The Pandavas used to observe Nirjala Ekadasi on every Ekadasi. Once, Bhima told Krsna, "It is not possible for me to fully fast every time. Krsna replied, "On all other Ekadasis you can take fruits and roots, but you must follow Nirjala on this particular Ekadasi...
Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam and so on - all these general practices are in the category of vaidhi-bhakti when they are performed in the mood of worshipping the Lord in with awe and reverence, or when they are performed with a desire to attain that mood purely. Do you understand clearly? The same practices, performed with a special mood of greed to attain the devotion of the residents of Vrndavana, are called raganuga-bhakti...
In Bengal, around the time of Srila Rupa Gosvami, a king and his family were living in Putiya. The king had a very beautiful daughter named Saci-devi, who, from a very young age, used to worship Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. When Saci-devi grew-up somewhat, she decided that Sri Krsna is her only beloved. She determined, "I will not marry any person in this world, for my beloved is Lord Krsna Himself - Syamasundara...
if you have no opportunity, then you should read yourself. It will help. You will be able to make more prominent and fixed, whatever you have heard from me or any high class of Vaisnava, by reading. Understand? By their example, behavior, mood, love and instructions...
Be enthusiastic at the time of hearing, remembering, serving the Lord’s lotus feet (pada sevanam) and worship of the Deity form of the Lord (arcanam). Cooking is also arcanam – don’t be neutral at any time. This is the symptom of bhakti. If one has bhakti, one is enthusiastic to first please guru and to then please Sri Krsna. How will we know that guru is happy with my activities?
Srimati Radhika and all the gopis are most beautiful. If one sees them he will die, because he will change his body and go to Goloka Vrndavana. This material body will not survive because it is not able to take darsana of the transcendental world.
There is another history, which is in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana. Ganga is a sakhi, a gopi like Lalita, Visakha, Srimati Radhika, Candravali and others like them. One day Sri Krsna was sitting with Ganga-sakhi, and He was engaged in some pleasant talks. In the meantime Srimati Radhika came and saw them, and She thought, "Oh, Krsna is meeting with Ganga-sakhi?"
Hearing this pastime someone may think, “Mother Yasoda is controlling Sri Krsna in such a wonderful way. I also want Krsna as my son. I also want to control Him.” Mother Yasoda is a ragatmika-parikara, an eternal associate of Krsna, and those who want to be like her are called raganuga...
Today is the disappearance day of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana - one of the most elevated acaryas in our disciplic succession. Today is also the birthday of Srimati Gangamata Gosvamini, and it is also the very day that the Ganges River came to this world. Three holy days are here. In India, in all our Mathas (temples), there will be a very big festival of harikatha for these prominent leaders in devotion to Sri Krsna.
If anyone takes part in the Govardhana-annukuta festival, and makes any preparation or even gives one grain, that person will never have to beg. Laksmi, the Goddess of Fortune herself, may have to beg, but that person will never have to beg. You can perform this worship even in your house. Today we are doing it here because I am here..
We have been discussing the conditioned soul. We have explained how you came under the control of maya, and how you can become liberated and serve the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. We have been explaining this for two days...
Service requires a special relation. Now our goal is not fixed. What is our goal? "I should serve Krishna. I am an eternal servant of Krishna". But what kind of servant are you? This goal must be fixed, and it will come if you are initiated in the true sense; not only by fire sacrifice or when the guru changes your name. Simply that will not do...
Still, the ‘girl’ was grave and did not say anything. Srimati Radhika then said, “Perhaps you have a headache or some pain in your body, and that is why you are not speaking. My father has given me some good maha-narayana massage oil. It can cure anyone...
Yesterday the subject was very high, but for preachers it is essential to know. If anyone does not know all philosophical conclusions (siddhanta), he cannot be strong. At any time he may fall down...
This is my tenth visit to Badger. Each year I travel around the world and remind everyone about krsna-bhajana. I encourage the devotees not to be weak. I tell them to be strong in bhakti...
Brajanath dasa: Gurudeva, when we first came to Kartika, we saw how everything was managed by you. We saw how there were no management meetings; nothing of the sort.
Srila Gurudeva: There was no meeting at all at that time, and still there is no meeting. Everything transpires as if automatically.
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