East or West
KC is the Best
veda-shastra kahe—
‘sambandha’, ‘abhidheya’, ‘prayojana’
‘krishna’—prapya sambandha,
‘bhakti’—praptyera sadhana
abhidheya-nama ‘bhakti’,
‘prema’—prayojana
purushartha-shiromani
prema maha-dhana
Realizations in
the Journey of Life
• Material life:
Realization of value-lessness
• Spiritual life:
Realization of value-ableness
Three Types of Paths
Exclusivism:
Pluralism:
“My way is the
only right way”
“All ways are
right.”
Inclusivism:
There is one way
with various
levels on it
Uniqueness of
Vedic revelation
1. Systematic Sambandha Jnana:
• With whom should I develop a relationship?
Why?
• What happens if I don’t? Why?
2. Practical, clear, potent Abhidheya:
• What is the process by which I can transfer my
love from krishnetara to Krishna?
3. Endearing, captivating Prayojana:
• What happens when I develop my love for God?
Sambandha with what?
Materialism: Possessions, Positions, People
Religious Materialism: God as means to above
things
Scientism: Particles
Impersonalism: Nothing
Bhakti: God
Who looks more attractive:
God or Man?
Hero – Krishna
Director – Yoga-Maya
Script-Writer – Krishna
Mundane
Literature
Revealed
Scriptures
H1-05
Revealed
Scriptures
Vedic
Scriptures
(Shruti)
H1-05
Shruti
Smriti
H1-05
Smriti
Vaishnava
Smriti
H1-05
Vaishnava
Smriti
Shrimad
Bhagavatam
H1-05
Shrimad
Bhagavatam
Dashama
Skanda
H1-05
Dashama
Skanda
Goswami
grantha
(eg. CC)
H1-05
•Mundane Literature
•Revealed Scripture
•Vedic Scripture (Shruti)
•Smriti (Purana / Itihasa)
•Vaishnava Smriti
•Shrimad Bhagavatam
•Dashama Skandha
•Goswami Grantha
The Calamity of
Impersonlism:
Depict the highest
revelation that can help
us come out of Maya to
itself be a product of
Maya.
Eg. Depicting medicine
as poison
Uniqueness of
Vedic revelation
1. Systematic Sambandha Jnana:
• With whom should I develop a relationship?
Why?
• What happens if I don’t? Why?
2. Practical, clear, potent Abhidheya:
• What is the process by which I can transfer my
love from krishnetara to Krishna?
3. Endearing, captivating Prayojana:
• What happens when I develop my love for God?
Are good intentions good enough?
Can willpower alone cure a
disease?
Eg. Cough, loose motion
21
How Abhidheya Works
The Progressive
Revelation of Bhakti
• Ramanuja: Continuous recollection of God
Love is a kind of knowledge, bhakti –
sadhana and phala
• Madhva: Strong emotion of love
accompanied by knowledge of God’s
majesty
• Nimbarka: Special kind of love, sadhana &
phala
• Vallabha: Love, Maryada and Pushti
The Progressive
Revelation of Bhakti
Jiva Goswami: Bhakti is the essence
of God’s int potency of bliss, which
is his most important potency.
Gaudiya Vaishnavism:
Unparalleled sweetness
sadhu-saìga, nama-kirtana,
bhagavata-shravana
mathura-vasa, shri-murtira
shraddhaya sevana
Uniqueness of
Vedic revelation
1. Systematic Sambandha Jnana:
•
With whom should I develop a relationship? Why?
•
What happens if I don’t? Why?
2. Practical, clear, potent Abhidheya:
•
What is the process by which I can transfer my love
from krishnetara to Krishna?
3. Endearing, captivating Prayojana:
•
What happens when I develop my love for God?
East or West
KC is the Best