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At the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, Radhanath Swami reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, Radhanath Swami 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 Radhanath Swami 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 - Autobiography of an American Swami. Reviewers have called Radhanath Swami'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. Radhanath Swami's 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 Bengali Vaishnava Saint, 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.
RadhanathMaharaj.net gives us a complete collection of the teaching of Radhanath Swami. Teachings consists of Transcriptions of lectures delivered by Radhanath Swami at various places. This website is to inspire the followers of Radhanath Swami to practice the philosophy of Vaishanavism.
SB 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: SB 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.
Prthu Maharaj - Champion of Character
H.H. Radhanath Swami Maharaj
31st October 2009, SB 4.21.2–4, Kolkata
VERSE
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.1
“maitreya uväca
mauktikaiù kusuma-sragbhir
dukülaiù svarëa-toraëaiù
mahä-surabhibhir dhüpair
maëòitaà tatra tatra vai”
SYNONYMS
maitreyaù uväca—the great sage Maitreya continued to speak; mauktikaiù—with pearls; kusuma—of flowers; sragbhiù—with garlands; dukülaiù—cloth; svarëa—golden; toraëaiù—by gates; mahä-surabhibhiù—highly perfumed; dhüpaiù—by incense; maëòitam—decorated; tatra tatra—here and there; vai—certainly.
TRANSLATION
Read moreSPIRIT 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 moreI am very grateful for this opportunity to speak a few words. We are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s acceptance of sannyasa. He left His home in Navadwip, His beloved widowed mother, His loving beautiful chaste wife, all of His intimate associates, and Navadwip itself which is non-different than Vrindavan. He broke the hearts of those who are most dear to Him, to perform the supreme sacrifice of giving Krishna bhakti, Krishna prema to the suffering people of this world.
Read moreHare Krsna!
I am very grateful to all the assembled devotees, especially my dear Godbrothers and Godsisters who are casting their merciful glances upon me and all of us. This very devotional drama that was performed for us depicted a scene that set the mood after which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees would deeply contemplate the strikingly reality that Lord Caitanya would soon leave Navadwip and assume the ashram of Sannyasa.
My sincere gratitude to all of you for kindly being with us in Mayapur dham.
500th anniversary of Lord Caitanya’s accepting of sanyas
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