Sri Krsna Sandarbha (Volume – I)

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Introduction

In Krsna-Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami explicitly endeavors to prove once and for all that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, ad all other forms of Godhead are His expansions. In this volume, we also see some quotations from the Sarva-samvadini, which is Jiva Gosvami commentary on his own Sat-sandarbha.

In the Krsna-sandarbha itself, second-to-last text, the purpose of the book is very succinctly stated: The description of sambandha (the relationship between the individual living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead), which was begun in the Tattva-sandarbha, and continued in the Bhagavat-sandarbha ad Paramatma-sandarbha, is now concluded in this Krsna-sandarbha. In the next book (Srimad-bhakti-sandarbha), I shall describe abhidheya (devotional service, or the activities of the relationship between the individual living entities and the Supreme Lord) and in the last book (Priti-sandarbha), I shall describe prayojana (pure love for Krsna, the result of engaging in the activities of devotional service).

That Sri Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead (as the sruti-mantra explains: Sri Krsna, accompanied by Srimati Radharani, is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead) has been explained in this Krsna-sandarbha.

In his purport to the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada has written: Sri Vyasadeva asserts herein that Sri Krsna is the original personality of Godhead, and all others are His direct or indirect plenary portions or portions of the portion. Srila Jiva Gosvami has even more explicitly explained the subject matter in his Krsna-sandarbha.

In the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta of Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, there is mention of the literature compiled by Srila Jiva Gosvami: Sri Rupa Gosvami's nephew, Srila Jiva Gosvami, has compiled so many books on devotional service that there is no counting them. In Sri Bhagavata- sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami has written conclusively about the ultimate end of devotional service. (CC Madhya 1.42-43)

In this purport, Srila Prabhupada has written: The Bhagavata-sandarbha is also known as the Sat-sandarbha. In the first part, called Tattva-sandarbha, it is proved that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most authoritative evidence directly pointing to the Absolute Truth. The second Sandarbha, called Bhagvat-sandarbha, draws a distinction between impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma and describes the spiritual world and the domination of the mode of goodness devoid of contamination by the other two material modes. In other words, there s a vivid description of the transcendental position known as suddha-sattva.

The third Sandarbha is called Paramatma-sandarbha, and in this book there is a description of Paramatma (the Supersoul) and an explanation how the Supersoul exists in millions and millions of living entities. There are discussions of the differences between the qualitative incarnations, and discourses concerning the living entities, maya, the material world, the theory of transformation, the illusory energy, the sameness of this world and the Supersoul, and the truth about this material world. In this connection, the opinions of Sridhara Svami are given.

The fourth Sandarbha is called Krsna-sandarbha, and in this book Krsna is proved to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are discussions of Krsna's pastimes and qualities, His superintendence of the Purusa-avataras, and so forth. The opinions of Sridara Svami are corroborated. In each and every scripture, the supremacy of Krsna is stressed. Baladeva, Sankarsana and other expansions of Krsna are emanations of Maha-Sankarsana. All the incarnations and expansions exist simultaneously in the body of Krsna, who is described as two-handed. There are also descriptions of the Goloka planet, Vrndavana (the eternal place of Krsna), the identity of Goloka and Vrndavana, the Yadavas and the cowherd boys (both eternal associates of Krsna), the equality of the manifest and Unmanifest pastimes, Sri Krsna's manifestation in Gokula, the queens of Dvaraka as expansions of the internal potency, and superior to them, the superexcellent Gopis. There is also a list of Gopis names and a discussion of the topmost position of Srimati Radharani.

The fifth Sandarbha is called Bhakti-sandarbha, and in this book there is a discussion of how devotional service can be directly executed, and how such service can be adjusted, either directly or indirectly. There is a discussion of the knowledge of all kinds of scripture, the establishment of the Vedic institutions of varnasrama, bhakti as superior to fruitive activity, and so forth.

The sixth Sandarbha is called Priti-sandarbha, a thesis on love of Godhead. Here it is stated that through love of Godhead, one becomes perfectly liberated and attains the highest goal of life. A distinction is made between the liberated condition of a personalist and that of an impersonalist, and there is a discussion of liberation during one's lifetime as distinguished from liberation from material bondage.

In this, the first volume of this edition of Krsna-sandarbha, we see how Srila jiva Gosvami thoroughly establishes that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the foremost scripture and therefore, the best evidence. He then quotes numerous verses from the Bhagavatam to show that his great Purana deals principally with Sri Krsna, and repeatedly establishes Him as the original Personality of Godhead.

In this regard, Srila Jiva Gosvami establishes as the paribhasa-sutra of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (the statement that epitomizes its purpose) etc camas-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Throughout this work, the author follows some interesting lines of reasoning to establish that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. Always giving references from the scriptures, he shows that just as Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, so the holy name of Sri Krsna is the original name of the Lord and therefore, the most potent name of the Lord. He also makes the point that only when demons are killed by Sri Krsna are they assured of liberation, whereas demons killed by other forms of the Lord may not attain salvation.

An important section in this part of Krsna-sandarbha deals with refuting the argument that Krsna and Balarama were incarnations of a black and white hairs to Lord Visnu.

In the Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Srila Prabhupada wrote: As far as the incarnation of Krsna's hair is concerned, there is mention in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Visnu Purana, and the Mahabharata. It is stated thee that the Lord snatched a gray hair ad a black hair from His head ad that these two hairs entered into the wombs of two queens of the Yadu dynasty, namely Rohini and Devaki. It is also stated that Lord Krsna descends to the material world in order to vanquish all the demons, but some say that Krsna is the incarnation of Visnu who lies in the ocean of milk within the universe. Sri Jiva Gosvami discussed these points in the Krsna-sandarbha.

There is also a very interesting section dealing with evidence from the Bhagavad-Gita that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. I remember studying Bhagavad-Gita many years ago and wondering why Sri Krsna often referred to Himself in the third person. For example: O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode (Bhagavad-Gita 18.62)

Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that the reason for this is that Sri Krsna is referring to His expansions and not Himself personally. A vivid example of how the expansions of Sri Krsna consider Themselves so be individual personalities is also presented in this volume in the story of how Sri Krsna were, along with Arjuna, to see Lord Maha-Visnu, to recover the dead sons of a Brahmana

Srila Prabhupada would sometimes mention the Krsna Sandarbha in his lectures, as in the following expert from a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam given in London in 1971:

Pradyumna (reading from the purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1): Sri Vyasadeva asserts herein that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead and all others and His direct or indirect plenary portions or portion of the portion. Srila Jiva Gosvami has even more explicitly explained the subject matter in his Krsna Sandarbha, and Brahma, the original living being.

Prabhupada: Jiva Gosvami has got six sandarbha, theses: Bhagavat-sandarbha, Krsna-sandarbha, Tattva-sandarbha, Priti-sandarbha, like that. So, I don't think that these books are published in English. These sandarbhas of Jiva Gosvami are so philosophically discussed that throughout the whole world, there is not a single philosopher who can defy them. We belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, coming in the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We have got immense literature to understand God. One who wants to understand God through philosophy, science, argument and logic, to supply them reading material, we have got immense literature, Vedic literature. So, one of them is mentioned here, Krsna-sandarbha.

From this we can understand what a great service Kusakratha dasa has done in translating these six sandarbhas. And, as would be expected, these translations are very pleasing to read due to being imbued with Kusakratha dasa's great and unalloyed devotion for the Lord and the literature of the great acaryas.

From the Jacket

In Krsna-sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami explicitly endeavors to prove once and for all that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, and all other forms of Godhead are His expansions.

In this volume, we also see some quotations from the Sarva-samvadini, which is Jiva Gosvami's commentary on his own Sat-sandarbha.

In the Krsna-sandarbha itself, second-to-last text, the purpose of the book is very succinctly stated: The description of sambandha – the relationship between and individual living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

All the incarnations and expansions exist simultaneously in the body of Krsna, who is described as two-handed. In this book are also descriptions of the Goloka planet, Vrndavana-the eternal place of Krsna, the identity of Goloka and Vrndavana and the eternal associates of Krsna.

"Jiva Gosvami has got six Sandarbhas, these: Bhagavat-sandarbha, Krsna-sandarbha, Tattva-sandarbha, Priti-sandarbha, like that. So, I don't think that these books are published in English. These Sandarbhas of Jiva Gosvami are so philosophically discussed that throughout the whole world, thee is not a single philosopher who can defy them. We belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, coming in the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We have got immense literature to understand God. One who wants to understand God through philosophy, science, argument and logic, to supply them reading material, we have got immense literature, Vedic literature".

Back of the Book

Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the great philosopher from the southern provinces who greatly pleased Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, life many valuable notes which defeat various philosophical misconceptions. Systematically arranging these notes, and considering their content, Jiva Gosvami writes this book, Krsna-sandarbha.

This essay is written to give a specific description of Supreme Personality of Godhead.

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who by His various plenary portions appeared in the world in different forms and incarnations such as Lord Rama, but who personally appears in His supreme original form as Lord Krsna.