NO MORE BLUISH !

NVM by Sivaram Swami "..[...] Sri Krishna. His form glistens with the hue of amorous love, which resembles the colour of sapphires, blue lotuses, black mascara, fresh rain clouds, and the tamala tree." 
This pastime is told in some old Orian Gaudiya songs and was brought to us by H H Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja.  This is one excerpt from Sri Krishna Kathamrita N.9 pg 44 :  "But taking all Her girl companions to a secluded place, Radhika expressed Her anger to them.  She said :"Henceforward, anyone who even utters His name, will be considered My enemy, From today on, I will not look at any black or deep-blue colored things - even new clouds or black dresses, etc."

Radha had been waiting for Krishna to come to Her kunja. She had decorated it with flowers and petals and waited for Him as they had messaged to each other the day before at the Yamuna.  But He did not come and Lalita found out that He had spent the night at Candravali's kunja.  So, Radha became angry : "I will not longer go to the Yamuna!  I will not longer bind My black hair or apply black kajjala to My eyes.  I will not look at the black rain cloud.  Black is My enemy.  O Vishaka!  That black enemy stung Me."

So, this poem is inspired by Radha's angry mood which reveals how the black, dark, deep-blue, bluish, blackish, cloudy things constantly remind Her of Krishna.  In this way Radha is the greatest  Yogi.

O Sakhi, O friend,
get rid of this dark color,
anything black
do not bring it here
in front of my eyes!

Shyam has not come
to the bed of petals
fragrant with my love,
now all blown away
along with my hope;
whatever is blue, dark, black
or dense like a cloud
reminding me of Him
keep it away from me!

I'll erase the dark of the sky
from my nights, 
and from my days, 
the darkening monsoon clouds
resembling His skin,
I was betrayed and cheated
understand my chagrin!
Even in this mirror
I won't look again at my braid
nor the black around my eyes
- I'll give them up, 
enough with the make up!

Swat this black bumblebee away!
And I do not want to hear
the black crows or the cuckoos sound;
also this Tamal tree, pull it out!
its dark trunk...
its maddening blackish hue -
I'll not hug it anymore,  
no, never again,
crying out His name!

No blackish, no bluish, finish!
my saree, my bangles,
their deep blue I spurn,
from now on, O Sakhi,
tint them with gold;
I was disgraced and left forlorn
thus I have sworn
never again ~ nothing black
in my thoughts;
Don't ever speak to me
about that dark blue Lover
no - this time I'll not forgive
I'll resist...
I will forget
the black, the blue
 even exist.

Radha becomes angry.
Radha said : " My dear friend! Listen to the painful story of what that thief of Nilamani did to Me yesterday. He for whom I have become a disgrace in Vraja, that same person yesterday night took rest at Chandravali's kunja. Yesterday on the bank of the Yamuna, Shyam gave some indication to meet Me at My kunha, but He did not show up. I have been keeping this gunha-mala neck lace as the sign of His signal, but Chandravali usurped Him. What type of mantra did that woman apply to Shyam that the flower bed I made for Him became useless? I made a lamp of flowers for Him, but the boat of My hope drowned in the water. Last night I wasted the entire evening, O friend! Don't speak to me the name of Krishna, Whoever speaks that name will be My enemy. This is the vow of Radha. From today onwards I give up all tupes of black-colored things, I will no use black eyeliner anymore in My eyes."

The Swords of Saladin

ونحن قد عاد من الجهاد الأصغر إلى الجهاد الأكبر

"We have returned from the lesser jihad (Holy War) to the greater jihad".  Prophet Muhammad

 This poem is inspired  by “Saladin - The song of Swords” – A poem by Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti. Saladin, a great military leader of Islam, became famous for his outstanding quality as a faithful servant of the Lord, and being scrupulous in his practice and application of the precepts.

---

The wooden sword becomes the symbolism of this hadith (an instructive quote from the Prophet) about Holy War, for the "greater war" refers to the inner spiritual struggle necessary to defeat one's lower nature, to proceed on the path of self-realization. A wooden sword is unsuitable for a war of conflict, where hand and sword combine. Therefore it was placed next to the Khatib (preacher) during the sermon to remind everyone that there is no greater struggle than the interior one to develop one's spiritual qualities.  Religious practices and injunctions may vary from doctrine to doctrine, but all are to spiritually support and strengthen the devotee while conducting this inner struggle.

This is something common to all the spiritualists engaged in the "greater jihad" against pride, anger, greed, hatred and envy. 

So, this poem it is about the realization that sometimes in a stage of 'green' immaturity in spiritual pursuit, practitioners tend to abruptly and forcibly "cut" attachments and often this results in an artificial way of giving up one's desires. 

in Bhakti yoga, the Yoga of devotion, there is also this struggle, but the softness of the heart has to be preserved because the seed of Bhakti can sprout only in this condition in the heart.  Bhakti flourishes in positiveness, it is  susukhaḿ kartum, performed with great joy, (Bg. 9.2) and meditating on factors of vitiated consciousness (anarthas) might cause our Ego to turn and search for them in others, and thus easily fall into pride.  On the other hand, with renewed enthusiasm, taking into the heart the chanting of the Holy Name will ignite the process of transforming our desires, our attachments, our sources of joy, and our overall consciousness.

Tomorrow I will raise the sword

And cut.

I’ll give it all up!

Lamentation nests in the heart,

weaving sprigs of ego,

where hatching 

of attachments and desires

all born of the mind

cause my sorrow ~

I know.

But tomorrow,

With force,

I will raise the Sword-of-Fire

And strike!

The flame will devour the unwanted .....

But ~ 
Fire never penetrates as love.

Charring, it hardens and darkens,

alas, what then will become of the heart?

In a bare land,

unforeseeable are the ways leading astray,

where ever-green roots of pride might sprout.

How to find the strength

to raise the Sword-of-Fire,

every and each day

following tomorrow?

But here and now,

I can raise,

and brandish the Sword-of-Water!

Water bursts and gushes 

from a glacier-like heart,

roaring, piercing,lashing.

Only with faith,
and in no other way,

the stone-blocks of anger and pride 

melt in the soothing liquid of the Holy Names.

In the same way water erodes rocks

but softly refreshes the skin, 

They will transform the desires

inundating the heart 
with Their brilliance,

and in this ever-fresh new festival of joy

I will chant and dance.

Only Krishna’s sweetness

can destroy whatever is unwanted,

and tomorrow, again, easily,

I will unsheathe the Sword-of-Water

to win the greater war of Saladin
with a sincere cry of the heart

by calling “Krishna. Krishna.”

His Sword-of-Ether,¹

as potent as all swords in one,

will reveal to me the honeyed fluid of love.

Then no more will there be a future tense

But only an eternal, ever-sweeter present. 

1)  SB 12.11.17 “His sword, pure as the sky, [is] the element of Ether.”

THE SYMBOL OF THE SWORD
The sword, like many other symbols, contains more than one meaning. Its dual blade and the inherent function to pierce, makes the sword a symbol of the word. Even in placing the sword next to the Khatib is also to symbolize the power of the word. The word might be our fortune or our condemnation ~ in this lies the duplicity of the blade. If we use the word deplorably and without control, the word prevents our efforts toward self-realization and we could fall into a stalemate, as well as damaging the progress of other people. Words wound as swords.

"Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature." BG 17.15

Instead, a favourable use of the word, has the power to elevate one to a higher consciousness and also to pass the benefit on to others. In this case the word pierces the heart as a sword, letting in the light .

Even in the Christian tradition we find the symbolism of the word and the sword : " In His right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double- edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance " -Revelation 1:16
The sloka reported in the poem : "His [of the Lord] sword, as well as the sky , [is] the element of Ether ." SB 12:11:17 is an indirect reference to the power of the sound coming from and manifesting the Lord, as the element of Ether is a grosser form of sound .

SB 11.4.11  Purport " Although crossing the ocean of sense gratification, those who perform severe penances without service to the Lord eventually drown in tiny puddles of anger. One who simply performs material penances does not actually purify his heart.  By one's material determination one may restrict the activities of the senses although one's heart is still filled with material desires.  The practical result of this is krodha, or anger.  We have seen artificial performers of penance who have become very bitter and angry through denial of the senses.  [...]  Thus anger gives neither liberation nor material sense gratification, but merely burns up all the results of material penances and austerities.

SB 11.5.33 "Generally the conditioned souls are engaged in bhoga-tyaga.  Sometimes they run madly after material prestige and sense gratification, and sometimes they desperately try to renounce these things.  However, beyond this vicious cycle of alternating sense gratification and renunciation are the lotus feet of the Lord Which constitute the ultimate abode of peace and happiness for the living entity."

UNTOLD LOVE

"The Lord's charming looks overshadowed the attractiveness of millions of cupids put together.

 I am at a loss to find the appropriate similes to describe the Lord's beauty yet I venture to do so only by His mercy alone otherwise who can dare to attempt such an impossible task. He glowed like a mountain of gold, His body being smeared with sandal paste sometimes looked like the rising full moon. His curly dark tresses were decorated with the fragrant Malati garlands; a sweet smile clung intimately to His lips that can win the heart of all the muses.  The clear markings of sandalwood tilak with a red dot of Vermilion adorned His beautiful broad forehead. He raised His arms up in the sky chanting the name of Hari and danced; the knee long flower garland around His neck swayed with each movement. His upraised arms glistened like fine tapering pillars of gold, His body became drenched with the incessant flow of ecstatic tears from His lotus petal eyes. As the ecstatic feelings increased the hairs of His body stood on end like the ever fresh Kadamba flower. Chaitanya Bhagavata MK 23 ch. 

PILGRIM OF LOVE

This poem celebrates the dancing of Lord Caitanya amidst His devotees. It is to celebrate the Gour Purnima festival when the Sankirtan Movement manifests the vision of Lord Nityananda.  It celebrates the descent of the Holy Names in this degraded age, the unique dancing and tears of this incarnation of the Lord of matchless glories.   It celebrates this special land of Gaudadesh, Mayapur, where Lord Caitanya, the Golden Avatar, has attracted crowds, in millions, in billions to chant and dance in ecstatic love which flows uninterrupted from His munificent personality. It celebrates the gold of this appearance of the Lord, the golden of His complexion, the golden love of Radha and celebrates all the devotees that come to this land as pilgrims of this love, even if just only in their heart, casket of this treasure.

So, inspired by a chronicle (Caitanya Bhagavata AnKI 3.381-439) of the time describing one of the many occurrences when myriads of people moved across this land to meet the Golden Lord, this poem draws a parallel into modern days through a true  prophecy of the time –in the poem foretold by an imaginary character “the pilgrim of Kuliya” (Kuliya = the present Navadvipa) - that people from all over the world will gather to this place to get this inestimable gift of devotion. 

Bards and Poets!

Give up tales

of golden cities 
and magic lands

and sing instead of Gaudadesh!

As the pilgrim of Kuliya has told,

 at one time there
arose the Sun and the Moon, ¹

predicting a golden age.

Hear of the Golden Lord

the pilgrim of Kuliya saw,

who once was in that land

when He walked upon this Earth.

People in millions set forth, 
crossing meadows, forests and waters,
to search for the gold 

 of that Divine Love,

and to see for themselves the golden hue of His limbs

that no one had seen before!

As hundreds of thousands of choruses,
and multitudes of voices echoed prayers and cheers,

the pilgrim of Kuliya recalled an ocean formed, 
no doubt filled by love's tears;

Because  myriads chanted the Name of Hari

the  jewel of refulgent love, 
Goura Avatari came

 amidst that delirious crowd,

and soft as a saffron cloud,

danced hardly touching the ground,

chanting Krishna’s names

 pure love abounded in all parts,

flowing from His person,
to everybody's hearts.

For thousands of years to come,

the pilgrim of Kuliya foretold,

many will gather together
to partake eagerly of that gold,

more people than you can imagine

from all countries and all races,
will come to this land

in festive crowds, to a festival of raised hands,

and in a feast of cheers shouting “Hari Hari”

for a drop of that aurous mercy,

 in raptures during the chant

He will appear to dance,

pouring out love as fluid gold

on the iron cage of the soul.

These words I repeat as I heard them

from the pilgrim of Kuliya,

my heart sings and dances
like a pilgrim of love

returning again in the midst of that crowd,
 calling to the Golden Lord 

for a spark of that gold,

 I beg for His love chanting "Hari Hari"

 and all at once - as if by a spell,

 I’m there in Gaudadesh.

1)       SB 12.2.24 “When the moon the sun and Brhaspati are together in the constellation Karkata and all three enter simultaneously into the lunar mansion Pusya- at that exact moment the age of Satya or Krta will begin”. 

  

The land of Gaudadesh is the cone of light irradiating the night when all around is enveloped by deep darkness.  In this night of the soul the Golden Lord of Love appeared in this holy land causing this cone of light by the chanting of the Holy Names and hundreds of thousands of hearts were submerged by the resplendence of His Divine Love.

 This land is forever trampled by the whirling steps of the ecstatic dances of Lord Gouransundara, and millions ever since come to this land to receive a drop of that love.  The kirtans, the cheers,  the acclamations, the chanting, the name of Hari always resound on this land filling the hearts with devotion because the Golden Lord never leaves this place and dances among His devotees bestowing Bhakti.  So compare to the gold of the form of Lord Caitanya, the mundane gold and wealth has no value and loses its attractiveness.  Love and devotion is the gold of the soul, the liquid to quench its thirst for Divine Love.

So inspired by a chronicle of the time describing one of the many occurrences when myriads of people moved across this land to meet the Golden Lord, this poem draws a parallel into modern days through a true  prophecy of the time –in the poem foretold by an imaginary character “the pilgrim of Kuliya” ( Kuliya = the present Navadvip) - that people from all over the world will gather to this place to get this inestimable gift of devotion.

So my heart becomes a pilgrim of love wandering in remembrance of this special land and the magic spiritual stories of when the Munificent Lord walked on this land.

REMEMBERING NITAI

"Let me always remember that brightly smiling face of Sri

Nityananda Prabhu, whose beautiful movement ridicules the graceful gait of an elephant. His cloth resembles a cluster of blue lotus flowers and His bodily effulgence conquers the splendor of the rising moon at sunset. His prema-saturated rolling eyes defeat the pride of a restless khanjana bird." Sri Nityananda Dhyana 

For A Glance I Dance

"As Nityananda was sitting on the throne, all of His associates danced before Him" CB 5.304

"There was an intense shower of ecstatic devotional love in whatever direction Lord Nityananda cast His glance. Whoever He looked at lost consciousness in ecstatic love and rolled on the ground, forgetting his cloth" CB 5.313

"Sometimes He would sit in the virasana posture and have the devotees dance one after another before Him." CB 5.325

I can only appeal to Lord Nityananda, the bestower of Bhakti, and to do so, I beg to enter into the vision of this pastime as told by Vrindavana Das Thakur in his Caitanya Bhagavata.
Rapt by the vision of Him sitting n the throne, on the dreamlike wings of this poem, I walk up to Him, as He requested everyone, and I dance, begging to receive that glance of incomparable love and mercy.

In The Land of Lord Nityananda

CC Antya 6.44-45: Sitting on a rock under a tree on the bank of the Ganges, Lord Nityānanda seemed as effulgent as hundreds of thousands of rising suns. Many devotees sat on the ground surrounding Him. 

Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 8.23: "The Name Nityananda immediately evokes tears and ecstasy of pure love for Krishna even in a sinful person."