Laghu-bhagavatamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvami

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The contents of the Laghu-bhagavatamrta were nicely described by Srila Prabhupada in another purport: “The Laghu-bhagavatamrta is divided into two parts. The first is called ‘The Nectar of Krsna’ and the second ‘The Nectar of Devotional Service.’ The importance of Vedic evidence is stressed in the first part, and this is followed by a description of the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Sri Krsna and descriptions of His pastimes and expansions in svamsa (personal forms) and vibhinnamsa. According to different absorptions, the incarnations are called avesa and tad-ekatma. The first incarnation is divided into three purusavataras-namely, Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Then there are the three incarnations of the modes of nature-namely, Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva). All the paraphernalia used in the service of the Lord is transcendental, beyond the three qualities of this material world.”

“Sri Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one is greater than Him. He is the source of all incarnations. In the Laghu-bhagavatamrta there are descriptions of His partial incarnations, a description of the impersonal Brahman effulgence (actually the bodily effulgence of Sri Krsna), the super excellence of Sri Krsna’s pastimes as an ordinary human being with two hands and so forth. There is nothing to.

Srila Rupa Gosvami is supremely worshipable for all of us, as explained by Srila Prabhupada:

“We Gaudiya Vaisnavas are known as rupanuga.”

“Actually going to Vrndavana involves taking shelter of the six Gosvamis by reading the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Vidagdha-madhava, Lalita-madhava and the other books that they have given. In this way one can understand the transcendental loving affairs between Radha and Krsna.

Kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti,

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:
“I met Rupa Gosvami at Prayaga, and became very attracted to him because of his exalted qualities.” Thereafter, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu praised Rupa Gosvami’s use of metaphors and other literary ornaments, and said that without such poetic attributes there is no possibility of preaching transcendental mellows. The Lord then requested all His personal associates to bless Rupa Gosvami so that he would be able to continuously describe the pastimes of Vrindavana, which are full of emotional love of Godhead.

The contents of the Laghu-bhagavatamrta were nicely described by Srila Prabhupada in another purport: “The Laghu-bhagavatamrta is divided into two parts. The first is called ‘The Nectar of Krsna’ and the second ‘The Nectar of Devotional Service. The importance of Vedic evidence is stressed in the first part, and this is followed by a description of the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Sri Krsna and descriptions of His pastimes and expansions in svamsa (personal forms) and vibhinnamsa. According to different absorptions, the incarnations are called avesa and tad-ekatma. The first incarnation is divided into three purusavataras-namely, Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Then there are the three incarnations of the modes of nature-namely, Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva). All the paraphernalia used in the service of the Lord is transcendental, beyond the three equalities of this material world.”

In the beginning of this book, Srila Rupa Gosvami describes its intent, saying, “Of Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrtam, manifested by the lotus words of my master (Srila Sanatana Gosvami), this book is a summary. This book will describe tow kinds of nectar-the nectar of Sri Krsna, and the nectar of His devotees.”

In a purport of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada has listed the major works of Srila Rupa Gosvami: “In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipila (180) Sri Rupa Gosvami is described to be the gopi named Sri Rupa-manjari. In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is a list of the books Sri Rupa Gosvami compiled. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vaisnavas: (1) Hamsaduta, (2) Uddhava-sandesa, (3) Krsna-janma-tithividhi, (4 and 5), Radha-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, Brhat (major) and Laghu (minor), (6) Stavamala, (7) Vidagdha-madhava, (8) Lalita-madhava, (9) Dana-keli-kaumudi, (10) Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (this is the most celebrated book by Sri Rupa Gosvami), (11) Ujjvala-nilamani, (12) Akhyata-candrika and (16) Laghu-bhagavatamrta.”

In another purport of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada spoke at greater length about this work: “In the Laghu-bhagavatamrta Srila Rupa Gosvami…has refuted the idea that Krsna is an incarnation of Narayana. Some devotees think that Krsna is an incarnation of Narayana. Some devotees think that Narayana is the original Personality of Godhead and that Krsna is an incarnation. Even Sankaracarya, in his commentary on the Bhagvad-Gita, has accepted Narayana as the transcendental Personality of Godhead who appeared as Krsna, the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Therefore this matter may be difficult to understand. But the Gaudiya Vaisnava-sampradaya, headed by Rupa Gosvami, has established the principle of the Bhagavad-gita that everything emanates from Krsna, who says in the Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavah: [Bg. 10.8] “I am the original source of everything.” “Everything” includes Narayana. Therefore Rupa Gosvami, in his Laghu-bhagavatamrta, has established that Krsna, not Narayana, is the original Personality of Godhead.”

In other purports, Srila Prabhupada repeatedly indicated that the Laghu-bhagavatamrta was especially written to counter the preaching of Sankaracarya, upon which all kinds of impersonal philosophy is based. Srila Prabhupada wrote: “In his Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Srila Rupa Gosvami has refuted the charges directed against the devotees by Sripada Sankaracarya regarding their explanation of the quadruple forms Vasudeva, Sankarasana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha…Devotees completely believe, with strong faith, that Narayana is transcendental and has inconceivable proprietorship of various transcendental potencies. We therefore recommend that scholars consult the Laghu-bhagavatamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvami, where these ideas are explicitly stated. Sripada Sankaracarya has tried to prove that Vasudeva, Sankarasana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha expand through cause and effect. He has compared Them with earth and earthen pots. That is completely ignorant, however, for there is no such thing as cause and effect in Their expansions.”

The contents of the Laghu-bhagavatamrta were nicely described by Srila Prabhupada in another purport:

“The Laghu-bhagavatamrta is divided into two parts. The first is called ‘The Nectar of Krsna’s and the second ‘The Nectar of Devotional Service.’ The importance of Vedic evidence is stressed in the first part, and this is followed by a description of the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Sri Krsna and descriptions of His pastimes and expansions in svamsa (personal forms) and vibhinnamsa. According to different absorptions, the incarnations are called avesa and tad-ekatma. The first incarnation is divided into three purusavataras-namely, Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Then there are the three incarnations of the modes of nature-namely, Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva). All the paraphernalia used in the service of the Lord is transcendental, beyond the three qualities of this material world.”

“There is also a description of twenty-five lila-avataras, namely Catuhsana (the Kumaras), Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-narayana Rsi, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayagriva, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prthu, Nrsimha, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Dasarathi, Krsna-dvaipayana, Balarama, Vasudeva, Buddha and Kalki. There are also fourteen incarnations of Manu: Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rsabha, Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhama, Yogesvara and Brhadbhanu. There are also four incarnations for the four yugas, and their colors are described as white, red, blackish and black (sometimes yellow, as in the case of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu). There are different types of millenniums and incarnations for those millenniums. The categories called avesa, prabhava, vaibhava and para constitute different situations for the different incarnations. According to specific pastimes, the names are spiritually empowered. There are also descriptions of the difference between the powerful and the power, and the inconceivable activities of the Supreme Lord.”

“Sri Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one is greater than Him. He is the source of all incarnations. In the Laghu-bhagavatamrta there are descriptions of His partial incarnations, a description of the impersonal Brahman effulgence (actually the bodily effulgence of Sri Krsna), the superexcellence of Sri Krsna’s pastimes a an ordinary human being with two hands and so forth. There is nothing to compare with the two-armed form of the Lord. In the spiritual world (vaikuntha-jagat) there is no distinction between the owner of the body and the body itself. In the material world the owner of the body is called the soul, and the body is called a material manifestation. In the vaikuntha world, however, there is no such distinction. Lord Sri Krsna is unborn, and His appearance as an incarnation is perpetual. Krsna’s pastimes are divided into two parts-manifest and unmanifest. For example, when Krsna takes His birth within this material world, His disappears, one should not think that he is finished, for His pastimes are going on in an unmanifest form. Varieties of humors, however, are enjoyed by the devotees and Lord Krsna during His manifest pastimes After all, His pastimes in Mathura, Vrndavana and Dvaraka are eternal and are going on perpetually somewhere in some part of the universe.”

In conclusion we can say that Laghu-bhagavatamrta thoroughly describes the categories of expansions of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. Here is another wonderful and poetic translation rendered by Kusakratha Prabhu and it is certainly imbued with his spirit of unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.

I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Krsna, who is glorified in the following verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.46 and 11.5.32):

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Krsna, the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead who, in order to liberate the conditioned souls from the cycle of repeated birth and death, appears in the material world in the forms of His innumerable incarnations.”