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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Part - 2)

Establishing the Deities of Gaura and Vishnu Priya at the Yogapitha

In February of 1891 during Thakur Bhaktivinoda’s leave from official duties, he was invited to speak in Krishnanagara before a large congregation of highly learned men from various places in Bengal. He gave a lecture concerning his investigation and research into the actual site of Sri Caitanya’s birth place at Sri Mayapura. After hearing his discourse they all became extremely delighted and

Priti - Love
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
from Rays of the Harmonist, Kartika 2003

The Sweetness of the word “love”

Love (priti) is a very sweet word. When it is spoken, a very sweet mood arises in the hearts of both the speaker and the listeners. Though few are able to understand its true meaning, everyone still likes to hear the word. All beings are controlled by love. Many will even give up their lives for it.

All beings are controlled by love

To love is the sole purpose of human life. Many thi

Eight Prayers in Glorification of Srimati Radharani
By Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura

Song 1

(1)
radhika-carana-padma, sakala sreyera sadma,
jatane je nahi aradhilo
radha-padmankita dhama, brndabana jar nama,
taha je na asroy korilo

1) He who has failed to carefully worship the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, which are the abode of all auspiciousness; he who has not taken shelter in the transcendental abode known as Vrndavana, which is decorated with the beautiful lotus flower named Radha...

(2)
radhika

O Hari! Having captured my mind, please free me from material bondage.

O Krsna! Please attract my mind by pulling it to You.

O Hari! Please capture my mind by Your unsurpassed sweetness.

O Krsna! Please purify my mind with knowledge about devotional service given to me by Your own devotee.

O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Hari! 

Hare Krsna

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

A man may carry a burden on his head, and when he feels it to be too heavy, he sometimes gives relief to his head by putting the burden on his shoulder. In this way he tries to relieve himself of the burden. However, whatever process he devises to counteract the burden does nothing more than put the same burden from one place to another. This does not mean that he has become freed from the strains of carrying the burden

Introduction by Shrila Baladeva Vidyabhushana

satyam jnanam anantam

     brahma-shivadi-stutam bhajad-rupam

govindam tam acintyam

     hetum adosham namasyamah

Lord Govinda is the Supreme Brahman, the absolute transcendental reality. He is transcendental knowledge. He is the original cause of all causes. He is limitless and faultless. Lord Shiva and all the demigods praise Him. The devotees worship His transcendental form. We offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

sutramshubhis tamamsi

     vyud

Srila Prabhupada was ready to come down to the temple at the scheduled time of mid-morning, but there were last-minute problems in the Deity room. As time passed, Prabhupada expressed his concern by repeatedly sending devotees downstairs to inquire about the delays. Finally, four hours late, Madhudvisa came up to escort Srila Prabhupada to the temple.

By now the grounds were overflowing with people. As kirtana began, neighbours, workmen who had helped with construction, local di

By the time Srila Prabhupada arrived at the temple, the sun had set, and both buildings were in darkness. As Prabhupada stepped out of the car, however, someone, as pre-arranged, turned on the main switch. Immediately the entire property was lit up by the combined illumination of hundreds of coloured bulbs. Prabhupada, beaming with pleasure and accompanied by a loud kirtana, entered the front gate. As he reached the main entrance to his house he was showered with rose petals f

After leaving the house and its contents in the care of Ganesa's mother, Srila Prabhupada's party set off at around 12.30pm for Perth airport to board their flight to Melbourne.

The terminal building was crowded and noisy. Amogha decided that it would be more appropriate to offer Prabhupada a quieter place in the garden area just outside the airport entrance. Prabhupada sat on a chair, holding his cane, with his back straight and his right leg crossed over his left.

As the sun cast dap

Saturday, 17 May 1975

On his final morning walk in Perth, Srila Prabhupada delineated some of the faults in the environmentalist's philosophy of "caring for the future". Paramahamsa Swami cited Justin Murphy's ideas about scientific research. "As he sees it, one of the biggest problems is that the natural resources are being taken at such a pace that in the future there will be a great scarcity."

Prabhupada did not entirely agree. "God's resources are unlimited. They wil

Friday, 16 May 1975

Prabhupada's morning walk conversations continued to be topical, fascinating -- and sometimes controversial. According to the Vedic version, Prabhupada said, the modern astronomers' proposition that the moon is nearest to the earth should not be accepted. Actually, he said, the moon was far, far away and could not be approached by a so-called "moon expedition". As evidence, Prabhupada cited the chronological order in which people all over the world re

Later in his room, Srila Prabhupada discussed more about Vedic cosmology with Paramahamsa. The different planetary orbits, Prabhupada said, were all independent; the so-called law of gravity was not mentioned as such in the Vedic literature. Prabhupada answered a few more of Paramahamsa's questions about the current work on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, and then fell silent.

"Actually," he added, after a few minutes, "I am not giving any more information -- simply what is t

Paramahamsa surveyed the morning newspaper. The day before, in what US President Ford described as "an act of piracy", the Cambodian Government seized the 10,000 tonne US freighter Mayaguez, 96km off the Cambodian coast in the Gulf of Thailand. Now, in retaliation, the US Navy had sunk three Cambodian gun boats. Paramahamsa reported these war-like events to Srila Prabhupada in his room.

Prabhupada was ominously dismissive: "The capitalists will destroy the communists, the communis

On his morning walk at City Beach, Prabhupada spoke more about the flaws of modern civilisation. Paramahamsa described a news article he had read describing how New York City was bankrupt and had practically given up the fight against noise, pollution and crime.

"Because it is conducted by fourth-class men," Prabhupada warned, "the whole civilisation will collapse. There is no social structure, no spiritual understanding and no good character."

A municipal bus, with only

Thursday, 15 May 1975

The devotees had set up two bells in Prabhupada's room. A wind-up bell, more like a buzzer and operated by pressing a button, was for Prabhupada to call Srutakirti to his room. A small brass hand bell sitting on Prabhupada's desk was rung by Prabhupada whenever he wanted to speak to Paramahamsa Swami.

Ganesa: It was about 4am. I had taken my early morning bath under the tap in the front garden. Srutakirti and the others were splashing and divi

Later, Ganesa's mother and sister arrived, and Prabhupada spoke to them in a kindly manner. Ganesa's mother, apparently worried that Krsna consciousness was a challenge to her beliefs, asked Srila Prabhupada a question: "What about the Hebrew religion?" Srila Prabhupada assured her that any religion by which one could know God was good. She asked again, and Prabhupada reassured her. Then, when she felt less defensive, he humbly asked her: "Do you know God? Can you tell me about

Amogha had done well in arranging the evening guest. Justin Murphy -- a well-groomed man in his early thirties, wearing a business suit and tie -- appeared bright and alert. Justin was a geographer, and worked as a Scientific Services Officer for the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).

Justin began the conversation by describing to Prabhupada some of the goals of his organisation: to protect and preserve Australia's diverse fl

On his walk in King's Park, Srila Prabhupada spoke about the unemployed Indian boy who had visited him the previous night. "This man is unemployed and if we engage him for ploughing, will he do that?"

Paramahamsa said that he didn't think so.

Prabhupada laughed. "Just see -- therefore, there must be division of job. That is catur-varnyam maya srstam. He's a sudra. He does not want to produce his own food. If you give him some salary, then he will be satisfied.

Wednesday, 14 May 1975

Paramahamsa Swami: At 4.30am, Srila Prabhupada called me into his room and we discussed for one hour about how the scientists' astronomical calculations of the universe are all wrong. He said: "You say I am wrong, I say you are wrong, but what is the standard? Your conclusions change, mine are fixed, hence you are wrong. All the exact astronomical calculations are given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam."

Prabhupada knew that modern scientists