Tattva-viveka
Rasa-tattva Exam
Bhrigu - March 9, 2005 3:49 pm
Dear devotees,
Here is the "mini"-exam on rasa-tattva for those who are interested. It may look daunting at first, but all the answers can be found in the "rasa-tattva" - thread. Especially Guru Maharaja's "lessons" are important to read, but some important points are also brought out in the discussions ensuing from questions to the lessons.
The goal of this exam is to give a basic knowledge of the terminology used in rasa-tattva. There are quite a bit of new terms involved for those of us having the basic ISKCON training in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, but once one has learnt them and the basic structure of all of this, the general stuff is not so complicated after all. This is not just an idle intellectual exercise; Guru Maharaja has made it quite clear that he wants us to learn these things, and also explained why.
Good luck!
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1. Define bhakti-rasa.
2. What is sthayi-bhava, and at what devotional stage does it arise?
3. Which are the a ) primary and b ) secondary sthayi-bhavas? For each bhava, mention one person who has it.
4. What is a ) alambana-vibhava and b ) uddipana-vibhava?
5. How does the guru relate to the asraya-alambana-vibhava?
6. What is anubhava?
7. What is the difference between devotional acts on the sadhana and bhava/ prema platforms?
8. What is sattvika-bhava, and how does it differ from anubhava?
9. What is vyabhicari-bhava, and how does it differ from secondary sthayi-bhavas?
10. Make up an example where as many as possible of the above terms are illustrated!
Shyam Gopal Das - March 10, 2005 5:49 pm
Thanks Bhrigu. I've printed it out and will take a look at it this weekend.
Swami - March 11, 2005 6:01 pm
I have started a new thread on nistha consisting thus far of the post from this one going in that direction. See you there!
Guru-nistha Das - March 12, 2005 4:02 am
Hah, a "mini" exam indeed! It's really nice, though. Thanks for posting it Bhrigu. I'm going to answer it in few days.
Shyam Gopal Das - March 12, 2005 7:12 pm
alright, I finished the exam. I liked it a lot and it is very helpful in my understanding of rasa. Now what should I do with my answers? Are you going to post the perfect answers here, Bhrigu? So we can check them ourselves and discuss how our answers may differ?
Shyam Gopal Das - March 16, 2005 3:59 pm
Bhrigu, did you read my last post?
Babhru Das - March 16, 2005 6:30 pm
Is there some way the answers could be posted so they're available only to those who have completed the exam and post their answers, as is done with polls? I think I may not be the only one who hasn't finished yet, and I think this would be a good way to handle the exams, if it's possible.
Bhrigu - March 16, 2005 9:51 pm
Sorry not to reply earlier, Shyamagopala and Babhru Prabhus. I am in Sweden, working hard together with a collegue on finishing a project long overdue. I won't be back before next Tuesday. Is it Ok to wait until after that? As for the answers, I could post them in a separate thread, one which only those who have taken the exam could read. Perhaps we should put some kind of Upanishadic (that's what I'm working on right now) curse on it: the heads of those who dare to read it without having done the exam will fall off... 
Bhrigu - March 24, 2005 7:16 pm
I just posted the answers to the exam in a separate thread. Please do not read them before you have tried to answer them yourselves.