The Jiva Soul

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.

Continue reading

09-09-2022 Disappearance of Srila Haridas Thakur

Audio Record

Harikhatha of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

Topics:

– About Glory of Lord Sri Vamanadev;
– About Glory of Srila Haridas Thakur;
– About Glory of Srila Jiva Goswami;
– About Glory of Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur;

09-09-2022

India, Nabadwip Dham, SREE CAITANYA SRIDHAR SEVA ASHRAM.

English / Russian

play_circle_filled
pause_circle_filled
09-09-2022 Disappearance of Srila Haridas Thakur
save_alt
volume_down
volume_up
volume_off

ŚB 8.23.16
मन्त्रतस्तन्त्रतश्छिद्रं देशकालार्हवस्तुत: ।
सर्वं करोति निश्छिद्रमनुसङ्कीर्तनं तव ॥ १६ ॥

mantratas tantrataś chidraṁ
deśa-kālārha-vastutaḥ
sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram
anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava

Synonyms
mantrataḥ — in pronouncing the Vedic mantras improperly; tantrataḥ — in insufficient knowledge for following regulative principles; chidram — discrepancy; deśa — in the matter of country; kāla — and time; arha — and recipient; vastutaḥ — and paraphernalia; sarvam — all these; karoti — makes; niśchidram — without discrepancy; anusaṅkīrtanam — constantly chanting the holy name; tava — of Your Lordship.

Translation
There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship’s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.

About Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur

There was another thing I also heard about him from another source, Ram Gopal Vidyabhusana, an M.A. and Barrister-at-law.

Ram Gopal Vidyabhusana told me, “Once we went to visit him. We had heard that a Government officer, an educated man, had become a Vaisnava Babaji. So we went to see him, and someone amongst us asked him, ‘Please speak something about Krsna and Krsna-nama (the Holy Name of Krsna).’

“After a moment, Bhaktivinoda Thakur then said, ‘Oh, you want to hear something about Krsna, you want? You want Krsna-nama?’

“Then the consequence of that enquiry had such an influence on his body and mind, that as it is written by him personally in his own poem, Sri-Nama-Mahatmya:

Cakse dhara—From my eyes tears flowed; dehe gharmma—my body perspired; murcchita haila mana—I fell into a faint; kari’ eta upadrava—the Holy name created a great turmoil in me; citte varse sudha-drava—causing a rain of nectarine current in my heart; more dare premera sagare— and casting me into the ocean of ecstasy, of Love; kichu na bujhite dila, more ta’ batula kaila—I could not feel the environment around me, and became as though mad; mora citta-vitta saba hare—I lost myself in that though

That gentleman, Ram Gopal Vidyabhusana said, “I saw with my own eyes that all these symptoms were displayed in his body and mind, simply upon hearing our enquiry. Bhaktivinoda Thakur said, ‘You are so fortunate, you have come to hear Krsna-nama from me? Krsna—! Krsna—!’ In this way, he entered into another domain, and so many symptoms and expressions appeared in his body and mind—convulsions, tears, all these things.” I heard this from an eye-witness.

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhara Deva Goswami