There are many devotees in this world who are in Krishna Bhajana. However that which separates the Gaudiya Vaishnavas of the “Shuddha” (pure) Parampara (disciplic line) is the Ultimate Goal of Krishna Bhajana. The Prayojana Tattva is that goal and the goal is Krishna Prema. However most groups, even in the Parampara, just think of Prayojana as attaining Krishna Prema. Yet the aspect of Krishna Prema has not been completely understood or has been hazily grasped. According to the Acaryas of the Gaudiya Vaishnava School, attaining the form and intrinsic qualities of a hand-maidservant of Srimati Radhika is the underlying meaning of the term “attaining Krishna Prema”.
Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura who is the reincarnation of Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya bear evidence to the above concept in their works namely Raga Vartma Candrika and Prema Bhakti Candrika respectively. Yet unless one commits oneself to Abhidheya and performs Bhajana with the deep intention of attaining one’s “swarupa” as the hand-maidservant of Srimati Radhika, attaining the Prayojana or Krishna Prema in the Madhura Braja Bhava is out of question. The heart has to be completely purified by externally performing Hari Nama Sankirtana, Serving Guru and Vaishnavas and internally contemplating on one’s “siddha deha” as revealed to one by one’s Sadhguru. When service is performed thus, one’s mood has to be in conjunction with the 3rd sloka of Shikshashtakam namely “Being humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree and thus chanting the holy name with commitment”. These are the preliminary conditions for a living entity to get anywhere closer to the Prayojana. Spiritual greed is the currency needed to buy out Prayojana.
There are three planes of existence where living entities exist. The lowest plane is the land of exploitation which is this mundane existence, the middle plane is the land of renunciation which is the middle plane where consciousness flows in the form of the river Viraja (the land of the Advaitins (monists) and then the Land of Service which are the self-illumined Vaikuntha planets, and Goloka where the currency for transaction is dedicated service. Vaikuntha is the land of service with awe and reverence while Goloka is the land of dedicated service where sweetness dominates in every transaction with Sri Krishna. Our Prayojana is to occupy that supreme land of dedicated service. So what does it take to get there?
Our Bhajana and sadhana is to be directed to dissolve our own exploitive nature, our sense of superiority. Even when you visit a Government office, you may find the lowliest occupied position there, that of an office peon. This peon will want to show off his superiority with the “position” that has been granted to him, simply being ostentatious. We see the dilemma here; in this land of exploitation none of us are free from the disease of coveting power and position, however low we may be placed in the social strata. The husband dominates the wife and vice-versa.
The lady dominates the maid servant and the maid servant dominates over others lower to her in position. This is the state of affairs. Unless Bhajana is intensified with deep desire to seek service at the feet of divine couple, knowing well that nothing can get us qualified for service at the feet of the divine couple, even our highest sadhana and highest bhajana there is no hope. Our sincere acceptance of our inability to become a devotee, our denial of presence of positive qualities within ourselves with utmost sincerity is the only way to attract the mercy of the divine couple. Crying for service, dedicating our very breath for the service of the divine couple, giving up everything that is not conducive for such service and going all out to contribute to things which the Mahajanas (authorities on the science of Krishna) have revealed appropriate for the service of the divine couple is commitment to Prayojana. Prayojana is not a cheap thing and simply chanting the holy names cannot take one to the unassailable land of dedicated service. One has to burn oneself in that mood of service, like the Acarya of Prayojana tattva, Dasa Goswami and transcend one’s deep rooted exploitive nature and commit oneself towards that narrowest ridge that leads to Goloka.
Charan Pahari 