An Overview: Varṇāśṛama Supports Bhakti

In his Śrī Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes the general relationship between varṇāśrama-dharma and bhakti:

“What is the relation of varṇāśrama, which was previously discussed, with vaidhi-bhakti? Should people take shelter of vaidhi-bhakti and give up the rules of varṇāśrama dharma, or should they practice vaidhi-bhakti for developing devotion, while still following the varṇāśrama rules and duties? It was previously stated that the

1. The Story of Durvasa Muni and King Ambarisha (SB 9)

Sri Sukadeva Goswami narrates how Durvasa Muni, after being completely satisfied and transformed by King Ambarisha’s humility and devotion, glorifies the king, takes permission, and travels through the spaceways to Brahmaloka.

Brahmaloka is described as a realm free from agnostics and dry philosophical speculation, where everyone is self-realized.

Durvasa travels without a spacecraft because great mystic yogis can move between planets by y

Dear Gopal Krishna Maharaja;

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

We all know that once we are born we have to depart, the question for us all is, what do we do with our time between those two events — birth and death. Well, you have emphatically answered that question for us all Maharaja in the most perfect of ways, by showing us all for well over 5 decades now, what the absolute perfection is as far as use of our time is concerned in this world — selfless servi

Those who know the associates of Sri Gauranga to be eternally liberated souls will attain their place by the side of the son of the king of Vraja.

Sri Syamananda Prabhu, Srinivasa Acarya and Sri Narottama dasa Thakura were the internal associates of Sri Gaurasundara. They incarnated in this world in order to spread the teachings of Sri Gaura-Krsna after His departure from it.

Sri Syamananda made his appearance at Utkala in the village of Dharenda Bahadurpur. His father’s name was Sri Krsna Mand

The international governing body of ISKCON, the GBC, has issued the following resolution to all its centres in this millenium year of Sri Ramanujacarya:

310: Global Observance of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi

Whereas Sri Ramanujacarya, the great Vaisnava saint who lived between 1017 and 1137, requires no introduction to the saintly, especially the Vaisnavas;

Whereas Sri Ramanujacarya’s 1000th anniversary is being celebrated around the world this year, 2017. According to the Sri Vaishnava calendar, hi

QUESTION: I once read somewhere, but I cannot remember where, that Kubja was attracted by Krishna in a selfish way of sensual satisfaction, and still Krishna fulfilled her desire. And then it is said that this intimate contact with Krishna purified her, so that her love later transformed into pure prema, as that of the gopis. Do you perhaps know where is this described?

Her love became like the prema of the gopīs but is actually not on the same level of quality.

In Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, First

Hare Krishna
3rd March, 2015. Gurgaon

This is the second last blog in the series of last few blogs on Vaishanava etiquette and Vaishanava Apradha. We will read about three categories of devotees and what Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has to say on Vaishnava Apradha.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in `Vaisnava Ninda’ (Sajjan Toshani, 1893) that If we neglect to show respect to the ordinary jivas, special honour to the religious jiva, and proper respect to brahmana-jivas and vaisnava-praya-jivas, th

THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION

1. Krishna

2. Brahma

3. Narada

4. Vyasa

5. Madhva

6. Padmanabha

7. Narahari

8. Madhava

9. Akshobhya

10. Jaya Tirtha

11. Jnanasindhu

12. Dayanidhi

13. Vidyanidhi

14. Rajendra

15. Jayadharma

16. Purusottama

17. Brahmanya Tirtha

18. Vyasa Tirtha

19. Lakshmipati

20. Madhavendra Puri

21. Ishvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)

22. Lord Chaitanya

23. Rupa Goswami, (Svarupa, Sanatana Goswami)

24. Raghunatha, Jiva Goswami

25. Krishnadasa

26. Narottama

27. Vishvanatha

28. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja,(

THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION

1. Krishna

2. Brahma

3. Narada

4. Vyasa

5. Madhva

6. Padmanabha

7. Narahari

8. Madhava

9. Akshobhya

10. Jaya Tirtha

11. Jnanasindhu

12. Dayanidhi

13. Vidyanidhi

14. Rajendra

15. Jayadharma

16. Purusottama

17. Brahmanya Tirtha

18. Vyasa Tirtha

19. Lakshmipati

20. Madhavendra Puri

21. Ishvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)

22. Lord Chaitanya

23. Rupa Goswami, (Svarupa, Sanatana Goswami)

24. Raghunatha, Jiva Goswami

25. Krishnadasa

26. Narottama

27. Vishvanatha

28. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja,(

Bhagavata-Sastri Course

Dear devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are happy to announce that the Sixth Bhagavata Sastri course at Srimad-Bhagavatam Vidyapitham is now open for admission.

Srimad-Bhagavata Vidyapitham, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust's Sanskrit school is now located in Sri Vrindavan after the departure of H.G Gopiparanadhana Prabhu. The school is still going strong under the guidance of senior devotees and is inviting applicants for join

The Spiritual Form of the Self

by Sriman Muralidhar das

Following is a critique of the philosophy of the Radha Kunda babajis who teach that when a disciple comes to a guru he should be "given" a spiritual body of a manjari. In this article, the author carefully presents the teachings of Prabhupada Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur who taught that this "siddha pranali" system of worship is a concoction and a deviation from the ways of devotion taught by Sri Rupa-Sanatana.

A significant aspect

All glories to Krishna, the son of Mother Yasoda, the cowherd boy Gopal, Govinda who gives pleasure to the cows! All glories to the conqueror of Cupid, Lord Hari, who takes away all inauspiciousness, who is unlimited, and the awarder of liberation!

(Gitavali, Sri Krishner Vimsottara-Sata-Nam, Song 6, Verse 1 Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Trans. Dasaratha-suta dasa. Nectar Books, 2002.)

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built

Gopal Bhatta Goswami

Shri Gopal Bhatta Goswami was the son of Vyenkatta Bhatta, a brahmana resident of Shri Rangam, who was initiated in the Shri Sampradaya. The city of Shri Rangam is located on the Kaveri river in the district of Tanjor about ten miles west of Kumbhakonam. Regarding this temple. Shri Bhaktivedanta Swami remarks as follows. "The Shri Rangam temple is the largest in India, and there are seven walls surrounding it. There are also seven roads leading to Shri Rangam. The ancient nam

Sanatana Goswami (Longer Biography Part - 2)

Sanatana Goswami and Madana Mohan

The Bhakti-Ratnakara describes how Sanatana began the worship of his Madana-Mohan deity. Among Mahaprabhu's orders to Sanatana was his instruction to establish the worship of the Deity of Krishna. The Bhakti Ratnakara how Shri Sanantana Goswami, when he was staying in Vrindavan, began the worship of Shri Madana-Mohan, also known as Madana Mohana. In Mahavana, nearby Krishna's birthplace in Vrindavana, Sanatana Goswami m

Sanatana Goswami (Longer Biography Part -1)

vairagya-yug-bhakti-rasam prayatnair

apayayan mam anabhipsum andham

krpambudhir yah para-duhkha-duhkhi

sanatanas tam prabhum asrayami

[Raghunatha dasa Goswami has glorified Sanatana Goswami as follows in his Vilapa Kusumanjali (6)] “I was unwilling to drink the nectar of devotional service possessed of renunciation, but Sanatana Goswami, out of his causeless mercy, made me drink it, even though I was unable to do so. Therefore he is an ocean of mercy. He is

Birchandra Prabhu

Shrimad Birchandra or Birabhadra Prabhu took birth within this world on the ninth day of the dark moon in the month of Kartik, which corresponds to the divine appearance day of Shri Shrimad Bhakti Raksaka Shridhar Maharaja. Shri Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami writes (CC Adi 11.8-12):

"Shri Nityananda Prabhu is the topmost branch of the indestructible tree of eternal love of Godhead, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu...From that branch grow many branches and sub-branches...After Nityananda

Baladeva Vidyabhusana

Shrimad Baladev Vidyabhusan Prabhu was a pure devotee of the highest order, who cared for nothing but the service of the Lord. He didn't have a spot of desire for name and fame. He was the composer of many scriptures which are as priceless as precious gems, for the ultimate benefit of all those who have taken human birth. The exact location of his birth, the names of his mother and father, and their family tree is not known. The exact circumstances of his birth and childhood