Traditional
75-553: The historic Govind Dev Ji temple of Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition is situated in City Palace of Jaipur in Rajasthan , India . The temple is dedicated to Govind Dev ( Krishna ) and his consort Radha . The deities of the temple were brought from Vrindavan by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II , the founder of Jaipur. This Vaishnav temple is considered to be one of the most sacred and significant temple for devotees. According to
150-406: A vegetarian diet, abstaining from all types of animal flesh, fish and eggs. Onion and garlic are also avoided as they are believed to promote a tamasic and rajasic form of consciousness in the eater. Some Gaudiya Vaishnavas, mainly from ISKCON and Gaudiya Matha, also avoid the intake of caffeine, as they believe it is addictive and an intoxicant. Chaitanya Vaishnava traditions refer to
225-428: A day when the deity is unveiled for "Darshan". Thousands of devotees visit the temple daily and an even larger number visit during Janmashtami . In Govind Devji temple, aartis are performed seven times a day. At that time devotees can have a darshan of deities Radha Govind ji. Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism ( IAST : Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ ), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism ,
300-652: A deputy magistrate with the British government. Bhaktivinoda Thakur's son grew up to be both an eminent scholar and a highly influential Vaishnava preacher, and was later known as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati . In 1920, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati founded Gaudiya Math in India, and later sixty-four Gaudiya Matha monasteries in India, Burma and Europe. In 1933, the first European preaching center was established in London (London Glouster House, Cornwall Garden, W7 South Kensington) under
375-588: A form of relief. The second type practice Bhakti yoga to learn about god out of curiosity and intellectual intrigue. The third type seek rewards in this or in afterlife through their Bhakti yoga. The fourth are those who love god driven by pure love, knowing and seeking nothing beyond that experience of love union. According to these Hindu texts, the highest spiritual level is the fourth, those who are devoted because of their knowledge of love. The Bhagavad Gita states that all four types of Bhakti yogi are noble because their pursuit of Bhakti yoga sooner or later starts
450-541: A meeting of two opposing schools of Hindu philosophy , pure monism (God and the soul as one entity) and pure dualism (God and the soul as absolutely separate). This philosophy largely recapitulates the concepts of qualified nondualism practiced by the older Vedantic school Vishishtadvaita , but emphasizes the figure of Krishna over Narayana and holy sites in and around Bengal over sites in Tamil Nadu. In practice, Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy has much more in common with
525-420: A number of practices which lead to the ultimate goal of humanity – God-Realization – Bhakti Yoga is one of the most important. Almost the whole of humanity is concerned with Bhakti Yoga , which, in simple words, means the art of worship. But it must be understood in all its true aspects, and not merely in a narrow and shallow sense, in which the term is commonly used and interpreted. The profound worship based on
600-442: A philosophical and meditative path to understanding the oneness of Atman (soul, self) and Brahman – as "That art Thou". The Śaivasiddhānta tradition favors Bhakti yoga, emphasizing loving devotion to Shiva. Its theology presents three universal realities: the pashu (individual soul), the pati (lord, Shiva), and the pasha (soul's bondage) through ignorance, karma and maya . The tradition teaches ethical living, service to
675-668: A regulated form of devotion, where devotion is driven by adherence to scriptural injunctions and traditional practices. Raganuga bhakti represents a more exceptional form of devotion, emerging spontaneously from a natural, innate attraction to Ishvara (God), without relying on formalized practices. Raganuga bhakti , with its exclusive focus on Ishvara , represents the highest yogic attainment in Gaudiya Vaishnavism , contrasting with other yogic paths like that described by Patanjali , where mundane desires are seen as obstacles. A movement led by Meher Baba states that "out of
750-603: A select few among his followers, who later came to be known as the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan , to systematically present his theology of bhakti in their writings. This theology emphasized the devotee's relationship to the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, and looked to Chaitanya as the embodiment of both Radha and Krishna. The six were Rupa Goswami , Sanatana Goswami , Gopala Bhatta Goswami , Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami , Raghunatha dasa Goswami and Jiva Goswami . In
825-546: A spiritual path "synonymous for an intimate understanding of oneness and harmony of the eternal individual with the Divine (the universal Being) and all creatures, a constant delight". According to Yoga Journal, yoga scholar David Frawley writes in his book that bhakti yoga "consists of concentrating one's mind, emotions, and senses on the Divine." Bhakti yoga is one of three yogas taught in Bhagavad Gita . Bhakti yoga
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#1732791005746900-425: A spiritual, religious principle or means of salvation". The term yoga literally means "union, yoke", and in this context connotes a path or practice for "salvation, liberation". The yoga referred to here is the "joining together, union" of one's Atman (true self) with the concept of Supreme Brahman (true Reality). According to Samrat Kumar, bhakti yoga is an Indian tradition of "divine love mysticism",
975-594: A tendency has been revealed, Bengali Vaishnavas belong to the lower middle castes ("middle class"), while the upper castes as well as lowest castes and tribes in Bengal are Shaktas . There are Krishnaite gurus and groups who belong to the Chaitanya lineage, but actually separated from Gaudiya Vaishnavism, becoming new independent movements. Bhakti yoga Traditional Bhakti yoga ( Sanskrit : भक्ति योग ), also called Bhakti marga ( भक्ति मार्ग , literally
1050-498: Is Kali Yuga, singing and chanting the various sacred names of God (Krishna) are sufficient for spiritual liberation. One of the defining aspects of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is that Krishna is worshiped specifically as the source of all avataric incarnations of God. This is based on quotations from the Bhagavata Purana , such as " krsnastu bhagavan svayam ", literally "Krishna is God Himself". Jiva Gosvami calls this phrase
1125-462: Is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal (present-day Malda district of West Bengal and Rajshahi district of Bangladesh ), with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu ". Specifically, it is part of Krishnaism — Krishna -centric Vaishnavite traditions. Its theological basis
1200-524: Is a devotee's loving devotion to a personal god as the path for spirituality. The other two paths are jnana yoga and karma yoga. Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom where the individual pursues knowledge and introspective self-understanding as spiritual practice, and karma yoga is the path of virtuous action (karma) where one acts without expecting rewards or consequences, also known as nishkama karma . Later, new movements within Hinduism added raja yoga as
1275-422: Is accepted as authority by Mahaprabhu himself. Gaudiya Vaishnava theology is prominently expounded by Jiva Goswami in his Sat-sandarbhas , which are six elaborate treatises on various aspects of God. Other prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava theologians include his uncles, Rupa Gosvami , the author of Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, and Sanatana Gosvami , the author of Hari-bhakti-vilasa , Visvanatha Chakravarti ,
1350-420: Is common in eastern states of India, particularly West Bengal . The personal god here varies, and includes Durga , Tara Ma (Buddhist influence), Kali and to a lesser extent Saraswati , Lakshmi , Bharat Mata (land goddess), according to June McDaniel. The Bhakti yoga tradition has been historically most associated with Vaishnavism. The personal god here is Vishnu or one of his avatars . In many regions,
1425-570: Is discussed in depth by the Bhagavad Gita . The personal god varies with the devotee. It may include a god or goddess such as Krishna , Radha , Rama , Sita , Vishnu , Shiva , Shakti , Lakshmi , Saraswati , Ganesha , Parvati , Durga , and Surya among others. The bhakti marga involving these deities grew with the bhakti movement , starting about the mid-1st millennium CE, from Tamil Nadu in South India. The movement
1500-487: Is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana (known within the tradition as the Srimad Bhagavatam ), as interpreted by early followers of Chaitanya, such as Sanatana Goswami , Rupa Goswami , Jiva Goswami , Gopala Bhatta Goswami and others. The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (known as bhakti yoga ) of Radha and Krishna , and their many divine incarnations as
1575-512: Is said to be a disciple of Isvara Puri (fl. 14th century) who was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri (fl. 14th century) who was a disciple of Lakshmipati Tirtha (1420 - 1487) who was a disciple of Vyasatirtha (1469 – 1539) of the Madhva Sampradaya . The Gaudiya Vaishnavas call their tradition "Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya", which originates from Brahma and has Madhvacharya as the original acharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as
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#17327910057461650-415: Is taken up not by natural liking but by consideration of scriptural injunctions. He describes the two categories of the highest bhakti as bhava-bhakti (devotion via feelings of intense emotion) and prema-bhakti (devotion of love). The two are essentially different intensities of the same participation in devotion via emotional expression. Raganuga-bhakti , on the other hand, follows ragatmika-bhakti,
1725-558: Is the eleventh book of the Bhagavata Purana, discusses bhakti through a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Uddhava , his devotee. This text highlights the pure devotion and bhakti that the gopis of Vrindavan had for Lord Krishna. Hinduism, in its scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita (chapter 7), recognizes four kinds of devotees who practice Bhakti yoga. Some practice it because they are hard pressed or stressed by anxiety or their life's circumstances and see Bhakti yoga as
1800-528: Is the object in need of purification. This purification takes place largely through the chanting and singing of Radha and Krishna's names. Specifically, the Hare Krishna (mantra) is chanted and sung by practitioners on a daily basis, sometimes for many hours each day. Famously within the tradition, one of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's close associates, Haridasa Thakur , is reported to have chanted 300,000 holy names of God each day. Gaudiya Vaishnavas follow
1875-495: The shruti-shāstra should be accepted literally, without fanciful or allegorical interpretations ." A Guru—shishya tradition ("lineage" or parampara) denotes a succession of teachers and disciples within some sampradaya (school, tradition). In accordance with the tradition, Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a subschool belongs to the Brahma Sampradaya , one of the four "orthodox" Vaishnavite schools. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
1950-484: The Gaudiya-Sarasvata Sampradaya , belongs to the well known International Society for Krishna Consciousness . Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya , IAST Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; 1486–1534 ) was a Bengali spiritual teacher who founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He is believed by his devotees to be Krishna himself who appeared in the form of His own devotee in order to teach
2025-638: The Shakta who worship the goddess Shakti (or her avatars such as Durga , Kali , Lakshmi , and Parvati ). These are all considered manifestations or aspects of the same metaphysical reality called Brahman in Hinduism. Panchayatana puja is a form of bhakti found in the Smarta tradition of Hinduism . It consists of the simultaneous worship of multiple deities: Shiva , Vishnu , Shakti , Surya and an Ishta Devata such as Ganesha or Skanda or any personal god of devotee's preference. Philosophically,
2100-614: The bhakti present in Krishna's eternal associates, which is driven by raga , a natural absorption in the object of service. Jiva Goswami 's conclusion in Bhakti Sandarbha is that raganuga-bhakti is the only abhidheya , viable process, recommended by the Bhagavatam . Within his Siksastaka prayers, Chaitanya compares the process of bhakti-yoga to that of cleansing a dirty place of dust, wherein our consciousness
2175-431: The "Hare Krishna Movement". According to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy, consciousness is not a product of matter , but is instead a manifestation of the soul . All living beings ( jivas ), including animals and trees, have a soul. That soul is distinct from their current physical body – the nature of the soul being eternal, immutable, and indestructible without any particular birth or death. The soul does not die when
2250-527: The "paribhasha-sutra" (definitive rule) of the theology of the Gaudiya Vaishnava school and a mahavakya (governing proposition). A particularly distinct part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy espoused by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the concept of Achintya Bheda Abheda , which translates to "inconceivable oneness and difference" in the context of the soul's relationship with Krishna, and also Krishna's relationship with his other energies (i.e.
2325-549: The Bhakti yoga taught in this text is inspired by Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita , and they focus on "the ultimate truths of the individual self and its loving relationship with a personal god". The presentation in the Bhagavata Purana is not in abstract terms, but through "charming and delightful tales that capture the heart and mind", the goal of Bhakti yoga, states Bryant. The Uddhava Gita , which
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2400-531: The Brahma-Madhva affiliation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism was propounded by Baladeva Vidyabhushana was in the 18th century. And to this day, there is no mention of Chaitanya in the annals of the Madhva Sampradaya. For secular scientists this means, originality and non-affiliation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with other previous branches. At the same time, there is the consensus of scholars, that Chaitanya
2475-773: The Gaudiya Vaishnavite mission in the West was Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914), author of Sree Krishna – the Lord of Love (1904) – the first full-length treatment of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in English, who, in 1902, founded the short-lived "Krishna Samaj" society in New York City and built a temple in Los Angeles. He belonged to the circle of adherents of the guru Prabhu Jagadbandhu with teachings similar to
2550-486: The Gaudiya succession of spiritual masters should be considered. Chaitanya refused to formally initiate anyone as a disciple, only inspiring and guiding his followers. Chaitanya neither founded the community nor named a successor. That is why, from the very beginning, the sampradaya was divided into several lines of succession that were practically not connected with each other and that still exist today. One of them, namely,
2625-478: The Smarta tradition emphasizes that all images ( murti ) are icons of saguna Brahman , a means to thinking about the abstract Ultimate Reality called nirguna Brahman. The five or six icons are seen by Smartas as multiple representations of the one Saguna Brahman (i.e., a personal God with form), rather than as distinct beings. The ultimate goal in this practice is to transition past the use of icons, then follow
2700-596: The acharya-successor. However, this traditional point is at least debatable. Some modern scholars and confessional authors critically assess and pair the Gaudiya Vaishnavism's affiliation with the Madhva tradition . For example, the famous American Indologist and historian of religion Guy L. Beck, with regard to the Chaitanya Sampradaya, notes the following historical events. The first time
2775-746: The active missionary work of the reformed Gaudiya Math and its followers, most of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community in India remained under the influence of hereditary brahmins - goswamis , who run famous old Gaudiya mandirs, as one example, the Radha Raman Temple in Vrindavan and its prominent scholar-acharya Shrivatsa Goswami . Although sharing a common set of core beliefs, there are a number of philosophical differences which distinguish Gaudiya Vaishnavism from other Vaishnava schools: "O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed
2850-664: The author of Sri Camatkara-candrika and Baladeva Vidyabhushana , author of Govinda Bhashya . Jiva Gosvami frequently references Sridhara Swami, particularly quoting from Sridhara Swami's commentary on the Bhagavata Purana (Bhavartha-dipika), throughout the Sat-sandarbhas. In the Catuhsutri section of the Paramatma-sandarbha , Jiva Gosvami references Ramanuja's commentary on Brahma Sutras . The strictly centralized form of church-type organization and
2925-701: The authority of the Vedas and Shaiva Agamas. Bhakti toward the goddess is another significant tradition, one found in Shaktism . The theology of oneness and unity of "the divine Goddess and the devotee", their eternal fearless love for each other is a theme found in Devi Gita , a text embedded inside the Devi-Bhagavata Purana . The specific Bhakti yoga practices amongst Shakta are similar to those in other traditions of Hinduism. The Shakta devotion
3000-513: The body dies, but it is transmigrated into another new body and takes new birth in a new body. Souls which are captivated by the illusory nature of the world ( Maya ) are repeatedly reborn among the various 8.4 million number of species of life on this planet and in other worlds in accordance to the laws of karma and individual desire. This is consistent with the concept of samsara found in Hindu , Sikh and Buddhist beliefs. Release from
3075-399: The community and through one's work, loving worship, yoga practice and discipline, continuous learning and self-knowledge as means for liberating the individual soul from bondage. The historic Shaiva Siddhanta literature is an enormous body of texts. The Shaiva Siddhanta practices have focussed on abstract ideas of spirituality, worship and loving devotion to Shiva as SadaShiva, and taught
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3150-604: The divine icon of Govinda, which had been buried to protect it from the invaders. This is the place where Vedānta-ācārya Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa commenced writing the Govinda-bhasya (commentary on the Brahma Sutras ). It is said that Govind Devji himself instructed the acharya in his dreams to write the commentary. The famous commentary is the root of legitimacy for the Gaudiya-Vaishnavas . It
3225-601: The dualistic schools especially closely following theological traditions established by Madhvacharya 's Dvaita Vedanta. Jiva Goswami wrote Sat Sandarbhas as an analysis of Bhagvata Purana to elaborate the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu . The six treatises are: The practical process of performing devotional acts in ones life is described as bhakti or bhakti-yoga, and is supported by activities of nine different types. The two distinct divisions of sadhana-bhakti are vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti . Rupa Goswami defines vaidhi-bhakti as that bhakti which
3300-453: The face showed complete resemblance with Krishna's face when he was incarnated on Earth. The first one image is known as Lord " Madan Mohan ji". The second image is called as "Gopinath ji" and the third image is popular with the name of " Govind Devji ". With the passing of ages, these pious divine images were also lost. Some 500 years ago, Vaishnava Acharya Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked one of his disciples Sri Rupa Goswami to excavate
3375-547: The fourth spiritual path, but this is not universally accepted as distinct to other three. The Bhagavata Purana is a popular and influential text in the Vaishnavism traditions. It discusses Ishvara pranidhana (devotion to a personal god). The Sanskrit text presents various modes of bhakti specifically to incarnations of Vishnu , particularly in terms of "Narayana, Krishna". According to Edwin Bryant, and other scholars,
3450-580: The golden colour of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You." Although this viewpoint outside of the Gaudiya tradition was disputed, Chaitanya's followers prove it by pointing at verses throughout the Puranic literatures as evidence to support this claim. Evidences such as the Krishna-varnam verse SB 11.5.32 have many interpretations by scholars, including Sridhara Svami who
3525-462: The idea that one has to be an unconventional ( uttama ) spiritual master introduced by the reformer Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his Gaudiya Math were not characteristic of the traditional Gaudiya Vaishnavism with its hereditary brahmins-goswamis and family teachers ( kula gurus ). Much of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community in India remained committed to the unreformed and loosely organized tradition. Many modern organisations are independent branches of
3600-522: The journey on the path of spirituality, it keeps one away from negativity and evil karma , it causes spiritual transformation towards the goal of Bhakti yoga, to "know god as the essence within themselves and their true self always with god". Major traditions include the Shaiva who worship the god Shiva ; the Vaishnava who worship the god Vishnu (or his avatars such as Krishna and Rama ); and
3675-459: The later ISKCON mission. His followers formed several organizations including the now defunct Order of Living Service and the AUM Temple of Universal Truth. The reform change of traditional caste Gaudiya Vaishnavism of 19th century is believed to have happened largely in India due to the efforts of a particularly adept preacher known as Bhaktivinoda Thakur , who also held the position of
3750-429: The loosely organized tradition became acquainted with other branches along with their respective theological and practical nuances. That notwithstanding, the tradition has maintained its plural nature, having no central authority to preside over its matters. The festival of Kheturi allowed for the systemization of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology as a distinct branch of Vaishnava theology . During the 17th–18th centuries, there
3825-590: The loving devotion is either to Vishnu-Lakshmi (god-goddess) together, or through Lakshmi who is considered the shakti of Vishnu. The specific avatar varies by the devotee and region, but the most common are Krishna and Rama . In the Krishna-oriented traditions of Vaishnavism, the Chaitanya Charitamrita by Krishnadasa Kaviraja interprets the section 7.5.23-24 of Bhagavata Purana to teach nine types of bhakti sadhana, in
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#17327910057463900-437: The material world). In quality , the soul ( jiva ) is described as being identical to God, but in terms of quantity, individual jivas are said to be infinitesimal in comparison to the unlimited Supreme Being. The exact nature of this relationship (being simultaneously one and different with Krishna) is inconceivable to the human mind but can be experienced through the process of Bhakti yoga . This philosophy serves as
3975-500: The mood and complexion of his source of inspiration Radha . Over the three centuries following the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition evolved into the form in which we largely find it today in contemporary India. In the early years of the tradition, the followers of Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya and other companions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu educated and initiated people, each in their own locales across Bengal . Chaitanya Mahaprabhu requested
4050-658: The name "Gaudiya Mission Society of London". Soon after Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's death (1 January 1937), a dispute began, which divided the original Gaudiya Math mission into two administrative bodies still in existence today. In a settlement, they divided the sixty-four Gaudiya Math centers into two groups: the Sri Chaitanya Math headed by Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaj and the Gaudiya Mission headed by Ananta Vasudev (Bhakti Prasad Puri Maharaj). Many of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's disciples disagreed with
4125-480: The participants. This openness received a boost from Bhaktivinoda Thakur 's broad-minded vision in the late 19th century, Baba Premananda Bharati's mission in the United States in the beginning of 20th century and was institutionalized by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in his Gaudiya Math in the 20th century. A renaissance began at the start of the 20th century both in India and the West. One pioneer of
4200-575: The path of bhakti ), is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity . It is one of the three classical paths in Hinduism which lead to moksha , the other paths being jnana yoga and karma yoga . The tradition has ancient roots. Bhakti is mentioned in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad where it simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor. Bhakti yoga as one of three spiritual paths for salvation
4275-443: The people of this world the process of Bhakti and how to attain the perfection of life. This they say with several evidences in scripture. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is said to be a disciple of Isvara Puri who was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri who was a disciple of Lakshmipati Tirtha who was a disciple of Vyasatirtha (1469–1539) of Madhvacharya's Sampradaya. He is considered as the most merciful manifestation of Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
4350-481: The popular legend, the image of Govind Devji is also called "Bajrakrit" because it was created by Bajranabh – The great-grandson of Krishna. Around 5,000 years ago when Bajranabh was around 13 years old, he asked his Grand mother (daughter-in-law of Krishna) as to how Krishna looked like. Then based on her description, he made three images. In first image, the feet show the resemblance with the Krishna's feet. In second image, chest area looked like Krishna's. In third image,
4425-495: The practice of raganuga-bhakti through works such as Raga-vartma-chandrika . His student Baladeva Vidyabhushan wrote a famous commentary on the Vedanta-sutra called Govinda Bhashya . The 18th century saw a number of luminaries headed by Siddha Jayakrishna Das Babaji of Kamyavan and Siddha Krishnadas Babaji of Govardhan . The latter, a widely renowned teacher of the mode of internal worship ( raga-bhajan ) practiced in
4500-418: The process of samsara (known as moksha ) is believed to be achievable through a variety of spiritual practices, and in general, is the ultimate aim in life. However, within Gaudiya Vaishnavism, it is bhakti in its purest state (or "pure love of God") which is given as the ultimate aim, rather than liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Gaudiya Vaishnav tradition asserts that in the current yuga , which
4575-479: The second generation of the tradition, Narottama, Srinivasa and Shyamananda, three students of Jiva Goswami , the youngest among the six Goswamis, were instrumental in spreading the theology across Bengal and Orissa . The festival of Kheturi (approx 1574), presided over by Jahnava Thakurani , the wife of Nityananda Rama , was the first time the leaders of the various branches of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's followers assembled together. Through such festivals, members of
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#17327910057464650-421: The self). These nine principles of devotional service were incorporated by Rupa Goswami linked to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as integral to spiritual practice focused on Krishna. The gopis practiced these forms of bhakti when they were separated from Krishna. Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami have offered significant commentary on bhakti. Rupa defines bhakti as "Bhakti is said to be service to Krishna, by means of
4725-420: The senses. This service is free of all limitations, dedicated to Him and pure [of self-motive]." Jiva aligns closely with this, stating that bhakti is the preeminent path to attaining perfection through service. The ultimate expression of bhakti is service to Krishna. In the Bhakti Sandarbha , Jiva Goswami analyzes bhakti yoga by distinguishing between vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti. Vaidhi bhakti represents
4800-549: The spirit of these two factions and/or started their own missions to expand their guru's mission. In the 1960s, the one of his disciples, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada went to the West to spread Gaudiya-Vaishnavism and establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), "the most successful of the Gaudiya Math's offspring," an organization that continues today. However, despite
4875-430: The supreme forms of God, Svayam Bhagavan . Most popularly, this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as " Hare ", "Krishna" and " Rama ", most commonly in the form of the Hare Krishna (mantra) , also known as kirtan and dancing along with it. Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the spiritual and philosophical foundation of the well-known International Society for Krishna Consciousness , a.k.a.
4950-604: The tradition, is largely responsible for the current form of devotional practice embraced by some of the traditions based in Vrindavan . The "Manipuri Vaishnavism" is a regional form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with a culture-forming role among the Meitei people in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur . There, after a short period of Ramaism penetration, Gaudiya Vaishnavism spread in the early 18th century, especially from beginning its second quarter. Raja Gharib Nawaz (Pamheiba)
5025-482: The tree of the Gaudiya Math. Many of branches of the Gaudiya Math (not all) are members of the World Vaisnava Association — Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha (WVA–VVRS), which had been established in 1994 by some Gaudiya leaders. But after this establishment, there is little real cooperation among Gaudiya organisations. There are adherents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in all strata of Indian society, but
5100-493: The words of Prahlada . David Haberman translates them as follows: (1) śravaṇa ("listening" to the scriptural stories of Krishna and his companions), (2) kīrtana ("praising"; usually refers to ecstatic group singing), (3) smaraṇa ("remembering" or fixing the mind on Vishnu), (4) pāda-sevana (rendering service), (5) arcana (worshiping an image), (6) vandana (paying homage), (7) dāsya (servitude), (8) sākhya (friendship), and (9) ātma-nivedana (complete surrender of
5175-477: The writings of previous acharyas in their respective lineage or sampradya as authoritative interpretations of scripture. While many schools like Smartism and Advaitism encourage interpretation of scriptures philosophically and metaphorically and not too literally, Chaitanya Vaishnavism stresses the literal meaning ( mukhya vṛitti ) as primary and indirect meaning ( gauṇa vṛitti ) as secondary: sākṣhād upadesas tu shrutih - "The instructions of
5250-463: Was a period of general decline in the movement's strength and popularity, its "lethargic state", characterized by decreased public preaching and the rise of persons following and promoting tantric teachings and practices. These groups are called apasampradayas by the Chaitanyaits. In the 17th century, Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur held great merit in clarifying core doctrinal issues over
5325-486: Was after delivering this commentary, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana's arguments proved victorious, defeating and convincing the Ramanandis during the famous Shastrartha (debate) at Galtaji , Jaipur. He was then given the honorific title "Vedāntācārya". For all Vaishnavas , Sri Radha Govind Dev ji temple is one of the most important temple outside Vrindavan . In this temple, "Aartis" and "Bhog" are offered seven times
5400-606: Was initiated by the two gurus of a Vaishnava-oriented group within Adi Shankara 's Dashanami order . The Prameya Ratnawali of the above-mentioned gaudiya-acharya Baladeva Vidyabhushana contains the following canonical list of disciplic succession: Krishna , Brahma , Narada , Vyasa , Madhva , Padmanabha, Nrihari, Madhava, Akshobhya, Jayatirtha, Gyanasindhu, Dayanidhi, Vidyanidhi, Rajendra, Jayadharma, Purushottama, Brahmanya, Vyasatirtha , Lakshmipati Tirtha , Madhavendra Puri , Isvara Puri , and Chaitanya. One feature of
5475-521: Was initiated into the Chaitanya tradition. Most devotee ruler and propagandist of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, under the influence of Natottama Thakura 's disciples, was raja Bhagyachandra , who has visited the holy for the Chaytanyaits Nabadwip . Rasa Lila dance became a feature of the regional folk and religious tradition. From the very beginning of Chaitanya's bhakti movement in Bengal, Haridasa Thakur and others Muslim by birth were
5550-701: Was led by the Saiva Nayanars and the Vaisnava Alvars . Their ideas and practices inspired bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India over the 12th-18th century CE. Bhakti marga is a part of the religious practice in Vaishnavism , Shaivism , and Shaktism . The Sanskrit word bhakti is derived from the root bhaj , which means "divide, share, partake, participate, to belong to". The word also means "attachment, devotion to, fondness for, homage, faith or love, worship, piety to something as
5625-582: Was the proponent for the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning loving devotion to God), based on Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita . Of various incarnations of Vishnu, he is revered as Krishna, popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and composed the Siksastakam (eight devotional prayers) in Sanskrit . His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas , revere him as a Krishna with
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