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In his book Sri Krishna Samhita, Thakur Bhaktivinode presents his understanding of the historical past, including the origins of the universe and human civilisation. He explains his thinking in a sensible and reasonable way that educated readers of the modern era can appreciate. In ancient scriptures, including the most sacred…

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, we read how Vishnu appeared in the form of the beautiful golden child Vamana and approached Bali Maharaja, the king of the demons. Bali was performing a great sacrifice, and Vamana asked him for a gift of land – only as much land as He could…

In his commentary to Sri Vedanta Sutra, Sri Baladev Vidyabhusan wrote:  The liberated soul is satya-sankalpatva. That is to say, a liberated soul possesses irrepressible willpower that enables them to achieve anything they want to achieve. They can fulfil any wish they desire, so a liberated soul can be an…

Madhya-Lila Chapter 17 Text 184 প্রভু কহে, __“শ্রুতি, স্মৃতি, যত খষিগণ ৷ সবে “এক”মত নহে, ভিন্ন ভিন্ন ধন্্ম ॥ probhu kahe, — “shruti, smriti, yata rishigan sabe “eka”-mata nahe, bhinna bhinna dharma” The Lord said, “The Shrutis, the Smritis, and all the sages are not all of one opinion; they…

Published in The Harmonist, May 1929 Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami: The vast scale on which the celebrations on the occasion of the Solar Eclipse at Kurukshetra have been organised would appear to many persons as a huge and unpardonable waste of the none too sufficient resources of the poorest country…

As published in The Harmonist Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami: The praises of the Holy Land of Bharatvarsa are sung by the Scriptures but are liable to be grossly misunderstood by empiric commentators. It has often been supposed by such persons that the Holy Land means the Land which has got…

Published in The Harmonist, OCTOBER, 1928, 442 Chaitanya-Era. Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami: It is a common belief prevalent among the uninformed circles that the Vedantins are all monotheists, but the critics can demarcate the line of distinction between monotheistic Vedantins and henotheistic Vedantins. Some are apt to confound that the…

The concluding words of Sri Krishna Samhita, written by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur: Although the devotional disposition of uttam-adhikari Vaishnavas, the great souls established in prema-bhakti, may outwardly assume the appearance of ordinary people engaged in worldly action, it is never mixed with karma. Whatever actions they perform are directed solely…

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur wrote in Sri Krishna Samhita, Chapter Two, Verse 2: In Goloka, the pastimes of Krishna exist as an eternal spiritual reality. Devotees perceive Him through various relationships. Since conscious beings possess different natures according to place, time, and individual qualification, the eternal lila appears in diverse forms….

By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj To err is human. To err is inevitable for all, being not perfect. Still, no one wants to remain imperfect. There is an element within all that is animate that tends towards perfection. If it were not so, we would feel no want…

Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami declared: “The secretary of the Śrī  Gauḍīya Maṭha, Acaryatrika Sripada Kunja Bihari Vidyabhusana, is: The main pillar in the grand temple of the Śrī  Gauḍīya Maṭha; The prime cause of the flourishing of the life and service of the Śrī  Gauḍīya Maṭha institution of service;…

The events surrounding the disappearance of Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj. By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj At the time when Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj left his body, Sakhi Babu and Kunja Babu, later Sripad Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj, were coming to see him. They were very old devotees, but at that…

The sacred stream of pure devotion that now flows in the world has, as its mighty source, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. For those noble souls who, having firm faith in the Bhagavata-dharma, are endowed with discrimination and eagerness for devotional practice, the Thakur composed this Sri…

The realizations Thakur Bhaktivinode expressed in his books have brought about a revolution in the thinking of great numbers of people around the world. Those ideas became widely known largely because of the efforts of Srila Saraswati Thakur, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami, who broadcast the teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode through…

In Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 3.1.44, Srila Rupa Goswami cites a verse of Bilvamangala Thakur in which Krishna is apparently spoken of in openly insulting words. Sri Jiva Goswami and Visvanatha Cakravarti both explicitly identify the statement as vyaja-stuti — praise expressed under the guise of criticism. The context is important. Immediately before…

রায় রামানন্দের স্বকৃত গান -গীত ray ramanander swakrito gan git The song composed by Rai Ramananda. রায় রামানন্দের স্বকৃত গানগীত “পহিলেহি রাগ নয়নভঙ্গে ভেল । অনুদিন বাঢ়ুল, অবধি না গেল ॥ না সো রমণ, না হাম রমণী । দুহু-মন মনোভব পেষল জানি” ॥ এ সখি, সে-সব প্রেমকাহিনী । কানুঠামে কহবি…

Srimad Bhagavatam 5.21.8 Scripture speaks of the Sun rising and setting according to ordinary human observation. Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur wrote: srutir api vyavaharato, na tu vastutah “Even Sruti speaks according to conventional usage, not according to literal reality.” In RealityThe point that Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur makes is that…

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.37 कालोऽयं द्विपरार्धाख्यो निमेष उपचर्यते ।अव्याकृतस्यानन्तस्य ह्यनादेर्जगदात्मनः ॥ “The duration of the two parts of the creator Brahma’s lifetime is calculated to be one nimesha [a blink of the eyes] for Lord Vishnu.” But Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explained that this statement was upacara-matram – figurative language – and…

This statement of Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is seen in his article “The Solar Eclipse at Kurukshetra,” published in The Harmonist, May 1929) When people talk about the physical cause of an eclipse, Srila Saraswati Thakur says that science has given us the real explanation. During a solar eclipse, the Moon…