As described in the previous sections in this chapter, the äcäryas have all agreed on the exact step by step path that every sadhaka must traverse if they want to attain prema for Krsna in Vraja, which is the highest goal of rägänugä-bhakti. At which of the more advanced stages of progress should one be understood to be a genuinely pure devotee and/or fully self realized? Is it niñöhä, ruci, äsakti, bhäva or prema?
Certainly one who is fully sincere and honestly endeavoring for prema is motivated by essentially pure intentions, in spite of lingering anarthas. If such a sadhaka is eventually blessed with prema without having been waylaid by any major setbacks along the way, then we might say that he/she was a pure devotee throughout their journey to prema.
According to the äcäryas, bhäva is the first stage of perfection (sadhya) of one's practice (sädhana). Bhava is described as a ray of the sun of prema. This is the actual threshold of one's eternal transcendental existence. Rupa Gosvami dedicates a full chapter to bhäva-bhakti in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. Here are some highlights.
That part of bhakti is called bhäva, whose essence is samvit and hladini sakti, which is one ray of the sun of prema which will soon rise in the heart, and which softens the heart with desires to meet, serve and exchange love with the Lord. BRS, 1.3.1
From Jiva Gosvami's commentary:
Furthermore, this bhäva softens the heart (mind) with its desires (rucibhih) for meeting the Lord, serving the Lord favorably, and attaining the friendship of the Lord. This bhäva is also the sprout which will become prema, and which will be described later.
By comparing prema to the sun, there is the suggestion that, just as the sun will appear soon after the light of dawn, prema will appear very soon after the appearance of bhäva. As well, it is like a ray of the sun; it is the first glow of the sun of prema. It will be explained later that prema is the condensed form of bhäva.
This bhäva, whose very form is the essence of the hladini function of the Lord, should also be understood to be non-material, since it makes the happiness of liberation insignificant, brings about the Lord's appearance, and produces bliss.
Further on, Rupa Gosvami delineates the manifested attributes of one who has attained bhäva:
The anubhävas or characteristics of a person who has developed the bud of bhäva are as follows: tolerance, not wasting time, detachment from enjoyment, pridelessness, confidence in the Lord's mercy, longing for the Lord, taste for chanting the name of the Lord, attachment to discussing about the Lord's qualities, and attachment to living in the abode of the Lord. BRS, 1.3.25-26
Rupa then goes on to give one or two examples of each of these characteristics. Many devotees think that this is the perfectional stage from which no one can fall down, and thus all of one's actions are absolutely perfect and without flaws because you are officially a "pure devotee".
How could one possibly have remaining anarthas or even fall down from bhäva? It seems impossible to fathom how that could ever be the case. We will hear from Rupa Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, and Visvanatha Cakravarti about the astonishing truths of these matters.
Even at the exalted transcendental stage of bhäva/rati, the stage leading directly to prema, there may still be lingering anarthas, even though they are essentially neutralized. Visvanatha Cakravarti talks about the gradual elimination of anarthas in Madhurya-kadambini:
By continued practice:
-with the appearance of nishtha, the eradication is pervasive (affecting many anarthas)
-with the appearance of bhäva/rati, the eradication is almost complete
-with the appearance of prema, the eradication is complete
-with the attainment of the Lord's association, the eradication is absolute, with no possibility of their reappearance. MK, 3.16
[verify this quote from PBC or don't use it]
Visvanatha Cakravarti talks about the gradual elimination of anarthas in Prema-bhakti-candrika [Ch/V?]:
One who has begun taking harinama must first take shelter of the feet of a genuine guru and serve him with a mood of intimacy. Then he will engage in svarupa-siddha-bhakti by hearing, chanting and remembering hari-katha and performing all the nine types of devotion.
As he performs bhajana like this more and more, then eka-desa-vartini – one 'desa' or part of his anarthas will clear, meaning that partial nullification of his anarthas will take place. Then, when he begins to enter the stages of ruci and äsakti, bahu-desa-vartini – all his offenses and anarthas begin to dissipate.
When he begins to enter the stage of bhäva, then prayiki – only a mere scent of these things will remain. And when he enters the stage of prema, then purna – all his anarthas will be fully eradicated. But there is still the possibility of a trace of them being present at this time, so next is atyantaki – by receiving direct darsana of Bhagavan, all anarthas will be absolutely dispelled forever. Without having received direct darsana of Bhagavan, there is a possibility that a trace of these anarthas may remain.
There are gradations in the stage of prema. In the beginning there will be a little, then more, then more and then more until it is complete prema. But in the beginning of the stage of prema, a scent of anarthas may still remain. PBC, [?confirm translation or remove this section?]
This certainly provides a new perspective on the term, pure devotee. Even at the stages of bhäva there may still be anarthas present. Only at prema are the anarthas completely destroyed, and they are absolutely eradicated upon attaining Krsna's darsana and association.
Even more shocking, it is explained in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu how one can still fall down from the stage of bhäva and diminish or even destroy one's bhäva and possibly even one's rasa! This would only happen due to a severe offense against a Vaiñëava or Krsna, but it can happen, which is precisely why Rupa discusses it. Only when one reaches the platform of prema is one guaranteed never to fall down.
Moreover, it should be stated: By an offense against the dearest devotee of the Lord, even real bhäva will be destroyed, if the offense is grave. If the offense is medium, the bhäva will turn to bhävabhasa. If the offense is slight, the bhäva will become an inferior type. BRS, 1.3.54
Jiva Goswami's Commentary:
By two types of grave offenses – offense to the dearest devotee or to Krsna Himself (krsna-prestha aparädhätah) – even real bhäva is destroyed. By a medium offense, bhäva becomes bhävabhasa – a shadow of bhäva. By a slight offense, the bhäva degrades in category. Becoming an inferior type means that there will be degradation in terms of the five rasas and the eight stages from mahabhäva down to rati. Thus, a change in bhäva will take place according to the seriousness of the offense.
From Visvanatha Cakravarti's Commentary:
If the aparädha is slight, the bhäva changes type. Madhura-rati becomes dasya-rati. Dasya-rati becomes santa-rati.
Even at the stage of transcendental bhäva, one can still commit an offensive and fall down. These powerful statements should instill a sobering and indelible impression (samskara) on all serious practitioners to guard against committing Vaiñëava aparädha at any stage of progress. To have one's rasa changed from madhurya to dasya would be beyond devastating – eternally.
Continuing on in that chapter of Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami makes surprising and thought provoking statements at the end of the chapter on bhäva-bhakti.
If some apparent fault is seen in a person who has developed real bhäva, one should not be hostile to him, because he has accomplished the goal in all respects. BRS, 1.3.59
From Jiva Gosvami's Commentary:
There may be some external bad conduct (vaigunyam), but one should not be hostile to him, because by having bhäva the person cannot be contaminated by those external actions. Thus it is said:
Whether one is pure or contaminated, and regardless of one's external situation, simply by remembering the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead, one can cleanse one's internal and external existence. (Garuda Purana)
This person cannot be criticized, because he has accomplished the goal – he has attained bhäva.
Thus it is said in the Narasimha Purana: A person who is dedicated completely to the Lord may show externally, serious contamination (but internally he is pure). The full moon, though marked by the figure of a rabbit, is never overcome by darkness. BRS, 1.3.60
Jiva Gosvami's Commentary:
A person may show serious contamination. This means that it is seen externally that he performs forbidden activities. However, he shines with internal bhakti, which cannot be defeated by anyone (he is incomparable). A particular case, the moon, is introduced to support the general principle. This is called arthantara-nyasa. In the Hari-vamsa, it is said: the dark spot on the moon is called a rabbit. Though there is a fault in the beauty of the moon, that fault is only superficial.
Let's understand this clearly. After attaining the exalted goal of bhäva, which is a ray of prema and the beginning of pure bhakti, one will still not be completely free from all anarthas and possibly even exhibit, "external bad conduct", or "serious contamination", or "performs forbidden activities"! How is this possible? Why didn't Rupa say that if you see any such faults ever, then you know this person has not reached bhäva?
Rupa Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, and Visvanatha Cakravarti have given us the incontrovertible and definitive facts for serious contemplation. Although a bhäva-bhakta is pure internally and has reached the preliminary goal, still there may be the external appearance of bad behaviors. This of course is easy fodder for fault finding offenders (aparadhis), which is clearly why Rupa Gosvami brings up this issue preemptively.
You can't judge a book solely by its cover, and we shouldn't impose or project uninformed, idealistic, unrealistic preconceived ideas on another Vaiñëava's level of advancement. You have to be very learned and advanced to correctly understand who is truly advanced and who isn't. Neophyte (kaniñöhä) devotees are not qualified to properly discern who is an advanced Vaiñëava and who isn't. Even most intermediate (madhyama) devotees lack such discrimination, due to limited sastric knowledge and practical realization.
As indicated above by Jiva Gosvami, it should be understood that someone who reaches bhäva will, in most cases, certainly continue on without impediments, to the stage of prema. The lingering presence of anarthas rarely becomes an issue for such elevated devotees, and they predominantly exhibit very saintly qualities. Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura explains this in Jaiva-Dharma:
One should not criticize a person in whom true bhäva has manifested, even though one may observe some slight fault in his behavior, for once bhäva has arisen, the sädhaka becomes completely successful in all his endeavors.
Under such circumstances, it is not possible for him to behave sinfully, but if any sinful behavior is sometimes observed, it should be understood in one of two ways. The mahä-puruña-bhakta may have performed some sinful activity by force of circumstances, but he cannot possibly remain in that condition permanently.
Alternatively, some semblance of sin (päpa-äbhäsa) from his previous life has not been completely destroyed, and is still present even after bhäva has arisen in him, although it will be destroyed very soon. One should think like this and not pay any attention to the commonplace faults that may be seen in bhaktas, for it is näma-aparädha to do so. The Nåsiàha Puräëa forbids us to absorb our attention in such faults:
Just as the moon is never obscured by darkness, even though covered with black spots, similarly, a person exclusively devoted to Çré Hari remains glorious, though by appearance he may be wicked and depraved.
It should not be concluded from this instruction that a bhakta repeatedly engages in sinful activities. Once a bhakta has developed niñöhä in bhakti, he will have no inclination to sin further. However, as long as the material body exists, there is a chance that sinful activity will occur unexpectedly. If a bhakta is exclusively devoted, the influence of his bhajana immediately burns to ashes all kinds of sins, just as a blazing fire easily consumes a small heap of cotton, and he becomes cautious not to become victimized by any sinful activity again.
All kinds of sinful actions are dissipated at the stage of steady, uninterrupted ananyä-bhakti, so it may be clearly understood that those who repeatedly engage in sinful activities have not yet developed this type of bhakti. To engage repeatedly and knowingly in sinful activity while practicing bhakti-yoga is näma-aparädha, which uproots bhakti completely and casts it aside. Bhaktas therefore keep themselves distant from such offenses. JD, Chapter 22, Pages 533-534
Therefore, it is incorrect to think or say that a particular Vaiñëava cannot possibly be a bhäva-bhakta or pure devotee solely on the basis of externally observed questionable behavior. It's much deeper than that. At every stage prior to bhäva, a sadhaka is still dealing with the presence of anarthas. Though they gradually become less of an issue as one progresses through the final stages leading to prema, anarthas are still present up to and including the stage of bhäva and sometimes even prema. All of these details will be examined thoroughly in the next chapter.
And to the contrary, if one is exhibiting good qualities and exemplary behavior, it does not automatically mean that they are a very advanced devotee. Visvanatha Cakravarti discusses this in relation to steadiness in bhakti (niñöhä), in Madhurya-kadambini, Fourth Shower:
Elements favorable to bhakti refer to humility, giving respect to others, friendliness, and mercifulness. However, sometimes steadiness in such qualities may be seen in a self-controlled devotee who has no steadiness (niñöhä) in bhakti. While elsewhere, steadiness in these qualities may not be perceived in an arrogant devotee who has attained steadiness in bhakti.
In spite of this, by the presence or absence of steadiness in bhakti itself (sakshat bhakti), rather than in the qualities of bhakti, learned wise men understand the actual presence or absence of nishtha, steadiness. Inexperienced perception cannot substantiate the truth. This is confirmed by the cited verses, bhaktir bhävati naistiki, with the appearance of naishtiki bhakti, tada rajas-tamo-bhävah... etair anaviddham: though traces of the qualities born of rajas and tamo guna may be present, they no longer affect the devotee. MK, 4.[?]
Obviously, there is a big difference between "acting humble" and truly possessing and manifesting humility. The same applies to all other elevated qualities. The lists of the qualities of advanced Vaiñëavas are not simply a compilation of "rules of behavior" to be followed, rather, they are by-products and symptoms of one's advanced condition in sädhana-bhakti.
The final conclusion is that a truly "pure", "self-realized" devotee is one who is situated on the platform of prema-bhakti, the highest goal attainable by jivas. Nevertheless, one on the platform of bhäva-bhakti must also be considered a fully self realized pure devotee, and must be respected as such. At any stage prior to bhäva, one is still progressing through the various stages of realizing one's eternal identity and is still becoming purified of anarthas and material conditioning.
All that being said, in India, and especially in Bengal, the term "pure devotee" has not traditionally been used in its strictest technical sense, and such is the case with Srila Prabhupada's writings. By applying the standards delineated above, we can thus discern more easily when Srila Prabhupada was actually referring to a technically pure devotee, as opposed to using the term to indicate a fully sincere advanced devotee who is nearing perfection.
The term self realized and liberated have an even broader scope, because they are used to refer to many different advanced sages and yogis who's activities appear throughout Vedic literature. Such sages and yogis have achieved various levels of brahman and paramatma realization, and some, like Narada and Brahma are Vaiñëavas – either devotees of Visnu in Vaikuntha, or Krsna in Vrndavana. All of them are referred to variously as paramahamsas, mahabhagavatas, mahamunis, siddhas, etc.
We now understand that those who are devotees of Krsna are on the highest platform of prema and as such, they are automatically self realized and liberated, which are actually lesser aspects of their exalted status. Those who are devotees of Visnu are not quite as exalted as Krsna bhaktas in terms of their prema, but they are still fully liberated and self realized.
All other transcendentalists are focused on brahman or paramatma, placing them further down the line, and depending on their actual positions, they may also be considered liberated and self realized, but certainly not in the same sense as Vaiñëavas. So it is possible to achieve levels of self realization and liberation without achieving prema for Visnu or Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada also used the term self realized rather broadly, even referring to one's siddha-deha as one's "self realized position", which is certainly a valid interpretation on some levels, as we will discover in Chapter 5.
Also, after deliberating on the above analysis, we can now understand that the "fallen gurus" mentioned initially were almost certainly not individuals who were on the platform of bhäva, and who then committed some atrocious offense, thus causing their fall down. Therefore, they were absolutely not "pure devotees" in the technical and true sense of the term, and nor were they even liberated souls or fully self realized.
The obvious and only possible conclusion is that they were still going through the phases of anartha-nivritti, and they were thwarted by various types of anarthas, including those arising from bhakti, as explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti in Madhurya-kadambini:
Next are the anarthas arising from bhakti. As many weeds grow along with the main plant, along with bhakti there appears acquisition of material wealth and other facilities, worship and respect by others, a comfortable position and fame (labha, puja, pratishtha). By their nature, they have the power to influence the heart of the devotee, expand, and retard the growth of the main plant intended for cultivation (bhakti). MK, 3.15
Therefore, just because someone presents themselves as a "guru", and has many followers who worship them, it does not automatically mean that they are self-realized pure devotees on the platform of bhava or prema. One is certainly free to choose any guru, regardless of the guru's level of advancement, but the results are definitely not the same. Choose your gurus very carefully and thoughtfully.
In his Caitanya-çikñämrita, Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura describes the spiritual potency of Vaiñëavas at various levels of advancement, to help us understand what a guru at each level is capable of conveying to their disciples. Those aspiring for initiation (diksa) should take serious note of these differences in order to make an informed and wise decision:
Concerning the bestowal of devotional energy by the mercy of the devotee, something should be mentioned. The power of the prema-bhakta is unlimited, and thus the prema- bhakta, if he is merciful, can transfer his power to any type of person.
The merciful bhäva-bhakta can instill power in the sädhana-bhaktas so that they can assume a position similar to his own, and by the strength of his personality, the bhäva-bhakta can raise materialistic people who have gained some qualification due to previous deeds to the level of ruci.
Vaidhé and rägänugä-sädhana-bhaktas can instill faith in materialistic people who have attained qualification by previous deeds, by dint of their teaching and example. CS, Chapter 5, Part 1, Bhava bhakti
What about uttama-adhikari devotees? Where do they stand in the scheme of things? Some devotees may be under the impression that all uttama-adhikaris are pure, self-realized devotees on the platform of bhäva or prema. This is not entirely correct. In the chapter on sädhana-bhakti, in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami states:
There are three types of persons qualified for vaidhé-sädhana-bhakti: the uttama, the madhyama, and the kaniñöhä. BRS, 1.2.16
The uttama-adhikari is defined as follows: The person who is skillful in scripture and logic, completely firm in his belief, with deep faith, is considered qualified as an uttama in vaidhé-bhakti. BRS, 1.2.17
From Jiva Gosvami's commentary:
Previously, in defining vaidhé-bhakti, it was said that vaidhé-bhakti existed where the actions were inspired by the teachings of scripture. Thus, it may be concluded that the root cause of a person's bhakti is faith in the content of scriptures. Conviction in the contents of the scriptures is called shraddha or faith. According to the degree of faith in the scriptures, there will be classifications of persons possessing that faith. That is now the topic of discussion for two verses. … A person who is qualified as above, and has deep faith, is the uttama-adhikari.
By this definition, an uttama-adhikari devotee is still practicing vaidhé-sädhana-bhakti, and thus is not yet self-realized, and certainly not on the platform of bhäva. This same verse is quoted in Caitanya-caritamrita, along with other verses discussing the three levels of devotees according to faith (CC, 2.22.64-70). Another revealing point to mention is that these three classifications of practitioners do not apply to those who are on the path of rägänugä-bhakti.
Srila Prabhupada sometimes spoke about uttama-adhikaris in the same context as Rupa Gosvami defined them (ie: advanced sadhakas), and then again at other times he referred to them as self realized or pure devotees, as described in the 11th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Chapter 2. [not finished with this part yet]
And finally, in consideration of all these details, what does it then mean to be an "advanced devotee"? That's another term that is used quite liberally. It should now be very easy to see that a truly advanced devotee is one who is at the very least at the stage of niñöhä – firm faith and steadiness in sädhana and bhajana. Once niñöhä is attained, ruci and äsakti evolve, leading directly to bhäva, so any sadhaka who is immersed in ruci or äsakti, is even more of an "advanced devotee." Outside of that specific framework, any other application of the term "advanced devotee" doesn't make much sense.
Hopefully our considered review of this important subject will provide deeper insights into the subtleties of these advanced topics. Sorting through and understanding the complexities of this subject is essential to achieving a comprehensive grasp of the complete process. The contemporary Vaiñëava community would be well served if more devotees understood this deeper and more complete perspective.
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