Category:Bhakti-sandarbha
Theme Analysis
The Bhakti-sandarbha stands as a monumental thesis by Srila Jiva Gosvami, delineating the precise science of devotional service. In this text, the practical execution of bhakti is categorized, distinguishing it from fruitve activities and philosophical speculation. The analysis covers the ontology of the spiritual master, the absolute nature of the Deity form, and the rigorous avoidance of offenses that constitute godlessness. Through this work, the necessity of devotee association and the supremacy of unmotivated surrender are firmly established as the means to attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The Scope of the Text: As the fifth of the Sandarbhas, this book focuses on how devotional service is directly executed, adjusted, and distinguished as the highest goal of life, superior to karma and jnana.
- The Ontology of Guru and Deity: The text clarifies that the spiritual master is one with the Lord in terms of being very dear to Him, and establishes that the Deity form made of material elements is nondifferent from the original form of the Lord.
- Defining Godlessness (Pasanda): A significant portion is dedicated to identifying godlessness, specifically the offense of equating the Supreme Lord with demigods, misusing one's body, or committing offenses against the holy name.
- The Role of Association: Uncontaminated devotional service is identified as the objective of pure Vaisnavas, attainable primarily through the association of other devotees and the execution of service without motivation.
- Dynamics of Devotional Practice: The text discusses various stages including saranagati (surrender), raganuga-bhakti (spontaneous love), and the characteristics of the maha-bhagavata versus the ordinary devotee.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Science of Pure Devotional Service in Bhakti-sandarbha.
Pages in category "Bhakti-sandarbha"
The following 27 pages are in this category, out of 27 total.
I
- In his Bhakti-sandarbha (213), it is clearly explained that a pure devotee’s observation of the spiritual master and Siva as being one with the Personality of God exists in terms of their being very dear to Him, not identical with Him in all respects
- In his Bhakti-sandarbha Jiva Gosvami has stated that those who are actually very serious about devotional service do not differentiate between the form of the Lord made of clay, metal, stone or wood and the original form of the Lord
- In that verse (Bhakti-sandarbha (265)) it (pasanda - ‘godlessness’) implies the ten offenses against the Lord’s holy name, since each of these leads to such godless behavior
- In the Bhakti-sandarbha (265), Srila Jiva Gosvami writes: In the verse beginning namaikam yasya, we find the word pasanda (‘godlessness’). The word literally indicates misuse of one’s body or property
- In the Bhakti-sandarbha (265), Srila Jiva Gosvami writes: namaikam yasya vaci smarana-patha-gatam ity-adau deha-dravinadi-nimittaka-‘pasanda’-sabdena ca dasa aparadha laksyante, pasanda-mayatvat tesam
- In the Bhakti-sandarbha (283), Srila Jiva Gosvami says: yady api sri-bhagavata-mate panca-ratradi-vad-arcana-margasyavasyakatvam nasti, tad vinapi saranapatty-adinam ekatarenapi purusartha-siddher abhihitatvat
- In the Bhakti-sandarbha it is stated - A pasandi is one who considers the demigods and the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be one; therefore a pasandi worships any kind of demigod as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- In the Bhakti-sandarbha, by Srila Jiva Gosvami, there is a quotation from the Skanda Purana admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekadasi becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master
- It is also stated (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) that without devotional service even a brahmana is condemned
- It is stated (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) that through bhakti one can attain all success because bhakti is transcendental to the material qualities. There is a discussion of how the self is manifest through bhakti
S
T
- The fifth Sandarbha is called Bhakti-sandarbha, and in this book there is a discussion of how devotional service can be directly executed, and how such service can be adjusted, either directly or indirectly
- The regulative principles of diksa are explained in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.3-4) and the Bhakti-sandarbha - 283
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) are discussions of how one can be liberated even in this life (jivan-mukta), Lord Siva as a devotee, and how a bhakta and his devotional service are eternally existing
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) are discussions of the process of karma-tyaga (the giving of the results of karma to the SP of Godhead), and the practices of mystic yoga and philosophical speculation, which are deprecated as simply hard labor
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is a discussion of the differences between the maha-bhagavata and the ordinary devotee, the symptoms of philosophical speculation, the symptoms of self-worship, or ahangrahopasana
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is a discussion of the engaging oneself as an eternal servant of the Lord, making friendships with the Lord and surrendering everything for His pleasure
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is a discussion of the knowledge of all kinds of scripture, the establishment of the Vedic institution of varnasrama, bhakti as superior to fruitive activity, and so forth
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is a discussion of the service to Vaisnavas in general, the principles of hearing, chanting, remembering and serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offenses in worship, offensive effects, prayers
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is a discussion of the symptoms of devotional service, the symptoms of imaginary perfection, the acceptance of regulative principles, service to the spiritual master, the maha-bhagavata (liberated devotee) & service to him
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is also a discussion of raganuga-bhakti (spontaneous love of Godhead), of the specific purpose of becoming a devotee of Lord Krsna, and a comparative study of other perfectional stages
- There (in the Bhakti-sandarbha) is also a discussion of the self’s bliss, as well as how bhakti, even imperfectly executed, enables one to attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
W
- While describing one of the offenses against chanting the holy names, specifically the offense - blaspheming the Vedic literature, Jiva Gosvami states in his Bhakti-sandarbha - Worshipers of impersonalists like Dattatreya are also pasandis
- Worship of the demigods is discouraged, and worship of a Vaisnava is considered exalted. No respect is given to the nondevotees - in the Bhakti-sandarbha