KK Bindu #127

[Guest guest]

saba vaishnavake amara dandavat pranam

[Our humble obeisances to all the Vaishnavas!]

 

Hare Krishna. Jaya Sri Sri Guru Gauranga!

 

You will find attached to this text issue #127 of Sri Krishna Kathamrita

Bindu.

 

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IN THIS ISSUE

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We begin with an article from ISKCON's Founder Acarya, His Divine Grace A.

C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, describing how one cannot understand

transcendental topics via the process of mundane empiricism. Srila

Prabhupada thus criticizes the mundane system of scholarship and explains

the qualification required for receiving a Ph.D. in the school of Sri

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

Next is a song by Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode entitled, "Don't Hate Followers

of Other Religions". Therein, the Thakur admonishes those who in the name of

spirituality behave in a bigoted way towards persons whose religious beliefs

and practices differ from their own. Although written over one hundred years

ago (in 1893), his words are very appropriate for today's world.

 

Two fresh translations from Bengali to English appear in this issue,

especially commissioned for Sri Krishna Kathamrta Bindu: "Instructions for

Nama-bhajan and Worship" from the Letters of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Thakur Prabhupada, and the song, "Gaura Nitai Vijnapti", by Srila Lochan Das

Thakur. The first is a personal letter written by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta to a

follower in 1915. Therein he gives some advice on the process of bhajan and

glorifies the holy name as the only thing required for one to realize

Krishna as well as one's own eternal form and service in the spiritual

world. It is inspiring to note the humble etiquette observed by Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta in this letter.

 

Our readers can look forward to more such letters in future issues.

 

In the song "Gaura Nitai Vijnapti", written sometime in the mid-1500s,

Lochan Das expresses profound humility and cries out for the mercy of Sri

Sri Gaura Nitai. This song is very similar in style to the well-known bhajan

by Srila Narottam Das Thakur beginning, "ei baro karuna koro vaisnava

gosai". Our thanks to Sri Madhavendu Prabhu of ISKCON Vrindavan and Sri

Bhakta Pradosh of Bhubaneswar for their kind translation assistance.

 

"Simplicity and Association" is a conversation between Sri Srimad Gour

Govinda Swami and some devotees. Maharaja speaks strongly about the

necessity of having association with advanced vaishnavas if one wants to

become free from duplicity and the desire for false prestige.

 

"Nrsimha's Fire of Anger" is a short excerpt from a commentary on Srila

Madhvacarya's Dvadasa Stotra. This comes from a newly translated book by Sri

Gadadhar Pandit Das of Russia. The final offering in this issue are some

words spoken by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as recounted by Srila Lochan Das

Thakur in his Sri Chaitanya Mangala. Mahaprabhu describes that ecstatic love

for Krishna is the essence of all religion. He says that if one has not

developed such love then all of his austerities and religious practices are

in vain.

 

We hope that this issue brings you some pleasure. We will consider our

endeavor a success if this installment of Bindu provides even a small source

of inspiration for your preaching and bhajan.

 

Sri guru vaishnava kripa prarthi, Madhavananda Das, editor

 

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COMMENTS

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Thank you very much for the timely and inspiring email which gave me great

joy. Jai Shri Krishna!

-- Siveshni Maharaj, South Africa

 

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"This chanting should go on. Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions,

revolutions and then no solutions, there should be chanting."

- His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from Lilamrta Vol.6

p.182