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SRI HARIDAS THAKUR

Sri Haridas Thakur appeared in this world in the village of Buron, in the present district of Sat-kira, which was previously a subdivision of Khulna, Bangladesh. By this great fortune that land has been blessed, in that the chanting of the Holy Names of Hari-Nam Sankirtan, became revealed there. After remaining there for some time, he came to the banks of Ganga at Fulia, near Santipur. Advaita Acarya was overjoyed to get his association and roared very loudly. The two of them thus began to float in the waves of the mellows of pastimes of Sri Krishna-Govinda. [C. B. Adi 16.18]

Sri Haridas Thakur is an eternally liberated associate of the Lord. The associates of the Lord are worshippable wherever they make their appearance. Just as Garuda appeared as a bird, and Hanuman as a monkey, Haridas Thakur appeared in a family of Yavanas (Mohammedans). From his very birth he was very deeply devoted to the Holy Names of Sri Krishna.

When he came to live by the banks of the Ganges

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur appeared in 1838 in an aristrocratic family of Calcutta. Named Kedaranath, his youth was spent absorbed in studies. A prolific reader and writer, he authored many articles and poems in English. He entered the Hindu School as a student in the class in 1856 at the University of Calcutta, where he studied the philosophical works of Kant, Goethe, Hizel, Swedenburg, Schopenhuer, Hume, Voltaire and others. He later began to study the works of the Brahma movement, along with the Bible and other Christian books, debates between eastern and western thinkers, and the Koran. In his biography, he states that he preferred Christianity to Brahmoism because of Christianity's clarity as to the transcendence of the one Godhead.

He then moved to Orissa, and continued to write and publish various works. Becoming first a school teacher, and then a Deputy Magistrate at the age of 28. He later moved to Dinajpur where he was appointed Deputy Magistrate. There, he became familiar with

The Meaning of the Word ‘Matsarya’
& Who Is Fit For the Non-Envious Religion of Love?

The word matsarya is used with different meanings in different contexts. Among its various meanings we find ‘enviousness of others’ good-fortune’, ‘distressed because of their success’, ‘malice’ and ‘jealousy’. Wherever the word matsarya has been used in the Vaisnava scriptures, it refers to that mood which is adverse to prema (pure love)...

dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra
paramo nirmatsaranam satam
vedyam vastavam atra vastu sivadam
tapa-trayonmulanam
srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte
kim va parair isvarah
sadyo hrdy avarudhyate ’tra krtibhih
susrusubhis tat-ksanat

Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2)

In this Bhagavata Purana, where fraudulent religiosity and all other mundane goals of humankind have been utterly forsaken, the supreme spiritual duty (parama-dharma) has been expounded. That parama-dharma is pure bhakti-yoga, exemplified by those saints who are absolutely free from envy and full of compassion for

Just like Lomaśa Muni. Lomaśa Muni, his duration of life is that when one Brahmā dies, one hair from the body falls. So in this way, when all the hairs of his body will fall down, he will die. He has such a great length of... So he was standing on the side of a sea and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Nārada Muni approached him, "Why don't you make a small cottage here?" He said, "How long I shall live? (laughter) Ah, standing will do. Let me finish my bead...(?)" Just see. And here they'll live for twenty years and making skyscraper building, (makes sound:) "Doc, dong, doc, dong, doc, dong." (laughter) Does not calculate that "I shall live for twenty or thirty years."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is not guaranteed also.
Prabhupāda: That is also not guaranteed. Why I am taking so much trouble? They are so foolish persons. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā jīvake karaye gādhā. This so-called scientific education means people become more attracted with this temporary world

Sri Sri Sad–goswami-astaka
Prayers To Our Six Goswamis

{1}

krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Goswamis, namely Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatana Goswami,
Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami,Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami, who are always engaged in chanting the Holy Name of Krishna and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone.  Whatever they do, they are all pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Chaitanya. Thus they are engaged in various missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.

{2}

nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-kar

Yagnesa yagna purushachyutha theerthapada,

Theerthasrava sravana mangala namadheya,

Aapanna loka vrjinopasamodhayadhya,

Sam na krudheesa bhagawannasi dheena nadha. 1

Oh God who is the lord of the oppressed,

Who is the chief of Yagna*, who is Achyutha,

Of the form of Yagna, whose feet is the sacred waters,

 Who is the entire holy waters, who is good to hear,

Who is interested in destroying sins of those who approach him,

And who is primeval, Please shower good things on us.

*Fire sacrifice

Viswaya viswabhavana sthithi samyamaya,

Swairam graheetha puru shakthi gunaya bhoomne,

Swasthaya saswad upa braamhitha punya bhodham,

Vyapadhithathma thamase haraye namasthe. 2

Salutations to the Hari, who is the universe,

Who does creation, upkeep and destruction of the universe,

Who is responsible for the illusion and in spite is in a stable form,

Who by the permanent luster of the total knowledge,

Does not give way, to darkness in his soul.

Aayu param vapurabheeshtamathulya lakshmeer,

Dhyobhoorasa sakala yoga gunas

The fifth among the Dasavatara is Sri Vamana-avatara. There are innumerable lila-avataras. Among them are twenty-five chief lila-avataras of which Sri Vamanadeva is the eighteenth. All the lila-avataras have been mentioned in the previous description of Matsya-avatara. Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are the original catur-vyuha, or original four expanded forms of Sri Krishna in Dvaraka. They are prabhava-vilasa (four-handed forms) of Sri Krishna.

The majestic expansion of Sri Krishna, Narayana, who resides in Vaikuntha, also has His catur-vyuha, which is known as the second manifestation of four expanded forms. Each form of this second catur-vyuha again expands into three forms. Among the first manifestation of expanded forms, Pradyumna expands into three forms known as Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara. Thus, each form of the second catur-vyuha expands into three forms, which totals twelve, and These are the Presiding Deities of the twelve months.

The Deity of the mont

Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa and Sri Vallabha were three brothers, all employed in the service of the Badshaw Hussain Shah. Amongst the three, there was only one descendent, Sri Jiva. Having been rewarded richly by the Badshaw for their sevices, their household life was very opulent. There was nothing lacking in whatever was necessary for the upbringing of the only son. The house was illuminated by the effulgence of the child's golden complexion; his eyes were like the expanded petals of the lotus; every part of his body was graced with a lusterous, radiant splendor.

When Sri Gaurasundara came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darshana of His worshipable lord, though he was just a baby at the time. Placing the dust of His lotus feet on the child's head, Mahaprabhu indicated him to be the future sovereign preceptor of the Gaudiya sampradaya. Though he was only a child, Sri Jiva kept the form of the Lord, which fascinates all the world, wit

Sakhya or Madhurya

Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari

"Despite the objective superiority of gopi-bhava, the venerable
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami makes it clear the best rasa is the one
that is subjectively best for each devotee."

Q. While you believe that Srila Prabhupada is in sakhya-rasa, these
words from his commentary on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya 11.31)
indicate to me that he must be in madhurya-rasa.

"There are different types of devotees--those in the santa-rasa
(neutrality), dasya-rasa (servitude), sakhya-rasa (friendship),
vatsalya-rasa (parental affection), and madhurya-rasa (conjugal love).
Although all the rasas are on the transcendental platform,
madhurya-rasa is the supreme transcendental mellow. Consequently, it is
concluded that the worship of devotees engaged in the Lord's service in
madhurya-rasa is the supreme spiritual activity. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and his followers mainly worship Lord Krishna in
madhurya-rasa. . . . It is he only who distributed love

Morning Walk
April 8, 1975, Māyāpur

Jayādvaita: ...names of Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master or the ācāryas have chanted them, but sometimes I'll hear that our devotees will be chanting Kṛṣṇa's name in different ways that I haven't heard, in kīrtana.
Prabhupāda: I do not follow what you say.
Jayādvaita: Just like sometimes we'll hear our men. They'll be chanting... Like yesterday I heard that someone was chanting, "Nitāi-Gaura, Nitāi-Gaura, Nitāi-Nitāi-Gaura." Like that, I'll hear different mantras. Someone is chanting: "Rādhe, Rādhe, Rādhe, Rādhe," like that, at kīrtana.
Prabhupāda: Well, that is not done by the ācāryas. But there is no harm chanting "Rādhe." But sometimes it is degraded to make something new, invention. Therefore better to stick to "Hare Kṛṣṇa" and to "Śrī-Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhupāda-Nityānanda." Otherwise... Just like the sahajiyās, they have invented: "Nitāi-Gaura Rādhe Śyāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rāma." These things will come gradually. But they are not approved. They are ca

Morning Walk
—
(World War III)

—
April 4, 1975, Māyāpur
Rūpānuga: Intoxication.
Prabhupāda: ? Hm? These are old.
Rūpānuga: Technology.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rūpānuga: So many gadgets to...
Prabhupāda: Anthropomorphis... What is called? Anthropology.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: University of Avidyā.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Chuckles) Right you are. Avidyāra bhore. Kota nidrā jāo māyā avidyāra bhore.
Pañcadraviḍa: Psychiatrists.
Prabhupāda: Yes. All Western adventure to keep people in darkness. And that is going on. Now it will be smashed by the next war. Next war will come very soon.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (Surprised) Oh!
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Next war...?
Prabhupāda: Your country, America, is very much eager to kill these Communists. And the Communists are also very eager. So very soon there will be war. And perhaps India will be the greatest sufferer.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Greatest...?
Devotees: Sufferer.
Srutakirti: Sufferer.
Prabhupāda: Because America is aiming to start the war from India.
Devotee: Oh!
Prabhupāda: Y

Sep 22, 2012 — CANADA (SUN) — By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, addressing Miss Maximiani at the Gaudiya Math, Calcutta, on June 29, 1935.

The Supreme Lord cannot be known through our intellectual efforts. Unless He gives us the power of knowing Him, we cannot know Him. It is His mercy. If He is not at all merciful to us, we won't be able, by our strenuous exertions, to approach Him. The thing is that we have to approach Him and He has to give us the facility of approaching Him. He is the Autocrat - He is the Despot - He has the fullest freedom. We cannot, by our flimsy little way of thinking and by any of our attempts, reach Him in any way.

So, craving is the only need in us by which we can surmount all there difficulties, the barriers and the impediments of these phenomena. The objective references of the reciprocated entities of our senses, will never disclose Him unless He is so lenient to show us that latitude as to be approachable by us. This is the only me

Sri Yudhishthira Maharaja asked of Lord Sri Krishna, "What is the name of that Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September "Hrishikesha mase")? Who is the worshipable Deity for this Ekadasi, and what merit does one attain in observing it? Kindly reveal all of this to me my Lord."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna addressed His devoted Yudhishthira as follows, "This Ekadasi, Oh Yudhishthira, is called Vamana Ekadasi, and it bestows upon those who observe it both great merit and ultimate liberation from material bondage. Therefore, because it removes all one's sinful reactions, it is also called Jayanti Ekadasi. Just hearing of its glories frees one from all his past misdeeds.

So auspicious is this fast that observing it bestows the same merit as that earned by performing a horse sacrifice. There is no better Ekadasi than this, because it awards liberation so easily. Thus if one truly desires freedom from t

Radha-Stuti

radha raseshvari ramya

rama cha paramatmanah

rasodbhava krishna-kanta

krishna-vaksha-sthala-sthita

"Beautiful Shrimate Radharani is the queen and the origin of the rasa dance. She is the giver of pleasure to Krishna, who is the Supersoul in the hearts of all. She is the lover of Krishna and is always situated upon the chest of the Lord."

krishna-pranadhidevi cha

maha-vishnoh prasur api

sarvadya vishnu-maya cha

satya nitya sanatani

"She is the presiding Deity of Krishna's very life, and She is the first of all persons, the energy of Lord Vishnu, the embodiment of truthfulness--eternal and ever-youthful."

brahma-svarupa parama

nirlipta nirguna para

vrinda vrindavane tvam cha

viraja-tata-vasini

"Her form is spiritual, therefore She is transcendental and beyond mundane qualities. She is divine energy and is unattached. O Radha, in Vrindavana You are the leader of the gopis, and You reside on the banks of the Viraja River."

goloka-vasini gopi

gopisha gopa-matrika

sananda paramananda

nanda-

Text One

jaya rādhe, jaya kṛṣṇa, jaya vṛndāvan
śrī govinda, gopīnātha, madana-mohan

All glories to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and the divine forest of Vṛndāvana! All glories to the three presiding Deities of Vṛndāvana—Śrī Govinda, Gopīnātha, and Madana-mohana!

Text Two

śyama-kunḍa, rādhā-kuṇḍa, giri-govardhan
kālindi jamunā jayav, jaya mahāvan

All glories to Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Rādhā-kuṇḍa, Govardhana Hill, and the Yamunā River (Kālindī)! All glories to the great forest known as Mahāvana, where Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma displayed Their childhood pastimes!

Text Three

keśī-ghāṭa, baṁśi-baṭa, dwādaśa-kānan
jāhā saba līlā koilo śrī-nanda-nandan

Glories to Keśī-ghāṭa, where Kṛṣṇa killed the Keśī demon! All glories to the Vaṁśī-vaṭa tree, to which Kṛṣṇa attracted all the gopīs by playing His flute! Glories to all twelve forests of Vraja! At these places the son of Nanda, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, performed His pastimes.

Text Four

śrī-nanda-jaśodā jaya, jaya gopa-gaṇ
śrīdāmādi jaya, jaya dhenu-vatsa-gaṇ

All glories to Kṛṣṇa’s father and m

Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī, The Day of Her Advent

by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda

The following discourse was delivered by Jagad-guru Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda in the Sārasvata assembly hall of Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha, on Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī evening, September 19, 1931

* * *

There is one person whose name is never mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And yet Bhāgavatam’s steadfast readers constantly nurture the ardent hope of becoming that person’s devout, one-pointed servant. May that person, who means everything to Śrī Bhagavān, kindly destroy our false ego in all its various forms and bestow upon us the shelter of Her lotus feet.

Today is the day of Her advent.

That personification of grand benevolence, having collected all varieties of graces from Śrī Bhagavān to bestow as gifts upon all beings, is eternally the foremost of the benevolent. May She descend within our hearts and make Her appearance there, and may Her advent be the concern of our worship.

His

Sri Lalita devi

Of the eight sakhis, Lalita-devi is the foremost. She is a very dear friend
of Radha-Krsna and she is 27 years old, older than  Srimati Radharani.

(Radha-Krsna-ganoddesa-dipika)

Lalitadevi is well-known for her contradictory and hot tempered nature. Her
complexion is the color of gorocana (bright yellow pigment prepared from the
urine of a cow) and her garments are the color of peacock feathers.

Her mother is Saradi-devi and her father is Visoka. Her husband is Bhairava
who is a close friend of Govardhana-gopa (husband of Candravali).

Rupa manjari (Rupa Goswami) is the assistant and follower of Lalita-sakhi;
thus all who consider themselves as Rupanuga bhaktas (followers of Rupa
Goswami) are ultimately the servants of lalita-devi and thus through the
media of the parampara should always be longing to engage in the service of
her lotus feet. When that day comes that we are able to please her, she will
engage us in the intimate loving service of Sri Sri radha-Krsna a

Jagamohan pari munda.. yau!

Let my head fall at the feet of Jagannatha in the kirtana hall known as Jagamohana.