Course Description:

Discover Srimad Bhagavatam at your own pace with our easy-to-follow self-study course, covering cantos one to six. Module 1 focuses on Canto 1, 2 & 3, and Module 2 explores Canto 4, 5 & 6. Successfully completing both modules earns you a special Bhakti Vaibhav degree from ISKCON Board of Exams.

Eligibility: Those who have done Bhakti Sastri can only pursue this course. You need to submit your Bhakti Sastri certificate issued from ISKCON Board of Examination.

Course materials:

Students’ Handbook

Course Duration (No. of hours):

Canto 1 - 59 sessions (118 Hours)
Canto 2 - 31 sessions (62 Hours)

Canto 3 - 74 sessions (148 Hours)

Total hours for cantos 1, 2 and 3 (328 Hours)

Target Audience: 

All devotees who have a Bhakti-shastri certification and are enthusiastic to continue their scriptural studies with Srimad-Bhagvatam. Srila Prabhupada desired that all ISKCON devotees must take the Bhakti-Vaibhava certification.

Assessment Plan:

• Closed Book Exams: 3 Exams Canto-wise (Live exams conducted twice a year (June and December) with passing percentage of 65% for each unit)

• Open Book Exams: 14 OBA's, testing understanding, application, and values with a passing mark of 65%.

• Presentations: 2 Presentations (Cantos 1-3) with a passing mark of 65%.

• Shloka Recitation: Demonstrate proficiency in 85 verses through 3 tests, with a passing mark of 65%.

Exam Registration:

• Fill the examination form for the specific unit.
• Our team will verify prerequisites and issue exam roll numbers to qualified students.

Course Requirement (Any Pre-Qualification)

• You must be 16 years or above in age.

• As per the guidelines of ISKCON Board of Examination to pursue Bhakti Vaibhav course, the students must chant a minimum 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra daily & follow the four regulative principles.

• You must have done Bhakti Shastri from any of the authorised centres of ISKCON and have a Bhakti Shastri certificate from ISKCON Board of Examinations.

• For better understanding we humbly request you to read all the 3 cantos before you begin the deep study of these books with us and be fully benefited from the course.

• As the course would be in English so proficiency in English language is mandatory.

• You need to submit a recommendation letter by an ISKCON authority (your Spiritual Master/GBC member/Temple President/Co-President) who knows you well, certifying your character, sadhana, Brahminical tendencies and being favourably engaged in the preaching mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for at least the previous 12 months. Please download the Recommendation letter format from the link below:-
  
  

Recommendation Letter
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDsKKHgqNMZzzwC6yZpl21eePpbZ_LP688cCuCnocdcAmDdg/viewform
You need to submit the recommendation letter along with your Bhakti Shastri certificate in this google form with other details:- 

Google Form

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDsKKHgqNMZzzwC6yZpl21eePpbZ_LP688cCuCnocdcAmDdg/viewform

Please note that your admission will not be confirmed unless we have received this recommendation letter & your Bhakti Shastri certificate.

The regulations to be followed during the closed books exams. All students should agree for the following requirements regarding the online exam before taking admission to this course:-

• All closed book exams will be conducted online (in cloud meetings).

• Answers should be handwritten, no electronic devices are allowed for typing.

• Students should be having two devices live on cloud meetings. One will cover the student writing the exam as well as the screen of the front device. The second/front device will be used by the student to see the question paper provided in the cloud meeting screen.

• Immediately after the exam, the student has to scan the answer sheet in front of the front device camera & upload it in the assessment section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Steps to access the notes:

• Go to www.ibmedu.org
• Log in with your ID and password
• Select your course
• Click on "Bhakti Vaibhav correspondence" on the left
• Look for "Bhakti Vaibhav Handbook" and click on it
• Read online or download the notes

Steps to access videos:

• Click on the subject "Canto 1 BV Correspondence Eng."
• Scroll down to see the available content. Click on "Video 1."
• Now, you have access to the video.
• Watch the entire 1st video. Only when you complete watching the current video, proceed to the next one.
• It's important to watch each video completely as the system will automatically generate attendance to track your progress.

Steps to appear for exams:

• Exams are conducted twice a year, in June and December
• You can choose to take the exam in either month based or in both sessions on your convenience
• Before the exam, you need to submit the exam form provided by IBMV. The fee for each unit is 100 Rs
• After filling out the exam form, IBMV will provide you an admit card. This card will include your exam dates and other relevant information
• The exam will be conducted live on Zoom
• During the exam, you need to have two devices. One device will be used to display the questions on the screen, while the other device will be used for invigilation
• The exam will be in a written format
• After completing the exam, you are required to scan your answer sheet and upload it to your student portal