On January 13th, 1976, Srila Prabhupada was visiting the Calcutta Hare Krishna temple on Albert Road. With him was his disciple Hari-Sauri dasa, who writes about that year's Ganga Sagara Mela:

"Today was Ekadasi, and Srila Prabhupada took his morning walk along the Ganga. Hundreds of pilgrims were taking a dawn bath there, having come for the Ganga-Sagara-mela. Prabhupada explained that sagara is the sea, so the mela is a spiritual gathering on an island in the Ganga's estuary.

Evidently eager pilgrims had traveled from as far away as Rajasthan in the northwest. They camped along the banks of Mother Ganga, washing their few possessions, as well as themselves, in the holy waters, unmindful of the boats and other river traffic passing by. They sat contentedly on the pathways cooking breakfast and drying out their clothing.

Noting the shining lota (combination waterpot and drinking vessel) one man carried, Prabhupada remarked that if even the lota is so clean, we can understand how cle

Palaka Dasa

THE FAMILIES OF HIS PREVIOUS BIRTHS

SB 7.10.18

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified.
PURPORT
The word triḥ-saptabhiḥ means seven multiplied by three. In one’s family one can count back four or five generations—to one’s great-grandfather or even one’s great-grandfather’s father—but since the Lord mentions twenty-one forefathers, this indicates that the benediction expands to other families also. Before the present family in which one has taken birth, one must have been born in other families. Thus when a Vaiṣṇava takes birth in a family, by the grace of the Lord he purifies not only that family but also the families of his previous births.

Comment

When one is young and life is yet sweet, he cannot imagine
the decay and decadence yawning soon at his feet.

Can Divine Poetry guide, better than mere light? From what realm procedes the rationale of the poesy of divine service? That is closer to Self than the briefly cutting particles.

He mentions an especially touching conversation Shri Gaurasundara had with Vishnupriya Devi the night before He took sannyasa. Being a talented musician, Lochana Dasa told Mahaprabhu's pastimes in beautiful poetry filled with fire and rhythm. Common people could easily understand the divine character of Shri Chaitanya and awaken their religious feelings. As Devotees regularly chant the Vedic epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, Gaudiya Vaishnava's still wander through Bengal reciting the Chaitanya Mangala. (In the image: Shri Gaurachandra, ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai).

Shri Lochana Dasa Thakura was a disciple of Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura, a dearest associate of Lord Gaura Raya.

"My hope of hopes is to be near the lotus feet of Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura and serve him with my very life. The cherished desire of the fallen Lochana Dasa is to be allowed, by Narahari's grace, to sing the glories of Lord Gauranga. My Lord is Shri Narahari Thakura, I am His servant. Bowing before him I beg fo

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura Mahasaya has sung: "O Acarya Prabhu (Srinivasa), please bestow your mercy upon me. I pray that I might also have the association of Ramacandra."

Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja was the disciple of Srinivasa Acarya Prabhu and the very intimate friend of Narottama dasa Thakura. His father was Ciranjiva Sena and mother Sri Sunanda. Ciranjiva was originally an inhabitant of Kumara nagar but after marrying the daughter of Sri Damodara Kavi he moved to Sri Khanda.

"Ciranjiva Sena was a pure devotee very much loved by Narahari Sarkar and the other residents of Sri Khanda. He was extremely learned in all matters and his wife was very chaste and gentle. Her activities were completely transcendental." [C.C Mad. 11/92]

Sri Mukunda, Narahari, Raghunandana and Ciranjiva, who were all residents of Sri Khanda, were of one mind and one purpose. Every year they would come to Nilacala to have darshan of Mahaprabhu and to chant and dance in front of Lord Jagannatha during Ratha Ya

Shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami.

   Shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami (the son of a Vyenkata Bhatta, a Shri Vaishnava brahmana) appeared in Shri Rangam, South India. Lord Chaitanya once stayed four months in his home, and converted the family to Gaudiya Vaishnavism. A mere boy at this time, Gopala personally served the Lord. Shri Chaitanya treated him affectionately giving His remnants and blessings to' become an acharya.

   During His four month stay, Lord Chaitanya developed a close friendship with Vyenkata Bhatta, which Krishna Dasa Kaviraja describes as "sakhya rasa." Freely conversing with each other, they would often laugh and joke together. One day in a humorous mood Lord Chaitanya asked Vyenkata:

   "Why does your worshipable goddess of fortune, Shri Lakshmidevi, abandon the happiness of Vaikuntha and her service to Her Lord Narayana? Why does she go to Vrindavana and perform severe austerities to attain the association of My Lord Gopala, the cowherd boy of Vraja?"

   "I can't understand these

Jayadeva Goswami is the author of the Gita-govinda, a poem about the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. He appeared 300 years before the advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya relished hearing the Gita-govinda sung by His close associates. To this day the poem is recited daily in the temple of Lord Jagannatha in Jagannatha Puri, Orissa. Jayadeva Goswami is also the author of the famed Dashavatara Stotra.

Here's the fourth verse from Jayadeva's Dashavatara Stotra, which is chanted in Krishna temples every day:

tava-kara kamala vare nakham adbhuta sringam
dalita hiranyakashipu tanu bringham
keshava-dhrita narahari rupa jaya jagadisha hare

"O Keshava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasplike demon Hiranyakashipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful Lotus hands."

Srila Prabhupada once explained the festival this way: “Krishna was just a toy in the hands of the Gopis, so one day the Gopis decided that we shall decorate Him. Pusya abhisheka means a ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, cloths.

After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens should see how beautiful Krishna appears.”