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sambandha, abhideya, prayojana...in that order?

Jason - March 30, 2005 4:47 am

Hare Krsna!

 

I've recently started to read Jaiva Dharma, in particular the translation by Narayana Maharaja, and I have made a decision to keep with my note-taking during readings. So, now, looking over the notes I took, I've got questions.

 

In the introduction, Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Goswami states that, "...spiritual topics should always be presented in proper order." He goes on to describe sambandha, abhideya and prayojana; specifically mentioning that particular order.

 

1. sambandha - establishing one's relationship with Krsna

2. abhideya - engagement in the means to awaken love for Krsna

3. prayojana - attainment of the goal of love for Krsna

 

If we go with those definitions, then I'm confused about the order? Isn't it through our engagement in the means to awaken our love for Krsna that we will establish our relationship with Him? By relationship does that mean our eternal svarupa?

 

I keep wanting to think that the order should be engage, establish and then attain.

 

Could someone help me out?

 

YS,

 

Jason

Jason - March 30, 2005 4:58 am

I don't really know how to do this, so forgive me if it doesn't work. These are my Gaura Nitai Deities here at home.

 

YS,

 

Jason

100_0740_copy.JPG

Jason - March 30, 2005 5:02 am

Living in cities, without a lot of space in apartments, I opted for an altar that goes UP instead of side to side. Thank God for IKEA!

100_0737_copy.JPG

Jason - March 30, 2005 5:18 am

OK...I'm just trying to get familiar with uploading photos now....but here's a sweet one I was holding onto since last summer. This was as close as I got to Tripurari Maharaja. I was too nervous to approach him. He's sitting here with HH Bodhayan Maharaja and HH Amiyavilasa Swami (in the middle). This was the first time I ever saw Tripurari Swami in person....that's why I saved the photo.

Tripurari_Swami__Amiyavilasa_Swami_copy.JPG

Vrindaranya Dasi - March 30, 2005 2:44 pm

Dandavats,

 

Sambandha is knowledge of relationships, and it includes knowledge of who you are, who Krsna is, what your relationship with Krsna is, what the world is, what the worlds relationship with Krsna is, etc. There are two levels of sambandha: theoretical and realized.

 

Theoretical sambandha jnana is a proper conceptual orientation, and you need this to get started in the process of bhakti yoga (abhideya). In the most simple sense, this means that you need to know that Krsna is God and you are his servant in order to serve him.

 

Realized sambandha jnana is fruit of sadhana bhakti, the awakening of your svarupa. It allows you to do abhideya on a much more effective level (bhava) than you can in sadhana bhakti. Bhava bhakti is the platform of bhakti proper, and the fruit of it is prema, our goal (prayojana).

 

Thus, both theoretical and realized sambandha help you perform abhideya better, and that is why they come before it.

 

For more on sambandha, abhideya, and prayojana, you can read the last three chapters of my Guru Maharaja's booklet Joy of Self, which has a chapter on each of these concepts.

 

Ys,

Vrindaranya

Karnamrita Das - March 30, 2005 4:17 pm

This isn't anything that has already been shared. There are so many references to these 3 stages. Lord Chaitanya said that there is no other subject in the vedas than knowledge of our relationship to Krsna, acting in that relationship, and the ultimate goal love of Krsna.

 

Sambandha-jnana refers to establishing one’s original relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, abhidheya refers to acting according to that constitutional relationship, and prayojana is the ultimate goal of life, which is to develop love of Godhead (premä pum-artho mahän).Cc Adi-lila ch. 7 vrs 73 pp

 

Some day we will have a folio for Swami's books as I am sure their are ample quotes from him as well, including what Vrndaranya mentioned.

 

Karnam