The “Fall” of the Jīva, as Explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda
What is the constitutional position of the soul, and how did we come here? In this book, we examine how Prabhupada answers these questions.
⬇️Download the PDF of the book: (or read online)
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➡️ Read the book online:
+ Chapter 1: The creation of an illusory world
+ Chapter 2: The “fall” of Jaya and Vijaya
+ Chapter 3: Lord Kapila explains our relationship with this material world
The creation of the false ego from Sankarṣaṇa, followed by the mind, intelligence, and senses
How the soul enters the body without leaving the spiritual sky
+ Chapter 4: The teachings of Sanat-kumāra
+ Chapter 5: Lord Śiva instructs us on devotional service
+ Chapter 6: The history of every conditioned soul
+ Chapter 7: Kṛṣṇa reveals our original nature
+ Chapter 8: A commentary on ‘Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic’
☀️ What is the book about?
Prabhupāda explains that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of spiritual knowledge. That’s the book Prabhupāda dedicated most of his literary efforts to, commenting in detail and explaining all the philosophical facets of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Just as in other topics, Prabhupāda’s commentary explains in detail our situation in this material world, including how we came here and what our original position is. The “fall” of the jīva has an inconceivable element to it, a spiritual mystery that is very hard to comprehend. At the same time, however, it became a source of much debate, often based on little more than dry logic and speculation, which produces confusion and doubt. Considering the situation and the negative effect it has on the spiritual lives of many, one may be interested in a detailed study of the answers Śrīla Prabhupāda gives.
The goal of this book is not to just give you a long and inconclusive list of quotes, but to examine the way Prabhupāda develops his explanation of the constitutional position of the soul in his commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, starting from the First Canto, and going all the way to the end of the Fourth Canto, where his conclusions are revealed.
Although these conclusions are clear enough when properly supported, they can be fully understood only when we carefully study the text, something not many of us have the time to do. Because the passages where Prabhupāda develops his explanation are spread through the four Cantos and intercalated with passages discussing other topics, even the most intellectual can have difficulty following through.
In this book, we focus on the passages that are directly connected with this topic, creating a short and sequential study that is easier to follow. By becoming familiar with the way Prabhupāda explains, we can understand this difficult topic without falling into all the useless and damaging mental speculation and pedantic arguments Prabhupāda warns us about.
The conclusion is not just true but also uplifting, nourishing our desire to leave this temporary material world and return to the association of our eternal friend, who follows us even in our conditioned state, guiding us from inside the heart.
Hare Krishna prabhuji...
Prabhuji why don't you also write a book on Varnashram?