Weekly Sanga

Brihad Bhagavatamrta
Part 1: Finding the Essence of the Supreme Lord’s Mercy
Bhauma: On the Earth Text 1

jayati nija-padabja-prema-danavatirno
vividha-madhurimabdhih ko ‘pi karisora-gandhih
gata-parama-dasantam yasya caitanya-rupad
anubhava-padam aptam prema gopisu nityam

TRANSLATION
All glories to that inconceivable Lord who descended to bestow the gift of perfect love for His own lotus feet. He is an ocean filled with many kinds of sweetness, and He always bears the fragrance of fresh youth. In His form as Sri Caitanya He has realized the last extreme of transcendental experience, the love residing eternally in the gopis.

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/Sunday Sangas/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 143

Posted on September 17, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 143

saba lana kaila gundica-grha-sammarjana
ratha-yatra-darasane prabhura nartana

TRANSLATION
First the Lord washed the temple of Gundica very thoroughly. Then everyone saw the Ratha-yatra festival and the Lord’s dancing before the car.

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu/Wednesday Sangas

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 140

Posted on September 13, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 140

sivanandera sange aila kukkura bhagyavan
prabhura carana dekhi’ kaila antardhana

TRANSLATION
A dog accompanied Sivananda Sena and the devotees, and that dog was so fortunate that after seeing the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it was liberated and went back home, back to Godhead.

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/Sunday Sangas/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 138

Posted on September 10, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 138

varsantare advaitadi bhaktera agamana
prabhure dekhite sabe karila gamana

TRANSLATION
At the end of the year, all the devotees from Bengal, headed by Advaita Acarya, again came to see the Lord. Indeed, there was a great rush of devotees to Jagannatha Puri.

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu/Wednesday Sangas

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 137

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 137

sarvabhauma-ghare prabhura bhiksa-paripati
sathira mata kahe, yate randi ha-uk sathi

TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was invited to dine at the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. While He was eating sumptuously, the son-in-law of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya [the husband of his daughter Sathi] criticized Him. Because of this, Sathi’s mother cursed him by praying that Sathi would become a widow. In other words, she cursed her son-in-law to die.

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Krsna Book/Kṛṣṇa’s Hiding from the Gopīs/Sunday Sangas

Krsna Book Chapter 30: Krishna’s Hiding from the Gopis

Posted on September 3, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Krsna Book
Chapter 30: Krsna’s Hiding from the Gopis

When Krsna suddenly disappeared from the company of the gopis, they searched for Him everywhere. After not finding Him anywhere, they became afraid and almost mad after Him. They were simply thinking of the pastimes of Krsna in great love and affection. Being absorbed in thought of Him, they experienced loss of memory, and with dampened eyes they began to see the very pastimes of Krsna—His beautiful talks with them, His embracing, kissing and other activities. Being so attracted to Krsna, they imitated His dancing, His walking and His smiling, as if they themselves were Krsna. Due to Krsna’s absence, they all became crazy; each one of them told the others that she was Krsna Himself. Soon they all assembled together and chanted Krsna’s name very loudly as they moved from one part of the forest to another, searching for Him.
Actually, Krsna is all-pervasive: He is in the sky, and He is in the forest; He is within the heart, and He is always everywhere. The gopis therefore began to question the trees and plants about Krsna. There were various types of big trees and small plants in the forest, and the gopis addressed them: “Dear banyan tree, have you seen the son of Maharaja Nanda passing this way, laughing and playing on His flute? He has stolen our hearts and gone away. If you have seen Him, kindly inform us which way He has gone. Dear asoka tree, dear naga flower tree and campaka flower tree, have you seen the younger brother of Balarama pass this way? He has disappeared because of our pride.” The gopis were aware of the reason for Krsna’s sudden disappearance. They could understand that when they had been enjoying Krsna they thought themselves to be the most fortunate women within the universe, and since they were feeling proud, Krsna had disappeared immediately just to curb their pride. Krsna does not like His devotees to be proud of their service to Him. He accepts everyone’s service, but He does not like one devotee to proudly consider himself better than others. If sometimes there are such feelings, Krsna ends them by changing His attitude toward the devotee.

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Festivals/Sri Radhastami/Wednesday Sangas

Sri Radha-Krpa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja – Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day

Posted on August 30, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

In this evening’s Radhastami-themed Sanga, Srila Dhanurdhara Swami begins the class with the following verses where Lord Shiva glorifies Srimati Radharani.
sri-radha-krpa-kataksa-stava-raja
munindra-vrnda-vandite tri-loka-soka-harini
prasanna-vaktra-pankaje nikunja-bhu-vilasini
vrajendra-bhanu-nandini vrajendra-sunu-sangate
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||1||
asoka-vrksa-vallari-vitana-mandapa-sthite
pravala-vala-pallava prabha ’runanghri-komale
varabhaya-sphurat-kare prabhuta-sampadalaye
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||2||
ananga-ranga mangala-prasanga-bhangura-bhruvam
savibhramam-sasambhramam drganta-bana-patanai
nirantaram vasi-krta-pratiti-nanda-nandane
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||3||
tadit-suvarna-campaka-pradipta-gaura-vigrahe
mukha-prabha-parasta-koti-saradendu-mandale
vicitra-citra-sancarac-cakora-sava-locane
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||4||
madonmadati-yauvane pramoda-mana-mandite
priyanuraga-ranjite kala-vilasa-pandite
ananya-dhanya-kunja-rajya-kama keli-kovide
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||5||
asesa-hava-bhava-dhira-hira-hara-bhusite
prabhuta-sata-kumbha-kumbha-kumbhi kumbha-sustani
prasasta-manda-hasya-curna-purna-saukhya-sagare
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||6||
mrnala-vala-vallari taranga-ranga-dor-late
latagra-lasya-lola-nila-locanavalokane
lalal-lulan-milan-manojna mugdha-mohanasrite
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||7||

suvarna-malikancita-tri-rekha-kambu-kanthage
tri-sutra-mangali-guna-tri-ratna-dipti-didhiti
salola-nila-kuntala prasuna-guccha-gumphite
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||8||
nitamba-bimba-lambamana-puspa-mekhala-gune
prasasta-ratna-kinkini-kalapa-madhya manjule
karindra-sunda-dandika-varoha-saubhagoruke
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||9||
aneka-mantra-nada-manju-nupura-rava-skhalat
samaja-raja-hamsa-vamsa-nikvanati-gaurave
vilola-hema-vallari-vidambi-caru-cankrame
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||10||

ananta-koti-visnu-loka-namra-padmajarcite
himadrija-pulomaja-virincaja-vara-prade
apara-siddhi-rddhi-digdha-sat-padanguli-nakhe
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam ||11||
makhesvari kriyesvari svadhesvari suresvari
triveda-bharatisvari pramana-sasanesvari
ramesvari ksamesvari pramoda kananesvari
vrajesvari vrajadhipe sri radhike namo ’stu te ||12||
iti mam adbhutam-stavam nisamya bhanu-nandini
karotu santatam janam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam
bhavet tadaiva-sancita-tri-rupa-karma-nasanam
bhavet tada-vrajendra-sunu-mandala-pravesanam ||13||
rakayam ca sitastamyam dasamyam ca visuddha-dhih |
ekadasyam trayodasyam yah pathet sa svayam sivah ||14||
yam yam kamayate kamam tam tam apnoti sadhakah |
radha-krpa-kataksena bhuktvante moksam apnuyat ||15||
uru-daghne nabhi-daghne hrd-daghne kanta-daghnake |
radha-kunda-jale sthita yah pathet sadhakah satam ||16||
tasya sarvartha-siddhih syad vak-samarthyam tatha labhet |
aisvaryam ca labhet saksad drsa pasyati radhikam ||17||

tena sa tat-ksanad eva tusta datte mahavaram |
yena pasyati netrabhyam tat-priyam syamasundaram ||18||
nitya-lila-pravesam ca dadati sri-vrajadhipah |
atah parataram prarthyam vaisnavasya na vidyate ||19||

iti srimad-urdhvamnaye sri-radhikayah krpa-kataksa-stotram sampurnam |

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/Sunday Sangas/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 135

Posted on August 27, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 135

prataparudrere krpa kaila sei sthane
gaudiya-bhakte ajna dila vidayera dine

TRANSLATION
In that garden, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestowed His mercy upon King Prataparudra. Afterwards, when the Bengali devotees were about to return home, the Lord gave separate orders to almost every one of them.

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Madhya-līlā/Sunday Sangas/The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 133 (Continued)

Posted on August 20, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

In today’s class, Dhanurdhara Maharaja continues with Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 1 Text 133.
Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila
Chapter 1 Text 133

snana-yatra dekhi’ prabhu sange bhakta-gana
saba lana kaila prabhu gundica marjana

TRANSLATION
After seeing the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and cleaned Sri Gundica temple with the assistance of many devotees.

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Festivals/Sri Krishna Janmastami/Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam/The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa/Wednesday Sangas

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 Chapter 3 Texts 1-5 – Krishna’s Appearance Day

Posted on August 16, 2006 by Rathi Krishna dasa

Sri Krishna Janmastami – The Appearance Day of Lord Krishna
Srimad Bhagavatam
Canto 10 Chapter 3 Text 1-5

sri-suka uvaca
atha sarva-gunopetah
kalah parama-sobhanah
yarhy evajana-janmarksam
santarksa-graha-tarakam
disah prasedur gaganam
nirmalodu-ganodayam
mahi mangala-bhuyistha-
pura-grama-vrajakara
nadyah prasanna-salila
hrada jalaruha-sriyah
dvijali-kula-sannada-
stavaka vana-rajayah
vavau vayuh sukha-sparsah
punya-gandhavahah sucih
agnayas ca dvijatinam
santas tatra samindhata
manamsy asan prasannani
sadhunam asura-druham
jayamane ‘jane tasmin
nedur dundubhayah samam

TRANSLATION
Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohini appeared, as did stars like Asvini. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky. Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed all-auspicious. The rivers flowed with clear water, and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarily beautiful. In the trees and green plants, full of flowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos and swarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake of the demigods. A pure breeze began to blow, pleasing the sense of touch and bearing the aroma of flowers, and when the brahmanas engaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according to Vedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by the breeze. Thus when the birthless Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was about to appear, the saints and brahmanas, who had always been disturbed by demons like Kamsa and his men, felt peace within the core of their hearts, and kettledrums simultaneously vibrated from the upper planetary system.

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