Verse: ‘sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya … (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila 22.54). Sadhu sanga means listening to Harikatha and putting it into practice. Verse: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ … (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.17). Grantha bhagavata and bhakta bhagavata. Verse: tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ … (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.31.9). The three types of miseries of the material world, adhyatmika, adhidhaivika and adhibhautika, end by listening to Harikatha. Harikatha must be heard directly...
Hari-katha 2024 (Undisclosed country)
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Hari-katha 2024 (Undisclosed country), Undisclosed, sleeping: dreams
09 Jun 2024 evening – The Three Subjects of Gaudiya Vaisnava (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Sambandha (knowledge about the relationship), abhidheya (the process) and prayojana (our ultimate goal). Madhana Mohana is the Deity who presides over sambandha, Govinda Devi presides over abhidheya, Gopinatha is the Deity who presides over prayojana, and Radha Ramana is the union of these Three Deities. The Deity of Radha Ramana is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s Lila meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sloka: prabhu kahe, — “vaiṣṇava-sevā, nāma-saṅkīrtana… (CC...
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09 Jun 2024 midday – Bhakti: Devotional Service to the Lord (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Rupa Goswami gives us several instructions on what Bhakti is. Vyasa Deva had already given many definitions for Bhakti. Sloka: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁtat-paratvena nirmalam… (Narada Pancaratra). Sloka: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahah… (Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.1). The material body is made of five elements and eleven material senses. Sloka: ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādina… (SB 2.14). The tendency to serve the Lord and the tendency to enjoy matter. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that it is...
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09 Jun 2024 morning – Bhakti Seva and Vrndavana Dhama (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Bhakti must be exclusive to Sri Krsna. Prema is when our pleasures are the same as Sri Krsna’s. All of Sri Krsna’s lilas are made for His pleasure. Vraja is a very powerful place protected by Yoga Maya. The actions of devotees are guided by Yoga Maya, and the actions of a non-devotee are guided by Maha Maya. Some lilas in which Sri Krsna kills the demons. How did Putana go to Vraja if she was not devout? If we have the mood of Rupa and Santana Gosvami, we will be in Vrndavana. Who...
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08 Jun 2024 evening – Love is Winding (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Sloka: utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt… (The Nectar of Instruction 3). To practice bhakti one must be enthusiastic and incessant. Sloka: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ… (CC Madhya 19.167). Whoever loves serves! The two types of sneha (affection): grta-sneha and madhu-sneha. Lila from Srimati Radharani in maan for thinking that Krsna said that Her face is like that of Candravali. Love, both in the material world and in the spiritual world, moves in a sinuous way, like a serpent. Story of the king and the...
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08 Jun 2024 midday – Listen to Elevated Spiritual Topics! (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
The definition of uttama-bhakti is the Sloka: “anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ…” (CC Madhya 19.167). Krsna priti vanca: carrying out activities that make Krsna happy. What is devotion and the lilas that really bring pleasure to Krsna. Lila of Mother Yasoda when she stopped breastfeeding Krsna. The Scriptures say that naughty children are very intelligent! Sambhandatmika-bhakti (relationship precedes devotion) and kamatmika-bhakti (devotion precedes the type of relationship). Krsna is like the bright Sun...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Hari-katha 2024 (Undisclosed country), Undisclosed, guru-tattva: akhanda-guru-tattva (the principle of the undivided guru; unity of guru-tattva), guru: guru-tattva, jiva: jiva-tattva, maya: maya-tattva
08 Jun 2024 morning – The Fortune of Dhanya Kali-yuga (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Why Dhruva Maharaja ruled for thirty-six thousand years. We should abandon all kinds of speculative knowledge and just listen to harikatha from the lotus mouths of sadhus. The mind’s conceptions of what is pure and impure. Bhakti is superior to jnana, as it arises through the heart of the pure devotee of the Lord. Sloka: kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’… (CC Madhya 22.83). The one-pointed devotee of Krsna should be considered sadhu (saint), even if he has numerous faults. About...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Hari-katha 2024 (Undisclosed country), Undisclosed, devotees: types
07 Jun 2024 evening – Variety in the Transcendental World (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Sloka: anya-abhilāṣitā-śūnyam …(CC Madhya 19.167), definition of sudha bhakti. Sanatana Gosvami in his Brhad Bhagavatamrtam talks about the five types of devotees. The five types of devotees are: jñānī-bhakta prahlāda mahārāja, śuddha-bhakta ambarīṣa mahārāja, premī-bhakta hanumān, prema-para-bhakta pāṇḍavas, premātura-bhakta uddhava mahārāja. Among the vrajavasis, the gopis stand out; among these, the highest devotee, bhakta mukuṭa-śiromaṇi is Srimati Radhika. Dhruva-Mahārāja is sakāma-bhakta...