Introduction
Jiva Gosvami (1513-1598) is the youngest of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana[i] who are honoured as genuine representatives of the teachings and faith of Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534). All of them, except Jiva Gosvami, were personally inspired, instructed or commissioned by Caitanya. (Kapoor, 1984, 54). It seems that Jiva did not have the privilege to…
From Back to Godhead
The preeminent philosopher in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s line explains why, in this age, the Puranas are essential for accessing the Absolute Truth.
[Excerpted from Sri Tattva-sandarbha, by Srila Jiva Goswami, translation and commentary by Gopiparanadhana Dasa. Published by Giriraja Publishing, a branch of the…
Hare Krishna dear devotees,
Srila Prabhupada described Srimad Bhagavatam as the encyclopedia of spiritual life and Caitanya Mahaprabhu called it the amala purana (spotless Purana).
We all know the famous Gita Mahatamaya verse :
sarvopanishado…
From Back to Godhead
From the Vedic literature: the history of King Prthu,
the incarnation of the ruling potency of the Supreme Lord.
Long ago, the normally peaceful wise men of a Vedic kingdom forcibly deposed an intolerably corrupt ruler. But instead of replacing him with another unprincipled politician (as has so often happened in the history of the world), they selected a perfect chief executive to…
Giriraj Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23:
“O King Rahugana, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahamsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained…
For his Vyasa Puja this year, devotees at ISKCON Brisbane, Australiaoffered Srila Prabhupada multiple cakes designed on the theme of the twenty-six qualities of a pure…
From Back to Godhead
Why are some people by nature outgoing and talkative while others are quiet and shy? What are the forces of nature that compel people to act the way they do? How do these forces work, and who is controlling them?
Dr. and Mrs. A. B. Bright and their two children have a small home, just suitable to their needs, in a peaceful country town. Dr. Bright is the local, M.D., a thoughtful, qualified man, respected…
Any question that is put forward may be answered by quoting the authority, and that satisfies the saner section. That is the system even in the law court. The best lawyer gives evidence from the past judgement of the court without taking much trouble to establish his case. This is called the parampara system and…
Just before the annual Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur in 1986, Campakalata Devi, along with three other sakhis, was installed and joined Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar.
Sri Campakalata Devi is the third of the eight principle gopis. Her father is Arama, her mother is Vatika-devi and her husband is Candaksa. She has a yellow-white complexion, just like the colour of a full-blown champaka flower. Her garments…
The first Janmastami festival organized by the new ISKCON management at Brooklyn’s Radha Govinda Mandir focused on improving the pilgrim experience to create lasting positive impressions for devotees and visitors…
I HAVE SURRENDERED UNTO RADHA RANI’S LOTUS FEET 49 YEARS AGO BY ACCEPTING THE SANYASA ORDER -49 years of Sanyasa. At a young age of 21, HH Jayapataka Swami was awarded Sanyas by His Divine Grace A.C.BhaktiVednata Swami Prabhupada. Today at the Namhatta Bhavan disciples celebrated this historic moment. HH Jayapataka Swami is the senior most and longest standing Sanyasi in…
Full happiness means full freedom. As long as we are not fully happy, we are chained, we are trapped and we are not free. Only in full happiness are we actually free. Therefore, only in Krsna consciousness we can be really free, because nowhere else are we able to be fully happy.
So this is nice to remember that devotional service is voluntarily performed. It is performed out of free choice and no one is…
From Back to Godhead
By Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
Although Lord Krsna wants our full surrender,
He encourages us to progress gradually to that exalted goal.…
By Bhurijana dasa
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.24), Narada Muni explains to Srila Vyasadeva how he attained, through the mercy of the Vaisnavas, an exalted spiritual position:
Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedanta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self- controlled and had no…
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
It is explained that all the residents of Vrndavana are like the life force of Krsna. Without them, what reason is there to exist? Krsna makes this very clear. But then, He points out that when it comes to Srimati Radharani, She is His very life force itself. Without Her, there is no life. She is therefore the centre of all of Vrndavana’s…
By Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Knowledge about Srimati Radharani, Her relationship with Krishna, Her relationships with Her sakhis and gopi manjaris is expanded throughout the confidential literatures of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. In recent years these books are becoming more accessible to English speaking readers. We are becoming more aware, at least theoretically, that devotion…
