Weekly Sanga

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 3 Text 9 pāñca-bhautikatātītaṁ sva-dehaṁ kalayan raveḥ nirbhidya maṇḍalaṁ gacchann ūrdhvaṁ lokān vyalokayam TRANSLATION I then saw my body change into a form transcendental to the five material elements. And as I traveled upward, breaking through the sphere of the sun, I saw all the planetary systems.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 234 śrī-bhagavān uvāca nija-priya-tamāṁ yāhi māthurīṁ tāṁ vraja-kṣitim tat-tan-mat-parama-krīḍā- sthaly-āvali-vibhūṣitām TRANSLATION The blessed Lord said: Go to Mathurā, to your dearest pasturing grounds, to the land adorned with many places of My varied supreme pastimes.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 231 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca teṣām etair vacobhir me bhaktir vṛddhiṁ gatā prabhau vicāraś caiṣa hṛdaye ’jani māthura-bhūsura TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: O Mathurā brāhmaṇa, these words of the scriptures greatly strengthened my devotion for the Supreme Lord, and this thought was born in my heart:

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Texts 223-224 bhavāṁs tu yadi mokṣasya tucchatvānubhavena hi viśuddha-bhagavad-bhakti- niṣṭhā-sampattim icchati tadā nijaṁ mahā-mantraṁ tam eva bhajatāṁ param atrāpīdaṁ mahā-gūḍhaṁ śṛṇotu hṛdayaṅ-gamam TRANSLATION If you have indeed realized the pettiness of liberation and want to attain the treasure of firm faith in pure devotional service to the Lord, then simply worship your transcendental mantra. And please hear this great secret, which is pleasing to the heart:

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 218 sadaika-rūpo ’pi sa viṣṇur ātmanas tathā sva-bhakter janayaty anu-kṣaṇam vicitra-mādhurya-śataṁ navaṁ navaṁ tayā sva-śaktyetara-durvitarkyayā TRANSLATION Although Lord Viṣṇu is always one and unchanging, at every moment He brings forth hundreds of newer and newer varieties of transcendental charm, both in Himself and in His devotional service. He does this by His personal energy, inconceivable to everyone else.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 217 sadaika-rūpaṁ bahu-rūpam adbhutaṁ vimukti-saukhyāt pratiyogi tat sukham harer mahā-bhakti-vilāsa-mādhurī- bharātmakaṁ tarkyam atad-vidāṁ na hi TRANSLATION That extraordinary happiness is always one, yet it assumes many features. It stands in contrast to the happiness of impersonal liberation. Devotional happiness is made of the intense sweetness of sporting pastimes in the highest devotional service to the Lord. Persons unfamiliar with this pleasure cannot even imagine what it is like.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 215 paraṁ samādhau sukham ekam asphuṭaṁ vṛtter abhāvān manaso na cātatam vṛttau sphurad vastu tad eva bhāsate ’dhikaṁ yathaiva sphaṭikācale mahaḥ TRANSLATION The happiness felt in impersonal samādhi is plain, isolated, vague, and limited because in that samādhi the functions of the mind have ceased. But when the object of meditation appears in the active mind, that object is more vividly manifest, like sunlight reflected on a crystal mountain.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 209 avāntara-phalaṁ bhakter eva mokṣādi yady api tathāpi nātmārāmatvaṁ grāhyaṁ prema-virodhi yat TRANSLATION Even though liberation and its effects are natural by-products of devotional service, devotees do not regard satisfaction in the self as worth taking, for it obstructs pure love of God.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 207 muktāś cāsya tayā śaktyā sac-cid-ānanda-dehitām prāpitās te bhajante taṁ tādṛśaiḥ karaṇair harim TRANSLATION The Lord’s personal energy grants those liberated souls spiritual bodies of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. And with the spiritual senses thus acquired, those souls worship Lord Hari.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 193 tat sukhaṁ vardhate ’bhīkṣṇam anantaṁ paramaṁ mahat na tu brahma-sukhaṁ muktau vardhate sīmavad yataḥ TRANSLATION That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 193 tat sukhaṁ vardhate ’bhīkṣṇam anantaṁ paramaṁ mahat na tu brahma-sukhaṁ muktau vardhate sīmavad yataḥ TRANSLATION That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 169 śrī-bhakti-śāstrāṇy ūcuḥ labdha-brahmādhikāredaṁ mahā-gopyaṁ nidher api bhavat-sad-guṇa-sandohair ākhyāmo mukharī-kṛtāḥ TRANSLATION The devotional scriptures said: O dear one who have achieved the post of Brahmā, this topic is more secret than a rare treasure. But we shall explain it to you because your abundant good qualities inspire us to speak freely.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 166 tato mahā-purāṇānāṁ mahopaniṣadāṁ tathā mādhya-sthyād āgamānāṁ tu jayo jāto mama priyaḥ TRANSLATION Then the major Purāṇas and Upaniṣads became arbitrators, and so victory went to the Āgamas. That pleased me very much.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 146 ittham ahnāṁ katipaye prayāte prātar ekadā kautukād brahmaṇā spṛṣṭaḥ pheṇa-puñjo ’suro ’bhavat TRANSLATION After I had spent some days in this way, early one morning, out of curiosity, Brahmā touched a mass of foam, and it turned into a demon.

In today’s sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations in celebration of Govardhana-pūjā and the disappearance day of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

In today’s sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations in celebration of Govardhana-pūjā.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 136 bhagavantaṁ muhuḥ paśyan praṇamann avadaṁ manaḥ nijepsitāntam adyāgā niścalaṁ tvaṁ mudaṁ bhaja TRANSLATION Gazing at the Supreme Lord and repeatedly bowing down before Him, I told my mind: “Today you have attained the ultimate fulfillment of all your desires! Be steady and joyful.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 132 saṁvāhyamāna-caraṇaṁ ramayā suparṇe baddhāñjalau kṛta-dṛśaṁ vidhinārcyamānam bhūyo vibhūtibhir amuṁ bahu lālayantaṁ śrī-nārada-praṇaya-bhaktiṣu datta-cittam TRANSLATION As the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, massaged His feet, He glanced at Garuḍa, who stood before Him with joined palms. Lord Brahmā worshiped the Lord with opulent offerings, and in turn the Lord amply gratified him. Lord Mahāpuruṣa was also attentive to Śrī Nārada’s displays of loving devotion.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 129 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca tac chrutvā tatra gatvā taṁ mahā-puruṣam īkṣitum japaṁ kurvaṁs tapo-loke niviṣṭo ’ntaḥ-samādhinā TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Hearing this, I wanted to go to that planet and see the Mahāpuruṣa. Seated on Tapoloka, I chanted my mantra and focused my attention in samādhi.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 119 kadācit sanakādīṁś ca dhyāna-niṣṭhā-vaśaṁ gatān vindatas tāni rūpāṇi dṛṣṭvāpnomi parāṁ mudam TRANSLATION Sometimes when Sanaka and his brothers were absorbed in meditation they would assume those forms of the Lord. Seeing this, I would relish extreme pleasure.