Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami begins at about 1:12:10.

Fifty-one years ago, on December 26, 1969, in Boston, Srila Prabhupada awarded me second initiation. He said, “Sucih means purified. And another meaning of sucih is brahman. A brahman means purified. Those who are going to be sacred-threaded today should remember that they are being accepted as sucih, as brahman. After chanting for six months […]

“Now these Christmas holidays have begun in your country. Throughout the whole month of December you’ll observe nice festivities. Why? It began with God consciousness. Jesus Christ came to give you God consciousness, and in relation to him these festivities are going on. It may have degraded into another form, but the beginning was God […]

Gita Jayanti is the day on which Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. The Gita is also known as the Gitopanisad and is considered one of the Upanisads. The title Bhagavad-gita is sometimes translated as “The Song of God.” Gita means “song.” God, Krishna, is so sublime that whatever He speaks is music and […]

In the West this is the holiday season, with Christmas and Hanukkah. As Srila Prabhupada explained, the Lord comes to this world to enlighten people with transcendental knowledge. Sometimes He comes personally, and sometimes He sends His son or His prophet or His representative, but they all come with the same message. They may speak […]

Tonight, my beloved disciple, “ISKCON’s Mother,” Rajani Priya Dasi (Rose Forkash), passed away in her home in Carpinteria, California. Three months ago we were pleased to celebrate her one hundredth birthday at my ashram. You can read about Rajani Priya—and hear from her—on my website: https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=16347 In a room conversation on January 20, 1977, in […]

Her Grace Yamuna-devi dasi passed away on December 20, 2011.  There is so much to be said about Srimati Yamuna-devi dasi. In October of 1970 I was one of a group of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from America going to join him in India. On the way, we stopped in Brussels, and it was there, in […]

Today is a red-letter day—I received an advance copy of my book about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu: I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story. The volume is beautiful, and I felt humbled by and grateful for all the help I received in this effort. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Yours in service, Giriraj […]

Gratitude
1.8.25 – HH Giriraj Swami
Posted by ISKCON of Phoenix on Sunday, December 6, 2020

On October 28, 1972, in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah   punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani   vidhunoti suhrt satam “Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of […]

If you can draw a little attention of Krishna, yat karunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam [Caitanya-candramrta 5]. Kataksa-vaibhavavatam, Prabodhananda Sarasvati says. If somehow or other you can draw a little attention of Krishna, your life is successful. Immediately. And how can you draw? Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Gita 18.55]: simply by serving Krishna. Take to the service of Krishna, as […]

We have again reached December, that most auspicious time of year when the book-distribution marathon takes place. In honor of the occasion, I quote two verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam that embody the devotee’s mood in distributing Krishna consciousness. naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas   tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah soce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyartha-   maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan “O best of the […]

My dear devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. In a letter to me dated December 1971, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “Go on increasing books, and go on increasing my pleasure.” December is a special opportunity to focus on Srila Prabhupada’s desire that we distribute books—and thus increase his pleasure. As he […]

I first met Mother Krsnanandini at the fortieth anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji in Dallas, on Sri Radhastami in September of 2012. She and her mother, Bhumata, were both initiated by Srila Prabhupada on Radhastami in 1972. At the anniversary, she shared wonderful memories of her meeting Srila Prabhupada in Dallas at […]

According to Vrinda-kunda Baba, Srimati Vrindadevi appeared on the full-moon night at the end of Kartik, or Damodara. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in Sri Vrndadevi-astaka (6-8), glorifies her: rasabhilaso vasatis ca vrnda- vane tvad-isanghri-saroja-seva labhya ca pumsam krpaya tavaiva vrnde namas te caranaravindam “By your mercy, people attain residence in Vrindavan, the desire to serve […]

https://www.facebook.com/100000291664876/videos/3873372486015769/

 If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God—for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and our very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and will, and to walk, talk, and sense—we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God’s […]

 
Posted by Giriraj Swami on Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Today in Carpinteria we celebrated the disappearance day of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. I prayed to him for three items most essential in Krishna consciousness—nama-ruci (taste for the holy name), jiva-daya (compassion for the conditioned souls), and vaisnava-seva (service to the Vaishnavas)—and I have full faith in his mercy. May he bless us all. […]

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a great devotee—a maha-bhagavata. He was a disciple of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and was very renounced. Earlier, he lived for many years in Vrindavan, roaming the twelve forests, chanting the holy names of Krishna, begging alms, and sleeping under […]

Giriraj Swami reads and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.15.1 “Lord Krsna wanted to encourage His cowherd boyfriends, who had been swallowed by Aghasura and then stolen by Lord Brahma. Therefore the Lord decided to bring them into the palm-tree forest called Talavana, where there were many delicious ripe fruits. Since Lord Krsna’s spiritual body had apparently […]

Today is Gopastami, the day on which Krishna and Balarama and other boys Their age, who previously had tended the calves, were given charge of the cows. This event is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.1): tatas ca pauganda-vayah-sritau vraje   babhuvatus tau pasu-pala-sammatau gas carayantau sakhibhih samam padair   vrndavanam punyam ativa cakratuh “When Lord Rama […]

Giriraj Swami begins about forty-three minutes into the program.
https://youtu.be/lIGReUoTTpg
 

Giriraj Swami begins about an hour and a half into the program.