soc.religion.vaishnava -- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Shrisha Rao Newsgroups: soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.info, alt.magick.tyagi, alt.religion.vaisnava Subject: soc.religion.vaishnava -- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Date: 2 Jul 1999 12:55:15 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: srv-arc@hgsoft.com,srv-admin@hgsoft.com Summary: This is the regularly-posted FAQ for the SRV newsgroup. Keywords: noarchive, Vedanta, Vaishnava X-Last-Updated: 1997/01/23 X-Url: http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/list/ X-Submission-Address: srv@pobox.com X-Administrative-Address: srv-admin@pobox.com Archive-Name: religions/vaishnava/faq Posting-Frequency: weekly Frequently Asked Questions for soc.religion.vaishnava (moderated) Last update: January 24, 1997 (Previous update: April 26, 1996) Note: This FAQ is not an "official" document, and statements contained herein are NOT to be assumed to be applicable, or acceptable, to all who consider themselves Vaishnavas. Please read the disclaimer (Appendix D). Useful information: Moderation address: srv@pobox.com Administrative address: srv-admin@pobox.com Posting assistance srv-help@pobox.com Web version of this FAQ: http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/srv/srv_faq.html Web version of bot help file: http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/srv/srv_help.html Web address of SRV status page http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/srvstat.htm Web address of SRV info http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/index.htm SRV mailing list (submissions) srv-list@hgsoft.com SRV mailing list (subscription) listproc@hgsoft.com Sections: I. General information and advice i) What UseNet is ii) Finding out about UseNet newsgroups iii) Finding soc.religion.vaishnava iv) Finding this FAQ v) Auto-moderator help file vi) Other sites where this document is available vii) How to reach moderators (in case of repeated or special difficulty, etc.) viii) Other related FAQs II. Recent changes III. Some questions about Vaishnavism IV. Keyword list V. Appendix A: Some words often used in Vaishnava discussions VI. Appendix B: A guide to pronunciation VII. Appendix C: Charter and moderation policy for SRV VIII. Appendix D: Disclaimer and restrictions I. General information and advice. ----------------------------------- i> What UseNet is ----------------- There exists a UseNet (also written 'Usenet') newsgroup by name of soc.religion.vaishnava; if you are not sure what UseNet is, or how to access a specific newsgroup on it, please contact your system administrator or other (local) knowledgeable person for help; it is unlikely that the persons responsible for creating or maintaining this FAQ can offer assistance. ii> Finding out about UseNet newsgroups --------------------------------------- If you have some inkling about newsgroups, but would like to know more about UseNet, how to post to newsgroups, differences between moderated and unmoderated newsgroups, posting etiquette, etc., then you may wish to read the regular postings to the newsgroup news.announce.newusers, for answers and information. These postings are also archived on the World-Wide Web (WWW) at http://www.smartpages.com/bngfaqs/news/announce/newusers/top.html If you are new to UseNet, then the following regularly appearing postings to news.announce.newusers (also available on the web, as noted above) may be of particular interest to you: Welcome to Usenet by Mark Moraes What is Usenet? by Mark Moraes Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet by Mark Moraes How to find the right place to post (FAQ) by Aliza R. Panitz Rules for posting to Usenet by Mark Moraes Please make sure to read these and other news.announce.newusers documents, and seek local assistance, if your doubt or problem relates to UseNet as such rather than to the specific newsgroup you are interested in. Specifically, a newsgroup is _not_ the same as a mailing list; postings to the former do not appear in one's mailbox, unlike messages sent to a mailing list that one is subscribed to. iii> Finding soc.religion.vaishnava ----------------------------------- The newsgroup soc.religion.vaishnava should be available on most news servers; if your site or service provider does not carry it, please ask your system administrator to do the needful. You can also find the newsgroup at http://www.altavista.digital.com/ iv> Finding this FAQ -------------------- This document is auto-posted to the newsgroups soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.info, soc.answers, and news.answers every week, and notices of updates are posted to soc.religion.vaishnava. You can always obtain the latest version of this document by sending a message containing only the word 'faq' (no quotes, subject irrelevant) to the auto-moderation bot, at srv@pobox.com. As with other periodic postings approved by the *.answers team, this FAQ can be had by anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu, in the directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/faq (go to ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/faq if you're using a web browser). If you do not have access to anonymous ftp, you can also obtain a copy by sending mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu, with the command send usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/faq in the body of the message. You can also look up this document on the World-Wide Web, at the address http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/srv/srv_faq.html -- because of the possibility of using hypertext links, quotes, etc., on the web version, said version is probably better for you to refer to if you have any choice. v> Auto-moderator help file --------------------------- If you don't know how to use the bot, what kind of moderation requirements it expects postings to fulfill, etc., then please send a message containing just the one word 'help' (no quotes, again), to the bot at the same address. The help document is also available on the web at: http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/srv/srv_help.html vi> Other sites for this FAQ ---------------------------- The posted version of this FAQ is also available at a number of other sites around the world; some of them are: America Online's FTP server: ftp://mirrors.aol.com/pub/rtfm/usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/ SunSite, Imperial College (UK)'s web server: http://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/news-faqs/soc.religion.vaishnava/ Universiteit Utrecht (Netherlands)'s web server: http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-faq/religions-vaishnava-faq.html Oxford University (UK)'s web server: http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/internet/news/faq/archive/religions.vaishnava.faq.html Note that these sites may feature older versions of the FAQ. vii> Reaching soc.religion.vaishnava's moderators ------------------------------------------------- The moderators, reachable by e-mail at the _administrative_ address srv-admin@pobox.com, are available to answer any moderation-related questions that may be still left, but as a step of courtesy, please take the time to read all of the help file, before asking them. If your question relates to Vaishnavism as such, and not to the bot or the moderation policy for the group, then it is suggested that you make a posting to the newsgroup soc.religion.vaishnava itself. The default behavior of the auto-moderator is not to reject articles, but to hold them for manual action. For inquiries, send e-mail to srv-admin@pobox.com To find the list of keywords used with the bot, look at section III. This information is also available by sending a one-word message 'keywords' (no quotes) to srv@pobox.com; the keywords file is dynamically updated with every change, and the most recent keywords file may be more current than this FAQ, which is only updated once in a while, for significant changes, and in any event can be as much as a week out of date. viii> Other related FAQs ------------------------ Section II of this document attempts to briefly answer many common questions about Vaishnavism in general. There are different schools of Vaishnavism, however, and you can also request the bot to send a specific FAQ, one at a time, by sending it a message containing one of the lines from the following list: faq advaita faq dvaita faq gaudiya If you come from a school of Vaishnavism that is not represented adequately by any of these four, and would like to contribute a FAQ, then please send your proposed FAQ to the *request* address, which is srv-admin@pobox.com, with a covering note. If you would like to suggest changes or additions to one of the specific FAQs mentioned above, then please contact the person(s) listed in the concerned document itself, as FAQ-maintainer(s); do not send mail to the general srv-request address. If you feel some broader aspect of Vaishnavism has been incorrectly represented in this general FAQ, then feel free to present your views on the newsgroup itself; except for suggested corrections of obvious errors, do not send mail to srv-request. CAVEAT: The *request* address, to reach humans with comments, etc., is srv-admin@pobox.com; the *bot* address, to send postings and commands to, is srv@pobox.com -- don't confuse the two! II. Recent changes. --------------------- As those who have been following soc.religion.vaishnava for some time may have noticed, the newsgroup is coming out of a long period of inactivity. The address used to host the auto-moderator bot has also changed, and the software now resides on a Windows 95 system instead of the old Unix platform. It is expected that this version of the software will perform better and be easier to maintain, than the one used earlier. A few other points of note are: a> There now exists a status page showing the most recent postings to SRV in the order of most recent to progressively older ones, and the action taken on the posting. This should help in case a posting goes missing for some reason, etc. The address for this page is http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/srvstat.htm b> There now exists a mailing list gatewayed to soc.religion.vaishnava; all postings to the newsgroup are sent to the list as well, and vice versa. This interface should help people who prefer a mailing list format over a UseNet format. Subscribe to the list by sending a message with only `subscribe srv-list Your Name' (no quotes) in the *body* of the message, to listproc@hgsoft.com, the administrative address for this list. c> Postings sent to the old submission address will be, for the time being, forwarded automatically and posted, but this may cease without warning. Messages sent to the administrators at the old address are *NOT* being forwarded at all. d> Unlike previously, there is now only one keywords list, of keywords that may appear in the Keywords: header, in the Subject:, or in the body. III. Some questions about Vaishnavism. --------------------------------------- 1> What is a Vaishnava? A Vaishnava is a devotee of Vishnu. 2> What/who is Vishnu? Vishnu is the Deity worshipped in the Vedas and their scriptural adjuncts; according to Vaishnavas, He is the Supreme Lord, and is the only entity primarily praised in all true scriptures. Vishnu is the Lord, is the Cause, the Protector, and the Destroyer of all Creation known and unknown, and is responsible for all bondage and liberation. He is beyond the scope of all that is destructible and indestructible, and His worship is the purpose of one's existence; He is free of all flaw, and has an infinite number of good attributes. 3> Why is Vaishnavism relevant in today's world? An understanding of the higher purpose of one's life -- if any -- has always been sought by many seekers through the ages; scientific progress has not nullified or altered this basic fact. While advances in technology have tended to encourage purely materialistic and sensual pursuits, such have also helped many seekers share their common interest and enthusiasm in new ways. Thus, as with other seekers, the Vaishnavas of today seek to learn the higher spiritual truths much the same way as did their forebears of previous centuries, but have access to some of the tools provided by modern society to aid their efforts. 4> How many Vaishnavas are there, worldwide? As nearly as we can tell, no one has conducted an official or demi-official census; however, the number of those who are Vaishnavas by birth is likely to be very large, perhaps hundreds of millions, most of whom happen to be in India. However, most such people are not practicing Vaishnavas, and have no reason to be called so except by dint of birth. 5> Who is the founder of Vaishnavism? There is no single founder, and the worship of Vishnu cannot be reliably shown to have begun at any fixed date in the past. However, specific schools of Vaishnavism have been propounded by great teachers or Aachaaryas -- even so, those schools are not said to have been created by them, and in many cases pre-date them; i.e., these teachers began traditions of belief in certain doctrines that persist upto the present day, but they did not create the doctrines as such -- they either revived them, or built upon an existing but not-widely-known school to form a vigorous one. 6> Do Vaishnavas worship other gods? Why/why not? Homage is sometimes paid to other deities, but these deities are never considered the equals of Vishnu, nor are they worshipped in the same spirit. Vaishnavas can be said to be monotheists, since they believe that there is only one Supreme Lord or Infinite Being -- Lord Vishnu. Therefore, Vaishnavas always keep the worship of Vishnu and His attendants at the forefront of their religious practice. Some Advaitins consider all deities including Vishnu to be forms of the SaguNa Brahman (the Brahman with attributes), but this belief is not universal to all Advaitins, whether or not they be Vaishnavas. The question of why Vaishnavas worship other deities is answered differently by Vaishnavas of different schools, but generally speaking, such other deities are worshipped as conduits to Vishnu, or as His representatives. As noted above, certain forms of worship under Advaita are an exception. 7> Do Vaishnavas worship images of Vishnu? Yes, but the specific images worshipped, and the forms and rules of worship, vary greatly by different traditions. 8> Do Vaishnavas believe in rebirth? As a general rule, Vaishnavas do not "believe" things in the same way as someone from a Semitic faith would, though some sampradaayas accept certain matters on faith. Rebirth until liberation is one of the fundamental tenets of Vaishnava doctrine. Vaishnavas aim to break free of the cycle of repeated births and deaths, through devotional service to Vishnu. 9> Are all Vaishnavas vegetarian? Most are, but depending on how (un)orthodox a Vaishnava is, (s)he may digress from the prescribed standard of culinary morality to a greater or lesser extent. Vaishnava norms require a standard somewhat beyond what is commonly considered vegetarian. While Vaishnavas are not vegans, for the most part -- they consider milk and milk products acceptable -- most reject eggs, and certain plant products grown under the soil, like onions, garlic, etc. Some Vaishnavas also do not consider certain vegetables like okra, eggplant, broccoli, etc., as acceptable diet items, but relatively fewer Vaishnavas observe the latter kind of restrictions. In general, the Vaishnava approach to food is to ask if something can be offered to Vishnu, as part of prescribed forms of worship; if yes, then that something is thought acceptable, otherwise not. Thus, the system excludes all but a certain number of food items considered acceptable. While the exact details of what are acceptable and what not vary between different schools of Vaishnavism, and even between different institutions within the same school, most practicing Vaishnavas reject such stimulants as coffee, cocoa, tea, tobacco, alcohol, and any items including these, from their diets and habits. 10> Is it necessary to be vegetarian, to be Vaishnava? All traditional Vaishnava cooking is totally vegetarian, and it is possible that someone who insists on keeping non-vegetarian eating habits will have difficulty assimilating within a Vaishnava community. 11> Does one have to be born a Vaishnava? No. Many Westerners have wholeheartedly taken up Vaishnavism. Historically, Vaishnavas have often run afoul of caste-conscious brahmanas because anyone can be a Vaishnava, even those who are considered outcaste. 12> Does Vaishnavism condemn critics and opponents to hell? As Vaishnavism is not a completely unified doctrine, nor one deriving from prophets, it has never had a history of Crusades, fatwas, Inquisitions, et cetera. That said, however, many Vaishnava scriptures do seem to indicate that purely mundane forms of existence, and the worship of other deities or non-deities as the Supreme, lead to ignorance and misery. 13> Do Vaishnavas practice dowry/bride-burning/untouchability/etc.? While specific individuals or groups of individuals may practice such and also claim to be Vaishnavas, such practices have no backing from Vaishnava scriptures or Aachaaryas, and are frowned upon by the sensible elements of society, including all *practicing* Vaishnavas. 14> How is a Vaishnava different from a Hindu? Many Vaishnavas are also Hindus, but the two terms are not directly related as such. A Vaishnava is a worshipper of Vishnu, while a Hindu need not worship anyone at all, and merely comes from a specific socio-cultural background. Not all Hindus are Vaishnava, and not all Vaishnavas are Hindu. 15> Do Vaishnavas have gurus? A definition of 'guru' is: "One who removes doubts in others, without any doubt within himself." Many Vaishnavas consider one of the great saints or Aachaaryas as their primary guru (muula-guru), and some also have gurus among great scholars and saints of the present day. 16> Are Vaishnavas a cult or sect? In a fair world, perhaps it would not be inappropriate to call them so; however, in reality, most times words like 'cult' are used in a totally derogatory sense, and when applied to Vaishnavas, are used due to a misunderstanding or lack of understanding of Vaishnavism -- or due to an incorrect generalization drawn from the mala-fide actions of certain specific persons or small groups. 17> Are there different types of Vaishnava? Yes, there are. Some of the more important traditions or sampradaayas are: i> The Smaarta sampradaaya (Advaita). ii> The Sri-Vaishnava sampradaaya (VishishTaadvaita). iii> The Maadhva sampradaaya (Tattvavaada, aka Dvaita). iv> The Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradaaya (Bhedaabheda). v> The Vallabha sampradaaya (Shuddhaadvaita). vi> The Nimbaaraka sampradaaya (Dvaitaadvaita). 18> What are Vaishnava scriptures? Vaishnavas consider the triad of the Vedas and Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma-Suutra, which are traditionally referred to as the prasthaana-traya, as authoritative scripture. These canonical scriptures have been commented upon by the leading Aachaaryas of each Vaishnava school. Besides these texts, Vaishnavas also consider the Mahaabhaarata (of which the Bhagavad Gita is a part), the Bhaagavata-PuraaNa, etc., as scripture, but the relative values placed upon them by the various sampradaayas are not exactly the same. 19> Are there many Vaishnavas on the Internet? Again, we don't know because no one has, to our knowledge, conducted a census. However, from experience on the newsgroups, and with the relevant web pages that are maintained by various individuals, it can be safely estimated that there are at least several hundred individuals who use the Internet in one way or another, in pursuance of their Vaishnava interests, and all indications are that this number is growing and will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. 20> What kind of discussions do Vaishnavas have on the Usenet? The chief purpose of a Vaishnava group is obviously to discuss and better understand Vishnu, in relation to ourselves, and in relation to the material world; since this covers a lot more ground than what is traditionally thought to be theology or spirituality, Vaishnava discussions on the UseNet have a rather wide variety, and occasional readers of a Vaishnava group may be surprised at the range of topics that come up from time to time. However, in general, serious postings resolve themselves into a few basic types, according to content: (i) anecdotes involving great Vaishnavas; (ii) specific devotional or other quotes from texts, and their interpretations and significance; (iii) discussions where a specific doctrine's stand on something is sought to be questioned, countered, or explained; and (iv) miscellaneous items, like announcements, requests for information, etc. 21> Can I participate in discussions? Do I have to be known? Your participation will be welcome, and as the general standard of learning among Vaishnavas on the UseNet is not high, there is no cause for you to feel uncomfortable if you think you are unfamiliar with Vaishnava doctrine. It is not necessary that you be already known to others, but it would help somewhat if you were to read the newsgroup for a few days at least, in order to familiarize yourself with its ambience. While there are no hard-and-fast rules for acceptable format or structure (except those required by the moderator bot), it would be as well to keep postings to-the-point, and to refrain from ad hominem attacks on other individuals, or their sampradaayas or gurus. In fact, any kind of personal remark about individuals who may be considered great, accomplished, or sincere, by others, is likely to keep one from making friends, and a Vaishnava newsgroup is no exception. Debates and disagreements are welcome, and need not be constrained by a need to maintain an artificially high level of politeness, but insults as such are not appreciated by most. 22> What kinds of postings are appropriate to soc.religion.vaishnava? The answers to the previous two questions should give a hint. To get a feel for the group, please read it for a little while, as there is no better way for you to understand its nature and ambience. 23> Where can I get more information? If you're looking for information about a specific school of Vaishnavism, then you should look under the FAQ for that school (if there is one). If there is no such FAQ, or if whatever you're looking for isn't covered in the FAQ, or if you want general information about Vaishnavism not covered in _this_ document, then your best bet is to make a posting to soc.religion.vaishnava, and ask. If you aren't looking for something specific, but just want to get a general feel for Vaishnavism, then perhaps you should lurk on the newsgroup for a while. Other than that, there are a few web pages that are maintained by various individuals and institutions, that may be of some interest: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~vidya/advaita/advaita.html (Advaita) http://www.hgsoft.com/srv (Archive of SRV postings) http://www.rit.edu/~mrreee/dvaita.html (Dvaita) http://www.eskimo.com/~dvaita/list/ (Dvaita mailing list archive) http://www.webcom.com/~ara (Hare Krishna) http://www.goloka.com (Black Peacock) http://www.best.com/~mani/sv.html (Sri Vaishnava) ftp://jaguar.cs.utah.edu/private/sanskrit/sanskrit.html (Sanskrit) ix> http://www.rit.edu/~mrreee/stotra/ (Stotra) There also exist a number of mailing lists devoted to several of these doctrines, that you may be interested in. As noted previously, you can read soc.religion.vaishnava itself via Alta Vista, at http://www.altavista.digital.com Type `newsgroups:soc.religion.vaishnava' (no quotes) in the query window, and choose `Usenet' (instead of the default of `Web') among the choices, and then click `submit'. You may also be able to locate past postings to SRV by looking up the DejaNews archive, at http://www.dejanews.com IV. Keywords currently under use by the auto-moderator. -------------------------------------------------------- A brief description: The moderation bot looks for these keywords in every posting it receives, and upon finding none, rejects the posting. There are two kinds of acceptable keywords -- header and body. A keyword may be a complete word, a set of two complete words, or may be a part of a complete word; this latter option, since certain words are often spelled differently by different people. Even one keyword of either type is sufficient to allow the article to be posted. It is strongly recommended that except for bona-fide acronyms (e.g., `ISKCON'), keywords be used in all-lowercase, or in sentence-case (only first letter capitalized), though the bot will accept them in any case order, subject of course to the no-all-caps restriction. Keywords must appear in the `Subject:', the `Keywords:', or the `Summary:' headers, or also in the body. Keywords: `Balaram' `Balaraam' `Bhagava' `Daamodar' `Damodar' `Geeta' `Gita' `Govinda' `Haribol' `Krishna' `Krsna' `Lakshmee' `Lakshmi' `Laksmi' `Laxmee' `Laxmi' `Mahabha' `Mahaabha' `Naaraa' `Narayana' `Prabhupa' `Radha' `Raadhaa' `Ramaya' `Raamaaya' `Ranga' `Sri Hari' `Sruti' `Shruti' `Smriti' `Smrti' `Upanis' `Vaishnav' `Veda' `Venkates' `Vishnu' `Visnu' `Vrindavan' `Vrindaban' `bhakti' `dvaita' `gaudiya' `moksha' `mukti' `samprada' V. Appendix A: Some words often used in Vaishnava discussions. --------------------------------------------------------------- apowrusheya (also spelled 'apaurusheya') \ adj. Non-personal. Used to refer to texts that are claimed to have no authors. Also see: powrusheya. Related words: Shruti, Veda, Upanishad. avataara (also spelled 'avatara') \ n. Avatar, in the English-dictionary sense, except that it is used by Vaishnavas to refer mainly to Vishnu's incarnations, and sometimes to refer to His devotees' incarnations; not used to mean rebirths as such. bhakti \ n. devotion; specifically, devotion to Vishnu and His servants. gnyaana (also spelled 'gnaana' or 'gyaana') \ n. knowledge, as relevant to Vaishnava learning. Itihaasa \ n. Generic term used to refer to the Mahaabhaarata. One of two kinds of Smrti. Word means "thus it happened," and conveys that the text referred to is a historical account. Also see: PuraaNa. Related words: Smrti. lowkika (also spelled 'laukika') \ adj. "Worldly." Used to refer to non-spiritual objects, endeavors, etc. moksha \ n. Liberation. Is defined differently by various Vaishnava schools. Also see: mukti. mukti \ n., v. Synonymous with 'moksha'. Also see: moksha. powrusheya (also spelled 'paurusheya') \ adj. Authored (work). Applies to Smrti, and all worldly texts. Also see: apowrusheya. pratimaa \ n. Icon used in worship. PuraaNa (also spelled 'Purana') \ n. Any one of eighteen specific Smrti texts. Also see: Itihaasa. Related words: Smrti. sampradaaya \ n. Spiritual tradition that follows a specific doctrine. shaastra \ n. That branch of learning which deals with the higher spiritual truths; broader than 'theology', but more specific than 'philosophy'. Shruti (also spelled 'Sruti') \ n. Generic term used to refer to any apowrusheya text. Meaning from "that which is heard" rather than composed. Also see: Smrti. Related words: apowrusheya, Veda, Upanishad. Smrti \ n. Generic term used to refer to any powrusheya text. Meaning from "that which is remembered." Also see: Shruti. Related words: Itihaasa, PuraaNa. Upanishad \ n. A certain kind of Shruti text accepted by all Vaishnava schools as conveying gnyaana; found embedded within the four Vedas, and also otherwise. Also see: Veda. Related words: apowrusheya, Shruti. Veda \ n. One of four specific apowrusheya texts (Rg, Yajus, Saama, Atharva). Also see: Upanishad. Related words: apowrusheya, Shruti. VI. Appendix B: Pronunciation guide for Sanskrit words. -------------------------------------------------------- Terms used here: macron = line over a letter; usually denotes a long vowel subdot = subscript dot (dot below the letter) superdot = superscript dot (dot above the letter) accent = acute accent (grave not used) diphthong = any combination of simple vowels, like ow Vowels: a = short a, pronounced as "u" in "but" aa = macron a = long a as in "father" (not like in "raw"; all vowels except dipthongs au and ai are simple liquid vowels, meaning your mouth does not move while pronouncing) i = short i as in "pin" ii = macron i = long i, pronounced as "ee" in "need" u = short u as some regional pronunciations of "push" (like a very short, soft "oo") uu = macron u = long u, as in "tube" (same caution as in aa; simple liquid vowel) R^i = subdot r = (ri is close enough, more later) R^ii = subdot macron r L^i = subdot l L^ii = subdot macron l e = liquid vowel, not quite as in "hay" (which is actually a diphthong; don't move your mouth while pronouncing) ai = diphthong; as in "aisle". Sounds somewhat like e, but there's a transition between a and i. o = liquid vowel, not quite as in "go". Keep mouth still while pronouncing. au = diphthong; as in "cow", but more like "go" with a transition between a and u. M = superdot m = nasal almost like "ng" in "sing" H = subdot h = "h" lightly echoing the preceding vowel or final component of preceding diphthong; yaH sounds like "yuh(huh)" taiH like "tie(hi)" Before a hard consonant like k, usually comes out as a stoppage of breath, almost like German ch ('ich', 'auch', 'Bach', etc.) but not voiced. Consonants: k = k without breath or aspiration kh = k with breath (most Americans aspirate everything) g = g as in go, without breath gh = gh as in ghost, with breath N^ or n = superdot n = nasal, almost always found before k or g For this reason I (Henry Groover) usually just use n. ch = as in chirp, without breath chh = same as ch with breath j = as in dge in edge jh = same as j with breath JN = tilde n = nasal found before ch or j. For this reason I usually just use n. GY = j + tilde n = combination j + JN. Pretty much as it looks. T = subdot t = t without breath, cerebral (tip of tongue touching alveolar ridge behind upper front teeth) Th = subdot t + h = t with breath, cerebral D = subdot d = d without breath, cerebral Dh = subdot d = d with breath, cerebral N = subdot n = n pronounced with tongue against alveolar ridge t = t without breath, dental (tip of tongue against back of top front teeth) th = t with breath, dental d = d without breath, dental dh = d with breath, dental n = n, dental p = p as in pay, no breath ph = p with breath (not f) b = b as in boy, no breath bh = b with breath m = m as in mama y = y as in you r = r as in ray. This is not guttural as is common with American English, but is more similar to a Spanish r. l = l as in love v = v as in vote. In a consonant combination like tva, becomes w. Some speakers always pronounce as w. S = accent s = halfway between sh and s sh = subdot s = as in hush s = s as in save h = h as in house VII. Appendix C: Charter and moderation policy for SRV. -------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER: soc.religion.vaishnava The newsgroup soc.religion.vaishnava will be an auto-moderated forum for discussion of all topics having a bearing on the study of, and devotion to, Vishnu, the Supreme Lord. General topics will include, but will not be restricted to, scripture and its interpretation according to various Vaishnava schools, the lives, works, and teachings of various prominent Aachaaryas, and issues relating to devotion and the study of Vaishnava doctrine. The moderation of this newsgroup is not to be done directly by humans, and will always be only for the purpose of preventing inflow of irrelevant material; there will be no restriction otherwise, and the newsgroup will provide for the free exchange of diverse views. Moderation Policy: The moderation will be primarily for the purpose of eliminating all cross-postings, and will be done by auto-moderation tools (custom-built computer programs), with human intervention kept to the minimum level required to keep said programs operating satisfactorily. The tools will be utilized to auto-moderate posts to the forum by: a) rejecting cross-posts; b) limiting the number of submissions from one individual per twenty-four hour period to four; c) rejecting "shouting" articles (THOSE WITH THE SUBJECT AND/OR ARTICLE IN ALL CAPS), and those that use too many special characters in the subject -- as for example, Re: $$$ Make Big Bucks now!!!! $$$', 'You're insane!!!!!!!!', etc.; d) rejecting postings which have twice or more as much quoted text as new text, as well as those with too many blank lines (four or more blank lines in succession, and/or a third or more of the posting length due to blank lines); e) rejecting articles that do not feature certain keywords (which will be specified in the regularly-posted FAQ for the newsgroup, to ensure that people read said FAQ). moderation will be done by a program Henry Groover -- hardware & software maintainer END CHARTER. Administrative contact address: srv-admin@pobox.com Article submission address: srv@pobox.com END MODERATOR INFO. VII. Appendix D: Disclaimer and restrictions: --------------------------------------------- Please note that this FAQ is NOT an official document representing the views of any organization or institution; it is merely the result of an attempt by a group of volunteers to aid those who may wish to use the soc.religion.vaishnava newsgroup as a resource to understand, or further their understanding of, Vaishnavism. There is absolutely no guarantee of any kind made that specific answers, etc., in the FAQ will not be disagreeable to some, although such are meant to be as broadly correct as possible. This FAQ may be freely used for non-commercial purposes. However, to use it in for-profit endeavors requires specific permission to be obtained by sending mail to srv-admin@pobox.com. This document may *NOT* be reposted to any UseNet newsgroup other than the one(s) to which it is sent by its maintainer. If you think it is appropriate to another newsgroup and would like to post it there, please request permission first. Any such re-posting of this FAQ must be only for the whole document, including this section, only. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.religion.vaishnava -- Dvaita FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dvaita FAQ maintainer Newsgroups: soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.karnataka, alt.magick.tyagi Subject: soc.religion.vaishnava -- Dvaita FAQ Date: 24 Jul 1999 11:49:29 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: Dvaita FAQ maintainer Summary: This is a small intro to the Dvaita school of philosophy, for current or prospective subscribers of the Dvaita Mailing List and Dvaita Digest. Keywords: noarchive, Vedanta, Vaishnava, Hindu, India, philosophy, religion, logic, epistemology X-Last-Updated: 1998/11/21 X-Url: http://www.dvaita.org/ Archive-Name: religions/vaishnava/dvaita-faq Posting-Frequency: every 14 days Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Tattvavaada, a.k.a. Dvaita Last Updated: November 21, 1998 Dvaita Home Page http://www.dvaita.org/ Dvaita FAQ (web version) http://www.dvaita.org/faq.html Dvaita FAQ maintainer info -at- dvaita.org Dvaita List -- archive http://www.dvaita.org/list/ Dvaita List/Digest help http://www.dvaita.org/list/help.html Dvaita List -- subscription dvaita-list-request -at- dvaita.org Dvaita Digest -- subs. dvaita-digest-request -at- dvaita.org Dvaita List -- admin list -at- dvaita.org Haridasa Home Page http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/ Haridasa FAQ (web version) http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/faq.html Haridasa FAQ maintainer haridasa -at- dvaita.org NOTE: Throughout this document, every occurrence of ` -at- ' in e-mail addresses should be understood as an occurrence of the symbol `@'; the substitution is made to avoid spam coming to these addresses, and any difficulty caused on this account is regretted. Contents: I. General information; the Dvaita Mailing List and Dvaita Digest II. Frequently asked questions about Maadhva siddhaanta III. Appendix A: terms commonly used in Tattvavaada (A) General terms and their definitions (B) Error terms and their definitions (1) Semantic errors (2) Logical errors IV. Appendix B: Disclaimer and restrictions I. General information: ----------------------- TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE DVAITA MAILING LIST OR DVAITA DIGEST: Send a message with just the one word `subscribe' (no quotes) in the Subject, to the appropriate request address -- dvaita-list-request -at- dvaita.org for the list, and dvaita-digest-request -at- dvaita.org for the digest; to receive a help file with more details about the Dvaita list and digest, send a message with subject `help' to the same address, or refer to http://www.dvaita.org/list/help.html for the web version. See questions 18 and later below if your query relates to the mailing list or digest. This document is auto-posted to the newsgroups soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.karnataka, alt.magick.tyagi, alt.answers, soc.answers, and news.answers every two weeks. To obtain a copy of this document, send a message to info -at- dvaita.org with `send dvaita faq' as the subject; the body of your message will be discarded. As with other periodic postings approved by the *.answers team, this FAQ can also be had by anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu, in the directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/dvaita-faq (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/dvaita-faq if you're using a web browser). If you do not have access to anonymous ftp, you can obtain a copy by sending mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu, with the command "send usenet/news.answers/religions/vaishnava/dvaita-faq" (no quotes) in the body of the message. You can also look up this document on the World-Wide Web, at the address http://www.dvaita.org/faq.html; this address and the Dvaita Home Page are inter-reachable. Because of the possibility of using hypertext links, quotes, etc., on the web version, that location is probably better for you to refer to if you have any choice. If you find this document hard to understand in certain respects, then it may help you to read the general FAQ for the UseNet newsgroup soc.religion.vaishnava, available by sending a message to the address info -at- dvaita.org with `send srv faq' as the subject. II. Frequently Asked Questions: ------------------------------ 1> What is Dvaita? Dvaita, or Maadhva siddhaanta, is the name for the doctrine of Vedanta that asserts the eternal and immutable difference between the individual soul, or jiiva, and the Supreme Lord, or Iishvara (also known as Vishnu). 2> Why is Dvaita known as Tattvavaada? Because that is the correct, and preferred name; the doctrine asserts _five_ differences, not just the one referred to above, and its scholars and proponents call it the "doctrine of reality," where the three kinds of entities in the universe (insentient or jaDa, sentient or chetana, and Vishnu or Iishvara) are all real, and the differences between any two are also real. Hence, 'tattva' means real entity, and 'Tattvavaada' means "doctrine of real entities." Some have also referred to Tattvavaada as Bheda-vaada (doctrine of difference), and also as Bimba-pratibimba-vaada (doctrine of object and image -- to be explained later), etc. These names are not in normal use. 3> What are the five differences in Tattvavaada? Simple -- by considering the three types of entities in pairwise fashion, one can derive the list of differences between them, which are: (i) jiiva-Iishvara-bheda, or difference between the soul and Vishnu; (ii) jaDa-Iishvara-bheda, or difference between the insentient and Vishnu; (iii) mitha-jiiva-bheda, or difference between any two souls; (iv) jaDa-jiiva-bheda, or difference between insentient and the soul; and (v) mitha-jaDa-bheda, or difference between any two insentients. Here, "insentient" is used to refer to _all_ entities which are not 'chit' or having consciousness, such as matter, energy, etc. -- including so-called "living bodies" of creatures, and also such other insentients as space, linguistic or mathematical entities and their symbols, etc. To clarify: Iishvara is a sentient Being, and the jiiva is sentient also. However, this does not imply that both are fully alike; Iishvara is totally independent, while the jiiva is completely dependent. It is the energization by the Iishvara that is the responsible for the activity of the jiiva. 4> Why are the five differences important? The understanding of these five differences is seemingly trivial, but upon careful consideration, one sees that to properly understand all of them, one needs to know the significant properties of every kind of entity in the whole universe! Thus, such understanding is not easily gained, and it is said that _all_ misery and unhappiness is due to one's lack of understanding of one or more of these differences. For instance, if one acts in ignorance of the Supremacy of Lord Vishnu, and suffers as a consequence, then one can be said to have falsely arrogated to oneself His unique and irreproducible properties like independence, potency, etc. Similarly, the grief one experiences due to loss of physical beauty, strength, vitality, etc., or due to the passing of a loved one, is due to the false identification of the insentient and ever-changing body with the sentient, immutable soul. In the mundane world, mistaking copper for gold, glass for diamond, etc., which are also failures to perceive difference, are known to bring grief. One who correctly and fully perceives and understands all the five differences can be said to have attained knowledge, and to be fit for mukti (liberation). 5> Who is the founder of Tattvavaada? As has been noted in the general FAQ, no school of Vaishnavism can be said to have been "founded" in a true sense; in historical times, the doctrine of Tattvavaada was revived by Ananda Tiirtha (1239-1319), also known as Sukha Tiirtha, PuurNa-bodha, and PuurNa-pragnya. Srimad Ananda Tiirtha is identified with Madhva, the third avataara (incarnation) of Mukhya PraaNa, the god of life. This identification comes from the BaLitthaa Suukta of the Rg Veda. Srimad Ananda Tiirtha is also referred to by his devotees as Srimad Aachaarya, and by everyone as Sri Madhvaachaarya, based on the identification with the Vedic deity Mukhya PraaNa, the god of life, who is also known as Vaayu. A detailed disquisition upon the BaLitthA Suukta can be seen at http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/AnandaT_2.html 6> What are the tenets of Tattvavaada? There are nine important points-of-note, given by a verse by Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, which translates approximately as: "In Shriiman Madhva's school, (i) Hari (Vishnu) is supreme; (ii) the universe is real; (iii) the [five] differences are real [and are the properties of the differents]; (iv) the leagues of jiivas are cohorts of Hari; (v) and are with superiority and inferiority [among themselves]; (vi) mukti (salvation) is the experience of [the jiiva's] own innate joy; (vii) that is achieved by flawless devotion to the Supreme and correct knowledge; (viii) the three pramaaNas are aksha, etc., (pratyaksha, anumaana, aagama - sense-perception, logic, and scripture); (ix) Hari is the only entity [primarily] described in all Aamnaayas (Shrutis or Vedas)." A slightly more detailed treatment of the verse can be seen at http://www.dvaita.org/shaastra/prameya.html 7> Why does Tattvavaada emphasize debate with and denunciation of other doctrines? Can it not just just state its own tenets? In order to correctly understand the tenets of _any_ worthwhile doctrine, is it essential that one be exposed to conflicting views, and be convinced of the truth of said doctrine. Therefore, Srimad Aachaarya's school has always held that one needs must understand all relevant countervailing hypotheses, and must reject them _only_ after careful analyses and consideration. Mere dogmatic repetition of facts that are accepted too readily either by accident of birth or inability to think, is not acceptable as such cannot lead to conviction; a critical examination of all Tattvavaada precepts with a detailed analysis of alternative theories in each case -- to arrive at the truth based on valid proof -- is itself part of the tradition of Srimad Ananda Tiirtha's school. Though this practice has been followed earlier by Sri Shankaraachaarya and Sri Ramanujaachaarya also in essence, their criticisms of rival theories were not complete and comprehensive. 8> Isn't Dvaita the mere opposite of Advaita? Such misperception is one of the reasons why some reject the use of 'Dvaita' to refer to the doctrine of Tattvavaada. While it is true that Advaita and Tattvavaada have had many debates over hundreds of years, and that the latter denies the jagan-mithyatva (illusory nature of the universe) that is one of the fundamental tenets of Advaita, it is certainly not the case that there is disagreement everywhere, nor is it the case that one can derive Tattvavaada merely by taking the opposite of everything claimed by Advaita. But it can be said with full certainty that on most fundamental issues such as the nature of Iishvara, jiiva, attainment of mukti, etc., the two have total and irreconcilable differences. 9> Isn't Dvaita the first step towards learning Advaita? If it is, then it is a quite large, reverse, first step! While adherents of Advaita say that by nature and everyday experience one believes in the reality of the universe, etc., and that such belief must be got rid if one is to attain complete union with the nirguNa-Brahman, no serious scholar of Advaita claims that studying Tattvavaada is a first step towards learning Advaita. For one thing, it is a rule of all learning that things learned first must not contradict things learned later; for another, Tattvavaada specifically examines and denounces many Advaita concepts, and hence, one who has learned Tattvavaada first cannot possibly accept Advaita later. In fact Advaitha has not built up a credible system of analysis where the puurva paksha or the initial proposition of Tattvavaada is examined and rejected thereby establishing Advaita. The exact reverse obtains today. 10> Why are scholars and devotees of Sri Madhvaachaarya's school referred to as "prachchhanna taarkika"? This tongue-in-cheek appellate was allegedly affixed by some followers of Advaita, who were piqued at being called "prachchhanna bauddha" (disguised Buddhists). This latter designation was used because of the great similarity between Buddhism and Advaita (both schools do not accept the reality of the universe, both deny that the Creator is an eternal real, etc.). In turn, Advaitis labeled devotees of Srimad Aachaarya as "prachchhanna taarkika" (disguised logicians) because of the latters' use of logic to show that Advaita is inconsistent. 11> How does worship by Maadhvas differ from other Vaishnava worship? According to Sri Madhvaachaarya, Vishnu is "worshippable by all (other) deities, and by everyone, to their best ability." Thus, in common with other Vaishnava traditions, Maadhvas worship other deities only as iconic representatives of the Lord, and not as independently authoritative figures. However, Maadhvas believe that all deities except for Vishnu's eternal consort Lakshmi, are amukta-jiivas (un-liberated souls) performing service to Him. Tattvavaada also does not acknowledge that worship of other claimed deities or prophets, besides those authorized by shaastra, is useful. Maadhvas have a "taaratamya" or divine hierarchy of deities after Vishnu, which is derived from shaastra sources, and said hierarchy is very important in considerations of worship, since each lesser deity is worshipped as the iconic representative of the next higher one, with the idea being that all worship is ultimately meant for Vishnu only. Thus, Maadhvas acknowledge a hierarchy of worth among deities other than Vishnu, and say that each lesser deity is akin to an image in a mirror, of the one higher. This concept of images captures both the notion of difference (since the object and its image are not identical) and an hierarchy of worth (since the image is never of the same worth as the object), and is what causes Tattvavaada to also be referred to as Bimba-pratibimba-vaada (doctrine of object and image, as mentioned previously). Worship according to Srimad Aachaarya's tradition also differs from certain other kinds of worship, since the icons or images used for worship are considered to be completely distinct from the Deity who is the actual object of worship. The icon is an adhishThaana, or location symbol, while the Deity is invoked for purposes of worship. Tattvavaada emphasizes that it is important to understand the difference between the adhishThaana (Image) and the aavaahita (invoked Diety), and to keep it in mind at all times -- one should never worship the icon itself as the Lord, as that would be violative of jaDa-Iishvara-bheda, one of the five kinds of difference. According to Srimad Ananda Tiirtha, icons are of two kinds: "chala-pratimaa" or "moving icon," and "achala pratimaa" or "non-moving icon." The "chala" icons are one's elders, Gurus, other deities besides Vishnu, etc., while the "achala" icons are statues, statuettes, pictures, saaligramas etc., that may also be used as icons for worship. Of the two kinds of icons, the "chala" have a naturally higher rank than the "achala" -- therefore, service to elders, one's Gurus, etc., when performed as worship of the Lord, is of greater importance than the worship of stationary symbols. However, at all times, it is important to be aware that the object or person to whom one offers service or respect, is not the Lord Himself, nor is authoritative independently of Him, but is merely His icon. A detailed account of worship at the Krishna temple in Udupi can be seen at: http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/udupi/worship.html 12> What is the Tattvavaada concept of moksha? Under Tattvavaada, the soul upon liberation does not lose his distinct identity, which is different from Vishnu, nor does he become equal to Him in any respect. While the mukta does become free of all suffering, his enjoyment is not of the same caliber as His, nor does said mukta become independent of Him. The mukta experiences the joy which is his own nature, in mukti; whereas in daily life, joy derives from the contact of senses with sense-objects, joy in mukti is due to the jiiva's own immutable nature. And because such joy is the jiiva's own nature, it does not fluctuate or end, and it is not mixed with pain. Since the nature of the jiiva is different from that of Iishvara, his joy is also of a different nature than His, even upon mukti. Even the joy which is intrinsic to the nature of the jiiva can only be realised due to the grace of the Supreme being. 13> Why does Tattvavaada deny jiivan-mukti? Because a mukta, or liberated person, should not even be physically present in the material universe, unlike the un-liberated. A person who is living in the world cannot be said to be free of sorrow born of material contact, and also cannot be said to experience the joy of his own nature at all times. The very act of living in a gross material body entails things such as eating, sleeping, pleasure and pain, etc., which cannot be accepted in a mukta. 14> What is the concept of scripture, according to Tattvavaada? The apowrusheya-aagamas, or unauthored scriptures, are the primary sources of all knowledge of the atiindriya (extra-sensory) entities. Only those powrusheya-aagamas or authored scriptures that closely adhere to the former have value as explanatory sources of knowledge about the atiindriya. Independent powrusheya texts are considered to bring ignorance and delusion, if used to learn about the atiindriya. In common with other schools of Vaishnavism, Tattvavaada considers the prasthaana-traya (the triad of the Brahma-Suutra, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Vedas and Upanishads) to be canonical texts. Srimad Ananda Tiirtha however denies claims that part of the Vedas, the so-called "karma-kaaNDa" or "mantra" portions, are of no use as scripture, and claims that even those parts are only meant to educate us about Hari. His school, following his lead, also does not accept that any part of the Vedas teach anything but the truth, and says that arbitration of apowrusheya texts, as "true-saying" and "false-saying" is impermissible logically and spiritually. All canonical texts _must_ be considered, and a coherent meaning found without imposing one's own biases upon the evidence obtained. An essay comparing Tattvavaada's take on scripture with the monistic view may be found at http://www.dvaita.org/shaastra/article.html 15> Who are some of the leading scholars of Tattvavaada? Historically, there have been many great scholars and saints in the tradition of Srimad Achaarya. Some of them are: Sri Vaadiraaja Tiirtha -- is considered the senior-most scholar of Tattvavaada after Srimad Ananda Tiirtha himself; his works include the Yukti-Mallikaa, the RukmiNiisha-Vijaya, etc., and a number of well-known stotras; he has also translated Srimad Aachaarya's Mahaabhaarata-taatparya-nirNaya into Kannada, and has composed a number of devotional songs in that language. There is a page on the web devoted to Sri Vaadiraaja Tiirtha, at http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/VaadiraajaT.html Sri Jayatiirtha -- has written commentaries on a number of Srimad Aachaarya's works, and is known for his extremely pleasing style of writing and argument; his work, the Nyaaya-Sudhaa, which is an exposition of Shriiman Madhvaachaarya's Anu-Vyaakhyaana commentary on the Brahma-Suutra, is an outstanding example of his scholarship, and is certainly one of the greatest works in Vedanta. There is a page on the web devoted to Sri Jayatiirtha, at http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/Jaya_tiirtha.html Sri Purandara Dasa -- is widely renowned as the father of Carnatic music; is less widely known as the founder of the Hari-Daasa tradition, that seeks to propagate the doctrine of Tattvavaada through music, in a language that ordinary people can understand. A contemporary of Sri Vaadiraaja Tiirtha and Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, he is regarded by Maadhva-s as an outstanding scholar and devotee. There is a page on the web devoted to Sri Purandara Dasa, at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/dasas/purandara/purandara.html Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha -- wrote further commentaries on the works of Sri Jayatiirtha and Srimad Ananda Tiirtha; is known for his extra-ordinary ability to run any opponent down by force of argument; he ranks as one of the most renowned polemical scholars of Vedanta. There is a page on the web devoted to Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, at http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/VyaasaT.html Sri Raghavendra Tiirtha -- is widely known today, thanks to his excellent reputation for providing succor in times of major crises. Although he ranks as one of the greatest scholars of Tattvavaada, he is better known and worshipped by millions, as an infallible source of support when one is faced with dire circumstances. There is a page on the web devoted to Sri Raghavendra Tiirtha, at http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/Ragh_T.html 16> What are the Maadhva institutions of the present day? The most important one is probably the temple of Krishna at Udupi, in south-western Karnataka, India. There are eight MaTha-s, called the Udupi-ashhTa-maTha-s, that are dedicated to serving Krishna, at Udupi and elsewhere. Besides these, there are several other important maThas, like the Uttaraadi MaTha (which is claimed to be the institution of Sri Jayatiirtha), and the MaTha-s of Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha and Sri Raghavendra Tiirtha, known by their names. Some information about the temple in Udupi, and associated facts and entities, is available at: http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/udupi/ 17> Where can I get more information? One place to look would be the Dvaita Home Page (address given at the top of this document), which, although not nearly as complete or exhaustive as its supporters would like, still offers some information. In particular, it has some biographical information about Srimad Ananda Tiirtha and some other scholars of his school, and some bibliographical information as well. Besides these, a number of books have been written in English, especially by B. N. Krishnamurti Sharma, of which one, 'The History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta and its Literature', Motilal Banarsidass, 1981, is considered quite broad-based, if not completely authoritative. Another work by Dr. Sharma that may be of some interest is 'Madhva's teachings in his own words'. 18> How can I add <> to the Dvaita Home Page? If some new material is to be added to the page, and the suggestion is not merely a correction of an error in existing material, then it is requested that you please post your proposed addition to the Dvaita list/digest so that the same can be reviewed by other prospective readers of the website, and their comments obtained. This is a peer-review process that has been adhered to for quite some time now, and has the added benefit of enriching the list/digest as well. If the material proposed to be added is not your own, then copyright concerns may have to be addressed. 19> I'm having some trouble with the Dvaita List; or: I have this specific query or request concerning the List. Please see the List/Digest Help File, address given above. III. Appendix: terms commonly used in Tattvavaada. -------------------------------------------------- Canonical definitions are given within square brackets, where known. A. General terms: ----------------- 1. pramaaNa ["yathaarthaM pramaaNam.h"] -- something that describes as-is, is called a pramaaNa. This can be of two types: 1.1 kevala-pramaaNa ["yathaartha-GYaanaM kevalam.h"] -- knowledge of something as-is, is called kevala-pramaaNa. 1.2 anu-pramaaNa ["tat-saadhanaM anu-pramaaNam.h"] -- a source of the previous, is called anu-pramaaNa; such can be of three types, which are: i> pratyaksha ["vishayaan.h prati-sthitam hi aksham.h"] -- flawless interaction between a sense of perception (like sight), and an object or entity in its domain, is called pratyaksha. ii> anumaana ["tarkaH adushhTaH"] -- inference without flaw constitutes logic. Flaws of inference are described below. iii> aagama ["adushhTa vaakya"] -- sentences, or bodies of sentences (texts) without flaw, are called aagama. Also of interest are: 2.1 pramaataa ["pramaavaan.h pramaataa"] -- a person in whom pramaa exists, is the pramaataa. 2.2 prameya ["pramaavishayaH prameyaH"] -- the subject of pramaa, is the prameya. 2.3 pramaa ["yathaarthaGYaanaM pramaa"] -- knowledge of something as-is, is called pramaa. Note: pramaa thus means the same thing as kevala-pramaaNa, except that it is used in a singular sense, to denote _one_ piece of correct knowledge, etc.; the latter is more often used to indicate a body of correct knowledge, and such. 3.1 hetu -- antecedent, in an inference. 3.2 saadhya -- consequence, likewise. 3.3 upa-jiivya -- anu-pramaaNa by which hetu is known. 3.4 upa-jiivaka -- anu-pramaaNa fed by, or created by, saadhya. B. Error terms. --------------- 1. Semantic errors (shabda-doshhaaH): 1.1 virodha ["yogyataaviraho virodhaH"] -- This can loosely be translated as 'opposition,' and the definition reads loosely as: "Lack of ability is opposition." What the definition means to say is that if a statement runs counter to one already accepted, and is unable to force its own way, then it must be rejected, for being opposed to a known fact. 1.2 asaN^gati ["aakaaN^kshaaviraho asangatiH"] -- This can be translated as 'irrelevance,' and the definition reads: "Lack of fulfillment of expectation is irrelevance." In a discussion, if a reply given, a point raised, or a statement made, is not in accordance with the expectation that it be pertinent to the matter under discussion, then it is irrelevant. 1.3 nyuunataa ["vivakshitaasaMpuurtirnyuunataa"] -- This can read as 'nullity,' with the definition reading loosely as: "Non-satisfaction of the claim constitutes nullity." In a discussion, if someone makes a claim, and later gives evidence that does not support the claim in full, then such evidence suffers from nullity, with respect to the claim. Another type is where a definition given does not cover all cases of the objects or entities to be defined. 1.4 aadhikyaM : "sangataavadhikatvamaadhikyam.h" -- This can be translated as 'superfluity,' and the definition as: "An excess over what is relevant, constitutes superfluity." In a discussion, if someone takes the meaning or definition of something to cover more than what it should, then such is superfluous. Another type is where a definition given covers more than the object, entity, or set to be defined. Note: nyuunataa and aadhikya have also been referred to, in special cases, as a-vyaapti (non-domination), and ati-vyaapti (over-domination). The latter, ativyaapti, is the error responsible for Russell's paradox. 2. Logical errors (tarka-doshhaaH): 2.1 aatmaashraya : This can loosely be translated as "assuming the consequence," in some cases. More generally, however, if something "rests on itself," in the sense that an object or entity is stated to have a property such as presence within itself, support of itself, etc., then this flaw exists. A standard example is "sva-skandha-aarohaNa" or "mounting one's own shoulder." 2.2 anyonyaashraya : Loosely, "mutual reliance." If a statement is proved by another, and the latter by the former, then this error exists. 2.3 chakrakaashraya : "circular reliance," a.k.a. circular reasoning. A more general case of the above; if instead of two, we have 'n' number of disputed statements, that are tied in a circle so that each one proves the next, then circular reasoning is shown. 2.4 anavasthaa : Infinite regress. If the proof of a statement requires an assumption, and proof of that assumption requires another, and proof of that still another, and so on, then infinite regress is said to occur. 2.5 pramaa-haana : "neglect of evidence," as in, when a statement neglects to take into account the fact that it is in opposition to accepted evidence. This itself has various forms: shruta-haana (neglect of Shruti), dR^ishhTa-haana (neglect of pratyaksha), etc. 2.6 kalpanaa-gaurava : "Respect for imagination." If a statement must be assumed without proof, so that an inference based upon it may be accepted, then the inference is subject to the respect that has been accorded to one's imagination, and is unacceptable. Economy in assumptions is a virtue. 2.7 upajiivya-virodha : "Opposition to upajiivya." If an inference is made where the consequence runs counter to the source of knowledge by which the antecedent is known, then the inference is considered incorrect, for opposing the source of its own antecedent, and the error made is known as upajiivya virodha; as has already been noted, 'upajiivya' is the name given to the anu-pramaaNa from which the antecedent is known. 2.8 apa-siddhaanta : "Invalid thesis." If a doctrine or a proponent puts forth a claim earlier in an argument, but subsequently attempts to defend a contrary position (i.e., a claim different from the previous), then the apa-siddhAnta-doshha -- the error of an invalid thesis -- is said to occur. Note: upajiivya virodha is actually a form of pramaa-haana, but is often referred to separately. IV. Appendix B: Disclaimer and restrictions ------------------------------------------- This FAQ is the result of a combined effort by the following individuals: Bala R. Krishna N. A. P. S. Rao Narahari S. Pujar Shrisha Rao The above people would like to thank Dr. D. Prahladachar, Director, Poornapragna Samshodhana Mandiram , for kindly taking the time to review and correct an earlier version of this FAQ. However, any residual errors that remain are their responsibility. The above people have tried their best to ensure that their descriptions conform to the doctrine of Srimad Ananda Tiirtha most exactly. However, it is possible that owing to inadvertence or even inadequacy of understanding on their part, there are errors in this document. If so, your forgiveness is requested. This FAQ is the property of the Poornaprajna Samshodhana Mandiram and may be freely used for non-commercial purposes. However, to use it in for-profit endeavors requires specific permission to be obtained by sending mail to info -at- dvaita.org; use without permission is covered in the U.S. under the No Electronic Theft Act, 1997, and similar laws in other countries. In addition, this document may *NOT* be reposted to any UseNet newsgroup other than the one(s) to which it is sent by its maintainers. If you think it is appropriate to another newsgroup and would like to post it there, please request permission first. Any such re-posting of this FAQ must be only for the whole document, including this section. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.religion.vaishnava -- Gaudiya FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: X-Last-Updated: 1997/01/24 From: Henry Groover Subject: soc.religion.vaishnava -- Gaudiya FAQ Newsgroups: soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.info Summary: This is a small intro to Gaudiya Vaishnavism, for current or prospective readers of the soc.religion.vaishnava newsgroup Keywords: noarchive, Vedanta, Vaishnava, Gaudiya, Chaitanya, bhedaabheda X-Url: http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/gaudiya.html X-Submission-Address: srv@pobox.com X-Administrative-Address: srv-admin@pobox.com Date: 11 May 2004 10:50:37 GMT Archive-Name: religions/vaishnava/gaudiya-faq Posting-Frequency: every 14 days Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Gaudiya or Chaitanya Vaishnavism -------------------------------- Last Update: January 23, 1997 Gaudiya FAQ maintainer Henry@HGSoft.com Gaudiya FAQ (web version) http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/gaudiya.html SRV moderation address srv@pobox.com SRV administrative address srv-admin@pobox.com ------------------------------- Contents: * General information * Frequently Asked Questions about Gaudiya Vaishnavism * Appendix: Some terms commonly used in Gaudiya Vaishnavism ------------------------------- General information This document assumes that you have already read the general FAQ for soc.religion.vaishnava (http://www-ece.rice.edu/~vijaypai/srv/srv_faq.html); if not, then please do so before proceeding to read this one. It is not expected that this FAQ will be subject to frequent revisions and updates, but whenever there is one, the current version will be posted to soc.religion.vaishnava. Even if there is no update, the FAQ will be posted to the newsgroup about once every two weeks. To obtain a copy of this document, send a message to srv@pobox.com, with any subject, and only 'faq gaudiya' (no quotes) in the body. You can also obtain other similar FAQs, by sending one of the following lines to the same address: faq faq advaita faq dvaita faq sri-vaishnava (*) (*) At this time, this FAQ does not yet exist, but is planned. The latter three choices explain themselves; sending the one word 'faq' results in the bot sending you the general FAQ for newsgroup soc.religion.vaishnava. You can also look up this document on the World-Wide Web, at the address http://www.hgsoft.com/srv/gaudiya.html. Because of the possibility of using hypertext links, quotes, etc., on the web version, that location is probably better for you to refer to if you have any choice. ------------------------------- Frequently Asked Questions: * What is (a) Gaudiya? The term 'GauDiiya' means 'of GauDa-deSa', GauDa-deSa being an old name for West Bengal. Gaudiya Vaishnavism originated in what is now West Bengal, and is still very widely practiced there and in what is now Bangladesh. * Who is the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism? Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a widespread movement of bhakti or devotion was begun by Sri Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu (see http://www.goloka.com/gallery/html/cait01.html), who appeared in West Bengal in the late 15th century. He is accepted by all Gaudiya Vaishnavas as an incarnation of Krishna but in the "hidden" role of a devotee of Krishna, and this is supported by references from Srimad-Bhaagavatam, the Chaitanya Upanishad of the Atharva Veda, the Mahaabhaarata, and other scriptures. Gaudiya Vaishnavism was certainly influenced by many earlier personalities, such as Maadhavendra Puri (who also represents the connection of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to the Maadhva sampradaaya coming from Srimad Ananda Tiirtha or Madhvaachaarya) (see http://www.rit.edu/~mrreee/madhva/index.html) and Jayadeva Goswami, Chandiidaasa and Vidyaapati. Though Sri Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu was a great scholar, He left only 8 verses, called the shikshaashhTakam. His followers, most notably the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan (see http://www.goloka.com/gallery/html/rupsan.html), wrote numerous books setting down the tenets and rituals of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with support from scripture. * Who are some other prominent figures in Gaudiya Vaishnavism? The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan were mostly contemporaries of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami, along with the younger Jiva Goswami, wrote many works on bhakti and Gaudiya philosophy, supporting their work extensively with quotations from smriti and shruti. Narottama dasa Thakura came a bit later. Narottam dasa Thakura studied under Jiva Goswami, and was responsible for spreading bhakti throughout Orissa and Bengal. Fifty years after the disappearance of Shri Chaitanya, Narottam also organized annual festivals in Bengal, which served to keep the Gaudiya philosophy unified. Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami is best known for his biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Chaitanya Charitaamrita. In the 17th century, Srila Baladeva VidyaabhuushaNa was known for his Govinda-bhaashya commentary on BaadaraayaNa's Brahma-Suutra a.k.a Vedaanta-suutra. He also wrote commentaries on 10 major Upanishads, which have been lost with the exception of his commentary on Iishopanishad. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in the 19th century and was responsible for a large revival of the Gaudiya movement, which had fallen into disrepute at this time. The Thakura's son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, was a lifelong brahmachaarin (celibate bachelor) and continued spreading the Gaudiya movement throughout India. He founded the Gaudiya Matha society, and also sent disciples to preach in England. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, came to New York in 1965 and founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known popularly as the Hare Krishna movement. He departed this world in 1977. * What is the Gaudiya understanding of Vedanta? Although Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a widespread movement really began in the late 15th century, a commentary on Vedaanta-suutra was not written until the 18th century. Srila Baladeva VidyaabhuushaNa wrote the Govinda-bhaashya commentary at that time. In the opinion of Sri Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu, and as cited in various scriptures such as the GaruDa PuraaNa, the Sriimad-Bhaagavatam is considered to be the natural commentary on Vedanta. Vedanta describes the Absolute Truth as well as the living entities, and the Bhaagavatam elaborates on Sri Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-giitaa, as the Supreme Brahman and Absolute Truth. Thus the followers of Sri Chaitanya have always held the Bhaagavatam in highest esteem as a scriptural authority. For more information, see "What is the Gaudiya concept of scripture?" The Gaudiya understanding of Vedanta, as first explained by Sri Chaitanya in His teachings and later set down by Sri Baladeva VidyabhuushaNa in his Govinda-bhaashya commentary, is called achintya-bhedaabheda-tattva, or inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference. This doctrine teaches that the living entity or jiivaatmaa and the Supreme Person Sri Krishna or Vishnu are one in quality but different in quantity. Krishna is the infinite Supreme Spirit (Brahman) and the minute jiiva is also spirit or brahman, but the two are eternally distinct. One analogy is of sparks within a fire which are hot like the fire but also have a separate identity. Furthermore, when the tiny spark leaves the fire and lands on damp ground, its blazing nature may be extinguished. This is similar to the spiritual jiiva coming into contact with matter; the effulgent spiritual nature of the jiiva is covered to one degree or another by the material energy or maayaa. This relationship of simultaneous oneness and difference is called achintya or inconceivable not because it is undescribable (which would be anirvachaniiya) but because it is not possible to fully understand the nature of the infinite Absolute Truth. The concept will simply not fit into one's head, but one can nonetheless approach the concept. For example, we can understand that the ocean contains approximately so many quadrillion tons of water. We can approach the understanding of the ocean's volume in this way but we cannot really fit it into our head as easily as we can with a smaller quantity of water, say a small pond or even a lake. But by analyzing a single drop of ocean water, we can understand the qualities that are present in the ocean. * What are the tenets of Gaudiya Vaishnavism? It would be difficult to describe Gaudiya Vaishnavism without describing the basics of Brahman realization. These tenets are common to all Vedaanta-based philosophies: + I am not this body. + I am an eternal, spiritual being + I do not belong in the cycle of repeated birth and death in this temporary world. It is part of my nature to seek aananda or bliss. Specific to mainstream Vaishnava philosophies: + My identity as an individual spiritual being is different from the Supreme Being. + That Supreme Being is known as Vishnu or Krishna. + The forms of Vishnu or Krishna are eternal, spiritual forms full of unlimited opulence. + There is no truth superior to the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita. Some of the essential points particular to Gaudiya Vaishnavism: + Sri Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaaja, is the worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead. + Krishna's eternal abode is Vrindaavana. + The best worship of Sri Krishna is that which is performed by the cowherd damsels of Vrindaavana (the gopiis). + Srimad-Bhaagavatam is a spotless authority for these and other truths. + Ecstatic love for Krishna (premaa) is the ultimate goal of life. + The best means of attaining the perfection of Krishna-premaa is by chanting the mahaa-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare Special emphasis is given to congregational chanting, or sankiirtana. Sankiirtana is often sung to accompaniment of instruments such as the mridangam (a two-headed drum) and karatalas (hand cymbals). Individual chanting is usually done on a japa-maalaa (rosary of beads) under a vow to chant the mantra a certain number of times daily. * Why do Gaudiyas emphasize devotion over learning? This is not strictly true. Renunciation, devotion, and scholarship have always been emphasized in the Gaudiya line, as evidenced by titles like Bhaktivedanta. However, neither renunciation, scholarship, nor even salvation (mukti) are considered ends in themselves. Devotional activities are not merely the means of achieving liberation but in their pure state (i.e. not contaminated by selfish desires) are eternal liberated activities. Thus the emphasis is not only on shaastra (scripture) to understand the Absolute Truth, the individual soul, and the soul's relationship with the Absolute Truth, but on saadhana-bhakti or practice of devotional service. By practicing pure devotional service the heart becomes cleansed of impurities and one comes progressively to the ultimate goal of prema-bhakti, or ecstatic devotion. * How does worship by Gaudiyas differ from other Vaishnava worship? In a few ways; briefly: + Gaudiyas emphasize naama-sankiirtana (congregational chanting of Krishna's names), hearing the Srimad-Bhaagavatam, living in holy places such as Vrindavan, associating with saintly persons, and worship of Tulasii. + Gaudiya temple worship is generally of Raadhaa-Krishna rather than of Lakshmii-NaaraayaNa. Sometimes Gaudiya Vaishnavas worship Raadhaa-Krishna in the reverential mood of Lakshmii-NaaraayaNa. + Gaudiyas worship Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of Krishna and Raadhaa combined. While Gaudiyas have never insisted that others accept the divinity of Sri Chaitanya, they have in the past staunchly defended the scriptural basis of this worship. + Gaudiyas de-emphasize the paths of speculative knowledge (GYaana) and fruitive activities (karma). These are considered extraneous impediments to cultivation of unalloyed bhakti. + For Gaudiyas, cultivation of premaa (ecstatic love for Krishna) is the ultimate goal of all worship. Thus the elaborate rules and regulations of smriti are often passed over in favor of the simpler pancharaatrikii-vidhi. Srila Gopala BhaTTa Goswami (one of the Six Goswamis) wrote a book called Sat-kriyaa-saara-diipikaa, containing essential rituals for Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Srila Sanaatana Goswami wrote Hari-bhakti-vilasa, which outlines Deity worship and other devotional activities for Gaudiyas. + The Deity of the Lord is considered an incarnation of the Lord, or archaa-avataara. It is by His achintya-shakti or inconceivable potency that He can choose to assume any form He wishes to accept the loving service of His devotees. * What is the Gaudiya concept of moksha? Of the five types of liberation (saaruupya, or attaining similar form to the Lord; saalokya, or attaining the same planet as the Lord; saamiipya, or attaining nearness of vicinity to the Lord; saarshTi, or attaining similar opulence to the Lord; and saayujya, or attaining oneness with the Lord) only the first four are considered acceptable. However, salvation or moksha is considered quite subsidiary to the goal of attaining unalloyed devotional service on the platform of premaa, or ecstatic love for Krishna. There is a statement to this end by Lord Kapila in the Bhagavatam, Canto 3: ... As far as saayujya is concerned, Srila Jiva Goswami explains that there are two types of saayujya: entering into the body of the Lord (as observed by those who saw Sishupala slain by the Lord's chakra), or annihilating one's existence in the Lord's effulgence (check ref. Bhag. Sand.) Needless to say, both are shunned by Gaudiyas as in either case there would be no opportunity to serve the Lord. * What is the Gaudiya concept of Brahman? According to the Bhagavatam, the same non-dual substance is called variously Brahman, Paramaatmaa, and Bhagavaan. The Gaudiya understanding of this, and references to golden effulgence as in the Iishopanishad, refer to the Lord's bodily effulgence. This is one aspect or view. Another aspect of the Lord is His localized expansion as Paramaatmaa or the Supersoul within all beings. The Lord as Bhagavaan, or the Supreme Person full in six opulences, is the aspect Gaudiyas focus on. Having achieved Bhagavaan realization, one automatically realizes Brahman and Paramaatmaa. * What is the significance of jiivan-mukti according to Gaudiya doctrine? By the Lord's inconceivable potency, one who is engaged completely in the service of the Lord becomes fully spiritualized in mind, body, and words, even in this lifetime. Such a person is called jiivan-mukta, or liberated in the living state. The example of an iron bar placed in a fire is sometimes given: when the iron bar becomes sufficiently heated by association with the fire, it turns red hot and acts like fire. Similarly, when one associates with Krishna without deviating from the path of pure devotion, even one's material body becomes completely spiritualized. * What is the Gaudiya concept of scripture? Scripture or shaastra is revered as authoritative. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhaagavata PuraaNa) is given special reverence because it dispenses with speculative knowledge and fruitive activities, and cuts to the quick of pure devotional service to Krishna. Another scripture of great importance to Gaudiya Vaishnavas is Brahma-samhitaa. Originally purported to contain 100 chapters and considered lost, a copy of chapter 5 of this book, spoken by Lord Brahmaa, was found by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during His tour of South India at the Adi-Kesava temple. * Why have Gaudiya Vaishnavas reversed the Sruti-mantra? Actually, there are references to this mahaa-mantra in various places. It appears in the Kali-santaraNopanishad as well as in various PuraaNas. Some represent it as Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, others as Hare Rama, Hare Krishna. One story has it that chanting of this mantra, as it appears in the Kali-santaraNa Upanishad: Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare caused some consternation amongst caste-conscious braahmaNas as Gaudiyas were encouraging shuudras (laborers) and even Muslims to chant this mantra. Teaching shruti to such persons is proscribed, so the mantra was reversed to overcome such objections: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare As the names Krishna and Raama are considered non-different from the Lord Himself, there is no loss of the benefit of chanting these names in this slightly altered form. * What are the Gaudiya institutions of the present day? ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has centers in many cities throughout the world, as well as maintaining some rural farm communities. It publishes a monthly magazine called _Back to Godhead_. See: http://www.algonet.se/~krishna The Gaudiya Vaishnava Society is based in Eugene, Oregon and publishes a quarterly magazine called Gaudiya Vedanta. You can send enquiries on this beautiful publication to Swami Vishnu (swamiv@clarioncallpub.com) or see the Clarion Call Publishing home page: http://www.efn.org/~gvs http://www.clarioncallpub.com The World Vaishnava Association is based in Mathura, UP, INDIA: http://www.owplaza.com/wva * Where can I get more information? See the following URLs: + Hare Krishna Index http://www-ece.rice.edu/~vijaypai/hkindex.html + ISKCON Home Page http://www.algonet.se/~krishna + World Vaishnava Association http://www.owplaza.com/wva + Bhakti Yoga Lifestyle http://mindlink.net/vswami + Gaudiya Vaishnava Society http://www.efn.org/~gvs + Black Peacock Home Page http://www.goloka.com ------------------------------- III. Appendix: terms commonly used in Gaudiya discourse [In no particular order.] rasa Taste, specifically of the varieties of favorable relationships with the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. rasika One who is cognizant of rasa. sahajiyaa The praakrita-sahajiyaas are one of 14 offshoots of Gaudiya Vaishnavism (some others are the Bauls, caste goswamis, etc.) This name is given because they are considered to take the exchange of rasa cheaply. raagaanuga Spontaneous attachment. In the early stages of bhakti or devotion, one follows various rules and regulations vaidhi-bhakti). As attachment for Krishna and devotional service develops, the rules and regulations become subsidiary to one's relationship with Krishna and may be neglected. ruupaanuga A follower of Ruupa Goswami, one of the principal followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu. ritvik Literally, an officiating priest. Some followers and disciples of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada hold that no one is currently qualified to act as guru. According to this controversial view, initiation may only be granted by one who acts on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, with the disciple becoming a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Here are some proponents: http://www.islandnet.com/krsna/vada and one refutation: http://swami.simplenet.com/hkexperience/linkritvik.html ------------------------------- Contributors to this FAQ Many Vaishnavas and friends contributed invaluable ideas, suggestions, and critical feedback. Here is a partial list: Eswar Josyula Randall Leighton Shrisha Rao Vijay Pai Vivek Pai Swami Vishnu Send feedback to Henry Groover, aka Agrahya daasa, at Henry@HGSoft.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.religion.vaishnava -- Haridasa FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Haridasa FAQ maintainer Newsgroups: soc.religion.vaishnava, soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.indian.karnataka, alt.magick.tyagi Subject: soc.religion.vaishnava -- Haridasa FAQ Date: 24 Jul 1999 11:52:12 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: Haridasa FAQ maintainer Summary: This is a small intro to the Haridasa devotional musical movement of the Maadhva sampradaaya. Keywords: noarchive, Vedanta, Vaishnava, Tattvavaada, Haridasa X-Last-Updated: 1998/04/17 X-Url: http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa Archive-Name: religions/vaishnava/haridasa-faq Posting-Frequency: every 14 days Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Haridasas Last updated: April 16, 1998 Haridasa Home Page http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/ Haridasa FAQ (web version) http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/faq.html Haridasa FAQ maintainer haridasa -at- dvaita.org Dvaita Home Page http://www.dvaita.org/ Dvaita FAQ (web version) http://www.dvaita.org/faq.html Contents: I. Frequently Asked Questions for Haridasas II. Glossary of Terms with meaning used in Haridasa Sahitya I. Frequently Asked Questions for Haridasas ------------------------------------------- 1) Who are Haridasas? The term 'Haridasa' means literally 'servant of Sri Hari'. In common parlance the term refers to devotional poets, who composed songs in Kannada (a language in use in South India particularly in Karnataka) in praise of Sri Hari (The supreme Godhead according to Hindu scriptures, who is also called Narayana, Vishnu etc.). The Haridasas were servants of God. Sri Vijayadasa, a famous Haridasa in his Haridasalakshana Suladi describes the vows that have to be taken by the Haridasa before ordination. These include absolute faith in Sruti, Smriti, Purana and Ithihasa as interpreted by Acharya Madhva and his disciples who preached the Dvaita tenets. Note : The Haridasas are followers of Sri Madhwacharya who was the founder of Dvaitha siddhanta which has the following nine fundamental tenets. * Sri Hari is sarvottama ,sarvashaktha, sarvavyapi etc. The supreme being is infinitely superior to all, and has infinite capacity and pervades every where. * The world is satya (has real existence) * Bheda (difference between objects and souls etc as observed in the world) is real and not imaginary as postulated by Advaitha. * There are fundamental and eternal differences between souls or JIvas who have different innate capacities. * All the jIvas are servants and dependents of Sri Hari. * Mukthi or liberation from the eternal cycle of births and deaths and suffering in this world is the realisation with God's grace, the innate bliss that is the essence of the JIva himself. * Bhakthi (Devotion) is the main sadhana (means) of achieving Mukthi (liberation). * There are three pramanas (means of cognising valid truths) only - Pratyaksha, Anumana and Sabda. * Hari is knowable only through the Vedas. The order of the Dasas was built up by a regular band of saintly souls, who dedicated themselves to the service of the Lord by propagating their faith and singing the praises of Hari wandered from one end of the country to the other. The main messages enshrined in their songs were : * God is easily approachable by all. * God is to be praised and constantly remembered as our benefactor. * Realising the true nature of God's benevolence towards us and offering even simple worship within the means available to one is more acceptable to Him than ritualistic or pompous ornamentation without mental participation. They were universally respected and fully supported by MAdhva pontiffs (MatAdhipathi's or swamiji's) and scholars. The Dasas were semi-ascetic in their approach to the world at large. They renounced the pleasures of the world but were house-holders and lived a normal family life. They accepted food offered to them when they went around with their bags (called Jolige) without storing it for profit (Unchha Vrutti). Temples and maThas became their main abode. They went around towns and villages singing and dancing with a single-stringed tamboori instrument and castanets. Barefooted, simply dressed in dhoti and turban, the Dasas presented a picture of simplicity, austerity and elegance. 2) What is Dvaita or TattvavAda? Dvaita or TattvavAda is one of the leading schools of Hindu philosophy. It was propounded by AchArya Madhwa (aka MadhwAchArya, Ananda tIrtha). The cardinal precepts are : The supremacy of Sri Hari and surrender to Him and service to humanity as the sole means of liberation. Please see item No.1 for details. The philosophy of Sriman Madhvacharya is essentially pragmatic with relevance to everyday life. Its emphasis on Duty, Morality and Devotion to the supreme being at every stage of life leads towards the twin objectives of building a sound individual and an orderly society. Acharya Madhwa propagated the true spirit of modesty, selflessness and sublimity by commending that every individual shall always consider himself as a servant at the feet of the Supreme Lord, who is the embodiment of all perfection and perform his assigned role in the world as his duty towards the Lord. for further details see Dvaita FAQ. (http://www.dvaita.org/faq.txt or http://www.dvaita.org/faq.html) 3) Who was AchArya Madhwa? He was the founder of the dvaita or tattvavAda school of philosophy. For more details, see the dvaita homepage (http://www.dvaita.org). 4) What was the relationship between Dvaita and HaridAsas? HaridAsas were followers of AchArya Madhva, the founder of the dvaita school of philosophy. They drew their inspiration from scriptures as correctly interpreted by AchArya Madhva. Consequently, dvaita provided the philosophical underpinning for their work. Compositions of Haridasas can be broadly classified as those essentially meant to explain the Dvaita vedantha concepts and others which are prima-facie devotional music. The former were mostly composed by Ascetics and householders who wanted to popularise Dvaita amongst the masses. They are sometimes in the form of independent texts like Harikathamruthasara by Sri Jagannatha dasaru in the 18th century, which is accepted as an authority in Thathvavada even by scholars. Sri Vadiraja has also composed many significant compositions with this end in view. Such works were mostly composed till the 18th century. But a large number have been composed by others in the form of Suladis and Ugabhogas in kannada, which can be sung to rhythm, but are not particularly intended for musical rendering but for explaining the Thathva and deal with it in some detail by explaining the concepts in simple language. Ugabhogas are very short and emphasise a topic considered very important. Suvvalis are also written occasionally, which contain great philosophical truths embedded in homespun kannada - Ex. Thathva suvvali of Sri Jagannatha dasaru. The majority of songs composed by Haridasas, specially those who came in the Nineteenth century, however are in the nature of devotional music extolling the supreme being and our reverence to Him. Occasionally they also refer to specific Thathvas and injunctions briefly which are illustrated by stories from Puranas. There is no detailed reasoning and exposition of the philosophy of Acharya Madhva, which is usually taken as axiomatic. The drift of the songs is lyrical and didactic rather than logical and definitive. Nevertheless, certain basic tenets of the system like the doctrines of Hari sarvOttama (Lord Hari is the Supreme amongst all gods), 'tAratamya' (gradation), 'panchaBhEda' (fivefold differences amongst all the entities in the world), the nature of souls, the infinite and immutable attributes of God, and the nature of 'mOksha (liberation) are invariably dealt with. Most of the songs are extremely well written for being sung in classical music - Ragas, Thalas etc. These songs when sung with great musical beauty and emotional feelings take the singer and listeners very close to the object of such worship. For more details you can go to Influence of Sri Madhvacharya on Haridasas section of Haridasa homepage. (http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/mphil.html) 5) What are the basic tenets of Acharya Madhwa's teachings? * Vishnusarvottamatva - Supremacy of Lord Vishnu * Vayujeevottamatva - Supremacy of Vayu among Jeevas * The World is real (satya) and not illusory * Panchabheda - Five fold distinction * Bhakti (Devotion to God) is the sure route to God 6) How did the concept of 'haridAsatva' start? The first person to start the practice of composing devotional songs in kannada, the language of the people, was Shri NaraharitIrtha, (a direct disciple of Acharya Madhwa himself in the 14th century), but the one who really breathed life into the practice was Sri shrIpAdarAja (aka Sri LakshmInArAyanatIrtha) and his disciple Sri VyAsaIrtha. They were both mAdhwa pontiffs, with extraordinary proficiency in the original philosophical compositions of Acharya Madhwa and his disciples which were in sanskrit. However, in order to draw the common man into the fold of devotion, they composed devotional songs in kannada. Even though there were a few others before him, the first, universally revered haridAsa who was not an ascetic was Shri Purandara dAsa. He was a direct disciple of Shri VyAsatIrtha and lived in the 16th century, contemporary to Sri Purandara is Sri Kanakadasa. Among other dasas were Sri Vijaya Dasa, Sri Gopala Dasa, Sri Jagannatha Dasa, Helevanakatte Giriamma and others. For further details see http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/hist.html 'History of Haridasas". 7) What is the Background of Dasa's? The Dasas, though learned, were humble servants of God and undertook to spread the message of Acharya Madhva in the simplest, most comprehensive style. Kannada, the spoken language of the common people was the medium of communication. Telling phrases couched in common idiom and racy vocabulary made the compositions directly appealing to the mass of people. Hundreds of common day-to-day figures of speech, similes and thoughtful observations with deep insight into human nature made their songs crystal clear in conceptualisation of abstract thoughts of philosophy along with their relevance to day to day living. The beauty of Dasa sahithya lies in simplicity, directness, and clarity without being crude and inane. Additionally, Dasa literature appealed not only to a particular sect or area, caste or community but had a universal appeal. Their sole purpose was to praise the Lord for his mercy and beneficence. Their art lay in unravelling the heart without ego, arrogance, cunning or secrecy. The Dasas broke open the hidden treasures of philosophy unexplored till then except through sanskrit; the common man had the feast of scriptural knowledge and drank the ambrosial honey to his heart's content. The Dasas reiterated the basic concept, that devotion to the Supreme creator was the only salvation for mankind. Being in close touch with the life in the raw of common people the Dasas became shrewd observers of life. Their compositions therefore were natural, spontaneous and quick to touch the heart. The Dasas preached basic things such as ephemeral qualities of human life, the superficially enchanting and miragelike worldly attractions which usually lead to misery and the deep seated quest for liberation in everyone's heart, which leads us to the final saving grace of the Supreme being. The incarnations of Sri Hari was always a very fertile subject and in the hands of Haridasas, He became a well known figure who was almost human - like Sri Rama and Krishna who besported themselves in the world while concealing their incomparable superiority to other persons around them. A similar approach was adopted by the famous devotion poets in the north like Meera, Surdas etc. Instead of a frightening and unknown entity to be feared, God became a person to be adored for His great and auspicious qualities and above all for his closeness and approachability by all. 8) What kind of life did the haridAsas lead? HaridAsas were semi-sanyAsis. They renounced all the pleasures of the world but were house-holders and had a normal family. They were mendicants who accepted alms for sustenance, without storing it for profit. Temples and maThas were their main abode. They moved from place to place and lived by getting food from house to house,(Uncha Vrutti), singing and dancing with single-minded devotion. A typical sight would be that of a haridAsa walking on bare foot from one place to another, playing the tambUri and singing kIrtanas, despising comfort and rest, suffering hardship and privation, exhorting people to lives of truth, virtue and devotion to God, conveying their teachings through soul-stirring music. The gentle message of their songs had a direct appeal which no heart susceptible to noble impulses could ever resist. 9) What is the Order of 'Dasatva'? There are no distinctive religious practices and rituals associated with the order of the Dasas, except perhaps the congregational prayers held at Pandharpur, or other holy places, temple, maTha, Guru's (preceptor) house etc. The initiation ceremony and administering oath of allegiance, and the employment of music and dancing served as part of the devotional discipline. The order of the Haridasas (servants of God) was built up by a regular band of saintly souls, who dedicated themselves to the service of the Lord and singing the praises of Hari, wandered from one end of the country to other. These saints of Dasa order centered their affections on Vithala of Pandharpur as the patron deity of their order. Each of them was awarded an Ankitha - Nomogram, (nom-de-plume) which was different from his original name, like Purandara, Vijaya, Gopala etc and they were known by the new name - Purandara Dasaru etc. In the case of well known ascetics like Sri Vyasaraja and Vadiraja, while they retained their ordained ascetic names, they still used a distinctive name of the Lord - Sirikrishna, Hayavadana etc as Ankitha in their songs. 10) What was the contribution of haridAsas to literature? KannaDa, the spoken language of the people was the medium of communication. Telling phrases, couched in racy vocabulary made the compositions powerful and effective. Hundreds of common figures of speech, thoughtful observations served to make their song easily understood by the common man. Beauty lies in simplicity without being crude and inane. Dvaita sidhdhAnta thus reached many people/devotees through the music and compositions of the dAsas. Their compositions are equally available to all - the young and the old, men & women, the pious as well as the sinful, untouchables as well as high-caste people, without any distinction of caste, creed, region or religion. Many of the simple statements made by Haridasas were accepted into the ordinary vocabulary of common people to express their own approach to life. For more details see Haridasas Contribution to Literature (http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/hdlit.html). 11) What were the main messages propagated by haridAsas? The main messages enshrined in their songs were : * God is easily approachable by all. * God is to be praised and constantly remembered as our benefactor. * Realising the true nature of God's benevolence towards us and offering even simple worship within the means available to one is more acceptable to Him than ritualistic or pompous ornamentation without mental participation. 12) What was the style of Compositions followed by HaridAsas? Each haridAsa had a distinct style of his own, inimitable and personal. While PurandaradAsa adopted a simple, lucid KannaDa style with telling phrases and similes, KanakadAsa revelled in a strong, fighting style that delivered the message directly. VijayadAdAsa followed his master Sri Purandaradasa while Sri Jagannathadasa sprinkled his compositions with many sanskrit words. Each dAsa took a road of his own choice knowing fully well that the ultimate goal was to praise the Lord. The compositions of the haridAsas are thought-provoking yet simple yet serious in content, serious yet enchanting, enchanting yet didactic. Many serious philosophical tenets were introduced to the uninitiated as well as described in depth to the expert. For further details you can refer to Style & Compositions of Haridasas at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/style.html. 13) What type of Compositions did the haridAsas produce? There is a wonderful fusion of music and poetry in the works of the haridAsas. There is great variety in their compositions: * prosody-pada, * suLAdi, * ugABhOga, * tattva-suvvAli, * shlOka, * kanda, * vachana, * vrittanAma, * dvipadi, * tripadi, * choupadi, * shatpadi, * ashtapadi, * ragale * yalapad. We find a vast variety in the subject matter too - biographical, religious, philosophical, social, ethical, ritualistic, introspective, and so on. It was PurandaradAsa who composed the famous 'pillAri gItas', the learning of which has become the firm foundation of karnAtik music even today. For further details you can refer to Style & Compositions of Haridasas at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/style.html. 14) What instruments were used by Haridasas? Haridasas constantly moved from place to place touring towns and villages singing and dancing with a single-stringed tamboori instrument, foot bells (kalgejje) and castanets (chatike) being their only musical accompaniments. Portability and simplicity were the keynotes to the musical instruments they used. 15) What is the meaning of Devotion? The path of devotion calls for total surrender to the almighty. Based on the Upanishads, the Puranas and personal experience, the proponents of Bhakthi Marga (the path of devotion) have structured their relationship to God in different ways ie mother-child, preceptor-disciple (Guru-Shishya), master and servant, husband and wife, Shantha-swaroopa etc. to feel from the core of their heart intense devotion or love for Sri Hari. In a nutshell these relationships are called panchavidha bhavagalu. They are Dasya, Madhura, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Shantha bhava. Intense love and devotion for the Supreme being lead one to release from the trammels of worldly sufferings. The road starts with the directions in Bhagawatha Purana and the Geetha. Liberation is the slave of devotion. As taught by Acharya Madhva, Haridasas attach supreme importance to bhakthi, though karma and jnana (action and knowledge) are also necessary. In fact, these three means of salvation are complementary to one another. The Haridasas were imbued with a spirit of equanimity, detachment from worldly attractions, great love and kindness towards mankind and other living beings along with a strong sense of social duties and responsibilties coupled with selflessness. They are like the torch-bearers guiding those who still wander in the dim darkness of dreary samsara. Their experiences and expressions give solace to many a passerby to avoid the pitfalls of life, rest himself and quench his thirst by drinking the sacred nectar of their most sublime and immortal songs. For further details you can go to Devotion/Bhakti Movement at http://www dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/devot.html 16) How does one practice devotion? Devotion calls for both external and internal cleanliness (Antaranga Shuddi and Bahiranga Shuddi). Internal cleanliness refers to having a pure mind and heart. To achieve external cleanliness one should take bath, wear clean & washed clothes, eat the food which has been offered to God (nEivedya). Internal cleanliness is achieved by following the prescribed modes of worship of the Supreme being - such as Shravana (listening), Manana (assimilating), nididhyasana (concentrating one's mind), etc. of the great and auspicious qualities of God. By doing all these things one can hope to get devotion. For further details you can go to Devotion/Bhakti Movement at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/devot.html. 17) What is the significance of Taratamya / Panchbheda in the Dvaita system? AchArya Madhva has defined Bhakthi or intense devotion to God as "Mahathmyajnanapoorva", "Sarvathodhika" Sneha. True devotion necessitates accurate and complete knowledge of the object of Love - its superiority and goodness etc. As men are always attached to objects of desire or emotion, the love of God should grow and transcend all other attachments. Only then will it be possible to achieve the single minded devotion to God which leads to liberation. The immense superiority of God in all respects, His transcendental q ualities and His nature which is infinite and unreachable by words or thought is extolled by Upanishaths. Thus, our very limited and imperfect natures, and our total dependence on God's bounties for our very existence should convince any one of the difference between God and ourselves. Existence of multiple conscious beings is also a fact observed by all. That there is difference amongst such living beings and they have innate worths which lead them to achieve different levels of misery or bliss is also an empirical extension of the observations from the external world. Acharya Madhva has shown that these differences between God and the soul, the souls themselves, inanimate objects and God and the souls are also the final conclusions of Vedantha philosophy when interpreted correctly. In Dasa compositions, these are stated in general terms and no attempt to explain this doctrine, which is generally stated as an accepted fact. There are some compositions which refer to the incorrectness of Advaitha concepts which lead the aspirant away from the true path. References are also made to the shruthi texts which support the Bheda doctrines and the concept of Taratamya or gradation. The subject is dealt with more exhaustively in Suladis and Suvvalis. But the emphasis is not on polemics, but on teaching the essential doctrines to the deserving aspirants. By highlighting the gulf of difference between God and man and the great qualities of God and his devotees, the songs rouse the spirit of man from a life of worldly attachment and turn it Godward. They deal with all aspects of spiritual discipline taught by the scriptures and take us along the path of God realization. 18) What is the hierarchy of gods according to dvaita? Following is the hierarchy of Taratamya Devataas: the number stands for the rank of the respective devata and bracketed description is the respective tatvas they belong to: 1. Paramathma, Hari Vishnu (Sarvottama; Purusha) 2. RamA Devi, MahAlakshmi (Avyaka Tatva; MUla prakruti) 3. Brahma and VAyu (mahattatva) 4. Saraswathi or Brahma Pathni and BhArathi or VAyu Pathni (Mahadavyaktha) 5. Garuda, ShEsha and Rudra (Ahamkara Tatva) 6. Krishna's shanmahishi's: Nila, Bhadra, Mitravinda, Kalindi, Lakshana, JAmbavathi 7. Sauparni or Garuda Pathni, VAruni or ShEsha Pathni and PArvathi or Rudra Pathni 8. Indra and KAma (manasthathva) 9. Ahamkarika PrAna (Tejasahamkara, Tvagindriya) 10. Daksha (Paneendriya), Anirudda and KAmaputra, Rathi and KAmapathni, SwAyumbhuva Manu (Upasthendriya) Bruhaspathi (shabda), shachi and Indra pathni 11. PravahavAyu (Vayutatva, BhUtavayu) 12. SUrya (Chakshurindriya), Shataroopa or SwAyambhuva Manupathni, Chandra(Shrothrendriya) and Yama 13. Varuna (Aptatva, Rasanendriya) 14. NArada 15. Prasoothidevi, Bhrigu and PradhAnagni (Vagindriya, Tejotatva) 16. Sapta Rishi's, PrahlAda and Vyvaswathamanu 17. Mitra, PrAvahidevi and TAra : Bruhaspathi's wives and NiR^ti who is Rakshadinatha 18. VishvaksEna, Ashwini DevatAs (Ghranendriya), Ganapathi(Akasha Tatva) KubEra and Shata Devataas. Here out of Pancheindriya, four has been covered; Prithivi tatva concerned devataa is ShanEshwara who stands at 25th place. From Pancha Karmendriya, four has been covered in the above list and the other devataa is Jayantha who is the son of Indra. The reverse order of the above ranking is Arohana method. Haridasas follow the same path what has been shown by Sri Madhwa and composed their songs accordingly. 19) What is the meaning of VyAsakoota & DAsakoota? Haridasas were sometimes referred to as belonging to two divisions: VyAsa Koota and DAsa Koota. The followers of VyAsa Koota were learned in the Vedas, Upanishads and other Darshanas with a true constructive appreciation of the metaphysics and of manifestations of Vishnu. They were strict disciples of Vedavyasa Tradition and have composed both slokas and Keertanas in Sanskrit and Kannada. The followers of DAsakoota were generally content to write compositions in kannada which explained to the masses all elements of value enshrined in the Vedas and in those involved in Vyasa tradition and taught the masses. There was no philosophical or doctrinal difference between the two groups. Both accepted Dvaita philosophy of Acharya Madhwa. The difference in approach was superficial as the compositions were targeted at different levels of seekers of truth - the former being intended for those who wanted to delve deeper while the latter was for the general lay public. In fact, the Krithis of some saints like Sri Vyasaraja have some, which could be classified as belonging to Dasakoota. VyAsa Koota was concentrating on the philosophic aspect of the teaching Thathva, removing connfusion in interpretation of vedic texts, showing errors of previous interpretations, turning every prejudice into light and kindling love of truth into a passion; the other class was singing the praises of Vishnu to the masses for persuading them to follow the path of Bhakthi in a manner which they could best understand and follow. Both the groups spread the message of the great teacher to the farthest corner of the country. For more details you can refer Vyasakuta and Dasakuta (http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/vdkuta.html) 20) What is "Ankitha"? It is the phrase or set of words used by a Haridasa, usually at the end, to sign-off a composition. It is basically a literary signature or signet /mudrika or pen-name or nom-de-plume that identifies the composed. Each Haridasa had his or her own ankitha. The table of Haridasas provided in the Introductory part lists the ankitha of all popular Haridasas. Ankita was conferred by the Guru after being duly satisfied of the merits of the student aspiring to be a member of the Haridasa Pantha. The ankita as Vittala in the case of Purandara, Vijaya and Jagannatha Vittala was intuitively perceived by the Guru after apprehension of the Swaroopa Guna and after realisation of the immanence of Bimba Rupi Paramathma in the soul of the sishya. However, some Dasas obtained their Ankitas directly through divine intervention, usually in the form of a dream (this method is called swapna labda). Some of the saint Haridasas kept their Ankita's of the special form of Lord to which they were devoted for example Sri Vadiraja - Hayavadana & Sri Vyasaraja - Siri Krishna. One exception to this rule was Jagannathadasa who got his ankita on a stone in the Bhima river in Pandharpur. Most of the dasas worshiped Vitthal of Pandharpur and adopted the God-given 'Ankita' "vitthala". For example "Purandara Dasa", "Vijaya Dasa" "GopalaVittala" etc. For further details go to http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/ankit.html. 21) What is a Bhajan? What are the types of Bhajans? Faith and Bhajan (prayer) are the constituents of Bhakti or devotion of Haridasa for, by faith and prayer alone that one can acquire the Nom de Plume of Haridasa. Prayer is one of the sources of deep constructive energies of life and has always been a steady uplifting power in the long story of human progress. Prayer raises man above self-seeking and utilitarian aspiration. It transcends rationalising tendencies in man. The attempt to find antecedent causes for everything is bound to explain higher stages in terms of lower and simpler ones. We are bound to go back and back for our causes until we lose sight of supreme values of life, and find ourselves enmeshed in a mechanistic scheme of movements, which is substituted for more vivid realities subjectively experienced. Prayer is born of our own need for spiritual fellowship, and it is a kind of divine mutual and reciprocal correspondence, and gives a transcendental thrill of life. Prayer in its highest reaches climbs to a vicarious exercise of the soul, in the sense of feeling with those who feel and suffer, and thus establish through invisible vibrations, complete identity with Humanity. There are three types of Bhajans (prayers). They are; * supraBhAta (early morning/wakeup) Bhajana * avarOhaNa (descending order) early morning Bhajana * ArOhaNa (ascending order) evening bhajana 22) What are the rules which are generally followed before doing bhajan or devotion to the God? * The one who does the bhajan should wake up early in the morning. * On completing the nature call (purification) and dental cleaning one has to take bath. * Or one has to wash his face and put Mruthike (mud) of Tulusi (basil leaves) and start Bhajans. * According to the environment one should wear suitable clothes. * One could wear Tulusi (basil leaves) beads necklace which is considered as sacred to Vishnu. * After taking bath one has to wear Urdhva Pundra through Gopi Chandana and Pancha Mudra. * For evening bhajans one should wear Sandal Paste, Akshatha & Angara on the forehead. * One can also tie pink cloth on the head to show the passionlessness. * One has to detach his mind from impure and unpleasant things which are happening in and around the place and will be concentrating only the bhajan and Sri Hari. * One should adopt restricted food habits. * One should conduct the Bhajans either in the temple or in the house where God Icons are specially kept for this purpose. * One should conduct the bhajans the way in which great Haridasa's has taught or shown. * One should try to follow the raga of the songs as laid down by the composer and should not invent new ragas. * One should try to keep in his mind the meaning of Shruti, Smruti and Puranas texts which are summarised in the songs. * One should sit in a disciplined way to make bhajans. 23) What are the sequence of Bhajans? The songs which are sung by Haridasas are usually in the following sequence. They are; * Avahane * Asana * Arghya * PAdya * Achamana * SnAna (bath) * Vastra (cloth) * Abharana, Upavitha (jewels) * Gandha (sandal paste) * Pushpa * Dhoopa * Deepa * NeivEdya * MangalArathi * LAli (only during night times) * Sarva Samarpana 24) What is the meaning of "Padas", "Suladis" and "Ugabhogas"? * Padas: Padas are composed both before and after the God-Vision (Aparoksha jnana) obtained by the Haridasas. * Suladis: Suladis are composed and used for preaching doctrinal points once Haridasas obtained Aparoksha. * Ugabhogas: Ugabhogas are composed automatically when they were experiencing ecstatic meditation. For further details you may refer to Compositions and Style of haridasas at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/style.html 25) Where can I find biographical information on Important Haridasas : Haridasa Bhaktha Vijaya written by Beluru Keshavadasa which is considered to be classical book on Haridasa Sahitya was first published in 1944 (reprinted) will give brief account of each Haridasas in kannada language (Ref : Sri Karnataka Bhakti Vijaya, Mysore, Harimandira 1944) 26) Why Vittala is added with Ankitha? Lord Vishnu in different forms, especially in his Krishna/Vittala form is the source of inspiration to the Haridasas. The followers of Madhva are inspired by Krishna. This is mainly because of the importance given to Krishna by the great Madhvacharya who installed Bala Krishna in Udupi and also the lord has been wonderfully depicted in the Bhagavata. Sri Vittala of Pandarapura is associated with Bhakthi and Bhajan movement since the time immemorial. Sri Vittala is being adorned by large number of devotees barring caste, religion, sex etc. That might be the reason for Haridasas associating their ankita with Vittala. Another explanation is that Sri SripAdaraja who was the beginner of this great movement has kept his ankita as 'Ranga Vittala' and Sri Purandara Dasa has continued this tradition by keeping his ankita as Purandara Vittala. This tradition has continued even to-day. 27) Which are the holy places associated with Haridasa movement? Pandarapura, Udupi, Tirumala Tirupathi, Manthralaya, Vraja-Gokula-Brandavana-Mathura, Dvaraka, Srirangam, Hampi, Belur, Srirangapatna and other few places are associated with Haridasas. These are the places where Bhakti/Devotion movement has been started and reached its peak in praising the presiding dieties of the places. Some of the local dieties are also associated with Haridasas like Kaginele Adikeshava, Helevanakatte Ranga etc. depending upon the individual haridasa's devotion and worship. 28) Are all Haridasas Brahmins/Madhwas or are there others who are associated with this movement? For worshipping God there is no bar on caste, religion, creed etc. Other individuals who have faith in God and the principles of dvaita have also subscribed to Haridasa movement. Sri Kanaka Dasa, Sri Bade sab Ramdas and others are the living example of individuals who are associated with dasa movement though they belong to other communities. 29) Are there Dasas in other hindu religious sects also? Yes, Alwars are assocated with Srivaishnava sect, Hare Krishna Panth aka ISKON or Gaudiya sect is also associated with bhakti movement. There are few Advaita dasas also. Shaivites are also associated with Bhakti movement with their vachanas with different principles. You can also look at Comparison of Haridasas with other saints of Haridasa homepage at http://www.dvaita.org/haridasa/overview/com_dasa.html. 30) Which are the regions where Haridasas are concentrated or lived and Haridasa sahitya is generated? Most of the Haridasas are from Karnataka and Maharashtra region. In Karnataka also most of the Haridasas and Haridasa sahitya were available from Raichur district covering Gadwal, Anegundi, Lingasugur etc and Dharwad district. It has also spread in south of Karnataka like Mysore, Bangalore etc. 31) Who are the famous Haridasas? Among the Yathi (saint) dasas Sri Sripadaraja, Sri Vyasaraja and Sri Vadiraja thirtha are well known. Among the house holder haridasas Sri Purandara Dasa, Sri Kanaka Dasa, Sri Vijaya Dasa, Sri Gopala Dasa, Sri Mohana Dasa, Sri Jagannatha Dasa, Helevanakatte Giriyamma, Sri Mahipathi Dasa, Sri Venugopala Dasa, Sri Prasanna Venkata Dasa, Harapanahalli Bhimavva, Sri Guru Jagannatha Dasa, Sri Pranesha Dasa are most popular. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ II Glossary of Terms with meaning used in Haridasa Sahitya ---------------------------------------------------------- The following is the list of foreign terms used in this document (mainly from sanskrit and Kannada languages) and their definition/meaning in the context ofHaridasas. * Acharya : Spiritual teacher, most commonly used in connection with Acharya maDhwa. * angAra : A special coal-based paste worn on the forehead used by maDhwas. Usually used in combination with akshate. * Ankitha : A phrase or combination of words used by a dAsa to identify a composition as his or hers. * akshathe : A special paste worn on the forehead used by maDhwas. Usually used in combination with angara. * arohana : Ascending order * avarohana : Descending order * BhAgavata : BhAgavata purAna : one of the holy scriptures revered by all Hindus. It describes the incarnations of vishnu. * BhagavadgIta : one of the holy scriptures revered by all Hindus. * Bhajan : A hymn. Usually sung collectively. * Bhakthi : devotion * Bhakthi-marga : The path of devotion * Bharatha : India. Is also used as short form of MahABhAratabharatha. * Chatike : Musical instrument used by HaridAsas for their bhajans. It is made out of wood with small bells which gives sound for their songs. * dAsa : see HaridAsas * dAsakUta : gathering of dAsas see FAQ * dAsatva : the principle of considering oneself a haridAsa, surrendering to the lord. * dashAvatAra : the ten incarnations made by Vishnu to protect the world. * Dhoti : A cloth used by Indians to cover the lower part of their body. Usually this cloth is made of cotton and is usually white in colour. * Dvaita : one of the major schools of Hindu philosophy. * gIta : another term for BhagavadgIta. * gOpi-candana : Special yellow mud available in Dwaraka, western part of India which is used by maDhwas for Urdwapundra and other marks on the body * JnAna : Knowledge. * guru : Teacher, preceptor * guru-shishya : teacher-pupil * Hari, Sri Hari : One of the names of Vishnu. * hari sarvOttamatvatva : The principle of considering hari (or vishnu) to be \ the foremost amongst all Gods. * HaridAsa : Servant of God * Hindu : One of the major religious of the world. The main religion of India and Nepal. * Indriya : Sensory organ. * jada : a non-living or inanimate being. * jIva : a living being. * kAlagejje : small bells attached to the foot. * kannaDa : one of the languages of India, spoken mostly in karnAtaka * karma : has several meanings. Major ones are fate or Destiny, action * karnAtaka : one of the states of India. * karnatak music : One of the traditional schools of Indian music. Popular in the southern parts of India. * kIrtana : A song composed according to conventions of classical music. * MahABhArata, bharatha : A holy epic revered by all Hindus. * mantra : hymn, a devotional incantation. * maTha : a religious monastery. * maThADhipatis : the head of a religious monastery. * maDhwa : The founder of dvaita or tattvavAda school of Hindu philosophy. * mADhwa : can be used as a noun to indicate any follower of maDhwa. Can be used as an adjective to indicate anything related to the dvaita \ school of philosophy. * mOksha : used interchangeably with "mukthi"to indicate liberation of a soul from the cycle or birth and death. * mrutthike : soil or mud which has been sanctified. * mudrike : signet, ring or ankitha * mukthi : used interchangeably with "mOksha" to indicate liberation of a soul from the cycle of birth and death. * naivEdya : food offered to God. * nArAyana : One of the names of Vishnu. * padas: Padas are type of compositions of HaridAsa's composed both before and after the God-Vision is provided by the Haridasas. * panchaBhEda : Five-fold difference. See FAQ for more details. * pancha-Mudra : five seals or symbols. These are used by maDhwas to sanctify their body. * panchEndriya : five sensory organs. * pandharapur : A city in Maharasthra, India, a religious pilgrimage center for Hindus. * pAnDuranga : one of the names of Vishnu alias Krishna. * paramAtma : supreme soul (God) * pillari gItas : Musical compositions to be taught to beginners * prakruthi : nature * purAna : Sacred Hindu mythology supposed to have been composed by vEdavyAsa. * purusha : human being (male). * rAma : one of the incarnations of Vishnu. * rAmayana : a holy epic revered by all Hindus. Describes the life of rAma one of the incarnations of Vishnu. * sAhitya : literature * samsAra : material world. * samsAra bandhana : worldly bondage (usually meaning misery) * samgIta : music. * sanskrit : ancient language used in Hindu religious scriptures. * sanyAsi : mendicant friar. He is supposed to have renounced all worldly ties. * sarvOttamatva : quality of being Supreme, used to denote vishnu or Hari * shuDhi : purity, clean * shruti : musical tone used to help a musician stay in tune. It is also used for vEdas (which are usually heard in ears). * siDhDhAnta : Fundamental principles. * sishya : Disciple, follower, student. * smruti : holy scriptures. Usually used to denote vEdas. * sulAdis: Suladis are composed and used for preaching doctrinal points once Haridasas obtained Aparoksha. * swAmIjI : A (respectful) form of addressing a religious pontiff or saint. * tAla : rhythm * tattvavAda : another name for the dvaita school of philosophy. * tambUri : a single or four stringed instrument used by Indian musicians as an accompaniment. * tAratamya : hierarchy * tulasi : basil plant. Considered to be very dear to Vishnu and hence revered by all hindus. * uGabhOgas: uGabhOgas are composed by Haridasas when in ecstatic meditation. * Uncha vrutti : One who earns the food/money not for keeping or saving and to eat/live for daily basis. * Urdhva pundra: Five symbols or stamps which are put up by the maDhwa's on the body through gOpi-candana. * upanishads : sacred or religious lore of Hindus. * vEda : sacred scriptures of Hindus. * ViTTala : one of the names of Vishnu alias Krishna. * vyAsa : short form of 'vEdavyAsa', one of the incarnations of Vishnu. Is also used to denote vyAsa Tiirtha a great maDhwa pontiff. * vyAsakUta : a gathering of scholars see FAQ.