F: Sadhaka and Siddha: Two classes of devotees

There are two classes of devotees, the sadhaka and the siddha. Those at the stage of sadhana are called sadhakas, and those at the stages of bhava and beyond are called siddhas. The stage of bhava is the stage of the awakening of the svarupa. Vishwanath Chakravartipada describes this blessed stage as follows:

buddhir apatantam evArtham avadhArayantI jAgrat-svapna-suSuptiSu tadIya-smRti-vartmany eva pAnthatvam adhyavasyet | ahantA ca prApsyamAne sevopayogini siddha-dehe pravizantIva sadhaka-zarIraM prAyo jahAtIva virAjeta | mamatA ca tac-caraNAravinda-makaranda eva madhukarIbhavitum upakrameteti | sa ca bhaktaH prAptaM mahA-ratnaM kRpaNa iva janebhyo bhAvaM gopayann api kSAnti-vairAgyAdInAm AspadIbhavan lasal-lalATam evAntardhanaM kathayatIti nyAyena tad-vijJa-sAdhu-goSThyAM vidito bhaved anyatra tu vikSipta ity unmatta iti sajjata iti durlakSyatAM gacchet || mk 7.3

The bhava bhakta’s intelligence then unfailingly has this single purpose. The Lord remains on the path of his memory whether he sleeps, dreams or is awake. Then his sense of identity (ahantA, “I”) enters a perfected body (siddha-deha) suitable for his desired service to the Lord; it is almost as if he has left the present sadhaka body. His sense of possessiveness (mamatA, “mine”) becomes like a bee ready to relish the nectar of the Lord’s lotus feet. In this stage the devotee tries to conceal his feeling of love like a miserly person hiding a precious jewel. There is a saying that a bright face tells of hidden wealth. Because the bhava bhakta has qualities such as patience and renunciation, he is recognized by the realized devotees, but the common people are baffled by his activities and think he just has a disturbed mind.

For the bhava-bhakta, there is no question of absence from the lila. He is always absorbed and present in his svarupa and the related services in the svarasiki-lila. Needless to say, such souls are extremely rare in this world, and tend to keep themselves hidden from the public view.

At the stages prior to the awakening of the svarupa where the svarupa is being cultivated and meditated on, the vision of the lila appears whenever the consciousness of the sadhaka enters into the svarupa. At this stage, the lila is yet to become a "concrete" reality, in contrast to the substantial attainment at the stage of bhava. While the visions of the lila he receives are certainly real, being the reciprocal revelation of the ista-deva, the sadhaka is yet to attain permanent, active presence in the nitya-lila. The reality of the lila appearing in his meditations is a subjective presence brought forth with the lord's grace with the aim of nourishing his greed for the desired attainment.

Raganuga - 1.1: General Overview of Bhakti

The word rAgAnugA literally means "to follow loving attachment", love directed towards God. To gain a deeper understanding of the concept, let us first examine the concept of bhakti, loving devotion for God, in general.

Bhakti is divided into three main categories in accordance with its development.

sA bhaktiH sAdhanaM bhAvaH premA ceti tridhoditA || (brs 1.2.1)

"This devotion is said to be of three kinds, namely practice (sAdhana), feeling (bhAva) and love (prema)."

The initial stage of practice (sAdhana) is the time when the aspiring servant of God begins to cultivate his relationship with God. Practice is understood as follows:

kRti-sAdhyA bhavet sAdhya-bhAvA sA sAdhanAbhidhA |

nitya-siddhasya bhAvasya prAkaTyaM hRdi sAdhyatA || (brs 1.2.2)

"That, which is accomplished through the functions of the senses, and through which a loving devotional feeling (bhAva) is attained, is called devotion in practice (sAdhana-bhakti). The appearance of an eternally perfected feeling within the heart is called the stage of the attainment of perfection."

As the practice ripens, it culminates into specific loving feelings (bhava) towards God.

zuddha-sattva-vizeSAtmA prema-sUryAMzu-sAmya-bhAk |

rucibhiz citta-mAsRNya-kRd asau bhAva ucyate || (brs 1.3.1)

"A distinct manifestation of divine existence, akin to a ray from the sun of prema, the cause of tenderness of consciousness experienced as different tastes - this is called bhAva."

Foundational feelings of love of God are known to be of five kinds, namely (1) a peaceful, neutral relationship, (2) the affection of a servant, (3) the affection of a friend, (4) the affection of a parent, and (5) the affection of a consort, either as a wife or as a paramour lover. As the foundational feeling is further cultivated, it ripens into a wholesome rapturous experience of love for God (prema).

samyaG-masRNita-svAnto mamatvAtizayAGkitaH |

bhAvaH sa eva sAndrAtmA budhaiH premA nigadyate || (brs 1.4.1)

"When bhava softens the heart altogether, endowed with an abundance of possessive feelings towards Him, being very intense by nature, the wise call it prema."

God, being the infinite reservoir of love, is naturally the object of varieties of individual loving feelings. He appears to each individual devotee in that very form in which the devotee sincerely longs to see Him. This being the fact, there is a need to examine the two prominent varieties of practice of bhakti which lead to two distinct perfections.