Wednesday, 23 April 2025 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India Time]
Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura Disappearance Day
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 11.55 (1973 Edition). All Synonyms, Translation and Purport by his Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Synonyms bhāgavate — in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; kṛṣṇa-līlā — the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa; varṇilā — described; veda-vyāsa — Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva; caitanya-līlāte — in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya; vyāsa — Vedavyāsa; vṛndāvana dāsa — Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
Translation Śrīla Vyāsadeva described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Vyāsa of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vṛndāvana dāsa.
Purport Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was an incarnation of Vedavyāsa and also a friendly cowherd boy named Kusumāpīḍa in kṛṣṇa-līlā. In other words, the author of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the son of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s niece Nārāyaṇī, was a combined incarnation of Vedavyāsa and the cowherd boy Kusumāpīḍa. There is a descriptive statement by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in his commentary on Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata giving the biographical details of the life of Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
Sunday, 20 April 2025 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India Time]
Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura Disappearance
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 11.13 (1973 Edition). All Synonyms, Translation and Purport by his Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
śrī-rāmadāsa — Śrī Rāmadāsa; āra — and; gadādhara dāsa — Gadādhara dāsa; caitanya-gosāñira — of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhakta — devotees; rahe — stay; tāṅra pāśa — with Him.
Translation
Two devotees of Lord Caitanya named Śrī Rāmadāsa and Gadādhara dāsa always lived with Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi.
Purport
Śrī Rāmadāsa, later known as Abhirāma Ṭhākura, was one of the twelve gopālas, or cowherd boyfriends, of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā verse 126, states that Śrī Rāmadāsa was formerly Śrīdāmā. In the Bhakti-ratnākara Chapter Four, there is a description of Śrīla Abhirāma Ṭhākura. By the order of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Abhirāma Ṭhākura became a great ācārya and preacher of the Caitanya cult of devotional service. He was a very influential personality, and nondevotees were very much afraid of him. Empowered by Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, he was always in ecstasy and was extremely kind to all fallen souls. It is said that if he offered obeisances to any stone other than a śālagrāma-śilā, it would immediately fracture.
Ten miles southwest of the railway station Cāṅpāḍāṅgā on the narrow gauge railway line from Howrah, in Calcutta, to Āmtā, a village in the Hugli district, is a small town named Khānākūla-kṛṣṇanagara, where the temple of Abhirāma Ṭhākura is situated. During the rainy season, when this area is inundated with water, people must go there by another line, which is now called the southeastern railway. On this line there is a station named Kolāghāṭa, from which one has to go by steamer to Rāṇīcaka. Seven and a half miles north of Rāṇīcaka is Khānākūla. The temple of Abhirāma Ṭhākura is situated in Kṛṣṇanagara, which is near the kūla (bank) of the Khānā (Dvārakeśvara River); therefore this place is celebrated as Khānākūla-kṛṣṇanagara. Outside of the temple is a bakula tree. This place is known as Siddha-bakula-kuñja. It is said that when Abhirāma Ṭhākura came there, he sat down under this tree.
In Khānākūla-kṛṣṇanagara there is a big fair held every year in the month of Caitra (March-April) on the Kṛṣṇa-saptamī, the seventh day of the dark moon. Many hundreds and thousands of people gather for this festival. The temple where Abhirāma Ṭhākura worshiped has a very old history. The Deity in the temple is known as Gopīnātha. There are many sevaita families living near the temple. It is said that Abhirāma Ṭhākura had a whip and that whoever he touched with it would immediately become an elevated devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Among his many disciples, Śrīmān Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was the most famous and the most dear, but it is doubtful that he was his initiated disciple.”
Tamal Krsna Goswami: Actually, Prabhupada never appointed any gurus. He didn’t appoint eleven gurus. He appointed eleven ritviks. He never appointed them gurus. Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement the last three years because we interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus.
[…] YOU CANNOT SHOW ME ANYTHING ON TAPE OR IN WRITING WHERE PRABHUPĀDA SAYS: ‘I APPOINT THESE ELEVEN AS GURUS.’ IT DOES NOT EXIST BECAUSE HE NEVER APPOINTED ANY GURUS. THIS IS A MYTH…”
The Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja asked by Dharmaraja that “What is the most wonderful thing in this world?” he said, “This is the most wonderful thing.” What is that? Ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yama… “Every moment people are dying.” Lokani, every planet. Not that in this planet there is death; in other planet there is no death. No. Within this material world every planet, either Brahmā or the small, insignificant ant, must die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. Everyone has to die. There is no excuse. So, and still they are planning permanent settlement. So, this is their vimūḍhaka.
Anyone who is engaged in preaching this confidential science of Bhagavad-gītā,” na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ, “nobody is dearer to Me than he is.” So if you want very quickly recognition by Kṛṣṇa, go on preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if it imperfectly done, but because you are sincere in your capa…, whatever capacity you have got, if you preach, then Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased.
I have seen practically. In my Guru Mahārāja’s day there was a paper, Dainika Nadiyā Prakāsh. It was being published daily, a piece of paper, just like I was publishing Back to Godhead. And if a small brahmacārī would go to Navadvīpa and would sell a few copies, one paisa a copy, that would be taken as a great preaching by Guru Mahārāja: “Oh, you have sold five copies? Very good.” Because people are so reluctant—they are not at all interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—therefore we become very much engladdened when we see that some of our books and literatures are sold. They will read and be benefited.
So this is the mission of high-class Vaiṣṇava, how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness among the suffering humanity, and this is the purport of this verse said by Prahlāda Mahārāja, and we are following the footprints of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Never mind even it is imperfectly done, we must execute the orders of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. I may not be so very expert in delivering the message of Kṛṣṇa, but my duty is to try to my best capacity how to distribute this knowledge to the suffering humanity.
Thank you very much.
(Excerpt from Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.44 — Delhi, March 26, 1976)
🔗 Link to the full lecture: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/7/9/44/delhi/march/26/1976
Panakam, also known as Panagam or Panaka, is a traditional South Indian drink that is especially prepared during the festival of Rama Navami. It’s a refreshing and cooling beverage made with jaggery, water, and spices, perfect for the summer season when Rama Navami is celebrated.
Here’s a simple recipe to make Panakam:
Ingredients:
½ Cup Jaggery – chopped
2 Cups Water
2 Tablespoon Lemon juice (or juice of one lemon)
¼ Teaspoon Ginger powder (or fresh ginger)
⅓ to ½ Teaspoon Green cardamom powder
⅛ Teaspoon Black pepper powder
1 Pinch Edible camphor (optional)
4 to 5 Tulsi leaves (holy basil, optional)
1 Pinch Salt
Instructions:
Dissolve jaggery in water until it is fully dissolved.
Add lemon juice, ginger powder, green cardamom powder, salt and black pepper powder to the jaggery water.
You can add tulsi leaves and a pinch of edible camphor.
Mix well and adjust the flavors according to your taste.
Offered it to Lord Rāma or krsna
This drink not only quenches thirst but also acts as a body coolant, making it a healthy alternative to soft drinks. It is traditionally offered to Lord Rama (specially on Rāma-Navami) and then distributed among devotees as prasadam.
“One must perform sacrifices as prescribed in the śāstras, and they must give in charity their hard-earned money for Kṛṣṇa’s cause. That is called dāna. Yajña, dāna and tapasya. Tapasya. Just like tomorrow is Śrī Rāma-navami. The tapasya will be that all the devotees will observe fasting from morning till evening. This is called tapasya.”. (Pandal Lecture, Bombay, April 7, 1971)
“Lord Caitanya’s Birthdate is on the Phalguna Purnima between 15 of Feb. and 15th of March. The full moon day is Lord Caitanya’s Birthday. I think you can send for Rayarama’s calendar which he has published. The exact day is 14th March, Thursday, 1968. The procedure is that you should fast from morning to evening (about 7:00) after that there should be offering to Lord Caitanya and prasadam should be accepted just like on Ekadasi day, and next day, Friday, full love feasting may be provided to as many devotees as you can.” (Letter to: Janardana — Los Angeles, 21 January, 1968)
“Our next ceremony is Lord Ramacandra’s Birthday, on the 7th of April. It should be observed in the same way as Lord Caitanya’s Appearance Day, namely, fasting up to evening and then accept Prasadam, and all our ceremonies should be performed with continuous Kirtana, of Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. That will make all our functions successful.” (Letter to: Mukunda — San Francisco, 26 March, 1968)
“So far the Advent Day of Lord Rama Candra, it should be celebrated as Lord Caitanya’s Birthday was done. Fasting up to evening, and then take prasadam, and chant Hare Krishna whole day, and be engaged in reading and chanting off and on, chant for some time, then read for some time, then again have Kirtana and so on, throughout the day. If you have not got a Ramayana, then you can read Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, that is all right.” (Letter to: Mahapurusa — San Francisco, 28 March, 1968)
“Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So there will be an initiation on Rāma-navamī.
Prabhupāda: Rāma-navamī is upavāsa up till the… Go to observe fasting up to the evening.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So moon.
Prabhupāda: Sunset.” (Room Conversation, March 26, 1977, Bombay)
