“GBC does not mean to control a center. GBC means to see that the activities of a center go on nicely. I do not know why Tamala is exercising his absolute authority That is not the business of GBC. The president, treasurer and secretary are responsible for managing the center. GBC is to see that things are going nicely but not to exert absolute authority. That is not in the power of GBC. Tamala should not do like that....it is a fact that the local president is not under the control of the GBC.”                                (Srila Prabhupada letter to Giriraj, August, 1971)

Excerpt of a lecture by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja given in Amherst, USA, 2 June 1995:

“There should be complete surrender. Not conditional, not artificial, not partial. That is gurupadasraya. To accept guru means unconditional surrender.

In Bhagavad-gita (2.7), Arjuna says, sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam. “I become your sisya, disciple.” One who is under strict, discipline, he is a disciple. And karna-dhara guru is the steering holder.
[Referring to Bhag. 1.1.22]

The great sages of Naimisaranya speaking to Srila Suta Gosvami:

tvam nah sandarsito dhatra
dustaram nistitirsatam
kalim sattva-haram pumsam
karna-dhara ivarnavam

“We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali , which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.”

You cannot go hither and thither. Karna also means “ear.” Guru can catch hold of your ear and slap you

Srila Prabhupada once explained the festival this way: "Krishna was just a toy in the hands of the Gopis, so one day the Gopis decided that we shall decorate Him. Pusya abhisheka means a ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, cloths.

After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens should see how beautiful Krishna appears."

- See more at: http://harekrishnacalendar.com/vaishnava-calendar/sri-krishna-pushya-abhishek-2015/#.dpuf

 "Shri Jagadisha Pandita is the saviour of the world. He distributes the nectar of love of Krishna just like a dense mass of dark clouds in the sky distributes rainfall." [C.C. Adi 11.30]

   Shri Jagadisha Bhatta took his birth in the region of Gaihati. His father's name was Shri Kamalaksha Bhatta, who was the son of Bhatta Narayana, who hailed from Goyghar Bandyaghata. Both the mother and father of Jagadisha were very devoted Vishnu-bhaktas. After his parents passed away he came with his wife to live on the banks of the Ganges. His wife's name was Dukhini devi. (His younger brother Mahesha also came with him to reside on the banks of the Ganga.)They built their house near the home of Jagannatha Mishra.

   Shri Gaurasundara instructed Jagadisha to preach Hari Naam at Nilachala. Thus he took shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha. At that time he prayed at the feet of Lord Jagannatha and was rewarded by obtaining a Deity of the lotus-eyed Lord. This he brought to Yasora, on the bank

Who was Jesus ?

Sri Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7):

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

"O descendant of Bharata, whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself" (Bhagavad-gita 4.7).

Either Krishna comes Himself or He sends His empowered representative: a shaktyavesa avatara, a perfect being, empowered to preach sanatana dharma: eternal religion, the universal religion of the soul. Krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana: Unless one is empowered by Krishna, one cannot preach effectively.(Caitanya Caritamrita Antya Lila 7.11).

We can understand Jesus to be such a shaktyavesa avatara, a perfect soul, a messenger of the Supreme Being.

Such great souls have no business decending to lower planets such as ours, save and except in complete selflessness, to save the conditioned souls - kara para-upakara.

They descend to this level of consciousness as tik

Appearing as the nephew of Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis, Shri Jiva Goswami displayed all the charming features of a mahapurusa (divine person). He had lotus eyes, a high nose and forehead, broad chest, long arms, and a radiant golden body. (In the image: Shrila Jiva Goswami).

   Appearing as the nephew of Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis, Shri Jiva Goswami displayed all the charming features of a mahapurusa (divine person). He had lotus eyes, a high nose and forehead, broad chest, long arms, and a radiant golden body. 

   In his boyhood he made a Deity of Krishna-Balarama. Expressing his pure devotion, he would often cry while worshiping Them. After offering clothes, chandana, flowers, ornaments, and tasty sweets to Krishna-Balarama he would take some and give Maha-Prasadam to his playmates. From the beginning Jiva showed his kindness to other jivas (living entities). Jiva was so much attached to Krishna-Balarama that at bed time he would embrace his Deities and fall asleep. His parent

In the many years of my deeply personal relationship with Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja I saw Him perform many pastimes in Bombay, Bhubaneswar and Mayapur. On Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja’s Appearance day I wish to relate one of these glorious pastimes for the pleasure of the assembled Vaishnavas.

Once, a few months after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance, a couple of our God brothers visited our little mud hut in Bhubaneswar. We were all talking together about Srila Prabhupada and the talk turned to what is Srila Prabhupada’s rasa. Some of my God brothers said that because he stopped writing Srimad Bhagavatam during the telling of Lord Brahma stealing the cowherd boys that Srila Prabhupada might be a cowherd boy. I mentioned a pastime I heard about Srila Prabhupada that when he was asked “Srila Prabhupada are you a cowherd boy it appears from your mood that you are like a cowherd boy” and Srila Prabhupada replied “I do not know what I am but I like cowherd boy” Then we were talking abou

   "He who was previously a very munificent cowherd boy has now appeared as Mahesh Pandita. In ecstatic love, he dances like a madman as though intoxicated to the beat of a kettle drum. [C.C. Adi 11.32]

   According to Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, Mahesh Pandita was formerly Maha-Bahusakha in Krishna-lila. He was a companion of Nityananda Prabhu, and was present at the Danda Mahotsava held at Paninati.

   In Bhakti-Ratnakara, Taranga Nine, it is stated that when Narottama dasa Thakura came to visit Khardaha, he had darshana of the lotus feet of Mahesh Pandita.

   Vrindavana dasa Thakura has described him as a 'param mahanta' due to the fact that he was very dear to Nityananda Prabhu. [C.B. Antya 5.744]

   Mahesh Pandita's original Shripat at Sukh Sagor merged into the bed of the Ganges, but his worshipful Deities of Shri Shri Nitai-Gauranga as well as his samadhi were moved to Palpara. There is a railway station there, between Shimrali and Chakdaha stations, on the Sealdah-Krishnanagar line.

Thomas Garden
@Tamoharadasa

Entering Krishna’s Family; His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Krishna in Vrindavan has got a wonderful family.
He has his father Nanda Maharaja and his mother
Yashoda. He has hundreds and thousands of boyfriends
and girlfriends. The trees, the plants, the
flowers, the fruits, the land, the water, the cows, the
calves — he is surrounded by a wonderful family.
He is not a single person. Suppose we say, “Now the
president is coming.” The president means that he is
not coming alone; he is coming with his secretaries,
ministers, some soldiers, bodyguards, and so many
other people. He is not alone. So if an insignificant
material president is always surrounded by his associates,
you can just imagine the Supreme Being.
He cannot be alone. That is Krishna. Krishna is
not zero. The mayavädis say, “Everything is zero
after this.” And the nirvisesavädis say, “Everything
is like sky.” No. Krishna is an individual, a person.
He says in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gétä,
“My de

So this is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy that you are becoming Krishna conscious. Otherwise, it is not so easy thing; very, very difficult. Kecit kevalaya bhaktya [SB 6.1.15]. So stick to this principle.

Chant sri- Krishna -chaitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By their favor, by their mercy, we can chant Hare Krishna. And as soon as we chant Hare Krishna, we are vasudeva-parayanah.

There is no more fear. That is required. So you stick to this principle, do not forget. We have already given our ways and instruction. So don't deviate from it. Then everything is perfect and your life is successful.
(Srila Prabhupada)