Puja – Mahanidhi Swami

20 Ways To Love Krishna

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

There are twenty amazing and intimate ways to express your devotion, dependence and attachment to your Priya Thakuraji i.e. beloved transcendental murti form of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Of Sri Rupa Goswamipada’s sixty-four limbs of bhakti sadhana, ten forms of bhakti (#23-42) directly involve Sri Thakuraji and His worshipers—us!

Upon reading this description you will discover that our beautiful, sweet, charming and playful master, Sri Krishna, not only likes formal worship, but Syama also likes the wild frantic dancing of His bhaktas.

The term Sri -Thakuraji means one’s favorite and beloved murti or Deity (Devata) of Sri Krishna i.e. Bankebihari, Radha-Vallabha, Radha-Syama or Radha Ramana.

By citing Srimad -Bhagavatam and other Puranas, Sri Rupa Goswamipada reveals twenty different ways to please and personally interact with Radha and Krishna in their most beautiful, merciful, and accessible transcendental forms.

After listing each item, Sri -Rupa mentions the benefits attained by these loving exchanges with Bhagavan Sri Krishna. The benefits and their sources from Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu are in brackets. By engaging in these ways with Sri -Thakuraji, you will: conquer maya, and become free from disease, sin and rebirth (1.2.125-6, 129); attain liberation to Vaikuntha (1.2.139); and fulfil all your desires (1.2.165).

20 WAYS TO LOVE KRISHNA

1 Accept Sri Thakuraji’s -Nirmalya (1.2.125)

Eating, smelling, touching and wearing Krishna’s divine food, perfumes, flower malas and celestial clothing.

2 Dance Frantically Before Sri Thakuraji (agre- tandavam: (1.2.128)

3 Dandavats -To Sri Thakuraji (1.2.129)

4 Stand Up To Greet Sri Thakuraji (1.2.130)

5 Follow Sri -Thakuraji In Procession (1.2.131)

6 Visit Sri -Thakuraji’s Sacred Places (1.2.132)

(i.e. mandira, Vrndavana, Navadvipa etc.)

7 Parikrama (1.2.135)

(Sri -Thakuraji’s -murti or temple four times)

8 Worship Sri Thakuraji “Deity Worship” (1.2.137)

(bathing, dressing, feeding)

9 Paricarya -Seva to Sri -Thakuraji (1.2.140)

(wave camara, ring bell, blow conch)

10 Gita, Solo Singing Bhajans for Sri -Thakuraji (1.2.144)

11 Sankirtana, Singing Loudly (1.2.145)

(Krishna’s names, qualities, pastimes)

12 Japa, Silently Utter Diksa -Mantras (1.2.149)

(before Sri -Thakuraji)

13 Vijnapti, Submissive Prayers (1.2.151)

(express your worthlessness, and submit your inner feelings towards Sri -Thakuraji while ever yearning for His personal service)

14 Stava -Patha (1.2.157-9)

(before Sri -Thakuraji, recite Bhagavad-gita; prayers of acaryas and mahajanas; and your spontaneous outpourings and heart’s compositions)

15 Naivedyam -Svado, Relish Maha -Prasada (1.2.160)

(honoring Sri -Thakuraji’s tulasi, grains, fruits etc.)

16 Padya -Svado, Drink Sri -Thakuraji’s -Caranamrta (1.2.161)

17 Dhupa -Saurabhyam (1.2.162)

(smelling Sri -Thakuraji’s incense, flowers, malas, perfumes)

18 Sri -Murti -Sparsanam (1.2.165)

(touching Sri -Thakuraji if one is qualified)

19 Sri -Murti -Darsanam (1.2.166)

(looking at your Priya -Sri -Thakuraji, and being overwhelmed by feelings of love)

20 Aratrika -Darsanam (1.2.167)

(seeing Sri -Thakuraji’s -arati, festivals, and puja—bathing, dressing etc.)

Love your Thakuraji -ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

Thakuraji’s Mental Food

Mahanidhi Swami

The Puranas, Goswami granthas and most Radha-Krishna Archana Puja books describe the bhakti sadhana of manasic-seva. This is one authentic limb of bhakti. It means to mentally, with your thoughts and feelings, offer varieties of invisible and intangible tasty foods to your beloved Thakurajis i.e. Radha-Krishna murtis.

Sri Krishna equally accepts any favorable thing that is lovingly and caringly offered to Him, be it done externally with the body or internally with the mind. The bhakta gets the full benefit and result from both devotional practices. Everywhere shastras proclaim the efficacy of this sublime and mystical practice.

Here are some examples of the visible effect and power of serving Sri Krishna within the mind.

The Padma Purana and Sri Rupa Goswamipada’s Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu (1.2.282) both narrate the famous story of the Pratinohanapura brahmin who burned his finger tip when testing the temperature of his mentally prepared sweet rice for Thakuraji. Afterwards, Sri Vishnu immediately took him to Vaikuntha.
Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura:

One day while mentally visualizing Radha-Krishna’s divya-lila, Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura was simultaneously mentally stirring milk (his nitya-seva for Swamini). Somehow due absorption in the lila, his “mental milk” boiled over and scalded his hand which he felt and saw upon returning to external consciousness. Sri Jiva Goswamipada thrilled with joy seeing how Narottama had attained bhajana siddhi. (Prem Bhakti Candrika’s tika Sri Ananta Dasji Maharaja)

In Antya-two of Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita, Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja tells the amazing story of Nrisimhananda Dasa’s beautiful, opulent and comfortable “mental road” he offered to Mahaprabhu who was traveling outside of Navadvipa. Suddenly his meditation broke and his “mental road” abruptly stopped in the village of Kanai Natashala. And lo and behold in external time and space that is exactly where Mahaprabhu stopped His journey.
Once Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami suffered severe indigestion. Doctors diagnosed him and found no cause, especially since he only ate a bit of buttermilk. Humbly, Dasa Goswami revealed the mystery—within in mind during his meditation, he relished a little too much of Srimati Radharani’s “mental kheer prasadam”!
Srila Prabhupada:

“Krishna makes no distinction. Thus, if you serve Krishna by mind He will accept. That is sure!” (conv. Hrshikeshanandaji) “But in case you have nothing to offer materially, but still, you can offer in the mind.” (folio: 740417BG.BOM) “Yes, you are correct—spiritual activities, even mentally performed, are beneficial.” (SPletter 72.12-21)

Offer Mental Chappana Bhoga (56 delightful preps)

Devotees generally eat simply and also externally offer simple foods to Sri Krishna. So why not start doing this from today for the pleasure of Sri Shyama in Vraja Dhama? Offer 6 items externally directly to Thakurji Sri Krishna. And then mentally offer 50 more to make it 56. Sri Sri Radha-Krishna pura santoshanam ki jai! Jagannatha Swami ki jai!

Srila Prabhupada introduced and beautifully sang the following bhoga bhajana which he wanted his followers to sing for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna when They enjoy our simple daily offerings. In Gaudiya Padavali i.e. songbooks, there are literally hundreds of such songs, many of them 500 years in vogue. The following bhajana was penned by Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

It would be best if our friends and students would sing this song at least once daily during their “big” bhoga offering to Sri Krishna. While singing, meditate that in your siddha deha you’re right beside Radhika in Nandagrama, assisting Her by cutting, cooking and giving the various delicacies to Yashoda Ma to serve to Sri Krishna. You may become so absorbed in your bhoga-lila smarana manasi seva than you completely forget to eat! The proper raga and tune of this bhajan is available on I-net.

Sri Krishna Pratah Bhojana Lila

(Nandagram: 7-8 a.m.)

(1) (refrain, sing between stanzas)
bhaja bhakata-vatsala śrī-gaurahari
śrī-gaurahari sohi goṣṭha-bihārī
nanda-jaśomatī-citta-hari

(2)
belā ho’lo dāmodara āisa ekhano
bhoga-mandire bosi’ koraho bhojana

(3)
nandera nideśe baise giri-bara-dhārī
baladeva-saha sakhā baise sāri sāri

(4)
śuktā-śākādi bhāji nālitā kuṣmāṇḍa
dāli dālnā dugdha-tumbī dadhi mocā-khaṇḍa

(5)
mudga-borā māṣa-borā roṭikā ghṛtānna
śaṣkulī piṣṭaka khīr puli pāyasānna

(6)
karpūra amṛta-keli rambhā khīra-sāra
amṛta rasālā, amla dwādaśa prakāra

(7)
luci cini sarpurī lāḍḍu rasābalī
bhojana korena kṛṣṇa ho’ye kutūhalī

(8)
rādhikāra pakka anna vividha byañjana
parama ānande kṛṣṇa korena bhojana

(9)
chale-bale lāḍḍu khāy śrī-madhumańgala
bagala bājāy āra deya hari-bolo

(10)
rādhikādi gaṇe heri’ nayanera koṇe
tṛpta ho’ye khāy kṛṣṇa jaśodā-bhavane

(11)
bhojanānte piye kṛṣṇa subāsita bāri
sabe mukha prakhāloy ho’ye sāri sāri

(12)
hasta-mukha prakhāliyā jata sakhā-gaṇe
ānande biśrāma kore baladeva-sane

(13)
jambula rasāla āne tāmbūla-masālā
tāhā kheye kṛṣṇa-candra sukhe nidrā gelā

(14)
biśālākha śikhi-puccha-cāmara ḍhulāya
apūrba śayyāya kṛṣṇa sukhe nidrā jāya.

(15)
jaśomatī-ājñā pe’ye dhaniṣṭhā-ānīto
śrī-kṛṣṇa-prasāda rādhā bhuñje ho’ye prīto

(16)
lalitādi sakhī-gaṇa avaśeṣa pāya
mane mane sukhe rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāya

(17)
hari-līlā ek-mātra jāhāra pramoda
bhogārati gāy ṭhākur bhakativinoda

Translation:

(1) Just worship bhakta-vatsala Sri Gaurahari, who is the selfsame Goshtha-Bihariji Sri Krishna that forever steals the minds and hearts of Yashoda and Nanda Baba.

(2) Mother Yashoda calls Krishna: “My dear Damodara, it’s very late. Please come right now, sit down in the dining hall, and take bhoga.”

(3) Nanda Baba directs Giridhari, Baladeva and the other gopas to sit down in rows to eat.

(4) Yashoda, Rohini, Kilimba and other mothers serve a sumptuous feast of bitter vegetables to increase appetite, leafy, pumpkin and banana flower sabzis, fried items, jute leaf salad, baskets of fruit, small square lentil cakes in condensed milk, and thick creamy yogurt.

(5) Also included are fried mung and urad dal patties, rotis, ghee-soaked rice, condensed milk, sesame and milk sweets, rice flour cakes; kheer and cakes floating in milk.

(6) And delicious cheese, nectar rivaling kheer spiced with camphor, bananas, and twelve sour preparations from tamarinds, limes, lemons, oranges, and pomegranates.

(7) And white flour puris sprinkled with sugar, cream-filled puris, laddus, dal patties boiled in misri rice. Krishna eagerly eats all the items.

(8) In supreme bliss, Krishna relishes Radhika’s rice, curries, sweets, and pastries.

(9) Mischievous Madhumaìgala eats laddus, moves his right hand in his left armpit to make a funny thud noise while singing, “Haribol! Haribol!”

(10) Glancing at Radhika and Her sakhis from the corners of His eyes, Krishna Govinda eats with great gusto in Yashoda bhavan.

(11) Afterwards, Krishna drinks rose-scented water, and all the boys stand in lines to wash their mouths.

(12) After washing their mouths and hands, Baladeva and the gopas take rest in great bliss.

(13) Krishnachandra eats the tambula offered by the gopas Jambula and Rasala, and happily sleeps.

(14) While Krishna rests blissfully on an unprecedented bed, Vishalaka gopa refreshes Him with a peacock fan.

(15) On Yashomati’s order, Dhanishtha brings Sri Krishna’s prasadi to Radha who lovingly enjoys it.

(16) Feeling extremely joyful to receive Radha’s prasada, all the sakhis beginning with Lalita start singing about the beautiful qualities of Radha and Krishna.

(17) Thus I, Bhaktivinoda, whose only joy is hari-lila, sing this bhoga aroti song.

Radha-Krishna manasi chappana bhoga seva ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

2017, Vaisnava Topics 2017

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 Mahaprabhu went to Gaya, He became sick on the way. He had such a high fever that He asked His students to bring water that had washed the feet of brahmanas. After Mahaprabhu drank it He was cured.

“Therefore everyone should respect the position of a brahmana. Neither the Lord nor His followers displayed any disrespect to brahmanas. The followers of the Lord must be prepared to offer brahmanas all due respect.” (Cc. 1.17.9 p.)

The following entry from Padma Purana, Kriya-yoga-sara khanda (21.3-36) beautifully glorifies the brahmanas and reveals the severe reactions of not properly treating or respecting them.

Sri Brahmaji said, “Of all the castes the brahmana is the most venerable person. Gifts should be given to him by all men. A brahmana is the resort of all deities. He is actually a god on the earth (bhu-deva). He delivers one from samsara to whomever gives him a donation.

“Brahmanas are respectable to ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. Brahmanas are always to be honoured. The lifespan, sons, fame and wealth will increase for one who worships a brahmana as being non-different from Sri Vishnu.

“One who does not respect a brahmana is just like a dog-eater. An intelligent person should not hate brahmanas who have committed faults. If out of foolishness someone shows hatred toward a brahmana then Vishnu will forever be angry with them.

“Yamaraja puts a needle into the eyes of one who looks angrily at brahmanas. And Yama puts a hot iron rot into the mouth of one who rebukes a brahmana.

“However, Yamaraja quickly destroys all the sins of one who carries a mere drop of water from the foot of a brahmana. All the holy places in crores of worlds exist in the right foot of a brahmana. He whose head is sprinkled with water from the feet of a brahmana, has bathed at all holy places and is initiated for all sacrifices.

By washing and worshiping a brahmana’s feet, one simultaneously worships Lord Vishnu, becomes free from all sins and attains liberation. By doing parikrama of a brahmana one circumambulates the entire universe.” Sri Brahmaji shiksha ki jai!

To conclude we offer this prayer:

namo brahmanya devaya, go brahmana hitaya ca

jagad-dhitaya Krishnaya, govindaya namo namah

I offer my respects unto Sri Govindadeva, the worshipable Lord for all brahmanas, and the benefactor of cows, brahmanas and the entire universe. (Vishnu P.1.19.65)

Brahmana bhu-devas ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!

2017, Vaisnava Topics 2017

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 by ignorance and degeneration, a lack of quality, and total distrust in anyone and everything. It is very, very rare to find a good anything; be it a good teacher, good parent, good spouse, friend, politician, doctor, soldier, merchant or laborer, or a good devotee, guru or brahmana.

Everyone is faulty in one way or another. The Srimad Bhagavatam confirms that Kali-Yuga is the AGE OF FAULTS—each and every one of us is drowning in an ocean of faults and shortcomings, kaler dosha nidhe. (SB 12.3.51)

Thus we all have a “faulty outlook” and for various reasons or even no reason, many people have personal prejudices or negative feelings toward brahmanas.

However, if we just follow our minds and impulses, whims and wants, impressions, negative samskaras, dislikes and prejudices we will never attain any happiness or success in human life.

Follow the mind and attain frustration, anxiety and failure at last. Or follow shastra and attain happiness, perfection and liberation forever.

Sri Krishna describes these two paths in Gita (16.23): “One who rejects and neglects the shastra vidhi (rules and suggestions of scripture) and just follows his/her desires and lust will never achieve happiness, perfection or the spiritual world, yah shastra vidhim utsrjya, vartate kama-karatah, na sa siddhim avapnoti, na sukham na param.

An intelligent person should guide his thinking, desiring and actions on the basis of the perfect knowledge given by Bhagavan Sri Krishna, personally appearing before us in the form of shastra to guide, be friend and help all of us. In Srimad Bhagavatam (10.85.42), Daityaraja Bali said, “O Bhagavan, Your divine form comprises the revealed scriptures, tvayi shastra sharirini.

To create a healthy attitude toward brahmanas, to improve our understanding of their position, and to learn how to properly respect, honor and treat them, we offer the following shastric references for the benefit of all.

While touring South India, Bhagavan Sri Krishna and His exalted entourage visited the home of a brahmana devotee named Shrutadeva. At that time, Sri Krishna gave some very important “eternal instructions for everyone” regarding the proper vision and treatment of brahmanas.

By reading, reflecting upon, and trying to follow these Puranic teachings one will acquire a peaceful, controlled mind which will be shown by proper behavior toward the brahamanas.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna said, “My dear brahmana Shrutadevaji! You should know that these great sages have come here just to bless you. They travel throughout the worlds with Me, purifying them with the dust of their feet.”

Tika: Sri Krishna said, “I have heard you praise Me but not the brahmanas accompanying Me. Being favorable to the brahmanas, I will personally praise them in order to teach devotion to the brahmanas.” By saying this Krishna implies, “Even though I am Your object of praise, the brahmanas are Mine.

Sri Krishna: “One can gradually become purified by seeing, touching and worshiping temple deities, places of pilgrimage and holy rivers. But one can attain the same result immediately simply by receiving the glance of exalted sages.”

Tika: “Moreover, the brahmanas, who immediately purify one just by their darsana, are even greater than temple deities who slowly purify one.”

Sri Krishna: “By his very birth, a brahmana is the best of all living beings in this world, and he becomes even more exalted when he is endowed with austerity, learning and self-satisfaction, what to speak of devotion to Me.”

Tika: Krishna continued, “By birth, austerity, peace and knowledge the brahmana is the best of all living entities. He is even more so when he has attained direct realization of Me by intensely worshiping Me.”

Sri Krishna: “Even My own four-armed form is no dearer to Me than a brahmana. Within himself a learned brahmana comprises all the Vedas, just as within Myself I comprise all the demigods.”

Tika: The phrase sarva-veda-mayo vipraḥ means that the brahmana sages, who are the Vedas personified, can reveal Krishna who embodies all the demigods and Vishnu-tattva expansions of Narayana.

Sri Krishna: “Ignorant of this truth, foolish people neglect and enviously offend a learned brahmana, who, being nondifferent from Me, is their spiritual master and very self. They consider worshipable only such obvious manifestations of divinity as My Deity form.

Tika: Krishna said, “Foolish people who are ignorant of this truth find fault (asuyavah) with brahmanas, and think that deities are worshipable but not brahmanas.”

Sri Krishna: “Because he has realized Me, a brahmana is firmly fixed in the knowledge that everything moving and nonmoving in the universe, and also the primary elements of its creation, are all manifest forms expanded from Me.”

Tika: This verse describes the qualities of the brahmana. Krishna said, “Special brahmanas like Narada Muni, who are endowed with direct realization of Me (mad-ikshaya), know that this universe and its causes (hetavah), the primary elements (bhavah) such as mahat-tattva, are all manifest forms expanded from Me.”

Concluding His glorification of brahmanas, Bhagavan Sri Krishna said, “Therefore you should worship these brahmana sages with the same faith you have in Me. If you do so, you will worship Me directly, which you cannot do otherwise, even with offerings of vast riches. (SB 10.86.51-59 v& tikas Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti) See more in part two.

Respecting and serving brahmanas ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!

February 017, 2017