atha premä
samyaë masåëita-svänto mamatvätiçayäìkitaù |
bhävaù sa eva sändrätmä budhaiù premä nigadyate || 1 ||
samyak – completely; masåëita-sväntaù – she who softens the heart; mamatva – sense of “mine;” atiçaya – abundance in quality and quantity; aìkitaù – marked (“trademarked”) by. bhävaù – Bhäva Bhakti; saù – she; eva – certainly; sändra – viscous, thick, solid, compact, dense, intense; ätmä – essential nature; budhaiù – the intelligent, learned; premä – Prema Bhakti; nigadyate – describe.
– 1 –
The wise describe Prema as being condensed Bhäva Bhakti. She completely softens the heart, and is marked by an abundant sense of “mine.”
Rupa Goswami defines Prema Bhakti.
Bhäva Sa Eva
Sändrätmä
”She is Condensed Bhäva”
The essential nature (ätmä) of Prema is condensed Bhäva (sändra-bhäva). In Prema, all the qualities of Bhäva Bhakti continue to exist in a thickened, intensified, improved form. For example, In Bhäva, the first ray from the dawning sun of Prema caused the heart to soften. In Prema, the intense sunlight of the fully risen sun completely melts the heart.
Samyäë
Mäsåëita-Sväntaù
”Completely Softening the Heart”
A “hard-hearted” or “cold-hearted” person is callous, apathetic and indifferent. In the context of Bhakti, a “cold-,” or “hard-heart” is callous, apathetic and indifferent towards loving Krishna. When Bhäva Bhakti dawns, the soul begins to “soften.” It starts to lose its callous, apathetic indifference towards Krishna. With the full rise of Prema Bhakti, the soul completely “softens.” All indifference towards Krishna is completely melted away, and one’s emotions and comprehensions always flow lovingly towards Krishna.
In this çloka defining Prema, Rupa Goswami uses the word sväntaù for “heart.” This word describes the heart as the “final self” (sva-anta), the seat of identity and emotion – the “soul.” In the çloka defining Bhäva (1.3.1) Rupa Goswami used the word citta for “heart.” Citta describes the heart as the seat of comprehension – again, the “soul.” Thus when we say that Bhäva and Prema “soften the heart,” we mean that they cause the soul to “soften.”
Rupa Goswami says that Prema softens the seat of identity and emotion (mäsåëita-sväntaù), and that Bhäva softens the seat of cognition (citta-mäsåëya). In 1.3.1, Rupa Goswami described the ray of sunlight emanating from the Prema-sun as being made of two elements: pure cognition (saàvit-çakti), and pure exhilaration (hlädiné-çakti). By Rupa Goswami’s selective use of terminology we can infer that, while both spiritual elements are present in both stages of Bhakti, Bhäva Bhakti primarily bestows pure cognition (saàvit-çakti), which softens the seat of cognition (citta-mäsåëya) whereas Prema Bhakti primarily bestows pure exhilaration (hlädiné-çakti), which softens the seat of emotion and identity (mäsåëita-sväntaù). This is natural, since perfect awareness of a person precedes perfect love for that person.
Mamatva-Atiçaya-Aìkitaù
”Marked by an Abundant Sense of ‘Mine’”
In Bhäva, the dawning ray of viçuddha-sattva caused the heart to radiate lustrous inspirations, such as the inspirations to attain, to please, and to become dear to Krishna. In Prema, the full light of viçuddha-sattva illuminates these inspirations and intensifies them to the highest degree. Thus, in Prema Bhakti, one’s every aspiration and inspiration is fixed on Krishna. Indeed, Krishna becomes one’s sole possession.
Prema has transformed the very seat of identity (svänta); thus the sense of “I” becomes: “I am Krishna’s. I am his child, his friend, his parent, and his lover. I am his.” One thus considers oneself to be Krishna’s possession, and considers Krishna to be one’s own possession: “Krishna is mine. He is my parent, my friend, my son, and my lover. He is mine.”
Rupa Goswami therefore describes that the hallmark (aìkitaù) of Prema Bhakti is a qualitative and quantitative abundance (atiçaya) of the sense of “mine” (mamatva).
As indicated by the phrase “sändra-bhäva,” the living entity situated in Prema Bhakti is fully saturated with spiritual energy, viçuddha-sattva. Therefore his or her entire cognitive, emotive and identitive faculties become wholly enrapt and inseparable from the object of his or her perfect love – Krishna. A person in Prema Bhakti never thinks of himself alone. Whenever he thinks of himself, he thinks of Krishna: “I am Krishna’s.” Similarly, a person in Prema Bhakti never thinks of any possession except Krishna. Whenever she thinks of what is hers, she thinks of Krishna: “Krishna is mine.”
Prema Bhakti is therefore the state of perfect, abundant, and flawless love.
yathä païcarätre
ananya-mamatä viñëau mamatä prema-saìgatä |
bhaktir ity ucyate bhéñma-prahlädoddhava-näradaiù || 2 ||
ananya-mamatä – having no other sense of “mine” and “I”; viñëau – in Viñëu; mamatä – sense of “mine” and “I”; prema-saìgatä – always linked with Prema. bhaktiù – Bhakti; iti – thus; ucyate – say; bhéñma-prahläda-uddhava-näradaiù – Bhéñma, Prahläda, Uddhava, and Närada.
– 2 –
Närada Païcarätra: “Bhéñma, Prahläda, Uddhava, and Närada all describe Prema Bhakti as the state wherein one’s sense of “mine” is saturated with pure and exclusive loving possessiveness of Viñëu.”
This and the following çloka elaborate on the concept of “abundant possessiveness” (mamatva-atiçaya-aìkita) presented in Text One.
bhaktiù premocyate bhéñma-mukhair yatra tu saëgatä |
mamatänya-mamatvena varjitety atra yojanä || 3 ||
– Bhakti, endeavor to please Krishna; prema-ucyate – is called Prema; bhéñma-mukhaiù – by (from the mouth of) Bhésma; yatra – there (pointing to Vishnu, the subject of Bhéñma’s statement in the previous çloka); tu – strong, emphatic; saëgatä – the sense of attachment; mamatä – possessiveness, the sense of “mine”; anya-mamatvena – other objects of possession and attachment; varjita – cast off; iti – thus; atra – as far as; yojanä – miles.
– 3 –
Bhéñma says that Bhakti is called Prema when it has strong attachment and possessiveness towards Vishnu, casting miles away all other objects of attachment.
Here Rupa Goswami comments on the previous çloka from Närada Païcarätra. With this statement, he concludes the section of çlokas defining Prema Bhakti. Please see the comment on the word kåñëa in the definition of Uttama Bhakti (Brs. 1.1.11, “anyäbhiläñitä çünyam…”) for explanation of how exclusive love for Krishna includes love for all other beings.
bhävottho ‘ti-prasädotthaù çré-harer iti sa dvidhä || 4 ||
bhäva-utthaù – arising from Bhäva Bhakti; ati-prasäda-utthaù – arising from the great favor; çré-hareù – of Çré Hari; iti – this; sa – her; dvidhä – two types.
– 4 –
Prema can arise from Bhäva Bhakti, or from the great favor of Çré Hari. These are the two ways she arises.
tatra bhävotthaù
bhäva eväntar-aìgäëam-aìgänäm-anusevayä |
ärüòhaù parama-utkarñam bhäva-uttaù parikértitaù || 5 ||
bhäva – Bhava Bhakti; eva – certainly; antar-aìgäëam – internal aspects of Bhakti; aìgänäm –external aspects of Bhakti; anusevayä – serving; ärüòhaù – taking hold of; parama – paramount; utkarñam – elevating; bhäva-uttaù – arisen from Bhäva; parikértitaù – famed.
– 5 –
Serving Krishna with the internal and external expressions of Bhäva takes hold of that Bhakti and elevates it to the highest stage. This is famous as Prema arising from Bhäva.
tatra vaidha-bhävottho
yathaikädaçe
evaà-vrataù sva-priya-näma-kértyä jätänurägo
druta-citta uccaiù |
hasaty atho roditi rauti gäyaty unmädavan nåtyati loka-bähyaù || 6 ||
evaà-vrataù – by thus vowing; sva-priya-näma-kértyä – glorifying the name one holds dear; jäta-anurägaù – one attains attachment; druta-citta – melted, quickened heart; uccaiù hasati – loudly laughing; atho – also; roditi – cries; rauti – calls out; gäyati – sings; unmada-vat – as if intoxicated; nåtyati – dances; loka-bähyaù – not belonging to the world.
– 6 –
Eleventh Canto [11.2.40]: “By glorifying God’s name, impelled by one’s vow, one attains attachment and one’s heart melts, causing one to laugh loudly, to cry, to call out, sing, and dance like an intoxicated person who has no connection to this world.”
rägänugéya-bhävottho
yathä pädme
na patià kämayet kaïcid-brahmacarya-sthitä sadä |
tam-eva mürtià dhyäyanté candrakantir-varänanä || 7 ||
çré-kåñëa-gäthäà gäyanté romäëcodbheda-lakñaëä |
asmin-manvantare snigdhä çré-kåñëa-priya-vartayä || 8 ||
na patià kämayet – without desiring a husband; kaïcit-brahmacarya-sthitä sadä – remaining situated in the celibate station of life; tam – him; eva – certainly; mürtim – form; dhyäyanté – she meditated upon; candrakantiù – the lady named Candrakanti; varänanä – she who chose Krishna as her husband. çré-kåñëa-käthäm – descriptions of Çré Krishna; gäyanté – she sang; romäëca –standing up the bodily hair; udbheda – breaking out; lakñaëä – the sign of; asmin-manvantare –In this era; snigdhä – softened; çré-kåñëa-priya – beloved of Krishna; vartayä – became.
– 7, 8 –
Padma Puräëa: “Not desiring a husband but remaining always celibate, the lady named Candrakanti chose Krishna as her husband and thus always meditated on his image. She would sing and talk about Krishna, and goose bumps would break out, a sign that her heart had softened. In this era she became Krishna’s beloved.”
Here, the word “varana,” a garland the bride uses to choose the husband in the svayaà-vara style of marriage, subtly indicates that Candrakanti selected Krishna as her husband. And out of that emotional inspiration, she performed Sadhana such as singing and talking about Krishna.
atha harer-ati-prasädotthaù
harer-ati-prasädo ‘yaà saìga-dänädir ätmanaù || 9 ||
hareù-ati-prasädaù – by the great favor of Hari; ayam – this; saìga-däna-adiù – offering his own association, etc.; ätmanaù – the essential quality.
– 9 –
The essential quality of the great favor of Hari is that he freely gives his own company, etc.
yathaikädaçe
te nädhéta-çruti-gaëä nopäsita-mahattamäù |
avratätapta-tapasaù mat-saìgän mäm upägatäù || 10 ||
te – they; na – not; adhéta – studied; çruti-gaëä – the scripture; na – not; upäsita – worshipped; mahat-tamäù – the great personalities, saints; avrata – without taking vows; atapta-tapasaù – without undergoing austerity; mat-saìgät – by my association; mäm upägatäù – they attained me.
– 10 –
Eleventh Canto [11.12.7]: “They did not study scripture, nor did they worship great saints, nor did they take vows, nor did they undergo austerity. By my association they attained me.”
Rupa Goswami cites this çloka as an example of attaining Prema not by Sadhana, but by Krishna’s favor. Krishna’s favor is bestowed by what he calls “my association.” The word “my” (mat) is to be read in the possessive sense. Thus, by associating with persons and things that belong to Krishna, one can sometimes attain Krishna’s favor without the effort of Sädhana. By that favor, one can attain the direct association of Krishna (mäm upägatäù), Prema Bhakti.
Rupa Goswami has already established (1.3.6) that it is rare to attain bhakti by mercy alone, without Sädhana.
In this verse, the word “they” (te) refers to the following people (SB. 12.12.3-6): Daityas (sons of Diti), Demons (Yatudhanas), Animals (Mrgah), Birds, Angels (Gandharvas), Apsaras, Nagas, Siddhas (People of Siddhaloka), Caranas (of Caranaloka), Guhyakas (guardians of Kurvera's Treasure, who live in caves), and Vidyadharas.
And among Humans: Vaishyas, Shudras, Women, and classless people (could also mean "forigners"). And many others like Vrtrasura, Prahlada, Vrshaparva, Bali, Banasura, Maya (Danavah), Vibhishana, Sugriva, Jambavan, Gajendra, Jatayu, Tuladhara, Dharmavyadha, Kubja, the Gopis of Vraja (some of them), and the wives of the Yajnic Brahmans in Vraja.
mähätmya-jïäna-yuktaç ca kevalaç ceti sa dvidhä || 11 ||
mähätmya – majesty; jïäna – knowledge; yuktaù – joined with, alloyed with; ca – and; kevalaç – pure; ca – and; iti – thus; sa – her dvidhä – two aspects.
– 11 –
Prema can be (1) alloyed with knowledge of God’s majesty, or (2) pure. These are her two aspects.
atha ädyo
yathä païcarätre
mähätmya-jïäna-yuktas tu sudåòhaù sarvato ‘dhikaù |
sneho bhaktir iti proktas tayä särñöyädi nänyathä || 12 ||
mähätmya – majesty; jïäna – knowledge; yuktaù – joined with, alloyed with; tu – but; sudåòhaù – very firm; sarvataù – in all circumstances; adhikaù – superior; snehaù – tender affection; bhaktiù – Bhakti; iti – thus; proktaù – is said; tayä – by this; särñöi-ädi – the liberations beginning with equal status; na-anyathä – there is no other.
– 12 –
Närada Païcarätra: “Tender loving affection, abundantly and unwaveringly alloyed in all circumstances with knowledge of God’s majesty and grandeur is said to be the only cause of the liberations beginning with equal status.”
Knowledge of God’s majesty and grandeur is always a part of Prema. But when it is a more significant part (adhika) than the tender loving affection itself, then Prema is not said to be pure, but is mixed, or alloyed, with that constant awareness of God’s greatness which restrains one from the freest intimate dealings with Him. This alloyed Prema grants the four types of liberation into Vaikuëöha.
kevalo
yathä tatraiva
manogatir-avicchinnä harau prema-pariplutä
abhisandhi-vinirmuktä bhaktir-viñëu-vaçaìkaré || 13 ||
manogatiù – one’s desire or wish, the destination of the mind; avicchinnä – uninterrupted, unobstructed, continual; harau – for Hari; prema – Prema; pariplutä – flooded, drenched; abhisandhi – intention, desire, motive; vinirmuktä – completely free from; bhaktiù – Bhakti; viñëu-vaçaìkaré – she who conquers Vishnu.
– 13 –
Närada Païcarätra: “When one’s natural inclinations towards Hari flow without obstruction, drenched in Prema and devoid of ulterior motive, such Bhakti conquers Vishnu.”
Unalloyed Prema is the state in which one’s pure natural desires and inclinations (“manogati”) to lovingly interact with God are never obstructed or curtailed by the formalities that arise by excessive awareness of His majesty. Such Prema subjugates Vishnu himself (see Brs. 1.1.17: “çri-kåñëäkarñiëé”).
mahima-jïäna-yuktaù syäd vidhi-märgänusäriëäm |
rägänugäçrtiänän tu präyaçaù kevalo bhavet || 14 ||
mahima – greatness; jïäna – knowledge; yuktaù – alloyed, mixed with; syät – it may be; vidhi-märga – the path of Vaidhi Sädhana; anusäriëäm – those who follow the essence of; raganugä –Rägänugä Sädhana; açrtiänän – those who take shelter of; tu – but; präyaçaù – usually; kevalo – unalloyed, pure; bhavet – if manifest.
– 14 –
Prema alloyed with knowledge of God’s majesty may be attained by those who follow the path of Vaidhi Sädhana, but if one takes shelter of Rägänugä Sädhana one usually attains unalloyed Prema.
The words “maybe” (syäd) and “usually” (präyaçaù) are intentionally vague. Those who practice Vaidhi Sädhana might attain Alloyed Prema. Those who take shelter of Rägänugä Sädhana usually attain Unalloyed Prema, but sometimes, as in the case of the personified Vedas and Upaniñads, they may attain Alloyed Prema. The practitioners of Vaidhi Sädhana do not attain Unalloyed Prema. If they attain Prema, it is Alloyed Prema, which grants them the four liberations into Vaikuntha. Only those who properly take shelter of Rägänugä Sädhana can attain Unalloyed Prema, which grants them entrance into Krishna’s Vrindaban.