Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa
Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

Beginningless Avidya—Coupled with Vidya

The jīva is conditioned by avidyā, which has no beginning—anādi-avidyā-yuktasya puruṣasya (SB 11.22.10). There was never a time that the jīva was not under the influence of avidyā. The interesting fact is that like the conditioning of avidyā, the jīva also has vidyā without a beginning. Vidyā here means the awareness of being a conscious

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

The Effects of Karma – Individual and Collective

According to modern science, the world is made of matter, which follows certain natural laws. One of the most important natural laws is the cause-and-effect relationship. A cause is that which must exist before the effect comes into existence. Causes are of two types, namely, the ingredient or material cause, upādāna kāraṇa, and the instrumental cause, nimitta

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

No Real Relation Without Bhagavān

There is an important sūtra of Purva-mīmāṁsā (3.1.22): guṇānāṁ ca parārthatvāt asambandhaḥ samatvāt syāt. Its translation is very technical, so I will explain it in a simplified manner. The word guṇa here refers to objects and actions that are meant for the main yajña, which is referred to by the word para, primary. The sūtra is in relation to the action of the ādhāna (placing of fire) and pavamāna-havis (a type of offering for

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

Memory and Imagination—Boon or Curse?

Human beings are special because of their inner senses which have the ability to function in the past and future. Progress in humanity, material or spiritual, is due to these two capabilities. First, we have memory which enables us to learn from the past. Second, we have the power to imagine, which enables us to

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

Life’s Dilemma

I recently got an email from one of my students. He wrote, “I’m sitting here in a park, looking at the blue sky, and the following thoughts are running through my mind: Why am I working? I feel suffocated, living the same routine every day. Waking up in the morning, making breakfast, going to the

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa

How to Avoid the Miseries of Bad Karma

Every human being suffers from three types of misery: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika roga. The word ādhyātmika means that which is related to the ātmā. The word ātmā in Sanskrit has various meanings such as body, mind, senses, essence, nature, God, vitality, courage, character, self, intellect, and so on. However, in relation to ādhyātmika suffering, the

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Sandarbhas

The Importance of Hearing Śrīmad Bhāgavata

Hearing about Kṛṣṇa is the first step in bhakti. There are various scriptures that describe stories about Kṛṣṇa. Among them, Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇam is the supreme. Therefore, hearing it is the supreme. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī states this in the following two short anucchedas of Bhakti Sandarbha. Anuccheda 260 The Preeminence of the Words of Bhāgavata Purāṇa Even

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