ati caṭulataraṁ tāṁ kānanāntar milantaṁ vraja nṛpati kumāraṁ vīkṣya śaṅkākulākṣī madhura mṛdu vacobhiḥ saṁstutā netra bhaṅgyā snapayati nija dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu When will Śrī Rādhikā, who looks at the whimsical prince of Vraja (Kṛṣṇa) with anxious, fearful eyes when She meets Him in the forest, and who praises Him with soft, sweet words … Continue reading Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) – Verse 4

sarasija vara garbha kharva kāntiḥ samudyat taruṇima ghanasārāśliṣṭa kaiśora sīdhuḥ dara vikasita hāsya syandi bimbādharāgrā snapayati nija dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu When will Śrī Rādhikā, whose bright luster belittles that of the whorl of the best of lotus flowers, whose nectarean adolescence is scented with the camphor of youthfulness, and whose Bimbafruit-like lips show … Continue reading Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) – Verse 3

sphurad aruṇa dukūla dyotitodyan nitamba sthalam abhivara kāñcī lāsyam ullāsayantī kuca kalasa vilāsa sphīta muktāsara śrīḥ snapayati nija dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu When will Śrī Rādhikā, whose buttocks are adorned with a brightly shining crimson garment and an excellent sash of blissfully dancing bells, and whose pitcher-like breasts are beautified by a string of … Continue reading Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) – Verse 2

Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) VERSE 1: rasavalita mṛgākṣī mauli māṇikya lakṣmī pramudita muravairi prema vṇpī marālī vrajavara vṛṣabhānoḥ puṇya gīrbāṇa valli snapayati nija dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu When will Śrī Rādhikā, Who is the crown-jewel of all rasika, fawn-eyed goddesses of fortune, who is the swan in the lake of blissful … Continue reading Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) – Verse 1

Śrī Śrī Vraja-Vilāsa-Stava - A praise of the manifestation of the Vraja-pastimes (Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī) VERSE 38: tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payo-dānābhisārādibhir vṛndāraṇya-maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ | prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhī-kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā-bhūmikāḥ kelī-bhūmiṣu rūpa-mañjarī-mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye "I take shelter of Śrī Rādhikā’s maidservants, headed by Rūpa Mañjarī, who always engage in serving betel leaves, massaging the feet, serving water, … Continue reading My personal True North

CLAIM/CHALLENGE: Hare Krishna! Quite honestly, I think you guys take raganuga-bhakti for very cheap and  I think you are watering down this high class process very much. According to you, raganuga-bhakti seems an effortless path and anyone can join in. Raganuga-bhakti is only for very advanced souls who are fully liberated from material desires. ANSWER: … Continue reading Effortless raganuga-bhakti?

Bhakti is the essence of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śaktis named hlādinī and samvit. This svarūpa-śakti exists within Śrī Bhagavān as three faculties, namely hlādinī, samvit and sandhinī,but not within the jīva-śakti or bahiraṅgā-māyā-śakti. By God’s mercy, the hlādinī and samvit faculties of this svarūpa-śakti enter into the heart of the jīva, and when his sādhana and bhajana mature, the jīva’s … Continue reading Spiritual alchemy

Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura Mahāśaya starts his glorious book,  Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā, with the following famous verse: ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā | cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ || PBC 1 || "I lie prostrate at the lotus feet of Śrī Gurudeva, who has opened my eyes, once blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the collyrium stick of knowledge." … Continue reading The collyrium stick of knowledge