Concept of Bhakti according to Chaitanya (Sect) in Vaishnavism.

On the life of Narottama Dasa, 16th century Vaishnava saint.

This is a Comprehensive Survey of the Bhakti Movement as it sprang in South India to spread across the subcontinent in independent and multifarious manifestations yet marked with amazing commonalities. Spanning a period of 11 centuries starting from the 6th CE, the movement encompassed in its sweep a vast range of dimensions; Social, political, economic, religious, cultural, linguistic, ethical and philosophical. Among the multifarious movements which contributed to the formation of India and its Culture, the Bhakti was undoubtedly the most pervasive and persistent, says the author. Besides its sweep and depth, what proved most remarkable about the movement was that it arose almost everywhere from the masses who belonged to the lowest class and castes. Though spirituality was its leitmotif, Bhakti proved to be a stirring song of the subaltern in their varied expressions of resistance and revolt. A seemingly conservative phenomenon became a potent weapon against entrenched hierarchies of orthodoxy and oppression, in a wonderful dialectical expression. This qualifies Bhakti movement to be reckoned on a par with European renaissance as it marked a massive upsurge in the societal value system to directly impact a range of fields like arts, politics, culture or religion. Even as he takes note of the elements of reactionary revivalism that also marked the Bhakti movement, the author convincingly argues that those of renaissance and progress far outweighed the former.

This (Dana Keli Kaumudi) is a divine play/drama, written by Srila Rupa Goswami, with commentaries of Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 4.226) there is a verse that describes the writings of Sril Rupa Gosvami: Srila Rupa Gosvami compiled 100,000 verses, beginning with the book Dana-Keli-Kaumudi. In all these scriptures, he elaborately explained the transcendental mellows of the activities of Vrndavna. This one-act drama describes the very celebrated pastime of Krsna’s efforts to extract a toll from Radha and her companions as they carried butter for the performance of a sacrifice being performed in the forest of Vrndavana. Of course, it cannot be emphasized enough that such pastimes are only to be relished by devotees who have thoroughly understood Lord Krsna’s position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by carefully studying the first nine cantos of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.”

Select Contents: Translation of the Bhaktirasamrtasindhu-Eastern Quadrant: The Categories of Devotion to the Lord-Southern Quadrant: Explanation of the General Characteristics of Devotional Rasa-Western Quadrant: Explanation of the Primary Devotional Rasas-Northern Quadrant: Explanation of the Secondary Devotional Rasas.

গুণমালা পুথি মহাপুৰুষ শংকৰদেৱৰ এক অনন্য সৃষ্টি। মহাভাগৱতৰ সাৰমৰ্ম মাত্ৰ ৬ টি অধ্যায়ত সামৰি ৰচনা কৰা গুণমালা পুথিখন গুৰুজনাৰ এক অপূৰ্ব সৃষ্টি হিচাপে গণ্য কৰা হয়। কোঁচৰজা নৰনাৰায়ণৰ ৰাজসভাত মহাপুৰুষজনাৰ ভাগৱত কথা শুনি থাকোঁতে বিচাৰ কথাত বিদ্যামান ব্ৰাহ্মণ পণ্ডিতক মহাভাগৱতৰ শাস্ত্ৰভাগ একেদিনাই পঢ়িব পৰাকৈ লিখি দিবলৈ দিয়া নিৰ্দেশনা ব্ৰাহ্মণ পণ্ডিতসকলে একেমুখে অসম্ভৱ বুলি কোৱাৰ বিপৰীতে শঙ্কৰদেৱ গুৰুজনাই ১ ইঞ্চি x ২ ইঞ্চি সাঁচি পাতত কুষম মালা স্তম্বত কৃষ্ণস্তৱ বা ব্ৰহ্মস্ততি অথবা গুণমালা পুথিখন একে ৰাতিৰ ভিতৰতে ৰচনা কৰি ৰজাক প্ৰদান কৰিছিল। ভাগৱৎ প্ৰেমময় গ্ৰন্থ গুণমালা পুথিখন ভক্তিৰ মাধ্যমৰে এখন তত্ত্বমূলক গ্ৰন্থ। এই পুথিখন কলেৱৰত সৰু হ’লেও শ্ৰীকৃষ্ণৰ মাহাত্ম্য লীলা বিষয়ক কথা চমুকৈ কিন্তু বৈশিষ্ট্য পূৰ্ণ ভাৱে ব্যক্ত হোৱা বাবে পুথিখন সাহিত্যৰ এক মূল্যবান গ্ৰন্থ হিচাপে মান্যতা প্ৰদান কৰা হয়। ইয়াত নাৰায়নৰ পূৰ্ণৰূপ অৱতাৰ ভগৱান শ্ৰীকৃষ্ণৰ মহত্বময় গুণ বৰ্ণোৱা হৈছে।

2023-24 RO/ARO UPPSC/UKPSC General Studies & General Hindi Solved Papers