| December 31, 1966 : New York |
| December 31. Goodbye, 1966. Hare Krishna and Happy New Year! New Year’s Eve, Matchless Gifts is crowded with devotees and visitors. Swamiji leads the kirtana, and we all chant and dance by candlelight. It is a celebration none of us will ever forget. “Chant! Chant!” Swamiji tells us, and our chanting drowns out even the drunken revelry on Second Avenue. Again, Swamiji is weaving magic. A feast follows, and Swamiji eats with us, sitting on his dais and talking amiably. He keeps insisting that Umapati, Satsvarupa, and I take more prasadam. There’s a bucket of gulab jamuns, “ISKCON bullets,” and we stuff ourselves. “For us, every day is New Year’s,” Swamiji says. “Krishna is always new, always fresh, and we are always celebrating Him. Just see how these people in maya are celebrating, drinking poison to forget everything! Because they are frustrated, they want to forget. But for a devotee, it is just the opposite. The devotee wants to remember Krishna at all times.” |
| Reference: The Hare Krishna Explosion – Hayagriva Dasa |
Gita Mahatmya Glories of Bhagavad Gita
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord says that even a human being in the lowest status of life, lowest status of life, or even a fallen woman, or a mercantile man, or a laborer class of man… The mercantile class of men, the laborer class of men, and the woman class, they are counted in the same category because their intelligence is not so developed. But the Lord says, they also, or even lower than them, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ‘pi syuḥ (BG 9.32), not only they or lower than them, or anyone, it does not matter who is he, or who is she, anyone who accepts this principle of bhakti-yoga and accepts the Supreme Lord as the summum bonum of life, the highest target, highest goal of life, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ‘pi syuḥ, te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim, that parāṁ gatim in the spiritual kingdom and the spiritual sky, everyone can approach. Simply one has to practice the system. That system is hinted in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely and one can adopt it and make his life perfect and make a permanent solution of life. That is the sum and substance of the whole Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore, the conclusion is that Bhagavad-gītā is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. Gītā-śāstram idaṁ puṇyaṁ yaḥ paṭhet prayataḥ pumān. And the result will be, if he properly follows the instruction, then he can be freed from all miseries of life, all anxieties of life. Bhaya-śokādi-varjitaḥ. (Gītā-māhātmya 1) All fears of life, in this life, as well as he’ll get a spiritual life in the next life. 660219-20 – Lecture BG Introduction – New York
Sri Gita-Mahatmya
The Glory of the Gita gita sastram idam punyam,
yah pathet prayatah puman
visnoh padam avapnoti,
bhaya sokadi varjitah
One who, with a regulated mind, recites with devotion this Bhagavad-gita scripture which is the bestower of all virtue, will attain to a holy abode such as Vaikuntha, the residence of Lord Visnu, which is always free from the mundane qualities based on fear and lamentation.
Gita dhyayana-silasya,
pranayama parasya ca
naiva santi hi papani,
purva janma krtani ca
For a self-controlled person who seriously studies this Bhagavad-gita scripture, not a trace of sin remains – either from the previous or present life -since all his sins are burnt to ashes.
malanir mocanam pumsam,
jala-snanam dine dine
sakrd-gitambhasi snanam,
samsara-mala-nasanam
As a person bathes every day with water to cleanse his body, similarly, by bathing only once in the waters of the Bhagavad-gita, all the dirt of painful material existence is dissolved. That is, by devotedly reading the Gita only once, all material contamination is vanquished.
gita sugita kartavya,
kim anyaih sastra vistaraih
ya svayam padmanabhasya
mukha-padmad vinihsrta
One should always very nicely sing with devotion this Gita, the divine song which has emanated from the holy lotus mouth of the Supreme Lord Himself, Lord Sri Krsna. What then is the benefit of studying many other scriptures?
bharatamrta sarvasvam
visnor vaktrad-vinihsrtam
gita-gangodakam pitva,
punar janma na vidyate
By dringing the Ganges waters of the Gita, the divine quintessence of the Mahabharata emanating from the lotus mouth of Lord Visnu, one will never take rebirth in the material world again. In other words, by devotionally reciting the Gita, the cycle of birth and death is terminated.
sarvopanisado gavo
dogdha gopala-nandanahpartho
vatsah sudhir bhokta,
dugdham gitamrtam mahat
All the Upanisads are like a cow, and the milker of the cow is Sri Krsna, the son of Nanda. Arjuna is the calf, the beautiful nectar of the Gita is the milk, and the fortunate devotees of fine theistic intellect are the drinkers and enjoyers of that milk.
ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam
eko devo devaki-putra eva
eko mantras tasya namani yani,
karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva
There need only be one holy scripture – the divine Gita sung by Lord Sri Krsna; only one worshipable Lord – Lord Sri Krsna; only one mantra – His holy names; and only one duty -devotional service unto that supreme worshipable Lord, Sri Krsna.
Gita Mahatmya of the Padma Purana – Lord Siva’s Glorification of the Bhagavad Gita
Vaishnava song book original 1972 edition
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compiled by Acyutananda Swami, printed in 1972.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LbaJ_qq7T6S32-_ag-7SjW6tuRfJZOvF/view?usp=sharing
Srila Prabhupada’s pre 1967 letters original scan pdf
Srila Prabhupada’s pre 1967 letters original scan pdf
A drive link to the original pre 1967 scanned letters is given below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzR876u4ZuxEbF9XTlJsMVB1elE/view?usp=sharing
Prabhupada explains in one paragraph what he wanted for iskcon after his disappearance
May 20-22 1977 Vrndavana
Prabhupāda: ...in that paper he wrote, “In case I die, these three men will be trustees, and the majority will be effective.” So that scrap of paper, Tīrtha Mahārāja kept it. And later on, Guru Mahārāja wanted to make a constitution, but he avoided. But actually after his demise, that scrap of paper was presented in the high-court, and property was given. That is the…
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That’s… It was considered as a will.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No need of big, formal document.
Prabhupāda: He is the original founder. Automatically he wins. That’s all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He recovered from that hernia operation.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, and later on, he did not undergo sur… He thought then doctor… After all, everyone has got sentiment. He thought it that “The doctor has been called to kill me.” So he did not undergo the hernia operation.Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He thought the doctor was paid off to kill him.
4 different days in Caitanya Lila
Adi 17.90–One day the Lord ordered Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura to read the Bṛhat-sahasra-nāma [the thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu], for He wanted to hear them at that time.
Adi 17.91-As he read the thousand names of the Lord, in due course the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha, He became fully absorbed in thought.
Adi 17.92–In the mood of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Lord Caitanya ran through the city streets, club in hand, ready to kill all the atheists.
Adi 17.93–Seeing Him appearing very fierce in the ecstasy of Lord Nṛsiṁha, people ran from the street and fled here and there, afraid of His anger.
Adi 17.94-Seeing the people so afraid, the Lord came to His external senses and thus returned to the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and threw away the club.
Adi 17.99-On another day a great devotee of Lord Śiva, chanting of Lord Śiva’s qualities, came to Lord Caitanya’s house, where he began dancing in the courtyard and playing his ḍamaru [a musical instrument].
Adi 17.100–Then Lord Caitanya, adopting the mood of Lord Śiva, got on the man’s shoulders, and thus they danced together for a long time.
Adi 17.101-On another day a mendicant came to beg alms from the Lord’s house, but when he saw the Lord dancing, he also began to dance.
Adi 17.102-He danced with the Lord because he was favored by love of Kṛṣṇa. Thus he flowed in the mellows of love of Godhead.
chanting in a humble state of mind-SP explains why
Adi 17.31–“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”
Adi 17.32–Raising my hands, I declare, “Everyone please hear me! String this verse on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance.”
Adi 17.33–One must strictly follow the principles given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this verse. If one simply follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the Gosvāmīs, certainly he will achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Adi 17.34–Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regularly led congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura every night for one full year.
Adi 17.35–This ecstatic chanting was performed with the doors closed so that nonbelievers who came to make fun could not gain entrance.
PURPORT-Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is open to everyone, but sometimes nonbelievers come to disturb the ceremony of chanting. It is indicated herein that under such circumstances the temple doors should be closed. Only bona fide chanters should be admitted; others should not. But when there is large-scale congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we keep our temples for everyone to join, and by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu this policy has given good results.
Adi 17.36–Thus the nonbelievers almost burned to ashes and died in envy. To retaliate, they planned various ways to give trouble to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.
Adi 17.37–One night while kīrtana was going on inside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s house, a brāhmaṇa named Gopāla Cāpāla, the chief of the nonbelievers, who was talkative and very rough in his speech, placed all the paraphernalia for worshiping the goddess Durgā outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door.
PURPORT-This brāhmaṇa, Gopāla Cāpāla, wanted to defame Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura by proving that he was actually a śākta, or a worshiper of Bhavānī, the goddess Durgā, but was externally posing as a Vaiṣṇava. In Bengal there is perpetual competition between the devotees of Goddess Kālī and the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Generally Bengalis, especially those who are meat-eaters and drunkards, are very much attached to worshiping the goddesses Durgā, Kālī, Śītalā and Caṇḍī. Such devotees, who are known as śāktas, or worshipers of the śakti-tattva, are always envious of Vaiṣṇavas. Since Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura was a well-known and respected Vaiṣṇava in Navadvīpa, Gopāla Cāpāla wanted to reduce his prestige by bringing him down to the platform of the śāktas. Therefore outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door he placed various paraphernalia for worshiping Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, such as a red flower, a plantain leaf, a pot of wine, and reddish sandalwood paste. In the morning, when Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura saw all this paraphernalia in front of his door, he called for the respectable gentlemen of the neighborhood and showed them that at night he was worshiping Bhavānī. Very much sorry, these gentlemen called for a sweeper to cleanse the place and purify it by sprinkling water and cow dung there. This incident concerning Gopāla Cāpāla is not mentioned in the Caitanya-bhāgavata.
For those whose brain is not filled up with cow dung–SP
Hare Krsna-below we put together this series of quotes because of the very first one I read last night before retiring, In this conversation Srila Prabhupada is pointing out that the great Acaryas and sages in India of days gone neglected building skyscrapers and instead focused upon simple living. He asks-why, they were less intelligent? But because their brains were not filled up with this so called material progress nonsense, they were so clear thinking that they left behind to us the clear path back to Godhead. This path does not include building skyscrapers, freeways, incomprehensible economic systems, and the like.But he says who will understand this? So that simple life willbe possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatrasyat. Only by devotion. Not by otherwise.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das———————————–
Nov 20 1976 Vrndavna room conversation
Akṣayānanda: …Kṛṣṇa will also increase?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Akṣayānanda: The ability to remember Kṛṣṇa, that will also increase?Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if the brain is clear—it is not filled up with rubbish cow dung—then Kṛṣṇa consciousness easy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no more material consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. That is required. In material existence we have got so many obligations, thoughts (indistinct), and so many things. Bṛthā.eta saba chāḍi’ āra varṇāśrama-dharmaakiñcana hañā laya kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇaSarva-dharmān: Everything give up. That is India’s Vedic civilization. They are not concerned with the material advancement. Simple life. That’s all. And our present leaders, they are thinking that “brainwashed.” They are not deeply thinking, “Why our great sages and ācāryas recommended this life, not the skyscraper life? Why? They were not less intelligent.” They are not thinking in that way.They are thinking that “Because we neglected the skyscraper thoughts, we are so backward.” At least this rascal Nehru was thinking like that. “So finish this.” The Russia is… What is called? Opiate, brainwashed. These things are accepted like that. “It has no value, simply some prejudice and superstition, and they are thinking like that and they are spoiling their material side of life.” This is their idea. “What is this? No meat-eating?”
►740525mw.room Conversations
Prabhupada: Yes, that was Gandhi’s philosophy, village organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the factory, and they are exploiting them…. our philosophy. Make your life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from allthese troubles of material condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these motorcars, television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep yourhealth nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna, and go back to home This is our philosophy…
►740527mw.room Conversations … Keep amongst yourself and produce. Produce foodgrain, produce cotton, mustard seed. Self dependent, no use… And we don’t require motorcar. Bullock cart is sufficient. There is no need of going anywhere…
►740527mw.room Conversations Prabhupada: Yes, it will go on, but when they will see that your ideal community is better than city life, people will take to it. Param drstva nivartate. When one gets a better standard of life, naturallyhe will give up the lower standard of life.
740602mw.gen Conversations 364211/530501
Prabhupada: Wasteful, yes. Therefore I say they have no brain. All, they are rascals. Rascal leaders. A little labor in agriculture willbe sufficient to produce the family’s food stock for the whole year. You can stock. You work only three months, and you get sufficient foodfor your whole family.And less nine months, you chant Hare Krsna. Butthese rascals will not do that. They will work hard like ass simplyfor eating. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti. They will not accept easy life.
►740619rc.ger Conversations Prabhupada: My idea is that all our centers should be self-supported. We do not like that idea that for your support you have to go 100miles to get your bread. That is a very dangerous drawback. You produce your food locally and then support yourself. The main problem is what to eat, where to sleep. So we get some place and support ourself by producing our own food. We have already begun in New Vrindaban, New…, West Virginia, Virginia, and similarly in other centers, we are producing our food, grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. That is sufficient.
►740621mw.ger ConversationsPrabhupada: Most unnatural life. City life, most unnatural.
►760912rc.vrn ConversationsPrabhupada: No, they’re thinking that so many people are coming to the cities, how we shall provide them? That’s a problem. After all government has to supply them rations. Where is so much foodstuff? And if they are not supplied, then there will be resentment. That’s a fact. What they are doing in the city, so many scooter (makes motor sound), going here and there. Actually no engagement. The girls are loitering in the street by dressing. It will become more and more problems, city life.So this is the solution, that they must go backto the village. But they are trained up to enjoy the facilities, so-called facilities, of the city. They are not going to village. But if we can introduce this hari-sankirtana, and if they have little taste, that is success. It’s a great program. And that taste will come–ceto-darpana-marjanam. If he simply becomes little sober that “Iwant to eat, I have to sleep, I want some sense enjoyment and defense.So if I can get easily in the village, why shall I go three hundredmiles away? Just keep in mind the psychology. So that simple life willbe possible if one is bhakta. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatrasyat. Only by devotion. Not by otherwise. Not by artificial means, by manufacturing toilet. Only bhakti. If they get little attachment for Krsna the questions will be solved automatically. And they will be happy. Undoubtedly. That is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s first instruction. Ceto-darpana.
Sri Saranga Thakura Ttirobhava tithi [disappearance] Sunday, December 13, 2020 [Mayapura, West Bengal , India , Bharata Bhumi time]
Sri Saranga Thakura Ttirobhava tithi [disappearance]
Sunday, December 13, 202 [Mayapura, West Bengal , India , Bharata Bhumi time]
Srila Prabhupada describes the glories of Sri Saranga Tahkura
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (203) it is said, “Bhāgavatācārya compiled a book entitled Kṛṣṇa–prema–taraṅgiṇī, and he was the most beloved devotee of Lord CaitanyaMahāprabhu.” When Lord Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu visited Varāhanagara, a suburb of Calcutta, He stayed in the house of a most fortunate brāhmaṇa who was a very learned scholar in Bhāgavata literature. As soon as this brāhmaṇa saw Lord CaitanyaMahāprabhu, he began to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Mahāprabhu heard his explanation, which expounded bhakti–yoga, He immediately became unconscious in ecstasy. Lord Caitanya later said, “I have never heard such a nice explanation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I therefore designate you Bhāgavatācārya. Your only duty is to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is My injunction.” His real name was Raghunātha. His monastery, which is situated in Varāhanagara, about three and a half miles north of Calcutta on the bank of the Ganges, still exists, and it is managed by the initiated disciples of the late Śrī Rāmadāsa Bābājī. Presently, however, it is not as well managed as in the presence of Bābājī Mahārāja. Another name of Ṭhākura Śāraṅga dāsa was Śārṅga Ṭhākura. Sometimes he was also called Śārṅgapāṇi or Śārṅgadhara. He was a resident of Navadvīpa in the neighborhood known as Modadruma-dvīpa,
and he used to worship the Supreme Lord in a secluded place on the bank of the Ganges. He did not accept disciples, but he was repeatedly inspired from within by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to do so. Thus one morning he decided, “Whomever I see I shall make my disciple.” When he went to the bank of the Ganges to take his bath, by chance he saw a dead body floating in the water, and he touched it with his feet. This immediately brought the body to life, and Ṭhākura Sāraṅgadāsa accepted him as his disciple. This disciple later became famous as Ṭhākura Murāri, and his name is always associated with that of Śrī Sāraṅga. His disciplic succession still inhabits the village of Śar. There is a temple at Māmagācchi that is said to have been started by Śārṅga Ṭhākura. Not long ago, a new temple building was erected in front of a bakula tree there, and it is now being managed by the members of the GauḍīyaMaṭha. It is said that the management of the temple is now far better than before.In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (172) it is stated that Śāraṅga Ṭhākura was formerly a gopī named Nāndīmukhī. Some devotees say that he was formerly Prahlāda Mahārāja, but Śrī Kavi–karṇapūra says that his father, Śivānanda Sena, does not accept this proposition.
prahlada — by Prahlada Maharaja — Sanskrit Dictionaryprahlada — by Prahlada Maharaja
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.113 :
Srila Prabhupada explains the glories and the amazing position of Sri Kaliya Krsnadasa
Sri Kaliya Krsnadasa tirobhava tithi [disappearance day] , Saturday, December 12, 2020
Srila Prabhupada explains the glories and the amazing position of Sri Kaliya Krsnadasacompiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
gaurīdāsa paṇḍita yāṅra premoddaṇḍa-bhakti