MONTHLY ARCHIVE OF UPDATES

JUNE 2019

Saranagati, Song 21: Visrambhatmika (Confidence in the Lord's Protection)
"Ekhana bhujhinu prabhu! tomara charana: O Lord! I experienced only great distress in my independent life. All my distress has gone away by embracing Your feet. Your feet will surely deliver Bhakti Vinod from the dangers of material existence."

Visiting Sri Panihati
(30 May 2019 | 10 photographs, 1 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj comes to Sri Panihati, lying to the north of Kolkata, to visit the house of Sri Raghav Pandit and the place where Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu finally attained the mercy of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu, as well as to arrange a preaching place for Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math at the annual chira-dahi festival of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu on 15 June.

Saranagati, Song 22: Visrambhatmika (Confidence in the Lord's Protection)
"Tumi ta' maribe yare, ke tare rakhite pare: Who can protect one whom You will kill? The three worlds are subservient to Your will. You are the eternal master of Your devotees. Who can kill one whom You will protect? You are the author of all destinies."

Saranagati, Song 23: Visrambhatmika (Confidence in the Lord's Protection)
"Atma-samarpane gela abhimana: By fully offering myself unto You, my false egotism has gone away. I will no longer make any arrangements to protect myself. Bhakti Vinod is one of Your cows in Gokul. O Kesava! Surely you will carefully protect him."

Saranagati, Song 24: Visrambhatmika (Confidence in the Lord's Protection)
"Chhodata purusa-abhimana: Abandoning the false ego of a male enjoyer, today I have become a maidservant, O Kan! In the groves of Vraja, under the guidance of Radha's girlfriends, I will engage in service, O Lord of Radha!"

Construction Progress in Uluberia
(4 June 2019 | 14 photographs, 0.5 Mb)
Photographs from a recent visit to Uluberia made by His Divine Grace to supervise the steady construction of the temple. Devotees show the construction progress and consult on the further works.

Online Programmes
(2 June 2019 | 7 photographs, 0.5 Mb)
This Sunday, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj mercifully speaks holy Hari-katha to the assembled devotees in Ukraine and Colombia. Sharing a few glimpses of the holy darshan of His Divine Grace.

Visiting Sri Ekachakra Dham
(31 May 2019 | 5 photographs, 0.5 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj visits Sri Ekachakra Dham to supervise the ongoing construction atop the nat mandir as well as the new nearly completed kitchen outbuilding. Sharing a few glimpses from the holy site.

News from Sripat Hapaniya Dham
(31 May 2019 | 14 photographs, 1.3 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj visits Sripat Hapaniya Dham to look after the ongoing services, supply service paraphernalia, as well as welcome a new resident of the temple...

Saranagati, Song 25: Varjanatmika (Rejecting the Unfavourable)
"Kesava! tuya jagata vichitra: O Kesava! Your material creation is extremely variegated. I have wandered throughout this forest of birth and death according to the consequences of my actions and seen so many kinds of hoaxes. Bhakti Vinod has offered his respects to them all from afar and accepted the feet of Your devotees as his be-all and end-all."

Saranagati, Song 26: Varjanatmika (Rejecting the Unfavourable)
"Tuya bhakti-pratikula dharma yate raya: I will carefully abandon whatever I know to be unfavourable to devotion. This is my resolute vow. Falling at the feet of the Lord, Bhakti Vinod prays for the ability to abandon everything unfavourable to devotion."

Saranagati, Song 27: Varjanatmika (Rejecting the Unfavourable)
"Visaya-vimudha ara mayavadi jana: Both materialists and illusionists (mayavadis) are devoid of devotion and maintain their lives in vain. There is nothing more unfavourable to devotion than illusionism. Therefore, I never desire the association of illusionists."

Saranagati, Song 28: Varjanatmika (Rejecting the Unfavourable)
"Ami ta' svananda-sukhada-vasi: I am a resident of Svananda Sukhada Kunja and a maidservant of Sri Sri Radhika-Madhava's feet. I never desire to speak with anyone who is inimical towards Sri Radha. I never cast my glance towards Sakhi Sthali. If I see it, I am reminded of Saibya."

মায়ার সাথে আপোষ করা যায় না (Do Not Compromise with Maya, Bengali class)
"আমরা সব সময় 'শরণাগত, শরণাগত' করি কিন্তু কইজন আমরা ভগবানের কাছে শরণাগত হয়েছি ? গুরুসেবার করিবার পরিবর্তে গুরুদেবের কাছে দীক্ষা নাওয়ার নাম করে দীক্ষা নাওয়ার অভিনয় করি । গুরুর সেবার পরিবর্তে গুরু-ভোগী, গুরু-ত্যাগী হয়ে পড়ি কন্তু গুরু-সেবী হতে পারি নি । নিজের স্বার্থ, নিজের ভাল-মন্দ জীবনটা কাটিয়ে গেলাম কিন্তু আমরা কখনই জীবে যে কী করে মঙ্গল লাভ হয়, সে চিন্তা করলাম না । সব সময় ভগবানের জন্য নিজের ভোগ-সুখ পরিত্যাগ করতে হয়, মায়ার কাছে সমর্পণ করলে হবে না ।"
Download the audio (4.2 Mb, 12 min | 7 June 2019)

Saranagati, Song 29: Anukulyatmika (Accepting the Favourable)
"Tuya bhakti-anukula ye ye karya haya: I will certainly perform with great care all activities that are favourable to devotion to You. I will carefully listen to discussions about You. Beholding Your abode, I will fill my eyes. Whatever I do that is favourable to Your devotees I consider to be favourable to devotion to You."

Saranagati, Song 30: Anukulyatmika (Accepting the Favourable)
"Godruma-dhame bhajana-anukule: In the abode of Godrum, which is most favourable to devotional service and non-different from Sri Nandisvar in Sri Mathura Mandal, I will reside in a small cottage in Surabhi Kunj on the bank of the Ganges, wearing tilak, a beautiful tulasi mala, and the garb most dear to Sri Gaurasundar's devotees."

Online Programme
(9 June 2019 | 6 photographs, 0.5 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj mercifully speaks holy Hari-katha to the assembled devotees in Caracas, Venezuela, welcomes new devotees into the family of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math bestowing upon them the greatest gift of the Holy Name of the Lord, and also bestows service onto the fortunate souls who take second initiation.

Saranagati, Song 31: Anukulyatmika (Accepting the Favourable)
"Suddha-bhakata charana-renu: Pure devotees' foot-dust is favourable to devotion. Service to the devotees is the supreme fulfilment and the root of the creeper of prema. On days when I see devotional service going on within my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there. Whatever Bhakti Vinod obtains that is favourable to the service of Krishna he accepts every day with the greatest joy."

Saranagati, Song 32: Anukulyatmika (Accepting the Favourable)
"Radha-kunda-tata-kunja-kutira: I will never abandon these things and go elsewhere. I will lose my life if I abandon these things. Bhakti Vinod says, 'Please listen, O Kan! All these things that remind me of You are my life and soul.'"

In honour of Sri Ganga Mata Goswamini and Srila Baladev Vidyabhusan Prabhu, from the archive:

Ganga Mata Goswamini
"There was once a young girl, a daughter of a good Odisha king, who got much mercy from Jagannath. She always served in the Jagannath temple—made garlands and did whatever other service there was..."
Download the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min | 24 September 2009)

From Sri Guru and His Grace:
"Srila Baladev Vidyabhusan's contribution to the sampradaya is no less important than that of the other great stalwarts in the line. Baladev Vidyabhusan was very akin to the Madhva sampradaya, but when he came in connection with Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur, he showed great interest in Gaudiya–Vaisnavism. He has also commented on the Srimad Bhagavatam and Jiva Goswami's Sat-sandarbha, and that enlightened thought is a valuable contribution to our sampradaya. We cannot dismiss him, he is our Guru."

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 1)
"Prapanche padiya agati ha-iya: I perform no pious actions, I have no knowledge, I do not engage in any devotional practices, and I do not perform any devotional service. You are merciful, and I am most fallen. I pray for Your unconditional mercy."

Sri Ekadasi Guidance
Guidelines on how to observe and honour this holy day: Ekadasi takes an indispensible part in the life of a sincere practitioner. At Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Ekadasi and paran are observed with affection and without fail according to the dates given in the Calendar.

• "Sri Ekadasi" (Sri Sri Prema Vivarta)
"One day, Gaurahari left the Gundicha Temple and sat in the Jagannath Vallabha garden. It was pure Ekadasi, and the Lord spent the whole day and night chanting the Name of Krishna..."

• SONG: Suddha-bhakata | শুদ্ধ ভকত-চরণ-রেণু
"I carefully observe the holy days related to Madhava, they are the mother of devotion."

• SONG: Sri hari-vasare | শ্রীহরি-বাসরে হরি
"On the holy day of Sri Hari, Sriman Mahaprabhu, the life and soul of the universe, began dancing..."

ADDITIONAL READING:

• "Observing Ekadasi" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• "Ekadasi Vrata: Make Your Guru Happy" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• "No Other Shelter" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• "Mahadvadasi" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• " Ekadasi and liberation" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• "Ekadasi Tithi: One of the Practices" (by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• Yogini Ekadasi

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 2)
"Arthera sanchaye, visaya-prayase: I have remained immersed in the defects, thus devotion to You has remained far away from me. Only malice towards others, pride, desire for worldly prestige, and insincerity flourish within my heart."

In Honour of Sripad Bhakti Chandan Parvat Maharaj
(45 photographs, 3 Mb)
Sripad Parvat Maharaj was never in the foreground—he never showed to be a great devotee, a great writer, a great speaker, a great singer, or a great anything, but what he did show to this world, besides being adorned with many beautiful devotional qualities, is that whenever and whatever service or order came from his Guru and holy Vaishnavs, he placed it on his head and followed it with heart and soul, with full dedication (along with as a smile, and often a witty joke). For our own purification, bowing down at his holy feet, we are humbly presenting a selection of photographs in the auspicious memory of His Holiness.

Chira-Dahi Mahotsav at Sri Panihati
(15 June 2019 | 51 photographs, 4.1 Mb)
Photographs from the grand festival of flat rice and yoghurt celebrated annually in memory of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami and Sriman Nityananda Prabhu.

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 3)
"Bhajane utsaha, bhaktite visvasa: I have remained immersed in offensive behaviour and never associated with sadhus. Yet I wear the garb of a sadhu and instruct others. This is a great trick of maya. In such a state, I will attain only Your unconditional mercy, O Lord! When will I prayerfully call out to You under the shelter of Sri Guru?"

Posted previously:

• Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Sochaka | শ্রীল-রঘুনাথদাস-গোস্বামি-

(This kirtan is usually sung on the day of Sri Panihati Festival)

"When Raghunath Das heard that Rupa and Sanatan had gone to Vrindavan, he gave up all rights to his estate and the comforts of a life like that of Indra, and went to Mahaprabhu."

Panihati
"We have been to Panihati for chira-dadhi mahotsav, it is the place where Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu received mercy of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. It is not so far from Dum Dum Park, and it is a very nice place, on the bank of the Ganges..."
Download the audio (3 Mb, 8 min | 3 November 2010)

Treading the Wrong Path
Trying to cut a shortcut and fostering chauvinism will not take you far: without getting mercy of Gurudev, your attempts to reach the goal will be thwarted; by discriminating against householders you can end up in hell.
or Download the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 3 June 2015)

Srila Raghunath Das Goswami: Breaking Free
"He wanted to take a roundabout zigzag route, avoiding Nityananda Prabhu and going directly to Mahaprabhu, but every time he went to Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu rejected him and sent him back to his home...."
Download the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 25 October 2015)

Real Mercy, Real Service
Real mercy: "Getting mercy means getting service: if you have service, you have mercy."
Real service: "Practise properly, keep proper association, and always avoid the Nama aparadh, seva aparadh, dham aparadh, Vaishnav aparadh. Chant the Holy Name properly, without deceit, and with proper attention and service mood."
or Download the audio (1 Mb, 2 min | 30 May 2015)

~· FESTIVALS IN SRI PANIHATI : ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS ·~
2009-2014 (105 photographs, 8 Mb) Photographs of the festivals taken over the past several years when our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math joined under the caring guidance of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.		2015 (10 photographs, 1 Mb) Photographs taken at the annual chida-dahi festival in Panihati, where Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu received mercy of Nityananda Prabhu.		2016 (17 photographs, 1.3 Mb) Surrounded by his associates, servitors, and devotees, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj takes part in the annual festival of flat rice and yoghurt in honour of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami.
2017 (10 photographs, 0.6 Mb) His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is attending the annual preaching festival in Sri Panihati distributing the mercy of the Lord in all fourteen directions. 2018 (41 photographs, 3.3 Mb) Photographs from the grand flat rice and yoghurt festival at Sri Panihati held annually in honour of the pastimes of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami and Sriman Nityananda Prabhu.

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 4)
"Dana, pratigraha, mitho gupta-katha: Not understanding this truth, and knowingly or unknowingly associating with non-devotees in all these ways, I have lost devotion and become a worldly person. The Lord has thus remained far away from me..."

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 5)
"Sanga-dosa-sunya, diksitadiksita: I will offer my obeisance to anyone who has been initiated and serves Your feet. I will serve anyone who is expert in unalloyed devotional service, O Lord! When will I attain this sincere disposition towards Your devotees? When will I cross over this ocean of material existence and enter Your abode of Vraja?"

From the archive:

Example for the World
"You are tolerating so much in this situation—you are suffering so much, facing a very bad and difficult condition—and you set an example for the entire world. I am sure that you will get the result and you will be successful. I will give you one example of service mood..."
Download the audio (3.5 Mb, 10 min | 28 June 2018)

"Nitai Gaurachandra! Nitai Gaurachandra!"
"...We are very fortunate that we can chant Their Names. Now is the age of Kali, so many things are coming, but if you chant Nitai Gaurachandra all your offences will be removed."
Download the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 26 June 2010)

Parama Karuna Nitai Gaurachandra
"I am always with you, and truly my love and affection are always with you—I cannot forget your service, your love and affection, and how Nitai Gaurachandra constantly bestow Their mercy on you all."
or Download the audio (3.3 Mb, 10 min | 15 June 2011)

Glorious Parama Karuna
"It is such a glorious and happy day! Gaura Nitai wanted to come but They were searching who They would come with. When They finally got Gurudev's good association, They suddenly caught Gurudev's hand and came to Caracas."
or Download the audio (1.8 Mb, 6 min | 3 June 2015)

• SONG: Parama karuna | পরম করুণ পহুঁ দুই জন
"Nitai and Gaurachandra are the two most merciful Lords. There are no benefactors in the three worlds as merciful as Them. Hearing of Their glory, birds and animals cry and stones melt."

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 6)
"Nira-dharma-gata, jahnavi-salile: The body of a devotee is always supramundane. Although one may see faults within the inborn nature or body of a devotee, a devotee is never mundane. Your devotees are Your wealth. May they bestow mercy upon me; then my destiny will lead me towards You, and I will attain the shade of Your feet."

In honour of Sripad Rishabdev Prabhu:

Sripad Rishabdev Prabhu: A Miracle Personality
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj is remembering the character and disappearance of Sripad Rishabdev Prabhu: "I have seen so many miracles in my life, and Rishabdev Prabhu is also one kind of a miracle personality. If you see what your scriptures say (they show so many rules and regulations) and if you see Rishabdev Prabhu's case, you will not be able to harmonise it."

Sripad Rishabdev Prabhu's Message
"Dive deep, do not be satisfied with the surface understanding. It is necessary for us to go to the core, and this is beyond all visual, mental, and objective understanding... I have no hope, or even necessity, to know Krishna, but if I can serve guru or the servant of the guru, then I feel this is the perfection."
Download the audio (8.1 Mb, 23 min | 9 June 2019)

VIDEO: Sripad Risabdev Prabhu's Message (~40 Mb | 23 min)
Sripad Risabdev Prabhu is speaking a few weeks before his departure on 17 June 2000 sharing his memories of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad and the sum and substance of his practising life in Krishna consciousness.

Visiting Sri Nrisingha Palli
(18 June 2019 | 17 photographs, 1.5 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj visits Sri Nrisingha Palli Temple to see to the ongoing construction sites and the temple's needs and meticulously supervises the progress made over the past few weeks.

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 7)
"Vaisnava thakura dayara sagara: O Vaisnav Thakur! O Ocean of Mercy! Please be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp hold of your feet. Alone I do not have the ability to properly chant the Lord's Name. Please mercifully give me a drop of faith; give me the wealth of Krishna's Name."

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 8)
"Tomare bhuliya, avidya-pidaya: O Lord! I have forgotten You, and my tongue has become afflic­ted with the jaundice of ignorance. Engrossed in mundane pleasures, my tongue does not like the nectar of Krishna's Name. Yet if I faithfully chant the Name every day, then, as sugar candy eradicates jaundice, so my taste for the Name will gradually develop, O Lord!"

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 9)
"Sri-rupa-gosani, sri-guru-rupete: O Lord! Sri Rupa Gosani, in the form of Sri Guru, spoke these instructions into my ears: 'O beggar for the Name! Understand my words and you will attain loving attachment for chanting the Name.'"

Vaishnav Seva in Singur
(22 June 2019 | 27 photographs, 1.9 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj attends a large Vaishnav seva programme arranged by the devotees in Singur in honour of late Kashinath Prabhu, bestowing mercy on all the fortunate souls assembled to hear Hari-katha from his holy lotus mouth.

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 10)
"Bada krpa kari', gauda-vana-majhe: O Gurudev! You have very mercifully given me a place in Sri Godrumdwip amid the forests of Gauda, and ordered me: 'Reside in this abode which is non-different from Vraja and chant the Lord's Name.' But when, O master, will you mercifully grant this servant the qualification to do this?"
[* His Divine Grace often sings this song in Sri Nrisingha Palli commenting that when he came across this song in the book, he was very happy.]

Saranagati: Bhajana-Lalasa, Hankering for Service (Song 11)
"Gurudev! Krpa-bindu diya, kara' ei dase: O Gurudev! Give this servant a drop of your mercy and make him more humble than a blade of grass. Give him the strength to tolerate everything, and make him free from any desire for personal honour."

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