Maharajji answers questions in Śrī Guru Darśanam, p 505 Question: Jīva Goswami describes that bhakti can also be attained by svābhāvika-dharma, performing one’s natural duty directed towards satisfying Śrī Hari. How does varṇāśrama-dharma lead to bhakti? Answer: Bhakti is the ultimate thing to be attained from svābhāvika-dharma, if it is […]
All objects or entities are classified into four types according to nyāya. This understanding is essential to grasp Śrī Jīva’s explanations in the Sandarbhas of the nature of our existence. The classifications are based on whether the object has a beginning and an end. To describe objects, it […]
From Śrī Babaji’s commentary on Anuccheda 96 of the Bhagavat Sandarbha: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was spoken by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa and not by His expansion Nārāyaṇa or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore, it is called Bhāgavatam. The derivational explanation of this great Purāṇa’s name can thus be explained in four different […]
We continue our discussion of Śrī Jīva Goswami’s commentary on the catuḥśloki in Anuchheda 96 of the Bhagavat Sandarbha. As discussed in a previous article, the four topics of the catuḥśloki are jñāna, vijñāna, bhakti and prema. The first of the catuḥśloki gives jñāna: aham evāsam evāgre nānyad yat sad-asat […]
A book should begin by explaining the following four topics: Sambandha: the relation (sambandha) of the book (vācaka) with its main subject (vācya). Abhidheya: the means of attainment propounded in the book. Prayojana: the completion state or end state brought about by the means stated in point 2. […]
A major portion of the Bhagavat Sandarbha is occupied with the nature of reality. Śrī Jīva Goswami takes pains to explain that reality is non-dual (advaya). An examination of his presentation leads to the following conclusions. The complete manifestation of tattva or Absolute Truth is Bhagavān. Tattva can […]
As we have seen elsewhere, the absolute truth has to be understood in terms of viśeṣya, viśeṣaṇa and viśiṣṭa. To remind the reader, these words refer to the object to be qualified, the qualifier(s) or attribute(s), and the qualified object respectively. The idea is that perception of any […]
