Rāgānugā-bhakti

ye tu rāgānugā-bhaktiḥ sarvathaiva sarvadaiva śāstra-vidhim

ye tu rāgānugā-bhaktiḥ sarvathaiva sarvadaiva śāstra-vidhim atikrānta eva iti bruvāte, ‘ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitaḥ’ iti ‘vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnam’ ity ādi-gītokter gārham arhanto muhur utpātam anubhūtavanto’nubhavanto’nubhaviṣyanti cety alam ati-vistarena | hanta rāgānugā-vartma durdarśaṁ vibudhair api | paricinvantu sudhiyo bhaktāś candrikayānayā |
(Rāga-vartma-candrikā: 2.8–9)

“But as per statements of Śrī Gītā such as [17.1], ‘O Kṛṣṇa, what is the position of those possessed of śraddhā who perform worship [while] rejecting the injunctions of śāstra? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?’ and [17.13], ‘Yajña (sacrifice) that is devoid of injunctions [from śāstra], is without distribution of food, is devoid of mantras, is without donations, and is devoid of śraddhā is called tāmasa,’ those who say that rāgānugā-bhakti is absolutely always and absolutely in all respects exclusively beyond the injunctions of śāstra are deserving of censure and have experienced [in the past], are experiencing [in the present], and will experience [in the future] repeated calamities. Enough excessive elaboration [i.e., saying this much is sufficient to stress this point]. Oh! The rāganugā-path (vartma) is difficult to see, even for the devas! May wise bhaktas recognize it with [the help of] this moonlight (candrikā) [i.e., with the help of this book].”

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tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ

tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ |
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaś cechatābhayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.1.5; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.7; Bhakti Sandarbha: 25, 125; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.110)

“[Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit:] O descendant of Bharata! The Self of all, Bhagavān, Īśvara, Hari, is to be heard about, to be praised, and to be remembered by one desirous of fearlessness.”

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tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ

tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ |
sadā sampadyate naiva bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt ||
kevalaṁ laukika-prāṇa-suhṛd-buddhyā sa sidhyati |
lokālokottaro yo’sāv atilokottaro’pi yaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.82–83)

“Prema of such nature for Bhagavān certainly cannot be attained by means of constant vision of [his] paramount aiśvarya because of the ensuance of fear and reverence [i.e., because fear, reverence, and other sentiments that obstruct the manifestation of that prema ensue from focus on Śrī Bhagavān’s paramount aiśvarya]. That [i.e., prema which follows the beautiful prema of the residents of Vraja, as described in BB 2.5.81] is attained only by means of the mentality of [Śrī Bhagavān’s being like] the friend of one’s prāṇa as in the world. It [i.e., such prema] is that which is beyond the lokas and non-lokas, and which is beyond even that which is above the lokas [i.e., beyond even Vaikuṇṭha].”

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sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā

sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā |
kṛṣṇe śuddhatareṇaiva bhāvenaikena labhyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.81)

“And that [i.e., Goloka] is attained only through one-pointed, exceedingly pure bhāva for Kṛṣṇa which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja.”

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vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra

vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra-
śālvādayo gati-vilāsa-vilokanādyaiḥ |
dhyāyanta ākṛta-dhiyaḥ śayanāsanādau
tat-sāmyam āpur anurakta-dhiyāṁ punaḥ kim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.48)

“Kings such as Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍraka, and Śālva attained equality with he [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] whom they meditated upon out of enmity while lying down, sitting, and so forth, their minds imprinted with his movements, play, glances, and so forth. [So,] How much more [is this attainment of equality with him certain to happen in the the case] of those whose minds are attached [to him]?”

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tataḥ sā tulasī rūpa-mañjarī ca vaneśvarī

tataḥ sā tulasī rūpa-mañjarī ca vaneśvarī |
bhakṣyāṇy urvaritāny āduḥ sevikālī-cayaiḥ samam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.142)

“Then, Tulasī, Rūpa Mañjarī,
And the lordess of the forest [i.e., Vṛndā]
Ate the remaining foods
Together with the serving sakhīs.”

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śrī-rādhikātha sagaṇā muditopaviṣṭā

śrī-rādhikātha sagaṇā muditopaviṣṭā
kāntādharāmṛtatayā parivāñchitāni |
śrī-rūpa-mañjarikayā ca vaneśayā ca
bhakṣyāṇi tāni bubhuje pariveśitāni ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.138)

“Then, Śrī Rādhikā, along with her group,
Delightedly sat and ate the foods,
Which were greatly desired
Because of [their] containing the nectar
From the lips of her beloved,
And were served by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarikā and the lordess of the forest [i.e., Vṛndā].”

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yātas tataḥ sa harir ambuja-mandirāntaḥ

yātas tataḥ sa harir ambuja-mandirāntaḥ
śete’tra sat-kusuma-kalpita-talpa-madhye |
tāmbūla-dāna-pada-lālana-vījanādyais
tatra priyālibhir amuṁ tulasī siṣeve ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.136)

“Hari then entered the Lotus Pavilion
And lay there
Atop a bed arranged with excellent flowers.
Tulasī served him there,
Along with her dear friends,
With an offering of tāmbūla,
A foot massage,
Fanning,
And so forth.”

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jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māṁ yāvān yaś cāsmi yādṛśaḥ

jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māṁ yāvān yaś cāsmi yādṛśaḥ |
bhajanty ananya-bhāvena te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.11.33; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.24; Bhakti Sandarbha: 201, 312)

“Having understood, or not having understood, me as far as I am, for who I am, and of what nature I am, those who worship me with a one-pointed (ananya) bhāva are considered by me the best of bhaktas.”

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atha mukhyaṁ dhyānaṁ śrī-bhagavad-dhāma-gatam eva

atha mukhyaṁ dhyānaṁ śrī-bhagavad-dhāma-gatam eva, hṛdaya-kamala-gataṁ tu yogi-matam, smared vṛndāvane ramye ity-ādy-uktatvāt | ata eva mānasa-pūjā ca tatraiva cintanīyā | … śrī-kṛṣṇādīnāṁ tu mathurādi-kṣetraṁ mahādhiṣṭhānam, ‘mathurā bhagavān yatra nityaṁ sannihito hariḥ’ ity-ādy-ukteḥ | tathā tat-tan-mantra-dhyeya-vaibhavatvena mathurā-vṛndāvanādīnāṁ śrī-gopāla-tāpany-ādau prakhyātatvāt | mathurādi-kṣetrāṇy evānyatrādhiṣṭhāne dhyānena prakāśya teṣu bhagavāṁś cintyate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 286)

“Now, [for bhaktas] the primary [meditation] is situated in Śrī Bhagavān’s dhāma alone [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān is to be meditated upon only as situated in his own abode], whereas it is considered by yogīs to be situated in the lotus in the heart [i.e., yogīs, unlike bhaktas, meditate on Bhagavān situated in their own hearts rather than in his own abode], since it is stated [in Śāradā-tilaka], ‘Remember [Govinda] in joyful Vṛndāvana,’ and so on. Therefore, worship in the mind (mānasa-pūjā) is to be conceived there alone [i.e., when worship is performed in the mind, Bhagavān should be conceived of as situated in his own abode, e.g., Vṛndāvana, and not in the heart, in the sun, or elsewhere, as yogīs may conceive of him]. … The domains of Mathurā and so forth, however, are grand existential seats (mahādhiṣṭhānas) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and so on, on account of statements such as [SB 1.10.28], ‘Mathurā, where Bhagavān Hari is eternally present,’ and because of Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, and so forth’s being made known in Śrī Gopāla Tāpanī and elsewhere to be the magnificence (vaibhava) of the object of meditation (dhyeya) in various mantras [i.e., to be aspects of Bhagavān’s own personal greatness]. The domains of Mathurā and so forth are to be manifested through meditation in existential seats elsewhere, and Bhagavān is to be conceived in them [i.e., if an object of worship, such as a Deity, is present in a location other than the district of Mathurā or another abode of Śrī Bhagavān, then a worshiper of that object of worship should situate that object of worship in the appropriate abode, e.g., Vṛndāvana, through meditation and then perform worship with the object of worship conceived to be situated there].”

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