Questions & Answers
Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

Etymological breakdown of the Mahamantra

Question: I am following a Śrīmad Bhāgavata class with Professor Edwin Bryant, and after last night’s class, I asked him a question about the meaning of “Hare” and “Rāma” in the mahāmantra. Though my professor had a few insightful answers for us, he didn’t have a definite opinion on the etymological basis for their meaning

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Questions & Answers

Shanta-rasa is not Brahman-realization

Question: Do devotees in śānta-rasa worship Bhagavān in his Brahman form? Answer: No. All rasas are related to Bhagavān, the personal aspect of Tattva. There is no rasa in Brahman-realization because in Brahman-realization, there is no distinct identity between the jīva and Brahman. Śānta rasa means that the devotee has an understanding that Bhagavān is

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Questions & Answers

Is it Fanatical to Believe in Bhakti’s Superiority?

Question: In the book The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has been reported to have said several times that a combination of the highest jñāna and the highest bhakti in one person is a rare gift of the Lord. This view is quite opposed to the Gosvāmīs’ dictum that jñāna-miśra-bhakti is second only

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Questions & Answers

Qualification for Lila-Smaranam and Rasa-katha

Question: In Bhakti Sandarbha 310, Srīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes regarding rāgānugā sādhana as, “ata evāsyā janma-lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-vyatirekeṇānyatrānabhirucim upalakṣya“. Does that mean that a sādhaka in rāgānugā bhakti will not have a taste for anything apart from bhakti? Does this not imply that he is free of anarthas? Answer: There will be no gross anarthas like lust

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Questions & Answers

How to Deal with Procrastination?

Question: My question regards procrastination. I have faced this issue for a while whenever I decide to work on my sādhana, health, etc. Even while engaging in day-to-day commitments, I waste time on social media or something else. Although I am aware of the necessary things I need to do, I find myself unable to

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers Shastra

Temporary or Eternal Hell for Asuras?

Question: In BG 16.20, Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa presents a concept of “eternal hell” for some jīvas, with no possibility of deliverance. Even after many births, Bhagavān does not deliver them. He explains how Bhagavān only kills a specific type of asura who is not internally opposed to the Vedas. Even in Govinda-bhāṣya, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa quotes

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Questions & Answers

Spiritual Personalities

Question: In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, there is Catuhślokī Bhāgavatam, which is spoken by the Lord Himself (SB 2.9.33–36). Was it spoken by the Lord on the first day (kalpa) of Lord Brahmā, or during the present kalpa? Answer: On the first day of Brahmā. Question: Do Sanatkumāra, Lord Śiva, and Śrī Nārada Muni take birth in

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