http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlCKiV6pShg Thank you, Tamal Krishna das Ji

SUBALA BALLABA-VARYA KUMĀRAYO DAYITA NARMA SAKHAS TVAM ASI VRAJE ITI TAYOḤ PURATO VIDHURAṀ JANAṀ KṢAṆAM AMUṀ KṚPAYĀDYA NIVEDAYA O Subala! You are Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's best friend here in Vraja! Please have a little pity on me and tell Them of my sorrow! DUḤKHA VṚTTĀNTA NIVEDANA (Submitting One's Sorrow) Makaranda Kaṇā Vyākhyā: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī … Continue reading Utkalika Vallari, verse 24

All the śāstras and mahā-jana vāṇīs loudly proclaim (with the loud sounds of the Dundubhī-drum of glory) the glories of serving the bhaktas. In Śrīmad Bhāgavata, Śrī Vidura Mahāśaya tells Śrī Maitreya Muni — yat sevayā bhagavataḥ kūṭasthasya madhudviṣaḥratir āso bhavet tīvraḥ pādayor vyasanārdanaḥ (3.7.19) "O Muni! By serving all these devotees of the Lord, … Continue reading THE GLORIES OF SERVING THE BHAKTAS

Why does Śrī Raghunātha, being a Yugala-upāsaka (worshiper of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa), worship only Śrī Rādhā? Śrīmat Sanātana Gosvāmī provides the answer in his Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta (2.7.11): śrī rādhājñā pratipālanenaiva śrī kṛṣṇasya vaśīkaraṇāt svayam evādhikādhika tat saṅga sukha saṁsiddher iti dik: "By serving Rādhā or following Her order, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is more easily captured than when one … Continue reading Why does Śrī Raghunātha, being a Yugala-upāsaka (worshiper of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa), worship only Śrī Rādhā? 

All mischief is destroyed and all human pursuits are fulfilled by associating with the bhaktas: yathopaśrayamānasya bhagavantaṁ vibhāvasumśītaṁ bhayaṁ tamo'pyeti sādhūn saṁsevatas tathā (Śrīmad Bhāgavata 11.26.31) "Just as cold, fear and darkness are all destroyed when one takes shelter of the fire-god, similarly the darkness of fruitive activities, fear of material existence and obstacles in … Continue reading THE COMPANY OF THE BHAKTAS FULFILLS ALL HUMAN PURSUITS

All the scriptures sing with one voice the great glories of the association of devotees. Since beginningless time, the living beings have been wandering (reincarnating) through 8,400,000 species of life, bound by māyā and floating in the ghastly current of saṁsāra. The only way to become free from this condition of bondage by māyā is … Continue reading THE ONLY CAUSE FOR ATTAINING BHAKTI IS THE ASSOCIATION AND THE GRACE OF THE BHAKTAS

Happy Diwali Thank you, dear Tamal Krishna das

With this blog, I would like to focus on the importance of Srila Rupa Goswami for the bhajan of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. He truly plays a key role in our bhajan life. In our external body, we follow him and in our spiritual body (the siddha deha), we follow his eternal identity in Vraja-lila, Sri … Continue reading rupanuga bhajan

Recently I was told that we are all not qualified for raganuga bhakti. And instead of going into arguments I remembered Gurudeva. I said: "You are right. We are not qualified for anything. But you know, it is the mercy of Sri Gurudeva and only that, which MAKES us qualified. And because Gurudeva is the … Continue reading Qualified?

Another complete misunderstanding: Some devotees claim that raganuga-sadhana-bhakti starts at the stage Srila Rupa Goswami called and described as NISTHA. They base their "claim" on their understanding of the following verse from Srila Rupa Goswamipada's Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu: tatra adhikārī— rāgātmikāika-niṣṭhā ye vraja-vāsi-janādayaḥ |  teṣāṁ bhāvāptaye lubdho bhaved atrādhikāravān  ||1.2.291||  Translation by HH Bhanu Swami … Continue reading And another raganuga blunder…