Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c8.s2.6
Early History of the Vaiṣṇava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c8.s2.6
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c8.s2.6.1
Of the three forms of Uttamā Bhakti, namely, Sādhana-bhakti, Bhāva-bhakti and Prema-bhakti, the next section proceeds to deal with the first, the Sādhana-bhakti, which is defined as Bhakti realisable by the senses (kṛti-sādhyā ; kṛti= the senses)¹ and not by Bhāva or inward emotion, of which, however, it is a means (sādhya-bhāvā, explained as sādhyo bhāvo yayā sā). The Sādhana-bhakti is said to have been explained in Śrīmad-bhāgavata vii. 1, and may be either Vaidhi or Rāgānugā, both of which are forms of Bhakti attained by extraneous means and ways. The Vaidhi Sādhana-bhakti occurs where the impulse to devotional acts comes entirely from the injunction of the Vaiṣṇava Śāstra (śastrasya śāsanenaiva) and where the state of Rāga is not reached (rāgānavāptatvāt).² Viśvanātha Cakravartin explains that by the term Śāstra is meant exclusively the Śrīmad-bhāgavata which enjoins acts of devotion.¹ As the type of Bhakti follows the *vidhi* or injunction of the Śāstra, it is Vaidhī; and for the same reason it is sometimes called Maryādā-mārga or the Way of Convention. The Aṅgas or means of Vaidhī having already been defined in detail in the *Haribhakti-vilāsa*, Rūpa Gosvāmin contents himself by a reference to that work, briefly summarising them as sixty-four in number and illustrating them from the scriptures. These are acts of piety, great or small, such as resorting to the spiritual teacher (*guru-pādāśraya*); initiation and instruction by him (*dīkṣā-śikṣādi*);
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serving the spiritual teacher with confidence (*viśrambhena guru-sevā*); following the example of saintly persons (*sādhu-vartmānuvartana*); enquiry into the true dharma (*śuddharma-prcchā*); renunciation of worldly enjoyment for the sake of Kṛṣṇa (*bhogādi-tyāgaḥ kṛṣṇasya hetave*); dwelling in sacred places of pilgrimage (*Tīrtha*) like Dvārakā, Mathurā or the banks of the Ganges; abjuring books (with the exception of the scriptures) as well as the practice of the various arts and controversy (*bahu-grantha-kalābhyāsa-vyākhyā-vāda-vivarjana*); putting on the external signs of a Vaiṣṇava (*vaiṣṇava-cihna-dhāraṇa*); writing the name of Hari on the body by means of sandal etc. (*hari-nāmākṣara-dhāraṇa*); prostrate obeisance (*daṇḍavan natiḥ*); worship (*arcana*); going round the image of the deity (*parikrama*); repeating (*japa*), singing (*gīta*) or recital (*saṃkīrtana*) of the name of the Lord; partaking of the offerings made to the deity (*naivedyāsvāda*) and of the water of his holy feet (*pādyāsvāda*); observing Ekādaśī or other days of fasting, attending the Birth-festival (Janmāṣṭamī) etc.; constantly resorting to the *Śrīmad-bhāgavata*, the Tulasī plant, Mathurā and the Vaiṣṇava devotees, all of which are dear to the Lord; and so forth. Of these the first three ways of cultivation are, however, declared to be of special value; but Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja's *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (Madhya xxii.
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125) distinguishes five, namely, the society of saintly persons (sādhu-saṅga), the chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name (nāma-kīrtana), listening to the reading of the Bhāgavata (bhāgavata-śravaṇa), dwelling at Mathurā (mathurā-vāsa), reverential service of his image (śrīmūrtir śraddhāye sevana), that is, fellowship, song, scripture, pilgrimage and image worship.¹ Any one of these modes, even a little of the five, can create Bhakti. The Vaidhī Sādhana-bhakti, which consists of these positive acts and practices of piety and which is described as "worship by the body, the senses and the mind" (kāya-hṛṣīkāntaḥkaraṇānām upāsanā), also involves, negatively, the avoidance of the so-called Sevāparādhas (offences relating to worship) and Nāmā-parādhas (offences relating to the name of the Lord). The commentary gives (p. 89) a list of thirty-two Sevāparādhas, to which is added twenty-three more from the Varāha-purāṇa and ten again from some other source. These consist of offences like entering the temple in a conveyance, or with one's shoes on, or without washing one's feet; not observing the festivals of the Lord; not doing obeisance; eating what is not offered to the deity; not observing silence during worship, etc. The Nāmāparādhas are the logical result of the theory of the efficacy of the blessed name (Nāma-mahātmya). They are given as ten in number by the commentary (p. 93-94) and include such offences as unwillingness to listen to the Māhātmya of the name;
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equalising the Nāma-māhātmya to the merit of other pious acts; giving instruction in the subject to persons devoid of faith, and so forth. Then the section proceeds to lay down that the Vaidhi Bhakti may be ekāṅga, that is, attainable by means of one Aṅga only (e. g. Parikṣit by hearing, Śukadeva by reciting, Arjuna by friendship, Hanūmat by service, Prahlāda by recollection, Bali by self-surrender, etc., as in *Padyāvali* 53), or it may be *anekāṅgā* or attainable by more than one Aṅga (e. g. Ambariṣa).