Sanatan-Siksa: Breaking Free
"Devotion to Krishna is the primary goal of life. Karma, yoga, jnana look up to bhakti; these practices have very little power—without devotion to Krishna, they cannot give the result."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min)

On the Way to Sri Puri Dham (Divine Guidance, chapter 2):
"We are not going sightseeing but we are going to a place of pilgrimage, a holy place. Going there will purify us—body, mind, and soul."

First Visit to Sri Puri Dham
"This temple was made by the mercy of Gurudev, although it is a very small temple, but it is very nice and sweet. I came to Puri first time through service—without service Gurudev would not have sent me here and I would not come myself."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.7 Mb, 2 min | 6 April 2013)

Parikrama: Mood, Intention, and Prayer
"People spend so much money to do eye exercise on pretext of spiritual benefit, but I never want you to have a loss. I want you to get spiritual benefit. If the Guru cannot direct you to the right path, he cannot be a Guru."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 19 July 2015 | Bengali)

A Welcome Austerity
"We do not want Krishna, we want love for Krishna. Whatever problem, whatever disturbance comes, let it come. The Lord is testing us, 'If I give you much austerity, will you tolerate it? Will you tolerate this austerity and do the parikrama with My devotees?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (4.9 Mb, 15 min | 20 June 2017 | Bengali)

Sambandha, Abhidheya, and Prayojana of Pilgrimage
"Today is a very good day, a very good occasion—an ekadasi day. On this day we have come to Sri Puri Dham. Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadra are here, Nitai Chaitanyadev are here, Gurudev is here and Mahaprabhu manifest here His highest pastimes..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.5 Mb, 10 min | 20 June 2017 | 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)

On the Way to Sri Puri Dham (Divine Guidance, chapter 2):
"We are not going sightseeing but we are going to a place of pilgrimage, a holy place. Going there will purify us—body, mind, and soul."

Mahaprabhu Arrives In Puri
"When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas, He went away with Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda and others. On the way, Nityananda Prabhu thought, 'Why will Mahaprabhu carry Me?'..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.3 Mb, 9 min | 21 June 2017 | Bengali)

Mahaprabhu Enters Sri Puri Dham
"Atharnala is the place through which Mahaprabhu first entered Puri after He took sannyas. Engrossed in the thoughts about Lord Jagannath, Mahaprabhu began to run from there. He was actually walking, but walking so fast that the devotees had to run to follow Him."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 5 April 2013)

Mahaprabhu Settles In Puri
"Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya kept a room for Mahaprabhu at Kashi Misra's house, and, after Mahaprabhu had travelled all South India, He came back to Puri and settled in Kashi Misra's house. He always discussed Krishna-katha with Ray Ramananda and Svarup Damodar—who will one speak Krishna-katha with if not with one's dear and near ones?"
• Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 9 min | 21 June 2017 | Bengali)

Raghav's Bags
"In Mahaprabhu's times, Damayanti, the sister of Raghav Pandit, would make so much food for Mahaprabhu during the whole year, and at the Ratha Yatra time, on the Gundicha marjan day, they would bring bags full of food for Mahaprabhu."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.7 Mb, 2 min | 5 April 2013)

On the Way to Sri Puri Dham (Divine Guidance, chapter 2):
"We are not going sightseeing but we are going to a place of pilgrimage, a holy place. Going there will purify us—body, mind, and soul."

Jagadananda Pandit: Childhood
"In his Prema-vivarta Jagadananda Pandit tells what prema (love) is, and the prema (love) that he himself has cannot be seen anywhere... I will tell his story."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 11 July 2018 | Bengali)

Jagadananda Pandit's Hot-Headed Heart
"When a man has two wives, the second, younger, wife is always more temperamental and domineering. Similarly, Satyabhauma is also always domineering, always controlling, and so was Jagadananda Pandit here..."
• Download / listen to the audio (5.2 Mb, 15 min | 11 July 2018 | Bengali)

At Sri Chatak Parvat and Sri Tota Gopinath Temple
His Divine Grace is speaking at the bhajan-kutir of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Sri Tota Gopinath temple on the first day of Sri Puri Dham parikrama, telling the pastimes of Srila Haridas Thakur's disappearance and Srila Gadadhar Pandit.
• Download / listen to the audio (4.9 Mb, 13 min | 14 July 2015 | Bengali)

At Sri Alarnath
"In Sri Purusottam Dham, at the shore of the ocean and about twenty-four miles to the East of Puri, there is a town called Brahmagiri. Here, Brahma worshipped Lord Vishnu in Satya-yuga. Pleased with his worship, Lord Narayan appeared here..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 8 min | 15 July 2015 | Bengali)

Pastimes of Sri Saksi Gopal
"There were once two brahmans, an old and a young one. They both went on pilgrimage to many holy places and met in Vrindavan. The old brahman was very happy with the young brahman and promised in front of the Deity of Gopal to give his daughter to him."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 4 July 2016)

At Ramananda Ray's Garden
"Pradyumna Misra came to Mahaprabhu and asked, 'Prabhu, can You speak some Krishna-katha?' Mahaprabhu replied, 'I do not know so much, but Ramananda Ray knows more than Me...'"
• Download / listen to the audio (0.8 Mb, 3 min | 5 April 2013)

Strong Desire
"If you have this kind of strong desire, mercy will come. It is necessary to have such permanent, unflinching desire for service, for chanting or anything else." What kind of desire is it?
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 1 January 2011)

In honour of Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur:

vande bhaktivinodam sri-gaura-sakti-svarupakam
bhakti-sastrajna-samrajam radha-rasa-sudha-nidhim

"I offer my obeisance unto Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, the embodiment of Sri Gaurasundar's potency. He is the king of all knowers of the scriptures of pure devotion and an ocean of the nectar of devotion to Srimati Radharani."

Srimad Bhakti Vinodaviraha Dasakam | শ্রীমদ্ভক্তিবিনোদবিরহদশকম্
"Alas, alas! O Bhakti Vinoda Thakura, O Supreme Guru, for twenty-two years this world has been plunged into misfortune, long grief-stricken in your intolerable separation. You are the divine potency of Sri Gaura, and you graciously made your advent in this earthly plane, being attracted by the living beings' virtuous deeds performed throughout many lifetimes. Where am I, so lowly and fallen, and where are you, the great soul who delivers the universe!"

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and the Distinction of the Line He Introduced
A beautiful and extensive chapter from Sri Guidance, Volume 4 (page 245): "Desiring to fulfil the innermost desire of Sri Gaurasundar to bestow His joyous service onto the souls, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur appeared in this world and performed his pastimes. Appearance of a close associate of Gaura is a blessing for the world. When a king is born, literary experts and poets sing in his praise, but when a great soul appears to spread eternal auspiciousness in this world, nobody cares. This is a deplorable fortune."

Without Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur Our Line Is Nothing
"Today is the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur—he left us and entered his nitya-lila on this day. He is doing service in his abode now, but he is still bestowing his mercy on all devotees and on us. We cannot even think of our line without Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. He is the main personality in our line."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 8 min | 21 June 2020)

Mandakini Dhara
"The main thing is that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur brought to us the pure current of Mandakini, proper consciousness, and this current is still flowing in this world allowing us to get some taste of the nectar that was distributed by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. What he has given us has never been given by anybody in this world."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.9 Mb, 10 min | 21 June 2020)

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur
"If Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur had not come in this world, where, in whose lotus feet would we have found our shelter? He gave us all these things and he gave us Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. If you think about it, you can understand how much he gave to the jiva souls..."
• Download the audio (3.6 Mb, 11 min | 3 October 2015)

Recognising Guru: What Is Your Obstacle?
"Brother, you see Bhakti Vinod Thakur as your father, but I see him as my spiritual master. That is the difference. What you see is a father (baba), and that is the obstacle (badha) that prevents you from getting Radharani (Radha)."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 24 February 2013)

The Seventh Goswami [By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
A summary account of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's service, life, and character. Originally published as an introduction to the first edition of Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya published as The Hidden Treasure of the Holy Dhama Nabadwipa.

In honour of Srila Gadadhar Pandit Goswami:

nilambhodhi-tate sada sva-viraha-ksepanvitam bandhavam
srimad-bhagavati katha madiraya sanjivayan bhati yah
srimad-bhagavatam sada sva-nayanasru-payanaih pujayan
gosvami-prabaro gadadhara-vibhur-bhuyat mad-eka-gatih

"On the shore of the broad blue ocean Gadadhar Pandit used to read Srimad Bhagavatam to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was suffering from the great internal pain of separation from Himself (Krishna). Gadadhar Pandit supplied the wine of Krishna-lila to intoxicate his afflicted friend and give Him relief. As he read, tears would fall from his eyes like flower offerings onto the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam. May the pleasure of that brilliant personality, Gadadhar Pandit, the best of the Goswamis, be my only object in writing this book."

Service to Gaura-Gadadhar (By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)
"Is worship of Gaura-Gadadhar a completely madhurya conception? Yes, and more than that. This worship is rather related to separation, or union in separation. Gadadhar Pandit represented Radharani's bhava, but though he is the possessor of that wealth, it was taken up by Mahaprabhu, so he stood empty."

Sri Gadadhar Pandit Goswami
(A chapter from Srila Acharya Maharaj's Bengali book Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala)
"Sri Gadadhar Pandit stayed with Mahaprabhu from his childhood. His father's name was Madhav Misra, and his mother's name was Ratnavali Devi. They lived in Mayapur near Jagannath Misra's house. Mahaprabhu could never stay without Gadadhar Pandit, and Gadadhar Pandit could not stay without Mahaprabhu even a moment too..."

At Sri Chatak Parvat and Sri Tota Gopinath Temple
His Divine Grace is speaking at the bhajan-kutir of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Sri Tota Gopinath temple on the first day of Sri Puri Dham parikrama, telling the pastimes of Srila Haridas Thakur's disappearance and Srila Gadadhar Pandit.
• Download / listen to the audio (4.9 Mb, 13 min | 14 July 2015 | Bengali)

Sri Gadadhar Pandit's Life in Puri
A special discourse given by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj for Sri Gaudiya Darshan, 1995, dwelling on "Puri Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math" and "Jagannathdev and His Dham."

Pandit Sri Gadadhar Goswami [From Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-Mukta-Mala]
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's article on Srila Gadadhar Pandit's paramount sacrifice: "Pandit Goswami's life is a special offering of silent and complete self-sacrifice to his beloved. Only those who can taste unprecedented joy by appreciating the wonder within the ornament of contradiction in seeing the bag of a beggar on Laksmi Devi’s shoulder are fit to appreciate the extraordinary glory of Srimat Pandit Goswami's unprecedented personality..."

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."

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

Photographs of Sri Puri Dham pilgrimage from previous years:

Pastime of Gundicha Marjan
(A chapter from His Divine Grace's Bengali book Sri Puri Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala)
"The day before going to Vrindavan-Sundarachal, Mahaprabhu and all the devotees would clean the temple of Gundicha (that is non-different from Vrindavan). This is called Gundicha-marjan lila (pastime of cleaning the temple). Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur wrote very beautifully about this pastime...."

Observing Gundicha Marjan
"Tomorrow is Gundicha Marjan, everybody will join it. You should clean the place where you are staying, and also clean your heart through chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Clean your hearts through sravan and kirtan, through practising."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.8 Mb, 2 min | 21 June 2020)

Buddhi-Suddhi
"You recite mantras for the archan, you chant that the cloth is clean, the chamara is clean, the peacock fan is clean, the pancha-pradip is clean, etc. Everything is clean, but do you ever think, 'Is my mind clean?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 5 February 2020)

Gundicha Marjan: "Let Jagannath Come to My House"
"Another meaning of Gundicha marjan is cleaning the heart, and Mahaprabhu Himself was showing how to do it. At first He swept, then poured water and then with His own cloth, uttariya, He washed the temple. He was showing how thoroughly you must clean your heart..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min | 5 April 2013)

Gundicha Marjan: A Seat for Bhakti Devi
"What is the meaning of this Pastime? We have so much dust in our hearts, we must remove this dust. Once we clean the place in our heart, we can invite Bhakti Devi, the Lord, to come there. Unless you clean the place, Bhakti Devi will not come."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min | Kirtan & Bengali class)