The four types of ānanda
The word “ānanda” can generally indicate any one of the following four different types of happiness.
RĀDHIKĀṢṬAKAM
Eight Verses Glorifying Śrī Rādhikā from Govinda Līlāmṛta by Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī with translation by Śrī Babaji
Vṛndāvana on earth is beyond Vaikuṇṭha
In a previous article, we examined how Goloka is beyond Vaikuṇṭha. Here we will see how the present Śrī Vṛndāvana on earth is beyond all Vaikuṇṭhas. Vṛndāvana is beyond Vaikuṇṭha It is well known that Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared in Śrī Vṛndāvana in modern day Uttar Pradesh in India. […]
Q/A: Is Indian culture important for bhakti?
Śrī Babaji answers question in Pearls of Wisdom – Question: Having recently read Rajiv Malhotra’s “Being Different” and your commentary on Bhagavat Sandarbha, I think that there are pitfalls for Western people approaching Indian thought, including Gauḍīya siddhānta, which can lead to the gross and subtle misunderstanding of […]
The method of the Sandarbhas
Śrī Jīva Goswami did not compile the Sandarbhas in a haphazard fashion. He followed a method of analysis which he explains in Anuccheda 27 of the Tattva Sandarbha. This method ought to be kept in mind when studying the Sandarbhas, because Śrī Jīva follows it throughout the Sandarbhas. […]
Goloka is beyond Vaikuṇṭha
Śrī Jīva Goswami’s central thesis is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Svayaṁ Bhagavān, and that all forms of Bhagavān including Śrī Nārāyaṇa are expansions of Him. It follows that His dhāma or abode is the highest among all dhāmas or abodes. That is, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s abode is Mahā-Vaikuṇṭha, the […]
Śrī Jīva teaches the Sanskrit derivation of the word ‘uvāca’
Śrī Babaji is teaching Śrī Jīva Goswami’s Śrī Harināmāmṛta vyākaraṇa for over a year now. Recently he taught Śrī Jīva’s derivation of the word uvāca, which I present below. My goal is to show how this common word, which shows up repeatedly in the Bhagavad-Gītā, is derived from […]
Bhāgavata dharma is distinct from and independent of varṇāśrama dharma
A reader suggested that the dharma taught in the Bhāgavatam cannot be isolated from varṇāśrama dharma, as the word ‘dharma’, as used in the Bhāgavatam, carries the same meaning and connotation as in any other śruti [i.e. the Vedas]. But does Śrī Jīva Goswami agree with such a […]
Pearls of Wisdom published!
Is a previous birth in varṇāśrama required for bhakti?
This article is motivated by a reader’s comment on a previous article. It was proposed that anyone who succeeds on the path of bhakti must have been part of the three varṇas – brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya – in a previous life. I responded with the example of […]
Did Śrī Jīva Goswami copy his theology from others?
People from other sampradāyas often visit this site. These people seek to teach me, sometimes directly, and sometimes indirectly, that Śrī Jīva Goswami copied major parts of his theology from others like Śrī Rāmānujacārya, Śrī Madhvācārya and even Śrī Śankarācārya. They want to imply that he was a […]
The essence of the Bhāgavata according to Śrī Jīva Goswami
In a previous post, we saw how the Bhāgavata is an independent pramāṇa meaning that it does not depend on the Vedas even for its authority. Here, we examine the essence of the Bhāgavata derived by Śrī Jīva Goswami in the following statement in the Tattva Sandarbha Anuccheda […]
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