Srila Prabhupada explains the glories of Sri Devananda Pandita
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
bhāgavatī devānanda vakreśvara-kṛpāte
bhāgavatera bhakti-artha pāila prabhu haite
SYNONYMS
bhāgavatī devānanda—Devānanda, who used to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; vakreśvara-kṛpāte—by the mercy of Vakreśvara; bhāgavatera—of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; bhakti-artha—the bhakti interpretation; pāila—got; prabhu haite—from the Lord.
Continue readingSrila Prabhupada: Service is the constant companion of the living being
and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being.
When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa or constitutional position of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya, we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being. A living being serves other living beings in two capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their master. A serves B master, B serves C master and C serves D master and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being. [Introduction to Bhagavad Gita As It Is,1972 Edition]
Continue readingGita Jayanti Special -108 Quotes on Spreading the importance
of the Original 1972 authorized Bhagavad Gita As It Is
(The authorized edition of Bhagavad-gita will help to stop the terrible cheating of ‘gurus’ and ‘yogis’ who are false and unauthorized.)
Hare Krishna. On the occasion of Gita Jayanti, an article that aims at re-establishing the Original Bhagavad Gita that is written by Srila Prabhupada. This article has many quotes that contain the importance of reading the Gita “AS IT IS”, ways of receiving the transcendental instructions, how the Gita has been taken as a way for unscrupulous men to advertise their dubious philosophies, etc.
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Please find a link to a Google drive with Srila Prabhupada’s first edition unrevised, non adulterated, original books.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nHm72gVwAeei95WDkSLf2aw5x-jRXDoF?usp=sharing
CULTIVATING FEELINGS OF SEPARATION
By isana dasa
In the 34th chapter of the Krishna Book, entitled The Gopis Feelings of Separation, Srila Prabhupada writes:
When Kṛṣṇa went to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends and cows, the gopīs did not physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation.
This is Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental poetry. The gopis did not physically take part. They could not walk to the forest along with Krishna and His cowherd boyfriends; but their hearts went with Him. This is a lovely image. As Krishna and His friends walked into the forest, the hearts of the gopis moved with Krishna, side by side. And in this way, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation.
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Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out – “The guru must be situated on
the topmost platform of devotional service. “When one has attained the topmost position of mahā-bhāgavata, he is to be accepted as a guru
and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru
guru-lakṣaṇa, śiṣya-lakṣaṇa, doṅhāra parīkṣaṇa
sevya–bhagavān, sarva-mantra-vicāraṇa
SYNONYMS
guru-lakṣaṇa—the symptoms of a bona fide spiritual master; śiṣya-lakṣaṇa—the symptoms of a bona fide disciple; doṅhāra—of both; parīkṣaṇa—the testing; sevya-bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshipable; sarva-mantra-vicāraṇa—consideration of the different types of mantras.
TRANSLATION
“In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide guru and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master’s position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple’s position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, should be described as the worshipable object, and you should consider the bīja-mantra for the worship of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma or any other expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Continue readingThis is another amusing pastime between Lord Caitanya and Advaita Acarya over amounts of prasadam one can eat. Also some good tips by Srila Prabhupada are given about new preps devotees can make for their Deities.
Madhya 3.38–Advaita Ācārya said, “You have been fasting continuously for three days in Your ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa. I therefore invite You to My home, where You may kindly take Your alms. Come with Me to My residence.”
Madhya 3.39–Advaita Prabhu continued, “At My home I have just cooked one palmful of rice. The vegetables are always very simple. There is no luxurious cooking-simply a little liquid vegetable and spinach.”
Madhya 3.42––All the prepared food was divided into three equal parts. One part was arranged on a metal plate for offering to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Madhya 3.43–Of the three divisions, one was arranged on a metal plate, and the other two were arranged on plantain leaves. These leaves were not bifurcated, and they were taken from a banana tree that held at least thirty-two bunches of bananas. The two plates were filled very nicely with the kinds of food described below.
Maedhya 3.44-The cooked rice was a stack of very fine grains nicely cooked, and in the middle was yellow clarified butter from the milk of cows. Surrounding the stack of rice were pots made of the skins of banana trees, and in these pots were varieties of vegetables and mung dāl.
Madhya 3.45–Among the cooked vegetables were paṭolas, squash, mānakacu and a salad made with pieces of ginger and various types of spinach.
Madhya 3.46–There was sukhta, bitter melon mixed with all kinds of vegetables, defying the taste of nectar. There were five types of bitter and pungent sukhtas.
Madhya 3.47–Amongst the various vegetables were newly grown leaves of nimba trees fried with eggplant. The fruit known as paṭola was fried with phulabaḍi, a kind of dāl preparation first mashed and then dried in the sun. There was also a preparation known as kuṣmāṇḍa-mānacāki.PURPORT-We request our editors of cook books to add all these nice preparations described by the experienced author Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
Madhya 2.80—During His previous pastimes in Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to enjoy the three different types of ecstasy, but despite great endeavor, He could not taste them. Such ecstasies are the monopoly of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, in order to taste them, Śrī Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Madhya 2.81—By personally tasting the mellows of love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught His direct disciples the process. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is a wealthy capitalist possessing the touchstone of love of God. Not considering whether one is a proper or improper recipient, He gives His treasure to anyone and everyone. Thus He is the most munificent.
PURPORT-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s capital is the touchstone of love of Godhead, and consequently He is a great owner of that transcendental treasure. After making unlimited amounts of gold, the touchstone remains the same. Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although distributing love of Godhead unlimitedly, still remained the supreme owner of this transcendental opulence. His devotees, who learned it from Him, also had to distribute it munificently all over the world. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His confidential devotees, is also trying to distribute love of Godhead all over the world through the chanting of the holy names of the Lord-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Madhya 2.82-–No one, not even Lord Brahmā, can ascertain or even taste a drop of this confidential ocean of ecstasy, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, has distributed this love of Godhead all over the world. Thus there cannot be any incarnation more munificent than Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is no greater donor. Who can describe His transcendental qualities?
How Schisms Begin
By Narasimha das
Recently a regular public harinama sankritana program of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples was joined by the followers of a departed self-appointed “guru” who has “re-initiated” some of Srila Prabhupada’s fallen disciples and often tried to insult or minimize Srila Prabhupada in various other ways. These followers came to distribute transcripts of this poser’s lectures and sing his so-called pranam mantras. These folks often say there are many living diksa-gurus and “jagat-gurus” who are equal to (or almost equal to) Srila Prabhupada, although none of these fellows can doing anything tangible to increase the Krishna consciousness movement around the world. Indeed, they and their followers distract from Srila Prabhupada’s real mission, as do the fallen leaders of the vitiated iskcon cults.
These leaders and their followers try to minimize and insult Srila Prabhupada and his disciples as soon they hear that Srila Prabhupada is the real acharya for this age. They are infuriated when devotees try to politely explain that he ordered ritvik initiations for the future of the Krishna consciousness movement. They foolishly say, “Ritvik philosophy is offensive!” And they accuse faithful devotees of being narrow-minded and sectarian. [Note: the term ritvik was instructed by Srila Prabhupada. It is a bona fide Vedic term mentioned many times in Bhagavatam and throughout the Vedas. It is not a “vada”, or philosophical interpretation, but rather refers to a practical system of sadhana by which priests conduct Vedic sacrifices under the auspices of the self-realized acharya.]
The parallels between modern-day deviants and the deviated disciples of Srila Advaitacharya is clear when one carefully studies the purports of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. The real acharyas for this age have explained how schisms begin among the followers of the bona fide spiritual master. And they have explained why such concocters are ruined in due course.
“Some of the disciples strictly accepted the orders of the acharya and others deviated, independently concocting their own opinions under the spell of daivi-maya.” (Cc. Adi 12.9)
“This verse describes the beginning of a schism. When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation. There is no scope for adjusting spiritual advancement to material ideas.” (Cc. Adi 12.9, Purport)
The reference above specifically refers to the schism among the disciples of Sri Advaita. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura elaborates on this point in his purports of Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat by explaining that some of the followers of Sri Advaitacharya wanted to worship Him as Krishna Himself rather than as the topmost Vaishnava worshipper of the Supreme Personalities of Godhead, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. In this way they tried to minimize Lord Nityananda as being inferior to Sri Advaita and thus distracted from the understanding that only Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself and that He is approached only through the mercy of His direct counterpart, Sri Nityananda Prabhu.
June 30 1975 conversations about Bon Maharaj-The Gaudiya matha leaders were all envious of SP
Brahmānanda: In Māyāpur there is one astrologer and he…
Prabhupāda: Who is that astro…?
Brahmānanda: I don’t know his name. He lives in…, across, on the other side there, where the bank is.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Bamanpukur.
Brahmānanda: No, on the other side of the…Prabhupāda: Navadvipa?Brahmānanda: No, on the…, where the railway is.
Prabhupāda: Oh, Svarūp Gañj.
Brahmānanda: Yes, Svarūp Gañj. So he likes our movement very much, and he said that, he told one of our devotees that you were the most powerful personality in the world. And he has given very accurate astrology readings to some of our devotees.
Prabhupāda: And he was, what he has told about me?
Brahmānanda: That you are the most powerful personality in the world.
Prabhupāda: If I am representative of Kṛṣṇa, then I must be the most powerful. Kṛṣṇa has got…, all omnipotent. (laughs) Most powerful, the most my Godbrothers. That is my credit. They are thinking like that, “This man became most powerful than all of us. (Still laughing) He was a gṛhastha.” They used to say all the gṛhasthas, paca-gṛhastha. Paca means decomposed. What Bon Mahārāja is doing now?
