Rays of The Harmonist
- Have At Least One Bandhu
- Debarred from Truly Tasting the Bhāgavatam
- Aside from One or Two Stories, I Do Not Know Any Hari-kathā
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
One should offer [tell] the topics on one’s mind to the sādhus and śrī guru, whom one is to consider his bandhus, or well-wishing friends [guardian angels]. One should inquire from them only and one should hear only from them. We should have at least one such bandhu, parama-bāndhava (utmost well-wisher), to whom we can open our heart. ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Rather than listening to Bhāgavata discourses spoken by liberated paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇavas, those who make a fuss of listening to the Bhāgavatam from professional orators or others whose discourses are full of tendencies that are harmful to the culture of true well-being, do so for sensuous gratification through poetic, literary, grammatical and other such false appreciations. ...
Read Moreby Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Having taste for hari-kathā is a sign of immense good fortune. This is why you have such eagerness to hear hari-kathā from my mouth as well. However, aside from one or two stories, I do not know any hari-kathā. ...
Read MoreFeatured: Jagannatha Ratha-yatra
If Gurudeva is Pleased, Everyone is Pleased
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If one wants to advance in bhakti, he should try to understand these topics. Simply thinking, "Not this, not this, not this, will not suffice." If positive understanding and moods are there, then you will be successful. Along with absorption in the positive there must also be negation of the negative, otherwise, you cannot advance. At the same time, absorption in negation will not help you very much...
To Control Lord Krsna
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Mahat-sanga is the most favorable activity for advancement in devotion to the Lord. Controlling the mind and senses – along with mahat-sanga it is ok, otherwise not. If anyone has taken sannyasa but has no devotion or strong faith in the self-realized guru, the above-mentioned pious activities are all performed in vain. External activities alone cannot help you...
Who Is That Sri Radha?
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Now we will return to the point. Sri Krsna and Srimati Radhika never go out of Vrndavana, so why are They feeling separation? Who did Uddhava see with his own eyes in Nandagaon? She is Viyogini Sri Radha. Who met with Lord Krsna in Kuruksetra and was weeping and wanted to bring Him from Kuruksetra to Vraja? She is Samyogini Radhika...
What is Yoga?
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What is yoga? Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means "to add two things together." There must be two things. For example if you want to add two bricks together, then cement, water and other substances are needed.Similarly, yoga means...
For Proper Understanding of Srila Prabhupada's Books
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Some people have doubts. They think that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja has said that women and black people are very low. The fact is that he has not said it, and it is actually a wrong idea – a very wrong idea. You should know you are neither male nor female. The soul is transcendental – a servant of Lord Sri Krsna, but we have now accepted a female or male form...
The Inner Meaning Of The Ratha-Yatra Festival
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. By approaching a realized spiritual master, inquiring of him submissively, and serving him, everything is reconciled. By this process you will realize everything automatically. Your mental speculation will not suffice. You may be a learned person, but your learning will also not help you; it will betray you...
Hera Pancami
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The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Chariot Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, “Where has my husband gone? He told me, ‘I am going for a change of environment for some days, and I will return very soon.’ It has been five days now, and still He has not come back.” Unable to tolerate this, she becomes very angry and gives orders to all her associates as though they had to fight with the enemy: “Take up your weapons!...
By a Moment of Sadhu Sangha
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There are two kinds of mercy (krpa): Vaisnava-krpa and Krsna-krpa. There are two kinds of sraddha (faith): laukiki (material and weak) and paramarthika (transcendental and powerful). Paramarthika-sraddha is also of two kinds: vaidhi (regulative) and madurya (spontaneous, with a transcendental greed to enter Vrndavana as a gopi). Do you understand? The second kind is very, very difficult, and very rare...
Secrets Of Ratha-Yatra
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This Chariot Festival of Jagannatha-deva is very popular in India, and also outside of India, due especially to the preaching of Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. He knew that neophyte devotees can progress simply by kirtana, Ratha-yatra and other such devotional activities. He knew that by such activities they will realize who Lord Jagannatha really is, who Sri Vrajendra-nandana is, who Srimati Radhika, the power of Vrajendra-nandana, is, and who Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is...
Secrets Of Gundica Mandira Marjana
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What is the hidden deeper meaning of Gundica-marjana, the cleaning of the Gundica Temple? Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told some of the associates of the king, the king's guru Kasi Misra, the head pujari, and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, "I want to do Gundica-marjanam." In previous years, the King would tell some of his servants, "Go and clean the temple." But what could they do? They could sweep, but not with love and affection...
The Gopis' Accusations And Radha's Lament
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Here we are describing the deep moods of the Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannatha. Those moods are very, very deep. Yesterday I gave the external meanings for general persons, but for the high-class devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu like Svarupa Damodara, Ramananda Raya, Gadadhara Pandita, Rupa Gosvami, and so many others like them, there is a very deep meaning...
We Cannot Repay Our Gurudeva
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My mission is to help everyone, especially those devotees who have been neglected so much and who are on the verge of giving everything up. Some have been given harinama and diksha, but they have given up and gone to other sampradayas like the Nimbarka Sampradaya in India. I know them all. Some have gone to astrologers in their search for fulfilment. Some have gone to the Ramanuja Sampradaya. And some have gone to Radha-kunda and have become sahajiya Babajis. Svamiji never wanted this to happen. I requested him to bring them back again with more love and affection. They cannot be controlled otherwise. We cannot control even an ant, what to speak of controlling devotees...
How To Pull The Rope
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Having begun two days ago, the Chariot Festival is now taking place in Jagannatha Puri, and millions upon millions of people from all over the world are gathered there. Two days from now is Hera Pancami, after that the return festival will take place, and so many kirtanas and other events will be taking place daily...
I Have Come To Give Many Thanks
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In Dvaraka, Krsna became unconscious by thinking, "Radhika, Radhika!" It had now become a very big problem, and therefore Narada, Uddhava, and others who were there with Krsna began discussing how to bring Him back to consciousness...
How To Balance The Day
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Perhaps we are in this category. When worldly affairs come into their mind, like their job or anything else of that nature, they are very careful and cautious. Their minds are always in computers and here and there. They cannot give their energy to the guru-mantra, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, or any mantra. Some pure devotees may come to visit, and they are then somewhat inspired, but after those pure devotees leave, the inspiration also leaves. Their number is also greater than that of real devotees...
The Meaning of Radhe
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Radhe – what is the meaning of Radhe? "Aradyate iti." Sri Krsna Himself worships Srimati Radhika, and Radhika worships Him. When She came from Krsna's left side in the rasa-lila She at once ran to Him to worship Him – and He ran towards Her. "Radhe Jaya Jaya – Radhe, all glories to You, all glories to You...
