MADHU BINDAVAH

JEWEL-LIKE TRUTHS

The fundamental principles of the school of pure devotion.

Verses summarising the primary conclusions of the Gaudiya sampradaya cited by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

sri-madhvah praha visnum paratamam akhilamnaya-vedyan cha visvam
satyam bhedan cha jivam hari-charana-jusas taratamyan cha tesam
moksam visnv-anghri-labham tad-amala-bhajanam tasya hetum pramanam
pratyaksadi-trayan chety upadisati harih krsna-chaitanyachandrah
(Prameya-ratnavali: 1.8)

“Sri Madhva Acharya taught:
(1) Visnu is the Supreme Being (no one is equal to Him).
(2) Visnu is the subject to be known by all the scriptures (impersonal Brahman is not).
(3) The world is real (not simply imaginary).
(4) The soul is separate (from the Lord; the distinction between the soul and the Lord is not false).
(5) The soul is a servant of the Lord’s feet (not simply a particle of spirit).
(6) There is gradation amongst souls (they may be conditioned or liberated, and they attain different ends according to their practices; they do not all become one or reach the same end).
(7) Liberation means attaining the feet of Visnu (not merging into Visnu).
(8) Pure devotion is the cause of liberation (not simply thinking, “I am Brahman”).
(9) Perception, inference, and scripture are the three means to true knowledge (not analogy, tradition, and other proposals).
Lord Sri Krsna Chaitanyachandra teaches these nine truths.”

sri-madhva-mate harih paratamah satyam jagat tattvato
bhedo jiva-gana harer anuchara nichochcha-bhavam gatah
muktir naija-sukhanubhutir amala bhaktis cha tat-sadhanam
aksadi-tritayam pramanam akhilamnayaika-vedyo harir iti
(Prameya-ratnavali: 10.1)

“According to the conception of Sri Madhva Acharya:
(1) Hari is the Supreme Being.
(2) The world is real.
(3) The souls are separate (from the Lord).
(4) The souls are servants of the Lord.
(5) The souls attain low or high positions (according to their practices).
(6) Liberation is the experience of the joy produced by the self.
(7) Pure devotion is the means to liberation.
(8) Perception, inference, and scripture are the three means to true knowledge.
(9) The Lord alone is the subject to be known by all the scriptures.”

amnayah praha tattvam harim iha paramam sarva-saktim rasabdhim
tad-bhinnamsams cha jivan prakrti-kavalitan tad-vimuktams cha bhavat
bhedabheda-prakasam sakalam api hareh sadhanam suddha-bhaktim
sadhyam tat-pritim evety upadisati janan gaurachandrah svayam sah
(Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

“Sri Gaurachandra personally teaches the souls:
(1) Revealed knowledge establishes the Truth.
(2) Hari is the Supreme Being.
(3) He is omnipotent.
(4) He is an ocean of rasa.
(5) The souls are His separated parts.
(6) The souls are covered by material energy, or
(7) The souls are liberated from material energy by devotion.
(8) Everything is a manifestation distinct and non-distinct from Hari.
(9) Pure devotion is the way.
(10) Love for Hari is the goal.”