- Details
- Views: 589
by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda
❝We will first deal with the point, “What is the real position of a devotee of God, in this mundane world?” A devotee’s position is not relative. Because he is fixed in the service of the Absolute, in all his activities he does not live in the relative world, although apparently, he seems to remain among us. Being situated in the Absolute, a devotee is not to be conditioned by the laws of physical world.❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 260
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Tomorrow we will return to Vasugaon from Tangla. We are being forced to leave one person behind here forever. Now I am without an attendant sevaka. If I have served Śrī Hari, guru, and Vaiṣṇavas with a pure and simple heart, then it may be that I will not have to suffer this sorrow of separation from this sevaka.❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 243
Remembrance of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝I would be quietly and gently shaken awake, and I’d understand that Narahari Prabhu had come. Immediately rising from bed, I’d put on a gāmchā and follow behind him to the many toilets, one toilet after another. Narahari Prabhu would hold the torch and I would take a broom and a bucket of water and clean each toilet.❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 273
Remembrances of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Śrīla Guru Mahārāja – Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja – said, “The festival of Dīpāvalī begins from Kṛṣṇa Trayodaśī (the thirteenth day of the waning moon) of Kārtika month and lasts for four days – Trayodaśī, Caturdaśī, Amāvasyā and Pratipada [Annakuṭa Day]. On the day of Trayodaśī, there is Yama-dīpa-dāna [Yama–one of the mahājanas]. Outside the gate, one should place fourteen (7+7) dīpas (lamps) for the son and daughter of Sūrya (Sun), Yama and Yamunā.❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 9062
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
But just as in this world, the perverted reflection of the transcendental plane, we find that a single man considers himself to be the father of one person, the son of another and the physician of someone else, in the transcendental realm, also, we find that the same, one Absolute appears in manifold aspects....
- Details
- Views: 330
by Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
❝It is better that with the help of competent persons we put in the energy to build the boundary wall on our own land. And we have to keep some strong persons for few days to guard the place. We are not doing anything illegal. If the two Biharis (persons from Bihar) come to bully us, we have to teach them a good lesson. We will not let anyone bully maṭha residents. We have to give ample lesson to those who illegally try to obstruct the activities of our maṭha, so that they never, for the rest of their life, cause the maṭha any disturbance. I do not feel it is fitting to involve the police and take out a court case like cowards. It will cost money, cause botheration and waste time. Instead we can fully accomplish this task spending only half the amount and very soon, in one or two days. “Vīra-bhogyā vasundharā – the earth is enjoyed by powerful persons.” If the Bihari rogues can adopt this policy, why would you withdraw? ❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 276
Remembrances of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Once, when I (Rasika-rañjana dāsādhikārī) was in Navadvīpa, I went to offer praṇāmas to pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja in his bhajana-kuṭīra. As we discussed various topics, pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja said, “Once, in a conversation with Vāmana Mahārāja, I said to him, ‘Mahārāja when I will grow old, who will take care of me and make efforts to help me? I am getting worried about this even now.’ Vāmana Mahārāja replied, ‘You should not worry about this. If nobody will be there, I will personally take care of you and will personally clean your urine and stool. In this regard you need have no worry or anxiety.’ The way Vāmana Mahārāja said this to me actually made me free from any anxiety or worry. And he did not speak mere words. He has actually been very conscientious about this.” While speaking this incident, tears began to roll down from the eyes of pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja.❞ ...
- Details
- Views: 277
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝O Lord, whether You kill me or have me live, whether You torment me, make me drink the poison of infamy or the nectar of recognition, or whether You keep me happy or distressed, I am Yours and will always remain Yours. The cātaka bird only looks towards the sky, longing for just one drop of water from svāti-nakṣatra. Whether thunder falls from above or whether there is fresh, cooling sweet water to drink, he does not mind. The life of sādhakas is surrendered to the Lord like this.❞ ..
- Details
- Views: 340
Memories of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Once, the day before pūjyapāda Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was to arrive in Kolkata from his first preaching tour abroad, Guru Mahārāja said to everyone, “Go and decorate the temple very nicely. Also nicely decorate the room that Śrīla Mahārāja will be staying in.” In the evening Guru Mahārāja went to the temple for darśana and saw that it had not been decorated. “If none of you have the time to do it, I will personally collect the flowers.” Hearing him say this, the brahmacārīs immediately went to the market and brought many kinds of flowers and other decorations. They nicely decorated Ṭhākurajī’s temple and then went to Guru Mahārāja’s room to decorate it. Guru Mahārāja said, “First ṭhākura-sevā, after that, vaiṣṇava-sevā, and after that, my sevā. Even though there is no need to decorate my room, if Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja sees it not decorated [but that his own room is decorated], it will make him feel uneasy. Our only aim is the pleasure and satisfaction of guru and Vaiṣṇavas, so decorate my room as well.” ...
- Details
- Views: 9085
By Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
- Details
- Views: 296
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝The nature of bhagavad-bhakti is that it overcomes grief, delusion and fear, it bestows sac-cid-ānanda and it captivates Bhagavān. You are proceeding on the path of that very same bhakti, so where is the chance of your experiencing grief, delusion and fear? You should maintain the internal conception that you are a simple, bhāvuka and vidagdha (extremely clever) kiṅkarī (maidservant) of Śrī Kiśorījī.❞ ..
- Details
- Views: 14325
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝The living entity is not created; rather he is an eternal entity. Nor is the living soul inert, rather he is conscious. The independence that a living entity possesses has not been granted by anyone. Independence is innate in his existence and he only experiences distress due to misusing his independence...❞ ...