Judge Your Progress in Devotion to Krishna

If We Remain Sincere, Krishna's Mercy Is Assured

 

Rupa Goswami, a sixteenth-century Vaisnava saint and a contemporary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, describes the systematic developments a devotee undergoes while practising the science of bhakti.

In the beginning, one has faith (sraddha) – faith in some form of divinity or in saints or scriptures.

This faith, which is compared to a seed, helps one to seek out the association of saintly devotees (sadhu-sanga), where the seed begins to mature and take root.

Receiving nourishment in the form of hearing and chanting the holy names and glories of Krishna (bhajana-kriya) under the guidance of devotees, the seed grows luxuriantly. In the process, all the unwanted things in the heart that block the progress of bhakti go away, clearing the path for the creeper.

Carefully cultivating spiritual practices and steering clear of all obstacles, the devotee achieves steadiness (nistha)in bhakti. At this stage, the waves of love of Godhead first appear.

Continuing with spiritual practices, the devotee’s steadiness matures into intense taste (ruchi) for devotional activities, removing all threats of the recurrence of unwanted habits. Such a person is known as an uttama-adhikari.

As devotees cultivate that taste, they develop concentrated attachment (asakti) for Krishna. That attachment polishes the heart to such an extent that at times devotes think that Krishna has appeared there. At other times,, they intuitively understand their relationship with the Lord, though such realization is still immature. This has been stated by Sivarama Swami, Srila Prabhupada’s disciple in Suddha-bhakti Chintamani, page 303)

At (the next stage) bhava, when they transcend the boundaries of matter, the touch of the pleasure potency immediately awakens pure greed in their hearts. Love of God (prema), the full manifestation of pure goodness, is like the sun. When a single but fully potent ray of the Krishna-sun touches a devotee’s heart, ecstatic devotion instantly becomes manifest. Just as a spark falling onto dry leaves quickly grows into a forest fire, one ray of pure goodness entering a devotees’ heart quickly flares into a blaze of love for God.

Attaining the stage of pure love of God is the perfection of our existence, the goal of the human form of life. If we remain sincere, Krishna’s mercy is assured. Like any other science, if we stick to the principles and carefully avoid the dangers, we are bound to attain success in this life.

 Progressive Stages in Devotion to Krishna

 

Holy Feet of Lord Sri Krishna

 

 

 

 

Pure Love of God 

 

 

 

 Ecstasy
(bhava)

 

 

 

Concentrated attachment
(asakti)

 

 

 

 
Intense taste
(ruchi)

 

 

 

 

Steadiness
(nistha)

 

 

 

Clearing of unwanted things
(anartha-nivrttih)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devotioinal Practices

(bhajana-kriya)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saintly association
(Sadhu-sanga)

 

 

 

 

 

Faith
(sraddha)

(Courtesy: Shri. Mukundamala Dasa in Back To Godhead, November 2012)  

 

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