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Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra - Gorgeous yet beautiful glimpses of Sri Krishna and Srimati RadhaRani

Shri Krishna Amit Teli, Iskcon, Sitemap, Sri Krishna, Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra, Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana-chandra, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Vrindavan Uttar Pradesh India No comments

Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra

Darshan of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra as on Tuesday/Nov25/2014 at The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Chattikara Road, Vrindavan, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India.

It is said that the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna who is the almighty GOD of the entire creation, and nothing exists without him, nor any demi-god can even exist without him. Its is also said that not even a blade of grass can move without his permission. He is only Seldom GURU or Spiritual Master of the entire creation.

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Srila Jiva Goswami

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 04:25 AM PDT

Today is the Appearance Day of Srila Jiva Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, and direct disciples of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Jiva Goswami

Srila Jiva Goswami was the son of Sri Vallabha and nephew of Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa, all of whom were employed in the service of the Badsha Hussein Shah. Having been rewarded richly by the Badsha for their devices, their household life was very opulent.

When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darshana of his worshipable Lord, though he was just a baby at that time. Mahaprabhu indicated him to be a great future scholar in the Gaudiya sampradaya. Though he was only a child, Sri Jiva would meditate on Sri Chaitanya constantly.

Later on, when his father and uncles renounced their family life in order to be with Mahaprabhu, the only child, Sri Jiva, was left with his mother in the family palace at Fateyabad. Jiva missed them greatly and whenever he would remember his father and uncles, or Sri Chaitanya he would lose consciousness.

As he grew up, Sri Jiva took up the worship of the Deities of Sri-Sri Rama-Krishna. He would carefully decorate Them and offer bhoga and arati, serving Them with his full attention. Even in his play, whatever games he played were connected with Sri Krishna’s pastimes.

While studying under the local pandits he became proficient in grammar, poetry and rhetoric. His teachers noted his great intellect.

When Sri Jiva learned that his father had passed away on the banks of the Ganga, he was completely unsettled. Family members and friends tried to console him but to little avail. Family life had become the source of his utter sadness. Someone suggested that he go to Navadvipa and see Lord Nityananda, so he set out for Navadvipa with a group of pilgrims. Everyone at Navadvipa was very happy to meet the nephew of Sri Rupa and Sanatana.
Sri Jiva spent some days with Nityananda Prabhu, touring the nine islands of Navadvipa, in order to visit the holy places of the Lord’s pastimes there. Then, as ordered by Nityananda Prabhu, he set out for Kashi (Varanasi). At Kashi he studied Vedanta under Sri Madhusudana Vachaspati, a disciple of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. The conclusions of Vedanta contained in Srimad-Bhagavatam that were expounded by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya in Puri had been in turn taught by the Bhattacharya to Madhusudana Vachaspati, who established a school at Kashi.

From here Sri Jiva set out for Vrindavana where he received shelter at the lotus feet of his two uncles, Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Jiva stayed with Sri Rupa, who began to teach him Srimad-Bhagavatam. After initiating him with the divine mantra, Rupa engaged him in the service of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara.

Seeing that Jiva had quickly become conversant with the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Rupa engaged him in proof-reading his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. At this time Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu called Durgama-sangamani. Sri Sanatana Goswami compiled Sri Vaishnava-tosani, a commentary on the tenth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which he gave to Sri Jiva for proof-reading. Under the order of Sri Sanatana, Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on that named Laghu Vaishnava-tosani. His writings, along with those of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana, Sri Gopala Bhatta, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta, Sri Raghunatha Dasa, Sri Krishna Dasa, Sri Kashishvar Pandita, and Sri Madhu Pandita, completely captivated the learned men of that time.

It was the beginning of a golden age at Vrindavana. Sri Jiva regularly brought water for Sri Rupa and Sanatana’s bath. He massaged their heads with oil, cleaned their ashrama, worshiped the Deity, cooked and corrected manuscripts.

After the passing away of Sri Rupa and Sanatana, Sri Jiva continued the tradition that they had inaugurated. Once Sri Jiva travelled to Agra to debate with the Rajputs concerning the glories of Yamuna and Ganga rivers. He established that the Yamuna is more glorious than the Ganga as the Ganga emanates from Krishna ‘s lotus feet whereas the Yamuna is His own consort. At this the Mogul emperor was very much satisfied and wanted to present him something. Sri Jiva replied that he would accept some blank papers. So the emperor presented Jiva some stained paper. (At that time paper was very rare and most manuscripts were usually composed on leaves.) There is also a legend that once, when a Mogul emperor (possibly Akbar) wanted to confer something on the Goswamis of Vrindavana, they requested a farman (emperor’s order) that no living beings would be killed within Vraja. As a result of this no king would come to hunt there anymore.

The disciple of Lokanatha Goswami, Narottama Dasa Thakura Mahashaya, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami’s disciple Srinivasa Acharya Prabhu, and the disciple of Chaitanya Prabhu, Sri Shyamananda Prabhu, were greatly favoured by Srila Jiva Goswami. Under his tutelage they studied all the literatures of the Goswamis. Later he sent them to preach this knowledge in Bengal. Srila Jiva Goswami composed many literatures. He passed away in 1618 in Vrindavana.

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Remembering Srila Prabhupada

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:42 AM PDT

Remembering Srila Prabhupada
By Vyasasana das

I think we all remember very clearly where we were and what we were doing the day Srila Prabhupada first entered our lives. Many of the older devotees remember where they were when President John F. Kennedy was shot, or where they were when "The Beatles" appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. But our remembrance of Srila Prabhupada will outlive any mundane event in our lives, as our relationship with our Srila Prabhupada is an eternal relationship.

I meet my spiritual master in an unlikely place, in the Chicago O'Hare airport. I was walking through the airport just wandering aimlessly, when I was approached by a sankirtan devotee. He said "hey, you into George Harrison?" I replied "sure I just saw him in concert last night". So he said, "take this book and give it a read, its really far-out!" To make a long story short I took the book, the Krishna Book, and found a place to sit down and read. I couldn't even make out some of the words it was like a foreign language. I couldn't even pronounce some of the words like Srila Vyasadeva or Srimati Radharani. I didn't have a clue what the book was about. But I fell in love with the picture on the cover instantly, and when I turned the book over in my hands I saw the most beautiful sight in this material world, a picture of my spiritual master Srila Prabhupada.

I had been thinking lately that I needed to find my guru, as I had been doing a lot of reading on spirituality and had a pile of books on Eastern Wisdom, Hinduism, and Buddhism etc. And had come to the conclusion that I needed to find my Guru. I had no idea where to find him? Do I go to India? I didn't have a clue where to go or who to ask. But the mercy of the spiritual master is unfathomable, and he came to me, through the kindness and compassion of his disciple, in the form of the Krishna Book.

The love I felt for the picture of Srila Praphupada was deep and profound. I had never before experienced such a deep loving sentiment as I was experiencing when looking at the picture of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. I was in love as if for the first time. I recognized Srila Prabhupada as my Guru. And I began to associate with him directly through his picture and his words. In one fell swoop I meet my Guru and by his mercy I meet God.

"By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual mast, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master" (Sri-Sri-Gurv-Astaka)

From this one encounter of meeting one of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, my spiritual life began. All Glories to the Sankirtan Movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu! And from there I went on to receive (again by chance) a Bhagavad-Gita "As it Is" and some smaller paperback books. By this time I was associating directly with Srila Prabhupada because I was following his instructions and chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra. In this way my heart became purified and within the next few years I joined the society of devotees, shaved my head, put on tilak and interestingly became a book distributor on the Radha Damadora Traveling Sankirtan Party. Giving to others what was given to me; Srila Prabhupada & Krishna!

It was years after receiving my first book and hearing from my eternal spiritual master Srila Prabhupada that I finally got a chance to meet him personally, in his physical form, and I enjoyed walking alongside him on a morning japa walk, hearing him speak Bhagavatam, and watching him dance at the Rathayatra festival. But for me, the turning point in my life, when my association with my eternal spiritual master began, was at the Chicago O'Hara airport, in the form of the KRSNA Book.

I am eternally grateful to that book distributor (I don't even remember his name), for introducing me to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and helping me on my journey Back Home, Back to Godhead.

Vyasasan das

Sri Sri Krishna Balarama descend at Sunnyvale, California

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:25 AM PDT

Sri Sri Krishna Balarama descend at Sunnyvale, California
By: Iskcontimes

The India Heritage Foundation center at Sunnyvale, California, observed the gorgeous installation ceremony of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama on Saturday, 29thNovember, 2011. The ceremony was marked with the abhishekam of Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada deities. Hundreds of devotees assembled to witness this rare event. Amongst the devotees present were Sri Yashodanandan Dasa, senior Iskcon devotee, along with Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa and Sri Sridham Krishna Dasa from Srila Prabhupada's Iskcon Bangalore.

Pasted from; http://iskcontimes.com/sunnyvale-temple-inauguration

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Sri Damodarastakam as explained by Visnujana Swami / Verse Eight

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:23 AM PDT

O Lord, the entire universe was created by Lord Brahma, who was born from Your abdomen, which was bound with a rope by Mother Yasoda. To this rope I offer my humble obeisances.

namas te 'stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai
namo 'nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam

namaḥ–obeisances; te–to You; astu–may there be; dāmne–unto the rope around Your waist; sphurat–splendrous; dīpti-dhāmne–unto the effulgent abode; tvadīya-udarāya–unto Your belly; atha–thus; viśvasya–of the entire universe; dhāmne–unto the shelter; namaḥ–obeisances; rādhikāyai–unto Rādhikā; tvadīya priyāyai–unto Your Beloved; namaḥ– obeisances; ananta-līlāya–unto Your limitless sportive pastimes; devāya– unto Your transcendental nature; tubhyam–unto You.

8) O Lord, the entire universe was created by Lord Brahma, who was born from Your abdomen, which was bound with a rope by Mother Yasoda. To this rope I offer my humble obeisances. I offer my obeisances to Your most beloved Srimati Radharani, and to Your unlimited pastimes.

At the conclusion of the prayer, obeisances are offered (namas te) to the Lord’s unique binding, His bodily limbs, His associates, and to the Lord Himself, in order to arouse the mood of bhakti. Even the rope that binds His belly (damne) receives worship. That rope is the abode of, or source of, effulgence (sphurad dipti-dhamne), and the poet here suggests that the rope is also the source of the all-pervading brahman effulgence.

Then, obeisances are offered to the Lord’s belly, which is bound by this wondrous rope (tvadiyodarayatha). What is that belly like? It is the abode or support of all the infinite universes in the creation (visvasya), including all the moving and non-moving living entities dwelling therein. A gigantic lotus flower that sustains the fourteen worlds sprouts from that belly and is the abode of Lord Brahma.

Child Krishna displayed His universal form to Mother Yasoda when he opened His mouth to show that he wasn’t eating dirt; so this is another indication. Therefore, when Mother Yasoda bound His belly with rope, she bound the entire universe. Actually, Krishna allowed her to bring the entire creation under her control, although it is not possible to bind the omnipotent Lord. Therefore Vaishnava acharyas accept this pastime as the most sublime expression of vatsalya-rasa just as the rasa-lila pastime is the supreme expression of madhurya-rasa. By Krishna’s acceptance to be bound, we can understand that this pastime is inconceivable to mundane logic and reason. This is the mood here.

Obeisances are also offered to His beloved Srimati Radharani, namo radhikayai. By Sri Radha’s mercy, one is able to fully attain Sri Krishna. Being foremost amongst the gopis, obeisances are offered unto Her specifically. It is further implied that obeisances are being offered to all the gopis, headed by Sri Radha. The word, radhika, refers to the one who is perfectly engaged in Sri Krishna’s devotional service.

Therefore Satyavrata Muni says, “I offer obeisances unto Your beloved (tvadiya priyayai). She is Your eternally beloved, nitya-priya, regardless of rendering devotional service to You.” The word tvadiya further elucidates that Sri Radha is dear not only to Krishna but to all Krishna’s devotees. The understanding is that Sri Krishna is also the nitya-priya of Sri Radha. Thus, the super-excellence of Radharani’s love is proclaimed. The poet avows, “Whoever is beloved by You is worshipable for the entire universe!”

The conclusion of the prayer alludes to the supreme transcendental pastime, rasa-lila, as well as all other unlimited pastimes of the Lord. Since these topics are highly confidential, they are not mentioned directly. There is only a hint of other unlimited pastimes, ananta-lilaya. In addition, ananta-lilaya indicates that obeisances are offered to all the pastimes within the divine realm of Gokula Vrindavan. By the word devaya, the divine transcendental Lord Sri Krishna is indicated. The inference is that by Sri Damodara’s inconceivable divine qualities all the pastimes of the Lord are also transcendental. Therefore, namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam, “I prostrate myself unto You who are engaged in unlimited transcendental pastimes.” This is the mood expressed by Satyavrata Muni.

Pasted from http://kksongs.org/authors/purports/namamisvaram_visnujana.html

Srila Prabhubada; “Your ever well-wisher”

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:07 AM PDT

"Your ever well wisher"

Former Hare Krishna leader Kirtanananda Swami dies at 74

Kirtananda Swami, former American Hare Krishna leader, died Monday in a hospital near Mumbai, India. According to his brother, Gerald Ham, he died of kidney failure at age 74.

Kirtananda Swami, was born September 6, 1937 New York. Given the name Keith Gordon Ham, he was the youngest child of a Baptist minister, Kirtananda was among the first Hare Krishna devotees in the United States. In 1968 he founded what eventually became the largest Hare Krishna community in the country. Despite having been excommunicated in 1987 by the leadership of the Hare Krishna movement, he presided over that community until 1994.

Kirtananda Swami has performed much service and has helped expand the mission of Srila Prabhupada, therefore his memory should be preserved for all the good he has done. In a letter written to Janardana in 1968, Srila Prabhupada has this to say about Kirtananda Swami and to all those he has accepted as disciples…

Regarding Kirtanananda’s letter, I may inform you that I always think of him and pray to Krishna for his good sense. That is my duty. Anyone who comes to me for my help or wants advance in Krishna Consciousness, and whom I initiate and accept as my disciple, I must pray for him and his welfare always. So Kirtanananda personally served me, especially during my illness, which I always remember. But because somehow or other he has misunderstood our activities that does not mean that I am no longer his well wisher. I write at the end of my letters to my disciples, “Your ever well-wisher”, and as such, I cannot become otherwise than being ever well-wisher of my disciples, even though he may leave me. So I was praying to Krishna that He may save Kirtanananda from his misunderstanding and if ever he chanted Hare Krishna at least once in sincere heart, I am sure Krishna would not allow him to go out of his influence. Therefore, I believe that he can never forget the Form of Krishna, neither he can deny His Personality. It is good news that he is trying to establish a new Vrindaban, which I suggested through Hayagriva Brahmacari, and if he is successful, in his attempt, certainly it will be considered a great benediction upon him by Lord Krishna. When I offered him Sannyas, I expected such great achievements through him and if Krishna desires, he will come out successful in his great attempt. Yes, I expressed my desire to go there through Hayagriva Brahmacari, and if I am invited, to go there, by Kirtanananda Swami, it will be my great pleasure to see the place and enjoy his company.

For entire letter

Letter to: Janardana

New York
26 April, 1968

My Dear Janardana,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 12, and postdated on April 24, 1968, with enclosure of letter from Kirtanananda Swami dated April 7, 1968. I am so glad to learn that your examination in M.A. is successful, and I hope very soon you will have your Ph.D. degrees, both titles engaged in the service of the Lord. There are four things desirable in this material world, namely, good parentage, sumptuous wealth, sufficient education, and good beauty. These things are sometimes impediments in the service of the Lord because such persons with great parentage, wealth, etc., becomes materially puffed up, and thus deviates from Krishna Consciousness, but when they are employed in the service of the Lord, their value becomes many more times greater. Just like zero has no value, but when zero is placed on right side of one, the value of zero enhances to 10 times; similarly, our life, wealth, intelligence, and words become 100 times 100 greater and greater if they are employed in the service of the Lord. I shall always pray to Krishna that you may come out a successful and eminent scholar so that your writings and thoughts may be seriously taken by the mundane wranglers. Our only business is to present Krishna Consciousness to the ignorant mass of people, and if such people agree to hear in consideration of our important position in the material world, it is a great opportunity to place our submission, and thereby our mission is fulfilled. Acaryas in the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya teach us that we shall try to place the message of Lord Caitanya very humbly to the people in general and that will make us successful in our service to the Lord. I sincerely bless you that your future hopes to present Krishna Consciousness in terms of French custom may be crowned with success.

Regarding the action of Bon Maharaja: We shall discuss the matter when we meet. For the present, you may know that this gentleman is very much materially ambitious. He wants to utilize Krishna Consciousness for his material name and fame. Sometimes he greatly offended our Guru Maharaja, and it so happened that at the last stage, practically Guru Maharaja rejected him. And the result, we can find that instead of becoming a great preacher of Krishna Consciousness, this gentleman has become artificially a head of a mundane institution. To become a very important man in the mundane estimation is not success in Krishna Consciousness. He was first deputed by my Guru Maharaja, along with our late God Brother, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaja, to open a missionary center in London, and they stayed there for 3 years, but didn’t make any appreciable advance. Except that spent enormous money of my Guru Maharaja, and later on they were called back to India. So that is a great history; it is not possible to say everything in this letter, but for the present, be satisfied with these words, and later we shall talk more and more. On the whole, you may know that he is not a liberated person, and therefore, he cannot initiate any person to Krishna Consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities.

The statements of Thakura Bhaktivinode are as good as scriptures because he is liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. The gurus from nature’s study are accepted as such on the principle that an elevated person in Krishna Consciousness does not accept anyone as disciple, but he accepts everyone as expansion of his guru. That is very high position, called Maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharani, sometimes thinks a subordinate of hers as her teacher, to understand devotion of Krishna. A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession. It is the injunction of the sastras that anyone who sees the Deity in the Temple as made of wood or stone, or considers the acaryas and gurus as ordinary common men, and discriminates Vaisnavas or devotees as belonging to a certain group or caste, are called hellish. Your question about Bon Maharaja in relation with his disciple is very intelligent and intricate, and we shall discuss at long when we meet.

On the first of May I am proceeding to Boston. Last night we had a very nice meeting at Temple University at Philadelphia, and there were nice kirtanas and speeches, and questions and answers from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. They paid us $150.00 for transportation charges and my lecture fees, and on the 30th of April we are going to hold similar meeting in Long Island, at the State University of New York, at Stoney Brook. They also have promised to pay us $200.00. Similar meetings were held in different parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles, when I was there. So there is great possibility of spreading our Krishna Conscious movement, and if we work conjointly, with serious sincerity, we are sure to come out successful in this great adventure.
I expected to meet you here in New York by this time, but I do not see any indication in your letter under reply. Anyway on receipt of your letter I am very much satisfied and I shall be glad to hear from you I think at Boston. Hoping you are well.

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami