Weekly Sanga

Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations on Sri Radhastami: The Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 46 Text 2 tam āha bhagavān preṣṭhaṁ bhaktam ekāntinaṁ kvacit gṛhītvā pāṇinā pāṇiṁ prapannārti-haro hariḥ   TRANSLATION The Supreme Lord Hari, who relieves the distress of all who surrender to Him, once took the hand of His fully devoted, dearmost friend Uddhava and addressed him as follows.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 46 Text 1 śrī-śuka uvāca vṛṣṇīnāṁ pravaro mantrī kṛṣṇasya dayitaḥ sakhā śiṣyo bṛhaspateḥ sākṣād uddhavo buddhi-sattamaḥ   TRANSLATION Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The supremely intelligent Uddhava was the best counselor of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, a beloved friend of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and a direct disciple of Bṛhaspati.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 46 Text 1 śrī-śuka uvāca vṛṣṇīnāṁ pravaro mantrī kṛṣṇasya dayitaḥ sakhā śiṣyo bṛhaspateḥ sākṣād uddhavo buddhi-sattamaḥ   TRANSLATION Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The supremely intelligent Uddhava was the best counselor of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, a beloved friend of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and a direct disciple of Bṛhaspati.

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations from his Bhakti Immersion retreat at Shyama Ashram in Cali, Colombia, Janmastami, and Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-puja. Maharaja then turns it over to Jaya Jagannath with an in-progress class at Shyama Ashram.

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations on the upcoming appearance day of Śrī Krishna, Śrī Krishna Janmāṣṭamī and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Śrī Bhaktyāloka — Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's commentary on Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's Upadeśāmṛta.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 3 Text 12 athainam astaud avadhārya pūruṣaṁ paraṁ natāṅgaḥ kṛta-dhīḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ sva-rociṣā bhārata sūtikā-gṛhaṁ virocayantaṁ gata-bhīḥ prabhāva-vit   TRANSLATION O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, descendant of King Bharata, Vasudeva could understand that this child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. Having concluded this without a doubt, he became fearless. Bowing down with folded hands and concentrating his attention, he began to offer prayers to the child, who illuminated His birthplace by His natural influence.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 3 Text 11 sa vismayotphulla-vilocano hariṁ sutaṁ vilokyānakadundubhis tadā kṛṣṇāvatārotsava-sambhramo ’spṛśan mudā dvijebhyo ’yutam āpluto gavām   TRANSLATION When Vasudeva saw his extraordinary son, his eyes were struck with wonder. In transcendental jubilation, he mentally collected ten thousand cows and distributed them among the brāhmaṇas as a transcendental festival.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 3 Texts 9-10 tam adbhutaṁ bālakam ambujekṣaṇaṁ catur-bhujaṁ śaṅkha-gadādy-udāyudham śrīvatsa-lakṣmaṁ gala-śobhi-kaustubhaṁ pītāmbaraṁ sāndra-payoda-saubhagam mahārha-vaidūrya-kirīṭa-kuṇḍala- tviṣā pariṣvakta-sahasra-kuntalam uddāma-kāñcy-aṅgada-kaṅkaṇādibhir virocamānaṁ vasudeva aikṣata   TRANSLATION Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma. On His chest was the mark of Śrīvatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidūrya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 3 Texts 7-8 mumucur munayo devāḥ sumanāṁsi mudānvitāḥ mandaṁ mandaṁ jaladharā jagarjur anusāgaram niśīthe tama-udbhūte jāyamāne janārdane devakyāṁ deva-rūpiṇyāṁ viṣṇuḥ sarva-guhā-śayaḥ āvirāsīd yathā prācyāṁ diśīndur iva puṣkalaḥ   TRANSLATION The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean’s waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart, appeared from the heart of Devakī in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devakī was of the same category as Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 2 Text 25 brahmā bhavaś ca tatraitya munibhir nāradādibhiḥ devaiḥ sānucaraiḥ sākaṁ gīrbhir vṛṣaṇam aiḍayan   TRANSLATION Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, accompanied by great sages like Nārada, Devala and Vyāsa and by other demigods like Indra, Candra and Varuṇa, invisibly approached the room of Devakī, where they all joined in offering their respectful obeisances and prayers to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can bestow blessings upon everyone.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 2 Text 18 tato jagan-maṅgalam acyutāṁśaṁ samāhitaṁ śūra-sutena devī dadhāra sarvātmakam ātma-bhūtaṁ kāṣṭhā yathānanda-karaṁ manastaḥ   TRANSLATION Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakī. Devakī, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 2 Text 13 garbha-saṅkarṣaṇāt taṁ vai prāhuḥ saṅkarṣaṇaṁ bhuvi rāmeti loka-ramaṇād balabhadraṁ balocchrayāt   TRANSLATION The son of Rohiṇī will also be celebrated as Saṅkarṣaṇa because of being sent from the womb of Devakī to the womb of Rohiṇī. He will be called Rāma because of His ability to please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because of His extensive physical strength.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 2 Texts 1-2 śrī-śuka uvāca pralamba-baka-cāṇūra- tṛṇāvarta-mahāśanaiḥ muṣṭikāriṣṭa-dvivida- pūtanā-keśī-dhenukaiḥ anyaiś cāsura-bhūpālair bāṇa-bhaumādibhir yutaḥ yadūnāṁ kadanaṁ cakre balī māgadha-saṁśrayaḥ   TRANSLATION Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Under the protection of Magadharāja, Jarāsandha, the powerful Kaṁsa began persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty. In this he had the cooperation of demons like Pralamba, Baka, Cāṇūra, Tṛṇāvarta, Aghāsura, Muṣṭika, Ariṣṭa, Dvivida, Pūtanā, Keśī, Dhenuka, Bāṇāsura, Narakāsura and many other demoniac kings on the surface of the earth.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 58 kiṁ duḥsahaṁ nu sādhūnāṁ viduṣāṁ kim apekṣitam kim akāryaṁ kadaryāṇāṁ dustyajaṁ kiṁ dhṛtātmanām   TRANSLATION What is painful for saintly persons who strictly adhere to the truth? How could there not be independence for pure devotees who know the Supreme Lord as the substance? What deeds are forbidden for persons of the lowest character? And what cannot be given up for the sake of Lord Kṛṣṇa by those who have fully surrendered at His lotus feet?

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 44 tasmān na kasyacid droham ācaret sa tathā-vidhaḥ ātmanaḥ kṣemam anvicchan drogdhur vai parato bhayam   TRANSLATION Therefore, since envious, impious activities cause a body in which one suffers in the next life, why should one act impiously? Considering one’s welfare, one should not envy anyone, for an envious person must always fear harm from his enemies, either in this life or in the next.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 34 pathi pragrahiṇaṁ kaṁsam ābhāṣyāhāśarīra-vāk asyās tvām aṣṭamo garbho hantā yāṁ vahase ’budha   TRANSLATION While Kaṁsa, controlling the reins of the horses, was driving the chariot along the way, an unembodied voice addressed him, “You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman you are carrying will kill you!”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 27 śūraseno yadupatir mathurām āvasan purīm māthurāñ chūrasenāṁś ca viṣayān bubhuje purā   TRANSLATION Formerly, Śūrasena, the chief of the Yadu dynasty, had gone to live in the city of Mathurā. There he enjoyed the places known as Māthura and Śūrasena.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 27 śūraseno yadupatir mathurām āvasan purīm māthurāñ chūrasenāṁś ca viṣayān bubhuje purā   TRANSLATION Formerly, Śūrasena, the chief of the Yadu dynasty, had gone to live in the city of Mathurā. There he enjoyed the places known as Māthura and Śūrasena.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 1 Text 17 bhūmir dṛpta-nṛpa-vyāja- daityānīka-śatāyutaiḥ ākrāntā bhūri-bhāreṇa brahmāṇaṁ śaraṇaṁ yayau   TRANSLATION Once when mother earth was overburdened by hundreds of thousands of military phalanxes of various conceited demons dressed like kings, she approached Lord Brahmā for relief.