Path of devotional love

Mar 5, 2010, 06.16pm IST
Shri Kripaluji Maharaj.

A devotee should always, every moment, remember his soul relationship with Radha-Krishna and feel affinity. The more you remember, the closer you get to Them.


If you meditate on the form of Radha-Krishna with the intention of receiving Their vision and love, your meditation will be called remembrance, divine-love consciousness or raganuga bhakti. Meditation in raganuga bhakti is not a physical disciplinary act of concentration in the brain area. Meditation means feeling the divine presence of Radha-Krishna.


You can even feel Their touch, fragrance or the perfume of the garland They are wearing. You should try to visualise in your imagination any leela of Braj, Vrindaban or Barsana where you are either an observer or participant in that leela. You can be very close to Radha Rani or Krishna in the leela or be in the crowd, as you prefer.


If a devotee likes he can also take the help of a decorated deity for remembrance which he should worship with true reverence. He should try to form a lively mental image of the form of Radha-Krishna, which he should consider as divine.


Remembrance of any of the names, leelas, virtues, abodes, and the associates of Radha-Krishna can be done singly or collectively. Some devotees stress more on the name of Radha-Krishna, others on the form, the leelas, virtues, abode, and yet others on the form of their guru.

While chanting, listening to a chant or while remembering a chant in your mind you should feel the synonymity of blissful sweetness of Radha-Krishna with the name, and, at the same time, think of any leela, feel and imagine the presence of Radha-Krishna near you. Radha’s name is as sweet as Radha. Feel an affinity with the name along with Radha-Krishna.
Concentration or meditation in any part of the forehead area is yogic technique, and meditation in the heart is related to the methodical forms of worship and devotion called vaidhi bhakti or anusthan. It is not done on this path. While remembering Radha-Krishna experience the love, affinity and longing for Radha-Krishna in your heart. You will then begin to feel Their presence. hile thinking of Their form think of Their full youthful form.

During chanting it is easier to pay full attention to meditation and engross oneself in divine love feelings. The rhythm of the chant helps to develop emotional feelings, and the sound of the music protects the devotee from outer disturbances. But during chanting one should not simply swing his head to the rhythm of the music and enjoy the song, he must do emotional meditation on the form or the leelas of Radha-Krishna, otherwise chanting will not be considered as devotion, it will simply be a pleasurable pastime.


Bhakti is the selfless remembrance of Radha-Krishna. It is accompanied by the feeling of affinity and a desire to increase longing. Such devotion purifies the heart of the devotee and qualifies it to receive the Grace of Krishna.


The practical and best way of Krishna devotion is to increase the longing for the vision of Radha-Krishna and to remember the divine relationship; meditate on the form and the leelas of Radha-Krishna affectionately. This meditation should be followed either by the continuous remembrance of the name of Radha-Krishna in the heart or the chanting, whatever one prefers or whatever suits one’s nature.

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