Is Krsna Saguna or Nirguna?

Whether or not Krsna is saguna or nirguna would depend on what one means by the term guna. Does guna mean simply “attribute” or (the more specific) “evolute of primal matter (prakrti)?” On that would depend the answer. In the Bhagavata, the term nirguna, as applied to the Lord, seems to refer to the more specific sense of the word guna. Therefore, in this sense, Krsna is nirguna. He is beyond the influence of the three gunas of primal matter. His body is not gunamaya, composed out of matter; it is purely spiritual in its nature; it is often termed brahmamaya. Also, unlike the jiva—who is, by the way, of the same essential nature as the Lord—there can be no material limitations (upadhi) associated with the Lord.
However, if we speak of nirguna holding in mind the sense of guna as mere “attribute” or “property,” then Krsna is saguna. There is, in this sense, no end to the gunas of Krsna. The Lord is of infinite glories and attributes.

The Essence of Supreme Knowledge (paramārtha sāra): A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

The Essence of Supreme Knowledge (paramārtha sāra)

They recollect the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava,’ in speech;
they recollect ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava’ in heart;
without interval, all the saintly ones, the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava;’
they utter in all the works. 106

Of the form of supreme auspiciousness, the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava;’
the great one who utters;
his fear of samsara—of the form of inauspiciousness—is removed;
He reaches close to Madhava. 107

Destroyer of nightmares is this ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava’ name;
the annihilator of the fear of evil planets .
Of the form of supreme wealth is Madhava’s name;
knowing, please do its uttering at all times. 108

Only Madhava is our own beloved self; Madhava only is our friend, our preceptor;
only Madhava is the supreme controlling entity.
He only is our master, the Supreme Lord—knowing, do pure devotion to Madhava.
This only is man’s own duty. 109

He only is supremely clever; only he, of extremely skilful intellect;
the one that sings Madhava’s qualities.
Trading the false human body for liberation,
he obtains Madhava, crossing the ocean of material existence. 110

The man who, doing exclusive adoration to Madhava regularly,
roams, singing the qualities of Madhava;
like the one drinking the rare nectar,
that one also has no other sweet drink to drink. 111

Worship, mate, Madhava; recollect, mate, Madhava;
sing, mate, Madhava’s qualities.
Do not think your own ruination; happily save yourself.
Become, mate, supremely skilful and clever. 112

A Translation of the Opening Lines of the Nama Ghosa of Madhavadeva

A Translation of the Opening Lines of the Nama Ghosa of Madhavadeva

muktito nisprha yito    sehi bhakataka namo

rasamaya magoho bhakati

samasta mastaka mani nija bhakatara basya

bhajo hena deva yadupati

The one disinterested in salvation—that devotee I salute.

Nectar-flavored (rasamaya) is the devotion I demand.

Crown-jewel of all, in own devotee’s control,

I engage in devotion—pure—to such a deity, the Lord of Yadus.     1

The very first verse of the Nama Ghosa beginning ‘muktito nisprha yito…’ is indicated in the critical editions as being a rendering of the opening lines ‘ye muktavapi nisprha…’ of Visnupuri’s Kantimala commentary (tika) to his own Bhakti Ratnavali:

ye muktavapi nisprha pratipadapronmiladanandadam

yamasthaya samastamastakamanim kurvanti sve vase

tan bhaktanapi tanca bhaktimapi tam bhaktapriyam sriharim

vande santamarthaye’nudivasam nityam saranyam bhaje

In this very first verse (ghosa) of the Nama Ghosa is the proclamation of pure devotion.

Madhavadeva salutes that desireless devotee who is spurning even the highest form of liberation; but, Madhavadeva, it seems, is not without desire for he makes it clear, in the very next line, that it is the nectar-flavored devotion that he really is after. Ah! So this is the reason behind saluting the uninterested devotee!

‘I salute, at the outset, that supreme devotee who is uninterested even in salvation—the highest form of liberation—in which one merges, as it were, into God, the supreme cause;

‘But why; what can be the reason behind my salutation? I salute the supreme devotee because I crave for that devotion which is full of sweet joy. I reject salvation but certainly, oh certainly do I want a share of that supremely tasteful nectar of pure devotion which is available in the company of such desireless pure devotees. Surely, by taking their company, I will be able to fulfill my craving for such a rasamaya bhakti?

‘But what gives you such an assurance? What makes you think that you will be able to fulfill your desire? I am not even in an iota of doubt that I will be able to fulfill my wish because the Lord Himself comes and distributes this nectar among His pure devotees who too have no other wish but to partake of this invaluable nectar. Our demands are similar, it seems!

‘Oh! But how can the supremely powerful Lord ever be made to distribute this nectar! How can you bring Him under your control—He who is the crown-jewel of all heads, the supreme Lord of the entire creation? I have no doubt in this matter because although my Lord is the crown-jewel of all, He is of such a graceful nature that He becomes subservient to His own devotee! He is so fond of His pure devotees that He gives even Himself to them as a slave, as it were, and does whatever they ask Him to do! And since these pure devotees would ask nothing of Him save the distribution of this nectar-flavored devotion, I am supremely assured that I will get to taste my desired flavor staying in their company.

‘I see! But in what specific way will you place your demand? By what specific means do you plan to capture or bring under your control the supremely gracious Lord? Specifically, we plan to capture the personality of supreme grace, the supreme cosmic entity—who is maintaining even the material entities of the microcosm—solely by the singing of His name and qualities forsaking all prescribed acts and writ-dictates. Doing so in this manner will make my devotion pure and the supreme pure personality will be satisfied. Therefore, from this point onwards, I dedicate myself solely to the pure devotion of the distributor of this pure joy—the eternal, ever-joyous supreme Lord Krsna.’

The ‘Juice of the Great Bhagavata’: Translation of A Few Passages from the Nama Ghosa of Madhavadeva

The Srimad Bhagavata is held, in the Eka-Sarana faith, to be সমস্ত-বেদান্ত-সাৰ, the essence of the entire Vedanta, the crest or the highest culmination of the Vedas. The Bhagavata is the supreme sastra or scripture. It is মহাভাগৱত, the Great Bhagavata. And it is পৰম-আনন্দ-ৰসময়, saturated with the nectar (rasa) of supreme joy. In his Nama Ghosa, Madhavadeva writes:

সমস্ত-বেদান্ত-সাৰ মহাভাগৱত শাস্ত্ৰ
ইহাৰ অমৃত-ৰস পাই |
পৰম সন্তোষে পান কৰিল যিজনে তাৰ
অন্যত্ৰ ৰসত ৰতি নাই ||১৮

Essence of all Vedanta—scripture of the Great Bhagavata;
obtaining its nectarine juice,
the one who has drunk with extreme satisfaction, that one
has no liking for any other juice. [18]

Here, it seems, the Bhagavata is compared to a fruit and the joy obtaining from its discussion to the enjoying of the nectarine drink (rasa) of this fruit. Moreover, rasa has also another meaning in Sanskrit and it is indicative of the feeling or sentiment prevailing in any literary or poetical work. It means also the ‘taste or character of a work’ (Sanskrit Dictionary). Thus, overall, it seems to be the transcendental flavour of bhakti—the feeling of supreme joy—that is being referred to as rasa in this passage.

মহাভাগৱত-ৰস মাধৱৰ নাম-যশ
আক পান কৰিল যিজনে |
কৃষ্ণৰ চৰণে চিত্ত দিয়া মোক্ষ-আদি ৰসে
ৰতি আৰ নকৰয় মনে ||১৯

The juice of the Great Bhagavata—Madhava’s Name and Glory;
one who has drunk of it [once];
offering mind at the Feet of Krsna, in beverages of salvation, etc.,
one never again develops fondness in mind. [19]

In this passage again, the nectar (rasa) of the Bhagavata, consisting [solely] of the Name and Glories (nama-yasa) of Madhava is the supreme juice, extremely tasty and delightful, drinking which a person forsakes all liking for any other juice, apart from it, like that of salvation (moksa) etc. Indeed the taste obtained from these ordinary beverages would be nothing compared to that of the nectar of the Bhagavata.

সকল নিগম কল্পতৰু তাৰ
ফল মহাভাগৱত |
সেহি ফলৰস হৰি-গুণ-যশ
পিয়োক সাধু-সঙ্গত ||৪০৩

All the scriptures of release are the wish-yielding tree.
The fruit of that is the Great Bhagavata.
The juice of this fruit only—the qualities and glories of Hari—
you drink in the company of the devotees. [403]

In this passage, Madhavadeva exhorts us all to have a taste of the excellent juice of the fruit called Bhagavata in the company of ‘fellow drinkers’—the devotees of Hari. Here, the Bhagavata is explicitly referred to as a fruit (phala). All the scriptures of release (nigama) constitute, as it were, a ‘tree of wishes’ (kalpataru) and the Bhagavata is the fruit of this ‘tree of wishes’. The juice of this fruit (phala rasa) consists [solely] of the qualities and glories (guna-yasa) of Hari.

সকলে নিগমে কল্পতৰু তাৰ ফল মহাভাগৱত
শুক-মুখে আসি ভূমিত ভৈলা বিদিত |
ৰসত চতুৰ যিটোজন কৃষ্ণৰ চৰণে দিয়া মন
পৰম সন্তোষে পিয়োক ফল-অমৃত ||৬০৩



All the scriptures of release are the tree of wishes; the fruit of that [tree] is the Great Bhagavata;
touched by the mouth of Suka, it has fallen on earth and become well-known.
All those who are the connoisseurs of rasa, laying one’s mind at the Feet of Krsna,
enjoy the nectar of this fruit with great satisfaction. [603]