Advice of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami

As written in Sriman Mahaprabhu’s Shikshashtakam, “Param vijayate Sri Krishna-sankirtanam: may Sri Krishna-sankirtan be supremely victorious!” is the Gaudiya Math’s only objective.

The recipient of all service, Sri Krishna, is the only enjoyer; everyone other than Him is to be enjoyed by Him.

Everyone, other than the Lord’s servants, is ignorant and self-destructive.

Practising tolerance is a resident of the Math’s foremost duty.

Devotees who follow Sri Rupa do not believe in their own strength, and they ascribe all greatness to its origin.

Chanting Sri Hari-nam and meeting the Lord are one and the same.

Those who follow muddled religious principles cannot serve the Lord.

By establishing printing presses, publishing devotional literature, and organising sankirtan programmes one will truly serve Sri Mayapur.
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Don’t pay any attention to worldly people’s idle talks

Don’t pay any attention to worldly people’s idle talks. If you have a desire to make progress on the path of your duty then no obstacles and dangers will harm you. In your spare time, you should read books like Kalyan Kalpataru, Prarthana, and Prema-bhakti-chandrika. Externally, you may show respect to materialistic people, but do not adopt their behavior; rather reject it within your mind and be firmly fixed on your path.

O savior of the fallen

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur PrabhupadaSri Sri Dayitadas-dasakam
Srila B.R.Sridhar Dev Goswami to Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur

(1)
nite yasmin nisante nayana-jala-bharaihsnata-gatrarbudanam
uccair utkrosatam sri-vrsakapi-sutayadhirayasviya-gosthim
prthvi gadhandhakarair hrta-nayana-manivavrta yena hina
yatrasau tatra sighram krpana-nayana heniyatam kinkaro ‘yam

(2)
yasya sri-pada-padmat pravahati jagatiprema-piyusa-dhara
yasya sri-pada-padma-cyuta-madhu satatambhrtya-bhrngan vibharti
yasya sri-pada-padmam vraja-rasika-janomodate samprasasya
yatrasau tatra sighram krpana-nayana heniyatam kinkaro ‘yam
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To Whom Shall I Convey My Joy?

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur expresses his joy and sorrow at completing his commentary on Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta.

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur completed his commentary on Śrī Chaitanya-charitamṛta less than one year after Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur departed, and to conclude the commentary, he wrote a poem expressing the attachment to Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur he felt in separation. Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj specially requested that this poem be recited on the disappearance day of Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur. While describing the events that took place on that day, he counted: “Prabhupād had his Anubhāṣya on Chaitanya-charitamṛta, and at the conclusion, he composed a poem in a very sweet and very lamenting temperament. I asked to read that poem of his and it was read.”

chāri-śata unatriṁśe    jyaiṣṭhe dina ekatriṁśe
chaitanyābde, māsa—trivikrama
śrī-vraja-patane thāki’    ‘gaurahari’ bali’ ḍāki’
dayita-dāsiyā narādhama [1]
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Who is a materialist?

Amrita Vani
Q&A by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada

Q : Who is a materialist?

A : A materialist is one who accumulates material objects for his own pleasure and who engages them as ingredients of his sense gratification. One who accumulates material objects for the Lord’s service is not a materialist but a devotee. It is not possible to differentiate between a material enjoyer and a devotee on the basis of their respective activities, but it is possible to differentiate by studying the motivation of each. One who eats for personal sense gratification is a materialist; one who eats to maintain the body for Krsna’s service is a devotee. A devotee is neither a material enjoyer nor a dry renunciant but a servant of the Lord. A devotee engages wealth, material objects, and everything in this world in the Lord’s service.

Q. What is karma?

A. Work done for one’s own happiness and the happiness of others is called karma. There is nothing about trying to please Krsna in the performance of karma. The goal of karma is to search after one’s own happiness and the happiness of others, whereas searching for Krsna’s pleasure is called devotional service.
This material world is the field of karma for ordinary people, but for the devotees the material world is a place in which to cultivate devotional service. Whatever is performed in this world with the prideful thought, “I am the doer,” is called karma, whereas whatever is done for the Lord’s pleasure, induced by the Lord, with the idea, “I am Krsna’s servant,” is called devotional service.

Q. How long should we engage in karma?

A. The Bhagavatam (11.20.9) states:tavat karmani kurvita, na nirvidyeta yavatamat-katha-sravanadau va, sraddha yavan na jayateOne should continue to perform the Vedic ritualistic activities until one actually becomes detached from material sense gratification and develops faith for hearing and chanting about Me.
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How can we become determined

How can we become determined?

Hari-katha should be heard from Hari’s devotees.

By constantly hearing the powerful topics about Hari from the lotus mouths of those who always serve the Lord, we will be able to understand the Lord’s energies and glories. By faithfully and attentively hearing hari-katha from a living source or a powerful saintly person, we will become determined. Gradually, as we attain faith, attachment, and love of God, we will achieve perfection.

Then Maya’s prowess cannot defeat us.

Amrita Vani
Q&A by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada

The spiritual master is the servitor God

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur PrabhupadaQ: Is it proper to consider the spiritual master as God or the supreme enjoyer?

A: The spiritual master is not the supreme enjoyer like Krisna. In other words, he is not Gopinatha, the beloved lord of the gopis. The spiritual master is the servitor God. In that sense, he is as good as God, most dear to God, and the Lord’s topmost devotee. The spiritual master is the predominated God; he is not the predominating God like Krsna or the original predominated God, like Sri Radha.
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Test by the Supreme Lord

Letters of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhant Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupad
Test by the Supreme Lord
(Krishnanagar, March 11,1918)

Sri Gaurasundara tests us in various ways by putting us into difficulties and different kinds of association. It is depends on the good fortune of the living entities for them to pass those tests. As the indwelling Supersoul, Sri Gaurahari has revealed the eternal truth in the hearts of the living entities out of His causeless mercy. Those who have taken shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Hari and the spirtual master never trust the illusory words of misguided people. Only unfortunate people become bewildered by hearing deceitful words. One need not worry about that.

Always read Sri Caitanya- caritamrita and hear its unbiased explanation from Vaishnavas who know its actual meaning.

Our only hope is Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet.

(Patramrita)

A nice letter

Srila Bhaktivionda ThakurSaraswati!

People of this world who are proud of their own aristocratic birth attack the pure Vaisnava… Thus they commit offenses. The solution to the problem is to establish the order of daiva-varnāśrama-dharma—something you have started doing: you should know that to be the real service to the Vaisnava. Because pure devotional conclusions are not being preached, all kinds of superstitions and bad concepts are being called devotion by such pseudo sampradāyas as sahajiya and ativādi.

Please always crush these anti-devotional concepts by preaching pure devotional conclusions and by setting an example… Please try very hard to make sure that the service to Sri Māyāpur will become a permanent thing. The real service to Sri Māyāpur can be done by acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and sankirtana-preaching. Please do not neglect to serve Sri Māyāpur or to preach for the sake of your own reclusive bhajana. When I am not present any, more, please take care to serve Sri Māyāpur dhāma which is so dear to you. This is my special instruction to you.

I had a special desire to preach the significance of such books as Srimad-Bhagavatam, Şat-Sandarbha, and Vedānta Darśana. You have to accept that responsibility. Sri Māyāpur will prosper if you establish an educational institution there. Never make any effort to collect knowledge or money for your own enjoyment. Only to serve the Lord will you collect these things.

signed Kedarnātha Datta Bhaktivinoda