TEXT 3:
vaidhi bhaktir bhavet sastram bhaktau cet syat pravartakam
raganuga syac ced bhaktau lobha eva pravartakah
“When devotion is prompted by scriptural injunctions, then that is called vaidhi-bhakti, but when it is prompted simply by spiritual greed, then it is called raganuga-bhakti.”
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
We have explained that there are two kinds of sadhana bhakti – ‘vaidhi’ and ‘raganuga’, and the author is giving the characteristics of these two kinds of devotion here.
When devotion is prompted by orders received from the scriptures, which means that the revealed scriptures describe how those who are averse to worshipping Lord Hari will have to suffer by wandering through many miserable species of life as well as through hell, and one commences bhajana out of fear of this suffering, then this is called vaidhi-bhakti.
In Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu the definition of vaidhi-bhakti is given –
yatra raganavaptatvat pravrittir upajayate
sasanenaiva sastrasya sa vaidhi bhaktir ucyate (1.2.6)
“That devotion that knows no attachment or greed, but that is prompted by the orders from the scriptures is named vaidhi-bhakti.”In his commentary on this verse Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada has written – rago’tra sri murter darsanad dasama skandhiya tat tal lila sravanac ca bhajana lobhah – “The word raga can be used when one’s worship is prompted by sacred greed after seeing the beautiful deity of the Lord or by hearing about His pastimes in the Tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavata.” When worship is not prompted by such greed, but by the orders of the scriptures, then it is called vaidhi-bhakti.
In Srimad Bhagavata (11.5.2-3) there is a clear scriptural warning to those who are averse to worshipping Lord Hari, in the words of the Lord:
mukha bahuru padebhyah purushasyasramaih saha
catvaro jajnire varna gunair vipradayah prithak
ya esham purusham sakshad atma-prabhavam isvaram
na bhajantyavajananti sthanad bhrashtah patantyadhah
“From the face, arms, thighs and feet of the Purusha (the Universal form) the four social orders like the brahmanas, the gunas like sattva and the four stages of life, like householder life, gradually emanated. Those within the varnasrama system who do not worship their own origin Sri Hari, and therefore disobey and disrespect Him will fall down from their social station.”
cari varnasrami yadi krishna nahi bhaje;
sva-dharma koriya-o raurave padi maje (C.C.)
“Those in the four social orders who do not worship Krishna will fall into hell, even if they perform their occupational duties.”
The devotion or bhajana marga that is thus prompted by scriptural injunctions is called vaidhi marga. And the devotion that is prompted by greed, caused by hearing about the pastimes of Sri Krishna, is called raganuga marga. Srimat Rupa Gosvamipada has given the following definition of raganuga:
virajantim abhivyaktam vrajavasi-janadishu
ragatmikam anusrita ya sa raganugocyate
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.270)
“The devotion which is clearly present in the eternal associates of Vraja is called ragatmika bhakti, and devotion in the wake of this ragatmika bhakti is called raganuga bhakti.”
ragatmika bhakti mukhya vrajavasi-jane
tara anugata bhakti raganuga name (C.C.)
“The people of Vraja practise ragatmika bhakti and the devotion that follows in its wake is called raganuga.”
In his Bhakti Sandarbha (310) Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada has written:
atra vishayinah svabhaviko vishaya samsargecchatisayamayah prema ragah yatha cakshur adinam saundaryadau; tadrisa evatra bhaktasya sri bhagavatyapi raga ityucyate. yasya purvokte raga viseshe rucir eva jatasti na tu raga visesha eva svayam tasya tadrisa raga sudhakara karabhasa samullasita hridaya sphatika maneh sastradi srutasu tadrisya ragatmikaya bhakteh paripatishvapi rucir jayate. tatas tadiyam ragam rucyanugacchanti sa raganuga tasyaiva pravartate.
“The natural love and desire of a sense enjoyer for his favourite sense objects is called raga. Just as the eyes are attracted to beautiful scenes and other senses are attracted to their favourite sense objects and need no encouragement in this, similarly when the heart of a devotee is naturally attracted to the Lord then this anxious thirst of love is called raga. When even a semblance of the moon rays of the aforementioned raga (which is situated within the hearts of the eternal associates of Krishna) falls on the crystal-like heart of a devotee who attained a little taste for this aforementioned raga, but did not really developed the real raga yet, then the whole heart rejoices, and when he learns about it from the scriptures he develops a taste for the expert devotional service of these ragatmika devotees.”
The purport of this is that when those devotees whose hearts are clear from lust, anger, greed and envy hear from the scriptures and the mouths of the saints about the loving skill in devotional service of the ragatmika bhaktas their taste will awaken. With such ruci they will follow them and thus their raganuga-bhakti will commence. Thus it is to be understood. (3)
TEXT 4:
bhaktau pravrittir atra syat taccikirsha suniscaya
sastral lobhat tac cikirshu syatam tad adhikarinau
“Engagement in devotion according to the devotional scriptures means having an exclusive desire to perform devotional practices. The two kinds of candidates for devotional service (vaidhi and raganuga) commence for two different reasons: fear of scriptural injunctions (the vidhi bhakta) and intense sacred greed (the raganuga bhakta) respectively.”
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
In the bhakti sadhana-marga there is no consideration of individual qualification or distinction between different levels of practitioners, as is the case in the jnana, karma and other sadhana-margas. Bhakti is a sadhana path that can be followed by anyone. Bhakti is beneficial for all, whether well behaved or ill behaved, knowledgeable or ignorant, detached or attached. Since bhakti is the path for everyone there is no obstacle for anyone to tread it. Thus the only factor that causes one to commence the practice of bhakti is simply a strong desire to take part in its different events. This desire can arise for two reasons, one is fear of the scriptural injunctions, which means that the scriptures prescribe that all living entities should worship the Lord, and one commences bhakti out of fear that otherwise there will certainly be trouble. The other one arises when one hears from the scriptures about the expert love of the Lord’s eternal associates and out of sacred greed one begins to desire bhajana. In this way there are two kinds of candidates for bhakti. Srimat Rupa Gosvami has given definitions of both these kinds of candidates, for vaidhi and raganuga bhakti.
The definition of the vaidhi-marga’s candidate is as follows:
yah kenapyati bhagyena jata sraddho’sya sevane
natisakto na vairagya bhagasyam adhikaryasa
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.14)
“When, by a stroke of inconceivable luck, a person develops faith and liking for serving Krishna (bhakti marga) due to having associated with great saints, but has not yet attained firm attachment to the Lord and is only slightly averse to bodily attachments – such a person is eligible for sadhana bhakti.” The candidate for raganuga is described as follows:
ragatmikaika nishtha ye vrajavasi janadayah
tesham bhavaptaye lubdho bhaved atradhikaravan
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.291)
“A person who is simply greedy after the unalloyed, ecstatic ragatmika bhakti-love for Krishna of the Vrajavasis, is a candidate for raganuga bhakti.”
The difference between the candidates for vaidhi and raganuga bhakti is that eligibility for vaidhi bhakti is caused by ‘sraddha’ (faith) and eligibility for raganuga bhakti is caused by ‘lobha’ (sacred greed).
The candidate for vaidhi bhakti gradually advances in his sadhana by keeping his faith in the purports of the scriptures and some ruci gradually awakens as a result of his reverential attitude towards the Lord, and meets with his sraddha. But this ruci remains a secondary factor, and his bhajana continues mainly on the basis of his sraddha. And the candidates for raganuga bhakti are prompted by greed after the sweet feelings of the nitya siddha Vrajavasis. Their practice of ruci-sadhana gradually develops and meets with deep sraddha; but here sraddha remains the secondary factor and ruci the primary. He remains engaged in bhajana that bears the shape of sraddha, but in which ruci is primary.
This is definitely different in kind from the sraddha that prompts vaidhi bhakti and much more powerful also, because the absorption that raganuga bhakti causes within the consciousness is never created on purpose, since ruci is the innate function of the heart. This is the difference between eligibility for vaidhi and raganuga bhakti. However, there is no difference in the course of devotion or bhajana itself. In other words, all the items that are named as the items of vaidhi bhakti, such as hearing and chanting, are also to be practised in raganuga bhakti (the author will clearly describe that himself later). (4)
TEXT 5:
tatra lobho lakshitah svayam sri rupa gosvami caranair eva –
tat tad bhavadi madhurye srute dhir yad apekshate
natra sastram na yuktim ca tal lobhotpatti lakshanam
(B.R.S. 1.2.292)
vrajalila parikarastha sringaradi bhava madhurye srute dhir idam mama bhuyat iti lobhotpatti-kale sastra yukty apeksha na syat satyam ca tasyam lobhatvasyaivasiddheh. nahi kenacit sastra drishtya lobhah kriyate napi lobhaniya vastu praptau svasya yogyayogyatva vicarah ko’py udbhavati. kintu lobhaniya vastuni srute drishte va svata eva lobha utpadyate.
“Srila Rupa Gosvami has personally given the following definition of lobha (sacred greed) in Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu: ‘When the heart yearns for the sweetness of the mutual feelings of Krishna and His eternal associates in Vraja, and one is not dependent on scriptural injunctions or logical arguments, then that is the definition of ‘the cause of sacred greed’. If one thinks: ‘Let me attain such sweet feelings also’, after hearing about feelings such as the transcendental erotic feeling towards Krishna of His associates (the gopis) in Vraja, then one need not wait for favorable sanctions from the revealed scriptures or logical arguments. If such impetuses (scriptures and arguments) are there, then it cannot be justly called ‘sacred greed’. This greed never arises in anyone on such bases, nor does the candidate ever consider whether he is qualified for this path of raganuga bhakti or not. Rather, simply after hearing about the desired subject matter, or seeing it, that sacred greed will arise in him. “
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
Here the blessed author describes the cause of greed for raganuga bhakti, which is rooted in sacred greed, the means to attain that greed and the symptoms of that greed. When one becomes slightly experienced by hearing the sweet stories from Srimad Bhagavata and the lila-granthas of the rasika bhaktas that preach the same conclusion about the feelings, forms and attributes of the Vrajavasis like Sri Nanda and Yasoda that please all the senses of Sri Krishna one becomes independent from scriptural injunctions and logical arguments and develops a certain consciousness, a desire for those sweet feelings – and that is called the root cause of sacred greed. Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada has written in his Gopala Campu-grantha (Purva 1.81):
harir gopa-kshauni-pati mithunam anye ca vividha
na nah kruram cittam mridulayitum isa lavam api
aho! tesham prema vilasati harau yas tu balavan
harer va yas teshu drutayati sa eva pratipadam
“Nor Hari Himself, nor Goparaja Sri Nanda, nor Vrajesvari Yasoda nor any of the other people of Vraja could soften my cruel heart even slightly. But, aho! By constantly meditating on the natural love of the Vrajavasis for Sri Krishna and Sri Krishna’s natural love for the Vrajavasis my heart is awakening and starting to melt!” This is the definition of the awakening of lobha.
Although attachment to the Lord is basically one and the same, there is a distinction according to the self-identifation of the devotee and the way in which the Lord manifests Himself. Vrajendranandana is the Original Personality of Godhead, the full manifestation of both aisvarya and madhurya and the full object of loving attachment. The devotees also are eligible to taste the sweetness of the Lord according to the amount of love they have for Him, which in turn nourishes their own self-identification in relation with Him. In Vraja there are four main rasas – dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura. Of them, sakhya is more relishable than dasya, vatsalya more relishable than sakhya and madhura more relishable than vatsalya. Madhura bhava should be known as supreme.
The love of the Lord’s servants is to be known as filled with awe and reverence. Although Krishna’s servants in Vraja, like Raktaka and Patraka, do not consider Him to be the Supreme Lord, they see Him as the son of Vrajesvara Nanda Maharaja, a local prince and in this way they see Sri Krishna as the Lord. Sakhya bhava should be accepted as a greater form of love, because Sri Krishna’s friends like Sridama and Subala consider themselves to be equal to Him and their love is free from awe and reverence. In this carefree loving attitude: kandhe cade kandhe cadaya kore krida rana; krishne seve krishne koraya apana sevana (C.C.) “They mount His shoulders, allow Him to mount their shoulders and playfully fight with Him. Thus they serve Krishna and let Krishna serve them also.” Thus we can see the special sweetness of Sri Krishna surrounded by the cowherdboyfriends, who are all endowed with sakhya bhava, in Srimad Bhagavata:
syamam hiranya paridhim vanamala barha,
dhatu prabala natavesam anuvratamse
vinyasta hastam itarena dhunanam abjam,
karnotpalalaka kapola mukhabja hasam
(Bhagavata 10.23.22)
“Sri Syamasundara wore yellow garments, had a garland of forestflowers around His neck, an enchanting crown of peacockfeathers on His head, a dancing dress which was colored by mineral pigments such as rubies around His waist, He kept His left arm on the shoulder of a friend who stood next to Him and He twirled a playlotus around in His right hand. He wore lotus flowers in His ears, His cheeks were flanked by enchanting curly locks and His lotuslike face was beautified by a soft sweet smile.” From this statement it is understood that Sri Krishna’s manifestation is much more attractive when He is with His devotees who take shelter of a fraternal mood towards Him than when He is with His devotees who take shelter of a mood of servitude.
Then again, Sri Krishna’s manifestation is even sweeter when He is with the devotees who have taken shelter of a parental mood towards Him, like His father and mother, than when He is with His friends. In Srimad Bhagavata Sri Suka Muni describes it thus:
kritagasam tam prarudantam akshini kashantam anjan mashini sva panina
udvikshamanam bhaya vihvalekshanam haste grihitva bhishayantyabagurat
(10.9.11)
“During the Dama-bandhana lila Krishna, who had been naughty, wept and rubbed His eyes with His hands so that His eyeliner was spilled all over His face. Although Sri Yasoda saw that her son was overwhelmed by fear she held His hand and chastised Him just to frighten Him.” Because in this pastime Krishna was most absorbed He manifest Himself in an even more attractive way when He was with His devotees that had taken shelter of a parental mood than when He was with His fraternal devotees. He will never display a manifestation of fear in front of His servants or friends, as He did when He was thus absorbed in feelings of fear. According to the progression of absorbtion in transcendental pastimes one must definitely also accept a progression of sweetness.
Then again, the sweet love of the Vrajasundaris, that are endowed with maha-bhava, is seen as most special, because they have forgotten everything else out of great absorption in their love for the Lord, even more than those in the fraternal or parental moods. Hence the manifestation of the Lord is also truly incomparable when He is in their vicinity. When Sri Krishna sat down next to the gopis on the bank of the Yamuna during the Rasa-night, Sri Suka Muni described the great manifestation of His sweetness as follows:
tatropavishto bhagavan sa isvaro; yogesvarantar hridi kalpitasanah
cakasa gopi parishad gato’rcitas trailokya lakshmyeka padam vapur dadhat
(Bhagavata 10.32.14)
“Sri Krishna, the Original Godhead, for whom the kings of yogis make a seat in their hearts during their meditations, sat down on a seat that the gopis made for Him with their garments. When He was thus honoured and surrounded by the Gopa-sundaris He displayed a form that contained the beauty of all the three worlds.”
Of these mahabhava-endowed Vrajasundaris the love of madanakhya mahabhava-endowed Sri Radharani is again the greatest, and in Her vicinity Sri Krishna manifests Himself in the most beautiful way. The sakhis and manjaris that take shelter of Her are blessed by entering into an ocean of Yugala Madhuri. Sriman Mahaprabhu and the acaryas that have taken shelter of Him have preached the worship of Radha’s service or manjari bhava to the world. When the aspirant attains the grace of a great soul who has taken shelter of this manjari bhava, and he hears about the expertise in Yugala-service of Vraja’s eternal maidservants like Rupa Manjari and Rati Manjari he becomes greedy after this feeling without bothering about scriptural injunctions or logical arguments. This is what prompts the raganuga bhajana of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. When one does depend on scriptural injunctions or logical arguments one can not really speak of greed, for no one will become greedy through scriptural knowledge. When one sees the desired object or hears about it greed will automatically awaken and there will be no consideration whatsoever of being qualified or not for attaining the desired object.
ragamayi bhaktira hoy ragatmika nama;
taha suni lubdha hoy kon bhagyavan
lobhe vrajavasi-bhave kore anugati;
sastra-yukti nahi mane – raganugara prakriti (C.C.)
“Devotion full of sacred passion is called ragatmika. If a fortunate soul becomes greedy after that devotion after hearing about it he will eagerly follow the feelings of the people of Vraja without bothering about scriptural injunctions and logical arguments. Such is the nature of raganuga bhakti.” (5)
TEXT 6:
sa ca bhagavat kripa hetuko’nuragi bhakta kripa hetukas ceti dvividhah. tatra bhakta kripa hetuko dvividhah praktana adhunikas ca. praktanah – paurva bhavika tadrisa bhakta kripotthah, adhunikah etaj janmavadhi tadrisa bhakta kripotthah. adye sati lobhanantaram tadrisa guru caranasrayanam. dvitiye guru caranasrayanantaram lobha pravrittir bhavati. yad uktam:
krishna tad bhakta karunya matra lobhaika hetuka
pushti margataya kaiscid iyam raganugocyate
“There are two causes for the appearance of the aforementioned sacred greed: The mercy of God or the mercy of another anuragi devotee. There are again two kinds of mercy bestowed by a devotee: praktana and adhunika. praktana means mercy bestowed by a raganuga bhakta in a previous life, and adhunika is mercy bestowed in the present birth. The praktana-devotee takes shelter of the lotus feet of a raganuga guru after the sacred greed has arisen in him, the adhunika will get that sacred greed only after having surrendered to the feet of such a guru. It is said (in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu): “The only causes of the appearance of sacred greed is the mercy of Krishna or His devotee. Therefore some call the path of raganuga bhakti also pushti marga (the path of grace).”
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
After giving the definition of the cause of sacred greed the blessed author now describes the causes for attaining this greed. Greed for raganuga bhajana can only be attained by the grace of Sri Krishna or the grace of the great saints that are themselves passionately attached to the sweet feelings of Sri Krishna’s associates. Krishna rarely bestows His mercy on new aspirants, therefore almost always this sacred greed arises by the grace of the aforementioned saints.
There are two kinds of sacred greed that arises by the grace of the saints – praktana and adhuniki. Those who have attained lobha by the mercy of raganuga saints in previous births will revive the cultivation of that lobha in their present birth and go on with raganuga bhajana, taking shelter of the feet of a guru according to their previous lives’ samskara (cultivation), which can be dasya or sakhya or so. Those who did not cultivate such greed in their previous lives first take shelter of the lotus feet of a guru, and after they hear about the great love of Sri Krishna and His eternal associates the greed awakens within them. There is no other means than the grace of Sri Krishna and His pure devotees to attain this greed for raganuga bhajana, and the blessed author has proven it by quoting a sloka from Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. In his commentary on this sloka Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada has written: krishneti – matra padasya vidhi marge kutracit karmadi samarpanam api dvaram bhavatiti tad vicchedarthah prayoga iti bhava. “The word matra is used in the above sloka ‘krishna tad-bhakta karunya matra labhaika hetuka’ because sometimes the offering of fruitive activities can lead to entry into vaidhi bhakti, whereas raganuga bhakti is only (matra) attained through grace.” Greed for raganuga bhakti is more rarely attained than bhava or rati in vidhi bhakti, and it is only attainable through grace (Sri Mukunda Dasa Gosvami). The devotees from the Vallabha Sampradaya call this raganuga marga pushti marga (the path of grace). (6)
…
TEXT 10:
tac ca sastram sarvopanishat sarabhutam ‘yesham aham priya atma sutas ca sakha guruh suhrido daivam ishtam’ ityadi vakya nicayakara sri bhagavata maha puranam eva. tatha tat pratipadita bhakti vivarana cancu sri bhakti rasamritarnavadikam api. tatratyam vakya-trayam yatha – krishnam smaram janam casya preshtham nija samihitam. tat tat katha ratas casau kuryad vasam vraje sada. iti. seva sadhaka rupena siddha rupena catra hi. tad bhava lipsuna karya vrajalokanusaratah. iti. sravanotkirtanadini vaidhi-bhaktyuditani tu. yanyangani ca tanyatra vijneyani manishibhih. iti. trikam atra kamanuga pakshe eva vyakhyayate.
“In Srimad Bhagavata Maha Purana, which is the essence of all the Upanishads, Lord Kapila speaks the following words (3.25.38): ‘To the devotees I am the beloved, the very Self, the son, the friend, the spiritual master, the well-wisher, Fate, or the chosen deity.’ And the ‘Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu’ of Srimad Rupa Gosvami, which describes the devotion propounded by Srimad Bhagavata, provides the following three verses: ‘The devotee should remember Krishna and an eternally liberated devotee of Krishna’s of his own choice. He should always live in Vraja and be attached to topics concerning Krishna and that favorite devotee of his.’ (1.2.294); ‘Both in his material and in his (mentally conceived) spiritual body should one follow in the footsteps of the people of Vraja, always desiring their feelings and activities.’ (1.2.295); and: ‘The practitioner of raganuga bhakti should also perform all the limbs of vaidhi bhakti, such as hearing and chanting, as far as they are favorable. This is what the learned say. (1.2.296)” These three verses explain the position of the kamanuga devotee (those serving in a transcendental erotic feeling).”
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
Before, we have indicated that the scriptural injunctions are the means to attain the desired transcendental feelings. Now it is described which scriptures we must rely on for that. Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, which is the essence of all the Upanishads and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, the book which contains all the divine bhagavata rasa that was bound within the whorl of Srimat Rupa Gosvamipada’s lotus like heart and that explains all the devotion that was propounded by Srimad Bhagavata – from all these scriptures the rules of worship of ragatmika bhakti and its subsequent raganuga bhajana is learned.
The blessed author first quotes a verse (3.25.38) from Srimad Bhagavata, which was spoken by Sri Kapiladeva – yesham aham priya atma sutas ca sakha guruh suhrido daivam ishtam. Bhagavan Kapiladeva says:
“I am their (My devotees’) lover, soul, son, friend, preceptor, heart’s friend and worshipable deity.”
When Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada describes raga bhakti in Bhakti Sandarbha (310) he quotes this verse and explains it as follows: “In this verse the word priya refers to Sri Krishna as the lover of the gopis, atma refers to the Param Brahma, in which form the four Kumaras and other santa-bhaktas see Him, suta means the son of Sri Vrajesvara (Nanda Maharaja), sakha the friend of Sridama and others, and guru the superior of Pradyumna and others. All these devotees are interlocked in a loving relationship with Sri Krishna. He is someone’s brother, someone else’s maternal uncle, someone else’s husband, etc., and in many ways He manifests Himself as the heart’s friend (suhrit) of all these devotees that have all these different relationships with Him. For His servant Daruka He manifests Himself as the worshipable deity (ishta-deva), this is very well known.
Previously it has been said that the love which carries the strong desire to attain union with the Lord is called raga. But the raga which Rudra showed towards the Lords form of Mohini Murti is not to be accepted like that. This is because the Lord accepted the appearance of Mohini Murti to deceive Sri Rudra, and when Rudra saw this appearance of Mohini Murti his mind became very agitated by desires to unite with Mohini. The attachment that Rudra had for Mohini cannot be called raga, because he had been deluded by maya and had attained feelings of lust. This lust was caused by his enchantment with Her form, therefore this cannot be accepted as raga.
The devotion that is thus prompted by raga (divine attachment), in which particular attachments exist with defined self-identifications such as consort hood, and that mainly consists of hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet and offering oneself is called ragatmika bhakti. This raga bhakti manifests itself automatically, just like the waves of the Ganga. This is sadhya bhakti, not sadhana bhakti. This means that there is no procedure of sadhana here. The kind of devotion that follows in the wake of this sadhya bhakti that consists of sravana, kirtana and so, is named raganuga bhakti.
In Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Srimat Rupa Gosvami describes raganuga bhajana in three verses. The first of them is – krishnam smaran janam casya preshtham nija samihitam. tat tat katha ratas casau kuryad vasam vraje sada (1.2.294)
‘Remembering one’s own beloved Nandanandana Krishna and His dearmost associates of one’s own choice and taste, being attached to speaking about them and living in Vraja (if possible physically, if not then at least always mentally).” The second verse: seva sadhaka rupena siddha rupena catra hi; tad bhava lipsuna karya vrajalokanusaratah
“On the path of raganuga bhakti one is engaged in the service of Sri Krishna in one’s sadhaka rupa, which means the present physical body, as well as in one’s siddha deha, which means one’s mentally conceived, own desired body, desiring the ecstatic love of Sri Krishna’s beloved devotees that are situated in Vraja and following in their footsteps.”
The third verse runs: sravanotkirtanadini vaidha bhaktyuditani tu; yanyangani ca tanyatra vijneyani manishibhih
“All the items of devotion that were discussed for vaidhi bhakti are also practised and depended upon in raganuga bhakti. The wise devotees practise the items that are proper for their own mood, but they do not act contrary to their own mood.”
The blessed author will later explain these three verses in connection with kamanuga.
The devotion that follows in the wake of ragatmika bhakti is called raganuga bhakti. The devotion that is manifest in Krishna’s eternal associates in Vraja is called ragatmika bhakti. This ragatmika bhakti is twofold – sambandha rupa and kama rupa. The devotion of servants like Raktaka and Patraka, friends like Sridama and Subala and parents like Nanda and Yasoda are called sambandha rupa ragatmika bhakti, while only the amorous devotion of Sri Radha and the other beautiful girls of Vraja is famous as kama rupa ragatmika bhakti. Just as there are two kinds of ragatmika bhakti, namely sambandha-rupa and kama rupa, there are also two kinds of raganuga followers of them – sambandhanuga and kamanuga. Sriman Mahaprabhu and the Gaudiya Vaishnava Acaryas that surrendered to His lotus feet have preached the kamanuga bhakti-love of radha dasya, or manjari bhava sadhana to the world. Therefore, the blessed author has determined that he would explain these above three verses in the scope of kamanuga bhakti. (10)
TEXT 11:
prathamatah krishnam smaran iti smaranasyatra raganugayam mukhyatvam ragasya manodharmatvat. preshtham nija bhavocita lila vilasinam krishnam vrindavanadhisvaram. asya krishnasya janam ca kidrisam nija samihitam svabhilashaniyam sri vrindavanesvari lalita visakha sri rupa manjaryadikam. krishnasyapi nija samihitatve’pi tajjanasya ujjvala bhavaika nishthatvat nija samihitatvadhikyam. vraje vasam iti asamarthye manasapi. sadhaka sarirena vasas tu uttara slokarthatah prapta eva. sadhaka rupena yathavasthita dehena. siddha rupenantas cintitabhishta tat sakshat sevopayogi dehena. tad bhava lipsuna – tad bhavah sva preshtha krishna vishayakah sva samihita krishna janasrayakasca yo bhava ujjvalakhyas tam labdhum icchata. seva manasaivopasthapitaih sakshad apyupasthapitais ca samucita dravyadibhih paricarya karya. tatra prakaram aha vraja lokanusaratah sadhaka-rupenanugamyamana ye vrajalokah sri rupa gosvamyadayah ye ca siddha-rupenanugamyamanah vrajalokah sri rupa manjaryadayas tad anusaratah. tathaiva sadhaka-rupenanugamyamana vrajalokah prapta krishna-sambandhino janas candrakantyadayah dandakaranya-vasi munayas ca brihad-vamana prasiddhah srutayas ca yathasambhavam jneyah. tad anusaratas tat tad acara drishtyety arthah. tad evam vakya-dvayena smaranam vrajavasam ca uktva sravanadinapy aha – sravanotkirtanadiniti. guru padasrayanadini tvakshepa labdhani. tani vina vrajalokanugatyadikam kim api na sidhyed ity ato manishibhir iti manishaya vimrisyaiva sviyabhava samucitany eva tani karyani na tu tad viruddhani.
“First of all, through the words ‘remembering Krishna’ (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.294), it is indicated that remembrance (smarana) is the main item of raganuga bhakti. Raga is a special feature of the mind. The beloved is the Lord of Vrindavana, Sri Krishna, who enjoys pastimes suitable to His own feeling. With ‘His people also’ is meant: His beloved eternal associates in Vraja, that transcendental personality that the practising devotee favours, like Vrindavanesvari Sri Radhika, Sri Lalita, Visakha, Sri Rupa Manjari, and so on. Although they are Krishna’s favorites, they are also more favorite to those devotees who desire to enter into the brilliant erotic relationship with Krishna. If one can not live in Vraja physically, one must at least mentally do so. But the next verse (1.2.295) clearly explains how one must live in Vraja physically. Living with the sadhaka rupa means in the physical body of the practising devotee, and the siddha rupa means one’s own desired mentally conceived spiritual body, that is suitable for direct transcendental service to Sri Krishna. tad bhava lipsuna means: being eager to attain the brilliant erotic feelings towards Krishna of one’s favorite devotees in that feeling, like Sri Radhika and the gopis. How to serve? With paraphernalia that are collected either mentally or physically. How to follow in the footsteps of the people of Vraja? In one’s physical body one follows in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami and other saints that lived in Vraja and in the mentally conceived spiritual body one follows in the footsteps of Srimati Rupa Manjari and other eternal associates of Krishna.
The people of Vraja that should be followed in the sadhaka rupa, such as Candrakanti, the sages of the Dandaka-forest, whose story is related in the Brihad Vamana Purana, as well as the srutis (Upanishads), have attained their spiritual relationship with Krishna. One should act like these Vrajavasis. In this way the first two verses described smarana and living in Vraja and the third verse (1.2.296) describes practices such as hearing about Krishna’s pastimes. All other limbs of devotional practice, such as taking shelter of the feet of the guru, are attained through the practice of hearing and chanting. Without hearing and chanting one’s allegiance to the people of Vraja will be unsuccessful, hence the word manishibhih was used. This means that intelligent persons will, with the help of their sense of discrimination, practise those limbs that are favorable to one’s own devotional feelings and not those that are opposed to that. “
Kripa-kanika Vyakhya:
The blessed author has quoted three verses from Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and has explained that in terms of the kamanuga devotees, beginning with the first verse, where the devotee practises the remembrance of Sri Krishna, who enjoys according to His own feelings, and his own favorite associates of Krishna, such as Sri Radha, Lalita, Visakha and Sri Rupa Manjari. Raga is the natural function (dharma) of the mind, and so is smarana. Therefore the blessed author says that smarana is the main and major item of raganuga bhajana. Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya has said: sadhana smarana lila, ihate na koro hela, kaya mane koriya susara. manera smarana prana, madhura madhura dhama, yugala vilasa smriti sara. sadhya sadhana ei, iha boi ara nai, ei tattva sarva vidhi sara (Prema Bhakti Candrika). “Do not neglect the practice of lila smarana, keep this as the essence with body and mind. The very life-force of the mind is smarana, which is the abode of all sweetness, and the essence of smarana is the pastimes of Radha and Krishna.This is the means, this is the goal, and there is nothing apart from this. This truth is the essence of all regulative principles.”
Smarana is the very life-force of the mind; a mind that does not remember the Lord is like a lifeless corpse. The body that contains no soul serves as food for the dogs and jackals, and in the same way the enemies of lust and anger always bite the mind that is not engaged in remembering the Lord. When life is still in the body the dogs and jackals flee away in fear, and similarly when lust and greed see that the mind is animated by remembrance of the Lord they will flee far away. Not only that, the glories of smarana are unlimited.
smaratah pada kamalam atmanam api yacchati; kintvarthakaman bhajato natyabhishtan jagad guruh (Bhag. 10.80.11)
“The Universal Teacher Sri Krishna even gives His very self to the person who remembers His lotus feet. What then to speak of giving him money and sense gratification, which is not even desired by the devotees?”
In his commentary on this verse Sri Jiva pada has written: smaratah smarate. sakshat pradurbhuya atmanam smartur vasikarotityarthah (Bhakti Sandarbhah 277)
‘Sri Krishna will personally appear before the person who remembers Him and give Himself to him, which means that He is subdued by the devotee who remembers Him.”
Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada has mentioned four kinds of smarana: nama smarana, rupa smarana, guna smarana and lila smarana. Of them, lila smarana is the best, for it automatically includes nama, rupa and guna smarana. The remembrance of the pastimes of Radha and Krishna is the essence of all regulative principles, for it is both the means and the goal. Therefore it is the remembrance of the pastimes of Radha and Krishna that make raganuga bhajana so special. The raganugiya sadhaka remembers the eightfold daily pastimes of Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava and Their girlfriends like Lalita and Visakha and they meditate how they render devotional service in allegiance to the manjaris headed by Sri Rupa Manjari. Such raga bhajana is the unprecedented merciful gift of Sriman Mahaprabhu. The remembrance of Sri-Sri Radha Madhava’s intimate pastimes is not possible without the remembrance of Sri Gauranga’s pastimes, and thus we see that in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya there is a system of remembering the eight-fold daily pastimes of Sri-Sri Gaura Govinda.
The raganugiya sadhakas perform their bhajana while residing in Vraja, and it is said that when one is unable to reside in Vraja physically one must reside there mentally. For instance: madhvabhave gudam dadyat.
“Honey is needed, but when that is not available one must use brown sugar.”
Vraja Vasa is one of the five main items of bhajana that has inconceivable potencies. This is a most confidential item of bhajana. In the Puranas it is desribed that simply by living in Mathura-mandala for one day one attains Haribhakti, which is prayed for even by the liberated souls. Therefore it is always advised to the sadhakas to live in Vraja and to engage in discussing topics of the pastimes of the beloved deity. Living in Vraja-bhumi specifically enables one to visualize the pastimes of one’s beloved Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava.
In his commentary to Brihad Bhagavatamrita 2.4.1 Srimat Sanatana Gosvamipada has written:
kutracid brahmandasyantar bahis ca muktipade’pi adrishtam ato vananam antar madhye nivasata tat parshadoktam sri vaikunthaloka sadhananushthanadikam sarvam eva vismritam vimohad iveti yathatyanta mohat sarvam vismritam bhavet tathetyarthah. yad va vismrtam ivetyanvayah. tatas ca vimohad iti etad bhumi-sobhaya cittakarshanad ityarthah. evam mathnati sarvesham mano vilodayatiti mathura sabdartho dhvanitah
“The beauty I beheld in Vraja-bhumi, this extraordinary beauty I had not seen anywhere in the universe, or beyond it, or even in the muktipada, where the liberated souls dwell. By staring at the beauty of Sri Vrindavana and by living in its forests I became so enchanted that I even forgot about practising the sadhana that was prescribed to me by the Lord’s associates and that was going to elevate me to Vaikuntha. Nowhere did I experience such beauty, such bliss that attracted my mind and made me forget everything. Because Vraja-dhama thus agitates (manthana) everyone’s minds and causes one to forget everything else it is known by the name of Mathura.
In the sadhaka-body, which is the present physical body, as well as in the siddha rupa, which is the mentally conceived spiritual body which is suitable for direct service to Them, or the Guru-given manjari-svarupa, raganugiya devotees serve Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava in the wake of the people of Vraja and nourish the powerful desire to relish the wonderfully brilliant erotic sweetness of Their forms, attributes and pastimes in their hearts. Just as one serves Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava in the external sadhaka-body with different articles according to the particular time, similarly one meditates on rendering such services mentally with the same articles collected with the siddha rupa in the Yogapitha (this is called mantramayi upasana). Then again one meditates on rendering service to Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava in one’s siddha svarupa in the kingdom of the eightfold daily transcendental pastimes according to the right time (this is called svarasiki upasana).
The sadhaka should serve in two ways, in allegiance to the people of Vraja. As far as he is able to, the sadhaka should render service or do bhajana like Sri-Sri Rupa-Sanatana by living in Vraja, keeping their example of renunciation, dispassion and loyalty before him, and in his siddha rupa he should mentally render service in allegiance to Vraja-people like Sri Rupa Manjari. Or he will attain devotional service in the form of a gopi in Vraja by doing bhajana in allegiance to nitya siddha-gopis, sakhis like Candrakanti[1], the munis who lived in the Dandaka-forest or the goddesses who preside over the srutis and that were described in the Brihad Vamana Purana. The sadhaka should mentally render service while following in their footsteps, in allegiance to their activities. sadhane bhavibo yaha, siddha dehe pabo taha (Prema Bhakti Candrika) “According to what I have thought of during my sadhana I will get a siddha deha.” Following this rule the sadhaka will be blessed by attaining the service he meditated upon in the lila-kingdom with his siddha-body. There are two kinds of raganuga bhajana –
‘bahya’ ‘antara’ ihara dui to sadhana;
bahya – sadhaka dehe kore sravana kirtanamane – nija siddha deha koriya bhavana;
ratri dine kore vraje krishnera sevana (C.C. Madhya 22)
“There are two kinds of practice: External and internal. Externally one practises hearing and chanting within one’s physical sadhaka-body, and internally one meditates on one’s own siddha-body, in which one serves Krishna in Vraja day and night.”
Without practising limbs of bhajana such as hearing and chanting within the external sadhaka body the sadhaka cannot attain perfection in either destroying maya, becoming free from vices in his own bhajana or in his allegiance to the people of Vraja. With hearing and chanting is meant following as much as possible the 64 items of bhajana, starting with taking shelter of a guru, that Srimat Rupa Gosvami has mentioned in his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu grantha. Some people imitate the gopi deha with the sadhaka deha, dressing and ornamenting the physical body like women do, but this is not approved of by the Vaishnavacaryas like Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. An intelligent sadhaka should use his discriminating intelligence and follow the items of bhajana properly. He should not act contrary to his own feelings, for that will cause obstructions to his attainment of prema. (11)
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[1] In the Padma Purana it is seen that a Gandharva-maiden named Candrakanti, after seeing the wonderful beauty of the Sri Gopala Murti, became eager to play with Him, and thus descended in a partial incarnation and worshipped Gopala by dancing for Him with other girls. After thus attaining Him in a divine form which was suitable for His enjoyment she received a boon from Brahma, Sri Gopala’s pure devotee, that she could descend entirely and meet with Sri Vrishabhanu’s daughter. In his commentary on Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Sri Jiva has written that this Gandharva-daughter Candrakanti, who serves as an example of deep absorption in raganuga sadhana, is Sri Radha’s vibhuti (form of Her prowess), but that at the time she achieved perfection Sri Radha gave her Her friendship, and considered that all her activities, both in sadhana and in siddhi, were performed by Herself. For this reason the devotional scriptures indicate that Candrakanti and Srimati are non-different (commentary on Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.3.14).
– commentary by Radhakunda Mahanta Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji
– translation by Sripad Advaita das
Amrita-Tarangini 