Internal meaning of TriDandi Sanyas

Srila Prabhupada Sanyas

Om klim gopi-jana bhavasrayaya svaha

Vilapa-kusamanjali expresses the highest summit of devotion -- a sublime, sweet and reassuring hope. In this verse we find the inner ideal of sannyasa and the purport of the sannyasa-mantra.

asa-bharair amrta-sindhu-mayaih kathancitkalo mayatigamitah kila sampratam hitvam cet krpam mayi vidhasyasi naiva kim mepranair vrajena ca varoru bakarinapi(Vilapa-kusumanjali 104)

Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami's devotion is so exclusive to Srimati Radharani that he is saying that without Her service he doesn't even care for Krsna. "It is shameless for me to say this, but I don't even want Vrndavana, I don't want Krsna. Your mercy is everything to me." This is the high aspiration of Raghunatha Dasa.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu received the sannyasa-mantra from Kesava Bharati, he first whispered the mantra to him. He said, "Is this the mantra that you will give me? I have heard it in a dream, 'tat tvam asi.'" The common understanding of this mantra is "You are that!" (you are Brahman). Murari Gupta revealed to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu another, more acceptable meaning of this mantra, which Caitanya Mahaprabhu in turn gave to Kesava Bharati: "You are His!" It is considered that at that time Sri Caitanya initiated his sannyasa-guru into the Vaisnava conception of this mantra and then received the mantra back.

For Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it is proper to say that, "I am His -- I am Krsna's." The meaning of the mantra that sannyasis coming from Sanatana Gosvami receive, however, is "I am Hers -- I am Srimati Radharani's. I exclusively engage myself in the service of Srimati Radharani." Actually, She is the highest devotee -- She is the only one who can please Krsna. All bhakti goes through Srimati Radharani. She is tadiya, most dear to Krsna. In that way we should see everything.

Gaura-lila is non-different than krsna-lila. But gaura-lila can be said to be higher, in that it is more magnanimous; it is being distributed (audarya). Mahaprabhu is giving out this ecstatic ocean of krsna-prema. He is experiencing at every moment the great ecstasy of the love of Radha and Krsna, prema pumartho mahan. This is the highest level of devotion.

And it is said, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena -- the worship shown by the gopis of Vrndavana is the highest, because they gave up everything, renounced everything. They didn't care for their families; they didn't care for their personal happiness at all. They simply were interested in pleasing Krsna. When they met Krsna in Kuruksetra after so long, they were very happy to see him. They pleaded, "Actually, we are only simple village girls with cows as our wealth; we have no qualification; we only know family life; we have not done any austerities; we don't know the Vedas; we are not anyone special. We are not yogis who will be satisfied simply to meditate upon You, but we would like to live with You as Your family." In that way they are humbly approaching Krsna. Krsna considered how fortunate He was to have the gopis'wonderful affection.

In the same way, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said,

na prema-gandho 'sti darapi me haraukrandami saubhagya-bharam prakasitumvamsi-vilasy-anana-lokanam vinabibharmi yat prana-patangakan vrtha

"My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am only making a false show of devotion. The proof that I have no love for Krsna is the fact that while not seeing His beautiful face as He plays His flute, I continue to maintain My insect-like existence." (Cc. Madhya2.45)

The gopis are exemplifying this same extreme mood of devotion. This is saranagati -- surrender. In a higher sense, another term could be used, atmaniksepa. This means to throw oneself desperately toward the lotus feet of the Lord, "I am Yours to be used in Your service as you like, as you see fit."

aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mamadarsanan marma-hatam karotu va

"If you like you may embrace me or if you like you may trample me, but use me as you like."

This is the symptom of the surrendered souls that they are ready to be used by the Lord in any way. Srila Prabhupada wrote in his arrival prayer, 'naco gao' -- "As You wish me to dance, I shall dance. And if You don't wish me to dance, I won't dance. It is Your choice, my Lord. I am Yours to be used in Your service."