Q/A: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
I received questions about an article I had written some years ago on Śrī Jīva Goswami’s explanation of the statement ‘kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam’. I […]
Bhagavān
Śrī Jīva Goswami on Bhagavad-Gītā Chapter 8: Three Ways of Realizing the Supreme
While the Sandarbhas emphasize the Bhāgavatam in their analysis, every now and then, Śrī Jīva Goswami cites the Bhagavad-Gītā to establish the same point as […]
The supreme limit of beauty is found in Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone
In the Prīti Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Goswami seeks to establish that prīti for Śrī Kṛṣṇa reaches its supreme limit. This prīti, which He elicits in the […]
Śrī Kṛṣṇa impels the highest prīti
Śrī Jīva Goswami’s presentation in the Sandarbhas is emphatic about the supremacy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa over all other forms of Bhagavān. His treatment of the […]
Why do Hindus worship stone idols?
Deity worship is an essential practice in Hinduism, especially in the Vaiṣṇava traditions. Yet it is often misunderstood, both by outsiders and by Hindus themselves. […]
Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s personal qualities that excite prema for Him
Śrī Rūpa Goswami’s rasa theory in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu includes vibhāva, which is of two types, ālambana- and uddīpana-vibhāva. ālambana-vibhāva is the objective support of prema, […]
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 […]
ābhāsa of Bhagavat-sākṣāṭkāra is of four types
In a previous article, I presented the concept of Bhagavat-sākṣāṭkāra-ābhāsa. There I discussed how an unclean citta creates a mis-perception of Bhagavān. Here, I examine […]
The mechanism of Bhagavat-sākṣātkāra
In the Prīti Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Goswami does a systematic analysis of Bhagavat-sākṣātkāra, the direct perception of Bhagavān. He explains how the sākṣātkāra occurs and […]
Ascertaining the paramārtha or supreme object of attainment, part II
In the previous article, I discussed how Śrī Jīva Goswami ascertains the paramārtha or supreme object of attainment in the Prīti Sandarbha Anuccheda 5.9. Something […]
What is jīvan-mukti?
The term jīvan-mukti is commonly encountered in Gauḍiya parlance. Here I examine Śrī Jīva Goswami’s explanation of it. He takes this up in the Priti […]
Rāgānugā bhakti is primarily for Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Gokula
In a previous article, I examined the definition of rāgānugā bhakti. This rāgānugā bhakti is primarily for Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Gokula. It is not even […]