Author Archives: Sachidulal Das

Short shastra’s summary

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Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu’s Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu

Sraddha (1) Faith in the scriptures’ meaning, developed by hearing the scriptures from the sadhus.
Sadhu-sanga (2) Taking shelter at the feet of Sri Guru to learn the practice of bhajan.
Bhajana-kriya (3) Practising hearing, chanting, and other forms of service according to Sri Guru and the sadhus’ instructions.
Anartha-nivrtti (4) Removing sins, misconceptions, sorrows, and so forth, which are opposed to the ultimate goal of life.
Nistha (5) Constant, undeviating service.
Ruchi (6) Insightful desire for the Lord and His service.
Asakti (7) Natural attraction to the Lord and His service.
Bhava (8) That which melts the heart with divine attraction to the Lord and His service; the rays from the sun of prema.
Prema (9) Intense bhava that completely melts the heart and fills one with intense affectionate attachment.

The Sixty-Four Practices of Devotion
(Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s Amrta-pravaha-bhasya on Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta)

(1) Taking shelter at Sri Guru’s feet.
(2) Accepting initiation
(3) Serving Sri Guru

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Who is endowed with prema for his own masters

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vinā bhavet kiṁ hari-dāsa-varya-
padāśrayaṁ bhaktir ataḥ śrayāmi |
yam eva saprema nijeśayoḥ śrī-
govardhano me diśatām abhīṣṭam ||

(Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Govardhanāṣṭakam: 8)

“Does bhakti ever manifest without the shelter of the feet the best of Hari’s servants [i.e., Govardhana], who is endowed with prema for his own masters [i.e., Rādhā and Mādhava]?
[Never.] Therefore, I take shelter in him. May Govardhana fulfill my desire [for prema-sevā to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava].”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaching us

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Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaching us:

bhakta ashirvada prabhu shire kari’ laya
bhakta-ashirvade se krishnete bhakti haya

The Lord accepted the devotees’ blessings on His head, for devotional service to Lord Krishna is attained only by the blessings of devotees.

COMMENTARY

Although the Lord is the only sovereign master of the fourteen worlds, He nevertheless accepted on His head the blessings of His devotees. The devotees’
blessings are so powerful that by their influence even a living entity who is averse to Krishna becomes attached to His lotus feet.

CB Adi-khanda 12.47

Why are we unable to serve Krsna?

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur PrabhupadaIt is impossible to serve Krsna without receiving the mercy of great souls. This is why it is so important to take shelter at the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. The Caitanya-caritamrta states, mahat-krpa vina kona karme ‘bhakti’ naya, krsna-bhakti dure rahu, samsara nahe ksaya: “Unless one is favored by a pure devotee, one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of krsna-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.” (Madhya 22.51)

If one associates with those devotees who continually serve Krsna, then his propensity to serve Krsna will also be awakened. Without the association of Krsna’s devotees, one cannot develop his own desire to engage in the Lord’s service. Service to Hari is not a joke. It is dependent on the association and mercy of devotees. Simply by following in the devotees’ footsteps, one receives the good fortune to engage in the Lord’s service.

 

Amrta Vani of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada

How can we achieve mental strength?

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur PrabhupadaWe are weak and need to become mentally strong. Our mental condition will become stronger if we faithfully hear krsna-katha from living devotees. It is not possible to strengthen our mental state without associating with devotees.

Amrta Vani of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada

Caturmasya’s real importance

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Devotee: Maharaja token austerity for caturmasya, yoghurt fast, spinach fast, milk fast, dhal fast. So I am noticing this month…

Sridhara Maharaja: That is of less importance. The real importance should be given to self-giving. These are so many methods to promote that self-giving, atma-nivedanam. That is the real thing. The real capital and all these, they are devised only to help atma-nivedanam. Samarpanam, Prahlada Maharaja says in his advice. So many advices are given in so many places by so many scriptures. But the very gist of them is samarpanam, give yourself. Only to effect that all these advices have been devised, different ways, suiting to different environment. But the very substance for everything samarpanam. Just as the ghee is poured into the fire so put yourself into the fire Krsna and gradually give yourself into the hands of the sadhu, Mahaprabhu, Gauranga. Only doing some penances this or that, they are less important thing.

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The Embodiment of Tranquility

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Parivrājakāchārya Tridaṇḍi Swāmī Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Goswami Mahārāj

Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj glorifies Śrīmad Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj.

Excerpted and translated from a Bengali article
originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan,
Volume 1, Issue 10, Thursday, 10 May 1956

Amongst the renunciants who received Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s mercy directly, Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj was the last sannyāsī.

Although discussion of a renunciant’s previous history is generally forbidden, in special cases discussing their holy life benefits the world; such discussion is always appropriate for this noble purpose. We also desire to purify ourselves by briefly discussing the most holy life of Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj. We have faith that the readers of Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan will also be greatly benefited by this.

Almost forty-eight years ago, Gauḍīya Āchārya Śrīmad Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj appeared on the second tithi of the waxing fortnight in the month of Vaiśākh (the day before Akṣaya Tṛtīya) in the pious home of the virtuous brāhmaṇ Śrīyukta Padmalochan Śarmā Mahoday in the town of Durmuth within Kā̐thi Mahakumār in the district of Medinīpur. His name, given by his father, was Śrī Sarveśvar Śarmā. His father Śrī Padmalochan Śarmā was indifferent to worldly matters and enthusiastic about discussion of scripture. He would often strongly encourage his son and other family members to engage in meditation on higher truths and thought of the self. Personally he engaged in the Lord’s service at almost every moment. Śrī Sarveśvar’s mother was naturally simple, pious, and dedicated to pure devotion. She later, following her sādhu son, accepted initiation into the line of Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur.

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From Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika

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of Srila Narottam Das Thakur

anyabhilasitasunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanusilanaµm bhaktir uttama

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favourably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11)

anya abhilasa chari, jnana-karma parihari,
kayamane koribo bhajana
sadhu-sange krsna-seba, na pujibo devi deva,
ei bhakti parama karana

Giving up all desires for the path of jnana and karma, I shall engage my mind and body in bhajana. In the association of the Vaisnavas, Krsna’s seva should be performed without the worship of any other deva or devi. This is the cause of parama-bhakti.

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Sri Narottama Prabhor Ashtakam

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Srila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur

sri-krishna-namamrita-varshi-vaktra-
chandra-prabha-dhvasta-tamo-bharaya
gauranga-devanucharaya tasmai
namo namah srila narottamaya [1]

Again and again I offer my obeisance unto Sri Gaurangadev’s servant Srila Narottam Thakur, who dispels all darkness with the lustre of his moon-like face by showering the nectar of Sri Krishna-nam.

sankirtananandaja-manda-hasya
danta-dyuti-dyotita-dinmukhaya
svedasru-dhara-snapitaya tasmai
namo namah srila narottamaya [2]

When he gently smiles with the joy of Nam-sankirtan, the lustre of his teeth illuminates the directions, and he bathes in streams of perspiration and tears. Again and again I offer my obeisance unto Srila Narottam Thakur.

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Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings.

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By distributing Mahaprabhu’s message we are not going out to do anything bad but according to our conception we are trying to do the holiest thing. Our purpose is of the holiest type ever possible to conceive, so we must go forward with this program to do good for others, the best for others, and at the same time to get it for ourselves. There can be no engagement more holy than this in the world. It is the holiest engagement and has the blessings of the Lords Nityananda and Sri Gauranga. It is duty to Them. It is Their department. Preaching is the special department of Sri Guaranga and Nityananda Prabhu. Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings. Our prayer to Them is that, absolving us of all offences, They may utilize us. Here in Koladwip, Nabadwip, at the place of forgiveness of all offences, aparadha-bhanjan-pat, we are praying that They may forgive us for all our previous offences and engage us in Their service to spread Krishna consciousness together with Gauranga consciousness.

DIVINE WORDS of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaja