The four progressive stages of vairāgya
The definition of vairāgya and its four stages
Understanding the tan-mātra
An essential part of the Sāṅkhya-kārikā of Iśwara Kṛṣṇa is the discussion of how prakṛti undergoes transformations which result in the material world. In this system, effects, which are the next step in the transformation, are present in a potential or unmanifest state in their cause. This is […]
Why the jīva is considered part of taṭastha śakti
The Paramātmā Sandarbha goes into great depth into the properties of the jīva. This knowledge forms part of sambandha jñāna that Śrī Jīva Goswami proffers to us for understanding the nature of our own being. His treatment is comprehensive and far more sophisticated than similar treatments in other […]
Understanding the three guṇas
The concept of the gunas of prakrti is unique to Indian philosophy, and an important contribution of the Sāṅkhya school.
Which definition of jnāna applies to the ātmā?
The word jnāna has the common meaning of ‘knowledge’. However, in Sanskrit usage, the word jnāna carries different meanings depending on the context. Here we examine these meanings, and how they apply to the ātmā.
Bhagavān's name is self-manifest
In a previous article, we examined the characteristics of Bhagavān’s names. There, we saw that Bhagavān’s name is self-existent, i.e. independent, and conscious. Here we explore this concept some more.
Śrī Jīva Goswami explains the characteristics of Bhagavān’s name
A major sādhana in Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism is the chanting of Bhagavān’s name (nāma in Sanskrit). It is not surprising, then, that Sri Jiva methodically analyzes the subject of nāma in the Sandarbhas. Here, we discuss key attributes of Bhagavān’s names. Bhagavan’s names are not mental constructs like other […]
