Rays of The Harmonist
- "Serving" Jīvas
- Unalloyed Theism
- To Refute Misconceptions is Guru-sevā
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝The terms jīva-sevā (service to other entities) and jīva-prema (eternal love for other entities) are fictions, contrary to conclusive truth, and are illogical. One will never attain the result of service to Śrī Bhagavān by serving the conditioned souls’ gross senses and becoming a regular purveyor of their bodily and mental demands. One can never attain a transcendental life of service by serving that which is inert or loving the illusory objects produced by māyā.❞ ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝Factually, our restricted perspective in relation to the phenomenal domain should not be imposed on the Personality of a thoroughly Independent Integer. The Personality of Godhead is to be humbly approached, not subjected to our sensuous inspection, as though He were an accused in the court. We should accept that all existences are, and ought to be, His own. This method of approach is known as unalloyed theism.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝To refute misconceptions is guru-sevā. If, at any point, one can understand that someone is giving misleading teachings, one should, in a civil manner, refute them and establish the faultless siddhānta. Doing so is the ideal of conviction in service to guru. If, despite knowing and hearing the truth, one conceals it, hypocrisy finds its outlet, and that entails a lapse of duty. This (refuting someone’s views) is never contrary to humility or amānī-mānada-dharma.❞ ...
Read MoreWho Is Praudhamaya?
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Just after Krsna took birth from Mother Yasoda's womb, she gave birth to His sister, Yogamaya. This is Praudhamaya, a manifestation of Krsna's antaranga-svarupa-sakti. The root or complete internal svarupa-sakti, transcendental energy, is Radharani. Srimati Radharani becomes samvit, sandini, and hladini in order to fulfill different functions and activities...
Prema Vivarta
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Jagadananda Pandita explained that we have forgotten Krsna since time immemorial. Therefore, chasing after us, Krsna came as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give what no other acarya or incarnation gave before - unnatojjvala-rasa. By the mercy of the dhama and Mahaprabhu, we can remember this and worship Gauranga with nistha. We came here to Navadvipa, from all parts of the world, for this...
Navadvipa, Puri, And Godavari
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In Navadvipa Sri Gauranga performed sakhya-bhava pastimes with his friends in his naravat, human-like lila. It is said that after taking sannyasa in Navadvipa, He left and performed higher pastimes in Puri. After that, on the bank of Godavari, He met Ramananda Raya and learned how to taste Krishna in a still more...
Nectar Flowing in Navadvipa
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What is the glory of Navadvipa? The original Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna appeared in this world and performed His astonishing pastimes in Vrndavana. Yet, all of His desires were not fulfilled at that time. Those desires that were not fulfilled by Him during His pastimes in Vrndavana were fulfilled when He appeared here in Navadvipa-dhama in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu...
The Superiority of Navadvipa Dhama
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What is the glory of Navadvipa? The original Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna appeared in this world and performed His astonishing pastimes in Vrndavana. Yet, all of His desires were not fulfilled at that time. Those desires that were not fulfilled by Him during His pastimes in Vrndavana were fulfilled when He appeared here in Navadvipa-dhama in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu...
An Introduction To Navadvipa-Dhama Parikrama
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Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in Navadvipa and performed His pastimes there. It is said that after these pastimes were completed, He took sannyasa and went to Puri. Later He went to South India, met Srila Ramananda Raya, and revealed to him His form as Sri Sri Radha and Krsna combined – Rasaraja-mahabhava. This form of Rasaraja-mahabhava is also described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, as the pastimes of Radha and Krsna...
The Deity is not Stone
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This place is very sacred and very old. Long ago, Sri Krsna-Balarama were worshiped here in a very small temple, and so it was known as the temple of Krsna and Balarama. Now that the temple is rebuilt, this place is called Sri Rupanuga Gaudiya Bhajana-sthali - a very good name...
A Surprise Navadvipa Parikrama
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I wanted that one year I would be here in Vrndavana for Gaura Purnima - to see how we can observe it here. I made up in my mind that, as it is performed during the Navadvipa parikrama, on the first day we will do sankalpa (vows and prayers for the success of the parikrama), on the second day we will visit those pastime places in Vraja that are hidden...
Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami Maharaja
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A doubt occasionally arises in my heart. I think, "Have I made a mistake in accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas? It certainly seems so. I appear to have made a mistake in taking up bhajana, in accepting the shelter of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas and, specifically, in taking refuge of the Gauḍīya Maṭha and dedicating all my senses to serving in the Maṭha...
Three Considerations - for Siva Ratri
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There are three considerations (vicaras) from which to understand the relationship between Lord Krsna and Lord Siva. One is called tattva-gata-vicara - the consideration of their relationship by established philosophical truth. Another is called aisvarya-gata-vicara - the consideration of their relationship in the Supreme Lord's pastimes of majesty, and the third is naravat-gata-vicara - the consideration of their relationship in the Supreme Lord's sweet, human-like pastimes....
The Post and the Person
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Both as the post and the person, Siva is superior to Brahma. Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, but sometimes a jiva may become Siva's expansion known as Rudra. If a man purely performs the duties of varnasrama for one hundred births, he may become Brahma. In other words, he may attain the position or post of Brahma. In turn, when a person in the post of Brahma carries out his function expertly for one hundred births, he becomes qualified to perform the function of Siva in his manifestation as Rudra...
The Glories Of Lord Siva And Siva-Ratri
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We should try to understand all the pastimes of Sankara and Rama. We should try to see what is the position of Lord Siva and what is the position of Rama. In this way we should do our bhakti. Those who take Lord Siva as an independent Lord are like Vrkasura. They want to have sense gratification with Krishna potency...
Siva-tattva
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Sri Narada has gone to Sankara, Lord Siva, and is glorifying him; “You are very near and dear to Lord Krsna. Not only that, you are Krsna’s manifestation; you are non-different from Him. You can give moksa, liberation, and also krsna-prema.” Hearing Narada glorify him in numerous ways, Sankara became somewhat angry and said, “Your glorification of me is all false. I am not very dear to Krsna – not at all – but I want to be. I want to be Krsna’s beloved, but actually I am not. I’ve done so many things against Him...
Lord Siva's Highest Benediction
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Once, the great sage Narada Muni traveled to the abode of Lord Siva and began to glorify him, saying, "You are very near and dear to the Supreme Lord Krsna. Not only that, you are Krsna's manifestation; you are non-different from Him. You can give liberation and also Krsna-prema, the rare jewel of transcendental love for Krsna."
An Airport Darsana
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Now I must go. Thank you all. Now, my children, my sons and daughters, you should return to your homes – and we will meet again after one or two months...
Who Are You?
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Although we are suffering, we think that we are doing well. We are like a person who has drunk great quantities of alcohol and has fallen in a drain that is full of stool and urine. At the same time that person thinks, "I am monarch of all." His face is being 'washed' by the 'hot water' coming from the urine of dogs, and yet he thinks, "I am happy." He is like a madman, and in a sense we are also like this.
