Sripad BV Tirtha Maharaja
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Sripad Bhaktivedanta Tirtha Maharaja, one of Srila Gurudeva's prominet servants, left this world in 2020, in Vaisanva month of Sridhara, Krsna Dvadasi tithi. His samadhi is at Kesavaji Gaudiya Math, Navadvipa, next to Srila Gurudeva's samadhi mandira...
A Response To The Ritvik System
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Without accepting diksa from a bona fide guru, can one develop bhakti or not? Some think that chanting, remembering, reading books, and performing arcana, sravanam and kirtanam is sufficient and there is no need for a mediator. They think that accepting a 'ritvik' person is sufficient for attaining pure bhakti, and there is no need of accepting diksa from any living self-realized guru...
Darshan On Guru Tattva
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If one's guru is not qualified, then, taking his permission, the disciple should at once take initiation from a higher rank of guru. This is not an offense. If that guru is not giving permission, he should at once be given up and the disciple should take proper initiation. This is because that guru is not a Vaisnava...
Guru-sevā Is Essential
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If we accept only guru and not guru-paramparā there will be problems [in our spiritual life] and divya-jñāna will not manifest. Therefore we also worship guru-paramparā on the day of Vyāsa-pūjā. Nityānanda Prabhu was waiting for Mahāprabhu...
You May Speak Further
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Sri Ramananda Raya then suggested sva-dharma-tyaga, giving up one’s occupational duty. Ultimately, even if one wants to offer the fruits of ones worldly activities to Krsna, since Krsna actually owns everything, what can one actually offer to Him? Everything belongs to Krsna, and therefore one should simply renounce and leave one’s material designation in varnasrama. One should be very careful to avoid anything that is against bhakti...
The Holy Name and Anti-Pollution
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If you are abusing anyone, criticizing anyone, or quarreling with anyone, these sounds will evaporate in the air and it go throughout the whole universe. If you are speaking any nonsense it will not 'go in vain.' It will go throughout the whole world by air. An example may be given of a big pond....
Is Gurudeva His Institution?
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Once, someone said to Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, "Those who have left the Gaudiya Mission have left Srila Prabhupada's teachings." Gurudeva replied, "We have never left Srila Prabhupada, we will never leave, and in the future we will continue to serve. Let us see what happens in the future....
Natural Love
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This behavior of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be imitated. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would do parikrama, He would have a direct vision of the pastimes of Srimati Radhika and Sri Krsna. So we cannot imitate Him. This stage will come naturally if we follow the process of bhakti. Do not try to jump over the stages in the progressive development of bhakti – sraddha, bhajana kriya, anartha nivritti, nista, ruci, asakti and bhava. In this way some realization will begin to come...
The Benefits of Feeling Utterly Insignificant
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Great souls have one-pointed faith, determination, enthusiasm and complete conviction in the service of Lord Krsna; and they want to distribute this to others. But who can receive such mercy? Only those who feel themselves to be utterly insignificant. Those who receive the mercy of Vaisnavas can become successful in their life and realize the service of the Lord. Without the mercy of Vaisnavas this is not possible...
Praying To The Pastime Personalities
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We should pray to madhurya-bhakti, which lives in the gopis, and among the gopis, Srimati Radhika is the embodiment of hladini-sakti (Sri Krsna's pleasure potency). When hladini-sakti and samvit-sakti mix together, that essence is called lila-sakti, or Yogamaya. If we pray to this Yogamaya, Paurnamasi, who is a manifestation of Srimati Radhika, she will arrange that a chain of pastimes will automatically manifest in our hearts...
The Repository of Jewels
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Here, the rain of svati-naksatra is Sri Ramananda Raya’s explanation of all bhakti-siddhanta. When the clouds of Ramananda Raya sprinkled the rain of explanation on the ocean of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His heart became the repository of jewels. Those jewels were the "anubhava yukta siddhanta"...
The Glories of Gopal Bhatta Gosvami
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First let us glorify Gopal Bhatta Gosvami. During Caturmasya-vrata Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to South India, to the Ranganathji temple. He began to dance and perform kirtana there, and all were attracted. The members of a very holy family met Him there, and they requested Him, "Please stay at our residence for these four months of Caturmasya, and after that You can go anywhere else...
Prahlada Maharaja
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Any bogus guru who is himself falling down, fallen, how he can give me this knowledge? The sons of Sukracarya, Sanda and Amarka, they are bogus gurus. They are not qualified and bona fide guru. They are all engaged in sense gratification. These bogus gurus have no idea of real happiness and any good conception for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So these gurus should be given up at once, in a moment. They are like blind persons...
Our Relationship with Krsna
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What is the relationship between Radhika and Yamuna? Yamuna means Visakha. And what is the relationship between Radhika and Visakha? They are sakhis. Then what will be our relation with Yamuna? Will she be Mother or Sakhi? All our relations depend on Radhika’s relationships. Because if one has decided that I am [fixed in my relationship as an aspiring] maidservant of Srimati Radhika then such a person will not say - ‘Yamuna Maiya Ki Jaya’ Every relationship should depend especially on Srimati Radhika’s relationships.
The Blind Well
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In the beginning of creation, there were two demons. They were very powerful. Their names were Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa. You know the meaning of this 'Hiranyakasipu' and 'Hiranyaksa'. That 'hiranya' means gold. Those who have an idea that by gold, by wealth they will be happy, they are called Hiranyakasipu or Hiranyaksa, both. I have come to know that in this land of Brazil, that there were so many hills of gold, and from Lanka, Ravana came here..
The Centennial Appearance Day Celebration Of Srila Bhakti Hrdoy Bon Maharaja
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Today, on this holy occasion, so many learned scholars and saints of Vraja are gathered. I am neither a saint nor a learned person nor a speaker, but I am very glad to see that this scholarly assembly has honored our siksa-guru, Sri Srimad Bhakti Hrdoy Bon Maharaja, with their beautiful offerings to his lotus feet. I am also glad to have the darsana of these great personalities as well as the great opportunity to have heard from them. The learned persons here have described some of the glories of Srila Bon Maharaja in very ornamental language, and I want to say a few additional words in this regard...
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