Anyabhilasita-sunyam...

[Avadatta devi dasi]

From Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu of Srila Rupa Goswami

with Durgama-sangamani-tika of Srila Jiva Goswami

and

Bhakti-sara-pradarsins-tika of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

(translated into English by Bhanu Swami)

 

1.1.11

 

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu-

silanam bhaktir uttama

 

Translation: The highest bhakti is defined as continuous service or emotions directed towards Krsna, His expansion forms or other related to Him, with a pleasing attitude towards Krsna. It should be devoid of desires other than the desire to please the Lord, and unobstructed by impersonal jnana, the materialistic rituals of karma or other unfavorable acts.

 

Jiva Goswami`s Commentary

 

Anusilanam

 

Sri Rupa begins the book by describing the characteristics of uttama-bhakti. Just as a verb is understood only through the sense of its verbal root (dhatu), so the word anusilanam must be understood only through the sense of its verbal root.

 

(Sil means to act, to practice, to serve, to worship, and to meditate. Anu means "continuous" or "ith devotion". Words can usually be resolved into verbal roots after removing the affixes. The senses of the roots (dhatvartha) are found in the Dhatu-patha of Panini. By studying the sense of the dhatu of a word, one can understand the full scope of meaning and some may have several meanings. Some roots may meanings may be active and some may be non-active. Sil has two distinct meanings. One meaning is non-active: samadhi (contemplation). The other meaning is active: upadharana (to hear attentively, to perceive, to cultivate).

 

The signification of the verbal root sil is twofold: pravrtty-atmaka, expressing action (to worship, practice and serve) and nivrtty-atmaka, expressing non-action (to be intensely absorbed). Thus, anusilanam or continuous service has an active form (cesta-rupa) using the body, words or mind (meditation using the mind with conscious intention would be included in cesta-rupa anusilana, but the emotional ststes in the mind, either temporary (vyabhicari-bhavas such as visada) or permanent (sthayi-bhavas such as priti-rati) are bhava-rupa. This bhava-rupa anusilanam takes place on attaining bhava and prema. Thus, the activities of sadhana-bhakti are classed as casta-rupa. At the level of bhava and prema, cesta-rupa anusilanam takes the form of anubhavas. ( B.R.S. 1.3.1.) and an emotional form (bhava-rupa) consisting of affection (priti) and despair (visada) of the mind (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura`s commentary also mentions that the avoidance of seva and nama aparadhas and other angas (11-20) mentioned in the section on sadhana-bhakti should be included in another class called abhava-rupa anusilana. This is not included in cesta-rupa, since it is not connected with emotional states). However, emotional states of sattva, and even non-sattva, are included in cesta-rupa anusilanam because both are suppressed by action. (Sattvas are intense emotions, which overcome the heart, but under the pressure of a limited body, spontaneously manifest bodily transformations (action) called sattvika-bhavas. Even though the action is unconscious and the origin is emotion, it is classed sas cesta-rupa because of the consequent and obvious active element. Other emotions, which are not so intense, and are not classed as sattvas, if they are similary eclipsed in favor of conscious actions, are called anubhavas. Though the immediate cause is emotion, anubhavas are classed as cesta-rupa because of preponderance of conscious action.)

 

Sattvika-bhavas have a strong internal emotional component called sattva, which forcibly interacts with prana, which in turn affects the elements earth, water, fire, either and prana (air) in the body, which causes external symptoms in the body, voice and mind. Because they are not conscious actions, though they involve action, they are distinct from anubhavas.

 

Krsnanusilanam

 

With this consideration (of cesta-rupa and bhava-rupa-bhakti), anusilanam means service for persons related to Krsna or servece for Krsna directly. That is the meaning of krsnanusilanam. Because this definition also includes persons related to Krsna as well as Krsna Himself, it avoids the fault of being too narrow. Thus, angas of bhakti such as taking shelter of guru`s lotus feet (other items would be associating with devotees, observing Ekadasi-vrata and living in the dhama) may be incluyded in bhakti, even in bhava-rupa-anusilanam (though these other items are mentioneed as preliminary angas of bhakti (cesta-rupa), the inclusion of service to things related to Krsna in anusilanam applies even at a more advanced stage, in bhava-rupa bhakti. This subclass of cesta-rupa-bhakti on the advanced level is called karya-rupa (perfectional stage) and such actions are called anubhavas. This is explained in the commentary on BRS 1.3.1.) At the stage of bhava, sthayi-bhavas and vyabhicari-bhavas may be expressed in relation to guru within this definition of bhakti.

 

This service or anusilanam, obtainable only by the mercy of Krsna and His devotees, is a trancformation of the Lord`s svarupa-sakti, and thus is not material but spiritual. However, one should understand that though it is purely spiritual, it makes its appearance (and is not created since it is eternal) in the body, mind and words by taking over the functions of the body, mind and words. This will be clarified later on (anusilanam at the stage of bhava displays transformations of the svarupa-sakti. This is explaned in BRS 1.3.1). In this verse, the word "Krsna" also indicates bhakti for other forms of God, because Krsna is Svayam Bhagavan, including all other forms of God (such as Nrsimha). Gradation of these forms will be considered later.

 

Anukulyena

 

The word anukulyena (with favorableness or friendliness) is the descriptive element of anusilanam or service. It is necessary in order to limit the definition of bhakti. The definition of bhakti cannot be established with a disagreeable attitude towards Krsna (pratikulya). The word anukulyena in conjunction with krsnanusilanam means "behavior pleasing for Krsna." Pratikulya means the opposite: behavior disagreeable for Krsna. Because this word is in the instrumental case (anukulya becomes anukulyena), it nindicates that favorableness is a necessary qualifier for defining anusilanam (ittham-bhuta-laksane: an attributa is put in the instrumental case to indicate a particular state determined by it (Panini 2.3.21), not as a secondary element that can be assumed to exist in anusilanam and which need not be mentioned separately.

 

An objection may be stated as follows. When someone says, "Prepare the weapon bearers (warriors) for battle", he means as well that the warriors should also bring the weapons. Similarly, the word anusilanam, service to Krsna, is sufficient to define bhakti, since anukulya is implied by the word anusilanam. It is not necessary to mention it separately. "Bhakti means action directed to Krsna" is a sufficient definition.

 

The response is as follows. When someone says, "Feed the weapon-bearers", he does not mean that the weapons should also be brought to the dinner table. Thus, in all cases, the mention of weapon-bearers does not imply that they bring their weapons. Similarly, the word anusilanam, if used alone, may not in all cases include favorableness. Actions directed to Krsna with concentration are not always favorable (Kamsa meditating constantly on Krsna with an intention of killing Him is thus rejected, though it is anusilanam of Krsna. Thus, the word anukulyena must accompany anusilanam in the definition of bhakti). Thus, the word anukulyena is necessarily added to this particular definition of bhakti.

 

There may be another objection. We could just say "Perform favorable bhakti" without even mentioning anusilanam, for the word bhakti alone implies service. For instance, when we say, "The king goes out traveling", we also imply that he goes along with his retinue. Similarly, when we mention bhakti it includes service and other items as well.

 

That is true. However, by omitting the words anusilanam, there will be no clear indication of the different shades of meaning inherent in the root sil (active and non-active) and consequently no indication of the different modes of bhakti (cesta-rupa and bhava-rupa anusilanam). The word anusilanam is specially supplied in the definition in order to comprehend the full sense of the root. Furthermore, in order to define bhakti completely, the prefix anu is added to silanam (service) to indicate that the service should be continuous (anu). Anu means "repeatedly" as well as "following after". 

 

Anukulyena krsnanusilanam, continuous service or emotions directed towards Krsna, His expansion forms or others related to Him, with a pleasing attitude towards Krsna (this phrase is somewhat ambiguous since it can mean, "having an attitude to please Krsna" or "something which is pleasing to Krsna". Therefore, Visvanatha in his commentary says that it must only mean "having an attitude to please Krsna". 

 

Anyabhilasita-sunyam

 

To define the concept of uttama, two modifying phrases are added as secondary characteristics (tatstha-laksana): anyabhilasita-sunyam (it should be devoid of other desires) and jnana-karmady-anavrtam (it should not be covered by jnana, karma or other items.) The use of the word anya (other) in anyabhilasita-sunyam indicates that bhakti should have only one desire (to serve the Lord since bhakti is not devoide of desire), and no other desire.

 

Jnana-karmady-anavrtam

Jnana (knowledge) in the second phrase refers to inquiry concerning the impersonal brahman with no qualities. This should be rejected, but inquiry concerning the worshipable form of the Lord should not be rejected, for that knowledge is necessary in bhakti. The word karma in the verse refers to daily and periodic duties enjoined in the smrtis, and not the actions of serving the LOrd, for serving the Lord is the very definition of anusilanam or service. The word adi refers to such practices as renunciation (vairagya), yoga, and sankhya. These, as well as impersonal jnana and smrti actions, are obstructions to pure bhakti.

 

Someone may propose that since the definition mentions krsnanusilanam, bhakti also should be defined using the word krsna-bhakti. In response to this, it may be said that the definition uses the word bhakti rather than the word krsna-bhakti because in the devotional scriptures the word bhakti alone is commonly used (though it refers to bhakti for Krsna or Visnu).