|
Sad-guëa and Bhakti Good Qualities and Devotion by Çréla Saccidänanda Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]
How many types of auspiciousness
are there? In the book Sri
Hari-bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu auspiciousness
(çubhadtva) has been described as one of the six glories of bhakti. The
question, “How many
kinds of auspiciousness are there?” is answered as follows: çubhäni préëanaà sarva-jagatäm anuraktatä sad-guëäù sukham ity ädény äkhyätäni manéñibhiù Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (Eastern Division, Sädhana-lahari 28) Learned sages have described the
meaning of auspiciousness as love for the entire creation, caring affection for all living entities, saintly character, happiness, and other such qualities. The person in whom bhakti has
arisen bestows affection to the whole world and becomes the object of
attachment for everyone in the world. He effortlessly becomes the recipient of
all saintly qualities and
attains all types of pure happiness and auspiciousness. Learned
scholars have described all these attributes as symptoms of auspiciousness. All good qualities, and the
demigods themselves, reside in bhagavad-bhaktas The following words of the Bhägavata describe that
devotee who possesses all good qualities: yasyästi bhaktir bhagavaty akiïcanä sarvair guëais tatra samäsate suräù haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëä mano-rathenäsati dhävato bahiù Çrémad-Bhägavatam (5.18.12) One who has unflinching devotion
for the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the
demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material
qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the
mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy. All good qualities along with the devatas take shelter of that person who has akincanä-bhakti for Bhagavän. How can all good qualities appear in a nondevotee whose
mind always runs towards temporary worldly affairs? The Skanda Puräëa states: ete na hy adbhutä vyädha tava hiàsädayo guëäù hari-bhaktau pravåttä ye na te syuù para-täpinaù O hunter! Good qualities, like
non-violence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those who are engaged in hari-bhakti are by nature never inclined to give pain to others. antaù-çuddhir bahiù-çuddhis tapaù-çänty-ädayas tathä amé guëäù prapadyante hari-seväbhikäminäm Internal and external purity,
austerity, peacefulness and so on, take shelter of a person desiring to serve Hari. The good qualities of a Vaiñëava A list of good qualities has been compiled in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta: kåpälu, akåta-droha, satya-sära sama nirdoña, vadänya, mådu, çuci, akiïcana sarvopakäraka, çänta, kåñëaika-çaraëa akäma, niréha, sthira, vijita-saò-guëa mita-bhuk, apramatta, mänada, amäné gambhéra, karuëa, maitra, kavi, dakña, mauné Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 22.78–80) Devotees are always merciful,
humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They
are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for everyone.
They are peaceful, exclusively surrendered to Kåñëa, and desireless. They are
indifferent to material acquisitions and fixed in devotional service. They
completely control the six bad qualities: lust, anger, greed and so forth. They
eat only as much as required, and they are not inebriated. They are respectful,
grave, compassionate and without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic,
expert and silent. All these good qualities accompany bhakti. Now the following question
arises: Does Bhakti-devé manifest after
the appearance of all these qualities, or do all these good qualities take
shelter of the bhakta in whom bhakti appears? All good qualities automatically
appear in a bhakta; there is no need to endeavour for them The above question is answered as follows. According to the bhakti-çästras a jéva develops faith in bhakti on
the strength of sukåti caused
by a desire to perform bhakti. On attaining faith in bhakti, the jéva takes
shelter at the feet of a sädhu and
engages in bhajana. Immediately before engaging in bhajana, many anarthas, meaning those things that are
opposed to good qualities, remain in him. By the strength of bhakti and sadhu-saìga, all anarthas effortlessly melt away
while performing bhajana, and in their place all
good qualities naturally arise. Until anarthas are annihilated and auspicious qualities manifest, one remains on
the stage of bhajanäbhäsa or nämäbhäsa. As one performs çuddha-bhajana – that is, chants
çuddha-näma – anarthas are destroyed and simultaneously saintly qualities manifest. At this time, the sädhaka has no
taste for sinful activities or anarthas. For this reason Çré Mahäprabhu said: eka kåñëa-näme kare sarva-päpa kñaya nava-vidhä bhakti pürëa näma haite haya Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya
15.107) Simply by chanting the holy name
of Kåñëa once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One
can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the
holy name. All the good qualities, such as jéve-dayä (mercy to all living entities), niñpäpatä (a non-sinful nature), satyasäratä (truthfulness), samadarçitva (equal vision), dainya (humility),
çänti (peacefulness), gämbérya (gravity), saralatä (simplicity), maitré (amiability),
daksatä (expertise), asat-kathäy audasénya (indifference to mundane talk), pavitratä (purity), tucchakäma tyäga (the
renunciation of useless work) and many others, naturally arise along with the
appearance of kåñëa bhakti. It is not for the bhakta to attempt to attain other qualities
separately from performing bhajana. The cultivation of çuddha-bhakti is indeed sufficient to achieve this. By cultivating çuddha-bhakti, anarthas are quickly destroyed and
auspicious qualities are quickly awakened. The appearance of good qualities
is possible only by taking sädhu-saìga, not by following the path of yoga and
morality To cultivate the traditional practices of yoga such as yama, niyama, pratyähära and so on, is troublesome; and
success, which only comes after a long period of practice, is checked by
unwanted obstructions. As long as the jéva does not
develop faith leading to bhakti, known as bhakti-unmukhé çraddhä, the determination to develop these qualities of the yoga path remains in him. Therefore
only by performing bhajana in the association of a sädhu will all good qualities appear in that person in whom çraddhä has arisen. Auspicious qualities are cultivated on the paths of yoga and morality but a bhakta does not need to separately
cultivate them. Persons on other paths may attain all good qualities, but in
the absence of bhakti, these qualities are like many ornaments on an ugly lady, and can
never actually be beautiful. On the other hand if, by the mercy of a sädhu, they fortunately gain bhaktiunmukhé çraddhä, they will undoubtedly perform sädhana immediately to achieve uttamä-bhakti. The instruction to accept the
shelter of kåñëabhakti in sädhu-saìga O brothers who are filled with good qualities! Do not waste your
time uselessly. Please make your life and dharma successful by taking shelter of the lotus feet of a devotee.
This is the highest fruit of whatever auspicious qualities you have attained.
It is incorrect to think that just by accumulating auspicious qualities one will
get bhakti. Auspicious qualities will automatically appear in a person who
has bhakti. One may have all auspicious qualities other than having taken
one pointed shelter of Kåñëa (kåñëaikaçaraëa), but until
he develops faith in bhakti, he will not attain bhakti. Without possessing kåñëa-bhakti, even auspicious qualities
are not glorious. You should know that the life of a jéva who is endowed with all auspicious qualities but bereft of kåñëa bhakti, is useless.
|
![[BVML Home Page]](../grfx/bml_logo.gif){kind=logo}
