Srila Gurudeva Katha Transcriptions

A godbrother of Guru Mahārāja and Svāmījī called Sanātana Prabhu also took sannyāsa with Svāmījī. His age was 99 years. He told Svāmījī, “If you take sannyāsa, then I will also take sannyāsa, despite my advanced age.”
And then Svāmījī became so energetic and he said, “Yes. I should take sannyāsa.”
Then I made a very good sannyāsa-daṇḍa for Svāmījī. I also arranged the sannyāsa cloth for Svāmījī—the uttarīya and bahirvāsa. I showed

The gopīs are incomparably beautiful. They are more beautiful than Nārāyaṇa’s consort, Lakṣmī-devī. They are more beautiful than the queens of Dvārakā. They are highly qualified. Their love and affection for Kṛṣṇa is unparalleled. None are like the gopīs. No personalities of this material or spiritual realms can be compared to the gopīs. By their transcendental beauty and qualities, they can easily attract the Supreme Personality of Godhead in a moment. This is the glory of the gopīs…

There are two Durgās—Yogamāyā and Mahāmāyā. Yogamāyā is beyond this material world. She does not control the material worlds, but controls those who like to serve Kṛṣṇa. She descends as Yogamāyā and gives much energy and strength to the devotees, who wish to realize Kṛṣṇa. But, the shadow of Yogamāyā is called Durgā, Mahāmāyā, who can give facilities for the soul’s desires of sense gratification. And this desire for happiness and pleasure in this world is illusory. She cannot give spiritual happiness, peace and tranquility. This has been declared…

They are all in one family. Vaiṣṇavas are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not different from Kṛṣṇa. This is unity in diversity. There is nothing that can be called one, this oneness cannot be defined by any dictionary also. “O-N-E,” these are three letters. In Hindi, one is called ek, E-K. In Urdu and different languages, one is called in many different terms. You may just say that…

…Kṛṣṇa is weeping! It seems that Kṛṣṇa is not pleased. Thus, you may think it is not bhakti; but it is bhakti. Because it is favorable to Kṛṣṇa. The services and activities we perform for our holy master, for each and every Vaiṣṇava, and to Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be very favorable from our hearts. They are all in one family.

…But, these devotional practices should be performed under the guidance of any bona fide guru, or a śikṣā-guru. Gurudeva is an uttama-mahā-bhāgavata Vaiṣṇava. Any mahā-bhāgavata should be considered as one’s śikṣā-guru. We should not think that Diksha-guru is most superior while śikṣā-guru in most inferior. We should not be of this mentality. The position of a śikṣā-guru is not minimized anywhere. The scriptures also glorify the position of the śikṣā-guru along with the Diksha-guru…

…You should try to have a very regular and good association of bona fide devotees. The seed of devotion has been planted in your hearts, but if you don’t water this seed of devotion with the water of hari-kathā; it may dry and be destroyed. You should carefully and diligently tend to this seed of devotion. You should always be in good association and you must also sincerely study scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, and all other books of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Svāmījī, and our Guru-varga. Thus, we should gradually…

We cannot live without air. To maintain this body, you will have to take air, water, and other substances. Anyābhilāṣa must be avoided. But, how can we perform activities that will not be classified as being separate from kṛṣṇa-bhakti? Without performing the most basic actions, we cannot live. The actions we perform must be…