The difference between Sadhana-Bhakti and Raganuga Bhakti is a constant source of misunderstandings. We all know that Sadhana-Bhakti is the path of the rules and regulations and disciplined devotional service, while Raganuga Bhakti is the path of spontaneous devotion. We hear that the path of Raganuga Bhakti is higher, so why do we need rules and regulations? Would it not be better to just cultivate our spontaneous devotion to Krsna? It sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?

The point is that the path of Raganuga Bhakti can be practiced only when one has already love for Krsna and is not interested in the phantasmagoric enjoyment of this material world. At this point, it’s not really necessary to follow rules and regulations, because a devotee in this stage doesn’t have the desire of doing anything sinful, and he doesn’t see anything as being separated from Krsna. At this stage, one has a natural propensity to serve Krsna with love, and rules and regulations may actually start getting in the way. A devotee in this stage may reject some of the rules connected with standards and rituals, for example (like Goura Kishora Das Babaji chanting japa in the toilet, for example), but they will never do anything sinful. If a devotee starts doing sinful things it means that he is just in the material platform. If someone claims to be serving Krsna but at the same time he is doing sinful things, it means he is just a sahajiya, who is following neither Raganuga Bhakti nor Sadhana-Bhakti.

An additional difficulty is that seeing someone with real love for Krsna is quite rare and, as Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita, even someone who is on this platform still has to follow the rules and regulations to give example to others and thus avoid creating a bad precedent. Arjuna was certainly in a stage of spontaneous devotion, but still, Krsna instructed him to perform his duties. Similarly, the six goswamis were certainly in a stage of spontaneous devotion, but still, they were practicing all the rules and regulations of the process of Bhakti to give example. What to say about the six goswamis, even Krsna Himself follow the rules with the purpose of instructing us: “If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.” (Bg 3.24)

What about us? When we are starting on the devotional path, we don’t have love for Krsna. At this stage we are just struggling with our material desires, trying to control our disturbed minds.

At this stage we are just in the material platform, therefore we need to follow rules and regulations to gradually progress to the mode of goodness and finally to the liberated platform. Then, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.)

When we are firmly established in the liberated platform, real devotional service begins and we gradually develop love for Krsna. At this point, the rules and regulations may be discarded and one may follow in the spontaneous platform. If however, one tries to discard the rules and regulations before that, he just gets stuck into the material platform, without being able to follow either path. One then risks becoming a sahajiya, doing sinful things while imagining being a gopi.