Page 18 - SBV (English)

xvi Maìgaläcaraëa

status, he extends himself to and uplifts fallen souls (déna-täré). Thus he is an
ocean of mercy (kåpäbdhi) and indeed the very form of Lord Gauräìga’s mercy
potency (çré-gaura-karuëä-çakti-vigraha). His distribution of Lord Caitanya’s
mercy is particularly via the medium of His message, of which he is the divine
manifestation (gaura-väëé-çré-mürti).
Lord Gauräìga came to give the most sublime and radiant mellow of
devotional service in divine love (unnatojjvala-rasa), which Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté distributes in the line following Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé (mädhuryojjvala-
premäòhya-çré-rüpänuga-bhaktida), who presented the kernel of Lord Caitanya’s
teachings by defining çuddha-bhakti as favorable devotional service to Kåñëa,
devoid of any trace of personal desire (anyäbhiläñitä-çünya). To differentiate
*
and protect çuddha-bhakti from various prevalent vitiated forms that claimed
the stewardship of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé yet grossly or subtly nourished desires
other than to satisfy Kåñëa (anyäbhiläña), Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté, as the
servant of the best of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé’s followers (i.e., Çréla Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkura), removes the darkness of incorrect conclusions that oppose the
teachings of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé (rüpänuga-viruddhäpasiddhänta-dhvänta-häri)
and is the powerful deliverer (däyé prabhu) of genuine knowledge of çuddha-
bhakti, beginning with the science of one’s relationship with Kåñëa (kåñëa-
sambandha-vijïäna), which leads to practical devotional service (abhidheya) and
the ultimate goal (prayojana): sweet resplendent love of Kåñëa (mädhuryojjvala-
prema). †
namo gaura-kiçoräya säkñäd-vairägya-mürtaye
vipralambha-rasämbhode pädämbujäya te namaù
I offer homage to Çréla Gaura Kiçora däsa Bäbäjé, who is the very
form of renunciation and the ocean of the mellow of separation
from Kåñëa.

* Anyäbhiläñitä-çünya—For the full verse, see vol. 1, p. 283. Unnatojjvala-rasa—From Cc
1.1.4. (See the full verse in vol. 3, p. 79)
† “The best of the followers of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé” refers to Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura,
who is extolled as rüpänuga-vara in the standard praëäma mantra for him, given in this
maìgaläcaraëa.
Encapsulated within the second and third verses of the standard praëäma-mantras to
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté (given above) are the concepts of his giving knowledge
of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. (See Cc 1.7.146 and 2.6.178)
These praëäma-mantras to Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté succinctly encapsulate and
illuminate the essential esoteric ingredients of his personality, mission, and glories, and
thus set the tenor for understanding the entire contents of this book.