Die to Live
or Live to Die?
'To become a devotee, you must sacrifice something, you must give up
something. Life is not only for eating and sleeping. Nobody prohibits you to
eat, but do live to eat or do you eat to live? Param Guru Maharaj said, "Die
to live." Do we live to die or do we die to live?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Adjustment
of Consciousness
"You are the property of your Guru, you are not anybody else's property.
Devotees always practise wherever they go. If you are staying with some
nondevotees for some purpose, you are not going to stay there for a long
time, so stay there but you must practise there—you must chant,
etc."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 26 July 2020)
One More Year
Passed
As one more years draws to its end, His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya
Maharaj muses on the value and meaning of life, quoting several Vaishnav
songs: "Life is shaky—it is here now, and then it is gone. Serve the
Lord's feet!"
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 7 min | 31 December
2010)
Saltamami
"If you lose your capital every day, you will eventually have a zero
balance, and the next day it will be -1, then -2—then it will be
lost for your life. You have got some sukriti, that is all right, but
every day you must earn more through your service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 6 min | 25 October 2013)
New Year
Message
"It is necessary to preach, follow, and practise Krishna consciousness
more. Next year, with a good heart and good health, continue your service
to Gurudev."
•
Download / listen to the audio (0.6 Mb, 2 min | 21 December 2014)
Your Home Is
Ready—Are You?
"If you can practise continuously, with tolerance, humility, giving honour to
others, removing all material desires, chanting the Holy Name properly, then
Gurudev already has your home made there."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 9 min | 19 December 2015)
New Year
Message (1): Preaching News
"Actually, this year we are doing very well, preaching. Devotees are also
preaching all over the world, and I am very happy with their activities. I am
always running, I cannot and I do not want to stop my service until my death.
This is my service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 29 December 2016)
New Year
Message (2): Inner Quality
"Bad association can damage your faith and spiritual life. Even if you think
that some association is not good and you stay alone, that is good, no
problem. Next year we will be aware of this—we will not do bad association
and we will not criticise others, we must tolerate."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 8 min | 29 December 2016)
New Year
Message
"Today is the last day of 2018 and tomorrow is the first of January of 2019.
We are going to start a new year and I am praying to Gurudev, I am praying to
everybody that next year everyone will continue their life and days for the
service of Gurudev..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.6 Mb, 10 min | 21 December 2018)
New Year Message:
"Service Is Our Life"
"Whatever problem comes, we will not go to any other line, we will not leave
our line—we will follow that line which Gurudev shows us. That is our
intention, that is our determination, and that is our promise. Whatever
situation comes, let it come, we are always ready for it."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 29 December 2019)
Tue, 2 January 2024
Immerse
Yourself in Hari-Kirtan
'We must practise Krishna consciousness. When you want to pass some test, you
must first study or practise a lot, and if you stop practising and studying,
you will forget everything. That is why we must always live thinking about
these things.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Royal Road to
Success
"As many days we are alive, we will always remember our Guru, we will always
chant the Holy Names and we will always concentrate our mind on the service
of the Lord. That is the main thing for us, and this is what everybody should
follow."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.6 Mb, 9 min | 26 July 2020)
Wed, 3 January 2024
Attachment to
Sri Guru
'If you have attachment to the holy feet of your guru, to the service
of your guru, then all your aspirations will be fulfilled. You will
not have any other desires. You will get all fulfilment in a complete way,
not partially. Attachment to the holy feet of the guru is the real
path.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Step Up Your
Service
"We should not waste our time on our own enjoyment, we must give our time for
the enjoyment and happiness of our Lord, our Gurudev. I know everybody will
be working, it is Monday, the first day of the week days, but we must still
do some service for Baladev Prabhu's appearance day. Remember this. If you
only fast and give some flower to Gurudev, that is not sufficient."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.8 Mb, 9 min | 2 August 2020)
Thu, 4 January 2024
Highest
Gift, Highest Pastimes
'Even Brahma and Siva hanker for and always think about getting this kind of
divine love, but this divine love is rolling in the dust of the courtyard of
Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaj's house. It is this divine love for Krishna
that devotees always feel and that we, too, must taste.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Disciple's Core Quality
"To receive and digest chastisement, it is necessary to have tolerance. How
many devotees can tolerate chastisement? Very few. When Gurudev chastises
you, you must be quiet—you have no right to say a single word."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 2 August 2020)
Fri, 5 January 2024
Mahaprabhu's
Teachings
'There is no comparison between His teachings and any other teachings in this
world. Who did Mahaprabhu say can chant the Holy Name? Who has the right to
chant the Holy Name? Do you know whom Mahaprabhu gives this right?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
On Cows and
Baladev-Tattva
"(1) Krishna likes cows, and if we can make cows happy,
Krishna will always be happy. (2) Sachi Mata understood
that Nityananda Prabhu was non-different from Baladev—that Baladev Himself
had come as Nityananda Prabhu."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 2 August 2020)
Sat, 6 January 2024 (Tomorrow is Saphala Ekadasi)
Maintained by
the Lord
'The Lord hears the prayers of those who surrender in all six ways. The third
limb of surrender is goptrtve varan: Krishna is the protector, Krishna
is the maintainer. Krishna takes care of everyone. We say that our parents
are our guardians, but if they are our guardians, then why do they die?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Sweeter Than the
Sweetest
"Krishna's pastimes are very sweet. Krishna's beauty, Krishna's pastimes,
Krishna's love, Krishna's smile, everything about Him is sweet, sweeter, and
sweeter than the sweetest..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 2 August 2020)
Sun, 7 January 2024 (Today is Saphala Ekadasi)
Life beyond
Ego
'"I am doing farming", "I am running a business", "I am going to the office"
– you must give up this "I" mood. Give up your ego. "Dear Lord, if You do not
make it possible, I cannot even move my leg and make a step. If You wish, You
can even finish me off this instant."'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Prasadam—Pivot of
Practising
"You are not to take what is not offered to the Lord. Always take
prasadam, then all your diseases will be removed. Always cook with
care and always make sure what you have cooked is edible. If the cooking is
not good, then neither Krishna, nor Gurudev will be happy."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min | 2 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Krishna Ekadasi. Fast on Saphala Ekadasi. Disappearance of Srila Devananda
Pandit (an associate in Sriman Mahaprabhu's pastimes) and Srimad Bhakti
Prakas Aranya Maharaj (a diksa and sannyas disciple of Srila Prabhupad
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur).
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life. If you
remember the glories of Vaishnavs, if you speak about the glories of
Vaishnavs, they can rescue you from all kinds of material bondage. We have
heard a hundred times that if we glorify Vaishnavs, it gives great benefit,
but even though we have heard it a thousand times, how much are we able to
glorify Vaishnavs from our heart? How much can we serve Vaishnavs with heart
and soul? This is the question."
In honour of Srila Devananda
Pandit:
Learn Proper
Conception
"Sometimes we can unconsciously make an offence, but through good association
we can hear and understand the proper guidance, proper etiquette. If we do
not know it, then no matter how much we practise, how much we chant and how
much service we do, we can still sometimes be doing some aparadh."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 26 May 2019)
Learn to Give
Honour
"Without thinking, we write something, we do something, we think something,
and we consider that what we think is the highest. This is Vaishnav
aparadh. You must learn to give honour to others. Even if the person
is junior, even if they do not know anything, we must learn to give honour to
others."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 29 May 2019)
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.
Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj about fasting on ekadasi and
accepting material facilities:
"One time, a devotee came here from Vrindavan on the day of
ekadasi. He reached in the evening and, after taking a bath in the
Ganges, attended kirtans, danced, circumambulated the temple and so
on. Then, I asked him whether he would take any anukalpa [non-grain
prasadam that is allowed to be taken on ekadasi]. He replied,
'Generally, I do not take anything, but if you like, then, of course, I must
like anukalpa. Your will is greater than my fasting.' That was his
decision.
"My Guru Maharaj (Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur)
always wanted maximum energy: you should take good food and do good service.
That was his maxim. Krishna is not a liquidated party: take full
prasadam and do full service. Do maximum service, and you should take
whatever is necessary for that. You are to take it for the cause of Krishna,
not for your own cause. You are Krishna's, so if you grow weak, His service
will be hampered, and both you and Krishna will be losers thereby. 'My
soldiers will be well-fed and well-working.' That was our Guru Maharaj's
principle. Napoleon said, 'One full-fed soldier is equal to ten half-fed
soldiers.'
"So, prasad-seva: if it is service, then it must be taken in a
serving mood, of course. But, at the same time, the individual position of a
devotee should be taken into consideration. Sahajiyas do not fast on
ekadasi at all: "Oh, we are in Vrindavan, and there is no fasting in
Vrindavan." But Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Prabhupad did not like
that—it is sahajiya (imitation) if you go on feeding your senses in
the name of Krishna-bhakti (devotion to the Lord). For the service to
Krishna, it is necessary to keep up the body and to provide nourishment to
it, so we must take what is necessary for service. We do not like it if by
fasting, a loss of energy is effected. If fasting does not hamper your
service, you may go on fasting—perhaps, your Gurudev wanted
that...
"For service, I must accept what is necessary to make me physically
fit so that I can render more service. So, accepting material things is not
objectionable. It is fruitful, not detrimental. Rather, it produces something
of a pure character, which helps everyone. This is how a disciple receives
and accepts things. At that same time, he may even blame himself, 'I cannot
go on with my worldly life without the help of this or that!' He will blame
himself, but the underlying spirit must be, 'If I do not take it, I shall be
unfit; I will not be able to do my bit of service to the Lord, to my
Gurudev.'
"Moreover, by taking up renunciation, I will be a loser. I will incur
a loss for myself, for the world, and my Guru's service will be hampered. In
this spirit, devotees are to take everything. For the cause of Krsna, for the
cause of his Guru, they will accept anything.
"Suppose there is a very miserly karmachari (manager). Because
he does not want to spend money, he may not attain a particular result; then,
some difficulty comes, and the opportunity is lost. This manager will be
responsible to the proprietor: 'Why did you not spend money? Why are you
afraid of spending money from my store? Because of your miserly habit,
the opportunity has been lost!' 'Why should you not spend My money for My
interest?' So, to render service to Krishna, to my Gurudev, to Vaishnavs, to
the world, to everyone, I must keep up this mundane body, and I am entitled
to take something for that.
"Miserliness is mayavada; it is the renunciation spirit, and it
will mar Krishna's interest. What we need is yukta-vairagya: I shall
take from the store of Krishna to keep myself fit and to do service. It is
Krishna's account, and if I do dot do that, I should be a separationist, a
mayavadi, a renunciationist. I shall render maximum service to
Krishna, and I must take without any hestitation whatever is necessary to
make myself fit for the service; otherwise, I 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..."
"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)
Mon, 8 January 2024
Control Six
Urges
'It is necessary to give up the six urges, six defects, and it is necessary
to show six good qualities. And before you can do that, you should first ask,
"What are these six urges, defects and good qualities?"'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
Today in the calendar:
Krishna Dvadasi. Ekadasi paran is at 6:23:27–9:56:25. Disappearance of Sripad
Bhakti Bhudev Srauti Maharaj (a diksa and sannyas disciple of Srila Prabhupad
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur).
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life. If you
remember the glories of Vaishnavs, if you speak about the glories of
Vaishnavs, they can rescue you from all kinds of material bondage. We have
heard a hundred times that if we glorify Vaishnavs, it gives great benefit,
but even though we have heard it a thousand times, how much are we able to
glorify Vaishnavs from our heart? How much can we serve Vaishnavs with heart
and soul? This is the question."
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Clear
Conception
"You can read Srila Sridhar Maharaj's book Sri Sri
Prapanna-jivanamritam and remind yourself of many good things (practise
smaran). I have also given you books—Guidance 4, Guidance 3. You can
read all these books and you can get everything in them."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 8 min | 2 August 2020)
Tue, 09 January 2024
Subjugate Six
Faults
'It is necessary to be humble. Do not be fickle-minded. You must always be
very tolerant, do not be fickle or restless. We were singing, "Please
subjugate the six urges and rectify the six defects." What are the six
defects, of faults?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Ideal Service Mood
"In this world, there are all sorts of misconceptions prominent all over the
world, but you must establish the conception of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math,
the conception of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta
Saraswati Thakur. When you get some pleasure in your heart through service,
then no matter how much disturbance comes, nothing will be able to stop
you—you will still feel more and more enthusiasm, attachment and enjoyment
through that service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 9 min | 2 August 2020)
Wed, 10 January 2024
Six Good
Qualities
'When you get old, your legs will not move, your teeth will fall out, your
nose will be leaking. Have you seen an old person? You say that you will
worship the Lord when you are old, but when you are old, you will kick the
bucket in two days. No. You must come to Krishna consciousness when you are
young, then the Lord will be happy with it.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (40.7 Mb, 97 min | 20 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Festival of
Sheltered Souls
"What is our goal in the age of Kali? We worship Radha-Krishna's combined
form that comes in Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. However, first, before
worshipping Gauranga Mahaprabhu, we are to take shelter of Gurudev. First we
must take shelter of Gurudev, only then will we worship Lord Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 5 min | 9 August 2020)
Thu, 11 January 2024
Initiating
Sacred Connection
'We keep coming to this world and going, taking birth and dying, and after
that we have got a human body. We have actually got a human body many times
before, too, but when somebody wants to preach and practise, Krishna arranges
a perfect time for them to become connected with holy association and a
perfect, pure devotees.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (4.7 Mb, 11 min | 23 December 2020 |
English)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
"I Am Very Proud of
You"
"I am very proud of you all because our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math devotees
have humility, tolerance, they give honour to others, and they show others
perfect behaviour, perfect practice and perfect mood. Humility, tolerance,
etc. is the religion of Vaishnavs. It is their quality, their ornaments,
their glory. Vaishnavs are always humble, they always emanate lustre and
delight."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 7 min | 9 August 2020)
Fri, 12 January 2024
Take This Name
'If you chant the Holy Name without offences, you will get the result
quickly. Everybody chants the Holy Name, but because they are always doing
nama-aparadh (offences to the Holy Name), they are not getting the
proper result.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (4.7 Mb, 11 min | 23 December 2020 |
English)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Blossomed
Relationship
"I know very well 'my parents,' 'my sister,' 'my husband,' 'my wife'—these
are mine, but we do not think that the Lord is mine, that Gurudev is mine.
How many per cent devotees can feel that?"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 5 min | 9 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Gaura Pratipad. Appearance of Srila Lochan Das Thakur.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
In honour of Srila Lochan Das
Thakur:
About Srila
Lochan Das Thakur
"We must pray to Vaishnav Thakur, 'Wherever you are, Prabhu, please bestow
your mercy on this fallen and low soul so that I may live this life serving
you.' Srila Lochan Das Thakur composed Sri Chaitanya-mangala that
contains even more pastimes of the Lord than Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb, 12 min | 2 February 2021 | Bengali)
Srila Lochan Das
Thakur Mahasay
"Srila Lochan Das Thakur is a follower of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu—he
belonged to His line. Srila Lochan Das Thakur was born in Burdwan district
and he was a disciple of Sri Narahari Thakur. The name of Srila Lochan Das
Thakur's father is Sri Kamalakar Das, and his mother's name is Sri
Sadanandi..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 9 min | 25 October 2020)
•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:
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."
Composed by Srila Lochan Das Thakur:
•SONG:
Akrodha
paramananda |
অক্রোধ পরমানন্দ "The anger-less, prideless, supremely joyful Nityananda Ray wanders
throughout the towns. Going from door to door to the homes of the lowly and
fallen souls, He distributes the Hare Krsna mahamantra."
•SONG:
Nitai gunamani
amara |
নিতাই গুণমণি আমার "Nitai, the jewel of all good qualities, my Nitai, the jewel of all good
qualities, brought a flood of divine love and inundated the earth. Lochan Das
says, 'Anyone who did not serve Nitai knowingly committed suicide.'"
•SONG:
Parama karuna |
পরম করুণ পহুঁ দুই জন "Nitai and Gaurachandra are the two most merciful Lords, the crest-jewels
of all Avatars, the only source of joy. 'Fallen into samsara, I never aspired
for Their feet. Now Yamaraj subjects me to my karma,' says Lochan
Das."
•SONG:
Ke yabi ke yabi bhai |
কে যাবি কে যাবি ভাই "The Lord's Names are the ferryboat, Sri Guru is the captain, and the
outstretched arms in the sankirtan are the oars. All souls have been
delivered by the winds of divine love, only Lochan Das has remained
behind..."
"Singing the glories of the Vaishnavs rescues and protects the jiva soul. I
heard this from the mouth of sadhus and my Guru."
"If we give some honour, give some glorification to the Vaishnavs, it is
actually for our benefit. It is for our own benefit that we do some
ceremonies, some festivals, glorifying the Vaishnavs. It is necessary for our
spiritual life, and it is one of the bhaktyanga, one of the practising
processes. That is why we make Vaishnavs' disappearance and appearance
festivals."
(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
Sat, 13 January 2024
Serve and Study
'I compose nice books. If you keep these books with you and read them all the
time, it is good. It is necessary to always read and study books. You must
both do service and always study. Always work hard.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Realm of
Inconceivable Pastimes
"Bad things, good things happen, but we harmonise—we think that everything
happens by the will of the Lord. If you practise properly, then you can step
by step proceed to your real goal and enter the real nitya-lila—then
you will see Radha-Krishna's pastimes everywhere."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.5 Mb, 9 min | 9 August 2020)
Sun, 14 January 2024
Eagerness to
Study
'You must consider the temple as a school or college. Gurudev called it a
'transcendental university'. If you try to cheat – if you think that Gurudev
is not here, so you can bunk the lessons and sleep in your room, wasting your
time – you will be harming your own self.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Primary Advice
"We have some consciousness in this human body, we must use it properly. Our
duty is to do our service properly, to try more and more and more, to do more
and more for our Guru's happiness, to try to make our Guru happier and
happier. We will always try our best."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 9 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Gaura Tritiya. Disappearance of Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu and Srila
Jagadis Pandit.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
In honour of Srila Jiva Goswami
Prabhu:
—: Pranam mantra of
Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu :—
yah sankhya-pankena kutarka-pamsuna
vivarta-gartena cha lupta-didhitim
suddham vyadhad vak-sudhaya mahesvaram
krsnam sa jivah prabhur astu me gatih
"With his nectarean teachings, Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu revealed the Supreme
Lord, Krishna, whose effulgence had been hidden by the quicksand of
calculation, the dust storm of fallacious logic, and the ditch of
illusionism. May he be my shelter."
—Sri Baladev Vidyabhusan
•Srila Jiva
Goswami Prabhu
"I have no power to say what kind of devotion to his Guru Jiva Goswami
had. Jiva Goswami's service cannot be compared to
anyone's service. Whatever order he would get, he would place it on his
head and do it all the time—his mind never went to any other place."
•
Download / listen to the audio (8 Mb, 23 min | 2012)
•Srila Jiva
Goswami Prabhu: The All-Rounder
"Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu did everything alone—he cooked, did puja,
cleaned the temple, brought water from the Yamuna, and also did personal
service to his Guru. He was busy with his service from morning to night, and
did everything alone."
•
Download / listen to the audio (0.6 Mb, 2 min | 9 September 2011)
•Protected
Journey
Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj explains the pranam-mantra of
Srila Jiva Goswami in the book Dignity of the Divine Servitor: "I
offer my full dandavats unto the lotus feet of Srila Jiva Goswami who
is the protector of our spiritual life. He rescues us from the whole illusory
environment..."
•Srila Jiva
Goswami Prabhura Sochaka
A song composed by Srila Narahari Thakur in glorification of Srila Jiva
Goswami Prabhu's life, character, and service. Bengali verses and English
transliteration.
About Sri Jagadish
Pandit:
Sri Jagadish
Pandit
"Born in Guwahati, Assam, Sri Jagadish Pandit came to live in Nabadwip. Sri
Jagadish Pandit and Hiranya lived together on the bank of the Gages near Sri
Jagannath Misra's house, and Mahaprabhu would often come to visit them."
•
Download / listen to the audio (4.5 Mb, 11 min | 24 January 2021)
"Jagadish Pandit was formerly a great dancer in Krishna-lila and was known
as Chandrahasa. He belonged to the village of Yasada-gram, in the district of
Nadia near the Chakadaha railway station. His father, the son of Bhatta
Narayan, was named Kamalaksa. Both his father and mother were great devotees
of Lord Visnu, and after their death, Jagadish, with his wife Duhkhini and
brother Mahesa, left his birthplace and came to Sri Mayapur to live in the
company of Jagannath Misra and other Vaisnavas. Lord Chaitanya asked Jagadish
to go to Jagannath Puri to preach the Harinam sankirtan movement. After
returning from Jagannath Puri, on the order of Lord Jagannath he established
Deities of Jagannath in the village of Yasada-gram."
"Sri Jagadish is described in the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (192) as follows:
'Sri Jagadish and Hiranya previously appeared as the wives of the yajnic
brahmans of Vraja. The Lord asked for the grains they offered to Vishnu on
the day of Ekadasi. Chandrahasa, the expert dancer and knower of the mellows
of Vraja, has now appeared as Sri Jagadish Pandit.' Sri Nityananda Prabhu
with His associates are the life and wealth of the most effulgent Sri
Jagadish Pandit."
Jagadish Pandit and Hiranya Pandit—lived in Godrumadwip. Their house was some
distance from the Lord's house. On the day of Ekadasi they arranged a large
offering for the Lord. The injunction for fasting on Ekadasi is meant only
for the living entities, but Lord Vishnu is beyond the jurisdiction of the
rules and regulations that He has established. Since He is not bound to
observe fast on Ekadasi, and since He alone is the enjoyer of all sacrificial
offerings, all types of foodstuffs should be offered to Him on Ekadasi. On
the day of Ekadasi the Vaisnavs give up all kinds of enjoyment and do not
accept the injunction for honoring prasada as on other days, but Lord Sri
Hari, the protector of the devotees, accepts the foodstuffs offered by His
devotees on His day, Hari-vasara. Sri Gaura-Narayan also revealed His desire
to eat those foodstuffs.
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata)
No Other Shelter
"One time, when Nimai was three-four years old, He showed He was sick, and
was crying so much. It was an Ekadasi day. His mother, Sachi Mata, asked Him,
'What has happened?' Nimai said, 'I want to go to Hiranya-Jagadish's
house!'"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.1 Mb, 3 min | 17 June 2001)
In honour of Sriman Maharabhu's
last day in Nabadwip:
In a lecture about Sriman Mahaprabhu's sannyas-lila, Srila Govinda
Maharaj commented: "We have seen that Srila Guru Maharaj was always deeply
intoxicated with Mahaprabhu’s sannyas-lila. He established as a rule in
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math that for the three days [after Mahaprabhu takes
sannyas and leaves Nabadwip] the devotees will live very simply and eat only
some rice and dalma (dal cooked with mixed vegetables)."
Heart-Breaking Decision
"Mahaprabhu's mother, Gadadhar, Brahmananda, Chandrasekhara, and Mukunda.
Mahaprabhu told Nityananda Prabhu, 'Nobody except them knows about it.' Sri
Sachi Mata cried so much and other devotees also tried to dissuade Mahaprabhu
in so many ways..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 8 min)
Srila Lochan Das
Thakur Mahasay
"Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur did not write in Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata
very clearly or broadly about the time prior to Sriman Mahaprabhu's taking
sannyas, but in his Sri Chaitanya-mangal, Srila Lochan Das
Thakur, for example, tells about the talk between Sriman Mahaprabhu and
Vishnupriya Devi."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 9 min | 25 October 2020)
Vishnupriya
Devi's Sacrifice
"We must remember in our life the sacrifice that Vishnupriya Devi made. This
life is not for enjoyment, this life is for service. We should learn from the
sacrifice of Vishnupriya Devi..."
"If You Love Me..."
"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, 'You think I am going to take sannyas
and go far away from Nabadwip, but this is not so. You are always with Me. If
you love Me, if you have any love and affection for Me, then always think
about Krishna, always chant Hare Krishna and tell others to chant it.'"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 11 October 2020)
The Pain of Broken
Hearts
"We always remember Srimati Radharani, Her associates and other Vraja
gopis, but we forget about Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yasomati. It has
come out of Radharani's mouth: 'We do not consider our heart's pain, but when
we see Mother Yasoda's face and Mother Yasoda's situation without Your
presence, our heart is breaking after breaking after breaking.' In
Mahaprabhu's pastimes, we can see a similar situation."
•
Download / listen to the audio (9.2 Mb, 36 min | 14 June 2007)
Ditching the
World
"We have come here by a great fortune. Not everybody can come here. We must
take the dust of this place, we must take prasad at this place. Do you
see our condition? We must cry, 'When will material attachment be removed
from my heart? When will that happen?'"
•
Download / listen to the audio (5.2 Mb, 15 min | 29 January 2018 |
Bengali)
According to solar calculation, it was on the day of Makara-sankranti, an
auspicious conjunction of the stars, that Nimai Pandit went to Katwa to take
sannyas, the renounced order of life. After this, He would become known as
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Just before this, He told only a few of His
friends, including Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandit, Mukunda, and others,
"The time when I will accept the robe of renunciation is very near."
Just a few days before this, an opposition party had been raised against
Nimai Pandit. Those who believed that material nature is the highest
principle, and that consciousness is a product of matter, began to abuse
Nimai Pandit. He thought, "I came to deliver the lowest of men, but if they
commit offenses against Me, there will be not hope for their upliftment."
Suddenly, He said, "I came with that medicine which gives the greatest
relief, but now I find that their disease is rapidly growing worse and seems
beyond treatment. It will take its own course towards doom. The patients are
committing offenses by abusing their doctor. They are making arrangements to
insult Me. They take it that I am a family man—their nephew. They take Me as
one of them. I came with the best medicine for the present degraded age, but
now I find that they are plotting against Me. Now they are doomed. At least I
have to show them that I am not one of them." He thought, "I shall leave
family life and take sannyas and wander from village to village, town to
town, preaching the Holy Name of Krishna." That was His decision, and within
a few days He went to take sannyas at Katwa from Kesav Bharati
Maharaj.
Just the day before He left to take sannyas, from the afternoon until the
evening, there was a spontaneous gathering of devotees in the home of Nimai
Pandit. Every year in Bengal, that day was celebrated as Laksmi-puja,
worship of the goddess of fortune, when special cakes are prepared and
distributed. Nimai, knowing that early the next morning He would leave
Navadwip to take sannyas, attracted His followers in such a way that almost
every leading devotee came to see Him that evening.
They came with flower garlands and many other offerings to be presented to
the Lord. Nimai accepted their garlands and then placed them on the necks of
the devotees who gave them. Only four of His most intimate devotees knew He
was leaving; the ordinary devotees did not know this would be His last night
in Navadwip. With His own hands He garlanded the necks of His devotees and
appealed to them, "Always chant the name of Krishna. Under no condition
should you give up this krsna-nama. And don't do anything else. While
working, eating, sleeping or walking, day or night—in whatever you
do—continuously take the name of Krishna. Always talk about Krishna—nothing
else. If you have any real attraction for Me, then don't do anything without
chanting the name of Krishna.
"Cultivate Krishna consciousness. Krishna is the origin of us all. He is
our father; we have come from Him. The son who shows no gratitude towards the
father is sure to be punished birth after birth. Always chant these names of
the Lord:
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
No other religious principle is required. Chant Hare Krishna. This is not
an ordinary mantra, but this is the maha-mantra, the greatest of all the
great mantras, the very essence of all the mantras known to the world. Only
take to this, always. No other prescription is to be followed.
"Remember your Lord, your home. This is a foreign land; you have nothing
to aspire after here. Try always to go back home, back to Godhead." In this
way, the Lord spoke, and all His devotees intuitively came because it was
Nimai Pandit's last night in Navadwip.
Late at night, one devotee named Kholaveca Sridhara arrived. He used to
make trade on the plantain tree and its fruit. He would sell the fruit, ripe
or green, and the big leaves which are used as plates. Sometimes Nimai would
pay him less for his fruits than what they were worth, and sometimes He would
snatch the best fruits from him. Sridhara came to see Him late at night to
offer Him a choice lau (calabash/bottle gourd). And Nimai thought, "I have
spent almost My whole life snatching so many things from him, and now, on
this last night he has brought this wonderful lau. I can't resist." He asked
Sacidevi, "Mother, Sridhara has given me this lau. Please think of how it can
be prepared." At bedtime, someone came with some milk. Nimai said, "Mother,
with this milk and this lau, please prepare some sweet-rice." So Sacidevi
prepared some lau sweet-rice: lau boiled with milk, rice and sugar.
Late at night, at about three o' clock in the morning, Nimai went
away.
Watch Your Activities
'In Krishna consciousness, those who join this movement must fight against
illusion, Maya. Just as an ant will always look for a hole to enter, Maya
Devi is also always waiting: she is always waiting to attack you as soon as
you move away from service.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Service, Karma,
and Devotion
"You cannot buy guru-bhakti with money. Guru-bhakti comes
through love and affection, it comes from within one's heart—it comes by
practising, by giving your heart. Those who are surrendered souls, are always
busy with service—maya cannot attack them."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 5 min | 9 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Gaura Chaturthi. A three-day remembrance fesitval in honour of Sriman
Mahaprabhu’s sannyas-lila. Mahaprabhu walks to Keshav Bharati's ashram and
attempts to take sannyas; devotees raise a ruckus at the ashram of Keshav
Bharati.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
Today's events:
Clearing the
Obstacles
"When Mahaprabhu left His family, do you know who came at that time?
Kalanidra. Kalanidra came to the Lord and asked, 'Prabhu, I have come. Why
did You call me? What is my duty?' Mahaprabhu told her, 'Now do your
duty.'"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 12 December
2010)
Late at night, at about three o' clock in the morning, Nimai went away. He
left Visnupriya Devi asleep in bed. His mother Sacidevi, sensing what was to
come, was staying awake all night guarding the door. Nimai bowed down to her
and went away. And like a stone figure, Mother Sacidevi sat there by the gate
as Nimai left. She could not say anything, but was struck dumb.
A little after three o'clock in the morning, Nimai swam across the Ganges and
in His wet cloth went straight to Katwa, a distance of twenty-five miles. He
reached there by nine or ten o'clock. There, He approached Kesav Bharati to
take sannyas.
In the early morning, the devotees came to see Nimai and found Sacidevi like
a statue, sitting at the door. The door was open. Everything was empty.
"What's the matter Sachi Devi?" they asked. She told them, "Oh, I was waiting
for you devotees. You take possession of the house. I shall go somewhere
else. I can't enter this house any more. You are His associates; you are the
true heirs. Take possession." They began to throng around her and console
her. "You will go? What about the young wife He left? The girl is only
fourteen years old. Who will protect her? You can't shun the responsibility
given to you. It is on your shoulders." In this way they came and consoled
her and tried to give her some hope.
Suddenly the devotees heard that Nimai Pandit, Sri Gauranga, had left
Navadwip. They learned that He had gone to Katwa, to Kesav Bharati's asrama
to take sannyas, bidding goodbye to the people of Navadwip forever.
A dark shadow came down. Many began to weep and cry for Him. Many of them ran
towards Katwa. Nimai Pandit was an unprecedented scholar with beautiful
features—tall, fair, and benevolent. He had already made the people mad with
the Holy Name of Krishna. He had released the two great sinners Jagai and
Madhai from their nasty life. He had checked the Mohammedan ruler, the Kazi,
who had broken the mrdanga drum. As a famous Pandit, he had defeated many
scholars who came to conquer Navadwip, which was very much renowned for its
high culture of learning, especially of logic.
At that time in Navadwip, logic (nyaya), worship of material energy (tantra),
and official Hinduism (smrti), were in high culture. Navadwip was highly
renowned for scholarship. If Pandits could not defeat the scholars of
Navadwip, they could not become famous. From far away in Kashmir, Kesav
Kasmiri had to come to Navadwip to get a certificate that he was a Pandit.
And he was defeated by Nimai Pandit. Kesav Kasmiri was such a big Pandit that
it was rumored he was the favorite child of Saraswati, the goddess of
learning. No one could face him. Still, he was defeated by Nimai Pandit.
But Nimai Pandit left Navadwip forever and took sannyas because the people of
Navadwip could not appreciate Him. He reached Katwa, where, just on the banks
of the Ganges, there was a sannyasi named Kesav Bharati. Nimai went to him
and asked him for sannyas. Kesav Bharati suddenly found that his asrama was
full of luster. At first, it seemed as if the sun was rising before him; then
he saw that it was a bright person approaching. He rose from his seat, and
with strained eyes approached in wonder. "What is this?" he thought.
Then he realized that the great devotee-scholar, Nimai Pandit, had come. He
appeared before him saying, "I want to take sannyas from you." But Kesav
Bharati could not accept Nimai's offer. "I am charmed by Your beauty and
personality," he said. "But You are so young, only twenty-four years old.
What about Your mother, Your wife, and Your guardians? Without consulting
with them, I cannot venture to give You the robe of renunciation."
In the meantime, as it was Makar Sankranti, a famous holiday, many people
had come to take bath in the holy waters of the Ganges. They gathered there
and the rumor spread like fire: "Nimai Pandit of Navadwip has come to take
sannyas." Many men flocked there, until a huge crowd gathered.
They all opposed Mahaprabhu's sannyas. Some of them raised their voices in
protest: "You—Kesav Bharati! We won't allow you to give sannyas to this young
man. He has a family, his mother and wife. We won't allow it. If you give
sannyas to this charming, young, beautiful boy, we will break down your
asrama immediately. It can't be!"
But Nimai Pandit kept pressing for sannyas. At last, Kesav Bharati asked him,
"So, you are that Nimai Pandit about whom we have heard so much? Many big
scholars came to conquer Navadwip, the famous seat of learning, and You have
defeated them all. Are You that Nimai Pandit?" "Yes," said Nimai. Kesav
Bharati told him, "I can give You sannyas, but You must take the permission
of Your mother—otherwise I won't, I can't do it." Nimai suddenly began
running towards Navadwip to ask permission, but Kesav Bharati thought, "He
has such a commanding personality, He can do anything."
Nimai was called back. Kesav Bharati told him, "With Your most extraordinary
personality You can do anything. You will go there, charm Your guardians, get
permission, and return. Nothing is impossible for You."
The ordinary public was very much enraged, saying to Kesav Bharati, "We can't
allow you, Swamiji, to give sannyas to this young boy. It is impossible! If
you do, then we shall smash your ashram." Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began
performing kirtan, chanting Hare Krishna and dancing madly. And the angry
mob grew, sometimes creating a disturbance. In this way the whole day passed
with no decision. The night passed in sankirtan.
Serve with Love
'When you serve, you must do it with love. Love must come. You must serve
with love! If you do something without love, it cannot be service. You
feel drawn to your father and mother, to your wife, but this kind of
attraction and pull must come to your guru, Vaishnavs and the Lord. If
it does not come, then you will not get the supreme result.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Recommendation • Is "Madhava-tithi" only ekadasi? • What is your advice to those who want to take
initiation? • What do we read on Janmastami
day? • Is it possible to take medication on
Janmastami?
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 9 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Remembrance of Sriman Mahaprabhu's sannyas-lila.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
Today's events:
Will-O'-the-Wisp
of Worldly Wishes
"If you give Maya chance, then Maya will attack you. As soon as you get a
weak spot, Maya will attack you. It does not matter whether you are young or
old. If you try to control your elements, you can control them
from a young age."
•
Download / listen to the audio (4.1 Mb, 10 min | 5 July 2020)
...The next day, Nimai's will prevailed, although there was still some
opposition.
Nityananda Prabhu, along with Nimai's maternal uncle Candrasekhara, Mukunda
Datta and Jagadananda Pandit, gradually arrived there. And that afternoon,
the sannyas function began. Candrasekhara Acarya was asked to perform the
ceremony on behalf of Nimai Pandit, who began to chant and dance and charm
the audience.
laksa-locanasru-varsa-harsa-kesa-kartanam
koti-kantha-krsna-kirtanadhya-danda-dharanam
nyasi-vesa-sarva-desa-ha-hutasa-kastaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram
"While showers of tears fell from the eyes of millions, He delighted in
having His beautiful hair shaved away. Millions of voices sang the glories of
Krishna, as Sri Krishna Chaitanya accepted the staff of renunciation. From
that time on, wherever He went, whoever saw Him in the dress of a sannyasi
cried in grief. I sing the glories of that beautiful Golden God, the giver of
divine love."
The scene was at Katwa. Four-hundred and seventy-four years ago, Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas. He was young and beautiful, with a tall
figure. He was only twenty-four and had beautiful curling hair. A barber was
asked to shave Him, and approached Him, but then withdrew. The barber could
not venture to touch Nimai's body. He began to cry. "How can I remove such
beautiful hair from such a beautiful head?"
And so many others were also crying aloud, "What a horrible thing is being
done here! Who is the creator of this sannyas? Who is so hard-hearted that he
created the sannyas-asrama, where one must give up all that is near and dear
and go from door to door, begging, leaving his own friends and relatives
crying helplessly? What is this creation of the Supreme? Is it logical? Is it
a happy thing? It is most cruel!"
Nimai Pandit was smiling. After the barber was ordered repeatedly, somehow he
was forced to shave Nimai's head. At first, he could not venture to touch His
hair, saying, "I can't touch Him." But at last, he had to do the service of
shaving the beautiful, curling hair of the beautiful face of the twenty-four
year old genius boy. He began with his shears. Some people could not stand
the scene. Some even became mad. In the midst of the weeping, wailing, and
crying of the threatening mob, it was done.
Nimai Pandit was senseless. After being only half-shaved, He stood up and
began chanting in kirtana and dancing in ecstatic joy. After He was shaved,
the barber promised, "I will never again shave anyone with this hand! I would
rather live by begging. This is my last service as a barber." After this,
that barber took up the occupation of a sweetmaker.
Ultimately Nimai's appeals pacified the mob, and a little before noon the
inevitable gradually came: the sannyas function was performed. Chandrasekara
Acharya, the maternal uncle of Nimai Pandit, was deputed to take charge of
the rituals in the ceremony of sannyas. When the mantra was to be conferred,
Nimai Pandit asked Kesav Bharati, "Is this the mantra you will give me? I
heard it in a dream." He whispered the mantra in the ear of his guru who
accepted, saying, "Yes, this is the mantra I shall give You." Then that
mantra was given.
And the name of this sannyasi was not given in an ordinary way either. A most
peculiar name came through Kesav Bharati: "Krishna Chaitanya." None of the
ten names generally given to sannyasis was given to Nimai Pandit, but the
name that was given to Him was Krishna Chaitanya. As soon as they heard that
name, the mob began to cry, "Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!" "All
glories to Sri Krishna Chaitanya!"
The father of Srinivasa Acarya was a class-friend of Nimai Pandit. On his way
to his father-in-law's house, he heard that Nimai Pandit had come to take
sannyas. He ran there, and seeing everything, he became dumb—he was
devastated and went half-mad. After that, nothing came from his mouth but
"Chaitanya!" After he heard the name "Krishna Chaitanya," whatever anyone
said to him, he would only say, "Chaitanya!" He became mad. After that, his
name became Chaitanya dasa. His former name vanished, and everyone used to
call him Chaitanya dasa. He could not stand the scene of Nimai Pandit's
sannyas.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, newly dressed in red robes, embraced His guru, and
both of them began to dance, chanting the name of Krishna. After some time,
the meaning of the name was given. Kesav Bharati Maharaja said, "Sri Krishna
Chaitanya means that You arouse Krishna consciousness throughout the entire
world. You have descended to make all people Krishna conscious. So the most
suitable name for You cannot but be Sri Krishna Chaitanya."
Mahaprabhu was very cheerful, thinking, "I am going to relieve so many souls
from their eternal misery and affliction. I have promised to deliver the
whole world from this ocean of misery and take them to the nectarine world,
and now I am going to accept that task." He was cheerful, but everyone around
Him was diving in the ocean of despair and sorrow.
Some scholars stress that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas from Kesav
Bharati, who was a mayavadi, an impersonalist. But although Kesav Bharati may
have externally showed himself in that way, it is seen that by coming in
connection with Mahaprabhu, he became a devotee. Otherwise, we may also think
that he was a devotee who came in the garb of an impersonalist to help the
preaching of Mahaprabhu by assisting Him with the social formality of taking
sannyas. At that time, all over India, mayavadi sannyasis had greater
recognition than Vaisnava sannyasis, and Kesav Bharati was already situated
in that post. Mahaprabhu took the garb of a sannyasi from him for His own
purpose, to help His preaching activity. All these things may be explained in
different ways. In any case, after Mahaprabhu took sannyas, Kesav Bharati
began to sing and dance with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He joined in
sankirtana and was immediately converted.
In this way, the sannyas of Nimai Pandit took place. What is the meaning of
His sannyas?....
Wed, 17 January 2024 (Mahaprabhu roams Rarhdesh after
taking sannyas)
Exemplary Service
Mood
'This was my mood. Learn from me. Learn from how I served Gurudev. What does
Gurudev need? What does Gurudev like? A real disciple should know this. I
always kept Gurudev happy, and he was always pleased with me.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Proper
Line—Proper Success
"We always run behind false renunciation, false ego, we have so many bad
elements, so many desires. If you think in a proper way and practise under
the guidance of a bona fide guru, you will succeed. Those who have proper
quality and qualification, can surrender within one minute."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 3 min | 9 August 2020)
In memory of today's events related to Sriman Mahaprabhu's
sannyas-lila:
Memorable Day In
Bamunpara
"One morning Gurudev went to Bamunpara. Only Gurudev, his driver, me, and
Gurudev's servant who cooked for him, went at that time. That day, Gurudev
showed me that place in Bamunpara where Mahaprabhu passed after taking
sannyas..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 4 min)
Remembering
Mahaprabhu's Sannyas-Lila
"Srila Param Guru Maharaj said that during this time Nabadwip was covered by
thick clouds—there was no sun in the sky and everything was very dark. Even
the sun too cried because the Lord had left Nabadwip. It was such a sad time,
everybody felt very deep separation."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 6 min)
Ten Days in Shantipur
"...When Mahaprabhu came to Shantipur and the news about it spread
everywhere, so many devotees started coming there—so many boats, full of
people, came to Shantipur to see Mahaprabhu..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 6 min)
Heart-Breaking Decision
"Mahaprabhu's mother, Gadadhar, Brahmananda, Chandrasekhara, and Mukunda.
Mahaprabhu told Nityananda Prabhu, 'Nobody except them knows about it.' Sri
Sachi Mata cried so much and other devotees also tried to dissuade Mahaprabhu
in so many ways..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 8 min)
Sri Nimai Sannyas
(English, Bengali, an audio recording)
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's poem expressing the
grief-stricken hearts of the residents of Nabadwip: "Vishvambhar, the son
of Jagannath Mishra, who resides in Nabadwip, Sachi's Nimai, has taken
sannyas. A tumult of cries filled the sky—Sachi's Nimai has
taken sannyas!"
From Sri Sri Prema Dhama Deva Stotram:
laksa-lochanasru-varsa-harsa-kesa-kartanam
koti-kantha-krsna-kirtanadhya-danda-dharanam
nyasi-vesa-sarvadesa-ha-hutasa-kataram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram
"Sri Gaurasundara departed from Nabadwip and went away to become a
sannyasi (monk), leaving behind his family members and friends whose eyes
were filled with tears. He accepted the staff and waterpot as his only
possessions, the emblems of a renunciate. When his long hair was cut off
and his head was shaved, thousands of voices sang the holy names. The
devotee's eyes shed rivers of tears, since they knew he was going into the
world and leaving them behind. From that time, whoever saw him in the red
garments of a sannyasi cried out loud in grief. I sing with joy the
unending glories of my sweet Lord, my golden Gaurasundara, the one and
only divine abode of pure love."
Thu, 18 January 2024 (Mahaprabhu roams Rarhdesh after
taking sannyas for the second day)
Deep Faith and
Service
'It is necessary to have faith. We must always be alert towards what makes
Gurudev happy. If we cannot serve our guru, we will not get anything.
That is why I do not worry about anything: I know that Gurudev has given me
service and, wherever Gurudev is, he has a room kept for me in Goloka
Vrindavan.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (19.7 Mb, 43 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Prayerful
Meditation
"Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani are our meditation, we always worship
Them, but we do not want to become sahajiyas—it is not cheap, it is
the highest attainment! We must pray to the Lord today. We must express what
is our present position. We are in this situation at present—how can the Lord
rescue us from this kind of situation?"
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 12 August 2020)
"Passing through the tract of land known as Rarhdesh, Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu recited the following verse in ecstasy:
etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham
adhyasitam purvatamair mahadbhih
aham tarisyami duranta-param
tamo mukundanghri-nisevayaiva
"Avanti Brahman said, 'I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of
nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Krishna.
This was approved by the previous acharyas who were fixed in firm devotion to
the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.'"
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.3.4-5)
Fri, 19 January 2024 (Mahaprabhu roams Radadesh for the
third day before arriving in Shantipur)
Service Acumen
'Gurudev always wants to help the disciple get spiritual benefit, but the
disciple must be able to take that help. I can give you some milk, but your
must be able to hold that milk – if your pot has holes, will the milk stay in
it? You must learn to use your intelligence.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (22 Mb, 49 min | 26 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Misconceptions about Lord Krishna's Appearance
"Without Lord Krishna's appearance life is meaningless. If you read Srimad
Bhagavad-gita, you can easily understand the meaning of Janmastami and
who Krishna is. People can say many things, but our vision is not like
that—we see it in a different way."
•
Download / listen to the audio (8.1 Mb, 20 min | 12 August 2020)
Mahaprabhu's
Stay in Shantipur
"Nityananda Prabhu understood devotees' feeling and somehow managed to take
Mahaprabhu to Shantipur instead of taking Him straight to Vrindavan. In
Shantipur, Mahaprabhu gave lecture, He sang and danced the whole day and
night without stop..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min | 26 January 2018)
Sat, 20 January 2024
Surrender
Yourself
'Those who are humbler than a blade of grass, who can be more tolerant than a
tree, who can give honour to others has the right, the qualification to chant
Krishna-kirtan (glories and the Holy Name of Lord Sri Krishna). Therefore, if
you want to practise Krishna-kirtan, you must be humble, tolerant and give
honour to others. You do not practise just by singing after others.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Entering Another
Plane
"If you can fulfil Gurudev's desire, if you can follow everything and become
a 100% devotee, a surrendered soul, then you will have the strongest faith
that what Gurudev said ('If you follow Krishna consciousness properly, you
will not have to come again') is the truth."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 12 August 2020)
Sun, 21 January 2024
Be Genuine
'This is the influence of the Holy Name, but we cannot genuinely chant the
Holy Name – we never get time to chant the Holy Name with mind, heart and
soul, giving full attention... Gora will catch up with us – He will expose
our thievery. Do you understand it? What we do or not do, Gora is always
above us, watching.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Approaching
Krishna's Pastimes
'Gurudev told us to follow the rules set by Srila Sridhar Maharaj, so we read
Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita all day on this day. In the evening, after
chanting some songs, at 9 or 9.30 p.m., you can read something about the
pastime of Krishna's appearance.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (29.4 Mb, 55 min | English | 12 August
2020)
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.
Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj about fasting on ekadasi and
accepting material facilities:
"One time, a devotee came here from Vrindavan on the day of
ekadasi. He reached in the evening and, after taking a bath in the
Ganges, attended kirtans, danced, circumambulated the temple and so
on. Then, I asked him whether he would take any anukalpa [non-grain
prasadam that is allowed to be taken on ekadasi]. He replied,
'Generally, I do not take anything, but if you like, then, of course, I must
like anukalpa. Your will is greater than my fasting.' That was his
decision.
"My Guru Maharaj (Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur)
always wanted maximum energy: you should take good food and do good service.
That was his maxim. Krishna is not a liquidated party: take full
prasadam and do full service. Do maximum service, and you should take
whatever is necessary for that. You are to take it for the cause of Krishna,
not for your own cause. You are Krishna's, so if you grow weak, His service
will be hampered, and both you and Krishna will be losers thereby. 'My
soldiers will be well-fed and well-working.' That was our Guru Maharaj's
principle. Napoleon said, 'One full-fed soldier is equal to ten half-fed
soldiers.'
"So, prasad-seva: if it is service, then it must be taken in a
serving mood, of course. But, at the same time, the individual position of a
devotee should be taken into consideration. Sahajiyas do not fast on
ekadasi at all: "Oh, we are in Vrindavan, and there is no fasting in
Vrindavan." But Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Prabhupad did not like
that—it is sahajiya (imitation) if you go on feeding your senses in
the name of Krishna-bhakti (devotion to the Lord). For the service to
Krishna, it is necessary to keep up the body and to provide nourishment to
it, so we must take what is necessary for service. We do not like it if by
fasting, a loss of energy is effected. If fasting does not hamper your
service, you may go on fasting—perhaps, your Gurudev wanted
that...
"For service, I must accept what is necessary to make me physically
fit so that I can render more service. So, accepting material things is not
objectionable. It is fruitful, not detrimental. Rather, it produces something
of a pure character, which helps everyone. This is how a disciple receives
and accepts things. At that same time, he may even blame himself, 'I cannot
go on with my worldly life without the help of this or that!' He will blame
himself, but the underlying spirit must be, 'If I do not take it, I shall be
unfit; I will not be able to do my bit of service to the Lord, to my
Gurudev.'
"Moreover, by taking up renunciation, I will be a loser. I will incur
a loss for myself, for the world, and my Guru's service will be hampered. In
this spirit, devotees are to take everything. For the cause of Krsna, for the
cause of his Guru, they will accept anything.
"Suppose there is a very miserly karmachari (manager). Because
he does not want to spend money, he may not attain a particular result; then,
some difficulty comes, and the opportunity is lost. This manager will be
responsible to the proprietor: 'Why did you not spend money? Why are you
afraid of spending money from my store? Because of your miserly habit,
the opportunity has been lost!' 'Why should you not spend My money for My
interest?' So, to render service to Krishna, to my Gurudev, to Vaishnavs, to
the world, to everyone, I must keep up this mundane body, and I am entitled
to take something for that.
"Miserliness is mayavada; it is the renunciation spirit, and it
will mar Krishna's interest. What we need is yukta-vairagya: I shall
take from the store of Krishna to keep myself fit and to do service. It is
Krishna's account, and if I do dot do that, I should be a separationist, a
mayavadi, a renunciationist. I shall render maximum service to
Krishna, and I must take without any hestitation whatever is necessary to
make myself fit for the service; otherwise, I 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..."
"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)
Mon, 22 January 2024
Deity Is Not a
Doll
'It is necessary to serve the Deities with much love. If you think that the
Deity is an idol made of stone or wood, you cannot serve like that. He is not
an idol – He is Lord Vrajendra-nandan Himself! We all want to stay in a nice
marbled room, in a clean place. The Lord is also like that. You must think
about it.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Account of
Krishna's Appearance
'I am telling you what Sri Sukadev Goswami spoke from the tenth canto of
Srimad Bhagavatam. This is a chapter about the mystery of Baladev's and
Krishna's appearance to destroy Kamsa.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (29.4 Mb, 55 min | English | 12 August
2020)
Tue, 23 January 2024
Prasad-Seva
'Gurudev is non-different from Nityananda Prabhu, and he is so merciful. He
bestows his mercy upon everybody, but the problem is that we cannot keep that
mercy. You offer some flowers to a photograph, put a garland on a
photograph – you serve in this way, but this is external. You must give
bhoga to the Lord with love.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
Appreciate
Prasad-Seva
'We are alive, so we have to eat something, but what should we take?
Prasad. If you make something yourself and offer it the Lord, the Lord
will be happier. So, you can bring something from the market, cook it and
offer it.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (33 Mb, 79 min | 15 December 2020 |
Bengali)
•BHOG, COOKING, OFFERING An extensive collection of excerpts from the teachings and guidance
presented by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya
Maharaj related to cooking and offering bhoga and how sincere practitioners
desiring spiritual progress should maintain their daily life.
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Devotees'
Character
'Can an ordinary devotee appeal to Krishna to help or protect them just as
Prahlad Maharaj appealed to Sri Nrisinghadev? If we should never ask the Lord
for protection, then what about "avasya raksibe krsna visvase palan",
which is one of the six limbs of surrender?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (29.4 Mb, 55 min | English | 12 August
2020)
Wed, 24 January 2024
Nimai's Mercy
to Devotees
'It was to bestow mercy upon devotees that He went door to door. Have you see
Sridhar Prabhu's house in Mayapur? Both Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu
visited Sridhar Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu went there together with Srila Jiva
Goswami...'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Always
Remember, Always Serve
'You will all go to your homes after this festival, but you must serve
Krishna not for this moment only. Remember Krishna always, at every moment.
Do not forget Krishna. Always remember Krishna, always chant His Holy Names
and chant about His beautiful pastimes.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (29.4 Mb, 55 min | English | 12 August
2020)
Thu, 25 January 2024
Remember Lord's Mercy
'Nimai rescued many souls, even Keshav Kashmiri (Digvijayi Pandit) and two
thieves. The Lord is so merciful that He bestows His mercy even upon thieves.
He was very small at that time...'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Thorns of
Spiritual Life
"We think there is so much suffering, so many problems outside, but we do not
think that we have some problems inside us. Sometimes, some good symptoms
come to us in our service, but at this moment some bad elements come and Maya
takes us away from the service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (5.4 Mb, 13 min | 16 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Purnima. Pusyabhisek Yatra of Sri Krishna. Departure of Sripad Bhakti Saran
Vaisnav Maharaj.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
"Wake up, look into the calendar and give 'jay' to your Guru and
Vaishnavs. Always pay obeisance to your Guru and Vaishnavs when you wake up
in the morning, always give them 'jay'. Always keep faith and show
respect to them. Always see the calendar—whose appearance day it is, whose
disappearance day it is. Even if you cannot make a festival, at least you can
give them 'jay', it will bring you benefit. When you give 'jay'
to your Guru and Vaishnavs, it brings you sukriti. For example, today
is the disappearance day of a Vaishnav—give 'jay' to him, remember
him. We must always remember the words of Vaishnavs. If I remember the words
of Vaishnavs, I get some benefit, some deposit through that."
Fri, 26 January 2024
What Are We At?
'The Lord is extremely merciful, He has bestowed so much mercy upon us,
allowing us to sit in Godrumdwip. Do not use the Lord for your own self.
Serve the Lord, and the Lord will take care of you. You must have faith in
this.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Surrendered
Existence
"Practise all this, then you will understand what is necessary for your
spiritual life and what this human body is for. You have got this human body
by a great mercy of the Lord, and you must use this human body, every part
and parcel of this body, for the service of the Lord."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 6 min | 16 August 2020)
Sat, 27 January 2024
Imperishable
Truths
'This body is perishable: we come one day to this world, and one day we will
have to leave this body and go away – our soul will get another body. But if
we can practise Krishna consciousness genuinely, then we can reach the Lord.
Whatever place there is for us there, we will be able to reach it, and once
you come there, you do not have to return.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Practising
Deficiency
"We sometimes do not understand why we lose our faith, why we cannot give our
heart, mind, everything to the service of the Lord—this happens because there
is practising deficiency. Many things can come, that is why we can lose our
faith, lose our Krishna consciousness life."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 16 August 2020)
Sun, 28 January 2024
Do Not Serve
Misconception
'I have written many questions and answers in Guidance, Volume 3. Many
people say that we must "serve poor Narayan". This is a lie and big heresy.
It is a misconception. Narayan can never be poor, and a poor man can never be
Narayan. How can Narayan, who is the husband of Laksmi Devi, ever be
poor?'
•
Download / listen to the audio (27.5 Mb, 61 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Do Not Get Swayed
"When Maya attacks you, when Maya gives so much trouble to you and so many
problems come to you, will you remember Me or will you forget Me? It is up to
you. If you can remember the Lord despite any difficulties, then it is very
good."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 5 min | 16 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Krishna Tritiya. Appearance of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami Prabhu and
disappearance of Srila Ramachandra Kaviraj.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
In honour of Srila Gopal Bhatta
Goswamipad:
Srila Gopal
Bhatta Goswami's Miracle
"You have heard about the Deity of Sri Radha-Raman in Vrindavan. When Gopal
Bhatta Goswami lived in Vrindavan, he every day worshipped twelve pieces of
Govardhan sila..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 7 September 2013 | Bengali)
Strongest
Faith (2) Gopal Bhatta Goswami
"You have eyes in your heart, and if you have such feeling towards the Deity
in your heart and do your service with such faith, then you can easily see
Krishna everywhere, hear Krishna-nama everywhere, nothing else besides
Krishna-nama will enter your ears..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 10 March 2015)
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."
In honour of Srila Ramachandra Kaviraj's disappearance:
Power of Good
Association
"You must see the sadhu with your ears. Every day you sing,
'Ramachandra-sanga mage Narottama Dasa: Narottam Das prays for the
association of Ramachandra Kaviraj.' What does this mean? Why does Narottam
Das always ask for the association of Ramachandra?"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 12 March 2017 | Gaura Purnima)
Mon, 29 January 2024
Service Is Not a
Chore
'It is so difficult to serve Gurudev! It is necessary to think with
far-reaching profundity (very deeply and intimately). You must serve the
Lord, your guru and Vaishnavs with love. There must be love, but not
everybody has this kind of love. This is not a simple matter.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (62.9 Mb, 129 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Priorities In
Spiritual Life
"If every householder devotee says, 'I have some job in my house, I cannot do
it,' then who will serve at the temple? Even if you live in a house, you must
live as a proper householder devotee. Turn your house into a temple."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 7 min | 16 August 2020)
Today in the calendar:
Krishna Chaturthi. Disappearance of Sripad Yadavendu Bhakti Chandan.
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do
not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must
still give them 'jay' on this day. We must always remember disappearance and
appearance days of all Vaishnavs. If we can remember such personalities, such
great souls, it will bring a great benefit to our spiritual life."
"We should always check the calendar, and when we see some dates mentioned
there, even if we do not know anything about the Vaishnav or events mentioned
there, we can at least give 'jay' to them—that also brings some good sukriti,
some purification to us. Seeing the calendar and taking devotees' names early
in the morning, from the beginning of the day, is very good for all
devotees."
In honour of Sripad Yadavendu
Bhakti Chandan:
Sripad Yadavendu Bhakti Chandan [GaudiyaDarshan.com]
"...He was a senior man, he was very experienced and honourable, but he
treated me with humility and all his other good qualities. Later, I was his
servant for one month in Vrindavan. Sometimes Srila Guru Maharaj told me, 'In
the evening, give him a garland.' Guru Maharaj gave him the title 'Bhakti
Chandan'."
In Remembrance of Sri Bhakti Chandan Prabhu [GaudiyaDarshan.com]
"Today, being separated from the direct affection of Srimat Yadavendu Bhakti
Chandan Prabhu, we are bearing jewel-less hearts. Personally, I received so
much of his auspicious association. When we have teeth, we do not understand
their value. Today, if I could meet him again, then, just by getting a touch
of his good association, I would attain even greater good fortune."
Tue, 30 January 2024
May You Live
Clean Life
'It is my prayer to you all that you may spend this day in an auspicious way,
and when the new year comes, may you live your lives in a clean, nice way. I
pray for this to the Lord and Gurudev. The festival in honour of Gurudev's
holy appearance has come, so may all obstacles and hurdles in your life go
away.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (62.9 Mb, 129 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Spiritual
Sustenance: Association and Service Mood
"Wherever there is a Vaishnav, wherever there is connection with a Vaishnav
and great devotees, it will always be good for us. So, we must be always
determined, always intent on good association. It is necessary to have a good
intention to become a good devotee."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 5 min)
Wed, 31 January 2024
Four Biggest Hurdles
'Thousands of Gaudiya devotees have fallen down, going astray. There were
very great gurus who had thousands of disciples, but in the end they
fell down. Why did this happen? Falling down is not death, but, in another
sense, it is similar to death.'
•
Download / listen to the audio (62.9 Mb, 129 min | 31 December 2020 |
Bengali)
—{ Sri Gurupadpadma's Worldwide Address }—
Spiritual Sustenance: Exclusive Mood
"Devotee must be always careful and serious about their service—devotees
always think about Krishna. Any time, all the time think about Krishna. You
must utilise your heart, your, everything for the service to the Lord."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 4 min | 23 August 2020)
The Lord says, 'If somebody only serves Me without asking Me for anything, I
always stay with them. I personally supply food for the surrendered souls,'
but there was once a brahman who did not believe it..