Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya
Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Philosophy Shastra

No One Falls From Vaikuṇṭha – Part 4 (Bhagavat Sandarbha, 51)

(2) There is no possibility of committing sin in the spiritual world. Sin and piety exist only in the material world, both being products of the guṇas of nature. A devotee in the spiritual world is situated in his eternal inherent nature (svarūpa), free from material covering or ignorance...

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Gaudiya Vaishnavas Questions & Answers

Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s Role in the Gaudiya Sampradaya

Question: On your website [under Lineage], you say that “Jiva Gosvami’s uncles, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami received diksha from Gadadhara Pandita and Jiva Gosvami followed in the line of his uncles.” I do not see that anywhere in our Vaishnava literature. Is that in Chaitanya Charitamrta?

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Questions & Answers

Is Bhakti a Modification of the Mind?

Question: As you know, Madhusūdana Sarasvatī is a famous Advaitin who wrote a commentary on Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.1.1 called Śrīmad-bhāgavata-prathama-śloka-vyākhyā and also a book called Bhaktirasāyana in which he characterizes Bhakti as the parama-puruṣārtha.  Many have noted that his belief in Advaita is inconsistent with his belief that Bhakti is the parama-puruṣārtha, but my question

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Philosophy Questions & Answers

There Is no Upgrade for Sthayi-bhava

Question: At the end of the Caitanya Candroday Nataka Mahaprabhu tells Advaita Acarya: “Some devotees are in a mood of servitude, some are fixed in a fraternal mood, some are fixed in the love of Radha and Madhava, others in the Lord of Dvaraka and again others in My different descensions such as Rama and

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Questions & Answers

Short Questions and Answers

Association Question: How detrimental is the regular association of non-devotees (in terms of family, and business associates)? And what is to be done about it? Answer: It is not detrimental if you are fixed in your goal of devotion to God, rather you will influence them. * Enjoyment Question: Is the aim to stop material

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Articles by Satyanarayana Dasa Philosophy

Are Bliss and Knowledge Inherent?

By Satyanarayana Dasa: Among modern spiritualists there is a common belief that each individual being is full of bliss and knowledge. They claim that everyone is perfect, and it is just a matter of discovering one’s real nature. The Self is part of God, as confirmed by Sri Krsna, “The living being in this world

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Questions & Answers

Apparent Contradictions in Shastra

Question: Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Bhakti Sandarbha, anuccheda 286 says : “The asuras, or demons, however, who participated in the Lord’s pastimes in this world, are not present as conscious entities in the Lord’s abode. Rather, they are felt to be there in a figurative sense as representations of the same forms witnessed in this world.

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