कृष्णं स्मरन् जनं चास्य प्रेष्ठं निजसमीहितम् ।
तत्तत्कथा-रतश्चासौ कुर्याद्वासं व्रजे सदा ॥ ५९ ॥
kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam |
tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā || 59 ||
The sādhaka shall reside in Vraja, constantly remembering that cherished form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with his beloved companions and devoted to hearing about their pastimes.
टीका–कृष्णं स्मरन्निति । स्मरणस्यात्र रागानुगायां मुख्यत्वं रागस्य मनोधर्मत्वात् । श्रेष्ठं निजभावोचित-लीलाविलासिनं कृष्णं वृन्दावनाधीश्वरम् । अस्य कृष्णस्य जनं च कीदृशं निजसमीहितं स्वाभिलषणीयं श्रीवृन्दावनेश्वरी-ललिता-विशाखा-रूपमञ्जर्यादिकं कृष्णस्यापि निजसमीहितत्वेऽपि तज्जनस्य उज्ज्वलभावैकनिष्ठत्वात् निजसमीहितत्वाधिक्यम् । व्रजे वासमिति असामर्थ्ये मनसापि साधकशरीरेण वासं कुर्यात् । सिद्धशरीरेण वासस्तु उत्तर श्लोकार्थः प्राप्त एव ।।
The Rāgānugā Method
Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya now further develops his proposal by citing the kṛṣṇaṁ smaran verse (1.2.298) from the Śrī-Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, the direct incarnation of Vraja’s Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and the primary teacher of the Gauḍīya Sampradāya. First, he says, kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam. “Meditate upon Śrī Vrajendranandana, the enjoyer of līlās suitable for his śṛṅgāra-bhāva (amorous mood), along with his beloved companions Śrī Rādhā, Lalitā, Viśākhā, Rūpa Mañjarī and others.” The purport is that in rāgānugā-bhajana, the smaraṇa limb of bhakti is primary because rāga is a function of the mind. Therefore, in rāgānugā-bhakti, which originates from the mental function called rāga (thirst or strong desire), the smaraṇa limb is prominent because it is mental worship. Still, in the external body, śravaṇa, kīrtana and the other limbs of bhajana are not to be ignored. Regarding this, it should particularly be understood that if one gives up the external practices of hearing, chanting and so on, he will have no success in following the residents of Vraja. Just as the mental practice of līlā-smaraṇa is nourished by the external practices of śravaṇa-kīrtana, in the same way, an appreciation for the external sādhana is produced from the mental sādhana. Because each supports the other, if a sādhaka neglects the external sādhana, even though trying to apply his mind intently to līlā-smaraṇa, he will in reality not be successful. Moreover, though one may be eager to perform external sādhana but neglects līlā-smaraṇa, the rāgānugā-mārga-bhajana will not happen. Therefore, it is essential that both be practiced together.
For all new sādhakas, the contemplation of their own siddha-dehas or their meditation on Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s pastimes is not yet very clear; rather, they consider it to be somewhat difficult. If at first one does not have much eagerness for līlā-smaraṇa, he should perform some light or simple meditation and reflection along with hearing, chanting and so on. The sādhaka should hear and recite books that express the glory of gopī-bhāva or rāgānugā-bhajana, such as Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s Prārthanā and Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda’s Stavamālā, Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda’s Stavāvalī and Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Siddha Bābā’s Prārthanāmṛta-Taraṅgiṇī. In this way, he endeavors to create a saṁskāra (impression) of mañjarī-bhāva internally. By doing these things, he will easily make his heart and mind suitable for performing līlā-smaraṇa. For this reason the author says, tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau: “being always engaged in hearing and chanting about Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.” Because Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the stories about him are identical in nature, Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself enters the heart of the sādhaka through his ears in the form of kṛṣṇa-kathā from the mouth of a sādhu-bhakta. Then he cleanses the sādhaka’s heart and mind by driving away impurities in the form of desires and inclinations. This has been clearly described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17:
śṛṇvatāṁ svakathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ |
hṛdy-antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām ||
“Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is situated in the hearts of all, is the friend of the virtuous. He drives away all inauspiciousness from those who listen to his stories, which bestow merit upon anyone who hears or recites them.”
Finally, he says, kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā: “The rāgānugīya-sādhaka shall always reside in Vraja.” In his commentary on this śloka, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda says, sāmarthye sati vraje śrīman-nanda-vrajāvāsa-sthāne śrī-vṛndāvanādau śarīreṇa vāsaṁ kuryāt tad-abhāve manasāpīty arthaḥ. The meaning is that if one is able, he should live in Vraja with his physical body. If unable, he should live in Vraja with his mind, or at least express his desire to reside there. In the Bṛhad-Gautamīya-Tantra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has personally described the glory of living in Vraja:
idaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ ramyaṁ mama dhāmaiva kevalam |
atra ye paśavaḥ pakṣī mṛgāḥ kīṭā narāmarāḥ ||
ye vasanti mamādhiṣṇe mṛtā yānti mamālayam |
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pañca-yojanam evāsti vanaṁ me deha-rūpakam |
kālindīyaṁ suṣumnākhyā paramāmṛta-vāhinī ||
atra devāś ca bhūtāni vartante sūkṣma-rūpataḥ |
sarva-deva-mayaś cāhaṁ na tyajāmi vanaṁ kvacit ||
āvirbhāvas tirobhāvo bhaven me’tra yuge yuge |
tejomayam idaṁ ramyam adṛśyaṁ carma-cakṣuṣā ||
“This Vṛndāvana is most delightful and is my only abode. All those domestic animals, birds, wild animals, worms, insects, humans and celestial beings who reside in this place go to my home when they die. This twenty-five mile Vṛndāvana is in reality my own body. The transcendental nectar-bearing Yamunā is its central artery. Gods and jīvas exist in subtle forms here, having accepted transcendental bodies. I, who contain all the gods, never leave this forest. In yuga after yuga I appear in this place and then disappear. This charming Vṛndāvana is possessed of great power, meaning its nature is pure consciousness, and it lies beyond the range of the physical eye.” Though being a manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental sandhinī-śakti or existential power, the holy dhāma, overwhelmed by compassion for the sādhakas of the world, has spontaneously appeared in an earthly form to help them succeed in bhajana. Will any virtuous sādhaka not resort to that transcendental abode to perfect his worship?
After taking shelter of Vrajadhāma, the sādhaka regularly practices smaraṇa along with the other limbs of bhakti such as śravaṇa and kīrtana in the association of rasika-bhaktas who have similar aspirations. As a result of this, the heart of the rāga-sādhaka is cleansed by a shower of the pellucid rays of bhakti. Then, by means of a concentrated mind and steady intellect, he gradually develops a profound ruci or affection for Śrī Bhagavān. In this way, when the sādhaka who has attained ruci performs bhajana, his soul’s love-perfumed desire for sevā is reflected in his heart and mind. First, it delights his tender heart, softened by affection; then it is affirmed in his intellect and bestows freedom from doubt. After that, it engrosses the ego in the mood of his svarūpa. Then the sādhaka’s bhajana goes smoothly. The desire for sevā remains always in his mind; knowledge with conviction is established in his intellect; a self-concept appropriate for bhāva manifests in his ego; and in his heart, he gains a profound realization of his previously experienced bhakti-saṁskāras. Then the complete force of that bhāva is manifest in the actions of his senses when accompanied by śravaṇa-kīrtana and so on. Moreover, after the force of that realized bhāva nourishes the sweetness of śravaṇa-kīrtana and the other limbs of bhakti, it spontaneously turns inward and, with the help of its own respective capabilities, it invigorates and delights the inner faculties of mind, intellect and ego. This is how the sādhaka experiences bhajana.
