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Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur: Disappearance celebration Monday 20 Sept (Sridham Mayapur time)

The Supreme Lord Anantadeva Himself praises Haridasa Thakura, "Even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva always desire to associate with such Devotees as Haridasa. And the demigods desire to touch the transcendental body of Haridasa. Simply by saying his name, Haridasa, one will be promoted to Krishna's abode." (Chaitanya Bhagavata).

   As Prahlada Maharaja appeared in a family of demons and Hanuman appeared as a monkey, Shri Haridasa Thakura appeared amongst the lower caste. Haridasa had a handsome form with all aristocratic features. Highly intellectual, he won all debates in Sanskrit and philosophy. Yet, he never lost his temper. In his youth, he became famous for his extreme devotion and ascetism. Though born in a Muslim family, when he became a Vaishnava, even brahmanas would eagerly smear their bodies with the dust of his feet.

   The Supreme Lord Anantadeva Himself praises Haridasa Thakura, "E

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: Appearance day Sunday 19th Sept Sridham Mayapur time.

    Sri Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific writing. Living as a, mahabhagavata Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.
 
   "He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high court judge), maintained a Krishna conscious family, and wrote almost one hundred books on Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he served the Supreme Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his life. After a full day of government service he would sleep four hours, get up at midnight and write until morning. That was his daily

"Thereafter, King Vṛṣabhānu, as per the advice of the goddess, arrived at the āśrama of Mahā-muni Kratu on the sandy banks of the river Virajā, received harināma mahā-mantra, and also became acquainted with the process of chanting śrī nāma. Kratu Muni, having given the harināma mahā-mantra to King Vṛṣabhānu, once again said to him: “Son! For Vaiṣṇavas, and especially in the case of Śākta, Saura, Śaiva, and Gāṇapatya initiation, only the performance harināma-kīrtana purifies the aural faculties. In other words, because of impurities within the aural faculty, without first of all having harināma-dīkṣā, no other mantra will bear results. Ears into which harināma has not entered are impure like the ears of a dead body. In other words, as long as one does not receive harināma-dīkṣā, one’s ears remain impure. Once harināma enters, one attains purity. O Mahābāho (strong-armed one)! I have given you this harināma. Hereafter, practice this with full concentration of your heart and soul.” cour

Rupa Goswami has written this song “Nikhila Sruti Mauli Radha”. The official name of this song is Volume 6 Namastakam. This song is taken from the book Stavamala. In this song, Rupa Goswami has described the glories of the Holy Name, which is non-different than Lord Krishna himself.

(1)

nikhila-sruti-mauli-ratna-mala-

dyuti-nirajita-pada-pankajanta

ayi mukta-kulair upasyamanam

paritas tvam hari-nama samsrayami

(2)

jaya namadheya muni-vrnda-geya he

jana-ranjanaya param aksarakrte

tvam anadarad api manag udiritam

nikhilogra-tapa-patalim vilumpasi

(3)

yad-abhaso 'py udyan kavalita-bhava-dhvanta-vibhavo

drsam tattvandhanam api disati bhakti-pranayinim

janas tasyodattam jagati bhagavan-nama-tarane

krti te nirvaktum ka iha mahimanam prabhavati

(4)

yad-brahma-saksat-krti-nisthayapi

vinasam ayati vina na bhogaih

apaiti nama sphuranena tat te

prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah

(5)

aghadamana-yasodanandanau nandasuno

kamalanayana-gopicandra-vrndavanendrah

pranatakaruna-krsnav ity aneka-s

In the book Nāma-kaumudī it is recommended that if one is an offender at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava, he should submit to that Vaiṣṇava and be excused; similarly, if one is an offender in chanting the holy name, he should submit to the holy name and thus be freed from his offenses. In this connection there is the following statement, spoken by Dakṣa to Lord Śiva: “I did not know the glories of your personality, and therefore I committed an offense at your lotus feet in the open assembly. You are so kind, however, that you did not accept my offense. Instead, when I was falling down because of accusing you, you saved me by your merciful glance. You are most great. Kindly excuse me and be satisfied with your own exalted qualities.”

One should be very humble and meek to offer one’s desires and chant prayers composed in glorification of the holy name, such as ayi mukta-kulair upāsya mānam and nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād [SB 10.1.4]. One should chant such prayers to become free from off

- https://news.gab.com/2021/08/24/the-no-vax-mandate-job-board/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbkW8pdTtnY

Bhavananda Das and the Poison Issue (by Nityananda das)

      Srila Gour Govinda Swami Thakura, 1978

We set out from Bhubaneswara early, taking bicycle rickshaw to the bus station. While waiting to board, Gour Govinda Swami explained to me the qualities of certain round white sweet balls which I had noted, displayed behind glass cases there. "These are a specialty of Bhubaneswara", he explained, "They cook sugar with cardamon, camphor, ghee, and black pepper, until it is well done and very hard. Very tasty, very sweet !"  He smiled with an exclamation. Maharajah did not eat many sweets, or very rarely, neither did we have them about the ashrama much, and we had no taste for sweets shopping that early . 

When I moved into the ashrama from Canada, after a while, I started to purchase ocasional  white-cardboard boxes of milk-sweets, in town.  It was too much to ask to live so frugally, essentially, and not spend any money on at least some occasional milk products, I thought to myself. For  a Western devotee, though used to Iskcon austerity,