03 Jun 2023
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, benifical like trees, Caitanya Caritamrta, Krsna, tolerance, tolerant like a tree
6000 years old baobab tree in Senegal
I have been a woodworker almost my entire adult life, always admiring the beauty of wood, and enjoying the trees in nature. I have visited the Redwood forests in California, and the Douglas Fir forests in Oregon, but I have never seen a tree of this size or age. Truly awesome!
I am reminded of a verse from the Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 9.46, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
” ‘Just see how these trees are maintaining every living entity! Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just like that of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a tree never goes away disappointed.’ “
PURPORT
According to Vedic civilization, kṣatriyas are considered to be great personalities because if anyone goes to a ksatriya king to ask for charity, the king will never refuse. The trees are compared to those noble kṣatriyas because everyone derives all kinds of benefits from them-some people take fruit, others take flowers, others take leaves, others take twigs, and others even cut the tree, and yet the tree gives to everyone without hesitation.
Unnecessarily cutting trees without consideration is another example of human debauchery. The paper industry cuts many hundreds and thousands of trees for its mills, and with the paper so much rubbish literature is published for the whimsical satisfaction of human society. Unfortunately, although these industrialists are now happy in this life by dint of their industrial development, they do not know that they will incur the responsibility for killing these living entities who are in the forms of trees.
This verse, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhagavatam, was spoken by Lord Krishna to His friends when He was taking rest underneath a tree after His pastime of stealing the clothes of the gopīs (vastra-harana-lila). By quoting this verse, Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that we should be tolerant like trees and also beneficial like trees, which give everything to the needy persons who come underneath them. A needy person may derive many advantages from trees and also from many animals, but in modern civilization people have become so ungrateful that they exploit the trees and animals and kill them. These are some of the sinful activities of modern civilization.
18 Dec 2020
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Science of Self Realization, spiritual advancement
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, clutches of maya, Krishna, maya, peace and happiness, self realization, Spiritual Life, Srila Prabhupada
“Be patient and return home. Don’t be a crazy fellow. By and by you will be able to cross the ocean of material existence. You should not make yourself a showbottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued: “Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Thus Kṛṣṇa will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of māyā.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya-lila Chapter 16, Text 237-239)
I have always liked this verse, it is sage advise for anyone practicing spiritual life (self-realization), in this age. “Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man.” It is not that everyone who is interested in practicing Krishna Consciousness must artificially renounce the world, shave their head, put on robes, become a nun or monk, and live in a temple. No the instruction is here; “enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it.”
The peace and happiness for which we are all hankering for life after life, moment after moment, we will get when our desires become purified, and dovetailed with the Lord. One who desires sense gratification, the enjoyment of material satisfaction, will never be happy. That is not possible. If you want peace, if you want happiness, if you want perfection in your life, then just begin to dovetail your desires, activities, and potentials with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you will see what real happiness is, and can tell who is really crazy.
Full Text and purports
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10 Mar 2020
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta
Original Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (1974) PDF Downloads
by Madhudvisa dasa
Please find the links below to all 17 Volumes of Srila Prabhupada’s original Sri Caitanya-caritamrta EXACTLY as it was published by Srila Prabhupada in 1974.
Srila Prabhupada stressed so much to Radhavallabha Prabhu, the production manager at the BBT when Sri Caitanya-caritamrta was first printed, that once this book was printed they could not change anything. Of course Prabhupada did not want changes made to any of his books but he very strongly forbade the BBT from making any changes at all to his Caitanya-caritamrta once it was printed. Prabhupada forced them to print it very quickly and they wanted to add new paintings and ‘finish’ paintings that were already in the book after it was printed… Mithiladhisa Prabhu, a friend of Radhaballabha, relates the situation as follows:
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09 Mar 2020
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaura Purnima
Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaura Purnima, gaura purnima moon, O most munificent incarnation, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Today we celebrate the appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We honor His appearance with a full day fast (until moon rise), followed by a special vegetarian feast. Also to honor the Lord’s appearance day, we have selected these two verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritmrta.
“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
“We offer our respectful obeisances unto that merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead who has converted all three worlds, which were maddened by ignorance, and saved them from their diseased condition by making them mad with the nectar from the treasure-house of love of God. Let us take full shelter of that Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, whose activities are wonderful.”
Full text and Bengali More
02 Oct 2019
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Chanting Hare Krishna
Tags: Adi-lila 21-23, chanting Hare Krishna, eva, Hare Krishna, harer nama, Maha Mantra, mantra meditation, names of the lord
Srila Prabhupada describes the formula for success: “Our request to all our students is that they daily chant at least sixteen rounds of this harer nāma mahā-mantra offenselessly, following the regulative principles. Thus, their success will be assured without a doubt.”
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26 Sep 2019
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi lila chapter 4, bliss, hladini, Krishna, Lord Krsna, pleasure potency, Radharani, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati Radharani, supreme goddess
This morning there was this nagging voice that kept saying “read Adi-lila chapter 4, of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta” I haven’t read from the Caitanya-caritamrta for a while because I was re-reading the Bhagavad-gita and Krsna Book and because it is summer, I am busy with work… But I responded to the nagging voice…and pulled Vol. 1 from the shelf. As I read I became more and more enlivened and the words jumped out at me…. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. What is attracting the All Attractive? Srimati Radharani!
And the other thing that jumped out at me was the word hlādinī. Here is another word for your vaishnava vocabulary. So today is a two part post from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, describing the hladini energy, and the attractiveness of Srimati Radharani.
Lord Kṛṣṇa enchants the world, but Śrī Rādhā enchants even Him. Therefore She is the supreme goddess of all. (Adi 4.95)
Śrī Rādhā is the full power, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of full power. The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. (Adi 4.96)
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is as fully spiritual as Kṛṣṇa. No one should consider Her to be material. She is definitely not like the conditioned souls, who have material bodies, gross and subtle, covered by material senses. She is all-spiritual, and both Her body and mind are of the same spiritual embodiment. Because Her body is spiritual, Her senses are also spiritual. Thus Her body, mind and senses fully shine in love of Kṛṣṇa. She is the personified hlādinī-śakti (the pleasure-giving energy of the Lord’s internal potency), and therefore She is the only source of enjoyment for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything that is internally different from Him. Therefore Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are identical. The sandhinī portion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency has manifested the all-attractive form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the same internal potency, in the hlādinī feature, has presented Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. No one can match Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in the transcendental pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (from purport Adi 4.71)
…All the desires of Lord Kṛṣṇa rest in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. (from purport)
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11 Feb 2019
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Advaita Acarya, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi lila, Advaita Acarya, appearance day of Advaita Acharya, Caitanya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
Today marks the appearance day of Advaita Acarya. We honor it with a half day fast and a reading of the Sixth Chapter from the Adi-lila of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Full chapter follows:
The truth of Advaita Ācārya has been described in two different verses. It is said that material nature has two features, namely the material cause and the efficient cause. The efficient causal activities are caused by Mahā-Viṣṇu, and the material causal activities are caused by another form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, known as Advaita. That Advaita, the superintendent of the cosmic manifestation, has descended in the form of Advaita to associate with Lord Caitanya. When He is addressed as the servitor of Lord Caitanya, His glories are magnified because unless one is invigorated by this mentality of servitorship one cannot understand the mellows derived from devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
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03 Mar 2018
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Chanting Hare Krishna, Mantra Meditation
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi3.79, brahmanas, chanting Hare Krishna, Ganges, Hare Krishna, holy name of the lord, mantra meditation, Yamuna
This morning we were reading from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila chapter 3, text 79, of the benefits and merits of chanting Hare Krishna.
“Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brāhmaṇas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.”
In other words, one who accepts the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa to be some kind of pious activity is completely misled. Of course, it is pious; but the real fact is that Kṛṣṇa and His name, being transcendental, are far above all mundane pious activity. Pious activity is on the material platform, but chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is completely on the spiritual plane. (from purport Adi 3.79)
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01 Mar 2018
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of lord caitanya, Caitanya-caritamrita, Gaura Purnima, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, munificent incarnation, Personality of Godhead, Srimati Radharani
Today we celebrate the appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We honor His appearance with these two select verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritmrta.
“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
“We offer our respectful obeisances unto that merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead who has converted all three worlds, which were maddened by ignorance, and saved them from their diseased condition by making them mad with the nectar from the treasure-house of love of God. Let us take full shelter of that Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, whose activities are wonderful.”
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04 Mar 2017
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Chanting Hare Krishna, Disciplic succession
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, awakened, chanting Hare Krishna, chanting of the holy name, disciplic succession, ecstatic love of God, Hari, Krsna, Madhya17.47, Madhya17.48-49, purified, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada, vaisnava devotee
click on image to enlarge
When someone heard the chanting of the holy name from the mouth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and someone else heard this chanting from that second person, and someone again heard this chanting from the third person, everyone in all countries became a Vaiṣṇava through such disciplic succession. Thus everyone chanted the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and Hari, and they danced, cried and smiled. (Madhya-lila 17. 48-49)
The transcendental power or potency of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is herein explained. First, the holy name is vibrated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When someone hears from Him directly, he is purified. When another person hears from that person, he also is purified. In this way the purification process is advanced among pure devotees. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one can claim His potency. Nonetheless, if one is a pure devotee, hundreds and thousands of men can be purified by his vibration. This potency is within every living being, provided he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly and without material motives. When a pure devotee chants offenselessly, another person will become a Vaiṣṇava, and from him another Vaiṣṇava will emerge. This is the paramparā system. (Purport)
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08 Feb 2017
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda
Tags: A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi Lila Chapter 5, Adi5.1, appearance dau of Lord Nityananda, Lord Balarama, Lord Sri Nityananda, Nityananda Balarama, Sri Caitany-caritamrta, Supreme Personality of Godhead
click on image to enlarge
Today we celebrate the Appearance of Lord Nityananda with a few select verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi Lila Chapter 5, entitled “The Glories of Lord Nityananda Balarama”.
“Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Śrī Nityānanda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool can understand His identity.” (Adi 5.1)
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarāma is His second body.” (Adi 5.4)
“That original Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Navadvīpa as Lord Caitanya, and Balarāma appeared with Him as Lord Nityānanda.” (Adi 5.6)
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16 Aug 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srila Rupa Goswami
Tags: A. c. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Antya1.117, Kaviraja Goswami, kirtan, Madhya19.121, mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, sankirtana movement, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Rupa Goswami
The Sankirtan Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Devotees acknowledge Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mercy upon Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the following words:
śrī-caitanya-mano ’bhīṣṭaṁ-
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam
“When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?”
The special function of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is to establish the feelings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These feelings are His desires that His special mercy be spread throughout the world in this Kali-yuga.
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
His desire is that all over the world everyone, in every village and every town, know of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His saṅkīrtana movement. These are the inner feelings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī committed to writing all these feelings of the Lord. Now again, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same feelings are being spread all over the world by the servants of the Gosvāmīs, and devotees who are pure and simple will appreciate this attempt. As concluded by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, however, those who are on the level of hogs and dogs will never appreciate such a great attempt. Yet this does not matter to the preachers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult, for all over the world they will continue to perform this responsible work, even though persons who are like cats and dogs do not appreciate them.
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29 Jun 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna Consciousness, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta
Tags: A. c. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, Adi lila, Bhagavad-gita, Lord Caitanya, Lord Krsna, preface to the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada, Teachings of Lord Caitanya
This morning I reached for book off the shelve. I was inspired to go to the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Vol. 1 of the Ādi-līlā. Don’t know why, I just felt this pulling. So I opened it and began to read from the Preface. In these couple of pages, Srila Prabhupada explaines the entire philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. I was thinking I should just try to memorize these few pages, word for word, and the next time my mind began to wander off into maya, I could reel it back in, by simply remembering these basic instructions that Srila Prabhupada gave us back in 1968.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Preface
There is no difference between the teachings of Lord Caitanya presented here and the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. The teachings of Lord Caitanya are practical demonstrations of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā is that everyone should surrender unto Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa promises to take immediate charge of such a surrendered soul. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is already in charge of the maintenance of this creation by virtue of His plenary expansion, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, but this maintenance is not direct. However, when the Lord says that He takes charge of His pure devotee, He actually takes direct charge. A pure devotee is a soul who is forever surrendered to the Lord, just as a child is surrendered to his parents or an animal to its master. In the surrendering process, one should: (1) accept things favorable for discharging devotional service, (2) reject things unfavorable, (3) believe firmly in the Lord’s protection, (4) feel exclusively dependent on the mercy of the Lord, (5) have no interest separate from the interest of the Lord, and (6) always feel oneself meek and humble.
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19 Apr 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Vaisnava Vocabulary
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi lila, Adi4.60, devotee, devotional service, hladini, hladini potency, Krishna, love of God, pleasure potency of the Lord, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
click on image to enlarge
Here is a new word for your vaisnava vocabulary; hlādinī . As I was reading from the Caitanya-caritamrta this morning, this word hlādinī was used to describe the pleasure potency of the Lord. Now keep in mind, that this is all way over my head, but still as an aspiring devotee, I am interested in developing “Love of God”. So I find all of Srila Prabhupada’s writings to be wonderfully beneficial.
…Hlādinī is the personal manifestation of the blissfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by which He enjoys pleasure… When the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is exhibited by His grace in the person of a devotee, that manifestation is called love of God. “Love of God” is an epithet for the pleasure potency of the Lord. Therefore devotional service reciprocated between the Lord and His devotee is an exhibition of the transcendental pleasure potency of the Lord. (from purport to Adi 4.60)
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03 Mar 2015
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Book Distribution, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: 1974 Edition, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Store, Original 17 vol. set, Prabhupada News, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Krsna Caitanya
I happened to go to the Prabhupada News site this morning just to see what was new. So glad I did because I discovered that the original Sri Caitanya-caritamrta’s are back in print again! I was overjoyed to see this and share the links with all of you.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Original 17 Volume Set (1974 Edition) available again!
Hare Krishna, we have wonderful news. After 20 years of being out of print Srila Prabhupada’s original 17 Volume Sri Caitanya-caritamrta set is now finally available again at www.KrishnaStore.co.uk
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24 Dec 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhakti-latā-bīja, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Guru & Disciple, guru-tattva, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti-lata creeper, devotional creeper, guru, Krishna Consciousness Society, Madhya 19.157, neophyte devotee, non devotees, powerful elephant of offenses, pseudo devotees, pure devotees, Spiritual Life, spiritual master, spiritual masters instructions, Srila Prabhupada
ckick on image to enlarge
“…If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down… (CC Madhya 19.157 purport)
Full verse and purport More
16 Nov 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Temples
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi lila, damsels of Vraja, Gopijana-vallabha, Govinda, grace of Krsna, Madana-mohana, neophyte devotees, reservoir of all pleasure, Sri Radha Madana Mohana, Supreme Lord, the pleasure deity
Sri Sri Radha-Madana-mohana Mandir
click on image to enlarge
As we mentioned in a previous post With the Radiance of Molten Gold “The First Chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta begins with fourteen Sanskrit verses that describe the Absolute Truth. Then the next three Sanskrit verses describe the principal Deities of Vṛndāvana, namely, Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana, Śrī Rādhā-Govindadeva and Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnāthajī.” Today we are posting the next three verses describing the principal deities, with images of the three temples. In addition we are posting verses 18 & 19. The purport to text 19, is the main content of today’s post.
…The three Deities-Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopījana-vallabha-have very specific qualities. Worship of Madana-mohana is on the platform of reestablishing our forgotten relationship with the Personality of Godhead. In the material world we are presently in utter ignorance of our eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord… It is best for such persons not to aspire for success in fruitive activities or mental speculation, but instead simply to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The perfection of life is simply to surrender to the Supreme. In the beginning of our spiritual life we must therefore worship Madana-mohana so that He may attract us and nullify our attachment for material sense gratification. This relationship with Madana-mohana is necessary for neophyte devotees. When one wishes to render service to the Lord with strong attachment, one then worships Govinda on the platform of transcendental service. Govinda is the reservoir of all pleasures. When by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and the devotees one reaches perfection in devotional service, he can appreciate Kṛṣṇa as Gopījana-vallabha, the pleasure Deity of the damsels of Vraja. (from purport to Adi 1.19)
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13 Nov 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pabhupada, Adi1.4, age of kali, and the primeval Lord Himself, causeless mercy, His energies, His plenary portions, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, incarnation of God, molten gold, spiritual knowledge, Sri Krsna Caitanya, srimati sacidevi, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord’s incarnations, with the radiance of molten gold
The First Chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta begins with fourteen Sanskrit verses that describe the Absolute Truth. Latly, I have been reading these first fourteen verses every morning, as part of my morning practice; just trying to put myself in the mood of devotional service. The following is my favorite of the fourteen and we share it with you this morning. All fourteen are posted below. Hare Krishna!
May that Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service.
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06 Nov 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi4.1, age of kali, Caitanya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, causeless mercy, devotional service, incarnation, Lord Krsna, Lord Sri Krsna, mellow of conjugal love, principles of religion, revealed scriptures, Sanskrit sloka, son of Srimati Cacidevi, Sri Caitanya Caritamrta
By the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even a foolish child can fully describe the real nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja, according to the vision of the revealed scriptures. (Ādi-līlā Chapter 4, Text 1)
This month as we explore the childhood pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrndavan, it is important to keep in mind that, it is due to the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that we are able to enter into the sublime understandings of the Lord. As is mentioned in the purport to the above sloka;
One can ascertain the meaning of this Sanskrit śloka only when one is endowed with the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the absolute Personality of Godhead, cannot be exposed to the mundane instruments of vision. He reserves the right not to be exposed by the intellectual feats of nondevotees. Notwithstanding this truth, even a small child can easily understand Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes in the land of Vṛndāvana by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (purport to Adi. 4.1)
but the real reason for this post is to remind out readers about the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya
“May that Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī be transcendentally situated in the innermost core of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has descended in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most elevated mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.” (Ādi-līlā Chapter 3, Text 4)
PURPORT
This is a quotation from the Vidagdha-mādhava, a drama compiled and edited by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
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16 Sep 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srimati Radharani
Tags: Adi1.5, buddhi yogam, devotee, esoteric, God, isvarah sarva-bhutanam, Krsna, magnum opus, philosophy, Radharani, scientist, servant of God, spiritual master, spiritual philosophy, spiritual science, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, tesam satata-yuktanam
click on image to enlarge
Lately, I have been absorbed in reading Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. For me it is a hard book to pick up, but after I begin reading…it is a hard book to put down. Sometimes it seems so esoteric (1 intelligible only to those with special knowledge. 2 intended only for the initiated), but I cannot help but to be thrown into complete and utter awe of the masterful writing, it seems to be Srila Prabhupada’s magnum opus (1 great work of art, literture. 2 the most important work of an artist, writer, etc.). Yes, I have the Oxford Dictionary open on my desk.
The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.5)
The following is a Lecture given on this important verse, and the complete text.
…You cannot understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, without being a faithful servant. This is the secret. And if we become faithful servant under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Parabrahman, and what is loving affairs with Rādhārāṇī, what is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These things are revealed. It is not acquired by so-called mundane knowledge. That is not possible… So we should always remain faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is within everyone’s heart, and He will be pleased by your service, and then He will reveal Himself, what He is. Otherwise it is not possible. (from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture Ādi-līlā 1.5)
Adi-lila 1.5 Lecture and Verse More
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