"Nityalila" is a concept deeply rooted in the teachings of Vallabhacharya, a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. The term translates to "eternal sport" and refers to the divine play or leela of God with the souls who have achieved a special status through pure devotion, known as bhakti.
According to Vallabhacharya, souls can be classified into
three main types:
- Pravaha: These souls are fully engrossed in worldly pursuits and are not inclined towards spiritual endeavors.
- Maryada: Souls who follow the path of Vedic scriptures rigorously, adhering strictly to religious rituals and moral codes.
- Pushti: These souls are characterized by their intense love and devotion (bhakti) towards God, which arises solely through divine grace.
Vallabhacharya emphasizes the significance of bhakti as the
primary means of attaining God-realization and liberation. He teaches that God,
out of his own free will, elevates a pushti-type soul to a special status,
endowing them with a divine body similar to his own. In this state, God engages
in a perpetual divine play, or nityalila, with the pushti soul for all
eternity.
What distinguishes this divine play is that God voluntarily
assumes a subservient role to the pushti soul, offering them the joy of his
divine company. This experience of blissful communion with God is termed
"bhajanananda," the ecstasy derived from devotional practices.
In essence, nityalila encapsulates the eternal and intimate
relationship between God and the devout souls who have surrendered themselves
completely to his divine will, experiencing boundless love, joy, and
fulfillment in the eternal play of divine grace.