(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
Question: I was recently invited to a program in
Eugene, Oregon where it was said that the program would be in
"vraja-bhava" so I was wondering how special is vraja-bhava and how
does one actually attain it? When I went to the program there were various
Hindi bhajans that I had never heard before and also some bhajans of Mirabai. Answer: What many western devotees call
vraja-bhava is available in any village kitchen in Uttara Pradesh, India. There
are so many songs sung by the village people in and around Vrindavana but those
are not the standard songs of pure devotion, particularly the songs of Mirabai.
The pure aca rya never recommends his disciples to sing such songs. Mirabai has been rejected by the Gaudiya-sampradaya as a
psuedo-vaisnavi. There are some people who say that Mirabai was a half disciple
of Srila Jiva Goswami but this is a concoction. Some say that simply by placing
her hands over the eyes of the Rana of Mewar that he obtained Krsna darsana.
Also some devotees are saying that Mirabai merged into the body of Krsna in
Dwaraka and never came out again. But these are simply stories which have no
ontological backing. These stories are rejected by the suddha-bhakti school. Mirabai is not accepted as a suddha-vaisnavi by the followers of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Therefore the
followers of Bhaktivinoda and Saraswati Thakura never teach their disciples to
sing the bhajans of Mirabai. To teach one's disciple to sing the bhajans of
Mirabai is equal to putting a kerosene rag in the mouth of that disciple. Our Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada sometimes said regarding
Mirabai, "I have no objection to her songs". However Mirabai's songs
were never established as standard bhajans in his mission. As far as the common
person is concerned he had no objection. If a common person sings the songs of
Mirabai there may be some namabhasa for that person. But for suddha-bhakti he
has never recommended the bhajans of Mirabai. Mirabai is not in the
suddha-bhakti school, what to speak of the raganuga, rupanuga, or rasika
school. She is rejected by the Gaudiya-sampradaya as a bahiranga-bhakta, an
external devotee. Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja comments as follows:
"Our Guru Maharaja announced, "We are
suddha-sakta." We are worshippers of the potency, but not this mundane
potency, but the potency wholesale dedicated to the possessor of the potency.
Without retaining Her individual independence, cent per cent dependent - such
potency very very rarely can be conceived. 'Direct approaches to Me that is not
proper;' but approaching through proper channel, through the devotees, that is
proper approach. That is real approach; so Gaudiya Matha eliminates Mirabai and
so many other apparent devotees to be real devotees because they are mad in
praise of Krsna, but not so much for the devotees of Krsna. (Feb 15, 1982, Sri
Caitanya Saraswata Matha, Navadwipa Dhama)
As regards real vraja-bhava, Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita (18.66)
sarva-dharman parityaja mam ekam saranam vraja:
"Give up all your duties and come to Me. And
your present duties good or bad, whatever you can conceive from your present
position - give up everything and come straight to Me. I'm everything to
you."
Here the word 'vraja' is used by Krsna to indicate Vrndavana, the
Lord's own abode. In Vrndavana all the inhabitants are absorbed in the sweet
mellows of spontaneous love of God. In a word they are absorbed in vraja-bhava,
the mellows of loving devotion, found only in Vrndavana. So the fundamental
principle of vraja-bhava is surrender. First surrender to Krsna. There must be
complete surrender to Krsna, otherwise vraja-bhava will not manifest. Surrender
means that we have given up all our tendencies to consume (enjoy). The attempt
to assert one's self upon others must also be abandoned. This is real humility.
In material life we want to assert ourselves over others and take everything
for our own enjoyment. But vraja-bhava is just the opposite. Neophytes, who have no real understanding of vraja-bhava,
sometimes may advertise their program as being rasika or as being in the mood
of vraja-bhava. Yet these persons have little or no real understanding of the
exalted nature of the love of the inhabitants of Vrndavana nor do they have a
clear conception of the path of attainment, even though they may claim to be
following a rasika-acarya. In fact, we see that their so-called vraja-bhava is only exhibited
on Sundays, while the rest of the week they are absorbed in ordinary mundane
activities. Those who are actually tasting vraja-bhava cannot tolerate even for
a second to engage in ordinary financial dealings simply for the purpose of
extending their material facilities. Those who actually relish real vraja-bhava embrace a life of
renunciation (sannyasa) and reject those things which are unfavorable for devotional
service (pratikula). In this regard Srila Saraswati Thakura has said:
'aham-mama' bhava-sattve nama kabhu haya na bhoga-buddhi na chadile
aprakrta haya na
"The holy name is never revealed to one who is
situated in the bodily concept of life and thinks in terms of 'I' and 'mine.'
If one doesn't reject the enjoying mentality, the transcendental platform will
never be attained."
anarthake 'artha' boli' ku-pathete laya na
"One should never mistakenly call material
obstacles "useful for devotional service", thereby following the
wrong path."
In his Anubhasya to verse 28 of the last chapter of
Caitanya-caritamrta (Sri Gaudiya Matha edition) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
Thakura has also written as follows:
"Those who are barren of the treasure of prema,
propelled by duplicity, declare to the whole world their false attainment of
prema, although in reality, by an external display of prema or by announcing it
to one and all, it is positively impossible for such hypocrite destitutes who
are deprived of the wealth of Krsna-prema to ever attain it. To make their
great fortune known to everybody, adepts of prakrta-sahajiyaism often expose to
each other insincere external symptoms of prema (such as shedding of tears).
Rather than calling such hypocrite sahajiyas as 'premik', real suddha-bhaktas
go as far as to completely reject their association knowing it to destroy
bhakti. Suddha-bhaktas never teach one to designate such persons as 'bhaktas'
thus equaling them with suddha-bhaktas. At the rise of genuine prema, the jiva
hides her own glory and strives for Krsna-bhajan.'
"The hypocrite prakrta-sahajiya party in their
greed for wealth, women and fame (kanaka-kamini-pratistha) offend
suddha-bhaktas by labeling them as 'darsanik pandita' or (great philosophers),
'tattva-vit' (ontology experts), suksma-darsi (acute observers), and in turn
they adorn themselves with the titles 'rasika', 'bhajannandi', 'bhagavatottama'
(uttama-bhagavata), 'lila-rasa-panonmatta' (intoxicated by drinking sweet
mellows of lila), 'raganugiya-sadhakagraganya' (the foremost aspirants on the
path of raganuga-bhakti), 'rasa-jna' (the knowers of rasa), 'rasika-cudamani'
(unsurpassed rasikas) etc.'"
"Having contaminated bhajan-pranali with the
waves of their own materialistic emotions, they become attached to abominable
practices; what they actually adore in themselves is pseudo-vaisnavism. These
kinds of preachers go to describe aprakrta-rasa, making their respective
mundane emotions a part and parcel of Krsna-seva. Unaware of aprakrta vipralambha-rasa,
they take prakrta-sambhoga, which in essence is a perverted reflection of rasa
(virasa), as actual rasa."
Those who have prema never boast of their love for Krsna because
the nature of pure love for Krsna is that one who has it feels that he doesn't
have even a drop of it. Those who say they have prema, who say they are rasika,
and who claim to be the distributors of vraja-bhava are basically cheaters.
They have cheated themselves, and they are cheating others. They have deviated
from the path of our acaryas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the introduction to the 4th verse of
Siksastaka in his Amrta-pravaha-basya states:
premera svabhava - yaha premera sambandha sei mane - krsne mor nahi
bhakti-gandha
"The nature of prema is such that one who has
got real connection with prema will think with dainya (humility). 'I possess
not even a trace of bhakti'"
The so-called preachers of 'vraja-bhava' are always outraged when
we speak on such topics according to the standard of our acarya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura. The psuedo-vaisnava says that the jungle (aranya) is cut and
now it is time to preach rasa-lila throughout the world. But such foolish
persons do not realize that they are living in the jungle and the weeds of
misconception have overgrown their creeper of devotion. When challenged about their false conceptions, the so-called
preachers of 'vraja-rasa' become angry and say that their tears are the proof
that they are absorbed in prema. Yet these so-called rasika and prema-bhaktas do
not show us any of the other qualities of pure devotion such as dainya
(humility) etc., only a display of tears. In this regard, the Guardian of Devotion, Srila Bhakti Raksaka
Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, has explained,
"By practicing, one can acquire that mental
condition of shedding tears, and one can show many feats as though he were a
real devotee. Merely the display of some peculiar external characteristics does
not prove the presence of pure devotion. Real devotion is 'sudurlabha' - a very, very rare
achievement."
Pure devotion is such a rare commodity that it can hardly be
attained by one days devotion per week, especially when that devotion is
adulterated with the enjoying spirit and other such gross anarthas. Those who are bona-fide preachers of the religion of divine love,
as inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, do not engage in rasa-vicara
(discussion of rasa in public). The bona-fide preacher always preaches
nama-pracara - the glories of the holy name. This was emphatically stated by His Divine Grace, Srila B. P. Puri
Goswami Maharaja:
"In your foreign countries there has appeared
a party of prakrta-sahajiyaism. And it is not a matter of inventing something -
what they speak is there in 10th Canto, in the works of the Goswamis, Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. But the very fact of their speaking such higher
topics to unprepared audiences, ignoring the glories of the Holy Name, who is
the only real path to this higher lila, is namaparadha. Mahaprabhu never did
like this. He was relishing these topics with a few of His antaranga-bhaktas,
and was inspiring masses to perform nama-sankirtana, and He Himself performed
sankirtana with great numbers of people. Pracara should be nama-pracara."
(Feb. 7, 1996, Sridhama Mayapur, Gopinatha Gaudiya Matha)
We must be very strict and very, very vigilant about these points.
That was the standard of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and that has
been followed by his most stalwart disciples, such as Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, Srila B.P. Puri
Goswami Maharaja. Srila B.D. Madhava Maharaja, Srila B.S. Goswami Maharaja,
Srila B.P. Kesava Maharaja, and all others. In conclusion, vraja-bhava requires complete surrender at the
lotus feet of Krsna and the spiritual master. It is not a cheap thing! It
requires a life of dedication. When one comes in connection with vraja-bhava he
does not go out to sell cars the next day, carrying on life as usual, going out
mountain biking on the weekend with his family and engaging in so many ordinary
mundane activities. Vraja-bhava means "die to live", the absolute
abnegation of all things mundane, and that is followed by full submission to
guru and Krsna - that is vraja-bhava. Not simply singing Hindi bhajans - that
is only namabhasa. It is not suddha-nama or pure devotion.
Om Tat Sat (Continued...)
(My humble salutations to
H H Sri Swami B G Narasingha ji for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva jivanti san-mukharitam
bhavadiya-vartam sthane sthitah sruti-gatam
tanu-van-manobhir ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi
tais tri-lokyam
Those who, even while remaining
situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of
speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to
descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to
these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees,
certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by
anyone within the three worlds. (Bhag.
10.14.3)
The above stated verse has much significance in the
study of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. Historically this verse was quoted in the
famous talk between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Raya (Ramananda Samvada) that has
been documented in Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta wherein, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu extracts
gradations of spiritual truths from Sri Ramananda Raya that finally reveal the
summum-bonum of spiritual attainment. In this conversation, Ramananda Raya gives
Mahaprabhu several propositions on what actually is the ultimate goal of life
beginning from varnasrama-dharma,
wherein he quotes a verse from Visnu
Purana (3.8.9) that stresses the proper execution of prescribed
duties, according to ones social position, to worship Lord Visnu. Then he
proposes karma-misra-bhakti
and quotes a verse from Bhagavad-gita
(9.27) that advises offering all the results of ones activities to Lord Krsna.
Then he proposes svadharma
tyaga and quotes two verses, one from Srimad Bhagavatam (11.11.32) and one from Bhagavad-gita (18.66) that
suggests giving up all occupational religious duties and hence transcending all
the material activities. Ramananda Raya then subsequently proposes jnana-misra-bhakti as the
ultimate goal of life by quoting a verse from Bhagavad-gita (18.54) that explains realization
of the self and being self-satisfied in the knowledge of the impersonal feature
of the Lord. But, all of the above propositions are rejected by
the Lord as being only external (eho
bahya) and not actually representing the real substance. This is
when Sri Ramananda Raya quotes the above stated verse from Srimad Bhagavatam that
proposes jnana-sunya-bhakti,
that the Lord immediately acknowledges by saying, eho haya (this is alright) and asks him to go
deeper. This means that unless one arrives at this conclusion, hatefully
discarding all speculative knowledge (jnane
prayasam udapasya) that is tinged with ones limited intellect and
faithfully surrenders (namanta
eva) for the mercy of the Supreme Lord, no actual progress is made
in suddha-bhakti.
Jnana Prayasa
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his essay on the six
faults that destroy bhakti
(in reference to the second verse of Sri
Upadesamrta by Srila Rupa Gosvami), has explained the term prayasa as follows:
If prayasa
(over-endeavor) is not given up, devotion will never arise. The word prayasa means endeavor,
useless labor. Spiritual life is nothing other than pure devotion unto the
Supreme Lord. Devotion cannot be defined by any symptoms other than full
surrender and subordination unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Full
surrender and subordination are the natural, eternal constitutional duties of
the living entities.
In the same essay he further explains jnana-prayasa as follows: In jnana-prayasa
the feeling of oneness, or kevaladvaita,
arises. This is also known as sayujya,
merging, or brahma-nirvana,
absorption in the Supreme. Jnana-prayasa
is hostile to spiritual life; this is explained in the Vedika literature, Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.3), in
the following words:
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhasa na bahuna srutena yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum
svam
The Supreme Lord is not obtained by
expert explanations, by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is
obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests
His own form.
The philosophy of monism does not originate in the
Absolute Truth; it is only a demoniac provision. Glorification of the knowledge
of one’s relationship with the Lord is often heard. That knowledge is pure and
spontaneous—there is no need of prayasa.
The knowledge given in the Catuh-sloki
(the four main Bhagavatam
verses) is acintya-bhedabheda,
inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. This knowledge is naturally
dormant in the heart of the living entity. The Lord is like a spiritual sun, and the living
entities are like molecular particles of the sun’s rays. The living entity
cannot remain in his constitutional form without being subordinate to the Lord,
therefore servitorship of the Lord is his constitutional duty. Cultivation of
this constitutional duty is the nature of the living entity. This is the
spontaneous—devoid of prayasa—dharma, or duty, of the
living entity. Although in the conditioned state this dharma is almost dormant and
is awakened by sadhana,
or spiritual practice, still the prayasa
found in devotional practices is not like that found in the paths of karma and jnana. If one takes shelter
of the holy name with some respect, then within a short time the obstacles due
to ignorance are removed and one’s constitutional happiness is reawakened. But
if one gives a place to jnana-prayasa,
then he has to suffer more. And if jnana-prayasa
is renounced in the association of devotees, then that is a devotional
endeavor. Srila Sridhara Maharaja has given a much broader
meaning to the term ‘jnana
prayasa’ by connecting it to the conditioned soul’s defect of analyzing
spiritual matters through the material intellect and the greed to know all. He
says:
Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva – to hatefully give up all proposals that the intellect will
offer to you. To hatefully throw out what your intellect will come to propose
to you. What the intellect will be able to judge and accept or not accept, that
must be of a lower type. Summarily you are to reject that and understand you
must bow down your head, namanta
eva. We are to approach the higher substance in this way.
Elsewhere he says:
This is the instruction of Bhagavatam – jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva.
Throw it outside, your ego, of attempting to finish Him. Submit there.
Recognize that you are smallest of the small. And with that real truth of your
position, try to advance with faith, with sraddha,
with regard. And then He will be pitiful to you and He will come and say, “Oh
you want to know Me, you know, I am such and such, I am such a friend to you,
and this is all.” And this is the best benefit for you.
Bhagavatam not for Scholastic Analysis
This verse represents the transcendental nature of Srimad Bhagavatam and gives
out the only formula through which one can actually win the favor of the
Supreme Lord – the asraya,
who otherwise is unconquerable in the three worlds. It disqualifies the empiric
scholars who try to analyze the Bhagavatam
as just a literary compilation. On the other hand it upholds the conclusion
that the Bhagavatam
can only be understood if one submissively hears and studies it under the
shelter and guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord. When one begins trying to understand Srimad Bhagavatam there is an
explanation right at the beginning about the position of the Supreme Lord Sri
Krsna who is the basis of the treatise, the nature of His abode, and what has
to be discarded at the outset. It says: Sri Krsna is the source of all
creation, sustenance, and destruction of the manifested universes. He is the
direct or indirect cause of all causes, fully cognizant and yet independent. He
is the source of all Vedika knowledge, and He even bewilders great sages and
demigods what to speak of conditioned jivas.
His abode is forever free and transcendental from the modes of material nature.
Hence, thoroughly discard all calculations of religiosity and irreligiosity (dharmah projjhita kaitavo)
that is materially motivated or any impurity that is a product of a limited
imperfect intellect (matsara)
and submissively and joyfully enter into an understanding of the ultimate goal
of life as beautifully expounded in the first two verses of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Raga Bhakti and Jnana Prayasa
The slokas
after this verse quoted by Ramananda Raya to Mahaprabhu are concerned purely
with raga-bhakti
and establish the different gradations therein, namely santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya,
and madhurya. To
set the qualification for entering the raga-marga,
Ramananda Raya quotes a sloka
that says, tatra laulyam api
mulyam ekalam (it can be attained only by paying one price – that
is, intense greed). Srila Sridhara Maharaja explains laulyam in simple terms as a
sincere want from the core of the heart, without any mundane adulteration, for
the spontaneous loving service of the Lord. But, the ill-motivated people ‘gate
crash’ into the confidential pastimes of Krsna with mundane greed to know more,
that only breeds their carnal appetite. This can be understood as being jnana-prayasa that destroys
ones devotion. Srila Sridhara Maharaja stresses the verse pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange
very much. This verse says that one should show highest respects to the path of
spontaneous devotion. Namanta
eva – bow down. He also says, “The beginning of your interest is to
bow down your head, and your heart will be captured automatically.” Adau sraddha – The progress
begins from pure faith only that creates the need for sadhu-sanga – association of
the true saints who have laulyam.
The verse also says that this laulyam
is very rare and if it is available somewhere one should purchase it by paying
any price. The following verse establishes that it can be had only by the mercy
of a great devotee:
rahuganaitat tapasa na yati na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va na cchandasa naiva
jalagni-suryair vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam
My dear King Rahugana, unless one has
the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of
great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the
Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy (brahmacarya),
strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home
as vanaprastha,
accepting sannyasa,
or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water
or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun.
There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the
Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great
devotee. (Bhag.
5.12.12)
By taking shelter at the lotus feet of a pure
devotee, we receive the Holy Name that bestows upon us all the spiritual
progress that we intrinsically inherit (iha
haite sarva siddhi haibe ‘sabara’).
Jnana Prayasa And Pariprasna
Although the quest to know everything has been
condemned, one should not stop sincere questioning. In the Bhagavad-gita we find the
verse – tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya. There is a gulf of difference between jnana prayasa and pariprasna. Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in his essay:
In one’s inherent occupation there is
no need of prayasa;
still, in the living entity’s conditioned state there is need for a small
amount of prayasa
in order to cultivate devotional service. Except this little prayasa, all other kinds of prayasa are unfavorable for
devotional service.
Hence, having surrendered at the lotus feet of Sri
Gurudeva, one should make a sincere effort to know and follow the process of bhakti, classified into sambandha (relation with the
supreme lord), abhidheya
(the means to achieve the prayojana)
and prayojana (the
supreme goal) that has been described in detail in the prescribed books of our acaryas. As much as one
should not fall prey to jnana
prayasa, one should similarly avoid imitation and blind following.
There is anusarana
– sincere following, as opposed to anukarana
– imitation. Anusarana
presupposes pariprasna,
i.e. sincere questioning, that helps the seeker to understand the subject in a
wholesome manner. Our Guru Maharaja says, “We should have an immovable
connection with reality, an absolute conception of reality. Such a stable
position is necessary. Invulnerable! A sure position, what is what—sambandha-jnana. Then we
shall be able to understand and harmonize the differences that we find in the
writings of the acaryas;
what applies where–under what circumstances a particular line has been advised
to be taken up, and under what circumstances another has been advised.
Practical knowledge” As and when any controversy arises or there is any
necessary requirement, our acaryas
have thoroughly established the truth and upheld the right conclusions backed
by scriptural evidence and revealed truth. In doing so obviously much time and
effort is invested only for our own benefit. The acarya is the representative of Sri Krsna who
has appeared just to establish the truth and to lead by example. Being
followers, it is our responsibility to take all pains to understand the
conclusions and thereby also know the internal workings of the acarya that will help us in
our spiritual journey.
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha ha-ite krsne lage sudrdha
manasa
A sincere student should not neglect
the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such
discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Krsna. (Cc. Adi-lila 2.117)
Mahaprabhu’s Harmonizing Principle
During Mahaprabhu’s advent and early life as a
student and a teacher, the area of Navadvipa was filled with scholars of modern
logic (navya-nyaya)
and had great recognition as a seat of learning throughout India. Students from
far off would come to enhance their knowledge and great pundits used to visit
the town to establish their superiority in logic and grammar. Due to their vast
learning the pundits of Navadvipa were very puffed up and used to quarrel
amongst themselves to show their own supremacy. Mahaprabhu in his student life became an expert in
logic and showed his prowess by defeating the Kashmiri pandita. Just to show that
logic cannot lead us to understand the absolute truth (tarko pratisthah) Mahaprabhu
used to play with the wits of His contenders just as a child plays with the
clay, by establishing one theory, then showing its fault and establishing
something else, and again reestablishing the old theory and showing the faults
of the other. Knowledge in itself is innocent (jnanam alam niranjanam) and can be molded
according to ones ability to do so, but it does not find its real place unless
it is used as a stepping-stone to cultivate devotional service to the Supreme
Lord. This was shown in the behavior and teachings of Mahaprabhu after he came
back from Gaya, after meeting Sri Isvara Puri, when he started the sankirtana movement and
concerned Himself only with Krsna, remaining aloof from all mundane debates not
relating to Krsna. What Mahaprabhu came to distribute was never
offered before to the masses by any other direct or indirect incarnations of
the Lord (anarpita).
Mahaprabhu showed the actual position of karma
and jnana as being
subordinate to bhakti
and by introducing and establishing prema,
or the divine love of Godhead as the highest attainment that can fully satisfy
the inner hankering of the jiva,
Mahaprabhu harmonized all the different views of the scriptures.
O Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! O ocean of mercy! Let there be an awakening of Your
auspicious mercy, which gives rise to all good fortune: It easily destroys all
lamentation; it is pure and awakens transcendental bliss; it quiets all
disagreements in the different scriptures; it intoxicates the soul with a taste
of the transcendental mellows; it stimulates the joys of eternal devotional
service, causing the recipient to lose external consciousness; it brings peace
from all sensual desires, and demonstrates both the paths of spontaneous
devotion and that of respect for the rules and regulations. (Cc.Madhya.10.119)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati comments on this
verse as follows:
“When one reads the various different
scriptures, one often becomes confused by the conflicting arguments presented
therein. As soon as one receives the mercy of the Lord, however, the heart
becomes intoxicated with the wine of Krsna and this intoxication arising out of
the Lord’s mercy puts to rest all the confusion arising out of the dissenting
views of various sectarian scriptures. An appreciation of the sweetness of
devotion engages the conditioned soul in constant service to the Lord’s lotus
feet. At that point, the fortunate living entity takes pleasure in nothing but
the divine love of Krsna. Krsna’s mercy is thus spotless (nirmala); it carries the
taste of spiritual life (rasada)
and is filled with intoxicating jubilation (sa-mada).”
Conclusion
Jnana is a
vast ocean and without proper direction the end is misconception, but just as
the pole star gives an idea about the correct direction, the Supreme Lord
manifests Himself as Sri Guru to guide us in our spiritual journey. Thus, the
acceptance of and adherence towards Sri Guru is indispensable if we wish to
succeed – without him all our endeavors are futile. Just as the road is a means to the destination and
not an end in itself, jnana
is also just the means to the end and not an end in itself and is properly
applied only when the end is loving devotion towards the Supreme Lord without a
tinge of jnana and karma (jnanakarmadi anavrtam). Hence one
should pursue jnana
only to increase one’s attachment towards the Supreme Lord who, being the
master of all knowledge, will certainly bless him with the fruit of jnana-sunya-bhakti.
These three are difficult to obtain in
this world, and depend on the mercy of God – the human birth, the desire for
salvation, and the company of great-souls. (Viveka-cudamani
3)
The jivatma,
having come to this material world accepts many different bodies in its journey
– tree, bug, bird, animal, human, demigod, etc. Being bound by the body,
limited life and karma,
the jiva enjoys and
suffers the fruits of his activities in every body. The jiva accepts four different
types of bodies – svedaja
(engendered by sweat and steam: microbes, germs etc), udbhijja (vegetable kingdom),
andaja (born from
eggs) and jarayuja
(born from paramour: human beings and the animal kingdom), over and over and
only because of some sukrti,
human life is attained. Of the 8,400,000 species of life only in human life can
one attempt to understand spiritual knowledge. Having attained this gift of human life if one does
not utilize it to understand the self, the Supreme, the way to go back to
Godhead and with determination practice it under the guidance of a real guru,
this life is simply wasted. Wealth comes and goes like a dream. Youth withers
like a flower. Old age waits like a tiger. Diseases thrash like enemies.
In an improperly burnt earthen pot, water is lost without our notice. Similarly, human life is lost every moment without
us realizing it. With yogic power the wind can be stopped, ether can be cut
into pieces, waves in the ocean can be collected together and many more
never-before occurring things can be done. But death cannot be checked. With
the passage of time, earth will be burnt, Mount Meru will melt, and oceans will
evaporate. It is no surprise then that this body will vanish. Having drunk the
wine of worldly illusion the jiva
remains ignorant to the truth of life. He sees others around him suffering and
dying every day but still lives as though he is eternal. Of the hundred years of human life, half is spent
in sleep, twenty years in childhood and twenty years in old age. In the
remaining time, when he is strong and capable, the unintelligent man spends his
morning in cleaning his body, day time in working hard to maintain his family
and social status and spends the night in sex and sleep. Like this his entire
life is spent wastefully. The jiva
thinks that wife, children, wealth and relatives are his. He thinks, “I have
done so much and so much more has to be done”. As he is engrossed in thinking
like this, death jumps like a wolf on the sheep-like jiva and drags him away to
hell. Therefore self-realization has to be done now; pious activities have to
be performed now. Because death does not wait for anyone thinking this person
is planning to do all this. Old age shows the way towards death. When one gets
old he should understand that soon he will die. The enemy called death marches
towards us aided by soldiers called diseases. Only the Supreme Lord Sri Hari
can protect a jiva
from death. Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita:
svalpamapy asya dharmasya trayate mahato-bhayat
What is this mahato-bhaya
(greatest danger) for every jiva?
It is indeed death because death takes him away from his loved body and the
loved ones to an unknown destination. He gets scared at this thought about
death and feels totally insecure and lost. Like a lump of flesh, cut by the weapon of desire,
mixed with the ghee of senses, cooked in the fire of attachment and aversion,
death eats away the man. The young, the old, the children, the one in a womb —
are all consumed by death. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are equally
available for all animals. Only a human being can know by his intelligence what
is good for him and what is not. If he does not understand this he is
considered equal to an animal. We have this human life for a short time. This
world is duhkhalayam
(full of miseries) and asasvatam
(temporary). Therefore when one has sound mind and sound senses, one should do
the activities of self-realization. Prahlada Maharaja in his instructions to
his young schoolmates says:
Right from age of eight one has to perform
devotional activities in the footsteps of great devotes of Sri Krsna. An old
adage in English goes – “What you learn at eight remains till eighty.” In the association of saintly persons, one can
understand the purpose of human life. Association of saintly persons and
intelligence are the two eyes of a man without which he is blind. Attracted by karma-kanda, people chant so
many mantras,
perform many rituals and fire sacrifices (homa
and yajna) and
punish their body with severe fasting and other austerities. Bewildered by mahamaya (worldly illusion)
and bereft of proper knowledge of the absolute and the purpose of human life,
these people are uselessly punishing their body and wasting their life. Having
long matted hair and a big beard does not make one guru or yogi. One does not become a yogi just by living all his
life on the banks of Ganga. If it was so, the fish and frogs living in her
waters would become yogis.
One does not become tapasvi
by giving up food and living only on water. If it was so, the cataka bird and paravata bird who never drink
water on the earth would become tapasvis.
Trying to search for the Supreme Brahman, people
fall in the blind well of sad-darsanas
(the six philosophies of India). Of the sad-darsanas,
the first is the Vaisheshika philosophy of Kanada Rsi. According to him,
everything is made of atoms. So many atomic particles have combined and
produced this world by chance, with no necessity of any reason, rhyme,
consciousness, nothing of the kind. And the outcome of these combinations has
produced what we find here. Kapila Rsi has come with the Sankhya philosophical system
of analysis saying, “Analyze matter, and you will be free from all this
pain.” Patanjali Rsi has come with Yoga, “Hey, jivatma! Come to meet
Paramatma! Then all the problems of this world will go away from you. Come in
connection with Paramatma, the Supersoul.” Gautama Rsi comes with logic, nyaya-sastra: “There is one
Maker, one Creator, but He is indifferent. He has created the world, finished,
and left it. And you must try to live with the help of your reason. Be a good
logician, and then you will be able to control the environment with the power
of reason and you will be happy.” Jaimini’s Karma-mimamsa
says “There may be One who has connected us with this world and our karma, but karma is all in all. He has
got no hold on us any longer. According to our karma we shall thrive or we shall go down. So,
stick to karma,
good karma; don’t
go to bad karma.
There is God. He is bound to serve you according to your karma. He has no
independence.” Buddha says, “Only the combination of different
things has created your mental system. So with the dissolution of the mental
system, nothing remains. So, somehow we must dissolve the mental system.
Practice ahimsa,
nonviolence, satyam,
truthfulness, and so on.” Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his song: Kesava! tuya jagata vicitra,
talks about these six philosophies and then says, “But I have come to
realize that these fellows are all cheaters. And they all have this common
stand: they have no touch of your devotion, your service. There, they are one.
They cannot deliver any real good. They are common to oppose your devotional
service and supremacy. And ultimately they leave us in chaos.” Concluding the song, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “I
bid goodbye to them all. I feel in my heart that I shall show respect to all
these so-called good agents from a distance, however my only real capital is
the dust of the holy feet of your devotees. I rely on that dust as the source
of all my prospects. I seek to put all my energy into taking the dust of their
holy lotus feet upon my head. This is everything for me.” Some people read the Vedas, Vedanta,
Puranas and so many other scriptures and preach to people. They are
called jnanis by
the ignorant public. In spite of their vast reading they fall short of
understanding the essence of all the Vedika knowledge like the serving spoon
that does not know the taste of the dish that it serves. Sri Kaviraja Gosvami says: bahu sastre bahu vakye chitta bhrama haya
– reading many scriptures and hearing too many people will simply confuse
the mind. In this regard there is a verse in Garuda
Purana.
anekani ca sastrani svalpayuhu
vighnakutayaha tasmatsaram vijaniyat ksiram
hamsa ivambhasi
There are many sastras
but a short life span. Even in that short human life there are many troubles
and difficulties. Therefore, like a hamsa
(swan) bird that takes only milk from the mix of milk and water, only the
essence of all scriptures has to be taken. Pariksit Maharaja, being cursed by the brahmana that he would live
only seven more days, approached Sri Suka Mahamuni and asked him how he must
spend the remaining seven days of his life. Sri Suka Muni, a
self-realized soul, an avadhuta
and a great devotee of Sri Hari spoke SrimadBhagavatam to the
king continuously for seven days. He could just as well have spoken from other Puranas, Vedas or Upanisads, but he chose to
speak the Srimad Bhagavatam.
This drives home the point that Srimad
Bhagavatam is the sum and substance of all transcendental knowledge
in this world. And what does Srimad
Bhagavatam talk about? It talks only about the sweet pastimes of
Lord Hari, His glories, His activities and His all-merciful devotees. Therefore
Sri Caitanya Deva says that Srimad
Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta-sutra and He held this book close to His
heart. King Pariksit was fortunate enough to know when his
death would come. We ordinary mortals only know that our death is certain. It
may come right now, next moment, a month later or after. The message, however,
from King Pariksit’s life is that human life is meant only for serving the
Supreme Lord Sri Hari by any or all nine processes of bhakti, namely hearing the
glories of Lord Hari (sravanam)
and chanting those glories (kirtanam),
constantly remembering Him (smaranam)
and offering prayers to Him (vandanam),
serving the Lord’s lotus feet (pada-sevanam),
serving the supreme Lord as a servant (dasyam),
worshipping Him with flowers and incense and so forth (arcanam), serving Him as a
friend (sakhyam)
and completely offering the Lord one’s very self (atma-nivedanam). This life is meant for nothing
else, absolutely nothing. Understanding this, one has to approach a bona-fide
guru who is well versed in the science of Krsna and lives outside the
consideration of varnasrama
(jaiva-dharma).
Such a guru instructs his disciple about: (a) Knowledge of one’s relationship with the
Supreme Lord, the living entity, the material world and the relationships
between them (sambandha-jnana)
(b) The process of achieving the goal of life (abhidheya) (c) The goal of life itself (prayojana). After receiving
this knowledge, a living entity needs no other knowledge. All kinds of
scientific and theoretical knowledge of this world are automatically known to
Him. (Sajjana-tosani)
Based on the time (kala), place (desa)
and circumstance (sthiti),
the guru will appropriately engage his disciple in the service of Sri Hari and
His devotees. When the disciple follows the instructions of such a guru with
sincerity, determination and humility, his life will be successful. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu says:
brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavana jiva guru krsna prasade paya bhakti
lata bija
Millions of souls are wandering in the
universe from planet to planet and body to body. Among them only the most
fortunate one, by the mercy of guru and Krsna, gets the gift of seed of creeper
of devotion (bhakti-lata).
(Cc. Madhya 19.151)
Let us preserve this priceless gift and nourish it
in our heart so that the seed sprouts and the creeper of bhakti grows, piercing
through all the universes and finally touching the lotus feet of Sri Krsna in
Goloka Vrndavana where it bears the fruit of krsna-prema,
spontaneous and unconditional love for Sri Krsna, the ultimate goal of life.
Om Tat Sat (Continued...)
(My humble salutations toH H Sri Swami Advaita Acharya Dasa ji and H H Swami gopal Dasa ji for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
Question: I was recently invited to a program in
Eugene, Oregon where it was said that the program would be in
"vraja-bhava" so I was wondering how special is vraja-bhava and how
does one actually attain it? When I went to the program there were various
Hindi bhajans that I had never heard before and also some bhajans of Mirabai. Answer: What many western devotees call
vraja-bhava is available in any village kitchen in Uttara Pradesh, India. There
are so many songs sung by the village people in and around Vrindavana but those
are not the standard songs of pure devotion, particularly the songs of Mirabai.
The pure aca rya never recommends his disciples to sing such songs. Mirabai has been rejected by the Gaudiya-sampradaya as a
psuedo-vaisnavi. There are some people who say that Mirabai was a half disciple
of Srila Jiva Goswami but this is a concoction. Some say that simply by placing
her hands over the eyes of the Rana of Mewar that he obtained Krsna darsana.
Also some devotees are saying that Mirabai merged into the body of Krsna in
Dwaraka and never came out again. But these are simply stories which have no
ontological backing. These stories are rejected by the suddha-bhakti school. Mirabai is not accepted as a suddha-vaisnavi by the followers of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Therefore the
followers of Bhaktivinoda and Saraswati Thakura never teach their disciples to
sing the bhajans of Mirabai. To teach one's disciple to sing the bhajans of
Mirabai is equal to putting a kerosene rag in the mouth of that disciple. Our Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada sometimes said regarding
Mirabai, "I have no objection to her songs". However Mirabai's songs
were never established as standard bhajans in his mission. As far as the common
person is concerned he had no objection. If a common person sings the songs of
Mirabai there may be some namabhasa for that person. But for suddha-bhakti he
has never recommended the bhajans of Mirabai. Mirabai is not in the
suddha-bhakti school, what to speak of the raganuga, rupanuga, or rasika
school. She is rejected by the Gaudiya-sampradaya as a bahiranga-bhakta, an
external devotee. Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja comments as follows:
"Our Guru Maharaja announced, "We are
suddha-sakta." We are worshippers of the potency, but not this mundane
potency, but the potency wholesale dedicated to the possessor of the potency.
Without retaining Her individual independence, cent per cent dependent - such
potency very very rarely can be conceived. 'Direct approaches to Me that is not
proper;' but approaching through proper channel, through the devotees, that is
proper approach. That is real approach; so Gaudiya Matha eliminates Mirabai and
so many other apparent devotees to be real devotees because they are mad in
praise of Krsna, but not so much for the devotees of Krsna. (Feb 15, 1982, Sri
Caitanya Saraswata Matha, Navadwipa Dhama)
As regards real vraja-bhava, Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita (18.66)
sarva-dharman parityaja mam ekam saranam vraja:
"Give up all your duties and come to Me. And
your present duties good or bad, whatever you can conceive from your present
position - give up everything and come straight to Me. I'm everything to
you."
Here the word 'vraja' is used by Krsna to indicate Vrndavana, the
Lord's own abode. In Vrndavana all the inhabitants are absorbed in the sweet
mellows of spontaneous love of God. In a word they are absorbed in vraja-bhava,
the mellows of loving devotion, found only in Vrndavana. So the fundamental
principle of vraja-bhava is surrender. First surrender to Krsna. There must be
complete surrender to Krsna, otherwise vraja-bhava will not manifest. Surrender
means that we have given up all our tendencies to consume (enjoy). The attempt
to assert one's self upon others must also be abandoned. This is real humility.
In material life we want to assert ourselves over others and take everything
for our own enjoyment. But vraja-bhava is just the opposite. Neophytes, who have no real understanding of vraja-bhava,
sometimes may advertise their program as being rasika or as being in the mood
of vraja-bhava. Yet these persons have little or no real understanding of the
exalted nature of the love of the inhabitants of Vrndavana nor do they have a
clear conception of the path of attainment, even though they may claim to be
following a rasika-acarya. In fact, we see that their so-called vraja-bhava is only exhibited
on Sundays, while the rest of the week they are absorbed in ordinary mundane
activities. Those who are actually tasting vraja-bhava cannot tolerate even for
a second to engage in ordinary financial dealings simply for the purpose of
extending their material facilities. Those who actually relish real vraja-bhava embrace a life of
renunciation (sannyasa) and reject those things which are unfavorable for devotional
service (pratikula). In this regard Srila Saraswati Thakura has said:
'aham-mama' bhava-sattve nama kabhu haya na bhoga-buddhi na chadile
aprakrta haya na
"The holy name is never revealed to one who is
situated in the bodily concept of life and thinks in terms of 'I' and 'mine.'
If one doesn't reject the enjoying mentality, the transcendental platform will
never be attained."
anarthake 'artha' boli' ku-pathete laya na
"One should never mistakenly call material
obstacles "useful for devotional service", thereby following the
wrong path."
In his Anubhasya to verse 28 of the last chapter of
Caitanya-caritamrta (Sri Gaudiya Matha edition) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
Thakura has also written as follows:
"Those who are barren of the treasure of prema,
propelled by duplicity, declare to the whole world their false attainment of
prema, although in reality, by an external display of prema or by announcing it
to one and all, it is positively impossible for such hypocrite destitutes who
are deprived of the wealth of Krsna-prema to ever attain it. To make their
great fortune known to everybody, adepts of prakrta-sahajiyaism often expose to
each other insincere external symptoms of prema (such as shedding of tears).
Rather than calling such hypocrite sahajiyas as 'premik', real suddha-bhaktas
go as far as to completely reject their association knowing it to destroy
bhakti. Suddha-bhaktas never teach one to designate such persons as 'bhaktas'
thus equaling them with suddha-bhaktas. At the rise of genuine prema, the jiva
hides her own glory and strives for Krsna-bhajan.'
"The hypocrite prakrta-sahajiya party in their
greed for wealth, women and fame (kanaka-kamini-pratistha) offend
suddha-bhaktas by labeling them as 'darsanik pandita' or (great philosophers),
'tattva-vit' (ontology experts), suksma-darsi (acute observers), and in turn
they adorn themselves with the titles 'rasika', 'bhajannandi', 'bhagavatottama'
(uttama-bhagavata), 'lila-rasa-panonmatta' (intoxicated by drinking sweet
mellows of lila), 'raganugiya-sadhakagraganya' (the foremost aspirants on the
path of raganuga-bhakti), 'rasa-jna' (the knowers of rasa), 'rasika-cudamani'
(unsurpassed rasikas) etc.'"
"Having contaminated bhajan-pranali with the
waves of their own materialistic emotions, they become attached to abominable
practices; what they actually adore in themselves is pseudo-vaisnavism. These
kinds of preachers go to describe aprakrta-rasa, making their respective
mundane emotions a part and parcel of Krsna-seva. Unaware of aprakrta vipralambha-rasa,
they take prakrta-sambhoga, which in essence is a perverted reflection of rasa
(virasa), as actual rasa."
Those who have prema never boast of their love for Krsna because
the nature of pure love for Krsna is that one who has it feels that he doesn't
have even a drop of it. Those who say they have prema, who say they are rasika,
and who claim to be the distributors of vraja-bhava are basically cheaters.
They have cheated themselves, and they are cheating others. They have deviated
from the path of our acaryas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the introduction to the 4th verse of
Siksastaka in his Amrta-pravaha-basya states:
premera svabhava - yaha premera sambandha sei mane - krsne mor nahi
bhakti-gandha
"The nature of prema is such that one who has
got real connection with prema will think with dainya (humility). 'I possess
not even a trace of bhakti'"
The so-called preachers of 'vraja-bhava' are always outraged when
we speak on such topics according to the standard of our acarya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura. The psuedo-vaisnava says that the jungle (aranya) is cut and
now it is time to preach rasa-lila throughout the world. But such foolish
persons do not realize that they are living in the jungle and the weeds of
misconception have overgrown their creeper of devotion. When challenged about their false conceptions, the so-called
preachers of 'vraja-rasa' become angry and say that their tears are the proof
that they are absorbed in prema. Yet these so-called rasika and prema-bhaktas do
not show us any of the other qualities of pure devotion such as dainya
(humility) etc., only a display of tears. In this regard, the Guardian of Devotion, Srila Bhakti Raksaka
Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, has explained,
"By practicing, one can acquire that mental
condition of shedding tears, and one can show many feats as though he were a
real devotee. Merely the display of some peculiar external characteristics does
not prove the presence of pure devotion. Real devotion is 'sudurlabha' - a very, very rare
achievement."
Pure devotion is such a rare commodity that it can hardly be
attained by one days devotion per week, especially when that devotion is
adulterated with the enjoying spirit and other such gross anarthas. Those who are bona-fide preachers of the religion of divine love,
as inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, do not engage in rasa-vicara
(discussion of rasa in public). The bona-fide preacher always preaches
nama-pracara - the glories of the holy name. This was emphatically stated by His Divine Grace, Srila B. P. Puri
Goswami Maharaja:
"In your foreign countries there has appeared
a party of prakrta-sahajiyaism. And it is not a matter of inventing something -
what they speak is there in 10th Canto, in the works of the Goswamis, Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. But the very fact of their speaking such higher
topics to unprepared audiences, ignoring the glories of the Holy Name, who is
the only real path to this higher lila, is namaparadha. Mahaprabhu never did
like this. He was relishing these topics with a few of His antaranga-bhaktas,
and was inspiring masses to perform nama-sankirtana, and He Himself performed
sankirtana with great numbers of people. Pracara should be nama-pracara."
(Feb. 7, 1996, Sridhama Mayapur, Gopinatha Gaudiya Matha)
We must be very strict and very, very vigilant about these points.
That was the standard of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and that has
been followed by his most stalwart disciples, such as Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, Srila B.P. Puri
Goswami Maharaja. Srila B.D. Madhava Maharaja, Srila B.S. Goswami Maharaja,
Srila B.P. Kesava Maharaja, and all others. In conclusion, vraja-bhava requires complete surrender at the
lotus feet of Krsna and the spiritual master. It is not a cheap thing! It
requires a life of dedication. When one comes in connection with vraja-bhava he
does not go out to sell cars the next day, carrying on life as usual, going out
mountain biking on the weekend with his family and engaging in so many ordinary
mundane activities. Vraja-bhava means "die to live", the absolute
abnegation of all things mundane, and that is followed by full submission to
guru and Krsna - that is vraja-bhava. Not simply singing Hindi bhajans - that
is only namabhasa. It is not suddha-nama or pure devotion.
Om Tat Sat (Continued...)
(My humble salutations to
H H Sri Swami B G Narasingha ji for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva jivanti san-mukharitam
bhavadiya-vartam sthane sthitah sruti-gatam
tanu-van-manobhir ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi
tais tri-lokyam
Those who, even while remaining
situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of
speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to
descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to
these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees,
certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by
anyone within the three worlds. (Bhag.
10.14.3)
The above stated verse has much significance in the
study of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. Historically this verse was quoted in the
famous talk between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Raya (Ramananda Samvada) that has
been documented in Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta wherein, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu extracts
gradations of spiritual truths from Sri Ramananda Raya that finally reveal the
summum-bonum of spiritual attainment. In this conversation, Ramananda Raya gives
Mahaprabhu several propositions on what actually is the ultimate goal of life
beginning from varnasrama-dharma,
wherein he quotes a verse from Visnu
Purana (3.8.9) that stresses the proper execution of prescribed
duties, according to ones social position, to worship Lord Visnu. Then he
proposes karma-misra-bhakti
and quotes a verse from Bhagavad-gita
(9.27) that advises offering all the results of ones activities to Lord Krsna.
Then he proposes svadharma
tyaga and quotes two verses, one from Srimad Bhagavatam (11.11.32) and one from Bhagavad-gita (18.66) that
suggests giving up all occupational religious duties and hence transcending all
the material activities. Ramananda Raya then subsequently proposes jnana-misra-bhakti as the
ultimate goal of life by quoting a verse from Bhagavad-gita (18.54) that explains realization
of the self and being self-satisfied in the knowledge of the impersonal feature
of the Lord. But, all of the above propositions are rejected by
the Lord as being only external (eho
bahya) and not actually representing the real substance. This is
when Sri Ramananda Raya quotes the above stated verse from Srimad Bhagavatam that
proposes jnana-sunya-bhakti,
that the Lord immediately acknowledges by saying, eho haya (this is alright) and asks him to go
deeper. This means that unless one arrives at this conclusion, hatefully
discarding all speculative knowledge (jnane
prayasam udapasya) that is tinged with ones limited intellect and
faithfully surrenders (namanta
eva) for the mercy of the Supreme Lord, no actual progress is made
in suddha-bhakti.
Jnana Prayasa
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his essay on the six
faults that destroy bhakti
(in reference to the second verse of Sri
Upadesamrta by Srila Rupa Gosvami), has explained the term prayasa as follows:
If prayasa
(over-endeavor) is not given up, devotion will never arise. The word prayasa means endeavor,
useless labor. Spiritual life is nothing other than pure devotion unto the
Supreme Lord. Devotion cannot be defined by any symptoms other than full
surrender and subordination unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Full
surrender and subordination are the natural, eternal constitutional duties of
the living entities.
In the same essay he further explains jnana-prayasa as follows: In jnana-prayasa
the feeling of oneness, or kevaladvaita,
arises. This is also known as sayujya,
merging, or brahma-nirvana,
absorption in the Supreme. Jnana-prayasa
is hostile to spiritual life; this is explained in the Vedika literature, Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.3), in
the following words:
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhasa na bahuna srutena yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum
svam
The Supreme Lord is not obtained by
expert explanations, by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is
obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests
His own form.
The philosophy of monism does not originate in the
Absolute Truth; it is only a demoniac provision. Glorification of the knowledge
of one’s relationship with the Lord is often heard. That knowledge is pure and
spontaneous—there is no need of prayasa.
The knowledge given in the Catuh-sloki
(the four main Bhagavatam
verses) is acintya-bhedabheda,
inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. This knowledge is naturally
dormant in the heart of the living entity. The Lord is like a spiritual sun, and the living
entities are like molecular particles of the sun’s rays. The living entity
cannot remain in his constitutional form without being subordinate to the Lord,
therefore servitorship of the Lord is his constitutional duty. Cultivation of
this constitutional duty is the nature of the living entity. This is the
spontaneous—devoid of prayasa—dharma, or duty, of the
living entity. Although in the conditioned state this dharma is almost dormant and
is awakened by sadhana,
or spiritual practice, still the prayasa
found in devotional practices is not like that found in the paths of karma and jnana. If one takes shelter
of the holy name with some respect, then within a short time the obstacles due
to ignorance are removed and one’s constitutional happiness is reawakened. But
if one gives a place to jnana-prayasa,
then he has to suffer more. And if jnana-prayasa
is renounced in the association of devotees, then that is a devotional
endeavor. Srila Sridhara Maharaja has given a much broader
meaning to the term ‘jnana
prayasa’ by connecting it to the conditioned soul’s defect of analyzing
spiritual matters through the material intellect and the greed to know all. He
says:
Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva – to hatefully give up all proposals that the intellect will
offer to you. To hatefully throw out what your intellect will come to propose
to you. What the intellect will be able to judge and accept or not accept, that
must be of a lower type. Summarily you are to reject that and understand you
must bow down your head, namanta
eva. We are to approach the higher substance in this way.
Elsewhere he says:
This is the instruction of Bhagavatam – jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva.
Throw it outside, your ego, of attempting to finish Him. Submit there.
Recognize that you are smallest of the small. And with that real truth of your
position, try to advance with faith, with sraddha,
with regard. And then He will be pitiful to you and He will come and say, “Oh
you want to know Me, you know, I am such and such, I am such a friend to you,
and this is all.” And this is the best benefit for you.
Bhagavatam not for Scholastic Analysis
This verse represents the transcendental nature of Srimad Bhagavatam and gives
out the only formula through which one can actually win the favor of the
Supreme Lord – the asraya,
who otherwise is unconquerable in the three worlds. It disqualifies the empiric
scholars who try to analyze the Bhagavatam
as just a literary compilation. On the other hand it upholds the conclusion
that the Bhagavatam
can only be understood if one submissively hears and studies it under the
shelter and guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord. When one begins trying to understand Srimad Bhagavatam there is an
explanation right at the beginning about the position of the Supreme Lord Sri
Krsna who is the basis of the treatise, the nature of His abode, and what has
to be discarded at the outset. It says: Sri Krsna is the source of all
creation, sustenance, and destruction of the manifested universes. He is the
direct or indirect cause of all causes, fully cognizant and yet independent. He
is the source of all Vedika knowledge, and He even bewilders great sages and
demigods what to speak of conditioned jivas.
His abode is forever free and transcendental from the modes of material nature.
Hence, thoroughly discard all calculations of religiosity and irreligiosity (dharmah projjhita kaitavo)
that is materially motivated or any impurity that is a product of a limited
imperfect intellect (matsara)
and submissively and joyfully enter into an understanding of the ultimate goal
of life as beautifully expounded in the first two verses of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Raga Bhakti and Jnana Prayasa
The slokas
after this verse quoted by Ramananda Raya to Mahaprabhu are concerned purely
with raga-bhakti
and establish the different gradations therein, namely santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya,
and madhurya. To
set the qualification for entering the raga-marga,
Ramananda Raya quotes a sloka
that says, tatra laulyam api
mulyam ekalam (it can be attained only by paying one price – that
is, intense greed). Srila Sridhara Maharaja explains laulyam in simple terms as a
sincere want from the core of the heart, without any mundane adulteration, for
the spontaneous loving service of the Lord. But, the ill-motivated people ‘gate
crash’ into the confidential pastimes of Krsna with mundane greed to know more,
that only breeds their carnal appetite. This can be understood as being jnana-prayasa that destroys
ones devotion. Srila Sridhara Maharaja stresses the verse pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange
very much. This verse says that one should show highest respects to the path of
spontaneous devotion. Namanta
eva – bow down. He also says, “The beginning of your interest is to
bow down your head, and your heart will be captured automatically.” Adau sraddha – The progress
begins from pure faith only that creates the need for sadhu-sanga – association of
the true saints who have laulyam.
The verse also says that this laulyam
is very rare and if it is available somewhere one should purchase it by paying
any price. The following verse establishes that it can be had only by the mercy
of a great devotee:
rahuganaitat tapasa na yati na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va na cchandasa naiva
jalagni-suryair vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam
My dear King Rahugana, unless one has
the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of
great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the
Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy (brahmacarya),
strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home
as vanaprastha,
accepting sannyasa,
or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water
or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun.
There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the
Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great
devotee. (Bhag.
5.12.12)
By taking shelter at the lotus feet of a pure
devotee, we receive the Holy Name that bestows upon us all the spiritual
progress that we intrinsically inherit (iha
haite sarva siddhi haibe ‘sabara’).
Jnana Prayasa And Pariprasna
Although the quest to know everything has been
condemned, one should not stop sincere questioning. In the Bhagavad-gita we find the
verse – tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya. There is a gulf of difference between jnana prayasa and pariprasna. Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in his essay:
In one’s inherent occupation there is
no need of prayasa;
still, in the living entity’s conditioned state there is need for a small
amount of prayasa
in order to cultivate devotional service. Except this little prayasa, all other kinds of prayasa are unfavorable for
devotional service.
Hence, having surrendered at the lotus feet of Sri
Gurudeva, one should make a sincere effort to know and follow the process of bhakti, classified into sambandha (relation with the
supreme lord), abhidheya
(the means to achieve the prayojana)
and prayojana (the
supreme goal) that has been described in detail in the prescribed books of our acaryas. As much as one
should not fall prey to jnana
prayasa, one should similarly avoid imitation and blind following.
There is anusarana
– sincere following, as opposed to anukarana
– imitation. Anusarana
presupposes pariprasna,
i.e. sincere questioning, that helps the seeker to understand the subject in a
wholesome manner. Our Guru Maharaja says, “We should have an immovable
connection with reality, an absolute conception of reality. Such a stable
position is necessary. Invulnerable! A sure position, what is what—sambandha-jnana. Then we
shall be able to understand and harmonize the differences that we find in the
writings of the acaryas;
what applies where–under what circumstances a particular line has been advised
to be taken up, and under what circumstances another has been advised.
Practical knowledge” As and when any controversy arises or there is any
necessary requirement, our acaryas
have thoroughly established the truth and upheld the right conclusions backed
by scriptural evidence and revealed truth. In doing so obviously much time and
effort is invested only for our own benefit. The acarya is the representative of Sri Krsna who
has appeared just to establish the truth and to lead by example. Being
followers, it is our responsibility to take all pains to understand the
conclusions and thereby also know the internal workings of the acarya that will help us in
our spiritual journey.
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha ha-ite krsne lage sudrdha
manasa
A sincere student should not neglect
the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such
discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Krsna. (Cc. Adi-lila 2.117)
Mahaprabhu’s Harmonizing Principle
During Mahaprabhu’s advent and early life as a
student and a teacher, the area of Navadvipa was filled with scholars of modern
logic (navya-nyaya)
and had great recognition as a seat of learning throughout India. Students from
far off would come to enhance their knowledge and great pundits used to visit
the town to establish their superiority in logic and grammar. Due to their vast
learning the pundits of Navadvipa were very puffed up and used to quarrel
amongst themselves to show their own supremacy. Mahaprabhu in his student life became an expert in
logic and showed his prowess by defeating the Kashmiri pandita. Just to show that
logic cannot lead us to understand the absolute truth (tarko pratisthah) Mahaprabhu
used to play with the wits of His contenders just as a child plays with the
clay, by establishing one theory, then showing its fault and establishing
something else, and again reestablishing the old theory and showing the faults
of the other. Knowledge in itself is innocent (jnanam alam niranjanam) and can be molded
according to ones ability to do so, but it does not find its real place unless
it is used as a stepping-stone to cultivate devotional service to the Supreme
Lord. This was shown in the behavior and teachings of Mahaprabhu after he came
back from Gaya, after meeting Sri Isvara Puri, when he started the sankirtana movement and
concerned Himself only with Krsna, remaining aloof from all mundane debates not
relating to Krsna. What Mahaprabhu came to distribute was never
offered before to the masses by any other direct or indirect incarnations of
the Lord (anarpita).
Mahaprabhu showed the actual position of karma
and jnana as being
subordinate to bhakti
and by introducing and establishing prema,
or the divine love of Godhead as the highest attainment that can fully satisfy
the inner hankering of the jiva,
Mahaprabhu harmonized all the different views of the scriptures.
O Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! O ocean of mercy! Let there be an awakening of Your
auspicious mercy, which gives rise to all good fortune: It easily destroys all
lamentation; it is pure and awakens transcendental bliss; it quiets all
disagreements in the different scriptures; it intoxicates the soul with a taste
of the transcendental mellows; it stimulates the joys of eternal devotional
service, causing the recipient to lose external consciousness; it brings peace
from all sensual desires, and demonstrates both the paths of spontaneous
devotion and that of respect for the rules and regulations. (Cc.Madhya.10.119)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati comments on this
verse as follows:
“When one reads the various different
scriptures, one often becomes confused by the conflicting arguments presented
therein. As soon as one receives the mercy of the Lord, however, the heart
becomes intoxicated with the wine of Krsna and this intoxication arising out of
the Lord’s mercy puts to rest all the confusion arising out of the dissenting
views of various sectarian scriptures. An appreciation of the sweetness of
devotion engages the conditioned soul in constant service to the Lord’s lotus
feet. At that point, the fortunate living entity takes pleasure in nothing but
the divine love of Krsna. Krsna’s mercy is thus spotless (nirmala); it carries the
taste of spiritual life (rasada)
and is filled with intoxicating jubilation (sa-mada).”
Conclusion
Jnana is a
vast ocean and without proper direction the end is misconception, but just as
the pole star gives an idea about the correct direction, the Supreme Lord
manifests Himself as Sri Guru to guide us in our spiritual journey. Thus, the
acceptance of and adherence towards Sri Guru is indispensable if we wish to
succeed – without him all our endeavors are futile. Just as the road is a means to the destination and
not an end in itself, jnana
is also just the means to the end and not an end in itself and is properly
applied only when the end is loving devotion towards the Supreme Lord without a
tinge of jnana and karma (jnanakarmadi anavrtam). Hence one
should pursue jnana
only to increase one’s attachment towards the Supreme Lord who, being the
master of all knowledge, will certainly bless him with the fruit of jnana-sunya-bhakti.
These three are difficult to obtain in
this world, and depend on the mercy of God – the human birth, the desire for
salvation, and the company of great-souls. (Viveka-cudamani
3)
The jivatma,
having come to this material world accepts many different bodies in its journey
– tree, bug, bird, animal, human, demigod, etc. Being bound by the body,
limited life and karma,
the jiva enjoys and
suffers the fruits of his activities in every body. The jiva accepts four different
types of bodies – svedaja
(engendered by sweat and steam: microbes, germs etc), udbhijja (vegetable kingdom),
andaja (born from
eggs) and jarayuja
(born from paramour: human beings and the animal kingdom), over and over and
only because of some sukrti,
human life is attained. Of the 8,400,000 species of life only in human life can
one attempt to understand spiritual knowledge. Having attained this gift of human life if one does
not utilize it to understand the self, the Supreme, the way to go back to
Godhead and with determination practice it under the guidance of a real guru,
this life is simply wasted. Wealth comes and goes like a dream. Youth withers
like a flower. Old age waits like a tiger. Diseases thrash like enemies.
In an improperly burnt earthen pot, water is lost without our notice. Similarly, human life is lost every moment without
us realizing it. With yogic power the wind can be stopped, ether can be cut
into pieces, waves in the ocean can be collected together and many more
never-before occurring things can be done. But death cannot be checked. With
the passage of time, earth will be burnt, Mount Meru will melt, and oceans will
evaporate. It is no surprise then that this body will vanish. Having drunk the
wine of worldly illusion the jiva
remains ignorant to the truth of life. He sees others around him suffering and
dying every day but still lives as though he is eternal. Of the hundred years of human life, half is spent
in sleep, twenty years in childhood and twenty years in old age. In the
remaining time, when he is strong and capable, the unintelligent man spends his
morning in cleaning his body, day time in working hard to maintain his family
and social status and spends the night in sex and sleep. Like this his entire
life is spent wastefully. The jiva
thinks that wife, children, wealth and relatives are his. He thinks, “I have
done so much and so much more has to be done”. As he is engrossed in thinking
like this, death jumps like a wolf on the sheep-like jiva and drags him away to
hell. Therefore self-realization has to be done now; pious activities have to
be performed now. Because death does not wait for anyone thinking this person
is planning to do all this. Old age shows the way towards death. When one gets
old he should understand that soon he will die. The enemy called death marches
towards us aided by soldiers called diseases. Only the Supreme Lord Sri Hari
can protect a jiva
from death. Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita:
svalpamapy asya dharmasya trayate mahato-bhayat
What is this mahato-bhaya
(greatest danger) for every jiva?
It is indeed death because death takes him away from his loved body and the
loved ones to an unknown destination. He gets scared at this thought about
death and feels totally insecure and lost. Like a lump of flesh, cut by the weapon of desire,
mixed with the ghee of senses, cooked in the fire of attachment and aversion,
death eats away the man. The young, the old, the children, the one in a womb —
are all consumed by death. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are equally
available for all animals. Only a human being can know by his intelligence what
is good for him and what is not. If he does not understand this he is
considered equal to an animal. We have this human life for a short time. This
world is duhkhalayam
(full of miseries) and asasvatam
(temporary). Therefore when one has sound mind and sound senses, one should do
the activities of self-realization. Prahlada Maharaja in his instructions to
his young schoolmates says:
Right from age of eight one has to perform
devotional activities in the footsteps of great devotes of Sri Krsna. An old
adage in English goes – “What you learn at eight remains till eighty.” In the association of saintly persons, one can
understand the purpose of human life. Association of saintly persons and
intelligence are the two eyes of a man without which he is blind. Attracted by karma-kanda, people chant so
many mantras,
perform many rituals and fire sacrifices (homa
and yajna) and
punish their body with severe fasting and other austerities. Bewildered by mahamaya (worldly illusion)
and bereft of proper knowledge of the absolute and the purpose of human life,
these people are uselessly punishing their body and wasting their life. Having
long matted hair and a big beard does not make one guru or yogi. One does not become a yogi just by living all his
life on the banks of Ganga. If it was so, the fish and frogs living in her
waters would become yogis.
One does not become tapasvi
by giving up food and living only on water. If it was so, the cataka bird and paravata bird who never drink
water on the earth would become tapasvis.
Trying to search for the Supreme Brahman, people
fall in the blind well of sad-darsanas
(the six philosophies of India). Of the sad-darsanas,
the first is the Vaisheshika philosophy of Kanada Rsi. According to him,
everything is made of atoms. So many atomic particles have combined and
produced this world by chance, with no necessity of any reason, rhyme,
consciousness, nothing of the kind. And the outcome of these combinations has
produced what we find here. Kapila Rsi has come with the Sankhya philosophical system
of analysis saying, “Analyze matter, and you will be free from all this
pain.” Patanjali Rsi has come with Yoga, “Hey, jivatma! Come to meet
Paramatma! Then all the problems of this world will go away from you. Come in
connection with Paramatma, the Supersoul.” Gautama Rsi comes with logic, nyaya-sastra: “There is one
Maker, one Creator, but He is indifferent. He has created the world, finished,
and left it. And you must try to live with the help of your reason. Be a good
logician, and then you will be able to control the environment with the power
of reason and you will be happy.” Jaimini’s Karma-mimamsa
says “There may be One who has connected us with this world and our karma, but karma is all in all. He has
got no hold on us any longer. According to our karma we shall thrive or we shall go down. So,
stick to karma,
good karma; don’t
go to bad karma.
There is God. He is bound to serve you according to your karma. He has no
independence.” Buddha says, “Only the combination of different
things has created your mental system. So with the dissolution of the mental
system, nothing remains. So, somehow we must dissolve the mental system.
Practice ahimsa,
nonviolence, satyam,
truthfulness, and so on.” Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his song: Kesava! tuya jagata vicitra,
talks about these six philosophies and then says, “But I have come to
realize that these fellows are all cheaters. And they all have this common
stand: they have no touch of your devotion, your service. There, they are one.
They cannot deliver any real good. They are common to oppose your devotional
service and supremacy. And ultimately they leave us in chaos.” Concluding the song, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “I
bid goodbye to them all. I feel in my heart that I shall show respect to all
these so-called good agents from a distance, however my only real capital is
the dust of the holy feet of your devotees. I rely on that dust as the source
of all my prospects. I seek to put all my energy into taking the dust of their
holy lotus feet upon my head. This is everything for me.” Some people read the Vedas, Vedanta,
Puranas and so many other scriptures and preach to people. They are
called jnanis by
the ignorant public. In spite of their vast reading they fall short of
understanding the essence of all the Vedika knowledge like the serving spoon
that does not know the taste of the dish that it serves. Sri Kaviraja Gosvami says: bahu sastre bahu vakye chitta bhrama haya
– reading many scriptures and hearing too many people will simply confuse
the mind. In this regard there is a verse in Garuda
Purana.
anekani ca sastrani svalpayuhu
vighnakutayaha tasmatsaram vijaniyat ksiram
hamsa ivambhasi
There are many sastras
but a short life span. Even in that short human life there are many troubles
and difficulties. Therefore, like a hamsa
(swan) bird that takes only milk from the mix of milk and water, only the
essence of all scriptures has to be taken. Pariksit Maharaja, being cursed by the brahmana that he would live
only seven more days, approached Sri Suka Mahamuni and asked him how he must
spend the remaining seven days of his life. Sri Suka Muni, a
self-realized soul, an avadhuta
and a great devotee of Sri Hari spoke SrimadBhagavatam to the
king continuously for seven days. He could just as well have spoken from other Puranas, Vedas or Upanisads, but he chose to
speak the Srimad Bhagavatam.
This drives home the point that Srimad
Bhagavatam is the sum and substance of all transcendental knowledge
in this world. And what does Srimad
Bhagavatam talk about? It talks only about the sweet pastimes of
Lord Hari, His glories, His activities and His all-merciful devotees. Therefore
Sri Caitanya Deva says that Srimad
Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta-sutra and He held this book close to His
heart. King Pariksit was fortunate enough to know when his
death would come. We ordinary mortals only know that our death is certain. It
may come right now, next moment, a month later or after. The message, however,
from King Pariksit’s life is that human life is meant only for serving the
Supreme Lord Sri Hari by any or all nine processes of bhakti, namely hearing the
glories of Lord Hari (sravanam)
and chanting those glories (kirtanam),
constantly remembering Him (smaranam)
and offering prayers to Him (vandanam),
serving the Lord’s lotus feet (pada-sevanam),
serving the supreme Lord as a servant (dasyam),
worshipping Him with flowers and incense and so forth (arcanam), serving Him as a
friend (sakhyam)
and completely offering the Lord one’s very self (atma-nivedanam). This life is meant for nothing
else, absolutely nothing. Understanding this, one has to approach a bona-fide
guru who is well versed in the science of Krsna and lives outside the
consideration of varnasrama
(jaiva-dharma).
Such a guru instructs his disciple about: (a) Knowledge of one’s relationship with the
Supreme Lord, the living entity, the material world and the relationships
between them (sambandha-jnana)
(b) The process of achieving the goal of life (abhidheya) (c) The goal of life itself (prayojana). After receiving
this knowledge, a living entity needs no other knowledge. All kinds of
scientific and theoretical knowledge of this world are automatically known to
Him. (Sajjana-tosani)
Based on the time (kala), place (desa)
and circumstance (sthiti),
the guru will appropriately engage his disciple in the service of Sri Hari and
His devotees. When the disciple follows the instructions of such a guru with
sincerity, determination and humility, his life will be successful. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu says:
brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavana jiva guru krsna prasade paya bhakti
lata bija
Millions of souls are wandering in the
universe from planet to planet and body to body. Among them only the most
fortunate one, by the mercy of guru and Krsna, gets the gift of seed of creeper
of devotion (bhakti-lata).
(Cc. Madhya 19.151)
Let us preserve this priceless gift and nourish it
in our heart so that the seed sprouts and the creeper of bhakti grows, piercing
through all the universes and finally touching the lotus feet of Sri Krsna in
Goloka Vrndavana where it bears the fruit of krsna-prema,
spontaneous and unconditional love for Sri Krsna, the ultimate goal of life.
Om Tat Sat (Continued...)
(My humble salutations toH H Sri Swami Advaita Acharya Dasa ji and H H Swami gopal Dasa ji for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)