Category Archives: English

Articles in English.

Appearance day festival of Lord Nityananda.

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Sri Nityananda’s Avirbhava

CC Ādi 1.35

mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa

tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana

Synonyms

mantra–guru — the initiating spiritual master; āra — and also; yata — as many (as there are); śikṣā–guru–gaṇa — all the instructing spiritual masters; tāṅhāra — of all of them; caraṇa — unto the lotus feet; āge — at first; kariye — I offer; vandana — respectful obeisances.

Translation

I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.

In pursuance of the above formula—

I offer my humble obeisances to my initiating (nama and mantra) spiritual master His Divine Grace Thakura Bhaktivedanta Swami — a Shaktyavesa Avatar of Sri Nityananda Prabhu — who appeared in this world to dispel the darkness of ignorance, give relief to the sufferings of all jivas, enlighten and give spiritual joy to his devotees and help us realize the purport of this verse:

CC Ādi 1.2

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nityānandau sahoditau

gauḍodaye puṣpavantau

citrau śan-dau tamo-nudau

Translation

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.… Read More...

Thursday 22nd February 2024 – Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

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Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Fast until noon.
For your satisfaction we offer this link to an audio recording of Srila Govinda Maharaja’s talk on Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day from February 24, 1994.

Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day

nityanandam aham naumi
sarvananda-karam param
hari-nama-pradam devam
avadhuta-shiromanim

“I bow down to the Supreme Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the awarder of the highest joy to all, the bestower of the holy name and the crest jewel of all paramahamsa mendicants.”

Srila Govinda Maharaja’s Avirbhava

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While recalling the glories of Srila Govinda Maharaja’s avirbhava (appearance) it seems appropriate to present the following digest of his life to our readers. Those familiar with it will feel renewed joy reading it again. For those to whom it is new it will inspire an interest to further explore “his life and precepts”. — Swami B.K. Giri

His Divine Servitor*

Om Visnupada Astottara-sata-Sri Srimad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj made his Appearance in this world on 17th December, 1929, at Brahmanparha, District Burdwan, only about six miles from Sripat Hapaniya where his beloved Gurudev made his Advent, also situated in the Holy Area of Gauda-mandal. Revealing his Pastimes to the conditioned souls of this worldly plane, at the tender age of only seventeen years, Srila Govinda Maharaj manifest his coming to the Lotus Feet of his Gurudev Sri Srila Sridhar Maharaj in April 1947 on the Holy Appearance Day of Sri Nrsimhadev (Nrsimha-caturdasi).

If any of the dear readers of this short account may have, or have had, the opportunity of hearing directly from other stalwart veteran disciples of Srila Sridhar Maharaj (an opportunity the humble writer has fortunately had on many occasions), such as Sripad Bhakti Prasun Aranya Maharaj, Sripad Hari Charan Brahmachari Seva Ketan Prabhu, Sriyukta Krsnamayi Devi, Sriyukta Ramarani Devi, and Srila Guru Maharaj’s own revered brothers and disciples Sriyukta Satyendra Chandra Bhattacharya, Sriyukta Amarendranath Bhattacharya and others – any fortunate soul will be able to trace the unbroken line of continuous unalloyed Divine Affection that Srila Guru Maharaj bestowed upon Srila Govinda Maharaj, and continues to eternally bestow from his Holy Abode in the Nitya-lila (Eternal Divine Pastimes).… Read More...

Invitation to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja’s Appearance Day Celebration. Thursday December 28, 2023.

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Dear devotees and friends, we humbly invite you to participate in the festival for the Grand 95th Appearance Day Celebration of Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Astottara-sata Sri Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja which will take place at Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA and worldwide centers on Thursday, December 28, 2023.

This festival will include kirtana, discourses and other all-auspicious activities. Please RSVP by clicking on the contact page and using one of the methods available there.

Male/Female: A Theological Perspective

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Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja:   A noble ideal. The conception of the ladies, the lady conception of the ego, that is of a very noble type. Sacrifice is very much there, negative aspect. And the man’s aspect that is aggressive. But they’re [ladies] not aggressor, they’re sacrifice personified, that gradually that came to me. And I learned to appreciate that Sītā, Draupadī, all these, and ultimately the gopīs. The gopī group, the sacrifice, self-forgetfulness, self-sacrifice, self-surrendering, that is in acme, in the highest conception the lady aspect. The lady aspect, the passive aspect, that holds the highest, that came gradually in my mind. So mādhurya rasa, that consorthood, the highest position of Rādhārāṇī. So sacrifice, affection, that is there. Aggressor, the males are aggressor, they’re responsible for all difficulty and trouble, not the ladies. That came gradually, developed from inside, and some respect for their clan came within me.

   So in varṇāśrama generally strī-śūdra, the śūdra and the strī, they are set apart. They have no right in the high religious functions. They should participate from little far, not direct participation. Indirect participation of the śūdra and the lady. A brāhmaṇa lady also, she does not get any sacred thread.… Read More...

129th Appearance Celebration of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja. Monday November 6, 2023.

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Dear devotees and friends, we humbly invite you to participate in the festival for the Grand 129th Appearance Day Celebration of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math’s Founder President Acharya, Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Astottara-sata Sri Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja which will take place at the Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga headquarters in New Jersey, USA and at GVSS centers around the world on November 6th 2023.

This festival will include Nama sankirtana, discourses and other all-auspicious activities. Please RSVP by clicking on the contact page and using one of the methods available there.

Invitation to Sri Radhastami. Appearance day of Srimati Radharani. September 23rd 2023

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Dear devotees and friends: We humbly invite you to participate along with devotees from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Global New Jersey in the grand festival for Sri Radhastami on Saturday September 23, 2023.

Fast until noon.

The festival will include kirtana, discourses and other auspicious activities. Please RSVP via our contact page.

Included is a link for the pleasure of the devotees on this most auspicious of days – Sri Radha: “in charge of the domestic affairs of Krishna.”

Invitation to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s Appearance Festival. September 8, 2023.

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You are invited to attend Sri Nandotsava and Thakura Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appearance day celebrations the morning of Friday 8th September 2023. These festivities will follow the previous evening’s program of Sri Krishna Janmastami.

The festivals will include kirtana, discourses and other auspicious activities. Please RSVP via our contact page.

Invitation to Sri Krishna Janmastami. Appearance of Lord Krishna. September 7, 2023 (Thursday)

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Dear devotees and friends: We humbly invite you to participate at the Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA in the celebration of the grand festival of Sri Krishna Janmastami on Friday the 19th September 7, 2023 at 8pm until 12am midnight Friday, September 8th 2023.

Complete fast until midnight, then no grains (anukalpa).

Janmastami-vrata paran is at 6:05 AM Friday September 8, 2023.

You are also invited to attend Sri Nandotsava and Thakura Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appearance day celebrations the following morning on Friday 8th September 2023.

The festivals will include kirtana, discourses and other auspicious activities. Please RSVP via our contact page.