O Gopinatha I am the sinner of sinners. Yet I sit waiting for You to take me, for many demons have attained your lotus feet.
August 30, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
Pre-1978 Srila Prabhupada Books, Vedabase download(books only) click here
August 30, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
Hare Krsna-
August 28, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
Hare Krsna–
August 25, 2019 in Articles by Laksman dasa
Nama om Vishnu Padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine
Namaste sarasvate deve Gauravani pracarine
Nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya Desa tarine
Bhakti siddhanta sishyaya Bhativedanta namine
Prasannaya prasantaya tasmai Sri gurave namah
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
I offer my prostrated humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Sri Raghunatha dasa Goswami has glorified Srila Rupa Goswami in his Shri Mukta Carita
adadanas trinam dantair
idam yace punah punah
shrimad-rupa-padambhoja
dhulih syam janma-janmani (2)
Clasping a straw between my teeth, I repeatedly beg to attain the dust of the lotus feet of Shrimad Rupa Gosvami birth after birth.
On this most auspicious day, I offer my respectful obeisances in this way:
adadanas trinam dantair
idam yace punah punah
Prabhupada-padambhoja
dhulih syam janma-janmani (2)
Clasping a straw between my teeth, I repeatedly beg to attain the dust of the lotus feet of Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada birth after birth.
Recently, a well-meaning godbrother asked me whether in your voluminous teachings, you had given warnings to your followers and disciples about many of the events and controversial issues facing your movement after your unmanifested presence, specifically book changes.
Srila Prabhupada, as captain of the ship of the Krishna Consciousness Movement, you have given plenty of warnings, even before you came to America in 1965.
From your prayers to your Guru Maharaja in 1961 at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavana, you have assessed the situation very expertly with regards to your godbrothers.
23. If everyone just initiates then there will only be a contradictory result. As long as it goes on there will be only failure
25. But simply a festival of flowers and fruits does not constitute worship. The one who serves the message of the guru really worships him.
29. O shame! My dear brothers, aren’t you embarrassed? In the manner of businessmen, you increase your disciples.
31. All these things are not our spiritual master’s preaching methods. These are all the things done by the caste Gosvamis.
39. You have become renouncers, brothers, so renounce everything. But if you also renounce the order of the spiritual master, then what kind of renunciation is that?
40. The one who renounces the guru’s order (guru tyagi) and the one who tries to enjoy the assets of his spiritual master (guru-bhogi) are two kinds of useless persons. First become a servant of your spiritual master (guru-sevi) and then you will understand things clearly.
55. Wearing a two paisa string a man is called a brahmin. Wearing a saffron cloth, he has become a sannyasi.
56. The householders beg from sannyasis, and why not? The sannyasis have tens of millions of rupees in the bank.
Presented on the commemoration of his appearance, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, at the Radha-Damodara temple, Vrindavana, India, in 1961.
So many of these warnings are still applicable today.
Srila Prabhupada, one of your numerous warnings was to never change your books:
As early as December I, 1996, New York, you clearly warned and instructed all of your disciples several times; “…So, in the parampara system in that disciplic succession, you will find no change…you cannot change anything…”
In one of your wonderful letters on September 26, 1968, you stated:”…The descriptions given in these books are not mundane speculations, but they are authorized versions of liberated souls, presented by our humble self. The strength is not in us, but the strength is in the Supreme Lord, and we have to simply present them without any adulteration. That is the secret of success…”
“…But one thing I may inform you that the three books which I have already prepared namely the Bhagavad-Gita as it is, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya and Srimad-Bhagavatam, all these books are the ultimate source of knowledge. If you simply reproduce what I have tried to explain in those books, surely you will come out victorious, even in the midst of so many mundane scholars. The description given in these books, are not mundane speculations, but they are authorized versions of liberated souls, presented by our humble self. So, the strength is not in us, but the strength is in the Supreme Lord. And we have simply to present them without any adulteration, in humble service spirit. That is the secret of success…” Srila Prabhupada letter, September 26, 1968.
In another one of your lectures in Los Angeles, California on May 8, 1973, you warden that one cannot change the words of the authority: “…One cannot change the words of the authority. If you believe in Lord Jesus Christ [in our case Srila Prabhupada] you cannot change to your convenience…”
On July 4, 1975, in a lecture, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, you warned “If you concoct, ‘I am more intelligent than my Guru,’ ‘I can make additions and alterations,’ then you are finished.”
In another lecture in Paris, France on August 5, 1976, you explained the result of unauthorized changes: “…In the words of God, there is no question of changing. You cannot change. As soon as you change immediately it is material. It has nothing to do with spiritual world. That is nowadays happening. Which edition of Christianity? There are so many. Therefore, it is, the purport of Christianity is lost. That is lost…”
“…Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. No change. Others they are interpreting in their own way. That is not Bhagavad-Gita. That is something else…”
Why are your books so potent, Srila Prabhupada?
In a lecture on February 26, 1973, in Jakarta, Indonesia, you told us again and again that you did not invent a new philosophy or your own philosophy. You said that your books were simply the presentation of the message of the great Acaryas.
Srila Prabhupada: “Thank you. You have read some of my books?”
Guest: “Yes.”
Srila Prabhupada: “They are not my books. I am simply translating. They are written by Vyasadeva, the original Vedic scholar.”
God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Brahmananda: “In the airport. And this caused big sensation, because never, even big Indian gurus have come to South Africa. Never have any whites bowed down. It was the first-time whites bowed down to…”
Srila Prabhupada: “They clapped. After hearing me, they clapped. They purchased books. Now they are selling books. Some think my books are more important. We shall give more concentration for pushing and publishing. What do you think?”
Devotee: “Yes. That is our weapons. They are our strength, they are our guidance, and they are our ammunition. Everything is based on these books, everything. We are…”
Srila Prabhupada: “One Indian. a very learned scholar in Chandigarh, he has given very good certificate. What is that?”
Satsvarupa: “He said that ‘There have been many commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita including Ramanuja, Madhva and Sankara,’ and then, he said ‘Tilak and Gandhi, but of all of them the commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the greatest commentary. ‘Punjab University.’ Then he said later that ‘ In this suffering mankind, God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.”
Srila Prabhupada: “So, let us do our duty. Our attempt Krsna will see. That gentleman has written,” Swami Bhaktivedanta will be remembered for centuries, making history.” Is not that?”
Satsvarupa: “Unsurpassed,” this…Not just remembered, it will be unsurpassed.”
Srila Prabhupada: “And many foreign scholars also, they have. In France… In France one professor has said, the…
Satsvarupa: “Chenique?”
Srila Prabhupada: “Aurobindo and Dr. RadhaKrishnan, they have compromised with the Western idea, but here is the real tradition of India.” Actually, it is a fact. All of them, they have tried to make a hodge podge. And from the beginning my idea was I shall present as it is. That’s all. Therefore, I gave this name. “As it is.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu said yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. Why shall I manufacture idea? Present this as it is…” Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, February 15, 1977, Mayapura, India
Your unique contribution with these nectarena books is under assault from the very persons who were supposed to protect them from being changed and protect your legacy.
I sincerely pray to your lotus feet and to Lord Krishna to inspire those persons to cease and desist from these unauthorized changes, to reverse course, and re-establish your original, unedited first edition books.
However, given the past track record of those individuals, I remain doubtful. After all, Srila Prabhupada, what can be expected from those who claim that” they have seen the truth.”
When a devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and to deliver all the people of the world. The chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it gradually establishes its supremacy above everything in the world. The devotee who chants it becomes transcendentally situated in ecstasy and sometimes laughs, cries and dances in his ecstasy. Sometimes the unintelligent put hindrances in the path of chanting this maha-mantra, but one who is situated on the platform of love of Godhead chants the holy name loudly for all concerned. As a result, everyone becomes initiated in the chanting of the holy names–Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. TLC 18 The Conversations with Prakasananda
Let us always take shelter at your divine lotus feet and your original unedited, unrevised books and instructions, and your bona fide followers who emphasize those original instructions.
maj-janmanah phalam idam madhu-kaitabhaare
mat-praarthaniya mad anugraha esha eva
tvat-bhrtya-bhrtya-paricaaraka-bhrtya-bhrtya
bhrtyasya bhrtya iti maam smara loka naatha
\”O enemy of Madhu and Kaitabha, O Lord of the universe, the perfection of my life and the most cherished mercy You could show me would be for You to consider me the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Your servant.\”
Your eternal servant
Yasoda nandana dasa
August 18, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
August 16, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa
August 15, 2019 in Articles by Laksman dasa
Subject: Srila Prabhupada describes Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavana
Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana
Lord Balarāma became very anxious to see His father and mother, Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā. Therefore, He started for Vṛndāvana on a chariot with great enthusiasm. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had been anxious to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for a very long time. When Lord Balarāma returned to Vṛndāvana, all the cowherd boys and the gopīs had grown up; but still, on His arrival, they all embraced Him, and Balarāma embraced them in reciprocation. After this He came before Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā and offered His respectful obeisances unto them. In response, mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja offered their blessings unto Him. They addressed Him as Jagadīśvara, or the Lord of the universe who maintains everyone. The reason for this was that both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma maintain all living entities, and yet Nanda and Yaśodā were put into such difficulties on account of Their absence. Feeling like this, they embraced Balarāma and, seating Him on their laps, began their perpetual crying, wetting Balarāma with their tears. Lord Balarāma then offered His respectful obeisances to the elderly cowherd men and accepted the obeisances of the younger cowherd men. Thus, according to their different ages and relationships, Lord Balarāma exchanged feelings of friendship with them. He shook hands with those who were His equals in age and friendship, and with loud laughing embraced each one of them.
After being received by the cowherd men and boys, the gopīs, and King Nanda and Yaśodā, Lord Balarāma sat down, feeling satisfied, and they all surrounded Him. First Lord Balarāma inquired from them about their welfare, and then, not having seen Him for such a long time, they began to ask Him different questions. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had sacrificed everything for Kṛṣṇa, simply being captivated by the lotus eyes of the Lord. Because of their great desire to love Kṛṣṇa, they never desired anything like elevation to the heavenly planets or merging into the effulgence of Brahman to become one with the Absolute Truth. They were not even interested in enjoying a life of opulence, but were satisfied in living a simple life in the village as cowherd men. They were always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and did not desire any personal benefits, and they were all so much in love with Him that in His absence their voices faltered when they began to inquire from Balarāmajī.
First Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodāmayī inquired, \\”My dear Balarāma, are our friends like Vasudeva and others in the family doing well? Now You and Kṛṣṇa are grown-up married men with children. In the happiness of family life, do You sometimes remember Your poor father and mother, Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodādevī? It is very good news that the most sinful King Kaṁsa has been killed by You and that our friends like Vasudeva and the others who had been harassed by him, have now been relieved. It is also very good news that both You and Kṛṣṇa defeated Jarāsandha and Kālayavana, who now is dead, and that You are now living in a fortified residence in Dvārakā.\\”
When the gopīs arrived, Lord Balarāma glanced over them with loving eyes. Being overjoyed, the gopīs, who had so long been mortified on account of Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s absence, began to ask about the welfare of the two brothers. They specifically asked Balarāma whether Kṛṣṇa was enjoying His life surrounded by the enlightened women of Dvārakā Purī. \\”Does He sometimes remember His father Nanda and His mother Yaśodā and the other friends with whom He so intimately behaved while he was in Vṛndāvana? Does Kṛṣṇa have any plans to come here to see His mother Yaśodā and does He remember us gopīs who are now pitiably bereft of His company? Kṛṣṇa might have forgotten us in the midst of the cultured women of Dvārakā, but as far as we are concerned, we are still remembering Him by collecting flowers and sewing them into garlands. When He does not come, however, we simply pass our time by crying. If only He would come here and accept these garlands that we have made. Dear Lord Balarāma, descendant of Daśārha, You know that we would give up everything for Kṛṣṇa’s friendship. Even in great distress one cannot give up the connection of family members, but although it might be impossible for others, we gave up our fathers, mothers, sisters and relatives without caring at all about our renunciation. Then, all of a sudden, Kṛṣṇa renounced us and went away. He broke off our intimate relationship without any serious consideration and left for a foreign country. But He was so clever and cunning that He manufactured very nice words. He said, ‘My dear gopīs, please do not worry. The service you have rendered Me is impossible for Me to repay.’ After all, we are women, so how could we disbelieve Him? Now we can understand that His sweet words were simply for cheating us.\\”
Another gopī, protesting Kṛṣṇa’s absence from Vṛndāvana, began to say: \\”My dear Balarāmajī, we are of course village girls, so Kṛṣṇa could cheat us in that way, but what about the women of Dvārakā? Don’t think they are as foolish as we are! We village women might be misled by Kṛṣṇa, but the women in the city of Dvārakā are very clever and intelligent. Therefore I would be surprised if such city women could be misled by Kṛṣṇa and could believe His words.\\”
Then another gopī began to speak. \\”My dear friend,\\” she said, \\”Kṛṣṇa is very clever in using words. No one can compete with Him in that art. He can manufacture such colorful words and talk so sweetly that the heart of any woman would be misled. Besides that, He has perfected the art of smiling very attractively, and by seeing His smile women become mad after Him and would give themselves to Him without any hesitation.\\”
Another gopī, after hearing this, said, \\”My dear friends, what is the use in talking about Kṛṣṇa? If you are at all interested in passing away time by talking, let us talk on some subject other than Him. If cruel Kṛṣṇa can pass His time without us, why can’t we pass our time without Kṛṣṇa? Of course, Kṛṣṇa is passing His days very happily without us, but the difference is that we cannot pass our days very happily without Him.\\”
When the gopīs were talking in this way, their feelings for Kṛṣṇa became more and more intensified, and they were experiencing Kṛṣṇa’s smiling, Kṛṣṇa’s words of love, Kṛṣṇa’s attractive features, Kṛṣṇa’s characteristics and Kṛṣṇa’s embraces. By the force of their ecstatic feelings, it appeared to them that Kṛṣṇa was personally present and dancing before them. Because of their sweet remembrance of Kṛṣṇa, they could not check their tears, and they began to cry without consideration.
Lord Balarāma could, of course, understand the ecstatic feelings of the gopīs, and therefore He wanted to pacify them. He was expert in presenting an appeal, and thus, treating the gopīs very respectfully, He began to narrate the stories of Kṛṣṇa so tactfully that the gopīs became satisfied. In order to keep the gopīs in Vṛndāvana satisfied, Lord Balarāma stayed there continually for two months, namely the months of Caitra (March-April) and Vaiśākha (April-May). For those two months He kept Himself among the gopīs, and He passed every night with them in the forest of Vṛndāvana in order to satisfy their desire for conjugal love. Thus Balarāma also enjoyed the rāsa dance with the gopīs during those two months. Since the season was springtime, the breeze on the bank of the Yamunā was blowing very mildly, carrying the aroma of different flowers, especially of the flower known as kaumudī. Moonlight filled the sky and spread everywhere, and thus the banks of the Yamunā appeared to be very bright and pleasing, and Lord Balarāma enjoyed the company of the gopīs there.
The demigod known as Varuṇa sent his daughter Vāruṇī in the form of liquid honey oozing from the hollows of the trees. Because of this honey the whole forest became aromatic, and the sweet aroma of the liquid honey, Vāruṇī, captivated Balarāmajī. Balarāmajī and all the gopīs became very much attracted by the taste of Vāruṇī, and all of them drank it together. While drinking this natural beverage, Vāruṇī, all the gopīs chanted the glories of Lord Balarāma, and Lord Balarāma felt very happy, as if He had become intoxicated by drinking that Vāruṇī beverage. His eyes rolled in a pleasing attitude. He was decorated with long garlands of forest flowers, and the whole situation appeared to be a great function of happiness because of this transcendental bliss. Lord Balarāma smiled beautifully, and the drops of perspiration decorating His face appeared to be soothing morning dew.
While Balarāma was in that happy mood, He desired to enjoy the company of the gopīs in the water of the Yamunā. Therefore, He called Yamunā to come nearby. But Yamunā neglected the order of Balarāmajī, considering Him to be intoxicated. Lord Balarāma became very much displeased at Yamunā’s neglecting His order. He immediately wanted to scratch the land near the river with His plowshare. Lord Balarāma has two weapons, a plow and a club, and He takes service from them when they are required. This time He wanted to bring the Yamunā by force, and He took the help of His plow. He wanted to punish Yamunā because she did not come in obedience to His order. He addressed Yamunā: \\”You wretched river! You did not care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You did not come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams!\\”
When Yamunā was threatened like this, she became greatly afraid of the power of Balarāma and immediately came in person, falling at His lotus feet and praying thus: \\”My dear Balarāma, You are the most powerful personality, and You are pleasing to everyone. Unfortunately, I forgot Your glorious, exalted position, but now I have come to my senses, and I remember that You hold all the planetary systems on Your head merely by Your partial expansion of Śeṣa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe. My dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are full of six opulences. Because I forgot Your omnipotence, I have mistakenly disobeyed Your order, and thus I have become a great offender. But, my dear Lord, please know that I am a surrendered soul unto You. You are very much affectionate to Your devotees. Therefore, please excuse my impudence and mistakes and, by Your causeless mercy, may You now release me.\\”
Upon displaying this submissive attitude, Yamunā was forgiven, and when she came nearby, Lord Balarāma wanted to enjoy the pleasure of swimming within her water along with the gopīs in the same way an elephant enjoys himself along with his many she-elephants. After a long time, when Lord Balarāma had enjoyed to His full satisfaction, He came out of the water, and immediately a goddess of fortune offered Him a nice blue garment and a valuable necklace made of gold. After taking bath in the Yamunā, Lord Balarāma, dressed in blue garments and decorated with golden ornaments, looked very attractive to everyone. Lord Balarāma’s complexion is white, and when He was properly dressed He looked exactly like the white elephant of King Indra in the heavenly planet. The Rver Yamunā still has many small branches due to being scratched by the plowshare of Lord Balarāma. And all these branches of the River Yamunā still glorify the omnipotency of Lord Balarāma.
Lord Balarāma and the gopīs enjoyed transcendental pastimes together every night for two months, and time passed away so quickly that all those nights appeared to be only one night. In the presence of Lord Balarāma, all the gopīs and inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became as cheerful as they had been before in the presence of both brothers, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Second Volume, Tenth Chapter, of Kṛṣṇa, \\”Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana.\\” link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/2/10
August 14, 2019 in Articles by Laksman dasa