Shukasari

On her recent visit to Malaysia, Srimati Uma didi gave wonderful explanation on the powers of the maha-mantra. Below is an excerpt of Didi's class. "[Once, in a village, a young boy was bitten by a snake. His parents were heart-broken. They wept bitterly. The whole village came over to see what had happened. Then someone said he will call a snake charmer who is expert in mantras. Soon the snake charmer came. He kept reciting a mantra. He also put some stones on the boy's head, on his eyes and other important areas of the boy's body as only known to the snake charmer. After much recitation of the mantra, the snake which bit the boy came. It sucked out all the poison from the boy's body. The snake then died. And the boy was saved.] If a worldly mantra can have so much power, just imagine what the maha-mantra can do. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare This is the top most mantra. If anyone has taken shelter of a bona-fi...

The Beginning of Caturmasya - 14-15 July 2011 [Dear Readers, July 14th or July 15th, 2011 ( see calendar ) is the beginning of Caturmasya, the four month period each year from July into November, in which devotees observe certain rules and regulations in order to advance in their bhakti. There are many items that are not allowed during Caturmasya, such as leafy vegetables on the first month, yogurt on the second month, milk on the third month, and mustard oil on the fourth month. Besides this, throughout all four months, tomatoes, eggplants, honey and several other foodstuffs are prohibited. (Please see the rest of the list below). Srila Gurudeva gave this talk on September 13, 2000 in Mathura.] Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to follow all these rules very strictly, but nowadays we see that devotees don't follow . Our Guru Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura were very strong in this regard. Srila Prabhupada said, "Take my p...

(This is the part 3 of the story of Dasia Bauri) The Devotee's Devotion Captures the Lord's Heart Day and night Dasia was thinking about the Lord. He knew nothing except the Lord. One night, he went to sleep meditating upon His lotus feet. He prayed, "Will that Lord be merciful upon me so that I can see that four handed form of the Lord?" Understanding his mind, Lord Jagannath left the altar of His temple and appeared in front of Dasia. Dasia took darshan of the Lord to his heart’s content. He said, "What I had seen on the chariot is the same as the form before me now. I am directly seeing the Lord! Brahma and all of the demigods and asuras, yakhsas, gandharvsa, kirnars, siddhas, yogis and munis meditate constantly the lotus feet of Lord Hari. They are not able to see Him. I am ignorant, a low born. I have not done any devotional service. O Lord of the universe, You have come to my cottage." The Lord, who was wear...

(This is part 2 of the story "A Great Devotee of Lord Jaganatha, about Dasia Bauri but from another place) In a village called Baligram, two kilometers from Puri, there lived a low-caste tribal person named Dasia Bauri. Dasia was very much in ignorance and didn’t understand very much about what was pious behavior and what was sinful behavior. He had no children; he and his wife were very poor. Dasia was a weaver, and the money he made selling the cloth barely maintained him and his wife. During festival days, Dasia would visit the homes of brahmanas in his village and listen to the songs that glorified the Lord. Even though he could not understand anything, he liked to listen. In this way he was spending his life—working to maintain himself and occasionally hearing some kirtana on festival days. At one point he accepted mantra initiation from a guru and started to wear kanthi mala and apply tilak on his forehead. He was associating with devotees and he...

(A dear god-sister, who is residing in Orissa, sent me this sweet wonderful lila of Jagannatha and his dear most devotee , Hope you will find much inspiration from this katha) Dasia Bauri – The Grea t Bhakta of The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Jagannatha Deva Sri khetra Jagannath Puri is the Greatest dhama of the Supreme Lord, where Krishna (Shyamasundara) is manifesting in His eternally merciful and most joyful form known as avatari Jagannath. The place is further glorified by the foot dust of great unalloyed loving devotees called premi-bhaktas. From time immemorial Sri Jagannathjiu has been worshiped in this dhama and the great scriptures like Srimad-Bhagawata, Padma, Visnu, Skanda Puranas etc are the evidence. It is mentioned in the Skanda-Purana that Sri-Prahalada maharaja did ratha-yatra festival long long ago in the age of Satya-Yuga. In this age also Jagannathjiu has a great history. There are devotees beginning from the reign of Pandya kings. All the...

Sometimes or more accurately put, problems just comes. We have so many problems in our life. Yet, we think if we were to solve one particular problem then it will all go away.Our life will be happy. But then after spending so much energy on one problem, another comes like a tidal wave. By then we would have forgotten the previous problems. Now we concentrate on the problem at hand. Again, we use all our energy in trying to get rid of this one problem in front of us. When I was growing up, I had so much of skin problem. I tried all sorts of solutions to get rid of it. After some time, it did go away. Then I became very sick. And again another type of skin problem starts. All this just left me totally exasperated. That is how this material world is. Problems are there to bring us closer to Sri Guru and Krsna. How? We will start to pray harder and perhaps even realise somewhat that this life is so insignificant to be drowning in problems. The only real problem is whether we have to...

( a nice story related by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja ) A wolf was drinking water from a river at the same time as an innocent lamb. The wolf thought, "Somehow or other I must devour that lamb." The wolf said, "Hey! Don't you know? Can't you see I am drinking water here? Why are you making the water muddy for me? I shall kill you." The lamb said, "O sir, you are drinking water upstream and I am drinking water downstream. How is that I am making the water muddy for you?" The wolf said, "Why did you call me bad names one year ago?" The lamb said, "O sir, I am only three months old. How is it that I could call you bad names one year ago?" The wolf said, "Your mother must have done so. Anyway, I will still kill you!" This is how all concocted stories are going around. This story illustrates how hatred, speaking ill, and concocting stories arise from intolerance or enviousness. In the same way we find all kinds of fault in...

Once, two saints were standing on the bank of a river, when they saw a scorpion was being swept away by the strong current. One of the saints picked up the scorpion on his palm to save it, but it stung the saint and fell back into the river. The saint then kept picking up the scorpion to save it, but it kept on stinging the saint. And this went on and on. Upon seeing this, the other saint said, "Why are you doing this? Don't save the scorpion. Let it die." The first saint replied, "If this scorpion is not giving up its nature to bite, then, why should I give up my nature to save him?" In the same way, sadhus are mercy and tolerance personified. They will keep coming back for us, the fallen soul, again and again to urge us to get out of this material condition by serving Sri Guru and Krsna. Yet we are blinded by our own poison to see the ways of the humble sage.

Below are some excerpts from Srimati Syamarani didi’s class on her recent visit to Malaysia. Didi very expertly gave class on what Srila Gurudeva would want us to be doing: Refraining From Quarrelling “Gopis always glorify others that there is no time for quarrelling. Srila Gurudeva says: ‘I want all the temples to serve my mission and not be disunited.’” On Leadership Srila Gurudeva says: “Be equal to all, kind to all and be broad-minded. Don’t be selfish.” Cure for Criticizing --- the Medicine “Criticize yourself always. If you simply chant, you will have material desires. So sing bhajans and pray to Sri Guru and Guru-parampara, ‘Please let your words be mine.’” Keep praying. Always think: “I am the cause of any sufferings I have.”

Separation from Sri Guru from one’s vision is the greatest pain a disciple faces. No more sweet glances. No more chastisement. No more running to the spiritual master for answers. So many no mores! But we have to remember that, the disappearance lila the spiritual master performs is only to teach us that nothing is permanent in this life. It also gives the disciple a chance to go deeper within to know the spiritual master’s true glories, who he truly is and to find a way to always connect with him. By constantly remembering the spiritual master, we are in fact meeting with him. It is time for the disciple to carry out the spiritual master’s instruction. Recently, Sripad Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja gave a very short and sweet class in Malaysia and used the analogy of the turtle, fish and bird in relation to the spiritual master and the disciples. After Maharaja’s talk, all the other devotees glorified Srila Gurudeva in their sweet and personal relationship they had and w...

The other day some devotees wanted to put up a sketch for a visiting sannyasi. Unfortunately there was not enough time. That’s when this scribe suggested to “recycle” the old drama since the visiting sadhu never saw it before. Not only will it brush up their acting skills, it will also convey the message of “Where is God” and “What is God doing?” which is the title of the sketch. Another devotee, let’s call this person C who actually meant well, did not agree. He felt the group of actors should put up a new play and make the play the best ever. Of course I did not agree to this. Because the group could only do so much as most of its members lived far from another. Besides they are giving their best and it is their seva. But C did not concur. He said he would always make sure to give the best. For example, he would give a big and beautiful garland to Sri Guru. That’s when another devotee, let’s call this person T, said he would give a smaller and a sweet garland to Sri Guru if that’s wh...

Today is the appearance day of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada. We are so fortunate that Prabhupada out of his causeless mercy decided to come into this world to deliver us fallen souls. Below is an excerpt of his lecture on what is pleasing: The difference of consideration between those on the path of what is pleasing and those on the path of gaining what is for their own benefit: There are two kinds of paths - Sreyas, or the path what is truly beneficial and preyas, the path of what is pleasing. The topics of sreyas may often not be pleasing to the material ears like that the topics of preyas often are. The topics on preyas are always pleasing to the senses. In most cases the hearer thinks ---- let the speaker speak what I like and what is favourite to me. But those on the path of sreyas think ---- even if it is apparently distasteful to me, I will only hear about the impartial truth.

Singing the kirtan "Gurudeva Krpa Bindu Diya.... The Aswini Kumaras blessing Upamanyu The Aswini Kumaras trying to get Upamanyu to eat the "cake." Upamanyu did not do so without the permission of his Guru. Upamanyu's Guru worried about Upamanyu not returning to the ashram Upamanyu being chastised by his Guru Upamanyu obediently following his Guru's orders The children performing kirtan Vyasa puja was celebrated with the presence of Sripad Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaj, Sripad Brajanath Prabhu, Srimati Vrinda didi and many wonderful devotees at Sri Sri Radha Govinda Gaudiya Math, Malaysia. The Kanu Youth Club Children first performed a kirtan followed by a play by the Kanu Youth Club. It was entitled "Upamanyu." The story of Upamanyu strongly encapsulates the true meaning of surrender and that is the true and deep meaning of vyasa-puja. May this insignificant soul realize all these truths one day. O Gurudeva, I'm hungry for your mercy.

It's been a week already Since you decided to leave from my material vision You know what's best for all your children It's us who still have to figure it all out This individual is so very thankful for all that you did You turned worms into beautiful butterflies all over Your bluish glance melted hearts world over Your ever so charming smile made our hearts churn You will always be the wind beneath my wings Without you, there is nothing Really... Even during your last manifest pastimes You still taught us that nothing lasts An eternal teacher you are But you taught That service and true love will prevail It's the only thing The only liberator for all of us Love and service for you and the Divine Couple Will take us across And if we follow everything you've said It will take us across O Gurudeva... This insignificant soul is waiting for the day Till we meet again......