Jai Gauranga!!!

The auspicious occasion of Sri Gaura Purnima is coming up soon!

"I worship Sri Caitanyadeva, whose hair is intertwined with beautiful garlands of pearls, whose face is splendorous like a radiant moon, whose limbs are smeared with candana and aguru and who, adorned with wonderful clothes, garlands and transcendental, glittering ornment, dances while absored in ecstaties of sweet mellows. His body of golden complexion, being adorned with the ornaments of bhava, makes Him appear like an enchanting Cupid amidst the presence of His intimate associates."

- as quoted in Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's book, Sri Bhajan Rahasya, commentated on by Sri Srimad Bhaktivednta Narayana Goswami Maharaja

Sri Adwaita Acarya

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
"O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance."

Sri Adwaita Acarya

Today is the birthday of Advaita Acarya. He is very powerful, as can be especially understood by the fact that He brought Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to this world. Otherwise, there was no certainty when Caitanya Mahaprabhu would come. Krsna, in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, wanted to come; but if He would have come by His own sweet will, perhaps He would have done so at the end of Kali-yuga. Advaita Acarya called Him with Tulasi leaves, which are also very powerful. Along with offering Tulasi and Ganges water, Advaita Acarya called to Krsna: “Come at once; otherwise I will manifest My four arms and destroy the entire world.” He then heard an aerial voice: “Please don’t worry. Everything will be managed.” Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Krsna had some fear that Advaita would destroy the world, so He came.
 Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Very soon after that, Krsna appeared in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to manifest His pastimes. It is for this reason that Advaita Acarya is called Gaura-ana Thakura, which means: “He who brought Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” He is also called Nada, which means: “He who can shake the throne of Krsna.” Advaita Acarya called, “Please come, Please come,” and Krsna came. Advaita Acarya Prabhu ki jaya! Jaya ho!

- 2001 lecture, Perth, Australia 

Srila Vrndavana das Thakur ki jai!

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
"O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance."

the deities of Srila Vrndavana das Thakur

Here is a link to a sweet biography of Srila Vrndavana das Thakur: Sri Vrndavana das Thakur

Srila Vrndavana das Thakur was the last disciple of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Jai! He wrote the Caitanya Bhagavata,, and beautiful, beautiful songs, one of which is the following, Jaya Jaya Nityananda Rohini Kumar:

(1)

jaya jaya nityananda rohini-kumara

patita uddhara lagi su-bahu pasara

(2)

gada gada madhura madhura adha bola

pare dekhe gare preme dhari deya khola

(3)

dagamaga locana ghoraye nirantara

sonara kamale yena phiraye bhramara

(4)

dayara thakura nita-i para duhkha jane

hari-namera mala ganthi dila jane jane

(5)

papi pasandi yata karila dalane

dina hina jane kaila prema bitarane

(6)

aha re gauranga bali pade bhumi-tale

sarira bhijila nita-ira nayanera jale

(7)

brndabana dasa mane e-i bicarila

dharani upare kiba sumeru padila

(1) Glory, glory to Lord Nityananda. He is Lord Balarama Himself. To deliver the fallen sinners He extends His two arms.

(2) His half words spoken in a choked voice are the sweetest nectar. Whomever He sees He hugs in the ecstasy of spiritual love.

(3) His eyes are always restless. They are like two black bees flying among golden lotus flowers.

(4) Lord Nitai is the master of mercy. Seeing the people tormented by troubles, He strings for them a necklace of Lord Hari’s holy names. To person after person He gives that necklace.

(5) The arrogant blasphemers and sinners He rips into shreds. To the poor fallen people He gives the gift of ecstatic spiritual love.

(6) Calling out, “O! O Gauranga!”, He falls to the ground. His whole body is soaked with tears.

(7) In his heart Vrndavana dasa thinks: Now Lord Nityananda is like a golden Mount Sumeru fallen to the ground.

Here is a video of Srila Gurudeva in Sridham Mayapura glorifying Sri Vrndavana das Thakur:

Srila Gurudeva glorifies Sri Vrndavana das Thakur

Sri Gadadhara Pandita

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
"O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance."

From Sri Gadadharastakam by Srila Svarupa Damodara Goswami:

"That personality who eternally wanders in Vraja while
playfully performing Her own loving devotional service,
(in other words, Sri Rädhä, who is non-different from Sri Gadädhara Prabhu) is the chief among the beloved
damsels of Sri Hari. As the foremost of the beloved
associates of the son of Saci (in other words, Sri Gadädhara Prabhu), he reveals the process of service to Sri Rädhä and Krsna. I worship that magnanimous, exalted
Pandita and Guru, Sri Gadädhara Prabhu."

Sri Gaura Gadadhara

Please accept my apologies for strange typos; I got this from The Rays of the Harmonist, no. 9, Winter 2001, which you can download in its entirety at www.purebhakti.com by searching 'gadadhara': 

"One day, after hearing Srimad-Bhägavatam,
Mahäprabhu was sitting on the sand here at Cataka-parvata,
which He considered to be Govardhana. He told
Gadädhara Pandita, ’Gadädhara, I want to give you my
most valuable property. Will you accept it?’ When
Gadädhara Pandita agreed, Mahäprabhu said, ’This is the
property of My heart.’ He began removing the sand and
said, ’My präna-dhana is here.’ In the mood of Srimati
Rädhikä, He exposed Gopinätha’s head and crown, and
others then began to help reveal His form. Mahäprabhu
then requested Sri Gadädhara Pandita, ’You should take
Him and serve Him throughout your life.’

"Gadädhara Pandita is always serving Krsna. In krsnalila,

Srimati Rädhikä always satisfies Krsna more than

Candrävali, Lalitä, Visäkha, and others.
Her whole mood is to satisfy
Krsna. In mahäprabhu-lila, because Krsna wants to taste
Himself, He takes Rädhikä’s mood, and She responds
accordingly: ’He wants that, so I should not disturb Him.
If I help Him in this, this will be my service.’ Do you
understand?

"When Mahäprabhu was calling, ‘Krsna! Krsna! O
Pränanätha!’ Rädhikä was there, but as an obedient servant.
She was in a daksina (submissive) mood. The relationship
of däsa is always in a daksina mood. Sri
Gadädhara Pandita was even more daksina than Rukmini.
Rukmini sometimes had some mäna (transcendental loving
anger), but Sri Gadädhara Pandita was not like that.
If he had been in a vämya (left-wing or unsubmissive)
mood, it would have been unfavourable to the mood of
Krsna as Mahäprabhu. Gadädhara Pandita was always
thinking, ’I am His servant.’ If he had said, ’My dear
Krsna, my dear beloved’, Mahäprabhu’s mood would have
been disturbed.

"This was also true in Navadvipa. At that time Gauräìga
was also calling out, ‘Krsna, Krsna!’ not, ‘Rädhe, Rädhe!’
But at that time He was untrained; He had not yet been
admitted into the school of Visäkhä, Sri Räya Rämänanda.
At that time also, Gadädhara Pandita always served as an
obedient servant, covering all his moods as Srimati
Rädhikä. And he is in the same mood in nitya Navadvipadh
äma. He is never nägari in mahäprabhu-lilä."

Sri Gadadhara Pandita ki jai!! May he rain his mercy on us all!

Jai Srila Gurudeva!

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

nama om vishnu padaya radhikayai priyatmane sri srimad bhaktivedanta narayana iti namine

I offer pranama to om vishnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, who is very dear to Srimati Radhika.

sri krishna lila kathane sudaksam
audarya madhurya gunais ca yuktam
varam varenyam purusam mahantam
narayanam tvam sirasa namami

Srila Narayana Maharaja is expert in describing krsna-lila. He is endowed with the qualities of magnanimity and sweetness, and he is the best of the great souls. Because he is always relishing Krsna's sweetness, he is able to freely distribute that sweetness to others. I bow down and place my head at his lotus feet.

tridandinam bhakta siromanim ca sri krsna padabja dhrtaika hrdi
caitanya lilamrta sara saram narayanam tvam satatam prapadye

Tridandi-sannyasi Srila Narayana Maharaja, the crown jewel of devotees, always keeps in his heart the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna, especially when Krsna serves Srimati Radhika. He deeply meditates on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the internal reasons for His descent. I bow down to the lotus feet of Srila Narayana Maharaja, who possesses innumerable transcendental qualities.

= = =

Tomorrow is the holy disappearance day of my beloved spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja. I do not know where to begin in glorifying him or sharing his pastimes and sweetness. I do not feel at all qualified to speak on him in any way, and yet tomorrow I will be asked to speak, and I do want to say something.

Earlier in the year I wrote a poem for him...perhaps I will write another poem. This morning at the temple I live at we spoke on verse 11.11.32 of the Srimad Bhagavatam, in which 28 qualities of a saintly person are described. We picked the first two - merciful, and not taking offense even when people say offensive things about him - and spoke on how Srila Gurudeva is a perfect example of these two qualities.

Many times people would slander my Gurudeva horribly, but he said he considered them as children, and did not take offense. To each who came to him, he would treat them very affectionately. And to those who, very late, realized his potency and purity, he accepted their offerings.

I have one close person to me who, during my Gurudeva's last tour of the West, made a garland for him - after years of feeling unfavorable and disinclined to his lotus feet - and at first he simply let the garland stay on his table in front of him. She thought, "Maybe I am too offensive, so he won't accept it." Then my Gurudeva accepted that garland, and wore it for the whole class (which he doesn't usually do). How merciful! And just see how he does not take offense.

There is so much to say on Gurudeva...I did not get a lot of association, but even just a glance from him was association and filled with nectar. I have never met anyone else who could affect me so. He could make me cry with a laugh, or make me feel about to burst with happiness. His gaze was very sweet, and he could convey so much just by it - chastisement, or joy, approval, so many things.

Once, I was sitting in class and he looked at me. His gaze was so powerful. Just by having him look into my eyes with his beautiful blue eyes, I felt blessed. I wanted to share that glance with him forever. But his gaze was so powerful! I was the first to look away. Perhaps he was slicing anarthas away from me with his glance, and that was why I could not keep my gaze locked with his - I am so material and offensive.


I also feel so blessed to have offered him a little service, just a little. Each year I would greet him every morning with flowers. It felt like I was offering my heart, and it felt like each flower bound me tighter and tighter to Srila Gurudeva. One year, I worked at a booth selling posters of Syamarani didi's art inspired by Srila Gurudeva's transcendental harikatha and rose-like heart. When my Gurudeva heard that I had helped in this service, he gave me a very brilliant, sweet smile. I felt like it was a shot of love injected in my heart to stay there forever. That was one of the times I had made extra effort to serve him; it was one of the first times I felt, "Oh, I belong to this person - not to myself, not to family, but to him, this beautiful personality smiling at me."

He has so much love...it can flood the universe. I feel so indebted to have received that love...I am a small, nothing person, who does not learn - even after years of hearing his harikatha, I did not follow, I do not follow, I remain so confused and lost sometimes - and yet he accepted me, and he will never, ever let go. It is said that just ONE MOMENT with a pure devotee makes one's life successful...so how fortunate am I, to have gotten momentS, days, with His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja? It is truly making the impossible possible, that I can have hope of serving Srimati Radhika and Krsna - and Gurudeva has given me this hope.

I want to share a song he wrote:

LYRICS:

(Refrain)

vraja-jana-mana-sukhakārī

rādhe syām syāmā syām

(1)

mor mukuṭa makarākṛta-kuṇḍala, gala vaijayantī-māla,

caraṇana nūpura rasāla

rādhe syām syāmā syām

(2)

sundara vadana kamala-dala locana, bākī cita-vana-hārī,

mohana-vaḿśī-vihārī

rādhe syām syāmā syām

(3)

vṛndāvana mê dhenu carāve, gopī-jana manahārī

śrī govardhana-dhārī

rādhe syām syāmā syām

(4)

rādhā-kṛṣṇa mili aba dou, gaura-rūpa avatārī

kīrtana dharma pracārī

rādhe syām syāmā syām

(5)

tum vinā mere aur na koi, nāma-rūpa avatārī

caraṇana meń balihārī,

nārāyaṇa balihārī,

rādhe syām syāmā syām

TRANSLATION

(Refrain) Krsna gives happiness in the hearts of all the Vrajavasis - Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

1) He wears a peacock feather mukut, swinging makara-shaped earrings and a vaijayanti garland around His neck, and the sound of His anklebells is full of rasa! Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

2) His lotus face is very beautiful and His eyes are like lotus-petals. Wandering here and there, He charms everyone with His flute and threefold curved form! Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

3) In Vrndavana He tends the cows in the pastures, steals the gopis' minds, and holds up Sri Govardhana Hill! Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

4) Sri Radha-Krsna have united and now the two have come as the beautiful golden avatara, preaching kirtana-dharma. Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

5) I have no one but You in this world. You descend as the avatara of the beautiful name and beautiful form. Your lotus feet fill me with wonder - so this Narayana is filled with delight! Radhe! Syama! Syama! Syama!

Jai Srila Gurudeva! May his glories spread everywhere, and may I some day get the dust of his lotus feet not only externally, but internally, so that I can understand his heart and please him to the utmost...

- in service of sri guru and vaisnavas

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur - belated

Picture:
Gurudeva

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


An entire month gone by without a post! Please forgive me!

The other day we celebrated the auspicious disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Jai!!

Here is some nectar from him:

KITE-PLAYING ON AN UNWALLED ROOF

A dull headed boy was once happily flying a kite from an unwalled rooftop. He became so engrossed in playing that he lost his awareness. His playmates were also encouraging him very much. The boy got so carried away that he failed to notice that one of his legs was hanging over the edge of the roof. None of the other boys alerted him to this peril; rather they simply continued to encourage him to fly the kite.

At that critical moment, a wise man happened to pass by. He saw that the boy was in imminent danger of falling from the roof. He immediately rushed up to save the boy although the others saw no danger. He pulled the boy away from the edge, tore off the thread of the kite and took away the spool of thread.

But the foolish boy and his friends, rather than feeling thankful, began to curse the wellmeaning gentleman. They called him a thief, rascal, trespasser, gunda, hooligan, ruffian and other such names. They even threatened to take the gentleman to court after complaining to their over-indulgent parents. Some even tried to physically assault him. Bearing all this, the kind-hearted gentleman saved the boy from imminent death.

PURPORT

Materialistic persons embrace their certain death by accepting whatever is apparently palatable to them. By no means are they prepared to accept anything which is apparently bitter but ultimately pleasant. Many of our so-called friends in this material world also encourage us in sense gratificatory activities that lead us to certain death and destruction.

By chance if one comes across a benevolent saintly person, he preaches to us out of his sheer mercy some real truths although in an unpleasantly stern exposition (like a dose of strong medicine) in spite of our unwillingness to accept it. Therefore we should accept all good sermons from saintly persons delivered in the cause of our eternal welfare, even if those words appear utterly bitter and heart rending.

-from Upakhyane Upadesa, Instructive Stories from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaja

I am unable to post pictures at this time, due to a horrible internet connection. I am sorry!


om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


Again I have not been posting, and again, please accept my humble apologies. Recently, roughly a week ago, we celebrated the auspicious appearance day of Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja, pictured above.

Please enjoy this appreciation by Srila Gurudeva of Srila Maharaja, published in the Harmonist magazine:

Srila Gurudeva's offering to Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaja

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaja

"We must take shelter of His holy name; it is inseparable from His existence. The sound aspect of divinity can help us a great deal on the way back to Godhead. His holy name is our slogan, our war cry - "Hare Krsna!" With that slogan, we shall march on with His genuine agents. We must follow them and withdraw ourselves from all other possibilities and promises, all so-called prospects of life."

- Swami B.R. Sridhar

It has been far too long since my last post. I have been engaged in reading, chanting, and parikrama, but still, this blog is something I shall not abandon and want to continue to engage myself in.

Today is the holy appearance day of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhara Maharaja - JAI!!

Here is one excerpt from this very beautiful gem of a book, Sri Guru and His Grace:

"Everyone must ask himself, 'Where am I? What is my real need? And how much am I hankering for the real thing?'

"All these things will be expressed, and made public. So, this is the real field of sadhana, or practice. Our practice, our advancement, needs all these difficulties. Otherwise we may not know what is progress...So, to purify ourselves it is necessary that many disturbances come.

"...The environment is in the hands of the Lord. He has not done any wrong to me. If I am sincere, then I have to adjust myself with this environment and put my faith before Him. By our stand in any circumstances in the battle, our patriotism will be put to the test. We will be tested to see whether we are real soldiers or not.

"Anything will come, but we will have to face that. I must not forget my Lord, my guru, my Gauranga, my Radha-Govinda, under any circumstances. Under all unfavorable circumstances, I must stand with my head erect and say, 'Yes! I am a servant of that clan, that sampradaya. Everyone may leave me, but I shall stand alone!'

"With this attitude, we must march on, whatever the circumstances may be. Then....our superiors will be pleased with us.

"We must analyze ourselves. How much as we selfish? To what percent are our unwanted bad habits, anarthas, still present in our hearts? How much are the impurities of karma, jnana, mental desires, and other filthy things mixed with the real faith - that must come out, and that must be eliminated in different ways. If we want real good, no one can hinder us. With this spirit we must move and then we will be able to understand what is what."

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhara Maharaja ki JAI!

Srila Rupa Goswami as Rupa Manjari

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


Today I want to share some nectar about Srila Rupa Goswami in his form as a manjari or maidservant of Srimati Radhika, Rupa Manjari. I read the following sweet excerpt from "Sri Guru and His Grace" written by Srila Bhakti-Rakshak Sridhara Maharaja (pictured above with Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada).

First he establishes the supreme position of Srimati Radhika and Her service as our highest goal, as told by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

"The servitorship of Srimati Radharani is said to be of the living being by the school established by Mahaprabhu. It is the gist of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is Krishna's own version."

He quotes Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.15 and 10.47.61, where Krsna praises Uddhava, and where Uddhava praises the gopis, of whom Srimati Radhika is the topmost. He then quotes Jayadeva Goswami, who writes in his Gita Govinda how, when Srimati Radhika left the rasa dance, even with all the gopis there Krsna was not satisfied, and chased after Radhika.

From there:

"The rupanuga sampradaya, the followers of Sri Rupa, are those who have the unique taste of service in the camp of Radharani...The highest kind of divine sentiment is distributed from the camp of Srimati Radharani, and that can never be compared with any attainment hitherto known even in the eternal factor of time and space.

"...Why should we try to enter into the camp of Radharani?...Radharani's service to Krishna is of the highest order in every way. If we devote our energy to help Radharani, our energy will be utilized in Her service. In this way She will serve Krishna with Her service more enhanced. Then the reciprocation will pass to us through Her as our reward. That will be devotion of the highest type, mahabhava...



"Yet still, there is another, higher thing. We are known as rupanugas, followers of Sri Rupa. Why? The service of Srimati Radharani eliminates everything, even Narayana, to go to Krishna...

"Still, there is another point. Who is Rupa? Rupa Manjari. Generally the hierarchy in the spiritual world is eternal. New recruits can occupy a particular rank of manjari, assistant, in madhurya rasa. And the leader of manjaris is Sri Rupa Manjari...



"When Radharani and Krishna are in secrecy, in private, the sakhis [Lalita, Visakha, and their followers] do not like to approach there and disturb...but the younger girls [manjaris] can enter there....


"New recruits may come to the manjari class. The manjaris have that sort of special advantage under the leadership of Sri Rupa Manjari....the most sacred type of pure service, which is not even open to the sakhis [Radharani's girl friends], is open to the manjaris. That is found in Radharani's camp. So, the position of the rupanuga, the followers of Sri Rupa, is the most profitable position.

"...So, the camp, the sampradaya of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the rupanuga sampradaya. There our fate and fortune is located. Now we have to conduct ourselves in such a way that naturally we can connect with that highest, pure spiritual conception from here."

Srila Rupa Goswami, Rupa Manjari ki JAI!!

I got to hear more nectar on Srila Rupa Goswami, his literature, and how special he was, to know the mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I will try and share more tomorrow. Now I am in New Braj, and I heard from Gopanandini that Srila Gurudeva used to do a festival for Srila Rupa Goswami, from his disappearance day until Balarama's Appearance Day. So I will try and stay in that mood and post more on Srila Rupa Goswami tomorrow.

How merciful is Srila Rupa Goswami in his form as Sri Rupa Manjari! All she wants is to help us serve Srimati Radhika, the highest goal. I also heard Srila Gurudeva describe how, whereas the sakhi friends of Radharani try to pacify her sulkiness and separation, Rupa Manjari is so close to Radharani that she actually *feels* the same things that Radha is feeling, when She is feeling them. How wonderful is Sri Rupa Manjari...

The Prospect of Divine Love; Srila Rupa Goswami

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Goswami. Srila Rupa Goswami is a very important person. It is he who knows the heart and mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Krsnaloka, Rupa Goswami is Rupa Manjari. She is the head of all the manjaris, or personal maidservants, of Srimati Radhika.

Srila Gurudeva makes the distinction in his Essence of All Advice that Rupa Manjari is not like Lalita and Visakha, and other dear friends of Srimati Radhika. Those friends of Srimati Radhika try to dissuade Her from Her sulking mood or Her separation. But Rupa Manjari feels the very same things that Srimati Radhika feels. So when Radhika is in separation, so is Rupa Manjari, and when Radhika is happy with Krsna, then Rupa feels that she is with Krsna, too.

Right now I am reading 'Sri Guru and his Grace' by Srila Bhakti-rakshak Sridhara Maharaja. In this book, he has one part where he speaks about the prospect of divine love, and quotes Srila Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu:

"At present, we are disconnected from the prospect of divine love which we cherish in the innermost quarter of our hearts. If we want to have that privilege very easily and very quickly, we must approach the Lord with plain speaking and with a naked body and mind, with everything exposed.

Srila Rupa Goswami in Bhakti rasamrta sindhu (1.2.152) has written:



mat-tulyo nasti papatma
naparadhi ca kascana
parihare pi lajja me
kim bruve purusottama
"My Lord, I feel ashamed. How shall I offer You so many pure things like flowers? Generally, pure things are offered to You, but what about me? I have come with the most filthy thing to offer You. I feel ashamed. I have come to You, with only my shame, to beg for Your mercy. There is no parallel to my sinful life, criminal life. Everything that can be conceived of as bad is found in me. It is very difficult even to speak about the characteristics of my heinous sins and crimes.

"Still, Your nature, existence, fame, and benevolence cannot but attract me. You can save me. You can purify me. Hoping against hope, I have come to You. And I have only one solace, that I am the real object of Your mercy. Your tendency is to purify the meanest. Those who are the most needy have some claim to Your mercy. I am the worst of the needy and the meanest of the mean. This is my only qualification, my only hope to attract Your attention and appeal to Your magnanimity."

I think this quote is extra amazing, because here it seems to me that Srila Rupa Goswami is teaching us how to pray to the Lord, and how to pray to our most magnanimous gurus. And our gurus tell us to pray to Srila Rupa Goswami.

Here is a nice class on the swing festival, jhulan yatra, which this year lasts from yesterday and ends Sunday (the day after Lord Balarama's appearance day!). This class also includes some katha on Srila Rupa Goswami, by Srila Gurudeva:

link to class

jhulan yatra ki jai!

I will post more on Srila Rupa Goswami today. For now, this is it. All glories to Srila Rupa Goswami!

Sri Radha Ramanaji

In honor of the Disappearance Day of Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami (which was at the start of this week), whose deity was manifested from his love (and used to be a shila stone), here is Sri Sri Radha-Raman:



To see more pictures and find out more about Radha Raman, go here: history, gallery, or main website.

Jai Sri Radha Ramanaji! Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami ki jai! Srimatiji ki jai! Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada, guruvarga, ki jai!

Sri Gadadhara Pandita is Srimati Radhika

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


Today is the appearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Jai!!



Just yesterday I was reading the last chapter of Srila Gurudeva's Sri Prabandhavali, wherein he speaks of the glories of Srimati Radhika and radha-kunda. Then, today is the appearance day of Gadadhara Pandita! So I am going to share a little on who Gadadhara Pandita is, and of Srimati Radhika's beautiful kund.

On Sri Gadadhara, Caitanya Caritamrta says:

"“Gadadhara Pandita is celebrated all over the world for his gentle behavior, his brahminical attributes, and his steady love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

"“No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadadhara Pandita. Therefore another name for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara-prananatha, ‘the life and soul of Gadadhara Pandita.’"

“No one can say how merciful the Lord is to Gadadhara Pandita, but people know the Lord as Gadaira Gauranga, ‘the Lord Gauranga of Gadadhara Pandita.’”

Caitanya Caritamrta Antya Lila 7.166, 163-164

Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhara in Campahati

In the book Gaudiya Vaishnava Samadhis, Mahanidhi Swami writes:

"Sri Gaurahari had so much affection for Sri Gadadhara Pandit that He couldn't be without him for a moment. Sri Gadadhara Pandit appeared the year after Lord Caitanya. Gadai and Nimai were inseparable as childhood playmates....Nimai Pandit regularly teased Gadadhara by challenging him with illogical questions.

...Sri Kavi Karnapura states that in Vraja-Lila Gadadhara Pandit is the daughter of King Vrshabhanu, Srimati Radharani. Gadadhara Pandit served as Lord Gaura's chief assistant during His Navadwipa-lila.

...Gadadhara Pandit also took the renounced order of life and went to Jagannath Puri to be with Lord Caitanya. Accepting kestra sannyasa (renunciation without leaving the dhama), he served the deity of Tota Gopinath with full love and devotion. Regularly, Sri Caitanya came to relish Sri Gadadhara Pandit's rasika reading of Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Caitanya concluded His manifest pastimes by entering the deity of Tota-Gopinatha.

Although Gadadhara Pandit was barely forty-eight when the Lord departed, he quickly became old because of the intense anguish he felt in separation from his beloved Lord Gaurasundara. He couldn't stretch his arms to offer a garland to his deity. Understanding His servant's difficulties, Sri Tota-Gopinatha sat down to facilitate Gadadhara's loving service. To this day, Sri Tota-Gopinatha is the only sitting deity of Krishna.

...Sri Gadadhara Pandit's danta (tooth) samadhi stands near the Vamsi Gopala temple in Vrndavana."

Sri Gadadhara at ISKCON Mayapura

In his Sri Prabandhavali, in the final chapter, Srila Gurudeva glorifies Radha-kund, Raghunatha dasa Goswami, and Srimati Radhika Herself:

yatha radha priya visnos
tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika
visnor atyanta vallabha

Padma Purana

'Amongst all the gopis, Radhika is the best and most beloved of Krsna. Therefore for someone to attain Her mercy is very rare; even for great souls such as Narada it is rare. But if someone really desires that prema, that Radha-dasya, which even Narada is praying for while performing austerities at Narada-kunda, then if they bathe just once with great devotion in Radha-kunda, the kunda will bestow everything upon them.'

"Is it not more difficult than that? After all, anyone can go there and bathe, but it must be ascertained whether or not we are really bathing with feelings of bhakti. If we bathe with great humility and faith, then those whose hearts are impure will become a little pure, those whose hearts are already a little pure will become a little more pure, and those whose hearts are completely pure will attain the direct service of Sri Radha and Krsna.

"The highest ideal is shown by Raghunatha das Goswami - how he left everything, took exclusive shelter of Radha-kunda, and said, 'We desire nothing besides the mercy of Radhika':

tavaivasmi tavaivasmi
na jivami tvaya vina
iti vijnaya devi tvam
naya mam caranantikam

Sri Vilapa-kusumanjali #96

'O Srimati, I am Yours only, Yours only' - he wanted Radhika to hear him say this twice. 'I cannot live without You, so please bring me to the shelter of Your feet and appoint me to Your service.'

If we bathe at Radha-kunda, our hearts will become purified, an attraction for Radha-dasya will arise within us, and if we have similar feelings of pleading as Rupa and Raghunatha das Goswamis had, then we will certainly attain Radhika's direct mercy.

radhika ujjvala-rasera acarya
radha-madhava suddha prema vicarya

ye dharila radha pda parama yatane
se paila krsna pada amulya ratane

radha-pada bindu kabhu krsna nahi mile
radhara dasira krsna, sarva vede bale

[Gitavali 3, 4, 5 by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura]

"Those who very carefully worship Radhika's feet will meet Krsna in the snap of a finger, but what does it mean to meet Krsna? Where is Krsna complete? Without Radhika is He complete? Therefore only where there is the youthful couple is Krsna complete. Only by the mercy of Radhika will one be able to have Their darsana and attain the qualification to serve Them.

"...what do the Vedic scriptures declare? What to speak of just Radhika, Her dasis are also very instrumental in helping one to meet Krsna. They will say, 'Come, you can meet Him here.'...Sometimes Krsna says to these dasis, 'I belong solely to you. As you say, I will do.' So what to speak of Krsna's feelings towards Radhika Herself, who is the acarya of ujjvala-rasa.



"Sometimes when They play games like chess and tic-tac-toe together, Radhika says, 'You don't know how to play, therefore I will not play anymore!' Sometimes Krsna applies Her tilaka, and She says, "You haven't applied it correctly. It should be like this.' In this way She instructs Him, and is therefore the acarya of ujjvala-rasa."

Last but not least, Gurudeva explains the constitutional position of Gadadhara Pandit in this transcribed darsana from May 2000:
click here

Jai Radhe! Jai Sri Gadadhara Pandit!

Srila Vrndavana das Thakura

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


the personal deities of Srila Vrndavana das Thakura


Today is the disappearance day of Srila Vrndavana das Thakura. Jai!!

Srila Vrndavana das Thakura was born to Narayani, who had the mercy of Lord Caitanya as a young girl. Lord Caitanya was very fond of her and would give her remnants of His prasadam. Narayani experienced ecstatic symptoms when chanting the name of Krishna, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Vrndavana das Thakura was a very dear disciple of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.



Srila Krsnadas Kaviraj writes of Srila Vrndavana das Thakura in his Caitanya Caritamrta. He writes about the glories Vrndavana das Thakura, and of that gem of literature, Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, wherein Srila Vrndavana das Thakura describes pastimes of Mahaprabhu. It was previously called Sri Caitanya Mangala.

I would like to share the praise that Srila Krsna Kaviraj gives to Srila Vrndavana das Thakura:

As Vyāsadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has composed Śrī Caitanya-mańgala. Hearing this book annihilates all misfortune.

By reading Śrī Caitanya-mańgala one can understand all the glories and truths of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and come to the ultimate conclusion of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

In Śrī Caitanya-mańgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata] Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional service by quoting the authoritative statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

If even a great atheist hears Śrī Caitanya-mańgala, he immediately becomes a great devotee.

The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.

I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance of all fallen souls.
Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi-Lila, 8.34-8.40

For more nectar like this and purports by Srila Prabhupada, please go here:
link

I have found a nice page on Srila Vrndavana das Thakura that has a brief biography of his life as well as some wonderful pictures of significant pastime places:
Srila Vrndavana das Thakura

Srila Vrndavana das Thakura ki JAI!!