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Footnotes and references for
The Soul and its Destiny:
Vaishnava Perspectives
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- Gaudiya Vaishnavism refers to that Vaishnava
division which regards Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the fifteenth
century Bengali saint, as the supreme Godhead Shri Krishna Himself.
- 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."
- 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).
- 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."
- yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sadaa tad-bhaava-bhaavitah
Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 8.6.
- 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.
- 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."
- om ajnaana timirandhasya
jnaanaanjana-salaakayaa
cakshur unmilitam yena
tasmai shri gurave namah
Rohininandana dasa, ed., Vaishnava Verse Book, (Borehamwood:
BBL, 1990) p.194.
- 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.
- 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."
- 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."
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- avyakto 'kshara ity uktas
tam aahuh paramam gatim
yam praapya na nivartante
tad dhaama paramam mama
Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 8.21
- 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."
- The material universes, unlike the spiritual
universes, are created from His external, material energies (bahiranga-shakti).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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