Explanation about the manifestation of Srimad Bhagavatam. About the end of karma only happening with complete surrender to Guru and Krsna. The Caitanya Caritamrta clarifies that the devotee, upon surrendering to the Guru, begins to be taken care of by Krsna. In Madhurya-Kadambini, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that, by simply chanting a namabhasa, a stage in which one has not yet reached pure chanting, karma is destroyed. There is a need for a little karma to maintain the body here in...
bhajana-kriya: beginning of devotional practices (engagement in bhakti activities; stage after accepting guidance from guru)
20 Apr 2025 morning – Entering Tattva Siddhanta (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Verse: ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā… (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15-16). Two types of bhajana-kriya: unstable (anisthita) and stable (nisthita). Six subdivisions of anisthita-bhajana-kriya: utsaha-mayi, ghana-tarala, vyudha-vikalpa, visaya-sangara, nyamaksama and taranga-rangini. Four types of anarthas: svarupa-bhrama, asat-trsna, hrdaya-daurbalya and aparadha. Four other types of anarthas: duskrti-utha-anartha, sukrti-utha-anartha, bhakti-utha-anartha and aparadha-utha...
25 Dec 2024 evening – Our Guru-parampara (English) | Mexico City, Mexico | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Before taking diksha, carefully realise our guru-parampara. Pancharatriki-parampara and bhagavatiya-parampara. How Baladeva Vidyabhushana Prabhu proved that Srimati Radharani was married to Sri Krishna. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura boldly opened his siddha-pranali. 2 types of siddha-pranali. Shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti, bhava and prema. Do not hear hari-katha from a non-Vaishnava. Shloka: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam… (Padma...
17 Dec 2024 evening – Process to Attain Bhakti (English) | Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
How to accumulate sukrti and obtain the association of a sadhu, and the condition for Bhakti Devi to manifest in the heart. The importance of observing ekadasi tithi. We should ask ourselves why we do not like to chant the Holy Names. Our sinful activities (papa-karma) are the cause of our inability to chant the Holy Names. Diksa-mantra given by Guru destroys all sins. Funny story of Yamaraja going to get a woman to take to Yamaloka, but the woman says she is not ready to leave. It is...
18 Sep 2024 evening – From Attachment to Freedom (Hindi) | Brisbane, Australia | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
An unfortunate day from a material and transcendental point of view. Maya does not hold us, it creates the illusion that it does. Tulasi dasa gives the example of a monkey holding a potato in a jar and a bird holding a wheel. Shloka: daivī hyeṣhā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā… (BG 7.14). Shloka: ‘śraddhā’-śabde – viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścay… (CC Madhya 22.62). The spiritual steps up to prema: shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti...
18 Sep 2024 evening – From Attachment to Freedom (English translation) | Brisbane, Australia | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
An unfortunate day from a material and transcendental point of view. Maya does not hold us, it creates the illusion that it does. Tulasi dasa gives the example of a monkey holding a potato in a jar and a bird holding a wheel. Shloka: daivī hyeṣhā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā… (BG 7.14). Shloka: ‘śraddhā’-śabde – viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścay… (CC Madhya 22.62). The spiritual steps up to prema: shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti...
03 Jul 2024 midday – Sadhana-bhakti and Bhava-bhakti (English) | London, United Kingdom | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Time and tide wait for no one. Remember 5 Tattvas: Ishvara, jiva, prakriti, kala and karma. Endless cycle of birth and death. Krishna says, ‘One who attains My Abode will not return to the material world. Sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti. The stages of saddhana-bhakti: shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi and asakti. Kleshagni and subhada, the two leaves of sadhana-bhakti. Moksha-laghutakrit and sudurlabha, the two leaves of bhava-bhakti...
24 June 2024 midday – The Form of Lord Jagannatha is The Manifestation of Mahabhava (English) | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
0:18:30 – Mahabhava-prakash of Lord Jagannatha; Srila Gour Goswami Maharaja explains that this is viraha (separation). Day and night Chaitanya Mahaprabhu experiences separation; there are two types of moods – outwardly separation, inwardly meeting with one’s Ishtadeva. In this way Mahaprabhu shows the sadhaka how to perform sadhana. 0:24:16 – Jagannatha is mahabhava-prakash; to understand this one must go through and know the stages of developing prema. 0:29:00 – Shraddha – the concept and...