Planet ISKCON

Big Fish, Little Fish” is an ISKCON classic, and the story has evolved over five decades.
Imagine you’re a fish, happily swimming along in the water. Life is good, everything is just fine. But then, one day, you start wondering: “What’s the rest of the world like? Maybe I want to experience something different.”
So, deep in your heart, you press for a change…
And suddenly — WHOOSH! — a massive wave throws you onto a sandy beach.
There, you meet Māyā — and that’s where the trouble begins.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GVPjPwt19I&w=1177&h=662]

Earn With Integrity, Share With Generosity | SB Keshava Swami | Artha Forum | Singapore

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Words can scarcely capture the glory of Her Grace Shanti Rupa Mataji, an exalted Vaishnavi whose entire life was a radiant offering at the lotus feet of Guru, Gauranga, and the Vaishnavas. Where can I begin, and where can I possibly end, in glorifying a soul whose every thought, word, and action was dedicated to devotional service?

As I write these words, I am seated in Mataji’s home, awaiting the arrival of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Srimati Subhadra Devi for tomorrow’s Ratha Yatra in Johor Bahru. Just last week, Mataji personally entrusted me with this seva. Even now, her voice echoes vividly within my heart, lovingly instructing me on how everything should be arranged for Their Lordships’ arrival. Such was her nature. She lived to serve, and through her example, she taught us all how to serve.

I was profoundly blessed to receive Mataji’s intimate association. The countless moments spent in her home remain among the most treasured memories of my spiritual life. Whether I was helping her cook, clean, bathe the home Deities, or dress Them, Mataji never discouraged any sincere desire for devotional service. Whether it was kirtan, abhisheka, cooking, offering bhoga, or any other spiritual activity, her answer was never limitation, but inspiration. She would encourage us to do more, serve more, and love Krishna more.

Mataji taught not merely through words, but through the power of her personal example. Long before I became an initiated devotee, she inspired me to tie saree and embrace Vaishnavi culture. She would often recount how His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj had encouraged her to tie saree, and from that day onwards she faithfully did so, even in her professional life. Krishna consciousness was never something separate from her daily activities. It was the very essence of her existence.

When I received my Deities, Mataji’s joy knew no bounds. She would insist that I bring Them whenever I came for seva, especially during Ratha Yatra preparations. Her enthusiasm to serve the Lord was contagious. She saw every opportunity as an opportunity to glorify Krishna.

Mataji utilized every moment of her life in the service of Guru, Gauranga, and the devotees. Not a single moment was wasted in frivolous or mundane pursuits. Her life was a continuous offering. She possessed extraordinary wisdom, diplomacy, and emotional intelligence. Over the years, she quietly resolved countless misunderstandings among devotees and brought harmony where there was difficulty. So many devotees continued coming to the temple because of her encouragement, guidance, and affection. Young and old alike found inspiration in her.

What made her even more remarkable was her incredible tolerance. Despite enduring immense physical suffering and undergoing the hardship of dialysis almost daily, Mataji never sought sympathy and rarely spoke of her pain. Instead, she greeted everyone with her signature radiant smile. She carried her burdens silently while giving strength to others. Such was the depth of her faith and surrender.

Mataji possessed a unique elegance and refined devotional taste in every service she rendered to Their Lordships. She always sought the very best for Krishna. Yet her greatest quality was her genuine care for devotees. She remembered everyone’s favourite preparations and would lovingly cook for them, ensuring they received Krishna prasadam prepared with affection. She cared for every devotee as though they were a member of her own family. Through her calls, messages, and heartfelt concern, she constantly reminded us that we were loved, valued, and never alone.

As a true disciple of Guru Maharaj, she embodied every instruction she received. Devotee care was one of Guru Maharaj’s foremost teachings, and Mataji carried that instruction deeply within her heart. She often said that her professional experience had greatly assisted her in serving devotees, and this was evident in everything she did. Whether it involved her time, energy, expertise, financial support, or personal attention, she gave freely and selflessly. Her generosity, especially in supporting temple projects and devotional activities, knew no limits.

One unforgettable memory remains etched deeply in my heart. Last year, while assisting Mataji with some computer related seva at her home, I came across old photographs of her with Guru Maharaj in the JPS archives. As I showed them to her, she smiled and said, “Keep these pictures for my Smriti Sabha.”

I was stunned.

“Mataji,” I replied, “you will live a very long life.”

She simply smiled.

Only now do I understand the depth of that moment.

There were countless intimate exchanges such as this. Countless memories. Countless lessons. Yet today, what remains most powerfully are her teachings and example. Mataji shaped each of us with extraordinary care. She understood our strengths, recognized our weaknesses, and lovingly guided us toward becoming better servants of Krishna. She moulded devotees as a skilled sculptor shapes a masterpiece, offering each one as a beautiful gift to Their Lordships.

The departure of such a great Vaishnavi is truly devastating. Though we know philosophically that this day must eventually come, none of us could have imagined it would come so soon. No one can ever prepare for the loss of a devotee like Her Grace Shanti Rupa Mataji.

And yet, she has not truly left us.

She lives on through her teachings, her example, her service, and the countless lives she transformed. Her dedication to Guru and Gauranga was beyond anything I thought possible. One moment she would be serving in the general kitchen, the next in the Deity kitchen. One moment overseeing Deity outfits and ornaments, the next coordinating a temple programme or caring for devotees. The list was endless. She performed the service of many devotees within the body of one devotee.

Everything she did was executed with excellence, devotion, and attention to detail. She had a remarkable ability to see the bigger picture and orchestrate many moving parts into a beautiful symphony of devotional service for Their Lordships. As a leader and manager, she engaged devotees according to their nature and capacity. She encouraged us when we felt discouraged, uplifted us when we struggled, and offered constructive guidance that helped us grow spiritually. She saw potential where others saw limitations.

Above all, Mataji’s heart and soul were inseparably connected to her beloved spiritual master, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. Her devotion to Guru Maharaj was unwavering, unconditional, and absolute. She lived every day striving to fulfil his instructions and bring pleasure to him. She was, in every sense of the word, a perfect spiritual daughter.

And because she perfected her relationship with her spiritual master, she naturally excelled in every relationship she had with others. She loved without expectation, served without hesitation, gave without calculation, and cared without condition.

Therefore, although we grieve her physical absence, we also rejoice in her glorious accomplishment. As Guru Maharaj teaches, the perfection of human life is to return home, back to Godhead. Just as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu celebrated the glorious departure of Srila Haridasa Thakura, we too should honour and celebrate the life of this exalted Vaishnavi who touched countless hearts through her sincerity, compassion, service, and unconditional love.

Her Grace Shanti Rupa Mataji was more than an exemplary devotee. She was a living embodiment of devotee care, devotional excellence, humility, compassion, and unwavering surrender.

Her life was her preaching.

Her service was her glory.

Her love was her legacy.

May we honour her not merely with tears, but by carrying forward the values she lived for: wholehearted service to Guru and Krishna, selfless care for the Vaishnavas, and unwavering faith under all circumstances.

All glories to Her Grace Shanti Rupa Mataji.

All glories to her eternal service to Guru, Gauranga, and the Vaishnavas.

Hare Krishna.

Your spiritual daughter always at your service,

Taruni Radhe Devi Dasi

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Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, whose picture we have here on the cover of the book Prarthana, one of the books he wrote, is a great acharya, spiritual teacher, in our Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual heritage—one of the great acharyas of our sampradaya, particularly after the time of the Gosvamis. The Gosvamis were the direct disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are six who are famous, but there are others who were also present during that time, such as Bhugarba Gosvami and Lokanatha Gosvami. Then after them there was another generation of acharyas who continued the mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and particularly three are prominent: Srinivasa Acharya, Syamananda Pandit, and Narottama dasa Thakura. For our line of spiritual preceptors—Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Jagannath dasa Babaji, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Prabhupada, Narottama dasa Thakura is most prominent, because he is the parampara guru of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

During Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, as described in Bhakti-ratnakara, at one point when Mahaprabhu was in Kheturi, in what is now Bangladesh, He started to chant the name, “Narottama! Narottama!” Nara-uttama means topmost man, just like we have Nara-simha, man-lion. So, Nara-uttama is a topmost human being, and the Vaishnavas asked Mahaprabhu, “Who is this Narottama? Who is this Narrotama that you are glorifying, whose name you are chanting?” Mahaprabhu replied that in in this place the future a great acharya would appear and would continue the sankirtana mission for all of us. At that time Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath in the river, the Padma River, which is right next to Kheturi, and He invested His spiritual potency with Padma-devi. Padma-devi, the personified deity of that river, appeared before Him, and He gave her charge of his prema—at least it is described like this—and instructed her to keep it for Him until that time when Narottama would come and take his bath in the river, and when that should happen, to give that prema to him.

And so it came to be, as Mahaprabhu had said, that many years later within a kayastha family in Kheturi—kayasthas are not royalty, but they are aristocracy, a high-class vaishya community, like kings—a child, Narottama, was born with all the symptoms of a maha-purusa. There are symptoms, features of bodily physiognomy—one can read the personality of a person by their physiognomy. So, this person had all the physical symptoms of a greatly elevated soul, and the jyotisa, the astrologer, came to read the chart, and he said that this was a very great personality. He would be a very great man, and he would be honored and respected by all for his great learning, but great care should be taken, because there were indications of madness. “You should be very careful,” the jyotisa said, “that he not go near water—rivers, streams, ponds. Keep him away from such environment; otherwise he could become mad.”

And so it was that the child’s parents were very careful to raise him and keep him away from such bodies of water, and they were successful for quite some years, until one day he had a dream that an effulgent brahmana, if not Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, appeared before him and told him to go immediately and take his bath in the Padma River. So in the middle of the night Narottama got out of bed, ran down to the river, and dove in to that water. Padma-devi appeared (she is present in the form of the river) and gave him the prema that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had left with her for him, and he became completely transformed. He became filled with transcendental ecstasy. He started to cry. His hair was standing on end. He was trembling, shaking, and shivering, calling out, “Krishna! Krishna!”—calling out the name Krishna, calling out the name Gauranga, again and again and again. Then he returned to the bank of the river and fell unconscious. He was going between consciousness and unconsciousness, exhibiting all the symptoms in the middle of the night, and calling out, “Krishna! Krishna!”

So the people ran. They heard some commotion, and they ran and they found it was the son of the king; he had gone mad. So, his parents came. “All these years we were endeavoring to keep him away from the river,” they said, “but now we have been unsuccessful. Just see—the prince has gone mad.” So, they kept him inside the palace. They were trying to cure him. They brought a very qualified physician, a kaviraja. He felt his pulse to diagnose the madness, the disease that was there, and his parents asked him, “Will you able to cure him? Will you be able to save him?” And he apologized, “I am very sorry, but there is no cure for prema, for love of God. I cannot help you.” And so Narottama’s parents became very worried.

Narottama was just crying for Krishna. He wanted to see Krishna, to meet Krishna, to be with Krishna, to serve Krishna. He was filled with love for Krishna and for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Nityananda Prabhu appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to go, and so, again, in the middle of the night, he got up, walked out of the house, and just started walking towards Vrindavan. Along the way, he had another vision of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, instructing him to learn from Jiva Gosvami, who is in Vrindavan writing his transcendental literature. We are summarizing things here. So, Narottama went to Vrindavan. He took shelter of Srila Jiva Gosvami, who started to teach him the science of devotional service, particularly the Bhagavatam, the science of bhakti as taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, by Srila Sanatana Gosvami, by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Jiva Gosvami is famous in Gaudiya Vaishnava history. He is famous as the most systematic of the followers of Chaitanya. His Sat Sandarbhas are still today studied in the Benares Hindu University, where there is an entire division, a faculty, devoted to their study, and Srila Jiva Gosvami is renowned as one of India’s greatest philosophers.

There were two other students, comrades, with whom Narottama was studying: Syamananda and Srinivasa. And there are wonderful stories about these two personalities, but today we are focused on describing the glories of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. After some time, in Vrindavan, Narottama became very attracted to the personality of Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami, who is sometimes called the Seventh Gosvami. (We have Bhaktivinoda Thakura; I guess like that). When Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami was writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, he went to the Six Gosvamis individually and asked, “Please give me your blessings. I am going to compile Caitanya-caritamrta, the glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Please give me your blessings,” and so they all individually gave their blessings. Sri Sri Radha-Manada-mohana also gave Their blessings with the falling of Their flower garland. And he went to Lokanatha Gosvami, who is one of the first of the Gosvamis to arrive in Vrindavan on the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—he and Bhugarba arrived first, before Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha dasa, or Gopal Bhatta—sent by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when He was still a grihastha in His Navadvipa lila. They were actually from East Bengal, Bangladesh. Finally, after giving up their responsibility in East Bengal, they came to Navadvipa and said to Sri Chaitanya, “Now we are surrendered to You. We just want to stay with You and serve You here in Your sankirtana mission.” “I want you to go to Vrindavan,” He told them. So very reluctantly they dragged themselves away from Him and settled in Vrindavan. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had two missions—many missions, internal and external—but of His external missions, to preach the chanting of the holy name and then in Vrindavan to rediscover the pastime places of the Lord in His manifest pastimes five thousand years ago.

So, Narottama was entrusted to the Gosvamis, beginning with Bugarbha and Lokanatha Gosvami. Narottama became very attracted to, very inspired by, Lokanatha Gosvami. When Kaviraja Gosvami asked Lokanatha, “Please bless me to write Caitanya-caritamrta,” Lokanath Gosvami said, “Yes, you have my blessings, but you mustn’t mention my name in the book.” And so Kaviraja Gosvami was bound by this instruction that he couldn’t mention Lokanatha Gosvami’s name, and thus it doesn’t appear, although he was contemporary to the other Gosvamis.

So, Narottama approached Lokanatha Gosvami. He is so humble. He approached him and requested, “Please, will you accept me as your disciple? Will you give me diksa?” But Lokanatha Gosvami refused: “No, I am not accepting any diksa disciples. Please do not entertain this thought any longer. It is impossible.” Narottama was heartbroken. He approached him again and again and again, and repeatedly Lokanatha Gosvami refused him. He tried to render different services to Lokanatha, but Lokanatha always refused those services as well. Finally he took it upon himself to clean the area of the forest where every morning Lokanatha Gosvami would answer nature’s call. He would keep water there, and in this way he was rendering very, very humble and intimate service to Lokanatha, and this went on for a whole year. Lokanatha didn’t know who was doing it. One day Lokanatha, who was very old, decided to hide himself in the forest to see who it was that was doing this, which from his perspective was humiliating, and when Narottama came and started to clean the area and make different arrangements, Lokanatha called out, “Who is there?” “It is I, Narottama dasa, your servant.” “Why are you doing this? Don’t do it anymore.” And then Narottama fell at Lokanatha’s feet and said, “Please accept me as your disciple.” Lokanatha Gosvami was also requested by Jiva Gosvami to accept Narottama, and he had also received other indications that he should make one exception to his rule not to accept any disciples, and accept Narottama dasa. And so it was that he gave initiation to Narottama dasa Thakura. Thus in Narottama’s song Guru-vandana, which we sing daily—sri-guru-carana-padma, kevala bhakati-sadma—at the end we have lokanatha lokera jivana: “May the glories of my spiritual master be spread all over the world.” Lokanatha means “lord of the world,” and so he glorifies his spiritual master and then indirectly glorifies his spiritual master—lokanatha lokera jivana. Jiva Gosvami is also there; he was Narottama’s siksa-guru.

After some time, the Vaishnavas of Bengal, headed by Jahnava Mata, the wife of Nityananda Prabhu, requested Jiva that “Please, you are there in Vrindavan,”—by this time Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha dasa, Raghunatha Bhatta, and Gopal Bhatta had all left. Jiva was younger; he was the nephew of Rupa and Sanatana, and so he was the head of the Vaishnavas in Vrindavan—“and have all these wonderful literatures written by the Gosvamis. In Bengal we are deprived of this nectar, so please will you make arrangements that we can have this nectar in Bengal.” And so Jiva had all of the books transcribed and then instructed his three prominent students—Narottama, Srinivasa, and Syamananda—“Go to Bengal and spread the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, spread the teachings of the Gosvamis, everywhere.” He had graduated them as his students and given them each different titles: Srinivasa became Srinivasa Acharya, Syamananda became Syamananda Pandit, and Narottama became Narottama dasa Thakura. They were given their degrees and sent out preaching with the books.

And so the three travelled from Vrindavan to Bengal by bullock cart. Along the way, there were different adventures that took place, including all the books being stolen by a king who was also a dacoit, a thief. That’s another story, a great calamity: all of the books were stolen—what to do? They were retrieved after much endeavor, and the king was made into a Vaishnava by Srinivasa Acharya, who stayed in that kingdom and initiated thousands of disciples, establishing Gaudiya Vaishnavism there.

Syamananda Pandit went on to Orissa, where he established Vaishnavism far and wide and temples all over the place. His headquarters were in Gopijanavallabha Pura. He also initiated kings. And Narottama returned to Kheturi, where his cousin had become king and inherited his family’s wealth. Narottama sat under a tree outside the village, and when the people came and saw him, they exclaimed, “He! Narottama is back!” The news spread that Narottama had returned and had become a great acharya and devotee and sadhu and saint. So thousands of people flocked there for his blessings. His nephew also came and laid his fortune at Narottama’s feet. Of course, Narottama didn’t accept, but he did have his cousin build a beautiful temple in Kheturi and use his wealth to organize the first Gaura-purnima festival.

Invitations were sent all over India. Wherever there were Gaudiya Vaishnavas, followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, messengers were sent with invitations. And so for Gaura-purnima there was a huge camp set up with accommodations and prasada for thousands and thousands of Vaishnavas. All the acharyas and mahants of that time were present, and for days there were discussions of Krishna katha and Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and siddhanta. Because all the Gaudiya Vaishnavas were so spread out in different places and quite isolated from one another, there were different understandings, but through this meeting and istagosthi and discussion, together they were able to discuss and understand things in a common way according to the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Gosvamis. Jahnava Ma presided over the assembly as the honored chairperson. During the day they would discuss, and then in the evenings they would have wonderful kirtans.

Narottama dasa Thakura—of course, many of the bhajanas we sing today are his compositions. He had a very, very beautiful singing voice and was a very expert transcendental musician. He developed his own kirtans, called Garanhati, and our own kirtan style is taken from that Garanhati style of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—not the same, but derived from it. There are other kirtan styles that are more ornamental and extensive in their articulation of the syllables, more meditational, but this is faster moving and shorter, more suited to the common masses of people to chant and hear and take the maha-mantra and the different songs that are there. So, all of these great personalities were in these wonderful kirtans. Narottama led the kirtans, and his followers played the instruments, and in the middle of one of these kirtans many exalted devotees—not everyone, but many—saw the Panca-tattva appear, dancing in ecstasy. Hundreds of devotees saw this with their own eyes, and so an indescribable ecstasy flooded everyone’s heart. Imagine if in New Dvaraka Srila Prabhupada appeared in the middle of the kirtan—what it would do to the Vaishnavas? If in the Mayapur festival Prabhupada appeared in the middle of the temple room, what would you do? How the news would spread all over the world! Devotees would go crazy with ecstasy. That’s what happened in that festival. The Panca-tattva appeared in that kirtan and were dancing in great ecstasy and reciprocating with the loving affection of the Vaishnavas.

Narottama dasa Thakura initiated thousands of disciples, including many caste brahmans. This invoked the anger of the caste brahmans, because Narottama was a kayastha, a vaishya. How could a vaishya initiate brahmans and be their guru? This was their caste consciousness. Obviously, Narottama didn’t think much of this brahman-by-birth philosophy and neither did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, the caste brahmana communities wanted Narottama punished for this offense, going against dharma, going against Vedic injunctions, and they went to one king and told him, “You are the king, you are the protector of dharma, you have to punish this heretic for his misbehavior. He has gone against Vedic injunctions, and you have to uphold the Vedic injunctions by punishing him.” The king said, “Well, how can I be sure that what you are saying is true? I am sure he has his explanations as well. Let us take all the leading pandits of the region and debate with him, and if he loses the debate, then we should punish him.”

And so it was that the king set out with an army not only of soldiers but also of pandits towards the place of Narottama dasa Thakura. While they were on the way, however, some of Narottama’s leading disciples got wind of what was taking place, and they didn’t want their guru to be disturbed by this unnecessary debate. They were regularly debating with these caste brahmanas, and they had had enough of it. They didn’t want him to be disturbed by the arrogance of the king and the army and all that. It’s a funny story: Two of his leading disciples set up a shop along the way, selling commodities that a traveling party would need—leaf cups and plates, clay pots, things that they could use for eating. So, some of the king’s people came into the village, and the shop was there at the entrance. “Oh, there are plates, there are cups,” they said, and they went over and asked, “What is the price?” The shopkeepers responded in very high Sanskrit, and so these brahmans were impressed: “Oh, how do you know Sanskrit?” “What do you mean?” the shopkeepers asked. Everyone here speaks Sanskrit.” The caste brahmans heard the perfect compositions of sentences and pronunciation of Sanskrit words—better than theirs—and then and there the shopkeepers started to debate with them, first about Sanskrit and then about language and logic, and the pandits were feeling very uneasy, that these shopkeepers are so learned, so eloquent. “We shouldn’t be embarrassed by them defeating us,” they considered,  and so they left and reported to the king that it appeared that there were very, very learned people in that area. Even the shopkeepers were such great pandits; imagine how the pandits themselves must be. And so they decided not to humiliate themselves and voided the encounter with Narottama and his disciples.

There was one great pandit among the caste brahmanas who were causing trouble—Ganganarayana Cakravarti. He went and debated with Narottama, and Narottama defeated him, and he surrendered and became Narottama dasa Thakura’s leading disciple.

There was another personality, Ramachandra Kaviraja, who was a disciple of Narottama’s godbrother, or associate, Srinivasa Acharya, and Narottama was very, very attached his association. They were so intimate that they would eat from the same plate. They were constantly together. We have ramacandra sanga mage narottam dasa. While he is lamenting the disappearance, ye anilo prema-dhana karuna pracura, heno prabhu kotha gela acarya-thakura. This song is a lament. I heard that Srila Prabhupada said that Narottama’s songs were like the blues, full of lamentation. This song is full of lamentation, viraha-bhava, full of lamentation in separation. He is lamenting, “Where is Gauranga, the great dancer? Where is Svarupa Damodara? Where is Rupa, where is Sanatana? Feeling the separation of all these personalities, I can only weep. I will smash my head against a rock and enter into fire.” And in another song, ramacandra-sanga mage narottama-dasa: “Narottama dasa always desires the company of Ramachandra Cakravarti.”

These two personalities, Ganganarayana and Ramachandra, were very intimate. Ganganarayana was a disciple, and so he went in one way, to the Northeast, to Manipur, and spread Krishna consciousness all over Manipur. Even to this day, in every town and village of Manipur there are Gaudiya Vaishnava temples with Radha-Krishna Deities; Gaura-Nitai Deities; Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. Everyone wears Gaudiya Vaishnava tilak, even though they don’t know what it is. I was there a few years ago—very wonderful. This is all due to the preaching of Narottama dasa Thakura’s disciple Ganganarayana Cakravarti, and with him was Ramachandra Kaviraja.

At one point, Srinivasa Acharya decided that he would go from Visnupura, where he discovered those books, to Vrindavan to see his guru, Gopal Bhatta Gosvami, and he wanted his disciple Ramachandra Kaviraja to go with him, and so he sent a note to Narottama, “I am going on this pilgrimage, and I want my disciple Ramachandra to come with me.” Narottama was heartbroken that his intimate companion, friend, and associate was going. Ramachandra had to go; it was the order of his guru. And after Ramachandra left, Narottama became internally absorbed. When they were in Vrindavan, Srinivasa Acharya left his body, entered into samadhi, and almost immediately after that Ramachandra Kaviraja also entered into samadhi.

When the news came back to Narottama dasa Thakura’s disciples in Kheturi, they were in a great dilemma. They had to inform Narottama that Ramachandra had entered into samadhi, but at the same time they knew that if they informed him, he would also enter into samadhi. So it was very difficult for them, but they had an obligation. Their guru would want to know, and he would be angry if they didn’t inform him. So they informed him, and predictably he felt completely lost in the absence of his dear friend and associate. He entered into samadhi, and so, full of woe, his disciples started to prepare the funeral pyre. It’s interesting that they wanted to cremate his body, because usually a spiritual master was placed in samadhi.

Devotee: I think that I remember hearing a story that actually he told them to bury him.

Giriraj Swami: Sometimes they did it because they were afraid that the Muslims would come and desecrate the remains.

Sri Prahlada dasa: Anyway, they were placing his body unto the funeral pyre, and some caste brahmans came and started saying, “Just see this Narottama; he made such an offense of initiating brahmans, and now the Lord has punished him justly by killing him.” They were speaking in this way, and the disciples were so hurt hearing this harsh criticism of their guru. Ganganarayana Cakravarti and the other disciples started to pray: “Dear Narottama dasa Thakura, this person is there criticizing; surely they are paving their way to hell. Will you not give them your mercy? Will you not deliver them?” Very elevated prayer, rather than thinking, “Will you not kill them or punish them?” And so Narottama he came back to life, sat up on the funeral pyre, got down, and initiated those brahmans. They paid their obeisances to him and completely surrendered to him, and he initiated them. But still he was bereaving the loss, the departure, of Ramachandra Kaviraja, and so some time later he was taking bath in the Padma River with his disciples and instructed them, “I want you to pour water over me and don’t stop.” And so they poured water over him and he started to melt, to turn to milk actually, and as they were pouring he was dissolving, and so it was impossible for them, that “Here we are the ones who are causing him, our guru, to disappear, at the same time we have been ordered not to stop.” And so, with tears in their eyes, they continued to pour the sacred water over him, and their guru was dissolving, turning into milk. Someone took a lota of that milk, and so if you go to Kheturi to this day, you can see the temple with his deities, who were installed during the Gaura-purnima festival, and you can also see the dudh-samadhi of Narottama dasa Thakura where that milk was placed into samadhi and a memorial was constructed.

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura ki jaya!

[A lecture by Sri Prahlada Dasa, October 26, 2002, Carpinteria, California]

Appearing as the son of a king, Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura (Shri Thakura Mahasaya) showed all the bodily symptoms of a mahapurusha (an exalted divine person). He had long arms, a deep navel, golden-complexion, beautiful eyes shaped like lotus petals.

In school, he was a sruti dhara (able to memorise whatever he hears) Although he quickly mastered Sanskrit and the Vedas, he hankered to serve Krishna. He was a lifelong brahmachari.

By the mercy of the Holy Name Gaura-Nitai, Narottama became detached, left his opulent family, and ran to Vrindavana. He took diksha from Shri Lokanatha Goswami and siksha in Gaudiya philosophy from Shri Jiva Goswami.

After visiting all of Gauranga’s pastime places in Gaura Mandala, Narottama Dasa did the same in Shri Kshetra Dhama (Jagannatha Puri). Then he went to see the Devotees and Shri Chaitanya’s pastime spots in Shantipura, Shri Khanda, Kanthak Nagar, Ekachakra, and Kheturi Gram.

In Kheturi, Shri Narottama Dasa Thakura arranged the famous Kheturi Mahotsava. This was the first “Gaura-Purnima” festival to honor the divine appearance day of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. During the festival six Deities were installed: Shri Gauranga Deva, Shri Vallabhi Kanta, Shri Vraja Mohana, Shri Krishna, Shri Radha Kanta, Shri Radha Ramana.     .

With his sweet voice Narottama Dasa began a wonderful kirtana. His chanting filled the heavens, and brought down tears of prema from the eyes of the Devotees, who were all sporting in the ocean of ecstasy.

“In the midst of their kirtana, the munificent Shri Chaitanya Himself and all His personal associates appeared and joined in the sankirtana. Like a flash of lightning in the midst of a mass of beautiful blue clouds, Shri Chaitanya Himself appeared in the crowd of Devotees through a divine manifestation.” (Bhakti-ratnakar)

Narottama Dasa Thakura wrote many devotional songs about the spiritual master, the Devotees, devotional service, the six Goswamis, Gaura-Nityananda and Radha-Krishna.

Although composed with sweet melodies in simple Bengali language, Narottama Dasa’s songs give shastric siddhanta and devotional inspiration. Shrila Prabhupada often sang these bhajanas. Considering them non-different from Vedic shastra, He quoted them in his Bhagavatam lectures. Prarthana and Prema-bhakti-chandrika are Narottama’s most famous works.

Narottama Dasa serves Shrimati Radhika as Chamaka-manjari. His samadhi is in Radha Gokulananda’s Temple courtyard.

A glimpse into Kartik 2026 at ISKCON Vrindavan — capturing the sacred atmosphere, devotees, temple life, and beautiful moments of this special month in Vrindavan Dham. These photographs offer a small window into the joy, devotion, and spiritual energy of Kartik in Vrindavan, where every day brings opportunities to remember Krishna and deepen our connection with the devotees and the holy Dham.

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Mayapur Academy formally inaugurated its International Diploma in Deity Worship on October 23, 2026, welcoming students from around the world for systematic training in Deity worship. According to the Academy’s Facebook announcement, Jananivas Dasa, Pancaratna Dasa, and other senior devotees attended the inauguration, shared realizations, and offered encouragement and blessings to the incoming students. Established […]

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So these file cabinets here that are the photographic ones, they’re full of images that have been generated over the decades by the BBT. It started out as a simple file cabinet with just a few black and white pictures. The photographs were essentially generated for Back to Godhead magazine. So they were mostly in black and white and then later on as color was developed.

So in this area we have in the ISKCON pictures we have the magazines, the books, other publications that were used for the photographs.

There are log books that explain the data, the metadata on certain parts of the photographic collection. So it has expanded greatly from just a couple file cabinets to this many.

So the film needs to be preserved in a cool to freezing environment depending on the kind of film. We’ll see that last in the photo vault.

Here we have, for example, the art transparencies that were used for the books, and we’re re-leving them to something like this from something like this. You can see this is all dogeared and everything. So put it on pause while I put it back.

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Nitya Trpta DD shows how she handles Prabhupada's legacy, Transcript Follow along using the transcript. Show transcript Charles Payne 18 subscribers Videos About Show less

After installing our new commercial freezer/ refrigerator to preserve the original images of Srila Prabhupada and early ISKCON, the Bhakti- vedanta Archives now needs a backup power generator to maintain temperature and humidity control. A 200-amp SE-rated automatic transfer switch will disengage the main power supply, allowing the generator to take over if the main power supply is interrupted (power outage). The genera- tor will run on propane from our already installed 500-gallon tank.

The article by Dr. Nitaisevini Mataji explores the importance of respecting the trust someone places in us when they share their weaknesses or struggles. It offers valuable insights into compassion, confidentiality, and the responsibility we have to protect others’ trust and respond with kindness rather than judgment.