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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
The first lesson is that bhajana can be performed in both stages: householder and renounced, but it is very essential that one has access to sādhu-saṅga. In either situation, one cannot perform bhajana without sādhu-saṅga. ...
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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.” ...
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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.❞ ...
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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.❞ ...
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Remembrances of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Once Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja went for pracāra in Assam, along with some of his god-brothers, to attend a huge religious assembly there. Due to the heavy and continuous downpour of rain, none of his god-brothers was feeling inclined to go to the assembly place. But Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, walked with great difficulty to the assembly’s location, holding an umbrella over his head and lifting his clothes above his knees.❞ ...
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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.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Once my most worshipable guru-pādapadma, aṣṭottara-śata-śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, accompanied by five or six sannyāsīs and ten to twelve brahmacārīs, arrived at Śrī Gaura-vāṇī-vinoda Āśrama in Subhāṣpallī, Khaḍagpura [West Bengal]. ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Whenever he would see me, he would shower me with an affection that had a simple, natural intimacy (laukika-sadbandhuvat). As much as possible, he did not like dealings that were filled with giving him honour (maryādā). ...
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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...
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by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja
[O Krsna!] Although I have been ordered to accomplish this mission, I possess no qualification to do it, being very fallen and incapable. Since You are the wisest of all, I now beg for Your mercy so that I may become worthy...
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by Śrīla Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
Glorification of the exalted ācārya on his disappearance day The inclination to remember Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the mode of separation The sat-cit-ānanda vastu is the truly abiding substance composed of pure eternal reality, cognizance and bliss. If sat-cit-ānanda vastu remains hidden from our view, from the ordinary people of this plane, we will not be able to conceive...
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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...
