Category: Uncategorized
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Deity Worship in Practice: A Living Example from a Devotee’s Life
In the previous article, we discussed the importance of deity worship (arcana) in Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a means to cultivate personal devotion, discipline the senses, and deepen one’s relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While these principles are rooted in śāstra and theology, their true beauty becomes most evident when we see how deity worship is lived and…
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First Understand your own School
Question: The Bhāgavata Purāṇa itself claims to have 18,000 verses (SB 12.13.9). However, if we count, we find only 14,094 verses. How is this to be understood? Answer: Bhāgavata contains both ślokas and prose. There are lengthy prose texts in the Fifth Canto. They cannot be counted as one śloka. If you count all the words in Śrīmad Bhāgavata, both ślokas and prose, and then…
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Aropa-siddha: Superimposition of Bhakti
In Bhakti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 217), Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī divides bhakti into three categories, namely āropa-siddhā,saṅga-siddhā and svarūpa-siddhā. It is easy to understand the last category but there is some confusion about the others, especially the first one. As human beings we have ability to act using our mind, body, and speech. These actions can be Vedic or laukika. The Vedic actions are those that are…