Bhakti is the Only Means to Attract Krsna

(From "Bhakti Tattva Viveka" - click to read more from it.
You can also read the previous page: What is the confidential meaning of Bhagavad-gita?)

Krsnakarshini: Bhakti is the only means to attract Krsna.

As Srila Rupa Goswami writes (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.1.41):

kritva harim prema-bhajam priya-varga-samanvitam

bhaktir vashi-karotiti sri-krsnakarshini mata

“Shuddha-bhakti overpowers Sri Krsna and all His dearmost associates with prema; this very ability to attract Sri Krsna is actually the inherent nature of Bhakti-devi.”

The purport of this is that in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, as long as shuddha-bhakti hasn’t arisen within the heart, a sadhaka is performing bhakti-abhasa.

At this stage the attainment of shuddha-bhakti is very rare.

But when shuddha-bhakti does appear in the heart — even in the stage of sadhana — a little of the splendour of the limbs of bhajana begins to blossom.

At that time realisation of the jiva’s eternal identity and realisation of the true intrinsic nature of bhagavat-tattva is kindled by the medium of that splendour.

Subsequently, a powerful agitation in the form of deep attachment for bhakti develops within the heart of the devotee.

Thus, the appearance of this stage of bhajana causes shuddha-bhakti-sadhana to quickly unfold into the stage of rati or bhava and to ultimately fully blossom into prema.

In the stage of bhava, bhakti attracts Sri Krsna along with His dearmost companions, but in the stage of prema, bhakti makes the sadhaka an instrument of sri-krsna-lila and thus induces him to relish the topmost rasa.

This topic will be explained more clearly ahead.

Vishva-Vaisnava dasa comments on this subject in the following five verses:

kleshaghni shubhada-bhaktir yada sa sadhanatmika

hridaye baddha-jivanam tatastha-lakshananvita (1)

kleshaghni shubhada moksa-laghutakrit sudurlabha

sa bhaktir bhava-rupena yavat tishthati cetasi(2)

prema-rupa yada bhaktis tada tat-tad-gunanvita

sandrananda-visheshatma sri-krsnakarshani ca sa(3)

muktanam eva sa shashvat svarupananda-rupini

sambandha-svarupa nityam rajate jiva-krsnayoh(4)

bhaktyabhasena ya labhya muktir maya nikrintani

sa katham bhagavad-bhakteh samyam kankshati cetika(5)

“There are three stages of bhakti: sadhana, bhava and prema.

Bhakti in the stage of sadhana has two aspects: kleshaghnatva, meaning it removes all types of material distress, and shubhadatva, meaning it offers the supreme auspiciousness.

In the stage of bhava, four aspects of bhakti are visible: kleshaghnatva, shubhadatva, moksha-laghutakaritva, meaning it reveals to the practitioner the insignificance of liberation, and sudurlabhatva, meaning it is extremely rare.

In the stage of prema, over and above these four attributes, two more aspects are visible: sandrananda-visheshatma, meaning it grants extremely intense transcendental pleasure, and sri-krsnakarshini, meaning it is the only means to attract Sri Krsna.

In the conditioned stage of the jiva, the three intrinsic attributes of bhakti, that is sandrananda-svarupatva, sri-krsnakarshatva and sudurlabhatva, remain mixed with its three marginal characteristics, that is kleshaghnatva, shubhadatva and moksha-laghutakaritva.

In the liberated stage, the bhakti of the jiva acts between the jiva and Krsna as eternal loving service in a particular relationship and as the jiva’s intrinsic transcendental pleasure.

The mukti which dispels the covering of maya can be attained simply by the performance of bhakti-abhasa.

Since such mukti is just one of the ordinary maidservants among the many maidservants of Bhakti-devi, how can she aspire to be equated with Bhakti-devi?”(from Part 3 – "An Analysis of the Natural Attributes of Bhakti")

Another revelation, The commentaries on Bhagavad-gita. Check out the previous page too: What is the confidential meaning of Bhagavad-gita?. You will benefit from reading the whole work: Bhakti Tattva Viveka.

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Harih Om Tat Sat.