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Raganuga Bhakti: Clearing Misconceptions

Mahanidhi Swami

For the last thirty years, we have often heard the following false statements and misconceptions regarding the topic of raganuga-bhakti from the leaders and followers of various spiritual missions.

By quoting Gaudiya Vaisnava shastra, this post will remove these misconceptions and establish the truth and real facts about the practice of raganuga-bhakti. The misconceptions will be followed by the truth and correct conception.

LIST OF POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS ON RAGANUGA BHAKTI

  1. MISCONCEPTION: “You have to be a pure devotee or be a very advanced devotee to practice raganuga-bhakti.”

TRUTH: Wrong! Vaidhi bhakti and raganuga-bhakti are two parallel paths of sadhana bhakti. Practice of either path can begin at the stage of anartha nivrtti. Both paths progress through the stages of anartha nivrtti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti and culminate in prema. However, the prema perfection of vaidhi sadhana takes one to Vaikuntha or to the majestic, formal realm of Goloka, a vaibhava expansion Goloka Vrindavana. Whereas, the prema perfection of raganuga sadhana immerses one in the intimately sweet madhurya-lila seva of Radha-Govinda Yugala in Gokula Vrindavana, the topmost plane of spiritual attainment.

Shastra Proof: Vaidhi bhakti and raganuga-bhakti are two parallel paths of sadhana bhakti. (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.5) Vaidhi sadhakas attain Goloka not Gokula Vrindavana. (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.303, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika; and Raga Vartma Chandrika 1.12)

yeṣāṁ tu vṛndāvane rādhā-kṛṣṇayor mādhuryāsvādane ‘bhilāṣaḥ athaca nyāsa mudrādi vaidhī mārgānusāreṇa bhajanaṁ teṣāṁ dvārakāyāṁ na rukmiṇī-kāntasya prāptis tatrābhilāṣābhāvāt. na vā vṛndāvane śrī rādhā-kṛṣṇayoḥ prāptiḥ rāga mārgeṇa bhajanābhāvāt. tasmāt teṣāṁ vidhi mārgeṇa bhajana kāryasya aiśvarya-jnānasya prādhānyaṁ yatra yathābhūtasya śrī vṛndā-vanasyāṁśe goloke śrī rādhā-kṛṣṇayoḥ prāptiḥ na tu śuddha mādhuryamaye vṛndāvane iti jneyam.

  1. MISCONCEPTION: “O, Prabhu, You are not qualified for practicing raganuga-bhakti sadhana.”

In this regard, we once heard a Guru address an audience of 100 disciples: “None of you are qualified to practice raganuga-bhakti. So don’t even think about it or reading anything about this. Just do your service!”

TRUTH: First of all, such statements are made because of personal interest or mission maintenance considerations. Secondly, how can anyone generically judge the content of another devotee’s attraction to Krishna, or the sweetness one feels in his/her heart regarding Radha-Govinda Yugala? The practice of raganuga-bhakti sadhana has nothing to do with age, gender, ashram, spiritual experience, titles or posts.

According to Sri Rupa Gosvami, if one’s mind and senses become even slightly attracted to and interested in seeing the beautiful murtis of the stunningly gorgeous Radhe-Shyama or Sri Sri Radha Raman or, or if one feels a sweet feeling of loving attraction in his/her heart after hearing the astonishing Vraja madhurya lila katha of Radha-Krishna and Their sakhi manjaris—then one is qualified to begin and to practice raganuga-bhakti sadhana.

In other words, qualification is based on one’s individual taste, attraction and the sweetness one experiences by living in Sri Vraja Dhama, worshiping and seeing Radhe-Shyama, and hearing/reading the Vraja lilas (especially asta-kaliya-lila) of Radha-Madhava and the gopis.

Shastra Proof: “Those who develop longing for the bhāva of the gopīs after seeing the sweetness in the deity of Krishna and the gopīs, or after hearing about His pastimes with the gopīs, are qualified for sādhana of either of these types of kāmānuga-bhakti [i.e. raganuga-bhakti sadhana following the gopis and manjari of Vraja]. The Padma Purāṇa says gender does not matter, so even men can attain the bhakti of the Vraja gopis.” (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.300)

śrī-mūrter mādhurīṁ prekṣya, tat-tal-līlāṁ niśamya vā
tad-bhāv ākāṇkṣiṇo ye syus, teṣu sādhana tānayoḥ
purāṇe śruyate pādme, puṁsam api bhaved iyam

Sri Jiva Goswamipada said, “When one REALIZES TO SOME DEGREE the sweetness of the love and activities of Sri Krishna’s eternal Vrajavasi associates through hearing from the scriptures such as Bhāgavatam, which describe these siddha devotees, his/her intelligence may develop disregard for the injunctions of scripture (śāstram) and logic (yuktim), though logic is certainly employed.” (tika Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.292)

  1. MISCONCEPTION: “In raganuga-bhakti sadhana there are no rules, so you just follow your ‘bhava’ and serve Radha and Krishna according to your liking.”

TRUTH: Again, totally wrong! A raganuga-bhakti sadhaka FOLLOWS ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS of vaidhi sadhana plus more. Yes, a raganuga sadhaka rises by 4 a.m; attends mangala aratika; chants 16 rounds minimum; studies Srimad Bhagavatam and Goswami granthas; travels and preaches; distributes audios, videos, posts and books; follows the 4 regulative principles; daily bathes twice/thrice; only eats Krishna prasadam; wears devotional clothes…and so on.

In Raga Vartma Chandrika, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti has clarified this point by saying, “A raganuga-bhakti sadhaka follows all the rules of vaidhi bhakti except the following [which today practically no one does anyway]:

1) Read & Meditate upon Sri Krishna’s Dvaraka lila (dvaraka-dhyana);

2) Worship the Dvaraka Queens (mahishi-puja);

3) Use mudras in puja;

4) Do nyasa to purify body;

5) Think, “I am Krishna” “Radha” or such and such istadevata (ahamgrahopasana)

Shastra Proof: (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.296 tika of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti; and Raga Vartma Chandrika)

  1. MISCONCEPTION: “If the members of the mission start practicing raganuga-bhakti, no one will preach anymore and the mission will collapse.”

TRUTH: Again, wrong! As previously said, many famous raganuga sadhakas are also preaching worldwide, printing and distributing books and lecturing on Krishna consciousness.

Raganuga bhakti is a private, internal practice based one’s raga or personal attraction toward Sri Krishna and His eternal Vrindavana associates in a particular way. Just like a husband externally works hard to maintain his family while simultaneously internally deepening his love and commitment to his wife and children. The outreach practices of preaching, traveling and training disciples can easily go on side by side with raganuga-bhakti sadhana.

Shastra Proof: Raganuga-bhakti like vaidhi bhakti is a sadhana, a daily practice leading to spiritual perfection. (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.5)

Raganuga-bhakti sadhana ki jai! Manjari bhava ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!

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Siddha Pranali in ISKCON

Mahanidhi Swami

In 1973, Srila Prabhupada and his learned disciple Sri Hrsikesananda dasji worked together to produce an English edition of Sri Rupa Gosvami’s Upadeshamrita (Nectar of Instruction). Before meeting Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur, Hrsikesananda dasji had spent some time living in a Gaudiya Math temple.

At that time, Srila Prabhupada and Sri Hrsikesananda dasji had a most IMPORTANT AND TODAY MOST RELEVANT DISCUSSION. Srila Prabhupada revealed some extremely important truths for everyone to understand. All our readers are humbly asked to read, reread and deeply think about this most important and monumental conversation between Srila Prabhupada and his dear disciple.

In summary, Srila Prabhupada said, “The Guru gives the siddha deha to his disciple; raganuga-bhakti and manasi seva are completely bonafide and correct; and the relationship between Sri Guru and his/her disciple is eternal!”

Now here is the entire conversation downloaded from I-net.

A MONUMENTAL CONVERSATION

SRILA PRABHUPADA: So what you have learned in Vrindavana?

HD: About Nitya-lila, Siddha-pranali, and asta-kaliya-lila-smaran. Right, Gurudeva?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: YES, but who is siddha?

HD: One out of millions of seekers, but isn’t nitya lila our goal?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes, we are the followers of Rupa-Raghunatha. This is the highest understanding, to be dasanudas in Radha-Krishna’s lila.

HD: But what about siddha-pranali? How to qualify? Who will give?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: GURU WILL GIVE. You just chant Hare Krishna.

HD: How to receive this eternal information about siddha pranali, Gurudeva?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: GURU WILL GIVE. There is no material consideration about Guru is here or there. When you reach that level, Guru will give.

HD: Gurudeva, what about manasi-seva, like the Brahmin who burnt his finger in meditation [while mentally offering kheer to his Thakuraji]? Isn’t that bhajan?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Krishna makes no distinction. But if you serve Krishna by mind [manasi seva], Krishna will accept. THAT IS SURE!

HD: Gurudeva, whenever I mention anything about raganuga bhakti, many of my God brothers get angry and say it is all a bunch of Gaudiya Math nonsense, and you never taught that!

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Everything is coming, they will also know it.

HD: Gurudeva, what about raganuga bhakti? What is the eternal relationship between us (disciples) and you?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: [Quoting the last pada of the famous prayer to Sri Guru, nikunja-yuno rati-keli-siddhyai, ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya]

Srila Prabhupada said, “tatrati-dakshyad ati-vallabhasya, vande guroh sri-caranaravindam, The spiritual master is very dear, because he is expert in assisting the gopis. So the Guru is serving under his master and you all [my disciples] can do likewise. In Nitya-lila every disciple thinks like that, ‘my master is the most dear to Radha-Krishna.’”

HD: So that means that my relationship with you is eternal, that it will continue in Nitya-lila in the sweetness of Gokula Vrindavana?

SRILA PRABHUPADA: YES!

Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Siddha Pranali ki jai! Sri Guru ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!

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Srimad Bhagavatam & Seven Siddha Dehas

Mahanidhi Swami

Did you know that not less than 7 siddha dehas are clearly described in the SrimadBhagavatam? Yes, it’s absolutely true—confirmed by the highest authority: the Bhagavata, which is the topmost, perfect shastra pramanam, amala Purana and the Pāramahaṁsa-saṁhitā.

Whether one is a Sri Krishna krpa-patra or a spiritually perfected bhakta sadhaka, he/she WILL ATTAIN a beautiful and divine siddha svarupa or SIDDHA DEHA. By the mercy of Sri Guru and Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the following personalities attained siddha dehas and went eternally to the spiritual sky:

  1. BALAK NARADA MUNI

evaṁ kṛṣṇa mater brahman, nāsaktas yāma lātmanaḥ
kālaḥ prā durabhūt kale, taḍit saudāmanī yathā

“O Brahmin Vyasa! Giving up all material attachments, I focused my pure mind completely on Sri Krishna and gave up my material body. Instantly, without any time interval at all, I received my spiritual body (siddha deha), like lightning flashing simultaneously with lightning.

prayujyamāne mayitāṁ, śuddhāṁ bhāgavatīṁ tanum
ārabdha karma nirvāṇo, nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ

“Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, my material body made of five material elements and my karmas fell away.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.27-28)

Sridhar Swami tika:

The verse word prayujyamāne means that the siddha deha was personally brought by Bhagavan Sri Vishnu [from Vaikuntha] and given or awarded to Narada Muni at death.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravartitika:

Previously, after once giving His sakshad darshana to the boy sadhaka, Narada Muni, Bhagavan Sri Vishnu disappeared and spoke invisibly from the sky (akashvani), saying, “O Narada, when you give up this body of low birth, you will become My associate.” (SB 1.6.23) Here in verse 28, Sri Vishnu fulfills His promise as Narada Muni simultaneously gives up his material body and receives the spiritual body, siddha deha.

  1. YUDDHISTHIRA & PANDAVAS

“Hearing the arrangements of Sri Krishna and the proper situation of the Yadu family, without others knowing, Yudhiṣṭhira fixed his mind on attaining Krishna’s abode.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.15.32)

SrilaVisvanathaCakravartitika:

The word svah in this verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.15.32) usually refers to the celestial heavens, but here it means the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha, as proven four chapters later (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.19.20), which says, “sad yojahur bhagavat pārśva kāmāḥ, “The Pandavas attained Krishna’s abode in the spiritual sky.”

  1. PUTANA RAKSHASI

Just see the inconceivable and most astonishing compassion of Bhagavan Sri Krishna! A baby-killing, blood-sucking witch came to kill Him, yet Sri Krishna mercifully gave Putana a spiritual body as a nursemaid [dhatri] assistant to Yashodamaya in GolokaVrindavana.

aho bakī yaṁ stana kāla kūṭaṁ,
jighāṁs ayāpāya yadap yasādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry ucitāṁ ta tonyaṁ,
kaṁvā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

Sri Uddhavji said, “O! The most evil Pūtanā, intent on killing Krishna, offered her poisonous breast to Krishna, yet she attained the position of a nurse in the spiritual world. Who else can be as merciful as Bhagavan Sri Krishna? Thus I surrender to Krishna!” (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.2.23]

  1. THE PERFECTED SADHAKA

Here Bhagavata describes the Vishnu/Krishna premi-sadhaka (anuragi Vaisnava) who experiences ecstatic symptoms of divine love just before leaving the material body to attain Vaikuntha and a spiritual form, siddha deha.

yac ca vrajantya-nimiṣām-ṛṣabh-ānuvṛttyā,
dūre-yamāh-yuparinaḥ-spṛhaṇī-yaśīlāḥ
bhartur-mithaḥ-suyaś-asaḥ-kathan-ānurāga,
vaiklav-yabāṣpa-kala-yāpulakī-kṛtāṅgāḥ

Sri Brahmaji said, “The dedicated followers of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu have transcended the rules and regulations (durayama) of yoga meditation and other austerities and even surpassed us. Possessing the most excellent qualities, they cry incessantly due to their intense attraction for Hari-katha and then enter Vaikuntha [which means attaining a siddha deha].” (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.25)

  1. BALAK DHRUVA MAHARAJA

Immediately on the spot, by the inconceivable shakti of Sri Vishnu, Balak Dhruva’s human body underwent transfiguration and became a spiritual body in this most amazing chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam.

parīt-yābhyarcya-dhiṣ-ṇyāgryaṁ, pārṣad-āva-bhivandya ca
iyeṣa tad adhiṣṭhātuṁ, bibhrad-rūpaṁ-hiraṇmayam

“Before boarding the transcendental Vaikuntha airplane, Balak Dhruva circumambulated and worshiped it; offered respects to the Vishnu parshads (associates); and assumed a golden form. Then that plane delivered him to Dhruvaloka, an outpost of Vaikuṇṭha within the material atmosphere.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.29)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravart itika:

Balak Dhruva worshipped the Vaikuntha airplane by offering flowers dipped in chandan while saying “Bhagavad vimānāya-namaḥ.”

  1. AJAMILA THE SINNER

After 80 years of grossly sinful life, the Brahmin Ajamila was saved from hell by Bhagavan Sri Vishnu. Then he went to Haridvartirtha to perform intense Vishnu bhakti bhajana. At death, he got a siddha svarupa [siddha deha] and liberation to Vaikuntha.

hitvā-kalevaraṁ-tīrthe, gaṅgā-yāṁ-darśan-ādanu
sadyaḥ-svarūpaṁ-jagṛhe, bhagavat-pārśva-vartinām

“After seeing the Vishnuduttas [messengers of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu], Ajamila gave up his body at Haridvara by Ma Ganga, and immediately attained a spiritual body as an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu.”

Śrīnātha Cakravartī (Mahaprabhuparshad and Sri Advaita Prabhu shishya) said, the verse word SADYA means a seamless transfer; it occurred immediately without any break.

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das:

The Sanskrit word meanings in this verse are crystal clear.

Sadya; immediately Ajamila got it i.e. siddha deha.

Sva-rūpam; means his own individual spiritual form i.e. the siddha deha or “the siddha svarupa” as Sri RupaGosvami describes it in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu.

Jagṛhe; means Ajamila adopted or assumed it.

Bhagavat-pārśva-vartinām; means Ajamila attained a spiritual body as an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu i.e. samipya-mukti.

  1. GAJENDRA THE ELEPHANT

A couple of boys, a fiendish witch and a fallen papi Brahmin all got the mercy of Sri Krishna and attained spiritual bodies, siddha dehas, in the spiritual realm. Now just observe how the line of divine krpa extends even to beasts, as Sri Vishnu liberates a suffering jungle elephant.

yaṁ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā,
bhajan-taiṣṭāṁ-gatim-āpnuvanti
kiṁ-cā-śiṣorāt-yapi-deham-avyayaṁ,
karotu me ‘dabhra-dayo-vimokṣaṇam

Hati Gajendra prayed, “Persons desiring dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa worship Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna, attain assorted material benedictions, the treasure of prema and a spiritual body too. May that unlimitedly merciful Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna also liberate me from samsara and give me an imperishable spiritual body [dehamavyayaṁ], siddha deha.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.3.19)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

Devotees having material desires also serve Sri Krishna. They desire dharma, kāma, artha and liberation which they get by worshipping Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Besides that, they also receive the most cherished goal of Krishna prema.

The Bhagavata says, “Bhagavan Sri Vishnu certainly gives the objects desired by His devotees. However, He gives them in such a way that the devotee, after enjoying them, will not ask for them again. Even though they don’t desire them, Sri Krishna lovingly gives His lotus feet to such motivated worshipers. (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.19.27)

Bhagavan Sri Vishnu gives the desired material objects, and also gives them a spiritual body as He did with Dhruva and others. Thus Sri Vishnu is unlimitedly merciful.

mmgd: The siddha deha that Gajendra prayed for here was attained in the next chapter of SrimadBhagavatam. This is a very very important point for sadhakas of bhakti. Following Gajendra’s example of intentionally praying to Sri Krishna for a siddha deha, we too should pray to Sri Krishna to kindly and mercifully reveal our personal siddha dehas.

However, unlike Gajendra, who seeing his life about to end in the jaws of the crocodile of death, prayed once at death to attain a siddha deha, sincere sadhakas SHOULD PRAY EVERDAY to Sri Krishna to please reveal their individual and beautiful siddha dehas right here and right now.

gajendro-bhagavat-sparśād, vimukto ‘jñāna-bandhanāt
prāpto-bhagavato-rūpaṁ, pīta-vāsāś-catur-bhujaḥ

“Because Bhagavan Sri Vishnu directly touched HatiGajendra, the elephant was totally freed from ignorance and samsara. Gajendra attained the Vaikuntha liberation of svarupya-mukti, i.e. the same transcendental bodily features as Sri Vishnu with four hands and a brilliant yellow dress.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.4.6.)

Conclusion:

Can anyone imagine the tremendous power, beauty and sweetness of bhakti in any form, be it karma/jnanamishra bhakti, shuddha-bhakti or even deceitful devotion masking murderous intents? Disregarding all mixed motives, Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna kindly purifies His worshipers, humbly fulfills their material desires, and gives them eternal spiritual forms in Vaikuntha even if they aren’t desiring them.

Children, sinful Brahmins, sincere sadhakas, prakrta-bhaktas, murderous witches and even beasts like elephants—all get the mercy and attain the spiritual sky by the infinite, divine compassion of Sri Vishnu/Krishna.

“O Sri Krishna, remembering all these success stories of Srimad Bhagavatam, I too hope one day to receive a drop of Your mercy, the embrace of Your love, and a spiritual form too. Please, O Sri Krishna, please, O please, don’t neglect this one piteously crying in Your divya dhama!” (verses from madan-gopal blogspot)

Sri Krishna krpa ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!