suddhabhakti

King Mandhata once said to Vasishtha Muni, “O great sage, kindly be merciful to me and tell me of a holy fast that will benefit me eternally.”    Vasishtha Muni replied. “O king, kindly listen as I describe the best of all fast days, Amalaki Ekadashi.He who faithfully observes a fast on this Ekadashi obtains enormous wealth, gets free of the effects of all kinds of sins, and attains liberation. Fasting on this Ekadashi is more purifying than donating one thousand cows in charity to a pure brahmana. So please hear me attentively as I tell you the story of a hunter who, though daily engaged in killing innocent animals for his living, achieved liberation by observing a fast on Amalaki Ekadashi following the prescribed rules and regulations of worship.    There was once a kingdom named Vaidisha, where all the brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras were equally endowed with Vedic knowledge, great bodily strength, and fine intelligence. Oh lion among kings, the whole...

 

 

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.13 prasanna-vadanāmbhojaḿ padma-garbhāruṇekṣaṇam nīlotpala-dala-śyāmaḿ śańkha-cakra-gadā-dharam The Supreme Personality of Godhead has a cheerful, lotus-like countenance with ruddy eyes like the interior of a lotus and a swarthy body like the petals of a blue lotus. He bears a conch, discus and mace in three of His hands. Srila Prabhupada explain: It is definitely recommended herein that one concentrate his mind upon the form of Viṣṇu. There are twelve different forms of Viṣṇu, which are described in Teachings of Lord Caitanya. One cannot concentrate his mind on anything void or impersonal; the mind should be fixed on the personal form of the Lord, whose attitude is cheerful, as described in this verse. Bhagavad-gītā states that meditation on the impersonal or void features is very troublesome to the meditator. Those who are attached to the impersonal or void features of meditation have to undergo a difficult process because we are not accustomed to conc...

  Excerpt from Krishna Book, Chapter 59: The Deliverance of the Demon Bhaumāsura When Lord Kṛṣṇa heard the prayers of mother earth, He immediately assured her of immunity from all fearful situations. He said to Bhagadatta, “Don’t be afraid.” Then He entered the palace of Bhaumāsura, which was equipped with all kinds of opulences. In the palace of Bhaumāsura, Lord Kṛṣṇa saw 16,100 young princesses, who had been kidnapped and held captive there. When the princesses saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, enter the palace, they immediately became captivated by the beauty of the Lord and prayed for His causeless mercy. Within their minds, they decided to accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as their husband without hesitation. Each one of them prayed to Providence that Kṛṣṇa might become her husband. Sincerely and seriously, they offered their hearts to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa with an unalloyed devotional attitude. As the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, Kṛṣṇa could understand their uncontaminated d...

  Chaitanya-mangala Translated By Subhag Swami Edited by Mahanidhi Swami Preface     Lochana Dasa was born in 1520 A.D. in Kograma within Gauramandala, West Bengal. He was a disciple of Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura, an intimate eternal associate of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. One day in 1537 A.D., following his guru's order, Locana Dasa sat on a stone slab under a badari tree and started writing the ChaitanyaMangala on a piece of bark.     Since Vrndavana Dasa Thakura had already written a book entitled Chaitanya-Mangala, the leading devotees in Vrndavana [Shri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, Shri Jiva Gosvami, Kasisvara Pandita, Pandita Haridasa Gosvami, and Anantacarya] met to resolve the problem. They decided that henceforth Vrndavana Dasa's book would be called Chaitanya Bhagavata, and Locana Dasa Thakura's book would remain as ChaitanyaMangala.    In The History and Literature of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Dr. S. Das [a disciple of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta S...

  Shiva, the Supreme Vaishnava Select rating Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 ( 5  votes) Back to Godhead March/April 2019 By Gaura Sharana Dasa Devotees of Lord Krishna honor Lord Shiva for his celebrated qualities and his exalted status in the hierarchy of beings. Srimad-Bhagavatam  is an amazing collection of the glories and activities of Sri Krishna and His devotees, the Vaishnavas. The  Bhagavatam  (12.13.16) declares Lord Shiva to be the greatest of all Vaishnavas:  vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh . Lord Shiva’s special position, his post, his personality, and his activities are fascinating to know. The following is a short collection from the  Bhagavatam  of various attributes and activities of Lord Shiva. Shiva’s Position Srila Prabhupada writes: “Lord Shiva is not actually like a living entity [ jiva ], but he is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His ...