:star2: Bhakti-Ratna Course 4 - (Registration open) :star2:
Prīti Sandarbha (continued) - By Babaji Satyanarayana Dasa
Vaiśeṣika Sūtras of Kaṇāda with Praśastapāda Bhāṣya - By Babaji Satyanarayana Dasa
Sanskrit for Beginners – By Gururaja
Vedic Psychology – By Dr. Joshika Richmond
Bhakti-Ratna Course 4
Prīti Sandarbha – By Babaji
Vaiśeṣika Sūtras of Kaṇāda – By Babaji
Sanskrit for Beginners - By Gururaja
Vedic Psychology - By Dr. Joshika Richmond
Enroll now Enroll
Enroll now Enroll
Sayujya-mukti, Divisions of Bhakti, Subhadra
Questions & Answers

Sayujya-mukti, Divisions of Bhakti, Subhadra

Sayujya-mukti

Question: This question is regarding sayujya-mukti, where there is no personal relationship with the Lord. If a living entity attains this mukti (after practice), then does he eternally remain in that liberated state or does he fall back to the material sphere due to lack of love for the Personality of Godhead? According to my understanding, if he has attained mukti (any of the five types), then it means that he is liberated for good; there is no chance of again coming into the material realm.

Answer: Yes, your understanding is correct. Mukti means permanent freedom from bondage.

He has no karma, so what kind of body would he get if he were to come back? The material body is a product of past karma. If he came back, when would this happen? How much time would have to pass? How then is mukti different from going to heaven? All these questions arise. So he does not come back.

Question: But one objection is that since the natural state of every jiva is to serve Krishna (jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa), how is it that the jiva can stay contented in the state of sayujya-mukti since there is no conception of serving the Lord in that state of existence.

Answer: Just being within His effulgence is service. Just as if you decorate the temple with a flower, then the flower is doing service. So being within brahmajyoti is service, and there is no difference between Krsna and Brahman – vadanti tat tattva-vidah

Or you can understand that his svarupa has the potential to do seva, but he is not doing seva. Just as if you have a servant and he is sleeping, so you do not say that he is not a servant because he is not doing seva. Although he is sleeping, his identity is still that of a servant. So svarupa is the potential, and that potential may be active or inactive. In our conditioned state also we do not serve, yet our svarupa is dasa.

*

Divisions of Bhakti

Question: In a purport on the 6th canto 1st chapter verse number 15, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami references Jiva Gosvami commenting on santata-bhakti and kadacitki-bhakti and their various divisions. I don’t understand what this means and was wondering if you clarify what these ideas are?

Answer:  Santata bhakti is devotion executed by devotees which has the two divisions of vaidhi and raganuga. These are the two divisions mentioned by Prabhupada as 1. service performed with slight attachment and 2. spontaneous devotional service.

The other, kadacitki, is devotion performed by people who are not devotees but may perform an act of devotion because of some circumstances. It is basically the temporary influence of association on someone, just as if you preach to someone and the person may become inclined towards devotion. The influence is not permanent and as soon as the association is lost, bhakti stops.  The second type, kadacitki, includes the option of someone chanting the Name incidentally or doing some service in a similar way.

*

Subhadra’s Identity

Question: Who is Subhadra? Is she identical with Yogamaya?

Answer: First of all, Subhadra is not Yogamaya. In the Ninth Canto (SB 9.24.55) it says clearly that she is the daughter Devaki and Vasudeva.