What is Vraja Bhakti?
The very first thing to understand about Vraja Bhakti is, that it has vibralamba (mood of separation from Krishna) as the primary mood. Only with this mood, any relation with Krishna will be the sweetest nectar – both to the devotee as well as to Krishna. This mood should be prevailing in the heart of the sadhakas 24 hours a day and weeping all the times in separation, singing and chanting, aspiring to meet Krishna.
The second thing is to dump away all our worldly relations as they are actually the products of maya. We have been caught in the maya thus being born and dead millions of times having so many husbands, so many wives, so many children, so much wealth, and so on. Vraja Bhakti has no tinge of maya. The gopis left their homes, husbands, children and all their possessions and looked forward to meeting only Krishna. Our one and only relation should be Krishna. Nothing else.
Vraja Bhakti is beyond all the worldly dharmas. Worldly dharmas with rules and regulations are only for the fallen jivas to follow to progress to achieve good life in this world, then go to heaven, or better get liberation. These dharmas are not applicable to Vraja Bhakti because it is beyond all these. Vraja Bhakti has nothing to do with any worldly dharmas, rules and regulations. In Vraja Bhakti, the purusarthas – dharma, artha, kama and moksha – are like insignificant dust to be thrown out.
The third thing is to willingly accept every obstacle in the path of Vraja Bhakti. In order to meet Krishna, Radha Rani had to deal with so many obstacles, all created by the Yoga Maya to prove that Vraja Bhakti is so strong that no obstacles can stop our divine love for Krishna. Yoga Maya created Abhimanyu, the shadow of Krishna, as the husband of Radha Rani. Then she also created Jatila and Kutila as two villains. By hearing the pastimes of Krishna and Radha Rani, the lesson we learn is that Vraja Bhakti is so powerful to overcome any obstacles.
Vraja Bhakti is the most pure form of Krishna bhakti. Parakiya bhava (unmarried relationship) is the most pure form of divine love, the prema towards Krishna which is spontaneous and unconditional. Only in the parakiya bhava a soul can have pure relation with Krishna without any expectation for protection or favor from Krishna. Their only aim will be to make Krishna happy – not oneself. But Svakiya bhava (married relationship) is only a corrupted form with selfishness expecting protection and selfishly enjoying it with Krishna. So, the vraja gopis who are in the parakiya bhava are way higher than the dwaraka queens and the lakshmis of Vaikuntha who all have svakiya bhava.
sakala jagate more
kare vidhi-bhakti
vidhi-bhaktye vraja-bhāva
pāite nāhi śakti … (CC Adi 3.15)
Lord Krsna said, “Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions (vidhi or vaidhi bhakti). But simply by following such regulative principles one cannot attain the loving sentiments of the devotees in Vrajabhumi.”
So, with vidhi bhakti and associated with svakiya bhava, one can never get Vraja Prema. However, Vraja Bhakti is not for everyone and is not cheap. Only a great rasika vaishnava such as Srila Gurudeva can give this most rare form of divine love to us, the ultimate and supreme form of love for the supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Only that guru can chastise us, beat and wake us up from the deluding maya. Such a guru will never teach us to live in maya. He will not cheat us but teach only the truth in bold for our ultimate benefit so that we can obtain Vraja Bhakti in this very life!
……
Lord Gauranga who came to give Vraja Bhakti, is calling us all to wake up!
jīva jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole
bhajibo boliyā ese saḿsāra-bhitare
bhuliyā rohile tumi avidyāra bhare
tomāre loite āmi hoinu avatāra
āmi binā bandhu āra ke āche tomāra
enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi’
hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi’
TRANSLATION
1) Lord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Maya?
2) You have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death.
3) I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world.
4) I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra: