True Spiritual Alchemy

Bhakti is the essence of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śaktis  named hlādinī  and samvit.  This svarūpa-śakti exists within Śrī Bhagavān as three faculties, namely hlādinī, samvit and sandhinī, but not within the jīva-śakti  or bahiraṅgā-māyā-śakti.  By God’s mercy, the hlādinī and samvit faculties of this svarūpa-śakti enter into the heart of the jīva, and when his sādhana …

Nectar snippets

The Gosvamis say that although the Supreme Lord is Self-delighted, Self-satisfied and totally indifferent, He always remains greedy to drink the nectar of His devotees' love. But this desire to relish the love of His devotees does not contradict His Self-delight, for prema is a part of the Lord's innnate potency. Just as a greedy …

The Glory Of Sri Radha’s Maidservice

Sri Radharani comes to a trysting-kunja, hoping to meet Her beloved Syamasundara there. Tulasi follows Svamini like Her shadow and helps Her to decorate the kunja while She waits for Syama to come. Tulasi helps Svamini preparing flower garlands, sandalwood pulp, vermilion, delicious betelleaves, jugs filled with scented water and other ingredients for Syamasundara's service. …

Nectar snippets

He who is called ananda rupam amritam and raso vai sah by the Srutis, that also encourage the jivas to relish this rasa by saying rasam hyevayam labdhanandi bhavati, that Original Personality of Godhead Vrajendranandana is the topmost shelter of that rasa, or the akhila rasamrita murti, the embodiment of all transcendental flavours. And although …

Why the sakhis teach the manjaris

The love, beauty and sweetness of radha-dasya will also be relishable within the heart of the rasika bhaktas through the sweetness of Sripada Raghunatha's aspirations to learn devotional service. How Sri Raghunatha dasa's heart, that is filled with maha-bhava, is decorated by charming pictures of his aspirations for devotional service that were drawn with the …

Snippets Of Nectar

The maidservants of Sri Radha are the embodiments of seva-rasa, and they don't know anything else but the service of the Divine Couple. Therefore the strong indomitable desire to become qualified to render different services awakens in the heart of Sri Raghunatha dasa, who is completely absorbed in his manjari-svarupa in this stotra. Sripada's heart …

The extraordinary greatness of manjari bhava

The Gosvamis, like Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha and Sri Jiva are the great architects of Vraja-rasa. Just as from a single material - gold - many ornaments, such as necklaces, bangles and earrings can be made, showing the variety in designs that can be made from one material, similarly different pastimes are manifest in the …

Sadhu Sanga Nectar

Srila Dasa Gosvami says: asambhashya tad bhava gambhira cittan kutah syama-sindho rasa-syavagahah - "Without humbly and submissively conversing with those advanced rasika devotees whose hearts are 'deep with feelings for Sri Radharani, how can one enter into the sweet Syama-ocean?" As a result of attaining the association and the mercy of such great souls, knowledge …

Sweetness

madhuri and madhurya are synonymous words. madhuryam asamordhvataya sarva manoharam svabhavika rupa guna liladi saushthavam (Sri Jiva Gosvami): "Sweetness means natural all-enchanting and lovely forms, qualities and pastimes that have no equal and no superior." Vrajendranandana Himself is the great ocean of enchanting forms, qualities and pastimes, but even He is enchanted by Sri Radha's …

Compassion

Compassion means that the heart melts, being unable to see others suffering. Compassion is a function of the heart, but here Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami brings the astonishing news to the world that Sri Radha's body even melts with compassion! God's mercy reaches its perfection by giving prema, or love of God, to the conditioned …