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The Witches in Our Hearts
Lecture on The Nectar of Devotion, January 29, 1973, in Calcutta by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Bhavānanda: (reading) “. . . if someone has desire for material enjoyment or for becoming one with the Supreme, these are both considered material concepts.” Prabhupāda: Yes. Three kinds of happinesses: bhoga, tyāga and bhakti, sevā. Bhoga tyāga sevā. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, sense enjoyment. And the jñānīs, they are after another side of negation of sense enjoyment. When one is fed up with sense enjoyment . . . just like in your country, the young boys, they are practically fed up with the way of sense enjoyment as their fathers…
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Dons of the “ISKCON” Empire
by Kailāsa Candra dāsa HARIḤ OṀ NAMAḤ evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa “Having thus been received by disciplic succession, this spiritual science was understood by the self-realized kings. That great science of yoga was scattered (destroyed) in this world by the influence of time.” Lines of spiritual and devotional disciplic succession are not maintained like organized religions. They require perfect men in an unbroken line of succession in order to continue them. They can be much more easily destroyed than the organized religions of Kali-yuga. The classic example is that Lord Kṛṣṇa reveals to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra…
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When Oh When Will that Day Be Mine?
Kabe Ha’be Bolo Se-Dina āmār By Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura Text One kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār (āmār) aparādha ghuci’, śuddha nāme ruci, kṛpā-bale ha’be hṛdoye sañcār TRANSLATION When, oh when will that day be mine? When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing, when in my heart will your mercy shine, when, oh when will that day be mine? Text Two tṛṇādhika hīna, kabe nije māni’, sahiṣṇutā-guṇa hṛdoyete āni’ sakale mānada, āpani amānī, ho’ye āswādibo nāma-rasa-sār TRANSLATION Lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree. When will my mind attain this quality? Respectful to all, not expecting their honour, then shall I taste…
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Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day Ki Jaya!
Jaya Radhe Jaya Radhe Radhe by Hari Vyasa Devacarya Introductory Verse (not sung) nava-nava rańgi tri-bhańgi jaya, syāma su-ańgi syāma jaya rādhe jaya hari-priye, śrī-rādhe sukha dhāma All glories to that Person who stands in a beautiful three-fold stance! He is the connoisseur of newer and newer playful sports, and His body is effulgent with the nicest dark complexion. This is Lord Syama. All Glories to You, Radhe! All glories to You, Hari-priya! O Sri Radhe! You are the abode and reservoir of all happiness!” Refrain 1 (odd verses) jaya rādhe jaya rādhe rādhe jaya rādhe jaya śrī-rādhe Refrain 2 (even verses) jaya kṛṣṇa jaya kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa…
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ISKCON Authority: Where Did It Originally Come From?
(And Where Does “ISKCON” Power Come From?) By Kailāsa Candra dāsa HARIḤ OM NAMAḤ We find the following excerpt from an important room conversation between His Divine Grace Śrila Prabhupāda and members of his Governing Body Commission at the Krishna-Balaram temple on May 28, 1977 in Vṛndāvan, India: Leading Secretary (1): The people who they give dīkṣā to, whose disciple are they? Prabhupāda: They’re his disciple. Leading Secretary (1): They’re his disciple. Prabhupāda: Who is initiating. He is grand disciple. Leading Secretary (2): Yes. Leading Secretary (1): That’s clear. Leading Secretary (2): Then, we have a question . . . Prabhupāda (interrupting): When I order, “You…
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Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Meet the Inhabitants of Vṛndāvana
Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 82 Once upon a time, when Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were living peacefully in Their great city of Dvārakā, there was a great occasion of full covering solar eclipse, as it takes place at the end of every kalpa, or one day of Lord Brahmā. At the end of every kalpa the sun becomes covered by great cloud, and the incessant rain covered the lower planetary system up to Svargaloka. As usual, by astronomical calculation people was informed about this great eclipse prior to its taking place. Therefore, all men and women decided to assemble at the holy place of Kurukṣetra known as Samanta-paṣcaka. The Samanta-paṣcaka…
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Brahmana and Vaishnava by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada
Bhaktisiddhanta_Sarasvati_Thakura_Brahmana_and_Vaisnava Click link to view pdf. My Brijbhasi friend Krishna Balarama Swami preaches that for one to be a guru they must be born in a brahmana family. Brahmana and Vaishnava largely refutes that. For Krishna Balarama Swami’s position – Guru Nirnaya Dipika For point for point refutation – The Sarasvata Parampara and The Caste Brahmana Guru by B.V. Giri Maharaja
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Lesser-Known Verse Predicting Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Cited by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada in Commentary to Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat, Antya Kanda, Chapter 1, Texts 262-265 (English translation by Bhumipati dasa): In the Visnu-sahasra-nama of the Atharva Veda, Third Kanda, it is stated: ity aham krta-sannyaso ‘vatarisyami kalau catuh-sahasrabdopari pancasahasrabhyantare gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-laksana-yukta isvaraprarthito nija-rasasvado misrakhyo vidita-yogo ‘syam. “I will descend from Goloka-dhama and appear on the earth planet during the first sandhya of Kali-yuga—after four thousand and before five thousand years have passed—in Mayapur, Navadvipa, on the banks of the Ganges. I will appear in the form of a brahmana with a large, golden complexioned body measuring four cubits in height and in breadth, endowed…
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Review of Branding Bhakti
Pranams. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Religious studies academics are prone to the same weakness in relation to the religious institutions they examine as media organizations covering government. It becomes far too easy to trade objectivity for ease of access to official information. At worst the reporter or academic becomes “embedded” and more or less acts as the mouthpiece of the state or institution. The journalist I.F. Stone said, “All governments lie,” and religious institutions are not that different. The author of Branding Bhakti, Nicole Karapanagiotis, PhD., is also relatively young and therefore more dependent on previous scholarship on the ISKCON institution (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) which was founded in 1966.…
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Five Prayers to Lord Nrsimha
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Bengali Verses composed in 1899 by Thakura Bhaktivinoda, Translation by Dasaratha-suta dasa Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written five beautiful prayers in “Sri Navadvipa Bhava Taranga” for receiving the mercy of Lord Narasimha. These prayers are certainly assurance to all sincere devotees that the worship of Lord Narasimha is purely in the line of aspiring love and devotion to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Those prayers are as follows: e dusta hrdaye kama adi ripu chaya kutinati pratisthasa sathya sada raya hrdaya-sodhana ara krsnera vasana nrsimha-carane mora ei to’ kamana Within my sinful heart the six enemies headed by lust perpetually reside, as well as…
