Some weeks ago, I read this statement from a senior devotee on Facebook.
“In regard to the first point, although siddha pranali is bonafide, it is not the only method to receive one’s ekadasa bhavas (details of one’s eternal spiritual form).
These can also be revealed directly by Krsna, usually in the form of a dream, according to Ujjvala Nilamani.”
If I would have read this statement with my pre-“honey-jar-licker” ears, my mind would have SCREAMED:
“W_H_A_T??? HOW CAN THIS DEVOTEE WRITE SUCH A THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING?”
But right now, quite honestly, I am VERY happy if Krishna would give siddha pranali to the devotee who wrote this and to all who pray for such a miraculous thing.
I promised myself not to engage anymore in all these useless “siddhanta-down-the-throat” debates, but one thing I would still love to mention here.
First of all, Krishna can do or not do whatever He likes to. Nothing is impossible for Him and like I said, I would be very happy if Krishna would reveal the siddha deha in a dream.
For sure He can reveal the siddha deha to a devotee in a dream.
Nevertheless, I was very interested in the passage of Ujjvala Nilamani where this “dream-thing” is mentioned and here it is.
It is from the tika of Vishvananath Chakravartipada Thakur UN 3, 49-51):
atra kramaḥ |
rāgānurāgīya-samyak-sādhana-niratāyotpanna-premṇe bhaktāya cira-samaya-vidhṛta-sākṣāt-sevābhilāṣa-mahotkaṇṭhāya kṛpayā bhagavatā sa-parikara-sva-darśanaṁ sevā-prāpty-anubhāvakam alabdha-snehādi-prema-bhedāyāpi sādhaka-dehe ‘pi svapne ‘pi sākṣād api sakṛd dīyata eva |
tataś ca śrī-nāradāyeva cid-ānanda-mayī gopikākāra-tad-bhāva-vibhāvitā tanuś ca dīyate |
tataś ca vṛndāvanīya-prakaṭa-prakāśe kṛṣṇa-parikara-prādurbhāva-samaye saiva tanur yoga-māyayā gopikā-garbhād udbhāvyate ukta-nyāyena snehādi-prema-bheda-siddhy-artham |
“To the devotee having great longing for direct service for a long time, who has developed prema by intense and constant rāgānuga-sādhana, the merciful Lord one time directly shows himself with his associates, with realization of service, even to a person in a sādhaka body, in a dream, though he has not developed sneha and other stages. He gives a spiritual gopī body endowed with proper bhāvas, as he gave to Nārada. Then, when Kṛṣṇa and his associates appear in a manifest Vṛndāvana, that body is born in a womb of a gopī by the arrangement of yoga-māyā in order to perfect sneha and other varieties of prema.”
I wrote to the devotee who posted this reference as evidence:
_____
“”Dear _________,
I just checked the verses you provided and the Sanskrit tikas.
Please, I beg you from the core of my heart, it is very dangerous to write that the “siddha deha can be revealed in a dream”…
I know that you didn´t mean it in a “cheap” way, but many will just take it like that, cheap.
The verses from Ujjvala Nilamani you quoted are talking about the time of the sadhaka short before leaving the body and being then “born” in prakat-lila…
“who has developed prema by intense and constant raganuga sadhana”
This is the highest stage we can attain and the prerequisite for such a dream to happen…THEN, at this stage, “the merciful Lord one time directly shows himself with his associates, even to a person in a sadhaka body, in a dream, though he has not developed sneha and the other stages.”
In a dream, Krishna will show HIMSELF to a person who has not reached the stages AFTER prema…this has nothing to do with “the siddha deha of the sadhaka is revealed in a dream”.
“He gives a spiritual gopi body endowed with proper bhavas as he gave to Narada.”
This happens not in a “dream”…this IS REALLY HAPPENING .
vaikunthasya bhagavato jyotir-amsa-bhuta vaikuntha-loka-sobha-rupa ya ananta murtayas tatra vartante,
tasam ekaya saha muktasyaikasya murtir bhagavata kriyata iti vaikuntasya murtir iva murtir yesham ity uktam ||
Priti- sandarbha 10
“In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms;
they all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world.
With each one of those forms, the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul.”
Here we see that Krishna ACTUALLY gives the liberated soul a body similar to His own in nature.
And then…”when Krsna and His associates appear in a manifest Vrindavan, that body is born in a womb of a gopi by the arrangement of yoga maya in order to perfect sneha and other varieties of prema.”
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipada Thakur elaborates on this point in his RAGA VARTMA CHANDRIKA too:
“One may ask: “Why don’t you say: ‘When the sadhaka attains the stage of prema and leaves his body, he will take a gopika-body in the spiritual world (aprakata prakasa) without first taking birth from the womb of a gopika, after which he manifests sneha, etc. there in that body through the association of the eternally perfect gopis?” The answer here is: “No, that will not happen, because without taking birth from the womb of a gopi one cannot get a proper acquaintance according to the human-like pastimes there, like: “Whose daughter is this sakhi? Whose wife is she? Whose daughter-in-law is she?” “All right then”, one may say, “then why not take birth in the aprakata prakasa?” Then the answer is: “No, that can also not be! Sadhakas (practising devotees) or materially conditioned souls cannot enter into the transcendental manifestation named Sri Vrindavana, only perfected souls can enter it. Even through one’s own sadhana the feelings of sneha and so on are not easily attained there. Therefore Yogamaya takes those devotees, whose prema has awoken, to Krishna’s materially manifest pastimes in Vrindavana when Krishna descends there, for the sake of perfecting their feelings like sneha etc. before they attain Sri Krishna’s bodily association. Because practising devotees, fruitive workers and perfected devotees can all be seen to enter into the materially manifest Sri Vrindavana, it is experienced as both sadhaka bhumi (the land for practitioners) and siddha bhumi (the land for the perfect).
“Then where will those most eager sadhakas stay all this time?” The answer is: “After the sadhaka-body perishes, that loving devotee, who has eagerly desired direct devotional service for a long time, will once, by the Lord’s grace, receive the gift of the desired service and the audience of the Lord and His eternal associates, even though he has not yet attained the manifestations of prema like sneha and so, just as the Lord once bestowed His Personal audience to Narada Muni in his previous birth (see Srimad Bhagavata Canto One, Chapter Six). He will give the sadhaka a transcendental gopika-body. Yogamaya will make that body take birth from a gopika-body in the manifest pastimes, when Sri Krishna descends to earth with His eternal associates. There will be not even the slightest delay in that, because the prakata lila goes on without interruption. The liberated devotee will take birth in that material universe where Krishna plays His manifest Vrindavana-lila at the time. Sri Krishna and His associates always appear when the loving practising devotee leaves His body. Therefore, O greatly eager anuragi devotees! Do not fear! Be at ease! All is auspicious for You!”
This passage from Ujjvala Nilamani is for sure no “evidence” that the siddha deha can be “revealed” in a dream, sorry to say.
When the sadhaka has developed prema, he KNOWS who he is by the mercy of Sri Gurudeva and then the sadhaka can experience such a revelation where Krishna shows Himself.
Jay Sri Radhe.”
_____
So, the original statement says:
“In regard to the first point, although siddha pranali is bonafide, it is not the only method to receive one’s ekadasa bhavas (details of one’s eternal spiritual form).
These can also be revealed directly by Krsna, usually in the form of a dream, according to Ujjvala Nilamani.”
Basically it means that either siddha pranali is received by a genuine raganuga-sad-guru or by Sri Krishna Himself.
I will never say that this is wrong. But quoting the passage from Ujjvala Nilamani is not a very good “shastric evidence”, in fact, it is none at all.
“who has developed prema by intense and constant raganuga sadhana”
These are Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipadas original words. If prema is developed, we can´t talk anymore of “regular” dreams…
In this highest stage of bhakti, there is practically NO DIFFERENCE between “being awake” and “being asleep”.
This “dream” will ONLY occur after intensely and constantly practicing raganuga-bhakti.
This is the main subject of Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipadas commentary here.
I know that many devotees are averse to the process of Sri Gurudeva revealing the siddha deha and the proper bhavas,
and that they “prefer” to have their siddha deha revealed by Krishna HIMSELF via such a “dream”.
I very much hope they attain their desired goal and I wish them all the best.
I myself am a very fallen soul and I much rather prefer the process of Sri Gurudeva revealing the siddha deha to such a useless rascal like me.
Without the mercy of Sri Gurudeva, it is not possible for me to develop prema by intense and constant raganuga sadhana.
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yashas trisandhyam
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam
“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.”
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah (BG)
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”
kecid ashtadasakshara-dhyanam go-dohana-samaya-vamsi-vadya-samakrishta-tat- tat-sarvamayatvena bhavayanti | yatha caike tadrisam upasanam sakshad vraja- jana-viseshayaiva mahyam sri-guru-caranair mad-abhishta-visesha-siddhy-artham upadishtam bhavayami || Bhakti-sandarbha 312
“Some, while remembering the eighteen-syllable mantra, meditate on the pastimes of tending cows and playing flute, becoming attracted and absorbed in them.
In such upasana (worship), in order to attain my specifically desired perfection, I should meditate on that very form of a resident of Vraja my revered guru has instructed me in.”
I myself much rather follow the teachings of our acaryas in regards to the method with the role of Sri Gurudeva in the process of siddha pranali, knowing fully well that Sri Krishna or the Holy Name can reveal everything too.
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur writes:
sādhaker jokhon rāganugā mārga lobha hoy,
tokhon sad-gurur nikaṭa prārthanā korile tini
sādhaker ruci parīkṣā koriyā tāhār
bhajan nirṇoyer saṅge saṅge siddha-deher paricaya koriyā diben.
“When the sadhaka’s lobha for raganuga bhakti is awakened, he approaches his gurudeva with great humility and ask for instruction.
If he does so, the bonafide guru first examines the disciple’s taste and then, along with devising the appropriate bhajan introduces him to his own siddha identity.”
(Śrī Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Part 6, chapter 5)
“If lobha or hankering awakens in a bhakta’s heart after hearing about Radha-Krishna’s ashta kala lilas, he may inquire:
‘O Gurudeva, how can I attain these lilas?’ If pleased with the disciple, the guru will explain the disciple’s ekadasa bhava in the context of the lila, saying,
‘You can enter the lila in this way.’
Thus, after hearing purely about this pure mood from the guru, the disciple can adopt it in his own life and spiritual practice.”
(Harināma-cintāmaṇi 15.65-68)
samādhi svarūpa smṛti je samaye hoy bhāvāpana daśā āsi hoibe udaya sei kāle nija siddha deha abhimān parājiyā joṛa deha hobe adhiṣṭhān tokhon svarūpe braja vāsa khoṇe khoṇa bhāvāpane sva-svarūpe here braja-vana
“Through unwavering svarūpa-smṛti or remembrance of one’s siddha svarupa, samadhi shall be invoked. This is called bhāvāpana-daśā, or the attainment of one’s eternal sthayi bhava.
At that time, one identifies himself completely with the siddha deha, and one’s material identity loses its precedence.
Then, from moment to moment, one lives in that identity in Vraja dham and actually has darshan of Krishna lila in the siddha svarupa.”
(Hnc 15.81-83)
So, by the mercy of Sri Gurudeva, it is very beneficial for the sadhaka to receive siddha pranali even BEFORE he reached the stage of bhava or prema.
yugala carana sevi, nirantara ei bhavi,
anuragi thakibo sadaya.
sadhana bhavibo yaha, siddha-dehe pabo taha
raga pathera ei se upaya (55)
– Prema Bhakti Chandrika
“I will always think of the devotional service of the lotus-feet of the Divine Pair, and I will always remain attached to that.
Whatever I think of during my spiritual practice, I will attain in my siddha deha when I reach perfection. This is the means of raga bhakti.”
sadhane ye dhana cai, siddha dehe taha pai,
pakkapakka matra se vicara
apakke sadhana riti, pakile se prema-bhakti,
bhakati lakshana tattva sara (56)
– Prema Bhakti Chandrika
“The treasure I desire as a practitioner I will get when I attain my spiritual body; it’s just a question of being ripe or unripe. The ripe stage is the stage of pure loving devotion and the unripe stage is the stage of practice. That is the essential truth about devotional principles.”
“tatra rāgānugā-mārge’nutpanna-rati-sādhaka-bhaktair api svepsita-siddha-dehaṁ manasi parikalpya bhagavat-sevādikaṁ kriyate |
jāta-ratīnāṁ tu svayam eva tad-deha-sphūrtiḥ |
asya tūtpannā madhura-jātīyā ratiḥ krameṇānurāga-daśāṁ prāptāsti, atas tad-deha-sphūrtiḥ sadaiva | “
There, on the raganuga-path, even the sadhaka bhaktas whose rati/bhava has not yet arisen, mentally conceive of their desired siddha dehas,
and thus serve the lord, etc. When rati has arisen, that body is perceived automatically.
In the arisen rati of the madhura-kind, one gradually attains the stage of anuraga; then that deha will be always perceived.”
– Srila Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami´s TIKA on “Krishna Karanamritam”, verse 2
This tika from Srila Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami is PERFECTLY in sync with the tika of Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipad mentioned above.
Amrita-Tarangini 