Q&A: Maintaining inspiration in bhajan: Sometimes inspiration comes, and again it goes...

Q: It is often seen that people come to Vraja for pilgrimage, associate with sadhus and gain much inspiration in bhajan -- only to have it diminish and wither in a few months after returning to West! What is the reason for this, how to avoid it?

A:  There are several reasons for the diminishing of enthusiasm in bhajan. As a matter of general principle, it has to do with not exercising due caution in protecting one's bhajan. For a sadhaka, protecting one's bhajan is of the utmost essence. He should not neglect or squander his precious attainments.

In his Upadeshamrita, Srila Rupa Goswamipad has listed the following six items that cause the devastation of devotional pursuits:

atyAhAraH prayAsaz ca prajalpo niyamAgrahaH |
jana-saGgaz ca laulyaM ca SaDbhir bhaktir vinazyati || 2 ||

"Excessive eating or harnessing property, strenuous endeavors, idle talks, neglect of principles, the company of the worldly and fickleness; these six make the devotion perish."

If someone, after having spent time engrossed in bhajan, returns to his worldly life of harnessing so many items that are truly not of need for a life of bhajan, he is overwhelmed by a sense of possessive illusion that blocks the consciousness from entering the ways of bhajan. If one eats in excess or eats inappropriate food from inappropriate sources, sexual desire is provoked, the consciousness is tainted with evil and the mind becomes wicked. If one engages in idle talks, such as blasphemy, gossip or topics of sensuality, he cuts on the very root of devotion through blasphemy and gossip, cultivating taste for the mundane.

If someone neglects the execution of due devotional principles, one's daily religious vows of prayer, worship and meditation, the creeper of devotion withers in shortage of water. If one maintains mundane association either through cultivating relationships with worldly people or vicariously enjoying their ways through movies, novels and so forth, his taste for the worldly is nourished, and in proportion his interest in devotion vanishes. If the mind is fickle, running across the universe and taking interest in countless topics of sense enjoyment and intellectual interest, the focus of consciousness is scattered and led afar from bhajan.

Among the six items perfecting the practice of devotion, Rupa Goswami mentions sato vRtteH, which the commentator glosses as sadAcAra, or saintly conduct. Sadachar keeps one protected from varieties of aparAdhas and shields one from mundane influence, lack thereof leads one to unknowingly commit aparAdhas and leaves one vulnerable for the effects of the world. Therefore, one should learn and adopt appropriate sadachar, saintly conduct, to protect the tender creeper of devotion.

In his teachings to Sri Rupa, Sriman Mahaprabhu taught of the cultivation of the creeper of devotion and the need to exercise great caution (CC 2.19.154ff):

tabe yAya tad-upari goloka-vRndAvana |
kRSNa-caraNa-kalpa-vRkSe kare ArohaNa ||
tAhAG vistArita haJA phale prema-phala |
ihAG mAlI sece nitya zravaNAdi jala ||
yadi vaiSNava-aparAdha uThe hAtI mAtA |
upADe vA chiNDe, tAra zukhi’ yAya pAtA ||
tAte mAlI yatna kari’ kare AvaraNa |
aparAdha-hastIra yaiche nA haya udgama ||

"Then, it grows beyond and reaches Goloka Vrindavan, climbing to the desire tree of Sri Krishna's feet.
"Extending there, it produces the fruit of prema, as the gardener always sprinkles it with the water of hearing and the such.
"Should offence at the feet of a Vaishnava arise like a mad elephant, it'll uproot or break the creeper, making its leaves dry.
"Therefore the gardener, with great diligence, prepares a protective barrier to prevent the elephant of offence from awakening."

The observance of maryAda, or proper etiquette in dealings with Vaishnavas, coupled with due awareness of inadequacies in ingredients, places and manners of activity in worship, must therefore be assimilated and maintained if one is to maintain one's firmness in pursuing devotion.

Mahaprabhu described the undesired weeds that suck the life sap of the creeper of devotion in the following words:

niSiddhAcAra, kuTInATI, jIva-hiMsana |
lAbha, pUjA, pratiSThAdi yata upazAkhA-gaNa ||
seka-jala pAJA upazAkhA bADi yAya |
stabdha haJA mUla-zAkhA bADite nA pAya ||
prathamei upazAkhAra karaye chedana |
tabe mUla-zAkhA bADi’ yAya vRndAvana ||

"Forbidden acts, duplicity, hostility towards others, mundane gain, worship and distinction, these are the host of weeds.
"Drinking the water sprinkled, they are nourished while the growth of the main creeper becomes thwarted.
"The weeds must be discarded at the very moment of their appearance; Then, the main creeper will grow and reach Vrindavan."

One should therefore stay afar from forbidden acts such as sinful deeds or other acts deemed unbefitting in the Vaishnava scriptures, be transparent in his dealings and not lead a life of deceit, not cause undue grief and anguish to other living entities, and always beware the traps of mundane gain, worship and distinction that arise parallel with the growth of devotion.

Hence the famous words, sAdhu sAvadhAn! -- "Saints, beware!". Seek to protect your devotional accomplishments by carefully weeding out crippling elements, whilst always yearning for the company of affectionate and advanced sadachari-sadhus from whose hearts the nectar of devotion oozes in our direction, and who educate us in the ways of guarding our growth in devotion.

F: My Precious Anartha-astakam

My Precious Anartha-astakam

– Svatantra-smriti, Artha-nirupanam –

Pure devotion, the mere notion, casts shivers up my spine;
Seriously, you're proposing, the whole world I'd decline?
I must be gradual, I must be casual, stir my concocted soup;
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

Rules, fools, are for the pure, and they sure ain't my cure;
For to suppress and to oppress would be harmful for sure!
A higher taste you told to relish? I can't taste it, for I cherish
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

Lord money, my honey, the precious aim of my life,
Kali's pal, yes I know it, but my life needs some strife!
Must work hard, must work hard, to make more than I need;
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

Juicy gossip I so cherish, 'tis the elixir for the soul;
Thousand ears and thousand mouths I have grown for the foul!
To know the faults of all others is to feel good myself;
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

Abstinence – alas, such a relic from the past!
The observance is abnormal, said Sri Freud's forecast;
And I agree, for I so love that tickling sensation;
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

With gusto I devour every dish, I'm not afraid;
No matter who cooked, and no matter who paid!
I am what I eat, yes, and I therefore proclaim:
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

I am great, and I am good, and don't you tell me what to do;
For I know what's my best, and that again I shall chew;
I don't need your advice, for I cherish my every vice:
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

The names of Sri Krishna I should chant? But oh why?
I don't like it, and I know it, I don't even care to try!
For I heard it might harm my attachments and my pride:
Anarthas, my precious, my precious, my precious!

Then chant this, O friends, for the mistress of your heart;
Queen Anartha the sovereign, lest she be jealous and depart!
Be obedient – for she's precious like a gem on the snake's part;
And please carry her everywhere with your soul-molded cart.

Q&A: Raga-marga and family life - Do the two go together?

Q: Do raga-marga and family life go together? It seems to me that there is much emphasis on renunciation, and I can practically see, as a householder, that especially with children it is often hard to focus on wholesome sadhana.

A: This question may certainly awaken as one reflects on the long traditions of vairagi-mahatmas in Vraja, and as one then comes across sayings in the scriptures that emphasize renunciation and seem averse to family life.

In addressing this, let us first establish the foundation: The nature of bhakti. How many times has devotion been described as apratihata (unobstructed) and avyavahita (uninterrupted), and how many times has the supreme independence of devotion been glorified? Can devotion, then, be dependent on external circumstances? Has it not been said, jIvanti san-mukharitAM bhavadIya-vArtAm sthAne sthitAH (BhP 10.14.3): "Staying in your place, filling your life with narrations of the Lord heard from the saints' mouths..."

Devotion cannot, therefore, be in a subordinate position to one's external position in life: Rather, it will reign supreme in any situation of life.

One is shackled to this world by the family and the children only as long as love for Krishna has not awakened:

tAvad rAgAdayaH stenAs tAvat kArA-gRhaM gRham |
tAvan moho ’Gghri-nigaDo yAvat kRSNa na te janAH || bhp 10.14.36

"O Krishna! As long as people do not become your devotees, so long do attachments and so forth remain thieves, so long is one's home a prison cell, and so long is one shackled by illusion at the family's feet."

Visvanatha Cakravartipada offers an illuminating commentary on this verse, consisting of a lengthy response to the objection that some renunciates may present, suggesting that the residents of Vraja are but ordinary householders, bound by a network of attachment:

"Yes. That is true for most worldly householders. However, what to speak of the householders of Vraja, even your ordinary devotees in other places are superior to these renounced critics. . . .

"O Krishna! As long as people do not receive the mercy of your devotees and become your followers, they remain in this position. However, when they become your devotees, they develop attachment for bhakti and aversion to things obstructing bhakti, and then repose all their love in you. In this way, the thieves of material attraction, hatred and love become sanctified by becoming fixed in you, and then help the devotee by giving him spiritual bliss, knowledge and a host of advantages.

"In that way the same home, which was once a prison cell created by favorable and contrary karmic reactions, becomes for the devotee a place filled with service to you by hearing and chanting your glories, and by a host of other activities meant to please you. These activities carry one to your eternal abode."

Then, renouncing one's spouse and children is not a pre-requisite for following raga-marga! The stage of anisthita-bhajana (unsteady worship) at which such speculations arise is called vyUdha-vikalpA (parading possibilities) in Visvanatha Cakravarti's Madhurya-kadambini (3.10); in this section, the author goes on to present at some length the devotee's speculations on whether to renounce or to remain with the family. A very significant aspect of this section is the total absence of any conclusion on whether one ought to renounce or not – it does not seem to make any difference whatsoever to the author.

The path of bhakti is not one of acceptance and rejection; it is one of transformation. Let us remind ourselves of Rupa Gosvami's two famous verses on vairagya (BRS 1.2.255–256):

anAsaktasya viSayAn yathArham upayuJjataH |
nirbandhaH kRSNa-sambandhe yuktaM vairAgyam ucyate || 1.2.255

"Being detached from objects of enjoyment while using them in an appropriate way in relationship with Krishna is known as befitting renunciation."

The magic, then, is in forging a relationship between the world and a life of devotion, connecting the dots and making one's whole life with all it entails spiritually meaningful. On the other hand:

prApaJcikatayA buddhyA hari-sambandhi-vastunaH |
mumukSubhiH parityAgo vairAgyaM phalgu kathyate || 1.2.256

"The rejection of objects with a relationship to Hari by a seeker of mukti, who considers them worldly objects, is known as worthless renunciation."

Do not be led astray by immature renunciation, then! By doing so, you would only hamper your own devotional growth.

Narottama Das Thakur Mahasaya, a great renunciate himself, taught us the proper spirit:

gRhe vA vanete thAke, hA gaurAGga bole DAke,
narottama mAge tAra saGga ||

"Whether at home or in the forest, if one calls out, 'Ha Gauranga!' – Narottama longs for his company."

How could he have said anything less? After all, his dear companion, Srinivasa Acarya, was a father to six beautiful children: Vrindavan, Radha-Krishna, Gati-govinda, Hemalata, Krishnapriya and Kancana-latika. No less was Rasikananda, the foremost among Syamananda's disciples, who had three sons with Syamadasi – Radhananda, Krishna-Govinda and Radha-Krishna. There is no scarcity of householders with children among Mahaprabhu's companions and the following generations of illustrious Gaudiya saints and sadhakas.

In my own parampara, there is a a whole lineage of householders, and indeed over the first six generations it is specifically a vamsa, or a family lineage – and this is a trend that is present practically throughout the broad Gaudiya tradition. There is no lack of precedents in this regard.

"That's all fine in principle", says the skeptic – "But surely a householder with children can't allocate sufficient time for sadhana!"

No doubt, children will take much of one's precious time – and let us remember that time spent in raising children is also time preciously spent. One who has given his or her life to Krishna, when there is unreserved atma-samarpana – "Ha Thakur! I am yours, and yours alone!" – has effectively transformed all of life's duties from worldly to divine. This we know as Krishna's samsara – it is no longer ours.

Now, we do also need to allocate time for acts known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti, or acts that are a direct devotional engagement by their nature, such as sravana, kirtana and smarana. How do we find the time for that? We find the time by ridding ourselves of so many of our precious anarthas: Watching movies, reading worldly literature, wasting our time with countless trivial pursuits. Re-priorize your life. Whatever the quantity of time you are able to invest in direct sadhana-activities, make that time stand out. Rather than wasting three hours in half-attentive hovering about, spend half an hour or one hour in sadhana with deep focus, entirely undistracted, giving your heart and soul to it.

Visuddha-bhajana is possible anywhere, and anytime – for those willing. When amidst obstructions, our passion for bhajana grows greater and greater, and our inner force of determination is nourished; but do not think of your children as something undesired! Whatever duties Thakur has integrated into your life, take them as his gifts and tend to them as you would to your other devotional deeds.

In concluding, let us hear the apt words of Bhaktivinoda, an exemplary sadhaka and a father to ten children, from his Gitavali:

sampade vipade, bhAi, bolo hari bolo
gRhe thAko, vane thAko, bolo hari bolo
kRSNera saMsAre thAki’ bolo hari bolo

"In success and failure, O brother, chant Hari, chant!
Staying home, or staying in the forest, chant Hari, chant!
Staying in Krishna's samsara, chant Hari, chant!"

* * * * * * *

Q: Is the following verse relevant in this context?

antare niSThA kara, bAhye loka-vyavahAra |
acirAt kRSNa tomAya karibe uddhAra || CC 2.16.239

[Prabhu said:] "Maintain strong faith internally and behave
outwardly as ordinary mortals. Then very soon, Krishna will uplift you."

A: Mahaprabhu's words (CC 2.16.239), cited earlier, were spoken to Raghunatha Das in a particular situation and are out of context here. Prabhu spoke of the befitting behavior and inner attitude in a situation where the conditions are adverse. With my post, I had hoped to demonstrate that the life of a householder is not necessarily an adverse situation one must strive to be soon delivered of. The life of a householder, just as the life of a renunciate, is only as beneficial or contrary as you make it be. An escape from householder life is not an escape from worldly desires – how many times have we witnessed the temporary nature of renunciation born of adversity?

Householder life can be a great asset, if you so will. Hear Kasyapa's words to Diti from the third canto of the Bhagavata (3.14.18-21):

sarvAzramAn upAdAya svAzrameNa kalatravAn |
vyasanArNavam atyeti jala-yAnair yathArNavam || 18
yAm Ahur Atmano hy ardhaM zreyas-kAmasya mAnini |
yasyAM sva-dhuram adhyasya pumAMz carati vijvaraH || 19
yAm AzrityendriyArAtIn durjayAn itarAzramaiH |
vayaM jayema helAbhir dasyUn durga-patir yathA || 20
na vayaM prabhavas tAM tvAm anukartuM gRhezvari |
apy AyuSA vA kArtsnyena ye cAnye guNa-gRdhnavaH || 21

"With the help of all the asramas, one with a wife, in his own asrama, may cross over the perilous waves of existence just as the ocean is crossed with boats."
"O esteemed one, she is said to be a half of the man, sharing in all that is auspicious and desired; sharing his burdens, a man leads a life without distress."
"Taking shelter of her, we can easily conquer the enemies of the senses, unlike those in other asramas, just as a fort-commander drives away the invaders."
"We are unable to return the favor to you, O queen of the household, even in our entire lifetime; not even they, who appreciate such qualities, can."

Especially, if the wife and the husband are both serious sadhakas, they can do a great deal to facilitate each others' devotional lives. The burden a renunciate would have to bear alone, the two can share, taking burden off each others' shoulders and paving a smooth way for fulfilling devotional engagement.

Contrary to "classical" gender roles seen in Indian societies, the male sadhaka will never consider himself to be the master and the enjoyer of the wife's services. Rather, he is a servant just as she is. She is a maidservant of Krishna, a dasi of Radha's - and you are dasa-dasanu-das. What right do you - or I - have, then, to demand or to expect favors of others? Of course, in a naturally affectionate relationship both are seeking opportunities to help the other, to facilitate the other's immersion in bhajana - but nothing ought to be taken for granted, lest we fall into a dark well of false egoism that devours our spirit of devotion.

Now, for such a dynamic to unfold in a manner that is truly fruitful, desires for enjoying the other in a mundane way will have to be forsaken. Alas, would not the mere thought of subjecting a maidservant of Radha and Krishna to our gross, bodily desires, be audacious! With this, we shall also have to reflect on abstinence in married life. But worry not, desires can be conquered! Bhakti is a most powerful force, causing wonders in those willing to receive and embrace this divine current in their hearts!

There is no obstacle too great for the sovereign goddess of bhakti to be conquered, for she is only nourished, defeating and subjugating each and every adversary – and there is truly no rival for her power in the three worlds. Let us seek a connection that taps us to the source of this divine force, and let us be committed with sincerity in sustaining this precious link – for having attained that, the great and the inaccessible shall be within an arm's length, and no attainment in the spiritual domain shall be beyond our reach.

UP 2: Krodha-vega - The urge of anger; Anger, the destroyer of all world

Thakur Mahashaya, discussing the evils of anger in his Prema-bhakti-chandrika, says: krodha vA nA kare kibA, krodha tyAga sadA dibA - "What can anger not accomplish? Always give up anger!" On the evils anger will accomplish, Dharmaraja Yudhisthira speaks in the Vana-parva of Mahabharata:

krodha mUlo vinAzo hi prajAnAm iha dRzyate |
kruddhaH pApaM naraH kuryAt kruddho hanyAt gurUn api ||
kruddhaH paruSayA vAcA zreyaso'pyavamAnyate |
vAcyAvAcye hi kupito na prajAnAti karhicit |
nAkAryam asti kruddhasya nAvAcyaM vidyate tathA ||
kruddho hi kAryaM suzroNi na yathAvat prapazyati |
nA kAryaM na ca maryAdAM naraH kruddho'nupazyati ||

"Anger is seen at the root of all human destruction. Due to anger, people commit sins, due to anger they may even slay their gurus. When an angry person speaks beneficial words, they'll be disregarded still. The incensed man never knows not what is to be said and what to be left unsaid. There is no forbidden deed the angry will not do, nor is there anything he cannot say. O Draupadi! The deeds accomplished by anger are unforeseen and unpredictable. The angry man does not know what is to be done, nor does he act according to proper etiquette."

Anger has a great captivating power over the mind. Anger drags the mind down to a hellish state. The sequence of the growth of anger is described as follows:

dhyAyato viSayAn puMsaH saGgas teSUpajAyate |
saGgAt saJjAyate kAmaH kAmAt krodho ’bhijAyate ||
krodhAd bhavati sammohaH sammohAt smRti-vibhramaH |
smRti-bhraMzAd buddhi-nAzo buddhi-nAzAt praNazyati || bg 2.62-63

"As one contemplates on sense-objects, association arises. From association, desires come about, and due to desires anger awakens.
"From anger comes madness, from madness the bewilderment of memory, from the bewilderment of memory the destruction of intelligence. With the destruction of intelligence, one perishes."

Anger is overcome with wisdom and humility. The desired wisdom is discussed in the Bhagavata:

tat te ’nukampAM su-samIkSamANo
bhuJjAna evAtma-kRtaM vipAkam |
hRd-vAg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jIveta yo mukti-pade sa dAya-bhAk || bhp 10.14.8

"Always longing for Your compassion,
Enduring all as the fruits of one's own deeds,
Offering respects to You with heart, words and body,
The feet of Mukunda become one's due inheritance."

Always regard evils that befall upon us as the fruits of our own misdeeds. Do not fault others for carrying the fruits of your ill acts. Rather, within your heart, call for their forgiveness for having to carry out the fruits of your karma. Always find a lesson in the tribulations you meet, face them with gratitude.

Now, Thakur Mahashaya has also said, krodha bhakta-dveSi-jane -- "Be angry to those hateful of devotees." Yet, this krodha is not to be brought out as an outburst of rage. Within there is fire, without there are only good wishes for another. Whichever medium the inner fire assumes, it is done with the sole purpose of rectifying the offender.

The 11th canto of the Bhagavata mentions that the medium-grade devotee neglects (upekSa) the envious (dveSi). Why? Because he may not have the power it takes to rectify the offender, and may only cause the offender to make further offence, thereby plunging himself ever so deeper into the net of madness he is already enrapt in.

Is there more to it where the quote from Mahabharata came from?

The Shanti-parva of Mahabharata contains lengthy discussions on anger and its evils. The following words of wisdom from Bhishma struck me:

"Assailed with harsh speeches, one should not assail in return. Indeed, one who, under such circumstances, renounces wrath, succeeds in burning the assailant and taking away all his merits. That person who when assailed with harsh speeches does not utter a harsh word in reply, who when praised does not utter what is agreeable to him that praises, who is endued with such fortitude as not to strike in return when struck and not to even wish evil to the striker, finds his companionship always coveted by the gods. He that is sinful should be forgiven as if he were righteous, by one that is insulted, struck, and calumniated. By acting in this way one attains to success." (MBh. 12.300)

Suggested questions:

- Why is anger harmful for devotion?
- What are the different ways of controlling anger, and moreover, of getting rid of it for good?
- What should one do if has given room for this urge to manifest, and notices the same?
- Why do madness and the rest follow anger, as in Gita 2.62-63?