MONTHLY ARCHIVE OF UPDATES

MAY 2018

Vaishnav Seva at Sri Nrisingha Palli Temple
(34 photographs, 1.8 Mb | 30 April 2018)
The second, final, day of the festival at the new temple in Sri Nrisingha Palli culminates in a grand Vaishnav seva: His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj hosts a Vivsva-Vaishnava Raja-sabha and distributes opulent and abundant prasadam of the Lordships to all the assembled and visiting devotees.

Mana, tumi tirthe sada rata | মন, তুমি তীর্থে সদা রত
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's poem: "O mind! The result of visiting a place of pilgrimage is pure devotees' association. I never go to a place of pilgrimage if there are no Vaishnavs in that place (what is the use walking so far?). Vrindavan is where Vaishnavs are, in such a place there is no end of joy. My sole vow is service to Vaishnavs."

Awake, Aware, and Avid
"If you can wake up for mangal arati, then you will not fall into danger any day. 'Danger' means being removed from the service of the Lord. Everybody thinks danger means a woman, but many things will come—opulence, etc. Maya has many forms."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.6 Mb, 2 min | 24 May 2013 | Mostly Bengali)

Of Plants and Play
"If you always want to play, you can play but with service—that place should be with service connection, then it will be sadhana-bhakti (devotional practice), otherwise it will karma."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.8 Mb, 2 min | 24 May 2013 | Mostly Bengali)

Selfless and Proper Renunciation
"People pray to Nrisinghadev for something and in return promise to give some offering or sacrifice, but when Nrisinghadev asked Prahlad Maharaj, 'What do you want?' he said, 'Please remove this asking desire from me.' We are just the opposite."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min | 24 May 2013 | Mostly Bengali)

Imaginary Things
(1) I do not know why people call Gundicha Bari "masir bari"—is this name written anywhere in the scriptures? (2) You should feel pity for the souls seeing how much they suffer—because of their suffering they come with all their material desires to Nrisinghadev. (3) Oh, a new guest has come! My friend, you have become amavasyar chand... (4) Hiranyakasipu sent Prahlad Maharaj to two teachers. What are these two teachers' names? [Silence.]
• Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 7 min | 24 May 2013 | Mostly Bengali)

Sri Ramananda Ray Prabhu [By His Divine Grace Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
"Ramananda Ray was very strong and a very good administrator. He controlled the whole situation and the whole atmosphere after Mahaprabhu's disappearance and gave full nourishment to the devotees. Ramananda Ray stayed alive until finally, today, when everything had become peaceful and settled, he also disappeared..."

In honour of Srila Ramananda Ray:

At Ramananda Ray's Garden
"Pradyumna Misra came to Mahaprabhu and asked, 'Prabhu, can You speak some Krishna-katha?' Mahaprabhu replied, 'I do not know so much, but Ramananda Ray knows more than Me...'"
• Download / listen to the audio (0.8 Mb, 3 min)

• SONG: Ei-bara karuna kara | এইবার করুণা কর
"O worshippable Vaisnava, be merciful to me this time. O saviour of the fallen, without you there is no one. In every birth I aspire for the dust of your feet."

• SONG: Ohe Vaisnava Thakura | (ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর
"O worshippable Vaishnav, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet. You can give Krishna, you have that power. Calling, 'Krishna!' 'Krishna!', I run after you."

• SONG: Ki-rupe paiba seva | কিরূপে পাইব সেবা
"I am so wicked, how will I ever get service? I do not have any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs! Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!"

• SONG: Dhana mora nityananda | ধন মোর নিত্যানন্দ
"The feet dust of the Vaishnavs is where I sport and take bath, Vaishnavs' name is the water oblation. My mind is intently fixed upon the remnants of Vaishnavs, and I am elated hearing the name of Vaishnavs."

• SONG: Ye anila prema-dhana | যে আনিল প্রেমধন
"Where has Advaita Acharya gone? Where are my Svarup, Rupa, Sanatan? Where is my Raghunath? Where are the saviours of the fallen souls?"

What Is Anugatya?
"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said that anugatya, or surrender, means to serve the Lord under the guidance of the Guru, but anugatya can be of different kinds, it depends upon the devotee."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 6 min | 2 July 2013)

Anugatya: Gurudev's Example
"When you surrender to your Guru, Krishna thinks that your jivatma and His body are equal—at that time the disciple cannot leave his Guru, and the Guru also cannot leave his disciple. This kind of connection we have seen in Gurudev and Guru Maharaj..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 2 July 2013)

Preaching Programme in Kulgachia
(9 photographs, 0.7 Mb | 6 May 2018)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj spends Sunday at a preaching programme in Kulgachia, a small town west of Kolkata, attending a Vaishnav-seva programme organised by a group of local devotees.

In honour of Sripad Santosh Krishna Prabhu:

On passing away of Sripad Santosh Prabhu
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj's written statement addressing the worldwide devotee community, in relation to the passing away of Sripad Santosh Krishna Prabhu, written on 2 June 2016.

Vaishnav-Seva in Honour of Sripad Santosh Prabhu
(40 photographs, 2.1 Mb)
Photographs taken on 9 June 2016 during the Vaishnav festival held in honour of Sripad Santosh Krishna Prabhu at Sri Nabadwip Dham in the shelter of the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Photo Album: In Honour of Sripad Santosh Prabhu
(45 photographs, 5.3 Mb)
A dedicated photo album prepared in memory and honour of Sripad Santosh Krishna Prabhu whose glories devotees remember and worship today all over the world.

Gaudiya Darshan: The Wonderful Nature of the Vaisnava
"There is no doubt that our Guru is supreme in our life, but the Vaisnava is also not less than that. The Vaisnava can give us Krsna. Guru always lives on a higher level of honour, but the Vaisnava is the general helper for the conditioned soul. The Vaisnava's position is very merciful for the conditioned soul. The Vaisnavas also very affectionately try to help each other..." >>>

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Why Are We Here?
"Why do the sadhus, Gurus, Vaishnavs come to other people's houses? They do not come for food, they do not come hoping, 'I will get something there.' They come to rescue the fallen souls, to bring them to Krishna consciousness."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 6 min | 6 May 2018)

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)

~ Pranam-mantra ~ dasa-vrndavanam vande krsna-dasa-prabhum tatha chhannavatara-chaitanya-lila-vistara-karinau dvau nityananda-padabja-karuna-renu-bhusitau vyakta-chchhannau budhachintyau vavande vyasa-rupinau sri-guru-gaura-gandharva-govindas cha ganaih saha jayanti pathakas chatra sarvesam karunarthinah "I offer my obeisances to Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur and Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami, who made public the pastimes of the hidden avatar, Sri Chaitanya. They were both adorned with the mercy-dust of the lotus feet of Nityananda. I offer my obeisances to these two inconceivable sages who assumed the form of Vyasadeva, one—explicitly (Vrindavan Das Thakur), another—hiddenly (Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami). Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda and Their associates are ever victorious and we, the students, pray for Their mercy." (Composed by Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Under a Haritaki Tree
"Vrindavan Das Thakur's mother's name is Narayani, and she was a niece of Srivas Pandit. Mahaprabhu always held kirtans in the house of Srivas Pandit, and Narayani lived in that same house. When she was very little, she got Mahaprabhu's mercy..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 8 min | 31 December 2012)

Clasping Nityananda Prabhu's Feet
"Nityananda is nondifferent from Guru-tattva: without mercy of the Guru you cannot get the mercy of Krishna. When will Nityananda Prabhu give me some mercy? When will He be compassionate to me and relieve me from the mundane illusion?"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 6 min | 20 October 2015)

Vrindavan Das Thakur: A Life of Chastity
"Vrindavan Das Thakur is a disciple of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu and is the main servitor of Nityananda Prabhu. He has so much chastity for Him..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 18 May 2015)

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur
His holy birthplace (Mamgachhi), his holy Deities (Sri Sri Gaura Nitai), his holy pastimes place (haritaki tree), and his holy samadhi (Denur)...

Composed by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur:

• SONG: Nitai amara dayara avadhi | নিতাই আমার দয়ার অবধি
"O brothers! My Lord Nitai's mercy is limitless! Bestowing His mercy upon the souls of this world He wanders from place to place perpetually offering the great treasure of ecstatic spiritual love to all."

• SONG: Bimala hema-jini | বিমল হেমজিনি
"His spotless figure defeats pure gold! Various flowers garlands adorn Him highlighting His beauty, and, in His ecstatic thrill, the hairs on His body standing erect defeat the stamens of kadamba flowers! His body is covered with drops of perspiration..."

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

• SONG: Ei-bara karuna kara | এইবার করুণা কর
"O worshippable Vaisnava, be merciful to me this time. O saviour of the fallen, without you there is no one. In every birth I aspire for the dust of your feet."

• SONG: Ohe Vaisnava Thakura | (ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর
"O worshippable Vaishnav, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet. You can give Krishna, you have that power. Calling, 'Krishna!' 'Krishna!', I run after you."

• SONG: Ki-rupe paiba seva | কিরূপে পাইব সেবা
"I am so wicked, how will I ever get service? I do not have any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs! Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!"

• SONG: Dhana mora nityananda | ধন মোর নিত্যানন্দ
"The feet dust of the Vaishnavs is where I sport and take bath, Vaishnavs' name is the water oblation. My mind is intently fixed upon the remnants of Vaishnavs, and I am elated hearing the name of Vaishnavs."

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Practise Without Deceit
"Whatever you do and whatever you do not do, Gaura knows you are a thief. Do not hide anything from the Lord, from Gurudev—they know everything. When you come to Krishna consciousness, you should practise properly."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Examine Yourself
"Vaishnavs have twenty-six qualities. You can examine yourself and tell it yourself whether you have these qualities or not. What to speak of twenty-six qualities, do you have even one of those qualities? Only you can judge it."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.7 Mb, 2 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Bhakti Jagat
"Just as when you have ears, you know there is the sound of world, when you have eyes, you know there is a visual world, in the same way, if you have devotion, you can see the Lord, you can have His darshan. Those who have faith in the Lord, can understand this."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Daily Service
"Even if you stay at your house, you can serve the Lord. One time, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was giving a class. After the class, a man came with his wife up to him and said, 'My wife and I would like to take initiation from you.'"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 8 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Devotee Association
"You can get all perfection just by serving the lotus feet of Govinda. Remember this. Sadhu-sanga is the main thing. If you associate with non-devotees, your devotion to Krishna will be destroyed. In good association, you will chant the Holy Name."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 6 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Devotional Qualities
"We pray to Gurudev so that we may be able to give honour to everybody. May the Lord give us such tolerance, patience. If we do not become like this, we will never be able to serve Guru and Vaishnavs."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Vaishnava Stance
"We think we have taken initiation, so we have become big Vaishnavs. This is not Vaishnav's qualities. It is difficult to become even anything close to a Vaishnav. You must use your judgement. Never think, 'I am just like him.'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Life in Kirtan
"I have said many things, but it is necessary to practise through kirtan. Wake up early in the morning, chant five kirtans in the morning, five kirtans in the evening. It does not take much. Always engage in the daily service of the Lord. It is not necessary to have much money for that."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 6 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Initiations in Ecuador (6 photographs, 0.3 Mb | 19 May 2018)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is giving initiations into chanting the Holy Name to Chaitanya Das and Rohini Devi Dasi from Ecuador. Sharing a few photographs taken during the initiation.

Arrival in Siliguri (20 photographs, 1.2 Mb | 22 May 2018)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj takes a group of devotees to Siliguri in the north of India to observe and celebrate the annual Deity installation anniversary festival to be held on the coming Sunday.

Evening Programme in Siliguri (18 photographs, 1.2 Mb | 23 May 2018)
Sharing photographs from last night's programme held by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Siliguri.

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Our Day-to-Day Life
"We come to your house, to your village to encourage you to practise. It is not enough to only take initiation and chant four rounds on your beads in your room once a day. It will not do. When you take initiation, you must take prasadam."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

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)

Evening Programme in Siliguri (13 photographs, 0.8 Mb | 24 May 2018)
Sharing photographs from the evening class that His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj gives to the fortunate devotees and guests at a branch temple of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Siliguri.

Evening Programme in Siliguri (22 photographs, 1.5 Mb | 25 May 2018)
The ekadashi day passes in various services as His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj gives initiation, goes out with the devotees for preaching and bhog collection and gives the evening class. The preparations to the festival are under way as the Math is gradually getting filled with the devotees and guests.

Morning in Siliguri (15 photographs, 1 Mb | 26 May 2018)
Devotees break the fast in the morning and welcome more and more godbrothers and godsisters arriving from all corners of Bengal to observe the anniversary festival at the Temple, in the shade of the holy lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Festival Adhivas Programme in Siliguri
(21 photographs, 1.8 Mb | 26 May 2018)
Photographs taken during the evening programme that His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj leads in honour of the adhivas of the Deity installation anniversary festival at the temple of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Siliguri.

Mercy Above Justice
"Gurudev can do what even Krishna cannot do. Mercy is above justice. When it comes to the mercy of Gurudev, there is no place for judgement. If I judge myself, I get nothing, but, Gurudev, if I get your mercy, then I can get the Lord."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.9 Mb, 3 min | 22 May 2018 | Bengali)

Grand Anniversary Festival in Siliguri
(64 photographs, 4.8 Mb | 27 May 2018)
Photographs from the annual Deities' Installation Anniversary Festival at the Siliguri Temple observed and celebrated by the Vaishnava assembly under the guidance of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj. Sharing auspicious glimpses of the lectures, kirtans, sankirtan, prasad-seva and many more activities of the day.

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Five Diseases
"It is necessary to serve prasadam. 'By honouring the Lord's prasad I shall conquer all prapancha.' Prapancha means there are five faults, five diseases. Just as we have different bodily sicknesses, there are also five material diseases..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

Hari-katha in Kulgachia: Learn to Be Human
"Only I give class and you listen—why cannot you give class? Mahaprabhu said, 'I have come to this house and I will not come here again. Now you must make all the villagers devotees.' This is not easy—you must shed gallons of blood to make somebody a human."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.6 Mb, 2 min | 6 May 2018 | Bengali)

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• OFFLINE READING, ePub:
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