Is a previous birth in varṇāśrama required for bhakti?
This article is motivated by a reader’s comment on a previous article. It was proposed that anyone who succeeds on the path of bhakti must have been part of the three varṇas – brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya – in a previous life. I responded with the example of […]
Did Śrī Jīva Goswami copy his theology from others?
People from other sampradāyas often visit this site. These people seek to teach me, sometimes directly, and sometimes indirectly, that Śrī Jīva Goswami copied major parts of his theology from others like Śrī Rāmānujacārya, Śrī Madhvācārya and even Śrī Śankarācārya. They want to imply that he was a […]
The essence of the Bhāgavata according to Śrī Jīva Goswami
In a previous post, we saw how the Bhāgavata is an independent pramāṇa meaning that it does not depend on the Vedas even for its authority. Here, we examine the essence of the Bhāgavata derived by Śrī Jīva Goswami in the following statement in the Tattva Sandarbha Anuccheda […]
The Bhāgavataṁ is self-authoritative
The Bhāgavata is known as the topmost pramāṇa for Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas. What this means, in practical terms, is that Caitanya Vaiṣṇavas do not accept those statements in other śāstras that are not line with the Bhāgavata, and/or try to interpret such other statements so that they are in […]
There is no such thing as brāhmaṇa dīkṣā
Śrī Babaji answers questions in Pearls of Wisdom Question: What is dīkṣā? Does it refer to getting Hari-nāma and taking a different name? Or does it refer to getting brāhmaṇa initiation, when one gets the Brahma Gāyatrī? Answer: There are three levels of dīkṣā, namely, harināma-dīkṣā, mantra-dīkṣā, and veśa- […]
The concept of Brahman as taught by Śrī Jīva Goswami
There are differing views about Brahman in Indian theology. The Advaitavādis claim that the only real existent is quality-less, formless Brahman. Both Śrī Vaiṣṇavas and the followers of Śrī Madhvācārya reject that such type of Brahman exists. In their view, whenever the scriptures mention tattva or real existent […]