Ujjvala Nilamani Kirana

The most revered of those who give sublime spiritual instructions. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, has herein presented in the Sanskrit language a kirana, or ray, of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Ujjvala nilamani, which details the love of the damsels of Vraja for Krsna. Ujjvala nilamani kirana gives a succinct description of that love and the vraja gopts moods, services, natures, loving stimulants, variegated expressions of affection and so forth. Venerated for his acts of protecting and revealing the most esoteric secrets the Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura stands as the personification of imspiration for all followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabh. His extensive writings and commentaries illuminate the teachings of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Thus showing the path to our highest perfection.

Our most worshipful master, sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, took his divine birth in this world in 1921, Bihar, India. In February 1945, he met and dedicated his life to his gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana kesava Gosvami Maharaja.

His gurudeva instructed him to translate Gaudiya Vaisnavas literatures into Hindi. The writings and commentaries of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comprise more than one dozen of these translations. He would often quote a famous aphorism which stated that Ujjvala nilamani kirana is the life of Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

A pure exponent of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, he travelled the globe between 1996 and 2010, giving the sublime teachings of Gaudiya Vaisnavism to all.

This book is written by the crest jewel of Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas and the most worshipful of those who give sublime spiritual instructions, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti adoration.

Srila Rupa Gosvami, the Very dear eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, established Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's innermost desires in this world. He has compiled a scripture named Ujjvala nilamani, which is replete with realization of the ultimate, most effulgent mellow of amorous love for Sri Krsna, the king of Vraja and the emporium of all rasa. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has taken the very essence of what was compiled it in very simple Rupa Gosvami in Ujjvala nilamani and presented it in very simple and easily understandable Sabsjrut language, just like putting the entire ocean in a pot. This book briefly describes the following topics (1) Sri krsna, the crest jewel of all heroes, or nayakas, and the visaya alambana, object, of ujjvala rasa, the transcendental effulgent mellow of amorous love (2) the heroines or nayikas, who are the asraya alambana, or abodes, of this rasa, (3) svabhava – the natures of those heroines, (4) duties the identity of the various female messengers, (5) the five varieties of sakhis (6) vaya kala their various ages, (7) uddipana vibhava- that which stimulates rasa, (8) anubhava – samuha the actions that display the spiritual emotions situated within the heart (9) sattvika bhava samuha eight symptoms of spiritual ecstasy arising exclusively from sattva, (10) bhavotpatti the awakening of bhava, (11) sthayi bhava the permanent emotion in the heart (12) madhura rati attachment in amorous love, (13) the shelter, or asraya of madhura rati (14) the two aspects of srngara rasa of meeting and sepration and other such topics.

Srila visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura appeared in a family of brahmanas from the Radhiya community of the Nadiya district in West Bengal. He was celebrated by the name Hari-vallabha and had two elder brothers, Ramabhadra and Raghunatha. During his childhood, he completed his study of grammar in the village of Devagrama. He then studied devotional scriptures at the home of his spiritual master in the Saiyadabada village of the Mursidabad district. While living in saiyadabada, he wrote bhakti rasamrta sindhu bindu, Ujjvala-nilamani-kirana and Bhagavatamrta kana. Soon after he renounced household life and went to Vrndavana, where he wrote many other books and commentaries.

After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the six Gosvamis of Vraja, teh current of Unalloyed devotion continued to flow by the influence of three great personalities : Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, Srinivasa Acarya and Sri Syamananda Prabhu. Srila Visvanatha Cakraavarti Thakura is fourth in the line of disciplic succession coming from Srila Narottama dasa Thakura.