VERSE 18: KVACIT PADMĀ ŚAIBYĀDIKA VALITA CANDRĀVALĪM URU PRIYĀLĀPOLLĀSAIR ATULAM API DHINVANN AGHAHARAḤ KADĀ VĀ MAT PREKṢĀ LAVA KALITA VAILAKṢYA BHARATAḤ KVA RĀDHETY ĀJALPAN MALINAYATI SARVĀḤ PARAM IMĀḤ When will Candrāvalī, with her friends like Padmā and Śaibyā, all become greatly morose when I come inside their kuñja where they are sweetly and blissfully prattling … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 18 – 21 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

Manjari-bhava. Wow…two single words…but what an upheaval these two simple words can create. “Manjari-bhava? Aha. Sahajiya.” “Manjari-bhava? Nope. You are not qualified.” “Manjari-bhava? THAT is nowhere in any literature of the Goswamis of Vraja.” “Manjari-bhava? Is that even bona-fide?” Let us try to examine these two simple words and what they become if we put … Continue reading The ocean of nectar called manjari-bhava

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the combined form of the king of all transcendental tastes and the embodiment of mahā-bhāva. After fulfilling His three special desires, He also relishes the mood of the maidservants of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī . This unique mood is the gift that was never before bestowed on the world and the special mercy of … Continue reading Had Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu not come…

The Vrajavasis are the eternal associates of Sri Krishna and they have a very special bhava for Him. When we hear about their bhava and how they express it, if we feel greedy to achieve the same bhava, then we are qualified for raganuga-bhajan. Srila Rupa Goswamipad says this in B.R.S. – tatra adhikārī— rāgātmikāika-niṣṭhā … Continue reading How raganuga-bhajan is performed (Srila Ananta das Babaji)

VERSE 17: VILĀSE VISMṚTYA SKHALITAM URU RAṄGAIR MAṆISARAṀ DRUTAṀ BHĪTYĀGATYA PRIYATAMA SAKHĪ SAṀSADI HRIYĀ TAM ĀNETUṀ SMITVĀ TAD AVIDITA NETRĀNTA NAṬANAIḤ KADĀ ŚRĪMAN NĀTHĀ SVAJANAM ACIRĀT PRERAYATI MĀM When, having forgotten the jewel necklace She dropped during Her pastimes, and suddenly arriving with fear and embarrassment in the assembly of Her dearmost girlfriends, will my … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 17 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

VERSES 15-16: MUDĀ KUÑJE GUÑJAD BHRAMARA NIKARE PUṢPA ŚAYANAṀ VIDHĀYĀRĀN MĀLĀ GHUSṚṆA MADHU VĪṬI VIRACANAM PUNAḤ KARTUṀ TASMIN SMARA VILASITĀNY UTKA MANASOS TAYOS TOṢĀYĀLAṀ VIDHUMUKHI VIDHĀSYĀMI KIM AHAM JITONMĪLAN NĪLOTPALA RUCINI KĀNTYORASI HARER NIKUÑJE NIDRĀNĀṀ DYUTI GAMITA GĀṄGEYA GURUTĀM KADĀ DṚṢṬVĀ RĀDHĀṀ NABHASI NAVA MEGHE STHIRATAYĀ VALAD VIDYUL LAKṢYĀṀ MUHUR IHA DADHE THUTKṚTIM AHAM O … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 15 – 16 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

Recently, I was thinking about why there is so much hate around right now. Especially here at the moment in Germany, where either you hate the refugees, you hate the ones who hate the refugees or you hate the politicians responsible for the utter chaos… In the material world, hate and envy dance a very … Continue reading Love Krishna, but hate people?

VERSES 13-14: ADABHRAṀ VIBHRĀṆAU SMARA RAṆABHARAṀ KANDARA KHALE MITHO JETUṀ VIDDHĀV API NIŚITA NETRĀÑCALA ŚARAIḤ API KLIDYAD GĀTRAU NAKHA DAŚANA ŚASTRAIR API DARĀ- TYAJANTAU DRAṢṬUṀ TAU KIM U TAMASI VATSYĀMI SAMAYE SAMĀNAṀ NIRVĀHYA SMARA SADASI SAṀGRĀMAM ATULAṀ TAD ĀJNĀTAḤ STHITVĀ MILITA TANU NIDRĀṀ GATAVATOḤ TAYOR YUGMAṀ YUKTYĀ TVARITAM ABHISAṄGAMYA KUTUKĀT KADĀHAṀ SEVIṢYE SAKHI KUSUMA PUÑJA … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 13 – 14 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

When one receives dīkṣā from a sad-guru, the sādhaka’s duties are not then complete. After receiving dīkṣā, some type of guru-sevā[1] is necessary because the satisfaction of Śrī Gurudeva is the root cause of the destruction of all impediments to the sādhaka’s bhajana as well as of pleasing God. In Bhakti-Sandarbha, Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has … Continue reading Serving Sri Guru

What is dīkṣā? In his Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ (283 anuḥ), Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has described the glory of dīkṣā by quoting from śāstra: divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṁkṣayam | tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ || “Those ācāryas who truly understand reality define the word dīkṣā as ‘that which bestows divine knowledge and completely destroys … Continue reading Diksha