A summary of Paramātmā Sandarbha
This is a summary of the Paramatma Sandarbha.
anādi means beginningless, which means without a preceding cause
The word ‘anādi’ is a simple word. Yet, in recent decades, much confusion has surrounded it owing to novel interpretations offered for it by some modern sects of Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. Here we examine what it means according to our ācāryas like Śrī Jīva Goswami and Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti. […]
The three types of meanings of Sanskrit words
Three types of meanings are typically accepted for Sanskrit words. Here we list a discussion of the three types of meanings by Sri Babaji in his commentary on Bhagavat Sandarbha, Anuccheda 98: “All literature, including the Veda, is composed of words. Every Sanskrit word (pada) has a meaning […]
Why the dārśanikas disagree with each other
A common question is why there are so many religions. Many religions claim to be the ‘only way’. All of them cannot be correct! Even within the same dhārmic fold, the dārśanikas disagree with each other. For example, nyāya posits ārambhavada- an effect does not exist in its […]
When śāstra clashes with pratyakśa
Jambūdvīpa is not an account of a physical reality. The purāṇas contain a bewildering array of information about the material world that does not match with pratyakśa or direct perception. A typical example is the account in the purāṇas of a lotus-like Bhū whose pericarp is the Meru […]
Avoiding yoga khicaḍī
There are three broad divisions of yoga – karma yoga, jñāna yoga and bhakti yoga. Understanding these three yogas is important so that one’s sādhanā matches their respective definitions. Otherwise, one is liable to be a khicaḍī yogī who mixes practices of the three paths with each other. […]
What is ahaṅkāra?
The word ahaṅkāra literally means “I-ness”. However, this term also refers to the subtle element called ahaṅkāra which is a product of mahat-tattva, which in turn is a product of prakṛti. How does this material element ahaṅkāra relate to the I-ness which actually belongs to the individual ātmā? […]
Why is the mind disturbed even though it is a product of sattva guṇa?
The Sāṅkhya of the Bhāgavata purāṇa and Sāṅkhya kārikā both agree that the mind is a product of sattva guṇa. Yet, Kṛṣṇa calls the mind caṅcala- flickering in the Bhagavad-Gītā. This is also common experience- that the mind is exceptionally unstable, particularly when one wants to sit down […]
The four progressive stages of vairāgya
The definition of vairāgya and its four stages
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.
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 […]
