BTG | The Hare Krishna Movement

Declaring Our Dependence on God

04 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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.

The Special Kindness of Lord Caitanya

30 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, BTG, Buddhist, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridas Thakrua, holy names, Jagai and Madhai, Jharikhanda forest, jungle animals, Krsna! Krsna!, Lord Caitanya, love of God, Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

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The Special Kindness of Lord Caitanya

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, appeared in India in the fifteenth century. His mission was to freely distribute pure love of God to everyone without considering who was qualified or unqualified. He predicted that the whole world would one day hear the chanting of the Lord’s holy names. The first of the following three narratives is excerpted from Srila Prabhupada’s introduction to Srimad-Bhagavatam. The final two are taken from his English translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, an extensive account of Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings.

Gopinatha, Lord of the Gopis

11 Jul 2012 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Gopinatha, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas Tags: Bhaktivinoda Thakur, BTG, Gopinatha, Lord of the Gopis, O Gopinatha, please hear my prayers, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas

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Gopinatha, Lord of the Gopis
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(1)
gopīnāth, mama nivedana śuno
viṣayī durjana, sadā kāma-rata,
kichu nāhi mora guṇa

O Gopinatha, Lord of the gopis, please hear my prayer, I am a materialistic rascal, always full of lust. I have no good qualifications.

(2)
gopīnāth, āmāra bharasā tumi
tomāra caraṇe, loinu śaraṇa,
tomāra kińkora āmi

O Gopinatha! You are my only resort. As Your eternal servant, I take shelter of Your Lotus feet.

(3)
gopīnāth, kemone śodhibe more
nā jāni bhakati, karme jaḍa-mati,
porechi soḿsāra-ghore

O Gopinatha! How can I uplift myself? I don’t know anything regarding devotional service, I am weak minded and have fallen into a pit of illusion.

(4)
gopīnāth, sakali tomāra māyā
nāhi mama bala, jñāna sunirmala,
swādīna nahe e kāyā

O Gopinatha! Everything here is but Your illusory energy. I have no power or pure knowledge, and I am bound by a material body.