Equalization of Bhâv
What is bhâv?
How can we get the bhâv of the eternal associates?
‘Bhâv’ is an experience of Sri Krishna’s sweetness. Although we live in the material world, all of us can get this bhâv by the mercy of Sri Krishna and His devotees. But how? When the bhâv of the loving eternal associates get equalized with the tendencies of the sâdhak, the devotee too can realize and relish Sri Krishna’s immense sweetness. What is equalization? It means when two things become non-different from each other, yet maintain individuality. Let’s put it like this – our bhâv remains independent1, yet become equal to the bhâv of a sajâtiya devotee. We call this bhâv-equalization. By the effect of bhâv-equalization, we – the mundane devotees – too can perform the extraordinary deeds of eternal devotees – and very easily, at that. Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd states –
“Formation of ras is beyond this material world. Hence, it is true that, it is very difficult to comprehend. We find that the vibhâvs and ratis manifest themselves easily and in an excellent manner in the senior as well as junior devotees. Bhâv-equalization means ‘unable to distinguish between each other’s bhâv’. Bhâv-equalization has such an impact that even the new devotees can have the same feelings or perform the activities that the experienced devotees can.”
– (B.R.S. 2.5.101-102)
Srila Vishwanâth Chakravartipâd has elucidated the above statement as follows –
“During a sat-sang, someone was reciting Râmâyan. He came to the part when Hanumân was about to take a leap to cross the Indian Ocean. Then an emotional devotee, from the audience, jumped up without any embarrassment or hesitation. He was so much absorbed in the same bhâv as that of Hanumân that he wanted to cross the ocean there in the assembly itself!
Another example –
An emotional devotee was performing the role of King Dasharath in a drama. When he heard that – ‘Râm has gone to the forest’ – he really and truly died on the stage. This happened since he was extremely absorbed in the bhâv of Dasharath.”
Thus we see that when we develop passion, although we may be newbies in devotion, we can equalize our bhâv with that of the mature devotees and ras will arise in us. Rhetoric says – bhâv-equalization has an inconceivable impact. It can make an immature devotee feel non-different from Hanumân and he leaps up in an assembly to cross the ocean. Although he was an ordinary man, bhâv-equalization lent him an extraordinary enthusiasm to rescue Mother Sitaa, which is an astonishing feat. Sâhitya-Darpan states –
“There are such bhâvs with which we feel non-different; we can equalize with those bhâvs.”
However for this we have to have passion (rati). Then even newcomers (in devotional practice) can experience their bhâv equalized with the mood of siddha devotees. This forms ras.
The Sage Bharat has said – “Bhâv-equalization has an inexpressible power. It makes the audience/reader feel non-different from a certain character or situation.”
During bhâv-equalization sometimes we feel different and at other times non-different. When we relish ras, we feel completely non-different. E.g. the devotee relished the same ras as did Sri Hanumân. When we feel entirely non-different, this stage is called ‘tanmayi-bhavan’2. We should remember that the literature or drama has a very minor role in creating bhâv-equalization; the main thing is rati. If we do not possess rati, the narrator/actor cannot arouse bhâv-equalization in us. Rati makes Sri Krishna appear sweet, and therefore it reveals all that is pertaining to Sri Krishna. Rati makes Sri Krishna’s sweetness relishing to us, and this in turn, enhances rati. Thus we find that the vibhâvs (the objects that cause ras) and rati (our passion) help each other to make us relish ras. Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has written –
“There are pandits who strongly vote that divine literatures and dramas are completely responsible in arousing bhâv-equalization, and hence, they instruct us to read/hear divine literature and dramas to the greatest degree. However we state that rati for Sri Bhagavân is remarkably powerful and precious. We can never ever doubt its sweetness. We ascertain rati as the topmost requisite for bhâv-equalization.” – (B.R.S. 2.5.90-91)
It is also true that although a devotee may be emotional, and equalize his bhâv, he will not relish ras if he does not have sanskâr or ras-desire in past life. Ras-relish is directly proportional to our ras-desire. If our ras-desire is less, when the cause of ras is removed, our relish too will disappear. On the other hand, a rasik-devotee continues to relish ras even when the cause of ras is no more. Ras keeps on expressing itself right in front of him; it enters his heart and caresses every pore of his body. Even though the cause of ras has vanished, a rasik-devotee continues to relish ras. He forgets everything else – after all, ras IS magic !!!
(to be contd..)