Hayagriva das
This quiz is designed to motivate you to study the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava scriptures in specific, and the Sad Darshanas in general, which are necessary to understand Gauḍīya philosophy properly.
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Jnana or knowledge related to bhakti is also part of bhakti. In fact, hearing, which includes studying shastra, is the first limb of bhakti. Learning, followed by consolidating and then testing our knowledge in the form of a quiz is a fun and effective way to help us retain information.
This quiz is in multiple-choice questions format. (MCQs). If you see the response that you anticipated simply click on it. The quiz will immediately show which answers are correct or incorrect so we can learn as we go.
1 / 10
Bhāgavata Purāṇa delineates three topics, namely, sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Which one of these three is more important and why?
On any spiritual path, including bhakti, there are three factors involved: the practitioner, the practice, and the goal to be achieved. To be successful in one’s spiritual practice, one must have a clear understanding of all three of these factors. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls them sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana, respectively.
As a practitioner on the path of bhakti, one must know one’s identity and relationship with Kṛṣṇa clearly. To practice bhakti successfully, one should also know what bhakti is and how it is to be practiced. And finally, one must have a clear understanding of the goal one is aspiring for in one’s practice.
Learn more Jiva Tattva!
On any spiritual path, including bhakti, there are three factors involved: the practitioner, the practice, and the goal to be achieved. To be successful in one’s spiritual practice, one must have a clear understanding of all three of these factors. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls them sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana, respectively.
As a practitioner on the path of bhakti, one must know one’s identity and relationship with Kṛṣṇa clearly. To practice bhakti successfully, one should also know what bhakti is and how it is to be practiced. And finally, one must have a clear understanding of the goal one is aspiring for in one’s practice.
Learn more Jiva Tattva!
2 / 10
Which of the following statements about sādhana-bhakti are true?
Unlike prema-bhakti, sādhana-bhakti must be imbibed systematically from scriptural revelation and by aligning the self in full correspondence with realized devotional transcendentalists. Sādhana-bhakti, being the stage in which empirical selfhood is not yet fully transcended, is prompted primarily by the authority of scriptural injunctions.
As the devotee enacts the regulated practice of bhakti, the heart is gradually purified of egoic identification, and as the pure self emerges, it attains fitness to receive the self-revelation of devotion of the nature of love of God.
Only in this sense can it be said that sādhana-bhakti matures into prema-bhakti. But in fact, prema, the inherent potency of Bhagavān, self-manifests in the aspiring devotee’s heart only by the grace of Bhagavān and His pure devotee.
In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states that devotional service, which is enacted through the senses and which matures into bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti:
“Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads to the self-manifestation of bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti. The self-manifestation within the heart [of the practitioner] of the eternally existing transcendental affect of devotion (bhāva) is known as the completion stage of devotion.” (BRS 1.2.2)
Unlike prema-bhakti, sādhana-bhakti must be imbibed systematically from scriptural revelation and by aligning the self in full correspondence with realized devotional transcendentalists. Sādhana-bhakti, being the stage in which empirical selfhood is not yet fully transcended, is prompted primarily by the authority of scriptural injunctions.
As the devotee enacts the regulated practice of bhakti, the heart is gradually purified of egoic identification, and as the pure self emerges, it attains fitness to receive the self-revelation of devotion of the nature of love of God.
Only in this sense can it be said that sādhana-bhakti matures into prema-bhakti. But in fact, prema, the inherent potency of Bhagavān, self-manifests in the aspiring devotee’s heart only by the grace of Bhagavān and His pure devotee.
In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states that devotional service, which is enacted through the senses and which matures into bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti:
“Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads to the self-manifestation of bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti. The self-manifestation within the heart [of the practitioner] of the eternally existing transcendental affect of devotion (bhāva) is known as the completion stage of devotion.” (BRS 1.2.2)
#Shastra #Quiz
