Krishna.com ISKCON.com BBT.info
iskcon.com
  Home > ICJ Home > Issues On-line > ICJ Vol 4, No 2 December 1996 > The Soul and its Destiny (footnotes)
 
  SECTION GUIDE
·
Issues On-line
·
Journal Information
·
Subscribe to ICJ
·
ICJ Home
·
Home
   
 
Footnotes and references for

The Soul and its Destiny:
Vaishnava Perspectives

 

  1. Gaudiya Vaishnavism refers to that Vaishnava division which regards Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the fifteenth century Bengali saint, as the supreme Godhead Shri Krishna Himself.

     
  2. These terms were used by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in His instructions to Sanatana Goswami to categorise His teachings. See A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, trans. and comm., Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita 17 vols. (Los Angeles: BBT, 1975) Madhya 20.124:
    veda-shastra kahe-'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana'
    'krishn'-praapya sambandha, 'bhakti'-praaptyera saadhana
    "The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity's eternal relationship with Krishna, which is called sambandha. The living entity's understanding of this relationship and acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana."

     
  3.  acchedyo 'yam adaahyo 'yam
    akledyo' shoshya eva ca
    nityah sarva-gatah sthaanur
    acalo 'yam sanaatanah
    A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, trans. and comm., Bhagavad-gita As It Is (Los Angeles: BBT, 1989).

     
  4. The comparison of consciousness/body with sunlight/universe is found in Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 13.34:
    yathaa prakaasayaty ekah
    kritsnam lokam imam ravih
    kshetram kshetri tathaa kritsnam
    prakaasayati bhaarata
    "O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness."

     
  5. yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
    tyajaty ante kalevaram
    tam tam evaiti kaunteya
    sadaa tad-bhaava-bhaavitah
    Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 8.6.

     
  6. evam krishna-mater brahman
    naasaktasyaamalaatmanah
    kaalah praadurabhut kaale
    tadit saudaamani yatha
    prayujyamaane mayi taam
    suddhaam bhagavatim tanum
    aarabdha-karma-nirvaano
    nyapatat paanca-bhautikah
    A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, trans. and comm., Shrimad Bhagavatam, 12 cantos. (Los Angeles: BBT, 1978) 1.6.27-8.

     
  7. See Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 4.34:
    tad viddhi pranipaatena
    pariprasnena sevayaa
    upadekshyanti te jnaanam
    jnaaninas tattva-darsinah
    " Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire submissively and render service unto him. The self-realised souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

     
  8. om ajnaana timirandhasya
    jnaanaanjana-salaakayaa
    cakshur unmilitam yena
    tasmai shri gurave namah
    Rohininandana dasa, ed., Vaishnava Verse Book, (Borehamwood: BBL, 1990) p.194.

     
  9. See Prabhupada, Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 19.151:
    brahmaanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
    guru-krishna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
    "According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

     
  10. See Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51-2 for an explanation of the omnipotency of chanting God's names in the present age:
    kaler dosha-nidhe raajann
    asti hy eko mahaan gunah
    kirtanad eva krishnasya
    mukta-sangah param vrajet
    "My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom."
    krite yad dhyaayato vishnum
    tretayam yajato makhaih
    dvapare paricaryayam
    kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
    "Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra."

     
  11. See Prabhupäda, Caitanya-caritämåta Antya 20.12. The first of the only eight verses composed by Lord Caitanya describes the benefits of chanting God's holy names:
    ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
    shreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
    anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritasvadanam
    sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate shri-krishna-sankirtanam
    "Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krisha, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krisha expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step."

     
  12. Devotional service to God (bhakti-yoga) can take any one of nine forms: (1) hearing of the spiritual name, form, attributes and pastimes of Krisha (shravanam); (2) chanting Krisha's glories (kirtanam); (3) remembering Him (smaranam ); (4) serving His lotus feet (pada-sevanam); (5) worshipping Him (arcanam); (6) offering prayers (vandanam); (7) serving (dasyam); (8) befriending Him (sakhyam); (9) full surrender (atma-nivedanam).

     
  13. When devotional service is situated on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a ray of the sunlight of pure love for Krisha. At such a time devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes and is called bhaava.

     
  14. When bhaava softens the heart completely, becomes endowed with a great feeling of possessiveness in relation to the Lord, and becomes very much condensed and intensified, it is called premä.

     
  15. avyakto 'kshara ity uktas
    tam aahuh paramam gatim
    yam praapya na nivartante
    tad dhaama paramam mama
    Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 8.21

     
  16. See Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam 2.6.20:
    padas trayo bahis caasann
    aprajaanaam ya aasramaah
    "The spiritual world, which consists of three fourths of the Lord's energy, is situated beyond this material world, and it is especially meant for those who will never be reborn."

     
  17. The material universes, unlike the spiritual universes, are created from His external, material energies (bahiranga-shakti).

     
  18. cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vriksha-
    lakshavriteshu surabhir abhipaalayantam
    lakshmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamaanam
    govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
    "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakshmis or gopis."
    Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura, trans. and comm., Shri Brahma-samhita (Los Angeles: BBT, 1985) 5.29.

     
  19. See A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, Nectar of Devotion: A Summary Study of Shrila Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasaamrita-sindhu (Los Angeles: BBT, 1985) p.195.

     
  20. This is a translation of a verse composed by Rupa Goswami and found in Prabhupada, Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 1.6:
    shri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidriso vaanayaivaa-
    svaadyo yenaadbhuta-madhurimaa kidriso vaa madiyah
    saukhyam caasyaa mad-anubhavatah kidrisam veti lobhaat
    tad-bhaavaadhyah samajani saci-garbha-sindhau harinduh

Back to Article

 

Back to Vol. 4, No. 2 Contents

Print this page
     
  Home · News · About · Worldwide · Culture · ICJ · Education · Site Information
  © 2002-2004 International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) All Rights Reserved