sábado, 26 de febrero de 2011

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When the Acarya Appears to Disappear



HariKatha

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HariKatha

 
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Subject: [SPAM]: FOR THE FUTURE: A message, Srila BV Narayan Maharaja from 2003

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
FOR THE FUTURE

[A Darsana in Srila Narayana Maharaja’s Quarters]
Badger, California: May 17, 2003


[At a darsana in Badger, in May of 2003, some of the senior devotees came to Srila Narayana Maharaja to express their concern that all may not go well in his sanga after his departure from this world. They had some proposals. Here are some of the exchanges that took place at that darsana:]

[Devotee:] We want to present our conclusions and recommendations.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I am old now, and at any time I may pass. But I am not very anxious. I know Kala (Time Personified). Now you can go and discuss, and make some proposal. But don't make it in a controlling mood. Try to always do everything with love and affection.

One thing more you should know. You should not be anxious if anyone comes and goes. I have heard that at the time of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura thousands came and went. At the time of my Guru Maharaja, so many expert and very learned, intelligent persons came and left. You know Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja – thousands came, and are still going and coming. No one can do anything about this. So we should not try very hard, and we should try to reconcile.

I want that we should make some committees for book distribution and publishing and for social work also, because without social work we cannot have government approval in India or anywhere. In this life we will have to also do social work – like feeding the poor, giving clothing, giving medicine, helping children and making schools. We should make some proposals.

[Devotee:] What you are saying about Kala (the time factor) and the influence of Kala – most of the senior devotees have seen this also.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Not like me.

[Devotee:] You have seen it millions of times more.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I have some realization. You should think that I have hundreds of times more than you; so you should not think your advice is so important.

[Devotee:] Some of the senior devotees are very concerned for the work you have done, on our behalf and for the whole world. We are concerned that it will be preserved, now and in the future, as much as possible. Kala may come and change it all.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I know that you want this, but if you are not developing your own Krsna consciousness, you will never be able to do anything. So try to develop.

[Devotee:] We need this sanga to develop. For so many years we have tried to practice on our own, and now we have found a home where we can have like-minded devotees; so we are concerned.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I know you will try, but at last you will see: "Oh, zero." I know this. This world is controlled by Kala (Time) and kali-yuga. Kali-yuga will not give you permission to do all these good things. You will make a plan, and in a moment the result will be zero.

[Devotee:] Should we try though?

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] You should try. To try is bhakti. But I never want that rules and regulations should govern bhakti. Some persons forcibly tried to give lessons and control other devotees by kicking them out of the mission. I told them that this is against bhakti. When they did not want to follow my advice, I told them it was better for me to resign; and still I will help in all ways. Now I am satisfied.

Try to realize. Do bhajana and don't be engaged too much in these things. I am never involved in this.

You should realize my mood, and if you don't realize it you will have so many troubles. I have served my Gurus a little, and that is why I do some little bhajana. That is why I can reconcile all these things, and I never become unhappy. I have never been unhappy in my entire life.

[Devotee:] So you are saying we can try, but our bhakti should not be disturbed.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Yes, you should do that; and I will be happy.

Editorial Advisors: Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanath dasa
Typist: Janaki dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi
Proof-reader: Krsna-kamini dasi


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sri sri guru gauranga jayatah!

[Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition Banner-logo]

Year-3, Issue 13
Posted: 24 January 2011


Dedicated to
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada

Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


Inspired by and under the guidance of

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja



Taking Care of God

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada


Portrait of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada

We have got some independence, but that independence should not be indulged in such a way as to restrict the Master. We are allowed some specific things for our purpose, whereas He has sway over all. Therefore, we must not think of Him as we do about His created beings. When the Absolute wants something, we are morally bound to offer our services to Him and to attend to His needs. If He thinks that He is the Husband, all should be His wives. The soul should attire her body according to the taste of her Husband; she should apparel herself in such a way as to please her Master.

We are not to think that Godhead should be a predominated agent to serve our purpose. We cannot lord it over Him. We are not allowed to do so. We are incapable of doing so. Being infinitesimally small, we have not the power to have Him as our dependent. We ought not to think that He should be our parent and serve us, as we find our worldly parents doing from the beginning of our lives. We should serve and worship Bala Krsna, child Krsna, as His parents:

“I need not go through the Vedas, I need not read the dharmasastra and Mahabharata for the amelioration of my troubles. Let persons who are too much afraid of worldly troubles read the Vedas and so on. I am not at all afraid of such things. I do not think that the pessimistic trend of my mind should engage me in reading these books. These are lifeless transactions. I want a living thing. I see that Nanda, as father, has got the privilege of nurturing and fostering child Krsna from the very beginning. So it is better for me that I should have Nanda as my preceptor instead of these sastras.”*

_____________________
* C.f. Padyavali (126) or Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila 19.96) – “srutim apare smrtim itare

The child Krsna is found to be crawling in the corridor of Nanda’s house. I am also going to worship Him as His parent servitor. Therefore, the parent servitor should be my preceptor.

I should not ask Him to be my friend, but instead, I should befriend Him. That is, I should render service to Him as a friend. I should also like to be known as His confidential friend, not a reverential friend. Flatterers are used to flattering their masters while posing themselves as friends. I should not be His flattering friend. I should like to be His confidential friend. I won’t hesitate to offer Him any food which I have tasted beforehand just to see whether it is relishable or not.

If I find the food to be nice, then only shall I place it before the Supreme Lord. Our reverential friend would not allow such conduct, which is quite contrary to the ideas of the reverential worshippers of the Lord. Even Sri Ramanujacarya followed the rules of reverential worship. But Sri Krsna Caitanya has told us that we should be His confidential friends instead of posing as friends yet maintaining a reverential mood. The reverential mood puts a sort of screen before us.

Santa-rati is the neutral mood. The Absolute has the right of receiving the different services rendered by His servitors. The Lord says, “I am ever ready to receive service from My servitors in whatever manner it is offered.”

* * *

Ordinary people do not understand what religion is. Most people, excepting the school of devotion, injure the cause of service. Jnanis want to merge in the Personality of Godhead. Buddhists think that they can get rid of all miseries by annihilating themselves. Heno-theists think that they will, in the long run, reach a state where there is no manifestive or designative feature. Devotees call such people non-devotees, atheists, sceptics, and so on.

There are karmins (those engaged in fruitive acts) or karmavirs (heroic karmins) who are capable of doing many things. They declare that they have a definite object for which they work. Without such an objective they would be called frantic or mad people. They are all wage-earners or contractors, and they do their work in order to get something in return. Agnostics on the other hand do not trouble themselves with such things. They want to lose themselves; they want to commit suicide. These people are not devotees. The conception of a devotee is quite different from the ordinary conceptions of men in general. The devotional school is always looking after the interest of the Absolute. They do not class themselves as karma-kandis or jnana-kandis; they do not join these two parties. They are quite different.


Adapted from The Gaudiya, Volume 27, Number 5
by the Rays of The Harmonist team

 


Special On-line Edition: On the appearance day of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja, 30 January, 2011
Special On-line Edition: On the appearance day of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Naraya?a Gosvami Maharaja, 2 February, 2011
Next Issue – Year 4, Issue 1: “Calling God’s Name” 22 February 2011
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When the Acarya Appears to Disappear



[Srila Gurudeva has not left. He is forever with us. But in some way he has appeared to leave. Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.28.47-50, along with the purports of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, guide us at this time of the apparent disappearance of our beloved Srila Gurudeva. Your aspiring servant, Syamarani dasi]

4.28.47

TRANSLATION

Being now alone and a widow in that forest, the daughter of Vidarbha began to lament, incessantly shedding tears, which soaked her breasts, and crying very loudly.

PURPORT
Figuratively the queen is supposed to be the disciple of the king; thus when the (apparently) mortal body of the spiritual master expires, his disciples should cry exactly as the queen cries when the king leaves his body. However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vani (words). Physical presence is called vapuù. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.

4.28.48

TRANSLATION

O best of kings, please get up! Get up! Just see this world surrounded by water and infested with rogues and so-called kings. This world is very much afraid, and it is your duty to protect her.

PURPORT

Whenever an acarya comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion, as enunciated in Bhagavad-gita. Religion means abiding by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious principles begin from the time one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the acarya's duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting and remembering. Unfortunately, when the acarya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svamis, yogis, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. Actually, human life is meant for executing the orders of the Supreme Lord, and this is stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.34):

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me and become My devotee. Offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.

The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord and to bow down before Him. The acarya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. At the present moment practically the entire world is afraid of rogues and nondevotees; therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is started to save the world from irreligious principles. Everyone should cooperate with this movement in order to bring about actual peace and happiness in the world.

4.28.49

TRANSLATION

That most obedient wife thus fell down at the feet of her dead husband and began to cry pitifully in that solitary forest. Thus the tears rolled down from her eyes.

PURPORT

Just as a devoted wife becomes afflicted at the passing away of her husband, when a spiritual master passes away, the disciple becomes similarly bereaved.

4.28.50

TRANSLATION
|
She then prepared a blazing fire with firewood and placed the dead body of her husband upon it. When this was finished, she lamented severely and prepared herself to perish in the fire with her husband.

PURPORT

…Similarly, a devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master's mission. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down upon this earth to reestablish the principles of religion, so His representative, the spiritual master, also comes to reestablish religious principles. It is the duty of the disciples to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. Otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.

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Special On-line Edition for the Appearance Day of
Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja




sri sri guru gauranga jayatah!

[Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition Banner-logo]

Year-3, Special On-line Edition
Posted: 30 January 2011


Dedicated to
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada

Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


Inspired by and under the guidance of

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja



The Speciality of Sriman Mahaprabhu’s

Dance at Ratha-yatra

by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja


Portrait of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja

Excerpts from a lecture delivered by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja
on 17th July 1988 at Sri Uddharana Gaudiya Matha, Chunchura
 

sa jiyat krsna-caitanyah
sri-rathagre nanarta yah
yenasij jagatam citram
jagannatho ’pi vismitah

All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya, who danced in front of the chariot of Sri Jagannatha. Seeing Him dance, not only was the whole universe astonished, but Lord Jagannatha Himself became amazed. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 13.1)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s dance in front of Lord Jagannatha’s chariot was so ecstatic it astonished all who saw it. What was the nature of that dance? This is described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Thirteen.

Our attempt to fathom the essential quality of His dance is based on our experience of worldly dances – Indian dance, Manipuri dance, South Indian dance, Russian ballet and so forth. These dances are astounding to behold. The dancers’ movements are so swift and dexterous that they appear to have no bones! They can manipulate their bodies as they please.

Mahaprabhu’s dance excelled these dances by far, and the mood of His dance astonished the entire world. We imagine His dance to resemble these worldly dances, but the subject of it bears no such similarity. Also, the dancing of females is generally considered more attractive than that of males, but Mahaprabhu is male. What was the amazing feature of His dance?


What Was the Subject of His Dance?

Most people think that Mahaprabhu’s devotees exaggerate and overly praise the extraordinary nature of His dance. Srila Kaviraja Gosvami describes how Mahaprabhu’s dance around Lord Jagannatha’s chariot resembled a single firebrand that is rotated so swiftly it appears to be a circle of fire. Mahaprabhu moved with such speed, that He appeared to be simultaneously present at every point of His circumambulation.

Such a sight is certainly astonishing, but our amazement should not stop there. What bhava was manifesting in Sriman Mahaprabhu at a given moment, and what internal transformations was He undergoing as a result? This was the foundation of His dance. Ordinary conditioned souls have a superficial conception of His moods. Only when we become bhavuka, that is, when we deeply understand these moods, will we be able to understand His internal moods and how they stimulated His dance.

We perceive His dance to resemble people’s joyful dancing at a festival. We may even think it is like the dancing of boys and girls in modern times, the sight of which pollutes the mind and stimulates lusty desires. Sriman Mahaprabhu’s dance at Ratha-yatra is not to be compared to the dancing of persons in this material world, because the subject of His dance is not lust, but transcendental love.


Lust and Love

In this world everything is composed of lust. What is lust?

atmendriya-priti-vancha – tare bali ‘kama’
krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama

The desire to gratify one’s own senses is called kama (lust), but the desire to satisfy the senses of Sri Krsna is known as prema (transcendental love). (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 4.165)

Sastra thus reveals the true conceptions of lust and love. Any endeavour conditioned souls like us make to indulge the senses – the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin – is lust. We think that we will be happy by seeing beautiful objects, smelling fragrant scents, tasting delicious foodstuffs or hearing pleasant sounds, such as a piano, or especially, a lady’s sweet voice. All of our activities aim to satisfy our senses and we consider it good for us. But it is merely lust.

In this world we speak of marital love or brotherly love, but neither is true love because the sole purpose of such ‘love’ is to satiate our own senses. Why does a husband love his wife? Because through her, he can gratify his senses. In the same way, a wife satisfies her senses through her husband. Their mutual act of sense gratification cannot be called love.

Atmendriya-priti-vancha – tare bali ‘kama’. It is all lust. Patriotism is also lust. Why do we love our country? We think, “I was born in this country, and its trees, environment, rivers, mountains and so forth delight my mind and body.” Our love is based on our own pleasure. We love everything that delights our senses and gives pleasure to our mind.

What, then, is love? What is the love between Bhagavan and the gopis or between other devotees and their beloved Lord? “Krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama – the desire to give pleasure to Krsna’s senses is called love.” Acts of sacrifice in brotherly or marital love are not meant for the Lord’s pleasure and are therefore classified as lust. Only acts for the Lord’s pleasure can really be called love.


Faultless Lust

We see that the behaviour of Krsna and the gopis resembles the behaviour of men and women in this world. Krsna became happy by enjoying the gopis through His senses, and the gopis’ senses were also gratified, so how is it love? Atmendriya-priti-vancha tare bali ‘kama’. Why isn’t it called lust?

The gopis are never motivated by a desire to enjoy their own senses; their only desire is to give pleasure to Krsna’s senses. Now, you may argue that since Krsna enjoyed with them, isn’t it lust? But the fact is that Krsna is such an Entity that His lust is love. Our lust certainly is not.

Krsna’s lust is faultless. The type of auspiciousness He can bestow upon one whose service He has enjoyed is incomparable. We cannot bestow that kind of favour upon anyone we enjoy. What kind of auspiciousness can a husband bestow upon his wife by enjoying her? But what can Krsna not do for one whose slightest service He has accepted? Putana, for example, applied poison to her breast and went out to kill Him. She shrewdly displayed maternal affection, saying, “O Baba, O my darling boy, come, have some breast milk.” Although her ‘affection’ was full of duplicity, Krsna reciprocated and gave her the position of a mother in Vaikuntha.

Is this possible for us? Any of us? We can’t liberate even ourselves from this material world, what to speak of liberating someone else from it and granting them the happiness of service in Vaikuntha. If Krsna can liberate a deceitful person like Putana from this material world and instate her as “mother” in Vaikuntha, what will He not give to His dearest beloveds? They truly serve Him with senses that give Him more pleasure than the pleasure He receives from being fed breast milk. What will they not achieve?


Unmotivated Service Yields the Highest Reward

It is for this reason that Krsna said to the gopis, “I will never be able to repay My debt to you.” The gopis’ desire to please Krsna was unconditional. They did not want repayment; furthermore, He was unable to give any. In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (4.11) He promised, “ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajamy aham – O Partha! In whichever way a person renders service to Me, I in turn serve him in that very same way.”

Krsna says, “I always repay those who serve Me; I never live in debt.” But to the gopis He said, “na paraye ’ham niravadya – I’ll never be able to repay you. I’ll always remain indebted to you.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.32.22). Why did Krsna say this? “Since you always desire My happiness without a trace of desire for your own, what could I possibly give you that would make you happy?”

The gopis replied, “Our pleasure will come from Your happiness.”

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya-lila 20.52) quotes Srimati Radhika: “Na gani apana-duhkha, sabe vanchi tanra sukha, tanra sukha – amara tatparya – I do not consider My personal distress; I only desire to make Krsna joyful. Indeed, giving Him delight is the very purpose of My life.” The gopis know nothing other than desiring Krsna’s happiness. This is the purpose of their every action. They even dress with Krsna’s pleasure in mind.

We feel pleased when we dress and decorate ourselves nicely. The gopis also like to look attractive. They don necklaces and other beautiful ornaments, decorate their hair and apply makeup. It may seem that their happiness is derived from beautifying themselves, but this is not the case. The gopis know that upon seeing them, Krsna will feel happy at heart, and for that reason alone they adorn themselves. They don’t aspire for their own pleasure. The little they eat is simply to maintain their charm for Krsna’s pleasure. Their entire range of activities is solely to give pleasure to Sri Krsna. This full dedication to His pleasure is the nature of His devotees.

Externally there may be similarities between the activities of a devotee and those of a non-devotee, but internally they are at opposite poles. Devotees do not desire their own sense gratification; everything they do is for Krsna’s happiness. That is why sastra states that harming a devotee warrants an unlimitedly greater reaction than harming any other living being.


The Pastime that Astonished the Universe

No one has ever relished Ratha-yatra like Sriman Mahaprabhu did. No one else can. His dancing before the chariot astonished not only the entire universe, but Lord Jagannatha Himself. Not only humans, but the moveable and immoveable living beings throughout the universe – the trees, plants, animals, birds and insects – were all astonished. Jagat means that the entire universe was included. How could this be?

We consider these descriptions to be exaggerated or that someone has simply made them up. But the writers of these narrations are not the type of people to deceive us for their own profit, adoration or fame. They are seers of the Truth and they reveal the Truth for our welfare. The writer of this pastime became astonished to behold Mahaprabhu’s incredible dance, and for this reason he explains it with much joy. He directly perceived the universe becoming astonished.

How could all beings understand the greatness of His dance? Why isn’t it said that only those who directly witnessed His dance became astonished? Rather it says “yenasij jagatam citram – the entire universe was astonished.” What is the meaning of jagad here? The soul exists inside every living entity, whether the body encasing it is human or insect. The quality of the soul is the same in all bodies; no soul is greater or lesser than another. The bodies and minds of the various living entities may differ in quality – the human body and mind are certainly superior to the bodies and minds of other living beings – but there is no difference in the quality of their souls. All are the same.

Mahaprabhu demonstrated this when He journeyed through the Jharikhanda jungle. At that time wild creatures, such as elephants, tigers, birds and boars, shed tears of love, and trees and creepers oozed honey out of love. The enmity between the animals dissipated because they were chanting the holy name, and all danced and embraced each other. Prema overwhelms Sriman Mahaprabhu, the personification of prema, and so naturally, it overwhelms all living entities.

Mahaprabhu melted even stones with His love. He went to Alalanatha and displayed such love that the stone melted. He leaned on the wall of the Jagannatha temple in Puri with His hand, and the wall melted. Impressions of His fingers still remain. It is no exaggeration, no fabrication. We cannot melt stone, but does that mean the Lord cannot? He is the master of unlimited universes. His pastimes are astonishing, and He mercifully performs such pastimes to attract us to Him. Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.7.10) states, “ittham-bhuta-guno harih – Sri Hari possesses all transcendental qualities and can attract all beings, including liberated souls.”

We are absorbed in various objects and entities, but do their qualities have this potency? Mahaprabhu Himself revealed His qualities to attract and then benefit us. His appearance alone benefited all the living beings of His time. And the magnanimous conception He instigated – as revealed in the verse anarpita-carim cirat has continued to this day. We are also trying to imbibe this conception.

What if He had not appeared? We should try to realise the greatness of His compassion. Previously, our wife, children, family, house and so forth were our all in all. What kind of happiness do such attachments bring? Although we constantly bear witness to the misery of the world, we consider it the best possible place for us, being bewildered by powerful illusion. We believe in Bhagavan and chant His names, but we hanker to receive material benedictions from Him.

Ideally, we should deem this world and the objects of enjoyment in it to be most insignificant, yet we cannot relinquish our search for happiness here. We find ourselves becoming increasingly allured by this world instead of becoming attracted to the Lord’s qualities and glories. Such is our misfortune. Yet in His time, Mahaprabhu, the prema-surya, or brilliant sun of pure love, mercifully attracted all the inhabitants of the universe and satiated them with His rays. Deer walked in the jungle uttering the holy name “Krsna, Krsna”. The tiger, wild boar, elephant, snake, peacock, bird – everyone uttered this name. Honey flowed from the trees and creepers due to love, exactly as it flowed from the trees and plants during Sri Krsna’s pastimes in Vraja. Sriman Mahaprabhu is Himself that same tattva, Krsna, and therefore, with the manifestation of that very same prema, identical circumstances occurred.


What is the Real Glory of His Dance?

Essentially, we think that it was the fascinating, external aspect of Sriman Mahaprabhu’s dance that captivated the entire world. But what was the spirit, or life, of that dance? This is what attracted the whole world. As Mahaprabhu danced, what mood absorbed and overwhelmed Him?

Are the artistic movements of a cinema artist or professional dancer inferior to Mahaprabhu’s dance? Russian dance and other dances can amaze us. How attractive these dances are, lifting their legs so high and spinning around! They dance as if their bodies have no bones, and so we compare their dance to Mahaprabhu’s. Has Mahaprabhu showed a greater skill than this? We cannot imagine anything more wonderful. “Oh! Mahaprabhu’s dance is like these dances.” Like what? He is spinning so fast, like a firebrand tied to a swiftly rotating rope, thus appearing to be a single circle of fire. We can understand that this is certainly an incredible feature of His dance.

Now, is Sriman Mahaprabhu’s ability to dance like this a small matter? How can someone spin as fast as a quickly turning wheel where the individual spokes are not discernible? This is our conception of the glory of His dance. What, however, is its real glory that attracted the entire universe?

The soul within all living entities is qualitatively equal. Mahaprabhu’s merciful potency is such that it cleanses the dust from the hearts of all souls, regardless of their body, or external covering. In this way, the function of the soul in the tiger, bear and all others in the Jharikhanda forest was awakened. Trees oozed honey. All became astounded and danced in prema, forgetting all enmity. The entire universe became overwhelmed by the love of Mahaprabhu.

In the same way Mahaprabhu’s flood of love came to Puri Ratha-yatra and as a result, each soul attained his constitutional perfection. Not only the universe became overwhelmed by His prema, but Lord Jagannatha, the supreme, complete Soul, was also overwhelmed by it as He sat on His chariot. We are partial, atomic spirit, and therefore it is not surprising that the glorious pastimes of the Absolute Spirit astound us. But Lord Jagannatha Himself is that Supreme Spirit! How can He be amazed? Maybe that is also an exaggeration. But it is not.

In tattva, both Mahaprabhu and Jagannatha are the same Absolute Truth. Here, it is appropriate to refer to Krsna as Jagannatha because Jagannatha is Dvarakadhisa, the King of Dvaraka city. He who manifests His aisvarya-prema (love in a mood of awe and reverence) to Rukmini, Satyabhama and His other queens is Jagannatha. The Krsna of Vraja never leaves Vraja. He doesn’t even go to Puri or Mayapura. If anyone goes to those places it is Mahaprabhu, who is “radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam – that same Krsna replete with the loving moods of Srimati Radharani” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.5).

Therefore, when Jagannatha-deva saw Krsna as Mahaprabhu in this dancing pastime, He was astonished and overwhelmed with krsna-prema. This account of Mahaprabhu’s dance is unquestionably an accurate description of what took place and is devoid of a drop of exaggeration.


We Can Never Dance Like Him

We wonder how Jagannatha sitting on His chariot can be bewildered, and think that we also can charm Him in this way. We then dance and circumambulate the chariot of Lord Jagannatha, thus imitating Mahaprabhu. Will we ever be qualified to even come close to the mood of Mahaprabhu in any lifetime?

Gauracandra is radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam – Krsnacandra adorned with the bodily lustre of Srimati Radharani and overwhelmed by Her mood. Only He can amaze Jagannatha like this. We are unable to even approach the path leading to Mahaprabhu’s mood. Even if we pass through anartha-nivrtti, in which we become free from desires that hinder our progress in bhakti, and attain liberation or even bhava, we will always remain a partial atomic spirit. We will never be equal to the whole. We may attain the pinnacle of perfection possible for an atomic soul, but we will never be able to dance like Him.


The Sweetness of the Dance of the all Glorious Lord

How unique was the mercy of Mahaprabhu! He blessed the entire world by bestowing nama-sankirtana, the greatest gift from Goloka. He demonstrated the highest service to Krsna imbued to the fullest extent with Srimati Radharani’s absorption in deep feelings of separation from Him. Mahaprabhu’s dance at Ratha-yatra was in this mood. Do we actually even care to know about the bhava He was experiencing? Even if we were to personally witness Mahaprabhu’s dance, we would not understand the first thing about it without receiving His blessings. We would simply observe its external features and wonder, “Oh, what special dance is this?”

Those who are rasika, whom Mahaprabhu has blessed with certain conceptions and emotions, can relish the sweetness of this dancing pastime and of Jagannatha-deva relishing it. Just see how this one sloka describes the pastime in full. How wonderful! How scholarly!

Sa jiyat means, “All glories to Him, all glories to Him!” Simply chanting this, however, does not mean that we can actually glorify Him. But what else shall we say to Him? When we become endowed with a service attitude toward Him, what else can we desire but to sing His glories? We may or may not be successful in spreading them, but at least we desire to. We always desire the victory and welfare of the one we love. Mahaprabhu is always glorious and should be glorified. Our propensity to glorify Him should increase.

Jagannatho ’pi vismitah – Lord Jagannatha Himself became astonished.” The chariot stopped moving. It was stuck and Lord Jagannatha watched the dance in amazement. Where else will He find a Krsna such as this, who is overwhelmed by the mood of Srimati Radharani? Just see the condition of this Krsna!

jaya jaya sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
jaya srota-gana, suna, kari’ eka mana
ratha-yatraya nrtya prabhura parama mohana

All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda! All glories to Advaita-candra! And all glories to the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to the listeners of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta! Please now give your one-pointed attention to hearing the narration of the Ratha-yatra festival in which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced enchantingly. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 13.2–3)


We Alone Remain Unmoved by His Dance

It is the proclivity of the body and mind to be attracted to worldly dances because we are still in the bodily conception of life. We wonder what is so unique about Mahaprabhu’s dance because the constitutional function of our soul has not been awakened.

atmaramas ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhuta-guno harih

All variety of those who are atmarama, who take pleasure in their atma, as well as munis, who are absorbed in contemplating the self, are free from anger, false ego and other anarthas. Still they render selfless, unmotivated loving service, or bhakti, to Sri Hari who performs awesome activities. He possesses such wonderful qualities that He can attract everyone, even those who are already liberated. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.10)

Such are the qualities of Sri Hari. Even those who fully identify with their atma, not with their bodies and minds, become attracted by the qualities of Sri Hari. Nirgrantha refers to those who have no need or attraction for worldly objects. They are not bound in attachment to their mind and body, or to what is related to their body, such as their father, mother, children, wife, brother, sister, house, property and so forth. Even those who have attained the last limit of liberation are always eager to serve Krsna, just as we are extremely eager to serve our wives and children. Although we should unconditionally endeavour for His happiness and pleasure, our performance of bhakti is filled with prayers like, “O Lord, please grant me health”, “Keep my son well” or “Award me with wealth”.

In how many ways do we try to serve our family members! This needs no explanation. We think ourselves highly blessed to be able to serve them, to supply our wife with cloth, jewellery or any of her favorite items. But the soul has no connection with persons and objects of this world. Sages, therefore, are not inclined to develop such relationships.

Kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim means “they love”. Bhakti means “to love purely”, and it is a higher stage than liberation. The sages are established in the eternal occupation of the soul, and therefore their abhimana, or identification, is with their atma. Even personalities on this platform love Sri Hari.

The sages’ love comes from the natural propensity of the soul. For those who are conditioned, love is expressed through the body and mind. A magnet’s intrinsic quality is to attract iron; and iron’s inherent quality is to be attracted to a magnet. If another element comes between them, their natural mutual attraction does not manifest until the obstruction is removed.

Similarly, the soul is naturally attracted and related to the Supersoul. The covering of material energy over the soul is the foreign element that blocks the soul’s innate attraction. By eliminating this obstruction, the atomic conscious soul will become fully attracted to the complete conscious Supersoul. That is why this verse emphasises such personalities who, although self-satisfied, are attracted to that Supreme Soul through the natural serving propensity of their atma.

Why do such self-satisfied persons perform bhakti without any material cause? Why does the magnet attract and the iron become attracted? It is their propensity, their nature. In the same way, the constitutional occupation of each and every soul is to engage in bhakti to Bhagavan. Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) states “sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje – to love, to perform uninterrupted and causeless bhakti to Sri Hari, is the natural tendency of us all.” Such is the relationship between the soul and the Supersoul.

The four Kumaras (Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara) were liberated souls who also became devotees after smelling the fragrance of the tulasi leaves offered at the lotus feet of the Lord. Although they were liberated, they were not yet acting according to the natural propensity of the soul. Sri Hari’s unique quality is that He can attract such persons and make them His devotees.

Sri Hari can attract all, but He is unable to attract us, despite His substantial endeavour to do so. This is our incalculable misfortune. The dance of Mahaprabhu charmed the whole universe, but we remain unmoved. We reason, “It would be senseless to leave our present situation. He will never successfully attract us, no matter what trickery He employs. We are fine just as we are.”


Transcribed and Edited by the Rays of the Harmonist team
Originally Published in Rays of The Harmonist Number 16, Karttika 2006


Special On-line Edition: On the appearance day of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, 2 February, 2011
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Special On-line Edition for the Appearance Day of
Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja




sri sri guru gauranga jayatah!

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Year-3, Special On-line Edition
Posted: 2 February 2011


Dedicated to
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada

Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


Inspired by and under the guidance of

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja



~ Forever Indebted ~

by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja


Portrait of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

(A class on the commentaries of Rasa-pancadhyaya originally spoken in English,
July 8–9, 1993, at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha)
 

When Krsna left the rasa dance the gopis sang Gopi-gita, their song of separation from Him. When He reunited with them, He accepted their worship and consoled them by explaining why He had disappeared. That explanation culminates in this verse:

na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam
sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah
ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah
samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna

Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.32.22)

na – not; paraye – able to; aham – I; niravadya – sacred; samyujam – meeting; sva-sadhu-krtya – own saintly activity (sadhu-krtya also means “compensation”); vibudha – demigod; ayusa – lifetime; api – even; vah – to you; yah – who; ma – Me; abhajan – adoring service; durjara – difficult to overcome; geha – house; srnkhalah – shackles; samvrscya – totally broken; tat – that; vah – of you; pratiyatu – to be returned; sadhuna – by the excellence.

My darling gopis, your meeting Me is innocent and immaculate in every respect because it is devoid of even a single iota of desire for your own happiness. It is overflowing with supremely pure love. Although the bonds of affection for the members of one’s own home are impossible to overcome, you have completely demolished them. Thus, for loving service to Me, you have transgressed the moral laws of this world. Even if I lived as long as the gods I would be unable to requite even one drop of your love, sacrifice and service. All of you may free Me from debt simply by your own gentle nature, but I am forever the debtor of your prema, and will always continue to be.

“O My dear gopis,” said Sri Krsna, “My beloved sakhis, our love-laden meeting is niravadya; it is so pure, so sacred, just like gold melted in fire. Is there any flaw in it?

“In this world,” He continued, “husbands and wives inevitably have self-interest in meeting one another. In fact, this is the case when any two people meet. Even the gurus and disciples of this world, if they are not highly advanced, have some self-interest in meeting each other. The only person who may be selfless is he who has crossed beyond external nature (maya). And yet you and I have bodies, we have eyes, we have minds.*”

_____________________
* Sri Krsna puts forth their apparent physical existence as contradictory evidence that they have crossed beyond the external nature.


The Gopis Do Not Want Anything From Krsna

Everyone especially craves one thing. They crave prestige. Even if someone declares that he is in fact selfless or holy, he surely still hankers for this. We find that even brothers and sisters want something from each other: affection. But Krsna has explained that the gopis do not even want this from Him. They want nothing but to serve Him. Their mood is expressed in the final verse of Sri Siksastaka:

aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah

Sri Siksastaka (8)

Let that debauchee (Krsna) tightly embrace this maidservant, who is devoted to serving Him, and thus delight Me; or let Him trample Me under His feet, or break My heart by not giving Me His darsana. He may do whatever He desires. Even if He sports with His other beloveds directly in front of Me He is still the Lord of My life. In My heart there is none other than Him.

Krsna extolled the gopis for their selflessness, but He did not claim to be selfless like them. Bhagavan Sri Krsna is the supreme enjoyer. As such, His wishes may be self-centred or in the mood of a charming lover who wants to enjoy (ramana), and by the words “ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham – As they become devoted to Me, surely, I become similarly devoted to them” (Srimad-Bhagavad-gita 4.11), He has revealed that He indeed wants something from His devotees.* Yet the gopis do not want anything from Him.

_____________________
* This verse indicates that Sri Krsna wants His devotees to surrender to Him.


You Have Broken Unbreakable Bonds

He continued, “Our mutual meeting is sacred and infinitely pure. There is not even a trace of any flaw in it.”

ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah

The shackles that bind one to his home, geha-srnkhalah, are durjara, impossible to break free from. And yet, going against all the moral laws of this world, you have broken them and sacrificed everything for Me.

Each of us, as sannyasis, has left our wife and children, but if our wife were to come before us, we would at once recall, “She is my wife.” The gopis on the other hand, had so utterly renounced their homes that such ideas never came to them.

Krsna told the gopis, “I have nothing to give you in return for serving Me like this. What to speak of My own lifetime, even if I lived hundreds of thousands of times longer than the gods, I would be unable to return a single drop of such service. Only you, by your graciousness and liberal character, can set Me free from that debt.


Your Saintly Activity

What the gopis have done, Krsna explained, is sadhu-krtya (saintly activity). Although it is entirely irreligious for a lady to meet with any man other than her husband, Krsna has lauded the gopis with the words sadhu-krtya for doing just this by meeting with Him. Why? Because Sri Krsna is parama-pati, the supreme husband or master of all.

Srila Jiva Gosvami explains in his commentary on this verse that Krsna told the gopis that what they have done is asadharana sadhu-krtya. The word asadharana (exceptional or unique) indicates that the saintly activities of the gopis are not possible for any one else. Srila Jiva Gosvami answers the question, “What have the gopis done that is so exceptional?” by explaining that their actions were niravadya, or sacred and pure. We should understand the implications of the word niravadya in the following way:

One with external vision may perceive fault and irreligion in the gopis tryst with Krsna, but Krsna says that the prema of both He and the gopis is so saintly (sadhu), so immaculate (nirmala) and so pure. He goes on to say, “Neither you nor I have any selfish desire (kama). I only wanted to please you and you wanted to please Me. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you are My divine energy known as hladini-sakti (the transcendental pleasure potency). Our meeting is niravadya, sacred and pure.

“Although our meeting is utterly devoid of selfish lust, it appears to be the same as lust. Therefore, the people of this world will perceive self-interest in your actions as well as Mine, and they will conclude that it is the only motivation for our tryst.”

The people of this world cannot imagine that a tryst, or any action, can be free from self-interest, but liberated souls indeed act selflessly, and their sincere followers, who can at least comprehend such actions, also endeavour for selflessness.

This gopi-prema is the dharma of the gopis. In other words, it stems from their inherent nature (svabhava). Just as fire naturally burns, the gopis love Krsna. They cannot but love Him.


I Do Not Deserve Your Love

Krsna told the gopis, “You are respectable wives; the newly married wives of respectable gopas. You are from an exalted dynasty, and yet you have abandoned your social status. You have broken the unbreakable iron shackles that bound you to your homes and have easily crossed completely beyond the vast ocean of shame, or the ocean of the disapproving words of your worshipful elders. You have abandoned everything, including all the moral laws of society and, keeping nothing for yourselves, you have offered your intense and affectionate love (anuraga) entirely to Me.”

“Why have you done this?” Krsna asked the gopis, “I do not deserve your anuraga. Had my anuraga been as exalted as Yours, perhaps I would have deserved your love, but, in truth, by virtue of your superior love, I am so much lower than you. And yet, out of your great generosity and graciousness, your sadhu-krtyam, you have offered your anuraga to Me. Even after innumerable lifetimes, I cannot requite My debt to you. If I ask you, as you have suggested, what I can give you in return, you will simply ask to serve Me, and again I will be indebted to you.

“I have abandoned all hope that My debt may ever be absolved. But, if you desire, you can release Me from your debt by your own sweet will. I have not offered Myself to you, like you have offered yourselves to Me, and therefore I have broken my promise: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham – as they become devoted to Me, surely, I become similarly devoted to them” (Srimad Bhagavad-gita 4.11).


One-pointed Love

Srila Jiva Gosvami next explains that Krsna told the gopis, “While your love is dedicated to Me alone, Mine is divided among many. I have so many loving devotees, but you have only one love – Me. Therefore, I can never serve you as you have served Me.

“I am also shackled to My home by the affection of My father and mother, but unlike you I have not broken these bonds nor have I broken the chains of proper conduct, religion or shame. I have not even abandoned My shyness in stealing away to meet with you while hiding from everyone’s sight. I have not given up My self-interest at all, nor My shame, nor My mother and father, nor anything.”


We Cannot Repay Svami

What is Srila Jiva Gosvami’s mood? “Srila Sridhara Svami has given us the sutra* containing this conception and has thus conferred upon us the immense treasure of gopi-prema.” He considers that, “Now I am indebted to ‘Svami’ (Srila Sridhara Svami) in the same way that Krsna is indebted to the gopis, and I cannot requite my debt to him. He should simply be satisfied by his own saintly acts. I offer my pranama to Srila Sridhara Svami’s lotus feet.”

_____________________
* A sutra, which literally means “thread”, is a concise sentence or aphorism that runs through and holds together a particular concept or that enfolds a complex conception into a single short passage.


Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

It should be mentioned that when Sri Krsna reflected upon the selfless love of the gopis He thought, “I want to experience all of this Myself and truly realize it.” Later, in His pastimes as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He fulfilled this desire.


You Have Left Everything But I Have Left Nothing

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s commentary on this verse, Sri Krsna said to the gopis, “O My dear priya, one thing I want to tell is that I always remember you within My heart.” For the purpose of stating this special truth, Krsna has spoken the words, “na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam – Your meeting with Me is niravadyam; it is sacred. In it there is no lust, no fruitive work, no religiosity, no consideration of the dictates of revealed scripture regarding right and wrong, and no consideration of what people in general claim to be right and wrong. Nothing.”

The prema of the gopis is causeless and completely innocent. They have left everything, so their actions are irreproachable. Krsna continued, “Your saintly actions (sadhu-krtya) for My sake are impossible for any other man or woman. You alone could have done this. Even if I were to endeavour throughout My life to return your service I would be unable to, because you have utterly destroyed geha-srnkhalah, the very strong shackles of your homes, and have come to Me. What to speak of your other relationships, you have severed the bonds of intense possessiveness for your husbands, fathers, fathers-in-law, brothers and all those to whom you were affectionately bound.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura continues his explanation of Krsna’s words: “Yet I have not left anything or anyone. I have lovingly come to you without abandoning my connection to my father, mother, broth-ers and all My other relatives, but, to come to Me, you have cut off all affection and love for everyone but Me. I have failed to keep my promise: “ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham – as they become devoted to Me, surely, I similarly become devoted to them” (Srimad Bhagavad-gita 4.11) because I cannot return the devotion you have given Me, so what good are my words or promises? In fact, there is nothing I can give you in return for your service.”


The Requital

You should understand that, in truth, Krsna cannot return the gopis’ service. Still, on behalf of the gopis, I think the gopis considered that Krsna had requited His debt to them by admitting this. Although He remained forever indebted to them, they thought, “By speaking these words, not only has He been relieved of His debt, but we have now become indebted to Him.” It was for these words alone that they kept their lives after Krsna left Vrndavana to go to Mathura and Dvaraka.


Krsna’s Unmatched Love

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has expressed the essence of all this:

“I know that all of you are very gracious. If you consider Me to be in your debt, then I must be. Only if you consider Me to be relieved of My debt will I be relieved of it. But even then, in truth, I am always indebted to you.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that upon hearing this, each of the gopis began to reflect within her heart, “Krsna is Himself the Personality of Godhead. His nature is overflowing with all auspicious qualities and He is utterly devoid of any fault. Because He is factually the knower of rasa, He truly appreciates and honours rasa. This is His highest eminence. Yet He tries to intimate to us that He is quite the opposite of great by telling us that He is lowly and that we are exalted. He admits His faults and says, ‘I have failed to keep My promise. I am now indebted to you.’ Krsna is so glorious for speaking these words of confession.

“We thought that He had left us, but now we see that He had not. We wanted to defeat Krsna, and certainly, now that He has confessed His faults, it seems we have won, but in truth Krsna has defeated us. We are glorious, but Krsna is even more glorious. We are unable to confess any of this, but He has confessed everything. Therefore, we have been defeated by Krsna’s unmatched love.”

Becoming very jovial, Krsna brought all the gopis together and re-initiated the rasa dance.


We Can Pray to Srimati Radhika

In the matters of prema, the gopis are glorious and Krsna is even more glorious. However, Srimati Radhika and some other special gopis are still more glorious than Krsna.

All glories to the prema of the gopis!

We can pray to Krsna; we can pray to all of the gopis; and especially, we can pray to Srimati Radhika that, somehow, a very small drop of greed to realize all of this may come in our hearts and we may gradually progress.

This is the effect of reading, and explaining, and hearing these topics.


Transcribed and Edited by the Rays of the Harmonist team
Originally Published in Rays of The Harmonist Number 18, Karttika 2008

 


Next Issue – Year 4, Issue 1: “Calling God’s Name”, 22 February 2011
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles
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Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 3, Special On-line Edition by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.

You may redistribute this article if you include this license and attribute it to Rays of The Harmonist. Please ask for permission before using the Rays of The Harmonist banner-logo.


Srila Gurudeva’s Last Hari-katha

Read OnLine

Srila Gurud eva’s last hari-katha in Mathura,
before leaving for Delhi for Radhastami, and entering
his pastimes of sickness

Translated by Swami BV Damodara

Kamsa gave a seat to Akrura and said, “there is no-one else who can help me apart from you, please help me!” Akrura asked “What help can I do for you?” Kamsa caught his hand and said “Anyhow, by any means, by trick or otherwise, bring Krishna and Balarama here to the wrestling arena I have built here near Rangeshwara Mahadeva. There will be demonstrations of wrestling ability by so many strong heroes, as well as other events.
Thus you should go from here to Vraja, and somehow bring Nanda Maharaja, along with Krishna and Balarama here to Mathura.

Akrura thought, ( today he spoke very sweetly even though he is very cruel), “anyway whatever happens at least I will get the darshana of Sri Krishna and Balarama. How fortunate is this earth planet because para-brahma Sri Krishna runs behind the cows without any shoes! Kamsa doesn’t understand that he has grabbed a poisonous snake and has wrapped it around his neck like a garland. He doesn’t know when it will bite him!” Thinking like this Akrura went to Vraja and Nanda Baba welcomed him with great respect.

That night Akrura took Krishna and Balarama to a secluded spot and told them, “listen to me! Nanda and Yasoda are not your real parents! Devaki and Vasudeva are your birth parents. The night you were born Vasudeva took you across the Yamuna and exchanged you for the daughter of Yasoda, but you are actually are the son of Devaki! He has chained them both by the hands and feet in the prison house, where they are suffering greatly. Sometimes he kicks them with his feet and shouts, ‘where is your son, tell me now!’ They are suffering greatly, they can not tolerate it and soon they will die. Whatever you think best you should do! Do you want your parents to die? Is that what you want? Even if you don’t think they are your parents, at least they are your devotees and it is your duty to save them!
Sri Balarama looked towards Krishna and indicated to him, “we shouldn’t disclose our real identities to him, keep this confidential! I know that Nanda is our mother and father. I know that Rohini gave birth to me, but it is Nanda and Yasoda who maintained and protected me, just like the eye-lids protect the eyes! Krishna replied, “Oh brother, lets go with Akrura, and our friends to Mathura! We will finish Kamsa, and tomorrow or the day after we will return!”

The words of Bhagavan are the absolute truth, they can never be false. Whatever Lord Ram or Krishna spoke they must do!

Krishna went to Mathura and there he killed Kamsa, as well as the demonic wrestlers. He established Ugrasena as the King of Mathura, but even after performing these activities they still hadn’t met with Nanda Baba who was waiting along with the cowherd men and boys on the bank of the Yamuna with their bullock carts, which were tied to a tree there. And the cowherd men and boys were anxiously awaiting the return of Krishna and Balarama for two whole days and nights, constantly thinking in great anxiety “when will they come? Why haven’t they come?

It has been written in the Puranas, “vrindavanam parityaja, padam ekam na gacchati”. Krishna says that I never takes one foot outside of Vraja. Then how did he leave Vraja and go to Mathura? Why did he go? Here is a point worth considering, and that is that someone never leaves a place which is most dear to oneself. After finishing one’s work one returns to that place immediately. Vraja is most dear to Krishna, and amongst the Vrajavasis, the sakhas are most dear to him, even more dear than them are Nanda and Yasoda, even more dear than them are the gopis, of whom Chandravali and Radhika are the best, and amon gst them, Radhika’s devotion is the top-most, and there is no one more dear to him than her.

Srimati Radhika also never leaves Vraja. Who went to Kuruksetra to meet with Sri Krishna there? That was samyogini-Radha! She stayed there for two days and then returned. And who cried in separation from Sri Krishna in Uddhava Khari? That was viyogini-radha, which is also in Vraja!

A question comes, when Krishna himself promised I will return the day after tomorrow, did he lie? His words can never be false. Then what happened? If He did not return, then how can his words be true? [In the Srimad Bhagavatam it externally says that Krishna and Balarama stayed in Mathura after giving ornaments as presents to Nanda Baba, who returned alone]. Sri Visvanatha Chakravatti Thakura wrote that brother, I am not satisfied by this statement, he must have returned to Vraja. He wrote that if Krishna could expand Himself into more than 16,000 forms to dance with the gopis in rasa-lila, why couldn’t he perform a simi lar past-time here?

He declares that Krishna and Balarama made themselves both into two forms. One form was seen to remain with Vasudeva Maharaja in Mathura, and in another pair, the two brothers were seen with Nanda Maharaja, laughing dancing as they returned to Vraja.

When Krishna sent Uddhava to Vraja with his message of consolation, Uddhava thought “I don’t know anyone except for Krishna, how can I leave him for so many days? That is impossible for me!” Krishna said, “if you go there to Vraja you will see that we are all there. Myself, the gopis and all my friends. Every day they light lamps, and while churning yoghurt they chant my names such as Govinda, Damodara, Madhava (singing)”. There are many songs such as this. Uddhava thought “Where is Krishna? I left Him in Mathura, but I see Him here! How is this possible? Just now all are returning with Krish na from cow grazing!” Yet in the very next moment everything became again covered, and Uddhava saw Vraja in separation from Krishna.

How is this possible? In one prakosha (portion) they are in meeting with Krishna, and in another prakosha they are experiencing separation from him. Both past-times are occurring simultaneously.

You understand anything?

By this katha, Srila Gurudeva is telling the devotees in Vraja, and indeed in this world, in one form I am separating myself from you, but in other form we will always be together. As far as I am able to determine, this is the last katha he spoke in this world. He knew everything!

Dear Devotees Please accept our humble dandavats pranams, all glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

The Navadwipa parikrama is fast approaching. This is the first parikrama to take place since the disappearance of Srila Gurudeva. We have all been through such a deep heartfelt experience coming to terms with this change. Srila Gurudeva gave us all so much. And for years he has asked that we all act with confidence and by example; this will enable us to accept responsibility for the evolution of our sanga.

Now the time has come. In all of us there is a voice that whispers to us to go it alone. There is that voice that trusts little. This is the voice that is impatient with our brother, with our sister, and those that don't "get it". It is the voice of disappointment and disillusionment.

But just imagine where we would all be now if Srila Gurudeva had adopted this attitude and decided to chant under a tree in Vrindavana. Instead he chose to fly since the age of 76 so many miles that he could have traveled to the moon and back several times. And he ventured despite so much inconvenience and so many health issues. And he knew how slowly we "got it". Yet he continued.
If we really love our Gurudeva, if we cherish the dignity and nobility of who he really is, then I plead with all of you including me that we recognise that voice but we choose not to be led by it. Let us all aim higher, even if at times the evidence points the other way.

Rather we choose to communicate, to give the benefit of the doubt to each other, to love, to trust and to participate and to be the change that we want to see. Because no-one (by him self or her self) can make this sanga do anything. We can only be truly successful in pleasing Srila Gurudeva if we all do our best to work together, even with those we don't like! Yes, devotees don't always like each other!

This is why it will be so good to see you at the Navadwipa meetings. There are activities both before and after the parikrama. We have management and communication training before the parikrama and afterward as well as a full meeting of the Advisory Council immediately after the parikrama.

If you do any service then please come to the council meeting. It is your meeting. Do not worry whether you have an official position or not for you are all extremely dear to Srila Gurudeva. Be involved if your heart so desires. Srila Gurudeva wants your involvement. We will be discussing all sorts of issues about how our sanga will evolve. And we will be celebrating the seva that is rendered by our many wonderful devotees all over the world.
To recap on the dates and events: On the 11th and 12th of March Ananta Prabhu will be coaching anyone who attends on how to communicate using skills involving listening from a deep place and being able to reach out to our brothers and sisters. Isn't this where we often fall down? It may be easy to talk with close friends. But much of the time we could serve more if we got on better with devotees we don’t know so well. Ananta is very skilled at blending the principles of Bhagavad-Gita and Vaisnavism with modern forms of communication to give a very effective outcome.

The Advisory Council meeting takes place during the three days after the parikrama, 20th, 21st and the 22nd March. Applying some of Ananta's methods and with our hearts filled with the sweetness of Navadwipa, these three days are the first baby steps along the unknown and uncertain road of the sanga’s future. Be part of this future. We will succeed together. And even if we failed, it is better to fail and have tried than never have tried at all.
If we ask ourselves what did Gurudeva want us to do, then we all know the answer he would give. After the Advisory Council meeting, there will be a further three days of training on offer. Braj Mohan Prabhu will be leading this. He leads these programs around the world based on the ideas of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. Stephen Covey cited these seven core principles which, if applied, deliver the practitioner success. He focuses on the idea that success is first manifested on the inside before it is translated to the external world. As Krsna Conscious aspirants we can relate to this.

These workshops are linked to the sanga meeting because it is recognised that we all need training so that we can increase our effectiveness when co-operating. All the methods used are compatible with Krsna Consciousness.
So please bring your open hearts to join us in the sanga meeting in Navadwipa on 20th-22nd March. And if you can make it then please register for either or both workshops by clicking here. All logistics such as venue and agenda will be announced nearer the time.
Affectionate regards from your servants, Brajanath dasa and Yasodananda dasa



 

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Dandavat Pranams Respected BacktoBhakti Readers,

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

At this time, when devotees are feeling the urgency of wanting and needing Srila Gurudeva's divine presence with us in this world, and an increased sense of urgency to somehow bless suffering humanity with his presence to, my letter is an endorsement for the extremely merciful advertisement below.

There are many ways to experience Srila Gurudeva's transcendental, all-merciful presence at this crucial time. In my opinion, one of the most powerful ways is to hear his sound-files and see his videos. As we received solace, nourishment, knowledge, and Srila Gurudeva's presence from these sound files and videos before, now we have the opportunity to receive all this in an even more intense way.

For me, in my life, these sound-files and videos - there are thousands of them - have been the difference between day and night, life and death. I have listened to them, and will continue to be listening to them, at various times of the day and night, and during various other activities when I don't have to fully concentrate on those other activities.

To me, they are one of the best gifts that can be given for all occasions, and therefore I was thrilled to receive Isa prabhu's beautiful offer (below) in my email this morning.

Thank you reading this. My obeisances to you all.

Vaisnava-sevabhilasi,

Syamarani dasi

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2011 Vyasa-puja Harmonist Special Limited Edition – Reserve Your Copy Now!


sri sri guru gaurangau jayatah

Dear Readers,

Please accept our dandavat pranam. On the day of Srila Gurudeva’s vyasa-puja, 2nd Feb. 2011, a special edition of Rays of The Harmonist was published and presented in honour of him. It features 188 pages of valuable articles by our guru-varga regarding the glories of sri guru, as well as affectionate offerings to him from senior Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis in our own sanga and some from other sangas.

We are taking a limited quantity of this special edition to Sri Navadvipa-dhama. To ensure that you or the devotees in your area receive a copy, please inform us by February 16, 2011, as to how many we should bring for you. Their retail cost is Rs 300 each. You can place your order with Vaijayanti mala dasi at vyasapuja.edition@gmail.com.

We are presenting herein some excerpts from the magazine.

Aspiring to serve Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas

The Rays of The Harmonist team

Rays of The Harmonist Vyasapuja Issue PREVIEW

 

Pray Srila Gurudeva's Hari Katha Enters Our Hearts

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If you have movies on youtube and want to add them please email us
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Posted on 17 February 2011. BacktoBhakti.com

BhaktiProjects.org seeks to serve and preserve the legacy of our dear beloved Srila Gurudeva Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja;

  • To raise awareness of the various ongoing projects initiated and inspired by Srila Gurudeva;
  • To connect you directly with these projects and help you find tangible opportunities to get involved and make a lasting difference; and
  • To inform, inspire and solicit support for these projects through use of all devotional methods including community services (seva), social networking and campaigning as well as
  • Provide fundraising ideas to reach prospective donors and sponsors to carry out these objectives.

BhaktiProjects.org accomplishes this by providing:

  • Detailed Project Profiles and Descriptions
  • Seva Opportunities by Project, Skills, Area, etc.
  • Project Membership/Sponsorship Program
  • News Updates and Project Developments
  • Fundraising Ideas, Tools and Support
  • New Project Listings Application Process

Make Sure Your BhaktiProject Gets Listed, Too
In order to get your (local) BhaktiProject listed on the release of the new and updated website, please send us the following:

  • A Detailed Project Profile, Objectives and Description
  • Names and Roles of the Devotees Involved
  • Seva Opportunities
  • Other Support Requirements (Donations, etc.)
  • Hi Resolution Pictures of the Project, Facilities, and/or Devotees, Guests and Participants Involved
  • Link to Your Project’s Website

All projects must be submitted by February 26 to ensure inclusion on the release of the new and updated BhaktiProjects.org!

We look forward to hearing from all you inspired and dedicated Guru Sevaks, Vaisnavas and participants.

Yours in service,
—BhaktiProjects Team

Please send all entries to



The Appearance Day Of
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&
Disappearance Day Of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja


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The appearance day of jagadguru om visnupada astotara-sata sri
Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsavati Thakura Prabhupada

begins the fourth year of this Monthly On-line Edition




sri sri guru gauranga jayatah!

Rays of The Harmonist On-Line Edition

Year-4, Issue 1
Posted: 22 February 2011


Dedicated to
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada

Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


Inspired by and under the guidance of
nitya-lila pravista om visnupada

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja



Calling God’s Name

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada


(Portrait of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada)


Question 1: Who can protect me from mundane absorption (jada-abhinivesa)?

Answer: Only Srila Gurudeva, who is the personal associate of Sri Gauranga, can protect me from the clutches of this material existence, which is like death. However, I will have to carefully consider who is guru (heavy, or profoundly significant) and who is laghu (light, or insignificant). He who engages in constantly serving that most complete entity (purna vastu), the sole worshipful object of all gurus, is alone, a true guru. I am not speaking of the worldly gurus, or masters, who teach sitar or physical exercise. They cannot save us from the clutches of death.

There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam that explains that if someone cannot protect me from the clutches of death by giving me eternal life, or keep me from being absorbed in this material world due to my ignorance, which is the same as being dead, then that person is not fit to become my guru, a demigod or my father, mother or any other relative.

It is solely our ignorance that makes us fall prey to death, and it is solely transcendental knowledge that prevents the same. The knowledge we have acquired in this material world becomes useless if we happen to become mad, or if we suffer paralysis or die. If we do not investigate the Real Truth, then we become as inert as lifeless matter. Those who cannot deliver us from death can only facilitate some ephemeral enjoyment, lasting but a few days. Those who attract our attention by enticing our senses – our tongue, our hands, our legs or our genitals – are cheaters. But having met that sri guru who can protect us against all such cheating, it is imperative to serve him at the beginning of every year, every month, every day and every moment.


Question 2: How should we call out for Bhagavan?

Answer: In the words of Sri Gaurasundara, if you want to call out for the Supreme Lord, Sri Bhagavan, you must become more humble than a blade of grass. Unless a person realizes how insignificant he is, he cannot call for someone else to help him. When we pray for someone else’s fhelp, it is because we feel helpless and unable to perform any task on our own. In that state, we see no other means than to seek the help of others.

If a particular task can only be carried out by five people, then it cannot be carried out single-handedly. We have heard from Srila Gurudeva that Sri Gaurasundara instructed us to call out for Bhagavan. In other words we must pray, seeking help from Him.

However, when I call out for Bhagavan, if my plan is to make Him my servant or if I seek His help just to accomplish some personal task, then where is the humility in my mood? Where is my feeling of being more insignificant than a blade of grass? External humility, too, is not trnad api sunica bhava (the mood of being more insignificant than a blade of grass); it is simply duplicity. If I call out for the Supreme Lord as if I am calling for a subordinate to answer me, then my call will not reach Him. This is so because He is supremely independent. He is that being who comprises the totality of consciousness (purna-cetana vastu). He is not controlled by anyone. Unless someone establishes his self-conception in a mood of selfless humility, his request will not reach that absolutely independent Supreme Lord.

There is another important point: if we do not possess the virtue of patience when we call, even if we call out to Him with the greatest humility, feeling more insignificant than a blade of grass, then, too, it will not be considered a true call. If we become greedy and impatient, our mood will be the opposite of trnad api sunica bhava.

However, if we become fully confident that by calling out for Bhagavan – who is the Supreme entity – we will have no lacking, then we will not even lack such patience. But if we become greedy and impatient, and display our restlessness while harbouring thoughts of accomplishing our task on our own strength and capacity, then our calls to Bhagavan will not be genuine.

We often suppose that we are doing Bhagavan a favour by offering Him our prayers, for, we suppose, we have other pressing activities to tend to, instead of calling out for Him. This mentality also exposes our impatience. In order to protect ourselves from such mental dispositions and to prevent ourselves from being deprived of trnad api sunica bhava, we need a protector. It is essential to receive proper shelter from such evil propensities. Therefore, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has said,

asraya laiya bhaje tare krsna nahi tyaje
ara saba mare akarana

One who takes shelter of Krsna’s dear devotees is never abandoned by Him. All others perish for no reason.


Question 3: Is it particularly essential to render service to Sri Guru?

Answer: Our foremost objective is to render service to Srila Gurudeva. In this world, we require a master even if we simply wish to engage in karma, acquire knowledge, or fulfil any other desire. But the education imparted by all such teachers begets only insignificant results. The transcendental guru does not bestow such insignificant results. Sri guru grants us true welfare.

The moment we are deprived of the mercy of sri gurudeva, who is asraya-jatiya bhagavan, is the very moment our minds start to fill with many types of disparate desires. If the Vaisnavas who have guru-nistha do not teach us how to take shelter of the lotus feet of srila gurudeva and how to behave toward him then we may very well lose that most precious jewel even after having finally attained him.


Question 4: Who should one associate with?

Answer: It is not appropriate to associate with anyone besides the devotees of Sri Krsna. Only the devotees of Sri Krsna are auspicious, admirable and eternal. Bad association – that is, association of anything unrelated to Sri Krsna – is truly harmful to us. Therefore, one should not show respect or appreciation to anything unrelated to Sri Krsna or krsna-bhakti.

I am amazed to see that even after hearing so much hari-katha, you still have such great regard for the material world and are still so attached to it. This is a sign of great misfortune. When we are in bad association, we cannot achieve Sri Krsna, so we should always keep in mind that we can only achieve Lord Hari when we give up all such association in favour of associating with the devotees.

When the jiva perceives that all sense objects are established in relation to Sri Krsna, then the sense objects cannot cause him any harm. This whole material world is an instrument for the service of its Supreme Master. On the other hand, to consider any object related to Sri Hari to be meant for one’s own gratification greatly intensifies the jiva’s gross attachment to material objects and leads him to remain in the continual cycle of repeated birth and death (samsara).


Question 5: Is everything the mercy of the Lord?

Answer: All things are indeed the mercy of the supreme embodiment of mercy. Sri Gaurasundara keeps us in different kinds of discomfort and among different people to test us in various ways. Success in all such tests depends on one’s fortune.

Sri Gaurahari, as the indwelling Supersoul, mercifully reveals the eternal truth to the honest and sincere (niskapata) person. Faith in the illusory words of someone traversing the wrong path never arises in those who have sincerely and honestly taken shelter of the lotus feet of sri guru and Sri Hari. Only the unfortunate jivas get bewildered by hearing deceitful words. The lotus feet of Sriman Mahaprabhu are the only shelter.

We should always read Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and listen to the commentary of a Vaisnava who knows its true purports. We should constantly engage in chanting the holy names of the Lord without offence, and remain far away from the association of non-devotees. And we should also continuously read Prarthana, Saranagati and so on.

This alone will be beneficial and auspicious for us. Sri Gaurahari will bestow His mercy upon us when we engage in chanting the holy names in the association of His devotees.


Translated by the Rays of The Harmonist team
from Srila Prabhupadera Upadesamrta
Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation

_____________________
Srila Prabhupadera Upadesamrta is a compilation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada’s instructions in question-and-answer form.

 


Next Issue – Year 4, Issue 2: “Transcendence Is At Sri Guru’s Lotus Feet”, 24 March 2010
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles
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Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 4, Issue 1, "Calling God's Name", by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.

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Navadwipa Dham Parikrama Prasad Seva Fund


Back To Bhakti.com Posted on 23 February 2011.

Dandavats and Pranams to one and all,
All Glories to Srila Gurudeva’s Navadwipa Dham Parikrama

It is that time of year again and devotees are getting ready to come to Navadwipa Dham Parikrama. The programs have been announced and we will be having the Navadwipa Parikrama between March 13th and March 20th 2011. This is the first year we will not be having it with Srila Gurudeva’s Manifest presence. However he will be present in everyone’s heart. So it is important that we make this the most successful Parikrama ever. We will be having thousands of pilgrims coming this year from all over Bengal and hundreds of western devotees. So it will be jam packed as usual. We are also facing a big challenge this year in trying to feed all of these devotees and so this is where hopefully you can come in. The expense for putting on the parikrama is staggering and we are going to need support to make it happen. I have agreed at the behest of the Senior Devotees in the Sangha Pujya Pada Tirtha Maharaja, Pujya Pada Premanada Prabhu, Pujya Pada Madhava Maharaja, and Sripada Brajanath Prabhu to try and do some fund raising to help offset the cost.

There are 10 to 15 thousand Bengalis that come every year for this parikrama. Although Pujyapada Tirtha Maharaja collects a lot of rice there for feeding the devotees there are many other things that we need to feed them for nearly 10 days. Here are things beyond the rice that is collected that we have estimated we need and this is where the money goes.

Staples: Sugar 12 tons, split pea dhal 25 tons, split mung dhal 1 ton, dry peas white 1/2 ton, chick peas 100kgs, Cracked wheat 1/2 ton, chappati flour 10 tons, white flour 2/3 ton, chipped rice 1 ton, puffed rice 200kgs, soyballs 2/3 ton, Fine basmati rice for Kheer 1&1/2 tons, potatoes 50 tons,
Spices: Ginger 700kgs, chili powder 150kgs, whole chili 50kgs, tumeric powder 150kgs, garam masala 10kgs, mustard seeds 10kgs, tamarind 200kgs, cinnamon 25kgs, cardamom 5kgs, cloves 5kgs, asafoetida 15kgs, black pepper 50kgs, fennel 20kgs, fenugreek 20kgs, Kalonji 10kgs, vanilla 3000 rupees worth, other condiments: raisins 1/2 ton, cashews 200kgs, peanuts 4tons, powdered milk 1 ton, sweet rasagullas 5000 pieces, yogurt 1 ton, paneer 1/2 ton, yeast 10,000 rupees worth, baking soda 1000 rupees worth,
Serving equipment: Baskets 200, buckets 100, large serving tubs 100, serving spoons large 200, leaf plates 300,000; leaf cups 150,000; plastic glasses, 10,000;
Workers also need dhotis, gamshas, t-shirts, aprons, etc of which some are for doing the heavy cooking and some for distribution.

So this is the estimate to feed the 10 to 15 thousand Bengali devotees who will show up for Parikrama this year. The cost of food prices has risen way up since last year and the prasadam distribution at Navadwip is way different then the prasadam distribution at Kartika since we the attendance of the huge Bengali contingent of devotees. The whole of Bengal is practically like a Dham because Lord Caitanya, Lord Nitayanada, and all of their associates have traveled everywhere and distributed the holy name. So we are feeding all these simple dham vasis and we should be so grateful for the opportunity to do for those who do not hav e. The total cost estimate as done by Bishma Prabhu one of Prabhujis long time cooking and purchasing assistants is around $120,000 USD.

The math on this should be easy. We do not need a lot of money from each person. There are 3 to 5000 people who visit Back to Bhakti. If each person sends 25 to 50 dollars, euros, pounds, whatever we should have plenty to take care of this parikrama. With the blessings of Premanada Prabhu I have now set up a new bank account and paypal account in the USA Called Prasadam Seva which will receive all the money. This money will go directly to Premananda Prabhu for distributing Prasadam on Parikrams. This bank account and paypal account are managed by Prabhujis long time sevaks Hare Krsna das and Gaur Gopal das. Together they will s ee that all the funds are transferred and the goods are purchased for the Parikrama Prasadam Distribution and that everyone will have a great experience. If you are not coming because of work, school, family obligations, or whatever then this is a way for you to participate and help make this a great experience for everyone who does. If you have devotee friends in your area you can ask them to help as well and you can collect from them and send it in. It is a chance to perform some sukriti by supporting the parikrama which is so dear to Srila Gurudeva and Param Gurudeva Srila Bhakti Prajana Keshava Maharaja.

I want to thank all of you so much in advance for your kind support and please remember that the earlier we can put the money in the hands of Pujyapada Tirtha Maharaja and Pujyapada Premanada Prabhu the quicker they can take care of business. Thank you so much for your help.


 “ChipIn!” to make a donation (will take you to the Paypal portal).

Alternatively, here is the information on the Paypal account:

PAYING FEES BY PAY PAL: To email money to pay pal go the www.paypal.com. Place the cursor over the words “send money” in the drop down box you will see the words “send money online” click on that. Then put prasadamseva@gmail.com in the box that says to and put your email address in the box that says from. Then put in the amount 25 or 50.00 of whatever currency. Then click on the word personal in the box below and click on gift. It will then ask you to login if you are a member of pay pal and ask for your password. Or it will ask you to sign up and become a member which is free. If you are a member you se nd 25 or 50 of whatever currency from your account. If you are not a member when you become one you link your pay pal account to your bank account and then put the money in your pay pal account from your bank account and send it. No credit/debit card required.

I hope we can get maximum participation in this as we are short this year on funds and could really use the help. Lets make this the best Parikrama ever for Srila Gurudeva. Thank You So Much.

Your Uncle
Bhagavat Swami



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