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EDITORIAL May 30, 2000 VNN5973 Comment on this story The Five Most Potent Practices Of Sadhana BY VRAJA KISHOR DAS EDITORIAL, May 30 (VNN) — Essence of the Ambrosial Ocean of Devotion - Part 9 As mentioned briefly in a previous article, the five most potent practices of vaidhi-sadhana are: 1. Serve the feet of the Deity with love 2. Savor the objective of Srimad Bhagavatam 3. Keep company with devotees who are compatible and affectionate 4. Loudly glorify Krishna's name 5. Reside in Mathura These five practices are "most potent" because they quickly bestow sadhana's goal, bhava-bhakti, to a sincere person who even slightly practices them. In most cases sŠdhana must gradually progress through seven stages of development (to be described in more detail in a later article), but these five items, done by a person who is not inimical to God, bestow the bhava-bhakti immediately. These practices not only bestow realization of love for Krishna, they also bestow realization of Krishna himself. In all five practices one comes into direct contact with entities that are non-different from Krishna: his deity, his pastimes, his devotee, his name, and his abode. Rupa Goswami therefore describes these five practices at length. Serving The Feet Of The Deity With Love rŽ-murter-anghri-sevane-prŽta Rupa Goswami already listed worship of the deity as the 30th practice of vaidhi-sadhana. However, worshiping the deity with great love and affection is such a potent means to manifest love of Godhead (bhava-bhakti) that Rupa Goswami mentions it again, as one of the five most potent practices. Worshiping the deity is an effective sadhana, but taking joy in it and doing so with great love is especially effective. This is even more effective when the deity is Govinda. Rupa Goswami writes: Smiling, in his famous triple-crooked stance, with his big crooked glance. With newly blossomed lips cast on his flute ·so bright in the moonlight This form of Hari called "Govinda," here, near Kei GhŠš· My friend, if you want to find pleasure in the company of your friends, then don't look! Savoring the Objective of Srimad Bhagavatam rŽ bhŠgavatŠrthŠsvŠdo Vedic scriptures are like "desire trees" because they fulfill humanity's desires for pleasure, achievement, righteousness, and liberation. Srimad Bhagavatam is like the fruit of that tree. As all a tree's energies culminate in it's fruit, the four types of human desires culminate in the fifth desire: love of Godhead. Srimad Bhagavatam is the "fruit" of the Vedic desire tree because it bestows the culmination of all desires - love of Godhead. The Bhagavatam-fruit is so ripe that it oozes and drips on the ground, overflowing with love of Godhead. It is so "ripe" because it was the final scripture composed by ‚rŽ VyŠsa, after his realization of Godhead became fully mature. The beak of a parrot pierced this fruit and thus made it ripen even further, attaining an almost liquid state, as sweet as nectar, and totally perfect without skin or pit. The "parrot" (uka) is ‚uka-deva Goswami, who "pierced" the Bhagavatam with his mouth when he spoke it to King Pariksit, embellishing and perfecting it in three ways: 1.Making it "liquid-soft," or easily swallowed and appreciated by all 2.Making it as sweet as nectar by infusing it's words with his own deep love of Godhead 3.Removing any remaining pit or skin of jnana (pursuit of liberation) or karma (pursuit of pleasure, achievement, or righteousness). Connoisseurs of beauty and poetry ("rasika-bhŠvuka") should drink the divine juice of Srimad Bhagavatam ("bhagavatam-rasa"). They will find it so pleasurable that they will not be able to stop, and will thus drink again and again without cessation. Saying that a rasikŠ will savor Bhagavatam-rasa implies that only the Krishna-bhakta can properly hear or speak Srimad Bhagavatam. But even persons enamored by this world can savor the divine juice of the Bhagavatam when it is presented to them by a rasikŠ, like ‚ukadeva Goswami. Rupa Goswami already mentioned serving scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam as the 54th practice of vaidhi-sadhana. But relishing the loving objective of the Bhagavatam is so especially effective that Rupa Goswami mentions it again, as one of the five most potent practices. Serving the Bhagavatam is an effective sadhana, but relishing the love of Godhead in the Bhagavatam while doing so is especially effective. This is even more effective when one relishes the Bhagavatam's Tenth Canto. Rupa Goswami writes: The sounds of the letters of the Tenth Canto's poems seem to have just traveled the path to your ears· Oh my, what a fool you are, my dear child! Now you reproach those most auspicious goals: religion, achievement, and pleasure And you throw away the blissful goal of liberation. Keeping Company With Devotees Who Are Compatible And Affectionate sajŠtŽyŠaya-snigdha rŽ-bhagavad-bhakta-sa"go Not all devotees of God are equally compatible with oneself. Rupa Goswami therefore specifies that one should seek the company of devotees who are "sajŠtŽya-Šaya" - of compatible nature. In the company of compatible persons, communication is effortless, facilitating deep sharing of thought and emotion. In such deep exchanges one realizes the person's soft, tender, gentle nature ("snigdha"). One's heart therefore opens up entirely and the each person imbibes the good qualities of the other. To associate with compatible persons who are attached to Krishna is therefore an extremely efficacious way to manifest attachment to Krishna in one's own heart. In addition to ordinary compatibility, one should associate with devotees who are spiritually compatible with oneself. Not all devotees of God aspire to please him in the form of Krishna. Even among those who do, not all have a specific aspiration to please Krishna is a certain mood. Even among those who do, not all aspire to a mood similar to one's own. Furthermore, not all devotees will have exactly the same methods of fulfilling their various spiritual aspirations. One should especially try to associate with devotees whose means and goals are compatible with one's own. Among such persons, one should seek a devotee who is "snigdha" - soft. This means that his or her heart should be affectionate, not harsh, having been melted by the splendid rays of the rising sun of bhava-bhakti. Rupa Goswami already mentioned associating with Vaishnavas as the 55th practice of vaidhi-sadhana. But associating with a loving Vaishnava with whom one is both materially and spiritually compatible is so especially effective that Rupa Goswami mentions it again, as one of the five most potent practices. Associating with Vaishnavas is an effective sadhana, but associating with compatible and affectionate Vaishnavas is especially effective. Most effective of all is when such Vaishnavas have attained bhava-bhakti. Rupa Goswami writes: Washed by the water of own his eyes, blossoms of goose-bumps decorating his body, Stumbling under the weight of his wide-blossomed heart, full to the brim, and shivering· Since my eyes have seen that person My mind no longer finds pleasure in my home. I don't know why. Loudly Glorifying Krishna's Name nŠma-saˆkŽrtanaˆ In his comments on this practice, Vishvanath Chakravarti says that expressions of bhakti are the only means to obtain realization of bhakti. All the innumerable expressions of bhakti fall into nine categories. Of these nine, the first three - hearing about (rava‘aˆ), glorifying (kŽrtanaˆ), and remembering (smaranaˆ) - are the most important means to realize bhakti. Of these three, glorification (kŽrtan) is the most important. Of all types of kŽrtan, the most important type is nŠma-kŽrtan, glorification of God's name. And of all ways to glorify God's name, nŠma-anu-kŽrtan is of foremost potency. What is nŠma-anu-kŽrtan? It is glorification that is done by "following" the name, by pronouncing the name with a mood of loving servitude. When the name is spoken in this mood, Krishna himself personally manifests before the speaker. How can saying Krishna's name in a certain mood cause Krishna to manifest? The name of Krishna is inseparable from Krishna himself. Thus, when one manifests the sound "Krishna," one also causes Krishna, the named, to manifest. If the name can be created and conceived by the limited material senses, how can it possibly be identical to the Supreme Godhead, Krishna? The Supreme Godhead is beyond the perceptual grasp of the material senses. His name and qualities, being not different from him, are equally beyond the grasp of those senses. Therefore, one cannot produce Krishna's name with one's mouth or hear it with one's ears. Krishna is unlimited and one's senses are limited. The limited cannot fully grasp the unlimited. However, since the unlimited Krishna is truly without limitation, he can, if he wishes, fully reveal his unlimited name, form, personality, etc., even within the grasp of the limited senses. Therefore the only means to truly pronounce the name of God is to speak from a heart saturated with loving feelings for God. Saying Krishna's name in this mood attracts Krishna, who then manifests his true name and person to the senses of the speaker. Rupa Goswami already mentioned Loudly Glorifying the Name as the 33rd practice of vaidhi-sadhana. But doing so with a sincere loving mood is so especially effective that Rupa Goswami mentions it again, as one of the five most potent practices. Loudly Glorifying the Name is a most effective sadhana, but doing so with a sincere loving mood is especially effective. This is even more effective when one participates in such loving glorification of the name in a musical context. Rupa Goswami writes: The cooling sound of that musician and his song Walked the path to my ears glorifying the name and destroying all sin. At that very moment, my child, I lost all my old desires and attractions, for it completely overwhelmed my inner mind. Residing in Mathura rŽ mathurŠ-ma‘˜ale sthiti Rupa Goswami already mentioned residing in sacred places as the 7th practice of vaidhi-sadhana. However, MathurŠ is such a special sacred place that Rupa Goswami mentions it again, as one of the five most potent practices. Why is MathurŠ so special? Because while other sacred places eventually grant the boon of liberation, MathurŠ, being the birthplace and home of Krishna, grants the boon of love for Krishna, "Krishna Prema" - which even liberated persons hanker for. Residing in any sacred place is an effective sadhana, but residing in MathurŠ is especially effective. Most effective of all is to reside within MathurŠ in Vrindaban, on the banks of the YamunŠ. Rupa Goswami writes: That splendid, golden place on the bank of the blue-black river, where bees hum sonorously around trees bent low with new Kadamba flowers. Why does this heavenly forest decorate my mind with such inexpressible sweetness? About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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