Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami

We have gathered at the lotus feet of the Pancha-tattva on this most auspicious occasion of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s cida-dadhi festival. The background to this incident can be found in the early life of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. His uncle and father, Hiranya and Govardhana Majumadara, were wealthy landlords in Bengal—almost like kings—and had a […]

Today I heard Srila Prabhupada’s talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.34–35, September 28, 1976, Vrindavan, and in the wake of George Floyd’s recent death, caused by the police, and the subsequent riots, the following excerpt seemed especially relevant and poignant: “Kshatriya . . . Kshat means injury. And trayate, to deliver. Kshatriya’s duty is to save the […]

“Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (13.9) that the real sufferings of the material world are four—janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi (birth, death, old age and disease). In the history of the world, no one has been successful in conquering these miseries imposed by material nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. Nature (prakrti) is so strong that no one can overcome […]

Amrtera Tarangini Canto 2 ch 6
H.H. Giriraj Swami and ISKCON devotees all over world
Posted by Balimardana Das on Saturday, May 30, 2020

“While teaching Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru-krishna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija: one can achieve the seed of devotional service by the mercy of the guru, the spiritual master, and then by the mercy of Krishna. This is the secret of success. First one should try to please the spiritual master, and then one should attempt […]

“This material world is certified by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita as a dangerous place full of calamities. Less intelligent persons prepare plans to adjust to those calamities without knowing that the nature of this place is itself full of calamities. They have no information of the abode of the Lord, which is full of […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12. “Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaisnava thinking, Vaikuntha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, […]

“This material world is certified by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita as a dangerous place full of calamities. Less intelligent persons prepare plans to adjust to those calamities without knowing that the nature of this place is itself full of calamities. They have no information of the abode of the Lord, which is full of […]

My beloved, exalted disciple Kamala devi dasi left her body in Mauritius two days ago. Everything about her departure was auspicious, and her consciousness was fixed on Goloka Vrindavan. She was ably assisted in her final journey by HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami, Karunika dasi, Vrajesvari dasi, Manasi Ganga dasi, Arcana Siddhi dasi, and her […]

Hearing Srila Prabhupada speak about why danger is required, I thought of the coronavirus pandemic. In a talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.33, April 25, 1973, Los Angeles, Prabhupada said: “We have got natural devotion. Just like father and son, there is natural affection. The son has got natural devotion to the father, mother. Similarly, we have […]

My dear Indradyumna Swami Maharaja, Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. And all glories to your service. I could speak for many days about your service to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and for many hours about how you have helped me personally. But today I […]

Even when there is duty, we have to see what will be the effect of the duty. Not everything should be done very blindly. This is devotee. Devotee means he’s not blind. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. (SB 5.18.12) [“All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge, and […]

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“Want to Chant – Special Sunday Feast with HH Giriraja Swami (Part 1 of Blissing our Bhakti series) “Want to Chant – Special Sunday Feast with HH Giriraja Swami (Part 1 of Blossoming our Bhakti series) – SB 2.1.11 Posted by AVCC – Iskcon of Round Rock on Sunday, May 17, 2020 Audio Want to […]

Posted by Giriraj Swami on Saturday, May 16, 2020

 
Posted by Giriraj Swami on Saturday, May 16, 2020

“Burning to ask my question, I raised my hand. “There are so many swamis and yogis,” I began, “and each recommends a different process of self-realization, and each says that his is the best. So how do I know which is actually best?” Prabhupada responded, “What is your goal? Do you want to serve God, […]

Giriraj Swami read from and spoke on the teachings of Queen Kunti—Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25. “The duty of the sane person, therefore, is to be undisturbed by worldly calamities, which are sure to happen in all circumstances. Suffering all sorts of unavoidable misfortunes, one should make progress in spiritual realization because that is the mission of human […]

Today marks the completion of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta by Srila Krishnadasa Gosvami, four hundred and five years ago, at Radha-kunda. At the end of the Madhya-lila (25.277–279), Srila Krishnadasa Gosvami writes: “The devotees who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu take the responsibility for distributing nectarean devotional service all over the […]

We continue our discussion of the conversation between Sri Ramananada Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ramananda-samvada, recorded in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.” TEXT 1 sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe   sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais   taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati TRANSLATION Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the […]

Today is an auspicious day in Krishna consciousness. Of course, every day is auspicious in Krishna consciousness. When we first arrived in India, in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada was invited to a program on the lawn of an aristocratic gentleman’s house. Most of us went ahead, and Srila Prabhupada followed with a few disciples. When we […]

Giriraj Swami read from and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12 (Right click to download)

Giriraj Swami read from and spoke on the teachings of Queen Kunti—Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.42. “Perfection of pure devotional service is attained when all attention is diverted towards the transcendental loving service of the Lord. To cut off the tie of all other affections does not mean complete negation of the finer elements, like affection for someone […]

“There are very exalted spiritual understandings in Krishna consciousness. They are not fictional, imaginary, or concocted. They are facts, and every devotee can have the privilege to understand and indeed take part in Krishna’s pastimes if he is actually advanced. We should not think that the privilege given to Mother Yasoda is not available to […]

Giriraj Swami spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.19.
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Sri Nrsimha-caturdasi talk (Right click to download)

Today is very auspicious for many reasons. One reason is that today is Candana-yatra. It is also Sri Madhavendra Puri’s appearance day. So, I thought to read about Sri Madhavendra Puri’s pure devotional service and how he brought candana for the Deity of Gopala and ultimately offered it to the Deity of Gopinatha, who is […]

We shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Five, Chapter Eighteen: “The Residents of Jambudvipa Offer Prayers,” from the series of prayers recited by Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrsimhadeva. Text 8 is a very important prayer, or mantra, and in it many words are repeated twice. When something is repeated twice, it gives great emphasis. For example, […]

The Passing of Arca Vigraha Devi Dasi by Daivi Sakti Devi Dasi Arca Vigraha Devi Dasi joined ISKCON in 1985. She was a successful artist who was disillusioned with material life and wanted an alternative. For a long time she searched for the truth, and she was finally satisfied when she met Srila Prabhupada’s devotees […]

Mother Arca-vigraha left this world in Vrindavan in 1994 on Jahnu-saptami, which is Wednesday, April 29, in America, and Thursday, April 30, in India.  In her last days, Mother Arca-vigraha gave me the inspiration and vision to establish the Bhaktivedanta Hospice in Vrindavan. She had been a prominent artist in South Africa, and she built […]

The day known as Aksaya-tritiya occurs on the third (tritiya) day of the waxing moon in the month of Vaisakha. Every second of this blessed day is completely auspicious, and so there is no consideration of any one period (muhurta) being better than another. Aksaya means “inexhaustible”; anything a person undertakes on the day of […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.19 while on a Zoom conference with devotees in Spain. “Through parental care, through remedies for different kinds of disease, and through means of protection on the water, in the air and on land, there is always an endeavor for relief from various kinds of suffering in […]

Today is the most auspicious occasion of Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s appearance day. As many of you know, Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself in the role of His own devotee. He is Krishna, but with the complexion and mood of Srimati Radharani. There are different purposes for the Lord’s advent. The internal reason for Lord Chaitanya’s […]

The time is very dangerous. And still, in this dangerous time . . . Just like in epidemic conditions where people are being contaminated and dying, still, the doctors appointed by the government have to go into the epidemic area and try to treat the persons and save them. Our duty is like that. The […]

Srila Prabhupada: Infected or disinfected. In the material world we are all infected. This is the disinfecting process: simply remembering Krishna—yah smaret pundarikaksam. This initiation is to teach how to always remember Vishnu and Krishna. As soon as we hear this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama […]

In Vrindavan, on September 13, 1975, Srila Prabhupada spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11: na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam “By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement […]

Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Dr. W. H. Wolf-Rottkay, June 18, 1975: Biological evolution is taking place on account of the soul’s desire. It takes place because of infection. If a man has smallpox virus, then he is subjected to smallpox. It is not that everyone is infected and everyone is attacked with smallpox disease. Only […]

My dear devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. During this pandemic I would like to invite you to chant with me every morning (my time), and sometimes in the evening, live on Facebook on a page called “Giriraj Swami Japa Sanga.” There is also a WhatsApp link, where I notify […]

For Balarama Rasa-yatra, we shall read from Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, called Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—about Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavan after He and Krishna had been away from Vrindavan for many years. In our meditation on the deity of the Lord, we begin from His lotus […]

What is called? A quarantine, quarantine. How you can violate the nature’s law? It is not possible. Nature’s law is so strict, a little deviation will put you into suffering. This is going on. That is Yamaraja. And if you violate more and more and more, then you suffer more and more and more. This […]