It is seen that the scriptures often prescribe paths other than bhakti, such as karma-yoga, the performance of duties prescribed in the Vedas; jñāna-yoga, the cultivation of empirical knowledge; tapasya, the performance of penances; and other paths. By perfecting the practice of karma-yoga, one comes to the stage of jñāna-yoga, and by perfecting jñāna-yoga, one is brought to the path of bhakti. All such paths are in fact s...

When Śrīla Advaita Ācārya offered the 'śrāddha-pātra' (offering of oblations to the forefathers) to Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura expressed some inhibition, “You belong to the society of brāhmaṇas and by this act of offering me the 'śrāddha-pātra' [Endnote 2], all will blaspheme you and this I cannot bear.” Śrīla Advaita Ācārya replied, “I will conduct myself in line with the op...

Today is Vasanta Pañcamī, the beginning of spring season. Today onwards, they will stop offering warm clothes to Lord Jagannātha. Today also happens to be the appearance day of Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī (Mahāprabhu’s śaktī), Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrī Raghunandana Ṭhākura along with the celebration of Sarasvatī-pūjā. Additionally, it is the disappearance day of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravart...

While Śrīla Bhakti Śaraṇa Śānta Mahārāja was constructing his maṭha in Māyāpura, he was residing in our maṭha. His specialty was that he would nurture small children, cultivating them spiritually, by teaching them how to perform bhajana. Upon being trained nicely however, some other devotees would later adopt the readily trained young devotees [to serve at their respective maṭhas]. Śrīla Śānta Mahārāja would never become u...

Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhānasa Gosvāmī Mahārāja appeared in this world in Baḍagaḍa-grāma, a village in the Gañjām district of Orissa, on the day of Kṛṣṇa Pratipadā during the month of Kārtika. He was born in an elite brāhmaṇa family, and his parents gave him the name Śrī Ujjvaleśvara Ratha. For generations, his forefathers had reverently carried out the momentous role of serving as royal priests for the king of Baḍag...

Pūjyapāda Mahārāja was naturally resplendent with the multitude of attributes found in Vaiṣṇavas, but in recalling his simple-hearted, amiable dealings and his sweetly peaceful presence, my heart becomes especially overwhelmed. After the disappearance of our most worshipful Prabhupāda, he bestowed sannyāsa to many of his prominent godbrothers, such as Śrīmad Bhakti-Dayita Mādhava Mahārāja (the founder of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍī...

Today we are remembering pūjyapāda Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja. Nara means ‘human being,’ and ayaṇa means ‘shelter,’ and therefore when the sāstras mention the name Nārāyaṇa, it refers to a personality who is the true shelter of all living entities. Pūjyapāda Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was like my satīrtha (godbrother). In his early days, when he was staying in Mathurā, we were once sitting together. I told him, “Mahārāja, bec...

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...

Just see Locana Dāsa Ṭhākura’s sayutha niṣṭhā (niṣṭhā for his guru-varga). Does anyone ordinarily speak like this, with so much resoluteness? But Locana Dāsa Ṭhākura did. On one hand, Vaiṣṇavas are causelessly merciful even to the caṇḍālas and on the other they are not even willing to see the face of anyone who is averse to Nityānanda. This is simply niṣṭhā in Nityānanda and we can get such niṣṭhā only by hearing of their...

Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī settled in a village called Cāṁpāhāṭī. It is known as the Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī. We pay our respects there during the Navadvīpa parikramā. Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī would make garlands using campaka flowers and offer them to his worshipable Deity, Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava.

Just after his marriage, Śrīla Rāmacandra Kavirāja was following in a grand procession wherein people praised the couple for appearing as beautiful as Indra-Indrāṇi or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. However, when Śrīla Śrīnivāsa Ācārya saw [the procession], instead of praising the couple he became highly afflicted, thinking of the bridegroom becoming entangled in the material world. Realizing this, Śrīla Rāmacandra Kavirāja [the bridegr...

Bhagavān engages His devotee in service in order to bestow His mercy. Is He bereft of anything? Does He feel hungry? Even though Bhagavān is pūrṇa vastu (complete in Himself), He is hungry for the love of His devotees. To manifest the love of Jagadīśa Paṇḍita for Him and proclaim it to the world, Lord Jagannātha requested Jagadīśa Paṇḍita to take Him along and serve Him. He willingly left a place where He was getting multi...

Śrīla Māheśa Paṇḍita renounced his home and wandered in different places until settling in Kāṭhālapurī. So today is the tirobhāva tithi of Śrīla Māheśa Paṇḍita, and there they still celebrate a festival. Because of Śrīla Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura, the entire of gold-merchant community got liberated and attained the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu. He established the worship of the six-armed form of Mahāprabhu (Ṣaḍbhuja Gaurāṅga)...

Śrīla Aranya Gosvāmī Mahārāja never took a break from chanting the names of Śrī Hari, speaking Śrī Hari’s glories and pastimes, or serving Śrī Hari. He was fully engaged in these activities for all twenty-four hours of the day. Without fail, he would ask all those who approached him a question pertaining to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava philosophy. He spared no one in this. Somehow or other, he would always initiate a spiritual discuss...

Actually, Devānanda Paṇḍita is a nitya pariṣada (eternal associate) of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But only to give us these teachings, he has enacted such pastimes. From Devānanda Paṇḍita’s pastime, we get to learn that no matter how many material qualities one may be adorned with, it does not guarantee development of bhakti. Initially, Devānanda Paṇḍita served the grantha bhāgavata but not bhakta bhāgavata. [Thus he had no...