Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Sri Jaiva-dharma
Volume Four
Table of Contents
Chapter Eighteen - Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya Prayojana (prameyantar-gata
Bhedabheda-vicara)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana (Simultaneous Oneness and
Difference
Chapter Nineteen - Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya-prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Abhidheya-vicara)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya, and Prayojana (Abhidheya) Page 13
Chapter Twenty - Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya-prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Abhidheya-vicara Vaidha-sadhana-bhakti)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(Abhidheya: Vaidha-sadhana-bhakti)
Chapter Twenty-one - Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya-prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Abhidheya-vicara Raganuga-sadhana-bhakti)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(Abhidheya: Raganuga-sadhana-bhakti)
Chapter Twenty-two - Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya-prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Prayojana-vicararambha)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(The Discussion of Prayojana begins)
Chapter Twenty-three
Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya-prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Nama-tattva-vicararambha)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(The Discussion of the Holy Name Begins)
Chapter Eighteen
Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya Prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Bhedabheda-vicara)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana
(Simultaneous Onenesss and Difference
Vani-Madhava was a vicious person. Reproached by Vrajanatha,
in his mind he plotted how to harm both Vrajanatha and the babajis.
He met with some thugs and together they decided that when he
returned from Srivasa's courtyard, Vrajanatha would be attacked at
a secluded place near Laksmana-tila. Hearing of this plot,
Vrajanatha decided to visit the saintly elderly babaji only during
the daytime. Also, he would not visit Srivasa's courtyard every
day, and when he did it would be only in the daytime and
accompanied by a bodyguard. Vrajanatha had some tenants. Among
them was an expert fighter named Harisa Doma. Vrajanatha said to
Harisa, "Today a great calamity has fallen upon me. If you help, I
may be protected from it." Harisa replied, "Sir, I will do
whatever you ask. Give the word, and I will kill your enemy."
Vrajanatha said, "Vani-Madhava wants to harm me. I am no longer
able to visit the Vaisnavas in Srivasa's courtyard. Vani-Madhava
plans to have me attacked on the road." Harisa replied, "Sir how
can he attack you when Harisa is there? Know that this bamboo club
will fall on Vani-Madhava Thakura's head. Sir, take me with you
whenever you go to Srivasa's courtyard. Who can harm you? I can
defeat a hundred fighters."
Accompanied by Harisa Doma, Vrajanatha would visit Srivasa's
courtyard only once every two or four days. He could not stay for
long. He could not hear discussions of the spiritual truth. In
his heart he became sad. Ten or twenty days passed in this way,
and then Vani-Madhava died of snakebite. Hearing the news of Vani-
Madhava's death, the Vaisnava Vrajanatha thought, "Is this fate of
a person who hates Vaisnavas?" In his mind he remembered these
words of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.1.38):
"One may die today or after hundreds of years, but death is
sure for every living entity."*
He thought, "No one lives forever. Everyone must die. What
obstacle now stops me from going to Srivasa's courtyard every day?"
That evening at sunset Vrajanatha went to Srivasa's courtyard and
offered dandavat obeisances to the saintly babaji. He said, "from
today on I will visit your feet every day. The obstacle Vani-
Madhava has left this world." The very merciful babaji was at
first silent and thoughtful, unhappy to hear that a person whose
spiritual intelligence was not awakened had died. Then he said,
"It is said (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya 2.163):
"A person is sure to achieve the results of his fruitive
activities."*
"The soul must go where Lord Krsna sends him. Baba, are you
unhappy at heart?"
Vrajanatha: The only unhappiness in my heart is that for some
days I have not heard the nectar of your teachings. That has
troubled my heart. I wish to hear the remaining teachings of the
Dasa-mula.
Babaji: I am always ready to teach you. Just tell me how far
you have heard and what questions have risen in your mind.
Vrajanatha: What is the name of the pure philosophy Sri Sri
Gaura-kisora taught to the world? Advaita-vada, Suddhadvaita-vada,
Visistadvaita-vada, and Dvaita-vada are the names of the
philosophies taught by the previous acaryas. Did Sri Gaurangadeva
accept one of these philosophies, or did He teach a different
philosophy? In describing the sampradayas, you said that Sri
Gauranga is in the Brahma-sampradaya. Did He teach the Dvaita-vada
of Sri Madhvacarya, or did He teach something else?
Babaji: Baba, please listen to the eight verse of the Dasa-
mula:
"The entire spiritual and material creation is manifested from
the potency of Lord Hari. The impersonalist idea is an impurity of
the Kali-yuga and it is refuted by the Vedas. The pure truth
taught by the Vedas is the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda
(simultaneous oneness and difference). By understanding this truth
one eventually attains the perfection of love for the Supreme
Eternal."
The conclusions taught in the Upanisads are called "Vedanta"
(the conclusion of the Vedas). Srila Vyasadeva summarised these
conclusions in a book of four chapters, a book called the Brahma-
sutra or Vedanta sutra. The truly learned people of this world
respectfully accept the authority of this book. The general
conclusion is that the Vedanta-sutra gives a proper exposition of
the truths taught in the Vedas. The different acaryas have each
explained Vedanta-sutra in a way to support their conclusions. Sri
Sankaracarya used the Vedanta-sutra to support his philosophy of
impersonalism (vivarta-vada). He said that the philosophy of
parinama-vada is not correct, for it must lead to the conclusion
that Brahman is not the highest. He taught a philosophy called
vivarta-vada, which is also called mayavada. To support this
philosophy of vivarta-vada, he collected quotations from all the
Vedas. It seems that the philosophy of parinama-vada must have
been popular before his time. By establishing his vivarta-vada,
Sri Sankara suppressed the parinama-vada. Still, the vivarta-vada
is only one of many theories. Displeased with it, Sri Madhvacarya
created the theory of dvaita-vada. He collected quotes from all
the Vedas to support his theory of dvaita-vada. In the same way
Srimad Ramanujacarya established the Vasistadvaita-vada and
collected quotations from the Vedas to support it. Sri Nimbarka
Acarya established his philosophy of dvaitadvaita-vada and he also
collected many quotes from the Vedas to support it. Sri Visnu
Svami preached the philosophy of suddhadvaita-vada, which he based
on the Vedanta-sutra and the texts of the Vedas. The mayavada
philosophy preached by Sri Sankaracarya is opposed to the truths of
devotional service. Each with his own philosophy, the four
Vaisnava acaryas taught that devotional service is the highest
conclusion. Sriman Mahaprabhu based His philosophy on all the
statements of the Vedas. His philosophy is called 'acintya-
bhedabheda" (simultaneous oneness and difference). This philosophy
accepts the basic framework of Madhvacarya's teachings.
Vrajanatha: What is the parinama-vada?
Babaji: There are two kinds of parinama-vada: brahma-parinama-
vada and sakti-parinama-vada. The brahma-parinama-vada teaches
that Brahman becomes transformed into the individual souls and the
material world. Thus they say that only Brahman exists, and to
support their idea they quote these words of the Chandogya Upanisad
(6.2.1):
"Brahman is one without a second."
This theory may be called 'advaita-vada' (impersonalism).
Look. In this context 'vivarta' and 'parinama' are synonyms. On
the other hand, the philosophy of sakti-parinama-vada declares that
Brahman Himself never becomes transformed. Rather it is Brahman's
inconceivable potency that becomes transformed. The jiva-sakti
becomes transformed into the individual spirit souls and the maya-
sakti becomes transformed into the material world. If this version
of parinama-vada is accepted, Brahman does not become transformed.
The act of transformation is defined in these words:
"Transformation is when something appears to be what it is
not."
What is transformation? Transformation is when something
appears to be different that what is it. Milk becomes transformed
into yoghurt. It is still milk in essence. It only appears to be
something else. That is transformation. According to the brahma-
parinama-vada, the individual spirit souls and the material world
are both transformations of Brahman. This idea is not correct. Of
this there is no doubt. The impersonal Brahman has no qualities.
Therefore it has nothing that could be transformed into something
else. Therefore it cannot be said to be the origin of
transformations. Therefore the brahma-parinama-vada theory is not
good. On the other hand, the sakti-parinama-vada does not have
these defects. According to sakti-parinama-vada, Brahman is not
transformed. Rather it is Brahman's potency, which can do any
impossible thing, that is transformed into the atomic individual
souls and into the perverted reflection that is the material world.
When Brahman desires, "Let the individual souls come into
existence", numberless souls are manifested from His potency. When
Brahman desires, "Let the material world come into existence",
material universes without limit are manifested from His potency.
These things are not transformations of Brahman. If someone says,
"If Brahman has a desire, then Brahman is transformed. The desire
itself is a transformation of the original desireless Brahman. How
is it possible that Brahman can be transformed in this way?" then I
reply, "You are assuming that Brahman's desire is like the desires
possessed by the individual spirit souls. That is why you say
Brahman's desire is evidence that Brahman becomes transformed. The
individual spirit soul is very small, and therefore his desire
naturally touches Brahman's other potencies. For this reason the
soul's desires are actually transformations. However, Brahman's
desires are completely independent. They are part of His intrinsic
nature and are not subjected to outside influences. They are at
once the same as and different from His potencies. Therefore
Brahman's desires are part of His original nature. They do not
involve any transformations. Ordered by His desires, His potencies
act. His potencies then become transformed. The living entity's
small intelligence does not have the power to discover these subtle
truths unaided. These truths are known only by hearing the
testimony of the Vedas. Now we may consider the nature of the
transformation of the potency. The example of milk being
transformed into yoghurt is not the only example to show the
transformation of potency. Although material analogies cannot give
one a complete understanding of spiritual realities, they can help
one understand certain aspects of it. Even though it is material
in nature, a cintamani jewel is said to produce many other jewels
within itself being changed in any way. The Spiritual Supreme
Personality of Godhead creates in a way like that. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead remains completely unchanged after
creating, by His desire and with the aid of His inconceivable
potency, the numberless individual souls and numberless material
universes consisting of fourteen planetary systems. This
explanation that the Supreme is "untransformed" does not mean that
the Supreme exists only as the qualityless impersonal Brahman. The
word 'brahman' means the greatest (brhat). Therefore the word
"brahman" directly refers to the eternal Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is the master of six opulences. If we only say that
He is 'untransformed' and do not say anything else about Him, we do
not accept His cit-sakti (spiritual potency). The truth is that by
the power of His inconceivable potency, He is simultaneously the
qualityless Brahman, and the Supreme Person who possesses a host of
spiritual qualities. Therefore to say only that He is
'untransformed' means to understand only half of His nature, and
thus not understand Him in full. The Vedas have used the
instrumental (by), ablative (from), and locative (in) cases to
describe His relationship with the material world. In the
Taittiriya Upanisad (3.1.1) it is said:
"Please know that Brahman is He from whom all living beings
are born, by whose power they remain alive, and into whom they
enter at the end."
When it is said that the living beings are manifested from
Brahman, the ablative case is used. When it is said that the
living beings live by Brahman's power, the instrumental case is
used. When it is said that the living beings enter into Brahman,
the locative case is used. In this way it is said that the Supreme
has qualities. This shows that He is the Supreme Person, for it is
a person that has qualities. Srila Jiva Gosvami describes the
Supreme Person in these words:
"The Absolute Truth is one. Still, by His inconceivable
potency He is manifested in four ways: 1. svarupa (His original
form), 2. tad-rupa-vaibhava (His incarnations), 3. jiva (the
individual spirit souls), and 4. pradhana (the material energy).
These four features are like: 1. the interior of the sun planet, 2.
the sun's surface, 3. the sunlight, and 4. the reflection of the
sun."
This example of course, explains only a small part of the
Lord's nature. His svarupa (original form) is His form of
eternity, knowledge and bliss. His svarupa-vaibhava
(manifestations of His form) are His spiritual abode, name,
associates and paraphernalia. The jiva-sakti is the abode of the
numberless eternally liberated and conditioned individual souls,
who are tiny particles of spirit. The pradhana is the material
world of subtle and gross material elements. As these four
features are eternal, so the oneness of the Absolute Truth is also
eternal. Someone may ask: "How is it possible that the Lord is
eternally manifest in these four ways, but still is eternally one?
Is it not a contradiction that He is both one and many
simultaneously?" To this the answer is given: The intelligence of
the individual living entities will certainly declare that it is
impossible. But why should it not be possible? The intelligence
of the individual living entity is very small and limited, and, on
the other hand, the powers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
are beyond human conception. Therefore, for the Lord it is not
impossible.
Vrajanatha: How do you define 'vivarta-vada"?
Babaji: In the Vedas there is description of transformation
(vivarta), but that description is not at all like what has become
known as the 'vivarta-vada'. Sri Sankaracarya has used the words
'vivarta' and 'vivarta-vada' to mean 'maya-vada' (the philosophy of
impersonalism). The true meaning of the word 'vivarta' is given in
these words:
"The word 'vivarta' means 'misunderstanding the true nature of
a certain thing'."
The individual is a tiny particle of spirit. But when he is
imprisoned in the gross and subtle material body, he becomes
bewildered and thinks, "I am this gross and subtle material body."
Thus he misunderstands his true identity. "Misunderstanding" is
the only definition of 'vivarta' given in the Vedas. Someone may
think, "I am Raghunatha Bhattacarya, the son of Sanatana
Bhattacarya", and someone else may think, "I am Sadhu Candala, the
son of Vise Candala". In this way the intelligence becomes
bewildered. Both of those persons are individual souls, tiny
particles of spirit. They are not Raghunatha Bhattacarya and Sadhu
Candala. Still, they are bewildered and they think they are
identical with the material body. To mistake a rope for a snake or
the glistening on a seashell's surface for silver are other
examples of misunderstandings (vivartas). By all these examples
the Vedas teach that one should throw far away the idea that he is
identical with the material body. The mayavadis (impersonalists),
however, reject this proper use of the word 'vivarta' and teach a
funny theory they called 'vivarta-vada'. They say that the idea "I
am the Supreme" is the true idea, and the misconception, or
vivarta, is the idea "I am an individual spirit soul". By
accepting this kind of ''vivarta-vada" one will not understand what
is the actual truth. The true vivarta-vada does not at all
contradict the sakti-parinama-vada. On the other hand, the
mayavadis (impersonalists') vivarta-vada is only an object of
laughter. The mayavadis' vivarta-vada is of three kinds: 1. the
soul is really Brahman but he becomes bewildered into thinking that
he is an individual soul, 2. the idea that the individual souls are
reflections of Brahman, and 3. the idea that Brahman takes a nap
and dreams that He has become the many individual souls. None of
these are the true vivarta-vada. The evidence of the Vedas refutes
them all.
Vrajanatha: What is this mayavada philosophy? My intelligence
does not understand it.
Babaji: Try to understand it soberly and carefully. The maya-
sakti is a perverted reflection of the svarupa-sakti (internal
potency). The maya-sakti cannot enter the spiritual world. The
maya-sakti is the controller of the material world. Because he is
bewildered by ignorance, the soul enters the material world.
Spiritual things are real and do have an independent, separate
existence. However, the mayavada theory does not accept the
reality of spiritual things. The mayavada theory declares that the
individual soul is actually Brahman, and it is only by the
influence of maya that he thinks he is different from Brahman. The
mayavada theory declares that as long as he is under maya's
influence, the soul thinks he is an individual soul, but when he
becomes free of maya's influence, the soul learns that he is
actually Brahman. The mayavada theory declares that when maya's
influence ceases, the individual spirit soul also ceases to exist.
In this way liberation is thought to mean nirvana, or the souls
merging into the existence of Brahman. In this way the mayavada
theory does not accept the existence of a pure individual spirit
soul, free from maya's clutches. The mayavada theory also declares
that when he incarnates in the material world, Brahman must take
shelter of maya and accept a body made of matter. Brahman thus
does not have a spiritual form and must accept a form made of
matter. Thus Brahman accepts the different material forms of His
incarnations, descends to the material world, performs very great
deeds, leaves His material form behind, and returns to His own
abode. The mayavadis' offer one kindness to the Supreme Lord.
They say that individual souls and the incarnations of Brahman have
one difference. They say that the individual souls are dependent
on their past karma, are pushed into the gross material body
against their will, and carried along by the strong current of
their past karma, are forced to suffer old-age, death and re-birth.
On the other hand, the Supreme Lord accepts a material body,
material identity, material name, material qualities, and other
material things voluntarily, by His own will, and by His own will
at a certain time He abandons those material things and becomes
again manifest as pure spiritual consciousness. Although He
performs activities, the Lord is not forced to accept the karmic
results of those actions. All these are the mistaken conclusions
of the mayavadis.
Vrajanatha: Do the Vedas give any evidence to support the
mayavada philosophy?
Babaji: No. In no place do the Vedas teach the mayavada
philosophy. Actually, the mayavada philosophy is identical with
Buddhism. In the Padma Purana Lord Siva tells Parvati:
"The mayavada philosophy is impious. It is covered Buddhism.
My dear Parvati, in the form of a brahmana in Kali-yuga I teach
this imagined mayavada philosophy."*
Vrajanatha: O master, why did Lord Siva, who is the best of
Vaisnavas and the leader of the demigods, do such a wicked deed?
Babaji: Lord Siva is a guna-avatara of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. At one time the demons had taken to following the path
of devotion in order to fulfil their own sinful lusty desires.
Seeing this the merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, concerned
for the benefit of the true, sincere devotees decided to deter the
demons from following the path of devotion. With this in mind, He
called for Lord Siva and told him, O Siva, that the demons in the
mode of ignorance are now preaching the path of pure devotional
service is not good for the world. Please write a book to bewilder
the demons. Conceal the truth about Me and preach the mayavada,
impersonal philosophy. The demons will then leave the path of pure
devotional service and take shelter of impersonalism. That will be
very pleasing to My genuine pure devotees. Of this there is no
doubt. The great Vaisnava Siva unhappily accepted this order of
the Supreme Lord. However, he placed the Lord order on his head
and obediently preached the mayavada philosophy. How can there be
any fault, then, for Lord Siva, the spiritual master of the entire
world?
Vrajanatha: For the good of all the conditioned souls, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead turns the wheel of the material
world of birth and death. The Sudarsana-cakra He holds in His hand
brings only good. His order brings only good. The servant's duty
is to carry out his master's order. Therefore the pure Vaisnavas
do not blame Lord Siva for descending as Sankaracarya and preaching
the mayavada philosophy. Now I will recite the scripture evidence
for all this. Please listen. In the Padma Purana the Supreme Lord
tells Siva:
"O Siva, because you worship Me, I will always give My
blessings to you. In Kali-yuga, mislead the people in general by
propounding imaginary meanings of the Vedas to bewilder them. In
this way conceal Me and make people turn away from Me."
In the Varaha Purana the Supreme Lord tells Siva:
"O mighty-armed Siva, please write books filled with lies, and
thus bewilder the people.
"O might-armed one, please preach a collection of lies. Place
yourself in the forefront, and conceal Me."
Babaji: Do any Vedic passages refute the mayavada theory?
Vrajanatha: All the Vedas refute the mayavada theory.
Searching through all the Vedas, the mayavadis have found four
statements to buttress their argument, and these they call maha-
vakyas (the great statements of the Vedas). These four statements
are (Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1):
"Everything is Brahman."
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.4.19 and Katha Upanisad 2.1.11:
"Nothing is different from Brahman."
Aitareya Upanisad 1.5.3:
"Brahman is consciousness."
Chandogya Upanisad 6.8.7:
"O Svetaketu, you are that."
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 1.4.10:
"I am Brahman".
What does the first of these maha-vakyas teach? It teaches
that the material world and the individual souls are all Brahman,
that there is nothing but Brahman. What is the nature of Brahman?
That is explained in another place in the Vedas. In the
Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8) it is said:
"The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him
or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting
His parts and parcels which are all simultaneously differently
situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts
quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power
and pastimes."*
In these words Brahman and Brahman's potency are accepted as
one. Here it is said that the potency is the property (svabhaviki)
of Brahman, and it is also said that the potency is manifested in
many different ways (vividha). Because the potency and the master
who possesses the potency are not different, it may certainly be
said that nothing is different from Brahman. However, when we look
at the material world, we can also see that in another sense
Brahman and His potency are certainly different. In the Vedas
(Katha Upanisad 2.13 and Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.10) it is said:
"The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are
eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognisant and the living beings are
cognisant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying
the necessities of life for the many other living entities."*
In these words of the Vedas variety is accepted as an eternal
fact. In the other passages of the Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad
6.8) the Lord's potency and His knowledge, power, and pastimes are
also considered, in one sense, to be different from Him.
Now let us consider these words of Aitareya Upanisad (1.5.3):
"Brahman is consciousness."
Here is it said that Brahman is identical with consciousness.
The nature of consciousness is described in these words of Brhad-
aranyaka Upanisad (4.4.21):
"A wise man who understands the Supreme falls in love with
Him."
Here the word 'prajna' does not mean merely 'consciousness'.
Here it means 'love and devotion'.
Now let us consider these words of Chandogya Upanisad (6.8.7):
"O Svetaketu, you are that."
These words supposedly teach that the Supreme Lord and the
individual spirit soul are identical. However, the proper
explanation of these words is found in this passage from the Brhad-
aranyaka Upanisad (3.8.10):
"He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life
as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs,
without understanding the science of self-realisation."*
The words 'tat tvam asi' therefore actually mean "He who has
attained devotion to the Lord is a true brahmana."
Now let us consider these words of Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad
(1.4.10):
"I am Brahman".
Some thinkers say that the knowledge described in these words
does not culminate in devotional service as its final attainment.
This idea is criticised by these words of Isa Upanisad (mantra 9):
"Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall
enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those
engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge."*
These words mean that persons who are ignorant and do not know
that they are pure spirit souls enter into terrible blinding
darkness. However, they who, even though they become free from
that ignorance, foolishly think that the individual soul is Brahman
and not a tiny particle of spirit, enter into an even more terrible
blinding darkness of ignorance. O baba, the Vedas are like an
ocean that has no shore. One should carefully study each mantra of
each Upanisad and then one should study the Upanisads together as a
whole. In that way one will understand the true meaning of the
Vedas. However, if one only studies a few passages here and there,
the conclusion he gets at the end will be horrible and wrong.
Therefore, after carefully studying all the branches of the Vedas,
Sriman Mahaprabhu taught the final conclusion: that the individual
spirit souls and the material world are simultaneously,
inconceivably one and different from the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Babaji: Please explain to me more clearly how this philosophy
of inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference is the true
teaching of the Vedas.
Vrajanatha: In the Chandogya Upanisad (3.14.1) it is said:
"Everything is Brahman."
In the Chandogya Upanisad (7.25.2) it is said:
"The Supreme Soul is everything."
In the Chandogya Upanisad (6.2.1) it is said:
"In the beginning only the Supreme existed. There was none
but Him."
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.4) it is said:
"As the sun shines in all directions: above, below and across,
so the glorious Supreme Personality of Godhead rules all
creatures."
These passages describe the oneness part of simultaneous
oneness and difference.
In the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.1) it is said:
"One who understands the Supreme, attains the Supreme."
In the Katha Upanisad (1.2.22 and 2.1.4) it is said:
"A wise man who meditates on the all-pervading Supreme Soul
never laments."
In the Taittiriya Aranyaka, First Anuvaka, it is said:
"Brahman is limitless, eternal and all-knowing. A person who
knows that Brahman stays both in the spiritual sky and in the
hearts of all creatures attains Brahman. He associates with the
all-knowing Brahman. All his desires are fulfilled."
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.9) it is said:
"There is no truth superior to that Supreme Person because He
is the supermost. He is smaller than the smallest and He is
greater than the greatest. He is situated as a silent tree, and He
illumines the transcendental sky, and as a tree spreads its roots,
He spreads His extensive energies."*
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.16) it is said:
"The Supreme Person is fully aware of everything. He is the
Supersoul, the master of all transcendental qualities."*
In the Katha Upanisad (2.23) and the Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.3)
it is said:
"The Supreme Lord is attained only by one who He Himself
chooses. To such a person he manifests His own form."*
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.19) it is said:
"Learned transcendentalists explain that God is the greatest,
the original person."*
In the Isa Upanisad (mantra 8) it is said:
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead has been fulfilling
everyone's desires since time immemorial."*
In the Kena Upanisad (3.6 and 3.10) it is said:
"I do not understand who this yaksa is."
In the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.7) it is said:
"In the beginning only the Supreme existed. From Him
everything was born. Then He personally appeared within the world.
That is why He is called 'sukrta' (the creator)."
In the Katha Upanisad (2.13) and the Svetasvatara Upanisad
(6.13) it is said:
"Of all eternal beings one is the most important."
In the Mandukya Upanisad (mantra 2) it is said:
"The Supreme soul is the greatest. He is everything. He
manifests in four forms."
In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (2.5.14) it is said:
"All living beings find that the Supreme Person is sweet like
nectar."
In these and countless other passages, the Vedas declare that
the individual souls are eternally different from the Supreme.
Every part of the Vedas is beautiful and good. No part should be
rejected. That the individual souls are eternally different from
the Supreme is the truth. That the individual souls are eternally
non-different from the Supreme is also the truth. Both are true
simultaneously. All the Vedas declare that difference and non
difference are both true. This simultaneous difference and non
difference is inconceivable, beyond the power of human intelligence
to understand. Applying material logic to understand it will bring
only confusion. What the Vedas speak is always the truth. The
Vedas' statements should not be rejected merely because they are
beyond the understanding of our tiny human intelligence. In the
Katha Upanisad (1.2.9) it is said:
"Ordinary material logic cannot be used to disprove the truths
taught by the Vedas."
In the Kena Upanisad (2.2) it is said:
"I do not think, 'I do not know anything about the Supreme'.
Neither do I think, 'I know everything about the Supreme'."
In these passages the Vedas declare that the Lord's potency is
inconceivable. Therefore material logic is not the proper tool
with which to understand the Lord's potency. In the Mahabharata it
is said:
"The Puranas, Manu-samhita, the Vedas with all their limbs and
the science of Vedic medicine are the words of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. They are His commands. Material logic
cannot refute them."
Thus simultaneous oneness and difference is the pure truth,
the conclusion taught by the Vedas. When one considers the final
goal and need of all individual souls, he will see that there is no
conclusion but simultaneous oneness and difference. When one
understands this truth of simultaneous oneness and difference, he
will see that the difference between the soul and the Supreme is
eternal. Without understanding this difference, the individual
soul cannot attain the true goal of life: love for the Supreme.
Babaji: What evidence from scripture and logic shows that love
for the Supreme is the final goal of life?
Vrajanatha: The Vedas (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.4) declare:
"The Supreme Person is the life of all that live. One who
knows Him is not eager to talk of other things. Such a person
loves the Lord, always remembers the Lord's pastimes, and is active
in the Lord's service. He is the best of transcendentalists."
In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (2.4.5 and 4.5.6) it is said:
"Every living being loves others not to please them, but to
please himself."
These words of Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad show that love is the
individual soul's primary need and goal. Baba, love for the
Supreme is described in many passages of the Vedas and the Srimad
Bhagavatam. It is clearly described in these words of the
Taittiriya Aranyaka, Seventh Anuvaka:
"Who could live, who could breathe, if he did not find
pleasure in his heart? Living in the heart, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead gives pleasure to all living beings."
Happiness is a state of being created by love. All spirit
souls strive to find pleasure. Persons striving for liberation
think liberation will bring them pleasure. That is why they are
mad after liberation. Materialists think material sense objects
will bring them pleasure. That is why they chase after sense
objects. The hope for pleasure pushes the living entity into
action. The devotees act so they can find pleasure in service to
Lord Krsna. Thus all living entities are searching for pleasure
and for love. For the sake of pleasure and love they are even
willing to give up their bodies. The conclusion is this: everyone
sees pleasure and love as their final goal,, their true need. No
one will deny it. One may be an atheist, one may be a theist, one
may be a proponent of fruitive work (karma-vadi), one may be an
impersonalist (jnana-vadi), one may be a hedonist (kami), one may
be an ascetic (niskami), all living entities are searching for
pleasure and love. All search for pleasure and love, but not
everyone finds it. The proponents of fruitive work think they will
find pleasure and love in Svargaloka. However, the Bhagavad-gita
(9.21) says of them:
"When they have thus enjoyed heavenly sense pleasure, they
return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through the Vedic
principles, they achieve only flickering happiness."*
This means that eventually they must fall down from
Svargaloka. In this way their plan to enjoy becomes frustrated.
When a person fails to find true pleasure in the wealth, children,
fame, power, and other things available in the world of human
beings, he begins to desire the pleasures available in Svargaloka.
When he must fall from Svargaloka he realises that the pleasures
available there are not very valuable. Then he sees that the
pleasures of the human worlds, of Svargaloka, and of the highest
material planets, even up to the planet of the demigod Brahma, are
all temporary. Then he begins to search for impersonal. When he
finally attains impersonal liberation, he sees that there is not
real pleasure in that either. Then he searches for another path to
follow. How is it possible to find either pleasure or love in
impersonal liberation? If a person's sense of identity is
annihilated, how can he enjoy any pleasure? Or if everything
becomes one, how can he enjoy any pleasure? Who will exist to
experience the pleasure? If I lose my identity, who will exist to
experience Brahman? The statement "Pleasure exists in impersonal
liberation" has no meaning, for no one exists to experience the
pleasure. In impersonal liberation does pleasure exist, or does it
not exist? What is the conclusion? If my personal identity is
destroyed, then everything about me is destroyed. What remains of
me, that I can experience the attainment of a goal or the
fulfilment of a need? In impersonal liberation I do not exist. I
do not exist at all. If someone says, "In impersonal liberation I
exist as Brahman", then Brahman does not perform any action. Is it
not so? If I become Brahman eternally, then there is nothing for
me to attain, and therefore I need not perform any action.
Therefore in impersonal liberation is not the way to attain
pleasure or love. Actually impersonal liberation does not exist.
It is only a trick played on the individual soul. It is a flower
imagined to float in the sky. Devotional service is the only
method by which the individual souls can attain the true goal of
their live and fulfil their true needs. The final stage of
devotional service is love and pleasure. That love and pleasure
are eternal. Pure Krsna is eternal, and pure love for Him is also
eternal. Therefore, when one accepts the truth of inconceivable
oneness and difference, he can attain the eternal perfection of
true love. If there is no simultaneous oneness and difference,
then the eternal spiritual love that is the soul's true goal and
need becomes not-eternal. That non-eternality attacks the love and
destroys it. Therefore all Vedic scriptures confirm that
simultaneous inconceivable oneness and difference is the true
conclusion. All other conclusions are meaningless speculations.
Plunged into an ocean of bliss as again and again he thought
about the meaning of spiritual love, Vrajanatha walked home.
Chapter Nineteen
Nitya-dharma O Sambandhabhidheya Prayojana (Prameyantar-gata
Abhidheya-vicara)
Eternal Religion and Sambandha, Abhidheya and Prayojana (Abhidheya)
After finishing his meal, Vrajanatha went to bed. Again and
again in his heart he thought about simultaneous oneness and
difference. He thought, "I used to think that the philosophy of
inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference was only one of
many competing philosophies. As he deeply thought about it he
concluded that no passages of scripture refuted it. Indeed, all
the scriptures supported it. Sri Gaura-kisora is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself. There cannot be any fault with His
profound teachings. I cannot leave the shelter of Lord Gaura-
kisora's feet, which are the abode of spiritual love. Alas! What
have I attained thus far? The teaching of inconceivable
simultaneous oneness and difference is the truth. That much I
know. But by knowing it what have I attained? The saintly babaji
told me that spiritual love is the final goal of life for all
souls. The fruitive workers (karmis) and impersonalists (jnanis)
are all searching for love, but they do not know what is the pure
state of love. One must attain the pure state of love. I will ask
the saintly babaji how to attain it. I will hear his conclusion."
Again and again thinking in this way, he gradually fell asleep.
It was late at night when Vrajanatha finally fell asleep and
it was late in the morning when he finally awakened. He got up
from bed. When he had washed and performed his morning duties, his
uncle Vijaya-kumara Bhattacarya Mahasaya arrived for a visit.
Seeing that he had come after many days in Sri Modadruma,
Vrajanatha at once offered dandavat obeisances to his uncle.
Vijaya-kumara was especially learned in Sriman Bhagavatam. By
the mercy of Srimati Narayani-devi, he had attained great love for
Lord Gauranga. Nowadays he went from place to place reading aloud
from Srimad Bhagavatam. At the village of Denuda-grama he
personally met Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura, who advised him to visit
Sri Mayapura, the inconceivable spiritual abode of the Lord.
Vrndavana dasa Thakura told him that soon all the places of Lord
Mahaprabhu's pastimes would become hidden, and only after four
hundred years would they again be openly manifested. He also said
that the places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes are not different from
Sri Vrndavana, and that only a person who can see the spiritual
nature of Sri Mayapura and the other places of Lord Caitanya's
pastimes has the power to see Vrndavana as it truly is. Hearing
these words of Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura, who is an incarnation of
Srila Vyasadeva, Vijaya-kumara became very eager to see Sri
Mayapura. In his mind he decided to visit his sister and nephew in
Bilva-puskarini, and then visit Sri Mayapura. In those days Bilva-
puskarini and Brahmana-puskarini touched each other. Nowadays they
are far apart. In those days the boundary of Bilva-puskarini was
within a mile of holy Sri Mayapura. That abandoned village of
Bilva-puskarini now goes by the names "Tota" and "Taranabasa".
Vijaya-kumara embraced his nephew and said, "Baba, now I will
go to visit Sri Mayapura. Please tell your mother that I will
return for lunch." Vrajanatha replied, "Uncle, why are you going
to visit Sri Mayapura?" Vijaya-kumara was not aware of
Vrajanatha's present condition, how he had abandoned the study of
nyaya-sastra and become an ardent student of Vedanta. Therefore he
thought it not appropriate to describe his devotional activities to
Vrajanatha. He simply said, "I want to visit someone in Mayapura."
Aware that his uncle was a devotee of Lord Gauranga and a scholar
of Srimad Bhagavatam, and thinking that his uncle must have a
spiritual purpose in visiting Sri Mayapura, Vrajanatha said, "A
very faithful Vaisnava named Sri Raghunatha dasa babaji Mahasaya
resides in Sri Mayapura. Please speak with him when you make your
visit." Hearing Vrajanatha's words, Vijaya-kumara said, "Baba, now
you have faith in the Vaisnavas? I heard that you had abandoned
nyaya and turned to Vedanta. Now I can understand that you have
entered the path of devotional service. I no longer need to
conceal things from you. Vrndavana dasa Thakura has ordered me to
visit the holy abode of Sri Mayapura. In my mind I have decided to
bathe in the Ganges at Sri Mayapura-ghata, see and circumambulate
the yoga-pitha, and once roll about in the dust from the Vaisnavas'
feet at Srivasa's courtyard." Vrajanatha said, "Uncle, please be
kind and take me with you. I will take permission from mother, and
we will both go to Sri Mayapura. After this conversation,
Vrajanatha spoke to his mother, Vrajanatha and Vijaya-kumara both
left for Sri Mayapura. With great delight they both bathed in the
Ganges. As they bathed, Vijaya-kumara said, "Nephew, today I am
fortunate. Up till the age of twenty, Lord Sacinandana showed His
mercy to Sri Ganga-devi by playing in the waters here. By bathing
in these waters, I have become very happy." Melting with happiness
to hear these encouraging words, Vrajanatha said, "Today I am
fortunate, for today I am able to follow your feet." After
bathing, they both went to Jagannatha Misra's home. There they
became decorated with streaming tears of great spiritual love.
Vijaya-kumara said, "They who have taken birth in the land of Lord
Gaura but have never touched this most sacred place have taken
their birth in vain. That is not just an exaggeration. Look!
With material eyes this looks like another ordinary place, a place
of cottages made of leaves. By Lord Gauranga's mercy what glory do
we see now! We see great jewel palaces, charming gardens, grand
archways, and so many other glorious things! Look! How beautiful
are the forms of Sri Gauranga-Visnupriya in that palace! What
beautiful forms!! Again and again speaking in this way, the uncle
and nephew were both overwhelmed, stunned with ecstatic love. For
a long time they were both overcome in this way. Finally some
devotees helped them go to Srivasa's courtyard. When they entered
it, streams of tears flowed from their eyes. Rolling on the ground
in Srivasa's courtyard, the both called out, "O Srivasa! O Advaita!
O Nityananda! O Gadadhara-Gauranga! Please give Your mercy to us.
Please take away our false pride. Please give us shelter of Your
feet."
Seeing the two brahmanas in this devotional mood, the
Vaisnavas called out, "Glory to the moon of Mayapura! Glory to
invincible Lord Gauranga! Glory to Lord Nityananda!" and danced.
In a moment Vrajanatha offered his body at the feet of his
worshipable master, Sri Raghunatha dasa. The elderly babaji picked
him up, embraced him, and said, "Baba, why have you come at this
time today? Who is the great soul accompanying you?" Vrajanatha
humbly explained everything. The Vaisnavas gave them nice sitting
places in the courtyard of the bakula tree. Then Vijaya-kumara
humbly asked saintly Sri Raghunatha dasa Babaji, "O master, what is
the real goal and need of all living entities?"
Babaji: You are both great devotees. You have already attain
the goal of life. Still, to show kindness to me, you have asked
this question. As far as I know, I will speak. Devotional service
to Lord Krsna, devotional service that is free of any trace of
fruitive work or impersonal speculation is both the final goal of
life and the means to attain the goal of life. In its beginning
stage it is called "sadhana-bhakti" and in its final, perfect
stage, it is called 'prema-bhakti".
Vijaya-kumara: O saintly babaji, what different qualities does
devotional service possess?
Babaji: By Lord Mahaprabhu's order, Srila Rupa Gosvami wrote
the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, where the qualities of devotional
service are described in these words (1.1.11):
"One should render transcendental loving service to the
Supreme Lord Krsna favourably and without desire for material
profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical
speculation. That is called pure devotional service."*
In this verse the direct and indirect qualities of pure
devotional service are described. Here the words "bhaktir uttama"
mean "pure devotional service." Pure devotional service is never
mixed with karma (fruitive activities) or jnana (impersonal
speculation). When the desire for sense gratification is present,
devotional service is mixed with fruitive activities. When the
desire for impersonal liberation attained through philosophical
speculation is present, devotional service is mixed with impersonal
speculation. When the desire for sense gratification and
impersonal liberation are completely absent, then devotional
service is "uttama" or pure. Pure devotional service brings pure
love of God as its result. What is devotional service? The direct
qualities of devotional service are the endeavour to please Krsna
with the activities of one's body, mind, and words, and also love
for Lord Krsna within one's heart. The soul has certain powers of
his own. However, when one attains the mercy of Lord Krsna and the
mercy of a devotee, then Lord Krsna manifests His own internal
potency (svarupa-sakti). It is then that the true nature of
devotional service becomes manifested. In the present condition,
the living entity's body, mind, and words are all material. If he
works with the power of his own intelligence, his only attainment
will be material knowledge and dry renunciation. He will not
attain devotional service. However, if Lord Krsna's internal
potency (svarupa-sakti) becomes manifested and is even slightly
active, then pure devotional service is manifested also. Lord
Krsna is the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(bhagavan). Activities meant to please Him are called devotional
service. Jnana (impersonal speculation) and karma (fruitive work),
which are meant to please Brahman and Paramatma, are not devotional
service. Devotional service should be favourable (anukulya), meant
to please Lord Krsna. If it is not favourable, devotional service
cannot reach the perfect stage. The word 'anukula' means 'pleasing
to Lord Krsna". In the stage of sadhana-bhakti, the activities of
devotional service are to a certain extent gross and unrefined. In
the stage of perfect devotional service, the activities of
devotional service are free from connection with the material
world. In this way they are subtle and refined. In both stages
the qualities of devotional service remain the same. Therefore
that devotional service should be favourable (anukulyena) and
directly to Lord Krsna (krsnanusilanam) are the direct qualities of
devotional service. Now that the direct qualities have been
described, we will describe the indirect qualities of devotional
service. Sri Rupa Gosvami has mentioned two indirect qualities of
devotional service. The first indirect quality is 'anyabhilasita-
sunyam (freedom from other desires), and the second indirect
quality is 'jnana-karmady-anavrtam" (freedom from impersonal
speculation and fruitive work). In the heart any desire for
something other than devotional service is antagonistic to
devotional service. When jnana, karma, yoga, renunciation, and
other things cover the heart, the situation is not favourable for
devotional service. Therefore devotional service is pure when it
is freed from these two obstacles and when it is favourable and
directed to Lord Krsna.
Vijaya-kumara: What is the special quality of devotional
service? I mean to say, what are its specific characteristics?
Babaji: Srila Rupa Gosvami explains that pure devotional
service has six specific characteristics. They are described in
these words (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.13):
"There are six characteristics of pure devotional service,
which are as follows: 1. pure devotional service brings immediate
relief from all kinds of material distress, 2. Pure devotional
service is the beginning of all auspiciousness, 3. Pure devotional
service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure, 4. Pure
devotional service is rarely achieved, 5. Those in pure devotional
service deride even the conception of liberation, and 6. Pure
devotional service is the only means to attract Krsna."*
Vijaya-kumara: How does pure devotional service bring
immediate relief from all kinds of material distress?
Babaji: Material distress has three causes: 1. papa (sins), 2.
papa-bija (the seeds of sins) and 3. avidya (ignorance). The word
'papa' (sins) refers to the activities that begin with 'pataka'
(sins), "maha-pataka" (great sins), and "ati-pataka" (the greatest
sins). When pure devotional service appears in the heart, sinful
activities cannot remain there. the desire to commit sins is
called 'papa-bija' (the seeds of sins). When the heart is purified
by performing devotional service, sinful desires cannot stay there.
The individual soul's illusions are called 'avidya'. When pure
devotional service is performed, the soul thinks "I am a servant of
Lord Krsna." When that happens illusions about the soul's true
identity cannot stay. When the effulgence of Bhakti-devi (the
goddess of devotional service) enters the heart, sins, the seeds of
sins, and the blinding darkness of ignorance all perish. Thus,
when devotional service arrives, material distress is no longer
seen. Therefore one of the characteristics of devotional service
is that it brings immediate relief from all kinds of material
distress.
Vijaya-kumara: How is pure devotional service the beginning of
all auspiciousness?
Babaji: The word auspiciousness means: 1. love for all living
entities, 2. all virtues, and 3. every kind of happiness. When
pure devotional service arises in his heart, a person becomes
decorated with these four virtues: 1. humility, 2. mercy, 3.
pridelessness, and 4. giving honour to all others. The result of
this is that the entire world loves him. Every virtue that exists
among the living entities is spontaneously manifested within a
person who is a devotee of the Lord. Devotional service also gives
every kind of happiness. It gives material sense happiness, the
happiness of attaining the qualityless impersonal liberation, all
yogic perfections, sense gratification, liberation and every other
kind of happiness. However, the four kinds of devotees do not
desire any of these kinds of happiness, for none of them can even
approach the eternal bliss attained by engaging in devotional
service.
Vijaya-kumara: Why is it that persons engaged in pure
devotional service deride even the conception of impersonal
liberation?
Babaji: When the happiness that comes from pleasing the Lord
is even slightly manifested in one's heart, the happinesses
obtained from material piety, material sense gratification and
impersonal liberation automatically become very insignificant.
Vijaya-kumara: Why is pure devotional service rarely achieved?
Babaji: Please try to understand this carefully. By following
thousands and thousands of spiritual paths one will not easily
attain devotional service. Lord Hari is not pleased by persons who
strive for material sense gratification or impersonal liberation.
To them He will not give devotional service. Therefore for the
followers of these two paths devotional service is very rarely
achieved. By following the path of impersonal speculation one may
attain impersonal liberation, and by performing yajnas and other
pious deeds one may easily attain material sense gratification, but
by these means one will never become expert in the yoga of
devotional service. One may follow thousands and thousands of such
paths, but one will not attain devotional service to Lord Hari.
Vijaya-kumara: How does pure devotional service automatically
put one in transcendental pleasure?
Babaji: Devotional service is filled with spiritual pleasure.
It is an ocean of bliss. If all the material pleasures available
in the troublesome material world were added to its opposite, the
pleasure of merging into the impersonal Brahman, and then
multiplied by a hundred thousand million million, all that
accumulated pleasure would not equal a single drop of the happiness
of devotional service. Material sense pleasures is very
insignificant, and impersonal brahman pleasure is very dry. These
two kinds of pleasure are very different from spiritual pleasure.
Dissimilar things cannot be compared. The pleasure of devotional
service is a deep ocean of bliss. Compared to it, the happiness of
impersonal liberation is like a mud-puddle in a cow's hoofprint.
Only persons who have tasted the pleasure of devotional service
know what that pleasure is like. They cannot really describe that
pleasure to others.
Vijaya-kumara: How does pure devotional service attract Krsna?
Babaji: When devotional service appears in someone's heart,
Lord Krsna, who is controlled by love, becomes attracted to enter
that heart along with all His associates. By no other way can Lord
Krsna be brought under control.
Vijaya-kumara: If devotional service is as you describe, then
why do not all scripture scholars carefully engage in it?
Babaji: The root of the matter is this: human intelligence
and material logic are limited. Any human beings who tries with
his limited intelligence to understand Lord Krsna and His
devotional service, which are far beyond the boundary of the
material world, will certainly fail. Lord Krsna and devotional
service will remain far away from him. On the other hand, a person
who because of past pious deeds now has a single drop of attraction
to Krsna can easily understand devotional service. Aside from
being fortunate in this way, no one can understand the truth of
devotional service.
Vijaya-kumara: Why is material logic useless in understand
spiritual pleasure?
Babaji: Material logic has no power to understand spiritual
pleasure. In the Vedas (Katha Upanisad 1.2.9) it is said:
"The Supreme cannot be understood by material logic."
In the Vedanta-sutra (2.1.11) it is also said:
"Transcendental topics cannot be understood by argument or
logic."*
In this way it is explained that material logic cannot be used
to understand spiritual matters.
Vrajanatha: Is there a stage in between sadhana-bhakti
(devotional service in practice) and prema-bhakti (devotional
service in pure love of God)?
Babaji: Yes. There are three stages: sadhana-bhakti, bhava-
bhakti (devotional service in ecstasy), and prema-bhakti.
Vrajanatha: What distinguishes sadhana-bhakti from the others?
Babaji: The highest stage is prema-bhakti. As long as he
remains imprisoned by the material senses, the soul's devotional
activities are situated in sadhana-bhakti.
Vrajanatha: You have explained that prema-bhakti is the
eternal perfection, the highest stage. How is this highest stage
attained?
Babaji: One cannot attain that eternal perfection by his own
efforts. In the beginning the stage called 'sadhana' is manifested
in the heart. Until the day when the eternal perfection appears of
its own accord, one cannot force its presence. The eternal
perfection must come of its own.
Vrajanatha: Please explain more clearly.
Babaji: Because it is manifested from the Lord's own internal
potency (svarupa-sakti), prema-bhakti is eternally perfect. It is
not manifested in the hearts of souls still imprisoned by matter.
With the body, mind, and words one may endeavour to attain that
eternal perfection in his heart, but as long as it is not attained,
the devotee is situated in sadhana-bhakti.
Vrajanatha: What are the qualities of sadhana-bhakti?
Babaji: The nature of sadhana-bhakti is that it is a method of
making the mind think of Lord Krsna.
Vrajanatha: How many stages are present in sadhana-bhakti?
Babaji: There are two stages: 'vaidhi and raganuga'.
Vrajanatha: What is vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti?
Babaji: Vaidhi is of two kinds. When one follows the rules
given in the scriptures, his activities are called 'vaidhi-
pravrtti'. When by following the rules given in the scriptures a
person attains devotional service, his activities are called
'vaidhi-bhakti'.
Vrajanatha: Later I will ask about raganuga-bhakti. Now
please tell me: What are the qualities of vaidhi-bhakti?
Babaji: Activities the scriptures say should be performed are
called 'vaidhi'. Activities the scriptures say should not be
performed are called 'nisedha'. To do what should be done and
avoid what is forbidden is called 'vaidha-dharma.'
Vrajanatha: From your words I have understood that 'vaidha'
means 'following the rules of all the 'dharma sastras'
(scriptures). However, it is very difficult for the living entity
to determine from these scriptures exactly what should be done and
what is forbidden. Therefore, please briefly summarise the
scriptures rules of what should be done and what is forbidden.
Babaji: In the Padma Purana it is said:
"Krsna is the origin of Lord Visnu. He should always be
remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and
prohibitions mentioned in the sastras (scriptures) should be the
servants of these two principles."*
One should always remember Lord Visnu. That is the root of
all rules. The duties of varnasrama-dharma are meant to follow
that rule of always remembering Lord Visnu. That is the root of
all prohibitions. Avoidance of sin, abandonment of materialism,
penance for sins committed in the past and other like prohibitions
are meant to follow this prohibition: that one should never forget
Lord Visnu. Therefore the rules and prohibitions described in the
scriptures are the servants of the rule to remember Lord Visnu and
the prohibition to never forget Him. Therefore the rules of
varnasrama and other like rules are meant to enable one to always
remember Lord Visnu. This is described in the following words of
Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.2-3):
"From the mouth of Brahma, the brahmanical order has come into
existence. Similarly, from his arms, the ksatriyas have come, from
his waist the vaisyas have come, and from his legs the sudras have
come. These four orders and their spiritual counterparts
(brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa) combine to make
human society complete.*
"If one simply maintains an official position in the four
varnas and asramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Visnu, he
falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition."*
Srila Rupa Gosvami explains that among the human beings who
follow the rules of scripture, some have faith in devotional
service. These are the person qualified to engage in devotional
service. These persons are not attracted to following rules for
their own sake, and neither are they attracted to renunciation for
its own sake. Following the rules of ordinary civilised life and
at the same time full of faith in devotional service, they engage
in sadhana-bhakti. This engagement in sadhana-bhakti is the result
of many lifetimes of pious deeds. Faithful persons thus engaged in
devotional service are divided into three groups: 1. uttama
(advanced), 2. madhyama (intermediate), and 3. kanistha (neophyte).
Vrajanatha: In Bhagavad-gita (7.16) it is said that the
devotees are of four kinds: 1. arta (the distressed), 2. jijnasu
(the inquisitive), 3. artharthi (the desirer of wealth), and 4.
jnani (he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute). How are
these persons eligible to engage in devotional service?
Babaji: When they attain the association of saintly devotees,
these four kinds of persons, the arta, jijnasu, artharthi, and
jnani develop faith in unalloyed devotional service. Then they
become qualified to engage in devotional service. Gajendra,
Saunaka Rsi, Dhruva, the four Kumaras, and many others may be cited
here as examples of this.
Vrajanatha: Why are the devotees not eager for liberation?
Babaji: Of the five kinds of liberation - salokya (to live on
the same