Is svakiya sentiment raganuga? -

Hare Krishna,

I would like to ask the buddhi jeevis of raga maarg about some borderline
questions. It is known that the pristine Gaudiya Siddhanta is Parakiya
and that too Manjari bhaav. However, I am given to understand that there are
other *valid* bhaavas, outside of maadhurya rasa in Vraja.

The crucial question is if someone finds the feelings of a Svakiya associate of
the Lord to be ***be all, end all***, and is hankering after that, is that person
supposed to continue following the internal teachings of Rupaanugas? Or should
that person seek a suitable Guru?

Second question is that, why Svakiya bhaav of the associates of the Lord
classified as Vaidhi? I can understand why a person following Parakiya rasa
would say Svakiya bhaav is bland and tasteless (which is far from Truth for one
situated in svakiya rasa), because that person finds his own rasa supreme.
Is the same argument given for putting a hankering for Svakiya bhaav to be
vaidhi bhakti?

Your servant,
Kishalaya

The pastimes of Sri Krsna in Vraja wherein He sports with the Vrajasundaris, the married milkmaids of Vraja, are devoid of awe and reverence. The gopis' love, samartha rati, surpasses the love found in other dhamas in sweetness, e.i. Dwaraka and Mathura dhama. The Goswamis of Vrndavana propagated this love under the direction of Sri Caitanya, in particular, manjari bhava. In answer to your first question, if one is interested in pursuing the feelings of the Lord's associates in swakiya bhava, then my answer would be that one should seek a Guru and disciplic line that teaches aspirants to attain that particular type of bhava. Otherwise, one can pray and call out the names of Krsna in relation to those that pertain to those desired feelings and depend on His mercy for further guidence and illumination.

Krsna may figure either as Pati(husband) or Upa-pati(Lover).Gopis of Vraja were in fact married according to Gandharva rites (self-choise),and as such they should be taken as Sviya(one's own),but they are generally considered as Parakiya(another's) ,because of the secrecy of their love (pracchanna-kamata) and the unmanifest character of the marriage(avyaktatvad vivahasya).Visvanatha Cakravartin adds (''Kirana''):kiyantyah gokule sviya api pitradi-sankaya parakiya eva.

It is differentiated from ordinary sexual relation (prakrta kama)and characterised as pure love (suddha-preman),and the distinction of Sviya and Parakiya is said to be possible only in Prakata Lila(vastutah parama-sviya api pranata-lilayam parakiyamanah sri-vrayadevyah).In his ''Srikrsna-sandarbha'',Jiva Gosvamin offers the mystical-philosophical explanation that the Gopis,as well as Krsna's wives in Mathura and Dvaraka,are really his Svarupa-saktis.The Parakiya-bhava of the Gopis is not a reality but a mere semblance (abhasa) which,occuring only during the Prakata Vrndavana-lila,is short-lived.

I hope this helps.

with respect,

Dear Jiva,

What I have heard is that Parakiya bhava exists in Goloka Vrindavana because Yogamaya creates such a
sentiment in the gopis that they are married to "someone else" althought there are none in reality. Only
because of such a sentiment is Parakiya rasa possible. This is news to me that Parakiya rasa is not
possible in Goloka Vrindavana ?!

However that was not the topic of discussion. It seems that the deep Gaudiya siddhanta does not seem
to accord much (or any) importance to other bhaavas. Just now I saw in a post that a rasik maharaj
claiming that "The aim and object of *all living entities* is gopi prema". I find this proposition very hard
to digest !

-Kishalaya

Dear Kishalaya,

I am afraid that I stand by my argument which I have outlined above.Jiva Gosvamin deal in some detail with this question of the relation of the Gopis to Krsna in his ''Priti-sandarbha'' and ''Srikrsna-sandarbha''. I suggest that you read.this books carefully and see exactly what Jiva Gosvami has had to say on the subject...

Anyway,by Raganuga Bhakti is meant the feeling of devotion which follow the lines of the Ragatmika Bhakti,eternally displayed by the Saktis(in the form of divine Parikaras) towards the Saktimat.The Ragatmika Bhakti,as its name implies,consists entirely of Raga,which is defined as the natural excess of desire or attachment of a subject towards the object of desire or attachment(visayinah svabhaviko visaya-samsargecchitatisayah prema ragah).The Raga may admit of various aspects according to the feeling and the relationship conceived between the subject and the object,for Krsna himself has said:

yesam aham priya atma sutas ca / sakha guruh suhrdo daivam istom (Bhagavata 3.25.38)

''Of whom I am the Beloved,the Soul,the Son,the Friend,the Elderly Ancestor,the Relatives,and the Desirable Deity''..

It is explained that the Krsna appeared as the Priya to the Gopis and his Mahisis,as the Atma to ascetics like Sanaka,as the Suta to Nanda and Yasoda,as the Sakha to Gopas like Sudama,as the Guru to Pradyumna and others,as the Suhrt to Subhadra,and as the Ista Deva to people like Daruka.

In his Lila he manifests himself in these diverse ways to his Parikaras who are dear to him;and the feeling of the Parikaras towards him takes the various forms of the Ragatmika Bhakti which thus expresses itself as a deep and natural feeling of attachment.The Vaidhi Bhakti depends upon the injuctions of the sastras and hence it is comparatively weak,being mechanical;but the Raganuga,which follow the natural emotional ways of the Parikaras of the Bhagavat is independent of all outward rule and is therefore spontaneous and strong.

with respect,

Therefore there was raga in the bhakti of Sanaka, Mahishis, Pradyumna, Subhadra and Daruka ! none of
them being in Vraja

Your servant,
Kishalaya