Sādhana-bhakti

rājño jīvatu deho’yaṁ prasannāḥ prabhavo yadi

rājño jīvatu deho’yaṁ prasannāḥ prabhavo yadi |
tathety ukte nimiḥ prāha mā bhūn me deha-bandhanam ||
yasya yogaṁ na vāñchanti viyoga-bhaya-kātarāḥ |
bhajanti caraṇāmbhojaṁ munayo hari-medhasaḥ ||
dehaṁ nāvarurutse’haṁ duḥkha-śoka-bhayāvaham |
sarvatrāsya yato mṛtyur matsyānām udake yathā ||
devā ūcuḥ—
videha uṣyatāṁ kāmaṁ locaneṣu śarīriṇām |
unmeṣaṇa-nimeṣābhyāṁ lakṣito’dhyātma-saṁsthitaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.13.8–11)

“[The sages pray to the devas for the sake of Mahārāja Nimi:] ‘May this body of the king live if you all are satisfied [with the sacrifice initiated by the king] and capable [of bringing the king’s body back to life].’ When, ‘So be it’ was said [by the devas in response to the sages’ prayer], Nimi [being situated then only in a subtle body] said, ‘Let me not be subject to the bondage of a [gross] body [again]. Sages who are agitated by fear of disconnection [from a gross body], who are endowed with wisdom related to Hari, and who worship the lotus feet [of Hari], do not desire connection with that [i.e. with a gross body]. [Thus,] I do not wish to don a [gross] body, which is a cause of suffering, sorrow, and fear, since its death, like that of fish [even] in water, can occur everywhere.’ [In reply to the sages] The devas said [with regard to Mahārāja Nimi]: ‘Bodiless [i.e., free from a gross body] and situated in a subtle body, at will let him be observed in the opening and closing [i.e., blinking] in the eyes of the embodied.’”

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aho laukika-sad-bandhu-bhāvaṁ ca staumi yena hi

aho laukika-sad-bandhu-bhāvaṁ ca staumi yena hi |
gauravāder vilopena kṛṣṇe sat-prema tanyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.76)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Aho! And certainly I praise that attitude (bhāva) [on the part of bhaktas] of [Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s being] an excellent worldly kinsman by which excellent prema for Kṛṣṇa is expanded as a result of the removal of reverence and so forth [in regard to him].”

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padaṁ dūrataraṁ tad vai tat-sukhānubhavas tathā

padaṁ dūrataraṁ tad vai tat-sukhānubhavas tathā |
tat-sādhanam api prārthyam asmākam api durghaṭam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.61)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Indeed that very far off abode [i.e., Goloka], the experience of the bliss there, and even the means of attainment (sādhana) of that, is to be prayed for and [is] difficult to attain even for us.”

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yathā sakāma-bhaktā hi bhuktvā tat-kāmitaṁ phalam

yathā sakāma-bhaktā hi bhuktvā tat-kāmitaṁ phalam |
kāle bhakti-prabhāvena yogyaṁ vindanti tat-phalam ||
yathā ca tatra tat-kālaṁ bhakter yogyaṁ na sat-phalam |
sañjātam iti tac chuddha-bhaktimadbhir vinindyate ||
te hi bhakteḥ phalaṁ mūlaṁ bhagavac-caraṇābjayoḥ |
sadā sandarśana-krīḍānanda-lābhādi manvate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.221–223)

“As desirous (sakāma) bhaktas, indeed after partaking of their desired result, in time by the influence of bhakti attain the befitting result thereof [i.e., of their practice of bhakti], and as the befitting, true result of bhakti is not manifested to them [i.e., to those desirous (sakāma) bhaktas] at that time [i.e., so long as they still remain desirous of an object other than bhakti]—so that [i.e., any object that is attained by means of sakāma-bhakti] is condemned by those possessed of pure bhakti since they consider the primary result of bhakti to be the attainment of the bliss of constant direct sight of Bhagavān’s lotus feet, sporting [in their midst], and so forth [i.e., as well as the favor of attaining the bliss of direct service to those lotus feet and the like, on account of those attainments alone being dear to bhaktas by virtue of their prema-bhakti for Śrī Bhagavān].”

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tan naḥ samādiśopāyaṁ yena te caraṇābjayoḥ

tan naḥ samādiśopāyaṁ yena te caraṇābjayoḥ |
smṛtir yathā na viramed api saṁsaratām iha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.73.15)

“[Kings pray to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] Please indicate aptly that means by which remembrance of your lotus feet shall not cease even for us, who are transmigrating here.”

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deśān puṇyān āśrayeta mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhiḥ śritān

deśān puṇyān āśrayeta mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhiḥ śritān |
devāsura-manuṣyeṣu mad-bhaktācaritāni ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.10; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.519)

“One should take shelter of sacred places where the sādhus, my bhaktas, reside, and [one should take shelter] of the activities of my bhaktas among the devas, asuras, and human beings.”

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evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā

evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ |
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmādavan nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.40; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.641; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.6 Bhakti Sandarbha: 188, 263; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.7.94, 2.9.260, 2.23.41, 2.25.141, 3.3.179)

“One whose rite is so, in whom anurāga [i.e., prema] has manifest by chanting the name of one’s Beloved, and who is [thus] of melted heart, loudly laughs, cries, shouts, sings, and dances as though mad, oblivious to society.”

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kṣīre śyāmalayārpite kamalayā viśrāṇite phāṇite

kṣīre śyāmalayārpite kamalayā viśrāṇite phāṇite
datte laḍḍuni bhadrayā madhu-rase sobhābhayā lambhite |
tuṣṭir yā bhavatas tataḥ śata-guṇāṁ rādhā-nideśān mayā
nyaste’smin puratas tvam arpaya hare ramyopahāre ratim ||
(Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda; cited in Padyāvalī: 118)

“O Hari,
The satisfaction you felt in the kṣīra offered by Śyāmalā,
The phāṇita (vātāsā) presented by Kamalā,
The laḍḍus given by Bhadrā,
And the honey brought by Candrāvalī—
May you take a hundred times more pleasure than that
In this delectable offering placed before you by me
On the order of Rādhā.”

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athāsmin tṛtīye’dhyāye tat-prāpakāṇi sādhanāni nirūpyante

athāsmin tṛtīye’dhyāye tat-prāpakāṇi sādhanāni nirūpyante | teṣu mukhyaṁ tāvat prāpyetara-vaitṛṣṇyaṁ prāpya-tṛṣṇā ceti tat-siddhaye pūrva-pāda-dvayam ārabhyate | tatra prathame pāde pañcāgni-vidyām āśritya nānāvasthasya jīvasya loka-gatyā gati-rūpā doṣāḥ prakāśyante loka-virāgāya | dvitīye tu prāpyānurāga-hetavaḥ tan-mahimādayo guṇā vakṣyante | … tad itthaṁ janma-maraṇādi-duḥkhālayatva-rūpa-prapañca-doṣoktyā nikhila-nirdoṣa-kīrtanena ca nikhila-niyāmakatva-viśuddha-cid-vigrahatvādi-paramātma-guṇa-gaṇa-nirūpaṇena ca brahma-tṛṣṇaiva tad-itara-vitṛṣṇā-pūrvikā tat-prāpti-hetur iti pādābhyāṁ darśitaṁ bhavati |
(Excerpt from Govinda-bhāṣya: 3.1.1, 3.2.42)

“Now, in this third chapter, the means (sādhanas) of attaining him [i.e., he who is the sole Cause of the world, the faultless Ocean of qualities constituted of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss, Śrī Puruṣottama (Viśvaika-hetuṁ Nirdoṣa-guṇa-ratnākaraṁ Sac-cid-ānandātmakaṁ Puruṣottamaṁ)] are determined. Among them, the primary are, specifically, non-desirousness of all that is other than the object be attained (prāpya) and desire for the objected to be attained (prāpya). The first two sections [of this third chapter] are undertaken for the purpose of establishing them [i.e., these two primary sādhanas]. In this regard, in the first section, the faults in the forms of the movements as a result of the movement through [various] planes (lokas) of a jīva subject to various conditions after taking shelter in knowledge of the five fires are shown for the purpose of detachment from those planes, whereas in the the second [section], the qualities [of the object to be attained], beginning with his greatness, which are the causes of deep attachment (anurāga) to the object of attainment, will be discussed.” …
“Thus, in this way, it is shown by [these] two sections that desire for Brahman [i.e., Paramātmā, viz., Śrī Puruṣottama] preceded by the absence of desire for anything other than him as a result of (1) discussion of the faults of phenomenal existence in the form of [its] being an abode of the sufferings of birth, death, and so forth, (2) praise of [his being] completely faultless, and (3) ascertainment of the qualities of Paramātmā [i.e., Brahman, viz., Śrī Puruṣotama] beginning with [his] being the regulator of all and being possessed of a completely pure, conscious figure, is the cause of attainment of him.”

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kā vidyā hari-bhaktir eva na punar vedādi-niṣṇātatā

kā vidyā hari-bhaktir eva na punar vedādi-niṣṇātatā
kīrtiḥ kā bhagavat-paro’yam iti yā khyātir na dānādijā |
kā śrīḥ tat-priyatā na vai dhana-jana-grāmādi-bhūyiṣṭhatā |
kiṁ duḥkhaṁ bhagavat-priyasya viraho no hṛd-vraṇādi-vyathā ||8||
bhagavān: bhadram | ke muktāḥ?
rāmānandaḥ: pratyāsattir hari-caraṇayoḥ sānurāge na rāge
prītiḥ premātiśayini harer bhakti-yoge na yoge |
āsthā tasya praṇaya-rabhasasyopadehe na dehe
yeṣāṁ te hi prakṛti-sarasā hanta muktā na muktāḥ ||9||
bhagavān : bhavatu |
kiṁ geyaṁ vraja-keli-karma kim iha śreyaḥ satāṁ saṅgatiḥ
kiṁ smartavyam aghāri-nāma kim anudhyeyaṁ murāreḥ padam |
kva stheyaṁ vraja eva kiṁ śravaṇayor ānandi vṛndāvana-
krīḍaikā kim upāsyam atra mahasī śrī-kṛṣṇa-rādhābhidhe ||10||
bhagavān: bhadram |
(Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭakam: 7.8–10; cited in Alaṅkāra-kaustubha: 8.233–234, 236)

“Bhagavān: What is knowledge?
“Rāmānanda: Hari-bhakti alone [is knowledge], and not, rather, expertise in the Vedas and so on.
“Bhagavān: What is glory?
“Rāmānanda: The renown, ‘He is devoted to Bhagavān’ [is glory] and not that produced by giving and so on.
“Bhagavān: What is wealth?
“Rāmānanda: Fondness for him [i.e., Bhagavān, is wealth], and certainly not an abundance of money, people [i.e., relatives, friends, followers, man-power, or otherwise], villages [i.e., land, property, social influence, etc.] and so on.
“Bhagavān: What is suffering?
“Rāmānanda: The separation of one dear to Bhagavān [is suffering], and not the pain of a wound in the heart or otherwise.
“Bhagavān: Very well. Who is liberated?
“Rāmānanda: Hanta! Those of rasa-laden disposition [alt., nature] who have close contact with [alt., affinity (āsakti) for] those possessed of loving attachment (anurāga) to Hari’s feet and not [rather close contact with or affinity for] attachment (rāga) [to objects of the senses (viṣaya)], [who] have fondness (prīti) for bhakti-yoga filled with a profusion of prema related to Hari, and not [rather] for yoga [i.e., jñāna-, karma-, or aṣṭāṅga-yoga, etc.], and [who] have conviction in the body suitable for he of fervent love (praṇaya) and not [rather conviction] in the [worldly] body, are liberated, and not [rather] the liberated [i.e., those who think themselves liberated].
“Bhagavān: Let it be. What is to be sung?
“Rāmānanda: The acts of play in Vraja.
“Bhagavān: What is the highest good (śreyas) here [in this world]?
“Rāmānanda: The association of the sat.
“Bhagavān: What is to be remembered?
“Rāmānanda: The name of Agha’s Foe.
“Bhagavān: What is to be meditated upon?
“Rāmānanda: The feet of Mura’s Foe.
“Bhagavān: Where is one to be stationed?
“Rāmānanda: In Vraja alone.
“Bhagavān: What is delighting to the ears?
“Rāmānanda: The play in Vṛndāvana alone.
“Bhagavān: What is the object to be approached [i.e., worshiped] here?
“Rāmānanda: The object of worship is the [two-fold] brilliance known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā.
“Bhagavān: Very well.”

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