Srila Gurudeva Katha Transcriptions

Our Bhakta Bandhav Transcriptions of Srila Gurudeva’s hari-katha.

  • Unnata-ujjvala-rasa – 11 Feb 1997 Australia

    ByBhakta Bandhav

    I want to make a vivid explanation so that you should know what is the difference between the two. Up to now I have explained that the mood of dāsya, the mood of sakhya, even the mood of vātsalya is not unnata-ujjvala-rasa. Even the svakīya-bhāva of Rukmiṇī and Satyabhāmā or of Sītā-devī to Rāmacandra is not unnata-ujjvala-rasa. I am trying to explain these things, so that you may have some idea of unnata-ujjvala-rasa. You cannot take that rasa, so I will give so many explanations. But those whose hearts are pure, who served the vaiṣṇavas and have come into the association of high class vaiṣṇavas, they may take it. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa himself, could not give to all. So I cannot give, but I believe, that those who have come to hear surely have some past impressions of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy. And that is why they have come and joined from different parts of the world, from England, America and so forth. From Sydney and here and there. And they are roaming with me here and there, so they must have some impression of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s family. [laughter]

  • Raya-ramananda-samvada – Holland 09 May 1996

    ByBhaktabandhav

    I have told you that Rāya Rāmānanda was like a king, like a viceroy. When they met, he told Caitanya Mahāprabhu. “At first I saw You as a sannyāsī in the renounced order; a very beautiful young sannyāsī. The red coming from Your face cannot be defeated; it is not so hot but more cool like the moon—You have a moonface. At first I saw You as a sannyāsī, but now I am seeing that You are that black Kṛṣṇa. How? I am seeing that You are the combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, taking the heart and mood of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the guidance of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.
    “Why am I seeing so?”
    Mahāprabhu replied that, “You are a mahā-bhāgavata, a certain type of Vaisnava. Not kanistha adhikārī, not madhyama adhikāra. You are so much more, a maha-bhagavat.”
    What are the symptoms of a mahā-bhāgavata? If he will see a cow, at once he will remember Kṛṣṇa and say, “This is Vṛndāvana and Krisna is grazing the cows.” He can stay in any jungle and think, “Oh, this is Vṛndāvana.” He can see any river, sea or ocean and he will think, “Oh, the Yamunā is flowing here.” If he will see any high place, he will say, “Oh, here is Girirāja Govardhana, very near and dear and very much serving. Kṛṣṇa has lifted him with His finger.” He will always see his aradhyadeva, worshipable Kṛṣṇa, and see that all are worshipping. And in Kṛṣṇa he will see all. This is the symptom of a mahā-bhāgavata.

  • Raya-ramananda-samvada – Holland 08 May 1996

    ByBhaktabandhav

    Then he [Rāya Rāmānanda] prayed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. At first I used to know You as a mad person but now I am seeing by Your grace that You are a topmost Vaisnava; and not only the topmost, but also so merciful. He was very glad. This is the outward result externally. But the internal reason was that He [Caitanya Mahāprabhu] had made up His mind that, “First I should meet there and I should go to the school of Visaka, that is Rāya Rāmānanda, and there I will learn so much. Then I will be qualified to realize Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā.” So He went to the school as a student.
    Caitanya Mahāprabhu had taken bath and He was sitting on the bank of the Godāvarī River. The Godāvarī River is very sacred. She is like Laksmi. He was sitting there on the bank. What was He thinking? That, “I will know the greatness of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Her heart.”
    At once, this big crowd surrounded. So many learned scholars and Sanskrit paṇḍitas were reciting Vedic mantras and playing on a drum, he [Rāya Rāmānanda] was coming in a palanquin, as a king. When he took off all of his things and wanted to take bath, he saw nearby, not so nearby, but a little far away, the bal sannyāsī. Bal sannyāsī means, a kisora, a young sannyāsī. And while sitting, lakhs and lakhs of sunrays [emanated from Him]. He was astonishing.
    “Who is he?” [thought Rāya Rāmānanda].
    He was so attractive. But he [Rāya Rāmānanda] was fearing the paṇḍits. “What will they say?” That being a śūdra, he is going to a brahmana sannyāsī. He wanted that, “I should not do it.” But his heart was so stolen and attracted that he could not check himself. (inaudible 4:38) He told the brahmanas, “Wait for me,” and he left his crown and royal dress, and wearing one kaupīna, came like a beggar.

  • Stages of Bhakti – Holland 07 May 1996

    ByBhaktabandhav

    Any good and qualified teacher or Guru doesn’t think like this [that all are my disciples, or servants]. Rūpa Gosvāmī never thought like this—never. They had Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī like a disciple, like his own brother, like a friend. Because in that world, no disciples, nothing, only here are there disciples. So I never think that anyone is my disciple, but I think…I joke with everyone, to Tungavidyā, to him, everyone, like my friends, bosom friends. I think that Prabhupāda also, Bhaktivedānta Swami, also thought like this. He helped all his disciples like his friends. Little, little girls and boys. He wanted to love them so passionately***. So I am so pleased to come here among such good devotees.
    So you should try to come first in niṣṭhā. Do you know what is niṣṭhā? At first there is śraddhā, and when śraddhā is matured, it becomes niṣṭhā. Niṣṭhā is a good, high thing. Then the mind is fixed, there is no doubt in any siddhānta. No doubt. At that time, māyā will not attract. At that time, we will chant harināma, yet with no taste, but we see that there is no remedy without taking the chanting of Hari’s name. So even if there is no taste at the time of niṣṭhā, we know that there is nothing, anything, which will take us to Kṛṣṇa without His name.

  • Assigning the Goal – New Braja 26 June 1996

    ByBhaktabandhav

    So first we should try to know what our sadhya is. What do we want? If you want fruit then if you go to the car shop you won’t be able to get an orange. If you want cloth but you go to the fruit market you won’t find any garments there. So we should decide what our sadhya is. What do we want? We want Krishna. What Krishna? Dvarakadish Krishna? What do you want? Mathuradesh Krishna? Or Ramacandra? Or Krishna in Vaikuntha? We don’t know anything so we should do sadhu-sanga and realize what we want and then we will decide what our sadhana is.

  • GURU OR KAN-GURU?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    The second parasiti (condition) is as follows: Suppose at the time of taking diksa one’s
    gurudeva was really following the Vaisnava line, he was a madhyama-adhikari, and he knew many tattvas like krsna-tattva, and maya tattva. Then, after some time, he began to take the association of a mayavadi, sahajiya, or materialist. He stopped chanting, and after that he began to criticise Vaisnavas, no longer accepting the guru-parampara. The sisya should at once give him up, as one passes stool. When one gives up stool, he becomes very happy and he feels fresh. Similarly, upon giving up all these “kan-gurus”, the aspiring devotee will be extremely happy.

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    Be Disciples Like Sannyasi Thakur!

    ByBhaktabandhav

    These disciples then went to the sahajiya babajis at Radha Kunda. Those sahajiya babajis then gave them ‘siddha pranamli’ for five anna paisa, although they never knew the meaning of siddha-pranali. Real siddha-pranali has been explained by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I was searching for these new babajis, and I have now heard that they are married. Don’t be like them. Be disciples like Sannyasi Thakura. A disciple like this Sannyasi Thakura will never fall down.

  • What has Hanumana Done? – Radlett, U.K. – 16 May 1996

    ByBhaktabandhav

    So, Hanuman’s service to Rama was incomparable, but he cannot go to Vrindavana. He cannot go. Why? If he sees Mother Yasoda disciplining her son, Krishna, Hanuman will think, “My Lord is being disciplined?” Thinking so, he will be upset. With his club, he might do something wrong. If he will see that in the groves of Vrindavana, Srimati Radhika and the gopis order Krishna and tell Him, “Come on! Come on…!”