Eligibility for Arcana :Can ladies & working class men attain the supreme benefit?

[krsna 3]

Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 298

 

yAni cAtra vaiSNava-cihnAna nirmAlya-dhAraNa-caraNAmRta-pAnAdIny aGgAni teSAM ca pRthak pRthak mAhAtmya-vRndaM zAstra-sahasreSv anusandheyam |

 

Some symptoms of a Vaishnava are the acceptance of flowers accepted by the Lord, acceptance of the nectarine water which has washed His feet, and so forth. In many many places in thousands of scriptures the multitude of their glory has been ascertained.

 

athArcanAdhikAri-nirNayaH |

 

Now eligibility for arcana is considered.

 

etad vai sarva-varNAnAm AzramANAM ca sammatam |

zreyasAm uttamaM manye strI-zUdrANAM ca mAna-da ||

[bhP 11.27.4]

 

"Indeed, this [arcana] is befitting for members of all castes (varna) and orders (asrama) of life. O magnanimous one, in my opinion also ladies and the working class of men can attain the supreme benefit from it."

 

sarva-varNAnAM traivarNikAnAm | tathA ca smRty-artha-sAre pAdme ca vaizAkha-mAhAtmye -

 

All castes here refers to three varnas.

In the Vaisakhya-mahatmya of Padma Purana the essence of the import of smriti is presented:

 

Agamoktena mArgeNa strI-zUdrair api pUjanam |

kartavyaM zraddhayA viSNoz cintayitvA patiM hRdi ||

zUdrANAM caiva bhavati nAmnA vai devatArcanam |

sarve'py Agama-mArgeNa kuryur vedAnukAriNA ||

strINAm apy adhikAro'sti viSNor ArAdhanAdiSu |

pati-priya-ratAnAM ca zrutir eSA sanAtanI ||

 

[PadmaP 6.84.48, 52-4] iti |

 

"Through the path of the Agamas, ladies and workers may engage in the worship of Vishnu with faith, thinking of Him within their hearts. Indeed, also the working class of men can worship the Lord. The path of the Agamas, which follows the Vedas, is for everyone. Ladies who are dear and devoted to their husband are eligible for worshiping Vishnu and so forth. This is the eternal desire of the Srutis."

 

viSNu-dharme -

 

devatAyAM ca mantre ca tathA mantra-prade gurau |

bhaktir aSTa-vidhA yasya tasya kRSNaH prasIdati ||

tad-bhakta-jana-vAtsalyaM pUjAyAM cAnumodanam |

sumanA arcayen nityaM tad-arthe dambha-varjanam ||

tat-kathA-zravaNe rAgas tad-arthe cAGga-vikriyA |

tad-anusmaraNaM nityaM yas tan-nAmopajIvati ||

bhaktir aSTa-vidhA hy eSA yasmin mlecche'pi vartate |

sa muniH satya-vAdI ca kIrtimAn sa bhaven naraH || iti |

 

In Vishnu-dharma:

 

"Sri Krishna is satisfied with the one who is engaged in bhakti in eight ways, dedicated to the Lord, his mantra and the mantra-giving guru.

 

(1) Being kind to His devotees,

 

(2) Honoring and pleasing Him,

 

(3) Regularly worshiping Him with a pure mind,

 

(4) Renouncing hypocrisy,

 

(5) Being attached to hearing narrations about Him,

 

(6) Engaging all of one’s limbs in serving him,

 

(7) Constantly meditating on Him, and

 

(8) Accepting His name as one’s very life.

 

These are the eight kinds of bhakti which even barbarians can adopt and become truthful sages and glorious among men."

 

kiM ca tattva-sAgare -

 

yathA kAJcanatAM yAti kAMsyaM rasa-vidhAnataH |

tathA dIkSA-vidhAnena dvijatvaM jAyate nRRNAm || iti |

 

Moreover in Tattva-sagara:

 

"Just as bell-metal becomes gold when treated with mercury, so men become twice-born through the method of diksa."