"You are doing so much for fulfilling the desire of my Spiritual Master so you are indirectly the representative of my Guru Maharaja. He has been helping me in this matter by sending so many young boys and girls, otherwise who would help me in this mission while I came here empty handed and without any friend. I can only pray to Krishna to take care of you, otherwise I cannot repay your sincere service in my mission."
(Srila Prabhupada letter, February 20, 1970)
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If we were truly "One with" Godhead, as some propose, then karma would not adhere to us.
Godhead is greater than karma, therefore if we were essentially Godhead ourselves, karma could not touch us, if we did not choose.
But we experience karma, albeit temporarily, so in some degree, then we are seperate and lesser living entities than Godhead. Or /and, we have chosen/agreed to maintain this illusion of seperation eternally, for sake of a dance. acintya bheda abheda tattva
Each living being thinks her/his life and relationships are everything, as indeed they are for that soul, but one can also look and imagine the mind-sets and lives of others, or even of one's own self in a different variety of realms. It could be quite overwhelming, for us as minute beings. Arjuna became overwhelmed with such a vision of the Universal Form, as analogy.
Yet Krsna sees and feels everything everywhere always, and knows exactly what the souls' experience, and then so much more, having seen and experienced
Feeling very sad (dukhi) over losing several children before his birth, his parents named him Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Upon taking diksha from Hrdaya Chaitanya he became known as Krishna Dasa. In Vrindavana, he joined Narottama Dasa Thakura and Shrinivasa Acharya to study the Goswami granthas under Shri Jiva Goswami.
Many "ankle bell stories" describe how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the name Shyamananda, and his unique tilaka mark. Shripad B.V. Narayana Maharaja gives this account in Navadwipa Dhama Parikrama:
"While living in Vrindavana, Krishna Dasa regularly swept the streets before dawn. He performed this humble service so that the Vaishnavas would not hurt their feet while walking to the Temples. One morning he found a captivatingly beautiful golden ankle bracelet. When Lalita and Vishakha-sakhis asked for the bracelet Krishna Dasa said he would only give it to the original owner.
"Blindfolding Krishna Dasa, the gopis brought him to Shrimati Radhika. She allowed
Your ambition for chanting Hare Krishna exclusively is very good. But sacrificing the results of action is as good. A concrete example is Arjuna. He fought very chivalrously under the instructions of the Lord, and the Lord certified him to be the best devotee and friend of the Lord. So there is no distinction between chanting and offering the results of one's activity. Sometimes under the garb of chanting people take to the habit of laziness.- Letter to: Dayananda, Allston, May 10, 1968
To call one another prabhu is all right, but not to become prabhu. To accept others as prabhu, and remain as servant is the idea. But because somebody is calling you prabhu, one should not become a prabhu, and treat others as servants. In other words, everyone should feel himself as servant, and not to think himself prabhu because he is being called prabhu. This will make the relationship congenial. - Letter to: Himavati, Montreal, June 14, 1968
On this full-moon day, sixteen days before Ratha- yatra, Lord Jagannatha is bathed. He becomes sick and is confined to rest for fourteen days. He is then offered special care until He comes out for Ratha-yatra.
A special bath of Jagannath takes place on the Purnima of Jyestha month (Devasnan Purnima), to commemorate the appearance day of Lord Jagannath.
Lord Chaitanya's heart melted upon seeing Mukunda's devotion and determination. The Lord blessed and accepted Mukunda, "By your faith and conviction in My words all your offenses have been immeditately destroyed." (In the image: Lord Chaitanya and His associates).
Shri Mukunda Datta was Shri Nimai Pandit's classmate at Ganga's Dasa's tol (school). Mukunda had a melodious voice and he knew the intricacies of musical meters and ragas. His sweet kirtana would please all the Vaishnavas at Navadwipa.Tuning in to Lord Gaura's heart, he would sing songs matching Lord Gauranga's feelings. Lord Chaitanya took sannyasa amidst Mukunda's kirtana. He served Shri Chaitanya in Puri as one of the Lord's humblest followers.
Once at the house of Shrivasa Pandit Lord Chaitanya blessed all the Devotees except Mukunda. Mahaprabhu overlooked him because he had offended Bhakti Devi (who gives devotional service). Mukunda placed her on an equal level with karma, jnana, or even Mayavada philosophy wheneve
khola-becataya khyatah panditah shridharo dvijah
Shridhara Pandit was a resident of Navadwip. Navadwip is composed of nine islands, of which the central island is known as Antardwipa. He used to live at the northern extremity of Mayapur and to the southeast of the Chand Kazi’s samadhi, in the place that now goes by the name of Shridhara Angan. During his lifetime, it was a banana orchard...(In the wallpaper: Shridhara Pandit's home, Shri Mayapur dham, banana barks).
Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s chipped- rice-and-yogurt festival for Lord Caitanya and His associates. Celebrated especially in Panihati, West Bengal.
The Chida-dadhi Mahotsav, also known as the Chipped Rice Festivalof Panihati, is a yearly celebration of the pastimes of SrilaRaghunatha dasa Goswami and Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Thisastonishing pastime took place on the banks of the Ganges atPanihati, which is just north of Calcutta. Lord Caitanya and hisassociates enjoyed many transcendental pastimes here. Chida-dadhiMahotsav remembers how the Lord mercifully reciprocated with Hisdevotees by arranging, through Nityananda Prabhu and Raghunathadasa, to provide an ecstatic feast of yoghurt and chipped rice,along with various other nectar foodstuffs. Linked below is anexcerpt from Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya lila chapter 6, whichdescribes this wonderful pastime in detail.
The chipped rice festival took place just before the monsoons,when it is very hot (45 – 50 C) and muggy (80 – 90 % humidit
This is literally the "birthday or descent of mother Ganges - Ganga Ma". Throughout india this festival lasts ten days beginning on the Amavasya (dark moon night) and going through to the dasami tithi (tenth phase of the Moon, the day before Pandava Nirjal Ekadasi)
"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Jyeshtha. River Ganga is worshipped as a mother as well as a Goddess, particularly by people of Uttara Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal through which the river flows. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify the bather of all sins. The Ganga is revered all over India even in places far from its course.
Initially, river Ganga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severe penances of the sage Bhagiratha and that is why she is also called Bhagirathi. Acc
She was the only daughter of King Naresanarayana of Puntiya in the district of Rajsahi (now in Bangladesh).
During her childhood she was called Saci.
She was endowed with a religious temperament from youth and within a short time Saci became conversant with Vyakarana, Kavya and various scriptures.
When Saci grew up, her beauty and grace charmed everyone.
However, Saci felt no attraction for any man however handsome or wealthy he may be.
Her heart belonged to her Madanagopala.
When she came to know that her parents were concerned about her marriage, Saci very firmly told them that she would never marry a mortal being.
The king and queen were so disturbed by their daughter"s decision that they both passed away, leaving Saci to shoulder the responsibility of running the royal administration. She performed her royal duties for some time, but after a short while she set out on a pilgrimage, leaving the royal administration in the charge of her relatives.
Saci could not find peace of mind
Baladeva Vidyabhusana, The Gaudiya Vedantist
Their voices rose with the sun. It was early morning in an Indian village school.
The boys sat in neat rows behind palm-leaf manuscripts, committing their lessons to memory.
As they chanted their grammar rules, their rhetoric lessons, and their logic aphorisms, each boy chanted loud enough to hear himself over his neighbour, resulting in a blend of high-pitched voices.
This school, attended by Baladeva early in the eighteenth century, closely resembled village schools that existed in India for thousands of years.
The system had endured because it was effective, producing brilliant and disciplined scholars, and Baladeva was among the best of them.
Before coming to school, Baladeva, the son of a merchant, had lived for several years near the Orissan town of Remuna.
From there he had gone to study with the group of panditas at this school, situated idyllically on the bank of the Cilkahrada River.
The lush Orissan forests and fertile fields pr
Prabhupada: Ah. So this is our one of the items, to vanquish all these rascals, so-called swamis. They say that "Why you criticize others also?" Because we have to vanquish them. Now these people cannot rise. When there is sunrise, there is no use of these glowworms. So this Krsna consciousness movement is Krsna Himself. Therefore they must be finished, all over the world. So-called religionists, so-called philosophers, so-called avataras, swamis, yogis--finished. Our program should be like that. (break) ...all these rascals, anymore to flourish. That is one of our program.
(S.P.Morning Walk Excerpts May 2, 1974, Bombay)
The topic arose here recently of why Godhead seems to allow so much suffering of the jivas to go on. I am sure child Krsna has better things to do than sit around all day worrying about our nonsense. Lord Narayana and Supersoul Janardana would be more directly in line for such suppositions. There is no necessity of logical speculation, as we can see here the mood of blissful child pastimes, there is no other explanation required to resolve that conundrum.
"i know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if he treats me roughly in His embrace, or makes me broken hearted by not appearing.." Siksastaka of Mahaprabhu
The mother of Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura's was Sri Narayanidevi, the niece of Srivasa pandita. In his Sri Caitanya Bhagavata,Vrndavana dasa has described how his mother attained theaffectionate fervour of Sri Gaurasundara.
