Some guidance regarding the forthcoming grand festival in honour of Lord Sri Nrisinghadev's Appearance and the holy Vyasa Puja festival of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Tilak Niriha Maharaj:

According to the rules established at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math by our worshippable Sri Guru-varga, the holy day of Lord Sri Nrisinghadev's appearance is observed in the following way:

• Because the holy appearance day of Lord Nrisinghadev coincides with the divine appearance of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.T. Niriha Maharaj, devotees observe these auspicious days by remembering both the Lord and His associate, following the programme outlined above.

Below is an extensive collection of photographs taken during the festival in 2019 which was observed in the shelter and under the guidance of our beloved Sri Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj at Sri Nrisingha Palli, Sri Nabadwip Dham, in 2019:

Preparation to Sri Nrisingha Chaturdasi: Bhoga Collection
(17 May 2019 | 11 photographs, 1 Mb)
Sharing first few glimpses from the temple of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Sri Nrisingha Palli where the preparation to the festival is well under way. Arriving in Sri Nrisingha Palli, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj personally selects and collects bhoga for the festival.

Sri Nrisingha Chaturdasi Adhivas
(17 May 2019 | 39 photographs, 3.4 Mb)
Photographs taken during the eve of the festive programme of Lord Nrisinghadev's appearance and the Temple inauguration anniversary spent by the fortunate devotees in the shade of the holy lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Sri Nrisingha Chaturdasi Festival
(18 May 2019 | 39 photographs, 5.2 Mb)
Holy Vaishnavs and devotees observe the appearance of Lord Nrisinghadev and the inauguration anniversary of Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga and Sri Laksmi Nrisinghadev Sri Prahlad Maharaj under the guidance and in the association of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Sri Nrisingha Chaturdasi: Vaishnav Seva
(19 May 2019 | 64 photographs, 3.4 Mb)
Photographs taken during the morning and afternoon programmes following Sri Nrisingha-chaturdasi at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nrisingha Palli arranged by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj: morning class, first and second initiations, noon programme attended by holy Vaishnavs of Gaudiya Maths, arati and grand prasadam distribution. With all the devotees striving heart and soul to please Sri Gurupadpadma and serve all the Vaishnavs, the festival passes gloriously and gorgeously.

[Addressing a devotee who did not go to the temple but made a festival at home.] Why did you have a home festival? You should have gone to the festival at the temple. If there is a temple in your city or nearby, you must go to the temple. How do you make a festival alone at home? You only cook, offer some bhog, and take prasadam—it basically means cooking too much and eating it yourself... You must always go to the temple. What did Gurudev make the temple for? For preaching, to arranging festivals and for giving you a place where you can gather and take devotees' association. It is necessary to understand this. Everybody have a right to stay at the temple, everybody has a right to go to the temple, and everybody must follow the rules and regulations of the temple—be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others. Follow the rules and regulations that Gurudev has established, that will be perfect. We cannot make our own rules, it is not good. The rules must be always the rules and regulations that Gurudev has set. Always behave very nicely with the devotees, be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others. This is what Gurudev teaches us, these are the main qualities we must have. Be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others, and you must also have proper surrender—do not be a hypocrite, do not practise false renunciation; surrender must be proper.

(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj, Perfect Rules)

— { DAILY PRACTICE } —
Pages dedicated to the spiritual practices that are recommended for the spiritual health of a disciple comprised of eternal instructions emanating from the holy lotus mouths of our Sri Guru-varga:

12 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | PART 2]

Heartfelt Prayers
"I have no strength, I have no intelligence, I am very poor! Please hijack me! Please give me strength so that I may be able to tolerate everything. I do not want any honour or respect for myself. I want to give honour to everyone. Please give me such power. It is necessary to always chant kirtans in this way."

• AFFECTIONATE GUIDANCE •

SECURE AT HOME
'If you can think you can make a garland out of all the peaks of the Himalayas and the peaks of all the mountains of the world and offer that to Krishna, and if you think you can make a rope out of spiders’ webs and bind an elephant, then you may be able to understand something of that plane. So it is not necessary to think too much, but instead our main attention is to try to chant "Hare Krishna" properly. This is our main channel to go there and this is our one hope.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Chit-kana jiva krsna chinmaya bhaskara
‘Souls are spiritual sparks, and Krishna is the transcendental sun, so they eternally see and revere Him. But when some souls turn away from Krishna and desire to enjoy, Maya, who is always nearby, pounces on them.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Five, chanted on Wednesdays)
'He reveals (first, to Sri Sanatan and then to Prakasananda) sixty-two interpretations of the famous verse ‘Atmaramas cha… ittham-bhuta-guno harih’ (‘Even self-realised, self-satisfied souls are moved to worship the Lord’) from Srimad Bhagavatam; interpreting the various lexical meanings of the eleven words of this verse, juxtaposed in different ways, He reveals a treasure-mine of multitudinous meanings of this verse in consonance with the precepts of pure devotional conclusions – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

12 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | PART 1]

Vaishnavs' Nature
"People become pure by touching the Ganges. But one can become pure just by seeing a Vaishnav. Who is a Vaishnav? One who dresses as a Vaishnav, wears tilaks and neck-beads and chants on some beads? Vaishnavs are those who practise Vaishnavism. Always remember this."

• AFFECTIONATE GUIDANCE •

IN PRAISE OF THE DEVOTEES
'We are not to leave our track to go to see with any other’s vision. The good servitors of Srila Guru Maharaj are the wealth of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. The real wealth is the devotees and I am trying to serve you all with whatever I have. I want your association really. I am receiving transcendental food from you. When I see you I think, “I have service,” but to be alone is not good for anyone, even myself.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Nivedana
‘Gopinath! Please hear my humble petition. Gopinath! You are my only hope. I have taken shelter at Your holy feet – I am Your servant. This wretch is weeping and begging for a permanent place at Your holy feet. Please bestow Your mercy.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

SRI EKADASI GUIDANCE

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.

Renunciation of Cowards and Misers
[By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
'What we need is yukta-vairagya: we shall take from the store of Krishna to keep ourselves fit and to do service. It is Krishna's account, and if we do not do that, we will be separatists, mayavadis, renunciationists. We must render maximum service to Krishna, so we must take without any hesitation whatever is necessary to make ourselves fit for the service; otherwise, we shall be punishable.'

"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"
• "Ekadasi Vrata: Make Your Guru Happy"
• "No Other Shelter"
• "Mahadvadasi"
• "Ekadasi and liberation"
• "Ekadasi Tithi: One of the Practices"
• "Yogini Ekadasi"
• "Ekadasi: Historical Background"
• "Ekadasi: Main Focus Is Service"
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• "Make the Teachings of Sri Guru Non-Different from Your Heart"
• Ekadasi: Devotional Practice
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• Ekadasi Rules

"You do not need to know the meaning of each ekadasi tithi because if you know it, you will want to get this result, that result, etc."

(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)

12 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | PART 2]

Remembering Sri Ekachakra Dham (2)
"There are so many pastimes and glories of Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu stayed at Srivas Pandit’s house. At that time, Srivas Pandit’s spouse Malini Devi must have been about seventy years old, and Nityananda Prabhu called her ‘Mother’..."

• AFFECTIONATE GUIDANCE •

THE DIVINE SERVICE OF KRISHNA
'There are so many religious conceptions to be found in the world. Some favour santa-rasa (peacefulness), others dasya-rasa (servitude), or sakhya-rasa (friendship), or vatsalya-rasa (parenthood). But madhura-rasa (divine consorthood) is found in the extreme only in the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Bandhu-sange yadi tava ranga parihasa
‘If you want to have fun and enjoy with your friends, then mark my word: do not go, do not go anywhere near the Kesi Tirtha ghat in Mathura. Dear materialist, a great danger will happen to you there, so do not come anywhere near the Kesi Tirtha ghat in Mathura!’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

12 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | PART 1]

Remembering Sri Ekachakra Dham (1)
"Nityananda Prabhu’s glory is so great. You have heard from Mahabharata about the great battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas that took place in Dvapar-yuga. Before that battle, the Pandavas lost a game of dice and were exiled..."

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(7) HAND-CARVED GEMS
'Here in Nabadwip so many activities are going on, but all is for the satisfaction of Srila Guru Maharaj. Also you can think that in the capital city of a country there are many duties that cannot be done there in the capital. The provinces, the smaller towns, and the villages all have their part to play in serving the centre. They grow paddy, vegetables, spin cotton, make fabrics and clothing, keep cows and produce milk, butter, yoghurt, as well as many other duties. In this way all over the world fortunate souls can engage in service to the central Mission of our Srila Guru Maharaj in unlimited ways. This varied service-life to the Centre is the basis of the whole spiritual world of joyful activity.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Ara kena maya-jale paditechha
‘Oh why has this soul, like a fish, got caught in the net of illusion? You do not know anything – you will now stay in this bondage forever! Despite your current plight, you can embrace devotion and easily live playing in the waters of the ocean of divine love for Lord Krishna. So, become subservient to Lord Krishna.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Sri Sita Devi:

"Lord Ramachandra said to Sri Sita Devi, 'Loving devotion to Me is relished in two ways. O Sita, please hear My words. The joy felt during union with Me is called sambhoga. The joy felt during separation from Me is called vipralambha. My devotees, My eternal associates, desire sambhoga, and by My grace, they experience vipralambha. Devotees know that the sadness felt for My sake during vipralambha is actually the greatest joy. When sambhoga occurs after vipralambha, the happiness felt is ten million times greater than before. Separation from Me is the cause of that happiness. Accept this as truth; the four Vedas affirm it. During My Pastimes as Sri Gauranga, Mother Kausalya, who is known in the Vedas as Aditi, will appear as Sachi Devi. You will serve Me as Visnu Priya. In separation from Me, You will make a Deity of My golden form. In separation from You, I will make a golden Sita and worship You in Ayodhya. In exchange, You will make a Deity of My golden form and worship Me in Nadia. O Sita, these profound topics are very confidential. They will not be revealed to the public now. Nabadwip is very dear to Me: neither Ayodhya nor any other place is equal to it.'"

(Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, chapter 14)

Niti and Priti
"It was Ramachandra's vijay utsav yesterday, and we would like to clarify some things about Rama-tattva and Krishna-tattva. In Rama-lila, rules and regulations are the highest, and love and affection go down, but this is not the highest ideal..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 9 min | 9 October 2019)

In honour of Sri Jahnava Devi:

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Sakti
"The Lord has tried to save the souls bounded by maya in so many ways in this Kali-yuga. He was the only child of Hadai Pandit and Padmavati Devi and He left them when He was twelve. Later, He was introduced to Jahnava Devi."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.7 Mb, 14 min | 29 January 2018 | Bengali)

Nityananda Prabhu's Marriage
"Everybody says that for the devotees Nityananda Prabhu never marries, but He has two saktis, Jahnava and Vasudha. They were actually daughters of Surya Das, Gauri Das Pandit's brother..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 20 September 2009)

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 7]

No Other Shelter
"The Holy Name is the oars, and Gurudev is the captain—if you surrender to Gurudev, you will be taken to the Lord. This age is blessed because Gaura Hari appears in it: we have no other way or shelter except Him."

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(6) SWEET SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE
'We can see the Guru’s position in many ways, but it is all within the play of Krishna. Krishna means the conjugal Power and the Powerful, and that is full Krishna. It is from that plane that Krishna comes down and says, acharyam mam vijaniyan, “I am Guru.” When Krishna says, “I am your Guru,” that is not the full conception of Krishna.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: O mana! ki kare varana kula
‘Dear mind! What is there in a high birth and status? Whatever family you are born into, it is pure devotion that matters. How can birth, status or rites help you? Those who worship the Lord are beyond that.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 6]

Eating Up Old Rice
"‘Eating old rice’ means that as the result of your previous births (because you did some good works in your previous lives), you are living now in this nice three-storey house and eating nice food – because you are living happily now, you forget the Lord, but you have not done anything for your next life."

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(5) THE LAND OF SPIRITUAL GEMS
'Sometimes a few devotees have some intention to stay in Vrindavan, but they are staying in Vrindavan like a bee on the outside of a bottle of honey. What are they doing? Vrindavan is infinitely great and it is inconceivable by our intelligence. We only see the mundane cover and we are not getting admission within the transcendental world of Sri Vrindavan Dham. We need admission, and it is our hope that one day we shall get that real vision.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Mana re kena ara varna abhimana
‘You keep admiring the beauty of your face in the mirror, but one day dogs and foxes will feast on it. You decorate yourself with your favourite clothes, but where will all that be in the end?’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Seven, chanted on Fridays)
'He is a holy embodiment of the beautiful reality which is beyond the reach of one’s eyes and ears, which paralyses the very necessity of intelligence and which leaves even firmly fixed consciousness dumbstruck when divine love surges up – even Brahma, Sambhu (Siva), as well as their revealed scriptures, Vedas and tantras cannot conceive of such reality, so they merely keep searching after Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Sri Jahnavi Puja (Sri Ganga Puja):

"...While speaking, they went to Jan Nagar and saw the beauty of the hermitage of Jahnu Muni. Nityananda Prabhu said, 'This charming abode is known as Jahnudwip and Bhadravan. Jahnu Muni performed austerities here and saw the golden form of Gaura. Once, when Jahnu Muni sat here to perform his evening meditation, His copper vessel fell into the swiftly flowing River Ganga. The copper vessel fell into the river and floated away. Jahnu Muni then drank all the water of the Ganga with his palm. Maharaj Bhagirath thought, "Where did the Ganga go?" Bewildered, he began to think over the situation. Understanding that Jahnu Muni had drunk all the water of the Ganga, Maharaj Bhagirath became concerned. Sober Maharaj Bhagirath worshipped the sage for some time, and eventually the Ganga broke out of the sage's body. Thereafter, she became known as Jahnavi. The whole world now calls her 'Jahnavi'.'"

(Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, chapter 13)

Visiting Holy Places: Pleasure Hunting?
"'The trouble of visiting holy places is simply a mental delusion—all possible perfection is the feet of Govinda.' You can ask me, 'Maharaj, then why are you going there, why are taking us with you?' Do you know the answer?"
• Download (1 Mb, 3 min | 7 November 2012 | Bengali)

Glory of Manasi Ganga
"This Haridev Temple is located to the south of Manasi Ganga. When it came to the temple of Asadi Purnima, Nanda Maharaj, Mother Yasoda and other Vraja-basis wanted to travel to the Ganges to bathe in her water..."
• Download (4.3 Mb, 11 min | 6 Nov. 2018 | English & Bengali)

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 5]

Rescue Programme
"You bring people to your houses and pay them to do kirtans. So many have come and left, taking your money, but how much benefit have you got through that? If you do not chant kirtan yourselves, what benefit is there for you in others’ chanting? If you eat, your stomaches will be full, but will your stomaches be full if only I eat?"

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(4) WITHIN THE HOLY DHAM
'Here is one question. Do we want that or not? We hear about Vrindavan Dham, but we hear through our mundane senses and with our mundane feelings. Some essence, however, is coming through that and we express, “We like Vrindavan Dham.” But, like Sri Harinam mahamantra, Vrindavan Dham is also transcendental. If we want to enter there, we need some special mercy of Srimati Radharani through Her associates, and we can only get that with our super-hankering mood.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Mana re kena ara varna abhimana
‘If you try your best to practise devotion to Lord Krishna, you will get to your perfect destination – the highest aspiration will guide your entire life and will give you all possible attainment in this life and the next. Vinod will chant about the glory of this truth.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Six, chanted on Thursdays)
'Captivated by and afflicted with an intense feeling of separation, He runs swiftly to the simha-dvara gate of Lord Jagannathdev’s holy temple; the next moment He falls down on the spot, His holy figure transformed into that of a tortoise by the influence of deep separation; attracted by the uncommon divine fragrance emanating from His holy figure, the Telangi cows residing at the temple draw near, surrounding Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Sri Sankar Acharya:

Hearing the name of Sri Sankar Acharya, Paramahamsa Babaji Mahasay offered his prostrate obeisance and said:

‘O great soul! “Sankarah Sankarah saksat” (Sankar is Mahadev-Sankar, Lord Siva, himself) – always remember these words. Sankar is a Guru of Vaishnavs, that is why Mahaprabhu spoke of him as an Acharya. Sankar is a perfect Vaishnav. When he made his advent in India, there was a very urgent need in a guna-avatara like him. At that time, discussions of Vedas and practices of varnasrama-dharma had become almost obliterated by the influence of Buddhist voidism, which is extremely atheistic. Although Buddhist doctrine contains some truth about jiva souls, that religion is quite temporal (non-eternal). At that time, almost all brahmans had become Buddhists and had almost completely given up Vedic religion. Filled with wondrous power, the advent of Sankar’s incarnation established the honour of Vedic scriptures and changed voidism into brahmanism. The work he performed is wonderful. India is eternally indebted to Sri Sankar for this great work. All works in the world can be divided into two types. Some works are related to some particular time (temporal), and some are not related to any time (timeless, eternal). The great work of Sankar’s incarnation is temporal, and many good results emerged from it. Sankar’s incarnation created a foundation upon which the incarnations of Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva and other great teachers later built the palace of pure Vaishnavism. Therefore, Sankar’s incarnation is the greatest friend of Vaishnavism and a predecessor acharya.

Sri Sankar revealed a conceptual path in this world, and to this day, Vaishnavs easily take advantage of its wealth. Sambandha-jnana (knowledge of the relationship) is extremely necessary for material conditioned souls. Vaishnavs and Sankar Acharya believe that gross bodies existent in this material world are different and separate from transcendental matter, but spiritually, there is no difference between a jiva soul’s internal and external identity. Both agree that giving up material world is called liberation (mukti), and up until attaining liberation, there is very much similarity between Sri Sankar and Vaishnav Acharyas. Sankar Acharya teaches that it is possible to purify one’s heart and attain liberation by practising God consciousness (by serving and worshipping the Lord), but only Sankar is silent about the transcendental path jiva souls face after attaining liberation. Sankar knew very well that if a jiva soul can progress on the path of liberation by serving the Lord, it will gradually, bound by the happiness of spiritual life, become a pure devotee. Therefore, when Sankar showed the path, he did not further reveal the mystery of Vaishnavs. Those who read and consider his commentaries very carefully can understand Sankar’s profound intention. But those who pass their time reading only the external parts of his teachings become driven away from proper Vaishnavism.

(From Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 4]

In Search of Real Benefit
"The question that Pariksit Maharaj asked Sukadev Goswami was, ‘How can I get real benefit?’ He asked him only one question. Do you know how you can get real benefit in Kali-yuga? What should you do not to get any birth again?"

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(3) ON THE WAY TO SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM
'Even to see the outside of the Dham is beneficial, but if we make aparadh, offence, it is detrimental to our spiritual life. And if we cannot see properly the real transcendental Dham, at least we should try not to see the opposite thing—to see it as only mundane. The Dham is covered by illusion, but even so, there is some brilliance, and that glow or brilliance of the Dham may touch us if we stay there without offence. But if we stay there too long we may become overly familiar and then that glow may leave us.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Hari-bala hari-bala
‘The Holy Name’s inherent quality is such that you can get all those results without even wishing for them. (Stop striving for such trifle gain!) Vinod says that aspiring after such things is only an offence to the Holy Name. (Give up offences to the Holy Name!)’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Five, chanted on Wednesdays)
'He reveals (first, to Sri Sanatan and then to Prakasananda) sixty-two interpretations of the famous verse ‘Atmaramas cha… ittham-bhuta-guno harih’ (‘Even self-realised, self-satisfied souls are moved to worship the Lord’) from Srimad Bhagavatam; interpreting the various lexical meanings of the eleven words of this verse, juxtaposed in different ways, He reveals a treasure-mine of multitudinous meanings of this verse in consonance with the precepts of pure devotional conclusions – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 3]

Listen and Learn
"We must surrender to the Lord. Everybody keeps Gita in their homes, but we do not understand the meaning and the main idea of Gita. We must believe what is written in scriptures and holy books."

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(2) ON THE WAY TO SRI PURI DHAM
'We are not going sightseeing but we are going to a place of pilgrimage, a holy place. Going there will purify us—body, mind, and soul. You all pray to Lord Jagannath that He will take us safely there and then bring us all back safely to where we are doing our respective seva. This is our only prayer today. We have nothing else to pray for.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Anya-abhilasa chhadi’
‘I will serve the Lord with my body and mind, giving up all other desires and pursuits of material benefit and knowledge. I will serve Lord Krishna in sadhus’ association without worshipping any gods or goddesses – this is the ultimate way to attain devotion.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 2]

Chad Kazi: Defeated Again
"Mahaprabhu asked politely, ‘What is wrong, Kazi? Why are you sitting behind the closed door? We are your guests. Is this what your religion teaches? Does it say in Quran or Hadith that when guests come, you must close the door and hide?’ Hearing this, Chad Kazi came out..."

• DIVINE GUIDANCE •

(1) UTILISING OUR FORTUNE
'We must be conscious, therefore, about our position and about our service, then we will not be deviated from our position. But even if some deviation does come, if we are sincere we can emerge from that position also. When we live within this body, there is the possibility of deviation everywhere. Deviation will not come to attack us if we do not listen to the demands of our mental and physical bodies—otherwise, deviation is possible for everyone.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Hari hari! bada sela marame rahila
‘O Lord! My heart is pierced with a thick arrow. I have got a very rare body, but because I have not worshipped Lord Sri Krishna, my life has simply passed in vain.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Srila Bhakti Vichar Jajavar Maharaj:

Srila Bhakti Vichar Jajavar Maharaj: 'My Oldest Friend'
From the holy lotus mouth of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj: 'Sripad Jajavar Maharaj is one of my oldest friend, my main old friend. We have lost the association of most of them now, but Sripad Jajavar Maharaj is still here, and he has kindly come here to give me his darshan. He is the last sannyasi disciple of our Guru Maharaj, and he is senior to me.'

Sripad Bhakti Vichar Jajavar Maharaj (by Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, spoken on Srila Jajavar Maharaj's disappearance day)
"Srila Jajavar Maharaj joined the Gaudiya Mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur at a very young age. He could sing nicely, and he looked very simple—there was not a shadow of inauspiciousness in his body..."
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Sri Sri Nityananda Stuti (by Srila B.V. Jajavar Maharaj)
'O Balaram Nityananda! Please be merciful to me. Who can possibly know Gaura without Your mercy? Without You, I have no other way, no other refuge. Please give me some place at Your holy feet. Please allow me to always chant Your Name. This poor Jajavar is thus singing Your glorification.'

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | EVENING | PART 1]

Mahaprabhu's Order
"When you call the Lord, you must call Him with all your heart and soul, not to impress others – you must call Him with all your heart. You must call the Lord extracting and smearing the mellows of love from the depths of your hearts..."

• THE BENEDICTINE TREE OF DIVINE ASPIRATION •

EVERYONE’S REAL FRIEND
'Just as we were so fortunate to have the association of Srila Prabhupada, we are now so lucky to have Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. He is carrying the same current. He is a personality of the same soil, the same land. He can, and is, giving us these teachings.'

DASA-VIDHA NAMAPARADHA
'Just as we were so fortunate to have the association of Srila Prabhupada, we are now so lucky to have Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. He is carrying the same current. He is a personality of the same soil, the same land. He can, and is, giving us these teachings.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Hari hari! viphale janama gonainu
‘O Lord! My life has passed in vain. I have got a human birth but have not served Radha-Krishna. I have been consciously drinking poison (I knew it, I heard about it from others, but I still drank it).’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

11 FEBRUARY 2021 [TARAKESWAR | NOON | PART 5]

Pastimes of Lord Siva
"Lord Siva is a great Vaishnav. He took part in the rasa-lila of Lord Krishna. We always offer obeisances to him. We have Lord Siva’s Deity in many temples – there is Gangadhar Siva in Nabadwip, there is Lord Siva in Midnapore, Ganga Sagar and other places. We always offer Lord Govinda’s prasad to Lord Siva..."

• THE BENEDICTINE TREE OF DIVINE ASPIRATION •

OUR SUPER BENEFIT
'You have all assembled here to hear the messages of the Lord. The Lord Himself is your own natural wealth, and in your hearts the Lord is gloriously presiding. He has many, many forms, and we have many, many paths to reach Him; but the supreme path is bhakti, devotion.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SARANAGATI GITI: Tatala saikate bari bindu-sama
‘I lived amidst children, friends, beautiful women and society, who are all like drops of water on a scorching sandy beach – forgetting You, I dedicated myself to them, but are they of any use now?’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'