By Srimad Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Gosvami Maharaja
The topmost manifestation of bhakti – the ultimate fruit of sādhana-bhakti – is prema-bhakti.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the symptoms of the various stages of bhakti in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.17):
kleśa-ghnī śubha-dā mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt su-durlabhāsāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā
[“Śuddha-bhakti has six characteristics: (1) kleśaghnī, it destroys all types of distress; (2) śubhadā, it bestows complete auspiciousness; (3) mokṣa-laghutākṛt, it makes the attainment of liberation insignificant; (4) sudurlabhā, it is extremely rare; (5) sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā, it is the embodiment of condensed bliss; (6) śrī kṛṣṇākarṣṇī, it attracts Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”]
SĀDHANA-BHAKTI
A neophyte devotee is disturbed by the three-fold miseries (kleśa): ādhyātmika (miseries arising from the body and mind), ādhidaivika (those arising from other living beings) and ādhibhautika (those arising from the natural environment). But as one practices devotion, two fruits appear at the stage of sādhana-bhakti – kleśa-ghnī and śubhadā. At that stage, the devotee no longer perceives such material miseries as kleśa (kleśa-ghnī) and sees only auspiciousness (śubhadā) at all times.
BHĀVA-BHAKTI
Sādhana-bhakti matures into bhāva-bhakti. Two fruits appear at this stage – mokṣa-laghutākṛt and su-durlabhā. Mokṣa-laghutākrt means one sees the liberation which, jñānīs endeavor for, as insignificant. One also realizes that bhakti is very rare (su-durlabhā).
jñānatah sulabhā muktir bhuktir yajñādi-puṇyataḥ
seyaṁ sādhana-sāhasrair hari-bhaktiḥ sudurlabhā
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu(1.1.36)
[By the cultivation of impersonal knowledge, one can easily obtain liberation (mukti) and by the performance of sacrifices and other pious activities, one can easily obtain sense gratification (bhukti), but despite performing innumerable sādhanas, it is still very rare to achieve hari-bhakti.]
Jñānatah sulabhā muktir – Liberation is easily attained through the process of jñāna. Bhuktir yajñādi-puṇyataḥ- By doing yajñas and similar pious activities, one can get bhoga, facilities for sense enjoyment. If one performs one hundred aśvamedha-yajñas properly, one can become Indra. By properly observing sannyāsa vows for one hundred lifetimes, one can become Brahmā. But seyaṁ sādhana-sāhasrair hari-bhaktiḥ sudurlabhā – Hari-bhakti is not only rare (durlabha), it is very rare (sudurlabha).
PREMA-BHAKTI
After the stage of bhāva bhakti, comes prema-bhakti. It also has two fruits – sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā, or incalculably condensed bliss like sugar candy, miśri. The taṭhastā (secondary) symptom of prema-bhakti is – śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī – it attracts Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One attracts Kṛṣṇa by two moods: tadīyā (“I am Kṛṣṇa’s”) and madīyā (“Kṛṣṇa is mine”). The mood of Rādhārāṇī and Her sakhīs is ‘madīyā –”We are not Kṛṣṇa’s, Kṛṣṇa is ours”.
In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī wrote about the broad spectrum of bhakti (sādhāraṇa bhakti), delineating the sixty-four limbs of bhakti for practicing devotees, while in Śrī Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, he described it in a very specific (viśeṣa) way. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the process to attain pure devotion and explained the qualification to receive it.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also wrote about Goloka Vṛndāvana, which is like an ocean of milk. It is so divine and nectarean that upon attaining it, the jīva doesn’t even glance back at Vaikuṇṭha, what to speak of this material world! He made such high topics accessible for us.
If one tries to attain Goloka Vṛndāvana then there remains no kleśa (miseries), for him. If one person attains Goloka Vṛndāvana, then that does not affect another’s possibility to attain it, as Goloka is endless, infinite and will never diminish.
On the other hand, since this material world is limited, if a jñānī or karmī attains his object, that directly hampers another’s possibility of attaining it. For example, if one performs a hundred aśvamedha-yajñas, he becomes qualified to become the king of heaven. However there is only one such post and hence only one person can attain it. Similarly one who strictly follows karma-sannyāsa for a hundred lifetimes becomes qualified for the position of Brahmā. These posts are of this material world and hence limited; one has to compete and fight with others to attain them.
In Vaikuṇṭha, there is no kuṇṭha dharma. There are no fights. The objects there are endless in supply so there is no shortage for anyone. There, it is full of rasa. There are five types of rasa – śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. Bhakti-mārga, the path of devotional service, is the only one devoid of jealousy or envy toward others.
Gaura Hari Haribol