5. Knowledge of Sādhana

CHAPTER FIVE

Knowledge of Sādhana

While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam have clearly established nāma-saṅkīrtana as the means for attaining perfection in this age, they also emphasise the study of scripture as an essential means to bring chanting to fruition. We see, therefore, that Śrīla Prabhupāda spent so much of his time in making the cream of Vaiṣṇava literature available to the world.

His Divine Grace further emphasised to his followers the importance of studying his books and distributing them. Of these two instructions—studying and distributing his books—devotees in general are seen to be more enthusiastic about the latter than the former. Somehow the importance of reading and studying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and the works of other Vaiṣṇavas is, for one reason or another, lost on many devotees.

And yet Kṛṣṇa makes an inseparable link between knowledge of His pastimes and activities, and a devotee’s ability to gain freedom from bad habits and so attain ecstatic devotion:

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

“Being freed from attachment, fear, and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me, and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.”1

In other words, freedom from bad habits and the development of attachment to Kṛṣṇa are very much dependent on knowledge of Him. That knowledge is of three kinds:

Knowledge of relationships, of practice, and of perfection—sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana.

And those three divisions of knowledge include, among other things, an understanding of the following truths:

kṛṣṇa-tattva, bhakti-tattva, prema-tattva sāra bhāva-tattva, rasa-tattva, līlā-tattva āra

“The truth of Kṛṣṇa, the truth of devotional service, the truth of love of Godhead, the truth of emotional ecstasy, the truth of transcendental mellows, and the truth of the pastimes of the Lord.”2

Prior to creation, Lord Brahmā was puzzled as to his origin, and his destination and the means to attain it. He also did not know how to dovetail his desire to recreate the universe with service to his own mysterious genesis. As a result, he followed a succinct celestial instruction to perform austerity, at the conclusion of which he was able to see the Lord. Of course, being blessed with a vision of the Lord in the absence of prema is made possible for a devotee in exceptional circumstances. And this was an exceptional circumstance, as there was no one else in existence to teach Brahmā other than Kṛṣṇa.

Thereafter, the Lord taught Brahmā the essence of ŚrīmadBhāgavatam as a means of enhancing his creative nature while keeping him on the progressive path of pure devotion. The Lord prefaced His teachings, known as the catuḥ-ślokī, as follows:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me yad vijñāna-samanvitam sarahasyaṁ tad-aṅgaṁ ca gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā

“The Personality of Godhead said: ‘Knowledge about Me as described in the scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realised in conjunction with devotional

service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.’”3

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Prabhupāda assert that the word rahasya refers to the perfection of prema-bhakti, while tad-aṅga means sādhana-bhakti. The sum and substance of the verse is that devotional service in practice and in perfection can only be successful if based on, and accompanied by, relevant branches of spiritual knowledge. Otherwise both sādhana and sādhya remain unattainable secrets, stowed away in the inaccessible regions of the Vedas.

In His final instruction to Brahmā, the Lord describes devotional service in practice:

etāvad eva jijñāsyaṁ tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ yat syāt sarvatra sarvadā

“A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.”4

Space does not allow us the kind of in-depth analysis that Śrīla Prabhupāda and his predecessors dedicate to this verse. However, it is clear that Kṛṣṇa tells Brahmā to take up regulated devotional practice, comprehensively defined not only by prescribed and forbidden activities, but by a relentless search for Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Jīva comments that that search should be conducted in scriptures, spiritual masters, places, the senses, things, activities, duties, and results.

In short, to attain perfection through practice, devotees must remain inquisitive, assiduous, and studious.

And yet the introduction to this chapter attests to a general laxity in devotees’ commitment to scriptural study and to the acquisition of transcendental knowledge. How can this laxity be transformed into enthusiasm?

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura answers, sat-saṅgāc chāstrābhidehyavijñāsā:

“By associating with devotees one develops the desire to understand scriptures.”5

Or in the poetic words of Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

“Wandering and wandering throughout the universe, the conditioned soul may by chance get the association of a devotee physician, whose instructions and hymns make the witch of the external energy flee.”6

The obvious question arises:

“What happens if devotees do not study the science of devotion and put their learning into practice?”

The regrettable but factual answer to this question is:

“Without properly understanding the truths of devotional service, devotees will remain polluted by anarthas. Rather than developing attraction to Kṛṣṇa, they will be confined to battling with the mind, senses, and bad habits.”

Knowledge and the association of Vaiṣṇavas give rise to faith, and these three together qualify devotees for spiritual advancement. Moreover, faithful devotional service—especially nāmasaṅkīrtana—quickly clears away bad habits and awakens attraction to both devotional activities and to Kṛṣṇa.

While it is the duty of the spiritual master to instruct the disciple in knowledge of relationships, practice, and perfection, it is also the duty of the disciple to receive those instructions with faith. A devotee must be qualified to receive instructions, otherwise the teachings of even the most qualified spiritual master are like an o ering of ghee on ashes.

In Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta we see that Gopa-kumāra’s spiritual master repeatedly and systematically instructed his disciple in the truths of nāma-saṅkīrtana. As Gopa-kumāra assimilated and experienced spiritual life, the teachings he was given became

increasingly confidential. The same principle of instruction also held true for Gopa-kumāra’s instructing gurus, especially Nārada Muni and the Lord.

Ultimately, all instructions come either directly or indirectly from Kṛṣṇa, the original guru. He gives knowledge of Himself and of devotion to Him so that a devotee can put that knowledge into practice through the process of sādhana. That is called vijñāna. The Lord says:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te

“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”7

A serious devotee, a studious devotee, immerses himself in the spiritual science of bhakti and thus becomes adept in the standard practices that scripture prescribes. This section gives emphasis to the importance of following such conventional and authoritative sādhana.

To establish faith in the process of devotional service, scriptures often describe the extraordinary power of bhakti. To do so they cite extreme examples of the benefits derived by those who unknowingly, wrongly, or even critically engage in acts of devotion. Hearing these incidents, an immature student sometimes wrongly concludes that these exceptional circumstances are an alternative to the standard, systematic accomplishment of sādhana-bhakti.

For example, Ajāmila lived a life of sin, yet because he remembered Nārāyaṇa at the time of death he was liberated. This is sometimes mistakenly interpreted to mean that a devotee can wait until the end of a wayward life to practise bhakti.

Similarly, scripture speaks of a yāvana who at death cried out “hā-rāma,” which in his own language meant “how horrible,”

yet still he was saved. Again this is misunderstood to indicate that one need have neither knowledge of, nor the intention to chant the name of God, but if one does so accidentally, the process still acts. And the following Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse cites a variety of insincere attitudes to devotion that still produce favourable results:

sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā stobhaṁ helanam eva vā vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ

“One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly, [to indicate something else] [as in using the holy name to count drumbeats on a mṛdaṅga, or to pace oneself while running], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all scholars of the scriptures.”8

In addition to such statements are even more spectacular precedents. One tells the story of a pigeon who was chased around a temple before being killed by a hawk, the result of such circumambulation being that the pigeon attained Vaikuṇṭha.

As stated, the scriptural narrations of such irregular approaches to devotional service are to emphasise the power of bhakti, and especially the power of chanting the Lord’s holy names.

However, such exceptional occurrences are not replacements for the methodical sādhana that scripture both describes and prescribes.

The process of sādhana, whether regulated or spontaneous, is to follow the path of devotion set out by authorities such as Rūpa Gosvāmī in books such as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. To innocently neglect the standards of sādhana is to err on the path, a digression that can be corrected by repentance. But to consciously transgress the rules is an o ence that results in serious obstacles to devotional practice itself. Sādhakas are therefore warned not to abuse those teachings on bhakti that are meant to instil faith in non-devotees and which do not serve independently as paths to perfection for devotees.

The Supreme Lord’s internal potency has inestimable power to purify wayward souls; however, Kṛṣṇa Himself has established the timeless principles by which the repentant may return to Him. Exceptions cannot become the general rule. Similarly, the rare perfection attained by causeless mercy cannot be expected to replace the generally attained perfection from systematic sādhana. Such is the conclusion of all scriptures, which is nicely summarised in the following verse:

nāmaikaṁ yasya vāci smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ vā śuddhaṁ vāśuddha-varṇaṁ vyavahita-rahitaṁ tārayaty eva satyam tac ced deha-draviṇa-janatā-lobha-pāṣaṇḍa-madhye nikṣiptaṁ syān na phala-janakaṁ śīghram evātra vipra

“If a devotee once utters the holy name of the Lord, or if it penetrates his mind or enters his ear, which is the channel of aural reception, that holy name will certainly deliver him from material bondage, whether vibrated properly or improperly, with correct or incorrect grammar, or properly joined or vibrated in separate parts. O brāhmaṇa, the potency of the holy name is therefore certainly great. However, if one uses the vibration of the holy name for the benefit of the material body, for material wealth and followers, or under the influence of greed or atheism—in other words, if one utters the name with o ences—such chanting will not produce the desired result very soon. Therefore one should diligently avoid o ences in chanting the holy name of the Lord.”9

With the words “very soon,” this verse indicates that devotional service executed o ensively or irregularly still has benefit. Such is the inestimable power of bhakti and of nāma-saṅkīrtana. However, this kind of unorthodox devotion falls short, in that it can only result in liberation — meaning freedom from material suffering—and even that intermediate and temporary result takes a long time to attain.

For a devotee who digresses to such unorthodoxy, progress to prema can only be accomplished by resorting to orthodox sādhana.

Thus, one way or the other, a practitioner must embrace devotional service according to the prescribed rules and regulations spoken of in scripture and by spiritual masters.

A classic example of a devotee who did not engage in sādhana according to the accepted standard but was later obliged to do so is Gopa-kumāra of Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta.

Gopa-kumāra was born in Govardhana as a pure-hearted cowherd boy. Although initiated into a Gopāla mantra, he was not versed in the process of pure devotion and therefore could not systematically practise bhakti. Yet the power of his mantra still enabled him to achieve the abode of liberation and meet Lord Śiva and the Viṣṇudūtas, who then gave him sanguine guidance.

The messengers of the Lord told Gopa-kumāra that in order to proceed to Vaikuṇṭha, he would have to change the quality of his chanting from dutiful to ecstatic. Faith in his mantra and guru would have to be augmented by the conscientious practise of the nine limbs of devotional service.

“How would he be able to do that?”

“The Viṣṇudūtas advised Gopa-kumāra to hear ŚrīmadBhāgavatam, and in that way learn the systematic science of devotional service. By so doing he would learn to discriminate between what was favourable and what was unfavourable for the attainment of his goal.”

Following that advice, Gopa-kumāra quickly awakened to ecstatic devotion and gained entrance into Vaikuṇṭha, a domain that was previously inaccessible to him.

In this historical narration, Gopa-kumāra is hardly a casual practitioner, what to speak of an o ender. Still, pure-hearted as he was, his lack of knowledge of devotional service restricted his ability to follow standard sādhana and to benefit from its corresponding spiritual attainments. Imperfect sādhana o ered Gopa-kumāra slow progress, but it eventually brought him to the realisation that he must be educated in and must follow the ninefold path of bhakti, beginning with hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

A thoughtful devotee who hears of Gopa-kumāra’s example will conclude that it is best to study and to apply the science of devotion taught by Śrīla Prabhupāda. By doing so, he will quickly attain the desired destination that was promised to him—back home, back to Godhead.

We now conclude this section by citing Rūpa Gosvāmī on the futility of devotion that ignores scriptural guidance. The ācārya writes,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādipañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate

“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorised Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.”10

The story of Gopa-kumāra o ers evidence of how bhakti still yields results to the practitioner who, for some reason or another, is not fully conversant with the process of sādhana. Nonetheless, such a devotee generally will not achieve prema. The same pastime also emphasises the need for devotees to sincerely apply themselves to knowing the process of devotional service—in practice and in perfection—in order to attain the topmost goal of life.

And yet it is not unreasonable to assume that a neophyte devotee will not immediately acquire a full grasp of sādhana-bhakti. There are limits as to how quickly one can correctly and fully assimilate the extensive knowledge of scriptures describing sādhana. Conditioned souls are prone to mistakes and limitations.

Thus a doubt may arise:

“Will a sincere beginner be handicapped in his advancement due to a poor fund of knowledge?”

In this regard Nārada Muni reassured the great Vyāsa that a devotee should not be worried about shortcomings or imperfections in his glorification of the Lord.

The sage clears away such a doubt:

“Transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung, and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”11

That being the case, a lesser devotee may feel reassured if he has not immediately assimilated Vyāsa’s teachings, provided he makes continual e orts to do so. This conclusion is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa when He says,

nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

“In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.”12

The key to progressive sādhana is sincerity of purpose and faith in the process. If these are intact, then bhakti will ensure its own fulfilment in the heart of a pure devotee. And Kṛṣṇa assures practitioners:

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

“But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.”13

One may ask:

“How does Kṛṣṇa carry what devotees lack?”

The simple answer is:

“Through inspiration from senior Vaiṣṇavas and through His direct guidance!”

Practitioners receive guidance in sādhana from other Vaiṣṇavas and from their spiritual masters. This is confirmed in the definition of the madhyama-adhikārī guru who “is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord” and who “shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent.”14 Hence sādhakas can discover where their practices are lacking, how that lack can be corrected, and how adequate practices can be further enhanced. The inspiration for such guidance originates from the devotion within the hearts of their well-wishers. This inspiration is an outcome of the principle bhaktyā sañjātayā bhaktyā, “bhakti gives rise to bhakti.”15

In tandem with the guidance of Vaiṣṇavas is the guidance of the Lord. When the Lord sees the sādhaka’s sincere e orts to hear about Him and to know Him, He not only gives a devotee knowledge with which to progress, but He also removes obstacles to such progress:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām

“Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”16

Progressive growth of devotion is thus dependent on the strength of a devotee’s faith and the depth of his knowledge. These two factors, already discussed in earlier chapters, are key to higher grades of sādhana and to the results they bestow.

We can therefore see that devotional service is very much a step-by-step process, as clarified by the Lord Himself:

“Gradually, step by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction.”17

And while the process of sādhana and its results are systematic and universal, every devotee’s path is unique to him or her. Similarly, the stages and symptoms of perfection are equally scientific, and yet each devotee’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa—and the ecstasies born of that relationship—are similarly unique.

Scripture gives examples of how di erent devotees tread their own path to perfection while at the same time fulfilling the standard devotional conditions.

As a young boy, Nārada was blessed by the Bhaktivedanta Vaiṣṇavas with devotion, and although freed of all family encumbrances, he wrongly remained attached to the process of meditation in secluded places. Taking pity on Nārada, the Lord appeared in order to correct the boy’s malpractice and then disappeared, never to be seen again. Simmering in the fire of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Nārada gradually became free of subtle attachments and edged towards perfection, which he achieved at death.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also gives the example of the sinner Ajāmila, who was purified by accidentally chanting the Lord’s name and blessed by the presence of the Viṣṇudūtas. In a spiritually elevated state he took up sādhana-bhakti in Haridvāra, and eventually attained a spiritual body in which he returned to Vaikuṇṭha.

Similarly, Gopa-kumāra attained all manner of spiritual achievements by faithfully chanting his dīkṣā-mantra. But when he hit the glass ceiling of regulative sādhana, he had the good fortune to meet the Viṣṇudūtas and Nārada Muni, who guided him to spontaneous loving devotion and eventually to his desired destination.

Here we see three devotees, each on their unique journey. And yet their desired perfections are achieved by following authoritative, time-tested standards of practice.

Sādhana-bhakti practised under the vigilant guidance of the spiritual master and advanced Vaiṣṇavas gradually yields the result for which a sādhaka aspires. And while spiritual knowledge is based on the teachings of scriptures, sādhana is not a matter of collecting information. The fruition of practice is dependent on divine grace. And divine grace spontaneously awakens transcendental knowledge, which then enables a sādhaka to systematically climb the devotional stairway to Vaikuṇṭha. Indeed, the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotees are so powerful that even in their physical absence a sādhaka can attain all perfection by strictly following their guidance.

As Gopa-kumāra’s spiritual master told him,

jagāda ca nijaṁ sarvam idaṁ preṣṭhāya te ’dadām sarvam etat-prabhāveṇa svayaṁ jñāsyasi lapsyase

“Because you are very dear to me, I have now given you everything I possess. By the power of this mantra, you will understand and attain everything on your own.”18

A practising devotee may be reassured that spiritual success is at hand. He may have committed a variety of sins and feel handicapped by bad habits, but devotional service and the blessings of great personalities will ensure that he acquires the realised knowledge and the detachment from the world that are necessary to attain both intermediate and ultimate perfections.

Notes

1. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.10. 2. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.265. 3. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.31. The catuḥ-ślokī, or “four verses,” are Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.33–36. 4. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.36. 5. Śrī Āmnāya-sūtra 7.50. 6. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.14–15. 7. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 10.10. 8. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.14. 9. Padma Purāṇa, as cited in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.60. 10. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101, as cited in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.3, purport. 11. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.11. 12. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.40. 13. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 9.22. 14. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46. 15. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.3.31. 16. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17. 17. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.25. 18. Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 2.3.6.