Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Vidyāpīṭham

This course should be attended in the first two years. Taught from the Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa, it involves learning by heart about one thousand short sūtras which cover all the main points of grammar. It also includes thorough explanation in the class of the sūtras’ meaning and application, and exercises for practice. On the average four sūtras are taught each day. By this traditional method of memorizing sūtras, a deeper command of the language is possible than with modern methods. A well-educated brāhmaṇa is called sūtra-kaṇṭhī, indicating that he has the knowledge he needs “on the tip of his tongue” (or more literally, “in his throat”).

New students are advised to avoid becoming “sūtra-crazy” and neglecting other studies, especially study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For serious followers of Śrīla Prabhupāda, knowledge of Sanskrit grammar is only a tool for devotional study and preaching, not an end to itself. A balanced approach to the whole program will assure steady success, even if it comes a little slow.

Much of the transcendental literature of our sampradāya is poetry, and many of the ācāryas in our line were great poets. The ability to write excellent poetry comes not only from inspiration, but also from thorough training in the theory of the art, called kāvya-śāstra. Study of kāvya-śāstra is useful not only for those who are going to become poets, but also for those who want to be sensitive hearers and readers of poetry.

This course is based on the textbook Alaṅkāra-kaustubha by Kavi-karṇapūra. It presents all essential aspects of the theory, including the definition of poetry, the various ways in which words express meanings, the power of subtle suggestion (which Kavi-karṇapūra calls the life air of poetry) in its many varieties, spiritual rasas, virtues and faults in poetry, figures of speech (based on both sound and meaning), and standard styles. The course is especially meant for third-year students.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Six Sandarbhas comprise the most important explanation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Much of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhāgavatam purports is derived from them. The Sandarbhas are different from the standard kind of Bhāgavatam commentary, which elucidates one verse after another. Instead Śrīla Jīva has chosen to reveal the message of the Bhāgavatam in topical sequence. Verses are cited and explained from all parts of the Bhāgavatam to explain the ideas as they come up in this sequence. Thus, because the Bhāgavatam verses are gathered from here and there and tied together into a systematic discussion, the author has called this work a Sandarbha (literally, “the stringing together of a garland”).

First, in the Tattva-sandarbha, the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is proven and then accordingly what the Bhāgavatam says is the Absolute Truth is identified in general terms. The concept of Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, is fully explained according to statements of the Bhāgavatam in the Bhagavat-sandarbha. God as the controller of all His energies, or in other words, as the Supersoul, is discussed in the Paramātma-sandarbha. That Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead is proven in the Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. With these first four Sandarbhas the complete understanding of the identity of the Absolute Truth is presented. The Bhakti-sandarbha then explains regulated devotional practice according to the Bhāgavatam, and the Prīti-sandarbha explains spontaneous loving service.

This seminar is conducted by Gopīparāṇadhana Prabhu, who is currently translating and commenting on the Six Sandarbhas for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Each day he gives the students a translation of the part of the text being discussed and his own explanation. To keep the class from getting diverted, students are asked to submit their questions overnight for discussion at the beginning of the next day’s class.

This commentary workshop goes on continuously, accommodating itself to new students as they join it. Each day, one verse or more of the Bhāgavatam is studied in depth. The grammar of the verse is analyzed, first one word at a time and then putting the sentences together. The students are guided by the teacher to do the analysis themselves. After finishing the analysis of a verse, our sampradāya’s major Sanskrit commentaries on the verse are looked at, including the commentaries of Śrīdhara Svāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, and Viśvanātha Cakravartī. The commentaries are scrutinized sentence by sentence, and if necessary word by word, and the teacher helps the students understand difficult points.

Besides being an excellent meditation on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this course puts into practice the grammar learned in the Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa course.

The best paṇḍitas not only read Sanskrit but also speak it fluently. Why shouldn’t ISKCON’s scholars be as competent? Our classes are generally taught in English, but Sanskrit is also used, and if the students speak in Sanskrit whenever an opportunity arises, the very nature of the language will help raise their consciousness to the mode of goodness.

In this daily class, speaking is learned by practice guided by the teacher rather than by reading from books. The grammar already learned is given another good chance to be put to use. The course is required for second- and third-year students and is conducted by Dr. Raghava Jha, a Ph.D. from Benares who is skillful in classroom presentation.