Philosophy
Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Philosophy Shastra

The Transcendental Nature of the Holy Name – Part 1

By Satyanarayana Dasa: In his Bhagavata-sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī establishes on the basis of various Vedic scriptures that the birth and actions of the Lord are transcendental and distinct from those of mortal beings. Jīva Gosvāmī furthermore verifies that Kṛṣṇa’s names are also spiritual. The Lord is called anāmā (lit. nameless), because He does not

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Philosophy Questions & Answers

Questions and Answers about Free Will, Tantra, Prostitutes

Question: Is free will an illusion? Answer: Yes, more or less. Unless one has spiritual knowledge, it is an illusion only. Question: Sometimes in shastra there are references to free will and that human life is the only with free will, but it seems also that many times in shastra there are statements that indicate

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Philosophy Questions & Answers Shastra

The Greatness of Bhakti

Question: Jiva Goswami writes in his tika of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.1.22 that the dog-eater needs to take another birth to qualify for the soma yaga, and quotes Sridhara Swami who says that his immediate qualification for sacrifice means that he is given the respect due to a qualified person ...

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Philosophy Questions & Answers Shastra

Haribhakti Vilasa, Krishna’s Avatara

The Status of Haribhakti Vilasa Question: I have a few questions about the status of Haribhakti Vilasa. Was it written for both devotees and smartas? Answer: It was written for Vaisnavas, but not specifically for Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Question: For what time was it written? For a specific time or for eternity? Answer: Not for any

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Philosophy

The Vaiṣṇava Concept of Māyā

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

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Philosophy Questions & Answers

Which Is the Best Path to Follow?

Question: What is the relation between bhakti marg and jnana yoga? Answer: Jnana yoga is a technical word. There are many misconceptions because the word jnana has many meanings. It generally means knowledge, but jnana yoga, although it is translated as path of knowledge ...

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Philosophy Shastra

What Is Jnana?

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 ....

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