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Questions and Answers with
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

Devotee: How does one recognize a sadhu?

Gour Govinda Swami: Cry before Krishna. Only He can help you to find a sadhu. You can’t recognize a sadhu. You have no vision to see the sadhu.  If you try by yourself to recognize sadhu, then you will be cheated.  If you are serious, then cry before Him. “O Krishna! I am your servant!” 

ay nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
stita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
 

Mahaprabhu has taught us this.  This is crying before Krishna.  “O nanda-tanuja, son of Nanda Maharaja, I am your kinkara, your sevant.  Somehow or other I am  fallen here in this dreadful ocen of material existence and I have been drowning from time immemorial.  But I want to serve you.  How can I serve you? How can I become a speck of dust at Your lotus feet? Please help me.” Just cry. Without the help of sadhu you cannot approach Krishna. You can’t utter Krishna’s name. When you

From Rays of The Harmonist, Kartik 2003

Prīti - Love

by Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

The Sweetness of the word "love"

Love (prīti) is a very sweet word. When it is spoken, a very sweet mood arises in the hearts of both the speaker and the listeners. Though few are able to understand its true meaning, everyone still likes to hear the word. All beings are controlled by love. Many will even give up their lives for it.

All beings are controlled by love

To love is the sole purpose of human life. Many think that the fulfilment of their selfish desires is the primary purpose of their existence, but that is wrong. For love, man can sacrifice all of his own interests.

Selfishness causes man to strive only for his own happiness and autonomy, but love causes him to sacrifice all of his own interests for the sake of that thing or person that is dear to him. Whenever there is a clash between selfishness and love, love is victorious. In particular, even when selfishness is very

Conversation on Train to Allahabad
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
January 11, 1977, India

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Ramesvara: We are going out to sell our books, and even if the person does not want to buy, we are insisting that they buy.

Prabhupada: This is our duty. That is our duty.

Ramesvara: He thinks it is too aggressive.

Prabhupada: Eh? No, that is your temperament, because everything has got degree according to the man. So we should not worry. This is very nice, that we are imploring.

Ramesvara: So his conclusion was that all the people who we are selling books to, they do not like us. That was his conclusion. So I said that if they do not like us, then why is our book sales increasing? We started off selling two hundred thousand magazines a month. Now one million a month. So if you say that people do not like us…

Prabhupada: Not two hundred thousand.

Trivikrama: Twenty.

Hari-sauri: Ten thousand.

Prabhupada: Began with five thousand.

Ramesvara: And we said that pe

Bhagavad-gītā 6.32-40
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
New York, September 14, 1966

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Prabhupāda: Ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo ’rjuna. Please come forward. Sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ. Now, we have been discussing for the last few days about the perfect form of yoga. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is teaching Arjuna directly the perfect form of yoga. If you actually want to perform the yoga system, then here is authoritative statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have discussed in details. Now, after hearing the system, Arjuna is replying. Just mind that, that the whole thing was being described in the battlefield, in the battlefield. This whole Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna in the battlefield. And when Arjuna was just going to release his arms on the opposite party, on the enemy’s party, he thought… He got a sentiment: “So why this fighting with my own kinsmen?” That was his illu

                                                               Sri  BALADEVA                  

              All Glory to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Hari bol!

 Lord Baladeva and Krsna, Lords and Source of The Seed and Womb of the Universes

“Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Krsna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as Krsna’s brother, sometimes elder, sometimes younger”(SB 10.1.24p). “In His vaibhava-prakasa feature, Lord Krsna manifests Himself as Balarama. The Balarama feature is as good as Krsna Himself, the Only difference being that the bodily hue of Krsna is dark and that of Balarama is fair” (TLC Chap.

Srila Prabhupada:

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo ’stu te

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Introduction to Gitopanisad by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the author of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Easy Jour

And I don’t care if you ban me from the institution
… I’m still going to do book distribution.

And I don’t care if you consider me a pagan
…I’m still going to go on harinam…my haven.

And I don’t care if you spit insults upon my face
…I’m still going to serve his Divine Grace.

Lies have imprisoned our Master abode,

Truth the substance these shackles corrode.

Choking our Master’s Mercy from flowing,
His brilliance and glory will never stop glowing.

Divya Jnana our Master imparts
Love for our Master will never depart.

We are all a part of the same family tree
A time will come when this all will see…

Madhvas and Gaudiyas

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Thakur Prabhupada

There is a tendency, especially in this country, to approach the past history of

a sect on the basis of the prima-facie authenticity of the guruparamparä

as preserved in the sect. We would be more scientifically employed if we turned our attention to obtaining greater information by comparative study of the different records instead of resorting to gratuitous assumptions against the validity of the preceptorial lists.

For this very cogent reason we must accept as historically valid the existing preceptorial list of the Madhva Gauòéya Vaiñëava any particular is conclusively impugned by specific historical evidence. We have had no cause up till now to doubt the truth of any portion of this list. This list discloses the fact that the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya accepted Sri Iswara Puri as his preceptor. Sri Iswara Puri was a disciple of Sri Madhav

Go to the originator's video list for many more in this wonderful series !

 Japa Mala, chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra

How to properly chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra – Japa

” Nish, nish, ram, ram, nish, nish, ram, ram .” Srila Prabhupada once imitated how we sometimes chant without focus, without concentration, without proper pronunciation – how we chant when we dd this type of chanting; “I have to chant but I’d rather be doing something else.” And in our minds we are thinking, “I can’t wait to get these rounds out of the way, when shall I be finnished.” We all do this. And it can get pretty bad. I know devotees who chant rounds while watching football games on TV.

Srila Prabhupada explained that this type of chanting is more or less useless because it will not produce the desired result, love of Krishna. To even call this chanting is a stretch. It is closer to a ritual. But Prabhupada acknowledged the value in the ritual by saying that although this kind of chanting is not very productive, at least those who are chanting this way are keeping

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.108
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
San Francisco, February 18, 1967

Prabhupada: Brahman means “the greatest.” So what is the idea of the greatest? The greatest means… That is described by Parasara-sutra, that He is the greatest in wealth, greatest in fame, greatest in knowledge, greatest in renunciation, greatest in beauty, everything, whatever attractive. How, how you can understand “greatest”? “Greatest” does not mean that sky is the greatest. That is impersonal theory. But our “greatest” idea is that one who can swallow millions of skies within Himself, He is greatest. The material conception, they cannot go further. They can simply think of the greatest: the sky. That’s all. “As great as the sky.” But we Vaisnava, we see that Krsna has within His mouth millions of skies. So who is greatest? Krsna is greatest or the sky is greatest? This is the difference between the Mayavadi philosophers. Just like Krsna, when He wa

Bhagavad-gita 9.29-32
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, December 20, 1966

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Srila Prabhupada:

samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham

The Lord says that “I am… Although I am equal to everyone…” God is nobody’s enemy and nobody’s special friend, just like the king, the government, nobody’s enemy, nobody’s friend. As you act, so you get result. Similarly, for common man, there is no special favor from God. Ye tu bhajanti mam bhaktya. Ye tu. This tu means “but.” Here is a word, but. But means just like we sometimes say that “I am such and such, but…” “But” means there is something special. So this word is used here, tu. Tu means “but.” What is that “but?” Ye tu bhajanti mam pritya: “Anyone who is engaged in devotional service of Me, so for him I have got special attention.” Ye tu mam…, ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham: “As he is always, constantly engaged in My serv

Amazing darshan of Hanumanji: You have to see this to believe it!
This happened in Kalika Mata temple in Ratlam, M.P., last month.

Pictures tell the true story. The Saint was telling the story of Ramayana and “Hanumanji” appeared in the form of langur !! The langur first went and sat near the singers and listened to the kirtan, held the mic of the mahantji, got blessed by him, then “blessed” the saints and then sat in front of Shri Ramji’s photo and took some of the flowers (note similar position to Shri Hanumanji in the framed picture) and left quietly.

Bolo Siyavar Ramchandra ki Jai. Pavanasuta Hanuman ki Jai

Hanuman Chalisa
Hanuman – the Personification of Servitorship

Srila Prabhupada;

This is the greatest drawback of modern education, that not only in your country or any country they have completely neglected what is meant by God. And in India, they are especially… Now, as soon as there is any question of God, they see phobia: “Oh, this is all nonsense.” They have become so clever.

So anyway, my appeal to you, American people, that you are considered to be the leader of all nations of the world. You should take this Krishna conscious movement very seriously. It is good for you. It is good for the whole world. It is individually, collectively, without any consideration of caste, creed, or color.

Everyone can chant Hare Krishna, anyone and everyone, at home, on the street. There is no expenditure. Suppose while walking if you chant Hare Krishna, there is no loss, there is no expenditure, but you see how much you are profited by chanting Hare Krishna.

This is practical. We don’t say that “You come to our temple and give us some subscription.

Reader Deva Narayana das of Canada forwarded us this article about a large community of “Christian sannyasis” who live in a cloistered community upon Mt. Athos in Greece. We have edited the article for brevity.-Ed.

The Monks of Mount Athos

Krishna Chandra Das

I just returned from a pilgrimage to the holy Mount Athos in Greece, considered the spiritual center of the Orthodox tradition. Athos is an independent state and only monks can live there. There are (about two) thousand monks and few visitors are allowed to enter. Especially if one is non-orthodox, a special visa is required of which only four per day are issued. Meat is not allowed. There are also no cars, no restaurants and no buildings other than monasteries. For the last 1200 years it is forbidden for women or children to enter. For the past 1000 years also no female animals - that means also no milk and eggs.

The monks arise at 11 PM and chant japa for 3 hours in a completely dark room. Their "mantra" is the tradition

                Memories: The Past Life of a Pure Devotee

Hari das Prabhu

Note: Your Editor once showed Shrila Prabhupada’s horoscope to a renowned astrologer, Shri Shashikant Jain, whose hospitality and insight I enjoyed in Bangalore for many memorable weeks in 1976. The pandit noted that all Prabhupada’s planets were in perfect order. But he commented “There’s one minor flaw in the chart. That flaw was put there so that he would have to appear on earth. Otherwise he could not take birth.” He pointed to the conjunction of exalted Moon with Mars in the 6^th house of medicine. I told the pandit how in 1968 Prabhupada had related to us that he had been “medically-connected” in his past life, but had killed a snake by accident. For that one misdeed he had to take birth again. The pandit immediately agreed that this was indeed a plausible explanation for the combination. It was not until 2010 that I would discover the entire story, from watching the Memories Series of Videos by Shriman