The purnima or full moon of Damodara month is the second full moon of the autumn season, and rasa lila is again celebrated. This second rasa yatra is celebrated more in Bengal, whereas the first one is celebrated more in Vrndavana.
On this day one should perform full worship of Radha and Krsna with many flowers, and place them in a rasa mandapa surrounded by the gopis.
Sri Kasisvara Pandita Gosvami had a temple near Sri Rampura at Catara. Mahaprabhu sent him to Vrindavana later on in his life. His disciple was Sri Govinda Gosai, the pujari of Sri Govinda Deva.
When Srila Rupa Gosvami discovered Sri Govinda Deva's Sri Vigraha at Gomati tila, he immediately sent word to Mahaprabhu at Puri. Mahaprabhu in turn requested Sri Kasisvara Pandita to go to Vrindavana. Kasisvara however expressed that "to have to give up your association will cause my heart to be split in two. Therefore please consider how I can honor your request without giving up my life."
Mahaprabhu could understand the heart of Kasisvara and therefore he gave him a self manifested Deity of Himself. Mahaprabhu sat down along with this Vigraha and accepted prasad at which Kasisvara's faith was kindled. Mahaprabhu intimated to him with this Deity and established him on the right side of Sri Govinda Deva. Then he began to serve Them with great love.
Pamho
"The same thing, we are preaching. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is nothing new. It is coming down from the original speaker, Kṛṣṇa, by disciplic succession. So we are reading this Bhagavad-gītā. Not that I have manufactured some book and I am preaching. No. I am preaching Bhagavad-gītā. The same Bhagavad-gītā as it was first spoken forty millions of years ago to the sun-god and again it was repeated five thousand years ago to Arjuna. The same thing is coming down by disciplic succession, and the same thing is presented before you. There is no change."
The Bhakti-ratnākara mentions Keśava Kāśmīrī and lists his predecessors in the disciplic succession of the Nimbārka-sampradāya: (1) Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, (2) Viśva Ācārya, (3) Puruṣottama, (4) Vilāsa, (5) Svarūpa, (6) Mādhava, (7) Balabhadra, (8) Padma, (9) Śyāma, (10) Gopāla, (11) Kṛpā, (1 2) Deva Ācārya, (13) Sundara Bhaṭṭa, (14) Padmanābha, (15) Upendra, (16) Rāmacandra, (17) Vāmana, (18) Kṛṣṇa, (19) Padmākara, (20) Śravaṇa, (21) Bhūri, (22) Mādhava, (23) Śyāma, (24) Gopāla, (25) Balabhadra, (26) Gopīnātha, (27) Keśava, (28) Gokula and (29) Keśava Kāśmīrī. It is stated in the Bhakti-ratnākara that Keśava Kāśmīrī was a favorite devote
Bhisma Pancaka
This kind of 5 day fast is also prescribed for the last 5 days of Kartika (Damodara) Month and it is known as "Bhisma Pancaka". During that vrata puja offerings to the Lord are also prescribed. I am listing them below. There are also mantras that go with these offerings. However, I didn't find any specific mention about this for Purusottama month. In the Padma Purana it only stated that in addition to ekadasee one can observe a "pancaratrika" fast until amavasya. Here are offerings prescribed for Bhisma Pancaka.
Devotees may offer the following to the Deity form of the Lord:
1. On the first day, one must offer padma (lotus) flowers to the feet of the Lord
2. On the second day, one must offer bilva (wood-apple) leaves of the thigh of the Lord
3. On the third day, one must offer gandha (scents) to the navel of the Lord
4. On the fourth day, one must offer java flower to the shoulders of the Lord
5. On the fifth day, one must offer malati flower to the head (siro-desa) of the Lor
The next in the parampara, after and is an associate of Bhaktivinoda Thakura - a great paramahamsa babaji by the name of Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Technically he was the disciple of Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja, who was a disciple of Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja.
In 1897 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja came to Mayapur Navadwipa Dhama from Sri Vrndavana Dhama, where he was accredited the exalted title "Bhajananandi". Srila Bhaktivinoda (Kedarnath Datt), seeing the transcendental behaviour of Babaji Maharaja, would use him as an example of nirapeksa (indifference), as his level of renunciation was beyond belief.
This Vaisnava saint's life was an example of utter humility and poverty, the true attributes of a Vaisnava. Gaurakisora never accepted any material object from anyone. For his clothing he used the discarded loin cloths from corpses left on the bank of the Ganges. For food, he would collect rice by begging, soak it in river water, and garnish it with salt and chilly.
"Dhananjaya Pandit was a very rare soul. Nityananda Prabhu was always present in his heart." [C.B. Antya 5.733]
His Sripat is at Sitalgram, Mangal Kota Khana, Barddhaman district. There is a railway station at Kaicor on the metre gauge line from Katwa to Barddhaman. If one gets down at Kaicor, then it is about a twenty minute walk to the village of Sitalgram.
Dhananjaya Pandita also stayed at Sancra Pancra for some time. According to the opinion of some he was born in the village of Jargram, within the district of Cattagram. He was present during Mahaprabhu's sankirtana pastimes in Navadvipa. After returning from Vrindavana, he also worshipped the Deities at Jalandigram.
At present the Deities of Sri Gopinatha, Sri Sri Nitai-Gaura and Sri Damodara Salagram-sila are being worshipped there. He has no descendants, but he had a brother by the name Sri Sanjaya, whose son was Sri Rama Kanai Thakura. His Sripat is located at Mulukgrama (near Bolpur). Sanjaya was perhaps the disciple of Dhananjay
Sri Gadadhara dasa Thakura previously lived at Navadwip. When the Lord went to live at Nilacala Sri Dasa Gadadhara also there to be with Him. Later on Mahaprabhu sent him back with Nityananda Prabhu to preach in Bengal. He first stayed at Eriyadahagram, which is situated on the banks of the Ganges. Then he spent some time in Navadwipa, taking care of Saci Mata and Visnupriya, but after their disappearance he came to live at Katwa, where Mahaprabhu had accepted sannyasa from Kesava Bharati.
He was a very confidential associate of Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda. In Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika it is stated that he is an incarnation of the effulgence of Srimati Radharani's body, as well as an expansion of Purnananda gopi. Though he was one of the associates of Nityananda Prabhu, the majority of whom were cowherd boys and thus situated in the mellow of friendship, he was always absorbed in the mood of a gopi.
Once, as he was carrying a pot of Ganges water on his head, he called loudly, "Who wants to buy
On this day lord Sri Krishna became a qualified cowherd. Before this day, he was a keeper of the calves.
The Killing of Dhenukasura:
"Thus Sri Krishna, along with His elder brother Balarama, passed the childhood age known as kaumara and stepped into the age of pauganda, from the sixth year up to the tenth. At that time, all the cowherd men conferred and agreed to give those boys who had passed their fifth year charge of the cows in the pasturing ground. Given charge of the cows, Krishna and Balarama traversed Vrindavana, purifying the land with Their lotus footprints."
It is stated in the Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa:
"The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves."
The word padaiḥ indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa blessed the earth by w
NARADA MUNI COMES TO KIRTAN
One night an extraordinary thing happened. Prabhupada led the first kirtan and then gave a lecture. I sat on the floor just to his right with the harmonium, and after the lecture, I began leading the second Hare Krishna kirtan. All of a sudden, Srila Prabhupada’s voice cut through the auditorium with the potency of Lord Nrisimha, right in the middle of my chanting. I had never heard Prabhupada do that, nor had I heard the words he chanted. ‘Narada Muni bhajaya vina radhika ramana namne,’ he sang. And then again he repeated it. I looked up, and he looked down at me, signaling me to carry on. So I continued chanting Hare Krishna, and he continued singing his prayer to Narada Muni into his microphone. I closed my eyes and carried on, not knowing what was happening. Then he started leading with me. We could all understand that something inexplicable but amazing was happening. Everyone was literally jumping off the ground, leaping in the air; even little baby Sa
Editorial (VNN) - by Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
Dear Prabhus, please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!Srila Prabhupada always said that the appearance and disappearance of thegreat devotees are both reasons to celebrate. We like the appearance pastimesmore of course, but in the disappearance pastimes our faith and determinationcan be tested and strengthened. Srila Prabhupada followed the instructions ofhis Guru Maharaja and performed the miracle of spreading Krsna Consciousnessall over the world. Srila Prabhupada always felt the presence of his GuruMaharaja and we can also feel the presence of Srila Prabhupada; if we want andtry. It is not that he is dead and gone. His disappearance is our chance torealize his eternal presence. As he himself said, he will live on in his booksand we should utilize them and perfect our lives and go back home, back toGodhead.
The following stories about Srila Prabhupada's disappearance are taken frommy website the Haribol Home P
When Lord Vamandev was pleased with Bali maharaj and appeared in Vishnu-rupa, Bali asked a boon that Lord Vishnu would be on every door at Patalaloka because in Nether regions Bali wants his society Lord Vishnu agrees and goes to become a Dwarpalaka of Bali. Narad tells Laxmi where Lord Vishnu is. Laxmi plays trick on Bali - she goes to Bali as a poor woman seeking help - with her she takes raksha bandan. She says to Bali that she doesn't have a brother - and would dearly like one. When the raksha bandan is tied the brother has to offer her something. Bali asked Laxmi what he can give her, Laxmi replied that you have my everything in your service - please release Lord Vishnu.
As Yama's sister is Yamuna and she fed Yama to his satifaction he said that from now on any brother who visits thesister on Bhaidhuj day will escape the hand of Yamaraj - the sister prays for her brother.
Brother goes to sister's house – the very best of foods are cooked, and then the sister feeds brother.
There i
In the Christian year 1590 (Sakabda 1512), on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik, during the night of thefestival Dipamalika, when the houses are decorated with rows of lamps, Sri Rasikananda Deva made his appearance in this world. His father was Sri Acyuta Deva, the king of Rohini. Afterpassing many years without having a male issue, Sri Acyuta Deva, bythe mercy of Sri Jagadisa (Jagannath), was blessed with thisjewel of a son. The village of Rohini or Royni was situated within the country known as Mallabhumi, encompassed on one side by theSuvarnarekha River (Suvarna meaning golden and rekha, a line). ThisSuvarnarekha River cleansed the sins of all the local people. Near Royni was another village of the name Barayita, by the side of which flowed the Dolanganadi River, whose banks were adorned with beautiful gardens.Raja Acyuta Deva very affectionately maintained his subjects and was famous for impeccably observing the rites attendant upon kings.In the villag
