In this article, we examine the difference between bhakti and fanaticism, by quoting from two sources. The first one is from the Yoga of Dejection: pp. 176-177 — [sub-titles are added by this author]. The second source is a great article written on fanaticism more than a hundred […]
The concept of the guru is unique to Indian theology. Rupa Goswami quotes a famous verse spoken by Kṛṣṇa (Bhāgavatam 11.17.27) in the Bhakti rasamrta sindhu – “ācāryam mām vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit | na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ || Know the ācārya to be my manifestation, and never disrespect […]
Rupa Goswami cites verse SB 11.3.21 in the Bhakti rasamrta sindhu to describe both the guru and the disciple. Sanatana Goswami also cites this same verse in his book Hari Bhakti Vilāsa in a similar context, and Gopal Bhatta Goswami elaborates on it further in his commentary. Maharajji’s […]
Limbs sixteen to twenty are as follows: śokādy-avaśa-vartitā – not being controlled by lamentation. One may think that Vaiṣṇavas are hard-hearted because they may not easily be moved to displays of grief. But grief is not a sign of intelligence or advancement, it is a sign of foolishness […]
Limbs eleven to twenty are prohibitions or the dont’s of bhakti. They are as important 1 as the previous ten prescriptions. Here are the first five with comments. saṅga-tyāgo vidūreṇa bhagavad-vimukhair janaiḥ – giving up from far the company of those who are turned away from Bhagavān. This […]
We now examine the rest of the limbs of bhakti. Rupa Goswami writes about these: eṣām atra daśāṅgānāṁ bhavet prārambha-rupatā: these ten limbs are the beginning of bhakti. We list them below (starting from the fourth limb as the first three limbs are discussed elsewhere). guru-pādāśraya tasmāt = taking […]
Before we dive into this topic, lets start with the meaning of the word ‘Science’ from wikipedia: “Science (from Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”) is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.” In modern India, the word vijñāna is the […]
Of the 64 limbs of bhakti ennumerated by Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami comments that the first twenty are doors that give entry into bhakti (अस्याः भक्तौ प्रवेशाय विंशति-अंगानाम् द्वारत्वेSपि), but of these, the first three are most important, i.e. they are the doors that open to the next […]
Rupa Goswami lists 64 limbs of bhakti in the Bhakti rasamrta sindhu. We will examine these limbs one by one. This preamble examines the significance of the limbs of bhakti. Where the Bhagavad Gita deals with psychology of the material mind, the Bhakti rasamrta sindhu deals with the […]
Rupa and Jiva Goswami take great pains to clearly distinguish between karma, jñāna and the bhakti mārga. Not understanding these distinctions can cause problems in the practice of uttama bhakti. Here we examine Jiva Goswami’s commentary on this point. We begin with Rupa Goswami’s writing in the Bhakti […]
Rupa Goswami quotes the following verse from the sixth canto of the भागवतम् in भक्तिरसामृत सिंधु 1.2.52: मुक्तानाम् अपि सिद्धानां नारायणपरायणः| सुदुर्लभः प्रशान्तात्मा कोटीषु अपि महामुनेः|| muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune Jiva Goswami helps us translate this verse by defining the terms in it. […]
Kṛṣṇa lists four types of devotees in the Bhagavad Gītā 7.16. Rupa Goswami examines Kṛṣṇa’s list in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, and explains that these devotees are not uttama bhaktas. Rupa Goswami writes: तत्र गीतादिषूक्तानां चतुर्णाम् अधिकारिणां मध्ये| Among the four adhikārīs in the Gītā verses, यस्मिन् भगवतः कृपा स्यात् तत्-प्रियस्य वा || […]
