Veṇu and Vapu
The simple meaning of the word ‘veṇu’ is flute, while ‘vapu’ means body. Veṇu is the vehicle of vāṇī (speech or divine sound); that is, it is vāṇīmaya (suffused with divine sound), whereas vapu is the external vehicle of the existence of a vastu (entity, object), or the object of direct visual perception. The song of the veṇu can transport its melody into the ear canals even from the kingdom that exists beyond the visual perception, but if the vapu is not accessible to visual perception, we cannot detect its existence.
In the mundane realm, the characteristics of veṇu and vapu can be analyzed in this way; however, when the veṇu and vapu of the Svayaṁ Bhagavad Vastu (Supreme Entity of Godhead) incarnates from the divine kingdom of Goloka, special consideration is imperative to understanding how we may become worthy of appeciating the sweetness of the veṇu and vapu.
Transcendental Kṛṣṇa’s veṇu is simple and straight; however, His vapu is baṅkima (bent), tribhaṅgima, or crooked in three places. The veṇu, entering through the ears, stirs the very core of the heart. Thus, the advent of veṇu occurs in the clasped palms of the ears (karṇāñjali). It is observed in the material world that even a creature considered extremely cruel and treacherous among all creatures, a serpent—marked by its crooked movements and violent instincts—becomes utterly enchanted and controlled by the sound of an ordinary veṇu. The same serpent that perceives a certain type of vapu, thinks it to be an enemy, and proceeds to attack an innocent person who means it no harm, becomes irresistibly captivated by the flute-song played by that very person, sprawls itself at their feet, and surrenders itself forever.
We can see the prākṛta vapu (mundane body) with the aid of our eyes, but the aprākṛta vapu (transcendental form) cannot be seen by eyes that are not transcendental. Kṛṣṇa’s vapu cannot be seen with māṁsa-cakṣu (fleshy eyes). One kind of eyes are for seeing, the other kind have to be thrown out after seeing. Many individuals, such as Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, Śiśupāla, and Śṛgāla-Vāsudeva, were unable to hear Kṛṣṇa’s veṇu, so they simply saw the covered state of Kṛṣṇa’s vapu and therefore could not behold the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s vapu that is worshipped by millions of Cupids. The sthūlatva [“grossness” or the Lord’s energy in the state of gross matter] that acts as a veil to the transcendental form presented each of them with their own ‘blinders’ for their fleshy eyes. Thus, often when we just try to see the vapu, gross matter covers our eyes.
Like Śrī Kṛṣṇa, His manifest forms—Śrī Guru-pādapadma, Ācārya-pādapadma, or Vaiṣṇava-pādapadma—must first be approached through hearing their veṇu, or their vāṇī (teachings or speech). If instead of cherishing their vāṇī alone, we focus solely on seeing their vapu with our meaty eyes, grossness or opacity descends like a curtain, disrupting our vision of the reality. Therefore, when attempting to see a sādhu, many see only the gross aspect, or unsaintliness, of the sādhu (saint) with their māṁsa-cakṣu. Why? Because as long as we do not cherish and internalize the vāṇī of the sādhu, we can never have darśana (true audience) of the sādhu with these eyes. In striving to perceive their vapu, we see only the gross form construed by our visual perception that covers their sādhutva (saintliness).
Like Kṛṣṇa’s vapu, the vapu of the sādhu or guru is also baṅkima (crooked); in other words, it does not reveal itself to the living entity in a simple, straightforward manner. This is why Śrī Vyāsadeva has warned us with the verse beginning with “arccye viṣṇau śilādhīḥ (considering Viṣṇu's deity form as mere stone)”, and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has cautioned us with “na prākṛtatvaṁ iha bhaktajanasya paśyet (never ascribe mundanity to devotees).”
Because the vapu is baṅkima, we perceive the deity of Viṣṇu as a mere stone; we see the guru as an ordinary human, the Vaiṣṇava through the lens of caste, and Viṣṇu’s caraṇodaka (foot-wash water) as ordinary liquid. At times, we attribute various imagined faults to the vapu of Guru, Vaiṣṇavas, or Ācāryas, and even construe them as lustful, angry, greedy, status-seeking, or envious. Often we cannot grasp the Ācārya’s conduct, or the activities and behavior of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, and end up at a loss.
Even now there are many academics and empiricists who attempt to discern the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through their māṁsa-cakṣu and construe Him in so many different ways: as a mere Māyāvādī ascetic, sometimes as a scholar or non-scholar of eccentric temperament or just a sentimentalist. Other times, they constue Him to be a mere preacher of religion or a social reformer. Those who fail to hear Śrī Caitanya’s divine vāṇī (teachings) and see His vapu, or outer garb, are deceived by various humble, self-deprecating statements He made, like what He said to Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda: “māyāvādī āmi’ to sannyāsī, bhakti-tattva nāhi jāni māyāvāde bhāsi – I am but a Māyāvādī sannyāsī; I do not understand the essence of bhakti and am adrift in Māyāvāda.” Thus people imagine Mahāprabhu to be an ekadaṇḍī Māyāvādī sannyāsī because they have become deluded or deceived by seeing Mahāprabhu’s outer garb with their fleshy eyes. Some go so far as to label Him as afflicted by epilepsy, even authoring medical treatises on the matter! One misguided manodharmi (mental speculator) sect known as the “Gaura-nāgarīs,” have been deceived by their perception Mahāprabhu’s vapu and revealed themselves to the world for some time now. Mahāprabhu’s Sarasvatī, His siddhānta-vāṇī (message of philosophical conclusions), has not entered their ears. They have become bewildered upon beholding with their fleshy eyes the covered form of that Gaurasundara whose transcendental beauty eclipses the splendor of millions of Cupids. However, Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda did not perceive Mahāprabhu as a jīva who was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī (!!), nor did he experience Him as a sambhoga-vigraha nāgara (romantic hero who personifies indulgence). Instead, he beheld the sambhoga-maya śyāma-vapu (Kṛṣṇa’s darkish form as the ultimate enjoyer) covered by the mood and resplendence of Kāñcana-Pañcālikā (“The Golden Doll”, or Śrī Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī). In other words, he saw the ‘rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita’ svarūpa. Rāya Rāmānanda forever hears Kṛṣṇa’s veṇu. He does not distinguish between veṇu-mādhurya (the flute’s sweetness) and vapu-mādhurya (the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s form). He has not demonstrated the deceit of first seeing the vapu and then hearing the veṇu as the seers of mundane flesh do. He had said to Gaurasundara:
mora jihvā vīṇā-yantra, tumi vīṇā-dhārī |
tomāra mane yei uṭhe, tāhāi uccāri ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.132)
“My tongue is like a vīṇā, and You are its player. Whatever arises in Your mind is what I express.”
Similarly, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes:
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ |
bhaved-dharma viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
(Śrī Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta, 533)
“Hearing the enchanting sound of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s veṇu, both the sthāvara (immovable) and the jaṅgama (mobile) beings are immersed in supreme bliss, overturning their natural states—the inert becomes mobile, and the mobile becomes inert.”
To truly hear the veṇu-dhvani of Kṛṣṇa, one must first adorn one’s ears with the śrauta-vāṇī (teachings received in bona fide disciplic succession) emanating from the lotus mouth of Śrī Guru-pādapadma. If one neglects hearing and becomes eager to behold the divine form prematurely, one’s craving for sensual gratification simply increases. Then it will never be possible to have Kṛṣṇa’s darśana. One will only have darśana of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā.
Those who abandon the path of śravaṇa (hearing) and, driven by a restless yearning, seek merely to see the form are known as prākṛta-sahajiyās. This is precisely why Śrī Gurudeva first bestows the mantra in the ears of the disciple, for this is none other than Śrī Guru-pādapadma’s veṇu-dhvani, or vāṇī. Through this vāṇī-mantra, the gross material perceptions of the māṁsa-cakṣu (fleshy eyes) are dispelled, and when the eyes are anointed with the ointment of transcendental knowledge, then one has true darśana of Śrī Guru-pādapadma’s transcendental form.
Today, I have heard a deep truth from the intimate devotees of Śrī Guru-pādapadma, and in an effort to safeguard myself, I am recounting it here. Those for whom this is necessary may take it to heart. Śrī Caitanya’s Sarasvatī, His bhaktisiddhānta-vāṇī (message of devotional conclusions), is simple; she has no knowledge of deception. Do not neglect to hear that and instead rush to see the ācārya’s vapu. It may be that the vapu contains varieties of expertise meant to deceive those who are averse.
Certain individuals attempted to imitate the external form or conduct of Śrīla Gaurakiśora Prabhu having seen it with their fleshy eyes; some entered latrines, while others collected garments from corpses in cremation grounds and wore them, thinking that symbolized following in his footsteps. Similarly, some, misinterpreting the transcendental harmonized detachment (yukta-vairāgya) of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, became attached to materialistic, indulgent household life. At various times, Śrīla Gaurakiśora Prabhu, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and other great personalities enacted accepting disciples, displaying profusely affectionate behavior, or even praising specific individuals in order to grant opportunities to various anyābhilāṣī (those who had ulterior motives). Many were deceived by their behavior and continue to be today. These are examples of relying on the māṁsa-cakṣu to perceive the vapu; this is not the ideal of veṇu-śravaṇa. One must listen to Śrī Caitanya’s Sarasvatī. When there is an apparent contradiction between the ideal conveyed by vāṇī and that conveyed by the vapu through material senses, it is always wiser to follow the vāṇī. Just as the Śruti is given precedence over the Smṛti when contradictions arise, similarly, when a conflict appears between vāṇī and vapu, or the bhakti-siddhānta-vāṇī and the ideals perceived through māṁsa-cakṣu, then the siddhānta-vāṇī itself holds greater significance. Never forsake Sarasvatī for the sake of following seemingly contradictory external appearances observed through fleshy eyes. On the path of sādhana, this is a profound safeguard, akin to an invincible armor. Vāṇī-śravaṇa (hearing the message) is the true means of protection—not māṁsa-cakṣu-based vapu-darśana; the latter often illuminates the slippery slope to downfall. Sādhu sāvadhāna (beware saints)!
A doubt may arise: “Just as there is empiricism or gross interference in the perception of the vapu, various obscurations may arise in the process of vāṇī-śravaṇa. In those cases, could we also be led down the wrong path as we imitate vāṇī-śravaṇa?” In one sense, this contention has a fair bit of validity; however, the speciality of vāṇī lies in its inherent potency to destroy its own coverings and impediments through continued hearing. On the contrary, carrying on and on with vapu-darśana cannot remove the covering of māṁsa-cakṣu, for they are of a fundamentally different nature from the transcendental realm. The aprākṛta vapu (transcendental form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss) can never manifest before the material eyes—they are not within its field of perception. However, vāṇī possesses the intrinsic power to lift the veils, purify the jīva, and make him worthy in every respect. The vapu (transcendental form) manifests only before qualified individuals, whereas the vāṇī (divine words or mantra) descends even to the unqualified, gradually purifying and uplifting them until they are deemed fit to behold their svarūpa. In truth, within the aprākṛta realm, vāṇī and vapu are not distinct entities. The vāṇī alone sanctifies the living entity, granting them the vision of the vapu or sacred form. Without attaining such qualification, it is impossible for anyone to perceive the deity’s form; thus, vāṇī holds greater significance than vapu. This is why the holy name of the Lord is said to be more merciful than His divine form (svarūpa).
Mundane words are characterized by multiplicity, mutual contradictions, internal variations, and inherent flaws such as creation and destruction. Mundane words and mundane forms are comprehended by mundane senses and are subject to the cycles of birth and death, making them impermanent. Conversely, divine conscious words manifest of their own accord through the medium of a tongue imbued with an uninterrupted mood of service to them and incarnate in auditory faculties that are surrendered to them. Then those same sound vibrations manifest their own incarnate vapu before the eyes they have regulated and purified through these prapanna-karṇendriya (surrendered auditory faculties).
However, those who carry on making a show of vāṇī-śravaṇa for a time but become impatient and leave that process, those who do not become intiated into the vāṇī of Śrī Caitanya’s instruction of “kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ”, and those who do not engage in the constant practice of serving Śrī Caitanya’s Sarasvatī are bound to face spiritual downfall. Their ears are sealed with eternal locks and filled with numerous impurities that obstruct the entry of divine sound; their plight is not our topic of discussion. Our topic of discussion is this: if contradiction arises between the incessant hearing of vāṇī with a simple heart and the vision of the vapu with fleshy eyes, which one should be accepted? The sādhus say that vāṇī-śravaṇa alone will be the guiding factor and will be ratified. Why? Because it is simple. It is not crooked like the vapu.
The vāṇī, or veṇu, has such potency and sweetness that it can awaken the eternally perfect consciousness even in what is seemingly inert or longlost conciousness. Moreover, it can initiate those restlessly absorbed in material activities into naiṣkarmya-mantra (selfless engagement in action, the pinnacle or supreme state of consciousness). However, when the gross impressions of perceiving the vapu with an enjoying mentality dominate the senses, the inherent service-oriented disposition (sevonmukhatā) is eclipsed, giving way to self-centered desires or indulgence in sensory gratification. This is why individuals with ulterior motives often prioritize their so-called bhagavad-darśana over listening to hari-kathā as they make a show of entering the kingdom of spiritual practice.
Some approach their spiritual guide with the question, “Can you show me God?” Such an enquirer’s heart cannot be drawn to the sweetness of the veṇu.One who is genuinely hankering for eternal service to Bhagavān’s form would instead ask, “Will you please discipline and purify me with your instructions? Grant me the eyes to see.” For, verily, hari-kathā is Sākṣāt Hari (the Lord Himself). That Śrī Hari is first perceived through the auditory faculty, entering the heart through the ears and becoming firmly established therein. What is darśana of Bhagavān? Is it beneficial or harmful to behold Bhagavān? Is it beneficial or harmful depending on the individual? One who thinks they know the answers to these questions without first submitting to the guru’s discipline has superceded guru! This is not characteristic of the disciple. It is not the ideal of Gītā’s instruction: “tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā – approach the spiritual master with humility, inquiry, and service)”. Nor does it align with Vedānta’s directive: “athāto brahma jijñāsā – now, therefore, inquire about Brahman”.
Whether one follows the path of Vedānta, or Śruti, or the instructions of the Gītā, or Smṛti, the conclusion is uniform: the disciple approaches the guru primarily for vāṇī-śravaṇa. The first and foremost object of perception for a disciple is not the vapu but the vāṇī. The divine words are “seen” through the ears. At first, the eyes are not used. First come the ears. The rite of piercing the ears is the guru’s first task. The ears will prepare the eyes. Vāṇī will reveal the vapu. Vāṇī alone provides indication of the vapu and appears as the vapu. The fleshy eyes cannot see the transcendental vapu, nor show it.
Those who are driven by the enjoying mentality that “First I must see Bhagavān,” take shelter of their so-called guru, who is essentially their attendant or slave to their whims—that is, those who exploit their guru for their own ends—if, by their judgment based on their material eyes, the guru is unable to show them a vision of some ghostly apparition, or darkness or some ethereal void or formless abstraction, they consider that guru to be unworthy. That is to say, “The guru could not give me a vision of Bhagavān for my personal gratification, so he is not a real guru.” Thinking thus, they wander elsewhere, leaving the association of the lotus feet of a genuine guru, who is exclusively engaged in narrating and chanting the glories of Hari. Conversely, those sincerely seeking the ultimate truth devote themselves wholly to the constant hearing of Śrī Caitanya-vāṇī, cupping their ears as vessels for its nectar. Whenever a conflict arises between hearing (śravaṇa) and seeing (darśana), between the ideal of vāṇī and the ideal of vapu, they repeatedly turn to the shelter of śravaṇa or Caitanya-Sarasvatī. Thus, I reiterate with solemn urgency: Sādhu, beware! Sādhu, beware! Sādhu, beware! O wicked mind and treacherous senses, if ever you perceive a conflict between vāṇī-śravaṇa and the vision of vapu with your māṁsa-cakṣu, choose to take refuge in vāṇī. Anchor yourself in the transcendental Sarasvatī. The transcendental sound of the veṇu will provide your unclouded inner being reliable directions for its midnight tryst. The sweetness of the flute (veṇu-mādhurya) alone will propel you toward your ultimate welfare. Let Śrī Caitanya-vāṇī be your guiding star on the path of your spiritual practice.