tat tad bhAvAdi mAdhurye zrute dhIr yad apekSate |nAtra zAstraM na yuktiM ca tal lobhotpatti lakSaNam || (brs. 1.2.292)
"When one hears about the sweetness of their feelings and so forth, and a desire for attaining the same awakens in the consciousness without dependence on scripture and logic, this is a symptom of the awakening of greed (lobha)."
However, the impetus of the vaidhi-bhakta remains dependent on the commandments of the scripture.
vaidha-bhakty-adhikArI tu bhAvAvirbhavanAvadhi |atra zAstraM tathA tarkam anukUlam apekSate || (brs 1.2.293)
"However, until bhava arises within the one eligible for vaidhi-bhakti, he remains dependent on scriptures and logical considerations."
The greed for attaining Vraja-bhava only awakens in rare and fortunate souls.
rAgamayI-bhaktira haya rAgAtmikA nAma |tAhA zuni lubdha haya kona bhAgyavAn || (cc 2.22.152)
"That devotion which consists of deep attachment is called ragatmika. One who becomes greedy upon hearing about this is fortunate."
lobhe vrajavAsi-bhAve kore anugati |
zAstra-yukti nAhi mAne - rAgAnugAra prakRti || (cc 2.22.153)
"Greedily following in the wake of the feelings of the residents of Vraja, without considering scriptures or logic - such is the nature of raganuga."
In such a person, the attraction for attaining particular loving feelings for the Lord overrules all other considerations.
vrajalIlA parikarastha zRGgArAdi bhAva mAdhurye zrute dhIr idaM mama bhUyAt iti lobhotpattikAle zAstra yukty apekSA nA syAt satyAM ca tasyAM lobhatvasyaivAsiddheH | nahi kenacit zAstra dRSTyA lobhaH kriyate nApi lobhanIya vastu prAptau svasya yogyAyogyatva vicAraH ko'py udbhavati | kintu lobhanIya vastuni zrute dRSTe vA svata eva lobha utpadyate || (rvc 1.5)
"If, upon hearing of the sweetness of the feelings, headed by passion, of Sri Krsna's associates in the Vraja-lila, one thinks, 'Let me also attain such feelings,' then at this time one need not depend either on the revealed scriptures or on favorable logical considerations. If such dependence remains, it cannot be said that greed has appeared. Greed never arises in anyone because of scriptural considerations, and in anyone who is desirous to attain the object of the greed, no considerations of qualification or lack of qualification arise. Rather, greed arises only by hearing about the object of greed or by seeing it."
As love cannot arise due to commandments or as the outcome of a certain pattern of reasoning, it is not possible that eligibility for raganuga-bhakti would arise on account of scriptural commandments or the subsequent logical considerations. Indeed, one who becomes greedy for vraja-bhava hastens to attain it wherever it is available.
kRSNa-bhakti-rasa-bhAvita-matiH |kriyatAM yadi kuto'pi labhyate ||tatra laulyam api mUlyam ekalaM |janma-koTi-sukRtair na labhyate || (padyavali 14)
"Wherever that consciousness laden with rapturous loving feelings for Sri Krishna is available, from there it must be acquired. For that there is indeed only one price, greed, which cannot be attained through pious deeds even in millions of births."
Though the direct cause for the awakening of greed is the hearing of narrations about the Vraja-pastimes of Sri Krishna, one must also give due consideration to the foundational cause of the phenomena.
kRSNa tad bhakta kAruNya mAtra lobhaika hetukA |puSTi mArgatayA kaizcid iyaM rAgAnugocyate || (brs 1.2.309)
"The only causes of the appearance of sacred greed are the mercy of Sri Krishna or the mercy of His devotee. Therefore some also call the path of raganuga-bhakti with the name pusti-marga (the path of grace)."
Commenting on this verse, Sri Jiva Gosvami states:
kRSNeti - mAtra padasya vidhi mArge kutracit karmAdi samarpaNam api dvAraM bhavatIti tad vicchedArthaH prayoga iti bhAva ||
"The word matra is used in the above because sometimes the offering of fruitive activities can lead to entry into vaidhi-bhakti, whereas raganuga-bhakti is only (matra) attained through grace."
Though the paths of vaidhi and raganuga are two distinct paths, the practice of vaidhi-bhakti can offer indirect support for the awakening of the eligibility for raganuga-bhakti, its various practices being agents which assist in the purification of the heart. In addition to grace, a certain lucidity of awareness is necessary to facilitate the appearance of the aforementioned greed.
yasya pUrvoktaM rAga-vizeSe rucir eva jAtAsti na tu rAga-vizeSa eva svayaM, tasya tAdRza-rAga-sudhAkara-karAbhAsa-samullasita-hRdaya-sphaTika-maNeH zAstrAdi-zrutAsu tAdRzyA rAgAtmikAyA bhakteH paripATISv api rucir jAyate | tatas tadIyaM rAgaM rucy-anugacchantI sA rAgAnugA tasyaiva pravartate || (bhakti-sandarbha 310)
"When the splendour of the moonrays of raga shines upon the crystal-like heart of a person in whom a taste for the aforementioned specific raga has awakened, but who himself does not possess distinct raga, his heart rejoices. He then hears from the scriptures about such ragatmika-bhakti and consequently develops a taste for the same. Following his taste for such raga, he engages in raganuga-bhakti."
Just as pure crystal reflects the colours of an object placed next to it, so the heart untainted by lust, anger and mundane greed easily develops a taste for the rapturous mellows of ragatmika-bhakti. In the initial stages of the practice of raganuga-sadhana, one's practice must be mixed with vaidhi-bhakti.
ajAta-tAdRza-rucinA tu sad-vizeSAdara-mAtrAdRtA rAgAnugApi vaidhI-saMvalitaivAnuSTheyA | tathA loka-saMgrahArthaM pratiSThitena jAta-tAdRza-rucinA ca | atra mizratve ca yathA-yogyaM rAgAnugayaikI kRtyaiva vaidhI kartavyA || (bhakti-sandarbha 312)
"Those in whom such taste (ruci) has not awakened, but who have a special interest for it, should engage in a mixture of raganuga and vaidhi. For the sake of establishing an example for the people of the world, the one in whom such ruci has awakened will do the same. Therefore, as appropriate, raganuga should be performed together with vaidhi."
Since at this stage ruci as the driving force behind the practice of devotion has not yet been firmly established in the heart, one must engage in the practice of mixed raganuga-sadhana out of obligation at all times, just as one would do in regular vaidhi-sadhana.
It is understood that the greed which makes one eligible for following the feelings of the residents of Vraja awakens gradually in accordance with the degre of the purification of the heart.
sa ca lobho rAga vartma vartinAM bhaktAnAM guru-padAzraya lakSaNam Arabhya svAbhISTa vastu sAkSAt prApti samayam abhivyApya "yathA yathAtma parimRjyate'sau mat puNya gAthA zravaNAbhidhAnaiH, tathA tathA pazyati vastu sUkSmaM cakSur yathaivAJjana samprayuktam | " iti bhagavad ukter bhakti hetukAntaH karaNa zuddhi tAratamyAt prati dinam adhikAdhiko bhavati || (rvc 1.8)
"It is described that the devotees on the path of raga gradually progress from the initial surrender to the feet of Sri Guru up to the stage of directly attaining the object of their desires.
'When the eye is smeared with medicinal ointment, its ability of perception becomes more and more refined, and accordingly it is able to perceive more and more subtle objects; similarly, according to the degree of the mind's having become purified by hearing and chanting of My purifying pastimes, all the subtle truths of reality become manifest in the heart of the sadhaka.'
From these words of the Lord it is known that through sadhana-bhakti the consciousness of the sadhaka becomes more purified every day, and he gradually becomes more and more greedy."
In accordance with the purification of the heart and the growth of spiritual greed, one's eligibility for raganuga-bhakti increases day by day from an initial desire to an intense, captivating longing for the object of one's desires. Thus one gradually proceeds through the various stages of devotion.
atha rAgAnugA-bhakti majjanasyAnartha-nivRtti-niSThA-rucy-Asakty-antaraM prema-bhUmikArUDhasya sAkSAt svAbhISTa-prApti-prakAraH pradarzyate || (rvc 2.7)
"Then it will be described how the one, who has progressed on the path of raganuga-bhakti through the cessation of the evils (anartha-nivritti), firmness (nistha), taste (ruci), and attachment (asakti) all the way to the attainment of ecstatic love (prema), will directly come to attain his desired object."
