Yoga and Bhakti

Perspectives from Bhaktivinoda’s Prema Pradīp

Abstract

This article analyzes Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Prema Pradīpa, a didactic novel exploring the relationship between Yoga and Bhakti within Chaitanya Vaishnavism. The novel, set in late 19th-century Bengal, depicts the conversion of Brahmoism followers to Chaitanya Vaishnavism through philosophical dialogues. It highlights Bhaktivinoda's unique perspective, where he both questions Chaitanya Vaishnavism through the lens of Yoga and vice-versa. The article argues that Bhaktivinoda asserts the methodological superiority of Viṣṇu-bhakti over Patañjalian-type yoga while simultaneously affirming their shared theistic commitment and ultimate soteriological goal—the realization of Bhagavān as the Supreme Being. By drawing connections between Patañjali's minimalist concept of Īśvara and the robust Vaishnava understanding of a personal God, the article illuminates Bhaktivinoda's synthesis of these seemingly distinct spiritual paths, rooted in the broader Upaniṣadic and Purāṇic traditions.