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Extended Annotation by Vishnudut1926: As I have written in one of
my previous posts this is "THE BOOK OF SHEER GENIUS".
my previous posts this is "THE BOOK OF SHEER GENIUS".
I will explain why.
Most of The Books, Devoted to The Siddhanta of Pushti-Marg are being published in Sanskrit, Gujarati and sometimes Hindi.
So, the Books on Pushti-Marg in Engish belong to the species of unseen rarity.
When I have found This Book in Indian Library, I thought that it would be something like a dry Bhakti Research Book.
But when I started to read The Book I got completely crushed by its practical Bhakti-Approach and harmonious synopsis of complete Pushti-Marg-Siddhanta (starting from Vedanta and fetching up with Aesthetics and Shodasha-Granthas).
The Work, made by Professor Jethalal G.Shan is truly astonishing, especially the parts, devoted to the synopsis of Crucial Granthas of Pushti-Marg-Sampradaya.
For example, from page 416 the synopsis of Shodasha Granthas by OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya is being started and you will hardly find the analogue of such synopsys in Research Books on Devotion and Bhakti.
But more to this, after the synopsis of Shodasha Granthas by OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya the synopsis of Crucial Granthas written by consequent Pushti-Marg Acharyas is followed, that is the Synopsis of The Books written by
OM VishnuPad Vitthalesha Ji,
OM VishnuPad GokulaNatha Ji,
OM VishnuPad Harirai Ji,
OM VishnuPad VrajaRai Ji,
OM Vishnupad Giridhara Ji,
OM VishnuPad PurushottamaJi,
OM VishnuPad Gopeshvara Ji.
The first part of the Book contains very magnificent synopsises of some Baithakas and if to mark out the most beautiful moments of The Book there are 2 of them:
1) More than excellent and superb transmission of Shuddha-Advaita Siddhanta. It is absolutely obvious to me that Professor Jethalal G. Shan had written about Shuddha-Advaita from the point of view of the Bhakti-Yog, who had completely realized and felt this Siddhanta.
To put it simply, while reading the passages in which Professor Jethalal G.Shan explains Shuddha-Advaita, you feel like you are talking with Vaishnava-Guru of The Most Supreme Degree.
2) Explanations of The Divine Love, Gopi-Tattva, Subodhini Bhashya of OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya.
The same elevated feeling here: Professor Jethalal G.Shan has managed to create not a simple synopsis, but to convey Krishna-Sambandha and Bhakti-Sambandha to a reader.
Truly impressive!
The separate part of The Book is devoted to Aesthetics Reformation of OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya.
It is widely known that OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya was The Only Vaishnava-Acharya who had promulgated the very comprehensive and beautiful system of Aesthetic Seva to Bhagavan Shree Krishna, so Pushti-Marg Sampradaya is especially famous for their aesthetic attitude.
It is widely known that OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya was The Only Vaishnava-Acharya who had promulgated the very comprehensive and beautiful system of Aesthetic Seva to Bhagavan Shree Krishna, so Pushti-Marg Sampradaya is especially famous for their aesthetic attitude.
Explaining the Aesthetic approach of Pushti-Marg-Sampradaya, Professor Jethalal G. Shan makes the following profound remark about God's Beauty (The Beauty of Bhagavan Shree Krishna) on page 329:
"According to the Upanishadas God or Brahman is the Highest Reality. He is Truth-Consciousness and Joy.
The true aspect of God, known as "being" is manifested in the world, the knowledge aspect known as "consciousness" is manifested in the souls.
The Joy aspect is unmanifested in the world of the souls. God is transcendental.
The joy-form of God is designated as Rasa or Love. We may call it Beauty also. So God in His Joy or Love-Form is Beauty.
Some identify God with Truth (Satyam) but it is inadequate representation of God.
He is Beauty also and that is the highest conception of God. God’s Beauty, though not visible to human beings is reflected in the external appearance and features of all the subjects and objects.
To realise God, it is essential that one must perceive beauty which is hidden under the guise of the external appearance and love it.
He should love beauty in every form believing that it is “God's Beauty". By loving Beauty, one loves God and realises Him. The man who abhors beauty is away from the path of God-realisation.
But this love for beauty is not for beauty’s sake or for any other purpose, but only for God’s sake. In loving a beautiful object, he should know that he is loving God.
Vallabhacharya does not separate it from love. Beauty and love are to be thought as synonyms. There is no line of demarcation dividing their realms.
Where there is beauty there is love and vice versa.
God is Love, and Love is beauty".
So, The Book is just surprising and one more aspect to be impressed by is the beautiful language Professor Jethalal G.Shan resorts to.
For example, writing about Subodhini of OM VishnuPad Vallabha-Acharya, Professor Jethalal G.Shan constructs the following poetic and musical simile with "unheard melodies" (p. 413):
"As a contribution to the commentary literature of the Bhagavata, it stands by itself, testifying to the Writer’s Supergenius in revealing the beauty and glory of this most sacred work of the Hindus.
As the poet says, "Heard melodics are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter."
The Subodhini is full of unheard melodies.
It is not exaggeration to say that it has no parallel in the commentary literature on the Bhagavata".
So, my obeisances to Professor Jethalal G.Shan and Lord Krishna for The Book of such the supreme quality and practical value.
