Author: Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaja

An excerpt from a talk by Srila Sridhar Maharaja

The name must be of finite characteristic that can take away all that is undesirable in us. The name must have a spiritual conception not mere physical imitation, that can be produced only by the help of the lip and tongue. Krsna-nama, Hari-nama, Visnu, Narayana, all these are Vaikuntha-nama, it is necessary that They have spiritual existence, that is all in all. They must have spiritual depth, not imitation. Physical imitation is not the name proper.

Verses 8 - 11 are the four principal verses of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. The ontological substance of the book is contained within these four essential verses, beginning aham sarvasya prabhavo - "Everything emanates from Me."

In many places in Srimad-Bhagavatam,we find Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, being tested by Krsna. And still, Brahma is our gurudeva.He is the original guruof our line. That he could become bewildered is so perplexing and difficult to understand that Madhvacarya eliminated that section from the Srimad-Bhagavatam.He could not accept those two chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatamwhere Brahma was under illusion, where he had some misunderstanding about Krsna. But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted everything in toto.

We should try to become more acquainted with the realistic view of Nabadwip. There are so many divisions in this Nabadwip Dham: mainly nine. It is mentioned that they represent the nine sections of devotion.

In May 1977 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada felt that his days in this material world were almost at an end. He traveled to Vrndavana and asked that his leading disciples come and join him. Specifically, he called for the members of the Governing Body Commission, who manage the worldwide preaching activities of Iskcon. Within a few days they gathered, in fear of the imminent departure of His Divine Grace. At that time many last affairs of His Divine Grace were put in order. He wrote his last will, entrusting everything to Iskcon, and assigned his disciples as trustees of the various Iskcon properties in India and around the world.

The gurudeva is mentioned in the sastra with an example. The sisya is like a lotus, and the gurudeva like the water around, just as in a pond or in a lake, gurudevas position is like water and Krsna is like the sun. As long as the lotus is floating on the water, the sun will give life to the lotus but if the water vanishes that very sun will burn the lotus.

Srila Prabhupada: I want to take you everywhere. At least at the place we have in Mayapura, people are coming from all over the world. Why don't you come and stay there? What is your objection to staying in Mayapura? If you just agree, then whatever kind of building you want, I will arrange it for you. They are trying to build a house for me, so both of us will stay there. And whenever you want, you can come here.

Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. So, our Swami Maharaja has done a miracle! (Laughingly) He has done a miracle. What Bhaktivinoda conceived and [Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati] Prabhupada tried according to his conception to translate into action -- we find that through Swami Maharaja in his last days these revelations have been fulfilled. We are happy, we are glad, we are proud of Swami Maharaja, and of you all too.

This is the room conversation audio recording of the first two paragraphs that are missing from BBT Folio transcription.

Sri Madhavendra Puri is the sprout of the great tree of devotional love represented in the world by Sri Chaitanya Deva. Sri Madhavendra Puri comes from the line of Sri Madhva, the acarya of the pure Dwaita (dualistic) philosophy. It is well known to a student of religious literature that puree dualism is one of the four theistic Vaisnava schools of ancient India. As Brahma, the creator himself, is the pioneer of the faith, the school is also known as the Brahma sampradaya.