest of Vrndavana, She was attacked by Krsna, who was stronger than She
- One devotee exclaimed, "Oh, I cannot see the district of Mathura! Even though by simply hearing the name of Mathura the hairs of my body are standing up, I cannot see the place. So of what use are my eyes?"
- One devotee said, "I am nicely educated, but my education has simply been used in government service. I have not considered formidable time, stronger than anything else, which creates and annihilates everything"
- One devotee said, "Shall I execute devotional service from here at home? This I cannot do, because my mind is being attracted by the transcendental land of Vrndavana"
- One devotee said, "To whom shall I leave all of my wealth and fortune? I am becoming older and older. What shall I do"
- One devotee tried to console a kadamba tree when the tree was lamenting because Krsna had not touched even its shadow
- One householder devotee once said, "My Lord (Krsna), I am so wretched that these two eyes are never desiring to see the glorious city of Mathura. Therefore, my eyes are actually condemned"
- One night, after the Putana demon had been killed, baby Krsna could be seen playing upon her breast. Upon seeing this, Yasoda became stunned for some time. This is an example of a conjunction of various symptoms of ecstatic love
S
- Softness of the heart is compared with honey, with butter and with nectar. And the condition of the mind is compared with sunshine
- Sometimes ghastly activities also support strong ecstatic love for Krsna. This state of mind is called ecstatic fearfulness under illusion
- Sometimes some of the feelings are just temporary appearances. Those symptoms which are very natural always remain, both within and without the devotee
- Sometimes there were great festivals in the house of Nanda Maharaj, and all of the inhabitants of Vrndavana would assemble for these festivals. During one such festival, Srimati Radharani was seen wearing a golden necklace given Her by Krsna
- Srila Rupa Gosvami has very nicely analyzed the different kinds of disturbing symptoms, and although it is very difficult to find the exact English equivalents for many Sanskrit words used here, his analysis will now be presented
- Srila Rupa Gosvami says that although he has no expert knowledge about the sounds and meanings and mellows of the symptoms of ecstatic love, he has tried to give some examples of different varieties of love of Krsna
- Srila Rupa Gosvami says that fright, sleep, fatigue, laziness and the madness of intoxication are sometimes grouped under continuous symptoms of ecstatic love, and they are due to a strong attraction
T
- The brahmanas said, "We have all been born into three advantageous conditions"
- The brahmanas thus began to condemn their own activities. They realized that in spite of being so elevated by birth, education and culture, they still were under the spell of the illusory energy
- The conjunction can be auspicious or inauspicious. That the Putana demon had been killed was auspicious, but that Krsna was playing on her breast in the dead of night, with no one to help Him in case of trouble, was inauspicious
- The devotee said, "My dear kadamba tree, do not be worried. Just after defeating the Kaliya snake in the Yamuna River, Krsna will come and satisfy your desire." This is an instance of inappropriate hopelessness in ecstatic love for Krsna
- The golden heart becomes melted at high temperature, as in ecstatic love. And the shellac heart is very easily melted in slight temperature
- The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared with gold. If one's heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared with a cotton swab
- The symptoms of ecstatic love are sometimes grouped under four headings - namely, generation, conjunction, aggregation and satisfaction
- There are many other disturbing symptoms in ecstatic love, such as envy, anxiety, pride, jealousy, conclusion, cowardliness, forgiveness, impatience, hankering, regret, doubtfulness and impudence
- There is a proverb in Sanskrit which says, "Disappointment gives rise to the greatest satisfaction"
- There is another hopelessness, however, which shows attachment for Krsna. When the bull demon attacked the damsels of Braja, they began to cry out, "My dear Krsna - please save us! We are now gone!" This is hopelessness with attachment for Krsna
- There may be many lights, or even great elephants in the big city, but no one will take particular notice of them. But when such lights or elephants are seen near a small cottage, everyone can distinctly point them out
- These selfless symptoms can again be divided into five groups: neutrality, servitude, fraternity, parenthood and conjugal love. Such ecstatic love assumes a particular mode in contact with different objects of love
- These symptoms create transformations of bodily activities as well as movements of the senses. All of them can be accepted as different feelings of the heart. Sometimes some of the feelings are quite natural
- These symptoms, however, can be divided into three groups: first class, second class and third
- They also admitted that even yogis who are not devotees of the Lord are covered by the influence of material energy. This kind of hopelessness felt by the brahmanas who were performing ritualistic ceremonies shows practically no attachment for Krsna
- This (necklace given to Radharani by Krsna) was immediately detected by Mother Yasoda as well as by Radharani's mother, because the necklace was too long for Radharani's neck
- This again is an instance of the conjunction of two opposing elements: the child was very fearless, but at the same time Yasoda was becoming fearful of some danger. Here danger is the cause, & Yasoda's feelings are in conjunction of two opposing symptoms
- This condition of Kamsa's mind reveals an instance of pride, lamentation, humility, determination, remembrance, doubtfulness, anger and fear
- This hopelessness (what Kamsa felt) has a slight touch of attraction for Krsna, it is considered to be a reflection of ecstatic love in hopelessness
- This is an instance of a conjunction of jubilation and lamentation due to different causes of ecstatic love
- This is an instance of a maliciously opposing element, caused by hopelessness in ecstatic love for Krsna
- This is an instance of exhibiting varying feelings in ecstatic love, although the cause is one only - Krsna
- This is an instance of hopelessness in the neutral mood of ecstatic love
- This is an instance of hopelessness, pride, doubtfulness, patience, lamentation, determination and eagerness - an aggregation of seven different symptoms in ecstatic love for Krsna
- This is an instance of the generation of malice in ecstatic love of Krsna
- This statement reveals a strong anxiety to see the district of Mathura resulting from a strong attachment to Krsna
- To offer another example, a grave, magnanimous heart is compared to a great city, and a soft heart to an insignificant cottage
W
- We are in high brahmana families, we have ceremoniously received the sacred thread, and we are also properly initiated by a spiritual master. But, alas, in spite of all these advantages, we are condemned. Even our observance of brahmacarya is condemned
- When a person is envious or defamed, there may be a change in the color of the body. This may be classified as vibhava, or subecstasy. Sometimes illusion, collapse and strong anxiety are also considered to be vibhava
- When all such symptoms are included in ecstatic love, they are called ancari, or continuously existing ecstatic symptoms
- When anxiety is in its dormant stage it is called hankering. Therefore, anxiety and hankering can also be synonymous
- When Arjuna witnessed the universal form of Krsna, whose dazzling teeth were practically devouring the very existence of the universe, Arjuna's mouth became dried up
- When Devaki, the mother of Krsna, saw her son very jubilant in the presence of the wrestlers in Kamsa's arena, two kinds of tears were simultaneously gliding down her cheeks: sometimes her tears were warm, and sometimes they were cold
- When Krsna was joking with Radharani in this way, Radharani moved her beautiful eyebrows crossly. Rupa Gosvami prays that everyone may become blessed by this movement of Srimati Radharani's eyebrows
- When one becomes anxious for time to pass, that is called impatience, and when one sees something wonderful one is said to be struck with wonder
- When one becomes frightened at seeing a lightning bolt in the sky, that fearfulness brings on anxiety. Therefore, fearfulness and anxiety may be taken as one
- When one becomes malicious upon seeing another's advancement of life, his state of mind is generally called envy
- When one becomes regretful for some offense, his feeling is called bashfulness. In this way, bashfulness and regret can be synonymous
- When one cannot tolerate an offense committed by another, it is called amarsa, and when one cannot tolerate the opulence of another it is called jealousy. Jealousy and amarsa are both caused by intolerance
- When one is able to establish the correct import of a word, it can be called conclusiveness. And before such a conclusive determination of import, there must be thoughtful consideration
- When one presents himself as ignorant, it is called humility, and when there is absence of enthusiasm it is called cowardice. Therefore, in humility, there is cowardice also
- When one's sentiment or ambition becomes too great and is not fulfilled until after seemingly hopeless tribulation, that is taken as the greatest satisfaction
- When someone wants to hide his real mentality, it is called avahittha, or concealment. When a person wants to exhibit superiority, it is called pride. Both of these can be classified under pretension
- When the Kesi demon was assassinated by Krsna, Kamsa became hopeless. He began to say, "Kesidaitya was as dear to me as my own life, but he has been killed by some cowherd boy who is crude, uneducated and ignorant of fighting"
- When there are many such symptoms, they can simply be grouped together under ecstatic love
- When there is an ecstatic sensation within the mind, the golden heart or grave heart is not agitated, but the soft heart immediately becomes agitated