25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 4]

Cry, Pray, and Serve
"When will I leave this material world and my mind become clean? When will material desires be removed from me? We must always cry and pray for this. We have become entangled and stuck in material life just as ants get stuck in molasses..."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Jagannath Astakam
‘If anyone studies or recites this auspicious "Jagannath Astakam" with a devoted and pure mind, their soul will be cleansed of all sins and attain the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 5]

Service: Labour of Love
"How many things must one person see to? Making temples and buildings is not a big matter, but it is important to maintain them. It is necessary to have service mood. Tad viddhi pranipatena, pariprasnena, sevaya."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Krishna Vandana
‘O eternal Lord, may the bee of my heart reside eternally at Your lotus feet, where there is an abundance of the most wonderful honey, which surpasses the nectar of immortality, and thus attain the ultimate sweetness.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswamipad:

Srimad Gopal Bhatta Goswami [By Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur]
'Sriyuta Achyutacharan Chaudhuri Mahasaya compiled an account of Srimad Gopal Bhatta Goswami Mahadaya's biography, and the work turned out quite good. He wrote that Gopal Bhatta Goswami was born in 1422 Saka (1500 CE). His father, Venkata Bhatta, hailed from Balangundi, Bengal...'

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)

Srila-Gopal-Bhatta-Gosvami-Prabhur Sochaka
‘O Sri Gopal Bhatta Prabhu, will I ever get to see your holy lotus feet to my eyes’ content? When I heard about his inexhaustible glories, a termite bored a hole in my cage. May all inauspiciousness go far away now!’

Sri Sri Sad-Goswami Astakam
‘Always engaged in chanting the glories of Sri Krishna, singing and dancing, they are oceans of Sri Krishna-prema; appreciated by both the learned and the ignorant, they are always benevolent in their behaviour, pleasing everybody – there is not even a trace of jealousy in them, so they are worshipped by all people; being recipients of Sri Chaitanyadev’s special mercy, they rescue all materialists, relieving the earth of its burden – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.’

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 6]

Service: Adherence and Attachment
"There can be no Krishna consciousness without anugatya. If somebody practises Krishna consciousness without strict adherence and devotion to the guru, it is maya (illusion). You must remember this. Krishna consciousness means that we must please our gurudev."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Jaya jaya sundara nanda-kumara
‘Glory to You, O beautiful Nanda-kumar! You enjoy Your spring pastimes on the fragrant river banks in Vrindavan. Your beautiful dancing, Your gait and Your joyful swinging necklace enchant the whole world. You appear and sport in the pure benevolent hearts of Your beloved devotees.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 7]

Forging Fortune
"It is natural one will leave; rather, it is unnatural (uncommon) that one would stay. How many people can stay at the temple? Who can tolerate all the austerities and practise Krishna consciousness, do service? Who has such a fortune?"

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Krishnachandra Astakam
‘If anybody studies and recites this poem in glorification of Sri Radhika’s Beloved, who is rare to behold even for Laksmi Devi, their satiated heart will be irresistibly drawn to that forest of cowherds and thrilled to receive service to Sri Radhika’s holy feet in the company of Her dearest associates.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 8]

Concentrate Your Mind on Nityananda Prabhu's Service
"Many say, ‘I will leave my family!’ with their mouths, but in the meantime, the poison of material life is slowly growing… If you listen to what the gurus and sadhus say and can put aside your material desires – if Nitaichand gives His mercy to you – then all desires will become trifle. Concentrate your mind on the service to Nityananda Prabhu. Always serve Nityananda Prabhu."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Vrindavanotsav
‘Lord Madhav’s beauty that has been described by Rasika Saraswati is the very essence of all transcendental ecstasy. Intelligent personalities become so content with it that all so-called pleasures of meditational practices and soul-searching become meaningless to them.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Five, chanted on Wednesdays)
'He reveals (first, to Sri Sanatan and then to Prakasananda) sixty-two interpretations of the famous verse ‘Atmaramas cha… ittham-bhuta-guno harih’ (‘Even self-realised, self-satisfied souls are moved to worship the Lord’) from Srimad Bhagavatam; interpreting the various lexical meanings of the eleven words of this verse, juxtaposed in different ways, He reveals a treasure-mine of multitudinous meanings of this verse in consonance with the precepts of pure devotional conclusions – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Srila Lokanath Goswami Prabhu:

In Praise of Srila Narottam Das Thakur
In this chapter of Affectional Guidance, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj is describing the meeting of Srila Narottam Das Thakur with his Guru, Srila Lokanath Goswami.

Simple Service, Earnest Heart
"It is necessary to have the strongest faith. You cannot see everything with your eyes. We will serve Mahaprabhu, devotees, our Guru, and whether they accept it or not, that is up to them. Simple things are sufficient for us."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 8 min | 12 July 2020)

Overpowered by Service
"You may have everything, but if you do not have mercy of your Guru, then you have nothing. Gurudev gave you all his blessings, and if we can serve him, we will get supreme benefit. You must always live remembering Gurudev's words."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.1 Mb, 12 min | 8 April 2017 | Bengali)

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 9]

Direct Your Mind to Bhagavatam
"This is ‘loving search for the lost servant’. When a father loses his son, he searches for him everywhere – he publishes an advertisement on TV, in newspapers, declares the boy missing, does everything he can to find his boy. In the same way, the Lord has lost His children – us, the fallen souls – and is searching for us everywhere, ‘When will these souls start practising spiritual life and come back to Me?’"

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Radha-Madhava Mahotsav
‘Thus, Rasika Saraswati sings about the mystery of Sri Radha’s greatly astonishing beauty, which must be sung by all those who long and crave for the ecstatic devotional pastimes of Vrindavan.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Six, chanted on Thursdays)
'Captivated by and afflicted with an intense feeling of separation, He runs swiftly to the simha-dvara gate of Lord Jagannathdev’s holy temple; the next moment He falls down on the spot, His holy figure transformed into that of a tortoise by the influence of deep separation; attracted by the uncommon divine fragrance emanating from His holy figure, the Telangi cows residing at the temple draw near, surrounding Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 10]

Keep Yourself On Track
"Those who have wealth should serve with their wealth; those who have a body should serve with their bodies; those who have a mind should serve with their minds; those who have life in them should serve with their lives. Whatever your capacity is, whatever your qualification is, everyone must serve their guru with that capacity. Actually, we have no qualification: gurudev's mercy is everything. How can we get that mercy?"

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Jaya jaya radha-madhava radhe
‘Glory, glory to Radha-Madhav, Radha-Madhav, Radha (the treasure of Jayadev’s heart)! Glory, glory to Radha-Madan-gopal, Radha-Madan-gopal, Radha (the treasure of Advaita Acharya’s heart)!’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Seven, chanted on Fridays)
'He is a holy embodiment of the beautiful reality which is beyond the reach of one’s eyes and ears, which paralyses the very necessity of intelligence and which leaves even firmly fixed consciousness dumbstruck when divine love surges up – even Brahma, Sambhu (Siva), as well as their revealed scriptures, Vedas and tantras cannot conceive of such reality, so they merely keep searching after Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 11]

Are You Getting Off?
"Gurudev has got you a ticket to Vrindavan, but instead you get off half way to Vrindavan and go to Kashi. You must understand what I am saying. Gurudev has given you a ticket to Vrindavan, but you get off in Kashi! You must not take any other train – you must get on the train that gurudev is taking you in. You must go with your guru."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Vrajaraja-Suta Astakam
‘His lustre resembles the beauty of a fresh rain cloud. He is the great prince who enjoys His amorous pastimes in the ocean of ecstatic mellows. His head is adorned with an auspicious peacock feather, bending charmingly to the side. Worship this treasure, Sri Krishna, the Son of the King of Vraja!’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

SRI EKADASI GUIDANCE

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.

Renunciation of Cowards and Misers
[By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
'What we need is yukta-vairagya: we shall take from the store of Krishna to keep ourselves fit and to do service. It is Krishna's account, and if we do not do that, we will be separatists, mayavadis, renunciationists. We must render maximum service to Krishna, so we must take without any hesitation whatever is necessary to make ourselves fit for the service; otherwise, we shall be punishable.'

"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"
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• "Make the Teachings of Sri Guru Non-Different from Your Heart"
• Ekadasi: Devotional Practice
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• Ekadasi Rules

"You do not need to know the meaning of each ekadasi tithi because if you know it, you will want to get this result, that result, etc."

(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 12]

Gentle Clean Hearts
"Many say with their mouths, ‘I will leave my family! I will leave my material life!’ but you must come to the level when you actually feel, with all your being, with all your heart, that your (material) family is nothing. You must make so that all material desires become insignificant, trifle, and so that you feel only attachment and devotion to the Lord."

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Govardhana-vasa Prarthana Dasakam
‘Those who strive to study and recite this nectarean poem about Srila Govardhan, the greatest of Mountains, will immediately attain a happy residence there and very soon receive the precious jewel of auspicious service to the Divine Couple.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

Dear respected Devotees, Friends and Well-Wishers,

We are offering obeisance at your holy lotus feet and humbly extend a letter of encouragement to observe the disappearance day of the most worshippable Founder Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, which manifests on 12 August (Wednesday) this year and will be observed in every branch of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math throughout the world.

Our beloved Sri Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj 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 altar 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."

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)

In honour of the forthcoming festival of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance:

{2011}

Spiritual Management
"I do not like somebody, he does not like somebody—it is not a question, we must engage everybody. Chaitanya Saraswat Math is not somebody's personal property—it is Gurudev's property, Guru Maharaj's property, and we must serve that Chaitanya Saraswat Math together. That is our main thing."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 6 min)

Zest for Sankirtan
"We must practise and run our movement very properly everywhere, in every corner, every city, every temple. It is not necessary to make a big dome—it is necessary to preach."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.5 Mb, 5 min)

United We Stand
"Srila Gurudev also said that no one can break this Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Some little disturbance came to our temple too, but we are still united. We must stay together, we must make our Chaitanya Saraswat Math all over the world."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

Service Drive
"It is not necessary to become an acharya, it is not necessary to become a guru, it is not necessary to be a big pujari. If you can become foot dust of Chaitanya Saraswat Math, that is sufficient for you. Those who want to do something for their Guru, they can do it."
• Download / listen to the audio (0.5 Mb, 2 min)

Smooth and Strong Preaching
"Preaching is the main thing. If the water in a river is not running, then the water becomes dirty. But if the water runs, the river is clean. If our Guru's preaching movement goes smoothly, then all bad illusory environment will be finished in a moment. "
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

Clear Vision, Full Faith
"When Gurudev told me something, I always said, 'Yes, I will do it.' So, to this day I am still trying to serve all the devotees. Problems will come, but they will finish easily. This is what Gurudev told me, and I believe that. I believe my Guru—I have full faith in him."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min)

{2012}

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)

{2013}

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math: Gate to Bhakti-Jagat
"The day after tomorrow is the disappearance festival of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. What did he make Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math for? What simple and sweet things did he give us for our spiritual life? It is necessary to understand this."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 7 min)

Die To Live
"It means a surrendered mood. You must think, 'I have joined Krishna consciousness, and it is my life, this is what I am alive for, this is what I got this human body for.' Everything in this world is for the service to Krishna, and we must do everything for Him."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min)

Advantage of Adversity
"When some problem comes in your service, at that time more feelings, more desire and strength will come to you for your service, and you can reach your own destination quicker."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min)

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 13]

Do Not Give Up
"Param Guru Maharaj (Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj) always said, ‘Start the fire, and the wind will come automatically’, ‘Even if your boat is sinking, keep rowing!’ Srila Prabhupad also said, ‘When you go to preach, you must sweat and fight to preach about the Lord!’"

• INNER FULFILMENT •

Preface
'The need for every one of us in this world is to solve the real problem of suffering caused by our existence in this mortal world. The solution is well-known to those special souls who are truly acquainted with the eternal spiritual realm, and they are able to impart that to others. It is the introduction to these secrets which is being expressed in this new booklet Inner Fulfillment.'

(1) Searching for the Solution
'Come to search that thing which will solve your entire problem. Searching after this, searching after the wants of A, searching after B, searching after C—dismiss all these mad ideas. Search only after the one thing that will satisfy everything. It is possible.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Kunja-Bihari Stava Astakam
‘Those who study and recite this poem describing the nectarean pastimes of Sri Kunja-Bihari Krishna will certainly attain the great effulgent fortune of loving attachment to His holy lotus feet.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of the forthcoming festival of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance:

{2014}

Exalted, Esteemed, and Inimitable
"We have no quality or qualification to glorify Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. He is a super personality. Srila Sridhar Maharaj conquered, possessed the heart of Srila Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur through his service and devotion."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 10 min | 26 July 2014)

Importance of True Guru
"In this age of Kali there are so many gurus, but it is rare to get a guru who thinks about the disciple's santap, tri-tap-jvala. We must understand the importance of the Guru. As long as we have the shelter of Gurudev, Krishna cannot destroy us."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 26 July 2014)

{2018}

Genuine Relation with Sri Guru
'If somebody has a relationship with their guru, if somebody has been able to know and understand their guru, they will never be separated, or detached, from their guru. But tell me, who is able to know the guru? Who can understand the guru? You cannot understand your guru if you do not become a real disciple.'

Pleasing Gurudev
'What does service mean? Service is not pleasing yourself. Service means pleasing your gurudev. I do not need to be pleased – I must always think how my guru can be pleased. Is Gurudev pleased with my service or not? If Gurudev does not like something but you forcefully do it, it can never make your guru happy.'

Giving Gurudev Place In Your Heart
'It is necessary to make gurudev happy by knowing who he is, by understanding him and by serving him. We must serve our gurudev trying to please him. One time, a husband and a wife came to take initiation from Srila Prabhupad...'

Gurudev's Transcendental Care
'We must be always humble, tolerant and give honour to others. We must be compassionate, merciful to others. Those who have these qualities can serve the Lord. I am not telling you to give me place in your house. We must give place for the Lord in our hearts, but our hearts are full of other things...'

Live In the World of Faith
'Just as there is an aural world for those who have ears, a visual world for those who have eyes; in the same way, there is God for those who have devotion. We must have faith in this. We must know and understand what we must see.'

Value Your Service Life
'If you do what is favourable (anukul), you have to give up what is unfavourable (pratikul). You cannot do both together because unfavourable things will slowly destroy your devotion. If you come to the world of devotion but Kali Ma takes even some smallest place within you, you will not be able to stay there.'

Power of Genuine Devotion
'We pray to Gurudev, "If I do not get your mercy, I cannot do anything." No matter how much you may know, no matter how many good qualities you may have, you will not get anywhere and you will not be able to do anything unless you have your guru's mercy.'

Give Wholesale Attention
'Is it possible to do two things at a time? Is it possible to chant the Holy Name and say something else at the same time or listen to the lecture at the same time? But how can we practise all sixty-four devotional practices at the same time? Srila Prabhupad gave the answer.'

Harmonising Wisely
'Your five fingers are not the same, so five servitors will also not be the same. It is necessary to manage and serve together with everyone. If somebody is going down a bad road, you must talk to them, explain it to them, you must try to keep them in this line. Never reject them.'

Seva-Sprha
'I want to practise Krishna consciousness and serve the Lord and Gurudev – in this way, my life is passing away. If we can do some vaishnav-seva, if we can practise Krishna consciousness, then it is very good. If you keep doing service, you will have desire, or longing, for service.'

My Humble Prayer to You
'When you always do service, you feel happy – you feel no trouble, no pain. We are not even conscious of any personal struggles. When you do and do service, your faults will go away. What are these faults?'

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(2) The Vision of Goodness
'Not only is the soul immortal, not only does God exist, not only is He the Absolute Dispenser of good and bad, but we ourselves are units of the conscious world. So, separate yourself eternally from that mania, from that misconception and false identification with this material aspect which is the result of your degraded life, and become reinstated in your glorious position as a soul.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Radha Kunda Astakam
‘Those who study and recite this poem describing the nectarean pastimes of Sri Kunja-Bihari Krishna will certainly attain the great effulgent fortune of loving attachment to His holy lotus feet.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of the festival of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance:

devam divya-tanum suchhanda-vadanam balarka-chelanchitam
sandrananda-puram sad-eka-varanam vairagya-vidyambudhim
sri-siddhanta-nidhim subhakti-lasitam sarasvatanam varam
vande tam subhadam mad-eka-saranam nyasisvaram sridharam

"I worship Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the bestower of all auspiciousness, my only shelter and the master of all renunciates. He is my Lord who possesses a transcendental form, whose face expression is very grave, who is clad in the holy clothes the colour of the newly risen sun. He is an abode of intense joy; the only genuine master whom one can accept and surrender to; and an ocean of divine knowledge and renunciation. He is a repository of holy scriptural teachings and pastimes of the highest devotion and a dear follower of Srila Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad."

What Is Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and Its Distinctions
"To explain to this world what Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is, what its purpose, preaching matter or distinctions are, is an extremely difficult task, but it is even more difficult to make those who are engrossed in and inspired by the commonplace ideas appreciate it even partially..."

Be Courageous [By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
"We must not be disappointed. We must have courage. We must face everything courageously and well-meaning in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Srimad Bhagavatam comes to teach us to face any danger, any adverse circumstance with this spirit. This should be our real spirit when facing trouble, then we will get relief very soon, we will not have to wait long."

Soul-Deep Cultivation [By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
"We must be very careful about the depth of our cultivation. What we do must come from within, from the core of our hearts, from the very essence of our existence. We must be very mindful of this. This is not lip-deep but heart-deep – we must reach the plane where we are, where the man (the soul) is, then our innermost thirst can be quenched."

Srila Guru Maharaj Remembers
"I was born at midnight, Saturday 10th October, 1895. Navami tithiunder the same sign as Lord Ramchandra. Krishna-paksa [dark moon fortnight]. Sriman Mahaprabhu was also born on a Saturday. I was the second child. The first was a daughter, but she died early, so Ram Kavach [a protective mantram and amulet] was given to my mother for the protection of the next child, that is, myself. So I was born after my mother took Ram Kavach...."

Photo Album: (35 photographs, 3.4 Mb)
A collection of selected photographs of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj is now added to the archive of photographs.

Our Literary Heritage
A complete extensive collection of publications and holy books most mercifully presented to us by devotees who tirelessly collected, transcribed, and presented carefully in a book-form the holy transcendental discourses of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj containing unprecedented and much appreciated and extolled by the entire Vaishnava universe siddhanta. We invite everyone to come in touch with the touchstones of these holy books and embrace the supreme nourishment and fulfilment that any sincere seeker shall find therein.

{2019}

"They Cannot Steal Our Hearts"
"People in this world want money, things, this, and that, they always search for material things, but we are not like that. They want to enjoy Krishna's things, but devotees always enjoy their practice. That is the main thing."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 7 min)

Brief History
"Soon after Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disappearance in 1937, Srila Sridhar Maharaj also left Chaitanya Math in Mayapur, empty-handed, wearing only his clothes. Feeling very sad, he went to Vrindavan and stayed in Pavan Sarovar..."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 9 min)

Pure Rupanuga-Dhara
"Actually, anyone can manage a temple, but who did Srila Prabhupad make his acharya (successor) from within his heart? Who could preach the pure conception? Who was the pure Rupanuga-dhara?"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min)

At Ultadanga and Godavari
"When Srila Sridhar Maharaj joined in 1926, Srila Prabhupad was staying at Ultadanga. Srila Sridhar Maharaj had passed his Bachelor degree and got admitted to a law college, when one day he got some message that a great sadhu was giving lectures at Ultadanga."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 5 min)

Supreme Fortune and Earnest Prayer
"I am praying to Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Gurudev, 'Wherever you are, you can see all the situation. What is your desire? Your desire is not that they occupy the building, your desire is to preach Sri Rupa-Raghunath katha all over the world, but how will you fulfil your desire?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 6 min)

{2020}

Devotees' Humility
"Devotees are always humble. Whatever they do, they always think, 'Gurudev is my own'—that is the real connection with Gurudev. Those who are qualified will not tell anything about their practising life—they will only think that they are simple, small persons who have no quality, no qualification. This is how devotees show their devotion."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 9 min)

Relation With Guru: Watch Out
"Srila Gurudev gave much honour and much respect to everybody, both his godbrothers and his disciples. However, a disciple should also understand—if Gurudev gives me respect, it does not mean I will now jump and sit on his head."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.4 Mb, 6 min)

Maintaining Gurudev's Legacy
"They do something but they cannot understand how much offence they are making. We must understand how to make Gurudev happy, how to follow Gurudev's line, and how to maintain Gurudev's legacy. We must think about these things."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 7 min)

Worshipful Stance
"We chant the Holy Name, we practise kirtan, and we should do that in a worshipful mood. We can only worship Radha-Krishna's combined form and their lotus feet. We do not want to become sahajiyas. There are things that we must understand within ourselves but cannot express to others."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 6 min)

Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Festival — Down Memory Lane:

26 July 2014

Morning programme.
Arati, parikrama, kirtan, and the morning lecture led by Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Evening programme.
August assembly of Vaishnavas attending the festival presided over by Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

14 August 2015

Sri Viraha Maha-Mahotsav (46 photographs, 2.9 Mb)
Photographs of the festival in honour of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance day that was observed at Sri Nabadwip Dham with an assembly of Vaishnavs, dignitaries, and honourable devotees.

2 August 2016

Tirobhav Festival, Nabadwip (25 photographs, 1.4 Mb)
Photographs from the festival in honour of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance that went very beautifully and auspiciously at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nabadwip Dham, in the shelter of the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

22–23 July 2017

Eve of the Disappearance Festival
Many Vaishnavs, devotees, pilgrims and friends are coming to the central Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Sri Nabadwip Dham to observe and honour the holy disappearance festival of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj and receive the darshan and spiritual nourishment of the holy lotus feet of Sri Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj. We are sharing a few photographs from the eve of the festival taken mostly during the evening programme.

Holy Disappearance Festival of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj (25 photographs, 1.4 Mb | 23 July 2017)
Sharing photographs taken today at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nabadwip Dham, as many honourable Vaishnavs and devotees come to attend and honour the holy festival of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance that is presided over by Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj, the divine guardian and holder of the banner of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

10–11 August 2018

Observing Adhivas of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Festival
As fortunate devotees gather at Sri Nrisingha Palli Temple to observe the holy disappearance day of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj under the guidance of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj, we share photographs taken during the evening arati on the Festival's eve.

Observing Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Festival
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj presides over Vishva-Vaishnava Raja Sabha in honour of the holy disappearance day of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj: a grand and well-attended programme of kirtans, lectures, arati, prasad-seva at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nrisingha Palli.

1 August 2019

News from Kolkata: Observing Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Disappearance Festival
By his divine wish and desire, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj chooses to observe this supremely auspicious day quietly and solemnly at the Sevak Bhavan of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Krishnanushilana Sangha in Kolkata amongst the fortunate devotees staying and serving there at present. Sharing photographs from the class and the rest of the programme.

20 July 2020

Tirobhav Festival in Kolkata
In the shade of the holy lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj, devotees observe the holy disappearance day of Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. In the evening, Sri Gurupadpadma Srila Acharya Maharaj speaks to the devotees worldwide recalling many pastimes of Srila Sridhar Maharaj and the history of founding Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

25 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 14]

False Attachments
"We want to leave the material life, but the material life does not want to leave us. It is not so easy to practise Krishna consciousness. In Sri Bhakti Raksak Hari-kathamrita, Srila Guru Maharaj tells one nice story..."

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(3) Happiness in Higher Thought
'Why is happiness eluding us? No matter how much we get, we always hanker for more. Such is the nature of every one of us in all fields and walks of life. How then can finite material objects and flickering bodily or intellectual pleasures satiate our infinite hankerings? Our life is unfulfilled and we want fulfillment, there is no doubt, but what type of fulfillment should we hanker for and search after?'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Kunja-Bihari Stava Astakam
‘The heavenly cow Surabhi, who was born from the ocean, bathed the Son of the King of Vraja with her milk. From this milk, there appeared a pond known as Sri Govinda Kunda. It exists beautifully at the enchanting Govardhan Hill.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Six, chanted on Thursdays)
'Captivated by and afflicted with an intense feeling of separation, He runs swiftly to the simha-dvara gate of Lord Jagannathdev’s holy temple; the next moment He falls down on the spot, His holy figure transformed into that of a tortoise by the influence of deep separation; attracted by the uncommon divine fragrance emanating from His holy figure, the Telangi cows residing at the temple draw near, surrounding Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 1]

Main Festivals
"Without Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy, we cannot enter the kingdom of spiritual life. It is first necessary to have Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy, and Nityananda Prabhu means Gurupadpadma. They are asraya-vigraha (worshippable embodiments of shelter)."

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(4) The Happiest Form of Life
'What is the necessity of living for ages and ages if we are unconscious of our own interest? One moment properly utilised is sufficient to solve the whole problem of our life because of which we are eternally wandering about in this plane. We must be wakeful to our personal interest, not negligent.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Radhika Astakam (1)
‘If somebody recites this poem glorifying the beloved of Krishna, whom it is rare for even Parvati Devi and other exalted ladies to see, She swiftly includes them in the circle of Her happy girlfriends who participate in nectarean service in the happy association of Lord Krishna.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Seven, chanted on Fridays)
'He is a holy embodiment of the beautiful reality which is beyond the reach of one’s eyes and ears, which paralyses the very necessity of intelligence and which leaves even firmly fixed consciousness dumbstruck when divine love surges up – even Brahma, Sambhu (Siva), as well as their revealed scriptures, Vedas and tantras cannot conceive of such reality, so they merely keep searching after Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 2]

Serve with Faith
"One takes initiation to serve the guru. The very meaning of initiation is service to the guru. Service can be different. One can serve close to the guru, and one can serve from far, too. We must have faith that Krishna is our protector, that Krishna is our maintainer. As soon as we lose this faith, Maya will catch us."

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(5) A Labor of Love
'You are at present in an adulterated conception of your own life. The mind, intelligence and exploiting energies of different kinds are all adulteration. So, all kinds of adulteration will be eliminated from your existence. When your existence is purified, your real self within will come out in its pristine glory, and you will find that you have a happy devotional connection with the Supersoul.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Radhika Astakam (2)
‘Her unalloyed nectarean Holy Name is the very basis and embodiment of transcendental conjugal love. If anybody properly studies this highest "Radhastakam", the benedictine Moon Sri Krishna shining over the banks of the Yamuna will be pleased and fulfil all their desires.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Srila Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj:

"In 1914, when Srila Prabhupad arrived a few days before the festival of Sriman Mahaprabhu's appearance, he met with Srila Vamsidas Babaji Mahasaya, an affectionate associate of Srila Gaurakishor Das Goswami Maharaj, in the yard of a large gymnasium in Kuliya. At that time, Srila Vamsidas did not speak to anyone—he would only constantly sing on his own the verses from ‘Prarthana’ written by Srila Narottam Thakur Mayasaya for his holy Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nityananda, whom he served with pure loving devotion. Seeing Prabhupad, Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaj became extremely happy and, overcome with feelings, said, 'My Gaura's very own has come.' After that, he cordially welcomed Prabhupad, gave him a place to sit and began to sing ‘Prarthana’ by Thakur Mahasay. It was heard that he would every day somehow gather champaka flowers, string them into two garlands and offer them onto the necks of Sri Sri Gaura Nityananda. After Srila Prabhupad had seen this service, he told us much about the loving service of Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaj and said that he was constantly engaged in a much cherished service in ardent adherence to Srila Narottam Thakur Mahasaya. Prabhupad also said at the time that outside people could not grasp the unholy practises that Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaj displayed in order to deceive the outside people. The activities and actions of a perfected Vaishnav of an unfathomable character can never be perceived by enjoyers, renunciates and imposter devotees."

(From 'Saraswati Jayasri')

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

Srila Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj was the only sadhu who was recognised by our Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad) as a sadhu. Indifferent to the world, Srila Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj lived a strict life of a babaji. He would be seen smoking publicly and living in his ashram with so many things scattered around it (fish scales, etc.) as he wanted to keep himself aloof from the society. He was indifferent to all those worldly things; he was actually searching after Krishna in his heart. Despite so many contradictory symptoms in his character, he had the recognition of our Guru Maharaj as a real living Vaishnava. Our Guru Maharaj rejected so many Vrindavan babajis as being imitators, but Srila Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj was not an imitator—he really hankered for Krishna.

Another time, some gentleman was singing a song of Srila Narottam Das Thakur. When he finished singing, Srila Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj remarked, "You have only superficially repeated the sound, but the real influence, the real impression, the inner voltage is unknown to you. Those who are hit by the strong feeling suggested by this song can know the power underlying it, but you are merely repeating the sound physically, you do not feel the volt, the energy within it. The voltage of the meaning of this song has not struck your heart." He remarked like that. Ordinary men who exist on the surface only repeat sounds, but those whose hearts have been touched by the deep underlying meaning can understand what that song contains...

"For a particular purpose it may be all right to keep a beard, but that is not the custom, neither with the sannyasis, nor with the babajis. Srila Sanatan Goswami had a full beard and Mahaprabhu ordered, 'Take him to a barber and remove it.' Neither sannyasis, nor babajis keep such things. So, we do not like to keep it either. During the Chaturmasya, for the vrata, it is mentioned in the sastra that we can keep hair and beard, otherwise generally not. At the same time, it is not that if one keeps long hair and long beard he cannot be a Vaishnav. There was Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj, an independent Vaishnav. Our Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad) also gave respect to him as a Vaishnav, but he had a big beard and did not shave at all. He was very negligent, he did not follow any sort of fashion—he did not allow any barber to shave him. Still, he was a respectable Vaishnav. As for yourself, if you keep a beard only to satisfy the Muslims for the purpose of your service—if you approach them to collect money and you can render good service to your Gurudev through that, then, for this purpose, to keep the safety of your vocation, you may keep a beard."

(Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

It can sometimes be very hard for us to accept the different natures of the devotees in this Krishna consciousness mission. If someone will stick to only one attitude, then he must be doomed to failure. There are many devotees—and many different natures. As an example, you can see in our own Sri Guru-varga that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has one kind of nature, Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj has another kind of nature, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's nature is of another type, and Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj's nature is yet another. But they are all siddha-mahapurusas—perfected souls. Also Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj has another type of nature, and our Srila Guru Maharaj yet another. So who are you to follow?

Srila Govinda Maharaj: Yes, They accepted. Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj's position was such that he was a paramahamsa Vaishnav in vatsalya-rasa, so Nitai-Gaura could not ignore his offering. But you cannot imitate him.

(Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Golden Reflections)

Question: It was the disappearance day of Vamsi Das Babaji yesterday. Could you tell us something about that?

Actually, there are many followers of Mahaprabhu. Not so much is written about many of them, but because they are followers of Mahaprabhu we give their name in the panjika (calendar). We always pay obeisance to them because they serve Mahaprabhu. Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj, Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj and others are our line and like many previous Gurus and babajis in our line, they lived and did bhajan in Radha Kunda, but after that they came to Nabadwip. We respect them as our Guru-varga, and that is sufficient for us, it is not so important to know the detailed history of their lives. Sometimes, the description of their life is not written anywhere in the scriptures, but we always follow our Srila Sridhar Maharaj's panjika and we give their name in it.

(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj, Odds and Ends)

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 3]

Serve with Faith
"We love our wives, sons, brothers and sisters, we have a relationship with them, but that kind of love must be there for our guru, the temple and the Lord. This is the Lord’s house. This is what our consciousness must be like. We must prepare, mould, ourselves in this way. If we can serve the Lord twenty-four hours a day, we will get the highest benefit."

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(6) Homeward Bound
'It is easy, and it is also difficult. It is easy because it is our inborn tendency, it is our home, and we will not find satisfaction anywhere else, so we must go there and there is hope that we may reach there one day. But the difficulty is that we are far away from that home comfort now, we have lost that land.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Sri Sri Radhika Astakam (3)
‘If anybody makes a pure attempt to study and recite this sweet poem "Radhastakam", abandoning all desires and mental anguish, the Son of the King of Cowherds becomes enamoured and very pleased with them and grants them a place amidst Sri Radhika’s close associates.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 4]

Service Duty (2)
"You are spending your lives thinking all the time about material things, but one day you will have to give an answer. One day will come when you will be asked, ‘You have been at My place for so many days, what did you do there? What did you do at My house? How did you take care of it?’"

• INNER FULFILMENT •

(7) The Land of Beauty
'It is easy, and it is also difficult. It is easy because it is our inborn tendency, it is our home, and we will not find satisfaction anywhere else, so we must go there and there is hope that we may reach there one day. But the difficulty is that we are far away from that home comfort now, we have lost that land.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Radha-bhajane yadi'
‘If you have not become devoted to the worship of Sri Radha, your worship of Krishna has been in vain. Just as you cannot have any idea about the sun without sunlight, you cannot revere Krishna without Radha.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 5]

Heed My Word
"There is no lack or want of anything. It is those who think that there is some lack that lack a lot: those who run behind money always feel they lack something – they always do not have enough, and their lack will never be fulfilled. If you rely and depend on the Lord, the Lord will certainly arrange everything for you."

• INNER FULFILMENT •

Epilogue: The Key to it All
'It is not fixed where you will be carried after death by the current of your previous karma; therefore, try make best use of whatever time is available to you before your death. You have freewill, so the days before your death are, to some degree, in your hand to use: use this time with the utmost care for God realization. There is nothing as important for all of us as this.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Radhika charana padma sakala sreyera sadma'
‘Give up all your wealth, people, wife, children and friends; give up all material activities and knowledge – service to Radha’s lotus feet is full of sweetness. Bhaktivinod bears witness to that.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 6]

Perverted Tastes and Habits
"Listen to what I am saying. If you do not learn to be like that, you will never be able to practise Krishna consciousness. Those who make offences against Vaishnavs can never get any good result – they cannot even chant the Holy Name, no matter how much they count the beads."

• HOME COMFORT •

Foreword
'Sincere practitioners are themselves an introduction to the subject of genuine, joyful, spiritual life, but they are not able to visit everyone personally. Therefore, we are taking the opportunity afforded by the modern scientific age to print books to broadcast such wisdom widely.'

Part One
'Please listen attentively to what I shall explain. I shall try to explain the subject to you in a scientific way, in general, independent of all religious conceptions. First of all, we are to understand that there are three planes of life: the plane of mundane enjoyment, the plane of renunciation, and the plane of dedication.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Radha-krsna prana mora yugala kisora'
‘The youthful Divine Couple, Radha-Krishna, are my life and soul. In life or in death, I have no other shelter, no other way. Narottam Das is hankering to serve the servants of the servants of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Five, chanted on Wednesdays)
'He reveals (first, to Sri Sanatan and then to Prakasananda) sixty-two interpretations of the famous verse ‘Atmaramas cha… ittham-bhuta-guno harih’ (‘Even self-realised, self-satisfied souls are moved to worship the Lord’) from Srimad Bhagavatam; interpreting the various lexical meanings of the eleven words of this verse, juxtaposed in different ways, He reveals a treasure-mine of multitudinous meanings of this verse in consonance with the precepts of pure devotional conclusions – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 7]

Snowball of Offences
"If one keeps making and making offences, their offences will go up to their guru. You can never get any benefit like this. Such people become alienated because nobody likes them. Nobody."

• HOME COMFORT •

Part Two
'Higher things do exist, but the general man in this world has no knowledge about them. We are indeed experiencers and have some knowledge, but only to a particular degree and standard. We cannot venture to calculate what is beyond our reach. But if those who actually have experience of that plane come to us and give us some information, then we can gain some understanding from their investigation and their real connection with the subject matter.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Jaya radhe radhe govinda'
‘I am a very bad person – may you all please bestow your mercy upon me. Please grant me the holy lotus feet of the Divine Couple so that I could fervently chant Sri Radha-Govinda’s Names.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Six, chanted on Thursdays)
'Captivated by and afflicted with an intense feeling of separation, He runs swiftly to the simha-dvara gate of Lord Jagannathdev’s holy temple; the next moment He falls down on the spot, His holy figure transformed into that of a tortoise by the influence of deep separation; attracted by the uncommon divine fragrance emanating from His holy figure, the Telangi cows residing at the temple draw near, surrounding Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 8]

Path to Indigestion
"Can you eat the same amount as a young person? You cannot. Therefore, a young person has a bigger qualification and right to eat than you. Know your limit. If you speak about the things that are beyond your right, you will have indigestion – your devotion will be destroyed."

• HOME COMFORT •

Part Three
'So if you want to get out of this dreaming life and enter reality, then raise yourself to the standard of finding the plane of reality, however subtle it may be, for that cannot be devoured by death. Collect your energy to build up something permanent. At present you are investing your energy in something that is going to be demolished at the next moment—a foolish attempt.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Varaja-vipine yamuna kule'
‘In Vrindavan forests on the bank of the Yamuna, there are beautiful spots adorned with flowers. There grow creepers and large fruit trees that are a pleasure to behold, with many birds chirping in them...’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Seven, chanted on Fridays)
'He is a holy embodiment of the beautiful reality which is beyond the reach of one’s eyes and ears, which paralyses the very necessity of intelligence and which leaves even firmly fixed consciousness dumbstruck when divine love surges up – even Brahma, Sambhu (Siva), as well as their revealed scriptures, Vedas and tantras cannot conceive of such reality, so they merely keep searching after Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 9]

Memorable Pastimes
"I have remembered one story that Srila Gurudev told me. The name of Srila Prabhupad’s guru is Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj. When Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj came to Nabadwip from Vrindavan, people thought he was like a madman – nobody could recognise who he was..."

• HOME COMFORT •

Part Four
'You can discuss the entire position in the company of saints and, in this way, make progress in your life and save yourself. But if, having received a human birth, you lose this chance (you do not try to help yourself properly, do not try to attain a wholesale relief), then you are committing suicide or even worse than that.'

Part Five: Sri Guru and His Grace
'A gentle touch of Sri Guru’s merciful hand can wipe off incessant tears from all weeping eyes. A patriot or a philanthropist makes the problem only worse in his frantic and futile attempt to alleviate the deep-rooted pain of a suffering soul, as an ignorant doctor does in eagerly handling an unfortunate patient. O the day when this poor soul realizes the causeless grace of Sri Gurudev!'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Sata-koti gopi madhava mana'
‘No matter how much they tried, millions of gopis could not hold Madhav’s mind. He calls out Radhika’s Name with His flute song. "Come here, Radha! Come back!" Shyama calls out.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

(23 August—26 September)

Question: We hear that Sri Hari Smaran festival has begun. What activities or reading do you recommend for us?

Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj: You can read Srila Sridhar Maharaj's book Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam, that will be good. Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam is a good book, you can read it and remind yourselves of many good things (practise smaran). I have also given you some books—Guidance 4, Guidance 3. You can read all these books, you will get everything in them. My books are very easy to understand because I am not writing in very high language.

26 FEBRUARY 2021 [EKACHAKRA | EVENING | PART 10]

Kali Yuga Brahmans
"Who is great, a brahman or a Vaishnav? If you have 100,000 rupees, it automatically means you have 1,000 rupees as well. So, 1,000 rupees is a brahman, and 100,000 rupees is a Vaishnav – it means that those who have the qualities of a Vaishnav automatically have all qualities of a brahman."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

Preface
'It has been vividly illustrated herein that a life without surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Krishna is utterly futile, and the most treasured perfection achieved through exclusive surrender has been revealed. This will especially encourage those who are aspiring to enter the land of devotion, drawing them onward to the lotus feet of Sri Hari.'

Publisher's Note
'Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, The Life-nectar of the Surrendered Souls, is the crown-jewel of divine literatures as the eternal elixir of life for the exclusively surrendered souls, the bestower of the perpetual relish of full-fledged nectar, and the awakening and sustaining fountainhead of life in Divine Consorthood.'

Foreword
'Surrender is the indispensable necessity in the life of a devotee, and Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls will sustain and fortify the surrendered souls as the nectar in their lives of Positive and Progressive Immortality.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Gostha (amara sapati lage)'
‘O soul of my heart, my dear sapphire gem! Please promise me that You will not run ahead of the cows. Play Your charming bamboo flute and keep the cows close by. Stay near the house so that I can hear You.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu:

Srimad-Rupa-Gosvami-Prabhur Sochaka
‘O shelter and goal of my life, O Sri Rupa Gosani! You are extremely merciful, an ocean of great qualities. Whoever gets your mercy can come to Sri Chaitanya’s feet and attain Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja Dham.’

Srimad Rupa-pada-rajah Prarthana Dasakam
‘Although I am a wretch, my causelessly merciful Divine Master, Srila Saraswati Thakur overlooked whether I am qualified or unqualified and, right before concealing his pastimes, offered me at his holy lotus feet by having me sing a song ("Sri Rupa-manjari-pada") in his glorification – when will this Srimad Rupa Prabhu adorn me with his holy foot dust?’

Sri Sri Chaitanya Astakam
‘If any intelligent person studies and reads, with a pure heart and with faith, this auspicious poem in remembrance of Lord Sri Chaitanyadev, may a great wave of divine love arise and sweep them away to the extremely joyful, purest holy lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.’

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Srimad Upadesamritam'
‘Those who engage their tongues and minds in proper remembering and chanting of Lord Sri Krishna’s Name, beauty, pastimes, and so on, according to the methods prescribed in the scriptures, should reside in Sri Vraja and spend the entire time faithfully following devotees who have loving attachment for Lord Sri Krishna.’

Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu (1)
"Tomorrow is Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu's and Srila Gauridas Pandit's disappearance day. We want to say something about them because our Guru Maharaj Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj and our Gurupadpadma are Rupanuga-dhara—they are holding Srila Rupa Goswami's flag."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 29 July 2012)

Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu (2)
"We must all pray to Srila Rupa Goswami, 'Prabhu, wherever you are staying now, please forgive our offences. Please engage us to serve your servant, please tolerate us. Prabhu, please accept us as a dog at your lotus feet!'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 29 July 2012)

Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu
"He is actually an associate of Mahaprabhu. Before that, in Dvapara yuga, he was an associate of Krishna, and Krishna Himself sent him to teach us, the fallen souls. On his disappearance day we can ask him for some mercy so that we can continue our service to the Lord."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.9 Mb, 9 min | 18 August 2013)

Rupa Sanatan: First Encounter
"Rupa and Sanatan stayed in Ramkeli-gram in Malda district, Gauda Mandal and worked for the emperor Hussein Shah. They heard that somebody tried to start kirtan, and, understanding that it had to be Mahaprabhu, they went to meet with Him."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 6 min | 13 June 2015)

Service Subordination
"We start service by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, by the mercy of Radharani. Without Their mercy we cannot do anything. One day, Sanatan Goswami came to Rupa Goswami. He asked him, 'For so many days I have not taken sweet rice..."
• Download (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 21 September 2009)

Dignity of the Divine Servitor: Descent of Knowledge
"When in Vrindavana, Rupa Goswami wanted to offer his Guru, Sanatan Goswami, some sweet-rice. He thought, 'My Gurudeva likes sweet-rice. If I can secure some milk, sugar, raisins, nuts, etc., I shall be able to make some sweet-rice, offer it to Krishna, and then to my Gurudeva.' A little later, a young girl, perhaps twelve or fourteen years of age, came to Rupa Goswami's bhajan-kutir in Kadam Kandi..."

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.

In honour of Srila Gauri Das Pandit Goswami:

At Gauri Das Pandit's House
"Gauri Das Pandit was a grihastha devotee who lived in Kalna. His brother was the father of Jahnava and Vasudha. Once, Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu came to Kalna by boat and decided to visit Gauri Das Pandit's house..."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.5 Mb, 8 min)

Srila Gauri Das Pandit's Gaura Nitai
The story of how Srila Gauri Das Pandit's Deities manifested Themselves at his house in Kalna.
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min)

(23 August—26 September)

SRI EKADASI GUIDANCE

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.

Renunciation of Cowards and Misers
[By Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj]
'What we need is yukta-vairagya: we shall take from the store of Krishna to keep ourselves fit and to do service. It is Krishna's account, and if we do not do that, we will be separatists, mayavadis, renunciationists. We must render maximum service to Krishna, so we must take without any hesitation whatever is necessary to make ourselves fit for the service; otherwise, we shall be punishable.'

"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"
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• "Make the Teachings of Sri Guru Non-Different from Your Heart"
• Ekadasi: Devotional Practice
• Ekadasi Struggle?
• Ekadasi Rules

"You do not need to know the meaning of each ekadasi tithi because if you know it, you will want to get this result, that result, etc."

(Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(1) Prelude to Approaching Nectar
'An auspicious invocation, a humble petition, an introduction to the book and its chapters, and the theme of the philosophy of the book have, to the best of my ability, all been entered within this first chapter named Upakramamritam or Prelude to Approaching Nectar.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Srimad Upadesamritam'
‘Those who engage their tongues and minds in proper remembering and chanting of Lord Sri Krishna’s Name, beauty, pastimes, and so on, according to the methods prescribed in the scriptures, should reside in Sri Vraja and spend the entire time faithfully following devotees who have loving attachment for Lord Sri Krishna.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 1]

Be Serious
"Krishna consciousness is not some custom or ritual. You must take it seriously. You say that you keep the Lord in your hearts, but you must actually do it, not only say it. How will you keep the Lord in your hearts? You must have space in your hearts for that, but your hearts are full of other things."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(2) Nectar of Scriptural Word
'This second chapter, Sri Sastra-vachanamritam, The Nectar of Scriptural Word, describes surrender as corroborated in the Revealed Scriptures headed by the Vedas (Sruti) and the Religious Codes (Smriti).'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Pranam Mantra to Sri Sada Siva Gangadhar'
‘The chief of gods, whose body is decorated with snakes and shines like the moon, who has five heads, who carries his Pasupati weapon and gives boons, who is content, who holds the Ganga on his head, who maintains those who give obeisance to him and who is easily pleased – I offer my obeisances to this Sada Siva, who is dear to Lord Hari and who wears the moon crescent as his crown.’

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Sri Sri Lalita Astakam'
‘To remove even a drop of sweat that may appear on the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Mukunda, she wants to take on thousands of bodies. She loses herself in the ecstasy of a very lofty, loving nature and can sometimes behave haughty. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalita Devi, who is replete with beautiful qualities.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Four, chanted on Tuesdays)
'Overcome with strong bouts of divine love surging through Him and becoming unconscious of the world around Him, He dances madly and chants kirtan; the tears streaming incessantly from His eyes flood His body, the colour of molten gold and tall as the mount Sumeru, His clothes, the colour of the newly risen sun, and the earth in all fourteen directions around Him; He glows as He chants, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’, shouts jumbled up words and relishes various postures and behaviours (roaring with laughter, etc.) under the influence of divine love – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 2]

Quality Is Not Cheap
"You think that you wake up at leisure in the morning, offer some flowers and puja at 10 o’clock, go to work, come back home in the evening, blow a conch, and that is puja. This is not Krishna consciousness."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(3) Acceptance of the Favorable
'Everything should be done that encourages the service of Sri Krishna and His devotee, and whatever is conducive to the state of exclusive surrender must be executed: such a firm conviction is called anukulyasya-sankalpah—Acceptance of the Favorable.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Rik Tatparyam
‘The holy lotus feet of the Supreme Lord are above everything. The gist of the Mother of all revealed scriptures (gayatri mantra) bewilders even gods and great scholars.’

SPECIAl POETRY: 'Artho ’yam brahma-sutranam'
‘Srimad Bhagavatam represents the real purport of Vedanta-sutra. Although it is very difficult to draw out the real purpose of one hundred thousand verses of Mahabharata containing the great history of the world, Srimad Bhagavatam has come to give its main meaning.’

SPECIAl POETRY: Gist of Sri Gayatri
‘Krishna’s flute does not produce any other sound except for glorification of Srimati Radharani, in whom all services have their complete representation. That is the real meaning and gist of the gayatri mantra according to the precepts of Sriman Mahaprabhu.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Five, chanted on Wednesdays)
'He reveals (first, to Sri Sanatan and then to Prakasananda) sixty-two interpretations of the famous verse ‘Atmaramas cha… ittham-bhuta-guno harih’ (‘Even self-realised, self-satisfied souls are moved to worship the Lord’) from Srimad Bhagavatam; interpreting the various lexical meanings of the eleven words of this verse, juxtaposed in different ways, He reveals a treasure-mine of multitudinous meanings of this verse in consonance with the precepts of pure devotional conclusions – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 3]

Tie Your Mind
"If you associate with devotees, you will get devotion. If you keep listening to Hari-katha, you will gradually attain devotion. Ringing a bell, offering flowers, etc. – all this is not devotion. Devotion comes from the heart."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(4) Rejection of the Unfavorable
'The principle to reject everything opposed to the service of the Lord and His devotee, and to similarly abstain from everything opposed to an attitude of surrender, is known as pratikulya-vivarjjanam—Rejection of the Unfavorable.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Mantras for Applying Tilaks
‘Apply tilak with your right-hand ring finger (the clay is mixed with a little water on the palm of your left hand). To apply the tilak on your right arm, use your left-hand ring finger. After applying tilak marks on all parts of your body, mix the remaining clay on the palm of your left hand with a little water and place it on your head after reciting, "Om Vasudevaya namah."’

SPECIAl POETRY: Nama Sankirtana
‘(Obeisances to) Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita, Gadadhar, Srivas and all the devotees of Lord Gaura. I bow unto the Supreme Lord Hari, the congregational chanting of whose Names destroys all sins and offering obeisances unto whom dispels all sorrows.’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Six, chanted on Thursdays)
'Captivated by and afflicted with an intense feeling of separation, He runs swiftly to the simha-dvara gate of Lord Jagannathdev’s holy temple; the next moment He falls down on the spot, His holy figure transformed into that of a tortoise by the influence of deep separation; attracted by the uncommon divine fragrance emanating from His holy figure, the Telangi cows residing at the temple draw near, surrounding Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

In honour of Sri Baladev Prabhu:

sphurad-amala-kiritam kinkini-kankanarham
chalad-alaka-kapolam kundala-sri-mukhabjam
tuhina-giri-manojnam nila-meghambaradhyam
hala-musala-visalam kama-palam samide

"He is adorned with a shining spotless crown, bangles, and ankle bells; His curly hair plays on His lotus cheeks, and earrings embellish the beauty of His lotus face; dressed in fine clothes of rich blue colour like that of a cloud, He is as captivating as a snow-capped mountain; He is also carrying a great plough and a club. This Balaram—One who fulfils all desires—do I offer my prayers to."

Understanding Baladev's Glory
'Gurudev appears with the power of Nitai Thakur eternally. Baladev Prabhu does not appear now, Nitai Thakur is also not manifest, so Their pastimes have stopped – this is not true. Gurudev comes in the form of Baladev, in the form of Nityananda and brings the souls who have taken shelter in him to Gaurasundar. Their appearance pastimes are happening eternally – They eternally appear in the form of the guru.'
• Download / listen to the audio (38.7 Mb, 72 min | English | 3 August 2020)

Sri Baladev Tattva (1)
His Divine Grace reads to the devotees about Sri Baladev on Sri Baladev Purnima in 2018: "You cannot prosper in your spiritual life without taking shelter of Baladev. If you take shelter of Gurudev, then you will get everything."
• Download / listen to the audio (5.2 Mb, 15 min | 26 August 2018 | Bengali)

Sri Baladev Tattva (2): Appearance and Pastimes
His Divine Grace reads to the devotees about Sri Baladev on Sri Baladev Purnima in 2018: "In Rama-lila, Laksman is younger than Ramachandra, so could not serve Ramachandra properly because a younger brother is always afraid of the elder brother. Therefore, in the pastimes of Krishna, Baladev became an elder son—when Krishna performed His pastimes, Balaram was always with Him."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.9 Mb, 14 min | 26 August 2018 | Bengali)

Sri Baladev Tattva (3): Later Pastimes
His Divine Grace reads to the devotees about Sri Baladev on Sri Baladev Purnima in 2018: "Although Sri Baladev is Vishnu-tattva, He Himself serves the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna as His foremost servant. He also engages others in the service of Krishna and exhibits the pastime of acting as the original spiritual master. In spite of all this, during His manifest pastimes in this material world, He Himself performed the pastime of accepting a guru in order to teach the importance of taking shelter of a guru."
• Download / listen to the audio (5.3 Mb, 15 min | 26 August 2018 | Bengali)

Baladev Purnima: A Special Day
"In India, some devotees are worshipping Radha-Krishna's Jhulan Yatra today, but we are making a programme for Baladev, who is nondifferent from Gurudev and Nityananda Prabhu. This is our line, the line of Rupanuga Guru-varga."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.7 Mb, 11 min | 13 August 2011)

Devotion Conquers—Ego Repels
Lord Balaram, Kaliya-daman Lila, Saubhari Muni, Sudama Vipra, the sun, a vessel, a drum, a pig, and a drop of water—all these are woven together to guide us towards perfect devotion.
• Download / listen to the audio (10.4 Mb, 30 min | 9 August 2014)

Asraya Vigraha Sri Baladev
"Without the shelter of Nityananda Prabhu, without the shelter of Baladev Prabhu, we cannot think about Krishna. We must understand how to serve, how to give nourishment to Baladev."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.5 Mb, 11 min | 10 August 2014)

Sri Baladev Prabhu: Krishna's Merciful Alter Ego
"What is the glory of this pastime? It shows that Balaram ploughs and cultivates (karsan) and at the same time also attracts, pulls towards Him (akarsan). In other words, Baladev, or Gurudev, removes all bad elements from the hearts of practitioners."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.9 Mb, 8 min | 15 August 2019)

Baladev Lila: "Can We Be Friends?"
"I want to tell a little bit about Baladev's lila from what is written in Srimad Bhagavatam. You have all heard that Kamsa sent so many demons to kill Krishna and Krishna killed them all, but Srimad Bhagavatam describes how Baladev killed Pralambasur."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 7 min | 15 August 2019)

Baladev Purnima: Double Festival in Russia
"Today, everybody is celebrating Sri Sri Baladev Prabhu's appearance day everywhere. Today is also the Deities' installation day in Saint Petersburg temple, our main centre in Russia. Even Madhavendra Puri showed us how important it is to serve the Deities..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min | 13 August 2011)

শ্রীশ্রীবলদেব-প্রসঙ্গ (শ্রীউপদেশ, চতুর্থ খণ্ড)
"পরমারাধ্যতম শ্রীল গুরুবর্গের শ্রীপাদপদ্মের কৃপা প্রার্থনা ক'রে শ্রীশ্রীবলদেব প্রভুর ভুবনমঙ্গলময়ী আবির্ভাব – তিথিতে ভগবৎ-কথা শ্রবণ করছি । শ্রীবলদেবই বলরাম, বলভদ্র ইত্যাদি নামে অভিহিত । কৃষ্ণের দ্বিতীয় বিগ্রহ হয়েও, কৃষ্ণ হয়েও ইনি কৃষ্ণের সেবা-বিগ্রহ রূপ ধরেছেন । কৃষ্ণ নিজেই অন্যরূপ ধরেছেন। লীলার পুষ্টিসাধনের জন্য তিনি বলদেবকে পৃথকভাবে প্রকট করেছেন । তাই কৃষ্ণাভিন্ন বলদেব। কৃষ্ণ তাঁর ঐ দেহে বিলাস করেন। আর তিনি কৃষ্ণের সেবাবিগ্রহ—তিনি সর্বশ্রেষ্ঠ সেবা-বিধানকারী ।"

Hari-katha of His Divine Grace in a class spoken on the adhivas of Lord Baladev's appearance in 2020:

Step Your Service Up
"We should not waste our time on our own enjoyment, we must give our time for the enjoyment and happiness of our Lord, our Gurudev. I know everybody will be working, it is Monday, the first day of the week days, but we must still do some service for Baladev Prabhu's appearance day. Remember this. If you only fast and give some flower to Gurudev, that is not sufficient."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.8 Mb, 9 min | 2 August 2020)

Disciple's Core Quality
"To receive and digest chastisement, it is necessary to have tolerance. How many devotees can tolerate chastisement? Very few. When Gurudev chastises you, you must be quiet—you have no right to say a single word."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.4 Mb, 4 min | 2 August 2020)

On Cows and Baladev-Tattva
"(1) Krishna likes cows, and if we can make cows happy, Krishna will always be happy. (2) Sachi Mata understood that Nityananda Prabhu was non-different from Baladev—that Baladev Himself had come as Nityananda Prabhu."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.3 Mb, 6 min | 2 August 2020)

Sweeter Than the Sweetest
"Krishna's pastimes are very sweet. Krishna's beauty, Krishna's pastimes, Krishna's love, Krishna's smile, everything about Him is sweet, sweeter, and sweeter than the sweetest..."
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Prasadam—Pivot of Practising
"You are not to take what is not offered to the Lord. Always take prasadam, then all your diseases will be removed. Always cook with care and always make sure what you have cooked is edible. If the cook is not good, then neither Krishna, nor Gurudev will be happy."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.8 Mb, 7 min | 2 August 2020)

Clear Conception
"You can read Srila Sridhar Maharaj's book Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam and remind yourself of many good things (practise smaran). I have also given you books—Guidance 4, Guidance 3. You can read all these books and you can get everything in them."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 8 min | 2 August 2020)

Ideal Service Mood
"In this world, there are all sorts of misconceptions prominent all over the world, but you must establish the conception of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, the conception of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. When you get some pleasure in your heart through service, then no matter how much disturbance comes, nothing will be able to stop you—you will still feel more and more enthusiasm, attachment and enjoyment through that service."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 9 min | 2 August 2020)

Dasavatara Stotram
‘I offer my obeisance to Lord Sri Krishna, who assumes ten forms and rescues the Vedas, upholds Mount Mandara, uplifts the earth, rips apart demons, tricks Bali Maharaj, kills ksatriyas, emerges victorious over demons, carries a plough, shows kindness and annihilates the degraded.’

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

SPECIAl POETRY: Hari haraye namah krsna
‘Obeisances to You, O Supreme Lord Hari, who is also known as Krishna and Yadav. Obeisances to You, O Yadav, Madhav and Kesav! Aspiring for the lotus feet of Sri Guru and Vaishnavs, Narottam Das is chanting the Holy Name (of the Lord).’

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Seven, chanted on Fridays)
'He is a holy embodiment of the beautiful reality which is beyond the reach of one’s eyes and ears, which paralyses the very necessity of intelligence and which leaves even firmly fixed consciousness dumbstruck when divine love surges up – even Brahma, Sambhu (Siva), as well as their revealed scriptures, Vedas and tantras cannot conceive of such reality, so they merely keep searching after Him – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 4]

Ask Your Heart
"There is quality, and there is quantity. It is necessary to practise Krishna consciousness yourselves, and do it properly, genuinely. But our hearts, our minds, our entire beings are not attracted, not drawn to Krishna consciousness. We are not attracted to devotion. Our hearts and minds do not go in this direction..."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(5) Confidence in the Lord's Protection
'"Certainly Lord Krishna will protect me, because He is the friend of the devotees. He will definitely bless us with all auspiciousness and success." Within this chapter, such faith is sustained.'

• SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI •

JAYA DHVANI
Chants of glorification recited at the beginning and at the end of classes, aratis and other devotional activities.

VIDDHI
Ten offences to the Holy Name, four offences to sadhus, ten offences to holy place, thirty-two offences to service, sixty-four limbs of devotion, five places of kali, five diseases, unfavourable to devotion, favourable to devotion.

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part One, chanted on Saturdays)
'Demigods, perfected souls, liberated souls, yogis and Lord’s devotees always sing His praise; He relieves the world from the blazing forest fire of three-fold miseries (caused by the desire for enjoyment, liberation and perfections) brought about by inauspicious actions (performed in aversion to the Supreme Lord); an ocean of generosity, He bestows His own Name from the nectarean storehouse of Lord Sri Krishna’s Names – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 5]

Tired of Struggling?
"We must practise Krishna consciousness with religious determination and firmness, but the problem is that we cannot give up small things, cannot genuinely come to the pure path. We blame the Lord, ‘Oh, the Lord is not taking care of me! The Lord is sending me hardships!’ but..."

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(6) Embracing the Lord's Guardianship
'"O Krishna, please protect me! My dear Lord, kindly accept me as Your own." Such a prayer, as well as the prayer to obtain Sri Krishna as one's lord and master, is the supreme solace to the hearts of the pure devotees, and is known by them as Embracing the Lord's Guardianship.'

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Two, chanted on Sundays)
'Very tall, beautiful and infused with divine love, His holy form increases gods’ joy; the lustre of His body, which puts millions of golden lotuses to shame, is worshipped by the Moon; and His intrinsic form is a holy abode of divine pastimes manifest as eternal ever-increasing transcendental ecstatic transformations that spring up as He revels dancing in Sri Krishna-sankirtan – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'

28 FEBRUARY 2021 [PREACHING | NOON | PART 6]

Proper Worship
"Before you become a devotee of Krishna, you must become a devotee of Gauranga. What does Krishna Himself say? ‘Those who say that they are My devotees are not My devotees. Those who are My devotees’ devotees are My real devotees.’"

• SRI SRI PRAPANNA-JIVANAMRITAM •

(7) Full Self-Surrender
'To summarily offer everything—from body and its paraphernalia up to pure soul—unto the lotus feet of Sri Hari, is known as Full Self-surrender. All selfish pursuits are abandoned and every endeavor is for Krishna alone, and that too, up to the point of completely depending on Krishna for one's personal means and ends. Having thus cast oneself unto the holy lotus feet of one's Lord, one can never be swayed from that position, and he engages in pure devotional service with all his heart forever.'

Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram (Part Three, chanted on Mondays)
'He ardently preached that service performed in various divine relationships (from dasya-, sakhya-, vatsalya- to madhura-rasa) and the (paramount) service beauty of Sri Radha’s servitors in the highest paramour madhura-rasa, as well as any transcendental hankering of the self-realised souls in Sri Vraja Dham, can indisputably be realised in Sri Vrajendra-nandan only – I am singing in praise of this beautiful Lord Sri Gauranga-sundar, a worshippable Deity of divine love.'