04 Oct 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krsna Consciousness, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, The Reservoir of Pleasure
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi-lila 4.19, devotee, devotional service, natural affection, personal friend, pet son, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, worship the lord with affection
“In whatever transcendental mellow My devotee worships Me, I reciprocate with him. That is My natural behavior. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 4.19)
…The Lord, by His inherent nature, reveals Himself before His devotees according to their inherent devotional service. The Vṛndāvana pastimes demonstrated that although generally people worship God with reverence, the Lord is more pleased when a devotee thinks of Him as his pet son, personal friend or most dear fiance and renders service unto Him with such natural affection. The Lord becomes a subordinate object of love in such transcendental relationships. (from purport)
Full verse and purport More
02 Oct 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arsha Prayoga, Book Changes, Book Distribution, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, book changes, Book Distribution, do not change my books, grammatical discrepancy, instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not to change the ideas, quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books
This is an older compilation of quotes and excerpts that first appeared on BookChanges.com back in 2009. I do not think one can overemphasize the importance of the Book Change issue.
For instance the way Arjuna accepted the Bhagavad-gita from Krsna was: “O Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that you have told me… ” [Bhagavad-gita 10.14]
This is the way of receiving transcendental knowledge.
Just this morning on Sampradaya Sun there was an article with this quote:
“Service means you must take order from the master. That is service. Otherwise it is mental concoction. Actually, the servant requests, “How can I serve you?” So when the master orders, “You serve me like this,” then you do that, that is service. And if you manufacture your service, that is not service. That is your sense gratification. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. You have to see how he is pleased. Now if he wants a glass of water and if you bring a nice glass of milk, you can say milk is better than water, you take it. That is not service. He wants water, you give him water. Don’t manufacture better thing.” (Lecture, Bhagavad-gita 15.15, August 5, 1976, New Mayapur, France)
So in the interest of preserving the words of our spiritual master we present this compilation of quotes. Some highlight editing has been done by me. -Vyasasan das
Srila Prabhupada on Editing His Books
Excerpted quotes by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The Principle is No Change
“One should accept the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by bowing down at the lotus feet of the Lord. This means that anything spoken by the Personality of Godhead should be taken as it is, with great care and attention and with great respect. It is not our business to amend the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or make additions or alterations, as it has become a custom for many so-called scholars and swamis who comment on the words of Bhagavad-gita. Here the practical example of how to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is shown by Prthu Maharaja. This is the way to receive knowledge through the parampara system.” (Purport SB 4.20.17)
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01 Oct 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotional Service, Teachings of Lord Kapila
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti, Bharatavarsa, devotional service, hearing and chanting, India, Kapila, Krishna, Krsna, nine processes of devotional service, parampara system, sravanam kirtanam visnoh, Teachings of Lord Kapila, the son of devahuti, the supreme Lord
…We can understand the pastimes of the Lord by following one or some of the authorized devotional processes.
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
“Hearing, chanting and remembering the holy name, form, pastimes, qualities and entourage of the Lord, offering service according to the time, place and performer, worshiping the Deity, offering prayers, always considering oneself the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, making friends with Him and dedicating everything unto Him—these are the nine processes of devotional service.” (Bhāg. 7.5.23)
…hearing and chanting, are the beginning of bhakti, devotional service. Therefore it is said: tāni me śraddadhānasya kīrtanyāny anukīrtaya. The word anukīrtaya means to follow the paramparā system… The Supreme Lord is more anxious to give us education and enlightenment than we are to receive them. He gives us His literature, His devotees and the paramparā system, but it is up to us to take advantage of these. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is intended to give society the proper understanding of the Absolute Truth. We are not presenting a manufactured, bogus philosophy. Why should we unnecessarily waste our time concocting some philosophy? There is so much to be learned that has already been given by the supreme authority. All we have to do is take this Vedic literature, try to learn it and distribute it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission.
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Three, Text 3
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30 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness, Krsna Consciousness, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Dwarka, Jarasandha, Kamsa, king jarasandha, kingdom of Mathura, Krishna, Krsna, Krsna erects the Dvaraka fort, Krsna The Supreme Personality of Godhead, military strength capital of the Yadu kings, Sri Krishna, Vedic civilization
click on image to enlarge
I often lament that as a child growing up my hero’s were fictional characters, like Flash Gordan and Superman, without any Krsna Consciousness. And I often think how fortunate are the children who grew up instead with stories from the Krsna Book, or the Mahabharata. With great battle scenes, real drama, and romance. Not just fictional stories but eternal pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. Here is one such example:
…In order to fight with Kṛṣṇa, Jarāsandha surrounded Him from all sides with great military strength, and the sun appeared covered by the cloudy air and dust. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme sun, was covered by the military strength of Jarāsandha. Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s chariots were marked with pictures of Garuḍa and palm trees. The women of Mathurā were all standing on the tops of the houses and palaces and gates to see the wonderful fight, but when Kṛṣṇa’s chariot was surrounded by Jarāsandha’s military force, they became so frightened that some of them fainted. Kṛṣṇa saw Himself overwhelmed by the military strength of Jarāsandha. His small number of soldiers was being harassed by them, so He immediately took up His bow, named Śārṅga.
He began to take His arrows from their case, and one after another He set them on the bowstring and shot them toward the enemy. They were so accurate that the elephants, horses and infantry soldiers of Jarāsandha were quickly killed. The incessant arrows thrown by Kṛṣṇa appeared as a whirlwind of blazing fire killing all the military strength of Jarāsandha.
Wow!
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead 1970 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Fifty
Full Chapter More
29 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Divine and Demoniac Natures
Tags: 1972 Edition, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arjuna, as it is, austerity, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, charity, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, Demoniac, Divine, Fearlessness, Krishna, performance of sacrifice, purification of one’s existence, self-control, Sri Bhagavan uvaca, study of the Vedas, the blessed Lord said, the divine and demoniac natures
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Sixteen
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28 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Interview with Srila Prabhupada, Newton Minnow
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, btg vol.1 no.56, interview with His Divine Grace, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, Newton Minnow, prabhupada, surcharged with bliss, television, tv interview, vast wasteland
Transcendental Broadcast
A television interview with His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Excerpted from ‘Back To Godhead’ magazine, 1973, Vol. 1 No. 56
Newton Minnow, former director of the FCC, described the world of TV viewing as a “vast wasteland.” But when a pure devotee of Krsna (God) appears on television, the whole performance becomes surcharged with bliss. When television, with its complex technological set-up for reproducing a picture in thousands of TV sets, is used by a pure devotee for the purpose of glorification of the Supreme Lord, it becomes spiritualized. Whoever sees and hears a pure devotee talking about the nature of God and the eternal soul becomes liberated from all misery.
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25 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Krsna Consciousness, Spiritual Life, Yoga
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arjuna, as it is, Bg. 6.29, Bg. 6.30, bhagavad-gita, bhakti yoga, Krishna, Krishna consciousness, krsna conscious yogi, love of God, self realization, true yogi, yoga, yogi
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A true yogī observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere. (Bg. 6.29)
For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. (Bg. 6.30)
…A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness certainly sees Lord Kṛṣṇa everywhere, and he sees everything in Kṛṣṇa…Nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of everything—this is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
…Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the development of love of Kṛṣṇa—a position transcendental even to material liberation. (from purport to Bg.6.30)
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.;C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 6, Text 29-30
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24 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhakti Yoga, Krishna Consciousness, Yoga
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti yoga, hatha yoga, jnana-yoga, karma yoga, krishna consciousness yoga, krsna consciousness, raja yoga, Supreme Personality of Godhead, yoga, yogi
This morning my reading focused on the end of the 6th and beginning of the 7th chapters of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Wherein Srila Prabhupada describes…
…The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti in bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga; all other yogas are progressions toward the destination of bhakti-yoga.
…Therefore, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is the highest stage of yoga.
…Different types of yoga are only steppingstones on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically knows about brahmajyoti and Paramātmā in full. By practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga, one can know everything in full—namely the Absolute Truth, the living entities, the material nature, and their manifestations with paraphernalia.
In these two important verses (Bg 6.47 & 7.1) there is much good information about yoga, the different types of yoga, yoga practices, and the ultimate goal of yoga. Very informative!
More from purports followed by full text and purports More
23 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Ecstasy, Krishna Nectar, Spiritual Life, Vrndavana
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, divine ecstasies, Krishna's friends, Krsna, Krsna-katha, lotus flower, lunch with krssn, Pariksit, SB 10, Srila Prabhupada's divine ecstasies, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami, whorl of a lotus flower
Today, being Monday, and the start of another workday week, I wanted to focus my mind, not on all the work ahead, but rather, on some Krishna Nectar from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam. We share with you a few of Srila Prabhupada’s divine ecstasies. As we mentioned is a previous post, there are two kṛṣṇa-kathās; narrations spoken by Kṛṣṇa, and narrations spoken about Kṛṣṇa. Please note text 5 & 6 which is spoken by Krsna.
…devotees who have accepted the essence of life, are attached to Kṛṣṇa in the core of their hearts, and He is the aim of their lives. It is their nature to talk only of Kṛṣṇa at every moment, as if such topics were newer and newer.
Like the whorl of a lotus flower surrounded by its petals and leaves, Kṛṣṇa sat in the center, encircled by lines of His friends, who all looked very beautiful. Every one of them was trying to look forward toward Kṛṣṇa, thinking that Kṛṣṇa might look toward him. In this way they all enjoyed their lunch in the forest.
Among the cowherd boys, some placed their lunch on flowers, some on leaves, fruits, or bunches of leaves, some actually in their baskets, some on the bark of trees and some on rocks. This is what the children imagined to be their plates as they ate their lunch.
Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto 10, Chapter 13, Text 1-12
Translations and purports More
20 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, age of kali, austerity, brahminical culture, cleanliness, innocent animals, Kali, Kali-yuga, ksatriya rulers, Maharaja Pariksit, mercy. truthfulness, Punishment and Reward of Kali, SB 17, spiritual initiation, Srimad Bhagavatam, sudra, surabji, Suta Goswami
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Seventeen
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18 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Haridasa Thakura, Krsna Consciousness
Tags: 300 thousand names, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, disciples, dog-eaters, Haridasa Thakur, Lord Caitanya, Moslem family, namacarya, namachara, Spiritual Life, Thakur Haridasa
After the passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the Lord Himself took his body on His lap, and He danced with it in great ecstasy. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 10.46)
Today being the Disappearance of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, we honor him with this short post. We have selected a verse from the Bhagavad-gita 6.44 wherein Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport;
…Lord Caitanya, accepted Ṭhākur Haridāsa as one of His most important disciples. …he was elevated to the post of nāmācārya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
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16 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jiva Goswami, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vamanadeva
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Aditi, appearance of lord vamandeva, Bali Maharaja, club, conchshell, disc, dwarf-brahmana, Jiva Goswami, Krsna, lotus, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vamana, Vamanadeva, Vijaya
Today we honor the Appearance of Lord Vamandeva, who, as some of you know, appeared as the fifteenth incarnation of Krsna. Lord Vāmanadeva assumed the form of a dwarf-brāhmaṇa [Vāmana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahārāja Bali. The following is a brief summary from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam, 8th Canto, Chapter 18.
Today also marks the Appearance of Srila Jiva Goswami, and there is a brief instruction given by him on understanding God at bottom of post.
Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in this world from the womb of Aditi completely equipped with conchshell, disc, club and lotus. His bodily hue was blackish, and He was dressed in yellow garments. Lord Viṣṇu appeared at an auspicious moment on Śravaṇa-dvādaśī when the Abhijit star had arisen. At that time, in all the three worlds (including the higher planetary system, outer space and this earth), all the demigods, the cows, the brāhmaṇas and even the seasons were happy because of God’s appearance. Therefore this auspicious day is called Vijayā.
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14 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Arjuna, as it is, Banyan tree, bhagavad-gita, bhakti yoga, fruitive activities, Krishna, material world, Sri Bhagavan uvaca, the blessed Lord said, The Yoga of the Supreme Person, Vedas, Vedic hymns
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is Complete 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Fiveteen
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12 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance of srimati radharani, bliss tasted by radharani, conjugal sentiment, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Sri Krsna, love of God, Radha, Radharani, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani, sweetness personified, transcendental love
In one of our previous posts “The Confidential Reasons for Lord Caitanya’s Appearance” The chapter summary described that:
Lord Caitanya appeared for three principal purposes of His own. The first purpose was to relish the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the prime reciprocator of transcendental love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of transcendental loving transactions with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
The third reason that Lord Caitanya appeared was to enjoy the bliss tasted by Rādhārāṇī…Kṛṣṇa is the transcendental male, and Rādhārāṇī is the transcendental female. Therefore, to know the transcendental pleasure of loving Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Lord Caitanya, accepting the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
Today in honor of the appearance of Srimati Radharani, we are posting more from this nectarean chapter More
10 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kapila, Teachings of Lord Kapila
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, full consciousness, Kapila, Lord Kapila, methodology, philosophical system known as sankhya, Sankhya philosophy, Son of Devahuti, spiritual knowledge, Teachings of Lord Kapila
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Foreword
Kapila Muni, a renowned sage of antiquity, is the author of the philosophical system known as Sāṅkhya, which forms an important part of India’s ancient philosophical heritage. Sāṅkhya is both a system of metaphysics, dealing with the elemental principles of the physical universe, and a system of spiritual knowledge, with its own methodology, culminating in full consciousness of the Supreme Absolute. Kapila, however, is not an ordinary philosopher or sage. According to Vedic tradition, the tradition of India’s ancient scriptural literature, He Himself is an avatāra (incarnation) of the Supreme Absolute Truth.
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08 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Free Downloads, Free eBooks, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Tags: 1970 Edition, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, download free pdf, free, ISKCON Press, Krsna, one thousandth post, pdf download, scanned copy of Krsna, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, theharekrishnamovement, Vol. 1
This marks our one thousandth post! So we are putting up our favorite book; “Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead” Vol. 1, as a Free PDF Download. You can click on following link to view the entire scanned book, and or save it.
KRSNA_Book_Vol.1_1970_ISKCON_Press_edition_SCAN
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08 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Death and Dying, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Tags: 1970 Edition, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhoja dynasty, bugles, chariot, conchshells, death, death and dying, demigod, demon, Devaki, devotee, devotional service, drums, Kamsa, kettledrums, Krishna, Krsna The Supreme Personality of Godhead, musical instruments, Vasudeva
…Once upon a time, Vasudeva, the son of Śūrasena, just after marrying Devakī, was going home on his chariot with his newly wedded wife.
While the bride and bridegroom were passing along on the chariot, there were different kinds of musical instruments playing to indicate the auspicious moment. There were conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrums; combined together, they were vibrating a nice concert. The procession was passing very pleasingly, and Kaṁsa was driving the chariot, when suddenly there was a miraculous sound vibrated from the sky which especially announced to Kaṁsa: “Kaṁsa: you are such a fool. You are driving the chariot of your sister and your brother-in-law, but you do not know that the eighth child of this sister will kill you.”
Kaṁsa was the son of Ugrasena, of the Bhoja dynasty. It is said that Kaṁsa was the most demoniac of all the Bhoja dynasty kings. Immediately after hearing the prophecy from the sky, he caught hold of Devakī’s hair and was just about to kill her with his sword. Vasudeva was astonished at Kaṁsa’s behavior, and in order to pacify the cruel, shameless brother-in-law, he began to speak as follows, with great reason and evidence. He said, “My dear brother-in-law Kaṁsa, you are the most famous king of the Bhoja dynasty, and people know that you are the greatest warrior and a valiant king. How is it that you are so infuriated that you are prepared to kill a woman who is your own sister at this auspicious time of her marriage? Why should you be so much afraid of death? Death is already born along with your birth. From the very day you took your birth, you began to die.(Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 1)
On Janmastami day I decided to start reading the Kṛṣṇa Book over again. I don’t know how many times I have read it but unlike mundane literature, it becomes more and more transcendentally relishable with every reading. In this first chapter entitled “The Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa”, Vasudeva, in his attempt to pacify Kaṁsa, spoke this very famous lesson about death…
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07 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna is the Source of All Incarnations
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya Caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chanting Hare Krishna, confidential devotees, Hare Krishna, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Lord Caitanya, Radharani, Sri Krsna, Srimati Radharani, transcendental pleasure
“Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to taste the limitless nectarean mellows of the love of one of His multitude of loving damsels [Śrī Rādhā], and so He has assumed the form of Lord Caitanya. He has tasted that love while hiding His own dark complexion with Her effulgent yellow color. May that Lord Caitanya confer upon us His grace.”(This is the third verse of the second Caitanyāṣṭaka of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Stava-mālā.)
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Summary of Ādi-līlā, Chapter 4
The Confidential Reasons for Lord Caitanya’s Appearance
In this chapter of the epic Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has stressed that Lord Caitanya appeared for three principal purposes of His own. The first purpose was to relish the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the prime reciprocator of transcendental love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of transcendental loving transactions with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The subject of those loving transactions is the Lord Himself, and Rādhārāṇī is the object. Thus the subject, the Lord, wanted to relish the loving mellow in the position of the object, Rādhārāṇī.
The second reason for His appearance was to understand the transcendental mellow of Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa is all sweetness. Rādhārāṇī’s attraction for Kṛṣṇa is sublime, and to experience that attraction and understand the transcendental sweetness of Himself, He accepted the mentality of Rādhārāṇī.
The third reason that Lord Caitanya appeared was to enjoy the bliss tasted by Rādhārāṇī. The Lord thought that undoubtedly Rādhārāṇī enjoyed His company and He enjoyed the company of Rādhārāṇī, but the exchange of transcendental mellow between the spiritual couple was more pleasing to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī than to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāṇī felt more transcendental pleasure in the company of Kṛṣṇa than He could understand without taking Her position, but for Śrī Kṛṣṇa to enjoy in the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was impossible because that position was completely foreign to Him. Kṛṣṇa is the transcendental male, and Rādhārāṇī is the transcendental female. Therefore, to know the transcendental pleasure of loving Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Lord Caitanya, accepting the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
Lord Caitanya appeared to fulfill these confidential desires and also to preach the special significance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and to answer the call of Advaita Prabhu. These were secondary reasons.
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06 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gopis, Lord Caitanya, nectar produced on the mooon, pastimes of the Supreme personality of godhead, Sri Krsna, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, The Beauty of Krsna, unwanted desires
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“The gopīs used to relish the beauty of Kṛṣṇa as a ceremony of perpetual enjoyment. They enjoyed the beautiful face of Kṛṣṇa, His beautiful ears with earrings, His broad forehead and His smile, and when enjoying this sight of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, they used to criticize the creator Brahmā for causing their vision of Kṛṣṇa to be momentarily impeded by the blinking of their eyelids.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya Chapter 10)
The beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa increases at the sight of the beauty of the gopīs. And the more the gopīs see Lord Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, the more their beauty increases. (Cc. Adi 4.192)
“May the pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa reduce the miseries existing in the material world and nullify all unwanted desires. The pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are like śikhariṇī, a blend of yogurt and sugar candy. They overpower the pride of even the nectar produced on the moon, for they distribute the sweet fragrance of the concentrated loving affairs of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs.” (Cc. Antya 1.128)
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04 Sep 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Krsna Consciousness, Visakha devi dasi
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, Book Distribution, BTG, His Divine Grace, hot off the press, preaching Krishna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada, transcontinental jet, traveling emissary, Visakha devi dasi
As a young devotee/book distributor, we were always anxious to see the new Back to Godhead Magazines “Hot off the Press”, and distribute them to the public. This was one article written by Visakha devi dasi that I fondly remember. Whenever I got tired out on book distribution, I would think of Srila Prabhupada’s rigorous schedule, and it would inspire me to continue on. Srila Prabhupada was tireless in his preaching and generous in giving others his divine association.
Summer Sessions With Srila Prabhupada
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine 1975, Vol. 10, No 10
Article by Visakha devi dasi
In five cities and on a transcontinental jet, His Divine Grace spends a typical month at his favorite pastime—teaching Krsna Consciousness.
He’s probably logged as much flight time in the past ten years as any other traveling emissary. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has gone around the world twelve times visiting his ISKCON centers, lecturing and insuring a high standard of spiritual life among his disciples. The author traveled with him this past summer as he shuttled from West to East coast and back again, holding informal meetings and having dialogues with those who came to ask questions no one else could answer.
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