Based on Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Bhagavat Sandarbha. By Satyanarayana Dasa. The Lord has two types of energy: parā and aparā. Parā means distant, beyond, superior, and so on. The energy is called parā because it is superior to, or beyond, the material energy, which is thus called aparā, i.e. near or inferior. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛṣṇa states that the living beings can be counted as parā, because of their conscious nature:
By Satyanarayana Dasa: The word “jnana” is usually translated as “knowledge,” but, in fact, it is not that simple. In English, one says, “I know the name of a good restaurant,” or “I know Java,” and it is easily understood. But the simplicity of these terms is not the same in Sanskrit ....
By Satyanarayana Dasa: Agnimile purohitam yagyasya devamrtvijam hotaram ratnadhatamam "O Agni, I adore Thee, O priest, O divine minister, Who officiates at the divine Sacrifice, Who is also the invoker, the Summoner, Who most bestows the divine wealth upon us."
By Satyanarayana Dasa: Guilt is an emotion which most of us have felt at various times in our lives. It is amazing how quickly guilt can kick in for the smallest, most meaningless things. It can be draining and depressing and can rob us of our mental peace and energy ...
By Satyanarayana Dasa: Long ago there lived a philosopher in India by the name of Charvak (lit., one whose speech is very enticing). Charvak propounded a philosophy akin to Epicureanism—that this is the only life and thus we should enjoy ...
By Satyanarayana Dasa: Nobody, except masochists, likes to suffer, but no one can avoid adversity. Bhagavan Krishna calls the material world an abode of misery, duhkhalayam (Gita 8.15), but He qualifies it as asasvatam, or temporary, meaning that misery does not endure.
By Satyanarayana Dasa: There are many functions in our bodies, such as the beating of the heart, breathing and digestion of food, which happen involuntarily and are fundamental to survival. All these functions consume energy which needs to be replenished ...
