Author Archives: H.H. Giriraj Swami

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.18. “Everybody is offering Krishna prayers and worship, and He appreciates it and accepts it. But He enjoys more when He forgets that He is God and reciprocates with intimate, confidential associates who also forget that He is God. This is the special feature of Vrindavan. In His […]

“There were two factors that combined to allow Mother Yasoda to bind Lord Krishna: one was her hard labor, and the other was Krishna’s mercy. The acharyas explain that when these two elements combine — the devotee’s hard labor and Krishna’s mercy — Krishna allows Himself to be bound by His devotee.” Binding Lord Damodara

In Dallas devotees are distributing full sets of Srila Prabhupada’s books and installing them in people’s homes with a ceremony that includes chanting mantras and offering flowers (puspanjali). On October 10, I was fortunate to participate in the installation in the new house of Sarvajaya Madhava dasa and his family, and I spoke on the following verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.40): […]

“In the Vedanta Sutras, the Absolute Truth is defined as janmady asya yatah — that from which everything emanates. And Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the same line: janmady asya yatah. So, what is that from which everything emanates? This is a very important question, because according to our origin, we can understand the purpose of our existence. Srimad-Bhagavatam explains in detail that […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.2 during the morning class. “Our acharyas say, krsnaika-sarana—one should take exclusive shelter of Krishna. If one has that one qualification, even if he is lacking in the other twenty-five, he is to be considered a devotee, or sadhu. And to criticize such a devotee is an offense: sadhu-ninda. […]

“Giriraj Swami spoke at the ‘Simple Living, High Thinking’ gathering in Houston, a regular program for seekers who want to learn about Krishna consciousness. After his talk—and many questions and answers—Giriraj Swami led an ecstatic kirtan during which everyone present danced very joyously.” —Nila Madhava dasa First Kirtan Talk Second Kirtan

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 4.2 at a program at Krishna Priya dasi’s home. “The impersonal speculators say that in Sanskrit ‘Krishna’ means black, that black means unknown, and that unknown means unknowable—and then there is no Krishna: He’s gone; He’s completely disappeared! We want to avoid that. We want Krishna. Especially in […]

————————— Student: How was Krishna made? How did He come? Giriraj Swami: Listen very carefully, because this is a very difficult subject. There are two kinds of realities: material and spiritual. Material things have a beginning and an end, and spiritual things have no beginning and no end. A very important book describes Krishna as anadir […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 9.151, during the Sunday program. “Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart, and if one desires something, Krishna fulfills one’s desire. If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Krishna consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Krishna, who is […]

“Serving you and learning how to serve you is all in the details of that service. Making sure that everything is done very properly. Making sure that everything is done very carefully. And being very conscious. Learning to serve you properly helps us become very conscious. And the whole Krishna consciousness process is meant to […]

Post by Palika Devi Dasi. Vyasa-puja Address by Giriraj Swami Appreciations: Rtadhvaja Swami (read) Bhakti Charu Swami (read) Guru Prasada Swami (read) Partha Sarathi Das Goswami (read) Nityananda dasa Syamasundara dasa Balarama dasa (TKG) Sarvabhauma dasa Rasikendra dasa Guru Bhakti dasi Visnupriya dasi Ananjay Chaitanya dasa Advaita Chandra dasa Aashish Pandya Abhay Charan Chaitanya Charan dasa […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.15 at Damodar’s birthday celebration. sa vai bhagavato raja pandaveyo maha-rathah bala-kridanakaih kridan krana-kridam ya adade TRANSLATION Maharaja Pariksit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Krsna by imitating […]

The Vyasa-puja celebration for Giriraj Swami will be held in Houston on Saturday, September 27, starting at 9:30 AM CDT  (7:30 AM PDT, 10:30 AM EDT). Devotees can watch live at: iskconhouston.org Schedule: Deity greeting/guru-puja 7:00 – 7:45 Srimad-Bhagavatam class 7:45 – 9:00 Breakfast 9:00 – 9:30 Greeting Maharaj/kirtan 9:30 – 9:45 Welcome 9:45 – 10:00 Footbathing […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from The Nectar of Instruction (Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrta): ” ‘Diksa, or spiritual initiation, is explained in the Bhakti-sandarbha (868) by Srila Jiva Gosvami: divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sankshayam tasmad dikseti sa prokta desikais tattva-kovidaih “By diksa one gradually becomes disinterested in material enjoyment and gradually becomes interested in spiritual […]

Giriraj Swami spoke during the Sunday program in Tucson. “We got to Harvard Square and I let the devotees out the car. Then I suddenly realized. ‘I don’t know how to find them. I don’t know where their ashram is’. So I stopped the car, jumped out and caught up with the devotees. As the […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23. “Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krsna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.18. “Anyone from any part of the world who becomes well conversant in the science of Krsna becomes a pure devotee and a spiritual master for the general mass of people and may reclaim them by purification of heart. Though a person be even the most sinful man, […]

The following is adapted from Google’s invitation to the talk: People usually try to avoid death—both the topic and the event. And why should we contemplate death and dying—how can we profit? As a friend of our speaker said shortly before his death, “When you get this close to death, you see that it is […]

Giriraj Swami and Vaisesika Dasa spoke and accepted disciples during the ceremony. “The spiritual master goes from place to place speaking about Krishna and in that way captures the soul. Then the person who becomes inspired by that spiritual master captures him by asking for initiation. So they capture each other in different ways. In […]

——————————- Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 8.5. “Where does the atma [soul] go when it leaves the body? That is something that we all should consider, because we don’t know how long we will be in this body—100 years, 100 days, 100 hours, 100 minutes, 100 seconds—we don’t know how long we have. Sooner […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, Chapter 4. “Krishna is saying here that He left the gopis to increase their love for Him. But the gopis did not accept His statement, because the gopis’ love for for Krishna is without limit. There is no question of Krishna’s increasing their love or eagerness, because […]

Today is Radhastami, the appearance day of Srimati Radharani, Lord Krishna’s pleasure-giving potency and eternal consort. Srila Prabhupada explains, “We pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krsna. Krsna means ‘all-attractive.’ But Radharani is so great that She attracts Krsna. So today we should try to understand the position of Srimati Radharani […]

Devotees met in Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in the evening for an intimate sharing of Srila Prabhupada memories. “My parents invited a family friend who was a psychologist. She came in my room and began to inquire, ‘Tell me, Glenn, did you feel that your parents didn’t love you?’ ‘Which parents?’ I asked. ‘I have passed […]

“Srila Prabhupada said that even if the disciple cannot follow all the regulations strictly, simply by the spiritual master glancing favorably on him, the disciple can make spiritual advancement. The best offering we can give to Srila Prabhupada and the predecessor authorities is that we actually become advanced in Krishna consciousness, and become empowered to do […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagvatam 10.2.31 for the morning class on Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja day. “In Srila Prabhupada’s initiation letter to me he wrote, ‘I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.’ “The […]

After Srila Prabhupada left us on November 14, 1977, I came across a section in Srimad-Bhagavatam—Canto 4, Chapter 28—in which he explicitly discusses the disappearance of the spiritual master and how the disciple is to serve him—even in separation. The following paragraph summarizes the essence of his instructions: “The disciple and spiritual master are never […]

——————————— “That is the specific reason why Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears. Any incarnation of Vishnu could kill the demons, deliver the devotees, and re-establish the principles of dharma, but only Krishna can show us the beautiful life that awaits us if we join Him in intimate love in Vrindavan. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.36) says: anugrahaya […]

Today we are coming together to celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami, the appearance of Lord Krishna in the material world. On special occasions such as this—we’ll soon be celebrating the pastime of Mother Yasoda binding Krishna with ropes, and then Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill—unless we know who Krishna is, we won’t know what to make of […]

“My father was always very loving to all of us. He was always our well-wisher. Whatever we did, he was there to support us. Whenever we came he would want to have a kirtan. It didn’t matter if it was just for five minutes. He would just do it real quick. It didn’t matter what […]

My dear Madhudvisa Prabhu, I am feeling your separation so much right now. My mind is flooded with memories of our service to Srila Prabhupada together, not the least of which was our meeting in the last months and remembering his glorious qualities and activities. All the circumstances surrounding your departure were auspicious. As was […]

Once again their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra descended with the spiritual world and their associates and devotees to bless all the living entities in Venice Beach. Giriraj Swami attended the festival and hosted a questions-and-answers session, posted below. “We are persons. When the soul leaves the body, the body is dead—it is just a […]

Sarvatma das lead sweet kirtan and Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 12.5. “A person in Krishna consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants […]

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.7.33 during the morning class. “Lord Siva said, ‘My dear beautiful Parvati, have you seen the greatness of Vaisnavas?’ He was referring to Citraketu. ‘Although you are beautiful and glorious, you cannot compete with the beauty and glory of devotees who are servants of the servants of the Supreme […]

Rtadhvaja Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Giriraj Swami, and other devotees and guests were present at this ceremony, in which Giriraj Swami awarded second initiation to Krishna Kirtan Das, from Ventura, and first initiation to Brent Pyeatt, from Bellingham, WA, who received the name Balabhadra Das, and to Nick Pritchard, from LA, who received the name Narottam […]

Here is another inspiring exchange with Srila Prabhupada about Hare Krishna Land, Juhu. —GS Tamala Krsna: You always came out victorious—always. I have never seen you defeated. In Bombay it was absolutely impossible. It seemed to be impossible. Prabhupada: Nobody encouraged—not a single man. Who could see that such a big project would come up? […]

While gathering and reviewing information for writing about Srila Prabhupada and Juhu, I came across an interesting conversation with him that I thought to share with you. —GS Hrdayananda: Your Bombay project is very impressive. We’ve just taken a tour. Prabhupada: Therefore I persistently took that place. Nobody encouraged me, “He is all . . .” […]

After the conveyance of the Juhu land—Hare Krishna Land—was finally signed in 1973, Srila Prabhupada declared, “It was a good fight. Someone should write a book about it.” Srila Prabhupada had already given me the direct instruction to write, and I thought that I would be the person to write that book. In fact, I […]

“Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote something like one hundred and four books. Anyone who has tried will know that it is difficult to publish even a small pamphlet perfectly. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote more than one hundred books—some of them very long. You can understand from these descriptions how elevated some of the subjects were and […]

–             “All the circumstances surrounding her departure were auspicious: She left on the same tithi (date) as Tamal Krishna Goswami—which was the same tithi as Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s disappearance—and at the same time of day. And when she was brought outside, there were so many auspicious signs. For example, a […]

Giriraj Swami and Tamal Krishna Goswami’s brother and sister-in-law, Kalachandji das and Sraddhanjali dasi, shared memories and realizations of Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja via Skype with devotees in Israel. “My understanding is that like everything else he did his entering academia was not out of a personal preference but out of what he saw as necessary […]