Category:Describing God's Pastimes
Theme Analysis
The category Describing God's Pastimes emphasizes the profound spiritual potency of narrating the transcendental activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that literatures filled with the descriptions of the Lord's pastimes, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are a completely different creation from mundane literature. They consist entirely of transcendental sound vibrations. When a sincere soul gives aural reception (śravaṇam) to these descriptions and subsequently repeats them (kīrtanam), they undergo a profound purification. This sublime process of hearing and describing the Lord's pastimes is the essential activity of all Vaiṣṇavas, completely separating them from dry speculators, jñānīs, and yogīs who cannot comprehend the personal features of the Absolute Truth.
The process of realizing these pastimes is completely dependent on devotional service and the mercy of the previous ācāryas. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that one cannot properly describe the pastimes of the Lord without the specific blessings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the disciplic succession. Pure devotees like Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī do not write or speak to cater to the mundane public; their sole business is to satisfy the predecessor ācāryas by faithfully recording the transcendental activities of the Lord and His associates.
When this process is followed without deviation, the results are miraculous. By associating with advanced devotees and deeply absorbing the descriptions of the Lord's form, qualities, and pastimes, these divine realities enter through the ears and go directly into the heart. For the purified devotee, the pastimes described in the revealed scriptures are factually televised within the heart, allowing them to directly perceive and relish the eternal activities of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual sky.
- The Transcendental Word: Literatures that describe the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are entirely spiritual and distinct from any mundane creation.
- The Process of Reception: Spiritual realization begins by submissively hearing (śravaṇam) the descriptions of the Lord's pastimes and then repeating them (kīrtanam).
- The Need for Mercy: One can only describe or understand the Lord's pastimes by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the authorized ācāryas.
- The Televised Reality: For the pure devotee, the pastimes described in the scriptures are factually and vividly televised within their purified heart.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Describing God's Pastimes - The Televised Reality of the Heart.
Pages in category "Describing God's Pastimes"
The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total.
A
- After aurally receiving such messages (the holy name and descriptions of the Lord's form, qualities, entourage and pastimes), one should memorize these vibrations and repeat them - kirtanam
- As the universal elements are both within and without, similarly the Lord's name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, etc., as they are described in the revealed scriptures, are factually being televised in the heart of the devotee
O
- O rsis, who are as powerfully pure as the sun, I (Suta Gosvami) shall try to describe to you the transcendental pastimes of Visnu as far as my knowledge is concerned
- On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation - SB 1.5.11
- On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words
- One should especially seek the society of brahmanas who are elevated to the position of Vaisnavas. Thus discussion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which describes the character and pastimes of devotees and the Lord, is very quickly effective
S
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following explanation in his Tathya. The word sravana refers to giving aural reception to the holy name and descriptions of the Lord's form, qualities, entourage and pastimes as explained in SB, BG etc
- Srila Kaviraja Gosvami and one who follows in his footsteps do not have to cater to the public. Their business is simply to satisfy the previous acaryas and describe the pastimes of the Lord
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks “Without the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one cannot describe the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead”
T
- That literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words
- The Lord's name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, etc., as they are described in the revealed scriptures or as performed in the Vaikunthalokas, far, far beyond the material cosmic manifestation, are factually being televised in the heart of the devotee
- The transcendental forms and pastimes of the Lord, as described in Bhagavad-gita, are difficult subject matters for those who are not devotees to understand. The Lord never reveals Himself to persons like the jnanis and yogis
- Therefore please precisely describe all the activities and pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is full of self-desire and who assumes all these activities by His internal potency
- Thus I (Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami) have described the pastimes of Lord Nityananda Prabhu in relation to the celebrated festival of chipped rice and yogurt