Blogs

Shri Sanatana Goswami appeared in 1488, five years before Shri Rupa Goswami, in a Sarasvata brahmana family in Bengal. Sanatana and his two brothers, Rupa and Anupama, were always absorbed in bhava bhakti from early childhood. Remembering Vrindavana, they named the forests in which they played after Vraja's twelve forests (Talavana, Madhuvana, Kamyavana, Mahavana). (In the image: Shrila Rupa and Shrila Sanatana Goswamis).

   Shri Sanatana Goswami appeared in 1488, five years before Shri Rupa Goswami, in a Sarasvata brahmana family in Bengal. Sanatana and his two brothers, Rupa and Anupama, were always absorbed in bhava bhakti from early childhood. Remembering Vrindavana, they named the forests in which they played after Vraja's twelve forests (Talavana, Madhuvana, Kamyavana, Mahavana). They called their favorite bathing ponds Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda.
 
   In his youth, Shri Sanatana dreamed that a beautiful brahmana boy gave him a Shrimad Bhagavatam. Feeling ecstatic he awoke. But se

HEAR FROM THE HEART

The first and foremost instruction that we are given is that while chanting the Maha-mantra we have to hear the syllables. That we vibrate. So a proper attention is created. If we do not hear what we are chanting, means we are allowing the mind to escape through those gates. The first and foremost, the solid gate, is of ears. It is said that one should hear first and then chant. Hearing is given a prime importance over chanting. Sometimes our mind is restless, means we are always absorbed in whatever the mind dictates. But we have to force the vibration of the holy name in to enter into our ears and allow it to penetrate all the way upto the heart. Then and then we will get the strength from the Holy Name.

satam prasangam mam virya samvido bahvanti hrtkarnarasayanah kathah
tad josanad asvapavarga vartmani sraddha rati bhaktir anukramisyati
(SB 3.25.22)

Krishna in the form of Kapil Dev is instructing Devahuti that in the association of the devotees, the glories of

Vanaprastha

"Vanaprastha, or retired life, is the third spiritual stage (asrama) in the varnasrama system. It lasts from 50 to 75 years of one's life and during this time the vanaprastha ("forest-dweller") lives mainly in forest learning detachment from the material life and preparing himself to accept sannyasa. In the beginning he lives together with his wife. They travel together visiting places of pilgrimage and abstain from sexual relations. Later the wife returns home to be taken care of by her adult sons or enters widows asrama to live a retired life similar to her husband."

SB 3.12.43 lists four stages of vanaprastha: vaikhanasa, valakhilya, audumbara, phenapa, and four stages of sannyasa - kuticaka, bahvoda, hamsa, niskriya.

Further information: Manu-samhita (ch.6) etc.

Quotes:

"O King, I shall now describe the qualifications for a vanaprastha, one who has retired from family life. By rigidly following the rules and regulations for the vanaprastha, one can easily be elevate

.

"Ritvik Acarya", "Ritvik Philosophy"
One way to destroy a movement is to label and seperate the adherents out from each other, dividing them, by telling outrageous, negative falsehoods about those to be targetted for expulsion, again and again, until these false ideas become sterotyped and accepted as real in the larger group of peoples' simple minds, and thus ends that seperated-out faction's potency and ability to expand, to direct the larger crowd. All it takes is control of some major movement media and repetition.
As seen in interview with Srila BV Puri Maharajah, it is clearly stated by him that Srila Prabhupada left a ritvik priest function for further initiations, and that Puri M. then quotes Srila Prabhupada as saying, as to what will come of it, it is up to KRSNA.

The anti-Prabhupada leagues try to label Srila Prabhupada's disciples as "Ritviks", and ask what is the ritvik philosophy! Simply put; THERE AINT NO RITVIK PHILOSOPHY. Either we follow Srila Prabhupada , or no

The chariot festival in which Lord Krsna in the form of Lord Jagannatha rides with Lord Balarama and Subhadra Devi in Jagannatha Puri, India. - See more at: http://harekrishnacalendar.com/vaishnava-calendar/return-of-ratha-yatra-2014/#sthash.nMuAvZmA.dpuf

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was present with Sriman Mahaprabhu during His pastimes in Navadwipa and after his acceptance of Sannyasa he also accompanied Him to Jagannath Puri. During the time of the Lord’s residence in Puri he continued to live with Him there as well. Sri Vakreshwar Pandit took birth in the village of Guptipara near Triveni. He was an especially proficient dancer and kirtaniya and could dance continuously for 72 hours.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began His pastimes of congregational chanting of the Holy Name of Sri Hari in Navadwip, Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was an important singer and dancer in that assembly. It was by His mercy that Devananda Pandit was delivered from the wrath of Mahaprabhu. He was also present during the Lord’s journey to Ramakeli. Devananda Pandit was, at one time, known as the foremost lecturer on the Bhagavat. One day Srivas Pandit went to hear his discourse, and being moved in ecstatic love by hearing the Bhagavatam, he began to cry. A few of the ignoran

The Hera Panchami festival is one of the main rituals observed during Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Gundicha Temple, Odisha. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.

Hera means to ‘see’ and Panchami means the ‘fifth day’. On Hera Panchami day Goddess Lakshmi travels to the Gundicha Temple to see Lord Jagannath. The visit of Goddess Lakshmi takes place five days after the Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra.

During the Ratha Yatra, the chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are pulled from the Puri Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. Here the deities visit their aunt. Lord Jagannath had promised his wife Goddess Lakshmi that He would return the next day. But Lord Jagannath does not return the next day. After waiting for five days, Goddess Lakshmi then goes to the Gundicha Temple on a palanquin and sees the Ratha of Lord Jagannath outside Gundicha Temple.

The people who follow the palanquin of Goddess Lakshmi sing the Hera Panchami song which expresses Goddess Lakshmi's

tvisa varnam tvisa krsnam, sangopangastra parshadam, yagyai sankirtana prayair yajanti he sumedhasah; He has come as Sri Caitanya the Golden One. What is the answer to charges of impropriety on the part of Krsna? ; Sri Krsna Caitanya, Who left his young wife for sannyasa in love of Krsna. His involvements with young women in dead of night ?;  JEERO.

A materialist will be bewildered at this, that such a seemingly lusty affair, Sri  Krishna and Associates, Rasa-lila etc. is worshipped by celibates of the highest standards of purity... how is this?  But it demonstrates that mundane sex desire has nothing at all to do with Bhakti yoga.

The Lord Vishwambhara Deva, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His marriage is nothing material nor mundane nor irreligious, yet He has made this sacrifice for us, in order to demonstrate the principle of renunciation as key in service to Sri Krsna .

From a Lecture on BG, on Vedabase identified as 73071BG. London.

"So karmis are like that. He will eat two chapatti or four chapattis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that, "I am interested to eat four chapattis, which can be very easily available. So why am I working so hard?" But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working. "More money, more money, more money."

I remember it slightly differently. He said you may make millions but you can only eat 4 chapattis in the end anyway..

by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda

Question 1: Jesus Christ is jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the whole world. His instructions alone are sufficient for our spiritual welfare. Is it still necessary, then, to accept a mahānta-guru – a great spiritual ācārya (one who teaches by his example) – who is still living in this world?

Answer: We accept both – jagad-guru and mahānta-guru. If only the jagad-guru-vāda [jagad-guru-ism] is accepted the result has many undesirable consequences (anarthas). If someone accepts such a great soul from the past – in this case Jesus Christ – as jagad-guru and wishes to follow in his footsteps in the present but considers that there is no need for any mahānta-guru, it is questionable to what extent he will be able to properly follow the views of Jesus. Only the succession of mahānta-gurus mercifully delivers to us the words of the Supreme Lord or of the jagad-guru ācāryas.

The stream of water that originated in the Himalayas has t

Sri Gadadhara Pandit. He was a member of the Panca Tattva and is described as the effulgence of Srimate Radharani.

    Sri Gaurahari had so much affection for Sri Gadadhara Pandit that He couldn't be without him for a moment. He appeared a year after Lord Caitanya. Gadai and Nimai were inseparable as childhood playmates. Peaceful, renounced, serious, self-composed, fond of solitude Gadadhara proved quite a contrast to his bosom friend Gaura Raya, who was fickle, unsteady, and whimsical. In Ganga Dasa Pandit's tol (school) Nimai Pandit regularly teased Gadadhara by challenging him with illogical questions.
 
   Sri Kavi Karnapura states that in Vraja lila Gadadhara Pandit is the daughter of King Vrsabhanu–Srimati Radharani. Gadadhara Pandit served as Lord Gaura's chief assistant during His Navadvipa-lila. Sri-Sri Radha Krishna in Vrindavana appear as Gaura-Gadadhara to perform pastimes in Navadvipa in the forest groves beside the Ganges. 

  Gadadhara Pandit"No one call describe the charac