Bhakti comes from bhakti or how bhakti

ENTERS into our hearts

DECEMBER 11, 2017 / TARUN GOVINDA DAS

The crystal clear conclusion from this video is that bhakti starts with the
receiving of the bhakti lata bija [and bhakti is not already “there” in the heart”].

The situation

tad evam ananta eva jīvākhya taṭasthaḥ śaktayaḥ. tatra tāsāṁ varga dvayaṁ. eko
vargaḥ anādita eva bhagavad unmukhaḥ anyas tu anādita eva bhagavat
parāṅmukhaḥ svabhāvataḥ tadīya jñāna bhāvāt tadīya jñānābhāvāc ca
“There are innumerable spirit souls and they are the marginal potency of God.
There are two classes of them: one class is favorable to God from beginningless
time, and the other class is turned away from God from beginningless time. The
first class is naturally full of knowledge and the other is without knowledge.”
[Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Paramatma Sandarbha (44)

In Paramatma Sandarbha (28), Sri Jiva Gosvami explicitly says that the self is
devoid of knowledge, although conscious by nature, and it lacks bliss although
free of any material misery. In other words, it has the potential (svarupa yogyata)
to get knowledge and bliss but not yet the functionality (phalopadhayi yogyata).
[check Paramatma Sandarbha and Tattva Sandarbha for more references]
Like a lightbulb has the capacity to spread light, but someone has to give the
lightbulb electricity to function properly. In the same way, bhakti is not
ALREADY “there” in the heart of the jiva. Bhakti is GIVEN and the heart then is
made a suitable place for bhakti to descend and develop into bhava-bhakti and
finally prema-bhakti.
Guru and Krsna give the seed of devotion
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-
bīja – Caitanya caritamrta, Madhya 19.151

brahmāṇḍa bhramite—wandering in this universe; kona—some; bhāgyavān—

most fortunate;jīva—living being; guru—of the spiritual master; kṛṣṇa—of
Kṛṣṇa; prasāde—by the mercy; pāya—gets; bhakti-latā—of the creeper of
devotional service; bīja—the seed.
Translation: “Wandering throughout the Universe, some (kona) fortunate
(bhagyavan) jivas by the mercy of Guru and Krishna receive (pāya) the seed of
the devotional plant/creeper (bhakti lata bija).”

Comment: If the seed were already present within the jiva, there would be no
need to receive it.

Jīvera ‘svarupa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ verse

jīvera ‘svarupa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
– Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.108

Translation of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa
because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously
one with and different from the Lord”.

This verse is also often cited to show that the jiva has an inherent rasa or inherent
siddha deha (spiritual body suitable for lila). Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami has
perfectly translated this verse and indeed shown the the jiva’s constitutional
position (nature/svarupa) is that of being an eternal servant (nitya dasa). Why is
this? The next line answers, kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ ,
because the jiva is part of Krsna, being known as Krsna’s tatastha sakti
(intermediary potency).

Krsna is the possessor of various saktis (saktimana) and the jiva (tatastha sakti) is
possessed by Him. This is why the pure nature (svarupa) of the jiva is to be
known as a servant of Krsna. The parts are meant to serve the whole. That is the
real condition of the jiva.

Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Prameya Ratnavali also confirms this. In the fifth
prameya (pañcama-prameyam) he wishes to establish that all living beings are
servants of Hari.

pādme ca jīva-lakṣaṇe—
dāsa-bhuto harer eva nānyasyaiva kadācana ||

Translation: “And in the definition of the jiva in the Padma Purana: “The servant
of Hari alone, not ever of any other.”
iti prameya-ratnāvalyāṁ jīvānāṁ bhagavad-dāsatva-prakaraṇaṁ nāma
pañcama-prameyam

Translation: “Thus ends the Fifth Truth entitled: The Living Beings are Servants
of Hari”.

Sri Vyasatirtha of the Dvaita Sampradaya says: जीवगणा हरे रनुचराः (jīvagaṇāḥ
hareranucarāḥ) – the soul-classes are servants of Hari. – Vyasatirtha’s Prameya
sloka.

Sri Madhvacarya says that there are two primary tattvas or categories of reality:
(1) Svatantra (Independent reality), which is Bhagavan Visnu alone. (2)
Paratantra (dependent reality), which is the inert universe (jada) and jivas.
Therefore the jiva’s are of the nature of hari dasatva – servanthood of Hari.

“In Anuccheda 19 of Paramatma Sandarbha the jiva is described as anu (atomic).

Anu in Indian Philosophy is the smallest particle which is both formless and
indivisible. Anu has no parts and thus it is indivisible. The word svarupa in
sanskrit can mean one’s own form (sva-rupa), or nature. The first meaning is not
applicable because atma is anu. That is why Krsna says in the Gita that atma is
avyakta and acintya. Therefore svarupa means nature” – Satyanarayana dasa
Babaji

Otherwise if we continue taking the meaning of svarupa in all cases as form

(physical or spiritual), then when Acarya Baladeva says that all the jivas are
svarupa-sāmya in Govinda Bhasya 2.3.49, are we to conclude that all the jivas
have the form of a Gopi for example? Or that all the jivas have the same inherent
inclination for madhurya rasa to give another example? This faulty rigid
definition of svarupa will make the explanations of our sastra absurd. This is
indeed why Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami himself even translates svarupa as
“constitutional position” as shown above, instead of form as do many others,
both Vaisnava and non-Vaisnava.

The nitya siddha krsna prema – verse

This famous verse does not say that prema [or bhakti] is “eternally established in
the hearts of the living entities.”
Nor does it say “It is not something to be gained from another source.”
It merely says that Krishna Prema is eternally perfect (nitya-siddha) and it arises
(udaya) in the heart/consciousness (śuddha-citte) which has been purified by
śravaṇādi (hearing etc) or that prema comes from the nitya-siddha devotees.
Sadhya kabhu naya, means that bhakti is self-manifest and independent.
It is not under the control of anything else, nor is it created or caused by anything
else, be it karma, good fortune or any other particular act as Bhakti would then
become subservient to that particular thing.
There is no equation where one performs X to achieve the result Y. Nor is it
actually generated by sadhana.

Visvanatha Cakravarti explains this independent and causeless nature of Bhakti

Devi at length in the beginning of Madhurya Kadambini.

Translation and meaning given by Srila Narayana Maharaja (Bhakti-Rasamrita-

Sindhu-Bindhu) and all other traditional Gaudiya Vaisnavas:

“Krsna prema is eternally perfect (nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema) and it can not be

generated by anything (sādhya’ kabhu naya). It arises within the heart that has
become purified by practices such as hearing, etc (śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye
udaya)”

Again, the understanding is that prema bhakti (sadhya – that which is to be

attained) is not created by sadhana bhakti. Prema bhakti is not like that, it is
eternally perfect and is the nature of the svarupa sakti which comes into the heart
of the sadhaka. If it were dormant, we would find use of the word jagrita
(awaken) and not arise (udaya) in the sloka. Or the sastra could use the terms
supta/nidrita prema (sleeping prema) to indicate the stage before it awakes.
Rather there is no such explanation because prema arises in the heart, just like the
moon in the night sky.

This verse relates to a verse in Bhakti rasamrta sindhu Krsnadasa Kaviraja

Goswami in his Caitanya Caritamrta usually cites a Sanskrit verse and then
composes a Bengali verse translation of it. This “nitya siddha krsna prema” verse
is no different.

In this chapter, just 2 verses prior, he has quoted Rupa Goswami’s original
Sanskrit verse from Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu.
tatra sādhana-bhaktiḥ –
“Now sadhana bhakti will be defined”:

kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā |

nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā ||
– BRS 1.2.2

“Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads to the self-
manifestation of bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti. The self-manifestation
within the heart [of the practitioner] of the eternally existing transcendental affect
of devotion (bhāva) is known as the completion stage of devotion.” (Bhakti
Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.2)

Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Durgama sangamani commentary:

bhāvasya sādhyatve kṛtrimatvāt parama-puruṣārthatvābhāvaḥ syād ity āśaṅkyāha

—nityeti | bhagavac-chakti-viśeṣa-vṛtti-viśeṣatvenāgre sādhayiṣyamāṇatvād iti
bhāvaḥ

“A doubt may arise that since this state is achieved [sadhya], implying that it is
artificially produced, it is not the ultimate goal. The second line responds to this
doubt by saying that is is eternal, and simply appears within the heart. That is
because its appearance [and not its creation] will be accomplished in the
future by the special actions of the most excellent transformations [samvit
and hladini aspects] of Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti [which are perfect and
eternal].
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s tika:

Bhakti sara pradarsini commentary: tena dharmārthādi-puruṣārthāntara-sādhaka-

bhaktiś ca parākṛtā, uttamāyā eva upakrāntatvāt | bhāvādīnāṁ sādhyatve
kṛtrimatvāt parama-puruṣārthatvābhāvaḥ syād ity āśaṅkyāha—nityeti |
bhāvasyety upalakṣaṇaṁ śravana-kīrtanādayo’pi grāhyāḥ | teṣām api karṇa-
jihvādau prākaṭya-mātram, yathā śrī-kṛṣṇo vasudeva-gṛhe’vatatāra | bhaktīnāṁ
bhagavac-chakti-vṛtti-viśeṣatvenāgre sādhayiṣyamāṇatvād iti bhāvaḥ

“This may give rise to the fear that, though bhava bhakti has been mentioned as
supreme, it may not actually be the supreme goal of human endeavour, because it
is created by sadhana or achieved [i.e. it is not eternal]. The answer is given in
the second line. This bhava is eternal, and merely appears within the heart of the
devotee. Bhava also includes hearing, chanting and other actions [not just
emotions]. These actions of bhava [limbs of bhakti] also appear on the tongue or
in the ear, but are not created, just as Krsna appears in the house of
Vasudeva. The emotions and actions of bhava are all eternal and spiritual
and not material because their appearance in the future will be
accomplished by the extraordinary actions of the most excellent
transformations [samvit and hladini] of Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti.”
Mukunda dasa Goswami’s Artha-ratnalpa-dipika commentary:

This 3rd popular commentator and disciple of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

states that the term “nitya-siddhasya bhavasya” in the BRS 1.2.2 sloka here
means the bhava of the nitya siddha associates of Bhagavan.

Satyanarayana dasa Babaji (disciple of Sri Haridas Sastriji Maharaja) from

Gadadhara parivara confirms this and says in this regard:

“Mukunda Das Gosvāmī clearly writes that nitya-siddha bhāva here refers to the
bhāva of nitya-siddha bhaktas”.

Mukunda dasa Gosvami says: nitya-siddha-bhakteṣu śuddha-sattva-viśeṣa-

rupatayā sadā vartamānasyātra svayaṁ sphuraṇān na kṛtrimatva-śaṅkā) – “The
pure sattva which is ever present in the nitya siddha devotees manifests itself [in
the heart of the practitioner devotee] and thus should not be seen as artificial.”
Visvanatha Cakravarti further confirms, “That is because by the association of
devotees, the sprout of bhakti, which is very rare, appears.” – BRS 1.2.228.

CONCLUSION:

So we can see here that this nitya siddha prema is that which belongs to
Bhagavan’s associates and not that which lies dormant in the hearts of
conditioned jivas.
This prema then enters (arises) in our hearts just as Krsna appeared in the prison
where Vasudeva and Devaki were being held as per Visvanath Cakravarti’s tika.
It was never there, nor was it created. It is simply the eternally perfect bhava of
Bhagavan’s associates that enters the heart of fortunate jivas.

Why the heart?

The heart is the most appropriate place or receptacle for the manifestation of
bhakti. Śabdasāra says, yato-nirjyāti viṣayo yasminścaiva pralīyate hṛdayaṁ tad-
vijānīyāt-manasa sthitikāraṇam: “The heart is the place where all desires appear
and all desires merge. The heart is the cause of the mind’s disposition.” Another
name for the heart is citta. Though it is material in its nature, by the will of the
Lord, it becomes worthy for the manifestation of transcendental pure devotion. It
is thus compared to a fertile field for sprouting the grains of bhakti. As a desert or
barren land full of stones is not suitable for cultivation, so the intellect, very
rough due to mental speculations, is not at all suitable for the manifestation of
bhakti. Through intelligence one can attain material knowledge, but spiritual
knowledge needs to be approached through the heart. An unintelligent boy may
have deep faith in bhakti due to his previous birth’s saṁskāra (impression of
previous activities on the mind), while a very intelligent person may be an
atheist. So the heart is most receptive for the manifestation of bhakti, not the
mind or intellect. Gradually the mind and intellect of the devotee are
spiritualised, as a piece of iron is turned into gold by the touch of a touchstone.
Bhakti is the cause of bhakti
As the Lord is under the control of His devotees, His mercy follows that of a
devotee. By carefully considering this point, one can understand that bhakti
residing in the heart of a devotee, causing him to bestow mercy to others, is the
cause of the appearance of bhakti in them. The conclusion is, therefore, that
bhakti is the cause of bhakti. Bhakti does not depend on any other cause for its
appearance. In this way no doubt exists about the completely independent and
self-manifesting nature of bhakti.
[For further information, please check my Gurudeva´s “Madhurya Kadambini]

The ultimate bestowal

The siddha deha is an expansion of the Supreme Lord. It is a manifestation of His
inner potency or svarupa sakti and it is BESTOWED by Sri Krishna.
tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām
yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti
tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.11)
“O Lord! You, who are approached by being heard about, seen and directly
served, enter and remain in the lotus of your devotee’s hearts infused with
bhakti-yoga.
Much praised Lord! By your mercy, you bestow to them spiritual bodies
appropriate to the mood they cultivate during sādhana.”
Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains – te sādhaka-bhaktāḥ sva sva
bhāvānurūpaṁ yad yad dhiyā bhāvayanti tat tad eva vapus teṣāṁ siddha dehaṁ
praṇayase prakarṣeṇa tān prāpayasi aho te sva bhakta pāravaśyam iti bhāvaḥ –
“Or your devotees doing sādhana concentrate on their spiritual form according
to their mood of love using their minds, and you have them attain (praṇayase)
their spiritual bodies. You become dependent on your devotee.”
Jay Sri Radhe

–  Tarun