Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami

A talk by Giriraj Swami on October 24, 2011, in Vrindavan. In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that the pastimes of Lord Caitanya are like a lake with many beautiful lotus flowers, which are love for Krsna—Radha and Krsna. As our acaryas tell us, the Caitanya-caritamrta is perhaps the most important of all the books […]

Today marks Sri Rama-vijaya-dasami (Dasara), the day on which Lord Ramachandra vanquished the powerful tyrant Ravana. As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.25): vaksah-sthala-sparsa-rugna-mahendra-vaha- dantair vidambita-kakubjusa udha-hasam sadyo ’subhih saha vinesyati dara-hartur visphurjitair dhanusa uccarato ’dhisainye  “When Ravana was engaged in the battle, the trunk of the elephant which carried the king of heaven, Indra, broke in […]

“It is very encouraging to see devotees begin the process and stay with the process for decades. I can see from this assembly that we are extending ourselves to others. The only way our family is to grow is if we extend ourselves. That is good for us and for the people to whom we […]

————————— Ravindra Svarupa prabhu spoke and Giriraj Swami sang during this program. “Then there are Carbon atoms and they form complicated structures and at a certain level of complexity something else happens in the world and there are no longer just complex structures of matter but there is the experience of complex structures of matter. What is […]

“Once a devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, ‘I want to renounce everything.’ Srila Prabhupada’s response was, ‘Krishna owns everything. The only thing you have to renounce is the misconception that you have something to renounce.’ Essentially sannyasa means to give up our false-ego—ahankar; the desire to be the controller, the proprietor and the enjoyer. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu […]

The following devotees spoke in appreciation of Giriraj Swami: Gaudachandra dasa, Aditi dasi, Purusottama Ksetra dasa, Revati dasi, Sri Vallabha dasa, Madhava, Balarama dasa, Tulsi Manjari devi dasi, Sukumari dasi, Bhaktin Andrea, Bhakta Jared, Swarup Damodar dasa, Bhakta Rob, Rajani Priya devi dasi, Abhay, Radha Radhanatha devi dasi, Kandarpa Manjari devi dasi, Kunti devi dasi, […]

Today is Visvarupa-mahotsava, the date on which Lord Caitanya’s older brother, Visvarupa, took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. And on the same date some four hundred and fifty years later, our own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, also accepted sannyasa. According to Vedic scripture, Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, come […]

Today is the disappearance day of Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura, so we shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter Eleven, “The Passing of Haridasa Thakura”: The summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya as follows. In this chapter it is described how Brahma Haridasa Thakura gave up his body […]

“So we have a great responsibility.  when we think of all the sacrifices that Srila Prabhupada made, and all the risks he took to come to America and deliver Krishna consciousness to us, I get great inspiration in my own efforts and I think that anyone of us will feel the same. How much he […]

“Radha means the embodiment of wanting to please. In various sastras they describe that the essence of Her reality is that she wants to please. She is non-different than Krishna. It’s like if you have a rose with fragrance and color and the various potencies of the rose—Radha is the color, Radha is the fragrance, Radha […]

“When Sri Krishna sees the beauty of Sri Radha sometimes His crown and peacock feather fall off and He doesn’t even know it. When Sri Radha is touched by the breeze that has touched Sri Krishna Her consciousness just flies with that breeze. When She sees the color of a Tamal tree She embraces it. There […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.7.44. “One should endeavor for that which is never obtained by wandering up and down the universe as a result of the reactions of karma. What is that? One should endeavor to become Krsna conscious. If one tries to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world, he should […]

Many senior devotees including: Trivikrama Swami, Jagat Purusa Dasa, Jayadvaita Swami, Romapada Swami, Radhanatha Swami, Guru Gauranga Dasa, Niranjana Swami, Anuttama Dasa, Visaka Dasi, Nava Yogendra Dasa, Cintamani Dasi, Maha Visnu Swami, Anuttama Dasa, Ambarisha Dasa, Gopasvami Dasa, Sumati Dasi, Rukmini Devi Dasi, Rangavati Dasi, Sarva Siddhi Dasa, Svayam Prabha Devi Dasi and Giriraj Swami shared their accounts of how they were personally effected by Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the USA. “I was standing out front […]

To commemorate the anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America, we shall sing and discuss the second poem that he wrote on the ship Jaladuta, after he arrived in the Boston harbor on September 17, 1965. Poem [translation]: 1: My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not […]

By some higher arrangement, I will be joining His Holiness Radhanath Swami for saintly Amala Bhakta Prabhu’s sannyasa ceremony today—the first sannyasa initiation in New Dvaraka in more than three decades. Then tomorrow morning Radhanath Swami and I will fly together from Los Angeles to Boston for the fiftieth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in […]

“Then Srila Prabhupada said that he never complained, because his policy was, “Everything for Krsna; nothing for myself.” He mentioned how he had suffered in so many ways in the course of establishing the Krsna consciousness movement; he had struggled to get passage to America and then on the way suffered two heart attacks at […]

Giriraj Swami spoke about Krishna’s qualities and answered questions during the program. “From the musical perspective Krishna’s flute playing even bewilders Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma is the most intelligent being in the universe. He is so intelligent that he engineered the whole universe and everything in it. Still, he could not wrap his mind around the melodies […]

Giriraj Swami and Vaisesika dasa read from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead during the festivities. “The art of focusing one’s attention on the Supreme and giving one’s love to Him is called Krsna consciousness. We have inaugurated the Krsna consciousness movement so that everyone can satisfy his propensity for loving others simply by directing his […]

My dear Srila Prabhupada, Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Loving Grace and to your auspicious arrival in America. At this time your devotees and admirers are reflecting upon your momentous departure from India and your historic arrival in America some fifty years […]

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Two: “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb.” TEXT 18 tato jagan-mangalam acyutamsam samahitam sura-sutena devi dadhara sarvatmakam atma-bhutam kastha yathananda-karam manastah SYNONYMS tatah–thereafter; jagat-mangalam–auspiciousness for all living entities in all the universes of the creation; acyuta-amsam–the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never bereft […]

“In whatever way we want to serve, we can pray to Lord Balarama to facilitate that service, because He serves in every possible way. And apart from the external features of the service, there is the mood of the service, which is most important. We should pray to serve without any false ego or ulterior […]

Today is Balarama Purnima. “One cannot attain the supreme platform of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarama. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarama, or Sankarsana. Balarama, or Sankarsana, is the source of spiritual power, or the original spiritual master. Therefore Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is also the incarnation of Balarama, […]

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one of the most confidential servants of Lord Caitanya. Their intimate relationship is beautifully described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 19.120-121): yah prag eva priya-guna-ganair gadha-baddho ‘pi mukto   gehadhyasad rasa iva paro murta evapy amurtah premalapair drdhatara-parisvanga-rangaih prayage   tam sri-rupam samam anupamenanujagraha devah “From the very beginning, […]

At her initiation ceremony yesterday, Rose Forkash received the name Rajani-priya dasi. Rajani is a name of Durga, an expansion of Srimati Radharani, who is the divine, universal mother. Rajani was also the name of Srila Prabhupada’s mother. Priya means “dear” or “dear to,” and dasi means “servant” or “servant of.” During the ceremony, Rtadhvaja […]

Rose Forkash was initiated by Giriraj Swami and given the name Rajani Priya dasi at 94 years of age. “I was looking at you and Sam looking at each other so lovingly and I asked. ‘You have been together for sixty five years and you are so full of love. What is the secret to […]

Brahmananda prabhu said that his only qualification was that whatever Prabhupada asked him to do he would say yes. Even if he couldn’t do it he would say yes. So, Srila Prabhupada agreed that he should leave Africa and go ahead with the project in Juhu beach. About one month later Brahmananda prabhu left Africa and went to […]

Yesterday, August 13, 2015, marked fifty years since Srila Prabhupada embarked on his momentous, historic voyage from India, Calcutta, to America, Boston and then New York. Although he came by himself, he did not come “empty-handed.” As he explained in his rooms at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavan in Karttika 1972: “It was in Vrindaban […]

Yesterday the first printed copies of the Hebrew edition of my book Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective were received from the printer in Israel. Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the Global Jewish Advocacy and International President of the World Conference of Religions for Peace—a renowned figure […]

“A Thunder bird will only drink water from the cloud. In India it is called a Chatak bird. Sometimes the cloud doesn’t give water but gives thunder and lightning but still the Chatak bird will not go anywhere else for water. So, the example is given that a devotee will take mercy only from Krishna. He does […]

Today is Guru-purnima. Srila Prabhupada has explained that the system of honoring the spiritual master is current in all sections of Vedic followers. In the Mayavadi (impersonalist) sects, disciples offer respect to the spiritual master once in a year, on Guru-purnima. And in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, disciples also offer homage annually—on the appearance day of […]

Today we will travel with Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in procession, and we will chant the holy names of the Lord and dance for His pleasure. So we shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Thirteen: “The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yatra.” TEXT 1 sa jiyat krsna-caitanyah sri-rathagre nanarta yah yenasij jagatam […]

We pray to Lord Jagannatha, hara tvam samsaram druta-taram asaram sura-pate hara tvam papanam vitatim aparam yadava-pate aho dine ‘nathe nihita-carano niscitam idam jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me “O Lord of the demigods, please quickly remove this useless material existence I am undergoing. O Lord of the Yadus, please destroy this vast, shoreless ocean of […]

We continue our discussion of the cleansing of the heart, again from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Twelve, “The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple”: TEXT 135 ei-mata puradvara-age patha yata sakala sodhila, taha ke varnibe kata SYNONYMS ei-mata—in this way; pura-dvara—of the gateway of the temple; age—in front; patha yata—as many avenues; sakala—all; sodhila—were cleansed; taha—that; […]

The observance of Gundica-marjana, the washing and cleansing of the Gundica temple, takes place on the day before Ratha-yatra, in preparation for the arrival of the Lord. The history of Ratha-yatra goes back thousands of years, to a previous age, but for us, the specific significance of the Ratha-yatra and the cleaning of the Gundica […]

As the most sacred month of Purusottama draws to a close, our minds turn toward Purusottama-ksetra, Jagannatha Puri, and the celebration of the Ratha-yatra and other related festivals there. Jaya Jagannatha! —Giriraj Swami Ratha-yatra Address 4.13.13 Dallas

Today, on the holy Parama Ekadasi day, in the sacred Purusottama month, I fulfilled the Vedic injunction to take bath by sprinkling water from the Pacific Ocean in Carpinteria on my head, remembering Srila Prabhupada at Juhu Beach during Purusottama-adhika-masa. As described by Dr. C. P. Patel in a Back to Godhead magazine article: “I […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.14. “Even after liberation the disciple depends on the instructions of the spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada gives the example of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who said to His spiritual master, Srila Isvara Puri. ‘I have been following your instruction to chant the holy names but I have become overwhelmed by different […]