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The Jiva Soul

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Composition by by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur, the nineteenth century pioneer of Krishna consciousness, was born in 1838 in Bengal. He worked tirelessly to preserve the spiritual tradition and literature of India; he composed, edited, and published more than 100 books in Sanskrit, Bengali, and English.

The following poem, Sharagrahi Vaishnava, was composed in 1874.

The Jiva Soul:

Alas for those who spend their days
In festive mirth and joy.
The dazzling, deadly liquid forms
Their hearts fore’er employ.

The shining bottles charm their eyes
And draw their heart’s embrace;
The slaves of wine can never rise
From what we call disgrace.

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Srimad Bhagavatam 10.7.1-2

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श्रीराजोवाच
येन येनावतारेण भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: ।
करोति कर्णरम्याणि मनोज्ञानि च न: प्रभो ॥ १ ॥
यच्छृण्वतोऽपैत्यरतिर्वितृष्णा
सत्त्वं च शुद्ध्यत्यचिरेण पुंस: ।
भक्तिर्हरौ तत्पुरुषे च सख्यं
तदेव हारं वद मन्यसे चेत् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-rājovāca
yena yenāvatāreṇa
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
karoti karṇa-ramyāṇi
mano-jñāni ca naḥ prabho

yac-chṛṇvato ’paity aratir vitṛṣṇā
sattvaṁ ca śuddhyaty acireṇa puṁsaḥ
bhaktir harau tat-puruṣe ca sakhyaṁ
tad eva hāraṁ vada manyase cet

TRANSLATION

King Parīkshit said: My lord, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, all the various activities exhibited by the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are certainly pleasing to the ear and to the mind. Simply by one’s hearing of these activities, the dirty things in one’s mind immediately vanish. Generally we are reluctant to hear about the activities of the Lord, but Krishna’s childhood activities are so attractive that they are automatically pleasing to the mind and ear. Thus one’s attachment for hearing about material things, which is the root cause of material existence, vanishes, and one gradually develops devotional service to the Supreme Lord, attachment for Him, and friendship with devotees who give us the contribution of Krishna consciousness. If you think it fit, kindly speak about those activities of the Lord.

About Sri Radha Rani

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Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj describes the fate of those who understand the glory of Śrī Rādhā by the grace of Śrī Gaurāṅga.

hena rādhā-paricharyā yā̐kara dhana
bhakati-vinoda tā̐ra māgaye charaṇa

Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur says, “I want the foot-dust of those who like to serve Rādhārāṇī; I want to serve those who hold in their hearts the service of Rādhārāṇī. I want to fall at the feet and get the dust of the holy feet of those whose only wealth is the service of Śrī Rādhikā.”

rādha-bhajane yadi mati nāhi bhelā
kṛṣṇa-bhajana tava akāraṇa gelā

“If you cannot give your mind to the service of Rādhārāṇī, then all your attempts towards Kṛṣṇa have gone blank; they are all useless. You must see this. If you cannot acquire earnestness to serve Śrī Rādhikā, then all your labour for Kṛṣṇa has gone to hell.

ātapa-rahita sūraya nāhi jāni
rādhā-virahita mādhava nāhi māni

“As we don’t understand the sun without its heat, its potency, so no conception of Kṛṣṇa is possible without Śrī Rādhikā.

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Mahaprabhu’s Prayers, CC, Antya-lila, 20

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Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita - Adi Lila Krishnadas Kabiraj bengali 1915
vṛkṣa yena kāṭileha kichhu nā bolaya
śukāñā maileha kāre pānī nā māgaya [23]

“A tree does not say anything when it is being cut and does not ask anyone for water when it is drying up.

yei ye māgaye, tāre deya āpana-dhana
gharma-vṛṣṭi sahe, ānera karaye rakṣaṇa [24]

“A tree gives its wealth to whoever asks for it, tolerates heat and rain, and protects others.

uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna
jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-adhiṣṭhāna [25]

“Although exalted, a devotee is prideless and honours all souls, knowing them to be abodes of Kṛṣṇa.

ei-mata hañā yei kṛṣṇa-nāma laya
śrī-kṛṣṇa-charaṇe tā̐ra prema upajaya [26]

“One who chants Kṛṣṇa’s Name in this way develops divine love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet.”

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Positive vision

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Srila Guru Maharaj taught us that whenever we see a bad quality in someone it is a test given to us by Krsna to purify us. Srila Guru Maharaj gave us that vision and we feel that if everyone will see with that type of vision then Krsna will be happy and everyone will be spiritually benefited.

This is so important because we live in an ocean of faults and we can find someone with faults everywhere. Even so many of the spiritual practitioners around us are not perfect. So we will become hopeless if we do not try to see the good qualities in others and in our environment.

A Western scholar, Katherine Mayo, once came to India to learn about Indian philosophy but after arriving she publicly criticised Indian culture. When this happened Mahatma Gandhi said, “She has not come to appreciate the wealth of India, she has come to inspect India’s drains. She is a drain inspector.”

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Test by the Supreme Lord

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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)

Krishna’s Supernatural Birth

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Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami MaharajŚrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj describes Vasudev’s vision in Mathurā.

Devotee: Could you describe the details of Kṛṣṇa’s birth?

Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj: On the whole, it is something like imitation. It is nothing like the things we conceive of with our material senses. Kṛṣṇa, a spiritual body, came and showed Himself being born physically. It was an imitation, a show, like a drama, a play.

Devotee: Did Kṛṣṇa appear as a child with four arms or in His mature Viṣṇu form with a crown and ornaments?

Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj: When He came out, Vasudev and Devakī’s eyes were attracted, and they saw Him with four arms and many ornaments. By His will, the iron gate to their cell opened, and the Yamunā, even during in the rainy season, became shallow. A jackal showed Vasudev the path, and he walked through the water of the Yamunā. When he came back, the gate of the cell closed as it was previously. From the material standpoint, all these supernatural events are inconceivable and impossible. They took place only by the Lord’s will. The Lord did not come here by any particular material process, but He did imitate material processes as far as possible.

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Srimad Bhagavad Gita – quotes

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.नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः ।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥

nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ‘yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam

I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible. ( Gita 7.25)

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (Gita 4.9)

Srimad Bhagavatam 12.6.34 11.11.29

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ati-vādāṁs titikṣeta nāvamanyeta kañcana
na cemaṁ deham āśritya vairaṁ kurvīta kenacit

“One should tolerate all insults and never fail to show proper respect to any person. Avoiding identification with the material body, one should not create enmity with anyone. (Bhāg. 12.6.34)

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kṛpālur akṛta-drohas titikṣuḥ sarva-dehinām
satya-sāro ‘nvadyātma samaḥ sarvopakārakaḥ

“The Lord said: O Uddhava, a saintly person is merciful and never injures others. Even if others are aggressive he is tolerant and forgiving toward all living entities. His strength and meaning in life come from the truth itself, he is free from all envy and jealousy, and his mind is equal in material happiness and distress. Thus, he dedicates his time to work for the welfare of all others.”