The definition of śāstra
How is śāstra defined? Knowing its definition can help us understand its purpose and its nature.
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. […]
FAQ on Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism
Inspired by an FAQ I came across on a Sri Vaiṣṇavism site, I have prepared a similar FAQ on Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. Happy Reading!
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. […]
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.
The definitions of birth, form, name, action and attributes, and how they do not apply to Bhagavān
A sticking point with many people is that Vaiṣṇavas insist that God has a specific form (rūpa), name (nāma), actions (līlā ), and attributes (guṇa). However, doesn’t that make God sectarian? The product of a specific culture, with specific clothes and language? Furthermore, why should God resemble human […]
Śrī Jīva Goswami explains māyā
Śrī Jīva Goswami examines the meaning of māyā in Bhagavat Sandarbha Anuccheda 18. He gives his own unique explanation of māyā, which we examine here.
The definitions of avidyā and its products
The reason for suffering is avidyā, and it is the beginningless cause of the ātmā’s existence in the material world. Without understanding the problem, it is not possible to solve it. Here we provide definitions of avidyā, and also define the terms that are the consequences/products of avidyā. […]
The definition of rasa, part I
Sri Rupa Goswami analyzes bhakti-rasa or the relish of bhakti in great detail. Indeed, his book is titled Bhakti-rasa-amṛta sindhu – the ocean of the nectar of bhakti-rasa. In this article, we examine the concept of ‘rasa’. How rasa becomes manifest is explained in a sutra by Bharata […]
Summary of definitions of uttamā bhakti and its divisions
Here we summarize uttamā bhakti, its divisions and the definitions which were discussed in previous articles. uttamā bhakti is defined as continuous service directed favorably towards Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. It should be devoid of all material desires and not covered by desire for brahma-sāyujya mukti, and/or faith in […]
Śrī Rūpa Goswami explains rāgānugā bhakti
We examine Sri Rupa Goswami’s definition of raganunga bhakti.
Rupa Goswami defines bhāva, part III
We now examine the remaining qualifiers of bhāva. As we saw before, bhāva is qualified by rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd and prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk. Sri Jiva Goswami explains the meaning of these words, which is reproduced below. The word ruci = prāpti-abhilāṣa, sva-kartṛka ānukulya-abhilāṣa and sauhārda-abhilāṣa. That is, ruci implies three things: […]
