Who Is That Sri Radha?
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Prepared and sent by Hari-Katha Newsletter Team:
Sri Navadvipa parikrama is beginning on March 2nd. In honor of this holy festival and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance day (March 8), we are sending this lecture by Srila Gurudeva, given in Berlin, Germany: July 6, 2003:
We will continue to explain about Ratha-yatra, but before that I want to tell you something important – and you should listen carefully. There is a guarantee given by Krsna, and sastra also confirms this when it says, “Vrndavanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati – Krsna is always in Vrndavana” (Brahmana-samhita, 5.37). He never goes one step beyond Vrndavana. Does His power, hladini sakti Srimati Radhika, go? Even if Krsna would go outside Vrndavana, She doesn’t go. She will always be there; neither She nor Krsna will go even one inch out of Vrndavana. Vrndavana and Mathura are very near to each other, and they share the same border. There is only a fine line between them, yet Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krsna cannot go, and Srimati Radhika also cannot go, to Mathura.
Still, we see that there is a viyoga, a separation mood. Sri Krsna weeps bitterly in Dvaraka and Srimati Radhika, in Her separation mood, rolls on the earth and weeps bitterly in Nandagaon. Read more
For the Appearance Day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu
[Devotees sing the bhajana, 'Nitai Guna Mani Amara']
Srila Gurudeva: What is the meaning of abaddha karuna-sindhu nitai katiya muhan?
Premananda dasa: Nityananda Prabhu has broken open the storehouse of love of God and He’s freely distributing it everywhere.
Srila Gurudeva: Very good.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: The ocean of mercy was closed, and Lord Nityananda broke it open and made a channel by which this love and mercy could be distributed.
Srila Gurudeva: How?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: He went from house to house.
Srila Gurudeva: What is the meaning of ghare ghare bule prema?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Door to door.
Srila Gurudeva: Who went door to door?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Lord Nityananda.
Srila Gurudeva: The meaning is hidden. Prema (love) was going door to door, like a flood. Read more
The Real New Year’s Greetings
Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja
I wish you all a happy New Year. The New Year we are now celebrating is according to Western calculation. This mainly affects our physical body and mind, because those in the Western world are very concerned about their physical health and mind – not more than that. Very few persons in the Western world know about the soul. They don’t even know where they will go after death. They work at jobs, but they don’t know of their goal after retirement, and they become crazy.
We have to celebrate the New Year in such a way that our devotion will increase day by day. We have to know that we are not this gross or subtle body – our mind, ego, and intelligence. We are beyond all these things; we are spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. We have to leave what happened last year, and start anew this year. Our devotion must increase.
The question may arise: “If my devotion must increase, how will I maintain my life?” For maintaining your life, you will continue what you are doing. Whether you want to or not, you must perform some karma. Read more
Srila Jiva Goswami
Tomorrow is the disappearance day of one of our greatest acharyas, Srila Jiva Goswami (1511-1596), who is also a confidential associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. We are republishing his glorification sent out in the Hari-katha newsletter.
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Srila Jiva Gosvami’s father, Anupama, was the brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami. His exalted father and uncles were employed by the Muslim ruler, Srila Sanatana Gosvami as prime minister, Srila Rupa Gosvami as the private secretary, and Anupama as treasurer. All three of them met Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He came to Ramakeli where they lived.
As the only son of the three brothers, Jiva received abundant affection. Srila Rupa Gosvami was always especially affectionate towards him and treated him as if he were his own son. When Jiva was still very young, Srila Rupa Gosvami took him to Mahaprabhu, who blessed him by placing His hand on his head.
During childhood, Jiva studied and soon learned all logic, Sanskrit grammar, and theistic philosophy from the books in his father’s home. Before Srila Rupa Gosvami and Anupama left household life to retire in Vrndavana, they divided all the family’s wealth and property, allocating sufficient funds for Jiva to continue his studies. All three brothers realized that he was the only son in their dynasty, so they nurtured him with great affection and ensured he had whatever material facility he required. Read more
A Christmas Message
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Today is Christmas Day, the birthday of Jesus Christ. In Europe and other countries, hardly anyone knows what Jesus Christ was doing in his youth, at around fifteen years of age. Nothing is seen. Indian history shows that he was in India, where he visited Vrndavana, Ayodhya, Jagannatha Puri, and other pilgrimage places.
In Vrndavana he heard the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and when he went to Jagannath Puri he heard how the local persons pronounce Krsna as Krusna, and in his language it became Christah, and then Christ. The change in name is actually only a difference in language. *See Endnote 1
When Jesus returned to Galilee from India, he preached the same devotion he had learned in India. By his mercy, his followers preached the mission of God everywhere, and it was therefore gradually distributed in Western countries.
There are not many Gods – there is only One. In the Bible it has been written: “God created man after His own image.” If the Supreme Lord, God, has no form, then how can He create so many worlds and so many forms? God has form. He has all qualities.
‘Christ’ means ‘Krsna,’ the one-without-a-second, the Supreme Lord. In the Bible we see that God has a transcendental form. Jesus has called him father, so there is some relation. We are refined Christians, because we totally follow this understanding. Many of those who call themselves Christians don’t truly follow Christianity, because they say that God is formless, but the Bible actually tells that God has a form and that form is transcendental.
Today, on the birthday of Jesus, we are giving honor to him. He was a manifestation of God called saktyavesa-avatara. God has empowered him, and that is why he was able to preach everywhere. Read more
The Deep Meaning of Akhanda Guru-tattva
Yesterday with Sripad BV Vana Maharaja we were celebrating Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja’s first tirubhav virahamahotsava (disappearance festival) and avirbhava (appearance festival) of Pujyapad Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja. Sripad Bhaktivedanta Vana Maharaja, who is with us in Houston these days, as well as other devotees offered their homages in glorification of both Srila Narayana Maharaja and Srila Vamana Maharaja. On this occasion we’d like to present a letter written by Srila Vamana Maharaja on June, 6th, 1972, in which Srila Maharaja wonderfully explains the principle of Guru-tattva. Read more
New Website
Welcome to our new website! 
No, doubt much work is still to be done here. Yet, as we know, even the longest journey begins with the first step.
Please kindly contribute your opinion to help us along the way.