Three Types of Divine Grace

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Three Types of Divine Grace

 

 

Namaste all.

 

I heard another fine discourse about 'Divine Grace' or 'Kripa'- given

by Sri Kripaluji Maharaj while the devotees were singing a 'pada' (or

line) glorifying the Divine Power of Grace, Srimati Radharani.

 

While translating the short speech, I have expanded it with

appropriate

scriptural verses for better understanding.

 

Divine Grace is of three kinds.

 

1. sAdhAraNa kRpa - general, ordinary Grace of God

2. vizeSa kRpa - Special Mercy on deserving souls

3. adbhuta kRpa - amazing Grace of Radharani

 

1. sAdhAraNa kRpa - general, ordinary Grace of God which is on every

individual being.

 

The Lord being situated in the heart and soul of each individual,

ever remembering and noting down all of its actions, desires whether

good (puNya) or bad (pApa), dispensing the rewards and reactions for

these sanskAras to all souls from life after life. If it is not for

His Grace, there is nothing in the individual capacity to attain the

proper justice for all its unlimited actions from many, many births.

This so general mercy and every soul receives this. This is also said

by the Lord in Gita.

 

'No one hateful or dear to me...' samoham sarva bhuteshu.... (9.29)

 

"I am the SAME to ALL beings;

to Me there is NONE hateful, NONE dear.

 

BUT THOSE WHO WORSHIP ME WITH LOVE AND DEVOTION,

THEY ARE IN ME AND I ALSO AM IN THEM !"

 

The second part reveals another form of His Grace.

 

2. vizeSa kRpa

 

Special Mercy is showered upon His surrendered souls who have

purified their hearts and minds by the practice of selfless Divine

Love, Bhakti.

 

Many more declarations of this Grace on devotees pure in heart are

given.

 

There are conditions (ananyata, nityata, sarvadA) for this Grace.

The devotee has to dedicate (surrender) himself in total and

constantly (uninterrupted) worship (exclusively) the Lord with pure

heart, mind, intellect and egoless. This is very difficult task to

achieve by many seekers.

God only accepts the pure souls with 'zuddha antaHkaraNa' and the

process of purification of the heart is not at all easy. It will take

several births to arrive at this state of spiritual evolution.

 

As it is said in this verse from 'Bhakti Shatak' of Sri Kripaluji

Maharaj revealing the 'Essence of Gita':

 

kRSNa kRpA binu jAya nahi, mAyA ati balavAn,

zaraNAgata para ho kRpA, yaha gItA ko jAn

 

(Bhakti Shatak- 29)

 

The essence of the philosophy taught in Gita is that no one can be

liberated from the cluthes of powerful Maya Shakti without the mercy

of the Lord.

Lord Sri Krishna showers His grace only upon surrendered souls.

 

Just as Lord Krishna declared in verse 7.14.:

 

daivIhyeSA guNa mayI mama mAyA duratya yA

mAmeva ye prapadyamte mAyAmetAm taramti te

 

(Gita 7.14)

 

"Verily this DIVINE ILLUSION of Mine,

made up of the three Gunas (innate tendencies and modes of material

nature), is HARD to SURMOUNT!!!

But those who take REFUGE IN ME ALONE, CROSS OVER this Illusory POWER

of Mine."

 

By surrendering UNCONDITIONALLY to Lord ALONE there can be Maya

nivritti.

Without Maya nivritti NONE can be liberated.

 

In 'Gudartha Dipika' Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati explains more on the

word-'prapadyante':

 

The use of _expression,'prapadyante' take REFUGE in ME, implies:

 

'Those who by taking shelter under Me ALONE pass their days THINKING

CONSTANTLY of Me alone,

of Lord Vaasudeva,

Who am such,Who am the essence of infinite beauty in its entirety,

Who am possessed of the luster of blue sapphire and two lotus-like

feet that surpasses the beauty of a newly blooming red lotus,

Who am ever engaged in playing on a flute,

Whose mind is absorbed in the disport at Vrindavana,

Who sportively hold aloft the hill called Govardhana,

Who am a Cowherd,

Who am the destroyer of the bands of evil ones such as Sisupaala,

Kamsa and others,

Who have body that set at naught all the beauty possessed by new

rainbearing clouds,

Who possess a Form made of Supreme Bliss through and through,and

Who transcend the phenomenal creation of Brahma -,

 

they, on account of having their MINDS IMMERSED in LOVE for ME,

Who is an Ocean of great Joy,

are NOT OVERWHELMED by ANY of the modifications of the GUNAS of Maya.

 

On the otherhand, Maya,as though out of FEAR that

"these, who are skilled in destroying my play, are capable of

uprooting me",

WITHDRAWS from them as does a prostitute from irascible ascetics.

 

Therefore one who WANTS to CROSS over Maya SHOULD CONSTANTLY THINK OF

ME ALONE Who am such'-

 

this ALSO is the INTENSION of the Lord."

 

Lord Krishna made His sublime promise,

 

ananyAzcintayanto mAM

ye janAH paryupAsate,

teSAM nityAbhi yuktAnAM

yoga kSemaM vahAmyaham"

 

(Gita 9.22)

 

To those men who ADORE Me alone, THINKING of NO OTHER, who are

earnestly and constantly engaged in uniting their minds to Me, I

PROVIDE every gain and all security.

 

--------

 

Lord krishna wants the total surrender of heart, mind, intellect and

ego.

 

'mayyeva mana Adhatsva

mayibuddiM nivezaH

nivaSyasi mayyeva

ata UrdhvaM na saMzayaH'

 

(Gita.12.8)

 

'Fix your mind on Me alone, let your thoughts dwell in Me.

You will hereafter live in Me alone.

Of this there is no doubt.'

 

'mayyAvezya mano ye mAM

nityayuktA upAsate

zraddhayA parayopetA

ste me yuktatamA matAH'

 

(Gita 12.2)

 

'Those souls who have fixed their minds on Me, and who,

ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith, worship Me -

them I consider perfect in yoga.'

 

If the aspiring soul can practice this ('nitya yuktA upAsate'-

repeated in the these TWO verses), attaining Lord Krishna will be

possible.

 

----

 

tameva zaranaM gaccha sarva bhAvena bhArata

tat prasAdAt parAM zAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi zAzvatam

 

(Gita 18.62)

 

"O Arjuna! First SURRENDER TO THE LORD with ALL your HEART and MIND,

then you shall ATTAIN HIS GRACE.

 

IT IS THROUGH HIS GRACE THAT YOU can attain Supreme Peace and DIVINE

ABODE."

 

'sarva dharmAn parityajya

mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja,

ahaM tvA sarva pApebhyo

mokSayiSyAmi mA zucaH'

 

(Gita 18.66)

 

"O Arjuna! Abandon all thoughts of religion and

irreligion and come to ME ALONE FOR SHELTER.

It is then, that I, Who am a Judge to all,

will cease to judge in your case, and

will instead pardon your countless past sins

of past lives, THROUGH MY GRACE."

 

Isn't the GRACE OF GOD IMMEASURABLE?

 

Now let us consider WHAT HAS TO BE SURRENDERED.

We possess a body, sense organs,

mind, intellect, ego etc.,

 

It is stated that -

 

"mana yeva manuSyAnAM karaNaM bandha mokshayaH"

 

(Pancadazi-Sri Vidyaranya)

 

MIND ALONE IS THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE AND LIBERATION.

 

'cetaH khalvasya bandhAya muktaye cAtmano matam,

guNeSu saktaM bandhAya rataM vA puMsi muktaye'

 

(Bhagavatam 3.25.15)

 

The cause of bondage and freedom is the MIND.

Hence the MIND alone that HAS TO BE SURRENDERED TO GOD.

 

SURRENDER OF THE MIND AMOUNTS TO SURRENDER OF EVERYTHING.

 

WHAT usually happens is that we worship GOD PHYSICALLY and SURRENDER

THE MIND TO THE MATERIAL WORLD.

Our attainments are always in accordance to the ATTACHMENT OF THE

MIND.

If we perform just physical actions with the body, but DO NOTHING

WITH THE MIND, EXCEPT SURRENDER TO GOD, then we will not be rewarded

for our PHYSICAL ACTIONS, but will instead attain SPIRITUAL BENEFIT.

 

SURRENDER OF THE HEART AND MIND IS ACTUAL SURRENDER.

 

In 'Gudartha Dipika' Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati further explains on

this verse -

 

'PARITYAJYA'- abandoning, ignoring as something to be PERFORMED

'SARVADHARMAN'- all forms of RITES, RITUALS and DUTIES without

EXCEPTION - some which are caste duties, some duties of the stages of

life, and some general duties-

whether or not being performed ,

'SARANAM VRAJA'- take REFUGE;

'MAMEKAM'- in ME, GOD, ALONE Who am WITHOUT a second, Who am the

BASIS of and DISPENSER of the fruits of ALL RITES and DUTIES.

 

I SHALL BECOME SELF-FULFILLED MERELY THROUGH GOD'S GRACE WHICH on the

other hand, DOES NOT DEPEND ON ANY THING ELSE BUT SURRENDER',

adore through CONSTANT THOUGHT the Blessed Vaasudeva ALONE Who is the

embodiment of Supreme Bliss.

 

Constantly CONTEMPLATE on the Lord with INTENSE LOVE that is preceded

by such deliberation as 'This ITSELF is the HIGHEST REALITY; there is

NOTHING surpassing this', which is a MENTAL MODIFICATION devoid of

ALL thoughts of the non-Self and which is UNROKEN like a LINE of

POURING OIL.

 

This is the idea.

 

Though abandonment of taking shelter under all forms of rites and

duties stands UNDERSTOOD here from this much alone-

'TAKE REFUGE IN ME ALONE', still the REITERATION of the PROHIBITION

thus- 'ABANDONING all forms of rites and duties', is to HIGHLIGHT the

EFFECTIVENESS of that SURRENDER to GOD.

 

'This being so, since I MYSELF AM the FULFILLMENT of ALL the rites

and duties, THEREFORE, there is NO NEED of RITES and DUTIES for the

ONE WHO HAS TAKEN REFUGE IN ME ALONE.'

 

Since the supreme SECRET of ALL Scriptures is VERILY SURRENDER to

God, therefore Lord has CONCLUDED the Scripture of Gita at that

ITSELF.

For without that SURRENDER even monasticism DOES NOT LEAD to the

YIELDING of its own FRUIT.

Therefore the Lord's concern is ONLY with taking REFUGE IN GOD by

IGNORING even the duties of monosticism.

 

Since you have TAKEN REFUGE in ME ALONE, ignoring ALL the rites,

rituals and duties, therefore I, Who am the fulfiller of rites and

duties,

'MOKSHA ISHYAMI'- shall free,

'TVA'- you, even without expiation;

'SARVA PAPEBHYAH'- from ALL sins resulting from SUCH causes as

killing relatives, etc.,

'MA SUCAH'- DO NOT lament.

Do not be sorrowful under the idea,

'How can I who have set out for battle be SAVED from the SIN arising

from KILLING relatives, etc.,?'

 

With the MATURITY of Spiritual Practice THREE TYPES of SURRENDER to

GOD come about-

 

1. I BELONG to Him indeed.

2. HE BELONGS to me indeed and

3. I am HE indeed.

 

All the distinctions among these have been described by us in the

BHAKTI-RASAYANA.

 

Among them the first one is MILD, as in,

 

'Even the difference vanishes, O Lord, I am YOURS and NOT YOU MINE.

For, the WAVE belongs to the SEA, NEVER the SEA to the WAVE.

 

(Vishnu Shatpdi Stotra. 3)

 

The second is MEDIUM, as in,

 

'O Krishna, HOW strange is that You are GOING AWAY by FORCIBLY

FLINGING ASIDE my arms!

I shall consider it MANLY IF YOU CAN GO AWAY FROM my HEART!!

 

(Sri Krishna Karnamritam 3.96)

 

The third is INTENSE, as in,

 

sakalam idam ahaM ca vAsudevaH

paramapumAn paramezvaras sa ekaH

iti matir acalA bhavatyanante

hRdayagate vraja tAnvihAya dUrAt

 

(Sri Vishnu Purana 3.7.32)

 

'Those who regard to the Infinite One

Who has entered the heart,

have the firm conviction,

'All this and Myself are Vasudeva;

that Supreme Person, the Supreme Lord, is One',-

go away leaving them at a distance.'

 

(Sri Vishnu Purana 3.7.32)

 

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3. amazing Grace - adbhuta kRpa

 

The Lord knows very well that not all seekers can attain this second

form of His Grace, so there is another final, Supreme Amazing Grace -

adbhuta kRpa, bestowed even upon the undeserving, impure souls by the

Personification of Divine Power of Grace, Srimati Radharani.

 

 

 

The third type of Amazing Grace is bestowed upon the fallen souls only

by Srimati Radharani Who knows for sure that not many seekers can

become

totally pure to deserve the special Mercy of the Lord.

 

There seems to be certain necessary qualities in a seeker to receive

this wonderful Grace.

 

1. Complete faith in Divine Grace

 

2. Whole-hearted desire, greed, or hankering to receive Divine Grace

 

3. total helplessness, lack of pride in self-accomplishments and

other spiritual practices

 

4. shedding humble tears in humility

 

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1. Complete faith in Divine Grace

 

'jimi ho zIta nivRtta tin,jin dig agni sidhAr

timi ho kRpA tinahi jin,mun jAye hari dwAr'

 

(Sri Kripaluji's Bhakti Satak. 30)

 

Just as one experiences the warmth as soon as one reaches near the

fire,

the approached mind and heart recieves Divine GRACE.

 

The nature of fire is only to give heat and warmth.

The fire does not have any cause in giving out its heat.

The fire does not ask the shivering souls to pay any price in return

for giving out its heat.

 

The fire equally distributes its heat to good and bad persons, not

depending on any cause.

 

But to receive Divine Grace one should let one's mind and

heart "faithfully approach" the Lord.

 

Open the sail so that ever blowing wind can take the boat to the

shore.

Open wide the windows and let the Sunshine in.

Open up the heart with "faith", Grace rushes through.

 

Another Rasika Paramahamsa said -

 

'na vadAmi na duSkRtaM mayAkRtam ityuktimi mAM tu me

zruNu mamabhIti manInazad vibho patitoddhAraka nAma tAvakaM.'

 

'O Lord! I have committed innumerable sins and offenses.

Of all those sins, my greatest offenese is the Namaparadha

that I have NEVER PUT FAITH in Your GRACE and

NEVER BELIEVED You being 'Patita Uddharaka'-

the Savior of the fallen and forlorn!'

 

2. Whole-hearted desire, greed, or hankering to receive Divine Grace

 

Sri Rupa Goswami, in defining the "adhikari" for raganuga bhakti,

says:

 

ragatmikaikanistha ye

vraja-vasi-janadayah

tesam bhavaptaye lubdho

bhaved atradhikaravan

 

tat-tal-liladi-madhurye

srute dhir yad apeksate

natra sastram na yuktim ca

tal lobhotpatti-laksanam

 

(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.291-2)

 

'kRSNa tad bhakta kAruNya mAtra lAbhaika hetukA

pushti mArgatayA kaizcidiyaM rAgAnugocyate'

 

(Bhakti Rasmrita Sindhu)

 

nAnopacAra-kRta-pUjanam Arta-bandhoH

premNaiva bhakta-hRdayaM sukha-vidrutaM syAt

yAvat kSud asti jaThare jaraThA pipAsA

tAvat sukhAya bhavato nanu bhakSya-peye ||

 

"You may elaborately

worship the Friend of the suffering

with all the richest paraphernalia,

but your heart will only melt with joy

when you have love for Him.

For only as long as hunger and thirst are there in your belly

do the delicacies of food and drink bring you pleasure."

 

(CCMK 13.42; CC 2.8.69 and Padyavali 13)

 

What must be realized by any genuine devotee is that getting burned,

in fact immolated, in that devotional fire and becoming themselves

the sacrificial offering is an integral part of the process.

 

kRSNa-bhakti-rasa-bhAvita-matiH kriyatAM yadi kuto'pi labhyate |

tatra laulyam api mUlyam ekalaM janma-koTi-sukRtair na labhyate ||

 

(PadyAvalI 14)

 

Oh friend, if you should find it anywhere:

 

that heart absorbed in Krishna rasa so rare

be quick to buy, how much the soul's in need!

 

In that bazaar is posted just one price;

millions of pious works will not suffice,

the only cost is paid in coins of greed.

 

"No ten million lifetimes of following regulative principles of

Sadhana will give you taste for Krsna-bhakti.

The only price is greed! Purchase it as soon as it is available

anywhere!"

It is on sale where the rasika bhaktas speak about Radha-Krsna.

 

-------

 

Holy Bible - Matthew 7:7-11

 

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and

it shall be opened unto you:

 

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he seeketh findeth and to

him that knocketh it shall be opened.

 

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give

him a stone?

 

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

 

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your

children, how much more shall your FATHER which is in HEAVEN give

good things to them that ASK HIM ????? "

 

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3. total helplessness, lack of pride in self-accomplishments and

other spiritual practices

 

The Katha Upanisad (1.2.23) proclaims:

 

nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena

yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam

 

"God cannot be attained by preaching lectures, nor with the

intelligence, nor by hearing a lot of scripture. He is attained only

by him upon whom He confers His grace. To this person He will reveal

His transcendental body."

 

AnukUlyasya saGkalpaH

prAtikUlyasya varjanam

rakSiSyatIti vizvAso

goptRtve varaNaM tathA

Atma-nikSepa-kArpaNye

SaD-vidhA zaraNAgatiH

 

Prapatti consists in -

the resolution to submit, to yield;

the avoidance of opposition;

a faith that the Lord will protect;

choosing of God as the one's sole saviour;

 

the sense of helplessness resulting in placing oneself at His

disposal and

the consciousness of utter abasement;

 

Thus there are six constituents of 'Prapatti', surrender.

 

In other words, 'Prapatti' means self-surrender to God's protection

and Grace which precludes all kinds of religious obligations on the

part of 'Prapanna', the surrendered devotee.

 

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4. shedding humble tears in humility

 

tRNAd api sunIcena

taror iva sahiSNunA

amAninA mAnadena

kIrtanIyaH sadA hariH

 

"Humbler than the grass,

more tolerant than the tree,

GIVING UP ALL EGOTISM and

PAYING RESPECTS to ALL,

devotees SHOULD SING OF LORD HARI."

 

(Chaitanya's Sikshshtakam. 3)

 

In this stage of "humbleness of self-surrender" devotee should pray

to his

Lord Hari Who is the remover of sins and defects of all living

beings.

 

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So the incapable seeker realizes his or her own limitations and

weaknesses or shortcomings of spiritual achievement. Then he or she

naturally cries in disress for the unconditional Divine helping hand,

like the mother's love and grace for her own child.

 

With tearful eyes, the seeker has to cry like a new born helpless

baby. One has to leave behind all the learning, gathered knowledge,

craftiness, smartness etc., one has accumulated during the years,

return again back to the state of a newly born child and cry only for

one's mother's love and Grace.

 

That will do the trick and wonderful Grace follows!

 

The power of Divine Grace, Srimati Radharani simply accepts that

fallen, impure seeker with no merits of his own as Her own bestowing

eternal blessings of Divine Love and Bliss upon that soul.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!