A Short Survey of ViΩvanatha Cakravarti’s View on Yoga: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

Visvanåtha Cakravartî (1638–1708)1 is the one of the standard commentators of the Gaudîya Vaishnava tradition, having authored †îkås on the Bhågavata Puråna (Sårårtha-darsinî), Bhagavad-gîtå (Sårårthavarßi∫î), Bhakti-rasåmrta-sindhu (Bhakti-såra-pradarsinî), and Ujjvala-nîlama∫i (Ånanda-candrikå) in addition to writing well-known, smaller independent works such as the Mådhurya-kådambinî and Råga-vartma-candrikå, and numerous a߆akas. Selected passages, primarily from the Bhågavata Puråna and Visvanåtha’s Sårårtha-darsinî commentary, will present the orthodox Gau∂îya Vaishnava view on the position of yoga in relation to bhakti. The Bhågavata Puråna is accepted as the primary and untainted scriptural authority (pramånam amalam) for the Vaishnava community following Caitanya Mahåprabhu (1486–1533). Visvanåtha’s commentary on the Bhågavata was composed with careful attention to the views of the founder and earlier scholarsaints of his community, has been widely accepted since then in the Gau∂îya community, and thus can be relied on to offer an accurate representation of its view of the yoga system.