NOD – VIHE Nectar of Devotion—Part 20

Giriraj Swami: We finally come to the stage of bhāva-bhakti—discussing bhāva-bhakti. We can turn to page 101 in the verse book:

[BRS 1.3.1]

śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā
prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk
rucibhiś citta-masṛṇya-
kṛd asau bhāva ucyate

TRANSLATION

“When devotional service is situated on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a ray of sunlight of love for Kṛṣṇa. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and it is called bhāva.”

COMMENT

Now śuddha-sattva is the internal potency of Krishna, and just as the external energy has three divisions—goodness, passion, and ignorance, similarly, the spiritual energy also has three divisions which correspond to eternity, knowledge, and bliss. The potency of eternity or existence is sandhinī. The potency of knowledge is saṁvit, and the potency of pleasure is hlādinī. So here specifically, bhāva comes with the saṁvit and hlādinī-śakti. And viśeṣa means the essence of them. The essence of them is bhāva.

Now in the definition of sādhana-bhakti. . . What is the definition of sādhana-bhakti anyway?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

[BRS 1.2.2 and Cc Madhya 22.105]

kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-
bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya
prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā        

Now it says here that bhāva is nitya-siddhasya—that means it is eternally present, but prākaṭyaṁ—it is awakened or manifest by sadhana. In other words, bhāva is eternal—it is not produced or created by sadhana. It exists eternally. Then what is the relationship between sadhana and bhāva?

The example is given that during one astrological or astronomical configuration called swāti-nakṣatra, when the rain falls on an oyster, he produces a pearl. When rain falls during swāti-nakṣatra, and if the rain falls on an oyster, he will produce a pearl. Actually, the rain from swāti-nakṣatra, if it falls in the navel of a deer, he will produce musk. If it falls in a particular place on the head of an elephant, he will produce a jewel. Same thing with the cow that’s called Gorochana and same thing with a snake. So when śuddha-sattva comes in contact with the seed of bhāva within the heart then bhāva becomes manifest. Śuddha-sattva means hlādinī-śakti and saṁvit-śakti. And where do they come from?

They come from the heart of a rāgātmikā devotee of Krishna. The practitioner engages in sadhana, but simply by engaging in sadhana he may not get bhāva. Because as we read in the beginning that bhāva is rare because it’s given by Krishna, and Krishna does not give it easily. Even after the devotee practices for a long time, still he has to pass many tests and then when Krishna is satisfied, He will give it. Krishna means, generally the devotee of Krishna, through the devotee of Krishna.

For example, if I have water and you are thirsty and you come to me and beg for water and pray for water, I may or may not give it, but if you don’t come and ask for it, definitely you won’t get it. But if you come again and again and ask for it and pray for it, you may get it, and if I’m pleased, then I will give it to you. So by our own efforts in sadhana, we may get it but not exactly by our own efforts, but when Krishna or some Vaishnava is pleased with our efforts, then [H]he may give it.

And ātmā means the self. When bhāva comes, it becomes completely identified with the self. In other words, the self becomes completely full of bhāva. Just like fire in iron. When fire enters iron, the iron doesn’t act like iron anymore. It acts like fire, but it is iron, but fire has entered the iron and the whole quality of iron has been changed by the fire. So similarly, when bhāva is manifest, when śuddha-sattva comes and bhāva is manifest, then the whole being of the person is completely infused with bhāva. And therefore, the body of the spiritual master or the Vaishnava is considered spiritual. It’s not cremated when the soul leaves the body, but it’s put in samadhi. And therefore, by associating with the Vaishnava one can get the energy of bhakti from him because he is completely saturated with bhāva. Every part of him inside and outside is completely permeated by bhāva.

[BRS 1.3.1 or Cc Madhya 23.5]

śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā
prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk

And it is like a ray from the sun of prema. In other words, just like everything is dark but about an hour before sunrise or a little while before sunrise, some rays of light will come. So when the rays of light come before the sun appears, we know that the sun will appear very soon. So similarly, when the first rays of the sun of prema appear, in other words when bhāva appears we know that prema will follow very soon because prema is just the intensified form of bhāva.

Then rucibhiś citta-masṛṇya—the heart is softened by various tastes. We discussed that bhakti by nature is soft, and if we adulterate karma, jnana, or yoga with bhakti, then the heart may become hard. Because working for material enjoyment or trying to enjoy independently makes the hard heart. Or engaging in arguments, speculations, discussions can make the heart hard. Or artificial austerities can also make the heart hard, but here when the devotee becomes more mature in devotional service, the heart becomes very soft. And this ruci [brings] different tastes.

What are the different tastes that soften the heart? One is the desire for direct service to Krishna. Intense desires—these are intense desires. In fact, bhāva is full of intense longing. At the end of the section, we find that bhāva is full of intense longings. So, what are the intense longings? One intense longing is for direct service to Radha and Krishna. Another intense longing or desire is to give pleasure to Krishna, and another intense desire is to have a loving relationship with Krishna.

So, these desires are full of ecstasy, and they make the heart melt. So, this is bhāva. Then Rupa Gosvami gives some evidence from the scriptures about bhāva. And then he says, and Srila Prabhupada also explains it in brief that bhāva gives pleasure in two ways because śuddha-sattva means saṁvit and hlādinī. So, by saṁvit, one is able to know the Personality of Godhead and His associates in Goloka Vrindavan. So, by saṁvit and hlādinī or especially by saṁvit, Krishna is revealed in the stage of bhāva. So, by bhāva Krishna is revealed, and therefore one can have—one can taste ecstasy by the fact that Krishna is revealed. But bhāva itself has hlādinī-śakti, and by the hlādinī-śakti, the devotee relishes pleasure also—bhakti-rasa. So, bhāva reveals Krishna and by the revelation of Krishna, the devotee experiences bliss, but bhāva itself being the cream of hlādinī-śakti also itself allows the devotee to taste bliss.

Now how can bhāva be gotten? Who can answer?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Rigid execution of devotional service, which has two categories; vaidhī-bhakti and rāgānugā-bhakti. One can get bhāva either by execution of vaidhī-bhakti or rāgānugā-bhakti. And how else?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, by special mercy of the Lord or the devotee. Now the immediate causes, not causes, but the immediate stages that lead up to bhāva are ruci and āsakti—taste and attachment. So, by performance of sadhana when one gets ruci, and ruci turns into āsakti—that leads to the manifestation of bhāva. So here there is some difference between, little difference between bhāva attained by vaidhī-bhakti and bhāva attained by rāgānugā-bhakti. Because in vaidhī-bhakti, first there will be shraddha, then after offenses and anarthas and impediments are cleared, there will be niṣṭhā and then after niṣṭhā will come ruci and āsakti and then bhāva.

So, there is some gradual process. Stage by stage, removing so many obstacles and finally coming to niṣṭhā. Then after niṣṭhā, ruci, and āsakti and bhāva. But in rāgānugā-bhakti one will come immediately to the stage of ruci because rāgānugā-bhakti has some spontaneous attraction with pleasure.

One good example is Bilvamangala Thakura. Bilvamangala Thakura, as you know, was born in an aristocratic Brahmin family, and he had a pious beginning. But later, he fell in love with one prostitute named Chintamani, and he was madly in love with her. Practically, she was the only thing that he could think of. And one rainy night, stormy night, he wanted to meet her, and he made so much endeavor to meet her—taking so much trouble. And when he finally met her, she pushed him away from her in the direction of Krishna consciousness. She said that, “You are so attached to this body. You have no attachment for Krishna, but you are so attached to this body which is simply a bag of blood and so many things, and if you could actually see under the skin, you would be disgusted. So, you shouldn’t be attached to the material body, but rather you should be attached to Krishna.”

Now, Bilvamangala had some past pious activities or some previous advancement in devotional service. So, when he heard the words of the prostitute, his greed for Krishna’s service became awakened, and he immediately started to cry – in ecstasy. Actually, if he didn’t have attachment for Krishna, he would have cried in misery. But actually, he was crying in ecstasy, and he immediately left, and he had so much taste that immediately he was singing songs about Krishna. Actually, Chintamani had taught him many songs about Radha and Krishna and the gopīs, and he immediately had so much taste for them. And very quickly ruci, āsakti, and bhāva. On the way to Vrindavan, he realized Krishna. He became blind but on the way to Vrindavan, Krishna personally came and took him by the hand and led him to Vrindavan.

So, in vaidhī-bhakti, there are so many stages but in rāgānugā-bhakti one will come immediately to ruci. And ruci and āsakti are the immediate stages that lead to the manifestation of bhāva. So, Rupa Gosvami gives examples of both. He gives quotations for both. One is quoted in the verse book. So, we can read it. This is. . . Well, first he gives the example of Narada – some quotations about Narada—that by the association of the saints, hearing their instructions about devotional service and serving them, Narada was blessed by bhāva. So, he is an example of someone who got bhāva by vaidhī-bhakti. And the other example Rupa Gosvami gives is of one girl named Chandrakanti, and she danced all night to obtain the favor of Krishna. So here the explanation is that she was, she was seeing the image of Krishna either in her mind or in deity form, and she was thinking of pleasing Him by dancing throughout the whole night in the mood of the gopīs who also pleased Krishna by dancing. So, she is the example of someone who attained bhāva by rāgānugā-bhakti.

So here we come to, on page 102 in the verse book, very important verse:

[SB 3.25.25]

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhāvanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

TRANSLATION

The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in a society of devotees, and it is greatly pleasing to hear in that association.

COMMENT

Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhāvanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ, it is sweet both for the ears and for the heart. It gives pleasure to the ears and to the heart. Taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati – so by hearing from pure devotees, sraddha, rati, and bhakti follow one after the other. So here sraddha means the various stages of sādhana-bhakti – ādau śraddhā and especially āsakti. Then after shraddha or āsakti comes rati. Rati means bhāva, and after rati comes prema. Here bhakti means prema.

So hearing is so important—hearing from pure devotees. By hearing from pure devotees, one can get shraddha, rati or bhāva, and prema, one after the other. So, the hearing process always continues. Srila Prabhupada commented that some Vaishnavas or so-called Vaishnavas give up the process of chanting and hearing. At some stage, they think they’re very advanced, and they give up the process of chanting and hearing, but actually the process of chanting and hearing goes throughout, and it brings one higher and higher.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: It can come at any stage. In one sense, Bilvamangala Thakura had no stage. He was debauchee—in one sense he was debauchee, but by the association of Chintamani who was a rasika-vaishnava, his greed was awakened, his taste was awakened.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, by association. He needs the association of some rāgānugā-vaishnava. Then if he gets the association of some rāgānugā-vaishnava, he can get taste or greed for rāgānugā.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: What is the eligibility for rāgānugā-bhakti? 

Devotee: [Unintelligible] 

Giriraj Swami: Okay, so greed for the mood of service of one of the associates of Krishna. Where does it come from? How does it become awakened or manifest?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, by hearing about the pastimes of Krishna.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Well, if one had the association of a rasika-vaishnava in the past life, and if one had greed for rāgānugā-bhakti in the past life, then even if he hears an ordinary devotee speak, it may be awakened. But unless the greed was there from the past life, if the greed has to be awakened in the present life, then definitely he has to hear from a rāgānugā-vaishnava.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is said that she was his spiritual master from before. But sometimes it said that his spiritual master spoke to him through Chintamani, but she definitely had potency.

Devotee: How do we understand this segment: “We must always remember, however, that such eagerness to follow in the footsteps of the denizens of Vraja (Vṛndāvana) is not possible unless one is freed from material contamination. In following the regulative principles of devotional service, there is a stage called anartha-nivṛtti, which means the disappearance of all material contamination. Sometimes someone is found imitating such devotional love, but factually he is not freed from anarthas, or unwanted habits.” So it seems to indicate that until one has gotten to the point so. . . [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: I said ruci—I said ruci, that’s even more than an anartha-nivṛtti. But generally, the heart should be free from material contamination, and then greed will come. But it may happen that even before the heart is free from material contamination, greed may come and purify the heart. Actually in Jaiva-dharma the word used is nirguṇa – nirguṇa means free from the material modes. That the heart should be free from the material modes before greed can come but greed itself is nirguṇa. Greed itself is beyond the material modes. So greed comes, that itself is beyond the three modes.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, if real greed comes, then the devotee must be on the platform of ruci because greed means taste—intense greed means intense taste. Now, any problem?

No, generally what you said is true. The heart should be free from material contamination. Greed generally would come after an anartha-nivṛtti, but greed can come at any stage, and if it does come, then it will carry the person beyond the anartha-nivṛtti.

Devotee: In a sense, the case of Bilvamangala Thakura was exceptional because he already had qualifications from his past life. [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: But it still establishes the principle that if one gets greed, then greed will immediately bring him to ruci. If someone has greed, he doesn’t think what stage he is in, he just wants what he wants. If he is thinking, What stage am I in? Is it appropriate for me now? It means he doesn’t have real greed – the same example that if someone wants rasagullā, and he is determined to get it by hook or by crook, that is greed. But if he looks in his pocket and he says, “Oh, I don’t have enough money, I can’t purchase,” that is not real greed. So if he thinks that, This is so high and I’m so low, how could I ever achieve it? It’s hopeless, it’s impossible. That’s not real greed.

Devotee: It is almost like special mercy [Unintelligible].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, correct.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: No, it elevates him to ruci and āsakti.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Well, if he gets some more mercy. Yes.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Well same example; if you are thirsty and you want water, and if I have water then you’ll come to me and beg for water. But if you are not thirsty, then you won’t ask for water. So one should have some thirst, and the thirst will lead him to perform certain activities, and by the performance of certain activities and the mood of service, one may get the mercy – he will get the mercy. So the same thing we need both – our own practices and mercy.

Devotee: But when somebody starts to show the symptoms of thirst [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Now if one has thirst then he should go for water, but if he just sees Oh, everyone else is drinking water; I should also drink water, and he actually has no thirst, then what’s the use? He should work hard and by working hard, he’ll become thirsty, and then he can ask.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: He is saying that Lord Chaitanya is kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, so is He giving that greed? Well, we could say so. Because actually He has given kṛṣṇa-prema especially through the Gosvamis. And the Gosvamis have written books that will help us to awaken greed, which is ultimately the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. He gave mercy to the Gosvamis, and they have given mercy to us. So, by hearing the pastimes of Krishna from some rūpānuga-vaishnava, then one can get greed. And then again the process—Lord Chaitanya has made the process easy also. He gave the process to the Gosvamis, and then we can advance quite nicely just by following the footsteps of the Gosvamis. Otherwise without the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through the Gosvamis, it would be very difficult, very difficult.

Devotee: To study [Unintelligible] which goes clearly this analogy because he says that this laulyaṁ is the price is kind of just to pay gives pleasure taste. Generally, when price you can speak about price is something that. . . [Unintelligible]. . . first of all like we have money and we pay the price and second level some sort is suffering when you have to say something but you just mentioned that actually this rasagullā is his pleasure and his taste is based on taste so how these prices can be understood and pay this price of rasagullā.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, suppose I let you have a taste of rasagullā. So the taste of rasagullā is full of pleasure. Then I take away the rasagullā. Then you are longing to taste it again, and weeping, crying, rolling on the ground. So the taste is full of pleasure, and the longing is full of pleasure in a certain way, but it’s also full of pain but not ordinary pain. In the stage of sadhana we can get some taste from hearing, but in the stage of bhāva, he actually gets some glimpse of Krishna and Krishna’s pastimes. So, what taste he will be experiencing, and then when it disappears, what pain he’ll be experiencing wanting to get it back. So, that’s the whole principle of separation. By feeling separation, one’s spiritual advancement becomes enhanced and accelerated, but if there is no taste then there can’t be any separation.

[Unintelligible] Spiritual master—I saw him, I spoke to him, I served him, I took some of his remnants and so on, so I can feel some separation, but if I never met him then I wouldn’t be able to feel the same separation, so there should be some experience which in the beginning comes from hearing in association and later comes from revelation, and that will create the mood of separation.

Yeah, greed will lead to intense feelings of separation because one wants to serve Radha and Krishna, but he is not able to yet. So he is feeling separation.

Devotee: One question I think you are saying is that the bhāva’s the essence of śuddha-sattva, but why is it that sandhinī isn’t included?

Giriraj Swami: Well, sandhinī just means existence. I mean in the spiritual world, all of the various objects are manifest or sustained by sandhinī, but the real elements of bhakti are saṁvit and hlādinī. By saṁvit one knows Krishna, and by hlādinī one can give pleasure to Krishna and experience pleasure in Krishna consciousness.

Devotee: Bhāva has eternally existed . . . One comes into contact with [Unintelligible] How does that work?

Giriraj Swami: Are you talking about bhāva? Well, anyway the same principle would operate in relation to greed also. But yeah, it’s the same example that the rain falls in swāti-nakṣatra, and when it falls on an oyster, a pearl is produced. The two have to meet – śuddha-sattva and the eternally existent bhāva within the heart to manifest it. I mean there is also the story of the poor son of the rich father, who left a buried treasure for him, but he died before he could tell him where it was. So then one astrologer came, and he said you have a very great treasure here, and your father left it for you, but he died before he could tell you where it is. So, then he told him where it was and how to get it. But it was there. And by following the directions of the astrologer, he got the treasure which was already there. So, one could say that by performing sādhana-bhakti, the bhāva, which was already there, becomes discovered.

But you would say it’s like a seed—the seed is there, and it’s watered by śuddha-sattva and when it is watered by śuddha-sattva, it becomes manifest. Anyway, everything will be revealed when the time comes. You don’t have to tax your brains too much. Actually, many things are revealed by chanting, especially chanting. And if we tax our brains too hard then we may get disturbed in our brains. So, we should hear. The main thing is to hear, and hearing even without understanding is all right. Then later on by chanting, by rendering service we will, some thought will come to mind, some realization will come to mind just by virtue of chanting and serving. And then it will be clear and clear. Karta Prabhu, would you like to say anything?

Okay so we have one more day to pass through bhāva-bhakti. Day after tomorrow, we have to come to prema-bhakti. So, we need a lot of mercy.