Photo: Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī offering bread balls to Madana Mohanji.
In his Sāraṅga Raṅgadā-ṭīkā to Kṛṣṇa Karṇāmṛta (by Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura) (3), Śrīla Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāja Gosvāmī (who is Gauḍīyā Vaiṣṇava) says:
rāgānugā mārge anutpanna rati sādhaka bhaktair api svepsita siddha dehaṁ manasi parikalpya
"On the Rāgānugā path even a Sādhaka Bhakta who has no Rati yet can think of his own desired Siddha Deha."
Then he continues:
jāta ratīnāṁ tu svayam eva tad deha sphūrteḥ.
“When Rati arises, then that body will be automatically revealed."
End of quote.
The word Parikalpya is most significant in this verse and it means everything for the devotees who do not receive the Siddha Rūpa of all Paramparā.
Parikalpya means to design, manufacture or create.
This means a Rāgānugā Sādhaka with greed for Vraja Bhakti in the mood of the damsels of Vraja (and other Rasas) may create and devise his/her own Siddha Deha, without have received the Siddha Rūpa of all Paramparā.
Then continue to meditate on that self designed Siddha Deha and render mental Sevā to Yugala through Aṣṭa Yāma.
Then after many life times that rare state of Bhāva may come and one may get a vision or revelation of that Siddha Deha.
Somagiri belonged to
Viṣṇu Svāmī's line and was the Dīkṣā Guru of
Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.
So, Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura meditated on his Siddha Deha without receiving the Siddha Rūpa of all Paramparā, as all the devotees did before this method was introduced (Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura appeared much before), leaving open the two possibilites as authentic.
"We have two theories concerning the Guru's part in revealing the particular form of the initiate's Siddha Rūpa.
One theory contend that the Guru, by means of his meditative vision, has the ability to see which character in the eternal Līlā the initiate really is, essentially and at all times, though prior to initiation the person is unaware of the existence of this inner body.
At the time of initiation, the Guru reveales to the initiate the detailed form of his Siddha Rūpa as seen in the world of the Līlā by perfected meditators. The initiate then proceeds to execute performative acts which help him to discover this true
identity for himself.
The second theory, argues that at the time of initiation the Guru assigns the initiate a Siddha Rūpa appropriate to his nature. According to this perspective, the Guru does not discern who the disciple is; instead, the Guru assigns the initiate an eternal body with which to play out a particular part in the eternal Līlā."
(O.B.L.Kapoor, "Śrī Rāmadāsa Bābājī" [Vṛndāvana: Śrī Rādhā Govinda Press 1982] pp.114-15)
"The real question is whether the Sādhaka has any input into the matter. I think the answer to this is clearly yes. That's what Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says in Hari Nāma Cintāmaṇi, and that was Lalita Prasāda Ṭhākura's system also. He was more pleased by a disciple who knew what he wanted that by one who passively accepted whatever was given."
(Jagadānanda Dāsa)
vaikunthasya bhagavato jyotir-amśa-bhūtā vaikuntha-loka-
śobha-rūpā yā anantā mūrtayas tatra vartante tāsām ekayā
saha muktasyaikasya mūrtir bhagavatā kriyata iti
vaikuntasya mūrtir iva mūrtir yesām ity uktam
“In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms; they all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. With each one of those forms, the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul.”
(Prīti Sandarbha 10)
In the spiritual realm there are infinite Siddha Rūpas.
These Siddha Rūpas are eternally there reserved for one individual Jīva.
Kṛṣṇa, who perceives past, present and future, knows beforehand how each of the Jīvas will choose to serve Him and so He has unlimited spiritual forms for every single Jīva.
Guru simply confirms and refines this Siddha Rūpa created by the Sādhaka.
Nice.
Also to add, here's a relevant section from Harinama Cintamani:
"The guru will then choose the particular spiritual identity of the disciple according to the tendency and attraction of the disciple. If the disciple does not have a natural taste in one bhava, he can request another from the guru. When finally one's spiritual identity fits, he vows to the guru never to give it up. This is called varana-dasa (the accepting stage)."
And an informative letter from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
Best of virtuous women,
I became aware of the news through your letter dated the 28th that you went to Vṛndāvana and, from the Vaiṣṇavas there, heard about meditating upon the aṣṭakalīya-līlā (divine eightfold daily pastimes) of Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. While there can be no doubt about the fact that this topic is highly venerated, those who conceive of this subject matter while their consciousness is riddled with anarthas do not conceive what it truly is.
All those esoteric truths that are revealed solely through one’s advancing practice of chanting the holy names are to be considered the introduction to one’s svarūpa, one’s true spiritual identity.
When one becomes free from anarthas, or the unwanted desires of the heart, one’s svarūpa manifests. When one’s svarūpa awakens, one’s perception is automatically admitted into eternal subject matters. This is not something that can be deceitfully taught to or determined for someone else.
In contrast, the revelations one has while submerged in chanting the holy names with a sincere heart should be humbly presented to sādhu and guru so that one’s conception may be refined and approved. This is the genuine process for receiving the eleven aspects of one’s eternal spiritual identity, or svarūpa.
In many places, undiscriminating gurus artificially impose these “revelations” on unqualified sādhakas. This process cannot be considered a true depiction of svarūpa-siddhi. Those who attain svarūpa-siddhi, or realization of their eternal spiritual form and identity, come to realize their eternal identity of their own accord (svataḥ-siddha); śrī gurudeva merely assists them in making progress in realizing these topics on the path of bhajana.
I have nothing more to say on this subject. While the sādhaka progresses on the path of perfection, his heart becomes disposed toward service and free from duplicity. All these subjects naturally manifest in such a heart.
With eternal blessings, Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī
And more:
In Harināma-cintāmaṇi, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura writes in his commentary in Chapter 15:
When the spiritual master is ascertaining the aspirant’s pure personal inclinations, the aspirant should also help the spiritual master by speaking his mind about his own preferences. As long as he has not clearly established the disciple’s inclinations, the guru’s directions are not flawless. The inclinations that have been shaped by one’s meritorious deeds, through both this and previous lives, are called ruci or taste. This particular inclination, however, is integral to the soul.
Should a person not have a natural inclination for śṛṅgāra-rasa, (mādhurya-rasa) but for servitude or friendship, then he should be instructed accordingly; if not, there will be undesirable consequences.
It is widely known in Gauḍīya tradition that the great devotee Śyāmānanda was at first unaware of his personal siddha ruci or permanent devotional propensity. His guru thus advised him to take up sakhya-rasa, the mood of friendship. Later, however, by the grace of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śyāmānanda recognized which kind of worship truly attracted him (mādhurya-rasa).
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teaching is that every practitioner should be assessed according to both aptitude and qualifications. HNC, 15.73-74
This is the part I don't understand:
"One theory contend that the Guru, by means of his meditative vision, has the ability to see which character in the eternal Līlā the initiate really is, essentially and at all times, though prior to initiation the person is unaware of the existence of this inner body.
At the time of initiation, the Guru reveales to the initiate the detailed form of his Siddha Rūpa as seen in the world of the Līlā by perfected meditators. The initiate then proceeds to execute performative acts which help him to discover this true identity for himself."
It doesn't make sense because as nitya-baddha jivas we have never been in the lila before, so how can anyone see who we are there? And if it's pre-determined then where is the question of the jiva's free will and desire? We don't get to choose how we want to love Krsna?
This of course, is the siddha-pranali version of things, which is not supported as such in the teachings of the acaryas. The letter from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati posted by Vraja Vilasa Dasa affirms this as well.
That's what I would also like to understand. Maybe Prahladesh Dasa Adhikari prabhu can help on this point.
I think he was just posting it to show the range of ideas that are prevalent in this regard.
Oh, okay. That's sure.
"The second theory, argues that at the time of initiation the Guru assigns the initiate a Siddha Rūpa appropriate to his nature. According to this perspective, the Guru does not discern who the disciple is; instead, the Guru assigns the initiate an eternal body with which to play out a particular part in the eternal Līlā."
Uttamasloka Dasa, you are correct.
I never heard the first theory. The one above seems pretty correct.
Sri Gurudeva acts by the power of his bhajan as a transparent medium and REVEALS to the disciple a siddha deha ACCORDING to the desired form of the sadhaka....
It is not that Sri Gurudeva goes there into the lila and then: "Aha...here he/she is"...never.
Actually Sri Gurudeva receives the information from Sri Sri Yugal Kishore and passes that information on to the disciple.
When the sadhaka’s lobha for raganuga bhakti is awakened, he approaches his gurudeva with great humility and ask for instruction.
If he does so, the bonafide guru first examines the disciple’s taste and then, along with devising the appropriate bhajan introduces him to his own siddha identity.
(Śrī Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Part 6, chapter 5)
My Gurudeva writes:
In the siddha pranali that is received from the lotus feet of Sri Guru within the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, the acquaintance with this body is attained. No one should consider this to be imaginative. This is eternal and real. Of all the innumerable abovementioned forms situated in the abode of the Lord there is one form in which the Lord will accept the sadhaka.
“In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms; they all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. With each one of those forms, the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul.”
(Prīti Sandarbha 10)
On the strength of his meditation, Sri Gurudeva is aware of this and is revealing the information about the proper siddha deha to the disciple.
While the sadhaka performs his sadhana, he establishes his self-esteem into this form, and when he attains prema siddhi he is blessed with direct devotional service within this body.
pakkapakka matra se vicara. pakile se prema bhakti, apakke sadhana gati, bhakati lakshana tattva sara.
Just as a fruit is bitter in the unripe stage and sweet and juicy in the ripe stage, similarly when sadhana bhakti ripens it becomes known as prema.
NOTE: REVEALING THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPER SIDDHA DEHA.
MEANING: According to the desire of the sadhaka...nowhere is it accepted that Sri Gurudeva "rubberstamps" something onto a sadhaka...it is rather that NATURALLY a sadhaka who desires for example radha-dasyam will search for a guru who will be able to reveal everything to the sadhaka.
sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi |
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā vraja-lokānusārataḥ ||295||
Following after the inhabitants of Vraja, one should perform service in one’s physical body and in one’s siddha body, with a desire for a particular bhāva.
One time, one devotee came to my Gurudeva and he sent him away because he recoginzed that the inner mood of the disciple was a different one...
See?
"If he does so, the bonafide guru first examines the disciple’s taste and then, along with devising the appropriate bhajan introduces him to his own siddha identity."
INTRODUCE...not "manufacture/rubberstamp/force on/placates over/......"
Also, I know of many examples where my Gurudeva refused to give siddha pranali because the time for the sadhaka was yet not the right one...
"It doesn't make sense because as nitya-baddha jivas we have never been in the lila before, so how can anyone see who we are there?"
Exactly.
But the Lord "knows" about our inclinations and passes on the information of a suitable body to Sri Gurudeva and Sri Gurudeva to us.
Sometimes to Lord may even pass on that info directly to most fortunate devotees...or maybe through a siksha guru who is the same mood...
The ways of the Lord are mysterious....
As I said before:
Kṛṣṇa, who perceives past, present and future, knows beforehand how each of the Jīvas will choose to serve Him and so He has unlimited spiritual forms for every single Jīva.
Guru simply confirms and refines this Siddha Rūpa created by the Sādhaka.
The two possibilities here are:
1 - a sadhaka after awakening lobha and wanting to practice raganuga sadhana bhakti approaches the guru for confirmation of the siddha deha which was created by the service desires of the sadhaka.
however, the guru does not reveal his/her (of the guru) own siddha deha nor of the parampara as the example of bilvamangala and somagiri.
the raganuga sadhaka will be successful in his/her practice by meditating in his/her siddha deha and other personal associates of the lord who are superiors in lila (eg lalita sakhi and rupa manjari in madhurya, subala in sakhya, etc).
E PODE ACONTECER também que o sadhaka por alguma razão (distância física) possa não confirmar com o guru (diksa/siksa). confirmará então com o caitya guru. em última análise o siddha deha é criado pelo próprio sadhaka (seus desejos de serviço).
ou então saberá qual a rasa do guru mas não os detalhes do siddha deha do guru fazendo uma meditação no siddha deha do guru sem tantos detalhes.
2 - a sadhaka after awakening lobha and wanting to practice raganuga sadhana bhakti approaches the guru for confirmation of the siddha deha which was created by the service desires of the sadhaka.
this guru also reveals his/her (of the guru) own siddha deha as well as from all the parampara.
the raganuga sadhaka will be successful in his/her practice by meditating in his/her siddha deha and other members of the parampara.
both 1 and 2 are possible and lead to success in the devotional path.
Those forms are not lifeless, asleep, dormant and inactive.
They are inactive in our perspective because we are not there yet.
When a Jiva attains perfection and enters the spiritual realm, assumes this form that has always been active.
This is splendidly explained by Sri Kunja Bihari Dasa Babaji, the spiritual master of the present Radha Kunda Mahanta Pandita Sri Ananta Dasa Babaji.
Without vartma-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru and caitya-guru (antaryāmī), we will not go anywhere.
Regarding the "unlimited spiritual forms" in the spiritual realm.
Those forms are not lifeless, asleep, dormant and inactive.
They are inactive in our perspective because we are not there yet.
When a Jiva attains perfection and enters the spiritual realm, assumes this form that has always been active there.
This is splendidly explained by Sri Kunja Bihari Dasa Babaji, the spiritual master of the current Radha Kunda Mahanta Pandita Sri Ananta Dasa Babaji.
tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām
yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti
tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.11)
“O Lord! You, who are approached by being heard about, seen and directly served, enter and remain in the lotus of your devotee’s hearts infused with bhakti-yoga. Much praised Lord! By your mercy, you bestow to them spiritual bodies appropriate to the mood they cultivate during sādhana.”
Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains - te sādhaka-bhaktāḥ sva sva bhāvānurūpaṁ yad yad dhiyā bhāvayanti tat tad eva vapus teṣāṁ siddha dehaṁ praṇayase prakarṣeṇa tān prāpayasi aho te sva bhakta pāravaśyam iti bhāvaḥ – “Or your devotees doing sādhana concentrate on their spiritual form according to their mood of love using their minds, and you have them attain (praṇayase) their spiritual bodies. You become dependent on your devotee.”
It is not just Aindra Dasa.
Many devotees at IGM follow this path.
Uttamasloka Dasa's book "The Realization and Manifestation of Your Eternal Identity" explains this path.
Of course, it is a more individual and particular path since at IGM this topic is not dealt with publicly.
Also at IGM, the disciple does not necessarily serve the Guru in the same Rasa. In Madhurya Rasa the Guru to be followed in the spiritual world is Rupa Manjari.
Thus Sadhaka meditates in his Siddha Deha having as Guru Rupa Manjari.
77777777777777777777777777
In Parivaras, the meditating Guru receives information from Sri Radha about what Sadhaka's Siddha Deha is.
Then the Guru transmits this information to the disciple Sadhaka.
This means that Sri Radha knows in advance how Sadhaka in particular wants to serve.
Whereas in the other path, Sadhaka "builds" his Siddha Deha, which is a body made up of desires to serve.
"The real question is whether the Sādhaka has any input into the matter of choose his Siddha Deha. I think the answer to this is clearly yes. That's what Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says in Hari Nāma Cintāmaṇi, and that was Lalita Prasāda Ṭhākura's system also. He was more pleased by a disciple who knew what he wanted that by one who passively accepted whatever was given."
(Jagadānanda Dāsa)
From Harinama Cintamani:
"The Guru will choose the particular spiritual identity of the disciple according to the tendency and attraction of the disciple. If the disciple does not have a natural taste in one Bhava, he can request another from the Guru. When finally one's spiritual identity fits, he vows to the Guru never to give it up. This is called Varana-dasa (the accepting stage)."
