Saturday, 22 March 2025 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India Time]

Appearance Day of Śrī Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita

“There are innumerable devotees of the Lord, of whom Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura is the foremost. I offer my respectful obeisances thousands of times unto their lotus feet.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi Lila 1.38 | 1974 Edition)

śrīvāsa paṇḍita, āra śrī-rāma paṇḍita
dui bhāi–dui śākhā, jagate vidita

SYNONYMS
śrīvāsa paṇḍita—of the name Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita; āra—and; śrī–rāma paṇḍita—of the name Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita; dui bhāi—two brothers; dui śākhā—two branches; jagate—in the world; vidita—well known.

TRANSLATION
The two brothers Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita started two branches that are well known in the world.

PURPORT
In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 90, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita is described to be an incarnation of Nārada Muni, and Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita, his younger brother, is said to be an incarnation of Parvata Muni, a great friend of Nārada’s. Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s wife, Mālinī, is celebrated as an incarnation of the nurse Ambikā, who fed Lord Kṛṣṇa with her breast milk, and as already noted, his niece Nārāyaṇī, the mother of Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa, the author of Śrī Caitanya–bhāgavata, was the sister of Ambikā in kṛṣṇa–līlā. We also understand from the description of Caitanya–bhāgavata that after Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of the sannyāsa order, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita left Navadvīpa, possibly because of feelings of separation, and domiciled at Kumārahaṭṭa
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi Lila 10.8 | 1973 Edition. All synonyms, translation, and purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda)

Read More: https://harekrishnasociety.org/?p=29003&

by haripada dasa

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada always said that in this world of ignorance, which is contrary to serving God or Krishna, full of trials and tribulations, only patience, humility and respect for others are our friends to do devotional service to God or Krishna and His representatives.

Regarding patience, I am very clear that only people who live in the mode of goodness can have it, people who live in the modes of passion and ignorance cannot be patient. Also Srila Prabhupada talks about this quality in the Nectar of Instruction, verse 3.

On humility, Srila Prabhupada says in the Gita, 13, 8 that humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. Another point is that although one can do wonderful things to please God or Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, one understands that that is all pure mercy of God or Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.

About respect there is a very beautiful verse in the Bhagavatam, 5, 5, 26, this verse was spoken by the incarnation of Krishna called Risabadeva to his children, there it says that my dear children, you should not feel envy of any living entity, or mobile nor immobile. Knowing that I am in them, you must offer respect to all of them at all times. In this way, you will offer respect to Me.

Tuesday, 11 March 2025 [Mayapura, West Bengal, India Time]

Disappearance Day of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī

Śrīla Prabhupāda: “The uncontaminated devotees who strictly depend on the Vedānta philosophy are divided into four sampradāyas, or transcendental parties. Out of the four sampradāyas, the Śrī Madhvācārya-sampradāya was accepted by Mādhavendra Purī. Thus he took sannyāsa according to paramparā, the disciplic succession. Beginning from Madhvācārya down to the spiritual master of Mādhavendra Purī the ācārya named Lakṣmīpati, there was no realization of devotional service in conjugal love. Śrī Mādhavendra Purī introduced the conception of conjugal love for the first time in the Madhvācārya-sampradāya, and this conclusion of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya was revealed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He toured southern India and met the Tattvavādīs, who supposedly belonged to the Madhvācārya-sampradāya.

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana and accepted the kingdom of Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, out of ecstatic feelings of separation, expressed how Kṛṣṇa can be loved in separation. Thus, devotional service in separation is central to this verse. Worship in separation is considered by the Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya to be the topmost level of devotional service.

According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dīna-dayārdra nātha, as did Mādhavendra Purī. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. Because Kṛṣṇa had gone to Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was very much affected, and She expressed Herself thus: “My dear Lord, because of Your separation My mind has become overly agitated. Now tell Me, what can I do? I am very poor and You are very merciful, so kindly have compassion upon Me and let Me know when I shall see You.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always expressing the ecstatic emotions of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī that She exhibited when She saw Uddhava at Vṛndāvana. Similar feelings, experienced by Mādhavendra Purī, are expressed in this verse.

Therefore, Vaiṣṇavas in the Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya say that the ecstatic feelings experienced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu during His appearance came from Śrī Mādhavendra Purī through Īśvara Purī. All the devotees in the line of the Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya accept these principles of devotional service.”

(Srila Prabhupada purport on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.197 | 1975 Edition)

Read More: https://harekrishnasociety.org/?p=31623

Monday, 10 March 2025 [Mayapur, West Bengal, India Time]

Amalaki Ekadashi fasting from grains and beans. Kindly avoid tea, coffee, etc., as well.

Keep the fast and chant more rounds of the Maha Mantra for the pleasure of Krishna.

Wishing you a Happy Ekadashi!

“If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 8.15 | 1973 Edition)

“Things that are very difficult to do become easy to execute if one somehow or other simply remembers Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But if one does not remember Him, even easy things become very difficult. To this Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu I offer my respectful obeisances.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 14.1 | 1974 Edition)

“Prabhu means master. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the supreme master of all masters; therefore He is called Mahāprabhu. Any person who takes shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is most glorified because by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he is able to get promotion to the platform of loving service to the Lord, which is transcendental to salvation.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 7.2 » Purport | 1973 Edition)

Read More: [Back to Godhead Magazine 1971: Lord Caitanya — The Golden Avatara]
(https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MgWTEQhFkC715YJxTqAbx97e1CZLQ6dk5mn82UV2RDg/edit?usp=drivesdk)

The first Gaura Purnima Festival at Mayapur was celebrated on Srila Prabhupada’s order in 1972.

Below are some relevant quotes from Srila Prabhupada about the importance of the Gaura Purnima Festival in Sridham Mayapur.

“I am very anxious to know whether we are going to have our Mayapur function? I want very much to hold this function this year with all of my students, and I ask you to kindly serve me by making this possible. It is a very important day and it will be a great service to Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and to His son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So please arrange for this program.”
(Letter to: Jayapataka — Bombay, 5 January, 1972)

“Regarding Mayapur festival, if we cannot do anything there, then because there is very good prospect in Africa I may remain there and not return to India. I especially wanted to stay in India for this Mayapur celebration.[…] Such festival should be held very grandly.[…] So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Caitanya’s Appearance Day celebrating”
“(Letter to: Jayapataka — Jaipur, 21 January, 1972)

“The best time and place is Mayapur on Lord Caitanya’s Appearance Day. That is not only the best for me but for everyone. Mayapur is meant for that. If possible all devotees from all our centers should go for 8 days at that time.”
(Letter to: Tamala Krsna — Bhaktivedanta Manor, 20 July, 1973)

“The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should go to India during the birthday ceremony of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Māyāpura and perform saṅkīrtana congregationally. This will attract the attention of all the important personalities in India, just as the beauty, bodily luster and saṅkīrtana performance by the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu attracted the attention of Mahārāja Pratāparudra.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Madhya-līlā 11.96 » Purport | 1975 Edition)

Śrīla Prabhupada: “Regarding your question about the picture of Lord Caitanya with six arms: This form was shown to Ramananda Roy, and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. This is called Sadbhuja Murti. This Sadbhuja Murti is worshiped also by the devotees of Lord Caitanya, and especially the Murti is situated in the temple of Jagannatha Puri. Sometimes when you may go to India and visit the temple of Jagannatha, you will find this Murti.”
(Letter to: Madhusudana, July 29, 1968, Montreal)

Śrīla Prabhupada: “Lord Śrī Rāmacandra is so kind and merciful to His devotees that He is very easily satisfied by a little service rendered by anyone, human or not. This is the special advantage of worshiping Lord Rāmacandra, and there is the same advantage in worshiping Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra, in the manner of kṣatriyas, sometimes showed Their mercy by killing asuras, but Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu awarded love of God without difficulty even to the asuras. All the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—but especially Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa and, later, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—delivered many of the living entities present before Them, indeed almost all of them.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore represented in the six-armed form of ṣaḍ-bhūja-mūrti, which is a combination of Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The best purpose of human life can be fulfilled by worshiping the ṣaḍ-bhūja-mūrti, the form of the Lord with six arms—two arms of Rāmacandra, two arms of Kṛṣṇa and two arms of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.8 >> Purport | 1975 Edition)

Śrīla Prabhupada: “Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu dayā kara more. He prays for Lord Caitanya’s mercy because He is the mercy incarnation, having appeared especially to claim the fallen souls. The more fallen one is, the greater one’s claim to the favor of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One must only be very sincere and serious. Despite being contaminated by all the bad qualities of this Kali-yuga, if one surrenders unto the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord will surely and certainly deliver him”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 16.1 » Purport | 1974 Edition)

Śrīla Prabhupada: “Yes, we should always think ourself as the most fallen, the most ignorant, and it is simply by the Mercy of Lord Caitanya that we have even the opportunity to serve Krishna. We have no qualification of our own; it is simply by the merciful glance of this Most Munificent Appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that we have been given the chance to serve Radha and Krishna.”
(Letter to: Malati — Los Angeles, 12 November, 1968)

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Madhya-līlā 19.53 | 1975 Edition)

Śrīla Prabhupāda: “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the mercy incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is addressed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as mahā-vadānyāvatāra, or the most magnanimous incarnation. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also says, karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau: it is only by His mercy that He has descended in this Age of Kali.[…]”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 7.150 » Purport | 1973 Edition)

“May the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Lord Śrī Caitanya bestow His causeless mercy upon us. His smiling glance at once drives away all the bereavements of the world, and His very words enliven the auspicious creepers of devotion by expanding their leaves. Taking shelter of His lotus feet invokes transcendental love of God at once.”
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā 3.63 | 1974 Edition & Dvitīya Śrī Caitanyāṣṭaka 8, from the Stava-mālā of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)

Read More: Back to Godhead Magazine 1944 – Identity of Lord Chaitanya (link