UJJVALA NILAMANI

Description

In a purport of the Caitanya-caritasmrta, Srila Prabhupada wrote: Srila Rupa Gosvami is described as the bhakti-rasacarya, or one who knows the essence of devotional service. His famous book Bhakti-rasamtra-sindhu is the science of devotional service, and by reading this book one can understand the meaning of devotional service. Another of his famous books is the Ujjvala-nilamani. In this book he elaborately explains the loving affairs and transcendental activities of Lord Krsna and Radharani.

In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is a list of the books Sri Rupa Gosvami complied. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vaisnavas: (1) Hamsaduta, (2)Uddhava-sandesa, (3) Krsna-Janma-tithi-vidhi (4 and 5) Radha-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, Brhat (major) and Lghu (minor), (6) Stavamala, (7) Vidagdha-madhava, (8) Lalita-madhava, (9) Dana-keli-kaumudi, (10) Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu (this is the most celebrated book by Sri Rupa Gosvami), (11) Ujjvala-nilamani, (12), Akhyata-candrika and (16) Laghu-bhagavaramrta.

In this world, as you all must know very well, everyone is engaged in a very hard struggle for existence and for the most part, our attempts at finding fulfillment in loving relationships meets with great frustration. Here is the remedy for our faulty condition of life- let us be informed that there is another world, beyond this world of birth and death. In that transcendental abode of the Lord, life goes on as it should be. The all attractive Lord is the center of everyone’s attention and He mercifully merges all into a limitless ocean of transcendental loving relationships that give full satisfaction to the soul.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who resides in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, who resembles His own spiritual figure and who embodies the ecstatic potency. Their companions are Her confidants, who embody extensions of Her bodily form and who are imbued and permeated with ever-blissful spiritual rasa.

Because the sweet nectar ocean of devotional mellows is bottomless and shoreless, it is very difficult to enter. Standing by its shore, I have simply touched it. This book is a splendid sapphire (Ujjvala-nilamani) produced in the mysterious, fathomless ocean of Vrajabhumi.

O Lord, I pray that this sapphire may become suitable to decorate your shark-shaped earrings.