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Are you ready to embark on an exhilarating journey through the heart of Europe? The 2024 Euro Bus Tour will be held from 19th July to 21st August. The 4.5-week adventure will be visiting several European countries, including Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and France. The first Euro Tour was held in […]
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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 one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee—it may be Siddhasvarupa [a charismatic devotee who brought Tusta Krishna to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness] or others, a-Siddhasvarupa [not-Siddhasvarupa]. This must be very clearly stated. It is not only that your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it doesn’t matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Shyamasundar will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay.”
Then that night I had a philosophical dream in which I noted that the different categories of devotees—kanishtha, madhyama, and uttama—are meant primarily for us to assess where we are in Krishna consciousness and make further progress—not to judge others.
Hare Krishna.
Lilasuka Dasi, Director of the Child Protection Office – North America (CPO-NA), is recommending ISKCON management send representatives to the 2024 International Symposium on Child Abuse held in Huntsville, Alabama, March 18-21st. This year’s focus is on child abuse in religious organizations. The annual International Symposium on Child Abuse is a premier conference providing expert […]
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By Vijaya Das For decades Krsna's sincere devotees have blessed conditioned souls everywhere by distributing Srila Prabhupada's books--especially in December, the month of the Prabhupada Marathon. In December 2023, acting as Krsna's instruments, devotees worldwide distributed 4,461,211 books. Continue reading "World Sankirtan Newsletter — 2023 PRABHUPADA MARATHON & YEAR-END REVIEW
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Abhidheya Devi Dasi from Australia, with her initiative, Bhakti Kids Sangha, is inspiring other temples to adopt various kids’ services and demonstrate it is not only achievable but practical to have dynamic children’s programs at your temple. Recently, a congregation member from ISKCON Perth has reached out to Bhakti Kids Sangha about some of her […]
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Sat-tila Ekadasi is also known as Trisprisha Ekadasi. This Ekadasi occurs in the dark fortnight of the month of Magha (January/February). The glories of Sat-tila Ekadasi are narrated in the Bhavisyottara Purana in a conversation between the sage Dalbhya and Pulastya muni.
This is the third Ekadasi of the year 2024. It is an auspicious start for the rest of the year, and we encourage devotees reading this to kindly consider donating on this day to help complete Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing in the TOVP, scheduled to open from February 29 – March 2, 2024. Please go to the Give To Nrsimha Fundraiser page on the TOVP website and select one of several seva opportunity options.
NOTE: Sat-tila Ekadasi is observed on February 5 in most of North America and February 6 in India. Please refer to your local calendar through www.vaisnavacalendar.info.
View, download and share the TOVP 2024 Calendar.
Sri Dalbhya Rishi said to Palastya Muni, “When the spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he becomes sinful and performs such heinous acts as stealing, killing, and illicit sex. He may even go to the extent of killing a brahmana.
“O purest of personalities! Please tell me how these unfortunate souls may escape hellish punishments by just simple austerities as offering a little charity.” Pulastya Muni replied, “O fortunate sage, you have asked me an important, confidential question. Please listen very carefully as I reply.
“At the arrival of the month of Magha (January – February), one should carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, fault-finding, and greed, and meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. On the day when the constellation of Purvashadha nakshatra arrives, he should bathe, collect some cow dung before it touches the ground and after mixing it with sesame seeds and cotton, prepare 108 balls from it. Then he should strictly observe Magha-krishna Ekadashi as I will now describe.
“After bathing, the aspirant should worship the Supreme Lord. Praying to Lord Sri Krishna by chanting His holy name, he should vow to observe the Ekadashi fast. The devotee should perform an Arati to the Lord – the holder of the conch, disk, club, and lotus – which includes applying sandalwood paste to his feet and offering incense, camphor and a bright ghee lamp. Naivedya (an offering of tasteful food preparations) should then be offered to the Lord. He should keep awake all night and perform a fire sacrifice (homa). The devotee should offer the 108 balls of cow dung, sesame seeds, and cotton wool into the sacrificial fire of the homa while chanting the Purusha-sukta hymns and the Lord’s holy names. He should then offer the Lord pumpkin, coconut, and guava. If these items are unavailable, betel nut may be substituted. Throughout the day and night, the devotee should observe the standard Ekadashi vrata of fasting from all grains and beans.
“The devotee should pray to Lord Sri Janardana, the benefactor of all living beings, thus: ‘O Lord Sri Krishna, You are the most merciful Personality of Godhead and the giver of liberation to the fallen souls. O Lord, we have fallen into the ocean of material existence. Please be kind to us. O lotus-eyed Lord, please accept our humble, affectionate and respectful obeisances. O Supreme Spirit, origin of all forefathers, may You and Srimati Laxmi-devi, Your eternal consort kindly accept our humble offerings.’
“The devotee should then try to please a qualified brahmana with a warm welcome, a pot full of water (purna kumbha), an umbrella, a pair of shoes, and clothes (dhoti, and anga vastra). The devotee should request the brahmana to bestow his blessings for developing unalloyed love of Godhead. If means permit, one must also donate a black cow to the brahmana, particularly if he is well versed in the injunctions of Vedic scripture. One should also offer him a pot of sesame seeds.
“O exalted Dalbhya Muni, black sesame seeds are especially suitable for formal worship and fire sacrifices while white or brown ones are meant to be eaten by a qualified brahmana. One who can arrange to give both kinds of sesame seeds (black and white or brown) on this Sat-tila Ekadashi day will be promoted at least to the heavenly planets after leaving this present body and will live there for as many thousands of years as the number of seeds that would be produced if the seeds he donated were sown in the ground and grew into mature, seed-bearing plants. On this
Ekadashi a faithful person should:
- bathe in the water mixed with sesame seeds,
- rub sesame seed paste on his body,
- offer sesame seeds into the fire in sacrifice,
- eat sesame seeds,
- give sesame seeds away in charity,
- accept charitable gifts of sesame seeds.
These are the six (sat) ways in which sesame seeds (tila) are utilized for spiritual purification on this Ekadashi. Therefore, it is called Sat-tila Ekadashi.”
Palastya Muni continued, “The great Devarishi Narada Muni once asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, about the result one obtains by observing Sat-tila Ekadashi. Lord Krishna replied, ‘O best of the twice born, I shall narrate to you an incident I personally witnessed.
“‘Long ago on earth there lived an old brahmana lady who worshipped Me every day with controlled senses. She faithfully observed many a fast, especially on the days honoring Me (Janmasthami, Rama-navami, Vaman Dwadasi, Nrisimha Chaturdasi, Varaha Dwadasi, Gaura Purnima, etc.) and selflessly served Me with full devotion. Her austerities made her quite emaciated and weak. She gave charity to brahmanas and to young maidens (kanyas), and even planned to give away her house in charity. Yet, although the spiritually minded woman gave charity to worthy people, oddly, she never offered food to the brahmanas or devas (demigods).
“’I reflected about the woman and felt she had purified herself by offering Me strict devotional worship by fasting on all auspicious occasions. She certainly had become eligible to enter My personal abode, which is a rare achievement. So, I came down to this planet to understand her queer behavior. Disguising Myself as a follower of Lord Shiva, complete with a garland of skulls draped around My neck and a begging pot (bhiksha patra) in My hand, I approached her.
“’She said, “O respectful one, please tell me truthfully, why you have come here.” I replied, “O beautiful one, I have come to beg for some alms.” Hearing this, she got angry and threw a lump of mud into My begging pot! O Narada Muni, astonished at the miserliness of this otherwise magnanimous lady, I wordlessly returned to My personal abode.
“’Eventually this austere lady reached the spiritual world without discarding her earthly body. So great was her fasting and charity! I transformed the lump of mud she had offered Me into a beautiful home for her. However, O Narada, this house was just like the mud devoid of any edible grains. It had no furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it was only a bare structure. She approached Me and said, “I have fasted on so many auspicious occasions, making my body weak and thin. I have worshipped You and prayed to You in so many different ways for You are truly the master and protector of all the universes. Yet despite all this there is no food or wealth to be seen in my new home, O Janardana, please tell me why?”
“‘I replied, “Please return home. The wives of the demigods will pay you a visit out of curiosity to see the new arrival. Do not open your door until they have described to you the glories of Sat-tila Ekadashi.”
“‘The wives of the devas arrived at her home in due course as I had foretold and called out to her, “O beautiful one, we devapatnis have come to see you, please open the door.”“’The lady replied, “O dear ones, if you want me to open the door, please narrate to me the merit of observing the sacred fast of Sat-tila Ekadashi.” One of the wives beautifully related the sublime nature of this sacred Ekadashi. And when the brahmana lady finally opened her door, they saw that she was not a celestial being like a demigoddess, a Gandharvi, an asuri, or even a Naga-patni. She was just an ordinary human being.
“’The lady observed Sat-tila Ekadashi, which awards both material enjoyment and liberation at the same time. She finally received the beautiful furnishings and grains she had expected for her spiritual home. Her ordinary material body was transformed into a beautiful, spiritual sac-cid-ananda form with a fine complexion. By the grace of Sat-tila Ekadasi, both the lady and her new home in the spiritual world were radiant with gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds.
“’O Narada, a person should not ostentatiously observe Ekadashi out of greed, with the hope of attaining wealth dishonestly. He should selflessly donate sesame seeds, clothes, and food according to his capacity, for by doing so he will achieve good health and exalted spiritual consciousness, birth after birth. Ultimately, he will be released from the bonds of this world (liberation) and granted admittance into the Lord’s supreme abode. That is my opinion, O best of devarishis.’
“O Dalbhya Muni,” Pulastya Rishi concluded, “One who properly observes this wonderful Sat-tila Ekadashi with great faith becomes free of all kinds of poverty – physical, mental, intellectual, social, and spiritual – as well as all kinds of ill luck and evil omens. Indeed, observing this Ekadashi fast by donating, sacrificing, or eating sesame seeds, undoubtedly frees one of all past sins. One need not wonder how this happens. The rare soul who properly performs these acts of charity in the right devotional mood, following the Vedic injunctions, will become free of all sinful reactions and go back home, back to Godhead!”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Magh-krishna Ekadasi or Sat-tila Ekadasi from the sacred Bhavishya-uttara Purana of Srila Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa.
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Founded by Nityananda Ram Das, a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radio Mayapur has grown from a modest vision to a thriving platform, connecting devotees worldwide through the power of Krishna Conscious music, podcasts, and positive spiritual discussions. The seeds […]
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The meeting commenced with the reading by Madhu Sevita Das. The main agenda discussed during the meeting was Guru Projects and Guru Dakshina. Several years ago, the GBC embarked upon developing a systematic plan for the future of ISKCON. They selected several issues of primary importance to the movement and formed committees to discuss them. […]
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Gauranga Darshan Das, an educator, TEDx speaker, and spiritual author of over 32 books, has launched his fourth book in the series, “Illustrated Bhagavatam Tales To Inspire Young Minds,” published and printed by Tulsi Books, a division of Sri Tulsi Trust. “Bhagavatam Tales” unfolds a narrative skillfully rewoven by Gauranga Darshan Das, distilling profound sagas […]
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The science of advancing and making progress in life, material and spiritual, requires learning and growing. Guru Tattva is the name of the science of this process in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a principle found in all bonafide traditions. There are three primary and specific types of gurus: vartma-pradarsaka-guru, diksa-guru, and siksa-guru. Let’s unpack this in our […]
The post COMING OF AGE #12 – The Guru Has 3 Eyes! appeared first on ISKCON News.
The Northern India Divisional Council (NIDC) recently held its biannual meeting at the Sri Sri Radha Govind Dev Temple in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to hear reports from temple leaders, discuss preaching initiatives, resolve issues, and celebrate successes. India’s Divisional Councils are comprised of ISKCON temples in a specific region and operate under the auspices of […]
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Jayadeva Gosvāmī was a contemporary of King Ballāla Sena, who greatly honoured him. Jayadeva’s bhajana-kuṭī was on the Gaṅgā’s eastern bank some distance from Ballāla Sena’s royal palace, but when an obstacle arose in his bhajana, he left there with his wife Padmāvatī and came to a solitary and charming garden.
Once, as he was composing the verses of Gīta-govinda, a pastime in which Śrīmatī Rādhikā entered Her sulky mood (māna) appeared in his heart. Kṛṣṇa’s repeated attempts to remove Her māna all failed. Then the mood entered Śrī Jayadeva’s heart in which he understood that to pacify Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa put His head at Her lotus feet. This filled Śrī Jayadeva with fear and he could not bring himself to write it.
He thought, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s worshipful Supreme Lord and He possesses all potencies. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is His potency and maidservant. How is it possible for Śrī Kṛṣṇa to put His head at Rādhikā’s lotus feet? That would transgress the principles of religion.” His hand trembled and lost grip of his pen. He could write no more, so he went to take bath in the Gaṅgā. Meanwhile, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the topmost relisher of transcendental mellows, assumed the form of Śrī Jayadeva and went to his house.
He asked Padmāvatī to bring Him the manuscript and then personally completed the verse smara-garala-khaṇḍanaṁ (“the deadly poison of amorous love”) that Jayadeva had begun to write, by adding mama śirasi maṇḍanaṁ dehi pada-pallavam udāram (“is counteracted by decorating My head with Your flower-like feet”).
Śrī Kṛṣṇa left the house and a short time later, Jayadeva returned. Surprised, his wife asked, “How were you able to come back so quickly? Just a short while ago you returned, wrote something in your book, and again went out to take bath.”
Jayadeva Gosvāmī asked for his manuscript and upon opening it saw that his unfinished verse was now complete. Filled with wonder, he told his wife, weeping, “O Devī, you are blessed. You had darśana of Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa, who personally came here and completed the verse I feared to write. Kṛṣṇa is brought under control by prema, not by devotion based on rules and regulations.”
After some time, Jayadeva Gosvāmī and his wife moved to Jagannātha Purī. Gīta-govinda is so beautifully sweet that even Jagannāthadeva Himself is eager to hear it. Once in a garden, a deva-dāsī [a dancing girl in the Jagannātha Temple] was singing the verses of Gīta-govinda, and Jagannātha came out of the temple and swiftly ran towards that garden.
As He ran, thorny bushes tore His cloth and scratched His body. When he had heard all the verses He returned to the temple and took His place on the altar. When the pujārī opened the door he was astonished to see Śrī Jagannātha’s condition. The head pujārī and the king were informed and everyone was filled with concern.
The next night Śrī Jagannātha appeared to the head pujārī in a dream and revealed to him the secret that He heard verses being sung from Gīta-govinda, and in His haste to go to the source of the sound, His cloth was torn. When Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara recited Gīta-govinda verses to Śrīman Mahāprabhu, He became immersed in ecstasy.
Sometimes we are asked why we are building the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. People say there are already so many temples in India, especially in ISKCON. What is the need for another? We have presented below twelve of the top reasons why we need to build this temple, and why every devotee and member of ISKCON should do their utmost to help.
Whether you’ve contributed to the TOVP already or not, now is another opportunity to help by giving to the completion of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing in the TOVP, the largest Nrsimhadeva temple in the world. Go to the Give To Nrsimha Campaign page on the TOVP website today and give according to your means.
Miracle in the Making – Home of Our Divine Protector
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ISKCON Coyhaique held its fourth annual Ratha Yatra Festival of India event on January 27, 2004. It included a procession of Lord Jagannath’s chariot with harinam sankirtan, followed by book and prasadam distribution, cultural exhibitions, and activities for children at the Plaza de Armas de Coyhaique. Coyhaique, located in the Aysén Region of Chile, is […]
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ISKCON Fiji will celebrate their Festival of Fiji on September 14th-22, 2024, as part of the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Fiji and the 20th anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha Golokabihari in Suva, the capital city. Devotees are preparing for the festival after a gap of four years due to […]
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Govinda’s mobile restaurant music festival setup. Krishna Gana Das, the culinary pilgrim whose journey across Australia echoes the spiritual rhythms of devotion, embarked on a unique odyssey that not only defined his path but enriched the lives of those touched with his unwavering commitment to Krishna consciousness. From his days at ISKCON New Govardhan in […]
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“Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami.”
“Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Srirangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya.
In the year 1433 sakabda (A.D. 1512), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart’s content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time.
Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him.
Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal Deities of Vrndavana, the Radharamana Deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radharamana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya.
When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta.
Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, “A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession.”
In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a forword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana.
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 184, it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples.”
Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 10:105
Crowds at the ISKCON Auckland New Zealand Rath Yatra. ISKCON Auckland, New Zealand, orchestrated a splendid series of Rath Yatras spanning from November 25 to December 16, 2023. This grand celebration magnetized thousands of people who assembled fervently around the majestic chariots carrying the Deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra. In 1976, Srila Prabhupada […]
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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 of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Sri Rangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya. In the year 1433 Sakabda (A.D. 1511), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart’s content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and the mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him. Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal Deities of Vrndavana, the Radharamana Deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radharamana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya.
COMMENT
Actually, one of the families entrusted with the Deity service at the Radha-ramana Mandir has a history of relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Visvambhara Gosvami’s father or grandfather had relations with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the family maintained relations with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and then Visvambhara Gosvami had very friendly relations with Srila Prabhupada. And he spoke very nicely about Srila Prabhupada. Now Visvambhara Gosvami’s son Padmanabha Gosvami is also very favorable to ISKCON. In fact, ISKCON devotees often honor prasada at his home at the Radha-ramana Mandir. When I took prasada there with His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami, Padmanabha Gosvami showed us a letter that Srila Prabhupada had written to his father, Visvambhara Gosvami, about how all Vaishnavas should cooperate. So, not only does the Radha-ramana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya, but at least some of the sevaits have had close relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
PURPORT (concluded)
When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, “A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya, and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession.” In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a foreword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (184) it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples.
COMMENT
Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami ki jaya!
One story about Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is that on the eve of Nrsimha-caturdasi all the other Gosvamis and Vaishnavas in Vrindavan were preparing to worship their Deities and hold festivals. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had only a salagrama-sila; he didn’t have a Deity with arms and legs and a body that he could dress and decorate. So he was feeling deprived of the opportunity to serve like the other devotees who had Deities they could serve in these ways. And out of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s strong desire, a salagrama-sila became manifest in the form of Radha-ramana. Radha-ramana is considered the most beautiful Deity of Krishna. He is the one original Deity of the Gosvamis that has remained in Vrindavan, while the others had to be taken elsewhere for fear of the Muslim invaders. And near the temple of Radha-ramana in Vrindavan is the samadhi of Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s uncle and siksa-guru was Prabodhananda Sarasvati. His samadhi is also located in Vrindavan, just off the parikrama path near Kaliya-ghata, quite near our Krishna-Balaram Mandir. So, often when we go on parikrama down the path near the Yamuna, we visit Prabodhananda Sarasvati’s samadhi and bhajana-kutira. And then we proceed to Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s samadhi. Srila Sanatana Gosvami was the most senior of the Gosvamis and was also a close associate and instructor of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. In fact, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami worked with Sanatana Gosvami to produce the great treatise Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
I feel that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami has been especially merciful to me on two occasions. On one, I visited his bhajana-kutira at Sanketa, a place between Nandagrama and Varsana where Radha and Krishna used to meet and sometimes perform rasa-lila. Gopala Bhatta would sit and chant underground in a deep cavern accessible only through a long, narrow passage. At the end of the passage was a somewhat roomier place where Gopala Bhatta used to chant, now marked as his bhajana-sthala. I remember going there with Tamal Krishna Goswami and others on a very hot day and struggling to crawl through the passage to the bhajana-sthala. It was difficult, but when I finally reached there, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was very merciful: he allowed me to chant with a glimpse of taste. And after all the devotees emerged from the cavern, I stole back in. I crawled back to Gopala Bhatta’s lotus feet, and I sat there chanting. I will never forget his mercy to me there, and I pray that he will enable me to chant with relish and love.
On the other occasion, during Kartik of 1999, shortly before my surgery, I visited Gopala Bhatta’s samadhi near the Radha-ramana Mandir. We arrived just after raja-bhoga-arati, and the pujari was closing the doors to the samadhi-mandira. But he was kind enough to open them for us and allow us darshan of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. He gave us some flowers and caranamrta and invited us to stay for prasada. Thus our small party, along with some local sadhus, honored Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s maha-maha-prasadam with great relish, and we even stayed to take a little rest before we continued on our way, filled with bliss. So, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is very kind.
Years later, when some of my disciples from Bombay went to Vrindavan on pilgrimage, they visited the samadhi. They told the pujaris about me, how my health no longer allowed me to visit Vraja, and asked for some prasada for me. And one of the pujaris kindly gave them a piece of cloth from the samadhi. It is very special. Now, twice a year, once on Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day and once on his disappearance day, we bring it out and touch it. So now we shall pass it around and touch it to our heads and to our hearts—and pray to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami for his sublime mercy.
Thank you.
Hare Krishna.
[Adapted from a talk on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s disappearance day, July 31, 2002, Carpinteria, California]
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) held an online Live to Give 2023 Celebration call on Sunday, January 28th, hosted by HG Vaisesika Dasa, who shared the results of the combined efforts of devotees worldwide. The 2023 goal was to distribute 3.7 million copies of the Bhagavad-gita, which devotees exceeded by distributing 3,784,233 copies worldwide. Vaisesika […]
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The GBC Executive Committee, on behalf of the GBC, extends a warm invitation to all Temple Presidents for the upcoming International Temple Presidents Meeting scheduled for 27th February 2024 in Mayapur. According to the invitation letter, “This sanga provides an opportunity for Temple Presidents from ISKCON temples across the world to converge, connect with the […]
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In honor of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the GBC Executive Committee is encouraging ISKCON leadership and congregations to gloriously celebrate the auspicious occasion. Committee members, including Revati Raman Das, Guru Prasad Swami, and Tapana Misra Das, have offered some suggestions for the observance of this festival: — […]
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Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja was one of the internal associates of Narottama Thakura. The two of them were practically inseparable. Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja had obtained the full mercy and blessings of Srinivasa acarya. Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja’s father’s name was Ciranjiva Sena—his mother’s name was Sri Sunanda.
At first Sri Ciranjiva Sen lived in Kumara Nagara. After he married the daughter of the poet Sri Damodara Kavi, he moved to the village of Sri Khanda. Ciranjiva Sen was a Mahabhagavata, a topmost devotee of the Lord. The devotees of Sri Khanda, headed by Narahari Sarakara Thakura all had great affection and respect for Ciranjiva.
One day Srinivasa Acharya was in Yajigrama at his own house, where many devotees had gathered to hear him lecture on Shrimad-Bhagavatam. At that time, passing by the house of Shrinivasa Acharya was Ramachandra Kaviraja the son of Ciranjiva Sen (one of Mahaprabhu’s eternal associates). He had just been married, and he and his new bride were on their way back from the wedding.
From a long way off, Srinivasa Acharya saw Ramachandra Kaviraja, and Ramachandra Kaviraja also saw Srinvasa Acharya from a distance. Upon seeing each other from a distance a deep mood of friendship arose within the hearts of those two eternally perfect devotees of Sri Gauranga. After seeing each other they were eager to meet one another.
Srinivasa Acharya inquired about Ramachandra Kaviraja from the local people. They told him that he was a great pandita named Ramachandra—a learned poet and expert doctor from a family of doctors and scholars. Hearing all this, Srinivasa acarya smiled, for he was greatly pleased.
Ramachandra Kaviraja had heard about Srinivasa Acharya and was eager to have his darsana. In this way, he finally went to the house of Srinivasa acarya along with his new bride and was introduced by some of the local people. The day passed quickly in discussion of Hari-katha. They spent the night where they had been staying since coming to Yajigrama, at a brahmana’s house near the home of Shrinvasa Acharaya, and the following morning went to Srinivasa Acharya and fell before his feet offering prostrated obeisances.
The Acharya bade Ramachandra Kaviraja to get up from the ground, and heartily embraced him saying, “Life after life you have been my friend. Providence has brought us together again today by arranging our meeting.” Both of them felt great happiness as a result of their having met.
Seeing that Ramachandra had an acute and deeply learned transcendental intelligence, Srinivasa was very happy. He began to make him hear the Goswami scriptures. Ramacandra’s pure behavior which was always in accordance with the scriptures very much pleased Srinivasa acarya, and after a few days the Acharya initiated him in the divine Radha-Krishna mantra.
Gradually, Ramacandra Kaviraja became eager to go to Vrndavana and take darsana of the holy feet of the Goswamis there. After receiving permission and blessings from various Vaisnavas in Bengal, including Sri Raghunandana Thakura, he set out for Vrndavana on an auspicious day.
At that time, Srinivasa acarya was staying in Vrndavana. Arriving there, Ramachandra Kaviraja offered his obeisances at the lotus feet of Sri Jiva Goswami and Srinivasa acarya and gave the devotees there the auspicious news about all the devotees in Bengal.
On the order of Jiva Goswami, Ramachandra Kaviraja went to visit the three principal deities of Vrndavana: Sri Madana-Mohan, Sri Govinda, and Sri Gopinatha, as well as the memorial shrine or samadhi of Sanatana Goswami.
He took darsana of the holy feet of the principle Goswamis residing in Vrndavana at the time, including Sri Lokanatha Goswami, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami, and Sri Bhugarbha Goswami. Seeing Ramacandra’s wonderful expertise in composing beautiful verses glorifying Sri Krsna, they gave him the title “Kaviraja,” in recognition of his scholarship.
After staying in Vrndavana for some time under the guidance of those great souls, and after visiting the important holy places, Ramachandra was ordered by the Goswamis to return to Bengal.
Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja delivered many sinners and nonbelievers to a life of auspiciousness as a result of his mercy. At the festival in Kheturi-grama, he was one of the leaders. On the order of Narottama dasa Thakura and Srinivasa acarya he again went to Vrndavana. When he arrived there, he found that almost all the Goswamis had passed away.
When he found that so many great souls had passed away, his heart was deeply pained. After some days in Vrndavana, feeling the pain of separation in this way, while deeply meditating upon the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Govinda, he entered into their eternal Vrndavana. pastimes.
His disappearance day is on the third day of the dark moon in the month of Pausa.
Devotees in Singapore have been visiting local prisons for the past 20 years to bring the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness and meaningful association to inmates. Around ten devotees regularly participate in this weekly service. They have aimed to share spiritual teachings from the Bhagavad-gita, lift inmate morale, build good character values, and provide mental solace […]
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The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) will offer an online Bhakti-pravesa course from 14 February to 16 April, 2024. This course is specifically designed for those budding devotees who are seeking to learn and explore the path of bhakti. The curriculum includes the topics essential for a strong foundational knowledge into the new spiritual […]
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Dear Devotees, This is a personal appeal from myself (Ambarisa das) and Braja Vilasa prabhu. We are quickly approaching the historic opening of the Nrsimhadeva Wing in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium scheduled for February 29 – March 2. Much of the Wing interior will be completed for what will be the largest Nrsimhadeva […]
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From: Naresh
How to overcome spiritual boredom?
Transcription
Question by Naresh: How to overcome spiritual boredom?
Answer: There is no such thing as spiritual boredom. I think what you mean is that boredom while we practice spiritual life. Boredom is essentially a material emotion. When at the material level we do not find life to be titillating or enjoyable, then we call it boring. Now, sometimes, spiritual life may appear like that. It may not appear titillating, stimulating, enjoyable because we are going through the motions of practicing spiritual life without trying to take our consciousness deep within to the remembrance of Krishna. In material life, people try to do newer and newer activities externally so that they can get newer and newer pleasures. Now, people may try to eat new food, they may try to develop relationship with new partners; so, in all these things, people are trying to do external activities in a new way, but the essential pleasure remains the same because the pleasure is actually not in the particular objects but it is in the speculation/imagination of the ___ (1:39), ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā, so the contact of the sense and sense objects is what?…. manasi-jam…it creates an imagination, stimulation in our mind of pleasure. So, whichever sensory impulse, whichever sensation stimulates our imagination the most, we think that that is the most pleasurable. But it is all temporary and never gives us any lasting happiness.
Now, in spiritual life, we do not do new things externally, we chant the same Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we worship the same deities, we study the same scriptures, Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, then how can we experience happiness? If we keep searching for newness within spirituality in the external forms of the activities, then we will soon become bored. In material life, the activities are new, but the experiences remain the same. It is punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām, chewing the chewed again and again. In spiritual life, the activities remain the same, but the experiences are different. We chant the same Hare Krishna maha-mantra, but as our absorption in Krishna, as our intense devotional remembrance of Krishna increases, we experience greater and greater happiness and fulfillment.
So, to overcome boredom while doing our spiritual activities, we need to not just follow the forms of doing spiritual activity like chanting, taking darshan, studying scripture, but we need to do it with remembrance of Krishna. So, we can meditate that whatever I am doing, I am trying to do it to please Krishna, to serve Krishna, to love Krishna, and when we do it with that meditation, that focus, then we will find that gradually as we start connecting with Krishna more and more, the boredom will go away. And of course, if there are some activities within the devotional circle that we like to do, that give us a taste, then we can try to do them more. If you like to hear kirtans, if you like to sing bhajans, if you like to recite verses, we can do those more so that by doing these we can become more habituated to the reality of spiritual happiness. And as we started understanding that there is something called spiritual happiness, we will want to go deeper and deeper. So, once if we start singing and we start finding that hearing music or singing or this thing something like that gives me a taste, gives me spiritual happiness, we do it more and more. Gradually by that, our connection with Krishna increases, and when our connection with Krishna increases, we can connect with Krishna in other activities also which we may till then have not found so pleasurable. And then we will find that boredom will go far away.
So, two steps essentially: First is whatever we are doing in our devotional service, try to remember Krishna and do whatever we are doing as an offering of love for Krishna’s pleasure; and secondly, within spiritual circle whatever gives us pleasure, do it more so that we can experience the spiritual happiness and deepen our spiritual connection with Krishna and that connection can expand to all aspects of our spiritual life.
Thank you.
End of transcription.
Devotees prepare 2,400 takeaways of prasadam for Mauritius residents. In the midst of a looming threat of a second Cyclone warning over Mauritius, the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) continue to exhibit resilience and spiritual strength. Srinjay Das, the Director of ISKCON Public Relations and Communications in Mauritius, provided an uplifting […]
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