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Homenagem dos Bauls a Sri Srimad Baktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja

SRI VYASA PUJA 2010 NO BRASIL

SRI VYASA PUJA 2010 NO BRASIL

Srila Gurudeva lilas

Mukundananda Dasa

Eu convidava Srila Gurudeva depois de 2003 direto, enquanto os outros convidavam Srila Gurudev respondia vou sim, porque ele sabia que esses convites era só desejo, não poderiam organizar a vinda dele.

Mas a mim ele dizia os médicos não querem que eu viage mais, e eu saia frustrado, em 2005 ele me disse, não me convide pra ir ao Brasil, é muito longe fora da minha rota, e eu já não tenho tempo nem condições, isto foi no Havai , sai do quarto frustrado e ao sair tinha 2 saniassys e um bramacary conversando sobre o darsham que Srila Gurudeva tinha dado sobre o desejo intenso dele ir na África , pois Swami Maharaj foi lá.

Eu me lembrei que antes de sair do Brasil, eu li que a South African ia entrar no grupo de milhagens a qual Srila Gurudeva pertence.

Voltei ao quarto dele e disse Srilça Gurudeva me falaram que o Senhor quer ir a África do sul , o que impede, ele disse não tem ninguém para organizar alguma coisa por lá, tem que primeiro abrir e ai eu talvez consiga ir lá. eu disse Srila Gurudeva a África do sul fica mais perto do Brasil e é o voo mais rápido de volta a Índia.

Se eu ajudar a abrir a África do sul o senhor vem ao Brasil, ele riu e disse sim. Eu não devia perguntar mas estava tão excitado que não pude evitar, então perguntei o senhor promete, e ele disse prometo.

Eu pedi que ele prometesse porque Krishna jamais deixa a palavra de seu devoto puro sem ser cumprida.


Sai do quarto em êxtase e pensei mas agora como eu vou ajudar abrir a África do sul, ? e dei de cara com Ashram maharaj e não sei da onde eu disse que ele devia ir a África do sul pregar que seria um grande sucesso, ele respondeu não , não tem ninguém lá e a Iskcon não deixa, bla, bal...


Então eu disse Maharaj lhe dou uma passagem para o senhor vir ao Brasil do Brasil para Africa do sul de lá para gaura purnima em Navadwip e de volta África do sul e depois ao Brasil e Londres.

A tentação de tal oferta foi muito grande e ele cedeu.

Ao chegar a África do Sul Maharaja tinha 2 senhoras de contato e ele organizou algumas palestras e foi crescendo, quando voltou da Índia e parou de novo lá , as palestra foram um sucesso estrondo, mas de 300 pessoas todas as noites, aí ele voltou ao Brasil, aqui ele me perguntou como é que eu sabia que ia ser um grande sucesso a abertura da África e eu respondi que não sabia mas se eu dizesse que não seria ele não iria mesmo, então disse que seria.

Assim abriu a África do sul, e os devotos continuaram a pregação lá até ficar madura e convidaram Gurudeva, assim que convidaram Srila Gurudeva eles ja marcaram a vinda dele ao Brasil, Srila Gurudeva nunca me decepcionou.

Outras pessoas podem ter feito muito para a vinda dele ao Brasil, tudo tem vários motivos, mas não tenho duvida que este foi o motivo primário, os outros não menos importantes são segundarios, assim como a vinda do Senhor Caitanya tem motivos primários e segundarios, e todos são igualmente importantes .


O que posso dizer, a minha alegria é ter servido Srila Gurudeva, por estes anos, hoje vejo que ele fez todos os arranjos para que eu me ocupasse neste serviço.

Tudo foi misericórdia sem causa mesmo, eu não sou melhor que ninguém, muito pelo contrario, não sou digno da imotivada compaixão dele, mas ele se apiedou de mim o que posso fazer.

Pra dizer a verdade quando ele veio em 2010 eu já nem queria mesmo que ele viesse, estava frustrado e cansado devido as minhas próprias impurezas, mas ele veio e me salvou mais uma vez.

Srila Gurudeva prometeu vir ao brasil assim que fosse a africa do sul, não em outra ocasião, se a africa não acontecesse srila Gurudev não viria, e como aconteceu ele cumpriu a promnessa dele.

Eu conto isso para a glorificar srila gurudeva não a mim, mostrar como ele cumpre o que promete , e não se esquce mesmo depois de 5 anos. E tambem mostrar todo o arranjo que ele mesmo fez para dar misericórdia aos africanos.

Eu tentei conversar com Van Maharaj sobre isto em 2006 para ele ir lá na África e ele respondeu que Srila Gurudeva não vinha ao Brasil por causa do Brajanath e não por causa da distancia.

Srila Gurudeva não vinha ao Brasil porque não queria, quem controla Gurudeva?

E ele fez arranjos para o Brasil crescer e também para abrir a África do sul e cumpriu vários objetivos de uma só vez.

Imagina se Brajanath podia intervir nas decisões de Gurudeva, Brajanth sempre foi sómente um servo humilde, não decidia, nada.

Ele sempre foi contra Gurudeva vir de novo ao Brasil desde a primeira vez, depois da primeira vez Brajanath sempre votava contra.

Mas mesmo assim Srila Gurudeva vinha.

Srila Gurudeva Patita Pavan Kijay!

Rays of the Harmonist-Enterning Nitya-Lila

Rays of the Harmonist-Enterning Nitya-Lila

Morning Walk and Gurukula Darshan

Venu Gita

Venu Gita

Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam

O presente nectario

O presente nectario

Sri Vyasa Puja Mahotsava de Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

Jay Srila Gurudeva!!!


“Ofereço minhas respeitosas reverências a todos os devotos vaishnavas do Senhor. Eles são exatamente como árvores-dos-desejos, que podem satisfazer os anseios de todo o mundo, e são cheios de compaixão pelas almas condicionadas caídas.”

MAHAT-SANGA CHANGES YOUR BODY

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
MAHAT-SANGA CHANGES YOUR BODY
Badger, California: May 21, 2004

[Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Sri Sri Radha-vinode-bihariji.
We pray that you will receive inspiration from this timely discourse by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, given in Badger, California May 21, 2004:]

This is a very good verse: Sri Vidura said,

yat-sevaya bhagavatah
kuta-sthasya madhu-dvisah
rati-raso bhavet tivrah
padayor vyasanardanah

[“By serving the feet of the spiritual master, one is enabled to develop transcendental ecstasy in the service of the Personality of Godhead, who is the unchangeable enemy of the Madhu demon and whose service vanquishes one’s material distresses.” (Srimad- Bhagavatam 3.7.19)]

Vidura was the prime minister of King Dhrtarastra. He was an extremely religious person, a very high class of devotee who was fully surrendered to Sri Krsna. He knew past, present and future.

He saved the five Pandavas from burning in the house of lac and he protected them on several other occasions. When Duryodhana insulted him, he gave up his bow and crown and at once left home to go on pilgrimage. When he returned after five or six months, he saw that his entire dynasty had been destroyed; The great war had been finished and Duryodhana and all his brothers and friends had died. Vidura went to the palace of Dhrtarastra and delivered him from maya.*[See endnote 1] Krsna later ordered him to go and approach Maitreya Muni, so he traveled to Badrikasrama to meet with him.

In Brhad-Bhagavatamrta Srila Sanatana Gosvami has quoted Vidura’s words in the verse above, and he has explained some of its very deep meanings.

You may or may not remember; yesterday I told you something very important. Gopa Kumara, known as Svarupa in Goloka Vrndavana, was a transcendental associate of Lord Krsna. He was not subject to birth or death. He was like Nanda Baba and Srimati Yasoda devi in that they also had never been mortal conditioned souls at any time. He never had to practice the regulations of sadhana-bhakti.

The Mathura brahmana, on the other hand, was a conditioned soul. Still, without having performed any real sadhana, he became just like his Guru, Svarupa. He became the bosom friend of Sri Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana. How did this miracle occur? This is the result of mahat-sanga.

Quoting the above-mentioned verse of Sri Vidura, Srila Sanatana Gosvami tells us that even those who are involved in buddhism or mayavada – if they associate with any mahat-purusa they will be changed from mrta (death), to amrta (immortality). Their bodies will be changed in quality, as the body of Sri Narada Rsi was changed from a material body to a transcendental one, and they will thus be qualified to serve Sri Krsna and Srimati Radhika in rasa. Srila Sanatana Gosvami is giving this hope to those who will always remain in mahat-sanga. In that sanga, all possibilities arise.

One who is fully engaged in favorable service to a mahat will be able to see Lord Krsna massaging the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika, and Krsna will be saying, “Oh, now You are so tired, and You are perspiring.” What Krsna is not able to perform during the Rasa dance, Srimati Radhika can quickly perform. Krsna may sing the notes ‘sa re ga ma pa da ni,’ but Srimati Radhika begins from there and goes further and further up. What did Krsna say then? “Thank You, thank You, thank You. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu! I cannot do as You can.”

The fully surrendered soul engaged exclusively in the service of the mahat-purusa will have a chance to see these pastimes and all the other pastimes of Sri Radha-Krsna, and also to serve in those pastimes. In the form of a sakhi, he (she) will see that Radhika comes and takes the flute of Krsna. She gives it to Lalita and Visakha, and Krsna then goes to each and every gopi – begging, begging, begging, begging.

Those who are fully surrendered to mahat-sanga will have a chance to see all these pastimes. Their sufferings will be transferred into bhakti-sampat, the wealth of bhakti. If their fathers, mothers, wives, husbands and children kick them out of the house, they will realize, “This is the mercy of Krsna. I was always very attached to them, but now they have kicked me out. Now I will go to Vrndavana and chant, ‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ My friends will be monkeys, birds and other animals of Vraja, and that is fine with me.” If such devotees are insulted, they will think like the brahmana mendicant at Avanti Nagara: “Oh, today my life is successful.”

Try to follow these principles. Don’t worry whether anyone is insulting you or kicking you out of their homes. There is no harm in that. Come to Vrndavana. Sri Krsna, Srimati Radhika, and Their special messengers are there to look after you all. Do not fear. If you sit on the parikrama path, so many devotees will give you bread, butter, garments, and everything else you require for maintenance. So, why worry?

I have personally experienced this care. Once I went empty-handed to Giriraja Govardhana, and there was a big flood at that time. I was thinking, “Where to go? What to do?” In the meantime, Sri Govardhana sent my pandaji (pilgrimage priest and guide). He saw me and said, “Oh, you are here? Come with me to my house. My house is outside the village in a remote place, so you can stay there.” Then, while I was there, he sent me chapatis, ghee, puris, rotis, sabji, and dhal. Now, in that very place, our Giridhari Govardhana Gaudiya Math is being constructed.

So do not worry. Come. You can give up all the worries of householders – your husbands, children, wives, wealth, and all material considerations. Come to me, empty-handed (empty-hearted, meaning free from all material desires and false philosophies), and I will take care of you. If you cannot come now, then come at the time of Vraja Mandala parikrama. Make a vow that, “I will not return from there.” Follow the example of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami – purchase a one-way ticket.

We have explained the above-mentioned verse of Sri Vidura in a very easy way; and now we will explain something which is hidden in it. If you serve a mahat-purusa, regularly hear his hari-katha and follow the process given in the Bhagavad-gita, you will realize the truths hidden therein.

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

["Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)]

The words tattva-vida and tattva-darsi have the same meaning. The tattva-darsis, the great souls who have seen the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, explain all spiritual truths very easily. In fact, even if they do not speak at all, atoms of hari-katha emanate from their body and enter your heart. This will help you to understand and realize Krsna – if you are serving.

Sri Krsna is kutastha, meaning ‘incomprehensible.’ Krsna is sarva kal vyapi (past, present and future are within Him; He is present within the three time phases; He is omnicient), avyaya (without deterioration), anadi (without beginning), ananta (unlimited), and nirguna (free from all tinges of material qualities). But He is also Madhusudana. If one will serve a maha-purusa, this anadi ananta Krsna will come to you and reveal Himself as Vrajendra-nandana Syamasundara.

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

["Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. (Brahma-samhita 5.1)]

If you are experiencing a strain in following of the principles of bhakti-yoga, this will disappear and everything will become very easy. When Srila Haridasa Thakura was beaten in 22 market-places he did not feel any pain in his body – because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken it all away. If you are experiencing any suffering in krsna-bhajana while following nirjala-ekadasi, while doing parikrama of Govardhana – 14 miles at one time – or during Vraja Mandala parikrama, mahat-sanga will take away all those sufferings. Moreover, the endless pain of repeated birth and death will disappear very easily. Otherwise, without mahat-sanga, there is no way to be free.

Another meaning of kuta is mountain – the mountain of Vraja. The name of that mountain is Giriraja Govardhana, and there Krsna grazes cows. Moreover He plays there with the gopas, and moreover He engages in dancing and singing and playing in the caves of Govardhana with the gopis. There are so many gopis, like Candravali, Radhika, Lalita and Visakha, Padma and Saibhya; and with them He is sometimes relishing viraha-rasa (feelings of separation), sometimes relishing sambhoga-rasa (feelings of meeting), and sometimes creating confusion here and there.

Kuta also refers to annakuta, the festival held by Nanda Baba and the Vrajavasis on the kuta, the peak, of Giriraja Govardhana. Lord Madhusudana is there, tasting the honey of the love and affection of the gopas, gopis, cows and all the Vrajavasis; their rati-rasa is there. Those who serve the lotus feet of the maha-purusa will have a chance to dance with all the gopis and Lord Krsna in rati-rasa.

yat te sujata-caranamburuham stanesu
bhitah sanaih priya dadhimahi karkasesu
tenatavim atasi tad vyathate na kim svit
kurpadibhir bhramati dhir bhavad-ayusam nah

[“O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.31.19)]

Ultimately, in connection with this verse kuta does not mean annakuta, nor does it mean Giriraja kuta. It means something else. When Krsna feels tired, He wants to keep His lotus feet on the lotus-like breasts of the gopis. This is the highest meaning of the word kuta, and it ultimately refers to Radhika. That person serving a maha-purusa can feel all the elevated moods of the gopis, and especially those of Srimati Radhika. These are some of the hidden meanings of the verse by Sri Vidura.

Lord Kapiladeva told his mother:

satam prasangan mama virya-samvido
bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah
taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani
sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

["In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.25)]

Lord Kapiladeva is an incarnation of Sri Krsna, a saktyavesa-avatara. Here he is speaking to his mother, Devahuti, who is an exalted devotee. She questioned him, “How can my life be successful?” By his mercy he spoke this verse. Later, after he left home, she became oblivious to the external world. She had no bodily consciousness. She would take off her garments and forget to use them. She would be quite naked and, apparently like an animal, she was not conscious of when she would pass stool or urine. She forgot her surroundings.

bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta sangena parijayate
sat-sanga prapyate pumbhih sukrtaih purva sancitaih

[“Bhakti becomes manifested by the association of the Lord’s devotees. The association of devotees is obtained by previous accumulated piety.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana, 4.33)]

If one is fortunate, if he has served sadhus – those who are krsna-tadiya (belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead) – then sadhu-samagama (the place where one meets a sadhu) will come to him. There are two kinds of sadhu-samagama – madhyama and uttama. First, without your awareness of what is transpiring, a sadhu will come and create your sukriti by engaging you in some kind of service. Then, more advanced sadhus will come and you will begin to be qualified to hear from them.

You cannot easily understand what the most elevated class of sadhu is telling or not telling. However, you can render some service to him. You can give him a small sweet, some garments to wear, or a drink of water. You can present him gifts of this world, but you cannot understand the transcendental subjects spoken by him and the depth of his association. Gradually, by such service, you will have an urge to inquire from him, and then you will develop so much taste in hearing him.

You can pray to Krsna's associate, the high class Vaisnava, maha-purusa, “Prabhu, I want mahat-sanga.” So, first a madhyama-adhikari will come, then a more advanced devotee, a kanistha-mahabhagavata, then a madhyama-mahabhagavata, and after that an uttama-mahabhagavata like Sri Narada Rsi and others will come to you.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will send you to Sri Svarupa Damodara, who is Srimati Lalita devi in Krsna-lila, and to Sri Raya Ramananda who is Srimati Visakha devi. We cannot imagine the extent of Lord Krsna’s mercy. It may be that a sadhu who is higher than Uddhava will come, and that sadhu will tell you hari-katha. He will tell you the nectar topics of rasa-lila from Gopi-gita, Brahmara-gita and Venu-gita, and by the result of hearing these subject matters you will become overjoyed. Karuna-rasayana. These kathas are not like quinine. When a person is sick with malaria, quinine is given with a sugar coating. This hari-katha is not like that.

Karuna rasyana; hrdaya rasayana. This hari-katha is very tasteful. It is nectar for the heart. Parama sukya daya. It gives the highest happiness. In Brahmara-gita Srimati Radhika is saying, “Oh bumblebee, go away from here.” She has become mad in love and affection in separation. “Oh bumblebee, you are impure. You are a liar, and you are the messenger of the greatest liar in the entire world. He has taught you how to try to pacify Me. For Him we have left our homes and became street-beggars. For Him. From now on we will not make any compromise. Go away at once! I don’t want you here!”

The bumblebee replies, “Oh, Svaminiji, my Prabhu, Krsna, is totally innocent. He wants to serve You. If You think He is not qualified for this, then why do You continually speak about Him? Give it up. Forget Him.” Srimati Radhika replies, “That’s the problem. We can be separated from Him, but we cannot be separated from His hari-katha.”

Srimati Radhika instructs us, “Oh, audience, don’t hear krsna-katha, otherwise you will become mad. You will become like birds without a nest, always weeping, ‘Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,’ and making your family members weep. Krsna is cruel, and hari-katha is cruel like Him. So never hear His hari-katha. If anyone comes to you carrying Srimad-Bhagavatam under his arm, boycott him. Do not go to listen to his katha.”

This hari-katha, the words spoken by the pure servants of Srimati Radhika and the gopis, is so powerful that it can cause the endless chain of birth and death to disappear in a moment. A desire to serve Krsna will develop and that desire will gradually increase. First sraddha will manifest, gradually bhava-bhakti (rati) will appear, and then, step by step, prema-bhakti will appear.

First sraddha will come, and then anarthas will go away by performing bhajana and engaging in guru-padasraya (taking shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide self-realized Guru) and all the other limbs of bhakti. Then, anisthitha-bhakti (unsteady devotion), then nisthitha (steady) bhakti, then ruci (taste) and asakti (attachment), then rati will come, and gradually prema-bhakti will come.

Here, prema-bhakti means seva-nisthitah (fixed in continuous service). An example of this is Hanuman, who is always serving Rama. Higher than Hanuman are the Pandavas, higher than the Pandavas is Uddhava, still higher are the Vrajavasis, and among them Madhumangala, Sridama, and Subala are so high. Higher still is Nanda Baba, then Yasoda-maiya, and higher than them are the gopis. Among them Candravali and others are very high. Still higher are Lalita and Visakha, and the highest is Srimati Radhika.

If you continually hear hari-katha under the guidance of a pure Vaisnava, then sraddha, rati, and pure bhakti will automatically come.

Among the sixty-four limbs of bhakti; these nine are the most important:

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam

[“Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) – these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23)]

Among the nine, these five are the most important.

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

[“One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura and worship the Deity with faith and veneration.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.128)]

Among the five, sravanam, kirtanam and smaranam are the most important, and among these harinama sankirtana is the most important.

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

["Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step. (Sri Siksastakam, verse 1)

All your desires, including the desires you don’t know you should have, will be fulfilled.

Gaura Premanandi!

[Endnote 1: “Thus Maharaja Dhrtarastra, the scion of the family of Ajamidha, firmly convinced by introspective knowledge, broke at once the strong network of familial affection by his resolute determination. Thus he immediately left home to set out on the path of liberation as directed by his younger brother Vidura.” (Srimad-Bhagvatam, 1.13.29)

.

Harmony – The Platform for Bhakti

[Below is an excerpt from the introductory lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s prior to his six-day discourse on the book, Sri Bhakti-tattva Viveka.
This lecture was given in Badger, California - 1997 and was
recently published in "Harmony - A Preview"]

First try to give up all the manifestations of your false egos, like anger. If you have so much anger, you cannot understand topics about bhakti.

Try to be very humble,

trnad api sunicena taror api shaisnuna, amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

[“Thinking oneself to be even lower and more worthless than the insignificant grass which is trampled beneath the feet of all, being more tolerant than a tree, accepting no honor, but offering respect to all others according to their respective positions, one should continuously chant the holy name of Sri Hari.” (Siksastakam, verse 3)]

This principle should not only be seen and practiced in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta; it should enter your heart. If you are not following this, but you are always in an arrogant mood and telling others, “You should obey me, I will not obey you. What I am telling is true to the highest extent” – not considering what the other person is telling you, or whether he is giving good or bad advice – this is not good. Do not be like this.

Try to be like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. They were so broadminded. Always see what other persons want. Try to realize their difficulties.

We should try to understand the suffering of another person. We should try to keep our own mood concealed, and try to accept and hear the other person’s mood. We should try to understand the happiness and distress of another. We should give up our own moods and hear the other person’s moods. Then, together, we can consider what to do. If we do not hear the other person’s mood, but rather keep our own mood prominent, this is not called ‘association’.

There are four duties of a madhyama-adhikara: love (prema) to Sri Krsna or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and friendship to Vaisnavas. We should give friendship and service to superiors. To those who are equal, we should give deep friendship. To those who are junior, we should give friendship with some mercy and compassion.

Kanistha Vaisnavas, those who are not very advanced, should be given a great deal of mercy. Always tell them hari-katha. They may do something wrong, but we should tolerate that. If doctors are going to operate on someone, and that person abuses the doctor or others, still, the doctor very patiently tolerates and does the needful. So, we should tolerate all these things; we should obey this principle.

We should try to neglect those people who have an opposing mood and are making some offense, but we should not quarrel with them. We should follow the example of Prahlada Maharaja – the way in which he reciprocated with his father. We should also follow the example of the way in which Yudhisthira Maharaja reciprocated with the inimical Duryodhana. Yudhisthira Maharaja never called him “Duryodhana,” but rather “Suyodhana.” [‘Duryodhana' refers to a bad person, and ‘suyodhana' refers to a good person.] Also, he addressed the demon Dushasana as Sushasana.

We should try to follow all of these principles. This is the ground-level, the platform of bhakti. If the platform is not made, then all these showers of instructions [the instructions he is about to give in his six-day discourse on Sri Bhakti-tattva Viveka) may come but will not remain with you. If your ego is like a mountain, this shower will go down the mountain; it will not remain on it. Those who are polite, trnad api sunicena, will gain everything; and those who are proud will gain nothing.

Yuga-Acarya Award

Photo:Presentation of the Yuga Acarya award


Friday, 31 October 2003


Presentation of the Yuga Acarya award

Uchagaon, India, October 31, 2003
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
[Included with Srila Narayana Maharaja's lecture is a short report on a historical festival that took place in Vrndavana during this year's Kartika parikrama. At that festival Srila Maharaja was awarded the title "Acarya of the Millennium". Just before and just after the festival, in his own Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, he told the devotees that he does not think himself qualified for such an honor. Actually Srila Rupa should be honored with this title. So, only on behalf of our previous acaryas like Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and our Srila Prabhupada that he accepting this honorary title.]

On October 31, 2003 in the Vraja village of Uchagaon (Lalita-sakhi's village), Vrajacarya Pith and the World Religious Parliament in Delhi jointly awarded Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja the title "Yuga Acarya".
The program began with traditional and ancient songs sung by the Nandagaon and Varsana panditas. After that the various representatives of each village performed the puspa abhiseka ("bathing" with a shower of flowers) of Srila Narayana Maharaja. All the heads of the various communities representatives threw flowers on Srila Maharaja's divine body and honored him by placing garlands on him. Svami Shamaji, the head of the World Religions Parliament, gave Srila Maharaja an upper cloth, a special cloth for the Yuga Acarya. A certificate was then presented to Srila Maharaja by Deepak Raja Bhatta, who is the head of Vrajacarya Pith.




photo:Puspa abhiseka for Srila Maharaja


The following individuals garlanded Srila Narayana Maharaja:

The Chairmen of Varsana and Nandagaon
Head of Vraja gopa community – Sri Singh Cadri
Head of Lalita-devi temple – Sri Krsnananda Gosvami
Head of Premapith Dijara – Sri Lalitji
Head of the brahmana community of Uchagaon – Pandit Harivallabha Sharma
Head of the brahmana community of Gazipur Village
Sri Gangashamji
Head of Chiksoli village (Citra sakhi’s village)
Senior doctor of Varsana – Sri AK Sharan
Savita didi representing Srila Gurudeva’s disciples
Sri Krsnakumar Mahesvari

Padmanabha Maharaja was then called by the organizers to come to the podium, to read the words written on the award plaque. Although the plaque was not written in perfect grammatical English, it had a power and exactitude in its choice of words that seemed to the audience to supercede and transcend all languages of this world.

"Vrajacarya Pith and the World Religious Parliament of New Delhi, India presents acarya of the millennium. Engrained with the comprehensive spiritual wealth of the Vedas and Vedangas, Ayurveda, Jyotisa (astrology) and related sciences; the protector of traditional heritages, eloquently knowledgeable in the doctrines of Sanskrit which is the mother of all languages; staunch believer in its spread and propagation, a passionate seeker of human social welfare; dedicated to the traditional path and following Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Caitanya Matha and the bhaskara gurus, being disciple of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and entrenched in service through bhakti; a remarkable follower and adherent of the Aryan-sanatana philosophical traditions, propagator of love of all faiths, humility and selflessness towards every religion, saintly with pristine spirituality and giver of profoundest love to one and all; follower and practitioner of luminous sanatana knowledge upholding the great tradition of universal brotherhood; dedicated to the promulgation, propagation and protection of the unique Vraja culture and environment, and immeasurably desirous of the redevelopment of Vraja – his divine holiness is one who is enlightened and embraced with divine benevolence and is an authoritative acarya filled with eruditeness, a teacher of teachers, and a guardian and flag bearer of the Sri Krsna bhakti movement – his divine grace Om visnupada astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja then addressed the leader of the Vraja Pyadisha, Deepak Raja Bhatta, and all the exalted and renowned scholarly persons who gathered from Varsana, Nandagaon and all the places of Vraja. His discourse was given in Hindi, simultaneously translated by Sripad Akhilesa dasa Adhikari for those Western devotees who were fortunate to have headphones, and later translated for the transcriber of tis document by Sripad Ramacandra dasa Adhikari:]

"I am in no case fit for the high class of honor you have given to me. It is due to your own greatness, benevolence and charitable natures that you are giving it to me. I feel ashamed to accept this designation, because it is far too elevated for me. Syamaji, the head of the World Religious Parliament, and Deepakji, the head of the Vraja Pyadisha, intensely insisted again and again to give me this award, and I rejected it again and again. But finally they forced me to accept it. In this honorific title you have used the word acarya. In that regard there are so many past acaryas, such as our Gosvamis, Sri Madhvacarya, Sri Vallabhacarya and so on. In comparison to all of them, I am insignificant. I do not understand the reason you all find me fit for this designation of Yuga Acarya. This is Kali-yuga and so many exalted, self-realized acaryas came. It may be possible that this is Kali Yuga and I am the present, or most recent, acarya of Kali Yuga.

"One fact is true though; from the core of my heart I am always totally surrendered and dedicated to the Vrajavasis. My very big concern is that all the important places in Vraja-mandala are vanishing and they are not being looked after correctly. Nowadays there is little concern in the people like our Sripad Ramesh babaji and others. I heard that an enormous number of rupees is allotted for the upliftment of Vraja-mandala, but that the money has gone in vain, in individuals' pockets.

"I have arranged this parikrama in order to bring the foreign devotees here – to narrate to them the glorification of Vraja-mandala and to have them visit all these glorious places. I would like them to understand the glories of the holy places. I also want them to see the dilapidated condition of these places so they can begin to think about their renovation. These foreigners should see what they are giving their life to, and through them I will do what I can to redevelop the pastimes places in Vraja.
"I tried, by my own efforts, to renovate Brahma-kunda and Uddhava-kyari, which is practically totally destroyed, but the government did not want to cooperate. At Uddhava-kyari we have planted many trees, but then the government members told me, "Why have you done this on your own? You should go through the government." If we go through the government, however, the government men do not do anything to help. I want to redevelop Uddhava-kyari and I have already spent 150,000 rupees to do so. The government men wrote me, "Don't plant trees there." But before the government's letter reached us we completed the planting in two days. I met the magistrate but he had no brain. I told him and his associates, "In the entire universe Vraja is the most important place, and you want to stop redeveloping it?"

"I do not think that there is one real Indian in the Parliament otherwise he would have thought about renovating these places. This Vraja-mandala is the life and soul of Bharata (India), and unless we accept its culture our life will go in vain. It is the Indian government in name only. If its members were Indian they would have taken care.
"Srimati Radharani is Vrndavanesvari. Lord Krsna may be Vrajesvara, but He cannot be Rasesvara because our Srimati Radharani is Rasesvari. Sri Krsna dances when Srimati Radhika snaps Her fingers. What to speak of Radharani, even Mother Yasoda terrifies Him, by showing Him a stick.

"Sri Krsna falls down at the feet of the gopis. All demigods worship Him as God, yet the position of these gopis is so highly elevated that that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna falls at their lotus feet. He told the gopis:
na paraye 'ham niravadya-samyujam
sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah
ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah
samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhana

["I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.32.22)]
"I am completely absorbed in and influenced by the culture of Vraja-bhava. It is the real "jyotir gamaya" – the light into we should enter. We should understand that the ultimate limit of bhagavat-prema (love pf God) is radha-dasya (service to Srimati Radhika).

"What is bhagavat prema? Without radha-dasya no one can attain Lord Krsna. Who is a Vrajavasi? Not everyone born in Vraja is a Vrajavasi. A Vrajavasi is one who has a mood like Nanda Baba, or Mother Yasoda, or Srimati Radharani. One who has a bhava (transcendental emotion) like Nanda Baba – "Krsna is my son" or that "Srimati Radhika is my sakhi" is a Vrajavasi. One who has such a relationship with Srimati Radharani will think, "We don't want any direct relationship with Krsna. Our mistress, our life and soul, is Srimati Radhika. If Sri Krsna calls me I won't go. I will only do what is required to make Them meet." The manjaris, those Vrajavasis who think “Srimati Radharani is our friend,” understand that Sri Krsna is fully controlled by Her. They are palya-dasis of Srimati Radharani and are so great that they can even stop Krsna when He is on the way to see Her. This culture is full of prema.
"This spiritual culture has degenerated now in Vraja. I would like to see that when people come from outside to look into this culture, the residents approach them in an honorable way – not to rob the Westerners pockets to fill their own.These days Indians don't read Srimad-Bhagavatam, and certainly they don’t read it in Parliament. I don’t think that anyone in our Parliament knows these truths or has even read Srimad-Bhagavatam.

"I am happy that Syamadasaji, the head of World Religious Parliament has read my translation and commentary of Sri Bhagavad-gita and appreciates it. Bhagavad-Gita is our real treasure. I have not done anything wonderful. I simply translated the commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and, having taken his remnants, I also wrote something.

"Our Vraja consists of Kadamba-kyari (Uddhava Kyari), Pavana-sarovara and many other places of Lord Krsna's transcendental pastimes, and according to my capacity I am donating money to renovate them. I want to make the government members understand that by my renovating Vraja-mandala their own status will be glorified, but they do not understand. They said we should do this in a proper way, but when I asked them what is the proper way they said, "Submit an application." We gave them an application and nothing happened for four months– the magistrate was transferred and no action was taken to renovate. Without their help we have begun renovating Ter-kadamba and Pavana-sarovara, and we have already started cleaning the water of Radha-kunda and Manasi-ganga. We are trying to purify the water of Pavana-sarovara, Pili Pokhara and Yasoda-kunda. Three-quarters are already purified by the apparatus we brought, and we will try to purify the rest, and also the Yamuna. By the help of rich scientists and others I will help them.

"Yavat is the place of Srimati Radharani's in-laws, not Nandagaon. We don’t believe that Nandagaon is the place of Srimati Radharani’s in-laws, but rather that place is Yavat. Srimati Radharani is not married to Sri Krsna. Radharani is dear to Sri Krsna, but Yogamaya didn't allow their marriage. If Srimati Radhika was Krsna's wife and Nanda Baba was Her father-in-law, they would have taken Her in their home – but they didn't. She didn't live there. Also, Satyabhama and Rukmini had so many children. Why didn't Srimati Radhika have any children?
"Srimati Radhika did not stay or live in the house of Nanda Baba as a bride because She is Krsna's paramour. This paramour- rasa is the topmost rasa. A wife is a type of servant. If one becomes a wife she is forced to serve her husband, and her husband is bound to supply her necessities like clothing and other paraphernalia. We have never seen that Krsna gave clothes, soap or anything of the sort to Srimati Radharani. He only gave Her garlands, which are free of cost. He never spent any money on the gopis.

"We have to reconcile Srimati Radhika's supposed marriage. She was married in Bhandirvana, but that was not a real marriage. It was by the gandarva system of simply exchanging garlands. No in-laws were present. By Yogamaya's order She and Krsna never married. The essence of this Srimad-Bhagavatam is parakiya-bhava and this is what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give. I want to present the idea of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srimad-Bhagavatam was spoken by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami and written by Vyasadeva. This is what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give. He accepted that Srimati Radharani was never married to Krsna, and our Gosvamis like Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Jiva Gosvami are in the same line. There are so many examples of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy in the form of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. These books are only descriptions of these principles.
"I want to renovate Yavat. I went to that sacred place of Srimati Radharani’s in-laws, but I saw that the managers are installing deities of Durga-devi and Ganesh. Ganesh, Sankara, and Parvati are sitting there on the altar. I was sad to see these deities sitting there. I told the managers, "If you take them off the altar then I will develop this place." They became angry.

"I am trying to beautify this small place where the pastimes of Yavat can be remembered. Now, even the vata tree is not there in Yavat, but rather another tree is there. This is shameful.
In Vrndavana, at Rasa-sthali, there is no vata, banyan tree. I want to plant a vata tree there. I came to know that Bhattaji wants the renovation of this place. Let them come up with program and I’ll see it. Since I already want to serve this sacred place. I can expand my program to include them."

After Srila Maharaja's talk, When Mr. Syama, the organizer of the program, went up to the podium and thanked him, He addressed him as "this fellow". He explained that he used the word "fellow" because, “When we Vrajavasis love someone, we accept him as our own intimate family member or our own self – so we call him 'fellow'. This Yuga Acarya, this fellow, demonstrated that he is fit for this post. He says he is not fit for it, but his humble words are also the symptom of the greatness of great personalities.]
[Some of the Nandagaon panditas were upset by Srila Maharaja’s saying that Nandagaon was not Srimati Radharani’s in-laws’ place, so he spoke further:]

"The Srimad-Bhagavatam is written in paroksavada. Paroksavada is a statement that is made only indirectly. For example, Krsna told the gopis who came after hearing His flute playing, "Go back to your homes and serve your husbands. It is the dharma religious duty of a chaste wife to serve her husband – even if her husband is ugly, sick, lame or crippled or harsh." "Oh," the gopis replied, "We have just heard this message from you. You are so great to have given us this instruction, and therefore You are our guru. We have heard from authority that we must serve our guru first, and then anyone else. We accept You as our guru because You are giving us this religious knowledge Also, you are our real pati, one who nourishes another. You are the personality who nourishes our heart. You nourish everyone, even our husbands, and therefore you are our pati in real sense." Pati also means husband.
"We should therefore understand that this section of Srimad-Bhagavatam contains statements made indirectly. Srimati Radharani possesses all the qualities that attract Lord Krsna. At the same time, Krsna is so attractive that He attracts Her. He attracts Srimati Radharani more than He is attracted towards Her. So I am not rejecting Krsna. He is unlimitedly beautiful and has such unlimitedly great qualities that even Srimati Radharani becomes attracted towards Him. Please do not misunderstand that by glorifying Srimati Radharani I am undermining the glorification of Krsna. I am not trying to make Krsna look small. By paroksavada, indirect reference, I am truly glorifying Him."

Pujyapada Madhava Maharaja composed two verses in honor of Bhaktivedanta Srila Narayana Maharaja receiving the Yuga Acarya award. The first verse is for both of his Guru Maharajas – his diksa-guru Srila Vamana Maharaja and his siksa-guru Srila Narayana Maharaja, and the second verse is for Srila Narayana Maharaja:
1st sloka: vande bhaktivedantau sri vamana narayanau sahaditau
gaudadaye sobhabantau (puspabantau) parivrajakacarya yugacaryau

2nd sloka: yugacarya prabhum vande Sri Narayana karunamayam
sri radha dasye lobham datva tarayate bhuvana trayam
2nd sloka: "I offer my obeisances to he who was awarded the title Yuga Acarya, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. He is an ocean of mercy. Radha dasye lokam datva – he is giving greed to follow the maidservants of Srimati Radhika, and by giving this greed he is delivering the three worlds."

Editorial Advisors: Pujyapada Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa
Translator: Ramacandra prabhu
Editor: Syamarani dasi
Transcriber: Vasanti dasi
Typist: Anita dasi

A Response To The Rtvik System

A Response To The Rtvik System

by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaja
[A Lecture Given in Polansk, Russia: July 19, 2001] I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of my paramaradhyatama gurupadapadma nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and also to my siksa-guru om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja.

In our class yesterday we discussed the intrinsic nature of bhakti. We explained there that pure bhakti is the function of the svarupa-sakti (internal potency) of Krsna, and therefore it never manifests in the material senses, words, or mind. There is a process for it to manifest, however. Krsna is an ocean of mercy and His devotee is also an ocean of mercy. Our only hope is to receive their mercy. This is the only ray of hope. Only by the causeless mercy of Krsna and His devotees will the vrtti (characteristic function) of svarupa-sakti enter and become one with the senses of the material body.

Srila Rupa Gosvami has given a process for this transcendental vrtti of bhakti to come upon the conditioned soul's tongue and other senses, and that is:

adau sraddha tatah sadhu sanga'tha bhajana-kriya,
tato 'nartha nivritti syat tato nistha rucis tatah,
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakam ayam pemnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

"In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krsna consciousness." (Madhya 23.16)

Without accepting diksa from a bona fide guru, can one develop bhakti or not? Some think that chanting, remembering, reading books, and performing arcana, sravanam and kirtanam is sufficient and there is no need for a mediator. They think that accepting a 'rtvik' person is sufficient for attaining pure bhakti, and there is no need of accepting diksa from any living self-realized guru.

Those who think, "There is no need to accept a guru as a mediator because we can chant the holy name, we can read books, and we can do arcana and sadhana simply by the rtvik system," are not within the guru-parampara. They deceive others. They are actually cheaters; not bhaktas. Nowhere in the sastra is it written that a rtvik can ever give bhakti. [There are nineteen places in Prabhupada's books where the word 'rtvik' is used, and in all cases the word only refers to a priest officiating or performing a fire sacrifice. Even when the word used is 'rtvik acarya,' it is still defined as a priest performing a fire sacrifice for a secular gain.] This can never be the case. Those who advocate the rtvik system are misleaders, and their followers are misled. Do not go towards the rtvik system.

Nowadays, among others, those who fell down from their pure life and those who left the renounced order due to being very lusty want to be rtvik. They want to gain the same position they had before, and that is why he they are crying, "Rtvik, rtvik, rtvik!" Actually, however, they are all fallen souls and they have nothing to do with bhakti. In none of the sastras has it been said that this rtvik system will give bhakti.

Be careful regarding the bogus rtvik system. These rtviks have no faith in Krsna, no faith in bhakti, and no faith in scriptures like the Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Caitanya-caritamrta. They also have no faith in the guru-parampara, and that is why they cannot give bhakti. You should give up the idea that the rtviks can help. They can never help you. They have never even helped themselves, so how can they help others?

This word 'rt' has come from the word 'Rg-Veda.' Those who know all Vedas, including the Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda, all the Upanishads, and all the Puranas, are actually rtvik. I think, however, that these modern rtviks don't even know the ABC's of the Vedas. They say that in this world there are no pure devotees, and therefore there are no pure devotees to initiate anyone. This idea is very, very wrong and it against the principles of bhakti. The rtvik proponents saw that the devotees in their society were quarreling amongst themselves, and that there was no suddha-bhakta there. Then, mistaking that those who quarreled were in the guru-parampara, the rtviks became opposed to the actual guru-parampara.

Beware of this rtvik system. Without a self-realized guru you cannot achieve bhakti in thousands of births. This is an established truth. This is siddhanta. You should therefore accept a sad-guru, serve him, and try to follow his instructions. Then you can develop your Krsna consciousness and all of your anarthas will disappear. Otherwise, it will never be possible for pure bhakti to come and touch your heart and senses.

I would like to clarify one thing. I am not saying that all rtviks mislead others. Only those who say that there is no need of a guru do so. Whatever has been told in the Vedas and Upanisads about rtviks is only in relation to their sole function in a fire sacrifice, and those fire sacrifices are performed only to fulfill a worldly desire. They have nothing to do with transcendental love and affection for Krsna. [In The True Conception of Sri Guru-tattva it is stated: "After deliberation upon the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas, it becomes obvious that rtviks have nothing to do with the supreme transcendental goal...'Rtau yajtiti rtviki.' One who conducts sacrifices according to Vedic mantras is called a rtvik. There is an arrangement of 16 types of rtviks to perform the sacrifices. The yajman employs priests to perform sacrifices for him and he pays them. All these rtviks are virtuous, of high character, learned in the Vedas, and expert in the execution and supervision of sacrifices. After the completion of the yajnas, the yajman (employer) pays the appropriate remuneration to the rtviks and sends them away. The yajman and the rtvik have no mutual eternal relationships."]

Real rtviks know all sastras, and all of them have gurus. A rtvik cannot be a rtvik without accepting a real guru. All rtviks, like Vasistha Rsi, are very high-class devotees. Visvamitra, Gautama, and even Vyasadeva are rtviks, but they have all accepted the guru-parampara. They all believe that there are always self-realized gurus in the world. Nowadays, therefore, those who call themselves rtviks are all cheaters, and we should beware of them.

When we accept a guru, it may be that we have so many anarthas, unwanted thoughts and habits, within us. We may be very ignorant about krsna-tattva, maya-tattva, radha-tattva, bhakti-tattva, and all other tattvas. So many anarthas and aparadhas may be there within us, but there is a process to be free from them.

There are so many gurus: caitya-guru, diksa-guru, siksa-guru, bhajana-guru, and others. Why go to a bogus-rtvik guru? If our siksa-gurus are Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu, and Radhika, why do we need to go to these rtviks?

[Typed and edited by Sripad Krsna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari
Proofread by Srimati Premavati devi dasi
HTML by Bhutabhavana dasa]

ISKCON Bans Sadhus

by Srimati Jadurani devi dasi 1 October 2002

For the past few years, ISKCON leaders have had a worldwide ban on Gaudiya Matha Indian sadhus. In particular, the ban is targeted to Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, one of India's most renowned saints, who is honored by over 100,000 Indian and Western devotees and other religious-minded persons. Not only do the ISKCON leaders make regular propaganda against him, they do not allow him to enter their temples around the world. In hopes that this ban would be removed, we, disciples of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja (the founder-acarya of ISKCON) and also followers of Srila Narayana Maharaja, did not make it public before.

However, because it has, on the contrary, become increasingly stringent, and many sincere devotees are suffering as a result, we now find no other option than to inform our respected Indian readers.

This ban does not only apply to Srila Narayana Maharaja. It also applies to his disciples, as well as to the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, and it also applies to other devotees who associate with and appreciate him.

The Ban in Los Angeles

The following official letter from ISKCON of Los Angeles was recently handed to one of Srila Narayana Maharaja's disciples who had been living one block from the temple and attending its functions for several years:

"The policy of ISKCON Los Angeles is that initiated disciples of the guru Narayana Maharaja are not allowed on any of the ISKCON properties, including the temple, the restaurant, the gift shop, or the ISKCON property division apartment building on Watseka Avenue. As an initiated disciple of Narayana Maharaja, you have been informed of this policy verbally and by letter. The letter you received also explained the reasons for the policy. Despite these notifications, you have refused to obey the policy, and have entered one or more of the above-mentioned properties. The next time you violate the policy by entering any of the above-mentioned properties, the temple will obtain a restraining order, forbidding you to enter those properties. As soon as it is issued, this order will show up on your police record. You should also understand that if you violate the restraining order, you might be subject to arrest, fine, and imprisonment. Our hope is that you will respect the policy, and not force the issuance of a restraining order."

The Ban at Bhaktivedanta Manor

The Bhaktivedanta Manor in England is another example. Its policy is that any devotee who accepts guidance from Srila Narayana Maharaja, or is even just curious to meet him, are at risk of being banned from the Manor and rejected from ISKCON. Many of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, who have given up to 30 years of their lives for his service and the service of the Deities were banned from the Manor. Although these devotees had faithfully distributed hundreds of thousands of Srila Prabhupada's books, they were banned because of their faith in Srila Narayana Maharaja. Their children were also banned from attending the temple Gurukula, and young Indian members of Pandava Sena Youth Forum who were interested in taking siksa from Srila Narayana Maharaja were banned from the temple. When local devotees approached Srila Narayana Maharaja's disciples with criticisms of him, any attempt undertaken by his disciples to defend him was immediately reported to the authorities as "proselytizing." When the disciples of Srila Narayana Maharaja protested that they had been forced into defending their spiritual master, the authorities declared that even if their guru was being blasphemed they were forbidden to answer back. This was not an isolated incident. Approaching the devotees, temple authorities threatened them with dire consequences should they so much as mention the name of "Narayana Maharaja" or speak about him in any way.

Srila Narayana Maharaja's Relationship with Srila Prabhupada

This is all very strange, since the relationship between Srila Narayana Maharaja and ISKCON's founder-acarya, Srila Prabhupada, has been very intimate since 1946, before the birth of most of the ISKCON devotees. Srila Narayana Maharaja's initiating guru, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, is Srila Prabhupada's god-brother and sannyasa-guru, and Srila Maharaja himself is Prabhupada's siksa-disciple.

Srila Narayana Maharaja assisted Srila Prabhupada in his preaching in Jhansi and other places in the 1950's. He performed Prabhupada's sannyasa initiation in 1959 (even showing him how to wear the sannyasa apparel), and he assisted Prabhupada in publishing the books that he first brought with him to America in 1966. He sent Prabhupada Deities so that he could train his new Western disciples how to worship Thakurji, according to authorized Vedic standards, in his brand new ISKCON temples. He sent Prabhupada's Sanskrit books for his translation work, and also his first karatals and mrdangas for his worldwide sankirtana activities. He assisted Prabhupada in training the first American disciples who Prabhupada brought back with him to India, and he performed many other services until 1977.

Then, in November of 1977, when Srila Prabhupada was in his last manifest days in this world, he requested Srila Narayana Maharaja to take care of his disciples after his divine departure. Srila Maharaja promised to do so, just as Lord Rama promised his father Dasaratha Maharaja to serve his order up until his last breath. Although Prabhupada's own senior-most disciples and also his own god-brothers were also present at the time of his departure, he requested Srila Maharaja to personally put his divine body in samadhi. In 1986, on the request of the ISKCON leaders, Srila Maharaja went to the Bombay court and saved all the ISKCON properties and funds from being given to Prabhupada's previous son (who was suing ISKCON for all its properties on the false plea that Prabhupada never took sannyasa). Ever since Prabhupada's departure, Srila Narayana Maharaja has been helping to give new life to thousands of Prabhupada's followers who came to him for spiritual shelter.

Many thousands have been inspired.

Srila Narayana Maharaja in the West

Although he is over 82 years of age, Srila Narayana Maharaja regularly travels abroad. He preaches the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krsna, and the glory of ISKCON's founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada, for 8 months every year, in about 10 countries every year, and he has just completed his fourteenth world preaching tour. In many of those countries, especially in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia, he is invited to give discourses on India's Vedic Sanatana-dharma, following in the line of Sri Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasadeva and Mahaprabhu, at prominent Hindu temples.

In June, 2001, Srila Narayana Maharaja held his annual Ratha-yatra festival in Birmingham, England. During that week-long festival, the Life Foundation Worldwide presented him with the "World Peace Flame", for his contribution to preaching love of God and peace around the world. Lit by royalty, indigenous elders and eminent peace-makers, the World Peace Flame was flown to England from six continents by the RAF (Royal Air Force). This award has also been presented to Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama.

Srila Narayana Maharaja in India

When Srila Maharaja is in India, he is regularly invited by Indian dignitaries to speak at their spiritual programs. Political leaders in India, before being voted in to their posts, and after being elected, come to him for blessings. Moreover, he is recognized by tens of thousands of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, sannyasis, and acaryas as a pure self-realized spiritual master.

A member of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya disciplic succession, Srila Narayana Maharaja is highly acclaimed throughout all of India, by at least a hundred thousand Indians, as a renowned spiritual scholar and teacher, and as a pure devotee of Lord Sri Krsna in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is recognized a strict follower of Vedic culture, Hindu sanatana-dharma, Vaisnava etiquette, daivi-varnasrama, and bhagavat-bhajana. Most of the notable spiritual scholars of Mathura and Vrndavana, such as Sri Srimad Acyuta Bhatta Gosvami and the Gosvami of the famous Radha-ramana Mandira, Sri Padmanava Gosvami, come and pay their respects to him. They invite him to speak to their assemblies, and he also invites them. He has made a tradition, since 1954, to hold meetings and invite them to speak, and when he himself speaks at those meetings, all are in awe. The following is excerpted from an international news report on a Visva-Vaisnava Raja-sabha meeting (Royal Assembly of the United Vaisnava Community of All Sampradayas), held on August 27, 2000, at Srila Narayana Maharaja's Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura:

"Most of the prominent erudite Vaisnavas and panditas in Vraja-Mandala assembled in Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha on this auspicious dvadasi day to discuss the evolution of the conception of suddha-bhakti in the Srimad Bhagavatam. In this distinguished assembly, many elderly Vaisnava scholars of vast learning and experience, along with their devoted disciples, united on this momentous occasion to glorify suddha bhagavat-bhakti according to the precepts of their respective sampradayas. Such a council of Vaisnavas is very rarely seen in this world. Some of the mahatmas gracing the assembly by their noble presence were: Sri Srimad Manohara Lal Sastri, Pandita Chote Lal Sastri, Sri Srimad Acyuta Bhatta Gosvami, Sripad Vasanta Lal Sastri, Sri Thakurji Sastri, Sri Srimad Hariharaji Chachaji and others. More than two hundred devotees attended the function, eager to witness this unique event and hear the inevitable flow of hari-katha. As host of the assembly, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja welcomed and honored all the respectable speakers with asanas, sandalwood paste, flower garlands, and sweet words."

Many Indian government officials, like the DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) and also many court judges, in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Mathura, and elsewhere are Srila Narayana Maharaja disciples. Many renowned industrialists and businessmen regularly come to him to inquire about spiritual life and receive his blessings. Many head pujaris throughout Vraja Mandala visit him and honor him. Others personally send their representatives, long distance from the well known Radha-Govinda Mandira in Jaipur and Jagannatha Temple in Puri, to bring him garlands from the Deities when he is about to commence on another world preaching tour. The leader of all Lord Jagannathadeva's servants, the Dayita-pati of Puri, also attends his classes when he is in Puri.

Srila Narayana Maharaja has been conducting Vraja Mandala Parikrama for over 50 years, and during that time, the heads of all the villages come to him and pay their respects. He's been engaged for several years in organizing the renovation of many holy places in Vrndavana, such as Bandiravana and Brahma-kunda in Govardhana. These renovations are well known to the public.

The events in relation to the renovations are published in the newspapers, and Srila Maharaja's work in this regard is also recognized by the government. He also leads a Navadvipa-dhama Parikrama every year at the time of Gaura-purnima, and at that time he and other acaryas and sannyasis are followed by over 20,000 pilgrims from Bengal, and over 2,000 other Indian and Western pilgrims. Most of the devotees from Bengal are poor village people, and therefore they are given free facilities and prasadam throughout the week-long festival.

Still, Srila Narayana Maharaja has been banned by ISKCON from entering Prabhupada's temples, and he is not even allowed to enter the samadhi mandira in Vrndavana, where he had personally put Prabhupada in samadhi in 1977. On the very rare occasion that he is allowed to come and pay his obeisances at an ISKCON temple, ISKCON leaders try to keep local devotees away from him.

Srila Narayana Maharaja does nothing but illuminate the words of Prabhupada to make his teachings and the teachings of his guru-parampara much more clear and vital to the suffering souls in this world, and yet he is being unfairly discriminated against.

The following is an excerpt from a transcript of a conversation that took place on May 31, 2000, in the Beverly Hills home of one of ISKCON's original eleven GBC-elected gurus, Hrdayananda Maharaja. Another participant is Bhagavan dasa, who is one of the original GBCs and a former ISKCON guru.

Bhakti-Caru Maharaja is also a GBC and another one of those later elected by that body to act as guru. [The GBC (Governing Body Commission) is legally charged with the administration of ISKCON.] Also present was Svasa dasa, ISKCON Los Angeles temple president.

Bhagavan dasa: [speaking to Srila Narayana Maharaja] We like to fight a little bit; but all the time is not good, and everybody in this room has a lot of love for you and I believe you have a lot of love for them. And I think that's the thing that Prabhupada was very expert at; taking all of us who really didn't like each other very much and making us like each other, to some degree. My understanding is that you came to the West to help Prabhupada.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: To serve; not to help.

Bhagavan dasa: Yes, to serve. And ISKCON needs service and help. I understand that there has been a lot of pain because of the way the GBC has responded to things.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: I think they want to serve ISKCON, this movement, and according to their intelligence they are doing so. But we can think further how we can honor each other and fulfill the mission of Srila Swami Maharaja.

Bhagavan dasa: Is it your desire, if possible, to be an active part of ISKCON - to work with people like Bhakti Caru, Hrdayananda - [addressing all present] working together without necessarily putting Maharaja as the new ISKCON Acarya but working with.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: I want only to help you in all ways. I don't want to be Acarya. I don't want to be GBC. I don't want any position. I want to help with the core of my heart.

Bhagavan dasa: .sometimes I think they have a fear that Prabhupada becomes relativised.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: He is my siksa-guru; not less than my diksa-guru.

Bhagavan dasa: If Prabhupada knew that Narayana Maharaja was in town, he wouldn't want that Narayana Maharaja would be giving a talk somewhere else and him giving a talk somewhere else. There would be no question about that.

You would be sleeping in his quarters with him, telling jokes, having fun, giving massages, making each other laugh, and talking on how to promote things.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: That is what I want - that first we make a proposal to discuss how we can honor each other, how we can have no ban to meet each other. Then, I may go there, and they can come to me everywhere.

Hrdayananda dasa Maharaja: At the same time we feel that it is necessary that those who are senior in ISKCON should be recognized as actually representing Srila Prabhupada and having a special understanding of Srila Prabhupada. And, based on that special understanding, Srila Prabhupada asked some of us to represent him even in his physical absence. I bring this up because for us this is one of the important things that has to be acknowledged in our relationship - that there is some understanding that is relevant to the co-operative mission. Anyhow... I'll stop here.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: But you should also know that I have been serving him since 1946, when there was no League of Devotees and no ISKCON. Your Prabhupada was a householder at that time, and he was one of the establishing members of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. He was one of the founders, and I have served him and associated with him since that time. I have experience of more than 54 years service to him. Moreover, I know that he is still alive and I want to follow him as my guru. I see no difference between us. Our bodies are different and our pronunciation of words is different, but we are in the same disciplic line of philosophy and mood.

Also, I was the priest of his sannyasa ceremony in 1959. So I consider that I am also his disciple. The GBC leaders should not think that only they have served him. I think that I have served more than anyone, from the core of my heart. I have so much regard for him. If anyone says that only he has served, that is very painful for me to hear. They should realize these things.

Bhakti Caru Maharaja: I understand.

Hrdayanda dasa Maharaja: Good. We are having a discussion. I think I would never say that you have not served Prabhupada. I would never say that, and I don't think anyone. I've never heard.

Bhakti Caru Maharaja: Narayana Maharaja, why don't you suggest what you would like ISKCON to.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: I want that you should sometimes invite me, and I will invite you. You should sometimes give me a chance to offer my puspanjali at the lotus feet of my siksa-guru, Srila Prabhupada.

Bhagavan dasa: Another proposal is that ISKCON temples are not manpower rich. They need manpower. There are temples that have hardly any pujaris.

There are temples that hardly have cooks. There are temples that hardly have people going out preaching. There are temple presidents that need manpower.

Narayana Maharaja is taking devotees who for some reason or other have lost their connection with ISKCON and he's given them some shelter and a home.

Maybe, sometimes the way you preach may not be familiar to everybody. I don't think that's really a big issue. I think the big issue is that the temples have no people. I think that the big issue is there are projects that Prabhupada gave his life for.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: I am ready to help. But we should honor each other and think that we are in the same family of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Whether someone is a kanistha-adhikari (a beginner in bhakti) or an uttama adhikari (a self-realized soul), we are all in the same family of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Sravasa dasa: If I could interject something? I don't think that Narayana Maharaja cannot come to the temple. He can come to the temple, but there are certain restrictions. There are certain restrictions the GBC have recommended for him coming to the temple; so I think we should focus more on that.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: Anyone else can go, without restrictions.

Sravas dasa: Yes.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: If Mayavadis can go, if Hollywood Stars can go, and you are not inviting me, I don't mind. But if I go and offer pranama, and I come to serve, what harm is there?

Conclusion

According to sastra, pure devotees are truly self-effulgent, and that effulgence is not dependent on being accepted by ISKCON management. Still, for the benefit of all, why should Srila Narayana Maharaja not be welcomed and invited to preach in Srila Prabhupada's temples? His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada would want nothing less.

[The author of this article, Jadurani dasi, is one of the earliest female disciples of ISKCON'S founder-acarya, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

She was one of the main illustrators of Srila Prabhupada's books, as well as one of his main preachers, ever since the Hare Krsna movement began in the West in 1966. She has been receiving personal guidance from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja for the last ten years. She has kindly offered to meet with any leaders of the Indian community to further discuss the subject matter of this article, and also to assist those who would like to meet Srila Maharaja.]

If you would like to receive transcriptions of the classes given by Srila Narayana Maharaja during his preaching tours in the West, you can subscribe to our mailing list, bvnmharikatha-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, and you can also do so by sending your email address to syamarani@gaudiya.net. Also, you are invited to visit Srila Maharaja's website at http://www.gaudiya.net.