Rūpa Gosvāmī About
Eligibility for Bhakti (Vaidhī and Rāgānugā)
Translated
by Bhānu Swāmī
(Iskcon)
Commentaries
by Jīva Gosvāmī and Viśvanātha
Cakravartī
Eligibility for Vaidhī-Bhakti: Faith (śraddha)
tatra adhikārī—
yaḥ kenāpy atibhāgyena jāta-śraddho ’sya sevane |
nātisakto na vairāgya-bhāg asyām adhikāry asau ||14||
(Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.14)
Translation: The qualified person is described as
follows:
The person who has developed faith in serving the Lord
by impressions arising from previous association with devotees, who is not too
attached to material objects, and who is not too detached, is qualified for vaidhi-bhakti.
Jīva Gosvāmī’s Commentary
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s Commentary
Atibhāgyena means by special impressions arising from association
with great devotees. Vairāgyam means false renunciation, which is
unfavorable for worship. The devotee does not indulge in that false vairāgya.
However, it is understood, he will endeavor for detachment from desires for
material enjoyment (since that is favorable for development of bhakti). 64
Eligibility for Rāgānugā-Bhakti:
Greed (lobha)
tatra adhikārī—
rāgātmikāika-niṣṭhā ye vraja-vāsi-janādayaḥ |
teṣāṃ bhāvāptaye lubdho bhaved atrādhikāravān ||291||
(Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.291)
Translation: The qualification for rāgānuga-bhakti is
as follows:
That person who is greedy for attaining a bhāva similar
to that of the inhabitants of Vraja—who are fixed solely in rāgātmika-bhakti—is qualified
for rāgānuga-bhakti.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s Commentary
Having described the characteristics of
rāgātmika-bhakti of the siddha-bhaktas, the author now describes the
characteristics of rāgānuga-bhakti of the sādhakas. He who is
greedy to attain a bhāva similar to that of the people of Vraja—who are fixed in rāgātmika-bhakti—is qualified for rāgānuga-bhakti.
Indication
of the Appearance of Greed (lobha)
tat-tad-bhāvādi-mādhurye śrute dhīr yad apekṣate |
nātra śāstraṃ na yuktiṃ ca tal-lobhotpatti-lakṣaṇaṃ
||292||
(Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.2.292)
Translation: The appearance of that greed is indicated
when the intelligence does not depend on rules of scripture and logic, after
realizing to some degree the sweetness of their (inhabitants of Vraja) love
through the process of hearing from the scriptures.
Jīva Gosvāmī’s Commentary
When a person realizes to some degree
the sweetness of the love and activities of the inhabitants of Vraja through
hearing from the scriptures such as Bhāgavatam, which describe these siddha
devotees, his intelligence may develop disregard for the injunctions of
scripture (śāstram) and logic (yuktim), though logic is certainly
employed. 122
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s Commentary
... One can infer (lakṣaṇam) that
greed has arisen in the person from recognizing this symptom. Nevertheless, it
is not possible to say that the condition described is the real essence (svarūpa)
of that greed, since that greed does not always include disregard for
scriptural injunctions and logic 123
as a necessary component.
Notes by Bhānu Swāmī
Note 63 Thus, the cause of faith is not
material action, but bhakti in the form of association of devotees.
Note 122 To make any sense of scripture, logic
must be used to understand the meaning of a statement. As well, where there are
contradictions in scripture, logic must be used to bring about a conclusion.
Note 123 These are usual by-products of greed.
One may also develop greed without showing symptoms of disregard for rules of
scripture and logic.
Source: Bhakti Rasāmṛta
Sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī with the Commentaries by Jīva Gosvāmī and Viśvanātha
Cakravartī, translated
from Sanskrit to English and Annoted by Bhānu Swāmī (Iskcon), Iskcon
Chennai, No date of publishing. (This book is the main work on gauḍīyā vaiṣṇava theology.)
Translation Sanskrit to English: Bhānu Swāmī (Iskcon)
Text font diacritics: Arial Unicode MS (System Harvard-kyoto)
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Portuguese translation
RūpaGosvāmī Sobre a Elegibilidade para Bhakti (Vaidhī e Rāgānugā)
Portuguese translation
RūpaGosvāmī Sobre a Elegibilidade para Bhakti (Vaidhī e Rāgānugā)
