Questions on Rāgānuga-sādhana

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Could someone please give a brief outline of precisely what rāgānuga-sādhana entails? Meditating on Radha and Krishna’s aṣṭa-kāliya-līlā? Meditating on one’s svarūpa? (And how is the latter precisely distinguished from siddha-praṇālī—which Srila Prabhupada was cautionary about?)

Srila Rupa Goswami outlines rāgānuga-sādhana in just three verses, in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.294–6:

kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya

preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam

tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau

kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā

“Remembering one’s cherished form of Krishna, as well as His associate who shares one’s aspirations in service, and taking pleasure in narrations of their pastimes, one should always live in Vraja.” (294)

sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa

siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi

tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā

vraja-lokānusārataḥ

“Thus following in the footsteps of the residents of Vraja, being eager to attain a loving mood similar to theirs, one should render service in the physical body and in a spiritual body [conceived within the pure mind].” (295)

Srila Jiva Goswami comments: “Sādhaka-rūpa refers to the physical body of the practitioner. Siddha-rūpa refers to a body suitable for one’s desired service which is contemplated internally. One should perform devotional service with a desire to attain the specific bhāva of one’s favorite associate of Krishna in Vraja (tad-bhāva-lipsunā) and should follow in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vraja (vraja-loka), who are all very dear to Krishna, and in the footsteps of their followers.”

śravaṇotkīrtanādīni

vaidha-bhakty-uditāni tu

yāny aṅgāni ca tāny atra

vijñeyāni manīṣibhiḥ

“The various limbs of bhakti headed by hearing and chanting about Krishna, which were mentioned in relation to vaidhi-bhakti, should also be accepted as limbs of rāgānuga-bhakti by discerning practitioners.” (296)

Srila Jiva Goswami comments: “It should be understood that the practitioner of rāgānuga-bhakti accepts whatever aṅgas of vaidhi-bhakti that are useful for his practice.”

Sevā in the siddha-rūpa consists of contemplating and internally participating in Radha and Krishna’s eternal pastimes, including Their aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses this in his writings, such as Jaiva-dharma and Bhajana-rahasya. He draws significant inspiration from the writings of Dhyānacandra Goswami, who was a disciple of Gopal Guru Goswami and grand-disciple of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. 

The distinction between the path given by Srila Prabhupada and our acharyas and the siddha-praṇālī system is that for us the revelation of the siddha-deha comes internally via the mercy of Śrī Guru and the Holy Name:

premera kalikā nām,  adbhuta rasera dhām,

heno bala karaye prakāś

īṣat vikaśi’ punaḥ,  dekhāy nija-rūpa-guna,

citta hari’ loya kṛṣṇa-pāś

“The holy name is the bud of the flower of divine love, the abode of devotion’s wonderful mellows. Such is the power that He manifests, that although He displays His power only slightly, He reveals His own divine form and qualities, steals my heart and takes it to Krishna.”

pūrna vikaśita hoiyā,  braje more jāya loiyā,

dekhāy more swarūpa-vilās

more siddha-deha diyā,  kṛṣṇa-pāśe rākhe giyā,

e dehera kore sarva-nāś

“Being fully manifest, the holy name of takes me to Vraja and reveals to me His own love dalliance. He gives to me my own divine, eternal body, keeps me near Krishna and completely destroys this mortal frame of mine.” (Śaraṇāgati, Śrī Nāma-mahātmya, 1.6–7)

This approach allows the details of one’s eternal identity to awaken gradually and naturally, as opposed to the siddha-praṇālī system, which can only be successful if the practitioner is already highly qualified. Otherwise, premature contemplation on one’s siddha-deha leads to offenses and degradation, as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura warns in his Bhajana-rahasya. 

Who deems an individual to be ready to take up rāgānuga-sādhana? And what are the criteria?

Srila Rupa Goswami defines the adhikārī, or eligible candidate for the path of rāgānuga-sādhana, in the following verses:

rāgātmikaika-niṣṭhā ye

vraja-vāsi-janādayaḥ

teṣāṁ bhāvāptaye lubdho

bhaved atrādhikāravān

“One who has a great longing to attain the loving mood of the residents of Vraja who are exclusively fixed in rāgātmika-bhakti is eligible for the practice of rāgānuga-bhakti.”

tat-tad-bhāvādi-mādhurye

śrute dhīr yad apekṣate

nātra śāstraṁ na yuktiṁ ca

tal-lobhotpatti-lakṣaṇam

“The appearance of that greed is indicated when, after having heard sweet descriptions of the Vrajavāsīs’ ecstatic love and other attributes, one’s intelligence no longer depends on logic or the rules of scripture.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.291–292)

Who determines? Ideally, the disciple should consult with his dīkṣā or śikṣā guru. Otherwise, he may consult with like-minded godbrothers or godsisters who are more advanced than oneself or at a similar stage of spiritual advancement. Ultimately, it is up to the disciple to be sincere in his aspirations and watch out for obstacles on his path. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.42), one does not need external confirmation of one's progress in Krishna consciousness, just as one who has eaten a feast does not need others to tell him that he feels satisfied and his hunger is gone. Once genuine greed (lobha) manifests, that greed will force the practitioner to move ahead. We should know for certain that the authorization is already given:

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ

krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate

tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ

janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate

“Pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price — that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.” (composed by Śrī Rāmānanda Raya, quoted in Padyāvalī 14 and Caitanya-caritāmṛta 8.70)

Srila Prabhupada clearly did introduce particular rules and a particular sādhana. Was it that, as some opine, he was anticipating another teacher picking up the baton and fully expounding rāgānuga once people’s purification was adequate?

As Srila Rupa Goswami mentions in BRS 1.2.296 (quoted above), the various practices (aṅgas, or limbs) of vaidhī sādhana-bhakti are also included within rāgānuga-sādhana-bhakti. However, the intellect of the rāgānuga-sādhaka is guided by greed for vraja-bhāva, so he will only follow the practices that are relevant for him. Chanting Hare Krishna, hearing about Krishna’s pastimes, hearing about Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His pastimes and associates, and helping expand the saṅkīrtana movement are all essential to rāgānugā-sādhana. These are the sādhaka-rūpeṇa part. That cannot be neglected. Internal meditation on and service to Radha and Krishna in Their eternal pastimes is the siddha-rūpeṇa part. Both are essential. 

Srila Prabhupada gave the essence of all necessary instructions in his writings—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, KṚṢṆA Book, etc. He also encouraged his followers to avail themselves of the writings of the previous acharyas. I think he knew that Krishna would make arrangements for individual devotees to advance further in their devotional practice when they were ready. He saw the level of qualification of his disciples and taught to their level, while simultaneously teaching the highest standard and encouraging them to strive to reach that standard in this very lifetime. The more I have become familiar with the teachings of our acharyas, the more I see how Srila Prabhupada left so many hints in his books that consistently direct us toward Vraja bhakti and the path of rāga. “Picking up the baton” is exactly how the disciplic succession works, isn’t it?

When I received harināma dīkṣā, I was assigned the sādhana of chanting Radha and Krishna’s names. But the inference is that even a lifetime of dedicated practice would not take me to Radha and Krishna’s abode. I would instead attain a Vaikuntha planet—presided over by Lakshmi-Narayana. How does that make sense?

It doesn’t make sense. Our goal (prayojana) is Vrindavan. Srila Prabhupada always spoke about Krishna in Vrindavan. For example, in his purport to Bhagavad-gītā 18.65, he writes: “One should fix his mind on this original form of Godhead, Krishna. One should not even divert his attention to other forms of the Lord.”

The formal worship of Radha-Krishna Deities in the Vaikuntha mood of worshiping Lakshmi-Narayana is for neophytes. Eventually one comes to see the Deity of Krishna as nondifferent from Krishna and the Deity of Radha as nondifferent from Radha, and Deity worship becomes an externalized expression of the same service one renders internally in meditation on his siddha-deha. 

We may worship other forms of the Lord, but the mood should be that we are prayerfully seeking their blessings and assistance to attain the service of Radha and Krishna.

It’s true that it may take multiple lifetimes to attain prema and take birth in Vrindavan in a universe where Krishna is performing His bhauma-līlās, but this is the only goal of our life. There is nothing else to aspire for. So however long it takes, that’s alright. I would personally rather take a million births before attaining Vraja than gain promotion to Vaikuntha at the end of this lifetime. Of course, I am hoping it doesn’t take that long, and I plan to do everything I possibly can to attain perfection in this lifetime.

Don’t we learn that the pure chanting of the Holy Names bestows prema? When Mahaprabhu gives us Śikṣāstakam and says “all benedictions,” was there some small print somewhere that I missed? Is it that one can only arrive at śuddhā-nāma if one adds some new daily rāgānuga practices to one’s chanting? And that, otherwise, one remains at best at the level of nāmābhāsa?

There is a sequential revelation of the name, form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord. It is recommended that, in the beginning, we chant while looking at a Deity of the Lord or a picture of the Lord. “Kṛṣṇa” is not just a word—it is a name. The name of a person. That person has a form. Is it not natural to think of the form of the person whose name we are chanting?

In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami says that devotees in śānta-rasa do not gain extensive realization of the Lord’s qualities and pastimes. Rather, they simply remain absorbed in contemplation of His name and form. Therefore Srila Prabhupada translated śānta-rasa as the “mellow of neutrality.” These devotees do not care to actively engage in the Lord’s service.

However, we are invited to rise higher than this and actually participate in Krishna’s pastimes. Will we accept the invitation? Are we eager to deeply, intimately know the person whom we are worshiping? If so, then in proportion to our greed to know Him and our humbly, earnestly petitioning Him to do so, He will reveal Himself to us. Then it will be very natural to think of Krishna’s qualities and pastimes while chanting. This is rāgānuga-sādhana. 

Why only a daily practice of chanting? What about hearing? What about praying (vandanam) and offering oneself completely to the Lord (ātma-nivedanam)? Are we committed to doing the bare minimum required to attain liberation from this hellish world? Or are we actually interested in loving Krishna? The acharyas, and also Srila Prabhupada, have given many beautiful prayers in which they reveal their ecstatic feelings of love for Radha, Krishna, and Their associates. Hearing, contemplating, and reciting these prayers are all forms of rāgānuga-sādhana. Chanting sixteen rounds only takes two hours. What are we doing with the balance of our day? Before śuddhā-nāma one must at least come to the stage of niṣṭhā, which our acharyas define as sādhana-abhiniveśa, or “absorption in sādhana.” This means that every single thing we do in our day revolves around our spiritual practice. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.41): 

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”

Is our aim “one”? Or do we pursue many different aims throughout the course of our day?

Or do obligation and duty naturally give way to spontaneous affection once one has progressed past niṣṭhā into the higher realms—ruci and above?

The transition from vaidhī to rāgānuga-sādhana-bhakti is not guaranteed nor is it automatic. One can go all the way up to bhāva and prema on the vaidhī mārga and attain eternal residence in Vaikuntha serving Lord Narayana. Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura also mentions a “Vaikuntha-Vrindavan” on the outer region of the Goloka planet where Radha and Krishna are worshiped in a mood of awe and reverence. So where do we want to end up?

Everything depends on association. Association is not limited to the physical plane. We can associate with Srila Prabhupada through his vāṇī, and with all the past acharyas through theirs, including the gopīs and Sri Radha Herself. What are we waiting for?! If we don’t have greed for being with Krishna and His devotees in Vraja, then we should find people who have it and stick close to them until we also get it. And then once we get it, we won’t want to associate with anyone else anyway.