Love is God

PREFACE

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From Vedic times onwards the natural urge in man for spiritual progress has expressed itself through the medium of three paths namely -- the path of knowledge(gyan marg),path of action(Karm marg) and path of emotion(Bhakti marg). IN the long religious history of India we have seen that the founders of various religions have been very sceptical about or even averse to emotions and have discouraged paths of spiritual progress in which emotions play a prominent role. On the other hand, it is also known to us that inspite of all their efforts, with the passage of time, emotions and the paths of spiritual progress based on them, have crept in the systems founded by them. Heenyan - the oldest form of Budhism is, for all purposes, a path of knowledge. But a few Centuries later, we find Mahayan - an offshoot of Budhism coming up with came the emotions playing significant role in its devlopment. Mahayan accepted the theory of Divine Descent (Avtarvada) and with it came the emotional relation with the deity. Heenyan was not popular among the common people but the new form of Budhism (Mahayan) caught hold of the imagination of the masses and seemed to fulfil most of their aspirations.

Parallel to the advent of Mahayan a renaissance was taking place in Hinduism also and naturally, both of them were influencing each other. In the field of philosophy, Mahayan had developed several new systems which seemed to demolish the philosophy based on Upnishads. In the 8th century one of the greatest philosophers of the world - Shankaracharya - was born in South India. He defeated the upholders of Mahayan philosophy by holding direct discussions with them and way for general decline of Budhism in India.

On the other hand, the philosophical system of Shankaracharya was too abstruse and warmth of intimate relation with one's object of worship. According to most of the historians, Alwars in the south, even before the advent of Shankaracharya had been propagating divotion (Bhakti) as the best method of attaining the summum bonum of human life. These great devotees were attached emotionally with different incarnations of Vishnu. So they were called Vaishnavas. Ramanuja, who was born in the lineage of Alwars, gave Bhakti Movement initiated by Alwars the required philosophical base to make it attractive for Sanskrit-knowing savants through out India. The philosophical system developed by him was the first Vaishnav effort in this direction. Madhava, Nimbarka and Vallabha followed him. Through all of them were great devotees and subscribed to Vishnu worship in general, yet in their commentaries on Brahm - sutras they developed philosophical system is known as 'Vishishtadvet', Madhva's 'dvet', Nimbarka's 'Dvetadvet' and Vallabha's 'Sudhadvet'. They all, however opposed "Kewaladvet" (Mayavad) of Shankaracharya as it was placed against the very fundamentals of Bhaktivad.

Vallabha was the last of these Vaishnavacharyas. He was first to substitute Krishna for the word 'Brahm' in his commentary on Brahmsutras. With it he accepted Shrimad Bhagvat as an authority alongwith Brahmsutras, Bhagvadgeeta and Vedas and it proved to be very helpful in spreading the cult of krishna through out India. Through Vallabh too hailed from South India - born in the year 1535(Vikram) or 1478 (A.D.), he lived near Allahabad in U.P. on the bank of the Ganga and his activities were centred in Braj.

Chaitanya was born in the year 1542 (Vikram) or 1485 (A.D.) in Navadeep (west Bangal). He was a consummate devotee. He gave birth to a great Bhakti movement in Bangal. Through he personally came to Vrindavan only once, he advised his followers to make it their centre for propagation of the new movement. Chaitanya, like the Alwars of South India, emphasized the practice of devotion in its purest form without worrying or caring much for its philosophical base. Shrimad Bhagvat is considered by him sole based. His followers have written commentaries on Shrimad Bhagvat as well as some original work on 'Bhakti Rasa'. Sanatan Goswami, Roop Goswami and Jeev Goswami are prominent among those. Gopal Bhatt compiled the first smriti or the memory borne codes of law for Vaishnav. The credit of discovery of several places of krishna - lila in braj goes also to Chaitanya and his followers.

In a well-known Sanskrit verse nearly all the saient features of Chaitanya Sampradaya are outlined beautifully.

Aaradhyo bhagwan brajeshtanyasndhdam vrindavanm,

ramya kachidupasna brajvadhuvargena cha kalpita|

Shrimadbhagvat pramanmmalm premhpumartho mahan,

Shri Chaitanya mahaprbho matmidm ttradaro na parh||

(Shri Vishvanath Chakravarti)

The verse says that, in the doctrine expounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the main object of worship is Bhagwan Nandnandan (Shri Krishna),Vrindavan is his abode (Dham), the beautiful mode of worship (upasna) is the one that was assumed by Gopees of Braj, the only authrity is Shrimad Bhagvat, and the great object of human puruits in love.

Followers of Chaitanya came from the east in vrindavan which was at that time adecoit - infested area. So they had to live in other places of Braj. The founder of a distinct sect of prema Bhakti - Hit Harivansh ji came down to Vrindavan during the same period from the west. It was he who made Vrindavan inhabitable by bringing about a total change of mind in Narwahan - the leader of decoits then active in Vrindavan at that time had some similarities. But the differences between the doctrine of Chaitanya as outlined in the afore metioned Sanskrit verse and that of Hit Harivansh ji are:--

(i) In Chaitanya Sampradaya love is declared to be the most Innate of the three powers -