The very concept that the all-powerful Supreme Person is unaware of His Godhood, fears His mother, and plays mischievously with His friends is universally delightful. This book presents a number of the childhood pastimes of God, Kṛṣṇa, who, by the act of His own spiritual potency, forgets that He is God and plays like an ordinary child.
These pastimes are described in India’s ancient scriptures, which state that although God is infinite, unlimited, and inconceivable, He is ultimately a person. He manifests in many forms and is mostly worshiped with great reverence. In His original and topmost feature, however, He inspires such intimate, sweet affection in the heart of his dear devotees that, although He enacts astonishing pastimes, both He and they remain unaware of His Godhood.
Some of the letters Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja (Śrīla Prabhupāda) wrote to his dear friend, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s first few years in America comprise this tasteful presentation. “Our relationship is certainly based on spontaneous love. That is why there is no chance of us forgetting one another.” [Letter dated September 1966.]
The intriguing pastimes of Durvāsā Muni – he who cursed Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he who blessed Śrīmatī Rādhikā, he who incensed the residents of Dvārakā, he who was charmed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma – are bound to captivate all. This booklet, containing sixteen engaging narrations of the history of Maharṣi Durvāsā, is written in simple, story-tale style. In this way, it easily lends itself to drama and art, and is sure to be a source of family delight.
What are the beautiful yet highly disciplined internal attitudes that are to be deeply embedded in the heart of one who sincerely aspires to be follower of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī? In this book, the foremost rūpānuga, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, reveals the firmness of mind required to attain that topmost goal. These eleven nectarean and startling instructions to his “brother mind” are truly for the serious practitioner and sincere aspirant.
“O wicked mind, although you adopt the path of sādhana, you imagine yourself purified by bathing in the trickling urine of the great donkey of full-blown deceit and hypocrisy.”
This booklet is a collection of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārājas remembrances of his instructing spiritual master and dear friend, Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda. It is a deep and revealing account of the intimate relationship between the two, from their first meeting in 1947 until Śrīla Prabhupāda's departure from this world in 1977.
Why is Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura heralded as nāmācārya – one who, by example, teaches the world to chant the holy name? Because his blissful absorption in chanting, even in the face of severe adversity, does not waver for a fraction of a moment. This small book, compiled for our eternal benefit by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, consists of eighteen pastimes of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, as narrated in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata and other books. With the insightful commentaries of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda woven throughout, these documented accounts of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s life illuminate his astonishing humility, dedication, magnanimity, devotion and numerous other transcendental qualities, and strengthen our relationship with him. By his mercy, we are filled with the hope that one day we, also, will become internally resolute in our chanting of the holy name.
It was through this wonderful literary work that the true history of Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma was first revealed to the world. Now, thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy places on Śrī Navadvīpa’s nine islands prayerfully chant the verses from these pages, which extol the glories of this abode and the unprecendented mercy that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates shower upon those who come here. This charming pocket-sized book is an excellent companion for one on Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma parikramā.
In this pictorial presentation, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja’s gives the ancient as well as recent history of Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma’s nine islands, making this book an excellent guide for any pilgrim. The second part of the book contains descriptions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s glorious associates and the pastime places in the surrounding area of Śrī Gauḍa-maṇḍala, which includes Bangladesh.
Out of the seven hundred verses of the Bhagavad-gītā, Verse 18.65 captures the essence of the entire Gītā: “Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer your praṇāma to Me, and then certainly you will come to Me. I make this promise to you because you are very dear to Me.” The first three chapters of Nectar of Govinda-līlā explain the three elements of this verse in relation to our aim to enter Goloka Vṛndāvana. Other chapters contain a colourful description, infused with pure Gauḍīya siddhānta, of Vasanta-pañcami, the first day of Spring, and other nectar.
In this booklet, a translation of a Hindi lecture spoken in 1964, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja systematically guides us in understanding the actual nature of our soul. He begins with a captivating story from Vedic history in which two kings, the lord of the demigods and the lord of the demons, vie with each other for factual knowledge of the soul's identity. The contents herein provide a complete foundation for understanding all other devotional literature.
In Murwillumbah, January 1997, devotees eagerly gathered daily to hear Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja's enthralling descriptions of pure devotees' love for Kṛṣṇa, with a higher level of devotion being introduced each successive day. "Come with me," he would begin, and all sat in submission as he gradually presented the pinnacle of devotion: becoming an unalloyed maidservant of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. These classes, based on the fourth verse of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta's Ādi-līlā, articulate the purpose of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advent with inspiring precision, thus facilitating a clear understanding for all.
Śrī Prabandhāvalī contains authentic and inspiring accounts of the life histories and teachings of modern day ācāryas in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava line, as well as from those from the time of Mahāprabhu – Śrī Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The last three chapters of the book impart essential instructions on the practice of pure bhakti.
Early one morning, Vrajendra-nandana Sri Syamasundara, the unrestricted carefree enjoyer of rasa, disguised Himself as a young woman of heart-stealing beauty and went to the courtyard of Srimati Radhika. Covering His lotus-like face with a crimson veil, He appeared before Her, His eyes bashfully lowered. Within His heart, He yearned to hear of the excellence of Her love for Him and the inferiority of His love for Her.
In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu-bindu, Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has briefly explained the path of rāgānuga-bhakti (spontaneous loving devotion). He has given a more detailed description of the same subject matter in this book, presented in two illuminations. In the First Illumination, he ascertains the paths of vaidhī and rāgānuga-bhakti.
The Second Illumination presents concepts in relation to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s aspects of supreme opulence (aiśvarya) and consummate sweetness (mādhurya). Also described are the principles of Kṛṣṇa’s sarvajñatā (omniscience) and mugdhatā (quality of being charmingly oblivious and captivated), the concepts of svakīya (marital love) and parakīya (paramour love), the types of cherished eternal forms attained by rāgānuga devotees upon ascending to the realm of perfected divine love (prema), the authority of the Yogamāyā potency, and so on.
