raganuga bhakti - a comprehensive study

7/28/2019 Raganuga Bhakti - A Comprehensive Study

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- a comprehensive study

By

108 Sri Srimad Ananta dsBbji Mahrj

(Pandit and Mahant of Sri Sri Radhakund)

Translated from the original by Madhumati dasi

Edited by Sangita Sangai

All copyrights reserved.


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What isRgnug bhakti ?

We have learnt about sdhan-bhaktiin the chapter A Scientific Study ofBhakti . Sdhan-bhakti is of two types -

Vaidhi Rgnug

Vaidhi bhakti is when we perform bhakti because of scriptural injunctions,while Rgnug bhakti has only one qualification greed. When we aregreedy for Sri Krishna-prem and this is the sole reason why practice bhaktithen we call it Rgnug bhakti.

When we practice bhaktifollowing in the footsteps ofRgtmik bhaktiwe cansay we are performing Rgnug bhakti. Hence if we want to know what

Rgnug bhakti is, first of all we have to learn what Rgtmik bhakti is.Srila Rupa Goswmipd has define Rgtmik bhaktias follows -

ishte swrasiki rgah param-vishtat bhavet,tanmayee y bhaved-bhaktih stra rgtmikodit.

Meaning - "When one has natural loving and extremely strong thirst for SriKrishna that makes one supremely absorbed in Him it is called rg, andthat rg-bhaktiis Rgtmik bhakti. (B.R.S.)

Very loving and strong thirst for Sri Krishna is the main characteristic ofrg-bhaktiwhile absorption in Him is the secondary symptom.

(C.C.Madhya.22.86)

Very strong thirst signifies that we feel an intense desire to please SriKrishna with our sev this is the main characteristic and this immense greedmakes us supremely absorbed in Sri Krishna - this is the secondarycharacteristic ofrg-bhakti.

When we are completely absorbed in something we lose touch with theexternal world, since then our only thought is how to make the ever-sportiveSri Krishna happy? How to serve Him according to our bhv? In this state weare only concerned with His sev nothing else enters the heart of a devotee.

Swrasikimeans the devotee has an intense greed to serve Sri Krishna andmake Him happy by serving the same ras that he possesses. Foe example - if

the devotee is in parental ras he treats Sri Krishna like a child and has animmense longing to make Him taste that ras. The devotees desire to makeSri Krishna happy is so enormous that he is absolutely immersed in Him. Thisis Rgtmik bhakti and it is present completely in the eternal associates ofthe Lord in Vraja dhm in fact it is present only in Vraja dhm.

The bhaktithat is present openly in the Vrajavsis is Rgtmik bhakti; thedevotional practice that follows in the footsteps of Rgtmik bhakti isRgnugbhakti. (B.R.S.)


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Rgtmik bhakti is present chiefly in the Vrajavsis and Rgnug bhakti isthat which follows in the footsteps ofRgtmik bhakti.

(C.C.Madhya.22.85)

Srimat Jiva Goswmipd has stated the characteristics ofrg-bhaktias follows

There are devotees who feel slight interest in rg-bhakti; however they have

still not felt rg-bhakti. Rg-bhakti is like a radiant moon; a little trace of themoonlight of the moon-like rg-bhakti falls in these devotees and their heartdazzles like crystal. Then they hear from the scriptures about the wonderfulsev that Rgtmik devotees perform and then they are interested toachieve the same. Here we should note the point that the devotees heartshould be clean it should not be polluted with lust, anger, jealousy and thelike. If such a devotee hears from the sdhus and the scriptures about theperfect sev rendered by the Rgtmik devotees he feels interested. Nowwith this interest if he follows the footsteps of the Rgtmik devotees we cansay he is performing Rgnug bhakti.

In this context hear from the sdhus and scriptures means the devoteeshould hear about the loving sev performed by the Vrajavsis and how Sri

Krishna relishes the ras of their sev. When the devotee hears and glorifiesthese pastimes his enthusiasm knows no bounds; just as when a moon raydisperses through a prism it looks all the more beautiful, similarly the hearingand glorifying enters the clear heart of a devotee and becomes more joyful.Thus the devotee is enthused with interest in prem-sev. This induces him inthe path ofRgnug bhakti. Here interest means the devotee realizes thatthe devotee considers the bhakti-shstras that reveal the bhvof the eternalVrajavsi associates of Sri Krishna as the best for hearing and he wants tofollow those instructions only. This happens when the devotee has pastsanskr in this field. From the very beginning the devotee is greedy for SriKrishna-sev (please note: only that kind of sev which the Vrajavsis do)and does not practice bhaktisimply because the scriptures order us to do so.

Rgtmik bhaktiis full of pure loving service. Some rare fortunate person istempted by hearing about it and then he follows in the footsteps of the eternalVrajavsi associates. A Rgnug devotee does not practice bhakti justbecause of scriptural injunctions. (C.C.Madhya. 22.87-88)

When we feel tempted it is true we do not care for scriptural injunctions,however if we want to gain that sev it becomes necessary to obey the rulesprescribed by the bhakti-shstras.

Srila Vishwanth Chakravartipd has ordained

When we hear about the sweet bhvof the Vrajavsis we feel tempted; wedo not care whether the scriptures tell us to practice bhaktior do not tell us.If we want to practice bhakti because the scriptures order us to do so we

cannot say we were greedy for it. (Rg-vartma Chandrik)

However if we want to achieve the topmost goal that is Vraja-prem, then wemust necessarily practice bhajan according to the rules prescribed in theRgnug scriptures. This is because

If someone performs exclusive Hari-bhakti by rejecting the shrutis, smritis,purns and the Panchartra we find that he only creates trouble. (Brahma-Ymal-Tantra)


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Earlier we have mentioned something about interest. Now the fact is thatmajority of the devotees do not have this interest in the preliminary stage.Yet, when they perform bhajan according to the rules of bhakti and theycontinue to hear about the Rg-bhaktiof the Vrajavsis they develop interest.Then they become Rgnug devotees. When we hear from the devotees whoare always immersed in pure love then we quickly gain interest. We also

strive to follow the devotees in the same mood as they possess. This meansthat if we feel greedy after hearing about the loving sev of the eternalassociates in the madhur bhv we too start practicing in madhur bhv.Rgnug bhajan is the spiritual practice by which we can attain that samestage of love as those devotees whom we are following (the eternal Vrajavsisin the madhur bhv).We have to follow scriptural rules in this process, sincethe Rgnug scriptures aim to tell the Rgnug devotees about thebehavior of the eternal associates and enthuse us with vigorous interest.

siddhasya lakshanam yat syt sdhanam sdhakasya tat.

Meaning - We have to practice to get all those qualities that they alreadypossess.

When we really gain interest then the scriptures will follow us. It means thatin the early stage of interest we should perform bhajan according to the rulesand regulations prescribed in the scriptures, and after we gain complete

interest the rules follow us this is the difference.Srimad-Bhgavatam (2.1.7) says

e-aivvihiteti keshnchit sangy,ruchimtra pravritty vidhi-prayuktenpravrittatvt.

na cha vaktavyam vidhyanadheenasya na sambhavati bhaktiriti.

Srimat Jiva Goswmipd has explained this verse as follows

Rgnug bhaktistarts from the slightest hint of interest. No one steps on itbecause the scriptures order so. Therefore some people call it avihit (notaccording to the rules). However the ones who step in the path ofbhaktinotcaring for the scriptural injunctions we cannot say that they are not

practicing bhakti, because we see in Srimad-Bhgavatam the followingstatement

O king, very often sages who are beyond the rules prescribed in thescriptures are immersed in relishing Sri Hari-kath.

Hence the vidhi-marga is weak since the devotees in this case practice bhaktibecause the scriptures order them to do so, while the devotees practicingRgnug bhaktido so not caring for the scriptural order hence it is muchstronger we should know this fact. (B.S.310)

If we see some devotee who has developed interest inRgnug bhakti, yet his conduct is contrary to the bhakti-shstras, then we should understand that he has notdeveloped true interest or he is trying to gain somethingmaterial pretending to be interested.


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As soon as a devotee starts with Rgnug bhakti it makes him disinterestedin anything other than bhakti. This is synonymous with greed. Srimad-Bhgavatam states that when we bend towards Sri Hari-kath then itincreases our interest gradually to such an extent that all topics other than SriKrishna lose importance for us.

Now let us learn the various types ofRaag-bhakti.

The Gradual Enhancement inRg-bhakti

Although love for God is always great, it does depend on the devoteesidentity and Sri Bhagavnsswarup. When the divine form expresses majestyand sweetness most completely then the love associated with Him is alsomost complete1. Vrajendranandan Sri Krishna is SwayamBhagavn. He is theonly One Who manifests majesty and sweetness most completely and hencelove too is most complete where He is concerned. Again love depends on howmuch sweetness a devotee can relish and the relation he has with Sri Krishna.In Vraja there are four types ofbhv

Dsya (servitude), Sakhya (friendly) Vtsalya (parental) Madhur(conjugal)

Amongst these bhv, sakhyabhvbrings more pleasure than dsya bhv,vtsalya bhv is more enjoyable than sakhya bhv and the relish ismaximum in the madhurbhv.

We can classify Rgtmik bhaktiinto two 1. sambandha-rup2. km-rup

A Vrajavsi2

feels related with Sri Krishna and thinks I am Govindasservant or I am Govindas friend or I am Govindas parent. This issambandha-rup. In this the devotee serves Sri Krishna according to hisrelation. In km-rup too the devotee has a relation with Sri Krishna;however in this bhakti eroticism is so dominant that it deserves specialmention. This is present in the Vraja-beauties who are the source ofmadhur ras. Although they have a relation with Sri Krishna that is theyconsider Him to be their Beloved however because their relation is extra-marital their love is not bound by any particular name. Their love is sostrong that it crosses all barriers and establishes a loving relation with SriKrishna. Thus their love is incomparable in all creation. Although it isreferred to as km(lust) it is supremely dominant pure love orprem.

The most dominant love of the fair sex of Vraja is referred to as km.The dear and wise associates of Sri Bhagavn such as Uddhav crave forthis sort of km. (B.R.S.)

Theprem of the Gopiks is inexpressibly sweet and is called as km. It isentirely devoid of any desire for sense-gratification and although its

1 Although love can be complete, some types of love are more complete than the others.2 Vrajavsi always refers to the eternal associates of Sri Krishna in Vraja dhm.


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external symptoms resemble km its aim is nothing but to make SriKrishna happy. It is indeed an inconceivable mystery!

Srimat Jiva Goswmipd has written in Preeti Sandarbha

Vraja-Gopiks are in the mood of a sweetheart. Therefore their activitiesresemble those ofkm; hence we call their mood as km. It is entirely

different from the material lust (smara) caused by the Love-God. Thereare many differences between the two. Ordinarily lust indicates desire,while prem means we are aware of what is favorable for the personwhom we love and we do everything to that effect. Sri Krishna is theobject of love and the Gopis do whatever is good for Him. Such feeling is

prem. This is why although the external symptoms of both km andpremare almost similar they are extremely unlike one another. Km indicatesselfishness whereasprem means we endeavor to do what is favorable forthe one we love. Thus the pure dominant prem in the Vraja-Gopis isreferred to as km only because of external activities and we call theirbhaktias km-rup.

We have already mentioned how madhur bhvis the most enjoyable of all

the bhvs. One of the reasons is that dsya bhv has sev such asfanning, offering of betel-leaves, massaging of feet etc. In sakhya bhvtoo we notice the same activities, however when a sakh defeats SriKrishna in the game he climbs on His shoulder. Sometimes the friendstease Him by tugging at His clothes and at other times they offer Him foodthat they have bitten into. All these activities are not possible for adevotee in the mood of servitude. Thus we see that sakhya bhvis higherthan dsya bhv. Vtsalya bhv contains the activities of dsya bhv,however the parents scold and beat Sri Krishna, instruct Him about what isright and wrong, extreme care regarding His food and health. Thusvtsalya bhv is higher than sakhya and dsya bhv. Again we find thatthe activities of dsya, sakhya and vtsalya are all present in madhurbhv. Over and above it contains activities such as winking or gesturingwith eyes, gazing with longing, embracing, kissing etc. Such sweetactivities are not present in the other bhv. The Vraja-beauties manifestthese activities to the fullest degree. Therefore they are established on thehighest pedestal in the empire ofprem1.

You may ask the relish of a certain bhvdepends on the taste of theparticular devotee how can we judge the individual taste and declaremadhur bhv as the highest? After all, the judgment depends on thedevotee, does it not?

We beg to answer you are right; the devotee considers his bhv to be thetopmost. It is alright for one in parental mood (vtsalya bhv) to feel the parentalmood to be the best. However if we analyze impartially then we can decide thedegree of the taste. The one who has no ras cannot decide on topics regarding

ras. Hence one who is a rasik(situated in his own ras), yet is impartial towardsother ras, and is the right person to make the judgment so as to which ras is themost relishing. Such a person is Uddhav Mahshay. He was a devotee of dsyaras ingled with sakhya ras. Sri Krishna sent him to Vrindvan to console theGopis. When he arrived here he saw the remarkable exultation ofviraha surgingin the ocean ofprem experienced by the Gopis. He realized the extremegreatness ofGopi-prem (madhur bhv) and begged to become a blade of grass or

1 Theirprem is the highest.


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at least a moss in Vrajadhm so that a speck of dust from the lotus feet of theGopis would bathe him. We see this in Srimad-Bhgavatam. This proves thesuperiority ofmadhur bhv.

Our next question would be if Gopi-prem is indeed superior, then why doeseverybody not aspire for madhur bhv?

The answer is Although madhur bhv is the topmost, a devotee may beinterested in the other bhvs such as dsya, depending on his past sanskr ormay be in this life itself he has gained the krip of some great soul who is in thatbhv. Let us understand this better

Agreed that sweet dishes are more popular, they are considered the best, yet onemay like sour, salty, pungent or bitter and not like the other tastes so much. Itdiffers from individual to individual. Similarly although madhur bhv is thetopmost a devotee may be interested in dsya, sakhya etc. Of course all this isregarding the sdhakonly. The Rgtmik devotees are situated naturally in theirrespective states. A Rgtmik devotee is one who loves Sri Krishna infinite timesmore than he loves himself. The Rgtmik devotees are bliss personified justlike Sri Krishna. They do not perform any sdhan. As soon as they get Sri

Krishnas darshan their past rati is exulted. Amongst all the Rgtmik devoteesthe Vraja-beauties are the highest and they are full of mahbhv. Sri Rdh isthe greatest amongst the Vraja-beauties since the mahbhv called mdan ispresent only in Her. The mdan-mahbhv (or mdan-khy1a mahbhv)is thezenith ofprem.

We can classify madhur bhv(conjugal mood) into two types Swakiy (bound by marriage) Parakiy (extra-marital relation)

Swakiy beloveds comprise of the 16108 queens of Dwrak. They are lawfullywedded to Sri Krishna according to the Vedic rites. They are always alert to obeyHis command and steadfast in the scriptural injunctions regarding chastity.

On the other hand, the Vraja devis have rejected their dear ones and rya-path(the rules of the civilized society) simply out of their extraordinary love for SriKrishna. They serve Him in an extra-marital relation. The Vraja devis are notbound to Him through nay Vedic rites such as keeping the priest and fire-God aswitnesses. They meet Him only because they love Him. Hence the relation theyshare with Sri Krishna is the result of inconceivable love. They have had toforsake their relatives and the path of good conduct to establish this relation they had to immerse all rules of dharma and adharma. This is the pinnacle ofanurg. As a result theirprem has reached the height that is mahbhv.

Only the Vraja devis are in true parakiy-bhv. Of course they are thepersonifications of Sri Krishnas swarup-shakti (internal potency) and hence theyare His eternal consorts.

Parakiy bhv is the height of ras and it exists nowhere other than in Vrajadhm.

(C.C. di.4.47)

Srila Rupa Goswmipd says

1khya = called ; mdan-khya mahbhav = the Mahbhvcalled mdan


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When Sri Krishna relishes the exulted erotic ras that is heightened due toparakiy bhv He proves that He is indeed The Rasik-Shekhar. (U.N.)

The wonderful distinction between Sri Krishna and other divine forms is His ras-exultation. Sri Krishnas potency Yogmy who is an expert in making theimpossible possible shrouds the intellect of the Vraja devis and makes themforget that they are His eternal beloveds. She does this so that Sri Krishna and

the Vraja devis unite in ecstatic ras only due to extreme anurg and not becauseof any social bonding. In this she enables both Sri Krishna and the Vraja-beautiesto relish the ras ofprem.

(Sri Krishna is saying) Yogmy will make the Gopis feel I am their lover (notmarried to them). I will not know this and neither will the Gopis and we willcontinue eternally to steal one anothers hearts. We will forsake the path ofrighteous conduct and unite with each other. Some times we will meet and atother times we will not it will depend on luck. I will relish all this essence ofras.Through this relish I will shower mercy on my devotees by describing the purelove of Vraja dhm. When the devotees hear this account (of the pure love of theGopis) they will give up Vedic rules and worship me in rg-mrga.

(C.C.di.4.29-33)

We already know the Rgtmik devotees are in different types of bhv; howeverSriman-Mahprabhu wants us to be anugata of a certain type of Rgtmik bhv and which one is that?

Km-rup bhakti

We have already learnt that Rgtmik bhaktiis of two types Sambandha-rup Km-rup

We can further classify km-rup bhaktiinto - Sambhog-echchmayi Tad-bhvech-chtmik

When the yutheshwaris (group-leaders) such as Srimati Rdhrni wish toplease Sri Krishna with loving sports, it is called sambhog-echchmayi (suchGopis are called nyiks1), while tad-bhvech-chtmik refers to those sakhiswhose only desire is to unite Sri Krishna with the nyiks such as SrimatiRdhrni or Chandrvali. (B.R.S.)

These sakhi considers her yutheshwaris pleasure when she is in Sri Krishnascompany as greater than her own happiness. Her pleasure lies in relishing thesweet joy arising out of their union. Therefore they never desire a physicalrelationship with Sri Krishna. When the yutheshwaris unite with Sri Krishna these

sakhis derive so much joy that is many times greater than they would havegained from the physical association with Sri Krishna. This bhvof the sakhis isso wonderful that it astonishes even the nyak2 Sri Krishna and the nyik, somuch so, that they too desire this special bhv. Since this sakhi-bhvis higherthan the bhvof the nyik, it is called the chiefkmnugbhakti.

1 The heroine or central character of the love-sport.2 The hero of a love-sport.


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The nature of a sakhiis indeed remarkable; she has no wish to make love to SriKrishna. She arranges the love-sport between Srimati Rdhrni and Sri Krishnaand gains innumerable times more pleasure out of it than her own associationwith Him. Srimati Rdhrni is like a wish-fulfilling creeper of Sri Krishna-prem,while the sakhis are its leaves, flowers and buds. When the nectarine love of SriKrishna nourishes the creeper (Srimati Rdhrni) then the leaves and flowersfeel more joyous than they would have felt had they been watered directly1.

(C.C.Madhya.8.207-210)

When Sri Krishna touches Srimati Rdhrni then Her sakhis although they maybe far from Her express shivering, perspiration, goose flesh etc. that are the signsof ecstatic pure love, and when Sri Krishna very joyously drinks the nectar ofSrimati Rdhrnis lips then the sakhis express intoxication - this is a mostastonishing event ! (Sri Govinda-Leelmritam)

These sakhis are as beautiful and talented as any yutheshwari. They completelyarrange the love-sports and fun and frolic. They are Vraja-beauties who are thecaskets of erotic ras. Sri Krishna and His beloveds love them more than theirlives. They extol Sri Krishna to His sweetheart and sing Her glory to Him. In thismanner they arouse their passion for each other and arrange for Their abhisr

(secret meeting). They hand over the sweetheart to Sri Krishna, joke with them,console them, arrange their dresses, are experts at revealing the feelings of SriKrishna and His sweetheart to the other, hide the nyiks folly, instruct her so asto how she can cheat her husband and the elders, unite the nyakand the nyikat the right moment, offer the right sev at the right time, scold the nyakandthe nyik, dispatch messages, restore the nyiks life when she is in viraha, foilthe plans of the opposite party these are some of the sevs of these sakhis.

These sakhis are of 5 types 1. sakhi2. nityasakhi3. prnsakhi4. priyasakhi5. param-preshtha-sakhi

All these sakhis can be classified according to their nature as

Vishama-sneh Sama-sneh Adhik-sneh

The sakhis who are vishama-sneh love Sri Krishna little more than they loveSrimati Rdhrni e.g. Dhanishth and Vindhy. The sakhis who sometimesexhibit little more love for Sri Krishna and little more love towards SrimatiRdhrni at other times are sama-sneh. E.g.priya-sakhis such as Kurangkshiand param-preshtha sakhis such as Lalit and the Eight principle sakhis(popularly known as the Ashth-sakhis. Prn-sakhis and nitya-sakhis such as

Kasturi and Manimanjari love Srimati Rdhrni more and are called Rdh-snehdhik.

Lalit, Vishkh, Chitr, Indurekh, Champaklat, Rangadevi, Tungavidy andSudevi are param-preshtha sakhis. Although they love Sri Krishna and SrimatiRdhrni equally, they feel we belong only to Rdh hence they reveal morelove for Srimati Rdhrni. It is a fact that they serve Sri Krishna only because

1 If Sri Krishna would have directly made love to them.


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He is Srimati Rdhrnis Love and never as their own lover. Even though theymake love to Sri Krishna it is only to make Srimati Rdhrni happy.

Although the sakhis do not like to make love to Sri Krishna, Rdhik coaxesthem to do so. She sends them to Sri Krishna under many pretexts since Shederives much more pleasure from that than Her own association with Him.Srimati Rdhrni and the sakhis express especially pure love and thus nourish

the pleasure ofras. When Sri Krishna sees their love He feels satisfied. (C.C.Madhya.18.212-214)

The param-preshtha sakhis love Srimati Rdhrni very much and this love atlast culminates in Sri Krishna-prem. And although they express less or more lovefor Sri Rdh-Krishna from time to time it is their way of manifesting lovenaturally and they do not do so voluntarily. It is possible that we have more lovefor one person yet show equal love for both. Srila Rupa Goswmipd says

Thepriya-narmasakhis such as Lalit have immense love for Sri Rdh-Krishna,yet they express more love for Srimati Rdhrni and at other times more lovefor Sri Krishna this is the nature of the sakhis. (U.N.)

The visham-snehsakhis such as Dhanishth love Sri Krishna more than SrimatiRdhrni, but they do not have any sakhifollowing them. They are in a minority.There is no process ofbhajan following their path.

Now the question arises which sakhis of Srimati Rdhrni are the topmost?Naturally we would like to perform bhajan under their subjugation alone.

Manjari-bhv

Sri Rupamanjari, Sri Ratimanjari, Sri Lavangamanjari etc are adhik-snehdhik orRdh-snehdhik. They love Srimati Rdhrni more. We call them manjaris.In all situations they relish immeasurable and inexpressible ever-new pleasure ofsev. Although they do not expect any pleasure all they desire is sev yet it isthe nature of manjari-bhv and Sri Sri Rdh-Krishnas very confidential sevthat they feel happy on their own. Their bhvis so immense that even when theyare close to Sri Krishna Who is Madan-Mohan; they retain their individual freedomand yet submerge Him in the ocean of joy simply by doing sev. Their ratiis theonly one of its kind; it reaches the height of wonder and becomes bhvollsarati.

When the ratiofsakhis (for Srimati Rdhrni) such as Lalit is equal or lessthan the passion for Sri Krishna, then we count their ratifor Srimati Rdhrni asthe passing rati, since that rati also nourishes their passion for Sri Krishna.However when the rati for Srimati Rdhrni is more than the passion for SriKrishna and keeps on increasing due to constant absorption in that rati, we call

that passion as bhvollsa. (B.R.S.)

This bhvollsa rati is the permanent bhv of the manjaris such as SriRupamanjari. When we follow in the footsteps of this bhvwith determinant anddo sev then our bhvis called 'manjari-bhv'.

This manjari-bhv alone is the compassionate hitherto unofferedgift of Sriman-Mahprabhu; Sri Rup and Santan have practicedand preached this bhv only.


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Srila Narottam ds Thkur Mahshay has written in his Prem-Bhakti-Chandrik

Do not follow the sakhis who are in the mood of sama-sneh and vishama-sneh; I shall discuss only the adhik-sneha sakhis. They remain constantly withSrimati Rdhrni and indulge in charming talks about Sri Krishna they are thenarma-sakhis.

Sri Rupa-manjari is their leader while Sri Rati-manjari, Lavanga-manjari,Manjulli, Sri Rasa-manjari and Kasturik are the chiefmanjaris. They serve withlove, joy and enthusiasm.

I shall follow them and ask them to engage me in loving service. I shallunderstand what sev I should do by a mere hint from them. Bouncing withbeauty and talents I shall follow them with deep love and stay amidst the sakhis.When the Divine Couple will sit surrounded by the sakhis I will serve them at theright time. When the sakhigestures I will fan Them with the fly-whisk and offerbetel-leaf at Their sweet lips. I will meditate constantly on the lotus feet of thedivine Couple with deep love. Whatever I meditate upon during my sdhan Ishall get in my siddha-deha this is the only process in the path of eternal love.

(P.B.C.)A Rgnug devotee should take the shelter of eternal associates such as SriRupa-manjari and surrender unto them; in this manner we should worship inmanjari-bhv (given by our Spiritual Master). We should be more enthusiasticabout serving Srimati Rdhrni than serving Sri Krishna and think of ourselvesas Srimati Rdhrnis very near and dear person. We may ask All thescriptures proclaim Sri Krishna-prem as the topmost achievable goal, then whyshould we love Srimati Rdhrni instead of Sri Krishna? The reply is that SriKrishna is subjugated to Srimati Rdhrni. When we love Her, we will attain SriKrishna-prem much more and this will happen automatically. Srila RupaGoswmipd has written

vayam-idam-anubhuya shikshayma, kuru chature ! saha rdhayaiva sakhyam,priya-sahachari ! yatra vdhamantar-bhavati hari-pranaya-pramoda-lakshmih.

- (U.N.)

Srila Vishwanth Chakravartipd has explained this verse as follows in hisnanda-Chandrik purport

Sri Manimanjari instructed a new manjariMy dear clever girl, I am telling youfrom my own experience, it is better you make friends with Srimati Rdh. Youmay ask why should I make a loving relation with Srimati Rdh? Rather is itnot better to establish a loving relation with Sri Krishna? Ill tell you why pleaselisten carefully. No doubt Sri Haris love is highly pleasurable; but if you loveSrimati Rdhrni deeply then that precious pleasure will present itself to you on

its own. This is because love for Sri Krishna is included within your love forSrimati Rdh. Hence if you make friends with Her it is needless to say that - aloving relation with Sri Krishna will form naturally.

When you become Srimati Rdhrnis firm sakhi, then Sri Krishna will consideryou as His beloveds dear friend and so He will love you all the more. ThereforeHe will not love you so much if you make friends with Him directly, however Hewill love you more if you love Her. So I am telling you if you can prove your lovefor Srimati Rdhrni then Sri Krishna will love you even if you do not try for it.


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Sri Krishna is even more joyous when we love Srimati Rdhrni more than if welove Him exclusively. Also when Srimati Rdhrni does mn or if the elders shutHer up in the house, then Sri Krishna will need you desperately to help Him meetHer. Then He will, on His own, run behind you to make friends with you. You see,you dont have to work hard to make friends with Him.

Especially if we wish to relish the sweet ras of Sri Krishna then worshiping the

lotus feet of Srimati Rdhrni becomes inevitable. Srila Raghunth dsGoswmipd has written

The one who has not worshiped the dust of Srimati Rdhrnis lotus feet, hasnot taken shelter of Sri Vrindvan that is decorated with Her footprints, has notconversant with the great devotees who are deeply immersed in SrimatiRdhrnis servitude, how will such a person ever relish the most mysteriousfathomless ocean ofras that is Sri Krishna? (Stavvali)

This is the sole reason why Sripd Raghunth ds Goswmicharan has rejectedthe position of Srimati Rdhrnis sakhiand has begged Her to exclusively makehim Her maidservant

O devi Rdhike, Servitude of Your lotus feet is the highest position; leaving this Ido not desire anything else (such as the position of Your sakhi). I pay obeisanceto Your sakhi-hood eternally, however may I always remain rooted in the positionof Your maidservant this is my pledge.

- (V.K.)

Srimati Rdhrnis servitude is not a main thing it is the highest position or themost blessed status. Srimati Rdhrnis maidservant is a servant in spite ofbeing a sakhi. She has the right to the entire sweet ras. First she relishes sweetras and then she performs sev. Therefore Srimati Rdhrnis servitude isoverflowing with ras.1

Sometimes, by Srimati Rdhrnis wish sakhis such as Lalit do unite with SriKrishna, however on Sri Krishnas request so much so that even if their groupleader orders them to do so the manjaris never ever have the slightest wish tomake love to Sri Krishna although it is extremely joyous. Sri Vrindvan-Mahimmrita says

The one who is exclusively immersed in relishing the ras of serving the lotus feetof Srimati Rdhrni, she never accepts love-dalliance with Sri Krishna even inher dreams (definitely not when awake), when Sri Krishna forcibly tears herbodice and makes some advance towards her, then the manjaritearfully protestsand laments and beholding this scene - Srimati Rdhrni, the Beloved of mylife is laughing.

Even sakhis such as Lalit do not get the pleasure of serving the Divine couple ina manner that the manjaris can serve. We get such fortunate sev when we are

completely surrendered at Srimati Rdhrnis lotus feet.

I seek the refuge of Srimati Rdhrnis maidservants headed by Sri Rupa-manjari who can move care freely and unhesitatingly in the sports ground of SriSri Rdh-Krishnas love-making2 - that even the prn-preshtha sakhis such asLalit cannot and they constantly please Srimati Rdhrni, Who is the

1 To know more about this topic please read Sri Vilp-Kusumnjali and Sri Rdh-Rasa-Sudh-Nidhi edited by me.2 When Srimati Rdhrni and Sri Krishna are performing confidential pastimes.


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controller of Sri Vrindvan with their sweet sev, such as offering tmbul,massaging feet, offering water and helping in abhisr. (Vraja-Vils-Stav)

We, the Goudiya Vaishnavs, who wish to become Srimati Rdhrnismaidservants, pray from the bottom of our hearts

When will I get the association of my sakhiand sew flower-garlands for both of

Them? O when will I stand in front of them fanning Them with the fly-whisk? Andanoint Them with aguru and chandan? When, on the command of the sakhi, will Ioffer tmbul?And adorn Their foreheads with sindurand tilak? When will I beholdtheir charming and loving pastimes with my eyes? And gaze at Their moon likefaces after seating Them on the throne? I wish to relish that sweetness with allmy heart when will Narottam ds get such mercy? (Prrthan)

Let us learn how to achieve this superlative state by practicing bhajan in manjari-swarup.

How to performRgnug bhajan

The Vrajavsis are the eternal associates of Sri Krishna and they have a veryspecial bhvfor Him. When we hear about their bhvand how they express it, ifwe feel greedy to achieve the same bhv, then we are qualified for Rgnugbhajan. Srila Rupa Goswmipd says this in B.R.S.

teshm bhvptaye lubdho bhavedatrdhikravn.

He has also described in detail how such a qualified devotee should performRgnug bhajan

krisham smaran janan-chsyapreshtham nija-samihitam,tat-tat-kathratashchsou kuryd-vsam vraje sada.

sev sdhaka-rupena siddha-rupena chtrahi,tad-bhva-lipsun kry vraja-loknusratah.

Meaning - "We should meditate on our Beloved Sri Krishna and His beloved, whois in the same mood as ourselves (swajtiya devotee) and if possible, we shouldreside in Vrindvan in our sdhak-body also. If we are incapable of doing so thenwe should at least live here mentally and taking the shelter and surrenderingunto the Vrajavsi-devotee who is dear to Sri Krishna, and craving to get thesame bhvas that devotee, we should constantly perform sev in our sdhak-swarup (externally) and in our siddha-swarup (mentally). (B.R.S.)

Srila Vishwanth Chakravartipd has explained the above two verses as follows

In these two verses Srila Rupa Goswmipd has explained the proper way toperform Rgnug bhajan. Preshtha(in the above verse) refers to our Beloved

Sri Nanda-Nandan in His budding youth. We should worship Sri Krishna in thisform alone, but at the same time we should constantly remember His eternalassociates who have similar desire as we and we should reside in Vraja dhm inthis manner. If possible we should physically live in some place in Vraja dhmsuch as Vrindvan etc. and in case we are incapable of doing so, it is our duty tolive there at least in mind.

Sdhak-form means the body that we are in at present and siddha-dehaindicates the body that is worthy of serving in the divine world, that on which we


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should meditate upon. In this divine form (siddha-deha) we should serve underthe command of Sri Rdh, Lalit, Vishkh, Sri Rupa-manjari and other sakhiswho are very dear to Sri Krishna and they wish to relish the sweet bhvof SriKrishna. In the sdhak-body we should serve following the instructions of theGoswmis such as Sri Rup and Santan. This signifies that in siddha-swarup weshould perform sev mentally under the guidance of Sri Rdh, Lalit, Vishkhand Sri Rupa-manjari, while in sdhak body we should do sev under the

subjugation of the Vrajavsis such as Sri Rup and Santan. This is our duty.

Here anusratah does not mean anukaran or imitation (we should not imitatethe Goswmis or the eternal divine associates), rather it indicates anusaran -which means we should serve according to their command and following theirbhv.

True, in Rgnug path meditating on the divine pastimes is the main sdhan,however in the primary stage we are not qualified for leel-smaran1. Therefore weshould concentrate more on hearing, chanting and following the other rules ofbhakti. Then as our chitta gets more and more purified, we are drawn towardsleel-smaran. Our smaran too becomes more intense. Ultimately when we reachthe zenith ofbhajan, leel-smaran naturally becomes the major part of bhajan.

We should note that all the parts ofbhaktimentioned in vaidhi-bhaktiare usefulin Rgnugbhajan also.

Srila Rupa Goswmipd mentions this in the verse

shravanot-kirtandini vaidha-bhaktyuditni tu,ynyangni cha tnyatra vigneyni manishibhih.

- (B.R.S.)

Here hearing and chanting also includes the stepping stone of bhakti such asaccepting the shelter of Sri Gurudevs lotus feet as well. We should realize that allthe rules of bhakti that we have already mentioned, and they are the parts ofvaidhi-bhakti we should stick to them in Rgnug bhajan also. If we do notobey the instructions of the Vrajavsi Goswmis such as Sri Rupa Goswmi,Santan Goswmi etc., how can we say we are surrendered unto them? Then howcan we follow in their footsteps? The serious devotees should practice only thoserules that are in accordance with their bhvand never do what is contrary to it such as aham-grahopsan, mudr, nys, meditating on Dwrak, worshiping SriRukmini etc. Although the gam-shstras mention these processes of bhakti aRgnug sdhak should not perform them. In the path of bhakti if we do notperform some little processes then it does not matter.

Rgnug practice has two limbs external and internal. External practice isdone with sdhak-body while we perform internal sdhan by meditating on oursiddha-deha. In the sdhak-body we should hear, chant, forsake materialpleasures, and serve The Deities with actual objects. We should meditate on oursiddha-deha and serve Sri Krishna Who is our Beloved with this body for only the

siddha-deha is worthy of serving the divine Couple. We should seek refuge ofSrimati Rdhrni Who is the object of our love and surrender unto Her and Herdear ones. It is our duty to strive for that brilliant ras and following theinstructions of Sri Rupa-manjari we should collect objects for sev in meditationand serve the divine couple as the time and situation demands.

bhya antar ihr dui to sdhan,

1 Meditating on the divine pastimes


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bhya sdhak-dehe kore shraban kirtan.mone nija siddha-deha koriy bhbon,

rtridine kore braje krishner seban.

Meaning - "Rgnugbhajan comprises of two practices external and internal.Externally, we should hear and chant, while we should meditate on our siddhadeha and serve Sri Krishna in Vraja dhm all day and night.

(C.C. Madhya.22.89-90)

But to meditate on the siddha-deha, first we have to know what a siddha-deha is.

What is siddha-deha?

Siddha-deha means the body that our Spiritual Master gives us and we meditateon it. Srimat Jiva Goswmipd says siddha deha is the body that is worthy ofserving Sri Krishna. Srila Vishwanth Chakravartipd has said siddha-deha isthe body that is worthy of serving Sri Sri Rdh-Krishna in reality (sksht sev).By using the word skshthe is indicating that when a sdhakmeditates on the

siddha-deha, then Sri Krishna accepts the sev in reality. In Rgnug when asdhak has not reached the stage of rati (passion), then he deliberatelymeditates that he is serving the Divine Couple with siddha-deha; however when asdhakattains the level ofrati, he identifies naturally with his siddha-deha.

The siddha-deha that the sdhakmeditates on is not imaginary. It is the supremetruth, eternal, blissful and conscious. Some people think that although the soul isoriginally spiritual, it is infinitesimally small; hence the sdhak has to meditateupon an imaginary body. He pleases Sri Bhagavn by his sdhan and thenfollowing the rule ydrishi bhvan yasya siddhirbhavati tdrishi1 Heconverts the sdhaks soul into His associate. So the message is that althoughlater on the siddha-deha does exist (as Sri Bhagavns associate), just now it isimaginary. This means, we are meditating on a make-believe image. This is not aVaishnav-conclusion.

The siddha-deha of the sdhakis the permanent beautiful treasure of the eternaldivine abode. All the siddha-dehas are conscious, blissful and is in the mode ofespecially pure goodness. We see in Srimad-Bhgavatam

vasanti yatra purushh sarve vaikuntha-murtayah.

Meaning - "Innumerable bodies are present in the divine Vaikuntha. They areparts ofSri Bhagavns effulgence and are the precious and beautiful treasure ofthe Holy Abode.

Sri Gurudev is Sri Bhagavns intense compassion personified. He knows oursiddha-deha by the power of his meditation. Then he reveals to us our siddha-

deha. We should meditate on this divine body and think I am this body. Suchmeditation is called meditating on siddha-deha. So we should note that oursdhan does not create the siddha-deha. When we accomplish success in bhaktiand we become worthy of serving Sri Bhagavn in reality, we become blessedand get the opportunity to serve the Divine Couple in our siddha-deha. Hence it isimperative that we follow the Siddha-pranlireceived in the Guru-parampar and

1 On accomplishment of your sdhan, you get the body and situation as per yourmeditation.


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perform sdhan accordingly. We should meditate on that siddha-deha which wereceive in Sri Guru-parampar and that which Sri Gurudevhas given us.

Lord Sadshiv has instructed us in Sri Sanatkumr-Samhit how to meditate onsiddha-swarup

parakiybhimninyastathsya cha priyajanh,

prachirenaiva bhvena ramayanti nijapriym.tmnam chintayettatra tsm madhye manoramm,rupa-youvana-sampannm kishorim pramadkritim.

anshlpakalbhigym krishnabhognurupinim,arrthitm-api krishnena tato bhogaparnmukhim.

adhiknucharim nitya tatsevanaparyanm,krishndapyadhikam prema rdhikym prakurvitam.

prityanudivasam yatnttayoh sangamakrinim,tatsevanasukhswdabharenti sunivritm.

itytmnam vichintyaiva tatra sevm samcharet,brhmamuhurtamrabhya yvat snt mahnish.

Meaning - "The Vrajasundaris who are in parakiy-bhv, give immense pleasure

to their Beloved Sri Krishna according to their bhv. Similarly, you too consideryourself as a Gopa-maiden and serve in subordination to their bhv. You are amaidservant amongst the Gopa-damsels. How will you meditate on this self? Youwill think I am an extremely attractive maiden brimming with beauty, youthand sensuousness. I am a Gopa-girl and experienced in many arts regarding SriKrishnas sev. I am Srimati Rdhrnis eternal companion and follower. Yourloving sev lies in uniting Srimati Rdhrni with Sri Krishna and your happinesslies therein.

If Sri Krishna ever prays you for love-making, you will refuse, since you are SriRdhs maidservant and you feel joy in making her happy. In this manner youwill serve Srimati Rdhrni eternally and love Her more than Sri Krishna. Youwill serve Her during all eight parts of the day1 and unite Her with Sri Krishna.Thus you will submerge in the joy ofsev2. You will serve right from the Brhma-muhurta till the end of night.

Those of us who cannot see the siddha-deha clearly, or do leel-smaranconspicuously rather they even find it laborious it is better if they are notover-enthusiastic about meditating on siddha-deha and practicing leel-smaran.It is better if they hear from the holy lips of the great devotees about the divinepastime. Then they should read lots about the glory of Gopi-bhv, repeat themand again the llasmayi3prayers that crave for such bhvand try to performvery little Gopi-bhv in the form of remembering and thinking. If they performbhajan like this, then gradually they will be able to meditate nicely on theirsiddha-deha and they will be qualified to meditate on the pastimes of the DivineCouple. They will also be able to meditate on the loving sev of the Divine Couplein the correct manner.

Our Sri Gurudevgives us siddha-deha and along with it the ekdash-bhv (11qualities ofsiddha-deha). Now let us learn about the ekdashbhvof the siddha-deha.

1 The day is divided into eight parts called ashta-ym2 This indicates that we should immerse ourselves in relishing the ras of serving Sri SriRdh-Krishna in Sri Vrindvan constantly by meditating on our siddha-deha.3 llasliterally means salivating; here it indicates extremely intense longing.


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Ekdash- bhv or the eleven qualities of siddha-

deha

nma-rupam vayo veshah sambandho yutha eva cha,gy sev parkshth plyadsi nivsakah

Meaning - "The ekdash-bhvcomprises of 1. name,2. form,3. age,4. dress,5. relation,6. group,7. command8. sev,9.parkshth1

10. protected maid servant11. residence.

Now let us define each one.

1. Name

sri-rupa-manjari-itydi nm-khynnurupatah,chintaniyam yath-togyam swa-nma vrajasubhruvm

Meaning - "The devotees who desire the confidential sev of Sri SriRdh-Krishna in the secluded flower-grove in the form of a Vraja-beauty, under the guidance of Manjaris such as Sri Rupa-manjari,

should meditate on her Manjari-name.

2. Form

rupam yutheshwari-rupam bhvaniyam prayatnatah,trailokya-mohanam kmoddipanam gopikpateh cha

Meaning - "The sdhak should meditate on her Manjari-form which isas beautiful as any group-leader. Sri Krishna is so handsome that Hehypnotizes the three worlds, however the Manjariis so voluptuous thatshe arouses passion even in Him.

3. Age vayo nnvidham tatra yattu tridashavatsaram,

mdhurydbhuta kaishoram vikhytam vrajasubhruvm

Meaning - "Although the age (in sweet mood in Vrajadhm) can varyfrom child to pouganda, the manjari is mostly at the sweet age ofthirteen.

4. Dress

1 The zenith (we shall learn more about this is the following explanation)


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vesho neela-patdyaishcha vichitrlankritaistath,swasya dehnurupena swabhvah rasa-sundarah.

Meaning - "The manjarishould dress beautifully in various colors suchas blue, yellow etc. according to her look, nature and rasa. She shouldalso decorate herself with different artistic ornaments.

5. Relation

sevya-sevaka sambandhah swa-manovritti-bhedatah,prnatyayepi sambandhm na kad parivartayet.

Meaning - "Although one may have different relations with Sri SriRdh-Krishna depending on the tendency of the mind, a manjarimainly has the relation ofsevya and sevakwith Them. They will acceptdeath, yet not forsake this relation1.

6. Group

yath yutheshwari-yutha sada tishthati tad-vashe,tathaiva sarvad tishthed bhutv tadvasha-vartini

Meaning - "A group always rallies around its group-leader; similarly thesdhakshould remain subordinate to the group-leader in the manjari-swarup.

7. Command

yutheshwaryh shirasy-gym-dya hari-rdhayoh,yathoditm tachchhushrushm kurydnandasamyutm

Meaning - "Sri Rupa-manjariis the leader of the manjaris we shouldplace all her commands on our heads (obey submissively) and serveSri Sri Rdh-Krishna joyously according to her orders.

8. Sev chmara vyajandinm samyoga pratiplanam,

iti sev parisegyey yathmati vibhgashah

Meaning - "We should serve in the manjari-swarup according to ourdesire and instructions such as fanning, offering perfume, water,tmbuletc.

9. parkashth

shri-rdh-krishnayoryadvad rupamanjarikdayah,

prpt nitya sakhitwancha tath symiti bhvayet

Meaning - "We should have the firm faith that just as the earliermanjaris such as Sri Rupa-manjari are the eternal sakhis of Sri SriRdh-Krishna, by following in their footsteps I too shall attain thetopmost bhv (zenith). In this manner we should meditate on ourmanjari-swarup.

1 This line of the verse may also mean even after dying they will not forsake thisrelation.


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10.Protected maidservant

plya-dsi cha s prokt pariply priyamvad,swamanovrittirupena y nity paricharik

Meaning - "The manjari is so close to Srimati Rdhrni that she

reflects all Her emotions; in spite of this, she lives under the care andprotection of her Ishwari. Also, she has multi-faceted talents and stillshe is Swaminis maidservant. This is her greatness.

11.Residence

nivso vrajamadhye tu rdhkrishna-shtale matah,vamshi-vatashcha sri nandishwarashchpyati koutukah.

Meaning - "The manjari lives happily in Sri Vrajadhm at placeswhere the Divine Couple perform Their pastimes such as Vamshi-vat1, Nandishwar2 etc.

When we desire sev in subjugation to the Gopi-bhv, pure heart softens andmelts. When we are hungry we naturally find the food tasty; similarly the desirefor sev makes us relish the sweetness of Sri Sri Rdh-Krishnas leel-smaran.Those who wish to get sev following in the footsteps ofGopi-bhv; only they canenjoy the sweetness of the divine pastimes. When the bhv of a devotee isexpressed in its entirety, we call it Gopi-bhv. We can relish Sri Krishnassweetness to the greatest degree in this Gopi-bhvalone.

What is the chief characteristic ofGopi-bhv? When we are absolutely devoid ofany desire for happiness for ourselves and endeavor only to make Sri Krishnahappy this is the chief characteristic of Gopi-bhv. The manjaris display thischaracteristic to the greatest extent. The manjaris are ever absorbed in prayingfor sev. Bhv is a mental state. Ordinarily bhv refers to the equalization ofthe mind with the object of meditation. When we immerse ourselves exclusivelyin the pleasure of serving Srimati Rdhrni and are completely absorbed in it, itis called manjari-bhv. We, as sdhaks, should worship in this manjari-bhv.

Manjari-bhv-sdhan has two forms of worship

Sri Krishnas pastimes are of two types manifested unmanifested

When material people can see the divine pastimes with material eyes, we callsuch leels as prakat leelor manifested pastimes. On the other hand, when thepeople of this world cannot see the divine pastimes, we call such pastimes as

aprakat leel or unmanifested pastimes. Both the leels are identical. Thedifference lies in who is able to see it and who is not. The unmanifested pastimesdo not mix with worldly people and mundane objects, while the prakat leel ismixed up with the material world. Although the prakat leel is not subject tochange just like Sri Krishnas form that is always divine it appears to have a

1 The banyan tree on which Sri Krishna played His flute.2 Nandagrm


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beginning and an end. However these leels are not controlled by time and place we should realize this. These pastimes too occur by His wish alone and Hisswarup shakticontrols them.

We can worship Sri Krishnas unmanifested pastimes in two ways swrasikiand mantramayee (Sri Krishna-Sandarbha.153)

Sri Krishna is present in Yogpeeth in differentplaces. He is surrounded by His associates whoare seated in various positions. When we

meditate on them as such and worship them with mantras mentioned in thescriptures, we call it mantramayee worship. In Vrajadhm there are differentplaces where the Yogpeeth leel takes place. In this worship Sri Krishna ispresent with His associates in one particular place and the entire worship takesplace in this place only therefore mantramayee worship resembles a lake withstill water.

Swrasikileels are those pastimes of Sri Krishna thatare according to our mood (in the case of a Manjariitis the sweet mood or conjugal mood). They do not

occur at the same place and at the same time. They are without a beginning,middle and end. They are extremely variegated. Each pastime is unique. Differentpastimes occur in different places and at different times. These leels resemble aflowing river.

These leels take place as and when He wishes and differs from situation tosituation. (Sri Krishna-Sandarbha, 153)

Just as a river may have lakes in between, the swrasiki leel (that is like a river)have the Yogpeeth leel (that resembles a lake) within it. When we meditate onthese variegated pastimes throughout the day, we call it swrasikiworship.

Boudhyan Smriti states the meditation inmantramayee worship as follows

govindam manas dhyyed gavm madhyesthitam shubham,

barh peeda-samyuktam venuvdanatatparam,gopijanaih parivritam vanya-pushpvatamsakam.

Meaning - "Meditate on Sri Govinda in your mind he is present in all, He isadorning a crown of peacock-feathers, ready to play on His flute, surrounded bythe Gopis and His ear-rings are made of wild flowers.

Sri Gopl-Tpani Shruti too mentions mantramayee worship as follows

Tada hovcha hairanyo gopaveshamabhrbham tarunam kalpadrumshritam.

Tadiha shlok bhavanti

satpundarikanayanam meghbham vaidyutmbaram,dwibhujam mounamudrdhyam vanamlinamishwam.

gopa-gopi-gavvritam sura-druma-talshritam,divylankranopetam ratnamandapamadhyagam.

klindi-jala-kallola-sangimruta-sevitam,chintayech-chetas krishnam mukto bhavati samsriteh.

govindam sach-chidnanda-vigraham. Iti.

Mantrama ee worshi

Swrasiki worship

How to perform

mantramayeeworship


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Meaning - Lord Brahm said Sri Krishna is dressed as a cowherd boy, He iscloud-complexioned, adolescent and His eyes are shaped like lotus petal. He isclad in yellow dhoti, has two hands and is silent. He is wearing a garland of wildflowers and He is the Controller. Brilliant ornaments adorn Him and the Gopas,Gopis and the cows surround Him. He is seated on a gem-studded throne beneath

a wish-fulfilling tree. The breeze blowing across the Kalindi River and laden withwater droplets is serving Him. If we serve such Sri Krishna in meditation, we willbe verily liberated from the material ocean. We should worship Him with wordssuch as Govinda, sach-chidnandaetc.

Mantramayee worship is of two types Yogpeeth worship Arch-vigraha1 worship

We should perform Yogpeeth-worship in meditationaccording to the descriptions given in Sri Govinda-Leelmrita, Sri Krishna-Bhvanmrita etc. Also Sri

Govinda is himself present on every altar in a silent form to accept the loving

service from His devotees. When we serve Him with utmost love, He gives up Hissilence and instructs the devotee in a dream so as to how he should serve Him.Sometimes He also actually speaks to the devotee (when he is awake). Howeverthis is extremely confidential and our preceptors have forbidden us to discuss thisin detail hence such devotees have not recorded it in writing. Sri Hari-Bhakti-Vils is the topmost Smriti2 have stated the guidelines regarding this form ofworship.

Sri Krishnas Leel-shakti wants Him to enjoyvarious leels; therefore she manifests the rightleels at his right time. The swrasiki leel enfoldsthe mantramayeeleel in her arms3 and is flowingin all it colorful variegatedness since eternity.

During theprakat-leel (the pastimes that material people can see with mundaneyes) when Sri Krishna leaves Vrindvan and goes to Mathur, then the associatesof Vraja are scorched with viraha. However even then, the swrasiki leelcontinues in a shrouded manner and it contains the Yogpeeth leel. But, althoughthe associates do realize this, they do not accept this as real. Due to extremeviraha, they feel it is but a sphurti. Srila Rupa Goswmipd has said

Sri Krishna is always sporting with the Vrajadevis in Vrindvan and performingloving pastimes such as the Rs-leel they are never separated from Him.

(U.N.)

Srimat Jiva Goswmipd has explained this statement as follows These wordscertainly refer to the aprakat leel (the pastimes that cannot be seen with

mundane eyes). Vrindvan indicates the unmanifested Vrindvan.

1 The Deity that we worship on the altar in our home2 Smritis mean "that which has to be remembered". Unlike the Vedas which are consideredof divine origin, the Smritis are of human compositions which guide individuals in theirdaily conduct according to time and place. They list the codes and rules governing theactions of the individual, the community, society, and the nation. They are also calledDharma Shstras or laws of righteous conduct.3 It mean that the mantramayee or Yogpeeth leel is a part ofswrasiki leel.

Types ofmantramayee

worship

How to performswrasiki worship


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This means that Sri Krishna is always sporting with the Vrajavsis. There is noquestion of separation.

Padma Purn too states

go-gopa-gopik sange kridatikamsahMeaning - "The enemy of Kamsa (Sri Krishna) sports with the cows, Gopas and

Gopis.

Kridatiindicates the simple present tense. This means that Sri Krishna is alwaysengaged in divine play in Vrindvan. Sri Brahm glorified Lord Govinda inBrahma-Samhit as follows

Vrindvan is an abode of gem-studded palaces and is decorated withinnumerable wish-fulfilling trees. There He is taking care of countless Surabhi-cows. Hundreds of thousands ofGopa beauties surround Him and serve Him mostlovingly. I adore That Primeval Being Sri Govinda.

This verse proves swrasiki leel.

Sri Sri Nabadweep is non-different from Vraja-dhm and Sri Goursundar is the united form ofSri Sri Rdh-Krishna. Therefore the GoudiyaVaishnavs should relish the sweetness of boththese Holy places and relish the eternal pastimesin the form of loving devotees. As sdhaks weshould at first perform Yogpeeth-meditation(mantramayee worship) in Sridhm Nabadweep

and worship Sri Goursundar along with His associates in the mind. When Sriman-Mahprabhu is engrossed in Vraja-bhvalong with His confidantes, we too shouldenter the Yogpeeth sev in Manjari-swarup and perform mental worship of Sri SriRdh-Mdhv surrounded by the sakhis (mantramayee worship). This continuesinto meditating on the various pastimes throughout the day (ashta-ym) and wecall this the swrasiki-worship.

Whatever we meditate upon during sdhan, we shall get in siddha-swarup. (P.B.C.)

Following this rule the sdhak is blessed by serving in both the leels in theeternal abodes in siddha-swarup.

Here I shall get Sri Gourachandra and there Rdh-Krishna(Srila Narottam ds Thkur Mahshay)

This is the most confidential truth of Rgnug-practice by those GoudiyaVaishnavs who are humbly surrendered unto Sriman-Mahprabhu and the

preceptors appointed by Him such as Sri Rupa and Santan. In fact this is thepath of bhajan revealed by Sriman-Mahprabhu, and preached and practiced byHis confidential associates.

How the Goudiya

Vaishnavs shouldrelish the eternal

pastimes

raganuga bhakti - a comprehensive study

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