Jagat

Art by Shyam Nadh You try to explain or retain the symbolism of Radha Krishna Lila by Jungian archetype theory which does not make any link between the material world and the transcendental world as BVT's theory does. I agree that it has some explanatory power. However, this view requires a different view of rasa theory from that of the Goswamis. First of all, as I already stated previously, there seems to be a little bit of confusion about the "dustbin of Maya" comment, which is indeed Mayavada. I do not hold that view myself. I am a Vaishnava and I believe strongly that the material world is real, though temporary. Maya means taking temporary phenomena as having ultimate value. They have only reflected value. I am in perfect accord with Bhaktivinoda Thakur here. Nevertheless, we do have a problem, and I don't see how it can be resolved by taking a purely literalist approach. That may be what Bhaktivinoda Thakur did; it is quite possible, but I do not find ...

In proceeding through the materials that shed light on the dāna-līlā , it is necessary to look at a theme described in nearly all the biographies of Chaitanya to a greater or lesser degree, namely that of the play that takes place in Chandrasekhara's house. It is always interesting to trace the different treatment of Mahaprabhu's līlās through the different accounts of his life, and this one, the biographers agree, seems to have been one of the more important events during the 13-month period between Chaitanya’s trip to Gaya and his taking sannyasa. In the optic of the dāna-līlā , we will see that though the information is sparse, certain details are found that at least give us a sense that the themes of Chandi Das’s SKK – even if not directly attributable to him – had become an integral part of any Bengali’s vision of the Krishna story, whether they were committed Vaishnavas or not. The dāna-līlā only becomes of real significance in Kavi Karnapur's relatively late Ca...