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356 The Philosophy of Vallabha
(CH. the householder's state one worships Krsna, following one's casteduties with a complete absorption of mind. Even when engaged in duties one should always fix one's mind on God; in this way there grows the love which develops into attachment or passion. The firm seed of bhakti can never be destroyed; it is through affection for God that other attachments are destroyed, and by the development of this affection that one renounces the home. It is only when this affection for God grows into a passion (vyasana) that one attains one's end easily. The bhakti rises sometimes spontaneously, sometimes in association with other devotees, and sometimes through following favourable practices?. Gradual development of bhakti is described through seven stages in an ascending order; these are bhāra, prema, pranaya, sneha, rāga, anurāga, and vyasana. The passion or vyasana for God, which is the deepest manifestation of affection, is the inability to remain without God (tadvināna sthātum aśaktih); it is not possible for a man with such an attachment to stay at home and to carry on his ordinary duties. In the previous stages, though one may try to remain at home like a guest in the house, yet he always feels various obstructions in the proper manifestation of his emotion; worldly attachments are always obstacles to the divine attachment of worldly ties which helps the development of bhakti?
Vallabha, however, is opposed to renunciation after the manner of monistic sannyāsa, for this can only bring repentance, as being inefficacious 3. The path of knowledge can bring its fruit in hundreds of births and it depends upon various other practices; the path of bhakti therefore should be taken up instead of the path of knowledge+ Renunciation in the bhakti-mārga proceeds only out of the necessity of the bhakti and for its proper maintenance, and not as a matter of duty.
The fruits of bhakti have already been described as a-laukikasāmarthya, sayujya and seropayogi-deha, and are further discussed
I See note 3, p. 355.
snehāśukti-vyusanānām vināśanam. tathā sati krtam-api sarvam zyartham svāt. tena tat-tyāgam krtvā yateta. Bālakṣşna's commentary on Bhakti-vardhini, sloka 6. 3 atah kalau su san-nyāsah pascāt tāpāya nānyathā. pāşanditvam bhavet capi tasmāt jnane na sam-nyaset.
Vallabha's San-nyāsa-nirnaya, śloka 16. * jñānārtham uttarangam ca siddhir janmaśataih, jñānam ca sādhanāpekşam J'ajrūdi-śrutanan matam param. San-nyāsa-nirnaya of Vallabha, with Gokulanātha's Vivaranu, sloka 15.
nyvallabha's Santin, jñānanı ca sădith Gokula
