Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers

Namabhasa, Improper Behavior of Gurus in Shastra

Nāmābhāsa Question: Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Antya 3.65 states that nāmābhāsa is sufficient to give a jīva mukti. Mukti (liberation from material world) happens after citta-śuddhi. How can just one nāmābhāsa be sufficient to give a jīva mukti, when citta-śuddhi is not complete?  Answer: How do you know that citta-śuddhi is not complete? Question: Citta-śuddhi is not

Read More
Questions & Answers

Brahma’s Vision, Karma, Levels of Sound, and the Order of the Holy Names

Question: In Bhagavat Sandarbha, Anuccheda 10, it is said Brahmā’s vision was of Bhagavān in His Nārāyaṇa form. But then Jīva Gosvāmī says it was Kṛṣṇa who gave instructions to Brahmā. How do we understand this? Is it that Brahmā saw Nārāyaṇa but got instructions from Kṛṣṇa? Or does Śrī Jīva not agree that the

Read More
Questions & Answers

Different Aspects of Krishna’s Lila

Question: Śaivites in my circle claim that Lord Kṛṣṇa worshipped Lord Śiva to get a son, who was named Sāmba. Is this true? Answer: It is true. Rāma worshiped Śiva before building Rāma Setu. Similarly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa worshiped Śiva to get Sāmba. This is their nara-līlā. They are playing the role of human beings. Just

Read More
Questions & Answers Sadhana

Chanting and Realizing the Holy Name

Question: In the introduction to Bhagavat Sandarbha, you write: “Similarly, just as Bhagavān’s form is non-different from His essential being, so too His name is identical with Him. It has the same power as Bhagavān and is similarly beyond the grasp of the material senses. Realizing His name even once can free one from the

Read More
Questions & Answers Shastra

Absorption in Krishna, Lila, Narada’s Past Life

Question: I was going through the commentary on SB 5.8.26 where Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura talks about two kinds of prārabdha – śobhanam and aśobhanam. The śobhanam aspect produces bhakti which gives the pain of separation. This is like medicine applied to the eyes which might initially give irritation but results in good sight later.

Read More
Questions & Answers

Prayers to Guru, Faith and Grace

Question: If the Guru leaves this world and attains the nitya-līlā of Radha-Govinda, how does he actually hear the prayers of his disciples? He is only aware of his nitya-seva to Kṛṣṇa and is unaware of the prapañca (material word)?  So do the prayers of the disciples fall on deaf ears? How should we understand

Read More
Questions & Answers

Different Visions of Krishna

Seeing Kṛṣṇa as per One’s Bhāva Question: In a Bhagavat Sandarbha lecture, you mentioned that God appears in a mutually exclusive way to devotees, such that if one sees Him as a child, then one cannot see God’s Majesty. You cited the examples of Yaśodā and of Arjuna. However, Vyāsa saw Him in His complete

Read More