Post by Uttamasloka on Jun 24, 2022 13:13:11 GMT -5
Jun 24, 2022 2:58:57 GMT -5 Dasa said:
First, tell me what is your definition or understanding of Krsna snehadika bhava.
Those gopis who belong to Radha's yutha, but have little more affection for Krishna, more than Radha.
Here is the explanation by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura from Ujjvala-nilamani:
One should understand the conclusion to these points. Sakhīs, nitya-sakhīs, prāṇa-sakhīs, priya-sakhīs, and priya-narma-sakhīs actually all have successively greater prema for both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. This is the significance of those names (i.e., the five types of sakhīs in Radha’s group).
Those who have more affection for Kṛṣṇa are the sakhīs. The nitya-sakhīs (mañjarīs) have more affection than them for both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa but they are called sakhīs with more affection for the group leader because they have slightly more affection for Rādhā than for Kṛṣṇa (asama-snehā).
The prāṇa-sakhīs (principal mañjarīs) have more affection for both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa than the nitya-sakhīs, and slightly more affection for Rādhā. They are also called sakhīs with more affection for the group leader.
Those who have more affection for both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa than the prāṇa-sakhīs but also have equal affection for both are the priya-sakhīs. They are called sakhīs with equal affection (sama-snehā).
The priya-narma-sakhīs (parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs, i.e., aṣta-sakhīs) have even more affection than the priya-sakhīs for both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but equal affection for both. They are also called sakhīs with equal affection.
“Let that be. I do not object to the successively higher statuses. But just as those with more affection for the sakhī (Rādhā) have two varieties – nitya-sakhīs and prāṇa-sakhīs, so those with more affection for Kṛṣṇa should have two varieties – sakhī and snigdha-sakhī. Why not? Because of this, I am bewildered.”
That is true. It has previously been explained in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that attaining the position of a gopī cannot take place without rāgānugā-bhakti. And without following after the nitya-siddha gopīs, rāgānugā cannot be perfected. Rāgānugā means to follow after those gopīs who have rāga. Those three types who follow the nitya-siddhas attain perfection like the nitya-siddha gopīs but they exist eternally in a slightly lesser position than the nitya-siddha gopīs that they follow.
Having loyalty to the group leaders and their sakhīs, according to their own desires, the three types who follow the parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs with equal affection for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa become priya-sakhīs with a similar type of affection.
The three types who follow the prāṇa-sakhīs (principal mañjarīs) with more affection for Rādhā become situated eternally as nitya-sakhīs (mañjarīs) with more affection for Rādhā.
But there are not three types who follow after sakhīs with more affection for Kṛṣṇa. Because there is no one following after those sakhīs, having only one type, there is no lesser type than them.
“Why should they not be followed?” According to the principles of rāgānuga-bhakti a person should follow a desired gopī while having affection for her not less than one’s affection for Kṛṣṇa. If one follows a gopī while having less affection for her than for Kṛṣṇa, it would not be much different from vaidhi-bhakti. Even vaidhi-bhakti cannot be perfected without following devotees. Therefore in rāgānuga-bhakti, persons who desire to follow a sakhī with more affection for Kṛṣṇa must not have less affection for that sakhī than for Kṛṣṇa.
However, that person would also have to have slightly less affection for Rādhā and other group leaders than for Kṛṣṇa (since there is a preference for stronger affection for Kṛṣṇa than Rādhā). But it is very improper to consider the group leaders to be inferior to the sakhī. Therefore one does not follow such a sakhī, and therefore there is one variety of those who have more affection for Kṛṣṇa. UN, 8.137, Commentary