Rupa Goswami’s Nine-stage Model

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7 mins September, 2026
Rupa Goswami’s Nine-stage Model
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Development of Bhakti A CROSS-VALIDATION


Srila Rupa Goswami’s model matches well with the life of an eminent teacher of Confucianism.



OVER GENERATIONS  Vaishnava Acaryas  and scriptures have taught that bhakti, devotional service to the Supreme Lord, is the highest achievement any living being can aspire for, is the real solution to all the miseries seen in this world, and is universal, regardless of one’s gender, race, nationality, social status, and even species. Bhakti means that the motive underlying all one’s activities is simply to serve the Supreme Lord favorably, as He desires. There can certainly be circumstantial considerations, but a person who renders devotional service with a mature understanding of the spirit soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the relationship between them is not driven by egoistic, utilitarian impulses. Rupa Goswami, a foremost Gauiya Vaisnava Acarya in the sixteenth century, outlined in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.4.15–16) the development of bhakti with a nine-stage model:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrittih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudascati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah


“In the beginning there must be faith [sraddha]. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees [sadhu-sanga]. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders [bhajana-kriya]. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits [anartha-nivritti] and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service [nistha].

Thereafter, one develops taste [ruci] and attachment [asakti]. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify [bhava], and finally there is an awakening of love [prema]. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krishna consciousness.”While it may not be the only model in Vaisnava scriptures that depicts the development of bhakti, this model was spoken of by Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself in His instructions to Sanatana Goswami, the elder brother of Rupa Goswami (Caitanyacaritamrita, Madhya-lila 23.14–15). About two hundred years later, the model was expounded on with detailed descriptions by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, a renowned successor to Rupa Goswami, in his book Madhurya-kadambini (“Cloud Bank of Nectar”). Bringing the practice of bhakti to his contemporary audiences, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura described what bhakti looks like, how it evolves, and what the experiences of bhakti are at different stages.

Notably, the model is versatile enough to help navigate the development of a profession other than bhakti or a self-identity other than a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. More importantly, through the lens of the model one’s experiences in another profession or role can be borrowed to better understand and advance the development of bhakti and the formation of one’s self-identity as a pure devotee. In the following paragraphs, the model is applied to revisiting a few celebrated stories about the early childhood education of Meng Zi, an eminent teacher of Confucianism who lived in the fourth and third centuries BCE, as referenced in San Zi Jing,* a classical Chinese poem composed in the thirteenth century that has been one of the most popular texts for elementary education until recent times.



Çraddha to Sadhu-saìga



It is said that when Meng Zi was a small child, he and his mother lived close to a cemetery. Meng Zi observed the behaviors of the cemetery visitors and playfully imitated them. His mother saw this and thought that the situation did not provide good sanga (association) for her young son, so she moved the family to a new home. The new home was close to a marketplace, and Meng Zi was exposed to the business dealings between sellers and buyers. He again playfully imitated them. His mother understood that this sanga was not beneficial to her young son either, so she again decided to move. This time, the home was near a school. Meng Zi got the opportunity to get close to the students and teachers, observing proper conduct and good etiquette. In this way he moved from “sraddha” to “sadhu-sanga” (the association of scholarly and virtuous people).



Anisthita (Unsteady) Bhajana-kriya



In the association of scholarly sadhus, Meng Zi began his “bhajana-kriya”; he went to school and performed his sadhana (practice) of study. However,

he had anarthas (things undesirable for achieving the goal of one’s endeavor) in his heart; as a young child he liked to play more than to study and thus was inattentive in his sadhana.


Anartha-nivritti



Meng Zi’s mother was concerned about Meng Zi’s anisthita (unsteady) bhajana-kriya. One day, in front of Meng Zi she took a knife and broke a key component of her valuable loom. She told Meng Zi, in effect, “Your sadhana is without attentiveness and steadiness. Like this broken loom, it is useless.” Meng Zi was frightened and began to make an effort to be attentive in his sadhana, thus moving toward the stage of “anartha-nivritti.”



Niñöha, Ruci, Asakti . . .

Meng Zi later turned into an exceptional philosopher and preacher of Confucianism, considered second only to Confucius. Arguably, Meng Zi attained a type of nishtha (steadiness) after his prolonged intense efforts to be attentive in his academic sadhana, and then a type of ruci (taste) for knowledge and wisdom, and, after this, a type of asakti, by making knowledge and wisdom the object of his absorption.



A Robust Model



Meng Zi lived in a time and a place that were far distant from Rupa Goswami and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura by both thousands of years and thousands of miles. Presumably, they did not take Meng Zi’s childhood experiences into consideration when composing Vaishnava literature. Still, the nine-stage model is robust enough to capture the developmental trajectory shown in Meng Zi’s life.

When we retell such stories through the model, elements critical to both secular endeavors and the practice of bhakti surface. For example, during the stages from sraddha to sadhu-sanga, Meng Zi’s mother was sensitive and responsive to Meng Zi’s early display of sraddha (faith, interest) in learning by observing and imitating people around him. To nurture his sraddha and direct it to a purposeful end, Meng Zi’s mother tried her best to find him a sadhusanga (wholesome neighborhood). In Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 22.87), it is similarly emphasized that a Vaiñnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people who are very much materially attached. Later, noticing Meng Zi’s unsteadiness in his sadhana of study and his indulgence in playing, his mother resolved to help him realize the importance of striving for attentiveness and steadiness in sadhana, even at the cost of her loom. The issue of unsteady devotional service is spotlighted as well by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Madhurya-kadambini (Chapter Two). Specifically, he enumerates six types of unsteadiness, thereby encouraging his readers to effectively identify and address the issue.

Obviously, there are also elements unique to the development of bhakti that are not found in other pursuits. As stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, when one’s bhakti is at the stage of asakti, one’s absorption in the Supreme Lord becomes more prominent than that in the way of practice (bhajana) (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter Six). At the stages of bhava and prema, one experiences the appearance of the Supreme Lord and direct contact with Him (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter Eight). For those who pursue a goal other than bhakti (e.g., becoming a scholar, musician, politician, magnate, etc.) or lack an understanding of the personal aspect of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the notion of having direct interactions with the object of pursuit can seem unusual. Through these commonalities and differences obtained by applying Rupa Goswami’s model, we can better recognize the elements indispensable to the cultivation of bhakti and make use of existing experiences in other endeavors.



Bhakti at the Core



Inspirations and wisdoms can no doubt be found in teachings and examples across the board, from ancient histories to contemporary societies, from the East to the West, from the lives of celebrities to the lives of nobodies. Nonetheless, without a touch of bhakti, inspirations and wisdoms are like gorgeous flowers separated from the root, because bhakti is at the core of every living being’s very existence. Although pure love for Krishna (Krishna-prema) is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities (Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 22.107), a mature, pure devotee is rare to find (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter One). Without his mother’s hard efforts and wise guidance during his early childhood, Meng Zi may not have become what he turned out to be. Likewise, without coming in contact with devotees and Krishna, we would not get an idea of bhakti, let alone the impetus to turn to the Krishna-prema inherent within. Moreover, without the presence of devotees and Krishna, we would not have an object of devotional service, without which bhakti itself would lose its meaning.

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” (Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 19.151) Somehow or other, we receive this seed of the creeper of devotional service that is not only life-changing but also life-giving. Let us honor it, represent it, and share it to the best of our ability.



Nandimukhi Devi Dasi (Yanying Wang), a disciple of His Holiness Romapada Swami, was born and raised in mainland China. She came to the U.S. by herself in August 2014 and later came across Krishna consciousness and devotees via a bhakti-yoga club at The George Washington University. She completed her undergraduate education in mathematics and biological sciences in mainland China and her graduate education in statistics in the U.S.

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Rupa Goswami’s Nine-stage Model

Rupa Goswami’s Nine-stage Model
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Development of Bhakti A CROSS-VALIDATION


Srila Rupa Goswami’s model matches well with the life of an eminent teacher of Confucianism.



OVER GENERATIONS  Vaishnava Acaryas  and scriptures have taught that bhakti, devotional service to the Supreme Lord, is the highest achievement any living being can aspire for, is the real solution to all the miseries seen in this world, and is universal, regardless of one’s gender, race, nationality, social status, and even species. Bhakti means that the motive underlying all one’s activities is simply to serve the Supreme Lord favorably, as He desires. There can certainly be circumstantial considerations, but a person who renders devotional service with a mature understanding of the spirit soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the relationship between them is not driven by egoistic, utilitarian impulses. Rupa Goswami, a foremost Gauiya Vaisnava Acarya in the sixteenth century, outlined in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.4.15–16) the development of bhakti with a nine-stage model:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrittih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudascati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah


“In the beginning there must be faith [sraddha]. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees [sadhu-sanga]. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders [bhajana-kriya]. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits [anartha-nivritti] and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service [nistha].

Thereafter, one develops taste [ruci] and attachment [asakti]. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify [bhava], and finally there is an awakening of love [prema]. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krishna consciousness.”While it may not be the only model in Vaisnava scriptures that depicts the development of bhakti, this model was spoken of by Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself in His instructions to Sanatana Goswami, the elder brother of Rupa Goswami (Caitanyacaritamrita, Madhya-lila 23.14–15). About two hundred years later, the model was expounded on with detailed descriptions by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, a renowned successor to Rupa Goswami, in his book Madhurya-kadambini (“Cloud Bank of Nectar”). Bringing the practice of bhakti to his contemporary audiences, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura described what bhakti looks like, how it evolves, and what the experiences of bhakti are at different stages.

Notably, the model is versatile enough to help navigate the development of a profession other than bhakti or a self-identity other than a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. More importantly, through the lens of the model one’s experiences in another profession or role can be borrowed to better understand and advance the development of bhakti and the formation of one’s self-identity as a pure devotee. In the following paragraphs, the model is applied to revisiting a few celebrated stories about the early childhood education of Meng Zi, an eminent teacher of Confucianism who lived in the fourth and third centuries BCE, as referenced in San Zi Jing,* a classical Chinese poem composed in the thirteenth century that has been one of the most popular texts for elementary education until recent times.



Çraddha to Sadhu-saìga



It is said that when Meng Zi was a small child, he and his mother lived close to a cemetery. Meng Zi observed the behaviors of the cemetery visitors and playfully imitated them. His mother saw this and thought that the situation did not provide good sanga (association) for her young son, so she moved the family to a new home. The new home was close to a marketplace, and Meng Zi was exposed to the business dealings between sellers and buyers. He again playfully imitated them. His mother understood that this sanga was not beneficial to her young son either, so she again decided to move. This time, the home was near a school. Meng Zi got the opportunity to get close to the students and teachers, observing proper conduct and good etiquette. In this way he moved from “sraddha” to “sadhu-sanga” (the association of scholarly and virtuous people).



Anisthita (Unsteady) Bhajana-kriya



In the association of scholarly sadhus, Meng Zi began his “bhajana-kriya”; he went to school and performed his sadhana (practice) of study. However,

he had anarthas (things undesirable for achieving the goal of one’s endeavor) in his heart; as a young child he liked to play more than to study and thus was inattentive in his sadhana.


Anartha-nivritti



Meng Zi’s mother was concerned about Meng Zi’s anisthita (unsteady) bhajana-kriya. One day, in front of Meng Zi she took a knife and broke a key component of her valuable loom. She told Meng Zi, in effect, “Your sadhana is without attentiveness and steadiness. Like this broken loom, it is useless.” Meng Zi was frightened and began to make an effort to be attentive in his sadhana, thus moving toward the stage of “anartha-nivritti.”



Niñöha, Ruci, Asakti . . .

Meng Zi later turned into an exceptional philosopher and preacher of Confucianism, considered second only to Confucius. Arguably, Meng Zi attained a type of nishtha (steadiness) after his prolonged intense efforts to be attentive in his academic sadhana, and then a type of ruci (taste) for knowledge and wisdom, and, after this, a type of asakti, by making knowledge and wisdom the object of his absorption.



A Robust Model



Meng Zi lived in a time and a place that were far distant from Rupa Goswami and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura by both thousands of years and thousands of miles. Presumably, they did not take Meng Zi’s childhood experiences into consideration when composing Vaishnava literature. Still, the nine-stage model is robust enough to capture the developmental trajectory shown in Meng Zi’s life.

When we retell such stories through the model, elements critical to both secular endeavors and the practice of bhakti surface. For example, during the stages from sraddha to sadhu-sanga, Meng Zi’s mother was sensitive and responsive to Meng Zi’s early display of sraddha (faith, interest) in learning by observing and imitating people around him. To nurture his sraddha and direct it to a purposeful end, Meng Zi’s mother tried her best to find him a sadhusanga (wholesome neighborhood). In Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 22.87), it is similarly emphasized that a Vaiñnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people who are very much materially attached. Later, noticing Meng Zi’s unsteadiness in his sadhana of study and his indulgence in playing, his mother resolved to help him realize the importance of striving for attentiveness and steadiness in sadhana, even at the cost of her loom. The issue of unsteady devotional service is spotlighted as well by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Madhurya-kadambini (Chapter Two). Specifically, he enumerates six types of unsteadiness, thereby encouraging his readers to effectively identify and address the issue.

Obviously, there are also elements unique to the development of bhakti that are not found in other pursuits. As stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, when one’s bhakti is at the stage of asakti, one’s absorption in the Supreme Lord becomes more prominent than that in the way of practice (bhajana) (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter Six). At the stages of bhava and prema, one experiences the appearance of the Supreme Lord and direct contact with Him (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter Eight). For those who pursue a goal other than bhakti (e.g., becoming a scholar, musician, politician, magnate, etc.) or lack an understanding of the personal aspect of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the notion of having direct interactions with the object of pursuit can seem unusual. Through these commonalities and differences obtained by applying Rupa Goswami’s model, we can better recognize the elements indispensable to the cultivation of bhakti and make use of existing experiences in other endeavors.



Bhakti at the Core



Inspirations and wisdoms can no doubt be found in teachings and examples across the board, from ancient histories to contemporary societies, from the East to the West, from the lives of celebrities to the lives of nobodies. Nonetheless, without a touch of bhakti, inspirations and wisdoms are like gorgeous flowers separated from the root, because bhakti is at the core of every living being’s very existence. Although pure love for Krishna (Krishna-prema) is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities (Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 22.107), a mature, pure devotee is rare to find (Madhurya-kadambini, Chapter One). Without his mother’s hard efforts and wise guidance during his early childhood, Meng Zi may not have become what he turned out to be. Likewise, without coming in contact with devotees and Krishna, we would not get an idea of bhakti, let alone the impetus to turn to the Krishna-prema inherent within. Moreover, without the presence of devotees and Krishna, we would not have an object of devotional service, without which bhakti itself would lose its meaning.

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” (Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 19.151) Somehow or other, we receive this seed of the creeper of devotional service that is not only life-changing but also life-giving. Let us honor it, represent it, and share it to the best of our ability.



Nandimukhi Devi Dasi (Yanying Wang), a disciple of His Holiness Romapada Swami, was born and raised in mainland China. She came to the U.S. by herself in August 2014 and later came across Krishna consciousness and devotees via a bhakti-yoga club at The George Washington University. She completed her undergraduate education in mathematics and biological sciences in mainland China and her graduate education in statistics in the U.S.