An important siddhānta in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism is that no sādhana can be successful without the help of bhakti. Whether it is jñāna yoga, karma yoga, aṣṭāṅga yoga or any other method, it will not bring the results without bhakti.
A second important siddhānta is that bhakti can be attained only by bhakti. That is, the nirguṇā śraddhā that is a prerequisite for bhakti is attainable only from another devotee who has that bhakti. Thus, sat-saṅga is paramount in getting bhakti-yoga.
These two siddhāntas are non-negotiable in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. However, there is one tiny exception to this principle, which is explained by Śrī Viṣvanātha Cakravartī in his commentary on verse 11.11.48. The verse is as follows:
prāyeṇa bhakti-yogena sat-saṅgena vinoddhava | nopāyo vidyate samyak prāyaṇaṁ hi satām aham ||
O Uddhava, generally, there is no means other than bhakti-yoga [arising] from sat-saṅga, because I am the supreme shelter of the sādhus.
Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary turns on the word ‘prāyeṇa’ , which can be taken to mean ‘generally’. This means that there must be some exceptions, in which bhakti-yoga must arise without sat-saṅga. As this contradicts the siddhānta mentioned above, Śrī Viṣvanātha examines this verse in detail i n his commentary. He starts by noting that jñāna and bhakti have been described up to that point.
jñāna-bhakti-mārgāv uktau |
The jñāna and bhakti mārgas have [both] been described.
vastutas tu saṁsāra-taraṇādy-upeya-vastunā bhaktir evopāya ity āha—prāyeṇeti vitarke iti sandarbhaḥ |
In actuality, however, bhakti alone is the means for attaining goals such as crossing saṁsāra. To state this, [Bhagavān] speaks this verse. Here, prāyeṇa is used in the sense of conjecture.
This is the first meaning Śrī Viśvanātha explores. The idea behind the word prāyeṇa is that Bhagavān is stating something not as an absolute fact but rather as a conjecture. However, a conjecture can be correct, and Bhagavān obviously is always correct!
Not satisfied with this interpretation, he provides a second explanation for the word prāyeṇa —
yad vā, sat-saṅgena hetunaiva yaḥ prāyeṇa bhakti-yogas tena vinā nopāyo vidyate |
Alternatively, there is no means other than bhakti-yoga, which generally is caused by sat-saṅga alone.
Here, the word prāyeṇa, meaning ‘generally’, is interpreted to introduce the notion that sometimes, bhakti yoga may not be caused by sat-saṅga. Śrī Viśvanātha elaborates:
pradhāna-bhūtā kevalā ceti dvividhā bhaktiḥ, sādhu-saṅgenaiva bhaved iti vyākhyātam eva |
It has already been explained that two types of bhakti, pradhāna-bhūtā and kevalā , arise only from sādhu-saṅga.
These are the two types of bhaktis for which sat-saṅga is not optional – it is the only means for attaining them. pradhāna-bhūtā refers to bhakti which is the predominant part of one’s sādhana. kevalā is pure – meaning bhakti is the only sādhana. Then, which bhakti does not arise from sādhu-saṅga as its cause?
yac ca mokṣa-sādhakaṁ bhakti-miśra-jñānaṁ tatra guṇa-bhūtā bhaktir yā sā tu sādhu-saṅgaṁ vināpi bhaved | ity ato’tra prāya-grahaṇaṁ tasyā bhaktes taj-jñānam eva kāraṇaṁ,
However, in bhakti-miśra-jñāna, which is the means for attaining mokṣa, the bhakti that is a minor component (guṇa-bhūtā) can arise even without sādhu-saṅga. Therefore, the word prāya [generally] is used here. The cause of that [subordinate] bhakti is that jñāna itself [meaning jñāna itself motivates the bhakti].
This is a novel idea that comes about because of the word ‘prāyeṇa’. This is the amazing thing about commentators like Śrī Viśvanātha – it works on many levels! His point is that the desire for mokṣa motivates the bhakti. He offers an example to understand this —
yathā karṣakasya kara-dānādinā yat pṛthvīśvaropāsanaṁ tasya kāraṇaṁ kṛṣir eva, anyathā tasyā vaiphalyād iti prathama-skandha eva vyākhyātam |
This is similar to when a farmer serves the king by paying taxes etc., the cause of [the service] is the agriculture alone. [This is because] otherwise his agriculture would fail to attain the result. This was explained in the first canto.
Here, the agriculture that the farmer does it not a cause per se for the farmer offering service to the king. He serves the king because he wants the agriculture to be fruitful. In the same way, jñāna is a ’cause’ because it motivates the bhakti to the Bhagavān for the sole purpose of attaining mokṣa, the result of jñāna.
As an example, the jñāni may perform some acts of svarūpa-siddhā bhakti, such as uttering the names of Bhagavān or offering obeisances to the deity. This bhakti brings the result which is mokṣa.
Now Śrī Viśvanātha makes the point that without bhakti, no result is possible from any sādhana–
evaṁ ca, yat karmabhir yat tapasā [bhā.pu. 11.20.32] ity-ādi bhagavad-ukter jñānādikaṁ vināpi bhaktiḥ sarva-phala-dātrī, bhaktyā tu vinā jñānādikaṁ, na mokṣādi-sādhakam iti |
Furthermore, from Bhagavān’s statement, yat karmabhir yat tapasā [SB 11.20.32], bhakti bestows all results even without jñāna and other [methods]. However, without bhakti, jñāna and the other [methods] cannot bring about mokṣa etc.
Summary
pradhāna-bhūtā and kevalā bhakti are caused by sat-saṅga alone.
guṇa-bhūtā bhakti is motivated by the desire for mokṣa and does not require sat-saṅga
Without bhakti, jñāna, karma or other yogas will not produce any result.
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