Prema-rasa “ The Loving Mellow”

Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja

Prema-rasa “The Loving Mellow”

namo mahä-vadänyäya

kåñëa-prema-pradäya te kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya

nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kåñëa Himself appearing as Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu. You have assumed the golden colour of Çrématé Rädhäräëé, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kåñëa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.” 1

This is the praëäma-mantra offered to Çrémän Mahäprabhu by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé. When we pay obeisances to Caitanya Mahäprabhu we must chant this mantra. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is mahävadänyävatära, the most munificent incarnation, because He gives kåñëa-prema, pure love for Kåñëa. No other incarnation gives kåñëaprema. Caitanya Mahäprabhu is non-different from Kåñëa, and He gives kåñëa-prema without discrimination. Patita pämara nähi bäche, He never considers whether one is elevated or degraded.

Kåñëa-prema is difficult to attain even for Lord Brahmä, the highest created being in the universe. Therefore how can we have it? It can be received only by the causeless mercy of Mahäprabhu. He never considers whether one deserves it or not. Generally in this world, you get what you deserve, however Çrémän Mahäprabhu is so wonderfully merciful that He offers kåñëa-prema to one and all without discrimination. However, does everyone achieve it? That is another question.

Liquid Mellow

Have you received prema? No? Mahäprabhu is the giver, and we are the receivers. We should receive kåñëa-prema, but why can’t we receive it? When He gives, how can you receive? If I give you something, “All right, take this” then how will you take it? You will put out your hands to receive it. Mahäprabhu gives prema-rasa, the loving mellow.

änanda-lélämaya-vigrahäya

hemäbha-divya-cchavi-sundaräya tasmai mahä-prema-rasa-pradäya

caitanya-candräya namo namas te

“O Lord Caitanya-candra, whose form is full of blissful pastimes, whose complexion is as splendid as gold, and who gives in charity the most glorious mellow of pure love for Lord Kåñëa, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.” 2

Mahä-prema-rasa. Rasa means “mellow”, it is liquid. When we speak of mellow, rasa, it is not solid, but it is liquid. Prema-rasa is to be tasted, relished. Mahäprabhu is the giver and we are the receivers of this rasa but how can we receive it? You may stretch out your hands and say, “Yes, please give me!”, but this is mellow. If someone gives you some mellow, you should approach with a container, a receptacle

to accept it in. If there are holes in your container, how can you take it? Everything will pour out. Therefore, with what type of container will we approach Mahäprabhu to receive the prema-rasa He is giving? If you go to the Ganges with a pot filled to the brim with filthy, nasty things, how can you collect Ganges water? You must examine the pot to see whether it is suitable or not. If it is filled with filthy things, first remove them and wash it out. Empty it, and then you can fill it with Ganges water. Similarly, Mahäprabhu is giving prema-rasa, the loving mellow. How can we approach Him, and with what kind of receptacle? Do you know?

The Receptacle Is Your Heart

Another question arises. You can put cow’s milk in an earthen pot, but can you put a lioness’s milk in the same type of pot? No, because a lioness’s milk is very strong. If you put it in an earthen pot, which is porous, it will crack and everything will pour out. To hold a lioness’s milk you need a golden pot. Similarly, Mahäprabhu gives prema-rasa, the loving mellow, and you must approach Him with a proper nonporous container.

It is said that Caitanya is like a lion, Caitanya-siàha. He roars like a lion. He has the shoulders and waist of a lion and He was born on the full moon evening of the month of Phälguna, during the zodiac constellation of Leo, the lion. Therefore He is siàha, Caitanya-siàha. Consequently when He gives prema-rasa, what type of container is required to receive it? The proper receptacle is the heart. You cannot receive it with your hands or any container other than your heart. Only with that container you can receive the prema-rasa given by Mahäprabhu.

You should first examine your heart to check that there are no holes in it. Is it a pure heart? If there are holes or nasty things in it, how can you receive prema-rasa? Lust, anger, greed, pride, arrogance and envy are the nasty things. These are the holes in the container. Though Mahäprabhu gives kåñëa-prema indiscriminately to one and

Liquid Mellow