Hardening of the heart

Posted by dinesh

From Srila Jiva Goswami's commentary on Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu

uttaratas tu tayor anugatau doñäntaram ity äha yad ubhe iti. käöhinya-hetutvaà ca nänä-väda-nirasana- pürvaka-tattva-vicärasya duùkha-sahanäbhyäsa- pürvaka-vairägyasya ca rukña-svarüpatvät. tarhi sahäyaà vinottarottara-bhakti-praveçaù kathaà syät? taträha bhaktéti. tasya bhakti-praveçasya hetur bhaktir éritä. uttarottara-bhakti-praveçasya hetuù pürva- pürva-bhaktir evety arthaù.

There is a fault in following the paths of jïäna and vairägya in that these two make the heart extremely hard. The reason for this hardness within the heart is that the practice of jïäna requires one to examine the absolute truth by defeating various philosophies, whereas the philosophy of vairägya requires the tolerance of various types of sufferings. Both these paths are by their nature dry and hard. However, one may doubt as to how one can enter into bhakti without assistance from these two? The answer is that in the ultimate analysis, one enters into bhakti by bhakti alone. It is bhakti that was executed in previous lives that leads one to enter into the advanced stages of bhakti in the current life.
nanu bhaktir api tat-tad-äyäsa-sädhyatvät käöhinye hetuù syät taträha sukumära-svabhäveyam iti çré- bhagavan-madhura-rüpa-guëädi-bhävanä-mayatväd iti. tasmäd bhagavati nija-cittasya särdratäà kartum icchunä bhaktir eva käryeti bhävaù. prädhänyena ca tathoktaà çré-prahlädena —
naite guëä na guëino mahad-ädayo ye sarve manaù-prabhåtayaù saha-deva-martyäù
ädy-antavanta urugäya vidanti hi tväm evaà vimåçya sudhiyo viramanti çabdät
tat te 'rhattama namaù-stuti-karma-püjäù karma-småtiç caraëayoù çravaëaà kathäyäm
saàsevayä tvayi vineti ñaò-aìgayä kià bhaktià janaù paramahaàsa-gatau labheta.

atra karma paricaryä, karma-småtiù lélä-smaraëaà. caraëayor iti bhakti-vyaïjakaà tac ca ñaösv apy anvitam. tathä saàsevayä vineti vairägyädikam api nädåtam.

Someone may object again, "Even bhakti consists of a rigorous path called sädhanä. Won't that make the heart hard?' The answer is that bhakti is definitely not a hardening path. Rather, it is an extremely tender path, since all its activities are centered around meditation upon the Lord's sweet form, qualities, etc. Therefore, bhakti should be performed with the intention of softening one's heart in relationship to the Lord. The great devotee Prahlad Maharaja especially mentions this in the Çrémad Bhägavatam as follows:
"Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guëa, rajo-guëa and tamo-guëa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods, nor the human beings can understand your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service. Therefore, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are offered, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you because without rendering six kinds of devotional service unto you — offering prayers, dedicating all the results of activities, worshiping you, working on your behalf, always remembering your lotus feet and hearing about your glories — who can achieve that which is meant for the paramahaàsas?" (Çrémad Bhägavatam 7.9.49-50)
In these verses, the word karma means worshiping the deity of the Lord, and the word karma-småtiù refers to remembering the pastimes of the Lord. The word caraëayoù indicates the devotional nature of Prahlada Maharaja, and also specifies the six kinds of devotional service mentioned in the verse. By the words saàsevayä vineti, the great devotee Prahlada Maharaja has shown a disapproval of the subordinate processes of jïäna, vairägya, etc. ·

Courtesy: KK Bindhu, Issue No. 259
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Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com