Enthusiasm in Bhajan - Ananta Das Baba, Rasa Darsan

[This section spans several pages but I'll but cutting some. The section begins with a quote from Bhag. 3.29.11-12]

(Bhagavan Kapila Deva told Mother Devahuti) - "O Mother! Upon hearing my glories when a devotee's heart rushes toward me, the Supreme Personality, just as the River Ganga rushes toward the sea, it is called 'nirguna bhakti' or bhakti devoid of material qualities. It does not desire any fruit and is not adulterated by knowledge, karma, etc." This is true bhakti.

Sri Jiva Goswami has written in Bhaktisandarbha that bhakti is most supremely rare and most supremely incomprehensible. Most of us carry on bhakti to some extent and maybe it is natural, but most often, it is sakaitava. Love for love's sake is very rare. In some corner of the devotee's heart there is a desire for wealth, child, good health or monetary gain, fame and status. Hence, in spite of devotional practise one is unable to obtain Divine Love.

[...explanation of upasakhars from Cc...]

If these desires for profit, worship and fame had not existed, then in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sect, wherein the most loving Lord Gaurasundar has descended, would Divine Love be so rare?
Whatever it may be, Sripad Visvanatha Chakravarti has made a very beautiful and fine point that we should bear in mind before starting disciplined bhajan. The point is -- 'enthusiasm in bhajan with due respect.' Not only is bhajan necessary, but it should be done with enthusiasm.


satAM kRpA mahat-sevA zraddhA guru-padAzrayaH
bhajaneSu spRhA bhaktir anarthApagamas tataH

Meaning - "We should serve the pure devotees and gain their mercy. Thereafter we should take shelter of the lotus-feet of the spiritual master with faith and start our bhajan with enthusiasm. Then all our inauspicious qualities will disappear."

In spite of doing bhajan, if we do not make advancement, we should realize that we are not showing enough enthusiasm. Sri Jiva Goswami has also stated this indirectly. We should have scriptural faith and 'saranagati.' Then we should begin our devotional life by respectfully serving Guru and the Vaisnavas. Our bhajan should be of the akaitava inborn type. While explaining verse 1.2.36 of B.R.S., Sri Jiva Goswami has mentioned how true bhajan should be performed. It is very much similar to Sri Visvanatha Chakravarti's 'bhajan with enthusiasm.'

We should perform bhajan by staying close to our our Worshipable One (Istadev). Without this we cannot be enthusiastic about bhajan. Upasana (worshipping) literally means 'to stay close.' If we do not perform bhajan like this, passionate love for Krsna is very difficult to achieve. As soon as our appreciative readers hear the verse uttered by Lord Kapila in Srimad Bhagavatam [the opening verse, above] and quoted by Sri Jiva Goswami, they will comprehend why bhakti has been termed 'most supremely incomprehensible.'

pp56-58, Rasadarsan - The Philosophy of Divine Sentiments, Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj

[...explanation of upasakhars from Cc...]
I couldn't follow the word "upasakhars" - what does that mean?

"Sub-branches", from the description of the bhakti-lata-bija. (I pluralized the word using the spelling from the book.)

It is upa-shakha, or upa-zAkhA in HK. upa = sub and shakha = branches

Oh! upashakha -s! Now I got it. That "r" was the troublemaker. Looked like a foreign word to me.

Looks Tamalian to me! I never know when an "r" or an "n" will appear where I don't expect it (in an english version of a tamil commentary)

The book had:

"praThamei upaZAkhAr akribe"

But maybe it's time that anyone with more than 100 posts is forced to use HK, except in dire emergencies? Although it will be an unpaid position initially, the HK Police could issue fines and disburse the rewards amongst themselves.

Another new word? My dictionary only has "Tamilian." Tamalian. What a dark and beautiful word!

Was somebody summoning me?

There is an entry "Tamulian" in the dictionary, though. Another nice word

Tamilians are dark and beautiful too! Especially my Devi...

Oh! Not again! The HK police is sure to issue some big fat fines this time!
Or he might reconsider because of the flu...

akribe? anyone?

Actually there is also a typo'd "aTbe" to round it all out.

prathamei upazAkhAra koribe chedan
tabe mUla zAkhA bARhi jAy vRndAvana

I'll note the typos in my forthcoming book review but in defense of the translator, the book is chockablock with cited verses.

Now everything makes sense.

Please, let me know if I can be any help in proofreading...

Another thing in the translation is the use of the terms "modern" and "inherent", praktan and adhunika,the modern actually implying "recently aquired". When it talks of inherent rasa desire and modern rasa desire, I think it's a bit misleading; particularly as literature is the topic there, an uninformed reader might think modern rasa desire has something to do with modern literature.

Having said that, generally it's an amazing book and must have been difficult to render in English and the translator deserves high commendations for it.

I believe that Jagat was actually looking at translating Rasa Darsan and was concerned when he heard that it had already been done that some of finer points wouldn't make it into English easily. I find that not having the original terms in Sanskrit hinders my understanding of some sections.

Hmm. I think it would be a fine text for an online study group! Perhaps we could corral him into that when he returns.

Some of my favorite sections are where Baba offers small comments about what a reader might be feeling when hearing topics of rasa, such as this, following a section from Brhad-bhagavatamrta:



The heart of a Vaisnava.

Unfortunately HK will not suffice for gaudeeya because HK does not have a grapheme for the retroflex flap which is what my d is meant to indicate. The HK D denotes a cerebral d which is not quite the retroflex flap in gaudeeya . Please see the actual native script and you will see what I mean and listen carefully to literate native speakers. Don't put all your bets on any one system or convention. HK may be great for Sanskrit but may be wanting for others.

I'm going to do a retroflex flap of my own and bring this back my original train of thought. (Whoo whooo! Tickets please.)

I've read a nice exerpt from Haridas Sastriji where he talks about enthusiasm in bhajan wherein he mentioned how we may be feeling tired or unenthusiastic but if some sensually attractive object was present, we'd lose that lethargy in a moment! At the ultimate level, that's what it is all really about--like the attraction of a young boy or girl, etc.--but I even appreciate this now in the sadhana that I have been given. There is a degree of life to it that is certainly not of my doing. For instance, when offering Krsna's prasadi chandan to Sri Radhika it is practically impossible to do that without being somewhat conscious of what you are doing. And if you invest a small degree of feeling into it, well...

Besides the joy of these small acts, I noticed a subtle change in my own approach toward sadhana-under-pressure. I'm married, have two small childen, run my own business, somehow got involved with an illicit book smuggling operation, have to save Gaudiya Vaisnavism from heretics, etc., so don't have a huge chunk of "free time." Over the years, when distractions have mounted, I've generally jettisoned sadhana with a mix of guilt (and bitterness at having that guilt). My attitude is quite different now and I find that I cannot jettison it. It's too sweet. And the nature of the sadhana and the hands which delivered it bespeak kindness and acceptance to a heartbreaking extent.


Gosh it seems pompous to keep posting here as a Pearl--where are the moderators?--but I'd like to see if anyone has other motivational references or tips.

Radhe Radhe!

Wow, thank you for such a very nice post. I have also been reflecting on my practices and the change in dynamics I have experienced since taking diksa. I have found that the diksa mantras and other practices have allowed me to bridge the gap between seeing sadhana as a practice to now seeing it as a means to develop my relationship with my Guru, my parampara, the Vaisnavas, Sri Gauranga and Sri Radhika and her Yugal Kishor.

The daily practice of chanting my diksa mantras and other aspects of my sadhana has added so much to the dynamic of understanding sadhana as a part of these relationships. Doing puja each morning is very much an exchange as opposed to a ritual. Outside of the diksa mantras nothing has changed in my life. I still have two children, a very demanding job and unlimited distractions. However it is much easier to be distracted from a discipline then it is a relationship and that is what I feel I have now. My early morning sadhana is such a joy and I have truly felt exchanges between myself and my dear Thakurji and loving Guardians.

So like you I have also experienced a definite jolt. I don’t believe that there was never any level of access before… just that I was too preoccupied or unmoved to see it and run for it. It is this very realization which I often think about... don;t take it for granted!

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

These two posts of Braja and Rasaraj are really sweet. This is the sart of something so wonderful, so divine and the way you are sharing it has a wonderful influence on those reading it. I know this is just the begining for you guys and that you will be an amazingly beautiful inspiration on people who come to this site! I am very happy for you and really everyone who reads these kinds of posts!
Jai Sri Radhey!

I completely agree with JD33-ji (don't know your name, sorry!) and it also gives me the feeling that I want to join your club!

But, how much is the membership fee?

tatra laulyam eka mulyam