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CHAPTER 2
Second Shower of Nectar
In this work one will not find a full dissertation on dualism and
monism but, for those who expect it, they may find it in another work called
Aishvarya Kadambini.
Pure bhakti, unmixed with karma and jnana, is like a
wish-fulfilling creeper appearing in the field of the senses. This bhakti is
the refuge of those devotees who firmly vow (dhrita vrata) never to seek any
fruits except bhakti, like bees (madhu vrata) who are obsessed with the desire
to taste only nectar. The very life of this creeper is a favorable attitude for
service for the pleasure of the Lord. Like a touchstone, the very presence of
bhakti makes the heart and senses gradually lose their iron-like material
qualities and acquire pure golden spiritual qualities. As a sprouting creeper
grows upwards and unfurls two leaves, in the process of sadhana bhakti, two
qualities make their appearance. The first is called kleshaghni (relief from
material distress) and the second is called shubhada (beginning of all
auspiciousness).
The smooth upper [Shripad Chakravarti uses the words inside and
outside. Newly sprouted leaves pointing upwards, their upper surfaces are
facing each other and thus, inside, etc.] surface of the two leaves, is the
jurisdiction of the king called raga (raga-bhakti). It is in a superior
position due to spontaneous greed for everything pertaining to the Lord, and by
genuine affection for the Lord in a particular relationship, yevam aham priya
atma sutas ca..., I am their own dear son... (SB 3.25.38). The lower surface of
the leaves is the domain of another king called vaidha (vaidhi-bhakti), being
in a comparatively lower position. This is because its character has a tinge of
roughness being generated from obedience to scriptural rules, and spontaneous
deep affection for the Lord is lacking due to absence of an intimate
relationship with Him, tasmad bharata sarvatma, O Parikshit, thus as the
Supersoul, I should be worshipped (SB 2.1.5). However, both raga and
vaidhi-bhakti equally manifest the symptoms of kleshaghni (relief from material
distress) and shubhada (beginning of all auspiciousness).
As both raga-bhakti and vaidhi-bhakti destroy klesha, its five
types will now be described. The literal meaning is suffering or affliction,
but here, the meaning may be taken as the causes of suffering. These kleshas
are the cause of sinful and pious activities which result in material
misfortune or good fortune. vidya: ignorance; to mistake that which is
impermanent to be permanent; that which is full of misery to be blissful; that
which is impure to be pure; and what is not the self to be the self.
Asmita: false ego; the bodily identification of I and mine; and to
accept only direct sense perception as real.
Raga: attachment; the desire for material happiness and those
means which will give it.
Dvesa: hatred; the repulsion to unhappiness or the causes of
unhappiness.
Abhinivesa: absorption in the body as the basis for sense
gratification and fear of death.
The stages in the development of sinprarabdha (fructified),
aprarabdh a (unfructified), rudha (pre-seed) and bija (seed)are also included
in klesha.
As both types of bhakti eradicate klesha similarly, they bestow
shubha or auspiciousness. Shubha or auspiciousness consists of such qualities
as disinterest in material affairs, interest in the Supreme Lord, favorable
attitude towards the service of the Lord, mercy, forgiveness, truthfulness,
simplicity, equanimity, fortitude, gravity, respectfulness, humility, and being
pleasing to all [durvishaya-vaitrishna, bhagavad-vishaya-satrishna, anukulya,
kripa, kshama, satya, saralya, samya, dhairya, gambhirya, mandatva, amanitva,
sarva-subhagatva].
That bhakti bestows these qualities is proven by such verses as
the following:
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
manorathenasati dhavato bahih
All the demigods and all
their exalted qualities manifest in the person of one who has developed
unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However for one who
is not a devotee and thus driven by the temporary material desires of his mind,
how can there be any good qualities in him? (SB 5.18.12)
bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir
anyatra caiva trika eka
kalah
Devotion, taste for the Lord, and detachment from all else appear
simultaneously. (SB 11.2.42)
By this, one should understand that the two symptoms (i.e.,
destruction of suffering and appearance of all good qualities) occur
simultaneously. However, as there is some difference in the rate of unfurling
of two leaves, there is a distinction in the pace of the disappearance of the
undesirable qualities (ashubha) and the appearance of the auspicious qualities
(shubha). The progress of bhakti will be distinguished in this way. Though this
is very subtle and difficult to note, the intelligent men have ascertained this
through scrutiny of the various effects.
First, the prospective devotee develops shraddha or faith.
Shraddha means to have firm trust in the import of the scriptures dealing with
bhakti. It also means to have a genuine desire to enthusiastically undertake
the activities (sadhana) described in those scriptures. These two types of
faith may be either natural (svabhaviki) or being convinced by the preaching of
another (balutpadita).
However it develops, faith leads him to take shelter of the lotus
feet of the guru, and enquire from him about proper conduct (sadachara). By
following his instructions, that person obtains the good fortune of relations
with affectionate like-minded devotees and the association of realized devotees
(sadhu-sanga).
Next comes bhajana kriya, he begins to practice different types of
devotional activities. This also is of two varieties: unsteady (anishthita) and
steady (nishthita). Unsteady performance of devotional activities is of six
types (in sequential order): false confidence (utsaha mayi), sporadic endeavor
(ghana-tarala), indecision (vyudha vikalpa), struggle with the senses (vishaya
sangara), inability to uphold vows (niyamakshama), and enjoying the facilities
offered by bhakti (taranga rangini).
Utsaha mayi: A brahmana child, having just begun study of the
scriptures, thinks he has immediately become a learned scholar worthy of
everyone's praise. Similarly, a person just beginning devotional service may
develop the audacity to think that he has mastered everything. He is called
utsaha mayi, or filled (puffed-up) with enthusiasm.
Ghana-tarala: The same child sometimes becomes diligently engaged
in his studies and yet, at other times, because of inability to understand the
scriptures and lack of real taste, becomes negligent. In the same way, a new devotee
will sometimes practice the different activities of devotional service and
sometimes neglect them. Being sometimes assiduous and at other times negligent,
his endeavor is called ghana-tarala (condensed-dilute, thick-thin).
Vyudha vikalpa: “Shall I just spend my life happily in family
life, making my wife and children Krishna conscious and worshipping the Lord?
Or should I give them all up and go to Vrindavana and perfect myself by
engaging full time in hearing and chanting with no distractions? Shall I wait
until the last stage, after enjoying all sorts of pleasures, when I have
finally understood that the whole material world is simply a forest fire of
affliction? Or should I renounce right now? Consider these verses:
tam akvetamano mrtyum
trnaih kupam ivavrtam
Association with woman is the way to death, like a blind well
covered by grass. (SB 3.31.40)
yo dustyjan dara-sutan
suhrd rajyam hrdi-sprsah
jahau yuvaiva malavad
uttamasloka-lalasah
Those attachments that are very difficult to give up, beautiful
wife, obedient sons, devoted friends, and vast empire, everything the heart
desires, Maharaja Bharata them up even in his youth just as stool due to his
attraction for the Lord. (SB 5.14.43)
Should I thus give up unreliable family life while still young? On
the other hand, it is not proper to renounce immediately. Shouldn't I wait
until the death of my old parents before renouncing?
aho me pitarau vrddhau
bharya balatmajatmajah
anatha mam rte danah
katham javanti duhkhitah
Alas! My parents are old and my wife is with a mere infant in her
arms and other young children. Without me they will have no protection and will
suffer unbearably. How will they live without me? (SB 11.17.57)
Moreover, the scripture says:
evam grhasayakvipta-hrdayo
muhha-dhar ayama trptas
tan anudhyayan mrto
'ndham visate tamah
If one gives up family life in an un-surfeited state, he will
think of family life even after renouncing. If such a fool should die in that
condition, he will go the darkest region of hell. (SB 11.17.58)
By such statements, the Lord depreciates such renunciation.
Therefore, for the time being, I will just work to keep my body alive. Later,
after satisfying all my desires, I will enter Vrindavana and engage in worship
of the Lord twenty-four hours a day. After all, the scriptures points out:
na jnanam na ca vairagyam
prayah sreyo bhavediha
Jnana and vairagya are not generally beneficial for practicing
devotional service. (SB 11.20.31)
According to this text, renunciation is a fault for the culture of
bhakti. If it arises from bhakti itself, however, that renunciation is not a
fault but an effect (anubhava) of bhakti and subordinate to it. Of course, then
there is the famous logic:
yad yad asramam agat
sa bhiksukas tat tad
anna paripurnam aiksat
In whatever ashram the sannyasi stayed, they always gave him more
than enough to eat.
In the life of renunciation there is no worry for maintenance, so
maybe I should renounce. But on the other hand:
tavad ragadayah stenas
tavat kara-grham grham
tavan mono 'nghri-nigaho
yavat krvna na te jamah
My dear Lord Krishna, until people become Your devotee, their
material attachments remain thieves, their homes prisons, and their
affectionate feeling for their family foot shackles. (SB 10.14.36)
Household life is a prison only for those who are attached, for a
devotee, there is no harm in household life. Thus shall I remain at home and
engage in chanting or rather in hearing, or shall I engage in service? Rather,
as Ambarisha Maharaja remained in household life and performed all the angas of
bhakti, I shall do likewise.”
In this way, the mind spends time vacillating between household
life and renunciation. When one imagines in this way all types of options, it
is called vyudha vikalpa, or extensive speculation.
Vishaya sangara:
vivayavivta cittanam
vivnvavesah suduratah
varuna dig gatam vastu
vrajannaindram kim apnuyat
One whose heart is absorbed in materialism is far from obtaining
devotion to Vishnu. Can a man by going east obtain something which is in the
west?
Understanding that material enjoyment is forcibly carrying him
away and impairing his steadiness in serving Krishna, the devotee resolves to
renounce his addictions and take shelter of the Holy Name. But many times, his
attempts at renunciation often end in enjoying what he is trying to renounce.
Such a person is exemplified in the Bhagavatam:
parityago 'py anasvarah... juvamanas ca tan kaman...
Knowing that sense gratification leads to misery, though he tries
to give up his material desires, still he is unable. (SB 11.20.27-28)
This on-going battle with his previously acquired desires for
sense pleasure, in which he sometimes meets with victory and sometimes with
defeat is called vishaya sangara or struggle with sense pleasure.
Niyamakshama: Then the devotee will resolve, “From today I will
chant such and such number of rounds of japa and will pay so many obeisances. I
will also perform services for the devotees. I will not talk on any subject
except the Lord and I will give up all association with people who talk on
material matters.” Though he makes such resolutions every day, he is not always
able to execute them. This is called niyamakshama or inability to follow rules.
Vishaya sangara is the inability to give up material enjoyment, whereas,
niyamakshama is the inability to improve his devotional service.
Taranga rangini: Finally, it is well-known that the very nature of
bhakti is to be attractive, so all types of people become attracted to the
devotee, the abode of bhakti. And, as the old adage goes, “By the attraction of
the populace one becomes wealthy.” Bhakti produces much opportunity for
material gain, worship and position (labha, puja, pratishtha). These are weeds
around the creeper of bhakti. Performing activities, or seeking one's pleasure
(ranga) amidst these weed-like facilities, which are but small waves (taranga)
in the ocean of bhakti, is called taranga rangini, delighting in material
facilities.
Thus ends the Second Shower of Nectar of Madhurya Kadambini by
Mahamahopadhyaya Shrimat Vishvanath Chakravarti describing the development of
bhakti as shraddha, sadhu-sanga, and bhajana kriya, as well as, the divisions
of bhajana kriya.