What Bhakti Does Behind the Scenes

Shri Maharaj Ji has emphasized numerous times to have a solid grasp on tattva gyan [1] pertaining to bhakti. Tattva gyan ought to be so strong [2] that one does not need to put it into practice. Rather, it is so ingrained that you can’t make a choice which has a potential of retarding your spiritual growth. Firm tattva gyan will make God your first priority. That is the only way to  steadily progress on the path of bhakti and achieve the highest aim of life. As for worldly duties, they will keep getting done. 

Every action of a jiva bound by Maya [3] is inspired by some goal. So what is the goal of doing bhakti?

This was described in the previous editions in great detail. When God shows His divine form [4] He orders the bhakt to ask for a boon. This is the ultimate test to test the selflessness of the bhakt. Only those who practice selfless devotion [5] under the guidance of a rasik saint of the highest caliber, ask for divine love or pure bhakti. This bhakti is that power which controls The Supreme Lord Shri Krishna. With that divine love, one does seva of Shri Krishna [6] to please Him. That is the true fruit of bhakti [7]. 

​You must have heard the story of Kagbhushundi. Lord Ram offered him riddhi, siddhi, and mukti, but Kagbhushundi refused them all. He wanted that power which subjugates God, aka bhakti. For bhakti will keep the bhakt connected to Bhagavan for eternity. Bhagavan accepts seva done with love. That is His is eternal unchanging divine law. 

भक्ति का मुख्य फल गोविंद राधे। दिव्य प्रेम युक्त कृष्ण सेवा बता दे॥
​राधा गोविंद गीत​ 3974
bhakti kā mukhya phala goviṁda rādhe। divya prema yukta kr̥ṣṇa sevā batā de॥
​rādhā goviṁda gīta​ 3974

“The primary fruit of bhakti is the ability to lovingly serve Shri Krishna to please Him” [8].

But bhakti also bestows many other ancillary benefits upon a devotee. Some of them were discussed in the 2023 Sharad Poornima - Divya Sandesh . In this edition, Banchary Didi explains some more ancillary benefits using Radha Govind Geet scripture revealed by Shri Maharaj Ji.​

Bhakti bestows mukti

In addition to making one eligible to serve Shri Krishna

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे। माया निवृत्ति अपवर्ग बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत  3975
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe। māyā nivr̥tti apavarga batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3975

“A bonus benefit of bhakti is liberation from Maya”.

Even though a devotee considers mukti to be a trivial goal [9] and hence shuns all five types of mukti, yet bhakti bestows mukti upon the bhakt. And there is a reason for that. 

Nothing material can set foot in the divine realm. None of the sun, moon, stars, earth that you see can enter that divine realm. Shri Krishna Himself becomes everything in His divine Paravyom Lok. After God realization the bhakt enters the divine realm. To enter the divine realm one has to be free of the clutches of Maya. Freedom from the clutches of Maya is mukti. So, it is obvious that bhakti will have to first free the bhakt from the clutches of Maya then only will the bhakti enter Golok to serve Shri Krishna.

Bhakti grants mind-control

Restlessness is a characteristic of a material mind. Currently, it cannot stay inactive even for a moment. 

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे। चित का निरोध स्वयमेव करा दे ॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3976

ānuṣaṃgika phala goviṃda rādhe। cita kā nirodha svayameva karā de ॥
rādhā goviṃda gīta 3976

“Bonus benefit of bhakti is absolute control over the mind”.

Once the mind gets attached to God it can no longer remain fickle, it stays surrendered [11].

Once Narad Ji went to Braj and saw a gopi sitting in a samadhi (meditative pose). He waited. When she opened her eyes, he bowed to her and asked “O Mother! Were you meditating on Shri Krishna?”

She scolded Narad Ji and said,”Don’t you ever utter His name in front of me. I was practicing to throw Him out of my heart. It is because of Him that all my actions are haywire. When I cook, tears keep rolling from my eyes and the wood fire goes out. When roti is on fire, it gets burnt since I forget about it and start thinking of Him. I am fed up with Him, so I am trying to expel Him from my mind”.

That is how focused the mind gets on Shri Krishna. Even if one tries to expel Him from the mind, one cannot do so. And that is a good thing. Jiva is the master of the mind. The mind’s job is to find something that satisfies the jiva. Jiva is an infinitesimally small fraction of God and is longing to become whole, means desperately wants meet God. So when God is in the mind the mind’s master (aka the jiva) is blissful. Mind is a God-given faithful servant. It just cannot stop thinking of God and do disservice to its master. 

Then why is the gopi resentful? The resentment of gopi above is being said in a “rasik style” where the words are opposite even though she doesn’t really want to forget Him. Shri Maharaj Ji has revealed a pad in Prem Ras Madira to this effect

बसे रे मेरे, नैनन पिय! तेरे नैन ।
नैनन को नहिं डर पिय! उतनो, डर उन नैन सैन ।
पुनि सैननहूँ डर नहीं उतनो, डर उन सैनन पैन ।
जब चह सैन निकारन दृग कह, पैन किंतु सुख-दैन ।
अब नैन करकत तिन छिन छिन, चैन न मोहिं दिन-रैन ।
कह ‘कृपालु’ यह रोग लाग जेही, कैसेहूँ कबहूँ छूटै न ॥
​​प्रेम रस मदिरा
base re mere, nainana piya! tere naina ।
nainana ko nahiṁ ḍara piya! utano, ḍara una naina saina ।
puni sainanahūm̐ ḍara nahīṁ utano, ḍara una sainana paina ।
jaba caha saina nikārana dr̥ga kaha, paina kiṁtu sukha-daina ।
aba naina karakata tina china china, caina na mohiṁ dina-raina ।
kaha ‘kr̥pālu' yaha roga lāga jehī, kaisehūm̐ kabahūm̐ chūṭai na ॥
prem ras madira​

“O Beloved! Your eyes have made my eyes their residence. I do not fear those eyes as much as I fear their love-laden glances. I do not fear the glances as much as I fear their ability to pierce. When I wanted to take His sharpened glances out of my eyes, they protested saying that His glances give them so much pleasure. Now, those sharp glances wound my eyes constantly (that is why tears keep rolling down). I have no respite from them day or night.”
Jagadguruttam Swami Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj says,”this is one ailment which is permanent. By no means can one get rid of this ailment.”​

Bhakti eradicates vices

As long as the mind has a shroud of Maya on it, it will remain fraught with the vices of Maya.

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे। काम क्रोध आदि को सदा को नसा दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3977
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe। kāma krodha ādi ko sadā ko nasā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3977

“Bhakti eradicates all vices of Maya e.g. passion, anger etc ”.

Maya is the root cause of all vices. bhakti first removes the shroud of Maya and then connects the jiva to God. When the cause (Maya) is gone, all the vices automatically disappear. Still, you might have heard Lord Shiv gets angry, and Saint Durvasa gets angry  [12]. These are all leelas which are performed for the benefit of the masses. Like a theatrical play, leelas are performed to educate or to provide bliss. Being under the control of Maya actions of jiva instigated by vices of Maya. Unlike actions of jiva actions of God and God-realized saints are not instigated by anger, passion, lust, greed etc [13]. Those are done by God or by inspiration from God.

Bhakti lavishes divine virtues

You must have heard the saying "A man is known by the company he keeps". In sadhana bhakti one starts focusing on God. So God's attributes start rubbing off on the jiva. No sooner does one start sadhana bhakti, bhakti starts bestowing divine virtues [14]. 

And upon God realization

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे । सत्य अहिंसा आदि दिलवा दे॥ 
​राधा गोविंद गीत  3978
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe । satya ahiṁsā ādi dilavā de॥ 
​rādhā goviṁda gīta  3978

“Bhakti showers countless divine virtues like truth, non-violence, etc. in unlimited amounts upon the jiva” [15].

All divine virtues are found in bhakt of Shri Krishna

Bhakti wipes out trigun, tritaap, tridosha

भक्ति त्रिगुण, त्रिताप, त्रिदोष को मिटा देती है

Once the jiva gets the God’s divine power of bhakti then

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे। त्रिगुण त्रिकर्म  त्रिताप नसा दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3979
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe। triguṇa trikarma  tritāpa nasā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3979

“all the triguna, tritaap, tridosh are wiped out forever and ever.” 

Trigun are the three gunas of Maya. When Maya is gone, then all the gunas will automatically go away. The three  mental and physical sufferings tritaap  cannot cause anymore pain. Also, the three doshas found in a gross physical body [16] also take leave. These are manifested by Samvit, Sandhini and Hladini powers of Maya. When Maya leaves, its family leaves with it.

For example - You might have heard the story of Vasudeva the leper in the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His body was so decomposed [17] that it was filled with living worms [18]. If ever any of them fell he would pick them up and put it back, saying this is your food. Why should you be deprived of your meal? Bhakti reduces the attachment to the body. Hence, physical sufferings don’t bother the person. Suffering due to natural causes are called daivik taap. They affect the body and can also cause mental stress. When the feeling of “I am the body” reduces then these adverse impacts also become less bothersome. And at God realization, the false pride of the body is removed. Thus, tritaap and tridosh spare the jiva.

Bhakti incinerates five sheaths

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे ।  पंचकोश को भस्म करा दे ॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3980
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe ।  paṁcakośa ko bhasma karā de ॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3980

“Bhakti burns away the five sheaths of ignorance that cover the mind of the jiva”. [19]

One does not to perform any additional actions to burn those sheaths.
​

Bhakti decimates five afflictions

Maya torments the jiva with 5 afflictions. 

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे । पंचक्लेश​ अत्यंतभाव करा दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3981
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe । paṁcakleśa​ atyaṁtabhāva karā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3981

“Bhakti decimates the panchklesh once and for all”. These afflictions can never again grip the jiva. These miseries stay only as long as the jiva thinks I am this body. Once the thinking is corrected and jiva knows I am God’s eternal servant the afflictions related to the body automatically end.

Saint Durvasa evoked demoness Kritya to devour king Ambarish

For example, one of the klesh is Abhinivesh is means “fear of death” [21][22]. People are scared of death. You have heard the episode of Ambarish who willingly accepted being put to death to appease Durvasa. 

Also you have heard the story of Prahlad and his son Virochan. Prahlad was a just king and he gave Virochan a death sentence [23].  And while doing so, he had no remorse or joy because he had no Raag (i.e., attachment due to affection, which is one of the panchklesh) or dwesh or ill-will for anyone [24]. He was equipoised.

A bhakt has no attachment to his body or its kith and kin. Hence, death can’t scare a bhakt. He has no attachments to any material person or thing. Hence, attachments don't deter him from being just. Likewise, all the 5 klesh start decimating right from the stage of sadhana bhakti. All of these are totally annihilated at God realization.

Bhakti makes body divine

All material beings have material bodies. Those bodies are broadly classified into 3 types - sthool sharir (the gross physical body), sookshm sharir (the subtle body) and karan sharir (the causal body). At the time of At God realization the jiva no longer has those 3 bodies. Instead

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे । मायिक तनु भी दिव्य करा दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3982
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe । māyika tanu bhī divya karā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3982

“Bhakti transforms the body to become divine”. This means it no longer remains to be made up of five gross elements (panch mahabhoot) or any material matter. Instead, it becomes a divine body which is made of divine matter. Even though it will look like the previous body, it is no longer the same. [25]

You might have heard the story of Pootana, she was a demoness. She smeared her breasts with fatal poison called kaalkoot. It is so fatal that one would die it lips touched that poison. He was barely six days old infant to kill Shri Krishna she nursed Him when  [26]. When she died, the people of Gokul burnt her body. The human body stinks when being burnt. Demon bodies are dirtier, so one would expect them to stink a whole lot more. On the contrary, a divine fragrance emanated from her body and filled the entire Braj area. Nand Baba was returning from Mathura after paying taxes to Kansa. He, too, could smell it from far, far away. 

Bhakti makes senses, mind-intellect divine

Jiva has been given a material body which has senses, mind and intellect all of which are material. God has given this apparatus to jiva to attain God [26]. Guru imparts knowledge to the ignorant jiva. By this grace of Guru if the intellect understands that it doesn't have the ability to lead the jiva to his desired object then it allows the Guru to lead it. Guru is a divine personality who descends to the mortal world to lead as many jiva as are willing to God. At that moment of God realization

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे । इंद्रिय मन बुधि दिव्य करा दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3983​
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe । iṁdriya mana budhi divya karā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3983​

“Bhakti transforms the material senses, mind, and intellect into divine senses, divine mind, and divine intellect”. Shri Krishna can be perceived only with divine senses and mind. A material body and mind have a finite capability to bear bliss and sorrow. It just cannot bear unbounded amounts of bliss. So Guru 1st makes them divine then bestows divine love. It is then that the jiva can enjoy the form, attributes, etc. of Shri Krishna. And the more the jiva enjoys Him, the more his love for Shri Krishna increases. And the more jiva thirsts to enjoy Him. This friendly competition between the sweetness of Shri Krishna and jiva's love for Him never ends. Shri Maharaj Ji has explained the state of a gopi as

नख शिख लखि सखिअखियनहूँ ते, पल पल तलफती देखन को री।
प्रेम रस मदिरा श्रीकृष्ण माधुरी
nakha śikha lakhi sakhiakhiyanahūm̐ te, pala pala talaphatī dekhana ko rī।
prema rasa madirā śrīkr̥ṣṇa mādhurī

“Despite seeing Him head to toe, with my own eyes, my desperation to see Him keeps increasing”. 

Only divine sense, mind and intellect can perceive His divine form and thus only divine sense, mind and intellect can relish the nectar of His divine form [20].

Bhakti entitles one to attain God’s abode

Shri Krishna’s divine abode is called Golok. To serve Him, one would have to go to Golok.

आनुषंगिक फल गोविंद राधे । दिव्य हरीधाम बिन मांगे दिला दे॥ 
राधा गोविंद गीत  3984
ānuṣaṁgika phala goviṁda rādhe । divya harīdhāma bina māṁge dilā de॥ 
rādhā goviṁda gīta  3984

“Bhakti sends the bhakt to the divine abode of the Supreme Lord even without asking for it”. 

Devotees of Paramātmā ask for a mukti-of-dualism called salokya mukti. Bhakt of Shri Krishna gets to go to His abode without even asking for that benediction. And this happens while the person is still alive. Once a bhakt’s body is transformed to be divine, he can stay in Golok while still living on this earth. This might seem beyond comprehension at present, as this is a matter of experience and not words. So, let it happen when it happens. At the present, the focus should be to 

1. know the tattva gyan, and
2. put it into practice.​

Now, you know -

1. It is not entirely true to say “Bhakti is the best way to realize God”. Instead, the true statement is that “bhakti is THE ONLY WAY to realize God”.
2. Bhakti bestows seva of Shri Krishna which is the greatest of all fruits. In serving God selflessly lies the ultimate bliss. And bhakti gives even more than that.
3. The first step towards attaining all those fruits is to do Sadhana - Daily Devotion regularly and earnestly without fail under the guidance of a bona fide saint.
4. The last, but among the most important, is to be aware of the thieves who can rob you of your riches and protect your bhakti from them.

LEARN MORE

[1] Beware! Gyan can cause downfall
[2] Impurity
[3] How Can Maya Dominate Jeev?
[4] When Does God Show His Divine Form​
[5] Why the condition of selflessness?   
[6] Why would I want to become God's eternal servant?
[7] ​Primary Benefit of Doing Bhakti
[8] What Will We Do In Golok?
[9] Bhakti Trivializes Liberation​
[10] ​​Lok
[11] Way to restrain our monkey-mind
[12] Bhakt Vatsal Shri Krishna
​[13] ​Friend of Humble
[14] Bhakti begets Auspiciousness
[15] How to Inculcate Divine Virtues?
[16] Sthool Sharir 
[17] daihik taap
[18] bhakutik taap
[20] What is so special about His Divine Form?​
[19] Additional Benefits of Doing Bhakti 
[18] Bhakti Ends Misery
[21] Coronavirus - Grace in a Mask Part 1
[22] Overcome Fear of Death
[23] Whose job is it to set ideals?​​
[24] Types of Life Forms
[25] Why is Shri Krishna Called Akaran Karun?       
[26] Aim of Life