Jīva Gosvāmi’s Disappearance Celebration at Jiva
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Jīva Gosvāmi’s Disappearance Celebration at Jiva

Jiva Goswami's Disappearance celebration at Jiva

Jiva Gosvami celebrationToday the Tirobhāva Mahotsava for Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda held at Jiva Institute. The following is an excerpt from the talk by Satyanarayana das Babaji on that occasion:

“…The means by which you get proper knowledge and experience is called pramāṇa. Just like if you want to see, then your eyes are pramāṇa for that. If you want to hear, then your ears are pramāṇa for that. But if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, if you want to have experience of Kṛṣṇa, then these eyes and ears are not pramāṇa for that. Pramāṇa is only śāstra. Jīva Gosvāmī says this in the very beginning of Tattva Sandarbha.

“Mahārāja (Śrī Haridas Shastri) used to say that Kṛṣṇa is the fruit of śāstra. We know that in Śrīmad Bhagavata it is written, ‘nigama kalpa taror galitaṁ phalam’, that Śrīmad Bhāgavata is the fruit of the tree of the Vedas. That fruit of the Bhāgavata comes from the Vedas, and Kṛṣṇa comes from the Bhāgavata. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa as He is, Svayaṁ Bhagavān, then you must know the Bhāgavata. It is only the Bhāgavatam that says ‘kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.’

“Although this is written in Śrīmad Bhagavata, it was actually Jīva Gosvāmī who established it in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha. Without his work, without his effort, without his research, you will not know how Kṛṣṇa is Svayaṁ Bhagavān.’ Jiva Goswami very authentically, with pramāṇa from śāstra, synthesizes the differing opinions to establish that Kṛṣṇa is not merely an avatāra; He is the source of the avatārī, Mahā-viṣṇu, the Puruṣa from whom all avatāras emanate. This Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha is the work we are presently working on, and hope to see published in another six months.

Jiva Gosvami“So that fruit in the form of Kṛṣṇa, if you want to taste this fruit, then you have to learn this knowledge. Otherwise, you cannot be sure which Krishna you are talking about: Arjuna? Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā? Kṛṣṇa in Mathurā? Kṛṣṇa in Vṛṇdāvana? Svayaṁ Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, if you want to know Him, this is the fruit of the work of Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmīpāda.

“Therefore we bow down to the feet of Śrī Jiva Gosvāmīpāda on this day as he gave us this most unparalleled work in the form of the Ṣaṭ Sandarbhas, and other commentaries. These wonderful books are the foundation of our sampradāya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sampradāya. We are very indebted to him, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī. How will we repay this debt? You can repay the debt by reading his books, and in the process, glorify Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. In this way, make your life successful.”

(submitted by Vinode Vani Devi Dasi)

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4 Comments

  • Parikshit December 21, 2017

    Thank you Babaji. _/\_

    I’m presently reading the Tattva Sandarbha. Each Anuccheda, each and every word, has absorbing meaning and I find myself fortunate to have come in contact with the masterpiece of Sri Jiva Goswami.

    Babaji’s translations have made the subject matter easy and clear.

  • Stoka Krsna Das December 22, 2017

    Thanks so much Babaji for translating the works of Sri Jiva Goswamipada.

    With your devotion and scholarship, it’s possible for us too, to get the factual content of what Sri Jiva Goswamipada has put in the Sandharbhas and become capable of relishing the fruit of Srimad Bhagavatam, Svayam Bhagvan Sri Krishna. To start reading the Sandharbhas, is it a prelude that one reads through the Bhagavatam. Have you written any book that gives Bhagavatam in a nutshell because I couldn’t see anything of that sort in the store.

    Thanks and Jaya!!!

    • Malatimanjari December 22, 2017

      Babaji has not written any such book.

  • Bhushan December 22, 2017

    Babaji,

    Thanks a lot for translating the Sandarbhas. I am currently reading the Bhakti Sandarbha: it is just amazing, mind=blown. Such forceful arguments, yet so lucid. I am simply amazed how Shri Jiva Goswami wrote this in 16-17th Century India in a small village, at a time where there were no printed books, no Telecom technologies, and certainly no Google search engine.

    Shri Jiva Goswami seems to have answered all sorts of questions/problems faced by practitioners. These include perennial questions like “Why I am not experiencing effects of bhakti?” and problems on balancing “spiritual and material life”. Even though I only read Bhakti Sandarbha casually, many of my misconceptions were cleared, what to speak of studying Sandarbhas meticulously.

    I feel fortunate to have come across the Sandarbhas and I hope many others will too.

    Thanks!

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