By: Babhru Dasa (Sorry, but diacritics did not carry over from Word)
In this essay we will try our best to investigate what it means to be a “Rupanuga Vaishnava.” We here this term thrown around quite a bit within the realm of Gaudiya-bhakti, and some of the “tattva-waters” surrounding this term seemed to have gotten muddied over the centuries, and more rapidly in the current age.
In this essay we will discuss three primary meanings of “rupanuga” which seem to be pertinent. By fluffing out those meanings, hopefully the reader and the writer (myself) will receive some benefit. Each of the definitions of “rupanuga”, seem to have slightly greater esoteric implications, and thus greater gravity should be used as one progressively goes through this essay.
To start off, we will say that the term “rupanuga” essentially means to be a follower of Srila Rupa Goswami and his authentic presentations of bhakti. This includes both realms of bhakti, namely Vaidhi-bhakti, and Rägänugä-bhakti. These philosophies can be learned from his writings, as he has so eloquently and scientifically presented them. Sri Rupa Goswamipada worked very hard to canonize the philosophical understandings of rasa (divine love relationships) in his two most prominent books Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and Ujvalla-nilamani, and these should be referred to in every step of spiritual life.
It is widely known and accepted by authentic gaudiya-vaishnava all over the world that Srila Rupa Goswami was especially empowered by Sriman Mahaprabhu to fully reveal such esoteric knowledge to the world. Most Vaishnava’s accept that Srila Rupa Goswami is the acharya, which “presides” over abhideya-jnana, or knowledge, which pertains to the authentic process of attaining the result of bhakti practice. There are several instances that can be found within the authorized biography of Sri Caitanya-caritamrtam that fully authenticate this transmission of blessing and empowerment from Sriman Mahaprabhu to Sri Rupa Goswamipada. However, going into the details of that relationship is a bit beyond the scope of this essay.
So in a general sense, an authentic “rāgānugā” is one who adheres strictly to all the principles set forth within these two above mentioned philosophical treatises. Such a devoted follower will never put forth conclusions, which are in opposition to what Sri Rupa Goswami has written in these two books. Such behavior would surely be considered unauthorized in the eyes of Mahaprabhu and would also be considered an offense to Him and His sampradaya.
It should also be understood that Sri Rupa Goswami was a rasika, raganuga-bhakta of the highest order. Therefore he followed the path of spontaneous devotion, as opposed to the path known as the vidhi-marga. The latter path finds its devotional impetus in rules of the scripture, while the former finds its power in the devotional greed (lobha) to attain a specific type of rati (affection) for krsna. In essence, rāgānugā-bhakti is the practice of “following in the wake” of the love that a specific resident (ragatmika-bhakta) of aprakrta-vraja has for Sri Krsna.
Keeping all this in mind, we can now venture into the next layer of meaning of, “rupanuga”. To start this section we will quote directly from Sri Rupa Goswami’s own blessed masterpiece, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu;
1.2.295
sevāsādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi
tad-bhāva-lipsunākāryāvraja-lokānusārataḥ
Translation: 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.”
This verse describes the strict, dual-paradigm, yet simultaneously un-wavering behavior of someone who is an authentic rupanuga-vaishnava. Let us un-pack it a little.
First, lets examine the meaning of “Following after the inhabitants of Vraja, one should perform service in one’s physical body”.
By this statement, it becomes clear that a person desiring to be a genuine follower of Sri Rupa should keep the pure mahatmas such as Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatana Goswami and others who live in Vraja-mandala as their role models within the physical realm. Within the worldly view, Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana, and all their followers exuded impeccable behavior; full of austere practices, sense control, vast scriptural learning, and most importantly, constant devotional service to Lord Hari. Such devotional practices were headed by sravanam (hearing topics about Krsna), kirtanam (chanting Krsna’s glories) and smaranam (remembering Him within their mind). By their utmost dedication to following these highest Vaishnava standards, Sriman Mahaprabhu’s favor became eternally theirs. From the blessed Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura,
“In one’s physical body one follows in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami and other saints that lived in Vraja and in the mentally conceived spiritual body one follows in the footsteps of Srimati Rupa Manjari and other eternal associates of Krsna.” – Raga-vartma-chandrika (11)
However, it has been noted that throughout history and even into the modern era, some unscrupulous parties have put forth the argument that if someone is on the rāga-mārga, and their devotional impetus comes from beyond scriptural rules and regulations, then they have become free from acting within the boundaries of the rules and regulations of the scriptures. However such a thesis is in direct contrast to the above quoted statement of Sri Rupa Goswami. And is never considered authorized. Sincere rupānuga-vaishnavas never adhere to such viewpoints. Here is a few supporting pieces of evidence;
“The exclusive devotion to Lord Hari that does not follow the rules and regulations prescribed by the Srutis, smritis, Puranas, or the Narada Pancaratra, is simply causing disturbance.” -Narada Pancaratra
Furthermore, in the Brahma Yamala it is said:
“If one violates the devotional principles that have been defined by the Srutis, Smritis, Puranas and Pancaratra, and oncocts some new path of unalloyed devotion, he will simply cause social disturbance.”
The last pieces of evidence will be from one of the most esteemed rasika acharyas of the Gaudiya-sampradaya, namely Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipāda, and Srila Rupa Goswamipāda themselves,
“Those who say that rāgānugā bhakti is always fully transcendental to all scriptural injunctions in all respects are denounced by Gita-verses such as ‘those who give up all scriptural injunctions to worship with mere faith’, and ‘food made without regulations’, have always caused disturbance, are causing disturbance and will cause disturbance. There is no need to say anything more. Aho! The path of rägänugä bhakti is hard to see even by the demigods! May the intelligent devotees get to know this path through the diffusion of this light.” – Raga-vartma-chandrika
“All the items of devotion that were discussed in vaidhi-bhakti are also practiced and depended upon in rāgānugā-bhakti.” – Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.296
After considering these points, it should be very clear that a prema-mayi devotee on the raga-marga would indeed follow the authentic process of bhajan found within the scriptures that are absolutely authorized by Sriman Mahaprabhu. New methods of behavior and devotional practice, are simply a disturbance, and are even offensive to the rāgānugā-vaishnava-sampradaya, and especially to Sri Rupa Goswami.
Now we come to the next part of the statement made by Srila Rupa Goswami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,
“One should perform service in one’s siddha body, with a desire for a particular bhāva.”
In essence, this means that the rāgānuga-sadhaka cultivates an idealized spiritual body (siddha-rupa) via meditations that take place in the confidentiality of their heart. Such a spiritual body is perfect for serving Sri Krsna in the eternal Vraja and is comprehensively realized by meditating upon the bhava of an eternal resident of Vraja.
In this connection it would be wise to note that one can only engage in such practices as these after sacred greed (lobha) has awakened within the practitioners heart. Such genuine greed is characterized by an unwavering thirst to relish and realize the unique bhava of one of Krsna’s dearest associates in Vraja.
As was mentioned above, some parties will essentially argue that these internal meditations and especially the cultivation of one of the vraja-bhāvas are totally outside the reach of the scripture or logic. But such arguments are pure sentimental speculation, and are never considered bonafide by true rupanuga-vaishnavas. On the contrary, there are many great works, which will truly help the rāganuga-sadhaka to advance on the path of intimate love. Such works reveal the authorized meditational practices for rāgānugā-bhaktas, as well as detailed descriptions of the perfectional stage of vraja-bhava, which their idealized spiritual identity is following in the wake of. We will now provide some very solid evidences to back this point up.
From Srila Vishvanatha Chakravartipada’s commentary on Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu (1.2.294),
“Wherever that greed has appeared, it is understood that the person must have studied the scriptures in order to attain that greed. It is also necessary to study the scriptures in order to understand the proper sādhana for rāgānugā-bhakti.”
Furthermore,
“The scriptures show five kinds of devotional practices to make clear which other limbs of devotion are to be practiced in rāgānugā bhakti, what they are like, what are their characteristics, what is to be done and what is not to be done. They are: those filled with the desired feeling, those related to the desired feeling, those favorable to the desired feeling, those not opposed to the desired feeling and those opposed to the desired feeling. Of them some are both the practice and the goal (the only difference between them being that the former is an ‘unripe’ stage and the latter is the ‘ripe stage’), some are the direct cause of attaining the goal (prema), some the indirect cause, some are helpful, some are harmful and some are neutral. All these divisions have been shown. “ – Raga-vartma-chandrika (13)
By these statements, it becomes absolutely clear that knowledge pertaining to rāgānugā-sadhana is very much needed. Certain practices may detract from their advancement, and some will project them forwards on the path. Understanding how to apply all these things in ones life will certainly help them in a multitude of ways. This is why the reception of descending knowledge (from the scriptures and from the vaishnava’s) is important. Rāgānugā -bhakti is not an “ascending process,” albeit some people may artificially treat it that way.
That being said, I don’t think anything more need be discussed in regards to that philosophical debate. So now lets move onto the final definition of “rupanuga.” We will give only a very brief explanation, as to go into detail about all of these esoteric subject matters would be far beyond the scope of this essay.
In the Vraja-lila, Srila Rupa Goswamipada is known as Sri Rupa Manjari. Sri Rupa Manjari is a young maidservant cowherd girl (gopika) and friend of Srimati Radhika (the topmost consort of Sri Krsna) Herself. If a rāgānugā-sadhaka, aspires to attain a similar spiritually conceived disposition and body to that of Sri Rupa Manjari, then of course they are certainly to be considered a rupānuga of the most esoteric and highest degree! That is a very simple explanation but it will suffice for the purposes of this essay.
Now some people will put forth the argument that unless you are a rāgānugā -bhakta that is directly involved with cultivating a siddha-rupa that follows in the wake of Sri Rupa Manjari’s bhava, then you are not a true rupanuga. To this we say that yes, in the most esoteric sense, that may be true.
However, it is to be known that not everyone is going to be drawn to the bhava of a cowherd girlfriend of Sri Rupa Manjari. It is only natural that some will aspire to become Krsna’s cowherd boyfriends, some of a parental disposition towards Krsna, and some that desire to become engaged in direct servitorship of Krsna. Taking all this into consideration, it doesn’t seem fair to say that such people aren’t rupanugas.
We hope that you take delight in reading all these things, and that you may forgive any editorial mistakes. Please relish all these truths to the highest capacity and always aspire to become a genuine follower of Sri Rupa Goswami!