BRC Publications

The book “Bhakti in Vaiṣṇava Traditions” explores various dimensions of bhakti in Vaiṣṇavism. Vaiṣṇavism, a cornerstone of India’s spiritual traditions, is deeply entrenched in the fertile grounds of bhakti, representing intense devotion and love towards the divine. This exploration delves into the intricate realm of Vaiṣṇavism, spotlighting its historical trajectory and philosophical bedrock, all harmonized by the resonant theme of bhakti. The book is organized into three Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Bhagavad Gītā, Bhakti in Vedanta, and Regional Traditions. The first part elucidates the essence of bhakti as reflected in Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Bhagavad Gītā, which are known as pivotal texts of bhakti.

This book presents an analytical study of selected narratives of the tenth skandha of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa with the framework of Narratology. It checks the possibilities of interpretation of some popular narratives from Kṛṣṇa saga. Book gives an exhaustive introduction dealing with Purāṇas, the growth of Vaiṣṇnavism and Narratology with special reference to Bhāgavata Purāṇa which sets precursor to the further analysis. It undertakes hermeneutic interpretation of episodes – Lord Kṛṣṇa’s birth story, Lifting of Govardhana Mountain, Syamantaka jewel, exploits of Pūtanā and other demons, uprooting of Arjuna trees, the expulsion of Kāliya, Gopīcīraharaṇam, Rāsapaῆcādhyāyī, story of Kubjā, story of Śrīdāman and Rukmiṇī Svayaṁvara.

In today’s cultural atmosphere of competing spiritualism jostling with vague scepticism and strident “new atheism,” we do well to listen carefully to thoughtfully articulated wisdom of bygone ages. An important voice for finding existential meaning in daily devotional practices (bhakti-yoga) can be heard in the sixteenth-century Caitanya (Gauḍīya) Vaiṣṇava tradition. In this brief but carefully crafted work, the author takes readers step-by-step through the deep reasoning behind these practices with special focus on sevā–conscientious attending–to sacred temple images, concluding with a cogent explanation of why this practice is not to be mistaken for “idolatry”.

In the sixteenth century, the saint and scholar Sri Caitanya set in motion a wave of devotion to Krishna that began in eastern India and has now found its way around the world. Caitanya taught that the highest aim of life is to develop selfless love for God Krishna, the blue-hued cowherd boy who spoke the Bhagavad Gita. Although only a handful of poetry is attributed to Caitanya, his devotional theology was expounded and systematized by his followers in a vast array of poetical, philosophical, and ritual literature. This book provides a thematic study of Caitanya Vaishnava philosophy, introducing key thinkers and ideas in the early tradition, using Sanskrit and Bengali sources that have seldom been studied in English. The book addresses major areas of the tradition, including epistemology, ontology, aesthetics, ethics, and history, and every chapter includes relevant readings from primary sources.

The Caitanya Caritamrta is an early-seventeenth-century Bengali and Sanskrit biography of the great saint and Vaisnava leader Caitanya (1486–1533 CE) by the poet and scholar Krsnadasa, who has been given by Bengali tradition the title Kaviraja—“Prince of Poets.” The text is of interest to theologians—Caitanya was, in Krsnadasa’s view, an androgyne of Krsna and Radha.

Dive into the profound wisdom of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and explore the timeless principles that have shaped community building within the Bhakti tradition. With detailed analysis and comparative studies, it provides a roadmap for building cohesive communities grounded in mutual respect, service, and devotion. Key themes include: The Foundation of Relationships: Understanding how individual interactions contribute to the larger societal fabric, enriched by perspectives from renowned philosophers Ideal Community Structure: Insights into Caitanya’s teachings and their relevance in transcending societal divisions, informed by classical and modern thinkers Achieving Societal Harmony: Practical applications of Bhakti practices to promote unity and shared spiritual identity Organizing and Morality: A thorough examination of Caitanya’s ideas of justice, morality, and communal resilience in comparison with other philosophical teachings. This book is not just a historical study; it’s a guide for modern community organizers, spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in the timeless principles that can foster a more unified and compassionate society.

Conservation Architect and Researcher Sushant Bharti highlights the significance of the Madan Mohan, an ancient and important temple in Vrindavan, India that has had a prominent impact both locally and globally throughout its history. The text includes a captivating portrayal of the temple both at home and in the Indian diaspora, a tribute to the attractive, ever enchanting nature of the structure and its spiritual potency.

An annotated translation of Nandadasa’s poetic rendition of the five chapters of rasa-lila in the Bhagavata, highlighting the text’s musical legacy, devotional worship, and Vedantic foundations. Maharasa Manjusa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance provides translation and scholarly commentary of Nandadasa’s five chapters of rasa-lila, collectively known as the rasapancadhyayi.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), founder of the Hare Krishna Movement, traced his lineage to the fifteenth-century Indian saint Sri Caitanya. He authored more than fifty volumes of English translation and commentaries on Sanskrit and Bengali texts, serving as a medium between these distant authorities and his modern Western readership and using his writings as blueprints for spiritual change and a revolution in consciousness. He had to speak the language of a people vastly disparate from the original recipients of his tradition’s scriptures, without compromising fidelity to the tradition. Tamal Krishna Goswami claims that the social scientific, philosophical, and ‘insider’ forms of investigation previously applied have failed to explain the presence of a powerful interpretative device-a mahavakya or ‘great utterance’-that governs and pervades Prabhupada’s ‘living theology’ of devotion on bhakti. For Prabhupada, the wide range of ‘vedic’ subject matter is governed by the axiomatic truth: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Goswami’s academic training at the University of Cambridge, his thirty years’ experience as a practitioner and teacher, and his extensive interactions with Prabhupada as both personal secretary and managerial representative, afforded him a unique opportunity to understand and illuminate the theological contribution of Prabhupada. In this work, Goswami proves that the voice of the scholar-practitioner can be intimately connected with his tradition while sustaining a mature critical stance relative to his subject. A Living Theology of Krishna Bhakti includes a critical introduction and conclusion by Graham M. Schweig.

Modern Hindu Personalism explores the life and works of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874-1937), a Vaishnava guru of the Chaitanya school of Bengal. Ferdinando Sardella examines Bhaktisiddhanta’s background, motivation and thought, especially as it relates to his forging of a modern traditionalist institution for the successful revival of Chaitanya Vaishnava bhakti. Originally known as the Gaudiya Math, that institution not only established centers in both London (1933) and Berlin (1934), but also has been indirectly responsible for the development of a number of contemporary global offshoots, including the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement). Sardella provides the historical background as well as the contemporary context of the India in which Bhaktisiddhanta lived and functioned, in the process shedding light on such topics as colonial culture and sensibilities, the emergence of an educated middle-class, the rise of the Bengal Renaissance, and the challenge posed by Protestant missionaries.

This open access book provides both a broad perspective and a focused examination of cow care as a subject of widespread ethical concern in India, and increasingly in other parts of the world. In the face of what has persisted as a highly charged political issue over cow protection in India, intellectual space must be made to bring the wealth of Indian traditional ethical discourse to bear on the realities of current human-animal relationships, particularly those of humans with cows. Dharma, yoga, and bhakti paradigms serve as starting points for bringing Hindu – particularly Vaishnava Hindu – animal ethics into conversation with contemporary Western animal ethics. The author argues that a culture of bhakti―the inclusive, empathetic practice of spirituality centered in Krishna as the beloved cowherd of Vraja – can complement recently developed ethics-of-care thinking to create a solid basis for sustaining all kinds of cow care communities.