Reader Sridhar asked the following questions to which my responses are provided. The response to question 2 lists the passage where Śrī Jīva Goswami coins the term “acintya bheda-abheda”. Question 1. Could you make a post on how the acharyas see the exact relationship between shaktis and shaktimān? Is […]
Reader Ananta wanted me to explain the following notoriously misinterpreted verse by Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya To understand this verse properly, we need to first understand something about the Bengali language. In Bengali, the word for ‘cooked’ is ‘siddha’. Use google […]
We have explored the definition and functions of māyā in many articles elsewhere on this site. In the tenth canto of the Bhāgavata, we also hear about two types of māyā – yogamāyā and mahamāyā. Here I explore Śrī Viśvanātha’s explanation of the difference between the two.
This site appears to be rapidly growing in popularity or notoriety- I am not sure which one. I get many comments and questions. The best questions are those that I have no answer for, and this has compelled me to learn more and more. I also get many […]
I was in Vrindavan recently and had the privilege of visiting Shri Haridas Niwas.
I recently talked with Śrī Babaji, and asked him about the reason for the widespread theological deviations in the Caitanya tradition. Below I present what I took away from the conversation, and also present my own views on the current state of affairs. Unlike other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, the […]
The Caitanya tradition, being based squarely on the Bhāgavata purāṇa, has a different understanding of bhakti as compared to other Vaisnava traditions such as the Madhva tradition or the Śrī Vaisnava tradition. Unlike these other traditions, in the Caitanya tradition, bhakti and varṇāśrama are two different or distinct […]
Why is Śrī Jīva Goswami important? Why should one study his Sandarbhas? I can think of no better answer to this question than two verses that Śrī Babaji has composed which I reproduce below. They appear at the beginning of each of the Sandarbha books that he has […]
We frequently hear these days that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Presumably these ideas come from the following type of statements that He has made in the Gītā (9.24): ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te || Indeed, […]
Nothing is more frustrating for a serious seeker than conceptual inconsistencies. Thankfully, Śrī Jīva Goswami’s approach is methodical, structured and well-planned, features a fearsome command over Sanskrit, and involves searching for and establishing a consistent, unitary message of the entire corpus of Indian theological literature. Seven types of […]
Reader Raj requested an explanation of SB 12.13.12. The verse is as follows: sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ yad brahmātmaikatva-lakṣaṇam vastv advitīyaṁ tan-niṣṭhaṁ kaivalyaika-prayojanam Śrī Jīva Goswami brings this verse up first in the Tattva Sandarbha Anuccheda 52.1, where he mentions that the verse will be discussed in depth later in the […]
Q: Do the Goswamis say that women are less intelligent than men? A: I am not aware of any statement, anywhere, in any of the Goswamis’ copious writings, that women are less intelligent than men. Q: I ask because an ācārya has made many such statements about women. […]
The Krishna Bhakti site 