Dridha-Anuraga

“Without satsanga, it is not possible to hear Hari-katha. Without Hari-katha, it is not possible to be free from delusion. Without being freed from delusion, it is not possible to have determined devotion to the lotus feet of Shri Rama.” (Dohavali, 132)

Download this episode (right click and save)

बिनु सतसंग न हरिकथा तेहिं बिनु मोह न भाग।
मोह गएँ बिनु रामपद होइ न दृढ अनुराग ॥

binu satasaṃga na harikathā tehiṃ binu moha na bhāga।
moha gae~ binu rāmapada hoi na dṛḍha anurāga ॥

“I am a little confused with this idea of a chain reaction requirement for devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the case of the teachings of Goswami Tulsidas, let us focus on worship of Shri Rama, who is the husband of Sita Devi.

“We hear that removing moha is a requirement. This is delusion. Without removing delusion, it is not possible to have faithful and steady devotion. In other words, pure bhakti will not manifest.

“Okay, but I thought devotion is the one kind of yoga not influenced by external factors. It is supposed to transcend time and circumstance in the same way that God Himself distributes His influence everywhere. From the priest to the ant, from the respected member of society to the thief, every person and every space has the presence of Almighty God.

“I understand that you generally don’t want to be deluded. You want to see things clearly. You want to know things as they are, but how does that relate to devotional service?

The Sanskrit terms are dridha-anuraga. There is mention of a similar concept within Bhagavad-gita. Dridha-vrata means a vow that is steady. It cannot be broken. It is as strong as the vow of King Janaka to marry his daughter off to the person who can raise the sacred bow of Lord Shiva. That vow is as immovable as the bow itself.

येषां त्व् अन्त-गतं पापं
जनानां पुण्य-कर्मणाम्
ते द्वन्द्व-मोह-निर्मुक्ता
भजन्ते मां दृढ-व्रताः

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

Dridha-anuraga is the same concept. It is attachment with determination. It is following without hesitation. It is allegiance flowing in a steady manner, in the way of Sita Devi herself, who describes her love for Rama as anuvrata.

महागिरिमिवाकम्प्यं महेन्द्रसदृशं पतिम्।
महोदधिमिवाक्षोभ्यमहं राममनुव्रता।।

mahāgirimivākampyaṃ mahendrasadṛśaṃ patim।
mahodadhimivākṣobhyamahaṃ rāmamanuvratā।।

“I am faithfully engaged in the service of Rama, who is as immovable as a great mountain, as great a lord as Mahendra [Indra], and who, like a great ocean, is incapable of being agitated.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.33)

If I am still in delusion, my devotion will not be steady. This is easy to understand. In delusion, I am overcome by dualities such as attraction and aversion. Like and dislike. Love and hate. If I bring those dualities into my worship, the relationship is almost provisional.

I will see how God responds. I will ask Him for things. He will be viewed as a kind of order supplier, not much different than the online retail outlet. He is here to serve me, you see. He has everything; I have nothing. Why should I remain a beggar?

If I get what I want, if my desires are fulfilled, I will return to my delusion. I might come back at a later time, to shop at the store again, but there is not much long-term benefit. If I don’t get what I want, if Rama fails to come through for me, I will consider turning elsewhere. Perhaps a different worshipable object or a different path in life.

The irony is that it is the very dridha-anuraga that will fulfill all desires. With every desire there is a certain taste associated with the outcome. That taste is also within delusion, but in the pure form it is transcendental. The pure form of that taste is only available in pure devotion, since that devotion aligns with dharma.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्त: श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते ।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणा: ॥

anye tv evam ajānantaḥ
śrutvānyebhya upāsate
te ’pi cātitaranty eva
mṛtyuṁ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ

“Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.26)

We can remove moha through good association. Through proper instruction. Through deliberation, contemplation, and implementation aligning with protocols within the field of play. Unlike the scientific laboratory, we are not limited in the area to run our experiments. The entire life experience is our field of play, since we are spirit soul within the kshetra of the material world.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥

yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit
sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamam
kṣetra-kṣetrajña-saṁyogāt
tad viddhi bharatarṣabha

“O chief of the Bharatas, whatever you see in existence, both moving and unmoving, is only the combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.27)

In Closing:

When devotional path to choose,
An entire field can use.

Which having knower and inside,
Knowing all over which to preside.

Such that from first hearing,
Towards perfection nearing.

When with determination bound,
Steady devotion found.