Priya Kunj Ras

  [Words used in this article: Prakat Lila = earthly pastimes of God when He descends to the material world (Prakat means manifest) Aprakat Lila = pastimes of eternal Goloka Dham which is unseen by worldly people (Aprakat means unmanifest) Mugdha = A state in which Krishna and Radha are ignorant of Their omniscience Sarvagya = omniscient] God’s pastimes are eternal, transcendental, ever-blissful, and untouched by Maya and its Gunas (modes of material nature). There is no pleasurable treasure in this material world that can compare to anything belonging to the transcendental abode of God. But for the sake of understanding, various pure devotees have explained the pastimes of God with examples from the material world. God is said to engage in pastimes with His pure devotees like an ordinary man. In the eternal pastimes of Goloka Dham, He is eternally Mugdha. He is not Sarvagya (omniscient). In abodes like Vaikuntha, Sada Shiva Loka, etc, God is Sarvagya. There are infinite

[In Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami has described three types of Bhakti: Vaidhi Bhakti, Rāgātmikā Bhakti and Rāgānugā Bhakti. In this satsanga, Baba has discussed these three types of Bhakti and especially elaborated on the topic of Rāgānugā Bhakti.] All the Jivatmas in the infinite universes are part and parcels of God. Since they are deluded by God’s illusory energy, they must worship God according to the instructions of the scriptures. The instructions of the scriptures are called Vidhi or Vidhān. Therefore, the Bhakti path that follows the instructions of the scriptures is called Vaidhi Bhakti . The sadhak must follow the rules prescribed by the scriptures and engage in fasts, strict routines of sadhana, austerity, detachment, rules of purity, etc until he develops sentiments of loving devotion (Bhāva) for his Lord. In the Mādhurya Upāsanā path, although the sadhak still follows the instructions of the scriptures which are beneficial to his Bhakti, the priority of his

The ultimate goal of human life is to attain God. But there are different ways of perceiving God as well as many different ways of attaining God according to those perceptions. Bhagavattā (His Lordship) manifests in three ways: Gyānamaya Prakāsh, Aishwaryamaya Prakāsh and Mādhuryamaya Prakāsh. (This has been discussed here .) Among these, according to the scriptures about tastes of pleasures, Mādhuryamaya Prakāsh is the highest manifestation of Bhagavattā. The Upāsanā path (way of worship) to relish God’s Mādhuryamaya Prakāsh is called Mādhurya Rasopāsnā or Mādhurya mood of worship. In the Mādhurya Upāsanā path, the devotee considers God as his dearest person and interacts with Him (in the divine Goloka Dham) in the same way as a person interacts with his most beloved person. Those who consider Him as their child, they love as well as discipline Him as their beloved child. This is not possible in Gyāna Upāsanā path or Aishwarya Upāsanā path.   For example, in the Aishwarya Upāsa