Rays of The Harmonist
- Serving Śrī Guru with Heartfelt Affection (Part 2)
- The Incomparable Affection and Compassion of Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas
- My Friend Renders More Intimate Service Than I Can
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
“Don’t think, “A better result will come from my sādhana-bhajana than by engaging in that guru-sevā.” One may think, “What special fruit will I get merely by sitting near gurujī and serving him?” Do not think like this. Consider what he wants and depend on him.” ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja
There is nothing equal to the Vaiṣṇavas’ transcendental affection and compassion. If a soul who wishes to perform bhajana can appreciate this compassion, then he will surely reap auspiciousness. It is indicative of great fortune to be able to comprehend the essence and substance of the chastisement and compassion of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas. ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
I will be all more pleased if I find that another person competes in my line to serve my All-love in a better way perhaps than I can. ...
Read MoreFeatured: Damodarastakam
For thousands of years, devotees have sung Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam, especially in the revered month of Kārtika. These eight verses mark the profound blossoming of Śrī Satyavrata Muni's love for Śrī Dāmodara, as he prays, "Please appear before me in Your beautiful, eternal form as a young cowherd-boy, and grant me the perfection of life." The true meaning of this prayer remained mostly hidden until the late 1500s, when Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī wrote his elucidating commentary. Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja's lively and poignant supplementary commentary serves to make these essential meanings even more accessible.
The Appearance Day of Srila Bhakti-Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja
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I met Prapujyacarana Srila Sridhara Maharaja in 1946, at which time he did not have any disciples. He was with my Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, from 1942. He left the Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Matha and came with Guru Maharaja when Guru Maharaja established the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti in 1942...
Appearance Day of Sri Radha-kunda
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Among all the gopis, Srimati Radhaji is most dear to Sri Krsna, being His principal prana vallabha. Similarly, Radhaji's dear kunda is also very dear to Him.
O Sri Radha-kunda! O Sri Krsna Kunda! You destroy all sins and award one-pointed prema. I bow down to you again and again...
Appearance Day of Radha-kunda
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...the different varieties of colorful birds, deer, the cool and fragrant breezes from the Malaya Mountains, the peacocks, bumblebees, the pastimes with the flute...
...the flute itself, the buffalo horn bugle, the footprints of the cows in the dust, the banks of blackish clouds, springtime, the moon, the conchshell and karatalas...
A Phoned Glorification of Kartik Month
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In Vrndavana, India, October 28, 2002, at 6am, upon the first glimpses of sunrise, five hundred devotees from India and around the world were sitting in the beautiful Sri Rupa Sanatana Gaudiya Matha in Vrndavana, India. Surrounded by Rajasthani pillars, colorful bas-relief and other paintings of Krsna's pastimes on the walls, walls painted in shades of yellow, saffron, and beige, sastric verses appropriate for...
Sri Krsna's Boat and Other Pastimes
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Here the gopis were quarrelling with Krsna, who said, "O gopis you should all come on My boat. I will take you across this Manasi Ganga River. Don't worry, I will take you across." All the gopis climbed on the boat and Krsna took them to the middle of the river, where there were many waves, and there He began to rock the boat and say, "You should at once give up your vessels of butter...
The Appearance Place Of Srimati Radharani
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By the mercy of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas, we have come to the appearance place of Sri Krsnas svarupa-sakti, Mahabhava Svarupini Srimati Radhika. Due to differences in different kalpas (millenniums), the pastimes of Srimati Radhikas appearance manifest in different ways...
Pastimes In This Month Of Kartika
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It was during this month, while feeling separation from Krsna, that the gopis lamented, "We are not fortunate like the deer in this forest. People say they are foolish, but they are not so. We are foolish, because we don't know how to love Krsna like these deer...
The Disappearance Day of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura
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Today is the disappearance day of Srila Narottama Thakura dasa, so it is a very sacred day. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura took birth in West Bengal as the son of a very great king, and he was a beautiful prince. The king was one of two brothers, but there was only one son in the family. Still, from the beginning of his life he was very pure and devoted, and he remained a life-long brahmacari, never marrying...
Think About Yourself
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omebody may be chanting one lakh of harinama, but when the Guru instructs or chastises him, pointing his finger and telling him what he is doing wrong, his eyes open up in surprise. Gurudeva tells him, “Oh, you have so many desires and so much anger in your heart. You should follow the first verse of Upadesamrta – vaco vegam manasa krodha vegam. You should control your mind and your senses, your tongue, belly and genitals...
The Pond Of The Anger Of Love
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You should take acamana from this pond, thinking it to be the very svarupa (form) of Srimati Radhika – and pray for Her mercy...
We Are One Soul
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All of you come with me to Vamsi-vata, where Sri Krsna disguised as a heavenly damsel is discussing the nature of pure love (prema) with Srimati Radhika. Please hear this conversation with great concentration...
The Glory of Pure Love
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The book Prema-samput is very exalted; the moods expressed in it cannot be understood by ordinary persons. I will therefore complete it quickly, and then I will begin discussing the book Madhurya-kadambini, which explains the process of gradual development in devotional service...
Why Obeisances? Sri Damodarastakam Verse 1
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In this Damodarastakam, Sri Satyavrata Muni is offering obeisances to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead - Nanda-nandana, Yasoda-nandana. Yasoda-nandana plays in the forests of Vrndavana, Nandagrama and Varsana. Here, Satyavrata Muni especially refers to His Gokula-Mahavana pastimes, which are so beautiful...
The Disappearance Day of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja
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We do not understand the value of guru, and especially of siksa-guru. If diksa and siksa-guru are the same person, that is a wonderful position. The importance of siksa-guru should be realized. He teaches his disciple in visrambha-bhava, intimacy. He does not have the awe and reverence relationship with his siksa disciple. I was very open and frank with my Gurudeva. I asked him many questions from texts such as Sri Ujjvala-nilamani...
Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
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Although my Gurudeva has unlimited transcendental qualities, his wonderful speciality, his best quality, was his unprecedented guru-nistha, his faith and loyalty to his Guru. Such faith and loyalty is the backbone of bhakti. Unless one has faith in one's own spiritual master, one cannot come even close to having bhakti. We could see the guru-nistha of our Gurudeva, especially at the samadhi place of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, in Mayapura-dhama...
The Disappearance Day of Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja
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Despite his being very rasika, if someone would say anything against his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, my Gurudeva would become like a thunderbolt. Once someone (from the group of sahajiya babajis) *[See endnote 2] wrote an article and made some propaganda, saying, "Oh, members of the Gaudiya Matha don't know anything. They only suck on the dry skin of the mango, while we babajis are drinking the rasa of Krsna's pastimes...
