8.294
tama, kansa, rupa, sona, ratna-cintamani
keha yadi kahan pota paya eka-khani
SYNONYMS
tama—copper; kansa—bell metal; rupa—silver; sona—gold; ratna-cintamani—touchstone the basis of all metals; keha—somebody; yadi—if; kahan—somewhere; pota—buried; paya—finds; eka-khani—in one place.
Actually, these conversations are like a great mine where, from a single place, one can extract all kinds of metals-copper, bell metal, silver and gold-and also touchstone, the basis of all metals.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the following summary of the conversations between Ramananda Raya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Ramananda Raya replied to five questions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and these questions and their replies are recorded in verses 57-67.
The first answer is compared to copper, the second to a better metal, bell metal, the third to a still better metal, silver, and the fourth to the best metal of all, gold.
But the fifth answer is compared to the most valuable gem, touchstone, because it deals with unalloyed devotion, the ultimate goal of devotional life, and illuminates the preceding four subordinate answers.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura points out that in Vrajabhumi there is the Yamuna River with its sandy banks.
There are kadamba trees, cows, Krsna’s sticks with which He herds cows, and Krsna’s flute.
All of these belong to the santa-rasa, the mellow of neutrality in devotional service.
There are also the direct servants of Krsna, such as Citraka, Patraka and Raktaka, and these are the embodiments of service in the mellow of servitude.
There are also friends like Sridama and Sudama who embody service in fraternity.
Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda are the embodiments of paternal love.
Above all of these are Srimati Radharani and Her assistants, the gopis Lalita, Visakha and others, who embody conjugal love.
In this way all five mellows-santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya-exist eternally in Vrajabhumi.
They are compared respectively to copper, bell metal, silver, gold and touchstone, the basis of all metals.
Srila Kaviraja Gosvami therefore refers to a mine eternally existing in Vrndavana, Vrajabhumi.