“Which comes first - Ruci or Raganuga?
In the progression of bhakti from sraddha to prema, ruci is the stage after nishta, at which one experiences great relish in one's sadhana. Is such a stage necessary before coming to the platform of raganuga?
In this commentary by Jiva Goswami, raganuga bhakti is not defined by ruci or taste exactly, but special regard for the ragatmikas of Sri Krsna:
“The path of rāgānugā-bhakti is honored simply by feeling special regard for the rāgātmikā associates of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Yet, a person in whom such ruci as defined above has not yet sprouted (ajāta-ruci) should still execute rāgānugā-bhakti combined with the practices of vaidhī-bhakti.”
Such candidates for raganuga feel special regard for the ragatmika associates of Krsna, even though they don't yet experience taste for the type of devotion that they possess.
This leads us to understand that they desire this taste, as they appreciate that it is very sweet and desirable. This desire, if very intense, is called lobha or sacred greed. It is the result of hearing about the ragatmika's love for Krsna.
This seems very technical, but what it boils down to is this. One does not have to be very advanced, liberated from anarthas, or even having ruci.
Knowing that only by developing the same love that the Vraja inhabitants have for Krsna can we attain Krsna, we dive headfirst into hearing about their bhavas, and when attraction- not necessarily taste arises- then we should cultivate that- and it will turn into taste in due course.
If we are most attracted to how Yasoda relates to Krsna, we should cultivate hearing chanting and remembering the childhood pastimes of Krsna.
Or if we are most attracted to how Radha relates, we need to cultivate pastimes about Krsna meeting with the gopis...same for the other rasas.
There should be no sense of intellectualizing that madhurya is supposed to be the highest, I should cultivate that. We should cultivate whatever we are most attracted to, being honest with ourselves.
The problem with the current misconception is that if one thinks one first needs to be completely liberated before cultivating a particular attraction, one will not do the sadhana necessary to cultivate an attraction we might have already, nor even the sadhana that is required to bring about that attraction in the first place. Then we end up stagnating.” (Niscala)
Não há nenhum problema em os seguidores de Sri Caitanya cultivarem outras Rasas que não Madhurya. Ainda assim, recebem um Svarupa simultâneo em Madhurya.
