Jagat

From my daily japa walk in Laval Quebec. Part I The third and last subcategory of the āśrita is the sevā-niṣṭha, or one dedicated fully to his service, taking shelter, I would assume, of his service. c) sevā-niṣṭhāḥ mūlato bhajanāsaktāḥ sevā-niṣṭhā itīritāḥ | candradhvajo harihayo bahulāśvas tathā nṛpāḥ | ikṣvākuḥ śrutadevāś ca puṇḍarīkādayaś ca te || Those who are attached to bhajana from the beginning are called "fixed in service" ( sevā-niṣṭha ) (3.2.29) The examples are of some lesser known figures kings like Candradhvaja, Harihaya, Bahulāśva, Ikṣvāku, Śrutadeva and Puṇḍarīka. The commentaries make no effort to explain these kings' particular character. Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva figure in 10.86 but I haven't analysed them in order to get an idea of this separate category. Here is the exemplary verse: ātmārāmān api gamayati tvad-guṇo gāna-goṣṭhīṁ śūnyodyāne nayati vihagān apy alaṁ bhikṣu-caryām | ity utkarṣaṁ kam api sa-camatkāram ākarṇya citraṁ sevāyāṁ t...

From my daily japa walk in Laval QC It is my contention that we should understand the five relational rasas on the basis of human relationships. I was reminded today by a friend of the debate I had a few years ago with Babaji about "love in this world." My contention is that even though we may deny the perfection of the love in this world, if we say that Krishna needs to come into the world not only to teach but to experience love, then love or at least the conditions of love are only possible in the world of death and imperfection. This is indeed a philosophical position that is essential to understanding the avatar doctrine as found in Chaitanya Vaishnavism. It is my further contention that the different relations represent different sādhanas on the way to the completion of the sādhana of prema . Krishna appears to us in our different relationships. A madhyama devotee restricts his relationships to other devotees because the culture of loving relationships must begin with...