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All varieties of devotional topics that don't fit under the other sections of the forums. However, devotionally relevant topics, please - there are other boards for other topics.

Nishtha - Looking at bhakti slightly differently



Jagat - Thu, 02 Sep 2004 20:52:00 +0530
ek sAdhe keha, keha sAdhe bahu aGga
niSThA hoile uThe prema taraGga

We generally have a preconceived notion that something like chanting 16 rounds every day without fail, or attending mangala arati every day without fail, etc., is the sign of nistha.

There are 64 angas, or 9 angas, or 5 angas. But whichever one of these classifications you choose, if you have niSThA in that practice, you can attain perfection in prema.

So, I see niSThA as the devotional equivalent of "sva-dharma." It is self-discovery in terms of bhakti-sAdhana. It is the discovery of your way of relating to the practice of Krishna consciousness. For instance, someone like Anangaji has dedicated himself to kirtan, another like Keshavaji to archan. For them, bhakti means achieving perfection in devotion through this specific kind of practice. It is through their niSThA to that particular bhakti-anga that they will achieve perfection and through that anga that Krishna will reveal himself.

This does not mean that they will not cultivate other devotional angas, but the other angas will always be subservient to the principal one.

In NY I stressed the line from Bhakti-sandarbha, "astu tAvad bhajana-prayAsaH kevala-tAdRzatvAbhimAnenApi siddhir bhavati" Forget about making any effort at bhajan--simply by having the sense of identity that "I am Krishna Das" you can attain all perfection.

Of course, if you have that sense of identity, you will act accordingly. But what this very important statement indicates is (once again) that you will not find any fail safe external rules by which to recognize a devotee. Or I should say, no taTastha lakSaNa will give unfailing proof of a devotee. Tatastha lakshanas are things like chanting 16 rounds, wearing tilaka, not "falling down", etc. The real proof of a devotee is his unswerving sense of identity.

And a raganuga devotee's identity will be on both the sadhaka and siddha dehas.
Madanmohan das - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 04:12:54 +0530
(jiva)krsna dAsa, e visvAsa
karale t' Ara dukha nAi

babu - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:11:13 +0530
QUOTE (Madanmohan das @ Sep 2 2004, 10:42 PM)
(jiva)krsna dAsa, e visvAsa
karale t' Ara dukha nAi

For those of us whose first language isn't Sanskrit, a translation please?
Jagat - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:21:32 +0530
"One who believes that he is Krishna's servant suffers no longer." (Bhaktivinoda Thakur)
Madanmohan das - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:21:34 +0530
Begging your pardon.

" I (a jiva) am a servant of Krsna", by thinking thus all grief departs.
(Thakura Bhaktivinoda's Gitavali).

Just seeing if you were awake
Madanmohan das - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:22:21 +0530
O Jagat you beet me
Elpis - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:23:48 +0530
QUOTE (babu @ Sep 2 2004, 07:41 PM)
For those of us whose first language isn't Sanskrit, a translation please?

It is not Sanskrit, but Bengali.
Madhava - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:29:35 +0530
What do they call poems like this? Tripadi? It has the same characteristic anaGga-nigUDha-kIrtana-svarUpa:

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX |

[ A very confidential song. smile.gif ] Is it also called tripadi?
babu - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:34:48 +0530
QUOTE (Jagat @ Sep 2 2004, 03:22 PM)
Forget about making any effort at bhajan--simply by having the sense of identity that "I am Krishna Das" you can attain all perfection.



"Sense of identity" is an interesting choice of words for a translation. It to me implies a sensitivity and awareness of what one is as opposed to a mere mental imprinting. Its a feeling inside, "I am Krishna's bhakta."

In the process of the discussion in N.Y. we came to the supreme and wonderfully beautiful forms of Radha and Krishna as the ultimate testaments of faith.

And so our growth in realization of our Krishna dasaness is rooted in our attraction to The All Attractive.
Madanmohan das - Fri, 03 Sep 2004 05:56:11 +0530
If the original is "abhimAn" then sense of identity is apt. but the word implies, I believe, many meanings according to its context. I've often seen it translated as "conceit" or even "self-esteem," "pride." So taking many meanings and putting them together, you could say, "who takes pride in the self-identity and esteems himself with the conceit or ego-concept that "I am Krsna's eternal servant," such a one has consummated his bhajan.

Elsewhere the Thakura goes on to say, after singing the beauty and attributes of Sri Radha;

sakala tyajiyA se rAdhA carane/
dAsi haiye bhaja parama yatane//

"Abandoning everything else, adore the feet of Radha with utmost dilligence as a maid-servant."
JD33 - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 05:21:54 +0530
Why does Jagat talk about 16 rounds? That is not, generally, enough to drink from.
Madhava - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 02:44:00 +0530
I believe he mentions that in the context of the 16 of ISKCON along with their other standards that are frequently considered synonymous with niSTha.