Category: Articles

Vishnu-Katyayani samvada

Post author By gaudiya
Post date April 25, 2019

(Bivas raga – tripadi)

Text 261
Bole pahun lahun bole, naha devi utrole
Eki haye tor vyavahar
Tor maya bondhe andha, shakala samsara khanda
Tenyi sristi achhoye amar

Translation –
Lord Narayana spoke in a sweet voice ,’ O goddess do not be in ignorance. What you wish shall definitely happen. The ropes of your illusion has kept everyone in this material world blinded. I create this material world through you’.

Purport –
Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita :

mayadhyaksena prakritih
suyate sa characharam
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

O son of Kunti, this material nature is working under My direction, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings accordingly. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.

Chaitanya Mangala Sutra Khanda Glorifications of Sri Chaitanya

Gauranga and Krishna – Lord Krishna reveals the form of Gauranga

Post author By gaudiya
Post date April 21, 2019

adisaptagram uddharana thakura gauranga

(Dhanashi Raga – Madhya chhanda)

Oki aare oki aare haya (refrain)
Heno adbhuta katha , sravana mangala nama
Ara shuno gauraguna gatha

Translation –
O! O! O! O! Such wonderful amazing pastimes. Please hear the auspicious holy names of the Lord, please listen more of Lord Gauranga’s glories.

Chaitanya Mangala Sutra Khanda Radha Krishna

Lotus feet of Krishna and its Power | Rukmini, Krishna and Radha

Post author By gaudiya
Post date April 21, 2019

Rukmini devi recites the glories of Krishna’s lotus feet and how devotees headed by Radha rani treasure them

dhameshwar Mahaprabhu lotus feet of Krishna

(All glories to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna !!!)

Text 64-65
Bole devi Rukmini , shuno prabhu gunamani
Chitte na bhabio kichhu aan
Ja laagi kandiye aami, se katha na jano tumi
Ara jata jata saba gyan
Tuya charana kamale, ki achhe katek bol-e
Bhalo na janoho tumi iha
E pada amara ghare, chadiya jabe anyatare
Ta laagi kandiye mor hiya

Translation –
Rukmini devi said,’O Lord (Krishna) , who is a jewel of virtues, please listen to Me. You cannot feel it in Your heart the reason why I am weeping. You do not know this, although everything else is known to You.You do not properly know the power of Your lotus feet. This same lotus feet will eventually leave my house and go somewhere else – this is why my heart cries’

Medinipur and surroundings Vaishnava acharyas

Rasikananda Murari – Life and pastimes | Sripat Gopiballavpur

Post author By gaudiya
Post date February 10, 2019

rasikananda gopiballavpur

Sri Rasikananda Murari was born in the city of Rohini, which was then part of the kingdom of Mallabhum. He was born on a Sunday, the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartika, in the year 1590 AD. It was the time of Dipavali and lamps had illuminated the entire city. All the auspicious planets had converged at the time of his birth. Sri Acyuta Mahasaya, the King of Mallabhum, and Bhavani Devi became the fortunate parents of Sri Rasikananda Murari, who was an eternal associate of the Lord Caitanya. In this article we are going to discuss about Rasikananda’s childhood, devotional life, widespread preaching and the enchanting pastimes of Gopiballavpur. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ offers millions of humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Rasikananda Murari, the mere contemplation upon whose life and pastimes, evokes within one, the pure ecstatic love of God.

Rasikendra pada dvandvam , vande parama mangalam
Sarva madhurya sharanam , asharam paramotsava
–
I worship the lotus feet of Rasikendra (Sri Rasikananda) , who is the reservoir of all sweetness and the highest joy

The Kingdom of Utkala, which then stretched from modern-day Orissa and included the provinces of Bankura, Purulia, and Medinipur in Bengal, was largely inhabited by impious people in those days. These people used to attack anyone who sang the holy names of Lord Hari. They used to attack and rob sages who meditated within the forests. Whenever they would see Vaishnavas, they would immediately attack them, and push them out of their villages. The devotees of Utkala would always pray to Lord Krishna, to bestow His causeless mercy upon these sinners and bless them with the understanding of absolute truth. Lord Krishna, who is bhakta-vatsala, listened to these prayers, and sent His dear servant, Rasikananda, to widely preach and deliver the land of Utkala.

Glorifications of Sri Chaitanya

Gauranga Prema (love) – The essence of Bhakti (devotion)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date December 14, 2018

An Excerpt from our Book – Sri Chaitanya Mangala (Sutra Khanda)

Yata yata avatara saba haite sar
Kabhu nahi dekhi heno premar bhandar
Safal janam din, safal nayan
Ki dekhilun Gaura rupa , prasanna bayan
(Chaitanya Mangala , 2.121-122)

Translation –
(Narada muni says) ‘Of all the Lord’s incarnations , Lord Gauranga is the best. I have never ever seen such a reservoir of pure ecstatic love. My life has become successful, my eyes have borne fruit, as today I have been able to behold the beautiful form of Lord Gauranga with His pleasant, blissful, smiling face’.

Sri Chaitanya Mangala is an expression of Sri Locana das Thakura’s transcendental ecstasy. It is a spontaneous outflow of the intense feelings of love and devotion he possesses for Lord Gauranga, the supreme personality of Godhead. It has been composed with such ecstasy and poetic rhythm ,that simply reading it is sufficient to evoke within one the emotions of divine love and attachment for Sri Krishna Caitanya.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had appeared in this world out of His causeless mercy to establish the yuga dharma of congregational chanting of the names ,glories and pastimes of the supreme Lord (Himself).

Krishna-varnam tvishakrishnam sangopangastra-parshadam,yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.5.32)

– In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead (Gauranga) who constantly sings the holy name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, weapons , servants, and confidential companions.

Lord Chaitanya had descended to flood this world and its people with an intense ecstasy of love of God, that shall be instrumental in mitigating all sufferings and elevating one to the state of ultimate perfection. This was one of the primary reasons why Lord Gauranga had appeared in this world (500 years ago, 1486 AD). The mood and mission of Lord Chaitanya has been summarized in the below verses :

Leela - Spiritual pastimes

Nimai Sannyasa

Post author By gaudiya
Post date December 4, 2018

Nimai Sannyasa

Composed by Srila Vasudeva Ghosh

(Translated by Diptiman Gaurahari das & Diptimayi Vishnupriya devi dasi)

A heart melting composition that reveals the devastating effects of Mahaprabhu’s Sannyasa (renounced order of life) upon Saci mata (His mother) and Vishnupriya devi (His wife)

(1)
Sudhakhhate dila Haath, vajra parila mathat
Bujhi bidhi more birambila
Karuna kariya kande , kesh besh nahi bandhe
Sacira mandira kache gelo

Glorifications of Sri Chaitanya

Gauranga Mora Dharma

Post author By gaudiya
Post date December 3, 2018

GAURANGA MORA DHARMA

Composed by Srila Narahari Sarkara Thakura

(Narahari Sarkara’s Exclusive devotion unto Lord Gauranga’s lotus feet)

mana re! kaha na Gauranga katha

O mind, please constantly speak about the glories of Lord Gauranga !!! This is my advice to you.

Gaurara nama amiyara dhama,
piriti murati data

Gauranga’s Holy Name is the supreme abode of all nectar and the personified bestower of unalloyed love and attachment to the supreme Lord.

rajshahi Vaishnava acharyas

Narottam das Thakur – Life and Pastimes | Sripat Kheturi, Rajshahi (Bangladesh)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date September 3, 2018

Kheturi Rajshahi narottama das thakur

Kheturi (Rajshahi), the birthplace of Sri Narottam das Thakur, is decorated with the lotus footprints of the great Gaudiya Vaishnava saints, who had arrived over here to attend the grand Gaura Purnima festival 500 years ago. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ considers itself the most fortunate and blessed to have been able to visit and relish this exalted dham of Kheturi (situated in Rajshahi, Bangladesh). This festival, renowned as the grand festival of Kheturi, saw the largest congregation of Gaudiya Vaishnavas in those days. During this historic festival, Lord Gaurahari, who had manifested His disappearance pastime by then, reappeared once more, along with His associates, to bestow His all-merciful darsana and causeless mercy upon all. Sri Krishna Caitanya was not able to hold Himself back, hearing the stone melting bhajans of Narottam das in the festival of Kheturi. As Narottam’s bhajana reached its emotional peak, the Pancha-tattva (Gauranga, Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa), reappeared all of a sudden, amidst the devotees and engaged themselves in an ecstatic dancing sankirtana, flooding the devotees with waves of pure love of God. The grandeur of the Kheturi festival resounds till this day in the pages of Gaudiya history. King Santosh Datta, a devout Vaishnava and the brother of Narottam das, made pompous arrangements to receive and serve all of his guests. Great Gaudiya Vaishnavas from all across India attended this festival. Sri Srinivasa Acharya was appointed the head priest and Jahnava Mata, Lord Nityananda’s wife, who graced Kheturi with Her towering presence, was the chief guest. We shall surely delve into the ecstatic details of the Kheturi festival, but before that, let us taste and relish the heart-melting pastimes of our beloved Narottam das Thakur (Thakur Mahasaya), one of the eternal dearmost associates of Lord Gaurahari.

Lord Nityananda Mayapur Nabadwip dham

Reunion of Nitai Gauranga | Nandan Acharya Sripat, Mayapur Nabadwip dham

Post author By gaudiya
Post date July 5, 2018

gaura nitai nandan acharya bhavan After touring various holy places, Nityananda Prabhu (Nitai) finally reached Vrindavana. Visiting His previous pastime places (ie, those of Lord Balarama), He became ecstatic and began roaring loudly. Going without any food or water, He incessantly chanted the names of Krishna and rolled upon the sacred dust of Vrindavana dham. By this time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (Gaura) had already started revealing His devotional mood in Navadvipa. Mahaprabhu (who was Krishna Himself) started to feel an intense separation from His brother Nitai (Balaram), and longed to have Him in His sankirtana. As soon Lord Nityananda realized that Mahaprabhu had begun manifesting His ecstatic mood, He at once came over to Navadvipa to assist the Lord in His magnanimous pastimes. But how Nitai Gauranga (Lord Nityananda and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) met with each other is a fascinating pastime, as we shall read below.

Jessore spiritual stories

Haridas Thakur and a Prostitute (Lakshahira) | Sripat Benapole, Jessore, Bangladesh

Post author By gaudiya
Post date June 3, 2018

Lord Brahma, Prahlada Maharaja and Richika Muni’s son Mahatapa had combinedly incarnated as Haridas Thakur. Srila Haridas Thakur is the namacharya of our sampradaya and is an eternal associate of Lord Gauranga.Srila Haridas Thakur had accompanied the Lord in most of His magnanimous pastimes. He was an empowered incarnation of the Supreme Lord who had appeared just to set an example for all of us to follow. He had delivered innumerable suffering souls by bestowing upon them the nectar of the holy name. Though being born in a family of Muslims, Haridas Thakur widely propagated that the chanting of Krishna’s holy names to be the Supreme spiritual practice, and preached how the Lord and His holy names are actually non-different. Thakur Haridas teaches us, that the holy names of Krishna are actually non-sectarian and that God is one though we might call upon Him by different names. The relationship between the Lord (supersoul) and the jiva(soul) is eternal and chanting of the ‘Hare Krishna Mahamantra’ is the most effective means to evoke and revive this eternal relationship, especially in this age of Kali.The Thakura used to chant Krishna’s holy names, 300000 times a day, a practice he continued till the very end of his manifested pastimes.

The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows.The holy name of Krishna is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krishna’s name is always liberated and spiritual.It is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical – Padma Purana