Ancesters of modern humans

According to Darwinists, the ancestors of modern humans migrated out of Africa and colonized Asia and Europe. When North of Europe and Asia became ice free the Caucasus region was the route used. Immediately to the south of the Caucasus, the Euphrates and the Tigris have their sources.

According to Jews, Moslems and Christians this is where the garden of Eden was located and is the homeland of Abraham. Mount Ararat in the South Caucasus was the mountain where Noah's ark landed. This is the supposed homeland fatherland of the Indo-European Caucasians.

Vedic View:Atri is another of Brahma's sons. Atri's son was Soma or Candra (the demigod who governs the moon). Candra's son was Budha (not the one from the Buddhists), the king of the planet Mercury. one of Buddha's sons was Pururava. Then the descent goes through Ayu, then Nahusa and then Yayati. Yayati had five sons: Yadu gave rise to the Yadu-dynasty, in which Krishna and Balarama appeared; Puru gave rise to the Puru-dynasty in which Bhisma, Dhrtarastra, Arjuna, Yudhisthira, Bhima, Duryodhana and Maharaja Pariksit were born. Puru received the land of Egypt. Puru's son was Pravira. His son was Manasyu (yu = the uniter) also called Menes, who according to Western historians founded Egypt's first dynasty. The name Paurava's, Puru's descendants later degenerated to Pharaoh's. Yadu and the other sons of Yayati were subordinate to Puru.

Eventually, the Yadu clans who had settled in Egypt left Egypt where they were persecuted. Out of this clan came the Jews.Egypt is named after Ajapati, the son of the Aja clan. Aja was the grandfather of Lord Sri Ramacandra. Ramacandra is an expansion of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Ramacandra appeared in the Surya-vamsa (family) of Vivasvan and Vivasvata Manu. Another name for Suryadeva is Ravi. Ra became the highest God, the father of this branch of the Surya-vamsa in Egypt. Their kings were Ramses, for them Rama-isa (Rama, the Lord) was God. Siva or (Maha)-isvara, the controller of the material world became Osiris.

Some members of the Pandava-family also came to Egypt and Europe, after Dvaraka, Krishna's residence, disappeared. The pyramids design was based on the smashana-cit-altars for the Vedic cremation rituals. The positions of the different parts of the building reflect the positions of the stars and the apex points to the devaloka's, the heavenly planets. They also moved to iswara (=God) laya (=land) or Israel. From the Essenes (worshippers of isa, Siva) came Jesus (= of Isa) Christus (= of Krishna). Yajati's three other rebellious sons received kingdoms outside of India. Yavana or Turvasu got Turkey, Persia etc.

According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 85.34) Turvasu fought for Duryodhana on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Anu got Greek and Italy. Another migration of groups of people was started by Parasurama (also a descendant of Pururava) who displaced a branch of the Yadu's, the demonic Haihaya kings and their followers, who settled mainly in Egypt. They became kings there. Some came to Europe and Asia.About 4000BC Druhyu, the fifth son of Yayati, was banished to Europe. From Druhyu came the Druids, also connected with the Dravids, followers of the wise (=vid) man Drastha. Some barbarian tribes descended from him (more or less ksatriya's). They settled themselves in France and England. Around the same time the Saxenas, a demonic ksatriya clan, were banished from India. These were the Saxons who settled in Western-Europe. After the battle of Kuruksetra in 3138 B.C., the worldwide system of varnasramadharma, or the Vedic social-political system slowly degraded.

The Vedic culture was more or less present everywhere, but mainly in India. Civilized nations search for nice places like the tropics to settle. Patalabhumi (the hellish or low land), the western hemisphere, mainly the north, were avoided.Around 2000 B.C. different groups of Indian Indo-europeans went to the west. Also in the past groups went to the west to teach (like a group sharmans, brahmanical scholars, later called the Germans) and to reign (to establish the varnasramadharma-system). Or to emigrate because the river Sarasvati was dried up. Also some were banned because they had left the Vedic lifestyle. In 1103 B.C. the Trojans became the Sumeric Indo-europeans (because of the increasing desert because the river Saraswati dried up). In 800 B.C. the Kalatoya's came from the area to the south of Kashmir. These were the Kelts. In 2000 B.C. they left India when the river Saraswati dried up. In 1000 B.C. they arrived at the Danube (the river which flows through the land of the Danavas or demons). The people of Alinas (Hellenes) was one of the first groups to emigrate from India (to Greece).

According to the Mahabharata (Adiparva 174.38) Bhima and Sahadeva conquered the Pulinda's (Greeks) because they had given up dharma.The name Norway is derived from the Sanskrit naraka or hel. Soviet from sveta (white), Russia from rushis or rsi's, wise men who meditated there. Siberia from the Sanskrit word for inhospitable, camping site. Scandinavia from skandha, the commander in chief of the demigods. They navigated in the name of Skandha and worshipped Skandha. The words viking and king are from the sanskrit singh (lion). The Vikings were great white-haired daityas. The name 'Alps' is derived from alpa (small in comparison with the Himalaya's). At many places in Europe murti's (statues) of Krishna, Shiva (linga), Mitra (sungod) and so on have been found.

According to the purana's, the history-books of the Veda and the upapurana's (smaller purana's) around 11,000 B.C., there were floods, at the end of the glacial age. Thanks to their boat, Vaivasvata Manu (Noah) and his family, were virtually the only survivors. Following twelve great wars between the deva's (godly people) and the asura's (godless people), the land to the east of the Caucasus was given to the deva's and that to the west of the Caucasus was given to the asura's.Some asura's were (under Mayadanava, also a son of Kasyapa Muni - from Kasyapa's wife Danu) banished to South America, Patalabhumi/loka, or the land under (and to the opposite of) Punya-bhumi. There, Mayadanava is the engineer and the king of the Danava's. His fixed homelad is talatala-loka (1.088.000 km to the south of the Bhumandala) where the flying saucers are made. The maya's, the followers of Mayadanava, called their land Amaraka (amara = immortal, amrita=nectar). Asura's often think that death is something that will not happen to them and they think their mother land is paradise. Later Amerigo Vespucci could recover the name via his name America.

For more detailed information and discussion see the book Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence from Nandanandana dasa - Stephen Knapp).

Links Between Ancient India and the Mayans

Recent studies hint at possible links between the ancient civilization of the Indus valley and the Mayans of central America.

B G Siddarth, the director of the B M Birla science centre in Hyderabad, had pointed out striking similarities between the two ancient cultures. Mexico and India are situated at opposite sides of the earth in longitude. According to the Puranas, a secondary Hindu scripture, the "devas" or the gods and the demons or the "assures" lived on the opposite sides of the Earth. The experts took a deep interest in the calendars followed by the two cultures. While the Indus valley people followed a calendar based on the movements of the Jupiter, acknowledged to be the leader of the gods, the Mayans followed one based on the movements of Venus or "Shukra", who, according to the Puranas, was the leader of the ashuras. Siddharth also pointed out that some carvings in Mexico depicted an episode similar to that of churning the ocean by the gods and the demons in the Hindu mythology. The Mexican representations of the tradition also bore a striking resemblance to those found in different parts of India. Dr Ganpati, an expert on the ancient Hindu architecture, based in Chennnai had also found striking similarities between the design and the construction methods used by the Mayans and the ancient Hindus.

A question and an answer

Q. Why do you refer to A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami as "A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj" ?

A. He was given the name Swami Maharaj when he entered the sannyasa ashram (the renounce order). He had already been awarded the title Bhaktivedanta so when Abhaya Charan De took sannyasa his name then became A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj.

Stop Animal Killing

Sri Caitanya explained what follows in great detail to all the residents of Varnasi, who then after hearing attentively became Vaisnava devotees. At the time Varnasi was a transcendental HUB where learned pundits representing all branches of knowledge used to live and teach.

Śrīpāda Śankarācārya’s propaganda opposed the atheistic philosophy of Buddha.

Lord Buddha’s intention was to stop atheists from committing the sin of killing animals. Atheists cannot understand God; therefore Lord Buddha appeared and spread the philosophy of nonviolence to keep the atheists from killing animals. Unless one is free from the sin of animal-killing, he cannot understand religion or God.

Although Lord Buddha was an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, he did not speak about God, for the people were unable to understand. He simply wanted to stop animal-killing.

Śrīpāda Śankarācārya wanted to establish the predominance of one’s spiritual identity; therefore he wanted to convert the atheists through an imaginary interpretation of the Vedic literatures. These are the secrets of the ācāryas. Sometimes they conceal the real purpose of the Vedas and explain the Vedas in a different way. Sometimes they enunciate a different theory just to bring the atheists under their control. Thus it is said that Śankara’s philosophy is for pāṣaṇḍas, atheists.

Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Chapter 25 text 42

Break her backbone

It was February 1835, a time when the British were striving to take control of the whole of India. Lord Macaulay, a historian and a politician, made a historical speech in the British Parliament, commonly referred to as The Minutes, which struck a blow at the centuries old system of Indian education.

His words were to this effect: I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.

Reproduced in Niti issue of April, 2002 at p. 10 - a periodic publication of Bharat Vikas Parishad, Delhi.

Gopijana Ballavah

Conch-shells

Bhagavad - Gita 1.19

The blowing of these different conch-shells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhritarastra.

Purport

When Bhisma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conch-shells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pandavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhritarastra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pandavas’ party. This is due to the Pandavas and their confidence in Lord Krishna. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.

- A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

Soul Travel

“O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.” (Bhagavad-Gita 2.30)

The very first step in self-realization is realizing one’s identity as separate from the body. “I am not this body but am spirit soul” is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying “I am not this body,” but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.

Living in the bodily conception, our idea of happiness is like that of a man in delirium.

Some philosophers claim that this delirious condition of bodily identification should be cured by abstaining from all action. Because these material activities have been a source of distress for us, they claim that we should actually stop these activities. Their culmination of perfection is in a kind of Buddhistic nirvāna, in which no activities are performed. Buddha maintained that due to a combination of material elements, this body has come into existence, and that somehow or other if these material elements are separated or dismantled, the cause of suffering is removed. If the tax collectors give us too much difficulty because we happen to possess a large house, one simple solution is to destroy the house. However, Bhagavad-gītā indicates that this material body is not all in all. Beyond this combination of material elements, there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is consciousness.

Consciousness cannot be denied. A body without consciousness is a dead body. As soon as consciousness is removed from the body, the mouth will not speak, the eye will not see, nor the ears hear. A child can understand that. It is a fact that consciousness is absolutely necessary for the animation of the body.

What is this consciousness? Just as heat or smoke are symptoms of fire, so consciousness is the symptom of the soul. The energy of the soul, or self, is produced in the shape of consciousness. Indeed, consciousness proves that the soul is present. This is not only the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā but the conclusion of all Vedic literature.

From the book "Beyond Birth and Death"
by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

Lassi (A Celestial Nectar)

Popular throughout the world, the smoothness of this sweetened Yogurt Lassi with it's subtle taste of rosewater, when prepared with love and devotion will bring great happiness to whom ever served.


It only takes minutes to prepare and is enough for 4 persons.

2 1/2 cups plain organic yogurt
1/2 cup sugar or sweetener
2 teaspoons rosewater
3/4 cup iced water
1 cup ice cubes
A few fragrant rose petals for garnish (optional)

1. Blend the yogurt, sugar, rosewater, and iced water in a blender or food processor for 2 minutes.
2. Add the ice and process for another 2 minutes.
3. Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with rose petals.

Sixty-one different ways

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

Madhya-līlā, Chapter 24

Translated from its original Bengali version
by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj

The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

The following summary of this chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya.

According to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī’s request, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the well-known Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse beginning ātmārāmāś ca munayaḥ. He explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. He analyzed all the words and described each word with its different connotations. Adding the words ca and api, He described all the different meanings of the verse.

He then concluded that different classes of transcendentalists (jñānīs, karmīs, yogīs) utilize this verse according to their own interpretation, but if they would give up this process and surrender to Kṛṣṇa, as indicated by the verse itself, they would be able to comprehend the real meaning of the verse. In this regard, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu narrated a story about how the great sage Nārada converted a hunter into a great Vaiṣṇava, and how this was appreciated by Nārada’s friend Parvata Muni. Sanātana Gosvāmī then offered a prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the glory of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

After this, the Lord gave Sanātana Gosvāmī a synopsis of Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which Sanātana Gosvāmī later developed into the guiding principle of all Vaiṣṇavas.

Golden Cauliflower Pakoras

Recipe:
1 medium size cauliflower (cut into flowerets)
1 ½ cup garbanzo-bean flour
½ to ¾ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
pinch of cayenne
pinch of hing
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
ghee,vegtible or peanut oil for deep frying

In bowl combine flour and spices.
Add water until it becomes a medium-thick pancake-like batter.

Heat ghee in wok until it is very hot.
Dip cauliflower pieces in batter.
Put pieces in hot ghee. They will first sink to the bottom of the wok and then rise. Fry for 5 minutes and then stir occasionally until they are a dark golden brown (about 15 minutes).

This recipe can also be used with potato, eggplant, pineapple, or zucchini pieces.

Serves 4
Offer them to Sri Krishna with love than serve them to four soon to be happy people.

Good Advice

Someone may think that he has no taste or interest in chanting or meditating. He may be considering, “Money is not coming by chanting.” But money cannot give happiness or transcendental feelings. The holy name, on the other hand, will give everything. It will stop the endless pain of birth and death forever, and you will be happy forever, engaged in the service of Sri Krsna in Vrndavana.

One should especially follow this Upadesamrta verse:

tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu
smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya
tisthan vraje tad-anuragi jananugami
kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-s aram

[“The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one's full time, twenty-four hours a day, in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord's divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one's tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja and serve Krsna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord's beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service." (Upadesamrta, verse 8)]

Always chant harinama: “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,” and think, “I am in Vrndavana.”

It's easy to chant the holy name and remember Vrndavana, even a child can do it.

Gaudiya Literature

As soon as a single person will have conceived the sincere desire of undertaking the promulgation of the tidings of the Gaudiya Literature to the peoples of this world he is thereby enrolled among the agents of Divine Mercy with the power to forward the fulfillment of the expressed wish of the Supreme Lord. The Gaudiya Literature will not long remain confined to the Bengali speaking people. It will in a short time expand and display its full brilliancy through the medium of all the languages.

BVT to BSS

The Glory of the Gita

The Great Mahabharat War started on Shubhakrit Margashirsha Bright 13/14th Day, Tuesday in Bharani Star, 3137 BC. On the previous day 11/12th Day, when the armies were rehearsing Vyuhas, Arjuna became bewildered, providing the opportunity for Lord Krishna's famous discourse (Bhagavad-Gita) to manifest.

The Glory of the Gita

All the Upanisads are like a cow, and the milker of the cow is Sri Krishna, the son of Maharaj Nanda.

Arjuna is the calf, the sweet nectar of the Gita is the milk, and the fortunate devotees of fine theistic intellect are the drinkers and enjoyers of that milk.

Bits & Pieces

When faults in others misguide and delude you have patience, introspect, find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura,
discourse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1935

The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest forms of worldliness.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur (The Harmonist Vol. XXIX No 7 1932)

It is written my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.
Jesus (Luke 19:16)

There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid.
A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj - NOD, Ch 19 p.14

A Fool

He is a fool that practises truth without knowing the difference between truth and falsehood. -- Krishna to Arjuna (The Book of Karna)

“The Book of Karna” relates the events of the two dramatic days after the defeat of the great warriors and generals Bhishma and Drona, in which Karna a great hero and the eldest Pándava leads the Káurava army into combat. This first volume of “Karna” depicts mighty battles in gory detail, sets the scene for Karna’s tragic death, and includes a remarkable verbal duel between Karna and his reluctant charioteer Shalya, the king of Madras, as they hurl abuse at each other before entering the arena.

Brilliant as the Sun

"This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purana"

A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj continued to translate the Bhagavat puran ( Srimad Bhagavatam ), from Sanskrit to the languages of today, even during his very last breath he on this earth . He desired that the Srimad Bhagavatam be available to everyone, knowing that human society could benefit by hearing it's message. It's now easily available at all good book stores, libraries,online, mandirs etc .

Have a Samosa

Make some Samosa's with love and devotion, offer them to Krishna and pass them out to all your friends and family,observe everyone become instantly happy.

These tasty deep fried vegetable samosas can solve all world problems. :-)

FILLING INGREDIENTS FOR 60 SAMOSAS
3 CAULIFLOWERS, DICED
12 POTATOES, PEELED & DICED
GREEN PEAS IN AMOUNT EQUAL TO 1/2 THE ABOVE TWO COMBINED
2 LARGE PIECES GINGER, GRATED
1 TBSP. ASAFOETIDA
1 1/2 TBSP, GROUND CORIANDER
2 TSP. GROUND CLOVES
1 TSP. NUTMEG
3 TBSP, CUMIN SEEDS
3 RED CHILIS, BROKEN UP, SEEDS REMOVED
11/2 TBSP. GROUND FENUGREEK
GHEE

THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO COOK THIS FILLING:

1) If you want to cook it to a paste, simply start frying the spices and add the three vegetables to the pot. Cook four hours uncovered, stirring frequently so it won’t stick. The vegetable juices and spices combine, making a very aromatic and delicious paste filling.
2) If you prefer a filling with nice little vegetable bits, deep fry the diced cauliflower and potatoes in ghee until they are golden and half-cooked. Then add them together with the peas to the pot which you have cooked the spices. Cook for just one hour, stirring and turning frequently and lightly.

CRUST FOR SAMOSA (makes 25)
1 1/2 CUP SIFTED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
1/4 CUP SOFT BUTTER
1/2 CUP WHITE FLOUR
1 TSP. SALT

ENOUGH WATER TO MAKE A FIRM BUT NOT STICKY DOUGH

Mix flours and salt. work in butter, work in water slowly, knead well, form into ball, cover 1 hour, form into individual balls (about 25) the size of a walnut. Roll out balls to width of a hand. This is a stretchy, elastic dough.
Fold dough in half, get a small cup of cold water, dipping fingers in water, and with folded, straight edge at bottom, moisten with your fingertip the top right end of the arc. pick it up. pinch bottom edge of right arc to overlap top edge in a firm seal. invert - turn it wrong side out from the point. Now place filling - 1 1/2 tbsp, - inside point of cornucopia. Then, gently press­ excess air out, starting from the point at the bottom, gently and firmly seal all around the top, flute top edges.

TO COOK: low ghee for 30 min. it is very important to turn them over often at first, otherwise you’ll get an air bubble on top and they won’t turn over. Last 3 min. of cooking, use high ghee. Done when you tap and it sounds hollow inside. Remove with slotted spoon to colander set over pie tin to catch ghee drips. Offer with love and devotion

Kali yuga

As you all know, the current age is called Kali yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, sometimes referred to as the Iron age.

Kali yuga started the moment Sri Krishna's earthly pastimes ended. He departed on Friday (BC 3102) at 2:27-30 P.M. Seven days later, Dwarka city was submerged by the Ocean.

The Great World War

The Great World War (Maha Bharat War) took place 3137 BC at Kurukshetra, India

Except for the Pandavas, Krishna. Satyaki and Yuyutsu on Pandavas side, and Kripa, Krutavarma and Ashwatthama on Kaurava's side, all were killed. Yudhishthira told Dhritarashtra that Great Warriors (MahaRathis) killed in the War, were more than 94 crores ( 940 Million ).

1 crore is equall to 10 million

Maha Mantra tika (commentary )

....................

Maha Mantra

....................................
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

......................................

.......................

Tika by

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsvati

...........................................
Only the maha-bhagavata Sri Gurudeva is able to give the name of Sri Krsna which is non-different from Krsna.

nama-cintamani krsnas

caitanya-rasa-vigrahah

purnah suddho nitya mukto

bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

Sri Krsna’s name is directly Sri Krsna, it is a spiritual, transcendental object full of liquid mellowness. The Divine name arises or manifests Itself upon the tongue of someone who is favourable towards service.

The glorification (kirtana) fraught with spiritual offence to the Divine Name done by those who are inclined towards enjoyment or renunciation is not the pure Divine Name. The pure Divine Name (suddha nama) and the stage of offence to the Divine name (namaparadha) are not the same. The mahabhagavata who is free from spiritual offences to the Divine Name and who takes shelter in the glorification of the pure Divine Name is alone fit to bestow the name of Sri Krsna.”

Peace of Mind

"Srimad Bhagwat is therefore not meant for any particular class of men or sect. It is for the sincere soul who wants actually his own welfare and peace of mind."

( SB Canto1 Chapter 5 Text 40 )

- A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj -

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj remembers

Many years after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada disappeared from this world, he appeared to my Gurudeva in a dream and gave him sannyasa. This happened three times. He would say, “Oh Vinoda, you have not taken sannyasa, and therefore my preaching has completely stopped.” He gave Gurudeva sannyasa three times in dream. Later, that sannyasa was formalized by Sri Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja in Katva.

Note: His sannyasa name became Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaj

What was the speciality of my Gurudeva?
He was very philosophical, with complete knowledge of all the sastra, and at the same time he was also a great rasika (relisher of ecstatic love of Krsna, and knower of all rasas) Vaisnava.

Without these two qualities he could not have composed astakams (devotional poetry consisting of eight verses) like this one: radha-cinta-nivesena yasya kantir vilopitasri-krsna-caranam vande radhalingita-vigraham

[“I worship the lotus feet of that form of Sri Krsna, when, due to being thoroughly immersed in separation from Srimati Radhika (who is displaying mana, her mood of jealous anger), His own dark complexion vanishes and He assumes Her bright, golden luster; or, I worship the lotus feet of Sri Krsna as He is embraced by Srimati Radhika (after Her mana has broken)” (Sri Radha-Vinoda-Vihari-Tattvastakam, verse 1)]

All his writings were very poetic, and completely in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami. He reveals here how after Krsna took Srimati Radhika to Srngara-vata, He then disappeared due to fear of the other gopis. In separation from Srimati Radhika, He then came to Imlitala where, being completely absorbed in Her, He manifested the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although Sri Krsna's form remained, His complexion and the moods were completely Radhika’s.

How wonderful is my Gurudeva’s mangala-arati song: “mangala sri guru-gaura mangala murati – Glories to the auspicious forms of Sri Guru and Gaura.” (Mangala Arati, verse 1) This song is the essence of the books Sri Govinda-lilamrta and Sri Krsna-bhavanamrta. In essence, the mangala-a rati pastime is described there. When my Gurudeva wrote this mangala-arati song, I was very new. I did not know anything. Therefore, when he showed me that composition and asked, “Do you like it?” I said, “Oh it seems very long. The poems of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura are very short.” At that time none of the devotees in the Matha knew very much about the pastimes of Radha and Krsna. Still, my Gurudeva gave Radha-Krsna’s asta-kaliya-lila. At that time, at the end of the night, Lalita, Visakha and the other gopis are looking to see: “Are They awake yet?” And Vrnda-devi is making all arrangements for the pastimes of the Divine Couple.

Despite his being very rasika, if someone would say anything against his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, my Gurudeva would become like a thunderbolt.

From the heart

Srila Govinda Maharaj's heartfelt expression of love and devotion

Not charmed by formality

Saranagati (surrender) is the effulgence of Sri Krsna.

Faith is the halo of Srimati Radharani.

Our purity of purpose must always be very scrupulously maintained. We should think, "Alone I shall go on with my duty. I won't be always searching for someone to come and help me. Let them do their duty. This is my duty."

We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current. We are not charmed by any formality. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me.

Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridara Deva Goswami Maharaja

The Human Body

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in his book,

Bhagavata-arka-marici-mala,

“First I will first explain

vaidhi-bhakti, and then raganuga-bhakti.”

He quotes the following verse:

nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham

plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam

mayanukulena nabhasvateritam

puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha

[“The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.17)]

In this verse Srila Sukadeva Gosvami is indicating to Maharaja Pariksit, “Katvanga Maharaja attained Krsna-bhakti and went to Vaikuntha in only twelve minutes. You have seven days left to live, and so you can achieve more than he did.”