Monday Morning Greetings 2025 #29 – How Truth is Revealed
Dhanurdhara Swami July 14th, 2025
For those serious about the study of sacred texts, the term sambandha-jñānā is significant. Commonly it is defined as a school’s conception of reality and its means or evidence of affirming its validity. Today, I heard it used in a slightly different way. It slightly re-oriented my approach to studying sacred texts, enough that I would like to share it with you.
I heard the term used in a somewhat new light in one lecture from a series of lectures by Śrīla Bhaktivijnana Goswami covering an overview of the Bhāgavatam. There he explained sambandha as one of the four basic prerequisites, anubandha catuṣṭaya, that must be fulfilled for any sacred text to be authorized, at least within a particular school.
I will briefly outline this classical description of anubandha catuṣṭaya and then focus on Śrī Jīva’s definition of sambandha as applied to the Bhāgavatam. I will then share what I see as its practical application.
Anubandha Catuṣṭaya:
Viṣaya—The topic, the subject of the book.
Sambandha—The way the subject is revealed to the listener or reader of the text.
Abhidhéya—The method or practice which is needed to realize the subject.
Prayojana—The result of realizing that subject.
Śrī Jīva describes sambandha in relation to the Bhāgavatam as vācya-vācaka sambandha: “Its sambandha (the way its subject is revealed) is that the words (vācaka) themself carry inherent power to reveal what they signify (vācya)”.
In other words, the words of the Bhāgavatam themselves are the main way the meaning of the text is revealed independent of an intellectual effort to understand them.
But what about our logical understanding of the meaning of the text? How can that be minimized?
The sambandha of the Bhāgavatam doesn’t mean that an intellectual comprehension of the text doesn’t help us understand something about the subject (viṣaya) of the text. Without knowledge it is doubtful that one would be inspired with the faith necessary to turn one’s consciousness in a concentrated way towards Bhagavān, which is the subject of the text. It simply means that the prime way in which the subject of the Bhāgavatam is revealed are the words of the text heard in a prayerful and focused way so that they directly enter the heart and reveal the truth.
I was still struggling with what seemed like the somewhat “anti-intellectual” approach to the text, until I found the same concept of sambandha described in my weekly group study of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
At the beginning of Chapter 14, “Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Feelings of Separation from Krishna,” we are warned by the author, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, that what he will attempt to describe is beyond the capacity of even the most intelligent person to comprehend. He practically leaves the reader hopeless.
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s emotion of transcendental madness in separation from Krishna is very deep and mysterious. Even though one is very advanced and learned, he cannot understand it.” Cc Antya 14.5 [emphasis mine]
He then quickly reminds us that if we faithfully take these words into our hearts the subject of the text will be revealed:
“Please hear faithfully this description of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic emotions. Thus you will come to know of His ecstatic love, and ultimately you will achieve love of Godhead.” Cc Antya 14.11 [emphasis mine]
Śrī Jīva’s explanation of the word sambandha was enlightening. Although I still deeply study the text, I am more vigilant to the importance of attentively hearing it. I also more deeply understand why Śrīla Prabhupāda gave so much space to the Sanskrit verses. Now first thing in the morning, I relish hearing the Sanskrit of one chapter praying that its words enter my heart and reveal their import. It should be understood, however, that hearing the message in any language from a qualified devotee, such as the commentaries of Śrīla Prabhupāda, are also śabda, transcendental sound. They also carry the potency of the message they represent into the heart when faithfully heard with the same mystical effect.
I think this understanding of sambandha also gives an important message to those who are not particularly scholarly. We need not overly worry about understanding the text in that way. Yes, we must study. That is important, but more important is to just hear prayerfully and faithfully with the understanding that vācya-vācaka sambandha: “the words (vācaka) themself carry inherent power to reveal what they signify (vācya ).” Thus the truth of the Bhāgavata is revealed!
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