Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami

The Power and Glory of the Holy Name
Giriraj Swami

Today I heard a wonderful talk in which Srila Prabhupada—and Srimad-Bhagavatam—glorified the chanting of the holy names. I was present when Srila Prabhupada gave the talk at the Ardha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad on January 31, 1971. Srila Prabhupada said, “The conclusion is: na vai sa narakam yati neksito yama-kinkaraih yady apy amangalo martyo visnu-loke mahiyate        […]

A Prayer at the End of Kartik
Giriraj Swami

During Kartik, along with reciting the Damodarastaka, I read about the damodara-lila in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapters 9 and 10, including Nalakuvara and Manigriva’s beautiful submission to Lord Krishna, which I pray will be my own: vani gunanukathane sravanau kathayam hastau ca karmasu manas tava padayor nah smrtyam siras tava nivasa-jagat-praname drstih satam darsane ’stu […]

Tolerate and Transcend
Giriraj Swami

Speaking on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.47 on January 22, 1975, in Juhu, Bombay, Srila Prabhupada appealed to us not to be preoccupied with the temporary miserable and happy conditions of life but to put a permanent end to the real problems of life and make our lives successful: “Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says personally, ‘These […]

Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami

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 […]

Duty Has To Be Done
Giriraj Swami

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” —Bhagavad-gita 2.14 In Los Angeles, on November 29, […]

Gopastami
Giriraj Swami

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 and Lord […]

Yoga Society of Greater Dallas, November 2, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

“The Lord created this material world to enable the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajnas (sacrifices) for the satisfaction of Vishu, so that while in the material world they can live very comfortably without anxiety, and after finishing the present material body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the […]

Unity in Variety, November 2, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12. “As members of ISKCON we all under the authority of Srila Prabhupada. We can serve Srila Prabhupada according to our individuality. But, the definition of devotional service is that it must be anukul—it must be favorable—and for our service to be favorable we have to know what […]

Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day: Srila Prabhupada’s Departure—Drawing Out Love
Giriraj Swami

I am very grateful to Srila Prabhupada for having brought me into your association. You are his sincere followers, and many of you have been serving him for decades, from when you read or heard about him or met him in person. Once, on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada said, “On the absolute […]

Govardhana-puja, Evening Program, October 28, Houston
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.7.32. “Children play with an umbrella generally known as a frog’s umbrella, and Lord Krishna, when He was only seven years old, could snatch the great hill known as the Govardhana Parvata at Vrndavan and hold it for seven days continuously with one hand, just to protect the […]

Govardhana-puja Morning Class, October 28, Houston
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila chapter 14 hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo yad rama-krishna-carana-sparasa-pramodah manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kanda-mulaih Translation “[Lord Caitanya said:] ‘Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krishna and Balarama, as well as Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, […]

Krishna Comes Under the Control of His Servant’s Pure Love, October 27, Houston
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.18-19. “Krishna is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. Nonetheless, He steals butter like one who is poverty-stricken. Yamaraja, the controller of all living entities, fears the order of Krishna, yet Krishna is afraid of His mother’s stick. These contradictions cannot be understood by one […]

Diwali Morning Class, October 27, Houston
Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.10. “One feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Ramacandra is omnipotence. The Lord can act without regard to material impediments or inconveniences, but to prove that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was not merely advertised as Godhead or elected by popular vote, He […]

Damodara-lila: Works and Grace
Giriraj Swami

“Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, quoting from the Vaisnava-tosani of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, says that the incident of Krsna’s breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by mother Yasoda took place on the Dipavali Day, or Dipa-malika. Even today in India, this festival is generally celebrated very gorgeously in the month of Kartika.” (SB 10.9.1–2 […]

Srila Prabhupada’s Faith in the Holy Name, October 25, Bhakti Urban Farm, Houston
Giriraj Swami

“While Srila Prabhupada was a grhastha working as a pharmacist, his godbrother —Professor L.B. Hari Kapoor, whose intitiated name was Adi Kesava Das—met Srila Prabhupada and asked him. ‘You know so many different formulas. Do you know the formula for love of God?’ And Srila Prabhupada answered. ‘Yes, I do.’ Professor Kapoor asked. ‘Can you […]

Krishna Agrees to be Bound by the Love of His Devotee, October 24, Houston
Giriraj Swami

“When mother Yasoda and the other ladies finally saw that Krishna, although decorated with many bangles and other jeweled ornaments, could not be bound with all the ropes available in the house, they decided that Krishna was so fortunate that He could not be bound by any material condition. Thus they gave up the idea […]

Sri Rama-ekadasi, October 24, Houston
Giriraj Swami

“I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramatma feature, is always sitting […]

Krishna Comes Under the Control of His Devotees, October 20, Houston
Giriraj Swami

————————– Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.19. “Krishna is always fully independent; when He becomes subordinate to His devotees, this is a display of ananda-cinmaya-rasa, the humor of transcendental qualities that increases His transcendental pleasure. Everyone worships Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He sometimes desires to be controlled by […]

Immediate Relief, All Auspiciousness
Giriraj Swami

The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1, “Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service,” states, “Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress.” And Srila Prabhupada, in a talk in Vrindavan on November 3, 1972, explained, “ ‘Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress.’ There is a song of […]

Dallas to Houston and Back
Giriraj Swami

Tomorrow I will drive to Houston, where I will stay for two weeks, including Rama-ekadasi, Thursday, October 24; Dipavali, Sunday, October 27; and Govardhana-puja, Monday, October 28. On Tuesday, October 29, I will return to Dallas, for Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day on Thursday, October 31—and to catch my return flight to Santa Barbara on Tuesday, […]

Vyasa-puja Celebration for His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami, October 13, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

——————- “Before coming here I thought of a verse of the Bhagavad-gita that describes you and because you are such an avid reader and preacher of Bhagavad-gita I would like to offer this to you.” “One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a […]

Sri Murari Gupta’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami

Today is Sri Murari Gupta’s disappearance day. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 10.49–51, describes him: TEXT 49 sri-murari gupta sakha—premera bhandara prabhura hrdaya drave suni’ dainya yanra TRANSLATION Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the tree of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was a storehouse of love of Godhead. His great humility and meekness melted the heart of Lord […]

Kartik and Sarat-purnima: Special Mercy and the Dance of Divine Love
Giriraj Swami

We welcome you to this most auspicious place, the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath, on the most auspicious occasion of the beginning of Kartik, in the most auspicious association of Lord Krishna’s devotees. Kartik is also known as the month of Damodara (dama means “ropes,” and udara means “abdomen”), or Krishna who allowed Himself to […]

This Is the Bhagavata
Giriraj Swami

Today I heard a beautiful talk by Srila Prabhupada, Los Angeles, January 5, 1974, on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.8, which says, “Living beings who are under [Yamaraja’s] grip should take advantage by hearing the deathless nectar in the form of this narration of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.” And Srila Prabhupada glorified Srimad-Bhagavatam and the importance […]

Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami
Giriraj Swami

Today is the auspicious disappearance day of three great acharyas in the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradaya: Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, and Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami. We shall read about Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami from Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter Thirteen: “Pastimes with Jagadananda Pandita and Raghunatha Bhatta.” TEXT 89 […]