I finally decided to sit down and translate Śrī Jīva Goswami’s commentary on the definition of uttamā bhakti given in the Bhakti rasāmṛta sindhu by Śrī Rūpa Goswami. I also consulted the commentary by Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti where needed. This is a very deep and difficult topic discussed by our great ācāryas, and the Sanskrit is also formidable. I have tried my best to do justice to it and hope it is of some use to the reader.

The definition of uttamā bhakti given by Śrī Rūpa Goswami is as follows:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam |

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā ||

I will present a translation after going through Śrī Jīva Goswami’s commentary, which will probably extend over 3 or 4 articles.

The meaning of the word “anuśīlanam“

Śrī Jīva Goswami’s first explains the meaning of the word anuśīlanam:

anuśīlanam atra kriyā-śabda-vad dhātvartha-mātram ucyate |

Like the word ‘kriyā’ [which can be used to denote the sense of any verb], the word “anuśīlanam” is used in the general sense of a verb meaning [i.e. it can refer to any verb].

[The translation I gave above to the Sanskrit is consistent with the meaning given by Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti: yathā kriyā-śabdena dhātv-artha-mātram ucyate, tathātrānuśīlana-śabdenāpi dhātv-artha-mātram ucyate.

There are around 2000 verbal roots in Sanskrit. anuśīlanam encompasses all of them. Some people think that only the navadhā or nine-fold bhakti can be considered bhakti, but here Śrī Jīva Goswami is writing that any action can be bhakti. In other words, bhakti is not necessarily a particular process or method, but it encompasses one’s entire existence. So sleeping, eating, earning money and exercising can all come under bhakti.]

dhātv-arthaś ca dvividhaḥ | pravṛtti-nivṛtty-ātmakaḥ kāya-vāṅ-mānasīyas tat-tat-ceṣṭā-rūpaḥ, prīti-viṣādātmako mānasas tat-tad-bhāva-rūpaś ca |

Verbs have two kinds of meanings: 1) The sense of “endeavor” [ceṣṭā-rūpa], which involves positive action [accepting] or negative action [giving up or rejecting] accomplished with the body, speech or the mind. 2) The sense of “emotion” [bhāva-rūpa], consisting of love or dejection, which is mental.

[Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti comments further: sa ca vakṣyamāṇa-rati-premādi-sthāyi-bhāva-rūpaś ca – The second type of verb meaning refers to the sthāyi-bhāva which is called rati, prema and so on, and which will be spoken of later on].

Śrī Jīva Goswami then makes a rather cryptic statement:

sattvāsattve tu parasparopamarditatvāc ceṣṭāntargata eva |

[Verbal meanings of] sattva or asattva are included in the general meaning of “endeavor”, because they are mutual subduers [i.e. a verb meaning sattva or existence involves the endeavor to subdue non-existence, and a verb meaning non-existence involves  the endeavor of subduing the verb of existence. ]

The meaning of the word “kṛṣṇānuśīlanam“

Having explained anuśīlanam, he now turns to the compound word kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. He breaks this word as follows:

tad evaṁ sati kṛṣṇa-sambandhi kṛṣṇārthaṁ vānuśīlanaṁ kṛṣṇānuśīlanam iti |

With the meaning of anuśīlanam understood as above, kṛṣṇānuśīlanam is anuśīlanam related to Kṛṣṇa or for the sake of Kṛṣṇa.

tat-sambandha-mātrasya tādarthyasya vā vivakṣitatvād guru-pādāśrayādau bhāva-rūpasyāpi kroḍīkṛtatvāt tat-sthāyini vyabhicāriṣu ca bhāveṣu nāvyāptiḥ |

Given the intended sense of kṛṣṇānuśīlanam as anuśīlanam related to Kṛṣṇa or for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, it includes the action or verb in the form of bhāva as part of devotional acts such as taking shelter of a guru. Therefore, this definition does not have the defect of avyāpti (non-application) to emotional states which are part of sthāyi-bhāva or vyabhicārī bhāva. 

[The essence is that kṛṣṇānuśīlanam also includes anuśīlanam to people related to Kṛṣṇa. Also, the sense of anuśīlanam applies even to sthāyi or vyabhicāri bhāvas that exist in the siddhas.]

kṛṣṇānuśīlanam is only possible by the grace of a devotee

Śrī Jīva Goswami next makes a crucially important point:

etac ca kṛṣṇa-tad-bhakta-kṛpayaika-labhyaṁ, śrī-bhagavataḥ svarūpa-śakti-vṛtti-rūpam ato’prākṛtam api kāyādi-vṛtti-tādātmyenaiva tatra tatrāvirbhūtam iti jñeyam | agre tu spaṣṭīkariṣyate |

And this [kṛṣṇānuśīlanam] can only be attained through the grace of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee. Although it is not material, being a state of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti, it manifests by tādātmya [oneness that tolerates difference] with states of the body, mind or speech. This will be clarified later on.

[Śrī Jīva Goswami makes explicit that this kṛṣṇānuśīlanam, which is the essence of bhakti, is a state of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti. As such, it is not ‘dormant’ in the jīva, and it cannot be ‘revived’ from this dormant state. Rather, it has to be attained.

I will continue the rest of the commentary in upcoming articles.]

Summary

kṛṣṇānuśīlanam means any action related to Śrī Kṛṣṇa or for the sake of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

kṛṣṇānuśīlanam, which is the essence of uttamā bhakti, is a modification of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti.

It can only be attained through the grace of Bhagavān or His devotee, and is not dormant in the jīva.