How Prema Develops

ädau çraddhä tataù sädhu-saìgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyä |
tato ‘nartha-nivåttiù syät tato niñöhä rucis tataù || 15 ||

athäsaktis tato bhävas tataù premäbhyudaïcati |
sädhakänäm ayaà premnaù prädurbhäve bhavet kramaù || 16 ||

ädau – first; çraddhä – faith; tataù – then; sädhu-saìgaù – association with saints; atha – next; bhajana-kriyä – performance of worship in Sädhana Bhakti; tataù – then; anartha-nivåttiù – casting off unwanted things; syät – it may be; tataù – then; niñöhä – steadiness, fixation; ruciù – inspiration, attraction; tataù – then; atha – next; äsaktiù – addiction; tataù – then; bhävaù – Bhäva Bhakti; tataù – then; prema – Prema Bhakti; abhyudaïcati – arises; sädhakänäm – for the practitioners of Bhakti; ayam – this; premnaù – Prema Bhakti; prädurbhäve – becoming manifest; bhavet – if; kramaù – the step-by-step course.

– 15, 16 –

Faith comes first, then association with saints. Next comes performance of worship in Sädhana Bhakti, which may be followed by casting off unwanted things. Then comes steadiness, then inspiration. Next comes addiction, then Bhäva Bhakti, and then Prema Bhakti arises.

This is the step-by-step course by which Prema can become manifest for the practitioners of Bhakti.

Prema develops in nine stages:

1. Initial interest, faith (çraddha)
2. Association with saints (sädhu-saìga)
3. Performance of worship in Sädhana Bhakti (bhajana-kriyä)
4. Casting off of unwanted things (anartha-nivåtti)
5. Steadiness, fixation (niñthä)
6. Inspiration, taste (ruci)
7. Addiction (äsakti)
8. Bhäva Bhakti
9. Prema Bhakti

Prema Bhakti begins with çraddha – an initial interest in God. One’s initial interest in God attracts one to the company of godly persons (sadhu-saìga). In their company, one inquires and learns about God, and one’s interest increases to the point that one wishes to strive for personal realization of God. One therefore takes up the practices (Sädhana) that lead to such realization (bhajana-kriyä).

If guided well by the godly people (sadhu), and executed with sincerity, one’s practices will begin to remove the impediments to realization of God (anartha-nivåtti). When most of the impediments have been cast off one becomes steadily fixated on the process of realizing God, and executes those practices with firm determination and lack of distraction (niñöhä). This quickly brings great spiritual inspiration (ruci), and then produces an earnest addiction to attaining the goal (äsakti).

This earnest addition to realizing God allows the heart to receive the mercy of the spiritual energy, which infuses the soul with direct realization and love of God (bhäva-bhakti). This direct realization and love matures fully into the goal: Prema Bhakti.

Vishvanath Chakravarti comments extensively on these two verses in his short book, Madhurya-Kadambini. I will include a partial synopsis of his major points below.

Çraddha
Initial Interest

The word çraddha literally means “to put the heart [into something].” Where one “puts one’s heart” is where one has faith, trust, and interest. In the context of Prema Bhakti, çraddha signifies the beginning of faith, trust, and interest in God. This initial interest and faith in God is the beginning of Prema. But how does a person develop an initial interest in pure devotion to God?

The scriptures seem to give us four reasons: The first and most important explanation is that such faith in devotion to God arises from itself – it is self-causing. [1] The second explanation is that it arises from God’s mercy. [2] The third explanation is that it arises from “good fortune.”[3] The fourth explanation is that it arises from pious actions.[4] All four taken together provide a well-rounded explanation of how a person develops an initial interest in devotion to God.

The first explanation, most direct and most often repeated throughout scripture, is that pure love of God – from it’s start as initial interest (çraddha) to it’s finish as pure love (prema) – is causeless. More precisely, it has no external cause (“ahaituki”), but is self-causing (“yadåcchä”). Thus, whatever creates an initial interest in devotion to God must itself be an intrinsic aspect of devotion to God, because Bhakti has no cause other than Bhakti (“bhaktyä saìjätayä bhaktyä”[5]).

The second explanation must be understood within the context of the first. Initial interest in pure devotion to God can be caused by God’s mercy. God’s loving mercy is a feature intrinsic to Prema Bhakti itself; so saying that Bhakti is caused by God’s mercy does not violate the principle that Bhakti has no external cause.

If God’s causeless mercy is the original cause an initial interest in pure devotion to God, then why does one person get it while another person does not? It depends upon the individual’s receptivity to God’s mercy. God constantly bestows causeless mercy upon all beings. Some are receptive to it, and some are not. This receptivity is caused by “good fortune,” which is caused by one’s previous pious actions.

God’s devotee can also bestow such mercy upon others, causing them to develop an initial interest in pure devotion to God. However, a person’s receptivity is still a factor. Without receptivity, a person will not be able to receive the mercy given by the first and third class devotees (uttama and kaniñöha-bhagavata), nor will he or she be a candidate for the mercy of the second-class devotees (madhyama-bhagavata), who make intelligent distinctions between people and bestow mercy to those who are receptive. Again, one’s receptivity to God’s causeless mercy, whether received directly from God, or through his saints, is determined by a person’s “good fortune” and previous pious actions.

“Good fortune” does not mean “luck” in the vague sense, but “fortune” in the sense of the wealth of one’s inclinations to receive God’s mercy. This again is dependent upon both previous pious actions and upon mercy.

Pious religious activities to not directly lead to an initial interest in pure devotion to God, but they do lead to an interest in devotion to God mixed with the pursuit of happiness, prosperity, and education for all (sattva-guna-miçra-bhakti). This in turn makes one receptive to the mercy of God and His deputed devotees, which causes one to be “fortunate.” This fortune of receptivity to God’s causeless mercy allows that mercy to develop an initial interest in pure devotion to God within one’s heart.

Thus the immediate cause of initial interest in pure devotion to God is God’s mercy. This may be predicated by a more remote cause of previous pious action, which itself may be an act of sheer freewill, or may have a root cause of mercy or previous pious deeds unknowingly done.

Bhajana-Kriyä
Performance of Sädhana Bhakti

Initial interest in pure devotion to God, attracts one to saints who have pure devotion to God. The association of such saints inspires one to also develop pure devotion to God, and they guide one in the process of how to most effectively do so. Thus, one begins Sädhana Bhakti.

Bhajana-kriyä has two aspects: unsteady practice (aniñöhä) and steady practice (niñöhä). When one first begins, one is unsteady. Gradually, as one removes impediments (anartha-nivåtti), one becomes steady. There are six stages of unsteady practice:

1. Enthusiasm (utsaha-mayé) – This stage is so named because there is almost no realization at all, there is only an initial enthusiasm from beginning the practice of God. A person in this stage is characterized by almost humorous prideful enthusiasm, like a young student who learns a few words of Sanskrit, thinks himself a scholar, and thus becomes very enthusiastic for the subject.
2. Ups and Downs (ghana-tarala) – The practices done in the stage of initial enthusiasm bring a slight degree of true self-realization, which cause one to face the truth that one is not in fact very eminent or capable. Therefore, after it’s initial burst, one experiences sharp ups and downs in one’s enthusiasm. One day, s/he realizes his true lack of natural attraction to pursuing pure devotion to God. The next day s/he convinces herself to keep trying. Then again s/he realizes his lacking, etc.
3. Indecision (vyudha-vikalpa) – Eventually one tires of talking oneself out of one’s lack of spontaneous enthusiasm for pursuing the path of pure devotion to God. It becomes evident that God realization will entail a good deal of sacrifice and personal struggle. One must face the decision of whether or not to undergo that trail. At this point, one cannot decide. One day s/he decides to give up, the next day s/he vows to go on, then again the next week s/he decides to give up.
4. Attachment Sense Objects (viñaya-sangara) – If one does finally decide to undergo the austerities of God realization, s/he progresses to this fourth stage of unsteady practice. Here, s/he has made the decision to sacrifice for the goal of pure devotion to God, but has difficulty actually following through on that decision. It is difficult to forgo personal comforts in favor of spiritual realization when the need arises. One sometimes succeeds, and at other times fails.
5. Non-Attachment to Positive Rules (niyama-akñama) – After sometime, one does succeed in usually being able to forgo personal comforts when necessary in the pursuit of pure devotion to God. At that point, one realizes that giving up personal comforts is not everything. More than giving up bad things, one should take up good things. But in this fifth stage of unsteady practice, one has difficulty taking up and keeping up good habits.
6. Enjoying the Waves (taranga-ranginé) – Finally one comes to the sixth stage of unsteady practice. One has survived the ups and downs following one’s initial enthusiasm. One has firmly determined to pursue pure devotion to God. One has succeeded in forgoing unfavorable personal pleasures and adopting practices favorable to the realization of pure devotion to God. Now, one begins to feel the first slight dawning of the very outer-most aspect of true Bhakti. As such, one begins to develop good qualities and become all-attractive. The pitfall of this sixth stage is that one begins to take delight in one’s newfound opulence and charisma. This can indefinitely stall one’s progress.

Anartha-Nivåtti
Casting Off Unwanted Things

One progresses from unsteady practice to steady practice, and beyond, by ridding oneself of obstacles to pure devotion. There are four types of obstacles:

1. Anartha resulting from previous bad karma – such as ignorance, pride, attachment, hatred and fear.
2. Anartha resulting from previous good karma – such as desire for enjoyment or liberation.
3. Anartha resulting from antagonism toward Krishna’s name (näma-aparädha) – such as insult to the Vaishnava, the Guru, and the scripture.
4. Anartha arising as a side effect of Bhakti – such as the desire for worship, respect, and position.

As Bhakti matures through it’s nine stages, it progressively removes these anartha: First, one instance at a time (eka-deça-värtiné), then many instances at a time (bahu deça-värtiné), later almost completely (präyiki), at the end, completely (pürëa), and at the very end, “finally,” without chance of recurrence (ätyantiké).

Anartha resulting from good and bad karma is almost completely destroyed in the stage of bhajana-kriyä, is completely destroyed in the stage of niñöhä, and is finally and forever destroyed by the stage of äsakti.

Anartha resulting from antagonism towards Krishna’s name is removed one at a time in bhajana-kriyä, many at a time in niñöhä, almost completely in bhäva, and completely in prema. But it is not finally and forever destroyed until, within prema, one attains the association of Krishna.

Anartha arising as a side effect of Bhakti is removed one at a time in bhajana-kriyä, completely by the stage of niñöhä, and finally and forever at the stage of ruci.

Niñöhä
Steadiness, Fixedness

As anartha-nivåtti removes the obstacles to the development of pure devotion, one progresses through the aforementioned six stages of unsteady practice, and enters into the six stages of steady practice.

1. Inactive (läyä) – One falls asleep during one’s spiritual practices.
2. Scattered (vikñepa) – One is awake but not attentive to one’s spiritual practices. One’s concentration is constantly thrown and scattered to other topics.
3. Uncomprehending (apratipatti) – One is alert and focused on one’s spiritual practices, but doesn’t yet comprehend the essence of them.
4. Impurity (kañäya) – One alertly focuses on the essence of one’s spiritual practices, but thus becomes proud and desires admiration and respect from others. This impurity deepens into envy of those one perceives as competition. This, in turn, further deepens into anger when they, not oneself, get admiration and respect for their somewhat successful spiritual practices.
5. Attraction to Enjoyment (rasäsväd) – One can attain humble and alert concentration on the essence of one’s spiritual practice as long as there is no temptation to distraction.
6. Fixation (niñöhä) – Finally, one can concentrate alertly on the essence of one’s spiritual practice. One thus develops a fixation on them, which is free from pride and cannot be distracted, even by external provocation.

It can be said that progression through any of these stages occurs first in practices of kértan (glorifying), next in practices of çravana (listening), and finally in practices of smarana (remembering, such as doing japa). Some similarly say that fixation is attained first in the physical aspects, next in the vocal aspects, and finally in the mental aspects of one’s spiritual practice. Other sages disagree, saying that different individuals have different strengths and weaknesses, and thus first develop fixedness in the aspects of their practices they are naturally inclined to.

Upon entering bhajana-kriyä, if properly guided by Sädhus, one’s spiritual practices will immediately begin to free him from obstacles to his realization of pure devotion (anartha-nivåtti). When this begins, one immediately begins to develop fixation (niñöhä) and progress gradually through it’s above mentioned six stages. Thus there is an overlap between the six stages of unsteady practice and the six stages of steady practice.

The overlap may be expressed as follows: The state of Inactivity remains through the stages of Initial Enthusiasm, Ups and Down, Indecision. The Scattered state exists in the stage of Attachment to Sense Objects. The Uncomprehending state exists in the stage of Non-Attachment to Positive Rules. The state of Impurity begins in the stage of Enjoying the Waves. As one becomes purified of this final stage of unsteady practice, one enters the state of Attraction to Enjoyment. When the final stage of unsteadiness is totally surpassed, one enters the stage of Fixation (niñöhä).

Ruci
Inspiration, taste

Soon after attaining fixation on one’s spiritual practices, one develops a real liking and inspiration for them. This is similar to a person who works hard to study something; at first the work is tedious, but at last s/he begins to grasp the concepts, and the study suddenly becomes much more fun and inspiring.

There are two grades of inspiration:

1.       Dependent on External Excellence (vastu-vaiçiñöy-äpekñiëé) – In this grade a person experiences inspiration for the practices of kértan, çravan, and smaraëa only when those activities are excellently performed.

2.       Independent of External Excellence (vastu-vaiçiñöy-anapekñiëé) – In this higher grade, one experiences great pleasure and inspiration from any sincere performance of kértana, çravana, or smarana. If such performances are excellently done, however, the person in this higher grade, experiences tremendous inspiration and pleasure.

A noticeable feature of a person in this stage is that s/he is naturally quite attached to their spiritual practices and, having begun to understand their true beauty, tends to berate himself or herself for not being more inspired about them.

Äsakti
Addiction

Mature inspiration is “addiction.” At this stage one becomes extremely inspired not only for one’s spiritual practices, but to attain the goal of those practices: realization of Krishna and pure devotion for him. Addiction is like a bud that will soon blossom into the flower of Bhäva Bhakti, and then turn into the fruit of Prema Bhakti. Seeing a bud on a plant means that a flower will very likely soon appear. Similarly, seeing addiction in a practitioner means that his or her Sädhana will very likely soon give rise to Bhäva.

In the stage of addiction, the practitioner’s mind automatically absorbs itself in thought of Krishna. Prior to this stage, s/he could purposefully fix his or her mind upon Krishna, and could successfully return it from whenever it wandered. Upon attaining addiction, however, the practitioner’s mind automatically fixes on Krishna and wanders away from non-related topics. As such, a person in this stage of spiritual development often appears scatter-brained or insane to the common person. Sometimes s/he tries to feign normality for a time, but without avail. His or her mind always wanders towards thoughts of attaining Krishna.

Bhäva
Intrinsic Love

When addiction to attain pure devotion to Krishna makes the heart fully receptive, the spiritual energy may then dawn over the rim of the soul’s horizon, and thus begin to enlighten it with eternality (sat), pure cognition of ultimate reality (cit), and the bliss of experiencing the love of that ultimate reality (änanda). At this time, all the soul’s cognition and emotion melts and flows to Krishna.

In this stage, one attains slight momentary direct realizations (sphürti) of the Personality of Godhead. These momentary experiences drown one in ecstasy, but plunge one into grief when they are lost.

Also in this stage one’s sense of “I” and “mine” begins to spiritualize. Krishna becomes one’s sole possession. One’s ego becomes that of a unique eternal admirer, servant, child, friend, parent, or lover of Krishna.

Prema
Perfect Love

Expressions of devotion cause Bhäva to mature into Prema. Prema takes all the soul’s emotions and attachments, forever sunders them from illusion, and forever binds them to Krishna. At this point, one madly strives to attain Krishna, like a possessed, berserk warrior heedless of all obstacles. The momentary realizations of Krishna which begun in Bhäva now increase in frequency, and one is almost torn asunder by the conflicting ecstasy and grief upon attaining and losing those realizations.

Finally, one attains the ultimate goal: direct and eternal realization of the Supreme Reality, the Supreme Beauty, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.

Krishna reveals himself to the soul in stages. First he reveals the sight of his beautiful form. All the senses of the soul then become like eyes to experience the vision of God. The soul then falls faint from the experience. Krishna revives him or her by revealing his fragrance. Again, all the soul’s senses yearn to experience this scent. The soul then again faints, but Krishna revives him by revealing the sound of his voice, “My dear, I am yours. Don’t be disturbed. Come, be with me to your full satisfaction.” Again, all the senses of the soul become like ears to hear the enchanting sound of God’s voice. Fainting deeply from this experience, Krishna revives the soul by touching the soul. Thus all the soul’s senses become like skin to experience the touch of God. If the soul considers himself a subordinate, Krishna touches him or her with his feet. If a friend, Krishna grasps his hands and holds them affectionately. If a parent, he wipes away the souls tears with his hands. If a lover, he embraces them to his heart with his long arms.

Those who attained the spiritual ego of Krishna’s lover faint again upon being embraced directly by Krishna, who revives them with a kiss, thus revealing the taste of his divine lips. Again all the souls senses experience this taste, and the she faints most deeply.

At last, Krishna bestows his generosity and compassion to the soul, enabling all the souls senses to simultaneously experience all the Lord’s qualities. The soul and God then begin their relationship by conversing. Krishna begins by thanking the soul for undergoing so much trouble to come to him. The soul replies with heartfelt, loving words. Krishna then introduces the soul to the spiritual world. Brining him or her to all the places and residents.

Then, suddenly, the soul loses all sight of Krishna and the spiritual world and wonders if it was all a dream. The extreme spiritual grief experienced by losing such a treasure causes all remaining ties to the material body to dissolve. The soul then becomes eternally situated in his or her relationship with Krishna in the spiritual world.

Characteristics of a Prema Bhakta

dhanyasyäyaà navaù premä yasyonmélati cetasi |
antarväëébhir apy asya mudrä suñöhu sudurgamä || 17 ||

dhanyasya – of a fortunate person; ayam – this; navaù – new, fresh, recent, young; premä – Prema Bhakti; yasya – of whom; unmélati – opened; cetasi – in the heart/soul; antarväëébhiù – persons learned in scripture; api – although, even; asya – of them; mudrä – a sign, or mark of divine attributes made upon the body; suñöhu – exceedingly; sudurgamä – very difficult to understand.

– 17 –

Fortunate is the person in whose heart Prema Bhakti has newly blossomed. The mark it makes upon his or her external actions is exceedingly difficult to understand, even by persons learned in scripture.

A person who has “newly” attained Prema still retains an external body, and has external activities that are difficult to understand. Quickly, however, Prema bhakti dissolves all times to the material body and the soul forever leaves the world of illusion, thus having no external actions at all.

ataeva çré-närada païcarätre yathä

bhävonmatto hareù kiïcin na veda sukham-ätmanaù |
dukhaà-ceti maheçäni paramänanda äplutaù || 18 ||

bhäva – Bhava and Prema Bhakti; unmattaù – intoxicated by; hareù – for Hari; kiïcit – in any circumstance; na – not; veda – know, understand; sukham – happiness; ätmanaù – essense, nature, character; dukham – sadness; ca – and; iti – thus; maheçäni – Parvati, the wife of Maheça-Çiva; parama-ananda – paramount bliss; äplutaù – overflooded.

–18 –

Närada-Païcarätra: “O Wife of Shiva, those who are intoxicated by Bhäva and Prema are over-flooded with paramount bliss. In no circumstances do those persons ever come to know happiness or sadness.”

The external actions of a person who has newly attained Prema are difficult to understand because they do not strive for happiness nor avoid distress, like everyone else, since they are merged in eternal bliss.

Stages of Prema

premëa eva viläsatväd-vairalyät sädhakeñv api |
atra snehädayo bhedä vivicya na hi saàsitäù || 19 ||

premëa – in Prema; eva – certainly; viläsatvät – flash-like qualities; vairalyät – rareness; sädhakeñu – in those who practice Sädhana Bhakti; api – although, even though; atra –in this; sneha-adayaù – beginning with Sneha; bhedä – varieties; vivicya – distinguish, ponder, deliberate; na – not; hi – certainly; saàsitäù – in this context.

– 19 –

In Prema Bhakti there are certainly many rare gleaming facets, but they are rarely found in those who have practiced Sädhana. I therefore will not deliberate here on these various facets of Prema, beginning with Sneha.

The facets of Prema are the following stages: sneha (affection), mäna (convoluted expression of love), praëaya (where one’s identity becomes inseparable from Krishna), räga (attachment to Krishna, to the extent that one’s identity is so bound up in Krishna that Krishna’s happiness is one’s own happiness and his distress is one’s own distress. One has no separate experience of happiness or distress), anuräga (the insatiable desire to bring happiness to Krishna), bhäva (the ultimate merging of identities. One is ready to suffer any distress to bring happiness to Krishna), and finally mahäbhäva (the most extreme stage of being ready to suffer any distress to bring happiness to Krishna, experienced directly only by Rädhäräëé).

Rupa Goswami describes these stages of Prema in his sequel to Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu, entitled Ujjvala-Nélamaëé (“The Brilliant Sapphire” – the poetry in this title being that the ocean produces jewels, similarly the Ambrosial Ocean of Devotion, Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, produces the “brilliant saphhire,” the dark blue yet effulgent Krishna.)

çrémat prabhupadämbhojaiù sarvä bhägavatämåte |
vyäkté-kåtästi güòhäpi bhakti-siddhänta-mädhuré || 20 ||

çrémat – beautiful, opulent; prabhupada – master’s feet, one whose feet are themselves masters, an address here to the author's “master,” Sanatana Goswami; ambhojaiù – lotus flower; sarvä –all; bhägavatämåte – in the books Laghu- and Båhat-Bhägavatämåta; vyäkté – being made manifest, known; kåta-asti – making existent or known; güòhä-api – although secret; bhakti-siddhänta-mädhuré – the perfect conclusions about the sweetness of Bhakti.

– 20 –

The beautiful lotus-like master, Prabhupada Sanatana Goswami has cast light upon these perfect conclusions about the sweetness of Bhakti, in his books called Bhägavatämåta, although such conclusions are secret and mysterious.

Closing

gopäla-rüpa-çobhäà dadhad api raghunätha-bhäva-vistäré |
tuñya-tu sanätanätmä prathama-vibhäge sudhämbu-nidheù || 21 ||

Reading 1: gopäla – Gopala Bhatta Goswami; rüpa – Rupa Goswami; çobhäm – beauty; dadhat – giving; api – and, even; raghunätha-bhäva-vistäré – one who expands the emotions of Raghunatha Goswami; tuñya – satisfaction; tu – but; sanätana-ätmä – the eternal soul of Sanatana Goswami; prathama-vibhäge – the first division; sudha-ambu-nidheù – the pure ocean of nectar.

Reading 2: gopäla – Gopala, Krishna the cowherd boy; rüpa-çobhäm – of beautiful form, body; dadhat – giving; api – and, even; raghunätha-bhäva-vistäré – the original source of all exapansions of God, like Çré Rama; tuñya – satisfaction; tu – but; sanätana-ätmä – the eternal entity; prathama-vibhäge – the first division; sudha-ambu-nidheù – the pure ocean of nectar.

– 21 –

Reading 1: May this first division of the pure ocean of nectar satisfy the eternal soul of Sanatana Goswami, who gives beauty to Gopala Bhatta and Rupa Goswami, and who amplifies the emotions of Raghunatha Goswami.

Reading 2: May this first division of the pure ocean of nectar satisfy the Eternal Lord Gopala, who has a beautiful form, and who is the original source of all expansions of God, like Çré Räma.

iti çré-çré-bhakti-rasämåta-sindhau
pürva-vibhäge prema-bhakti-laharé-cuturthé

This concludes the Fourth Wave of the Eastern Ocean
of Çré Çré Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu,
on the topic of Prema Bhakti.

iti çré-çré-bhakti-rasämåta-sindhau
rasopayogi-sthäyi-bhävopapädano näma
pürvavibhägaù samäptaù

This concludes the entire Eastern Ocean
of Çré Çré Bhakti Rasämåta Sindu,
which leads to Rasa and Sthäyi Bhäva.

[1] See SB 1.2.6, 11.20.8, 11.20.11

[2] BG 18.62, 6.15

[3] yaù kenäpy atibhägyena jäta çraddho ‘sya sevane.

[4] SB 10.47.24

[5] SB 11.3.31