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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.
srimad bhagvatam
Srimad Bhagvatam Class - SB 8.6.14
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
Srimad Bhagvatam Class - SB 8.6.13
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.
Srimad Bhagvatam - SB 4.21.2-4 - Kolkata
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.
“The only secure investment” Srimad Bhagvatam - 22nd August 2009
SB 8.2.33
TEXT
yaù kaçcaneço balino ‘ntakoragät
pracaëòa-vegäd abhidhävato bhåçam
bhétaà prapannaà paripäti yad-bhayän
måtyuù pradhävaty araëaà tam émahi
SYNONYMS
yaù—He who (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); kaçcana—someone; éçaù—the supreme controller; balinaù—very powerful; antaka-uragät—from the great serpent of time, which brings death; pracaëòa-vegät—whose force is fearful; abhidhävataù—who is chasing; bhåçam—endlessly (every hour and every minute); bhétam—one who is afraid of death; prapannam—who is surrendered (to the Supreme Personality of Godhead); paripäti—He protects; yat-bhayät—from fear of the Lord; måtyuù—death itself; pradhävati—runs away; araëam—the actual shelter of everyone; tam—unto Him; émahi—I surrender or take shelter.
Krsna is always grateful - 23rd August 2009
SB 8.3.1
çré-bädaräyaëir uväca
evaà vyavasito buddhyä
samädhäya mano hådi
jajäpa paramaà jäpyaà
präg-janmany anuçikñitam
SYNONYMS
çré-bädaräyaëiù uväca—Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé said; evam—thus; vyavasitaù—fixed; buddhyä—by intelligence; samädhäya—for concentration; manaù—the mind; hådi—in consciousness or in the heart; jajäpa—he chanted; paramam—a supreme; jäpyam—mantra he had learned from great devotees; präk-janmani—in his previous birth; anuçikñitam—practiced.
Read moreSunday Feast Class - Attaining Ultimate victory by chanting the holy names - 23rd August 2009
We welcome everyone to Radha Gopinath temple for our weekly Sunday festival. Very grateful you are all here. Back in the mid 1970’s, two devotees, one of my dearest friends, god brother and god sister – Rukmini and Bharadvaj Prabhu. From heart of hearts, they prayed to have child and that will spread the glories of god name through out the world and Gaur vani was born. (Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!). They prayed, they performed tapasya, they cried seeking their Gurudev Srila Prabhupad and the Lord that their child will be empowered and for this purpose. And when the baby was born they named Gaurvani, which means one who would spread vani or the message of God, Lord Caitanya. And what is the message? Jéva jägo jéva jägo gauracanda bole kota nidrä jäo mäyä-piçäcéra kole. Lord Caitanya’s message is very deep and profound – there are volumes and volumes describing the intricate explanation on philosophy of every aspect of life. But in principle it is very simple. Wake up, wake up, sleeping souls. You are sleeping in the lap of illusion. Essentially, we are all spiritual; we are all part of God. Krsna tells in Gita,
Read moreMaya Won’t Let Go Untill We Surrender
Srimad Bhagavatam Class by
HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj
29rd August 2009
TEXT 8.3.5
kälena païcatvam iteñu kåtsnaço
lokeñu päleñu ca sarva-hetuñu
tamas tadäséd gahanaà gabhéraà
yas tasya päre ‘bhiviräjate vibhuù
Read moreForgetting Krsna – the greatest crisis
Srimad Bhagavatam Class by
HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj
30th August 2009
SB 8.3.6
(Word to word transcription)
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SB 8.3.6
na yasya devä åñayaù padaà vidur
jantuù punaù ko ‘rhati gantum éritum
yathä naöasyäkåtibhir viceñöato
duratyayänukramaëaù sa mävatu
Read moreBecome Hungry For Krishna - 9th August, 2009
H. H. Radhanath Swami
9th August, 2009
Srimad Bhagvatam 8.1.20
SB 8.1.20
tatrendro rocanas tv äséd
deväç ca tuñitädayaù
ürja-stambhädayaù sapta
åñayo brahma-vädinaù
During the reign of Svärociña, the post of Indra was assumed by Rocana, the son of Yajïa. Tuñita and others became the principal demigods, and Ürja, Stambha and others became the seven saints. All of them were faithful devotees of the Lord.
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