—त्वा जानकीरामौ प्राप्नोति नात्र संशयः। भावस्तत्र लौकिकानामिव सम्बन्धः भावना तद्रहस्ये चित्तम्॥ अथ भावपरत्वं श्लोकः— ज्ञानस्य च पराकाष्ठा ब्रह्मतत्त्वावबोधनम्। तत्त्वबोधस्य सा सीमा यत्तदानन्दनिर्भरः॥ आनन्दनिर्भरस्यापि सीमा श्रीमद्रघूत्तमे। सम्बन्धभावनोत्पन्ना दृढा प्रीतिस्तु तादृशी॥ प्रश्नः—तस्य भावस्य किं प्रकारः? उत्तरं—नित्यपारमार्थिकैकरसाऽखण्डाऽनन्तवैभवानुरागसुषमा माधुर्यादिभिर्दिव्यगुणैः सम्पूर्णा श्रीमिथिला तथा श्रीअयोध्या। तत्र द्वौ नृपसमाजौ। तयोर्मध्ये जीवः आचार्यदत्त सम्बन्धेनात्मनः तद्रूपं निरन्तरं चिन्तयेत्। तस्य निधिध्यासेन आवेशः जन्मपर्यन्तं सिद्ध मर्यादा। प्रश्नः—किं प्रकारेण चिन्तयेत्? उत्तरम्—अमुकी मे माता। अमुको मे पिता। अमुको मे भ्राता। अमुकी मे भगिनी। एवं सम्बन्धानुसारेण द्वयोः समाजयोरात्मानं सम्भावयेत्। एवमाचिन्तयेन्नित्यमात्मानं शुद्धचेतसा। देहान्ते जानकीरामसान्निध्यं प्राप्नुयान्नरः॥ प्रश्न—हे श्रीस्वामीजी! कृपा करके कहिये कि भाव किसको कहते हैं और भावना किसको कहते हैं। उत्तर—भाव-भावना वह पदार्थ है कि जिसके जानने से श्रीसीतारामजी की प्राप्ति अवश्य होती है, इसमें कोई सन्देह नहीं है। और भाव दो प्रकार का होता है—प्राकृत और दिव्य लौकिक और—
Fresh English translation
—one attains Jānakī and Rāma; there is no doubt in this. Bhāva is a relationship like those of worldly people; bhāvanā is the placing of the mind in that relationship's secret. A verse on the supremacy of bhāva: ‘The culmination of knowledge is realization of the reality of Brahman. The limit of realizing reality is to be wholly filled with that bliss. The limit even of being filled with bliss is this: in glorious Raghūttama, a firm love of that kind, born from contemplating one's relationship.’ Question: What form does this bhāva take? Answer: Mithilā and Ayodhyā are complete with divine qualities—eternal, ultimately real, of one unbroken flavor, and endowed with infinite majesty, love, beauty, sweetness, and more. There are two royal households there. Between them, the soul should continually contemplate itself in the form corresponding to the relationship granted by the ācārya. Absorption through such repeated contemplation, maintained throughout life, is the established discipline. Question: How should one contemplate? Answer: ‘This woman is my mother; this man my father; this man my brother; this woman my sister.’ According to one's relationship, one should imagine oneself within the two households. ‘A person who thus continually contemplates the self with a pure mind attains the nearness of Jānakī and Rāma at the end of the body.’ The Hindi explanation begins: O Śrī Svāmījī, graciously say what is called bhāva and what bhāvanā. They are that reality whose knowledge certainly brings attainment of Śrī Sītā-Rāma. Bhāva is of two kinds, material and divine, worldly and—