kirtan

“A Visnu bhakta dancing out of ecstatic joy” – Hari Bhakti-Sudhodaya quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“A Visnu bhakta dancing out of ecstatic joy”

– Hari Bhakti-Sudhodaya quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“The Hari bhakti-sudhodaya says: In a variety of ways, the inauspiciousness of the earth is destroyed by the feet, the inauspiciousness of the directions is destroyed by the eye-glances and the inauspiciousness of the heavens is destroyed by the arms of a Visnu bhakta dancing out of ecstatic joy!”

[ A similar verse is quoted in the Caitanya-bhagavata 2.184 ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 28, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

prabhupada

“The most important characteristic of a disciple” – Tamal Krishna Goswami quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“The most important characteristic of a disciple”

– Tamal Krishna Goswami quoted by Indradyumna Swami

I once asked my godbrother, Tamal Krishna Goswami, what is the most important characteristic of a disciple. He immediately replied, “Guru-nistha, faith in the spiritual master.” You embodied that faith, and it was your most endearing quality. I then asked him, “What is the greatest challenge in becoming an initiating spiritual master?” He paused for a moment and then replied softly: “Sometimes you are obliged to accept disciples who are more advanced than yourself.”


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

prayer

“Prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva” – Verses quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva”

– Verses quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“May the finger-nails of Narahari, who are assuming a reddish color and are thinking, ‘The enemy has only five life-airs while we are ten in number, so how can the enemy win against us?’ protect you all!”

“They have become as reddish as a parrot’s beak due to contact with the blood flowing like a river from the crevices in the broken bones of the demon Hiranyakashipu. They appear curved like the waxing moon on the second day. May those fingernails of Hari, who assumed the form of a lion, protect you!”

“May the fire born out of the friction of the teeth of Hari’s saw against the chest of the demon purify you! On the demon’s skin, this fire made the noise, ‘cata cata’. His flowing blood created the noise ‘chama chama’. The fire burning his fat made a loud, ‘dhaga dhaga’ sound, while the fire burning his bones, created a loud cracking sound, ‘kada kada.’”

[Translator’s note: Lord Nrsimha’s arm is compared to a saw and the fingernails attached to that arm are compared to the teeth of that saw.]

“Even his own fingernails are not able to look at the angry face of Nrisimhadeva, made angrier by the slaughter of Diti’s son in battle. That is the reason why these nails are bent down [as if cowing away in fear]. May the sole hero of the universe named Narahari (Nrisimha) bestow happiness on you!”

“Fearing the destruction of his body, the enemy [Hiranyakashipu] entered into Nrsimha’s nails. Nrsimha, being astounded at this disappearing act, thought ‘Where is he? Where is he?’ and looked everywhere. Not finding him, Nrsimha said, “Oh! It was all in vain!” and banged his palm [on the wall]. Thus the demon fell down like a speck of dust on the ground. Seeing him like this, the Lord laughed loudly. All glories to that Lord Nrsimha!”

“If I throw away the body of this enemy of the demigods, then the oceans will overflow, the earth will drown in the causal ocean, the lower planets will be destroyed, the universe will be shattered into pieces and the heavens will fall down.” Thinking like this, he kept bearing the body of dead Hiranyakashipu on his lap. May that Hari, who appeared as a lion, protect you all!”

[ Translated by Hari Parshad Das from the Subhita-ratna-bhandagaram, Nrsimha section. Compiled by Kashinath Sharma.]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 25, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

mridanga

“A feature of the devotee” – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“A feature of the devotee”

– Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Another feature of the devotee is nirihaya, simple living. Niriha means ‘gentle,’ ‘meek’ or ‘simple.’ A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service.”

[ SB 4.22.24 purport ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 24, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

Vrindavan

“Entering into Vrindavan” – Srila Rupa Goswami quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Entering into Vrindavan”

– Srila Rupa Goswami quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Oh my brother, the path you will follow to faraway Nandisvara Hill is said to be beautiful, straight and good. When you fall into the ocean of bliss in Gokula I will become very happy. When a friend becomes happy, good persons think themselves happy too. “

“First you should go to the place named Gokarna, where Lord Siva, who captains the ship that leads people out of the ocean of troubles stays. O wise one, nearby you should go to the place where the Yamuna meets the Sarasvati, a place that fulfills the living entities’ desires.”

“It is this place that I first entered Mathura. There I was kissed by waves of sidelong glances from a host of beautiful women who said, ’O slender friend, we have become most fortunate, for the graceful flutist whose music made the gopis’ garments slip now walks on the pathway of our eyes.’”

“From that place, flooded with bliss, please take the nearby path to Ambikavana, where, rescuing Nanda from a snake in Kaliya lake, and delivering a Vidyadhara, I gave a festival of happiness to the cowherd girls of Vraja.”

“O wise one, don’t take your chariot on the path that goes by the hilly place on the Yamuna’s bank where Kuvavalapida again and again attacked Me with his tusks. Saintly persons never take the paths where the demoniac walk.”

“Avoid the southern path. Go north to the king of holy places, a place beautiful with many blossoming sumanah flowers and graceful birds, the place where, by My mercy, Akura first saw the world of the gopas.”

“Even if you don’t wish to pass by the doors of the yajnika-brahmanas who because they slighted Me are not dear to you, you should still glance at the brahmanas’ wives, who are always singing my glories. If you do not wish to see them, your eyes will be cheated of something very valuable.”

“Then please quickly go to the place named Kotika, which is near Mathura city, and which is filled with a great circle of blossoming trees. When I walked through that place, a girl picking flowers uncovered part of her shoulder and smiled at Me.”

[ Krishna is speaking to Uddhava; Uddhava-sandesa, Srila Rupa Goswami ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

mercy

“It is reciprocal” – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“It is reciprocal”

– Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“You cannot survive without my mercy and I cannot survive without your mercy. It is reciprocal. This mutual dependence is based on love – Krishna consciousness.”

[ Srila Prabhupada, Letter from January 22, 1976 ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

Prabhupada_gurudeva

“His causeless mercy” – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“His causeless mercy”

– Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“At his first sight of me my spiritual master also saw me with such love. It was in my very first darsan of him that I learned how to love. It is his boundless mercy that he has engaged an unworthy person like me, in fulfilling some of his desires. It is his causeless mercy to engage me in preaching the message of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha.”

[ Srila Prabhupada, Letter from September 28, 196 ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

Gurudeva_Ter_Kadamba

“Handsome, fragrant tamala desire tree” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Handsome, fragrant tamala desire tree”

– Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“O handsome, fragrant tamala desire tree blooming in the Vrindavan forest and embraced by the madhavi vine of the goddess ruling this forest! O tree, the shade of whose glory protects the world from a host of burning sufferings, what wonderful fruits do the people find at your feet?”

[ Srila Rupa Goswami, Utkalika-vallari, A Vine of Hopes, text 66 ]


Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

Bhaktisiddanta

“Every single door must be knocked on” – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Every single door must be knocked on” – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“Everyone’s auspiciousness will come by preaching about Lord Caitanya. Like itinerant merchants you should take the wares of Caitanya-vani throughout the globe. If necessary, go to all four corners of the earth. Violence to oneself and others under the name of nirjana-bhajan must be stopped. Every single door must be knocked on at least once. If the inhabitants sincerely inquire as to which manner of hari-bhajan may be performed aright, tell them that the only way is through the bhaktivinode-dhara, the line of Bhaktivinode Thakur.”

[ From an address at the disappearance festival of Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode in 1936. Quoted in Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, volume 1, by Bhakti Vikas Swami. Also in Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindhu, issue no. 412 ]

Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 18, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.

Gurudeva_Prabhupada

The love of the spiritual master – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

The love of the spiritual master – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

“At his first sight of me my spiritual master also saw me with such love. It was in my very first darsan of him that I learned how to love. It is his boundless mercy that he has engaged an unworthy person like me, in fulfilling some of his desires. It is his causeless mercy to engage me in preaching the message of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha.”

[Srila Prabhupada, letter dated September 28, 1966]

Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in a facebook post from November 15, 2017. To see the original post, please click here.