Visvarupa Mahotsava And The Sannyasa Ceremony Of Bhaktivedanta Swami
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Today is a very sacred day in our line. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and began to search for his brother, Sri Visvarupa. While searching, He found out on this day that His brother had been in Pandarapur, and there he had left his body and had taken samadhi on the bank of the river Bhima...
Criticize and Lose the Holy Name
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This is our dilemma. We are doing hari-nama, staying in the holy place and hearing Bhagavatam, but we are not really hearing. Sometimes, some of us only act as if we are following. We speak publicly on the Bhagavatam and give instructions to others, but we do not protect ourselves from offense to Vaisnavas. Joking and laughing, we somehow disrespect or criticize Vaisnavas. The holy name (who is God Himself) cannot tolerate this. Therefore, we deceive ourselves and we are deprived of the real fruit of chanting the holy name. In this way, many lifetimes are wasted...
Appearance Of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
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Today we are observing the auspicious Appearance Day of Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He is considered to be the Saptama (seventh) Gosvami, and he has written more than one hundred very authorized books in many languages. He has especially given us two very important gifts. He discovered the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he gave us Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada...
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day
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If Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda had not appeared in this world, the pastime places and instructions of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu would have disappeared from the world. The entire world of Gaudiya Vaisnavas will therefore remain indebted to him forever. It is for this reason that he has been awarded the highest honor in the Vaisnava community by being addressed as the Seventh Gosvami.
The Life, Precepts and Contribution of Sac-cid-ānanda Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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by Śrīla Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
When it comes to discussing the life of mahā-puruṣas (great self-realized personalities who are transcendental to mortal existence), it would be a mistake to consider their birth, life span and death to be similar to that of mere mortals, because mahā-puruṣas are beyond birth and death. They are situated in eternal existence, and their coming and going from this world is strictly a matter of their own appearance and disappearance...
Jiva Gosvami's Appearance Day
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Srila Jiva Gosvami’s father, Anupama, was the brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami. His exalted father and uncles were employed by the Muslim ruler, Srila Sanatana Gosvami as prime minister, Srila Rupa Gosvami as the private secretary, and Sri Anupama as treasurer...
Srila Jiva Gosvami's Appearance Day
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Srila Jiva Gosvami was the nephew of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami. He is a direct disciple of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Srila Rupa Gosvami engaged him in the service of proofreading all his writings - his books. Actually, “proofreading” is not a completely appropriate word, because Srila Rupa Gosvami cannot make any mistakes. Rather Srila Rupa Gosvami engaged Srila Jiva Gosvami in this way, to bestow mercy upon him...
"You Must Return"
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Baladeva Prabhu has been hearing the conclusions of Rohini Maiya - who had been describing the separation of the cows in Sri Vrndavana...
All Turned to Lord Balarama
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It was Srimati Rohini devi who gave this description of the beauty of Vrndavana - in response to the statements of Padmavati, the mother of King Kamsa. When Padmavati heard the glories of Vrndavana she said, "Rohini, you talk too much. If Vrndavana is so sweet and attractive, and if there is no jealousy there, then why are the cows there dying?" When Krsna heard this His mouth dried up and He became practically unconscious. Nobody knew what to do, so everyone turned towards Sri Balarama...
In Glorification of Sri Radha
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Desire is also a power, and that desire-power is called iccha-sakti. Radhika is present (as the personification of that iccha-sakti). Without Radhika, there is no existence of Krsna. He is nirvisesa-brahma...
Sri 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...
The Glory of Sri Radha
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Sri Krsna was present at Vamsivata, the place of the rasa dance, but He was not happy. He wanted to perform loving pastimes but He was all alone. Srimati Radharani then appeared from His left side, and Sankara (Siva), Sri Gopisvara, appeared from His right side as guru-tattva. Radha ran to Krsna with great pleasure. Ra is for anuragi, meaning ‘deep spiritual loving attachment,’ and dha is for dhavati, which means ‘to run very fast, with great eagerness.’ Krsna worshiped that very Radha, and therefore Her name became Radhika...
Sri Radhastami
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She is Krsna-mayi; She sees Krsna everywhere – inside and outside of Herself. Wherever Her mind or senses go, it is only for and about Krsna. When She sees a tamal tree She thinks, "Oh, there is Krsna." Her name is Radhika because She fulfills all the desires of Krsna and because He Himself worships Her...
Sri Radhastami, The Day of Her Advent
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There is one person whose name is never mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And yet Bhāgavatam’s steadfast readers constantly nurture the ardent hope of becoming that person’s devout, one-pointed servant. May that person, who means everything to Śrī Bhagavān, kindly destroy our false ego in all its various forms and bestow upon us the shelter of Her lotus feet. Today is the day of Her advent.
Sri Radhastami Day
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Sri Jayadeva Gosvami knows in his heart that the best prayers to Sri Krsna Bhagavan are those which glorify Him in relationship to the gopis, and especially in relation to Srimati Radhika. He therefore begins this kirtana with the words "srita-kamalakuca-mandala! dhrta-kundala! e."
The Glory of Sri Radha (Part 2)
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Last evening I discussed how Srimati Radhika appeared in Raval in the Yamuna River on a one-thousand-petal lotus flower. There are two births described for Her, and they are both correct. In this age (yuga) She appeared in Raval and in another She appeared in Varsana.
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