Srila Prabhupada envisioned four levels of study of his books—Bhakti-sastri, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedanta and Bhakti-sarvabhauma. The VIHE is endeavoring to establish these degrees and thus provide an opportunity for higher studies in Krsna conscious philosophy to interested devotees. The first ever Bhakti-vaibhava Course was started in 2002. Bhakti-vaibhava Course covers the study of the first six cantos of Srimad-bhagavatam.
Special features of the course:The VIHE Bhakti-vaibhava course Canto 1 and 2 is an online course with 1 class (of up to 2 hours) Friday, Saturday (8pm-10pm IST) and on Sunday morning (11am-1pm IST). There will be 2 to 3 additional weekly classes of 2 hours each for memorization of verses, group work, and presentations by students. There are also japa sessions, value classes, dhama darsana, and festivals.
Dates:
Canto 1 and 2 (online): Starting from February 2025
Friday & Saturday : 8pm - 10pm IST
Sunday : 11am - 1pm IST
Bhakti-sastri degree, good sadhana, brahminical tendencies, good knowledge of Srimad-bhagavatam, proficiency in English and good service attitude. You must also have 2 recommendations: one from your diksa guru and one from a senior devotee in a good standing who knows you well. One can study Bhakti-vaibhava without being initiated but to get a Bhakti-vaibhava degree one must have the first initiation.
Only devotees who have already studied Bhakti-sastri in the past are eligible to join Canto 1 and 2.
To apply for the course, please fill the pre-registration form initially pre-registration form
About Contributions:
The contribution for Bhakti-vaibhava Canto 1 and 2 is INR 15,000. Please note that the contribution covers the study materials and administrative expenses connected with conducting the course. You can send the contribution by bank transfer or UPI (Indian Nationals) or pay by international debit or credit card at online payment link.
Please note that this payment is to be made once your admission is confirmed. If the payment is done prior to admission confirmation, it is done at your own risk and the VIHE is not liable to give a refund in case you are not admitted to the course.
Verse by verse study of Srimad-bhagavatam
Teachers:
HH Bhakti Caitanya Svami
HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Svami Maharaj
HG Sarvabhauma Dasa
HG Advaita Krsna Dasa
HG Vamsi Vadana Dasa
HG Ramabhadra Priya Dasa
1) Closed book exams, 2) Open book essays, 3) Oral Presentations 4) Oral sloka recitation, 5) Attendance in classes and extracurricular activities, 6) Class participation, 7) Sadhana, 8) Behavior.
Testimonies:
Avinash Mathur, India: “After I had done Bhakti-sastri, I wanted to continue studying more and more. The benefit of studying is that you can speak with those who have no knowledge and conviction and you can cite stories, slokas and you yourself get more knowledge and conviction. The VIHE has the most intensive methods of teaching. All of the teachers are experienced, insightful and elevated.”
Pavitra Dasa, Ghana: “Bhagavatam is like a sunshine, it dissipates all our ignorance; it is the nourishment for the soul; it is the nectar of immortality; it destroys all of your doubts; it is a literal incarnation of Krsna. The advantage of studying in Vrndavana is that you can visit the Holy places, spend time with the cows, the teachers are very friendly, caring and experienced and the students are all eager to ask questions. There is no better place in the world where I can study Bhagavatam to my full satisfaction. We do homework together, we do groupwork together. And after we do the course, we are able to share this knowledge with others.”
Kasturika Devi Dasi, India: “Because the teachers are so experienced, they really know how to make the sastras applicable to our own selves and to others. Teachers make sure that we are learning the course. I really appreciate that. Each teacher has their own style and it is amazing because you can see the same point from different angles of vision. After studying Bhagavatam, I became more conscious, I learnt acceptance, I saw that there was a purification because of the association of Bhagavatam and the devotees. There is a lot of mercy. The course helps us to become authentic, to really understand Srila Prabhupada's mood and mission. We have so many assignments and we get feedback from the teachers and students, so we learn a lot.”
Sitarani Devi Dasi, India: “I was so enlivened by doing Bhakti-sastri that I wanted to keep studying. The teachers are very experienced, very realized and very sastric so you can really go deep and churn the topic. What you get from systematic study here, you cannot get that by studying on your own. Bhakti-sastri completely changed the direction of my life. I became more committed and I decided that I want to give spiritual life a priority and when I studied Bhakti-vaibhava, I became even more determined. Bhakti-vaibhava is an amazing course because you can dive deep in Bhagavatam and you can develop taste for Bhagavatam.”
Lalita Pritimayi Devi Dasi, India: “It is the most fortunate thing that has happened in my life. It transformed me completely. You are not the person like you were before. You start to accept yourself, to see your level and make a gradual progress. Bullet points are given in the Bhagavad-gita and examples are given in Srimad-bhagavatam. So if you want to really relish Bhakti-sastri books, you must study Srimad-bhagavatam and then you will taste the real nectar. I would definitely recommend the course because I feel that my Krsna Consciousness started only after studying Bhakti-sastri and Bhakti-vaibhava.”
Gaura Krsna Dasa, UK: "From the course I got more understanding of what it means to be a devotee of Krsna and about the importance of chanting the Holy Name of Krsna."
Parikrama Marg,
Raman Reti, Vrindavan,
Mathura Dist., 281121,
U.P., India
Phone: +91 89799 43134 (12-6pm IST), +91 88690 53796
Email: courses@vihe.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vihe.vrindavan/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VrindavanInstituteforHigherEducationVIHE
