Sometimes I become surprised how I have written this. Although I am the writer, still sometimes I am surprised how these things have come. Such vivid description. Where is such literature throughout the whole world? It is all Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Every line is perfect. (Prabhupada Talk About Varṇāśrama, S.B. 2.1.1-5 June 28th 1977, Vṛndāvana)
“When a diamond is set in a golden ring, it looks very nice. The gold is glorified, and at the same time the diamond is glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is a diamond, and so this combination is very nice. Living entities in a pure state are called devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.29, Purport)
The Hare Krsna Tunes and the Disciplic Succession
by Gargamuni das
In 1972, I had the opportunity to stay for three days at the Allahabad Gaudiya Math. Srila Prabhupada had assisted in establishing this center in the 1930’s. Srila Prabhupada had lived with His family in Allahabad for nearly 13 years, where he had His Ayurvedic Shop. I attended morning and evening programs at the temple. I was surprised that the inmates had sung the same tunes of the mahamantra as we did at 26 2nd Ave. ISKCON temple in 1966. Srila Prabhupada had introduced a distinct morning tune and different evening tune, which were sung at the Allahabad Gaudiya Math. I was so intrigued by this, that I inquired from the head Brahmachari, which person had introduced these two distinct tunes in Allahabad, which were also sung in NYC 1966. The brahmachari replied to me these two tunes, morning and evening tunes, were introduced by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur Himself. Only then, in 1972, did I realised how important this parampara system was, that even Srila Prabhupada maintained the same tunes He heard from His Guru Maharaj without changing and introducing His own tunes………(Srila Prabhupada wanted Mukunda Maharaj to put these tunes in music script)
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The Most Blessed Event: Sri Vyasa-Puja
by Vyasasan das
Dear Srila Prabhupada
On this most auspicious day, please accept my humble obeisance’s, and kindly forgive my offences. Although I am and insignificant disciple of your Divine Grace, and full of faults, still I am constantly awaiting your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon me. I have never given up my faith, or my love, nor the hope that someday I may be a worthy disciple. As you know my daily prayers always include the words “please forgive my offences”, as I am always feeling myself unworthy to be receiving your mercy. Srila Prabhupada you have been the one constant in my entire adult life, my best friend and ever well wisher. And I remain chaste to you, my lord and master, unconditionally.
Today I was reading from the Letters books, and there was one letter dated November 12th, 1968 addressed to Malati that is the basis for my offering today. In this letter you said;
“Yes, we should always think of ourselves as the most fallen, the most ignorant and it is simply by the mercy of Lord Caitanya that we have even the opportunity to serve Krsna. We have no qualification of our own; it is simply by the merciful glance of this most munificent appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that we have been given the chance to serve Radha and Krsna”
Due to your great humility, you give the credit to Lord Sri Caitanya, but I think it is simply by your mercy that we have received the benediction of Sri Caitanya. It was you who brought a trunk of Srimad Bhagavatams to the West, to open our eyes with the torchlight of knowledge. And it was you who first brought this Chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra to Tomkins Square Park and due to your beautiful and pure chanting of the Holy Names of God caused the young Bramananda das to dance under the Hare Krishna Tree. It was you who turned the most fallen and most ignorant western hippies into vaisnava scholars and priests. It was simply by your munificent appearance and merciful glance, that the most fallen in this age were given the chance to know Lord Caitanya, and thus were given the chance to serve Radha and Krsna.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, a great acarya in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has written, “By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement” Therefore, without your help, no one can become free from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
So on this Most Blessed day, Your Appearance day celebration, Please accept my humble obeisance’s again and again, kindly forgive my offences, and continue to guide me as my captain with your books,as maps, to steer me through the rough waters of this dangerous age of Kali
Begging to remain your eternal servant
Vyasasan das
click on image to enlarge
Today,being the advent of Lord Krsna’s birthday celebration (Janmastami), it seems fitting that we do a post on the birth of Lord Krsna. So the following is the entire third chapter from the Krsna Book entitled “The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa”.
…As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord’s appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinary man who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds. The Lord’s appearance is explained in the Second Chapter: He appears out of His own sweet pleasure. When the time was mature for the appearance of the Lord, the constellations became very auspicious. The astrological influence of the star known as Rohiṇī was also predominant because this star is considered to be very auspicious. Rohiṇī is under the direct supervision of Brahmā. According to the astrological conclusion, besides the proper situation of the stars, there are auspicious and inauspicious moments due to the different situations of the different planetary systems. At the time of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, the planetary systems were automatically adjusted so that everything became auspicious. ( from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Chapter 3)
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In honor of the Appearance Day of Lord Balarama, we are posting a chapter from the Krsna Book, entitled ” The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa”. Some of the pastimes the Lord performed during His advent was the killing of demons. As is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
“In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.” (Bg. 4.8)
The following chapter has some nice pastimes of Lord Balarama in His glorious role as Statesman, Sage, and Kṣatriya. In the above image from the Krsna Book, Lord Balarama is seen dragging the Deamon Balvala down with his plow.
“…Our dear Lord, there is a demon of the name Balvala. He is the son of Ilvala, but he visits this sacred place of sacrifice every fortnight on the full moon and moonless days and creates a great disturbance to the discharge of our duties in the sacrifice… The demon occasionally comes here and profusely throws upon us contaminated, impure things like pus, blood, stool, urine and wine, and he pollutes this sacred place by showering such filth upon us.”
All Glories to Lord Balarama and His plow!
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This morning I was going through one of my old devotee notebooks, filled with prayers and slokas and bits of nectar, and I ran across this short definition of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.
Hare – Srimati Radharani (the Divine Energy of the Lord)
Krishna – the All Attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead
Rama – Lord Krishna who is the Reservoir of Pleasure
“O Srimati Radharani, O All Attractive Reservoir of Pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, please engage me in your loving devotional service”
for more definitions and deeper explanations click on following link https://theharekrishnamovement.org/category/chanting-hare-krishna/
In honor of the appearance day of Lord Nrsimha, we are posting a beautiful verse and purport from the Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.8 glorifying the Lord and his devotees.
Om Namo Bhagavate Narasimhaya
oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya namas tejas-tejase āvir-āvirbhava
vajra-nakha vajra-daṁṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya randhaya tamo grasa
grasa oṁ svāhā; abhayam abhayam ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oṁ kṣraum
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon like desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.
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Here is a new word for your Vaisnava Vocabulary: Bhāva. In the Glossary in the back of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 1972 Edition, the word Bhāva is defined as; the preliminary stage of transcendental love of Godhead. Bhāva is a big word and has various meanings
…The last stage of the devotional life is called bhāva, or transcendental love of Godhead.
“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization.…This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is matured in bhāva, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called premā, the highest perfectional stage of life.” In the premā stage there is constant engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. So, by the slow process of devotional service, under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, one can attain the highest stage, being freed from all material attachment, from the fearfulness of one’s individual spiritual personality, and from the frustrations resulting from void philosophy. Then one can ultimately attain to the abode of the Supreme Lord. (Bhagavad-gita 4.11)
So it seem that bhāva is not only the preliminary stage of transcendental love of Godhead but we find that this preliminary stage of transcendental love is also the path to the highest perfectional stage of life, pure love or premā. There are two ways to approach the Lord, one is with awe and reverence and the other is with affection; bhāva. One who approaches the Lord with affection, is sure to advance spiritually.
In the Srimad Bhagavatam we find many references to the word Bhāva and highlighted some of them here.
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“As soon as I remember that you are trying to fullfill my desire of trying to open ten centers, it gives me renewed vigor and life. Please do it nicely. I have got confidence in you because Krishna has given you special talent for chanting Hare Krishna Mantra. When you were chanting in L.A. temple in the evenings, or in the mornings, I enjoyed your chanting so nicely that I thought myself immediately carried to Vaikuntha. So I am always thankful to you for your activities in announcing the interest of our mission. Thank you very much. Most probably when I return to L.A. I may call you back just to hear your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. I am very anxious to meet you also. “(Srila Prabhupada letter to “My Dear Son, Vishnujana Maharaj,” 4th April, 1971)
