The manjaris are Radharani's intelligence personified.


A short one for today, March 29

5 years ago

T'is a wondrous thing that everyone
wants both to be different and yet be one.
If you know this truth within your heart,
then learn exactly how it can be done.


6 years ago

There is a nice verse in the Gīta Māhātmya:

maline mocanam puṁsāṁ jala-snānaṁ dine dine
sakṛd gītāmbhasi snānaṁ saṁsāra-mala-nāśanam

Just as a person removes physical dirt by bathing every day, just bathing once in the waters of the Bhagavad Gita, all the pollution of material existence are removed.

8 years ago

The manjaris are Radharani's intelligence personified.


11 years ago

dhyānābhyāsa-vaśīkṛtena manasā tan nirguṇaṁ niṣkriyaṁ
jyotiḥ kiṁ ca na yogino yadi paraṁ paśyanti paśyantu te |
asmākaṁ tu tad eva locana-camatkārāya bhūyāc ciraṁ
kālindī-pulineṣu yat kim api tan nīlaṁ maho dhāvati ||

If the yogis see the supreme truth as qualityless, inactive and light alone through minds that are controlled by the practice of meditation, so be it. Let them see what they see. For us, however, may that divine blue light who wanders by the banks of the Yamuna always dazzle my eyes with his beauty. (Madhusūdana Sarasvatī 13.1)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O Mind! Meditate on Radha's Breasts

Image
Flickr As I go through the dāna-līlā episode of Chandi Das's Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kīrtana , there are many songs in which Krishna describes Radha's beauty, and a regular feature of that includes descriptions of her breasts. In fact, breasts are a subject that is prominent in all Sanskrit poetry, and is even standard in prayers to goddesses. There does not seem to have been any inhibition in talking about breasts in the ancient Indian culture, even though I dare say, there is more of one in the modern society, in spite of Bollywood. There is, however, an apparent restriction in talking about genitals, male or female, in the so-called erotic poetry of India--Sanskrit or vernacular--even when lovemaking etc., is described. Such descriptions would automatically fall into some other genre. In Radha and Krishna descriptions, I cannot recall ever seeing or hearing a passage that mentioned genitals or overt sexual activity. It is nearly always spoken of somewhat euphemistically. I remember
Read more

Swami Vishwananda's Bhakti Marga and Parampara

Image
It has been a little strange here at Jiva these past few days. Swami Vishwananda is here with his troupe of disciples, of whom there are a goodly number, perhaps 80 or so. When I arrived in Vrindavan already a couple of weeks back, almost the first thing I noticed at the corner of Mathura Road and the Parikrama Marg was a big billboard with Swami Vishwananda’s charming smile and glowing tilak staring charismatically out at the world and announcing that he would be giving darshan on March 8 at the Jiva Institute. Below him, in a smaller frame was Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji, who besides being his host will be speaking on the Bhāgavatam at the darshan event. This is not the first time that Vishwananda and his group have been at Jiva. Satyanarayana Dasaji calls Vishwananda a friend, and indeed the relations between the two are very cordial. Vishwananda's group is mostly young and enthusiastic, predominantly European (German and points east), who are very enthusiastic about
Read more

Erotic sculptures on Jagannath temple

Image
This was written on the basis of Sundarananda Vidyavinode's Sri Kshetra and intended for a devotee audience, as it was done on a commission by disciples of Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj. It has never been published. I decided to put this on line since there was a discussion on Facebook on the subject and I thought I would revisit what I wrote here nearly twenty years ago. This is from chapter ten on temple renovations. Please note that I have removed the images that I had found of some of the sculptures. I have been blocked from posting links to this blog on Facebook for some infringement of its "community standards". The only thing I can think of on this blog that might have offended some prudish person in cyberspace is this. I do not have much hope for redemption as it has been over six months since my ban is "under review" and there has been no sign of action. Needless to say, I find this heavy-handed action on the part of Facebook dangerously authoritar
Read more