Puskara Prabhu (Alachua, Florida)

April 7, 2018

CB Madhya: Ch 18.87 – 171

Devotee: Maharaj, what is the position of Subhadra?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Her position is not in Vrndavana, but in Dvaraka. The Subhadra in Jagannatha-Dham is Arjjuna-patni, the wife of Arjjuna, and sister of Krishna. She is within Dvaraka-lila and has nothing to do with Vrndavana. Besides this there is another Subhadra who is one among the many sakhis of Radharani Vrndavana. She is called Bhadra or Subhadra.

Devotee: Is it Dvaraka-Subhadra who is also sometimes referred to as Yogamaya?

Srila Guru Maharaj: No. At the time when I was composing Sri-Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam Iwas faced with the position of having to think very deeply on this point: “What is the relation betweeen Baladeva and Yogamaya?” Then, although I did not find it anywhere in the Scriptures, I discovered within my self that Baladeva must be the Master of Yogamaya. That is, after analysing the spiritual environment of Their Pastimes, I came to the conlcusion that They must have some connection. They are both very intimate: Yogamaya must be in the psotion of the wife of Balarama. This conclusion came to me, and then later on I found that Jiva Goswami had also ecxpressed such opinion that Yogamya and Baladeva are very close and simliar, and also Vrndadevi’s nature and conduct is of very similar nature to Them in this respect. Yogamaya is in the innter circle–the sakti position–and the centre is only Krsna feeling His own ecstasy: sukha-rupa krsna kare sukha asvadana (C.c. Madhya 8.158)  When extension betgins, we find that Balarama and Yogamaya make arrangements for that transaction of Krsna where rasamrta-murtti, Krsna the embodiment of all rasas, tastes Himself. Rasa is tasting Himself. It is different in the case of the mundane rasa, where the soul is the subject and the ‘rasa’ is an object to be ‘enjoyed’ by him; but here, rasa is Himself the Highest Subject, and he is is tastin gHimself–sukha-rupa krsna kare sukha asvadana.
He then gradually exstends Himself and so we find Baladeva who is a facsimile of Krsna. But because in the science of rasa, Baladev’s direct approach to madhura-rasa is not admissable, He extends Himself as a special potency, Yogamya, and goes to perform in that madhura-rasa.