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WORLDLY LIVING AND RASOPASANA
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Is the worldly living a hindrance to rasopasana?
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The very elements of worldly living can be used as outstanding instruments for serving the Divine. The path of such living is instructed by Sri Radhaji to Harivamsa.
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Harivamsa's parents intended to marry their son and arrangements were commenced. But he was immersed in boundless grief. |
Every moment I live in the presence of Radhaji. How can I enter into marriage bond?
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Thinking in this way Harivamsa fell on the feet of Sriji in the worship-room.
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Those immersed in the love of the Divine behold the matters of material world as beautiful instruments of Divine Service. Moulding the mundane matters into instruments of Divine Service is real Yoga.
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Harivamsa wept for long at the feet of Radhaji and prayed for Her instruction. Sriji said,
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A Jeeva associated with Rasopasana is compared to a lotus flower floating in pond even though he is leading a married life. The petals are his mind and it always floats on the water. But in his heart floats the drop of Rasa. Hita Sakhi!, as long as you have the knowledge your real state no force of illusion (Maya) that filled in all three universes can ever touch you.
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Some time later Harivamsaji got married to Annapurna Devi. She was a blessed soul who dedicated her life to the service to the Yugal.
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Harivamsaji's mother left for higher planes in the year 1531 AD and his father Vyasaji very next year. The local king requested Harivamsaji to take the seat of his father in the royal court, but he politely declined the offer as his fascination rested in Vraj Vrindavan.
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When Harivamsaji stayed at a place known as Sevagram a miraculous event had taken place. At a nearby place to his home a saint used to live in a hermitage. Knowing the fame and popularity of Harivamsaji he grew jealous and showed hatred towards him. He set fire to his own nearby farm field and canvassed that Harivamsaji conspired the mischief. That event occurred on the day of Holi festival. On the very day the fake sadhu sent a beautiful woman to Hitaji's home with a malicious intention. It was to defame him and ostracise him from the village and community. As soon as the woman reached his house she surprisingly turned pale and blackened due to upsurge of lustfulness. The pious surroundings of the house had changed her mind and she prostrated before Hitaji. She confessed and narrated entire event to him. The villagers some time later ousted the fake saint unable to bear his stay in the village. The villagers understood the divinity of Hitaji and became his associates.
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In the year 1532 AD while leading the life of a Rasik devotee Hitaji decided to leave for Vrindavan and to the soil of Vraj. As he reached the holy soil of the pastimes of Syamasyam, Sri Radhaji lent a new direction to Hitaji's devotional life.
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All real devotees (nija bhakta) are but actors in the raas (pastimes) of Radhakrishna. Events in the lives of Prema Bhaktha (Devotee of Love) carry on according to Radhaji's will. She only creates them and fills them with the power of Rasa. It is to say that She authors every event in the life of the master of Rasa (Rasikacharya). As these events continue further in the course of life new aspects of Divine beauty and new dimension and traits of Rasa (Rasa kala) unfold in the master's life. Then Harivamsaji was about to become a Rasikacharya. How beautiful and magnificent is the 'prema leela' (pastime of love). The Goddess of Rasa had commenced Her inimitable play.
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On his way to Vrindavan tired Harivamsaji rested under a banyan tree along with a few associates. He slipped into deep sleep. The play of Radhaji has commenced in the form of a dream. Sri Radhaji Said
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Hita Sakhi! Look at! There is my darling Radhavallabha. He is staring at us.
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He Radhe, how long is this punishment of separation? This old Brahmin and his two daughters are not allowing me go anywhere. One daughter cooks many tasty dishes and fragrant sweets for me. The other decorates me beautifully with fragrant flowers and majestically sings and dances before me. They have tied me to their home.
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The idol of Radhavallabha complained. Radhaji said,
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So Sakhi, get married to the old Brahmin's daughters Krishna Dasi and Madhuri and take my Vallabha as dowry and handover him to me. Then He will be in my possession. Soon after marriage the old Brahmin will reach my abode." The order of the Sri Guru puzzled Harivamsa.
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The order of the Sri Guru puzzled Harivamsa.
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"What an Order is this? For the one who wants to lead a life of meditation and penance in Vrindavan, is this the way? It is proper for the devotee of Rasa to move out of the bonds of the world. If so, is it possible to remain and continue in the path of Rasopasana after getting married? Harivamsa contemplated this way. Nonetheless Harivamsaji obeyed the order of his Swamini Radhaji. Why should he lament at all entering the samsar of Radhaji?
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Radhaji personally is sending 'Radhavallabha' along with Harivamsa. Therefore family that was going to reside in the Vrindavan is not that of Harivamsa, but was of Radhavallabha. The meaning the majestic order of Radhaji is not to become a samsari (house-holder) of Maya but to lead a life of a samsari in Radhavallabha's family. Can Maya enter the family of Radhavallabha? Impossible.
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The very night itself Atmadeva-father of the brides, had a dream. Radhavallabha blessed his darsan
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Atmadeva, your long standing predicament ended now. See that youth sleeping under a tree at the end of your village. You marry your daughters to him. I myself am dowry for this marriage.
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The old Brahmin in sheer astonishment uttered, "Aha! Madhava! This is your Maya..What a reasonless mercy", he shed tears of love.
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At the behest of Radhaji Harivamsa married to daughters of Atmadeva. Atmadeva gently took out the idol of Radhavallabha from the worship-room and kept it in the hands of Harivamsa and said "Oh! Lord this is the only penance I do", saying these words Atmadeva fell on the floor and died. According to the word of Sriji Atmadeva entered the Eternal Raas (Nitya Raas). Harivamsaji entered into the play-field of Radhaji-Sri Vrindavan along with his family. He led a life of an ideal house-holder there.
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He only introduced the practice of offering Haarathi five times a day and Bhog (food-offering) seven times a day to Radhavallabha.
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Vrajavasis influenced by the meditative life and devotional love of Harivamsaji had given their mite in the service of Radhavallabha. Some gave land and the other wherewithal for the daily service of the Deity. One day a few Vrajavasis came to him with a bow and arrow. They requested Hitaji this way, "Mahatma, please send the arrow from here (Madanter) as far as possible. The land upto the reach of the arrow will be yours".
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The arrow fell at Chirghat. At that place the Satsang Centre of Radhavallabha-Raasmandal was built immediately. Here itself Sri Hitaharivamsaji disappeared at the call of Sri Radhaji a few years later while offering Haarathi and reached the abode Sri Radha-Sri Nikunja (1551 AD) (Reader may peruse the picture of Rasmandal in this volume. Rasmandal remained unaffected in Vrindavan even today. In the year 1583 AD Shri Sundaradas Kayastha of Delhi with the blessings of the eldest son of Harivamsa Prabhu built a red stone temple for Radhavallabha. Sri Radhavallabha stayed in Vrindavan upto 1668 AD, but shifted to Kamvan before the troops of Aurangazeb desecrated the temple at Vrindavan. Radhavallabha returned to Vrindavan after an intercession of abut two hundred years. The present Radhavallabha Mandir was built in the year 1882 AD as the old temple was protected by Archaeological Survey of India.
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In Vrindavan Hitaji used to remain the loving service of Radhavallabha day and night. With tender and most enchanting verses he worshipped Radhavallbhji. He chose 'Mansarovar' as the centre of his leela chintan (remembrance of the Divine Plays)
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During the days of Hitaji's stay at Madanter a scholar by name Harirama Vyas visited Madanter along with cart loads of authoritative texts to engage in scholarly argumentation with him. At that Harivamsaji was preparing 'Bhog' for Radhaji and was reluctant to talk to Harirama. Harirama Vyas suggested to him to engage in conversation while preparing the Bhog for Sriji. The Hitaji replied in a polite but resolute voice in this way, "Punditji, you do not know about Sri Radhaji. She is the Sarveswari (Ruler of Universes). While preparing the Bhog for Her the mind and soul should be replete with devotional feeling. Then how is it possible to contemplate on other matters? These sublime words of self-surrender hit the heart of Harirama like lightning. He forthwith threw the cart loads of standard texts into the Yamuna and transformed into an ardent devotee of Radhavallabha and His devotees.
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