The Reality of Rasaraja

philosophy

Published on April 14th, 2010 | by Harmonist staff

By B. R. Sridhara Deva Goswami

We have to approach everyone with God consciousness, Krishna consciousness. We must show how God consciousness ultimately merges in Krishna consciousness. We have to prove dexterously, step by step, that Krishna is the reservoir of all pleasure (akhila rasamrta murti). What is Krishna consciousness? Rupa Goswami has given a scientific definition. Rasa, pleasure, cannot be avoided. We are all after rasa. Everyone, every unit, even the smallest unit of the world is always hankering after rasa, happiness, ecstasy, and all possible phases of rasa are personified in Krishna. Try to understand how it is. What is rasa? What is its nature? How can a comparison in rasa be drawn? In this way, step by step, you will have to come to the Krishna conception of Godhead. It is not a tale from the ancient Indian scriptures. Krishna is not the object of a tale, but fact. You have to come out and face that living fact, that reality. We shall try our best to show you how it can be a fact. Krishna is a fact. He is a reality, and reality is for itself.

You have to pay for the goal. You must “Die to live,” and in this way you will feel that it is not a hoax. When you progress on the path, you will feel it (bhaktir pare sanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca). With every step forward, you will feel these three things: satisfaction, nourishment, and the eradication of your hunger. Your hankering in general will be diminished. Generally, we feel, “I want this, I want that, I want everything; still I have not satisfied my hunger.” But you will feel that your hunger is being appeased as you progress in Krishna consciousness, and what you previously thought would give you relief will take leave from you automatically. Their trade won’t continue; they will all withdraw, your natural inclination for spiritual advancement will automatically increase, and you will find acceleration in your progress. “You will practically feel these three things, so come and take what we say.” In this way, you have to approach one and all, leaving the result to the Lord.

We are only agents, and we are working because he has ordered us, so we must remember what is bhakti, what is devotion proper. Whatever I do, the wage I earn must not come to me; I am only an agent. The benefit should go to the proprietor, to my master, Krishna. We should move with this idea, and that will be bhakti proper. Otherwise, we will be engaged in karma-kanda: fruit-hunting. I want to enjoy the result of karma for myself, but the result should go to my master. I am his servant, and I am working under his order. I am his slave; I am not the proprietor. I am not the proper person to be the recipient of the fruits of energy. The master of energy is the Supreme Lord, and all the products of energy should go to him. It must not be tampered with on the way. This should be the attitude of every worker. Then it will be bhakti proper. We are not the recipients; He is the recipient. We must always be conscious that the only beneficiary is He. Only then are we devotees. We are not the beneficiaries, but selfless workers. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita (2.47):

karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani

You have a right to perform your duty, but you have no right to enjoy the fruits of your work.”

This is a great warning. Krishna says, “Do not think that because you are not the beneficiary of the fruits of your action, you have no reason to take so much trouble to work—never.” That is the most heinous curse, to think that because I am not the beneficiary, I am not going to work. Even selfless activity is also of a lower order. Rather we must perform godly activity for the satisfaction of the Krishna. That is bhakti, or devotion.