atrāyaṁ vivekaḥ vraja-līlā-parikarastha-śṛṅgārādi-bhāva-mādhurye śrute “idaṁ mamāpi bhūyāt” iti lobhotpatti-kāle śāstra-yuktyepekṣā na syāt. tasyāṁ ca satyāṁ lobhatvasyaivāsiddheḥ. na hi kenacit kutracit śāstra-dṛṣṭyā lobhaḥ kriyate. kintu lobhye vastuni śrute dṛṣṭe vā svata eva lobha utpadyate. tataś ca tad bhāva-prāpty-upāya-jijñāsāyāṁ śāstrāpekṣā bhavet, śāstra evaṁ prāpty-upāya-likhanāt nānyatra. tac ca śāstraṁ bhajana-pratipādakam śrī-bhāgavatam eva. teṣu bhajaneṣv api madhye kānicit tad bhāva-mayāni kānicit tad bhāva-sambandhīni kānicit tad bhāvānukūlāni kānicit tad bhāvāviruddhāni kānicit tad bhāva-pratikūlānīti pañca-vidhāni sādhanāni. tatra dāsya-sakhyādīni bhāva-mayāny eva. guru-padāśrayato mantra-japādīni tathā preṣṭhasya nija-samīhitasya tat priya-janasya ca sama-yocitānāṁ līlā-guṇa-rūpa-nāmnāṁ śravaṇa-kīrtana-smaraṇāni vividha-paricaraṇāni ca bhāva-sambandhīni.
tat prāpty-utkaṇṭhāyām ekādaśī-janmāṣṭamī-kārtika-vrata-bhoga-tyāgādīni taporūpāṇi tathāśvattha-tulasyādi sammānanādīni tad bhāvānukūlāny eva. nāmākṣara-mālya-nirmālyādi dhāraṇa-praṇāmādīni tad bhāvāviruddhāni. uktāny etāni sarvāṇi karmāṇi karttavyāni. nyāsa-mudrā dvārakādi-dhyānādīni tad bhāva-pratikūlāni rāgānugāyāṁ varjanīyāni. evaṁ svādhikārocitāni śāstreṣu vihitāni karttavyāni, niṣiddhāni tu sarvāṇi varjanīyāni.
Śrī Bindu-vikāśinī-vṛtti
The distinctive point to be understood in this matter is that, upon hearing of the sweetness of the conjugal mood (or the moods of the other rasas) displayed by Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates in vraja-līlā, one begins to think, “This mood is possible for me also”. When this type of greed arises one is no longer dependent on the reasonings of śāstra. As long as one is dependent upon the arguments of the scriptures, he has not obtained consummation of his greed. In other words it should be understood from this that greed has not yet arisen in the sādhaka. This is so because greed is never observed in anyone who is dependent on the reasonings of śāstra. Rather, by hearing about or seeing an enticing object, greed automatically arises to acquire it.
Nonetheless, after the appearance of greed when one inquires, “How may this irresistible vraja-bhāva be obtained?” there is dependence upon the scriptures because it is only in the scriptures and nowhere else that the method of obtaining this is written. The scripture from which this method may be known is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for it has ascertained the method of bhagavad-bhajana.
Among the limbs of bhajana, some are tad-bhāvamaya (composed of bhāva), some are tad-bhāva-sambandhī (related to bhāva), some are tad-bhāva-anukūla (favourable to bhāva), some are tad-bhāva-aviruddha (neither opposed to nor incompatible with bhāva) and some are tad-bhāva-pratikūla (opposed to bhāva). Thus rāgānuga-sādhana is seen to be of five types, as explained below:
- Bhāvamaya
The four primary relationships of dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya are known as bhāvamaya-sādhana. When śravaṇa, kīrtana and other such limbs of bhakti become saturated with one of the bhāvas of dāsya, sakhya and so on, they nourish the future tree of the sādhaka’s prema. Therefore dāsya, sakhya and so on are called bhāvamaya-sādhana. - Bhāva-sambandhī
The limbs of bhakti beginning from acceptance of the shelter of a spiritual master, mantra-japa, hearing, chanting and remembering of the name, form, qualities and pastimes appropriate for different periods of the day of dearest Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the beloved associates of Kṛṣṇa towards whom one has attraction and rendering various services unto them, are known as bhāva-sambandhī-sādhana. The upādāna-kāraṇa, or material cause of bhāva, is called bhāva-sambandhī. That by which bhāva attains maturity is called the material cause. Bhāva is shaped or moulded by the various limbs of bhakti such as guru-padāśraya and so on. Therefore the performance of these limbs is called bhāva-sambandhī-sādhana, that sādhana which is related to bhāva. - Bhāva-anukūla
The observance of Ekādaśī, Janmāṣṭamī and kārttika-vrata, the renunciation of sense pleasure and other austerities performed for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa, and offering respect to tulasī, the banyan tree and others – all these limbs of bhakti performed with great eagerness to obtain one’s cherished bhāva (among the four attitudes of dāsya and so on) are favourable to bhāva. In other words they are helpful for the attainment of bhāva and are therefore known as bhāva-anukūla-sādhana. - Bhāva-aviruddha
Wearing the remnants of flower garlands and other paraphernalia offered to the deity, stamping one’s body with the syllables of śrī harināma, offering obeisances and other such limbs of bhakti are called bhāva-aviruddha-sādhana. That which is not opposed to the attainment of one’s bhāva is bhāva-aviruddha. It is one’s duty to carry out these limbs of bhakti. - Bhāva-pratikūla
Mental assignment of different parts of the body to various deities (nyāsa), particular positions of intertwining the fingers (mudrā), meditation on Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Dvārakā and other such aṅgas should be abandoned in rāgānuga-bhakti because they are opposed to the attainment of one’s desired bhāva (bhāva-pratikūla).
Thus according to one’s eligibility, one is obligated to perform the limbs of bhakti prescribed in the scriptures and to reject those which are forbidden.
[CC-by-ND GVP]