Sree Bhajana Rahasya
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Çré Kåñëa is the personification of
condensed eternity, knowledge
and bliss (sac-cid-änanda). He
is an ocean of compassion. The
clear proof of this is that He has appeared
on this Earth in the
form of His name for the benefit of the
living entities. This form
of Hari is performing the task of
removing ignorance. Therefore
those who affectionately chant harinäma
are saved from this
illusory world created by ignorance.
7
A hero who is expert in the sixty-four
arts and in amorous sports, always situated
in fresh youth, expert at joking,
devoid of anxiety and controlled by the
prema of his beloveds is known as a dhéra-lalita-näyaka.
5 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Çré Rädhä is the essence of the hlädiné-çakti,
and She is always
giving supreme pleasure to Svayam
Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa. She
even steals away the mind of parama-puruña
Çré Kåñëa with Her
sweet form and qualities and by Her
service, which is filled with
prema. Therefore, one of Her names is Harä. “Hare” in the
mahä-mantra is the vocative form of Harä, which
refers to Çré
Rädhä. Thus, the devotee who is
exclusively intent on the Divine
Couple (the aikäntika-bhakta)
accepts Rädhä-Kåñëa as the only
meaning of Hare Kåñëa. Çré Rädhä is the
personification of bliss
(änanda-svarüpiëé).
Kamala-locana Çyämasundara is Her eternal
beloved, präëa-vallabha. He is
always intent on pleasing Çré
Rädhä, but He nonetheless remains
indebted to Her. The source
of the great festival of bliss of Gokula,
Nanda-nandana, is the
supremely attractive attractor.
Therefore He is named Kåñëa.
Even though He always tastes happiness
in Çré Rädhä’s association,
He always remains eager for it. He is
famous as Rädhäramaëa
because He, Léleçvara, the personification
and essence of
all vaidagdhya (cleverness in
amorous pastimes), is always with
Çré Rädhä, playing (ramaëa)
inside and outside Her heart. This
Rädhä-ramaëa Çré Kåñëa is called Räma
in the mahä-mantra. It
should be understood that Hare Kåñëa in
the mahä-mantra
means Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala. Therefore,
while performing japa or
kértana of the mahä-mantra, one should
continuously remember
the pastimes of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala.
Text 35
The Båhan-näradéya Puräëa states:
harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
5 7
1 / PRATHAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
In Kali-yuga there is no other way for
the jéva than chanting the
holy name. There is no other way, there
is no other way.
anya dharma karma chäòi harinäma sära
kali-yuge tähä vinä gati nähi ära
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In Kali-yuga, Svayam Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa
has appeared in the
form of His name. Through harinäma the
whole world can be
delivered. The words harer näma in
this Text are used three
times to make people with mundane intelligence
become fixed
in chanting harinäma. The word kevala
(meaning “only”) is
used to make it abundantly clear that jïäna,
yoga, tapasya and
other activities are to be renounced.
Salvation is never possible
for one who disregards this instruction
of the scriptures. To
emphasise this, the words nästy eva (meaning
“no other way”)
are repeated three times at the end of
the çloka.
Text 36
The Bhägavata-näma-kaumudé states:
naktaà divä ca gatabhir jita-nidra eko
nirviëëa ékñita-patho mita-bhuk
praçäntaù
yady acyute bhagavati sva-mano na
sajjen
nämäni tad-rati-karäëi paöhed vilajjaù
If your mind is not absorbed in the
name of Çré Bhagavän Acyuta,
then day and night without shyness
chant those principal names
that are endowed with rati (such
as Rädhä-ramaëa, Vraja-vallabha
and Gopéjana-vallabha). Minimise sleep,
eat moderately, and
proceed on the path of spiritual truth
with a peaceful mind and a
disregard for worldly things.
5 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
rätra dina unnidra nirvighna nirbhaya
mitabhuk praçänta nirjane cintämaya
lajjä tyaji kåñëa-rati uddépaka näma
uccäraëa kare bhakta kåñëäsakti käma
Text 37
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.3.22) states:
etävän eva loke ’smin
puàsäà dharmaù paraù småtaù
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-näma-grahaëädibhiù
Only the worship of Bhagavän Çré Väsudeva,
performed through
näma-saìkértana, is called bhakti-yoga. This
alone is the
supreme dharma for the living
entities.
bhakti-yoga kåñëa-näma grahaëädi rüpa
para dharma näme tära nirëéta svarüpa
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Only näma-saìkértana is directly
bhakti-yoga, and in Kali-yuga
it is the only means by which Çré
Vrajaräja-nandana can be controlled.
A question may arise here: if sense
enjoyment and so
forth are easily attained through näma-kértana,
why are learned
persons teaching karma-yoga? The
answer is that the intelligence
of Yäjïavalkya, Jaiminé and the other
compilers of dharmaçästras
was often bewildered by Mäyä-devé.
Their minds
remained attracted to the beautiful
explanations given at that
time of the Åg, Yajur and
Säma Vedas, and they were engrossed
in the various kinds of activities by
which, with great difficulty,
one obtains the insignificant and
temporary result of attaining
Svarga, the heavenly planets. The
topmost dharma is nämakértana,
which is easily performed; however,
they were unable
to understand this.
5 9
1 / PRATHAMA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 38
While chanting harinäma, one
should remember Kåñëa’s pastimes.
“Niçänte kértane kuïja-bhaìga kare
dhyäna, krame krame citta
lagne rasera vidhäna – by remembering and performing kértana
of niçänta-lélä, or kuïja-bhaìga-lélä,
the mind will gradually
relish rasa.” Govinda-lélämåta
(1.10) states:
rätryante trasta-vånderita
bahu-viravair bodhitau kéraçärépadyair-
hådyair api sukha-çayanäd utthitau tau
sakhébhiù
dåñöau håñöau tadä tvoditarati-lalitau
kakkhaöé-géù saçaìkau
rädhä-kåñëau satåñëäv api
nija-nija-dhämny äpta-talpau smarämi
At the end of the night, Våndä-devé,
fearing the approach of day,
indicates to the çuka (parrot), çäré
(female parrot) and other birds
to make sweet sounds to awaken Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa.
A cool, gentle,
fragrant breeze is slowly blowing. With
charming calls, the
peacocks, peahens, çuka, säré
and papéhä (cuckoos) glorify
Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa’s pastimes. They say,
“O Vrajaräja-nandana! O
Nikuïjeçvaré! When will we receive Your
darçana?” Although the
Divine Couple have been aroused by the
sweet chirping of the
birds, They embrace each other in fear
of being separated and
again fall asleep, weary from amorous
play. The more Våndädevé
tries to wake Them, the more They
drowsily pretend to
sleep deeply, for They do not desire to
leave one another. At that
time, the she-monkey Kakkhaöé loudly
cries “Jaöilä! Jaöilä!” and
They awaken, filled with fear. (The
meaning of “Jaöilä” is
“Morning has come and the sun-rays,
which look like matted hair
(jaöä), are about to appear.”
But it can also mean “Jaöilä is
coming”, Jaöilä being Çré Rädhä’s
mother-in-law.) The nityasakhés
and präëa-sakhés enter the kuïja.
These maïjaré-sakhés
redecorate Rädhä and Kåñëa with clothes
and ornaments, concealing
the signs of Their amorous pastimes,
and then they call
the priya-sakhés and priya-narma-sakhés.
Kiçora and Kiçoré joke
6 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
with each other, and Çré Lalitä
performs Their ärati. Thereafter
They proceed to Their respective
residences.
dekhiyä aruëodaya, våndä-devé vyasta
haya,
kuïje nänä rava karäila
çuka-säré-padya suni, uöhe rädhä
nélamaëi,
sakhé-gaëa dekhi håñöa hailä
kälocita sulalita, kakkhaöéra rave
bhéta,
rädhä-kåñëa satåñëa haiyä
nija-nija gåhe gelä, nibhåte çayana
kailä,
düìhe bhaji se lélä smariyä
ei lélä smara ära gäo kåñëa-näma,
kåñëa-lélä prema-dhana päbe kåñëa-dhäma
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Niçänta-lélä, the pastime at night’s end, is also
called kuïjabhaìga-
lélä because Rädhä and Kåñëa have to separate after
Their night-long pastimes in the kuïja.
The eager sädhaka who
remembers and performs kértana of
this pastime will very
quickly become eligible for the
treasure of kåñëa-prema.
Thus ends the Prathama-yäma-sädhana,
Niçänta-bhajana, of Çré Bhajana-rahasya.
6 1
Text 1
There is no consideration of proper or
improper time in regard to
chanting the Lord’s holy names, which
are fully endowed with all
potencies. This is described in the
second verse of Çikñäñöaka:
nämnäm akäri bahudhä nija-sarva-çaktis
taträrpitä niyamitaù smaraëe na kälaù
etädåçé tava kåpä bhagavan mamäpi
durdaivam édåçam ihäjani nänurägaù
O Bhagavän, Your names bestow all
auspiciousness upon the
jévas. Therefore, for their benefit, You are eternally manifest
as
Your innumerable names, such as Räma,
Näräyaëa, Kåñëa,
Mukunda, Mädhava, Govinda and Dämodara.
You have invested
those names with all the potencies of
Their respective forms. Out
of Your causeless mercy, You have not
even imposed any restrictions
on the remembrance of these names, as
is the case with
certain prayers and mantras that
must be chanted at specific
times (sandhyä-vandana). In
other words, the holy name of
Dvitéya-yäma-sädhana
2
Prätaù-käléya-bhajana –
anartha-nivåtti in sädhu-saìga
(the first six daëòas of the
morning:
approximately 6.00 A.M. – 8.30 A.M.)
6 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Bhagavän can be chanted and remembered
at any time of the
day or night. This is the arrangement
You have made. O Prabhu,
You have such causeless mercy upon the jévas;
nevertheless, due
to my näma-aparädha, I am so
unfortunate that no attachment
for Your holy name, which is so easily
accessible and which
bestows all good fortune, has awakened
within me.
aneka lokera väïchä aneka prakära
kåpäte karila aneka nämera pracära
khäite suite yathä tathä näma laya
deça-käla-niyama nähi sarva-siddhi haya
sarva-çakti näme dila kariyä vibhäga
ämära durdaiva näme nähi anuräga
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The innumerable people in this material
world have many different
kinds of desires. Even so, Bhagavän is
supremely merciful
and appears in this world as His different
names to fulfil these
various desires. All perfection is
attained by harinäma, even if it
is chanted while eating, drinking,
sleeping or moving about; nor
are place, time, rules and so forth
considerations while chanting.
All of Bhagavän’s potencies are
invested in His names.
The holy names are of two kinds:
primary (mukhya) and
secondary (gauëa). Names related
to the material world, like
Brahman, Paramätmä and Jagadéça, are
secondary names.
Primary names are also of two kinds:
those that are full of
opulence (aiçvarya-para) and
those that are full of sweetness
(mädhurya-para). Names like
Hari, Näräyaëa and Väsudeva are
full of opulence, and names like Kåñëa,
Madana-mohana,
Govinda, Gopénätha and Rädhä-ramaëa are
full of sweetness.
From the names of Bhagavän that are
related to this world (that
is, the secondary names), one attains
sense enjoyment (bhoga)
and liberation (mokña), from aiçvarya-para
names one attains
6 3
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
the aiçvarya-prema of Vaikuëöha,
and from mädhurya-para
names one attains vraja-prema.
The sädhaka chanting harinäma
will take shelter of a specific name
according to his own mood
and will thus have his heart’s desire
fulfilled.
Text 2
A prayer for attaining attachment for
the holy name is given in
the fifth verse of Nämäñöaka:
aghadamana-yaçodä-nandanau nanda-süno
kamala-nayana-gopé-candra-våndävanendräù
praëata-karuëa-kåñëäv ity aneka-svarüpe
tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatäà
nämadheya
O Näma Bhagavän, possessor of
inconceivable glories, may my
affection for You continue to increase,
day and night. O
Aghadamana! O Yaçodä-nandana! O
Nanda-sünu! O Kamalanayana!
O Gopécandra! O Våndävanendra! O
Praëata-karuëa! O
Kåñëa! You have innumerable forms; may
my attachment to them
always increase.
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
As the rägänuga-sädhaka chants
the holy name under the guidance
of pure devotees, he prays to Näma
Prabhu in great distress,
“O Näma Prabhu! Please manifest in my
heart along with Your
pastimes that relate to each name.”
Aghadamana – “He who protected His friends
by killing the
demon Agha.” The word agha means
“sin” and damana means
“to destroy”. He destroys the sins in
the heart of the sädhaka,
making it pure, and then He Himself
comes to reside there. In
relation to mädhurya-rasa,
Aghadamana has another meaning:
“He whose darçana destroys the gopés’
feelings of separation
and thus bestows great joy upon them.”
During the day Çré
6 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Kåñëacandra goes to the forest, causing
the vraja-sundarés to
burn in the fire of separation from
Him. During the night, when
He is in their midst, He makes their
burning separation go far
away, and He appears as pleasant as the
cool moon as He sports
in the pastimes of räsa with
them. Thus He tastes mädhuryaprema-
rasa.
Yaçodä-nandana – “The son of Yaçodä.”
All the good qualities
of Kåñëa’s affectionate mother are also
found in Him. Therefore
one of His names is Yaçodä-nandana. Yaço
dadäti iti yaçodä –
this means that Mother Yaçodä is famous
for her vätsalya-bhäva.
The mood of this verse is, “May the
compassionate Yaçodänandana,
who possesses the same qualities as His
mother,
appear in my heart.”
Nanda-sünu – “The son of Nanda.” Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.8.46) states:
nandaù kim akarod brahman
çreya evaà mahodayam
yaçodä ca mahä-bhägä
papau yasyäù stanaà hariù
[Mahäräja Parékñit inquired:] What most
auspicious activity did the
very fortunate Nanda Bäbä perform, and
what kind of austerity
did the supremely fortunate Yaçodä
perform that Bhagavän
Himself drank her breast milk with His
lotus mouth?
By chanting this name of Kåñëa, the sädhaka
prays, “May the son
of the supremely munificent and most
fortunate Nanda Mahäräja,
Nanda-nandana Çré Kåñëa, shower His
mercy upon me.”
Kamala-nayana – “Lotus-eyed one.” “May
Kamala-nayana Çré
Kåñëa, whose half-closed eyes resemble
a red lotus due to His
nocturnal amorous pastimes with His
beloved vraja-devés in the
nikuïjas, manifest within my heart.”
6 5
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Gopécandra – “The moon of the gopés.”
When Çré Kåñëa sees
the rising full moon, remembrance of
the moon-like faces of the
vraja-devés awakens in His heart.
Våndävanendra – “The Lord of
Våndävana.” This refers to He
who makes the inhabitants of Våndävana
blissful by His unique
quality of prema-mädhurya.
Praëata-karuëa – “He who is merciful to
the surrendered.” Çré
Kåñëa displays His mercy and compassion
to those who are
surrendered to Him by making them taste
His caraëämåta.
Remembering the mercy Käliya-näga
received when Kåñëa
placed His lotus feet on Käliya’s
heads, the gopés sing, “praëatadehinäà
päpa-karñaëam – Your lotus feet destroy the past sins
of all souls who surrender unto them.”
Kåñëa – This name is derived from the
verbal root kåñ meaning
“to attract”. Kåñëa attracts everyone
with His prema-mädhurya,
and in this way bestows the bliss of
divine love upon them.
Devotees pray according to their
transcendental sentiments;
thus Bhagavän appears to them according
to their prayers and
makes them joyful. The sädhaka chants
a specific name of
Bhagavän to increase his attachment to
Näma Prabhu.
Text 3
Kåñëa has invested all potencies in His
name. The Skanda
Puräëa states:
däna-vrata-tapas-tértha-yäträdénaç ca
yäù sthitäù
çaktayo deva-mahatäà sarva-päpa-haräù
çubhäù
räjasüyäçvamedhänäà
jïänasyädhyätma-vastunaù
äkåñya hariëä sarväù sthäpitäù sveñu
nämasu
Whatever potency to nullify sins or
bestow auspiciousness found
in charity, vows, austerities,
pilgrimage, the räjasüya- and
6 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
açvamedha-yajïas, knowledge of transcendental objects,
and so
forth, has been invested by Çré Kåñëa
in His holy names (that is,
the primary names).
dharma-yajïa-yoga-jïäne yata çakti
chila
saba harinäme kåñëa svayaà samarpila
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The glories of the holy name are
described in this Text. Näma
Prabhu easily bestows sense enjoyment (bhukti)
and liberation
(mukti). The mass of sins that
are nullified by the performance of
charity, vows, austerities, fire
sacrifices, horse sacrifices and so
forth, are destroyed by the mere
semblance of Näma Prabhu. The
results obtained by those desiring
liberation and by those desiring
sense enjoyment are the secondary
results of näma-saìkértana.
The main result given by Näma Prabhu is
the qualification to
relish Bhagavän’s sweetness, or the
nectar of prema, through
pure prema-bhakti. Pure devotees
do not pray to obtain the
secondary results of bhakti.
Moreover, if these results are involuntarily
obtained, they do not accept them;
rather, paying respect
from a distance, they disregard them.
The lives of Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé and Çréla Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé are exemplary in
this regard.
Text 4
In the performance of näma-bhajana,
there is no consideration
of cleanliness or uncleanliness, nor of
proper or improper time.
This is corroborated in the Vaiçvänara-saàhitä:
na deça-käla-niyamo
na çaucäçauca-nirëayaù
paraà saìkértanäd eva
räma rämeti mucyate
6 7
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
In chanting the holy name, there is no
rule concerning place and
time, nor is there one regarding
cleanliness or uncleanliness. By
repeating the name “Räma”, or in other
words by performing
saìkértana of the mahä-mantra, the topmost
liberation –
namely prema-bhakti – is
obtained.
deça käla-çaucäçauca-vidhi näme näi
hare kåñëa räma näme sadya tare yäi
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
When chanting the eternally perfect,
transcendental holy name,
there are no rules regarding place,
time and so forth. In the
performance of austerities and fire
sacrifices one has to follow
rules prescribed by the Vedas, but the
holy name can be chanted
under any circumstance, whether one is
in a pure or impure
state. By His own strength Näma Prabhu
purifies the heart of the
sädhaka.
The story of Gopäla-guru is noteworthy
in this context. A
young boy named Gopäla was staying with
Çréman Mahäprabhu
and serving Him. One day, as Mahäprabhu
was going to the
latrine, He caught hold of His tongue
with His hand. When
Gopäla asked why He was doing this,
Mahäprabhu replied, “My
tongue never gives up chanting harinäma,
so when I am in an
impure condition I must restrain it.”
The boy Gopäla then asked,
“If someone were to die at such a
moment, what would happen
to him?” Hearing this, Mahäprabhu
praised the boy and said,
“What you say is true. One should not
consider cleanliness,
uncleanliness and so forth in chanting
the immeasurably powerful
names of Hari. From today, your name is
Gopäla-guru.”
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
6 8
Text 5
The characteristics of misfortune are
described in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (3.9.7):
daivena te hata-dhiyo bhavataù
prasaìgät
sarväçubhopaçamanäd vimukhendriyä ye
kurvanti käma-sukha-leça-laväya dénä
lobhäbhibhüta-manaso ’kuçaläni çaçvat
Those persons who refrain from the
hearing and chanting of
Your glories, which destroys all
misfortune, and instead always
engage in inauspicious activities,
being obsessed with a desire
for a particle of material sense
enjoyment, are certainly wretched,
for fate has stolen away their
intelligence.
tomära prasaìga sarva, açubha karaye
kharva,
durdaiva prabhäve mora mana
kämasukha-leça äçe, lobha akuçaläyäse,
se prasaìge nä kaila yatana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Glorifying Bhagavän, Brahmä says here,
“Those persons who are
averse to hearing narrations about
Bhagavän and bhakti, and who
continuously perform inauspicious
activities, being engrossed in
worthless sense gratification, are
unfortunate and bereft of good
intelligence.” Prahläda Mahäräja also
says, “A jéva who is attached
to his home because of his
undisciplined senses enters the deepest
of hells. The intelligence of one who
again and again chews
the happiness and distress that has
already been chewed can
never become pure.” One who is absorbed
in karma-käëòa by
following the honey-filled statements
prescribed in the Vedas
will be bound by the long rope of the
Vedas. The only means
for the lustful living entities to
become liberated is to immerse
themselves in the dust of the lotus
feet of a great niñkiïcana,
paramahaàsa Vaiñëava.
6 9
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 6
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.7.4–6)
it is stated:
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak praëihite ’male
apaçyat puruñaà pürëaà
mäyäà ca tad-apäçrayäm
yayä sammohito jéva
ätmänaà tri-guëätmakam
paro ’pi manute ’narthaà
tat-kåtaà cäbhipadyate
anarthopaçamaà säkñäd
bhakti-yogam adhokñaje
lokasyäjänato vidväàç
cakre sätvata-saàhitäm
With a pure heart Çré Kåñëa-dvaipäyana
Vedavyäsa became
absorbed in meditation through the
process of bhakti-yoga. He
thus saw the Supreme Person, Çré Kåñëa,
along with His external
energy (mäyä), which was far
away from Him but under His
control. Due to this mäyä, the
conditioned living entity (baddhajéva)
forgets his service to Kåñëa and
becomes affected by
anarthas. Although transcendental to the three
modes of material
nature, the living entity who is
bewildered by mäyä considers
himself a material product. He thus
identifies himself with this
body and considers that which is
related to it to be his. The infinitesimal
living entity can only be delivered by kåñëa-bhakti-yoga,
but the mass of people in the material
world are ignorant of this
fact. Understanding this, Çré Vyäsa
manifested Bhägavatam
through bhakti-yoga.
kåñëa, kåñëa-mäyä, jéva ei tina tattva
mäyä-mohe mäyä-baddha jévera anartha
7 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
citkaëa jévera kåñëa-bhakti-yoga-bale
anartha vinañöa haya kåñëa prema-phale
ei tattva näma-samädhite päile vyäsa
bhägavate bhakti-yoga karila prakäça
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Çré Kåñëa-dvaipäyana Vedavyäsa
manifested all the Vedas,
Upaniñads, Puräëas and so forth. Even
though he had realisation
of the Supreme Absolute Truth and His
sound incarnation
(çabda-brahma), he remained
dissatisfied, feeling an inner lack.
He enquired from Çré Närada about this,
who answered, “You have
not described Çré Kåñëa’s sweet
pastimes and spotless glories. You
should do so, and by this your heart
will become satisfied.” By
the mercy of Çré Närada and by the
means of bhakti-yoga,
Vedavyäsa, with a pure heart, became
absorbed in meditation
and received darçana of all
Bhagavän’s pastimes. He then
manifested the Bhägavatam, the
fully ripened fruit of the desire
tree of Vedic literature.
The essential teaching of this incident
is that when the mind of
the living entity becomes pure through
the practice of bhakti,
then by the combined mercy of the saàvit-
and hlädiné-çaktis,
he can experience Kåñëa, Kåñëa’s
internal potency (Yogamäyä)
and his own constitutional nature (svarüpa).
The object of bhajana
will manifest in the heart naturally
through bhakti-yoga. Those
who desire liberation through jïäna and
karma are deprived of
realisation of the complete, eternally
conscious object.
The words puruñaà pürëam in this
Text refer to Svayam
Bhagavän Vrajendra-nandana
Çyämasundara, who is the possessor
of all potencies (sarva-çaktimän),
and to all the residents of
Vraja, including the gopés.
By means of bhakti-yoga, Çréla
Vyäsadeva saw Bhagavän’s
various manifestations and His three çaktis:
svarüpa-çakti, mäyäçakti
and jéva-çakti. Through His svarüpa-çakti,
Bhagavän is
7 1
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
performing eternal transcendental
pastimes. Mäyä-çakti has two
functions to control the jévas who
are averse to Bhagavän:
ävaraëätmikä (to cover real knowledge) and vikñepätmikä
(to
hurl the living entity down into the
ocean of material existence).
Those jévas who are controlled
by material activities are moved
by the desire to gratify their senses,
and Mäyä-devé makes them
dance like puppets.
An argument can be raised in this
connection. When
Vyäsadeva received darçana of
Bhagavän’s form, qualities,
pastimes and so forth, what was the
purpose of his also having
received darçana of mäyä?
The answer is that Vyäsadeva was
not an ordinary living being, so he had
no familiarity with the
suffering of conditioned souls ensnared
by mäyä. How, then,
could he help them? For this reason he
also received darçana of
the illusory energy.
The äcäryas write that the
living entities who are controlled by
mäyä are absorbed in the three modes, devoured by the great
disease of material existence and unable
to taste the sweetness of
Bhagavän. The liberation of the living
entities bound by mäyä is
possible only when mäyä’s coverings
are removed. Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura explains
in his commentary on
this Text that to cure a sick patient,
an expert doctor prescribes
both medicine and a good diet. The
remedial measure for the
conditioned living entities is the
process of bhakti. The medicine
is hearing hari-kathä and
chanting harinäma, and the diet is to
stay in the association of devotees and
avoid offences.
After receiving the above-mentioned darçana,
Çréla Vyäsa
manifested Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
the eternal authoritative
scripture that is filled with all
truths. He did this for the benefit of
ignorant people who are devoured by the
great disease of
material existence. By hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
the living
entities can become free from their anarthas
and ignorance, and
7 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
thus obtain kåñëa-prema. Çré
Kåñëa’s transcendental pastimes
with the vraja-devés, which are
filled with prema, are described
in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. By hearing
these narrations with faith,
the living entities can again become
established in their eternal
dharma.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.33.36) states: “yäù çrutvä
tat-paro
bhavet – upon hearing such pastimes, one becomes
dedicated to
Him.” To become established in service
to Rädhä and Kåñëa,
which consists of the mellows of prema
that are
saturated with sweetness, is the
purpose of life. This is achieved
following the removal of one’s anarthas
through the process of
bhakti-yoga, the essence of all truths.
Text 7
Anarthas, or misfortune, are of four kinds.
This is described in
the Ämnäya-sütra:
mäyä-mugdhasya jévasya
jïeyo ’narthaç catur-vidhaù
håd-daurbalyaà cäparädho
’sat-tåñëä tattva-vibhramaù
The anarthas of the living
entities enchanted by mäyä are of
four kinds: (1) illusion about one’s
real identity (svarüpabhrama),
(2) hankering for that which is
temporary (asat-tåñëä),
(3) offences (aparädha) and (4)
weakness of heart (hådayadaurbalya).
They bind the living entity to the
material world and
entangle him in its miseries.
mäyä-mugdha jévera anartha catuñöaya
asat-tåñëä, hådaya-daurbalya viñamaya
aparädha svarüpa-vibhrama ei cäri
yähäte saàsära-bandha vipatti vistäri
7 3
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The living entities seized by mäyä and
derailed from pure
dharma wander in this material existence,
falsely thinking they
are its enjoyers. Four anarthas are
noticed in these living entities:
svarüpa-bhrama, asat-tåñëä, aparädha and
hådaya-daurbalya.
The word anartha means “to
collect that which has no purpose”.
The jéva’s only goal is service
to Kåñëa, but in this material
existence he is engaged in mäyä’s service
– hence, this is an
anartha.
Svarüpa-bhrama – The pure living entity is a tiny
transcendental
particle (cid-aëu) and the
eternal servant of Kåñëa. Just as
the conditioned living entity
experiences form, taste, smell,
touch and so on through his material
senses, the pure living
entity experiences transcendental form,
taste and so forth
through his transcendental senses.
Forgetting that “I am an infinitesimal
particle of spiritual consciousness and
Kåñëa’s servant”,
the jéva becomes conditioned and
wanders about in this material
existence. The primary anartha of
the living entity is his failure
to realise his true svarüpa.
Asat-tåñëä – To consider the material body to be
“me”, to
consider perishable objects in relation
to the body to be “mine”,
and to desire happiness from perishable
objects, is called asattåñëä.
Aparädha – Apagata-rädho yasmäd ity aparädhaù. Rädha
means affection (préti), so that
action which causes affection to
vanish is called aparädha (offence).
Aparädha at the lotus feet
of Bhagavän and at the lotus feet of
His devotees decreases préti.
One should avoid the ten näma-aparädhas,
the thirty-two sevaaparädhas
and all the dhäma-aparädhas.
Hådaya-daurbalya – When the heart experiences illusion and
distress upon the attainment or loss of
that which is perishable, it
is called hådaya-daurbalya,
weakness of heart. This anartha
7 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
appears naturally in the living entity
due to ignorance, and it vanishes
by the cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness in the association
of pure devotees.
Text 8
Svarüpa-bhrama is of four types, as stated in the Ämnäya-sütra:
sva-tattve para-tattve ca
sädhya-sädhana-tattvayoù
virodhi-viñaye caiva
tattva-bhramaç catur-vidhaù
The conditioned living entity is
subject to four kinds of bhrama,
illusion: (1) jéva-svarüpa-bhrama,
(2) paratattva-bhrama,
(3) sädhya-sädhana-tattva-bhrama and
(4) bhajana-virodhiviñaya-
bhrama.
tattva-bhrama catuñöaya baòai viñama
svéya-tattve bhrama ära kåñëa-tattve
bhrama
sädhya-sädhanete bhrama, virodhé viñaye
cärividha tattva-bhrama
baddha-jéva-caye
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Jéva-svarüpa-bhrama – The jéva cannot realise his own
transcendental
form due to ignorance of it. He has
forgotten his real
svarüpa, that he is the servant of Kåñëa,
because he thinks
himself to be the enjoyer.
Paratattva-bhrama – Who is paratattva, the
Absolute Truth?
Not knowing this, the living entity becomes
illusioned.
Sometimes he worships Çiva, sometimes
Brahmä and sometimes
another demigod or goddess. The
inability to correctly ascertain
the Absolute Truth is called paratattva-bhrama.
Sädhya-sädhana-bhrama – According to the scriptures, kåñëaprema
is the only goal (sädhya) and bhakti
the only practice
7 5
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
(sädhana). The conditioned
living entity, however, is unable to
decide which is his goal among sense
enjoyment, liberation and
kåñëa-prema, and which is his practice among karma,
jïäna
and bhakti. This is sädhya-sädhana-bhrama,
illusion about the
goal and the process to attain it. If
one cannot ascertain the goal,
it is not possible to ascertain the
practice, and without the practice
it is not possible to attain the goal.
It is only by the mercy of
Vaiñëavas that one can obtain the
fortune to understand that
bhakti is the only auspicious sädhana,
and prema is the only
sädhya. Prema is of two kinds: aiçvarya-para
(full of opulence)
and mädhurya-para (full of
sweetness). The äcäryas have determined
that the topmost goal is sweet, loving
service to Rädhä-
Kåñëa under the guidance of the vraja-gopés.
Bhajana-virodhi-viñaya-bhrama – Doctrines other than
Vaiñëavism oppose bhajana and
cause bewilderment (virodhibhrama).
This especially applies to
impersonalism (mäyäväda),
which contaminates the heart and thus
renders the living entity
unable to discriminate.
Text 9
Asat-tåñëä is of four kinds, as described in the Ämnäya-sütra:
aihikeñvaiñaëä päratrikeñu
caiñaëä ’çubhä
bhüti-väïchä mumukñä ca
hy asat-tåñëäç catur-vidhäù
The four types of asat-tåñëä are:
(1) desire for objects of this
material world, (2) desire for heavenly
pleasures, like those of
Svarga, (3) desire for mystic powers
and (4) desire for liberation.
pära-trika aihika eñaëä bhüti-käma
mukti-käma ei cäri asat-tåñëä näma
7 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The desire to obtain that which is
unrelated to Kåñëa is known as
asat-tåñëä. This desire is of four kinds: (1)
Desire for worldly,
material objects and the various
endeavours to obtain them.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.3.18) states: “karmäëy
ärabhamäëä
duùkha-hatyai sukhäya ca – the conditioned living entity
endeavours to obtain pleasure for the
senses but receives only
misery.” (2) Desire to obtain the
pleasures of the heavenly planets
and the worship of various demigods and
goddesses. (3) Desire
to obtain mystic powers in order to
bewilder people by material
wonders and thereby attain wealth,
worship, prestige and so
forth. Human beings are attracted to añöäìga-yoga
and to mystic
powers like aëimä and laghimä.
(4) Desire for liberation.
These four desires are all opposed to bhajana,
and therefore
devotees of Bhagavän never accept them.
Text 10
Aparädha is of four kinds, as mentioned in the Ämnäya-sütra:
kåñëa-näma-svarüpeñu
tadéya-cit-kaëeñu ca
jïeyä budha-gaëair nityam
aparädhäç catur-vidhäù
The four kinds of aparädha are:
(1) offences to Kåñëa’s name
(näma-aparädha); (2) offences to
Kåñëa’s deity form (sevaaparädha);
(3) offences to that which belongs to
Kåñëa, or in
other words to Giriräja-Govardhana, the
Gaìgä, the Yamunä, the
dhäma or the lotus feet of the devotees; and
(4) offences to other
living entities, who are all
infinitesimal particles of spirit belonging
to Kåñëa.
7 7
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
kåñëa-näme, svarüpe o bhakte, anya nare
bhrama haite aparädha catuñöaya smare
Text 11
Hådaya-daurbalya is of four kinds, as stated in the Ämnäyasütra:
tucchäsaktiù kuöénäöé
mätsaryaà sva-pratiñöhatä
håd-daurbalyaà budhaiù çaçvaj
jïeyaà kila catur-vidham
Scholars consider hådaya-daurbalya to
be of four types:
(1) attachment to worthless objects;
that is, objects unrelated to
Kåñëa; (2) hypocrisy and deceit (kuöinäöé);
(3) envy upon seeing
the prosperity of others; and (4)
desire for prestige and position
(pratiñöhä).
kåñëetara viñaye äsakti, kuöénäöé
para-droha, pratiñöhäçä ei ta’ cäriöi
hådaya-daurbalya bali’ çästre
nirdhärila
chaya ripu, chaya ürmi ihäte janmila
yata dina e saba anartha nähi chäòe
tata dina bhakti-latä kabhu nähi bäòhe
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Hådaya-daurbalya gives birth to six enemies: lust (käma),
anger
(krodha), greed (lobha),
delusion (moha), pride (mada) and
envy (mätsarya); and their waves
result in distress (çoka),
bewilderment (moha), hunger (kñudhä),
thirst (pipäsä), old age
(jarä) and death (måtyu).
The creeper of devotion cannot grow as
long as one does not
give up these anarthas.
7 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 12
All anarthas are nullified by näma-saìkértana.
Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (1.1.14) states:
äpannaù saàsåtià ghoräà
yan-näma vivaço gåëan
tataù sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaà bhayam
If a living entity who is caught in the
whirlpool of material
existence even once chants the name of
Kåñëa, he can be freed
immediately. Even fear personified
trembles upon hearing the
name of Bhagavän.
e ghora saàsäre paòi’ kåñëa-näma laya
sadya mukta haya ära bhaya päya bhaya
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The far-sighted sages, reflecting on
the terrible distress of the
living entities in the frightful age of
Kali, asked Süta
Gosvämipäda, “O Saumya, how can the
conditioned living entities,
who are attached to material existence,
become liberated?”
Süta replied, “Association with
devotees of Bhagavän is the only
means. Bathing in the Gaìgä destroys
sins, but all sins are nullified
solely by having darçana of a
devotee who is dedicated to
the holy name. The direct result of
associating with Bhagavän’s
devotees and serving them is the
attainment of prema. If a living
entity merely utters the holy name at
the time of death, Näma
Prabhu will bestow prema upon
him.”
7 9
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Text 13
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.37) states:
bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù syäd
éçäd apetasya viparyayo ’småtiù
tan-mäyayäto budha äbhajet taà
bhaktyaikayeçaà guru-devatätmä
The jéva who is averse to
Bhagavän forgets his own constitutional
nature because of his association with mäyä.
Due to this
forgetfulness, he becomes absorbed in
the conception that he is
the material body and thus thinks “I am
a demigod”, “I am a
human being”. In this state of bodily
identification, he fears old
age, disease and so forth. Therefore
those who know the truth
should consider their own guru as
éçvara, the Supreme. In other
words they should see him as their
master who is non-different
from Bhagavän and who is very dear to
Him. Through exclusive
devotion they should perform
one-pointed worship of that
éçvara, their guru.
kåñëa chäòi’ jéva kaila anyäbhiniveça
täi tära viparyaya-småti ära kleça
sad-guru äçraya kari’ kåñëakåpä-äçe
ananya-bhajana kare yäya kåñëa-päçe
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
When the jévas are averse to
Bhagavän, they become absorbed in
mäyä and thus become materially conditioned. Mäyä-devé,
through her two functions of ävaraëätmikä
and vikñepätmikä,
makes the living entities wander in the
prison-like material
existence, suffering its torment by
thinking they are the “experiencers”
of happiness and distress. A person who
is resolute takes
shelter of the lotus feet of a bona
fide guru and is thus able to
cross over this material existence. By
accepting the guidance of a
8 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
guru who has realised Bhagavän and by being absorbed in
intimate service (viçrambha-sevä)
to him, one attains the mercy
of Bhagavän and material identification
goes far away. One will
attain knowledge of one’s own svarüpa,
Bhagavän’s svarüpa,
and the svarüpa of the illusory energy
by understanding the
spiritual master to be near and dear
like his own soul and by
serving him. By the guru’s mercy
the living entity will ultimately
be engaged in eternal service in
Bhagavän’s abode.
Text 14
The characteristics of bhakti-yoga are
described in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (1.2.12 and 1.2.7):
tac chraddadhänä munayo
jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä
paçyanty ätmani cätmänaà
bhaktyä çruta-gåhétayä
väsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaù prayojitaù
janayaty äçu vairägyaà
jïänaà ca yad ahaitukam
A faithful person, after hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
automatically
acquires bhakti endowed with
knowledge and renunciation.
By such bhakti he realises
Bhagavän’s svarüpa in his heart
and he realises his relationship with
Him. Thus he obtains service
to the Lord.
When the relationship between the Lord
and the living entity is
established, bhakti-yoga for
Bhagavän Väsudeva appears.
çraddhä kari’ näma bhaje sädhu-kåpä
päïä
itare viräga nitya-svarüpa bujhiyä
8 1
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
ihäkei bali bhakti-yoga anuttama
bhakti-yoge sarva-siddhi yadi dhare
krama
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Sädhana of the non-dual Absolute Truth (advaya-jïäna-paratattva)
is of three kinds: jïäna, yoga
and bhakti. The jïänés
realise Bhagavän as Brahman on the
strength of their cultivation
of knowledge. They see tat-padärtha,
Bhagavän, within their
souls (ätmäs), they see their
own souls in Éçvara and they also
see taà-padärtha, all living
entities, in Him. The yogés realise the
non-dual object as Paramätmä. All
attempts made by the jévas to
attain renunciation through the
cultivation of dry knowledge are
useless. Renunciation (vairägya)
is an inherent result of bhakti
and is easily attained through the
practice of bhakti-yoga. The
bhakti-sädhaka relishes the direct sweetness of the
non-dual
object on the strength of his devotion.
The process of bhakti is to
hear kåñëa-kathä from the lotus
mouth of the spiritual master.
Knowledge endowed with a sense of one’s
relationship with
Kåñëa appears through the process of bhakti
by the means of
hearing and chanting. The äcäryas have
ascertained that the
mood of service appears by hearing from
authorities. The impersonalists
do not follow this path of hearing,
which is the
descending path. Rather, they endeavour
to take shelter of the
doctrine of the ascending path. Their attempts
are compared to
trying to reach the sky by climbing on
falling raindrops. When
the living entity is absorbed in
service to the object of bhajana
and not in any other object, pure bhakti
and proper renunciation
(yukta-vairägya) will arise.
8 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 15
The fourth verse of the catuù-çloké of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(2.9.36) states:
etävad eva jijïäsyaà
tattva-jijïäsunätmanaù
anvaya-vyatirekäbhyäà
yat syät sarvatra sarvadä
One who is inquisitive about the truth
of the self (ätma-tattva)
inquires through direct (anvaya)
and indirect (vyatireka) means
of deliberation about that object,
which is always eternal.
anartha-näçera yatna dui ta’ prakära
anvaya-mukhete vyatireka-mukhe ära
anvaya-mukhete vidhi bhajana-viñaye
vyatireka-mukhete niñedha nänäçraye
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
After Brahmä took birth, he asked Çré
Bhagavän four questions,
which Bhagavän answered through the catuù-çloké.
These four
verses are famous as catuù-çloké
Bhägavata because they are the
seed of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. They
contain the very essence of
the Vedas, Vedänta and so forth.
Philosophical knowledge of Bhagavän,
the eternal form of
Bhagavän, His qualities, pastimes and
so on, are all described in
the first verse in the form of
aphorisms (sütras). In the second
verse, mäyä-tattva, which is
separate from Bhagavän’s eternal
form, is discussed, as is the material
world (jaòa-jagat). The
sambhanda-jïäna found in these two verses should be
understood.
The third verse describes the existence
of Bhagavän’s
eternal svarüpa, separate from
His relationship of inconceivable
difference and non-difference (acintya-bhedäbheda)
with the
living entities and matter. It also
describes how the living entities,
8 3
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
by taking shelter of Bhagavän’s lotus
feet, attain the treasure of
the most elevated prema.
This Text 15 is the fourth verse of catuù-çloké
Bhägavata, and
it describes sädhana-bhakti, the
means for obtaining the abovementioned
supreme goal. Direct following, or anvaya,
means to
accept the rules of sädhana-bhakti with
a favourable mood. The
word vyatireka is used in regard
to avoiding those actions that
are unfavourable and that cause
obstacles in obtaining the desired
goal. The path of sädhana is
known as abhidheya (the process).
In other words, that instruction which
is obtained from the scriptures
through direct interpretation (abhidhä-våtti)
is known as
abhidheya. This is described in this Text. Sädhana-bhakti,
which
is none other than abhidheya, is
not dependent on time, place,
performer or circumstance. The duty of
all living entities is to
perform sädhana-bhakti in all
places, at all times and under all
circumstances. The sädhaka should
inquire and hear from the
spiritual master about sädhana-bhakti.
In this Text the confidential meaning
of “direct” and “indirect”
indicates the union (saàyoga)
and separation (vipralambha)
found in Vrajendra-nandana
Çyämasundara’s amorous pastimes
(çåìgära-rasa) with His most
beloved vraja-sundarés. To deceive
the conditioned living entities, all
these priceless jewels are kept
well protected in a box that the jïänés
and aiçvarya-bhaktas are
unable to open. That guru who is
adept at relishing the rasa of
Vraja displays its contents only to his
qualified disciples.
8 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 16
The six urges unfavourable to bhakti
and the anarthas related to
them (i.e. hådaya-daurbalya, asat-tåñëä
and aparädha) are
explained in the first verse of Upadeçämåta:
väco vegaà manasaù krodha-vegaà
jihvä-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etän vegän yo viñaheta dhéraù
sarväm apémäà påthivéà sa çiñyät
A wise and self-composed person who can
tolerate the impetus
to speak, the agitation of the mind,
the onset of anger, the
vehemence of the tongue, the urge of
the belly and the agitation
of the genitals can instruct the whole
world. In other words,
everyone becomes a disciple of such a
self-controlled person.
väkya-vega mano-vega krodha-jihvä-vega
udara upastha-vega bhajana udvega
bahu-yatne nitya saba karibe damana
nirjane karibe rädhä-kåñëera bhajana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
In this Text, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has
given the instruction to reject
that which is unfavourable to bhakti.
The acceptance of that
which is favourable and rejection of
that which is unfavourable
are not direct limbs of pure bhakti.
Rather, they are aspects of
çraddhä that are characterised by surrender (çaraëägati)
and
that bestow the eligibility for bhakti.
A person who is capable of
tolerating the six urges mentioned in
this verse can instruct the
entire world.
The purport is that lust (käma),
anger (krodha), greed (lobha),
delusion (moha), pride (mada)
and envy (matsaratä) always
appear in the mind and cause agitation
to the living entity. These
8 5
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
six enemies appear in the mind of the
living entity due to weakness
of heart, hådaya-daurbalya.
Three kinds of urges (vegas) are
seen in the living entity
attached to enjoyment of material
objects in this worldly existence:
the impetus to speak, agitation of the
mind and agitation
of the body. It is very difficult for a
person who has fallen into the
strong current of these three urges to
be rescued.
The impetus to speak (väkya-vega)
refers to talks that are
unfavourable to bhakti, and to
the use of words that cause distress
to others. However, one should not
consider talk that is useful in
the service of Bhagavän to be väkya-vega.
Rather, one should
consider such talk to be the result of
disciplining the impetus to
speak. Agitation of the mind is born
from the various desires of
the heart. If these desires are not
fulfilled, anger arises. The three
mental urges of speech, the mind and
anger will be pacified by
remembering Kåñëa’s pastimes.
The bodily urges are also of three
types: the vehemence of the
tongue, the urge of the belly and the
agitation of the genitals.
Vehemence of the tongue appears when
the desire to enjoy any
of the six distinct tastes impels one
to eat prohibited foods and to
take intoxicants. A bhakti-sädhaka must
never indulge in these
things. One should carefully keep the
urge of the tongue at bay
by taking the remnants of Bhagavän and
the devotees. The urge
of the belly will also be pacified by
taking bhagavat-prasäda as
needed, by regularly observing Ekädaçé
and by serving Kåñëa.
It is possible to fall into varieties
of bad behaviour and bad
association just to satisfy the desires
of the tongue. Çré Caitanyacaritämåta
(Antya-lélä 6.227) states: “jéhvära
lälase yei iti uti
dhäya, çiçnodara-paräyaëa kåñëa nähi päya – one who runs
here and there trying to satisfy his
tongue and who is always
devoted to the desires of the genitals
and belly cannot attain
Kåñëa.” Also (Antya-lélä 6.236):
“bhäla nä khäibe ära bhäla nä
8 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
paribe – do not eat delicious food and do not
dress opulently.”
Many troubles come from overeating. A
person who eats too
much becomes a servant of his agitated
genitals. In other words,
he becomes devoid of character. The
agitation of the genitals, or
the desire to meet with the opposite
sex, drags the mind towards
material sense objects and therefore
renders one incapable of
cultivating pure bhakti.
Rüpa Gosvämé composed this verse to
make the heart of a
person who is endeavouring to perform bhajana
inclined
towards the path of bhakti. It
is not that the endeavour to escape
these six urges is itself the practice
of bhakti; rather, this endeavour
is the path to attain the qualification
to enter the realm of
bhakti. When bhakti appears, these six
urges automatically
become pacified of their own accord.
This is because bhakti is a
self-manifesting function of Bhagavän’s
svarüpa-çakti.
Text 17
The six impediments to bhakti are
described in the second verse
of Upadeçämåta:
atyähäraù prayäsaç ca
prajalpo niyamägrahaù
jana-saìgaç ca laulyaà ca
ñaòbhir bhaktir vinaçyati
The following six kinds of faults
destroy bhakti: (1) eating too
much or collecting more than necessary;
(2) endeavouring for
that which is opposed to bhakti;
(3) engaging in useless
mundane talk; (4) failing to adopt
essential rules and regulations,
or fanatically adhering to rules and
regulations; (5) taking bad
association; and (6) being greedy or
restless in the mind to adopt
worthless opinions.
8 7
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
atyähära prayäsa prajalpa jana-saìga
niyama-ägraha laulye haya bhakti bhaìga
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The six impediments to bhakti are
atyähära, prayäsa, prajalpa,
niyamägraha, jana-saìga and laulya.
Atyähära is formed by the words ati,
meaning “too much” or
“excessively”, and ähära, “to
grasp or consume for one’s own
enjoyment”. It means either excessive
enjoyment of any sense
object or collecting more than
necessary. While renunciants are
forbidden to accumulate objects,
householder Vaiñëavas may
collect and save what is necessary to
maintain their life.
However, over-accumulating is atyähära.
It is not proper for
those desiring to perform bhajana to
accumulate like materialists.
Prayäsa is the endeavour to enjoy material
objects or the
engagement in activities opposed to
devotion. Prajalpa means to
spend time uselessly gossiping about
mundane things.
Niyamägraha means enthusiastic adherence to those
rules that
yield the lowest results, such as
attaining Svarga, while abandoning
the endeavour for the topmost
attainment of service to
Bhagavän. It also refers to
indifference towards the rules and
regulations that nourish bhakti.
The word jana-saìga refers to
giving up the association of pure devotees
and keeping company
with others, especially materialistic
people. Laulyam refers to the
fickleness of the mind to accept
varieties of false doctrines, and
the restlessness of the mind to enjoy
insignificant material sense
enjoyment. The tendency for bhakti will
be destroyed if one
wanders like a promiscuous woman,
sometimes on the path of
karma, sometimes on the path of yoga, sometimes on the
path of
jïäna and sometimes on the path of bhakti.
Prajalpa leads to
criticism of devotees, and laulya awakens
a taste for many
temporary, uncertain conclusions. Both
of these will lead to
näma-aparädha. Therefore one should carefully give
them up.
8 8
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Text 18
The six kinds of association that
nourish bhakti are described in
the fourth verse of Upadeçämåta:
dadäti pratigåhëäti
guhyam äkhyäti påcchati
bhuìkte bhojayate caiva
ñaò-vidhaà préti-lakñaëam
Offering pure devotees items in
accordance with their requirements
and accepting prasäda, remnant
items given by pure
devotees; revealing to devotees one’s
confidential realisations
concerning bhajana and inquiring
from them about their confidential
realisations; eating with great love
the prasäda given by
devotees and lovingly feeding them prasäda
– these are the six
kinds of association that symptomise
love and affection.
ädäna pradäna préte, güòha äläpana
ähära bhojana chaya saìgera lakñaëa
sädhura sahita saìge bhakti-våddhi haya
abhakta asat-saìge bhakti haya kñaya
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
This verse describes the visible
symptoms of the affection that
nourishes devotion, or in other words,
affection for pure devotees.
Bhakti manifests by associating with
Bhagavän’s devotees, but
one should be careful to associate only
with pure devotees. One
should never keep the company of and
reciprocate with gross
sense enjoyers, persons who desire
liberation or those who want
to enjoy the fruits of their actions. Bhakti
will be destroyed by the
fault of associating with them. One
should also not hear anything
from them about the confidential
aspects of bhakti, and one
should not accept food that has been
touched by them. Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya-lélä 6.278) confirms
this:
8 9
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
viñayéra anna khäile malina haya mana
malina mana haile nahe kåñëera smaraëa
[Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said:] When
one eats food offered by a
materialist one’s mind becomes
contaminated, and when the mind
is contaminated one is unable to think
of Kåñëa properly.
On the other hand, loving exchanges
with devotees who are
like-minded, more advanced than oneself
and affectionate to
oneself (svajätéya-snigdhäçaya)
enhance one’s devotion.
Text 19
In Çré Caitanya-candrodaya-näöaka (8.88)
Çréman Mahäprabhu
has prohibited one from even seeing a
sense enjoyer or a
woman:
niñkiïcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
päraà paraà jigamiñor bhava-sägarasya
sandarçanaà viñayiëäm atha yoñitäà ca
hä hanta hanta viña-bhakñaëato ’py
asädhu
[Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu greatly
lamented, saying:] Alas, for a
renunciant who is devoted to bhagavad-bhajana
and who
desires to cross the ocean of material
existence, it is worse to see
sense enjoyers and women than it is to
drink poison.
niñkiïcana bhajana unmukha yei jana
bhava-sindhu uttérëa haite yäìra mana
viñayé-milana ära yoñit sammilane
viña-pänäpekñä täìra viruddha-ghaöana
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
Persons who desire to cross the ocean
of material existence, as
well as renunciants intent on bhagavad-bhajana,
should avoid
9 0
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
those who are attached to sense
enjoyment and the association
of women. The company of people in
these two categories is
more fearsome than drinking poison. Çré
Raghunätha däsa understood
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s hint and
thereafter refused to
accept the wealth his father had sent
him, understanding that it
was more auspicious to accept alms. Çré
Mahäprabhu abandoned
Choöa Haridäsa for life because he
associated with a woman.
Therefore in Prema-vivarta Jagadänanda
Paëòita says:
yadi cäha praëaya räkhite gauräìgera
sane
choöa haridäsera kathä thäke yena mane
If you want to associate with Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, you must
always remember the incident of Choöa
Haridäsa and how he was
rejected by the Lord.
Text 20
It is forbidden to judge a
transcendental Vaiñëava from a material
viewpoint. Upadeçämåta (6)
states:
dåñöaiù svabhäva-janitair vapuñaç ca
doñair
na präkåtatvam iha bhakta-janasya
paçyet
gaìgämbhasäà na khalu
budbuda-phena-paìkair
brahma-dravatvam apagacchati
néra-dharmaiù
Devotees who are in this material world
should not be considered
material; that is, one should not
consider them ordinary
jévas. Imperfections seen in their natures, such as birth in a
low
caste, harshness or lethargy, and
imperfections seen in their
bodies, such as ugly features, disease
or deformities, are
precisely like the appearance of
bubbles, foam and mud in the
Gaìgä. Despite such apparent pollution
of her water, the Gaìgä
retains her nature as liquefied
transcendence. Similarly, one
should not attribute material defects
to self-realised Vaiñëavas.
9 1
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
svabhäva-janita ära vapu-doñe kñaëe
anädara nähi kara çuddha-bhakta-jane
paìkädi juléya doñe kabhu gaìgä-jale
cinmayatva lopa nahe, sarva-çästre bale
apräkåta bhakta-jana päpa nähi kare
avaçiñöa päpa yäya kichu dina pare
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The instruction of this Text is that it
is improper to consider pure
devotees to be material or to see
material defects in them. It is
possible that they may have defects in
their bodies or natures,
but it is impossible for pure devotees
to fall into bad association
or commit näma-aparädha. The
water of the Gaìgä is considered
to be pure despite the appearance of
bubbles, foam, mud
and so forth within it, for its nature
as liquefied transcendence is
never lost. Similarly, self-realised
Vaiñëavas are not contaminated
by the birth of the material body nor
by its deterioration.
Therefore one who is intent on
performing bhajana should
never disrespect a pure Vaiñëava even
if these defects are
apparent in him. The remaining
imperfections of a Vaiñëava are
quickly removed, and if someone even
looks for them he
becomes an offender.
Text 21
Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé states in
Manaù-çikñä (7) that
one should give up the desire for
prestige and the wickedness of
deceit and hypocrisy:
pratiñöhäçä dhåñöä çvapaca-ramaëé me
hådi naöet
kathaà sädhu-premä spåçati çucir etan
nanu manaù
sadä tvaà sevasva
prabhu-dayita-sämantam atulaà
yathä täà niñkäçya tvaritam iha taà
veçayati saù
1
This term is explained in the
commentary to Text 22.
9 2
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
[Why does deceit not go away even after
one has given up all
material sense enjoyment? This verse
has been composed in
order to remove this doubt.] O mind,
tell me, how can pure
divine love appear in my heart (you, O
mind, are my heart) as
long as the shameless outcaste woman of
the desire for prestige
is audaciously dancing there? Therefore
without delay remember
and serve the immeasurably powerful
commanders of Çré Kåñëa’s
army, the very dear devotees of
Bhagavän. They will quickly
chase away this outcaste woman and
initiate the flow of pure
vraja-prema in my heart.
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The desire (äçä) for prestige (pratiñöhä)
is called pratiñöhäçä.
Although all other anarthas may
be dispelled, the desire for
pratiñöhä is not easily removed. The desire for
prestige is the root
of all anarthas; all kinds of
deceit and hypocrisy arise from it and
are gradually nourished by it. The svaniñöha-sädhaka1
yearns to
be recognised as a virtuous, benevolent
and sinless devotee of
Bhagavän, who is detached from the
world, scholarly and so on.
Therefore as long as the desire for
prestige remains in the heart,
one is unable to drive away deceit. And
until one becomes free
from deceit, one cannot obtain
immaculate divine love. In other
words, if deceit remains, one does not
attain prema for Çré Kåñëa,
which is endowed with a sense of great
possessiveness (mamatä)
and which makes the heart melt.
Service to pure Vaiñëavas is the only
means to dispel anarthas
like wickedness, deceit and hypocrisy.
The rays of the hlädinéçakti
are to be seen in the hearts of pure
Vaiñëavas. These rays
are transmitted into the heart of a
faithful sädhaka, where they
dispel these anarthas and
manifest vraja-prema. Always serve
the immeasurably merciful and powerful
commanders of Çré
9 3
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
Nanda-nandana’s army, His beloved
devotees! The embrace of
pure Vaiñëavas, the dust from their
lotus feet, the remnants of
their prasäda, the water that
has washed their feet, their instructions,
and so forth are all fully competent to
transmit hlädinéçakti
into the heart. This is confirmed in Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta
(Antya-lélä 6.60–1):
bhakta-pada-dhüli ära bhakta-pada-jala
bhakta-bhukta-avaçeña – téna mahä-bala
ei tina-sevä haite kåñëa-premä haya
punaù punaù sarva-çästre phukäriyä kaya
Text 22
Manaù-çikña (6) states:
are cetaù
prodyat-kapaöa-kuöinäöé-bhara-kharakñaran
mütre snätvä dahasi katham ätmänam api
mäm
sadä tvaà
gändharvä-giridhara-pada-prema-vilasat
sudhämbhodhau snätvä svam api nitaräà
mäà ca sukhaya
[In spite of having subdued the enemies
of lust and anger, one
may not have conquered the great enemy
of deceit. This verse
instructs how to gain victory over this
powerful enemy.] O
wicked mind, although you have adopted
the path of sädhana,
still you imagine yourself purified by
bathing in the trickling
donkey urine of an obvious abundance of
deceit and hypocrisy.
By doing so you are burning yourself
and at the same time
scorching me, a tiny jéva. Stop
this! Eternally delight yourself and
me by bathing in the nectarean ocean of
prema for the lotus feet
of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa Yugala.
pratiñöhäçä kuöénäöé yatne kara düra
tähä haile näme rati päibe pracura
9 4
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
Bhajana-rahasya-våtti
The abundance of deceit and hypocrisy
that are clearly evident
in a sädhaka, even though he has
adopted the path of sädhana,
are compared to the urine of a donkey.
Considering oneself
intently engaged in bhajana while
remaining devious and hypocritical
is like considering oneself pure after
bathing in the filthy,
burning urine of a donkey. The duty of
a sädhaka is to carefully
abandon these bad qualities.
There are three kinds of bhakti-sädhakas:
svaniñöha,
pariniñöhita and nirapekña. The hypocrisy
that can be demonstrated
by each is described below.
The svaniñöha-sädhaka is a
householder devotee who serves
Çré Hari and completely abandons the
rules and prohibitions
prescribed within varëäçrama.
The deceits of such sädhakas are
to indulge in sense enjoyment on the
pretext of sädhana-bhakti;
to serve wealthy and influential
materialists instead of unpretentious
devotees; to accumulate more wealth
than necessary; to be
enthusiastic for futile, temporary
enterprises; to indulge in false
doctrines; and to adopt the dress of a
renunciant in order to
obtain material prestige.
The pariniñöhita-sädhaka is a
householder devotee who
serves and attends Bhagavän according
to rules and regulations.
His deceit is that externally he makes
a show of strict adherence
to rules and regulations (pariniñöhita),
but inwardly he remains
attached to material objects. He also
prefers the association of
jïänés, yogés, philanthropists and
materialists to that of resolute,
loving devotees.
The deceit of the nirapekña-sädhaka (the
renunciant) is that
he maintains pride by thinking himself
to be the topmost
Vaiñëava; he adopts the dress of a
renunciant and due to false
ego regards other sädhakas as
inferior; he collects wealth and
other material assets; he associates
with women and materialistic
9 5
2 / DVITÉYA-YÄMA-SÄDHANA
people; he collects wealth in the name
of bhajana; he weakens
his affection towards Kåñëa by being
overly attached to the
external dress and rules of the
renounced order; and so forth.
A person should give up all this deceit
and immerse himself in
the nectarean ocean of pure
transcendental pastimes that is born
of prema for the lotus feet of
the Divine Couple. The prayers
expressed in the writings of Rüpa
Gosvämipäda and others in
our disciplic succession (guru-varga)
point the sädhaka in the
proper direction. One should take
guidance from these prayers
and perform sädhana while
remembering within the heart Çré
Yugala’s eternal eightfold daily pastimes
(añöa-käléya-lélä).
Text 23
The ten kinds of offence to the holy
name, which should be
given up without fail, are described in
the Padma Puräëa:
(1–2) satäà nindä nämnaù paramam
aparädhaà vitanute
yataù khyätià yätaà katham u sahate tad
vigarhäm
çivasya çré-viñëor ya iha
guëa-nämädi-sakalaà
dhiyä bhinnaà paçyet sa khalu
hari-nämähita-karaù
(3–7) guror avajïä
çruti-çästra-nindanaà
tathärtha-vädo hari-nämni kalpanam
nämno baläd yasya hi päpa-buddhir
na vidyate tasya yamair hi çuddhiù
(8–9) dharma-vrata-tyäga-hutädi-sarvaçubha-
kriyä-sämyam api pramädaù
açraddadhäne vimukhe ’py açåëvati
yaç copadeçaù çiva-nämäparädhaù
(10) çrute ’pi näma-mähätmye
yaù préti-rahito naraù
ahaà-mamädi-paramo
nämni so ’py aparädha-kåt
9 6
ÇRÉ BHAJANA-RAHASYA
(1) To criticise the devotees of
Bhagavän is a grievous offence to
the holy name. How can Çré Näma Prabhu
tolerate criticism of
those great souls who are deeply
devoted to Him and who
spread His glories throughout the
world? Therefore the first
offence is criticism of sädhus and
devotees.
(2) In this world a person who by
mundane intelligence
distinguishes between the
all-auspicious, transcendental holy
name, form, qualities and pastimes of
Çré Viñëu and the possessor
of the holy name (nämi-viñëu),
considering them to be independent
of or different from Him as is the case
with material
objects, commits an offence against the
holy name. Furthermore,
one who thinks that Lord Çiva and other
demigods are
independent of Viñëu, or similar to
Viñëu, certainly commits
näma-aparädha.
(3) Guror avajïä – To disregard
the guru who is established in
all the truths regarding the holy name,
considering him to be an
ordinary man possessing a perishable
body composed of material
elements.
(4) Çruti-çästra-nindanam – To
find fault with the Vedas, the
eternal Puräëas and other scriptures.
All the Vedas and
Upaniñads illuminate the glories of the
holy name. To find fault
with the mantras in which the
holy name is glorified is nämaaparädha.
Due to misfortune, some persons neglect
the çrutimantras
in which the glories of näma are
indicated and give
more honour to other instructions of
the Çrutis. This is also
näma-aparädha.
(5) Tathärtha-vädaù – To
consider the glories of harinäma to be
exaggerated. The scriptures state that
all of Bhagavän’s potencies
are contained within His name, and that
the holy name is completely
transcendental and therefore capable of
destroying one’s
bondage to the material world. All
these glories of the holy name
are the supreme truth. One should never
associate with those
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
Post a Comment