MONTHLY ARCHIVE OF UPDATES

MARCH 2015

Sri Nabadwip Dham: The Festival Is Coming (Photographs)
The flood of arrivals has subsided and now the central Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math at Sri Nabadwip Dham is swarming with devotees and guests from all over the world and India. The programmes and aratis are all well-attended, joyful and smooth, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the first day of the parikrama.

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

From Sri Nabadwip Dham:
Yesterday in the evening, with pride and joy, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj announced that two much-awaited books had been added to the online book store and the book stall here in Sri Nabadwip Dham: Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Sri Sri Prema-Vivarta by Sri Jagadananda Pandit. His Divine Grace encourages everyone to purchase these two books and keep in heart what is contained therein.
4:30 p.m. update: most of the devotees have returned to the Math, while the healthier and more dedicated ones continued carrying the banner of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat on to Sri Simantadwip and Sri Rudradwip. The Parikrama went very smoothly and harmoniously, with lots of kirtans and Harikatha in Bengali, English, and Spanish. The photographs will follow shortly.

Ye Anila Prema-Dhana Karuna Prachura (Sung on disappearance days of Vaishnavs)
"Where has Advaita Acharya, the Lord who mercifully brought the wealth of divine love to this world, gone? I will break my head on a rock, I will enter into fire—where shall I go to reach the reservoir of all qualities, Sri Gauranga?"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Two (Photographs, 6 Mb)
The longest day of the Parikrama is followed by the shortest one—Sri Koladwip (the same district where our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math stands). Parikrama proceeds slowly and peacefully through the streets, chanting the Holy Names of the Lord and His associates, and visiting four places on the way.

Parikrama Lectures and Kirtans: Day One
1. Sripad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Maharaj's Chaitanya Gaudiya Math: offering pranam.
2. Nandanacharya Bhavan, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj's Gaudiya Math: Kirtan "Parama Karuna", Hari-katha:
• Download / listen to the audio online (2.8 Mb, 9 min)
3. Puspa Samadhi Mandir of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad: Kirtan "Ohe Vaisnava Thakura", Hari-katha
• Download / listen to the audio online (2.7 Mb, 8 min)

তবে বন্দোঁ শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য মহেশ্বর, নবদ্বীপে অবতার, নাম—'বিশ্বম্ভর'
An archive recording of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj reading from the first chapter of Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, Adi-khanda, where Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur describes the Lord's appearance.
• Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb, 15 min)

Morning Parikrama around the Temple
Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj leading the parikrama around the temples of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math this morning, 5 March.
• Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb)

Far but Near
From today's lecture: "Without his mercy we cannot be present here. Every year we think we will join this festival next year, but only Krishna knows whether we can join or not. Only by the mercy of Gurudev, by the mercy of Mahaprabhu can we be here."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 4 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Three (Photographs, 13 Mb)
The third day of the Parikrama takes the devotees to the places of Godrumdwip: Sri Surabhi Kunja Math, bhajan kutir of Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, Harihara Ksetra, Suvarna Bihar Gaudiya Math, and Nrisingha Palli.

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Four (Photographs, 10 Mb)
The Parikrama party covers the remaining three islands and visits Sri Samudragad, Gaura Gadadhar temple of Dvija Vaninath (Champa Hatta), Radha Kunda (Ritudwip), Vidya Nagar, the house of Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, Jahnudwip, Sri Saranga Murari temple, and the birthplace of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur (Mamgachhi)

Sri Gaura Purnima (Photographs, 13 Mb)
Celebration of Sri Gaura Purnima, 530th Appearance Day of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Morning, noon, and evening programmes led by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and the assembled holy Vaishnavs. His Divine Grace remarked, "I am often asked where I get so much energy from. I am not a yogi, I do not have some siddhi—I have energy because I do not use it for any other purpose except service."

From Sri Nabadwip Dham:
Starting from the early morning of Jagannath Mishra's Anandotsav, the devotees started leaving the Math, and by today almost all Indian pilgrim devotees have left. The devotees staying behind at the Math are busy cleaning and setting everything in place, and regaining strength after the hectic festival days.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj commented last night that the festival went very peacefully and happily without any problems, arguments, or shortage of prasadam. He said that by the grace of Gurudev he could not only manage all days of the Parikrama, but also both morning and evening classes at the pandal.

Bhajahu Re Mana
"O mind, serve the son of Nanda's lotus feet, which make one fearless. Having attained this rare human birth, cross over the ocean of material existence by associating with sadhus."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.5 Mb, 11 min)

Setting on the Right Track (2)
Lecture delivered at Sri Jagannath Mishra's Anandotsav in 2013, part two: "I am praying to you all that you do not forget your service to your Guru, to the Vaishnavs, Bhagavan. I am bowing at your lotus feet: if you serve my Guru, I will serve you my whole life; if you serve my Guru, I will sacrifice my life to serve you."
• Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb, 15 min)

Sri Hapaniya Dham (Photographs, 3 Mb)
Headed by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and the august Vaishnavs, devotees visit Sri Hapaniya Dham on the holy installation day of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath Jiu.

A Temple Manager's Qualities
"To run a temple, you do not have to be a big guru. If you are gentle, if you have some quality, have sympathy, love and affection, for others, you can be a proper manager of a temple."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min)

Chanting: Maha-Mantra and Bhajans
"A girl came to me yesterday and argued with me: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math follows mostly Guru, and Iskcon follows mostly Krishna; we chant so many bhajans, and they mostly chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra. I told her..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 4 min)

শ্রীগৌড়ীয়-পর্ব্ব-তালিকা (Also: download as a PDF)
শ্রীগৌরাব্দ, পূর্ত্তাব্দ—৫২৯ প্রবৃত্তাব্দ—৫৩০, বঙ্গাব্দ—১৪২১—১৪২২ খৃষ্টাব্দ—২০১৫—২০১৬ শকাব্দ—১৯৩৬—১৯৩৭
The Bengali Vaishnava Calendar is now available for online reference and download.

A Servitor's Mood (Two Lazy Disciples)
"We always want to be lazy, but we do not realise that Krishna always goes to those who do service. We must enter the seva (service) planet, and we must go there through good association, through sravanam, kirtanam."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min)

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

The Power to See a Vaishnav
"Our eyes are always covered with the dust of the mundane, so we have no quality and qualification to recognise a Vaishnav, but one can only recognise a Vaishnav through Gurudev—Gurudev has so much power, and when that power is transferred to somebody, it can do many things."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min)

Where Your Desire Can Take You
Two lessons taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: both King Prataparudra and Damodar Pandit had strong desire for Mahaprabhu's mercy and earnestness in service, but was their attainment the same?
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 6 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama Adhivas (Bengali + morning kirtans)
Endless rounding of samsara • Cobbler and brahman story • Nimai eating the brahman's offering • Two new books • Jagadananda Pandit's quarrel with Mahaprabhu • Limbs of surrender • Nityananda Prabhu spreading glories of Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu spreading glories of Nityananda Prabhu.
• Download / listen to the audio (26 Mb, 74 min)

Invitation:
Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Day
On 1 April, Wednesday, we are observing the holy disappearance day of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and we are inviting all devotees and well-wishers to join the programme and service activities in the central Math, Sri Nabadwip Dham, India, or in your local centres.
১ম এপ্রিল, বুধবার, শ্রীল ভক্তিসুন্দর গোবিন্দ দেবগোস্বামী মহারাজের তিরোভাব মহোৎসব তিথি । এই মহোৎসবে আপনাকে সবিনয়ে সাদর আমন্ত্রণ জানাইতেছি ।
Some of the preparations that are dear to Srila Gurudev: Rice, mung or chana dal, stir-fried karela, neem begun, sak, poshta bora, cauliflower pakoras, mixed vegetable subji, paneer rasa, boiled potato, mango chutney, tomato chutney, achar (pickle), cucumber salad, paramanna (sweet rice), sandesh, rasagullas, vanilla ice-cream.

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day One, evening (Bengali, evening class)
Chastity to the Guru's instruction • Rare human life and the fortune of joining Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama • Lord Vamanadev and Bali Maharaj • Pastimes of little Nimai.
• Download / listen to the audio (13 Mb, 37 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Two, evening (Bengali, evening class, kirtans)
Class: Beggars for love of Krishna • Madhavendra Puripad's disappearance day: the sprout of divine love, three darshans of Gopal, "Ayi dina-dayardra natha he" sloka.
Kirtans: Sri Guru charana-padma • Sri Krishna Chaitanya daya kara more • Ohe Vaishnava Thakura • Parama Karuna • Yadi Gaura na ha'ta • Ye anila prema-dhana.
Class, continuation: Gopeshwar Siva • Vishnu Priya Devi's Deity • Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj • Rounding the samsara, Mahaprabhu's main teaching • Glory of the parikrama, coming with the return ticket • The barber and the devotee • Two lazy disciples story • Songs 'Gaya Gaura madhura svare' and 'Hari Haraye'.
• Download / listen to the audio (35 Mb, 102 min)

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Sri Madhavendra Puripad
"Every year on the second day of the parikrama we celebrate this day—Sri Madhavendra Puripad's disappearance festival. Actually, Srila Madhavendra Puripad is the root of the wish-fulfilling tree of devotion..."
• Download / listen to the audio (4 Mb, 11 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Two, evening (Bengali, evening class, kirtans)
Class: Beggars for love of Krishna • Madhavendra Puripad's disappearance day: the sprout of divine love, three darshans of Gopal, "Ayi dina-dayardra natha he" sloka.
Kirtans: Sri Guru charana-padma • Sri Krishna Chaitanya daya kara more • Ohe Vaishnava Thakura • Parama Karuna • Kabe Gaura na haite • Ye anila prema-dhana.
Class, continuation: Gopeshwar Siva • Vishnu Priya Devi's Deity • Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj • Rounding the samsara, Mahaprabhu's main teaching • Glory of the parikrama, coming with the return ticket • The barber and the devotee • Two lazy disciples story • Songs 'Gaya Gaura madhura svare' and 'Hari Haraye'.
• Download / listen to the audio (35 Mb, 102 min)

Sri Madhavendra Puripad
"Every year on the second day of the parikrama we celebrate this day—Sri Madhavendra Puripad's disappearance festival. Actually, Srila Madhavendra Puripad is the root of the wish-fulfilling tree of devotion..."
• Download / listen to the audio (4 Mb, 11 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Three
◊ Parikrama:
1) Sri Surabhi Kunja Math: kirtan 'Kabe Gauravane Suradhuni-tate', reading from Sri Nabadwip-dham-mahatmya, from verse 8.27:
• Download (3.2 Mb, 10 min)
2) Sri Suvarna Bihar Gaudiya Math: kirtan 'Jaya Radha Madhava', lecture (English and Bengali):
• Download (4.3 Mb, 13 min)
3) Sri Nrisingha Palli: part of the kirtan, short introduction of the place:
• Download (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

◊ Evening: (Bengali, evening class, kirtan)
Parikrama summary • Rarity of the human life and surrender • Extensive account of Prahlad Maharaj, his parents, and Lord Nrisinghadev (interrupted by a sudden outbreak of rain) • Kirtan • Continuation of Prahlad Maharaj's story • Progress in spiritual life, four regulative principles, following the doctor's prescription • Varnashrama and practising life • Next day parikrama's itinerary • Mahaprabhu's teaching.
• Download / listen to the audio (30 Mb, 79 min)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Four
◊ Parikrama:
Mamgachhi, the birthplace of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur:
• Two kirtans written by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur: 'Bimala hemajini tanu anupama re!' and 'Are bhai! Nitai amara dayara avadhi!'
• Hari-katha: Mahaprabhu giving His blessing to Narayani Devi (mother of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur), kirtan in the house of Srivas Pandit.
• Download (5.6 Mb, 17 min)

◊ Evening: (Bengali, evening class, kirtans)
Class: The wealth and power of Gurudev's mercy • Surrender • Setting the mood for Sri Gaura Purnima day, the overall account of the parikrama and its glory • Encouragement to follow the Vaishnava Calendar and the rules and regulations given there as an appendix.
Kirtans: Sri Guru charana-padma • Akrodha paramananda Nityananda Raya • Emona Gauranga vine nahi ara • Jaya Yasodanandana Krsna Gopala Govinda • Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
The class continues: The extraordinary sweetness of the Holy Name • The programme for Sri Gaura Purnima day.
• Download / listen to the audio (26 Mb, 76 min)

Going Home?
"Do not forget me. Do not cheat me. You have come here and I have made a relation with you—it is not just for two days, it is a birth-after-birth relationship. Your relationship with your parents and other relatives is temporary, but your relationship with me and the Lord is not..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 10 min)

Perfect Family Life
The proper attitude and practice in the family life: "Maintain your spiritual life in this way, and you will get real benefit. Our practice is eternal, every day service..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

The Sticky Blanket
A short educational story: "One black bear fell down into the Ganges and began to sink—he tried hard to swim out but the current was too strong. A man saw something black in the river and thought it was a blanket..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min)

Practise and Preach
"Mahaprabhu said that if somebody practises Krishna consciousness and does not preach, it is not correct—when somebody practises and preaches, that is correct."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 5 min)

Service in Separation
"If you follow your Guru's instruction, if you fulfil his desire, even after his disappearance, if you always think what will make him happy, then you will get his association, you will feel joy..."
• Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb, 13 min)

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

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