Divisions of Service to Krishna (Part IV)
Anuccheda 84 is important because it develops the idea of sthāyi bhāva, of which there are two kinds. The first are what some devotees call the "higher stages of prema" (prema, sneha, etc.) and represent degrees of intensity of love. The other are "the five devotional relationships." This division of topics replicates the structure of the Bhakti-rasāmr̥ta-sindhu, being roughly equivalent to chapters 2.5 and 3.2.
Here it must be remembered that the sthāyi-bhāva is rasa in potentia. Rasa is the bliss that comes from an activated sthāyi-bhāva. The other bhāvas (vibhāva, etc.) are the elements that activate it.
In this article we will look at sthāyi-bhāva section first. In a later article we will concentrate on the vibhāva section discussing viṣaya and āśraya, i.e., the master and the servant, and of these, mainly the latter. In fact, it might be said right away that all the other bhāvas are inherent in the sthāyi-bhāva, since that sthāyi is the seat of the archetypes [of self (āśraya) and Self (viṣaya)] whose manifestation transforms that basic feeling into rasa, the ecstatic melting of the heart.
In fact, the sthāyi-bhāva is prīti or bhakti. But as already intimated earlier, there is a bit of disambiguation needed with these terms. It is possible here that we find the rationale for Sri Jiva's opting for prīti as the name for the fifth goal of life (rather than prema) and this sandarbha. Up to this point in Prīti-sandarbha, of course, he has been establishing bhagavat-prīti as that goal. But now he has to account for the way that Rūpa Gosvāmī has used prīti as a specific term for dāsya-rasa. So this is the subject of the following section:
["Selfsame": prīti was defined earlier (Anu 61) as "dearness" (priyatā). It has two aspects: being pleased and wanting to please. This definition was meant to be inclusive and not restricted to love for Krishna, though it is applicable to Him also. It is repeated several times with slight changes in Prīti Sandarbha: viṣayānukūlyātmakas tad-ānukūlyānugata-tat-spṛhā-tad-anubhava-hetukollāsa-maya-jñāna-viśeṣaḥ priyatā | "Dearness or love is a particular state of consciousness that is filled with enthusiasm as a result of experiencing the object (person) along with the hope of attaining him, in keeping with a positive desire to please Him." This is shortened to tad-ānukūlyātmako jñāna-viśeṣaḥ "A particular state of consciousness characterized by favorability [toward someone]."
bhagavat-svabhāva-viśeṣāvirbhāva-hetuś ca yasya bhagavat-priya-viśeṣasya saṅgādinā labdhā prītis tasya prīter eva guṇa-viśeṣo boddhavyaḥ |
It is to be understood that the cause behind the manifestation of a specific nature of Bhagavān to be the particular qualities of prīti in that specific lover of Bhagavān through whose association one got the prīti [in the first place].
nitya-parikarāṇāṁ nityam eva tad dvayam |
The eternal associates eternally possess both of these [i.e., a particular form of Krishna, and an ego that is specifically related to that form].
tatrānugrāhyatābhimāna-mayī prītir bhakti-śabdena prasiddhā | ārādhyatvena jñānaṁ bhaktir iti hi tad-anugatam | yathaivoktaṁ māyā-vaibhave—
saiva khalu prītir bhagavat-svabhāva-viśeṣāvirbhāva-yogam upalabhya kañcid anugrāhyatvenābhimānayati, kañcid anukampitvena, kañcin mitratvena, kañcit priyātvena ca |
When that selfsame prīti gets the opportunity to manifest a specific nature of Bhagavān, it causes some devotees identify themselves as the object of Bhagavān’s mercy or favor (anugrāhya), others as gracious to Him (anukampitva), others as His friend (mitra), and finally some others as His beloved (priyā).
When that selfsame prīti gets the opportunity to manifest a specific nature of Bhagavān, it causes some devotees identify themselves as the object of Bhagavān’s mercy or favor (anugrāhya), others as gracious to Him (anukampitva), others as His friend (mitra), and finally some others as His beloved (priyā).
["Selfsame": prīti was defined earlier (Anu 61) as "dearness" (priyatā). It has two aspects: being pleased and wanting to please. This definition was meant to be inclusive and not restricted to love for Krishna, though it is applicable to Him also. It is repeated several times with slight changes in Prīti Sandarbha: viṣayānukūlyātmakas tad-ānukūlyānugata-tat-spṛhā-tad-anubhava-hetukollāsa-maya-jñāna-viśeṣaḥ priyatā | "Dearness or love is a particular state of consciousness that is filled with enthusiasm as a result of experiencing the object (person) along with the hope of attaining him, in keeping with a positive desire to please Him." This is shortened to tad-ānukūlyātmako jñāna-viśeṣaḥ "A particular state of consciousness characterized by favorability [toward someone]."
This same definition is reprised in Anuccheda 78: bhagavad-ānukūlyātmaka-tad-anugata-tat-spṛhādi-maya-jñāna-viśeṣākārā, "Prīti takes the form of a particular state of consciousness favorable to Bhagavān and the desire to attain and serve Him."
In this Anuccheda (84.3) ānukūlya in relation to śānta-rasa is expressed as the inclination to Him (tat-pravaṇatā) and expression in hymns and panegyrics, etc.
The term is of course also part of the general definition of uttamā bhakti in Bhakti-rasāmr̥ta-sindhu 1.1.11:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam |
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā ||
"The highest level of bhakti (uttamā bhaktiḥ) is the constant cultivation of Krishna [anu-śīlana n. constant practice or study (of a science, &c.), repeated and devoted service. (MMW).] with an attitude that is favorable (ānukūlyena), i.e., pleasing to Him. This culture should be void of other desirefulness (anyābhilāṣitā) and not covered or hindered by other practices like the culture of knowledge (jñāna), [i.e., the search for liberation, and not the search for understanding the object of devotion and the process for attaining Him, etc., since that is an integral part of devotion] or pious works and scriptural duties (karma)."
In his commentary here, Sri Jiva Goswami specifies that the word ānukūlyena is being used to modify anuśīlanam, precisely to clarify this important point about bhakti, that it has as its intent the pleasure of its object (ānukūlyaṁ cāsminn uddeśyāya śrī-kṛṣṇāya rocamānā pravṛttiḥ). It (ānukūlya) indicates that bhakti is included within the activity of seeking the object's pleasure, just as when one says "bring the armed soldier" the soldier's weapons are to be included, but not if one says, "Feed the armed soldier." Without the inner positive intent the external action of attempting to please someone would not be bhakti. It should therefore be understood that the word anuśīlanam had already brought the external actions under discussion, so the word ānukūlya should be used to specifically indicate the internal proclivity to want the pleasure of the object of love. For thereby the mutual exchange of pleasure becomes a self-enhancing loop that climbs to infinity. That mechanism can only function if one is concentrated exclusively on the object and not caught up in pursuing other strategies for self-enhancement. It therefore becomes an important subject for discussion when assessing the nature of the erotic sentiment and devotion later in this same anuccheda.
So now that selfsame prīti or uttamā bhakti takes different forms and that is what is up for discussion. Notice that here Sri Jiva has divided prīti into four categories, the first of these (anugrāhya) will be subdivided below into śānta and dāsya.
bhagavat-svabhāva-viśeṣāvirbhāva-hetuś ca yasya bhagavat-priya-viśeṣasya saṅgādinā labdhā prītis tasya prīter eva guṇa-viśeṣo boddhavyaḥ |
It is to be understood that the cause behind the manifestation of a specific nature of Bhagavān to be the particular qualities of prīti in that specific lover of Bhagavān through whose association one got the prīti [in the first place].
[Currently the question of the innateness of bhakti is a big point of debate in the Vaishnava world, even doctoral dissertations being written and books published about it. I was currently drawn into thinking on this issue by a paper written by Vrindaranya Dasi, a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Tripurari Maharaj. Her thesis is that bhakti is both innate and bestowed. There are too many statements about the reawakening of the innate qualities of the jiva as being the purpose of human life and effort to ignore or reduce to metaphorical interpretations. I will hopefully write something on the subject and post it here. But I am prompted to say this much because of the statements here. Bhakti is inherent in the way that a particular proclivity that can be cultivated. For it to become uttamā bhakti it must be qualified by the three characteristics in Rupa Goswami's verse. Bhakti is there, i.e., there is something akin to love in this world, and that love contains both the pleasure that one derives from another individual as well as the positive desire to please that person in some particular way. But there are all these specificities (viśeṣa) that are involved: that of the object of love, and the specific channel wherefrom that love was revealed. In other words, there is a specific devotee in whom a specific mood of love towards a specific form of God exists and when one approves that mood and is moved to emulate it, it is transplanted into one's heart. It is the specifics that are not innate.
So all this is to introduce the five relationships or sthāyi-bhāvas in a hierarchical manner, certain qualities being general to all, and others specific to a particular mood.]
The eternal associates eternally possess both of these [i.e., a particular form of Krishna, and an ego that is specifically related to that form].
These two things should be recognized as mamatā (possessiveness) and ego (abhimāna or ahantā).
snehānubandho yas tasmin bahu-māna-puraḥ-saraḥ |bhaktir ity ucyate saiva kāraṇaṁ parameśituḥ || iti |
The prīti of one who identifies as the object of Kṛṣṇa’s favor (anugraha) is popularly given the name bhakti. The bhakti in which there is consciousness that Bhagavān is worshipable follows from this, as stated in Māyā-vaibhava:
The binding relationship of affection (sneha) preceded by a feeling of great respect is called bhakti. This alone is the cause of [obtaining the grace of] the Supreme Controller.
kāraṇaṁ parameśituḥ. Pran Gopal Goswami takes it to mean "caused by the Supreme Controller."
sneho’tra prīti-mātram | evaṁ pādme—"mahitva-buddhir bhaktis tu sneha-pūrvābhidhīyate" iti | tathāpi bhakter bhagavati prīti-sāmā nya-paryāyatā munibhir bhaktyā prayujyate iti pūrvam uktam |
The word “affection” (sneha) in this verse can only mean prīti [i.e., general basic love for Bhagavān without any extra features]. Thus Padma Purāṇa says: "Consciousness of someone’s greatness coupled with affection (sneha) is called bhakti." Despite this, as was already stated earlier, bhakti has been used generally as a synonym of prīti towards Bhagavān; “Sages use the word bhakti for such prīti.”
kvacid viśeṣa-vācakā api sāmānye prayujyante, jīva-sāmānye nṛ-prabhṛti-śabdavat | kvacid bhakty-atiśaya-lakṣaṇa-premaṇy api bhakti-śabda-prayogo brāhmaṇa-goṣṭhīṣu brāhmaṇyātiśayavati ayaṁ brāhmaṇa itivat |
Sometimes words that have a special meaning are used in general sense, just as the word for human (nṛ), is sometimes used for a living being in general (jīva). Similarly the word bhakti is sometimes used for prema characterized by excessive bhakti, just as in an assembly of Brāhmaṇas, it will be said of a person who is especially endowed with the Brāhmaṇical virtues, "This is a [real] Brāhmaṇa."
yathoktaṁ pāñcarātre—
māhātmya-jñāna-pūrvas tu sudṛḍhaḥ sarvato’dhikaḥ |sneho bhaktir iti proktas tayā sārṣṭy-ādi nānyathā || iti |
In the Pāñcarātra it is said:
Deep, unparalleled affection (sneha) [for Bhagavān] that is accompanied with a knowledge of His greatness is called bhakti. Sārṣṭi-mukti is attained through such bhakti and not otherwise.
Sri Jiva Goswami is simply preparing the ground for his own specialized use of the words bhakti and prīti.
mano-gati-mamatādīnāṁ tu tat-sambandhenaiva kvacid bhakti-śabda-vācyatoktā | tad-anugrāhyatābhimāna-mayī prītir eva bhakti-śabdasya mukhyo’rthaḥ |
Words like manogati (“movements of mind”), mamatā (“myness”) and so on are sometimes used to describe bhakti only if they are related to Bhagavān. The prime meaning of the word bhakti is that prīti in which the devotee identifies himself as the object or recipient of Bhagavān’s grace (anugrāhya-abhimāna).
Words like manogati (“movements of mind”), mamatā (“myness”) and so on are sometimes used to describe bhakti only if they are related to Bhagavān. The prime meaning of the word bhakti is that prīti in which the devotee identifies himself as the object or recipient of Bhagavān’s grace (anugrāhya-abhimāna).
So bhakti is a specific term to cover the anugrāhya.
Devotees having the self-identity of an anugrāhya are of two types. This is so because grace (anugraha) is of two types: nourishment (poṣaṇa) and compassion (anukampā). “Nourishment” here means Bhagavān’s giving joy, either through His essential being (svarūpa) or His attributes (guṇa).
anukampā ca pūrṇe’pi svasmin nija-sevādy-abhilāṣaṁ sampādya sevakādiṣu sevādi-saubhāgya-sampādikā bhagavataś cittārdratāmayī tad-upakārecchā |
Though Bhagavān in Himself is perfect and complete, He nevertheless creates a desire in the heart of His servants to render Him service, and furthermore gives them the fortune [i.e., occasion] to do so. His desire to benefit His devotees, which melts His heart is called compassion (anukampā).
teṣu dvividheṣu keṣucid bhagavati nirmamāḥ keṣucit samamāś ca | tatra bhagavati paramātma-para-brahma-bhāvenānandanīyābhimānino nirmamā jñāni-bhaktāḥ śrī-sanakādayaḥ | teṣāṁ tad-abhimānitve’pi tatra nirmamatvam—
Among devotees of these two types, some have no feeling of my-ness towards Bhagavān (nirmama), and others do (sa-mama). The former are the jñānī bhaktas such as Śrī Sanaka who have no feeling of possessiveness towards Him, but identify themselves as being made joyful by Him in His forms as Paramātmā or Brahman. This lack of possessive feeling is exemplified by Śaṅkarācārya in the following verse:
saty api bhedāpagame nātha tavāhaṁ na māmakīnas tvam |sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥ kvacana samudro na tāraṅgaḥ || itivat |O Lord! Even after all distinctions between You and me have been removed, I still belong to You, and not that You are mine. Waves belong to the ocean and never that the ocean belongs to the waves. (Ṣaṭpadī)
This verse was discussed in "Love and Language."
tatra candra-darśanavan mamatāṁ vināpi teṣāṁ bhagavad-darśanaṁ prītidaṁ syāt | ānukūlyaṁ cātra tat-pravaṇatva-tat-stuty-ādinā jñeyam | eṣāṁ prītiś ca jñāna-bhakty-ākhyā | jñānatvaṁ brahma-ghanatvenaivānubhavāt | eṣaiva śānty-ākhyayocyate, śama-pradhānatvāt | “śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ” [bhā.pu. 11.19.36] iti bhagavad-vākyam |
~
Just as seeing the moon makes a person feel happy even without any feeling of possessiveness, so do these devotees feel satisfied just by seeing Bhagavān. Their favorability towards Bhagavān is demonstrated by their inclination to Him and the offerings of panegyric. Their prīti is called jñāna-bhakti; their jñāna is realization of Bhagavān as condensed Brahman. It is also called by the name śānti (“the peaceful mood”) because it is predominated by śama, which is defined by Kṛṣṇa as "fixity of the intelligence in Me" (śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ, SB 11.9.36).
Sri Jiva Goswami is simply preparing the ground for his own specialized use of the Śama is often used as the name of the sthāyi-bhāva for śānta-rasa, as in BRS. Elsewhere as in Nāṭya-śāstra, nirveda is the preferred term. Jiva here gives the reason for the devotee's preference.].
After explaining the qualities that give different type of saṁskāra in the heart of a devotee, now Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī explains the five types of identities of devotees caused by the qualities of prīti. These five types of prīti are called bhakti, prīti (āśraya, dāsya, praśraya), vātsalya, maitrī, and kānta-bhāva. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī calls them śuddhā, prīti, sakhyam, vātsalya, and priyatā. In contrast with Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s enumeration, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī lists vātsalya before maitrī, indicating his view that it is superior, as these lists are given in ascending order.
Their rati or bhāva, described earlier as the first of the eight levels of prīti, takes these five names and gives a specific identity to a devotee in relation to Kṛṣṇa. This is an eternal identity of an eternal devotee, and Bhagavān also manifests a specific nature towards that devotee eternally. Rati means a specific relation with Bhagavān. According to the type of relation, a devotee has a specific ego towards Kṛṣṇa, such as that of a servant, friend, parent or lover. Because a relation binds both the devotee and Bhagavān reciprocally, therefore Bhagavān also has a corresponding relation and ego towards that particular devotee such as master, friend, child or lover. This specific type of prīti or rati is attained by the association of a devotee who has such a loving mood.
First the specific nature of Bhagavān as master, friend and so on manifests in the devotee. That means the devotee begins to feel that Bhagavān is his master, friend and so on. With that he also gets his or her corresponding ego as servant or friend, etc., of Bhagavān. Once the relation is established then there are dealings of love between the devotee and Bhagavān commensurate with that particular relation. This gives immense bliss to both of them. Happiness comes by functioning according to one’s relation.
To think that this rati lies in each jīva in a dormant state and becomes revived by devotional practice is a misconception. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī states very clearly that the specific type of prīti or rati comes only by the association and grace of a specific devotee, bhagavat-priya-viśeṣasya saṅgādinā labdhā.
Another common misconception is that a guru or devotee can give any of the five types of rati. In reality, the devotee can only give the type of rati he or she has. To convey this, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī uses the word bhagavat-priya-viśeṣasya. It signifies the devotee having a specific type of rati.
In the case of the eternal associates of Bhagavān the rati is eternal. It does not come by any association. Thus Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī says that the nature of Bhagavān and the corresponding ego are eternally existent in the nitya devotees – nitya-parikarāṇāṁ nityameva tad-dvayam.
The seven modifications of rati described earlier manifest from these five types of prītis or ratis. But it is not that all of them manifest in all five. The higher stages of rati such as anurāga and mahā-bhāva are manifest only in madhura-rasa, and not in the other types of rati.
The first type of rati or prīti in which a devotee feels as the recipient of Bhagavān’s mercy is called bhakti. Bhakti is a general word for all types of bhakti, but Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī also uses this word in a specific sense. Sometime a common word can also be used in a specific sense. The basic characteristic of bhakti is the awareness of the majesty of Bhagavān, and thus it contains the mood of awe and reverence towards Him. Bhagavān is worshipable and the devotee is the object of His grace (anugraha).
This grace is of two types nourishment (poṣaṇa) and blessing (anukampā). Accordingly the devotees are also of two types. In the first, the devotee feels satisfied simply by seeing Bhagavān and knowing His qualities.
In the case of the eternal associates of Bhagavān the rati is eternal. It does not come by any association. Thus Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī says that the nature of Bhagavān and the corresponding ego are eternally existent in the nitya devotees – nitya-parikarāṇāṁ nityameva tad-dvayam.
The seven modifications of rati described earlier manifest from these five types of prītis or ratis. But it is not that all of them manifest in all five. The higher stages of rati such as anurāga and mahā-bhāva are manifest only in madhura-rasa, and not in the other types of rati.
The first type of rati or prīti in which a devotee feels as the recipient of Bhagavān’s mercy is called bhakti. Bhakti is a general word for all types of bhakti, but Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī also uses this word in a specific sense. Sometime a common word can also be used in a specific sense. The basic characteristic of bhakti is the awareness of the majesty of Bhagavān, and thus it contains the mood of awe and reverence towards Him. Bhagavān is worshipable and the devotee is the object of His grace (anugraha).
This grace is of two types nourishment (poṣaṇa) and blessing (anukampā). Accordingly the devotees are also of two types. In the first, the devotee feels satisfied simply by seeing Bhagavān and knowing His qualities.
In the second, the devotee feels blessed by rendering service to Bhagavān, who blesses him by giving the opportunity to do service. There is a relation of servant and master between the devotee and Bhagavān.
The devotees who have the prīti called bhakti are divided into two further categories. The first are those who do not have any attachment for the person of Bhagavān. They are called jñānī bhaktas or śānta bhaktas. Their basic quality is that they have unflinching fixity in Bhagavān. They cannot be deviated from devotion. They are highly reclusive and prefer to meditate on Bhagavān. They believe that Bhagavān is the personification of Brahman, the qualityless aspect of Bhagavān. These are the devotees who have the anugraha called poṣaṇam. They do not possess the sense of mamatā for Bhagavān.
One may doubt that if they do not have sense of mamatā, then how can they feel happy or nourished by seeing Bhagavān? Generally, it is seen that we derive pleasure from objects and persons towards whom we have a sense of ownership or a sense of belongingness. To dispel such a doubt, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī gives the example of the moon. We do not have any mamatā towards the moon or any other beautiful scenery in nature, yet we derive pleasure just by looking at it. The four Kumaras are an example of this type of bhakti.
We will continue with the next part of this anuccheda in the next instalment of this series.
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