Hare Krsna,
I was thoroughly enjoying the verses of this chapter until I encountered a topic that sparked my intellectual curiosity—the term uddīpanā. To understand its technical meaning, I delved into additional sources.
In His instructions to Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sheds light on the concepts of ālambana and uddīpana:
“There are two kinds of particular ecstasies [vibhāva]. One is called the support, and the other is called the awakening. The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is an example of the awakening, and Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself is an example of the support.” (CC Madhya 23.50)
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu elaborates further on these terms:
“The cause bringing about the tasting of love for Kṛṣṇa is called vibhāva. Vibhāva is divided into two categories—ālambana (support) and uddīpana (awakening).” (BRS 2.1.14)
“The object of love is Kṛṣṇa, and the container of that love is the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Learned scholars call them ālambana—the foundations.” (BRS 2.1.16)
“Those things which awaken ecstatic love are called uddīpana. Mainly this awakening is made possible by the qualities and activities of Kṛṣṇa, as well as by His mode of decoration and the way His hair is arranged.” (BRS 2.1.301)
“Kṛṣṇa’s smile, the fragrance of His transcendental body, His flute, bugle, ankle bells and conchshell, the marks on His feet, His place of residence, His favorite plant [tulasī], His devotees, and the observance of fasts and vows connected to His devotion all awaken the symptoms of ecstatic love.” (BRS 2.1.302)
This chapter vividly illustrates how the forests of Vṛndāvana act as uddīpana to stimulate rasa for the Vrajavāsīs.
I began to wonder at what stage of bhakti these uddīpana manifest. Can sādhakas experience them? It seems unlikely. From my understanding, these ecstatic symptoms manifest only after reaching the platform of sthāyibhāva. I drew this conclusion from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s explanation in Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 14:
“Situated above these two emotions is permanent love, which is called sthāyibhāva. In other words, attachment to Kṛṣṇa is permanent. That permanent loving attitude is sometimes mixed with different kinds of taste, called vibhāva, anubhāva and vyabhicārī. Vibhāva is a particular taste for attachment to Kṛṣṇa, and it can be divided into two further categories—ālambana and uddīpana. In the Agni Purāṇa and other authoritative scriptures, that which increases one’s love of Kṛṣṇa is said to be vibhāva, and when Kṛṣṇa is the objective, vibhāva is increased as ālambana. Uddīpana is induced by Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental qualities, His activities, His beautiful smiling face and the aroma of His body, the sound of His flute, the sound of His conchshell, the marks on the bottoms of His feet, His dwelling place and His paraphernalia of devotional service (such as tulasī leaves, devotees, ceremonial performances and Ekādaśī). Anubhāva occurs when feelings and emotions within oneself are exhibited. In the attitude of anubhāva, one dances and sometimes falls down, sometimes sings loudly, shows convulsions, yawns, and sometimes breathes very heavily—all without concern for circumstances.”
Although I refrained from delving too deeply into the technicalities of uddīpana, I found great joy meditating on how the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma transformed the intense summer into a delightful spring. As I read these verses, I didn’t experience ecstatic emotions (as one in sthāyibhāva does) but was mentally transported to a serene and pure environment. I envisioned the thunderous roar of cascading waterfalls silencing the chirping of birds and insects. Trees, perpetually misted by the spray, adorned the lush landscape. Gentle breezes swept over rippling lakes and flowing rivers, carrying the fragrant pollen of lotus flowers and water lilies. The forest of Vṛndāvana bloomed with a profusion of colors, its life enriched by the harmonious symphony of animals and birds. Peacocks and bees sang joyously, while cuckoos and cranes cooed melodiously.
In this enchanting forest, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered with Lord Balarāma, accompanied by the playful cowherd boys and their herds of cows. Kṛṣṇa, with His flute at His lips, filled the air with divine melodies.
As I meditated, I reflected on the mahā-mantra as an echo of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, cascading through boundless oceans and lands, before reaching the core of my heart through my ears. Though I didn’t feel the ecstatic emotions of sthāyibhāva, this thought stirred within me an intense desire to dive deeper into the nectar of the Holy Name. It inspired me to chant without offenses, with love and free from all material desires. I prayed that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, along with Their friends, would dance joyously on the courtyard of my purified heart.
Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and Their cowherd boyfriends roamed through the forest, surcharged with abundant pleasure and joy, laughing, playing, and reveling in each other’s company. Their transcendental activities filled the atmosphere with boundless bliss, transforming even the simplest surroundings into a realm of divine ecstasy. May I one day attain the stage of pure devotional service, where my every thought, word, and action brings immense pleasure to the Supreme Lord, just as the Vrajavāsīs delight Him through their unwavering love.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 
Hare Krishna ,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhuji, your realizations are very encouraging and I read and re-read them to understand your love for Krishna. While reading TLC (Hindi version), chapter 1, Sri Rupa shiksha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu telling Sri Rupa Gosvami about pure devotional service. In pure devotion, no desire is left except advancement in Krishna consciousness. There’s no place for demigod worship and worship of other svarupas of the Lord and other things. My humble request is to know about the other svarupas of Krishna that we should not worship. Lord Chaitanya is also a svarupa, along with other incarnations of Krishna, Narsimha, Rama that we worship in Iskcon. How to take this?, Is this anartha or my poor understanding? Please bless me with good understanding.
Your servant ,
Bhavninder
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Hare Krishna ,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you for your appreciate and your query. Its a very good question.
I found this line in TLC 1, “In Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or even any other form of Kṛṣṇa, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy or fruitive activities. ”
This definitely looks to be a contradiction with other statements of Srila Prabhupada. For example, in SB 3.24.31, he writes, “In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that the Lord is one Absolute, but He has ananta, or innumerable, forms…In a similar way, some devotees worship the original form of Kṛṣṇa. When we say “Kṛṣṇa” we refer to all forms of the Lord—not only Kṛṣṇa, but Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Nārāyaṇa, etc. The varieties of transcendental forms exist simultaneously…The conclusion is that the Lord has no material form, and yet, according to the liking of different grades of devotees, He simultaneously exists in multiforms, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Nārāyaṇa and Mukunda. There are many thousands and thousands of forms, but they are all viṣṇu-tattva, Kṛṣṇa.”
Here Srila Prabhupada is saying we can worship any form of Visnu-tattva. How do we reconcile this with the statement in TLC? PLease givem me so time to reflect on this more, or ask senior devotees. I will respond to you as soon as possible. Good topic for me to meditate upon.
Thank you for being so interested and enthusiastic in Krsna consciousness and understanding the scriptures.
May Krsna continue to bless you with more and more taste.
Your servant.
Premananda Das
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Hare Krsna dear Bhavninder,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have been able to reflect on this statement of TLC 1 a but more: In Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or even any other form of Kṛṣṇa, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy or fruitive activities.
To your query about the worship of other svarupa of Krsna, it is definitely not prohibited or discouraged. One can worship any form of Visnu-tatta.
“These demigods are worshiped mostly by those who are in the lowest categories of the mode of darkness or ignorance. Other demigods, like Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa and many similar deities, are worshiped by men in the mode of passion, urged on by the desire for material enjoyment. But those who are actually situated in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) of material nature worship only viṣṇu-tattvas. Viṣṇu-tattvas are represented by various names and forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Vāmana, Govinda and Adhokṣaja.” (SB 1.2.26 Purport)
However in Krsna consciousness movement, we specifically worship Lord Krsna (along with His Divine consort, Srimati Radharani). Not that we don’t worship other forms of the Lord like Nrsimhadeva, Lord Rama, Lord Jagannath, Lord Caitanya, etc. The reason we exclusively worship Lord Krsna is two-fold. One reason is Krsna is the reservoir of all mellows and pleasure. raso vai sah. Because Krsna is the ocean of all devotional mellows, the joy to be achieved in worshiping Him cannot be found in service to any other form of the Lord.
Secondly, worship of Lord Krsna one of the conclusions of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid-upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam-amalam prema pumartho mahan
sri caitanya mahaprabhur-matam-idam tatradaro nah parah
It is the conclusive opinion of Lord Chaitanya that the most worshipable form of the Lord is that of Sri Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja. Vrindavan-dhäma is the topmost worshipable abode. The highest and most pleasing type of worship of Krishna is done by the Vraja gopis. Srimad-bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything. And krsna-prema is the fifth and highest goal of life. [Caitanya-matta-manjusa commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam by Srinath Chakravarti.]
This philosophical doctrine established by Lord Caitanya forms the basis of worship of Krsna in the Krsna consciousness movement. By worshipping Krsna, we aspire to return to Goloka Vrindavana. By worshiping other forms of the Lord, we will attain the planets of the respective form of the Lord. Worship of Lord Rama will take us to Ayodhya, worship of Lord Narayana will take us to Vaikuntha planets. But as Mahaprabhu said in the above verse, Vrindavan-dhäma is the topmost worshipable abode and the desired destination which can be attained only by the exclusive worship of Lord Krsna.
I hope this answers your query to some satisfaction. Let me know if you want further discussion on this topic.
Thank you again for your wonderful question.
Hoping this meets you in the best of health and Krsna Consciousness,
Your servant,
Premananda Das
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Hari Bol! Thanks Prabhu ji, for this meaningful post. Actually I am very much attached to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And love to hear about Him, but your posts are so inspiring that I couldn’t resist my query.
Thanks for caring.
Your servant,
Bhavninder
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