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Pushpanjali offering on Jayapataka Swami’s Vyas Puja celebration.
Dallas, TX
2009-04-05
Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja – Pushpanjali
Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja – Offerings
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Offerings to Jayapataka Swami on his Vyas Puja.
Dallas, TX
2008-04-05
Jayapataka Swami Vyas Puja – Bhajan
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Amala Kirtan singing a bhajan at the start of Jayapataka Swami’s Vyas Puja celebration.
Dallas, TX
2009-04-05
Lecture – Giriraj Swami – SB 1.2.16
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Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 2, Text 16 by Giriraj Swami.
Dallas, TX
2009-03-20
TRANSLATION
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva.
PURPORT
The conditioned life of a living being is caused by his revolting against the Lord. There are men called deva, or godly living beings, and there are men called asuras, or demons, who are against the authority of the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (Sixteenth Chapter) a vivid description of the asuras is given in which it is said that the asuras are put into lower and lower states of ignorance life after life and so sink to the lower animal forms and have no information of the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. These asuras are gradually rectified to God consciousness by the mercy of the Lord’s liberated servitors in different countries according to the supreme will. Such devotees of God are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known as the powerful incarnations of the Lord, as sons of the Lord, as servants of the Lord or as associates of the Lord. But none of them falsely claim to be God themselves. This is a blasphemy declared by the asuras, and the demoniac followers of such asuras also accept pretenders as God or His incarnation. In the revealed scriptures there is definite information of the incarnation of God. No one should be accepted as God or an incarnation of God unless he is confirmed by the revealed scriptures.
The servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called mahatmas, or tirthas, and they preach according to particular time and place. The servants of God urge people to become devotees of the Lord. They never tolerate being called God. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Lord Vishnu. He strongly protested against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure in being addressed as God.
The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord. The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gita (18.69) that no one is dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His glory. By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God.
Bhajan – Giriraj Swami -Jaya Radha Madhava
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Giriraj Swami singing the bhajan “Jaya Radha Madhava” prior to his lecture.
Dallas, TX
2009-03-20
Bhajan – Kalindi dasi – Hare Krishna
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Kalindi dasi singing a Hare Krishna Bhajan.
2009-03-20
Dallas, TX
Lecture – Giriraj Swami – SB 8.5.24
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Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 5, Text 24 by Giriraj Swami.
2009-03-20
Dallas, TX
TRANSLATION
O Maharaja Parikshit, subduer of all enemies, after Lord Brahma finished speaking to the demigods, he took them with him to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is beyond this material world. The Lord’s abode is on an island called Svetadvipa, which is situated in the ocean of milk.
PURPORT
Maharaja Parikshit is addressed here as arindama, “subduer of all enemies.” Not only do we have enemies outside of our bodies, but within our bodies there are many enemies, such as lusty desires, anger and greed. Maharaja Parikshit is specifically addressed as arindama because in his political life he was able to subdue all kinds of enemies, and even though he was a young king, as soon as he heard that he was going to die within seven days, he immediately left his kingdom. He did not follow the dictates of enemies within his body, such as lust, greed and anger. He was not at all angry with the muni’s son who had cursed him. Rather, he accepted the curse and prepared for his death in the association of Sukadeva Gosvami. Death is inevitable; no one can surpass the force of death. Therefore Maharaja Parikshit, while fully alive, wanted to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. He is consequently addressed here as arindama.
Another word, sura-priya, is also significant. Although Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is equal toward everyone, He is especially inclined toward His devotees (ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te teshu capy aham). The devotees are all demigods. There are two kinds of men within this world. One is called the deva, and the other is called the asura. The Padma Purana states:
dvau bhuta-sargau loke ‘smin
daiva asura eva ca
vishnu-bhaktah smrito daiva
asuras tad-viparyayah
Anyone who is a devotee of Lord Krishna is called a deva, and others, even though they may be devotees of demigods, are called asuras. Ravana, for example, was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but he is described as an asura. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu is described as a great devotee of Lord Brahma, yet he was also an asura. Therefore, only the devotee of Lord Vishnu is called sura, not asura. Lord Krishna is very much pleased with His devotees, even if they are not on the topmost stage of devotional service. Even on the lower stages of devotional service one is transcendental, and if one continues with devotional life, he continues to be a deva or sura. If one continues in this way, Krishna will always be pleased with him and will give him all instructions so that he may very easily return home, back to Godhead.
Concerning ajitasya padam, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the milk ocean of this material world, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says: padam kshirodadhi-stha-svetadvipam tamasah prakriteh param. The island known as Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is transcendental. It has nothing to do with this material world. A city government may have a rest house where the governor and important government officers stay. Such a rest house is not an ordinary house. Similarly, although Svetadvipa, which is in the ocean of milk, is in this material world, it is param padam, transcendental.
Bhajan – Amala Kirtan das – Gaura Purnima
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Bhajan sung by Amala Kirtan during the Gaura Purnima festival.
Dallas, TX
2009-03-10
Bhajan – Mukunda Datta das – Gaura Purnima Abhishek
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Bhajan sung by Mukunda Datta das during the Abhishek (bathing) ceremony of Gaura Nitai on Gaura Purnima.
Dallas, TX
2009-03-10
Lecture – Mukunda Datta das – Sunday Feast on Lord Chaitanya
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Sunday Feast Lecture on Lord Chaitanya by Mukunda Datta das.
Dallas, TX
2009-03-08