Category Archives: Hari Katha

Adhyatmika: miseries coming from one’s own body and mind

( aching bones, rotting teeth, headaches, worry and stress.)

Adhibahutika: miseries coming from other living beings

( mosquitoes, envious people, vicious dogs, etc. )

Adhidaivika: miseries coming from nature / demigods

( earthquake, famine, extreme weather conditions, etc. )

Seeing how these four limiting factors of the material world create suffering for the living entity is an item of knowledge listed in Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12

It takes a little contemplation and discussion to grasp. We usually forget the suffering of birth, and while we are young and healthy, old age, disease, and death seem distant and irrelevant.

Birth, Disease, Old age and Death
Therefore the Vedas ( Bhagavatam ) attempts to awaken us.

• * Consider the suffering the child goes through at birth.
• * The disease is a misery that repeatedly arises throughout life. See how many different kinds of disease and affliction you can think of.
• * Consider also the disturbing symptoms of old age.
• * Lord Kapila describes ( SB 3.30 ) the typical miseries surrounding the death.
• * Old age, severe disease, and death are bad enough in themselves but they also cause pain to loved ones who see the suffering condition.

Hmmmmmmm.. something to think about..

The material nature provides the living entity with much more opportunity to suffer than to enjoy. For example, how many ways can you give pain to your foot compared with how many ways you can give it pleasure?

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The Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa (quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.353) states:

acyutānanda-govinda-nāmoccāraṇa-bhīṣitāḥ
naśyanti sakalā rogāḥ satyaṁ satyaṁ vadāmy aham

I vow this is the truth. By hearing the names Achyuta, Ananda and Govinda one becomes strong and all diseases are cured.

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Srila Bhaktivionda Thakur

Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German and American people will take up banners, mrdangas, and kartalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns.

When will that day come?

Oh for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of

‘jaya sacinandana, jaya sacinandana, kijaya’

and join with the Bengali devotees.

When will that day be?

On such a day they will say, “Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s Love; kindly embrace us”.
that day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaisnava dharma to be the only dharma, and all sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaisnava dharma.

Oh, when will that day come?

Oh, when will that day come, when pure and transcendental Vaisnava prema will be the only religion of all souls and all tiny sectarian religions will meet in the unlimited and universal religion of Vaisnavism as rivers merge into the great ocean?
O when will that day come?

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Glory of Sri Nabadwip Dham – Quotes

“I offer one prayer at the feet of all Vaisnavas.
O Vaisnavas, let my connection with Sri Chaitanya become firm.
By your mercy, allow me to become a resident of Nabadwip-dham.
This is my only request.”

“I am an evil worm in the hole of materialism, devoid of devotion, filled with lust, and insane with anger.
If you are not kind upon me, how can an evil servant of maya like me have any connection with Sri Chaitanya?”

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Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita: Adi-lila, 5.181-197
by Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami

Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita – Adi Lila Krishnadas Kabiraj bengali 1915

naihati-nikate ‘jhamatapura’ name grama
tanha svapne dekha dila nityananda-rama

Near the town of Naihati, in the village of Jhamatapur, Lord Nityananda Rama appeared to me in a dream.

dandavat haiya ami padinu payete
nija-pada-padma prabhu dila mora mathe

I fell at His feet, offering my obeisances, and He then placed His own lotus feet upon my head.

‘utha’, ‘utha’ bali’ more bale bara bara
uthi’ tanra rupa dekhi’ hainu chamatkara

“Arise! Arise!” He told me again and again. Upon rising, I was astonished to see the beauty of His divine form.

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The Shastra says, of all things the human body is the dearest to God; the human body is the giver of the ‘Paramartha’ ‘highest good’ and is very difficult to obtain; and therefore, while this body lasts, without being immersed in any other thing, not being deceived by supposing that any other method except sorrow-stupor-fear-killing ‘Bhakti’ is productive of good, it is our duty unceasingly to practice devotion.

Other form of devotion to God is weak, the devotion denoted by kirtan is strong. Once the protection of the strong ‘Bhakti’ is secured it gives to jivas the highest good with little effort on their part. Therefore, by preaching kirtan at all times to induce, by right of the highest kinship, the whole of the jiva to turn Homeward is true universal love, true help of others, true kindness and the true duty of life.

The Gaudiya Math embracing all without exception the inhabitants of the universe, in sadness calling upon all to turn their face towards God to be preachers of this Bhakti denoted by kirtan, says,—

he sadhavah sakalam eva vihaya durat /
chaitanya-chandra-charane kurutanuragam //
–Chaitanya-candramritam, 90

“Yes, the righteous, bidding good-bye to everything from a distance, offer the devotion of your hearts to the feet of Chaitanyachandra.”