Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 4

Srila Prabhupada prays to Bhaktivinoda Thakura

That is our purpose, that “Europeans and Americans will come, and they will dance here with the chanting, “Jaya Sacinandana!'” So that is being done. So when they chant and dance, I simply remember Bhaktivinoda Thakura. That’s all. I pray to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, “Now they have come to your shelter. Give them protection.” That’s all. What can I do more? I cannot do anything more.

Srila Prabhupada; Morning Walk – March 6, 1974, Mayapur

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Vamana Dvadasi, Jiva Gosvami appearance

Vamana Dvadasi means the advent of Lord Vamanadeva. Therefore we have fast, Ekadasi fasting, and we observe two fastings in one day, Ekadasi and Vamanadeva, Vamana Dvadasi. The same process as we observe Ekadasi, and the evening there should be a meeting discussing on the life and work of Srila Jiva Gosvami. He is one of the very important acaryas in our sampradaya, so especially his Sandarbhas should be discussed.

If there is no such book, then the following discussion may be, take place. Srila Jiva Gosvami was a brahmacari, he left his home at the age of 10 to 12 years. His father and two elder uncles, they left home. His father was Vallabha, and his elder uncles, Sanatana and Rupa, or Sakara Mallika and Dabira Khasa. So, they were all government servants, but after meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu they decided to retire from the service, and three of them retired. Out of that, Sanatana Gosvami was very important officer.

The Nawab did not like his retirement so he interned him, not allowed him to go out of home. But Rupa Gosvami and his younger brother, Vallabha, they left home, and they left instruction also to Sanatana Gosvami, that there is some money for his release, he could utilize that money. So Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha left home prior to Sanatana Gosvami’s leaving home. So, Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha met Lord Caitanya at Prayaga — these things are mentioned in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya — you can read, teachings to Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami and their meeting with Lord Caitanya at Allahabad, Prayaga.

So this boy, Jiva Gosvami, when he saw that his father and uncles all left home, why he should remain at home? So he also left, and he first of all went to Benares, which is called Varanasi. It is a great center for learning Sanskrit. So he finished his education in Sanskrit grammar, specifically, he was a great scholar in Sanskrit grammar. According to Vedic system, the students are first of all taught the Sanskrit grammar, because it is very difficult subject.

Usually one has to study grammar for 12 years, and when one is very much conversant with grammatical rules, he can read any literature. That means after studying grammar, the door is open for any other subject matter, just like philosophy, medicine, then military art, there are so many Vedic knowledges. Generally they read literature, the Puranas, the Vedantas and saipa[?], saipa[?] means general literature. So Srila Jiva Gosvami became a great scholar in grammar and then he studied all Vedic literatures, and after that he approached his uncle Rupa Gosvami in Vrndavana. He became a disciple of his uncle by proper initiation and remained with him. He was assisting his uncle and after hearing from him he composed very scholarly books know as Sat-Sandarbha.

These Sat-Sandarbha are recognized as the most scholarly work in the world. There is no comparison of his philosophical approach to the Vaisnava school. Generally, the impersonal Brahman is discussed there, then Krsna is discussed there, Bhagavata is discussed there, love of Krsna is discussed there. In this way, all subject matter, very elaborately discussed in Sat-Sandarbha. That is his, the greatest gift [of] Sri Jiva Gosvami. And one of the Sandarbha thesis is Karma[?] Sandarbha, his comment on Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So Jiva Gosvami was so big scholar but sometimes one ordinary scholar, he approached Rupa Gosvami that “I want to discuss with you about sastra“. Rupa Gosvami could understand that this man is not a devotee, he will simply waste my time. He inquired from him, “What is your purpose of discussing with me about sastras? He said that “I have discussed sastras with many big scholars and I have come victorious, so if I come victorious by discussing with you, then I will have very good fame and name.” So Rupa Gosvami could understand his view or his ambition, that “this man is a materialistic man, he wants some name and fame,” so he told him, “All right, without discussing, if I give you certificate that I am defeated, will that do?” So, he said, “Yes, that will do.”

So he gave him in writing that “I had sastric discussion with this man, and I found myself very much inferior and defeated.” So he was very glad to take that certificate, but when he was going, Jiva Gosvami saw, “My dear sir, what is that paper you have taken?” “No your uncle has agreed that he was defeated, so I have got this certificate, I am going.”

So he said, “All right, let me see what he has written.” So he gave him, and he kept that paper, and then he invited that “you have defeated my uncle, but you can discuss with me also.” So he agreed. So he was defeated. He was defeated and the matter was informed to Rupa Gosvami, that “Your nephew and your disciple, Jiva Gosvami has defeated that learned scholar. So Rupa Gosvami became a little angry superficially, that “Why did you bother? He was taking…”

So some people say that Jiva Gosvami was rejected on this ground by Rupa Gosvami, but that is not a fact. He was very glad that Jiva Gosvami defeated him, but he superficially said, “Why should you take so much trouble and bother? He might have gone with that certificate.” But it is the duty of the disciple that even the spiritual master, or senior acarya, they agree to be defeated, it is the duty of the disciple to see that his spiritual master and superior is not defeated.

That is the instruction we get from Jiva Gosvami’s behavior. This is one of the important… and later on when Jiva Gosvami established the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana, but he had no sons because he was brahmacari, so some of his grhastha devotee was entrusted with the management of the Radha-Damodara temple, and they are still going on by their descendants.

Srila Prabhupada; Vaisnava Calendar Description – September 2, 1970, Calcutta

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Vedic system regarding women

Especially instruction are given to men. All literatures, all Vedic literatures, they are especially meant for instruction to the men. Woman is to follow the husband. That’s all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. There is no such thing as the girl should go to school to take brahmacari asrama or go to spiritual master to take instruction. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.

Srila Prabhupada; lecture on SB 1.3.13 — Los Angeles, September 18, 1972

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Converting hippies into welfare workers

The people of the West are seeing their students becoming hippies, despite gorgeous arrangements for university education. The Krsna consciousness movement, however, is trying to convert misguided, drug-addicted students to the service of Krsna and engage them in the best welfare activities for human society.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.5.18

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Following in Radha’s footsteps

To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Radharani, and devotees in Vrndavana put themselves under the care of Radharani in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service.

From Nectar of Devotion ch. 1 by Srila Prabhupada

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Srimati Radharani is the highest

Of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Krsna, the gopis are most exalted, and out of all these exalted gopis, Srimati Radharani is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Srimati Radharani. Indeed, even Krsna cannot understand the attitude of Srimati Radharani; therefore He took Her position and appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings.

Srila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Instruction, Text 10 Purport

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Krsna is attracted by the gopis and Srimati Radharani

Krsna is never attracted by the artificial grooming of the material body. As far as Srimati Radharani and Her gopis are concerned, their bodies, homes, dresses, ornaments, endeavors and activities are all spiritual. All of these are meant to satisfy the spiritual senses of Krsna. Indeed, they are so pleasing and endearing to Krsna that He is subjugated by the influence of Srimati Radharani and Her friends. They have nothing to do with anything mundane within the fourteen planetary systems of the universe. Although Krsna is attractive to everyone, He is nonetheless attracted by the gopis and Srimati Radharani.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Cc Madhya 8.204-205

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Srila Prabhupada’s flower blessings

We were called to San Francisco to do the 1970 Ratha-yatra, in San Francisco. Before we went up to San Francisco, Prabhupada was here in LA. And we were told that he wanted to meet us, or meet me. He wanted to meet Naranarayana’s wife. And Prabhupada did something really nice. When we were married, he was real anxious for Naranarayana to get married. And when he heard he had gotten married he sent us a letter with a little sprig of dried narcissus flowers in it. Enclosed in the letter. And those were like Prabhupada’s favorite flowers at that time, you know real fragrant flowers and he said in his letter: “please accept these flowers of my blessings on the occasion of your marriage,” or something like that. It was real nice.

Dina-dayadri DD

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Srila Prabhupada’s one request

I have only one request,” Prabhupada continued. “Whatever happiness you have felt, you simply tell someone else about that. That is all you have to do. You don’t need to teach anything. You don’t need to teach the philosophy. You just explain to people that because you chant Hare Krsna you have become happy, and if they chant, they will become happy. Then I will be satisfied, and my spiritual master will be satisfied.

SPL 7-2: Opening a Temple in Los Angeles, 1968

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Religious leaders & the killing business

Those who kill animals and give them unnecessary pain — as people do in slaughterhouses — will be killed in a similar way in the next life and in many lives to come. One can never be excused from such an offense. If one kills many thousands of animals in a professional way so that other people can purchase the meat to eat, one must be ready to be killed in a similar way in his next life and in life after life. There are many rascals who violate their own religious principles. According to Judeo-Christian scriptures, it is clearly said, “Thou shalt not kill.” Nonetheless, giving all kinds of excuses, even the heads of religions indulge in killing animals while trying to pass as saintly persons. This mockery and hypocrisy in human society bring about unlimited calamities; therefore occasionally there are great wars. Masses of such people go out onto battlefields and kill themselves. Presently they have discovered the atomic bomb, which is simply waiting to be used for wholesale destruction. If people want to be saved from the killing business life after life, they must take to Krsna consciousness and cease sinful activity. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness recommends that everyone abandon meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. When one gives up these sinful activities, he can understand Krsna and take to this Krsna consciousness movement. We therefore request everyone to abandon sinful activity and chant the Hare Krsna mantra. In this way people can save themselves from repeated birth and death and from being killed like the animals in slaughterhouses.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to CC, Madhya-lila, Chapter 24 Verse 251

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