07 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Photos
Tags: Ananda-candra datta, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Bimala Prasad, Brinagar, jagat-mohini, Kedaranatha, Nadia district, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada
Today as we honor the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura with a 1/2 day fast and readings on his life and teachings, we share with you this rare photo.
This is a photo of young Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who was then known by his family name of Kedaranatha (which was the name given by his father, and is another name for Lord Siva), and was born on September 2nd, 1838, on a Sunday in the ancient village of Brinagar (Ulagram or Ula) located in the Nadia district of West Bengal. He was the third son of Ananda-candra Datta and Jagat-mohini Devi. He is pictured here, with I believe, young Bimala Prasad, who was latter to become Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the spiritual master of our Srila Prabhupada.
07 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Nama-kirtana
Tags: best dancer in vrndavana, braja-baro-nagara, chanting Hare Krishna, gokula-ranjana kana, gopi-prana-dhana, kirtana, madana-manohara, nama, nama-kirtana, names of krishna, son of mother yasoda, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas, Sri Nama-kirtana, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, yasomati-nandana
click on image to enlarge
In honor of the disappearance day celebration of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, we are posting one of his famous songs, entitled “Śrī Nāma-kīrtana”.
Krishna is very pleased when we call on Him by His Names, which are associated with His devotees, qualities and pastimes. This song by Bhaktivinoda Thakura is composed of the Nanes of Krsna in different aspects. (from the Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas)
Śrī Nāma-kīrtana
Chanting of the Holy Names
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
full song with synonyms and translations More
05 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual World, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Aniruddha, Damodara, devotees, four-handed, Hrsikesa, Krsna, Madhava, Madhusudana, Narayana, Padmanabha, prabhava form, Pradyumna, Sankarsana, spiritual sky, Sridhara, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Trivikrama, universe, vaisnava calendar, Vamana, Vasudeva, vilasa-murti, Visnu
click on image
Sometime back I ran across this picture and saved it to my files thinking I could use it in a post someday. While posting this chapter from the Teachings of Lord Caintanya, entitled “Unlimited Forms of Godhead”, I was looking for an image to use. So I selected the above image and to my surprise when I clicked on it, it moved. I had forgotten how cheesy cool this image was, and why it captured my interest, back when I saved it. So we share it today with our readers, and thank the unknown artist who put this picture to life.
…The different forms of Kṛṣṇa are distributed throughout the universe to give pleasure to the devotees. It is not that devotees are born only in India. There are devotees in all parts of the world, but they have simply forgotten their identity. These forms incarnate not only to give pleasure to the devotee but to reestablish devotional service and perform other activities which vitally concern the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Teachings of Lord Chaintanya
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Seven
More
04 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Conversation with Srila Prabhupada
Tags: 4th of July, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, American Independence, Back to Godhead Magazine, BTG, Dependence on God, Independence day, life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, RDTSKP, transcendental literature
I remember as a younger man, back in 1976, when I was a member of the Radha Damodar Traveling Sankirtan Party (RDTSKP), I was in Washington D.C. distributing this very same issue of Back to Godhead Magazine. The thing about Transcendental Literature, is it remains ever fresh. 37 years later this article is still as important and significant as the day it was first published in Back to Godhead Magazine.
Declaring Our Dependence on God
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine Vol. 11, No. 7, 1976
Two hundred years ago, Americans fought the War of Independence to assure life, liberty, and happiness in a fledgling nation. In a conversation with the BACK TO GODHEAD staff, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that Americans can actually achieve these things only by maintaining a God conscious society, with God conscious leaders.
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03 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arjuna, bhakta, devotion, devotional service, Gita, impersonal, impersonal Brahman, impersonalists, karmi, Krishna, Krsna, meditation, personalists, spiritual realization, spiritual sky, unmanifested, yogi
In this 12th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is entitled Devotional Service, the path of liberation is explained…
For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pṛthā, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Also a nice description of the qualities of a devotee are given…
One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me—he is very dear to Me.
Full Chapter More
02 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Maharaja Pariksit, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada's Books, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, at time of death, hear chant and remember, Maharaja Pariksit, perfection of life, segue, self realization, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami
This morning I was marveling at how beautifully Srila Prabhupada segues [def: an uninterrupted transition from one song to another. 2. go on without a pause.] from the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam into the Second Canto. This Srimad Bhagavatam, is truly one of the most amazing books in existence today!
You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. (SB 1.19.37)
Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and also what he should not do. Please explain all this to me. (SB 1.19.38)
Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The King thus spoke and questioned the sage, using sweet language. Then the great and powerful personality, the son of Vyāsadeva, who knew the principles of religion, began his reply… (SB 1.19.40) [End of First Canto]
[Start of Second Canto]…Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists. (SB 2.1.1)
…That very Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam I shall recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who gives full attention and respect to hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation. (SB 2.1.10)
Unless one is perfectly anxious to inquire about the way of perfection, there is no necessity of approaching a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not a kind of decoration for a householder. Generally a fashionable materialist engages a so-called spiritual master without any profit. The pseudo spiritual master flatters the so-called disciple, and thereby both the master and his ward go to hell without a doubt. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the right type of disciple because he puts forward questions vital to the interest of all men, particularly for the dying men. The question put forward by Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the basic principle of the complete thesis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now let us see how intelligently the great master replies. (from purport to SB 1.19.37)
Full translation and purports More
28 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Free Downloads, Free eBooks, Nectar of Instruction, Rupa Goswami
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, actions of anger, bengali vaisnavas, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, guru and disciple, manasah krodha-vegam, mind's demands, Nectar of Devotion Rupa Goswami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, upadesmrta, urge to speak, urges of the tongue, vaco vegam
Also for a free pdf downlaod of entire book click on link at bottom More
27 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmananda das, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, The Hare Krishna Movement
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Thakura, bogi yogis, disciples, George Harrison, guru, Indian sanyasis, sannyasis, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's disciples, The Hare Krishna Movement, The Hare Krsna Explosion
This is Part 3, or the conclusion, of the very informative article by Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu as it appeared in Back to Godhead Magazine in 1975, which gives not only some of the History of Lord Caitanya’s Mission, but on the preaching of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the Hare Krishna Movement here in the West.
How the Teachings of Lord Caitanya Came to the Western World (Part 3)
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine
Vol.10, No. 1, 1975
by His Holiness Brahmananda Swami
After the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, a great scholar and pure devotee, continued to expand the mission of Lord Caitanya. He wrote many books and established printing presses and sixty-four temples dedicated to preaching the message of Krsna consciousness.
The following is the third of three articles depicting the pioneering efforts of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, and those who have followed them in spreading the benediction of Krsna consciousness throughout the world.)
More
26 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sat-cit-ananda, Vaisnava Vocabulary
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ananda, eternal, jubilation, knowledge, knowledge and blissful, pleasure, sat cit ananda
This morning while reading I came across the words sat-cit-ānanda. Many of us, we know what the words mean, but have we realized the meaning yet? Do we truly understand what it means to be eternal, full of knowledge and blissfull? I thought I would do a search on the phrase “sac-cid-ānanda” and see how this was explained by Srila Prabhupada.
Cit means knowledge, sat means eternal, and bliss means full of jubilation, ānanda, pleasure. (from lectures)
Because we are spirit soul, our position is ānandamāyā. Ānandamāyā means always blissful. Because we are part and parcel of God… God is blissful, all-good, sac-cid-ānanda…Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So we are part and parcel of God. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: BG 15.7 “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel.” So if Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ānanda, then we are also sat-cit-ānanda, because we are part. Just like gold and a gold, small particle. That is also gold.
…Part is never equal to the whole. But quality is the same. Therefore we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, we are trying to utilize our original constitutional position. This is going on. But we are doing that without Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore it is not successful. Part must remain with the whole. I have given this example many times, that a small screw of typewriter or any machine, it must remain with the whole machine. Then it has value. If it is out of the machine, there is no value. A small screw in the motorcar, so long it is with the motorcar, it has got value. And as soon as it is thrown out of the motorcar, it has no value. (Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.9 given Detroit, August 3, 1975, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
It is interesting to note that Srila Prabhupada used this phrase ‘sat cit ananda’, 41 times in Lectures, 5 times in Letters, and can be found is his books. Some of the usage is as follows: More
25 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmananda das, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaudiya Vaisnavism
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Brahmananda dasa, Brahmananda Swami, brahmanas, devotional service, lion guru, Lord Caitanya, netyananda-vamsa, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
This is Part 2 of the very informative article by Sriman Brahmananda Prabhu as it appeared in Back to Godhead Magazine in 1974, which gives not only some of the History of Lord Caitanya’s Mission, but on the preaching of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the Hare Krishna Movement here in the West.
How the Teachings of Lord Caitanya Came to the Western World
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine
Vol.1, No. 68, 1974
Part 2
by His Holiness Brahmananda Svami
[Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna Himself in the form of His own pure devotee, appeared 500 years ago in Bengal, India, to teach—by His own example—how one can become fully Krsna conscious. The teachings of Lord Caitanya were recorded and transmitted by many faithful disciples, but they were virtually unknown in the West until 1896, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great spiritual master in the disciplic line from Lord Caitanya, published a short book entitled Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu—His Life and Precepts and sent copies to the Western world. The following is the second of three articles depicting the pioneering efforts of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and those who have followed him, in spreading the great benediction of Krsna consciousness to the West.]
More
24 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Ganges, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, amartya, baby Krsna, Ganges, Ganges River, Gokula, Krsna's lotus feet, sacred rivers, sanctified, SB 1.19.6, Srimad Bhagavatam, transcendental, Tulasi, tulasi leaves, Yamuna, Yamuna river
click on image to enlarge
…Both the Ganges and the Yamunā are amartyā (transcendental) rivers, but the Yamunā is still more sanctified for the following reasons.
…And as far as sanctity is concerned, the River Yamunā is more directly connected with Lord Kṛṣṇa than the Ganges. The Lord sanctified the River Yamunā from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamunā with the baby Lord Kṛṣṇa for a safe place at Gokula on the other bank of the river from Mathurā, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified. It is especially mentioned herein that Mahārāja Parīkṣit took shelter of that particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, mixed with tulasī leaves. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are always besmeared with the tulasī leaves, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water of the Ganges and the Yamunā, the rivers become at once sanctified. The Lord, however, contacted the River Yamunā more than the Ganges. (from purport to SB 1.19.6)
Full verse and purport More
22 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Back to Godhead, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmananda das, Gaudiya Vaisnavism
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Acaryas, age of quarrel, Back to Godhead Magazine, Bengali, Brahmananda dasa, Kali-yuga, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, sastras, scriptures, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Vedas
This is a very informative article which gives not only some of the History of Lord Caitanya’s Mission, but on the preaching of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the Hare Krishna Movement here in the West.
How the Teachings of Lord Caitanya Came to the Western World
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine
Vol.1, No. 66, 1974
Part 1
by His Holiness Brahmananda Swami
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die When thou art living still in Sound! The Vaisnavas die to live and living try To spread a holy life around!”—verse by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura on the tomb of the great saint Thakura Haridasa at Puri, India
In Calcutta in 1896, the teachings of Lord Caitanya began their journey to the West. In Bengali-speaking Calcutta on August 20th of that year, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published a small English treatise entitled Lord Caitanya—His Life and Precepts. Seventyone years later, in 1967, in Montreal, Canada, a graduate student came across a copy of this book while browsing through the rare-book collection of the McGill University library. The book was a wonderful find for him because he was a dedicated follower of Lord Caitanya’s, having been convinced of Lord Caitanya’s teachings by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whom he had accepted as his spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada was born in Calcutta on September 1, 1896, only a few days after Lord Caitanya-His Life and Precepts was published. Thus by a transcendental arrangement this significant book and he who would fulfill the purpose of the book appeared together.
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21 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Govinda
Sometimes when I am sitting and reading from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam, a verse or sentence from the purport just jumps out from the page almost like it is in 3D, and I catch a glimpse of what the Spiritual World must be like. It is beyond even my imagination, but sometimes I catch a glimmer of light, through a transcendental window, by the grace of my spiritual master His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
…The transcendental abode of the Lord where the trees are all desire trees and the buildings are made of touchstone. The Lord Govinda is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows as His natural occupation.
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.” (Bs 5.29)
…The Lord Govinda is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows as His natural occupation. And those who are artists, overtaken by the beautiful creation, should better see to the beautiful face of the Lord for complete satisfaction. The face of the Lord is the embodiment of beauty. What they call beautiful nature is but His smile, and what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord.
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19 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Book Distribution, ISKCON, ISKCON History, Ramesvara das
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Baladeva Vidyabhusana das, BBT, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, bood distribution, book changes, Iskcon, ISKCON history, Ramesvara das, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books, The Hare Krishna Movement
click on image to enlarge
In case anyone missed this important 1979 interview with Ramesvara Prabhu, on the History of ISKCON, Book Changes, Book Publication, etc., etc. We are re-posting again.
Testimonial by Ramesvara dasa
Ramesvara-interview-1979
A very, very important document has just become public. It is a 300+ page transcript of a 1979 interview betweem Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu and Ramesvara Prabhu, the manager of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, the person who was directly in charge of printing Srila Prabhupada’s books durning that time. Ramesvara had many direct instructions from Srila Prabhupada in regard to printing his books, and he also gives an eye-witness account of many events that took place while Srila Prabhupada was physically present. Very interesting read!!!
You can download the PDF file of the interview by clicking on: Ramesvara-interview-1979
Or you can read the entire interview here… More
17 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Hearing and Memorizing, Meditation, Nectar of Devotion
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, causeless mercy, core of his heart, liberated, meditation, offering respectful obeisances, resultant actions of his past misdeeds, rightful claim, SB 10.14.8, SB 5.10.14, tat te nukampam
click on image to enlarge
This morning as I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam, I was feeling the aches and pains of age, and I was reminded of one of my most favorite verses:
tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
“My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible to become liberated, for it has become his rightful claim.” (SB 10.14.8)
…A devotee of the Lord never thinks that he is a paramahaṁsa or a liberated person. He always remains a humble servant of the Lord. In all reverse conditions, he agrees to suffer the results of his past life. He never accuses the Lord of putting him into a distressed condition. These are the signs of an exalted devotee. Tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣyamāṇaḥ. When suffering reversed conditions, the devotee always considers that the reverse conditions are the Lord’s concessions. He is never angry with his master; he is always satisfied with the position his master offers. In any case, he continues performing his duty in devotional service. Such a person is guaranteed promotion back home, back to Godhead. (from purport)
When I did a computer search on the phrase “rightful claim”, this of course brought me to the different references from the Srimad Bhagavatam (ie., SB 5.10.14, and SB 8.14.13) but also to the “Nectar of Devotion”, chapter ten. Reading from it was so nice, that I decided to post the entire chapter. More
16 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Raja-Vidya
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, beyond samsara, faith in guru and Krsna, great souls, knowledge through disciplic succession, Krsna's energies, mahatma, Raja-Vidya, the king of knowledge
This is the index to the Contents of “Raja-Vidya The King of Knowledge” by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We have posted it here in its entirety. This index will give you immediate access to the chapters by clicking on the following underlined links. And for a free PDF download click on link at bottom of post.
Chapter One Raja – Vidya: The King of Knowledge
Chapter Two Knowledge Beyond Saṁsāra
Chapter Three Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s Energies
Chapter Four Knowledge by Way of the Mahātmās, Great Souls
Chapter Five Parampara: Knowledge Through Disciplic Succession
Chapter Six Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s Appearances and Activities
Chapter Seven Knowledge as Faith in Guru and surrender to Kṛṣṇa
Chapter Eight Action in Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa
For a free pdf download of Raja-Vidya The King of Knowledge; Raja-Vidya-The-King-of-Knowledge
14 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Dedication Slokas, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, collection of slokas, dedication slokas, krsne sva-dhamopagate, original books by srila prtabhupada, slokas, srila prabhupada slokas, Srimad Bhagavatam
For anyone who has had the good fortune to read and study Srila Prabhupada’s epic Srimad Bhagavatam, will know that on the title page of each and every volume is a dedication sloka. I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the dedication slokas from all of the original books. I stopped this collection of slokas with the Tenth Canto, Part Three, as this is where Srila Prabhupada left off, and where my collection of Srimad Bhagavatam’s stops. -Vyasasan das
More
14 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Narada Muni, Narada Muni Bajay Vina
Tags: 24 hour kirtan, A.C. Bhaktiverdanta Swami Prabhupada, Haribol, Indra, Krishna's names, Narada Muni, narada muni bajay vina, New Vrindavan, Radhika-ramana, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, vina
Narada Muni Bajay Vina
This is one of my favorite Vaisnava Songs, written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, with a puroprt by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We post it today in honnor of the 24 Hour Kirtan that will start this evening at the New Vrindavan Community.
…This is a song sung by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The purport of this song is that the great soul Narada Muni is playing on his stringed instrument, called the vina, and vibrating Radhika-ramana, one of Krsna’s names. So, as soon as he plucks the strings and chants, all the devotees immediately respond to him, and it becomes a very beautiful vibration. Amiya-dhara, barise ghana. As the singing goes on with the stringed instrument, it appears that there is a shower of nectar, and all the devotees then dance in ecstasy to the fullest extent of their satisfaction. Then, as they dance, it appears that they become intoxicated by drinking the beverage called madhuri pura. And as one becomes almost mad by drinking, similarly, all the devotees became mad in ecstasy. And some of them are crying, and some of them are dancing, and some of them, although they cannot dance publicly, are dancing within their hearts. Then Lord Siva embraces Narada Muni and begins to dance and cry out in ecstasy, and when Lord Brahma sees Lord Siva dancing with Narada Muni, he joins in and says, “All of you kindly chant ‘Haribol! Haribol!'” Then gradually the king of heaven, Indra, also joins in with great satisfaction and begins to dance and to chant “Hari hari bol!”
In this way, by the influence of the transcendental vibration of the holy name of God, the whole universe becomes ecstatic, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “When the whole universe becomes ecstatic in this way, my desires are satisfied, and I therefore pray unto the lotus feet of Rupa Gosvami that the chanting of harinama may go on nicely like this.” (from purport)
Narada Muni Bajay Vina
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Full song with Bengali lyrics, translation and purport. More
12 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Ramesvara das, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Interview with Ramesvara Prabhu on Book Changes, Krsna Book, rose garden, Srila Prabhupada
Reading Krsna Book With Prabhupada
from; Interview with Ramesvara Prabhu on Book Changes 1979
There’s a few more early incidents that I can remember. In Los Angeles on one of those early visits, probably ’73, we used to read the Krsna Book to Prabhupada every evening, he would sit in his garden. And it was just the most wonderful, intimate association with Prabhupada. And I used to marvel at the way Prabhupada would sit and listen to the Krsna Book. His head was looking up very erect, the way he was holding his body, and very grave, serious, sober look on his face. Very intense. Although it was so personal and ecstatic and informal, to just be with a handful of devotees reading the Krsna Book to Prabhupada, Prabhupada was showing us how to actually become absorbed in hearing of God. It wasn’t that…he was not in a light mood. He was in a heavy mood, like a great transcendental aristocrat. I’ll never forget how serious, how he was looking, so formal. Even though the mood was so informal. In that way he was showing us how to hear the Krsna Book.
for full interview; Interview with Ramesvara Prabhu on Book Changes
11 Jun 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Dharma, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vaisnava Vocabulary
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, adhoksaje, apratihata, His Divine Grace, Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, nivrtti-marga, path of renunciation, path of sense enjoyment, pravrtti-marga, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo, Srila Prabhupada
For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about this very important verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam;
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
I was trying to recall the two occupational paths; the path of sense enjoyment, and the path of renunciation, and the sanskrit words for them. I remembered that the verse and purport was in the first canto, chapter two, so I looked it up and there was the two words my mind was searching for;
“The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human being. One is called the pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivṛtti-mārga, or the path of renunciation.”
Both good words for your vaisnava vocabulary. But anyway, as I was searching this verse, I realized just how important this particular verse was. Srila Prabhupada lectured on this verse 13 times. And in one Lecture given by His Divine Grace in Montreal, August 3rd, 1968, Srila Prabhupada begins by saying…
“The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service. There is no other method. If you want to be happy, free from all cares and anxieties, then you have to engage yourself in devotional servece of the Lord. That will make you free from all material miseries. We are all seeking after that position, how to become completely happy. Our whole struggle for existence…Anyone, in any place, any country, they are all struggling how to become happy. This happiness of the mind, atma, is only possible when we are engaged in Krsna consciousness. That is the only remedy. There is no other alternative.” (Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture Aug. 3, 1968)
I guess this was what I needed to hear this morning before leaving for work.
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