What is raganuga-bhakti?

We have learnt about sadhana-bhakti in the chapter ‘A Scientific Study of Bhakti’.
Sadhan- bhakti is of two types –
– Vaidhi
– Raganuga

Vaidhi-bhakti is when we perform bhakti because of scriptural injunctions, while raganuga-bhakti has only one qualification – greed.
When we are greedy for Sri Krishna-prema and this is the sole reason why we practice bhakti, then we call it raganuga-bhakti.

When we practice bhakti following in the footsteps of ragatmika devotees, we can say we are performing raganuga-bhakti. Hence, if we want to know about raganuga-bhakti, first of all we have to learn what ragatmika-bhakti is.
Srila Rupa Goswamipad has defined ragatmika-bhakti as follows –

“When we have natural loving and extremely strong thirst for Sri Krishna and it makes us supremely absorbed in Him – it is called ‘raga’; that raga-bhakti is ‘Ragatmika-bhakti.’”
– (B.R.S.)

“Very loving and strong thirst for Sri Krishna is the primary (main) characteristic of raga-bhakti while absorption in Him is its secondary characteristic.”
– (C.C.Madhya.22.86)

‘Very strong thirst’ indicates that we feel an intense desire to please Sri Krishna with our seva– this is the main characteristic.
This immense greed makes us supremely absorbed in Sri Krishna – this is the secondary characteristic of raga-bhakti.

When we are completely absorbed in something, we lose touch with the external world, since we only think about how to make the ever-sportive Sri Krishna happy? How to serve Him according to our bhava? In this state we are only concerned with His seva – nothing else enters the heart of a devotee. ‘Swarasikai’ means the devotee has an intense greed to serve Sri Krishna and make Him happy by serving Him according to the rasa that he possesses. For example – if the devotee is in parental rasa he treats Sri Krishna like a child and has an immense longing to make Him taste that rasa. The devotee’s desire to make Sri Krishna happy is so enormous that he is absolutely immersed in Him. This is ragatmika-bhakti and it is present completely in the eternal associates of the Lord in Vraja dham – in fact it is present only in Vraja-dhama and never outside Vraja.

“The bhakti that is present openly in the Vrajavasis  is ‘ragatmika-bhakti’; when someone practices devotion following in the footsteps of ragatmika-bhakti, then we call it raganuga– bhakti.”
– (B.R.S.)

“Ragatmika-bhakti is present chiefly in the Vrajavasis, and Raganuga-bhakti is that which follows in the footsteps of ragatmika-bhakti.”
– (C.C.Madhya.22.85)

Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has stated the characteristics of raga-bhakti as follows –

“There are devotees who feel slight interest in raga-bhakti; however they have still not actually felt raga-bhakti. Raga-bhakti is like a radiant moon; when a little trace of the moonlight of the moon-like raga-bhakti falls in these devotees, their heart dazzles like crystal. Then they hear from the scriptures about the wonderful seva that ragatmika devotees perform, and then they are interested to achieve the same. Here we should note the point that the devotee’s heart should be clean – it should not be polluted with lust, anger, jealousy and the like. If such a devotee hears from the sadhus and the scriptures about the perfect seva rendered by the ragatmika devotees he becomes interested. Now with this interest, if he follows the footsteps of the ragatmika devotees, we can say he is performing raganuga-bhakti.

In this context ‘hear from the sadhus and scriptures’ means the devotee should hear about the loving seva performed by the Vrajavasis and how Sri Krishna relishes the rasa of their seva. When the devotee hears and glorifies these pastimes his enthusiasm knows no bounds; just as when a moon ray disperses through a prism it looks all the more beautiful, similarly the hearing and glorifying enters the clear heart of a devotee and he becomes more joyous. Thus the devotee is enthused with interest in prema-seva. This induces him in the path of raganuga-bhakti. Here ‘interest’ means the devotee realizes that the bhakti-shastras that reveal the bhava of the eternal Vrajavasi associates of Sri Krishna as the best for hearing and he wants to follow those instructions only. This happens when the devotee has past samskara in this field. From the very beginning the devotee is greedy for Sri Krishna-seva (please note: only that kind  of  seva  which  the  Vrajavasis  do) and does  not practice  bhakti  simply  because  the scriptures order us to do so.

“Ragatmika-bhakti is full of pure loving service. Some rare fortunate person is tempted by hearing about it and then he follows in the footsteps of the eternal Vrajavasi associates. A raganuga devotee does not practice bhakti just because of scriptural injunctions.”
– (C.C.Madhya. 22.87-88)

It is true that when we feel tempted, we do not care for scriptural injunctions; however if we want to gain His seva it becomes necessary to follow the processes prescribed by the bhakti- shastras.
Srila Vishwanath Chakravartipad has ordained –

“When we hear about the sweet bhava of the Vrajavasis we feel tempted; we do not care whether the scriptures tell us to practice bhakti or do not tell us. If we want to practice bhakti simply because the scriptures order us to do so we cannot say we were greedy for seva.”
– (Raga-vartma Chandrika)

However if we want to achieve the topmost goal that is Vraja-prema, then we must necessarily practice bhajan according to the rules prescribed in the raganuga–scriptures. This is because –
“If someone performs exclusive Hari-bhakti by rejecting the shrutis, smritis, purans and the pancharatra – we find that he only creates trouble.”
(Brahma-Yamal-Tantra)

Earlier we have mentioned something about ‘interest’. Now the fact is that majority of the devotees do not have this interest in the preliminary stage. Yet, when they perform bhajan according to the rules of bhakti and they continue to hear about the raga-bhakti of the Vrajavasis, they develop interest. Then they become raganuga devotees. When we hear from the devotees who are always immersed in pure love then we quickly gain interest.  We also strive to follow these devotees in the same mood as they possess. This means that if we feel greedy after hearing about the loving seva of the eternal associates who are in madhurya-bhava, we too start practicing in madhurya-bhava. Raganuga-bhajan is the spiritual practice by which we can attain that same stage of love as those devotees whom we are following (the eternal Vrajavasis in the madhurya-bhava). We have to follow scriptural rules in this process, since the raganuga scriptures aim to tell the raganuga devotees about the behavior of the eternal associates, and thus they inuse vigorous interest in us.

“siddhasya lakshanam yat syat sadhanam sadhakasya tat.”

Meaning – “We have to practice to get all those qualities that they already possess.”

When we really gain interest then the scriptures will follow us. It means that in the early stage of interest we should perform bhajan according to the rules and regulations prescribed in the scriptures, and after we gain complete interest, the rules follow us – this is the difference between early stage and mature stage.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.1.7) says –’

prāyeṇa munayo rājan
nivṛttā vidhi-ṣedhataḥ
nairguṇya-sthā ramante sma
guṇānukathane hareḥ

Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has explained this verse as follows –
“Raganuga-bhakti starts from the time we develop the slightest hint of interest. No one steps into raganuga because the scriptures order to do so. Therefore some people call it ‘avihita’ (not according to the rules). However, the ones who step in the path of bhakti not caring for the scriptural injunctions – we cannot say that they are not practicing bhakti, because we see in Srimad-Bhagavatam from above –

‘O king, very often sages, who are beyond the rules prescribed in the scriptures, are immersed in relishing Sri Hari-katha.’

For this reason the vidhi-marga is weak since the devotees in this case practice bhakti because the scriptures order them to do so, while the devotees practicing raganuga-bhakti do so not caring for the scriptural order – hence it is much stronger – we should know this fact.”
– (B.S.310)

As soon as a devotee starts with Raganuga-bhakti it makes him disinterested in anything other than bhakti. This is synonymous with greed. Srimad-Bhagavatam states that when we bend towards Sri Hari-katha then it increases our interest gradually to such an extent that all topics other than Sri Krishna lose importance for us.

Now let us learn the various types of Raga-bhakti.

The  Gradual Enhancement in Raga-bhakti

Although love for God is always great, it does depend on the devotee’s identity and Sri Bhagavan’s svarupa. When the divine form expresses majesty and sweetness most completely to a devotee, then it means that the devotee’s love for Him is also most complete. Vrajendra-Nandana Sri Krishna is Svayam Bhagavan. He is the only One Who manifests majesty and sweetness most completely and hence a devotee’s love too is most complete when it is for Vrajendra-Nandana Sri Krishna. Again love depends on how much sweetness a devotee can relish and the relation he has with Sri Krishna. In Vraja there are four types of bhava –

dasya (servitude),
sakhya (friendly)
vatsalya (parental)
madhurya (conjugal)

Amongst these bhava, sakhya bhava brings more pleasure than dasya bhava, vatsalya bhava is more enjoyable than sakhya bhava and the relish is maximum in madhurya-bhava.

We can classify ragatmika-bhakti into two –

1. sambandha-rupa
2. kama-rupa

A Vrajavasi  feels related with Sri Krishna and thinks – “I am Govinda’s servant” or “I am Govinda’s friend” or “I am Govinda’s parent”. This is ‘sambandha-rupa’. In this the devotee serves Sri Krishna according to his relation. In kama-rupa too the devotee has a relation with Sri Krishna; however in this bhakti eroticism is so dominant that it deserves special mention. This is present in the Vraja-beauties who are the source of madhurya rasa. Although they have a relation with Sri Krishna – that is – they consider Him to be their Beloved – however because their relation is extra-marital, their love is not bound by any particular name. Their love is so strong that it crosses all barriers and establishes a loving relation with Sri Krishna. Thus their love is incomparable in all creation. Although the scriptures refer to it as ‘kama’ (lust) it is supremely strong pure love or prema.

“The most dominant love of the fair sex of Vraja is referred to as ‘kama’. The dear and wise associates of Sri Bhagavan such as Uddhava crave for this sort of ‘kama’.”
– (B.R.S.)

The prema of the Gopikas is inexpressibly sweet and is called as ‘kama’. It is entirely devoid of any desire for sense-gratification and although its external symptoms resemble ‘kama’ its aim is nothing but to make Sri Krishna happy. It is indeed an inconceivable mystery!

Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has written in Priti Sandarbha –

“Vraja-Gopikas are in the mood of sweethearts. Therefore their activities resemble those of kama; for this reason we call their mood as ‘kama’. It is entirely different from the material lust  (smara) caused by the Love-god. There are many differences  between the two. Ordinarily ‘lust’ indicates desire, while ‘prema’ means we are aware of what is favourable for the person whom we love and we do everything to that effect. Sri Krishna is the object of love and the Gopis do whatever is good for Him. Such feeling is prema. This is why although the external symptoms of both kama and prema are almost similar they are extremely unlike one another. Kama indicates selfishness whereas prema means we endeavour to do what is favorable for the one we love. Thus the pure dominant prema in the Vraja-Gopis is referred to as ‘kama’ only because of external activities and we call their bhakti as ‘kama-rupa’.”

We have already mentioned how madhurya-bhava is the most enjoyable of all the bhavas. Let us see why so.

In  dasya -bhava  the  devotee performs seva such  as fanning,  offering  of  betel-leaves, massaging of feet etc.
In sakhya-bhava too we notice the same activities, however when a sakha defeats Gopal in a game, He has to undergo punishment. Then He has to carry the sakha on His shoulder. Sometimes the friends tease Him by tugging at His clothes and at other times they offer Him food that they have bitten into. All these activities are not possible for a devotee in the mood of servitude. Thus we see that sakhya-bhava is higher than dasya bhava.
Vatsalya-bhava contains the activities of dasya-bhava, however the parents scold and beat Sri Krishna, instruct Him about what is right and wrong, displays extreme care regarding His food and health.
Thus vatsalya-bhava is higher than sakhya and dasya bhava. Again we find that the activities of dasya, sakhya and vatsalya are all present in madhurya-bhava. Over and above it contains activities such as winking or gesturing with eyes, gazing with longing in the heart, embracing, kissing etc. Such sweet activities are not present in the other bhava. The Vraja-beauties manifest these activities to the fullest degree. Therefore they are established on the highest pedestal in the empire of prema.

You may ask – the relish of a certain bhava depends on the taste of the particular devotee – how can we judge the individual taste and declare madhurya-bhava as the highest? After all, the judgment depends on the devotee, does it not?

We beg to answer – you are right; the devotee considers his bhava to be the topmost. It is alright for one in parental mood (vatsalya-bhava) to feel the parental mood to be the best. However if we analyze impartially then we can decide the degree of the taste. The one who has no rasa cannot decide on topics regarding rasa. Hence one who is a rasika (situated in his own rasa), yet is impartial towards other rasa, is the right person to make the judgment so as to which rasa is the most relishing. Such a person is Uddhava Mahashaya. He was a devotee of dasya-rasa mingled with sakhya rasa. Sri Krishna sent him to Vrindavana to console the Gopis. When he arrived here he saw the remarkable exultation of viraha surging in the ocean of prema experienced by the Gopis. He realized the extreme greatness of Gopi–prema (madhurya-bhava) and begged to become a blade of grasas or at least a moss in Vrajadham so that a speck of dust from the lotus feet of the Gopis would bathe him. We see this in Srimad-Bhagavatam. This proves the superiority of madhurya-bhava.

Our next question would be – if Gopi–prema is indeed superior, then why does everybody not aspire for madhurya-bhava?

The answer is: Although madhurya-bhava is the topmost, a devotee may be interested in the other bhavas such as dasya, depending on his past samskara or may be in this life itself he has gained the kripa of some great soul who is in that bhava. Let us understand this better.

Agreed that sweet dishes are more popular, they are considered the best; yet one may like sour, salty, pungent or bitter taste and not like the other tastes so much. It differs from individual to individual. Similarly although madhurya-bhava is the topmost a devotee may not be interested in madhurya-bhava and instead be interested in dasya, sakhya etc.

Of course all this is regarding the sadhaka only. The ragatmika devotees are situated naturally in their respective states. A ragatmika devotee is one who loves Sri Krishna infinite times more than he loves himself. The ragatmika devotees are bliss personified – just like Sri Krishna. They do not perform any sadhana. As soon as they get Sri Krishna’s darshan their past rati is exulted. Amongst all the ragatmika devotees the Vraja-beauties are the highest and they are full of Mahabhava.
Sri Radha is the greatest amongst the Vraja-beauties since the Mahabhava called madan is present only in Her.
The madan-Mahabhava (or madan-akhya Mahabhava) is the zenith of prema.

We can classify madhurya-bhava (conjugal mood) into two types –

svarakiya (bound by marriage)
parakiya (extra-marital relation)

Svarakiya beloveds comprise of the 16108 queens of Dwaraka. They are lawfully wedded to Sri Krishna according to the Vedic rites. They are always alert to obey His command and steadfast in the scriptural injunctions regarding chastity.

On the other hand, the Vraja devis have rejected their dear ones and Arya-path (the rules of the civilized society) – simply out of their extraordinary love for Sri Krishna. They serve Him in an extra-marital relation. The Vraja devis are not bound to Him through any Vedic rites such as keeping the priest and fire-God as witnesses. They meet Him only because they love Him. Hence the relation they share with Sri Krishna is due to inconceivable love.  They have had to forsake their relatives and the path of good conduct to establish this relation – they had to drown all the rules of dharma and adharma.  This is the pinnacle of anuraga. As a result their prema has reached the topmost height that is Mahabhava. Only the Vraja devis are in true parakiya-bhava. Of course they are the personifications of Sri Krishna‘s svarupa-shakti (internal potency) and hence they are His eternal consorts.

“Parakiya bhava is the height of rasa and it exists nowhere other than in Vraja dham.”
– (C.C. Adi.4.47)

Srila Rupa Goswamipad says – “When Sri Krishna relishes the exulted erotic rasa that is heightened due to parakiya bhava – He proves that He is indeed The Rasika-Shekhar.”
– (U.N.)

The wonderful distinction between Sri Krishna and other divine forms is His rasa-exultation. Sri Krishna’s potency Yogmaya who is an expert in making the impossible possible shrouds the intellect of the Vraja devis and makes them forget that they are His eternal beloveds. She does this so that Sri Krishna and the Vraja devis unite in ecstatic rasa only due to extreme anuraga and not because of any social bonding. In this she enables both Sri Krishna and the Vraja-beauties to relish the rasa of prema.

(Sri Krishna is saying) –
“Yogmaya will make the Gopis feel I am their lover (not married to them). I will not know this and neither will the Gopis and we will continue eternally to steal one another’s hearts.  We will forsake the path of righteous conduct and unite with each other. Some times we will meet and at other times we will not – it will depend on luck. I will relish all this essence of rasa. Through this relish I will shower mercy on my devotees by describing the pure love of Vraja-dhama. When the devotees hear this account (of the pure love of the Gopis) they will give up Vedic rules and worship me in raga-marga.”
– (C.C.Adi.4.29-33)

We already know the ragatmika devotees are in different types of bhava; however Sriman Mahaprabhu wants us to be anugata of a certain type of ragatmika-bhava – and which one is that?

Kama-rupa bhakti

We have already learnt that Ragatmika-bhakti is of two types –
–    sambandha-rupa
–    kama-rupa

We can further classify kama-rupa bhakti into –
–    sambhog-echchamayi
–    tad-bhavaech-chatmika

“When the yutheshwaris (group-leaders) such as Srimati Radharani wish to please Sri Krishna with loving sports, their bhakti is called sambhog-echchamayi (such Gopis are called ‘nayikas’), while ‘tad-bhavaech-chatmika’ refers to those sakhis whose only desire is to unite Sri Krishna with the nayikas such as Srimati Radharani or Chandravali.”
– (B.R.S.)

These sakhis are concerned only about their yutheshwari’s pleasure even when they are in Sri Krishna’s company. They consider the pleasure of their group-leader as greater than their own happiness. Their pleasure lies in relishing the sweet joy arising out of their union. Therefore they never desire a physical relationship with Sri Krishna. When the yutheshwaris unite with Sri Krishna these sakhis derive so much joy that is many times greater than they would have gained from the physical association with Sri Krishna. This bhava of the sakhis is so wonderful that it astonishes even the nayak  Sri Krishna and the nayika, so much so, that Sri Krishna and the nayika too desire this special bhava. Since this sakhi-bhava is higher than the bhava of the nayika, it is called the ‘chief kamanuga bhakti’.

“The nature of a sakhi is indeed remarkable; she does not wish to make love to Sri Krishna. She arranges the love-sports between Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna and gains innumerable times more pleasure out of it than from her own association with Him. Srimati Radharani is like a wish- fulfilling creeper of Sri Krishna-prema, while the sakhis are its leaves, flowers and buds. When the nectarine love of Sri Krishna nourishes the creeper (Srimati Radharani) then the leaves and flowers feel more joyous than they would have felt had they been watered directly.”
– (C.C.Madhya.8.207-210)

“When Sri Krishna touches Srimati Radharani, then Her sakhis, although they may be far from Her, express shivering, perspiration, goose bumps etc. that are the signs of ecstatic pure love; and when Sri Krishna very joyously drinks the nectar of Srimati Radharani’s lips then the sakhis express intoxication – this is a most astonishing event!”
– (Sri Govinda-Lilamritam)

These sakhis are as beautiful and talented as any yutheshwari. They are absolutely in charge of the love-sports, fun and frolic. They are Vraja-beauties who are the caskets of erotic rasa. Sri Krishna and His beloveds love them more than their lives. They extol Sri Krishna to His sweetheart and sing Her glory to Him. In this manner they arouse their passion for each other and arrange for Their abhisara (secret meeting). They hand over the sweetheart to Sri Krishna, joke with them, console them, arrange their dresses, are experts at revealing the feelings of Sri Krishna and His sweetheart to the other, hide the nayika’s faults, instruct her so as to how she can cheat her husband and the elders, unite the nayak and the nayika at the right moment, offer the right seva at the right time, scold the nayak and the nayika, dispatch messages, restore the nayika’s life when she is in viraha, foil the plans of the opposite party – these are some of the sevas of these sakhis.

These sakhis are of 5 types –

1. sakhi
2. nityasakhi
3. pransakhi
4. priyasakhi
5. param-preshtha-sakhi

All these sakhis can be classified according to their nature as – Vishama-sneha,
Sama-sneha and Adhik-sneha.
The sakhis who are vishama-sneha love Sri Krishna little more than they love Srimati Radharani – e.g. Dhanishtha and Vindhya.
The sakhis who sometimes exhibit little more love for Sri Krishna and at other times little more love towards Srimati Radharani are sama-sneha. E.g. priya-sakhis such as Kurangakshi and param-preshtha sakhis such as Lalita and the Eight principle sakhis (popularly known as the Ashta-sakhis. Pran-sakhis and nitya-sakhis such as Kasturi and Manimanjari love Srimati Radharani more and are called Radha-snehadhika.

Lalita, Vishakha, Chitra, Indurekha, Champaklata, Rangadevi, Tungavidya and Sudevi are param- preshtha sakhis. Although they love Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani equally, they feel “we belong only to Radha” – hence they reveal more love for Srimati Radharani. It is a fact that they serve Sri Krishna only because He is Srimati Radharani’s Love and never as their own lover. Even though they make love to Sri Krishna – it is only to make Srimati Radharani happy.

“Although the sakhis do not like to make love to Sri Krishna, Radhika coaxes them to do so. She sends them to Sri Krishna under many pretexts since She derives much more pleasure from that than Her own association with Him. Srimati Radharani and the sakhis express especially pure love and thus nourish the pleasure of rasa. When Sri Krishna sees their love He feels satisfied.”
– (C.C.Madhya.18.212-214)

The param-preshtha sakhis love Srimati Radharani very much and this love ultimately culminates in Sri Krishna-prema. And although they express less or more love for Sri Radha-Krishna from time to time – it is their way of manifesting love naturally and they do not do so voluntarily. It is possible that we have more love for one person yet show equal love for both. Srila Rupa Goswamipad says –

“The priya-narma sakhis such as Lalita have immense love for Sri Radha-Krishna, yet they express more love for Srimati Radharani and at other times more love for Sri Krishna – this is the nature of the sakhis.”
– (U.N.)

The visham-sneha sakhis such as Dhanishtha love Sri Krishna more than Srimati Radharani, but they do not have any sakhi following them. They are in a minority. There is no process of bhajan following their path.

Now the question arises which sakhis of Srimati Radharani are the topmost? Naturally we would like to perform bhajan under their subjugation alone.

Manjari–bhava

Sri Rupa Manjari, Sri Rati Manjari, Sri Lavanga Manjari etc are adhik-snehadhika or Radha– snehadhika. They love Srimati Radharani more. We call them ‘manjaris’. In all situations they relish immeasurable and inexpressible ever-new pleasure of seva. Although they do not expect any pleasure – all they desire is seva – yet it is the nature of manjari–bhava and Sri Sri Radha- Krishna’s very confidential seva that they feel happy on their own. Their bhava is so immense that even when they are close to Sri Krishna Who is Madan-Mohan; they retain their individual freedom and yet submerge Him in the ocean of joy simply by doing seva. Their rati is the only one of its kind; it reaches the height of wonder and becomes ‘bhavollasa rati’.

“When the rati of sakhis (for Srimati Radharani) such as Lalita is equal or less than the passion for Sri Krishna, then we call their rati for Srimati Radharani as the ‘passing rati’, and that rati also nourishes their passion for Sri Krishna. However when the rati for Srimati Radharani is more than the passion for Sri Krishna, and keeps on increasing due to constant absorption in that rati, we call that passion as ‘bhavollasa’.”
– (B.R.S.)

This bhavollasa-rati is the permanent bhava of the manjaris such as Sri Rupamanjari. When we determinedly follow in the footsteps of the manjaris in this bhava and perform seva then our bhava is called ‘manjari–bhava’.

This manjari–bhava alone is the ‘hitherto unoffered’ gift of compassionate Sriman-Mahaprabhu; Sri Rupa and Sanatana  have practiced and preached this bhava only.

Srila Narottama das Thakur Mahashaya has written in his Prema-Bhakti-Chandrika –

“Do not follow the sakhis who are in the mood of sama-sneha and vishama-sneha; I shall discuss only the adhik-sneha sakhis. They remain constantly with Srimati Radharani and indulge in charming talks about Sri Krishna – they are the narma-sakhis. Sri Rupa-manjari is their leader while Sri Rati Manjari, Lavanga Manjari, Manjulali, Sri Rasa Manjari and Kasturika are the chief manjaris. They serve with love, joy and enthusiasm. I shall follow them and ask them to engage me in the loving service of the Divine Couple.
I shall understand what seva I should do by a mere hint from them.
Bouncing with beauty and talents I shall follow them with deep love and stay amidst the sakhis. When the Divine Couple will sit surrounded by the sakhis, I will serve them at the right time. When the sakhi gestures I will fan Them with the fly-whisk and offer betel-leaf at Their sweet lips.
I will meditate constantly on the lotus feet of the divine Couple with deep love. Whatever I meditate upon during my sadhana I shall get in my siddha-deha – this is the only process in the path of eternal love.”– (P.B.C.)

A raganuga devotee should take the shelter of the eternal associates such as Sri Rupa Manjari and surrender unto them; in this manner we should worship in manjari–bhava (given to us by our Spiritual Master). We should be more enthusiastic about serving Srimati Radharani than serving Sri Krishna and think of ourselves as Srimati Radharani’s very near and dear person. We may ask
– ‘All the scriptures proclaim Sri Krishna-prema as the topmost achievable goal, then why should we love Srimati Radharani more than Sri Krishna?” The reply is that – Sri Krishna is controlled by Srimati Radharani. When we love Her, we will attain Sri Krishna-prema much more and this will happen automatically.
Srila Rupa Goswamipad has written –

“vayam-idam-anubhuya shikshayama, kuru chature ! saha radhayaiva sakhyam, priya-sahachari ! yatra vadhamantar-bhavati hari-pranaya-pramoda-lakshmih.”
–     (U.N.)

Srila Vishwanath Chakravartipad has explained this verse as follows in his Ananda-Chandrika purport –

Sri Mani Manjari instructed a new manjari –“My dear clever girl, I am telling you from my own experience, it is better you make friends with Srimati Radha. You may ask – why should I form a loving relation with Srimati Radha? Rather, is it not better to establish a loving relation with Sri Krishna? No, it is not. I’ll tell you why – please listen carefully. No doubt it is highly pleasurable to get Sri Hari’s love; but if you love Srimati Radharani deeply then that precious pleasure will present itself to you on its own. This is because love for Sri Krishna is included within your love for Srimati Radha. Hence if you make friends with Her – it is needless to say that – a loving relation with Sri Krishna will form naturally.

When you become Srimati Radharani’s firm sakhi, then Sri Krishna will consider you as His beloved’s dear friend and so He will love you all the more. He will not love you so much if you make friends with Him directly, however He will love you more if you love Her. So I am telling you if you can prove your love for Srimati Radharani then Sri Krishna will love you even if you do not try for it.  Sri Krishna is happier when our love for Srimati Radharani is more than our love for Him.  Also when Srimati Radharani does man or if the elders shut Her up in the house, then Sri Krishna will need you desperately to help Him meet Her. Then He will, on His own, run behind you to make friends with you. You see, you don’t have to work hard to make friends with Him.”

Especially if we wish to relish the sweet rasa of Sri Krishna then worshiping the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani becomes inevitable. Srila Raghunath das Goswamipad has written –

“The one who has not worshiped the dust of Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet, has not taken shelter of Sri Vrindavana that is decorated with Her footprints, has not conversed with the great devotees who are deeply immersed in Srimati Radharani’s servitude, how will such a person ever relish the most mysterious fathomless ocean of rasa that is Sri Krishna?” – (Stavavali)

This is the sole reason why Sripad Raghunatha das Goswamicharan has rejected the position of Srimati Radharani’s sakhi and has begged Her to exclusively make him Her maidservant –

“O Devi Radhike, to become a servant of Your lotus feet is the highest position; leaving this I do not desire anything else (such as the position of Your sakhi). I pay obeisance to Your sakhi-hood eternally, however please let me always remain rooted in the position of Your maidservant – this is my pledge.” – (V.K.)

Srimati Radharani’s servitude is not a mean thing – it is the highest position or the most blessed status. Srimati Radharani’s maidservant is a servant in spite of being a sakhi. She has the right to the entire sweet rasa. First she relishes sweet rasa and then she performs seva. Therefore Srimati Radharani’s servitude is overflowing with rasa.

Sometimes, by Srimati Radharani’s wish sakhis such as Lalita do unite with Sri Krishna, yet the manjaris never have a conjugal relation with Him. They are so much averse to it that even if Sri Krishna begs them for it and even if their group leader orders them to do so – the manjaris never ever have the slightest wish to make love to Sri Krishna in spite of such an activity being extremely joyous. Sri Vrindavana-Mahimamritam says –

“The manjari is exclusively immersed in relishing the rasa of serving the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, and she never accepts love-dalliance with Sri Krishna even in her dreams (definitely not when awake). When Sri Krishna forcibly tears her bodice and makes an advance towards her, then the manjari tearfully protests and laments – and beholding this scene – Srimati Radharani, the Beloved of my life laughs.’

Even sakhis such as Lalita do not get the pleasure of serving the Divine couple in a manner that the manjaris can serve. We are fortunate to get such seva when we are completely surrender at Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet.

“I seek the refuge of Srimati Radharani’s maidservants headed by Sri Rupa Manjari – who can move freely and unhesitatingly in the sports ground of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna’s love-making – that even  the  pran-preshtha sakhis  such  as  Lalita  cannot –  and they  constantly  please Srimati Radharani, Who is the controller of Sri Vrindavana, with their sweet seva, such as offering tambul, massaging feet, offering water and helping in abhisar.”
– (Vraja-Vilasa-Stava)

We, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, who wish to become Srimati Radharani’s maidservants, pray from the bottom of our hearts –

“When will I get the association of my sakhi and sew flower-garlands for both of Them? O when will I stand in front of them fanning Them with the fly-whisk?  And anoint Them with aguru and chandan? When, on the command of the sakhi, will I offer tambul? And adorn Their foreheads with sindur and tilak? When will I behold their charming and loving pastimes with my eyes? And gaze at Their moon like faces after seating Them on the throne? I wish to relish that sweetness with all my heart – when will Narottama das get such mercy?”
– (Prarthana)

Let us learn how to achieve this superlative state by practicing bhajan in manjari-svarupa.

How to perform Raganuga bhajan

The Vrajavasis are the eternal associates of Sri Krishna and they have a very special bhava for Him. When we hear about their bhava and how they express it, if we feel greedy to achieve the same bhava, then we are qualified for Raganuga bhajan. Srila Rupa Goswamipad says this in B.R.S. –

“tesham bhavaptaye lubdho bhavaedatradhikaravan.”

He has also described in detail how such a qualified devotee should perform Raganuga bhajan – “krisham smaran janan-chasya preshtham nija-samihitam,

tat-tat-katharatashchasou kuryad-vasam vraje sada.
seva sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena chatrahi,
tad-bhava-lipsuna karya Vraja-lokanusaratah.”

Meaning – “We should meditate on our Beloved Sri Krishna and His Beloved, associate with devotees who are in the same mood as ourselves (swajatiya devotee) and if possible, we should reside in Vrindavana in our sadhak-body also. If we are incapable of doing so then we should at least live here mentally. We should take the shelter and  surrender unto the Vrajavasi-devotee who is dear to Sri Krishna, and craving to get the same bhava as that devotee, we should constantly perform seva in our sadhak-svarupa (externally) and in our siddha-svarupa (mentally).”
– (B.R.S.)

Srila Vishwanath Chakravartipad has explained the above two verses as follows –

“In these two verses Srila Rupa Goswamipad has explained the proper way to perform Raganuga bhajan. ‘Preshtha’ (in the above verse) refers to our Beloved Sri Nanda-Nandan in His budding youth. We should worship Sri Krishna in this form alone, but at the same time we should constantly remember His eternal associates who have similar desire as we and we should reside in Vraja dham in this manner. If possible we should physically live in some place in Vraja dham such as Vrindavana etc. and in case we are incapable of doing so, it is our duty to live there at least in mind.

‘Sadhak-form’ means the body that we are in at present, and ‘siddha-deha’ indicates the body that is worthy of serving in the divine world, that on which we should meditate upon. In this divine form (siddha-deha) we should serve under the command of Sri Radha, Lalita, Vishakha, Sri Rupa- manjari and other sakhis who are very dear to Sri Krishna and they wish to relish the sweet bhava of Sri Krishna. In the sadhak-body we should serve following the instructions of the Goswamis such as Sri Rup and Sanatan. This signifies that in siddha-svarupa we should perform seva mentally under the guidance of Sri Radha, Lalita, Vishakha and Sri Rupa-manjari, while in sadhak body we should do seva under the subjugation of the Vrajavasis such as Sri Rup and Sanatan. This is our duty.

Here ‘anusaratah’ does not mean ‘anukaran’ or imitation (we should not imitate the Goswamis or the eternal divine associates), rather it indicates ‘anusaran’ – which means – we should serve according to their command and following their bhava.”

True, in Raganuga path meditating on the divine pastimes is the main sadhana, however in the primary stage we are not qualified for leela-smaran. Therefore we should concentrate more on hearing, chanting and following the other rules of bhakti.  Then as our chitta gets more and more purified,  we  are  drawn  towards  leela-smaran.  Slowly  our  smaran  becomes  more  intense. Ultimately when we reach the zenith of bhajan, leela-smaran naturally becomes the major part of bhajan. We should note that all the parts of bhakti mentioned in vaidhi-bhakti are useful in Raganuga bhajan also.

Srila Rupa Goswamipad mentions this in the verse –
“shravanot-kirtanadini vaidha-bhaktyuditani tu, yanyangani cha tanyatra vigneyani manishibhih.”
–     (B.R.S.)

Here hearing and chanting also includes accepting the shelter of Sri Gurudev’s lotus feet and other fundamentals of bhakti as well. We should realize that all the rules of bhakti that we have already mentioned, and they are the parts of vaidhi-bhakti – we should stick to them in Raganuga bhajan also. If we do not obey the instructions of the Vrajavasi Goswamis such as Sri Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami etc., how can we say we are surrendered unto them? Then how can we follow in their footsteps? The serious devotees should practice only those rules that are in accordance with their bhava and never do what is contrary to it – such as aham grahopasana, mudra, nyas, meditating on Dwaraka, worshiping Sri Rukmini etc. Although the agam-shastras mention these processes of bhakti, a Raganuga sadhak should not perform them.

Raganuga practice has two limbs – external and internal. External practice is done with our sadhak-body, while we perform internal  sadhana by meditating on  our siddha-deha. In the sadhak-body we should hear, chant, forsake material pleasures, and serve The Deities with actual ingredients. We should meditate on our siddha-deha and serve Sri Krishna Who is our Beloved with this body for only the siddha-deha is worthy of serving the divine Couple. We should seek refuge of Srimati Radharani Who is the object of our love and surrender unto Her and Her dear ones. It is our duty to strive for that brilliant rasa and following the instructions of Sri Rupa-manjari we should collect objects in meditation for internal seva and serve the divine couple as the time and situation demands.

“bahya antar ihar dui to sadhan, bahya – sadhak-dehe kore shraban kirtan. mone – nija siddha-deha koriya bhabon, ratridine kore braje radha-krishner seban.”

Meaning – “Raganuga bhajan comprises of two practices – external and internal. Externally, we should hear and chant, while we should meditate on our siddha deha and serve Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja dham all day and night.”
– (C.C. Madhya.22.89-90)

Manjari-bhava-sadhana has  two  forms of worship

Sri Krishna’s pastimes are of two types – manifested unmanifested

When material people can see the divine pastimes with material eyes, we call such lilas as ‘prakat lila’ or manifested pastimes.
On the other hand, when the people of this world cannot see the divine pastimes, we call such pastimes as ‘aprakat lila’ or ‘unmanifested pastimes.’ Both the lilas  are identical.
The  difference  lies  in  who  is  able to  see it  and  who  is  not.  The unmanifested pastimes do not mix with worldly people and mundane objects, while the prakat lila is mixed up with the material world. Although the prakat lila is not subject to change – just like Sri Krishna’s form that is always divine – it appears to have a beginning and an end. However these lilas are not controlled by time and place – we should realize this.
These pastimes too occur by His wish alone and His svarupa shakti controls them.

“We can worship Sri Krishna’s unmanifested pastimes in two ways – swarasikai and mantramayi”
– (Sri Krishna-Sandarbha.153)

Mantramayi worship

Sri Krishna is present in Yogpitha in different places. He is surrounded by His associates who are seated in various positions. When  we  meditate  on  them  as  such  and  worship them  with mantras mentioned in the scriptures, we call it mantramayi worship.
In Vraja-dhama there are different places where the Yogpitha- lila takes place. In this worship, Sri Krishna is present with His associates in one particular place and the entire worship takes place in this place only– therefore mantramayi worship resembles a lake with still water.

Swarasikai worship

Swarasikai lilas are those pastimes of Sri Krishna that are according to our mood (in the case of a Manjari it is the sweet mood or conjugal mood). They do not occur at the same place and at the same time. They are without a beginning, middle and end. They are extremely variegated. Each pastime is unique. Different pastimes occur in different places and at different times. These lilas resemble a flowing river.

“These lilas take place as and when He wishes and differs from situation to situation.”
– (Sri Krishna-Sandarbha, 153)

Just as a river may have lakes in between, the swarasikai leela (that is like a river) have the Yogapitha lila (that resembles a lake) within it. When we meditate on these variegated pastimes throughout the day, we call it swarasikai worship.

Boudhayan Smriti states the meditation in mantramayi worshias follows –

“govindam manasa dhyayed gavam madhye sthitam shubham, barha peeda-samyuktam venuvadanatatparam, gopijanaih parivritam vanya-pushpavatamsakama.”

Meaning – “Meditate  on Sri Govinda in your mind – he is present in all, He is adorning a crown of peacock-feathers, ready to play on His flute, surrounded by the Gopis and His ear-rings are made of wild flowers.”

Sri Gopal-Tapani Shruti too mentions mantramayee worship as follows –

“Tada hovacha – hairanyo gopaveshamabhrabham tarunam kalpadrumashritam. Tadiha shloka bhavanti –‘satpundarikanayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram, dwibhujam mounamudradhyam vanamalinamishwam. gopa-gopi-gavavritam sura-druma-talashritam, divyalankaranopetam ratnamandapamadhyagam. kalindi-jala-kallola-sangimaruta-sevitam, chintayech-chetasa krishnam mukto bhavati samsriteh.’
‘govindam sach-chidananda-vigraham.’ Iti.

Meaning – Lord Brahma said –“Sri Krishna is dressed as a cowherd boy, He is cloud-complexioned, adolescent and His eyes are shaped like lotus petal. He is clad in yellow dhoti, has two hands and is silent. He is wearing a garland of wild flowers and He is the Controller. Brilliant ornaments adorn Him and the Gopas, Gopis and the cows surround Him. He is seated on a gem-studded throne beneath a wish-fulfilling tree. The breeze blowing across the Kalindi River and laden with water droplets is serving Him. If we serve such Sri Krishna in meditation, we will be verily liberated from the material ocean. We should worship Him with words such as ‘Govinda’, ‘sach-chidananda’ etc.”

 Mantramayee worship is of two types –

– yogapitha worship
– archa-vigraha worship

We should perform Yogapitha-worship in meditation according to the descriptions given in Sri Govinda-Lilamrita, Sri Krishna-Bhavanamrita etc. Also Sri Govinda is Himself present on every altar in a silent form to accept the loving service from His devotees. When we serve Him with utmost love, He will give up His silence and instruct us how to serve Him better. He may speak to the devotee in a dream or when he is awake. However when Sri Krishna speaks to a devotee in the awakened state, it is extremely confidential and our preceptors have forbidden us to discuss this in detail – therefore such devotees have not recorded it in writing. Sri Hari-Bhakti-Vilas is the topmost Smriti have stated the guidelines regarding this form of worship.

Sri  Krishna’s  Lila-shakti  wants  Him  to  enjoy  various  lilas; therefore  she  manifests  the  right  lilas  at his  right  time. The swarasikai leela enfolds the mantramayi lila in her arms  and is flowing in all it colourful variegatedness since eternity. During the prakat-lila  (the  pastimes  that  material  people  can  see  with mundane yes) when Sri Krishna leaves Vrindavana and goes to Mathura, then the associates of Vraja are scorched with viraha. However even then, the swarasikai leela continues in a shrouded manner and it contains the Yogapitha lila. But, although the associates do realize this, they do not accept  this  as  real. Due  to  extreme  viraha,  they  feel  it  is  but  a  sphurti. Srila Rupa Goswamipad has said –
“Sri Krishna is always sporting with the Vrajadevis in Vrindavana and performing loving pastimes such as the Rasa-lila – they are never separated from Him.”
– (U.N.)

Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has explained this statement as follows
– “These words certainly refer to the aprakat lila (the pastimes that cannot be seen with mundane eyes). ‘Vrindavana’ indicates the ‘unmanifested Vrindavana’.” This means that Sri Krishna is always sporting  with the Vrajavasis. There is no question of separation.

Padma Puran too states –
“go-gopa-gopika sange kridati kamasaha”

Meaning – “The enemy of Kamasa (Sri Krishna) sports with the cows, Gopas and Gopis.”

How the Gaudiya Vaishnavas should relish the eternal pastimes

‘Kridati’  indicates  the  simple  present  tense.  This  means  that  Sri Krishna is always engaged in divine play in Vrindavana. Sri Brahma glorified Lord Govinda in Brahma-Samhita as follows –

“Vrindavana is an abode of gem-studded palaces and is decorated with innumerable wish-fulfilling trees. There He is taking care of countless Surabhi-cows. Hundreds of thousands of Gopa beauties surround Him and serve Him most lovingly. I adore That Primeval Being – Sri Govinda.” This verse proves swarasikai lila.

Sri Sri Nabadweep is non-different from Vraja-dham and Sri Gaursundar is the united form of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Therefore the Gaudiya Vaishnavas should relish the sweetness of both these Holy places and assist the eternal pastimes in the form of loving devotees. As sadhaks we should at first perform Yogapitha-meditation (mantramayi worship) in Sridham Nabadwip and worship Sri Gaursundar along with His associates in the mind.
When Sriman-Mahaprabhu is engrossed in Vraja-bhava along with His confidantes, we too should enter the Yogapitha seva in Manjari-svarupa and perform mental worship of Sri Sri Radha-Madhav surrounded by the sakhis (mantramayi worship). This continues into meditating on the various pastimes throughout the day (ashta-yam) and we call this the ‘swarasikai-worship’.

“Whatever we meditate upon during sadhana, we shall get in siddha-svarupa”.
– (P.B.C.)

Following this rule the sadhak is blessed by serving in both the lilas in the eternal abodes in siddha-svarupa.

“Here I shall get Sri Gaurachandra and there Radha-Krishna”
– (Srila Narottama das Thakur Mahashaya)

This is the most confidential truth of raganuga-practice by those Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are humbly surrendered unto Sriman-Mahaprabhu and the preceptors appointed by Him such as Sri Rupa and Sanatana.
In fact, this is the path of bhajan revealed by Sriman-Mahaprabhu, preached and practiced by His confidential associates.