Sri Advaita Acarya avirbhava tithi (sacred appearance day of Sri Advaita acarya)
Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura torbhav atithi (disappearance day)
Srila Visvanatha Cakravartri Thakura Tirobhava tithi- disappearance day
Srila Pundariki Vidyanidhi appearance
Curing the disease of “failure” in Devotional service
Rascal Editors-in Prabhupadas presence over 125 changes in one book!

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was traveling in the southern part of India, south India, Ādikeśava Mandira, there was a temple. Still that temple is there. He found out this Brahma-saṁhitā in handwritten. Formerly, there was no printing press. So any important Vedic literature was being copied. Suppose you have got some copy. I want it, so I borrow from you the book, and I copy in my handwriting or I engage somebody who has got good handwriting. In this way, in Vṛndāvana, still there are so many handmade, handwritten literatures. They have opened one association, one society. They are collecting all this handwritten literature. So this handwritten literature, Brahma-saṁhitā, was collected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu from a temple in South India, and He delivered to His immediate disciples, that “This is Brahma-saṁhitā, written by Brahmā. It is the summary of the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata.”
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives reference of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with Brahma-saṁhitā. That means Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also is eternal. They are not man-made, manufactured books. The Vedic literature means, as it is stated in this verse, tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Vedic literature, śabda-brahma. So He distributed the… Vāsudeva, original person, Absolute Truth, He, I mean to say, transferred this Vedic knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahmā was alone. He could not see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye, but īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s heart, so He taught him from within. Kṛṣṇa’s name is Caitya-guru, “guru, spiritual master from within.” So Kṛṣṇa is trying to help us from within, and He manifests again externally also as spiritual master, directly teaching. So from within, from without, He is trying to help us. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. From within and without. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1].
So this Brahma-saṁhitā was written by Lord Brahmā, and in Brahma-saṁhitā the name of Kṛṣṇa is there. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1], beginning. That is the fifth chapter. There were hundred chapters. Only fifth chapter is available. So in the beginning of that fifth chapter, Brahmā says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So how these rascals can conclude that Kṛṣṇa was liv…, some years, some hundred or five hundred years ago there was a beel boy, he was very powerful. So in this way, these rascal so-called scholars they are misleaded public. Therefore we call them simply rascals. They do not know what is the truth, and still, they write books, they write commentaries unauthorizedly and mislead public. This is going on. Kṛṣṇa is not manufactured. In the Brahma-saṁhitā there is complete description of Kṛṣṇa:
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]
The cause of all causes. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Vedānta-sūtra says, “The Absolute Truth is that which is the origin, original cause.” Original cause. The scientists, they are trying to find out the original cause of creation, but they are creating their own imagination. “There was a chunk, and it burst out, and then planets came out.” Like that. (laughter) And wherefrom this chunk came, you nonsense? So this is going on.
Yaśodā-nandana: In the Gurukula we were teaching Īśopaniṣad class to the children. So we took… [break] …Prabhupāda and the words which the recent edition of the Press is wrong. Many changes were brought. They were trying to make better English, but sometimes, to make better English, I think they were making philosophical mistakes also. There is no so much need of making so much better English. Your English is sufficient. It is very clear, very simple. We have caught over 125 changes. They’re changing so many things. We are wondering if this is necessary. I will show you today. I have kept the book.
Yaśodā-nandana: What is it going to be in five years? It’s going to be a different book
Sri Locana dasa Thakura tironhava tithi [disappearance – Friday, January 17, 2020 – [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]
Authorized prayers of Sri Locana dasa Thakura
These prayers were not ordinary concocted prayers. Prayers must be approved by Vedic literature, as indicated in this verse by the words daivībhir gīrbhiḥ. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we do not allow any song that has not been approved or sung by bona fide devotees. We cannot allow cinema songs to be sung in the temple. We generally sing two songs. One is śrī–kṛṣṇa–caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī–advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura–bhakta–vṛnda. This is bona fide. It is always mentioned in the Caitanya–caritāmṛta, and it is accepted by the ācāryas. The other, of course, is the mahā–mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. We may also sing the songs of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, but these two songs—“śrī-kṛṣṇa–caitanya” and the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā–mantra—are sufficient to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although we cannot see Him. Seeing the Lord is not as important as appreciating Him from the authentic literature or the authentic statements of authorized persons. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/8/5/25
Sri Locana dasa Thakura writes Caitanya-Mangala
ore mūḍha loka, śuna caitanya-maṅgala
caitanya-mahimā yāte jānibe sakala
SYNONYMS
ore—O all of you; mūḍha—foolish; loka—people; śuna—just hear; caitanya–maṅgala—the book of this name; caitanya—Lord Caitanya’s; mahimā—glories; yāte—in which; jānibe—you will know; sakala—all.
TRANSLATION
O fools, just read Śrī Caitanya–maṅgala! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
PURPORT
Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura’s Caitanya–bhāgavata was originally entitled Caitanya–maṅgala, but when Śrīla Locana dāsa Ṭhākura later wrote another book named Caitanya–maṅgala, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura changed the name of his own book, which is now therefore known as Caitanya–bhāgavata. The life of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very elaborately described in the Caitanya–bhāgavata, and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has already informed us that in his Śrī Caitanya–caritāmṛta he has described whatever Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has not mentioned. This acceptance of Śrī Caitanya–bhāgavata by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī indicates his acceptance of the disciplic succession. A writer of transcendental literature never tries to surpass the previous ācāryas. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/8/33
Locana dasa Thakura as disciple of Narahari Sarakara Thakura
Narahari dāsa Sarakāra was a very famous devotee. Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, the celebrated author of Śrī Caitanya–maṅgala, was his disciple. In the Caitanya–maṅgala it is stated that Śrī Gadādhara dāsa and Narahari Sarakāra were extremely dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but there is no specific statement regarding the inhabitants of the village of Śrīkhaṇḍa. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/10/78-79
Locana dasa Thakura’s songs all authorized
Govinda Ghoṣa belonged to the kāyastha dynasty of the Uttara-rāḍhīya section, and he was known as Ghoṣa Ṭhākura. Even to the present day there is a place named Agradvīpa, near Katwa, where a fair takes place and is named after Ghoṣa Ṭhākura. As far as Vāsudeva Ghoṣa is concerned, he composed many nice songs about Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and these are all authorized Vaiṣṇava songs, like the songs of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Govinda dāsa Ṭhākura and other great Vaiṣṇavas. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/11/88
Śrīla Locana dāsa Ṭhākura has also sung, parama karuṇa, pahuṅ dui jana, nitāi–gaura–candra: “The two brothers Nitāi and Gaura are so kind that no one can compare to them.” Similarly, Śrīla Narottama dāsa ṭhākura has sung:
vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei,
balarāma haila nitāi,
dīna-hīna yata chila, hari-nāme uddhārila,
tā’ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mission is the deliverance of all fallen souls in Kali–yuga. Devotees of Kṛṣṇa must persistently seek the favor and mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become fit to return home, back to Godhead. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/14/16
Srila Prabhupada explains parama karuna
Srila Prabhupada: Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra. This is a song by Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and ācārya of the Gauḍīya–sampradāya. He is declaring that pahū dui jana. Pahū means lords. Dui jana means two. Who are the two lords? Nitai Gauracandra. One is Lord Nitāi, Nityānanda; another is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, he says that “These two Lords are very merciful.” Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana. Parama koruṇa means very merciful. Nitai Gauracandra. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi. Avatāra means incarnation, and saba means all. “They are the essence of all incarnations.” Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda–kanda: “And the specific significance of these incarnations is that to prosecute their ways of self-realization is simply joyful,” ānanda–kanda. They introduced chanting and dancing. No other incarnation There are many incarnations, just like Lord Rāma. Even Kṛṣṇa, He taught Bhagavad-gītā. That requires knowledge, understanding. But here Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda, introduced some process which is simply joyful: simply chant and dance. Kevala ānanda–kanda. Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi, kevala ānanda–kanda.
Therefore he requests everyone, bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi: “My dear brothers, I request you. Just you worship Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda.” Sudṛḍha biśwāsa kori’: “With firm conviction and faith.” Don’t think that this chanting and dancing will not lead you to the desired goal. It will because there is assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that you will get all perfection by this process. Therefore Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says that “You must have firm faith and conviction.” It will act. Bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi, sudṛḍha. Sudṛḍha means firm. Biśwāsa kori’, with faith and conviction. But what is the process? The process is viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā. If you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious under that process, then you have to give up your engagement of sense gratification. That is the only restriction. You cannot do that. Then it will be very nice. If you give up sense gratification and come to this stage, then it is sure that you will reach to the desired goal. Viṣaya chāḍiya, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari: “And you have to simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, ‘Hari Hari,’ that’s all, without any motive of sense gratification.”
Dekho dekho bhāi, tri–bhuvane nāi. He says, “My dear brothers, you just try and examine that within these three worlds there is nobody like Lord Caitanya or Nityānanda Prabhu.” Because, paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare: “Their mercy and qualities are so great that even birds and beasts, they are crying, what to speak of human being?” Actually, when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through the forest of Jhārigrāma, the tigers, the elephants, the snake, the deer, all joined Him in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice. Anyone can join. Animals can join, what to speak of human being? Of course, it is not possible for ordinary man to enthuse animals to chant, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu did it actually. So even if we cannot enthuse animals, we can enthuse at least human being to this path of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting. Paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare.
And it is so nice that even the most stonehearted men will be melted. Pāṣāṇa vidare. Pāṣāṇa means stone, and vidare. Pāṣāṇa, even stone, will melt. It is so nice. But he regrets that, viṣaya majiyā: “Being entrapped by sense gratification…” Viṣaya majiyā, rohili bhuliyā. He’s addressing himself, “My dear mind, you are entrapped in the sense gratification process and you have no attraction for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.”
Viṣaya bhuliyā, rohili majiyā, se pade nahilo āśa: “You have no attraction for the lotus feet of Caitanya–Nityānanda. So, what can I say? It is only…” Āpana karama, bhuñjāya śamana: “I can simply think of my misfortune only that Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, he is punishing me in this way, that he is not allowing me to be attracted to this movement.” This is the statement of Kahoye locana–dāsa: “This is the statement of Locana dāsa Ṭhākura.” (end)
Locana Däsa Thäkura in his Caitanya Maìgala (Sütra-khanda) predicts the future appearance of Srila Prabhupäda (Lord Caitanya speaking of the reasons for His descent):
näma-guna-sankirtana vaisnavera sakti
prakasa karibe ami nija prema-bhakti
Chanting of the name and qualities of Krsna is the life and energy of the Vaisnavas. I will reveal these activities and rejuvenate pure devotional service unto Myself.
ei mate kali-papa karibe sanhara
sabe cala age pache na kara vichara
In this way, I will destroy all the sins in Kali Yuga. So, all of you, My associates, go ahead and take birth on the earthly planet before My advent and don’t remain behind.
ebe nama sankirtana tikshna khadaga
laiya antara asura jivera phelibe katiya
Taking the sharp sword of the congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, (nama-sankirtana) I will root out and destroy the demoniac mentality in the hearts of all the conditioned souls.
yadi papi chadi dharma dure dese
yaya mora senapati-bhakta yaibe tathaya
If some sinful people escape and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then my Senapati Bhakta will come at that time to give them Krsna consciousness. (senapati – a military field commander, bhakta – a devotee. Lord Caitanya will empower His own devotee to spread Krsna Consciousness around the world.
____________________________________________________
akrodha paramananda nityananda ray
abhimana sunya nitai nagare beday
adhama patita jiver dvare dvare giya
hari-nama maha-mantra dicchen bilaiya
jare dekhe tare kohe dante trna dhori’
amare kiniya loho bolo gaura-hari
eto boli’ nityananda bhume gadi jay
sonara parvata jeno dhulate lotay
heno avatare jar rati na janmilo
locan bole sei papi elo ar gelo
1) The noble Lord Nityananda is never angry, for He is the personification of supreme transcendental bliss. Devoid of any concept of false ego, Nitai wanders about the town.
2) Going from door to door in the residences of the most fallen and wretched souls, He freely distributes the gift of the Hari-nama mahamantra.
3) He exclaims to whomever he sees while holding straw between his teeth, “Please purchase me by worshipping Gaurahari!”
4) Saying thus, Nityananda Prabhu rolls about on the ground, appearing like a golden mountain tumbling in the dust.
5) Locana Dasa Thakura says, “Whoever has not experienced the awakening of affection for such an avatara as this, that sinful person simply comes and goes uselessly in the cycle of repeated birth and death.”
gardening quotes-how to become highest yogi by such activity
Who gets the real guru and who doesnt–SP
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada
Only that person whom Lord Krishna sends us as spiritual master will manifest before us as our guru. By the Lord’s mercy we attain a spiritual master, and by the spiritual master’s mercy we attain Krishna. We are given a spiritual master according to our fortune. Different people have different mentalities, and the omniscient Lord sends each an appropriate spiritual master. There are those who desire the Lord’s nonduplicitous mercy and who completely depend on him for their success. These souls please the Lord with their simple sincerity. To bestow his mercy upon them, he appears before them personally. To those who want something else from the Lord, who are not actually aspiring for his complete mercy, the Lord sends through his illusory energy a spiritual master appropriate to their mentality. A sincere person never faces difficulty but quickly finds a bona fide guru. — From Amrta Vani, collected teachings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Compiled in Bengali by Sri Bhakti Bhagavat Mayukha Maharaja. Adapted and translated into English by Bhumipati Das and Isvara Das. Touchstone Media. Mumbai. 2004. Page 28.
———————————————————————
Morning Walk—December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:
Bali Mardana: If someone is actually sincere, can he be cheated or will he always get a bona fide guru?
Prabhupāda: No, if he is sincere he’ll get. Yes. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He sees that you are sincere, He’ll give you the right person.
Bali Mardana: So if you are not completely sincere, you might get a Guru Maharaji.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Bali Mardana: If you’re not completely sincere, you might get someone else.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you want to be cheated, you go to the cheater. That’s all. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Kṛṣṇa is intelligent, superintelligent. If you are a cheater, He’ll cheat you. He’ll cheat you. First-class cheat, Kṛṣṇa. But if you’re actually sincere, then He’ll give you the right thing. That is stated in the Bhag…, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: [Bg. 15.15] \”Everything is coming from Me: smṛtiḥ, remembrance, and forgetfulness.\” If you are a cheater, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence, you’ll forget Kṛṣṇa forever.
Dr. Wolfe: Śrīla Prabhupāda, so it is so, \”Birds of a feather flock together.\” The cheaters flock together.
Prabhupāda: Yes. \”Birds of the same feather flock together.\”
TLC 18–Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness.
Yaśomatīnandana: Sometimes they even say that \”You have your guru and I have my guru. It’s all the same thing.\”
Prabhupāda: Yes, and a thief has also a guru. Then that guru is also the same thing. (Hindi) Here guru means tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsur śreya uttaman [SB 11.3.21]. (Hindi) Nāpnuvanti mahātmānam saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. SP conv Nov 14, 1975
TEXT 13–TRANSLATION–Sometimes, to mitigate distresses in this forest of the material world, the conditioned soul receives cheap blessings from atheists. He then loses all intelligence in their association. This is exactly like jumping in a shallow river. As a result one simply breaks his head. He is not able to mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in both ways he suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-called sādhus and svāmīs who preach against the principles of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either in the present or in the future.
PURPORT-Cheaters are always there to manufacture their own way of spiritual realization. To get some material benefit, the conditioned soul approaches these pseudo sannyāsīs and yogīs for cheap blessings, but he does not receive any benefit from them, either spiritual or material. In this age there are many cheaters who show some jugglery and magic. They even create gold to amaze their followers, and their followers accept them as God. This type of cheating is very prominent in Kali-yuga. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes the real guru in this way.saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvamprāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
One should approach a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of this material world, the struggle for existence.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21) gives similar advice:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
“Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.”…
\”Now, to take such guidance means the spiritual master should also be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide? .. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you’ll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.\” Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 2.7-11 — New York, March 2, 1966
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, why has it taken so long for a pure devotee to come to the West? Has the West been so sinful that no pure devotee has come before Your Divine Grace?
Prabhupada: Don’t be sorry. At that time, you were so sinful that you could not receive a pure devotee.
Devotee: Yes. Once in a lecture a lady asked you why hadn’t you come sooner, and you just said, \”Well, you weren’t ready for me.\”
Prabhupada: Yes, \”Because you were not ready.\” Yes, I told. Yes. Now the Western boys, the descendant of the Western people, they are fortunate; therefore they receive Kṛṣṇa. Kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). It is Kṛṣṇa’s desire that \”These people are suffering so much; let some devotees come here.\” So you are all devotees. You have come to join together.
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Los Angeles, December 7, 1973)
\”You have asked ‘How serious would it be for me if I should miss the golden opportunity to become your initiated disciple?’ You should know that the value of accepting a bonafide spiritual master is more than we can calculate. It is not a mere formality. Of course everyone is encouraged to chant Hare Krishna, but until one gives up sinful activities and becomes determined to serve Krishna through His representative then the firm fixing up of devotional service will not take hold, and there is every chance that one will fall prey to all sorts of material desires and have to come back again in the next life—and one cannot guarantee that he will be born in the form of life he may desire.\”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Ravendra Gupta, February 12, 1974)