Submitted by: Yasoda nanadana Dasa

Devotional service means to apply one’s energy in the service of Krishna.
That is the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita…
we cannot understand about Krishna with our limited potency and senses,
but if we engage ourselves in the service of the Lord,
He will reveal Himself to the faithful servitor…
The more we learn about Krishna from the authoritative sources,
the more we can be attached in Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada letter December 17, 1967

Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

I wish that each and every Branch shall keep their independent identity and cooperate keeping the Acarya in the centre. On this principle we can open any number of Branches all over the world. The Ramakrishna mission works on this principle and thus as organization they have done wonderfully.

(Srila Prabhupada letter, February 11, 1967)

Source: https://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Keeping-the-Acarya-in-the-Centre.html

Submitted by: Yaosda nandana Dasa

Proofs for Divinity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu
compiled by Damaghsoa dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa

Essays and Articles : EA 18: Divinity of Lord Caitanya :

So Lord Caitanya is non-different from Lord Kṛṣṇa in the context of evidences gathered from the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, etc and His acceptance of the renounced life of a sannyāsī is confirmed both in Mahābhārata and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Essays and Articles : EA 18: Divinity of Lord Caitanya : So in pursuance of the prophecy of the authoritative scriptures as above mentioned, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Who is no other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared in the midst of humanity as the son of Śrīla Jagannātha Miśra and Śrīmati Śāci Devī of Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, Nadia in West Bengal in the year 1486 on the evening of February 1st when there was a lunar eclipse. He is in fact Śrī Kṛṣṇa in disguise to fulfil some specific purpose of His own as it is stated in the Mahābhārata. The specific significance of this Form of the Personality of Godhead is stated therein that the complexion of His body shall represent the hue of melted gold. A well constituted beautifully built human figure anointed with the pulp of white sandalwood all over the body. And later on the same Personality of Godhead will accept the order of a renounced sannyāsī full of sobriety of a perfect devotee, peaceful, full of equanimity and having unflinching attachment in the spiritual science with special reference to the process of chanting the holy name of God. He is therefore the Personality of Godhead in consonance of the prediction of śāstras and not by the calculation of mundane speculators.

Essays and Articles : EA 18: Divinity of Lord Caitanya :

“Let us offer our sincere most obeisances to the lotus feet of the Lord of Lords who superficially accepted the renounced life of a sannyāsī, in order to give effect to the curse of a brāhmaṇa, upon Him. But in fact in the garb of a sannyāsī He initiated the transcendental ecstacy of spontaneous love of God, as was felt by Śrī Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in Her amorous desire to meet Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the quest of such spontaneous love of God, the Lord relinquished the association of His eternal consort Śrī Śrīmati Lakṣmī Viṣṇupriya Devī who was devout to Him and whose mercy is sought after most ardently by all true devotees of God or even by the denizens of heaven. The Lord accepted this order of life in terms of a prediction in the Mahābhārata and in order to bestow His causeless mercy upon us who are addicted to the false enjoyment of vain glories, women and wealth in this material world.”

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Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa

Dedication Slokas from the Srimad Bhagavatam

BY: VYASASAN DAS

June 14, 2016 —

Anyone who has had the good fortune to read and study Srila Prabhupada’s epic Srimad Bhagavatam will know that on the title page of each and every volume is a dedication sloka. I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the dedication slokas from all of the original books. I stopped this collection of slokas with the Tenth Canto, Part Three, as this is where Srila Prabhupada left off, and where my collection of Srimad Bhagavatams stops.

FIRST CANTO
Part One Chapters 1-7 1.3.43

kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko ‘dhunoditaḥ

kṛṣṇe—in Kṛṣṇa’s; sva-dhāma—own abode; upagate—having returned; dharma—religion; jñāna—knowledge; ādibhiḥ—combined together; saha—along with; kalau—in the Kali-yuga; naṣṭa-dṛśām—of persons who have lost their sight; eṣaḥ—all these; purāṇa-arkaḥ—the Purāṇa which is brilliant like the sun; adhunā—just now; uditaḥ—has arisen.

This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa.

Part Two Chapters 8-12 1.8.18

kunty uvāca
namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam
īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param
alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām
antar bahir avasthitam

kuntī uvāca—Śrīmatī Kuntī said; namasye—let me bow down; puruṣam—the Supreme Person; tvā—You; ādyam—the original; īśvaram—the controller; prakṛteḥ—of the material cosmos; param—beyond; alakṣyam—the invisible; sarva—all; bhūtānām—of living beings; antaḥ—within; bahiḥ—without; avasthitam—existing.

Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

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Submitted by: Damagosha Dasa

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi

During the hottest season (northern hemisphere), if one can perform upavasa without water one is performing a great feat.

One may take only caranamrta and acamana water.
Bhima requested one vrata day by which he could obtain the fruits of all the other days of vrata that he was incapable of observing.
Vyasadeva advised him to follow this difficult vrata.

One should worship the Lord in the evening by bathing him in milk.
On the dvadasi one should give full pots of water to brahmanas and feed them before breaking one’s fast.
SAMVATSARASYA YA MADHYE EKADASYO BHAVANTI HI TASAM PHALAM AVAPNOTI PUTRA ME NA ATRA SAMSAYAH ITI MAM KESAVAH PRAHA SANKHA CAKRA GADADHARAH
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/25 from PADMA PURANA Vyasadeva speaks to Bhimasena)

Oh son, Lord Keshava, Who holds the club, disk, conch and lotus flower in His hand, personally told me that all of the merit achieved by fasting on whatever Ekadasis fall in one year can be attained by fasting on this one Ekadasi (nirjala Ekadasi).
Of this, there is no doubt.

ATMADROHAH KRTASTES TU YAIR ESA NA HY UPOSITA PAPATMANO DURACARA DUSTAS TE NA ATRA SAMSAYAH
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/33 from PADMA PURANA Vyasadeva speaks to Bhimasena)
Anyone who does not fast on this particular Ekadasi (nirjala Ekadasi), they should be understood to be sinful, corrupted and suicidal person without a doubt.
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Submitted by: Damagosha Dasa

Nod vrn oct 26 72

You cannot see God, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa HareHare/Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, svayam eva… Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to you, “Here I am.” You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but by being satisfied with your service, Kṛṣṇa sees you. Just like you cannot see sun at night. But when the sun sees you, you can see the sun and yourself, both. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa sees you, being satisfied with your service, then you can see Kṛṣṇa, you can see yourself and you can see the whole world.

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Baladeva Vidyabhusana Tirobhava Tithi [disappearance day]

Compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa

Srila Prabhupada explains how Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana wrote the Gaudiya-Bhasya on the Vedanta-sutras.

Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 13: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12 — Bombay, September 30, 1973 : 730930BG.BOM : But sometimes back, in Jaipur, there was a challenge that “The Gauḍīya Sampradāya has no commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra.” So at that time Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura was requested… Because he was grand scholar, grand old man scholar, at that time living in Vṛndāvana… So he was very old at that time; so he authorized Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, that “You do it.” There was no need, but people are demanding, “Where is your commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra?” So Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, with the order of Govindaji at Jaipur, he wrote the commentary on Brahma-sūtra. That name is Govinda-bhāṣya. So the Gauḍīya-Brahmā Sampradāya, they have got also commentary on Brahma-sūtra. That is required.

Conversations : 1976 Conversations : June, 1976 : Interview with Professors O’Connell, Motilal and Shivaram — June 18, 1976, Toronto : 760618iv.tor :

Prabhupāda: So, it is actually bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. It is stated. This is the real commentary on Brahma-sūtra by Vyāsadeva himself, author. Vyāsadeva is the author of Brahma-sūtra, and he has written personally, under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, this Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. And it begins with the Brahma-sūtra aphorism: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Brahma-sūtra begins with these words: janmādya, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ. So these things are explained elaborately. Therefore Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya, bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtra. Vedārtha paribṛṁhita. So therefore in our Gauḍīya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not write any bhāṣya of the Brahma-sūtra, neither the gosvāmīs, because they took it that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the real bhāṣya of Brahma-sūtra. But when…. Sometimes the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas are challenged that “You cannot be accepted as bona fide community, spiritual community, because you have no bhāṣya on Brahma-sūtra.” Then Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa wrote govinda-bhāṣya. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like or ask His disciples to write, because He thought, “This is the Gauḍīya, Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya.” Not Gauḍīya—for every Vaiṣṇava. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. So we have got now Gauḍīya Vedānta-bhāṣya. Rāmānuja Vedānta-bhāṣya is there. Madhvācārya Vedānta-bhāṣya is there, all. And Gauḍīya had not. But since this challenge was made in Jaipur, then Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he took: “Yes,” and he finished, Gauḍīya bhāṣya, and it is called Govinda-bhāṣya. Actually, in India, unless one follows the ācāryas and has given commentary on the Brahma-sūtra, he’s not a bona fide. Nyāya-prasthāna. Brahma-sūtra is called nyāya-prasthāna. Śruti-prasthāna, smṛti-prasthāna, nyāya-prasthāna. So any bona fide ācārya must give his understanding about these three prasthānas..
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Submitted by: Damagosha Dasa

Hare Krsna-Below we have three SB verses in sequence which are meant to show how one is advancing in spiritual life.

Summary of the points made below:

1. The first point is unless we see all living beings as part and parcel of God, our “worship” of God is in the mode of ignorance.

2.The devotee should ignore bodily differences (ant-human, brahmana,etc)and see that both a spirit soul and the Lord are present in every body, and realize the universal presence of Krsna, or God. If not done, then Lord says, that person never attains peace of mind.

3.One who worships God,Krsna (in temples, church mosque)with all perfect rules and paraphernalia, but without this understanding of all living beings as His parts and parcels, then, his worship is never pleasing to the Lord. (For example-Christians/Muslims,and others who maintain slaughterhouses and think that “food” will be blessed by the Lord , their worship is in the mode of ignorance or darkness because they are committing violence to the Lords parts and parcels)

One wanting to advance should not just make offerings at home and think now my business is finished. One should show compassion to all others by distributing prasadam, spiritual food, to others.

4.After attaining this stage of equality of vision, then we can develop love for God.

If we find different sects or religions fighting with each other it means they are not at the stage of seeing all living beings as part and parcel of God. First we must see all equally as spirit soul, then love for the Father/Krsna, will develop. So first thing is perfect knowledge of things as they are, then love for God follows. Otherwise it is fanaticism.

5.Its not that when we offer food, then Krsna must accept it. No– Prabhupada tells us that those who are neophytes, those who are not initiated, and those who are not chanting regularly, their offering to the Lord will not be accepted. This Krsna Consciousness is not for sentimentalists, it is a science and has form. If we are sincere it is very easy, but if we take is lightly, then there is no “fruit” as he mentions below.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das

—————————

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Submitted by: Damagosh Dasa

Caracas Feb 22 1975-Initiation lecture

So the boys and girls who are now being initiated, they are entering the path of understanding God in this way. So there are some regulative principles. I think you have explained to them that no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. God is pure. He is the purest. Therefore if we want to approach God, we must be pure. Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God. So if you want to increase the temperature, you cannot pour water again on it. Just like if you have got wet wood, you cannot burn it very nicely, but if you collect dry wood, you can ignite very easily. So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins. The four pillars of sinful life are these: illicit sex, meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. So if we stop these voluntarily, this is called austerity, austerity, tapasya. Austerity means voluntarily accept some painful condition. So those who are habituated to all these things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, to give up these habits, it may become little painful in the beginning. But if you practice and pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will help, it is not difficult to give up these habits. And as soon as you give up this wetting process, the sinful life, then immediately you become fifty percent purified to approach God. Then, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you make further, further, more and more progress. And when you are completely free of all sinful reaction, then you understand God and you love him. In the contaminated stage, you are trying to love so many things, but you are frustrated. So if you can love God, then you will never be frustrated and your loving desires will be fulfilled. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching all our students how to love God. That’s all right……

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