After compiling Vedanta Sutra, Vyasadeva saw that no one would be able to understand it and reconcile it, and therefore he wrote a bhasya, commentary. What is that bhasya? Srimad Bhagavatam is the complete commentary on Vedanta Sutra...
If he is expert in sastra but has no realization of Krsna, he is not able to be a guru. He should be rejected as guru. It may be that he can quote all the sastras, but he is not a guru if he has no realization, if he himself is not chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna and Govinda Damodara Madhaveti, if he is not always happy, if he has so many problems, if he is very angry and very lusty, if he has no detachment from this world, and if he has many desires...
We explained in yesterday's class that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became angry after His danda was broken by Nityananda Prabhu. He said, "O Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda, Damodara, Jagadananda - either all of you should go to see Lord Jagannatha first, or I should go first. I do not want to go with you...
by Śrīla Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
When it comes to discussing the life of mahā-puruṣas (great self-realized personalities who are transcendental to mortal existence), it would be a mistake to consider their birth, life span and death to be similar to that of mere mortals, because mahā-puruṣas are beyond birth and death. They are situated in eternal existence, and their coming and going from this world is strictly a matter of their own appearance and disappearance...
“I accept my Guru but I do not follow him, his instructions” - what is this? Like nonsense! Nothing.
Not only by words, you should try to follow from the core of your heart. Each instruction what he has given is all important. Only [thinking] ‘I am disciple’ it will not do.
Only coming and going and hearing will not do. What we are hearing, we should try to follow.
We should not think that the Deity is made from clay, sand, or stone, or that anyone has made Them. The Deities are always transcendental, and They are controlled by the love and affection of Their devotees. Madana-Mohana used to talk with Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Govindaji would talk with Srila Rupa Gosvami...
If you have no taste in chanting the holy names, again and again, you should do. Don’t be distressed. Don’t be hopeless. Again and again, you will do, this is the medicine and diet also, harinama. And then what is the essence of all the instructions?
Srila Swami Maharaja said, “First, I request you to help them; only you can help them. Secondly, you should arrange my samadhi with your own hands.” There were so many senior god-brothers in Vrndavana, like Bon Maharaja, and his senior sannyasis like Tamal Krsna Maharaja and others; so why did he ask me to give him samadhi?
The bhakti that is defined here in that verse, raganuga-bhakti or Vraja-bhakti, can never be achieved simply by great quantities of sukrti. It can be achieved only if you are so fortunate as to have darsana and association of a rasika-bhakta of Vraja. That high-class devotee's heart is saturated with love and affection, like an Indian rasagulla, and everywhere there is rasa and rasa. If you squeeze a rasagulla, rasa will come out and still so much rasa will remain inside...
Srila Bhakti Kumuda Santa Gosvami Maharaja was the last of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura Prabhupada's sannyasa disciples to leave this world, entering nitya-lila in 2012. Srila Bhakti Hrdaya Bon Gosvami Maharaja and Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja brought him to the lotus feet of his spiritual master at the tender age of eleven. Upon initiating him, Srila Sarasvati Thakura named him Sri Radha-ramana dasa, and carefully arranged for his education...
But we should think that those who are attracted to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are very fortunate. Those who have come to His line have done so because of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami is internally Rupa Manjari...
Still, somehow you are somewhat fortunate, for you are in good association. You are now realizing something about spiritual and material matters, but there are some weaknesses also. Try to drive out all these weaknesses...
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
My śrī guru-pādapadma is not a teacher of any of the illusory subjects of this world, which are aimed only at enjoyment. Yet, at the same time, he alone is the indisputable genius in every subject in this world. Sadly, because I am deprived and fallen, because of my own weaknesses, not all of my guru-pādapadma’s teachings have entered my heart...
Guru is like Krsna. Krsna inspired the heart of Brahma and said, "I am the embodiment of all tattva-jnana, tattva-vijnana, and all love and affection. Only this form of mine was present before the creation, only that form exists now, and later, after the destruction of everything material, only I will exist.
Without a siksa-guru you cannot progress an inch. Here, Visakha is the siksa-guru of Krsna – by her help, He realized Sri Radha's bhavas. Without a siksa-guru, you cannot realize these topics. Sometimes I see that there is more importance of a siksa-guru because, out of etiquette, diksa-guru cannot generally open his heart to his disciple. Siksa-guru is like a bosom friend...
What is the meaning of prema vivarta? 'Vivarta sesa rupe avarta' - that love which is moving counter clockwise in a very special way. Generally love turns clockwise, but here it is experienced in a very special manner. One who has learned the two and a half syllables - prema (pre-ma) - has learned everything. All scriptures, especially Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and all the books of the Gosvamis, are based simply on this one word, prema...
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