Rays of The Harmonist
- Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam and Cāturmāsya-vrata
- A Mine of Valuable Instructions
- The Importance of Observing Cāturmāsya-vrata
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝During the month of Kārtika, if one performs pūjā (worship) to please Śrī Rādhikā, Dāmodara Śrī Hari becomes pleased, because Ūrjeśvarī Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the presiding deity of this month. The possessor of all potencies, Dāmodara Śrī Kṛṣṇa, does not accept worship without His svarūpa-śakti (intrinsic potency), otherwise known as hlādinī-śakti. Likewise, Śrī Rādhā-devī, that antaraṅga (intimate) or parā-śakti (supreme energy) rejects everything in the absence of Her prāṇanātha (the Lord of Her life). That is precisely why the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas under the guidance of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī have accepted only the worship of rādhāliṅgita-vigraha Yugala (the Divine Couple when Kṛṣṇa’s form is embraced by Śrī Rādhā).❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝You have asked about the glories of the month of Kārtika. In the month of Kārtika many pastimes of Kṛṣṇa took place: (a) On the very first day of Kārtika, that is, on [Śāradīya-]pūrṇma, mahā-rāsa took place in Vaṁśivaṭa in Vṛndāvana, and the supremacy of Śrīmatī Rādhikā was established. (b) In this Kārtika month, Mother Yaśodā bound Kṛṣṇa to a grinding mortar with the rope of her love. Prior to this, in any of His other manifestations, no one was able to bind Kṛṣṇa. ... ❞
Read Moreby Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Even though Cāturmāsya-vrata is not mentioned among the sixty-four limbs of bhakti described in Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīman Mahāprabhu personally observed Cāturmāsya-vrata while staying in Purī, Śrī Raṅgam, and other places, thus imparting to the living entities of the world instructions on the necessity of following this vrata.❞ ...
Read MoreSri Radhastami
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Only under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is it possible to render service to Srimati Radhika. In the mood of a maidservant of Srimati Radhika, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written that he cannot tolerate Radhika's condition during the time of Her separation from Krsna. And, for Their meeting together, he is readily prepared to easily give up his life...
Lalita-Devi's Appearance Day
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Lalita-devi was born in the village of Karehla, and later on her father brought her to Uccagaon, the place of her pastimes (lila-sthali). There are still many evidences of her pastimes here, like a rock containing the imprints of her lotus feet and some small utensils she used when she and the other sakhis fed Krsna there...
A Very High Topic
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If you want to be in Vraja and serve in raganuga-bhakti, with love and affection, then follow Sri Manah-siksa. Do not think this is a third-class book. If you neglect Upadesamrta and Manah-siksa, you cannot advance in rupanuga bhajana. I have instructed all sannyasis to preach from these two books first, for these two are the backbone of raganuga-bhakti...
Was Sri Krsna Cheating?
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Uddhava became disturbed thinking, "Krsna is very crooked, and clever. He knows everything but still he is asking me if He should go to Vrndavana .This means that He does not really want to go there. He is simply cheating everyone by asking me...
Appearance Day of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja
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"Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja is one of the rare people in this world who are genuinely in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Gosvamis. Only a real devotee can know all these truths."
Take Responsibility
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Someone who has no nistha (strong faith) in his Guru and in the Vaisnavas, no attachment for them, no attachment for their service, and who doesn't take any responsibility to do seva – such a person is like an animal with two legs. Taking responsibility can even make an animal into a human. Stay in the Mathas (temples) under the guidance of Guru and Vaisnava. Respect them and serve them with strong faith and attachment...
Divisions Of Devotion
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Nowadays, many have an idea that they have attained the stage of raganuga-bhakti, but if any worldly desire is there, that is not even pure vaidhi-bhakti. It is very hard to actually say, “I am a raganuga-vaisnava.” We can, of course, very easily say this with thousands of mouths, but we should examine our hearts to see if in our natural position even a touch of worldly desire is present there...
Even in His Dreams
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"In His sleep He sometimes looks for His flute, and sometimes He poses in His tribanga (three-fold bending) form. Sometimes He says, "O Candravali, what is the matter? And He pulls on my cloth."..
Why Not Only One Book?
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Not everyone is in the same stage of bhakti. Everyone is in different stages. If one is a neophyte and does not have even sraddha, how can you tell him, “You are a manjari; book your ticket for only the manjari mood”? I want to tell you all, that this is a very wrong idea. Try to truly understand and then follow the real meaning of rupanuga...
Only by Guru's Grace
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We should especially know that service to Krsna with mamata (a sense of “mineness” towards Lord Krsna) is uttama-bhakti, and the increase of mamata in service, places a devotee in successively higher stages...
Secrets of the Undiscovered Self
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No one doubts the existence of the sun, so why should one doubt the existence of the creator of the sun or thousands of suns? That personality can create millions upon millions of worlds in a moment, and He can also destroy them. He comes to this world only to save us from suffering, by establishing a relationship with us and by engaging us in His loving service...
No Part To Disregard
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Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krsna Himself, and it is the essence of the entire Vedic literature – Veda, Vedanta, the Upanisads, the Puranas, and so on. Being the essence of all Vedic scriptures, there is nothing in it to be disregarded. It is a nectarean fruit coming through the guru-parampara from transcendental Vrndavana...
Are All Manjaris?
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My request is: do not be mad to be a manjari. Try to follow Sri Upadesamrta first, and then the other writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami. You can then gradually go to the top of the bhakti tree. Don’t try to jump at once to the top of the tree. Otherwise, you may fall down, break your arms and legs, and crack your head. Be careful.
The Vrajavasis Are The Most Fortunate
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Why is it that Krsna never did anything to relieve the Vrajavasis from their suffering, whereas they did everything for Him? Srimati Rohini-maiya gave the answer. The Vrajavasis are mohita, bewildered. They are not bewildered, but "like" bewildered. They came under the control of Krsna as if hypnotized or as if under the control of a magician...
Visva-Vaishnava-Raja-Sabha
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More than two hundred devotees had descended upon Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, eager to witness this unique event and hear the inevitable flow of Hari-katha. As host of the assembly, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja welcomed and honoured all the respectable speakers with asanas, sandal paste, flower garlands, pranama and sweet words...
The Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja
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Today is a very sacred day. It is Nandotsava (the celebration of Krsna’s birthday). Nanda Baba, Yasoda Maiya, and all the elder Vrajavasis had as their son the Supreme Lord Krsna Himself. Krsna took birth on the previous day, at midnight, and today, one of the associates of Krsna, Abhaya Caranaravinda, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja took birth. How many years before? 109+.
