“Narahari Prabhu would gently shake me awake”
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Remembrance of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝I would be quietly and gently shaken awake, and I’d understand that Narahari Prabhu had come. Immediately rising from bed, I’d put on a gāmchā and follow behind him to the many toilets, one toilet after another. Narahari Prabhu would hold the torch and I would take a broom and a bucket of water and clean each toilet.❞ ...
Remembrances of Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja – Part 3
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Remembrances of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Śrīla Guru Mahārāja – Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja – said, “The festival of Dīpāvalī begins from Kṛṣṇa Trayodaśī (the thirteenth day of the waning moon) of Kārtika month and lasts for four days – Trayodaśī, Caturdaśī, Amāvasyā and Pratipada [Annakuṭa Day]. On the day of Trayodaśī, there is Yama-dīpa-dāna [Yama–one of the mahājanas]. Outside the gate, one should place fourteen (7+7) dīpas (lamps) for the son and daughter of Sūrya (Sun), Yama and Yamunā.❞ ...
Remembrances of Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja – Part 2
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Remembrances of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Once, when I (Rasika-rañjana dāsādhikārī) was in Navadvīpa, I went to offer praṇāmas to pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja in his bhajana-kuṭīra. As we discussed various topics, pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja said, “Once, in a conversation with Vāmana Mahārāja, I said to him, ‘Mahārāja when I will grow old, who will take care of me and make efforts to help me? I am getting worried about this even now.’ Vāmana Mahārāja replied, ‘You should not worry about this. If nobody will be there, I will personally take care of you and will personally clean your urine and stool. In this regard you need have no worry or anxiety.’ The way Vāmana Mahārāja said this to me actually made me free from any anxiety or worry. And he did not speak mere words. He has actually been very conscientious about this.” While speaking this incident, tears began to roll down from the eyes of pūjyapāda Trivikrama Mahārāja.❞ ...
Memories of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja
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Memories of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Once, the day before pūjyapāda Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was to arrive in Kolkata from his first preaching tour abroad, Guru Mahārāja said to everyone, “Go and decorate the temple very nicely. Also nicely decorate the room that Śrīla Mahārāja will be staying in.” In the evening Guru Mahārāja went to the temple for darśana and saw that it had not been decorated. “If none of you have the time to do it, I will personally collect the flowers.” Hearing him say this, the brahmacārīs immediately went to the market and brought many kinds of flowers and other decorations. They nicely decorated Ṭhākurajī’s temple and then went to Guru Mahārāja’s room to decorate it. Guru Mahārāja said, “First ṭhākura-sevā, after that, vaiṣṇava-sevā, and after that, my sevā. Even though there is no need to decorate my room, if Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja sees it not decorated [but that his own room is decorated], it will make him feel uneasy. Our only aim is the pleasure and satisfaction of guru and Vaiṣṇavas, so decorate my room as well.” ...
The Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja
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Vamana Maharaja is very grave and quiet, and there is another special quality that he possesses: I have seen many people, myself included, who give explanations from the scriptures and enjoy taking praise from others for it. But having known Vamana Maharaja for almost fifty years, I have never seen him do this, not even by accident. He is also very tolerant...
Guru-Devatatma
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First, we must think that guru is our ātmā, our life and soul. Being totally surrendered to him, we must depend solely on him... If we serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of sad-guru, then certainly, like magic, we will be out of māyā...
King Janastruti and Raika Muni
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I am willing to be humiliated, reprimanded and heavily beaten by maya hundreds of times, but I cannot accept or tolerate the affectionate, transcendental discipline of Sri Gurudeva. Consequently, I forever relinquish devotional service to Krsna and thus I commit spiritual suicide...
Javala and Satyakama
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Javala was a widow. She had one young son named Satyakama. One day, Satyakama approached her and said, "Mother, I want to adopt a vow of sacred celibacy and take up residence in the school of my guru. But to do so, I must know my family lineage."
A Radio Phone Interview
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Oh, yes. I am an ambassador of peace because wherever I go in the world I teach everyone that God is everywhere. We are all part and parcel of God. This body is nothing but a bag of stool, urine, blood, and other such things; so we should not quarrel in relation to this body. We see that God pervades everywhere, so we should have love and affection for all. This is the best service of God...
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
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Srila Sarasvati Thakura knew that he would soon be going to his Master, and therefore he gave some final instructions to his disciples. Our Guru-Maharaja was there, as were Gosvami Maharaja (a prominent disciple), Kunja Bihari prabhu, Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaja and others. He told those in attendance, "I am unhappy. I have come for a mission – to give the things that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give...
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura's Glories
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We are now approaching the auspicious disappearance day (Dec. 29th in India) of our divine preceptor, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada. Instead of sending you only one of Srila Gurudeva's lecture on Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada’s glories, we are sending you several. The lectures are situated in a very interesting website (created in Srila Prabhupada’s honor) called The Unconventional Teachers. Read more...
The Blind Well
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In the beginning of creation, there were two demons. They were very powerful. Their names were Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa. You know the meaning of this 'Hiranyakasipu' and 'Hiranyaksa'. That 'hiranya' means gold. Those who have an idea that by gold, by wealth they will be happy, they are called Hiranyakasipu or Hiranyaksa, both. I have come to know that in this land of Brazil, that there were so many hills of gold, and from Lanka, Ravana came here..
Sri Rathayatra in Sri Dhama Navadvipa
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Having read the essay entitled 'Sri Rathayatraya Sri Rupanuganucintana' [Ratha-yatra according to the conception of the followers of Srila Rupa Gosvami] published in the first issue, volume 13 of 'Sri Gaudiya Darsan' [the journal of Sri Caitanya Sarasvat Matha], it seems that this article has been printed without showing it to the most honourable editor, Pujyapada Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja...
Our Relationship with Krsna
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What is the relationship between Radhika and Yamuna? Yamuna means Visakha. And what is the relationship between Radhika and Visakha? They are sakhis. Then what will be our relation with Yamuna? Will she be Mother or Sakhi? All our relations depend on Radhika’s relationships. Because if one has decided that I am [fixed in my relationship as an aspiring] maidservant of Srimati Radhika then such a person will not say - ‘Yamuna Maiya Ki Jaya’ Every relationship should depend especially on Srimati Radhika’s relationships.
God Created Humans In His Own Image
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That there was a Buddhist person, guru. He was in the age of eighty. There was a mountain, and in that mountain there was a very deep cave. And he went inside. And he told his disciples to put a very heavy stone on the mouth of that cave. And there was nothing, no food, no air, no water, nothing there...
Bhakti Does Not Make One Proud
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"By performing devotion, one will not develop conceit; rather, humility will come.
If someone who is not eligible hears discourses about the Lord and studies Vedas and other scriptures, then his studies and his performance of devotional practices is just for the sake of ego. And in case of devotees, these same activities will make them very meek, humble, simple; their dealings will be sweet.
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