Permission from Guru, Sandarbhas for Bhaktas

Question: In Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 238, Śrī Jīva suggests serving Vaiṣṇavas after seeking permission from one’s guru, otherwise such service may be faulty. He also suggests distancing oneself from one’s guru if he doesn’t allow association with genuine sādhus. In such a case, how does one reconcile the following points?

It is impractical to ask one’s guru before associating, serving, or hearing from each and every Vaiṣṇava. Moreover, if the guru is to be distanced anyway if he rejects association, then what is the point of seeking special permission in the first place? Therefore, in what context does Śrī Jīva suggest seeking permission? Even in Vaiṣṇava sangas it is not observed that a disciple seeks his guru’s permission before hearing from every advanced devotee.

Answer: There are two points to be considered. First, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī does not say that you have to ask permission from your guru every time you associate with a Vaiṣṇava. That is not his intention at all. He is not against Vaiṣṇava association.  His point is that if there is a great Vaiṣṇava and your guru is envious of that Vaiṣṇava, then it is problematic. A Vaiṣṇava is non-envious. The second point is that he did not have an organized society of Vaiṣṇavas in mind. He wrote at a time when there were gurus but no big societies. At present, the concept of guru is much different than what he had in mind. Previously, a person had a guru and studied from him. By ‘’association with another Vaiṣṇava,” he means studying from him. Earlier students did not hear from a different person every day. They heard from their guru only. Thus, serving and studying other advanced Vaiṣṇavas meant somebody who was not part of his guru’s aśrama. Such occasions were rare, yet Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives a guideline. Keeping distance from a guru was also something very rare. It was only if the guru was envious of other Vaiṣṇavas. The situation at present is that one has a guru but mostly hears from others.

*

Question: I have a question regarding the adhikāra of sakāma/trivarga-kāmī bhaktas for learning darśana and śāstra. In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.11, nāma kīrtana is recommended, and in SB 2.3.10, tīvra-bhakti-yoga is recommended, for akāma, s arvakāma and mokṣakāma bhaktas.It is natural for any kind of devotee to be inquisitive about his iṣṭa, to know his relation with his iṣṭa, and his iṣṭa’s relation with the world, etc. In Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 6, Śrīmad Jīva Gosvāmī says, yaḥ śrī kṛṣṇa-padāmbhoja-bhajanaikābhilāṣavān tenaiva dṛśyatām etad anyasmai śapatho’rpitaḥ
“This book may be studied only by one whose sole aspiration is to worship the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. All others are forbidden to study it.”
Since sakāmas and mumukṣus aren’t one-pointed devotees, does that mean they don’t have the adhikāra to study darśana, be it Gauḍīya or any darśana? If yes, then why is tīvra-bhakti recommended for them, as the study of darśana and śāstra is necessary for developing faith in the process? If no, then does it mean they forcefully need to accept one-pointed devotion and leave the sādhana for their abhīṣṭa?

Answer: There is a popular saying among devotees—”different śloks for different folks.”

There are different śāstra for different adhikārīs, just like at present there are different books for students of different disciplines.

Jīva Gosvāmī wrote the Sandarbhas for those who want to be one-pointed devotees of Kṛṣṇa.

Those who want something else can also do bhakti without studying the Sandarbhas.

People were doing bhakti before the Sandarbhas were written, and many are also doing it now without studying the Sandarbhas. So, depending upon what is your kāmanā, you have adhikāra in different śāstra. The Sandarbhas were written for one-pointed bhaktas. If one is a sakāmā-bhakta and studies the Sandarbhas, he will not remain sakāma. So Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī is doing a favor to such people to not waste their time studying the Sandarbhas.

Tivra bhakti is recommended for everyone because to become successful in one’s goal one should be a tivra-bhakta. You cannot achieve success in anything if your mind is not focused. Even asuras were tivra-bhaktas. See the example of Hiranyakaśipu or Rāvaṇa. They were sakāma-bhaktas but very focused. Read the story of Dhruva. He was a sakama-bhakta but very fixed and focused.

Question: The question naturally arises, what śāstra shall I read? I was interested in the theology of the Sandarbhas, but realized I don’t have adhikāra for it due to being a trivarga-kāmī. Please guide me more regarding this.

Answer: For trivarga, there is Kāmasūtra, Årtha-śāstra of Caṇkya, and Dharma-śāstras such as Manu-smṛti, Yājñavalkya-smṛti, Caturvarga-cintamaṇi of Hemadri. Frankly speaking, I am not the right person to answer this question, because I am not a follower of trivarga. Just as there are different śāstra for different adhikārīs, there are also different teachers, and one must approach a suitable teacher. If you ask me, I will advise to follow bhakti, no matter what your goal is—trivarga, mokṣa or prema.

Related