Today is the auspicious disappearance day of Sri Madhavendra Puri, the grand spiritual master of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri’s disciple Isvara Puri was accepted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as His spiritual master. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Himself the origin of all knowledge—all perfect, Vedic knowledge—and He had no need […]
Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami
Srila Madhavendra Puri’s Disappearance Day
Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja comes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession after Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. He was a renounced ascetic, fully engaged in chanting the holy names of Krishna and meditating on the pastimes of Krishna. For some time he made his residence at Surya-kunda in Vraja-dhama, near the […]
Shiva-ratri
Giriraj Swami
Today is Shiva-ratri. Vaishnavas generally do not celebrate Shiva-ratri, and to begin, I will explain why, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita. We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 7: “Knowledge of the Absolute”: TEXT 23 antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta yanti mam api TRANSLATION Men of […]
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11, Initiations, Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England
Giriraj Swami
Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Program at the Home of Subeksana Dasi and Samarpitatma Dasa, Barnet, London
Giriraj Swami
Sri Isvara Puri’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Today is the disappearance day of Sri Isvara Puri. He was such a perfect disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna Himself, was pleased to accept him as His spiritual master. Later, Lord Chaitanya visited Isvara Puri’s birthplace at Kumara-hatta and collected some earth from the birth site, which He kept […]
Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Program at Priya Radha Dasi’s Home, Northwood, London
Giriraj Swami
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Traveling with Srila Prabhupada in India, Madras, at the Bhakti Centre, Harrow, London
Giriraj Swami
Bhagavad-gita 3.10, Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England
Giriraj Swami
Talk on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Day, ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Sri Prahlada Dasa: Today is the holy appearance day of our grandfather or great grandfather spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. On Giriraj Maharaja’s instruction, I will attempt to say something about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s history and share my realizations regarding his contribution and mood. I pray for the mercy of the Vaishnavas that […]
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.3, NVCC, ISKCON Pune
Giriraj Swami
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.10-11, Sri Sri Radha-Kunjabihari Temple, ISKCON Pune, Camp
Giriraj Swami
Questions and Answers, Bhaktivedanta Model School, ISKCON NVCC, Pune
Giriraj Swami
Lord Nityananda’s Mercy, Sri Nityananda-trayodasi, NVCC, ISKCON Pune
Giriraj Swami
Sri Nityananda-trayodasi
Giriraj Swami
We welcome you on this most auspicious occasion of the appearance day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. According to the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the Absolute Truth is realized in three features. Preliminary is Brahman, the impersonal light that emanates from the transcendental form of the Lord. Next is Paramatma, the localized Supersoul within the […]
Sri Varaha-dvadasi
Giriraj Swami
Today is Varaha-dvadasi, the appearance day of the boar incarnation, Varahadeva. To celebrate His appearance, we shall read one verse about Him from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven: “Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions.” TEXT 1 brahmovaca yatrodyatah ksiti-taloddharanaya bibhrat kraudim tanum sakala-yajna-mayim […]
Brahmachari Class, Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.1-10, ISKCON Pune
Giriraj Swami
Sripada Ramanujacharya’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Today is the disappearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, […]
In Anticipation of Lord Nityananda’s Appearance Day, ISKCON Andheri East, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23, ISKCON-Juhu, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Sripada Madhvacharya’s Disappearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Today is Sripada Madhvacharya’s disappearance day. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 9, describes him: TEXT 245 madhvacarya-sthane aila yanha ‘tattvavadi’ udupite ‘krsna’ dekhi, tahan haila premonmadi TRANSLATION Caitanya Mahaprabhu next arrived at Udupi, the place of Madhvacarya, where the philosophers known as Tattvavadis resided. There He saw the Deity of Lord Krsna and became mad with […]
Bhagavad-gita 3.10, Khar Satsang Center, Khar, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Sri Advaita Acharya’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami
We are gathered here to celebrate the appearance day of Sri Advaita Acharya. Advaita Acharya is an incarnation of Maha-vishnu. In terms of pastimes, He appeared before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did and thus was considered by Him to be an elder. He was actually older than Lord Chaitanya’s own father. Advaita Acharya, although Vishnu Himself, […]
Meeting with Devotees, Raseshwar and Ladli Radha’s Home, Oshiwara, Andheri (W), Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Valentine’s Day Message—The Love That Satisfies
Giriraj Swami
Today, February 14, Saint Valentine’s Day, I was struck when Srila Prabhupada, at the conclusion of his class on Sri Isopanisad, spoke about love—the love that Krishna wants and the love that will satisfy us: “Any religion—it doesn’t matter whether Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion—if you are developing love of God, then you are […]
Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami
Today is the appearance day of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and many other acharyas and associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was born in a very aristocratic family in Bengal. His father and uncle, Govardhana and Hiranya Mazumdar, were wealthy landlords, or zamindars; they were almost like kings in opulence. But although […]
Reading from *Dancing White Elephants: Traveling with Srila Prabhupada in India, August 1970 to March 1972*, Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mira Road, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11, The Doubtless and Fearless Way of Success for All, ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai
Giriraj Swami
Installation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Lotus Feet, ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai, February 7, 2024
Giriraj Swami
A Philosophical Dream
Giriraj Swami
A few evenings ago HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I gave class together at ISKCON Juhu. During the questions and answers, a devotee asked, “How can I recognize a pure devotee?” and in response I quoted Srila Prabhupada’s reply to a letter from Tusta Krishna dasa asking about pure devotees: “We advise everyone to address […]
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23, ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai, February 4
Giriraj Swami
Offenseless Chanting of the Holy Name, Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11, ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai, February 3
Giriraj Swami
Joint Class by Jayapataka Swami and Giriraj Swami at ISKCON Juhu, February 2, 2024
Giriraj Swami
Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami
For Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day, I thought to read a verse and purport about him from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter Ten, “The Branches of the Caitanya Tree”: TEXT 105 sri gopala bhatta eka sakha sarvottama rupa-sanatana-sange yanra prema-alapana TRANSLATION Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches […]