Bhakti Shastri
By Gauranga Darshan Das
The Bhakti Shastri course has four subjects taught in 6 modules as shown below along with the weightage of assessments for each book.
Books covered:
- Bhagavad-Gita
- Nectar of Instruction (Sri Upadesamrita)
- Sri Ishopanisad
- Nectar of Devotion (Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu)
Six Modules:
- Bhagavad Gita – Chapters 1-6 (BG1)
- Bhagavad Gita – Chapters 7-12 (BG2)
- Bhagavad Gita – Chapters 13-18 (BG3)
- Nectar of Instruction (NOI)
- Sri Isopanishad (ISO)
- Nectar of Devotion (NOD)
The students can do an assessment of a module only after completing the assessment of the previous module. However, they can continue to attend the classes.
Duration: One year
- This includes course work & assessments
- It can be extended up to 6 more months if some candidates need more time to complete assessments.
It is a self-paced course. The participants can watch the classes & attempt the exam at their convenience.
Eligibility to enroll:
- A sincere desire to study and understand scriptures
- Basic Shastric knowledge and understanding
- The practice of Krishna consciousness for at least one year
- Chanting of 16 rounds & following 4 regulative principles
- A recommendation letter from an ISKCON Authority/ temple president who knows the candidate well.
Teacher: Gauranga Darshan Das (Author | Dean, BVRC)
Important Instructions:
- Participants can complete the closed-book exam & sloka exam with the help of the invigilator from the local temple.
- (NOTE - The invigilator should be any senior devotee who is connected to the temple, has a Bhakti Shastri degree & knows the participant.)
- The participants can send the email to [email protected] 3-4 days prior to the exam date, keeping your invigilator's email address in cc (copy) and mention the day, date, time & module of the exam. The questions will be sent to the invigilator's email address 30 minutes before the exam.
- After writing the answers, the closed-book exam answersheets should be sent in a single PDF file from your supervisor to the same email address [email protected]. The same process you can follow for the Sloka exam.
- (NOTE - Participants can take photos & then scan them using adobe scanner, etc. app & make a PDF file. Kindly share the single file with the registered name & email ID on the first page & the page numbers on each page.)
- For open-book exams & MCQ quiz tests you don't require the presence of the invigilator. You can complete these exams at your convenience.
- The open-book exam answersheets should be submitted in a single PDF file directly to the same email address.
Weightage of Assessments for certification:
- Bhagavad Gita Chapters 1-6 - 20%
- Bhagavad Gita Chapters 7-12 - 20%
- Bhagavad Gita Chapters 13-18 - 20%
- Nectar of Instruction (NOI) - 10%
- Sri Isopanishad (ISO) - 10%
- Nectar of Devotion (NOI) - 20%
- In order to get the Bhakti Shastri degree from the ISKCON Board of Examinations, the candidate has to secure 65% in each of the six modules within one and half years from the time of registration.
Course Curriculum
- Bhagavad Gita Sloka Recitation
- Sloka Recitation Ch-1
- Session 1 - Introduction to 1.19
- Session 2 - 1.20 to 1.46
- Ch-1 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 1
- Sloka Recitation Ch-2
- Session 3 - 2.1 to 2.12
- Session 4 - 2.13 to 2.30
- Session 5 - 2.31 to 2.46
- Session 6 - 2.47 to 2.63
- Ch-2 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 2
- Sloka Recitation Ch-3
- Session 7 - 2.64 to 3.3
- Session 8 - 3.4 to 3.16
- Session 9 - 3.17 to 3.32
- Session 10 - 3.33 to 3.43
- Ch-3 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 3
- Sloka Recitation Ch-4
- Session 11 - 4.1 to 4.15
- Session 12 - 4.16 to 4.34
- Ch-4 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 4
- Sloka Recitation Ch-5
- Session 13 - 4.35 to 5.9
- Session 14 - 5.10 to 5.29
- Ch-5 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 5
- Sloka Recitation Ch-6
- Session 15 - 6.1 to 6.9
- Session 16 - 6.10 to 6.26
- Session 17 - 6.27 to 6.47
- Ch-6 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 6
- Session 18 - Ch 1-6 Overview
- Sloka Recitation Ch-7
- Session 1 - 7.1 to 7.14
- Session 2 - 7.15 to 30
- Ch-7 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 7
- Sloka Recitation Ch-8
- Session 3 - 8.1 to 8.13
- Session 4 - 8.14 to 8.28
- Ch-8 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 8
- Sloka Recitation Ch-9
- Session 5 - 9.1 to 9.13
- Session 6 - 9.14 to 9.22
- Session 7 - 9.23 to 9.31
- Session 8 - 9.32 to 10.9
- Ch-9 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 9
- Sloka Recitation Ch-10
- Session 9 - 10.10 to 10.23
- Session 10 - 10.24 to 10.42
- Ch-10 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 10
- Sloka Recitation Ch-11
- Session 11 - 11.1 to 11.31
- Session 12 - 11.32 to 11.48
- Session 13 - 11.49 to 12.7
- Ch-11 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 11
- Sloka Recitation Ch-12
- Session 14 - 12.8 to 12.20
- Ch-12 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 12
- Session 15 - Ch 7-12 Overview
- Sloka Recitation Ch-13
- Session 1 - 13.1 to 13.13
- Session 2 - 13.14 to 13.26
- Session 3 - 13.27 to 14.4
- Ch-13 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 13
- Sloka Recitation Ch-14
- Session 4 - 14.5 to 14.21
- Session 5 - 14.22 to 15.4
- Ch-14 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 14
- Sloka Recitation Ch-15
- Session 6 - 15.5 to 15.20
- Ch-15 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 15
- Sloka Recitation Ch-16
- Session 7 - 16.1 to 16.12
- Session 8 - 16.13 to 16.24
- Ch-16 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 16
- Sloka Recitation Ch-17
- Session 9 - 17.1 to 17.15
- Session 10 - 17.16 to 18.9
- Ch-17 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 17
- Sloka Recitation Ch-18
- Session 11 - 18.10 to 18.40
- Session 12 - 18.41 to 18.55
- Session 13 - 18.54 to 18.66
- Session 14 - 18.67 to 18.78 & Ch 13-18 Overview
- Ch-18 MCQ Quiz
- CHAPTER 18
- NOD Handbook
- Session 1 - NOD Wave-1 Introduction to Verse 1
- Session 2 - NOD Wave-1 Verse 11 to 16
- Session 3 - NOD Wave-1 Verse 17 to 46
- Session 4 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 1 to 21
- Session 5 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 22 to 59
- Session 6 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 60 to 77
- Session 7 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 78 to 152
- NOD MCQ Quiz 1
- Session 8 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 153 to 174
- Session 9 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 175 to 227
- Session 10 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 228 to 263
- Session 11 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 264 to 295
- Session 12 - NOD Wave-2 Verse 296 to 309; Wave-3 Verse 1 to 24
- Session 13 - NOD Wave-3 Verse 25 to 37
- Session 14 - NOD Wave-3 Verse 38 to 61; Wave-4 Verse 1 to 21
- NOD MCQ Quiz 2
- Session 15 - NOD Wave 1 to 4 Overview