Krishna Seva

[Sital]

Jai Shree Krishna,

Thanks Inaxiji, lovely to see you on Tibari. These Panch Parva’s are a real eye opener and triggers one’ to analyse their self on how they should behave throughout satsang.

I know what you mean Unnatiji; I sometimes find some the language in satsang very difficult as well. At times Inaxiji and Anjnaji would say these really posh words and we would have a Blanc face. Then once satsang was over we take them to the side and ask them what it meant and were amazed to find that one word could explain so many things. They use the proper pusthi language and it is so lovely, the more we hear it we start using it ourselves.

JSK
_________________
Madhurkomalkant padavali namami
Sital

[Trusha]

Jai Shree Krishna,

Thank you Sitalji and Unatiji for the wonderful postings, also Inaxiji for explaining the Panch-parva - nice to have you back!

Just wanted to add another 2 of the Panch Parva we learnt at the satsang:-

Yog - is when you have mental concentration (chit) during satsang and Yam is when you are seated at satsang so you can concentrate and indulge into Thakorji's leela with affection.

Taap - after being in satsang you should think about it and repeat it yourself. Revision of satsang is called chinthan. After chinthan you should learn about alokik happiness and sadness. Every atom of body should be trained in such away that you do not become or feel angry or look down on anyone.
_________________
Jai Shree Krishna
Vraj Bihari ki banu me vrajnaar
Trusha

[Sital]

Jai Shree Krishna,

Thanks Trushaji, for adding your notes on Tibari, I really hope that we can all practise this throughout satsang. Unnatiji please feel free to continue with your postings, am eager to find out more.

Inaxiji’s mentioned in her previous posting regarding Maryada and Pusthi bhakti. After practising those 4 elements one chooses between the Maryada or Pusthi path. Maryada means within the limitation and I thought that the Path of Grace was only about love, on the contrary was fascinated when told that initially there is no love in Pusthimarg!!!!!

Personally, I thought I had hearing problems or must have definitely misunderstood what was said. However, Pusthidasji and Inaxiji explained that to begin with it is all about affection, wanting to serve and do things for our Thakorji happiness out of care. Once that relationship builds up with our Thakorji, then he will give us permission to love him and instigate that within ourselves (varan). Makes sense when you analyse this concept; Thakorji is the one who is passing that love within us, which then gives us the right to love him.

Unnatiji please do continue…………


JSK
_________________
Madhurkomalkant padavali namami
Sital

[unnati]

Jai jai shri gokulesh

Sorry for late reply.... Thanx Trushnaji for adding it's really good to know so much...

The last Panch Parva;

Bhakti
Always to remember the relation between God and Soul i.e. Anshanshibhavrupa and by this one should increase the love and devotion. But if the love for God is to get salvation then this type of devotion will be called as Maryada bhakti. In Pusti Bhakti one should not have any desire for getting salvation.

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

Just adding to what is beautifully explained by Unnatiji

Classification Of Souls

There are three kinds of souls:

(i) The pure (Suddha) Jivas. The divine qualities (Aisvarya) are not obscured in these souls by ignorance.

(ii) The worldly Jivas (Samsarin). These souls are caught in the net or clutches of Avidya or ignorance. They experience births and deaths on account of their connection with gross and subtle bodies.

(iii) Mukta Jivas or liberated souls. These souls are freed from the bonds of Samsara through Vidya or Knowledge. When the soul attains the final emancipation, it recovers its suppressed qualities and becomes one with God or Brahman. The world appears as Brahman to one who has realized the Truth or Brahman.

There is another classification of souls, viz., Pushti souls, Maryada souls and Pravahika souls.

All these are different from one another in their origin, nature and final end. They all issue from God with their differences.

The Pushti souls are the highest, as they issue from the Ananda-Kaya or the bliss-body of God. These souls are the Amsa (parts) of His body. God is the Amsi (the whole). These are the souls of grace. They have the divine seed in them which bears fruit in the end. They ultimately reach the goal through the grace of the Lord. They have communion and fellowship with Lord Krishna. They develop Bhakti through the grace of the Lord. Bhakti is the means and the end in itself.

The Maryada souls are generated from the Vak or the Word of God. They are governed by law, not by grace. They perform their ritualistic duties, at first with selfish interests. Later on, they develop Nishkama-Bhava (unselfish attitude) and do their ritualistic routine without any self-interest. This purifies their mind. They reach the Akshara, which is a kind of vestibule to the abode of God. Afterwards they attain the supreme abode of God.

The Pravahika souls issue from the mind of God. They are the Samsaric Jivas. They are souls neither of grace nor of law. They are in continuous motion (Pravaha).

These three kinds of souls have further sub-divisions and cross-divisions into Pushti-Pushti, Pushti-Maryada, Pushti-Pravahika, Maryada-Maryada, Maryada-Pushti, Maryada-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pushti and Pravahika-Maryada.

Pushti Marga Or The Way Of Grace

The way of life and salvation, preached by Vallabha is called Pushti Marga. The soul of man has become weak and lean on account of sin. It is, therefore, in dire need of the grace of God for its upliftment and emancipation. God’s grace gives Pushti (nourishment) and Poshana (strength); and hence the name Pushti Marga or the Way of Grace.

The individual soul can attain the final emancipation only through the grace of God. Bhakti is the chief means of salvation. Jnana is useful. Maha Pushti or the highest grace removes great obstacles and helps in the attainment of God. The Bhakti generated by special grace is known as Pushti Bhakti.

Will continue on Bhakti next time.
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[Pushtidas]

Jai Shree Krishna

We are graced with your present Adminji, I am sure article on Bhakti would be the appropriate for our salvation. Thank you for your gesture Vasantbhai.
_________________
Dasa nu das
Pushtidas

[palna]

Jai Shree Krsna,
A very well explained and most interesting posting Vasantiji. Thank you. Just a little addition from my basic knowledge of the concept of souls.

From my understandingt of a Devi jeev it is a soul which is priya to Thakorji and has the capability of generating Prem Bhakti because of its origin within Thakorji.
Those closer to his heart as you have mention (amsa-body parts) are extremely close. Those which are from above his waist are Devi jeevs in general. Thus can include demi Gods.
However according to my understanding and belief the Pusht Pushti jeeva and bhakta surpasses even the stage of a Demi God. Thus we refer to them as Devi jeev because of their elevated origin.
Those which are from below his waist are jeevs of another nature.

This hierarchy is echoed from which amsa the soul originated.
Please Vaishnavs feel free to amend and add....
_________________
Prem Bandhan Ajab Gajab, Brahmaganth sami aa ganth, na tutai na chutai

Palna na Koti Koti Jai Shree Krishna

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

You are right Palnaji and your knowledge is not basic but advanced and we should all thank our President Dear Pushtidasji who feeds us with such knowledge.

Pushtidasji you are really doing a very great job and in a very humble way.

Here is my basic knowledge on Bhakti.

The Four Kinds of Bhakti

This Pushti-Bhakti is of four kinds: (i) Pravaha Pushti-Bhakti, (ii) Maryada Pushti-Bhakti, (iii) Pushti Pushti-Bhakti and (iv) Suddha Pushti-Bhakti.

Pravaha Bhakti is the path of those who while leading the worldly life, perform works which will lead to the attainment of God-realisation. Worldly life is compared to the flow of a river (Pravaha).

Maryada Bhakti is the path of those who are rendered fit to attain knowledge which is useful for worship, through the grace of the Lord. They know all about the ways of God. They depend upon their own efforts to obtain knowledge.

In Pushti Bhakti, the devotees lead a life of self-restraint. They hear discourses about the Lord. They do Kirtana and sing His Name. They do Japa of Mantra.

Suddha Pushti-Bhakti or the Purest Type of Devotion

In Suddha Pushti-Bhakti, the devotees do Kirtana and sing the Lord’s Name. They praise God. They develop a strong passion for doing these. This kind of devotion is generated by the Lord Himself. The Lord’s grace descends on the devotees. Then they develop a liking for God. This liking grows into Prema Bhakti (taste for God). The devotees acquire knowledge about God. Then they get attachment to God (Asakti). Then they develop a strong passion for attaining God. This is the ripe condition of love and Asakti. It is called Vyasana. This strong passion, or Vyasana, leads to the attainment of the highest bliss, the summum bonum or the end.

When love for Shri Krishna becomes intense, the devotee sees Lord Krishna everywhere. Hence everything becomes an object of love for him. He identifies himself with everything. The Gopis had this experience. They saw Krishna everywhere. They saw themselves also as Krishna. This is Para Bhakti or supreme devotion which becomes akin to the knowledge or Brahman-Jnana of the Vedantins or Jnanins. The inner and outer world is full of Krishna or Purushottama for such devotees. The fruit of this devotion is admission to the eternal sports or Lilas of Shri Krishna.

The supreme goal is not Mukti or emancipation. The highest goal is eternal service of Lord Krishna and participation in His sports in the celestial Vrindavana. Those who have developed Vyasana, or strong passion for God, reject with scorn the four kinds of Mukti. The Maryada-Bhaktas attain Sayujya Mukti, i.e., they become one with Shri Krishna. The Pushti-Bhaktas reject Mukti and take part in the sports or Lilas of Shri Krishna. They choose with intense delight the eternal service of Shri Krishna. The Bhaktas assume the forms of cows, birds, trees and rivers and enjoy the company of Shri Krishna, which bestows infinite joy. These sports are similar to those which Shri Krishna did in Vraja and Vrindavana. Some of the devotees become Gopas and Gopis and join the sports in the celestial Vrindavana.

Different Kinds of Liberated Souls

The liberated souls are of different kinds. Some have freed themselves like Sanaka. Some dwell in the city of God and attain salvation through the grace of the Lord. Some others develop perfect love and become the associates of God.
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[Sital]

Jai Shree Krishna

Thanks Vasantji, very lovely posting indeed. It’s great to read your articles again. Interesting information regarding different types of souls and how they are segregated into diverse categories. It amazing how Thakorji then entices these souls based upon the group they belong to.

JSK
_________________
Madhurkomalkant padavali namami
Sital

[Pushtidas]

Jai Shree Krishna

Absolutely, I agree with you Sitalji, Vasantji well set article on four different modes of Bhati. Thanks I enjoyed it.
_________________
Dasa nu das
Pushtidas

[unnati]

Jai jai shri gokulesh

Vasantji, thanx for the beautiful explanation... Njoyed reading it...
_________________
Shri Vallabha Charan Vina Sharan Koni Jaou.....Shri Vitthala Nam Vina Mantra Kya Thi Paou......Shri Vallabha Charan Vina Sharan Koni Jaou.....
Unnati M. Kadakia

[unnati]

Jai jai shri gokulesh

Some people confuse the issue by bringing in the conception of Saguna and Nirguna Brahma. They define the Brahma possessed of knowledge, power and activity as Saguna Brahma and the indivisible spirit devoid of all these qualities as the Nirguna Brahma. Since the worship of Nirguna Brahma, though the most excellent, is the most difficult, Krishna preaches, in the Gita, the easy path of worshipping Saguna Brahma, they say. It is not proper to bifurcate the Supreme Brahma into the Nirguna and the Saguna, calling the one as the ultimately Real and the other, fictitious.

Nowhere do the Upanishads divide Him in this manner. There is only one Brahman and He is both Saguna and Nirguna. The Lord who is free from the three gross gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and who is full knowledge, bliss and energy Himself is called both Nirguna and Saguna. He is Saguna so far as He possesses the supra natural qualities and is Nirguna in so far as He is devoid of the gross ones.

The one Lord is immanent in all beings. He permeates everything, indwelling and controlling all from within. He presides over all the actions, lives in all the worlds. He is the supreme witness, the spirit, the unmixed and free from the gross qualities --- Svetasvataropanishad 6-11

The Upanishad calls the Saguna Brahma who is omnipresent, omnipotent and who permeates the whole Himself as Nirguna Brahma. When such is the evidence, it would be nothing but a travesty of truth to fragment Him into two different entities like Saguna and Nirguna and treat as illusory the Saguna Brahma who is the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Universe and Omniscient and Omnipotent.

When Arjuna asks Sri Krishna as to who is superior, the worshipper of the Unmanifest Prakriti or God Himself;
Shri Krishna replies that those who worship Him are better than those that worship the unmanifest. How could the words of Shri Krishna that the worshippers of His Saguna Self are the greatest yogis, have any consistency if Nirguna Brahma alone was the ultimate Reality? It is known to all that Sri Krishna is not a Nirguna principle but is full of auspicious qualities, omniscient and the Purushottama.
_________________
Shri Vallabha Charan Vina Sharan Koni Jaou.....Shri Vitthala Nam Vina Mantra Kya Thi Paou......Shri Vallabha Charan Vina Sharan Koni Jaou.....
Unnati M. Kadakia

[Sital]

Jai Shree Krishna

Thanks Unnatiji, enjoyed reading your posting

You've been missed on Krishna Seva

JSK
_________________
Madhurkomalkant padavali namami
Sital

[Prashant]

Jay Shree Krishna,
I am over joyed by the level of discussion going on here at Krishna Seva. I am a newbie and still learning the ABC's of pushtimarg. As I go through the topics I find some of the questions are answered before they are being raised. But being a novice in spirituality itself questions arise in my mind which could be of very elementary level but very important for me to get those clarified. I hope that no one gets offended by such silly questions. And if you think that this could be hindrance in the flow of topic than kindly ask me to shut up. So here's my first question in this forum...

[palna]

Jai Shree Krishna,

Very nice to have you posting Prashantji and everyone is always welcome to ask whatever, whenever! We love it! So many thanks to you for being brave enough to speak out!

In regards to your question from my basic knowledge I perceive that this grace or ‘krupa’ bestowed upon an individual is at the discretion of Shree Thakorji. But I don’t personally believe it to be a random affair.

Let us make note of some of the few things we do know and it would be very helpful if Pushtidasji and Vasantji elaborated.

We know that after a soul has Brahmsambandh that they have bonded their atman, (soul, essence, and actual self) with Brahm! Meaning the creator of all, the all powerful, the all knowing and loving God.

We associate this title with Shree Krishna and others shall differ in their views but never the less one ties an eternal knot with this personality when doing Brahmsambhandh. Giving back everything that was given to them. Returning to God what was always originally His.

We know that there is a promise made that within 3 life times of making this commitment; God promises that he will accept the self (atman) into His abode. I then presume that karma from past and present lives can affect how the life times play out. This does not necessarily mean that each soul will have to go through 3 life times until they reach God. Nor does it mean that each soul that does go through these lifetimes will achieve Param fal. This is the highest of fruits. We are metaphorically speaking of the final reward which is to be in Nitya (every day) leela with Shree Krishna.

However we must also note that having the opportunity to be introduced into Pushtimarg and to take Brahmsambandh is an act of ‘krupa’ (grace) in itself.

The process of which, we describe as ‘Varan’. Thakorji ‘wins over’ the maan(mind) and heart of the atman. This process is also not conditioned as it can happen instantaneously or can be progressive in nature. When reading 84 and 252 Vaishnav vartas we note that Thakorji has done many acts of varan that we perceive to be instantaneous. By giving Darshan and taking the atman back into His leela, however these souls also have been through various life times.

So we know that there is a promise and we know that Thakorji wins over our hearts and minds with a progressive act of varan. But what then is the purpose of bhakti?...

I don’t believe we attain grace (krupa) by personal choice but rather strife. We strive to know whom we want to be with. This is by singing His praises, doing satsang, doing maanan and laughing about His natkhat antics or genius acts. One does manushya (human) seva in being a nice person. This I believe is a fundamental basis. When I first was acquainted with Pushtimarg the only thing I was ever told was “To try and be a nice human being”! As for the rest it is all Thakorjis krupa and acts of varan. He may instigate interest in the person. He may instigate the vaishnav to write a posting on KS.com.

Bhakti is something which the atman gives to Thakorji via many mediums. I believe bhakti to be a substance of genuine mind and heart felt devotion which is aimed at Shree Krishna. This true form of devotion has many forms.

It is advised by Shree Mahaprabhuji “Krishna seva sada karia”, to do always imbibe into Krishna seva. Of which combines all navdha bhakti. Nine types of bhakti.

The nature of bhakti is such that it is genuine and is utterly flexible according to the atman. Generating bhakti strengthens the relationship between the atman and Krishna. It is very much like meeting a new person. One speaks on the phone, goes out together and would think of that person when they saw something that they felt was desirable. The point is that the atman has to build a relationship with God in the very same ways they would with a new friend. Thus their relationship grows and becomes stronger.

All the while Thakorji is giving His krupa by instigating curiosity, and by instigating the soul to want to do seva.

This does not just mean practical kriyapadi (everyday monotonous actions). Seva can be done in the mind also. (mansi seva) Seva which is bhavik meaning a reflection of the character and emotion one has with Krishna is what is significant.

To conclude when know that we have been given a promise when doing Brahmsambandh, of which is an act of Krupa in itself, we know that the varan of the soul is progressive and dependant on the individual soul and circumstanes. This progressive act of varan is also krupa. We also know that to built a relationship between God and the atman(self) one does bhakti and bhakti is generated by seva. Seva that is also varied in nature.

I have rambled on for A LOT but will give others the opportunity to amend and add any further comments. Please feel free to amend any misunderstandings.
_________________
Prem Bandhan Ajab Gajab, Brahmaganth sami aa ganth, na tutai na chutai

Palna na Koti Koti Jai Shree Krishna