Srila Gurudeva (The Supreme Treasure)
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2010 | 179,005 words
This page relates ‘Bhakti as stated by Shri Madhvacarya’ of the book dealing with life and teachings of Srila Gurudeva, otherwise known as Shri Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Gurudeva is a learned and scholar whose teachings primarily concern the spiritual beauties of Bhakti—devotional service and the qualities and pastimes of Shri Krishna.
Bhakti as stated by Śrī Madhvācārya
Bhakti is of three types:
That bhakti which appears in the heart of a devotee before hearing hari-kathā from śrī guru is called general (sādhāraṇi) bhakti. Those who have not heard properly and who do not accept the lotus feet of śrī guru, do not understand the Vedic truths, and therefore, pray to the Lord for such things as wealth, sons, animals, houses, and so forth. This is not even called as sādhāraṇi bhakti; it is lower than the lowest kind of bhakti. It can never impart any realized knowledge (jñāna) or liberation (mukti).
That bhakti which arises in the heart of the devotee after direct perception, or bhagavad-darśana, is called paramā-bhakti. It is free from fruitive material desire, so it is called amalā-bhakti. By this paramā-bhakti, one receives the supreme mercy of the Lord. receiving that supreme mercy of the Lord, one easily gets liberation. After liberation, the eternal constitutional stage of the jīva is reached in which bhakti eternally remains as pure, unmotivated, and uninterrupted (svarūpa-bhakti).
In the process of sādhana, bhakti is the main activity. It is the only means to get the supreme mercy of the Lord. The cultivation of knowledge in Vedic scripture that leads to liberation is the means of direct knowledge. The impersonal knowledge, which is the darkest form of knowledge, is for demoniac people. The seed of bhakti will appear in the heart of sāttvika people. Demoniac personalitires such as Śiśupāla, Dantavakra, Kaṃsa, Jarāsandha and so on, had bhagavad-darśana and spiritual knowledge to some extent, but that did not arouse bhakti; rather, it increased their averse, hostile mentality. According to śāstra, one can obtain virtue (puṇya) by seeing or touching the cow; but if a tiger sees and touches the cow, this increases its enviousness. The vision of demons is like that of the tiger in this example.
They become more envious instead of being purified. Śrī Madhvācārya defined bhakti as such:
माहात्म्यज्ञानपूर्वस्-तु सुदृअसर्वतोऽधिकः
स्नेहो भक्तिरिति प्रोक्तस्-तया मूक्तिर्न चान्यथाmāhātmyajñānapūrvas-tu sudṛasarvato'dhikaḥ
sneho bhaktiriti proktas-tayā mūktirna cānyathāMahābhārata-tātparya-nirṇaya (1.86)
In sāstra, it is said that having firm faith in bhagavat knowledge, being detached from affection to kith and kin, and nirupādhika affection for the Lord is called bhakti. Through this bhakti, one can obtain mukti. By other means it is not possible.
Again, Śrī Mādhavācārya has written about the sequence of the process of sādhana:
भक्त्या ज्ञानं ततो भक्तिस्-ततो दृष्टिस्-ततस्-च सा
ततो मुक्तिस्-ततो भक्तिः सैव स्यात् सुखरूपिणीbhaktyā jñānaṃ tato bhaktis-tato dṛṣṭis-tatas-ca sā
tato muktis-tato bhaktiḥ saiva syāt sukharūpiṇīAnuvyākhyāna (34)
First, a sādhaka earns spiritual knowledge through śraddhā. After that, direct sādhana-bhakti begins; after which, direct knowledge appears in the heart; then, paramā-bhakti; then, mukti; then, svarūpa-bhakti, in which serves Lord Viṣṇu in one’s own constitutional form.
मुक्तो’पि तद्वशो नित्यं भूयो भक्ति-समन्वितः
साध्यानन्दस्वरूपैव भक्तिर् नैवात्र साधनम्mukto’pi tadvaśo nityaṃ bhūyo bhakti-samanvitaḥ
sādhyānandasvarūpaiva bhaktir naivātra sādhanamBhagavad-gītā-tātparya (2.11)
Even the liberated person remains under the subjugation of the Lord and deeply attached to bhakti. The bhakti performed by a liberated person is sādhya-bhakti. It is embodiment of supreme bliss–it is not sādhana-bhakti.
Amalā-bhakti is the only sādhana.
भक्तिर् एवैनं नयति भक्तिर् एवैनं दर्शयति
भक्ति-वशः पुरुषो भक्तिर् एव भूयसीbhaktir evainaṃ nayati bhaktir evainaṃ darśayati
bhakti-vaśaḥ puruṣo bhaktir eva bhūyasīMāthar-śruti
It is only unalloyed bhagavad-bhakti that carries the jīvas close to Bhagavān, brings about an audience with Him, and eternal engagement in His sevā. Bhagavān is only controlled by pure bhakti.
Certainly, such bhakti is most powerful.
नायम् आत्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन
यम् एवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस् तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम्nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svāmKaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23), Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Abolute Truth, is beyond all sense perception, beyond mental or intellectual speculation, beyond any material intelligence or mundane philosophy. Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself only to whom He chooses to reveal Himself. Only that person can realise Him, no one else. Being pleased with that person’s attitude of service (towards one’s guru), Kṛṣṇa manifests to him His own form.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिर्
यथा देवे तथा गुरौ
तस्यैते कथिता ह्य् अर्थाः
प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनःyasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥŚvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23)
The true import of the scriptures is revealed only to those great souls who have the same unflinching faith and parā-bhakti (transcendental devotion) for their guru as they have for the Supreme Lord.