Jahnava Nitai Das

Since 1992 I've seen at least 15 different transliteration schemes come and go on the internet. As such I don't really make a big deal about it. Now Harvard-Kyoto seems to be the best and most practical, but I don't like the 'G' for the 'n' in 'sanjaya'. It just doesn't read well. As for other systems, I've never liked the 'ee' and 'oo', that's something left over form Max Mueller and his hindoo studies. I would rather write 'srimad bhagavad gita' rather than 'shreemad bhagavad-geetaa' simply because it is easier to read. Of course there are also those who prefer the 'ii' instead, like in tiirtha, but it just looks like a spelling mistake to me, and doesn't help out much at all. And about Krishna, or Krsna. In certain schools of sankrit pronunciation it is 'krushna', and even to this day in Orissa they chant hare krushna hare krushna krushna krushna hare hare. Now the 's' in 'sri' is another zoological wonder. Should we write 's', 'sh', 'z', 'S', 'Sh' or the ridiculous " s' " which was in vogue eight or nine years back? And as far as itrans, you need a translator to figure out what is being written! For me, I just stick with whatever shows up as I type. I'm not all that concerned since those who know enough to appreciate the verses can identify the letters by context. It is something like if I mispell a word in English, everyone knows what I was intending to say.

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Here is the colophone verse to the Bhagavad Gita that occurs at the end of each chapter. This is the 18th chapter in particular, but it is nearly identical for the other chapters as well. It states the Bhagavad Gita to be an Upanishad, to be Yoga-shastra, and to be Brahma-vidya. om tatsaditi shrimad bhagavadgitasupanishatsu brahmavidyaya yogashastre shri krishnarjuna samvade moksha sannyasayogo namashtadasho 'dhyayah "Thus with the utterenance of Om, Tat, Sat, in the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of brahman (brahma-vidya), the science of yoga (yoga-shastra) and the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, this is the eighteenth chapter, titled moksha sannyasa yoga."

A secondary question would be what causes certain cells to cease reproducing, and thereby "refreshing" the body.

You are trying to compare apples and oranges. Faith is possessed by all the four kinds of people who surrender to the Lord, in varying degrees. It is that faith in God that separates these four from the other four; it is what makes one a sukritinah and not a dushkritinah. Your writing just seems to be full of criticism of some personal problems and misunderstandings you had in the past, which you are now resentful of. You try to flower up your criticisms with a little Bhagavad Gita or a couple words of "shruti" thrown in, but it does not hide the anger you are trying to express. Regardless, you are failing to understand the distinction between conditional and constitutional intelligence, and the resultant sraddha that is created by utilizing each. These are things people learn in the bhakta classes, thus you are most probably intentionally merging the two categories into one. Give the dog a bad name and then hang it, or so the saying goes. The Gita says: sraddhavan labhate jnanam "A faithful man attains knowledge." Your idea that one should cultivate intelligence without sraddha is contrary to the Gita's message. Intelligence is the natural by-product of purified faith. Elsewhere Krishna states the "faithful" devotee to be the highest among all. sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah "He who worships me with great faith is considered by Me to be one who has attained the supreme union." The Bhagavatam (3.25.25) states: taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati "By hearing and reciting the pastimes of Sri Hari one advances on the path of liberation. Subsequently, firm faith (sraddha), attachment (rati), and devotion (bhakti) follow, in that order." Sraddha is a step towards devotion, without which there can be no bhakti. For this reason the gaudiya acharyas state: adau sraddha tatah sadhu sangah "In the beginning one must have faith and then associate with saintly people." This is the first step in advancing in bhakti. According to one's faith one will choose one's association. For example, I will choose to associate with certain sadhus, and you will choose to associate with other sadhus. Whom we choose to associate with is based on each of our faith, though this faith is still conditional and not constitutional. mayy avesya mano ye mam nitya-yukta upasate sraddhaya parayopetas te me yuktatama matah "He whose mind is fixed on Me, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect." [Also refer Gita 12.20] We should not confuse a word to mean the same thing in different places just because it is spelled the same. Krishna uses the word sraddha throughout the Gita in various ways, sometimes indicating conditional faith and sometimes constitutional faith. As far as intelligence, one must understand what are the twenty constituents of knowledge. Only then is it possible to understand the connection between faith and intelligence. Otherwise you will continue thinking they are two separate things which one must choose between. In addition to this, if one looks at the other related words that Lord Krishna uses, such as asamshaya, nistha, etc., the stress put on faith is quite direct. As far as the faithless people, Lord Krishna describes them as well: ajnas casraddadhanas ca samsayatma vinasyati nayam loko 'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah "But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."

I spent two hours trying to recover the lost messages but with no luck, except for the four messages in the other thread (part two). If you have the texts saved, you could try reposting them. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I spent two hours trying to recover the lost messages but with no luck, except for the four messages above. If you have the texts saved, you could try reposting them. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yeah, I got a couple of those old books, science text books to be exact. Published by MacMillan and Company. They are around 25 years old. It is amazing how many of the theories in there have been proven false today, and how most of what is in these old science books isn't in the books printed today (except of course for in India, where the text books are still 30 years behind the rest of the world). It is funny how some people are willing to put faith into old books, even when they are yet to become old.

Is that the site that says "the supreme power creates other powers like Vishnu and Shiva", which is 100% bogus and against the shruti? This is what I objected too, and I still do. No matter who claims that this is the teaching of Vallabha, it is either a lie or a misrepresentation. What Vallabha says and the "translation" given are absolutely different, and the translation does not conform to Sri Vallabha's siddhanta, but instead to modern Hinduism. Modern Hinduism did not exist during the time of Sri Vallabha, thus an argument that he was trying to give instructions to Hindus is again misleading. At the time of Vallabha, the sects of sanatana dharma were still well defined, unlike today. Again, here is the exact quote which I objected too: But on the positive side, this is very close to what Swami Vivekananda taught. And some consider him a great saint, others as a religious politician.

That is speculation on your part. The text is published by Bhaktivedanta Academy (affiliated with the Gaudiya line), but you do not know who the author is. You presume him to be a Gaudiya, and therefore you consider it biased. Regardless, one should look at the subject matter. It is possible to write on a topic in a scholarly manner without letting one's personal opinions influence the subject. Thus one could even be a Christian, Muslim or Hindu and write about Sri Vallabha's Pushti marga in an accurate and non-distorted manner. Coming from someone who thinks Vallabha taught that: Thus I don't give much weight to your view on what Pushti marga actually says. And your analysis of the above post is childish (especially considering what you have attributed to Vallabha). Please have a look at the quoted message you posted in an earlier thread and think seriously if it had anything to do with Vallabha's teachings. Perhaps you should go post a correction for the benefit of the public. Anyway, I don't have time to point out such things everytime they occur. [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-19-2001).]

S a n g a Thursday, July 19, 2001 Friday, July 20, Amavasya [dark moon]. Disappearance of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Deva Goswami. "This is what saranagati (surrender) means: retiring that which is unfavorable and accepting that which is favorable. The drama of bhakti is performed on the stage of saranagati. This foundation must be in place." Q&A discussion with Swami B.V. Tripurari. Q. Although I am regularly chanting the holy name I haven't developed any love for Radha Krsna. Because of this I am often attracted to material things and become bewildered. A. It is natural in the early stages that those on the path of bhakti may get distracted by material desires. One should strive by right means to control and overcome these desires, dovetailing and ultimately transcending them. This is what yoga is all about. As we advance our conditioning becomes more apparent. Then we must deal with it appropriately, especially by taking steps to retire habits and thoughts that are not conducive to progress. This is what saranagati (surrender) means for the neophyte: retiring that which is unfavorable and accepting that which is favorable for spiritual progress. The drama of bhakti is performed on the stage of saranagati. So this foundation must be in place. Service to Radha Krsna should be focused on service to Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas, who have come to tell us about this service and represent them. Try to always stay in good company. Nothing will be more conducive to spiritual progress. Q. In this month's Audarya Darshan you wrote, "We are to be in the world, but never of it. The only thing we can change in life is our orientation to it." What do you mean? A. We (being consciousness) are to be in the world but should not think ourselves to be of it (matter). We should not be ruled by matter, but rather by God. We should move in the world knowing that matter also belongs to God, and thus not objectify people and things thinking them to be ours to do with as we like. Krsna says it this way in the Gita, "One who works without attachment ascribing his actions to God is not tainted by evil, just as a lotus leaf while in the water is not touched by it." This month's Audarya Darshan can be viewed at http://www.audarya.org/editorial Q. I am 62 years old and have struggled with Krsna consciousness for many years and failed mostly. What is the best way for this soul to make some progress? A. Find a sadhu who inspires you and live in his association. Q. I read in Gaura-lila where Caitanya Mahaprabhu, upon seeing Lord Nityananda naked, told those present to take a piece of Nityananda's kaupina (loin cloth), put it on their heads and worship it with care. How does one worship Nityananda's kaupina? If I know this will I not surely get the mercy of Lord Nityanada? A. You can wear the cloth as an armlet or neck band. However, please don't think that by doing this you can forego important devotional practices, saranagati, and so on and still make spiritual progress. If you have such faith in Nityananda Prabhu and what Mahaprabhu said about him, you should act in such a way that you will endear yourself to them. Mahaprabhu said these kinds of things about Nitai in order to bring attention to his spiritual stature. The natural result of understanding the significance of Nityananda Prabhu's appearance is taking shelter of his precepts. Don't think that Mahaprabhu said 'wear the kaupina of Nitai and you will conquer over lust' for any other reason than to draw attention to the greatness of Nitai and thus all that he stands for. His statement is not to be taken as a magical short cut to spiritual life. However sincere your intentions may be, please don't delude yourself, especially not in the name of Gaura and Nityananda. Q. I have a bramachari friend in Rishikesha, India who wants to know if you have an ashrama there. He would like to meet you. A. I do not have an ashram in Rishikesha, but I warmly invite your friend to visit me here at Audarya, which in many ways reminds me of Rishikesha. Q. I've never been able to follow the spiritual path very well. Is there hope for me? How can a person in the grihasta ashram (householder) pursue the spiritual life that was so easy in the monastic ashram (brahmacari)? I fear I may lose whatever spiritual gain I've made in this life. A. The key to remaining enthusiastic in any ashram is association with advanced devotees and service under their guidance. According to Bhagavad-gita, one's progress in spiritual life is never lost, and if one is unsuccessful, he or she will pick up where they left of in the next life. The followng are some excerpts from chapter six of my new Gita commentary which I hope sheds some light on your question. Chapter Six, Verses 37-39 "Arjuna said: O Krsna, what destination befalls one who, although possessed of faith, is nevertheless uncontrolled? What happens to one whose mind has fallen away from yoga practice without having achieved perfection? O mighty-armed, is he not lost in his pursuit of transcendence like a riven cloud with no solid footing in either world? These are my doubts, O Krsna! Please cut through them, for other than you, no one is capable of destroying them completely." Bg 6.37-39 Comment: Arjuna's question is thoughtful. Should a person leave the karma-marga, he will not attain heaven or material success in the next life. That is Þne if in doing so he embraces yoga in pursuit of liberation. However, should he be unsuccessful in yoga practice, what will his position be then? It would seem that he attains neither heaven nor liberation, neither material nor spiritual perfection. Arjuna has implicit faith in Krsna, and his holy name and its efficacy. Here he addresses his friend as Krsna and implies that all success in yoga can be achieved by invoking the name of Krsna, the most complete nomenclature for the Absolute. Krsna responds to Arjuna's sincere inquiry with great affection. Verse 40 "The Lord of Sri said: O son of Partha, neither here in this world nor in the next is he vanquished. Anyone who is sincere, my dear friend, walks not the road of misfortune." Bg. 6.40 Comment: Here the all-compassionate Krsna replies, his heart going out to Arjuna and all of his devotees. His assurance is that "sincerity is invincible," 'na hi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati.' Anyone who does good is never overcome by evil. With this assurance one should practice yoga, difÞcult though it may be. The use of the word 'tata' indicates great affection on the part of Krsna, who speaks here as fatherly guru to his son-like disciple. Although Krsna's words are relevant for yoga practitioners in general, this verse is intended for his devotees in particular. Verses 41-42 "He who has fallen from the path of yoga attains heaven and dwells there for what seems an eternity. Then he is born again in a pious or aristocratic family. Or he may be born directly into a family of wise transcendentalists. Rare is such a birth in this world." Bg. 6.41-42 Comment: Contrary to Arjuna's thinking, Krsna reveals that the unsuccessful yogi attains both material happiness and eventually liberation. Here we are reminded of Krsna's Þrst instruction on the nature of yoga-dharma found in chapter two, verse forty, wherein he taught that efforts on the path of yoga never go in vain. The immature yogi or devotee attains material heaven where he is free to enjoy without karmic repercussion that sense pleasure that distracted him from his practice. This, however, does not include distractions that lead the practitioner off the path - deviations from pious, scripturally regulated life. It refers to distractions such as the desire to visit heaven itself. When the neophyte yogi has exhausted this propensity, he again takes birth on earth in a family that provides him the economic freedom or pious situation from which to pick up where he left off in his spiritual practice. The advanced yogi referred to in verse forty-two who falls from his practice need not go to heaven to exhaust his enjoying propensity. He takes birth directly in a family that is involved in yoga practice, receiving instruction in yoga from his very birth. Both the mature and immature yogis are assisted by efforts spent on the spiritual path, as the yogic tendency again asserts itself in their life. Krsna afÞrms this in the following verses. Verses 43-46 "Thereupon he regains the yogic intelligence cultivated in his previous life and once again strives for perfection, O son of Kuru. Due to his prior practice, he is carried along spontaneously. Even one who merely inquires about yoga transcends the ritualistic recitation of the Vedas. In this way, by persevering and restraining his mind, the yogi, completely cleansed of all evil tendencies and perfected through many births, Þnally attains the supreme goal. The yogi is superior to the ascetic, superior to the jnani, and superior to the ritualist as well. Therefore, Arjuna, be a yogi!" Bg. 6.43-46 Comment: Here Krsna summarizes his teaching thus far: "Become a yogi, Arjuna." He addresses his disciple as Arjuna, indicating his purity. In the concluding verse of this chapter, Krsna tells Arjuna that of all types of yogis, his devotee is the best. Verse 47 "Of all yogis, he who abides in me with full faith, worshipping me in devotion, is most intimately united with me and considered the best of all." Bg. 6.47 Comment: After the considerable discussion of yoga that began in the second chapter (Bg. 2.39), Krsna concludes his yoga discourse with this verse. Here he places his devotees on the highest rung of the ladder of yoga. Devotion to Krsna is the last word on yoga. Krsna indicated this throughout the Þrst six chapters and at the end of chapters two through six he has indicated that it is bhakti that Arjuna is to attain if he is to be the person Krsna wants him to be. The perfectly integrated person that Krsna has been teaching Arjuna about is his devotee. He is dutiful and responsible in all his actions. His actions are informed by higher knowledge, and he has realized the fruit of this detached action in the form of inner wisdom. His action is integrated with knowledge, and thus he is renounced even while acting. He is absorbed in meditation on God, and his heart swells with love for God and love for all beings. He has realized the cessation of material suffering, and he knows God as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Arjuna is spellbound at what it means to be Krsna's devotee!

Here is an article on Sri Vallabhacharya's shudhadvaita philosophy that I believe was published by Bhaktivedanta Academy many years ago. Suddhadvaita of Vallabhacarya Introduction: Suddhadvaita means the non-duality of Brahman which is pure, free from "maya". Thus the jiva and acit are essentially the same as Brahman, without involving the idea of maya. According to Sankara, for instance, Brahman creates this world only when it is conditioned by illussion, maya; but according to Vallabha, it is Brahman, pure without any connection to illussion, that creates the world. Source Of Knowledge: The highest authority is Veda in the system of Vallabhas"s philosophy. For metaphysical teachings he accepts the authority of Upanisads. He accepts Smrtis only if they agree with the Vedas like Manu"s book of law. From philosophical sutras, only the sutr as composed by Krsna in His incarnation as Vyasa are worthy of importance. For the same reason he accepts Mahabharata. Srimad Bhagavad-gita possesses unique significance in his philosopy. The Ramayana possesses full authority, because Valmiki composed it in "Samadhi bhasa". Puranas form a needful supplement to Sruti and Smrti; if the latter are like eyes, then the former is like the heart for knowledge. The Bhagavata is the highest means of help for salvation, because it calls forth the love for Krsna, wh ich warrants welfare; and brings us to maturity. No other book is so highly valued by Vallabha. The works of Pancaratra are expressly pointed out as authoritative and cited so often. Thus, the Upanisads, the Brahma-sutras and Gita are the pillars on which Vallabha erects his building of doctorines. To these 3 "prasthanas", the Bhagavata is joined as the fourth one, which he considers to be expressly of the similar worth because it wa s told by Vyasa in "samadi bhasa". The four holy scriptures complete and explain each other in a reciprocating way (i.e, they supplement and complement each other); as the Bhagavata explains the Brahma-sutras, these explain the Gita and the Gita explains the Veda. Definitions: 1. Brahman: According to Sri Vallabhacarya"s doctrine of "suddhadvaita", Brahman is a pure entity, free from "maya". It is conceived as non dual, one without a second. The universe with souls and matter, "maya" or "prakrti", "kala" or time, exists in one Supreme Rea lity. All these constitute the being of Brahman and as parts of the Brahman are not distinct from Him. Brahman is free from the 3 kinds of difference known as "svajatiya-bheda" (difference which appears between things of the same category), "vijatiya-bheda" (difference which appears between things of different category) and "svagata-bheda" (difference whi ch manifests itself in one and the same thing, either between its essence and form or between its component parts). It is omniscient and omnipotent and possesses an infinite number of attributes. It has marvellous powers ("aisvarya") by virtue of which it can even hold together things or attributes which are mutually opposed. Thus it is both qualified ("saguna") and unqualified ("nirguna"). It is one, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, possessed of an infinite number of attributes, and essentially of the na ture of "sat" (existence), "cit"(intelligence) and "ananda"(bliss). It is "suddha" (pure), i.e, never contaminated by connection with maya". Brahman has three forms, (i) the highest divine form ("adhidaivika") as Krsna or Purusottama, possessing an infinite number of auspicious attributes, attainable by a devotee; (ii) the "aksara" form ("adhyatmika"), in which all the attributes have become non-manifest and which alone is attainable by sages ("jnanin"), and (iii) the "antaryamin" form as seen in the incarnation or avataras of Visnu. Jiva and the world are identical with Brahman. Jiva is Brahman with the quality of bliss obscured and the physical world is Brahman with the quality of both bliss and intelligence obscured. Creation and destruction in their case mean the appearance ("avi rbhava") and disappearace ("tiraobhava") of Brahman in these forms. Brahman is both material and efficient cause of jiva and the world, manifesting itself in these forms simply for the purpose of sport ("lila"). In doing so, it does not undergo any change in essence. It is just like snake forming itself into coils. 2. Jiva: Jiva is an atomic part of Brahman, produced from its "cit" (intelligence) part, just as sparks are produced from fire. It is not an adjective of Brahman, but Brahman under limit. Jiva, being identical with Brahman, is endowed with all the divine powers ( "aisvarya"). It is bound by "avidya" when, by the will of Brhaman, its divine powers are obscured. There are three categories of jiva: "suddha" (pure), "samsarin" and "mukta". Jiva is "suddha" when its divine qualities, such as "aisvarya", are not obscured by "avidya" (ignorance); "samsarin" when, by the will of Brahman, its divine qualities are obscu red and it comes in contact with "avidya", identifying itself with the gross and subtle bodies; and "mukta" when, again by the will of Brahman, it is freed from bondage by "vidya". The jiva, though atomic can pervade the whole body by virtue of its quality of intelligence ("caitanya"), just as sandal-wood can by its fragrance make its existence known even where it does not exist. The souls to be found in "samsara" fall in 3 classes viz. (i) the divine ("daivi") souls, whch are fit for salvation ("mukti yogya"), (ii) the middle ("madhyama") or human souls who are destined for wandering ("srusti yogya") and (iii) the demoniac ("dan ava") souls who are condemned to gloom or darkness. This division of souls finds its reference in the old "Pancaratra" texts. The souls are also classified in another way in "pusti-pravah maryada bheda". Here four sorts of souls are distinguished. (i) Pusti souls which are redeemed by grace of God, (ii) maryada souls who attain salvation by following the Vedic precepts in the w ay of knowledge, (iii) pravaha souls who swim in the "current" of samsara in a demoniac way, and are (a) either "durgna" or bad nature and therefore sink down in darkness in the end, or (b) "agna" who are led astray at times by other demoniac ("asuras") p eople, but who can be improved again later, and lastly (iv) sambandhin souls, that is such as are without fixed character, who do not come out of samsara, let themselves be driven here and there, just like corrupt women ("charsani") who throw themselves i n the arms of this and that paramour now and then. As a matter of salvation, the pusti souls can enter into Goloka and participate in the joyful nature of God. Maryada souls carry in them only the spiritual, not the joyful nature of God, and are therefore capable of only intellectual salvation - the entr ance in the soul of the world ("aksara"). The pravaha souls have nothing to do, either with God"s joyful body, or with his spiritual nature, they can neither attain a commonplace with the Purusottama, nor enter the "aksara" but dissolve themselves in the blind darkness, an existence free from joy and spirit. There no question of salvation for the fourth class. Thus it follows that according to Vallabha only a few souls are fit for salvation, while others remain continuously in samsara or enter the darkness for ever. Vallabha also teaches the perpectual damnation of abandonded souls. 3. Jada: The inanimate world ("jada") is created from the "sat" (existence) part of Brahman. It is, therefore as real as Brahman. But the jiva, under the influence of "avidya", endows it with illusory forms. The world is real, but its appearance ("pratiti") to th e jiva under the spell of "avidya", is erroneous. It is like a man sitting on a moving boat perceiving a tree on the bank, to whom the tree appears to be in motion. The tree is real, but the perception of the motion of the tree is illusory. Similarly, the world which is essentially of the nature of Brahman and, therefore, purely subjective and free from difference, is real, but the objectivity and multiplicity, which the jiva in ignorance perceived in it, are unreal. Brahman is the non-different material and efficient cause of the Universe. Vallabha however does not use the term "upadana". He has described Brahman as the "samavayikarana". Beacause, "upadana" involves change while Brahman is unchangeable. The word "sa mavaya" implies identity. Thereby Vallabha stresses the complete identification of Brahman with the world. Brahman creates the cosmos not like a potter, who creates a pot from material different from that of his own self, and by turning the potter"s wheel which is something found outside his ownself, but He creates without any stuff and without instruments; like a yogin, He turns "Himself" into the world; just as milk becomes sour-milk of its own accord. This thesis of the enfolding of Brahman to the world finds its proof in the "satkaryavada", which accepts a universal identiy of cause and work. Just as an unrolled piece of cloth is not different from a rolled up one, so also the world is not different from Brahman. The plurality of appearances in the world says nothing against the being of God at their bottom: a bangle and a ring are different from each ot her, but both of them have the same material basis, namely gold. Thus the world created from Brahman ("brahma-karya") in the sense that Brahman itself is manifested in the form of the gross world. Thus the creation and destruction of Objects in this world mean only the manifestation ("avirbhava") and disappearance ("tirobhava") of the Brahman in those forms; and when Brahman appears as a product and as capable of being experienced ("anubhavayogya") the world is created; but when it goes back to its causal form and ceases to be the object of ordinary experience, the world is destroyed. The world is, therefore, as eternal and real as the Brahman itself, its creation and destruction being nothing but powers ("saktis") of Brahman. It is neither illusory nor e ssentially different from the Brahman. Vallabha accepts 23 tattvas in the creation of the world. They are Purusa, prakriti, 3 gunas, mahat, ahankara, manas, 5 jnanendriyas, 5 karmendriyas and the pancamahabhutas. It is characteristic in this enumeration that no difference is made between Puru sa and prakrti and their forms of development, because according to the of system of Vallabha both are only different ways of manifestation of God. 4. Bondage: According to Vallabha, the jiva"s association with "avidya", as well as his bondage and freedom, are brought about by the free will of Brahman for the purpose of sport. 5. Moksa: The moksa which consists in the absolute cessation of all misery and the experiencing of the bliss which was observed in the condition of samsara, can be attained by two means, bhakti (devotion) and jnana (knowledge). Of these the former is superior, sin ce it leads to the realisation of the divine form of the Brahman as Krsna or Purusottama, in which the anandamsa is at its best; while the latter is inferior, as it leads to the realisation of the second or non-determinate form of Brahman where the ananda msa is of an inferior order. Bhakti itself is of two degrees, "maryadabhakti" and "pustibhakti". In the former, the devotee attains moksa by practice of means ("sadhana") on his own part, such as, the disciplines laid down in the sastra, which produce an aversion to worldy things, or worship and prayer of Bhagavan. In the latter-and this is the higher kind of bhakti - the devotee, without having recourse to any sadhanas, depends upon nothing but pure and simple love of Him; his goal is only the service of Hari; his highest pleasure is to become one of the associated of Hari and to sport with him in the celestial Vrndavana. This "pustibhakti" is the privilege of only him whom Bhagavan is pleased to favour; it begins with "prema" which removes a liking for anything but Hari, and passing through "asakti" which produces a positive aversion to objects not connected with Hari, culminates in "vyasana" or entire devotion to Hari.

Yes, its "just now coming". But that does proove that the modern medical scientists do not know what is the cause of death, nor do they have a remedy for it. What is it that makes a body stop living?

It should be noted that that article was by people belonging to the smarta sect, who are advaitis; thus it is not just a Vaishnava view (which is the usual claim). In regards to the Gita being and Upanishad, this is stated in the colophone of the Bhagavad Gita, wherein it states Bhagavad Gita is an Upanishad, yoga-shastra, and brahma-vidya. This is chanted along with any recitation of the Gita. As a note, the colophone is not found in Prabhupada's edition of the Gita. It isn't clear who has composed the colophone (whether Vyasa or a later saint), but it has been accepted in principle by all the Acharyas including Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. In recent times, Sri Prabhupada has also propagated this concept. One can notice the devanagari title of his Bhagavad Gita is "Gitopanishad" even though in english it says "Bhagavad Gita As It Is".

We just created an online archive for the back issues of our news letter (Tattva Prakasha) located at: http://www.indiadivine.com/tattva.htm The following are the topics of the first eight issues:

I think if we look at the literal meaning of demi-god, it refers to a personality possessing some degree of power. From what I have read, God is derived from an old german word meaning one who possesses power. If this is true, then demi-god is one who possesses partial power. That is pretty much what a deva or vibhuti is. Well, if you want to get particular, it actually doesn't mean gods either. That is just an interpretive translation of the word, as much as demigods is as well. Regardless, we can just as well say "one who worships the devatas goes to the devatas." The meaning remains the same. [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-18-2001).]

Do you really believe this has anything to do with what Vallabha taught. This is pukka Hinduism mixed with a little general Vaishnavism; nothing to do with Vallabha. Anyway, Jai Sri Krishna. Pass the Srikhand.

Gita is refered to as Gitaopanishad by countless vedantists. It doesn't mean that it is one of the 108 upanishads, but that subject wise, it is an upanishad. Even Shankara's Gita Mahatmya describes the Gita as the milk coming from the cow of the Upanishads. The Gita is the essence of the Upanishads, and therefore it is respected on the same level as the Upanishads. As far as Veda-anta, it has no connection with a physical end or section of the vedas. The Upanishads are the end of the Vedas because they give the ultimate conclusion of the Vedas. Thus your question as to which Veda does Bhagavad Gita belong to is pointless, as that is not the meaning of Veda-anta. Krishna does say, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. He is the object of knowledge of the Vedas. Thus the Gita is on an equal level, giving complete knowledge of Himself. [This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-18-2001).]

Atman is the crude form of the noun, whereas AtmA is the nominative case of the noun. The rule is if the crude form ends in 'n' and the noun is not neuter, then the 'n' is dropped and the last vowel is lengthened. Thus: brahman becomes brahmA (The creator.) Atman becomes AtmA yogin becomes yogI Thus there is no difference between AtmA and Atman other than one's preference. You must be trying very hard to keep your eyes closed. Not the slightest indication? Good example, but for the wrong side. It's because the filament has broken. Try this experiment. Take a light bulb that has burnt out. Then shake it to get the two broken filaments to touch each other. Slowly put the bulb back in the socket, and presto - its alive again. Try that with a human. Up till now there isn't the slightest indication as to what it is that causes life to stop existing in a body. Therefore, intelligent people like yourself naturally ignore the speculative hypotheses of confused scientists. Well, not really, but anyway, you get the idea.

"The fruits of the offering were in appearence purely material-cows, horses, gold, offspring, men, physical strength, victory in battle. Here the difficulty thickened. But I had already found that the Vedic cow is an exceedingly enigmatic animal and came from no earthly herd. The word 'go' means both cow and light and in a number of passages evidently meant light even while putting forward the image of the cow. This is clear when we have to do with the cows of the sun - the Homeric kine of Helios - and the cows of the dawn. Psychologically, the physical light might well be used as a symbol of knowledge and especially the Divine knowledge. But how could this mere possibility be tested and established? I found that passages occured in which all the surrounding text was psychological and only the image of the cow interfered with its obstrusive material suggestion. Indra is invoked as the maker of perfect forms to drink the wine of Soma; drinking he becomes full of ecstasy and a "giver of cows"; then we can attain to his most intimate right thinkings, then we question him and his clear discernment brings us our highest good. It is obvious that in such a passage these cows can not be material herds nor would the giving of physical light carry any sense in the context. In one instance at least the physiological symbolism of the Vedic cow was established with certainty in my mind. I then applied it to other passages in which the word occured and always I saw that it resulted in the best sense and the greatest possible coherency in the context." - From Sri Aurobindo's 'On the Veda'

Here is a nice article I found on the internet today. It is from: http://members.nbci.com/hknetworks/aryaninvasion-page.htm A lot of the stuff there is speculative, but the following two sections deserve not.

Here is a nice article I found on the internet today. It is from: http://members.nbci.com/hknetworks/aryaninvasion-page.htm A lot of the stuff there is speculative, but the following two sections deserve not.

I apologize for repling so late. Somedays the connections are too bad and I can't load up the messages, so I just wait till later to reply. Krishna instructed Uddhava last before leaving the earth. This reference of Brahma-vaivarta purana is not being exact that this was the last instruction. It is a general account, that just prior to ending his descent he instructed Ganga. This in reference to the traditional date accepted as the beginning of Kali yuga (as 3102 B.C.) which is mostly universally accepted in present Vedic schools of thought, and incorporated in the sankalpas of every puja. Great astrological scholars such as Arya Bhatta have accepted this date for the beginning of the Kali yuga.

Sorry for the inconvenience. The server was down for around 8 hours today. It seems to be working alright now.

I noticed that while checking some of the claimed Valmiki Ramayana references that say Rama ate meat, some of them did not say meat at all, but the English translator chose to use the word "meat". To him food obviously meant meat, so when the text should have read "royal food" or something like that, He has put "meat".