Worshippable Sita Thakurani
"Advaita Acharya's wife, Sri Sita Thakurani, is worshipped by everyone all over the world. I have not read much about her, but we know that when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born, Advaita Prabhu sent her with some gifts to Jagannath Misra's house..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 8 min | 23 August 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

MANGALACHARANAM
'O Bhagavad-Gita, song of the Supreme Lord Himself, You are the bestower of Arjuna's enlightenment. You have been woven into the scripture Mahabharata by the ancient sage Srila Vedavyasa. In eighteen chapters, You are the rain of ever-flowing nectar, non-different from the Lord. O Mother, I meditate upon You; may You graciously enter my heart.'

PREFACE
'Unique in its wide publication and extensive circulation, the Srimad Bhagavad-gita appears in various languages, both in India and other countries, along with the commentaries of former great saints as well as modern scholars...'

INTRODUCTION
'Since Srimad Bhagavad-gita is very familiar to the learned society, an acquaintance of the conceptions of this edition may be given here. The thoughtful reader can note that Sri Gita, by its comparative study, refutes the misconception that the many paths and goals are 'all one'.'

Service Succession
"Will you follow the instruction of the scriptures or will you follow your Gurudev's instruction? That is our question. What is important for you? You will never get the mercy of Krishna without worshipping Radharani..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.9 Mb, 10 min | 23 August 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(1) OBSERVING THE ARMIES
'Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, what happened when my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled for battle at the holy place of Kuruksetra? Sanjaya said: Seeing the Pandavas' soldiers and armies arrayed for battle, King Duryodhana approached Dronacharya and said...'

Remembering Their Lordships Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Madan-mohan jiu at Dum Dum Park, Kolkata:

jayatam suratau pangor mama manda-mater gati
mat-sarvasva-padambhojau radha-madana-mohanau

'All glory to the merciful Sri Sri Radha-Madan Mohan! Though I am lame and wicked, They are my sole shelter, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.'

No More Wasting Time
"Now, all countries are one by one lifting lockdown and we are again getting chance to preach and do sankirtan—we must restart our preaching. As it is, we have already lost almost six months of our spiritual time, we do not want to lose another moment."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(2) THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SOUL
'O son of Kunti, give up this cowardice, for it does not befit you. O great hero, cast off this petty weakness of heart and arise for battle! You are lamenting for that which is unworthy of grief, yet speaking words of wisdom. The wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.'

Guru-Varga's Prasad
"We always tell what Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudev and all the godbrothers of Srila Guru Maharaj told about Srila Guru Maharaj, we always enjoy taking their prasad. That is our happiness. If we hear from our guru-varga and read their lectures, it is good for us."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.5 Mb, 11 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(3) THE PATH OF ACTION
'Selfless duty performed as an offering to the Supreme Lord is called yajna, or sacrifice. O Arjuna, all action performed for any other purpose is the cause of bondage in this world of repeated birth and death. Therefore, remaining unattached to the fruits of action, perform all your duties in the spirit of such sacrifice. (Such selfless action is the way to begin devotional practice, gradually realize the presence of the Lord, and ultimately attain pure devotion transcendental to the modes of material nature).'

Devotion to Devotees
"Some preach that you must become a Krishna-bhakta, but we do not preach like this; we preach that you must be Krishna's devotees' devotee. First become a Vaishnav-das, then a Guru-das, and only after that a Krishna-das. First you must be a servant of Vaishnavs."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.5 Mb, 7 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(4) THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE
'O Arjuna, subduer of the enemy, 'knowledge-sacrifice' is superior to the sacrifice of material objects, because the perfection of all action, including its fruit, has its culmination in knowledge. You will be able to attain knowledge by satisfying the divine master with submission, relevant inquiry, and sincere service. The enlightened souls who are learned in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realization of the Supreme Absolute Truth will impart divine knowledge to you.'

Service Zest
"Now disciples live in the lap of luxury. They blackmail Gurudev saying, "If I do not get this, I will leave the temple!" Such is the service in this world. If your service is conditional, then this is not the proper relationship between the Guru and the disciple. That is why doubts start coming, 'Will I enter that planet?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 5 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(5) THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION
'Know that one who is free from attraction and aversion is truly renounced, though performing action; for one who is free from duality easily attains liberation from bondage. Without selfless action, mere renunciation of action is the cause of sorrow. But the wise man who engages in selfless action swiftly attains to the Absolute.'

Supreme and Inconceivable Glories of Sri Guru
"What are your glories, Gurudev? Your glories are known to all liberated souls—the entire Goloka-mandal sings your glories—but I am a fallen soul, how shall I talk about Gurudev? Gurudev's position is extremely high, talks about him are very high."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(6) THE PATH OF MEDITATION
'O heroic Arjuna, undoubtedly the mind is fickle and extremely difficult to control. However, O son of Kunti, it is possible by practice and detachment. I consider that yoga is difficult to attain for the person of unrestrained mind. But one who strives to restrain the mind by the appropriate practice can succeed in yoga.'

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

Sri Dham Parikrama: Adhivas

'Appeal on Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama'
'Men and women, young and old, come right away! Come to the divine abode of wish-fulfilling jewels, the land of Sri Gauranga's advent! Come and circumambulate it in the company of loving devotees during the most auspicious time of your life, the day of Sri Gauranga's advent.'

Sri Gaura-Dham and Sri Bhaktivinod
'Thakur Bhaktivinod, an exclusive follower of Sri Gauranga and the holy embodiment of Nadia, prayed for the mercy of Sri Gaura-dham, which was all-in-all in his life, with a great hankering. What is that mercy of Sri Gaura-dham? What does it take to reside in Sri Gaura-dham? What sort of humility do the residents of Sri Gaura-dham possess? And by whose mercy does one attain residence in Sri Gaura-dham?'

About Dham Parikrama (Circumambulating a Holy Place)
Many can ask, 'Why is it necessary to travel to so many places? Especially since you can engage in the service of the Lord while living at home, why is it necessary to go anywhere else?'

Chapter One: The Glories of the Dham
"The glories of Nabadwip Mandal are unlimited. Brahma and the other gods do not know them. So, who can describe them? Ananta Sesa is unable to describe them with thousands of mouths. So, how will I, a tiny soul, be able to? By the will of Sri Chaitanya, the devotees have ordered me, and so I describe the glories of Nadia by their mercy."

Chapter Two: The Nature and Dimensions of the Dham
"Nabadwip Dham shines eternally within Gauda Mandal, and is served by Ganga Devi. I do not see anyone in the world during the Age of Kali as unfortunate, pitiable, and fallen as someone who does not serve such a merciful Lord and rejects such an inconceivable abode. Therefore, brother! Give up all other desires and attachments, and devote yourself exclusively to Nabadwip Dham."

Chapter Three: Instructions for Circumambulating the Dham of the Dham
"Devotees, listen! I will now describe everything within the thirty-two miles of Nabadwip. Circumambulation is always done in this way and is a source of unlimited joy for the soul. Those who traverse the one hundred and sixty-eight miles of Sri Gauda Mandal quickly attain the wealth of divine love for Gaura."

Chapter Four: Sri Jiva Hears the Glories of the Dham
"Jiva was young and had a beautiful figure. His extreme detachment was astonishing to see. After walking for many days, always filled with divine love, Jiva arrived in Nabadwip. He came to Barakona Ghat and asked everyone, 'Where is Nityananda Prabhu? Please show me.'"

Knock, Knock! (Ahvana Poem)
"Who is your friend? Your friend has come to your house as a beggar and prays to you, 'Please chant the Name of Krishna! Come with us!' Just like a beggar he comes to you, but you cannot recognise him."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min | 28 February 2012)

"I am touching your feet—please come!"
"Gurudev says, 'I am folding my hands, I am touching your feet—please come at Gaura Purnima!' How many more times will you come to this world? Those who do this Nabadwip Dham parikrama with devotees do no have to wander any longer in these three worlds."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 28 February 2012)

Prime Festival
"Gurudev wrote a very nice poem, you can read it and see how strongly he is writing about Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrima. And Gurudev told me to go door to door, come inside each door and please pull them to come and join Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 2 March 2020)

"I Will Always Be With You"
"I see how much energy you get despite all austerities and difficulties, and I feel very happy—it is on the strength of your energy, on the strength of your love and affection that we are going to start our Nabadwip Dham parikrama from tomorrow."
• Download / listen to the audio (7 Mb, 20 min | 16 March 2019 | Bengali)

Beginning of Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama
Srila Bhakti Kusum Ashram Maharaj's speech in English during the evening class: "We feel we are very insignificant but very fortunate at the same time to be among you all, fortunate souls who are participating in this festival, who are present here on this historic day and at the festival celebrating the campaign of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.6 Mb, 13 min | 16 March 2019)

Parikrama Is Not Sightseeing
"We have come here to serve the Lord, we have not come to see the Lord or the Lord's things—when such mentality comes to you, then it will be the parikrama of the holy abode, then it will be the darshan of the holy abode. The very dust there is not ordinary dust..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 6 min | 16 March 2019 | Bengali)

There Is No Shame In Service
"All happiness and sadness comes and goes like cold and heat. Actually, happiness and sadness is not our line. Gopis ran behind Krishna having left all their shame, fear, everything—then what should we be ashamed of? What should we be afraid of? We must not be cowed down."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 16 March 2019 | Bengali)

Abode of High Thinking
"We have got this place by the mercy of Nrisinghadev, and we take it as our debt, so even if we sleep here on the bare ground, it is still our fortune. This is what we have come for. Gurudev has given us this place, always remember this."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 7 min | 16 March 2019 | Bengali)

Photographs of this day in 2020:

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama Adhivas
(4 March 2020 | 39 photographs, 3.5 Mb)
Photographs taken during the main programmes one the eve of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nrisingha Palli, in the shelter of and under the guidance of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj, as well as many venerable senior Vaishnavs and loving devotees.

Photographs of this day in 2019:

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama Adhivas
(16 March 2019 | 59 photographs, 3.7 Mb)
The Adhivas (eve) of Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama is spent happily with more and more devotees flocking in from various corners of the world securing the glory of the Festival. His Divine Grace lovingly welcomes everyone and gives everyone an opportunity to engage in service of Sri Sri Guru Gaura Nityananda—sravanam, kirtan, smaranam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam, and atma-nivedanam—according to the devotees' fortune, hankering and qualities.

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

At Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan (1)
"As we proceed with our parikrama we do not stop and sit at all places, so why have we come here? Why are we sitting here? Because this is the place where Gaura and Nityananda's first meeting took place. This temple here was established by Pujyapad Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj..."
• Download / listen to the audio (6.8 Mb, 16 min | Bengali)

At Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan (2)
"This place is a very famous and very auspicious place because Gaura and Nityananda Prabhu met here for the first time when Nityananda Prabhu came to Mayapur from Sri Ekachakra Dham. One day, Mahaprabhu told all the devotees, 'Srivas, Chandrasekhara! Look, one great personality has come to the dham! You must find Him and bring Him here!'"
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 8 min | Bengali & English)

At Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan (3)
"I have seen how they do parikrama, how they walk from our Nabadwip temple, and many of you were there too at that time. I had the fortune to see all these great personalities, but they have left this world now leaving this fallen soul here with you all..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 4 min | Bengali)

At Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan (4)
"There is one more thing I have not told you about because when we were crossing the Ganges, everybody had not come yet. The place where we came crossing the Ganges is called Ganganagar..."
• Download / listen to the audio (11.7 Mb, 28 min | Bengali)

At Sri Yogapith (1)
"By the mercy of Sri Gurupadpadma, we are continuing our parikrama of Sri Antardwip in Sri Nabadwip Dham. We have now come to this temple, which is the birthplace of Sri Sachinandan Mahaprabhu."

At Sri Yogapith (2)
"People used to think that the Ganges had taken Mahaprabhu's birthplace away. It is true that the Ganges can take some place, but the Ganges can also return it. I can tell you how this happened..."

At Sri Yogapith (3)
"Every year, when we come here, we read from Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya about Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu and the glory of Nabadwip. Please listen carefully."

At Srivas Angan (1)
"When you worship the Lord, you will be remembering the Lord... Where does the Lord stay? In Srivas Angan. The Lord said, 'I stay every day in Srivas Pandit's house—whenever devotees sing kirtan there, I will be present there.'"

At Srivas Angan (2)
"One time, Chad Kazi broke a mridanga. Fearful of his threats, devotees stopped kirtan at Srivas Pandit's house and were sitting silently. When Mahaprabhu heard that there was no kirtan, He was very angry..."

At Srivas Angan (3)
"One day, Mahaprabhu spoke to Srivas Pandit. 'Srivas, people say all sorts of things... Can you promise Me something?' 'What is it, Prabhu?' 'From tomorrow, you must not go begging again.' 'How is it possible, Prabhu?' Srivas Pandit replied..."

At Sri Chaitanya Math
"We have come to Sri Chaitanya Math, the first temple established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. When he was staying here (in a small bhajan kutir), he vowed to chant the Holy Name continuously during six years, six months and sixteen days..."
• Download / listen to full class (4.9 Mb, 11 min | Bengali)

At Sri Jagannath Mandir
"It is in honour of this auspicious Phalguni Purnima that we are doing this Nabadwip Dham parikrama, and we have today come to this temple of Lord Jagannath, which is non-different from Lord Jagannath's temple..."
• Download / listen to full class (3.5 Mb, 8 min | Bengali)

At Sridhar Angan (1)
"Coming to Sri Sridhar Prabhu's house, His Divine Grace sits down and reads from Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya Mukta-Mala: Continuing our parikrama, we have crossed Sri Antardwip and have entered Sri Simantadwip. Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Jiva Goswami Prabhu came to this village called Simuliya...."
• Download / listen to full class (2 Mb, 5 min | Bengali)

At Sridhar Angan (2)
"The place we have come is situated within Simantadwip. This is the house of Sridhar Prabhu. We have struggled to come here, walking through the jungle, but Mahaprabhu would come here and take rest..."
• Download / listen to full class (7.7 Mb, 12 min | Bengali)

At Sri Rudradwip
"Between Sri Antardwip and Sri Simantadwip (to the north-west), there lies one more enchanting island called Sri Rudradwip. We used to come here every year before, but we have not visited this place for many past years — we did not have that kind of sukrti. This year, we have got the fortune to come here again by the mercy of Sri Gurupadpama."
• Download / listen to full class (5.2 Mb, 11 min | Bengali)

Photographs of this day in 2021:

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day One (23 March 2021 | 126 photographs, 13.3 Mb)
Photographs from the first day of Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama. His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj leads the devotees through Sri Antardwip, Sri Simantadwip and Sri Rudradwip visiting Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan, Puspa-samadhi mandir of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, Sri Yogapith, Srivas Angan, Sri Advaita Bhavan, Sri Gadadhar Pandit Bhavan, Akar Math Sri Chaitanya Math, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad's Samadhi Mandir, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi, Sri Chand Kazi's Samadhi, Sri Jagannath Mandir, Sridhar Angan, and Sri Rudradwip Gaudiya Math.

Photographs of this day in 2020:

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Two
(6 March 2020 | 60 photographs, 6.3 Mb)
Photographs of the second day of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama. His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj takes devotees to Sri Antardwip and Simantadwip: Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri Nandan Acharya Bhavan, Puspa-samadhi mandir of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, Sri Madhai Ghat, Sri Yogapith, Srivas Angan, Sri Advaita Bhavan, Sri Gadadhar Pandit Bhavan, Sri Chaitanya Math, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad's Samadhi Mandir, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi, Sri Kazi Samadhi,Sri Jagannath Mandir, and Sridhar Angan.

Photographs of this day in 2019:

Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Two
(18 March 2019 | 160 photographs, 12.2 Mb)
Sharing photographs of the second day of the Holy Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama led by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and dignitary Vaishnavs through Antradwip and a part of Simantadwip: Srila Madhav Maharaj's Math, Nandan Acharya Bhavan, Puspa-samadhi mandir of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, Madhai Ghat(!), Yogapith, Srivas Angan, Sri Gadadhar Pandit's house, Samadhi-mandir of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri Jagannath Temple, Simantadwip.

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

Chapter Six: Visiting Sri Ganga Nagar, Sri Prthu Kunda, Sri Simantadwip, Sri Visram Sthan, and Other Places
"The next day in the morning, Nityananda Prabhu left the Temple with Srivas and Sri Jiva. Ramadas and other devotees accompanied them, and they chanted the Name of Gaura as they walked."

At Sri Rudradwip
"Between Sri Antardwip and Sri Simantadwip (to the north-west), there lies one more enchanting island called Sri Rudradwip. We used to come here every year before, but we have not visited this place for many past years — we did not have that kind of sukrti. This year, we have got the fortune to come here again by the mercy of Sri Gurupadpama."
• Download / listen to full class (5.2 Mb, 11 min | Bengali)

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 bath in the Ganges, attended kirtans, danced, circumambulated the temple and so on. Then, I asked him whether he would take any anukalpa. He replied, 'Generally, I do not take anything, but if you like, then, of course, I must take 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 Krishna, for the cause of their 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 held responsible by 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 not do that, I should be a separatist, a mayavadi, a renunciationist. I shall render maximum service to Krishna, and I must take without any hesitation whatever is necessary to make myself fit for the service; otherwise, I shall be punishable."

"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)

In honour of Srila Madhavendra Puripad:

Sri Madhavendra Puripad: One of a Kind
"Today is the festival in honour of Srila Madhavendra Puri's disappearance. We have got this opportunity today to hear about his disappearance. There is no one in this world who is as fortunate as Madhavendra Puri."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | Bengali)

Internal and External Struggles
"There must be no attachment; but there must be knowledge of the relationship that everything in this world belongs to Madhava—everything is His property, His wealth. Those who are possessed by envy and jealousy practise a false life, but we pray to the Lord that we can tolerate all unhappiness, all austerities, all suffering."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.8 Mb, 9 min | Bengali)

Defining Disciples' Destiny
"In this external world, we have birth and death, but Vaishnavs are neither born, nor do they die. On account of their devotion and devotional practice, they can exceed the lifetime allotted to them by the Lord: through their devotion, by the blessing and mercy of the Lord they can exceed their allotted lifetime."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 4 min | Bengali)

Srila Madhavendra Puri's Purity
"Srila Madhavendra Puripad said, 'I know Krishna has bestowed His mercy on me because He has given me the association of Nityananda. Wherever Nityananda's association is found, that place is most sacred and completely transcendental.'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | Bengali)

Sri Madhavendra Puripad
"Every year on the second day of the parikrama we celebrate this day—Sri Madhavendra Puripad's disappearance festival. Actually, Srila Madhavendra Puripad is the root of the wish-fulfilling tree of devotion..."
• Download / listen to the audio (4 Mb, 11 min | 2 March 2015)

Loving Search for the Lost Servant
"When will you come to Me? When will you come to serve Me?"—the Lord goes to the extremes waiting for us to come to Him, so why is it that we still cannot come to Him?
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb | 6 October 2010)

Main Guru of Our Line
'Yesterday was the disappearance day of Srila Madhavendra Puripad, the main guru whose line we have joined. We always speak about Srila Madhavendra Puri when we come to Govinda Kunda in Vrindavan. It is of paramount necessity for us to speak about his character.'

Madhavendra Puri Meets Gopal
'When Srila Madhavendra Puri drank that milk, he became overwhelmed with divine love for the Lord. Gradually, he regained his senses and wondered, "The boy must have forgotten to come for the pot, but where do I find Him?"'

Answering the Call
'You go for the parikrama, and I take care of all your needs and facilities, but you cannot follow one simple order. What is called Gurudev's sadhu-sanga? Gurudev's and sadhus' order is to do service. This is what is called sadhu-sanga.'

Madhavendra Puri's Pastimes in Odisha
'When Madhavendra Puri came to Odisha to collect Malaya sandalwood for the Lord, he first went to Lord Gopinath"s temple to offer his obeisance. Seeing that the Lord was offered sweet rice, he thought, "If I could try it, I would be able to make this sweet rice for my Gopal." But then he thought, "No, I am just greedy for food!" He quickly left the temple and quietly sat outside.'

Be Unwandering and Unwavering
'Our home is there. The place that you think is your home here is not your home: we always take what is not true to be true. This place here is not your home! You have lost your address. Your address is where the Lord is. This is where we must go. What for do we struggle and work so hard now?'

Build Good Habits
'When we were young, we acquired so many bad habits, that is why we have many bad habits now: we cannot chant kirtan, we cannot talk about the Lord, we feel sleepy most of the time. Why do we get sleepy? Because you have not waken up! You do not do service all the time...'

Srila Madhavendra Puripad: The Sprout of Love Divine
From Affectionate Guidance: "Today is a most auspicious day—the holy Disappearance Day of Srila Madhavendra Puripad. The sprout of divine love for Krishna (Krishna-premankur) appeared in this world in the form of Srila Madhavendra Puri. Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu glorified Srila Madhavendra Puri so much. Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu were disciples of Srila Madhavendra Puri..."

• 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?"

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

Chapter Eleven: Sri Sri Koladwip, Sri Samudragad, Sri Champa Hatta
"Who can describe the glories of this place? It is not a holy place that is now simply a dry river. All souls who give up their life in the water, on the earth, or in the air here attain Sri Goloka Vrindavan."

At Sri Buroraj Siva's Temple
"Please listen to the glories of this holy place. This island is famous as Kuliya Hill because it is situated on a mountain-like elevation on the bank of the Ganges. Scriptures describe this Kuliya Town as Koladwip. Many things took place on this island..."
• Download / listen to audio (4.5 Mb, 10 min | Bengali)

At Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi (1)
"It is written in Puranas that holy places can purify you, but it will cheat you out of devotion. You will not get devotion by putting water on your heads. Devotion comes from the dust from the holy feet of Vaishnavs."
• Download / listen to audio (3.1 Mb, 7 min | Bengali)

At Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi (2)
"When the scriptures and saints say something, it is necessary to believe it without any hesitation. Whom did Srimati Radharani choose, Her family or Shyama (the Lord)? She chose the Lord. You must think whom you will choose, your family or the Lord. You must choose Krishna and give up everything else."
• Download / listen to full class (3.8 Mb, 8 min | Bengali)

At Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi (3)
"If you look at our guru-parampara photographs, you will see that the last photograph is that of Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj (we give 'jay' to him every day). Please listen to the description of his life. We must glorify Vaishnavs—the more we glorify them, the purer our hearts will be."
• Download / listen to full class (1.5 Mb, 4 min | Bengali)

At Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj's Samadhi (4)
"Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj is a very famous personality. He came to Nabadwip from Vrindavan, and he lived his spiritual life in a very strict way—he practised Krishna consciousness properly."
• Download / listen to audio (2.9 Mb, 6 min | Bengali)

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

At Sri Suvarna Bihar
"In Satya-yuga, there lived a king named Sri Suvarna Sen in this place. He had so much deep material attachment that he was always busy with the affairs of his kingdom, and he did not stop even when he became old. Although a materialistic king, Suvarna Sen had some good habit...."
• Download / listen to audio (4.9 Mb, 11 min | Bengali)

At Sri Surabhi Kunja
"Continuing our parikrama, we have now come to Sri Surabhi Kunja in Godrumdwip. At this place, having received by the mercy of Surabhi Cow an order to engage in the worship of Gaura, Markandeya Muni took shelter in pure devotion. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur built this Surabhi Kunja house in 1888, and it was from here that he started Sri Nama-hatta...."
• Download / listen to audio (8.9 Mb, 19 min | Bengali)

At Sri Svananda Sukhada Kunja (1)
"In Vrindavan, on the bank of Sri Radha Kunda, there is Srila Prabhupad's bhajan-kutir, it is also called Svananda Sukhada Kunja. We have come here by a great fortune. This is Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's samadhi mandir and bhajan-kutir."
• Download / listen to audio (3.4 Mb, 7 min | Bengali)

At Sri Svananda Sukhada Kunja (2)
"Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's writing is very beautiful. If you read his Jaiva Dharma and various songs, you can understand it. There are many external descriptions of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's life and work, but he is not that."
• Download / listen to audio (9.2 Mb, 19 min | Bengali)

At Sri Hari-Hara Ksetra
"We have come here, Sri Hari-Hara Ksetra, as a result of a great fortune. Hari-Hara means the Lord united with Lord Siva. You have seen the Deity here: one side is black and the other side is white. I will tell you why it is like this."
• Download / listen to audio (8.3 Mb, 18 min | Bengali)

"jaya navadvipa-dhama sarva-dhama-sara
jaya navadvipa-basi gaura-paribara
navadvipa sama dhama nahi tri-bhuvane"

'Glory to Nabadwip Dham, the quintessence of all abodes! Glory to the residents of Nabadwip and all holy family of Gaura! There is no other abode in the whole three worlds that could compare to Nabadwip Dham!'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

(You can also download or read online Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, published earlier from our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

At Sri Samudragad
"In ancient times, a king called Raja Samudrasen lived in this place, and this is how the place got its name. It is our greatest fortune that we are doing this parikrama today in the association of all the devotees and that we have got an opportunity to hear the glories of Sri Nabadwip Dham. If you keep faith in the devotees of the Lord, the Lord will certainly bestow His mercy on you."
• Download / listen to audio (7.3 Mb, 16 min | Bengali)

At Sri Champahati
"The place here we have come to is called Champahati. There was a champaka flower garden here, and Srimati Radharani would come here every day and collect flowers for Lord Govinda. This temple of Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhar was later established by Sri Dvija Vaninath Prabhu, an associate of Mahaprabhu."
• Download / listen to audio (14.5 Mb, 31 min | Bengali)

At Sri Vidyanagar (1)
"You are struggling so much, walking all the way, but if your mind is not fixed on the holy place, then what benefit will you get? You come empty and then will go back empty too. When there is sadhu-sanga going on, you must listen to it."
• Download / listen to audio (6.4 Mb, 14 min | Bengali)

At Sri Vidyanagar (2)
"Many people think that Mahaprabhu learned knowledge (vidya) in Vidyanagar. This is not so. Mahaprabhu never studied in Vidyanagar. He studied in Ganganagar. Vidyanagar is the place where all branches of knowledge appeared in this world."
• Download / listen to audio (10.5 Mb, 9 min | Bengali)

At Sri Sarvabhauma Gaudiya Math
"Continuing our parikrama, we have come to Sri Sarvabhauma Gaudiya, which is the house and the birthplace of Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. In Kali-yuga, Brihaspati, the guru of all demigods, comes to this world as Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya..."
• Download / listen to audio (15.8 Mb, 34 min | Bengali)

At Sri Mamgachi (1)
"Passing Sri Jahnudwip on our way, we have now come to the birthplace of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur in Sri Modadrumdwip. Every year, we complete our parikrama here. We did not stop in Jahan Nagar this time because it is very hot, so I will speak about Jahnudwip here."
• Download / listen to audio (3.6 Mb, 8 min | Bengali)

At Sri Mamgachi (2)
"After Sri Jahnudwip, we came to Sri Modadrumdwip (Mamgachi). So, we should speak also about the glories of this island. This island is non-different from Ayodhya. When Lord Rama lived in the forest together with Laksman and Sita Devi, they came here and, constructing a small cottage under a banyan tree, lived here for some time."
• Download / listen to audio (2.6 Mb, 6 min | Bengali)

At Sri Mamgachi (3)
"At the temple of Saranga Murari, there lived a brahman and a great devotee called Saranga Thakur who served Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Deities. He served the Deities for a long time and eventually grew very old..."
• Download / listen to audio (5.5 Mb, 12 min | Bengali & Kirtan)

At Sri Mamgachi (4)
"We have come to the temple (sripat) of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur, who composed Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami said that Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur is the Vyasa of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes."
• Download / listen to audio (3.8 Mb, 8 min | Bengali)

Sri Gaura Purnima Maha-mahotsav. Hari-katha spoken by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj on the divine appearance day of Lord Gaurasundar:

YEAR 2015

Sri Gaura Purnima Programmes
◊ Morning (kirtans, Bengali)
Kirtans: Vandana • Samsara davanala • Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu jive daya kari' (Tilak Krishna Prabhu) • Bhaja re bhajare amar (Rama Krishna Prabhu of Uluberia) • Thakura Vaishnava gana • Nitai guna mani • Emona durmati samsara bhitare • Gaya Gora madhur svare.
Class: The glory of Hari Nam sankirtan and rarity of this life (not to waste time) • "I pray at your feet: think about Gauranga, think about Gaurahari, and think about the festival of Gaurahari" • Magnanimity of Mahaprabhu.
• Download (24 Mb, 68 min)

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

The Gift of Guru
"If Gurudev had not come, who would have been able to tell us about the glories of Gauranga?"
• Download / listen to the audio (0.5 Mb, 2 min)

Stay On Board
The key how not to find yourself thrown off the board: take in the Captain's instructions and stay on board without discriminating against the members of the family.
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min)

YEAR 2017

Division Is Wrong Vision
"'He is my disciple,' 'He is not my disciple, I will not give class to him,' 'You must not go to his class because you are my disciple'—these kinds of things are not good at all for our spiritual life. We must realise what Gurudev's conception is and follow that."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 6 min)

Understanding Mercy
"Mahaprabhu said, 'Be humbler than a blade of grass,' but He was also angry with Madhai, and Nityananda Prabhu gave mercy to him, but at another time Nityananda Prabhu kicked Sivananda Sen's head. Chastising does not mean that Gurudev does not like you."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

Service Pastimes
"I know Gurudev is giving me strength, this is how I am doing it. Also, all the devotees have love and affection for me, so many letters are coming from them—my health is not strong, but due to this mentally I am becoming very strong."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min)

Protecting Purity of Conception
"Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupad gave us some conception, some message, but maya always attacks us. If you listen to your Guru properly, if you serve your Guru properly, then you can easily understand everything. That is good for you."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 10 min | Incl. kirtan)

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Family Reunion
"Devotees came for the parikrama from so many different countries, from every village and every corner this year, and we are very happy with that. We want to show that we are together, that we are not breaking our unity."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.4 Mb, 12 min)

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)

YEAR 2018

Sri Gaura Purnima Festival: Miraculous and Marvellous
"I believe that wherever I go, devotees will always stay with me. If I can make my Gurudev happy, that is sufficient for me. If, by the mercy of Guru, Vaishnavs, by the mercy of devotees, I die serving devotees—if I can give even one drop of blood for the devotees—that is my happiness."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.5 Mb, 14 min | Bengali and English)

YEAR 2019

My Hope
"When all the devotees are with us, when all the devotees' mercy is with us, we have nothing to worry about. I promise to all of you that as long as I am alive I will not run away. We hope that by Srila Gurudev's mercy, this problem will be solved soon and it will be overcome."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min)

Birds of Feather Flock Together
"You can see also now that all those who are Gurudev's enemies—who were rejected by Gurudev, who Gurudev got pain from, all those who were ousted have now come together. It is their karma and they will get the result for that."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

YEAR 2020

Remembering Devotees (part 1)
'There are devotees who always do service, but their names do not come to my mind, and I feel very shy because of that. What can I do? I am very busy with so many things. Gurudev has given me many responsibilities, that is why I can forget something, but you are all in my heart. Always remember this. I have not forgotten any of you.'

Remembering Devotees (part 2)
'There are devotees who always do service, but their names do not come to my mind, and I feel very shy because of that. What can I do? I am very busy with so many things. Gurudev has given me many responsibilities, that is why I can forget something, but you are all in my heart. Always remember this. I have not forgotten any of you.'

YEAR 2021

Sri Gaura Purnima Address (1)
"Actually, there is something I want to tell you all. You think you are taking care of your family, but I am also your family member—you must come here and take care of the temples. Keep connection with your Guru. I want your mercy, I want your assistance."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min)

Sri Gaura Purnima Address (2)
"You have taken initiation, and you must now take care of the devotional seed properly. When you take initiation from your Guru, you enter a relationship with him, and you must maintain that relationship; otherwise all relationship will be gone."
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 7 min)

Hari-katha spoken by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj on this day:

YEAR 2012

Come to your home
"You have to be chaste, have to be clear. Take Gurudev's boat, and one day that boat will take you to Vrindavan. You have to believe that."

Remember Where You Belong To
"You must promise me now that if you go back to your home, you will serve the Guru, Vaishnavs, Bhagavan, that you will practise properly. Do not go back to the mundane world, do not go back to the attachment with the family life."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.8 Mb, 3 min)

YEAR 2013

Setting on the Right Track (1)
Lecture delivered at Sri Jagannath Mishra's Anandotsav in 2013: "We can realise it ourselves: how much can we proceed in our spiritual life and why did we come to Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math? Again and again we do Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, but how much can we use ourselves for the service to the Guru, Vaishnavs, and Bhagavan?"
• Download / listen to the audio (6.1 Mb, 20 min | 28 March 2013)

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

YEAR 2017

Jagannath Misra's Festival: Serving and Honouring Devotees (1)
"We are very happy today because we are going to celebrate the festival of Jagannath Misra's ananda-mahotsav. Today we are also making a special festival for our best friend Sripad Yudhamanyu Prabhu Seva Vikram..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 8 min | 13 March 2017)

Jagannath Misra's Festival: Serving and Honouring Devotees (2)
"We are going to celebrate, but this celebration is not for our own happiness, it is for the happiness of the devotees, for the happiness of the Vaishnav Thakur. This is the main thing."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 7 min)

Mahaprabhu's Pastimes with Jagadananda Pandit
"When Sriman Mahaprabhu took sannyas, He followed all rules and regulations very strictly, but you have heard that Jagadananda Pandit always wanted to control Him..."
• Download / listen to the audio (6.3 Mb, 19 min | Incl. kirtan)

YEAR 2018

Great Fortune
"I think you are not ordinary souls. In this world there are millions of millions of people, there are so many big wealthy people, so many people who have a very big position in the country, but none of them are as fortunate as you are."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 7 min | 3 March 2018)

Modern Milieu
"All over the world almost everybody runs behind money, runs behind property, gold, wealth. How many fortunate people are there who come to pure Krishna consciousness? The whole world is covered by the illusory environment, Kali Maharaj."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 3 March 2018)

"I Pray You Can Come"
"I am very glad that you come every year, and that every year you make the effort thinking, 'How can I come for the parikrama every year?' You are all in my heart, there is no doubt about it because we all come from the same family."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 3 March 2018)

YEAR 2020

Run from Maya, not from Home
'Guru Maharaj often said that foreign devotees have one advantage: they do not have so much attachment to their family, but Bengali devotees are very attached to their families. People do not have faith that the Lord will protect everything....'

Challenging Choice
'If you make a step towards Maya, she will catch you by your legs and pull you away to the prison-house. But if you make a step towards the Lord, the Lord will take you to the path of devotion and bring you to His own abode. Now you can choose – will you go towards Maya or towards the Lord?'

Always Keep in Touch
'Do not cheat me! I have entered into some relationship with you. You have done this parikrama for several days, and we have formed some relationship, so please keep in touch – phone me, write me letters or emails, try to find out how I am – so that this relationship does not break.'

Grand Assembly
'Today is anandotsav (joyous festival) of Sri Jagannath Misra, and Gurudev always made a Visva-Vaishnav Raja-Sobha ('Royal Assembly of Worldwide Vaishnavs') on this day. It is the day when Vaishnavs from all over the world assemble together...'

What Is Your Greatest Joy?
'We must always think about it: what is our greatest happiness? I feel very sad because somebody left yesterday saying that his daughter-in-law was going to deliver a baby. Because his daughter-in-law had to give birth to the baby yesterday, he ran back home.'

Messengers of Highest Giver
'On this day, it is not only Jagannath Misra and Mother Sachi who rejoice. Yesterday was a happy day for all gods and goddesses, for the whole world, and today is a joyful festival, but seeing that everyone is rushing to leave and jump back into their material life, I feet very sad.'

Entering Transcendental Plane
"You cannot worship the Lord with a mundane body. Only an eternal, transcendental body can worship or serve the Lord. If you serve the Lord thinking that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you give your everything for the service to Krishna, then your body becomes transcendental."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 4 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(7) KNOWLEDGE AND REALIZATION OF THE SUPREME
'Four kinds of persons have the fortune to worship Me: the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of happiness, and the self-realized. Of these four types of devotees, best is the self-realized person who is My pure devotee, and whose consciousness is fully absorbed in Me. For I, Syamasundara, am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.'

Purposeful Preaching
"Preaching is necessary. When you preach, you get pleasure, you get everything. I have told you that when I tell something, I myself get energy—devotees listen to it and I am also listening to it and I myself become purified..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 7 min | 6 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(8) THE MERCIFUL ABSOLUTE
'One who thinks of Me at the time of death attains to My nature on departing this world. Of this there is no doubt. O son of Kunti, one who has always thought of a particular object will remember it and attain to it after leaving the body. Therefore always remembering Me, fight, as it is your natural duty. Thus dedicating your mind and intelligence to Me, you will reach Me. Of this there is no doubt.'

Devotees' Core Principle
"All Gaudiya Vaishnavs follow ekadasi tithi, and it is good for you also to follow it because even Sriman Mahaprabhu Himself told to do so. If we want to follow Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we must follow His instruction."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 7 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(9) THE HIDDEN TREASURE OF DEVOTION
'Know this to be the king of secrets, the king of knowledge, supreme, pure and imperishable. It is known by direct realization (by one eager to serve Me), it is the perfection of religion, and very easy to practise. Always think of Me, be My devotee, always worship Me and offer obeisances to Me. Thus offering yourself to Me and taking refuge in Me, you will come to Me.'

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(10) THE DIVINE GLORIES OF THE LORD
'I am Krishna, the Sweet Absolute, the origin of all. The entire universe of material and transcendental play, activity, purpose, and the Vedas and allied scriptures which give guidance—all evolve from Me alone. Realizing this hidden treasure, persons of fine theistic intelligence surpass the mundane and embrace the path of love divine, raga-marga, and adore Me forever.'

In honour of Sripat Hapaniya Dham:

Sri-gaura-mandala majhe | শ্রীগুর্ব্বাবির্ভাব প্রশস্তি
"In Sri Gaura Mandal, there is a village called Hapaniya where my Lord, an abode of all good qualities, appeared. It stands on the bank of the Ganga, who is very merciful to the fallen souls; renowned in the whole world, this abode is a holy repository of knowledge and jewels of logic."

Sripat Hapaniya Dham: parikrama kirtan
Recording of the kirtan during the parikrama of Sripat Hapaniya Dham Temple, led by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.
• Download / listen to the audio (4.7 Mb, 14 min | 6 March 2018)

Sripat Hapaniya Dham: kirtans
• Sri guru charana • Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu daya koro • Ohe Vaishnava Thakura dayara sagara • Nitai pada kamala • Emona Durmati • Gopinath (song 1) • Jaya Guru Maharaj • Sujanarvuda-radhita • Sri Gaura Mandala majhe • Jaya Radha Madhava.
• Download / listen to the audio (20.2 Mb, 59 min | 6 March 2018)

Kirtan at Sripat Hapaniya Dham
• Ki rupe paiba seva • Gopinath, mama nivedana suna.
• Download / listen to the audio (6.1 Mb, 15 min | 2 April 2021 | Bengali)

Sripat Hapaniya Dham: Highest Place
"Today is the pancham dol and it also the appearance day of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinathjiu. This is a highest place and we must give respect to this place, Sripat Hapaniya Dham."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.3 Mb, 10 min | 17 March 2017)

Sripat Hapaniya Dham
"We come here to pay obeisance to Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj because he is not an ordinary person. We come and pray to his family, we pay obeisance to them and beg them for mercy. That is why we come here."
• Download / listen to the audio (6.4 Mb, 19 min | 28 March 2016)

A Day at Hapaniya [From Affectionate Guidance]
"Today we have very happily come to Sripat Hapaniya Dham. Our destination is Goloka, even if we may not know where Goloka is. However, we must know that the abode of Goloka has personally become manifest in this world as the abode of the Divine Master, the residence of the devotees and the Temple where the Deities are worshipped."

Remembering Srila Guru Maharaj (1)
"As each year, we have come today to the holy appearance place of Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj in Sri Hapaniya Dham, and our Gurudev made this beautiful Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram in this place..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 2 April 2021)

Remembering Srila Guru Maharaj (2)
"From his childhood, Srila Sridhar Maharaj had a renounced mentality. He would wake up early in the morning and go to take bath in the Ganges (you know how far the Ganges is from here, but he would walk all the way there every day)..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 5 min | 2 April 2021)

Remembering Srila Guru Maharaj (3)
"Srila Sridhar Maharaj was a great speaker—nobody could defeat him in Hari-katha. Many great scholars and knowledge-seekers came to his lotus feet from all over India and also abroad..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 5 min | 2 April 2021)

Remembering Srila Guru Maharaj (4)
"Srila Sridhar Maharaj had a very profound vision—he could see the future. He also had a strong common sense. When Srila Sridhar Maharaj purchased the land of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in 1941, and he knew that this temple would grow very big."
• Download / listen to the audio (7 Mb, 17 min | 2 April 2021)

Sri Hapaniya Dham
(10 March 2015 | 3 Mb)
Headed by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and the august Vaishnavs, devotees visit Sri Hapaniya Dham on the holy installation day of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath Jiu.

Sri Dham Nabadwip and Hapaniya: Last Festival
(24-28 March 2016 | 34 photographs, 3.1 Mb)
Sri Gaura Purnima festival has finished and the devotees, overflowing with gratitude and appreciation for the festival, return to their homes and householder practice taking the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj in their hearts. Today is Sri Panchami Dol and the Deity installation at Sri Hapaniya Dham, the worshippable birthplace of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. His Divine Grace takes the devotees to Sri Hapaniya Dham to participate in the festival and we are sharing some photographs taken earlier during Sri Jagannath Mishra anadotsav and today at Sri Hapaniya Dham.

Festival at Sripat Hapaniya Dham
(17 March 2017 | 40 photographs, 2.6 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is taking devotees to Sripat Hapaniya Dham, the holy birthplace of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, to honour the installation anniversary day of Sri Sri Guru Radha Gopinath Deities.

Festival at Sripat Hapaniya Dham
(26 photographs, 1.5 Mb | 6 March 2018)
Sharing photographs from the annual festival in honour of the installation anniversary of Sripat Hapaniya Dham Deities, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath.

Festival at Sripat Hapaniya Dham
(25 March 2019 | 47 photographs, 2.8 Mb)
The final day of the grand annual festival at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math concludes at Sripat Hapaniya Dham, the birthplace of Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj takes devotees to Sripat Hapaniya Dham to honour the installation day of the presiding Deities at the temple.

Annual Maha-Mahotsav at Sripat Hapaniya Dham
(14 March 2020 | 44 photographs, 4 Mb)
Supremely fortunate devotees come to Sripat Hapaniya Dham, the holy birth place of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and observe the annual vigraha-pratistha festival in the shelter of the holy lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kusum Ashram Maharaj and other senior Vaishnavs.

Festival at Sri Hapaniya Dham
(2 April 2021 | 20 photographs, 1.4 Mb)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj comes to Sripat Hapaniya Dham together with his associates to attend the annual festival commemorating the Deities' Installation at the supremely holy appearance place of Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Due to the pandemic situation, the festival manifests in a quieter and a little more reserved form without the overwhelming crowds usual for this festival.

Sustaining Mahaprabhu's Line
"Mahaprabhu's line was maintained by Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Acharya Srinivas, Sri Shyamananda Prabhu. After them, so much darkness came down upon the sky of Gaura-desh. The preaching movement again emerged through Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(11) THE VISION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM
'To grant you My special favour I have today revealed this effulgent, universal, infinite and primeval form, by My divine potency. This supreme universal form has never been seen by anyone before. O Arjuna, most valiant of the Kauravas, no one in this human plane can see this form of Mine that you have seen, neither by study of the Vedas, nor Vedic sacrifices, nor charity, nor rituals, nor severe austerity.'

"I Am Proud, I Am Astonished, and I Am Grateful"
"Wherever I may be, I come back to Kolkata on Sunday just to get your good association. I see your smiling faces and I know that your love and affection has no alloy—your love and affection is not cheating, it is actual love and affection."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(12) THE PATH OF DEVOTION
'Those who offer all their actions to Me, take refuge in Me, their hearts absorbed in thought of Me in pure devotion and who thus worship and adore Me—O Partha, I swiftly deliver such dedicated souls from the deathly ocean of material suffering.'

Ekadasi Struggle?
"You think that you will break ekadasi, that you will do what you like in your life, but you do not think that after that austerity will come—you have no idea what hell is like, what kind of austerity you will get there. What austerity is there in following ekadasi?"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(13) DISTINCTION BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT
'Arjuna said: O Kesava, I would like to know about material nature, the person, the field, the knower of the field, knowledge and the object of knowledge.'

In honour of Srila Srivas Pandit:

Srivas Angan [From Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-Mukta-Mala, page 102] [75 Mb]
An extensive chapter about the numerous pastimes that took place at the holy residence of Sri Srivas Pandit in Sri Dham Mayapur.

Srivas Pandit's Devotion
"Srivas Pandit: 'You can get a son, a daughter, a father, a mother in every birth, but you will not get the Lord in every birth. This life is very important, you can get the Lord in this life, then why should I misuse it? Why should I not use this opportunity?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 19 July 2013)

Malini Devi and Vishvarup
"The name Srivas Pandit's wife is Malini Devi. You know, one time Malini chastised Srivas Pandit. Once, Vishvarup Prabhu, Nimai's elder brother, came to their house to ask Srivas Pandit for help..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 29 July 2012)

Why Can We Not Get It?
"At Srivas Pandit's house there was a maidservant Duhkhi—she got Mahaprabhu's mercy. There was a Muslim tailor near Srivas Pandit's house—he too got Mahaprabhu's mercy. A great sinner Chand Kazi broke a mridanga, but even he got Mahaprabhu's mercy. Why can we not get it?"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 4 min | 20 May 2017 | Bengali)

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."

Redundant Rituals
"Those who do not follow Krishna consciousness, who are not devotees, can do follow as many Hindu rituals and rules as they like, but we do not do it. We know that we are jiva souls—we are eternal servants of the Lord, and we always remember that."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 4 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(14) THE THREE DIVISIONS OF MATERIAL NATURE
'O Lord, what are the symptoms of a person transcendental to these three modes of material nature? How does he behave, and how does he transcend the modes?'

Primary and Paramount Necessity
"Teach Srimad Bhagavad-gita everywhere, it will be good. Most people cannot understand Srimad Bhagavatam or Chaitanya-charitamrita, it is very difficult for them, but everybody knows Srimad Bhagavad-gita, so everybody can easily understand its message."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min | 13 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(15) THE SUPREME PERSON
'I am situated (as the Supersoul) within the heart of all souls, and from Me arises the soul's remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness (according to his actions). I alone am the Sweet Absolute to be known through all the Vedas. I am the revealer of the Vedanta—Vedavyasa, and I am the knower of the Vedas.'

Continuing Service Movement
"We can practise Vaishnav-sanga, sadhu-sanga from anywhere. We must always remember Krishna, chant the Holy Name, practise and do our service from wherever we are. We must continue our service movement."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 5 min | 20 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(16) THE GODLY AND UNGODLY NATURES
'The godly qualities have been described as the cause of liberation, and the ungodly qualities have been described as the cause of bondage. In this world the living beings are of two natures—the godly and the ungodly. I have elaborately described the godly nature to you, so now hear from Me about the ungodly.'

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 bath in the Ganges, attended kirtans, danced, circumambulated the temple and so on. Then, I asked him whether he would take any anukalpa. He replied, 'Generally, I do not take anything, but if you like, then, of course, I must take 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 Krishna, for the cause of their 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 held responsible by 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 not do that, I should be a separatist, a mayavadi, a renunciationist. I shall render maximum service to Krishna, and I must take without any hesitation whatever is necessary to make myself fit for the service; otherwise, I shall be punishable."

"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)

Keep Your Guru In Your Heart
"Our hearts are always full of kanak, kamini, pratistha—we always think about our own enjoyment, we always think about our own safety. It is necessary to have the strongest faith. You must keep some place in your heart for your Guru."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 5 min | 20 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(17) THE THREE TYPES OF FAITH
'O Krishna, what is the position of those who worship with faith, but ignore the injunctions of the scriptures? Is their faith in the mode of goodness, passion, or ignorance?'

In honour of Sriman Mahaprabhu's auspicious arrival (vijay-mahotsav) at Varaha Nagar (from Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Sri Sajjan Tosani, Vol 9, Issue 12):

'To the north of the great city of Kolkata, there is a renowned village called Varaha-nagar. Four hundred years ago [as of 1898], there lived a fortunate learned brahman by the name of Raghunath. From his childhood, he received good association, as the result of which he developed faith in the scripture Srimad Bhagavatam. When he studied literature, grammar and other subjects, he tried his best to attain devotion to Krishna, following the advice "sa vidya tan-matir yaya" ("education is meant to awaken one's consciousness about the Lord"; Srimad Bhavagatam). A jiva soul attains taste for Srimad Bhagavatam as the result of great fortune. Srimad Bhagavatam is the crest-jewel among all scriptures that exist in the world. It is said in its second verse of the first canto that Bhagavatam contains the highest religion completely devoid of any deceit – the religion that is attainable by the sadhus who have no envy. The genuine substance that destroys the three-fold miseries and bestows the highest auspiciousness can be found in this Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam was created by the great sage Sri Narayan. If there is Srimad Bhagavatam in the world, what is the need for any other scripture? The Supreme Lord willingly becomes confined within the hearts of those who want to hear this Srimad Bhagavatam.

'This greatly fortunate brahman who resided in Varaha-nagar started studying Srimad Bhagavatam at a very young age (when he was a teenager). There is no doubt that he studied Bhagavatam from pure devotees because the Lord of our beings, Praneswar Gaurachandra, was extremely pleased with his explanation of Bhagavatam and thereafter named him Sri Bhagavata Acharya. It is easy to understand the quality of the scholar whom Mahaprabhu would give such a position by calling them Bhagavata Acharya. When Mahaprabhu was present in His Nabadwip pastimes, there was a renowned professor in Vidyanagar who was expert in all knowledge. His name was Devananda Pandit, and he was famous as an acharya of Srimad Bhagavatam. Everyone in Nabadwip would come to Vidyanagar to hear his lectures on Bhagavatam. Devananda Pandit was famously called an acharya (great teacher) of commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam even before Sriman Mahaprabhu's birth. Being a teacher Himself and a preacher of devotion, Mahaprabhu was extremely unhappy when He heard Devananda's lectures and nondevotional interpretations. A long time later, Devananda was converted to the pure devotional line by the mercy of Sri Vakreshwar Pandit. Learning later about the genuine meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam, he pleased my Mahaprabhu with his commentary on Bhagavatam.

Mahaprabhu, who would find faults with Nabadwip scholars' interpretation of Bhagavatam and taught the proper meaning of Bhagavatam to various scholars who came from other places – that Mahaprabhu bestowed upon Raghunath the title Bhagavata Acharya after hearing his explanation of Bhagavatam. Based on that, it can be concluded that according to the conception "vidya bhagavatavadhi" ("Bhagavatam is the utmost limit of knowledge"), there was no spiitual scholar at that time who could compare with Bhagavata Acharya.

'In Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata (3.5.109–121), Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur wrote about how Sri Bhagavata Acharya received Mahaprabhu's boundless mercy:

'"So, Sri Gauranga Hari spent several days in Panihati, bestowing His mercy on the entire village. After that, the Lord came to the house of an extremely fortune brahman in Varaha-nagar. The brahman was highly learned in Srimad Bhagavatam, so upon seeing the Lord, he began to recite the holy scripture. Hearing his recitation filled with devotion to the Lord (bhakti-yoga), Lord Gaurachandra Narayan became overwhelmed. Sri Gauranga Ray kept saying, 'Speak on! Speak on!' Overwhelmed, He always shouted and roared for joy, hearing the brahman's recital. Immersed in great happiness, the brahman read on, and the Lord danced, losing all external consciousness. As the Lord heard verses glorifying devotion, He kept fainting and falling on the ground again and again. This is how the Lord manifests divine love. The sight of Him fainting frightened everyone. The Lord, an ocean of qualities, continued listening to Bhagavatam and danced in this way for nine hours through the night. Eventually, He regained external consciousness and embraced the brahman with satisfaction. The Lord said, 'I have never heard such recitation of Bhagavatam from anyone's mouth! From now on, your name will be Bhagavat Acharya ("the teacher of Bhagavatam"). You have no duty other than this.' Hearing the Lord's befitting title for the brahman, everyone loudly chanted, 'Hari! Hari!'"

'After bestowing His mercy onto Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatan in the village of Ramkeli, Sri Mahaprabhu came to Sripat Santipur on the bank of the Ganges and spent there a few days. At that time, Sachi Devi came there, too; she cooked and fed the Lord during those few days. The twelfth day of the bright fortnight (sukla-dvadasi) in the month of Phalgun is the day when Sri Madhavendra Puri is worshipped. After the great festival arranged on that day, the Lord went to Srivas Pandit's house in Kumarhatta and spent there a few days. After that, He spent a few days Sri Raghav Pandit's house in Panihati and then arrived at Sri Varaha-nagar during the dark lunar fortnight (krsna-paksa) in the month of Phalgun. There, together with Sri Nityananda Prabhu and a few other devotees, the Lord stayed at the house of the great devotee Sri Bhagavata Acharya before travelling to Nilachal (Sri Puri Dham)....

'If we consider the associates of Krishna and Gaura, it is discerned that Sri Radhika's sakhi Shyama Manjari is Sri Bhagavat Acharya in the pastimes of Gaura. In the pastimes of Krishna, Shyama Manjari would sing about Krishna (i.e. the pastimes of Shyama) for Sri Radha-Krishna. Becoming Sri Bhagavat Acharya in Gaura's pastimes, he recited Srimad Bhagavatam for Gauranga, fulfilling his service. Sri Radha had bestowed this service upon him in Krishna's pastimes. In Gaura's pastimes, Sri Gadadhar Pandit Goswami took him as part of his own branch and bestowed upon him a suitable service to Sri Gauranga. The speciality of his service was such that when Sri Gauranga came with His associates to his kunja, he began to perform his eternal service of reciting Srimad Bhagavatam instead of serving the Lord by offering Him water (to wash His feet) and other paraphernalia. Sakhis' duty is the service given to them by Sri Radha – this principle was demonstrated in this pastime.'

'O brothers, residents of the great city of Kolkata! You are fortunate. You are living in a place that can be considered part of the Varaha-nagar village. Wherever Gaura performed His pastimes, all those places are none other than Sri Vrindavan. The seva-bhumi (land of service) of Sri Gauranga's greatest intimate associate Bhagavata Acharya is a highly adorable place. Make your hearts firm and come in touch with the darshan of this Varaha-nagar. O devotees residing in Kolkata! When will we all together become immersed in Krishna-kirtan at the transcendental kunja of Shyama Manjari? Our misfortune is that we leave aside this heaven and roam in search of heaven all over the country and abroad. Why do we forget the words of Sri Narottam Das Thakur Mahasay? He wrote:

'"Those who know this Gaura Mandal as a transcendental wish-fulfilling gem reside in Vrajapur."

'O brothers! The meaning of these words is oceanic! Please consider it attentively. Whether it is manifest or unmanifest, Vrajapuri is a holy abode of eternal pastimes. When Krishna became Gauranga, He came with His own abode, bringing it to Gaura-desh. Sachinandan Krishna performed His pastimes together with devotees in various places according to the devotees' internal divine moods – all those places are parts of Vraja (in other words, they are places of the Lord's pastimes). All are transcendental. Gaura Mandal is not one location: it is manifest externally as various places. The places where the Lord performed pastimes in His youth are situated on the 114.6 miles, or 184.5 km, (sola-krosh) of Nabadwip. Vrindavan, which is situated in Vraja, is also, inseparably, Nabadwip, situated on the nine islands. In the middle of Nabadwip is Sri Gokula Mayapur. Sri Gauranga accepted the service of each sakhi in their various kunjas on this land; therefore, Sri Varaha-nagar is also part of Gaura Mandal as service to Radha-Krishna, who manifest Themselves as Sri Gauranga, is going on there in the kunja of Shyama Manjari.

'We have revealed to you this very hidden secret. We hope that upon learning about this, Vaishnavs residing in Kolkata will show some transcendental mood. We are servants of their intrinsic divine perfection (svabhava-siddha). If we can get to know their mood, we can reveal to them some further hidden secrets about this matter.

'It is very rare to find Srimad Bhagavata Acharya's holy book Krishna-prema Tarangini, composed in Sanskrit. The copy that we have is full of mistakes, and in some places the meaning is not intelligible. If some great soul has another copy, please let us know; we can purchase it from them. We humbly pray that Vaishnavs may bestow their merciful glance on us upon hearing about this matter.'

Unparalleled Vairagya
"Always read the pastimes of great Vaishnavs. We can read their biographies and see how much tolerance they have, how much austerity they got in their spiritual life. If we think about it, we will be astonished—we cannot imagine how austere their life is."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 5 min | 20 September 2020)

• SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA •

(18) THE PATH OF LIBERATION
'I have now revealed more and more profound teachings to you. Duly consider this, and then do as you wish. Now again hear My supreme teaching, the most hidden treasure of all. I tell you this for your benefit as you are most dear to Me.'

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Pillars of Devotional Life
"We must leave everything for the happiness of the Lord, for the happiness of our Guru. We must learn how previous Vaishnavs maintained their lives, and we must follow their example, their path. We must try to live and maintain our life the way sadhus do. We must try to do that. We must try to practise that."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.3 Mb, 8 min | 20 September 2020)

• DIVINE SERVITOR •

THE GLORIOUS ADVENT OF THE PURE DEVOTEE
'Today is the 62nd Anniversary of the Holy Appearance Day of Om Vishnupad Astottara-sata-sri Srimad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj. On this most holy of holy days I beg to offer my prostrate obeisances unto his lotus feet, unto the lotus feet of his illustrious Sri Gurudev, and all their associates. As is well known, Srila Govinda Maharaj was chosen by Srila Guru Maharaj long before his disappearance as his Successor-Acharya-President for his Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Nabadwip, Nadia, West Bengal, with its branches all over the world...'

Best Behaviour
"Everybody must live in harmony with each other. If we think we have become great devotees, it is wrong because we are fallen souls and we are only trying to serve our Guru under his guidance. This is our main aim in life. We must fight against ourselves."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 7 min | 20 September 2020)

• DIVINE SERVITOR •

A BORN PRECEPTOR
'I had to change my attitude and approach towards him. Such qualities as he displayed cannot be manifest in anyone without sadhana of a previous life or the special krpa of a siddha guru. At that time my vision changed and from then onwards I saw him as the embodiment of service to his beloved Guru Maharaj.'

Repository of Nectar
"Gurudev explains this sloka very nicely. When somebody is taking and relishing honey, some drops fall from their mouth, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj is collecting these drops. This is actually the essence of our spiritual life."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 3 min | 20 September 2020)

• DIVINE SERVITOR •

THE SPIRITUAL SUCCESSION OF SRI CHAITANYA SARASWAT MATH
'Srila Guru Maharaj—acclaimed by one and all as the "Maker of Gurus"—has presented us with his most precious gem in the personage of Srila Govinda Maharaj. In Srila Guru Maharaj's own words, we say, "May we thank our lucky stars!"'

Awkward Medicines and Health Issues
"You must maintain this body well. If the doctor has prescribed some medicine for your disease, then you should take it because it is necessary for your health, but if the doctor prescribes eating meat, etc., you should not follow it."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 3 min | 20 September 2020)

• DIVINE SERVITOR •

THE DIVINE ACCOUNT
'We have received everything, but now it is necessary to digest it properly. We have received much instruction and many books from both Srila Swami Maharaj and Srila Guru Maharaj, and we have heard many valuable teachings from them. We are observing their associates now living in this world: they are present in this world and we are hearing from them and are trying to practise Krishna consciousness as much as possible. We are trying to a lesser or greater degree; still, no doubt, our attempt is lacking. It is always necessary to have more and more attachment with consciousness—full Krishna consciousness.'