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WORLD  Sri Sri Madhurya Kadambini ADVAITA DAS USA, Jan 31 (VNN) — NEW VAISHNAVA PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE: SRI SRI MADHURYA KADAMBINI BY SRILA VISVANATHA CAKRAVARTIPADA with commentaries by Sri Ananta das Babaji, 155 pages translated in English. advaitadas@hotmail.com or advaitad@yahoo.com As the present Mahant 108 Sri Ananta Dasa Babaji Maharaja is the 34th representive of the Gaddi (chair) of Sri Ragunatha Dasa Goswami. He has been residing at Sri Radha Kund and doing intense bhajan there for the last 40 years. For many years he preached extensively throughout Vraja Mandal before being requested by His Gurudeva Sri Kunja Bihari Dasa Babaji to write profusely on the Gaudiya Vaisnava tattva, lila and siddhanta for the benefit of the devotees who are attached to the pure teachings of the predecessor acharyas, the Six Goswami of Vrindaban. An excerpt of the book: Verse- TRANSLATION: His 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 self-conceit (ahanta, "I") enters a perfected body (siddha-deha) suitable for his desired service to the Lord and is as if almost leaving 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 mood (bhava) like a miserly person hiding a precious jewel. There is a logic that a bright face tells of hidden wealth. So too, because he has such qualities as patience and renunciation, he is recognized by the realized devotees. But the common people are baffled by his activities, and think he is just disturbed at mind. Piyusha kana explanation by Sri Ananta das Babaji Maharaja— At the stage of bhava, the devotee constantly remembers the Lord, attaining the stage of dhruvanusmriti. Lord Kapiladeva says that dhruvanusmriti is the characteristic of nirguna-bhakti: mad-guna-shruti-matrena mayi sarva-guhashaye; mano-gatir avicchina yatha gangambhaso 'mbudhau. lakshanam bhakti-yogasya nirgunasya hy udahritam "As soon as one hears My qualities, the movement of one's mind automatically becomes fixed on Me residing in everyone's heart, just as the water of the Ganga flows spontaneously towards the ocean. This is the character of nirguna-bhakti." (Shrimad-Bhagavata 3.29.11-12) A sadhaka at the rati stage never forgets Krishna in wakefulness, dreams, or sound sleep. Generally in the state of wakefulness, the heart and mind of a common man enjoy such material objects as form and taste. The mind of a sadhaka in rati, however, constantly absorbs in the Lord's remembrance, instead of absorbing in transient objects, which finally result in distress. Dreaming is just mental imagination. In the wakeful state, the outer senses such as the ears, eyes, and others are active and alert, all material objects like flavours and forms as well as all the mind's wishes appear to be real. During the sleeping state the five outer senses are inactive, the brain then has a good chance to ponder over the world of thoughts. The mind, also being free from the outer attraction of gross material objects, wanders in the subtle kingdom. In this state the mind eagerly and attentively accepts the streams of thoughts coming in its domain. Dreaming is just a reflected shadow of such streams of thought. In the stage of rati the heart is freed from anarthas, and ¨ri Hari's form, qualities, and so on flow in the stream of thoughts instead of in material topics. Thus it is natural that the jata rati sadhaka can also see the Lord's form and attributes. Sound sleep is the state where the gross senses and the subtle mind, intelligence, heart, and ego also undergo deep sleep and become inactive. There is thus no chance of any thought. Merging of all gross and subtle senses into their respective causes is known as sushupti (sound sleep). The Mandukya-Sruti says: yatra supto na kancana karyam kamayate na kancana svapnaˆ pashyati tat sushuptam, "The state wherein a sleeping person does not desire, think, or even dream is known as sushupti." Even in this state, the soul of a jata-rati-sadhaka remembers the Lord. When the two states of ego, ahanta and mamata, exist in relation to the body and bodily objects, one is materially bound. That is, the soul identifies with the gross material body and thinks that wife, children, land, wealth and so on belong to him. brahma-jnanis are known as muktas (liberated) as they burn these two states in the fire of knowledge of Brahman. During sadhana-bhakti the pure state of a jiva soul is awakened, or he realizes his position as an eternal servant of the Lord. This is also known as siddha svarupa. During initiation, Sri Gurudeva introduces one to one's spiritual form, or relationship with the Lord in a specific mood of service. Identifying himself with his spiritual form, a sadhaka performs bhajan-items like shravana and kirtana. In the Gaudiya-Vaishnava-sampradaya the spiritual form of a sadhaka is the maidservant (manjari) of ¨rimati Radharani. "A sadhaka who has not yet attained rati mentally establishes self-identification with this siddha svarupa and mentally serves the Lord (manasi-seva). The sadhaka who has attained rati spontaneously perceives this siddha svarupa." The identification of one's spiritual form is so mature in the rati stage, that a sadhaka almost forgets his present gross body. His sense of possessiveness (mamata) becomes like a bee absorbed in relishing the nectar of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha Madhava. A jata-rati-sadhaka devotee, after attaining permanent attachment to the Lord, constantly conceals his stage of bhava from the common people like a miserly person who has a precious jewel. When one sees an elated forehead one can surmise that the person has inner wealth; similarly the learned saints can recognise the characteristics of the birth of rati and guess who has it, because the person has rati's specific qualities like tolerance and renunciation. The characteristics of bhava are listed in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.3.25-26): kshantir avyartha-kalatvam virakti mana-shunyata ashabandhaƒ samutkantha nama-gane sada sucih asaktis tad-gunakhyane pritis tad-vasati-sthale ity adayo'nubhavah syur jata-bhavankure jane "Nine symptoms manifest in devotees where the sprout of bhava has awakened: forbearance, not wasting even a moment in anything unrelated to Krishna, detachment from worldly enjoyments, pridelessness, firm hope, eagerness, constant taste for the holy name, attachment to the descriptions of the Lord's qualities, and affection for the places where the Lord resides." When one's heart remains unagitated though there are causes for agitation, that state is known as kshanti, forbearance. Spending all time absorbed in devotional practices aloof from material affairs is known as avyartha-kalatva. Natural distaste for sense objects such as material form, taste, smell, touch and sound is known as virakti. When one is prideless in spite of one's excellence, that state is called mana-shunyata. Firm hope for attaining the Lord is called asha-bandha. The ardent desire for attaining one's desired supreme object is known as samutkantha. Thirst arising out of affection for constantly chanting the holy name is known as nama-gane sada ruci. One's natural attachment to describe the Lord's most sweet qualities, pastimes and so on is called asakti tad-gunakhyane. Desire to reside in the places of the Lord's pastimes such as Vrindavana and others is called tad-vasati-sthale priti. When the mere sprout of bhagavad rati has arisen these symptoms can be seen in a sadhaka. Although the other symptoms of bhava such as shedding tears, standing of bodily hairs, and so on may be seen in someone, if these nine special symptoms do not appear, one should presume that such a person is not at the rati stage. Softness of heart is the characteristic of rati. Sometimes symptoms of rati such as shedding tears, standing of bodily hairs apparently appear in karmis and j–anis desiring sense enjoyments and liberation. However, these should not be considered symptoms of rati. They are simply a reflection (abhasa) of rati. The superficial appearance of rati (ratyabhasa) is of two kinds: pratibimba, reflected image, and chaya, shadow. Symptoms such as tears and standing of hairs seen in persons desiring sense enjoyment or liberation are pratibimba-ratyabhasa. Such symptoms seen in ignorant persons by their association with devotees are chaya-ratyabhasa. Sometimes while hearing the Lord's pastimes, symptoms such as tears and so on are seen in some persons who are naturally slimy (picchila). A pretender sometimes practices symptoms such as shedding tears and horripilation to cheat ordinary men. Such symptoms, however, cannot even be considered ratyabhasa. On the other hand, external symptoms like goosebumps and tears may not be seen in some grave-hearted devotees in the rati stage. Therefore the nine symptoms like forbearance and others are the real characteristics of rati, but when the learned saints observe the symptoms in the jata rati sadhaka, they become acquainted with genuine rati. But the common people are baffled by his activities, and think he is just disturbed at mind.  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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