One of the most significant days in history :Prabhupada Leaves for America

August 13, 2003

Today is one of the most significant days in history.

I forgot to mention it this morning but it really is. What great fortune we received when Prabhupada arrived in the west.

We often have difficulty really appreciating what he achieved. Today is the commemoration of that start.

Thanks to Sumati Morarjee the owner of the Scindia Steamship Company.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

yasodanandana · August 13, 2003

i offer my most respectiful obeisances to SrilaPrabhupada who has come to save me from hell

August 13, 2003

Prema Bhakti Candrika

by Srila Narottama Das Thakura

Introduction

1 om ajnana-timirandhasya

jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena

tasmai sri-gurava namah

I was born in the darkest of ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.*

2 sri-caitanya-mano bhistam

sthapitam yena bhutale

svayam rupah kada mahyam

dadati sva-padantikam

When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet.*

3 akhila-rasamrta-murtih

prasrmara-ruci-ruddha-taraka-palih

kalita-syama-lalito

radha-preyan vidhur jayati

Let Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His expanding attractive features, He subjugated the gopis named Taraka and Pali and absorbed Syama and Lalita. He is the most attractive lover of Srimati Radharani and is the reservoir of pleasure for all devotional mellows.*

Song 5

1 ragera bhajana-patha kahi ebe abhimata

loka-beda-sara ei bani

sakhira anuga hana braje siddha-deha pana

ei bhabe judabe parani

I shall now describe the path of spontaneous love for Krsna, which is glorified by the exalted devotees and the Vedic literatures. By traversing this path of spontaneous love one becomes a follower of the gopis and attains the perfect spiritual body of a liberated soul.

2-3 sri-radhikara sakhi jata taha ba kahiba kata

mukhya sakhi kariye ganana

lalita bisakha tatha sucitra campakalata

rangadevi sudevi kathana

tungabidya indurekha ei asta-sakhi lekha

ei kahi narma -sakhi gana

ihon seba-shacari priya-prestha nama dhari

prema-seba kare anuksana

I shall now describe the most important of Srimati Radharani's gopi-friends. Lalita, Visakha, Sucitra, Campakalata, Rangadevi, Sudevi, Tungavidya, and Indulekha, are the eight most important gopi friends of Srimati Radharani. Her other gopi-friends are divided into groups: the narma-sakhis, priya-sakhis, and prestha-sakhis. All these gopis constantly render loving service to Srimati Radharani.

4 sri rupa-manjari ara sri-rati-manjari sara

labanga-manjari manjunali

sri-rasa-manjari-sange kasturika-adi range

prema-seba kare kutuhali

Sri Rupa-manjari, Sri Rati-manjari, Lavanga-manjari, Manjunali, and Sri Rasa-manjari eagerly and lovingly serve Srimati Radharani, supplying her musk and various other articles.

5 ei-sabara anuga hana prema-seba niba cana

ingite bhujiba saba kaje

rupa guna dagamagi sada haba anuragi

basati kariba sakhi majhe

I am the follower of all these gopis. I shall serve them with great love. I will completely understand their orders, even when couched in casual hints or gestures. I shall become immersed in wonder at their transcendental virtues and beauty, and I shall dearly love them. I shall always remain in their company.

6 brdabane du jana cari-dike cakhi-gana

samayera seba rasa-sukhe

sakhira ingita habe camara dhulaba tabe

tambula jogaba canda-mukhe

Immersed in the happiness of serving the Divine Couple surrounded by Their gopi-friends in Vrndavana, I will understand the gopis' hints, and, taking up the camara wish I will fan the Divine Couple, and after that I will place betel nuts in Their moonlike mouths.

7 jugala-carana sebi nirantara ei bhabi

anurage thakiba sadaya

sadhane bhabiba jaha siddha-dehe paba taha

raga pathera ei sei upaya

Someday I will constantly serve the lotus feet of the Divine Couple with great love. At present I will follow the rules of sadhana-bhakti until I attain a perfected spiritual body and am able to love the Divine Couple spontaneously.

8 sadhane je dhana cai siddha-dehe taha pai

pakwa pakwa matra sei bicara

pakile sei prema-bhakti apakwe sadhana khyati

bhakati-laksana-anusara

That treasure of pure love of God for which I hanker while I follow the regulative practices of sadhana-bhakti, I will attain when I have the spiritual body of a liberated soul. Actually sadhana-bhakti and prema-bhakti are the same devotional service. Sadhana-bhakti is the stage where love for Krsna has not fully ripened yet, and prema-bhakti is the same devotion where love for Krsna has reached the mature, ripened stage. That is the description of devotional service.

9 narottama dasa kahe ei jena mora haye

braja-pure anurage basa

sakhi-gana-gananate amare ganibe tate

tabahun puriba abhilasa

Narottama dasa says: I hope that I may attain the stage of spontaneous love for the Divine Couple in the town of Vraja. I hope that I will be counted among the gopi-friends of the Divine Couple. O Divine Couple,, in this way I will be able to serve You and satisfy all Your desires.

10 tatha hi--

sakhinam sangini-rupam

atmanam vasana-mayim

ajna-seva-param tat-tat-

krpalankara-bhusitam

The stage of prema-bhakti is described in the following statements of Vaisnava literature:

"One should meditate on oneself as being the maidservant of the gopis, and in this way one will attain their mercy."

11 krsnam smaran janam casya

prestham nija-samhitam

tat-tat-katha-ratas casau

kuryad vasam vraje sada

"The devotee should always think of Krsna within himself, and one should choose a very dear devotee who is a servitor of Krsna in Vrndavana. One should constantly engage in topics about that servitor and his loving relationship to Krsna, and one should live in Vrndavana. However, if one is physically unable to go to Vrndavana, he should mentally live there."