Bhajana-Rahasya

by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya | 2010 | 123,965 words

The Bhajana-rahasya Text 2, English translation, including commentary (vritti). The Bhajana-rahasya is a compilation of verses describing the mercy of the eight pairs of names (Yugala-nama) of the Maha-mantra. This is text 2 belonging to the chapter “Ashtama-yama-sadhana (Ratri-lila–prema-bhajana sambhoga)” representing from midnight to three-and-a-half praharas of the night: approximately 00.00 a.m.–3.30 a.m.

A devotee who remembers these pastimes is transcendental, being filled with eternality, knowledge and bliss (sac-cid-ānanda ) just like the Supreme Lord. A Vaiṣṇava’s body is non-different from Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body.

In this regard, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.29.34), Śrī Kṛṣṇa says to Uddhava:

मर्त्यो यदा त्यक्त-समस्त-कर्मा निवेदितात्मा विचिकीर्षितो मे
तदामृतत्वं प्रतिपद्यमानो मयात्म-भूयाय च कल्पते वै

martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
tadāmṛtatvaṃ pratipadyamāno mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai

When a person abandons all fruitive activities and fully surrenders himself to Me, he becomes a recipient of special prema. This is a result of My merciful treatment of him. I release him from old age and grant him entrance into My eternal pastimes, where he serves Me eternally.

सर्व-कर्म तेयागिया, मोरे आत्म निवेदिया, येइ करे आमार सेवन
अमृतत्व-धर्म पाञा, लीला-मध्ये प्रवेशिया, आमा-सह करये रमण

sarva-karma teyāgiyā, more ātma nivediyā, yei kare āmāra sevana
amṛtatva-dharma pāñā, līlā-madhye praveśiyā, āmā-saha karaye ramaṇa

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Having explained sambandha-tattva (the living entity’s relationship with the Supreme Lord), abhidheyatattva (the process to attain the supreme goal) and prayojana-tattva (the supreme goal) to His dear devotee Uddhava, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the situation of a pure devotee who is exclusively surrendered to Him.

As the mortal living entity wanders throughout this material existence, he attains the association of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates according to the extent of his sukṛti (pious activity). Due to his association with pure devotees, he relinquishes the desire for performing nitya-karma and naimittika-karma (daily and occasionally prescribed duties), sense enjoyment and liberation, and he cultivates pure bhakti. The darkness of his ignorance is removed by the light of bhakti, just as darkness is removed by sunshine. The devotee then serves the Supreme Lord with a full sense of possessive ness (mamatā ) towards Him, and Śrī Bhagavān bestows upon that devotee a spiritual body appropriate for render ing eternal service to Him. That means He bestows a body, qualities, activities, service and so on according to the particular mood of the sādhaka.

As a result of associating with devotees who are of the same mood (svajātīya) and affectionately disposed (snigdhāśaya ) toward oneself, the sādhaka who is endowed with mādhurya-rati attains a desire in his heart to render service in the amorous mellow. And, by practising bhakti and by the mercy of devotees, he reaches the state of perfection (siddha-avasthā). Such a devotee performs his sādhana internally under the guidance of Lalitā and other sakhīs, and by their mercy, he attains a form like that of a nitya-siddha mañjarī and he experiences the pleasure of directly rendering intimate service to the Divine Couple (kuñja-sevā) in Śrī Vraja-dhāma. This constitutes the attainment of svarūpa-siddhi, after which the living entity achieves vastu-siddhi and for eternity serves Śrī Rādhā in the eternal land of Vṛndāvana. Such service is only attained by sādhakas in mādhuryarati;not by others.

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