Entries by Shabnam Kasraei

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How to Celebrate Radhastami

 Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das In Hari-bhakti vilasa, Srila Sanatana Goswamipada writes 276 verses telling how to observe Sri Krishna Jayanti. But he did not mention one verse about observing Radhastami. Gaudiya Vaisnavas worship Radha Govinda Yugala with special emphasis on serving and pleasing Sri Radha (radhadasyam). Therefore, on Radhastami many Gaudiyas do special worship and […]

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Light on Guru & Diksha

Mahanidhi Swami Looking for Guru? Anyone, anywhere, at any time and every time can and should chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare If you sincerely chant these Divine Names, Krishna Nama Prabhu will be pleased. Nama will purify and […]

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Shiva’s Real Marriage

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das It is a widespread idea that Shiva Ratri is the day Sri Shivaji married Srimati Sri Parvati-devi. The Bengali yearly calendar, circulated in the millions, boldly proclaims: “Shiva Ratri, the day Lord Shiva married Parvati.” However popular this idea is, it is not found in the sacred texts of India. To […]

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Shivaji Discovers Radha Kunda

Mahanidhi Swami One day during the wave of a kalpa rising and falling in the endless ocean of time, Shankara Mahadeva visited Vraja Mandala and came to Govardhana Hill. Astonished, amazed, overwhelmed and plunged into the ocean of Krishna prema, he gazed at Radha-kunda. Entering a deep state of prema samadhi, then and there Shivaji […]

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Panditji & Swamiji

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das One of the oldest and most famous Gaudiya Vaisnava scholars in Vraja today is 99 year old Pandita Sri Krishna Dasa Babaji Maharaja, Bhakti-tirtha. Srila Prabhupada and Pandita Sri Krishna Dasji became friends in the 1960’s after meeting in Bon Maharaja’s college in Vrindavana. A few years ago, Pandita Baba recounted […]

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O, How Glorious are Devotees!

Mahanidhi Swami   In the last article, we heard about the glories of brahmanas. Here Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura reminds us of the power and position of the saintly devotees of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. May we always be blessed with the darshana, sanga and seva of the wish-fulfilling angels of mercy gracing this gloomy world […]

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Ji Means What?

Mahanidhi Swami The word ji or jiu (Bengali) is added to the name of any senior personality deserving our respect, honor, service and worship such as Krishna Ji, Ramachandra Ji, Thakura Ji, Govindadeva Ji, Sri Radha Ramana Ji and Sri Sri Radha Damodara Jiu. Among elders and superiors, the honorific term “Ji” refers to the […]

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Brahmanas: Respect or Not? part two

Mahanidhi Swami   Gaura nitya-parishad Murari Gupta describes how Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once honored the brahmanas in Gaya by drinking their foot water. (Sri Krishna Chaitanya Carita Maha Kavya 1.15.11-12) While narrating this pastime, Srila Prabhupada gives some important instructions for all followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, i.e. us. Srila Prabhupada said, “When Sri Chaitanya […]

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Brahmanas: Respect or Not?

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das   It is very sad to see that in the holiest of places, Sri Dhama Vrindavana, the yatris and pilgrims show very little if any respect to the brahmanas, pandas and tirtha gurus.   Of course, such neglect can be expected since this is the age of Kali which is characterized […]

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Are You a Vaisnava?

Mahanidhi Swami   About anyone who is even slightly inclined to Krishna bhakti, we often hear people say, “O, this person is a good devotee, a nice Vaisnava!” But exactly how does one define who is and who is not a Vaisnava, a “devotee”? The correct and most authoritative answer to this question is found […]