Bhakti Trivializes Liberation

In the last two publications, we discussed in detail how bhakti eradicates miseries [1] and bestows auspiciousness [2]. In this edition, we will explore how it makes mukti seem trivial.

There are three things that one can seek.

Bhukti - the opulence of the material world such as health, wealth, power, long life, and dominion over others
Mukti - liberation from all material afflictions, or,
Bhakti - attainment of love of God

Armed with the power of bhakti, a Bhakt shuns mukti.

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Bhukti means enjoying the luxuries offered in the material abodes [3]. These material abodes are numerous and extend from the Earth all the way up to the highest one called Satya lok. It is also called Brahma lok since this is where the creator Brahma resides.

The mind is material and so is the world. Also, the mind has practiced in infinite lifetimes to seek happiness [4] from the material world. Since the soul is divine, the material pleasures never satisfy it. But due to inadequate tattvagyan (or lack of contemplation of it) [5] one remains entrapped in wanting more and more of the same in anticipation of divine Bliss. To turn 180 degrees and walk away from material pleasure and seek true bliss, much effort will be needed. Just as one has to strive to obtain worldly ambitions, attaching the mind to God is also never instantaneous. To achieve any goal time, consistent effort, and patience are essential.

When we move forward on the path of devotion, our infinite sins gradually get destroyed [1]. This spiritual progress is not explicitly perceivable (paroksh), therefore the skeptical mind presumes that we aren’t making any progress. In these moments of disappointment, devotees minds’ revert back to seeking momentary pleasures of bhukti. In despair some wish for an easy-out of all pains once and for all, i.e. wish for mukti. Mind you, it is not like mukti is an easy goal to attain. It is extremely difficult and takes millions of lifetimes to attain, yet some choose this goal.

Let me categorically state that mukti is even worse than bhukti. Shocking isn't it?

Those who seek bhukti aspire for arth (wealth), dharma (righteousness) and kaam (passion). As a result, one endures the pain of birth in various life forms, thereby enjoying transient material pleasures which are invariably followed by pain and suffering in the same life followed by the inevitable pain of death. Sounds terrible, yet it is better than mukti because in bhukti, while you go through the cycle of life and death, after a long time God will again bestow a human form. In that form you might meet a real rasik saint. Then you might follow His advice of earnestly doing bhakti. Thus, you have the possibility of one day attaining the divine love of God or Bhakti. But if you attain mukti, you will merge in The Bliss, thereby the chance of enjoying the Bliss is lost forever. What a tremendous loss would that be! That is why mukti is considered worse than bhukti.

In past publications we have proven with references from scriptures that bhakti is the only way to attain what we really seek[6]. For those who want to set foot on the path of bhakti -

भुक्ति-मुक्ति-स्पृहा यावत् पिशाची हृदि वर्तते ।
तावद् भक्ति-सुखस्यात्र कथम् अभ्युदयो भवेत् ॥

भक्ति-रसामृत-सिंधु १.२.२२

bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat piśācī hṛdi vartate ।
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra katham abhyudayo bhavet ॥

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-siṃdhu 1.2.22

“A bhakt calls both bhukti and mukti a witch. As long as the desire for worldly pleasures and the desire to attain mukti remain in one’s heart, the Goddess of Bhakti will not appear.”

But, we are hungry for bliss! Without attaining Bhakti how can we give up the miniscule bliss of bhukti and also forsake the desire of attaining divine mukti thereby eradicating all pain forever?

It is well-known and also everyone’s experience that when one attains a higher value item then one automatically develops a distaste for the lower value item. When one does bhakti, one’s spiritual power increases. As one progresses on the path of bhakti, miseries start reducing[1] and bhakti bestows auspiciousness[2]. In addition, one experiences increasingly higher bliss. When one reaches the state of bhav bhakti, bliss far exceeds the bliss of not just swarg, but even mukti. As mentioned above, we will be able to perceive this progress when we repeatedly contemplate on the tattvagyan and regularly self-evaluate our progress.

Our desires keep on increasing

At this juncture it's important to know that there are two types of muktis. There is Sāyujjya mukti which is given to gyanis. There are four mukti-of-dualism. These are given to those who worship MahaVishnu with Shant Bhav.

No bliss is greater than the bliss of Bhagavan. Shri Krishna Himself takes care of His devotees, so His devotees reject mukti also. In earlier editions we have described that the foremost fortunate Gyanis who experienced Sakar Brahm with merely one sense willingly sacrificed the bliss of Brahma [7] . Whereas, a devotee enjoys every aspect of Shri Krishna with his mind and all senses viz His body, fragrance, beauty, sweetness and virtues etc[8]. Please note that words don’t have the capacity to describe this bliss.

मनागेवप्ररूढ़ायां हृदये भगवद्रतौ ।
पुरुषार्थास्तु चत्वारास्तृणायन्ते समन्ततः ।

भ.र.सि

manāgevaprarūḍha़āyāṃ hṛdaye bhagavadratau ।
puruṣārthāstu catvārāstṛṇāyante samantataḥ ।

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-siṃdhu

“Even a droplet of the nectar of devotion annuls every aspiration of all the four desires (arth, dharma, kaam, moksh) of human beings.”
Again in Narad Panchrattra also –

हरि भक्तिमहादेव्याः सर्वामुक्त्यादि सिद्धयः ।
भुक्तयश्चाद्भुतास्तस्य चेटिकावदनुव्रताः ।

ना.पा.रा.

hari bhaktimahādevyāḥ sarvāmuktyādi siddhayaḥ ।
bhuktayaścādbhutāstasya ceṭikāvadanuvratāḥ ।

Narad Panchrattra

“All the siddhis and muktis as well, follow bhakti like a maid servant.”

Once all 5 muktis approached Bhagavan Rishabh. In the front the four muktis-of-dualism stood with folded hands. The mukti-of-gyanis stood behind them. She stood behind because she knew that she would be admonished by bhakt.

Seeing them Rishabh Bhagavan asked -

का त्वं मुक्तिरुपागतास्मि भवती कस्मादकस्मादिह श्रीकृष्णस्मरणेन देव भवतो दासीपदं प्रापिता।

kā tvaṃ muktirupāgatāsmi bhavatī kasmādakasmādiha śrīkṛṣṇasmaraṇena deva bhavato dāsīpadaṃ prāpitā।

“Who are you?”
They replied, “Mukti”.
“Why did you come here?”
“You are absorbed in remembrance of Shri Krishna, that’s why He sent us to serve you as a maid”.

Rishabh Bhagavan said with great disdain -

Lord Rishabhdev

दूरे तिष्ठ मनागनागसि कथं कुर्य्यादनार्य्यं मयि त्वन्नाम्ना निजनामचन्दनरसालेपस्य लोपो भवेत् ॥

dūre tiṣṭha manāganāgasi kathaṃ kuryyādanāryyaṃ mayi tvannāmnā nijanāmacandanarasālepasya lopo bhavet ॥

“No no no, stay away, far away. Your slightest influence would devastate the entire rapture of my devotion”.

Mukti is desirable for those who want self-pleasure. Whereas, devotees of Shri Krishna strive to please Him by rendering service unto Him [9]. So, those who want to enjoy the Bliss of Divine Love reject all muktis.

You might assume that devotees in higher levels of love reject it. But know that Lord Hanuman [9] and Kagbhushundi worshiped Lord Ram with Dasya bhav. In the area of divine love Dasya bhav is the lowest bhav. In this bhav, there is a lot of formality and least proximity. Yet, when Lord Ram volunteered to give mukti to Hanuman and Kagbhushundi, they rejected it outright. Then, obviously, the devotees who are completely submerged in the even sweeter nectar of sakhya bhav, vatsalya bhav and madhurya bhav do not care even to the slightest extent for bhukti, mukti, riddhi, siddhi or any other attainable goal.

Hence the muktis were very dejected. They went to Sri Krishna and complained “your devotees do not accept us. Please tell us a way of our benediction”. Shri Krishna told them to go to Braj and therein serve the gopis of Braj by fetching water for them from the river Yamuna. Braj is the land.

Param Bhakt Hanuman Ji in Dasya Bhav

जहँ ज्ञानिन - आराध्य मुक्तिहूँ, निशिदिन रहति गुलाम ।
पानी भरती बनी पनिहारीनि, निदरतहूँ ब्रजभाम ॥

प्रेम रस मदिरा, सिद्धांत माधुरी #134
- जगद्गुरु श्री कृपालु जी महाराज

ham̐ jñānina - ārādhya muktihūm̐, niśidina rahati gulāma ।
pānī bharatī banī panihārīni, nidaratahūm̐ brajabhāma ॥

Prem Ras Madira, Siddhant Madhuri #134
- Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

“… even mukti (liberation), who is worshiped by gyanis, is a female slave. …and where the five kinds of liberation (sarshti, salokya, sarupya, samipya, ekatva) serve by filling water pots, even after receiving taunts from the Gopis.”

Five kinds of liberation serve by filling water pots, even after receiving taunts from the Gopis

As one advances on the path of bhakti, the spiritual power gradually increases and the bliss one receives also increases. The results are never instantaneous. To achieve any goal one has to consistently persevere for an extended period of time. Falling off the path due to despair will just delay the attainment of the goal [10]. One day that bliss will surpass the bliss of mukti. That is when you will reject mukti as a trivial goal, just as other devotees have done it in the past.

For now, accept a rasik saint as your Guru, resolve to reject both bhukti and mukti in order to set foot on the path of bhakti. Be earnest and disciplined in doing daily sadhana bhakti. Use the Symptoms of Bhav Bhakti to measure your progress on this path, adjust as needed and continue to move forward. Also, use the symptoms of a surrendered mind so you don’t fall in the trap of being a lot less surrendered but thinking I am 100% surrendered.

भुक्ति ना दे, मुक्ति ना दे, गोविंद राधे । देना है तो सीधे सीधे प्रेम सुधा दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत

Don't give me material wealth, don't give me mukti. If you want to give anything please give bhakti.

- Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Maharaj
Radha Govind Geet