Jagat

This is the concluding anuccheda of the arcana section. Sri Jiva Prabhu gives a lengthy defense of Ekadasi, no doubt this extended discussion is an indication of controversies in Vrindavan, where the Radha Vallabha sampradaya considers honoring prasadam to be a higher principle than fasting. Jiva appears to have the shastras on his side. Anuccheda 299 Limbs of Arcana – Janmāṣṭamī, Kārttika vows, Ekādaśī, Bathing in Māgha 299.1 Janmāṣṭamī तदेतदर्चनं व्याख्यातम्। अस्याङ्गानि चागमादौ ज्ञेयानि। तथा श्रीकृष्णजन्माष्टमीकार्त्तिकव्रतैकादशीमाघ-स्नानादिकमत्रैवान्तर्भाव्यम्। In this way arcanam has been described. The various limbs of worship can be learnt from books, such as the Āgamas. Other devotional practices, such as the celebration of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, observance of vows during the month of Kārtika, fasting on Ekādaśī, and bathing during the month of Māgha, are to be included as parts of arcanam . तत्र जन्माष्टमी यथा विष्णुरहस्ये ब्रह्मनारदसंवादे— Among these, Kṛṣṇa...

Ooof! I wanted to write something about Karttik and how it is starting. Since I got to Vrindavan I have been kind of holed up in Bhakti Sandarbha land. But I must say that I have been doing a little bhakti as well (he insisted). Well, that is actually one thing I really like about Braja Bhajan. It is that you can lie around and do pretty much nothing and still not feel you have to feel guilty because after all you are in Braj, where just lying around doing nothing is bhakti. Can't really do that anywhere else, you know. Well, there is always residue guilt for someone like me. I was talking with Madhavendra Puri on Ekadasi and discussing what we were doing for Karttik. Neither of us had ambitious plans, just kind of "I am going to get more into what I am already into." But I do feel that the old guilts need to be tended to. So I am truly getting serious about completing some 99%-complete projects that have been awaiting finishing touches for eternities. I am fee...