The dhara from Bhaktivinode Thakur is the stream of Nam Bhajan.

An interesting day. Prema Madhuri is still in the hospital after the operation. Today I more or less got a day off. I was in the hospital room when they brought her from the operating theater and stayed with her as she slept through the anesthetic induced discomforts. 

I played the same meditation music which brought her BP down from pretty high to normal levels in a couple of hours before the operation. But around 1.30 or 2 at night, the nurse told me visitors were not allowed to stay the night. So I ended up taking a taxi home and got a couple of hours of sleep on a flat surface after a couple of days. 

But Prema Madhuri told in the morning that she would not need me today, so I have a day off. I took a walk through one of my municipality's walking paths. It is a pretty nice interesting walk, pretty quiet, but sustaining natural aesthetic experiences for most of it. Ideal for a japa walk. So I want to film it with a japa soundtrack.  For the pleasure of those who are crazy enough to want to walk with me. And also doubt PM would also enjoy it now that she won't be doing much walking for a while. Jai Radhe!

A few computer problems unfortunately I cannot access my Facebook account on this other computer, though getting back on Google was not a problem. So I may unfotunately miss a day or two of these FB memories. Radhe Radhe (May 30)

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2016

I am going through the Bhajana Rahasya for the nth time. I did the first version of the translation in 2002.

The Bhajana Rahasya has an important place for me in my own spiritual life and as I start reading it again, I can remember back to the powerful effect it had on me way back when I first read it, before there were any translations.

It was one of the principal influences that led me to a closer relation with Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

[This is actually a fact. When Madhusudan Das (Nadia Das) started visiting me at Mayapur even after taking initiation and Babaji vesh from Lalita Prasad Thakur, we talked a lot about raganuga bhajan and I started studying Bhajana Rahasya. For the first time I started to have aṣṭa-sāttvikas at reading the verses and I realized more fully that I needed to follow through by linking to Bhaktivinoda Thakur through Lalita Prasad Thakur, like Madhusudana.

It is high on my list of publishable stuff, but I think I want to revisit it one more time. Now that I have gone through the Sandarbhas it would probably help to have a little closer study of all the verses that BVT quotes. The way I have done it up to now is to include a translation of BVT's Bengali translations as well as other translations like Yadunandan Thakur or Krishna Das Kaviraja, since they always insert commentary. And then I included a lot of other people's comments. There are some footnotes of my own, but I think that could probably be expanded a little more. So that is something that is still on the close horizon. I like my stuff to be well-digested.]

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2016

[A follow-up post.]

The dhārā from Bhaktivinode Thakur is the stream of Nam Bhajan.
For one in this line, everything, literally everything,
is the fruit of the Holy Name, faith in the Name, and love for the Holy Name.
No matter where you stand on the path of bhajan.

premera kalikā nāma adbhuta rasera dhāma
hena bala karaye prakāśa |
īṣat vikaśita hañā dekhāya nija rūpa guṇa
citta hari laya kṛṣṇa pāśa ||6||

The Holy Name is a burgeoning flowerbud, the amazing abode of rasa. It manifests so much transcendental power. When it is even slightly revealed, it shows me its own spiritual form and attributes. It steals my mind and takes it into the presence of Krishna.

pūrṇa vikaśita hañā vraje more yāya lañā
dekhāya mora svarūpa vilāsa |
more siddha deha diyā kṛṣṇa pāśe rākhe giyā
e dehera kare sarvanāśa ||7||

When the Name is fully revealed, it takes me directly to Vraja, where it shows me my personal role in the eternal pastimes. It bestows on me my eternal spiritual identity and form, places me by Krishna’s side and completely destroys [my identification with] this material body.

[You can see the rest of these here: 

• B.P. Puri's introduction to Bhajana Rahasya 
• HNC 15/3]
• Bhajana Rahasya related posts

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2016

In separation the virtues of the beloved manifest.
In union, it is the flaws.

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2012

[One thing I have noticed about these memories that a lot of shlokas were coming out. Getting to re-relish things that were only incompletely relished. I don't know why I don't have the reference without hunting for it. So...

yāntī vivartya sahasā lapana-cchalena
grīvāṁ muhur lalitayānugayā murāreḥ |
vaktrābja-sāragham apāṅga-taraṅga-bhaṅgyā
rādhā pibanty api na tṛptim avāpa dīnā ||93||

She is going back home, she suddenly turns back
pretending to attend to the conversation.
And she drinks, by means of her coy sidelong glances
The sap that falls from his lotus face,
but Radha gets no satiation, poor girl.

Vishwanath relishes the same moment:

yāntīṁ gṛhaṁ sva-guru-nighnatayāni laulyāt
kāntāvalokana-kṛte miṣam āmṛśantīm |
dūre’nuyāni yad ato’nuvivartitā syām
ehīti vakṣyasi tad-āsya-ruco dhayantī ||

O Swamini! When Jatila escorts you home after Surya puja you’ll be very anxious to get a last peek at Krishna, so I’ll remain lagging behind. Then you’ll have a chance to look back and call me. “Come, come!” you will say as your eyes drink the sweet nectar of Krishna’s face for a few moments more! (Sankalpa-kalpa-druma 71)

I am just correcting the Sanskrit for Grantha Mandira. Someone has typed out the commentary, so I am just going through correcting it and enjoying it as I go along.

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2009

Neti is more than cleaning your nasal passages; it is cleaning the frontal cortex. Combined with nāḍi-śodhana, it is a necessary prerequisite to good meditation.