The word "sambandha" is a Sanskrit term meaning "relationship". It is a key concept in Sanskrit grammar, and in Gaudiya Vaishnava theology. In the context of this tradition of Hinduism, sambandha-jnana means knowledge of the relationship between Almighty GodKrishna, Shakti, jivas, and the world. Accordingly, sambandha-jnana includes knowledge of the three tattvas or truths: Krishna-tattva, Shakti-tattva and jiva-tattva.
Sanskrit is a language of ancient India with a 3,500-year history. It is the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and the predominant language of most works of Hindu philosophy as well as some of the principal texts of Buddhism and Jainism. Sanskrit, in its variants and numerous dialects, was the lingua franca of ancient and medieval India. In the early 1st millennium CE, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, Sanskrit migrated to Southeast Asia, parts of East Asia and Central Asia, emerging as a language of high culture and of local ruling elites in these regions.
Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gauḍīya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu or Krishna". Its theological basis is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gītā and Bhāgavata Purāṇa as interpreted by early disciples of Chaitanya such as Sanātana Gosvāmin, Rūpa Gosvāmin, Jīva Gosvāmin, Gopala Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmin, and others.
Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana Dharma, "the eternal tradition", or the "eternal way", beyond human history. Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no founder. This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE, after the end of the Vedic period, and flourished in the medieval period, with the decline of Buddhism in India.
Sambandha in Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the relationship between Krishna, a jiva, and the material world. All jivas are eternally and inextricably linked with Krishna, who is the true object of all relations. The basic relationship between Krishna and a jiva is the attitude of a servant. By sadhana, which includes a repetition of Names of Lord Krishna (kirtan and japa), people can be freed from Maya and awakens in their heart their attachment as a servant of Krishna.
Kirtan or Kirtana is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts, connoting a musical form of narration or shared recitation, particularly of spiritual or religious ideas.
Japa is the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name. It is a practice found in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.
Vedic literature refers to the eternal relationship of a jiva with Krishna. Understanding of the relationship, and any subsequent action on the basis of this understanding, is called "abhidheya". Reaching Prema, or pure love of Krishna, and returning to the spiritual world in the company of Krishna and his associates, is the ultimate goal of life, which is called "prayojana".
The word "abhidhéya" is a Sanskrit term which, along with sambandham and prayojana, is one of the three fundamental concepts of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. It denotes a means of achieving the ultimate goal, dedicated ministry in the stage of practice Sadhana-Bhakti. Abhidheya is what a person must develop to achieve the ultimate goal—prem, or pure love of Krishna, which is considered the highest achievement of the prayojana.
Goloka also known as Goloka Vrindavana, Krishnaloka or Gokula, is the eternal supreme abode of Lord Krishna and Radha. In the Bhagavata Purana,Krishna is especially portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka.
In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition Sanatana Goswami is considered to be the Acharya of sambandha-jnana. The deity of Madan Mohan, installed by Sanatana in Vrindavan, is associated with sambandha. It is believed that he helps to overcome the influence of material desires and to focus on devotional service to Krishna.
Sanatana Goswami (1488–1558) was a principal disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sanatana wrote a number of important works in the bhakti tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and was the seniormost of the influential Six Goswamis of Vrindavan, among whom was his brother Rupa Goswami.
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a preceptor or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned person or a title affixed to the names of learned people. The designation has different meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism and secular contexts.
Madan Mohan is a form of the Hindu god, Krishna. Krishna is celebrated as Madan Mohan, who mesmerises everyone. His consort, Radha is glorified as Madan Mohan's Mohini, the mesmeriser of the mesmeriser for spiritual aspirants. Radha is known as the mediator without whom access to Krishna is not possible.
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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Hinduism:
Radha, also called Radhika, Radharani, and Radhe, is a Hindu goddess popular in Hinduism, especially in the Vaishnavism tradition. She is said to be the head of the milkmaids as Pradhan Gopika who resided in Braj Dham. She is the power potency of the supreme personality of Godhead Para Brahman, who is Shri Krishna according to Vaishnavite, Shrimad Bhagwatam, Bhagwat Geeta and other ancient texts. She is the personification of pure devotional service unto sri krishna. She is thought of as the supreme Goddess in her own right and celebrated on the festive day of Radhastami.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahaprabhu, honorific: "Mahāprabhu", , was a Bengali Hindu mystic, saint, and the chief proponent of the Achintya Bheda Abheda and Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. He also expounded the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga, based on Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita. Of various forms and direct or indirect expansions of Krishna such as Lord Narasimha, Maha-Vishnu and Garbhodakshaya Vishnu respectively, he is Krishna in the mood of a devotee. He popularised the chanting of the 'Hare Krishna (mantra)' and composed the Siksastakam in Sanskrit. His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as a Krishna with the mood and complexion of his source of inspiration Radha. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.
Paramatman or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman, or supreme Self, in various philosophies such as the Vedanta and Yoga schools in Hindu theology, as well as other Indian religions like Sikhism. The Paramatman is the "Primordial Self" or the "Self Beyond" who is spiritually practically identical with the Absolute, identical with the Brahman. Selflessness is the attribute of Paramatman, where all personality/individuality vanishes.
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva is an element or aspect of reality. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 tattvas, while Shaivism recognises 36 tattvas. In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of dhammas which constitute reality.
Jiva Goswami was a Indian philosopher and saint from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Vedanta tradition, producing a great number of philosophical works on the theology and practice of Bhakti yoga, Vaishnava Vedanta and associated disciplines. He was a member of Six Goswamis of Vrindavan, being the nephew of the two leading figures, Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami.
The Kali-Santarana Upanishad, also called Kalisantaraṇopaniṣad, is a Sanskrit text attached to the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda. It is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism.
Hinduism is a religion which incorporates diverse views on the concept of God. Different traditions of Hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or Nontheism.
Radha-Krishna are collectively known within Hinduism as the combined forms of feminine as well as the masculine realities of God. Radha and Krishna are the primeval forms of God and His pleasure potency respectively in the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of thought. In some schools of Vaishnavism, Krishna is referred to as Svayam Bhagavan, and Radha is illustrated as the primeval potency of the three main potencies of God, Hladini, Sandhini (eternality) and Samvit of which Radha is an embodiment of the feeling of love towards the almighty Lord, Krishna (Hladini). With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that Krishna or God is only satiated by devotional service in loving servitude and Radha is the personification of devotional service to the supreme. She is also considered in Vaishnavism as the total feminine energy and also as the Supreme Lakshmi (Adi-Lakshmi). Various devotees worship her with the understanding of her merciful nature as the only way to attain Krishna. Radha is also depicted to be Krishna himself, split into two, for the purpose of His enjoyment.
Svayam Bhagavān is a Sanskrit theological term for the concept of absolute representation of God as Bhagavan - The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation.
Sat Sandarbhas is a 16th-century Vaishnava Sanskrit text, authored by Gaudiya Vaishnava theologian Jiva Goswami. According to Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami had already done the preliminary work on Sat Sandarbhas but did not complete it. Jiva took the work of Gopala Bhatta and expanded it into six parts, systematically presenting the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and providing scriptural evidences. Jiva Goswami also wrote an extensive commentary to the Sat Sandarbhas called Sarva-samvadini. The Jiva Institute of Dr. Satyanarayana Dasa based in Vrindavan is engaged in what Lucian Wong calls an "ambitious Sandarbha translation project". The six Sandarbhas are as follows:
Achintya-Bheda-Abheda is a school of Vedanta representing the philosophy of inconceivable one-ness and difference. In Sanskrit achintya means 'inconceivable', bheda translates as 'difference', and abheda translates as 'non-difference'. The Gaudiya Vaishnava religious tradition employs the term in relation to the relationship of creation and creator, between God and his energies. It is believed that this philosophy was taught by the movement's theological founder Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and differentiates the Gaudiya tradition from the other Vaishnava Sampradayas. It can be understood as an integration of the strict dualist (dvaita) theology of Madhvacharya and the qualified monism (vishishtadvaita) of Ramanuja.
The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan were a group of devotional teachers (gurus) from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Vedic religion who lived in India during the 15th and 16th centuries. They are closely associated with the land of Vrindavan where they spent much time in service of the Bengali saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is considered as Krishna's yuga-avatar by the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage, who highly regard them for their extreme renunciation of physical comforts and pleasures in the practice of Bhakti Yoga, and for their philosophical presentations of the teachings of their guru, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Aishvarya which is a noun, means lordship or sovereignty, prosperity or royal or exalted rank. Prosperity, power and recognition by society are the three aspects of man’s life that constitute aishvarya which term also refers to the aishvarya or greatness of God and of Brahman.
This is a list of works by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874-1937), a Gaudiya Vaishnava leader and religious reformer. This list includes his original works, commentaries on canonical Vaishnava texts, and articles in periodicals Sajjana-toshani and the Gaudiya.
Dr. Satyanarayana Dasa is an Indian Gaudiya Vaisnava scholar and practitioner. Dasa is a polymath, holding a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Agra University, a degree in Indian law from Agra University, a Bachelors of Technology in Mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Masters of Technology in Industrial Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. Currently based in India at the Jiva Institute, which he founded, Dasa has published numerous books and original papers in the field of Gaudiya Vaisnavism including translations and commentaries on the Sat Sandarbhas. His honors include an award from the President of India in 2012. Dasa has been called a leading living practitioner-scholar of Jīva Gosvāmin.
Steven J. Rosen, also known as Satyaraja Dasa, is an American author. He is the founding editor of The Journal of Vaishnava Studies and an associate editor of Back to Godhead, the magazine of the Hare Krishna movement. He has authored more than 20 books on Vaishnavism and related subjects, including Black Lotus: The Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic (2007), which is the life story of Bhakti Tirtha Swami.
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.
Additional reference: Tadatmya Sambandha: A study in Relation of Identity, R.I. Ingalalli 1990 ISBN978-81-7030-239-1
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