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Śrī Caitanyāṣṭakam of Śrī Narahari Sarakāra with padyānuvāda by Lalita Prasāda ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanyāṣṭakam of Śrī Narahari Sarakāra with padyānuvāda by Lalita Prasāda ṭhākura

Śrīla Narahari Sarakāra Ṭhākura’s Śrī Śrī Caitanyāṣṭakam Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, Year 2 (1950–1951), Issue 6 (17/8/50), page 232 gopīnāṁ kuca-kuṅkumena nicitaṁ vāsaḥ kim asyāruṇaṁ nindat-kāñcana-kānti-rāsa-rasikāśleṣeṇa gauraṁ vapuḥ | tāsāṁ gāḍha-karābhimarṣaṇa-vaśāl-lomodgamo dṛśyate āścaryaṁ sakhi paśya lampata-guroḥ sannyāsi-veśaṁ kṣitau || 1 || [O friend, look! How amazing it is!

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the Baptist Poetess

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the Baptist Poetess

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura—poet, schoolteacher, novelist, magistrate, philosopher, father to ten children, spiritual reformer, mystic, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava prophet, and more—was born Kedarnath Dutt into a wealthy, prestigious Bengali family of Ula, Birnagar. His grandfather possessed a grand estate that is still a heritage site in the Nadia district. During

A Spring Poem by Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Uncle

A Spring Poem by Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Uncle

Dola Yātrā Or a festival in commemoration of the swinging of Krishna in the cradle while a child. [Celebrated during Holi] I. Herald of spring, the southern gale, whispers soft thro’ every vale, Proclaimeth spring’s return; […] wakes the blighted plants of bowers, […] magic touch to bloom with flowers, Beneath

Does God Poop?

Is it blasphemous to wonder so? Evidently not, if one of our most illustrious ācāryas poses the question rather frankly. Vedāntācārya Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa wrote the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava commentary on Vedānta-sūtra that is known was the Govinda Bhāṣya. Later, he wrote Siddhānta-ratnam, a supplementary text, formally called a prolegomenon, to

Which Ācārya Did Śrī Caitanya Meet in Uḍupi?

Which Ācārya Did Śrī Caitanya Meet in Uḍupi?

The following is a response to a post on Instagram by one "Bheemesha Dasa", who was mainly challenging some mistranslated writings of my Paramagurudeva, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. It brings into focus the present-day tensions between the Mādhva and Gauḍīya communities. Some dispute between estranged

A Conversation Between Two Friends – 4

Narendra: Brother Devendra! The scriptural statements and reasoning you are presenting seem to be true, yet my mind hesitates to abandon my previously held belief. I have heard that some great personalities have shown that by worshipping Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Kālī, Durgā, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Allah, Christ, a grinding stone, etc., one

The Bogus Disciple’s Servitude to Guru and Worship of Hari

The Bogus Disciple’s Servitude to Guru and Worship of Hari

💡Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, Year 10, Issues 6, 7, and 8 The Relationship Between Kṛṣṇa and the Jīva jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa kṛṣṇera taṭastha-śakti bhedābheda-prakāśa (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 20.108) The inherent nature of the jīva (individual soul) is as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. The marginal potency of

Mayavada is Born of Childish Thinking

💡Originally published in Year 40 of Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā The kevalādvaita-jñāna, or nirviśeṣa-vāda (monism), that māyāvādīs stir up heaven and earth to establish—Śrīman Mahāprabhu expressed that same current of thought as a child and had His mother’s instructions refute it, thereby demonstrating that though nirviśeṣa-vāda may be entertaining

Oṁ-Parabrahma-Stava-Daśakam

💡"Ten Prayers to the Primeval Syllable Oṁ" – From the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Third Aṁśa, Third Chapter – Translated from Year 38 of Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā (15/6/1986) ध्रुवमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ॐ इत्येवमव्यस्थितम् । बृहत्त्वाद्बृ

Veṇu and Vapu

💡Originally published in the Gauḍīya, 13th Volume, 19th Issue, December 15, 1934 — Translated by Rāya Rāmānanda Dāsa (Delhi), edited by Śrīvāsa Dāsa (Canada) The simple meaning of the word ‘veṇu’ is flute, while ‘vapu’ means body. Veṇu is the vehicle of vāṇī (speech or divine sound); that is, it is

Conversation Between Two Friends – Part Three

Conversation Between Two Friends – Part Three

Conversation Between Two Friends – Part Three (Originally published in Volume 4, Issue 10 of Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, after page 398) [Translator’s note: The parenthesized question marks – “(?)” – that appear throughout serve the same function as scare quotes, showing the author’s sarcasm or incredulous dismay or doubtfulness of a word’

Śrī Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā - The Worship of Śrī Vyāsadeva

Śrī Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā - The Worship of Śrī Vyāsadeva

💡 Translated from Śrī Bhāgavata-patrikā (Year 3, Issue 10 – March 14, 1958) The methodology of conducting śrī vyāsa-pūjā The great festival of śrī vyāsa-pūjā, or śrī guru-pūjā, commemorating the appearance day of Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, crown jewel among the clan of swan-like saintly personalities and

Kīrtane Vijñāna - The Science in Kīrtana

Kīrtane Vijñāna - The Science in Kīrtana

The human heart is naturally eager to know what God is and how to attain Him. Authors of scripture have come and gone, having shown various paths like dhyāna [meditation], dhāraṇā [holding of prāṇa in a specific cakra], nāma-saṅkīrtana [chanting of God’s names], etc. Let us see from analysis

Śrīla Gurudeva's First Preaching Report

Preaching in Sidhabari, Santhal Pargana, and Kakdwip Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year–3, Issue–4 (1951–1952), page 154: Inauguration festival of the newly constructed Śrī Siddhavāṭī Gauḍīya Maṭha This past 27th of Vaiśākha, the 11th of May, Friday, a festival was held for the gṛha-praveśa (“home-entering”) of the newly constructed Śrī

Śrī Śrī Sarasvatī-Nṛsiṁha = the Immutable Letters of Vyāsa

Śrī Śrī Sarasvatī-Nṛsiṁha = the Immutable Letters of Vyāsa

śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ The following consists of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s introductory remarks in response to Vyāsa-pūjā glorifications (Year 4 of Gauḍīya, Issue 28–29, page 13) and then the entire Śrī Śrī Nṛsiṁha Stava by Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmipāda: At the beginning of Bhārata [Mahābhārata], we pronounce

Rāsa-līlā = A Blueprint for Microtubules?!

Rāsa-līlā = A Blueprint for Microtubules?!

In Kṛṣṇa-saṁhitā, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, prolific 19th century author and reformer of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, draws a profound comparison between the Rāsa-līlā pastime of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the principle of electromagnetic attraction in particle physics: "In the world of matter wrought by Māyā, there is one main star that appears

Śrī Prabandhāvalī - Volume One

Śrī Prabandhāvalī The complete collection of essays by Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, gathered from Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā and Śrī Bhāgavata Patrikā from 1950—1978. Volume One: 1950–1955 Preaching reports, written in tandem with Śrīpāda Rādhānātha Dāsādhikārī Prabhu (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Trivikrama Mahārāja) (1) The

Śrīla Gurudeva's Sannyāsa

Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Parikramā and Śrī Gaura-janmotsava Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year–4 (1952–1953), Issue–2, page 74: This year, the Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Parikramā and Śrī Gaura-janmotsava held by Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti was conducted as never before on a scale vast in all regards. As per the previously circulated newsletter, the

Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭaka

“বৈশিষ্ট্যাষ্টক” “Speciality Aṣṭaka” Offered on the occasion of Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī Jagad-guru Vyāsābhinna (“He who is aggrieved by the sufferings of others, is the teacher of the world, and nondifferent from Śrī Vyāsadeva”) Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda’s Eighty-sixth Appearance Day By Tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta

The Complete Acintya-bhedābheda

This year, on the occasion of Jagad-guru Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda's 150th appearance day, there have been many high-profile events wherein all Gauḍīya Maṭha branches and associated institutions have come together to glorify Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is all wonderful to see and I pray that the

Prabhupāda Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī confirms the gopī-bhāva-upāsanā of Śrī Madhva's sannyāsīs

Prabhupāda Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī confirms the gopī-bhāva-upāsanā of Śrī Madhva's sannyāsīs

💡Translated from page 39 of Prabhupāder Patrāvalī, Vol. 1, published from Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, 505 Śrī Gaurābda. śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Kolkata 29 Keśava, Gaurābda 440 To Paṇḍita-vara Śrīyukta Madhusūdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja of Rādhā-ramaṇa-gherā, Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana: śrī gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavācāryocita-sambhāṣaṇam etat— "With due honor as befitting

Bhaktā Parameśvarī Śrī Viṣṇupriyā Devī

💡Translated from page 34 of Prabhupāder Hari-kathāmṛta, published in 1973 by Śrīla Bhakti-vilāsa Tīrtha Mahārāja from Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, Māyāpura. Question: Which tattvas would Śrī, Bhū, and Nīlā-śaktis be designated as? Who are they in Gaura-līlā? Śrīla Prabhupāda’s answer: The Para-tattva-vastu, in His opulent manifestation as Nārāyaṇa has three

A Visit to Buxar

💡Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year 17 (1965–66), Issue 3 (14/5/1965), page 108–110: śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅga jayataḥ Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha P.O. Mathurā (U.P.) 14|4|65 paramārādhyatam śrī śrīla gurudevera abhaya-pāda-padme ananta-koṭi sāṣṭāṅga daṇḍavat pranāma-pūrvaka nivedana— [“Having paid unlimited millions of prostrated obeisances unto

Conversation Between Two Friends – Part Two

Conversation Between Two Friends – Part Two

💡Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year 4 (1952–53), Issue 10 (15/12/1952), page 395–398: “Can you not attain Bhagavān by calling out to Him in your mind?” This statement of yours clearly reveals what is in your heart. It makes it clear that you are either embarrassed to

Vijana-grāma – Desolated Village (2/9)

(4) মনে পড়ে জননি গো ! সে-স্থান তোমার mane paḍe janani go! se-sthāna tomāra That place of yours comes to mind, O mother! সায়ংকালে যথা বসি' সে পাঠানে (*) সার- sāyaṁ-kāle jathā bosi’ se pāṭhāne sāra- Where, in the evening,