Verse Text
mahā-śakti-vilāsātmā bhāvo ’cintya-svarūpa-bhāk |
raty-ākhyā ity ayaṁ yukto na hi tarkeṇa bādhitum |
bhāratādy-uktir eṣā hi prāktanair apy udāhṛtā ||92||
Translation
The ancient authorities have given the following statement from Mahābhārata as an example to show that rati, which is the manifestation of the hlādinī śakti, which is beyond the conceivable--deriding even liberation and giving joy to the Lord Himself--should not be defiled by material logic.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
“What was described here may not produce rasa, even if composed with good poetic ornaments. How much less it will produce rasa if it lacks good poetic composition. Therefore, good poetic qualities are of value.” To defeat this argument, the present verse is given. Mahā-śakti-vilāsātmā means that it manifests from the hlādinī śakti. Therefore, its very nature is inconceivable (acintya-svarūpa-bhāk), in the sense that it surpasses the bliss of liberation and gives bliss even to the Lord Himself. It cannot be analyzed through material logic. However, it is acceptable to comprehend it through perception which is in line with the devotional scriptures. The reason why logic defiles rasa is explained in the statement from the Mahābhārata (verse 93), which has been quoted by the ancient authorities. “Ancient authorities” (prāktanaiḥ) means “knowers of scripture” such as the writer of the Śārīraka-bhāṣya (Śaṅkara’s commentary on the Vedānta-sūtras). Scriptural evidences are as follows:
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion. SB 11.2.40
kvacid rudanty acyuta-cintayā kvacid
dhasanti nandanti vadanty alaukikāḥ
nṛtyanti gāyanty anuśīlayanty ajaṁ
bhavanti tūṣṇīṁ param etya nirvṛtāḥ
Having achieved love of Godhead, the devotees sometimes cry out loud, absorbed in thought of the infallible Lord. Sometimes they laugh, feel great pleasure, speak out loud to the Lord, dance or sing. Such devotees, having transcended material, conditioned life, sometimes imitate the unborn Supreme by acting out His pastimes. And sometimes, achieving His personal audience, they remain peaceful and silent. SB 11.3.32
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
No one, while remaining on the material platform, should discuss these different descriptions of bhāva and anubhāva by quoting different statements of transcendental literatures. Such manifestations are displays of the transcendental pleasure potency of the Lord. One should simply try to understand that on the spiritual platform there are many varieties of reciprocal love. Such loving exchanges should never be considered to be material. In the Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, it is warned that things which are inconceivable should not be subjected to arguments. Actually, the transactions of the spiritual world are inconceivable to us in our present state of life. Great liberated souls like Rūpa Gosvāmī and others have tried to give us some hints of transcendental activities in the spiritual world, but on the whole these transactions will remain inconceivable to us at the present moment. Understanding the exchanges of transcendental loving service with Kṛṣṇa is possible only when one is actually in touch with the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord.