Guru parampara – Page 2 – Light of Godhead

Brahmana and the Cobbler

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Everything Is Resting On Krsna

Narada Muni used to visit Narayana every day. So when he was passing on the road, so one very learned brahmana and taking thrice bath and everything very nicely, he asked Narada Muni, “Oh, you are going to Lord. Will you inquire when I shall get my salvation?” “All right. I shall ask.” And then another cobbler, he was under the tree, sewing the shoes, old shoes. He also saw Narada Muni. He also inquired, “Will you kindly inquire from God

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:53:59+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Faith, Narada Muni, Narayana, Stories|Tags: Banyan tree, Brahmana, Cobbler, Elephant|

You saw only stone

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: His Lotus Feet

Once, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was giving a talk in the temple. It had a lecture hall and a temple room. In the middle of the lecture, the conch sounded for aarti. Some of the disciples stood up and went to the next room to watch the aarti. They left the lecture to join the aarti. Then, they came back and sat down to hear the rest of the lecture. But Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura stopped speaking and he said, “Where did you go?” The

light-of-godhead2015-07-15T23:40:56+00:00July 9th, 2015|Categories: Hearing, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati|Tags: Aarti, Stone|

I am very happy

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Vedas, Guru And Supersoul

There is a story in the Bhagavata that once Indra, the king of heaven, he was condemned by his spiritual master, Brhaspati, that “You are so foolish. You should have become a hog.” So he became a hog. So after some days, when the throne of the heavenly kingdom was vacant, Brahma went to reclaim this hog, Indra, that “Come to your place.” So when the hog was requested that “You are Indra. Why you are suffering? Now you come. I

light-of-godhead2015-07-15T23:44:49+00:00July 8th, 2015|Categories: Brahma, Happiness, Indra|Tags: Hog|

Turn your home into Vaikuntha

Source: Goloka Vrndavana Is Everywhere

Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the father of sankirtana movement within two hundred years. He was acarya and a householder, grhastha. He was very responsible officer, magistrate, householder. But he was a great devotee. Not only devote, acarya in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu disciplic succession, acarya. So he sung, ye dine grhete bhajana dekhi, grhete goloka bhaya: “The day whenever we find there is bhajana,” means worshiping the Supreme Lord, “at that time immediately the house becomes Vaikuntha.” Actually, that is so. Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana

light-of-godhead2015-06-16T22:30:39+00:00June 16th, 2015|Categories: Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Holy name, Sadhana-bhakti, Vaikuntha, Vrndavana|

Higher taste

Speaker: Premanjana Dasa
Source: The Affection of Srila Prabhupada

Haridas Prabhu had the habit of stealing money from the temple; he had a habit for stealing. He used to get money for the deity kitchen, devotee kitchen etc. As a habit, he generally used to steal Rs. 1 or Rs. 2 (in 1972) it used to be a ‘very big thing’ at that time.

There was one such incident that Haridas recalls, “Srila Prabhupada was here as he used to come to Hare Krishna Land. He used to get extra

light-of-godhead2015-11-01T05:57:53+00:00May 21st, 2015|Categories: Affection, Haridasa Thakura, Higher taste, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Videos|Tags: Chocolate, Halwa|

SB 1.2.1-5: Vaishnava is a true brahmana

SB 1.2.1: Ugraśravā [Sūta Gosvāmī], the son of Romaharṣaṇa, being fully satisfied by the perfect questions of the brāhmaṇas, thanked them and thus attempted to reply.

SB 1.2.2: Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, “O my son!” Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00May 8th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Canto 1, Haridasa Thakura, Srimad Bhagavatam notes, Vaishnava|

Only a Vaisnava is a true brahmana

Source: Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava

Even while executing his vow, Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī occasionally went outside Māyāpur for preaching, especially to attack the apa-sampradāyas for misleading people with their bogus interpretations and practices. He particularly agitated the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis (caste Goswamis) by insisting that the position of a brāhmaṇa and post of guru are not hereditary professions. Such assertions were intolerable to the smārta-brāhmaṇas and jata-gosanis, who were keeping a stranglehold on Hinduism in Bengal by maintaining that only persons born into families of supposed brahminical lineage could be counted

light-of-godhead2015-05-22T05:04:21+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Brahmana, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Smārta paṇḍitas and jata-gosanis|

Transforming bell metal into gold

Source: SB 5.24.17 Purport

Srila Sanatana Gosvami also states that when bell metal is treated with mercury, it can produce gold. Srila Sanatana Gosvami mentions this in regard to the initiation of low-class men to turn them into brahmanas. Sanatana Gosvami said:

yatha kancanatam yati
kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam

“As one can transform kamsa, or bell metal, into gold by treating it with mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a brahmana by initiating him properly into Vaisnava activities.” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying to

light-of-godhead2015-06-11T21:33:25+00:00May 7th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Brahmana, Initiation, Regulative principles, Sanatana Gosvami|Tags: No discrimination|

Vaishnava is greater than foremost brahmanas

Source: CC Antya 3.222

“Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brāhmaṇas,” Advaita Ācārya said. “Therefore, accept this śrāddha-pātra.” Thus Advaita Ācārya made him eat.

Purport: Śrāddha is prasādam offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month. The śrāddha-pātra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the brāhmaṇas in society. Instead of offering the śrāddha-pātra to any other brāhmaṇa, Advaita Ācārya offered it to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, considering him greater than any of the foremost brāhmaṇas. This act by Śrī Advaita Ācārya proves that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always situated in a transcendental position

light-of-godhead2015-05-18T04:03:50+00:00May 6th, 2015|Categories: Advaita Acarya, Brahmana, Haridasa Thakura, Stories, Vaishnava|Tags: Sraddha|

Mrgari hunter and Narada muni

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Devotional Desire

In this connection I shall recite one historical incident from the Puranas. There was a hunter in Prayag. Prayag, as you know, is in Allahabad. He kept hunting in the forest indiscriminately. Once, Narada Muni was passing through the jungle and felt very compassionate towards the animals who were half-dead and half-killed by the hunter. Narada Muni, being a Vaisnava, was very kind to all living entities.

light-of-godhead2015-05-25T00:25:55+00:00April 28th, 2015|Categories: Narada Muni, Spiritual master, Stories|

Supreme is Supreme

Source: SB 2.5.7

Nārada Muni accepted Brahmā as the Supreme due to Lord Brahmā’s wonderful acts in creation, but doubts arose in him when he saw that Lord Brahmā also worshiped some superior authority. The Supreme is supreme, and He has no worshipable superior. The ahaṅgrahopāsitā, or the one who worships himself with the idea of becoming God Himself, is misleading, but the intelligent disciple can at once detect that the Supreme God does not need to worship anyone, including Himself, in order to

light-of-godhead2015-06-10T06:34:06+00:00April 24th, 2015|Categories: Brahma, Narada Muni, Stories|Tags: Becoming God|

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati chastising Srila Prabhupada

Source: How shall I serve you?

Once in a room with many disciples, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī was speaking and Abhay listening when an old man beside Abhay motioned to him. As Abhay leaned over to hear what the man wanted, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta suddenly spoke out in annoyance at the two apparently inattentive students. “Bābū,” he first addressed the old man beside Abhay, “do you think you have purchased me with your 150-rupees-per-month donation?” And then, turning to Abhay: “Why don’t you come up here and speak instead of me?” Abhay was

light-of-godhead2015-05-25T00:06:46+00:00April 21st, 2015|Categories: Chastisement, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati|