Bhakti Sandarbha

Book excerpt: Bhakti Sandarbha is the fifth Sandarbha of Jīva Gosvāmī. The first Sandarbha deals with pramāna, the Bhāgavatam. The second, third and fourth Sandarbhas deal with sambandha: defining the Lord in his aspects as Paramātmā, Bhagavān and Kṛṣṇa. The present Sandarbha deals with the abhideya (method), the sādhana of bhakti. This is the means to realize Kṛṣṇa. The same topic is covered in the second chapter of the Eastern Section of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu of Rūpa Gosvāmī, but is expanded greatly. It discusses the spiritual nature of this process, the qualification of bhakti, the various actions of bhakti, vaidhi and rāgānuga types, mixed and pure forms of bhakti and various types of devotees.