Mādhurya Kādambinī – Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada
Commentaries by Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa’s Mahānta Paṇḍita Śrī Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja
Translation by Advaita das
tato bhajana kriyā. sā ca aniṣṭhitā niṣṭhitā ca. tatra prathamam aniṣṭhitā krameṇotsāhamayī ghanataralā vyūḍha vikalpā viṣaya saṅgarā niyamākṣamā taraṅga raṅgiṇīti ṣaḍ vidhā bhavantīti svādhāraṁ vilakṣayati (5)
TRANSLATION: The next stage is bhajana-kriyā, or the practice of the different devotional items. It is of two kinds: aniṣṭhitā (unsteady) and niṣṭhitā (steady). aniṣṭhitā-bhajana-kriyā gradually appears in six stages: utsāha-mayī, ghana-taralā, vyūḍha-vikalpā, viṣaya-saṅgarā, niyamākṣamā, and taraṅga-raṅgiṇī. These stages accordingly mark the devotees with their respective symptoms.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
After attaining the shelter of a bonafide Guru and the association of like-minded affectionate devotees, the devotee commences his bhajana. bhajana-kriyā means the performance of the ninefold bhakti, such as hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the deity etc., as instructed by the guru. Śrīman Mahāprabhu told Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī,
bhajanera madhye śreṣṭha—nava vidha bhakti;
kṛṣṇa prema kṛṣṇa dite dhare mahāśakti
tāra madhye sarva śreṣṭha— nāma saṅkīrtana;
niraparādha nāma hoite hoy premadhana
“There are many types of devotional parts but ninefold bhakti is the supreme among them. Ninefold bhakti has immense power to bestow Kṛṣṇa-prema and the Lord’s loving service. Moreover, of the nine types of bhakti, nāma-saṅkīrtana is superexcellent since nāma, the holy name, and nāmi, the Lord, are nondifferent. A devotee chanting the holy name offenselessly can thus become fortunate enough to attain Kṛṣṇa-prema.”
bhajana-kriyā is of two types, aniṣṭhitā (unsteady) and niṣṭhitā (steady). niṣṭhitā means one cannot fall down or slacken anymore. aniṣṭhitā is due to immature devotion. It gradually appears in six stages as utsāha-mayī (temporary vigour), ghana-taralā (simultaneous intense and unsteady practice), vyūḍha-vikalpā (indecision), viṣaya-saṅgarā (struggle with the senses), niyamākṣamā (inability to hold vows), and taraṅga-raṅgiṇī (delighting in the facilities offered by bhakti). In the stage of aniṣṭhitā bhajana these six weaknesses gradually appear in the heart of the devotee. From the symptoms that such an unsteady devotee shows we can clearly see in what item of unsteady devotion he is presently situated. The blessed author will now give elaborate examples of these six stages. (5)
tatrotsāhamayī prathamam eva śāstra madhyetumārabhyamāṇasya sarva loka ślokyamāna pāṇḍityam upapannam iva svasmin manyamānasya baṭor iva utsāhaṁ svādhikaraṇasya pracurayatītyutsāhamayī (6)
TRANSLATION: Now the stage of initial enthusiasm is described. A new devotee feels like a young brāhmaṇa boy, beginning his Vedic studies, thinking, “I have become a learned scholar worthy of everyone’s praise.” He feels a temporary enthusiasm in his studies. Similarly, a (temporary) enthusiasm is seen in a devotee just beginning bhajana. This stage of bhajana-kriyā is known as utsāha-mayī because a temporary enthusiasm is seen in a devotee.
Pīyūṣa Kaṇā explanation:
The author now explains the first temporary mental phase of the aspirant who is eager to start, after taking initiation. Just as new students think: “I understand I have become a scholar who is praiseworthy by all” and thrust themselves into their studies with novel enthusiasm, and new music students similarly think “I understand I have become a great player or singer” right at the beginning of their studies, similarly the aspirant who just starts his bhajana thinks to himself: “I have become a worshipable bhajanānandī.” This is only temporary initial enthusiasm. This stage is called utsāhamayī aniṣṭhitā bhajana, unstable bhajana full of initial enthusiasm. (6)
atha ghanataralā. prakramyamāṇāni bhaktyaṅgāni kadācin nirvahanti kadācicca na veti ghanatvaṁ taralatvāṁ cāsyāḥ yathā baṭoḥ śāstrābhyāsaḥ kadācit sāndraḥ kadācit tad artha praveśāsamarthatayā sārasyānudayena śithilaś ca (7)
TRANSLATION: Now ghana-taralā is being explained. The same student, when he engages attentively in studies understanding the purports of the scriptures, he feels overjoyed. But at certain times, he becomes slack, being unable to understand the meaning of the scriptures and enjoy their taste. Similarly, the devotee sometimes practises different parts of devotion attentively, but at other times becomes slack. Being sometimes attentive (thick) and sometimes slack (thin), this stage is known as ghana-taralā.
Pīyūṣa Kaṇā Explanation:
The initial enthusiasm of the devotee which was described before, will not last, because he still has anarthas. The example has been given of the first studies of a student. In the beginning this student thinks: “I understand I have become a great scholar’. When he understands the purport of the scriptures, he studies them carefully, but at certain times he becomes slack in his studies, being unable to enter into the meaning of the scriptures. And then again, once he again understands the purport of the scriptures he is happy. In this way his studies are sometimes intense and sometimes weak. Similarly, a devotee sometimes intensely practises different devotional parts because he attains bliss while doing them. At other times, he becomes slack in devotion when obstacles arise in his worship. In this way bhajana is sometimes deep and productive and sometimes weak or slack — hence this stage is called ghana taralā. (7)
atha vyūḍha vikalpā. kim ahaṁ saparigraha eva putra kalatrādīn vaiṣṇavīkṛtya bhagavat paricaryāyāṁ niyojya gṛha eva sukhaṁ taṁ bhaje kiṁ vā sarvān eva parityajya nirvikṣepaḥ śrī vṛndāvanaṁ dhyeya sthānam evāsīnaḥ kīrtana śravaṇādibhiḥ kṛtārthī bhaveyam. sa ca tyāgaḥ kiṁ bhukta bhogasyāvagata viṣama viṣaya dāvadavathor mama carama daśāyām eva kiṁ vādhunaiva samucita iti. kiṁ ca tām īkṣed ātmano mṛtyuṁ tṛṇaiḥ kūpam ivāvṛtam iti dṛṣṭyā āśramasyāsyāviśvāsyatayā yo dustyajān dāra sutān ityatra jahau yuvaiva malavat ityādi dṛṣṭyā tyakta vilambas tatrāpi aho me pitarau vṛddhau ityatra atṛptas tān anudhyāyan mṛto’ndhaṁ viśate tamaḥ iti bhagavad vākyena tyāge’labdha balaśca sampratyeva prāṇa dhāraṇa mātra vṛttir vanaṁ tadaiva praviśyāṣṭāv eva ca yāmānabhyarthayānīti. na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha ityatra tu vairāgyasya bhakti janakatve eva doṣo na tu bhakti janitatve iti tad anubhāva rūpatayā tad adhīnatvam iti. yad yad āśramagāt sa bhikṣukas tat tan na paripūrṇamaikṣata iti nyāyena kadācid vairāgyaṁ tāvad rāgādaya stenas tāvat kārāgṛhaṁ gṛham iti kadācid gārhasthyaṁ ca niścinvan kim ahaṁ kīrtanam eva kiṁ vā kathā śravaṇam api uta sevām eva utāho tāvad ambarīṣādivad anekāṅgām eva bhaktiṁ karavai ityādi vividhā eva prāptā vikalpā yatra bhavantīti vyūḍha vikalpā (8)
TRANSLATION: After this vyūḍha vikalpā is described “Shall I serve the Lord while blissfully residing at home, making my wife and children Vaiṣṇavas, or shall I give everything up and peacefully reside in the meditation centre Śrī Vṛndāvana, engaging in devotional practices such as śravaṇa and kīrtana without disturbance? In this way I will become successful.” Then again he thinks, “If I have to renounce, it would be better first to realize the miseries of sense enjoyment by enjoying my senses. Then I can renounce at the final stage—why should I do it now? Then again the scriptures show that ‘women are to be seen as blind wells covered with grass, they are unseen death’. Therefore one should not place one’s faith in household life, one should renounce it at once, like Mahārāja Bharata, who renounced it like stool although he was still young and although wife and children are hard to give up. Other scriptural references say: ‘My mother and father are both old’ or ‘When one renounces household life before being fully satiated one only thinks of it and enters into darkness after death’. These words were spoken by the Lord Himself and that does not encourage me to renounce. Now I can somehow maintain myself, later I will duly enter into the forest and worship Kṛṣṇa around the clock. Besides, the scriptures also say that ‘Through knowledge and renunciation alone one can not arouse devotion to Kṛṣṇa.” Actually devotion should not be caused by renunciation, but renunciation should be caused by devotion, for through such renunciation devotion is experienced and it is proven how renunciation is subservient to devotion. There is a popular saying: “In whatever āśrama the mendicant went, he saw there was plenty to eat”, so that again creates the plan to renounce household life. Other scriptural statements again condone household life by saying: “Only as long as one is not Kṛṣṇa-conscious attachments will be like thieves and the home will be like a prison.” Then again one may wonder: “Shall I do kīrtana, shall I hear kathā or shall I render some practical service? Or shall I practise all the items of devotion like King Ambarīṣa?” While doing bhajana such speculations may take place. They are called vyūḍha vikalpā.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
In the stage of unsteady practice, the aspirant may speculate widely about how to practise bhajana, and this is called vyūḍha vikalpā. After receiving initiation and being instructed in bhajana by Śrī Guru, the aspirant may not be able to decide whether he will renounce the world or stay at home. Thus he starts speculating: “Shall I make my wife and children Vaiṣṇavas by making them take initiation and learn devotion, and thus worship Kṛṣṇa at home with the family?” The next moment he thinks: “When I stay at home I have to work to maintain them and I will surely get distracted from my worship, so perhaps I should renounce my wife and children and peacefully live in the meditation center Śrī Vṛndāvana and be blessed by constantly practising the nine types of devotion, like hearing and chanting.” Then again he will think: “If I renounce the world, I should first fully enjoy the senses and through it realise how miserable this life is. Then at the end of my life I will renounce. Otherwise I may renounce only externally but I will internally only think of sense enjoyment and that will obstruct my bhajana.” He again thinks, “If I remain attached with material pleasures for a long time, then the desire for giving them up may not arise. Moreover, death may occur anytime, no one knows when death comes, after all—thus, shall I renounce now?”
As long as the attachment towards devotion is less, there is a necessity of considering the instructions of the śāstras on Śrī Kṛṣṇa bhajana very carefully. Therefore, the devotee remembers a Bhāgavata-verse (3.31.40):
yopayāti śanair māyā yoṣid deva-vinirmitā
tām īkṣetātmano mṛtyuṁ tṛṇaiḥ kūpam ivāvṛtam
Śrī Kapiladeva says, “O mother! The woman created by the Lord is a form of māyā. She slowly and slyly comes towards a devotee, serves him and finally finishes his devotion. Therefore, a wise sādhaka should know her as a path to death, like a blind well covered with grass.” He then thinks, “It is thus proper to renounce this world now without putting any faith in householder life.” The next moment he thinks, “It is better to renounce in a mature stage, rather than in youth.” While thinking this, he remembers a Bhāgavata-verse (5.14.43):
yo dustyajān dāra-sutān suhṛd rājyaṁ hṛdi-spṛśaḥ
jahau yuvaiva malavad uttamaśloka-lālasaḥ
“Mahārāja Bharata in his youth gave up his wife, son, dear ones and kingdom as if they were stool, desiring to worship the Lord, Uttama-śloka, whose glories are beyond ignorance.” Therefore he thinks, “It is better to renounce immediately.” Again he remembers the words of the Lord in the Bhāgavatam (11.17.57):
aho me pitarau vṛddhau bhāryā bālātmajātmajaḥ
anāthā mām ṛte dīnāḥ kathaṁ jīvanti duḥkhhitāḥ
“Oh! My parents are old, and my wife is with a mere infant in her lap and other young children. Without me they will be totally helpless and suffer miseries. How will they maintain themselves without me?” “According to this text, it is better to renounce after the death of my parents. Moreover, the Lord further warns that if one leaves the body without being satisfied with sense objects one attains a dark destination—
evaṁ gṛhāśayākṣipta-hṛdayo mūḍha-dhīr ayam
atṛptas tān anudhyāyan mṛto’ndhaṁ viśate tamaḥ
‘Ignorant persons desiring to enjoy household life have a distracted heart, because they are still unsatisfied with sense enjoyments. They die while thinking of their relatives and dear ones and enter the darkness of the hellish planets after death or take birth in a species in the mode of ignorance.’ According to this statement of the Lord to Uddhava, my desire to renounce is not yet strong. For the time being, I will stay at home and just work to maintain myself. Later, I’ll enter Vṛndāvana and engage myself in devotion to Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day. It is not proper to accept vairāgya now, because Kṛṣṇa says to Uddhava in the Bhāgavata (11.20.31):
tasmān-mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-ātmanaḥ
na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha
‘Jñāna and vairāgya are generally not beneficial for a devotee having his heart completely absorbed in Me.’ “It appears from this verse that vairāgya cannot lead to bhakti. If it arises from bhakti itself, then there is no harm in it. Then it is an effect of bhakti and is controlled by bhakti. vairāgya that nourishes detachment from material enjoyments and attachment to devotion is known as yukta-vairāgya. This is not dry renunciation. It is praiseworthy, being favourable for devotion. It is not to be condemned or rejectable. Therefore, vairāgya is necessary after entering somewhat in bhajana, but not now.”
According to the logic yad yad āśramam agāt sa bhikṣukas tat tad anna paripūrṇam aikṣata: “In whatever āśrama a sannyāsī goes, he gets plenty to eat,” Sometimes the scriptures preach such renunciation. But he again remembers a verse from the Bhāgavata (10.14.36):
tāvad rāgādayaḥ stenās tāvat kāra-gṛhaṁ gṛham
tāvan moho’nghri-nigaḍo yāvat kṛṣṇa na te janāḥ
Brahmā says to the Lord, “O Kṛṣṇa! As long as people do not take Your shelter, material desires remain like thieves stealing their consciousness, their homes remain prisons being the cause of their material bondage, and their attachments remain foot shackles.” “So, it is better to stay at home.”
In the same way he makes different decisions for doing various devotional items like hearing and chanting. Sometimes he thinks of doing nāma-saṅkīrtana since the śāstras greatly glorify the fruits of nāma-saṅkīrtana. At other times he thinks of doing śravaṇa-bhakti and sometimes arcanā-bhakti. Again he thinks of practising many devotional items like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. In this way, a series of various deliberations arise in his mind, but he cannot decide what to do and what not to do. This stage is known as vyūḍha-vikalpā. (8)
atha viṣaya saṅgarā. ‘viṣayāviṣṭacittānāṁ viṣṇvāveśaḥ sudūrataḥ. vāruṇī dig gataṁ vastu vrajannaindrīṁ kim āpnuyāt. iti bhogā eva balāt svasminn abhiniveśya māṁ bhajane śithilayantīti tad amī tyaktvā nāmagrāhaṁ kāṁścana kāṁścana tyaktavato’pi bhuñjānasya ‘juṣamāṇaśca tān kāmān parityāge’pyanīśvara’ iti bhagavad vākyasyodāharaṇatvaṁ prāptavatas tasya pūrvābhyas tair viṣayais tai saha saṅgaro yuddhaṁ kadācit tat parājayaḥ kadācit sva parājaya iti viṣaya saṅgarā (9)
TRANSLATION: Now viṣaya saṅgarā is discussed. In the śāstras it is said: ‘A person engrossed in sensuality is deprived of Viṣṇu-consciousness, just as a person going to the east can never reach something situated in the west.’ ‘According to this text of Viṣṇu Purāṇa, objects of sense enjoyment opposing attachment towards the Lord are forcibly attracting me towards them and impairing my absorption in devotion. So I will take the shelter of the holy name and give them all up.’ Although he is indeed giving up some sense objects he simultaneously enjoys others. The Lord says in the Bhāgavata: “The devotee who is unable to give up some sense object enjoys it while condemning himself.” Thus the devotee fights a battle or saṅgara with the sense objects, sometimes being defeated by them and sometimes conquering them. Such a stage of bhajana kriyā is called viṣaya saṅgarā.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Now the author discusses another symptom of unstable bhajana called viṣaya saṅgarā. The mind of an aspirant who commences bhajana still runs after sense objects, because everyone has a tendency towards sense gratification since beginningless time. Thus he thinks: “The Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: viṣayāviṣṭa cittānāṁ viṣṇāveśaḥ sudūrataḥ; vāruṇī dig gataṁ vastu vrajann aindrīṁ kim āpnuyāt “A person engrossed in sensuality is deprived of Viṣṇu-consciousness, just as a person going to the east can never reach something situated in the west.” In this way the sense objects, that are opposed to any attachment to the Lord, are forcibly pulling me towards themselves and are minimizing my attachment to bhajana. Thus I should take exclusive shelter of the holy name and give up sense gratification.” Determining this, the aspirant tries to give up sense pleasures, but due to his bad past he is unable to do so. Such a devotee has been described in the Bhāgavata by the Lord as He taught Śrī Uddhava (11.20.27-28):
jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu
veda duḥkhātmakān kāmān parityāge ’py anīśvaraḥ
tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
juṣamāṇaś ca tan kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan
“A devotee who faithfully hears My glories and who is finished with fruitive activities is disgusted with sense enjoyment, knowing that it leads to misery. Though he tries to give it up, he is sometimes unable to do so. He should engage himself in devotion with deep affection and firm faith. Though he condemns the material senses knowing that they lead to miseries, he still sometimes enjoys them.” Thus, he is exemplary for the Lord’s statement: “He is lovingly engaged in My worship.” He thus continues to fight with the material senses, sometimes getting victory and sometimes defeat.
The purport of the commentary of these two verses by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda is as follows: These two verses explain the nature of a neophyte devotee. He knows the association of wife, children, and consequent material affairs to be a cause of miseries, yet is unable to give them up. Knowing the material senses to be miserable, his mind becomes agitated with them and he firmly fixes his mind in devotion. “I will never give up devotion, whether my attachment to my family is destroyed or increased, my devotion is distracted by millions of obstacles, by offenses I may go to hell, or I have to accept lust for sense enjoyment. If Brahmā himself comes and tells me to give up bhakti and to accept jñāna and karma, even then I will never do so.” In the beginning of bhajana he is thus firmly determined to be a devotee and is not similarly determined to enjoy his senses. He condemns sense enjoyments knowing them to be miserable, sometimes he is unable to give them up and ends up enjoying the very same thing, saying: “Alas! These material enjoyments are very harmful to me because they are unfavourable for attaining the lotus feet of the Lord. Though many times I have made vows to give them up, sometimes I am unable to carry them out.” A neophyte devotee thus has to struggle with the senses. Sometimes he conquers them, and sometimes he is defeated by them. This state is called viṣaya saṅgarā. (9)
atha niyamākṣamā. adyārabhya iyanti nāmāni gṛhītavyāni etāvatyaśca praṇayataḥ kāryā ittham eva tad bhaktā api sevanīyā bhagavad asambandhā vāco’pi noccāraṇīyā grāmya vārtāvatāṁ sannidhis tyaktavyaḥ’ ityādi pratidinam api pratijānato’pi samaye tathā na kṣamatvam iti niyamākṣamā. viṣaya saṅgarāyāṁ viṣaya tyāgākṣamatvam atra tu bhaktyutkarṣākṣamatvam iti bhedaḥ (10)
TRANSLATION: Now the stage called niyamākṣamā is discussed. In this stage a devotee decides, “From today I will chant such and such a quota of japa, and will pay so many obeisances. I will also serve the devotees. I will not talk about anything unrelated with the Lord and will give up all association of persons engaged in mundane talks.” Though the devotee makes such vows every day, he is unable to always carry them out. This stage is known as niyamākṣamā, inability to carry out vows. The difference between viṣaya-saṅgarā and niyamākṣamā is that viṣaya-saṅgarā is the inability to give up sense enjoyment, while niyamākṣamā is the inability to carry out vows made for progress in devotion.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Due to an increase in faith, a devotee feels the necessity of regulating his devotional services. Due to the existence of powerful material attachment, however, he fails to follow them regularly. It goes without saying that the main cause is his inability to relish the mellow of bhakti. If a devotee gets even the slightest of taste in the name, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord, he cannot give up the regular practice of devotion, though he has to do his other daily activities. As a child who realizes the sweetness of sugarcane juice cannot give up chewing sugarcane, similarly a devotee who realizes the taste of devotion cannot give up his regulative devotional practices.
Anyway, in this stage of niyamākṣamā the sādhaka vows that he daily takes a hundred thousand names of the Lord, he will offer so many prostrated obeisances to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas, he will serve the Vaiṣṇavas in such and such a way, either hearing or talking of subjects not related to Kṛṣṇa will upset his mind, so he will not hear or talk of these things, he will give up the company of those who slander others or speak nonsense in all respect. Although he takes such vows every day, but he is found not to be able to keep them in the end, thus this stage is known as niyamākṣamā, or inability to keep vows.
Although in the stage of viṣaya saṅgarā vows are taken to renounce sense pleasure, the devotee is unable to do it in due course of time. In the stage of niyamākṣamā an effort is done to follow the rules in order to advance in bhakti, but in due course of time he is unable to follow them — this is the difference between viṣaya saṅgarā and niyamākṣamā. (10)
atha taraṅga raṅgiṇī. bhakteḥ svabhāva evāyaṁ yat tadvati sarve’pi janā anurajyantīti ‘janānurāga prabhavā hi sampad’ iti prācāṁ vāco’pi. bhaktyutthāsu vibhūtiṣu lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhādiṣu vallī valitāsūpāśākhāsu taraṅgeṣvivācarantyā asyā raṅga iti taraṅga raṅgiṇī.
iti mahā mahopādhyāya śrīmad viśvanātha cakravartī viracitāyāṁ mādhurya kādambinyāṁ bhakteḥ śraddhādi krama-traya kathana pūrvakaṁ bhajana kriyābheda kathanaṁ nāma dvitīyāmṛta vṛṣṭiḥ (2)
TRANSLATION: Now the stage called taraṅga raṅgiṇī is discussed. The very nature of bhakti is that when it exists in a devotee, everyone becomes attracted to him. Even the old sages have said, “By the attraction of the people one becomes wealthy.” Facilities like profit, respect, and distinction arising from bhakti are just weeds around the bhakti creeper that are compared to small waves on the bhakti ocean. In this stage a devotee doing bhajana seeks pleasure (raṅga) arising out of these waves (taraṅga). Hence this stage is called taraṅga raṅgiṇī.
* Thus ends the Second Shower of Nectar of Mādhurya Kādambinī by Mahāmahopādhyāya Śrīmad Viśvanātha Cakravartī describing the three stages of bhakti from śraddhā to bhajana-kriyā and the different types of bhajana-kriyā.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
As water by its own nature flows downwards, similarly everyone is naturally attracted towards a devotee. Whoever is exclusively devoted to Śrī Hari, who is the soul of every living being, satisfies the whole world with his devotional worship. The Padma Purāṇa says:
yenārccito haris tena tarpitānī jagantyapi
rajyanti jantavas-tatra jaṅgamāḥ sthāvarā api
“A person who has worshipped the Lord with unflinching devotion has satisfied the whole world. What to speak of human beings, all living entities, including even non-moving trees and creepers, are also attracted to him.” Hence, all sensual happiness, opulence and non-personal spiritual bliss automatically comes to the devotee. The Tantra says:
siddhayaḥ paramāścaryā bhuktir muktiśca śāśvatī
nityañca paramānandaṁ bhaved govinda-bhaktitaḥ
“All types of pleasure, material and spiritual, automatically appear before him. Through devotion to Govinda one gets all types of perfection in mystic yoga, all types of sensual pleasures, the bliss of liberation, and supreme transcendental bliss.” A pure devotee never desires profit adoration, distinction, liberation or mystic perfections, only the loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Profit, respect, and fame are all counterproductive, like weeds around the bhakti creeper. They grow themselves by sprinkling the water of devotional practices like śravaṇa, kīrtana, and so forth and choke the growth of the bhakti creeper. It is necessary to cut them down. Mahāprabhu taught Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī (C.C. Madhya, 19/158-161):
kintu yadi latāra aṅge uṭhe upaśākhā;
bhukti-mukti-vañchā, yata asaṅkhya tāra lekhā
niṣiddhācāra kuṭināṭī jīva-hiṁsana;
lābha, pūjā, pratiṣṭhādi yata upaśākhā-gaṇa
seka-jala pāiyā upaśākhā bāḍi yāya;
sthabdha hoiyā mūla-śākhā bāḍite nā pāya
prathamei upaśākhāra karibe chedana;
tabe mūla-śākhā bāḍi yāya vṛndāvana
“Sometimes unlimited weeds grow around the bhakti creeper. These are desires for sense enjoyment or liberation, activities forbidden in scriptures, fault-finding, duplicity, animal killing, desires for profit, adoration and distinction, and so on. Sprinkling of water nourishes the unwanted weeds, curtailing the growth of the original creeper. One must cut down these weeds in the very beginning, so that the original creeper may grow and gradually reach Vṛndāvana.” These weeds are compared to small waves on the bhakti ocean. In this stage a devotee seeks pleasure by material gain, respect, and fame. In other words, he does his devotional practices playing in these waves on the bhakti ocean. This is a great obstacle in the devotional path, called taraṅga raṅgiṇī. In the upcoming third nectar-shower there will be elaborate discussions on unwanted obstacles arising from devotional service. (11)
Thus ends the Pīyūṣa-kaṇā explanation of the Second Shower of Nectar of Mādhurya Kādambinī.
Amrita-Tarangini 