How does bhakti destroy prārabdha karma?
In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.21 and 1.1.22, Śrī Rūpa Goswami teaches systematically, how bhakti destroys prārabdha karma. Śrī Ananta Kṛṣṇa dāsa ji, Babaji’s disciple, requested a translation of Śrī Jīva Goswami’s commentaries on BRS 1.1.21 and 1.1.22, which I provide below. Śrī Jīva comments on this topic in the […]
The stages of bhakti
Śrī Rūpa Goswami presents the nine stages of bhakti in his famous book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. He formulated these stages based on verses 1.2.16-21 from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Here, I examine these stages and the corresponding verses. Śrī Rūpa Goswami presents the following two kārikas in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu — ādau […]
Attributes of the siddha deha
Many believe that the siddha deha, the “perfected body” lies dormant inside the ātman. Śrī Jīva Goswami, who leaves no topic unexamined in the Sandarbhas, explains the attributes of the siddha deha in his characteristically precise fashion in Anuccheda 10.2 of the Prīti Sandarbha. A simple study of […]
Śrī Jīva Goswami explains that there is no fall after attaining Vaikuṇṭha, Part II
In Anuccheda 10.2 of the Prīti Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Goswami emphatically shows that there is no return from Vaikuṇṭha possible. After establishing this fact, he considers objections to this thesis. What about some well-known cases that clearly involve a ‘fall’ from Vaikuṇṭha? He responds- ity-ādiṣu tad-itaratraiva kāla-viplutatvāṅgīkārāt| tasmāt […]
Q/A: origin of the jīva
Q: Whether we fall from Vaikuṇṭha or do not fall, makes no difference to our sādhana. The important thing is to go back. Why discuss it so much? A: Concepts matter. You think that you fell. This is why you use terminology like ‘go back’. Q: Ok. But […]
Śrī Jīva Goswami explains that there is no fall after attaining Vaikuṇṭha, Part I
That the residents of Vaikuṇṭha can “fall” into the material world is an extraordinary and odious fiction. Even a cursory analysis of Indian theological systems shows that the idea is ridiculous. Śrī Jīva Goswami also shows in an exhaustive analysis that no such ‘fall’ is possible. His goal, […]
Bhāva is received from the guru, and of the same type
Bhāva, the sādhya of sādhana bhakti, is commonly understood as already ‘dormant’ in the ātman. Many also hold the position that one can choose whatever bhāva one wants. One can go to the guru, and ask for being a servant or a friend of Bhagavān. To me, these […]
The importance of hearing from one’s guru
The current profusion of books on bhakti has created the false impression that bhakti has to be learned by studying books. The method to learn these days involves poring over books and articles on the internet, and building one’s framework of understanding block by block. The problem with […]
Does Śrī Sanātana teach that merging into Brahman is not permanent?
Reader Asd ji requested a translation of a section from the Bṛhad-Bhagavatāmṛta that deals with jīvas liberated into Brahman who, after attaining Brahman upon death, are described as performing bhakti to Bhagavan. This appears to contradict my assertions on this site that Brahma-sāyujya, or merging into Brahman, is […]
Q/A: do I need to be advanced for getting answers to questions about bhakti?
A sincere question comes from a lack of understanding, and it is the duty of a teacher to answer it.
Śrī Viśvanātha explains how Śrī Kṛṣṇa is supreme
The topic of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy over all others, including other avatāras, is a sensitive one. Even among Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas, I have noticed resistance to Śrī Jīva Goswami’s famous analysis of the kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam verse which I discussed here. One way to approach this topic, is […]
Q/A: who is superior among guru, Śiva and Kṛṣṇa
Q: Someone recently claimed that the guru is superior to Lord Śiva. What are your views on this? A: Why would anyone want to attempt such a comparison? What is the point of this kind of competition? Q: According to them, one should not divert one’s attention to […]