He who possesses bhaga is Bhagawan. Bhaga means majesty (aishwarya) or potency (shakti). Therefore, Bhagawan is He who possesses majesty and potency. The word Bhagawan does not specifically define the type of potency or energy involved.
Bhagawan is the Omnipotent one, as per Vishnu Purana (6.5.74): ‘One who possesses all majesty or wealth, all potency or strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is known as Bhagawan.’
The fact that Bhagawan possesses all beauty implies that He is beautiful; therefore, He must possess form. However, in saying that He must possess form, we should not attempt to confine Him by the perishable limits of length, breadth and height.
In certain texts, it is stated that Bhagawan does not have limbs, yet He moves. He can see without eyes, He can hear without ears. The meaning of these apparently contradictory statements is that Bhagawan does not have material form like ours, which is made up of material elements. On the contrary, He has a transcendental spiritual form.
Now, if we admit to existence of Bhagawan, we also have to admit to existence of His eneregy or shakti. We cannot admit existence of Bhagawan without shakti. Even though Bhagawan is Omnipotent, there are three predominating shaktis known respectively as internal potency (chit-shakti), the external potency (maya shakti) and poised in between these two are His manifested living beings known as tattastha or jiva shakti. The shakti that takes us to the heart of Bhagawan is known as Antaranga shakti (internal potency).
The shakti which overwhelms and enchants us with His external features, taking us away from Bhagawan, is known as Bahiranga shakti (external potency). The internal potency takes us towards, and the external potency takes us away from Bhagawan. The internal potency performs the unalloyed service of Bhagawan; thus it is referred to by the term ‘bhakta’ (devotee). Bhakta and Bhagawan are one non-dual substance. That one substance is composed of two moods or aspects: the predominating and the predominated, the enjoyer and the enjoyed, the served and the servitor, the object of worship and the worshipper.
Since Bhagawan is beyond our limited intellect, we cannot know Him by virtue of our merit alone. If that were so, then the very logic of Sri Bhagawan being all-opulent Supreme Lord, Omnipotent and Infinite, becomes negated. The only way of knowing Bhagawan is by the desire of Bhagawan Himself. To act according to the desire of Bhagawan is to have preeti (affection), or bhakti.
How are we to know those rules laid down in the scriptures that are dear to Bhagawan? The answer to this is, we must seek the company of devotees and take the shelter of a pure devotee of Bhagawan.
There are two types of bhakti―vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti. The first is the trodden path of scriptural rules and regulations, and the second is the blazing fire of transcendental love and passion. Bhagawan can only be caught by raganuga bhakti. For example, Sri Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yashoda have trapped the Infinite with their pure love. If one could even reach the doors of such a devotee, would there be any doubt that he or she would definitely have darshan of Bhagawan? Please understand that the devotee of Bhagawan always desires to please Bhagawan.
Then again Bhagawan wants the devotee to be happy. If one loves the devotee, then that person captures Bhagawan. That is why those who love and serve Bhagawan’s devotee can easily win the blessings of Bhagawan’s grace.
It is not difficult to love Bhagawan. Knowledge, wealth, beauty, power, are not required in this love, as per Sreemad Bhagawatam (1.8.26), ‘Those who are intoxicated with their birth (social status), wealth, learning and beauty are incapable of uttering the name of Krishna, which can be taken by those who are bereft of all material assets.’
If all the pride in the world should occupy all the space in my heart, if I expend all my energies to chase wealth, sex and power, then how can Sri Bhagawan find a place in such a heart? Although a welcome sign hangs at the gate, when the inside of the house is cluttered up with so much rubbish, the invited guest turns away, being unable to find a place to sit.
In like manner, it is no use to externally extend a welcome to Bhagawan if the inside is clogged up with unwanted desires. Bhagawan may very well come, but He will go away without finding a place to sit.
Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj was President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math from 1979 till he left his physical body on April 21, 2017 at 92. For more than six decades, he preached the philosophy of universal unity, travelling the globe to spread his message of transcendental divine love, interacting with theologians of all faiths.