Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math International

Fri, 10 July 2020

Will-O'-the-Wisp of Worldly Wishes
"If you give Maya chance, then Maya will attack you. As soon as you get a weak spot, Maya will attack you. It does not matter whether you are young or old. If you try to control your elements, you can control them from a young age."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.4 Mb, 10 min | 5 July 2020)

Mahaprabhu's Directives
A talk by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:
"Mahaprabhu has given three directives to us. He did not compose so many slokas. He could compose it, it was within Mahaprabhu's capacity, but He did not do it. He has only given us some directives to show us the direction, and He has given only one sloka for our direction. These three directives will give us life—through these three directives we will get a real spiritual life."

Today in the calendar: Disappearance of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami Prabhu.

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must still give them 'jay' on this day."

In honour of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswamipad:

Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami's Miracle
"You have heard about the Deity of Sri Radha-Raman in Vrindavan. When Gopal Bhatta Goswami lived in Vrindavan, he every day worshipped twelve pieces of Govardhan sila..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 7 September 2013 | Bengali)

Strongest Faith (2) Gopal Bhatta Goswami
"You have eyes in your heart, and if you have such feeling towards the Deity in your heart and do your service with such faith, then you can easily see Krishna everywhere, hear Krishna-nama everywhere, nothing else besides Krishna-nama will enter your ears..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 10 March 2015)

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

• SONG: Ei-bara karuna kara | এইবার করুণা কর
"O worshippable Vaisnava, be merciful to me this time. O saviour of the fallen, without you there is no one. In every birth I aspire for the dust of your feet."

• SONG: Ohe Vaisnava Thakura | (ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর
"O worshippable Vaishnav, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet. You can give Krishna, you have that power. Calling, 'Krishna!' 'Krishna!', I run after you."

• SONG: Ki-rupe paiba seva | কিরূপে পাইব সেবা
"I am so wicked, how will I ever get service? I do not have any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs! Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!"

• SONG: Dhana mora nityananda | ধন মোর নিত্যানন্দ
"The feet dust of the Vaishnavs is where I sport and take bath, Vaishnavs' name is the water oblation. My mind is intently fixed upon the remnants of Vaishnavs, and I am elated hearing the name of Vaishnavs."

• SONG: Ye anila prema-dhana | যে আনিল প্রেমধন
"Where has Advaita Acharya gone? Where are my Svarup, Rupa, Sanatan? Where is my Raghunath? Where are the saviours of the fallen souls?"

Thu, 9 July 2020

Sri Guru Purnima Address
"My body is here, but my heart, my mind, my everything is with you. I am always thinking about you, I am always thinking about your good, how you can become better and better, how you can run the mission more and more successfully. Any service I can help you with, I will always try to do it, and I will try my best. That is my promise on this Guru Purnima day."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.4 Mb, 11 min | 5 July 2020)

A pearl of guidance: Sri Guru-Puja: Homage Without Damage
"It is very difficult, so many austerities will come, but I am tellling you: little by little, slowly, slowly you can harmonise with the devotees. Do not neglect the etiquette. Try to serve in harmony, speaking good about others, without speaking against anybody, etc."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min | 23 July 2013)

A pearl of guidance: How to See the Guru: Mercy
Clear guidance on how to understand who the Guru is, and how a sincere disciple should see the Guru: the Guru is not only a mahabhagavata (a great devotee), he is nondifferent from Krishna Himself.
• Download / listen to the audio (6.4 Mb, 14 min | 25 September 2014)

Wed, 8 July 2020

Sri Guru Purnima: Remembrance Day
"Today is a very good and auspicious day, the day of Sri Guru Purnima. On this day, we can pray to our Gurudev that he may engage us in service more and more, so that we could progress in our spiritual life, so that we could submit ourselves to him as a devotee."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 8 min | 5 July 2020)

Sri Guru Purnima Kirtans (2020)
His Divine Grace sings: • Gurudev krpa bindu diya • Kabe Sri Chaitanya more karibena daya • Akrodha paramananda Nityananda Raya • Sarvasva tomara charane sampiya
• Download / listen to the audio (8.2 Mb, 20 min | 5 July 2020)

শ্রীগৌরধাম ও শ্রীভক্তিবিনোদ (শ্রীনবদ্বীপধাম মাহাত্ম্য-মুক্তা-মালা)
"শ্রীগৌরধাম দর্শন করিবার চক্ষু কিরূপে লাভ করিতে হয়, তাহাও নদীয়াপ্রকাশ ঠাকুর ভক্তিবিনোদ আমাদিগকে জানাইয়াছেন । গৌরধামের কৃপা লাভ করিতে হইলে সর্ব্বাগ্রে শ্রীল ঠাকুর ভক্তিবিনোদের কৃপা লাভ করিতে হইবে ।"

Tue, 7 July 2020

Abode of Highest Pastimes
"Whether Vrindavan is a village or a town, it does not matter. What matters is that Vrindavan is the highest place because, firstly, our guru-varga has said so, and, secondly, because we can see what pastimes go on in Vrindavan."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 6 min | 28 June 2020)

Today in the calendar: Disappearance of Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Hriday Bon Maharaj (a diksa and sannyas disciple of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, the first Gaudiya Math preacher in the West).

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must still give them 'jay' on this day."

In honour of Sripad Bhakti Hriday Bon Maharaj:

Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj remembers:

When I got sannyas, Sripad Bon Maharaj was present there, as well as many others also. Sripad Bon Maharaj remarked, "Prabhupad has got a high satisfaction by giving you sannyas. We have never seen so much satisfaction in him at the occasion of any other sannyasi. He is highly satisfied with conferring sannyas to you."

....When Sripad Bon Maharaj returned from England, he put so many disturbing questions to our Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad), "What do you know about that country? They are so brave, so gorgeous! Staying here, we cannot have any proper estimation of the civilisation in London at present. We are all ignorant. If we are to preach in London or Europe, we will have to be trained in a different way!" That was his advice to our Guru Maharaj, and Guru Maharaj, being pressed, rather attacked by his own disciple in such a way, withdrew himself by saying, "This is not our way of thinking. Our Guru Maharaj, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj, did not even know how to sign his name, but we think that all the scholarship, wealth, everything is there in a nail of his toe." Guru Maharaj represented himself in a mild and humble way, but there was also professor Sanyal present there, and he came out like a tiger at our Bon Maharaj, "Have you lost all you have got from Guru Maharaj?! You are bold enough to talk in such a boisterous way? Have you forgotten how to behave with your Divine Master?" He was furious; Bon Maharaj had to check himself. Anyhow, Prabhupad said about him, "Bon Maharaj went to preach in my first year in England and in my second year in England." Prabhupad had gone through it using Bon Maharaj.

So, when I heard that Sripad Bon Maharaj had returned from Europe and put forth so many arguments of the Western persons saying that they could not be answered, I wanted to hear what those questions were that could not be answered. He reluctantly spoke about the arguments he had had to face there, and I began to answer them one by one. Then, when Sripad Bon Maharaj could not say anything more, Srila Swami Maharaj [Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj], who was present at that round table meeting, said, "Here, Europe is defeated by Asia!"

* * *

...At that time, all the preachers had been taken back from the compass of the country and were concentrated to work in Kolkata—they used to have to go door to door collecting bhiksa (alms, donations). Sripad Bon Maharaj's party, he and one or two brahmacharis, went to some part of Kolkata for collection. Generally, seeing some gentleman standing by, one of the members of the party would run up to him and say something like, "We come from Gaudiya Math, we want to make some collection. Dear sir, you are a devoted person of this locality, please make some contribution." So, one time, Bon Maharaj asked some gentleman to give him some addresses of good benevolent gentlemen whom they could approach to get some money for their purpose. The gentleman showed Bon Maharaj the way saying, "Just go to that house, you will find the right person there." Bon Maharaj went there in good faith. When he knocked on the door, the door was open. A lady came out. Seeing him, she said, "Oh, you are a sadhu! What do you want from me?" The gentleman who had directed Bon Maharaj there, was laughing behind him—the lady was a prostitute. Bon Maharaj was perplexed—it was a lady. Anyhow, he still gave her the letter of invitation saying, "We have got such and such festival, we want you to come and we want to ask you for some contribution." I do not know if the lady had given him anything or not, but all the people around were laughing. After that, Bon Maharaj came back to Prabhupad and said, "Prabhupad, I will not go for any collection again." Prabhupad asked him, "Why? What has happened?" Bon Maharaj related the incident saying that some rogues had guided him to a prostitute's house. After that, Prabhupad delivered a lecture: "There are many of you who have left their own property, but still I send you out for collection. Do you think that I am doing wrong? I am not. The visayi (materialists) always want to entrap us within their material life, but we must learn to utilise everything and anything in the service of Krishna, then only are we saved; otherwise, if we leave, give everything away, all this visaya (material elements) will be left there and as soon as it gets any chance, it will come to bite me. So, whatever comes to us, we should deal with everything in such a way that rather, 'Whatever I shall come across, it will give me some impression to remember Krishna—everything should utilise me for a particular service to Krishna.' If left there, they will be enemies, but they should all be turned into friends. They will help me, remind me, excite me in the service of Krishna. We must have this kind of adjustment in this world. So, nothing should be left off. 'Nirbandhah Krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam uchyate: when one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krishna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.'"

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

Mon, 6 July 2020

Waning Values
"Gurudev said that the storekeeper or the temple manager will be the one who always thinks about everybody. A manager is a great servant, a big guardian. You must be a real mother. But this kind of love and affection is not there any more..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 5 min | 28 June 2020)

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

INVITATION to Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Festival

Dear respected Devotees, Friends and Well-Wishers,

We are offering obeisance at your holy lotus feet and on behalf of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj humbly extend a letter of encouragement to observe the disappearance day of our most worshippable and beloved Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, which manifests on 20 July (Monday) this year, and will be observed in every branch of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math throughout the world.

Considering the ongoing difficult situation all over the world, many temples, centres, and devotees are currently constrained in their capacity to host large programmes, however it is good if this festival can still be observed within each temple, centre and heart of devotees according to their capacity. In India, His Divine Grace comments that the situation is quite difficult because of the enforced national lockdown, however all services at the temples are continuing smoothly and properly.

His Divine Grace has many times instructed on how to hold special programmes and taught it many times by his own example. Usually such programmes consist of: kirtans, lecture or reading of scriptures, arati, pushpanjali (offering of flowers to a photograph), and prasad-seva (cooking a special offering, offering it at the alter or to a photograph, and distributing it to devotees).

We hope all devotees find an opportunity to observe this holy day for the satisfaction of Sri Gurupadpadma keeping the divine Guidance on their heads: "Always sit amidst fire blazing on all four sides. This fire is Hari-katha, kirtan, service to the Lord, and service to the guru. You must progress in your practising life keeping the sacrificial fire of your service ablaze."

Dates
20 July 2020
Email address for enquiry
info.at.scsmathinternational.com

Make the Festival, with Heart and Soul
"I am telling to everyone who is staying in the temple, to every centre: you must make a festival for Srila Sridhar Maharaj. If you want to show that you want to serve Srila Sridhar Maharaj, then make a good festival on this day."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 7 min)

Some preparations and items that are known to be favourite to His Divine Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj include: natural orange juice (with just a little sugar), cholar dahl (split chickpea dal), alu bhaja (deep-fried potato chips), muri, puri/luchi with alu bhaja, aloo dum, samosa, pineapple chutney, puspanna, figs (dumur), chaunsa mango.

Sun, 5 July 2020 (Sri Guru Purnima)

Applying Intelligence
• Is it important to study the meaning of slokas and scriptures? • We should ask our guardian, but I do not want to bother you; • How can we avoid quarrelling and fighting? • If somebody speaks bad about our guru-parampara, speaks nonsense, or does nonsense, how do we see Krishna in that?
• Download / listen to the audio (4.8 Mb, 12 min | 28 June 2020)

The Greatest Gift of Sri Vedavyas
A wonderful extensive talk by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj describing the holy appearance of Srimad Bhagavatam:
"Srimad Bhagavatam is the oldest and finest book of Krishna consciousness. Vedavyas had composed all the scriptures, but he still did not feel happiness in his heart. He started searching what had happened..."
• Download / listen to the audio (17.7 Mb, 43 min | 17 June 1992)

Today in the calendar: Purnima. Sri Guru Purnima. Appearance of Srila Vyasadev. Disappearance of Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu. Beginning of Chaturmasya. Appearance of Srila Bhakti Bimal Avadhut Maharaj.

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must still give them 'jay' on this day."

In honour of Sri Chaturmasya-vrata:

Chaturmasya
"Chaturmasya is good, but chaturmasya does not mean you must keep a beard, grow long hair and not eat something, but secretly do nonsense. This life is not for enjoyment only. You must be always careful with the food..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.1 Mb, 4 min | 1 July 2012)

In honour of Srila Vyasadev:

"You have heard of the Upanisads, Vedas, Vedanta, and the other scriptures which were revealed in India in written form five thousand years ago. Previously, this knowledge existed as sruti-mantram, spoken words, and it was transmitted by rsis and munis to their disciples through sruti-mantram. At that time there were no books. Vedavyas has very mercifully given us the written form of sruti-mantram: the Veda. He divided the Veda (sruti) into four parts: Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. He also composed the supplementary literatures (smrti) like the Mahabharata, which is called the fifth Veda. The gist of the Vedas can also be found in the hundreds of Upanisads he wrote. The great rsis, Vedic research scholars, have also presented the Vedic knowledge in the Puranas. Thus, through the great rsis, this transcendental knowledge is being revealed in this mundane world, and when necessary, from time to time, an incarnation of the Lord manifests by whose divine mercy we get a connection with that transcendental knowledge.

"These Vedic literatures mainly try to give us transcendental knowledge, and for our benefit they have proclaimed, "Srnvantu visve amrtasya putra: you are all the sons of nectar, transcendental nectar; you are from the nectarean ocean. Dive deep into that nectar!" We are all parts and parcels of the Lord, therefore we are spiritual relatives."

(Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Original Source)

namo 'stu te vyasa-visala-buddhe
phullaravindayata-patra-netra
yena tvaya bharata-taila-purnah
prajvalito jnana-mayah pradipah [2]

Obeisances unto Srila Vyasadeva—
O Srila Vyasadeva of formidable intelligence, whose eyes resemble the long petals of the blooming lotus flower, and who ignited the lamp of knowledge, filled with the oil of the Mahabharata—I offer my obeisances unto you.

(Mangalacharanam, Srimad Bhagavad-gita)

In honour of Sri Guru Purnima:

Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Vani
A quote of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad that is much appreaciated by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and is framed and hung in many of the temples: "If someone does not consider it necessary to faithfully follow their Guru and the Vaishnavs, their endeavour to serve the Lord is not service to the Lord—it is service to maya."

Sri Guru-Tattva: The Captain of Your Boat
"If you serve your Guru properly, if you have devotion to the Guru, then you will be able to remove the bondage with the modes of material nature, and through that relationship with your Guru you can get service to the Lord and finally reach your destination."
• Download / listen to the audio (8 Mb, 24 min | 22 July 2013 | Mostly Bengali)

Key to Guru Puja
"Gurudev had explained and taught me that when you make a festival not much is necessary—a festival means Vaishnav seva, bhakta-seva. Guru-seva is not engaging your Guru in service—it means serving your Guru, serving his devotees."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 7 min | 9 October 2018 | Bengali)

Sri Guru's Forgiving Mercy
"Gurudev is always merciful. I can give you an example of how merciful Gurudev is, I can tell you one story. Disciples always do wrong, but Gurudev is always merciful..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 7 min | June 2010)

Part 1: How to See the Guru: Mercy
Clear guidance on how to understand who the Guru is, and how a sincere disciple should see the Guru: the Guru is not only a mahabhagavata (a great devotee), he is nondifferent from Krishna Himself.
• Download / listen to the audio (6.4 Mb, 14 min | 25 September 2014)

Part 2: How to See the Guru: Chastity
The main quality of a sincere disciple explained by several examples: one-pointed attention, rejecting the unfavourable, intense attachment to service and devotees, faith, and careful choice of association.
• Download / listen to the audio (7 Mb, 15 min | 25 September 2014)

Sri Guru and His Grace
His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj has been recently repeatedly stressing the importance of reading this holy book, recalling many examples and guidenlines found therein. Presented here in English for online reading, and in Bengali and English for downloading.

Daily Practice: Observing Festivals
A page of the Daily Practice section dedicated to Vaishnav-seva and observing festivals. "Why are you making a festival? Making a festival means you are inviting many people and you are giving them some prasadam, engaging them in Krishna consciousness—it means practising Krishna consciousness."

In honour of Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu:

Sri Sanatan-Siksa
The first lecture in the cycle of lectures given by His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj in 2015, dedicated to the teachings of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu and Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu.

Sri Rupa-Sanatan Siksa (EPUB file, 0.5 Mb)
"Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Sri Rupa-Satana Siksa, read and expounded by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj." An electronic version of the published previously online matter available now for download, reading and worshipping on phones, tablets, eBook readers, etc.

• SONG: Sri Sad-Goswamy-Astakam | শ্রীশ্রীষড়্গোস্বাম্যষ্টকম্
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Goswamis, namely Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatan Goswami, Sri Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunath Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami, who are always engaged in chanting the Holy Name of Krishna and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Chaitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe."

Sat, 4 July 2020

Emotion and Devotion
"Practise and practise, and when you make yourself perfect, then it will manifest in your dealings, in your behaviour, in your humility, etc. that you have become perfect—then you can easily understand what is the difference between emotion and devotion."
• Download / listen to the audio (5.9 Mb, 14 min | 28 June 2020)

News from Sri Nrisingha Palli
(1-4 July 2020 | 27 photographs, 3.7 Mb)
Sri Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj comes to Sri Nrisingha Palli to supervise the construction works continuing in full swing all around the premises of the temple. Sharing some glimpses of the works and a peak into the oceanic service activities of the devotees taking place at the temple.

Fri, 3 July 2020

On Ego and Envy
"Ego can also be good if you think, 'I am a servant of devotees.' However, envy is much worse than ego—envy is not given any place. Envy takes one to a helpless position. If you have envy or jealousy, it is easy for you to go to hell."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 28 June 2020)

A pearl of guidance: Keep Out of Danger
Are you unhappy with others' service? Do you like going to the beach and Ganges? Do you like what is on others' plate? Is your mind disturbing you? "Brother, you are swimming in maya for nothing, coming up to the surface, choking and struggling. The soul is a servant of Krishna! Believe it and there will be no misery left."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 10 min | 10 October 2015)

Thu, 2 July 2020

Turn Your House Into Temple
"You can turn your house into a temple. Your house can be Goloka Vrindavan. What kind of house is that? It is a house where proper practising is going on every day. You can practise all the things that proper householders practise. What is the problem?"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 28 June 2020)

Wed, 1 July 2020 (Today is Sri Shayan Ekadasi, tomorrow paran is 4:59-9:27 a.m.)

Be Responsible for Your Spiritual Life
"We must be responsible for our service and for our spiritual life, otherwise Guru and Vaishnavs will not be happy. Being responsible for your service is one of the main qualities of a servitor. It is necessary to have proper dedication and to always accept the advice of your guardian. We should not follow our mind. If we can follow all these things, then it can give a proper solution to all our problems."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 9 min | 28 June 2020)

Guidance, Issue #23 (EPUB file, 1 Mb)
An ePub file for offline reading on mobile phones and tablets containing the lectures of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj published here from April to June 2020. This issue in particular stands out as a treasure trove of comprehensive guidance for daily practising life, as well as answers to many questions submitted by devotees. We pray this serves as a source of guidance, nourishment, and life to all the devotees and well-wishers worldwide.

Sri Ekadasi Guidance
Guidelines on how to observe and honour this holy day: Ekadasi takes an indispensible part in the life of a sincere practitioner. At Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Ekadasi and paran are observed with affection and without fail according to the dates given in the Calendar.

• "Sri Ekadasi" (Sri Sri Prema Vivarta)
"One day, Gaurahari left the Gundicha Temple and sat in the Jagannath Vallabha garden. It was pure Ekadasi, and the Lord spent the whole day and night chanting the Name of Krishna..."

• SONG: Suddha-bhakata | শুদ্ধ ভকত-চরণ-রেণু
"I carefully observe the holy days related to Madhava, they are the mother of devotion."

• SONG: Sri hari-vasare | শ্রীহরি-বাসরে হরি
"On the holy day of Sri Hari, Sriman Mahaprabhu, the life and soul of the universe, began dancing..."

ADDITIONAL READING:

• "Observing Ekadasi"
• "Ekadasi Vrata: Make Your Guru Happy"
• "No Other Shelter"
• "Mahadvadasi"
• "Ekadasi and liberation"

• "Ekadasi Tithi: One of the Practices"
• "Yogini Ekadasi"
• "Ekadasi: Historical Background"
• "Ekadasi: Main Focus Is Service"

Tue, 30 June 2020 (Tomorrow is Sri Shayan Ekadasi)

Asadhu-Sanga Saps Spiritual Strength
"If there is some fault in your heart, if you do some wrong and, thinking that nobody can see you doing it, you continue doing wrong, then it will slowly increase, and it will harm your spiritual life. We must always avoid bad association."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.6 Mb, 9 min | 28 June 2020)

Today in the calendar: Gaura Dashami. Disappearance of Tridandi Swami Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj (a disciple of Srila Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, a sannyas disciple and a dear associate of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj). Disappearance of Sriyukta Krishnamayi Devi.

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must still give them 'jay' on this day."

In honour of Srila Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj:

Pranam-mantra of Srimad Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj, composed by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

দীর্ঘং সৌম্যবপুর্নবারুণবহির্বাসস্ত্রিদণ্ডান্বিতং
দিব্যং শ্রীগুরু-গৌর-কীর্ত্তন-রসানন্দেন মত্তং সদা ।
শ্রীগৌড়ীয়-যতীন্দ্র-ভক্তিকমলং স্নিগ্ধং কৃপাবিগ্রহং
বন্দে শ্রীমধুসূদনং গুরুবরং বেদান্তবিদ্যাম্বুধিম্ ॥

dirgham saumya-vapur navaruna-bahir-vasas tridandanvitam
divyam sri-guru-gaura-kirtan-rasanandena mattam sada
sri-gaudiya-yatindra-bhakti-kamalam snigdham krpa-vigraham
vande sri-madhusudanam guru-varam vedanta-vidyambudhim

"I offer my obeisance unto the great Guru Srimad Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj. His tall, tranquil form, adorned with a tridanda and garments the colour of the newly risen sun, is the embodiment of mercy. He is an affectionate king amongst the Gaudiya Vaishnava sannyasis, an ocean of Vedantic knowledge, and always rapt with the ecstatic taste of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga's kirtan."

Godbrothers' Bond
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj tells about the close and reverent relationship that Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj had with his godbrothers, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj, and Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj.
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 4 min | 19 September 2009)

Invoking Vaishnavs' Mercy
"Today is Srimad Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Maharaj's appearance day. Wherever he is staying now, whether in Goloka Vrindavan or anywhere else, we are praying to him, 'Wherever you are now, please give us some mercy.'"
• Download / listen to the audio (4.1 Mb, 13 min)

In honour of Sri Krishna Mayi Devi Dasi:

Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj remembers:

"When Krishnamayi Didi's son and son-in-law both died. She was in great distress and came here to take shelter. Her son and myself were both the same age. Krishnamayi Didi saw that Srila Guru Maharaj gave me much affection, therefore she treated me as her son and would always give me much enthusiasm.

"She came from a very high family. Both her father's family and her husband's family were very high brahmanas, but they were smarta and so none of them liked the Vaishnav Temples. Krishnamayi Didi was previously coming here but hiddenly. Because her family were smarta they did not give her permission to come, but she came anyway. Her family knew Srila Guru Maharaj since childhood as Srila Guru Maharaj was their relative and also came from a very prominent smarta brahmana family. Outwardly, therefore, they did not say anything wrong to Krishnamayi Didi but they expressed their objection in many ways. She did not listen to them but told, 'I have a great Guru and I cannot leave his lotus feet.' When her very good son-in-law died she became very distressed and could not remain living in her house. She came to take shelter of Srila Guru Maharaj and offered her house to him. She said to me, 'Please you sell my house.' I eventually was able to sell it for a good price and, according to her wish, gave the money to Srila Guru Maharaj. He made one small single-roomed bungalow for her to live in. It is known as Govinda Dham and is where she now stays.

"The first lady to help Srila Guru Maharaj in the Math was Rama Didi. When she would go to stay with her relatives, Krishnamayi Didi would help to look after Srila Guru Maharaj. It was necessary to cook in a very precise way for Srila Guru Maharaj otherwise he would get a headache. Krishnamayi Didi learnt to cook for him from Rama Didi. We would offer Srila Guru Maharaj her preparations, but after maybe two or three years she herself would take him his prasadam and offer it directly to him. At that time Srila Guru Maharaj could not see very well. One day Krishnamayi Didi was giving something to Srila Guru Maharaj and by chance her finger and Srila Guru Maharaj's finger touched. Immediately she paid her obeisances to Srila Guru Maharaj saying, 'Oh, I have made a great offence!' I was there and saw Srila Guru Maharaj smile a little, thinking, 'She has acted perfectly.'

"Srila Guru Maharaj was becoming old, his pulse and blood pressure were low and his health was deteriorating. And after that incident Krishnamayi Didi became close in the service to Srila Guru Maharaj. So from that first situation where no lady could enter his room we have seen how presently Krishnamayi Didi began rendering service to Srila Guru Maharaj, and later Rama Didi and so many others also came and served him in various ways."

(From Golden Reflections)

Digesting Gurudev's Love
"They cannot understand how much love and affection Gurudev has for them. They think Gurudev loves his disciples but not his godbrothers and godsisters, and that is why they left..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 11 March 2016)

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

Mon, 29 June 2020

Practise More and Better
"You must always stay within service. You must practise and practise every day, with attachment to your service. Also, you must think tonight what service you will do tomorrow and how you can improve and increase that service."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min | 4 June 2020)

Sun, 28 June 2020

Dangerous Query
"Different Vaishnavs have different vision. They are all our guru-varga and we cannot make any offence to our guru-varga. We must give respect to what they do. That is our simplicity and our tradition. We do not think, 'Why did he do this?' What they have done is final for us."
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 7 min | 23 June 2020)

Closing Kirtan
His Divine Grace chants 'Hari Haraye Nama Krsna' and a little of the kirtan lines usually sung in Jagannath Puri Dham.
• Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 6 min | 23 June 2020)

Today in the calendar: Gaura Ashtami. Disappearance of Sripad Ajita Krishna Brahmachari.

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: "Even if you do not know anything about the Vaishnav mentioned in the calendar, you must still give them 'jay' on this day."

In honour of Sripad Ajita Krishna Brahmachari:

A Miracle and Wealth of Our Mission [Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
"Ajita Krishna Brahmachari was an ideal servitor of Srila Guru Maharaj. I am surprised to see his mood of service. I did something, no doubt, but he used ten times more energy for the service of Guru Maharaj! That was his peculiarity. That type of all-rounder brahmachari was the wealth of our mission."

The Tireless Servitor [Sri Gaudiya Darshan]
An article written by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj in honour of the passing of Sripad Ajita Krishna Prabhu Seva Saurabh. It was first published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan on 19 September 1971.

The Best of All Servitors [Sri Gaudiya Darshan]
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's tribute to Sripad Ajita Krishna Das Brahmachari Seva Saurabh.

• SONG: Ye anila prema-dhana | যে আনিল প্রেমধন
"Where are the saviours of the fallen souls? Not finding Sri Gauranga, who performed His Pastimes with all His associates, Narottam Das weeps."

Sat, 27 June 2020

Eternal Humble Prayer
"'When will You place Your lotus feet on my head? I have no quality, no qualification, I am such a tiny thing—please accept me as Your dog. Please...' Always pray and cry to the Lord in this way. You say, 'Yes, I am giving everything to you,' but in the meantime you always keep the key with you. This is not surrender."
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 8 min | 23 June 2020)

A pearl of guidance: Cry and Call, "Doyal Nitai!"
"Who will give mercy to such a low fallen soul as myself except Nityananda? Except Nityananda, there is no one in this world who can give mercy to me. We must worship this Nityananda Prabhu."
• Download / listen to the audio (5.3 Mb, 12 min | 7 February 2017)

Sun, 29 March 2020

World Pandemic: Use Your Time Wisely
"All over the world, all devotees at this moment always think and are always afraid of COVID-19, coronavirus. We cannot do anything about it—when the time comes, we will have to leave our body. However, as many days as we may have, we must not waste our time! Now that all the devotees are always in their house, it is a good time—they can read many books such as Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-charitamrita and all our good books. They can concentrate their mind on Krishna consciousness and chant more rounds of the Holy Name. They can do more service in their houses."
• Download/listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 9 min | 28 March 2020)

— { LIBRARY } —
An extensive section of the website is dedicated to the publications of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math available for online reading and download. Here, you will find dozens of books and articles by:
• Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj
• Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
• Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
• Other authors as well as practical guidance

— { GUIDANCE } —
Over one thousand lectures spoken by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj are presented on this website, categorised by year, and available for listening and reading online and also as twenty-two electronic Guidance Issues in the Library:

• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2009

• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013

• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017

• 2018
• 2019
• 2020

— { DAILY PRACTICE } —
Pages dedicated to the spiritual practices that are recommended for the spiritual health of a disciple comprised of eternal instructions emanating from the holy lotus mouths of our Sri Guru-varga:

• Introduction
• Setting up the altar
• Arati
• Daily kirtans
• Bhog, cooking, offering

• Observing Ekadasi
• Observing Festivals
• Tulasi Devi
• Four regulative principles
• Scriptural regulations

Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj's books at ONLINE BOOKSTORE — NEW BOOKS ADDED
Guidance 1	Guidance 2	Guidance 3	Guidance 4

Sri Upadesh 1 (Bengali)	Sri Upadesh 2 (Bengali)	Sri Upadesh 3 (Bengali)	Sri Upadesh 4 (Bengali)

Sri Puri Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala (Bengali)	Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala (Bengali)	Guidance 3 ESPAÑOL
All these books, as well as other publication from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, are available for purchase at our main temples in India, as well as online from any country all over the world. All online orders are sent from Kolkata, India. Should you have any enquiries, we will be happy to assist:
Also available ONLINE in Russian (Электронные книги)
«НАСТАВЛЕНИЯ» Том 1 • скачать PDF	«НАСТАВЛЕНИЯ» Том 2 • скачать PDF	«НАСТАВЛЕНИЯ» Том 3 • скачать PDF	Сборники лекций для чтения на мобильных устройствах и offline: • «Наставления», выпуск №1 (ePub, 0.7 Мб) • «Наставления», выпуск №2 (ePub, 0.8 Мб)

• Archive of Updates
• Ekadashi Guidance
• Rules and Regulations
• Chanting the Holy Name

• Daily Practice
• Sri Gaudiya Darshan
• Bengali updates
• Russian updates

বাংলা আপডেট

Spanish translations

Русские переводы

Kirtan Guide

Sri Sri Prema-Vivarta
“Brother, either serve Gora or serve society. The two never remain in one place together.”

Narottam Das Thakur: Our Guru, Our Protector, Our Shelter
'Narottam Das Thakur is our Guru-varga. If you think how much he tried to preach, you will wonder, 'How is it possible?' You can understand how much he preached and how he protected our line if you think about his songs.'

CALENDAR FOR 07/2020

7 July (Tue). Disappearance of Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Hriday Bon Maharaj.

10 July (Fri). Disappearance of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami Prabhu.

13 July (Mon). Disappearance of Srila Lokanath Goswami Prabhu.

16 July (Thu). Kamika Ekadashi.

17 July (Fri). Paran between 5:05 and 9:30 a.m.

20 July (Mon). Amavasya. Festival in honour of the disappearance of Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Ashtottara-shata-sri Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

24 July (Fri). Disappearance of Srila Vamshi Das Babaji Maharaj.

26 July (Sun). Appearance of Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Vijay Trivikram Maharaj.

27 July (Mon). Disappearance of Sripad Ananga Mohan Das Adhikari.

29 July (Wed). Disappearance of Tridandi Swami Bhakti Prasun Bodhayan Maharaj.

30 July (Thu). Pavitraropani Ekadashi. Beginning of Jhulan Yatra of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda and start of the one month festival of Sri Hari Smaran at Nabadwip, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

31 July (Fri). Paran between 6:10 and 9:33 a.m. Disappearance of Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Gauri Das Pandit Goswami.

CALENDAR FOR 08/2020

3 August (Mon). Purnima. Appearance of Sri Baladev. Fast until noon. End of Jhulan Yatra of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda.

HRISHIKESH

8 August (Sat). Krishna Panchami. Disappearance of Tridandi Swami Bhakti Vilas Tapasvi Maharaj.

12 August (Wed). Krishna Ashtami. Sri Sri Krishna Janmashtami. Complete fast until midnight, then no grains.

13 August (Thu). Krishna Navami. Sri Nandotsav. Sri Janmashtami paran between 5:15 and 9:33 a.m. Appearance of Vishva-varenya Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad.

15 August (Sat). Krishna Ekadashi. Annada Ekadashi. Fast.

16 August (Sun). Krishna Dvadashi. Paran between 5:16 and 9:33 a.m.

23 August (Sun). Gaura Panchami. Appearance of Sri Sita Devi, the consort of Sri Advaita Prabhu.

25 August (Tue). Gaura Saptami. Sri Lalita Saptami. Appearance of Sri Lalita Devi.

26 August (Wed). Gaura Ashtami. Sri Radhashtami. Srimati Radharani's appearance at noon. Fast until noon.

29 August (Sat). Gaura Ekadashi. Parshva Ekadashi. Fast.

30 August (Sun). Gaura Dvadashi. Appearance of Sri Vamanadev. Paran after the worship of Sri Vamanadeva between 5:21 and 9:04 a.m. Appearance of Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu.

31 August (Mon). Gaura Trayodashi. Appearance of Srila Sachchidananda Bhakti Vinod Thakur.

FULL CALENDAR >>

THE TEN OFFENCES TO
THE HOLY NAME:

1) Criticise sadhus, Vaishnavs
2) Consider Lord Siva and gods to be independent of Lord Krishna
3) Consider Guru to be an ordinary mortal man
4) Criticise scriptures
5) Interpret the Name with the help of a dictionary, etc.
6) Consider the Name imaginary.
7) Sin and chant to remove the sin.
8) Consider chanting equal to pious activities.
9) Instruct faithless people in chanting, inattentive chanting.
10) Remain attached to things, your body, etc.

Sri Sri Damodarastakam

'To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who [due to the offence of breaking the pot of yogurt that his mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing] is quickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yasoda, but who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greater speed—to that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances.'

শ্রীশ্রীদামোদরাষ্টকম্

“If somebody does not like you, you must see: maybe you have some fault,
that is why they do not like you.”

"HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS | HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS"