The View of Happiness Personified

It's a very broad subject what is the happiness in Krishna Consciousness. As Kaviraj Goswami tells us — [санскрит bayhe bisha jaka hoy] — Wonderful, wonderfully astonishing characteristic of Krishna Prem, the highest type of Krishna Consciousness, is that although externally, one appears to be suffering, internally the relishing, some extraordinary type of sweetness. So, we kinda have a stereotype about what is happiness in Krishna Consciousness.

In the Brihad Bhagavatamritam of Sanatan Goswami, when he's concluding, perhaps the first section, he's saying — “The real rasic devotees of the Lord, they alone understand the joy and the superiority of viraha, of separation. That if Krishna Consciousness is about depth of love. ” Right. Hladini Shak ...the ... what is that? [the sore] of Hladini's prem ... bhav ... the [sore] of that ... the crème of that ... bhav ... Maha bhav ultimately. Maha bhav means in the ... the greatest heart ... who possesses the greatest heart, full of Krishna Consciousness to the greatest degree, the greatest depth of heart — Shrimati Radharani. [санскрит Maha bhav swarupini Radha Thakurani] Hladini Shakti personified.

We're told that ... so, if this is about achieving the greatest depth of heart and magnitude of heart, intensity. Guru Maharaj revieled ... we're back in “ Golden volcano: divine lava” that in separation a greater depth and magnitude and intensity of heart is achieved than in union. So, when Shrila Gurudev was dealing with this question once, he said was some ... almost disgusted, he said that someone was trying to put [forward] the idea that union was higher than separation. And Gurudev said — “ Even the animals know about union.” He said — “Goats, they understand something about union.” He said — “But who understands the peculiar joy of separation?”

Not the animals, certainly. Right. Guru Maharaj liked to quote [Shali] — “Our sweetest tales are those full of the saddest thoughts.” Right. And we just celebrated Ram Shakti Sita, Her appearance day and Guru Maharaj gave that as an example. And on whatever level we're familiar with that story, it's full of heartbreak, just heart rending pastimes. They're beyond comprehension. Right. As I told the other day that Hanuman is questioning Ram, like — “What are you doing?”

The devotee are [непонятно] when Sita's been banished, she's pregnant with the twins, Lava and Kusha. So many things there. It's heartbreaking and [thir] inducing and we want to go on hearing the story. We can't stop it, we can't ignore that, we want to hear more, it has such a hold on the heart. So, Shrila Gurudev, he liked to quote from the [Anti-Lila]of Chaitanya Charitamritam, the Rupa Goswami sloka, he says — [санскрит pida bir navokala ...] I forget the last line.

But this [navokala kuta katuta] when she was drinking the ocean, that's called [kala kuta] this poison, he's saying — “The [непонятно] of venom is this type of poison. What is the ... Krishna Prem, the real joy, happiness in Krishna Consciousness? Appears like you've been bitten, poisoned by a cobra in your hemorrhaging while taking bathing in the shower of nectar at the same time. If you can hold these two things, it's almost counterintuitive or ... what's the Sanskrit ... expression, regarding two opposites being held in the mind at the same time? ... I can't remember the ... phrase now.

But this two peculiar ... polar opposites in a sense simultaneously, saying, that's the actual position of the higher devotees. But as indicated in the Bhagavad Gita by Shrila Guru Maharaj — [санскрит katayan chastamam nityam ...] When the devotees are discussing these pastimes, the wide variety of pastimes, it says if they're feasting, that's [tushanti] like when we have a big fea... and there's one tasteful thing after another. And you're tasting this, and the next thing is more tasteful than that, another tasteful thing, another tasteful thing. And as much as you feel nourished and ... acquiring strength and vitality from that. So, that's what the devotees get — hearing, that's their pleasure.

Hearing and chanting about Krishna. But that's said — The sweetest songs are those that tell the saddest tales. So, where's the focal point, what does Gurudev say? What is Mahaprabhu tasting matter? People say — “Well, these are very high things!” Oh, yeah! Right! The very high thing is called Krishna Consciousness. It's a very high thing, it's the most high thing! It's the greatest type of happiness. Right. So, Krishna whose [непоняно] His [rasaraj] Right. His taste personified [непоняно murti] His what ... you know, [санскрит anandam ...] His happiness personified — Sat, chit, ananda, vigraha. Krishna.

That Krishna ... when He, He says that it appears to Him that what is being experienced by Shrimati is 10 million times greater happiness that what He's experiencing. So, why don't we accept Krishna as an authority on happiness, considering that His happiness personified. So, if happiness personified [непонятно] said — “There's a greater happiness. And what is that? Said — “ My beloved, Shrimati Padharani! What She is experiencing in my estimation,”— Omnipotent, Omniscient Krishna says — “In my estimation the happiness She’s experiencing is ten million times greater than what I’m experiencing.”

So, the devotees in lesser position. And [санскрит aparum kashiyapi ...] And interacting with Her, serving all the [санскрит anands chin maya ...] so many millions and billions of divine ... expansions, extensions of Her. Still what She possesses alone is awaking to me the curiosity to experience Her position.

Then Gurudev says — What is Mahaprabhu's tasting matter? What is He ... that Rasaraj Krishna. Right. [ananda murti] Happiness personified. What does He want to taste and experience? Two focal points, both [непонятно] of separation. Kurukshetra, after hundred years of separation from those who cannot tolerate the blink of an eye separation. And Kurukshetra, and where's that expressed? At Radha Yatra of Jagannath. And then after so many years of that then privately, behind closed doors in a [непонятно] in the association of Svarup and Ramanand, Svarup Damodar and ramananda Roy — Uddhava darshan, the[ Brahma] Gita, we're back to that.

This ... and what is he doing? The last twelve years of his life relishing this, 24 hours a day. And everything that goes with it the Krishna [Karnamritam] the Gita Govinda — [санскрит vishvesha amanuram jani ...] [санскрит anangotsivaya] I like this ... it says there — Krishna's body is like a feast for the eyes, the nose, the ... everything about Kr... a festival, a sensuous festival on all levels. Right. To those who have that hankering for that connection, the greatest joy comes to them. Guru Maharaj saying — “Without hunger what can you taste?”

But ... And if there's deep hunger then everything will be relished. So, we say was the greatest happiness it must be from the position of the greatest hunger which means is achieved in separation. From there everything will be relish, a point of relish, pleasure and satisfaction and happiness. So, we've been advised move in that direction, that's the safe path for the devotees and realistic from our present position. So, we're fortunate to be indicated to move in that direction. And by no less then Krishna Himself appearing as Mahaprabhu — [ санскрит Guru Rupa harim ...]

Taking His own name is making Him very happy. Sweetness is tasting itself, becoming mad, mad dance in the outcome and the extension of the Holly name. Guru Maharaj says in [Prema dava stotrum] —[ санскрит Krishna nama sidhu dama danya ...] We're talking about elephants the [dansaga] means like elephantine is an adjective in English. Do they have that in Russian? Some word? It means large, if you say something is elephantine — it's really big. So, the dansa ... gift. They would literally give elephants? Like we know — And they gave 10 000 elephants. Like Guru Maharaj is saying here — “This is the gift, golden gift to the golden Lord.” He's giving Krishna nam which is what?[ Siddhu dam] The [непонятно] of all nectarine substances. Right.

What do they say? [ratna mala] [ санскрит nikila shruti moli ratna mala] Of all sounds, the supreme sound, the [shrutis] who are sounds personified, the say — “This is the supreme sound, the name of Krishna and what is it? The [непонятно] of all nectar in that sense, joy. [санскрит Krishna nama siddhu dama ...] The most extraordinary gift and what does Rupa Goswami say? —[ санскрит Tunde tanda venirutim ...] That when you're tasting the name Krishna proper, how much joy is there to be experienced? He said — “One tongue is insufficient. One will desire to have millions of tongues [in from] the hankering position.

Millions of tongues to taste the sweetness. And how sweet is that sound. One will desire millions of ears to catch all the nectar from the Holly name of Krishna. —[санскрит vrindaranyam svapa ...] We're speaking earlier today about Giriraj Govardhan, he's by now, he's arrived in [Shanjan] (Laughing) Shrila Avadhud Maharaj [brought] Giriraj Govardhan one for Shenzhen where was the other one ... to go? Oh, in Kiev. Right. So, Nalina Nayana and [Abiram] Prabhu and Shamananda Prabhu they flew to Shenzhen and gi... I told her, please, inform me when Giriraj has arrived there.

So, in saying — “ What mantram to say?” Coz here we know the [gupt the Govardhanis] have so many. And saying — “What we about to start very simple [непонятно Goswami] — [ санскрит Nitjani katani vasa dehi ...] in saying — “ Govardhan, please, let me, please, let me be by your side.” That's his prayer in his famous Prayers to Govardhan. “If I can be by your side, nearby, by your side ... ” But when vraja gopis, Guru Maharaj tells us that Govardhan, he said, he's like ... coz Krishna like Mahaprabhu. Internally Krishna but externally devotee. So, when the vraja gopis in the tenth [count] appraising Govardhan, they say — “ [ санскрит Hantaya madra ...]

They're saying — “Oh, Govardhan, you are Haridas [barja] you are the best of the servants of Hari, of Krishna.” Here addressing as servant of Krishna. Why? They say — “Well, you provide so much sweet water and grass for the cows and caves for confidential pastimes.” But also they say — [ санскрит yadrama Krishna charana ...] And when the lotus feet of Krishna and Balaram touch you when they are walking, you're experiencing so much joy and happiness at the touch of their lotus feet. ” That they're telling and [непонятно] — [ санскрит vrindaranyam svapara ...] The Earth which we generally take, we take as female but in the shanta position, they'd say — “ The earth is shivering in conjugal ecstasy at the touch of the lotus feet of Krishna.”

So, you tell me what is happiness in Krishna Consciousness. (Laughing) All happiness — begining, middle and end. But I remember once in Shrila Prabhupad's garden in Los Angeles, he was giving the sequence — [adul shradha], sadhu sanga, bhadjana ... and ... and talking about that, and telling each stage. But when he got to bhav and then when he came to like prem, he said — “Then enjoyment!” (Laughing) But Guru Maharaj again would say — “But what is that enjoyment? — [ санскрит das kori beiton mori ...] The call compound interest. Are there any economists in the group? No, you're bunch of Marxists (Laughing)

Compound interest. Only a capitalist can understand this. They've crea ... but investor capital then the interest comes. What do you do with the interest? People would tell — “We'll go buy something, spend it. ” Not a real capitalist! Real capitalist, no, I've got some interest — increase the capital! Now, the capital is greater, more interest will come, increase the capital. Guru Maharaj said — “The devotees, they're like that. They're serving then when that time comes — increase the serving capital, more interest, increase the serving capital. So, real prem is real enjoyment is seva. (Laughing) Hare Krishna!