“If Lord Chaitanya takes birth today, he has to re-discover Vrindavan again. Vrindavan is almost lost in the tall concrete buildings. The ancient swaroop (ethos) must not be compromised while executing any developmental project in Vrindavan”, said Cinestar Hema Malini, the Member of Parliament from Mathura.

She was addressing a meeting in a local hotel, which was organized to gain her support on the issue of the State Government’s ‘River Front Development Project’.

Hema Malini was very much concerned about the declining condition of Vrindavan’s ecology and heritage. “When Shri Dham Vrindavan was re-discovered 500 years ago by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, it was full of trees, creepers, vines and Tulsi. But those trees have been replaced by concrete structures.”

Interestingly, the organizers of the conference hoped that Hema Malini would announce something to get the hurdles removed in executing the River Front Development Project. Instead, the M.P’s statement has given a boost to the morale of the activists who have raised objection in the design of the project.

Acharya Naresh Narayan, a senior member of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance has welcomed the MP’s statement. “We are happy to see that our MP is concerned about the degrading condition of Vrindavan. She must bring some projects from the Centre which revives the ethos of Vraja-Vrindavan,” said Acharya.

By Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj

Once Srila (Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura) Prabhupada was viewing the Deities of Sri-Sri Guru Gauranga-Gandharvika-Giridhari at the Sri Caitanya Math, standing on the front porch of the temple. The door of that temple is not very wide and Srila Prabhupada did not have his glasses on.

Standing next to him was one of his dear disciples. The disciple thought perhaps Prabhupada could not view the Deities very well through the narrow doorway. He said, “Prabhupad, this doorway is not very wide. So it is not possible to view the Deities very well from inside.” Hearing this, Prabhupad smiled, and he said for the benedit of all of us, “We should not think of the Supreme Lord as an object of our vision. Instead we should meditate on the thought of how we can acquire some qualifications so we can become worthy objects of His vision. We should think about whether He wants to see us, and whether He will want to reveal Himself to us.

atah sri-sri krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam-indriyaih
sevonmukhe-hi jihvadau svayam-eva spuratyadah
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Eastern Wave, 2.109)

“The holy name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Krishna are divine and transcendental. They cannot be experienced by material senses. The Lord manifests Himself spontaneously on the tongue of a devotee who is eager to serve Him.” Just as a devotee waits to see the Lord with great patience and eagerness, sometimes the Lord also waits with great patience and eagerness to see His devotee. It is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta how the hidden Deity of Gopal in Vrindavan was waiting for His beloved devotee, Sri Madhavendra Puri.

bahu-dina tomara patha kari niriksana
kabe asi madhava ama karibe sevana
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madya-lila 4.39)

For many days I have been watching the road for you, and I have been wondering, ‘When will Madhavendra Puri come here to serve Me?'” In this way the Supreme Lord, who succombs to His devotee’s love, waits to see His devotee with great eagerness.

bhaktera dravya prabhu ‘kari’ kari’ khaya
abhaktera dravya prabhu ‘ulati’ na caya

“The Lord will grab food from His devotee, but He will not even glance at anything given by a non-devotee.” This is why the eagerness to serve Him in loving devotion has to be present.

Srila Prabhupada’s loving devotion for the lotus feet of his Gurudev is beyond our comprehension. At one time he told us, “When I used to think that I was a big scholar of mathematics and philosophy, by my good fortune I got darshan of the lotus feet of Sri Gurudev. He ignored everything that was previously appreciated in me by others: my truthfulness, my moral and pious life, and scholarship, knowing them to be of little value. When he ignored whatever was good in me, I realized how good he himself was, he who could ignore so many “good qualities” in me; what inconceivable wealth there was in him. Being ignored by him, I realized that there was no one more fallen than me, more contemptible than me, and that this was my real identity. This great soul did not consider the things which I considered to be highly desirable, such as scholarship and pure moral character, to have any value. Then I realized what was in this great soul was absolutely priceless. I prayed very humbly to the Supreme Lord for His mercy. Later, by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, I realized that without receiving the mercy of this great soul and serving him, nothing good could happen to me.

When I realized that and acted accordingly, by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Gurudev and by receiving his unlimited causeless mercy, I considered my life fulfilled. I have understood that if the people of the world do not receive the same jolt that I received from my Gurudev, then their consciousness will not awaken.

Therefore I am telling everyone, ‘I am more stupid than anyone else in the world; please, all of you, do not be stupid like me. Do not live your life within the limitation of a calculating consciousness. Please enter the realm of the unlimited, and you will become very wealthy. I am only asking you to accept that which I have understood, by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord, to be supremely beneficial.’

In another place he wrote, “Even after seeing Srila Gaur Kishore Das Babaji, many people, the immature and the clever, the young and the old, the scholarly and the foolish, those lacking devotion and those proud of their devotion, did not have the proper transcendental vision to see him. This is the transcendental power of a pure devotee. Hundreds of people came to him for his instruction, to fulfill their material desires. But that instruction was actually deceiving them. Many people take the garb of sadhus, and many people outwardly act like sadhus, but in reality, not only are they not sadhus, but they are very far from any sadhu. But there is no such impurity in my Lord. By his own example he demonstrated that purity was truth.

His genuine affection was incomparable to anything in this world. He had no dislike for his competitors or his enemies. Even to those who received his mercy, he did not demonstrate any external favor. He used to say “In this world there is no one who is the object of my liking or disliking. I consider everyone to be respectable.”

Another inconceivable thing was that often deceitful, materialistic people whose mood was unfavorable to pure devotion, would surround my Gurudev without understanding his real position. They considered themselves objects of his affection yet kept their attachment to petty things. But he did not outwardly make any effort to get rid of them, nor did he accept them in any way.

On the 29th of October, 1934, Srila Prabhupad discovered the place of pilgrimage where Srila Rupa Goswami saw Sri Gopal in the village of Sati-gara in Mathura. I remember in 1935, starting from the 8th of October, Srila Prabhupad observed Sri Damodar-vrata on the bank of his beloved Sri Radha Kunda. Every day he gave lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Upanishads, and other holy scriptures. Every day he would circumambulate Sri Radha Kunda and would hear or talk about the eight daily pastimes (asta-kaliya-lila ). At this time, to properly serve Sri Vraja-mandal, he started regular meetings preaching the glories of Sri Vraja-Dham (Sri Vraja-Dham Pracarini Sabha ).

How much he loved talking about Krishna is inconceivable. He would talk about Him for hours on end, and if anyone asked or even gestured for Srila Prabhupad’s prasad to be brought in, he would be displeased. There were times when his disciples requested him not to talk very much, being so instructed by experienced doctors. If anyone would ask him how he was, Srila Prabhupad would answer,

“I am fine. My only disease is that I am not allowed to talk about Krishna.”

He use to say, “To wake up one sleeping soul, to make one conditioned soul aware of his real identity, one should be willing to give gallons of blood.”

Srila Prabhupad was extremely affectionate to his disciples, and if he found out any one of them was bewildered by Maya he would shed tears. In confronting those who had a demoniac mentality, he was deadly like a thunderbolt. Yet in his loving relationships his heart was softer than a flower. In any of his Maths, if any of his servants had to face a difficulty due to lack of money, Srila Prabhupad used to take great care to send that money as soon as he heard about it. He could not bear the thought that a devotee had to undergo hardships due to lack of money. He used to become very concerned if he heard of any devotee being ill. His affection could not be compared with that of millions of fathers and mothers.

If we were ever sad and miserable, as soon as we sat near him, all sadness went away due to the shower of his unlimited affection. Even his chastisement seemed very sweet.

“Srila Prabhupad has chastised me,” we would say with great pride, and considered ourselves to be very fortunate. All difficulties in our service were made worthwhile a million times over when we could see the signs of pleasure on his affectionate lotus face. What we felt can be expressed by this verse of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura in his book Sarangati:

tomarasevaya duhkha haya yata, seo ta’ param sukha
seva-sukha-duhka parama sampada, nasaye avidya-duhkha

The suffering that comes from Your service is also our supreme happiness. Both the suffering and the happiness that come from Your service are our greatest treasure, and they destroy the miseries that come from ignorance.

If we could not properly perform some service which had been ordered by Srila Ourudev, it would cause us great sadness. Our service to Srila Gurudev seemed to consist of everything: devotion, worship, meditation, realization, austerity, and sacrifice. He was most dear to Krishna. Therefore, if we could somehow bring him some satisfaction, we considered that the highest fulfillment of our devotional practice.

If Srila Prabhupad went away from us for a few days, our hearts would ache in separation. We would think day and night, “When will he come back again?”

Alas! How many years have passed since he left this planet! How am I spending my days in this long separation from him? Why is my soul still living here? For the sake of what kind of happiness? Perhaps due to my offenses to the holy name and at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupad, my heart has become hard like a thunderbolt and it does not feel any pain anymore. If I really loved him, how could I live this worthless life here? 0 merciful lord, please protect this fallen servant of yours. Even though I’m so fallen, so sinful, and so deviated from the path of devotional service, please pick me up and put me at the shelter of your lotus feet.

Once you did give me shelter at your lotus feet, considering me the servant of the servant of your servants. We also got the assurance that if necessary, you would come here again and again to rescue the fallen souls, like myself. 0 merciful Gurudev, your heart is so full of affection! Please forgive all the offenses I have committed at your lotus feet, knowingly or unknowingly. The day before you left us, I clasped your lotus feet on my chest, and you looked at me with eyes full of affection. Please remember that. I am stupid, ignorant, bereft of scriptural knowledge; I do not know what is good or bad for me. Please correct me and make me worthy of your service. Please make me understand what my faults are and what my offenses are, so I will have the privilege of serving you. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Murari Gupta,

sei bhakta dhanya, ye na chare prabhura carana
sei prabhu dhanya, ye na chare nija-jana
durdaive sevaka yadi yaya anya sthane
sei thakura dhanya tare cule dhari ane
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 4.46-47)

Glorious is that devotee who does not give up the shelter of his Lord, and glorious is that Lord who does not abandon his servant. If by chance, a servant falls down and goes somewhere else, glorious is that master who captures him and brings him back by the hair.

You gave me the Tulsi beads so I could offenselessly take the holy name. But alas, I am still indifferent to that. My worshipable Godbrothers, who are all my wellwishers, have set such examples for me by their own actions, but I was not inspired by that. I do not have the desire to take the holy name, what to speak of having love for the holy name. Have I been deprived of the mercy of the holy name due to my offenses at your lotus feet and the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas? 0 merciful Prabhupada, please give me love for the holy name. Please inspire me. Let those lotus feet of yours, which I had the good fortune to hold to my chest and which are more cooling than millions of moons, be installed and be worshipped in my heart for all eternity. This is my only prayer to you.

by Srila Bhakti Kumuda Santa Gosvami Maharaja

Categories of Jivas

We observe many types of jivas around us. A jiva is a conscious being: jivati iti jivah, that which has life is a jiva. They have been divided into five categories, namely, those whose consciousness is (a) covered, (b) stunted, (c) budding, (d) blossoming and (e) fully blossomed.

Non-moving beings such as trees and stones have covered consciousness: they are able to feel, but not act. Animals and birds have stunted consciousness because, unlike stationary beings, they can move from one place to another and have a more evolved level of awareness. Nonetheless, they lack the ability to differentiate between good and bad. Being ignorant and unable to discriminate, they live fully under the direction and control of material nature.

The consciousness of jivas in the human species of life is either budding, blossoming or fully blossomed. Such jivas can be further divided into three groups: immoral atheists, moral atheists and moral theists. Immoral atheists lack faith in either moral principles or the Supreme Lord. Moral atheists do not accept that God exists independently of morality. In other words, they consider Him to be subject to the rules of ethical conduct.

Moral theists, by contrast, fall into two categories: hypothetical theists and true theists. The hypothetical theist tries to understand the Supreme Lord by speculation, as illustrated by the statement sadhakanam hitarthaya brahmano rupa-kalpanah. In other words, he believes that God has no form or qualities and tries to meditate upon Him solely by relying on his own imagination. The true theist, however, is quite different. He knows that God’s form and qualities are eternal, and he performs his sadhana, or practices to attain perfection, with that conception.

The Sanskrit terms for these five levels of consciousness are (a) acchadita-cetana, (b) sankucita-cetana,(c) mukulita-cetana, (d) vikasita-cetana and (e) purnavikasita-cetana

What Are the Sense Objects?

A conscious entity will have a basic tendency of the heart that is either material or transcendental. Sri Prema-vivarta outlines the history of our material proclivity, which is extremely difficult to rid oneself of:

krishna-bahirmukha haiya bhoga-vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

“As soon as the living entity misuses his independence by becoming indifferent to Sri Krishna and desiring to enjoy the objects of the senses, then the illusory energy, which is very nearby, ensnares him.”

The root cause of our material tendency is forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord, Sri Hari. This forgetfulness awakens within us the impetus to enjoy our senses, thus dragging us very far from the Supreme Lord. The sense objects do not consist of money, a large house and so on, but of (a) form, (b) taste, (c) smell, (d) sound and (e) touch. Our five knowledge-acquiring senses, namely, the eyes, tongue, nose, ears and skin, are engrossed in form, taste, smell, sound and touch, respectively. Thus they are intimately connected with these five functions.

When combined together, these five objects of sense gratification manifest for a man as the form of a woman and, for a woman, as the figure of a man. The mutual desire between a man and woman is insatiable.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.19.14) states, na jatu kamah kamanam upabhogena samyati, lusty desires can never be purged through continued enjoyment. Lust is not satiated by engaging in sense gratification; it only burns more fiercely.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Antya-lila 6.199) states:

tathapi vishayera svabhava kare maha-andha
sei karma karaya, yate haya bhava-bandha

“Those who are attached to materialistic life become blind to spiritual life, and they thus bind themselves to the cycle of repeated birth and death by the actions and reactions of their activities.”

The living entity’s plight, which arises from his natural affinity for sense enjoyment, is like that of a man tirelessly pursuing a mirage he has come to cherish deeply. Such living entities who chase the objects of the senses cannot judge whether the mirage they are pursuing will actually fulfill them or merely end up deceiving them. In this world, everyone is actively furthering his own selfish motives. But the society of intellectuals should ask itself whether or not perfect happiness can in fact be found when both they who seek it and they who claim to be able to offer it are themselves unfulfilled. By seeking mutual sense gratification in this world, people only suffer misery:

krishna bhuli sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha
a taeva maya tare deya samsara-duhkha
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 20.117)

“Sri Krishna: the living entity has been captivated by material nature from a time without beginning. Therefore, the illusory energy inflicts upon him all kinds of suffering in his material existence.”

Curing the Fever of Material Existence

The living entity who is indifferent to the Supreme Lord is so tightly bound by maya, the illusory energy, that he can never free himself. Therefore, Sri Bhagavan has said (Bhagavad-gita 7.14):

mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

“Only by surrendering unto the Supreme Lord can one remain aloof from maya”, which blinds one with the passion for sense enjoyment.

Clouded by maya, the living entity becomes so influenced by the modes of material nature that he considers sense gratification to be the most desirable goal, even though it brings him only distress. He is unable to find any happiness despite his pains:

kurvan duhkha-pratikaram
sukhavan manyate grihi
Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.30.9)

“The living entity considers the mere absence of distress to be bliss. Real happiness cannot be found in this material world, as it does not lie in sense gratification.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.20) states, kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya, Maharaja Ambarisha desired only to serve the Supreme Lord, without any self-interest. One should similarly aspire to be the eternal servant of Sri Krishna, without using this position as a means to satisfy one’s material ends. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:

ami to tomara, tumi to amara
ki kaja apara dhane
Saranagati (Atma-Nivedana)

“I am indeed Yours, and You are truly mine. What need is there of any other treasure?”

Unless we attain such a realization, we remain intoxicated by the desire to enjoy the objects of the senses, a condition that is extremely difficult to cure. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says:

vishaye je priti ebe achaye amara
sei-mata priti hauk carane tomara
Gitavali (Prabhu Tava Pada Yuge)

“I pray that I may develop as much attachment for Your auspicious feet as I now have for worldly affairs.”

If by good fortune we develop as much attachment for the Supreme Lord as we now have for the objects of the senses, our desire for sense enjoyment will be eradicated and we will cross the ocean of birth and death. Our state of bondage has existed since a time without beginning, and is quite impossible for human intelligence to undo. It can be unravelled only by associating with sadhus, realised souls:

sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga
sarva-sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu-sange
sarva-siddhi haya
Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 22.54)

“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that even a moment’s association with a sadhu can award all perfection.”

Although such sadhus are our greatest well wishers, we prefer to keep our distance from them, let alone actually associate with them. We know that their association will subdue our desire for sense enjoyment, making it impossible for us to enjoy the objects of the senses.

Renouncing Lust for Love

Everyone is controlled by the desire for sense enjoyment, whether he be a householder or a renunciant. If a person has not yet clearly defined his ultimate goal, accepting household life and renouncing the world are both quite useless. We must become one-pointed in trying to attain the Supreme Lord. This is indeed the sadhana, spiritual practice, of a devotee.

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 8.69), it is said:

yavat kshud asti jathare jaratha pipasa
tavat sukhaya bhavato nanu bhakshya-peye

“Varieties of food and drink make one feel very happy as long as there is hunger and thirst within the stomach.”

We find that we are unable to relish food if we are not hungry or thirsty. Similarly, if the hunger to attain love for the Supreme Lord has not arisen in our hearts, how can we become inclined to engage in activities that lead us to Him. In any case, our one-pointed objective must be to make sincere endeavours to accept what the community of saintly persons has given us and is giving us still. Indeed, it has been said:

sadhu-sange krishna-nama ei matra cai
samsara jinite ara kauna vastu nai

“Besides sadhu-sanga and krishna-nama I do not need anything to live in this world.”

Sri Gaurahari has instructed the living entities through His own life’s example that the holy name is our only objective (sadhya) and our only practice to achieve that objective (sadhana). He has shown us that all our desires can be fulfilled by taking shelter of the Lord’s holy names.

Those whose minds are deeply engrossed in the sense objects, who are uninterested in developing affection for Sri Hari and who wish to spend their lives solely in trying to enjoy their senses, can never find relief from the continual hankering for sense gratification.

atmendriya-priti-vancha tare bali kama
krishnendriya-priti-iccha dhare prema nama
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi-lila 4.165)

“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is lust (kama), but the desire to please the senses of Sri Krishna is love (prema).”

Satisfying one’s lust is called sense gratification. Making sincere efforts to free oneself from this is called renouncing the desire for sense gratification.

Translated from Sri Gaudiya Patrika, Year 39, Issue 7
by the Rays of The Harmonist team. Published in English for the first time in Rays of The Harmonist No. 14 Karttika 2004

by Sundar Gopal das

One year near Christmas and New Year’s Day, I observed everyone exchanging cards and gifts, so I thought I would make one card for Guru Maharaj (Srila B.B. Tirtha Goswami Maharaja) and decorate it with birds. He opened the card, and I had written something inside.

In shyness, I told him, “You don’t have to read what I have written.”

I felt happy that he spent time looking at the birds that I drew, and he was touching them with his sweet hand and then kept that card on his table. After three or four months, I got an opportunity to serve him inside his room, and to my great surprise, I saw that this card was still there!

This reminded me of how I had once heard a devotee describing one incident in which a mataji had been standing quietly next to Gurudeva while clenching onto a one rupee coin. There were many wealthy devotees around also, but they were offering big stacks of rupee notes and opulent gifts.

She felt shy to offer such a small thing to Gurudeva, but He saw inside her heart and extended his hand to grab the coin from mataji.

I also felt that he did not see my gift as insignificant, so he still kept my card on his table.

I felt in my heart, “Guru Maharaj, I am your smallest son, and you have kept my card on your table.”

While visiting places in Vrindavan one should not forget that there are 5000 different temples in this holy place related to Lord Krishna. Still you will not have time to visit all of them. You might have difficulties to decide which sites to visit. To help you decide where to go, we present to you 7 Must-See Places in Vrindavan.

written by Gourkeshava das

Please note that we do not want to undervalue the other sacred sites which are not mentioned here. This will be a 4 hour long parikrama touching 7 of the most holy places in Vrindavan.

Meaning of Parikrama

The sanskrit meaning of the word Parikrama means “the path surrounding something“. Another term is Pradakshina, which means „to the right“, representing circumambulation.

Parikrama is a form of meditation. While walking towards or around a holy site, you absorb yourself in prayer to the particular deity or sacred place. The goal is to become more absorbed and connected with Krishna.

Visiting Must-See Places in Vrindavan

Before you start with your parikrama, do not forget to remove your glasses. There are quite a few monkeys in Vrindavan, who will be very eager for them. If a monkey steals your glasses, ask a local to help to retrieve them. They are experts and it could be dangerous if you try it yourself.

Gopeshwar Mahadev

We will start our Parikrama at Gopeshwar Mahadeva temple. He is the gatekeeper of Vrindavan, and we pray for him to let us enter real Vrindavan.

Ranganath temple

After we finish our prayer, we exit the Gopeshwar Temple, turning left. We will pass by beautiful Lal-Babu temple, which is also a beautiful place to visit. If time is short we will proceed directly to the Ranganath temple. You will find it right next to Lal-Babu temple.

Ranganath temple is south indian style with Dravidian structure and a fancy Gopuram functioning as the gate. Do not miss the water tank at the backside gate of the temple. We included Ranganath temple amongst the Must-See Places in Vrindavan, because of the south indian architecture and sheer size of the temple complex.

Govindaji temple

Now we will continue to Govindaji Temple, which is just across the street to the left. It is one of the Original temples in Vrindavan. It was built almost 500 years ago. This temple was partially destroyed by Aurangzeb. After that, the original Govindaji deity was transferred to present Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Radha Raman temple

Exiting Govindaji, we turn left and proceed through Gopinath Bazar. Ask for directions if you get lost, or take a riksha. Before entering the temple, please remember to take of your socks. This temple houses the beautiful, self-manifest deity of Radha Raman. The temple is also known for the beautiful bhajans, which the locals and pilgrims enjoy in the evening time. Definitely one of the Must-See Places in Vrindavan.

Banke Bihari temple

To reach Banke bihari temple, you have to walk through Loi Bazar. This is the main market in Vrindavan and worth a visit. At the end of Loi Bazar you turn right and soon enough you will reach Banke bihari temple area. From there you will have to ask for the directions. It will take around 15 minutes from Loi Bazar to reach. This temple is very popular in Vrindavan and around India.

Madan Mohan temple

Madan Mohan temple is located nearby Banke Bihari temple. It is a 10 minute walk. This ancient temple is located at the top of the hill. From here you will get a nice overview of the Vrindavan parikrama and Yamuna area. The temple complex is being maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Keshi-ghat

To reach Keshi ghat from Madan Mohan, walk down to the parikama marg and turn right towards Keshi ghat. You will have a spectacular walk next to the Yamuna river. The river originally flowed right next to Parikrama marg. Keshi ghat is the main bathing ghat of Vrindavan. The best time to visit is early morning during Yamuna puja or at sunset time during the Yamuna arati.

Conclusion on Must-See Places in Vrindavan

Here we are ending our parikrama. We hope that you will enjoy this route. Please do not forget to give a little donation to each holy place you visit. The temples will be very happy for any support.

These Must-See Places in Vrindavan are especially helpful for those, who will just spent a day here. Note that the best time for Parikrama is during morning time or after 4 p.m.

The post 7 Must-See Places in Vrindavan appeared first on VINA - Vaishnava Internet News Agency.

The following article, about the departure Srila Bhakti Vrajendranandanandana Swami Maharaja, founder of Iskcon temple Malaysia, was originally published on dandavats.com.
By Janananda Goswami

Dear Devotees Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

It is with a sad heart to inform the family of devotees that we have lost the association of a great general in our sankirtan army.

At 3.40 am on the 30th of December HH Bhaktivrajendranandana Maharaja left his body and returned to the spiritual realm.

Lying in his bed in the Kuala Lumpur temple surrounded by devotees chanting the holy names His Holiness breathed his last.

Although maybe not so known to the greater ISKCON he is very well known for his wonderful devotional qualities wherever he went.

Early life of His Holiness

HH Bhaktivrajendranandana Maharaja was born in Malaysia. He came to the UK to study where he joined ISKCON devotees in 1971 in Birmingham.

He was around 33 years old at the time of joining. Subhag, now swami, was his inspiration at that time and remained so throughout his life.

He then moved to Bury Place temple in early 1972. He served selflessly there for several years.

He was known as the simple hard working, surrendered brahmacari who would never miss anything.

He received initiation in July 1972 from Srila Prabhupada on Trafalgar Square, receiving the name Vrajendra Kumar.

For years he travelled throughout the UK distributing books until his move to India in 1975.

There he took up the responsibility of temple commander in Vrndavana. He would occasionally return to Europe for sankirtan and raising funds for India.

Founding of Iskcon Temple Malaysia

In 1979 along with two other devotees he returned to his home country and they established the Iskcon temple Malaysia yatra on firm grounds.

In 1983 he accepted sannyasa from HH Jayapataka Swami. From then on he continued to serve in Malaysia preaching extensively.

He would regularly visit India traveling and preaching and other neighbouring countries. In the late 1990’s his health deteriorated developing serious heart problems. The doctors gave him 6 months to live.

For some time he went to India and miraculously gained strength. Back and forth to Iskcon temple Malaysia he reassumed his preaching and traveling.

Around 2011 again his health dipped and he became hospitalized for some time with a failing liver. He pushed on enthusiastically serving in whatever way he could.

He faced regular health crises and several time survived against all odds. Over the past few months his kidneys failed and he has had to undergo dialysis.

His Final Weeks

Around 3 weeks past he went into a coma and although coming back to consciousness his health was ailing to the point the doctors made it clear there was nothing more they could do.

In discussion with the devotees – many of whom are themselves doctors – decided to take Maharaja back to the temple where he remained for 12 hours till his glorious departure.

He returned to his eternal position at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet.

All devotees who knew him will attest to the fact that he was truly a great vaisnava free from the malice, envy, lust and greed.

A cent per cent sold out soldier in Srila Prabhupada’s great sankirtan army. We have lost the association of a wonderful soul but his example will stand as a beacon for many to come.

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Since time immemorial the question has been asked: Can humans achieve immortality? Some claim that human immortality is a scientific reality. Realized souls from different spiritual traditions teach us how we can achieve immortality. Amrita Vani will give answers to those who want to become immortal.

Can Humans Achieve Immortality?

Everyone wants to live eternally. Hiranyakashipu wanted to become immortal in this world. But even after conquering all three worlds, he failed.

In the story of Churning the Milk Ocean demigods become immortal in the sense that they gain extraordinary longevity, but they do not become literally immortal.

Materialists nowadays have even gone so far as to deep freeze their dead bodies immediately after death, to preserve their body. They hope that in future some new technology will surface which can revitalize their bodies again so that they may continue to live. Since the body is not meant to live eternally, these attempts will surely fail. Of course, it will be never possible to escape death.

So can humans achieve immortality at all? The following article deals with the process on how to become immortal.

Amrita Vani – the Nectar of Immortality

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

How do we find a genuine spiritual master?

The first step in attaining perfection is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. By the Lord’s will, everyone receives a spiritual master according to his qualification, just as the Christians received Jesus Christ and the Muslims Prophet Mohammad.

Moreover, according to their misfortune, materialists remain attached to material life by accepting family priests as their spiritual masters. But if we are fortunate and search sincerely for a bona fide spiritual master, and if we humbly pray to the Lord to attain the mercy of such a guru, then by the Lord’s mercy we will certainly receive a bona fide guru in this lifetime.

Then by taking shelter at his lotus feet our life will become successful. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta states:

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva, guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate, by the grace of Krishna, gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master.

By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service. (Madhya 19.151)

kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā kare kona bhāgyavāne, guru-antaryāmi-rūpe śikhāya āpane

Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart as the caitya- guru, the spiritual master within. When He is kind to some fortunate conditioned soul, He personally gives him lessons so he can progress in devotional service, instructing the person internally as the Supersoul and externally as the spiritual master. (Madhya 22.47)

guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe, guru-rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe

According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is non-different from Krishna. Lord Krishna in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees. (Adī 1.45)

yadyapi āmāra guru—caitanyera dāsa, tathāpi jāniye āmi tāṅhāra prakāśa

Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I also understand him to be a plenary manifestation of the Lord. (Ādi 1.44)

śikṣā-guruke ta’jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa, antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha,—ei dui rūpa

One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the Supreme Personality Krishna. Lord Krishna manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord. (Ādi 1.47)

jīve sākṣāt nāhi tāte guru caitya-rūpe, śikṣā-guru haya kṛṣṇa-mahānta-svarūpe

Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is none other than Krishna Himself. (Ādi 1.58)

“O Krishnacandra, please accept me as your servant. I will not continue to serve this temporary material world while thinking of myself as an enjoyer.”

When a living entity sincerely and humbly prays in this way, then the most merciful Lord appears before him in the form of a liberated devotee.

Unless we are fortunate enough to receive transcendental knowledge from a bona fide spiritual master, we cannot become qualified to engage in the Lord’s service. Since no human being or demigod is capable of awarding such transcendental knowledge, we must find shelter under a bona fide spiritual master.

Can humans achieve immortality if they reject their benevolent well-wisher, the bona fide spiritual master?

The spiritual master comes from Vaikuntha. The Lord has sent him. How can humans achieve immortality and go back to Godhead if they renounce his shelter and association? The spiritual master’s mercy is the root of all auspiciousness. What have we actually done to receive his mercy?

We should renounce our false ego and offer our respectful obeisance at his feet. To give up the false ego that “I am the seer” or “I am the enjoyer,” is called offering obeisance. That is why the word “namaḥ,” obeisance, is added to mantras.

The spiritual master’s mercy destroys the sinful mentality that “I am the doer.” His mercy awakens the pride that “I am the Lord’s servant.” Material pride, false ego, and all sinful mentalities are removed simply by his influence. “I was not accustomed to worshiping my spiritual master every day, but by his mercy I came to know that my only duty was to serve his lotus feet.”

It is everyone’s duty to worship the self-realized spiritual master and follow in his footsteps. We should not follow the blind. The spiritual master is our only well-wisher; our only relative, and our only protector. Only by his mercy can humans achieve immortality and be fortunate enough to know this.

After attaining the lotus feet of my spiritual master, I no longer maintained the mentality that aside of his service I have important things to do. My spiritual master, who is the Lord’s dear-most servant, mercifully imparted to me knowledge of Nandanandana’s service to protect me from false ego.

Thus, I realized that the living entities have no duty other than to gratify Krishna’s senses. Nandanandana is the only worshipable Lord, the life, soul and ornament of all living entities. The spiritual master is extremely dear to that Nandanandana.

An unqualified person such as myself cannot serve such a spiritual master with body, mind, and speech. Yet my spiritual master, who is an ocean of mercy and affection, empowered me out of his causeless mercy and treated me with an abundance of love.

He is so merciful! If I can attain his mercy, if I can realize that beside him I have no other well-wisher in this world. Then, simply by his causeless mercy, I will be able to attain the qualification to serve him who is pleased by sincere service.

On the day he bestows his causeless mercy on me and becomes pleased with me I will properly understand hari-kathā. Then nothing other than the service of guru and Krishna will remain important to me.

We should always pray to the spiritual master to become qualified to accept his causeless mercy and empowerment. The spiritual master’s mercy incomparable. Due to misfortune I cannot realise the greatness of my spiritual master.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is controlled by devotion, still, I am unable to show gratitude for the causeless mercy He has bestowed by appearing before me as guru.

What mentality should a sincere disciple have?

Sincere disciples should be completely devoted to their guru. They should know their spiritual master to be as good as God, the only object of their love and devotion. “The spiritual master is my eternal master and I am his eternal servant”: this is how a disciple thinks.

Service to the spiritual master is a disciple’s life, ornament, and means of survival. Disciples do not know anything except their spiritual master. They always think of their spiritual master while eating, sleeping, dreaming, and serving. They are fully convinced that the spiritual master is the completely independent Personality of Godhead.

A sincere disciple has the following mentality: “Even if my spiritual master does not accept service from such an unqualified person as myself, I will always be prepared to render unalloyed service at his feet with body, mind, and words. If he kicks me, I will think it is because of my incompetence; his kick will come because of my faults.

He is always right. May temporary sense desires not distract me from his service even for a moment. My only prayer is that my spiritual master mercifully accepts my service. I pray to never fall into bad association or to fall away from his lotus feet. My only solace is that my spiritual master is more merciful to unqualified persons. With a desire to achieve his causeless mercy, I will become greedier for his service.”

Whose offering does Lord Krishna accept?

“O Krishna! I do not want from You any happiness for myself. Whatever You want from me, I will obey without fail. Even if I have to suffer in executing Your will, that suffering will be my pleasure.

You are the all-auspicious Lord, and as such, Your arrangements can never be inauspicious.” If a servant of Krishna feelingly prays to Him with such faith, the Lord will certainly accept his offering. Without these feelings and faith, the Lord will not accept that which is offered.

How should a devotee pray?

A devotee prays, “O Radha-Ramana, enjoyer of Radha, please protect me. May I not bring about my own ruination by ever leaving Your service.” Those who have entered family life should pray, “O Lord! May I not become overly attached to family life. May my desire for material life be exhausted. May my attention remain always fixed on Your service. Please protect me.”

How should we call the Supreme Lord?

Sri Gaurasundara taught us that in order to chant the Lord’s holy names, we must become lower than the straw in the street. Unless we consider ourselves insignificant, we cannot call upon another for help.

Only when we pray for another’s help do we consider ourselves helpless. In such a state of mind we think that without another’s help we will be unable to do anything. We will understand that it is impossible to do alone that which is meant to be done by five people.

Sri Gaurasundara has instructed us to chant the Lord’s names. We get this information from our spiritual master. To chant the Lord’s names means to take His help. But while chanting, if we consider Him our servant or expect Him to do our work, then there is no question of our living in the conception, “I am lower than the straw in the street.”

An external display of humility is not necessarily genuine humility. More likely it is cheating. Our call will not reach the Lord if we call Him as a master calls his servants. He is supremely independent and not under anyone’s control. Unless we transform our false ego and become sincerely humble, our prayers will not reach the supreme, immortal, independent Lord.

One more point: We have to remember that while humbly chanting the Lord’s name, if we do not become tolerant, our chanting will remain imperfect. If we display our intolerance by being greedy for particular objects, then we are opposing the principle of humility.

If we have complete faith that the Supreme Lord is the Absolute Truth and that by simply chanting His names we will not experience any deficiency, we will have no lack of tolerance. As soon as we become greedy and try to exhibit our impatience or our own skill, we cannot call the Supreme Lord properly.

We often think we are doing the Lord a favor by offering Him prayers; that we could have engaged in some other activity instead. Such a mentality is an example of a lack of tolerance. We need someone to protect us from such a mentality, someone to help us become lower than the straw in the street.

We certainly need to take shelter of a person who will deliver us from sinful motives. Srila Narottama Thakura says,

“Lord Krishna does not reject those who worship Him under the shelter of the spiritual master. Others who do not do this simply live and die uselessly.”

What should be the object of our praying?

The object of our constant prayer should be to beg the Lord for His causeless mercy. The final goal of every living entity is to attain kṛṣṇa-prema.

—Adapted and Published by Īśvara dāsa,
Translated from Bengali by Bhumipati dāsa,

Edited by Kaiśorī devī dāsī,

Amṛta Vāṇī: Nectar of Instructions of Immortality, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, Compiled by Śrīpāda Bhakti Mayukha Bhāgavat Mahāraja

Conclusion on Can Humans Achieve Immortality

In order for us to overcome the repeated cycle of birth and death, we have to follow and surrender to a self-realized soul, who is completely surrendered to Krishna.

Only by attaching ourselves to those who are dear to Krishna, can humans achieve immortality.

So it is crucial that we associate and serve those, who have are not subjected to this repeated cycle of birth and death.

So can humans achieve immortality? The answer is definitely yes!

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Material and transcendental sound might appear very similar to the untrained listener. Does transcendental sound have different qualities? The following article explores the difference between them with practical examples.

By Srila B.S. Nishkinchan Maharaj

When we pronounce ‘hole’ in English, the listener may not understand whether the speaker meant ‘hole’ or ‘whole’. Both carry a totally different effect. However the pronunciation is almost similar.

That is the jugglery of the material word. There is a unique difference between a material sound and transcendental sound. A transcendental sound may sound like a material word but it is not.

Due to limited potency of our ears and mind, we may not be able to make out the difference similar to our failure of differentiating between ‘hole’ and ‘whole’ immediately.

Gradually when we will realize the significance of the other words spoken by the speaker, we will be able to make out the correct perception of whether the speaker meant ‘hole’ or ‘whole’. Likewise the transcendental effect of Mantra or transcendental shabd may not be evident immediately, but gradually one will be able to make out the difference.

What is the difference between material and transcendental sound?

Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said in Sri Shikshashtakam, ‘prati-padam purnamritasvadanam.” This means at every step in the utterance of the holy Name or Mahamantra, complete transcendental ambrosia is tasted. As Bhagavan is Transcendental, so is His Name.

By chanting the transcendetal holy Name of Bhagavan, one can get sevenfold principal attainments— all attainments. Initially, “Ceto Darpan Marjanam” — cleansing of the mind which is compared with mirror. Sankirtan means to chant correctly and completely. Our mind has lot of sanskaras because of previous births. That is dust, which requires cleansing.

In material sound, the sound word is different from the thing indicated by it. But transcendental sound is non-different from the thing indicated by it. ‘Water’ sound is different from the ‘Water’ thing, but the Name of Bhagavan and Supreme Lord Sree Krishna are non-different.

There is no material barrier between Name God and Named God. ‘Nama cintamanih Krishnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah’— Padma Purana. The Holy Name is Cintamani, which signifies Name can fulfill all desires, but we should not have mundane desires while doing it.

The holy Name if chanted under the guidance of pure devotees of Bhagavan will begin purifying the mind. As the process of cleansing of mind will begin, worldly/material thoughts will begin to vanquish.

This will be followed by the extinguishment of forest fire of cycles of births and deaths and threefold affliction. By the continuous chanting of Mahamantra we will attain eternal welfare, i.e., appearance of Supreme Lord, Who is All-good.

Then the realization of true self and relation with the Supreme Lord will descend on the chanter. After that, with that relation, when one chants the holy Name, he will be immersed in the ocean of bliss and then, at every step he will have the taste of transcendental ambrosia and lastly, there will be complete purification of the body mind and soul.

Can transcencental sound be perceived by material instruments?

One can question whether this may happen or not? My Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj had been to the laboratory of the great world famous Noble Prize winner Indian scientist Dr. C. V. Raman to invite him to preside over a function on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami at Sri Gaudiya Math, Bagh Bazar, Calcutta. Dr. C. V.

Raman refused to accept the invitation on the ground that Sri Krishna was fictitious and He had got no desire to spoil his valuable time for such function. Dr. Raman said if Maharaj could show Krishna to him, he would go to attend the function, otherwise not, that which could not be comprehended by observation and experiment, he had got no aptitude to spare his time for that.

Northern portion of that laboratory was totally closed by wall. The whole North-Calcutta was behind that wall. Maharaj asked him, “I am unable to see anything beyond this wall. If I say ‘there is nothing outside this wall’, will it be correct?”

Dr. Raman said, “I can see through my instruments.”

Maharaj asked him, “There is a limit to your instruments. You can see only as far as your instruments allow you to see.”

Dr. Raman said, “I will not give my attention to anything that is not within my sense-experience. Can you show me your God?”

Maharaj then said, “If your students say to you, they will study your scientific findings only if you make them realized first, then what would you say?”

Dr. Raman said, “No, they are to take my process through which I have realized the truth.”

Maharaj said, “If this is true for you and your scientific knowledge, can the seers of ancient India not say exactly the same thing? Follow their process and see whether you experience God’s existence or not.”

So, would you begin chanting the holy Name of Sri Bhagavan so as to become ever blissful? Decision is yours.

(Writer is Former, Jt. Secretary, All India Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math (Regd.))

Verdict on material sound vs transcendental sound

Only transcendental sound can elevate us to the spiritual platform, and free us from the miseries of this material world. We hoped that you enjoyed this article.

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The following devotional life definition by Srila B.V. Vāmana Mahārāja gives us practical guidance in our daily lifes.

Devotional Life Definition by Srila B.V. Vamana Maharaja

einera adhika dayā karena bhagavān
Bhagavān Has More Compassion for the Fallen
by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Date: 9 September, 1975

My dear object of affection [This letter was written to revered Umā dīdī],

“By his own will, the soul harbours millions of hankerings. Yet, without Kṛṣṇa’s Will, none bear fruit.”

Man’s desires and ambitions have no end, so they can never be fulfilled. However, Śrī Bhagavān fulfills the devotees’ wishes, so He is called, “bhakta-vāñcha kalpa-taru – a desire tree for His devotees’ aspirations.” His devotees, too, earn this title.

Because of your mother’s illness, you could not come to Navadvīpa. I understand. Your mother is a great Vaiṣṇavī and by nature very inclined to devotion. She has immovable faith and profound devotion for Śrī Hari, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas.

Therefore, you must accept that you have to sacrifice something in your efforts to serve her. Even though she does not expect you to serve and tend to her, you must certainly continue to fulfil your duty, especially since it is an activity that is favourable to bhakti yoga.

“Śarirām-ādyaṁ khalu dharma-sādhanam – maintaining the body is certainly the first step in accomplishing one’s religious duties.” On one hand this statement is true, for who can perform dharma if their body falls ill? On the other hand, indulging the body’s needs on the pretence of taking care of it will turn one into an enjoyer and inevitably invite trouble.

Therefore, it is the crucial duty of the intelligent person who longs to perform hari-bhajana to harmonize both sides of this quandary. You are intelligent; I feel it is unnecessary for me to write anything more on this topic.

I understand you were very pleased to receive the letter I wrote you from Śrī Nīlācala Gauḍiya Maṭha. Only the meek, destitute and wretched are worthy of mercy. “Dinera adhika dayā karena bhagavān—paṇḍita, kulīna, dhanīra, baḍa abhimāna – Bhagavān is more merciful to the meek. The scholars, dynasty priests, and the rich are very arrogant.”

Therefore, they are fortunate who are blessed with the mercy of attaining the teachings and instructions of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas. We truly do not have the words to express our gratitude to śrī guru-pāda-padma and Śrī Bhagavān. If they inundate us with the appropriate sentiments and language, then everything is possible.

When Dhruva, a five year old boy, obtained a glimpse, or darśana, of that lotus-eyed Śrī Hari, he wanted to praise Him with hymns and prayers. Besides the mercy of Śrī Guru, there is no scope for an illiterate, uninitiated person to obtain darśana of Bhagavān.

The ability to offer prayers and hymns to Bhagavān comes by His own special mercy. This, indeed, is the proper conception, or siddhānta. It is Śrī Bhagavān alone who infuses the heart of each and every soul with inspiration; He gives them speech.

Does a toddler who speaks in broken, half-formed words not attract the love of his mother and father? Do the toddler’s superiors judge the purity or impurity of his language or speech? Rather, it truly delights and enthuses them.

Go to Śrī Maṭha on a regular basis and take advantage of hearing and contemplating the hari-kathā, classes and kīrtanas. Whatever you come across in your own reading that you do not understand will easily become intelligible if you hear from the worshipful mouths of the Vaiṣṇavas, because their words and utterances possess a special potency.

Scripture recommends one seek the company of the sādhus through their literatures only when one is bereft of direct association of sādhus (sat-saṅga). Sādhu, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas carry Śrī Bhagavān in their hearts. The Sādhus are Bhagavān’s heart, and Bhagavān is the Sādhus’ heart. Therefore, Vaiṣṇavas are the principal knowers of the essence of all Bhagavān’s instructions and are His encyclopaedias!

Becoming too trapped by or too attracted to this mundane existence creates impediments to the practice of bhajana. This is very true. It is for this reason that we are specially instructed to remain in the proximity of Vaiṣṇavas, or devotees. Attachment to the material objects of these senses is called saṁsāra, or nescient existence.

The transcendental object is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In order to heighten our attraction to Him, we have to be in satsaṅga. Thus there is a difference of heaven and hell between the saṁsāra, or realm of mundane sense objects, and that of the transcendental object, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. If one serves the mundane realm of saṁsāra, a dismal nadir of a destination awaits, whereas in Kṛṣṇa’s saṁsāra, there is always benefit and elevation.

Therefore, scripture teaches: “kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi’ anācāra; jīve dayā, nāme rūci—sarva-dharma-sāra – Engage in Kṛṣṇa’s saṁsāra and give up improper behaviour. Compassion to all living entities and taste in the holy names – this is the essence of all religion.”

Guru, Vaiṣṇavas and Bhagavān eradicate the devotee’s heartache as antaryāmi, the inner guardians of all. If the devotee becomes fitful and anxious to attain a glimpse (darśana) of Bhagavān then Bhagavān will surely fulfil the devotee’s longing. That is why His name is Bhakta-vatsala, “He is who is partial, like an affectionate parent, to His devotees”.

In the mornings, once you have completed your morning functions, bathed, and completed your ahnika, it fosters auspiciousness to read and recite devotional life definition songs and hymns or prayers. When that is finished, it is imperative to chant śrī-nāma on your beads.

Prayers, expressions of humility and entreaties to śrī guru, Vaiṣṇava and Bhagavān can be found amid the collections of songs by our great predecessors, the mahājanas, songs such as Gurvvaṣṭaka, Ṣad-Gosvāmyaṣṭaka, Nityānanda and Gaurāṅga Aṣṭaka, Daśāvatāra Stotra and a multitude of praṇāma-mantras. They, also, can be repeatedly recited. Such engagement is considered one of the limbs of bhajana, by which one’s śraddhā in Śrī Bhagavān flourishes.

“Je jata patita haya, tava dayā tata tāya – The more one is fallen, the more compassion You [Śrī Bhagavān) have for him.” This statement is found in the utterances of the mahājanas.

“I am bereft of devotion and faith.” If we can speak like this from our hearts, then certainly Śrī Bhagavān will banish all of our shortcomings and grant us service to His beautiful feet, which are the abodes of fearlessness. At that time the opportunity to make the human form of life successful comes. In that state, there is no question of the worthiness of one’s sentiments, devotion or language, because Śrī Bhagavān’s mercy is causeless; it has no pre-condition.

“Yogyatā vicāre kichu nāhi pāī, tomāra karuṇā sāra; karuṇā nā ha’le kā̃ndiyā kā̃ndiyā, prāṇa nā rākhibo āra – When I try to discern my qualifications, I find none. Your mercy is everything to me. If you are not compassionate, I will weep and weep, and no longer maintain my life.”

Also: “vicārite āvahi guṇa nāhi pāobi, kṛpā kari choḍata vicāra – Upon ceaseless deliberation, I find no good qualities in myself. Therefore, please have mercy on me without consideration.” These are examples of the sādhaka’s or sādhikā’s anguished prayers, yardsticks of his or her qualification or eligibility. Thus I conclude.

Always aspiring for your welfare,
Śrī Bhaktivedānta Vāmana

[Translated from Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārājera Patrāvalī]

Conclusion on devotional life definition by Srila B.V. Vamana Maharaja

To serve the Vaishnavas and to listen hari-katha from them with the right attitude, is crucial for our devotional life. This wonderful letter gives us a clear devotional life definition, we hope that our readers will find it helpful.

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When Srila Gopal Bhatt Goswami was visiting the pilgrimage centres of northern India, he found a Salagrama Sila on the banks of the Gandaki River. He took the worshipable stone and carried with him wherever he went, treating Sri Shalagram as Sri Vrajendranandan Krishna Himself.

Sri Gopal Bhatt Goswami’s desire is fulfilled

One day he thought that he would like to worship the Lord in a deity form so that he could expand his service.

On the very next day, he found that the Salagrama Sila had transformed into Sri Radha Ramana to fulfill the wish of his devotee.

The pastimes is also told in the following way. It is said that Srila Gopal Bhatt Goswami used to daily worship twelve Salagramas.

He developed a desire to serve the Lord in the form of a deity, thinking that in this way he would be able to worship him in a much better way.

The Lord within his heart knew his feelings and through a rich merchant had many beautiful items used in the worship of the deity, such as ornaments and clothes, sent to him.

Sri Gopal began to worry that all these beautiful objects would be wasted because there was no way that he could use them unless he had a deity in human form.

That night, he put the Salagramas to rest and in the morning he saw that one of them had been transformed into the Radha Ramana deity.

When Sri Rupa Goswami and Sri Sanatan Goswami heard that Sri Krishna had so mercifully appeared to Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, they immediately came with the other devotees for darshan, and when they saw him, they were ecstatic with love.

The annual festival commemorating Lord Radha Ramana’s appearance, when he is bathed publicly, takes place on the full moon day of Vaishakh. The Radha Ramana temple is considered one of the most important in Vrindavan.

Conclusion on Sri Gopal Bhatt Goswami’s story

Nothing is impossible for Sri Krishna, He is present everywhere and ready to even manifest Himself to His dear pure devotee, Sri Gopal Bhatt Goswami.

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By the blessings of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ji, Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math is engaging two specialist devotees for preaching the transcendental divine message of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu across Europe.

The programs will be led by Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaj and Hariballabh Das brahmachari.

The details of this spiritual adventure is as under:

February, 2017

– 2 to 4 Paris

– 5 to 6 Rouen

– 7 to 10 Dijon

– 11 to 14 Berlin

– 15 to 18 Prague

– 19 to 24 Vienna

Flying back to India on 24th Feb, 2017

All are invited to the programs.

For details, please contact:

Bhakti Vichar Vishnu at,
bhakti.vichar.vishnu@gmail.com

Uddhav Das, at Dijon
uddhavafrance@yahoo.fr

Prema Kishora Prabhuji at Berlin
Prema.kishora@gmail.com

Malati Devi Dasi at Prague
malatidevidasi@seznam.cz

Gopal Das Prabhuji at Vienna
Franz.Giner@oeaw.ac.at

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In the following article Srila Bhakti Vedanta Yachak Maharaja gives us insight of how Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja was appointed as the Acharya of Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti.

By Srila Bhakti Vedanta Yachak Maharaja

Today is the appearance day of Param-aaradhya (most revered) Srila Gurudeva Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja on whose lotus feet I would like to offer my prostrated obeisances.

“Sakshad-haritvena samasta-shastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhihi”, as per the scriptures it is said that the spiritual master is to be honored as sakshad-Hari (as the Supreme Lord himself). This ‘haritva’ is an adjective and not a noun like Hari, i.e ‘haritva’ is not the Vishaya-vigraha ‘haritva’ but the Ashraya-vigraha ‘haritva’.

From this we can understand that Hari and Guru are related to each other as noun is to an adjective. Guru is the only one who is capable of making a jiva sakshat-kar (bring in close proximity) to Hari, hence he is called as Sakshad-hari.

The way Bhagavan is eternal similarly Sri Guru is also eternal. Sri Krishna did not become Bhagavan all of a sudden; Previously he was an ordinary mortal and later attaining Bhagavattva became Bhagavan is also not the case.

While Sri Krishna was in the garbha(womb), the garbha-stuti done by demi-gods is the proof of His Bhagavattva, similarly we can see in Srila Gurupadpadma non attachment towards worldly relationships and deep attachment to serve Hari Guru and Vaishnavas from his infancy. Thus we can see the symptoms of ‘Gurutva’ was manifested within Srila Gurudeva right from the beginning.

Although Guru-tattva is eternal, however from Chaitanya Charitamrita we find the following verse – “amara ajnaya guru haiya, taro ei desa”. The significance of this verse is, the one who is linked to the supreme i.e para brahmani-nisnato can only empower his intimate and accomplished associate to assume the role of a Guru.

Just like we can see in the material world a Phd holder can only confer a Phd degree to a competent recipient, before such degree is conferred to him, he cannot perform the actions reserved for a person holding that degree nor can he proclaim himself as the owner of such powers. Neither can a non-Phd holder confer him with such a degree.

Similarly in the Spiritual world one can assume the role of an Acharya only when empowered by his preceptor and can perform the functions of a Guru on being instructed to do so.

I consider myself fortunate as I obtained a place at the lotus feet of Srila Param Gurudeva Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja who was merciful enough to initiate me with harinaam. At that time he was performing his illness-pastimes on this material plane, hence it wasn’t possible to obtain siksha-diksha directly from him.

However being antaryami (knower of one’s inner desires) one day he instructed me – “tumi Vaman Maharaj er seva koro, tumi tar kachay sob pabay.” (You engage in devotional service under the guidance of Vaman Maharaja, from him you will get everything). At that time we used to hear his name as the succeeding Acharya of Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Hence I started to consider him also as my Gurupadpadma. And it is at his lotus feet from where I obtained all my spiritual wealth. Hence he is my param-aaradhya Guru Maharaja.

Srila Gurudeva Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja lived an exemplary life that every phase of his manifest pastimes is laden with invaluable teachings. In the most quietest of way his actions in the face of any kind of circumstances spoke the loudest about what should be the conduct of a Vaishnava in the line of Srila Prabhupada. In that light we shall discuss the events that lead up to his appointment and thereafter as the Acharya of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti.

It is a well known fact that Srila Gurudeva had at the tender age of 9 years taken shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Srila Prabhupada and had started residing at Sri Chaitanya Math. Since that time he had been nourished and nurtured under the tutelage of the then manager of Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri Vinodh Bihari Bramhachari (Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshav Goswami Maharaja) who adorned him with every siddhanta (established spiritual conclusions) by educating him on Srimad Bhagvad Gita, Vedanta Sutras and other Spiritual text.

From this chain of events I am reminded of a thing. In the 8 maths (preaching centre) established by Srila Madhvacharya the founding Acharya of our Sampradaya, the Acharya selects among his initiated disciples one, who doesn’t have any attachments towards material life and has great propensity to absorb the teachings of the shastras, and keeps him in his custody right from his childhood.

And keeping him under his subservience he engages the child in rendering every kinds of service and imparting every kind of knowledge with the goal of establishing him in both acchar and vichaar as the succeeding Acharya. By God’s divine plan Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja similarly nourished and nurtured him both materially and spiritually.

From his childhood Srila Kesava Goswami maharaj saw in that boy detachment towards all material relationships. His parents came to the math numerous times on various pretexts and tried to lure him back to into the folds of material affection which he had no taste for. He also saw in that boy a great appetite and unparalleled intellect for absorbing and retaining spiritual learnings.

He also observed in the boy a great temperament for rendering service to Guru and Vaishnavas, hence he named him as ‘Sajjan Sevak’ (One who renders service to vaishnavas). These are the qualifications of an Acharya that he marked in that boy right from the beginning.

Srila Gurudeva (Srila Vaman Goswami Maharaja) was of a very modest and humble nature, he was extremely intelligent, having profound complying nature, and was extremely competent in rendering every kind of of Seva (From the kitchen, temple, press and even the toilets). He was very conversant with the shastras and could quote thousand slokas from different sources, hence Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja declared him publicly as the ‘Living dictionary’ of Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. He was considered unparalleled in the Vaishnava community as a thesaurus of Gaudiya Siddhanta.

During the establishment of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti of he was one of the founding members and the only disciple of Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaj to be so. After the establishment of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti on the order of his spiritual master, Srila Gurudeva (Srila Vamana Maharaj) took over complete responsibility of the Printing Press.

One day while operating the press his hand was caught in the machine and one of his fingers were also severed. Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaj took him to the hospital and cried inconsolably. When Srila vaman Goswami Maharaja asked him ‘Gurudeva I am fine, why are you crying ?’ , he replied ‘You will know when you become the father of a child’.

Srila Vaman Goswami Maharaja was confused as to how he being a renunciate Bramhachari could ever become a father but it was just the indication of the things to come. In anticipation of the greater responsibilities that Srila Gurudeva (Srila Vaman Goswami Maharaja) would one day assume, Srila Keshav Goswami Maharaj moved him from the Printing Press in which he(Srila vaman Goswami Mhj) had got so deeply engrossed, to preaching and expansion of the movement that he(Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja) had started.

Although Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja had selected in his mind for the role of succeeding him as the Acharya of the GVS, his eldest and most accomplished disciple, he also weighed upon the social considerations. From a social standpoint Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaj wanted to put to test his choice and at the same time check if there were anyone who considered themselves in contention so he took a number of steps.

Firstly he arranged for voting to be done. In this regard he chose upon 100 prudent and judicious people. Among them were prominent renunciate and householder disciples of Srila BhaktiSiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, prominent renunciate and householder disciples of other maths which had maintained close proximity to the affairs of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, and his own prominent disciples. In this way 100 people were chosen to vote upon who would be the most appropriate person to succeed Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja. Among the 100 votes registered nearly 96 votes were cast for Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja.

Secondly he called upon three of his most beloved disciples Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Vedanta Trivikrama Maharaja and Srila Bhakti Vedanta Narayan Maharaja. As narrated by Srila Bhakti Vedanta Trivikrama Maharaja to this ignoble self, first he called Srila Trivikrama Maharaja and asked if he wanted to become the Acharya of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Srila Maharaja expressed that he wasn’t qualified, he instead suggested the name of Srila Vaman Maharaja as the most qualified among all of them to take up such a monumental responsibility.

Then he called upon Srila Bhakti Vedanta Narayan Maharaja and he too expressed similar opinion. Finally he called upon Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja. What ensued in the room no one knows but Srila Trivikrama Maharaja said they could hear Srila Vaman Maharaja cry profusely. It was like no one wanted to bear the cross. But it was the unique way of Srila Kesava Maharaja to not only pass the mantle to his most accomplished disciple but also pass it after building consensus on their own volition.

Srila Gurudeva Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja was blessed not only by his Spiritual Master but also by most other senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada who showered him with their affectionate blessings for his humble nature, sweet spokenness, amani-manada bhava (One who himself does not desire respect but gives respect to others), proficiency over all shastras(Spiritual texts) and the ability to maintain complete harmony between every aspect he dealt with.

One such shower of blessing appeared on the 8th issue of the Gaudiya Patrika by Sri Bhakti Turjyaswami Maharaja (disciple of BhaktiSiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada) and was published on his request by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja.

The excerpts of this article is as follows –

“Bayase navin tumi buddhi te pravin,
Seva te sa-utsahi sada abhimaan hina”
“Daruna deha-pida tomaye na kaila klishta,
aumlaan-vadane sahi sevile je ishta”
“Sevak er seva brata, deha mana dharma.
Talaite nahi pare sekhalay se mormo.”
“Nirava Seva tomar pratistha-hina,
prajnavana Sanyasi tumi boyeshay navina”

(Although you are young, your understanding reveals great wisdom. You are untouched by pride and are always enthusiastic to render devotional service.

You are not afflicted/wearied even from bodily sufferings and without any perturbance on your face you engage in service to your spiritual master.

One who is engaged in rendering service is unwavered from his vow to serve free from the dictates of the body and the mind. By such behavior you have taught us this fundamental truth.

You perform your service silently free from the desire of prestige. You are a very learned Sanyasi although you are very young.)

These verses offer us just a glimpse of the love and affection that senior vaishnavas had for Srila Gurudeva.

So after having weighed upon every consideration Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja made public his decision that Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja would lead the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti in all its affairs.

Just before his disappearance Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaj gave one advice on foresight to Srila Gurudeva

“Dekhbi, Sunbi, bolbi na; chokh achay dekhbi, kaan achay sunbi, mukh achay bolbi na”

Watch, listen but never open your mouth.You have eyes, see; you have ears, listen;But you have mouth, don’t speak!!!

The significance of the advice was that the illusionary forces of nature would in its different veils confront him and the Samiti with vile criticism, but irrespective of whatever the circumstances are he advised him to be tolerant.

After the disappearance of Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaj, Srila Gurudeva was appointed as the succeeding President and Acharya of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti in the year 1968 as per the instructions of Srila Kesava Goswami Maharaja in his final will and executed by Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Srirup Siddhanti Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Goswami Maharaja and other disciples of Srila Prabhupada.

After assuming the role of Acharya, Srila Gurudeva always ensured that his god-brothers were given utmost respect. Through his words and actions he never used to reveal his own glory that was latently manifested within him. He was ever engaged in living a life of subservience and in the line with the words spoken by Hari, Guru and Vaishnavas.

Following the instructions given to him by his Gurudeva, in his life he has on numerous occasions endured and is still enduring many a slander without any resistance. He is the living example of the verse ‘taror api sahisnuna’.

Infact his exemplary life itself is a personification of all the instructions given by the shastras. In one of his letters he once wrote

“All the instructions in the shastras have been directed only for me.
If you are mine, they are for you too.”

It is my deep misfortune that although I have spent so many years in close proximity to him I could not obtain the qualification to be able to say Gurudev I am yours. The gap between my actions and the instructions of Hari, Guru and Vaishnavas is so wide that it cannot be bridged by my solitary efforts. Today I pray unto your lotus feet Gurudeva to bridge this gap with your causeless mercy and hope that one day strengthened with your strength I can say Gurudev you have always said

“All the instructions in the shastras have been directed only for me (here me refers Gurudeva). But I am yours, so they are for me too.”

With this prayer I would bring my speech to an end. May Srila Gurudeva listen to our prayers and grace us with his mercy.

This article was written by Srila Bhakti Vedanta Yachak Maharaja, the first disciple of Srila Bhakti Vedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja.

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The Science of Identity Foundation, a not for profit organisation founded by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda, that focuses on tools and learning for mental, physical and spiritual well being, has today announced its latest project: www.wisdom.yoga

Yoga has never been more popular with millions of practitioners worldwide. The United Nations has recognized the impact yoga has had on the world’s health and well-being with an annual International Day of Yoga celebration while Unesco recently placed yoga on its prestigious intangible world heritage list in recognition of the influence it has had on the culture of India and its spread around the world.

Yet in spite of yoga’s vast popularity, most practitioners in western countries are unaware of very much beyond yoga’s asanas (exercises) and pranayama (breathing). In effect, they are only experiencing the tip of the yoga iceberg.

Beyond that “tip” lies a vast treasure of spiritual wisdom and practices dating back over 5000 years with a multitude of benefits including self realization, more harmonious relationships, inner peace and ultimately, deep spiritual love and connection between the self, the Supreme Self and all living beings. The wisdom of yoga can be described as a virtual road map for the spiritual voyager. And in our troubled world, there has never been a greater need for the peace and harmony that yoga offers.

To share the gift of yoga, the Science of Identity Foundation decided to launch www.wisdom.yoga to offer tools, resources and inspiration to enable people to access the wisdom of yoga for their personal, spiritual journey. Visitors to www.wisdom.yoga can browse free meditation classes, yoga wisdom talks, webinar series and Bhagavad Gita audio books plus a kirtan music video library, audio downloads and articles, all with real, practical application in modern life.

Beautifully designed and easy to navigate, www.wisdom.yoga has a responsive structure allowing you to interact with it seamlessly across devices and platforms.

About www.wisdom.yoga

www.wisdom.yoga provides tools, resources and inspiration for your personal spiritual journey inspired from the teachings of Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda and the Gaudiya Vaishnava yoga lineage.

About the Science of Identity Foundation

Founded in 1977, the Science of Identity Foundation teaches the practice of meditation and kirtan—along with timeless yoga wisdom—to help individuals achieve greater spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing. Passed down for centuries through an unbroken line of self-realized teachers, this ancient and authentic process of self-discovery can be practiced by anyone.

More information can be found at
http://www.sif.yoga

Connect with Science of Identity Foundation
https://www.facebook.com/thescienceofidentityfoundation
https://twitter.com/sif_yoga
https://www.instagram.com/scienceofidentity/
https://www.youtube.com/user/thescienceofidentity/

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by Darius Shahtahmasebi and theAntiMedia.org

Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the lawmaker who accused the U.S. government of funding and arming ISIS and introduced a bill to prevent it from happening in future, recently disclosed that she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during her recent trip to Syria. The move has reportedly angered many of her fellow congressmen and women.

Upon returning from the war-stricken nation, Gabbard released the following statement in the form of a press release:

My visit to Syria has made it abundantly clear: Our counterproductive regime change war does not serve America’s interest, and it certainly isn’t in the interest of the Syrian people.

As I visited with people from across the country, and heard heartbreaking stories of how this war has devastated their lives, I was asked, ‘Why is the United States and its allies helping al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups try to take over Syria? Syria did not attack the United States. Al-Qaeda did.’ I had no answer.

According to the press release, Gabbard met with refugees, Syrian opposition leaders who led protesters in 2011, widows and family members who fight alongside al-Qaeda groups, pro-Assad troops, humanitarian workers, and students, to name a few. Gabbard also met with high-ranking officials such as Lebanon’s newly-elected President Aon and Prime Minister Hariri, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard, Syrian President Assad, Grand Mufti Hassoun, and Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of the Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo.

Initially, Gabbard allegedly had no intention of meeting Assad, as she stated in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did so because I felt that it’s important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we’ve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we can achieve peace,” she told Tapper.

The meeting with Assad is incredibly controversial because of numerous allegations by the U.N. that Assad has committed crimes against humanity.

“Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria,” she added. “In order for any peace agreement, in order for any possibility of a viable peace agreement to occur there has to be a conversation with him.”

Not surprisingly, the media has hyped up this visit as outrageous but has omitted some very glaring hypocrisies that arise as a result of Gabbard’s trip to Syria.

First, the Obama administration and Bush administration both drew serious allegations of war crimes, but if Gabbard had met with either of those former presidents, it’s doubtful anyone would have batted an eyelid.

Second, former Secretary of State John Kerry met with Assad in 2009, even though, after nine years in office, Assad was clearly responsible for all of the things Western media has been relentlessly accusing him of doing since 2011.

Third, Gabbard’s meeting symbolizes the ridiculousness of America’s foreign policy decision-making system. A few hundred old men and women who have never been to Syria — nor care to go — sit in a room and deliberate a piece of paper deciding whether or not to drop million dollar tomahawk missiles on a relatively poor country. Even when these decision-makers are well aware of the horror their edicts will unleash, they are never required to visit the country, talk to its people, or understand the situation and better educate themselves. In the case of Syria, Congress wasn’t even required to approve the air campaign that began in 2014, as Obama authorized airstrikes without their approval anyway.

Gabbard’s move should be applauded — not ridiculed. Singling out Assad as some sort of mass-murdering psychopath while foreign leaders routinely meet with alleged war criminals such as Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s leadership, and Henry Kissinger, to name a few, is the epitome of U.S.-NATO arrogance.

Gabbard may have met with a mass murderer, but she also met with numerous people on the ground — the people who matter most. After doing so, she concluded:

I return to Washington, DC with even greater resolve to end our illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government. I call upon Congress and the new Administration to answer the pleas of the Syrian people immediately and support the Stop Arming Terrorists Act. We must stop directly and indirectly supporting terrorists—directly by providing weapons, training and logistical support to rebel groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS; and indirectly through Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey, who, in turn, support these terrorist groups. We must end our war to overthrow the Syrian government and focus our attention on defeating al-Qaeda and ISIS.

No one can criticize her strategy because, for the last six years, no one has even attempted it.

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by Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaja

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, is the origin of unlimited expansions and avatars. He is the Avatari.

His first expansion is the Sankarshan or Sri Balaram. This same Sri Balaram appeared with Lord Chaitanya as Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

Sri Balaram’s expanison, Sri Maha-Sankarshan has His abode in the Vaikuntha planets, and He in turn expands as the Purush-avataras in the work of creation of the universe, first as the Sri Karanodakashayi Vishnu, Who lies in the causal ocean, then as Sri Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, Who lies in the ocean within the individual universes, and finally as the Kshirodakashayi Vishnu, Who not only lies in the ocean of milk, but is the Director of the individual universe and is present as the indweller of every living being within the universe.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Sri Nityananda Prabhu to preach pure devotion in Bengal. While wandering through Ganges valley, Lord Nitai was attracted by Srila Raghava Pandit’s pure devotional attitude and came to his house in Panihati. Along with Him came the three Ghosh brothers, Srila Govinda, Srila Madhava and Srila Vasudeva, who were known for their ability as kirtaniyas.

When they started singing, Lord Nityananda fell into a trance-like state and started to dance. When He had finished dancing, He sat on the deities’ altar; Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s entourage and Raghava Pandit performed an elaborate abhishek ceremony to honor Him. After the bathing ceremony, they dressed and garlanded Him, whereupon Lord Nityananda sat down again on the deities’ throne while Srila Raghava Pandit held the parasol.

At this moment, a miraculous event occurred. Lord Nityananda Prabhu, still in a trance-like state, ordered Srila Raghava Pandit to quickly bring Him a garland of kadamba flowers. Srila Raghava answered that kadamba trees were not yet in flower. Lord Nityananda Prabhu told him to look around the grounds of his house and he would find the flowers. As Srila Raghava searched, he was amazed to find kadamba flowers blossoming on a lime tree. He quickly picked the flowers and made a garland, which he placed around Lord Nityananda’s neck.

A few moments later, the house was filled with the fragrance of damanaka flowers. Lord Nityananda Prabhu said that Sri Mahaprabhu Himself had come from Puri wearing a damanaka garland to hear the kirtan.

Srila Narahari Chakravarti Thakur mentions this dance and kirtan in his Bhakti-ratnakara.

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by Madhavi d.d.

My mother died in full consciousness in sidhasana on 17.01.1977. She was one of the first disciples of Venzeslav Evtimov. She started to practice hatha yoga after cancer had been discovered in her breast at very advanced stage. Then she was 46 years old. Doctors said she would live only a few months so she could do whatever she wanted. I found a book for hatha yoga. As far as I remember the author was Esudian. I was very busy engaged in creative work that consumed all my time so I didn’t have time for exercises. But my mother, for my great surprise, after she read the book started to practice asanas without a teacher. First she fasted 14 daysGuided by Dimkov, she drank only herbal tea. She lost weight and she was practicing asanas. She became very flexible. She surprised everyone with standing on head asana, lotus and other difficult asanas.

Venzeslav Evtimov, teacher in Kirov technical school, was giving a free yoga course. Before this he had a serious disease. He was a follower of Hindu tradition. He was honest, moral with fiery spirit and great charm. He attracted many people in his course. My mother became his disciple. And I also was attracted by her influence. Then I didn’t know about the great spiritual master Peter Dunov who had inspired many people to become vegetarians. Two years before that I became a vegetarian without knowing why. I worked in a circus. I travelled for 13 years and every free minute I stood in front of the animals and I was watching them.I gave up meat because I wasn’t a lion and I didn’t have to eat what beasts eat.

I attended regularly Evtimov’s course and I was good in asanas. I got energy that helped me to do my duties. Once I couldn’t attend the course. My mother told me that Evtimov went abroad and there would not be a yoga course anymore. I cried a lot. I felt great emptiness. But I had a friend – Ani Pavlova. She was a strong seeker. We were travelling in the nature and were talking about yoga. We were reading and translating Russian books. We were discussing and were practicing. We were seeking and God was giving.

Dev murti came. He was 70 years old but he looked like 40. He taught us tobe vegetarians and to practice asanas. He gave a lecture at my mother’s home and then in my home. In my home he showed a permission for opening a vegetarian restaurant. He gave all the money he had earned in circus. He showed Neti for cleaning the nose. We all were ill and he was healthy.

Once a Sai Baba disciple came together with her husband. They made a fire ritual.Then Indradevi, Sai Baba disciple came. She made a course for few people at closed doors. She had bodyguards – young men. She was 90 years old but she had tremendous energy.
Later professor Goyal came who trained Soviet spacemen. He didn’t give a course but we were following him wherever he went.
Later professor Dayal and his wife came. They were disciples of Maharishi Mahesh and were teaching transcendental meditation. Ani Pavlova, George and me were given personal mantra. We were meditating a lot.

I was practicing meditation many hours. I started to develop paranormal abilities. I started to see in the future. I knew what would happen during the day. I started to see beautiful sceneries. I also saw sometimes a man with white clothes, white beard and white hair. I meditated regularly every morning and I told my best friends – KubratTomov and Ani Pavlova what I had seen. I shared my experiences with many people. Later when I read the book Concentration and meditation by Swami Shivananda I realized I shouldn’t had done this.

George was the first who was initiated in Krishna consciousness. He was studying Hindi in university. He was reading Bhagavad-gita in English. His tutor doctor Varna had given it to him. He was telling us about Gita. It was very interesting and we were listening for hours.

One day he called me and said: “We have guests. Come together with Ani.” They were Dhira Krishna and Krishna ksetra. They were cooking in a small kitchen where he slept on the floor. There was only one little room where his parents and his sister lived. It was very uncomfortable but boys didn’t complain. We all admired these young boys so bright, humble and loving. They gave us to prepare vegetables. Ani said what kind of yoga is this? What is this cooking? She was laughing with tears. I also found it funny but I managed to control myself. I was watching these young people and I admired their love and humility. They only asked us how we could get married since we couldn’t cook. They cooked gulabjamun and sabji. We went to Ani’s place. Her husband had made pop corns. Ani had bought Turkish delight. Boys made kirtan. Our singing was terrible. They spoke about Krishna and Prabhupad. They spoke also about the benefit of the maha-mantra. Then they distributed the prasadam. We were so delicious things for the first time. They told us to take from the gulabjamun and to give it to our relatives. I took few balls and called KubratTomov. He came and immediately ate the balls. In these days there wasn’t a variety of food and it was a difficult time for vegetarians. There were some vegetables in the groceries – cabbage, potatoes, beans, really salty pickled vegetables from a barrel and a lot of meat everywhere. It’s true that we had only two types of cheese, but in contrast to the present ones, they were from real milk and very tasty. However, our guests didn’t eat anything that was not prepared by a devotee, so we could offer them nothing.

After less than a week Dhira Krishna and Suhotra Swami arrived. I accommodated them at my mom’s place. They slept there, cooked at Madri’s, we had a kirtan in my place or at the home of some of the people who were engaged in yoga practice. At one of these gatherings, a random guest asked them: “Where are you going to sleep tonight? “ They surprised me with their sharpness of mind when they answered: “Under a tree”. They invited us to take initiations. I accepted immediately, as did Maria and Emiliya. Ani declined. The devotees left, but forgot their temple at my mom’s place. I went to give it back to them, but Ani said: “You, fool, they left it to you on purpose”. Later, I handed it to Radhavallabha. I was very worried about Ani. I loved her a lot and I felt sad when she didn’t want to take an initiation. We’ve taken so many different initiations and joined so many diverse schools, but when she finally got excited from the appearance and behavior of these young people, she declined to get initiated.

Some time passed, probably a week or two, and Dhira Krishna and Krishna Kshetra came. We received our initiation at Maria’s. I had Kubrat Tomov, Hristo and Ani invited. Ani didn’t come. It was 7th or 8th January 1979. It was wonderful, there was prasad (Dhira Krishna used to cook really well) and at the end the guests left. We were told to chant mantras regularly. There was no literature in Bulgarian, we didn’t know how to cook, we had only been trying to sing.

Dvarakesh arrived, a really nice and virtuous boy. He came often, which was risky both for him and for us, he tried to bring us together, since we were so riff-raff. We didn’t know each other that much, but he wanted us to spend as much time as was possible together. We, the Bulgarians, are not so easily amenable. Wherever we are, we are torn by divisions. The Master Deunov has said it too, that the Bulgarian is a stubborn person and he will suffer a lot. I can’t describe to you what kind of difficulties we experienced. The jealousy, the ambition…I don’t want neither to remember, nor to tell about it.

Dvarakesh was very kind and patient with everybody. There was this girl Krisi, her mother disturbed me often to complain about her daughter – supposedly, Krisi was nervous, made scenes, like she was somehow bewitched. All the young girls were in love with Dvarakesh and fighting for his attention. Of course, this hindered our service; thank God that he was advanced and above all that he didn’t pay any attention to these things. At Krishna Janmastami, Deva Mrita and a Hindu came. Unfortunately, I can’t recall his name, but he looked like a statue, he was SO perfect. We gathered at a country house in Simeonovo. There were a lot of guests invited.

Before, when Dvarakesh used to come often, he would ask me: “Madhavi, aren’t there any young people around here?” Aren’t there any boys?” That’s why, when for Krishna’s birthday I invited one girl, an artist, and she asked me: “Can I also bring one other boy, he’s also a vegeterian?”, I answered positively. Radi came, who later become Radhavallabha. There was plenty of people, we sang a lot; Deva Mrita, together with the Hindu, made an incredible kirtan performance. They sang wonderfully, danced, it was all at an exceptionally high level. But already, at that time, I could feel that our guest from India was very worried. His worries became my own. There was one boy, Stefcho, he was standing throughout the whole thing at the entrance door of the villa, nervous about what could happen to us. What we were doing was very dangerous, but we were young, we didn’t realize it and Krishna was surely protecting us.

From that moment on, Radhavalabha almost broke my phone by calling to ask me: “When will they come again?”. He used to come to me with a bag of groceries so he can cook prasadam and if I was not there, he wouldn’t have a bite for 2-3 days. Radi become very engaged in studying English. His mother was well-off and hired a good teacher for him. He was smart and disciplined and advanced very quickly. Before getting initiated, he could already deal with the language on his own. Dvarakesh used to visit us often. It was a real celebration when that happened, we lived with the memories of it once he left and we anxiously awaited his next visit. Radi’s initation was performed at Madri’s place. She called me and told me: “Come quickly, cause our boy will be recruited”.

From that moment on, Radhavalabha took everything in his own hands. Truly, this boy, who grew up on the street as a leader of the neighborhood kid’s gangs in all their youthful follies, experienced a complete transformation. First he cleaned his room and made it very orderly. He built a temple in one of the corners, which was really beautiful, with wood-carving and marble stands. His room had one small window, with a view of the wall of the nearby resident building. At Madri’s place it was nice and sunny, but she had a mother and a son with whom she used to live. I had a huge living room, but I and my daughter used to sleep there. Lila Sikha also had a separate room, that’s where Radhavalabha and Lila Sukha moved the temple to. Murtis were also brought, for the first time ever in Bulgaria. Many guests used to come, I think that around the same period Radhavalabha took in and trained his friend Kamen, who is presently in Sweden. The only setback was that Lila Sukha’s home was in a bad neighborhood, far away and unsightly.

Once, I had a terrible cold and my throat hurt a lot. Radhavalabha called and asked me to go. It was a foggy, cold day; when I arrived I was frozen to death, but right at the entrance was Radhavalabha with a cup of hot, sweet milk, insisting that I drink it immediately. I felt much better. I will never forget his concern for all devotees. He took special care to make sure that they all were healthy, established progress in their education and most importantly, in their service. At the morning I took a shower with ice-cold water and even though the heating was cut off at Lila Sukha, there was not the slightest trace of my cold anymore.

I want to note that in the beginning of any spiritual practice, at least that’s how it was with me, and it was even more salient in the case of Radhavalabha, as well as with other people who were engaged with spiritual practices, there is a certain degree of fanaticism. For example, I have a sin towards one nephew of mine. One early morning, I was chanting a mantra and someone rang at the door. I didn’t expect anyone and decided not to interrupt my practice, but the ringing was repeated with insistence. I opened and scolded my nephew; a doctor and a smart boy, he was running late for the train and begged me to give him some Italian magazines. My daughter read Italian and they spoke with Dvarakesh in the language. I became really mad at my nephew and was not polite at all for he had interrupted my practice. This is something for which I will regret my whole life. I have 2-3 cases when I have done something wrong and these occasions remain like thorns in my mind. When I remember them, they sting mercilessly. In short, at the time I’ve fallen prey to my own fanaticism.

The same happened with Radhavalabha. There was a kitchen in his home, which he shared with his mother. Half of it was full of flowers soaked in water. Buckets, basins, pitchers, pots, it was really difficult to pass through. That’s why he separated the kitchen in two sectors. He drew a huge white line in the middle of the room. Half was to be for his mother and the other half – for him. His half was bursting brightly with order, beauty and cleanliness. His mother’s was a nightmare. The woman (her name was Dora), used to work all day down at the street, where she had a small flower shop. The saddest part was that she was crippled, one of her legs was amputated and she could just not keep her home clean. Dora was an exceptionally intelligent woman, with a great sense for beauty; her bouquets (which were very exquisite) could not be find anywhere in Sofia. She loved the devotees very much and helped us financially a lot. She was glad to see us and talk with us. Her fate was really interesting, Radhavalabha often used to tell me about her, but this is not to place to explore this subject. Maybe one day I will tell you only. about her

After Radhavalabha was initiated, cleaned his room and separated the kitchen in the middle, he became very rude with everyone that he thought was hampering him from fulfilling his duties properly. Dora even confided to me that a relative came from the countryside that invaded his territory and he almost got in a fight with her. Yes, he really became very demanding and rude with everybody. His mother started asking: “What happened? He was such a gentle and kind son, why did things turned around so bad, so quickly?” I tried to soothe her and said: “Everything will be fine, you’ll see, this is only temporary.” In the same period of time, Radhavalabha destroyed the horoscope that was made for him by Nikolay Doynov when I brought him there once. When he used to come to me, he would grab a book that was not from ISKCON on the way out and throw it in the garbage bins downstairs. This period was short, thanks God, but was really testing for all of us.

Irinka showed up, she used to come to me at 7 in the morning and leave at 7 in the evening. We learned how to cook together, but we could never manage the time properly. She would ask one question after another. I didn’t know much, so I didn’t know how to respond, but she kept inquiring. Radhavalabha came one day and said: “Why do you bear with her asking questions all day and wasting your time? Better ask her to wash the windows”. I said that they are too big, but he insisted and I allowed her to clean up the window in the kitchen, since it was a small one. She probably did something like that for a first time in her life. By the end, both her and the house were dripping in water. Irinka was a wonderful devotee, the most selfless and dedicated, from whom many of us could have learned a lot, but she was not handy or experienced. She was not in a good relationship with her own mother and confided that she had not taught her anything that a girl should know.

We were at home for a kirtan, we had one every Sunday. Everybody used to bring a pot with prasadam. I prepared two things, while Radhavalabha brought most of the things, which were also better prepared than any other. We sang, we read and discussed. It all ended with prasadam. Once, Radhavalabha was by the opinion that one of the meals should be taken with yoghurt. We had none, so he sent Irinka to find some. It was already 10pm, there were no round-the-clock shops as there are now. I got very worried about her, where would she find milk at night, but she came back; turned out she had found some so we ate around midnight. From all those abundant prasadam made with ghee (food back then was really cheap), I became fat. I used to work in folk art jewelery and souvenir shop. There were two shops in Sofia and sales were very good. I had been working in the cooperative for 9 years, out of them I spent only 3 in a team, after that I completed my orders from home. My kitchen served the purpose of a workshop, while my daughter played in the living room. The atmosphere was creative, later on – spiritual. Following my initiation, I worked on sacred images and made embossed figures of our architectural and cultural monuments on well-formed wooden canvases that can be hung on walls. The figures were selling well, we had plenty of orders, but with the sacred images, which were exceptionally beautiful, I encountered some obstacles. The Holy Synod intervened and did not allow their sale outside of the country, supposedly they had the exclusive right to do so. At the time there was very little demand within the country for souvenirs with religious subject-matters. Everyone was atheistic. I continued making jewelery, but I had serious problem with some chemicals because of it: (хертер?), Cobalt(II) naphthenate, acetone, which smelled terribly. Once I completed my labor service requirement, I stopped doing it and until I reached retirement age I was renting out my mother’s property. At that time I had plenty of spare time to invest in spiritual practice. Life expenses were really low at the time. When guests came, so I could prepare prasadam and help financially the group, I would go with a bag of books, mostly love novels from my husband and my youth, and get for them between 30-50 leva from the neighbourhood second-hand bookshop. That was a lot of money. Once there were no more novels, I would sell out some of the stuff that my mother had prepared as my daughter’s dowry. Everything that I didn’t like I brought to the market in Poduene, where a man with a small shop would buy from me anything. The money I spent to accept the guest we had. I will never forget the visit of one devotee who came from the temple in Germany. One day Prema Rasa Das, Radhavallabha and this devotee were traveling by tram from our place to Lila Sukha. The tram was full with people, everybody was pushing towards others. The tram was shaking over the turns and the people were leaning over each other. This devotee was so pure, with such a pure glow on his face, so tender and sensitive, young and beautiful. The poor devotee was trying to stay away from the passengers, shrinking himself as much as possible but the other passengers didn’t feel it the same way and were pushing themselves towards him. Radhavallabha and I hardly managed to save him from the crowd. I wonder now why did that happened, we didn’t have money or there were no taxis or what. I don’t know why we made the mistake to let such a fine spiritual being to go over that struggle. He never came to Bulgaria again.

During the time when Radhavallabha became fanatic he made many of the new devotees cry. Krisi, Irinka, Lora, Stiliana. With the last one he was very rude because she had taken drugs. It was good that he accepted her in the group. She was giving a lot from herself, chanting, cooking but her couldn’t overcome her desire to become close with him. She was always trying to meet him in a more isolate place and touch him. He was getting furious. My daughter started to have nightmares because of his rudeness. I decided to stop inviting the devotees at my place. When Radhavallabha was calling on the phone for kirtan which we were doing on Sundays, I was saying that I was busy and I was not able to have guests. Two weeks passed. On the third week he asked me to meet him at the park. When we met Radhavalla started crying from the bottom of his heart and asked me to excuse and forgive him. I said that there was nothing to forgive but I didn’t understand what the point was to get together when he constantly was upsetting the girls. I thought we were together to improve ourselves, to serve and advance, not to fight and annoy each other, envy or fight who had to be first. We didn’t have to turn serving into competition. I was asking him to explain to me what the point was because I didn’t understand it. Radhavallabha said “Madhavi forgive me. But you know when too many sharp stones come together they have to strike and hit to get rounded.” We started the meetings again at my place and Radhavallabha became even softer that cotton with everybody. He had a lot of everything: mind, craftiness, leader qualities, love, but also a lot of passion and desire for fast advancement. He was under the zodiac influence of Mars and that showed in everything – in his character, features of his face and his handwriting as well. He had always and everywhere to be first, defender of the weak and fighting with everybody who wanted to get better than him. Actually the sacrifice he made for all of us, had been predicted in his natal card even before he had been born. After he passed away I was thinking a lot about his horoscope and also what he had told me about his parents and how he had come to his world but this is another story to tell.

Sometimes we were going to father Nazariy in the Kokaliane Monastery with big backpacks, sleeping bags, Bhagavat Gita and a lot of prasad. We were giving some of the food to Nazariy and he was happy with us. We were climbing up to a meadow. There we were making a Krishna temple there with the few materials we had and garlands from field flowers. Radhavallabha was reading Bhagavat Gita, talking to us. He had already learnt to speak English. We were freely singing and taking prasad. Everything was delightful except for the tension between Madri and Radhavallabha. Being the oldest I was trying to soften the atmosphere but it wasn’t easy. Radhavallabha had many virtues but he couldn’t sing. He was asking my daughter to teach him. The three of us had excursions together and there she was freely teaching him and he was practicing. He wasn’t good but he had a big desire and put a lot of effort. Madri didn’t feel good that I had excepted Radhavallabha in the group of devotees and I had given him the chance to advance and become the leader of the group. She was constantly saying “Be aware when Radi sneakes into your house.” She meant that he could marry my daughter. “You’ll see when you get kicked out of your house” she was saying. I would like to highlight that when Radhavallabha came to my house and was attending the first kirtan at Krishna’s appearance day, when he met the devotees for the first time, when he accepted to chant, cook for Krishna, sing, read, learn English he said to me that he had not come either for me or my daughter. He had come for Krishna. And I believed him. I didn’t care what he had done before he met the devotees, whom he had communicated to, which women he had slept with. I knew that he had lived a bad life. Recently I read also other facts about him. I am not surprised. He could have also been that person described. He was not hiding anything from his previous life. The important thing is that when he met the devotees he changed his life completely. Before Vishnupad was about to come and stay with Dvarakes in my living room, Radhavallabha gave order to my daughter and we both brought all the carpets outside the building and beat and washed them. My daughter and Radhavallabha washed all the windows. The house was perfectly cleaned. And Radhavallabha said to me “Madhavi, I am doing all this for Krishna and Vishnupad who is going to spend the night here”.

Vishnupad and Dvarakes arrived on the 40th day after Liudmila Jivkova had passed away. There were no people on the streets of Sofia. Everybody was hiding in their houses. Madri and Lila Sukha came with big bouquets of roses. At these days many roses were growing in the parks. I made the beds with bed covers from my daughter’s trousseau. We made something like a throne on the bed where Visnhupad was going to sleep and decorated everything with lots of rosees. The house was beautifully scented. Vishnupad and Dvarakesh came accompanied by Radhavallabha.
Visnupad was carrying a pink pillow which he had always with him. All of us were enthralled. A short lecture followed, kirtan and then piano improvisations. Vishnupad sang and played very well.

Early in the morning Dvarakes put to dry the dhoti of Vishnupad which he had washed himself. My daughter and I were afraid to touch anything, we didn’t know what to do, how to behave with these young men who looked like they had come from a different realm. The few initiated devotees came again. We had kirtan again with piano accompaniment. It was delightful. We were both excited and afraid. I don’t remember whether we offered prasad to the guests. We couldn’t even cook well. Madri used to cooked delicious meals but from our Bulgarian cuisine. Lila Sukha couldn’t cook at all. Once she offered Radhavallabha halva which was very dark. When he asked why the halva was so dark she replied that she had put too much cinnamon. Radhavallabha said that the halva was dark because she had overburnt it. Once I offered Dvarakesh cabbage sarmas (Sarma is a dish of cabbage leaves rolled around a filing usually based on rice and vegetables. It is traditional dish in Bulgaria and other Balkan countries) which weren’t cooked enough but he never complained. My daughter still finds it difficult to cook. She says it is hard enough to cook for herself what about for guests.

We were so excited, we wanted to hear and learn from the guests who had come here, and we couldn’t understand that cooking and offering prasad were one of our duties and service. Gour Sundar Das always remembered to offer his food to Krishna after he already ate. Radhavallabha unlike the rest of us learnt to cook very quickly. Besides his many talents he became an excellent cook.

Shorty after Visnupad and Dvarakes’ s visit one Hungarian devotee came to Bulgaria. His name was Krishna Ananda. He stayed at my place. He slept in the kitchen in his sleeping bag. At that time we had a gorgeous Siamese tom-cat which Radhavallabha named Chandra. He was eating only small fish uncooked of course and he carried them all over the kitchen. You can image how Krishna Ananda felt sleeping on the floor in his sleeping bag and Chandra tossing fish all around his head. That boy never said anything or complained. Poor devotees… they underwent so much because of us… the unlearnt freshly initiated devotees.

All of a sudden Radhavallabha disappeared. Krishna Nanda went out to look for him every day but he had gone underground completely. He tried to tell me something in Russian but I couldn’t get a thing. My daughter was abroad. I only understood that Krishna Nanda was worried but I didn’t understand why. The day after the Hungarian devotee had left Radhavallabha visited me. I told him that I had looked for him and we had a guest who had been searching for him every day. Radhavallabha said “Madhavi please trust me.”. I asked him what he meant. He replied that Vishnupad had ordered him so, he was our guru and we had to listen to him.

I was very confused and worried. I understood something was going on that was out of my perspective. Radhavallabha was smart and intuitive. He felt that I was very worried and very carefully explained: “You have to choose whom you want to stay with. With the Hungarian devotees or with me? ”. I became even more confused and sad. I asked what happened and why that was necessary. Dvarakes was so adorable, the devotees were visiting us often and helped us a lot. Radhavallabha said that he also loved them but our guru had said so. I felt I was about to faint. Radhavallabha asked again whom I was going to stay with and I had to decide but he told me also to trust him. I replied to Radhavallabha that I had brought him to Krishna consciousness, I observed his fast advancement, all the good things we was doing, his change to better, he was young and smart. Whatever he decided I was going to stick with his decision. We never discussed it again and there was also little time. Shortly afterwards the community life Radhavallabha and the young devotees which he had trained and who started real spiritual life together was painfully put to an end. The center we had was closed and everything there confiscated. Radhavallabha, Irinka and many of the young devotees were arrested. When Radhavallabha was released from prison he visited me. He said: “ I will tell you everything. I don’t want you to hear it from someone else. Madhavi, you and your daughter are on your own. (Lila Sukha and Madri had decided to stay with the Hungarian devotees) I don’t want something to happen to you. If I get affected, my mother has money and she can support herself somehow. You and your daughter are alone. There is no one to protect you. It was good you were away when the change happened.” Now I know he had been already followed by the police at that time. He knew it and he decided to be more careful. I found out recently that the devotees had problems with the police then and the first deities which had been brought to Bulgaria by the Hungarian devotees were taken by the police. After that Lila Sukha left to Sweden. She did not know details how the Bulgarian devotees got to prison. I am thankful to Krishna and Radhavallabha that they saved and protected me. At that time I had problems with my sick father and also my daughter was far away from me and I didn’t know how to help her.

Radhavallabha told me how the police investigators had asked him to sign a declaration that he would not have continued to go to parks and talked to the young people there about Krishna. He said that he had not signed the declaration. During the first days in prison he did not eat anything. The guardians there got afraid that he could have died starving and they let his mother bring him a box with apples. All the time he spent with the police investigators he talked only about Krishna. The young learned investigators were listening to him with great interest. (I don’t doubt Radhavallabha was talking about Krishna. When the police asked me to go for interrogation I gave them a long lecture about the benefits of yoga in Bulgaria and the investigators were also listening to me carefully). The prison guardians allowed Radhavallabha to have shower every day and cook his own food in the kitchen. He was giving prasad to the other prison mates. He wasn’t depressed after he got out. Actually he was very enthused that he could have served Krishna talking about him all the time. He only mentioned about one old guardian who could have drowned him with a drop of water if he could have had the chance.

One day I was walking to my father’s place. In front of the Music Theatre I met Radhavallabha. I was so much into my thoughts and if it had not been him to greet me I would not have seen him at all. I used to walk and chant saying the mantra on each step. There were very few cars on the streets and it was easy to walk and chant. Radhavallabha looked anxious and worried about something. His eyes were nervously rolling from left to right. We said goodbye but I kept thinking about his strange behavior.

Radhavallabha was very practical, stable and emotionally strong. He was giving me useful and good advice when I had problems. He helped me to send my daughter to Austria. We did not know where or to whom exactly she was going. My daughter could not leave the country because her mother was practicing yoga and her brother was an archimandrite (post of a priest in Orthodox Chiristianity) in a monastery. All of a sudden an agency ordered her to go abroad to save a group of Bulgarian musicians. Their pianist had left them and if there was no one to replace him the whole group had to come back to Bulgaria. I was very worried. Radhavallabha was calming me down and told me not to be afraid. If she did not like it she would come back. It was not that simple as we thought it but that is another story to tell.

I couldn’t understand Radhavallabha’s bizarre behavior when we met. Later when I talked to his mother she told me “Didn’t you see? He had a red scar around his neck. Somebody tried to strangle him in the park.” Radhaballabha used to go there to chant. That was the last time I ever met him.

Shorty afterwards Madri and Kamen visited me to to tell me that Radhavallabha had been struck by a car and was in very serious condition in a hospital. I was out of my mind. I had problems with my ears. I could not hear with one of my ears but when I heard that I became almost deaf. I asked them to explain again and again what had happened.

The devotees from Plovdiv (town in Bulgaria) also came to the funeral. They had prepared a lot of prasad. Radhavallabha’s mother was in shock. I didn’t dare to either talk to her or touch her. She was overwhelmed with grief. The master Petar Danov says that mothers like her are called divine mothers. The worst thing that can happen to a mother is to loose her child especially at their best, their most highly creative age. I was walking after the coffin and I turned my head upwards and in my thoughts I asked God why that had to happen. And I saw a white pigeon flying right over my head. I told Madri and she saw the pigeon as well. We could not tell Dora. She wasn’t herself. I thought that I if had embraced her and talked to her, her unbearable pain would have become even stronger.

Dear kids, this is how things happened. After Radhavallabha passed away and later Dvarakes as well a page of my spiritual life ended. Madri died. Lile Sukha had left to Sweden before that. Kamen also disappeared. My daughter was also away. She was reassigned to work from Austria to Germany. I didn’t keep in touch with the devotees from Plovdiv. My father was very old and I had to take care of him. I remained friends with Ani Pavlova and Kubrat Tomov (he lived close to me), also with Toni Vicheva who was a follower of Yogananda, and with some of Ani Pavlova’s disciples. I was reading a lot, chanting, always offering my food to Krishna, serving prasad to everyone who came to my house. The group of Ani often asked me for advice how to cook and especially I helped them when they had guests from abroad. In return they were inviting me to excursions. Ani was often travelling to India and we were talking about her journeys. I kept meeting with people having spiritual practice, also with others who were interested or involved in yoga practice but respected my way of life. I was offering them prasad. I tried to read to them Bhagavat Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. Some were listening with interest, others got bored but kept coming. I think that all the people I was meeting sincerely respected me and what I was doing but did not have the will or the desire to participate. A young boy named One day I met Evgeni at the park – he was with the devotees before and Gopati knows him. Since then we meet regularly. He lives very close to me. We read together. He has the books in Russian. We discuss with each other what we have read. Whoever even once has seen Krishna, chanted or eaten prasad he could never reject Krishna. That is a higher taste and if you are able to have it once it will always stay with you.

I am happy that there are many active people now. Krishna helped many of us to find the way to advance depending on the level we had reached from our previous lives. The important thing is that Krishna consciousness is not prohibited in Bulgaria anymore.

When I was talking to father Boyan (the son of my husband from his previous marriage) I was often saying to him “I am a more devoted nun than you although I live in the Sofia downtown and you live in a monastery”. They drink a lot of alcohol there at the monastery and Boyan left this world young. Generally I love people but I don’t feel well in the company of material people who talk only about money and sex. I don’t communicate much with non devotees except when it is necessary. Sometimes they come to me because they not only like the prasad but they also hear something interesting about the meaning of the human life. I can’t take anything from them but after all we live in a society not in the forest. I can’t isolate myself completely from the outer world. I don’t go anywhere, only sometimes I go to kirtan. I don’t need to go anywhere. I love nature. I used to go in the countryside every week. I was picking herbs and I was making a good seasoning with different herbs and grass. In the mixture I was also putting some curry powder and turmeric. That’s why I named it “Friendship between Bulgaria and India”.

I regret that because of my old age I can’t participate as often as I would like to and as I did in the first years of my spiritual life. I am very happy about you and I love you all my beloved Bulgarian devotees.

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by Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaja

When Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was at home, he was devising a plan for how he would be delivered from his material entanglements, he heard that Sri Nityananda Prabhu had made an auspicious appearance in the town of Panihati. Thinking that Sri Nityananda was the deliverer of the most fallen and that by His mercy he would surely be able to find his freedom, he went across the Ganges to Panihati where he found the Lord sitting under a tree on a wooden seat, surrounded by his associates.

As soon as Srila Raghunath saw Him from a distance, he fell down like a rod. The merciful Lord Nityananda immediately had him brought close to Him and, understanding the deep-rooted desires of Raghunath’s heart, arranged for him to perform a service to the Vaishnavas so that he could realize them.

“Like a thief, you don’t come near me, but simply try to run away. Now that I have caught you, I shall punish you. I want you to feed all my followers chipped rice and yogurt.”

When he heard Sri Nityananda’s command, Raghunath’s mind was filled with joy. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.6.50-1)

The festival which Lord Nityananda ordered Srila Raghunath to put on is still celebrated as the Panihati Ciriadadhi Mahotsava.

Sri Nityananda Prabhu and a manifestation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself celebrated the festival, eating on the banks of the Ganges just as though They were cowherd boys on the banks of the Yamuna River. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Their associates, numerous Brahmins and countless men and women from the area enjoyed a feast of milk and chipped rice and yogurt and chipped rice. The opportunity to serve the Lord and His devotees in this way was something that could not come about except for some great fortune.

On the following day, Raghunath Das Goswami emotionally asked Sri Nityananda through Srila Raghava Pandit how he could possibly gain freedom from his material entanglements and find the association of Sri Mahaprabhu. Like an ocean of mercy, Sri Nityananda Prabhu placed His feet on Srila Raghunath’s head and said,

“You arranged this feast on the banks of the river and Sri Mahaprabhu was merciful to you and came here himself to enjoy it. He blessed you by accepting the offering of chipped rice and yogurt. Then, after watching the devotees dancing, He took prasad in the evening. Lord Gauranga came here just to deliver you and now He has removed any impediments which remained. He will turn you over to Svarupa Damodar and making you His confidential servant, He will keep you by His side. Go home now and forget your worries. You will soon be able to go to the Lord without any difficulties.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.6.139-143)

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by Jagadananda das

I was greatly disturbed today to learn from my godbrother Hari Gopal Dasji Maharaj, the current president of the Bhaktivinode Gosthi, that the Birnagar birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Thakur is under attack. Some neighbors are claiming that they have ancestral rights over the land, even though the property was clearly given to our Gurudeva, Sril Sril Lalita Prasad Thakur, in the 1930’s and the ashram has the papers to prove it.

It happens that the town of Birnagar has grown up around the Dwadash Mandir property, making it extremely valuable real estate. Dwadash Mandir for the most part is unchanged from 40 years ago before greed and development had become the de facto religion of this country. In the last few years, the population of the ashram has dwindled and made it vulnerable to this kind of attack. Land Mafias everywhere in India take advantage of such situations to their profit.

When it became clear to the trustees of the Goshthi that the ashram was in danger, they invited Hari Gopal Dasji to leave his bhajan in Radha Kund and come back to Bengal to protect the land and rebuild the ashram as a fitting place representing Srila Lalita Prasad Thakur’s wing of the Bhaktivinode Thakur legacy.

On accepting this responsibility, Hari Gopal Dasji first began by having a protective wall built around the property. The neighbors filed a case to stay construction, claiming that it was intersecting their own property. Apparently, though, it is now clear that they have their sights set on taking over the entire property, as they have now started putting up buildings on the pukur across from Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s shrine.

The legal papers and so on are all in the Mandir’s favor, but it appears that underhanded tactics are being used to prevent the court from making a decision while encroachments are constructed so that will more and more become difficult to remove the squatters, until their occupation becomes a fait accompli.

In this case it appears that local politicians from the Trinamul Party are supporting these people. Hari Gopalji even went as far as getting an audience with Mamta Bannerjee, the CM of West Bengal, thinking that she would be able to rein in the miscreants in her own party, but no action has been taken by her.

Hari Gopal is feeling the pressure as he has no support from any powerful people and has inadequate funds to fight the case. The cards seem to be stacked against him. At any rate, he is on the defensive and in danger of losing, and is very unhappy and disturbed by the situation.

He is even talking of ceding a part of the property to ISKCON, in the hope that they can use their power and influence to protect Bhaktivinode Thakur’s birthplace from falling into the hands of those who are too greedy to recognize the spiritual and ecological value of this property. It may be necessary to lose a village to save the country.

This is really a time for the worldwide nembers of ISKCON, the Gaudiya Math, the World Vaishnava Association, and others in the world-wide Bhaktivinoda Thakur family to put aside any institutional or doctrinal differences and come forth to protect their common heritage, this memorial to the inspiration for the preaching of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message to every town and village. Indeed, any religious Hindu should be shocked that a place with this kind of religious importance can be so callously turned into just another real estate development to enrich greedy and selfish people.

How can those who love Bhaktivinode Thakur’s contribution to the world-wide prema bhakti mission allow the lovely Dwadash Mandir ashram to be decimated or destroyed by the forces of Kali Yuga?

As to the town of Birnagar itself, even if its people are not Vaishnavas, they should know that its greatest claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Greed has destroyed many a thing of value in this world. Let this not be one of them.
I ask everyone of my Bengali friends to help fight this injustice. Jai Radhe.

যদি কোনো বাংগালী বন্ধু আমাকে সাহায্য করিয়া এই প্রবন্ধের অনুবাদ করিতে পারে, তিনি ধন্যবাদার্হ হইবেন. ঠকুরের কৃপাপাত্র হইবেন.

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Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Devananda Gaudiya Matha: March 21, 2005

First of all I offer millions of obeisances to the lotus feet of my most worshipable Gurupada-padma, nitya-lila pravistha om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. Then my siksa-gurus, nitya-lila pravistha om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, to Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja. I offer millions of obeisances at their lotus feet. I also offer appropriate respects to my god-brothers, and to all the tridandipad sannyasis, Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis.

Today we are very fortunate. We have assembled in Navadvipa-dhama. This dhama (abode of the Lord, manifested in this world) is very remarkable, but not everyone can understand its glories. Fulfilling the desire of Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura, my Gurudeva established this Devananda Gaudiya Matha – replete with nine spires and the deity of Koladeva (Varahadeva). It is located in the very place in which the smarta-brahmanas who were opposed to Srila Prabhupada had made their headquarters.

Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati reveals the secret of Navadvipa-dhama in his Navadvipa Satakam (verse 78):

aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam te
naradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva dure
aradhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras te
naradhito dvija-suto na taveha krsnah

[“If you worship the nine islands of Navadvipa, you are actually worshiping Vrndavana and can easily gain entrance into that confidential place. If you don’t worship and take shelter of Navadvipa-dhama, Vrndavana will be very far away from you. If someone will worship dvija-suta (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu), the son of the brahmana Jagannatha Misra, that person will attain vraja-nagara Sri Krsna in Vrndavana. If one worships Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is actually Krsna Himself, in Navadvipa, one is performing complete worship of Krsna. Worshiping Sacinanadana Gaurahari in Navadvipa is as good as worshiping Krsna in Vrndavana. If one does not worship dvija-suta Gaurahari, Lord Krsna will be very far away.”]

Navadvipa-dhama is especially noteworthy for the confluence of five rivers – Panca-veni. If one dives into Panca-veni, one will surface in the Yamuna River at Kesi Ghata in Vrndavana. Gaurangera sangi gane, nitya-siddhe kori mane, se jaya vrajendra-suta pasa – and if one understands that Mahaprabhu’s associates are eternally perfect, one will attain the lotus feet of Vrajendra-nandana Syamasundara.

Yet, even though Navadvipa-dhama is non-different from Vrndavana, there is some speciality:

‘krsna-nama’ kare aparadhera vicara
krsna balile aparadhira na haya vikara
(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 8.24)

“If someone will chant krsna-nama but at the same time commit the ten offenses, he will not experience melting of the heart and tears flowing from his eyes.” However:

gaura-nityanande nahi esaba vicara
nama laite prema dena, vahe asrudhara
(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 8.31)

Gaura-nityananda-nama does not consider any offense. If someone chants their names, his heart will melt and tears will flow from his eyes. Thus, gaura-nama is more merciful than krsna-nama. Gaura-dhama also, for the same reason, is more merciful than Krsna-dhama, Vrndavana. Lord Indra, who had committed a grave offense to Sri Krsna, came to Navadvipa with Surabhi, and here Mahaprabhu completely forgave his offense. Indra had previously approached Sri Krsna in Vrndavana, but he had to come here to get full relief.

One may say he already knows Navadvipa-dhama and there is no need to hear anything further about it. Please don’t think like this. Its glories are very deep. To enter into the secrets of this dhama, we must discuss its many different aspects. We also pray to Navadvipa-dhama that it will reveal its profound glories to us.

Our goal is not Krsna. Love of Krsna and service to Krsna is our goal. If one has no love for Lord Sri Krsna’s lotus feet, one cannot serve Him. Kamsa and Jarasandha were both with Krsna, but they had no love and affection for Him. Thus they were unable to relish the bliss of service. So our goal is krsna-prema.

Krsna is the embodiment of all rasas – He is akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. Still, He had three desires that He could not fulfill. To fulfill them He had to take the sentiments and complexion of Srimati Radhika and appear in Navadvipa-dhama.

Who is Mahaprabhu? He is actually Sri Krsna, but very beautifully decorated with Radhika’s sentiments and complexion. This is Sacinandana Gaurahari. This is why He is golden – He has taken Her bhava and kanti (complexion).

There is a special consideration in understanding this very rare prema. It has two aspects –sambhoga (meeting) and vipralambha (separation). If you don’t understand both types of prema, you cannot understand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Navadvipa. Meeting and separation are further divided into millions of aspects, but four are prominent. There are four types of sambhoga: sanksipta (brief meeting), sankirna (contracted meeting), sampanna (successful meeting) – also called sampurna (complete) – and samrddhiman (fully flourishing meeting). These four types of meeting depend on four types of separation – purva raga, mana, kincid dura pravasa and sudura pravasa.

Sanksipta-sambhoga takes place only after purva-raga. Purva-raga is separation that is felt prior to one’s initial meeting. The second type of separation is called mana, separation due to a sulky or contrary mood. Meeting after mana is called sankirna-sambhoga. This meeting is somewhat contracted because, after giving up her anger, the heroine is happy to meet with her lover but she still remembers that he has met with someone else. Next is sampanna-sambhoga. This takes place after kincid dura pravasa – separation of a short distance. An example of sampanna-sambhoga is Krsna meeting with the gopis after returning from cow grazing, or Krsna appearing before the gopis after they sang Gopi-gita.

Last is samrddhimana-sambhoga. This takes place after sudura-pravasa, a very long and distant separation – when Krsna goes to Mathura and then to Dvaraka. The meeting of Sri Radha and Lord Krsna at Kuruksetra is samrddhimana-sambhoga, as well as Krsna’s meeting with the gopis when He finally returned from Dvaraka to Vraja-mandala. Sudura-pravasa – from a neutral point of view, this separation dances over the head of sambhoga. In sambhoga, outwardly there is meeting, but inwardly something is lost. At the time of separation, on the other hand, though outwardly there is no meeting, inwardly the meeting is complete and perfect, and many realizations occur which do not occur at the time of meeting. This is the speciality of vipralambha, from a neutral point of view.

If one wants to do bhajana in vipralambha, one must cry out like Mahaprabhu, who used to lament, “Alas! Alas! Where is the Lord of My life, Sri Krsna?” This sentiment should come in the heart. If there is no vipralambha, one cannot relish milana, meeting. In vipralambha (in the stage of mohanakhya mahabhava) there are many different astonishing anubhavas (internal feelings) – divyonmada (transcendental insanity), prajalpa, jalpa and eight other types of transcendentally maddened, raving speech.

However, despite the internal joy that comes in vipralambha, none of Srimati Radhika’s associates want separation. They always want Radha and Krsna to meet. To think that They aught to be separated is actually foolishness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said that no associates want separation, but from a neutral point of view it is clear that vipralambha has many wonderful aspects.

There is an astonishing pastime that takes place in meeting: Srimati Radhika is sitting on Sri Krsna’s lap at Prema Sarovara. A bumblebee (madhusudana) was flying around Radhika’s face and Madhumangala chased it away with a stick. He announced, “Madhusudana is gone and he will never return.” Because Madhusudana is also a name of Krsna, Radhika took this to mean that Krsna had gone and would never return. Therefore, even while on Krsna’s lap, She became overwhelmed in separation and fell unconscious.

These are the symptoms of madanakhya-mahabhava. This madan mood comes only in Radhika; it is not found even in Lalita and Visakha. Lord Krsna Himself has mahabhava, but it is not complete. He cannot understand Radhika’s madanakhya-mahabhava. To taste Her madan-bhava, He came in the form of Sacinandana Gaurahari.

There is another consideration here: God is love and love is God. Sri Krsna’s nature is wonderful. He is akhila-rasamrta-sindhu. He is the ocean of the full nectar of all rasas, but He does not have madanakhya-mahabhava. He wants to taste this, to make His nature complete, and He therefore appears with that desire here in Navadvipa-dhama.

There is still another thing to understand. Krsna is akhila-rasamrta murti, the embodiment of all rasa. He embodies the ingredients of rasa – stayibhava, vibhava, anubhava, sattvika-bhava and vyabhicari-bhava. Vibhava, the stimulation of one’s permanent sentiments, is divided into two parts – visaya alambana and asraya alambana. Krsna is visaya alambana, the object of love. Radhika is asraya alambana, the abode of love for Krsna. Of all the asrayas, She is the best – the way She loves Krsna, the way She serves Krsna, the way She relishes His qualities and form, nobody else can do. Even Krsna Himself cannot experience what Radhika tastes. To taste this, Krsna appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

This prema is tasted in Sri Krsna’s youth. Once, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was traveling, He met a devotee named Raghupati Upadhyaya, who spoke a verse:

syamam eva param rupam
puri madhu-puri vara
vayah kaisorakam dhyeyam
adya eva paro rasah
(Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 19.106)

Mahaprabhu asked him, “Which form of Krsna is the best?” Raghupati Upadhyaya replied, “Sri Krsna’s form as Syamasundara is the best form; the best town is Mathura (Vrndavana); the best mellow is madhurya rasa; and the best age is fresh youth.” Among all His pastimes, His pastimes in youth are topmost, and among all rasas, srngara-rasa is the highest. We should meditate upon this. There in Vrndavana, He is always natavara, the best dancer. He always holds a flute in His hand and He wears the dress of a cowherd boy. The root of Gokula is this form of Sri Krsna as the youthful, best of dancers.

There is a speciality here. Krsna took birth in Gokula Mahavana, where He performed His pastimes as a child.. Then He moved to Nandagaon, where His boyhood pastimes took place. In Vrndavana, Radha-kunda, Syama-kunda and Govardhana, Krsna’s youth splendidly manifested. As a young teenager He performed His pastimes with the gopis of Vrndavana. In this age He experienced the highest expressions of prema.

The form of a teenage youth is Krsna’s eternal form, but do not think He is just an ordinary boy.

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam-amalah prema pumartho mahan
sri-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam tatradaro nah parah

“The most worshipable object is Vrajendranandana Syamasundara. Vrndavana is Baladeva-tattva and is equally worshipable. There is no question of worshiping Krsna without worshiping His dhama or abode. The mode of worship Him in Vrndavana is completely unique. The most excellent method of worship is that which has been adopted by the gopis, the young wives of Vraja. This is the mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu”, and we have come to Navadvipa-dhama to realize this mood.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Navadvipa-dhama, decorated with the mood and complexion of Radhika. He spent His first 24 years here in Navadvipa – His childhood, boyhood and adolescent pastimes all took place here. Then He took sannyasa; He became Krsna Caitanya and went to Puri. He spent six years going and coming from Jagannatha Puri. He went to South India, Vrndavana, Kasi, Prayaga and other places. For the next six years He performed sankirtana with the devotees in Puri and participated in Ratha-yatra. He passed His last 12 years simply tasting the rasa of Radhika in the Gambhira, with one-pointed absorption. What rasa was that? Separation, the sentiment of the gopis when Sri Krsna resided in Mathura and Dvaraka.

Throughout the night Mahaprabhu would taste the mellows of Radha’s separation, along with Sri Svarupa Damodara and Sri Raya Ramananda. His servant Govinda would try to stop them from coming. He would tell them, “It would be better if you don’t come so often. You only make Him more upset.” He would think to himself, “Why do they have to come every day? They always make Mahaprabhu cry.” It is very difficult to understand that Mahaprabhu was actually relishing the topmost bliss through these pastimes.

All of this has been described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta is superior to all Vedas, Vedanta, Upanisads and Puranas. If you study Caitanya-caritamrta you will understand these pastimes and truths. If all the books in the world are destroyed and only Caitanya-caritamrta is spared, nothing would be lost. Everything is present there.

Navadvipa-dhama is non-different from Vrndavana, and it is super-most because it is the madhurya-dhama. It is the transcendental abode of the Lord’s sweet, human-like pastimes. Here there is no aisvarya (mood of opulence). Mahaprabhu is just Saci Mata’s darling little boy. When Mahaprabhu was a sannyasi, everyone called Him “Mahaprabhu,” meaning “great master,” whereas in Navadvipa He is known as Saci-nandana Gaurahari, Nimai and Visnu Priya-pranadhana – Visnu Priya’s dear beloved. As a boy He would go house to house and make so much mischief. He would go to the bathing ghatas and tease the young girls who were offering worship to the Ganga. Snatching their paraphernalia and ingredients for worship, He would tell them, “Oh, worship Me. First worship Me and then worship the Ganga. If you don’t worship Me, if you don’t give Me some sweets, then I will curse you to have a very old husband and many co-wives. Ganga and Durga are My maidservants.” When He would speak like this, the girls would cover their ears and run away.

He would go to Kholavecha Sridhara and, though He is the Supreme Lord and everything in the universe belongs to Him, He would quarrel with Sridhara over the price of banana flowers. He would tell him, “The glory of the Ganga comes from Me.” Kholavecha Sridhara would say, “Don’t speak like this. Are You not afraid to disrespect the Ganga?” In this way madhurya-lila, human-like pastimes, took place in Navadvipa-dhama.

After His father disappeared from this world, Mahaprabhu went to Gaya to offer pinda. There He met Srila Isvara Puripada and told him, “I offer this body to your lotus feet.”

prabhu bale gaya-yatra safal amara
yata khane dhekilam carana tomara
samsara samudra hoite uddharo more
ei ami deho samarpilama tomare
(Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila 17)
He returned to Navadvipa after receiving diksa. Now he began to relish krsna-prema in the mood of the gopis and especially in the mood of Radhika – but not fully. He then took sannyasa and left for Puri. There He tasted more deeply the moods of the gopis, especially the mood of separation when Krsna went to Mathura. Then He went to Godavari, where He showed Sri Raya Ramananda His unprecedented Rasaraja / Mahabhava form – Krsna holding His flute, His red eyes rolling in ecstasy and His form completely covered by the effulgence of Radhika’s form. Each and every limb of Radhika was covered by each limb of Krsna, and the body of Krsna was covered with the golden complexion of Srimati Radhika. And still, even though He was covered by that golden complexion, some black luster from His body was showing through. Krsna is Rasaraja and Radhika is Mahabhava. Here, Rasaraja and Mahabhava are combined. Ramananda had never seen this form before, and as soon as he saw it, he fell unconscious.

This pastime is extremely high, but can we say that Godavari is superior to Navadvipa? Many people who don’t know tattva say that Godavari is the topmost place because Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Rasaraja / Mahabhava form was shown there. We cannot say that Godavari is superior, however, because there is much opulence exhibited in this pastime there.

Then there is Jagannatha Puri, where Mahaprabhu was absorbed in Radha-bhava with Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda, singing verses of Candidasa, Vidyapati, Gita-govinda and Raya Ramananda’s Jagannatha-Vallabha-Nataka.

candidasa, vidyapati, rayera nataka-giti,
karnamrta, sri-gita-govinda
svarupa-ramananda-sane, mahaprabhu ratri-dine,
gaya, sune——parama ananda
(CC Madhya 2.77)

They would also read the verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam found in Venu-gita, Gopi-gita, Yugala-gita, Pranaya-gita and Bhramara-gita. Mahaprabhu would be absorbed in bhava throughout the night, and would relish these and other songs – like “Jaya nanda-nandana gopi-jana-vallabha.” [Break in lecture – on Srila Narayana Maharaja’s request the devotees sang this kirtana.]

Then, Navadvipa. What pastimes took place here? They cannot even be described. There is still another point about Navadvipa-dhama to consider. Srimati Radhika is the highest shelter of prema. But She Herself has three aspects. One aspect is the root, and the other two are Her expansions. In Vrndavana, especially in Govardhana, Nandagaon, Varsana, Radha-kunda, Syama-kunda and similar places, She is Vrsabhanu-nandini. She is the root and She includes Her expansions as well. She never leaves Vrndavana. In Nandagaon (Uddhava Kyari) She is Viyogini Radha, after Krsna went to Mathura. The astonishing madness of separation She experienced as Viyogini Radha is recorded in Bhramara-gita.

As Samyogini Radha She spent three months in Kuruksetra, where She met with Sri Krsna. Although this is the aspect of Radhika who meets with Krsna at Kuruksetra, Her desire cannot be fulfilled there; She wants to go back to Vrndavana. It is the same Krsna there in Kuruksetra, but in a different dress. There no flute in His hand and no peacock feather crown; He is not Yasoda-nandana / Nanda-nandana / Radha-kanta – He is not addressed by those names any more. The mood here is very different, because there are so many elephants, horses and a huge army, and Vasudeva and Devaki and all their associates are present. There is no forest like Vrndavana there, no Yamuna, no peacocks and no deer. Srimati Radhika tells Sri Krsna, “My heart is not satisfied. There is not even one drop of the ocean of rasa of Vrndavana here in Kuruksetra. I don’t want to be here.”

Krsna told Her, “You should meditate, and You will realize that You are always with Me. If You will meditate, My lotus feet will appear in Your heart.”

She replied:

anyera hrdaya—mana, mora mana—vrndavana,
‘mane’ ‘vane’ eka kari’ jani
tahan tomara pada-dvaya, karaha yadi udaya,
tabe tomara parna krpa mani
(CC Madhya 13.137)

“Our heart and mind are the same, and our mind is Vrndavana. So you should come to Vrndavana.” This is the meaning of Ratha-yatra. The ratha cart is the chariot of Radhika’s mind, the chariot of Radhika’s desire, taking Lord Krsna back to Vrndavana, back to Vraja (represented by the Gundica temple). Samyogini means that there is samyoga, a meeting between Radha and Krsna, but Radhika wants to go back to Vrndavana. She wants to return to the forest of vetasi trees; that is, the forest of kadamba trees, the forest which is fragrant with beli, cameli and juhi flowers. She wants to take Krsna there.

Therefore, first Radhika is Vrsabhanu-nandini Radhika. Second She is Viyogini Radhika, who is always in a separation mood and absorbed in citrajalpa, prajalpa, divyonmada and other such bhavas. And in Kuruksetra She is Samyogini Radhika. She is meeting with Krsna but there is no happiness because all the sweet stimuli of Vrndavana are missing. Kuruksetra is filled with many outside elements that are contrary to Vraja-prema. Therefore, Radhika situated Krsna on the chariot of Her mind and, along with all the other gopis, brings Sri Krsna back to Vrndavana. This is the meaning of Ratha-yatra, and these are the moods Mahaprabhu relished in Jagannatha Puri.

In Navadvipa-dhama, Mahaprabhu is similarly of three types. He came in the mood of Radhika. Always thinking that He is Radhika He forgot that He is Krsna. He then went to Puri and manifested His Radha’s separation moods there. Sometimes He would be locked inside the Gambhira, chanting harinama. Hearing the sound of Krsna’s flute, He would then somehow go through the seven locked iron gates. He would run to the ocean as if He were a fish. He would float in the waves for the entire night, and sometimes the ocean would carry Him far away. His body would become 7 arms long. These are uncommon pastimes, not seen in the human form of life. In Puri only 3 ½ persons could witness His form and moods, and they are Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, Sikhi Mahiti and Sikhi Mahati’s sister Madhavi Devi. No one else could personally witness this.

Once, Srila Svarupa Damodara and Srila Raya Ramananda were searching for Him along the beach throughout the night, loudly calling for Him, “Where are You?” They came upon a fisherman who was trembling and weeping and uncontrollably crying out, “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna!” He called out to them, “Oh, I have been possessed by a ghost. I touched someone floating in the sea and I was caught by a ghost.” Svarupa Damodara assured him, “I will remove the ghost, but show us the person you touched.” He brought them to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was lying in the fisherman’s net. It seemed He had no bones; all His joints were separated from each other. In Srimad-Bhagavatam such incidences are not described. Thus, Mahaprabhu experienced the transcendental emotions of Radharani.

In the mood of Viyogini Radhika, Mahaprabhu would sometimes go to the Jagannatha-vallabha Garden near the Jagannatha temple. At nighttime the devotees would look for Him and find Him there. Sometimes they would find Him lying unconscious among the cows who were eating left-over prasada by the temple, and all His limbs would be inside His body. These astonishing activities are described only in Caitanya-caritamrta.

In asta-kaliya-lila (Sri Krsna’s eight-fold daily Vrndavana pastimes) Krsna performs pastimes with Radhika, Lalita, Visakha and all the gopis – nighttime pastimes, early morning pastimes, late morning pastimes, noon pastimes, afternoon and evening pastimes. In these eight-fold pastimes Krsna’s birth, His killing Kamsa and His going to Mathura and Dvaraka do not occur. Similarly, in Mahaprabhu’s asta-kaliya-lila He does not go to Puri or to Godavari. There is no birth in Mayapura, and there is no deliverance of Jagai and Madhai and Cand Kazi. These are part of the naimittika-lila. The nitya-lila takes place only in Vraja, and only in Navadvipa, which is identical with Vrndavana. Asta-kaliya-lila is the life and the wealth of our sampradaya (disciplic succession), wherein nothing but the sweetest of the sweet pastimes take place. Only those who are qualified can meditate on these pastimes; unqualified people are barred. For those who are qualified, this meditation continues throughout the say and night.

If you want to enter into this meditation, you must give up envy and quarrel. If you have lust, anger, greed, violence, envy, etc. in your heart, how can you even think about these pastimes? Srila Rupa Gosvami has advised:

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta
diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam
susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya-
nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya
(Upadesamrta 5)

If we want to enter pure bhakti, we must honor Vaisnavas, according to their level. Give up all anger. Give up all envy and try to honor Vaisnavas appropriately. If anyone has any envy in his heart, he cannot meditate on that Navadvipa-dhama and Vraja-dhama where the asta-kaliya-lila is eternally going on. Remembrance of asta-kaliya-lila requires complete absorption of the heart 24 hours a day, on one side Gaura-lila and on the other side Krsna-lila – how is it possible if you have any envy in your heart? One must transcend all anarthas:

duhkhesv anudvigna-manah
sukhesu vigata-sprhah
vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah
sthita-dhir munir ucyate
(BG 2.56)

One who can meditate steadily is called sthita-dhir muni. Those who can meditate on asta-kaliya-lila are duhkhesv anudvigna-manah. When problems come in their lives, they are never disturbed. When success comes in their lives, they never become elated and celebrate. They are the same in happiness and distress. They never become angry with anyone; they are never attached to anything in this world; and they are not afraid of anything. If you are not free from anarthas, you cannot meditate on the pastimes. Srila Rupa Gosvami instructs us: vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam jihva vegam udaropastha vegam. If you cannot control your tongue, belly, etc., you cannot meditate.

Srila Rupa Gosvami gave a hint of Mahaprabhu’s asta-kaliya-lila and Radha-Krsna’s asta-kaliya-lila in his Sriman Mahaprabhor Smarana Mangala Stotram. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in Krsna Bhavanamrta Mahavakhya, has said to first meditate on Mahaprabhu’s asta-kaliya-lila and then Krsna’s asta-kaliya-lila. In the nighttime Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performs maha-sankirtana rasa in the house of Srivasa Thakura. Afterwards He takes a little rest. During nisanta-lila, the pastimes at the end of night, He meditates on Krsna’s nisanta-lila. In the early morning He returns home and He goes with His friends to bathe in the Ganges, all the while being absorbed in Radha and Krsna’s morning lilas. Then He worships His deity, after which He takes prasada and goes for kirtana. This is His asta-kaliya-lila. These pastimes take place in Navadvipa Dhama.

Asta-kaliya-lila does not take place in Puri or Godavari. In His last days in Puri, Mahaprabhu was deeply absorbed in Radhika’s moods. This apparently did not happen in Navadvipa, so if you compare Navadvipa-lila with Puri-lila, it seems that the Puri-lila is superior. But this is the naimittika-lila. Mahaprabhu took birth in Navadvipa, but this is naimittika-lila. Mahaprabhu’s deliverance of Jagai and Madhai and Cand Kazi is naimittika-lila. There is no conversion of Muslims in the nitya-dhama Svetadvipa. Many people compare Mahaprabhu’s naimittika-lila in Navadvipa with His naimittika-lila in Puri and conclude that Puri is higher. But we should not compare the dhamas within naimittika-lila; it is the nitya-lila that determines the superiority of the place. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not have nitya-lila or asta-kaliya-lila at Godavari or in Jagannatha Puri. His nitya-lila, or asta-kaliya-lila, is only in Navadvipa-dhama.

In Puri, Mahaprabhu was tasting Radhika’s mohan-mahabhava and undergoing many bodily transformations. In Navadvipa we do not see any changes in His form. When madan-bhava is manifest, it is not necessary that there be any spectacular display of changing forms. In Vraja, Radha and Krsna may just be sitting together on the swing and Radhika is relishing Her astonishing madanakhya-mahabhava while Krsna is tasting Her prema. Most people cannot appreciate or understand how beautiful and how high this is, because Radhika is so expert that she may not display external symptoms of Her highest madanakhya-bhava.

Navadvipa-dhama is hidden Vrndavana. Jagannatha Puri is never called Vrndavana; it is called Dvaraka. Navadvipa is actually Vrndavana. The twelve forests of Vrndavana and the sub-forests are present here in a crooked way, a hidden way. The place we are sitting now is Koladvipa. This is actually Govardhana rasa-sthali. Modadrumadvipa is the forest Bhandirvana, Samudra Gara is Kumudvana, Godrumadvipa is Nandagaon and Varsana, Jahnudvipa is Khadirvana, Rtudvipa is Radha-Kunda. Candra Sarovara is also nearby. All the places of Radha and Krsna’s pastimes are available for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to remember in His Navadvipa-dhama. Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapura, but in Mayapur there was no rasa-lila. Govardhana is rasa-sthali. All these pastimes places are here on the island of Koladvipa. So, it is our good fortune that my Gurudeva established his matha here at Govardhana.

One should come to Navadvipa-dhama, take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and be very careful to observe trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari. Always chanting and dancing, give respect to others. Don’t demand respect from others. Tolerate all difficulties and consider yourself more insignificant than a blade of grass. If you will do this, you will very easily attain Krsna-prema.

vancha kalpa tarubyas ca krpa sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

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