05 Feb 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Advaita Acarya, Advaita Acharya, Caaitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada's Books
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Advaita Acarya, constitutional position, devotee, devotional service, Ganges water and tulasī leaves, inauspicious activities, infinitesimal living entities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Lord Caitanya, material enjoyment, preaching devotional service, Rama, servant of the Supreme Lord, The sweetness of Lord Kṛṣṇa, tulasi leaves
Today marks the Appearance Day of Ari Advaita Acarya. We honor this auspisious day with a complete chapter from the Caitanya-caritamrta; “The Glories of Śrī Advaita Ācārya”
I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Advaita Ācārya, whose activities are all wonderful. By His mercy, even a foolish person can describe His characteristics. (Cc. 6.1)
Since He has no other occupation than to teach devotional service, His name is Advaita Ācārya. (Cc. 6.29)
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Ādi-līlā 1975 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 6
The Glories of Śrī Advaita Ācārya
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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20 Jul 2013
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna, Kusakratha das, Rupa Goswami, Sri Hamsadutta, Srimati Radharani
Tags: Akrura, ashoka flowers, Autumn, Autumn cloud, autumn evening pastimes, Balarama, bandhuka flower, bimba-fruit lips, bliss, buddha, cuckoo, dadamba flowers, Damodara, garments splendid as gold, Garuda, girimalli gflowers, gokulas's eyes, gopas, gopis, Govinda, jasmine vines, kadamba tree, kaliya lake, Kalki, Kamadeva, kaustubha jewel, king of the swans, Krishna, krishna's feet, kubja, Kurma, lalita, lord hari, Lord Krishna, lotus-faced one, lover of the gopis, madhuvana, manasa-sarovara, Matsya, Mount Kailasa, Mukunda, Nrisimha, peacock feather crown, peacock feathers, pillar arms, Radha, Radharani, Radhika, Ramacandra, rasa dance, rasa-lila, Sakara Mallika, shaphari fishes, shark earrings, silk garments, Srila Rupa Gosvami, swans, tamala tree, tilaka, Tulasi devi, tulasi leaves, Uddhava, Vamana, Varaha, vijayate, Vrindavana, Yamuna
This very beautiful translation of “Sri Hamsadutta” by Srila Rupa Goswami, is the work of His Grace Kusakratha prabhu (ACBSP).
Some of the literature, that Kuskratha Prabhu has translated, is so confidentially elevated that many devotees are not yet ready to grasp it. Nevertheless, these immortal works now stand as a vast body of reference material for the Vaisnava community to consult. Aside from accurately transmitting the words of the acaryas, Kusakratha has also rendered thousands of pages of glorification of Krishna through his personal English poetic composition. Some of these compositions have been published though many have not, as of yet.
More on Kuskratha Prabhu at bottom of post…but this is just a sampling of the Sri Hamsadutta before we post it here in its entirety.
May a certain blissful person in splendid yellow silk garments, the soles of His lotus feet glorious as a host of red roses, His form dark as a tamala tree, and His mouth playfully curved in a gentle smile, appear in my heart. (Text One)
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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
14 Sep 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Spiritual World, Srimati Tulasi Devi
Tags: Spiritual world, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimati Tulasi Devi, Tulasi, tulasi garlands, tulasi leaves
Srimati Tulasi and Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra
The most important thing about the spiritual world is that there is no envy among the devotees there. This is true even among the flowers, which are all conscious of the greatness of tulasī.
Although flowering plants like the mandāra, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arṇa, punnāga, nāgakeśara, bakula, lily and pārijāta are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by tulasī, for tulasī is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulasī leaves.
Purport
The importance of tulasī leaves is very clearly mentioned here. Tulasī plants and their leaves are very important in devotional service. Devotees are recommended to water the tulasī tree every day and collect the leaves to worship the Lord. One time an atheistic svāmī remarked, “What is the use of watering the tulasī plant? It is better to water eggplant. By watering the eggplant one can get some fruits, but what is the use of watering the tulasī?” These foolish creatures, unacquainted with devotional service, sometimes play havoc with the education of people in general.
The most important thing about the spiritual world is that there is no envy among the devotees there. This is true even among the flowers, which are all conscious of the greatness of tulasī. In the Vaikuṇṭha world entered by the four Kumāras, even the birds and flowers are conscious of service to the Lord. (Srimad Bhagavatam)
The Hare Krishna Movement 