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.

What is the book about? | Read online

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➡️ Read the book online:

+ Preface

+ Chapter 1: The creation of an illusory world

• Internal, external, and marginal: Understanding the potencies of the Lord

• The role of Lord Sadāśiva

• What is pradhāna?

• The relationship between the souls and matter

• Why is the soul here in the material world?

+ Chapter 2: The “fall” of Jaya and Vijaya

• The demigods ask Brahmā for help

• The Kumāras visit Vaikuṇṭha

• Jaya and Vijaya are cursed by the Kumāras

• The Lord protects His devotees

• Jaya and Vijaya come to the material world

• How could Jaya and Vijaya “fall” into the material world?

• Questions about this mysterious pastime

• If devotional service is eternal, how can we forget?

+ Chapter 3: Lord Kapila explains our relationship with this material world

• Understanding the elements and material creation

• Souls and matter: like oil and water

• The creation of material consciousness

• The creation of the false ego from Sankarṣaṇa, followed by the mind, intelligence, and senses

• Uncovering the soul’s eternal nature

• Achieving the transcendental platform

• Conditioned life: The reflection in the dark room

• How the soul enters the body without leaving the spiritual sky

• Reflected consciousness

• Becoming free from the false ego

• Releasing the soul from material bondage

• Awakening from the dream

+ Chapter 4: The teachings of Sanat-kumāra

• The process of bhakti is described in more detail

• Our real position and relationship with the Lord

• The conclusion of the instructions of Sanat-kumāra

• Everyone should surrender to the Lord

+ Chapter 5: Lord Śiva instructs us on devotional service

• Attaining devotional service, the topmost process

• The Lord is the only object of worship

• The material world is only material when we want to imitate the Lord

+ Chapter 6: The history of every conditioned soul

• The allegory of King Purañjana

• Purañjana comes in contact with the material intelligence

• How we become entangled in matter, and how we can become free

• Purañjana abandons his intelligence and hunts in the forest

• Reviving our original Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

• Purañjana becomes princess Vaidarbhī in his next life

• Malayadhvaja retires to the forest

+ Chapter 7: Kṛṣṇa reveals our original nature

• Vaidarbhī meets the Lord

• The original home

• The meaning of the allegory

• The final conclusion on the “fall” of the Jīva

+ Chapter 8: A commentary on ‘Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic’

• Always With Kṛṣṇa

• Covered by māyā

• Jaya and Vijaya and the eternal lila with Kṛṣṇa

• An Allegory

• Why shouldn’t we discuss if the answer is there?

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☀️ 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.

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