Mother Durga and bhakti-abhasa

[Guest guest]

> Madhavananda Prabhu wrote:

>

> >They are not the bestowers of liberation. But Siva or Durga can give

> >bhakti,and liberation is the insignificant fruit of mere bhaktya-abhasa.

 

Bhadra Govinda Prabhu responded:

 

> This liberation which is insignificant of Bhaktya-abasa is impersonal

> liberation. It is not that factual/true liberation which is a result of

> loving devotional service.

 

This is an interesting subject. One which should be analysed and considered

deeply. There are different types of liberation and also different types of

bhaktya-abhasa. In a series of articles in Sajjana-toshani, which were later

compiled into a book entitled "Bhakti-tattva-viveka" (*Not* the book with a

similar name, "Tattva-viveka") Bhaktivinode has given a very scientific

description of bhaktya-abhasa. Quoting BRS 1.3.45 he says that there are two

basic types of bhaktya-abhasa:

 

1) Pratibimba-bhakti-abhasa (a reflection of bhakti)

2) Chaya-bhakti-abhasa (a shadow of bhakti)

 

Pratibimba-bhakti-abhasa remains apart from it's original object. Chaya is

dependent on and connected to the original object. Due to this connection

chaya-bhakti-abhasa appears as a partial manifestation of the original

object. In pratibimba-bhakti-abhasa one has a tendency to commit offenses

while chaya-bhakti-abhasa is incomplete bhakti.

 

There are three categories of pratibimba-bhakti-abhasa:

 

1) Nirvisesa-jnanavrta-bhakti-abhasa

2) Bahirmukha-karmavrta-bhakti-abhasa

3) Viparita vastu me bhakti-buddhi-janita bhakti-abhasa

 

Nirvisesa-jnanavrta-bhakti-abhasa is when bhakti-devi hides herself behind a

curtain of impersonal knowledge.

 

Bahirmukha-karmavrta-bhakti-abhasa is when bhakti is blocked by an external

covering of fruitive activities. In this type of bhakti-abhasa the performer

confuses nitya-karma activities (such as sandya-vandana etc), varnasrama or

astanga-yoga to be bhakti. The performer is attached to enjoying material

happiness either here or in the heavenly planets.

 

Viparita vastu me bhakti-buddhi-janita bhakti-abhasa is produced by the

visualisation of bhakti in activities which are actually opposed to bhakti

as found in the pancopasana practice of worship or in isvara-pranidhana,

where one concentrates on the Lord in the heart by the yoga process. The

pancopasana worshippers conceive of five systems of worship with five

coresponding deities - the worshippers of Siva; the worshippers of Durga;

the worshippers of Ganesh; worshippers of the Sun and worshippers of Vishnu.

The worshippers of Vishnu refered to here are not the pure devotees

following the line of bhakti. They are basically impersonalists.

 

Bhaktivinode says that the fruit of all three types of

pratibimba-bhakti-abhasa is impersonal liberation. So in this regard Bhadra

Govinda Prabhu is correct.

 

Bhaktivinode then describes two types of chaya-bhakti-abhasa:

 

1) Sva-rupa-jnanabhava-janita-bhakti-abhasa

2) Bhakti-uddipaka-vastu-sakti-janita-bhakti-abhasa

 

Sva-rupa-jnanabhava-janita-bhakti-abhasa is when the practitioner is unaware

of his spiritual identity. It is considered bhakti-abhasa because in the

absolute sense bhakti takes place on the liberated platform when one has a

relationship with Krishna.

 

Bhakti-uddipaka-vastu-sakti-janita-bhakti-abhasa is when a stimulation for

bhakti is caused by coming in connection with objects related to Krishna in

terms of time place and circumstance. Many examples can be given such as

Krishna's devotees, prasadam, Tulasi, the sacred tirthas, Ganga Devi,

Ekadasi etc.

 

In connection with this last type of bhakti-abhasa there are many

descriptions in the Puranas etc of persons getting liberation into Vaikuntha

who unknowingly followed Ekadasi, whose bones were placed in the Ganga or

some other sacred river after their death, who unknowingly came into contact

with Tulasi or prasadam etc etc. Two famous examples are of the mouse who

left its body by getting its face burned on a lamp at at temple; and

Ramanuja acarya who once threw some maha-prasadam into a lake, where some

fish ate it and then assumed four-armed forms and went to Vaikuntha in front

the astonished devotee onlookers.

 

Aside from these examples I will briefly give two others with references:

 

Garga-samhita Canto 3 chapters ten through eleven describe a very sinful

vaisya who had never done any pious acts and had become a ferocious demon in

his subsequent life. That demon obtained liberation to Vaikuntha when a

brahman struck him with a stone from Govardhan hill. Again Padma Purana

patalakhanda 18.31-77 describes how once Janak Maharaja the father of Sita

and father in-law of Lord Ramachandra visited Hell and while there delivered

*all* of the residents (who were specifically described by Yamaraja as

having never performed any pious acts) to Vaikuntha. The residents of Hell

never even got to hear from Janak Maharaja. Yet they all attained Vaikuntha

because he transfered the pious credits he had from chanting two names of

Rama.

 

All of these are examples of persons getting liberation to Vaikuntha from

bhakti-uddipaka-vastu-sakti-janita-bhakti-abhasa.

 

As this is already a long text I won't get into it, but I can mention

briefly that according to Rupa Goswami (BRS 1.2.56) there are persons who

attain Vaikuntha who have what he calls "sukhaisvaryottara-mukti".

Sukhaisvaryottara-mukti is where the individual desires their own personal

pleasure from the opulence and granduer of Vaikuntha. Persons gaining

entrance into Vaikuntha from

bhakti-uddipaka-vastu-sakti-janita-bhakti-abhasa may get this or they may

obtain santa-rasa and have the form of trees or plants or some other nuetral

relationship with the Lord.

 

In conclusion even a little shadow of bhakti can grant someone with no

qualifications entrance into Vaikuntha.

 

Das anudas abhasa, Madhavananda Das

<end of text>