Shri Upadeshamritam (Nectar of Instruction) — A Detailed Study (Part 01) — 27 August 2022

Title: Śrī-Upadeśāmṛtam (Nectar of Instruction) — A Detailed Study Part: 01 Facilitator: Hari Pārṣada Dāsa Hosted by: Dhāmeśvara Mahāprabhu Dāsa Date and Time: 27 August 2022, 9PM IST 0:00:00 – Introduction 0:01:08 – Overview of this session 0:02:00 – Obeisances to Srila Rupa Gosvami (Self Composed) 0:02:44 – Glories of Srila Rupa Gosvami 0:05:03 – Conversation between vidyā devī & a brāhmaṇa 0:06:50 – Glories of Srila Rupa Gosvami (contd.) 0:07:27 – 4 defects of a conditioned soul 0:08:30 – Which defect should a guru not possess? 0:09:24 – Glories of Srila Rupa Gosvami (contd.) 0:10:22 – Srila Rupa Gosvami’s 1st instruction to Srila Jiva Gosvami 0:11:09 – NOI Verse 1 word by word meaning + English Translation 0:13:00 – What is anvaya? 0:13:40 – NOI Verse 1 word by word meaning + English Translation (contd.) 0:14:18 – Meter of NOI 1 (upajāti) 0:15:45 – Recitation of NOI 1 in upājati meter 0:16:28 – Importance of a detailed study of NOI 0:18:34 – Important term: “śiṣyāt” 0:19:26 – HDG Srila Prabhupada’s translation of NOI 1 0:20:45 – What is śiṣyāt? (4 meanings) 0:25:38 – Hidden meaning of this instruction 0:28:36 – Instructing new comers on the path of bhakti 0:29:44 – Hidden meaning of this instruction (contd.) 0:30:27 – Material benefits that a guru gets from his disciples 0:31:29 – Covering a bitter medicine with a sweet coating 0:32:06 – SB 7.13.8 & limb #11 of sadhana bhakti 0:32:43 – Reconciling 2 different instructions 0:33:26 – HDG Srila Prabhupada’s views on taking disciples + śāstric evidence 0:34:04 – What is “many disciples”? 0:36:53 – HDG Srila Prabhupada’s views on taking disciples (contd.) 0:38:03 – Srila Rupa Gosvami’s instruction & warning 0:41:07 – What is “vegaḥ”? (3 meanings) 0:42:53 – Definition of “vegaḥ” in relation to a living human being 0:43:40 – Ayurveda-Rasāyanam Commentary on Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdayam 1.4.1 0:44:17 – 2 types of urges in body (according to Ayurveda) 0:45:28 – Urges that should never be controlled & urges that should be controlled 0:46:23 – Controlling the mind 0:47:10 – Why does Srila Rupa Gosvami want us to control these urges? 0:51:23 – The first vega: vāco-vegam (The urge of speech) 0:52:10 – Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura 0:53:13 – Austerity of speech (BG 17.15) 0:53:37 – Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (contd.) 0:54:33 – 4 characteristics of austere speech (BG 17.15) 0:57:25 – Commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 1:01:35 – Difference in interpretation by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura & Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 1:02:19 – Important of reading different points of views 1:04:27 – Purport of BG 17.15 by HDG Srila Prabhupada 1:09:23 – Q1. vāco-vegam, commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: he has covered n this almost everything except for Krishna Katha. Could you please tell us how can a conditioned soul preach (keeping this definition in mind) until he becomes completely purified? 1:12:51 – Q2. Conditioned souls usually have a tendency to explain things in a very assertive way, without any room for accepting other people’s opinion. Some people become fanatic about siddhānta also - does this cover that too? 1:15:07 – Q3. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s commentary: sometimes we speak the truth but it is not pleasing to the one who hears it. So how can we implement this instruction & meet the 4 characteristics of austere speech? 1:21:32 – Q4. When can Shree Guru (Diksha/ Shiksha) start giving instructions to disciples? 1:23:03 – Q5. When can Shree Guru start giving specific (not just general) instructions? 1:25:04 – Q6. How important is it to stay in the physical proximity of Shree Guru? 1:28:43 – Q7. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s commentary: why did you single out svadhyay & keep it separately? 1:30:08 – Q8. Srila Narottama Das Thakura said we have to know details of the specific type of bhajan that one is performing/ details of the specific type of realizations that one has had during bhajan should not be revealed? 1:33:17 – Q9. Srila Rupa Gosvami asks us to control 6 urges, but Srila Prabhupada says that to become a guru one should know the science of Krishna, but Srila Rupa Gosvami doesn’t mention any such thing. So in which subject matter will one instruct? Also, can one only control the 6 urges if he knows the essence of the scriptures? 1:35:11 – End of class