Bhakti Ras

Devotion to the Personal Form of God

Whenever we passionately pursue a certain goal, we stay singularly focused on it and are entirely immersed in it. Such zealous engagement ensues euphoria, exuberance, and a sense of fulfillment. This is the nature of the human mind – to be absorbed in what it cherishes the most. Hence, to develop deep adoration and devotion for the Supreme Lord, the mind needs to be constantly absorbed in one’s iṣhṭ-dev (i.e., cherished form of God) and in his incessant, divine magnificence.

When the Lord descended in his personal form as Shree Krishna, Shree Ram, and so forth, he revealed his divine glories that are like divine nectar. It’s easy for the mind to imbibe this nectar, rather than focus on the formless and omniscient God (i.e., Para Brahm).

His Descensions (or Avatārs)

Shree Krishna reveals: सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया sambhavāmyātma-māyayā or “I appear in this world by virtue of Yogmaya, My divine power.” God descends whenever and wherever it is necessary. There are innumerable descensions or incarnations. Based on the divine glories he manifested, his descensions are categorized as:

1. Āveśhāvatār: God manifests his special powers in an individual soul, such as sage Narad or Buddha.
2. Prābhavāvatār: God descends in the personal form, where he displays some of his divine powers only for a few moments as in Hansavatar or remains on the earth for a longer period as Ved Vyas.
3. Vaibhavatār: God descends in his divine form, and manifests more of his divine powers, for example, Matsyavatar, Kurmavatar, or Varahavatar.
4. Parāvasthāvatār: God manifests all his divine powers, as he did in his personal form as Shree Krishna or Shree Ram.

All avatārs (i.e., descensions) are divinely potent and alike. However, in each descension, God manifests his powers based on the objectives He wishes to accomplish during that particular descension. Shree Krishna is the Avatārī (i.e., the source of all the avatārs), as stated in Śhreemad Bhāgvatam:

एते चांशकला: पुंस: कृष्णस्तु भगवान् स्वयम् ।

ete chāṁśha kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛiṣhṇas tu bhagavān svayam (1.3.28)

“All the forms of God are the expansions, or the expansions of the expansions of Shree Krishna, who is the primordial form of God.” If so, why did Shree Krishna himself, the Supreme Lord of all living entities, descend into this world?

God Gives Us Himself by Descending

His avatārs are the manifestation of his love and compassion for the souls. There are several reasons for his descension, but the most important of all is, as Vyas Bhagavan says:

भवेऽस्मिन् क्लिश्यमानानामविद्याकामकर्मभि: ।
श्रवणस्मरणार्हाणि करिष्यन्निति केचन ॥

bhave'sminkliśyamānānām avidyākāmakarmabhiḥ ।
ṣravaṇasmaraṇāhāṇi kariṣyann iti kechana ॥

(Śhreemad Bhāgvatam 1.8.35)

"You descend for the welfare of the suffering souls, giving them a chance to relish the sweetness of devotion by hearing, remembering, and worshiping you."

Out of his causeless mercy and benevolence, he descends in his loving form, to nurture love in our hearts. He makes one soul his father, another his mother, some other a friend, yet another servant or a beloved. Veiling his almightiness and enslaved by the love of these blessed souls, he displays amazing leelas, which become a basis for our bhakti (or devotion.)

Devotion toward our iṣhṭ-dev is tangible, simple, and palpable. It only requires us to nurture divine sentiments towards our iṣhṭ-dev. As Shree Krishna assures, joy abounds when we contemplate his glorious names, splendid form, or sublime virtues:

मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्त: परस्परम् |
कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च || 10.9||

mach-chittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam |
kathayantaśh cha māṁ nityaṁ tuṣhyanti cha ramanti cha ||

“With their minds fixed on Me and their lives surrendered to Me, My devotees remain ever content in Me. They derive great satisfaction and bliss in enlightening one another about Me and in conversing about My glories.”

Five thousand years ago, when Shree Krishna descended, he entranced every soul with his enchanting leelas. Mother Yashoda was blessed to feed him, bathe him, and rock him to sleep. The Purushottam (i.e., Supreme Divine Personality), who measured the three worlds with three steps in the Vamana avatar, allowed Yashoda to teach him how to walk. The Sarvavyāpak (i.e., All-Pervading Lord) allowed her to bind him with a rope!

Behind every divine leela of Shree Krishna, there is a loving instruction for us, but it is hard to discern as our intellect is material. Unless we have the grace of Hari-Guru, we cannot comprehend the leelas that He performed as a child, cowherd, brother, beloved, disciple, messenger, charioteer, warrior, and in myriad other roles. However, the one instruction that is apparent not only in Bhagavad Gita but also in His leelas is how to remain unaffected by this world. From the moment He descended, no matter what leela He performed - either playing with gwalaks, annihilating the demons, or imparting knowledge on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the sweet, captivating smile never left His radiant face. That smile, which shelters us from worldly despair, is His tender directive. The poet, Leelashuka states:

मधुरतरस्मिताऽमृतविमुग्धमुखाम्बुरुहम् मदशिखिपिञ्छिलाङ्छितमनोज्ञकचप्रचयम्।
विषयविषामिषग्रसनगृध्नुनिचेतसिमे विपुल विलोचनम् किमपि धाम चकास्ति चिरम्॥

madhuratara-smitāmṛta-vimugdha-mukhāmburuhaṁ mada-śikhi-piñchita-manojña-kaca-pracayam |
viṣaya-viṣāmiṣa-grasana-gṛdhnuni cetasi me vipula-vilocanaṁ kim api dhāma cakāstu ciram ||

(Shree Krishna Karnāmritam 1- 5)

"Let His attractive lotus-like countenance that is more lustrous with His ambrosial smile, and His curly locks decorated with a peacock feather that enthralls His devotees, forever shine within my heart, which was tantalized by the sense objects due to separation from Shree Krishna."

Only through such contemplation, can we steer away from Maya, the material energy. The gopis are the quintessential example of how we can practice it. They thought of Shree Krishna incessantly. Whether they were milking the cows, churning the butter, picking up the cow dung, cleaning their house, or working in the fields, they were engrossed in His thoughts. Such love alone "opens the door to the impossible and makes way for the inaccessible," says Swami Mukundananda. Only then, can one experience the bliss of God, which is described as sat-chit-anand or eternal-sentient-ocean of bliss!

Besides adorning the thoughts with loving sentiments towards Iṣhṭ-dev, we need to surrender to our beloved Lord. When we surrender, his grace surrounds us.

Grace - God’s Most Compassionate Endowment

Those who surrender to him completely are enfolded in his divine grace. Grace is a shakti (or power) that he manifests only when he takes on a personal form. He bestows it upon those who lovingly absorb their minds in him and make him the paramount object of their thoughts, words, and deeds. When God bestows his grace, he endows the divine Yogmaya energy to the soul. It is also called śhuddha sattva (i.e., divine mode of goodness), which is distinct from the sattva guṇa (i.e., mode of goodness) of Maya. When the soul receives this śhuddha sattva energy, the senses, mind, and intellect become divine, enabling them to experience the divine-love-bliss of the Supreme Lord.

So, let’s attract the grace of God by relishing the bliss of exclusive devotion to our iṣhṭ-dev while serving and worshiping him!