Bhaktas – Page 6 – Anuśīlana.in

atha śrutau—‘bhaktir evainaṁ nayati

atha śrutau—‘bhaktir evainaṁ nayati, bhaktir evainaṁ darśayati bhakti-vaśaḥ puruṣo bhaktir eva bhūyasī’ iti śrūyate | tasmād evaṁ vivicyate—yā caivaṁ bhagavantaṁ svānandena madayati, sā kiṁ-lakṣaṇā syāt? iti | … hlādiny-ākhya-tadīya-svarūpa-śakty-ānanda-rūpaiveti avaśiṣyate, yayā khalu bhagavān svarūpānandam anubhavati, yad-ānandenānanda-viśeṣī-bhavati, yayaivaṁ taṁ tam ānandam anyān apy anubhāvayatīti | … tasyā hlādinyā eva kāpi sarvānandātiśāyinī vṛttir nityaṁ bhakta-vṛndeṣv eva nikṣipyamāṇā bhagavat-prīty-ākhyayā vartate | atas tad-anubhavena śrī-bhagavān api śrīmad-bhakteṣu prīty-atiśayaṁ bhajata iti | ata eva tat-sukhena bhakta-bhagavatoḥ parasparam āveśam āha—sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham | mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api || … atyantāveśenaikatāpattyā jvalal-lohādāv agni-vyapadeśavad atrāpy abheda-nirdeśa ity arthaḥ | tenaiva parasparaṁ vaśavartitvam āha—ajita jitaḥ sama-matibhiḥ sādhubhir bhavān jitātmabhir bhavatā | vijitās te’pi ca bhajatām akāmātmanāṁ ya ātmado’ti-karuṇaḥ ||
(Prīti Sandarbha: 65)

“Now, in the Śruti [i.e., Māṭhara-śruti], it is heard, ‘Bhakti certainly attracts him. Bhakti certainly reveals him. The Puruṣa is captivated by bhakti. Bhakti is certainly [thus] supreme.’ Therefore, the following is to be considered: what could be the character of that which in this way maddens Bhagavān with its own bliss? … Only the bliss aspect of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] svarūpa-śakti, known as hlādinī—(1) by which Bhagavān verily experiences the bliss of his own nature (svarūpa), (2) by the bliss of which he becomes possessed of the particular bliss [i.e., by virtue of which he possesses bliss as an inherent attribute], and (3) by which he similarly causes others as well to experience bliss—remains [as an acceptable conclusion]. [Thus,] Some particular vṛtti of the hlādini [-śakti], abounding in all bliss and being eternally cast only into bhaktas, exists by the name of prīti for Bhagavān. Then, by experience thereof [i.e., by experience of this vṛtti of the hlādinī-śakti known as prīti, when it is expressed to Bhagavān by the bhaktas into whom Bhagavān has cast it], Śrī Bhagavān also feels pleasure in profusion from his beautiful bhaktas. Therefore, Śrī Bhagavān [in SB 9.4.63] describes the mutual absorption of the bhakta and Bhagavān [in one another that occurs] because of that happiness, ‘The sādhus are my heart, and I am the heart of the sādhus. They do not know anyone other than I, and I do not know anyone other than them in the least.’ … As a red-hot iron or another object is called fire because of an acquisition of oneness [with fire] as a result of extreme immersion [i.e., as a red-hot iron is sometimes referred to as fire because fire has become completely infused into it], here too a description of non-difference is made [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān says he is the heart of sādhus and they are his heart because their hearts have acquired a state of oneness as a result of the intense absorption of their hearts in one another produced by the joy of prīti for one another, that is, produced by the effect of the supreme vṛtti of Śrī Bhagavān’s hlādinī-śakti, viz., prīti, or prema-bhakti; the sādhus, however, are not literally Bhagavān’s heart, and Bhagavān is not literally the sādhus’ heart]. This is the meaning. Specifically because of this [i.e., because of the happiness and consequent mutual absorption felt by Śrī Bhagavān and his bhaktas by virtue of prīti], Citraketu describes their mutual captivation [of another in SB 6.16.34], ‘O Unconquerable One! You are conquered by sādhus [i.e., bhaktas] who are of equal mind and conquered heart, and they are also fully conquered by you, who are highly gracious and give yourself to those who perform worship with hearts free from [extraneous] desire.’”

Read on →

tasya paramānandaika-rūpasya sva-parānandinī svarūpa-śaktir yā hlādinī-nāmnī vartate

nanu niratiśaya-nityānanda-rūpasya bhagavataḥ kathaṁ tayā sukham utpadyeta, niratiśayatva-nityatvayor virodhāt? ucyate—śāstre khalu niratiśayānandatvaṁ nityatvaṁ ca bhagavataḥ śrūyate | bhakter api tathā tat-prīti-hetutvaṁ śrūyate | tata evaṁ gamyate—tasya paramānandaika-rūpasya sva-parānandinī svarūpa-śaktir yā hlādinī-nāmnī vartate, prakāśa-vastunaḥ sva-para-prakāśana-śaktivat parama-vṛtti-rūpaivaiṣā | tāṁ ca bhagavān sva-vṛnde nikṣipann eva nityaṁ vartate | tat-sambandhena ca svayam atitarāṁ prīṇātīti | ata eva tasya prīti-rūpasyāpi bhakti-prīṇanīyatvam āha—‘yat-prīṇanād barhiṣi deva-tiryaṅ-manuṣya-vīrut-tṛṇam ā viriñcāt, prīyeta sadyaḥ sa ha viśva-jīvaḥ prītaḥ svayaṁ prītim agād gayasya’ | … ata eva tathābhūtatvenātmārāmasya pūrṇa-kāmasyāpi tasya kṣudra-guṇa-vastv api paritoṣāya kalpata iti dṛṣṭānenāha—‘tatropanīta-balayo raver dīpam ivādṛtāḥ | ātmārāmaṁ pūrṇa-kāmaṁ nija-lābhena nityadā || prīty-utphulla-mukhāḥ procur harṣa-gadgadayā girā | pitaraṁ sarva-suhṛdam avitāram ivārbhakāḥ ||’ … tathā ātmārāma-pūrṇa-kāmatve’pi tādṛśasya sva-sambandhābhimāni-prītimat-putrādiṣu prīti-viśeṣodayo yathā dṛśyate, tathā teṣu taṁ prītimantam … | evaṁ kalpataru-dṛṣṭānte’pi bhagavato bhakta-viṣayikā kṛpā yathārtham evopapadyate | ye khalu sahaja-tat-prītim evātmani prārthayamānā bhajante, tebhyas tad-dāna-yāthārthyasyāvaśyakatvāt | tasmād asty evānanda-rūpasyāpi bhaktāv ānandollāsa iti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 142–143)

“[A doubt is raised:] ‘Well, how can pleasure (sukha) be produced by that [i.e., by bhakti] for Bhagavān, he who is of the nature of all-exceeding, eternal bliss, on account of the contradiction to the all-exceedingness and eternality [of his bliss if bhakti where to also produce pleasure for him]?’ [To this] It is said that Bhagavān’s all-exceeding blissfulness and eternality are certainly heard of in the śāstra. Bhakti’s being a cause of pleasure (prīti) for him is also heard of therein. Therefore, this is understood: this intrinsic potency (svarūpa-śakti) delighting to himself and others of [i.e., that belongs to] he who is the sole embodiment of the supreme bliss [viz., Bhagavān] which exists bearing the name hlādinī and verily has the form of a superlative function (vṛtti) like a luminous object’s potency of illumination of itself and others—Bhagavān exists eternally verily casting that [viz., this svarūpa-śakti known as hlādinī, which is to say, bhakti] into the many who are his own [viz., his bhaktas] and by connection with that [i.e., by then receiving expressions of bhakti back from his bhaktas] personally feels even greater pleasure [than he does as a result of that hlādinī-śakti’s presence within himself]. Therefore, Śrī Śukadeva describes his [viz., Śrī Bhagavān’s] being able to be pleased by bhakti even though he is the embodiment of pleasure [in SB 5.15.13], ‘He because of whose pleasure the devas, animals, human beings, and plants beginning with Brahmā immediately become pleased, [he who is] the very life of the universe, [and] pleasure himself [i.e., the very embodiment of pleasure], became pleased at the sacrifice of [King] Gaya [i.e., by the bhakti offered to him therein].’ …

“Therefore, even an object possessed of meager qualities is capable of greatly satisfying him even though he is possessed of satisfaction from within the self and of fulfilled desires by virtue of being such [i.e., by virtue of being both the embodiment of pleasure and able to be pleased by bhakti]. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī describes this with an illustration [in SB 1.11.4–5], ‘There [i.e., Dvārakā], offering gifts like worshippers [offering] a lamp to the sun, [their] faces blossoming out of love, they [i.e., the citizen of Dvārakā] began to speak, like children to their father, with words stammering out of delight to [Kṛṣṇa,] he who is ever possessed of satisfaction from within the self, he of fulfilled desires by virtue of gain from within himself [i.e., by virtue of the supreme bliss that is his essential nature], he who is the well-wisher of all and guardian.’ … Moreover, even in the midst of [his] being of possessed of satisfaction from within the self and of fulfilled desires, he [viz., Bhagavān] is [seen to be] possessed of love (prīti) for them [i.e., for the people of Dvārakā, that is, his bhaktas] just as the emergence of a special form of love (prīti) on the part of one who is such [i.e., one who is possessed of satisfaction from within the self and of fulfilled desires] for a son and others who are possessed of love (prīti) and sense of self that is related to him is [seen in the world]. … In this way, even in the case of the illustration of a desire tree [i.e., even when Bhagavān’s character and conduct is compared to a desire tree, that is, a tree that grants one whatever one so desires from it], Bhagavān’s grace the object of which is [his] bhaktas is indeed rightly manifested on account of the necessity of reciprocal accuracy in granting natural love for himself to they in particular who perform worship [of himself] praying in the heart for that specifically. Therefore, there is indeed an increase in bliss because of bhakti on the part even of he who is the embodiment of bliss [viz., Bhagavān].”

Read on →

vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā

vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.11.44; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 295)

“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa: Worship me] In a Vaiṣṇava with a proper reception for a kinsmen [alt., friend].”

Read on →

svakīya-bhāvasyaiva sarvatra parisphūrteḥ śrī-bhagavad-ādi-dviṣatsv

svakīya-bhāvasyaiva sarvatra parisphūrteḥ śrī-bhagavad-ādi-dviṣatsv api sā paryavasyati, tatra ca nāyuktatā, yatas te nija-prāṇa-koṭi-nirmañchanīya-tac-caraṇa-paṅkaja-parāga-leśās teṣāṁ durvyavahāra-dṛṣṭyā kṣubhyanti | svīya-bhāvānusāreṇa tv evaṁ manyante—“aho īdṛśaś cetano vā kaḥ syād yaḥ punar asmin sarvānanda-kanda-kadambe nirupādhi-parama-premāspade sakala-loka-prasādaka-sad-guṇa-maṇi-bhūṣite sarva-hita-paryavasāyi-caryāmṛte śrī-puruṣottame tat-priya-jane vā prītiṁ na kurvīta | tad-dveṣa-kāraṇaṁ tu sutarām evāsmad-buddhi-paddhatim atītam | tasmād brahmādi-sthāvara-paryantā aduṣṭā duṣṭāś ca tasmin bāḍhaṁ rajyanta eva” iti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 189)

“Because of a full manifestation (parisphūrti) of their very own bhāva [i.e., their prema for Bhagavān] everywhere [i.e., because they see their own bhāva for Bhagavān manifest in everything in their environment], that [bhāva] encompasses [i.e., appears to be present amid] even those who are inimical to Bhagavān and so forth [i.e., his bhaktas], and there is no unsuitability in this regard [i.e., in regard to this conclusion], since they [i.e., the highest class of bhaktas], for whom [even] the particles of the pollen on his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] lotus feet are worshipable with a crore of their own lives, [do indeed] become disturbed by the sight of their [i.e., the inimical’s] ill behavior [i.e., since Bhagavān is most dear to them, they do feel disturbed by those who are inimical to him, but since they are said to never be disturbed, it must be concluded that they do not ever perceive enmity towards Bhagavān even in those who are inimical, and rather, perceive in the inimical their own prema for Bhagavān]. In accord with their own bhāva, rather [than seeing the inimical to be inimical], they think as follows, ‘Aho! Could there by any such conscious being who would not foster love (prīti) for this Supreme Person (Śrī Puruṣottama) or those dear to him—[this Supreme Person] in whom exists a multitude of sources of all [types of] bliss, [this Supreme Person] who is the unconditional and supreme object of love (prema) [for all living beings], [this Supreme Person] who is adorned with the jewels of virtues that are delightful to all beings, [this Supreme Person] the nectar of whose conduct culminates in the welfare of all? A cause of enmity towards him, rather, is thus entirely beyond the scope of our intellects. Therefore, from Brahmā and so forth down to the immobile, [both] the virtuous and the vile, are all deeply enamored with him.’”

Read on →

na yasya janma-karmabhyāṁ na varṇāśrama-jātibhiḥ

na yasya janma-karmabhyāṁ na varṇāśrama-jātibhiḥ |
sajjate’sminn aham-bhāvo dehe vai sa hareḥ priyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.51; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.28)

“One whose sense of ‘I’ does not adhere to this body along with [its] birth [i.e., nobility] and karma [i.e., performance of austerities, japa, meditation, etc.], or [its] varṇa [e.g., being a brāhmaṇa], āśrama [e.g., being a brahmacārī], and jāti [e.g., being born to a particular set of parents, in a particular country, in a particular region, etc.], is dear to Hari.”

Read on →

viṣaya-vairāgye’pi gūḍhaṁ saṁskāravanto’pi sambhavanti

viṣaya-vairāgye’pi gūḍhaṁ saṁskāravanto’pi sambhavanti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 187)

“Even in the midst of detachment from the sense objects, also possessing invisible [i.e., latent] saṁskāras [for varieties of sensual experience] is possible [for a mahānta, i.e., one who has attained success on the path of bhakti].”

Read on →

sākṣātkāra-mātrasyāpi yadyapi puruṣa-prayojanatvaṁ

sākṣātkāra-mātrasyāpi yadyapi puruṣa-prayojanatvaṁ, tathāpi tasminn api sākṣātkāre yāvān yāvān śrī-bhagavataḥ priyatva-dharmānubhavaḥ, tāvāṁs tāvān utkarṣaḥ | nirupādhi-prīty-āspadatā-svabhāvasya priyatva-dharmānubhavaṁ vinā tu sākṣātkāro’py asākṣātkāra eva, mādhuryaṁ vinā duṣṭa-jihvayā khaṇḍasyeva | … tataḥ prema-tāratamyenaiva bhakta-mahattva-tāratamyaṁ mukhyam | … yatra tu premādhikyaṁ sākṣātkāraḥ, kaṣāyādi-rāhityādikam apy asti, sa paramo mukhyaḥ | tatraikaikāṅga-vaikalye nyūna-nyūna iti jñeyam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 187)

“Despite only direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of Bhagavān] being the aim (prayojana) of an embodied being, even in that respect there is [a gradation of] excellence in that direct perception in so far as there is experience of Śrī Bhagavān’s quality of being dear (priyatva). Without experience of the quality of being dear in [Bhagavān,] he who is by nature the [true, worthy] object of unconditional love (prīti) [for all living beings], however, even direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of him] is verily non-perception (asākṣātkāra), and just like a sugar candy [tasted to be] without sweetness by a diseased tongue [i.e., as someone with jaundice does not experience the sweet taste of sugar candy even after eating the candy, so direct perception of Bhagavān without experience of his quality of being dear, that is, experience of him without prema or at least rati for him, is akin to having had no perception of him at all]. … Therefore, gradation in the greatness of bhaktas based specifically on a gradation in [their] prema is principal [i.e., is the primary means by which the relative stature of bhaktas is to be determined]. … One in whom, however, there is superiority in prema, direct perception [of Bhagavān], and the absence of impurities and so forth, is foremost. When there is deficiency in [these] aspects, one by one, there is [relative] inferiority and [further] inferiority [in the stature of a mahānta]. This is to be understood.”

Read on →

parama-sāra-bhūtāyā api svarūpa-śakteḥ sāra-bhūtā hlādinī

parama-sāra-bhūtāyā api svarūpa-śakteḥ sāra-bhūtā hlādinī nāma yā vṛttiḥ, tasyā eva sāra-bhūto vṛtti-viśeṣo bhaktiḥ, sā ca raty-apara-paryāyā bhaktir bhagavati bhakte ca nikṣipta-nijobhaya-koṭiḥ sarvadā tiṣṭhati | ata evoktaṁ bhagavān bhakta-bhaktimān iti | tasmād bhaktasthayā tayā bhagavatas tṛptau, na svatas tṛptitā-hāniḥ | pratyuta śaktitvena svarūpato bhinnābhinnāyā api tasyāḥ, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham iti nyāyena bhakta-citta-sphuritāyā bheda-vṛtter iva sphuraṇāt, bhagavato māṁ hlādayaty asya bhaktir iti, ānanda-camatkārātiśayaś ca bhavati |
(Excerpt from Paramātma Sandarbha: 93)

“The particular vṛtti existent as the essence of the vṛtti which is named hlādinī and existent as the essence of [Bhagavān’s] svarūpa-śakti, which itself is existent as the supreme essence [of all of existence] is [called] bhakti [i.e., the most essential vṛtti of the hlādinī-vṛtti of the svarūpa-śakti is called bhakti], and that bhakti, a synonym of which is rati, dwells forever in Bhagavān and the bhakta, itself cast into both domains [i.e., into these two entities of distinct nature, namely, Bhagavān and his bhakta]. Therefore, it is said [in SB 10.86.59], ‘Bhagavān is he who possesses bhakti for his bhaktas.’ Thus, when Bhagavān’s satisfaction occurs because of that [i.e., bhakti] situated in his bhakta [i.e., because of something located outside of himself], there is no loss of his being self-satisfied. On the contrary, because of its [i.e., bhakti’s] manifesting [only] like a distinct vṛtti as a result of its manifesting in the heart of bhakta as per the reasoning [based on Śrī Bhagavān’s statement in BG 4.11], ‘As they approach me, so exactly I reciprocate with them,’ on account of its being both different and non-different from his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] svarūpa (nature) by virtue of [its] being his śakti, it also becomes a tremendous bliss and wonder for Bhagavān, such that [he feels], ‘His [i.e., my bhakta’s] bhakti delights me.’”

Read on →

yuktāsya sphūrti-mātreṇa nirviśeṣeṇa kenacit

yuktāsya sphūrti-mātreṇa nirviśeṣeṇa kenacit |
hṛn-mīlanāt puro’vasthā nidrā bhakteṣu kathyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.4.176)

“The state, prior to the shutting [down] of the mind (hṛt) [i.e., the state prior to the state of an absence of external functions (bahir-vṛtty-abhāva) in the citta], endowed only with some unspecific manifestation (sphūrti) of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] is called nidrā (sleep) in the case of bhaktas.”

Read on →

gabhīro’py aśrāntaṁ duradhigama-pāro’pi nitarām

gabhīro’py aśrāntaṁ duradhigama-pāro’pi nitarām
ahāryāṁ maryādāṁ dadhad api harer āspadam api |
satāṁ stomaḥ premaṇy udayati samagre sthagayituṁ
vikāraṁ na sphāraṁ jala-nidhir ivendau prabhavati ||
(Dāna-keli-kaumudī: 4; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.4.270)

“Although deep and without rest, although of unintelligible extremity and completely immoveable, although possessing limits, and although an abode of Hari, the multitude of sādhus, like the ocean, when complete prema arises, like the moon, are unable to conceal swelling and transformation.”

Read on →