Pillars of Sadhana Bhakti
The castle of sadhana bhakti stands mainly on the following four pillars. There are three supporting pillars as well
Roopdhyan
Roopdhyan (Devanagari: रूपध्यान ISO15919: rūpadhyāna) means remembering a form of God. You can take the help of a particular picture of your Ishta Dev to improve upon your devotional remembrance. You should choose the picture which you find most alluring.
Uninterrupted
Uninterruptedness or nairantarya (Devanagari: नैरंतर्य ISO15919: nairaṁtarya) devotion is imperative. There must be continuity in remembrance. For example when oil is poured out the stream of oil does not break or split. That is how steadily jiva needs to remember God.
This has been described in Bhagavata as apritihata (Devanagari: अप्रतिहता ISO15919: apratihatā).
Selflessness
Selflessness or nishkamata (Devanagari: निष्कामता ISO15919: niṣkāmatā) is most essential part of devotion is being selfless.
भक्ति में निष्काम गोविंद राधे । भाव का होना मुख्य है बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत ४१५४
bhakti meṁ niṣkāma goviṁda rādhe । bhāva kā honā mukhya hai batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 4154
It means one must not harbor any desire of anything of this world, heavenly planets or liberation. Shri Maharaj Ji asserts, for the attainment of highest bliss of divine love one must not desire the bliss of Baikunth also.
Furthermore, we must not desire to please our senses by experiencing the divine bliss of Shri Radha Krishna. It means we must desire to experience Shri Radha Krishna with all five senses but only with the intention of pleasing Them. If selflessness is laced with iota bit of self happiness, then the highest divine love bliss can not be attained.
The gopis who were totally selfless attained the bliss of Maharaas. This highest ecstasy of love is unattainable by Rukmini Ji because her love has a trace of self - happiness in it.
Gopis give a gift their selfless love to Shri Radha Krishna. Shri Radha Krishna make their love infinitely luscious and reciprocate it. The devotees enjoy that sweet nectar of love as the gift of their beloved Shri Radha Krishna.
This has been described in Bhagavata as ahaituki (Devanagari: अहैतुकी ISO15919: ahaitukī).
Exclusiveness
Exclusiveness or ananyata (Devanagari: अनन्यता ISO15919: ananyatā) is the fourth most important factor of devotion is exclusiveness.
भक्ति में कृष्ण प्रति गोविंद राधे । अनन्य अनिवार्य बता भाव बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत ४१५३
bhakti meṁ kr̥ṣṇa prati goviṁda rādhe । ananya anivārya batā bhāva batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 4153
This means to practice devotion to one form of God. This is the key to faster progress in bhakti. One form of God means selecting one picture of one avatar of God and practicing roopdhyan of only that form. Due to repeated contemplation of one particular form all the time, that form of God will get firmly rooted in your mind. Only then you will be possible to remember God all the time without any gap of even a second.
Besides the above main pillars of the castle of devotion there are few more supporting pillars, which are essential to build up.
Humility
Always being mindful of one’s own shortcomings and accepting them is humility or deenata (Devanagari: दीनता ISO15919: dīnatā).
Mahaprabhu Chaitanya is the epitome of humility. He has said -
तृणादपि सुनीचेन तरोरपि सहिष्णुना । अमानिना मानदेन कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः॥ चै. महा.
tr̥ṇādapi sunīcena tarorapi sahiṣṇunā । amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ॥ cai. mahā.
"A person ought to be more humble than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, and always respectful to others without expecting any respect in turn."
Mahaprabhu calls humility is the first step on the path of devotion. Without accomplishment of humility, forbearance and respectfulness, one cannot even start devotion.
Humility can be cultivated by realizing one's own shortcomings, always thinking favorably about your Divine Beloved and feeling of Omnipresence of God all the time.
Pathos
Feeling pitiful due to separation from Shri Krishna is pathos or karuna (Devanagari: करुणा ISO15919: karuṇā).
The devotees have to develop a feeling of insipidity in life without Him. This pitifulness will automatically result in shedding tears in remembrance of God. Sometimes, stream of tears flows from the eyes of devotees in remembrance of His attributes of kindness, mercy and love etc. Other times devotee sheds tears in remembrance of His pastimes, beauty or faults of self.
Tears shed in memory of God and saints, cleanse the heart. While tears shed for any material cause further contaminates the heart . Purpose of sadhana bhakti is purification of heart only. However, shedding tears in memory of someone is the first symptom of love in the world also. Tears roll from the eyes in separation and also when meeting a loved one.
In the beginning we will have to make effort shed tears for Shri Krishna, but later on, when the love for Him has sprouted, tears will flow incessantly without any effort.
Tears of love
Constant practice of remembering God brings natural feeling of humility and humility creates tears of love for Him.
प्रेम्णः तु प्रथमावस्था अश्रुपुलकादयः । उ. नीलमणि
prēmṇaḥ tu prathamāvasthā aśrupulakādayaḥ । u. nīlamaṇi
"The initial symptoms of love are tears and goosebumps".
There are mainly two kinds of tears of love.
- Tears with the feeling of meeting Shri Krishna, which are cool and
- The tears of feeling of separation, which are warm.
Further, there are many levels of tears according to the depth of love of an individual.
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