 |
In 1970, at the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, he reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, he returned to America in order to share the sacred knowledge and wisdom he had learned from the many holy men and women he had met there. It was an extraordinary choice, given what he had survived to get there: a journey filled with bizarre characters, mystical experiences, and dangerous adventures. The story is recounted in his recently published memoir The Journey Home (San Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing, 2009). Reviewers have called Radhanath's saga "at once an engaging yarn, a love story, and the evocation of a transcendent paradise in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor.
Radhanath Swami emerged from his years of travel wanting to explain for others the beauty and rewards of a life devoted to God, and therein lay a dilemma. His many followers and friends describe him as completely selfless and consequently unwilling to take credit for his work and restless when a spotlight is focused on him. By choosing A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977), a spiritual activist, as his guru (after declining offers of initiation from several tyagis or renunciants in the Himalayas), Radhanath Swami cast his fate to the wind, cut his matted locks, and entered back into the society.
Pushyabhishek
ku-manäù su-manastvaà hi
yäti yasya padäbjayoù
su-mano-’rpaëa-mätreëa
taà caitanya-prabhuà bhaje
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya because simply by offering a flower at His lotus feet even the most ardent materialist becomes a devotee. All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityänanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Äcärya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya! Let me now enumerate the activities of the Lord between the ages of five and ten. His chief occupation during this period was to engage Himself in study. The pastimes of the Lord during His paugaëòa age were very extensive.
SB 1.9.17
tasmäd idaà daiva-tantraà
vyavasya bharatarñabha
tasyänuvihito 'näthä
nätha pähi prajäù prabho
SYNONYMS
Read moreSB 8.9.27
péta-präye 'måte devair bhagavän loka-bhävanaù
paçyatäm asurendräëäà svaà rüpaà jagåhe hariù
SYNONYMS
péta-präye—when almost finished being drunk; amåte—the nectar; devaiù—by the demigods; bhagavän—the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Mohiné-mürti; loka-bhävanaù—the maintainer and well-wisher of the three worlds; paçyatäm—in the presence of; asura-indräëäm—all the demons, with their chiefs; svam—own; rüpam—form; jagåhe—manifested; hariù—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB 8.6.14
sa tvaà vidhatsväkhila-loka-pälä
vayaà yad arthäs tava päda-mülam
samägatäs te bahir-antar-ätman
kià vänya-vijïäpyam açeña-säkñiëaù
SYNONYMSRead more
Tags: srimad bhagvatamSB 8.6.13
taà tväà vayaà nätha samujjihänaà
saroja-näbhäticirepsitärtham
dåñövä gatä nirvåtam adya sarve
gajä davärtä iva gäìgam ambhaù
SYNONYMS
tam—O Lord; tväm—Your Lordship; vayam—all of us; nätha—O master; samujjihänam—now appearing before us with all glories; saroja-näbha—O Lord, whose navel resembles a lotus flower, or from whose navel grows a lotus flower; ati-cira—for an extremely long time; épsita—desiring; artham—for the ultimate goal of life; dåñövä—seeing; gatäù—in our vision; nirvåtam—transcendental happiness; adya—today; sarve—all of us; gajäù—elephants; dava-artäù—being afflicted in a forest fire; iva—like; gäìgam ambhaù—with water from the Ganges.
Tags: srimad bhagvatamI am very much grateful to be among all of you this evening, 77th festival of Prerana and very grateful to all of you for coming. During this very busy time of the year on a weeknight, whether there was a change or schedule with such short notice, still so many of you have come. Thank you very much! If I had the time and energy to put a garland of affection and appreciation on each and every one of you, I would do it. But in my heart I am doing it at this very moment.
Read more
Tags: PreranaSB 4.21.4
prajäs taà dépa-balibhiù
sambhåtäçeña-maìgalaiù
abhéyur måñöa-kanyäç ca
måñöa-kuëòala-maëòitäù
TRANSLATION
As the King entered the gate of the city, all the citizens received him with many auspicious articles like lamps, flowers and yogurt. The King was also received by many beautiful unmarried girls whose bodies were bedecked with various ornaments, especially with earrings which collided with one another.
SPIRIT OF REAL RENUNCIATION
We have been discussing the last few days here on Sri Mayapur Dham a few drop from the ocean of pastimes of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in relation to his lila of taking sannyas which took place specifically in this Nadia area, Navadvip, Shantipur. After lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is formally initiated by keshav Bharathi Maharaj in Katva, He roamed thought the Radhadesh with is devotees. He has specially recited a particular verse from the Srimad Bhagavatham which Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt in his heart, and wanted to present to world the real spirit of renunciation. Again and again He chanted the sloka
Hare Krishna. I am sincerely grateful to all of you for so kindly coming this evening and to His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for so mercifully brining us all together.
SRILA PRABHUPADA ADAPTED THE MOOD OF LORD CAITANYA
Read more