NECTAR OF DEVOTION QUESTION BANK : WAVE 3 & 4
SECTION 1: SHORT ANSWERS
27. Explain the two ways by which a devotee may reach the stage of
bhava-bhakti. Cite three examples of persons who achieved
bhava-bhakti and explain how they did so. (Ch 17)
There are 2 Causes of Bhāva. The first way is normal, and the second one
is rare. They are:
1) Sādhana-abhiniveṣena: Absorption in sādhana (at the stage of
niṣṭha) and previous association of great devotees. This is of two
types –
(i) Arising from vaidhi-sādhana. Eg. Narada muni in his past life
as the son of a maid servant heard Krsna Katha by the mercy of
Bhaktivedantas and developed Ruci.
(ii) Arising from rāgānuga-sādhana. Eg.A young girl, with a joyful
heart, eager to dance, danced the whole night to please the Lord and
get His grace. [Padma-purāṇa]
2) Kṛṣṇa-tad-bhaktayoh prasāda: It is that bhāva which appears by
the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His devotees, without performance of
sādhana. This can be further classified as follows:
1. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-prasādajaḥ or bhāva arising from Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is
of three types :
A) Vācika: Mercy by words.
Eg.Lord Kṛṣṇa said to Nārada, “O best of the brāhmaṇas,
may you have undeviating bhakti (bhāva) for Me, which is
the crest jewel of all auspiciousness and full of bliss
eternally.” [Nāradīya Purāṇa]
B) Āloka-dāna: Mercy by glance or by showing Himself.
Eg. When the inhabitants of Jāṅgala Province saw
Kṛṣṇa, their hearts melted and they couldn’t take their
eyes away from Him. [Skanda Purāṇa]
C) Hāṛda: Mercy by heartfelt wishes.
Eg.Śukadeva Gosvāmī developed bhakti by
remembering the Lord while still in the womb, by Lord’s
good wishes (hārda). He has not seen the Lord nor heard
His words of blessing. [Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa]
2. Bhakta-prasādajaḥ: Bhāva arising from devotee’s mercy.
Eg1.Prahlāda Maharaj had unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, and
natural attraction for Him. Nārada Muni had granted that favour
to him. Thus, his rati or bhāva is called naisargikī (through
mercy).
Eg 2. By the mercy and good wishes of Narada Muni, hunter
Mṛgāri attained rati for Lord Acyuta.[Skanda Purāṇa]
28. Define perseverance, pridelessness and āśā-bandhaḥ (Ch 18)
1. Perseverance - kṣānti : Being undisturbed, even when there is
cause for disturbance. Eg.King Parīkṣit
2. Pridelessness - Māna-śūnyatā : To remain humble in spite of being
in a high position. Eg. Emperor Bhagīratha
3. Hope - Āśā-bandhaḥ : Firm conviction and confidence that one will
attain Kṛṣṇa’s favour.
29. What are the the characteristics of a person who has developed
ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa as stated by Rupa Goswami in Chap. 18 ?
1. He is always anxious to utilise his time in the devotional service of the
Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always,
twenty-four hours a day, without deviation. (Avyartha-kālatvaṁ)
2. He is always reserved and perseverant. (Kṣānti)
3. He is always detached from all material attraction. (Virakti)
4. He does not long for any material respect in return for his activities.
(māna-śunyatā)
5. He is always certain that Kṛṣṇa will bestow His mercy upon him.
(Āśā-bandhaḥ)
6. He is always very eager to serve the Lord faithfully. (samutkaṇṭhā)
7. He is very much attached to the chanting of the holy names of the
Lord. (nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ)
8. He is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the
Lord. (āsaktis tad-guṇākhyāne)
9. He is very pleased to live in a place where the Lord’s pastimes are
performed, e.g., Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Dvārakā. (prītis
tad-vasati-sthale)
30. What gradual path does Rupa Goswami recommend to develop
Krsna-prema? (Chapter 19).
Stages of Bhakti leading to Prema
1 Śraddhā Faith
2 Sadhu-saṅga Association of devotees to learn bhakti
3 Bhajana-kriyā Practices like hearing and chanting
4 Anartha-nivṛtti Destruction of unwanted qualities & activities
5 Niṣṭhā Steadiness in bhakti without confusions
6 Ruci Taste or desire for the Lord (with intellectual
direction)
7 Āsakti Attachment or spontaneous desire for the Lord
(independent of intellectual direction)
8 Bhāva Ecstasy
9 Prema Pure love for Kṛṣṇa
SECTION 2 : LONG ANSWERS
8. List the nine characteristics of a person who has developed
ecstatic love for Krishna (Chapter 18)
Characteristics of one who has developed bhāva are:
1. Kṣānti : Tolerance or Perseverance.
When a person is undisturbed even in the presence of various
causes of disturbance, he is called reserved and perseverant. Eg.
King Parīkṣit (SB 1.19.15.)
2. Avyartha-kālatvaṁ: Not wasting time
He is always anxious to utilise his time in the devotional service of the
Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always,
twenty-four hours a day, without deviation.
3. Virakti : Detachment from material enjoyment.
Detachment does not mean artificially keeping oneself apart from
allurements but to remain unattracted even in their presence. In the
initial stages, a devotee must try to stay away from alluring
attachments, but a mature devotee is not attracted even in the
presence of material allurements.
4. Māna-śunyatā : Pridelessness (doesn’t hanker for material respect)
When a devotee, in spite of possessing all the qualities of pure
realization, is not proud of his position, he is called prideless. In the
Padma Purāṇa the eg. of King Bhagīratha is given. Begging
involves being ready to be insulted. But a devotee tolerates such
insults for the sake of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee can accept any position in the
service of Kṛṣṇa.
5. Āśā-bandhaḥ: Hope & confidence in Kṛṣṇa’s mercy
The strong conviction that one will certainly receive the favor of the
SPoG. One should continue to hope against hope that some way or
other he will be able to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.
6. Samutkaṇṭhā : Longing for the Lord’s service
When one is sufficiently eager to achieve success in devotional
service, it is called “complete eagerness.” This eagerness is the price
to attain success in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything has some
value, and one has to pay it to possess it. Eg.Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura
[Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta]
7. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ: Taste for chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names
The eg. of Rādhārāṇī is given in Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta that the daughter
of King Vṛṣabhānu is shedding tears like honey drops from a lotus, as
She anxiously chants Your holy name—‘Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!’ in a
supremely sweet voice.
8. āsaktis tad-guṇākhyāne : Attachment to discuss Kṛṣṇa’s
qualities
Attachment for chanting the glories of the Lord is also expressed in
the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta saying that ‘The idea of Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful
activities is attracting my heart, and I do not know what I can do!’
9. Prītis tad-vasati-sthale: Love for Kṛṣṇa’s abode, Vṛndāvana.
The Padyāvalī by Rūpa Gosvāmī glorifies Vṛndāvana. A pure
devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa resides in the district of Mathurā or Vṛndāvana
and visits all the places where Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes were performed.
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