Text 31

alola-candraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi-
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
syamam tri-bhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

alola--swinging; candraka--with a moon-locket; lasat--beautified; vana-malya--a garland of flowers; vamsi--flute; ratna- angadam--adorned with jeweled ornaments; pranaya--of love; keli-kala--in pastimes; vilasam--who always revels; syamam--Syamasundara; tri-bhanga--bending in three places; lalitam--graceful; niyata--eternally; prakasam--manifest ; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of Lowe, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

In the sloka beginning with cintamani-prakara the transcendental region and the spiritual names of Govinda, in the sloka beginning with venum kvanantam, the eternal beautiful form of Govinda and in this sloka the amorous pastimes of Govinda, the embodiment of His sixty-four excellences, have been described. All the spiritual affairs that come within the scope of description in the narration of the ecstatic mellow quality (rasa) are included in the spiritual amorous sports of Govinda.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

The word "keli" means "pastimes characterised by love and by joking", and "kala" means "expert in the art". His pastimes (vilasa) are like that. In the Amara-kosha it is said:

"The words 'drava', 'keli' and 'parihasa' mean 'joking'".

Text 32

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti
pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti
ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

angoni--the limbs; yasya--of whom; sakala-indriya--of all the organs; vrtti-manti--possessing the functions; pasyanti--see; panti--maintain; kalayanti--manifest; ciram--eternally; jaganti--the universes; ananda--bliss; cit--truth; maya--full of; sat--substantiality; ujjvala--full of dazzling splendor; vigrahasya--whose form; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lords whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

For want of a taste of things spiritual, a grave doubt arises in the minds of those who are enchained by worldly knowledge. On hearing a narration of the pastimes of Krishna they think that the truth (tattva) regarding Krishna is the mental concoction of certain learned scholars, created by their imaginative brains out of material drawn from the mundane principles. With the object of removing this harmful doubt, Brahma in this and the three following slokas, after distinguishing between the two things, viz., spirit and matter, in a rational manner, has tried to make one understand the pure lila of Krishna, obtained by his unmixed ecstatic trance. Brahma wants to say that the form of Krishna is all-existence, all-knowledge and all-bliss, whereas all mundane experiences are full of palpable ignorance. Although there is specific difference between the two, the fundamental truth is that spiritual affairs constitute the absolute source. Specification and variegatedness are ever present in it. By them are established the transcendental abode, form, name, quality and sports of Krishna. It is only by a person, possessed of pure spirituals knowledge and freedom from any relationship with Maya, that those amorous pastimes of Krishna can at all be appreciated. The spiritual abode, the seat of pastimes, emanated from the cit potency and formed of cintamani (transcendental philosopher's stone), and the figure of Krishna, are all spiritual. Just as Maya is the perverted reflection of the spiritual potency, the variegatedness created by Maya (ignorance) is also a perverted reflection of spiritual variegatedness. So a mere semblance of the spiritual variegatedness is only noticed in this mundane world. Notwithstanding such semblance the two are wholly different from one another. The unwholesomeness of matter is its defect; but in the spirit there is variegatedness which is free from any fault or contamination. The soul and the body of Krishna are identical, whereas the body and soul of fallen creatures are not so. In the spiritual sphere there is no such difference as that between the body and soul, between the limbs and their proprietor, between the attributes and the object possessing them, of this world. But such difference really exists in the case of conditioned souls. Limbed though Krishna is, His every limb is the whole entity. He performs all varieties of divine spiritual functions with every one of His limbs. Hence He is an indivisible whole and a perfect transcendental entity. Both jiva-soul and Krishna are transcendental. So they belong to the same category. But they differ in this that the transcendental attributes exist in the jiva-soul in infinitesimally small degrees, whereas in Krishna they are found in their fullest perfection. Those attributes manifest themselves in their proper infinitesimality only when the jiva-soul attains his unadulterated spiritual status. The jiva-soul attains the nearest approach to the absolute identity only when the spiritual force of ecstatic energy appears in him by the grace of Krishna. Still Krishna remains the object of universal homage by reason of His possession of certain unique attributes. These fourfold unrivaled attributes do not manifest themselves in Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha or in primeval purusa-avataras, or in the highest deities such as Siva, not to speak of jivas.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

After describing the Lord's pastimes in the previous two verses, in the next four verses the author describes the Lord's inconceivable powers and glories. In this verse the author describes the powers and glories of the Lord's form. The Lor d's hand has the power to see. His eyes have the power to protect. Each of His senses and limbs has all the powers of every other sense and limb. The Lord's senses are also described in these words of Bhagavad-gita (13.14):

"Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes, heads, and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, pervading everything."

The word "jaganti" means that the Lord personally employs His own senses and limbs in His various transcendental pastimes. The reason why the Lord's form is so wonderful and extraordinary is given in the phrase beginning with the word "ananda".

Text 33

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

advaitam--without a second; acyutam--without decay; anadim--without a beginning; ananta-rupam--whose form is endless, or who possesses unlimited forms; adyam--the beginning; purana-purusam--the most ancient person; nava- yauvanam--a blooming youth; ca--also; vedesu--through the Vedas; durlabham--inaccessible; adurlabham--not difficult to obtain; atma-bhaktau--through pure devotion of the soul; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal purusa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

Advaita means "indivisible truth who is knowledge absolute." Brahman, the infinite, emanates from Him as His effulgence and God-immanent (Paramatma) as His constituent; but nevertheless He remains one and indivisible. Acyuta means that though myriads of avataras emanate from Him as subjective portions and millions of jivas as separated spiritual particles, still He remains intact as the undivided whole of fullest perfection. Though He indulges in exhibiting the pastimes of births etc., still He is without a beginning. Though He disappears after the pastimes of His appearance, still He is eternal. Though without origin, yet He is with an origin in His pastime of appearance; and although eternal in essence, He is still a person in the full bloom of youth. The sum and substance of it is that though He possesses diverse and apparently mutually contradictory dualities, still they are in universal harmonious concordance by dint of His unthinkable potency. This is what is meant by cid-dharma (transcendental nature) as distinguished from the material. His graceful threefold-bending form with flute in hand, possesses eternal blooming youth and is above all unwholesomeness that is to be found in limited time and space. In the transcendental realm there is no past and future but only the unalloyed and immutable present time. In the transcendental sphere there is no distinction between the object and its qualities and no such identity as is found in the limited mundane region. Hence those qualities that seem to be apparently contradictory in the light of mundane conception limited by time and space, exist in agreeable and dainty concordance in the spiritual realm. How can the jiva realize such unprecedented existence? The limited intellectual function of the jiva is always contaminated by the influence of time and space and is, therefore, not in a position to shake off this limitedness. If the potency of cognitive function does not extend to the realization of the transcendental, what else can? In reply Brahma says that the transcendental Absolute is beyond the reach of the Vedas. The Vedas originate in sound and sound originates in the mundane ether. So the Vedas cannot present before us a direct view of the transcendental world (Goloka). It is only when the Vedas are imbued with the cit potency that they are enabled to deal with the transcendental. But Goloka reveals itself to every jiva-soul when he is under the influence of the spiritual cognitive potency joined to the essence of ecstatic energy. The ecstatic function of devotion is boundless and is surcharged with unalloyed transcendental knowledge. That knowledge reveals goloka-tattva (the principle of the highest transcendental) in unison with devotion, without asserting itself separately but as a subsidiary to unalloyed devotion.

Srila Jiva Goswami's Commentary

In the three verses that begin here the description of the Lord's extraordinary power and glory continues. The word "advaitam" means that as a king has no rival, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no (na) rival (dvaita) anywhere in th e world. In Srimad- Bhagavatam (3.2.12), Sri Uddhava explains:

"The Lord's pastimes were wonderful for everyone".

The meaning of the word "acyutam" is given by Sri Akrura in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.38.7-8)

"Indeed, today King Kamsa has shown me extreme mercy by sending me to see the lotus feet of Lord Hari, who has now appeared in this world. Simply by the effulgence of His toenails, many souls in the past have transcended the insurmountable d arkness of material existence and achieved liberation. Those lotus feet are worshipped by Brahma, Siva, and all the demigods, by the goddess of fortune, and also by the great sages and Vaisnavas."

Sri Uddhava also explains (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.62):

"The goddess of fortune herself, along with Lord Brahma and all the other demigods, who are masters of yogic perfection, can worship the lotus feet of Krishna only within her mind. But during the rasa- dance Lord Krishna placed His feet upon thes e gopis' breasts, and by embracing those feet the gopis gave up all distress."

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami also explains (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.28.14 and 17):

"The all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness."

"Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherd men felt the greatest happiness when they saw that transcendental abode. They were especially amazed to see Krishna Himself there, surrounded by the Personified Vedas, who were offering Him prayers." The word "anadi" means "free from the three phases of time, which consist of beginning, middle and end". It is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.24.27):

"Time merges into the Supreme Lord, present in the form of the omniscient Maha-purusa, the original activator of all living beings."

Thus it is said that when the material universe is destroyed the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains an aloof witness. He is not destroyed. That is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the seer of everything is confirmed by the Lord Him self in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.29):

"Thus I, the perfect seer of everything material and spiritual, have spoken this knowledge of sankhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by scientific analysis of creation and annihilation."

The word "purana-purusam" is explained by Brahma in this way (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.23):

"O Lord, You are the primeval Supreme Personality of Godhead."

The people of Mathura also affirm:

"Krishna is the primeval Supreme Personality of Godhead colourfully decorated with garlands of forest flowers."

The word "nava-yauvanam" is defined in these words of the Nirukti:

"Nava-yauvana" means "even though one is the oldest, he is young like a fresh youth".

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.44.14) it is said:

"What austerities must the gopis have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Krishna's form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equalled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame , and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever-fresh, and extremely rare."

In the Ninth Canto it is said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.24.65):

"Krishna's face is decorated with ornaments, such as earrings resembling sharks. His ears are beautiful. His cheeks brilliant, and His smiling attractive to everyone. Whoever sees Lord Krishna sees a festival. His face and body are fully sati sfying for everyone to see, but the devotees are angry at the creator for the disturbance caused by the momentary blinking of the eyes."

In the First Canto it is said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.26-29):

"In the Supreme Personality of Godhead reside 1. truthfulness, 2. cleanliness, 3. intolerance of another's unhappiness, 4. power to control anger, 5. self-satisfaction, 6. straightforwardness, 7. steadiness of mind, 8. control of th e sense organs, 9. responsibility, 10. equality, 11. tolerance, 12 equanimity, 13. faithfulness, 14. knowledge, 15. absence of sense enjoyment, 16. leadership, 17. chivalry, 18. influence, 19. the power to make everything possible, 20. the discharge of proper duty, 21. complete independence, 22. dexterity, 23. fullness of all beauty, 24. serenity, 25. kindheartedness, 26. ingenuity, 27. gentility, 28. magnanimity, 29. determination, 30. perfection in all knowledge, 31. p roper execution, 32. possession of all objects of enjoyment, 33, joyfulness, 34. immovability, 35. fidelity, 36. fame, 37. worship, 38. pridelessness, 39. being (as the Supreme Personality of Godhead), 40. eternity, and many other transcenden tal qualities which are eternally present and never to be separated from Him."

The following meditation on Lord Krishna is found in the Gopala-tapani Upanisad:

"Splendid like a monsoon cloud, the youthful gopa Krishna sits under a kalpa-vrksa tree."

Here the word "taruna", like "nava-yauvana" means "with a great opulence of youthfulness". The words "vedesu duralabham" are explained in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam's Tenth Canto:

"The Vedas search for the pathway to Lord Mukunda's feet."

The phrase "adurlabham atma-bhaktau" is explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.14.21):

"Being very dear to the devotees and sadhus, I am attained through unflinching faith and devotional service.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.5) it is said:

"O Almighty Lord, in the past many yogis in this world achieved the platform of devotional service by offering all their endeavours unto You and faithfully carrying out their prescribed duties. Through such devotional service, perfected by t he process of hearing and chanting about You, they came to understand You, O infallible one, and could easily surrender to You and achieve Your supreme abode."

Text 34

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

panthah--the path; tu--but; koti-sata--thousands of millions; vatsara--of years; sampragamyah--extending over; vayoh-- of wind; atha api--or; manasah--of the mind; muni-pungavanam--of the foremost jnanis; sah--that (path); api--only; asti--is; yat--of whom; prapada--of the toe; simni--to the tip; avicintya-tattve--beyond material conception; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the lip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and be take themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnanis who try to find out the non differentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

The attainment of the lotus feet of Govinda consists in the realization of unalloyed devotion. The kaivalya (realized non alternative state) which is attained by the astanga-yogis by practicing trance for thousands of millions of years and the state of merging into the non differentiated impersonality of Godhead beyond the range of limitation attained by non dualists after a similar period passed in distinguishing between the spirituals and nonspiritual and eliminating things of the limited sphere one after another by the formula "not this, not that," are simply the outs its of the lotus feet of Krishna and not the lotus feet themselves. The long and short of the matter is this, kaivalya or merging into the Brahman constitutes the line of demarcation between the world of limitation and the transcendental world. For, unless we step beyond them, we can have no taste of the variegatedness of the transcendental sphere. These conditions are the simple absence of misery arising from mundane affinity but are not real happiness or felicity. If the absence of misery be called a bit of pleasure then also that bit is very small and of no consequence. It is not sufficient to destroy the condition of materiality; but the real gain to the jiva is his eternal existence in his self-realized state. This can be attained only by the grace of unalloyed devotion which is essentially cut or transcendental in character. For this end abstract and uninteresting mental speculation is of no avail.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

Here the word "prapada-simni" means "the tip of the lotus feet". Sri Narada explains (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.69.2):

"It is astounding that Lord Sri Krishna, who is one without a second, expanded Himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes."

In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:

"Lord Krishna is the one all-powerful, worshipable, all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead."

In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is also said:

"Although He is one, Lord Krishna expands in many forms."

The author of Brahma-samhita therefore concludes: "Lord Krishna has inconceivable powers (avicintya-tattve). This is also confirmed by the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam's Third Canto:

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead has many thousands of inconceivable potencies."

In both the Skanda Purana and the Mahabharata (Bhishma Parva, 5.28) it is said:

"Anything transcendental to material nature is called inconceivable, whereas arguments are all mundane. since mundane arguments cannot touch transcendental subject matters, one should not try to understand transcendental subject matter throu gh material arguments."

It is also said in Vedanta-sutra (2.1.27):

"The statements of scripture are the root of real knowledge."

In the commentary on this verse it is said:

"Jewels, mantras, and strong medicines have inconceivable powers."

Text 35

eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

ekah--one; api--although; asau--He; racayitum--to create; jagat-anda--of universes; kotim--millions; yat--whose; saktih--potency; asti--there is; jagat-anda-cayah--all the universes; yat-antah--within whom; anda-antara-stha--which are scattered throughout the universe; paramu-anu-caya--the atoms; antara-stham--situated within; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the tame time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

Krishna is the highest of all entities. In Him is an entity which is termed cit (spiritual) which is distinct from the principle of limitation. By His inconceivable power, He can at will create numberless universes. All the mundane universes owe their origin to the transformation of His external potency. Again His abode is beyond human conception; since all worlds, limited and spiritual (cit) exist in Him and He resides simultaneously in His fullness and entirety in all the atoms in all the worlds. All-pervasiveness is only a localized aspect of the majesty of Krishna, the Lord of all. Though He is all-pervasive yet in His existence everywhere in a medium shape consists His spiritual Lordship beyond human conception. This argument favors the doctrine of simultaneous inconceivable distinction and non distinction , and knocks down the contaminating Mayavada and other allied doctrines.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.13.46) it is said:

"Then, while Lord Brahma looked on, all the calves and the boys tending them immediately appeared to have complexions the colour of bluish rainclouds and to be dressed in yellow silken garments."

These words describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the universes, assuming the forms of the cowherd boys. The word "jagadanda-cayah" is explains in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.9.13):

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading."

In the Shruti-shastra (Katha Upanishad 1.2.20) it is said:

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest."

In the Gopala-tapani Upanishad it is said:

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered all living entities. The cowherd boy Krishna is the Supersoul hidden in all living beings."

Text 36

yad-bhava-bhavita-dhiyo manujas tathaiva
samprapya rupa-mahimasana-yana-bhusah
suktair yam eva nigama-prathitai stuvanti
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

yat--for whom; bhava--with devotion; bhavita--are imbued; dhiyah--whose hearts; manujah--men; tatha eva--similarly; samprapya--having gained; rupa--beauty; mahima--greatness; asana--thrones; yana--conveyances; bhusah--and ornaments; suktaih--by Vedic hymns; yam--whom; eva-- certainly; nigama--by the Vedas; prathitaih--told; stuvanti--offer praise; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him, aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose poise men, who are imbued with devotion, sing the mantra- suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

In discussing rasa we meet with five kinds of devotion or service. Santa or unattached, dasya or pertaining to reverential willing service, sakhya or friendship, vatsalya or parental love and srngara or juvenile love.

The devotees surcharged with the ideas of their respective service, serve Krishna eternally and ultimately reach the goal of their respective ideals. They attain the real nature of their self befitting their respective rasas, their glories, conveyances, seats befitting their sacred service, and transcendental qualities of ornaments enhancing the beauty of their real nature. Those who are advocates of santa-rasa attain the region of Brahma-Paramatma, the seat of eternal peace; those of dasya-rasa get to Vaikuntha, the spiritual majestic abode of Sri Narayana; those of sakhya, vatsalya and madhura-rasa (juvenile love) attain Goloka-dhama, Krishna's abode, above Vaikuntha. They worship Krishna by the suktas depicted in the Vedas with the ingredients and objects befitting their respective rasas, in those regions. The Vedas, under the influence of the spiritual potency in certain passages speak of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The liberated Souls chant the name, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, under the guidance of the same spiritual potency.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

How merciful must the Supreme Personality of Godhead be to His sincere devotee? That is explained in this verse. The scriptures say that as the cowherd boys attains virtues, character, age, pastimes and appearance like those of Lord Krishna, and they attained eternal association with Lord Krishna, so they who somehow or other meditate on Lord Krishna also attain the eternal association with Lord Krishna. This is described in the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.48):

"Inimical kings like Sisupala, Paundraka, and Salva were always thinking about Lord Krishna. Even while they were lying down, sitting or engaging in other activities, they previously meditated on the bodily movements of the Lord, His sporting pastimes, His loving glances upon His devotees, and other attractive features displayed by the Lord. Being thus always absorbed in Krishna, they achieved spiritual liberation in the Lord's own abode. What then can be said of the benedictions offered to those who constantly fix their minds on Lord Krishna in a favourable, loving mood?"

Text 37

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya- kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

ananda--bliss; cit--and knowledge; maya--consisting of; rasa--mellows; prati--every second; bhavitabh,h--who are engrossed with; tabhih--with those; yah--who; eva--certainly; nija-rupataya--with His own form; kalabhih--who are parts of portions of His pleasure potency; goloke--in Goloka Vrndavana; eva--certainly; nivasati--resides; akhila-atma--as the soul of all; bhutah--who exists; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original personality; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhis], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

Although the Lord Absolute and His potency are one and the self-same existence, still They exist eternally as separate entities, as Radha and Krishna. In both the ecstatic energy and the transcendental Lord Krishna there exists srngara-rasa (amorous love) whose quality is inconceivable. The vibhava (extension) of that rasa (mellow quality) is twofold, viz., alambana (prop) and uddipana (stimulation). Of these alambana is twofold, viz., asraya (supported) and visaya (supporter). Asraya signifies Radhika Herself and the extensions of Her own form and visaya means Krishna Himself. Krishna is Govinda, Lord of Goloka. The gopis are the facsimile asraya of that rasa. With them Krishna indulges in eternal pastimes in Goloka. Nija-rupataya means "with the attributes manifested from the ecstatic energy." The sixty-four activities in fine arts and crafts are the following:

(1) gita--art of singing. (2) vadya--art of praying on musical instruments. (3) nrtya--art of dancing. (4) natya--art of theatricals . (5) alekhya--art of painting. (6) visesakacchedya--art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics. (7) tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara--art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers. (8) puspastarana--art of making a covering of flowers for a bed. (9) dasana-vasananga-raga-- art of applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, cloths and painting the body. (10) mani-bhumika-karma-- art of making the groundwork of jewels. (11) sayya-racana--art of covering the bed. (12) udaka-vadya--art of playing on music in water. ( 13) udaka-ghata--art of splashing with water. (14) citra-yoga--art of practically applying an admixture of colors. (15) malya-grathana-vikalpa--art of designing a preparation of wreaths. (16) sekharapida-yojana--art of practically setting the coronet on the head. (17) nepathya-yoga--art of practically dressing in the tiring room. (18) karnapatra-bhanga--art of decorating the tragus of the ear. (19) sugandha-yukti--art of practical application of aromatics. (20) bhusana-yojana--art of applying or setting ornaments. (21) aindra-jala--art of juggler. (22) kaucumara--a kind of art. (23) hasta-laghava--art of sleight of hand. (24) citra-sakapupa-bhaksya-vikara-kriya-- art of preparing varieties of salad, bread, cake and delicious food. (25) panaka-rasa-rgasava-yojana--art of practically preparing palatable drinks and tinging draughts with red color. (26) suci-vaya-karma--art of needle works and weaving. (27) sutra-krida--art of playing with thread. (28) vina-damuraka-vadya--art of playing on lute and small x-shaped drum. (29) prahelika---art of making and solving riddles. (29-a) praytimala---art of coping or reciting verse for verse as a trial for memory or skill. (30) durvacaka-yoga--art of practicing language difficult to be answered
by others. (31) pustaka-vacana--art of reciting books. (32) nathikakhyayika-darsan --art of enacting short plays and anecdotes. (33) kavya-samasya-purana-- art of solving enigmatic verses. (34) pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa--art of designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows. (35) tarku-karma--art of spinning by spindle. (36) taksana--art of carpentry. (37) vastu-vidya-- art of engineering. (38) raupya-ratna-pariksa--art of testing silver and jewels. (39) dhatu-vada--art of metallurgy. (40) mani-raga-jnana--art of tinging jewels.(41) akara-jnana-- art of mineralogy. (42) vrksayur-veda-yoga--art of practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs.(43) mesa-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi-- art of knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds. (44) suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana)?--art of maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos. (45) utsadana--art of healing or cleaning a person with perfumes. (46) kesa-marjana-kausala--art of combing hair. (47) aksara-mustika-kathana-- art of talking with letters and fingers. (48) mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa--art of fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry. (49) desa-bhasa-jnana--art of knowing provincial dialects. (50) puspa-sakatika-nirmiti-jnana--art of knowing prediction by heavenly voice or knowing preparation of toy carts by flowers. (51) yantra-matrka--art of mechanics. (52) dharana-matrka---art of the use of amulets. (53) samvacya--art of conversation. (54) manasi kavya-kriya--art of composing verse mentally. (55) kriya-vikalpa--art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy. (56) chalitaka-yoga--art of practicing as a builder of shrines called after him. (57) abhidhana-kosa-cchando-jnana--art of the use of lexicography and meters. (58)vastra-gopana--art of concealment of cloths. (59) dyuta-visesa--art of knowing specific gambling. (60) akarsa-krida-- art of playing with dice or magnet. (61) balaka-kridanaka--art of using children's toys. (62) vainayiki vidya--art of enforcing discipline. (63) vaijayiki vidya--art of gaining victory. (64) vaitaliki vidya--art of awakening master with music at dawn.

All these arts manifesting their own eternal forms are ever visible in the region of Goloka as the ingredients of rasa; and, in the mundane sphere, they have been unstintedly exhibited in he pastimes of Vraja by the spiritual (cit) potency, Yogamaya. So Sri Rupa says, sadanantaih ... santi tah, ie., Krishna is ever manifest in His beauty with His infinite pastimes in Goloka. Sometimes the variant manifestation of those pastimes becomes visible on the mundane plane. Sri Hari, the Supreme Lord, also manifests His pastimes of birth, etc., accompanied by all His paraphernalia. The divine sportive potency rolls the hearts of His paraphernalia with appropriate spiritual sentiments in conformity with the will of Krishna. Those pastimes that manifest themselves on the mundane plane, are His visible pastimes. All those very pastimes exist in their nonvisible form in Goloka beyond the ken of mundane knowledge. In His visible pastimes Krishna sojourns in Gokula, Mathura and Dvaraka. Those pastimes that are nonvisible in those three places are visible in their spiritual sites of Vrndavana.

From the conclusions just stated it is clear that there is no distinction between the visible and nonvisible pastimes. The apostle Jiva Goswami in his commentary on this sloka as well as in the gloss of Ujjvala-nilamani and in Krishna-sandarhha remarks that "the visible pastimes of Krishna are the creation of His cit (spiritual) potency. Being in conjunction with the reference to mundane function they exhibit certain features which seem to be true by the influence of the limiting potency (Maya); but these cannot exist in the transcendental reality. The destruction of demons, illicit paramour ship, birth, etc., are examples of this peculiarity. The gopis are the extensions of the ecstatic energy of Krishna, and so are exceptionably His own. How can there be illicit connection in their case? The illicit mistress-ship of the gopis found in His visible pastime, is but the mundane reflection of the transcendental reality." The hidden meaning underlying the words of Sri Jiva Goswami, when it is made explicit will leave no doubt in the minds of the readers. Sri Jiva Goswami is our preacher of transcendental truth. So he is always under the influence of Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Moreover in the pastimes of Krishna Sri Jiva is one of the manjaris. So he is conversant with all transcendental realities.

There are some who, being unable to understand the drift of his statements, give meanings of their own invention and indulge in useless controversies. Sri Rupa and Sanatana say that there is no real and essential distinction between the lilas visible and nonvisible, the only distinction lies in this that one is manifest in the mundane sphere whereas the other is not so. In the super mundane manifestation there is absolute purity in the seer and the seen. A particularly fortunate person when he is favored by Krishna, can shake off worldly shackles and connections, enter the transcendental region after attaining the realized taste of the varieties of rasa that is available during the period of novitiate. Only such a person can have a view and taste of the perfect and absolutely pure lila of Goloka. Such receptive natures are rarely to be found. He, who exists in the mundane sphere, can also realize the taste of cid-rasa by the grace of Krishna by being enabled to attain the realized state of service. Such a person can have a view of the pastimes of Goloka manifested in the mundane lila of Gokula. There is certainly a difference between these two classes of eligible seekers of the truth. Until one attains the perfectly transcendental stage he must be hampered by his lingering limitations, in his vision of the pastimes of Goloka. Again, the vision of the transcendental reality varies according to the degree of self realization. The vision of Goloka must also vary accordingly.

It is only those fettered souls who are excessively addicted to worldliness that are devoid of the devotional eye. Of them some are enmeshed by the variegatedness of the deluding energy while others aspire after self-annihilation under the influence of centrifugal knowledge. Though they might have a view of the mundanely manifested pastimes of the Supreme Lord, they can have only a material conception of those visible pastimes, this conception being devoid of transcendental reality. Hence the realization of Goloka appears in proportion to eligibility due to the degree of one's self-realization. The underlying principle is this, that, though Gokula is as holy and free from dross as Goloka, still it is manifested on the mundane plane by the influence of the cit potency, Yogamaya. In visible and nonvisible matters of transcendental regions there is no impurity, contamination and imperfection inherent in the world of limitation; only there is some difference in the matter of realization in proportion to the self-realization of the seekers after the Absolute. Impurity, unwholesomeness, foreign elements, illusion, nescience, unholiness. utter inadequacy, insignificance, grossness--these appertain to the eye, intellect, mind and ego stultified by the material nature of conditioned souls; they have nothing to do with the essential nature of transcendence. The more one is free from these blots the more is one capable of realizing the unqualified Absolute. The truth who has been revealed by the scriptures, is free from dross. But the realizations of the seekers of the knowledge of these realities, are with or without flaw in accordance with the degree of their individual realization.

Those sixty-four arts that have been enumerated above, do in reality exist unstintedly only in Goloka. Unwholesomeness, insignificance, grossness are found in those arts in accordance with the degree of self-realization on the part of aspirants after the knowledge of the Absolute. According to Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana all those pastimes, that have been visibly in Gokula, exist in all purity and free from all tinge of limitation in Goloka. So transcendental autocratic paramourship also exists in Goloka in inconceivable purity judged by the same standard and reasoning. All manifestation by the cit potency, Yogamaya, are pure. So, as the above paramourship is the creation of Yogamaya, it is necessarily free from all contamination, and appertains to the absolute reality.

Let us pause to consider what the absolute reality is in Himself. Sri Rupa Goswami says, purvokta- ... saratah. In regard to these slokas Sripada Jiva Goswami after mature deliberation has established the transcendental paramourship as vibhrama-vilasa, something seemingly different from what it appears to be; such are the pastimes of birth, etc., accomplished by Yogamaya. By the explanation tathapi ... vraja-vanitanam, Srila Jiva Goswami has expressed his profound implication. Joyous pastimes by the medium of seeming error, vibhrama-vilasa, as the contrivance of Yogamaya, has also been admitted in the concluding statements of Rupa and Sanatana. Still, since Sripada Jiva Goswami has established the identity of Goloka with Gokula, it must be admitted that there is transcendental reality underlying all the pastimes of Gokula. A husband is one who binds oneself in wedlock with a girl, while a paramour is one who, in order to win another's wife's love by means of love, crosses the conventions of morality, by the impulse of the sentiment that regards her love as the be-all and end-all of existence. In Goloka there is no such function at all as what of the nuptial relationship. Hence there is no husband hood characterized by such connection. On the other hand since the gopis, who are self-supported real entities are not tied to anybody else in wedlock, they cannot also have the state of concubinage . There can also be no separate entities in the forms of svakiya (conjugal) and parakiya (adulterous) states. In the visible pastimes on the mundane plane the function in the form of the nuptial relationship is found to exist. Krishna is beyond the scope of that function. Hence the said function of the circle of all-love is contrived by Yogamaya. Krishna tastes the transcendental rasa akin to paramourship by overstepping that function. This pastime of going beyond the pale of the apparent moral function manifested by Yoyamaya, is, however, also observable only on the mundane plane by the eye that is enwrapped by the mundane covering; but there is really no such levity in the pastimes of Krishna. The rasa of paramourship is certainly the extracted essence of all the rasas. If it be said that it does not exist in Goloka, it would be highly deprecatory to Goloka. It is not the fact that there is no supremely wholesome tasting of rasa in the supremely excellent realm of Goloka. Krishna the fountainhead of all avataras, tastes the same in a distinct form in Goloka and in another distinct form in Gokula. Therefore, in spite of the seeming appearance, to the mundane eye, of out stepping the bounds of the legitimate function by the form of paramour- ship, there must be present the truth of it in some form even in Goloka. Atmaramo 'py ariramat, atmany avaruddha-sauratah, reme vraja-sundaribhir yatharbhakah pratibimba-vibhramah and other Texts of the scriptures go to show that self delightedness is the essential dislinctive quality of Krishna Himself. Krishna in His majestic cit realm causes the manifestation of His own cit potency as Lakshmi and enjoys her as His own wedded consort. As this feeling of wedded consorthood preponderates there, rasa expands in a wholesome form only up to the state of servanthood (dasya-rasa). But in Goloka He divides up His cit potency into thousands of goals and eternally engages in amorous pastimes with them by forgetting the sentiments of ownership. By the sentiments of ownership there cannot be the extreme inaccessibility of the rasa. So the gopis have naturally, from eternity, the innate sentiment of being others' wedded wives. Krishna too in response to that sentiment, by assuming the reciprocal sentiment of paramourship, performs the rasa and the other amorous pastimes with the aid of the flute, His favorite cher ami. Goloka is the transcendental seat of eternally self-realized rasa, beyond limited conception. Hence in Goloka there is realization of the sentimental assumption of the rasa of paramourship.

Again such is the nature of the principle of the majesty that in the realm of Vaikuntha there is no rasa or parental affection towards the source of all avataras. But in Goloka, the seat of all superexcellent deliciousness, there is no more than the original sentimental egoistic assumption of the same rasa. There Nanda and Yasoda are visibly present, but there is no occurrence of birth. For want of the occurrence of birth the assumed egoistic sentiment of parental affection of Nanda and Yasoda has no foundation in the actual existence of such entities as father and mother, but it is of the nature of sentimental assumption on their parts, cf. jayati jana-nivaso devaki-janma-vadah, etc. For the purpose of the realization of the rasa the assumed egoistic sentiment is, however, eternal. In the rasa of amorous love if the corresponding egoistic sentiments of concubinage and paramourship be mere eternal assumptions there is nothing to blame in them and it also does not go against the scriptures. When those transcendental entities of Goloka becomes manifest in Vraja then those two egoistic sentiments become somewhat more palpable to the mundane view in the phenomenal world and there comes to be this much difference only. In the rasa of parental affection the sentiments of Nanda and Yasoda that they are parents becomes manifest in the more tangible form in the pastimes of birth etc., and in the amorous rasa the corresponding sentiments of concubinage in the respective gopis become manifest in the forms of their marriages with Abhimanyu, Govardhana, etc. In reality there is no such separate entity as husbandhood of the gopis either in Goloka or in Gokula. Hence the sastras declare that there is no sexual union of the gopis with their husbands. It is also for the same reason that the authorized teacher of the principle of rasa, Sri Rupa, writes that in the transcendental amorous rasa the hero is of two different types, viz., the wedded husband and the paramour-- patis copapatis ceti prabhedav iha visrutav iti. Sri Jiva, in his commentary by his words patih pura-vanitanam dvitiyo vraja- vanitanam, acknowledges the eternal paramourship of Krishna in Goloka and Gokula and the husbandhood of Krishna in Vaikuntha and Dvaraka etc. In the Lord of Goloka and the Lord of Gokula the character of paramourship is found in its complete form. Krishna's deliberate overstepping of His own quality of self-delightedness is caused by the desire of union with another's wedded wife. The state of being another's wedded wife is nothing but the corresponding assumed sentiment on the part of the gopis. In reality they have no husbands with independent and separate existence; still their very egoistic sentiment makes them have the nature of the wedded wives of others. So all the characteristics, viz., that "desire makes the paramour overstep the bounds of duty," etc., are eternally present in the seat of all-deliciousness. In Vraja that very thing reveals itself, to an extent, in a form more tangible to persons with mundane eyes.

So in Goloka there is inconceivable distinction and nondistinction between the rasas analogous to mundane concubine ship and wifehood. It may be said with equal truth that there is no distinction in Goloka between the two as also that there is such distinction. The essence of paramourship is the cessation of ownership and the abeyance of ownership is the enjoyment of His own cit potency in the shape of abeyance of paramourship or enjoyment without the sanction of wedlock. The conjunction of the two exists there as one rasa accommodating both varieties. In Gokula it is really the same with the difference that it produces a different impression on observers belonging to the mundane plane. In Govinda, the hero of Goloka, there exist both husbandhood and paramourship above all piety and impiety and free from all grossness. Such is also the case with the hero of Gokula although there is a distinction in realization caused by Yogamaya. If it be urged that what is manifested by Yogamaya is the highest truth being the creation of the cit potency and that, therefore, the impression of paramourship is also really true, the reply is that there may exist an impression of analogous sentimental egoism in the tasting of rasa free from any offense because it is not without a basis in truth. But the unwholesome impression that is produced in the mundane judgment is offensive and as such cannot exist in the pure cit realm. In fact Sripada Jiva Goswami has come to the true conclusion, and at the same time the finding of the opposing party is also inconceivably true. It is the vain empirical wranglings about wedded wifehood and concubinage which is false and full of specious verbosity. He who goes through the commentaries of Sripada Jiva Goswami and those of the opposing party with an impartial judgement cannot maintain his attitude of protest engendered by any real doubt. What the unallayed devotee of the Supreme Lord says is all true and is independent of any consideration of unwholesome pros and cons. There is, however, the element of mystery in their verbal controversies. Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff. being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees, due to their own want of unalloyed devotion, are apt to impute to the devotees their own defects of partisanship and opposing views. Commenting on the sloka of Rasa-pancadhyayi, gopinam tat-patinam ca, etc., what Sripada Sanatana Goswami has stated conclusively in his Vaisnava-tosani has been accepted with reverence by the true devotee Sripada Visvanatha Cakravarti without any protest.

Whenever any dispute arises regarding the pure cognitive pastimes, such as Goloka, etc., we would do well to remember the precious advice from the holy lips of Sriman Mahaprabhu and His associates. the Goswamis, viz., that the Truth Absolute is ever characterized by spiritual variegatedness that transcends the variegatedness of mundane phenomena; but He is never featureless. The divine rasa is lovely with the variegatedness of the fourfold distinction of vibhava, anubhava, sattvika and vyabhicari and the rasa is ever present in Goloka and Vaikuntha. The rasa of Goloka manifests as vraja-rasa on the mundane plane for the benefit of the devotees by the power of Yogamaya. Whatever is observable in Gokula-rasa should be visible in Goloka-rasa, in a clearly explicit form. Hence the distinction of paramourship and concubinage, the variegatedness of the respective rasas of all different persons, the soil, water, river, hill, portico, bower, cows, etc.. all the features of Gokula exist in Goloka, disposed in an appropriate manner. There is only this peculiarity that the mundane conceptions of human beings possessed of material judgment, regarding those transcendental entities, do not exist there. The conception of Goloka manifests itself differently in proportion to the degree of realization of the various pastimes of Vraja and it is very difficult to lay down any definite criterion as to which portions are mundane and which are uncontaminated. The more the eye of devotion is tinged with the salve of love, the more will the transcendental concept gradually manifest itself. So there is no need of further hypothetical speculation which does not improve one's spiritual appreciation, as the substantive knowledge of Goloka is an inconceivable entity. To try to pursue the inconceivable by the conceptual process is like pounding the empty husk of grain, which is sure to have a fruitless ending. It is, therefore, one's bounden duty by refraining from the endeavor to know, to try to gain the experience of the transcendental by the practice of pure devotion. Any course, the adoption of which tends to produce the impression of featurelessness, must be shunned by all means. Unalloyed parakiya-rasa free from all mundane conception is a most rare attainment. It is this which has been described in the narrative of the pastimes of Gokula. Those devotees, who follow the dictate of their pure spontaneous love should base their devotional endeavors on that narrative. They will attain to the more wholesome fundamental principle on reaching the stage of realization. The devotional activities characterized by illicit amour, as practiced by worldly-minded conditioned souls, are forbidden mundane impiety. The heart of our apostle Sripada Jiva Goswami was very much moved by such practices and induced him to give us his conclusive statements on the subject. It is the duty of a pure Vaishnava to accept the real spirit of his statements. It is a great offense to disrespect the acharya and to seek to establish a different doctrine in opposition to him.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

What then may be said of the gopis, who are so dear to the Lord? These most exalted goddesses reside in that realm of Lord Krishna. That is described in this verse. Here the word "ananda-cinmaya-rasa" means "the splendid ujjvala-rasa, which contains the most intense spiritual love" and "pratibhavitabhih" means "they who worship the Lord in that ujjvala rasa".

The use of the prefix "prati" means that all of the dear associates of the Lord who reside in the realm of Goloka, the gopis are the most exalted. The reason for this is given in the word "kalabhih", which means "they whose forms are manifes tations of the Lord's hladini sakti (pleasure potency)". This is shown by the use of the word "prati".

The word "nija-rupataya" means that the gopis are the wives of Lord Krishna. However, it is not in the Lord's manifest (prakata) pastimes that the gopis are the wives of Lord Krishna. The most exalted goddesses of fortune are the wives of Lord Krishna alone. They cannot be the wives of anyone else. However, in the Lord's manifested (prakata) pastimes in the material world, by the power of the maya potency, the gopis may seem to be the wives of others, wives who nonetheless intently yearn t o attain Lord Krishna.

The words "ya eva" imply that although in the Lord's manifested (prakata) pastimes in the material world the gopis act like the wives of others, in the Lord's unmanifested (aparakata) pastimes in the realm of Goloka (goloke), the gopis manife st their original pastimes (nija- rupataya nivasati).

Here the word "nivasati" means "is manifested". This is explained in the Gautamiya Tantra, where in the description of the Lord unmanifested (aprakata) eternal pastimes and features it is said:

"After many births they became perfect. They became gopis who have Lord Krishna as their husband."

The phrase "goloka eva" refers to the place where these pastimes manifested. These pastimes are not manifested in any other place.

Text 38

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

prema--of love; anjana--with the salve; churita--tinged; bhakti--of devotion; vilocanena--with the eye: santah--the pure devotees; sada--always;eva--indeed; hrdayesu--in their hearts; vilokayanti--see; yam--whom; syama--dark blue; sundaram--beautiful; acintya--inconceivable; guna--with attributes; svarupam--whose nature is endowed; govindam-- Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

The Syamasundara form of Krishna is His inconceivable simultaneous personal and impersonal self-contradictory form. True devotees see the form in their purified hearts under the influence of devotional trance. The form Syama is not the blue color visible in the mundane world but is the transcendental variegated color affording eternal bliss, and is not visible to the mortal eye. On a consideration of the trance of Vyasadeva as in the sloka, bhakti-yogena manasi etc., it will be clear that the form of Sri Krishna is the full Personality of Godhead and can only be visible in the heart of a true devotee, which is the only true seat in the state of trance under the influence of devotion. When Krishna manifested Himself in Vraja, both the devotees and non- devotees saw Him with this very eye; but only the devotees cherished Him, eternally present in Vraja, as the priceless jewel of their heart. Nowadays also the devotees see Him in Vraja in their hearts, saturated with devotion although they do not see Him with their eyes. The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the Jiva. The form of Krishna is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion. When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhava-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Krishna, which enables him to see Krishna face to face. The phrase "in their hearts" means Krishna is visible in proportion as their hearts are purified by the practice of devotion. The sum and substance of this sloka is that the form of Krishna, who is Syamasundara, Natavara (Best Dancer), Muralidhara (Holder of the Flutes) and Tribhanga (Triple-bending), is not a mental concoction but is transcendental, and is visible with the eye of the soul of the devotee under trance.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

Although he stays in the realm of Goloka, Lord Krishna may nevertheless be seen by eyes anointed with the salve of love. That is described in this verse. The word "acintya-guna-svarupam" means that the Lord is seen by eyes tinged with the salve of love.

Text 39

ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu
krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

rama-adi--the incarnation of Lord Rama, etc.; murtisu--in different forms; kala-niyamena--by the order of plenary portions; tisthhan--existing; nana--various; avataram--incarnations; akarot--executed; bhuvanesu--within the worlds; kintu-- but; krsnah--Lord Krishna; svayam--personally; samabhavat-- appeared; paramah--the supreme; puman--person; yah-- who; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna and the different avataras in the world in the forms of Rama, Nrsimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

His subjective portions as the avataras, viz., Rama, etc., appear from Vaikuntha and His own form Krishna manifests Himself with Vraja in this world, from Goloka. The underlying sense is that Krishna Chaitanya, identical with Krishna Himself, also brings about by His appearance the direct manifestation of Godhead Himself.

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami

Sometimes Lord Krishna manifests Himself as one of His incarnations in the material world. That is described in this verse. Here the word "yah" refers to Lord Krishna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Kala-niyamena" means "by the manifestation of His potencies:, "ramadi-murtisu tisthan" means "manifesting these various forms", "nanavataram akarot svayam" means "He personally descends to the material world", and "govindam tam aham bhajami" means "I worship the Lord who enjoys pastimes in this way. In Srimad- Bhagavatam (10.2.40) it is said:

"O supreme controller, Your Lordship previously accepted incarnations as a fish, a horse, a tortoise, Narasimhadeva, a boar, a swan, Lord Ramachandra, Parasurama, and among the demigods, Vamanadeva, to protect the entire world by Your mercy. Now please protect us again by Your mercy by diminishing the disturbances in this world. O Krishna, best of the Yadus, we respectfully offer our obeisances unto You."

Text 40

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-
kotisv asesa-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam
tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Word for Word

yasya--of whom; prabha--the effulgence; prabhavatah--of one who excels in power; jagat-anda--of universes; koti-kotisu--in millions and millions; asesa--unlimited; vasudha-adi--with planets and other manifestations; vibhuti-- with opulences; bhinnam--becoming variegated; tat--that; brahma--Brahman; niskalam--without parts; anantam-- unlimited; asesa-bhutam--being complete; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads , being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.

Purport (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati)

The mundane universe created by Maya is one of the infinite external manifestations accommodating space, time and gross things. The impersonal aspect of Godhead, the non-differentiated Brahman, is far above this principle of mundane creation. But even the non differentiated Brahman is only the external effulgence emanating from the boundary wall of the transcendental realm of Vaikuntha displaying the triquadrantal glory of Govinda. The non-differentiated Brahman is indivisible, hence is also one without a second, and is the infinite, and residual entity.

Srila Jiva Goswami's Commentary

After describing the Lord's incarnations, in the verse the author describes the Lord's original form. although Lord Govinda and the impersonal Brahman are the same Godhead, when He manifests His qualities He is Govinda, and when He does not manifest His qualities He is the impersonal Brahman. His first feature, that of Govinda, is situated within the circle of light that is Brahman. That Lord Govinda is the source of the impersonal Brahman is confirmed in the Bhagavad- gita 914.27), wh ere the Lord affirms:

"I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman."

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.37) the Lord declares:

"I am form, taste, aroma, touch and sound, false ego, the mahat-tattva, earth, fire, air, sky, the living entity, material nature, the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, and the transcendental Lord. All these items, along with knowled ge of their individual symptoms and the steady conviction that results from this knowledge, represent Me."

Srila Sridhara Svami comments on this verse:

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (8.24.38) Lord Matsyadeva affirms:

"You will be thoroughly advised and favoured by Me, and because of Your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as param brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will known everything about Me."

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.9.10) Dhruva Maharaja declares:

"My Lord, the transcendental bliss derived from meditating upon Your lotus feet or hearing about Your glories from pure devotees is so unlimited that it is far beyond the st