Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 10, 2000, pm
Today in morning class Aranya Maharaja has told about pure bhakti, uttama-bhakti. Also Madhava Maharaja has explained so much about bhakti. So if you will engage all your senses, all senses, all organs, all moods, for the benefit of Krishna, continuously, without any break, having no worldly desires, not covered with jnana or karma, fruitive karma, oh, this will be uttama-bhakti. But this is out of the range of the material energy. But when we practice from these senses, when we meditate by this worldly mind, when we hear from these material ears, it is also told 'bhakti', but sadhana-bhakti. This sadhana-bhakti is of two kinds. Sadhana-bhakti is of two kinds, have you told?
[Prema-prayojana das:] Yes.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] One is regulative bhakti, and other is raganuga-bhakti, spontaneous love.
[Devotee:] Vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] But you should know this, that when we are practicing by these worldly senses, material senses, oh, it is really not sadhana. But it has been taken in the list of sadhana. You should also know that what we are doing, and our sadhana, does not mean that object, to have the mood of bhava. Then it is not sadhana. But you should realize, understand yourself.
[Kunja Bihari Prabhu tries to clarify before translating into Portuguese.]
[Kunja Bihari dasa:] That if the mood is not to achieve bhava.
[Aranya Maharaja quietly to Kunja Bihari Prabhu who is translating into Portuguese.]
[Prema-prayojana das:] If one is practicing bhakti by their senses, but their aim is not to achieve bhava-bhakti, then their practicing can never be called sadhana..
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] You understand?
[Kunja Bihari dasa:] Yes.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Repeat.
[Kunja Bihari Prabhu translates.]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Now it is okay?
[Devotee:] Okay.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Understand what I told? What? You should tell.
[Devotee:] It would not be considered sadhana.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] If you are chanting, remembering, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, you are worshiping but if your object is not to attain bhava, then it is not really sadhana. This is the most important thing. It can be told as semblance of sadhana, but it is not really sadhana. This is most important. We should know it. So if you have no object of your sadhana, then you will not attain bhava, rati. Another name of bhava is rati. Then really [what you are doing] it is not sadhana. Then what we are doing? Whole life doing some semblance, so never bhava will come, and that is going on everywhere. How will we make it our object that we want to attain rati or bhava? First of all you should know what is rati or bhava, then we can have that object. I have tasted rasagula. You know Indian rasagula? If you don't know, and you have never heard the name of rasagula and not tasted them, then rasagula cannot be our object. So first we should know rasagula, very sweet, tasteful, made by…
[Madhava Maharaja:] Cheese.
[Devotee:] Panira.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Everywhere rasa is saturated there. If you will see, at once...
[Madhava Maharaja:] Saliva will come down from your mouth.
[Devotees laugh.]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] In the same way. So we should know what is our mood, that is rati or bhava. This can be told rati or bhava, a semblance, first appearance of prema, love and affection. Like in the morning sun is not there, but east direction is somewhat reddish, then you should think that, you can understand that sun is about to come. So it can be told the semblance of sun. So this rati is a semblance that the first stage of prema is coming. We should understand. But really what is that rati? suddha-sattva-visesatma prema-suryamsu-samya-bhak rucibhis citta-masrnya- krd asau bhava ucyate (Cc Madhya 23.5)
["When devotional service is executed on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a sun-ray of love for Krishna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and one is then situated in bhava [emotion]." (BBT)] Oh you should explain it.
[Some discussion because one of the microphones was not working]
[Aranya Maharaja starts mangalarcarana.]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Don't take so much time.
[Devotees laugh].
They have no time 'vande ham'
[Srila Narayana Maharaja speaks this very slowly and drawn out, devotees laugh.]
[Prema-prayojana das:] Srila Gurudeva has asked me to explain what is bhava. If we want to understand anything very, very clearly about bhakti, then we will have to surrender ourselves at the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Gosvamipada. He has written Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. This is called paribhasa sastra. This is a scripture in which all definitions have been given very clearly. So in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu he has explained what is bhava-bhakti: suddha-sattva-visesatma prema-suryamsu-samya-bhak rucibhis citta-masrnya-krd asau bhava ucyate Here he is saying that bhava-bhakti is not a material phenomenon.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja addressing the translator.]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] One sentence they should speak and then translate, not word-by-word.
[Prema-prayojana das:] Bhava-bhakti is not a material phenomenon. What is bhava-bhakti? It is composed entirely of samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti. Samvit-sakti means the cognitive potency or the knowledge potency of the Supreme Lord. And hladini-sakti refers to His pleasure potency. When the essence of these two potencies are combined it is called bhakti-sakti. This potency of bhakti is not available in this material world. It exists eternally in the form of a mood in the hearts of the associates of Radha and Krishna in the spiritual sky. When a devotee in this world is practicing sadhana-bhakti very sincerely, and his gurudeva and guru-varga, they bestow mercy upon him, by their invitation then bhakti-sakti, Bhakti-devi herself, comes down from the associates of Krishna in the spiritual sky and touches his heart. The prema in the hearts of the associates of Krishna is very powerful like the sun, and one small ray of that sun descends into this world and touches the heart of the practicing devotee in this world. When that suddha-sattva-visenatma, the essence of the samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti, touches the heart of the sadhaka, his heart melts. At that time many feelings arise in his heart. One is called bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa, he has a very intense desire to attain his istadeva.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] What is the meaning? That I will have the service of Krishna. An intense desire, so intense desire comes, and suddha sattva comes, that it makes his heart very soft, then it is called bhava.
[Prema-prayojana das:] That means that when this bhava comes in his heart, his heart is restless with so much eagerness and so many desires to serve Krishna.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] You should understand by this example. Your wife is very beautiful, and very sweet to you. But for so many day she has not met you. For a long time, about one year, she was separated from you anywhere, but she telephoned that, "Today I'm coming." Then what kind of feeling will come in your heart? You will be very happy. It may be that your heart will be melting and hairs may be standing on end. This is called, when a devotee thinks that, "Oh, now I will meet Krishna, I will serve Krishna and Radhika," so a very high class of this abhilasa, desire comes, this is called bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa. Then after that?
[Prema-prayojana das:] Anukula-abhilasa.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Then you should explain.
[Prema-prayojana das:] Then another feeling comes into the heart of the devotee. This is called anukula-abhilasa. Anukula means that which is favorable. In other words the devotee knows that there are some particular services which are very, very pleasing to Krishna. Therefore the intense eagerness to render those particular services which are very pleasing to Him arises within his heart.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Like an example. When I will meet Krishna, I will fan Him with camara. Then Krishna will embrace me, and then I will be very happy and I will serve Him in so many ways. When I massage His feet, and then tears will come along with so many ankula abhilasa. Then? Go on
[Prema-prayojana das:] Then the third mood which comes into the heart of the devotee, it is called sauhard abhilasa. In this mood, sauhard-abhilasa, then the devotee is always thinking how Krishna will be happy. It is called suhrt-bhava, he feels very close intimate affection for Krishna, and he is thinking how Krishna will become happy.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] This is called rati. And if we by our sadhana, we keep an object to have a rati or bhava, then your sadhana or process is called sadhana-bhakti, otherwise not. What is the definition of sadhana? Krti sadhya bhavet sadhya Bhava sa sadhanabhidha Nitya siddhasya bhavasya Prakatyam hrdi sadhyata
[Madhava Maharaja:] So now gurudeva ordered me what is the definition of sadhana. Krti sadhya bhavet sadhya Bhava sa sadhanabhidha Nitya siddhasya bhavasya Prakatyam hrdi sadhyata. Srila Rupa Gosvamipada has explained in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, kriti sadhya, that is when we do sadhana by our senses, very carefully, and to achieve the mood. Which mood? That which he explained just now, that suddha sattva visesatma, and Srila Aranya Maharaja and Srila Gurudeva explained about bhava. We have to keep our aim and object to achieve that bhava. Then which activity we are doing, then it is called sadhana. This bhava is nitya-siddha.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] What is the meaning of nitya-siddha?
[Madhava Maharaja:] By nitya-siddha it could not be created, it is already there, only we have to manifest it in our heart.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I want to hear from you what is the meaning of nitya-siddha. What you have understood. In English. You should explain it then translate, nitya-siddha. Can you?
[Kunja Bihari dasa:] Eternally liberated?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] No.
[Devotee:] Eternally situated.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] First try to understand, and then to explain (translate), otherwise it could be wrong.
[Satyaraja dasa:] Nitya-siddha means those who have eternally link, eternally..
