A New Year’s Greeting

By Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

Hilo, Hawaii: January 1, 2007


I wish you all a happy New Year.  The New Year we are now celebrating is according to Western calculation. This mainly affects our physical body and mind, because those in the Western world are very concerned about their physical health and mind – not more than that. Very few persons in the Western world know about the soul. They don’t even know where they will go after death. They work at jobs, but they don’t know of their goal after retirement, and they become crazy.

We have to celebrate the New Year in such a way that our devotion will increase day by day. We have to know that we are not this gross or subtle body – our mind, ego, and intelligence. We are beyond all these things; we are spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. We have to leave what happened last year, and start anew this year. Our devotion must increase.
The question may arise: “If my devotion must increase, how will I maintain my life?” For maintaining your life, you will continue what you are doing. Whether you want to or not, you must perform some karma.

Bhagavan Sri Krsna told Arjuna in the Gita (3.5):

na hi kascit ksanam api
jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih

["Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment."]

No one can stay alive without performing some activity. Whether you want to or not, you have to breathe. Whether you are breathing, or holding your breath, this is also karma. If you are standing, sitting, walking, or talking, all these are in the category of karma. So, to maintain our lives, we are forced to engage in some karma.

But this will not give you eternal happiness, or peace and tranquility of mind. For happiness, you must engage in some devotional service, and to cultivate devotion successfully, you must first of all surrender at the lotus feet of a bona fide guru. In good association, under the guidance of Gurudeva, you can progress in devotional life. If you do this, your New Year’s celebration will be successful.

In this world there are eight million four-hundred thousand species of life, and among them four-hundred-thousand are human beings. Most of the human population does not know about God. They think they know God, but who is God? What are His qualities? What is His form? They do not know at all. They only want to say “God;” that is enough for them. They don’t know more than this. In America the government writes on its dollar bill “In God we trust,” but they do not have any conception of God. So, who is God? G is for generator, He who can create this world. O is for operator, He who can nourish and protect us. And D is for destroyer. He who is the owner, creator, and destroyer is Bhagavan, or God.

It is mentioned in the Vedic scripture (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.3.28), “Ete camsa-kalah pumsah, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam.” Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; so, we must serve Him, taking a vow from this very day, the New Year’s Day. Whatever happened happened . We have to forget all these material things and start afresh our Krsna consciousness. Then our celebration of New Year’s Day will be successful.

nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham
plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.17)

The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.

Nr-deha means the human body. We have received a human body, which is very rare, and now it is easy for us to do bhajana. However, we can see that other living entities do not create weapons of mass destruction, so many arrangements to maintain their lifestyle. If anything happens they will quarrel with each other by their claws and teeth, but at the next moment they forget their quarrelling. But we humans take revenge, and we become more ferocious than the tigers, bears, lions, and other wild animals. Nowhere in the world do we see problems in other living entities. Only humans have problems.

How can we become calm and quiet and peaceful with each other? It is possible only if we do bhajana. So, nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham, plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam. This human body is like a boat going from one place to another, in one direction or another. A captain is needed for the boat. Who is that captain? The bona fide guru is the captain of this boat – this human body. We are situated by the ocean in Hawaii. We see every day there are some boats floating on the Pacific Ocean. These boats have sails, and when the sails catch the wind, the boats move very fast. In the same way, sadhu-sanga is the favorable wind. By sadhu-sanga we can advance very quickly in Krsna consciousness. Then our lives will be maintained very easily, and we can be calm and quiet and in harmony with each other. Then our celebration here will be successful.

Generally, people understand the meaning of happiness in terms of the body and mind, health and money, and good sons and daughters. They consider that if they have these, they will be happy. But everyone becomes unhappy in spite of having these things. For a long time – since the creation of this world – we have been coming and going, taking birth and dying, but still we are not happy.

We have forgotten Krsna. We are part and parcel of Krsna, and we have forgotten Him. That is why His illusory maya took us and threw us into this world, and covered our constitutional body, form, and qualities with two bodies – the physical body and the subtle body.

We are trying so hard, here and there, to be happy, but really everyone is unhappy. Only a truly qualified guru can teach us by what process Krsna’s service can be achieved. Then, by practice and maturity of bhakti-sadhana, we will become happy.

My blessing is that I am praying to Krsna that He will sprinkle His mercy upon you all, so that you will be happy in every way – by body, mind, and soul.

Are there any questions?

Haladhara dasa: What is the meaning of the name Radha, or Radharani?

Srila Gurudeva: Radha means ‘always serving Sri Krsna.’ Radha means ‘to please Krsna.’ Also, She is pleased by Krsna. Radha means ‘She runs towards Krsna to serve Him.’ Radhika means ‘Krsna searches for Her and pleases Her.’ Also Krsna means ‘very beautiful, with having so many good qualities.’ Rupa-madhuri: He is very, very beautiful. Venu-madhuri: His flute playing is very, very sweet. Guna-madhuri: He is full of very sweet qualities. Lila-madhuri: His pastimes are so sweet. By these qualities Krsna attracts all beings in the world and delivers them. All living beings, namely birds, animals, and all other creatures, are attracted to Him, and therefore He is Krsna.

Krsna is the ocean of rasa, the ocean of transcendental relationships, and Radha is the main power of Krsna and the embodiment of maha-bhava. By sweet service to Krsna, She attracts Krsna and controls Him. Though Radha and Krsna are not two bodies, only one, Krsna is the one Supreme Person and Radha is the sakti, or power, within Him. For lila-vilasa, or sweet pastimes, They have become two bodies, but They are one soul.


Source harikatha@harikatha.com

Disappearance Day Celebration of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada 2014

The Disappearance day of nitya-lila pravista om vishnupada astottara-shata Shri Shrimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada was celebrated at Sri Raman Vihari Gaudiya Matth on 10th December 2014. It was the day of pancami, and he also appeared on pancami. He took birth in the home of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who is an eternal associate of both Shri Krishna and Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Just as the sage Bhagiratha brought the Ganga to this world, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the great personality who brought the current of bhakti to this world in the modern era. When the so-called gosvamis were making a business out of bhakti while engaging in varieties of worldly enjoyment, when in the name of Mahaprabhu so many kinds of bogus philosophies were prevalent, such as sakhi-beki, smarta-jati, sahajiya, etc. – at that time Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came. After that, Prabhupada appeared in the form of his son, Bimala Prasada. If these two great personalities had not appeared, then shuddha-bhakti would not exist in the world today.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada was a genius. As the son of the great magistrate and vaisnava-acarya Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura he received training since his childhood. His teachings are based on the Vedic scriptures and their Acaryas. He prepared this wisdom to reach all of India and abroad under the name of the Gaudiya-Math and it became known worldwide as Krishna Consciousness. He ordered his followers to take Divine Love for Krishna and all living beings to every possible place in the world

Every morning in our matth we sing the song in which Prabhupada established the bhagavata-parampara: krishna haite catur-mukha… In his composing of this song, he accepted all of the great, perfected personalities from different lines and declared, “This is the line of Gaura.” If Prabhupada had not come, then today would the name of Mahaprabhu and talks from Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam be found anywhere? In Mathura, in Vraja and everywhere else, gaura-kirtana and hari-katha are still going on and have not vanished. Therefore the world will forever remain indebted to Prabhupada for his preaching. He never approached wealthy people, but he would take one paisa from each person he met. To the very end of his life Prabhupada said, “We are mere laborers; we are the peons of bhagavat-katha.” He never made himself a permanent living situation in an opulent temple, but always kept moving.

At Sri Raman Vihari Gaudiya Math celebration started in the Evening, the Kirtan were started around 5:00AM, various vaisnava kirtans were sung especially written by srila prabhupada…. Like

dusta mana! tumi kiser vaisnava?
pratisthar tare, nirjaner ghare,
tava ‘hari nama’ kevala ‘kaitava’

“O wicked mind! What kind of Vaisnava do you think you are? Your pretentious show of chanting Lord Hari’s holy name in a solitary place is only for the sake of attaining the false prestige of a worldly reputation — it is nothing but pure hypocrisy.”

After  Pujyapad B.V Shant Maharaj ji, Pujyapada Ramchandra Prabhuji, PP Vijya Krsna Prabhuji’ PP Radhanath Prabhuji, PP Jeeta Krsna prabhuji and PP Sanjay Prabhuji  glorified about srila prabhpada and offered their puspanjali.

After that Guru Puja and grand madhyan Arti was performed and Mahaprasadam was distributed to all. In this way devotees spent their whole day in remembrance of India’s Greatest Hero of Divine Love who serves as Nayana-mani manjari in Radha-Govinda’s eternal pastimes in Goloka Vrndavana.

Below is the recorded class of harikatha took place on this auspicious day 

121014_Glories of Srila Prabhupada Program_Part1: http://youtu.be/LsuFcBMOXG8
121014_Glories of Srila Prabhupada_Program_Part2: http://youtu.be/rEAKV4hhf28
120914_Glories of Srila Prabhupada: http://youtu.be/ENHgsA5G6pI
121014_Glories of Srila Prabhupada: http://youtu.be/Uy7vpUtXXwU

Nitai Gaur Premanande !!

Hari Hari Bol!!

Source shriramanvihari.com

The Glories of Srimati Gangamata Gosvamini

There was a beautiful girl in East Bengal named Saci devi, and she was the daughter of the King of Putiya. From the beginning of her life she heard about Lord Krsna, and from that time onward she gave her entire heart to Him. From the time she was about five years old, she used to worship Krsna, sing to Krsna, play with Krsna, and do everything with Him. When she was about sixteen years old she became maddened for Him.

Saci devi was not only beautiful, but she was very intelligent and used to study Sanskrit and Bengali. Her father and mother were worried for her marriage, but she totally refused to marry. She told her father, "My marriage has already been done. There is no need of another marriage. Don't be worried. I will go to Vrndavana and I will meet my beloved there."

She took her Deities and was ready to go to Vrndavana alone, on foot, which was a three to four thousand mile journey. There were no airplanes or any modern conveniences in those days. She was preparing to go by foot, but her father arranged everything for her travel.

Having come to Vrndavana and being completely infatuated and controlled by the desire to meet Krsna, she began searching for Him everywhere, wandering here and there. She would go to Vamsivata and ask that Vamsivata banyan tree: "Where is Krsna? Can you tell me where is Krsna?"

There was a disciple of a very exalted devotee, named Haridasa, who in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami. He was always chanting and remembering Krsna. He was also giving classes, just as I give in the evenings, and all Vrajavasis and saints and sadhus in our line would attend. Saci devi also used to hear the classes, and she was attracted. She told Haridasa, "I am taking your shelter. Please give me initiation, otherwise I will die. I want to see Krsna, and I want serve Krsna and Radha." Hearing this, he was so much happy. Though he had never wanted to initiate anyone, he initiated that beautiful princess.

Haridasa then gave Saci devi instructions on how to chant, how to remember, how to practice in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami, how Krsna is her beloved, and how she would be able to serve Radhika. He told her that her guru was a manifestation of Srimati Visakha devi and Sri Rupa Manjari.

Sri Haridasa did not want her to be alone. He told her that there was an elderly lady of about fifty years who was very mature in hari-bhajana. He placed her in the hands of that devotee, just as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu placed the hands of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami in the hands of Sri Svarupa Damodara.

After her initiation, Saci devi was always weeping for Lord Krsna. She used to chant more than one hundred thousands names (64 rounds) of harinama daily, and she was totally absorbed. Her guru never gave her any bhajana-kutira (small house or room or hut, used for chanting and remembering Krsna). Rather he told her, "Oh, you should arrange this yourself. I have nothing to do with these things. You should manage that part of your life."

Saci devi used to live in a broken-down temple on the Yamuna ghat, and there she would perform her sadhana-bhajana. She never made any management for taking prasada, but rather she would go from door to door, taking very little madhukari (prasada alms). She would eat only one forth of one chapatti in a meal, not taking all or even half of it. Everyone loved her and wanted to give her foodstuffs, but she never accepted them. She never wore nice clothing. She wore only warn and torn white cloth, and she was satisfied by this. She had no electricity, and no facilities at all.

By continually hearing, and developing her Krsna consciousness, she became totally renounced. When she became twenty-five years old her gurudeva told her, "It is time for you to go to Radha-Kunda, to the place of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, and do bhajana like him. And also take that nice elderly devotee."

For the next twenty-five years Saci devi remained in the renounced order, doing madhukari (begging) and somehow maintaining her life. There was no problem in maintaining herself, and therefore she used to perform bhajana day and night. She did not sleep, even at night.

After twenty-five years her guru, now very old, called her and said, "You should now go to Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri, near the Gambira of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and then remain there for some time. There you will become siddha, perfect; so don't delay. Also, I would like you to renovate the place of Sri Sarvabhuma Bhattacarya. At present it is in ruins. No one is taking care of it and practically no one knows about its existence. So go and discover it, make a very simple temple there, worship there, live there, and take the prasadam of Jagannatha.

That elderly lady was now gone, and therefore Saci devi went there alone. Somehow she came in the same way that Sri Sanatana Gosvami came from Vraja Mandala to Jagannatha Puri, traveling for many days on foot. You cannot imagine how she came.

Once in Puri, Saci devi discovered the place of Sarvabhuma Bhattacarya. She made a hut of leaves and began to live there, chanting and remembering Lord Krsna. In the evenings she gave classes on Rasa Pancadyaya (the five chapters in Srimad-Bhagavatam 10th Canto regarding Lord Krsna's lilas with the gopis of Vrndavana). Sometimes she spoke on Venu-gita, and sometimes on other very important subjects of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

When giving class, tears would come to Saci devi's eyes. All the residents of Puri were attracted, and even the King used to come in disguise to hear from her. The King made a proposal: "I want to give something to you. I want to build you a nice hut, and I want to give you a donation." Saci devi refused the donation and said, "I don't want a donation from a king."

One day, on Makhara-sankranti, millions of Indians were going to take bath in the Ganges, which was hundreds of miles away from Puri. At that time Saci devi made up her mind: "I must also go to the Ganges to take bath." She made this determination in her mind, and she was going to go, but at midnight she saw, "Oh, the Ganges is coming." There was a very heavy, roaring current, and as though by magic, she found herself in that Ganges, where millions of persons were taking bath. The current in the Ganges took her to the temple of Lord Jagannatha, and then it entered and touched the feet of Jagannatha. [The Ganges originally came from the feet of Jagannatha-deva, because He is Krsna Himself. When Sri Vamanadeva took the universe away from Bali Maharaja, His foot went through the universal covering and touched the Causal Ocean. A drop of that Causal Ocean thus came into the universe as the Ganges. It is also said that Ganges is originally a sakhi of Srimati Radhika from Goloka Vrndavana. It can therefore be said that Jagannatha Himself, in the form of the Ganges, had picked up Saci devi and brought her to His lotus feet.] She was now there at Lord Jagannatha's feet, and the door was closed. No one else was there.

In the morning the priest came, opened the door, and thousands upon thousands of persons came in to take darsana. The priest saw that lady and said, "Oh, why did you come here? To steal the ornaments of Jagannatha?"

Saci devi was absorbed in Krsna, thinking, "Krsna is so merciful. Ganges came to me, made me take bath, and her current took me to the lotus feet of Jagannatha." She could not answer that priest, however. It is prohibited for a devotee to reveal his or her realizations, and moreover, no one would have believed her. She was thus taken to jail as if she were a thief.

During the night Jagannatha gave a dream to the King, and also to the prominent pujari. Saci devi would now become famous as Gangamata Thakurani or Gangamata Gosvamini, due to her being carried by the Ganges. Jagannatha told them, "Go at once and beg forgiveness. Bring Gangamata Thakurani in a golden chariot, with drums and all other paraphernalia, to make a royal reception and royal procession. Also, you should become a disciple of that lady, along with your priests and all others prominent persons."

The king awoke and at once went to the jail with golden chariots, a large crowd, and a royal reception. He brought her to her cottage and said, "Jagannatha has told me, "You should go and take shelter of that devotee. If you do not take initiation from her, I will destroy your entire dynasty." Along with all his councilors and others, he now began to fast and pray, "Be pleased to give us initiation very soon." Gangamata Thakurani replied, "My guru has not told me to do this. I don't want to make any disciples." Jagannatha then ordered her, "For Me, to please Me, you must make disciples." She then accepted them.

The king promised, "I will give some land for Sarvabhuma Bhattacaraya, and I will make a very good temple there. I know that you have come from your gurudeva for this." He made a temple, but Gangamata Thakurani was always living in the temple of her heart. Her temple was there.

She continued to give classes, and all the residents of Puri, as well as the highly elevated devotees, used to attend. One day, while she was absorbed in chanting and remembering the pastimes of Krsna, a brahmana from Jaipur came to her. That brahmana had been serving the Deity of Raya Kisora, Sri Krsna Himself.

Krsna had told him in a dream, "Please take me to Puri and give me to Gangamata Thakurani. She will serve me. If you don't do this I will curse you. You are not rendering proper service. Sometimes you give Me offerings and sometimes not. You sometimes give Me bath and sometimes not. You are not doing service as you were before. So please go there and give Me to her. Otherwise, I will curse you, and your dynasty will also be finished."

That brahmana then took the very beautiful Thakuraji (Deity) in a basket, and walked on foot for many months until he came to Puri. Now he approached Gangamata Thakurani and requested her, "Thakurji has come. Please take Him and serve Him. She refused and said, "I am doing manasi-seva (worship of Sri Radha-Krsna by meditation) in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami. I cannot do all this. I have no time to worship with external paraphernalia."

The brahmana became very worried and thought, "What shall I do?" Gangamata Thakurani had a Tulasi garden. That night the brahmana left the Deity in the midst of her Tulasi garden and fled. At four the next morning, Raya Kisora, that is, Syama Raya, Vrajendra-nandana Syamasundara, said to Gangamata, "You are neglecting Me. I came to have your service, your love and affection, and you are neglecting me. I'm thirsty; I'm so hungry. So please take me. Prepare something and offer that to Me." Gangamata Thakurani then went to see that Deity. Charmed, she took Him in her arms. She brought Him inside the temple and began worshiping Him there, and still now that vigraha (Deity) is there.

When the king heard about this, he thought, "I am fortunate to be the disciple of this great devotee."

All the ladies should try to be like Gangamata Thakurani. She never even dreamed of marrying any worldly person. I have come to help you to become a devotee like this. The world is like a fire, a burning forest fire. We have seen such a big fire in Florida. It burned for miles, and the government could not do anything. The burning forest fire of material existence is greater than this. We are in that fire, and we can never be saved as long as we are in material consciousness. If someone puts ghee in the fire, what will happen? It will become bigger. You will not be able to be saved.

The father of Yadu Maharaja, Yayati, had so many very beautiful wives, but he was not satisfied. When he was old he wanted to take the youthful age of his son, but Jadu Maharaja refused and told him, "This life is only meant to serve Krsna. If you were a pure devotee, I would have been very happy to give you my youth." Yayati then asked his second son, Puru. He said, "Puru, you are my very dear, darling son. Please give me your youth. I want to further taste material pleasure. My thirst has not been quenched." Puru replied, "O father, I came from you, and so I'm giving you my youth." Yayati thus became young, and for many thousands of years he engaged in sense gratification. He was not satisfied, however, and one day he thought, "What silly things am I doing?" He quickly returned his youth to his son, and then left every material consideration and went in the forest.

This history shows that the world is a burning fire. The fire in the sea is thousands of times greater than the forest fire, and we are in that fire. We should try to know all these truths. Don't waste your time. Try to develop your Krsna Consciousness. If you are married, there is no harm in that. Along with your wife and children you should try to be detached. There must be some sense of duty, but no attachment at all. You should think, "I must serve my wife (or husband) and children because they are eternal servants of Krsna. For this reason, so that they may develop their Krsna consciousness, I should help them."

Male devotees should try to become like Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and Srila Rupa Gosvami. Lady devotees should become like Gangamata Thakurani, Jahnava Thakurani, and Hemalata Thakurani. Sometimes Jahnava Thakurani exhibited four arms. [Jahnava Thakurani is the eternal potency of Lord Nityananda. Nityananda has two potencies, Jahnava and Vasuda. The son of Vasuda devi is the incarnation of Godhead, Bhirabhadra, He was searching a Guru and was recommended to take shelter of Jahnava Thakurani, but he thought, "She is my mother. How can she be my Guru?" One early morning, after passing and just before taking her bath, Jahnava Thakurani was undressed from the waist up, as was the custom for Indian ladies. Bhirabhadra saw her in that condition, standing by a well, and became shy. She immediately manifested two more arms, and with them she covered her breasts. Bhirabhadra then offered his pranama (obeisances) to her and took initiation.]

Don't waste your time. Remain in your positions, and if you are married, that is okay. If you are not married, if you are renounced, that is okay. If you are not renounced, that is okay. But hear hari-katha wherever you are and in whatever position you are. Offer pranama to that place where hari-katha is being spoken. Offer pranama to the organisers, and offer satstang-pranama to the speaker and to the whole audience. Then, very soon you will have sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti. Try to realize all these things. These are truths.

Gaura premande hari hari bol.



Source purebhakti.com