Divisions of Service to Krishna (Part V)
This section is a bit shorter than the previous day's offering. Here we get the specifics of dāsya according to Prīti Sandarbha 84.
Although the other sthāyi-bhāvas are described in the remaining portion of that anuccheda, in particular a long section about kānta-bhāva. The next instalment will cover Anuccheda 203ff. And then we will try to summarize.
The word rati is here being used to mean sthāyi-bhāva.
84.4 Other Kinds of Rati: Service
athānukampyāḥ sa-mamā bhaktāḥ | eṣāṁ hi asmākaṁ prabhur ayam iti bhāvena mamatodbhūtā | etad abhipretyaivānanya-mamatety ādi-vaktṛtvaṁ kevala-bhaktānāṁ śrī-bhīṣmoddhava-prahlāda-nāradādīnām evoktaṁ na tu sanakādīnām api | ato mamatodbhavād evānukampyās tad-abhimāninaś ca te |
Now the devotees who identify as objects of Bhagavān’s compassion (anukampya) and who have mamatā for Him are described. Their mamatā is manifest in the thought, "This is our Bhagavān." The purpose of saying that the speakers of the verse ananya-mamatā [from Pañcarātra, cited above in this Anuccheda, 84.1] were said to be exclusive devotees such as Bhīṣma, Uddhava, Prahlāda, Nārada and so on, but not Sanaka, etc. Therefore, it is only because of the manifestation of mamatā that they are objects of grace (anukampya) and have the relevant ego also.
The full verse is quoted in Bhakti-rasāmr̥ta-sindhu at the beginning of the chapter describing prema-bhakti (1.4):
ananya-mamatā viṣṇau mamatā prema-saṅgatā |
bhaktir ity ucyate bhīṣma-prahlādoddhava-nāradaiḥ ||
premocyate bhīṣma-mukhyair yatra tu saṅgatā |
mamatānya-mamatvena varjitety atra yojanā ||
Exclusive sense of relationship or ownership for Viṣṇu, a sense of relationship that is combined with love, is called bhakti by Bhishma, Prahlad, Uddhava and Narada.
[Sri Rupa continues with his own anvaya of this verse.] The way to construe this verse is as follows: Bhakti is called prema by Bhishma and others when it is accompanied by a sense of relationship that is devoid of such a sense of proprietorship towards anyone else. (BRS 1.4.2-3)
anukampyatvaṁ trividhaṁ—pālyatvaṁ bhṛtyatvaṁ lālyatvaṁ ca | tat-traividhyena kramāt te śrī-bhagavati pālaka iti bhāvā dvārakā-prajādayaḥ, sevya iti bhāvāḥ śrī-dārukādi-sevakāḥ, gurur iti bhāvāḥ śrī-pradyumna-gada-prabhṛti-putrānujādaya iti | eṣāṁ trividhānām api prītir bhaktir eva | pūrvāpekṣayā caiṣāṁ prīter ānukūlyātmatādhikyād āvṛta-jñānāṁśatvenāsyām eva śrī-rasāmṛta-sindhau prītir ity evākhyā kṛtā |
These devotees fit into three categories: those who are to be maintained (pālya), the servants (bhṛtya) and the cherished, those to be cared for (lālya). These three are exemplified by the residents of Dvārakā who consider Bhagavān as their protector, the servants such as Daruka who consider Bhagavān as the master, and finally Kṛṣṇa’s sons like Pradyumna and and younger brothers like Gada, who consider Bhagavān their revered elder, respectively. The prīti of all these three is called bhakti. Because the prīti of these devotees has a comparatively greater sense of acting favorably toward Bhagavān and because the element of awareness [of His divine power] has been covered, it has been given the name prīti in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu [rather than bhakti as here].
sā ca bhaktiḥ krameṇa pālyānām āśrayātmikā, bhṛtyānāṁ dāsyātmikā, lālyānāṁ praśrayātmikā jñeyā | yā tu mahad-buddhyā cittādara-lakṣaṇa-bhaktir namaskārādi-kārya-vyaṅgyā sā khalu prītir na bhavatīti nātra gaṇyate | tat-tad-bhāvaṁ vinaiva kevalādara-mayī prītiś ced bhakti-sāmānyatvena jñeyā |
That bhakti in the pālyas is defined by taking refuge (āśrayātmikā), in servants by service (dāsyātmikā), and in lālyas by humble respect (praśrayātmikā). The bhakti that is characterized by heartfelt respect for the greatness of Bhagavān, and is expressed in acts such as paying obeisance, is not prīti and thus not counted here. Prīti consisting of mere respect devoid of any of the abovementioned specific moods of love is to be understood as bhakti in general.
atha “putro’yam” ity-ādi-bhāvenānukampitvābhimāna-mayī prītir vātsalyam | vatsaṁ vakṣo lātīti niruktir hi tatraiva jhaṭiti pratītiṁ gamayati | prīti-mātre tu tad-upalakṣaṇatvenaiva prayogaḥ | laukika-rasajñāś ca kecid atraiva vatsalākhyaṁ rasaṁ manyante | tathodāhṛtaṁ śrī-devahūtyāḥ putra-viyoge vatse gaur iva vatsalā [bhā.pu. 3.33.21] iti | tasmād vātsalyaṁ śrī-vrajeśvarādīṇām |
Prīti in which one has the ego of showing compassion (anukampitva) accompanied by the feeling "This is my son," is called vātsalya. One can easily understand the intent of the term vātsalya from its etymology, "to breastfeed the baby." However, the word vātsalya takes on an extended, generalized meaning for prīti [i.e., applicable to others who are affectionate towards their wards]. Some knowers of mundane rasa theory here also accept vātsalya-rasa. So also the term is cited in Devahūti’s separation from her son: "She grieved even as an affectionate cow grieves at the loss of her calf" (SB 3.33.21). Therefore, vātsalya is found in Nanda and others.
Commentary by Satyanārāyaṇa Dāsa Babaji Maharaj
The second type of devotees who have the prīti called bhakti are those who have attachment to the person of Bhagavān. They are the devotees who have the anugraha called anukampā. They consider Bhagavān as their master and protector. Mamatā for Bhagavān is their main characteristic. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī calls this prīti by the name prīti, while Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls it bhakti. In other words the rati that Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls bhakti with two divisions of nirmama and samama, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī calls them śānta and prīti ratis respectively. Bhīṣma, Uddhava, Prahlāda, Nārada and such others are example of devotees possessing this type of rati called sa-mama-bhakti (and prīti by Rūpa Gosvāmī).
This has three further divisions. Those who consider Bhagavān as their protector are called pālya, Bhagavān is their pālaka, and their rati is āśrayātmikā. The examples of this are the residents of Dvārakā. Those who consider Bhagavān as their worshipable master are called bhṛtya, Bhagavān is their sevya, and their rati is called dāsyātmikā. Examples of this are Kṛṣṇa's servants like Dāruka. Those who consider Kṛṣṇa as their father or senior relative are called lālya; Bhagavān is their guru , and their rati is called praśrayātmikā. Examples of this are the sons and younger family members of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā. This mood is not applicable in Vṛndāvana.
These devotees fit into three categories: those who are to be maintained (pālya), the servants (bhṛtya) and the cherished, those to be cared for (lālya). These three are exemplified by the residents of Dvārakā who consider Bhagavān as their protector, the servants such as Daruka who consider Bhagavān as the master, and finally Kṛṣṇa’s sons like Pradyumna and and younger brothers like Gada, who consider Bhagavān their revered elder, respectively. The prīti of all these three is called bhakti. Because the prīti of these devotees has a comparatively greater sense of acting favorably toward Bhagavān and because the element of awareness [of His divine power] has been covered, it has been given the name prīti in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu [rather than bhakti as here].
sā ca bhaktiḥ krameṇa pālyānām āśrayātmikā, bhṛtyānāṁ dāsyātmikā, lālyānāṁ praśrayātmikā jñeyā | yā tu mahad-buddhyā cittādara-lakṣaṇa-bhaktir namaskārādi-kārya-vyaṅgyā sā khalu prītir na bhavatīti nātra gaṇyate | tat-tad-bhāvaṁ vinaiva kevalādara-mayī prītiś ced bhakti-sāmānyatvena jñeyā |
That bhakti in the pālyas is defined by taking refuge (āśrayātmikā), in servants by service (dāsyātmikā), and in lālyas by humble respect (praśrayātmikā). The bhakti that is characterized by heartfelt respect for the greatness of Bhagavān, and is expressed in acts such as paying obeisance, is not prīti and thus not counted here. Prīti consisting of mere respect devoid of any of the abovementioned specific moods of love is to be understood as bhakti in general.
atha “putro’yam” ity-ādi-bhāvenānukampitvābhimāna-mayī prītir vātsalyam | vatsaṁ vakṣo lātīti niruktir hi tatraiva jhaṭiti pratītiṁ gamayati | prīti-mātre tu tad-upalakṣaṇatvenaiva prayogaḥ | laukika-rasajñāś ca kecid atraiva vatsalākhyaṁ rasaṁ manyante | tathodāhṛtaṁ śrī-devahūtyāḥ putra-viyoge vatse gaur iva vatsalā [bhā.pu. 3.33.21] iti | tasmād vātsalyaṁ śrī-vrajeśvarādīṇām |
Prīti in which one has the ego of showing compassion (anukampitva) accompanied by the feeling "This is my son," is called vātsalya. One can easily understand the intent of the term vātsalya from its etymology, "to breastfeed the baby." However, the word vātsalya takes on an extended, generalized meaning for prīti [i.e., applicable to others who are affectionate towards their wards]. Some knowers of mundane rasa theory here also accept vātsalya-rasa. So also the term is cited in Devahūti’s separation from her son: "She grieved even as an affectionate cow grieves at the loss of her calf" (SB 3.33.21). Therefore, vātsalya is found in Nanda and others.
Commentary by Satyanārāyaṇa Dāsa Babaji Maharaj
The second type of devotees who have the prīti called bhakti are those who have attachment to the person of Bhagavān. They are the devotees who have the anugraha called anukampā. They consider Bhagavān as their master and protector. Mamatā for Bhagavān is their main characteristic. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī calls this prīti by the name prīti, while Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls it bhakti. In other words the rati that Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls bhakti with two divisions of nirmama and samama, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī calls them śānta and prīti ratis respectively. Bhīṣma, Uddhava, Prahlāda, Nārada and such others are example of devotees possessing this type of rati called sa-mama-bhakti (and prīti by Rūpa Gosvāmī).
This has three further divisions. Those who consider Bhagavān as their protector are called pālya, Bhagavān is their pālaka, and their rati is āśrayātmikā. The examples of this are the residents of Dvārakā. Those who consider Bhagavān as their worshipable master are called bhṛtya, Bhagavān is their sevya, and their rati is called dāsyātmikā. Examples of this are Kṛṣṇa's servants like Dāruka. Those who consider Kṛṣṇa as their father or senior relative are called lālya; Bhagavān is their guru , and their rati is called praśrayātmikā. Examples of this are the sons and younger family members of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā. This mood is not applicable in Vṛndāvana.
Comments
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति |
yo māṃ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṃ ca mayi paśyati |
[He] who [always] sees me everywhere and sees me in everything [at all times].
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ||
tasyāhaṃ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati ||
To him [in this state of being] I am not lost, and he is not lost from me.
Bhagavadgītā 6.30