воскресенье, 15 марта 2015 г.

Swamini-Bhava: very few, especially those who are most favoured whom God loves as His equals are likely to reach the Radha-type of love by God’s Grace


The following cite is from "SHRI VALLABHACHARYA HIS PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION" by Prof Jethalal G. Shan - LINK TO E-BOOK

"The other way of love by which God’s love is experienced by the devotee is the Radha Type of love, known as sweet sentiment (Madhurya Bhava). 

The Radha-type love is termed as Swamini-bhava by Vallabhacharya and that is considered higher than theGopi-love. 

In the Gopi-type love, the relation between God and the souls is that of the master and the servants. There is no equality. The souls do not forget that they are servants of God. That kind of love is obtained by self-surrender, dedication, sacrifice, and submission. 

The Swamini-Bhava is on a plane of equality between God and the soul. God forgets that He is the Lord, and accepts the love of the soul as His equal. No doubt Radha is also one of the Gopis; yet she holds equality with Krishna.

Vallabhacharya accepts only the Radha-type and the Gopis' type of love, the former for his own personal experience and the latter for the devotees. 

The parental-type of love is accepted for the Divine service of God as Bala-Krishna.

Shri Vallabhacharya always believed himself as the Swamini of Lord Krishna, and mentally experienced the Divine Love of the Radha-type. 

That love is described by Jayadeva in his Gita-Govinda and by Vitthalnathaji (son of Vallabhacharya) in his poetical work Shringar-Rasa-Mandana. 

It cannot be acquired unless a devotee is free from all the worldly ties and desires. Very few, especially those who are most favoured whom God loves as His equals are likely to reach the Radha-type of love by God’s Grace. 

The souls in the worldly state should endeavour to get the Gopi-type of love. In the first stage, the devotee is a seeker of God’s love, while in the second stage, God is a seeker of the devotee’s love. 

In short, the plane of the divine love is reached by the devotee by transcending all other loves such as self-love, family-love, social love, nay, even the Universal love".