Tag Archive for: Mahanidhi Madana Gopala Dasa

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The Original Form of Ekadashi

Mahanidhi Swami

The Ekadashi fasting day is extensively described in Hari-bhakti Vilasa. Sanatana Goswamipada, quoting numerous Vedic scriptures, defines the basic Ekadashi thus: “All humans, especially Vaisnavas, should NOT EAT ANYTHING on Ekadashi, the day of Sri Hari, hari-vasara.”

In Narada Purana, Lord Shiva told Durga, “Again and again the Puranas proclaim, ‘On Ekadashi, Do not eat, Do not eat!’’’ (HBV 12.12)

In Bhakti-sandarbha anu. 299, Sri Jiva Goswamipada quotes many shastras to make the same point. For example, the Gautamiya-tantra says, “If by madness a Vaisnava eats anything on Ekadashi, then his worship is worthless!” Vishnu-yamala states, “If one is normal and healthy, he should not eat anything on Ekadashi.”

So it is clear that the basic and original Ekadashi Vrata is a day of complete fasting to facilitate more surrender and more offerings of devotion to Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

It is amazing how in the entire Ekadashi fasting day description, Srila Sanatana Goswamipada does not mention one word about eating this or avoiding that type of food. In one verse, however, he gives a concession for eating on Ekadashi, and even that is restricted to a few persons. He quotes the Markendeya Purana: “A child, an elderly or sick person may take ONE MEAL consisting of milk, fruits and roots and that only AT NIGHT.” (HBV 12.91)

In other words, Srila Sanatana Goswamipada is telling all of us, who are normal and healthy by Krishna’s grace, to FAST COMPLETELY ON EKADASHI. This is the basic Ekadashi—austere, powerful and beneficial.

Of course, there are many other approaches to fasting on Ekadashi given by various gurus, institutions and individual family traditions. Ultimately, the best way of observing the austerity of Hari-vasara is to follow the teachings of one’s mentors on the devotional path.

We are describing the original form of Ekadashi observance to encourage old devotees to do more, and to show new devotees the ideal path outlined in our sacred books. Many devotees we know follow the basic, traditional Ekadashi of not eating anything, plus not drinking even a drop of water! Besides being the basic observance of Ekadashi prescribed by our mahajanas, a complete fast is an excellent means for improving both spiritual and material health.

Srila Sanatana Goswamipada and all the Vedas describe the Ekadashi vrata as part of a “penance triad”. Although very difficult in the modern age, this fasting package includes three days of austerity i.e. Dashami, Ekadashi and Dwadashi (10th, 11th and 12th). However, the full basic observance of the one fasting day of Ekadashi is practical and prescribed for most sadhakas of today.

Still, sadhakas can respect and honor these three holy days by following Hari-bhakti Vilasa’s instructions about eating, which are listed below.

10th Day Dashami: Eat only one time, the following foods ONLY; winter white rice, mung dal, sesame seeds, root bulbs minus taro, amla, banana, jackfruit, mango, tamarind, cow’s ghee, milk & yogurt, Sind (ekadashi) or sea salt, pepper, cumin, ginger, and sugar without molasses.

BUT DON’T EAT: honey, oil [fried foods], chickpeas (channa), flour i.e. rotis, bread, etc., masura dal or leafy vegetables. (HBV 13.10-15)

11th Day Ekadashi: Chant Hare Krishna, read the Bhagavata and dance in delight, but keep food and water far from your sight! Ekadashi Devi ki jai ho!

12th Day Dwadashi: Eat only once, but DON’T EAT: honey, oil [fried foods], chickpeas (channa), flour i.e. rotis, bread, etc, and masura dal. (HBV 13.260-264)

To close this article, we will cite Srila Sanatana Goswamipada’s perfect definition of fasting. And this is the type of fasting we should all do every day of our devotional lives:

“To remain steady and steadfast, even in the face of sin by cultivating good qualities, and to give up all sense enjoyment is called FASTING.” (HBV 13.35)

Ekadashi fasting ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Amazing Benefits of Bathing in Magha

Mahanidhi Swami

The yearly one month long (Jan.-Feb.) world famous Kumbha Mela offers amazing benefits for a daily sunrise bath in a holy river like the Ganga, Yamuna, or especially the Triveni in Allahabad U.P.

Here in a series of articles, we will highlight some of the glories of the “Magha Month Vrata” which focuses primarily on sacred bathing in addition to one’s other daily sadhana.

As Gaudiya Vaisnavas, we follow the teachings of Gita and the Bhagavata, the books of our Mahajana acharyas like the Six Goswamis, and the instructions of our spiritual teachers. One major work is the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, compiled by Srila Sanatana Goswamipada. This is our Gaudiya Vaisnava smrti, which means a book of rules and recommended practices for endearing oneself to Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

To prove and establish the immense importance of the Magha snana, the Hari-bhakti Vilasa quotes 160 Sanskrit verses from different Puranas such as the Bhavisottara, Brahmavaivarta, Narada, Padma and Skanda. Here’s a sample:

The Padma Purana (Uttara-khaëòa 126.9) states, “It is an injunction that one must bathe in a holy place during Magha to please Bhagavan Vasudeva [Sri Krishna], priyate vasudevasya, magha snanam prakirttitam.” (HBV 14.54) Skanda Purana: “By bathing in a holy place in Magha, one will not take birth again, snanam karoti yo maghe, samsara na bhavet punah.” (HBV 14.72)

The following benefit befits the bhaktas, who want to be with Radha-Krishna forever serving Their lotus feet: “If one desires to live near Vishnu [Sri Krishna], iccha vishnu vasam, he should bathe every year during Magha, magha snanam tada karyyam varshe varshe. (HBV 14.76)

In Skanda Purana, Narada Muni glorifies the tremendous blessing power of Magha snana: “Magha snana destroys all sins committed by thoughts, words and deeds.” And further, “Bath, charity, chanting and sacrifices done in Magha yield unlimited benefit, snanam danam japa homa, kriyate maghe ananta phalam.” (HBV 14.80-81)

One can take the next quote to mean that a woman will become beautiful, charitable, supremely chaste and fortunate by a Magha snana. “Vashishta Muni said, ‘Because of bathing during the month of Magha, Shachi became beautiful; Arundhati became charitable; Anusuya became most chaste; and Rohini attained good fortune.’” (HBV 14.100-101)

Any contact with the transcendental Yamuna, Ganga or other sacred waters will produce wonderful benefits like good health, purity and promotion to Vaikuntha. So what makes holy waters so especially powerful during Magha month? The Narada Purana answers, “The devatas cast all their respective powers into water during Magha, devata teja pari kshiptam, magha mase jaleshu vai.” (HBV 14.163)

However, of all the holy waters one can bathe in, there is an astonishingly unique value in bathing in Sri Radha Kunda!

Srila Rupa Goswamipada explains, “Even ONE BATH in Radha Kunda can manifest that prema, tat premedam sakrd api sarah snatur avishkaroti.”

What is “that prema” (tad prema) you may ask? Srila Rupa answers saying, “You will receive that special oneness in love for Krishna felt by Radha, the foremost of all Krishna’s beloved sweethearts, radha preyasibhyah uccaih vasati pranaya krishnasya.” (Upadeshamrita 11)

So plan now and try to bathe daily during the entire Magha month either in Radha Kunda, Vrindavana, Navadvipa or Jagannatha Puri. In this regard, Sri Dattatreya said, “Magha month is the best of all months, as far as doing good deeds, masanam magha shreshtha.” (HBV 14.159)

If you can’t spare a month, however, then you can follow Sri Dattatreya Muni who said, “At least bathe for three days during Magha, and you will attain wealth and long life.” (HBV 14.161-162)

When is the bathing period?

“One should begin his Magha snana on Pausha Purnima (Jan. 24) and end on Magha Purnima (Feb. 22).” (HBV 14.67)

Magha Mas Tunda Snana ki jai! Radha Kunda Dhama ki jai!

Gopi Prema ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Magha Masa Vrata_24 January to 22 February 2016

Mahanidhi Swami

from padma purana and hari bhakti vilasa, 14th vilasa (verses in brackets)

  1. Tattva / identity

If one does not take Magha snana, his life is meaningless. Magha snana pleases krsna more than observing vows, austerities and charity. This is the best month to do pious activities. (160) One should observe Magha vrata every year. (76) It is the duty of every human being to bathe in a holy place during Magha masa to please lord Krsna. (127) Water is pure and destroys unlimited amount of sins during Magha masa because the demigods place all their individual potencies in water. (163) Dattatreya explains, “The human body is useless without Magha snana.” (P.P. Vol. 46, Pg. 2763). These five acts are very pleasing to Lord Krsna: (i) observe Magha vrata; (ii) observe Karttika vrata; (iii) chant twelve–syllable mantra ─ Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya; (iv) worship Lord Visnu daily with sixteen articles; and (v) maintain a Tulasi grove. There is also a triad of vows which is very dear to Lord Visnu ─ Magha vrata, Karttika vrata, Ekadasi vrata.

  1. Magha Vrata Summary

It is best to bathe before or at sunrise in a holy place. One should give gifts esp. sesame seeds and gur to brahmanas. Worship the sun-god and keep the ghee lamps lit in the home or temple.

III. Date to Start and finish the vow

Start on pausa Purnima and end on Magha Purnima. (67) On Magha Purnima, feed brahmanas, give charity and break your fast.

  1. The daily bath
  2. Time : Best before sunrise (90, 138) or pratah kala (6:00 – 8:30 a.m.).
  3. Place: Outside in a pond, lake, kunda or river. Ganga bath awards 1,000 times the benefit. By bathing in Triveni, one gets 1,00,000 times the benefit. Every step one takes to go outside for bathing burns the reactions of sins that have not yet fructified and pleases Yama. (93) It is a sastric injunction to bathe in a holy place only to give pleasure to Lord Krsna. One must bathe outside the home at least 3,5 or 7 times in the month. Even bathing in a mud puddle awards mukti.

House Bath – Set a bucket outside in the open air overnight, bring it inside and bathe. This equals bathing in a holy place. Such a bath bestows all desirable objects. (Add a drop of Ganga, Yamuna or Radhakunda water).

  1. Sankalpa Mantra Vow: Upon waking in the morning, one should recite this : “O Supreme Lord Madhava! I will bathe every morning without fail during Magha masa.”

maghamasam imam purnam

snasye’ham deva madhava

  1. Best Bath Time Mantra : “O Acyuta, O Govinda, O Madhava! I bathe in the month of Magha when the sun travels to the Makara rasi. O Lord, kindly bestow upon me the appropriate fruit of this vow.”

makaraste ravau magha

govinda acyuta madhava

snanenanena me deva

yathokta phalado bhava

  1. Benefits of magha snana in a holy place: Grave sins committed knowingly or unknowingly are destroyed. (79) Lord Brahma says, “All sins committed with the mind, speech or action are destroyed by bathing in a holy place. Any pious acts (e.g., chanting mantras or yajnas) performed for the pleasure of lord krsna give unlimited benefits.” (81) If one person from a family bathes in a holy place, all the past and future relatives get liberated by Lord Krsna. (83) All sins are vanquished. (141, 145) just by bathing in a holy place for three days, one gets wealth and long life. One becomes free from all distress and sins and goes to Svarga. (60) One goes to Vaikuntha with 21 generations. (78, 154, 164) Nothing is more effective in destroying sinful reactions than bathing in a holy place. Magha snana in a holy place is the best remedy for conditioned souls because it instantly destroys all sinful reactions. It is more beneficial than all vows. It awards all types of boons. (115) Gives good health, beauty, good qualities, wealth and long life. (118) Daily Magha snana destroys all sins and calamities, pleases Lord Visnu, and gives liberation. Magha snana fulfills all one’s desires. if one takes Magha snana anywhere outside of home, he will experience no sorrows in this or next life. Magha snana at Prayaga is equal to worshiping Lord Visnu at a 100 crore of other places. The fruit of fasting for ten years is equal to three days Magha snana at Prayaga.
  2. Bath rules: You don’t have to follow any other vow. Nothing else is required except bathing in a holy place. If you bathe in a holy place, you don’t have to do anything else. (88) One should bathe in silence. (31, 85) Put clay on your head before bath. While bathing, offer oblations to Suryadeva. Brahmanas should remember the names of Hari, Madhava, Vasudeva and Visnu.
  3. Magha Vrata
  4. Rules : (i) One should control the mind and senses, observe celibacy, sleep on floor and follow proper behaviour; (ii) no oil on body; (iii) don’t eat food cooked or given by others; (iv) eat once a day; (v) give up receiving gifts; (vi) renounce your favorite object. (106)
  5. Deity Puja : Worship the Supreme Lord with special care and attention, offering lamps, food, incense and sandalwood paste. By worshiping the supreme lord with care and attention, one attains spiritual world. (69) One should worship a brahmana couple with food, sandalwood paste, blanket, cloth, jewels. (46) light an akhanda-dipa from sunset to sunrise near Deity, offer lots of tulasi leaves and manjaris to the deity. Offer fragrant rice. If you offer lotus or campaka flower, you’ll go to Vaikuntha. Bathe the Deity daily in water and milk. Offer sesame seed preparations to the Deity, khichri with dry fruits, kheer and ghee fried items.
  6. Charity: Give charity according to your capacity throughout the month. Blankets, warm clothes, shoes, wood, waterpot, umbrella, ghee, oil, cotton wicks are preferred items. Giving food items with sesame seeds and gur destroys your sins, esp. on Sankranti. Magha masa is a special month to give gifts to brahmanas. It destroys sins, awards happiness and residence in heaven. Austerities and penances performed without giving gifts don’t shine like sky without sun. Whatever gifts one gives to brahmanas, one gets inexhaustible results. One should also offer food to ancestors. Lord Krsna says: “On sankranti, Amavasya or Purnima in Magha, Vaisakha, Asadha and Karttika, if you give charity to a brahmana, you will receive a house, happiness, other enjoyable things and liberation.” It especially pleases Krsna if we give blankets, quilts, warm clothes, shoes, rice, ghee, oil, wood, ghee lamps and kumkuma. (47)
  7. Special puja days

Everyone should observe vasanta pancami, Bhaimi Ekadasi and Varaha Dvadasi. (166)

Krsna Paksa : 1. Makara Sankranti: offer fragrant rice to thakuraji. Offer lotus or campaka flower ─ go to Vaikuntha. One should definitely take Magha snana in a holy place. One must distribute gur and sesame gajjak to brahmanas in public.

  1. Amavasya (Mauni Amavasya): One must take a bath in a holy place. Observe complete silence from sunrise to sunset and constantly chant Hare Krsna mahamantra.

Sukla Paksa : 3. Tritiya (Manvantari): Any gifts given on this day bestow inexhaustible results.

  1. Pancami (Vasanta): It is a very important bathing day. Bathe the Deity with milk and coconut water. Offer lots of fruits. Decorate the temple with mango leaves. Dress them in new, fine clothes. Illuminate the house with lamps. Offer whole coconut, grapes, sugarcane juice, green vegetables and yellow food items like saffron rice. Worship sun-god, Ganga and Mother earth. Worship Saraswati, and also worship Srimad Bhag., Bhag. Gita, Guru-Parampara, and articles which are worshiped as dwelling places of saraswati like notebooks , pens, papers, musical instruments e.g., karatals, mrdangas etc. Keep everything on the altar and cover the picture of Saraswati with yellow cloth. Serve vaisnavas, sing and dance. (167) Play musical instruments in Vasanta raga. If you worship Lord Krsna on Vasanta Pancami, you will become very dear to Supreme Lord. (170)
  2. Saptami: It is a special day to worship Surya Bhagavan (Sun–God). If you fast on this day, you get liberation and attain the punya equal to observing a solar eclipse. Recite this prayer:”This seventh day of Magha sukla should destroy the sins of my seven lives, and destroy my diseases and miseries. This saptami day is the mother of all Saptamis! Belonging to the Sun, you have appeared on the seventh day. I offer my respects to you, O devi, living on the Sun planet.”

On Sapatmi, donate grains and red cloth out of love for the sun. Worship Surya Narayana. Offer an arka leaf, a fragrant red flower, badri fruit, rice, sacred thread coated with kumkuma, all inside a copper pot. Offer saffron water. Offer grains and red cloth. Also wear red clothes.

  1. Bhisma Astami: For five days, beginning on astami, when bathing stand in water facing North and hang one’s brahmana thread like a flower mala. Offer water to Bhisma with this mantra: ”Let me offer this oblation of water to the great devotee Bhisma, who belongs to the Vaiaghra pada (Lion), is enriched with spiritual understanding and who had no son. (173)

vaiaghra padya gotraya

sankrti pravaraya ca

aputraya dadyam ye tat

salilam bhisma varmmane

VII. Breaking the magha vrata

On Magha Purnima, feed brahmanas and give them gifts. At the end of Purnima tithi, break the fast. End with this prayer : “O Govinda, Acyuta, Madhava! Please give me the fruit of Magha vrata and eternal service of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani in the groves of Vrndavana as Her eternal palyadasi.” (9027)

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Who is Narayana Bhatta Goswami?

Mahanidhi Swami

You could say he was “the father of Vraja Yatras and Rasa-lila performances”. Narayana Bhatta Goswami was Brahmin born in South India. Later he came to Vraja and took initiation from Krishna das brahmacari, a disciple of Shri Gopal Bhatta Goswami. He assisted Rupa and Sanatana Goswami in unearthing lost deities and in revealing lila places of Radha and Krishna in Vrindavana.

He wrote over 50 bhakti-granthas and lived several years in Radha Kunda. His famous Vraja Mandala parikrama guide titled Vraja Bhakti Vilasa (completed 1552 A.D.) says he discovered 333 forests and holy places of Sri Krishna. He gave a distinctive name to every kunja, kunda and village in Vraja according to the particular Krishna lila occurring there.

On his own, Bhattaji disovered all the tirthas and lila-sthalis mentioned in the Varaha Purana. Important Deities revealed by him are Sri Ladali Ji of Barasana, Baladau Ji of Uncagrama, Sanketa Devi Ji, Sesasayi Visnu, Badrinatha, Kamesvara Mahadeva, Mahavidya, Dirgha Visnu, Mahavisnu and Varaha in Mathura.

Holy places discovered by him are Manasi Ganga, Kusuma-sarovara, Govinda kunda and Chandra-sarovara in Govardhana; Rasa sthali in Vrindavana; Bhanukhora, Pili-pokhara, Danagarha, Managarha, Vilasagarha, Gahavaravana, and Sankarikhora in Barasana; Dehakunda and Triveni in Uncagrama; Gayakunda, Kasikunda, Vimala-sarovara, Kuruksetra, Panca-tirtha, Dharmakunda and Caurasi- khamba in Kamyavana, Ciraghata, Nandaghata, Viharavana, and Carana-pahadi.

After determining the exact boundary of Vraja, Bhattaji established the practice of circumambulating Vrindavana, which is known today as Vraja Yatra or Caurasi Kosh Parikrama. He discovered places connected with Krishna’s rasa, and constructed rasa-mandalas in those places i.e. Radha Kunda, Unchagrama, Kokilavana, Prema-sarovara, Gahavaravana, Prema-sarovara, Vrindavana, Karahela, Pisai and Parasauli. He also started rasa-lila drama performances around Vraja, which are still popular today with visitors and Vrajavasis.

After living many years in Radha Kunda, he moved to Uncagrama, where he married and later entered samadhi on Vamana Jayanti 1643.

Shri Narayana Bhatta Goswami ki jai! Vraja Mandala Parikrama ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Ideal Grhasta & Acharya_Sri Ananda Gopala Gosvami

Mahanidhi Swami

Srila Ananda Gopala Gosvami Prabhupada, the 12th generation direct descendant from Sri Advaita Acharya, appeared in Vrindavana Dhama on Padmanabha Ekadasi October, 1897. At the age of fourteen he and his parents moved to Navadvipa Dhama, where he passed his life.

The bhajana life of Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami was very exemplary and fruitful. Every day he got up at 3 am, took a bath and sat down for bhajana. Tears would stream from his eyes while he was immersed in meditation. By performing purashcarana he attained mantra darshana. Purashcarana is a nonstop marathon recital of a large number of diksha mantras in order to attain darshana of the mantra Devata.

Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami would not eat until he finished his daily quota of japa. No family member or disciple could disturb him until 8 a.m. At 10 a.m. he would take some of Sri Madangopalji’s prasadi fruits and sweets. Afterwards, he would meet with his family and disciples.

Ananda Gopala Goswami was totally averse to the principle of a professional Guru. In fact, he never asked his disciples for donations even though many were wealthy. He and his wife were completely renounced and full of devotion.

Even though they had no bank account, no land and no house, they continually served their family deities, Sri Sri Radha Madana Gopala. Whenever donations did come, he would immediately spend them to serve Sri Krishna and the Vaisnavas. When he heard someone singing Radha’s name, he would embrace him and say, “This person has purchased me!”

In Vrindavana 1954, he gave wonderful lectures for one fortnight on Vilapa Kusumanjali and Radharasa Sudhanidhi in Radha Damodara Mandira. Everyone was astonished to hear his sweet and essential explanations of each verse. Where the rasa-stream of other lectures stopped, Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami began. In each verse, he led the listeners through the course of the Radha-Krishna’s eight-fold daily pastimes.

Whatever problems or questions that the manjari bhava sadhakas had in their sadhana, he would clearly answer by drawing live pictures of manjari bhava with every discourse. By his mercy, sadhakas forevermore can easily depict the sequence of beautifully sweet and intimate sevas to perform in Priya-Priyatama’s Vraja nikunja-lilas. In the 1970’s, Sri Ananta das Panditji gave lectures on Vilapa Kusumanjali based on a transcript of these lectures.

Regarding the disputed authorship of Radha Sudhanidhi (Hit Harivamsa or Prabhodhananda Sarasvati), Ananda Gopala Goswami told the audience in Radha Damodara Mandira: “Some person may come to a mango grove and inquire: ‘How many fruits are in these trees? Who constructed this grove? How are the fruits sold and who is the owner?’ Yet another person will just come, purchase the mangoes, offer them, sit under a tree and say: ‘Aha, how sweet are these mangoes!’

“So similarly, Radharasa Sudhanidhi is a wonderful book, born by the grace of Sri Radharani, whoever may have composed it. What matters is the relish of its contents. We need to become qualified to extract the rasa from this book. Radha dasya is the goal of our lives. And Madan Gopala becomes subdued by us if we can meditate on the foot soles of Radharani. Radha dasya is our only shelter.”

What follows are some the direct words of Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami revealing his nistha in manjari bhava as Radharani’s loyal maisdservant:

“Prabhupada Ananda Gopala Goswami, cherishing Srimati Radharani’s lotus-feet within his heart, used to proudly say, ‘If necessary for Radha’s seva, I will go to hell. I don’t want anything else but Radha. I will not accept Krishna alone. If Krishna comes to me alone, I will send Him back.

‘If such an attitude would ruin me, then let it be. I will accept Krishna neglectfully, and only then if He comes along with Radha! Because I am Radha’s maidservant, I will wander around being proud of Radha. If, however, the Divine Pair comes then I will offer myself to Them. I always sing Radha’s name with tears in my eyes and thrill bumps on my body.’” (Suchaka Kirtana (v.16-18) of Radha-Govinda das)

When Ananda Gopala Goswami passed away, his son Srila Nikunja Gopala Goswami said, “There was no question of any inheritance talks. My father was only saying: ‘Ha Radhe! Ha Radhe!’’ Remembering that moment, his disciple Giriraja Baba said, “He would just cry out two names of Radha: ‘Ha Svamini! Ha Karunamayi!’” (adapted from hagiography of Sri Advaita dasji)

Sri Advaita Prabhu Parivara ki jai! Thakuraji Sri Sri Madana Gopala ki jai!

Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami ki jai! Radhe Radhe! Radhe Radhe! Radhe Radhe! Radhe!

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Damodara Bhakti Chandra

Mahanidhi Swami

From 1989-1992, we lived in the Radha-Damodara Mandira, and had close association with Acharya Sri Nirmal Chand Goswamiji. Sometimes, I would sit with Goswamiji, and he would tell me about his plans and ideas for developing the mandira and improving Thakuraji’s seva. At that time, Goswamijis sons were small and Goswamiji had no money. So I really wondered how Goswamiji would ever realize his dreams for improvement.

I will cite an anecdote to show how scarce the money was at that time. Just before Kartik in 1989, Goswami met me in the courtyard and greeted me with his usual full-hearted, deep sounding, “Joi Damodar!”

Up until this time, kheer bhoga was not being offered to Thakuraji. Goswamij said, “Listen, maharaja. I have no money, but for this Kartik I really want to offer daily kheer to Damodara. Can you help,” he humbly asked. He said the cost was about Rp. 1100 for the month. I agreed and for three consecutive Kartiks, Damodara got His kheer bhoga. Joi Damodara!

In the mornings, I used to see Goswamij taking darshana at mangala aratika. When Kartik came, however, everything changed and I was pleasantly surprised. Goswami himself was personally offering the mangal aratika to Damodarji.

Up until this time, I never saw anyone sitting inside the bhajana kutir of Srila Rupa Goswamipada. One day around 5 a.m., I saw someone inside the kutir, sitting very straight with his back toward the door. Every day during Kartik that person sat there without moving from 5 am until 10 am chanting, meditating, and reciting stotrams and other prayers. I asked Kanika who that was, and as a loving son proud of his father he replied, “That’s my father inside the kutir observing his niyam seva vrata for Kartik!”

During our three years together, Goswami would often sit with me revealing his plans. He told me that if he ever gets any money, he would like to: widen the darshana doors of Damodar’s altar; offer a new granite altar with nice chatris above Thakurji; widen the doorway from the samadhi courtyard to the mandir; remove the broken old stones and make a smooth safe parikrama marga; erect a new samadhi for Srila Rupa Goswamipada; install murtis of Sri Jiva and Sri Rupa in their kutir and samadhi; establish murtis of all six Goswamis in a small temple; repair and make new temple entrance gate; cover the darshan mandap with monkey cage; protect entire parikrama marga with monkey cage; build a hari-katha hall before the samadhi; establish goseva; start distribution of kitri bhog to the poor neighbors; start a monthly spiritual magazine glorifying Damodarji; improve Thakurjis bhoga standard, dresses, decorations, lighting and decorations; and build nice guest rooms in the temple for yatris and devotees.

After these meetings, I used to sit in Srila Prabhupada’s kitchen and think, “Here is one devotee who lives and breathes, dreams, thinks and talks only about the seva of his most beloved Thakurji, Sri Damodarlal. I was very, very impressed with the depth of Goswami’s attachment to Damodarji, and his burning desire to please the Lord of his life in every possible way.

Even though Goswami had no money and a family of some playful boys, still he always talked about his plans. Nirmal Chandji or “Panchu” as he was affectionately addressed, always spoke with great enthusiasm about his plans. Goswamiji overflowed with confidence and hope, knowing in his heart that surely in time, Damodar would do everything.

And now twenty-seven years later in 2016, we can all clearly see how Lord Damodar has fulfilled every single plan of Shri Nirmal Chand Goswamiji for Thakurji’s seva. This is a miracle of devotion! The grand success of the magnificent Radha-Damodar Mandir clearly shows the amazing bond of love between Lord Damodar and His dearest eternal sevait, Shri Nirmal Chand Goswamiji.

The full moon is cooling, soothing and very beautiful, but flawed by the presence of spots. The full moon of devotion for the Lord, however, the Damodar Bhakti Chandra, is both beautiful and also spotlessly pure. And that Damodar Bhakti Chandra is none other than Shri Nirmal Chand Goswamiji. Joi Damodara! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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A Siddha in Bhajana

Mahanidhi Swami

Sri Sri108 Siddha Manohara Dasa Babaji Maharaja of Govinda Kunda was a paragon of intense vairagya, japa and lila-smarana absorption. In 1847, he took birth in Madhavapura in Nadia Dt. He lost both his parents by the time he was thirteen, and thus became completely detached from material life. Leaving home, he went to Simuliya and took diksha from Advaita vamshacharya, Sripad Nandakishore Gosvami. While in Navadvipa, Siddha Baba studied Sanskrit grammar, alankara, and nyaya. After sometime, he accepted virakta-vesha [babaji initiation] from Sri Rupa dasa babaji, who was his siksha guru.

In 1881, at the age of 34, Manohara Dasa moved to Vrindavana and spent five years learning bhakti-shastras from Sripada Gopilala Gosvami Prabhu, a sevait of Thakuraji Radharamana. Afterwards, he did bhajana in Kamyavana, Nandagrama and Kusuma Sarovara before coming to Govinda-kunda in 1915, where he stayed in a cave.

All day long, Siddha Baba did nama-japa and asta-kaliya smarana in his cave, and only came at night to beg some flour for making a few rotis. While doing lila-smarana, Siddha Baba often had sphurtis [deep visions] of Radha-Krishna’s pastimes which he recorded in his diary.

Many stalwart Vaisnavas studied Srimad Bhagavatam under Manohara dasa. He also taught smarana-anga bhajana to the famous siddha saint Sri Sri 108 Kishorikishorananda Das Babaji (Tin Kudi Goswami). With their thoughts, words, and actions, these two powerful siddha mahatmas showed the way of pure raganugiya bhajana.

Despite Siddha Baba’a elevated birth, erudition and detachment, he considered himself to be very fallen and destitute. In this mood, he always criticized himself, offered dandavats to everyone, and never allowed anyone to touch his feet. He lived alone oblivious to his surroundings. He slept and spoke very little so he could spend all his time in bhajana.

Siddha Manohara Dasa Babaji defined bhajana as: “A state of being mentally absorbed in meditating on Radha-Krishna, while rejecting any other thought as poison.”

Once a Vaisnava asked him, “How can we conquer the obstacles in performing bhajana?” He replied, “If one tries to do bhajana with all his heart and strength, Bhagavan Sri Krishna will become pleased with his earnest endeavor, and then open the gates of bhajana. Strong bhajana will gradually cleanse the mind and remove all hindrances. One must practice bhajana with eagerness, intensity, patience and determination.

“To purify the wayward mind one must give up all attachments to the material world. Pure bhakti will not appear in an impure mind. And without pure devotion, one will never attain realization of Bhagavan Sri Krishna.”

In 1917 a.d., Siddha Manohara dasa opened a temple of Sri Madana Mohana on the southern bank of Govinda-kunda near Madhavendra Puri’s Baithaka. He wrote two books titled Vaidagdhi-vilasa and Namaratna-mala. In 1947, after 66 years of doing ekanta-bhajana in Vraja, in Sravana month (July-August) on Sukla Trayodashi, Siddha Baba entered the eternal pastimes of Radha Madana Mohana. In nitya-Vrindavana, Siddha Baba is called Mani-manjari.

Siddha Manohara Dasji Maharaja ki jai! Ekanta-bhajana ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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A Few Words on Vidhi and Raga

Mahanidhi Swami

There are two distinct paths of sadhana bhakti: vidhi-marga and raga-marga, the paths of rules and passionate drive. Externally both observe the same practices i.e. hearing, chanting, remembering and worshiping Sri Krishna. Since both paths follow the same external practices, it is hard to differentiate between a vaidhi bhakta and a raganugiya bhakta. The difference is in the inner drive to act and practice sadhana. Thus it is the impetus that determines the path: vaidhi or raganuga.

On the path of raga, passionate drive, one’s spiritual greed creates a great inner hankering that propels one toward to the goal of attaining the same loving feelings and services as Krishna beloveds in Vraja. In vidhi-marga, one acts because of the fear of punishment or the sense of duty and acceptance of scriptural edict.

Perfection in vidhi-marga means attaining Vaikuntha and serving Sri Krishna in a mood of formality and majesty. Perfection in raga-marga takes one to Vraja-dhama and the intimate sweet personal service of Radha Govinda Yugala with the mood (manjari bhava), form and seva of a handmaiden of Srimati Radharani.

Beside the shared practices with vidhi-marga, raga-marga features a unique internal world of practice—mental service and meditation. Internally, one cultivates a specific divine loving emotion that ultimately gives realization and vision of one’s eternal spiritual body (siddha-svarupa) suited for Radha-Govinda’s direct service in Vraja.

The path of raganuga bhakti has two stages: unborn taste and awakened taste, ajata-ruci and jata-ruci. Unborn taste is the beginning stage when one is keenly interested in reading and hearing about Radha-Krishna and the gopis in Vraja. However, a mature, burning desire to serve Radha-Krishna as a gopi has not yet appeared. At this stage, one’s practice of raganuga-sadhana is a mixture of raganuga and vaidhi as far as one’s impetus is concerned.

In the second stage, jata-ruci, one feels a deep, overwhelming taste for both the practice and the goal of raganuga sadhana bhakti. This is raganuga proper in the sense that one is following (anuga) his powerful desires (raga) to attain gopi-bhava and Sri Radha’s eternal service. Besides a keen interest to read and hear Radha-Krishna topics, the jata-ruci sadhaka is spontaneously and constantly pushed forward simply by the power of his intense desire: “I must attain gopi-bhava and the eternal service of Srimati Radharani in this very lifetime!”

Manjari Bhava Upasakas ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Five Essential Teachings

Mahanidhi Swami

We humbly request our readers to read these teachings slowly, think deeply about each one, and pray to Sri Krishna for the energy and vision to implement them in your life.

  1. If we neglect the present, waiting for an auspicious future to arrive, we shall deprive ourselves of a golden opportunity to serve Krishna and progress in devotion.
  1. If we want something special in the future, then we have to turn every present moment into action for the pleasure of Sri Hari, Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas.
  1. The best way to purify ourselves is to seek our own faults—and mind our own business i.e. pure bhakti.prema.
  1. When we depend on Krishna we are free of stress, peaceful, patient and strong. But as long as we think we are the doers then we will worry, worry, worry.
  1. Always remember that Sri Krishna alone is the original doer, the cause, and the completely independent Lord of everything moving and nonmoving, adi karta svayam prabhuh.

(Shri Vinod Bihari Dasji Maharaja shiksha, adapted)

Shuddha bhakti ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Evaporating Enthusiasm

Mahanidhi Swami

In his book of life nourishing teachings, Srila Rupa Goswamipada describes six actions which diminish and ultimately destroy loving sentiments for God (bhaktir vinashyati). And in the absence of love and devotion how can there be enthusiasm to serve another?

Let’s examine these six and the results they cause. If we are experiencing some of these results, we should immediately correct our behavior and carry on with enthusiastic devotional practices.

  1. Ati Aharah: Over—eating or collecting money.

This means eating too much prasada or taking food from inappropriate sources.

Result: Provokes material desires; and one’s consciousness becomes tainted with the negative non-spiritual energy of the source.

  1. Prayasa: Strenuous endeavors.

This means endeavoring for mundane things.

Result: Waste valuable human time and energy, and weaken your devotion by distraction to material pursuits.

  1. Prajalpa: Idle talks.

Engaging in idle talks, such as blasphemy, gossip, topics of sensuality, reading newspapers and materialistic books.

Result: By these acts of cultivating a taste for the mundane we cut the very root of devotion.

  1. Niyama Agrahah: Neglect of principles, regulated and devotional.

This means neglecting one’s spiritual practices, sadhana, i.e. upholding vows, and one’s daily chanting, reading shastra, worship, prayers and meditation.

Result: The lack of these nourishing waters cause one’s creeper of devotion, bhakti lata, to wither and dry up.

  1. Jana Sanga: Company of materialistic persons.

This means keeping mundane association either through cultivating relationships with worldly people or by vicariously enjoying their ways through movies, novels, newspapers, TV and Internet surfing.

Result: One nourishes his taste for the worldly and vanquishes his interest in devotion. And by this duhsanga, bad association, one becomes tainted with their lust and greed and eventually falls from the devotional path, bhakti vinashyati.

  1. Laulyam (lobha): Fickleness and mental restlessness (chancala mana).

If the mind is fickle, it will run here and there to any tasty distraction. And if one is the curious type with lots of intellectual interests, he will indulge in unlimited unrelated topics of sense enjoyment.

Result: Scattered brain and loss of mental peace. And most importantly, one loses the focus of his consciousness in God and the goal of human life, namely Radha and Krishna’s eternal prema seva in the bowers of Vraja.

Conclusion: Be fixed and one pointed in bhakti bhajana. Avoid these six actions at all cost. Then you will attain everything—peace, harmony, love, fulfillment and eternal bliss in the kingdom of Krishna prema.

The actual verse reference from Srila Rupa Goswamipada’s (Upadeshamrita 2):

atyaharah prayasash cha, prajalpo niyamagrahah

jana sangash cha laulyam cha, shadbhir bhaktir vinashyati

Shuddha Bhakti Bhajana ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!