Gītā on youtube
At the request of reader Ananta Krsna dasa, I have decided to post 15 min Gītā videos on youtube. The plan is to take the reader word-by-word through Cakravartīpāda’s commentary. The first video is here – -Tkd
The meaning of Vedānta-sūtra 4.4.1
The inherent bhakti-vādis claim that Vedānta-sūtra 4.4.1 shows the inherence of the siddha deha inside the ātmā. Śrī Babaji has refuted this incorrect idea in his book, Jīva tattva. I reproduce his refutation below.
The theory underlying inherent bhakti-vāda
I am now getting to the end of my refutations of inherent bhakti-vāda. I have probably written around 30 articles on the topic so far. My understanding of the position of the inherent bhakti-vādis has evolved with each new article. Initially, I thought that I was only refuting […]
The meaning of the word ‘tādātmya’
The inherent bhakti-vādis claim that the primary meaning of the word ‘tādātmya’ is ‘relationship of something with itself’. They then proceed to argue that the ātmā’s relation with the siddha deha is one of ‘tādātmya’ where tādātmya is defined in the previous sentence. That is, the ātmā is […]
Śrī Sanātana Goswami explains that the happiness in the pure ātmā is an absence of misery
I continue my refutation of the concept that bhakti is inherent and also bestowed on the ātmā. One of the qualities of the ātmā mentioned in the Paramātmā Sandarbha is ānanda which Śrī Jīva Goswami has glossed as duḥkha-pratiyogi. The inherent bhakti-vādis, being apparently unaware of the technical […]
In mukti, the qualities of the ātmā become manifest, i.e. become observable, to itself
I continue examining the arguments of the inherent bhakti-vādis, who claim that “bhakti is inherent in the ātmā”. While this theory was invented some time in the last two centuries, it has now taken the form that “bhakti is both bestowed on the ātmā and already inherent in […]
Śrī Jīva Goswami explains that śeṣatva= aṁśatva ∵ śaktitva
I continue to examine the arguments offered by inherent bhakti-vādis to support the claim that bhakti is inherent but dormant inside the ātmā. In this article, I examine the claim that the word ‘śeṣatva’, which according to Śrī Jīva Goswami, is an inherent characteristic of the ātmā, implies […]
Śrī Jīva Goswami teaches that the jīvas are taṭasthā-śakti in their svarūpa
Some argue that upon becoming siddha, i.e. getting entry into Goloka, the term taṭasthā is no longer a primary description of the jīva, since the very definition of taṭasthā implies being conditioned. These proponents argue that Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja prefers the term vibhinna-aṁśa instead of taṭasthā-śakti for the jīvas, […]
Q/A: does Śrī Jīva Goswami state that the jīva is Bhagavān’s cit-śakti?
Q: You wrote in a previous article that the jīva is not Bhagavan’s cit-śakti. But doesn’t Śrī Jīva Goswami state the opposite in Anuccheda 56 of the Paramātmā Sandarbha? A: No. The purpose of this part of the anuchheda is to note that there are three distinct śaktis, […]
Frequently asked questions about taṭasthā śakti
Q: What is taṭasthā śakti? A: The jīvas. Q: Do jīvas have taṭasthā śakti? A: That is like asking if the mind has a mind or color has color or taste has taste. The mind is the mind. Color is color. The jīvas are taṭasthā śakti. Q: But […]
The four types of ānanda
The word “ānanda” can generally indicate any one of the following four different types of happiness.
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmi explains the essence of the Bhagavad Gītā
The Bhagavad-gītā has been variously explained by different commentators as teaching karma, jnāña or bhakti yoga. Some non-Hindus interpret it in their own way to justify their own acts. In their view, the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to justify ‘holy war’. Others criticize it for advocating violence. How can […]
The Krishna Bhakti site 