atha rAgAnugA
virAjantIm abhivyaktAM vraja-vAsI janAdiSu |
rAgAtmikAm anusritA yA sA rAgAnugocyate || 270 ||
“RAgAnugA” is that which runs after the intense attachment powerfully manifest in the residents of Vrindaban, etc.
RAgAnugA is sAdhana that is inspired by and aspires for RAgAtmikA. What is “RAgAtmikA?”
“RAgAtmikA” indicates a person who possesses raga. The word rAga indicates passion and attachment. Rupa Goswami describes the passion and attachment of a RAgAtmikA as being “brilliantly intense and powerfully manifest” (virAjantIm abhivyaktAM).
To what is a RAgAtmika so passionately attached? In the context of Uttama Bhakti, a RAgAtmikA is an ideal example of passionate attachment to pleasing Krishna without ulterior motive. The residents of Vrindaban are the foremost RAgAtmikAs.
Vaidhi Sadhana is inspired and guided by the injunctions of scripture. RAgAnugA Sadhana, on the other hand, is passionately inspired by and earnestly aspires for RAgAtmikA (“rAgAtmikAm anusritA”).
rAgAnugA-vivekArtham Adau rAgAtmikocyate || 271 ||
I will describe the various goals of RAgAnugA by first describing RAgAtmikA.
The goal of RAgAnugA is to very strongly manifest in one’s heart the intense, passionate attachment called “RAgAtmikA.” Thus, by first describing the passionate attachment of RAgAtmikA, Rupa Goswami will describe the goals of RAgAnugA.
Why does Rupa Goswami say that RAgAnuga has “various goals” (viveka-artham)?
RAgAnugA’s singular goal is to strongly manifest passionate attachment to pleasing Krishna. This attachment has a variety of flavors (one may be attached to pleasing Krishna as his servant, as his friend, as his parent, or as his lover), so the singular goal of RAgAnuga has multiple aspects.
iSTe svArasikI rAgaH paramAviSTatA bhavet |
tan-mayI yA bhaved bhaktiH sAtra rAgAtmikoditA || 272 ||
“RAgAtmikA” is love composed of all-consuming attachment to the beloved object one has an inherent taste for.
Every living being has unique attributes inherent in his or her eternal nature, which cause him or her to have unique inherent tastes and attractions. Rupa Goswami calls these inherent tastes “svArasiki.” The entities one becomes attracted to as a result of these inherent tastes are called “iSTa.”
Ultimately, one’s inherent tastes cause one to have a unique attraction to the supreme, who responds by appearing in the form most appropriate to one’s unique tastes. This form becomes the dear-most object of the living being’s eternal passionate attachment, and is called one’s “iSTa-deva.”
Attachment to one’s iSTa-deva is the essential component of RAgAtmikA. Such attachment becomes “ideal” when it becomes so intense that it is consumes the living being entirely and absorbs him or her completely in rapt and constant love.
sA kAmarUpA sambandha-rUpA ceti bhaved dvidhA || 273 ||
RAgAtmikA has two aspects: (1) KAmarUpA, and (2) Sambandha-rUpA.
Intense, passionate attachment to pleasing Krishna has two components: (1) Sambandha – a sense of one’s relationship with Krishna, and (2) KAma – an eagerness to please him in terms of that relationship. RAgAtmikA is called by the name of which component is more prominent. Rupa Goswami calls RAgAtmikA “KAmarUpA” when kAma, or “lust” to please Krishna is the most prominent factor in one’s all-consuming attachment to him. He calls RAgAtmikA “Sambandha-rUpA” when sambandha, or one’s relationship to Krishna is the prominent factor.
All types of RAgAtmikA contain a sense of relationship to Krishna, therefore all are Sambandha-rUpA, but when “lust” to please Krishna is particularly prominent, Rupa Goswami uses the term “KAmarUpA” to note it.
tathA hi saptame
kAmAd dveSAd bhayAt snehAd yathA bhakty eshvare manaH |
Aveshya tad aghaM hitvA bahavas tad gatiM gatAH || 274 ||
gopyaH-kAmAd bhayAt kaMso dveSAc caidyAdayo nripAH |
sambandhAd vriSNayaH snehAd yUyaM bhaktyA vayaM vibho || 275 ||
Seventh Canto [SB 7.1.29-30]:
“Whether by lust, hatred, fear, affection, or devotion – dress the mind in thought of the Lord. Many have thus cast off sin and attained the goal.
“O great one, the Gopis did so by lust, Kamsa did so by fear, Shishupal and other kings did so by hatred, the VriSnis did so by their sense of relationship to the Lord, you Pandavas did so by affection and we devotees did so by devotional service.”
In the previous shloka, Rupa Goswami stated that RAgAtmikA has two aspects: KAmarUpA and Sambandha-rUpa. These verses from the Seventh Canto verify this by mentioning the kAma of the GopIs and the sambandha of the VriSNis.
However, these verses also cause two confusions:
Rupa Goswami addresses the first confusion in shlokas 276-277, and the second in 278-282.
AnukUlya-vipary AsAd bhIti dveSau parAhatau |
snehasya sakhya-vAcitvAd vaidha-bhakty anuvartitA || 276 ||
kiM vA premAbhidhA yitvAn nopayogo ‘tra sAdhane |
bhaktyA vayam iti vyaktaM vaidhI bhaktir udIritA || 277 ||
Fear and hatred are self-defeating in bhakti because they violate the principle of AnukUlyena - intention to please Krishna. Friendship that results from affection is a product of Vaidhi-bhakti, so what to speak of those whose love for Krishna is still in the stage of Sadhana? “We devotees did so by bhakti” indicates Vaidhi-sadhana.
The verses just cited from the Seventh Canto mention many types of attachment to Krishna besides kAma and sambandha. Why aren’t these others included as aspects of RAgAtmikA?
Altogether, the verses cited from Seventh Canto indicate the following types of raga, or attachment:
In shloka 272, Rupa Goswami defined RAgAtmikA as love consisting of intense, all-consuming attachment. Although hatred and fear do cause intense, all-consuming attachment, they are not aspects of love because they are not favorably disposed (AnukUlya) towards the object of attachment. Therefore neither hatred nor fear can be an aspect of RAgAtmikA.
This leaves us with the following types of raga:
Affection is a loving emotion, but it is not sufficiently intense and all consuming to be counted as an aspect of RAgAtmikA. The Pandavas are examples of such affection for Krishna. Their affection for Krishna is not considered all-consuming because it is sometimes limited by formalities and ettiquite – and is therefore an aspect of perfected Vaidhi-bhakti. If, in some instances, their affection for Krishna does become all-consuming and overwhelms the limitations of formality and ettiquite, it can then be accepted as RAgAtmikA, in the category of “Relationship” – Sambandha-rUpa.
This leaves us with the following types of raga:
Attachment to Krishna in the context of “devotional service” (bhakti-yoga, or sAdhana-bhakti) is not yet fully developed and is governed by scriptural regulations. It is therefore not sufficiently intense and all-consuming to be counted as an aspect of RAgAtmikA.
This leaves us with the following types of raga:
Lust (kAma) to please Krishna, and the feeling of having a relationship (sambandha) with him are loving emotions, and they are intense and all-consuming enough to be counted as aspects of RAgAtmikA. Thus, as Rupa Goswami stated in shloka 272, RAgAtmikA has two aspects: KAmarUpA, and Sambandha-rUpa.
yad arINAM priyANAM ca prApyam ekam ivoditam |
tad brahma-kriSNayor aikyAt kiraNArkopamA-juSoH || 278 ||
The statement that both the enemies and the friends of Krishna attain the same thing refers to the sameness of Brahman and Krishna, which is like the sameness of the sunshine and the sun.
SHlokas 274-275, quoted from the Seventh Canto, created confusion by implying that those who fear and hate Krishna attain the same destination as those who love him. Rupa Goswami now begins to explain.
The sun is a singular entity with a variety of aspects. The sunshine and the sun-globe are two aspects within the singular entity known as the sun. Similarly, God is a singular entity with a variety of aspects. The homogeneous spiritual energy of Brahman and the intimate personality of BhagavAn Krishna are two aspects within the singular entity known as God.
Both the friends and enemies of Krishna attain “God” and thus can be said to attain the “same goal.” But the enemies of Krishna attain the homogeneous spiritual energy of Brahman (see 279 & 280) while the friends of Krishna attain the intimate personality of BhagavAn Krishna (see 281 & 282).
It is not that one attains liberation in the Brahman simply by being God’s enemy; only those whose enmity causes them to become intensely consumed by thoughts of God attain such a goal. The potency of meditation on God motivated by intense emotion is so great that it has a positive effect even when it is motivated by unloving emotions.
brahmaNy eva layaM yAnti prAyeNa ripavo hareH |
kecit prApy Api sArUpyAbhAsaM majjanti tat-sukhe || 279 ||
Usually Hari’s enemies dissolve into the Brahman, but sometimes they attain a semblance of sArUpya-mukti and eventually sink into that bliss.
Krishna’s enemies attain the Brahman aspect of God. Rarely, some like PUtanA attain a higher level of liberation: something akin to sArUpya-mukti – attaining a form identical in many ways with Krishna’s own eternal form.
tathA ca brahmANDa purANe
siddha-lokas tu tamasaH pAre yatra vasanti hi |
siddhA brahma-sukhe magnA daityAsh ca hariNa hatAH || 280 ||
BrahmANDa PurANa: “But beyond the world of darkness lies the perfect world; there both the perfected and the demons slain by Hari sink into spiritual bliss.”
Those slain directly by Hari die with intense, all-consuming thought of him. They therefore attain liberation into the homogeneous spiritual energy of Brahman, the same destination attained by perfected mystic yogis.
rAga-bandhena kenApi taM bhajanto vrajantyamI |
anghri-padma-sudhAH-prema-rUpAs tasya priyA janAH || 281 ||
But anyone who worships Krishna with passionate attachment attains ambrosial love for his lotus-feet.
Krishna’s enemies attain the Brahman aspect of God, but Krishna’s friends attain the personal, loving BhagavAn aspect.
tathA hi shrI-dashame
nibhrita-marun-mano-‘kSa-driDha-yoga-yujo hridi yan
munaya upAsate tad arayo ‘pi yayuH smaraNAt |
striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daNDa-viSakta-dhiyo
vayam api te samAH sama-drisho ‘nghro-saroja-sudhAH || 282 ||
Tenth Canto [10.87.23]: “What the sages might attain by worshipping the Supersoul through steadfast control of the breath, mind and senses, your enemies attain simply by thinking of you. However, the special way that the ladies’ minds were attracted to you granted them the embrace of your powerful, serpentine arms. And we who look upon you with the same feelings as they will similarly attain the ambrosia of your lotus feet.”
“The ladies” refers to the Gopis. This beautiful shloka from SHrI BhAgavatam verifies three pertinent points:
tatra kAmarUpA
Having verified his statement that there are two types of RAgAtmikA, and having addressed the confusions that arose, Rupa Goswami now proceeds to define and describe those two types of RAgAtmikA, beginning with KAmarUpA.
sA kAmarUpA sambhoga triSNAM yA nayati svatAm |
yad asyAM kriSNa-saukhyArtham eva kevalam udyamaH || 283 ||
KAmarUpA transforms the thirst for sexual enjoyment into an endeavor singularly motivated by zealous desire to please Krishna.
KAma, “lust,” is the intense thirst to enjoy. Prema, “love,” is the desire to please one’s beloved. The two sometimes appear similar, but are always distinct entities. KAma (lust) is like iron and Prema (love) is like gold. Like iron, lust is strong but base. Like gold, love is beautiful but soft. If one could take the strength of iron and combine it with the beauty of gold, one would truly have a most precious metal.
KAmarUpa does exactly that. It takes the iron-strong, intense thirst of lust and replaces it’s base nature with the golden beauty of pure love. Thus Rupa Goswami defines KAmarUpA as that which takes the passionate thirst for sexual enjoyment and transforms it’s base nature into pure love, resulting in an extremely zealous and romantic desire to please Krishna.
iyantu vraja devISu suprasiddhA virAjate |
AshAM prema-visheSo ‘yaM prAptaH kAmapi mAdhurIM |
tat-tat-krIDA-nidAnatvAt kAma ity ucyate budhaiH || 284 ||
This KAmarUpA is brilliantly and perfectly manifest in the goddesses of Vrindaban. The wise call it KAma, or “lust,” because this very special aspect of Prema attains the honey-sweet activities and emotional bonds characteristic of lust.
The goddesses of Vrndaban (“vraja-devI”) are the Gopis. They are the perfect examples of KAmarUpA RAgAtmikA.
If KAmarUpa is not based on the selfishness of lust but on the purity of love (prema), then why call it “lust” (kAma) at all? The wise call it “lust” because it adopts the activities and emotions characteristic of lust. However, KAmarUpA is in fact a very special aspect of pure love for God (‘prema-visheSa”).
tathA ca tantre
premaiva gopa-rAmANAM kAma ity agamat prathAm || 285 ||
ity uddhavAdayo ‘py etaM vAñchati bhagavat-priyAH || 286 ||
Tantra: “The pure love of the cow-herder’s wives has become famous as ‘lust.’ Those who are dear to God, headed by Uddhava, desire it.”
These verses quoted from Tantra substantiate two important points:
kAmaprAyA ratiH kintu kubjAyAm eva sammatA || 287 ||
But it is my firm opinion that Kubja’s attraction to Krishna is not quite KAmarUpA.
Kubja is a lady in MathurA who had a romantic relationship with Krishna, but whose relationship with him was tainted with a very slight impurity of selfish desire. Because of the presence of this slight selfishness, her affection for Krishna cannot be said to be KAmarUpA. This speaks volumes about the true purity and selflessness of the Gopis “lust” for Krishna.
tatra sambandha-rUpA
sambandharUpA govinde pitritvAdy AbhimAnitA |
atropalakSaNatayA vriSNInAM vallavA matAH |
yadaishya-jñAna-shunyatvAd eSAM rAge pradhAnatA || 288 ||
“Sambandha-rUpA” consists of the conception that one is Govinda’s parent, etc. The VriSNIs and, by implication, the Cow-herders were mentioned as examples. In my opinion, the Cow-herders are the best examples because the nature of their attachment to Govinda is free from all awareness of his majestic position.
“Sambandha-rUpA” consists of the conception that one is Govinda’s parent, etc. The “etc” in this sentence refers to considering oneself Govinda’s friend or subordinate.
What about considering oneself Govinda’s lover? That is also included in the word “etc.” but in such relationships lust to please Krishna becomes the foremost characteristic, so they are more properly considered an aspect of KAmarUpA.
What about having an appreciative relationship to Govinda in shuddha or shAnta-rasa? That is not included in the word “etc.” because the attachment to pleasing Krishna in such relationships is not strong enough to be considered an ideal example of intense attachment, RAgAtmikA.
Who are the foremost examples of Sambandha-rUpA RAgAtmikA?
The Seventh Canto, quoted in 276-277 above, mentioned the VriSNis – Krishna’s family members related to DevakI and VAsudeva. Rupa Goswami contends that “the VriSNis” includes the Cow-herders of Vraja by extension (“upalakSaNa”). He further states that those Cow-herders are better examples of Sambandha-rUpA because their attachment to Krishna consists wholly of their relationship to him as a parent, friend, or subordinate. Whereas the relationships of the other VriSNIs with Krishna include a conscious awareness of his majestic position as the Supreme Being, which is unnatural to and infringes upon their sense of being his parents, friends, etc.
Examples of Sambandha-rUpA in parenthood include Nanda, UpAnanda, YashodA and RohinI. Examples of Sambandha-rUpA in friendship include SHrIdAma, SudAma, VasudAma and SubAla. Examples of SambandhA-rUpA in servitude include Citraka, Patraka and others.
kAma-sambandharUpe te prema-mAtra-svarUpake |
nitya-siddhAshrayatayA nAtra samyag vicArite || 289 ||
KAmarUpA and Sambandha-rUpA are elements of Prema itself, and are found within eternally perfect beings. Therefore I have not spoken about them at length.
Since this is a section on SAdhana Bhakti, Rupa Goswami does not speak at length here about RAgAtmikA because it is an aspect of Prema Bhakti. He has given an initial description for the sake of describing the goals of RAgAnugA SAdhana, but will save the more detailed description for the upcoming sections on Prema and Rasa.