Siddha pranali

By editor - 26.7 2023

Manjari-sadhana is first mentioned by Krsnadasa Kaviraja in his commentary on Krsna Karnamrta by Bilvamangal. The detailed paddhati was written by Dhyancand Goswami, the successor of Gopal Guru Goswami, who got it from Vakresvara Pandit who received it from Swarupa Damodara. Also it is mentioned in the 1st chapter of Sri Jaiva Dharma wherein Sannyasi Thakur got siddha-pranali from Paramahamsa Babaji Mahashoy.

Srila Prabhupada warns us to be careful of the siddha-praëälé process. This process is based on an interpretation of the current çloka of Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.295, quoted as Cc. Madhya22.158) that is deviant in two ways. The deviant siddha-praëälé originates with Rupa Kaviraja, a wayward disciple of Hemalata Thakuraji, Srinivasa Acarya’s daughter. The first deviation is to prematurely imagine one’s eternally perfect spiritual form (siddha-rüpa). Srila Prabhupada writes, “They [the deviants] imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that..” (NOD, p. 127) According to our acaryas, realization of our siddha-rupa develops when our hearts become purified. The second deviation is their proposal that the word vraja-loka (residents of Vrindavana) refers exclusively to the residents of Vrndävana in krishna-lila, such as Sri Rupa-manjari, and not to residents of Vrndavana in their gaura-lila, such as Srila Rupa Gosvami. Thus they wrongly interpret seva sadhaka-rupeya, siddha-rupena catra hi to mean that we should imitate the gopis’ activities both as our external sadhana and our internal meditation. One can see such men in sarés, jewelry, etc., not worshiping guru or Tulasi, yet making a show of imitating the behavior of the gopis—even though they are not  yet purified of basic material desires. Srila Prabhupada states succinctly, “Their external behavior is not at all according to regulative principles.’’ (NOD, p. 127)

Q. Is our siddha-deha predestined, or is it a matter of which sadhana one chooses to follow? The Caitanya Caritamrta (M.22.107) states that "Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source." This seems to support the idea that our siddha-deha is already within us.

A. According to Bhaktivinoda Thakura and all of his followers, the svarupa of the jiva is both inherent within the jiva and in need of sadhana for it to manifest. The svarupa is present in the jiva in the form of sat cit ananda anu, a particle of sat cit ananda. However, it cannot manifest without diksa, siksa and a corresponding sadhana. The verse you cited seems to support this idea.

However, outside of the succession of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, other Gaudiya Vaisnavas interpret the Goswami literature to say that the svarupa is not dormant in the jiva. They interpret the verse you cited to say that prema is eternally established (nitya siddha), but not in the jiva. It is not a product in time resulting from sadhana, and thus it is not something to attain, sadhya kabu naya. It appears in the heart of the jiva (karaye udaya) who engages in hearing and chanting (sravanadi) when the jiva experiences the ingress of suddha sattva (suddha citte). This group emphasizes Sridhara Swami's comment on the Visnu Purana cited by Jiva Goswami in Sat-sandarbha. Sridhara Swami says that the Lord is the shelter of the svarupa skati, and not the jiva.

Our line from Bhaktivinoda counters this by interpreting Sridhara Swami's words to mean that the entirety of the svarupa sakti is not within the jiva, but a particle of it is. Further practical evidence for the position of Bhaktivinoda Thakura can be drawn from the fact that sometimes, in spite of being initiated into a particular lineage, say of madhurya rati, a disciple develops sakhya bhava. We find an example of this in Jaiva Dharma, and the converse of it in the case of Syamananda prabhu.

Syamananda was initiated into the lineage of Gauridasa Pandita, the incarnation of Subala sakha in Gaura lila. His guru was Hridaya Caitanya, who was in sakhya rati, but Syamananada developed madhurya rati. The brother of Rupa Santana Goswamis is also an example. He was initiated into the Krsna diksa mantra, but he developed love for Rama.

In any case, if we are to know our svarupa, we need guidance and sadhana, and most of all we need suddha nama. Try to chant offenselessly, and you will know everything you need to know. (Tripurari M.)