Tag Archive for: PureBhakti

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Bhakta Prahlada: A Most Glorious Devotee

Mahanidhi Swami

Among Vishnu bhaktas, Bhakta Prahlada is exceptionally dear to Bhagavan Sri Krishna, jagatyam krishnasya nitaram priyam.(Brhad Bahgavatamrta 1.3.75). Bhakta Prahlada is a most rare Vaisnava whom Sri Vishnu cherishes more than His own self. (Srimad Bhagavatam 9.4.64)

His surrender is so complete that he stands above even such devotees as Shesha and Garuda. (Br.bh. 1.3.79) Sri Krishna Himself exalts Bhakta Prahlada, “You are the best example of My devotee, and others should follow in your footsteps.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.21)

After Nrsimha Bhagavan killed Hiranyakasipu, no one could cool Him down including his dearest Lakshmidevi, Shivaji, Brahmaji and Garuda. Being completely astonished at the ghastly scene, everyone was too afraid to come anywhere near Nrsimhadeva. However, at that wonderful time, loving Nrsimhadeva suddenly sat peacefully on the ground.

Then Bhagavan tenderly placed Prahlada on His lap, gently rocked him back and forth, patted him and embraced him repeatedly like a mother embracing her bundle of joy. (Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya 14.13). Then to the utter amazement of all, Sri Nrsimha… “Licked Prahlada’s limbs as an ordinary lioness licks her baby cub, lilihe tasya gatrani, sva potasyeva keshari.” (Brhan-narasimha Purana)

Nrsimhadeva said, “My dear child, just feel free to express your love for Me. For when a devotee looks at Me without hesitation and speaks to Me affectionately, My pleasure grows with every new moment, navam navam idam priyam, nihshankah pranayad bhakto, yan mam pashyati bhashate.” (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 14.29)

Then just to show the world the exclusiveness of Vishnu bhakti, Nrsimhadeva repeatedly offered boons to Bhakta Prahlada up to liberation, punah punar varan vishnur muktim. (Narayana-vyuha-stava). To this the desire less Bhakta Prahlada replied, “O Natha, I may travel through thousands of wombs, but may I always be Your acyuta bhakta.” (Vishnu Purana 1.20.38)

Once long after the famous “Nrisimha Lila”, the great Narada Muni met Bhakta Prahlada in Sutaloka. At that time, Bhakta Prahlada, glowing brilliantly with prema, was deeply absorbed in meditating upon the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, bhagavat padambuja premollasad, dhyana-vishakta-cetasa. (Brhad Bahgavatamrta 1.4.2)

Bhakta Prahlada’s devotion was so blissfully pure, attractive and influential that upon hearing his amazing and brilliant katha, some people became immediately detached and started crying. Others simply bowed down to him, while others stood by just playfully laughing and watching him. (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 15.1–2)

Such are the glories of the great Vishnu bhakta, Sri Bhakta Prahlada Maharaja ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Aparadha Free Zone

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

 

The prabhava of Kali Maharaja is awesome and all-pervasive.

In the temple, outside, in the Holy Dhama, in Delhi, Mumbai, Moscow, New York, Beijing, Tokyo and Peru, in the kutira and in the home—everywhere some devotee is speaking negatively about someone or something. STOP!!!

 

Srila Prabhupada established a spiritual mission to propagate pure bhakti, love for Krishna and love for all, be they big or small. In Hindi, the name of his society is KRISHNA BHAVA AMRITA SANGA!!!

 

In English, this means a society or intimate group (sanga) that gathers together to relish the sweet nectar of Krishna’s love (Krishna bhava amrita) by performing Harinama Sankirtana, worshiping Thakuraji and the Vaisnavas, and hearing and serving Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Bhakti means love, gratitude, appreciation, cooperation, encouragement and hope combined in a softened, humble heart offered in service to Sri Hari, Sri Guru and Sri Vaisnavas.

 

Love Radha, Love Krishna, Love Vrindavana, Love ALLLLLLLLL Devotees, and most importantly SWEETLY SERVE THEM.

 

A devotee should be so busy in culturing pure devotion that he/she has NO TIME FOR MAYA—no time for offending devotees or speaking useless criticism.

 

We humbly beg all our friends to make your individual life an “Aparadha Free Zone” by following Sri Krishna’s wonderful description on WHAT IS A DEVOTEE??

 

Please study, imbibe and live from now according to Sri Krishna’s advice given in the following Gita verse (10.9) and the acharya’s tikas:

 

Sri Krishna said, “With their minds absorbed in Me, completely dependent on Me, mutually informing each other about Me and speaking about Me, My devotees continuously experience satisfaction and enjoyment, mac chitta mad gata prana, bodhayantau parasparam, kathayantach ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

Sri Krishna said, ‘The minds of My devotees are greedy for My form, name, qualities pastimes and the taste of My sweetness (mac-cittah).

 

‘Without Me, they cannot maintain their lives (mad-gata-prana), just as one cannot live without food. In a friendly mood, devotees tell each other about bhakti and Me—describing the great ocean of My very sweet form, qualities and pastimes (kathayantah).’

 

Since smarana/remembering (mac-cittah), shravana/hearing (bodhayantah) and kirtana/speaking/chanting (kathayantah) are the best forms of bhakti, Sri Krishna specifically mentions them here.

 

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushana tika:

Sri Krishna said, “Devotees speak about Me, who am an ocean of affection for them. And they discuss My amazingly variegated pastimes. By worshiping Me in this way i.e. sravana, kirtanam, smarana, My devotees feel very satisfied, as if they were imbimbing pure nectar.” (tikas courtesy Sri Advaita Dasji)

Aparadha free zone ki jai! Krishna bhava sanga ki jai! Jaya Jaya 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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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!