sädhanäbhi-niveçena kåñëa-tad-bhaktayos tathä |
prasädenätidhanyänäà bhävo dvedhäbhijäyate |
ädy astu präyikas tatra dvitéyo viralodayaù || 6 ||
– 6 –
Bhäva appears in two ways: (1) by resolute Sädhana, (2) by the very merciful blessing of Krishna and his Bhakta. The first is more common. The second is very rare.
tatra sädhanäbhiniveça-jaù
vaidhé-rägänugä-märga-bhedena parikértitaù |
dvividhaù khalu bhävo ‘tra sädhanäbhiniveçajaù || 7 ||
– 7 –
Bhäva arises from resolute Sädhana in one of the two different paths described before – (1) Vaidhé Sädhana, or (2) Rägänugä Sädhana.
sädhanäbhiniveças tu tatra niñpädayan rucim |
haräv äsaktim utpädya ratià saàjanayaty asau || 8 ||
– 8 –
Actually, resolute practice of these two types of Sädhana gives rise to attraction (ruci), which then causes addiction to Hari (äsakti), which then gives rise to affection for Hari (rati).
Rupa Goswami stated that resolute practice of Sädhana, either Vaidhi or Rägänugä, can cause Bhäva Bhakti. Here he clarifies that what resolute Sädhana (i.e. Sädhana practiced in the state of niñöhä) really causes is ruci – “taste,” a genuine liking for and inclination towards worshipping Hari. This ruci next develops into äsakti – “addiction,” a strong attachment to attaining Hari. Thus, Sädhana does not directly create Bhäva, it allows the heart to manifest attraction and addiction to Hari, which thus make it capable of receiving the blessings of Hari and his Bhakti. In all cases, it is the blessing of Hari and his Bhakta that cause the çuddha-sattva-viçeña to enter the heart and allow one’s seed of pure love to sprout.
Rupa Goswami places the word asau (“these two”) at
the end of the çloka to make it apply to all the terms therein. Thus, there are
two types of resolute Sädhana (Vaidha-niñöhä, and Rägänugiyä-niñöhä),
two types of attraction (vaidha-ruci, and rägänugiyä-ruci), two
types of addiction (vaidha-äsakti, and rägänugiyä-äsakti), and
two types of Bhäva (Vaidha-bhäva, and rägänugiyä-bhäva).
tatra ädyo
tatränvahaà kåñëa-kathäù pragäyatam
anugraheëäçåëavaà manoharäù |
täù çraddhayä me ‘nupadaà viçåëvataù
priyaçravasy aìga mamäbhavad ratiù ||
9 ||
– 9 –
First Canto [Sb. 1.5.26]: “Thereafter, I faithfully listened to their gracious and intriguing discussions and descriptions of Krishna. Thus my Rati manifested for he whom people love to hear of.”
Here, Närada tells Vyäsa how he attained enlightenment. In
his previous life as the son of a servant-lady, a group of saints visited
Närada’s home and spent the rainy season living there. When they saw the unique
character of the boy, out of compassion (anugraheëa) they instructed him
to participate in their discussions and descriptions of Krishna. This
illustrates that the root cause of Bhäva is always mercy, even when Bhäva is
said to arise from resolute sädhana. Because of Närada’s faith in those saints (çraddayä),
he followed their advice and began to practice hearing (çravaëa) about
Krishna. Närada attained Rati, affection for Krishna, by such practice.
This is an illustration of Vaidhé Sädhana, because it was inspired by an instruction, rather than a natural inclination. Närada is therefore an example of attaining Bhäva by Vaidhé Sädhana.
ratyä tu bhäva evätra na tu premäbhidhéyate |
mama bhaktiù pravåtteti vakñyate sa yad agrataù || 10 ||
– 10 –
But here “Rati” means Bhäva but not Prema. Prema is indicated next, in the phrase “I attained Bhakti.”
In the previous quote, Närada said “I attained affection for Krishna.” Rupa Goswami notes that this refers to Bhäva, not Prema, for Närada describes how he attained Prema in the next verse.
yathä tatraiva
itthaà çarat-prävåñikäv åtü harer
viçåëvato me ‘nusavaà yaço ‘malam |
saìkértyamänaà munibhir mahätmabhir
bhakti pravåttätma rajas-tamopahä ||
11 ||
– 11 –
Therein [Sb. 1.5.28]: “For two seasons, autumn and monsoon, I constantly and especially listened to the pure glories of Hari, glorified by the sages and great souls. Thus the influence of passion and ignorance vanished and I attained Bhakti.”
Here Närada describes how he attained Prema shortly after attaining Bhäva.
tåtéye ca
satäà prasaìgän mama vérya-saàvido
bhavanti håt-karëa-rasäyanäù kathäù |
taj-joñaëäd äçv apavarga-vartmani
çraddhä ratir bhaktir anukramiñyati ||
12 ||
– 12 –
And, in the Third Canto [Sb. 3.25.25]: “Discussion of my heroic deeds happens when one deeply associates with saints. Those conversations are an elixir for the ear and heart, for they bring a satisfaction that quickly speeds one along on the path of liberation, from Çraddha to Rati to Bhakti.”
Here, Kapila-deva states that hearing about Krishna can
bring one from initial Faith (çraddhä) to Bhäva (rati), which
then brings Prema (bhakti).
puräëe nätya-çästre ca dvayos tu rati-bhävayoù |
samänärtha tayä hy atra dvayam aikyena lakñitaà || 13 ||
– 13 –
In both the Puräëas and in the Drama-Scriptures, the words “Rati” and “Bhäva” have the same meaning. In this book, these two words also share a single meaning.
The çlokas Rupa Goswami cited above, as examples of attaining Bhäva by Vaidhé Sädhana, use the word “Rati” rather than Bhäva. He therefore notes here that both the Puräëas and the Drama Scriptures both consider the words “Rati” and “Bhäva” to be synonymous.
dvitéyo
yathä pädme
itthaà manorathaà bälä kurvaté nåtya utsukä |
hari-prétyä ca täà sarväà rätrim evätyavähayat ||
14 ||
– 14 –
Padma Puräëa: “Her strong, natural attachment to Hari made her dance enthusiastically for Hari’s pleasure. The certainly did greatly fortify her emotions, causing her to dance throughout the entire night.”
This quotation refers to a lady named Chandrakänti. Her sädhana, mentioned here, was to dance for Hari’s pleasure. Because this Sädhana was inspired by her own natural feelings for Hari, it is an example of Rägänugä Sädhana. This Sädhana fortified her natural emotions and brought her to the stage of Bhäva. One of the nine characteristics of Bhäva, which Rupa Goswami will discuss in the next section, is unwillingness to pass even a moment without pleasing Krishna. This characteristic is seen here in Chandrakänti’s spending every moment of the entire night by dancing for Hari.
Jiva Goswami notes that Chandrakänti is sometimes identified with Çré Rädhä because she attained Rädhä’s blessing and thus developed a very deep friendship with Rädhä, and feelings for Krishna that are almost identical to Rädhäräëé’s.
atha çri-kåñëa-tad-bhakta-prasädajaù
sädhanena vinä yastu sahasaiväbhijäyate |
sa bhävaù kåñëa-tad-bhakta-prasädaja itéyate || 15 ||
– 15 –
Bhäva that manifests without the accompaniment of any Sädhana is “Bhäva that arises from the mercy of Krishna and his Bhakta.”
As noted previously (1.3.10), the mercy of Krishna and his Bhakta is always a fundamental factor in attaining Bhäva. Usually that mercy is related to some personal practice or endeavor to attain and utilize it. In rare cases, however, one attains Bhäva solely by the favor of Krishna or his Bhakta, without any practice of Sädhana. Rupa Goswami refers to these rare cases as “Bhäva that arises from the mercy of Krishna and his Bhakta.”
Bhäva that arises from mercy may arise either from (1) the mercy of Krishna, or (2) the mercy of Krishna’s Bhakta.
atha çré-kåñëa-prasädajaù
prasäda väcikäloka-däna-härdädayo hareù || 16 ||
– 16 –
Hari bestows mercy (1) verbally, (2) through the eyes, or (3) in his heart.
tatra väcika-prasädajaù
yathä näradéye
sarva-maëgala-mürddhanyä pürëänanda-mayé sadä |
dvijendra tava mayy astu bhaktir-avyäbhicäriëé || 17 ||
– 17 –
Näradéya Puräëa: “O king of the twice-born! May you have unfaltering devotion, the crown of all auspicious things, which is composed of complete and never-ending bliss!”
Here, a devotee who has never practiced any Sädhana, is granted Bhäva Bhakti by the verbal expression of Krishna’s mercy upon him.
äloka-dänajaù
yathä skände
adåñöa-purvam-älokya kåñëaà jäìgala-väsinaù |
viklidyad-antarätmano dåñöià näkruñöuméçire || 18 ||
– 18 –
Skända Puräëa: “When the Jungle-Dwellers beheld Krishna, whom their eyes had never before seen, their hearts softened and they could not look away.”
The persons residing in the jungles surrounding Dvärakä did not practice any Sädhana Bhakti, but they attained Bhäva Bhakta when Krishna bestowed his mercy upon them by appearing directly before them.
härdaù
prasäda äntaro yaù syät sa härda iti kathyate || 19 ||
– 19 –
Mercy that Krishna feels within may be called “Heartfelt.”
Of course, all mercy is heartfelt. But when such mercy is neither verbally nor visually bestowed, but simply remains a feeling within the heart, it is in the category of “Heartfelt Mercy.”
yathä çuka-saàhitäyäà
mahäbhägavato jätaù putras te bädaräyaëa |
vinopäyair upeyäbhüd-viñëu-bhaktir ihoditä || 20 ||
– 20 –
Çuka Saàhitä: “O Bädaräyaëa, you have a great saint as your son! Viñëu-Bhakti has arisen in his heart without any effort, as he lies here within the womb.”
Krishna blessed Çukadeva Goswami, the son of Bädaräyaëa Vyäsa, with Bhäva Bhakti while he was still in the womb. Thus there was no opportunity for verbal or visual bestowal of that blessing. Simply by Krishna feeling merciful towards Çukadeva, he attained Bhäva Bhakti before he was even born, thus without any practice of Sädhana-bhakti.
atha tad-bhakta-prasädajaù
yathä saptame
guëair akan asaìkhyeyair mahätmyaà tasya sücyate |
väsudeve bhagavati yasya naisargiké ratiù || 21 ||
– 21 –
Seventh Canto [Sb. 7.4.36]: “How can I properly glorify his innumerable qualities? He has innate Rati for Lord Väsudeva.”
This is Närada speaking to Yuddiñöhir about Prahläda. Rupa Goswami explains this quote in the next çloka.
näradasya prasädena prahläde çudha-väsanä |
nisargaù saiva tenätra rati-naisargiké matä || 22 ||
– 22 –
By Närada’s mercy, Prahläda became enveloped in purity. In my opinion, the reason why Närada describes Prahläda to have “innate Rati” is that Prahläda’s Rati had no cause, being the result of Närada’s mercy.
By Närada’s mercy, Prahläda became enwrapped in çuddha-sattva-viçeña, and thus developed Rati, Bhäva Bhakti. Since this Bhäva Bhakti was not caused by anything except Närada’s mercy, it is called “innate,” or “causeless”
skände ca
aho dhanyo ‘si devarñe kåpayä yasya tat-kñaëät |
néco ‘py utpulako lebhe lubdhako ratim ucyate || 23 ||
– 23 –
Skända Puräëa: “O sage of the gods, you are blessed! Your mercy alone is said to have bestowed Rati to even this lowly hunter, who is now overwhelmed with goose bumps.”
Again, Närada’s mercy bestowed Bhäva Bhakti to a hunter who has previously performed no Sädhana.
In review of this section:
Bhäva Bhakti
Arising from Sädahana
From Vaidhi Sädhana (Närada)
From Rägänugä Sädhana (Chandrakänti)
Arising Purely from Mercy
From Krishna’s Mercy
Granted Verbally ()
Granted Visually (Jungle Dwellers near Dvärakä)
Granted by Heartfelt Emotion only (Çukadev
Goswami)
From the Mercy of Krishna’s Bhakta
(Prahläd, Hunter)