“In the mellows of bhakti-yoga, there are two stages—ayoga and yoga.” Ayoga (viyoga) is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.2.94) as follows:
- saṅgābhāvo harer dhīrair ayoga iti kathyate
- ayoge tvan-manaskatvaṁ tad-guṇādy-anusandhayaḥ
- tat-prāpty-upāya-cintādyāḥ sarveṣāṁ kathitāḥ kriyāḥ
“Learned scholars in the science of bhakti-yoga say that when there is an absence of association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, separation takes place. In the stage of ayoga (separation), the mind is filled with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. In that stage, the devotee searches out the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said that in that stage of separation, all the devotees in the different mellows are always active in thinking of ways to attain Kṛṣṇa’s association.”