Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers

Bhakti Principles and the Mood of the Gopis

Question: In Paramātmā Sandarbha 93, Śrī Jīva states that the seed of bhakti is imperishable, which seems to contradict what Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, where he describes how bhakti can be totally uprooted by aparādha. I personally take the latter as implying that the creeper may be uprooted, but the seed remains. Any

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

Expansion of the Siddha-svarupa

Question: We hear repeatedly that our goal is to become eternal servants of Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa  in Goloka Vrindavan. So when one reaches that position, for example as gopī or gopa, and is engaged in one’s eternal service, then at that time what about Gaura-līlā? Answer: I am sure you know that our ācāryas like

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

The Meaning of the word Anādi

Question: I have a query regarding the use of the word anādi and the conditioning of the jīva as described in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Someone recently raised the following argument to me: “All Sanskrit words in śāstra that indicate an unlimited time span—anādi, śāśvata, nitya, etc.—are used nonliterally when referring to events in the material

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Questions & Answers

Development of Intelligence and the Meaning of Humility

Question: I would like to know how intelligence evolves. Can you give an example of how this takes place?  Answer: Intelligence is the faculty that makes decisions and comprehends situations. It is by intelligence that we determine whether things are good or bad, wrong or right, moral or immoral. Primarily, intelligence develops when we face

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Questions & Answers

Vedic View on Polygamy and Education

Question: What is the Vedic view on polygamy? We have seen stories of kings who kept multiple wives and mistresses, not only in Vedic times but in recent times as well. Was it allowed? Can such a person practice bhakti? Answer: Polygamy was allowed in the past but was mainly limited to members of royal

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Questions & Answers

The Root Cause of Anartha in Bhakti

  Question: What is anartha in the process of bhakti? Answer: The word anartha is a negation of artha. It is a compound word made from nañ and artha, called nañ samāsa. Literally it means “something which is not an artha.” Generally, a negation can mean six things—similar, absence, different, a little, bad, and opposite.

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Questions & Answers

Karma, Guru–Disciple, Mantra-diksha

Question: What is the use of karma if person cannot remember what he has done wrong in a past life, but his karma fructifies this life? The lesson is likely not to be learned. Answer: Suppose a person is heavily drunk and is driving. He loses control of his car and kills a pedestrian. In the

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