Raganuga Bhakti V.3  (Traditional Gaudia Siddhanta)

Compilation by Yugal Kishore das

 WHY RAGANUGA BHAKTI STARTS FROM BHAJANA KRIYA NOT RUCHI OR ASAKTI?

atha raganuga bhakti majjanasyanartha nivrtti nistha-rucyasaktyantaram prema-bhumikarudhasya saksat svabhista-prapti-prakarah pradarsyate.

“The raganugiya bhakta gradually advances through the stages of anartha nivrtti (cessation of bad habits), nistha (fixation), ruci (taste), and asakti (attachment to the beloved deity) up to the stage of prema (love of God) and the direct attainment of his beloved deity.”

Sri Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (1.2.74)

1 STEP – SADHU SANGA & LOBHA    WHAT IS LOBHA?                                                                         

tat-tad-bhAvAdi-mAdhurye zrI-bhAgavatAdiSu siddha-nirdeza-zAstreSu zrute zravaNa-dvArA yat kiMcid anubhUte sati yac chAstraM vidhi-vAkyaM nApekSate | yuktiM ca, kintu pravartata evety arthaH | tad eva lobhotpatter lakSaNam iti

“When one has got even a slight feeling for the sweet moods of Krishna and his devotees through hearing their descriptions in texts describing the ultimate spiritual goal, such as the Bhagavata, [the raganuga sadhaka] no longer waits for the injunctions of scripture or for logical reasons to do so, but simply takes up [the raganuga devotional path]. This is the characteristic of lobha.”

Sri Jiva’s tika on Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (1.2.292)

tatra lobho laksitah svayam zrI-rupa gosvami caranair eva – tat tad-bhavadi madhurye zrute dhIr yad apeksate natra zastram na yuktim ca tal lobhotpatti laksanam

‘If, upon hearing about the sweetness of loving emotions, one experiences a longing in his mind for attaining the same, from that moment onwards he no longer depends on scriptural injunctions and logic; such is the symptom of greed.’

Sri Rupa Gosvamipada (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.292)

HOW LOBHA CONNECTED TO RAGANUGA BHAKTI?

ragatmikaika nistha ye vrajavasi janadayah tesam bhavaptaye lubdho bhaved atradhikaravan

“Those who are anxious (‘greedy – have lobha’) to attain the mood of the eternal ragatmika Vrajavasis, are eligible to enter into raganuga bhakti.”

Visvanatha Cakravartipada, Raga Vartma Candrika (2.7)

sa ca lobho raga vartma vartinam bhaktanam guru-padazraya laksanam arabhya svabhista vastu saksat prapti samayam abhivyapya “yatha yathatma parimrjyate’sau mat punya gatha zravanabhidhanaih, tatha tatha pazyati vastu suksmam caksur yathaivajjana samprayuktam | ” iti bhagavad ukter bhakti hetukantah karana zuddhi taratamyat prati dinam adhikadhiko bhavati ||

“It is described that the devotees on the path of raga gradually progress from the initial surrender to the feet of Sri Guru up to the stage of directly attaining the object of their desires. ‘When the eye is smeared with medicinal ointment, its ability of perception becomes more and more refined, and accordingly it is able to perceive more and more subtle objects; similarly, according to the degree of the mind’s having become purified by hearing and chanting of My purifying pastimes, all the subtle truths of reality become manifest in the heart of the sadhaka. From these words of the Lord it is known that through sadhana-bhakti the consciousness of the sadhaka becomes more purified every day, and he gradually becomes more and more greedy.”

Srila Vishvanath Cakravartipada Raga Vartma Candrika 1.8

vraja-lila-parikarastha zrggaradi-bhava-madhurye zrute dhir idam mama bhuyat iti. lobhotp atti-kale zastra-yukty-apeksa na syat, satyam ca tasyam lobhatvasyaivasiddheh. nahi kenacit zastra-drstya lobhah kriyate napi lobhaniya-vastu praptau svasya yogyayogyatva-vicarah ko ‘py udbhavati. kintu lobhaniya-vastuni zrute drste va svata eva lobha utpadyate.

After hearing about the sweetness of the loving emotions of Sri Krishna’s associates in Vraja-lila headed by the ones in sringara-rasa, one may think, “I wish they would be mine”. Upon the arising of greed, scriptural injunctions and logic no longer remain as an impetus, and if it does, the greed is not actual. No-one develops greed because of scriptural injunctions, and for the one in whom greed is manifest, in him there is no consideration of qualification or disqualification in obtaining the object of his greed. Rather greed arises only by hearing about or seeing the object of one’s greed.”

Srila Vishvanath Cakravartipada (Raga Vartma Candrika, 1.5

 2 STEP – DIKSHA                                                                 

WHY DIKSHA CANNOT BE REGECTED?

harir bhajanéya eva bhajanaà tat präpakam eva tad upadeñöä gurur eva gurüpadiñöä bhaktä eva pürve harià präpur iti viveka viçeñavattve’pi no dékñäà na ca sat kriyäà na ca puraçcaryäà manäg ékñate. mantro’yaà rasanä spåg eva phalati çré kåñëanämätmakaù. iti pramäëa dåñöyä ajämilädi dåñöäntena ca kià me gurukaraëa çrameëa näma kértanädibhir eva me bhagavat präptir bhävinéti manyamänas tu gurvavajïa lakñaëa mahäparädhäd eva bhagavantaà na präpnoti kintu tasminn eva janmani janmäntare vä tad aparädha kñaye sati çré guru caraëäçrita eva präpnotéti

“Some know that the Lord is worshipable and He is only attained by bhajana. For such devotion the guru is the instructor and, in the past, only the devotees following the instructions of the guru have attained the Lord. Still if they do not feel any necessity of accepting a guru and think: ‘It is said that any mantra with Kåñëa’s holy name will grant perfection on the mere touch of the tongue, even without dékñä or puraçcaraëa – and what about Ajämila? I can attain the Lord simply by näma-saìkértana!’, then they commit the great offence of disrespecting the guru. Such persons can not attain the Lord. When this offense is nullified, either in this birth or the next, and if they take the shelter of the feet of a bona fide guru, then they can attain the Lord.”

Sréla Viçvanätha Cakravartépäda writes in his Särärtha Darçiné-commentary of Çrémad Bhägavata (6.2.9-10)

divyam jJanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sagksayam | tasmad dikseti sa prokta dezikais tattva kovidaih || ato gurum pranamyaivam sarvasvam vinivedya ca |grhnIyad vaisnavam mantram diksa pUrvam vidhanatah ||

“That, which bestows divine knowledge and destroys all sins, is called diksa by the knowers of the truth. Therefore, paying obeisance to the guru and offering unto him one’s all, one should receive Vaisnava mantra-diksa preceded with proper procedures.”

Jiva Goswami in Bhakti-sandarbha (283)

nanu bhagavan-nämätmakä eva manträù | tatra viçeñeëa namaù-çabdädy-alaàkåtäù çrébhagavatä çrémad-åñibhiç cähita-çakti-viçeñäù çrébhagavatä samam ätma-sambandha-viçeña-pratipädakäç ca | tatra kevaläni çrébhagavan-nämäny api nirapekñäëy eva parama-puruñärtha-phala-paryanta-däna- samarthäni | tato mantreñu nämato’py adhika-sämarthye labdhe kathaà dékñädy-apekñä | ucyate | yadyapi svarüpato nästi tathäpi präyaù svabhävato dehädi-sambandhena kadartha-çélänäà vikñipta-cittänäà janänäà tat-tat-saàkocékaraëäya çrémad-åñi-prabhåtibhir aträrcana-märge kvacit kvacit käcit käcin maryädä sthäpitästi | tatas tad-ullaìghane çästraà präyaçcittam udbhävayati | tata ubhayam api näsamaïjasam iti tatra tat-tad-apekñä nästi |

“Indeed the mantra consists of the names of Bhagavan. Therefore the mantras chanted by great devotees and sages are characterized with the ornamented ‘namah’ and contain special potency nondifferent from Sri Bhagavan, and they cause one to obtain a special relationship with the Lord. Therefore the mere chanting the name of Bhagavan is sufficient for attaining the fruit of the supreme goal of life. Someone may say, ‘Then if the name is sufficient for attaining the goal, can diksa and so forth be rejected?’

To this it is said: ‘Although essentially there is no need for this, due to a connection with the material body and so forth people are engaged in unmeaningful acts which agitate the consciousness. For overcoming this, the sages have established the path of arcana-marga through which one attains the proper standards. To overcome this, the scriptures present preparatory deeds. Therefore it is improper to reject either of the two.”

Caitanya Bhagavatam (17-105)

sa ca lobho raga vartma vartinam bhaktanam guru-padazraya laksanam arabhya svabhista vastu saksat prapti samayam abhivyapya ||

“It is described that the devotees on the path of raganuga bhakti gradually progress from the initial surrender to the feet of Sri Guru up to the stage of directly attaining the object of their desires.”

Visvanatha Cakravartipada, Raga Vartma Candrika (1)

 DIKSHA (PART 1) – KRISHNA MANTRA        WHY KRISHNA MANTRA & GAYATRI IS COMPUSORY?

guru-padazrayas tasmat krsna-diksadi-ziksanam | vizrambhena guroh seva sadhu-vartmanuvartanam

(1) Taking shelter of the feet of a guru, (2) Accepting initiation in Krishna-mantra and subsequent instructions, (3) Serving the guru with confidence, and (4) Following the path traversed by the saints.

Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu (1.2.74)

DIKSHA (PART 2) – PUJA                                                               WHY PUJA IS COMPUSORY?

 labdhvänugraha äcäryät tena sandarçitägamaù | mahä-puruñam abhyarcen mürtyäbhimatayätmanaù ||

“Receiving the grace of the acarya who reveals unto him the manuals of worship (Puja- Archana), one should engage in worshiping a particular form of the Lord in accordance with one’s specific preference.”

 Srimad Bhagavata 11.3.48

DIKSHA (PART 3) – SIDDHA DEHA

 HOW SOMEONE CAN OBTAIN SIDDHA DEHA (EKADASHI BHAVA) & GURU PRANALI ?

 saksad vraja-jana-vizesayaiva mahyam zri-guru-caranair mad-abhista-vizesa-siddhy-artham upadistam bhavayami ||

”I meditate on the specific form of one of Krsna’s associates in Vraja, which my revered guru has instructed me in, in order to attain my specifically desired perfection.”

Jiva Goswami, Bhakti-sandarbha (312)

tatradau majjari-rupan gurvadin tu sviyan sviyan pranaly-anusarena samsmaret zri-guru-parama-guru-krameneti tatah zri-radhikam dhyayet | tatah zri-nandanandanam ||

“In this meditation, before anything else, the practitioner should meditate on the manjari-forms of his guru-pranali, beginning with his guru, then parama-guru, etc. Then he shall meditate on Sri Radhika, and after that Sri Nandanandana (Krishna).”

Dhyanacandra Gosvami (Paddhati, 344)

yadyapi çré-bhägavata-mate païcaräträdivad arcana-märgasyävaçyakatvaà nästi, tad vinäpi çaraëäpatty-ädénäm ekatareëäpi puruñärtha-siddher abhihitatvät, tathäpi çré-näradädi-vartmänusaradbhiù çré-bhagavatä saha sambandha-viçeñaà dékñä-vidhänena çré-guru-caraëa-sampäditaà cikérñadbhiù kåtäyäà dékñäyäm arcanam avaçyaà kriyetaiva |

“Although in the opinion of the Bhagavata Purana, the path of arcana, like the Pancaratra and so forth, is not necessary, since, even without that, one can achieve the goal of human life by one of the other methods like surrender (saranagatti) and the rest, still those who are following the path of Narada and others and who desire the particular relationship (sambandha) with the Lord that is effected at the feet of the guru by the rite of diksa necessarily perform arcana when diksa is completed.”

Jiva Goswami Bhakti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 283)

Description of ekadasa-bhava (the eleven sentiments):sambandha (a specific relationship with Radharani in Vrindavan)

Harinama Chintamani Chapter 15 Bhaktivinod Thakur

If, after having tested the disciple, the spiritual master determines that he is eligible to perform bhajan and serve in the sringara rasa, he then confidentially informs the disciple about his eternal spiritual form as a manjari in Srimati Radharani’s camp, under the supervision of Sri Lalita Devi.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Harinama Chintamani Ch. 15

våndäraëyäntarasthaù sarasa vilasitenätmanäm ätmänam uccair änanda syanda vandékåta manasam urékåtya nitya pramodaù våndäraëyaika niñöhän svaruci sama tanün kärayiñyämi yusmän ityeväs te ’vaçiñöam kim api mama mahat karma tac cätaniñye däsye kecana kecana praëayinaù sakhye ta evobhaye rädhä-mädhava niñöhayä katipaye çré dvärakädhéçituù sakhyädäv ubhayatra kecana pare ye vävatäräntare mayyäbaddha hådo ’khilän vitanavai våndävanäsaìginaù

“O acarya! I am always absorbed in my blissful luscious pastimes in Vrindavana, and I will give you all bodies suitable for joining me in these Vrindavana-pastimes. That one remaining great duty I will swiftly perform! Some devotees are in a mood of servitude, some are fixed in a fraternal mood. Some are fixed in the love of Radha and Madhava, others in the Lord of Dvaraka and again others in my different dissensions such as Rama and Nrisimha. I will lock you all in the chains of my love and give you attachment to Vrindavana!”

Hearing Mahaprabhu’s blessing, Sri Sitanatha replied:

nijecchayä präpaya yad yad eva sthaläntaraà no vapor antaraà vä
tavaitad äçcarya caritram eva jätismarä eva ciraà smarämaù

“By Your wish we may attain whatever you want, in any other abode or body! We will eternally remember our origin in your wonderful pastimes!”

Caitanya Candrodaya, Act 10

 “If anybody possesses greed for the path of raganuga, he will pray to his good religious preceptor, who, after examining his relish, will determine the type of bhajana suited to him and give him acquaintance of his siddha-deha. According to this acquaintance, the aspirant or the person in the ascending stage of prema will live in the company of guru, and getting all acquaintance from him, will practice bhajana daily with utmost care and eagerness, situated in his own position.

Remembering his transcendental nama, rupa, etc., bestowed by the guru again and again, he will possess identification for the same. This identification is the knowledge of his true self and is called svarupa siddhi. Qualities and lila which have been cited before is blossomed in this place.

The significance of this type of sadhana is to enter into the transcendental lila of Sri Radha Krishna and remembering Their eternal name, beauty and quality by application of the aspirant’s relationship with Them in consonance with his own name and form, bestowed by Sri Guru.”

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Caitanya Siksamritam, 6.5 (p. 237-238):

3 STEP – MANASI SEVA (LILA SMARANAM)        

HOW AND WHY MEDITATE IN SIDDHA DEHA?

 bahya, antara ihara dui ta’ sadhana | bahye sadhaka-dehe kare zravana-kirtana || mane nija-siddha-deha kariya bhavana | ratri-dine kare vraje krsnera sevana ||

“The external and the internal, they are the two aspects of sadhana. Externally, in sadhaka-deha one engages in sravana and kirtana. In his mind, he meditates on his very own siddha-deha, Serving Krishna in Vraja day and night.”

Caitanya Caritamrita, 2.22.156-157

amani manada haja krsna-nama sada labe | vraje radha-krsna-seva manase karibe || ||

“Do not expect any respect from others and offer all respect to them, always taking the name of Krishna and in your mind serving Radha and Krishna in Vraja.”

Caitanya Caritamrita, 3.6.237

 vikréòitaà vraja-vadhübhir idaà ca viñëoù çraddhänvito ’nuçåëuyäd atha varëayed yaù
bhaktià paräà bhagavati pratilabhya kämaà håd-rogam äçv apahinoty acireëa dhéraù

“One who faithfully hears or describes the loving sports of Sri Krishna and the young maidens of Vraja will quickly drive away the heart-disease of lust, become sober, and attain supramundane devotion of the Lord.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.33.39

 yat pétaà çrutiväì manobhir aniçaà tåñëäpradaà tvadbhutaà saàsärämaya häryapi praëayajonmädändhya mohädikåt çaçvac carvitam eva bhüri rasadaà dehädi håt puñöidaà taj jéyäd amåta spåhä haram idaà govinda lélämåtam

“All glories to Sri Govinda Lilamrta the immortal nectar pastimes of Sri Govinda, which defeats the nectar of the demigods and the desire for liberation, constantly bestows a wonderful thirst to the ears, words and mind whenever it is drunk, that cures the disease of material life, yet producing delusions and blindness of loving intoxication, and gives inexhaustible relish, even if it is consumed again and again, nourishing even the body.”

Govinda-lélämåta, 1.5

mahajanera yei patha, tate hobo anurata, purvapara koriya vicara
sadhana smarana lila, ihate na koro hela kaya mane koriya susara || 14 ||

“I will fondly follow the path of the Mahajanas, discriminating between the former and the later.Do not neglect the practice of lila-smarana, but makes it the very essence of your mind.”

Prema Bhakti Candrika by Narottama Das Thakur Verse 14

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