Indradyumna Swami Mayapur

“Make the instructions of the Spiritual Master one with your heart” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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“Make the instructions of the Spiritual Master one with your heart” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami spent a good part of the month of February in the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur and he recounted the various trips the devotees made while there and the ecstatic kirtans they participated in on his Facebook page in a series of posts. In early February, he gave a class in which a lot of children were present (see picture below). To encourage them in Krishna Consciousness and particularly in preaching, Indradyuma Swami told them enlivening preaching stories from his own experience.

He told them about how he had been going out on sankirtan in France in the early days, but at some point, the Devotees had reached every single town in France. What next? Indradyumna Swami went to Italy, and then to Spain, and then to the Netherlands, and then Europe was finished. So he took a plane to Brazil and went to the Amazon. Meanwhile, he was always remembering the statement his Sankirtan leader had told him in France: “Whenever you go to a town for the first time, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur accompanies you.” After Brazil, Indradyumna Swami went on to Chile, Colombia, and then on to Paraguay, where he and the Devotees were amazed to discover 50 Russian Devotees who had been there for five years and were running a farm community!

Indradyumna_Swami_Mayapur

In the lecture, Indradyumna Swami said:

We will also not be satisfied until the fourteen worlds are chanting Hare Krishna. This is what it means to make the instructions of the Spiritual Master one with your heart. Yes, we want to go back to Godhead. But the secret of going back to Godhead is to fulfill the desires of the Spiritual Master here, so you can fulfill his desires in the spiritual world.

Spoken by Indradyumna Swami on a lecture delivered in Mayapur on February 7th, 2018.

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The Great Acarya – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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The Great Acarya – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami gave a wonderful three-part seminar on the glories of Srila Haridas Thakur while in Sri Mayapur Dhama. In the first lecture, Indradyumna Swami notes the two qualities of Srila Haridas Thakur which set him apart, according to Sanatana Goswami.

Srila Santana Goswami maintains that:

  1. Some preach, but have poor acara.
  2. Some have good acara, but do not preach.

Santana Goswami contends that Srila Haridas Thakur perfectly performs both duties in relation to the Holy Name—personal behavior and preaching.

Indradyumna Swami goes on to describe that the Acharya or Spiritual Master carefully chooses a group of disciples who help him in his mission. Mahaprabhu chose different associates to accomplish different parts of his Sankirtan movement. Through Srila Sanatana Goswami, He relayed the essence of devotional service. Meanwhile, through Srila Rupa Goswami. He revealed the ecstatic love and the transcendental pastimes of Vrindavan. Srila Haridas Thakur became the Nāmācārya even though he was born in a family of Yavanas.

Indradyumna Swami Mayapur 3

Indradyumna Swami quotes Srila Sanatana Goswami who says in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.12) that anyone can be elevated to the position of a brāhmaṇa by the process of initiation:

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ / tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

“As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a bona fide spiritual master immediately becomes a brāhmaṇa.”

Srila Prabhupada also frequently quoted the above verse.

Srila Haridas Thakur, Indradyumna Swami said, is an example for all of us—that no matter how low our birth is, by the mercy of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, we can be elevated to the platform of Vaisnava and Vaisnavi.

Indradyumna Swami Mayapur

Spoken by Indradyumna Swami in a lecture delivered in Sri Mayapur Dhama on February 5th, 2018.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s trip to Mayapur and the blissful kirtans performed in the land in which the Holy Name was first inaugurated, please visit Indradyumna Swami’s facebook.

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Reflections on Preaching – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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Reflections on Preaching – Srila Prabhupada quoted by Indradyumna Swami

On February 18th, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami left Mayapura for a two-week preaching tour in South Africa, as he related in a Facebook post. Before leaving Mayapur, on the way through Kolkata, Indradyumna Swami mentioned that he stopped by the Bhaktivedanta Research Center. The BRC is a project that was started by Indradyumna Swami’s Godbrother, Hari Sauri Prabhu, for the purpose of gathering, preserving and disseminating the works of our previous Acaryas on Gaudiya Vaisnavism and other Vedic literatures.

Indradyumna_Swami_Bhaktivedanta_Research_Center

At present the library has over 20,000 books, including a hand-written autobiography by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Indradyumna Swami has said, was always a significant inspiration for him on his sankirtan and preaching tours. In a recent lecture delivered in Mayapur, Indradyumna Swami mentioned that his Sankirtan leader in France once told him, “Whenever you go to a town for the first time, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur accompanies you.” Indradyumna Swami went on to say that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur is the original pioneer of the Bhakti movement. He rediscovered the Krishna Consciousness movement in Mayapur and had the vision of the whole world becoming Krishna Conscious.

Along the same lines, Indradyumna Swami reflected on Srila Prabhupada’s injunction to preach the message of Krishna Consciousness in his latest facebook post. He quoted from one of Srila Prabhupada’s letters (copied below):

My Dear Mahamaya dasi, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter undated, and have noted the contents carefully. I am very pleased by your attitude to surrender yourself completely by engaging cent per cent in Krishna’s service. Somehow or other always to be thinking about Krishna, that is the goal of Krishna Consciousness process. So now you please help me to spread this information all over this earth planet, especially by helping to distribute my books and literatures, as many as possible. Then you will get the credit, and know it for certain that very soon you will go back to Home, back to Godhead.

I hope this finds you in good health and cheerful mood.

Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
November 23, 1971

Letter quoted by Indradyumna Swami on his facebook post from February 24, 2018.

Indradyumna_Swami_Santipur

“The Charioteer, Lord Gaura’s lotus feet” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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“The Charioteer, Lord Gaura’s lotus feet” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

On February 17th came the highlight of His Holiness Indradyumna Swami’s trip the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur, as he related in a Facebook post. He took a large group of devotees to Santipura on February 16th. There, in the temple of Madan Gopal, they had darshan of the original salagrama-sila worshipped by Advaita Acaraya to invoke the advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

Salagram

Indradyumna Swami wrote that by some incredible and causeless mercy the pujari kindly placed that most worshipable salagrama-sila on his head for several minutes. Meanwhile, he wrote that he prayed feverishly for more service in spreading the holy names of Krsna all over the world. It was an amazing experience, Indradyumna Swami said, and the highlight of his visit to Mayapura.

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Continuing in his meditation on Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Indradyumna Swami quoted from a beautiful bhajan about fixing the mind of Mahaprabhu just a few days prior to this ecstatic experience.

so rasa-jaladhi mājhe maṇi-geha
tahiṁ rahu gori suśyāmera deha

In the middle of the ocean of bhakti-rasa is a house decorated with precious jewels in which brilliant complexioned Radha and dark complexioned Shyam reside.

sārathi leī milāyaba tāya
govinda-dāsa gaura-guṇa gāya

The charioteer, Lord Gaura’s lotus feet, will help you meet these two, Radha and Shyam. It is for this reason that Govinda Das sings the glories of Gaura.

[ Translated by Hari Parshad Das from Vaiṣṇava-padāvalī, fourth edition, April 2010. ]

Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami on his facebook post from February 13, 2018.

Mahaprabhu

“Bathe thoroughly in the waves of prema” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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“Bathe thoroughly in the waves of prema” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

The last week was filled with kirtan in the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur, as His Holiness Indradyumna Swami related in a Facebook post. He wrote that he took a large harinam party of international devotees through the streets of Navadwip in Mayapura. Remembering that Lord Caitanya Himself chanted and danced through the same town 500 years ago the devotees were in ecstasy.

Indradyumna Swami related that the people of Navadwip loved the Devotees’ harinam. They also had the fortune of taking darshan of the famous deity of Lord Caitanya worshipped by Visnupriya after the Lord took sannyasa. There they had kirtan for hours! He mentioned that the Devotees ended the day by visiting the samadhi of Srila Jagannatha das babaji.

Many pictures were taken of the ecstatic kirtans that resulted!

Kirtan

Continuing in his meditation on Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Indradyumna Swami quoted from a beautiful bhajan about fixing the mind of Mahaprabhu.

ratha-rohana karu prāṇa-turaṅga
āśā-pāśa jori naha bhaṅga

Engage your five life-airs (prāṇa, apāna, udāna, vayāna and samāna) as the five horses driving this chariot. Let āśā, the hope of attaining the Lord, be the strong rope controlling these horses so that the chariot may never break down.

līlā-jaladhi tīre calu dhāī
prema-taraṅge aṅga avagāī

Using this chariot, go quickly towards the shore of the unlimited ocean of the Lord’s loving pastimes. Having reached there, bathe thoroughly in the waves of this ocean of prema.

rasa-taraṅgī saṅgī hari-dāse
rati-maṇi deī puraba abhilāṣe

In this ocean, you will swim along with other servants of Hari who are delighting in the waves of bhakti-rasa. These servants of Hari will fetch you the rare jewel of prema from the depths of this ocean and will thus fulfil your most cherished desire.

[ Translated by Hari Parshad Das from Vaiṣṇava-padāvalī, fourth edition, April 2010. ]

Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami on his facebook post from February 13, 2018.

Indradyumna Swami

“Make the feet of Lord Gaura your charioteer” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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“Make the feet of Lord Gaura your charioteer” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

While in Sridhama Mayapur last week, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post that the Devotees took darshan of the samadhi where Lord Caitanya’s hair is kept, as well as the samadhi of Kesava Bharati Maharaja. They prayed at the historic tree under which Lord Caitanya’s beautiful long hair was shaved and also bowed down to the samadhi of Das Gadadhar. Naru Gopal Prabhu explained that Lord Caitanya had kirtan where the Devotees were for 3 days straight after taking sannyasa. 

Following in His footsteps, Indradyumna Swami and the Devotees chanted and danced for hours in front of a beautiful deity of Lord Caitanya in a large temple on the grounds.

Sankirtan

Continuing in his meditation on Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Indradyumna Swami quoted from a beautiful bhajan about fixing the mind of Mahaprabhu.

re mana! kāhe karasi anutāpe
pahuṁka pratāpa-mantra karu jāpe

yo kichu vicāri mano-rathe caḍabi
pahuṁka caraṇa-yuga sārathi karabi

O mind! Why do you keep burning repeatedly in the fire of worldliness? Simply keep chanting the mantra of your dear Lord.

Think carefully about the ultimate aim of your life and then climb on the chariot of the [purified] mind. Make the feet of Lord Gaura your charioteer.

[ Translated by Hari Parshad Das from Vaiṣṇava-padāvalī, fourth edition, April 2010. ]

Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami on his facebook post from February 13, 2018.

Harinam

“The joyous waves of prema” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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“The joyous waves of prema” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

Recently, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami was in Sridhama Mayapur. He wrote in a Facebook post that ever since taking sannyasa in 1979, he has had a strong desire to visit the town of Katwa, where Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa 500 years ago. On February 11th, he was able to make the journey from Sridham Mayapur to Katwa.

Indradyumna Swami wrote that Naru Gopal Prabhu took the Devotees to the exact spot where Mahaprabhu was shaved up by a barber and where He took His sannyasa vows from Kesava Bharati Maharaja (pictured below).

Kesava Bharati

A few days later, Indradyumna Swami quoted from a beautiful bhajan focused on Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

śrī-pada-kamala-sudhā-rasa-pāne
śrī-vigraha-guṇa-gaṇa kari gāne
śrī-mukha-vacana-śravaṇa-anuṣaṅgī
anubhavi kata bhela prema-taraṅgī

By drinking the nectarean honey of the lotus feet of Sri Gaura, by singing the glories of Sri Gaura’s deity, by listening to the instructions of Sri Gaura, and by associating with devotees who follow his instructions, so many fortunate individuals experienced the joyous waves of prema.
[ Translated by Hari Parshad Das from Vaiṣṇava-padāvalī, fourth edition, April 2010. ]

Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami on his facebook post from February 13, 2018.

Gurudeva

“Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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“Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself” – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

On the appearance day of Srila Narottama das Thakur, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami delivered a lengthy lecture on Narottama das Thakur. At the beginning of the class, Indradyumna Swami discusses how Narottama was the second generation from Caitanya Mahaprabhu and was personally chosen by Mahaprabhu to keep the sankirtan movement going.

Indradyumna Swami quoted from the Srimad Bhagavatam:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”
[Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32 ]
One of the special associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was of course Srila Narottama das Thakur, and Indradyumna Swami went on to say that with each generation, the world is a little different, so the Devotees have to adapt the process of Bhakti Yoga without compromising the philosophy. He said that this is actually the duty of the Acarya. Each generation of devotees has something unique to do and to offer and Narottama das Thakur displayed this, as did Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta before him, et al.

Indradyumna Swami

Indradyumna Swami often refers to Srila Narottama das Thakur as his hero and has explained why in lectures and articles previously.

Srimad Bhagavatam verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami in his lecture on Srila Narottama das Thakur from January 31, 2018.

Gauranga

Traveling to Mahaprabhu’s Lila-Sthanas – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

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Traveling to Mahaprabhu’s Lila-Sthanas – Verse quoted by Indradyumna Swami

In recent weeks, Indradyumna Swami has had a packed travel schedule between events in Vrindavan, Mumbai, and now Sri Mayapur Dhama. He attended the chakra installation in Sri Mayapur Dhama and also has been taking Devotees and Gurukula students to many places held dear by Devotees of Mahaprabhu.

Just a few days back, Indradyumna Swami took the Devotees to the village of Srikhanda, which is a 3-hour scenic drive from Sridham Mayapura. Srikhanda is mentioned many times in Caitanya Caritamrta. He wrote in his Facebook post covering the trip: “Yesterday we spent 5 hours exploring the village where a number of Lord Caitanya’s personal associates resided 500 years ago. We had kirtan and katha at the exact place where Locan das Thakur wrote Caitanya Mangala. We also visited numerous temples where we had darsan of historic deities connected to the lila’s of Lord Caitanya. The highlight of the day was an exuberant kirtan we held through the entire village. The local people were in bliss seeing us. Here in the holy dhama of Mayapura we are trying our best to follow in the footsteps of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, who wrote:

‘In the company of intimate and beloved devotees, I will go to all the places that Mahaprabhu joyfully visited.'”

[ Suddha-Bhakata, verse 3 ]

The beautiful song composed by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur is taken from his book Saranagati.

katha

Indradyumna Swami often draws from the wisdom of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in his Diary of a Traveling Monk series.

Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in his facebook post covering the trip to Srikhanda from February 10, 2018.

kirtan

Formula for World Peace – Lecture delivered by Indradyumna Swami

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Formula for World Peace – Lecture delivered by Indradyumna Swami

A few years back, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami gave a wonderful lecture on the formula for world peace. In the class, he spoke about how we are all spirit souls with one common father. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krsna affirms that He is the father of all living entities. Indradyumna Swami quoted from the 14th chapter of the Gita:

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.”

In the class, Indradyumna Swami went on to say that although we are born in different cultures, speak different languages, and look different externally, on the level of the self, we are all part of one larger spiritual family. Realizing this, he said, is the formula for peace in this world.

Gurudeva!

Citing the advanced vision of a humble and realized sage, Indradyumna Swami quoted from the Bhagavada Gita again:

“The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].”

Indradyumna Swami maintained that the saintly soul sees the true equality of all living beings at the level of the soul and treats every living entity with respect. That’s how we will have world peace—with that vision.

At the end of January, Indradyumna Swami spoke on a similar topic when he was a participant of a  ‘Peace Forum’ along with seven other spiritual leaders in Mumbai. There are many pictures from that event.

Quoted by Indradyumna Swami in his lecture on world peace, delivered on May 28, 2010.