Bhakti Sandarbha

śraddhā-sadbhāva eva kathaṁ jñāyate? iti vicāryam | tatra ca liṅgatvena pūrva-pūrvaṁ śaraṇāpattir upadiṣṭaiva | yasyāṁ ca śaraṇāpattau vakṣyamāṇāni ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ ity-ādīni liṅgāni | tathā vyavahāra-kārpaṇyādy-abhāvo’pi śraddhā-liṅgaṁ jñeyam | śāstraṁ hi tathaiva śraddhām utpādayati—ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate | teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmyaham || ity ādi | kiṁ ca, śraddhāvataḥ puruṣasya bhagavat-sambandhi-dravya-jāti-guṇa-kriyāṇāṁ śāstre śrūyamāṇeṣv aihika-vyāvahārika-prabhāveṣv api na kathañcid anāśvāso bhavati | tatas tāsu prākṛta-dravyādi-sādhāraṇa-dṛṣṭyā doṣa-viśeṣānusandhānato na kadācid apravṛttiḥ syāt | te ca tādṛśa-prabhāvāḥ—akāla-mṛtyu-śamanaṁ sarva-vyādhi-vināśanam | sarva-duḥkhopaśamanaṁ hari-pādodakaṁ smṛtam || ity-ādayaḥ | kecit tu tatra tatra śraddhāvanto’pi svāparādha-doṣeṇa samprati tat phalaṁ nodetīti sthagitāyante | yat tu yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantara-śucir ity-ādau śraddadhānā api snānādikam ācaranti, tat khalu śrīman-nārada-vyāsādi-sat-paramparācāra-gauravād eva | anyathā tad-atikrame’py aparādhaḥ syāt | te ca tathā maryādāṁ lokasya kadarya-vṛtty-ādi-nirodhāyaiva sthāpitavanta iti jñeyam | kiṁ ca, jātāyāṁ śraddhāyāṁ siddhāv asiddhau ca svarṇa-siddhi-lipsor iva sadā tad-anuvṛtti-ceṣṭaiva syāt | … tasyāṁ svārtha-sādhanānupravṛttau ca dambha-pratiṣṭhādi-lipsādi-maya-ceṣṭā-leśo’pi na bhavati | na sutarāṁ jñāna-pūrvakaṁ mahad-avajñādayo’parādhāś cāpatanti, virodhād eva | … yadi vā śraddhāvato’pi prārabdhādi-vaśena viṣaya-sambandhābhyāso bhavati, tathāpi tad-bādhayā viṣaya-sambandha-samaye’pi dainyātmikā bhaktir evocchalitā syāt | yathoktaṁ—juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan ity atra bādhyamāno’pi mad-bhakta ity-ādau ca | … śāstrīya-śraddhāyāṁ tu jātāyāṁ sudurācāratvāyogaḥ syāt | para-patnī-para-dravyety-ādi-viṣṇu-toṣaṇa-śāstra-virodhāt, maryādāṁ kṛtāṁ tena ity-ādinā tad-bhaktatva-virodhāc ca | … asyāḥ śraddhāyāḥ pūrṇatāvasthā tu brahma-vaivarte—kiṁ satyam anṛtaṁ ceha vicāraḥ sampravartate |vicāre’pi kṛte rājann asatya-parivarjanam | siddhaṁ bhavati pūrṇā syāt tadā śraddhā mahāphalā || iti | … adhikāritāyāṁ śraddhaiva hetuḥ, sā cājñasya na sambhavatīti … |
(Excerpt from Bhakti Sandarbha: 173)

“How is the presence of śraddhā itself known? This is to be considered. (1) Previously, śaraṇāpatti (śaraṇāgati) was specified as an indicator (liṅga) thereof, and the indicators of śaraṇāpatti (śaraṇāgati) are resolve for the favorable (ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ) and so forth, which will be described ahead [in anuccheda 236]. (2) So also, the absence of poor-spiritedness and so forth [i.e., parsimony, feeling destitute, fear, anxiety, stress, dejection, depression, etc.] in the midst of world affairs is also to be known as an indicator of śraddhā. The śāstra verily produces such śraddhā [e.g., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in BG 9.22]: ‘I [personally] provide for the acquisition and protection [of the necessities] of those one-pointed, meditative, and ever-absorbed persons who worship me in full.’ (3) A person endowed with śraddhā never has a lack of confidence even in the powers heard about in śāstra of objects, classes, qualities, and actions related to Bhagavān in connection with present worldly affairs. Therefore, [such a person’s] non-engagement with them [i.e., with objects and so forth related to Bhagavān] as a result of sussing out particular defects [in them] by means of vision of [them being] ordinary material objects and so forth shall never come about. They [i.e., objects and so forth related to Bhagavān] are indeed of such power [as is stated in Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (1.37.16) and elsewhere]: ‘The water from Hari’s feet is known to prevent untimely death, destroy all diseases, and cease all suffering.’ Some, however, even though they have śraddhā in these [objects and so forth related to Bhagavān] are closed off [from the effects of these objects and so forth] in that those effects do not manifest at present as a result of the fault of their own aparādhas [i.e., by understanding the reason why the powers of the objects and so forth related to Bhagavān that the śāstra says they possess are not seen to manifest, a person with śraddhā has no lack of conviction in the statements of the śāstra or in the existence of such powers in those objects and so forth themselves]. Since, however, even those who have śraddhā in [the statement], ‘One who shall remember he of lotus eyes [i.e., Bhagavān] is externally and internally pure’ and so forth [i.e., other such statements in śāstra still] engage in bathing and so forth, that is [to be understood as being done] only out of reverence for the conduct established by the paramparā (tradition) of the sādhus led by Śrīman Nārada and Vyāsa. Otherwise [i.e., if those with śraddhā were to do otherwise], even by transgression of that [i.e., the conduct established by Nārada, Vyāsa, et. al.] aparādha would occur. It is to be understood that they [i.e., those sādhus] have established such etiquette specifically to prevent troublesome behavior and so forth [i.e., unsociable habits, etc.] in a person [and thus bathing even after remembering Bhagavān should not be considered a symptom of lacking śraddhā in the purifying power of remembering Bhagavān]. (4) Furthermore, when śraddhā is present, then in [the stages of] both siddhi [i.e., attainment of bhāva] and asiddhi [i.e., the stage of sādhana], only continuous endeavor adherent to that [i.e., the etiquette established by the sādhus] shall occur just like that of one desirous of attaining gold [i.e., just as someone seeking to attain gold in its pure state engages in smelting it repeatedly according to a specific process, so a person with śraddhā will carefully adhere to the code of conduct established by the mahājanas]. … (5) During that constant engagement in the means (sādhana) to [attain] one’s object, even a trace of any endeavor possessed of deceit, desire for prestige, and so forth does not occur. (6) Therefore, intentional aparādhas as well, such as disrespect of the great, do not occur, because of evident contrariety [i.e., because an intentional aparādha is directly opposed to someone with śraddhā’s habitual activity, mentality, and objective, and thus has no scope to arise]. … (7) Alternately, even if someone with śraddhā, under the sway of commenced (prārabdha) karma [i.e., karmic reactions] and so on, has a habit of relation with sense objects (viṣaya), still, even at the time of relation with sense objects, because of that disturbance [to one’s sādhana], bhakti constituted of humility (dainya) will certainly become enkindled [in that person with śraddhā], as it is stated in this regard [in SB 11.20.28 and SB 11.14.18)], ‘Both partaking of and condemning those objects of desire, the consequences of which are [ultimately only] suffering,’ ‘Although obstructed by objects of the senses (viṣayas), a bhakta of mine who has not [yet] conquered the senses is generally not overwhelmed by objects of the senses (viṣayas) by virtue of vigorous bhakti,’ and so forth. … (8) When, however, śāstrīya-śraddhā [i.e., śraddhā based on śāstra] has developed [in someone], then the impossibility of being of [i.e., engaging in] extreme misconduct shall come to be, because of contrariety [in such misconduct] to injunctions that are pleasing to Viṣṇu, such as [in VP 3.8.14], ‘O King, Keśava is pleased by a person who does not think of others’ wives, others’ wealth, or others’ harm,’ and because of contrariety [in such misconduct] to one’s being a bhakta as per [statements such as this in Viṣṇu-dharma Purāṇa], ‘A human being who transgresses the code of conduct established by him [i.e., by Bhagavān Viṣṇu] should not be recognized as a bhakta of Viṣṇu, [because] Hari is worshipped by virtuous conduct [i.e., the dharma of the sādhus].’ … (9) The state of completeness of that śraddhā [i.e., of śāstrīya-śraddhā], however, is [described] in Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, ‘[First] Deliberation proceeds, ‘What is real and [what is] unreal here?’ Once [such] deliberation has also been performed, O King, full rejection of the unreal is accomplished, and then śraddhā, bearing the greatest fruit, shall become complete.’ … Śraddhā alone is the cause of being a bearer of eligibility [for ananya-bhakti], and that [i.e., śāstrīya-śraddhā] too is not possible for one who is ignorant [i.e., one who has not studied and learned śāstra].”

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