Nishanta lila Vers 2-3

Nishanta lila Vers 2-3

The reasons for the advent of Sri Caitanya

I offer my obeisances unto Sri Krishna Chaitanya whose activities are most amazing. He has come to relieve the peoples' bhava roga (material disease) with the intoxicating medicine of his own prema-amrita!

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
This verse explains Lord Gauranga's parama karuna feature. The nectarean prema that Sriman Gaurasundar wishes to distribute is Vraja-prema. Our Gauranga shows the world how to attain this topmost treasure by relishing the mellows of Vraja lila. The purpose of the Gaura avatar is two-fold: sampling Vraja prema and giving it to others to taste.

ye lāgi' avatāra, kahi se mūla kāraṇa
prema-rasa-niryāsa karite āsvādana
rāga-mārga bhakti loke karite pracāraṇa
rasika-śekhara kṛṣṇa parama-karuṇa
ei dui hetu haite icchāra udgama (CC 1.4.13-15)

Now let me speak about the root cause for the appearanceof this avatar (Gaura):

(1) to personally taste the essence of prema rasa, and in connection with this,
(2) to propagate the path of raganuga sadhan bhakti to the devotees, advented through his highest mercy the best relisher of rasa, Krishna, taking birth (as Gauranga) for these two reasons.

The means to attaining Sriman Mahaprabhu's foremost gift (Vraja prema bhakti) is specifically mentioned in the next shloka

Verse 3

The sadhya (goal) of spiritual practices is prema seva - serving out of one's love to Radha's Prana-bandhu, Sri Krishna. Although such prema seva is unknown to Brahmaa, Shiva and Ananta, it is available to those who follow the Vrajavasis' mood with deep hankering.

So, as I now begin to elaborate on this system, the manasi seva (service in mind) performed by those who travel on the raganuga bhakti path, I offer my prostrate pranams to Radha Krishna's pastimes, which daily unfold in Vraja.

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Here is the guideline of Govinda-lilamrita. This is the first verse of Sri Rupa Goswami's Smarana-mangala (auspicious meditation). Sri Rupa ordered Sri Kaviraj Goswami to write a whole book simply for the execution of these instructions. Hence the advent of Govinda-lilamrita. This upadeshamrita forms the sadhana of the consummate Rupanuga Vaishnava. Its execution is the sure and fast way to Sri Sri Radha Govinda's prema seva. Therefore one would do well to memorize this shloka, and follow its instructions with life and soul.