Today is the festival of Oḍāna-ṣaṣṭhī. This tithī marks the beginning of winter outfit (warm cloth) offered to Jagannātha Deva. Regardless of when the weather actually turns cold, Jagannātha is offered a winter covering only from this tithī onwards, even if winter begins before this tithī. Consequently, on Vasanta Pañcamī, they stop offering Him winter covering even if cold weather persists. This kind of service is based o...

Śrīla Prabhupāda was greatly pleased with Śrī Jagad-bandhu Prabhu’s service, and he therefore bestowed his mercy on him by awarding him the title ‘Śreṣṭhārya.’ The word śreṣṭha means ‘best,’ and the word ārya refers to a simple-hearted brāhmaṇa who uses his simplicity in the service of Bhagavān. Therefore, the title ‘Śreṣṭhārya’ is a special designation, signifying ‘the best of the brāhmaṇas who serve Bhagavān.’ Śrīla Prab...

Narahari is a premika bhakta [Born in the family of physicians]. In kṛṣṇa-līlā, Śrī Narahari Sarkāra is Madhumatī-sakhī. Śrī Caitanyadeva awarded the service of the Deity of Gopinātha to Raghunandana [Endnote 1], the son of Śrī Mukunda Dāsa. And to Śrī Mukunda Dāsa, Śrī Caitanyadeva asked to continue to earn for the family, working as a physician to the King. [And his younger brother Śrī Narahari Sarkāra was ordered to sta...

The Śrīpāta of Kāliyā Kṛṣṇa Dāsa is in Bardhamān district, located between the Katwā railway station and the Dain Hāta railway station, at a place known as Akāi Hāta. For preaching, he traveled to the Pābnā district, and chose to reside near the Ichāmati River, near Bandaragā. He belonged to the bārendra brāhmaṇa family but in Akāi Hāta, there was no brāhmaṇa from that family, so he stayed near the Ichāmati River and his d...

Śrīla Sāraṅga Ṭhākura’s Śrīpāṭa is in Māmagāchi, a little further from the railway line. There was a lake there, and near that lake there used to be a dilapidated house. Once Śrīla Sāraṅga Ṭhākura was sitting on one wall of that house, brushing his teeth when an ascetic (yogi) arrived there mounted on a lion and wished to have his darsana. Śrīla Sāraṅga Ṭhākura thought, “This ascetic is a superior personality, why shoul...

Vaiṣṇavas’ āvirbhāva and tirobhāva tithis, both are equally worshipable because they evoke the remembrance of the Vaiṣṇavas. Remembrance of Bhagavān and His devotees is our real wealth, while their forgetfulness is the cause of our distress. This is the unique feature of Gauḍīya Maṭha. Our parama gurudeva Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura made the Vaiṣṇava panjikā; [everyone is remembered] as long as the...

It is only when we become truly sincere that a praṇayi-bhakta, out of his non-duplicitous mercy, reveals his true identity and exalted position. At such a time, we will be able to not only understand the conduct of the praṇayi- bhaktas, but also keep it in our mind and heart and preserve it by imbibing it in our lives. By the mercy of those elevated Vaiṣṇavas, we will be granted the vision to clearly understand the true fo...

One time Śrīla Gaurakiśora Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja went to the residence of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura dressed in a nice dhoti and kurtā, holding a cane in his hand. When Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura inquired, “Bābāji Mahārāja what is this līlā (pastime)?” He responded, “Nowadays this outfit is nice. Because nowadays sādhus behave opposed to the way they dress.” [Better dress like a materialist so at least people will not call...

Today, in Vraja, they dress two boys as Kṛṣṇa and Balarama and they are taken behind the cows to depict the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. In Mathurā, a beautiful procession follows and they perform worship of cows by offering them their favorite foods like green grass and jaggery, and by bathing them nicely and decorating their bodies with various designs such as imprints of hands [smeared with turmeric] and so on. They also sport wi...

Śrīla Prabhupāda and the Vaiṣṇavas under Śrīla Prabhupāda’ guidance were immensely pleased by Śrī Siddha-svarūpa dāsa’s sincere service efforts. As tokens of śrī gurupāda-padma’s pleasure, he was awarded the Śrī Gaura Aśīrvāda titles ‘Upadeśaka’ (instructor), ‘Mahopadeśaka’ (great instructor), and ‘Vidyā-vāgīśa’ (master of knowledge and speech) by the Navadvīpa Pracāranī Sabhā. As a brahmacārī, he accompanied expert, senio...

Śrīla Siddhāntī Gosvāmī Mahārāja was considerably bold and straightforward in his lectures. He would never hold back when refuting others’ mistaken philosophies, nor would he attempt to avoid confrontation by speaking indirectly. Because of his impartial nature, he spoke in the same manner publicly as he did privately.

Śrīla Svāmī Mahārāja’s sole intention for coming to America was to fulfill the innermost desire of his gurudeva by successfully disseminating the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the West. At first, Śrīla Svāmī Mahārāja had many ideas about how to do this. In the end, however, after observing the local peoples’ condition and by the inspiration of śrī guru and Bhagavān, he began sitting in a park and chanting the pañ...

Today is Pujyapāda Trivikram Mahārāja's appearance day. Both the appearance day and disappearance day of a Vaiṣṇava are auspicious. This is because both these days bring their remembrance, which is auspicious for us. But when they reveal their glories through their actions, only then we can follow their appearance and disappearance day. Otherwise, we wouldn't know anything. Who can know them if they don't rev...

When pūjyapāda Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Mahārāja first came to the maṭha as a young boy, his mother put him under the care of Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī (later known as Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja), and he attended the Bhaktivinoda Institute for schooling. After some time, when Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura disappeared from this world, some disturbances arose in the maṭha, and Śrī...

If any brahmacārī or sannyāsī happened to be in need, Śrīla Giri Gosvāmī Mahārāja would immediately send him money. For instance, when Guru Mahārāja was collecting money for the bail of Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrī Śrīmad Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, and a number of other devotees who had ended up in jail due to false allegations, Śrīla Giri Gosvāmī Mahārāja handed Guru Mahārāja forty- five of the...