English

This booklet contains seventeen previously unpublished letters written by Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada to Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja during Prabhupada's first years in America.

The groundbreaking spiritual novel by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Jaiva-dharma reveals the ultimate development of the path of pure devotion to the English-speaking world.

This present edition of Srimad Bhagavad-gita contains the essential meanings given in the commentaries of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It is further illuminated by the exegesis of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. This translation is complimentary to the authoritative and popular Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada.

Arcana-dipika means “the lamp that illuminates arcana”. The term arcana signifies honour, or worship. As one of the nine processes of devotional service it refers to worshipping the deity form of the Lord. Arcana-dipika teaches us how to perform this service and thus please the Lord through this process of worship. It contains the exact details of worship, waking, bathing and feeding the Lord, and putting Him to rest at night. It also includes exact details of the rules and regulations for brahminical cleanliness – all to help us develop pure bhakti.

An excerpt from a lecture entitled "The Jewel Book":

"Sri Gita-govinda is a "jewel book" brought by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We all know that Sri Jayadeva Gosvami has written this beautiful Gita-govinda, but without Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu it would have remained locked like a pearl in the oyster shell or a jewel in a locked case. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested the glories of Sri Gita-govinda. Just as without Srila Rupa Gosvami no one would have known the inner moods of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, similarly, by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu relishing the moods of Sri Gita-govinda its glories became manifest for the whole world. I have explained this very high-class philosophy, but only rare devotees in this world can understand it. I have called you here only to give you this."

This incomparable narrative poem has been painted with the soft brush of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's supremely sweet and natural prema-bhakti and the colour of the all enchanting nectar of rasa. This literary composition consists of four astonishing and delightfully charming stories of the mischievous meetings of the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. It is presented for rasika and bhavuka readers, as well as sadhakas who desire to taste vraja-rasa.

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu (a drop from the nectarean ocean of devotion), composed by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, is a brief summary of the essential topics presented in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by Srila Rupa Gosvami. It describes the nature of uttama-bhakti, sadhana-bhakti, the stages in the development of prema, the limbs of bhajana, offences committed in the performance of devotional service, offences against the holy name, vaidhi- and raganuga-sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti. Faithful persons who study this book will obtain the qualification to enter into the wealth of the prema of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

We trust various persons of authority to inform us about material subject matters, but whom shall we trust in regard to transcendental subject matters and the transcendental world? We cannot experience transcendence with any of our material senses. How then, can we have an idea of that pure reality? We can see the body, but not the soul. How can we verify that there is a soul beyond matter? Though God is everywhere, we don't see Him. How then, can we determine who is God? Although it is evident that we cannot control the world, how can we trust that there is a God from whom this creation has come, and how can we be confident that it is He who controls it? Millions of people are born daily, and millions also die. Who controls this overwhelming tide of birth and death? Sea waves come on schedule, the sun appears on schedule, and new days come with continuous regularity. We do not control those rhythms, yet somehow, everything is maintained.

This book especially investigates the philosophy of Sri Sankaracarya, whose philosophical misinterpretations of the Vedas were so influential that not only did he succeed in driving Buddhism out of India, but what most of us now think of as Hinduism is fundamentally nothing but his brand of impersonal Mayavadism. To quote the author, "...it can be safely concluded that in truth, any philosophy which has the propensity to dilute, divide, and confuse the rational, logical or factual understanding of the Supreme Lord's personal form, has at some juncture been influenced by the deceptive forces of Mayavadism." Furthermore, Beyond Nirvana demonstrates that Sankaracarya's teachings are in the final analysis ironically nothing but a recycled form of Buddhism and in no way true to the original Vedic wisdom known as sanatana-dharma.

"Sri Damodarastakam is eternal; therefore we should study it, sing it out loud, and discuss it, not just during the month of Kartika, but every day throughout Caturmasya. It is so important that it is worth reading every month and indeeed every day of the year. If this Sri Damodarastakam is glorified in a sublimely pure way, Sri Damodara will become pleased. It is with this intention that with great effort we have compiled this book."

-- Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja

An unprecedented collection of devotional songs Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi devotional poems, prayers, songs and bhajanas written by the Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas and compiled for the practicing devotee.

In the final chapter of Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, after the story of Gopa-kumara has been completed (see Going Beyond Vaikuntha), Sanatana Gosvami has quoted verses from the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam which Pariksit Maharaja spoke to his mother Uttara. They are verses of very beautiful poetry which stimulate the sentiment of bhakti. Stringing these verses together, Sanatana Gosvami has composed a necklace for the benefit of the sadhakas of this world, and when sadhakas keep these verses in their hearts, it is as if they are wearing this necklace around their necks. And if while chanting harinama they sometimes call out these verses, it will increase the bliss in their chanting. This compilation of verses is known as bhakti-rasayana, or the nectar-tonic of bhakti-rasa. (Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja)

This is a summary work examining the verse "Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer your obeisances to Me, and certainly you will come to Me.", the essence of the Bhagavad-gita. This brief publication offers vivid illustrations of the practical application of this verse with many pastimes of Krishna and our great saintly predecessors.

In the Second Canto of Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Srila Sanatana Gosvami examines all the manifestations and incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, culminating in Sri Nandanandana, the beloved son of Sri Nanda Maharaja. He does so by narrating the story of Gopa-kumara and his fascinating journey throughout the material and spiritual universes as he searches for the Lord of his heart. “Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta alone is the main foundation of all the scriptures written by Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and so on. All the other books of our Gosvamis manifested from this one book alone.” [Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja]

Sri Bhajana-rahasya is compiled by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya. He has collected into the form of a book several confidential hints from his own method of bhajana to guide sincere sadhakas who are performing bhajana under his direction. Some years ago, this destitute person (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) observed him performing bhajana. He was constantly reciting and relishing verses such as the ones in this book, thus becoming overwhelmed with bhagavat-prema. For sadhakas whose faith is on the neophyte platform, the system of arcana is provided.