śānta bhakti is one of the five types of moods of uttama bhakti. Here I will examine Śrī Jīva Goswami’s explanation of śānta bhakti in the Prīti Sandarbha.
śānta bhaktas are uttama or ekānti (one pointed, pure) bhaktas who possess prīti for Bhagavān. Śrī Jīva Goswami states this very clearly in Anuccheda 51 of the Prīti Sandarbha:
jāta-prītayaś ca trividhāḥ— those in whom prīti has already appeared are of three types.
One of these types is śānta bhaktas –
eke tadīyānubhava-mātra-niṣṭhāḥ śānta-bhaktādayaḥ — those like the śānta-bhaktas, who are exclusively intent on the experience (anubhava) of Bhagavān.
This is a sort of definition of śānta bhakti, in which the goal is experience of Bhagavān alone. It does not include an desire for active service to Him. Śrī Jīva explains:
atha jāta-prītiṣu śānta-bhaktādayas tu kadācid darśanādikaṁ vā prārthayante sevādikaṁ vinaiva, tad-vāsanāyā abhāvāt |
Now, among those in whom prīti has already appeared, those like the śānta-bhaktas do sometimes pray for the darśana of Bhagavān but without any request for service, because they are bereft of the predisposition (vāsanā) for such sevā.
Instead, the śānta bhaktas are satisfied just with experiencing Bhagavān:
sakṛd api kṛpā-dṛṣṭy-ādi-lābhena tṛptāś ca bhavanti, nātikṣāmaṁ bhagavataḥ snigdhāpāṅga-vilokanāt [bhā.pu. 3.21.46] iti śrī-kardama-varṇanāt | ata eva tat-sāmīpyādike’pi teṣām anāgrahaḥ
They are fulfilled simply by obtaining a single compassionate glance from Bhagavān, as was said of Śrī Kardama: “The sage emitted a brilliant bodily luster, and though he had undergone severe penances for a long time, he was not emaciated, because he had received the affectionate sidelong glance of Bhagavān” (sb 3.21.46). Because the śānta-bhaktas are fulfilled in this manner, the earnest zeal (āgraha) even for the attainment of proximity to Bhagavān (tat-sāmīpya) is altogether absent in them.
Although there is no desire for active service, this does not mean that the śānta bhaktas do not serve Bhagavān, as otherwise the definition of uttamā bhakti would not extend to them. Their service to Bhagavān is internal, performed through meditation on Him. The śānta bhakta is acutely aware of Bhagavān’s greatness, and therefore does not have the concept that Bhagavān needs anyone’s active service of any sort. The śānta bhakta also has no desire for any type of mukti (as Śrī Jīva Goswami points out above).
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