"Shivo Harirhariha Shakshatchiva Eva Nirupitaha
Shivadveshi Haridrohi Vishnum Nityam Bhajanapi"
Meaning:
‘Shiva is Hari and Hari is none other than Shiva. An enemy of Shiva is an enemy of Hari, even though he may daily worship Vishnu.’ (Narad Pancharatra)
LOKANATHA GOSWAMI
His body and mind were completely attached to Vrindavanadhama. The divine pastimes of Radha-Vinoda played in his heart. His ears existed only to hear the Shrimad Bhagavatam. "Anyone who reads the Shrimad Bhagavatam," said Lokanatha Goswami, "he is my friend."
What is Our Duty as Human Beings?
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Question 1: What is our duty as human beings?
Answer: There are two considerations – preyaḥ-para, the inclination toward temporary, mundane pleasure, and śreyaḥ-para, the inclination toward eternal welfare. Only the search for śreya, our eternal welfare, is essential to us. Preyaḥ, or mundane gratification, is easily accessible, but śreyaḥ is difficult to achieve. Śreya includes that which is truly gratifying (preyaḥ) for the soul, but the kind of gratification sought after by the materially inclined mind does not include anything that amounts to śreyaḥ, true welfare for the soul.
It is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the soul achieves a human birth only after a great many lifetimes; it is extremely rare. This human life is temporary, but it provides the opportunity to achieve spiritual welfare. If we take shelter of a true guide by relinquishing our independence and engage in genuine bhajana (inte
The all merciful Lord Sri Gaur Hari, as He travelled from village to village throughout the south of India, continued to distribute love of Godhead wherever He went. Hearing the nectarean names of Hari from His lotus mouth, thousands and thousands men and women felt relief from the blazing fire of material existence. Various wretched, miserable and fallen souls lives were completely rejuvenated and thus they became virtuous and happy. While causing rains of love of God to fall anywhere and everywhere, without consideration of time or place, Sri Gaurasundor came to the ancient holy place of Sri Rangakshetra on an island in the middle of the Kaveri river.
The temple of Sri Ranga Kshetra was extremely large, the crest of the temple tower pierced the sky. Throughout the day and night hundreds and thousands of pilgrims were going and coming to take darsan of Lord Ranganath. The temple hall resounded with the sounds of hundreds and thousand of brahmanas chanting Ve
by TVP BOOKS
This full moon day in the month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru-purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. Guru-purnima is the appearance day of Sri Krishna Dvaipayan Vedavyasa, the son of Parasara Muni and Satyavati, who appeared five-thousand years ago in Krishna-Dvipa. All the followers of Sanatana-Dharma are observing Vyasa-Purnima today. All Guru-Parampara, the preceptorial channels are coming from Vedavyas. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura, would observe Vyasa-Purnima, by performing guru-puja.
"In Kali-yuga, which is the most degraded sinful age, everything is bad. Memory is bad, merit is bad, intelligence is bad, one’s fortune is bad, and there are many kinds of disturbances. If you hear, you forget. As soon as you leave this room, if you will be asked wha
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 seeing neither the boy nor the Bhagavatam he felt sad. When Sanatana began his puja that morning, however, Krishna Himself, disguised as a beautiful brahmana boy, came and said, 'Take this Shrimad Bhagavatam from Me, always study it, and you will attain perfection. "
In Krishna-lila-stava, Shri Sanatana Goswami glorifies the Shrimad Bhagavatam: "0 holy Bhagavata, you are my only company, my only friend, and my guru. You are my grea
Tṛṇīkṛta-tṛṇāvarta-dāsa, acbssp, A.Bh.S.
His Grace Trnikrta Trnavarta has officially taken initiation as a disciple of HDG A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada !!
Once in the house of Srivasa Thakura Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sang while Vakresvara Pandit danced in, constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. At that time Lord Caitanya said, "Vakresvara, I have only one wing like you, but if I had another certainly I could fly in the sky".
Expert at singing and dancing, Vakresvara Pandit always pleased Lord Caitanya with his service in the Navadvipa sankirtana parties (which he joined from the beginning), the dramas at Srivas Angam, and the yearly Ratha-yatra at Jagannatha Puri.
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura said, 'To awaken the sleeping souls in the age of Kali Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to distribute the nectar of the holy name of Krishna. When He came the khol (mrdanga) and karatals sounded like thundering clouds. Absorbed in moods of ecstatic love and shouting "Hari bol Hari bol," Sri Gauranga told everyone to chant the holy name of Krishna. Raising His golden arms to the sky, Lord Gaura Hari would dance in ecstasy. At that time, Vakresvara Pandit and
Summer 1973. It’s 8am, and already Washington, DC is bustling with activity, as everyone hurries to work. A group of ISKCON devotees also leave their temple, crossing Q Street and heading towards Connecticut Avenue, a heavily populated business district. But their job is different: as they walk, they sing kirtan, an ancient Vedic call-and-response style of chanting God’s Holy Names.
Suddenly, a young fellow appears out of nowhere, a flute tucked under his arm and long red hair streaming out behind him as he runs as fast as he can, trying to catch up with them. The devotees are surprised and delighted.
Then, just as he’s almost reached them, the young man loses one of his flip-flops (A backless sandal held to the foot by a thong between the big toe and the second toe). The devotees indicate to him that he should go back and get it, they’ll wait for him. But he refuses. There’s no way he’ll risk losing them or miss out on even a few seconds of kirtan. He joins the kirtan party, and that ve
He was a Vaidya by caste.
In his past incarnation he was Vira Duti.
(GGD. 176).
His Sripata was located at Kumarahatta at Halisahara (Pata Paryatana).
Sivananda had three sons named Caitanyadasa, Ramadasa, and Paramanandadasa (Kavi Karnapura).
Sivananda was one of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's intimate associates.
As directed by the Lord, he escorted the Gaudiya devotees to Nilacala every year, providing them with food and lodging along the way.
During one pilgrimage to Nilacala a dog joined their party and Sivananda took personal care of him, even paying extra fare to allow the dog to across the river along with them.
One night Sivananda was detained for sometime and arrived at the camp late in the evening, only to find that the dog had not been given prasada and, despite a thorough search, the dog was nowhere to be found.
Thus Sivananda did not accept any food that night.
When their party arrived in Nilacala, they found the dog in the presence of the Lord.
The dog was eating some coconut given by t
Shri Svarupa Damodara is an eternal associate and friend of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Previously his name was Shri Purushottama Acharya.
He lived in Nabadwipa.
He always stayed with Mahaprabhu.
When Shriman Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, he became half-mad.
He went to Varanasi and took sannyasa from a sannyasi named Chaitanyananda, who ordered him to study Vedanta and teach it to the people in general.
Shri Purushottama Acharya did not accept the dress of a sannyasi, but only gave up the shikha and sacred thread.
His name became Svarupa.
After this, taking up the order of his sannyasa-guru, Shri Purushottama Acharya went to Jagannatha Puri.
At that time, he again met with Shri Chaitanya.
The Chaitanya Charitamrita (ML 10:102-104) records this meeting as follows:
"One day, Svarupa Damodara arrived.
His mystic awareness of the Lord's inner purpose was deep and unfathomable.
He was an ocean of rasa.
In his previous ashrama, his name had been Purushottama Acharya.
When he was in Nabadwipa, he had attained th
