Prema Pradipa - English

With the desire to establish the superiority of Vaiṣṇavism, I have written this composition, entitled Prema-pradip, and published it in installments in my magazine Sajjana-toṣanī. Through this, many learned youths have taken up kṛṣṇa-bhakti, and according to their desire, I have now printed it in book form. 
-Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Written in Bengali in 1886, at a time when the people of India were turning away from their own spiritual heritage to embrace divergent philosophies, this book enchanted its readers and inspired them to again cherish genuine spiritual life. Prema-pradipa contains extensive references to a religious movement known as Brahmoism. The movement's philosophy was steeped in rationalism and a modern scientific approach. Brahmoist philosophy asserts that worship of the Supreme Lord's form equates to idolatry, that the Vedic scriptures are unworthy of faith, and that one should not place faith in the avataras of Bhagavan (the Supreme Lord). According to the Vedas and those who have perfectly imbibed Vedic thought, such thinking prevents a person from ever relishing the bliss inherent in the soul and from tasting full freedom. It was with grave concern for the spiritual well-being of all that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura penned this great literature, which is both delightful and profound and which illuminates the means of attaining the true and ultimate goal of yoga in accordance with the Vedic version.

CONTENTS:
Editors Preface (to the first English edition)
Pradipa-sikha (The Lamp's Flame)
Introduction
A Word from the Editor (of the first Hindi edition)
First Ray
● Haridasa Babaji encounters Premadasa Babaji
● Haridasa Babaji and Premadasa Babaji converse
● The devotees' discussions about karma and jnana are also harikatha
● Haridasa Babaji and Premadasa Babaji journey to Govardhana while performing kirtana
Second Ray
● Haridasa and Premadasa Babajis enter Pandita Babaji's cave in Govardhana
● Only service to Krsna, and not yoga, affords peace
● A yogi in the assembly asserts the superiority of yoga over deity worship
● Pandita Babaji establishes the superiority of bhakti over yoga
● Establishing the inferiority of the path of yoga
● Although satisfied, Yogi Babaji proclaims yoga to be more suitable for subduing the senses than the nine limbs of bhakti
● A fall-down is inevitable for a practitioner who, through dry speculation and practice, uses the limbs of bhakti as a means of enjoyment
Third Ray
● Mallika Mahasaya, Narena Babu and Ananda Babu arrive
● Mallika Babu introduces himself
● Mallika Babu introduces Narena Babu and Ananda Babu
● In his heart, Yogi Babaji fears a fall-down as a result of associating with worldly persons
● Mallika Mahasaya takes a vow, changes his attire and accepts sri nama, while Narena Babu and Ananda Babu remain independent, their faith still in Brahmoism
● When Yogi Babaji asks about their philosophy, Narena Babu, a teacher of Brahmoism, points out a host of faults in Hinduism
● Ananda Babu outlines fundamental tenets of Brahmoism
● Yogi Babaji describes the differences between hatha-yoga and raja-yoga
● An analysis of hatha-yoga
● The final word on hatha-yoga
● Narena Babu and Ananda Babu develop faith in the Vaisnavism practiced by Yogi Babaji
Fourth Ray
● Yogi Babaji, Mallika Mahasaya, Narena Babu and Ananda Babu hear a song on their way to Pandita Babaji's cave
● The two Vaisnavas and the two men reach Pandita Babaji's asrama
● Yogi Babaji asks Pandita Babaji how rasa-samadhi and ragasadhana are possible without practicing yoga
● Pandita Babaji's answer: the difference between material raga and spiritual raga, the impossibility of attaining renunciation without spiritual practice, and the impossibility of attaining spiritual raga through the practice of yoga
● The superiority of the Vaisnavas' practice of raga-marga over the practices of yoga and brahma-jnana
● Everyone is captivated by Pandita Babaji's analysis, and Narena Babu and Ananda Babu become doubtful about Raja Ramamohana Raya
● Yogi Babaji performs a kirtana appropriate for the situation as he returns to his kunja with his three companions
Fifth Ray
● Those who follow the modern-day traditions of the West consider Vaisnavas to be licentious and bhakti to be nothing but debauchery
● Narena Babu doubts that deity worship is idolatry, and speculates on the matter
● Ananda Babu's concept of deity worship is clearer than Narena Babu's
● Babaji assures them he will discuss idolatry with them later, and orders everyone to sleep
● Yogi Babaji's explanation of raja-yoga and its eight limbs
● Mallika Mahasaya becomes enthusiastic upon learning about raja-yoga
● Narena Babu and Ananda Babu's proposal to study under Yogi Babaji
● Narena Babu and Ananda Babu express their doubts and ask Yogi Babaji why the faultless Vaisnavas worship idols
● Yogi Babaji discusses the truths about Vaisnavas and Vaisnavism
● The two Babus and Yogi Babaji dance and perform kirtana before the deity
Sixth Ray
● Narena Babu receives a letter from a Brahmoist leader
● Mallika Mahasaya's letter from Nityananda Babaji
● The two Babus curse their lives
● Two Baula Babajis arrive while performing kirtana
● The Baula-sampradaya is actually monistic
● The acaryas of the four Vaisnava sampradayas and the similarities in their philosophies
● Sri Caitanya-deva belongs to the Madhva-sampradaya, while Nedas, Dervishes, Sais and other so-called sadhus are pretentiously devout non-Vaisnavas
● The philosophy of Sriman Mahaprabhu has been perfectly recorded in the books of the Gosvamis
● Of all sciences, the science of bhakti is the greatest
● Bhakti does not arise from studying and debating the scriptures
● Thinking Krsna to be a mortal man, Narena Babu asks a question about Isvara
● Due to differences between the practitioners of karma, jnana and bhakti, the truth about Bhagavan, which is one, appears to be variegated
● An analysis of the separateness of Paramatma, brahma and Bhagavan
● Bhagavan is full of opulence and sweetness: Narena Babu and Ananda Babu have a natural taste for sweetness
● On Yogi Babaji's instruction, the two Babus study Sri Caitanyacaritamrta
● Dancing, singing and crying tears of prema are the natural results of reading Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
● Narena Babu and Ananda Babu take shelter of Sri Nama
● In the association of Vaisnavas, the two Babus accept the dress of Vaisnavas
● Compassion for the living entities arises within the heart of the two Babus
Seventh Ray
● Narena Babu sends a letter of inquiry to the leader of Brahmoism
● Everyone contributes to a festival in Prema-kunja
● The ladies' quarters at Prema-kunja and Prema-bhavini's recitation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
● What is rati? Identifying its abode and repository
● Honoring prasada at the Prema-kunja festival
● The two Babus and Mallika Mahasaya hear about and honor the remnants of the Vaisnavas
● Vaisnavism alone is capable of creating equality among castes
● Prema-bhavini introduces herself
● After leaving Prema-kunja, everyone has darsana of the cowherd boys' springtime festival
● They experience the mood of Vraja while returning to Yogi Babaji's kunja
● Completely renouncing debate, the two Babus observe the limbs of bhakti in the association of sadhus
Eighth Ray
● The leader of Brahmoism answers Narena Babu's questions in a letter
● The opinion of the followers of Brahmoism on the nature of bhakti
● Brahmoism rejects the beauty of the Absolute Truth
● In impersonalism, bhava is dominated by logic
● According to the philosophy of Brahmoism, bhakti is simply impersonal monotheism
● Narena Babu is offered employment
● Yogi Babaji reveals the fault of Brahmoist philosophy, and they all depart for Pandita Babaji's cave
● Pandita Babaji explains rasa-tattva and instructs everyone to drink the rasa of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the essence of all scriptures
● What, truly, is rasa?
● Material rasa is a distorted reflection of bhakti-rasa
● The difference between bhava and rasa: rasa is the aggregate of bhavas
● An explanation of the three types of rasa: worldly, heavenly and spiritual
● Parthiva-rasa
● The inferiority of svargiya-rasa to vaikuntha-rasa
● Vaikuntha-rasa is not subject to logic
Ninth Ray
● The two Babus' conclusions on Pandita Babaji's teachings about rasa
● Narena Babu's conclusions regarding svargiya-prema
● Narena Babu's proper conclusions regarding vaikuntha-rasa
● Narena Babu refutes the philosophy of Brahmoism
● Lamenting the condition of the Brahmoist leader
● Both Babus possess a taste for srngara-rasa
● Pandita Babaji again deliberates on the principles of vaikuntharasa
● Because they are eternal, Vaikuntha and Parabrahma are variegated, otherwise they would not exist
● Brahma is Vaikuntha's boundary and covering
● Eternal variety establishes the difference between Bhagavan and the diversified living entities
● Variegation is the feat of potency (sakti), which is of three types: sandhini, samvit, and hladini
● This world is material and impure, while Vaikuntha is spiritual and pure
● The word cit refers to 'knowledge obtained through samadhi,''the soul' and 'the soul's body'
● Cit, or consciousness, is of two types: pratyag and paraga
● An introduction to the five types of rasa: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura
● The various sections of Vaikuntha and their respective rasas
Tenth Ray
● Rati is the root of rasa
● Three symptoms of rati: it is full of bhava, full of eagerness and full of desire
● The seed of the endeavors for rasa is rati, not ruci (taste)
● The difference between the two types of support (alambana) included within vibhava: the object and the shelter
● Uddipana: the second type of vibhava
● Srngara-rasa is of two types: svakiya and parakiya
● One is situated in only the rasa for which one is qualified
● Angika-anubhavas and sattvika-anubhavas
● The difference between aṅgika-anubhavas and sattvika-anubhavas
● The thirty-three sancari-bhavas
● Vyabhicari-bhavas
● Sancari-bhavas nourish rati
● Rati becomes prema when it takes shelter of a particular relationship
● An impartial view of the sequence of rasa and a deliberation on santa-rasa
● A deliberation on dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- and madhura-rasa
● Rasa-tattva is realized by relishing it in the association of sri gurudeva
● Ananda Babu and Narena Babu attain the status of being Vaisnavas
Glossary

TITLE: Prem Pradip - English
AUTHOR: Om Vishnupada Sri Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur
Translated from the Hindi Edition by Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja
PUBLISHER: Gaudiya Vedanta Prakashan
EDITION: Second, 2018
ISBNs: 978-1-633161-71-9 9781633161719 1-63316-171-4 1633161714 978-1-633161-64-1 9781633161641 1633161641  1-63316-164-1 
LCCNumber: 2018957385 2018-957385
Pages: 150
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 350 grams